It would be a grand trek from The Sword in the southern reaches of Anauroch to Baldur’s Gate. In the Bedine encampment, sitting in his tent, Kiley and Shaggar debate the possible routes.
The northern route was likely safest. North to the Black Road then turn west. The trail between the Graypeak Mountains was littered with villages. They would just follow the river until it met the sea at the Sword Coast. Take the road south and eventually they would arrive… Baldur’s Gate. But it was a long, roundabout course - probably 3000 miles or more. And while Kiley could hide what she was, Shaggar could not. A well-traveled route meant patrols and watchmen… and that could mean trouble for a gnoll even with a ‘human’ companion.
The southern route was more dangerous, wild, and also far, far shorter. Head southwest across the trail-less lands. Avoid the serpent-folk of Najara and skirt the Battle of Bones, Skull Gorge, and the Hill of Lost Souls. Psshh… what’s in a name? Follow the River Reaching toward Elturgard and pass into that land through the hills nestled between the Forest of Wyrms and the Reaching Wood. From there, it was roads and trails to Baldur’s Gate. Elturgard carried its own set of risks for the pair… but it was just a 1700-mile journey instead of 3000 miles or more.
In the end, Shaggar’s trepidation of the more populated route and Kiley’s exuberance to see Baldur’s Gate sooner rather than later compelled them to take the southern route.
DISCO!
Greetings guys, gals, gender-non-binary, f@<k-you-n-yur-labels, and I-self-identify-as-a-wood-nymph folks! We are happy you’ve joined this party and we hope it lasts a very, very long time.
We’ve kept you in the dark on many aspects of the game until now. We are sorry about that but it seemed necessary. Here is where we’ll explain why we did it and openly discuss all matters going forward.
We hid the truth for a few reasons. Mostly, (as we stated) we wanted to gather like-minded players. We also wanted to weed out folks that jump on certain game types to fulfill their gaming fantasies… the ones that want to play a specific game because of build rules, or class options, or beloved 3PP content, or min-maxing opportunities, or love for a particular adventure path. We have no objections to people that are motivated by any of that, but it isn’t our preferred dish.
And here is the factor that would have had those people banging down the doors of this game like a pack of starving wolves… The build parameters for this game are undefined. WE - as a group of five - are going to decide the build parameters for the game, right now. We will debate options and vote, simple majority wins. Hence the reason Eben and I settled on 5 players – no ties are possible. Anyone can offer a build parameter and argue why they’d like to play with it. Counter opinions are also welcome. It ends when everyone has had their say and we all vote. Period. We accept the result and move on. This is a truly democratic process. Eben and I are not colluding behind the scenes, and we are not a ‘voting block’ that will stand together. We vote as individuals based on our differing opinions. Everyone at this table has an equal say and equal vote.
After we decide on the build parameters, we hope you guys will be amenable to discussing character ideas as a group, ping ideas off one another, figure out cool synergies, and get down to building our characters. I will provide more details on the world at that point. I’d like to dive into that as a separate exercise after we settle on the parameters, if you guys don’t mind.
So, the table is set and the banquet laid… you guys ready to dig in?
Hi! We're a couple of old gamers returning to the boards after a few years away... and looking to dust off our e-dice for some PbP hijinks. We were chatting about the kind of game we'd like to play and quickly decided that great campaigns are made by good players (and their interactions in the OOC and as characters) more than the specific character builds, the world, or the challenges. So, here's what we're thinking:
The Game: To keep it simple, we'll be using Pathfinder (1st edition) rules in Golarion. This will be a loosely round-robin GMing rotation of episodic adventures. The GM runs the game for an adventure (homebrew or published) or a set of adventures... as the GM chooses. We will follow the standard PF ruleset but every GM, when they are 'in the chair', can apply the house rules they prefer (with general table agreement). Everyone has a character, including the GM, in every adventure. When your PC becomes a DMPC, your character cannot lead the party or get preferential treatment. You know what I’m saying...
