Apologies, Hezar, I obviously misunderstood. As is my wont, evidently!
And Osuki, good to hear from you. That's the whole group in the affirmative! Far better than I had any right to hope.
Here's a few thoughts/questions/ruminations, etc:
Running combats for six PC's is fine, but when I add so many NPC's on top - at least 5, in this last battle, not including opponents - it becomes unwieldy. I'd like to keep essential NPC's, as well as your current allies, yet not have them become an issue in combat. Balancing a combat for an effective party of 11 is kind of difficult! Any suggestions on how to keep the roleplaying with them, but not have them become a force in combat?
After this whole Kane situation is resolved the campaign is going to be moving into a different format - you'll be responsible for protecting and developing a fief of your own, as well as going on adventures that may or may not be related to the larger battle against Lassathor's forces. It will be more open-ended, in that you'll choose which threads to pursue, though as you explore and map your fief fixed events will happen as well. What I want to contrive is a way for everyone to be on the same adventures - I'd prefer not to deal with a split party if at all possible. Unless that is something you, as the players, desire?
More questions/comments later. I really appreciate your input and feedback, friends!
Well, the classic way to have NPCs involved in their own fight, perhaps a flank attack or something, and ignore them for our own fight. For example, in our current fight, perhaps some other wooden foes attack from the left, causing our NPC allies to get into combat with them. Or something like that.
I'd also strongly suggest that us players take over the running of long term NPC allies like Belina. I'm sure that given the nature of what the campaign is going to become, having some cohorts wouldn't be that much of a problem really. I reckon some of us will take the Leadership feat anyway.
As for what happens in future, I imagine that we can discuss in character about what actions we want to take. Smaller things like going to meet people can be done in downtime, while the larger quests we can all come together to do.
I think that is a good call
I'd certainly not mind giving control of some of the NPC's to you folks when combat comes around! I do like the idea of the NPC's having their own battle to fight but not sure I could contrive that into every battle. Maybe we can have them investigate different areas than the main PC party? One thing I know is that I'd like to retain control of the NPC's out of combat - they have established personalities and their own goals that I'd like to maintain.
I'd say that once we have a base of operations, leaving them there and/or sending them out from there to do different things will make it a bit easier on you.
Until then, while you probably can't contrive a separate *fight* for the NPCs each time, you *can* cine up with separate *priorities* for them. People to rescue, for example, or escape, or sneaking into a building, or defending the camp/pack animals just over the hill from our fight, etc. There can always be a legit reason for them not to be in the main fight.
So, shall we restart mid-fight, or perhaps just assume that we emerge victorious and move on from there?
Well, given that Kev "just" failed his Cast Defensively roll (and thus lost his Enlarge Person spell), I'm not too sure just how safe it is to assume we emerge victorious, but that might be the less painful way to go.
:-)
Well I don't think I have done anything since I wasn't getting the thread updatea
I think I'd like to pick up after the fight - you'll get the XP, of course, as that only seems fair.
I feel like I've backed myself into a corner with the NPC's - I think most of you enjoy their presence (Hezar certainly likes Belina, for example, and there is some sort of energy between Rylind and Matthias) but I really want to keep them out of combats, generally speaking. You've given me good ideas but I'm still wrestling with the idea a bit.
Anywho, is everyone up for restarting on Monday, May 12th? My commitment is one post a day, minimum, on weekdays. During combats I may post a bit more to keep things moving.
I'm happy starting earlier if possible! I have missed the game.
I'm fine with whenever you want to start again - though I do have a couple of busy weekends coming up (16-18th and 24-25th).
I like the idea of the NPCs being busy with something else during combats, especially because I'm not that comfortable taking over control of them.
honestly I think that you should just hand waive the npcs out of combat, make it easy for yourself, and make the action move faster. Maye have us find something, another child or whatever and send the NPCs back to the village with him, then we reconnect after and move on to the estate we have
I'm cool with restarting whenever. And I'm OK with picking up after the fight, too. But a bit of a summary of how it went might be helpful. Fights are often a good chance for characters to get to see/know one another and bond a bit, and the group's first fight with the "new kids" being a complete blank hand-wave kinda feels like a missed opportunity.
That said, however, I'm sure we'll have a number of opportunities to "bond over blood" in the future. :-)
Well, I can't claim to be anything more than forgetful lately myself, so I'm going to let the majority speak for us here. Whatever method ends up working best for juggling pace vs. immersion is what we'll go with in the end; the group and the DM either find a method to their liking, or change it up, so it works out one way or another. I'll do my best to keep a daily tab again, despite college getting dumber by the day.
I'm a culinary student, and they STILL find excuses to lump me with homework.
I've been playing too much Dark Souls 2, as the first thing I thought of with 'hooded young woman' was this lady.
Guys, it's time I admit the truth: I just don't have the drive or inspiration to keep up on the boards anymore. too many things to do, too many people to keep up with, too little time. School's not getting any easier, and there's been a resurgence of...well, STUFF IRL that the brain just doesn't have as much free time to wander anymore.
I've enjoyed our game, and hope it plays out memorably, but I just need to quit. Maybe one day I'll be back; raise a glass for me at the next toast, fellows.
I'm sorry to see you go, Belgrin. And I hope we'll see you again!
