u/Mister_Chameleon

Spoilers: I love EZD6 as a system much more than D&D. It's a nice fun time. It's easy to teach, easy to set a character up for a total newbie, I don't need to make much of the rules up myself because the game's design is so streamlined. Or at the very least, not to the point it ever got tedious.

Using a one-pager of notes, I didn't have to look up much. Obviously, it was my first full-sized session of EZD6 as the RR, so some questions and bumps occured, but it we only had to double check the rules like... 3 times total. Even then only during the final hour when genuine questions came up.

I love running it, and it's SOOO fast that I had what would have taken 12 hours worth of gametime to run in D&D in a mere.... 4 hours tops in EZD6. Combat is so fast, so smooth, the exploding dice are exciting. Magick treasures are actually fun and make the players feel strong without them ever becoming invincible. Overall, it's a REAL treat for any game master who finds a crunchier game like 5e to be a headache.

I also HIGHLY recommend DM Scotty's Brain Candy, which provides some updates to the Core Fantasy book that really help with some rule clarifications, balancing, and biggest of all, providing a level up system that can be explained on a single page, which was very convenient and greatly appreciated for the players.

Now for the paraphrased thoughts of my players (4 of them, fake names used for privacy reasons)

1. Stewie, playing a Halfling Warrior. He loves how tanky he can be, being a tank specialist in any game we play.

2. Duncan, playing a Halfing Brute. Duncan took full advantage of the imaginative weapon designs by using a harpoon gun (which I ruled as a Free action he can reel enemies in, a la Scorpion) and was having the biggest ball in the entire party. He loves the fact you can make a really involved, flexible character to suit any ideas for power fantasies he could think of. He really got into the whole thing and he and Stewie even asked if I'd be willing to run a full scale EZD6 campaign on the side from our upcoming 5e game I'm doing on a different day.

3. Joey, playing an Elf Brute. Joey's build was more or less a copy of Duncan's, except for one inclination and being an elf. But it was more or less intentional and both of them didn't mind it. Joey had played a bit of 5e with us and is much newer than the former two players. However, only 5 minutes in, he asked "Is it bad that I like playing this more than D&D?" To which tells me what I believe; simpler games are better for newer players. Thus they can either chose to stick to a lighter game, or chose to move onto crunchy ones if they wish. Joey hit it off well and had a blast.

He came in a bit later than everyone else, but it took exactly enough time for him to make a character as it did for the waiting time till the session's start, which was less than 10 minutes. Compare that to a 5e character for a total newbie, which I've seen take as long as 50 minutes. So much quicker and more meaningful creation.

4. Grizzley: playing a Human Conjurer (Elementalist, Earth). Grizzley at first greatly enjoyed the freedom in imagination when making his character. Effectively creating an Earth bender, which was great flavor wise and played it well. Likewise, Grizzley enjoyed RPing his character a whole bunch with everyone else's. However, Grizzley has mixed views on the spellcasting. On the one hand, because there's no hard fast spells, he can be as imaginative with manipulating the ground as he can (even coming up with creative ways to use "metal" and "lava" bending), but doesn't like how the spellcasting mini-game can't use Karma, especially since he kept failing his spellcasting checks during the latter half of the session. AND it didn't help I didn't realize half the time he was using his "wand" which means no Resistance check was needed on my part for those. A mistake on my part and not Grizzley's.

We also couldn't tell if you can use karma on a wand attack or not, but I figured "I'll say it can, as the book only says it can't crit" as a quick ruling and it helped, but shamefully I failed to understand that sooner. My bad.

Grizzley was also a little critical that only 5 species are in the game, perhaps a bit unfair to compare it to D&D which has dozens more. Especially since Grizzley often likes to play animal-like characters, which don't natively exist in EZD6 Fantasy. This is no shade on Grizzley, he's a great player I always enjoy having. EZD6 just simply didn't light a fire in his belly like it did for everyone else.

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Despite a few hiccups, I do believe EZD6 stands as a great game to play with friends. Fun to engage in, lots of meat to chew on compared to other light-weight games. Especially compared to PbtA, which is functional and great for theater-kid games, but lacks the OMPH of EZD6's engine. Likewise, 5e has a LOT of meat to chew on but its creation system is crunchy, and the complexity of it's rules can be off putting. EZD6 hits a happy balance; you can play ANY character you want no matter how new you are (instead of delegated to being a Champion Human Fighter for baby's first character), while providing a lot of meaningful options.

Great game DM Scotty, and looking forward to trying out more titles in the series.

P.S., if you ever make an EZD6 Superhero game, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Masks looks kinda boring and M&M looks too crunchy for my tastes.

Basically the title but after some 3 years of running games at an LSG and often showing the door to the hobby for many brand new players... I'm tired of it.

I'm tired of having to explain such super basic things that tell me the VAST majority of people don't even try looking up a single rule before playing. Which I find ridiculous. Before I even had my own PHB or ever touched a d20, I would watch youtube videos about D&D all the time to learn how to play beforehand. Is it really THAT hard for someone to at least think about that possibility?

