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With some trepidation I googled ‘filk’ and was pleasantly surprised. And I could have done it from a work computer after all ;)
☃ ❄ ❅ ❆
That chafes my squeegee almost as much as people who misuse idioms.
Before I GM’d my first PFS game (which was F2F) I asked my first PbP GM for any advice.
He asked me if there was anything I was concerned about and then asked a simple question:
“Do you know any of the players on your first table?”
I replied, “Yes.”
He said, “You’ll be fine.”
He was right.
Play-by-Post is a mostly stress-free zone as far as inter-party conflict goes, but if it goes nuclear, I get to deal with it.
:(
Since I've only been called in for a few complaints so far, I would say that your odds of smooth sailing are actually pretty good!
I think that the main points here have been already stressed. Assume no malicious intent and keep the communication channels open.
NEW TOPIC
We're at the halfway point. What burning or not-so-burning questions remain for all of you? I'd love one question (or if you have no questions, one thing you've learned) from everyone. This is your new homework!
Hmm
PS I love to filk!
What are things to look for in scenarios that help you determine if it is a good fit for PbP? Similarly, are there types of scenarios that are best left for a certain medium? How can you tell?
Unrelated, my campaign threads are no longer tracking new posts... Is anyone else experiencing this? Anyone know how I can fix/troubleshoot this?
EDIT: My thread tracking isn't working for any of my tabs/pages
Looks like I'm having the same problem, Bearington. Ughhhhh.
To answer your question, I'd say anything with a large element of dungeon-crawling should be approached with caution for PbP. This is because the sequence of searching for traps, opening doors, and deciding where to go next can take days as opposed to the minutes it would take IRL if you don't have people that post frequently.
Also, got called in to work tonight so that's put a crimp in my posting for Manor. Will try to get something up shortly!
Oh, that's interesting. Mine did not show any new posts here.
LOVELY.
Have reported the issue -- apparently Paizo is aware...
Hmm
Burning questions? what if I don't have any? Do I fail midterms? lol
I have no questions at this point. I will keep thinking though.
No burning questions? Then reflect on something you've learned. You don't get out of the homework completely!
Hmm
Having never GMed the whole setting up of slides, maps and such was a learning experience along with the setting up of a campaign. I think I will learn lots of other things once I have my turn in the chair and have to deal with running the game myself. Things will come up I am sure. Right now I am concentrating on keeping Mathos as snooty as possible.
I'm glad I'm not the only person having issues with the blank "My Campaigns" tab. I haven't been on the scene long, but it seems like there's always something amiss with the website.
I feel like the maps so far have a lot of extra area that never gets explored. At least on the previous 2 maps anyway. Like the tavern had more hidden areas and the outdoors map had a cave and tombstones? Why go through the effort of mapping it if we aren't going to explore it? And the first map gave us a detailed layout of the tavern but no village map even through we were expected to talk to the locals? Makes no sense. I'm kinda assuming the Manor will be the same way - one point of interest, one enemy encounter, lots of extra space. I want to be that character that goes into the rooms without any action just so I can loot the abandoned pickled vegetables and moth-eaten tablecloth (although, Elena's persona would never allow me to do that.) "Ventiine, why is there a musty, old tablecloth tied around your shoulders?" Indignantly, "It's a cape! I'm a Pathfinder hero now." "And what are you snacking on? Is that a jar of olives?!"
I think the nature of PFS (timed scenarios, at least when played IRL) probably leads to some of the 'unused space' and 'some things not fleshed out' feeling. Especially since each quest is intended to be played through in about an hour! Not a bad format for most folks, especially those looking to get into PF for the first time, but maybe a bit frustrating for folks that like to let their imaginations run wild.
Live, you are moving so fast through these quests that no one notices the empty space. In your own PbP, you certainly could expand a bit to describe other rooms as well. We're just going through fairly quickly here to give every GM a chance to GM!
As for games that do not adapt well to PBP, Ladile is correct that dungeons are challenging. Doors are the enemies of PbP! People dither at doors! I am finding that true in my tengus and tomes game (Tome of the Righteous Repose) and am starting to think that I will need to auto-roll them through rooms like I did with the group that I dragged through Risen from the Sands.
