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    Default Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Since our group keeps changing its composition in preparation of our next campaign (the Jade Regeant adventure path,) I've decided to make a few different characters to choose from. In looking at possible roles to fill, I've started considering playing a fighter or other melee class. The thing that I always come back to with fighters is that I see myself having fun shrugging off damage for a couple rounds or swinging a big greatsword for a session or two, but then growing bored with it.

    It seems like I would have to invest multiple levels and feats into a fighter to make him good at any one thing, such as qualifying for Spring Attack to make him a mobile combatant, while I could get so many more options in a single level with a spell caster.

    It seems like I can make a fighter who's good at hitting things hard and then hitting them harder or who can block an attack and then block an attack slightly better, but I can make a wizard who can burn things, hide things, transfrom things, and summon other creatures to do all sorts of other things. I suppose I can always try to interact with my environment to shake thngs up and give myself more options, but casters seem like they'd be better at that as well (mage hand, telekinesis, fire on demand, etc.)

    So I guess I'm asking you guys how you avoid getting bored playing a fighter? What's the appeal that keeps you playing one session after session?
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Play a warblade, crusader, or druid.

    /thread
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    I find them fun to rp. Complexity doesn't equal fun for me all the time.
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    I like playing fighters for the same reason I like playing any other character: the roleplaying. I also don't get bored with doing more or less the same thing over and over in combat, because to me the interesting part in combat is deciding who to attack and what angle to come at them from and things like that. It's not more boring to me to roll for attack and damage than it is to ask for a save for a spell (less, in fact, often).

    I can see that if you like to do something radically different in every single fight, playing a fighter would get boring. I'm not sure how, if that is the case, you would keep from getting bored. Perhaps carry more than one weapon, such as a melee weapon and a bow, and switch up your strategy every so often?

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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by StoryKeeper View Post
    So I guess I'm asking you guys how you avoid getting bored playing a fighter? What's the appeal that keeps you playing one session after session?
    I like killing things with just a roll of a D20. I like beeing mundane. I like beeing the badass normal.

    I think for D&D the Fighter was at its height in AD&D 2e. But the above can still be true in 3.5 in a low OP, low level environment.

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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by Swiftmongoose View Post
    Play a warblade, crusader, or druid.

    /thread
    You do mean make this thread last 20 pages as people discuss wether or not warblade is meant to replace fighter and wether it does a good job of it right?
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Well, I don't think you are playing 4e, but they have a jillion powers in 4e.

    I suggest making your stats weird and roleplay him as such.

    Maybe make his intelligence low and eff up in combat every now and again.
    Maybe make his charisma low and have him be a socially awkward drunk.
    MAybe just give him a really, really cool backstory.

    (Maybe multiclass in something a little more interesting)
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by Bearpunch View Post
    (Maybe multiclass in something a little more interesting)
    That is exactly the problem we're talking about The solution to fighter problems is multiclass out?

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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Even Thog knows fighter is a two level PrC with no prerequisites. Dungeoncrasher and Zhentarim are longer versions.
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by Frosty View Post
    That is exactly the problem we're talking about The solution to fighter problems is multiclass out?
    Touche. I suggest roleplaying well, then, honestly. I don't have much experience with 3.5/3e, so I can't help you much besides that.
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    IMHO the key to playing a fun fighter is this: don't get suckered into thinking that you can only play a fighter that's really good at one thing. Spread those bonus feats around. A straight fighter gets 17 feats to develop a fighting style that is his alone. With the massive variety of fighter bonus feats, why would you want to pigeon-hole him into one tactic? Especially since he'll be completely hosed if your dm has selected a foe that is resistant or imune to that tactic. Even a DM that's not being malicious will occasionally choose a monster that's immune to tripping, or one that's too big and strong to grapple effectively.
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by StoryKeeper View Post
    Since our group keeps changing its composition in preparation of our next campaign (the Jade Regeant adventure path,) I've decided to make a few different characters to choose from. In looking at possible roles to fill, I've started considering playing a fighter or other melee class. The thing that I always come back to with fighters is that I see myself having fun shrugging off damage for a couple rounds or swinging a big greatsword for a session or two, but then growing bored with it.

