This is the Discussion thread. This is where we can talk about "Out of Character" stuff, like character creation, what affect a feat or a spell has on combat, and who's paying for pizza.
Let's try to keep the gameplay thread purely for, you know, the game itself.
Over on the Campaign Info thread will be info you'll reference a lot. Actually I'm gonna put maps and NPC descriptions over on Obsidian Portal. It's got more room for pretty pictures and the like. Paizo's site (here) is better equipped for play by post-- partly because it immediately posts your dice rolls for all to see.
**Try a dice roll**
It's this format: (dice)1d20+3(/dice)
except replace the parantheses with square brackets.
When I replace the parantheses, and submit my post, this is what happens:
**For all Formatting**
Refer to the "How to format your text" at the bottom of the page. Hit the button that says "Show", and voila! all the formulas you'll need.
**Now go forth and make an Alias You'll probably want 2. The first will be your UBER Alias. "Apocalypso" is mine. And then there's a place to make more aliases-- one for your character in each game. For now just get the basics up so you can start posting; choose a picture at least, so you can post and we know who you are.
We'll fine tune and post your character sheet, once we've, you know, made your character.
**Once you are post-ready (post-able? com-post-able? combustable?)** roll yer stats matey. Do this 7 times:
(dice)4d6(/dice) and drop the lowest.
**After we see yer stats, move on over to "Campaign Info/Character Creation" and get ta makin' yer Character.
Now whatcha standin' around for? That treasure isn't gonna plunder itself.
Base stats for Sidhon -
4d6 ⇒ (5, 1, 3, 5) = 13 (pts: 3)
4d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 2, 2) = 10 (pts: 0)
4d6 ⇒ (5, 4, 6, 2) = 15 (pts: 7)
4d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 5, 6) = 16 (pts: 10)
4d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 5, 1) = 09
4d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 3, 6) = 16 (pts: 10)
4d6 ⇒ (3, 3, 5, 4) = 12 (pts: 2)
total points: 32
==>
Str: 13 - 4 = 9
Dex: 16 + 2 = 18
Con: 12 - 2 = 10
Int: 16 + 0 = 16
Wis: 10 + 0 = 13
Cha: 15 + 0 = 15
Character Build Points: 5
stats: 3
extra feat (weapon finesse): 2
Character Build Points: 5
stats: 3
extra feat (weapon finesse): 2
I'll run up a pdf sheet over on Obsidian.
OK, here goes:
= 13 (3 pts.)
= 16 (10 pts.)
= 15 (7 pts.)
= 8
= 12 (2 pts.)
= 11 (1 pt.)
= 11 (1 pt.)
TOTAL = 24 pts.
So I'm going to go with the 25 point build.
STR: 12 - 2 = 10 (2 pts.)
DEX: 16 + 4 = 20 (10 pts.)
CON: 10 + 0 = 10 (0 pts.)
INT: 17 + 0 = 17 (13 pts.)
WIS: 8 + 0 = 8 (-2 pts.)
CHA: 12 - 2 = 10 (2 pts.)
TOTAL = 25 pts.
Welcome! Welcome! So glad you guys made it! The others will be straggling in soon. They're not quite as facile with gaming and its tech as you two. As a matter of fact, neither am I. But we'll all figure it out. (I may be bugging you for those OP tips soon Doug) We should have good fun. Everyone involved has creativity and good humor.
@Sidhon-- nice rolls. However, if you wish to optimize, you can drop down to 30 points and arrange as you wish.
@Zorg--the dice gods do not favor you quite so well. But fear not-- go over to "Character Creation" and look at guideline #7. It should warm your little goblin heart.
Yep, I just saw that and now I'm up too late considering feats (yay!)... it may take me a day or two to make final decisions.
In terms of flaws (which give you 1 build point), I don't think they've shown up in any Pathfinder products yet... do you mean those in the 3.5 book Unearthed Arcana?
Yup! Thanks for the flaws link. I hadn't been able to find them, and now I know why. Only the first of many times I will need you guys' help with game mastering. Go easy on me. I am great with the role-playing/storytelling aspect, but my impressionable years with rules happened during AD&D2, and my tech skills are only adequate. Its nice with PbP-- gives me time to look stuff up, while I dazzle you with expletives. Er, make that exposition.
