Flaxseed GM lounge (Inactive)

Game Master Redelia

You're right! GM Granta does have a set of slides with instructions!

He's got it linked from his profile here: GM Granta

Historically I've used Doc Hub through Google Docs, but I'm looking at potential new formats myself.

The only issue I've run into with Doc Hub is it limits you to only x signatures per month.

Then I print the document 'as an image' to a PDF file, which produces a flattened PDF with all the information I just typed in.

There's a minor downside to this strategy. It's just minor, but it exists, so I'll point it out.

When a pdf is turned into an image, the text in the file is no longer selectable. When I add boons to my profile online, it's much easier if I can just copy-paste the text from the Chronicle, rather than type it in manually.

As I said, not a major issue, but the Adobe solution is better for the end-user if they like to include the boon text in their profile online.

Hey, everyone,

We've had something happen in one of the mentoring games that I want to point out to everyone who wasn't part of the game. My character died, and I think it would be good for everyone to see how the GM handled it, because hopefully there won't be a lot of character deaths in future mentoring games.

The GM handled this in a way that I really liked. He paused the game to give everyone a chance to see if there were any mistakes leading to the death. He also posted in discussion about it in a way that made the death feel significant. Then, he went slowly for a bit to give the other characters a chance to roleplay mourning. This made the death of my character feel to me like a significant part of the story, rather than a nasty trick of the dice.

I think that this is one of the things that we just hope we will never have to deal with as GM, but know is a possibility. I thought that we should perhaps discuss it here, to see what ideas everyone has about how to handle this.

As one of the players in Redalia's game, I want to echo what she said about how our GM handled it. Being new to PBP, I'll focus on how this experience was different and better than it would be in a normal F2F PFS session.

The big difference, of course, is time. In a normal F2F seesion, we are limited to the ~4-hour block, and almost always constrained by store closing time, someone's ride, bus schedule, convention slot, etc. The differences I experienced in this instance all relate to time.

The fact that the GM was able to pause the game so that all of us could double check everything is not something I've ever seen done for a F2F PC death. In a similar F2F situation, the dice would have gotten moved or re-used to confirm the killing crit. In the immediate moments after announcing the results, the player is in shock, the GM is on a mental high (not necessarily enjoying it, but there's still that little rush) from doing massive damage, and half of the rest of the table is trying to catch up to what's going on ("Oh, sorry, I was on my phone, what happened?") Here in PBP, all the dice are recorded, and everyone has time to go back through the posts to get caught up and methodically check everything. In this case, we all checked it over and agreed that, yes, it was just bad RNG.

Then, the next huge difference between PBP and F2F occurred, and it again related to time. Our PCs mourned. Each of us posted a little bit about how they were dealing with the loss. One cried over the body, another meditated silently, a third took out his frustration on the remains of the attacker (a plant!) The time these reactions took was admittedly minuscule in real-world time, and would certainly be possible at a F2F table, but I've never seen F2F players take that time after a death. Usually, the affected player leans back in their chair or steps away from the table, while the rest of the party gets right back into the fight. Condolences are expressed player-to-player after the session. The limited F2F session time (especially in the middle of a combat) isn't taken up with the kind of RP expressions of grief that PBP allows.

PBP's lack of significant real world time constraints provides players and GMs with the time to check, lookup, and double-check everything. This makes the games cleaner and more accurate from a rules perspective, while simultaneously providing us the space to immerse ourselves more deeply in the role play of what we would have really done when a colleague unexpectedly falls. As I said, it's all about Time.

There's a minor downside to this strategy. It's just minor, but it exists, so I'll point it out.

When a pdf is turned into an image, the text in the file is no longer selectable. When I add boons to my profile online, it's much easier if I can just copy-paste the text from the Chronicle, rather than type it in manually.

The thing with the image flattening in part of the process, online's big head honcho IronHelixx has asked for it that way, I'll see if I can find a quote on it over on Flaxseed =)

Jesse (IronHelix) has not necessarily said flattened, just locked so the text can't be removed. Acrobat reader locks for editing when the pdf is signed; that's why I said the signature needed to be the last thing, even if Granta's presentation doesn't do it that way.

One last thing people can check for with the extra time is boons. High-level characters with a huge stack of boons often enough have something that could be used (or could have been used) to help in situations like this.

I'm considering running my first PFS game. Probably doing something simple like Confirmation or Emerald Spire 1.

Wondering if there were any Google Sheets utilities people are using to make the roll matrices a bit easier. Using some simple entry cells, producing the text for all initiative or perception rolls for a group with the CONCATENATE function would be pretty easy.

