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Hello everyone and welcome to the game! Go ahead and get your character sheets updated and let me know when you're ready for me to review them.
Looking forward to getting started!
Hola mi amigos! I should be good to go if you want to look me over.
Hey, super excited to have been selected, thank you!
I actually have today off of work; I have some errands i need to run this morning but i'll get his profile finalized this afternoon. Can't wait to get started :)
Thrilled and honored that I was selected. Looking forward to this.
@GM- would you like us all to include basic combat stats in the visible part of our profile (like Vikh and Rhiannon have)?
@Rhiannon- its funny, that same shattered star recruitment birthed Baldric too... my submission for that one was Teldon Moore and in the backstory I worked up for him his father, Baldric, had been a native of Magnimar who got caught up in the events that happen in this AP (though i had to keep that vague because I've never played this AP before); so, when this recruitment came up I knew that I had to put Baldric together and apply with him :)
now his backstory isn't a lie anymore, lol.
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@Baldric: That actually is pretty funny. Because the two APs are so closely related in continuity and distance it was pretty easy to shift the story toward this one (also I worked really hard at making this character plausible and I kind of fell in love with the idea of playing her because she's so not what the average character in one of these games would be.)
@GM- would you like us all to include basic combat stats in the visible part of our profile (like Vikh and Rhiannon have)?
I highly recommend it. It saves the GM time when making rolls for us. Instead of clicking on your profile to pull up a new screen, many of your crucial stats are apparent and present on your last post.
I kind of fell in love with the idea of playing her because she's so not what the average character in one of these games would be.
Yeah- both Baldric and Teldon are fairly different than the typical characters you see over and over, i think... Baldric's a fighter and half his (6) skills are Int based, lol.
thanks Vikh, i'll throw those up in a little bit (after i finalize his equipment).
Hello everyone! This is looking like an interesting group at first impressions. I'll have a look at everyone to know who you are, and then having a once over of my own stats to make sure it's all correct and updated as needed. Looking forward to getting started.
It should be interesting for sure. But I'm definitely looking forward to playing. So when do we plan on starting cc?
Glad to see almost everyone's checked in.
We will start next week - probably on Monday. So if you will please get your character sheets updated and let me know when you're ready for me to review your sheet, that would be great!
Looking forward to getting started.
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To tell the truth, I really only did it because Vikh did.
@GM and just everyone else: How are we planning to write this game. I've become kind of accustomed to writing in third person present tense when I write all of my character actions, like:
Rhia touches the hilt of the sword at her waist and tilts her head to one side as she walks. "Was never fond of stiffer blades. I like the mobility," she says.
That's what I've always done. It always seems to flow better in my mind anyways.
i usually write mostly in 3rd person present as well, though i do sometimes use the past tense too... for example, if we're gathering in the morning i'll use present tense for going to the meeting but probably give a short description of anything else i did before hand in the past tense. also, once in a while i'll interject a snip-it of background type stuff into the description of something current (and that's, obviously, in the past tense as well).
@ GM- i believe Baldric's profile is finished now. please let me know if there is anything else you need, or anything you'd like changed.
Yes, I prefer third-person, and using formatting to indicate speech, internal thoughts and .
has anyone else noticed that 3 out of the 5 characters who have checked in have the Scholar of the Ancients campaign trait? we can almost use Thassalonian as our secret party language, lol.
Nooo!!! I can't speak it lol.
ha- i just stalked Zwain in the recruitment thread... he has Scholar of the Ancients too!
I'm here! Sorry, didn't think you'd select me since I hadn't updated my character in time. Will get on it!
Zwain is updated with a third trait (Operatic) and a drawback (Atatched) and at level 1.
Looking forward to the game!
I totally feel out of the loop now lol. Oh, as a side note cc, the campaign trait I chose, obviously no one in Satinder's family has actually died, but that too (like some others here) was about the best thing I could choose that worked for him. RotRL didn't exactly offer up the best selection of campaign traits in my opinion lol.
yeah- Baldric's damage should be pretty decent but he's not optimized for it. I'm hoping that with his knowledges, perception and sense motive, and survival he'll be at least somewhat useful outside of combat as well.
are we gonna set any ground rules before starting? like posting frequency, what is or isn't acceptable in terms of PvP action, or anything like that?
I'll say straight out if anyone steals or attempts PvP lethal combat, I'll politely move on to another game. That's not why I play.
Also need to discuss loot distro. I've always been a fan of even split gold/jewels and then best fit for magic items on loan. When you're done with an item, you return it to the party for reallocation or sell and split.
DM sets the pace for post rate. I can post often or not depending on the flow ofnthr game.
My advice is if you spend to much time on exposition early, you get wore out. Parse out pieces of your character over time instead of trying to get it all out in the first couple interactions.