@Sidhon-- I did a quick scan of your character sheet on Obsidian. Looks good.
I did wonder why you dropped your 13 wisdom (above) on that sheet tho. I gave you the option of going to a 30-pt build if you wanted to min/max. But you don't have to. It seems you left everything the same but wisdom.
A
@Sidhon-- I did a quick scan of your character sheet on Obsidian. Looks good.
I did wonder why you dropped your 13 wisdom (above) on that sheet tho. I gave you the option of going to a 30-pt build if you wanted to min/max. But you don't have to. It seems you left everything the same but wisdom.
A
I may well have messed up :) I'll take a look. I had intended to leave it as written, and 'play it as it lies'.
ah - quick scan tells me I didn't do the math right initially - and my back-patching was imperfect. The 10 Wis is correct. I'd carried the 13 from the rolls to the racial adjustments twice. once I noticed, I put back the appropriate 10, but it didn't 'ripple' through everything quite right.
Just a heads up-- Lori, Michael, and Rich need more time with their character creation. So don't worry if things are slow for the next week or so. Once we get thru Character Creation (which I think is a blast, but others get shell-shocked) I think we'll sail along quite nicely. Except for the whacks about the head.
BTW, I've been reading around a little bit, and found this thread where folks were doing some sample PbP combat. Interesting to check out to get a feel for how this stuff works in practice.
Sample Combat
OK, my character is all set to go!
13
16
drop
10
11
17
8
26 points total
Lori is set as an Aasimar Oracle.
In the yearbook it will read... "Most likely to be Party Face..."
Rich is working on a Human Barbarian
Michael and I are actively working to find time to actively work on his character. Sooooon....
And I was gonna let y'all know, everybody's about ready with their characters. I'm at a conference this weekend, so we'll probably be ready to start on Monday...
I would like everyone to play themselves to start, so mebbe we'll start slow at the beginning of the week and take it from there.
Now we've got...
Daniel- Kobold Magus
Doug- Goblin Sea Witch
Lori- Aasimar Oracle
Rich- Human Barbarian
Michael- Undine Archeologist
Leaving in 5 hours for minnesota so no more time to post tonite. We need Zorg's next move in any case. And I've decided to play the bar for one more day to give Rich and Michael a chance to jump in. We'll defintitely start on board ship by Tuesday. Good posting so far....
roger that - have a good and safe trip!
hrmmm.. coincidentally, it turns out none of my spells have material components. I could've sworn 'obscuring mist' had a material component in an older rules set (pinch of wool, wasn't it? 'fog as thick as wool'..).
just as a note, this was not part of the plan - but it may be a feature of the magus spell list. Someday I'll investigate more...
They seemed to have adjusted most components in pathfinder to needing small indeterminate amounts of inexpensive and/ or reusable things. keeping track of components is rarely a thing anymore, except for a few more expensive spells/ components.
however GM's are supposed to keep better track of what has somatic and verbal components.
PS. Michael is still working out some things. He'll join us in the not-too-distant future. For now its you four.
Important question - and probably should have clarified both before I went in the tavern and certainly before I reacted when I woke up:
I did not enter the tavern wearing my Noble's outfit - probably the artisan's outfit, or possibly entertainer's (although the cloak was the only one I had). I'm presuming I don't have the cloak, but am I down to a shift, or still wearing the dress?
I'll say you still have on the artisan's outfit. The other outfits and the cloak have been taken away for now.
Everyone should remind me of the small masterwork item you successfully hid. (or 200gp of jewelry) PM me if you wish it kept secret, otherwise just post here in discussion.
Yes, Zorg you can have another item in addition to Yalla.
Another footnote: spontaneous spellcasters have "rested."(if being beaten and drugged can be called restful) Anyone who needs to pray, study, etc, has not done that and has only the spells left after what they used in the tavern.
I have nothing hidden on me.
For your "12 climb checks in a row" - do you want me to keep rolling until I get there?
FYI, I'll be out of town until late on Tuesday, will check in that evening.
This is a good time to mention some of the GM hints again. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your play style, it'll be a little while before you see combat. Roleplaying opportunities abound however. Even if you were able to successfully carry off a mutiny today... you wouldn't be able to run this ship yourselves.
