I use IE for most of the day. In the late night, I can have access to Firefox and Chrome on my desktop, but the internet connection to it had been very spotty of late.
I'll play with Photobucket and see if I can't pick it up. My only concern is that I don't just use Google Drive for the map itself, I can actually draw in "tokens" for each PC/NPC, too.
Hope my IC post didn't seem snippy, DM. I actually thought I made a post on Saturday, but it didn't show up, so I think the site ate it, like it sometimes does!
No, not at all. It was my bad. I'm having a great time with everyone.
Really sorry guys, but initiative order is getting really confusing.
In the fight with the dog, this was the posting order:
Timerus
Callie
Crain
GM
Eleazar
The first time it was reposted, Crain was left out.
Now you're saying Crain goes before Callie which was not how it originally went (unless I readied or delayed an action which I don't remember doing).
Maybe it would less confusing to roll initiatives, so we can refer back to numbers and not have to check back and make sure we check the right series of posts. To save time, have the GM do all the initiative rolls--that is what most other pbps I've played in have done that have been most successful.
The other thing we've done in PBPs is after the GM posts initiative, people post when they can, and then the GM sorts out what order everything happens according to initiative order.
I understand if you don't want to add extra work to your plate, GM Fateweaver, but otherwise I hope we can get the hang of this.
I agree, we are delaying a long time as we wait for the right order to post in combat and this is a fairly small combat at that.
Thanks for the feedback, all. I'm still getting the hang of this so I appreciate you pointing out things that could go better. Thanks for your patience with me.
I like the idea of everyone just posting and I can sort things out and serve them back up in proper sequence. That seems like it would speed things up nicely. I'm sorry for the frustration. And I will roll initiative for everyone from now on, as DeathQuaker suggests. I've been thinking that might be smoother, but I was hesitant to suggest it because I was afraid of screwing someone who had dumped initiative when I said we wouldn't be rolling it in the recruitment thread, but if everyone would prefer that then I'm on board.
I'm fine with however you prefer, DM. We'll get through the feeling out process soon enough.
its usually better to roll initiative and everyone post as they can throughout the day and the DM make sense of the round and post a summary.
Combat goes quicker. It does require the players to READ each others post to make sure they are trying to take into account intents and actions in the combat though.
another helpful thing I find is for the DM to post something like this
1. Timerus no damage
2. Callie no damage
3. Crain (is he still damaged a little from dog bite?)
4. Alchemist no damage
4. Guy at door no damage
5. Eleazar no damage
in the summary. This helps us understand whats going on.
Yep, Crain is down 5 hp now.
Keep in mind, Eleazar does currently have Mage Armor on. Just in case it comes up. Unfortunately, I am down to just one spell left this day and the current situation would not be ideal for it.
Crain, since you do the stat summary in your profile like I do, you can edit it to reflect your current HP status. (That also takes some work off the GM from having to track that.)
Talking of initiative, I will refrain from posting until Timerus does because what I do may depend on what he does first. I am assuming I am still ahead of Crain because of what he said about the actions he was taking.
That is my understanding, Callie.
I forgot to change my HP on my sheet. Thanks for the reminder.
Alas, Eleazar doesn't have much in the way of the social skills. He's got a bunch of languages and knowledge skills though. ;)
Crain, I was referring back to your background story and it looks like you have cut out most of it. Wasn't there more about your young wife and stuff? I refer back to those stories often and it would be helpful to me to have as much detail on Crain's past as possible. You don't have to rewrite the whole story, but some important bullet points would be really helpful. Thanks.
DM, I think that was in the first barbarian's backstory. I don't think I have cut anything out, however, if you want me to add some of that story in for you, I can!
Ah, yes. Sorry. How embarrassing. On the other hand, I guess it says good things about you that I forgot there was another barbarian. Your story is fine.
I apologize in advance for how ineffectual Eleazar is in combat. Maybe in time he will get better, but there isn't all that much he can do. I have one trick up my sleeve I have been saving (sleep), but that counts on Lamm's roll being poor and will do nothing to the gator.
