The Adventure Zone: Commitment - Episode 3
November 16, 2017 9:16 AM - Subscribe
Our heroes face their first test of combat with their newfound superpowers, with ... mixed results. Kardala tells a painful joke. Remy keeps the peace. Nadiya is good out here.
I still really don't understand this system. I was kind of, patiently waiting to be entertained with this story right up until Griffin started DOSing. Then it got pretty funny. Also this cracked me up:
Travis: Rushing in isn't really my thing.
Griffin: HAA
posted by bleep at 9:33 PM on November 16, 2017 [2 favorites]
Travis: Rushing in isn't really my thing.
Griffin: HAA
posted by bleep at 9:33 PM on November 16, 2017 [2 favorites]
I still think there is a lot to do here in regards characters and DMing and everyone getting comfortable with the system and their roles, but putting in a big fight was a smart move I think to start pulling these things together.
I like that the system seems to encourage clever solutions more than DnD did.
Like, making a roll for hacking is just as valid as making a roll for punching.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 12:27 AM on November 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
I like that the system seems to encourage clever solutions more than DnD did.
Like, making a roll for hacking is just as valid as making a roll for punching.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 12:27 AM on November 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
Clint: ...and there's an elevator -
Griffin, weirdly aroused: Hell yeah, an elevator!
posted by zeptoweasel at 4:31 AM on November 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
Griffin, weirdly aroused: Hell yeah, an elevator!
posted by zeptoweasel at 4:31 AM on November 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'm glad Clint pushed back on the the notion of Griffin just straight up recreating their opponent's powers with his laptop, and I like the concept of Super Athlete/Uber Nerd.
I like the system they're using, even though the concept of rolling a "-3" feels wrong to me in a visceral way. I guess my experience with Friends at the Table has hardened me to systems that aren't D&D or a system trying to be D&D. It does seem that this system puts a lot of onus on the GM to regulate the Aspects that get created and invoked in the course of playing, since they're largely arbitrary.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 7:42 AM on November 17, 2017
I like the system they're using, even though the concept of rolling a "-3" feels wrong to me in a visceral way. I guess my experience with Friends at the Table has hardened me to systems that aren't D&D or a system trying to be D&D. It does seem that this system puts a lot of onus on the GM to regulate the Aspects that get created and invoked in the course of playing, since they're largely arbitrary.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 7:42 AM on November 17, 2017
I like the system they're using, even though the concept of rolling a "-3" feels wrong to me in a visceral way. I guess my experience with Friends at the Table has hardened me to systems that aren't D&D or a system trying to be D&D. It does seem that this system puts a lot of onus on the GM to regulate the Aspects that get created and invoked in the course of playing, since they're largely arbitrary.
I think that Friends at the Table uses Dungeon World (at least, they were using it in the episodes I heard; I dropped out pretty quickly due to sound quality). Mechanically, I feel that Dungeon World is a lot closer to FATE (which is the system TAZ is using for the Commitment arc) than it is to Dungeons & Dragons*.
One of the things that makes me a little regretful about the shorter arc is that in my experience it usually takes newer FATE players (and GMs) a little while to get used to making use of Aspects. That seems to be happening here.
I’m glad that this episode Clint didn’t lean so hard on giving the boys a puzzle that eats up a bunch of time. I cracked up at his Charlton Heston impersonation, and he is really good at ending each episode with a line that makes me want to know what happens next. You can still tell that he’s new to running games, but he seems to be picking it up remarkably quickly. I certainly wouldn’t have done so well learning as I went, especially if I was doing so in view of the entire internet. I’m weirdly proud of him.
*Disclaimer: My opinions on this are based on my experience playing Monsterhearts, which uses a variant of the Powered by the Apocalypse system. Dungeon World also uses a Powered by the Apocalypse variant. I have no direct experience playing Dungeon World.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 11:31 AM on November 17, 2017
I think that Friends at the Table uses Dungeon World (at least, they were using it in the episodes I heard; I dropped out pretty quickly due to sound quality). Mechanically, I feel that Dungeon World is a lot closer to FATE (which is the system TAZ is using for the Commitment arc) than it is to Dungeons & Dragons*.
