Happy new years and thanks for all the fis-err... I mean running the game! Hope to adventure more next year!
Hey guys, I think I'm gonna call the game. It looks like we've all lost our passion for keeping it going - and I know that's a good part on me for not doing as well keeping it moving as I should have.
If you guys want to keep it going, we can try to keep it moving, but it looks like it might be better if we let it go. Let me know what you think.
Oh no! Well if that is what you have to do, then so be it. Better to know than to just fade away without notice.
It's not a question of time for me, it's that we seem to have lost people, or that people have stopped checking. I know I haven't done the greatest job with keeping things moving, and I know that may have put some people off, but I was hoping we'd be able to pick back up. It doesn't look like.
If you'd like it to keep going, do you have some advice that could help with keeping it moving? I know you've GMed on here for a bit.
My DMing schedule is casual; I usually only update 2-3 times per week. I make sure that my players know this going in, so as to avoid dropoffs from people who want daily updates.
Really there are two things to do here:
* Recruit players who are OK with a slower-paced game
* Make sure that when you do update, you "push" - one of the other DMs I frequently play in often makes posts where he says "You see this, and this happens, and this creature appears, what do you do?" so that it's very clear that updates are contingent on the players taking action. Don't be afraid to 'bot people who vanish for a week. I have one player who's erratic in one of my games and if she doesn't do something when we're in combat I just bot her after a day and move on.
I would like to continue myself. I must admit to being sloppy about updates, especially in the last couple of months. Things have been hectic and busy, including holidays with travel, a job change, moving, and a couple of rounds of cold/flu through the family.
I'm actually dealing with almost precisely the same thing in a campaign I GM at this very moment. Everyone has been busy, and I think there's a feedback loop that can become established that works something like this:
A player or two is slow, maybe the GM as well in posting -> waiting for updates due to missing posts slows things for all the players -> maybe players drop, but if not everyone slowly becomes habituated to long delays between updates and loses a sense of urgency to post since x or y player will always post last anyway -> long time gaps sap everyone's feeling of connectedness to the game -> game crashes.
I'd agree with Isabella that one of the most effective steps to to set a known limit for posting, say 48 hours after update, maybe 3 days, whatever will keep the updates per week you have as a goal on track. If a player hasn't posted within that time the GM bots them and updates. It creates an incentive for players to update since generally they don't like being botted, and it keeps the game moving so interest doesn't fade.
I was very hesitant to bot characters in my campaign before, and it suffered for it. Now that we're rebooting it, I won't be anymore.
Another thing, and this is generally thinking across all the campaigns I've been in, is that GM posts that provide a variety of hooks for players to post about do better over the long haul. For example, if most all the posts are directed to eliciting only actions in response to updates, some players will be happy, but others might more readily respond to other registers, such as emotional, or conversational. This is one of the reasons why dungeon crawl adventures can be difficult in PbP, the update cycles get very repetitive.
This can be very difficult for a GM, since working in hooks for multiple types of player response requires more work, but from what I've seen the GMs who do it get good results. Also worth mentioning that not every single post needs this treatment, just enough of them to mix things up.
And yes, prompts like Isabella's "What do you do?" above help as well. Especially if they direct players to a few possibilities rather than many. Very open-ended updates can cause choice-paralysis in players, causing them to all wait for the others to suggest a course of action or decision and narrow things down a little.
Those are some of the things that come to mind at least. Hope it helps. Really my own opinion is if pacing were fixed to keep thing moving all would be well here. By all means don't think you've done a bad job as GM.
I'm definitely still interested in continuing if others are. I think a more aggressive botting rule would work wonders, even if it is a harsh one like making people who don't post do nothing for that round. This has been a really good game with good character synergy, so anything to keep that going would be beneficial in my book.
That being said, I agree that I would rather bid the game a fond farewell than to have it slowly fade away, if others are not interested in continuing.
Incidentally, I made Isabella with a small amount of meta-knowledge, as a reflection of um... some stuff that comes up in Runelords. She has some backstory but I haven't had a lot of engagement with other characters. If you guys like getting in some RP, we can always do that too.