Well, shit :-(
Very sorry to see you go. You're welcome to return anytime if conditions change. I wish you the very best.
noooooooooooo
Good luck! I know about how RL can jump on a guy. Fair winds, compare.
We shall have to consider a replacement for Belgrin then :-( Bloody hell I'm terrible at keeping players. Does anyone have any ideas?
I've sent out a couple of invitations to come look at this game's threads to some awesome people on the boards. No telling if they'll bite, though.
As far as in-game goes, Belgrin can go with the other group, yes? If Kev and Matthias need help in the melee department, maybe Ogre comes with us?
I'm just going to bot Belgrin for the time being until a replacement can be found :-( Just assume he's in the background doing his own thing and I'll run him in combat.
Oh, hey, I'll be joining you guys soon using this character. I'll have it ready by later tonight. I just need to post here, because I'm pretty sure you guys are rolling for HP. I'll be playing a fighter.
Hmm. Not bad all considered. Anyways, I'm thrilled to be joining.
Welcome, Davin, great to have you aboard!
Just a quick note - thanks for rolling for your hit points. At first level you can take the max (10 in your case) and then at each subsequent level if you roll less than the average for your hit dice (6, for a fighter) then take the average instead. So, Davin should have 22 hp, not including any bonuses from CON, toughness, etc.
Hopefully everyone will drop in and say hello to our newest player!
Okay so just to be clear it would be 10 + 9 + 6 + 6, right? That would be a total of 31, without factoring Con. Mod or Favored class. I'll adjust my sheet accordingly.
welcome!
That is correct! I was rushing back here to correct myself as I see you've already taken the max at 1st level. So, yeah, just looking over your sheet now.
Looking good! Should invest in hero labs myself sometime...
Is it a built in feature of HL to only show your longsword attack with power attack active?
Looking good! Should invest in hero labs myself sometime...
Is it a built in feature of HL to only show your longsword attack with power attack active?
No. The default doesn't do that. But there's a tab called "In-play" that let's you mess with modifiers that way. I have it default to power attack since 95% of my attacks will be doing that. I've personally found that while running a martial character there are very few instances where it's worth bothering to make a regular attack. Especially with a full-blown fighter who's just made of attack bonuses.
So it's easier for me mentally to just do the math the other way around if I do find I need accuracy over damage.
There are even ways to add modifiers from conditions and magic spells like Bull's Strength. But I'll tend to use the "Effects" section of my stats line for minor math like that.
Welcome! :-)
Welcome! :D
Welcome to the game.
I think I'll wait with placing Matthias until Hezar and Kevkas choose spots, since they're our main hitters at the moment - don't want to block them.
If everyone hasn't placed themselves by tomorrow morning I will do it for them - keeping in mind tactical needs, etc.
As a note, since combat technically hasn't been initiated yet - including initiative - if you take an action like Osuki did that is fine. The monsters might as well, however...
Ah. I was kind of assuming that would be her first/surprise-round action, and just rolling it all into one post.
But she's learned (from experience) that surprising people with weapons in hand can sometimes result in said weapons heading in her direction, so... better safe than sorry. :-)
No surprise round here. I don't mind giving a little pre-combat prep, especially when the narrative allows for an order of action which is flexible. I prefer for everyone to be laced as well, before rolling for initiative. Just one of my "things" I suppose :-)
Also, just as an aside, Neither Nijena nor I mind which name people call her (I think she mentioned that in her introductory post), but I wrote her name in the traditional manner of her culture - family name first.
She's Nijena, of the family/clan Osuki.
Keep calling her Osuki if you wish, no worries, but I thought I'd mention it, just in case, and apologize if people are confused. ;-)
Sorry! Nijena it is :-)
Just a quick reminder about the map - you guys (the good guys) are blue. Bad guys are red and allied NPCs are green. This is based on the repeated observation, gained in childhood, that good guys have blue lasers and light sabers and whatnot, and baddies have red.
It's a proven fact.
Hezar is ready with his blue lasers
What about when they're orange and yellow and purple and other lifesaver colors? ;)
We must never speak of that again.
To be fair, I gave myself a white lightsaber in KoTR2 so my character could be more of a special snowflake. :-( It felt wrong on so many levels, yet, also, a little bit right!
LOL! It must be hard to really stand out from others visually in an MMO, I'm thinking? Never had the time and money at once to spend on one... but I assume the graphics are somewhat limited?
Knights of the Old Republic was actually a single player rpg made by Obsidian quite a few years ago - I'm not a big MMO guy myself but I bet there are lots of Jedi running around with non-traditional lightsabers.
I rather liked it, truth be told. MMO's I can take or leave - especially if they take a franchise I love (like the elder scrolls) and make an MMO instead of working on the next installment of the series.
I'm still playing Skyrim. I'm absolutely drooling for the next single player game. I've never gotten into MMOs but that's mostly because I've never been in a position to join the PC arms race before.
I am curious about the D&D one though.
Yeah Skyrim is fantastic - add a few mods and you can change the whole gameplay experience. Projects like Skywind make it even more appealing to me.
There's a D&D MMO? I heard about the Pathfinder one, which sounds interesting, but I hadn't heard the Wizards were trying one too.
I've heard good things from friends about this. But I have no personal experience with it.