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phf

@phf@tabletop.social

I like old games and old computers. I dig free software and free culture. And I believe that people, not organizations, have inalienable rights.

I play games, I don't tell stories. Yes, those games often result in a "shared narrative" that could be called "a story" in retrospect. But I don't script that shit except maybe for a line of dialogue here or there.

All that and my toots expire. And I regularly hate on things. I'm a mess! Better think twice before you request to follow me...

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

phf , to random
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@Tesqovara I've now tracked it all back to that disclaimer, that's what I was missing. Thank you!

phf OP ,
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@kensanata Hmm? Someone took the post Kuntz made on X and made a video out of it. There's also Tenkar videos on both the post and the disclaimer. Wait ... here: https://yt.drgnz.club/watch?v=HUd41FzHStg Of course I wish someone had just posted the darn disclaimer itself, would be easier on the planet.

phf , to random
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What's better than AD&D 2nd Edition? Well, DragonQuest 2nd Edition of course! 😮 😂

"The most powerfuil and comprehensive fantasy role-playing system is not even easier and more fun in the thoroughly revised second edition. ..." Back cover with blurb and table of contents.
Tables from the inside of the book. There are a total of 35 modifiers to be applied to a "strike" which we gather is an attack. The back cover did promise "streamlined combat" so here we are.
The grievous injury table. No RPG should be without one. "A chest wound. Take 2 Damage Points to Endurance immediately and reduce your TMR by 1 until recovered (about 2 months). Look on the bright side, though. Your attacker's weapon is caught in your rib cage and has been wrenched from his grasp."

phf OP ,
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@chgowiz That's not untrue but decidedly less funny. 😄

phf , to random
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@kensanata made me look at the OD&D discussion boards where I found (by accident) a link to an old post by @chgowiz and it turns out I like the idea of counter-spelling a lot. So here we go: https://chgowiz-games.blogspot.com/2018/07/blast-from-past-counterspelling-in-ad.html

phf OP ,
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@chgowiz @kensanata I've not been able to stop thinking about this. So I went back to "the source" as it were, Chainmail. And I am not sure that their "counter-spell" is really what we now think of. I think that in Chainmail it's basically "Dispel Magic" but without a fixed spell. Let me quote in full:

"The stronger magician can successfully cast a counter-spell with a two dice score of 7 or better, while a weaker magician needs a score of 8, 9, 10 or 11, depending on his relative strength. A counter-spell fully occupies a magician's powers."

Note that the magician CASTS a counter-spell and is FULLY OCCUPIED by it, just like if a regular spell was cast. Also we find this in the Conjure Elementals spell:

"Such Elementals must be dispelled by a Wizard or (killed) by combat."

But it would be difficult to do that without a mechanism for "dispelling" anything. All that exists is the "counter-spell" note.

So as inspiration for a new mechanic, namely that of an actual counter-spell as in "prevent a spell being cast from taking effect" I am fine with this. But I don't think that was on Gary's mind back in the day.

Comments? Disagreement? 😄

phf OP ,
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@chgowiz @kensanata I am sorry for being unclear. What I mean is that there are two things, in my mind anyway: One that does away with an already existing magical effect and one that prevents a spell from taking effect in the first place. The former I'd call a dispel, the latter I'd call a counter-spell.

In Chainmail and OD&D the distinction does not seem to exist, it's just our "modern reading" of those words that seems to imply one. I think Gary used "counter-spell" and "dispel" (and indeed "dispell") interchangeably. In Chainmail we find the "elementals must be dispelled" thing but there's only a "counter" mechanic. In OD&D we find the word "counter" a lot when "Dispel Magic" is talked about, but also in other cases, for example when "Slow counters Haste" or (even weirder) in the "Rock to Mud" spell where we find (to my knowledge) the first "reversible" spell? Maybe there's even some of this left in AD&D but I have not had a chance to look yet.

Nothing is "wrong" with wanting both in your game I don't think, and yes, there doesn't seem to be a nice "duel" thing at most tables so it's definitely cool to bring it. Like I said, I am mostly just stewing on this, wondering how I'd want to frame it.

"Thinking out aloud" as it were?

chgowiz , to random
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Day 4 of the post GaryCon flu and this is one of the worst upper resp viruses I've had in my life. The CHILLS that just suddenly come on, and this cough that hurts through my whole body.

Looking at a weekend that will be just as wasted as this week in recovery. :(

phf ,
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@chgowiz COVID test?

WyrdScience , to random
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For those who are fans of Big Dragon some interesting news today… First we have the release dates for the next edition of D&D...

Player's Handbook
September 17, 2024

Dungeon Master's Guide
November 12, 2024

Monster Manual
February 18, 2025

then also coming this year we have...

phf ,
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@e_eric @WyrdScience Just resist. I know you can. Nobody needs that book. Nobody needs 6e. Burn WotC burn. Say it with me. Burn WotC burn. There you go. :-D

kensanata , to random
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Ran some again, yesterday. Players had a few leads on the surface and decided to explore one of them. When they fought two skeletons they rolled comically bad… and when I ruled that all damage halved is always rounded down and therefore these creatures didn’t take damage if you hit them for 1 there was a lot groaning and comments about sending me back to math school. 😅 Also, please don’t use darts (three attacks for 1d3/2) against skeletons… (We’re using AD&D 1st ed.)

phf ,
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@kensanata You could do no damage from piercing. I mean what's to pierce? They are skeletons! 🦴 <hides/>

phf ,
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@chgowiz @kensanata The flat of a blade it arguably a blunt weapon. An extremely awkward one, sure, but yeah, not sharp at all and ouch. But does it ouch bone? So the thing is, much like animated statues, maybe you have to actually pulverize them? Best done with the blunt stuff. 🤷 Ah it doesn't matter, I've added skeleton archers in Barrowmaze, that's way more fun because players freak the fuck out when 6 of those show up. 😄

chgowiz , to random
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If you're a Ral Partha fan or just a fan of old miniatures, this post on the Ral Partha Legacy page might be of interest! Jacob is doing some fantastic work in resurrecting old sculpts!

https://www.facebook.com/RalParthaLegacy/posts/pfbid0bVaZxhftn2pJo5k1nHqtfswzGmmxv7K4kHt1QceYkiNnt6ECuUdRTS4dhhJDfrNFl?cft[0]=AZXRJssLCpKUgxO2_V_4k2DgB_QwtVCulNVzaQSp2OEF7Ns8qbe7zKVAFajjwZb4zVayT7WPpl4C7D3cx4x_Cx6WRoW1XqWyws1WbjqbRygAEveVnK36XwnCZqc6lTCyn9jmys58lE7OACWjw3I-6OOfDFWJoMyaFZ64I80HfUq1V6mPT6jzsicY6sNuJ3wr92o&tn=%2CO%2CP-R

phf ,
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@chgowiz Wow that's a really long spear...

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