Vlog 10-29-10 – D&D Essentials, Gamma World

Spoony | Oct 29 2010 | more | 
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Part 1: Dungeons & Dragons Essentials, Dungeon Master Kit Unboxing



Part 2: Gamma World Unboxing

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  • Anonymous

    I really hope we can soon partake again in your campaign, Spoony. It is one of the highlights of my week.

  • Anonymous

    I really hope we can soon partake again in your campaign, Spoony. It is one of the highlights of my week.

  • http://twitter.com/philradz Phil Radz

    Like J.D. when he poos?

  • Anonymous

    Pathfinder, the way 4th ed should have been.

    • Anonymous

      YES! THANK YOU!

      It’s what I’ve been saying for so long now…

    • Anonymous

      YES! THANK YOU!

      It’s what I’ve been saying for so long now…

    • Anonymous

      YES! THANK YOU!

      It’s what I’ve been saying for so long now…

    • Anonymous

      Because we really needed THAT brand of drama randomly inserted into the comments…

  • http://twitter.com/Stravagante Ruben Baar

    You think 4 dollars for 8 cards is bad? Try playing the Pokémon traiding card game, you have to pay like 5 dollars for 10 cards.

    • http://twitter.com/LordKarnov42 Jinborov Karnovski

      That’s exactly the same price.

  • Anonymous

    2nd (har har..yeah i have no life)

    also i would love to see you play D & D (i haven not seen a D&D session on lordkat.com in a while.)

  • Anonymous

    Hey, Spoony, the page numbers are on the middle of each page outer edge, for Gamma World. So if you need page 66, instead of looking at the bottom of the page (like I did as well), look up and you’ll see it. It’s sort of in that same color as the rest of the border, but the numbering is there.

    But I just picked up Gamma World today as well. Gawd I can’t wait to play this game. Had a friend play it, and his group had 1 character be a swarm of hive-mind linked rats with electrokenesis powers. And the rats had a canoe that was randomly rolled up during character generation, but they traded it for 2 rolls on another gear chart and got a lantern and a string of Christmas lights.

    So when you walk down the street and see a swarm of rats carrying a perfectly lit blinking set of Christmas lights down the street, you’ll know that isn’t a monster, but a Player Character.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Moss/1626033514 Michael Moss

    Really hope you get better, Spoony.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Moss/1626033514 Michael Moss

    Really hope you get better, Spoony.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Moss/1626033514 Michael Moss

    Really hope you get better, Spoony.

  • http://www.facebook.com/waynepmiddleton Wayne Middleton

    So would it be best for someone thats never played before and is fiddling around with the Red Box Starter Set to jump into the Essentials books and just stick with them for a while?

  • http://www.facebook.com/waynepmiddleton Wayne Middleton

    So would it be best for someone thats never played before and is fiddling around with the Red Box Starter Set to jump into the Essentials books and just stick with them for a while?

  • http://twitter.com/kungfuandcoffee Lance Burton

    To my Nephew,Spoony
    Oy! What a genius! But what’s with all the D&D? What is that? Is that a brand of powder from the old country? And why the Shikza? Your own people not good enough? You never spend your time at home any longer. Your make your mama she cry all night long. She eats pork now just to forget.
    Signed,
    Your Uncle,
    Forky Goldberg

    • Anonymous

      Fuck off.

    • Anonymous

      Fuck off.

    • Anonymous

      Fuck off.

  • http://twitter.com/kungfuandcoffee Lance Burton

    To my Nephew,Spoony
    Oy! What a genius! But what’s with all the D&D? What is that? Is that a brand of powder from the old country? And why the Shikza? Your own people not good enough? You never spend your time at home any longer. Your make your mama she cry all night long. She eats pork now just to forget.
    Signed,
    Your Uncle,
    Forky Goldberg

  • Anonymous

    I admit I love my 4th Edition DM screen it’s actually Hard back, which is pretty bitchin.

    I’m definatly in the mood to collect the D&D essentials it sounds like what I really wanted from 4th Ed in the first place. I got my hands on the three Core Rulebooks and apart from the Forgotten realms re-release I really have touched any of the 4th ed stuff. Mainly for thematic reasons it seemed to be moving away from Medieval style fantasy and more into a strange neon colour almost anime inspired fantasy world.

    Having said that I LOVED the 4th ed rules. I’ve managed to get many more people interested using the 4th ed rules rather than being drowned in the morass that was 3rd edtion, which I still love breaking out when gaming with more experienced players.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Kenneth-Heintzelman/100000035261285 Daniel Kenneth Heintzelman

    Hey Spoony, I’m local. How about joining my D&D group? Although we are moving away from 4E and towards Pathfinder.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=515500505 Alan DeHaan

    It’s really really good to have you back Spoony. I greatly enjoyed your Unboxing vids. (And, agreed with you on Gamma World. The card thing turned me off, then that setting was…just insanely amazing)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Zack-Brubaker/100001427230596 Zack Brubaker

    The one thing spoony didn’t go into was the random character generation. Would be super interested what he thinks of the possibly of getting a radioactive yeti completely by accident…

  • http://www.facebook.com/donald.dechert Donald Dechert

    Spoony, I’d still give Savage Worlds another look; I love that system and it’s really, really fast. A lot faster than Pathfinder or 4th Ed.

  • Anonymous

    I think the Skill Challenges work best when they are not social. Tracking a guy through a bazaar, tracking someone through a swampy marsh, surviving harsh terrain.

    If you want to do social, then it should not be against the same person. Maybe if you’re talking to a bunch of different people, like you’re convincing 3 different barons to send troops to help fight the orcs.

    It’s not impossible to do social. My friend ran a 4E adapted Birthright campaign, where we were trying to convince the court that our recent annexing of The Sword Mage’s territory was lawful. It was divided into two parts: we had to drum up a bunch of support beforehand, then we would do the court. We would roleplay out our dealings with the various nobles (not needing too many checks for each but when dealing with 3-4 characters to speed things up it still took a large chunk of the overall skill challenge). Then in the court we would use our History checks to drum up precedence or establish our opponent wasn’t using the correct procedure to undermine his position.

    In another skill challenge, we were trying to convince the enemy duke’s cannon fodder minions to defect to us. We were doing opposed diplomacy and bluff vs the opponent’s intimidate. I had an awesome moment where the enemy leader told his army that the cannon fodder minions could either attack and potentially die, or not attack and definitely die when his archers shot them in the backs. I had used my summoned army I got with my Realm Points to drop them right amid the archery line.

    Skill challenges should award automatic successes if your player thinks of something clever and should be allowed to be bypassed entirely if the player does something really clever, but you need to design them well or they just become really artificial. I would not recommend a seat of the pants social encounter except maybe an interrogation (Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Insight), and even that I wouldn’t make it more than a level 2 encounter, and even then that’s pushing it.

  • http://twitter.com/NevixAstari Herman Cillo

    Personally, I did not like 4th Edition D&D for the exact problems Spoony just pointed out. It was a mishmosh of samey classes that all felt like one of four roles. And some classes might as well have been two roles packed in one class. The fighter was the first sign of that imbalance, because a fighter could be played as both defender and damage dealer very easily on day one. It only got worse with each new class.

    However, D&D essentials sounds like they’re trying to remedy this problem by returning the classes to the expected role and function. I really like the sound of the Essentials Assassin. It makes me want to try D&D again. If only I could get a group other than the same old jerks I used to play D&D with. (They weren’t THAT bad, but their antics could wear on you if you dealt with them every week.) Unfortunately, my Insider subscription expired when the fee trial ended, so I won’t see it again until I decide to try D&D again. Which may be never.

    Also, Gamma World sounds hilariously awesome. Angry violent badger people? Chain Smoking Bands of Nazi Rabbit People? Constant mutations as the world mutates and fluctuates as the day goes on? (Oh, and it’s probably all the worlds that had the “big mistake” as part of their history that merged into gamma world. Which is an awesome concept in itself.) I want to try it now. Just based on that fluff, I want to try it.

    Unfortunately, the deckbuilding issue is an obvious money grab. There will be new sets every so often and pressure to keep up. And there’s going to be that one guy in the group who can never afford a set and that other guy who always has the new sets and never shares. It’s similar to the problem with the players who Min Max their characters to the fullest and those who don’t eke out every bonus they can get.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Sylvain-Robitaille/583722713 Sylvain Robitaille

    Booster, edit:”player made decks”, pack as one big advantage, it allows player to build there players around a theme. So let’s say I only put in mutation that can be manifestations of speed.

  • http://www.facebook.com/donald.dechert Donald Dechert

    One other thing…the Gamma World looks way too much like the colors from Deadlands: Hell on Earth. Maybe it’s the green (probably) or the subject matter, but I guess I’d like it to pick its own colors.

    I’m also not sold on the deck-building concept. Having been younger and emptied my bank account on account of playing Magic…I remember how much of a drain that was. I can’t think I stomach that. Guess I’ll look for a SW conversion of Gamma World.

  • Anonymous

    awww man more D&D. After I turned 21 I stopped playing games that didn’t let me win money or end in women taking off their clothes.

    • http://twitter.com/Foxbat64 Kurt Aring

      Interesting that you’re on a site that exclusively reviews nerdy stuff, then…must’ve needed a break between the porn and the gambling?

      • Anonymous

        I come to check out the game reviews and I don’t watch porn I make them.

      • Anonymous

        I come to check out the game reviews and I don’t watch porn I make them.

        • http://twitter.com/Foxbat64 Kurt Aring

          Cool, trolling. Later.

          • Anonymous

            I enjoy how every time someone post a response they disagree with they feel compelled to reply with poor attempt at an insult followed by the claim your a troll. Grow up. If you don’t like someones comment just IGNORE IT! If you like playing D&D good for freaking you. Not everyone is into that. You see me on her bashing people for what they like? Or do you see me making a comment about the type of games I DO NOT PLAY!?! you tell me. God why is the internet so full of idiots and morons.

        • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QBOHLKVFNISFU5MB4DQ3FNIEWU Adam France

          Why have you come to see reviews for games … you just said you don’t play? (Unless video games like Halo Reach win you money or women now and no one told me?)

          • Anonymous

            Video game reviews/and board games etc. are two different things. I’m surprised how easily people get offended over an open comment not directed at anyone. You people need to toughen the hell up or you won’t get very far in life.

        • Anonymous

          You know, not everyone is straight, you dumb fratboy.

        • Anonymous

          You know, not everyone is straight, you dumb fratboy.

          • Anonymous

            Thanks for sharing, now tell someone that cares. I get offended when someone makes a reference to women and someone who is homosexual feels compelled to let the world know they are gay. I and the rest of the website don’t care that you are gay and I sure as hell am not interested in hearing about your gay experiences. If you see a straight man talking about women know that they are not interested in hearing you talk about men or trying to acknowledge that you like men. If you like boys good for you. Me personally I think it’s wrong as hell and against the laws of nature. But hey “if that’s what you like good for you”. Personally I’m not interested in those matters.

