GM's Guide -- Anything you would like to see?

Discussion on the Earthdawn game line, errata, and feedback not related to playing or GMing.
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GM's Guide -- Anything you would like to see?

Postby Mataxes » Sun May 18, 2014 8:55 pm

A general question, mainly for GMs, but intended for anybody that might see GMing Earthdawn in their future.

As we work on getting the GM's Guide locked down, is there anything you would like to see addressed in the book with regard to running Earthdawn? Or perhaps advice that you have picked up over the years that you think should be shared or addressed with regard to running the game?
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Re: GM's Guide -- Anything you would like to see?

Postby Kasbak » Sun May 18, 2014 10:23 pm

A list of suggestions for methods on running through initiative results for combat I think would not go amiss. There have been numerous ones suggested through out the years and everyone has their favorite method, but I think perhaps if the list was gone through and the top three were given descriptions, it might be helpful for newbie GMs.

Possibly some suggestions on how to describe higher result levels? When you had an armor defeating hit, it was simple to give a description on how the character finds and hits a weak spot. Since that mechanic no longer exists, successes are kind of arbitrary as far as the description is concerned. Not a huge thing, but maybe something worth putting in a side bar if there's some white space available somewhere when it goes to layout.

I'm coming off of a convention weekend, so I'll probably think of some more when I get my brain back and after I see some posts from others.

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Re: GM's Guide -- Anything you would like to see?

Postby sirserafin » Mon May 19, 2014 2:45 pm

I would like to see a table and/or some examples which explain how to many LPs adpets should get for the same tasks if they are different Circles in the group. For me it's pretty clear that if someone defeated 2nd Circle monster should gest 2nd Circle LPs Award regardeless his actual Circle and if the task is getting some kind of info and it's easy task Award should be the same (for example 2nd Circle Award for easy task regardless of actual Circle of characters) and achieving the sessions goal should ends with the same award for all characters but from 1st edition it always looks like that no matter adepts do and how easy or hard tasks/quests are they always get Awards depend on their actual Circle.

I would also like to see how to distribute LPs if you have (for example) 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th Circle character + few non-Adept NPC doing same time same things together with Difficulty Level at (for example) 4th Circle.

How many LPs should get multi-discipline adepts?

Next paragraph could be: how to plan encounters if you have various Circles in your group.
Last edited by sirserafin on Mon May 19, 2014 6:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: GM's Guide -- Anything you would like to see?

Postby Utsukushi » Mon May 19, 2014 3:04 pm

With the way Earthdawn advancement is structured, I generally think LP awards really should be based on the task itself, with the Circles of who's doing them not really relevant. A 500 LP task will be a lot easier for a 7th Circle character than a 1st, but it will mean a lot more to the 1st Circle character than the 7th.

There are just so many ways to spend LP that don't add up to new Circles but do add up to more power; you can't assume all 5th Circle characters are equal. (I have a game where the PCs are largely 3rd Circle... except the Sky Raider, who is still 1st. But his Melee Weapons Talent is several Ranks above anyone else's. And that's without even getting into Versatility or Thread Items.)

...Um, anyway, to actually answer the thread's question -- my biggest thing would be improved rules for designing my own creatures. I don't like just pulling them out of the books because, well, everybody *has* all the books. And I know, taking a distinctive creature and tweaking it to specifically sabotage people using OOC knowledge is a time-honored tradition, but I really like the feeling that those scrolls are in the Great Library and are presumably.. well, say, mostly accurate. So I'd really like a system to build my own from scratch, and the ones written so far are... disappointing. I know it's a difficult thing to do, when the original creatures were probably mostly done by feel, but, that is what I'd like most.

A section on advice and tweaks for the game for different ways of playing. I mean, it's clearly written for tabletop, but a lot of people adjust the Initiative rules (especially) for on-line (PBeM or PbP) styles, or even adjust combat or advancement rules to make things move a little faster. (Since an afternoon's play tends to take several months even in a fast-moving forum game.)

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Re: GM's Guide -- Anything you would like to see?

Postby sirserafin » Mon May 19, 2014 6:19 pm

I would like to see a little modified rules for learning Knacks and rules that allow the character to train Skills and Attributes on his own in level bigger scale of time (days instead of hours, weeks instead of days and so on) - just like for Talent Knacks.

I would like to see modified rules for learning as 'Character can't suffer any damage" su**s and making all the process impossible to finish many times as it means that, for example, for two weeks (learning new Circle) Scouts can't use Tracking or magicians can't make a single use of their Willforce and so on. Like for me it should be "Character can't suffers a Wound (unless the Master during training push a pupil to get some) and during the time of training at one time shouldn't have more Damage Points than his Wound Threshold allows for. Gained Strain/Damage Points can be healed on normal rules if character has a sufficient time to eat and rest to get his Recovery Tests.'

Also developing and learning Knacks this way (on his own) doesn't really work. Scout in our group tried to learn By The Fingernails Talent Knack for about 6 to 8 months instead of 5 weeks as always something happens. He had no luck to meet someone who knows this knack... There should be simple rule that for this kind of activities should be option to take a break - if the character got the Wound the last week of training gone and has to be repeated after healing the Wound - maybe it means a little more bookkeeping but it's better for practical reason.
Last edited by sirserafin on Tue May 20, 2014 3:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: GM's Guide -- Anything you would like to see?

Postby Mataxes » Mon May 19, 2014 6:46 pm

Since Knacks are going to be pushed off to the Companion, we aren't going to have any stuff in the GM's Guide about them, but I will take that under advisement when we are looking at those over the next couple of months.
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Re: GM's Guide -- Anything you would like to see?

Postby sirserafin » Mon May 19, 2014 6:53 pm


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Re: GM's Guide -- Anything you would like to see?

Postby Dougansf » Mon May 19, 2014 9:22 pm

Seconding the request for how to build properly scaled encounters, and stats for NPC's/monsters.

Another issue that might be good to have advice on, due to other conversations around the forums: dealing with downtime. Making sure the PC's get some downtime, and what to allow them to do with it.

I'm also curious about non-combat encounters like (to use terms from other games) skill challenges, social combat/conflict, etc. and how to figure out LP awards for such.

Since 4th Ed was announced, I've been rereading some of the old books with an eye towards the non-combat disciplines and activities. To see how non-combat disciplines can really shine, and be rewarded for doing so.

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Re: GM's Guide -- Anything you would like to see?

Postby Heretikzer0 » Tue May 20, 2014 3:59 am

I'd also like to see an expanded section for scaling and/versus rewards. In the past, I've worked my LP rewards through several means, and not just combat oriented (though threat is definitely accounted for).

Which book is going to get the streamlined rules on half-magic? If its this book, I'd love nothing more than to see this nebulous mass given some solid shape.

Do you intend to handle airship/riverboat combat in the GM's guide? How exactly are you approaching it?

Traps, Trap construction, Magical Traps, and using/defeating them. Any of that going to be covered?

Lastly, expanded nations and their politics! Is this going to be completely Barsaive focused, or is there more acknowledgement of the world beyond the borders? Do these other nations have a diplomatic presence within Barsaive proper?

Some questions for thought.
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Re: GM's Guide -- Anything you would like to see?

Postby Notaure » Tue May 20, 2014 12:42 pm

Last edited by Notaure on Tue May 20, 2014 12:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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