Hello, everyone and congratulations on being selected for this adventure. If you haven't already, please complete your character sheets using the character creation criteria below.
Character Creation Guidelines
1) 20-Point Buy, 1st Level
2) Choose two traits. You can't have more than one of each type of trait (regional, combat, faith, etc.)
3) Max HP at first level
4) Max starting gold for your class
How We'll Play
I like to have fun and err on the side of fun over rules. This is usually in your favor, so if you show creativity, we may be able to avoid a dreaded dice roll (the dice roller on this board often hates my players).
I will roll initiative and use your passive perception for you when necessary. This speeds up the game considerably (so please include your initiative and perception scores high on your character sheet). If you wish to make an active perception check, please state so and roll the dice. If I don't want to use your roll (or if it's stupidly low) I will simply reject it.
Quick Question
How would you like to handle initiative during combat? Normally, I roll init and average the group's vs. the baddies and then you guys can act in any order. This does affect flow of combat, but speeds things up considerably. I'm fine with either way - voice your opinion below.
When doing a skill check, go ahead and state what skill you're using and roll the dice. Again, I might reject your roll if it is unnecessary, but it speeds thing up if I don't have to ask for it.
The More You Know...
Finally, please let me know what level of knowledge you have of Kaer Maga - namely if you have the "City of Secrets" book. Many of your backstories displayed extensive knowledge of the city, which is awesome, but not required. And if you have the book, it will be much easier for you to picture or know what I'm describing, particularly once the urban portion of the adventure commences.
If you don't have the book, no worries at all. I'll post all relevant maps and do my best to describe the sites and sounds of the fascinating environs. If you have some scratch that's burning a hole in your pocket, I would recommend picking up the book "City of Strangers" because it's a really great guide and such a cool setting.
Let me know if you have any questions and when your character sheet is ready for review.
I'm looking forward to getting started!
Many thanks for the selection GM_Idyll :)
I'll get my guy squared away ASAP
Hi all. Lots of familiar faces picked I see, and Str Ranger too! I am always seeing your pitches in recruitment threads Str Ranger, i'm glad you got in on this one :)
I'm not very familiar with Kaer Maga at all GM, but I expect i'll pick up City of Strangers at some point soon.
Hi all. Lots of familiar faces picked I see, and Str Ranger too! I am always seeing your pitches in recruitment threads Str Ranger, i'm glad you got in on this one :)
I'm not very familiar with Kaer Maga at all GM, but I expect i'll pick up City of Strangers at some point soon.
Ha! Cheers dude. This actually makes 10 PbP's I am now in. Unfortunately with 3 kids I don't get to play in RL, but here regular posting is easy (smartphones) but I think I'll cap my games at 10.
@GM, I know a little, but only from having read an AP awhile ago (I believe it's mentioned in Runelords.). I'll look at City of strangers when I get the chance. Meantime I'll update Kenji's gear. Other than that he is ready.
Hello all, thanks GM for the selection. Thinking about switching to the shortbow (less feats required than the crossbow) but other than that, he is ready to go. I do not have City of Strangers book. I am familiar with surrounding region but not city itself.
Heh - I'm probably not the person to talk to for playing in only a sensible number of PBPs....
City of Strangers is awesome! - Troll Augers are my favorite.
On the subject of initiative - I'm free and easy. I prefer DM rolled and no issues with you rolling passive Perceptions.
Profile is live - still needs some polish and gear finalization, but most of it's in there.
Hi, everyone! And thanks, GM! :)
For everyone's information, at the GM's request, I changed Lilley's build to battle oracle, as he thought it would be a better fit for the party and the character.
I do have City of Strangers, although I didn't do much more than skim through it to see what kind of place Kaer Maga was when I was considering character concepts. I certainly don't consider myself familiar with the city, but Lilley should be recently arrived and just getting to know it herself.
I'm definitely in favor of GM-rolled initiative and perception to speed things up. As for the initiative system proposed, the last game I joined uses a similar grouped initiative. Honestly, I feel like I'm cheating by choosing when to act round by round; there's definitely a more free-wheeling feel to combat. We've only had one encounter so far, but I haven't run into anything to make me dislike the system. Averaging everyone's initiative does disincentivize someone investing in methods of increasing their initiative score (Reactionary, Improved Initiative, etc.), as they'll just be dragged down to the mean by those who haven't. Don't know if anyone's build depends on such. How do you handle who acts in the surprise round, GM?
During surprise rounds, I'll roll full initiative and then highlight who from the party gets to act and which enemies can act. Then, the party acts in the order of their posting. I haven't actually run into a surprise round in a PBP yet, so w'ell see how that goes.
My preference is to handle initiative normally, rather than 'group' initiative. It hurts my immersion to be completely honest. Its not a deal breaker though so if i'm the lone voice of dissent I will get over it :).
I am though, in favor of GM making all initiative rolls and mass perception rolls.
Hey thanks, Idyll! Appreciate the selection. I'm actually a bit surprised.
As far as everything else, I'm in favor of the GM rolling Init/Perc.
Now on the initiative issue, in one pbp I'm in it's done that way and my pc has Improved Initiative. Now it kinda seems like a wasted feat. As per the situation Joana described above.
