Holy hell. I would play that coffee shop adventure on one condition: My PC is a halfling farmer named Juan from wherever the fuck coffee (really?) is grown in that world. Only I'm not the typical bumpkin; I'm a deranged knife-fighter who's been stiffed on his coffee bean payments one time too many. I walk in, see my portrait hanging on the wall with all the other fair-trade hipster bullshit, and snap. I slaughter every living soul in the place and then set it on fire.

Quote from: rytrasmi on January 06, 2022, 03:18:29 PM
Holy hell. I would play that coffee shop adventure on one condition: My PC is a halfling farmer named Juan from wherever the fuck coffee (really?) is grown in that world. Only I'm not the typical bumpkin; I'm a deranged knife-fighter who's been stiffed on his coffee bean payments one time too many. I walk in, see my portrait hanging on the wall with all the other fair-trade hipster bullshit, and snap. I slaughter every living soul in the place and then set it on fire.

I have a single friend that I keep trying to convince to close the deal with the baristas that flirt with him. He is reticent, as he does not want a bad falling out to keep us from going to a given coffee shop. Now he can smash baristas with no impact on our coffee consumption.

You get what you pay for.

Huh.

In the "slavery" thread I was going to post something, mostly in jest, to the effect of:
"Apparently these people don't want fantasy worlds which call back ancient history, archaic times and whatnot. They want a 21st century Manhattan... except with orcs and elves, and instead of triumphantly cancelling people on Twitter, they triumphantly cancel people with swords or fireballs."

As I said, in jest. Mostly. But looking at this: I guess that's what they actually do want.

To me that's not adventure. It's not reaching for something visceral, primal, distant, unreachable. Just going through a mimickry of your own mundane Twitterati existence with a fantasy tinge, is that it? I think it's actually sad.

Quote from: Wulfhelm on January 06, 2022, 03:48:56 PM
Huh.

In the "slavery" thread I was going to post something, mostly in jest, to the effect of:
"Apparently these people don't want fantasy worlds which call back ancient history, archaic times and whatnot. They want a 21st century Manhattan... except with orcs and elves, and instead of triumphantly cancelling people on Twitter, they triumphantly cancel people with swords or fireballs."

As I said, in jest. Mostly. But looking at this: I guess that's what they actually do want.

To me that's not adventure. It's not reaching for something visceral, primal, distant, unreachable. Just going through a mimickry of your own mundane Twitterati existence with a fantasy tinge, is that it? I think it's actually sad.

I don't even think it's THAT good. It's like... playing Shadowrun, but you're not runners, or mercs, or freedom fighters. You're fucking working at the Stuffer Shack.

Why? Is there no wonder in their cold little shriveled hearts? No room for aspiration even in a fictional pretend-game?

I know. The answer is probably a resounding 'yes!', and that saddens me more than anything else.

It is sad. It's a complete failure of imagination.

QuoteI'd love to hear how the think-of-the-children crowd rationalizes a watered-down version of a creature who had a perma-boner and wasn't above a bit of rape.

The same way C.S.Lewis rationalised turning race of drunken rapist, into race of noble prophets and astrologers (And yeah his satyrs and fauns were PG-7 as well).

QuoteHello, WotC? I WOULD LIKE TO FIGHT SOME FUCKING DRAGONS NOW PLEASE, NOT ROLEPLAY BEING A GODDAMN BARISTA YOU STUPID FUCKS.

Then pick Tyranny of Dragons instead of barista adventure

Quote from: rytrasmi on January 06, 2022, 03:52:42 PM
It is sad. It's a complete failure of imagination.

I grant that we're not all super creative and imaginative. Sometimes we riff or even blatantly steal from other sources. I'm certainly guilty of that.

But they could at least borrow something awesome.

Gandalf, facing down the Balrog in Khazad-Dum. Akuma executing a loathed opponent with his Raging Demon technique. The Knights of the Round Table, sallying forth to find the Holy Grail (with accompanying coconut sound effects). John Wick killing three bad guys in a bar with a fucking pencil.

Sheesh.

