Holy Biscuits! You guys are rarin ta go. I just got home from my trip and I hope to get this started first thing in the morning. However, if I'm feeling up to it, I may start tonight. I do have five threads that I'm running campaigns in to post first and then I got to put up a recruitment for one of them. Lost two players in one week. We will start tomorrow for sure so keep an eye on the thread.
Okay after near six months of doing PBPs on Paizo there are several things I have come to realize. I need to adapt a special set of rules and requirements to allow my campaigns to proceed at a good and progressive rate.
Also it has been brought to my attention that my GMing style is a bit unorthodox. Especially in regards to the D20 system, which I must point out is not a favorite of mine. I have only been using the D20 for about a year even though I have been running games for more than 12. I will be putting forth a formal explanation of my GM style here as well.
First I want to start with new rules I have for game procedures.
Checks and Saves
From this point on I will be rolling the following myself for your characters based off of your given modifiers. I will be rolling your:
-Saving Throws
-Initiatives
-Other skill checks when applicable.
This will allow me to put more down in single posts rather than having to constantly wait on players to make checks. When a check is require, I will post your result so you can see what I rolled. I prefer my at home dice as opposed to Paizo’s oddly unbalanced dice roller. My dice tend to be friendlier at times. This should speed up progress a great deal.
If you feel a skill check is necessary for something, you must make it on your own as I will not prompt certain skill checks, this is most applicable to knowledge checks. I will no longer ask for knowledge checks, it is up to you to do so and I will keep an eye out for them and give you as much knowledge as your results merit.
Now for combat. One thing I have noticed as an issue with PBP is initiative order makes things a pain. From now on I am grouping badguys and you all on the same initiative. Here’s how it works:
I will roll all your initiatives using the modifiers you provide in your profiles. You will act together at the highest results
Example.
Joe rolls 6 total
Kim rolls 15 total
Bob rolls 9 total
Craig rolls 13 total
Badguys roll 14 total.
Initiative order:
Players at 15
Badguys at 14
Holding action will not permanently change your place in the order. I will allow held actions though.
Now the order of your actions depends on posting order.
Example:
Round 1
Joe posts his action first so he goes first in the lineup
Bob Posts second so he goes second and can act according to what Joe has already done
Kim posts next and acts according to what the two prior have done
Lastly Craig finally posts and he acts according to the other threes actions
Then I do the badguys and give you the results of your actions for the round.
Round 2
This time Kim posts first so she goes first.
Bob posts second and gets to act according to what Kim has done
Then Craig posts his action
This time Joe posts last and has to act as though everyone went before him
Then Badguys go.
This will minimize action confusion as you will have a better idea on whose doing what and how you can help the encounter. This will also save me a good deal of time as I wont have to keep shuffling your actions all over the place to fit each order of initiatives.
Basically, you either go before or after the baddies.
My GM Style Rules
A bit about my style as it obviously differs from traditional DMs. I have never liked the D20 system. I use it because I don’t have to explain it to anybody and I will modify the rules a nice amount to fit my style of gameplay.
Roleplay
I am a big fan of PC and NPC interactions. All my characters have a life story. I do not put forth random NPCs with no name or history. Even if they aren’t in my written campaign. Talking to a random NPC adds them to it, especially if you choose to pursue them with questions. I will also take roll play over dice rolls if the argument or action makes sense for the situation. Especially when it comes to diplomacy. Even if you fail a diplomacy check, a good IC argument or offer will work in place of the failed roll and still yield positive results.
Encoutners
People who know me know I love no holds barred encounters. I do not believe that people will always be able to fight everything they encounter. This is because I focus on a reality view. In my campaigns there may be encounters that are too hard for you to fight. I DO NOT EXPECT YOU TO FIGHT THEM. Most of the players I have had over the years learn to gauge a foe before engaging it. I ALWAYS leave a way out of any high power encounter. I will not throw you into a battle that is too hard for you without giving you a way out. Also, not every foe need be beat with dice rolls. Think, find tactical advantages. The rulebook leaves a lot of those concepts out and hope that my players can get creative in dealing with foes. Not every foe is meant to be put down at first encounter. I like the dramatic meet the badguy when you are too weak to take him on, or the encounter that you would be in more of a survival run as opposed to fight or die. This is why I write most of my own campaigns.
Character Creativity
I am a HUGE fan of open ended games where the trail isn’t always so obvious. I love exploring and trying to find the try on my own rather than have some compass guide pointing me at it. Every time I find a unique way to continue forward I feel a strong sense of accomplishment. That said, I run my games that way. I feed my players in game info for them to record and process. This information is there to give the players an idea as to what to do and where to go. Often times, I prefer not to completely railroad my players. No fun in it for me and as a player I enjoy options. Thus I help set a goal and leave a hundred paths to get there. It is up to the players to find the one that best suits them.
