Gate Pass Gazette What were your favorite GPG articles from 2022?

[xiphumor]

My hardcover GPG Annual came in the other day, and I thought we could appreciate the many people who contributed to it by talking about some of the articles that really shined!

If you contributed articles yourself, feel free to say what you contributed, but please leave yourself out of your list.

So, in no particular order:

• “Ways to be Fey” by Ryan Nock. The versatilty and whimsy of the Dreamborn get me every time. I think Ryan did a fantastic job delivering on a really difficult and complex heritage concept.
• “When Warlocks Take Notes From Other Classes” by David “Boo” Ludlow. A5e’s first maneuverist spellcaster was done so elegantly, AND we got a crazy awesome wildshape-centric warlock at the same time! Excellent work.
• “Streamline Your Dungeons: Delving Activities” by Rachel Williamson. I know Rachel is going to get love for her maneuvers and player options in this thread, but reading this piece made me ask “Oh wait. Why wasn’t that in the core books?” I really appreciate the insight required to identify and then fill this gap.
• The “Cunning Curses” series by Cassandra MacDonald. Cassandra clearly thought carefully about how to make curses an integral part of both the story and the mechanics of these items, to say nothing about how well designed the items themselves are!
• “Primeval Destinies” by Andrew Engelbrite. Excellent twist on the existing mechanics that was not only exciting in of itself, but also lit the way for several other possibilities for destinies in the future.

 

[VenerableBede]

Well thanks! I appreciate being on this list.

I haven't been able to purchase any of the GPGs, so sadly I don't really know enough of what's been going on to easily state what I liked the most. @Steampunkette is extremely prolific in this community and I've heard and read of a variety of her stuff in GPG (I'll point out her combat maneuvers specifically, well done), and I believe @timespike has some stuff in there that I liked (unfortunately, I can't remember anything specific at this moment), and I know you at least will in the nearby future (some very interesting Savant stuff, but no more spoilers beyond that)...

But really, I only remember this all because I've spoken with you directly here or on Discord.

 

[Steampunkette]

Some I really liked have been shouted out, already... but:

1) Heritages of Coral Climates, by PJ Coffey, is -good-. There's a reason it got the cover of the Annual.
2) Halloween Haunt: the Poltergeist, by Paul Hughes, explores the poltergeist concept -really- well.
3) Hardwired Heresies: The Mechanoskulls, by Mike Myler, gave us a great use for the Skull Goblet.
4) Well Equipped: Items of Intrigue, by Sarah Breyfogle, offers up some -fun- stuff that basically writes encounters off the items themselves.
5) I Heard You Like Monsters, by Ryan Nock. C'mon. He put a monster in your monster so you can monster while you monster!

 

[xiphumor]

Some I really liked have been shouted out, already... but:

1) Heritages of Coral Climates, by PJ Coffey, is -good-. There's a reason it got the cover of the Annual.
2) Halloween Haunt: the Poltergeist, by Paul Hughes, explores the poltergeist concept -really- well.
3) Hardwired Heresies: The Mechanoskulls, by Mike Myler, gave us a great use for the Skull Goblet.
4) Well Equipped: Items of Intrigue, by Sarah Breyfogle, offers up some -fun- stuff that basically writes encounters off the items themselves.
5) I Heard You Like Monsters, by Ryan Nock. C'mon. He put a monster in your monster so you can monster while you monster!

Could you speak a little more about #1? It didn’t click as much for me, and I would very much love to change my mind about it.

 

[xiphumor]

Edit: accidental double post

 

[Steampunkette]

Could you speak a little more about #1? It didn’t click as much for me, and I would very much love to change my mind about it.

Galeoni:
1) Halfling. Sharks.
2) Halfling. Sharks. In a Frenzy.
3) It triggers on Bloodied rather than at will.
4) It has no limit on times per rest.
5) Rending Bite ongoing damage.

Podes:
1) Podelets. PODELETS.
2) Tentacles. Don't judge me.
3) Large Size.
4) Creatures as improvised weapon rules.
5) Superior Tentacles. Once more, don't judge me.

 

[xiphumor]

Galeoni:
1) Halfling. Sharks.
2) Halfling. Sharks. In a Frenzy.
3) It triggers on Bloodied rather than at will.
4) It has no limit on times per rest.
5) Rending Bite ongoing damage.

Podes:
1) Podelets. PODELETS.
2) Tentacles. Don't judge me.
3) Large Size.
4) Creatures as improvised weapon rules.
5) Superior Tentacles. Once more, don't judge me.

Frenzy is actually what bothers me, because I don’t think immunity to fear is worth mandatory advantage on all attacks against yourself.

 

[Steampunkette]

Frenzy is actually what bothers me, because I don’t think immunity to fear is worth mandatory advantage on all attacks against yourself.

Unless you're in a VERY specific scenario: It really isn't.

But it's good for roleplay, and helps to push your party to keep you above bloodied rather than doing the "2hp yoyo" with healing word.

But also: You might as well immediately take all the "Bad" Tactical options. Like Press the Attack. Since you're already under constant advantage you might as well gain expertise dice to hit. Which, in turn, points back to good roleplay opportunities.

 

[xiphumor]

Unless you're in a VERY specific scenario: It really isn't.

But it's good for roleplay, and helps to push your party to keep you above bloodied rather than doing the "2hp yoyo" with healing word.

But also: You might as well immediately take all the "Bad" Tactical options. Like Press the Attack. Since you're already under constant advantage you might as well gain expertise dice to hit. Which, in turn, points back to good roleplay opportunities.

Those are good points I hadn’t considered.

 

[Pedantic]

I want to throw in more props for Rachel Williamson's Dungeon Delving activities. They are an excellent subsystem that I've built a whole cheat sheet for.