tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post4172768934532104295..comments2024-03-28T01:11:37.171-07:00Comments on Savage Swords of Athanor: The Trouble with Swashbuckling AdventureDoug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-52046495387506129102010-04-27T22:16:26.258-07:002010-04-27T22:16:26.258-07:00Getting people to swing from chandeliers is trivia...Getting people to swing from chandeliers is trivial. The trappings of swashbuckling a easy. But getting to the meat of swashbuckling -- the failed romances, the betrayals and intrigues, that's the challenge. That takes trust in the idea that the drama isn't all a big screw- over, and that the goal isn't always to win. That certainly isn't true to the genre, either. Rather, Doug Easterlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-83456503541366226222010-04-27T19:48:15.623-07:002010-04-27T19:48:15.623-07:00A lot of players don't play "friendless o...A lot of players don't play "friendless orphan drifters" so much "to avoid the 'gotcha' of possible surprise character drama" but to avoid failing and getting screwed over by the GM. If you want players to swashbuckle, don't pile on the negative modifiers when they start swinging from chandeliers, thus punishing them for swashbuckling, and let them highly John Morrownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-19752659232955066682010-04-05T14:15:11.922-07:002010-04-05T14:15:11.922-07:00I think Ye Auld Game isn't really designed to ...I think Ye Auld Game isn't really designed to encourage noble swashbuckling. It doesn't reward such things. I think games like FATE and PDQ do that well if the players all get it. But it occurs to me that you could work it in D&D if you retooled the XP rewards. Frex, in a swashbuckling game, you shouldn't get XP for treasure. But you should get XP for falling into passionate Matthew Slepinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04056247825064943944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-38786133070410487762010-04-02T09:04:53.110-07:002010-04-02T09:04:53.110-07:00Actually, I had a hard time getting players to gro...Actually, I had a hard time getting players to grok FATE, though in theory I like the idea that negative traits and in-genre activity are rewarded.<br /><br />Though people like my friend Matt are out there, and I certainly like to bring on suffering to my own characters (I'm kind of hoping that my character in a 4e game my friend is running dies in some heroic/foolish manner in the not so Doug Easterlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-478989478534800302010-04-02T08:23:36.183-07:002010-04-02T08:23:36.183-07:00Some systems, like FATE, reward characters for tak...Some systems, like FATE, reward characters for taking the hard way, if suiting to the character, and playing to genre convention with in game currency (fate points in the case of the FATE system).<br /><br />And, of course, some players do not need encouragement to have their character suffer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-49128958540258312772010-04-01T21:35:55.610-07:002010-04-01T21:35:55.610-07:00It certainly depends on the group. My players tend...It certainly depends on the group. My players tend to get into even more trouble than I can get them out of, and I know I cause my DMs similar problems.Swordgleamhttp://chaoticshinyproductions.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-5390022817865278342010-04-01T19:39:38.385-07:002010-04-01T19:39:38.385-07:00I think you're probably right--most of the pla...I think you're probably right--most of the players I know are extremely cautious with their characters and rarely if ever do the sorts of fun and foolhardy things that make up swashbuckling adventure. I think if the DM wants a swashbuckling type of game, he needs to make sure the players are into it from the beginning and understand that what type of campaign it is they're playing (and Jeremy Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11398438801903631183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-6327223102315499452010-04-01T19:14:38.267-07:002010-04-01T19:14:38.267-07:00I have found that a good in play screw over always...I have found that a good in play screw over always works. A villain gains a lot of weight once he's sold the PCS into slavery,or framed them for a crime. I think it's also important to be patient. The proper screw over should be a couple of play sessions in the making at the very lest. it works especially well if you can lure the players into doing it to themselves.Aoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00145284080419502886noreply@blogger.com