A flickering candle in the dark. (Inactive)

Game Master Helaman

Been playing this a bit lately and am enjoying the experience so far. Its not replacing PF (the group I am playing it with aren't in favour of PF either), I still have my regular game but I am thinking of running it here as a PbP.

I have a long running PbP game already (2K+ posts) and hope that if there is enough interest that it also become long running.

I am thinking of putting it in a gothic horror/Ustalav/Ravenloft style setting and have one or two house rules (mainly additional feat choices/firearms and a horror/madness mechanic - if you fail enough throws you start replacing background traits with negative versions) but apart from that the rules will be as written.

I'd need players to have their own copy of the rules.

Anyways, seeking expressions of interest ONLY. Don't make characters just yet.

In your expressions of interest tell me abit about what SORT of character you'd like to ROLEPLAY and if you've any PbP experience (and a track record for sticking around... played in a lot of PbPs but most of them fold).

If I get enough interest I'll post more on character generation, house rules etc.

I assume you're referring to the latest DnD version out, which I think is 5?

I have not been in the pbp world long, but I have been very active. I think a warden type char would be interesting. A nature guardian.

A Gothic Kingmaker... that would be glorious in 5e (warlock for the win!).

I assume you're referring to the latest DnD version out, which I think is 5?

Yep. D&D Next/5th ed what have you...

I may run some of the old TSR modules instead.

Ok, I've got the Player's Handbook for DnD 5 and would like to try it out. As for other versions of DnD, I have no interest in 4.0 and prefer PF to the earlier versions.

I have been working on a High Elf Warlock, but I see one of the other posters is also interested in running a warlock. I suppose I could go with either a fighter with the eldritch knight archetype or maybe a wizard specializing in transmutation.

I am currently in 3 games on this board which are running slowly enough that picking up another game should be no problem.

Cutlass is in.

Anyone else with a PHB?

I have the book.

You're in then :)

For those who don't have the rules and want to play? I think WotC is still distrubuting a free pdf with the basic rules and Wiz,fighter,cleric, thief/rogue classes.

If you have that then you're ok too.

Excellent. If Viluki does not get in I'll run the high elf warlock. But if Viluki does get in I'll let him run a warlock and I'll run something else.

By the way Cutlass, my concept is best done as a paladin.

Good, that will give me somebody to hide behind. :-)

Though this latest version of DnD has some interesting changes. Spell casters don't seem to be quite as defenseless in melee as they used to be, and the changes in how they set up Armor Class and altered BAB progression are things that I'm going to have to see in action to evaluate. It seems to be a simpler system. The question is to what extent it may be a better system.

Id be willing to join. i have the rules for 5e and i would be willing to play sorccerer or fighter depending. I have played 5e and its fun. my concept will work best with sorccerer, or ill play a battle master. WIth a sorccerer ill be able to work better. already a cleric in a other 5e game....

Okies - we have interest then.

I'll keep this open for a day or two while I prep my obsidian portal site and the adventure.

Anyone else with the free PDF or the rule book should post here.

Again, don't make characters, think on your characters background and concept is all.

I'll open the discussion thread at that point to mutually discuss ground rules, baseline expectations etc.

Just some ideas - mystara, or FR or alternate earth? I am thinking Post roman post Norman England

Mythic Europe could be interesting. I know that for a while the English followed a mix of Christian and Celtic traditions. So, that could be interesting for my concept.

Other concepts to just think on?

Remember nothing is locked in. It's important that we have fun.

High, low or gritty fantasy? Anyone for Grimdark?

There will not be a high magic item distribution (I don't think 5th ed could handle high magic). I think the standard would be magic weapon by 5th/6th) but do you want magic items to be minimised or lower on the spectrum - all the way to more or less eliminated? Conan, after all, managed just fine.

Have a think about what you want and we'll discuss at the end of recruitment.

Standard humans or alternate humans? Rolled stats? Or standard 15,14,13,12,10,8 array?

Are you apprentices/squires etc? "Graduated" journeymen of you profession?are you simply what you are with no need for labels? I for one typically call my wizards Apprentices until either 3rd or 5th (depends on the game). It can lead to some interesting RP and underestimation. I also love 'squires' who are just waiting on knighthood/sword master etc recognition who are levels 3+ because when you call yourself such and such a label, that it means something. That's just me.

And while I do a lot of low powered play I am semi okay with the concept of a starting feat (by approval) if you all want that... Just to see what beaks if anything.Sorcerers? Do you want alternate bloodlines? There are SOME I'd be okay with over on ENworld. Customised backgrounds with traits, boons etc or simply by the book?

