Sorry for dropping off the radar for a week, folks. I'm in the middle of finishing work on an unannounced writing project that's due next week, and let's just say that my writing process is less than efficient. I will be back soon, I promise!
OMG. You're a writer?
We're doomed never to see our GM again...
(Just kidding. Been there...done that...)
Take care of yourself. May your writing go well.
Just a heads-up(for all my games):
If everything works out according to plan, on this next Friday, my third daughter will be born.
I had to spend more time with the 2 I already had and help at home, as well as do some preparation work at home(moving and building furniture etc.) Simultaneously, I am taking 4 weeks of unpaid leave, and that has left work very...stressful. Trying to get every open topic done or handed over to someone that can and will take care of it has left me spending way longer in office than usually, further cutting into available time and leaving me exhausted.
Tomorrow will be my last workday before then - I'll try and make sure to update before Friday, but the first few days after, I may be MIA(with 2 kids at home, and 1 in the hospital). If the first two kids are an indication, I will have some time in the evenings to keep posting, so I expect to be back at latest after we are reunited at home(4-5 days after birth), and, paradoxically, less stressed than I feel right now(seriously, I feel burned out - and while those little joy bundles can be incredibly demanding, they never left me feeling as drained as work manages to do.).
Thanks for your patience. As said, I'll be here again before ;) Just figured some advance notification would be in order.
Right now, we don't seem to be in a hurry here :) But I wouldn't want to be assumed gone just because I miss the action picking up again.
See you sooner than later hopefully.
Congrats Lia! We're not going anywhere, been around for years. :) See you when you get back!
Congrats to your upcoming bundle of Joy.
No worries, this old dwarf would be still be here.
Have a wonderful time with your new addition and bonding time.
Heya BrOp, How is/was the writing project? I figured I'd check to see if you have a timeline for restarting.
Hi folks, I'm FINALLY back, sorry for the long delay. I had a combination of a writing deadline, a new house fiasco, and then my wife and I had our car totaled (while we were in it). We're thankfully both fine, but I've been dealing with the insurance stuff, plus trying to find a new car. I could have been more in touch, and I'm sorry for that, but things have calmed down again.
Is everyone still around and interested in playing?
I am still here, and interested in continuing to play provided we are all still here.
Wow, that's a lot of stuff happening in not much time BrOp! I hope all is well and working out.
I'm still here and ready to go when you are.
This dwarf is still here.
Still here!
I am back, too. Still not able to post regulary every day, but such is live with a newborn.
So frequency will fluctuate, but I am here.
Welcome back and congratulations again.
Still here, and ready to post.
Congrats on the new baby, Lia!
Aye :) The stair we used was still covered in ground floor map.
I just figured with the perception check it may be relevant - if someone suddenly starts falling down the stairs because we used the "haunted" set instead of the safe one, I felt it necessary to point out that we actually only knew of the one(according to map, I mave have missed it in-game - even though I suspected it would be stairs there).
But if we safely arrive at basically the same spot, then yes, indeed, it does not matter/make a difference :)
To help foster a sense of community and solidarity, I'd like to ask a few questions, if I may.
Where do you live, are you working or at home, and how are you doing?
I'll go first. I live in Oregon with my wife and son. I'm currently unemployed, so I am at home with our child and trying to stay busy while my wife is still working. We're all doing okay, although my son misses playing with other kids a lot. Luckily the internet has been able to fill that void a bit, so he's chatting online with his friends.
BrOp, you're back! Are you going to pick up on doing PFS again? You were a Venture Lieutenant before right?
I'm also in Oregon, Portland. I work for the Oregon Department of Human Services. I have a 12 year-old son and a very clever and wicked Pyrador puppy.
Aside from the Coronavirus weirdness things are fine with me, though very busy at the moment as we adjust to pandemic mode at work and schools closed down.
BrOp, you're back! Are you going to pick up on doing PFS again? You were a Venture Lieutenant before right?
I was the VC for Oregon until about 2015 or so, but am no longer involved in the PFS community (other than writing the occasional scenario).
I am in South Dakota, where I am pretty much the whole venture corps, as a VL.
I am in office today, but am one of 3 and start at home tomorrow.
I'm doing fine otherwise, though just got diagnosed with fatty liver as a non-drinker so that's a kick in the shins and I have to lose weight and my gym just closed. Guess that part sucks temporarily.
I'd be interested to know which scenarios are yours to see if they're any of my faves. I am pretty sure you're not Thursty, since he is Canadian not from Oregon. If you're Larry W, I may fanboy here.
