GM Euan's Mummy's Mask (Inactive)

Game Master Euan

+8 hp

+moar spells

+3 adventuring skills:
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+1 Know (Religion)
+1 Perception
+1 Sense Motive

+2 adventuring skills:
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+1 Know (Eng)
+1 Know (Hist)

Smite: not yet
Grit: not yet
Panache: nah, more like painintheass
Ki: not yet
Rage: some, mostly at mosquitos

Jack-of-all-trades
Versatile Performance +1 ability

Known spells +1 2-lvl, +1 3-lvl, +1 4-lvl (+1 4-lvl forgot to take a 4th level spell at level 9)

2-lvl: Mad Hallucination - This spell induces a hallucinogenic reality in the mind of your target. Surfaces seem to swim, and movement constantly distracts the eye. The target takes a –2 penalty on Will saving throws, caster level checks, Intelligence-based skill checks, and Wisdom-based skill checks. PRD link

3-lvl: Mad Monkeys - You summon a swarm of screeching, mischievous monkeys. The swarm understands and obeys your commands and has the statistics of a monkey swarm. Creatures failing a saving throw against the mad monkeys' distraction attack are deafened for 1 minute as well as nauseated. The monkeys attempt one disarm or steal combat maneuver each turn as a free action against any creature that begins its turn in the swarm, using your caster level plus your casting ability score bonus (Intelligence for wizards; Wisdom for druids and oracles; Charisma for bards, sorcerers, and summoners) for its CMB. Recovering an item from the monkeys requires a successful disarm or steal attempt against that CMB + 10. An object stolen by the monkeys takes swarm damage each round the swarm is in possession of the object. PRD link

4-lvl: Serenity - You fill the targets' minds with feelings of tranquility. Those attempting to commit violence become stricken with wracking pain and take 3d6 points of nonlethal damage each round they attempt to harm another creature. If attacked, affected individuals can defend themselves and may participate in combat by using Combat Expertise, fighting defensively, or taking the total defense action without triggering the spell's nonlethal damage. PRD link

4-lvl: Cure Critical Wounds - This spell functions like cure light wounds, except that it cures 4d8 points of damage +1 point per caster level (maximum +20). Archives of Nethy link

Skills: Appraise BACKGROUND, Diplomacy +2, Disable Device +2, Perception +2, Perform BACKGROUND, Sense Motive

Skills: (5)

Diplomacy +4
Ride +1

Hits +6

Like...I enjoy RP and delving into RP in a way that doesn't always relate to whatever the main/current objective of the game happens to be - especially in ways that might re-enforce the notion that your characters have/had lives outside of whatever the adventure currently demands of them. But sometimes it gets old when the game keeps getting sidetracked on stuff like, "Let's take a trip to the next village and meet So-and-So's family!" Those things are fun but lately I find myself thinking, "This is nice but can we actually get on with the plot at some point?"

I think my involvement in faster-moving games like this one and my Shackled City game, as well as an increased involvement in PFS, has a lot to do with this shift. Because, well...we've had plenty of fun RP here but we're also somewhere in the middle of Book 3 after just a year and 1/2. Same for Shackled City; I think we've been playing maybe 2 years and we're somewhere in Book 5/6 (of 12, I think). And of course PFS scenarios are much shorter so they actually finish pretty quick in PbP terms so there's a sense of accomplishment as your characters get things done and grow for their experiences.

Does that make sense?

Or, are you growing bored of a slow game but you feel guilty about leaving? I've felt that before. If you're not happy, feel it out for a month. If you're still unhappy after a month, change something.

Are you still just playing PFS on the forums? I totally get the lackluster slow games. Especially with the juxtaposition of fast and slow games on the Campaigns tab. And you can see the 7 new posts under one game and 1 new post under the other - which was actually your post, but the forum didn't update properly so when you go and look all you're met with is disappointment.

In one of my games, posting was less and less frequent until the GM basically ghosted from the game completely. In another game, I logged in one day and the game had been retired - no explanation from the GM. With slow games, I think I start out strong and then I forget my character's story and motivations so my posts are less detailed. (And I think GMs can tell, haha. That being said, everyone else in that game is guilty of it too.)