The Pace: We are all busy adults. We are hoping to find a group that agrees to post once per day on weekdays (or every other day when life intrudes) and hopefully drop a post once on the weekends. If you can post more during interesting (likely frequent) RP opportunities – great! If you are able to post multiple times per day during intense encounters to keep things moving – even better.
The Players: We are looking for three solid GM/Players (you've got to be both) to complete our five-handed game. What we bring to the game (in our opinions) and what we are looking for in the other GM/players are:
* Clever RP and laughs
* Collaborative mindset and playstyle
* Creative scenarios
* Players who want every player to shine
* Players who understand that RP and storytelling are best in collaboration
* Players who understand that fantasy combat is a team (not solo) sport
* Solid tactical play in encounters
What we're not looking for are players that have to be in the limelight, think nothing embarrassing should ever happen to their characters, or think that their characters are sacrosanct. We believe that struggles, failures, and embarrassments add flavor, context, nuance, and depth to a good story for every character.
Now, if all that isn't your preferred brand of whiskey, no problem. Our approach isn't for everyone. Good luck on your gaming endeavors and thank you for taking the time to read this pitch.
But if all the above sounds like you and sounds good to you... feel free to stop in, say 'hi', chat with us, and ask some questions. If you could provide links to samples of your favorite moments as a player and a GM, that would be appreciated. By the same token, you are encouraged to look under our aliases for samples of our DMing and playing styles. This is a two-way 'interview'. You should determine if we are a good fit for you as well.
To get the ball rolling, here's a few of our favorite characters/game bits:
Stormraven: DMing Great Southern Islands: High-powered, high fantasy, gestalt, homebrew campaign <-- my first attempt at running a PbP so it started out a bit rough...
Silent Gods: E7 (E6+) gritty, fantasy horror/survival, homebrew campaign
Space Between II: One-off to continue the adventures of a couple characters that we missed playing
Space Between: One-off, co-GM gig, to continue the adventures of a couple characters that we missed playing
Playing Biter & Rav: custom gestalt characters try not to become a meal
Jal Vaduva: a PFS character I had for a good, long run... he meets his team for a mission.
Getting to the root of a mystery: Jak interviews some town elders, making enemies along the way.
Full transparency: Our goal is to find like-minded players which is the reason we are NOT disclosing any details about the build parameters, class restrictions, etc. This is about players not PCs. Further, we are prepared to chat with folks for as long as it takes to find the right people. We have no target date to end this 'recruitment' or start the game. So, we're asking you to carefully consider if the possible 'payoff' is worth your time, effort, and all the 'unknowns'. If you have doubts, walking away is a reasonable choice.
Some would call it 'unethical indoctrination' or 'exploitative marketing'... but I just call it 'good fun'.
The world is now ready for a Pathfinder See n' Say to familiarize a new generation of gamers (cuz who isn't tired of Millennials) with our great hobby. So folks, feel free to offer your See and Say entries that paint a realistic picture of PF!
"Rowr!" says the Gnoll.
"Are you SURE you want to do that?" says the Kindly DM.
Pew! Pew! Pew! go the Magic Missiles.
"This is going to hurt... a lot." says the Vivisectionist
Rattle rattle goes the Crit Confirmation Die
Few people know that the original 1982 Conan film was set for release on Thanksgiving Day. This scene has become iconic from the film, however, the original script was slightly different.
:blows dust off old script:
Mongol Chief: Conan, what is best in life?
Conan: Crush your cranberries... see turkeys driven before you... and hear the lamentation of your dining room chairs!
Water runs like blood in the Wahika river – sluggish and ponderous. A minor tributary at best, its black and turgid waters have spattered and dripped down the mountainsides for eons. Born on the heights, the Wahika, trips through the high forests, staggers through open scree, tumbles off precipices, and crawls blindly among the lowland slopes and brambles before collapsing – exhausted – in the rock strewn wetlands at the mountain’s base.
