Discover Top Posts Tagged with #void saga

Care for a Dance with the Void?

Don't worry, I didn't get voided again! I just got inspired earlier and wanted to doodle... so I did!

And don't worry I am in fact working on the start post for the ask event x3

#animator vs animation #sticksona #saisk doodles #void saga

I started listening to critical hit when I was pretty young (maybe 13 or 14? Don't recall exactly when, before 5e and during the second term of the Obama presidency if that helps), and it really got me into ttrpgs in a big way - I bought *so* many secondhand 4e books. After a few years, I kinda fell out of listening to it and carried on with my life, still maintaining ttrpgs as my primary hobby space. Recently I've revisited 4e (hoping to run it with my group after our lancer campaign wraps up) and the podcast as well, which led me to this blog. Something I've always said about 4e is that it's the only edition of dnd to be really honest and up front about mechanically centering combat - 3.5 and 5 both do as well, but seem a little embarrassed about it an unwilling to commit to the idea. Revisting 4 though, I think I may have been mistaken. Writing from the designers (ex, the example characters they present in "4th edition for dummies") and some elements of the PHB make me believe that they, on some level, still were trying to do the "three pillars" thing mechanically. For example, having utility powers that are either only usable in combat or only usable out of combat as well as utility powers that could theoretically be used in either case (see PHB Warlock level 12 utilities) seems like a kind of weird design choice, like having those parts of the game compete for the same character resources strike me kinda weirdly. Curious if you have any thoughts on this.

I think you’re right, but you’re looking at it at an angle. 4e was the first (and maybe last) time that WotC’s D&D was honest about its focus on combat, and that allowed them to create a tight, robust system that could then be extrapolated into hundreds of combinations. Part of that focus is seen in player options emphasizing choice and mechanical impact.

These twin ideas mean that on level up, when given a choice, the player can choose one of many options, and that option will be mechanically impactful. Now, 4e existed for a long time and, especially if you were picking up the digital magazines you could argue that these ideas were not always at the forefront, but as far as the printed material, choice and mechanical impact were always important, even if the execution wasn’t always successful.

The extension of these ideas out of the realm of combat is reflected in 4th edition’s skill challenges. Same idea, choice and mechanical impact, hence feats and powers that care about skill rolls. Now, folks around here know that RAW skill challenges were, pun intended, a little undercooked; which is why I wrote up the Lord Kensington rules. If you continue to listen to The Void Saga on Critical Hit you may notice that my skill challenges are both tough and impactful, adding this pressure motivates players to get better at skill challenges. By the end of the game most, if not all PCs had one (or more) flat skill bonus feats. Many had, as you point out, chosen to forego potential combat bonuses for something that kept them from crashing and burning on skill challenges.

Run son! It’s time for a skill challenge!

So yeah, tldr 4e’s crew tried to extend their design philosophy to the other two pillars in the form of skill challenges, but clearly it didn’t receive the same amount of time as combat. But also that’s ok, because I fixed it for them.

Thanks for listening and thanks for writing in!

#questiontime #critical hit #critical hit podcast #dungeons & dragons #d&d 4e #4th edition #dnd 4e #void saga #skill challenge

B33 < im sick of this

#shitty davepetas #void saga #lore #gif tw #blood tw

“I think everybody looks at Ket.” “Indeed everyone looks at Ket.” “Even Randus? Randus is usually forgiving of my antics!”

I loved this moment so much, just the mental image of all of them giving Ket A Look™ so of course it had to be my first drawing of the season

#critical hit podcast #void saga #torqletones #ket hzard #little sparkle #orem rivendorn #randus duthane #sekhar

Episode#6:An encounter in the alley(Void Saga). The 3rd page of my Critical Hit Doodle Diary. Where I go back to the very beginning of the podcast, to draw my favorite highlights and ideas I have while re-listening to each episode. Stay tuned and enjoy. Kind of a Torq heavy Doodle entry, but that's ok cuz he's awesome and adorable. Besides, we need a bit of comedy and cuteness to get us through what happens to our adventurers next time.... ON CRITICAL HIT!!!