caffeine_addict
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Thank you all for joining, looking forwards to running this campaign with you. When I've gotten a post from each of you and reviewed your stat blocks I'll start up the adventure.
| Cahal ud'Din |
| hp 14/14, AC 16/12/14, saves +4/+2/+1, perc +7, init +4 |
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I'm here! Thanks for the opportunity. I'm looking forward to working with you.
A quick note: Cahal is dabbling in the arts of traps and locks, and alchemy. The character will mix the classes of barbarian, alchemist and Pathfinder delver.
| Aisha Al-Raja |
| Female Human (Keleshite) Conjurer (Teleporter) 1 |
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I'm ready!
Thank you very much for letting me join the game, I'm really looking forward to this.
| Dhakir Zafar |
| Male Human Fighter 1 |
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I'm here and will bring my stats into compliance later on in the day. Thanks for running this!
| Mahmoud bin Ali |
| Male Human Rogue/1 |
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Here. Look forward to the game. Will get stats up in the next couple of hours.
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caffeine_addict
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Alrighty, we're all here, I'm off to Church, so I'll review stats and post the start in a few hours. (I live in Australia, so I'm GM+10).
| Mahmoud bin Ali |
| Male Human Rogue/1 |
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Almost finished. HEading to work. I should be able to finish it up there. No more than a couple hours. Sorry for the hold-up. I promise once the game starts I will post frequently. This is always the hardest (and longest) part.
| Mahmoud bin Ali |
| Male Human Rogue/1 |
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All set! Stats are all finished up. Would someone mind checking it over to make sure everything looks ok?
I still have to type up the personality/appearance stuff but I'm ready whenever. Too excited.
| Dhakir Zafar |
| Male Human Fighter 1 |
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Okay, I should be all set. Mostly, just had to drop from a 20-point to 15-point stat block. Without doing all the math, I believe my gear was purchased with the average starting funds for my class and maximum hit points at 1st level. I didn't see where you specified otherwise, so just let me know if that (or anything else) needs to be changed.
| Mirah |
| Female Human Sorcerer 1 |
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Touch AC should be 14 (dodge bonus)
Inish should be +3
Speed should be 30'
I don't see where you put your favored class bonus.
Sorry to point it all out, but I'm very good at character sheet auditing. I have a 'bad character maker' type (aka cheater), so I often get asked to audit people's sheets occasionally. This was just from a quick glance though so I might still be missing something.
| Mahmoud bin Ali |
| Male Human Rogue/1 |
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How about now? I added escape artist (I figured he was used to squeezing through tight spaces while tomb raiding.) I think the movement was 20 because of the load he is carrying.
And thank you for pointing it out. That is why I asked. It gets east to miss something after messing with the format for so long. Finally added the description/personality part.
| Mahmoud bin Ali |
| Male Human Rogue/1 |
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Still don't see your favored class bonus, but otherwise looks good.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding what that is.
| Mirah |
| Female Human Sorcerer 1 |
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Favored Class
Each character begins play with a single favored class of his choosing—typically, this is the same class as the one he chooses at 1st level. Whenever a character gains a level in his favored class, he receives either + 1 hit point or + 1 skill rank. The choice of favored class cannot be changed once the character is created, and the choice of gaining a hit point or a skill rank each time a character gains a level (including his first level) cannot be changed once made for a particular level. Prestige classes (see Prestige Classes) can never be a favored class.
| Mahmoud bin Ali |
| Male Human Rogue/1 |
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Oh..yeah. Woops. Thanks. Sorry to have been a hassle. I'm adding it to my hp. :>)
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caffeine_addict
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As per the APG, you also have a choice of alternate favoured class bonuses depending on your race and class, for example Human Rogues can choose to forgo the HP or Skill point in favour of 1/6th of a rogue talent point, so every 6 lvls, you gain an additional rogue talent point.
Everyone will start with their max die in HP plus Con, I will also let you start with your classes max gold as well, as the first module of the campaign doesn't have a lot of room for purchasing goods until near the end. So I'll let you tweak your equipment if you like.
Everyone also starts with 2 Hero Points, max of 3, unless you take the feat to expand it.
OK, lets get this caravan on the road.
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caffeine_addict
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Cahal ud'Din, if you're out there can I get you to sound off? It's cool if lifes gotten in the way, but I need to know please.
| Cahal ud'Din |
| hp 14/14, AC 16/12/14, saves +4/+2/+1, perc +7, init +4 |
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I'm here. I've updated my sheet, just need to spend the extra money, which I'll do tonight.
| Cahal ud'Din |
| hp 14/14, AC 16/12/14, saves +4/+2/+1, perc +7, init +4 |
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Money spent btw. I bought masterwork thieve's tools and 3 javelins.
| Mahmoud bin Ali |
| Male Human Rogue/1 |
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I will be traveling today picking my son up from college. I will try to post later today, after 5:00 est.
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caffeine_addict
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How do you guys want to run combat, this is my first time running a PbP, are there any good tools out there for easily showing maps etc?
| Dreaming Warforged |
| Happy to be here |
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Here is how combat is run in my Jade Regent (spoilers are inevitable).
