All these expectations are good with me. I've never seen the Dynamic Lighting feature, though. Does it light things subjectively, so that people can't see around corners? That seems like it would be kind of cool to me, though granted it means a lot of characters having to describe what is in front of them.
Expectations seem pretty normal for a game, so no problems there. Like eriktd, can we have a bit more information on the dynamic lighting?
As I have read your character creation guidelines a bit more closely, I will have to review Kronn and edit the names of feats to align with the feat tax system.
|
My understanding is that roll20 calculates line of sight of a token (character) based on things such as their vision and positioning relative to light sources.
That means when I click on my token I might be able to see the radius light around me because of my torch and a patch of light 100 feet up ahead where there is a lantern hanging on a wall.
My friend who is behind me and slightly around the corner would only see his light source, an arc of mine and nothing else (since the lantern is blocked by the wall).
Line of Sight Gif that demonstrates the Player vs GM view of the dungeon
Yeah, JamZilla has the gist of it. Your character can only see what he/she should see based on line of sight and lighting. Characters can emit light if they have a torch or light spell and there can be environmental light too. There are three lighting settings; dark, dim, and bright. Low-light vision and darkvision can actually be implemented properly (except you still see colors)
It is great in a live game. The big question is if the very slow pace of a post game will mess people up because their friend with the torch moved down the hall and they are left in complete darkness. May have to play around with the settings...
I used dynamic lighting once for a live game. It was really nice. However, instead of setting it so each player had their own view, I set it so that everyone saw the same thing. That way we didn't have to deal with the hassle of going back and forth about what was seen.
It was really nice to not have to figure out what the characters see and if the characters can even see the monster sneaking up on them.
I used dynamic lighting once for a live game. It was really nice. However, instead of setting it so each player had their own view, I set it so that everyone saw the same thing. That way we didn't have to deal with the hassle of going back and forth about what was seen.
It was really nice to not have to figure out what the characters see and if the characters can even see the monster sneaking up on them.
Not a bad idea at all!
GM Mustache, I'm with the majority in accepting the rules.
I am eager to see your treasure sheet, if selected, to compare it to mine. I've worked tweaking mine for years now and it's a pretty easy/smooth process from data entry to gathered information, so I'm always curious to see what others have done. I don't track 'all' inventory on my sheet however, just what the party picks up (not what individual characters may purchase for example), so I suspect yours is more elaborate.
Not sure what you meant by 'store their normal dice rolls' however? Do you mean the standard rolls we typically make like attacks, etc. or just the rolls you make like saves, etc.?
I'll update my header line now to match your requirements.
I'm using Roll20 to GM some beginner sessions for my friends. I only have a free account at the moment, so I just use fog of war and auras to track vision. It's a bit hands-on, so I'd like to see how much of a difference dynamic lighting makes before I decide what subscription level to buy.
Well, whether you get in the game or not, I can tell you that it is only $5 a month and you can cancel right away, so you can at least try it out for a month. I personally like it a lot and feel it adds a lot to the game. It makes players talk more about what their characters see. It gives a LOT of help to races with low light vision and darkvision, so you end up with more interesting races rather than everyone taking human all the time.
Androids get low light vision and darkvision, so basically they can see everything. Just like Terminator.
After finally getting my character concept in line, I come with a late game entry, Galelor, another rescued soul from the Technic League 'experiments'. I usually base my character concepts around 10-minute background if you're wondering about the format. Also, I'll keep this in my main profile and make a separate alias if chosen.
Galelor
Background
-----------------------
Born to an enslaved huldra, Galelor was originally a planned test subject for the Technic League’s homunculus project. Saved by the then Pauldris Gray, Galelor and Val, another test subject, were spirited away before the tests began to become fugitives.
Galelor doesn’t remember much of those early years, and though constantly trekking from place to place was a bore for any child, especially hyper ones such as Galelor and Val, their adopted father, now going by Khonnir Baine, would fill the time with instructions and teachings, both magical and mundane, trying to give them as much as he could to make up for the lack of a home. Khonnir has kept their origins as test subjects secret from them both.
However, it was when their father decided to settle in the town of Torch that Galelor’s world truly opened up. Helping his father start up the foundry and tavern, Galelor’s book knowledge became hands-on practice as he learned to create the things his father had only previously talked about. His main focus was on using skymetal, a technique coveted by the rest of the town of Torch.
While he focused on helping in the foundry and Val in the tavern, both helped out in the other and continued their lessons with Khonnir. Despite having a love and deep respect for Khonnir, Galelor has felt a slight distance grow between as he matured, mainly due to his heritage. Unlike Val, who is human of Kellid descent, Khonnir had fey blood running through his veins, and his fox-like tail is a constant reminder of this. Though Khonnir explained that his mother was a huldra, he hasn’t told him of what ever happened to her, something Galelor truly desires to know. He has grown used to constantly hiding his tail from their time traveling as fugitives, but the distinct physical difference between him and ‘normal’ humans has made Galelor consider Khonnir more of his mentor and role model than an actual father in the past few years.