It's also a "whoever acts first, goes first". I won't disagree that it does speed things up, but personally, I like going in initiative order. Mainly because it's just more orderly. Just mostly a personal quirk of mine. But I can deal with however you want to roll with it.
I know nothing of Kaer Maga but I do have City of Strangers. Should we look through it?
@Mark Sweetman: You ain't kiddin' about the pbp's, dude! :) That's just unbelievable on how you are in 30 of those crazy things and counting. Somewhere around 8 or 9 as DM.
I've been meaning to ask you this: How do you do it? Do you have time to sleep? Eat? Breathe? Anything?! :)
Also, do you see yourself ever coming to a stopping point? Something to the effect of, "I think I'll shoot for 50 pbp's and call it quits there." Or you gonna just go with flow? Just keep on rollin' until one day you say to yourself...
"Well, I guess 136 pbp's is enough. I probably should've stopped around 114, BUT, what are you gonna do? You know, now that I think about it, I bet if I wasn't DMing 42 of them, that probably might've helped." Shrugging, he clicks on 'Submit Post' as he enters in another character. :)
@STR Ranger: Cool Avatar, dude. ;)
In all my PbPs, I do individual initiative but that's me. If the group init. works, that's fine with me. I just won't invest in any feats/traits that will improve initiative.
I only DM 7... at least until my S&S gets running, and yes it is somewhat of an obsession-ish. I'm in a RPG wasteland as an expat in Malaysia and this is the only real outlet available. I'm probably at my limit - or just about...
I only DM 7... at least until my S&S gets running, and yes it is somewhat of an obsession-ish. I'm in a RPG wasteland as an expat in Malaysia and this is the only real outlet available. I'm probably at my limit - or just about...
LOL! That's just greatness! :D
I'll believe you're at your limit when I see you resist a recruitment thread, Mark. You either have a negative Will save, or you're accidentally rolling a d12 instead of a d20.
The sorcerer looks about at the group assembled.
He stands, Bare shoulderd in his Haramaki and kilt. Longspear in hand, covered in tattoos and hair pulled back in a topknot, looking focused.
We are assembled. I will try not to hit you. He speaks evenly and with absolutely no humor. Somehow you get the impression this mages magic is going to be messy and loud.
A large raven sits upon the mages left shoulder scrutinizing everybody.
Master does not smile, but Master likes you. Chatterbeak is Chatterbeak by the way. Try to not stand near Master when he magics. Stuff gets burned when he does. When do we leave.
Let's do individual initiative. If we find it slows things up too much (what with you guys playing in so many games and all), we'll just switch it up.
All right everyone - are your character sheets good to go? I'm ready to get this game kicked off.
Yup, good to go. Next few days my posting may be a little spotty as I have a house guest here but I don't foresee major problems.
I'm just lacking purchasing gear. But outside of that I'm good. I'll be able to post this evening after work.
I'm pretty much ready to go - just have 8 gp to spend.
Can all of you put your backstories in your profile, please? Thank you!
Done :)
Lilley is ready to go. :)
Done. Note the brackets in my parentheses are for Bastarger's flat-footed AC while hes sporting his tower shield, as is the AOO value in brackets. All the other values assume he is in his banded mail but not using a shield.
Do any of you have any issues accessing Dropbox from your primary computer?
I can see the maps from your Serpent's Skull campaign info tab with no problem, so I should be good.
I don't know what Dropbox is.
Dropbox?
If you check the campaign info, you should see a link to a map of Kaer Maga - it's hosted on Dropbox. If you can see it, you don't have any issues accessing Dropbox. If you can't, you have issues accessing Dropbox and I'll need to find another solution.
Got it! No issues seeing map!
Ditto. No problems.
No issues getting at Dropbox.
My backstory is already there.
I'm good with the Dropbox. Cool pic by the way.
Ready to roll.
Dropbox is fine. Lets roll!
And it begins. The Gameplay thread is up! Let's get this party started.
Also, you may have noticed this already, but under the Campaign Info tab, there is some information about each of the districts of Kaer Maga. This is basic information that all of you - even the newcomers - should know about the city. You should probably read those brief descriptions before beginning the game.
Had a good look over it, good call on Bastarger coming from Cavalcade.
What language are you using for Orcish, Mark? Looks Dutch or something.
Close - it's Afrikaans, which is the language of the Dutch settlers of South Africa. Just a nice harsh sounding language more than anything else.
Man, I just realised I am.gonna suck vs undead.
Undead are immune to fort saves (ear piercing scream) and.illusions (Glitterdust)
:(
Looks like I'm shooting.
Well...who knows. There might not be any undead. I mean, it's not like you're heading into a crypt or anything. ;)
And here I didn't take burning hands because I thought, 'Nah I won't need 2 cones.
Assuming this is going to be a standard crypt, with lots of corridors, we ought to have the melee types up front. Nothing worse than getting stuck behind a line of allies and not having any room to get into combat. Or maybe one in the front and one in the back, if we get ambushed/surrounded? Sorceror in the middle for protection along with cleric for proximity to healing?
Sounds good.
@DM: Are we gonna have to be walking single file? Or can we walk two by two?
Recommend Stirgen takes the rear and keep the cleric and sorceror in the middle.
Stirgen is happy at the back.
The stairway descending down into the Ossuary is single file, but it opens up a bit after that.