GM Euan's Mummy's Mask (Inactive)

Game Master Euan

Mummy's Mask Player’s Guide

A basic guide to PbP gaming
A primer to PbP role play
A beginners guide to what to have at various levels

Rules and RAI vs RAW:

Generally I play the ‘Rules As Intended' rather than strictly ‘As Written'. There will be exceptions of course and we can’t always tell what RAI is meant to be. More importantly I may change a rule now and again for the story. The story is what is important - the story the players and I are writing together. If that story conflicts with a rule on occasion I’m likely to ignore or modify the rule for that instance. However, the rules are there so we all know what to expect out of the environment so it will not happen with any frequency.
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Game Master and Player Commitment:

As the GM I will usually post two or more times a day. I also expect players to post at least daily and preferably twice. If you have abilities that interrupt others actions (like Step-up) plan on posting more often. Those players who do post more often (within reason now, let's not get carried away) will likely be more prominent in the campaign.

There will of course be exceptions caused by real life, but I will not hesitate to let your character get “left behind” or “lost” and “found” later if necessary - what occurs in the meantime will vary depending on the player’s attitude and consideration for others. If you know you are going to be gone, just let me know and we'll work around it. If you are repeatedly absent, I may ask you to step away from the table.

If your character is absent during combat or you're otherwise holding the group up, I will delay your action, or chose an appropriate action for you - whatever seems to make the most sense. I will try to leave time for folks to catch up - I know we all have other responsibilities.
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Combat and Dice Rolling:

Initiative
When combat begins I will roll initiative for all combatants including PC's. Actions will be resolved in order. Players are encouraged to post ahead of time (including likely options). If a player has posted before their initiative and things change before their actual turn comes up, they are free to change their action with a new post as long as it’s done in a timely manner.

Attack modifiers
PC's should modify their die rolls as appropriate for cover, shooting into melee, flanking, attacking from prone, etc. While being prone is technically an AC modifier, feel free to calculate it in. Make sure you note the modifications please - in detail so I know what modifiers you’ve applied.

Here (link) is an example of what I mean. See the basic ‘always on’ bonuses listed in the spoiler, and other ‘situational’ bonuses listed with the attacks. I want to be able to figure out your attack and damage bonuses without having to look at your character sheet and delve through all the abilities.

Format for Posts 
You should post the round and your initiative in bold at the top. Please also post your current status near the top of your post. Your status should include your current/max HP, any equipped weapons, current conditions, and any other pertinent topical information (like the spells you have memorized or the arrows in your quiver). Please use spoilers for things that would scroll long (like your current status). Example (link)

Dice rolling
Dice rolling is done via the message board dice roller (see BBCode tags below the text box when you post). Feel free to roll dice for a skill, attack, etc, anytime you think it is appropriate. I appreciate it when you explain any situational modifiers that alter what the roll would be from your profile like this (link). Including at least situational modifiers keeps things like cover from being counted twice or not at all. If there are any questions, my rulings are binding so please don’t be subtle. Play By Post is complicated enough on its own, please help by clarifying what you can.

Please roll the dice in the order of the events. If you need to make a save, roll it first, before beginning your attack rolls for example. If you have an animal companion they typically go after you in the round, as they are waiting until your commands to act. I will usually not roll separate initiatives for companions.

End of turn
Once you post and your initiative passes, your turn is done. A friend of mine says, "I play the villains perfectly and I expect you to play your characters perfectly." You have one chance to be perfect, please be careful. There is no going back - things are slow enough with Play by Post, I will not slow it further by covering the same ground twice. Decisions matter and characters make mistakes - as do DMs.
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Etiquette:

Play your character
Have fun! Enjoy your creation. Listen to the advice of others, but do what you want even if it’s not the optimal choice at the moment. Be sure to play your character as built. The 8 intelligence fighter should probably not be figuring out the puzzles. The 7 charisma dwarf should not be the diplomat. Feel free to assist (even out of character), but remember who your character is.

Play your own character
It's fine to make general requests, ask for a flank, suggest a tactic, beg for healing, but refrain from "Next turn you should cast bless, pull out your mace, and take a 5' step to the north to give me a flank." Just because the character appears clueless doesn't mean the player is. Their motivations might not be the same as yours or they may simply have another plan that doesn’t include you.

Don't play NPC's or other characters
You control only your own actions. You might think your diplomacy roll of 20 will make the gentleman swoon, but maybe it won't. There are things going on behind the scenes and I will not reveal all of it. I will be honest with you as the GM, but NPC's might actually deceive you or hold back. They might just not understand you.

Try to advance the action
Play by Post is slower than desktop gaming and as such you should be active with nearly every post. Before pressing submit, consider whether or not your character is actually doing anything in your post. If not, you may want to reconsider. Naturally role play is doing something as surely as any combat roll. Be ‘active’.

Cheating
There are no real world rewards or prizes for winning. I'd much prefer to stab you in the heart with my sharp wit then kill you with a dragon. If your character dies, then they have more character. They'll make it back to the world somehow if you want them to, or we can try something new. If you're not having fun, don't cheat to fix it. Talk to me.
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Experience and Leveling:

I am not tracking experience points. I have a sense of where you should be at various points in the AP and I'm going to do my best to slot you in correctly.
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Crafting:

I want to encourage crafting as per the crafting skill. As such I want to speed up the time it takes to accomplish tasks. Where it says 'week' substitute 'day' so all crafting is done 7x faster than the traditional rules.

When scribing scrolls or brewing potions there is a requirement that the creator must have prepared the spell and that the spell is used when the creation process is finished. I will not enforce that in this campaign. You still need to use the spell components as normal, but you do not need to memorize the spell and you do not lose the slot when the item is made. This is to encourage the manufacture of these items with as little inconvenience as possible.

As for crafting other magics the standard rules apply. Note that I do allow for fast crafting as per the Core rulebook. That means an item can be made twice as fast by making it more difficult to craft (+5 DC).
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Cash and Accounting:

I have a standard wealth tracking Google Doc that I like to use. However, I will not be tracking your loot - I am busy enough. I have setup the treasure spreadsheet (link) and will educate the person or persons who will handle it. Please pick from among yourselves, do it round robin, whatever makes sense for you. I do want you to use this sheet however. It tracks a number of things which are helpful to me as a DM - and of course helps you keep track of all the sweet sweet loot you’re about to receive.

I am not going to worry about a few gold here and there spent on things like bar food and petty bribes, but anything more than a few gold should be carefully tracked on your character sheets along with your other equipment.
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Wati, the Half City:

Now the smallest of the southern trio of cities, Wati was the largest until its population was ravaged by the Plague of Madness in 2499 AR conjured and spread by the cult of Lamashtu, taking advantage of the religious conflict raging across Garund during that period. The city never fully recovered, and in the wake of its loss - said to have been upward of 60 percent of the population - Wati was slowly abandoned by the surviving population and given up to the desert.

Much of its stigma, however, was removed in 2953 AR when the priesthood of Pharasma, lead by Nefru Shepses, established a major temple and consecrated the city in the memory of the murdered dead, setting aside the abandoned sections of Wati in their honor. In much the same way that the Necropolis of the Faithful in Sothis serves as a mirror of the living capital, the abandoned half of Wati remains a ruined but oddly serene counterpart to a resurgent city.

In the past thousand years the living section of the city has expanded and the abandoned part is now less than a fourth of its overall area. Unlike the graveyards in Sothis, the walled-off sections of Wati are only partially accessible, and given that their contents remain largely untouched due to local stigma and subsequent desert encroachment, the treasures of the deceased quarter are targets for adventurers who gain the blessing of Pharasma’s clergy.
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