    It seems like I would have to invest multiple levels and feats into a fighter to make him good at any one thing, such as qualifying for Spring Attack to make him a mobile combatant, while I could get so many more options in a single level with a spell caster.

    It seems like I can make a fighter who's good at hitting things hard and then hitting them harder or who can block an attack and then block an attack slightly better, but I can make a wizard who can burn things, hide things, transfrom things, and summon other creatures to do all sorts of other things. I suppose I can always try to interact with my environment to shake thngs up and give myself more options, but casters seem like they'd be better at that as well (mage hand, telekinesis, fire on demand, etc.)

    So I guess I'm asking you guys how you avoid getting bored playing a fighter? What's the appeal that keeps you playing one session after session?
    try the combat techniques. not ToB, i mean, sundering, disarming and the like. this works better in PF because they have extra feats for it, but you can do it in 3.5 too. for instance, IIRC a ranseur has reach and a disarming bonus. as they come in, use your AoO to disarm them. if they leave their weapon behind, grab your longsword and slash the heck out of them. if they stay to grab it, stab them a few times and step back to do the same. with the same fighter build, you could fail the first disarm and drop your weapon, but then make the next unarmed disarm check and take theirs. or just have that one be plan A: you don't fight with your weapon when you can just use your enemy's.

    Another option is to have your fighter be dex based, and use rules for aimed shots. take out his legs and kite him around. If you think less about pure damage/tripping and more about being interesting, a lot of extra options open up.

    As for sundering, tell your DM to plan for enemy weapons to be in a ruined state. ask him not to put too much wealth into weapons for treasure, and maybe he'll respond. the main argument against sundering is usually pretty much that you lose out on treasure or it's a waste of actions. or both. stop worrying about effectiveness, i had fun with my monk that taught me why they were comparably ineffective. as for treasure, think about the point: you get stronger, basically. but if your +1 adamantine bastard sword of sundering(i think MIC has that as a property) can get rid of any opponent's armor and weapons and magical gear and whatever else, why do you need to be that well protected? (and yes, i know monsters aren't always subject to this trick. that's why it's encompassed in one feat, which your fighter can totally spare.)

    EDIT:
    Quote Originally Posted by Kelb_Panthera View Post
    IMHO the key to playing a fun fighter is this: don't get suckered into thinking that you can only play a fighter that's really good at one thing. Spread those bonus feats around. A straight fighter gets 17 feats to develop a fighting style that is his alone. With the massive variety of fighter bonus feats, why would you want to pigeon-hole him into one tactic? Especially since he'll be completely hosed if your dm has selected a foe that is resistant or imune to that tactic. Even a DM that's not being malicious will occasionally choose a monster that's immune to tripping, or one that's too big and strong to grapple effectively.
    Also, this. this this this. a feat may not make a class ability, but no other class gets that many feats. burn a couple on power attack and other basic necessities, then go wild.
    Last edited by Provengreil; 2011-09-02 at 03:37 PM.
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by Provengreil View Post
    try the combat techniques. not ToB, i mean, sundering, disarming and the like. this works better in PF because they have extra feats for it, but you can do it in 3.5 too.
    Huh? PF gives you +43% the number of feats, then requires you to take +100% the number of feats to do the same stuff as 3.5. (eg. Improved Trip was split into Improved Trip and Greater Trip) That's a net loss of feats.

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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by Prime32 View Post
    Huh? PF gives you +43% the number of feats, then requires you to take +100% the number of feats to do the same stuff as 3.5. (eg. Improved Trip was split into Improved Trip and Greater Trip) That's a net loss of feats.
    Yes, but Greater Trip now makes the target provoke from EVERYONE within range, so it's arguably a bit better.