          • Anonymous

            YOU talked about your imaginary sexual experiences. (I doubt you get any pussy.) I didn’t. You assumed the guy you talked to does not get any women. My point is: How do you know he WANTS women?

          • Anonymous

            “I doubt you get any pussy”? are you in highschool or middleschool? When your young your mind focuses on sex because you’ve never had it. When your older sex is like making your morning coffee it’s nothing special everyone does it. Your better saving those insults for the school yard. As for your other remark, this guy took a shot at me I took an even harder shot at him back. Now your upset because you want me to insult him and call him a homosexual? Homosexuality isn’t a norm. Men aren’t supposed to like other men that’s disgusting. I don’t assume every male I talk to is gay nor should I. If someone doesn’t like women that’s them. But it’s abnormal…and before folks start commenting about gay bashing, no this is not gay bashing. This is what happens when you bring up homosexuality to someone that’s straight and not remotely interested in the subject.

          • Anonymous

            Learn the difference betweem “you’re” and “your”. No, I didn’t want you to
            “insult” him of being a homosexual. Your disgust is simply pathetic. You
            seem to not grasp my point although it is clear: You said : “LOL You don’t
            get any pussy, Nerd!” And I asked the simple question : How do you know he
            wants any? You just presumed it, because your mind is deficient and you
            can’t look outside your little world. You seem to think every challenge to
            heteronormativity means someone “forces” homosexuality on you. It is
            actually quite funny how you are a raging homophobe, but vehemently deny it.
            Oh and btw fyi: I just finished college. The reason why I doubted your
            sexual proficiency is: You brag about. If people brag about such things,
            they are quite likely to have no sex at all. Or they have to pay for it.

            2010/10/31 Disqus

        • Anonymous

          You know, not everyone is straight, you dumb fratboy.

      • Anonymous

        I come to check out the game reviews and I don’t watch porn I make them.

    • http://twitter.com/Foxbat64 Kurt Aring

      Interesting that you’re on a site that exclusively reviews nerdy stuff, then…must’ve needed a break between the porn and the gambling?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=614014207 Jack Power

    First off, the fact that you’ve _heard of_ Deadlands, let alone played it ratchets you up several notches in my book. I LOE Deadlands, but never had a group willing to play it.

    Second, the skill challenges sound an awful lot like Dramatic Skill Resolution in TORG (Yea, I’m a TORG freak. What of it?), although a lot less organized.

    Unfortunately, my RPing has been hamstrung by circumstances in the Other World, and I’m missing it severely. Suck is life. (No, that wasn’t a typo =/ )

    • Anonymous

      “I LOVE Deadlands, but never had a group willing to play it. ”

      Welcome to my world. I got ONE group together for ONE session. That was it.

      Still pisses me off. I think that game is still criminally under-appreciated (zombies, cowboys, and steampunk robots! What more could you want?!).

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Sylvain-Robitaille/583722713 Sylvain Robitaille

    Interesting that you don’t feel like the 4th edition assassin, the “servant of the faceless god thing”, as befitting for an assassin. I felt it was very similar to the assassins in a game of thrones.

  • http://www.facebook.com/ArchaeologyKnits Thaddeus Jacob Nelson

    As someone who hasn’t played since AD&D 2nd E., (Except Alternity, which I really got into with Dark Matter) That was the way it was supposed to be. I still have the books, and love the old brown covers (and green and blue). I still love the copy of “Of Ships and Seas” that I got back in the day.

    The new stuff feels too much like a video game too me (reminds me of Dead Rising somehow).

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Hemman/100001137548083 Mike Hemman

    I got into D&D Just this year, through my school’s gaming club believe it or not. The Teacher DM’s, and we play 3.5. The Teacher says he tried 4E,but didn’t like it, said it was weird and different. I wouldn’t know, as this is my only experience in D&D, But basically what I’m getting is that The Essentials would probably be my best bet to go into 4 from 3.5. because anywhere near where I’m at, I can only find 4th, because theres really only one store that carries any RPGs, and that’s a place called the Comic Swap.

    Anyway, Since I’m graduating this year, I won’t really be able to play, So I guess I’m looking into finding a group amongst friends or online, (also with my friends preferably).

    also, I get the idea that your swamped, based on your attitude, and the number of projects that I know you have going, and I’d hate to tack on something else to your to do list, but then again, I’m not your boss, so what I say has no power. Anyway, I just would love to hear your opinion on New Vegas, because in your previews, You fell victim to a stereotype that a lot of people did, that it was nothing new. Just because a game isn’t advertised or sold very well by its company, doesn’t make it a bad game. There are tons of new systems, new weapons, and new mechanics of gameplay, it feels familiar to Fallout 3, but it does in fact distinguish itself. It is an improvement. it is good both as a sequel and as a game alone. Something that, personally, I cannot say for a lot of franchises out there, Left 4 Dead, Call of Duty, and stuff like that. Just an idea. I only really bring it up because neither Joe, Sage, or anyone really at Blistered Thumbs has covered it, and it’s been out for a week and a half. and for the record, just because a fanboy says a game should be covered, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t.

  • Anonymous

    My enthusiasm for Gamma World is really hampered by the obvious money sink that is the boaster packs. I’m sure some hobby shops will start up the selling of individual cards like what happened with Magic, but that has it’s own level of bullshit.

    • http://www.facebook.com/frenchtoastseriously Frenchtoastseriously Okay

      The game can be played just fine with the basic set that is provided, and the booster packs are entirely optional. One must also consider the extremely high mortality rate of characters and the fact that the current maximum level is 10 (If you can get from level 1-10 without dying, you’re incredibly lucky). Things are going to be changing up enough in the campaign that you’re not going to need an assload of cards to get you through the game. They’re important, but not the main focus.

  • http://twitter.com/jayblanc jayblanc

    Suffer from a similar condition myself, sorry to hear you do to, tho mine is sleep paralysis rather than passing out entirely. Not sure which would be preferable. At least I get to see the people freak out around me when it happens. Coping strategies to avoid hitting the triggers can work, gone eight months without one myself, and only had one because a chest infection sapped all my reserve energy.

    The post-TSR AD&D still hasn’t grabbed me. But that’s almost entirely because I just have too much nostalgia invested in 2nd ed. That and not having really done pen and paper RPGs since that era. Perhaps I should look around for a local gaming group to try getting back into it. At least it’s cheaper than WoW.

  • http://twitter.com/jayblanc jayblanc

    Suffer from a similar condition myself, sorry to hear you do to, tho mine is sleep paralysis rather than passing out entirely. Not sure which would be preferable. At least I get to see the people freak out around me when it happens. Coping strategies to avoid hitting the triggers can work, gone eight months without one myself, and only had one because a chest infection sapped all my reserve energy.

    The post-TSR AD&D still hasn’t grabbed me. But that’s almost entirely because I just have too much nostalgia invested in 2nd ed. That and not having really done pen and paper RPGs since that era. Perhaps I should look around for a local gaming group to try getting back into it. At least it’s cheaper than WoW.

  • http://www.facebook.com/frenchtoastseriously Frenchtoastseriously Okay

    Regarding the D&D character builder + Essentials:

    It’s not in. The D&D boards are full of angry nerds complaining about Wizards’ lack of support to the character builder. Hell, the Dark Sun stuff still isn’t in the builder and that was released in AUGUST. They keep saying they’re committed to getting their shit together on this, but here’s a useful tip for you (or anyone else who is frustrated about this)

    Wizards IS granting refunds by request for DDI subscriptions for the month of October in light of failure to provide complete service. I know this because I read about it on the forums and requested a refund myself which was given to me within 3 business days. The process was actually quite painless and they were very polite. I hope this helps!

    Hopefully they get their shit together because I think D&D Insider has the potential to be a GREAT source of the information for those of us who run games (especially online campaigns like the one I run) and use their services to assist. Right now.. it’s kinda just.. alright. It gets the job done, but never shows up on time, you know? We’ll see how it goes.

    Thanks for the videos, Spoony.

  • http://www.facebook.com/frenchtoastseriously Frenchtoastseriously Okay

    Regarding the D&D character builder + Essentials:

    It’s not in. The D&D boards are full of angry nerds complaining about Wizards’ lack of support to the character builder. Hell, the Dark Sun stuff still isn’t in the builder and that was released in AUGUST. They keep saying they’re committed to getting their shit together on this, but here’s a useful tip for you (or anyone else who is frustrated about this)

    Wizards IS granting refunds by request for DDI subscriptions for the month of October in light of failure to provide complete service. I know this because I read about it on the forums and requested a refund myself which was given to me within 3 business days. The process was actually quite painless and they were very polite. I hope this helps!

    Hopefully they get their shit together because I think D&D Insider has the potential to be a GREAT source of the information for those of us who run games (especially online campaigns like the one I run) and use their services to assist. Right now.. it’s kinda just.. alright. It gets the job done, but never shows up on time, you know? We’ll see how it goes.

    Thanks for the videos, Spoony.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Antony-Cannon/100000532669547 Antony Cannon

    Good luck on the third, dude.
    Seriously though, you have heart problems and you’re drinking the Dew? STOP DRINKNING THE DEW!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Antony-Cannon/100000532669547 Antony Cannon

    Good luck on the third, dude.
    Seriously though, you have heart problems and you’re drinking the Dew? STOP DRINKNING THE DEW!

  • PhoCarrot

    I’ve only played a VERY little D&D with some friends. It was fun (though I wasn’t very good at it), but I really love listening to people talk about their experiences with it. It’s just interesting. Hell if I know why, though.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Travis-Hinton/508133848 Travis Hinton

    Every time one of my players even thinks about playing a 4e assassin i smite him down with the DM stare of doom and hand him a character sheet and say the following words “get a thievery check & keep a grappling hook on you at all times”. By the end of the first session they all come back to me with the same question. “Can I play a rogue”

    Here’s to the batman of the party, rarely appreciated when there but horribly missed when missing.

    • http://twitter.com/NevixAstari Herman Cillo

      I need to ask a (few) simple question(s): Why don’t you like the Essentials Assassin?

      Your comment makes it clear that you don’t like the new version of the assassin. But that’s all that’s clear. I don’t get why you want the assassin player to “get a thievery check & keep a grappling hook on you at all times”, and I don’t understand shy you’d want to browbeat your player into playing a Rogue.

      What is missing from the Assassin that the rogue has? And why does that one player have to be forced to play a rogue instead of the class he wants to play?

      I ask because I don’t have a DDI subscription to look at it myself, otherwise I’d compare the Assassin and Rogue myself.

  • Anonymous

    hey Spoony if your in chicago and want to play some AD&D then look me up but the problem is that I don’t that often because most of the people I know are too afraid to play it with me, well except for my uncle who lives in Texas but that is a different story for a different day

  • Anonymous

    In regards to gamma world i think the point of your own deck is so if you like want a physical character you can stack your deck with different physical powers, so that you don’t have this guy with good melee stats ending up with psionic powers or some crap. Honestly I could see where you kinda want to have this thing where you’ve got a general theme for your character and you build your deck of powers around that theme. But hey I wouldn’t pay 4$ for 8 cards anyways. I’d just use your deck and forgo the slightly more customized deck anyways.