For long years, the Wahika has worn its plodding path through the forested mountains, carving a deep wound. Along that crevasse, devoid of the dense trees, men have slowly insinuated themselves – finding their way like worms through the broken skin of a bruised fruit. Up they have come over the years, higher and higher up the mountainside, in search of rich and arable lands, stocked waters, rare lumbers, and game animals.
DIES DREAR sits in the treeline, deep in the gorge, hugging an outside bend of the Wahika as it winds and pools before plunging into the valley below. The little thorp sits in a broad gap along the gorge's often narrow seam – a gift of the winding river that overruns the banks here often, cutting away at the rocky walls. Its situation is doubly blessed – as it is free of the encroaching trees, has fertile silty soil (often replenished by spring floods) and gathers what meager sunlight is available from the open sky. When the first families found it three generations ago, it must have seemed a piece of Heaven. But if it was Heaven, the families didn't share that knowledge willingly. Dies Drear has always been a kept secret.
No sense inviting jealousy from others who maybe don’t have such a nice piece of land, right? was how the common thought went.
Just need to work our land and mind our business... let the rest of the world mind theirs, others agreed.
No sense inviting problems to your doorstep, right? argued the superstitious.
And so, to the outside world, Dies Drear was just another small thorp scratching out its existence and occasionally trading goods when a year was particularly good. They just happened to have more good years than others and were very careful to trade with different towns each year so no one caught on. That was the Dies Drear way – quiet and careful. And when someone new wandered in to their thriving, if sleepy, community? And if that someone figured out the town's prosperous secret? Well, they were invited to stay, of course, and appreciate what it offered... provided they were quiet and careful too.
Dies Drear grew. The five First Families became twelve. The few, original stilt houses that stood like grey storks (to stay above the yearly floods) became a modest ‘flock’ surrounded by deep rooted fences, paddocks, and small farming furrows.
This will be an E7 game (characters cap at 7th level but continue to gain feats)
No more than two full casting classes in the party
Starting Cash: POOR - Max Amount/3 (certain weapons costs will be waived based on class)
Traits: 2 - no limitations
All classes gain 2 extra skill points at each level
Hero Points - we're using them, you each get 1 at start
Deities: Golarion standard
Recommendations - Glass cannons will get crunched in this game. You are far better off going with a good 'all around' character with a mix of combat abilities, stats, and a range of skills. Extreme optimization and min/maxing are not needed. If you want a Fighter with a CHA of 14 - go for it. Since Horror/Dread Points will be 'in play' and they require Will and/or Fort saves - depending on the type of horror that confronts you - flat-lining (i.e. minimizing to less than 10) your WIS or CON is not a good idea. You have been warned.
I expect the game to have a large element of RP (conversations, sleuthing, deduction, etc.) - so social skills will not go to waste. Also, you'll want to have a variety of skills covered. I'd suggest that you (as a group) go through the build process and divvy up skills to make sure you have the range covered. Hopefully you’ll have a bit of overlap, so Bob isn't the only guy who can throw out a Know: Religion roll.
Without revealing too much of the broad plotting… you can expect to run into a good number and variety of undead encounters, so Combat Maneuvers will be of reduced use and ‘straight forward’ combatants will probably be more successful. Plan accordingly.
Character Backgrounds:
You are all from the same small thorp (with roughly a dozen families) in Mylhaven called Dies Drear. It is in the forested foothills of one of the innumerable mountain ranges that cross the Demense. Your story can either have you living there all your life or, for characters whose classes require more exposure to the outside world, you have recently returned to the town to settle down, lick your wounds, or the like. We can hash those details out privately. The key points being - you are very familiar with this little community and you have an investment here. You each must have one or more family members in town. No 'orphan' stories please... I've got more than enough tragedy in mind for you. :) Finally, you should pick a local profession that fits your class and or skills and dovetails with the Grimm's fairy tales atmosphere... so a Barbarian or Fighter would likely have a career in logging, a Witch would be the crazy old hag living in a mud and wattle hut away from the village proper, an Archer Ranger would be a skilled hunter, etc. We can work through the details but have something in mind.
