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Role-playing Games

Launched Q&A site for gamemasters and players of tabletop, paper-and-pencil role-playing games

Announcements

7  
I think the site title may need to be worded carefully, as this is bound to attract MMORPG questions instead of tabletop-game questions... – Corey Jun 4 '10 at 0:15
4  
Proposed site names (in line with StackOverflow and ServerFault tradition): TotalPartyKill.com or RocksFall.com. – Massimo Jun 4 '10 at 7:01
7  
Given the theme of naming sites after failures, how about calling it "Critical Miss"? – sadie Jun 17 '10 at 7:30
show 10 more announcements

54 Example Questions (9 closed)

active newest votes
up vote 26 down vote
My character (unlike myself) has a very low intelligence, so I often come up with ideas I realistically wouldn't have. How should I handle this?
added by balpha♦ Jun 2 '10 at 15:56
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3  
funny, I have the opposite problem: my characters are always coming up with ingenious ideas that I'd never think of on my own. How should I handle this? – antony.trupe Jun 21 '10 at 21:37
up vote 23 down vote
How to deal with players which keep constantly arguing about rules instead of, you know, *playing*?
added by Massimo Jun 4 '10 at 6:00
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1  
Rocks fall. Everyone dies. (TM) – Massimo Jun 4 '10 at 6:06
2  
Paranoia has built-in rules for this one. One of them is, simply, the Gamemaster is always right. The second is, it's treason to argue with the Gamemaster. – John Rudy Jun 4 '10 at 21:40
up vote 21 down vote
I'll be mastering my first game soon, and I fear I'll do badly. Please share some tips.
added by balpha♦ Jun 2 '10 at 15:47
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up vote 20 down vote
Why was [game aspect] changed in version [X]? What impact does this have on the game's fun/playability?
added by VeeArr Jun 3 '10 at 22:15
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up vote 20 down vote
I have players scattered across 4 timezones. What software do you recommend for organizing an on-line gaming session?
added by dagorym Jun 7 '10 at 18:33
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Good question and would work without the timezones part. I'm currently involved in two games that feature remote participation - one via skype and the other is entirely e-mail based. – Colonel Sponsz Jun 22 '10 at 14:32
up vote 14 down vote
Help, the players are ruining my story!
added by sadie Jun 17 '10 at 7:40
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up vote 12 down vote
As a gamemaster, what techniques do you use to keep your players "on-task"?
added by dagorym Jun 2 '10 at 16:11
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2  
Seems subjective to me. – Al E. Jun 2 '10 at 16:47
2  
Probably is, but might make a good 'community wiki' topic for ideas. – dagorym Jun 2 '10 at 17:19
@Jonathan, not necessarily. The way I see it is that that question is how long do you let them go, this one is how do you get them back or keep them from straying. But you could be right. – dagorym Jun 2 '10 at 21:50
@dagorym Perhaps they're similar, but not completely the same. I know that when my friends and I played D&D, we would get really off-track, so both questions are valuable IMHO :) – Jonathan Sampson Jun 2 '10 at 21:52
show 1 more improvement suggestion
up vote 8 down vote
What are the main differences between D&D, D&D3ED and AD&D?
added by Massimo Jun 4 '10 at 6:00
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that could easily lead to ed wars :/ (I've seen it too often on /tg/) – Valentin Rocher Jun 13 '10 at 22:04
1  
I can't imagine a straight up enumeration of the rulesets for each game degenerating so badly that this question would be closed. Seems like a pretty legitimate (and probably common) thing to ask. – womp Jun 22 '10 at 22:35
up vote 8 down vote
What's the best way to introduce new players to Paranoia and the Alpha Complex?
added by John Rudy Jun 7 '10 at 21:17
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up vote 7 down vote
Where can I find on-line resources (official or fan-developed) for [game]?
added by dagorym Jun 2 '10 at 17:17
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This is a valid, and often important question. You can never have enough gaming resources and Google does not always present the best sites. – Daniel Bingham Jun 17 '10 at 2:31
up vote 7 down vote
What games are included in World of Darkness canon?
added by Al E. Jun 2 '10 at 19:05
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up vote 7 down vote
How to introduce new people to roleplaying?
added by Julian Jun 3 '10 at 13:31
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1  
Laudable but...can we really get one "right" answer? – Al E. Jun 4 '10 at 1:13
2  
@Al Everett: Do we need one? What matters imo is that answers can be "graded", that it is possible to distinguish between a good answer and a bad one. Plenty of open-ended questions exist on SO and the other existing sites, and it works fine. StackExchange handles those fine, as long as the answers have value. A completely neutral "poll" type question, where one answer is as good as another doesn't work well. But I don't think that's a problem here. – jalf Jun 11 '10 at 7:59
Admittedly, the questioner can only choose one 'right' answer, but other answers can be upvoted, which I think it enough. – foxxtrot Jun 18 '10 at 22:32
up vote 7 down vote
[D&D] The party in my campaign is composed of [party description inside]; will they be able to handle a Tarrasque or will this be a hopeless carnage?
added by Massimo Jun 4 '10 at 6:03
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up vote 5 down vote
When was the Assassin added to D&D?
added by Al E. Jun 2 '10 at 15:59
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up vote 5 down vote
We're interested in playing a game in the [Established Fictional Franchise] universe, what system is most suited?
added by Jonathan Campbell Jun 17 '10 at 1:08
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up vote 4 down vote
In [system], does [defense] prevent [power]?
added by Al E. Jun 2 '10 at 16:46
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up vote 4 down vote
Where can I find some good instructions/blueprints to build a cool gaming table?
added by womp Jun 3 '10 at 20:33
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up vote 4 down vote
Can you offer some advice to help deal with a disruptive player?
added by Scimon Jun 22 '10 at 15:40
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up vote 3 down vote
Where can I download a PDF of [sourcebook] without paying for it? [closed]
added by Al E. Jun 2 '10 at 16:00
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closed as off topic by Massimo, dagorym, womp, Beska, Valentin Rocher Jun 12 '10 at 7:56

