Welcome all to the OOC page. Please jump in and get to know each other.
I have gotten the initial IC post about 1/2 done - takes a while to create it with all the backgrounds. I hope to have it within a day or two - except that work seems to keep sticking its nose into my pbp time and may push it a day or so.
Once again, congrats on being selected and get ready to see just how evil the elements can be.
Greetings everyone! I am very pleased to meet all of you. I am really looking forward to playing this campaign with such great characters! I cannot remember much of the details of this old module, but this will be like taking a step back in time to my early years of AD&D. So what time zones are you all posting from? I am in eastern standard time.
Hello. Also thanks for accepting me. I'm cst myself. Working on ironing out the details while waiting for a.flight. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know.
...hiccup!...Hello everyone! Let's raise a glass and toast...to new friends! he intones a prayer...
Welcome all - we have our dwarves and our tall people, just waiting on the little folk.
For the Status line, it is up to you. I like the Saves, AC (Touch/FF) and key skills (Perception, etc) - hp are good, but because they change in a battle, it makes it harder to track since the stat line changes.
I cannot say that I am the best at it as a player, but I find that if you create a spoiler block on your sheet, you can just copy the spoiler from your sheet (or you PC if that is where you save it) whenever you make a new post. In the Stat Spoiler include your HP, AC (with magical modifiers) and spells in effect. Doing it this way makes it easier for me to know your status and also to backtrack to discover whether mistakes have been made. Since the Status Line updates whenever you update you Profile and whenever a new page is loaded, it loses any benefit historically whereas a Stat Spoiler never changes (unless you edit it in the first hour).
Hobbit wizard checking in.
Thanks for the selection. I am Eastern Standard Time. Just to let you know, Braden is not your happy go lucky hobbit. He is somewhat cynical and sarcastic. Think of Harry Dresden in a hobbit body with the face of an innocent child (without the duster but a pipe).
I am EST here.
Thank you, GM Chaos, for selecting me!
I'm CST. Anyone else have problems connecting today? I've been trying most of the morning, and only now got through.
Braden, we should adjust backgrounds to be family (instead of Falco)! We're from the same area, and even match as focusing on Conjuration-ing. My disappearance could be the tipping point for you to decide to leave your home and go looking for me.
Maegge, I've been trying to get on the boards all morning and was unable. I am glad we are on now! I think this is going to be an interesting group!
Chaos, As for the Stat line, I find it really helpful as a DM, especially if you want to include the use of the health bar on the characters in your map tools. It saves you opening up and looking at many windows to find that current number in the middle of a battle. It is also a big help to any cleric in the party who may want to heal the others.
Also: mmmm, pancakes....
Maegge, I've been trying to get on the boards all morning and was unable. I am glad we are on now! I think this is going to be an interesting group!
Chaos, As for the Stat line, I find it really helpful as a DM, especially if you want to include the use of the health bar on the characters in your map tools. It saves you opening up and looking at many windows to find that current number in the middle of a battle. It is also a big help to any cleric in the party who may want to heal the others.
Thanks - that is why I like the spoilers. Yeh, you have to open them, but that is pretty easy, and you can also include any spells or other effects so that it is easy to see. Really during battles - and once again, I do not do this consistently in my games, is make something like this:
Round 2
HP: 9/13
hp: 9/13
AC 18 (+4 Dex, +4 Mage Armor)
Spells in effect:
Mage Armor - 1 hour
Vanish - 2 rounds
Fort: +1
Ref: +4
Will: +3
It is not perfect, but I have one or two characters where I have this spoiler on my character sheet. I edit it for the current round on my character sheet, and then cut and paste the whole thing to my IC combat post. It only adds one line to the post since everything is in the spoiler and provides me, and everyone else, the information needed as to what is going on.
No, you do not have to do this, but the easier it is for me, and the fewer mistakes I make, the faster things will proceed. (This is also why I really do not like cutting and pasting from HeroLab as the skills and feats are all in horizontal lines, are lacking anything that you do not have ranks in, and do not have special modifiers (familiar bonus, Favored Enemy bonus, etc).
Putting everything on the status line is great, it is just that you have to remember to adjust it every time you post and as I mentioned before, it does not provide any historic data since the status line for every post since day one changes each time you update it.
Anyway, get to know each other. I will try to look over the character sheets as I write up the intro for each of you. I already found one person with the stats still off (already fixed, thanks), so please check to make sure your stats, skills, feats, etc. are correct and how you want them.
No problem, Chaos. Just let me know what I can do to help! I am always willing to keep the DM happy!
I was so excited to meet of all you, that I didn't realize that this was a pancake house! So how many of you use real maple syrup with your pancakes? I live in Vermont and we would be laughed at and have our loyalty questioned if we didn't.
No problem, Chaos. Just let me know what I can do to help! I am always willing to keep the DM happy!