  • Anonymous

    In regards to gamma world i think the point of your own deck is so if you like want a physical character you can stack your deck with different physical powers, so that you don’t have this guy with good melee stats ending up with psionic powers or some crap. Honestly I could see where you kinda want to have this thing where you’ve got a general theme for your character and you build your deck of powers around that theme. But hey I wouldn’t pay 4$ for 8 cards anyways. I’d just use your deck and forgo the slightly more customized deck anyways.

  • Anonymous

    I never understood the whole “old-school D&D artwork were so much better” thing that seems prevalent among older veteran gamers. Granted, I didn’t see every piece of artwork from older edition, but what I saw, mostly monster, ranged from okay to terrible. It’s also not the first time I heard the demons and devils thing and my problem with it is that demons and devils were in 3rd edition and are still here for 4th. I’d like to raise a point about classes, what exactly is the difference between the old school class kit thing and just adding another class that has similarity with an existing class? Both need you to buy a splat book and both add choice to the game, but a new class offer more possibility than a class kit. I’ll just add that the problem with 4th IMO is that everything feels geared toward combat and the class don’t really have any flavor to them. Anyway…

    I have really mixed feeling about Gamma World, for pretty much the same reason as you. The setting, art and the general idea seems like a lot of fun, but the whole business with the collectible card game and booster pack? No, just no. I could see it maybe if it was something like munchkin where there’s just one big deck of card for everyone with themed expension pack with the option to allow player to choose some card to make a mini deck but even then it doesn’t really feel like I’d be playing a RPG instead of a very complex card game. I hope you’ll give us more detail once you try it, but if you don’t, no problem. By the way, while speaking of roleplaying game using card, have you ever heard of Piledrivers&Powerbombs? It’s a small roleplaying game played with a deck of regular card about wrestling.

    I hope you’ll be okay and get better soon, but if if you can last yours&Scarlet anniversary without passing out, you should be fine. WOOOO!

  • Anonymous

    I never understood the whole “old-school D&D artwork were so much better” thing that seems prevalent among older veteran gamers. Granted, I didn’t see every piece of artwork from older edition, but what I saw, mostly monster, ranged from okay to terrible. It’s also not the first time I heard the demons and devils thing and my problem with it is that demons and devils were in 3rd edition and are still here for 4th. I’d like to raise a point about classes, what exactly is the difference between the old school class kit thing and just adding another class that has similarity with an existing class? Both need you to buy a splat book and both add choice to the game, but a new class offer more possibility than a class kit. I’ll just add that the problem with 4th IMO is that everything feels geared toward combat and the class don’t really have any flavor to them. Anyway…

    I have really mixed feeling about Gamma World, for pretty much the same reason as you. The setting, art and the general idea seems like a lot of fun, but the whole business with the collectible card game and booster pack? No, just no. I could see it maybe if it was something like munchkin where there’s just one big deck of card for everyone with themed expension pack with the option to allow player to choose some card to make a mini deck but even then it doesn’t really feel like I’d be playing a RPG instead of a very complex card game. I hope you’ll give us more detail once you try it, but if you don’t, no problem. By the way, while speaking of roleplaying game using card, have you ever heard of Piledrivers&Powerbombs? It’s a small roleplaying game played with a deck of regular card about wrestling.

    I hope you’ll be okay and get better soon, but if if you can last yours&Scarlet anniversary without passing out, you should be fine. WOOOO!

  • Anonymous

    Loved the trip down memory lane this D&D session brought. Im an old school gamer, harkening from the days of Basic D&D then later Advanced and finally 2ed Edition (the best in my view). Assassins killed for money, demons were demons and devils were devils! Those were fun times! Sounds like the essenstials is getting back to the roots of the game, which is good. I still have many of my old books in storage-including the old dieties and demigods book where Gary Gygax shamelessly put in Lovecraftian lore without permission. Back when I started the game, you rolled 3d6 6 times, and applied them (in order!) for your stats, so you didnt even know what class you qualified to be until then. Any score over 16 was cause for cheering-and if you got lucky to get an 18/% anything strength as a fighter? you were in heaven! I hope your doctors meeting goes well too -keep up the good work Spoony-we appreciate your hard work and love of the game :)
    -Dream

  • Anonymous

    The deck idea from Gamma World seems like a money grab to me, good thing the interweb is here and all cards will be posted online seconds after they leave the printing press. So write down what you want on old magic cards (the moxes work the best for writing on) and money problem solved. Other than that it sounds cool, and who dosent want to go all inglorious bastards on some jackbooted bunnies with a plasma flame thrower while whipping a five foot badger with your dome tentacles?

    • http://twitter.com/Thiefofhearts Thiefofhearts

      The card listings have already been posted, so print outs and some cardsleeves with some common magic cards as backings will work well.

      • Anonymous

        Ok, so sarcasm, look it up. Thats why I said to use one of the power nine and not a a mogg fanatic. I’m well aware of “proxying” a card, thanks. Hugs and kisses.

      • Anonymous

        Ok, so sarcasm, look it up. Thats why I said to use one of the power nine and not a a mogg fanatic. I’m well aware of “proxying” a card, thanks. Hugs and kisses.

  • Anonymous

    The deck idea from Gamma World seems like a money grab to me, good thing the interweb is here and all cards will be posted online seconds after they leave the printing press. So write down what you want on old magic cards (the moxes work the best for writing on) and money problem solved. Other than that it sounds cool, and who dosent want to go all inglorious bastards on some jackbooted bunnies with a plasma flame thrower while whipping a five foot badger with your dome tentacles?

  • Anonymous

    I liked your quick look at Gamma world, it sounded really interesting, and really cool.
    Looks like something I could really get into, if I had a group to play with that is.
    Hope you can play and give a review of it sometime, very curious to learn more.
    Hope your tests go well, get better Spoony, I love you man.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Robert-Uram/684835496 Robert Uram

    ALL HAIL THE COMPUTER

  • Anonymous

    Passing out when exerting yourself? The list of causes for that is nearly a mile long. Fortunately, most of them are easy to fix. Here’s a few:

    -Hyper exertion of nerve X: the vagus nerve. [This is the usual cause of fainting]
    -Too much cholesterol. [This happened to my brother because his liver was too efficient. He's on a low cholesterol diet, now]
    -Syncope: too low blood pressure.
    - Weak or leaky valves.

    Most of these problems are easy to fix. Actually, the earlier you can discover the cause, the better off you are. Good thing you’re going now!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QBOHLKVFNISFU5MB4DQ3FNIEWU Adam France

    Oh god, Gamma World is like the next layer of Hades down from 4e D&D and 3e WFRP. It made me sick a little bit in my mouth to hear you need (or are at the very least encouraged) to buy booster packs of cards to play the game beyond a session or two.

    That. Is. Not. A. Roleplaying. Game.

    Okay the setting was always goofy, but it was a setting. There was a map of America (or Merika or whatever it was called), and in the edition I played also a more regional map of Pittsburgh and the surrounding towns and regions. Yes the mutations were wildly imbalanced, and the rule system was eye wateringly awful, but jeesh … it didn’t deserve this abomination.

    WOTC are desperately trading on peoples’ nostalgia it seems to me, from the disguise of the recent red box D&D (or the ‘honest it is still D&D like you remember it … no really it is … honest … see it has Elmore on the cover like you remember’ edition) to now reissuing Gamma World. For a company that’s claims to be aiming it’s games at new customers … it seems odd they are so quick to keep trying the nostalgia card.

  • Anonymous

    Man every time I see something like this it makes me really want to play D&D. Unfortunately none of my friends are interested. Anywho, good luck at the doctor man.

  • Anonymous

    Man every time I see something like this it makes me really want to play D&D. Unfortunately none of my friends are interested. Anywho, good luck at the doctor man.

  • http://www.facebook.com/erunno Matic Kačič

    D&D character builder, by my experience does lag behind. WOTC does have realy crappy web and programming staff.
    I’m not a great beliver of 3.5 edittion. I either run 3rd or 4th (allways homerewed).
    I preffer 3dr edittion artwork design to 4th edittion.
    I did like the 4th edtion Warior choices. I never got to do anything with my warior except “I swing my sword at it” in 3rd edittion. Sure you had all these options like Bull rush and grapple, trip and dissarm etc. But you never used it. They all required at least 5 steps to resolve and all of them provoked atacks of opurtuny. Thats why I liked 4th edittion that ratained those options in adittion to powers that did same kind of things without atacks of opurtunity. With a warrior you all of the sudden a choice of for example luring an enemy into your starting square when you made the atack while yourself mowing somwhere else by 1 square. Or you could push your enemy by one square on to a trap or stairs the mage just froze. Or you could swing your axe at it really hard. Core 4th edittion wariors were based on defender not striker role, thats why it was diffirent to what a lot of players were used to (martial powers book rectified that), I personaly whenever I got stuck in plate wearer role I allways play(ed) it as a plate shield not as damage dealer. Admittedly such wide range of abilities do tend to take a lot of class identity away from well classes.
    Almost forgot: Skill challenges – while every skill check that doesen’t allow retry is kind of a skill chalenge, I have found that they don’t work in ussual or mundaine situations. The have their use. In unsuual magic situations. Kind off. It’s still metagame when you have to anounce it. Last time i’ve seen it used it was on 4th edittion PHB3 launch event intro games, and as such had prepublished short adventures (you have no I dea how hard we had to work with our oficcialy WOTC sanctioned DM to get the stuff on time-ish). That adventure had a really good use if skill chalenge. I think it was some kind of twisted teleport that sent us thru a nightmareish dimension and ilussions full of dangers. As a group we had to make N succeses before we had accumulated M failiures. The trick was DM called out what had to be done to succesfully navigate to the other end of “teleport”. There were times where we could decide what who does one of the possible checks, sometimes DM called who had to do a certain check or even called a whole group to make certain check or save (if say 3 people failed the check that counted as 3 failures).
    When it comes to comunication skills skill check I allways make players roleplay. Althou it the player talking had his talikng kills somewhere in the basement that alone wouldn’t make a succes. In adittion they still had to make a dice roll. If someone wouldn’t roleplay when makeing a skill check i’d just apply a huge penalty.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Casper-Andersen/676567775 Casper Andersen

    In regard to the card thing with Gamma world, I both love it and hate it. On the one hand I think it makes for some very oddball light games and some fun siturations. But that thing with building your own deck, that is kinda lame. You could very easily end up with an arms race, like in MTG or other CCGs.
    But as I understand it from what I have read about Gamma World online, building your own deck is really how you cutomise your character.
    I think a compromise could be if the GM made a deck of each suite, bio, psionic etc and you could say that you character is a psionic char and he only draws from the psionic deck or you are a random mutant and can roll a die and let that determine which type of deck you draw from. That way you can get the flavor of having diffrent types of powers, without having the game turn into a CCG.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Mclaughlin/100000510688788 Mark Mclaughlin

    Ok Skill Challenges. Now i play Dark Heresy where the skill challenges are used and designed as a “over a period of time”. Using it in an immediate encounter is not necessary the best idea. Image your trying to investigate a group within an entire city. The group use their skills to achieve this goal, say one person starts inquiring around town, another start getting a bit of divination magic going on etc etc. Your combination of the success or failure will change the situation, if your group fails badly, they’ve alerted the group they are after them, if they succeed, they may get themselves to sneak into a group meeting or something.