The Technic League has been a negative subject for the family for years. Though Galelor isn’t sure as to the exact reason, he does know that Khonnir was on the run from them before they settled in Torch. Any delusions about their progress and ingenuity was quickly removed as Khonnir taught them some of the things that went on in the group. Their poor reputation and practices in Torch have only reinforced the idea that the Technic League was a horrible faction. Galelor always feels a bit tense around anyone associated with them, especially Alevarn, a member of the group who has shown just a bit too much interest in Galelor and Khonnir.
Life was going well until the flame atop Torch suddenly went out. As the town began to scramble at what to do to relight the flame, Khonnir found a set of caves nearby that no one knew of. Galelor was uneasy about them and for good reason: Khonnir went back in them after his initial discovery only to not come back. Shutting down the foundry and tavern, Galelor and Val sought out groups to help find him, but so far, all attempts have failed, and several haven’t returned. Growing desperate, Galelor has decided to join the next group despite Val’s refusals. Not too skilled in combat, Galelor hopes his little experience in magic will help patch up the holes in his swordplay as he grabs up the mysterious sword Khonnir always kept on the wall in their home.
-----------------------
Connections
-----------------------
Khonnir Baine – Adopted Father/Mentor – Saved Galelor from becoming an experiment as a child, Khonnir has raised him and Val as best he could while on the run. After settling down in Torch, Khonnir opened up shop to help sustain them and create somewhat of an ordinary life for them. Galelor loves them man and is willing to help him in any way that he can. Galelor was devastated when he didn’t return from the caves.
Val – Closest Friend/Crush – Saved from captivity as well, Val was raised along with Galelor by Khonnir. Being young and innocent, Val was willing to accept Galelor despite his tail without prejudice. The two have become close friends and confidants being only a year apart in age. Though Val is a step below Galelor in studies and magical talent, she is more than a step above him in social aspects from running the tavern so much. As they grew older, Galelor’s attachment for her has grown, though he holds his crush for her in, not knowing if she reciprocates this feeling.
Alevarn – Member of the Technic League – Alevarn first approached Galelor while he was manning the tavern for a shift. The man was quite open about his position in the group, as well as knowing that Khonnir didn’t care much for them. He came a few more times, each time questioning Galelor about him and Khonnir while generally getting under Galelor’s skin. His last visit was about half a year ago when one of the local patrons forced him out of the tavern for flaunting his position in town. Though Galelor doesn’t think the man knows about his tail or Khonnir’s association with the Technic League, the worry is still there that the man will bring trouble.
-----------------------
Secrets
-----------------------
Galelor doesn’t know that he was a planned test subject for the Technic League, that his mother was a slave, nor that Khonnir was actually once a member and went by the name Pauldris Gray.
Galelor also doesn’t know that the sword that he grabbed off the wall of their house is actually a stolen artifact from the Technic League that Khonnir was studying while working for them. The weapon has many hidden properties that Khonnir was trying to figure out, and after finding out a bit of its potential, he took it along with Val and Galelor to keep it out of the Technic League’s hands. Khonnir had yet to truly find out how to use it before he disappeared.
Galelor knows that he has fey blood running through his veins from his huldra mother. He keeps his tail a secret from all but Galelor and Val to keep away from prying questions and discrimination.
-----------------------
Personality
-----------------------
Galelor is usually filled with curiosity and often tinkers with devices to figure out what they do. This is tampered somewhat when things get serious. He is also rather energetic and raring to go when something is happening. Though he is talkative around Val and Khonnir, Galelor isn’t as open to others, though his work in the tavern has helped him open up more. He is a logic minded person and prefers thinking things through before getting involved in violence. He can be a bit headstrong at times whenever he makes his mind up about something.
-----------------------
Description
-----------------------
Galelor’s human ethnicity is uncertain from his more fey-like features. Many unknowingly attribute this to elven blood instead, from the slightly pointed ears to his lanky build. However, his most discerning feature is the one he makes sure to keep hidden as much as possible. A long, fox-like tail reveals his huldra blood, and the discrimination received while they were on the run has made him make a habit to not reveal it easily.
His hair, eyes, and tail are brown in color and his skin pale. He wears a long, brown overcoat most of the time to help keep his tail hidden.
