Sorry for the delay in posting- had to take my 7 year old to the hospital. If I don't get something up tonight I'll do it tomorrow.
Oh no! Are they okay? (I mean besides having to visit the hospital in the first place.)
Thank you for your concern. I took him to the hospital because he had some symptoms consistent with appendicitis but after several tests they determined it was just a stomach virus and after an IV to replenish his electrolytes he's feeling much better. I have to be up for work in 6 hours, though, so I'll post something tomorrow afternoon/evening.
Glad to hear that. Take care of yourself and get some sleep. You deserve it after that scare.
I think my previous comment still applies:
Sick people are priority. We can wait, take your time.
I placed a link to our Loot spreadsheet at the beginning of my tagline. It should be editable by anyone. I'll make an effort to keep it up-to-date (I just started GMing my first PbP campaign, so there's a learning curve here for me).
I don't think we've claimed any loot yet, but I might be wrong about that?
I don't know whether any of you have seen this?
Kickstarter for Legendary Games' "Trail of the Apprentice"
Something for Pathfinder parents - an age appropriate 'Adventure Path' with some simplified rules as well... I've got my eight year old who is an avid reader and loves playing games, but things like Carrion Hill and From Shore to Sea probably aren't so appropriate... I am hoping this is going to be a great entry point. I've backed and it's already funded so now it's really just a case of what else gets added to it...
Hi all,
I've recently taken up my hand at GMing and am enjoying it. I'm looking to start a Beginner Box campaign for people new to PbP. If you know someone who's a relative newbie either to Pathfinder or play-by-post, please send them to the recruitment thread. Thanks!
Pulling this aside to keep the gameplay less cluttered...
To be fair, It's more the lust and hedonism that Kaede's latched onto, as she's actively concerned about the deception/vengence angle making an appearance. I suppose Belial is an acceptable substitute, though.
Aldern has certainly been a bit forward with Tera, and obviously is a lover of life, but lust and hedonism might be a bit of an overstatement... though I suppose if Kaede had a very restrained, very traditional Tien upbringing his behavior might seem more extreme.
Still though, Calistria's approach to passions and lust have a decidedly dark flavor. Arshea's churches often meet in burlesque parlors and dance halls, and celebrate physical beauty and sexual releases*- that's probably the most in-line with what you've seen from Aldern (IMO). Belial is probably in between the two, with a definite focus on desire but a specific emphasis on adultery (which doesn't seem to be the case thus far, since he is single and so are all of you).
Aldern has certainly been a bit forward with Tera,And when Tera 'wasn't around', his gaze (and flirting) rather quickly fell on Kaede, which is part of why she has sketchy feelings about the man. Maybe I misread that situation, but that's how Kaede saw it.
and obviously is a lover of life, but lust and hedonism might be a bit of an overstatement... though I suppose if Kaede had a very restrained, very traditional Tien upbringing his behavior might seem more extreme.
Okay, This is quite true. Kaede is very much more staid then the rest of the characters, and that has come up.
Still though, Calistria's approach to passions and lust have a decidedly dark flavor. Arshea's churches often meet in burlesque parlors and dance halls, and celebrate physical beauty and sexual releases*- that's probably the most in-line with what you've seen from Aldern (IMO). Belial is probably in between the two, with a definite focus on desire but a specific emphasis on adultery (which doesn't seem to be the case thus far, since he is single and so are all of you).
Okay, I (as the player) don't see Calistria's approach to passion and lust as 'dark': it just is. Belial's approach is distinctly more ruinous in that respect.
Were that the defining act/reason of Arshea's worship, probably. But the use of that concept as a demonstration of freedom changes alot. Kaede would be scandalized by the actions of Arshea's cult, but would approve of the meaning behind the act.
"Don't forget about wizards. They have more than a touch of stick-up-the-bum syndrome themselves,".
Hey! :p
It's a case of pot and kettle really.
On a different note, do you guys think I'm backing myself into a corner with Tera? I'm not trying to monkeywrench the works, but I think I might be heading that way.
How so?
