Nostr notes by roawrwn the computer foxwife

yup! i'm familiar with these types of mechanics -- death is ...

2024-10-17T21:03:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…zwxf
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yup! i'm familiar with these types of mechanics -- death is cheap is fairly common in modern indie video games too.

that said, needing to lean into dark humor still leans into the gritty, dark nature that would undercut a lot of other types of themes and settings one may want to exist in. i find the need to engage in perpetual life or death scenarios as the only way to bring intrigue to something tiresome. players can be motivated by *many* things outside of self-preservation but it's not as easily packaged into a module to sell by the book. i completely understand why combat/risk of death are as common as they are (and why such environments necessitate a constant existential threat), but i think the medium is overdue for expanding its horizons (at least as far as D&D-adjacent settings go).

i also, on-the-whole, disagree that the DM is the primary driving force behind the story. DMs should be surveying their players interests and motivations before anything

mhm, that's what i mean! obviously there is the gritty, rough ...

2024-10-17T20:35:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…hesn
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mhm, that's what i mean! obviously there is the gritty, rough setting outlined in kasdeya (npub1u0e…ptjt) 's original post: but why can't we have an alternative interpretation which doesn't necessitate these things? it's effectively a collaborative storytelling session between the DM and players. i don't think excessive fearlessness or being forced to stare in the face of death is *mandatory* to a gameplay medium or story!

in the same way that most forms of expression reflect those creating it, i think this is also true for tabletop settings -- even Pathfinder and D&D. i've played and run plenty of wholesome, fun, and even romantic sessions that didn't really involve an inordinate amount of danger and purely existed for the players to have a good time in a safe setting. while it's commonly accepted that diving into the depths of a traditional tabletop involves risking a chracter's life on a nigh-hourly basis, i refuse to believe this is the only way to play, you know?

i love escaping the pain and trauma of my life by entering a ...

2024-10-17T19:44:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…9put
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i love escaping the pain and trauma of my life by entering a fictional world where those things are the exact same or worse /s

but seriously, why would this be the only possible interpretation? why could we not have a world where adventuring is done by souls who love to explore, to uncover mystery, and to live in a constant state of joy and whimsy?

i'm not the biggest fan of turn based RPGs, but there have ...

2024-10-16T23:27:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…ah98
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i'm not the biggest fan of turn based RPGs, but there have been times i've needed to alter my strategy from "pound the enemy into dust with max damage."

for example: an enemy that has a constant Reflect spell active. this bounces all magic back at the currently-reflected creature's enemy (or at the caster of the magic that hit the reflect, depending). it's totally possible to spam melee attacks, but often doing this takes forever and the enemy might outdamage your party because you're lacking several party members worth of damage.

depending on how the game's reflect works, it's possible to reflect yourself then cast damaging magic at yourself to bounce it at your enemy, or healing yourself by using the enemy's reflect

games and art are incremental. each one is a slight evolution ...

2024-09-28T19:24:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…4xmf
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games and art are incremental. each one is a slight evolution over its inspiration. they're created when someone says to themselves, "what if my favorite thing had this one really cool idea?"