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I for one am not a huge fan of advancing timelines as it is - simply because the GM has the additional task of matching publication dates with the "current year" to determine which material is "trustworthy", and which may contain evolutions that either have not happened yet, or will be spoilers to the players. That being said, if a advancing timeline is set in stone, I would rather have editorial control over it, instead of "crowdfunding" the setting. Legend of the five Rings and Seventh Sea tried that. The results were not pretty (to me, at least).
I know that it seems to go out of style, but politeness with usually increase the chances of criticism being perceived as valid and followed. Style 1 is not just impolite, it is actively abusive. You could be making the most valid point in the world, and it would disqualify you. Style 2 is antagonistic. You are more likely to be challenged on how you said it than on the merits of the point you are trying to make. Style 3 is very good. I don't think you really need to go that far, though. I for one would be pretty happy just with "We feel that handling drawing weapons as a move action is bogging us down. We've houseruled it to be a reaction for martial classes."
From back when I was an active PbPer, I can certainly sympathize. Given that I've led PbPs too, let's consider the situation of the GMs. Usually, they are overbooked at least three times over. That means a two thirds of the applicants will be disappointed. Whichever way you finally slice it. And not just bottom of the barrel single line applicants. You have to shoot down excellent people just because the party couldn't have a third rogue, no matter what else. Seriously, I have rolled dice for not being able to decide. Usually it falls to 1/3rd being relatively easy to cut. For whatever reason, they are are characters I'd rather not play with. So, 30% waste their effort because of me. Does that make me happy? Not at all, but it's a fact of life. Usually I needed to go from 20 to maximum 7. The ones remaining were usually not cheap to come by. I am a backstory whore ;). So yes, your investment buys you consideration. But not necessarily a slot. Then I need to build something resembling a party. And often my darlings just won'T fit into the dynamic, and get lost. So what does that mean? Well, In essence it means every applicant is in a harsh, competitive position. More like than not you game ends before the first IC post. But if you do make it into the game, more like than not, it ends less than a month afterwards because of reasons ;). Does that mean not playing in PbPs? No. It means making the writing and imagining as enjoyable as possible. If making characters is a chore to you, you will be frustrated. If its fun, you have fun - just less than you might have had.
I have never been deeply involved in PFO, so it might not be my place to judge. However, I briefly played during the stress test, and have come to some conclusions. I consider the $100 i spend on Kickstarter to have been a gamble. One that did not pay off. The game is clunky, uninspired. The learning cliff makes EvE seem like a candy crush clone. I won't mention the graphics and animations, since they really don't matter too much to me. For a game that thrives on social interaction, there really isn't much tooling in place to interact with others. Some of these things might be fixable. All of them, at the same time, not so much.
Just tried to get started, but the fun ended on the login screen. I prefer to have safe passwords, which means I usually copy and paste them from a password manager. Now, this does not work at all with the form, in fact the paste operation & hotkey both seem to be disabled. :( Typing in ~20 characters from all over the printable set is no fun at all. Now, I could change my password to "carrot", but I think none of us would want that. So please, add an option to use c&p for passwords.
Ok, assigning stats: Karthuus the Fallen WS: 42
Pride: Devotion
XP to spend: 500 Wnd: 15+ + 2 = 18 Skills: Athletics, Awareness, Common Lore (War), Dodge, Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Astartes, The Horus Heresy and the Long War), Linguistics (Low Gothic), Navigate (Surface), Operate (Surface), Parry, Psyniscience, Scholastic Lore (Occult), Deception, Forbidden Lore
Talents: Ambidextrous, Bulging Biceps, Legion Weapon Training, Heightened Senses (Hearing, Sight), Nerves of Steel, Quick Draw, Resistance (Cold, Heat, Poisons), Unarmed Warrior. Traits: Amphibious, Unnatural Strength (+4), Unnatural Toughness (+4), Psycker Equipment: Legionnaire Power Armour, Legionnaire Bolter [4xStd Ammo], Legionnaire Combat Knife, Legion Bolt Pistol, Force Sword Psy: Psy Rating [2], Up to 500 xp worth of Psychic Powers chosen from the Unaligned, Divination, Telepathy, or Telekinesis Disciplines (see Chapter VI: The Powers of the Warp), Meditation or Mimic
Amazingly, she seems to have gone to sleep. :) So here is the deal: I would like to build a sorcerer, but have a very solid "fallback ideas" for a Chosen and Renegade instead. If Feustus would rather have the monopoly on the archetype, he can have it. :) Anyway, before continuing I would like to have this nailed down.