I'm mainly worried that the way I'm playing her is going to make it harder for her to come to terms with being one of the marked. It is a major source of frustration for her, and I'm worried that I'll write myself into a place where she won't accept being the marked of Abadar or that she'll believe the mark is a curse, for whatever reason.
Or maybe I'm just overthinking things because I'm tired. :P
Lol.
It seems to me like a lot of Tera's self doubt stems directly from not having been able to master divine magic... I'm imagining/assuming that will start to soften a little bit at second when you gain a divine SLA, and mostly vanish whenever you take your first cleric level?
Yeah, that's true. Like I said, I'm probably overthinking it.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hey everyone,
I'm always open to feedback on the game and on my GMing but we're coming up on the 4 month mark so I'm making a special request for feedback. You don't have to answer every question but I'd love to hear anything you'd like to share about the following:
- what's been your favorite part of the game so far?
- what's been your least favorite part?
- what do you think of the RP/action balance?
- would you like to have more investigating/problem solving?
- if you had to change one thing what would it be (and how)?
- if you've played (or read) this before, what do you think of the religious flavor?
Feel free to make any other comments too. I'd like to make this game the best it can be!
Thanks for even asking for feedback. It's always a good sign when the GM is interested in player enjoyment.
(1) Favorite Part: I think the story-telling is really shining in this game, both from the GM and the players. I look forward to any post in this game.
(2) Least Favorite: I'll agree with Salomae that combat is less enjoyable without a visual aid. That's just the nature of pathfinder.
(3) RP/Action Balance: This is really good! I feel that we have ample opportunities to explore our character relationships with each other, the clergy, and our respective god. There's also been plenty of combat where tactics have made a difference.
(4) Investigation/Problem Solving: I'm not sure what to add here (or ask for), except to say that investigation and puzzles can be really fun.
(5) Change: A visual aid for combat would be awesome. I've heard the Google slides is easy. Any graphic would be additional GM work, but it also seems difficult to keep track of these combats on your end without a visual aid. Even if you're just scribbling a battlemap on paper, moving that online for us to see could improve the experience.
(6) Religious Flavor: As mentioned, the "chosen" theme really adds a whole new dimension to the RP and allows me to enjoy this character above any other I have. It was a very good idea.
What's been your favorite part of the game so far?
Probably not any single passage of the story thus far - more observing how the relationships between the characters are developing and seeing how the 'Marked' will evolve... I like how the story has given us enough space after each combat to explore the consequences / meaning of events.
What's been your least favorite part?
Am I allowed to say Lord Foxglove!!! Seriously, Kaelaah isn't overly fond of him... which could actually a good thing from an RP perspective.
I think, if there is anything, it is maybe it is more from my side not knowing how Kaelaah is going to develop and worrying that he is just going to turn into some kind of wet blanket...What do you think of the RP/action balance?
Liking it... Seriously, there are some quality role-players here so I am glad there is enough space for them to write...
Would you like to have more investigating/problem solving?
Unsure on this one... Ask me again in a while...
If you had to change one thing what would it be (and how)?
I hear the 'theatre of the mind' combat worries but, right now (and as a fellow GM), I think it is totally fine - no-one has a build that requires specific positioning to pull off their killer combos and so I'd much rather you spent the time writing rather than worrying about battle-maps and the like... I don't think I'd change anything right now - it's all good!
If you've played (or read) this before, what do you think of the religious flavor?
I haven't played Runelords before but, disregarding that, the religious flavour is great... It gives a little bit of framework for how our characters could develop and also pre-ordains them as 'special'... In retrospect, I wonder whether it might have been fun to have played with the standard six deities of Sandpoint... but maybe that's a whole other game!!!
I'm mainly worried that the way I'm playing her is going to make it harder for her to come to terms with being one of the marked. It is a major source of frustration for her, and I'm worried that I'll write myself into a place where she won't accept being the marked of Abadar or that she'll believe the mark is a curse, for whatever reason.
Or maybe I'm just overthinking things because I'm tired. :P
Apologies for butting in, but a couple of quick comments.
I've been reading along and I like Tera a lot. She's extremely interesting as she is.
Being a doubter provides an extra dimension to work with for role play. Counter points and contrary perspectives make for great group dynamics when there are multiple writers working on the same project. Besides, why should it be easy? "Harry Potter" she mutters under her breath.