Hmm
Actually, I do have a question. It is about all of the the quest series in general and so will relate to this quest series in particular. Each quest awards 1 XP and 1pp and some gold. Am I right in assuming that it works cumulatively? That is to say if I do one quest I would get 1xp, 1pp and 100gp, but if I did all 6 I would get 6xp, 9pp and 1950gp or is doing all 6 worth 1xp, 2pp and 500gp?
I ask because I am looking at running Silverhex and a line in the front of the "module?" says that "Using her journal as a guide, the PCs can explore the region, seek their fortune, and earn enough gold to buy the ancient relic." This might be a throw away line for flavour, but if the reward for the series is 500gp then that isn't even close to the 8326gp that the relic costs. It makes sense that it should be expensive, but I am just confused on how the accrual of wealth works.
On a semi related topic Silverhex also awards gold to PCs at the end of a couple of the quests. 300gp here, 550gp worth of treasure there. To my mind this works like in a regular PFS game. That is to say that teh gold can be spent within the scope of the adventure, but once the adventure is over then it is handed to the PFS and a portion given to the PC via the chronicle sheet. Am I correct in assuming this?
They're not cumulative. Your rewards are based on the number of quests completed, but you do not add them all together.
When you complete 6 quests in a quest series, you get:
1XP
2PP
500 Gold
Plus boons.
The ability to buy Silverhex is one that you may use later in your PFS career when you have the money to do so!
Hmm
Yeah, it seems that each quest series is intended to reward basically the same (if you do all of them) as a single scenario would. It mostly balances out too, since a quest series would (in theory) take a comparable amount of time to play through as a scenario.
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They take about one hour longer, real-time. I can run 5 quests in the same amount of time I do 1 scenario.
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The very next day before sunrise, the group -- including Uesugi’s horse, Yurei -- leaves with a caravan filled with others seeking employment in Pashow. It is several hours journey, but the trek through the desert has something of a party atmosphere. Many of those leaving Aspenthar are in high spirits, looking for an exotic adventure and the chance to be among those guarding the most expensive potions known to man.
Soon, in the distance you can see the barrier wall mountain range and a needle-like tower that rises from it. Others tell you that distant needle is the soaring Citadel of the Alchemist, one of the tallest buildings in the world, visible for miles around in any direction. As the caravan arrives at its destination, it becomes clear that there are three Pashows, each in stark contrast to one another.
From far away, Pashow’s outskirts don’t look so bad. Two and three story stone buildings stand in concentric circles around a few grander looking edifices in the City’s center. But the Caravan passes the elderly and the children waiting in line for wagons bringing food aid. One old woman carries a wailing child that she tries to soothe with a lullaby, rocking and hushing the babe as she awaits her turn. The whiff of poverty -- garbage, sweat and human waste -- hangs in the air. Buildings are in disrepair, and garbage clutters the cracked streets beneath your feet. There are empty storefronts and long abandoned market stalls.
Within the town’s center rise the glorious ancient buildings of the old city, still covered in arcane runes from a dozen different languages. Once decorated in gem flowers with vines of gold leaf, now there are only holes where the precious decorations have been gouged out and sold. A few very tall buildings have stray bits of gold leaf high up, a constant reminder of better days. Even the modest fortified palace of the Emir and the Nethys Temple look shoddy and rundown. Only one place in town appears repainted and cared for: the Pashow Auction House, in which this town’s fragile hopes lay.
Finally there is the third Pashow, a vibrant tent city gathered in the long shadow of the barrier wall, a set of mountains that separates the desert of Thuvia from the lush jungles of the Mwangi expanse. Filled with laborers hired from Pashow’s able-bodied citizenry and foreigners of every nation, it bustles with activity, chatter and excitement. Efficient people wearing turbans and clipboards approach, ready to interview newcomers and sort them into either the guard barracks or the transport workshop.
“Welcome to Pashow,” a man in his fifties, sporting a glorious mustache and beard, greets you. “Are you seeking work? We have lots to offer you, if you have the skills we need. What do you have to offer?”
