So, I have been going through this amazing game and compiling my feedback and also using chunks of it (especially...

So, I have been going through this amazing game and compiling my feedback and also using chunks of it (especially the amazing character creation) for my own hack.

There is something I realized about the traits - from race or job or membership - I don't let it offer advantage on attack rolls.

I think advantage for attack rules should come from positioning, etc.

Does anyone else do this? Or am I missing something?

I was reading over the PDF last night and came across this in the rules for Advantage/disadvantage:

I was reading over the PDF last night and came across this in the rules for Advantage/disadvantage:

• If you have disadvantage, keep the best result.
• If you have advantage, keep the worst result.

Shouldn't that be the opposite? Or perhaps it means "best" as equivalent to highest since it's a roll-under system? But if that is the case, it wouldn't work for advantage/disadvantage on damage rolls (where higher is better).

I would think that if you have Advantage, you'd keep the "best" result for you, which would be the lower roll for a Stat test or the higher roll for a damage roll. You'd keep the "worst" roll with disadvantage (higher for Stat rolls, lower for damage).

Thoughts?

The currency system in Macchiato Monsters provides a very useful framework for abstracting value, so I used it as...

The currency system in Macchiato Monsters provides a very useful framework for abstracting value, so I used it as the basis of a magic ritual system for my upcoming Weird Florida campaign that will be largely based on MM.

Another test

This was a placeholder blog. I don't think I'll ever use it.

Hello everybody and merry Xmas !

Hello everybody and merry Xmas !

It's winter holidays, so I can spend lot of time with my son Valentin (6 years old).
And we start to play rpg together.
MM is perfect, he can't read (too young) but he understands numbers and dice rollings and he really wants to play with daddy !
He drew two dungeon, we created one character each and go !

Maybe it's not pure Macchiato Monsters games but Milky Monsters... but it staies MM rpg !

As pictures, you can see our characters and the two dungeon. And with the first dungeon our handmade tables for encounters and treasures !

see you...

Rules Question and Rules Discussion

Rules Question and Rules Discussion
1. Rules Question re: armor/weapon dice limitation
p.6. Combat Training: "The maximum armour or damage die you can have is equal to your hit die type."
p. 16 Armour Weight: "If you are wearing armour above your hit die type, add the die to all physical and magic checks..."

So, my d6 HD Magic User can't wield a sword (d8) but can he wear a chain hauberk (d8) with penalties?

What does "add the armour die to checks whenever you are doing something it is not intented for" mean? I roll the risk die and every time it lands on a 1-3 the risk die gets stepped down?

2. Rules Discussion: Spellcasting Stats
I'm curious: how do you handle spellcasting stats? You could stay traditional (MU = INT, Cleric = WIL, Bard = CHA) or use whatever you feel makes sense.
A Monk with DEX or STR for "spellcasting"/Ki Powers?
All magic is rolled with INT?
I just don't want to create dump stats...

So I did it !

So I did it !
I played as referee yesterday evening.
What game ?
Macchiato Monsters of course, stupid idiot !
My differents impressions about  MM as player are confirmed as referee.
It's a bloody good game !
The mecanisms are clear and fluid so you can play with your players without spend your time in the book.
Yes there are some subtleties but when you have the concept of how you roll the dice, the concept of dR and avantages/disavantages, you can manage all part of the game.
So, you can direct all your awarness on the players and the story.
For exemple, yesterday we have a trial scene.
Usually, I used to play mostly in RP and ask for CHA but without really know what I can do with this roll...
It was a trial without attorney and lawyer,  just a audience to the council of the city.
Yesterday, I don't know if it's a good idea, but I say to myself : ok the trial is a dR : the risk to be declare guilty. It begin as d8 and if at the end of the scene the dR is not "finished", they are not guilty.
During the trial, when they have to answer to important questions, they roll CHA. Failed, I roll CHA with disavantage, some failed, some not, common dR roll, they succed I roll with avantage. Sometime, when they answer very good or very bad, I don't use the CHA check. I directly roll the dR with avantage or disavantage.
At the end they were declared not guilty.
And the trial was quick, with RP, and with rules which make the decision was not a arbitrary decision of the all mighty Master !

What do you see the six stats as representing?