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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by Frosty View Post
    Yes, but Greater Trip now makes the target provoke from EVERYONE within range, so it's arguably a bit better.
    Except then your AoOs are wasted when he provokes by standing up. And you no longer get a free attack.
    Last edited by Hiro Protagonest; 2011-09-02 at 04:00 PM.
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Simplicity. You don't need hugely complicated and powerful characters for all sorts of games. For those, using classes that rely on the simple core mechanics more than convoluted subsystems is preferable. There's still a lot of room in the class to customize your character to suit your needs.
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by Wings of Peace View Post
    I find them fun to rp. Complexity doesn't equal fun for me all the time.
    Quote Originally Posted by Remmirath View Post
    I like playing fighters for the same reason I like playing any other character: the roleplaying.
    Every time this discussion comes up I always see these responses, and continue to wonder what special RP comes from being a fighter as opposed to anybody else from an even sparsely martial background. Last I checked he's "a dude who fights".

    With another look-over though, it seems the OPs problem is more with one trick pony martial characters rather than just fighter imparticular (though it's one of the most obvious examples). In which case yeah, ToB fixes a bit of that. Alternatively, play a Gish and get the best of both worlds!
    Last edited by Terazul; 2011-09-02 at 03:59 PM.

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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by Prime32 View Post
    Huh? PF gives you +43% the number of feats, then requires you to take +100% the number of feats to do the same stuff as 3.5. (eg. Improved Trip was split into Improved Trip and Greater Trip) That's a net loss of feats.
    big deal, you're a fighter. what they did, or at least tried to do, was give fighter a way to be good at more things while not simply taking those same things away from other classes completely. when I said you can do more, i meant they added feats like, say, sundering strike(free sunder attack on a critical hit). when i said it works better, i meant that specializing in something like sundering works better because you have more options and therefore more specialization ability. you may need to take those two feats to get the same numbers as before, but so does your opponent and you have 17 feats to throw around. he has 7.
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by Provengreil View Post
    you may need to take those two feats to get the same numbers as before, but so does your opponent and you have 17 feats to throw around. he has 7.
    The difference is the opponent has 7 feats and Class Features.

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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by StoryKeeper View Post
    So I guess I'm asking you guys how you avoid getting bored playing a fighter? What's the appeal that keeps you playing one session after session?
    Well, you ask a person specific question, so here is a person specific answer: I don't. I've tried various combinations on the basic melee classes, tried to add in more unusual mechanics and options, but it doesn't work for me. There is no appeal to me, so I've just stopped playing fighters altogether.

    Now, some people can play a fighter and be fine with what the class offers (as we can see in this thread), but I prefer a bit more complexity, and more options, and I'm willing to wager (particularly because given what has been said here, it is a bet I can only win) there are quite a few people like me, particularly on these forums.

    And, given the way you're describing it, it seems to me that you have a fairly similar mindset. I don't think you'll necessarily get a satisfactory answer to this question, if what you're really looking for is "how can I make the fighter class not be boring to me?"

    A class doesn't have to be universally appealing though, that's one of the reasons why we have a number of them to choose from. Some people can be fine playing fighters, some people can decide they aren't fine with playing a fighter, and choose something else. If you can't get into the fighter, but still want to play melee, go try out Incarnum (Incarnate and Totemist, despite initial appearances, are both capable of being combat beasts, and have some more options and activity to them, though not as much as the wizard). You might also try a Cleric or Druid, who can be great archers or good frontliners, while also having a variety of spells for the day. I'd suggest Tome of Battle, but everyone else does that all the time, so you probably know what there is to be said for it.
    Last edited by AmberVael; 2011-09-02 at 04:04 PM.

