Hello, im a new GM and im looking for places to get digital battlemaps. Im looking for ones that are compatible with roll20.

So, it seems like after FFG lost Star Wars: Armada to Atomic Mass Games (both studios under Asmodee) and fired the responsible heads in the process, said heads switched sides to the other "Star" sci fi franchise and were busy doing something similar with warp cores and glowing nacelles. It's supposed to be released in a few weeks and can be preordered.

First impressions are available already ( https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yLPi9N7-0I0 , https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tjBILyzBZ5Q , https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gIOyB9ZXn8s ). Let's see how well the universe of politics, ethical dilemmas and people that turn into lizards if they move too fast translates into a miniatures tabletop game.

So, I have some epic scale Eldar lying around that I'd like to give a shot. And as I liked the design of the Eldar tanks, I got too many tanks, but thankfully there's a tank craftworld (Yme-Loc) with rules.

But... There are too many rules!

There's rules that were used for epic UK tournaments at http://epic-uk.co.uk/wp/army-lists/

There's another list over at taccomms: https://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=31593

And there's even another tank heavy list there, at https://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=23411 , although that's "Craftworld Mymeara", for whatever reason.

... Aaaand there's a list in the army builder: https://adam77.github.io/snapfire/war/chooser.html?list=EL_ymeloc_EPICUK (which seems to be the epic UK version, but a different version).

Does anybody know which one to take? I'd like to paint some units firsts that I'm then actually going to use instead of painting all guardians first just to not fields them, so coming up with a small list would really be my first step. I'm inclined to use the army builder one, just because it's easy to use.

"We are not ready to share quite yet, but our next Brass sequel is our current top priority for development in 2024. It is slated to be our next Kickstarter, which we plan to launch Q4 2024. The exact launch date will depend on rate of development and testing. Thanks for your patience!" - Gavan Brown

the next Brass sequel is still happening, planned to launch on Kickstarter in Q4 2024 earliest.

Other Unanswered Questions at time of posting

• will Martin Wallace be involved?
• will it have a solo mode?
• will it be like the 2-player fan made Brass variant Brass: Amsterdam?
• which city would it be?

So, having recently gotten Star Wars: Armada, my son got hooked on it about as much as me, so we've been playing a few games over the past two weeks.

Today, we played our first 400 points game. I played Rebels: an mc75 ordnance cruiser, an mc30 scout frigate, a cr90a, a CR90b and the four x wings from the base game. He played Imperials with an ISD1 and carrier upgrades, an Interdictor with the two upgrades that could slow down nearby vessels and that created that speed-zero-zone when placing ships and lots of squadrons.

This was our initial setup. I navigated the cr90s quickly over to the the two mcs, the isd got stuck in the asteroids and the two mcs destroyed the Interdictor in turns three and four.

Here's the deal though... After that happened, I quickly glanced at his cards, figured I had a comfortable lead over him and simply left. Turns four and five were essentially just me stepping on the gas and getting away from his isd.

The whole game felt just so... I dunno, boring? Anticlimatic? It was one turn ramp up, one and a half turns of space battle and finally three and a half turns escaping and no fighting.

Is that really how the game turns out? Are we missing something? Forgetting something?

Mirror, in case you hit a paywall: https://archive.is/iCYt4

So, pretty much title.

A shop in Germany had a pretty good deal on some selected Armada packs and the game seemed like exactly my kind of vibe (big ships, slow movement that you need to plan ahead for, Star Wars from the 80s), so I just said eff it and treated me some Christmas presents. The order isn't even on its way yet, but I'm eager to try it over Christmas with my oldest. The point is that I have no idea about the game (beyond some rules videos I watched) and pretty much just bought what was on sale, so I probably ended up buying stuff you don't really need and am probably lacking some expansions that are considered essential. Also, I'd like to avoid frustration for my son and me, so if you have any advice on how to create more or less even armies with what I ordered, I'd be super grateful.

What I ordered is the base game, the expansion cards set, an MC30c frigate, a CR90 corvette, a nebulon b frigate, a rebel transport flotilla, an interdictor class star destroyer, an onager class star destroyer, an imperium class star destroyer, a pack of empire fighters and an MC75 cruiser. So, all in all, some larger vessels and a set of fighters for the empire and some smaller vessels for the rebels.

Does that work? Will this result in enjoyable games or was the selection that was on sale only on sale because it sucked? Any advice on how to start with what I got beyond playing the training scenario and just going with it?

I've played D&D pretty casually from time to time, but always as a player and usually just short one shots and not big campaigns.

This year I started feeling the urge to play in a big campaign, and some of my friends were showing interest. I decided why not try my hand at DMing! I went all in, I bought 6 books (DMG, PHG, Xanthars guide, tashas, MM, and MotM) a ton of paint supplies, and some tiles/maps.