But intra-group RP will only carry you so far; eventually the DM has to move the scene forward.
Players are usually risk-averse. If they aren't sure what to do, or if there is no clear difference between options, they may do nothing. So you have to push a little - either by hooking them via their builds (e.g. "The hall to the east is dark, but the one to the west is lit. If you beat Perception DC 20, you think you see someone run across the passage to the west.") or by putting time pressure on them ("If nobody makes a choice, then tomorrow I will bot a decision.")
I'm running a number of games myself, and I always use the What are you doing now? at the end of each update. I also bot any character who hasn't responded within 24 hours.
I know how draining running a game can be, especially when RL has players slow to respond, making you wonder if they aren't enjoying your game.
I'm enjoying this a lot, I check daily and have refrained from posting too much as I don't want to seem to be trying to dominate the party's course.
If you are too drained to keep going that's fine by me. If you do think you can continue I suggest taking the suggestions regarding botting within a set time. Keep the game moving, and prod the players for a response and I believe it will pick up.
Okay, since you guys want to continue, and I know that I want to continue, we'll continue. I'm going to bot Yasu's action and resolve combat - the sinspawn doesn't have that much left in the tank. Then, I'll try to be more aggressive about botting players in the future.
Incidentally, Laufey, that is the exact cycle that I think we were falling into. Definitely something to watch out for in the future.
Thanks for the advice, guys. It's definitely going to help.
I am going to be very hit or miss this week - I am traveling for work, and my posting will depend on a lot of things outside my control. Bot if needed. Thanks!
Have come down with illness, further updates Monday.
I am traveling for my niece's birthday this weekend, and will only have my phone. Further updates may not come till Monday.
So, if nobody is interested it is totally fine, but I've found in other games that having a Discord server for ooc chatter is really helpful for keeping a game going. To that end, I have created a Discord server for our game. Anybody who wants to can join it; Discord is completely free, and a really nice chat program. If you don't want to, not a problem at all. Just wanted to toss it out there, just in case: https://discord.gg/pMBQzxS
Sorry for recent and upcoming spotty attendance - my wife's Grandma passed away, and I will be focusing on that for the next few days. Bot as needed.
Okay, thank you for telling me. Sorry for your loss.
Okay, the quasit's dagger allows me to introduce one of my house rules - magic item size!
I house rule that a magic item will automatically resize one step towards the wielder. In this instance, the quasit's dagger was Tiny. It resized to Small when Talia picked it up - still too small for her to use, but the ideal size for Rasmorn.
This is mainly because I like magical items having a bit of magic to them, plus it keeps magic items consistent - Cloaks of resistance, belts, headbands and the like resize, so why not armor and weapons?
It also helps more in this instance, because that dagger is roughly a third of your combined WBL for level 3.
Talia
Level 3 Rogue.
HP +6 (Average, +1 con)
BAB +1
Saves. Fort + 1, Ref + 1
Feat - Point blank shot.
Skill points 11. (+ 1 Favored Class)
Acrobatics + 1
Disable Device + 1
Escape artist + 2
Knowledge Dungeoneering, History & Local + 1 (3)
Linguistics + 1 (Giant)
Perception + 1
Sense Motive + 1
Slight of hand + 1
Stealth + 1
Danger sense +1
Sneak attack +1d6.
With Talia's Trapspotting Rogue talent you can roll for her noticing a trap if she comes within 10' of it. Perception +12 to notice a trap.
Cleric 3
+6 hit points
+1 BAB
+1 Ref save
Skills: +1 each of Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (religion), Spellcraft; Artistry (philosophy), Profession (farmer)
Class features: Channel energy improved to 2d6; 2nd level spells
Feat: Angelic Blood (kind of a crap feat but pre-requisite to a chain and thematically appropriate)
Hey guys, heads up. A friend of mine is going through a rough patch, so posting might be a little slow this week.
Finally leveled up!