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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by Frozen_Feet View Post
    Simplicity. You don't need hugely complicated and powerful characters for all sorts of games. For those, using classes that rely on the simple core mechanics more than convoluted subsystems is preferable. There's still a lot of room in the class to customize your character to suit your needs.
    Same here. Fighters are a good choice for when you want to play a warrior in a game that doesn't bother to much with special abilities. Grab your sword and beat people to death with it, everything else is roleplaying.
    It's the same reason why one would play wizards with more than 5 levels.
    Last edited by Yora; 2011-09-02 at 04:08 PM.
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    OP: Well, from what I hear, Pathfinder did finally start incorporating something of the lesson of ToB in Ultimate Combat. Mostly by feats that it's easier to take as a monk, from what I've heard.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Frozen_Feet View Post
    Simplicity. You don't need hugely complicated and powerful characters for all sorts of games. For those, using classes that rely on the simple core mechanics more than convoluted subsystems is preferable. There's still a lot of room in the class to customize your character to suit your needs.
    Building an effective fighter is more complex than a barbarian or rogue.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bearpunch View Post
    Touche. I suggest roleplaying well, then, honestly. I don't have much experience with 3.5/3e, so I can't help you much besides that.
    Not a reason to play or stay Fighter though. Barbarians, Rangers, and even Paladins can roleplay well. Maybe even Monks.

    Quote Originally Posted by Frosty View Post
    That is exactly the problem we're talking about The solution to fighter problems is multiclass out?
    I must admit that I prefer a more final solution myself. And by that I mean re-writing the system so they no longer exist and so no longer muck up the feat system for everyone else and their grandmother (I'm looking at you, feat trees that only exist to delay Fighters) or replace the fighter class with one with actual abilities.

    Quote Originally Posted by Zombimode View Post
    I like killing things with just a roll of a D20. I like beeing mundane. I like beeing the badass normal.
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    Last edited by Coidzor; 2011-09-02 at 04:14 PM.
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by Coidzor View Post
    Building an effective fighter is more complex than a barbarian or rogue.
    Effective in contrast to what? I'm talking of games that stay arm's lenght away from complex special abilities and other things that stray away from the core mechanics, so many of the things that'd obsolete a fighter and necessitate precise optimization flat-out won't appear in a game. Nevertheless, building a fighter isn't that hard, and playing one is still simple. Rogue and Barbarian might be simpler, but also might not offer something eelse that makes Fighter an atractive option on that occasion.
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by StoryKeeper View Post
    So I guess I'm asking you guys how you avoid getting bored playing a fighter? What's the appeal that keeps you playing one session after session?
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    When I envision 'Fighter', images are brought to my mind of someone who is skilled with weapons, probably a lot of them, and can use them in combat against opponents who are also skilled.

    That's why I almost never use the class Fighter, since he cannot achieve this goal.

    PsyWar, Warblade, Swordsage, Crusader, even Ranger... but Fighter just... mechanically doesn't function.

    It's hard to develop the cognitive dissonance and imagine my character as 'one of the world's finest swordsmen' when, in fact, he's the weakest character in the party, and can be bested by a character half his level with pathetic ease.
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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Part of the fun is the roleplay, and the DM is a partner in it. If all you and the DM think the fighter is is a guy with a pointy stick who stabs things, then you will get bored. Rogues have guilds. Wizards have schools. Clerics have temples. What do Fighters get? Fighter get academies. Have feats and feat chains be particular techniques that are taught. One acadamey can teach the Power Attack route. Their rival teaches the Combat Expertise route. One favors brute force and charges. Another favors mobility with Spring Attack and Whirlwind Attack. Some may prefer combat maneuvers like disarming, sundering, and bull rush. Others may stress balancing your skills other than fighting such as learning Iron Will, Leadership qualities, and in 3E feats to make skills class skills while in Pathfinder encourage taking Skill Focus even for a non-class skill like Perception, which is worth a feat in Pathfinder.

    Aside from game mechanics roleplay, engage your character roleplay. You're not just some fighter in a party. Even saying you're a mercenary is cliche and boring. Give yourself a nickname, like The Wall or Steelblade. Call your sword "god meeter", i.e. when you kill someone they meet their god. Seek titles of nobility. Become a Knight of the realm. Strive to become Baron of a city. You can make it your quest to become King, something you accomplish at the end of the campaign after defeating the Ultimate BBEG, possibly becoming an important NPC in the next campaign.

    You're not just some guy with a pointy stick who stabs things.