So says Table 2's skeptic!
- what's been your favorite part of the game so far?
The interactions with the other players, to be honest. It's been fun playing Tera and seeing how she interacts with the others.
- what's been your least favorite part?
Can I just say the month I was absent? :P
- what do you think of the RP/action balance?
It's pretty good so far. I know that it's going to shift, but I don't expect my opinion to.
- would you like to have more investigating/problem solving?
Sure, though I as a player am not very good as it.
- if you had to change one thing what would it be (and how)?
I don't know. Is that okay?
- if you've played (or read) this before, what do you think of the religious flavor?
I like, honestly. I've never played an Abadarite, though, so I'm having to adjust my thinking some. (Tries not look at all of the Desnans in his alias list.)
Apologies for butting in, but a couple of quick comments.
I've been reading along and I like Tera a lot. She's extremely interesting as she is.
Being a doubter provides an extra dimension to work with for role play. Counter points and contrary perspectives make for great group dynamics when there are multiple writers working on the same project. Besides, why should it be easy? "Harry Potter" she mutters under her breath.
So says Table 2's skeptic!
No apologies needed. I agree that different perspectives and intra-party friction makes for a more interesting story. I am also happy to hear that you find Tera interesting. Things are not going to be easy for Tera, and I'm sure that Nate's going to do his best to make her earn her happy ending.
And now that I've written that, I need to start following this second table!
What's been your favorite part of the game so far?
The interaction with these other folks,
And seeing how our characters will grow.what's been your least favorite part?
The fact that I've been failing in my pace,
And not having the map can make things hard.What do you think of the RP/action balance?
I like the easy pace we've had so far,
And think it's working well, for me at least.Would you like to have more investigating/problem solving?
On this point, I remain ambivalent.
If you had to change one thing what would it be (and how)?
I have no points to offer at this time.
If you've played (or read) this before, what do you think of the religious flavor?
It adds a welcome change to this AP,
And keeps things interesting, fresh, and new.
lol. Rojava, if you been following along the whole way feel free to answer the questions too.
- what's been your favorite part of the game so far?
This has been some of the more entertaining RP that I've done in quite some time. There's enough back and forth debates about personal opinions that I haven't had in a while.
- what's been your least favorite part?
I do have to agree with Sal and Roakkad: not having a battle map has been a little frustrating. I tend to (over)plan alot off of my turns, and not having a map to reference has thrown that for a loop.
- what do you think of the RP/action balance?
So far, it's fine, but we haven't hit a dungeon yet. We'll see what happens then.
- would you like to have more investigating/problem solving?
If you threw more in, I wouldn't be adverse to it, but it's not a mighty need for me.
- if you had to change one thing what would it be (and how)?
I don't think I have an answer for this.
- if you've played (or read) this before, what do you think of the religious flavor?
Actually, the thing that I like about the religious flavor is that it gives the PC's a reason to be together and to get along. The camaraderie was there from the start, which was a problem I had when I ran RotRL.
"This agreement is good," Roakkad says simply, declining to comment on the obvious truth that no city is as good as Kaer Maga.
I literally LOLed in my office.
Ha! I decided that I needed a character flaw, and settled on pride. Sal joked about it at the beginning, and it fits.
That makes me wonder what sins the rest of embody.
Tera might be envy, but I'm not sure about everyone else.
And now that I've written that, I need to start following this second table!
You should! It's really very interesting to compare and contrast the two. Our respective parties have very different feels to them. To use a high school analogy, and mostly the characters are teenagers so hey why not? Your group seems like the honor roll crowd, while we're more like the freaks and geeks squad (with no value judgements attached).
lol. Rojava, if you been following along the whole way feel free to answer the questions too.
Sure, I'll give the questions a shot, but it's an apples to oranges thing in many ways.
-What's been your favorite part of the game so far?
It's been a blast to role play the AP so far. I think the "marked" angle set things up very well for better developed backstories and relationship histories. We stay busy with each other even when not much is actually happening in terms of plot progression.
- what's been your least favorite part?
