It's totally cool - Real Life has a tendency to get in the way. :)
Momentum for this campaign will, I think, return. I was in a game that had a hiatus and it worked out fine.
I hope, when your PhD exam is over, that you'll return triumphant and refreshed. Until then - best of luck!
Yeah, good luck with your studies.
Once you are ready, if you want to continue this campaign then I think you'll find us players willing to do so.
Study hard! :)
Thank you guys!
I'm sure I'll be around and ready to post when you're ready and able to lift the hiatus, until then good luck with your studies and congrats on the opportunity.
Dude. It's a PhD exam! That's more important!
Good luck, and I'll be around to smite some Tzatlewyrms when you get back.
Hey everyone! Is anyone still hanging around here?
I write this post to inform you that I'm back and my exam went well. Now, apart from this personal note, I've also had the chance to use these few weeks of time away from this campaign to think carefully about it.
I've made many errors since we started the game. I've not reviewed your characters as I wanted to, and I didn't offer much help in terms of character creations, not as much as I wanted to however. I've been unnecessarily strict about certain rules, causing the game to bog or the story flow to slow down. I've been following some rules too strictly, and in general I've had a general approach toward this game that I'm not content with. This was my first attempt at a PbP game with so many experienced players, and many mistakes were made.
With that said, I've thought a lot about the opportunity to continue the game regardless of my past errors, but eventually came to the idea that my past error would influence me too much.
A major role in my decision is also played by the fact that I feel that Kingmaker, for a lot of reasons and first among them its sandbox framework, is not the optimal AP to give you the best of my GMing skills and ensure that everyone can have fun while playing. The game is pretty repetitive. One encounter/day, and that's all. There's not an overarching story and the possibilities to add NPCs and social interactions are very few. Although this is not a problem in a face to face game, I've found that it's pretty limiting in PbP, at least for me.
So here's what I've decided. I won't be continuing to GM this game. My schedule has grown incresingly busy and I can't manage to have a game I don't have fun GMing. But on the other hand, you're great and skilled players, and I've greatly appreciated your efforts, your roleplay and your characters. I love your cohesion and I feel that we could have fun together for a lot of time if we find the right alchemy, the right game to play. I really want to keep playing with you all. And be your GM.
So, here's my proposal. I've been thinking about the best way to express my GMing skills in PbP. I've been thinking about it for months. And what I came with is the idea that I need a story-driven, roleplay-heavy campaign, with a small set of rules to follow and know, a strong setting and a precise idea of the story we're going to tell together. Eventually, I think that Council of Thieves is the best AP to suit my needs. I know that some of you already played throught this adventure, but I hope that they would give me a chance regardless.
If you're interested, please contact me via PM and we'll talk more about it. If you're all interested, we're going to keep the same pool of players of this game for the new one. If only some of you are interested, I'm going to recruit additional players.
Thank you for everything guys. For you devotion, your efforts and the fun we had together. I hope you'll be willing to embark on a new adventure with me as your GM and forgive me for my errors.
Hey, glad you're back and that things went well with your exam.
I'd like to continue playing with you but I'm not really sure that it's Council of Thieves that I want to play.
I heard it was like a watered-down version of Hell's Rebels.
Do the others have any opinions on the AP proposed?
Ok, I've read the 'blurb' of the first three books and I think the AP will be fine, especially with a dedicated GM.
I'll read the Player's Guide but I'm confident that I can come up with an interesting PC for this game.
So I'm in. :)
Giuseppe: Did you ever finish your 'introductory' document? The one I have only has recommendations for martial characters?
Which classes and archetypes are available? It seems that this AP was made for the new vigilante class. In fact, probably a lot of the archetypes presented in Ultimate Intrigue would fit right in with this gritty urban adventure...
First, Congratulations! for surviving your exams. That's GREAT!
Alas, I shall not continue on this adventure. I think Council of Thieves is a very good AP, but I've already played it and don't want to play it again. I don't mind some replay, but I got basically all the way through it so there won't really be any surprises.
Without revealing anything, I think you'll have particular fun during the play with this group. I may poke my head in to read that bit, if I don't follow the whole campaign. :D
You guys will have a blast, and I encourage everyone to join in.
If there's any particular game you would like to play, let me know. I will try and give a quick read to it, to see if it suits my taste!
Ahhh, if the book is open, I'm particularly eager to get into a game of Carrion Crown. I understand it's very deadly, which doesn't particularly appeal to me, but I've also heard it's a wonderful role play opportunity, which appeals to me greatly. I've been working on a character for that campaign...still needs a TON of work though.
I think Fabian has DMed it part way through and could comment more - maybe even provide the first book or two for you to read before committing/buying.
FYI, I have DMed the first two books for this AP and part of the 3rd book.