Edit: the first scenario I ever played was one of yours, cheers.
I'm from Europe - Austria to be precise.
I am currently on unpaid leave for the birth of my third daughter(a month ago). I'm scheduled to start working again next week, but was already notified that I'll be doing home office until further notice.
I am working in logistical IT services, so ultimately I am helping make sure that markets are restocked and people have access to what they need to life.
Other than that, the country is basically shut down. All "normal" shops(except food, pharmacies, drug store) are closed, public areas(playgrounds, parks...) locked down, military was partially mobilized to help police enforce shutdown and keep people inside.
It's somewhat bleak, in that I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old that don't really understand why they can't go outside, or go play on the playground.
Add to that that ~2 weeks ago, our cat did not survive an operation (a tumor, which turned out inoperable) - after we brought kitty to the hospital because it got sick.
Now they assume if they get sick they will die, too.
Oh well...at least I won't have to go into the office - saving me an hour of driving each day and allowing me to help out at home.
(Since schools and kindergartens are shut down, the 4-year old is of course also at home).
Lia,
Very cool to hear that you are from Austria, Lia! I was born and grew up in Linz. Small world :)
We have an 8-year-old at home, so I understand the difficulty of dealing with the kids at home all the time.
That is a scary story with the cat and your kids as well. Hopefully there will be a positive hospital experience in their future that will convince them that they are not all bad (although not right now, obviously!)
Good luck with dealing with all the current troubles.
Ha, GM, I can do you one better - while I live in Vienna now, I grew up in Steyr. (dunno how long you lived in Linz...it's another of the larger cities in Upper Austria, about 40 kms away from Linz)
Well, they DID have the positive experience of their mum going to the hospital to have their little baby sister. But there, they did not see the "hospital" - only the maternity ward of a private clinic(we have extra insurance) which is more like...a kind of hotel. So they don't really connect that, mentally. But we brought the kitty to the doctor together, and wished her good luck, and pet her expecting to pick her up again in the evening, and that farewell kinda...stuck.
And yeah, regarding dealing with kids at home: What makes it worse is that my SO is very insistent on going out with them EVERY DAY, normally. Even in Winter, when the playground is deserted - in rain, no matter. At least a short walk(20+ minutes) or some time at the playground(1h+) every day regardless of outside conditions. So they are utterly "conditioned" to go outside in the afternoon. And raising hell about wanting to go outside. Like, one of the only options to get them to calm down about that is to offer them some TV(which is usually very limited) and even then they will go on about wanting to go outside AFTER watching this or that.
*sigh*
Thanks a lot for your well-wishes :)
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Ha, GM, I can do you one better - while I live in Vienna now, I grew up in Steyr. (dunno how long you lived in Linz...it's another of the larger cities in Upper Austria, about 40 kms away from Linz)
Natürlich kenne ich Steyr! Na servas, zwei Oberösterreicher auf einem Platz!
I lived in Linz, actually in Leonding just outside of Linz, until I was 12 whereupon we moved to Berlin for three years and then to the States.
I'm in Washington State. I live in the Seattle Metro area, and work for the Department of Veterans Affairs at the hospital in Seattle. I'm an accountant so I don't have direct patient contact, but considered essential. I can work from home several days a week though.
We're doing our thing as best we can. Most public places are closed for the next at least two weeks probably more. My husband's work isn't closing either. We have no children, but my doggo isn't happy that her agility classes have been closed for the next two weeks. She is happy that mom is home more often during the week.
I'm in Garland Texas (Near Dallas), and I'm stuck home tomorrow for the first time with my 6 year old. My ex will take him the rest of the week, but I will try to go back to work on Wednesday and see if I get any work done. Both of my assistants were out sick today (not the Corona Virus...just normal problems) so my work today was almost useless having to answer e-mails all day and try to do my bosses' bidding whenever I can. I work as the Senior Purchaser for a circuit board manufacturing company in Plano Texas, buying the parts that go on the boards.
I'm an Air Force veteran that grew up in Northeast Texas, but lived all over the country with the service...Biloxi MS, Pensacola FL, Fairfield CA, and finally RAF Alconbury in England for 2 years too.
Divorced twice now...and two beautiful sons. My oldest is now 29 and my youngest is now 6, like I mentioned earlier.
Whew...just thinking of all of that made me tired.
=)
I'm in Singapore and while my business has taken a hit due to the recent pandemic, I guess I can say I'm surviving.
I'm both working on site and from home.
I'm an adjunct professor and involved in running my business (Sports and Recreation).