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INFILTRATION -- Some Ways to Fit In
Area A = Guard Barracks
Area B = Transport Workshop
Animal handler (Guard Barracks only): Manage mounts and guard animals with Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), Profession (driver or stable master), Ride, or wild empathy.
Engineer (Transport Workshop only): Build convoy with Craft (locks or traps), Disable Device, Knowledge (engineering), Perception, and Use Magic Device.
Guard or laborer: Blend in with Intimidate, Knowledge (local), Perception, Profession (soldier), or Survival.
Mage or medic: Fill magical or medical needs with Appraise, Craft (alchemy), Heal, Knowledge (arcana or religion), or Spellcraft.
Supervisor: Fool overseers with Bluff, Diplomacy, Linguistics, Profession (clerk or scribe), or Sense Motive.
Thief: Sneak in with Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth.
Other: Something else. Be creative.
None of it was box text, so a bit of research and imagination was involved.
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I'm planning to make a big leap and run a 7-11 in a few weeks. I will be busy enjoying real New Orleans the weekend I plan to start, so I wrote out an introduction to Golarion's version for my players to explore while I'm away. This is a combination of elements from the scenario's opening text expanded upon by Rule of Fear and a little bit of my own creation.
Your instructions from Venture-Captain Basia Kalistoff are to meet this evening at the Cloisoi Theater in Karcau. However, you arrived early in the day and have the rare opportunity to explore the Village of Voices for a time before receiving your assignment.
Karcau exists on the delta formed where the Moutray river empties into Lake Prophyria. Dozens of tiny islands dot the clay-tinged lake waters. Spacious gardens, avenues lined with linden and walnut, and a lack of fortifications gives Karcau an airiness unique to Ustalavic cities. Locally mined limestone, pale marsh woods, and an architectural love of arches, balconies, towers, and elaborate windows also aid in opening the city, filling the streets and structures with light. The whole city echoes and rings as the city’s musicians and hopeful apprentices practice almost endlessly. You notice that what many in the south would consider opera dress invades the local fashion, with capes, long gloves, tall hats, and daring gowns accentuating daily wear. To defend against swarms of biting flies and mosquitos from the nearby swamp, many women don ornate veils and men wear decorated masks.
Because the lodge at Miregold Manor does not have rooms for you all (much less Pumpkin), Kalistoff suggests you stay at the Aria, but you may find other lodgings if you wish. Karcau is a tourist destination and has a wide variety from which to choose - even the poorest establishments feature a makeshift stage for would-be virtuosos. The Aria, you find to be luxurious accommodations (32gp/day) just across Blaispear Plaza from the Cloisoi Theater. A suite includes a fireplace, a superior lock on the outer door, and two large bedrooms, plus servants on call to clean, cook, help with dressing, or send messages. Musicians are retained to play day and night in the Aria’s private performance space, though guests may reserve the stage for favored artists or perform themselves for a small fee. Small levered registers in each room allow the music to carry throughout the building as guests desire.
Blaispear Plaza:Before the cold eyes of the Cloisoi Theater’s innumerable angels stand two dozen ornate granite pedestals. From upon these columns the posturing bronzes of the region’s greatest heroes consider their beneficiaries, noble figures like Coalise, who lured the Graidemere Serpent to its doom; Jayde the Winged Warrior; the twins Guitad and Maidce standing against the morlock hordes; the Desnan priest, Adterly; and Silversong, the steed of the exiled poet Carmain Rowles. Amid these personalities also rest several vacant pedestals.
Karcau OperaThe Karcau Opera stands as the most prestigious school of the arts in northern Avistan. Upon its campus stand the Karcau Conservatory, the Livgrace Orchestra, the Dyemeir Opera House, and the Museum of Song along with staff and student boarding houses.
Eylusia Building: Local funerals are flashy, opulent affairs arranged at the extravagant Eylusia Building, a towering funeral parlor visible from almost anywhere in the city. It is home to the Eylusia Company—purveyors of fine funeral experiences. The structure resembles a giant mausoleum with morbid statuary and the organization’s symbol, a spiral of three red tears decorating the exterior. The ground floor of the five story building is an ostentatious showroom for coffins and funeral displays. On occasion, funeral parade will stretch from the building throughout the city in honor of some late, beloved star.
