Game of Thrones RPG

[Dominique]

I'm hearing buzz that the Game of Thrones RPG has come out. Has anyone seen it? Is it good? I haven't been able to hunt down reviews for it, so the local gaming store might just be yanking my chain.

[The Pickled Punk]

I pre-ordered it, but it hasn't come yet. I have seen it in stores, and it is humongous. (And that's just the d20-only version). I have also just gotten A Feast For Crows, and am enjoying it. No spoilers please!

[MatthiasStormcrow]

I just got A Feast for Crows in the mail..quite an opera, since when I originally ordered it from Amazon (a looong time ago) I was living at a different address, which is where they merrily shipped it off to. Luckily they sent me an email saying they'd sent it, and I realized that in the nick of time. Phew!

Dunno about the RPG, but I did read a Dragon magazine article a while back talking about ways to convert a typical D&D campaign into a Song of Fire and Ice campaign. I think it had a Night's Watch prestige class and a few other things, but I don't remember the exact issue #. I'm not surprised that someone decided to turn it into a full-blown campaign setting, though. It's got more than enough detail for it already, IMHO it's practically the next Middle-Earth.

[Dominique]

Found a review:
http://www.enworld.org/reviews.php?do=r ... id=2713645

Now I want one.

[The Pickled Punk]

I just received my copy of the Game of Thrones RPG in the mail. I have only glanced at it, so I can't comment on the rules. There is a lengthy intro to the books, and to fantasy fiction in general. I'll comment more after reading some more.

[alhoon]

The review doesn't surprise me or excite me to be frank.
-The "Brilliant" combat system is based on combat feats. No surprise there. I believe that feats are useful but I was hoping to see combat maneuvers, things you can do without feats
-DR instead of armor bonus, been there, done that. Unearthed arcana, Conan D20 etc.
- The "shocking value" reminds me of the cap the D20 modern puts, and the bleeding rules? ScS had a complex yet very nice system for that in his "Great War Project".

I haven't seen the book, but unless you tell me something more... original about it my attitude is "Another d20 world, nice but not stunning."

[ScS of the Fraternity]

I'm with you on that Alhoon.

The review was mostly incomprehensible - so much blather about bodybuilders, air-hockey and something about angles of swords.

Most of his innital comments about D&D sounded grossly oversimplified. Rigth from the star he assumed that all fighters are alike, and that ever D&D campaign revolves around magic-users.

I still don't have a clue how this game or setting differs from D20. The reviewer did not really discuss how these new rules change the game (speed up combat? make it more realistic? make roleplaying easier?)

There's some other critical questions that need answering: such as
"Will people with no familiarity with the Game of Thrones series be able to enjoy this setting?"
Or
"How did playing under these rules feel different than normal D&D?"
Or
"Which feat do you need to be a weight-lifting air-hockey champion?"

I guess I'll just have to hope some kindly soul will post a more thorough review on this board.

[Keith Senkowski]

There's some other critical questions that need answering: such as
"Will people with no familiarity with the Game of Thrones series be able to enjoy this setting?"
Or
"How did playing under these rules feel different than normal D&D?"
Or
"Which feat do you need to be a weight-lifting air-hockey champion?"

I've had it for awhile now and will try and answer your questions as best I can.

I think the setting can be a barrier to people not familiar with it, but since the only time it really comes into play is when choosing starting feats during character creation, I don't think it is that big of a barrier.

The one thing I was disappointed with was the designers inability to resolve the new Influence mechanics with other social skills in the game. There is a call out box that is basically an, Ooops, we couldn't figure it out so there will be problems potentially in your game.

It really isn't all that different than normal DnD. You have more feats, but it uses a shock/damage system similar to Conan D20. It also pulls out AofO and a few other things, but needlessly puts in call out boxes telling you that you can put them back in.

There is an unecessary histroy of fantasy fiction at the front of the book. That space would have been better served with either more explaination of how to run the three different tiers of the setting (big power nobles, dynastic family drama, band of heroes), which are barely touched on in the book. Or it could have been used to put in mechanics for playing the types of power plays that take place in the books (marching armies, political dog fights, ect.).

Basically, I recommend, if you want to use a DnD type system to play aGoT, it is okay, but not worth the price of admission. Luckily for me I got it on the cheap from Amazon for I think $32 at the time.

If ya got any more specific questions let me know. I would be more than happy to answer them.

Keith

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Thanks Keith, very insightful.

You mentioned that the game has a political angle on it. Naturally, this can be a risky venture, since politics can be boring.
How does the game encourage players to join the game of intrigue?
How do the rules make it easier for players to get involved in such an abstract world?

[Keith Senkowski]

Thanks Keith, very insightful.