And I'm glad I did! We've had four sessions so far and it's going great. We are starting on the Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign, and afterwards we will be moving into homebrew, eventually reaching level 12+. I have already started changing a few things from LMoP to fit the homebrew campaign I am planning where the BBeG will be Atropus and its chosen Warlock who is trying to attract the elder evil to Toril.

I didn't have any experience running a campaign, or even painting, but there are so many useful resources on youtube that I feel confident I've got a handle on things!

If anyone has any tips or pointers for a first time DM I'd love to hear them! I am always willing to learn.

If anyone wants to see more of the figures I've painted, heres a couple of pics https://imgur.com/a/1SMF4jr?

Interesting new TCG, the art seems really nice.

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/9721677

I have a player in my newly starting Abomination Vaults campaign that wanted the Cursed background. As part of that, I asked them what kind of curse they would have, and they came up with/saw an idea for their curse that they liked and suggested.

Their initial suggestion would be that their PC would forever be unable to open doors, which I liked the flavor of, but based on the wording of the Cursed background, was worried that it would be too much of an ever-present mechanical obstacle. Note: This player is new to TTRPGs and PF2e, so may not understand the ramifications of mechanical limitations.

To try and match what they suggested, but expand on the curse a little bit, I suggested that they perhaps are occasionally compelled to close doors on themselves instead, which the player liked.

To make it more defined and consistent, I whipped together this curse, and would like feedback on it's implementation and overall feel.

Curse: Caspian once insulted a fey creature by enclosing it within a room, in an attempt to trap it. The fey then cursed Caspian to close doors on themselves under stressful circumstances.

When Caspian approaches or crosses a doorway under a stressful environment (this may be during exploration of a dungeon or during combat), a will save may be requested to be rolled, with a DC for Caspian's level. (Level 1 = DC 15) This may occur up to 3 times per day. [Should this be more limited?]

[Daily prep: does it reset difficulty? Maybe a refocus type activity to reset difficulty or prevent the will saves for a period?]

Outcomes:

Critical Success: Caspian overcomes the desire to close the door, and no new will saves must be made for the remainder of the day

Success: Caspian overcomes the desire to close the door, but the DC for the next will save is increased by one difficulty level. [maybe should be a +2 each time?]

Failure: Caspian is unable to resist, and must spend an action [should this be a free action only for curse? opening doors takes actions too] to close the door in front of, or behind them, [figure out in what scenarios they close it before/after crossing] The DC difficulty modifier is then reset.

Critical Failure: As failure, but Caspian is unable to open the door without attempting a new will save. The DC of this will save is the basic DC difficulty, and a failure does not increase the DC difficulty.

My current thoughts for targeted input are denoted in [square brackets], but I'd like some general feedback as well. My intention is that this is an obstacle that may end up in a more dangerous circumstance, but isn't guaranteed to get them in trouble all the time.

The question about the refocus activity would be a way to prepare for the possibility of the curse, like when the players know they are about to enter a dangerous area, similar to pre-buffing.

Title

Hi all, I'm interested in some advice from folks used to facilitating board games.

So I acquired a copy of Cosmic Encounter and its Incursion expansion earlier this year. Tomorrow I'm having some folks over for dinner and board gaming so I was excited to learn the rules and see what this game was all about. I heard it's really good!

For those unaware, Cosmic Encounter is a space strategy game with a ton of potential for goofy interactions. When players have an encounter, they can choose to play cards indicating whether they want to fight or negotiate. If two players play a negotiate card, then they have a chance to exchange territory and resources.

Today I realized a potential issue in the form of a 1-minute timer during the Negotiation phase. Apparently, if two players end up in a Negotiation, they have one minute to make a deal. If they can't conclude the deal in one minute the negotiation "breaks down" and both players end up losing three of their ships.

My players love board games but I can think of at least three of them who won't like playing with a timer and will probably suggest we ignore it.

I don't want to alienate my players and I picked this because it seemed like a fun and fairly accessible experience so I would feel bad for insisting on something that made them uncomfortable.

On the other hand, I'm concerned that analysis paralysis will make the game take forever when players can take as long as they want to make deals. I've played Bullet with the same people and, since we have agreed not to use timers in that game, it can take a long time for players to finish placing their last pieces, leading to 1-2 hour games (when the playtime estimate is 15 minutes).

So I want to know what you think, especially if you have experience with Cosmic Encounter or introducing new games to people. Can we still get a good experience out of the game without using timers for a first time run? Should I recommend a compromise such as more time and/or removing the ship destruction punishment (choosing, instead, to just cancel the deal if it takes too long)?

Edit: thanks for your suggestions! I think I know how to approach this when we do play the game. Sadly we didn't end up playing it last night 🤷

So, I've been having a blast running short campaigns of this game and felt it was worth sharing with the community. While my players and I are newcomers to the OSR scene, we've found invaluable guidance in this particular book. It's packed with great advice on put together and run a rules-light, dungeon-crawling adventure. I personally appreciated the focus on being a fun playable game. If you're seeking a lighthearted 3-4 session break or aiming to introduce friends to an old school gaming experience, this book is an excellent starting point. It's easy to teach to your 5e friends and , if they are anything like my mine, they will love playing it.

