[.11] Seattle | November 9-11 | Thoughts and musings

While we have more than 5 times per game where lockpicking/trap use is used, I see your point Shades. I think also maybe we are focusing on a symptom but not the core issue. Plot doesn't setup a lot of traps because it takes time/skill/effort. What about finding new types of traps that we could add to the game that are easier to setup? Give more options for plot teams. Other LARPs do traps/locks in various ways, let's steal those good ideas.

SF does representative locks. They still don't come up as often, but they definitely made picking locks more accessible to more people. (Accessibility wasn't the reason we went that way, but if the shoe fits...)
 
I feel like seattle does traps pretty regularly. Kinda surpised to hear other chapters are devoid of them.

In the same vein, how often do you see a physical challenge mod? One where the player has to be able to, say, run a mile at the drop of a hat to succeed, or climb a tree, or deadlift a couple hundred pounds?

Traps remain one of the few parts of the game reliant almost entirely on oog factors to be engaged with.
 
In the same vein, how often do you see a physical challenge mod? One where the player has to be able to, say, run a mile at the drop of a hat to succeed, or climb a tree, or deadlift a couple hundred pounds?

Traps remain one of the few parts of the game reliant almost entirely on oog factors to be engaged with.

I see people stick-fighting all the time.
 
I see people stick-fighting all the time.
"Surprising Strike ..... it allows someone whose Out Of Game fighting skills are not great to land some basic hits on an opponent for an XP cost."
I understand where you are coming from on the stick-fighting, but stick fighting is a huge part of the game, as well as very build intensive. To me, the way the traps work seems a bit like having to weave chainmail to repair armor, or gather plants to use herbal lore.

To me it is very weird that explosive traps are the basically the only way to do unavoidable damage that also is AOE, and destroys stuff. Dragon Magic Obliterate can be dodged, but not a 40 copper trap.
 
Also, at least for me, getting blown up by a trap is NOT fun. Especially when it can be someone else setting it off by accident. In addition to losing a bunch of stuff, it can take you out of the mod/fight. Oh your Weapon/armor/arrows weren't rendered? Guess you don't get to play the game until you find a replacement. I know Zeth was out his relic for a big chunk of time because of that. When I think back on the worst experiences I have had at the larp, 2 of the worst 5 were trap related. Because they were punishing and random. At lest when Cardio Tree shatter spirited me, I could have had skills or magic items, or just run away better.
 
Zeth was only out his relic (and a whole lotta potions and a single gold piece) because Zeth didn’t know that traps were game-room wide.

It was an expensive learning experience, but I think there needs to be a danger of loss in order to make victory feel good.

Traps reward people who do trap builds, and it should do that. Cheap ritual solutions are exactly why pocket healers are bad for the game. Same philosophy applies.
 
Traps reward people who do trap builds
What does a trap disarming build look like? Don't they just need 1 level of Create Trap?
And that is my point. The ability to avoid traps is a 3-6 pt skill and a lot of out of game ability. This isn't pocket healers. This is giving everyone reading.
 
I think that I may have derailed this thread a bit, so I am going to stop talking about traps. (although we could move it to it's own topic)
On another note, did anyone go for the x10 crit attack/back attack build? How was it?
 
I think that I may have derailed this thread a bit, so I am going to stop talking about traps. (although we could move it to it's own topic)
On another note, did anyone go for the x10 crit attack/back attack build? How was it?

My spellsword build has 20 picks of Crit Attack, currently, which basically boils down to 40 minutes of swinging for 10 instead of 5.

Unless we get another event to test it, though, I don’t know the viability. I know a lot of people are against tracking Crit/BA or think it’s too expensive to be viable, but I disagree with those assessments.
 
I think that I may have derailed this thread a bit, so I am going to stop talking about traps. (although we could move it to it's own topic)
On another note, did anyone go for the x10 crit attack/back attack build? How was it?

We had a player in August who ran like 15 or something BA & Crits. Would be swinging 2s all day, and then drop 10 of each (whatever ritual that was) and start pumping out huge damage from behind. He loved the build.
 
I think crit attack/back attacks are also great for someone who isn't super active all day long but wants to go on a mod or two. We have a few players like that. People who work in the kitchen, etc. I think we have a few people testing it out this weekend in Denver.
 
Curious here what they think. Personally I have a hard time thinking those builds could be effective for more then an hour a day.
 
I think also at some point, weapon profs/backstabs just get too expensive. Once you buy all your defensives you can, then what do you buy? Some people like trick shots. Some people like more damage. Some people will dabble in another spec.
 
I got 400+ build and I cant fill out my fighter stuff with 8 profs, not even close really. Also Disarm/shatter is amazing, I might have like 15 of them in live. I took out an undead shield wall by myself last weekend, was great. Also shatter armor against undead is solid.
 
I think also at some point, weapon profs/backstabs just get too expensive. Once you buy all your defensives you can, then what do you buy? Some people like trick shots. Some people like more damage. Some people will dabble in another spec.

Most fighters jump into stealth for alchemy -> Dodge. Some also hit up create trap for a second dodge. You get more evades along the way too. It's a good way to eat up a lot of xp if you're happy with fighter stuff.
 
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I think that might be a design flaw if most fighters feel like they have to go that direction.
 
I think that might be a design flaw if most fighters feel like they have to go that direction.

I don’t know that a lot of fighters feel like they have to. I think that Alchemy fighters are already not uncommon, and between the new poison rituals and Stealth xp to dodge possibility makes it only more attractive.

Is it useful? Undoubtedly. But that 40 XP drop in Stealth could have been 10 Slay/IS combos. Or a bunch of defensives. They’re trading that for some trick skills, and I don’t think that’s particularly broken.
 
Trade out most with "a lot".

There's a lot more class boundary breaking. I think it's a really good thing. It creates more unique and interesting characters in combat. I've seen some Rogues pick up a prof or 2. Same kind of thing with Adepts. Getting to 5's feels worth it vs 2's.

I can see the value in dropping 10 crits but, it's a pricy endeavor. We didn't see a ton of crit usage at our playtests.
 
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