What do you see the six stats as representing? Aside from fighting and hit points, I mean. INT, WIS and CHA are mentioned in connection with magic, but do they represent other things. It may have a psychological effect to have an INT of 5, but do you (Eric Nieudan and others) see it as having a mechanical effect?

French feedback

French feedback

http://www.pandapirate.net/casus/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=28088&start=645
http://www.pandapirate.net/casus/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=28088&start=645

Questions and suggestions Eric Nieudan

Questions and suggestions Eric Nieudan
a) Suggestion for wording
On p. 4 Advantage and Disadvantage
If you have disadvantage, keep the best lowest result.
If you have advantage, keep the worst highest result.

Good or bad are relative because it is a roll-under-mechanic, right? So the best result is a low result and I find the original wording a bit unclear.

b) Questions re. Wealth
Splitting and merging
I can split a d12 silver pouch into 2 bags of silver d6, 3 pockets of silver d4, or a bag of silver d8 + pouch of d4?
But when I merge two bags, i.e. two bags of gold d4, I don't get a d8 but a d6.

I don't get it.
So, do I divide the number 12? Then it's 2x6, or 3x4 but why is it a bag of d8 and d4? So, I don't divide it, do I?
And when I have two bags of silver d6 and I would merge them together again, wouldn't I get a pouch of silver d8?

Please help, Eric O-Nieudi.

Has anyone got a handy convention scenario or one-shot available?

Has anyone got a handy convention scenario or one-shot available? I'd like to take the game for a test-drive on Thursday, but I don't have time to prep my own scenario before then (nor am I entirely sure how to go about doing so--my dungeon-creating chops are massively out of shape). Thanks!

To dig and to probably test the probabilities via anydice. Replace Chtlulhu sanity dice with a risk dice.

I'll be running a game of MM on either the 29th or the 30th (December).

I'll be running a game of MM on either the 29th or the 30th (December). The exactly time hasn't been decided, but it will probably be in the evening, Central European Time.


The game takes place on Google Hangouts.

Just in time for my vacation!

Just in time for my vacation!

When a monster stat block indicates a save is needed for a hero to ward off a given effect, does "save" here just...

When a monster stat block indicates a save is needed for a hero to ward off a given effect, does "save" here just mean a check on a relevant attribute?

So the link to the English language character sheets on http://quenouille.com/ is broken—takes you to the French...

So the link to the English language character sheets on http://quenouille.com/ is broken—takes you to the French sheets instead.
http://quenouille.com/

As Bruno Bord asked me, there are the pregen characters of the Macchiato Company.

As Bruno Bord  asked me, there are the pregen characters of the Macchiato Company.
I made them with the rules and no cheating. They are all level 1 but maybe some of them deserve more.
Now it's time to play !

Some things I've thought about after reading, but not playing MM.

Some things I've thought about after reading, but not playing MM.

1) Will there be more of the basic stuff in the 1st edition? What the stats mean, who rolls dice etc. The kind of thing us old hands know, or are able to guess, but would confuse a newcomer.

2) I hope the monster art stays. :-)

3) How much setting do you (all) set down before the fist session?

"You're a Royal Elven Combat Florist?"

"You're a Royal Elven Combat Florist?"

Possible overthinking ahead.

How expansive are your Traits? I generally think two words that have a fairly obvious connection, or form a whole.

So Eric Nieudan's Singing Gnome isn't just a Gnome that can Sing, but part of a tribe/species of Singing Gnomes.

Hello Macchiato Lovers !

Hello Macchiato Lovers !

I said you, few days ago, that I created an open drive with somme MM stuff in it.
So, for now, we can find character sheets (english and french, by 1 or by 3 per page), a character sheet in goblin, some drawings painted with coffee and some coffee stains.
Since today, you can find also the jpeg doc for press your own Character Sheet Mug (panoramic mug size).

But now, for the greater good, we have to feed the Macchiato Midget.

If you have some MM stuff : another character sheets, master screen, scenarios, random tables, drawings, goodies... please send to :

macchiatomidget@gmail.com

I will put your creations in the drive (with your name of course).
And the 10 first who will give something (interesting...) will receive a real sized statue of Eric Nieudan made in coffe grounds and french cheese.