A) Don't worry, low level spellcasters have their limitations, you have other things to bring to the party.
B) Don't forget your arcane bolt. It's not huge damage, but it being a ranged touch attack means usually you're targeting a lower AC, and it being a force effect bypasses DR and other fun things. (A higher Dex would help with that though, unfortunately). Every little bit of HP damage helps.
BTW are you still using the strain/injury system? It occurs to me I should be tracking my damage more specifically. I think the damage she has currently is "Strain" (and thus I should have had her take 5 min to rest, but too late now!).
You guys spent enough time between fights that I'm counting it. You're all full now.
That's mighty kind of you, thanks!
maybe we need to change the look of the hp in our headers ;) to reflect the two kinds
I was thinking that if I get injured, I would mark it like this
HP 8/10 (1 I) -- Where I have taken two points of damage, 1 HP worth is an Injury (the other point by default is therefore strain).
Gah I just totally realized I should have used Grease the first round to try to make Crain drop his crossbow. But I could also use Grease to help Crain get out of being grappled by the alligator...
OK, when I applied for the game, I missed the injury system mechanic you all have been discussing. Could someone link it, or send me to the right spot to check all the rules?
And I'd love Grease to get that damn gator off me, lol...
Strain-Injury Variant - it's in GoogleDocs. It's designed by EvilLincoln and there's a thread that discusses it here as well somewhere.
The short version of the system is as I understand it (so folks, please correct if I am wrong): most hit point damage represents temporary damage, or Strain. You track this as normal HP damage. Strain can be cured with a "rest and refit" -- take 5 min to recover, and strain goes away.
When you are hit by a particularly nasty attack--i.e., a critical hit or a strike that would drop you to 0 or below HP--this is an injury. This represents nasty damage that is harder to heal. The most common way injuries heal quickly is via magic, otherwise there's a lot more involved to recover from an injury.
Injury and Strain come from the same pool of hit points, but you take extra note of what HP damage come from Injuries.
For example, Bob has 20 HP. He is in a fight with an orc. On round 1, the orc deals 5 normal damage to him. He is now down to a current HP total of 15, and the total damage lost is considered strain. On round 2, the orc critically hits Bob, and deals 12 additional damage; this damage is injury because it was from a critical hit. Bob is now down to a current HP total of 3. Of the 17 damage taken, 5 is Strain, and 12 is Injury.
If the fight ends, Bob can "rest and refit" for 5 minutes to regain the 5 HP lost due to strain. But he will need a healing spell to heal the 12 HP lost due to Injury (or otherwise more prolonged rest and medical attention).
Again, that's MY understanding so if I don't get it, GM Fateweaver, please let me know! The linked document obviously also explains it, including the various permutations of how strain or injury is damaged or healed, etc.
That's an excellent summary, Callie. Thanks. I know it's a bit of extra bookkeeping for you all, but it makes magical healing cooler and allows your resources to go to cooler things than 9 wands of CLW. If you all dislike it, I'd go back. I'm really just trying to create a cool experience.
And I like your idea of the injury damage in parentheses, Callie.
Ok, I'm fine with that, but just watch me as I'm sure I'll screw something up with it, lol.
and fyi, if we cant make that adjustment, then Hed choose to protect Crain, because the alligator looks like the larger threat. so map placement is fine if you dont want to adjust Eleazor and Tim.
I'll wait until the Alligator's action before deciding my next move. I'm out of spell use unfortunately, save for cantrips. I can't decide whether to attack the gator or Lamm. That impotent comment has really gotten under Eleazar's skin though...
Just an FYI, when I fall out of my rage, I am at zero HP, even if the gator doesn't hit me again. So I could really use some help beating that thing down...
Callie can deal with the bastard... which reminds me, I forgot to add something..
Just hold him there. Maybe after five or six more attempts I will hit him.
We aren't really doing all that well, are we?
