I loved the old Infravision system that let you see ambient or radiating heat, but otherwise you're all equally blind in the dark. Ultravision was the only way to truly see in the dark. This, for me, makes it a whole lot more fun to play. Mystery is an amazing element in play, and you're really missing out if you drop it, and if you drop tracking/timing available light sources. Great video again, Smug!! 👊🤓
Pulp cthulhu made me an obsessive time tracker since MP recovers at a rate of 1 point an hour, and my character was a telekinetic, so each point of MP was 1 attack some other tasks would take 1 or 2 points, so I was considering things like hey GM, we went from here to here which would be 45 min by taxi, then that convo was 10 min, and 6 more minutes to go to our room so I'm back from 9 to 10MP, or we spent 3 hours staking out the place, great, I'm back upt to 17 full again. The GM just trusted how that I as a player was tracking date and time for the game, to the point that since it was also in character it allowed us to crack 1 of the story mysteries. If your story takes place on a rotating planet orbiting a star it's easier to conceptualize and represent the passage of time, for unobstructed travel distance it's just that distance converted to your walk unit like meters and that's the seconds which becomes minutes or hours. combat time takes few seconds, looting will add on 1D20 minutes minus survival or investigate modifier or something. but it all depends on the setting. if you live in the dungeon day/night doesn't matter, you rest when injured, and it's 1hp/action for the ring be that unlocking a door, walking a hallway or looting a body if you have the regen ring. but if this is in a village, the black smith might only be open from noon til 5:30pm, or you might have an agreed meeting at midnight and suddenly time can be fun to track.
@@smugzoid5156 Yeah, I strongly believe in any spreading of that work, hell for 1 game master I roll quite a few random tables for her and look up item costs to help with that, or even just with smaller things when someone else does the maths at the table.
I only count time for spell effects. But I haven't run the kind of giant dungeons where the PCs could realistically run out of torches. It does seem cool and atmospheric. But I haven't actually done it.
At most I followed dungeon craft idea of 4 rooms a torch. However, I always seem to lose count. I only look a torches, as a loss of a shield hand for a fighter or cleric. Mages and thieves need both hands
Time is just as important a resource as any of the others you mentioned. You could try this: have a time tracking chart, and hand it to a player. Have him record time.
Dungeon adventurers could use up a ton of clothing. Imagine climbing around in rough stone caves covered with dirt, mud, different kinds of slime, etc. Getting hit with a bade probably cuts your clothing. And/or you bleed on it. There's a splash when you disembowel an orc. And then maybe you take a bit of fire damage. Logically, PCs might have to repair or replace most of their clothing after every adventure.
presto and mending solve this. or if you have an alchemist they can make some detergent or anyone with Dex 14 can sew. good for downtime, but not for a hard mechanic.
www.necropraxis.com/local/Necropraxis%20Hazard%20System%20v0.3.pdf Is a very cool idea. So do you go around the table with the rolls. Version 2 is more fleshed out for the Haven. Hazard System v0.2 www.necropraxis.com/local/Necropraxis%20Hazard%20System%20v0.2%202014-12-23.pdf
@@smugzoid5156 I have only read it, not yet put in practice. I understand it every time players make a decision you can roll using the system to determine what resources are diminished
This is why I prefer to use the overloaded encounter die to simulate inopportune moments when a torch is snuffed out- gust of wind, dripping slime, bucket of sand thrown by a sneaky goblin. And with regards to hands, holding a torch potentially lowers AC, removes a weapon, or makes spell casting delayed (need both hands). One saving grace: torches are an improvised weapon that do 1d4 dmg and are on fire. Above text sounds relevant from this site: icastlight.blogspot.com/2024/03/what-interesting-about-basic.html
Tracking is contextual, what asthetic does a place have? if you're in a forest there's enough wood for normal arrows and you can nature check to make the weakest healing items each time you camp. if it's a dungeon that'd only take like a day to clear I just assume your torches are good but there's no wood to replenish arrows so you need to recycle from pulling off the dead, or in some cases even if you would realistically run out of a thing if it clashes the vibes I'd not track rations for some quests, but in other cases even if it's just a few days when you're in the desert every water bottle, each injury to your camel or how long you're spending in metal armor. 1 thing I do that's maybe cruel but it's fun is for 1 party they went under water and instead of potions they had air tanks, and these tanks had their own health and whenever someone was critically hit or in an AOE blast they could choose to take increased damage, or risk some ofthat being taken by the tank, and if it broke they'd have no air and start drowning.
I agree, the context plays a great role. Sometimes I figure since the whole party has 6 torches each, that would be light for 30hrs. But once a mage cast continual light on a staff, out is no longer important. If he wants lights out, he covers the end of the staff with a small ask. Also I let them retrieve 1/2 the arrows shot. Seems to fit right
@@smugzoid5156 I like the idea you can retrieve all arrows that managed to deal damage. if it hit for damage that means it sunk in cleanly, but if it missed or hit armor it's damaged now, it encourages aiming, rewards higher skill archers and it avoids complaints about rounding since it's just the exact number there in the Roll 20 chat.
I loved the old Infravision system that let you see ambient or radiating heat, but otherwise you're all equally blind in the dark. Ultravision was the only way to truly see in the dark.
This, for me, makes it a whole lot more fun to play. Mystery is an amazing element in play, and you're really missing out if you drop it, and if you drop tracking/timing available light sources.
Great video again, Smug!! 👊🤓
Thanks, I would love to know how you keep time in your games.