First question would be: Are we going to be a mixed warband (heretics and CSM) or rather either only heretics or marines? The former is really much more flexible, but there is the risk that the combat is CSM-Only, humans need not apply while the more "infiltration" type assignments are exactly the reverse.
Ok, some votes and some thoughts: Penal Colony This choice lends itself to the most diverse cast of characters, since it includes both natives to the colony (children and grandchildren of criminals) as well as newly-deported exiles. This might give the regimen a taste of unorthodoxy, which is simply a requirement for most PCs ;) Additionally, this is a cheap choice. Fixed An ultra-stoic hardass keeping the reigns held tight works best IMHO in a regiment that is composed of the imperiums refuse. Also, this is another "cheap" choice. Mechanized Our own APC, need I really say more? Comes in handy in any number of ways Sharpshooters We may not be stormtroopers, but that only means we don't have to attend their marksmanship academy. Seriously, though - BS upgrades are too good to pass up. Augmentics OR Combat Drugs Both would be good - we will lose limbs, while CD meshes well with the origin world. I don't know about drawbacks, but going on names alone I would suggest Mistrusted or Cloud of Suspicion, in that order
Color me interested as well. I have the main rulebook, but nothing beyond it. I GMed a short-lived Deathwatch game here and came to the rescue of a Rogue Trader I originally joined as a player when the GM abandoned it. Also and played a little bit of Black Crusade IRL. My player credits range back a while (family taking precedence...), but should be visible in my profile. :) In particular, I consider Anya a good example. As to why I should be in the game? I feel I can contribute an interesting, well-thought out character to the story. Do we really need to to more than that? ;)
Now with crunchy bits, I present to you... Margt: Stats:
Spoiler:
Female Half-Orc Ranger 1 N medium humanoid (human, orc) Init +1; Senses darkvision 60'; Perception +2 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13 hp 11 Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +2 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee: Greataxe +4 (1d12+4) Ranged: Shortbow +1 (1d6) OR Dagger +1 (1d4) -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 18, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10 Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 10 Feats: Power Attack
Skills: Handle Animal (Cha) +4, Heal (Wis) +6, Intimidate (Cha) +4, Perception (Wis) +6, Survival (Wis) +6, Swim (Str) +8 Traits: Brigand, Scrapper (UC) Posessions: Studded leather armor, Greataxe, 5 Daggers, Shortbow, 60 arrows, Poition of CLW, 9 GP
Description: Spoiler:
The heavily muscled woman projects carefully-cultivated menace, from her studded leather armor, the visible dagger-sheaths up to the battle-ready cropped hair. Even without her heavier armaments, there is no mistaking the half-orc for anything but a brute. Anyone sparing a closer look, who happens to be familiar with the subject of halfbreeds notices tribal scarring on her cheek indicating membership in the Bleeding Eye orc clan.