Typical professions in Dies Drear: Logging, Hunting, Forest Foraging, Farming.
Sideline professions: Fishing, Crafting (wood & some metal), folk healing.
About the Game...:
This is a 'small sandbox', homespun, Horror-based Campaign. I've always found horror one of the more difficult genres to do well and I want to take another whack at it. As such, I'll be going for atmospheric descriptions, lurking menace, and dread. The choice of an all-human cast and an E7 level cap is to keep the campaign gritty and scary - darkness is very much an enemy when no one is allowed low light or night vision.
The campaign takes place in the land of Mylhaven in my world-in-progress called Miir. For more information on Miir and Mylhaven, check the Miir Guide and Mylhaven Guide (under the Campaign Tab). Mylhaven is an homage to the original Ravenloft and the 2e (or there-about) version when Ravenloft became the Demi-plane of Dread. The atmosphere of Mylhaven is very much in that spirit but the rulership of it and the realities are quite different. Nevertheless, if you are familiar with Ravenloft, you'll feel 'at home' in Mylhaven.
I build my campaigns around my players and their characters. So the more feedback I get from you guys on what you like, don't like, want more of, want less of, etc. the better the experience will be for you and the happier I'll be as a DM. Normally, I'd judge all that based on watching you while we play and listening to your IP OOC chatter. Alas, PbP is a poor medium for that kind of feedback. So please, do me a favor and get as chatty as you like in the OOC thread. Let me know what you liked and how much. If you want to discuss the twists and turns of the game in the OOC instead of via PM, that would be great. It lets me know what you are thinking and I can tweak things... especially if my poor writing has led you down a wrong path.
DM Policies / Quirks:
So a bit about me... I have only one rule, I don't play with anyone I wouldn't have a drink with. My philosophy is that good people make for a good campaign and great fun. Simply put, the right players (and DM) make or break any game - regardless of the actual characters. So you can take it as a compliment that you've been invited to play. In part, my decision was based on your observed play-styles. I think this may be a campaign you guys will enjoy and I hope my DMing style will suit your tastes. The larger part of the equation is that I think you guys have the right personality types for my brand of play - the right blend of tactical acumen, love of challenges, and an appreciation for a healthy mix of RP and flat-out, balls-to-the-wall, fighting.
More about me... I've been playing and DMing a pretty long time but I haven't built up an ego about it. I don't have all the answers and I don't have all the rules memorized. I look to you guys to correct me, or at least speak up when you think I've got something wrong. I'm happy to retcon if I've screwed the pooch and happier to apologize if I've shorted your character in some way. I have an open door policy about my DMing, the campaign, and everything else. So feel free to critique my performance at any time.
Expectations:
So, on to expectations - for me and you. Not to start on a downer but...
To me, trust is the absolute basis of the game. I won't cheat on my rolls and I'll go to great lengths to be above-board in my rolls and to remove any possible appearance of 'fudging'. I expect you to do the same. Player cheating is both an affront to me AND an attempt to gain advantage over your fellow players. I won't tolerate it. I will issue one warning after I see several incidents of cheating. After that, you will be booted from the game.
Nearly all of my rolls will be done 'on the table' but others will be done privately (using the dice-roller on my iTouch or rolled and deleted in thread) to keep 'the mystery' and to prevent certain aspects from being metagamed.
To keep things rolling along, I will proactively roll things like Initiative or general Perception checks. This may include saves if they are required several rounds in a row (like round after round hits with a ghost's corrupting touch attack).
I'll try to post rolls in the same order every time: Characters (in alphabetical order), NPCs, then Monsters (in initiative order). If the narrative flow has to be oddly ordered for clarity, I may post the roll order to match the narrative. I find that makes it easier for me to write up my posts and it makes it easier for you guys to review the dice if there is any question about what the hell happened.
