just checking in to show that i am still here too.
Hey guys, I bought Jade Regent 1 and I am about halfway through reading it. Happy to GM at least the first part, then we can discuss handing over.
Caveats:
- This will be my first time GMing a PBP - please be gentle
- The pace will be a little stop-start at first; sometimes RPG Superstar or real life commitments will take precedence
- I will try to post most days
- I will make a follow up post today or tomorrow with some house rules that I have seen work well in other PBPs
Questions:
- Who's in?
- Do we, as a group, prefer to: use Mei as a GM character, or go ahead as a foursome, or go back to recruit? Personally I'd prefer not to recruit more players right now, but this should be a group agreement.
Will
I am still in.
Still here, eager to go.
Personally I'd prefer to keep Mei in it as is, works best for me.
First, let's get something out of the way. CONGRATS on Top 16!
Second, I'm in and very grateful you're willing to do this.
I would suggest leaving Mei as a GM character. That way you and I can swap off if we need to at some point. But ok with you dropping her if you find it weird. I'm running a whole host of friendly NPCs in Council of Thieves right now and find the only difficult part to be big combat encounters.
Happy to be a gentle player :)
Will offer suggestions on any areas you find you get stuck.
Thanks for the congrats. Can't wait to see what everyone did for round three. I'd love to make the last 8, especially in such a strong field.
Great, everyon's still in! Sounds like we have consensus, a plan and all that good stuff. I finished reading part one tonight. There's some awesome stuff coming up and I am excited to be running this adventure for you. First post as GM will come after work tomorrow.
Game on :)
Excellent, thanks again Will. Let's hope this proves that old adage about things that don't kill us making us stronger :)
Away to the coast for a couple of days. Back by wednesday at the latest.
Ok, safe travels.
Re Mapping Tools, I know myself and a couple other GMs I play with have had pretty good luck with PowerPoint. You can export the PDF images and put a grid together there. I still need to take the time to learn MapTools because I think once I'm over the learning curve, that will be even easier.
Thanks Marduzi, that could work.
General question: do you want me to award XP for you all to track, or shall I just keep track and tell you when to level up based?
Personally I'm always in favor of just leveling up at the spots you think we should. Less bookkeeping for everyone and it means you don't have to adjust things if we somehow skip a bunch of material.
Yeah, and it takes the edge of being close to a level and juuuust wanting to earn the last few experience off.
Cool, we'll go with that then.
Sorry guys. Some family issues cropped up. Back in the saddle tomorrow.
So, Will isn't the only budding designer in our PbP. My rum gremlins and island survival manual from the upcoming Kobold Quarterly/Open Design Journeys to the West book made the KQ blog today. Check 'em out.
Hey Michael, that's great! I love the survival manual; it's a neat piece of design. Particularly the thematic spell effects of the various chapters.
How long have you been involved in Open Design?
Thanks! I've been a patron since Margreve, but this one is the first where I've stepped up to a pitching level. I've got the bug now. Got a few more things coming in the final book.
Just to make sure, am I assumed to be unconscious?
Hi Asira, yes you were unconscious at about -2 hit points until Nostariel burst in and healed you. As a general note to everyone, feel free to roleplay / describe / write about the effects of attacks on you, or what your last thought is as you crumple to the ground, or that sort of thing. Takes some descriptive pressure of me and makes sure you can still 'play' even when the b'stard GM takes out your character in the surprise round, or whatever...
Ha, yes, will do :)
FYI - I've sent messages to Asira and Nostariel. Hoping they are still in the game.
Yeah I hope so too. It's been a while. Really don't want to replace them, so we'll leave it a while longer...
Fine with me. Hopefully they'll be back soon. I'm in quite a few PbPs, some fast, some slow, so I'll just keep checking in 1-2 times a day.
That's good, you can't really rely on any one PBP to happen every day. On the othe hand, I've found about 4 to 5 PBPs is my limit before they become more stressful and less fun. I'm playing in three right now, GMing this one (I hope, still) and about to start GMing another.
Which one are you thinking of next?
I'm having fun so far, and that makes this a good group to my mind.
@marduzi: I'm running Realm of the Fellnight Queen for a group that play tested some of the RPGSS encounters with me.
@ruhk: glad you're having fun - I'm just worried I've lost the attention of Asira and Nostariel. Ah well, we'll press on anyway :)
I am sorry for not having responded for such a long time. I didn't really think, that it was such a long time than it turned out it was.
It seems, that I don't really feel Asira. It is difficult to motivate myself to continue playing her.
Asira - do you want to try rolling something else or drop altogether?
Will - that looks like a pretty good one. Have fun!
Rerolling would be better, than dropping out completely, but I think our good GM has the last word.
Hey Asira, that's cool. Probably better to bow out than to struggle with a game you're not enjoying. In my experience it's usually the whole game not working, rather than a particular character, but if you want to rebuild we can talk about that. Let me know.
Heh, cross-posted. As I said, I'm a little wary of re-rolls as they often don't really fix some underlying issue. But if you're confident that you like PBPs, like my GM style, like the pace, and it's just the character of Asira that you're struggling with, then I am happy for you to design another character.