    Basiclly, skill checks are useful for long term goals but not for short interactions

  • Anonymous

    Hope everything goes alright for you on the 3rd and that your doctor can help you get better.

  • Anonymous

    Spoony, you should take it easy on the junk food and soda. Try eating food with more iodine and vitamins.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/A4OGXBMTO32BZ6KKJUJV3BKOGQ Anssi

    Oh Heck yes :) I Love unboxing videos of all kinds.

    Very insightful (well for guy whos never played D&D other than in video game form).
    Baldurs gate II is my Favorite game of all time, recently made top 10 video list on YT, BG 2 being first. Hands down.

    I loved kits too… now you say theyve been taken away in RL format??? And they either use too much or too little with classes… darn. Thats a party pooper :P

    PS. Love them videos spoony, keep your head down though. Dont overdo yourself for your fans. XD

    Theres no “PANDORA RELOADS” for real life you know! ;)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Nathan-Fazi/577849298 Nathan Fazi

    Spoony I compatise (is that a word?) I have a kind of same thing as you that I pass out after getting up quick or exerting myself, I hope you get to fix it.

    Good review, you are our God… well rather our jesus, so go suffer for our sins and do another ffx review :3

  • Vargtass

    No.

    I hate Paranoia with a passion. I hope it has a child so that it can be hit by a truck full of mutant Nazi bunnies.

  • Vargtass

    No.

    I hate Paranoia with a passion. I hope it has a child so that it can be hit by a truck full of mutant Nazi bunnies.

  • Anonymous

    You know, one thing you could do to improve your health is stop drinking so much goddamn soda. Every review i see you in you’re chugging one of those. Stuff isnt good for you; can cause all sorts of problems.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Evan-Walker/527782403 Evan Walker

    Skill checks work well if you mix the roll and their ability to roleplay. That way if they roll a one half the time like me they can still roleplay their way out of the mess.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Evan-Walker/527782403 Evan Walker

    Skill checks work well if you mix the roll and their ability to roleplay. That way if they roll a one half the time like me they can still roleplay their way out of the mess.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Flora/1012513200 Mark Flora

    The page numbers on the sides of the Gamma World manual, Spoony. I had the same problem when helping my group building

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Flora/1012513200 Mark Flora

    The page numbers on the sides of the Gamma World manual, Spoony. I had the same problem when helping my group building

  • Anonymous

    I read the assassin essentials a couple months ago and was blown away too, I figured you’d enjoy that, Spoon. The essentials seems like a good merging of 4.0 abilities and rules with 3.5 and earlier’s classes who actually change with passive upgrades every few levels.

  • Anonymous

    Time to commentate then, as I watch.

    -At first with the anniversary I was suspecting some nice Spoon for Spoony, then I was like D: No whoop whoop for an erratic heart. Seriously though man, we all wish you the best. Good luck at the cardiologist.

    -I was going to send you an email next year pertaining to 4E, now I don’t have to!

    -Yeah, I still have no idea what the essentials is…

    -WoW is much less about the roleplaying; during battles you just can’t roleplay because there are scripted mechanics that if you don’t follow, you will die. RP fights can be interesting though. Oh, but I ramble.

    -Well, aren’t assassins the masters of slow killing? I agree the shadow thing sounds kinda stupid, but making them bleed is a good idea for what I envision as a light attacker.

    -Wish I could help you with that group Spoony. I too know the pains of trying to gather like minded individuals to play something deemed “immature” or “taboo”.

    -I really hate DnD art styles, period. They’re so drawn to try and be real but stay in the deepest pits of the uncanny valley.

    -I can’t draw either Spoony! But we can both be visually artistic. /snob

    -Haha…. Skill challenges can shove it when you can just roleplay. I love making actual scenarios.

    -Why are you concerned about updates? I thought you loved AD&D and hate what they’re doing with 4th edition.

    -I got BG on GOG, but I just can’t sit myself down to play it. It’s so archaic and I keep dying when I’m just trying to get through the story. I need to force myself through though, because after I play that I get to go play Planescape: Torment which you recommended.

    -Mmm…. Walking apocalypse.

    -EMBRACING THE MADNESS!

    -Never worry about anything showing on camera Noah. Your camera is beyond godly.

    -That does sound intriguing… An ever changing character. Could make for some nice roleplaying situations.

    -The dreaded curse of trading card collections…. I have like $400 dollars worth of cards, just at retail price, just shoved in my bedside counter thingy.

    -A 5 foot mutated badger? I’d expect some…. -sunglasses- …Heavy badgering. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

    -You should play a Turl named Turl who acts like your Turl and can accurately tell you the elevation of any point on the planet.

    -Awesome sounding campaign, but it just seems for fit to a video game. That way you can really pound home the humor. I never had this conception that really funny settings are meant to be for “heroes” to tread. Really love your explanation though: “Everything happened!”

    Thanks a ton for the time Spoony. Remember, any time you need a rant, we’re here.

  • Anonymous

    Time to commentate then, as I watch.

    -At first with the anniversary I was suspecting some nice Spoon for Spoony, then I was like D: No whoop whoop for an erratic heart. Seriously though man, we all wish you the best. Good luck at the cardiologist.

    -I was going to send you an email next year pertaining to 4E, now I don’t have to!

    -Yeah, I still have no idea what the essentials is…

    -WoW is much less about the roleplaying; during battles you just can’t roleplay because there are scripted mechanics that if you don’t follow, you will die. RP fights can be interesting though. Oh, but I ramble.

    -Well, aren’t assassins the masters of slow killing? I agree the shadow thing sounds kinda stupid, but making them bleed is a good idea for what I envision as a light attacker.

    -Wish I could help you with that group Spoony. I too know the pains of trying to gather like minded individuals to play something deemed “immature” or “taboo”.

    -I really hate DnD art styles, period. They’re so drawn to try and be real but stay in the deepest pits of the uncanny valley.

    -I can’t draw either Spoony! But we can both be visually artistic. /snob

    -Haha…. Skill challenges can shove it when you can just roleplay. I love making actual scenarios.

    -Why are you concerned about updates? I thought you loved AD&D and hate what they’re doing with 4th edition.

    -I got BG on GOG, but I just can’t sit myself down to play it. It’s so archaic and I keep dying when I’m just trying to get through the story. I need to force myself through though, because after I play that I get to go play Planescape: Torment which you recommended.

    -Mmm…. Walking apocalypse.

    -EMBRACING THE MADNESS!

    -Never worry about anything showing on camera Noah. Your camera is beyond godly.

    -That does sound intriguing… An ever changing character. Could make for some nice roleplaying situations.

    -The dreaded curse of trading card collections…. I have like $400 dollars worth of cards, just at retail price, just shoved in my bedside counter thingy.

    -A 5 foot mutated badger? I’d expect some…. -sunglasses- …Heavy badgering. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

    -You should play a Turl named Turl who acts like your Turl and can accurately tell you the elevation of any point on the planet.

    -Awesome sounding campaign, but it just seems for fit to a video game. That way you can really pound home the humor. I never had this conception that really funny settings are meant to be for “heroes” to tread. Really love your explanation though: “Everything happened!”

    Thanks a ton for the time Spoony. Remember, any time you need a rant, we’re here.

  • Lucy

    Hey, Noah. You’ve got the best wishes of our household for your cardiologist visit. My mother and I are both big fans and you’ve given us more laughs together than anyone else on the intertubes and we’re both going to be worried about you. I know you’ll probably have other things on your mind, but try to make even a quick-text only post after the appointment to let us know you’re all right?

    Feel better, Mr. Antwiler. And, ah…. please don’t die or anything? 8D?

  • Anonymous

    Get well soon Spoony, mate. All the best

  • http://twitter.com/eqalidan kyle

    so whats up with paranoia? not into rpg paper games, but love hearing the stories, and about them.

  • http://twitter.com/eqalidan kyle

    so whats up with paranoia? not into rpg paper games, but love hearing the stories, and about them.

  • Anonymous

    I want that shirt….

  • Anonymous

    I want that shirt….

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Steven-Hale/599597844 Steven Hale

    Hey Spoony can you do a top ten best board games list? I’m trying to find some good games for my friends and I to play. These kinds of games like D&D and Gamma World interest me but every top ten list I see online is like Monopoly and scrabble. Also, I hope all goes well for you. I’m having scary health issues as well.

  • Anonymous

    Feel better, Spoony.

  • Anonymous

    Then stop doing the fucking skits! Yes I understand it is your passion and people might dislike that your gone a month tops, but if your really degrading your sleep over projects, I dont really think its going to help all of us when your dead. Also as Mon brought it up before, there’s a mountain dew or a pepsi or a diet coke, etc that can be found like the most obvious Waldo maps on your videos. Get well soon. Hope you develop a taste for soybeans and vegatable blandness.

  • http://twitter.com/ScourgeXLVII Peter Wolf

    I had never even heard of Gamma world before, but I think you sold me on it. I would guess, and by the time they come out it may be more prevalent in gaming stores, so they wouldn’t be impossible to get, That there would be “Starter Decks” for each of the types, that would likely be pretty balanced, and I could see using that, in order to create heroes specialized in the different types.

  • http://twitter.com/ScourgeXLVII Peter Wolf

    I had never even heard of Gamma world before, but I think you sold me on it. I would guess, and by the time they come out it may be more prevalent in gaming stores, so they wouldn’t be impossible to get, That there would be “Starter Decks” for each of the types, that would likely be pretty balanced, and I could see using that, in order to create heroes specialized in the different types.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=753345456 Octo Seven

    Hope you get well soon Spoony. Perhaps woking so hard and creating all of those self-imposed deadlines could be detrimental to your health, so try taking it easy for a while.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=753345456 Octo Seven

    Hope you get well soon Spoony. Perhaps woking so hard and creating all of those self-imposed deadlines could be detrimental to your health, so try taking it easy for a while.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Filipe-Isabelinho/100000173498272 Filipe Isabelinho

    “Create a mutant hero in minutes! JUST ADD WATER!”

    • Anonymous

      Nuclear power plant cooling water?

    • Anonymous

      Nuclear power plant cooling water?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Filipe-Isabelinho/100000173498272 Filipe Isabelinho

    “Create a mutant hero in minutes! JUST ADD WATER!”

  • Anonymous

    I don’t remember Rick Flair using a lot of crossbows, I guess I should of watched more pay-per-views.

    • Anonymous

      I once shot at Ric Flair with a crossbow. I couldn’t tell if I hit or not because all I heard was “WOOOOOOOOOO” and his head was gushing with blood.