It is very good and has plenty of good RPing opportunities. The first and second book basically take place in a small town and a small city, respectively, with recurring NPCs , etc. In fact, when I was reading the Player's Handbook for CoT, it reminded me of Ustalav because of its dark, oppressive feel.
There are plenty of fan-made and commercial add-ons to the AP as a whole for GM to enhance the experience.
If Giuseppe will allow, I would still be interested in participating in a CC game.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Well, bummed that this Kingmaker is over but I totally understand. As far as another AP, I've never played Council of Thieves but I would like to keep this group together if we can as I think there's a lot of good potential. Carrion Crown looks interesting to me, but really I'd be willing to play just about any AP.
Also, I'm glad to hear the last few weeks went well for you!
Kryolani, are you still with us?
Might need to PM him Giuseppe. He might not be checking this thread.
If we do go with Carrion Crown, I'm calling dibs on an alchemist/chirurgeon.
This young doctor has a nefarious last name. His family has been associated with mad scientists and vivisectionists for generations. He fled his family's castle in the middle of the night after freeing some unwilling subjects.
He is haunted by his past and wants to clear his name at all costs so he will be a bit naive but I'm hoping one of you guys reins him in. :)
He's probably hunted by his family's lackeys...
Brought up with all sorts of comforts usually associated with nobility, the harsh adventuring life is a shock to him.
Just the start but I'm getting that excited feeling when creating new PCs.
I've got mixed feeling about Carrion Crown. On the one hand, I've got all of the books and choosing it would allow Euan to play with us. It's also a very RP-focused AP in itself, so it suits my needs. On the other hand, however, having partially GMed it in RL, I'm well aware of certain structural problems it possesses. Furthermore, being an horror-themed AP, I'm afraid that I wouldn't be able to properly convey the right feeling to the campaign due to English not being my first language.
Tips and suggestions are welcome of course.
I've got mixed feeling about Carrion Crown. On the one hand, I've got all of the books and choosing it would allow Euan to play with us. It's also a very RP-focused AP in itself, so it suits my needs. On the other hand, however, having partially GMed it in RL, I'm well aware of certain structural problems it possesses. Furthermore, being an horror-themed AP, I'm afraid that I wouldn't be able to properly convey the right feeling to the campaign due to English not being my first language.
Tips and suggestions are welcome of course.
Well, I'm not going to comments on your 'English not being my first language' bit. Like I've said before, if it weren't for the fact that you have an unusual name, no one would ever know you were a non-native speaker. So I'm sure you'll be able to portray the mood of the AP just fine.
Moreover, the attention to detail of your posts (I know you preview and edit) more than makes up for any possible lack of fluency.
Regarding 'structure', I did not see any problems when I ran the first two books, but again I never went too far into the 3rd book. However, PBPs are so inherently slow that any lack of structure is probably easily modified. I'm sure there are potential solutions posted on these boards since the AP has been out for a while. Second Darkness is also 'rumored' to have 'connection' issues between the books but either Euan is ignoring a large part of the AP or there really were easily fixed.
That being said, you need to 'want' to run the AP so it's your call.
Every AP has it's problems - the real question is what AP can you finish? Lots of PbPs start, but few finish. That's the goal in my opinion - to finish. Second, to have as much fun as possible along the way for both players and GM. Can you have fun with this AP?
I wouldn't worry too much about your language barrier. You're clearer and provide more Role Play hooks in your posts than some of my other GMs who speak English natively.
The fact that you've GMed it a little already, and know some of the flaws, is an advantage not a disadvantage I think. I've considered doing another Curse of the Crimson Throne, with all it's warts because having GMed it I know it and can work around it better than I did the first time though it will still be flawed.
And of course every adventure is different as there are different players telling their side of the story and altering events as well. No AP should be 'fixed' and run strictly as written. It is merely a recipe not written in stone, but rather on flash paper. To be read, absorbed, and improved in the telling.
EDIT: hehhe, Ninjaed by Fabian, and we're saying some of the same things! :)
Hey guys, a quick update.
After talking to Euan in private, I decided I'll go with a Council of Thieves campaign: that is the game I'm more confident with and the one I want to run, although it's really too bad that Euan won't be joining us.
I talked to one of my players from my other game, a very talented PbP player indeed, and he accepted to join us, so we're 3 now. I'll try and PM Kryo in private in the next few days, but I have some alternatives ready should he not be willing to participate.
I'm currently working on the completion of the Character's Creation Document you have seen a preview of a month ago. I'll send it to you as soon as I finish it so you can start working on your PC.
Well, sorry Euan won't be joining us but it really is best for you to run something you want to run.
I know you are working on the character creation document but can you tell us which classes will be accepted? Will you accept the newer classes from the Occult book?
When are you thinking of starting?