I'd lean to 'by the book' if we do a standard fantasy game and lean to customised for lower powered / non standard settings.Id be okay with SOME class customisation IF properly thrashed out.

Oh and RP heavy or light? That's important - are we just adventuring and killing stuff or is a larger setting wanted? One that interacts right back at you as you interact with it?

Any more room? I just picked up the PHB and was going to start to roll up a cleric. Likely a pretty generic type, half combat/half healer type, (nothing niche). I have not read it yet, I mean I literally just picked it up, so if allowed in, I'd be almost completely learning the game.

Very interested in a gothic setting or a Mythic Europe. I'd rather avoid FR, personally I've just never been a fan, but if that's what you choose, I'm still in if you will have me. Like I said, I have not even begun to read the book yet, so I don't fully understand what has been mentioned (like standard human), and wouldn't want to comment without knowing for sure.

I am very familiar with PbP, and I run a number here on the boards.

You're in.

I think for ease of play I'll base the game in Golarion and Ustalav in particular. We've got Gothic horror then. It will be Golarion lite though. We can treat it early Age of Enlightenment or late renaiccence for cities, late Middle Ages for a lot of the land and semi barbarism for the borders/kellid etc. it's a good melting pot.

We're all on the paizo forums so we'd all understand the setting, right?

Clerics can be as they want broadly - Iomadae for instance could support a cleric of war.

I think we are on the verge of moving to discussion.

Id be willing to join. i have the rules for 5e and i would be willing to play sorccerer or fighter depending. I have played 5e and its fun. my concept will work best with sorccerer, or ill play a battle master. WIth a sorccerer ill be able to work better. already a cleric in a other 5e game....

You're in too.

Okay - looks like we have a quorum. I'll open discussion tomorrow.

We can work out who is playing what tomorrow and more importantly what style of play is wanted. How much RP you are looking for etc?

I have a few ideas in mind atm but I think I'll have you doing some investigation of missing villagers. Just the thing for 'juniors' out to prove their mettle.

Ustalav should be interesting. I wonder how freaked out the locals would be to have a warlock in their midst. Might have to just pretend to be a wizard. :-)

With warlocks I'd be looking for a concept that wasn't completely lost/depraved.

Maybe you made the deal for the right reasons (at the time), maybe you didn't understand what you were getting into. Hell, maybe your trying to use evil against evil in some sort of insane attempt to do good. I'll leave it to the player.

I don't need (or want) goody angst two shoes (though that's NOT a common trait for warlocks as a rule of thumb) but do want to avoid 'I want burn Ustalav and piss on the ashes/I am the next whispering tyrant' sorta vibe. Rastalin if dragon lance proved dark CAN be done but it requires the character to be a team player, evil prattling aside.

If warlocks want to try a different patron I have a few ideas - hag and undead patrons anyone?

I'd be very interested. Long history of PbP, I have my own PBH and I'm presently playing a wild elf ranger in my local game. I've been extremely interested in doing some 5e in Golarion. I but my teeth on FR, but I'm so far removed from that setting at this point, I prefer to say in Golarion for sure.

I would probably take a cleric, but I am open to play anything that is not a ranger. Not because I don't like the ranger, but I am getting first hand play of that class already :)

My concept would be a CN sorccerer who thinks that in battle might makes right but in cities respect is everything. Also do anything to insult him and he will attempt to destroy you, ruin your name, and salt your friends. He is a bit crazy (will make him a wild mage) and is half elf. And will bounce in fits of rage, happyness and try to be hilarious (i want him to fail) so he will say stupid things. He won't be good in melee but he will be great with spelld, unless of a wild surge. He was born into poverty, and was an urchin, though he left the city he was born in at the age of 12 and well has survived for the last 4 years. (yes he will be very young). So please people treat him like a kid. The character at least. He might also grow to see one party memer as a mother or father figure so, ehh will see where that goes. maybe itll be to a poor goblin. But yeah im for the gothic theme. He will be comic relief, but he will be a serious caster and quick to anger. while he will be prone to fit of emotion, when he calms down he will be brillant and cunning and show people something compleately diffrent. While he is chaotic nuetral, he hates evil.

I just came up with this. literally i came back to this thread and came up with it...... Well yeah. that is what i would rol play off the top of my head......

Helix, the concept is one that is likely to clash with the unity I am looking for as part of a potential campaign. Can we dull down the mood swings and the intensity of his response to insults? (yeah, I know its one of the ones in the PHB)

'Crazy'(read the often used way to play CN) characters with that sort of baggage can flare up and lash out easily, and the next thing we know, the game is de-railed trying to deal with your character.