      • Anonymous

        Yeah not very conclusive, Flair could be playing ping pong and have that happen. I once was piercing his eyebrow and asked him who his favorite Chinese director was, you can guess the outcome.

        • Anonymous

          I lol’d hard at that comment

        • Anonymous

          I lol’d hard at that comment

        • Anonymous

          I lol’d hard at that comment

    • Anonymous

      I once shot at Ric Flair with a crossbow. I couldn’t tell if I hit or not because all I heard was “WOOOOOOOOOO” and his head was gushing with blood.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Filipe-Isabelinho/100000173498272 Filipe Isabelinho

    wait a second??? I could play a game where Hitler rises from the grave as a zombie and then takes over the Nazi mutant Rabbits to take over the world and you have to defeat him???

    OMFG THAT IS SO AWESOME! ZOMBIE HITLER TRIES TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD WITH NAZI MUTANT RABBITS! EPIC!

    • Anonymous

      FUCK YEAH IT IS

      I shall play Winston Churchill’s brain in a jar riding a mutated scorpion!

  • Anonymous

    I can’t believe the Gamma World book references Peshtigo, Wisconsin. That is the next town over from me. It’s a sleepy little town of roughly 3000 people. There are a few bars, gas stations, and a grocery store. The town is most famous for a horrible fire that consumed the area in the 1800′s. It was worse than the Chicago Fire but of course Chicago got all the press. Your second pronunciation was correct. Pesh-ta-go. I have to believe one of the game developers is from either Marinette or Peshtigo because unless you are from around here, you don’t know this place exists. Why the French would nuke Peshtigo is beyond me. More cows would die then people. Maybe the French were trying to prevent methane induced global warming.

  • Anonymous

    I can’t believe the Gamma World book references Peshtigo, Wisconsin. That is the next town over from me. It’s a sleepy little town of roughly 3000 people. There are a few bars, gas stations, and a grocery store. The town is most famous for a horrible fire that consumed the area in the 1800′s. It was worse than the Chicago Fire but of course Chicago got all the press. Your second pronunciation was correct. Pesh-ta-go. I have to believe one of the game developers is from either Marinette or Peshtigo because unless you are from around here, you don’t know this place exists. Why the French would nuke Peshtigo is beyond me. More cows would die then people. Maybe the French were trying to prevent methane induced global warming.

  • Anonymous

    Actually, the D&D classes of today are fine, specially if you consider that most of them are not one-role-oriented, but actually have strong secondary roles. For example, what is the difference between the fighter, the paladin, the swordmage, and the battlemind? The fighter is a defender-striker (specially the dual-wielding Pit Fighter); the paladin is a defender-leader; the swordmage is a defender-controller; and the battlemind is the only that is more of a “pure” defender. Throw in some second role multiclass options (like a fighter/ranger/pit pighter, or a paladin/bard/justiciar), and you have a primary role character that is good at his secondary role as well. And that also serves to differentiate each defender class (the fighter is the “weapon master” tough guy, the paladin is the sturdy semi-healer tough guy, the swordmage is the teleporting tough guy, and the battlemind is the toughest guy of the bunch because he is Con-based). Of course this is a bit of oversimplification, but I think it is pretty accurate.

    Thinking of the fighter as a defender is also not that strange. The iconic fighter is tough guy, in heavy armor, swinging a big sword (or a sword and shield, but that’s more of a paladin shtick) that must go in front line and protect the wizard and the thief (link in old OD&D times) while smacking the evil guys. What the 4D&D fighter has and the previous editions fighters don’t have is “sticking abilities”; ways of getting the evil guys away from the squishy wizard. Like, “why the hell the dragon will try to bite the fighter in full plate armor, if the wizard is more dangerous and more easy to bite”?. In this regard, the 4 ed Fighter is very well designed: he is able to keep the bad guys at bay with Combat Challenge and Combat Superiority, and also dish a respectable amount of damage with a good weapon and power selection. Or he can sacrifice a bit of raw damage power to get more control with a polearm or sword&board. Or even multiclass/hybridize to get a secondary role. Options.

    Also, do not listen to the whiners. They are worse than trolls. Your schedule is yours to make. Even when you do a video that I personally don’t like (like the wrestling videos), that’s OK. Even if NOBODY likes it, if YOU like, go for it. I may not watch it, but that does not mean “omg spony sukz i hate u”. I will be back next week. And next. And next. Because you eventually will do a video that I will like. (And, even a video that I don’t like on your site is way better than those shitty comedy sitcoms on TV).

    PS: And stop drinking much of this canned shit, man! If you have a heart condition, you must take care. But I think your doctor and Scarlett are going to scold you enough on this subject. We men are careless about our bad habits, but that’s why we have our lovely women at our side, right? To yell at us to not eat too much junk food, or to not drink too much toxic beverage, or to get enough sleep this night, or to do some exercises.

    PSS: Hey Spoony, if you die, can I have your Squall costume? Please?

    • Anonymous

      Listen to darkemg, Spoony!

      STOP DRINKING SODA. TAKE IT EASY WITH YOUR SCHEDULE.

      Please man, don’t tear yourself up like this.

  • Anonymous

    Seems to me that gamma world would be good with drafted player decks or no player decks period. As a gm I’m a tyrannt but I like to think I’m fair, to the pit if you think otherwise.

  • Anonymous

    Seems to me that gamma world would be good with drafted player decks or no player decks period. As a gm I’m a tyrannt but I like to think I’m fair, to the pit if you think otherwise.

  • Anonymous

    My first thought when I heard of gamma world was the old TMNT after the bomb game from Palladium, I never got to play that but I’ve ordered Gamma World and if I get to play as a martial artist shellback I’ll be rather pleased.

  • Anonymous

    If ya don’t mind I shall use the term “hyper-time buttfuck reality” when asked what the setting is.

  • Anonymous

    If ya don’t mind I shall use the term “hyper-time buttfuck reality” when asked what the setting is.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Redding/100001210219556 Mark Redding

    It’s like Dragon Dice :D

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Redding/100001210219556 Mark Redding

    It’s like Dragon Dice :D

  • Anonymous

    Jeebus, Spoony, sorry to hear about that upcoming appointment you got. I have chronic seizures so I know how scary it can get, and I have an unsettling doctors visit coming up myself in a couple weeks. Best of luck to you, man.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_U6H37OZFXCBSRD5Z4FTKJARTQU Kevin

    I have my entire church praying for you Noah, get well soon.

  • Anonymous

    I played Baldur’s Gate back in the day! I was EXTREMELY happy when I finally beat the game. I killed the true final boss, but his sorcerer assistant was still alive, but hey, once you kill the real final boss, the game promptly ends. Good thing, too, as I was down to my main character, and he was a thief!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-McMahan/100000810907794 Michael McMahan

    I’m stoked to play some table top now. It’s been ages since I last did, too bad I live on the other side of town because I would be down to play a session in person. Hope you get well Noah, take care… Great Vlogs!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-McMahan/100000810907794 Michael McMahan

    I’m stoked to play some table top now. It’s been ages since I last did, too bad I live on the other side of town because I would be down to play a session in person. Hope you get well Noah, take care… Great Vlogs!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-McMahan/100000810907794 Michael McMahan

    I’m stoked to play some table top now. It’s been ages since I last did, too bad I live on the other side of town because I would be down to play a session in person. Hope you get well Noah, take care… Great Vlogs!

  • http://mm-geek.blogspot.com/ Jaebird

    You made Gamma World sound so awesome, but I don’t know if I want to deal with the card aspect of it. I mean, I had to quit Magic because it was just a big waste of my money.

  • Anonymous

    I’d love to watch you play Gamma World; I’ve been wanting to pick it up, but I’d like to see how it plays.

  • http://twitter.com/theflanman5 connor flanigan

    That’s the same screen that they sold on it’s own but all flimsy, not cardboard.

  • Anonymous

    Enjoy your anniversary with Scarlet Spoony! Just relax for once

  • Anonymous

    I bought the 2nd edition of gamma world back in 1983 and never played it. :( Now I’m nostalgic for table top gaming.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Peavey/601035413 Chris Peavey

    Take care of yourself, Spoony. You’ve brought me hours upon hours of entertainment, and if you need to take some time off and/or stop posting new content so quickly (seriously man, you’re a machine), nobody’s going to have a problem with that. Feel better, Mr. Antwiler sir!

  • http://twitter.com/Vladinator Vlad Ap

    When you mentally prepare yourself and really believe you will have an episode, your body makes it a reality, i.e. placebo is a complicated thing but my advice is just don’t fear because once you let fear get to you it won’t make anything better.

  • Anonymous

    i would love to be around and try that gamma world game with ya it sounds like it’ll be good for an awesome funny time. However, I kinda wouldn’t mind trying a somewhat simple game of 4th edition DnD just so i can get an idea of the game and form my own thoughts about it.

  • Anonymous

    You know Spoony, if Rabbit Nazis are your thing, the Skaven from Warhammer Fantasy are Nazi Rats.

    Why are Nazis associated with fast-breeding animals so often?

  • Anonymous

    You know Spoony, if Rabbit Nazis are your thing, the Skaven from Warhammer Fantasy are Nazi Rats.

    Why are Nazis associated with fast-breeding animals so often?

  • Anonymous

    You know Spoony, if Rabbit Nazis are your thing, the Skaven from Warhammer Fantasy are Nazi Rats.

    Why are Nazis associated with fast-breeding animals so often?

  • http://twitter.com/kshade_hyaena Khalan Shade

    If you just need a color laser printer instead of a copier/scanner/printer combo you probably can find a good used/refurbished one for around $200.

  • http://twitter.com/kshade_hyaena Khalan Shade

    If you just need a color laser printer instead of a copier/scanner/printer combo you probably can find a good used/refurbished one for around $200.

  • http://twitter.com/RandCPlay Ryan Howse

    Happy aniversary you two! And btw, when you do get a game of Gamma World together you should set the camera up, loved the footage of your Battlestar Galactica game.

  • http://twitter.com/RandCPlay Ryan Howse

    Happy aniversary you two! And btw, when you do get a game of Gamma World together you should set the camera up, loved the footage of your Battlestar Galactica game.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Adam-L-Brinklow/1002979555 Adam L Brinklow

    Wow, I never knew Spoony had to deal with that kind of chronic medical condition. I’ve had heart problems too lately, although not on the level he’s describing, and I know how scary it feels, especially when you’re so young. Hang in there man, you’ve got a lot of people who are pulling for you.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Alessa1235 Alexandra Mary Franco

    Aw Spoony, dude, feel better. Take time off if you need to, we the fans really appreciate all of what you do to keep us entertained.

    Seriously, good luck! hope you feel better soon.

    Know that your fans are here for you and happy anniversary to you and Scarlet!

  • Anonymous

    So essentially Gamma World is the end of that one episode of Billy and Mandy, except instead of the time-line of one universe converging it’s all of them? That’s pretty awesome! I gotta check this out…

  • Anonymous

    Shame they didn’t go with the old school ink art, I know of which you speak and adore it. Hopefully the name Erol Otus evokes such memories in those of my era.