I have to post on forums for academic purposes and I find that posting on Paizo sometimes holds the same appeal (meaning that it's more "mandatory" than a pleasurable.) I go through "dry" weeks on Paizo, where I just want to play the new Diablo season or some other game instead of post to the forum.

My biggest complaint about PbP (I am speaking broadly, AKA spanning the ENTIRE Paizo site) is that we all "talk" (post) together everyday but we're all basically strangers (with people like Euan and Rand as exceptions.) I only know random tidbits about everyone - like Euan wears Crocs (that's #1 on my Fun Facts About Euan list, haha jk.) I'm convinced I'm much cooler on the internet but at my essence, my core, I like asking a million questions. I'm definitely an introvert (INFP) but my husband tells me I'm not afraid to talk to anyone.

Judging from what people post in the Discussion tabs, I think I share more than the average person on this site. (In general) the only personal stuff people talk about is when they have an excuse to be away from the forum. Perhaps if there was more intimacy in games, it would make people more interested in staying.

Note: I'm basing my opinion(s) on general observations spanning the Paizo site. None of what I have stated above is intended to reflect this game or its participants. Except the thing about the Crocs. Zil confirmed it.

That's why I request two posts a day in my campaigns in Recruitment. Most campaigns request one, and then it becomes every other day, or every three days, and the campaign grinds to a halt. I request two, and if I don't get one, we move on anyway - sometimes reducing options for players which I don't like, but the alternative is worse.

However, I must correct the record! I don't actually wear Crocs. Can't always trust Zilchus... hehehehe. I do wear socks with sandals however (white socks with dark Keens). My feet sweat, even in sandles, and its uncomfortable without socks. So I go for comfort over style. I also have very high arches, so I have to wear something with good arch support all the time, even when moving around the house (Doctors orders).
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@Nidhi:

Hmm...it could be the summer doldrums; most games tend to slow down in the summer in my experience since parents have their kids home and underfoot, students are on break, and people generally opt to take vacations and do things outside instead of sit at their computers. It's also convention season which means some degree of slow-down on the PFS side of things too.

Regarding feeling guilty about leaving a slow-moving game...at one point I would have but over time I've come to realize that if I'm not enjoying myself in a game there's little point in trying to tough it out out of stubbornness. Life's too short and my free time is too precious to spend it doing stuff that isn't fun. Not to mention if I'm not having fun it's eventually going to show and drag down the people who are having fun and that's not fair to them, either.

As far as PFS PbP vs. non-PFS PbP, I'm still doing plenty of both. However, I've more or less narrowed my non-PFS games down to the ones that I enjoy/have enjoyed the most and I'm not actively looking to add any more. Not until one I'm already in finishes or folds, at any rate - which one of them just sorta did, as the GM just moved and started a new job and needed to put the game on hiatus for the foreseeable future.

Your comments about intimacy kinda echo my own post awhile back about how we don't always get to know our fellow players as much as we could. I hesitate to say 'should' since I know people who are very private individuals and would rather not share too many of their personal details online. That's why I'm sometimes hesitant to ask too many questions of the people I play with, unless they bring up a topic first. I also have the (probably unfounded) fear of posting random stuff about myself or what I'm up to because my mind always goes, 'Geeze K, no one's gonna care that you went and got shaved ice today' or whatever.

Funny thing, the last time I took one of those online tests I scored almost the same as you (INFJ) but on top of being introverted IRL I'm also pretty shy so it takes me awhile to warm up to people sometimes. It's a big reason why I enjoy PbP as much as I do.

@Euan:

It could be the fact that I've taken on more GMing as of late that's gotten me to thinking about this. My own pace of GMing is probably slower than some and for PFS I'm probably a little more indulgent than some in regards to letting my players jack around a bit, but I try to keep the action moving along at a halfway-reasonable pace.

