Category: Systems

Daily Punch 5-5-20 Tech Exploit Operative Exploit for Starfinder

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How about we dip between classes a bit with the Operative?  Here would be a fun exploit for your operative to get a little bit of tech magic in their day.

Tech Exploit (EX)

Choose a technomancer spell based on your level and the chart below.  You can cast the spell two times per day.  All saves and attacks are based on your intelligence.  You cast this spell at the lowest level for that spell.  You may take this exploit multiple times.  Each time you do, choose another spell based on the chart below.

Times Exploit Taken Highest spell level Available Minimum Character Level to Take Exploit
1 1 2
2 2 6
3 3 10
4 4 12
5 5 14
6 6 18

 

Thoughts?

Ring Side Report-RPG Review of Oracle of War- The Night Land

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Product– EB-01 The Night Land

System-DnD 5e

Producer– DMs Guild

Price– $4.99  here https://www.dmsguild.com/product/296403/EB01-The-Night-Land?affiliate_id=658618

TL; DR– Standard start to something great.  93%

296403

Basics–  Eberron?  In MY 5e?  OH YES!  Let’s hope in and look at the new TWENTY adventure long story for Eberron The Oracle of War Storyline called The Night Land.  You start by rolling into the town of Salvation on the Mournland border, and like all poor hungry souls, it’s time to find a job!  What’s the job board got today?

Mechanics or Crunch– This adventure is pretty balanced for crunch.  It is the same formula you’ve grown to love or maybe be annoyed with in this first adventure by Shawn.  Three small quests with some time between to rest up.  The party does some crazy stuff, rests, repeat.  The players learn how to be their characters, get a bit of a challenge, and then 4.5/5

Theme or Fluff– Standard well done 1st level adventure!  Shawn does 1st level adventure well.  Small packages to not kill the party day one.  It has a bit of Eberron feel, but like most things, it will require the DM to amp up the world feel.  You do hang with some goblins, changelings, and some horrors of the mournlands, so you get a good intro of the horrible things that want to eat you!  You can get a bit bored as your party might recognize a formula when they start.  But its level one!  You’re off to run errands and kill low level monsters, not take on the Lord of Blades day one!  4.5/5

Execution–  PDF?  Yep!  Hyperlinked?  No, but it doesn’t really matter (I’d still like it though).  This product has THREE PDFs.  One is the adventure in glorious color with lots of pictures that you run through the home printer.  The second is a slimmed down black and white no frills product that you run through the home printer.  Third is a newspaper to throw the players!  That’s some awesome world world building!  In addition, the adventure organizers have FULL PAGE sheets the players get after the adventure.  The things they check off let them know some serious crap is up.  Heck, I as a GM who isn’t fully aware of the campaign knows some crap is up, so I’m buying in too.  I also like the authors’ use of the DMs Guild to full effect by putting lots of pictures in.  These are pictures I’ve seen before, but it’s a nice touch to the other pictures that they throw in.  I like the art deco style of everything.  It honestly makes me feel more like we are between wars and I know something bad is coming….   4.9/5

 

Summary-I like Eberron, and The Wife LOVES Eberron.  This adventure brought her back to 5e and weekly gaming at the store.  That’s the sales pitch that I can give.  Now, is it perfect?  No.  It’s 1st level fare.  Small tapas portions of adventures as your cleric might be able to roll out two cure wounds and a real bad round of two crits can completely wreck a party.  Is that a problem?  No.  This is fun.  I’ll equate this to my favorite above average hibachi restaurant.  I know exactly what the chef is going to do there, but guess what?  I’m going to show up and be happy I went! 93%

Daily Punch 4-27-20 Heroic Critical feat for DnD 5e

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Been playing a lot of Eberron lately.  I have some big damn heroes in my party, so let’s help them be heroes!

 

 

Heroic Critical

You are the protagonist of the story!  Gain the following benefits:

  • When you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll or skill check, gain a hero point.
  • When you spend a hero point to add to a roll, if the result of the d20 and the hero point die equal 20, you can count the roll as a critical for all effects of the roll.

 

 

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 4-23-20 and 4-24-20 Handgun to the face and Shotgun to the face combat feats for Starfinder

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Been thinking about reactions a lot lately.  Why can’t I shoot you in the face if you get close?

 

 

HANDGUN TO THE FACE(COMBAT)

You’ve worked hard to move your guns fast.

Benefit: You may make attacks of opportunity using one handed range weapons against opponents you normally could make a melee weapon attack of opportunity against.

 

 

SHOTGUN TO THE FACE(COMBAT)

You’re ready for those close encounters.

Prerequisite: Handgun to the face

Benefit: You may make attacks of opportunity using two handed range weapons against opponents you normally could make a melee weapon attack of opportunity against.

Daily Punch 4-22-20 Zap T1-T6 technomancer spell for Starfinder

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How about an interrupt for our technomances in Starfinder?