We've had a couple of player losses and replacements. Pretty typical for a PbP but the "marked" angle also makes this very awkward. It turns replacements of characters from "so you meet this new guy in a tavern" or "you've rescued a ranger from orcs" into more of a "Um, so, there's this friendly unicorn in the tavern" in terms of plausibility. A minor point, but it begs questions that must somehow be dealt with.
-What do you think of the RP/action balance?
I've been happy with it. A different style from this table though. Our players posts are more variable in time and frequency so the kind of one-on-one back and forth conversations that are common here are somewhat more difficult for us to carry out. We have them, but we also tend to soliloquy more.
- would you like to have more investigating/problem solving?
I would be happy with more, but that sort of thing also plays more to a bard's strengths compared to many other classes so of course I would. It's been fine as is.
- if you had to change one thing what would it be (and how)?
I'd probably increase the speed of ours. I'd say we average about 3 posting cycles per week. I'd like 4 to 5 myself but some of the other players likely wouldn't be able to keep that pace. It's fine at 3. I can't think of anything else really.
- if you've played (or read) this before, what do you think of the religious flavor?
I've liked it. Previously I've had a couple of failed starts at ROTRL, never made it past the 1st book. Party coherence has been better this time. Up front it might seem that the divine modifications would impose something of a straightjacket on characters and parties, and I suppose they do limit possibilities of course. But considering how differently our respective parties have developed their own vibes, there's really a great deal of room for interpretation. Yours seems to me more "clerical" and "monastic" I guess I'd say. You're much more actively involved with the religious aspects and life at the cathedral than we are. Our take is more "oracular" I guess. Less active discussion of deities or their moralities. It's not absent, but it is less overt. More woven into personality and plain conversation. At least that's my best shot at explaining it.
*And sure I'll dot in and be your unobtrusive cheering section if you provide the pom poms.
Haha- I meant feel free to offer your opinions on our game from what you've been reading
:)
Oh! Well in that case I'll limit my review to this:
Thumbs up, but could I please have more torrid romance, hair raising escapes, gasp inducing surprises, and high stakes, the world hangs in the balance, combat?
...could I please have more torrid romance, hair raising escapes, gasp inducing surprises, and high stakes, the world hangs in the balance, combat?
Oh boy! Do I have you covered! I had all of that in one fight in the RotRL game I run. I believe that Zache's player was playing another bard named Horatio and the party was fighting someone by the name of Krosk, if memory serves.
I've been following table 2 off and on. Time to go catch up!
...torrid romance...Aldern's doing his best, ya know :P
But Aldern's a weenie.
...could I please have more torrid romance, hair raising escapes, gasp inducing surprises, and high stakes, the world hangs in the balance, combat?Oh boy! Do I have you covered! I had all of that in one fight in the RotRL game I run. I believe that Zache's player was playing another bard named Horatio and the party was fighting someone by the name of Krosk, if memory serves.
(With popcorn ready) Do tell!
(With popcorn ready) Do tell!...could I please have more torrid romance, hair raising escapes, gasp inducing surprises, and high stakes, the world hangs in the balance, combat?Oh boy! Do I have you covered! I had all of that in one fight in the RotRL game I run. I believe that Zache's player was playing another bard named Horatio and the party was fighting someone by the name of Krosk, if memory serves.
"Truly, that was a harrowing performance, one that rendered even myself speechless! However, I much prefer the tale of how I single-handedly and fairly defeated the maestro Goberto..."
I apologize for not having posted anything for a little while. My 7 years old had to be admitted to the hospital and its been a long few days. The good news is that the doctors are pretty certain they've found the cause and it's very easy to treat so he should be fine in a day or two. I'll catch up with reading posts and post something myself as soon as I can (hopefully tonight or tomorrow).
No worries. Glad your son is okay!
Yikes, glad to hear he's doing okay, but still...
Take your time. We're not going anywhere.
If you guys don't mind, I'm going to sit this scene out. Been trying to figure where and how to insert Kaede here, but she keeps saying 'no way.' It's funny, I can see Kaede gossiping with the girls at the Pixie's Kitten (the local brothel), but not hanging out in the Hagfish.