I'm surprised he's not dead yet, to be honest, he's taken some pretty hard hits. He's pretty tough for someone described as old and feeble.
And we're actually doing fine. It's the nature of the d20 system, rolls are going to vary widely and at low levels depend more on luck than your modifiers (because most 1st level characters probably need around a 14-16+ to hit anyway, you only have a 20-30% chance to hit). None of us are wounded badly, y'all dealt with the croc which was the much bigger threat, and we've got the bad guy currently cornered, to the best of our knowledge, and he's outnumbered 4-1.
THat blast you hit the croc with was the most important shot of the fight. He was gonna keep grappling me which would have taken all my standard actions to get out of.
yeah its the 'team' effort. Not the individual. ;)
we're doing fine. He will fall before too long lol
Crain, you needed that gator off of you bad. If he starts a round already grappling you, he does a "death roll," which is much worse than his bite. Way to save the day Eleazar.
And yeah, Callie, Lamm was tougher than he should have been in real life. We can't have you blasting the BBEG into orbit with one hit. ;-)
Exactly...I was in a world of hurt! And I don't even know how bad the "death roll" would have been.
No complaints, Fateweaver! I just noticed he took some hard hits before he went down. A suitable fate, most likely. :)
How much roleplay we use to do this, is up to everyone..but what we need to do is
A) search all for loot (something my cleric has to downplay ;))
B) decide what to do with Lamm's Body..as I mentioned in my rp text...he could be resurrected, id rather not let that happen. fish food? there is a fin in the water lol
C) decide what to do with the other captured thugs.
D) get out before dawn lol
I would like to add that this is starting out as one of the very best rp groups Ive played with in an online game. Everyone is responsive, engaged and working together. thanks everyone.
I agree, I'm really enjoying this. :) Your outline looks good. IIRC we need to check the cabinet and the desk at least. We should also search Lamm and the room he was hiding in, as well as the boat under the docks--although my character has left.
I'd suggest OOC turning the captured thugs into the guard, unless that's not recommended (Timerus's concern about vigilantism).
Eleazar suggested turning the captured thug over to the church of Abadar and then letting them hand them over to the guard. If they are willing to oblige, that's a potential out for us to escape being branded vigilantes.
Sounds good, let's see what happens.
In other news, I started putting a party treasure log in my character sheet at the bottom. It contains what we've found and I will do my best to update as we search the area further and/or identify items. I cannot guarantee 100% accuracy though. :) I'll also try to note who gets what and where something's stored, until it no longer needs to be tracked (i.e., gets used or permanently gets noted in someone else's inventory--i.e., say Crain keeps the MW dagger, I will just delete that from the list when it's decided).
BTW, do the "greenish liquid" vials and the "bags of mud" resemble Crain's acid flask and Callie's tanglefoot bag (both now used up of course)?
Thanks for keeping the treasure list, Callie.
The vials of greenish liquid very much resemble the flasks of acid and the bags of mud very much resemble tanglefoot bags. :)
Hey, guys. So...I realize that I have been missing days lately. It weighs on me heavily to leave you all hanging. I have 2 children under 2 and I work 2 jobs. (That's a lot of 2's!) That's why I pbp instead of play in a real game...I have a few minutes here and there at best. I'm having a great time with the game. You all are a great bunch. I recognize that you're being patient with me and I appreciate it. I really do make every effort to post at least once a day. Some days it just isn't possible for me.
I don't say this to guilt you into staying with a game that's not moving fast enough for you or anything. I just wanted you all to know that, despite some missed days, I am still dedicated to the game. I am not losing interest. I am in as long as you all are. If this game just isn't progressing consistently enough for you, I understand. I'd be sorry to lose any one of you, but I'd be equally sorry to learn that any one of you wasn't having fun anymore.
Anyway, I mostly just wanted to explain myself and apologize. Thanks for sticking with me. Let's play on!
dont sweat it. games moving along ok and im enjoying it :D