I'm with Zenizar; I think I was able to make a few tweaks, him included, to help us cover a few more bases, but I think we're as ready as we ever will. Any party is going to have shortcomings.
Lets go for it!
GM, FYI: As far as backstories, Avery and I have done some fiddling to make our's fit. Nothing major on my end, but likely significant for him. Once we've finalized some details, we'll make sure you get the updated versions.
Indeed. I actually needed to fix up my backstory anyway, so I went ahead with the details. Turned out to be pretty significant but shouldn’t affect your story much at all
Tiber, check my last email from yesterday... I have proceeded as if the appropriate word was “accident” but I’d that’s not correct let me know.
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Everyone has been PMed the link to a different Google Doc, where we will discuss your backstories and personalities. To start, please write in the doc any goals, questions, etc. attached to your story feat.
Once I understand your plans, I'll search the AP for the appropriate NPCs, events, etc. to tie in with your backstory.
Sorry, I’ve been incommunicado. Dealing with some illness and internet/computer issues with everyone working from home or e-learning. Everything thing should be sorted out now with spring break starting and my wife’s work getting her a laptop.
@GM - will log into my google sheet tonight
@Falx - hope you’re feeling better
Just responded Avery! Lmk what details I need to factor into my story and I'll do so.
Everyone except Falx has a response in their Google doc.
Also replied on my sheet
Ditto
Responded!
I should have something tonight.
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I'm considering an alternative to the Buckeye Leaves, and curious which system you, the players, would find more motivating.
Players earn gold pants for exceptional posts, and may spend them to receive consumable magic items. One gold pants may be used to acquire:
The maximum level of the item's spell equals the highest spell level the party's casters can cast at the time the pants are earned. For example, a gold pants earned at level 5 could be used to receive one of the following:
(wizard list)
(oracle list)
(ranger list)
I think I like the buckeye leaves but could be talked into golden pants.
Guys I completely missed a day or two. Kind of had some craziness personally, but back now
@GM, about to go update my Story Feat doc
Also @GM (and team);
Leaves vs Pants, if I'm understanding both posts correctly, there's way more value to be had in the Pants system, but potentially mechanically advantageous to the Leaves system
Example:
I make a solid post at level 5, I earn 1 __(leaf/pants)___
Later, monster hits me for 31 HP, I only have 29. A leaf could reduce that by 4HP in that moment, meaning I'm still standing after the hit. If I instead had an item, it wouldn't help being in my pocket while I'm unconcious
Or, monster hits me for 28 HP, I have 29. Still standing, no need for the 'immediate' effect to help me. I could now draw my wand of cure serious and heal an average of 18HP, which is far more than the 4 a leaf would have negated.
My impressions, leaf system would be better at lower levels, pants system at higher
My vote is Gold Pants. More options/versatility.
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Well, the golden pants look to be more helpful on the fixing side, but they lack the prevention or wiping away of issues all together. I usually prefer the system to focus on making the characters able to get away with a little more, so I would prefer the older system.
As an OOC aside: as an Alumni of Michigan State University I can never vote for a buckeye, it's not as bad as a wolverine, but that is only because nothing really is...
I am easily swayed. Older system works for me too
I like the pants more, but 1) it is 3-1 for buckeyes 2) I'm happy with both systems, so *shrug*
Response seen, I really like it. Will reply from home tonight
@GM - updates on Story Feat link in green, please check. Profile, equipment updated. As long as story matches and approved, I'm ready and anxious!
Responded, idk if one was needed though.
Of course. Hope he’s ok.
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We're just waiting on Falx. He's ghosted all of his games since April 2, and hasn't been responding to my text messages. That seems unlike him, so unfortunately it means he's probably sick :-(
If you and Andy want to stop checking the boards, since you aren't already here for other games, I can text you when we're back again.
I've been checking occasionally, but yeah text me if we spot him
Here boss
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Hopefully, Falx will return soon, but at this point I want to start recruitment and be prepared.
The pre-Andy plan had been to run two role-playing try outs. During the first round, applicants would be asked to participate with their favorite character. Those we like will be invited to a second round, and asked to role-play with a different character, but still one they have already created and played elsewhere. We would select 1-2 players from that group to join us.
Step 1: One round will probably be a pub. Any ideas about a setting for the other round?
Step 2: Which roles/NPCs will each of us be playing?
Step 3: Setting up a chat in Discord, Hangouts, etc. to discuss the applicants privately.
Step 1:
Second location should be something not-casual. Perhaps applicants are tasked to deliver NOT GOOD news to a foreign dignitary.
Step 2a: Pub - any various pub characters we can think of
Step 2b: one of us could be this 'king' and others, various members of the court? With wildly different dispositions. one of us should definitely call for them to be executed.
Step 3: I'm game for anything
Other questions/comments:
Will we be recruiting to maintain the characters we already have, or start over as a brand new group in "session 0"?