You mentioned that the game has a political angle on it. Naturally, this can be a risky venture, since politics can be boring.
How does the game encourage players to join the game of intrigue?
How do the rules make it easier for players to get involved in such an abstract world?

I don't have it in front of me so my answer won't be very detailed. Basically there is a new system called Influence. Characters spend Influence on people and things like:

Influence Eddard Stark: 5

That number gets tacked on to a roll as a bonus (with a whole slew of other bonuses). It is all pretty vague and involves a table with levels of success and vague explanations of what each vague level means. All and all very unsatisfying as a system. It is kinda like they started with a good idea, but faltered on the follow through to complete it.

However, it is good in that it allows the player to invent people and organizations they have influence over. Helps them to flesh out this abstract world and gives DMs an idea as to where the players are interested in going.

Hope that helps explain it.

Keith

PS: I think if I was going to run the game I would use Iron Heroes instead (and tack on a modified version of the Influence system). Sure it doesn't have the Night Watch Prestige class and stuff, but systematically it is tighter.

PPS: I also wanted to say that the magic system is nonexistant. It is feat based, but like two pages with virtually no explaination as to how to use a character with one of the feats.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Well it certianly sounds like a good start.

No magic system, eh? Does that mean that nothing supernatural exists in the the game?

[alhoon]

Thanks Keith, very insightful.

You mentioned that the game has a political angle on it. Naturally, this can be a risky venture, since politics can be boring.

Boring? I like politics and intrigue!

And the rules of influence seem a very good idea to me. Unless the system proposed is completely unusuable (and I don't think it will be) it would certainly provide a start point and a few good ideas. Already the gears of my mind work by the "You spend influence and you get various control over organizations"

It is a good idea even as a single sentence. I wish I have thought of that when I played a noble-house vs noble-house game 3 years ago.

Any more details?

[alhoon]

I don't have it in front of me so my answer won't be very detailed. Basically there is a new system called Influence. Characters spend Influence on people and things like:

Influence Eddard Stark: 5

That number gets tacked on to a roll as a bonus (with a whole slew of other bonuses). It is all pretty vague and involves a table with levels of success and vague explanations of what each vague level means. All and all very unsatisfying as a system. It is kinda like they started with a good idea, but faltered on the follow through to complete it.

However, it is good in that it allows the player to invent people and organizations they have influence over. Helps them to flesh out this abstract world and gives DMs an idea as to where the players are interested in going.

OK... I can't stop thinking about it. Still, I don't have the book and I don't think it will ever come over here. So, please can you

Make a less vague system, based on the one proposed but modeled for Richemulot and Borca, and post it here?

I do not propose to you to copy-paste the thing as that would be violation of copy-right etc.

[Keith Senkowski]

Well it certianly sounds like a good start.

No magic system, eh? Does that mean that nothing supernatural exists in the the game?

No. There are feats like the Dreamer and something that covers the crazy stuff the Maegie (sp?) can do, but it really doesn't cover what you do with this stuff well. A lot of it is kinda handwaved, which I find inexcusable in a $50 book.

Oh and the organization of the book is pretty bad, with stuff mentioned in one chapter, but their explaination of use in another, which is a shame considering how frelling big the thing is.

Keith

[Keith Senkowski]

OK... I can't stop thinking about it. Still, I don't have the book and I don't think it will ever come over here. So, please can you

Make a less vague system, based on the one proposed but modeled for Richemulot and Borca, and post it here?

I do not propose to you to copy-paste the thing as that would be violation of copy-right etc.

Okay, if I was going to do it I would break it down like this.

I would keep the Influence progession (which is basically 2 or 4 + Charisma Modifier per level). THe Player assigns what this Influence applies to (10 to House Stark, 4 to the Duke of Burgandy) in the same manner. However, instead of the vague sort of if you win by X something like Y happens I would do the following:

• Player declares what he wants to accomplish and how he intends on doing it, which determines the social skill used.
• DM replies with what the consequences of failure would be (Your brother gets pissed at your begging and kicks you out, lose 2 influence over him).
• You roll the skill roll plus the Influence you are using (D20 + Skill + Influence).
• I would always make it an opposed roll, either against someone trying to influence the person/institution in a different way or the person resisting the influence (which ever makes most sense).
• Winner gets what he wants and gets to explain how it happens.

This way you are always clear on what is going on and not stuck with vague nonsense.

I would also modify the Reputation system a bit. Everyone starts with a Reputation of 1 in something which they get to choose at the get go (A Bad Dude). Every time they use it as a bonus on an influence roll, they wager that point. If they win the contest it goes up. If they lose it goes down one.

Keith