Do you have anything in mind?
Hey Marduzi, Ruhk. Thanks for bearing with this, and sorry we've lost momentum. I will sound out my existing groups for some new players. Feel free to do the same if you know good people who might want to join us.
Sounds good, will do so. Want candidates to post here in discussion or in recruiting?
Ok, I used the holidayto think about it a bit and perhaps you are right, I think it is better if I bow out of this particular PbP.
I'll be pleased just as long as we continue, Ruhk is far too much fun to play to give up before the fat lady sings.
@Marduzi: here please. If anything hits 'recruitment' we'll be swamped.
@Asira: that's OK, and thanks for making a clear decision. Take care.
@Ruhk: awesome :)
Hey saw Mrduzi's post in one of the games we are in together and I would be willing to play either a wizard or cleric/healer guy. I'll start working on something, I have plenty of ideas and I'll look at the player's guide.
I would also be interested as well, and could easily go arcane or divine. I'll try to take a look at the player's guide tonight. And see what I can offer.
|
I'm also in a game with MrDuzi except it died out after only one encounter. I actually have two characters put together for this AP. With only a little work, I'm sure either could quickly be made ready to play.
Azmythe is an elven witch (hedge). He had a serious bump on his head as a youth and come up with this version of history for himself.
As he tells it, Azmyth was born in the Age of Fire and Thunder. It was a horrible time. There was clashing thunder and screams of pain. Teeth gnashed and flesh was torn. It rained blood. It was a time without hope. Except that Azmyth had hope.
As he tells it, Azmyth was born in the Age of Redemption. He is a being of flesh and spirit. He has felt pain and knows of love. He walks the land looking to redeem himself for his arrogance in the Age of Dreams. He seeks redemption for his sins in the Age of Fire and Thunder. It is a time of family. Except he has no family.
This is how he remembers it. Basically, he had a happy life until orcs raided his home. He was led to freedom by his totem. After a time of healing and learning, Azmyth started wandering the land. He doesn't remember who he is or where he came from. He met Koya when she saved him and they had a brief relationship that developed into an intimate friendship.
He doesn't realize it, but Azmyth is looking for a new family.
The other is Draniliss an elven inquisitor of Desna. He protects travelers. His background includes having spent time being tutored by a Desnan priestess. In the original version of his history it was Koya. They were lovers and she left him to see after her mother.
Dranliss' parents were traveling merchants. He grew up traveling the coast of Varisia from Korvosa to Magnimar. When his mother was killed in a pirate attack, his father decided to retire and soon withered.
The young Dranliss, angry at his mother’s death and feeling abandoned by his father, took over his father's business, but was not as successful at it. Though he was good with numbers, he was not as good with people. What's more, he did not like it. During what was to be his last trip, Dranliss befriended a cleric of Desna who tutored him in her doctrine. The two of them traveled and adventured together for the last few years but have recently parted paths.
He's come to Sandpoint to meet with friends and see what new adventures can be found there.
I do want it known that I have some familiarity with the AP. I haven't read it, but I am currently in another Jade Regent game on these boards. I have done this in the past with other APs and have not had a DM call me on out of game knowledge. I don't do it to cheat, but to hedge my bets against APs I want to game dying out.
Thank you for your consideration.
I heard about your need of PCs from another game that I play with Marduzi. I offer Malcom for your consideration. I can certainly adjust level and background. At what level should the PCs start?
Might've swamped you here Will :)
Let's see...I'm in three very active games with David. He's the GM for the one I'm in with markofbane. Dax was very active in our now seeming to be dead Shackled City AP. And Malcolm plays with David and I in another one run by DM Voice of the Voiceless. And Marduzi is a very different cavalier than Black Ulfarr...
More swamping. Don't need any recruiting. From the dying shackled cities you can do well. Arcane caster - human wizard or warlock.
Hey guys! Awesome work Michael, and looks like it was well timed for everyone. I hadn't got round to inviting people from my other games - looks like that's a good thing!
We have two consistent members at the moment, a cavalier and a ranger. I was thinking an extra two players would be good. Then I saw the posts here and thought, well, APs are quite playable with six.
So James, markofbane, Dax and Malcolm are all in.
Then I had a further thought, which is that PBPs aren't tabletop, and don't have the same constraints. So I am going to push myself to experiment with a larger group. I've seen it work in Heathy's games, and actually people usually end up dropping out for real life reasons or whatever, and it shrinks down again.
So robertness, Chainmail and Merck are also in :)
That's it, end of recruitment.
Build rules:
First level
20 point buy
Core, APG, UC, UM. Prefer no ninja or samurai (the AP is about discoving the orient, not starting there)
One general trait, one campaign trait - read the free players guide
Average starting wealth
Ask before you step on Marduzi or Ruhk's toes, they have precedence.
Enjoy :)
Thanks Will!
Are Marduzi and Ruhk keeping the same characters, the cavalier and ranger? Has anyone else settled on their character so I can take that into account as well?