I may audit your characters to ensure they are built correctly and to double-check your math. In general, I won't be looking over your shoulder - we are on the honor system here.
All monsters are equal, but some are more equal than others... While I may put you up against a standard Orc, I will also be taking liberties with their stats and abilities. That includes alignment. You could run into a 12HD LG Harpy or an LE Black Unicorn, if the mood strikes me. Generally, you will receive some warning that creature X may not be quite 'typical'. I won't purposefully sandbag you... but if your trigger fingers are a bit too quick, that is your problem. At this point, we've all got the Bestiary practically memorized. I find changing up creature abilities lets you put your Know: X skills to better use, it also brings back the excitement of the unknown when we all first started playing... when even a Goblin was a mysterious encounter because you didn't know their HP or abilities.
While most NPCs you encounter will be of the standard classes found in the Pathfinder Core materials, a few may be either from 3PP sources or a homespun class.
Good RP and Common Sense trump interpersonal rolls. Your Diplomacy +10 tacked on to a lame argument will draw a serious circumstantial penalty. Conversely, a weak Diplo +2 can be heavily strengthened by a compelling argument. In short, don't rely on your rolls alone to make your case.
I will, periodically, act on obvious suggestions from one or two players without waiting for agreement from everyone to move the plot along. I won't do this in any situation where the choice seems 'questionable' to me. If you disagree with some choice I've made after the fact, I am happy to retcon things.
This is an open world and you are free to roam around - but there are no training wheels. There are challenges and areas that will be well beyond your ability to handle early in the game. I will give warnings about these areas if I think you are walking into a TPK but ultimately the decision is yours.
Spoilers - Please try to respect the DM spoilers to individual characters/players. They will say something like "Bob Only". It is information designed for the characters to reveal or not as they choose. I don't mind you peeking into language-based spoilers, dice spoilers, or anything else.
I do give out DM Hints on request. So if I lose you guys or you feel like you are floundering, ask for a little help. Remember that were we playing IRL, there would be more back-n-forth chatter on which you'd base your decisions. Moreover, I am known for plot twists and convoluted plot-lines, just ask Ben (aka Eben the Quiet).
I believe in a ‘realistic’ world where actions have consequences. As such, Player-vs-Player (PvP) fighting IS acceptable. If you mouth off to another character to an extent that a ‘reasonable’ person would pop your character in the mouth, then you should expect it to happen here. Frankly, I don’t anticipate this happening with this group of players, but better safe than sorry. I do have some expectations on how this will be handled. I expect warning to be given – “Randall looks like his skull is about to explode and he clenches his fists. It seems obvious to Nate that if he doesn’t shut up, he’s going to lose some teeth”. Second, the PvP action should be appropriate to the offense. If Nate falls asleep on watch, Randall douses him with a bucket of piss amid curses… he doesn’t beat him unconscious with a cane. Finally, if the PvP is a result of player not character friction – then you best bring me in before drawing weapons. Player issues are mine to handle and hopefully resolve before they spill over into the game.
Finally, I don't have the rules, spells, or feats committed to memory. Any help you can give me in terms of putting in a link to the spell you are casting, citing the important things I need to know, and keeping your character sheet easy-to-read with *gasp* linked references would be greatly appreciated. I also reward honesty. If I've shorted the damage you will be taking and you let me know - your honesty will not go unnoticed.
I will be making EXTENSIVE use of the Campaign Tab. Chances are, if you don't remember a NPC's name, a village name, an important event, a Map, or a House Rule, you will be able to find it listed in the Campaign Tab.
Just to let you know, I'll be asking you to post a Status spoiler with some basic info in your combat posts and will probably have some format requests regarding your character sheets just to make them easier for me to reference/read. For the moment, you won't need to worry about that.
OK, gentlemen, feel free to post your character concepts here (or link to your character sheets in progress) and we can hash things out.
I doubt there is a DM on this site that hasn't (from time to time) wondered who might be silently sneaking about their game thread(s). Time to stop skulking behind those bushes, my fellow lurkers, and declare yourselves!