Galelor
-----------------------
Male Human (fey) Magus (Bladebound) 1
Age 16; Skin White
NG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Low-Light Vision, Perception -1
-----------------------
Defense
-----------------------
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +2 Dex)
HP 10
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1
-----------------------
Offense
-----------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee rapier +2 (1d6/18-20) (finesse weapon)
Special Options
Spell Combat - Full-Round action to attack and cast a spell
-----------------------
Statistics
-----------------------
Str 10 (+0), Dex 14 (+2), Con 14 (+2), Int 18 (+4), Wis 8 (-1), Cha 12 (+1)
Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 12
Traits
Local Ties - Knowledge (Engineering) is class skill, gain +1 trait bonus to it, and act as if you had the Technologist feat when resolving checks for it; +3 instead if you do have the Technologist feat.
Mentored - +1 trait bonus to Profession (Metalworker); +1 to aid another.
Feats
Fey Foundling - +2 points of healing for each die rolled when healed.
Skill Focus: Knowledge (Engineering) - +3 to skill.
Skills (9 ranks - 2 class, 4 Int, 1 Favorite Class Bonus, 2 Background Skills)
Disable Device +3 (1 rank, 2 Dex)
Knowledge (Engineering) +12 (1 rank, 3 class, 3 Skill Focus, 1 Local Ties, 4 Int)
Knowledge (Local) +5 (1 rank, 4 Int)
Linguistics +5 (1 rank, 4 Int)
Profession (Metalworker) +4 (1 rank, 3 class, +1 Mentored, -1 Wis)
Profession (Innkeeper) +3 (1 rank, 3 class, -1 Wis)
Spellcraft +8 (1 rank, 3 class, 4 Int)
Use Magic Device +5 (1 rank, 3 class, 1 Cha)
Favored Class Bonuses
Magus - Human - Extra Skill Point - x1
Languages
Common, Slyvan, Hallit, Orc, Giant, Elven
Alternate Racial Traits
Fey Magic - Replaces Skilled - Disguise and Perception are class skills, and Galelor can perform druidic magic while underground. Also, gain Low-Light Vision.
Focused Study - Replaces Bonus Feat - Skill Focus at 1st, 8th, and 16th levels.
Class Archetypes
Magus - Bladebound
-----------------------
Magical Abilities
-----------------------
Fey Spell-Like Abilities CL 1st
Can be used while underground only.
1/day - 0 - Light, Mending, Create Water
1/day - 1 - Cure Light Wounds
Magus Spells CL 1st
Spells per day
0 - cantrips, 3
1 - 2
Spells in Spellbook
0 - acid splash, arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sound, light, mage hand, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, spark
1 - feather fall, grease, shield, shocking grasp, technomancy
-----------------------
Possessions
-----------------------
Inventory
rapier, studded leather
Inventory Weight and Load
Wealth
6 pp 5 gp 0 sp 0 cp
-----------------------
Special Abilities
-----------------------
Arcane Pool - 4.
At 1st level, a magus can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to grant any weapon he is holding a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute. For every four levels beyond 1st, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +5 at 17th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon enhancement to a maximum of +5. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.
A magus can only enhance one weapon in this way at one time. If he uses this ability again, the first use immediately ends.
Spell Combat - At 1st level, a magus learns to cast spells and wield his weapons at the same time. This functions much like two-weapon fighting, but the off-hand weapon is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the magus must have one hand free (even if the spell being cast does not have somatic components), while wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand. As a full-round action, he can make all of his attacks with his melee weapon at a -2 penalty and can also cast any spell from the magus spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). If he casts this spell defensively, he can decide to take an additional penalty on his attack rolls, up to his Intelligence bonus, and add the same amount as a circumstance bonus on his concentration check. If the check fails, the spell is wasted, but the attacks still take the penalty. A magus can choose to cast the spell first or make the weapon attacks first, but if he has more than one attack, he cannot cast the spell between weapon attacks.
|
I'm using Roll20 to GM some beginner sessions for my friends. I only have a free account at the moment, so I just use fog of war and auras to track vision. It's a bit hands-on, so I'd like to see how much of a difference dynamic lighting makes before I decide what subscription level to buy.Well, whether you get in the game or not, I can tell you that it is only $5 a month and you can cancel right away, so you can at least try it out for a month. I personally like it a lot and feel it adds a lot to the game. It makes players talk more about what their characters see. It gives a LOT of help to races with low light vision and darkvision, so you end up with more interesting races rather than everyone taking human all the time.
Androids get low light vision and darkvision, so basically they can see everything. Just like Terminator.
I thought dynamic lighting only came with the $9.99 subscription. I knew about the trial period, but there's a high risk my group wouldn't get together in time to implement it during the free period while also leaving enough time to for me to prepare the full set up.
I'd like to withdraw Maks Sundahl from consideration at this time. For lack of a better word, I'm not "feeling it" with this character right now.
Sincerely,
Ghorrin Redblade
|
I like the idea of the dynamic lighting! I think one of my GM's tried it back in the day when I was a lot more regular of roll20, but it looks like it's moved a lot since then.