Personally, I just copy paste 7 dice rolls, then fill in the player names and initiative values. Then I copy paste that whole thing and replace the values with perception. Then I take both of those and paste them into an email to myself.

It takes about ten minutes and I have them on both computer and mobile.

I also have them preset in my Slide Deck Base. Feel free to use it.

I also have them preset in my Slide Deck Base. Feel free to use it.

i saw your materials. very cool. thanks.

May we borrow your base, Poblano?

Of course feel free too !!!

Also I have other slide decks available here if you are looking to get a quick start. I'm slowly building all the slide decks for scenarios.

That is awesome. May we put it into the GM Kit?

(And... Are there other things that we should be putting into the GM kit?)

May we borrow your base, Poblano?

All your base are belong to us.

That is awesome. May we put it into the GM Kit?

(And... Are there other things that we should be putting into the GM kit?)

Of course feel free to add to the GM Kit if you would like. I also am willing to host the storage too if you want to add my Slide deck Folder link to the GM Kit.

Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:

May we borrow your base, Poblano?

All your base are belong to us.

I only seek to serve ;)

Looking forward to running into you again at PaizoCon this year HMM.

Speaking of PaizoCon is there a plan/place where Flaxseed meets up. I'd love to put faces with names.

The Seaports (the eatery/pub) in side the hotel is a great place to meet up for everyone that comes to paizocon.

Should we arrange Flaxseed lunch / party?

Hmm

I would so attend! That would be fun to put faces to names.

Might I suggest those dorky name tags, where we put real names and aliases?

That sounds awesome.

It does sound awesome. Wish I could come :(

I would be up for a fun PbP lunch meet and greet

I'm in!

So we should schedule this thing since I added it to my Announced PaizoCon schedule.

Nomadical, do you remember if Dave’s Diner has enough room for a group in its lounge? I’m wondering if we can reserve the space now if we know who’s coming to meet, greet and eat.

Hmm

I added it to mine as well ;) I was thinking that would be the best day to do it too.

Nomadical, do you remember if Dave’s Diner has enough room for a group in its lounge? I’m wondering if we can reserve the space now if we know who’s coming to meet, greet and eat.

Hmm

So sorry, but I never made it over there. We ate at the Thai place, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have space.

The Thai place would also likely have the problem of being great for me and less great for those who fear spice. I may have to just call Dave’s Diner and find out if we can get tables together there.

Reservation Thread for Flaxseed Party Lunch

Hmm

I realized I had an errand to run near there, so I popped by Dave's. I just talked to Jamie the lounge bartender (owner was on-site but unavailable tho she did consult him). They can't accept any reservations, especially on a Saturday of a convention weekend. First come first serve, lounge opens at 10 and is super busy the whole day, she said.

If you do go there on your own:

No moving the tables (due to fire code)
No individual checks, but can be grouped by table.

Bah. There goes that idea. I wonder if we can reserve with the hotel restaurant? Hotel restaurants are generally lackluster, but the important thing is the company.

Bah. There goes that idea. I wonder if we can reserve with the hotel restaurant? Hotel restaurants are generally lackluster, but the important thing is the company.

Also add in the location less steps and more people may tend to show up. Also it might make a good opportuinity to pull some non-PbP into the fold and let them know we exist and are helpful.

Do a pot luck :)

Since I'm still in the area, I'll go talk to the hotel & check on one other place nearby that might work.

Standby to standby....

Edited with an update:

I swung by the hotel & talked to the F&B Manager. We discussed some options, and he gave me the name of another Manager that we (I?) would need to talk to. However, she isn't in today, so I will email, and hope to talk to her directly tomorrow.

We have an idea for a space in the hotel. F&B highly recommended a buffet, which I concur with, so that people can flow thru as they're available. For instance anyone GMing or playing in the Saturday AM slot (like me) won't be there till 1'ish. However, if only a dozen or so people sign up, then a buffets not going to work.

The amazing Sara Marie just reserved us a Cascade room for Saturday until 2pm! She thought the party sounded like fun and is giving us a spot! She says it holds 30 people. I’m going to give a call to the hotel and ask about corkage rules, to see if ordering pizza to one of those rooms is kosher or not.

One thing that did occur to me is that if we’re in one of the Cascade Rooms, people could pick up a sandwich at the little cafe on the first floor, and then swing up to us. This is coming together. Woot!

Nomadical, thanks for flying in to my rescue! It’s great to have a local! Do you want to pursue the corkage question? Find out if we can either bring in pizza, or have people grab their own sandwiches from below?