Whose game thread do you lurk? Give us a link and (if inclined) tell us why.
Ideally, you'll give us only one delicious lurky link per post... that way other lurkers can 'favorite' it and show their near silent support as well. :)
Between waking and dreaming, there is a moment… and in that moment, that heartbeat, that eternity, is a space. A space between night and day. Between life and death.
A space where the soul isn't quite alive or dead. Where the mind isn't awake or asleep.
It is in this space of shapeless unreality that nightmares roam. It is in this space of fleeting eternity where ghosts and shadows live. The deeps of the subconscious psyche. The playground of deities and demons.
As I scribe these words, I close my 15th year – old for one of my kind. I find my mind often turns to thoughts of the past, of our very earliest days – before Ascension.
In those days, Humans thought that they could not long survive the invocation of the Bright Sky Fire. In this, for once, their wisdom exceeded their folly - for they were correct. Most of them, along with their proud civilizations, did not live through the destruction they brought upon us all… but we did. Though many of our brethren were lost, the rest survived by tooth, claw, skill, heart, and talon. It is to those earliest fore-bearers that we give thanks. Blessings be upon them!
While it is right and proper to venerate these heroes of our past, let us not forget who they truly were, mistakes and all. Their deeds are not lessened by the fact that they were performed by flawed and imperfect creatures. In truth, it was their struggle to rise above their shortcomings and join together for the benefit of all that makes their actions laudable and worthy of our reverence and remembrance. Truly, they made it possible for the lion to lie down with the lamb. And our jobs, as Keepers and Chroniclers, is to maintain the true memory of those earliest of days and the long march of years and decades in between… so that our progeny will know the truth and learn from that dark and glorious past.
And so, I begin with one of our earliest records – and one of my favorite stories - not because of the actors (whether real or fictitious – though I hope they were real) but because of the lesson it carries for all of us about solidarity. So let us put our story in its proper context.
This tale begins several moons after the Bright Sky Fire, near the small haven of Restenford, in the midst of the great swathe of what was once called ‘the Midwest’ of the Furthest Continent. What the Fire and Shaking Heavens failed to destroy its partner, the Slow Waste, set about killing by small degrees. It was a desperate time for all creatures as famine, disease, and worse things were set loose to prey upon our once-green world…
~Bertram the Elder, 22nd Keeper of Memories
Ascension Day, 221 PA
GUIDELINES & INFORMATION:
Roadkill is a Round-Robin game with multiple GMs (Chroniclers). We are using the Mini Six game system with some modifications, mostly related to species’ racial packages.
This game is designed to be evolving, episodic, rules light (but present), and is largely a break between our more serious games. As the game progresses, we may add additional characters, players, and GMs. Any such changes will be made by consensus decision and will mostly be by invitation only.
Lurkers: Feel free to post discreet lurk dots. If you have comments or questions, please post them in the OOC thread. I think I speak for all of the guys when I say that we’ll be happy to know if we manage to drawn a small group of twisted admirers. :)
CONVENTIONS:
We are using Hero Points and you each begin with one.
Just to keep rolls simple, please consider the last die you roll in any group as the ‘Wild Card’. So if you roll 5d6 with the results being 1, 3, 5, 2, 4. The ‘4’ is your Wild Card die.
...where you can expect to become the title if you aren’t careful.
Background:
The opening post of the IC thread may have caused a little confusion, so here is a tidbit of explanation. Each episodic adventure is its own independent story or fable. To facilitate that, we needed story-tellers; enter the Chroniclers. The Chroniclers act as both GMs (inside each adventure) as well as ‘players’ in that they exist in a distant future based on those adventures. They are the memory keepers who record and transmit the stories of those tumultuous days to the later generations of animals. The Chroniclers have a more holistic, encompassing, understanding (but not necessarily compassionate), and unbiased knowledge of the events of those distant days and of the fate of humanity. As evidence of this, you will note that Chroniclers refer to their predecessors as ‘Humans’ not by the racially charged term ‘Two Legs’ which was common for the animals of those bygone days.