And really, I don't mind having some games that are slower than others. I think I've just become more sensitive to whether or not the action gets moved along in the context of those slow games, if that makes sense? If things are moving at a steady clip it's not as big of a deal if we occasionally side-track or whatnot but in a game where maybe the GM and most of the players are only posting once a day or so and then someone wants to have a scene where the group takes a shopping trip or something somewhere....it's fun but is it necessary?

Useless trivia about Florence (Kristin): I wear jeans year-round, even in summer. And while I *will* sometimes wear dresses, I refuse to wear shorts.

I will say that I don't think I can do more than two PBPs at once, if that. I don't like to lose the character focus regardless of game pace.

I'm INTJ, albeit a lazy one (the J is ambiguous). I basically live inside my own head.

Useless trivia about (Karen): I enjoy intense physical exercise, particularly swimming, and I'm pea-green envious of Nidhi right now.

"And you can see the 7 new posts under one game and 1 new post under the other - which was actually your post, but the forum didn't update properly so when you go and look all you're met with is disappointment."

Lol. Story of my life.

"My biggest complaint about PbP is that we all "talk" together everyday but we're all basically strangers (with people like Euan and Rand as exceptions.) I only know random tidbits about everyone - like Euan wears Crocs."

We are basically strangers, but then again we're not as strange as total strangers. Like, I've met a lot of yahoos at PaizoCon that I know only from the boards and had good, normal friend activities with them at Cons. So yeah and no, it's different, but I would happily argue that online friendships or acquaintances are mostly the same as IRL. They are just slightly different when you meet someone in person. You work it out.

Come to PaizoCon next year and see. Euan totally would wear crocs. I'm sure of it.

About slow play: I place this onus on the GM. The GM needs to not be so shy about setting standards and holding players to those standards. This is why I like Evilan's games: he mostly keeps things moving. Sadly, most GMs are a bit shy about holding people accountable which is why bad play/players continue to infest our games. Not much you can do unless you find a GM then never let them go.

Me? I'm INFP too. At least I was last time I tested.

First, thank you to everyone who helped me find this new job. Many of you helped with informational interviews or Linkedin connections and others of you offered emotional support because looking for a new job sucks. Thank you.

I've been looking for a new job since I left the SF SPCA in October. I had been getting restless and bored, wanting to have more challenge and the opportunities for growth were limited at the SF SPCA. I had been there over 5 years in the same position.

My stated job search goals for my search were: 1) be in charge of Development (I wanted a VP or Dev Director-esque position), 2) I wanted to work with animals, the environment, or the Resistance, and 3) I preferred a global or national reach (like I had with Wikipedia). Also, I wanted to be paid money for my labors.

On July 18th of this past week, I started my new job: I am the Senior Development Yahoo in charge of fundraising for the Global Heritage Fund. This environmental organization both restores heritage sites, but also builds the communities around those sites. We partner with local people and organizations to rebuild, reclaim, and protect some neat stuff (someone loves their drone camera), and it fits me.

I'll be working on grants, major & planned gifts, & tons of donor-centric messaging. It's probable that I'll be traveling internationally in support of our projects and to escort donors to potential funding options.

The office is located not far from Montgomery BART in SF and, as tested on Thursday, can leave my apartment near Civic Center at 7:05am and arrive at the office door *with a fresh breakfast burrito* at 7:26 am. I can take BART, Muni, MuniMetro or walk to work.

In addition, after the food desert that was the SF SPCA, I now have tons of options for food around Montgomery. This will be good.

Don't get me started on the coffee* options.

Anyhoot, thank you again and now you're up to date. Jennifer has been a wonderful and supportive wife during the past 9 months. She's been amazing the entire time and I couldn't have done this without her complete and total support.

-Rand

p.s. The cats, Pixel and Posey, continue to make my life better everyday. They are good cats.

*=Okay, fine...let's talk about coffee. Within 1 block of my office, I have a Philz, Blue Bottle, Peets, Cafe Illy, & Coffee Bar. I love all of those coffees. Coffee Bar used to be my favorite, but now I think Cafe Illy has the best drip coffee. Man, I will need to explore all this more over time.