Martial Artists and TTRPG's/War Games

SahBumNimRush

Master of Arts
Joined
Dec 17, 2009
Messages
1,861
Reaction score
216
Location
USA
Rather than de-rail a crazy thread, I thought I'd just start a conversation over here where it belongs.

I've been playing D&D almost as long as I've been practicing martial arts. It seems there are several others on here that love playing ttrpgs too. What is everyone up to? I play weekly via Discord these days due to Covid. My game room is in the basement; the "Dork Dungeon" as my wife calls it.
 

Tony Dismukes

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
7,576
Reaction score
7,611
Location
Lexington, KY
We're currently playing a 5e D&D game on Saturday nights via video chat on FB messenger. We were using Discord for a while but switched over for some reason I can't remember. I think maybe one of our members was having technical problems with it.

I miss the in-person interaction, but it's convenient to not have to leave the house. (Especially for those members of the group who have kids.)
 
OP
SahBumNimRush

SahBumNimRush

Master of Arts
Joined
Dec 17, 2009
Messages
1,861
Reaction score
216
Location
USA
Yeah, it's also convenient as we had table members move due to work. But I agree. I remember sitting in my buddy's family room gaming all day and late into the night on the weekend's. Pizza, Pop, and D&D!

I'm still playing 3.5e. I was still playing 2e until around 2010. I guess I'm slow to change, haha!
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
12,212
Reaction score
6,308
Location
New York
Playing a 5e game at the moment. It was a new members first game, so we made the transition. Play pretty much every friday, this particular games been going on about 2 years, but overall I've been playing ~10ish on different systems.
 
OP
SahBumNimRush

SahBumNimRush

Master of Arts
Joined
Dec 17, 2009
Messages
1,861
Reaction score
216
Location
USA
Interestingly enough, the first table I gamed, back in 1988 was DM'ed by one of the older teen students in my TKD school. There were two other students that played at the table as well. I had never considered the overlap of the two interests until that recent thread.
 

MetalBoar

Black Belt
Joined
Jun 23, 2018
Messages
518
Reaction score
469
I started playing D&D in about 1979 as a little kid. Switched to playing Traveller and Runequest for the most part in jr. high because my best friend's parents were caught up in the Satanic Panic and wouldn't let him play D&D. I liked RQ a lot better anyway and haven't played a lot of D&D since, outside of a truly amazing and epic campaign a friend of mine ran in college.

These days I GM a lot of Earthdawn, Basic Role Playing, and Mongoose Traveller. I've also been lucky enough to GM and play in a vast number of other systems. Between moving cross country and the pandemic I've been playing on Zoom, Discord, and Roll20 (depending on the game). It's been fantastic as a way to stay connected with my friends back in Seattle.

Coincidentally, I'm going to be starting a new game for a couple of people I met at work here in AZ. I'll be helping them create characters this evening. They've played a handful of sessions of 5e with another group but couldn't make the schedule for that game work. They're super excited by the chance to give gaming another try.

For those of you who might have some interest in Earthdawn, FASA is doing a free, online convention the 18th-20th of this month. I took part last year and had a good time.
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
12,212
Reaction score
6,308
Location
New York
There's actually a new one based around norse society that I want to give a shot at some point, called vaesen
 

Dirty Dog

MT Senior Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
23,361
Reaction score
9,097
Location
Pueblo West, CO
I've been playing since the Basic Set was released. I've been playing in a few 5e games over the last year or so, but it's been sporadic. The group I'd been playing with just ended due to schedule conflicts. So right now I'm not playing. Most recently, we played online with Discord or Roll20. Big fan of DNDBeyond for resources.
 

Steve

Mostly Harmless
Joined
Jul 9, 2008
Messages
21,919
Reaction score
7,474
Location
Covington, WA
In 1982, I got the basic set and my brother got the expert set for Christmas. Shortly after, we moved into the ad&d system, and then played everything TSR we could get. Boot Hill, gamma world, top secret etc. I played traveller, and also a superhero system called villains and vigilantes.

While we would occasionally play with friends, when we could, it was more often just my brother and me. We moved a lot and at the time it was super nerdy. So finding people to play with took time.

In addition to the TTRPGs, we also played the hell out of pretty much every Avalon hill game we could. Axis and Allie’s, shogun.

In Germany, I played every couple of weeks with a 2e group. Then after college played 3e/3.5e with a long standing group.

When 4e came out, We moved over to pathfinder. We like the rule set and pathfinder is awesome. That’s what I’ve been playing for several years.

Recently, my youngest is getting into it all on her own, which I wholeheartedly endorse. So we picked up the 5e core books and I’ve run her through a few short sessions to learn the rules. That said, she has a few friends who are interested and when she starts high school next year, plans to join the club.

Over the years, I’ve played all kinds of RPGs. Champions, call of Cthulhu, pretty muc game for anything (no pun intended).
 
OP
SahBumNimRush

SahBumNimRush

Master of Arts
Joined
Dec 17, 2009
Messages
1,861
Reaction score
216
Location
USA
I started with 1e AD&D in '88. We quickly moved on to 2e, which came out a year or two later, IIRC. I played 2e through all of its iterations, and held on to it forever, because we knew the rules so well, and we owned so much of the source material. It wasn't until 2012 that I started playing 3.5, which we still play as our main system today. The table I started gaming at in 2012 also intersperses D&D campaigns with smaller interim games of different systems (mostly d20 modern based games). Right now we're playing D20 Star Wars. The role playing is great in that game, but the source material is total crap. I think they asked a middle school yearbook editor to edit those books!
 