So there are three general types of activities for you to work on, depending on your inclinations:
1. Getting good at shipboard jobs.
2. Making friends.
3. Exploring the ship/Getting your stuff back.
Each character will be asked to do their JOB (Rigger/Swab/Cook's Mate) each day, and I'll ask for specific skill checks for that.
In addition, you'll be able to try one other activity-- once in the daytime, and once more at night. Those secondary activities are listed under the campaign info tab.
A listing of all the NPC's is on the "character" page on Obsidian Portal. Go to the sidebar and click on "rigger" or "swab" or "cook" to see who's in your area to talk to.
Let me know if you need clarification on any of that. Now, back to our game, already in progress...
What exactly does it mean to "influence" and how does one do it?
@ Atlatl and Sidhon-- you are both in the brig with Jakes Magpie in case I didn't make that clear.
@ Noonan-- Influence means to change how someone feels about you. The range goes:
Hostile --> Unfriendly --> Indifferent --> Friendly --> Helpful
The usual way to influence someone is to talk to them using diplomacy, or if you are telling tall tales you can use bluff.
Some characters also have things they enjoy or things they want which will influence them, but you'll have to find out.
In addition to a diplomacy roll, I'd like to see a bit of dialogue as you try to influence her.
So, conveniently enough, it seems that ship's surgeon is also ship's carpenter. might be time to be good at something and make some friends. BTW, who's "Big Blue Guy"? I'm about to go hunting back through previous posts, but he doesn't seem to be so identified as an NPC - oh wait, I got him in the "Plugg is gratuitously cruel" post.
Blue Guy is Atlatl, your final PC played by Michael.
He surfaced briefly for the climbing tests, was beaten, and thrown back in the brig... where you have now found yourself.
BTW... you were not all in the brig earlier, that was simply a cargo hold, where you were placed post "recruitment". NOW you are in the brig.
ooh, ooh - can I go rat-catching? Oh drat. I got in trouble for talking out of turn. :\
I'm avoiding opening Zorg's hidden stuff...that's what we should be doing, right?
Well, technically yes, because your character isn't there. But I actually don't mind you reading character stuff. But if something is labelled "Perception 25" then you really can't open it unless you roll 25 for perception.
When you say he's "been in his cups", what exactly to do you mean? Is he still able to cook, or does that mean I'm now in charge?
I don't mind others reading what's happening with Zorg, so long as they can keep straight what they know and their character doesn't. Myself, I don't click on those spoilers for others, though, it's just easier for my feeble brain. ;)
For the time being I think I would actually like you to read each others' posts (but still not the ones that say something like "Perception 25" or "Knowledge Geography 15", etc. unless you qualify).
Reason #1: It will help familiarize the players who are new to play-by-post.
Reason #2: I'm describing some parts of the ship and new characters to each of you, and I don't want to have to do it all over again for the next person that goes there. Although, each area that someone's explored, and each character that someone's interacted with, will be updated on Obsidian Portal.
Reason #3: I'm writing my butt off here. I'd like more than one person to appreciate each of my literary gems. (Why oh why did I take on GMing an adventure that deliberately splits the party up so they can meet more people and discover more of the ship? Efficient for you guys... a little intense for me.) Oh well, it's fun.
Why oh why did I take on GMing an adventure that deliberately splits the party up so they can meet more people and discover more of the ship? Efficient for you guys... a little intense for me.
The litereary gems are appreciated. And I promise not to explore any further or interact with anyone new in the brig, until you decide it's time for that to happen. :)
Though if Sidhon gets too bored with the brig, it may grow a new door...
I like Noonan, he would get along great with Owlbear.
Grunt
Grunt,grunt
Sorry Sidhon is on pause I was trying to bring Atlatl in with him... but, Atlatl was having technical difficulties, but now is allll...mmmmo....ssst ready.
I may push y'all forward slightly anyway.
A note for everybody... editing your Paizo character's has a couple of tricky steps. It's:
*My account
*Login
*Message Board Aliases (4th block down)
*Click on **NAME** of character, not edit, for some bizarre reason.
*When the profile comes up, "Edit this profile is in the upper right corner.