I don't mind SOME darkness or baggage, and I don't mind clumsy comic relief but the quick to anger will need to be tempered with something else like a 'need to be accepted' (logical for a kid who is a likely outcast due to parentage and budding magical ability) and a loyalty to the other party members (who may have semi adopted you).

The age works fine and fits. I'd normally be hesitant of wild magic but with your write up it may work.

Hi Mark, sure. Elven Ranger could fit too. Mercenary from Kyonin? Secret relative of Helix even?

Okay - recruitment is over.

Head over to the discussion thread.

Actually the idea that I have for the character is rather laid back compared to the sort of character that you're worried about. He has a pact with a Great Old One who is so impossibly uber and incomprehensible that it doesn't even realize the character exists. So from the character's point of view he's essentially got a "freebie" power tap going. The Great Old One isn't making any demands on the character.

Right now I'm at work and don't have my book and notes handy, but the character's background is as a sage specializing in astronomy. He was doing some research on an ancient abandoned city that had an open air observatory and figured out how to run the power tap on the Great Old One.

The character's alignment is chaotic good.

Sounds GREAT!

Okay final notes...

I will need a few things from you as players.

1/ Be Excellent to one another (and me). If there is an issue, post or PM nicely. Be quick to praise, slow to criticise.

2/ Post regularly, even if its on the discussion forum to say 'Huzzah' or 'I'm still alive' or even 'How about the World Series? (For me this means Cricket but its all good). Post expressions of support for good RP or good actions or heck, use the discussion forum for a bit of 'table talk' to nail out tactics. Ultimately games that communicate with each other often tend to stay active longer, even if the odd person drops, because there is a feeling of community. Most importantly, post when you don't want to do something but you don't want to bog the game down. Either an In Character post 'Bob watches quietly, waiting to see what happens' or Discussion 'Play on - nothing to add'.

3/ Be engaged. Even if your character can't help in that round of combat or in a certain situation (though don't discount aid another and other more creative options), you can still be active in reviewing clues on the Obsidian Portal site or making comments and suggestions in the Discussion thread.

4/ Please have a status bar for your characters. I generally enter the information on AC, HPs, Saves, Perception etc in the Gender field of the profile. It makes my life 100 times simplier.

5/ Be able to view Roll20.com - It won't work on Tablets but I will need you to see whats going on or make moves. If you can't then it may be a problem. Some combats will be 'theatre of the mind' and some will be on a grid.

6/ Please TRY to post neatly. Immersion is hard enough with PbP, let alone if someone is posting random comments in the play thread or has really poor formatting. I refer you to Doomed Heros Guide to Play by Post. I'd like you to use the formatting outlaid there such as Bold for speech, Italics for thoughts etc.

If any of these are going to be an issue for you, say so now.

The only two that might be an issue, (though I should be able to work around it a bit) is #2 and #5. I'm not sure how much it will or will not be, but I've just found that Roll20, while nice, is very unfriendly to both phones and work computers.

If it is, what I normally try to do is give partially vague actions, and ask that the DM adjust them as appropriate. So, if I can't look at the map, I might say "If I can, I'll try to move towards the nearest enemy, draw my weapon and attack" <insert unmodified Attack/damage roll>, "but if not, I'll try to move up close and go into a defensive stance". Or I might say, I'll try to find the most beneficial place to move and then cast <spell>, trying to get the most enemies/allies as I can without also catching <allies/enemies> in the area.

As for #2, I am in the military, and I know for that I will be out in the field for I think 6 days coming up in a month or so. Unsure on dates yet. Normally, I have internet, at least through my phone, though it is slow. I most likely will not be able to access maps, or if so, much. I should be able to post, though. The posts will probably not be as detailed as otherwise normal, but I should be able to keep up well enough, perhaps with a little help from the DM and other players.

Other than that, there will be random times where I might not be able to post for a day, (usually max), but those are not common, and I do not expect them to even stop me from posting or following the game as much as I'd just be posting a little later than normal.

Typically what I do is work with the DM to establish some sorts of default actions, (generally to Aid Another or Hold my action to heal if someone gets seriously hurt).

With all that being said, I understand fully if this will be an issue, and no hard feelings if it's too much of one. It sort of comes with the job for me. Just let me know, and I'll bow out.

:)

I make exceptions for those in uniform Beckett. Welcome aboard - we'll work something out.