I was so excited to meet of all you, that I didn't realize that this was a pancake house! So how many of you use real maple syrup with your pancakes? I live in Vermont and we would be laughed at and have our loyalty questioned if we didn't.
Bah - traitor - what Tybek is not telling you is that he is born and bread in New Hampshire where they make real maple syrup. Since he has now moved out west to Vermont, he has fallen under the sway of the dark side (I suppose in VT that would be the green side) and is now preaching about Vermont Maple Syrup. Traitor.
Regarding the name, you do not want to know how many Iuz Inns, Iuz campsites, and Iuz's houses of debauchery I went though before finally settling on a pancake house. Simply calling it the "ToEE Discussion" just kind of seemed a little boring.
Ha, like I'd touch anything else besides 100% real maple syrup!
"ToEE Discussion" is like pancakes without syrup: you can do it, but it's just wrong.
Dammit, now I'm hungry for pancakes!
We'd occasionally have a pancake dinner on a weekend... while lemon juice and sugar was nice I enjoyed eating mine with beef stock. Of course these were probably more like crepes in terms of the batter, but still good.
I am guessing there are not a lot of sugar maples in Aussie land or Malaysia.
First, I need to establish my syrup cred: I have ridden in a sap cart and dumped the buckets by hand into the cart pulled by the tractor, and then went back to the sugar house to put the wood in and boil the sap. It gets no better than the real stuff. Now this was in upper Ohio at my college roommate's farm, but the syrup was quite good.
Maegge, let us call you my niece, and I'll add you to my background. Though I will be quite disappointed with your non-canine companion.
Curse your trump-card oneupsmanship!
Maegge's a dude!
Don't worry about adding to your background unless you really want to. I was going to have you two meet and travel to Yanmass together anyway since I believe you both come from the same area.
Just pick up Arinale off the floor and dust him off...and he loves pancakes...
boards have been driving me crazy with the up and down today...
Me too. Even when it works, it reacts very slowly. I've been watching the olympics while I wait.
I love the olympics, especially great performance from past olympics like these from the 27th Olympiad.
Ok all - I got responses from all but Ranim. I will asume that she is fine with hers. My understanding is that she is currently in Waco and then going to Gencon.
I just about have the intro finished and should have it up sometime in the next day or so. Once again, sorry that I have been a little slow, but this has taken more time than expected and RL seems to think that I need to do work there as well.
just sent a reply. sorry for the delay on it. was working from 8am to 10pm (though some of that was work dinner). should have more time tonight hopefully.
No problem Ranim.
Gameplay is up. I will discuss some rules and stuff here in the Discussion over the next few days, but I figured that I would give you a short intro (11 pages on my word processor) to get things going IC.
Pop over to the IC and have some fun.
Man - I did not realize that none of you had felt it necessary to put points into Knowledge skills when I typed that all up. Oh well, go ahead and read if for fun, just remember your characters don't know anything unless you made the respective rolls.
Ranim - don't forget with Bardic knowledge you can make knowledge skill checks untrained, you just don't get the Class Skill bonus unless you have ranks in them.
I have nature! Whee~!
A few notes on operations:
Initiative: I will roll for everyone. Monsters will be grouped by type and I will make one Initiative roll for each group.
Combat: Feel free to post actions and/or contingent actions --> I attack enemy A, but if A has decided to jump off a cliff, then I will prepare to attack B if he charges me. etc. If your action no longer makes sense, I will either attempt to make you do what seems best (attack the next nearest enemy) or just delay you. I do not care if you post out of turn. If we are in a major combat and you do not post and have not informed me and the group that you will be away, I will use a 24 hour rule before NPCing your character. I know that you all are regular posters and hope that I never have to do this.
Skills: I know there are a ton of methods, but I like to know what modifiers are affecting your skill bonus (race, class skill, ranks, feats, etc.) If you can list these out in a format something like this:
+7/+9, +10/+12 Perception (Wis +3, Ranks 1, Class Skill +3)(+3 Familiar if Water Terrain)(+2 Alertness if near familiar)
+3 Profession(sailor) (Wis +3, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
+2 Ride (Dex +2, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
+4/+6 Sense Motive (Wis +3, Ranks 0, Trait +1, Class(trait) Skill +3)(+2 Alertness if near familiar)
+* Slight of Hand (Dex +2, Ranks 0)
+* Spellcraft (Int -1, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
+2 Stealth (Dex +2, Ranks 0)
+5 Survival (Wis +3, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)(+2 Druid Bonus)
It makes things much easier if I need to make a roll for you or some modifier (Ranger FE, etc.) is applicable.
Vacations/absences: Please let me know if you are going to be away for more than a day. This way either I or someone else can NPC your character. If you are gone for a week without notice, you may be replaced.
Skill Checks: (perception/sense motive)
If people do not specify that they are carefully looking for things, you will get general descriptions. If you say you are looking carefully, you will essentially get a Take 10 view of things. If you wish to roll Perception checks, feel free to do so at any time, just recognize that this will slow down your movement as I will view it as carefully proceeding and looking at most nooks and crannies in the dungeon (movement will be 20feet/minute). You can take 20 for many perception rolls, but then you will be moving at a rate of about 20 minutes /20feet.