To help alleviate this, I have a set of color-coded dice that allow players to get into the swing faster (i.e., stop mixing their dice up and remembering to roll a d20 before doing their damage rolls). It actually REALLY helps, especially with a little color-code card. BUT... players STILL forget their modifiers. Dude LOOK AT YOUR F***KING SHEET AND STOP CRYING YOU MISSED JUST BECAUSE YOU FORGOT TO ADD THAT +6 TO YOUR D20 ROLL!.

Don't even get me started on people who insist on playing a spellcaster, then NEVER cast their spells because they don't bother learning how they work, then complain they aren't able to do anything. THAT'S WHY I SUGGESTED FIGHTER FOR YOUR FIRST TIME!

One more thing I know helps a lot is Jocats "Crap guide to D&D, Character Sheet." Video. That video is a BLESSING to show folks how to make their sheet that I take the time to let them at least watch how to fill things out and use the combat portion. But half the time, they arrive late and I don't have time to show it to them because lord forbid they at least arrive on time for the event they want to go to so bad. Imagine going to see a movie, only to miss the entire first act because you didn't FEEL like being on time.

Why this is a problem: I love D&D and other RPGs and I want to help folks learn how to play them so more games can be had by all and folks to play together bond together. Plus who knows, it might be nice to enjoy some home games former strangers might run. But I've noticed my patience has waned. The same hurdles over and over again. Either due to poor language choices in the book, OR (more common) folks assuming the DM has time to teach them EVERY thing about D&D in a few minutes like it was Sorry or Clue without even trying to look at a rulebook or watch any videos.

I want to feel as if my efforts to teach players are a good thing instead of an exercise in futility. Any advice fellow DMs would love to share with me on how to regain my desire and tips on teaching players more easily / quickly?

EDIT: Those suggesting I run something other than D&D 5e for beginners, I hear you loud and clear in both ears and I would LOVE to. Hell I've been advertising EZD6 to folks because it ACTUALLY is much more beginner friendly than 5e, but you know... folks who come off of Baldurs Gate 3, Stranger Things, and Critical Role want D&D specifically, even if in my humble opinion they'd like EZD6 more.

Had the episode on tape, but even after years, I have no idea what game these two were playing in the episode mentioned above.

The only clues being it seems to be a game where they hold a hand of 5, and it seems to have a pick up / draw from deck design, given they were arguing "If you pick up the card, you have to play the card." Which I'm drawing a blank on examples of games like that that involve a standard 52 deck.

Anyone have any guesses or any intimate knowledge of classic card games that might know? Unless it was just some weird thing the writer's ASSUMED would make sense for card based arguments. The fact Boris was willing to splatter Bicycle brand (as opposed to cheap Mavericks) a sandy beach, it must have been quite the hot button.

Pretty much the title. I have chronic bronchitis due to a childhood of being exposed to secondhand smoke by my careless mother. It got particularly nasty when I got pneumonia as a teenager and even started getting nasty, phlegm filled coughs. It sucks and can even keep me up at night.

I live on my own now, but the damage to my body was done. Usually it only seems to flare up in the winter when cold air agitates my lungs but this summer has been so hot it's had a weirdly similar effect. Both of my sisters have gotten on my case about my coughs, even insisting I need to see a doctor.

Problem is, they just assume I never saw one or that I'm self-diagnosing. Even when I repeatedly remind them my cough is not contagious and a result of chronic bronchitis, they act as if I just told them that I live next door to bigfoot and don't seem to get it. Nor do they seem to understand no one coughs on purpose neither. Seriously, coughing sucks.

I really don't know what proof they need, but I am SOOOO sick of constantly getting nagged about this JUST because my mom wouldn't just take HER bad habit outside instead of making it my problem.

I've been noticing in this CM folks are presenting some EXTREMELY weird cases of Umas.

Especially weird was a Front Runner Rudolf WITHOUT the inspiration to justify it. Let alone no Sprint inspiration either. Lot of weird set ups like that lately. Are people throwing matches on CM and if so what for?

"With Confusion out of the picture due to the accident breaking her legs, we still have Reed Photobook, Cesario, AND.... introducing Rigantona! ready to roll. We're very saddened by this catastrophe, but hope for the best for her future endeavors! Whatever they might be with training assistances!"

"In the meantime, I'm keeping my eyes open for more races to put you bunch in, and prove that you're all the best of the Umas! Even though Ed has been busy lately!" --Ed

I'm not dunking on anyone's tastes and I'm probably the odd one out. Nor am I saying one's opinions are subject to my own tastes or trying to start any fights. But mostly curious.

Having seen both Godzilla anime incarnations, I'm unsure why the Anime Trilogy is universally hated and Singular Point is controversial at best (some love it, some hate it, I'm the latter).

Personally, I enjoyed the Anime Trilogy WAY more than Singular Point between the two if I had to pick. I can share my reasons, but I'd like to hear everyone else's too.