In the name of the MM community, I thank you for your contribution.

What sort of specialist training have you come up with for your characters?

What sort of specialist training have you come up with for your characters? Have you (as GM) said no, or qualified yes to any?

I've yet had the pleasure of playing MM, but I must say that character creation is quite habit-forming.

A very pleasant e-mail in my inbox today. The race for the the first picture of the physical book of MM has begun!

So yesterday evening that was my very-first-ever Macchiato Monsters game, with guillaume jentey ; while Matthieu B...

So yesterday evening that was my very-first-ever Macchiato Monsters game, with guillaume jentey ; while Matthieu B was our GM.

Character creation was a bit slow to my tastes. The difficult part was to link the stats (very poor stats, I even had a 5 in CHA) to the equipment and gears I've rolled.
But I've managed to build a "eastern-monkoid herborist", both STRongish and more-than-average WISe. I rolled a "1" for his HP. Sssssssshhhhhhhhhhit.
But still as ugly as this picture looks.
The GM then let us level up to lvl 3. I could add a few points here and there, but still 1 Hit Point. grml.

We had a great adventure that has stopped at 00:30, in a not-so good situation, trapped in an Inn that looks made of ashes, and some vengeful creature that want to add our characters to the bodycount.

The system is really working great, and it's as elegant as one could expect: it serves the story, and doesn't get across the players, and eventually it feeds the narrative.

I think I still have to get the habit to play a completely clueless, helpless and defenseless adventurer, but still having to get his way, as alive as possible.
I've no doubt that it might get easier as I'll drink more Monster Macchiatos.

Hello everybody !

Hello everybody !

There are some news for all Macchiato's lovers : I just create an open drive where you can download goodies...

You can find :
- character sheets in english, in french, in goblin (by 1 or by 3)
- coffee stains to make your own Macchiato Tools.
- Monsters painted with coffee I made for fun.

Of course, everything it's for free, but please if you use not only for yourself, mention MM, Eric Nieudan and I.

Thank you for your reading.
Excuse my addled english.
And good games !
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0FabNkczQcqQ045X3FWdnJzOU0?usp=sharing

Eric Nieudan you decided on 3d6 instead of 4d4 for chargen. What changed your mind?

From Brian Ashford:

From Brian Ashford:
1 - I really like the way you have deconstructed Whitehack's classes into the three different area's of training.

2 - I'm not keen on the title, but I do like coffee and the monsters drinking coffee are ace! (I'd have called it Yin Yang Hack)

3 - I love the equipment tables, I'll definitely be using that.

4 - Burning a point of Con for a HD reroll feels weird to me. I think I'd just give new character a single free reroll and if they mess that one up too they are stuck with it (low HP builds character).

5 - You have found so many great uses for the Black Hack Usage Dice. The multiple types of cash is really nicely done. Armour looks good too.

6 - I'm still not keen on rolling against stats for attack and defence.

7 - Your levelling up paragraph does a lot of work, there is a lot of system squeezed in here well done! I would maybe let players reroll their HD hoping for a better pot of HP, even if they don't buy a new HD.

8 - I'm never a fan of multiple attack rolls, and I think that letting players buy additional attacks could break the balance pretty quick. I know you want something pretty good for combat trained characters to take but this looks like too much to me. How about limiting it to one additional style per combat training? That would make the maximum attacks from levels 1 through 10, 1,2,3,4,4,4,5,5,5,6 (and for this a player would really have to specialise). That's still more than I would like but it's a little more contained.

9 - I just saw that you are only supposed to roll the d20 once in a combat round, how does that work with multiple attacks? And with multiple opponents? I can remember this causing issues when I was running Advanced Fighting Fantasy 2nd ed.

10 - There are an awful lot of dice mentioned throughout the text and it's not always clear which ones are just to be rolled (like damage dice) and which ones are to be rolled as risk dice. Perhaps it would be clearer if you extended the 'dR' notation so that a Risk d6 is d6R? Also are there times when you roll a risk dice when it isn't at risk of dropping (rolling hireling abilities for example)?

11 - Really fun collection of monsters!

Wow, sorry, that's quite a lot. Ignore/discuss/share as you like. I'm more than happy to chat if you want more detail or if you didn't understand some of my ramblings. :-)