Regarding Perception rolls. Making one roll per room is usually fine unless I state otherwise. Making one roll in a passageway and assuming that it will be good for the entire passage is not good. I will consider each Perception roll to represent searching about a 20' section of the passage which will take about a minute (6 seconds seems a little unrealistic even though the rules seem to indicate that a Perception check only takes 1 round).
I am sure that there are other things I have not thought of off the top of my head. If there are any questions, feel free to ask.
Testing to see if this works.
Everyone let me know whether you can see the cover from the old module. I am planning on using Google Docs unless someone has a good reason why I shouldn't. I have never used it before, but it has 5GB of free data storage for maps and pics and stuff.
It works. Sorry my intro came a little late. I was so intimidated by the well done background, I had to make sure I put some time into it and make sure Braden was appropriately sarcastic and witty.
Link works just fine.
I have to admit, DM Chaos has done a tremendous job starting out this adventure! I've DMed for a year and a half, and I have a great campaign going, but I have never put that kind of effort into an adventure. Kudos to Chaos!
+1
It certainly does set a very high level of expectations. I am happy to give what I can when time permits, but I fear what will happen when work and my other life gets in the way. However, in the meantime, I'm lovin it!
ehhh, it was okay... :]
Good read...
I am more of a wing it/ fly by the seat of the pants DM, but I am seeing the standards set for good preparation. I really like how the questions became pictures on the wall. Nice touch.
Is there a link to where I can get my words converted to dwarven?
I took Glorfin's technique and used Google Translator to translate it into Serbian.
I 110% agree to the quality to the start of this adventure!
Thanks for the compliments, I hope that I can keep it up. I plan on this being done within the shell that is the original AD&D module, but with lots of changes which are obviously necessitated by the rather substantial changes between AD&D and PF. I actually started to plan everything until I realized that if you all as the players made different decisions, then a lot of work would be for naught. But, I have a pretty good idea how things will progress.
sorry for not posting much. Work is kicking my butt hardcore. Going to try to read through the gameplay thread and get a post up. If nothing else, I do have Monday off.
For anyone wondering, I have not really described Yanmass that well, but in my view it is sort of a cross between a dusty end of the trade route town like St. Louis or Kansas City before the railroads were introduced, combined with the eastern influences you might have gotten from trading with the middle-east and far east in the 1300s and 1400s (spice trade, exotic fabrics, strange cultures, etc.) The buildings would be more along the lines of eastern europe - balkan/slavic in nature.
sorry for not posting much. Work is kicking my butt hardcore. Going to try to read through the gameplay thread and get a post up. If nothing else, I do have Monday off.
No problem, just try to update when you can. As you know, most everyone in here is a fairly prolific poster, so try to keep up. I will move things forward and have you sort of follow along if necessary.
For all, I am slowly working through your character sheets seeing whether I have any questions. If possible, there are a few things that I find make things easier.
Equipment - if you could put how much you spent, I would appreciate it.
Feats - if you can put in parenthesis where you got each feat, I prefer that ie:
Power Attack (Level 1)
Cleave (Level 1 Fighter Bonus)
Weapon Focus (Level 1 Human Bonus)
Great Cleave (Level 2 Fighter Bonus)
etc.
Skills - if you could put the modifies after each skill, this is useful if I need to make rolls for you
For example:
+13 Bluff (Cha +6, Ranks 4, Class(race) Skill +3)
-1 Climb (Str -1, Ranks 0, Class Skill +3)
+13 Diplomacy (Cha +6, Ranks 4, Class Skill +3)
+9 Disable Device (Dex +8, Ranks 1)
+6 Disguise (Cha +6, Ranks 0)
+12 Escape Artist (Dex +8, Ranks 1, Class Skill +3)
+24 Fly (Dex +8, Ranks 1, Perfect Maneuverability +8, Size +4, Class(race) Skill +3)
For skills, I usually put conditional modifiers, such as armor penalties, separate and break the skill into two numbers:
+8/+4 Climb (Str +4, Ranks 1, Class Skill +3) (Armor Penalty -4)
Other conditionals might be Owl/Hawk familiars (Perception bonus in night/day), Favored Enemy, etc.
That way, if you are out of your armor, you, or I, do not need to recalculate skills.
Will work those changes in over the next few days.
Same here. I am mostly set, but I need to do some of the arithmetic of my equipment. Chaos, Is it ok to put the asterisk mark next to the skills with the armor check penalty?
As long as you stick a footnote indicating what the asterisk means. I use the asterisk to indicate skills that are trained use only (like knowledge), that I do not have ranks in. But, armor check identifiers work as well. Remember, Armor Check penalties can get mixed up if you buy an Agile Breastplate.