Also consider that the Chroniclers themselves may be separated in time from each other and each has his or her own personality and quirks. Chroniclers are as individual as the characters from the stories they faithfully relate to their audiences.
To avoid any confusion for possible future lurkers...
This is a relatively strict Pathfinder PbP homespun sandbox game with characters built on 50 points, limited Gestalt.
For additional rules and interesting bits, see the OOC thread.
Right! Paperwork done... on to the game!
Welcome to the Great Southern Islands campaign and thanks for playing!
You dream... You dream of flying or perhaps tumbling through turbulent clouds at the heart of a storm.
Your first waking breath, sucking in the bitter taste of seawater, causes you to choke and rouses you fully. Your head, throbbing with pain, is slow to register the salient fact - you aren't flying, you are drowning! Your body tumbles out of control - spinning through churning, frothy, violent, and black water - the surface nowhere in sight. You strike out in the general direction of what you believe is the surface...
Swim checks with a -2 for disorientation, please.
Perception checks with a -5 for Ushari and Jayse (due to their lack of lowlight vision).
Also, you have all suffered 2 points of non-lethal damage.
Although we've discussed some of these ideas, rules, and brain-fluff off-line, a little repetition may be helpful.
1. This is a Neutral (with good tendencies) to Good game. Alignments are 'real world' flexible in terms of there being shades of grey in which you can play. Good doesn't mean you are a Boy Scout 100% of the time.
2. All monsters are equal, but some are more equal than others... :) While I may put you up against a standard Orc, from time to time I will also be taking liberties with their stats and abilities. That includes alignment. You could run into a 12HD LG Harpy if the mood strikes me. Generally, you will receive some warning that creature X may not be quite 'typical'. I won't purposefully sandbag you... but if your trigger fingers are a bit too quick, that is your problem. :)
3. Spontaneous Casters receive their stat bonus on BOTH the number of spells they can cast and the number they know.
4. Criticals still require confirmation HOWEVER on a critical threat the first die of weapon damage automatically scores its maximum. So, if the threat is 'failed', the damage is still Die Max + additional bonuses. If the threat succeeds, the damage is Die Max + additional bonuses + critical die(ce) + bonuses.
5. After you purchase it the first time, your standard ammo supply is unlimited provided that you are close to a town or other vendor/resource that can reasonably resupply you. I decide what is 'reasonable'. ;)
6. While most NPCs you encounter will be of the standard classes found in the Pathfinder Core materials, a few will be either from 3PP sources or a homespun class.
7. I will, from time to time, make rolls for all characters to keep things moving. In general, I will try to let you guys roll for yourselves.
8. I will, periodically, act on obvious suggestions without waiting for agreement from all characters to move the plot along. I won't do this in any situation where the choice seems 'questionable' to me. If you disagree with some choice I've made after the fact, I am happy to retcon things.
9. Hit Points are gained as the 'averaged' Pathfinder Society method OR by die roll, whichever is HIGHER. So if your roll is less than the 'average' then you get averaged roll.
10. Some of my rolls will be done 'on the table' and others will be done privately (using the dice-roller on my iTouch) to keep certain aspects from being metagamed.
11. We are on the honor system here. I'm not going to be looking over your shoulder or constantly reviewing your character sheets.
12. This is an open world and you are free to roam around - but there are no training wheels. There are challenges and areas that will be well beyond your ability to handle early in the game. I will give warnings about these areas if I think you are walking into a TPK but ultimately the decision is yours. If you don't mind rolling up new characters, who am I to say 'no'? :)
13. Please try to respect the DM spoilers to individual characters/players. It is information designed for the characters to reveal or not as they choose. I don't mind you peeking into language-based spoilers.
14. I do give out DM Hints on request. So if I lose you guys or you feel like you are floundering, ask for a little help.