Background:
Spoiler:
Margt was, unlike many of her kind, not born to a human mother. Instead, she was born and raised among the Bleeding Eyes, one of the countless small warbands infesting the River Kingdoms. Her mother, Korth, never educated the whelp about how she came to be, but she figured that if the orcs would rape, so would their human enemies. Not that it mattered much to her, given the constant struggle for surival she was exposed to. Orc youths mature faster than even their halfbreed cousins, and consequently, she was behind in almost everything. Her mother, for reasons of her own, kept her alive through the worst of it. That she displayed higher intellect only drove the physical superiority of the other youths home even harder. She rarely was without at least two or three minor injuries. Yet the school or hard knocks left her a competent woodsmen at a young age. She survived by strokes of luck and low cunning for over a decade until her fortunes started to turn. The chief of their warband, Karmt Half-eye had an eye for talent, and her better grasp of higher reason and excellent eye for opportunity were obvious by then. So he decided to use her. Not by granting her any formal position of power - that was for the shaman. She joined his harem as a sixth wife. This arrangement lasted only a year. Half-eye was a competent chief, but he also was growing older and less bloodthirsty. While being more cagey and less aggressive improved the fortunes of the clan, it meant the end of him when his son usurped him. He had no use for Margt, and escaped with the clothes on her back. After a month of travelling alone, she fell in with a group of bandits raiding the southern fringes of Rostland. As with many raiders, their exploits ended when they graduated from nuisance to actual threat. Margt was one of the first captured, and sold out the sorry lot of them for escaping the gallows. She was sentenced to two years of hard labor. Prison breaks a lot of its inhabitants, but Margt never cracked. She rose early, worked the quarry until she collapsed on her cot, exhausted. Yet interestingly enough, she not only made acquaintances with other prisoners, but more importantly, with the guards as well. Briefly even fancied herself in love, before discarding the idea as ridiculous. When the tame for her release came, she and the warden, Captain Donnale, had become good friends. Donnale attempted to make a place for her in the Restov town guard, but even his pull was not enough to crate that space - not with her just released, with her being a half-blood and any number of reasons. So instead, he did the best he could - offer her one opportunity, make or break. Roleplay example:
Spoiler:
Margt had always though of Jales Donnale as a calm men. Brutally honest, but calm. She was all the more surprised when she saw him nearly spitting with rage. "What good is a captaincy these days, if I cannot even get one person into the watch?" he proclaimed, his steel-grey eyes nailing Margt to the wall. She did not flinch. Despite being a guest to the captain for these last few days, being dependant on his good graces for almost everything, her red-tinged eyes met his. The contest of wills lasted for a second. It lingered barely enough to be noticable - but she won. The man lowered his eyes. They will not have me, then she remarked. The Taldane was still thick with gutural sounds. There was no surprise in her - she had expected this to be futile from the beginning. No, they will not have you The captain responded, the anger leaving him. I argued and threatened, but in the end, I could not force my way He breathed deeply, and something inside Margt tensed. She had staid too long already. Jales' wife hated her, and she could not blame the woman. The children feared her, and had not spoken a word to her in the three weeks she had now staid in the guest rooms. Yet just as she was about to announce her decision to again strike out on her own, the captain tossed a crumbled scroll at her. This is the best I could do. I won't lie to you, it is a fools errant. The major thinks he can bring the Greenbelt to heel with some wet-behind-the-ears adventurers. The marshal wants someone who knows the area with them, and he wants me quiet too. Now prove I didn't teach you letters for nothing and read the damnable thing Margt unrolled the parchment, and smirked. That would do.
