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Ragitsu · June 16, 2018

Certified · June 17, 2018

Dynonochus

tkdguy · June 17, 2018

https://imgur.com/gallery/IFDe3QC

tkdguy · June 18, 2018

http://mentalfloss.com/article/68741/how-do-star-trek-stardates-work

Certified · June 20, 2018

Ragitsu · June 24, 2018

tkdguy, I'd like to follow up on our conversation in the "A Thread for Random Videos" thread which ended here.

The idea behind using Heroscape (or equivalent quality) tiles for a first session is to make a strong impression. In addition to those terrain props, I plan to use specialized Chessex dice (all d6s and all are translucent as opposed to opaque), a dice bag, a GM screen, and potentially even more aids/tools that as of yet have escaped my thought process. Most if not all of the players are going to be new to the hobby; consequently, they might not be entirely certain as to how the experience will play out. The underlying thought here is - right or wrong - they're more likely to form a positive opinion of tabletop roleplaying gaming if it is obvious that their GM put some thought into adding color to the trappings which we (experienced players/GMs) don't necessarily need. Could this backfire by setting expectations high right out the gate? Sure, but that is a risk I am happy to take.

What say you?

Ragitsu · June 24, 2018

war_room___armory_by_scotimus-d78ptbn.jp

tkdguy · June 24, 2018

13 hours ago, Ragitsu said:

tkdguy, I'd like to follow up on our conversation in the "A Thread for Random Videos" thread which ended here.

The idea behind using Heroscape (or equivalent quality) tiles for a first session is to make a strong impression. In addition to those terrain props, I plan to use specialized Chessex dice (all d6s and all are translucent as opposed to opaque), a dice bag, a GM screen, and potentially even more aids/tools that as of yet have escaped my thought process. Most if not all of the players are going to be new to the hobby; consequently, they might not be entirely certain as to how the experience will play out. The underlying thought here is - right or wrong - they're more likely to form a positive opinion of tabletop roleplaying gaming if it is obvious that their GM put some thought into adding color to the trappings which we (experienced players/GMs) don't necessarily need. Could this backfire by setting expectations high right out the gate? Sure, but that is a risk I am happy to take.

What say you?

Off the bat, I would say it depends on your players. Do they like visual aids? Would Theater of the Mind appeal to them? Everyone will have his or her own tastes. And be sure you and your players have the same expectations about the game. I once pulled out all the stops (props, music, battle mats, miniatures) introducing players to the HERO system, and the campaign died after two games. Then again, I've had good reactions just using grid paper and miniatures.

There are a few things to consider as a GM:

1. Cost: As you mentioned, terrain can be expensive. And if your players decided this hobby isn't for them, you may have spent a lot of cash for nothing. Fortunately, you have a lot of options. Gaming paper is inexpensive, and you get a lot out of it. I crafted a set of dungeon tiles with it, and I still have most of the paper untouched. Easel pads are even cheaper, if you don't mind drawing. You can also find top-down renditions of terrain and print them. If you must have 3D visual aids, crafting terrain is another option, and you can save money by using cheap materials and random bits of junk, but it opens up another can of worms.

2. Time: You can ignore this to some extent if you shop online, but there's still the cost to consider. Looking through game stores and Goodwill stores may take a while, depending on what you need. Crafting stuff will easily take a few hours if not days, again depending on your needs.

3. Space: Storage is always an issue. The more versatile your terrain is, the less space you need to store it. The advantage of battle mats is that theyfold/roll up easily and don't take up much space. Also take into account the size and sturdiness of your terrain. I don't have a lot of 3D terrain, but what I do have takes up a bit of space in my shelf because of the boxes and foam to hold and protect them.

Sorry for the long response. Long story short, It's probably safer to invest a little, but not a lot. Combining elements is a good idea. Have a drawn/printed battle mat with bits and pieces of 3D terrain like rocks and trees. That should help the players immerse themselves in the game while keeping it inexpensive and less time consuming for you.

tkdguy · June 24, 2018

13 hours ago, Ragitsu said:

Some of my personal collection:

Ragitsu · June 25, 2018

"The Master said, 'By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.'"

