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Taskerland

@Taskerland@dice.camp

UK-based writer, critic, and photographer. Primarily interested in #horror, #ttrpg, #OSR, #NSR

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. For a complete list of posts, browse on the original instance.

Taskerland , to random
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Reading was a proper Come to Jesus moment on lore: Six or seven pages into the deep history of the setting, I can't remember who the different factions are or what they represent, and the I realise that all of this shit happened centuries before the game even fucking starts!

Taskerland OP ,
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'This RPG is set in the Midlands in 2024, but in order to fully appreciate living in Worcester you need a detailed understanding of the English civil war'

Oh piss off.

Taskerland OP ,
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@SJohnRoss Very scant indeed 😁

Taskerland , to random
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A few days, back, someone asked for people's favourite setting and I don't think I actually have one...

I can think of games where the setting is enough of a turn-off to dissuade me from taking an interest in the game but I struggle to think of a game where I love the setting and its lore.

I suspect 'lore' may be the operant problem. A lot of people adore the Traveller setting and I wound up just skipping over those bits of the book.

Taskerland OP ,
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@SJohnRoss I remember liking the description of the setting in the Exalted core book as it was weird and evocative, then I borrowed the setting book and was horribly disappointed by the more fleshed-out version.

Give me a good vibe and some evocative prompts.

Taskerland , to random
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I wonder if it isn't a result of D&D having been such a low status activity for such a long time... RPG people are just not used to being pandered-to quite so directly.

I've been in scenes where the pendulum had swung too far in the opposite direction where everything was a "scam" and a "rip-off" but the TTRPG scene is hurling fortunes at people with zero track record for producing stuff and that can't end well.

Taskerland OP ,
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@SJohnRoss I've only backed one thing, a system neutral rural horror thing and I am concerned that after several months the writer is still talking about 'inspiration'.

Taskerland OP ,
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@SJohnRoss Very much so... There used to be loads more but I guess third-party licensing is more common now

Taskerland , to random
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Not sure I see the point of an enormous, expensive, hardback re-issue of a 32-page dungeon.

But then I don't really understand why RPG people keep handing hundreds of thousands of dollars to YouTubers with no game design experience for games that are basically subtle variations on existing products.

Taskerland OP ,
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"Now, wait just a minute. We're twice as smart as the people of Shelbyville. Just tell us your idea for a reskinned version of 4th edition D&D and we'll Kickstart it!"

Taskerland OP ,
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@Printdevil Why not? They're already buying shoes, lego, and beard oil.

Taskerland OP ,
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@Printdevil And BO but there's no D&D branded deodorant.

Taskerland OP ,
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@Tim_Eagon @vdonnut @Printdevil I never use deodorant and I only take bubble baths.

Taskerland , to random
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Hmm... Call of Cthulhu one-shot struggling a bit. Group not appreciating the pre-gens. Taking a few minutes to re-group.

Taskerland OP ,
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@SJohnRoss That's a lot of grave-digging

Taskerland , to random
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These days, everything seems like an invitation to join a cult. And not a good cult either.

Taskerland OP ,
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@SJohnRoss I have never been comfortable being anyone's disciple... But then nobody has ever tried to tempt me with tacos and coffee.

Taskerland , to random
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I should stop being rude about Chaosium really... but they should stop putting out underwhelming, over-produced, and over-priced product.

Taskerland OP ,
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@SJohnRoss At least they don't appear to be a missing stair anymore. The stories that emerged about the Krank years were shameful really.

Taskerland OP ,
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@SJohnRoss Oy in a financial sense tho

Taskerland , to random
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Having read a book about the absurd hardships of jungle exploration, I would be tempted to implement some robust survival rules into my next fantasy game.

I would grind my teeth learning the rules but I suspect I would laugh quite a lot watching my players manage escalating drifts of debuffs as they desperately scavenge for food and water.

Taskerland OP ,
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@SJohnRoss No problem 😊 knock yourself out.

Taskerland , to random
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Thinking about Pendragon , I am reminded that the Welsh book had this really cool adventure where the characters are made captains and handed this castle that turns out to be a ruin surrounded by hostile factions.

PCs had to try and secure alliances, hustle for supplies to rebuild the castle, and hold the line until the army turned up.

One of my favourite mini-campaign set-ups: Here is a theoretical pot of power and prestige, good luck turning theory into reality!

Taskerland OP ,
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@SJohnRoss It's just a classic campaign structure. Also really useful for encouraging less-experienced players to view settings less as a series of missions and more as dynamic real places.

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