Desired Kingdom Role: + Warden, Royal Assassin, Marshall (in order of preference)
Ok, no time for crunch today - so here is the character Description: The heavily muscled woman projects carefully-cultivated menace, from her studded leather armor, the visible dagger-sheaths up to the battle-ready cropped hair. Even without her heavier armaments, there is no mistaking the half-orc for anything but a brute. Anyone sparing a closer look, who happens to be familiar with the subject of halfbreeds notices tribal scarring on her cheek indicating membership in the Bleeding Eye orc clan. Background: Margt was, unlike many of her kind, not born to a human mother. Instead, she was born and raised among the Bleeding Eyes, one of the countless small warbands infesting the River Kingdoms. Her mother, Korth, never educated the whelp about how she came to be, but she figured that if the orcs would rape, so would their human enemies. Not that it mattered much to her, given the constant struggle for surival she was exposed to. Orc youths mature faster than even their halfbreed cousins, and consequently, she was behind in almost everything. Her mother, for reasons of her own, kept her alive through the worst of it. That she displayed higher intellect only drove the physical superiority of the other youths home even harder. She rarely was without at least two or three minor injuries. Yet the school or hard knocks left her a competent woodsmen at a young age. She survived by strokes of luck and low cunning for over a decade until her fortunes started to turn. The chief of their warband, Karmt Half-eye had an eye for talent, and her better grasp of higher reason and excellent eye for opportunity were obvious by then. So he decided to use her. Not by granting her any formal position of power - that was for the shaman. She joined his harem as a sixth wife. This arrangement lasted only a year. Half-eye was a competent chief, but he also was growing older and less bloodthirsty. While being more cagey and less aggressive improved the fortunes of the clan, it meant the end of him when his son usurped him. He had no use for Margt, and escaped with the clothes on her back. After a month of travelling alone, she fell in with a group of bandits raiding the southern fringes of Rostland. As with many raiders, their exploits ended when they graduated from nuisance to actual threat. Margt was one of the first captured, and sold out the sorry lot of them for escaping the gallows. She was sentenced to two years of hard labor. Prison breaks a lot of its inhabitants, but Margt never cracked. She rose early, worked the quarry until she collapsed on her cot, exhausted. Yet interestingly enough, she not only made acquaintances with other prisoners, but more importantly, with the guards as well. Briefly even fancied herself in love, before discarding the idea as ridiculous. When the tame for her release came, she and the warden, Captain Donnale, had become good friends. Donnale attempted to make a place for her in the Restov town guard, but even his pull was not enough to crate that space - not with her just released, with her being a half-blood and any number of reasons. So instead, he did the best he could - offer her one opportunity, make or break. Roleplay example: Margt had always though of Jales Donnale as a calm men. Brutally honest, but calm. She was all the more surprised when she saw him nearly spitting with rage. "What good is a captaincy these days, if I cannot even get one person into the watch?" he proclaimed, his steel-grey eyes nailing Margt to the wall. She did not flinch. Despite being a guest to the captain for these last few days, being dependant on his good graces for almost everything, her red-tinged eyes met his. The contest of wills lasted for a second. It lingered barely enough to be noticable - but she won. The man lowered his eyes. They will not have me, then she remarked. The Taldane was still thick with gutural sounds. There was no surprise in her - she had expected this to be futile from the beginning. No, they will not have you The captain responded, the anger leaving him. I argued and threatened, but in the end, I could not force my way He breathed deeply, and something inside Margt tensed. She had staid too long already. Jales' wife hated her, and she could not blame the woman. The children feared her, and had not spoken a word to her in the three weeks she had now staid in the guest rooms. Yet just as she was about to announce her decision to again strike out on her own, the captain tossed a crumbled scroll at her. This is the best I could do. I won't lie to you, it is a fools errant. The major thinks he can bring the Greenbelt to heel with some wet-behind-the-ears adventurers. The marshal wants someone who knows the area with them, and he wants me quiet too. Now prove I didn't teach you letters for nothing and read the damnable thing Margt unrolled the parchment, and smirked. That would do. Desired Kingdom Role: + Warden, Royal Assassin, Marshall (in order of preference)
Interested in joining this one. :) I'm trying to come up with a full concept by tomorrow. Roughly, I'm going after a half-orc ranger (2 weapon style), a reformed bandit. She would fit the warden or executioner slot well. General or Marshal should be possible, though a less easy fit.
I for one think it is very defensive and veers close to passive-aggressive in places. Not something I would hand out to players-to-be and expect anything positive. If it works for your particular group, great. Yet I think most groups I played with have solved these problems by having a private chat or two, if and when actual problems arose, instead of up-front legalese laden with threats.
For "smite first, ask questions if absolutely required" Paladins, I always keep the following NPC handy: ----
He is aided by his two daughters, Kylish and Aless. Both are able pickpockets, but take care never to work too close to home. Still, he shields them as best he can. In his younger years he himself was involved with the thieves guild of the city, and took parts in their rites, often leading whispered prayers to the Grey Master before particular daring heists. He left the guild on semi-amicable terms after an internal power eliminated his protector, former guildmisstress Areia. ---- Evil Aura? Yeah. Killing him out of hand... probably a good way to get a hemp necklace.