Weclome to Karcau, the Village of Voices!
I really like how personal GM Hmm's description is. Mine is pulled largely from published work, then embellished. So, I think it lacks a bit of that personal touch. Does anyone have ideas for additions or edits I could make?
^ I think the personalization aspect of scene-setting is probably something that'll come with time and some practice. It's definitely an area that I think I could stand to improve on for my own GMing. Perhaps remembering to focus on senses other than what the PCs see is a good start; interesting (or offensive) smells, the sounds, etc?
I learned how to set up google slides... may need a refresher next time I run, but I did do it, so will be easier the second time around, I hope.
How on earth did you embed those spoilers in each other, GM OfAnything? Is that something we can just do now? Did whatever broke notifications suddenly enable embedded spoilers?
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As for personalization, I want to include a few sound and scent details in every major description, and to focus on a few individuals in a scene rather than just the crowd. The crowd of elderly and children waiting for food blend in to the background. There's too many there to focus upon. So I focused in upon the one elderly woman trying to calm the wailing baby she's holding.
This tragic pair raises questions in the player's minds. Why are they alone, waiting for food? Are the rest of the family members off trying to find work? Sick? Dead?
Making one person real and sharp-focused will give impact to the entire crowd, and provides a face to the greater tragedy of Pashow's desperate situation.
Hmm
I think my maps & handouts are ready for when I'm up. Can someone verify that they're readable but not editable (yet)?
Also, what does everyone think about using the cover art to obscure the map until it's time for it? I'm rather pleased with the idea.
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How on earth did you embed those spoilers in each other, GM OfAnything? Is that something we can just do now? Did whatever broke notifications suddenly enable embedded spoilers?
It's been possible for awhile now, but the inner spoilers cannot have titles. It is not terribly discoverable.
See all the experiments in this thread.
Oh, I thought of another question though it's mainly just related to this specific experiment rather than GMing in general. How do the player credits and the GM credit for running shake out for applying them to a character? If I want Fran to get the full benefit do I need to apply my credit for running Manor to her five credits for actually playing the other five quests?
I assume the GMs would get 5 credits applied to their characters unless someone else were to GM the one they themselves GMed for credit?
ok...new post updates are back!
Yay! I've fallen behind...
I also feel behind in everything today! Two things to discuss today:
Today I was looking at Castamir's Flaxseed Station and loved the streamlining of the tips that have always been part of the campaign page of the Flaxseed Lodge. I love them so much, I am thinking of linking to them into my GM Alias profile page.
Speaking of GM Alias profile page, what information do you guys think is useful to have in there for players? I ask this because I realize that I currently have NO information for players in my GM Profile. GM Hmm's profile is naked -- oh no!
Are there GM Profiles out there in the community that you find really helpful? If so... Link to them! Give me ideas for mine, because I'm here to learn as well as teach!
So, we had a discussion a while back about what people wanted to try GMing first. I know that GM ofAnything is leaping into the deep end of the pool with a 7-11, but hey... He's GMed a lot of PFS live. I know that GM Ladile is planning on doing the Confirmation as her first scenario, and that's always a popular choice. Have the rest of you thought about what you want to GM? Are you looking for ideas? Suggestions?
Also, how will you recruit? Are you planning on doing recruitment threads, lotteries or first come, first serve? Or some combination of the above? However you recruit, I do hope that you announce it in the Flaxseed Lodge so that people can find it!
Tell me about your plans!
Hmm
I think my maps & handouts are ready for when I'm up. Can someone verify that they're readable but not editable (yet)?
Also, what does everyone think about using the cover art to obscure the map until it's time for it? I'm rather pleased with the idea.
Your maps and handouts are readable but not editable yet. The cover art is pretty as a cover up, but my personal preference is for plainer cover ups. I like to use colored shapes that kind of compliment the maps though. I probably overvalue aesthetics over utility, as you can probably tell by looking at the Sun Orchid Scheme map in my header.
All that players ask for is functionality and clarity!
Oh, I thought of another question though it's mainly just related to this specific experiment rather than GMing in general. How do the player credits and the GM credit for running shake out for applying them to a character? If I want Fran to get the full benefit do I need to apply my credit for running Manor to her five credits for actually playing the other five quests?