Game Progression
I hate pushing my players around. I leave them and their characters where they are until they choose to move unless being led by an NPC. It is your responsibility as a player to move the story along by telling me where you are going and what you are doing. I will give you your visible options and ask you, “Which way are you going to go?” “Where are you going to go?” “Are you heading out?” “Have you decided what to do?” I love player discussion when they all sit around and discuss what to do and think about their options. I do expect that when an option is selected, the players will take the initiative and head out. Preferably the apparent leader of the party would do this.
Alignments
I’ll be blunt. I don’t like alignments. I don’t like the fact that having an alignment has such an effect on the game especially when it is nothing more than a point of view. From this point on I am throwing alignments out the window. I do not want players to be motivated by this thing called an alignment, rather on their own personal beliefs and perceptions. I am altering alignment based rules like detect evil. It will now detect potentially dangerous or hostile individuals to you or someone else. This can have the result of making a good person look evil should they attack someone else first. Regardless, I just don’t like it motivating your characters. Good people aren’t expected to fight every evil person they find. Especially when that person does not mold to the description of good and evil. I also hate how it affects class choice. So it does not. Alignment is purely philosophical. Good and evil deities are now identified as angelic or demonic and they will still preach and behave according to their descriptions. They just wont be categorized as good or evil. That is how I want to run this.
This is the most prevalent and untraditional methods of my GM style. . This is the surviving traits of how I’ve run games for the past 12 years and may not easily change, though I may adjust them a bit to fit PBP.
Now I would like an evaluation.
First – How do you feel about my GMing style?
Second – How do you feel about the campaign you are in?
Third – How is my ability to communicate details?
Fourth – Is there any advice you can offer in regards to running online games?
Fifth - Is there any other comments or concerns, or advice?
First – How do you feel about my GMing style?Second – How do you feel about the campaign you are in?
Third – How is my ability to communicate details?
Fourth – Is there any advice you can offer in regards to running online games?
Fifth - Is there any other comments or concerns, or advice?
First: As for the options and hundreds since the lack of discussion and ending of of other game I was with you should be tweaked a little. This would mostly be when things get slow. Otherwise seems alright.
Second: I am happy with it so far. I cannot wait to get into Bounty Hunter I have wanted to be a Bounty Hunter in a Star Wars game for a few years now.
Third: Communication of details seems alright so far need more game time to get a clear idea on this.
Fourth: Simple maps go a long way. What I mean by this is have reference points for things helps a lot. Other than that it depends on the players and the game type on what helps the game along. Maps seems to be the common things that really helps things speed up.
Fifth: I shall answer this question at a later date since again game is new and have not had much to say about it so far.
Greetings fellow players. I know things are a bit slow right now because I am having some problems with the other threads and RL. It is mostly do to the end of school and holiday season in retail that is soaking up my time at the moment.
Things I need to inform you of:
First: I am breaking off the rebel thread from this story line. They are slow and it is affecting everyone as a whole so know it is just you and the empire thread.
Second: I gave the empire thread a boost to their Dexterities due to the heavy gun fighting aspect of this campaign. Majority of this campaign will involve a lot of shooting and the capabilities for players to hit is abysmal. The guards you have been fighting were meant to have a slightly higher Defense but I have been shorting them a bit. So now I am Giving everyone bonus dex so they will be even easier to hit and I can build them correctly. This DEX bonus cannot be used to raise your Abilities above 18 before the racial bonuses are added. That said, I will need you to reorganize your abilities accordingly.
Third thing. Come Janurary I will have much more free time again and will be posting pretty regularly. However, there is one thing. In none of my campaigns will I be replacing any players. Also, if a game stalls for a week after I have posted an update, I will end the campaign. One week. After I update. That's plenty of time right? I will also be dropping people who disappear for a week without any warning. Most folks give me warnings. I've only had to drop three players out of all my games due to disappearances.
Now things WILL be slow over the next two months. Bear with me. Thank you.
So re due dex or re due stats?
Redo stats and get an auto +4 to dex. This can happen after you have bought the first four points but you cannot buy more than four points in dex.
Meaning, using the point buy system, you cannot raise dex above 14.
You will then add 4 to the final results
Then you add your racial bonus.
For this campaign you all need to be BIG godamn heroes.
Okay everyone. Holiday nonsense is over and I am ready to get this thing going.
First things first. I need to do a roll call. Now it is important to note, I am not recruiting new players for this game so I will be running with who I have left.
Now what I need is for you all to sign in by posting “Ready to go”
I will wait until January 12th to here from everyone. I will start us up when everyone reports in or the 12th, which ever happens first.
With that said I look forward to seeing who is still game and Happy New Year.
FYI I will be away on vacation from early tomorrow through Friday night and likely unable to post any later than this evening until Saturday.
I am going to wait for the new guy to join you. He said he'd be back Saturday.
Feel free to join the others in the control room. You are part of Zedora's forces and the only person from your team to make it into the bunker. inside you will come across the other three. I will wait for you to post.
I can open a new recruitment or we could continue with what we have. It will be tough but doable with only three players. Finding someone with the same rules will be tricky though.
I leave the choice in your hands.
Find a new recruit or continue with three?
I could give each of you an additional level to try and make up for it but you would have to try and fill in the skill void. I mean....what abilities would three soldiers have?