Morbid_Corvid

joined 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Makes sense if there's one nation that dominates economically and/or diplomatically. Like English today, IRL.

Though, if one group does not have such a strong influence, you'd probably end up with something like the "Lingua Franca," a mix of multiple languages spoken by the most relevant nations (IRL, in Renaissance Western Europe that was a mix of Italian, Greek, Arabic, Turkish, etc.)

So Common may not be a proper language at all, but instead be a creole/pidgin of all the other big ones. So characters hearing a language they do not speak might still catch words here and there allowing them to decipher the gist of what was said. Also, Common would most likely be spoken in more metropolitan areas. A backwoods farming town may only really speak their native tongue, save for the mayor or merchants.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"Merge finances" aka combine the family jewels.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

And as the minerals are depleted, the island begins to sink until it has been completely depleted and it settles on the surface, crushing whatever lies below.

If the citizens care enough to ensure it lands in a usable state, and the city has developed a diverse enough economy, it may survive and go on operating as a regular city.

Most would probably be abandoned once depleted, leaving behind large mineshafts and abandoned buildings for nature or squatters to reclaim, which could make for fun dungeons.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

This assumes anything would evolve in such an inhospitable environment. If it's cold and oxygen is thin, it'd likely be as barren as mountain tops.

I'd suspect they would perhaps be a popular place for large flying creatures who might like to make nests there in safety and use them as resting locations during long migrations

They'd probably also attract humans and their ilk who wish to capitalize on the islands' natural defenses as well. Though this would obviously come at a cost of seclusion. Goods would be difficult to transport and would probably cost more than in a city on the surface.

I'd imagine they might still find settling up there worthwhile to mine whatever unique materials these islands hold. Perhaps the islands are composed of rare magical minerals that cause them to float. Minerals that would probably fetch a high price.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Just don't connect smart TVs to the internet. Get something cheap like a raspberry pi + wireless mouse/keyboard or an android TV box for the same functionality. (More functionality, actually)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I got one as a gift. So dumb. Just what a I need in mug: IoT and a charger! /s Plus, I can just microwave a normal mug to heat it back up, but not this. And forget about the dishwasher.

...except now that I've used it. It's pretty fucking nice not having to go over to the microwave when I inevitably forget about my drink. And if I use the charger as a coaster. That battery is always topped up. So, I understand its appeal.

Tl;dr: It's dumb, but it's also actually quite nice. I certainly wouldn't buy myself one, but I enjoy using mine.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

My '21 Malibu had it out of the box. I can't speak for Car Play, but wireless Android Auto is 95% flawless. There's that 5% where I get in and the phone won't connect automatically. But I think it's an issue on the phone side. I have to unlock the phone then it kicks in.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I don't really get to play much these days. But I'm currently reading Fléaux! to help me flesh out the Black Sword Hack campaign I'm planning.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I suppose I see it as a flaw because it generally goes underutilized. It's a cool mechanic, but only 1/3rd of it gets any regular use.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thanks, you make some good points.

Upon reflection, I do tend to approach the game with more combat than it's designed for as my players love combat. And the general lack of dex and wil/cha attacks from sample foes in the various games just exacerbates the issue for me.

I like the Wil damage from casting spells in Mausritter. (If I remember correctly, Into the Dungeon: Revived does it as well.) It makes casting more high-stakes, which is something I love in a game. To me, magic should be scary, even to the one weilding it.

 

Hey all, games like Into the Odd, Electric Bastionland, Mausritter, Cairn, etc. All use Chris McDowall's elegant 'stats as health' concept.

It's a great concept: It keeps the character sheet compact, and links a character's prowess to their condition which is very immersive.

However, there's a flaw in this system I cannot ignore: Strength is by far the most important Stat as almost all attacks target a character's Strength. As a result Dexterity and Will/Charisma damage rarely comes into play.

Whenever possible, I try to apply Dex damage from attacks, traps or poisons that hinder movement, or Wil/Cha damage from spells or poisons that don't affect the target physically, but that's just a houserule and it's not always easy to come up with immersive reasons a foe would have these abilities.

How do you get around that at your table? What are your most common ways of targeting these stats?