GI JOE RPG Launch

Blog Comments

  1. JohnD's Avatar
    Excellent advice.
    I use a "3 strikes" rule; 3 missed sessions consecutively with no communication, no voting in the game calendar and I remove the person. You are better off as a DM having an unfilled spot than a spot filled with someone who you can't rely on.
  2. Answulf's Avatar
    That is awesome to hear Asterionaisien !!!

    That is exactly why I took the time to organize my thoughts and write that out. I'm so glad it helped you.
  3. Asterionaisien's Avatar
    Dear Mr. answulf, I would like to express all my most sincere thanks for your advice! I followed it, almost literally, and I finally assembled a group. Truth is, patience is needed, a lot of it, but neverthless it worked!
    I started advertising about my one shots on almost all possible Italians rpg channels, and after I've run several of them (about 7-8) got, out of about 20 people about 5-6 reliable people. No one of them has the inclination to be a DM but hey, I love to DM , so the thing works anyway.
    You, Sir, literally changed my life, and i can be happy again DM'ing after a long string of frustrations and thoughts about quitting this awesome hobby.
    Just..
    THANKS.
  4. LordEntrails's Avatar
    It's listed in my GM Advice thread. Which is stickied. Blogs themselves can't be stickied, but you can vote on tem so that when someone looks they can find highest rated blogs.
  5. LindseyFan's Avatar
    This needs to get a sticky to the FG start screen!
  6. Answulf's Avatar
    Thanks for the feedback guys - I hope this info helps you get some great gaming started!
  7. Pandar's Avatar
    After reading a complaint from someone about how bad the DM(s) are from Fantasy Grounds, there was a link to this post by LordEntrails and I am glad I took the time to read this post. It not only is very informative but, really explains the whole process if one is inclined to DM themselves. Thank you Answulf for such a thoughtful post.
  8. MarianDz's Avatar
    One of the "must read" blogs! Thank you for it "Answulf"
  9. mhorgunn's Avatar
    I like all your points .. especially the one about that you can always tweak it down the line.
  10. LordEntrails's Avatar
    Well written and very I formative. I too agree with the importance of decisions being made upfront. It always amazes me how many GMs post without a time. GMs are in demand, and can easily find players for almost any time slot.
  11. Myrdin Potter's Avatar
    Keeping to a schedule is extremely important. If the GM can commit to a time and day, the larger than slots available demand will help you keep it going.

    I agree that you need to make most of the decisions in advance. Rule system, time and day, adventure you plan on running initially. Once you have a group going, the rest follows.
  12. dmkevin's Avatar
    Really great and clear advice Answulf!!!

    I believe existing GMs can also take a lot out of your points made.
  13. Answulf's Avatar
    That's easy - if a bag of coins weighs a stone, then a coin weighs a pebble!

    I also wanted to link to the blog discussing the visual encumbrance systems even though I'm not using it, just because it's so cool:

    http://ragingowlbear.blogspot.com.br...made-easy.html

    The original idea:



    Owlbear's refined idea:

    Updated December 23rd, 2016 at 07:19 by Answulf
  14. damned's Avatar
    And the big one... how much do coins weigh?
    A variation of what you have done above is what I use as a rough guide.
  15. MarianDz's Avatar
    Interesting.
    Especially part "PCs carrying over their limit are encumbered and move at half speed. You can assume they are able to set gear down temporarily when needed, but in situations where they are unable or unwilling to (a surprise attack round, carrying the gear up a rope ladder) they receive disadvantage on all die rolls while encumbered. Each hour they remain encumbered, they must make an easy (DC 10) Constitution saving throw or gain a level of Exhaustion.".
    Updated December 22nd, 2016 at 21:40 by MarianDz
  16. Answulf's Avatar
    Other Options

    Here are a few easy tweaks you can make to adjust the system to your tastes:

    If you want a little more detail and want to track the smaller stuff, the Equipment Packs are a good place to start. Those weigh 1 or 2 stone each. You can also group items in smaller kits that weigh 1 stone, such as a Rations kit that includes a waterskin, food, and cooking and eating utensils, or a Wizard's kit that includes a spellbook, scrollcase, parchment, ink and a component pouch.

    If you are going to track extra items and find the carrying capacity of half-strength too restrictive, it is very easy to adjust the numbers. Set a base carrying capacity at a higher number, like 6 or 8, and then adjust it by the PC's strength bonus.

    If you want an even simpler system and don't care about using weight or strength, the inventory slot system is a great choice. Each PC can carry two important items on their back, two on their belt and one in each hand. That's it. It might get restrictive, but it's very simple and requires tough choices.

    The last consideration is an optional rule for things you still want to track, like light sources or rations. Making sure PCs have enough light when going into a dungeon can be an interesting element, so if you want that to be a part of your game you may want to have your PCs track things like lanterns, oil and torches separately. No need to assign them weight – in this case you just want to track the time these resources will last. You may also want to track rations on a long journey where running out of food and having to hunt is important, or track water across a desert.
    Updated December 22nd, 2016 at 19:49 by Answulf
DICE PACKS BUNDLE

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