~~~
Those of you who have not yet posted your backgrounds on your Paizo sheet please do so. You will then have 2 Hero Points. (the necessary amount for lucky resurrection in case of death)
~~~
For those of you who are comfortable working with your Paizo character sheets please insert the following onto the GENDER line of your profile:
HP: 23/23 | DR5/iron | AC 17 | T 16 | FF 16 | CMD 16 | F +3 | R +11 | W +5 | Init +6| Per +8 (+13 traps)
This will make the information appear next to your characters name when you post, saving back-and-forthing for both you and, more importantly, me.
Obviously fill it in with information pertinent to *YOUR* character. Bonuses to DR or trapfinding and the like, need only be inserted when applicable.
Many Thanks.
cool! i've always wanted DR5/iron
no worries about the pause (paws?), I'm all good with Michael catching up.
That's what being in the brig is about - part of the experience :) Though it seems you've thoughtfully provided AtlAtl and Sidhon a more luxurious brig than the one Zorg saw down in the bilges.
Ooooh now yer gettin' clever with the GM, hey? Wonder how long you'll be in the brig for that?
"No, Sir!" (I think that was the new instruction on how to answer, right?) :)
@Zorg - you realize the spider is winning, right? If you just hold still for a moment, I'll hack it with my dagger - what, tried that already? K, then I'll shoot it with a bow. Stand. Right. There....
But seriously, don't pet rats eat spiders that are poisoning their masters?
Hey, quiet back there in the peanut gallery! :)
Not sure I want to put my 2 hp familiar in harm's way. I've had a bad experience with that with a former character.
@Noonan (and anyone else who's still working on getting their stats next to their name-- excellent job Zorg and Sidhon, btw)
HP: Current Hitpoints/Normal Hitpoints
DR--Damage Reduction. Noonan you don't get it until second level. Gilraen, I think you have 5 vs Acid, Cold, and Elec (?)
AC: Touch AC:(armor doesn't count) Flatfooted AC:(surprised, dex doesn't count)
Combat Maneuver Defense: Your AC vs special attacks like trip, grapple, etc.
Fortitude Save:
Reflex Save:
Will Save:
Initiative:
Perception:
(special perceptions):
These are the stats you need to refer to the most often. It will save you flipping back and forth. I have lost many a post that way. (Paizo won't save your post if you check your character sheet and try to come back. Open a new page~~ word to the foolish.)
Hey Guys, sorry it took me so long to catch up. I think I am all set now. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to post my "bio" on the Paizo character sheet. I was able to do it on Obsidian Portal, but I cant figure it out on Paizo....
A note for everybody... editing your Paizo character's has a couple of tricky steps. It's:
*My account
*Login
*Message Board Aliases (4th block down)
*Click on **NAME** of character, not edit, for some bizarre reason.
*When the profile comes up, "Edit this profile is in the upper right corner.
~~~
Those of you who have not yet posted your backgrounds on your Paizo sheet please do so. You will then have 2 Hero Points. (the necessary amount for lucky resurrection in case of death)
~~~
For those of you who are comfortable working with your Paizo character sheets please insert the following onto the GENDER line of your profile:
HP: 23/23 | DR5/iron | AC 17 | T 16 | FF 16 | CMD 16 | F +3 | R +11 | W +5 | Init +6| Per +8 (+13 traps)This will make the information appear next to your characters name when you post, saving back-and-forthing for both you and, more importantly, me.
Obviously fill it in with information pertinent to *YOUR* character. Bonuses to DR or trapfinding and the like, need only be inserted when applicable.
Many Thanks.
Michael -
Some directions from Meg a while back.
Metagame Notes:
* My Childhood friends call me "Meg." Although only one calls me "Meggie Poo" without risking serious injury.
* Don't know if Sidhon knows what gills are, but Atlatl has them.
* Atlatl-- FYI, I haven't dealt with (created) your gill problem yet, but I will... very soon. For the next few minutes Atlatl probably thinks he can escape.
* The wheezing, groaning bilge pump is over there (waves hand in some direction you haven't gone to yet.)
* You do seem to actually be stepping on things, some icky, and some...
* That is all for now. Please continue. You have all succeeded in amusing me. You may yet live.
Once again I'll be away for a couple of days, visiting relatives. Back late Sunday.