We are fast approaching the point where we won't need to pay more for ecologically sustainable print. Within 10 years producing virgin, acid-washed paper will be as or more expensive as producing acid-free with high post-consumer content. There will be no reason other than "I hate old-growth trees and like acid run-off" to not use better paper. Even today the cost difference is very small, but existent. You are, of course, aware that most of paper production has long since moved from old-growth forests to more controlled plantation wood? Better control on pretty much all the variables.
Alright, James and all. I've been critical of Mythic Play before. I've been critical of the Worldwound. And I've spoken out against Wrath of the Righteous. What you delivered was nothing short of stellar, and I draw my hat. You've just published a serious contender to Curse of the Crimson Throne. Really excellent work. All in all, I am glad I stuck with it, and anxiously await how you manage to make me like He-Man in Golarion. ;)
Just to throw in another data point: Looking at Gmail, I see several tables, and a whole heaping helping of "purely structural" divs (I actually gave up counting the divs without any actual content of their own). So I think my point stands well. We've got tables in roughly half of the websites you sampled. Tables are a staple of web layouts as potatoes are a staple of my diet - not in every meal, not the most tasty part, but not brussels sprouts either (that would be <blink> or <marquee> ;) ) Full disclosure, I am not really a UI designer. One of my coworkers does that (and frequently calls for more tables, not less ;) ). Maybe he is frequently wrong, but at some point I've got to admit that the odd "lines break even when display: table-row is specified" cursing is starting to get to me.
ALL the circumstances? No. Build something that works reasonably well in the target segment? Yeah. If that means staying well within the limits of "tried and true", even if a somewhat better alternative exists, then I'll stay there. Like it or not, tables remain a staple of web layouts. Just look at what the JSF core tags do. Can tables be replaced making all the tags divs instead? Yeah. The advantage of div-soup is... questionable. Some screen readers may benefit, and IME that's most of the story. Layouting div orgies usually requires just the right number of wrapper parents, which completely counteracts any claims of separation of content and layout. So where is the benefit of breaking a site that (despite hickups) has been able to handle lots of visitors with good performance apart, other than nerd aesthetics? And all that is not even touching on the fact that there are still... differences in opinion... on how to handle CSS. ;) No offense intended, but I for my part understand why paizo hasn't moved to a html5 bleeding edge site.
Also -- tables for layout? In 2014? Really? Yeah, really. IE 8 (or even earlier!) still have substantial market share. CSS3 is far from universally supported. As much as me likes fancypants layouts, if I was called to develop a webstore with associated forums, I'd also be very conservative about the layout. If there is any even halfway-popular browser having trouble with an element, style or script, it's out.
Probably "territorial" would have been the better word for the magus. He has his niche, and aims to be the be-all end-all in that. I've toyed with the idea of a witch, particularly shadow patron. It seems a likely compromise since I can mix and match arcane spells with divine, and can keep clear of the magus. Bards have a bad name with out GM, who thinks they are a bit too goofy. They're not banned, but it might take some time to get the Elan references out of him ;) Still, a good suggestion. I'll see if there is an archetype that maybe replaces music with something tied into rulership.
Starting off as a Player in a new Kingmaker group. Since I am a bit late to the party, I'm looking to complement their already-chosen characters. Currently, there are: * Elven Staff Magus
I've thought about adding a full arcane caster, but the magus player is rather "competitive", so other ideas are welcome as well.
I think this forum is a victim of its own success in some ways. It was a great place back when paizo was smaller, with much of the animosity instead heading to WOTC. Now, we get a lot of that traffic and misery. Considering that, things turned out pretty well. But with size comes regulation. Closing a topic by acclamation and a resounding "SMURF" won't do for the industry leader anymore. So yeah. We lost something here - but I don't think there was any way around that. All good things, and all that. Or alternatively, "live long enough to see yourself become a villain."
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