So PbP is my go to for games now.
I work for the Oregon Department of Human Services. We're expecting to be hit with maybe the biggest rush of benefits applications ever due to statewide service sector closings.
I'm going to be pulled off my normal job to help process intakes somewhere between sometimes and a lot, and it's possible overtime could become involved.
I don't know what this is going to do to my availability right now, posts from me could become spotty at times depending on how things unfold. It's getting pretty crazy right now.
Understood! Do what you need to do.
Added pictures to Google Slides page
Just wanted to invite all of you into the planning stages of a new game I am considering. I'm looking to play something new/old. Check it out if you have a bit of extra time these days: LINK
If you narrow something down, let me know.
=)
@Karmids good saves: Unfortunately that was Will, where Jil is 3 better than you ;)
@Drasven: I understand the Meta of not harming a possessed player, and I did misremember how it worked(had to re-check), but it would have been an awesome spot for your "Prohibition" power.
The reason I bring this up - we might want to get clarification from the GM, but if you forbid someone from casting and they do anyway, it should deal damage and force a concentration check in my reading. Since the power is automatic with no save involved, that seems a pretty good way to interrupt casters.
(The Concentration DC would not be terrible high, but they will still risk losing their spell every time they cast).
Just something to keep in mind for the future, I guess?
I originally wanted to use that "Prohibition" power as such but you know.....almost every mob we met is either having really high saves, the dice rolls spits on me or it's not appropriate to use it.
Also I don't thing the non lethal damage is going to work against most mobs anyway. lol. (undead)
I'm fine with whatever. I'm f##~ing exhausted and don't feel like making any decisions.
I'm fine with whatever. I'm f+!!ing exhausted and don't feel like making any decisions.
Lets go up. We got a pretty good idea of things that took place without looking into every last little haunt. I think the exploration would move smoothly in a table-game(where combat usually slows things down) but the mechanic, while flavorful, does begin to outstay it's welcome in the pbp format.
Could you two help me understand why we're doing roof repair there?
This room is a dead-end, with no other exits...if you want to stabilize the roof to take a look inside, you need to go in and handle heavy materials, which is surely more likely to bring the roof down than one person sneaking in, looking around, and coming back out.
I mean, we did consider trying to burn the place down after we are done here, but now you start fixing the roof.
(Don't get me wrong, I am actually sitting here amused, grinning widely - it's hard to get across in words but as said, amused, not annoyed :) )
I mean, we could just turn around and move on to the next door...just saying...but it seems like we're just doing work because we can :)
We're going upstairs soon, right? I just thought with these haunts, you never know if they might make someone jump around up there...and we don't want to fall through the floor. If its the roof up there, sure I see it as less so important, but we are not on any time-table I see. It can't hurt can it? Besides, this is something Karmid and Drasven can CONTROL. Its emotional therapy if nothing else. You ever do laundry or vacuum your floors just to feel a little bit better with the fact you accomplished SOMETHING rather than feeling like nothing got done no matter how hard you worked...? Kind of like that.
Hmm hmm, things are starting to get wacky. People are acting random all on their own. It's starting to feel a little like The Shining :p
Nah. I carry an hammer. Not an axe!
=)
Did you check the map? We ARE upstairs. That is literally the roof you are fixing. And on a dead-end-room.
We are on map number 3, and the room you are working in is isolated from every other place except the corridor we used to enter it.
The one thing that worries me is that even if you do a makeshift-job and just stabilize the roof properly, it will likely take an hour or two.
If you are right that our Presence here is known, that gives a lot of preparation time to Aldern...and some other haunts may reset giving us more trouble on the way back down.
For Drasven it's simple. Something requires fixing and Drasven hasn't fixed much so far so it gives him something to do.
Roof falling in on us also weighs in on that one. It's wacky but hey Drasven can do something about it unlike the haunts......
Yeah, except you are only in danger of the roof falling in on you in the room you enter to work on the roof. :)
Thats what I find so funny.
Instead of closing the door and moving on to the next room, you randomly decide this one room with nothing else interesting in it needs to have the roof fixed.
If that helps you guys "mentally" by having something you can control, doing some physical labor, by all means, go for it. But from a neutral perspective, it still seems utterly random that you enter a room, see some building materials on the floor and randomly decide to start renovation work.
In a haunted House. With a serial murderer in it. And Haunts that possessed people.
As said, I'm laughing here. It's funny by all means, I just figured I'll try and understand, as player, what motivated you guys to act that way :)
There is likely to be a compulsion to jump off through the open section, going by the plot thus far.