You don't have to assign the GM credit to a different character. I have both GMed and played quests at a convention on the same character. It makes the reporting look weird but it'll be okay. The character only receives one chronicle, written up by one of the other GMs here. All six quests will be checked off by the time we're through with this.
Hmm
Cool, thanks Hmmm. My GM profile was blank until a couple days ago. Now it's just random stuff that I find interesting.
I hadn't thought much about what to run first as a module. The safe choice is one of the evergreens that I've been through as a player multiple times. I generally prefer lotteries over first-come despite (or perhaps because of) my advantage in the latter due to having a job where I'm banging at a keyboard all day.
Definitely recruited in Flaxseed Lodge, though. That place is awesome.
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Well, as of right now I don't have anything in my GM profile! However I have and will take some inspiration from the following GMs as to what I might put there in the future:
GM Rutseg
Wilmannator
GM Giuseppe
GM Euan
Obviously some of those GMs have certain sections that would pertain only to regular games and not PFS, such as notes about houserules, but nearly all of them have information about their personal posting expectations, formatting preferences, and links to useful PbP guides by folks like Painlord and Doomed Hero.
As you mentioned, I'm looking at running The Confirmation as my first solo game. Why? It's one I've played a couple of times already as a player so I'm more familiar with it than some of the other evergreens. Since I have no GM experience either F2F or here on the boards, I wanted to start with something easy. I even had one friend suggest that I look at running a PFS Core game first as there are less rules and classes to worry about keeping track of; I might do some of that in the future since I don't see as many Core games offered around here but for now I'll likely stick to Classic.
On recruiting, I'll admit that I'm a bit of a weenie and have been polling people I'm already familiar with (and who I know play PFS) to see if they'd be interested in playing. This is probably what I'll do for my first game or two until I get settled into my 'style' of running. Once I'm a little more comfortable I'll look at more open forms of recruitment. Though I understand that FCFS and lotteries tend to mimic the 'random' nature of playing and running PFS live, I'm not always the biggest fan of those methods since they largely come down to whoever has the most free time to check the forums multiple times a day. Also, I'd prefer running for players who are willing to do some RP so I may be more likely to switch to 'recruitment' threads for future games rather than using the more random methods.
I've noticed that sometimes GMs will also give seating preferences to people that have either GMed games for them in the past or to newer players. Both of these are ideas that I like so I'll probably sprinkle some of that in there too.
Thanks for the answers! :)
Policies are definitely something I will be including in my GM Profile. I don't have any specific GM's I am going to draw from yet, but I will absolutely be emulating content I like. Ladile, linking to the PbP guides is a great idea!
I am open to suggestions on what to run. I'd prefer not to run an evergreen, and intend on keeping it in the 1-5 range. Finally, scenarios with wonky rules are less desirable but not off the table.
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I’ve got a couple of suggestions for GM friendly scenarios that have a minor mechanical or story twist that keeps it interesting for both the GM and players.
0 - #13 Prince of Augustana So much fun, so easy to run.
0 - #5 Mists of Mwangi Straight-forward dungeon crawl. Go ape with this one!
I'm not actually sure of how they look 'under the hood' so to speak, but I've heard Overflow Archives is fun and I really enjoyed playing my oracle for Portent's Peril during the last Gameday. Both seem like they've got plenty of room for some fun RP and without really anything in the way of odd rule subsystems to worry about.
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Oh, great suggestion, GM Ladile!
#6-15 Overflow Archives is combat-lite, roleplay-moderate/heavy and would appeal to new players as well as jaded veterans who thought they had seen it all.
The biggest complaint I’ve seen from GMs is drawing one of the maps.
But with a few left-clicks, that is NO PROBLEM with PbP ;)
I had one of the best GM's I have experienced run Overflow Archives for me. I have unfortunately run it already, so will not do it on the boards. HOWEVER, I strongly recommend this scenario to everyone!
I think I would enjoy either of those options! Prince of Augustana is one I've played in, so I'll probably do that one. Mist of Mwangi looks awesome, but I prefer playing before running if I can arrange it.