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

1  
Although there are some older games out there where the material is available for free. Whether the question is on or off topic would depend, I guess, on the specific game. – dagorym Jun 2 '10 at 16:09
True, although I was specifically thinking about in-print games and piracy. I understand that there are some systems out there that are only going to be found as PDFs (or some other electronic format). I would expect a site like this to get plenty of queries for illegally-obtained D&D sourcebooks. – Al E. Jun 2 '10 at 16:52
Besides, the answer is always "eMule". – Massimo Jun 4 '10 at 9:56
2  
There are many games where the source books are either freely available or out of print and unobtainable through legal methods. For example, what if the asker is looking for an AD&D or first edition D&D source book? I feel like that's a valid question for a role playing Q&A site and that these questions should be taken a case by case basis. – Daniel Bingham Jun 18 '10 at 7:21
2  
d20srd.org Perfectly valid question, and that's the answer if for instance it's a rule book to D&D without referring to D&D copyrighted materials. – Brett Allen Jun 22 '10 at 15:37
show 1 more improvement suggestion
up vote 3 down vote
What changes were made in [Combat, skills, etc] of [game] between version [X] and version [Y]?
added by dagorym Jun 3 '10 at 13:20
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up vote 3 down vote
Where can I find local gamer groups for (X) game? [closed]
added by Daniel Bingham Jun 17 '10 at 3:30
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closed as off topic by Massimo, Joseph Kingry, Andy, AaronSieb, foxxtrot Jun 18 '10 at 22:31

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

Definitely too localized. – Massimo Jun 17 '10 at 6:13
2  
Unless they aren't asking for their specific location, and want to know how to find others, like some good meetup sites. – Tilendor Jun 17 '10 at 22:33
up vote 3 down vote
Modifying the D&D 4e treasure system - will [my houserule] break the game balance?
added by womp Jun 18 '10 at 23:42
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This is a great on-topic example that could come up for any gaming system, not just D&D. – Kristo Jun 22 '10 at 20:02
up vote 3 down vote
What is the "three act structure" and how do I apply it to my campaigns and sessions?
added by Colonel Sponsz Jun 22 '10 at 14:04
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up vote 2 down vote
Why does [ability x] require [value y] in [game z], even though x has nothing to do with y?
added by balpha♦ Jun 2 '10 at 15:51
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up vote 2 down vote
As a game master, how can you prevent player characters from doing [X], without flat out saying so?
added by VeeArr Jun 3 '10 at 22:00
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up vote 2 down vote
What techniques do you use to pace your sessions to make sure you complete the plot you need and still finish on time?
added by Colonel Sponsz Jun 22 '10 at 14:10
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up vote 2 down vote
Does [commanding my animal companion to attack use up a standard action] in [Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition]
added by Joe Zack Jun 22 '10 at 16:36
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up vote 1 down vote
In Champions, how can I build [superhero]?
added by Al E. Jun 2 '10 at 16:48
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up vote 1 down vote
In Poison'd, can NPC crews help their captains like player characters can?
added by Jonathan Campbell Jun 17 '10 at 1:22
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up vote 1 down vote
What's the point of the foldable character sheet that is available for Diaspora?
added by Jonathan Campbell Jun 17 '10 at 3:11
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up vote 1 down vote
I'd like to run a Shadowrun 4e game in the Denver area and am looking for extra source material. What books should I read?
added by gnarf Jun 18 '10 at 5:40
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1  
Great On-topic if the "in the Denver Area" is the setting of the game. Very Off-topic of "in the Denver Area" is the geographic location of the gaming group. – Pulsehead Jun 23 '10 at 15:25
up vote 1 down vote
What gaming system should I use, if I want to... [Objectives described inside]?
added by Daniel Bingham Jun 18 '10 at 7:25
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more of a wiki "question" – Pulsehead Jun 23 '10 at 15:24
up vote 1 down vote
I got the [x] module for D&D 4e, but only have 3 players. How can I scale for them?
added by Präriewolf Jun 22 '10 at 18:06
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up vote 1 down vote
What are some fun monster "tag teams" you've used for D&D 4e encounters?
added by Präriewolf Jun 22 '10 at 18:07
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up vote 1 down vote
Are Clerics as useful in D&D 4e as they were in 3.5?
added by Präriewolf Jun 22 '10 at 18:13
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up vote 0 down vote
How much off-topic fun do you allow your players before pushing them back on track?
added by balpha♦ Jun 2 '10 at 15:52
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up vote 0 down vote
How do I beat boss [X] in videogame [Y]? [closed]
added by Massimo Jun 4 '10 at 6:08
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closed as off topic by John Rudy, Konrad Rudolph, dagorym, Beska, Valentin Rocher Jun 12 '10 at 7:56

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

Videogames (even of the RPG type) should be off-topic. – Massimo Jun 4 '10 at 12:59
Especially since there is another proposal specifically for them. – dagorym Jun 4 '10 at 13:24
up vote 0 down vote
What was GenCon's official response regarding the offensiveness of the ball-and-chain icon for the SPA track?
added by Jonathan Campbell Jun 17 '10 at 1:37
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up vote 0 down vote
How do I maximize my DPS in [MMO]? [closed]
added by AaronSieb Jun 18 '10 at 20:21
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closed as off topic by womp, dagorym, LeguRi, Caleb Thompson, Charles Stewart Jun 22 '10 at 9:21

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.
up vote 0 down vote
How do I maximize my DPS in D&D 4E?
added by AaronSieb Jun 18 '10 at 20:22
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