One of the things that makes me a little regretful about the shorter arc is that in my experience it usually takes newer FATE players (and GMs) a little while to get used to making use of Aspects. That seems to be happening here.
I’m glad that this episode Clint didn’t lean so hard on giving the boys a puzzle that eats up a bunch of time. I cracked up at his Charlton Heston impersonation, and he is really good at ending each episode with a line that makes me want to know what happens next. You can still tell that he’s new to running games, but he seems to be picking it up remarkably quickly. I certainly wouldn’t have done so well learning as I went, especially if I was doing so in view of the entire internet. I’m weirdly proud of him.
*Disclaimer: My opinions on this are based on my experience playing Monsterhearts, which uses a variant of the Powered by the Apocalypse system. Dungeon World also uses a Powered by the Apocalypse variant. I have no direct experience playing Dungeon World.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 11:31 AM on November 17, 2017
Ah, yes, I was trying to say that FatT has made it easier for me to hear and enjoy non-D&D games. I've also experienced GURPS (the basis for Fallout's system) and Deadlands/Savage World's so I guess maybe I'm actually more worldly when it comes to roleplaying systems than the average nerd? It's weird since I hardly ever actually do any roleplaying.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 5:10 PM on November 17, 2017
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 5:10 PM on November 17, 2017
Fate is a way better system for this group, but still not a system I'd ever want to play. It takes a really special kind of group to deal with the vagueness of this kind of system, and even after listening to years worth of these guys riffing about weird nonsense I'm still impressed by how quickly Clint has been able to adjust from over-plotting newbie DM to expert facilitator and how well everyone else is adjusting to such an open-ended style of combat. I'm still not really clicking with this particular arc but I'm stoked for anything the group does next.
Friends at the Table's sound quality is better by the start of their totally-unrelated-to-first-season second season, Counter/Weight, and between the prequel arc and third season (both tied to season 1) they do a special recap episode or 2 so you only have to listen to a couple of hours of bad sound quality to catch up. Sound quality is all good by the start of Marielda.
All this Friends at the Table talk is making me hope that the Adventure Zone crew does a tiered campaign at some point- build a city in Quiet Year and then play a few episodes in it in Stars Without Numbers or Gurps or whatever, or set up some factions in Kingdom and then do a campaign dealing with those NPCs. One of my favorite things FatT ever did was have the faction level game directly fuck with the players during Counter/Weight a few times. They'd put some points into building weapons, move some guys onto a new planet, and boom, now space Miley Cyrus, Aqualad, K2SO and Keith J. Carberry have twice as many problems. I think my dream Adventure Zone would be a faction game on occasional off weeks played by their wives, all also talented podcasters, that the McElboys have to react to.
posted by fomhar at 10:48 PM on November 17, 2017 [3 favorites]
Friends at the Table's sound quality is better by the start of their totally-unrelated-to-first-season second season, Counter/Weight, and between the prequel arc and third season (both tied to season 1) they do a special recap episode or 2 so you only have to listen to a couple of hours of bad sound quality to catch up. Sound quality is all good by the start of Marielda.
All this Friends at the Table talk is making me hope that the Adventure Zone crew does a tiered campaign at some point- build a city in Quiet Year and then play a few episodes in it in Stars Without Numbers or Gurps or whatever, or set up some factions in Kingdom and then do a campaign dealing with those NPCs. One of my favorite things FatT ever did was have the faction level game directly fuck with the players during Counter/Weight a few times. They'd put some points into building weapons, move some guys onto a new planet, and boom, now space Miley Cyrus, Aqualad, K2SO and Keith J. Carberry have twice as many problems. I think my dream Adventure Zone would be a faction game on occasional off weeks played by their wives, all also talented podcasters, that the McElboys have to react to.
posted by fomhar at 10:48 PM on November 17, 2017 [3 favorites]
I'm still having trouble getting my brain around the system, but I like what the guys have done with it so far. Clint's maturing quickly as a DM. I'm going to miss these characters.
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 3:19 PM on November 20, 2017
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 3:19 PM on November 20, 2017
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posted by gladly at 7:27 PM on November 16, 2017