I also checked the Campaign tab, and I have to say, I absolutely approve of the GM rolling for Initiative, Saving Throws and Perception, since that's one of the things that speeds up the game immensely, or, conversely, slows it down. I'd personally add Knowledge checks to that as well, but with spoilers per the monsters' abilities according to DC, that matters less.
As for the tracking of actions, I usually summarise my posts with a spoiler for all the rolls and the OoC posting after the post, since I find it neater, and I'll make sure to include the actions in brackets as well, if I'm chosen.
|
|
I like the idea of the dynamic lighting! I think one of my GM's tried it back in the day when I was a lot more regular of roll20, but it looks like it's moved a lot since then.
I also checked the Campaign tab, and I have to say, I absolutely approve of the GM rolling for Initiative, Saving Throws and Perception, since that's one of the things that speeds up the game immensely, or, conversely, slows it down. I'd personally add Knowledge checks to that as well, but with spoilers per the monsters' abilities according to DC, that matters less.
As for the tracking of actions, I usually summarise my posts with a spoiler for all the rolls and the OoC posting after the post, since I find it neater, and I'll make sure to include the actions in brackets as well, if I'm chosen.
Same here. I have many more secret rolls when I GM. It discourages metagaming and means I can feed the party disinfo when they botch or keep up the suspense as to whether that rogue is really being as sneaky as she thinks.
I've read over the campaign thread and I'm happy with everything, I really like the way you're going to run it. I found they work really well to keep games moving forward.
I use dynamic lighting in my live home games it adds suspense and another dynamic to fights.
It makes players talk more about what their characters see. It gives a LOT of help to races with low light vision and darkvision, so you end up with more interesting races rather than everyone taking human all the time
Which I find funny since my tabletop group has never had more than 2 humans at a time and usually only 1 if we get one. I remember at least 2 campaigns with no humans in it. So to hear someone has human overload is funny to me. Even our starwars games in the middle of alien persecution only had me playing a human Jedi.
But yes all the rules are fine with me. I almost made other submissions to try and get in, but in the end I decided to keep with the gamble of the android slot. Thought it'd be more fun. Even if I eyed the dwarf bard idea a while just in case.
I thought dynamic lighting only came with the $9.99 subscription. I knew about the trial period, but there's a high risk my group wouldn't get together in time to implement it during the free period while also leaving enough time to for me to prepare the full set up.
Yeah, it is definitely only $5 a month. There are three tiers to Roll20 and dynamic lighting comes with the middle tier.
sorry, getting a bit of topic here... but hope that helps.
Much appreciated GM!
Someone looking for a Dwarven Gun Bard?
Yes, he uses Fire Lances. Yes, they'll probably explode. I intend to take a level of Swashbuckler at some point, one with firearms as something the archetype grants, Thought I'd do something different than gunslinger =]
Oops! Almost forgot
Eh, guess no smokestick for me. Or I'll pick through the bard kit.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
This is such a great group of people. I already feel bad because I have to say no to most of you. I want to run 2 tables but as a first time PbP GM I do not want to over commit.
Many experienced GMs here. Maybe one of you can start your own Iron Gods campaign?
Anyway, carefully looking at submissions. 24 hours to get them in yet.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Kronn the Ravager Human Unchained Barbarian
Varrad Android Inquisitor
Arkhad Giltenhammer Human Unchained Barbarian
LaRA Android Alchemist
Jerrek of Nex Human Fighter
Zeke Smith Half-Elf Cleric
Sarnel Verin Android Arcanist
Charles Caskgrip Halfling Rogue
X Android Monk
Kanek Human Gunslinger
Kzuk'oth Human Alchemist
Faolan Baran Human Brawler
Cathryn Half-orc Barbarian
Tobias Tinkermite Gnome Alchemist
Ton'iel Wexley Elf Magus
Wulf Torstein Human Barbarian
Srchr Android Investigator
Bret Doften Human Oracle
Derek Freddert Dwarf Bard
Elern Gargur Dwarf Bard
Drin Sholm Half-orc Wizard
Galelor Human Magus
Garfaulk Sharpstone Dwarf Bard
Might make your life a bit easier, GM. These are just in the order they were submitted
I appreciate that!
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Ok, here it is. Same disclaimer as before: So many great entries, and I'm sorry I could only take a few of you. Good luck to everyone in future endeavors. Everyone below, I will be sending you a PM shortly and you can report to the discussion thread too.
1. Ezekiel "Mother Issues" Smith, half-elf upcoming mystic theurge
2. Charles "In the Middle" Caskgrip, halfling rogue
3. Varrad the Android Amnesiac, inquisitor
4. Ton'iel "Blade Runner" Wexley, half-elf magus
5. Wulf "Tin Foil" Torstein, human barbarian
6. Garfaulk "Disaster Waiting to Happen" Sharpstone, dwarf bard