Pulp cthulhu made me an obsessive time tracker since MP recovers at a rate of 1 point an hour, and my character was a telekinetic, so each point of MP was 1 attack some other tasks would take 1 or 2 points, so I was considering things like hey GM, we went from here to here which would be 45 min by taxi, then that convo was 10 min, and 6 more minutes to go to our room so I'm back from 9 to 10MP, or we spent 3 hours staking out the place, great, I'm back upt to 17 full again.
The GM just trusted how that I as a player was tracking date and time for the game, to the point that since it was also in character it allowed us to crack 1 of the story mysteries.
If your story takes place on a rotating planet orbiting a star it's easier to conceptualize and represent the passage of time, for unobstructed travel distance it's just that distance converted to your walk unit like meters and that's the seconds which becomes minutes or hours. combat time takes few seconds, looting will add on 1D20 minutes minus survival or investigate modifier or something. but it all depends on the setting.
if you live in the dungeon day/night doesn't matter, you rest when injured, and it's 1hp/action for the ring be that unlocking a door, walking a hallway or looting a body if you have the regen ring.
but if this is in a village, the black smith might only be open from noon til 5:30pm, or you might have an agreed meeting at midnight and suddenly time can be fun to track.
I see what you mean. One thing I strongly agree with, is have a player track the time. I believe it would help with the lift of the GM.
@@smugzoid5156 Yeah, I strongly believe in any spreading of that work, hell for 1 game master I roll quite a few random tables for her and look up item costs to help with that, or even just with smaller things when someone else does the maths at the table.
I use OSE time tracker and it works like a charm.
Nice
I only count time for spell effects. But I haven't run the kind of giant dungeons where the PCs could realistically run out of torches. It does seem cool and atmospheric. But I haven't actually done it.
At most I followed dungeon craft idea of 4 rooms a torch. However, I always seem to lose count.
I only look a torches, as a loss of a shield hand for a fighter or cleric. Mages and thieves need both hands
Time is just as important a resource as any of the others you mentioned. You could try this: have a time tracking chart, and hand it to a player. Have him record time.
Chuck volunteered, however the group decided, that we have to start the game with this parameter, instead of introducing mid game. Which, I agree with
Dungeon adventurers could use up a ton of clothing. Imagine climbing around in rough stone caves covered with dirt, mud, different kinds of slime, etc. Getting hit with a bade probably cuts your clothing. And/or you bleed on it. There's a splash when you disembowel an orc. And then maybe you take a bit of fire damage. Logically, PCs might have to repair or replace most of their clothing after every adventure.
I agree, Mike has said several times "I rip a section of my tunic under my armor to bind wounds."
Makes me wonder how much tunic he has left?
Hmmmm... I'm going to try to remember to see the party through NPCs' eyes, and maybe they make some comments.
@@fpassow1 it would be interesting. More than half are not interested
presto and mending solve this. or if you have an alchemist they can make some detergent or anyone with Dex 14 can sew. good for downtime, but not for a hard mechanic.
@@stm7810 this is true. Is Presto a spell? What edition?
I know 5e had mending.
The Hazard System by Necropraxis seems a neat way to keep track with just a die roll
www.necropraxis.com/local/Necropraxis%20Hazard%20System%20v0.3.pdf
Is a very cool idea. So do you go around the table with the rolls.
Version 2 is more fleshed out for the Haven.
Hazard System v0.2
www.necropraxis.com/local/Necropraxis%20Hazard%20System%20v0.2%202014-12-23.pdf
@@smugzoid5156 I have only read it, not yet put in practice. I understand it every time players make a decision you can roll using the system to determine what resources are diminished
@@1ccortez I would love to know how the players take it. Would they find it interesting, or a nuisance, that slows the story line.
This is why I prefer to use the overloaded encounter die to simulate inopportune moments when a torch is snuffed out- gust of wind, dripping slime, bucket of sand thrown by a sneaky goblin. And with regards to hands, holding a torch potentially lowers AC, removes a weapon, or makes spell casting delayed (need both hands). One saving grace: torches are an improvised weapon that do 1d4 dmg and are on fire.
Above text sounds relevant from this site:
icastlight.blogspot.com/2024/03/what-interesting-about-basic.html
Tracking is contextual, what asthetic does a place have? if you're in a forest there's enough wood for normal arrows and you can nature check to make the weakest healing items each time you camp. if it's a dungeon that'd only take like a day to clear I just assume your torches are good but there's no wood to replenish arrows so you need to recycle from pulling off the dead, or in some cases even if you would realistically run out of a thing if it clashes the vibes I'd not track rations for some quests, but in other cases even if it's just a few days when you're in the desert every water bottle, each injury to your camel or how long you're spending in metal armor.
1 thing I do that's maybe cruel but it's fun is for 1 party they went under water and instead of potions they had air tanks, and these tanks had their own health and whenever someone was critically hit or in an AOE blast they could choose to take increased damage, or risk some ofthat being taken by the tank, and if it broke they'd have no air and start drowning.
I agree, the context plays a great role. Sometimes I figure since the whole party has 6 torches each, that would be light for 30hrs. But once a mage cast continual light on a staff, out is no longer important. If he wants lights out, he covers the end of the staff with a small ask.
Also I let them retrieve 1/2 the arrows shot. Seems to fit right
@@smugzoid5156 I like the idea you can retrieve all arrows that managed to deal damage. if it hit for damage that means it sunk in cleanly, but if it missed or hit armor it's damaged now, it encourages aiming, rewards higher skill archers and it avoids complaints about rounding since it's just the exact number there in the Roll 20 chat.
@@stm7810 that's brilliant!!!