Quote from: Wrath of God on January 06, 2022, 03:55:21 PM
Then pick Tyranny of Dragons instead of barista adventure

You take the blue pill, your story ends, you wake up in your bed, and go back to making coffee...

In a fantasy roleplaying game, you go back to making the coffee.

I suppose there's no wrong way to have fun, but damn is that not my idea of fun.

Quote from: Thornhammer on January 06, 2022, 04:22:08 PM

Quote from: Wrath of God on January 06, 2022, 03:55:21 PM
Then pick Tyranny of Dragons instead of barista adventure

You take the blue pill, your story ends, you wake up in your bed, and go back to making coffee...

In a fantasy roleplaying game, you go back to making the coffee.

I suppose there's no wrong way to have fun, but damn is that not my idea of fun.

It's OK, I feel that way about 90% of Traveller products.

Quote from: HappyDaze on January 06, 2022, 04:26:25 PMIt's OK, I feel that way about 90% of Traveller products.

I dunno.

It may sound a bit weird, but I don't think I could enjoy an epic fantasy adventure in a world where "magic school coffee shop" even exists. Fantasy worlds, to my mind, depend on not being modern, on not being easily navigated by 2020s mindsets.

In a wide tapestry type of SF setting like Traveller's I wouldn't bother if any one adventure introduced some out-of-place gonzo setting on a planet because it wouldn't define the entire setting. An equivalent would probably be if a Traveller adventure established that the entire OTU was just a simulation played on some 2050s nerd's computer.

The only way I could see enjoying something like that would be a farce - like, say, Monkey Island, with its 17th century piracy setting including vending machines, used car ship salesmen and theme park rides. But as something serious (not in the "serious business" sense, but in the "a fully realized distant world to suspend my disbelief in")? Not so much, no.

QuoteYou take the blue pill, your story ends, you wake up in your bed, and go back to making coffee...

In a fantasy roleplaying game, you go back to making the coffee.

I suppose there's no wrong way to have fun, but damn is that not my idea of fun.

Depends what else there is. Maybe it's steampunk urban fantasy, and you're working double shifts to pay for your alchemy tutors

QuoteIt may sound a bit weird, but I don't think I could enjoy an epic fantasy adventure in a world where "magic school coffee shop" even exists. Fantasy worlds, to my mind, depend on not being modern, on not being easily navigated by 2020s mindsets.

That generally speaking I disagree. Fantasy worlds can be like anything - as long as it's magical reality and not modern Earth (because then it's urban fantasy, another pair of shoes).
Now of course not every kind of it should work for everyone.

But then I wonder how many of "no, no, not modern fantasy" would easily play game when it's assumed they are average civilised members of culture like Assyrians, Roman Republic, actual historical samurai or ancient Aztecs, and how long it would be fun for them.

QuoteThe only way I could see enjoying something like that would be a farce - like, say, Monkey Island, with its 17th century piracy setting including vending machines, used car ship salesmen and theme park rides. But as something serious (not in the "serious business" sense, but in the "a fully realized distant world to suspend my disbelief in")? Not so much, no.

Now srsly you had inns and simmilar businesses for a long long time. In fact inns are standard staple of fantasy.
So as long as whatever fantasy land you live in has access to local equivalent of tea, coffee, chocoa... it would be not that different that at least in bigger cities you could find place selling it.
I mean take medieval-reneissance level with advanced oceanic travel, and voilla. Without Seattle.

Quote from: Ghostmaker on January 06, 2022, 02:18:45 PM
It's not getting any better.

https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1118-free-d-d-adventure-work-at-strixhavens-firejolt

(Ghostmaker fails his saving throw and is now stunned)

...Why?

Hello, WotC? I WOULD LIKE TO FIGHT SOME FUCKING DRAGONS NOW PLEASE, NOT ROLEPLAY BEING A GODDAMN BARISTA YOU STUPID FUCKS.

It sounds utterly riveting.

I heard the insult that SJWs just want all their characters sitting around in Cafes sipping coffee. I thought it was in jest, but I guess its true.

I think most SJWs wants to punch Republicans in their games tbh