Thanks for the input :)
Another fun scenario with a twist but that is still simple to run is:
#33: Assault on the Kingdom of Impossible
I think that one is underrated. It has an interesting plot, providing excellent bones that a GM could fill in. Although the scenario did nothing with the Jalmeray setting, a PBP GM could certainly port some of that in, giving it a bit more of an exotic feel.
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I think that I will have to do a lottery for my next game, that or arrange a recruitment that is only for people that I have not GMed for before. We've got to give newcomers a place to start, after all!
I did see a pretty entertaining roleplaying recruitment for the Confirmation recently. It reminded me a bit of the recruitment Ladile and I did so very long ago to get into a Mummy's Mask game that we're still roleplaying in.
Hope all of you have a great Saturday, and that more of you chime in for discussion with your own THING ONE and THING TWO's!
Hmm
That was a pretty fun recruitment, wasn't it? :)
To be honest I've always had mixed feelings about 'tavern RP' on recruitment threads; on one hand it can be handy to help you get into character early on and also to see what people's posting styles will be like (if you're the one recruiting players). On the other hand, I suspect the activity in some of them might seem overwhelming and discouraging to people who might only be able to post once or twice a day. Not to mention it's a little more disappointing to not make the cut after having really gotten into your character and maybe even have started forging some potential connections with other applicants. On the bright side, PFS games don't usually receive quite the volume of applicants that a non-PFS game might so there's less people to sort through?
OH! And although I do already have 3 or 4 people potentially interested when I do my run of The Confirmation there's still a couple of spots that will be left. If there's anyone here (fellow GMs-in-training/folks waiting for the next GM 101 class/lurkers) that thinks they might like to play in that or even just play in something that I run in the future (I know the evergreens get old sometimes), let me know and I'll either fit you in or make sure you've got first dibs on a spot the next time I do something :)
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Speaking of good things to run, if you're like me and don't have a lot of spare cash to dump on a bunch of different PDFs at once, Paizo does have some PDFs that are free to download. Off the top of my head, I think all the different quests are free and there are a few modules that are free as well!
Dot, Dot, Dot, Dot... why isn't this forum appearing under My Campaigns tab?
Was I removed? Is it appearing for other people? This forum was missing before the update.
Ventiine - you have to dot GAMEPLAY, not Discussion, to get it to appear in your campaigns tab.
Yes, and it still doesn't appear! :(
wow, that's really weird. You definitely appear on both current player and character lists.
I really have no clue why it isn't there. I submitted a report here so hopefully someone will get back to me. Has this not happened to anyone else before?
THING ONE
I have not been exposed to a huge number of GMs here on the boards. I like DM Beckett's profile.
As far as THING TWO I am not sure. I am tossing around a few ideas in my head. I like the idea of the quest series and Silverhex looks really interesting. I also like the idea of an evergreen like Confirmation (which I have played once), but am just not sure. And any of the scenarios previously mentioned also sound really fun. Trial by Machine was my first ever Tabletop RPG game as well as my first ever PFS scenario. The overflow archives sounds like a blast too. Kind of spoiled by choice.
Hmm... was that an okay first post... or was it to much and too railroady?
FORUM ISSUES
I really have no clue why it isn't there. I submitted a report here so hopefully someone will get back to me. Has this not happened to anyone else before?
There's been all sorts of weirdness with campaigns lately. I hope this sorts itself out for you, Ventiine!
MINI TRICKS
"You're a star, Lore!"
Okay, Eadie, you've inspired me to talk about mini tips and tricks! I can't get that star effect that you pulled off on JAFO's slideshow to work for me on the iPad, but there's another effect that I do like that in Slideshows all the time, and that is add a color outline to my minis to differentiate them.
I talk a bit about that on the last slide in JAFO's slideshow.
A third trick that I like to do is pick a simple image that reduces well and change its color in Google Drawings, and then cut and paste the multicolored images to my slide shows. Grey images work best for this, as they turn gorgeous colors. That's how I got the rainbow ninjas that are my default people in slideshows... I took a small grey ninja avatar and reproduced it in many different shades.
FIRST POSTS
Hmm... was that an okay first post... or was it to much and too railroady?
