DM Alexander Kilcoyne |
Possibly. How long would you guys like to give it before assuming Jer is a goner and we look at recruitment and/or other options? If anyone has lost heart for the game or doesn't have time to play it now would be the best time to bow out.
Added some changes to my house rules (see Campaign Info).
Marcus Alanto |
A week maybe? Would hate to lose Jer. Would hate to lose the game actually. I've had to drop a lot of games and things lately to get work/life back into balance but wanted to continue with this one as my first PBP.
Note the rules. Hope that doesn't mean grab attacks can crit doubling constrict damage... :)
Joana |
Jeremiziah made some posts this morning on his default alias.
Last night stateside, but yeah. I was kind of surprised when he didn't make a post down here in the campaign threads while he was online, but I thought maybe he'd chatted with you off-board. Apparently not.
Ironically, he was arguing for private-messaging-to-e-mail so he would know when someone on the boards was trying to get in touch with him. :)
Jeremiziah |
Guys, I am SO sorry. I totally suck. There is no excuse for my prolonged hiatus. Work has been insane, but everybody works. It's been very rude of me, and I wholeheartedly apologize. I'm glad to come back and be back to posting regularly if you'll have me...but I'll stay out of the game thread until you decide, for purposes of narritive. Let me know.
Sorry again, it's been inexcusable, I know. Apologies especially to AK.
Chi's player got me at the email listed in my profile, and that is the one to use should you ever need to get ahold of me, btw.
DM Alexander Kilcoyne |
I'd like this e-mail address please :).
I'll admit I was a bit miffed Jer- busyness is absolutely fine and expected (especially around the Christmas period!) but when I can see you making posts elsewhere I find it a little offensive that you don't drop in to at least let us know your swamped and give us an ETA. I know Dan E and Talomyr are often at least as busy as myself and we will completely understand if anyone needs to call a halt or warn us they won't be able to post much for a while- the lack of communication itself was the issue, not the hiatus.
So, apology accepted and i'm sure I speak for everyone when I say your welcome back on board, Gwenyth's a big part of the game and I didn't want to proceed until I had some clarity from you. I'm glad your not dropping the game, we'll pick it up in earnest after Christmas :).
Jeremiziah |
OK, that's great news. Thanks for your understanding, AK. You had every reason to be miffed, like I said I have no good excuse and I simply apologize.
If you click my main profile, in the "About Jeremiziah" section, I have jeremymillzz a!t gmail dawt cawm listed. I know that's a bit of hieroglyphics, but you should be able to work it out. It's my real, honest-to-god "you get me right away" email address, so it's very important to me to keep spam out of it, thus I bastardize it heavily when I have to write it anywhere online.
Thanks again, and Merry Christmas/Happy New Year.
DM Alexander Kilcoyne |
Cross posted on all my games-
Hi all, with christmas and boxing day over I thought we could start slowly winding the game up again.
I saw a post from Kyrademon, a fellow DM on these fine forums. She explained very well her system of allowing RP heavy conversations from the past to continue even while the action is ongoing or the groups in a dungeon crawl; this is something I have unsuccessfully tried to foster as a culture in my games so i'd like it officially declared that I am very happy to use this system of 'FlexTime' as she calls it- when I find the time i'll put it into campaign info as an official house rule.
Heres the section of the post in question-
"2) Flexible Time (FlexTime) - This was introduced a few weeks into the game, and is most likely the main reason for the posting rate. Basically, it is the concept that scenes which primarily focus on role-playing, both public and private, can continue happening "in the past" simultaneously with the main plot progressing. So, for example, if you started a conversation with a PC or another NPC about the quality of Varisian Beer, that conversation could continue to progress, either openly or privately spoilered, with a Varisian Beer Conversation header to distinguish it, even as the plot moved on and in "the present" you began exploring a dungeon. There's some more details, but that's the gist.
A major reason for this is to attempt to accommodate both faster and slower posters, and those who like high levels of interaction and those who are a bit more hands-off. Ideally, frequently-posting players can basically make as many conversational posts as they want, without overwhelming the slower posters (who can usually ignore the mostly spoilered private conversations or the clearly labeled public ones they don't wish to be involved with). Similarly, players with a highly interactive style, whatever their rate, can have conversations and roleplaying without making all the people who want to move on and explore the dungeon wait while a conversation about Varisian Beer slowly plays out over days."
DM Alexander Kilcoyne |
1. Its really, really fiddly for potions wands etc., as I feel its essentially a spell only a paladin should be able to use. How can you bestow your divine grace on someone via a touch if you don't have it in the first place? But RAW, a sorceror downs this potion and touches himself and as long as hes good, hey presto!
2. Its incredibly powerful. Adding an entire stat to every saving throw is already something so powerful its one of the greatest selling features of a Paladin. Saving throws are difficult to optimise and this humble level 2 spell allows any charisma based class to skyrocket their saving throws with it- the worst offender is a Paladin, because as its an sacred bonus, he can get double cha to his saving throws at level 7!
That means, assuming even a modest 18 charisma, he is on +13/+10/+13 without taking into account his constitution, dexterity, wisdom, resistance bonuses or any feats/racial abilities. If we assume 20 charisma (bearing in mind by this level a headband of charisma is likely)- +15/+12/+15, and 22 +17/+14/+17.