• Obsession (2.1e) is a 1~4 player, 90mins, competitive, worker placement game (bgg link)
• player play as mid 19th century Victorian upper class families
• each family (player) competing to better their social position, reputation and family fortune by building new rooms/venues and hosting successful social events with the help of their servants staff (worker meeples) they hire along the game
• there is also a goal of attracting the most elligible gentleman and lady in the county to marry into their family for more prestige
• its like Downton Abbey (TV series) the game
• playthroughs and tutorials: JonGetsGames, Heavy Cardboard, Rahdo

the kickstarter (~$50, 8 days left)

• does not contain the base game. only the latest expansion and optional gold coins
• this is the 3rd expansion and supposedly last (source: trust me bro)
  • excl. the upgrade pack from 2e to 2.1e
  • there is supposedly another game planned in the Obsession universe which use some of the tiles in Obsession (source)
• will be available retail, no kickstarter exclusives it seems

besides having been interested in the game and theme for a long time, i thought the video was an interesting watch going over the issues with how boardgame kickstarters are these days

On Sunday, I had some friends over, and we played Heat. It was my first time with the game, and I found it to be a lot of fun.

There's just enough strategy in managing your car's "heat" level. Take on too much, and you'll stall out. Don't take enough risk, and the other players will pull ahead. I accurately captured the tension of racing video games. "Do I floor it and come into the turn quickly, risking spinning out? Or do I brake and take it safely but lose my place?"

Question as in title.

Hi friends! I'm new to Beehaw (this is actually my first post.)

I thought I'd share something I wrote about a year ago but I'm still proud of. Giving wish to your low level Dungeons and Dragons party then ruling to let it undue one major mistake prevents worst case scenarios while still letting players feel like they are in control. Plus, the obvious concerns you are thinking of right now aren't as bad as they seem!

What's In The Box?

This Kickstarter is for a boxed starter set which takes your 5E core rulebooks and 'upgrades' them by introducing you to some of the new rules in Level Up. Unlike the standalone Level Up hardcover core rules, this starter set assumes you know how to play 5E, or have the 5E rules, and we just show you the new stuff!

What Is Level Up?

Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E) launched in 2021 and is a standalone game which enhances the 5E ruleset which you know and love. If you love 5E but would like a little more depth to the rules, Level Up is the new game for you!

After two years of extensive public playtests and surveys involving thousands of players, and input from our active community, we completely overhauled the 5E game system. From redesigned classes to a full exploration pillar, we revisited every aspect of the game to present this new standalone game, backwards compatible with the 5th Edition core rules.

Welcome to the movement Hex & Co!!

Workers at the three-location board game cafe chain, including the largest board game cafe in Manhattan, confronted management today to demand union recognition.

They would be the first board game cafe in NYC to unionize. Workers are demanding a liveable wage, adequate staffing and a transparent path to promotion.

The bargaining unit will include approximately 75 employees including baristas, bartenders, retail workers, afterschool program workers and 'dungeon masters' (people who run the games!) 🐉🐉

recently, it was announced one-time only deluxified version of Food Chain Magnate (FCM) would be held on Gamefound (campaign not launched yet) featuring a different art style than the infamous Spotter Spellen game known for its retro yet functional graphic design which some felt was so bad refused to play it despite it receiving critical acclaim

• the deluxe by Lucky Duck Games on Gamefound will run concurrently with sales of the original on Splotter (prices are predicted to cost no less than the original)
• there are plans to introduce deluxe version of the FCM expansion
• there will not be an upgrade pack for owners of the original version of FCM
• English only deluxe, because of distribution rights
• this isnt the first time a Splotter game received an art refresh, Bus received an English only 20th anniversary in 2019. with another title, Ur: 1830 BC getting a re-release pending a popularity vote

meanwhile unrelatedly, a fan-made laser-cut 3D standee tiles was also released on Game Crafters earlier this month for those wanting to deluxify their copy while retaining the original's unique aesthetic appeal

question for all you Beeple and Fediversers - im curious which style of deluxe do you prefer if any? the Lucky Duck Games deluxe, or the fan-made laser-cut 3D standee tiles

• re-imagined and re-titled as Cthulhu Dark Providence set in the Cthulhu Death May Die universe
• A Study in Emerald (2013) was among the early wave of deck builders following Dominion (2008), but featured a board in addition to the card mechanic
  • in comparison Clank! came around in 2016, Trains (2012), A Few Acres of Snow (2011), Tyrants of Underdark (2016)
  • the 2nd edition changed quite a few things from the 1st edition
• based on a short story of the same name by Neil Gaiman bringing Sherlock Holmes and Cthulhu creatures together
• the new game by CMON will be reportedly tweaked to include a 2 player and solo mode
• the original was a 3~5 player game, featuring hidden role mechanic as players side with or against the Old Ones