I roll initiative and use initiative cluster to save time. There is no posting order within the cluster. Clusters of good guys alternate with bad guys.
For maps, I use "Ye Olde Map Maker", often as a base that I import in Inkscape (a free software for drawing on Mac. On it, I add different layers to put additional structures and characters.
If you want to go further, you can also use a pdf extractor (there are some free for PC, around 10$ for Mac), to use to get the maps out of the AP.
Most of my tricks I've learned from other DMs.
In one game I'm in, the DM uses Google spreadsheet, and we can move our characters ourselves.
| Mirah |
| Female Human Sorcerer 1 |
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Can't you just copy the maps from the PDF, and post it in a paint document to get it?
| Dreaming Warforged |
| Happy to be here |
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You can, but they'll show all the stuff only the DM should see. An exemple is the Kingmaker's maps. They show all the encounters, with their little title. But in the extractor, you just get the empty map and the hex.
| Dreaming Warforged |
| Happy to be here |
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Not sure about the map's initial positions. Cahal and Bahram were outside the cactus forest. I can work from those posted, but am not sure.
| Mahmoud bin Ali |
| Male Human Rogue/1 |
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How do I use the map? Do I just move my guy? Do I have to save it or what?
| Dreaming Warforged |
| Happy to be here |
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I'm not sure how much internet access I'll have during the holidays.
In any case: Happy Holidays to you all!
Daniel Stewart
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| Male Historian/Curator |
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And happy holiday to you Dreaming Warforged, and everyone else!!!
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caffeine_addict
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I'm thinking we call a break for a couple of days over Christmas. If you all just give us a post when you're ready to start again. Have a great Christmas!
| Dreaming Warforged |
| Happy to be here |
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I'll have time to post. My connection is working fine.
I'll be lurking and ready to join.
| Mirah |
| Female Human Sorcerer 1 |
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Ready whenever. I WILL be watching, like a jolly fat man in a red suit.
| Aisha Al-Raja |
| Female Human (Keleshite) Conjurer (Teleporter) 1 |
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Merry Christmas! (At least here is christmas already! ^_^)
Got time during the holidays, so I'm ready whenever you are.
| Dhakir Zafar |
| Male Human Fighter 1 |
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I'm ready to go when the rest are. Some personal non-holiday related crop up in the next day or two, but I'll let y'all know if it's going to give me a problem making posts.
| Dreaming Warforged |
| Happy to be here |
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caffeine_addict
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That would be great thank you, I'd appreciate it. I want to make sure everyone enjoys it, so anything I can do to make things run smooth is appreciated.
| Dreaming Warforged |
| Happy to be here |
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Combat in Jade Regent (Spoilers!)
Again, just another take on things, to each DM its own, though I really learned a lot thanks to other DM sharing with me. I then took what I preferred for the game.
1. I have a word or text file I call DM Screen where I keep a bunch of things I can copy paste. I've heard of other DMs using automators. I'm looking into it, albeit very slowly.
2. I often roll perception and initiative for everyone. It's so much faster and allows me to resolve a lot of things early. As you can see in that case, it allowed me to resolve the goblins attacks.
3. I group the players and monsters into subgroups, sometimes fudging the rolls if it makes a big difference (although I try to favor the PCs when I do this). When it's a group's turn, players can opt to wait or post right away. Their actions are resolved in the order of posting. That allows a bit more flexibility to keep a good posting rate (you don't have to wait for your turn, but for your group's turn) while maintaining a certain order and making high initiative still matter.
What's nice is that the players could have a group that both starts and ends the turn. In that case, I've asked them to simply wait for the group to post, but not wait for me to say it's their turn.
4. I make the map in Inkscape (freeware for Mac) using a Ye Old Map Makerr background, on which I add simple token. I update that map and put it on Photobuket when I do an update.
5. Updates are mostly copy pasting of the player texts and me resolving their action. I'm experimenting with letting the player roll a d20 when their action calls for a monster counter roll like a save or an AoO. I simply add the modifier and don't have to roll.
Let me know what you think. I learned a lot playing with Wrath and Scipion del Ferro.
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caffeine_addict
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So things are slowing down a little. I love playing with you guys, and will be implementing some of Dreaming Warforgeded suggestions for the next combat encounter to try speed things up.
I'd rather change what I'm doing then loose any players so please, any critique is good critique if it builds a better, more enjoyable game for everyone.
| Aisha Al-Raja |
| Female Human (Keleshite) Conjurer (Teleporter) 1 |
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I'm enjoying things so far don't worry, but it was a frantic week and I didn't have much time for playing. I'll post first thing in the morning, right now I'm exausted.
| Bahram the Golden |
| Male Human Cleric/1 |
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same here...just was a busy week...and busy again this week...but I am enjoying the game...and hating those pugs!! lol
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caffeine_addict
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That's fair enough, I'm setting up my own business at the moment and I know how hectic life can get, PbP's tend to get pushed quite far down the list of priorities ;)
| Bahram the Golden |
| Male Human Cleric/1 |
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well not that far down...lol. I look forward to getting to play
| Dhakir Zafar |
| Male Human Fighter 1 |
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Enjoying the game so far, just a busy time of year in general I think.