3. Theres no evil equivalent, not even for an antipaladin. Boo! Player power creep and I can't even use it against you as a DM?
Those are my main three reasons. I'm reasonably certain I had a 4th in mind but I lost it as I was typing.
Marcus Alanto |
Its a tough town. I wonder how the cursed adventurers who don't have information to find their way to a lost city manage :)
So pathfinders or government. Is that the size of it? Pathfinders seem like the obvious choice with their skills over the government (although perhaps they provide soldiers?).
Or do we tell everyone to bugger off and wait til Gwen gets high enough level to remove curse. Guess we'd need to dip into our own treasure fund to buy mounts and supplies even assuming we get away with it.
Joana |
Its a tough town. I wonder how the cursed adventurers who don't have information to find their way to a lost city manage :)
AK's homebrew Sargava keeps trying to convince us it's kinder and gentler than we suspect. I was getting whiplash being in Navior's Serpent's Skull Eleder and DM AK's Sargavan Saga Eleder at the same time.... ;)
Marcus Alanto |
I'm a bit behind Sargavan Saga. Last time I checked one of the group was being chased by lions which didn't seem very sweet.
I don't think its unreasonable to deny festy adventurers spells whenever they want them though. Imagine if priests in the real world had the power to heal. Paying through the nose would be the least of it.
DM Alexander Kilcoyne |
For a cure light wounds you could easily get one bought.
For a spell as high level as Remove Curse your looking at probably a couple of dozen people in the entire city of Eleder are even capable of casting it (at least in my games). I don't like high level NPC spam and having created my homebrew campaign world NPC inhabitants using the 3.5 DMG method you really do get to see how few high level PC's there are in comparison to the world. AP's seem to make people think the world is infested with them, as do many games i've seen where adding PC levels seems to be the go-to solution for toughening any encounter, mostly ignoring templates, HD etc.
Chi T'reignial |
Fatigued DM is fatigued.
Apologies AK, my post crossed yours, just wanted to say I was still here. Wasn't supposed to be any kind of bad stuff, if you took it that way. So if there's anything I can do to help just say.
I know you are a bit disheartened, but one the plus side you have 3 players who want to rally behind you and carry on. That's not the case with many games on here, when activity drops.
I'm with Dan E on this one...to carry on forward...
DM Alexander Kilcoyne |
Ok guys.
I think i've just about recovered from my DM fatigue and i'm ready to push this game on once more.
It appears to me that Jeremeziah is either too busy for this game or embaressed to formally bow out- which is fair enough. Plenty of people fall into both categories.
This leaves us with Chi, Ambroze, Tun'ada and Marcus.
How would you like to move forward? Options include but are not limited to-
Gwenyth DMPC.
Carry on as the four of you (I would obviously tone down the difficulty).
A chance for a particularly weary player to re-roll their character if you don't like the group makeup of the 4 left over.
Recruit a 5th (or even 5th and 6th), potentially with tie ins to the organisation who sponsors you. I know we still have 1 or 2 lurkers here who might fancy in.
Marcus Alanto |
Personally I would say go with 5 players recruiting a divine caster (or shuffle around). It seems to balance play and speed.
I don't have a problem with 4 or 6 though. With two fighter types Marcus could re-roll if we go with 4 (I love Marcus but not stressed and haven't played a cleric since 2nd edition).
Wouldn't mind Gwen DMPC for that matter if DM prefers.
Tun'ada |
Healing is a resource that we are sorely lacking with the group as is.
Adding in Gwenyth as DMPC would be the best for continuity of the story, but more work for an already fatigued DM that runs lots o' games.
I would vote for recruiting another player or two (perhaps from another one of our already established games), unless of course someone has a buring desire to build a different character (in this case I do not).
DM Alexander Kilcoyne |
Its been long enough for us to definitely look at replacing Jer, without assuming he might come back.
I'd like to ask the group how they feel about DM Aron joining, as i've had him as alternate slot on more than one occasion and i'd like to get him into a stable game for once (hes an RL friend).
I am also responding to personal messages later tonight that i've had with regards to a slot in the game.
Chi T'reignial |
Well ... that DM Aron didn't let me in one of his games ... petulantly stamps his foot ... yeah I'm fine with that, he was fun when I was in one of his games, til it kinda blew up ...
So it would be a pleasure ... if he doesn't mind being a bit of a healer... I would welcome him in ...
Also I'm happy to follow your lead on any players you want to invite in AK, I'm sure you know plenty of good players out there, that are keen to join.
DM Alexander Kilcoyne |
Now i've set up Shortkeys macros to automate perception and initiative rolls, i'd appreciate it if people try and remember to tell me if these bonuses change. I will do an audit at level ups but equipment purchases for example may affect these things without me noticing. Letting me know lets me edit my shiny new shortkeys (I typed the following with six letter commands, its so freaking awesome).
Currently-
Chi- 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21 (+1 to find traps)
Marcus- 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
Tun'ada- 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29
Ambroze- 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Chi- 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21 (GM reminder- note deformity, -2 not included)
Marcus 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Tun'ada- 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20 (GM reminder- favored terrain jungle +2)
Ambroze- 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18