— Confucius

Ragitsu · June 27, 2018

On 6/24/2018 at 3:08 PM, tkdguy said:

Off the bat, I would say it depends on your players. Do they like visual aids? Would Theater of the Mind appeal to them? Everyone will have his or her own tastes. And be sure you and your players have the same expectations about the game. I once pulled out all the stops (props, music, battle mats, miniatures) introducing players to the HERO system, and the campaign died after two games. Then again, I've had good reactions just using grid paper and miniatures.

There are a few things to consider as a GM:

1. Cost: As you mentioned, terrain can be expensive. And if your players decided this hobby isn't for them, you may have spent a lot of cash for nothing. Fortunately, you have a lot of options. Gaming paper is inexpensive, and you get a lot out of it. I crafted a set of dungeon tiles with it, and I still have most of the paper untouched. Easel pads are even cheaper, if you don't mind drawing. You can also find top-down renditions of terrain and print them. If you must have 3D visual aids, crafting terrain is another option, and you can save money by using cheap materials and random bits of junk, but it opens up another can of worms.

2. Time: You can ignore this to some extent if you shop online, but there's still the cost to consider. Looking through game stores and Goodwill stores may take a while, depending on what you need. Crafting stuff will easily take a few hours if not days, again depending on your needs.

3. Space: Storage is always an issue. The more versatile your terrain is, the less space you need to store it. The advantage of battle mats is that they fold/roll up easily and don't take up much space. Also take into account the size and sturdiness of your terrain. I don't have a lot of 3D terrain, but what I do have takes up a bit of space in my shelf because of the boxes and foam to hold and protect them.

Sorry for the long response. Long story short, It's probably safer to invest a little, but not a lot. Combining elements is a good idea. Have a drawn/printed battle mat with bits and pieces of 3D terrain like rocks and trees. That should help the players immerse themselves in the game while keeping it inexpensive and less time consuming for you.

Hey man: thank you for the effort in your response. I honestly don't know what these players will prefer, as they're friends of a first cousin of mine. Another consideration that came to mind is the possibility of an extravagant display intimidating the players by inadvertently setting expectations of them too high...but this is just me idly speculating. Anyhow, I've decided to err on the side of caution and stick with paper hex grids plus a few miniatures (or a close substitute, if I can't find minis that match the characters the players end up creating).

One introductory tactic I am strongly considering is a small scenario utilizing three props: a tree, a dog, and a rogue/thief. This display will showcase how skills work in a visual manner that is - hopefully - easy to grasp.

tkdguy · June 28, 2018

Best of luck with the game, Ragitsu. I hope everyone has a good time.

Ragitsu · June 28, 2018

7 minutes ago, tkdguy said:

Best of luck with the game, Ragitsu. I hope everyone has a good time.

I hope I don't overwhelm them with details; the compulsion to demonstrate/introduce the bevy of options available to rookies will be strong.

Ragitsu · June 28, 2018

On 6/24/2018 at 3:47 PM, tkdguy said:

Some of my personal collection:

Where's the scimitar/shamshir/tulwar/cavalry saber :fear: ?

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tkdguy · June 28, 2018

10 minutes ago, Ragitsu said:

Where's the scimitar/shamshir/tulwar/cavalry saber ?

I have yet to add those to my collection, but I have a lovely (ornamental) zweihander that a friend gave me, along with a few other weapons.

Ragitsu · June 28, 2018

15 minutes ago, tkdguy said:

I have yet to add those to my collection, but I have a lovely (ornamental) zweihander that a friend gave me, along with a few other weapons.

Ah. Well, I wasn't expecting you to own all four :cool: . The absence of a one-handed curved sword that isn't some variety of katana or tachi (or even dao) is what puzzled me.