I would say if we're going through this, we should aim to recruit 2. Better chance to avoid the slight pitfall we had earlier in barely covering all essential skills.
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I am game.
I have a different scenario. Either the Pub or on a ship works for it.
Pirates. Andy and Brendan both played Skull & Shackles. I can easily play any number of NPCs off their ship. Have the applicants approach the Captain of Besmarra's Wrath. Either they are applicants for crew, are about to be shanghaied, or they are delivering information to the captain.
I even have a subplot. The applicants have been sent by an agent known to the captain and crew, in fact a former crew member, captain Rattigan of the Besmarra's Fury a rogue and a spy of the highest caliber. She wants the applicants to give a secret message to Cal, the first officer, without the captain knowing. Meanwhile, my NPC can be working against Captain Rattigan's scheme as he is working for captain Harrigan to spy and sabotage.
Step 1
I think a pub and then the ship would work best (or anything that starts "free-form" with a more defined follow up). A pub is simple and fun, then a ship puts you in a box with a subplot you are forced to interact with. Not to mention it gives people the opportunity to mess with intrigue in a non-traditional setting (at least to me) since the first mate wants to start a mutiny against the captain he voted for ;)
We could even thread the two together if it makes sense to.
Step 2
Will depend on the setting, but playing one or two each could be fun (easily overwhelming though, I don't know that I could commit to more than a post a day). Keeping the NPC's generic and developing them over a few posts would make the most sense to me, gives us the flexibility we will likely need to make this work.
I also have several PbP PFS characters, if one fits, I might bring them in for fun :)
Step 3
No preferences either, as long as it is not on this site and publicly accessible.
Session 0 pt 2 - I'm on the fence between two notions. On the one hand, recruiting people when so many bases have been covered already without flexibility on our end could go really well or really poorly. On the other hand, we have put work into these characters and tied some of them together.
Personally, I'd like Tiber as an alchemist with his current backstory to remain as is. However, I'd be willing to adjust his combat role since I don't see his out of combat contribution diminishing if he goes ranged instead. A more extensive rework would be entirely dependent on me being able to keep the backstory as untouched as possible. I do think that however flexible we choose to be about our own characters, we'd have to be clear about that from the get go. It'd put a bad taste in my mouth if I made it through two rounds of RP to then be told half of the traditional roles have been taken already (on the bright side, I suspect most people trying to play this AP want to run a bard through it!).
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Step 2b: one of us could be this 'king' and others, various members of the court? With wildly different dispositions. one of us should definitely call for them to be executed.
I like the idea of a formal, courtly setting.
Will we be recruiting to maintain the characters we already have, or start over as a brand new group in "session 0"?
Maintain current PCs. The advertisement will list our current characters and say that we are looking to fill the gaps.
I would say if we're going through this, we should aim to recruit 2. Better chance to avoid the slight pitfall we had earlier in barely covering all essential skills.
I'm willing to recruit two, but the odds aren't great. In prior experience it has been difficult finding recruits who meet all expectations.
Pirates. Andy and Brendan both played Skull & Shackles. I can easily play any number of NPCs off their ship. Have the applicants approach the Captain of Besmarra's Wrath. Either they are applicants for crew, are about to be shanghaied, or they are delivering information to the captain.
I even have a subplot. The applicants have been sent by an agent known to the captain and crew, in fact a former crew member, captain Rattigan of the Besmarra's Fury a rogue and a spy of the highest caliber. She wants the applicants to give a secret message to Cal, the first officer, without the captain knowing. Meanwhile, my NPC can be working against Captain Rattigan's scheme as he is working for captain Harrigan to spy and sabotage.
I see some potential in a subplot, but also significant drawbacks. It might work for the second RP, but that will be something for us to discuss further.
Will depend on the setting, but playing one or two each could be fun (easily overwhelming though, I don't know that I could commit to more than a post a day).
Definitely only one character for each of us, and I'd say 2 post/day maximum. We are just facilitators to get them posting.
Re: Off-site Discussion
I'm going to assume everybody has Discord. Andy H, can you create a channel on your server and PM an invite to Brendan?
Eww wait I have to talk to Brenden? How will I understand him with the thick English accent I assume and expect he has taken on?
I think I can find it within myself to lower the quality of my speech to suit your less-refined ears :P
I can confirm that I have Discord, Gummy Bear is my name there too.
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@Tiber & Avery: Please say hello in the Discord so that we know you found it, and then I'll start the next step. Also, all recruitment discussion will be in Discord from here on, so please check that at least once a day.
And don't just rely on the notifications. They don't always work for me, so they may not for others as well.
Dropping a line now! Thought you all would have been notified that a new person joined the chat, my bad.
Good to know about notifications, would have relied on them!
Just to verify: nobody's said anything in the discord chat, right?
Well that's not good.
It is the "AP Sunday" channel?