*quietly jealous*

Maybe I'll be able to budget for PaizoCon one day... :)

^ Me, two years ago. Then reading about everyone else meeting each other made me super excited and I vowed to go!

PaizoCon is expensive but fun. GenCon is another huge meeting place, and if you do the GM indentured servitude plan, it can be VERY affordable. The GM indentured servitude plan is stressful though.

Of the two, I prefer PaizoCon because it is far more relaxed and you can get the opportunity to meet everyone from Paizo.

Hmm

The amazing Sara Marie just reserved us a Cascade room for Saturday until 2pm! She thought the party sounded like fun and is giving us a spot!

Thank you Sara Marie!!!

Nomadical, thanks for flying in to my rescue!

Haha I see what you did there.

*quietly jealous*

Maybe I'll be able to budget for PaizoCon one day... :)

Not sure how ticket pricing out in your neck of the woods is Ladile but room sharing and volunteer Gming at PaizoCon is helping me budget out this year to go. And watching ticket prices like a hawk helps too with Expedia, Cheap Tickets and Hopper.

I'm also a local. Let me know if you need errands run.

I've been at a couple of lottery games in the Cascade rooms, and pizza has been delivered with no issues. The pizza guy knew exactly where to bring the food so I assume it happens often.

Thanks CariMac!

As CariMac points out, it's a hotel, and pizza deliveries are fairly routine (I happen to know that certain airlines - not mine - put their crews up at the Doubletree - even during cons!) Those crews order pizzas, as do regular guests, so I don't see that corkage would be an issue. But I will ask when I talk to the hotel tomorrow.

My concern with pizza is 1) quantity and 2) timeliness. Do we order only enough for those that have signed up? How does that relate to any effort of trying to get new folks into PBP? Or is this a closed-sign-up-in-advance-only event? Who pays? How much? What happens when it runs out? (Especially as it relates to those of us doing morning shift events that officially end at 1:00.)

My thought was a buffet, which can be replenished as items run out. Take cash at the door to offset the cost. If any excess happens to be collected (due to large # of attendees that eat less than average) it can be donated to a gaming related charity. (Legalities of this at Paizo's event?) We can use the Cascade room allocated by Sara Marie (Thank You!!!) or the hotel suggested another space that's out of the way, and doesn't take away from Paizo's spaces (Will find out tomorrow if there's a cost to use that other space.)

If it's just a gathering, with no food to be provided, then that's very easy to do in the Cascade room. I'll check the thread in the AM and talk to the hotel at some point in the day tomorrow to ask more questions to further the discussion here.

Standby, over.
(Yes, "over" is actually an aviation term. Just please never ever use it with "out." They're mutually exclusive.)

I talked to the Senior Events Mgr at the hotel and also looked over their catering menus. Here's the issues:

Corkage: Legally no outside (i.e. non-hotel) food in any "event." By calling this an organized lunch, it's an event, especially if it's in space provided by PaizoCon for us. That being said, she understands and is amenable to people bringing in food for themselves. So, go get Taco Bell for yourself and a couple friends - fine. Have one or two pizzas delivered to you outside the front door - fine. But we can't have a pizza guy show up in the event room with a big ol' stack of pizzas.

Buffet vs Catered meal: Nope! Neither! OMG who pays those prices??? Certainly not gamers.
I even looked at maybe just having them cater us with cookies, brownies, etc. $40+ per dozen (DOZEN!), plus gratuity, tax, etc. And, no you can't bring in several dozen cookies from Safeway - see discussion above.

Good news - the hotel will be selling BBQ and burgers out by the pool in addition to their normal offerings.

We also talked about using Maxi's* instead of the Cascade room. She even offered to let us use it for free! Buuut, that was contingent on us having the lunch catered.

So the best I can come up with is that we gather in the Cascade room provided by Sara Marie with BYO food.

Nomadical out.

It sounds like you guys are going to have fun.

I may in a few weeks start up a similar discussion for Origins. :)

By Chance did the Name of this Campaign thread just Change? or am I blind?

Yes, I changed it so it would sort near the other Flaxseed, rather than the pseudo campaigns being all over the campaigns page. It's also more clear now what it is.

It threw me too Poblano. You are not alone. :-)

Thanks for looking into this Nomadical. We’ll make it a bring your own lunch.

Hmm

@Poblano, would you be interested in increasing your "got maps" selection?

If so, I'd be happy to hand over the ones I've made for posterity.

Why of Course!! I am always willing to accept maps although I reserve the option to tinker slightly to make them appear close to the layout.

Of course Credit for creation will be given to the creator. ^-^ My mouth feels funny now after saying that outloud lol

Rather than clogging this up --> sent you a PM. :-P