    Know what else works well for a player aid; HEROSCAPE! Seriously, my group has a stockpile of about 8 master sets (thank you Wal Mart clearence) worth of hexes just for the more important battle layouts. We gave all the figure copies away to little kids (but kept one copy, just in case).

  • http://twitter.com/savyono savyono

    Happy anniversary, and good luck at the cardiologist.

    Also,TAKE A WEEK OR TWO OFF AND RELAX, MAN!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ryan-Hadley/1504681506 Ryan Hadley

    Hey Spoony Happy Anniversary and you seriously should chill man. We can go without videos for awhile! I hope everything goes alright and yeah I know how hard anxiety can hit just try and keep your mind off it and do something fun! Anyway these were fun videos which make me want to play D&D all the more. I personally like the 4th ed artwork but yes I agree the set up does need tweaking a bit but then again what game doesn’t? Also learned a lot about games I have never even heard of and Gamma World looks very interesting though seriously the booster pack bs im all with you on that! Oh I know this isnt a tabletop rpg but you should check out Infinite City! It is very fun and quick to play actually nicknamed it Tile Fucker with my friends XD goal is pretty much to control most of the city and get the most points and the tiles each have special abilities when you lay them down which can fuck the other people over so badly. Anyway take care ok? I hope everything goes well and if you need a break do not over think it just rest and relax I am sure we do not want our favorite reviewer in such bad shape.

  • Anonymous

    I got an Inkjet Laser printer/Scanner combo at walmart for around a hundred. Doesn’t do bad, runs out of ink rather fast though even though we barely have to use it. Have to say, you got me right back in the mood to play D&D… I’ve only played a little 3.5 and 4th. I remember in my last game, we all rolled monster chars. I ended up being a stupid gnoll warrior, got everyone screwed over more often than not. Roleplaying chaos that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Too fun.

    I really wanna pick up essentials if it goes back to the origin classes, because I never had a chance to play the original versions and I really wanna know what that was like. Gamma world also sounds like fun… The way I’d handle the booster decks is probably by marking initials on the cards and tossing them into a deck with everyone else’s, so everyone gets the same chance to draw the new cards… and I’d still be able to lay claim to them when all was said and done. I’d probably leave them with the DM, if we went into multiple long sessions. Still, I’m totally with you on that. Four bucks for eight cards?! For a few pieces of cardboard with pretty pictures and text?! Maybe twenty five to thirty pieces of cardboard at best, but not eight. o_O

    Also, Have a happy aniversary, a good doc visit, a happy halloween… and if you still don’t feel well, take some time off from the site and rest. We’ll be here whenever you get back. Health/life always comes first. ;)

  • Anonymous

    I got an Inkjet Laser printer/Scanner combo at walmart for around a hundred. Doesn’t do bad, runs out of ink rather fast though even though we barely have to use it. Have to say, you got me right back in the mood to play D&D… I’ve only played a little 3.5 and 4th. I remember in my last game, we all rolled monster chars. I ended up being a stupid gnoll warrior, got everyone screwed over more often than not. Roleplaying chaos that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Too fun.

    I really wanna pick up essentials if it goes back to the origin classes, because I never had a chance to play the original versions and I really wanna know what that was like. Gamma world also sounds like fun… The way I’d handle the booster decks is probably by marking initials on the cards and tossing them into a deck with everyone else’s, so everyone gets the same chance to draw the new cards… and I’d still be able to lay claim to them when all was said and done. I’d probably leave them with the DM, if we went into multiple long sessions. Still, I’m totally with you on that. Four bucks for eight cards?! For a few pieces of cardboard with pretty pictures and text?! Maybe twenty five to thirty pieces of cardboard at best, but not eight. o_O

    Also, Have a happy aniversary, a good doc visit, a happy halloween… and if you still don’t feel well, take some time off from the site and rest. We’ll be here whenever you get back. Health/life always comes first. ;)

  • http://www.facebook.com/LokkinAchitame Lee Bryson

    Spoony, are you JD? Do you pass out when you poo?

    Also, do you hang your jeans up on the door? :P

    That’s a scary thought though man, hope everything doesnt go too badly at the cardiologists, and have fun with Scarlett!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Gerard-Mckay/1552902991 Gerard Mckay

    Oh shit man at 28:18, Spoony gone badass (more than usual) ;)

  • http://twitter.com/steelabjur Clinton Clark Napper

    Regarding skill challenges, back when I DMed (during the heyday of 2E), what I’d do is RPed the encounter, then used whatever non-weapon proficiency seemed appropriate for the players actions (or its base ability score, if the character lacked the non-weapon proficiency) versus the non-weapon proficiency/ability score of the target. A player might have he acting chops or intelligence to come up with a good argument to get an NPC to do what the player wanted, but my way made them take into consideration their characters abilities and limitations and work with them. I’m sure they meant skill challenges to work in a similar way, RP followed by an unobtrusive skill check for success/failure. Of course, one of my biggest beefs with post-2E D&D has been the feeling that the Roleplaying aspect, that has always been my major draw to the game, has been streamlined much like the rules themselves with things like the addition of skills like Diplomacy, Gather Information, etc. Used to be I’d have a player making multiple non-weapon proficiency/Ability score checks over an RPed encounter which formed a sort of web of how the relationship between the PC(s) and NPC(s) developed, where post 2E seems to want one and done, move on to some ACTION~! metagaming which has never sat well with me.

  • Anonymous

    The thing about skill challenges when done right is that they don’t just hinge the resolution of an encounter on a single person. Instead of one person doing all the talking while the rest listen passively (if everyone joins in people tend to just talk over each other), they split the RP among everyone. Are you a charismatic thief? Well then, here’s your chance to charm someone with your best roleplaying to help the team. Okay, now on to the ranger, how would your character’s knowledge of terrain and beasts help? Go wild, show off how awesome your character is at what he does.
    When actually role played skill challenges can be a lot of fun. I’ll admit to having my doubts when we first started doing them, but if the players get into them as a chance to play their characters, rather than just cheesing their stats, they can be a lot of fun.

    But you are right, the main challenge for the DM comes from designing them so that every party member has something to do, give them hints if they really feel stuck as to what they can do (like having a related NPC coming around and being told that, hey, you suspect that perhaps not everyone at this court is in agreement with the ruler, and this guy certainly looks unhappy enough to fit) and rewarding them when they come up with something new and unexpected.
    If all else fails, they can always assist another player to give them extra dice. So sure, you’re the silent type and not all that threatening, but standing next to your huge axe-wielding gnoll and flashing your own weapon will certainly add to the overall intimidation effect.

  • http://twitter.com/Subject153 Ross Bebbington

    Hey spoony! Good luck with your cardiologist hope everything goes well! :D Also I was on your amazon recently and I would so totally get you something but I live in the Uk maybe I should buy from Amazon.co.uk then have it shipped off to you? :D

  • http://twitter.com/Subject153 Ross Bebbington

    Hey spoony! Good luck with your cardiologist hope everything goes well! :D Also I was on your amazon recently and I would so totally get you something but I live in the Uk maybe I should buy from Amazon.co.uk then have it shipped off to you? :D

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XNQUTD4MJTNNBOMHMNELNFNHHA Eric C

    HI Spoony,That’s great about the contact paper! I own the old Marvel RPG with every character sheet, campaign and user manual, etc, that came out from 1989-1992 or 1993. Basically everything to do with that game. One summer years ago I decided to I put contact paper on EVERYTHING. It took me all summer. Hundreds of character sheets! And I thought I was the only one who ever did that.

  • Anonymous

    Oh man. Gamma World sounded interesting until you mentioned the cards.
    I already know where this is going too…as an Ex/Casual Magic player, I know that Wizards of the Coast knows about the power of Twink cards. They know how to rape your wallet with the cardboard crack.

    In the most current competitive format of Magic (Standard, for the initiated), there are cards that sell for upwards of 50 bucks EACH just due to their scarcity and usefulness. That’s beyond madness, that’s evil.

    Wizards claims that they don’t make decisions based on the secondary market, but that’s a total lie. They have designed their last two years worth of blocks specifically to sell more packs by making the only noteworthy competitive cards rare or higher.

    In fact, they invented a new rarity specifically to artificially inflate the effective price of packs without actually raising the price per pack. It’s genius and evil.

    The worst part? Wizards keeps promoting the game as one to be played based on execution.
    If that were the case, then they would have to cut the useless chaff that populates 95% of their sets and sell the cards in box sets to be played.
    But that isn’t nearly as profitable as putting nothing but total garbage at the common and uncommon rarities, and then filling over half of the rare slots with overcosted trash anyway.

    Current packs are 14 cards plus one useless land or token for about 4 bucks (3.50 if you’re lucky) each.
    Fairly painful if you don’t have plenty of disposable income, seeing how the vast majority of the cards you will pull are completely worthless (they exist for the Draft and Sealed formats…which are seldom played competitively, usually only at Pre-Releases and Release games).

    So when I look at Gamma World, and see 8 cards for 4 bucks, I’m looking at a scam.
    It’s bad for gameplay balance purposes,and it rewards the player who spent the most money, which sort of defeats the role-playing nature of the game.

  • Anonymous

    Oh man. Gamma World sounded interesting until you mentioned the cards.
    I already know where this is going too…as an Ex/Casual Magic player, I know that Wizards of the Coast knows about the power of Twink cards. They know how to rape your wallet with the cardboard crack.

    In the most current competitive format of Magic (Standard, for the initiated), there are cards that sell for upwards of 50 bucks EACH just due to their scarcity and usefulness. That’s beyond madness, that’s evil.

    Wizards claims that they don’t make decisions based on the secondary market, but that’s a total lie. They have designed their last two years worth of blocks specifically to sell more packs by making the only noteworthy competitive cards rare or higher.

    In fact, they invented a new rarity specifically to artificially inflate the effective price of packs without actually raising the price per pack. It’s genius and evil.

    The worst part? Wizards keeps promoting the game as one to be played based on execution.
    If that were the case, then they would have to cut the useless chaff that populates 95% of their sets and sell the cards in box sets to be played.
    But that isn’t nearly as profitable as putting nothing but total garbage at the common and uncommon rarities, and then filling over half of the rare slots with overcosted trash anyway.

    Current packs are 14 cards plus one useless land or token for about 4 bucks (3.50 if you’re lucky) each.
    Fairly painful if you don’t have plenty of disposable income, seeing how the vast majority of the cards you will pull are completely worthless (they exist for the Draft and Sealed formats…which are seldom played competitively, usually only at Pre-Releases and Release games).

    So when I look at Gamma World, and see 8 cards for 4 bucks, I’m looking at a scam.
    It’s bad for gameplay balance purposes,and it rewards the player who spent the most money, which sort of defeats the role-playing nature of the game.