Also, when posting as a player, the more you can add to descriptions of what you're doing, the better. There's a guide on being a good PBP player out there. I'll see ifni can dig up the link. If we rely solely on the DM for narrative, the game generally fails.
I have some other DM pointers that I can offer if ours is interested.
Gotta agree with you on that Zwain. Although some early on PvP I don't mind occuring. Not to the death of course, cause that would for sure be pointless, but more in the manner that not everyone instantly becomes friends. If we're going for story here, then I'd be okay with one person going "I can't stand you!!!" as they follow with a punch lol. That's just my thoughts, cause I do very much enjoy story.
I'd like to limit in-game player conflicts as much as possible, which includes stealing or combat.
As for posting rate, I'd like to shoot for one post a day during the week, with weekends slowing up. More is fine - I'll do my best to keep up.
And Zwain, please do share any pointers you have!
i'm also pretty opposed to PvP... i don't mind some conflict- arguments and even some dramatic tension can be good for the story (especially early on as Satinder said), but for me i think once the dice (tags) come out its gone too far.
for posting rate- i get worried about a game's longevity any time the posting rate is less than 1/day... i could probably commit to 2-3/day and often could probably do more, but i also try to conform to what works for everyone else so if the average is 1-2 i'll try to stick to around that (i usually err on the side of moving the story forward, so if anyone feels like Baldric is 'hogging the spotlight' with too many posts at any point, please feel free to say so).
i totally agree with Zwain on loot distribution too- even split for coins/gems and magic items distributed by need (and recycled into the party) is my preferred method as well. i would add that I'm a big fan of a party share as well (split 7 ways instead of 6 with the extra share becoming a pool for things like cure wands and utility scrolls), and that when an item gets to a point where nobody wants it anymore it gets sold and the coin distributed like any other coin would be. (although at some point our characters will probably have to discuss it- which might not go as smoothly as ooc discussion, lol.)
Agreed with Zwain on pvp and stealing. I've had multiple guys in the past who I've gamed with IRL who have to have secret agendas, or take an unfair share of loot, kill other players that their character had a beef with, or steal from other party members....I won't play in that environment. It is selfish and goes counter to what I consider the point of TTPRGs-- telling a fun story as a group.
Agreed with Zwain on loot. Liquid assets should be split equally. Items should be distributed based on needs, wants, and if not needed (or no longer needed) it should go back into the group pool for future trade or liquidation.
I can usually post more than once a day.
The only real concern that I have though about shooting for a post a day is when everyone can post. For instance, I live in the Seattle area, obviously on the west coast. I work 7-8 hours a day dependent on workload. Granted I feel it's safe to assume this is everyone's boat with work. But being in Seattle which literally has one of the worst rates of traffic in the States, I'm out of the house close to 10-12 hours a day, and throw on the PST time zone, by the time I'm actually home to do a decent quality post that's not just "Satinder just sits at the table eating his meal" because I caught a break during work to post from my phone, everyone else (and this is by trends of other games I've been in) is already asleep or doing other things away from the computer. I have seriously seen between 20-30 new posts on multiple days while I couldn't put a single post into that block.
So while it's fairly easy for us all to put up 2-3 posts a day, would it be possible with this group that everyone is going to have chance to get an equalish chance to post? Is that something we could do? For instance getting into a conversation or discussion about something in the game. I feel like limiting the input posts to a few posts by the same few characters until the others get a chance to have input as well. This way we can attempt to have a consistent pace to the game while avoiding the multiple occasions of a couple of us finally getting the first chance to post all day to see 20-30 new posts between 2 or 3 characters that just ended up deciding what the group is doing next.
The reality is, posting drops off significantly after a start. The key is keeping momentum going for the long run. All games start off hot and heavy. Most die before you hit 2nd level.
I'm no fan of PvP either, would like to limit that as much as possible. Posting rates like that sound fine to me.
On loot it sounds like you guys have the same opinions as me there too. Money should be split as equally as possible, and magic items given to the one who can use it the best. The stronger your fellow characters are, the stronger your party is as a whole and the stronger you are.
Oh I know Zwain, it's a common sight to have that happen. It still doesn't make a difference on the fact that some people do have much more time to post than others, which leads to the potential of having a couple of characters feel absolutely useless and exsist just to be a walking stat block. I'd rather have a campaign have a slower pace to it in which everyone got equal and ample time to post rather than have 2 people just run the entire show for 4 others because their lives tend to be more restricting.
satinder, are you looking for something like 'at least 1, no more than 3 posts per day'?
No, I'm just wanting to make sure that this game doesn't get ran by only 2 or 3 people because they have a lot more time to post than the rest of the group, essentially making the rest of the group walking stat blocks. Individual conversations between characters or one on one with NPC's I have no problem with. If Zwain and Travok want have a 45 post conversation about the weather, then okay. Go for it. It's when we come across issues that the group has to decide on, such as where to go, when to attack, do we act with or against the mayor, and so on. I've got a game that I'm running where I have a couple of people who have more opportunity to post than the rest, so I end up having to jump in saying that I'll respond once everyone else chimes in should the want to, otherwise that game would've ended up being ran by two players.