 

ZAP T1-T6

School evocation (electricity)

Casting Time reaction

Range 20 feet

Targets one creature

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw Reflex; Spell Resistance yes

As a creature comes within 20 feet of you, you shoot of a bolt of electricity at the target.  If the target fails a Reflex saving throw, it takes electricity damage depending on the level of the spell you cast.  If it succeeds, it only takes half damage.

1st: 2d6 electricity damage  + your Intelligence modifier

2nd: 3d6 electricity damage  + your Intelligence modifier

3rd: 5d6 electricity damage  + your Intelligence modifier

4th: 7d6 electricity damage  + your Intelligence modifier

5th: 9d6 electricity damage  + your Intelligence modifier

6th: 11d6 electricity damage  + your Intelligence modifier

Casting this spell doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity.

 

Thoughts?

Daily Punch  4-21-20   Instant Cure M1-6 mystic spell for Starfinder

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How do people feel about instant spells here?

INSTANT CURE M1–6

School conjuration (healing)

Casting Time reaction

Range 30 feet

Targets one living creature

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw Will half (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)

When a creature starts its turn or it takes damage, you heal and invigorate your target, restoring a number of Hit Points.

Instant cure restores a number of Hit Points to your target depending on the spell’s level.

1st: 1d4 + your Wisdom modifier

2nd: 3d4 + your Wisdom modifier

3rd: 5d4 + your Wisdom modifier

4th: 7d4 + your Wisdom modifier

5th: 9d4 + your Wisdom modifier

6th: 11d4 + your Wisdom modifier

Casting this spell doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity.

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 4-20-20 Zap cantrip for Pathfinder 2nd Ed.

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Some of you loved it, and some of you hated it.  I still like the idea of more reaction spells.  Let’s put an option out there for a cantrip.  Fighters get to swing, why can you?

 

Zap                             Cantrip 1

Cantrip  Evocation Electricity
Traditions arcane, primal
Cast reaction
Range 20 feet; Targets 1 creature that enters the range
Saving Throw Reflex

With a quick flick of the wrist, you shoot a small dart of energy at a creature as it enters within range.  The target attempts a basic Reflex saving throw and on a failure is deals electricity damage equal to 1/2 your character level.

Ring Side Report-RPG Review of Adventurer’s Backpack 

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Product– Adventurer’s Backpack 

System-Castles and Crusades

Producer– Troll Lord Games

Price– 19.99 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/234183/Castles–Crusades-The-Adventurers-Backpack?affiliate_id=658618

TL; DR– OPTIONS!  86%

 

Basics-It’s time for a solid player option book for CnC!  This book features TONS of new classes, spells, items, niche rules, and even a complete new magic system.  There is even a whole chapter dedicated to backpacks of tools each adventurer would need to do their job. How does it stack up?

Mechanics or Crunch– Ah old school… you provide us with gonzo options and allow the DM to do whatever they want.  The problem is, this is pretty rules-light for how some of the crunch works. A perfect example is the warrior priest.  That class has Cure Wounds which allows them to heal other characters. Awesome! I love it. But the rules don’t describe: do you roll once per day, or do you roll all hit points and then give them out as you want, or do you spend dice as you go?  I could hunt online and find the answer.  I don’t want to do that. I just decided and went with it. This is old school, so once the group decides, we roll with it. That’s the bad; the good is this book gives you new character classes, character options like spell casting rangers, paladins,and bards, lots of equipment options, spells, and all sorts of tools adventurers might need to fight evil.  It’s not perfect, but the flaws are all part of OSR rules’ light touch. The good is amazing and makes this worth the price. 3.75/5

Theme or Fluff–  I would not call this a fluff book, but I do think what is here is done well.  It mostly gives you ideas how the new things fit into the fantasy worlds of Castles and Crusades.  It’s world-agnostic in a decent way, so you could plug these into any fantasy world and have a fitting character.  I would like more, as I want to build out the world and campaign setting, but the book gives you enough that you can find the equivalent in your world and plug and play right away.  4.25/5

Execution–  PDF?  Yep! Hyperlinked?  YES! This book is well done.  It’s an old school game, but it’s modern design makes me happy.  It’s not perfect – I would like the font to be a bit larger, but this thing has all the things I think a modern book should have.  4.9/5

 

Summary-My summary of this book comes down to one very specific question-do you want more character options for CnC?  If yes, then get the book. It’s not perfect; I think things need another round of writing to fully explain what the writers wanted me to do in some spots, but if you can look past some small issues, you will enjoy this.  The fluff is decent. I want more, but it’s not bad. Just not the whole world laid bare. Physically, the book is done well. Links, layout, and text all work well. I’m glad this is in my collection, and I know my players are always happy to have this as a place to get spells, classes, and toys to help them put down evil.  86%