  • Anonymous

    Oh man. Gamma World sounded interesting until you mentioned the cards.
    I already know where this is going too…as an Ex/Casual Magic player, I know that Wizards of the Coast knows about the power of Twink cards. They know how to rape your wallet with the cardboard crack.

    In the most current competitive format of Magic (Standard, for the initiated), there are cards that sell for upwards of 50 bucks EACH just due to their scarcity and usefulness. That’s beyond madness, that’s evil.

    Wizards claims that they don’t make decisions based on the secondary market, but that’s a total lie. They have designed their last two years worth of blocks specifically to sell more packs by making the only noteworthy competitive cards rare or higher.

    In fact, they invented a new rarity specifically to artificially inflate the effective price of packs without actually raising the price per pack. It’s genius and evil.

    The worst part? Wizards keeps promoting the game as one to be played based on execution.
    If that were the case, then they would have to cut the useless chaff that populates 95% of their sets and sell the cards in box sets to be played.
    But that isn’t nearly as profitable as putting nothing but total garbage at the common and uncommon rarities, and then filling over half of the rare slots with overcosted trash anyway.

    Current packs are 14 cards plus one useless land or token for about 4 bucks (3.50 if you’re lucky) each.
    Fairly painful if you don’t have plenty of disposable income, seeing how the vast majority of the cards you will pull are completely worthless (they exist for the Draft and Sealed formats…which are seldom played competitively, usually only at Pre-Releases and Release games).

    So when I look at Gamma World, and see 8 cards for 4 bucks, I’m looking at a scam.
    It’s bad for gameplay balance purposes,and it rewards the player who spent the most money, which sort of defeats the role-playing nature of the game.

  • http://twitter.com/supalime supalime

    Good luck, Spoony! I passed out so many times back in high school, so I totally get what you mean. Hope everything goes well!

  • http://twitter.com/supalime supalime

    Good luck, Spoony! I passed out so many times back in high school, so I totally get what you mean. Hope everything goes well!

  • http://twitter.com/supalime supalime

    Good luck, Spoony! I passed out so many times back in high school, so I totally get what you mean. Hope everything goes well!

  • http://twitter.com/supalime supalime

    Good luck, Spoony! I passed out so many times back in high school, so I totally get what you mean. Hope everything goes well!

  • http://twitter.com/supalime supalime

    Good luck, Spoony! I passed out so many times back in high school, so I totally get what you mean. Hope everything goes well!

  • http://www.facebook.com/sander.engelsvoll Sander N. Engelsvoll

    I would love it if you made a video of you playing D&D with your “team” like you did with Battlestar Galactica: The Boardgame It actualy made me want to try that game, and I did. I need help being a better DM

  • Anonymous

    Those crows? are carrying Ebola, or at least another Filovirus.

  • Anonymous

    Those crows? are carrying Ebola, or at least another Filovirus.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GCQ7E6Q3QFBGTJRTMWQOPZAHWQ Gareth

    Spoony, Ever tried playing HERO system? It seems to me you like creating Unique, Diverse characters, so this game seems perfect for you, instead of giving you a list of powers, it gives you a list of rules and components allowing you to create your own custom powers. However, i’ve heard that Character creation can take a very long time, and that the game gets complicated at times.

  • Anonymous

    I love that shirt, wish I could find one.
    Nazi Rabbits… that just sounds awesome.

  • Anonymous

    Ok let’s see who gets this reference: “Dogs aren’t dangerous!”. Hint: Nazi Rabbits

  • http://www.facebook.com/WolfskinedBuddha Christian Smucker

    If you read on you get some powers from your origin. Also the page number is in the middle of the edge of the page :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/WolfskinedBuddha Christian Smucker

    If you read on you get some powers from your origin. Also the page number is in the middle of the edge of the page :)

  • http://twitter.com/EriksBlue Ashley Baillie

    Dude i have a doctors Appointment on the 3rd. for 4 days straight i’ve been having nightmares.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Christopher-Michael-Bradsher/608811451 Christopher Michael Bradsher

    I’ve never played v4, but non-essentials the assassin reminds me of an overpowered 3.5 shadowdancer.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jack-Donald/547723767 Jack Donald

    $2.99 for magic boosters? Shit! In Britain we’d pay £4!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Timothy-Jones/1439561166 Timothy Jones

    Hope your heart feels better Spoony! We’re all rooting for you! Eat more Cheerios.

  • http://www.facebook.com/waples Chris Waples

    As someone who played DnD 10 years ago and now wants to get back into the game and play it with a number of people who have never played DnD. Would it be better to get the DM Essential Kit or that Red Box essential DnD kit they are selling?

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/FKCHJK6OAI2K2JAGHJ7SM5MJRU James

    I wonder if Spoony’s played the Pathfinder system. It’s a lot better than D&D

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrew-Philpott/100000038317536 Andrew Philpott

    I’d love to learn how to play D&D I’d love to play also, but its a matter of the nearest store that sells the red books, which are cool, is 50 miles away from my current location and I don’t have the money to spend on getting a guide and not being able to play but once a week or so. I’d love to play online with you spoony I’m just not sure it’s possible.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Erde/1374360995 David Erde

    STOP DRINKING THE SODA PLS I LUV U SPOONY

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Erde/1374360995 David Erde

    STOP DRINKING THE SODA PLS I LUV U SPOONY

  • Anonymous

    I’ve always preferred role playing myself as well, although I think it’s nice to have skills as guidelines to fall back on. One problem I have with newer D&D is that the source books and magazines which are put out are really concentrated on cramming as many new rules in as possible. More options are of course good, but it seems to me that if you break the game down too scientifically you might as well just be playing a computer game. These Essentials books may change my mind about fourth Ed however, since it seems to streamline things in a way that it is easy to pick up and the rules never become a burden.

    Gamma World looks like a lot of fun, especially since I’m the kind of guy who delights in creating weird and bizarre storys and settings for my group. I’m not crazy about the cards (seems a bit Dragonlance 5th age to me) but I do like the other design elements from what I’ve heard.

    I wish you the best of luck with the test Spoony. Remember, we all love you so take care of yourself!

  • Anonymous

    Don’t worry, man, I’m sure everything’s going to be ok, cardiologists know what they are doing, that’s the same thing they do with people that has suffered a heart attack, so it’s ok. I hope they find a nice treatment and you get better soon, man, cheer up!

  • http://www.facebook.com/Kothorix Aaron Hamby

    Didn’t read everyone else’s comments, so I’m not sure if it was talked about already…

    But, as far as the gamma world random mutations go; it doesn’t seem to actually have too much of a huge impact on gameplay. At least, not as much as you would think. The powers/abilities gained from character generation are used far more often, and thusly are often are the most useful. One of my characters was a pyrokenetic who’s main ability was something like 2d8 damage with a range of 5. With an attack like that, I don’t think I ever even used an alpha mutation.

    Using/not using alpha mutations require the player to make a decision between using their main abilities they have come to rely on, or changing their strategy to incorporate a new and unfamiliar mechanic.

  • Anonymous

    Hey Spoony!

    As someone who’s an active follower of tabletop games, it’s really interesting to see your reaction to Essentials. My impression is that you’re exactly who it’s meant for – you like 4e, but you’ve also played older editions, and you have your own expectations for how things should work. The essentials builds seem like they’re really designed with that in mind – the Fighter swings his sword, the Thief backstabs, and the Wizard memorizes spells.

    I think it’s great, personally. I mean, 4e is probably my favorite RPG right now, and I actually like the power setup because it lets me play a Warrior who isn’t just rolling the same attack every round while the Spellcaster has a huge arsenal of spells. But you know, they set out to make it as balanced as possible, and I think they did a great job, so now that the system is a little more mature they’re starting to play around with the strict formula that the earlier classes followed, so you get a Fighter who is more simple to play, who doesn’t have the daily abilities, but who’s still equal to any of the other characters. It really is very cool.

  • Anonymous

    Syncope brought on by exercise… AORTIC STENOSIS RESULTING IN SLOW-RISING CAROTID PULSE! I CALLED IT!!!

    … *cough cough* sorry. Ingrained reflex from way too many case-based tutorials with a lot of yelling and shouting. Aortic stenosis just sounds like the most likely problem from the little I’ve heard (but I’m still a student so the chance that I’m completely wrong is very high).

    In any case, it’s not really my concern. Here’s hoping that it’s not too serious and it doesn’t get any worse, and mostly hoping that you’re feeling better soon. (Btw, If it IS a valvular disease, then there are a lot of different pathophysiological origins that change how the treatment is handled, but cardiologists are really good at this kind of thing and there are HEAPS of treatment options out there.)

    Anyway, please don’t push yourself too hard. And if you get light-headed or get black-spots in your vision LIE DOWN. Seriously, do NOT keep standing up. And I may be pointing out the obvious here, but don’t handle sharp objects if you’re feeling a bit out of it. … No, really.

  • Anonymous

    Syncope brought on by exercise… AORTIC STENOSIS RESULTING IN SLOW-RISING CAROTID PULSE! I CALLED IT!!!

    … *cough cough* sorry. Ingrained reflex from way too many case-based tutorials with a lot of yelling and shouting. Aortic stenosis just sounds like the most likely problem from the little I’ve heard (but I’m still a student so the chance that I’m completely wrong is very high).

    In any case, it’s not really my concern. Here’s hoping that it’s not too serious and it doesn’t get any worse, and mostly hoping that you’re feeling better soon. (Btw, If it IS a valvular disease, then there are a lot of different pathophysiological origins that change how the treatment is handled, but cardiologists are really good at this kind of thing and there are HEAPS of treatment options out there.)

    Anyway, please don’t push yourself too hard. And if you get light-headed or get black-spots in your vision LIE DOWN. Seriously, do NOT keep standing up. And I may be pointing out the obvious here, but don’t handle sharp objects if you’re feeling a bit out of it. … No, really.

  • Anonymous

    Syncope brought on by exercise… AORTIC STENOSIS RESULTING IN SLOW-RISING CAROTID PULSE! I CALLED IT!!!

    … *cough cough* sorry. Ingrained reflex from way too many case-based tutorials with a lot of yelling and shouting. Aortic stenosis just sounds like the most likely problem from the little I’ve heard (but I’m still a student so the chance that I’m completely wrong is very high).

    In any case, it’s not really my concern. Here’s hoping that it’s not too serious and it doesn’t get any worse, and mostly hoping that you’re feeling better soon. (Btw, If it IS a valvular disease, then there are a lot of different pathophysiological origins that change how the treatment is handled, but cardiologists are really good at this kind of thing and there are HEAPS of treatment options out there.)

    Anyway, please don’t push yourself too hard. And if you get light-headed or get black-spots in your vision LIE DOWN. Seriously, do NOT keep standing up. And I may be pointing out the obvious here, but don’t handle sharp objects if you’re feeling a bit out of it. … No, really.

  • Anonymous

    Syncope brought on by exercise… AORTIC STENOSIS RESULTING IN SLOW-RISING CAROTID PULSE! I CALLED IT!!!