+8 HP (Are doing 1/2HD or 1/2+1HD?)
+1BAB
+1 REF & WILL
+2 Rounds Rage
+1 Perception, Stealth, Spellcraft, UMD.
+1 Craft (Fletcher), Handle Animal (Background)
Restrained Magic (Su): At 3rd level, an urban bloodrager can attune her spells so they are less likely to impact her allies or innocent bystanders. When the bloodrager casts a spell, she can grant a +2 bonus on the saving throw against that spell to any creatures she is aware of that are targeted by the spell or within the spell’s area. Any creature that receives this bonus and succeeds at its save is unaffected by the spell, as if it hadn’t been targeted or wasn’t in the area. This ability replaces blood sanctuary.
Half+1 for HP, or you can roll.
Okay, done. Having made the same mistake on numerous occasions (and probably will again), I understand completely.
Sorry my posts have been sparse lately. I've had a hectic couple of weeks, without much time or energy left over for posting. Things are getting back to normal now.
Just a heads up, my Grandma passed away this morning, so I will be hit or miss for the next week or so.
Sorry to hear, Rasmorn. Best to you and yours.
Sorry to hear about your loss Rasmorn. All the best to you and your family.
Before we head to Thistletop, do we have any loot distribution to do?
I'm sorry for your loss Rasmorn.
Sorry about the delay. As for loot distribution, I'll update the loot spreadsheet with what you found in the catacombs. You can decide what to sell or split.
Okay, the Loot spreadsheet has been updated. Everything with either "Glassworks" or "Catacombs" is the stuff you've found. You can decide what you want to sell and what you want to keep.
Talia will take the MW thieves tools. And she wants the Silver dagger and the +1 Cold iron returning dagger. Anybody else after those?
I would like the unholy symbol of Lamashtu (so I can destroy it) and the 8 pouches of silver dust (which I might be able to use to make holy water - it takes 5 lbs. of silver to make one vial of holy water).
After that I just need cash. :)
Shake your booty for the looty. :)
I believe the returning dagger is small sized, just so you know, not sure if you can use it anyway. I don't want anything other than what I've already taken (ring of protection and the scrolls/wand).
The returning dagger is, in fact, small-sized. It’s actually Tiny-sized in the AP, but I gave it a bump up one size category cause magic. You can use it, but I believe there’s a -4 penalty for it being the wrong size.
Oh well, Talia will pass on that then. :(
There's nothing on the list Laufey needs except for the sword she's already taken and the CLW potion if nobody else wants it. Oh, refilling arrows too I guess.
@GM Phntm888: She's looking to test the Rusty Dragon's potential as a singles bar.
And on a more meta level, maybe pull some NPCs into the story and pad out the RP a little.
I mean, Sandpoint has a brothel, which is why I was asking - it is a potential option.
Huh! This is my 4th time trying to play through this AP and that's never been mentioned before. It's kind of appealing to check it out simply because it's a new corner of Sandpoint for me. But, I think Laufey would try her luck at the Rusty Dragon first, she's barely any experience with men at all. That's what having the neighborhood evil witch for a mom will do for a girl's social life.
I think she's not cynical enough about her chances to not give finding someone who actually likes her a shot, even though it's not likely to go smoothly with her poorly developed social skills. Not Saga Noren poor, but she'll be flailing.
I'll keep it as a backup plan.
The Pixie's Kitten!
It... doesn't come up too much. (*ba-dum tsssh*)
Hm. So, where are we at with things?
Sorry. I'm working on getting things together. I'll get a gameplay post up later today.
No problem, just figured I'd check in.
I thought we were dispersing to our various amusements? Laufey is at the Pixie's Kitten sampling the wares, I'm probably sweeping the floors at the temple or helping at the orphanage, Rasmorn is probably swapping historical snippets with Brodert Quink and Talia is *checks notes* shaking her booty.
Talia is eating, eating an awful lot.
Is Rasmorn keeping the dagger, or are you guys selling it?
Sell it - doesn't do me much good, given my -2 strength mod