Thank you for serving DM Beckett.

A potential problem for me is that my only Internet access is through a smartphone. I can sometimes get onto a computer at the library but that can be awkward at times.

I tried to whip-up a basic 5E character sheet with BBcode.

If anyone I interested, just copy/paste it onto your profile, and delete the extra space at the end of each code.

And do minor edits as needed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: , Race: , Class:

LINK TO PICTURE

[spoiler=Combat Stats]
HP: / Init: +, Perception +
Speed: ft ( sqs), Passive Wis: +
Inspiration: +, Proficiency Bonus: +
<common Basic attack>[/spoiler ]

[spoiler=Abilities]
[b]Str:[/b ]
[b]Dex:[/b ]
[b]Con:[/b ]
[b]Int:[/b ]
[b]Wis:[/b ]
[b]Cha:[/b ]
[/spoiler ]

[spoiler=Offense]
1.) <weapon> +, <damage> (notes)
2.) <weapon> +, <damage> (notes)
3.) <weapon> +, <damage> (notes)
4.) <weapon> +, <damage> (notes)
[/spoiler ]

[spoiler=AC: #]
[i]Armor:[/I ]
[i]Shield:[/I ]
[i]Dex:[/I ]
[i]Other:[/I ]
[/spoiler ]

[spoiler=Saves ]
[smaller]* = Proficiency[/smaller ]
[b]Str:[/b ]
[b]Dex:[/b ]
[b]Con:[/b ]
[b]Int:[/b ]
[b]Wis:[/b ]
[b]Cha:[/b ]
[/spoiler ]

[spoiler=Skills]
[smaller]* = Proficiency[/smaller ]
Acrobatics (Dex) +
Animal Handling (Wis) +
Arcana (Int) +
Athletics (Str) +
Deception (Cha) +
History (Int) +
Insight (Wis) +
Intimidation (Cha) +
Investigation (Int) +
Medicine (Wis) +
Nature (Int) +
Perception (Wis) +
Performance (Cha) +
Persuasion (Cha) +
Religion (Int) +
Sleight of Hand (Dex) +
Stealth (Dex) +
Survival (Wis) +

Launguages: [/spoiler ]

[spoiler=Gear]
[/spoiler ]

[spoiler=Personality Traits]
[/spoiler ]

[spoiler=Ideals]
[/spoiler ]

[spoiler=Bonds]
[/spoiler ]

[spoiler=Flaws]
[/spoiler ]

[spoiler=Factions]
[/spoiler ]

[spoiler=Class Features and Racial Traits]
[/spoiler ]

[spoiler=Spells]
Spellcasting Ability:
Special:

Cantrips:

1st:

2nd:

3rd:

[/spoiler ]

Which should then look like:

Name: , Race: , Class:

>>>LINK TO PICTURE<<<

Would be interested in playing. Have books for 5e and have been playing in a few games (here and RL).
I am up to any character, but it looks like most of the magic related classes are spoken for, so I would go with a martial character...maybe a straight fighter, probably dwarven....
Are we rolling our stats here? What method?
Looking forward to making a submission for this game....

I'll count you as lucky last Daniel - boogie over to the discussion thread.

woohoo..thanks...

Well, I saw this a bit too late.

But having the privilege of having Helaman DM one of the PBPs I'm in....I can say you're all in for a treat!

Sorry mate but will grab u if there are drop outs.

I'd be interested in playing if a spot opens up. I've been in two 5e games on these boards that started off very promising before dying off and I'm really liking the system. Happy to play any role that needs filled.

I have the book.

Just checking if Nohwear is still in.

There may be an additional slot if he is not.

Hi all

We are looking for a player who wants to play 5th ed D&D.

We have a warlock, a sorcerer, and a cleric of life.

Available and built into the game is a human ranger (who hasn't met the party yet), as well as a rogue and a warrior who have met the party (one of which is Elven - you can pick if you want you character human (alternate race features) or Elven.

Standard 15,14,13,12,10,8 stat array.

Level 1.

I'll help on the adventure background stuff but you can have your background of choice with the exception of noble UNLESS you want to play your nobility down and just be a working stiff like everyone else.

Game is set in the Paizo world of Ustalav but is very much D&D.

I'm interested. Just recently received the corebooks for christmas and I'm eager to give it a shot.

I'll take the ranger since that seems to be soemthign the group could use anyway is that okaY?

Sure thing mate. Let me PM you.

I'm still game, Helamana :)

Heeeeeeey - be good to have to see you.

Interested in playing a rogue?