    … *cough cough* sorry. Ingrained reflex from way too many case-based tutorials with a lot of yelling and shouting. Aortic stenosis just sounds like the most likely problem from the little I’ve heard (but I’m still a student so the chance that I’m completely wrong is very high).

    In any case, it’s not really my concern. Here’s hoping that it’s not too serious and it doesn’t get any worse, and mostly hoping that you’re feeling better soon. (Btw, If it IS a valvular disease, then there are a lot of different pathophysiological origins that change how the treatment is handled, but cardiologists are really good at this kind of thing and there are HEAPS of treatment options out there.)

    Anyway, please don’t push yourself too hard. And if you get light-headed or get black-spots in your vision LIE DOWN. Seriously, do NOT keep standing up. And I may be pointing out the obvious here, but don’t handle sharp objects if you’re feeling a bit out of it. … No, really.

  • Anonymous

    Hey Spoony, you asked about the online support for the Essentials?

    They will be including it, but it will be with their new online character builder, not the downloaded one (which apparently will be phased out :( )

  • http://dragonacesg7.livejournal.com/profile Dragons_Dusk

    health first, Spoony One, really hope your tests go all right and they can give you some answers

    good thoughts to you, take care!

  • http://dragonacesg7.livejournal.com/profile Dragons_Dusk

    health first, Spoony One, really hope your tests go all right and they can give you some answers

    good thoughts to you, take care!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Christopher-Sullivan/524640159 Christopher Sullivan

    Wow, good luck on the medical tests hope you get better. On a side note, when you get a bunch of people together to play gamma world you should record it. I’ve never played an rpg and this one seems like it’d be a good starter, so it’d be nice to see how it plays out.

  • Anonymous

    I must ask Mr.spoony What is your thought About The New world of darkness books?

    Mortals/immortals/where wolfs/Wampires?
    ( i have self only played a couple of games with the New world of darkness, so i have only Some arguments about NWOD)
    I’m just curios.

  • http://twitter.com/MexRAGE MexRAGE

    I have to disagree on that every Slayer will be the same, and that every Rogue will be the same, etc… The reason are the feats at least for martial strikers, after messing with feats from past sources (that WotC already said you can use) a player can create a very unique and functional kind of slayer, a good example will be a great-spear slayer, with the right feats, you can have a slayer that charge from target to target every turn like like a crazy grasshopper on Heroic Tier. It will play and feel different from heavy blade or axe a player is guided on the book. Funny is that it makes some not as attractive options from feats and paragon a lot more attractive, because melee basics attacks matter now (you only saw melee basic on standard from triggering effects) and you can end with some very damaging combos (some say power strike from slayer is very underpowered compared to having encounters and dailies , but with certain combo of paragon and feats, you can make it hit harder than a daily in total and it require you to have a versatile 1 handed axe). The really good advantage of essential beside making classes more fun to play (at least slayer, thief, assassin…before the Nerf) and make them more unique to them self, is that is a lot easier to build and harder to mess up a character creation.

    BTW, i heard that the almost perfect assassins from the beta were destroyed now that they are live, i can’t confirm it because i could not longer afford to pay DDI (bad times). But i have read a few of the changes on some forums and so far everybody hate it.

  • http://twitter.com/Vanvidum Vanvidum

    Gamma World: Earth in hyper-time. With Nazi bunnies.

  • Anonymous

    man! i wish i could see that new assassin build..

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=515476575 Glen Graves

    I’m saying right now that I have NO fucking clue what I’m talking about as I’ve just now opened Gamma World and am not getting the Red Box until Christmas but Gamma looks pretty interesting and fun. Yes the Booster Packs are obviously a cash grab (I bought 4 with the box and they were actually 3 dollars here which is still a rip) but there doesn’t seem to be any game breakers in any of the cards although I was excited to get a Hover Board. I’m very curious to hear how the trial of this game for you went and what you think after trying it

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=515476575 Glen Graves

      Also it’s weird that you mentioned maxing your Psi abilities because they look like easily the best of the three branches

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Don-Scherig/525110176 Don Scherig

    Watching the video now, I just wanted to say, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but Eladrin are pretty much High Elves whereas Elves are Wood Elves. If you look at their descriptions in the Players Handbook you can see it pretty clearly, and the Eladrin description goes on to say that Eladrin are sometimes called High Elves.

    The problem comes in when old settings are adapted. In Forgotten Realms they had Eladrin coming from the feywild, and most high elves were identified as being mostly of Eladrin blood, not elf blood. But in Eberron all the various types of elves are still regarded as elves and Eladrin are completely separate.

  • Anonymous

    I cannot believe I have not seen this before, I follow you regularily and I play Gamma Worlds, yet this escaped me.

    Gamma worlds rocks, it’s supposed to be absurd and in-balanced to create certain insane and unforgettable moments, and for the most part, the in-balance lasts just one attack.
    Also, I wish to clear something up, your character starts with 2 powers depending on his origins. The alpha mutation is temporary (you could almost think of them as a consumable) attacks while the origin powers are permanent. His origins are basically what type of character you have, wether he is an android plant, burning yeti or a swarm of flying rats. The game also is very open for the GM to do interpretations of his own. So if someone is pissing the GM off or using a really inbalanced deck, the gm can fuck him up.

    There are so many absurd moments you will get from this game and always remember. My current character is an attempt to recreate MacGyver in order to restore world balance. He always has a roll of duct tape in his inventory and even has Audrey JR (the plant from the Little shop of horrors) as his weapon. MacGyver MKII is also a professional animal sound imitator, and even tamed one of the nastiest bosses we have met so far. Sadly the pet went amok during an already intense battle and nearly killed everyone.

    Edit: Also, our booklet is page-numbered. It’s on the side rather than in a corner.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1318362884 Alessio Spaccasassi

    i would like to start playing D&D what should i start with?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1318362884 Alessio Spaccasassi

    i would like to start playing D&D what should i start with?

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_73XOAUA4ZYO3CTO3LNQ32LRHKM Shane

      Pick an edition and get the three essential books: Dungeon Master’s Guide, Player’s Handbook, and Monster(ous) Manual. Then, get together a group and start playing, simple as that. Fourth Edition would be the most accessible and easiest to get books for, but there’s a lot of hate surrounding it because of the changes in gameplay mechanics from previous editions. Though, seeing as how you’re just starting, I suppose that doesn’t much matter. Personally, I’d recommend AD&D second edition because it’s by-and-large the cheapest edition and has the most material available for it, factoring in officially released stuff and the homebrew material that you’ll find on the internet. But then, that’s just me. Do some research, you know?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1318362884 Alessio Spaccasassi

    i would like to start playing D&D what should i start with?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=608325622 Timothée Sitter

    You should do a Call of Cthulhu review !

  • http://www.facebook.com/SNESChalmers Michael Oswald

    While I personally don’t care for 4th edition (Essentials or otherwise). I do have to say that I enjoy hearing about it immensely.

  • Anonymous

    I love this Vlog ^^
    Gonna get essentials soon, so I re-watched this for the bajilionth time =P

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Connor-Clark/1490592892 Connor Clark

     I have to thank you Spoony; it was you who got me into Deadlands when you mentioned it in in the Gamma World unboxing. I now run a weekly Deadlands campaign with a group of friends. So yeah; thanks for the recommendation! 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Wells/519519675 Michael Wells

    So if I am just starting in D&D, never played before, would you recommend me getting only the Essentials books to start off or should I get the 4th edition Core books and then these.

  • Anonymous

    Nazi Bunnies @_@?!

  • Anonymous

    Nazi Bunnies @_@?!

  • http://twitter.com/CasWegkamp Cas Wegkamp

    I’ve never played this game (gammaworld) but it sounds kinda cool how you can have your own personalized deck. I think that it would help to create a more unique identity for your character by giving him more direction with what powers he or she can get. Perhaps it should be limited to a totally unique deck (max 1 of each card) but I think you shouldn’t immediately dump on the personal deck thing. Surely as a DM you would be well within your right to check out each personal deck and have your say in what can and cannot be in there with regard to a characters background.

  • Pontus Haglund

    I know I might be late out on this… but skill challenges are very useful for like, breaking complex magic circles, or unlocking complex locks. Also a good “carrot” to get your players to actually want to make thieves or other scum surrender instead of fight 24/7 since you get exp for SC’s.

    ^^ I <3 DnD 4.0

  • Aaron Bourque

    Skill challenges are weird. The idea is cool, get the whole party involved in non-combat encounters. But the way they’re presented in the game itself is confused and wrong. Mike Mearls did a series of posts about how he uses them in his own game–I think they’re only on his blog, though–that people definitely need to read if they still have problems with skill challenges. He should have written the skill challenges section of the DMG. He explains it much clearer.

    • Anonymous

       I was thinking of social skill challenges being done this way:
      *party introduces themselves to important NPC with a skill roll of their choice; most sensibly, diplomacy or whatever*

      - GM provides description to party on how the NPC reacts.  If they flat out failed, the NPC would get angry and they’d have to ‘repair’ the situation with roleplaying.
      - Players decide to roleplay a bit with some dialogue in order to repair the situation.  Otherwise, they know that the next skill DC (whatever it might be) will be too high.  If they roll, knowledge out of the blue, ie., without introducing one of their members as a highly knowledgeable man of nature or nobility, or whatever the case might be, then the DC is much higher since the NPC might feel they are demonstrating arrogance.

      - It continues from there on until the success or failure limit is broached.  The GM hints with each skill roll how close to complete success or utter failure the PCs are.  The PCs might be able to leave before the end of the challenge, wait maybe a day, and start again (hoping the NPC forgot about their previous impression they’ve made), or, depending on the direction of the roleplay, they might not be allowed to leave.  I think it’d be pretty intense to have to decide how to take the direction of a conversation after each skill roll.  Also, simply rolling until you succeed or fail up to the limit would brutally raise the DC, because it’d be the social equivalent of King Leonidas brow beating followed by scary face, followed by screaming, followed by INTENSITY, followed by I AM THE HERO followed by I WILL SMITE YOU.  All this despite what skills the PCs chose – they must, therefor, roleplay accordingly.

      Is that how Mike conducted it?

  • Anonymous

    Yes, he’s played them

  • Anonymous

    For skill challenges, I always thought of using roleplaying to reduce the DC, which fluctuates for each roll of the die.  That way you can reduce failures. 

    Would be an interesting houserule.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kennan-William-Gilleland/1449030636 Kennan William Gilleland

    I personally have found, after running a couple skill challenges in my last campaign. It depends on the kind of game you are running and the players. Some of my players, fighter and paladin, are really noobs. So they would role Streetwise and say something like, “Do I know where the theives guild is?”.  Then the wizard would just roleplay her way through it. Like, she would get into character and start talking to whoever it was, and be really persuasive. I was kind of a dick and would still make her roll, but it was just so weird having such polar opposites, where the paladin would roll diplomacy to smooth talk his way past a guard, and he would roll well. And my response was always, “So what do you say?” and he would stare at me like a deer into headlights, “You want me to TALK to him?”

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