For our purpose, it was a fine first post. You had a nice amount of detail, and provided a hook at the end.
If you were starting out the adventure, you might want to give your players a chance to RP more so they can get to know one another and build chemistry. But we're here in the middle, so it's best to just move us forward.
Adventure, ho!
Hmm
I'm planning to make a big leap and run a 7-11 in a few weeks. I will be busy enjoying real New Orleans the weekend I plan to start, so I wrote out an introduction to Golarion's version for my players to explore while I'm away. This is a combination of elements from the scenario's opening text expanded upon by Rule of Fear and a little bit of my own creation.
** spoiler omitted **...
So... of Anything asked about how to personalize a setting! I think one key is to imagine yourself not reading a guidebook, but walking through it.
Your instructions from Venture-Captain Basia Kalistoff are to meet this evening at the Cloisoi Theater in Karcau. However, you arrived early in the day and have the rare opportunity to explore the Village of Voices for a time before receiving your assignment.
Karcau exists on the delta formed where the Moutray river empties into Lake Prophyria. Dozens of tiny islands dot the clay-tinged lake waters. Spacious gardens, avenues lined with linden and walnut, and a lack of fortifications gives Karcau an airiness unique to Ustalavic cities.
Which I would change to:
Your instructions from Venture-Captain Basia Kalistoff are to meet this evening at the Cloisoi Theater in Karcau. Arriving early in the day, the Village of Voices beckons, enticing everyone to explore a bit. Staring out at the delta where the Moultray splashes into Lake Porphuria, the party counts dozens of tiny islands dotting the clay-tinged lake waters. Strolling through the spacious gardens, the avenues lined with linden and walnut, and past a troupe of musical hopefuls performing by an open air cafe, this city feels more like Varisia than Ustalav.
^I like that! I guess that also ties back in to adding in details about sounds and smells too :)
Also, anyone have any suggestions or critiques for me and the Manor episode?
And JAFO, I enjoyed that first post very much. Nice scene setting and good job playing on details and such laid down by the previous GMs - Dr. Q's manner and the Sage and Mug, for example!
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I really enjoy the line breaks you use during your posts. It makes the organization of your posts really clear to me! I am assuming it is a series of underscores and it is something I think I will be stealing. Hyperlinks within posts are another thing you do that I want to utilize more often. About to get shaken? No worries, hyperlinked!
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Kudos to GM Granta for showing me the ‘Star Token’ effect.
That ‘button’ makes doing up ROUND tokens sooooo easy!
A third trick that I like to do is pick a simple image that reduces well and change its color in GOOGLE DRAWINGS …
Thank-you so much for this post!!
I have managed this before, but couldn’t work out why I haven’t been able to achieve the same effects recently.
It’s because it works really well in Google Drawing, but looks awful in Google Slides! Now that I know, I should be able to work around this problem.
Thanks Hmm!
The best thing about these is that they are FREE!
^I like that! I guess that also ties back in to adding in details about sounds and smells too :)
Also, anyone have any suggestions or critiques for me and the Manor episode?
And JAFO, I enjoyed that first post very much. Nice scene setting and good job playing on details and such laid down by the previous GMs - Dr. Q's manner and the Sage and Mug, for example!
I think GM Hmm made a comment about doors, but it is good to bring up again. Doors and other decision point can build tension in F2F, but on PbP, they mostly slow things down. The rule of 2 is a good method to combat this, but if nothing happens right away, sometimes you can fast forward a bit and just have a character open the door.
Anything anyone wants to do in town before you go? ... make any last minute purchases?... ask the locals about the site? (ie gather info rolls and roleplay)... Wrack your memories for info about it? (ie knowledge rolls)... Let me know when you are all ready to move out. I'll go with the 'rule of three' here. :)
I found this to be a particularly weak post. These sorts of 'push' posts can be done very easily in PbP through NPC interaction. The knowledge checks could have been attached to the intro post with the note from Dr. Q, or perhaps a post Mindl asking some pointed questions about what we plan to do today and to make room for others.
I particularly object to the question "Anything anyone wants to do in town before you go?" as it puts me in a poor mindset for roleplay. I find it much more effective to lay out a few options for the characters to use as a springboard.