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Check out this eyebrow-raising method of gaining XP. Would you allow such a thing?

Started by Shipyard Locked, December 23, 2015, 07:28:23 PM

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Gronan of Simmerya

#30
December 28, 2015, 01:26:35 PM
Quote from: Alzrius;870774Personally, I like this mechanic, if for no other reason than it tries to push things outside of the "just focus on killing things" mindset that D&D lends itself to so easily.

I'd consider pairing a picaro up with a merchant-rogue master (e.g. the kit from the web enhancement of The Crusades), who can only earn XP from making a profit (at 5 XP per 1 gp profit, and 1 XP per 1 gp profit that his subordinates earn for him), and not from defeating monsters; I bet that'd feel like a different game entirely.

Yeah, because playing D&D like it was fucking Monopoly is SUCH a good idea.  No, wait it's that other thing....
You should go to GaryCon.  Period.

The rules can\'t cure stupid, and the rules can\'t cure asshole.

Alzrius

#31
December 28, 2015, 03:02:48 PM
Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;870876Yeah, because playing D&D like it was fucking Monopoly is SUCH a good idea.  No, wait it's that other thing....

You're right, playing D&D in such a way that you focus on gaining treasure rather than killing things is SUCH a betrayal of the old school. No, wait it's that other thing...
"...player narration and DM fiat fall apart whenever there's anything less than an incredibly high level of trust for the DM. The general trend of D&D's design up through the end of 4e is to erase dependence on player-DM trust as much as possible, not to create antagonism, but to insulate both sides from it when it appears." - Brandes Stoddard

Alzrius

#32
December 28, 2015, 03:04:45 PM
Quote from: Opaopajr;870836Ooh, and make him a bougie merchant in an imperialist joint-stock company. Throw in the picaro as his prole accountant, prone to Marx & Engels dialectics. Their dialogue alone could send whole orc tribes asleep... so you can take their stuff (to argue how to redistribute later).

Now that's what I'm talking about!
"...player narration and DM fiat fall apart whenever there's anything less than an incredibly high level of trust for the DM. The general trend of D&D's design up through the end of 4e is to erase dependence on player-DM trust as much as possible, not to create antagonism, but to insulate both sides from it when it appears." - Brandes Stoddard

Gronan of Simmerya

#33
December 28, 2015, 03:49:13 PM
Quote from: Alzrius;870889You're right, playing D&D in such a way that you focus on gaining treasure rather than killing things is SUCH a betrayal of the old school. No, wait it's that other thing...

Yeah,  because playing " Conan the Merchant" is SO fucking exciting.

NOT!
You should go to GaryCon.  Period.

The rules can\'t cure stupid, and the rules can\'t cure asshole.

Alzrius

#34
December 28, 2015, 03:53:41 PM
Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;870896Yeah,  because playing " Conan the Merchant" is SO fucking exciting.

NOT!

Right, because playing "hack 'n' slash, session 5935" is SUCH a better alternative.

NOT!
"...player narration and DM fiat fall apart whenever there's anything less than an incredibly high level of trust for the DM. The general trend of D&D's design up through the end of 4e is to erase dependence on player-DM trust as much as possible, not to create antagonism, but to insulate both sides from it when it appears." - Brandes Stoddard

Shipyard Locked

#35
December 28, 2015, 06:23:16 PM
Quote from: Alzrius;870897Right, because playing "hack 'n' slash, session 5935" is SUCH a better alternative.

NOT!

Your merchant proposal sounds interesting to me, but I don't really get tired of well run combat encounters either.

Alzrius

#36
December 28, 2015, 07:58:00 PM
Quote from: Shipyard Locked;870920Your merchant proposal sounds interesting to me, but I don't really get tired of well run combat encounters either.

That's certainly a fair point, and I'll readily admit that the two are in no way mutually exclusive. I just felt that a rude post deserved rudeness in reply.
"...player narration and DM fiat fall apart whenever there's anything less than an incredibly high level of trust for the DM. The general trend of D&D's design up through the end of 4e is to erase dependence on player-DM trust as much as possible, not to create antagonism, but to insulate both sides from it when it appears." - Brandes Stoddard

Spinachcat

#37
December 28, 2015, 08:49:00 PM
Sounds like a fun class except for the losing XP part. That sounds like a dealbreaker for most groups. I'd enjoy playing either the picaro or the master, sounds very Black Adder to me.

And kudos on the Buzzfeed thread title! :)

Opaopajr

#38
December 28, 2015, 10:44:32 PM
Quote from: Shipyard Locked;870920Your merchant proposal sounds interesting to me, but I don't really get tired of well run combat encounters either.

'Well run' is the operative descriptor here. In my experience as a player I have been able to squeeze out more fun in the exploration or social parts of the game even if they don't meet up to my 'well run' threshold. With combat I have found it much harder, if not downright excruciating in lengthy combat systems.
Just make your fuckin\' guy and roll the dice, you pricks. Focus on what\'s interesting, not what gives you the biggest randomly generated virtual penis.  -- J Arcane
 
You know, people keep comparing non-TSR D&D to deck-building in Magic: the Gathering. But maybe it\'s more like Katamari Damacy. You keep sticking shit on your characters until they are big enough to be a star.
-- talysman

RPGPundit

#39
December 30, 2015, 07:54:26 PM
I think any system where one PC could 'steal xp' from another would be a recipe for disaster.
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Omega

#40
December 31, 2015, 06:05:53 PM
Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;870876Yeah, because playing D&D like it was fucking Monopoly is SUCH a good idea.  No, wait it's that other thing....

I had a player who loooooved to play the merchant side of adventuring.

Considering the many accounts since nearly the get-go of D&D players having fun shopping and wandering town. ahem.

Played right a merchant themed setting can be fun. Especially with some of the cut-throat tactics some businesses use. I view it like political intrigue campaigns or romantic drama ones. Some will get into it, some really wont.

Gronan of Simmerya

#41
December 31, 2015, 08:33:23 PM
I suspect there may be better rules sets for such things, though.
You should go to GaryCon.  Period.

The rules can\'t cure stupid, and the rules can\'t cure asshole.

Omega

#42
December 31, 2015, 11:51:00 PM
Setting up good trade routes can be vital to any castle or holding, or even kingdom a PC acquires.

Oriental Adventures delved into it a little with the family holdings aspect some PCs could start out with. And political intrigue and even merchanting can be played out easy in D&D with just stat checks, the ever useful reaction table, and good ol wheeling and dealing.

AD&D even gives the prices for livestock and some foods. From there you can build up whatever.
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