|
Matt
United States
Wilton
Connecticut
-
After virtually every encounter in Steading of the Iron King and Famine in Far-Go each person in the party receives a new Omega Tech draw. Even with the 45% chance of failure after use, the party will quickly accumulate a lot of tech.
While running "Steading" over the weekend, the party completed the first three encounters in one session. At the end, each character had 3 - 4 tech items. This seems excessive to me.
When I used to run DND back in the day, I arranged it so that magic items were not very prevalent, so that when an item was found it was something special. I figure tech items should be similar. But with the way the adventures are written, the party is showered in tech. I know I can do things any way I want since I'm the GM, but still... the way it's written bugs me.
I'm curious what others think...
-
John "Omega" Williams
United States
Michigan
-
Part of the problem is that in D&D GW tech is exponentially more enduring. No need to be constantly scrounging batteries for your energy weapons and gear. and ammo it abstracted to either you do, or you dont.
I assume you either were making alot of good rolls for use, or alot of good rolls to salvage.
Keep in mind that each item is scrapped if you cant salvage it. And some items cant be salvaged at all. Others have higher level requirements to even try to salvage. Use it up and too low level and its gone. IE: The Mindbore Orbiter requires a player level 4 to salvage it. Plasma Sphere needs level 8. And thats just from the single free booster that came with my copy of the game. And if you fail the roll of course, its gone.
Also. The GM has final say when to allow draws. If they deem the players are outstripping the encounters the GM can either increase the difficulty, or arbitrate that some encounters do not deem worth a chance to scavenge.
-
Anthony Friedman
United States
Long Beach
California
-
One suggestion (other than not having players draw every turn) is to change the number of draws depending on players. As written, each player draws their own Omega tech. For five people, that's a huge number of tech in just a few encounters!
Maybe tweak it so there's only a certain number of draws, divided amongst the whole group. For example, instead of each encounter granting every player a draw, maybe some only provide 1 or 2 Omega Tech. Then the players can roleplay over who gets the item or some such.
This is one element I miss from Gamma World (that I've house ruled). I like the party scavenging items as a whole, as opposed to each character getting his own personal toy (especially if each character draws after every round).
On the flipside, encourage your players to use their Omega Tech! Maybe even treat them like Mutations (gone after one round), instead of being able to save them for the "boss." Maybe give the monsters Omega Tech (thus depleting the treasure the PCs would gain or just hitting the players extra hard).
-
Brian Leet
United States
Montpelier
Vermont
-
I'd echo the suggestion of providing fewer tech. Let the players figure out how to divvy them up.
-
Maurice Tousignant
Canada
Windsor
Ontario
-
My thought:
Meh, it's Gamma World, so what?
This edition of the game is pretty Gonzo, over the top. So what if the players are walking arsenals? Are they having fun? That's all that matters.
-
John "Omega" Williams
United States
Michigan
-
Thats the OPs problem. It is a cakewalk and it is apparently becoming not fun for either the GM, the players, or both.
-
Matt
United States
Wilton
Connecticut
-
@Omega, Stix, PghArch - thanks for the tips. I probably will take matters into my own hands and rachet the # of tech cards down some.
@Gilvan - as printed, this edition of GW IS gonzo. But since I started out with 3rd edition decades ago, I don't like, nor plan to run my games that way. A GM can create a darker apocalyptic world. But there's no way of getting away from some degree of levity without ditching much of the core ruleset. In my one session with this edition so far, it was ~80% serious, 20% weirdness. Everybody liked it. So, I'm going to try keeping it that way.
-
Karl Dyback
United States
Slippery Rock
Pennsylvania
-
You could always regard it that different regions are differently dense in Omega Tech, some abundant with them and barely any in others...
A region which is abundant with omegas, would more likely contain more "geared up" adversaries... And the opposite in those with less omegas...
But I planning on cutting the decks for what is allowed to be present in any given adventure, and most likely spread them out as I see would be the most fitting. Still at random of course..
-
John "Omega" Williams
United States
Michigan
-
Something to keep in mind is that D&D GW is really 2.5 games in one.
On one hand we have whatever git was writing all the fluff text who thinks it should be like Gammarauders, only 10x more goofball than that was. More on the slapstick level of the 2nd ed endless Quest books. You know. Bi-Polar Bears, Mutant Cannibal Biker Librarians, etc... Dropped into a setting that has zero to do with Gamma World and is more a homage to TORG...
Then theres whomever was illustrating the book who was the diametric opposite in thinking it should all be 10x more deformed than circus freaks.
Jettison the Flux World nonesense and all the snarky quips and it can be played as a more straightup GW setting.
Moreso because the game prettu much lacks any setting past the opening paragraph. Which makes the game more an Expert or Masters GM level game as the GM has to work out pretty much everything once the starter adventure is done. (Barring getting the two expansion boxes.)
madhatter wrote: @Gilvan - as printed, this edition of GW IS gonzo. But since I started out with 3rd edition decades ago, I don't like, nor plan to run my games that way. A GM can create a darker apocalyptic world. But there's no way of getting away from some degree of levity without ditching much of the core ruleset. In my one session with this edition so far, it was ~80% serious, 20% weirdness. Everybody liked it. So, I'm going to try keeping it that way.
-
|
|
|
Posted Thu Feb 9, 2012 7:36 pm