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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    A fighter is worth it in a game where EVERYONE is restricted to other low power classes. I'm about to join a game like that, personally. It's just Tier 5 and Nerfed Tier 4, and everyone is SRD Kobolds without the RotD or Web enhancement powers.

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    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by Gavinfoxx View Post
    A fighter is worth it in a game where EVERYONE is restricted to other low power classes. I'm about to join a game like that, personally. It's just Tier 5 and Nerfed Tier 4, and everyone is SRD Kobolds without the RotD or Web enhancement powers.
    Hooray! I love kobolds and games consisting entirely of monstrous PCs. Especially when the monsters are things like goblins and kobolds.

    It sounds like what I'm really looking for is a remake of the fighter that will allow me more flexibility than the current fighter. Maybe I'll take a stab at brewing such a redo sometime. Thanks for the discussion, folks. :)
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    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Dec 2010
    Location
    Anywhere but here
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    The character I played which I enjoyed most was a half-Drow fighter. He took a Mongoose prestige class to get to use an incredibly awesome weapon, and he took a couple of levels of Warblade toward the end of his career, but I still played him mostly as a straight fighter. In combat, he hit things and did his best to soak up the damage intended for the squishy casters. Out of combat, he was a well-fleshed-out character, with a simple but compelling backstory and a fully developed personality. Combat is only half the fun of an RPG (ROLEPLAYING game).

    Also, I enjoyed using this almost completely mundane character to do things which the casters had to use a spell to do. Sure, it was more difficult and complicated, but where's the fun in something when you can just go "poof" and do whatever you want?

    Also, thanks to the Mongoose PrC, it got to the point where he would instantly kill any crit-able opponent a fifth of the time. This generally happened at the best possible moments, so my character was kept on good footing with the casters. It was a low-op group (me, sorcerer, druid, warlock, ranger), and it was fun for everyone despite the power differences at times.

    tl;dr: play a fighter because of the character, not because of the combat.

  30. - Top - End - #30
    Colossus in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Xin-Shalast
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    Male

    Default Re: Why Play a Fighter? (DND/Pathfinder)

    Quote Originally Posted by byaku rai View Post
    Combat is only half the fun of an RPG (ROLEPLAYING game).
    Too bad D&D is a game that has any useful social interaction governed by the skill system.

    It's not one where just conversing about the weather is determined in-system, but it certainly does put a crimp on this explanation.

    The fact that there's more to the game than combat is part of the reason to be dissatisfied with playing a Fighter, not a reason or incentive to play one.

    Quote Originally Posted by Gavinfoxx View Post
    A fighter is worth it in a game where EVERYONE is restricted to other low power classes. I'm about to join a game like that, personally. It's just Tier 5 and Nerfed Tier 4, and everyone is SRD Kobolds without the RotD or Web enhancement powers.
    That's... a rather self-evident statement. Of course it's relatively worthwhile if you axe everything better than it.

    Quote Originally Posted by navar100 View Post
    Strive to become Baron of a city. You can make it your quest to become King, something you accomplish at the end of the campaign after defeating the Ultimate BBEG, possibly becoming an important NPC in the next campaign.
    Possibly because the Fighter ran the kingdom into the ground with his poor ability to listen to good advisers over bad ones and make good appointments to positions of power under him, lack of knowledge of good governance, and susceptibility to magical domination.

    (For reference see JaronK's "Leadership Mechanics in D&D" over on BG)

    You can't just throw gold at a kingdom and expect it to be ruled well, and that's about the only thing the Fighter has, well, other than having exotic pets and being able to scare people into doing what he wants while he's breathing down their neck.

    It does give the next campaign's adventurers job security though, I must admit...
    Last edited by Coidzor; 2011-09-02 at 07:01 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Keld Denar View Post
    +3 Girlfriend is totally unoptimized. You are better off with a +1 Keen Witty girlfriend and then appling Greater Magic Make-up to increase her enhancement bonus.
    Homebrew
    To Do: Reboot and finish Riptide

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