Other Matters - I have a website built for this campaign and will be sending you invitations shortly.
New Question - How do you guys want to do Experience? I am planning on medium track advancement. Do you want a running total on your XP points? Just updates as you get close to leveling? Would you prefer I just tell you when to level at good points in the story?
Priyya shuts the door to her room, latches it, and sags against it. What did I just do? She looks around the room and recalls that first evening when she discovered Felmor passed out on her bed... and the next morning when he thrashed in his sleep and said 'Armandia'... and then when he was so scared at realising he was in the wrong room.
How did I get from there to here? She doesn't know and she can't think about it. She kicks off her boots and drops her armor, weapons, and belt... every tool of her trade. She dumps her headdress, robes, and everything that identifies her as a cleric.
She pads into the bathroom and draws a very high and hot bath. She throws in a heaping handful of bath salts, trying to get the smell of the damned creatures from their recent adventure out of her nose. She sinks gratefully into the claw-foot tub trying not to think about anything except the soothing effect of the water and the aromatic salts.
Got a iPod Touch for my b-day and now I'm wading through the miles of apps... can you folks recommend some top-notch RPGs that are worth getting (free or paid)? I'd prefer ones that are turn-based not reflex heavy because my fingers are pretty big compared to the screen.
Bonus points for any Strategy game recommendations and/or a really comprehensive solitaire game (my wife loves it).
I'm starting up a Thief campaign. Each of the characters has a different Rogue 'role' to prevent a lot of overlap in their skill-sets and to give each character places to uniquely shine.
So now I'm debating the appropriate amount of XP to hand out for defeating Traps and how to divvy that XP up.
I could just share the experience evenly among all party members regardless of whether or not they actually had a hand in disarming the trap... but is that fair when the 'burglar' handles the lion-share of the work? Of course, that opens the door for all characters to receive solo XP for their particular contributions - in other words - XP accounting Hell.
Conversely, if all of the experience goes to the burglar... are the experience point totals based on Trap CR appropriate? Should defeating a CR1 trap really be worth 400 XP? So conceivably defeating 5 traps gets a Rogue (on the Medium Experience Path) from 1st to 2nd Level.
Do you give 'partial credit' to a rogue that spots the trap but fails to disarm it?
What I'm looking for is your general thoughts on XP for Traps and how you handle them in your own campaigns. I'm not tied to RAW - so feel free to mention your methods even if they are very different than the rules.
So I'm drawing up a Monk and doing the calculation for CMD. I'm using Hero Lab for most of the raw number crunching... but their numbers aren't jiving with mine so I'd like some second opinions to make sure which one of us is in error. The relevent stats:
Human Monk 1st Level
STR: 20
WIS: 18
DEX: 16
Feats - Defense Combat Training, Dodge
CMD = 10 + BAB + STR + DEX + Size + 'Specials'
By my calculation that means 10 + 1 (BAB from DCT) + 5 (STR) + 3 (DEX) + 0 Size + 4 (WIS as Monk) + 1 (Dodge circumstantial Bonus) = ... carry the 2... CMD 24 / 20 Flat-footed.
Is my math correct? Am I missing something?
According to Hero Lab the numbers are 28/24 Flatfooted... I just don't see where I'm missing 4 points.
So you have a Monk (level irrelevant) that is slinging an @ssload of shurikins using Flurry of Blows. He expends a Ki point to tack on one more attack (a-load +1). Can he use the Rapid Shot feat to make it a-load +2?
Please note - I'm aware that the -2 to Hit on every shot due to Rapid Shot might make this an 'iffy' tactic. I'm just wondering if it is possible according to the rules OR (as with Two Weapon Fighting) the feat doesn't work with Flurry of Blows.
I habitually create my own adventures and worlds. As a consequence, I haven't bought an adventure or published world since 1st Edition. But what I would LOVE as a DM, is a compiled list of the new creatures, classes, and templates that appear in the Modules and Adventure Paths. Are there any plans on board to compile these resources into a single volume?