I've seen that happen as well Satinder. I also live on west coast time (Las Vegas), but I can look in on the game during breaks at work and hopefully have enough time to chime in.
It is a problem that can come up, but I'm not worried about anything yet. Let's all just go with the flow and see how things pan out. If any problems arise, we'll deal with them.
This conversation is good to have up front though. I'm glad everyone is expressing their thoughts.
Looking forward to game tomorrow! This will be my first paizo adventure that I've been a part of. The only adventure path I know anything about is Kingmaker and that is from listening to a podcast.
Looking forward to game tomorrow! This will be my first paizo adventure that I've been a part of. The only adventure path I know anything about is Kingmaker and that is from listening to a podcast.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow as well! And I've been playing the pathfinder system since the core rulebook was in beta, but this is only my second paizo adventure- my first is a shattered star PbP that I started a week ago :)
I'm a relative new-comer to Paizo. My buddies and I have been playing 3.0/3.5 since its release in 2000 (2e before that), but not until about March 2013 or so did I convert to PF.
I sometimes look at my 3.5 PHB and it just feels archaic!
Couple of PBP guides for the player perspective
And
I'll add some DM thoughts later, but recommend you glance at my (DM Fflash) or DM NomadSage's campaigns to see how we execute and keep things moving.
The first thread is up - I'll post some games and activities later today, but go ahead and "introduce" yourself to the game however you like (apart from attempting to kill a major NPC or something).
And the award for the fastest post to stump the GM on how best to proceed goes to...
I suppose, if you don't want players to bite on something (pun intended), don't bring it up.
Lmao!
I was posting in the quick time I had this morning. I'm going to edit it now for a bit more substance, though I wish I had more time.
I'll definitely have more time later today for more, and more substantial posts.
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I wanted to make sure I got in on the ground floor with this one. I seem to always been the last person to see these games have opened up. the little posts about how to play are something I need to share with another group on another forum. People are inconsiderate and frequently out of character/alignment and they bounce frequently between doing something random and acting super high and mighty and pushing their views on others.
I'm really just in the game because I love the character I made for it.
People will be people won't they? I've seen more than a few hurt feelings on the boards and a subsequent player drop.
Unplanned/unannounced player drops hurt the game flow, so consider that as you're moving along. If you've gotta go, always nice to let folks know vice "Surprise!"
The DM has more work than any of us ... so it's incumbent on us to read, take notes, etc. It's easy to be lazy and ask the DM to reiterate something, but also grossly unfair to him as well.
DM thoughts:
- Momentum is key. If you wait a week to post, folks lose interest. Keep up your posting and players tend to follow suit. Small posts inbetween large ones are good.
- I use Painlord's Rule of 2 ... Satinder's concern above noted (may put in a suspense time), but generally if 2 people agree to a course of action with no objections then go with it. Move the story
- If there are objections, you may have to push a vote at some point. Discussions rarely just "work themselves out" on the boards, at least not in a timely fashion
- Combat will bog you down. A combat round can take an hour or more to type up. Have a plan and expect quick responses from party members. Don't wait on one for several days. Bot them
- Flex time: huge! When dungeon exploring, make assumptions: (i.e. Take 20 on every door, detect magic on every loot pile, etc. Don't waste time with. "You find a door, open it? It's a broom closet." Assume we explore an entire hallway and give us multiple rooms at once and then we use headers to define our actions. We may explore those rooms before or after each other. Doesn't really matter ... only bring time back to one path when we enter combat or some other critical phase.
- Maps and images: use them to help immerse. I'm a fan of Roll20. It's free, we can log and check the map whenever and the DM can set stuff up in advance or make minor changes on the fly
- NPCs: for major ones, create an alias. Helps with immersion
- Finally, slim the adventure. Drop or combine trash encounters ... combat eats your board time up, so don't waste it on a CR1 encounter with a level 4 party. If you do this, recommend you use leveling by DM fiat vs XP earned
I use a site called Pyromancers.com to make some really neat grid maps for my games. Its 100% free, it has a ton of options for drawing maps, and when you're done you hit a button to create a jpg or pdf.
I upload this created file to Google docs, and it makes a handy convenient place for people to move their tokens around the gridmap. Just a small suggestion if you don't have any particular map plans intact.
Roll20 looks really neat. I have no experience with it though. I made a login for it a while back but I've yet to use it.
Roll20 is nice cause it could help combat, but there's a lot of work needed to be done by the GM to make it look nice and neat. If that's a route people want to take, then I can assist very easily with that as I do use it often. I do have comments on what you said Zwain, but they'll have to wait until I get home. Nothing bad, just a different view on a couple of things depending on circumstances.