TheRPGSite

Pen & Paper Roleplaying Central => Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion => Topic started by: Tetsubo on September 20, 2010, 06:07:54 PM

Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: Tetsubo on September 20, 2010, 06:07:54 PM
I am currently reading the Ironclaw game. I'm up to the magic chapter. The rules seem very fluid and dynamic and... complex. Lots of dice rolling, lots of comparing one set of dice rolls to another set of dice rolls. The GM will be rolling a lot of dice per encounter. I think that it might be overwhelming for a GM. Though the game does give a lot of love to the D12.

How is the game in play? Is it actually as complex as I seem to think it is?

I freely admit I like a static target number like the D20 system uses. It just seems faster and more streamlined to me. Am I off here? Is Ironclaw's system really good in ways that I am not seeing? TIA.
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: joewolz on September 20, 2010, 11:55:56 PM
Quote from: Tetsubo;406240I am currently reading the Ironclaw game. I'm up to the magic chapter. The rules seem very fluid and dynamic and... complex. Lots of dice rolling, lots of comparing one set of dice rolls to another set of dice rolls. The GM will be rolling a lot of dice per encounter. I think that it might be overwhelming for a GM. Though the game does give a lot of love to the D12.

How is the game in play? Is it actually as complex as I seem to think it is?

I freely admit I like a static target number like the D20 system uses. It just seems faster and more streamlined to me. Am I off here? Is Ironclaw's system really good in ways that I am not seeing? TIA.

I haven't played the new one, which I hear cleaned the game up a lot.  In the old edition, it was actually pretty fluid in play.  I found, as a GM it was easy to have dice of various monochrome sets to be very useful.  I could roll a bunch of dice at the same time for multiple enemies or whatever, and quickly keep track of who was doing what.  

I always liked the game.
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: Claudius on September 21, 2010, 03:59:02 PM
Tetsubo, what edition are you talking about, 1st or the recent 2nd edition?
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: Tetsubo on September 21, 2010, 04:04:36 PM
Quote from: Claudius;406399Tetsubo, what edition are you talking about, 1st or the recent 2nd edition?

Revised edition, 2001.
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: RPGPundit on September 22, 2010, 03:04:44 PM
The game in play has far too many Furries in it.

RPGPundit
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: Tetsubo on September 22, 2010, 03:09:24 PM
Quote from: RPGPundit;406553The game in play has far too many Furries in it.

RPGPundit

I really think you need to see someone about this furry obsession...
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: joewolz on September 22, 2010, 09:12:38 PM
Quote from: RPGPundit;406553The game in play has far too many Furries in it.

RPGPundit

Anthropomorphic animals can be a problem, I agree.  It doesn't detract from a good game, however.
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: Claudius on September 23, 2010, 01:31:56 AM
Quote from: joewolz;406585Anthropomorphic animals can be a problem, I agree.  It doesn't detract from a good game, however.
This. I don't like furries, but I like Sanguine's home system.
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: joewolz on September 23, 2010, 01:37:24 AM
Quote from: Claudius;406610This. I don't like furries, but I like Sanguine's home system.

Why the furry hate?

I liked them when I was a kid (Disney's Robin Hood was the main reason I even looked at Iron Claw), but I don't understand fetishizing them or treating anthropomorphic races as anything different than pretending to be an elf.

I'd rather be a wolfman than an elf anyway.
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: Narf the Mouse on September 24, 2010, 02:23:33 PM
Quote from: joewolz;406611Why the furry hate?

I liked them when I was a kid (Disney's Robin Hood was the main reason I even looked at Iron Claw), but I don't understand fetishizing them or treating anthropomorphic races as anything different than pretending to be an elf.

I'd rather be a wolfman than an elf anyway.
Because there is at least a perception of a fair number of "freaks" in that fandom.

Whether or not that is true or just an internet perception is a different question. See: D&D and satanism, 1980s.
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: joewolz on September 24, 2010, 02:50:38 PM
Quote from: Narf the Mouse;406823Because there is at least a perception of a fair number of "freaks" in that fandom.

Whether or not that is true or just an internet perception is a different question. See: D&D and satanism, 1980s.

I understand that there are freaky furry weirdos.  But playing a game with my group (none of whom are said freaks) that deals with anthropomorphic animals doesn't seem distasteful to me.  

Some people are pedophiles, that doesn't mean I avoid children because I don't like pedophiles.
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: Narf the Mouse on September 24, 2010, 03:30:40 PM
Quote from: joewolz;406828I understand that there are freaky furry weirdos.  But playing a game with my group (none of whom are said freaks) that deals with anthropomorphic animals doesn't seem distasteful to me.  

Some people are pedophiles, that doesn't mean I avoid children because I don't like pedophiles.
Thoughts like that require (un)-common sense.
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: Claudius on September 25, 2010, 03:45:00 AM
Quote from: joewolz;406611Why the furry hate?

I liked them when I was a kid (Disney's Robin Hood was the main reason I even looked at Iron Claw), but I don't understand fetishizing them or treating anthropomorphic races as anything different than pretending to be an elf.

I'd rather be a wolfman than an elf anyway.
Hmmm, hate is a strong word, saying that I hate furries would imply an emotional involvement that I don't feel, it's rather that I find them silly. Of course, you're right when you say that by the same token, pretending that you're an elf is as silly or more.

Why then do I always appear in all threads about Sanguine? Because I think their games ROCK, they're not just sorry excuses to show furries, their home system is very solid and fun. In fact, I think the furriness works against them, and that their games are very underrated exactly for that reason.
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: joewolz on September 25, 2010, 12:12:02 PM
Quote from: Claudius;406922Because I think their games ROCK, they're not just sorry excuses to show furries, their home system is very solid and fun. In fact, I think the furriness works against them, and that their games are very underrated exactly for that reason.

I happen to agree, but the lack of logic here regarding anthropomorphic animals still applies.  I use the term "Furry" to denote those who have a sexual fetish for anthropomorphic animals.  I use the term "anthropomorphic animals" when we're discussing game design decisions.  

One of  my favorite games is Shard, which also uses anthropomorphic animals.  The designers commented in an interview that they wanted races which would fit their world, but not be too alien to players.  They also wanted a myriad of races to play.  They settled on anthropomorphic animals, but were unaware of the Furries out there.  They've since made a lot of money going to furry cons and selling their product.  However, the idea of using anthropomorphic animals is, again, not inherently distasteful.  I don't understand peoples' (gamers'?) reaction to them.
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: Claudius on September 26, 2010, 03:33:57 AM
Quote from: joewolz;406949I happen to agree, but the lack of logic here regarding anthropomorphic animals still applies.  I use the term "Furry" to denote those who have a sexual fetish for anthropomorphic animals.  I use the term "anthropomorphic animals" when we're discussing game design decisions.
I use furry and anthropomorphic as synonymous. Just a clarification.  

QuoteOne of  my favorite games is Shard
I saw it once in a game store. It uses a dice pool, doesn't it?
Title: Ironclaw in play
Post by: joewolz on September 26, 2010, 01:25:40 PM
Quote from: Claudius;407041I saw it once in a game store. It uses a dice pool, doesn't it?

Yeah, you roll for 4-6, but you get to reroll 6s.  It has a mechanic similar to Scion wherein you add dice to the pool based on how awesome the description is.  There is also a neato way of accommodating martial arts:  Each style is given a table with the modifiers to the pool already taken care of, as well as all of the consequences worked out.

It's really cool, you can find my campaign here (http://www.dardunah.com/forum/thread.php?threadid=182).