Steve

Mostly Harmless
Joined
Jul 9, 2008
Messages
21,919
Reaction score
7,474
Location
Covington, WA
I started with 1e AD&D in '88. We quickly moved on to 2e, which came out a year or two later, IIRC. I played 2e through all of its iterations, and held on to it forever, because we knew the rules so well, and we owned so much of the source material. It wasn't until 2012 that I started playing 3.5, which we still play as our main system today. The table I started gaming at in 2012 also intersperses D&D campaigns with smaller interim games of different systems (mostly d20 modern based games). Right now we're playing D20 Star Wars. The role playing is great in that game, but the source material is total crap. I think they asked a middle school yearbook editor to edit those books!
If you like 3.5, moving to Pathfinder 1.0 would be a very easy transition. It's a slightly different world, but the rules are like a D&D 3.75 version.... where WOTC went kind of nuts with 4e, changing basically everything I loved, Paizo just refined it a little bit here and there.

Pathfinder 2e recently came out, but I haven't made the jump to that yet, and I have to say, I actually kind of like the 5e rules so far. Seems like they simplified things a little, but I'm guessing that makes the game more accessible for a lot of folks.
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
12,212
Reaction score
6,308
Location
New York
5e's exactly what they needed to spread D&D to a wider audience. Simple enough rules that new players aren't intimidated coming in, while keeping the spirit of the game. A nice side-bonus is that it allows people to create/listen to D&D podcasts more easily without having already been familiar with the ruleset.

And it worked-ttrpgs are more popular than ever, and I really think a lot of it is that there's not as much number-crunching and theory-crafting
 

Wing Woo Gar

Senior Master
Joined
Sep 30, 2021
Messages
3,712
Reaction score
1,978
Location
Northern California
Rather than de-rail a crazy thread, I thought I'd just start a conversation over here where it belongs.

I've been playing D&D almost as long as I've been practicing martial arts. It seems there are several others on here that love playing ttrpgs too. What is everyone up to? I play weekly via Discord these days due to Covid. My game room is in the basement; the "Dork Dungeon" as my wife calls it.
My wife also bags on it, but I dont watch sports so…
 

Dirty Dog

MT Senior Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
23,361
Reaction score
9,097
Location
Pueblo West, CO
5e's exactly what they needed to spread D&D to a wider audience. Simple enough rules that new players aren't intimidated coming in, while keeping the spirit of the game. A nice side-bonus is that it allows people to create/listen to D&D podcasts more easily without having already been familiar with the ruleset.

And it worked-ttrpgs are more popular than ever, and I really think a lot of it is that there's not as much number-crunching and theory-crafting
Overall, I think they've done a really good job with 5E. Admittedly, there are parts of the combat system that make me cringe (e.g. dual wielding, daggers are essentially worthless, etc) but I recognize that making a truly realistic combat system would require the DM to have an advanced degree in A&P and a few years of MA training. It's a reasonable compromise between realism and simplicity.

That said... any online games looking for a couple players? Our DM had to leave. Something silly like earning a living, going to school, and keeping their S.O. happy.
 

Wing Woo Gar

Senior Master
Joined
Sep 30, 2021
Messages
3,712
Reaction score
1,978
Location
Northern California
5e's exactly what they needed to spread D&D to a wider audience. Simple enough rules that new players aren't intimidated coming in, while keeping the spirit of the game. A nice side-bonus is that it allows people to create/listen to D&D podcasts more easily without having already been familiar with the ruleset.

And it worked-ttrpgs are more popular than ever, and I really think a lot of it is that there's not as much number-crunching and theory-crafting
I just started 5 e last year. I was on old 1e but one of my 25 year old students got into our old guy game group and converted us. I like it. We all ordered hero forge figs for it. Been enjoying it until omicron surge stopped us.
 

Wing Woo Gar

Senior Master
Joined
Sep 30, 2021
Messages
3,712
Reaction score
1,978
Location
Northern California
Overall, I think they've done a really good job with 5E. Admittedly, there are parts of the combat system that make me cringe (e.g. dual wielding, daggers are essentially worthless, etc) but I recognize that making a truly realistic combat system would require the DM to have an advanced degree in A&P and a few years of MA training. It's a reasonable compromise between realism and simplicity.

That said... any online games looking for a couple players? Our DM had to leave. Something silly like earning a living, going to school, and keeping their S.O. happy.
We play in person. Can you make it to Northern Calif on Monday nights? There is room at my table.
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
12,212
Reaction score
6,308
Location
New York
That said... any online games looking for a couple players? Our DM had to leave. Something silly like earning a living, going to school, and keeping their S.O. happy.
No, but I always open to another online group. Used to being in at least 2 at a time, so being in just 1 leaves me with free time. I've offered this up before, but would be cool if we could get a martialtalk D&D game going, even something like a play-by-post thing (I haven't tried that before though so not fully sure how they work)
 

Latest Discussions

Top