GM Ladile's TL;DR: A Pathfinder Society Campaign

Game Master Lady Ladile

Just a note that I've got an early day tomorrow which necessitates going to bed much earlier than I normally do. Depending on how tired I am when I get home from work, updates will either happen tomorrow in the early evening or possibly in the wee hours Thursday morning!

Hey guys, real talk time. I know that my posting habits (or lack of) have been really erratic lately and out of character. While it's something that I've been aware of, the fact that a few of you guys (my players across various games) have checked in with me privately via PM is just further proof of it.

This is frustrating for me because I can't point to any one thing as an explanation for why this is. I still feel excited when I think about the vast majority of my current games as both a GM and as a player. My terrible traitor brain continually whispers, 'Hey, you know <scenario> or <module>? You should totally GM that in the future!' But when I sit down to write, I just...can't concentrate. Sometimes I can't concentrate at all, other times I may be able to get through a few games before my brain pulls me in a different direction and I get distracted with something else.

I don't know if it's stress because I don't feel particularly stressed, but who knows? I don't know if it's lack of proper rest - my sleep schedule is *still* somewhat erratic, especially lately with having to pull random day shifts at work due to being short-staffed. I don't know if it is burnout, just manifested as inability to concentrate rather than feelings of apathy/dread/loathing. I really don't know. But what I do know is that it's affecting my ability to provide fun, quality games for my players and to be a fun, quality player myself. And that's not fair to you guys, to my GMs, and to my fellow players.

As much as part of me feels like it's admitting defeat - for I can actually be a pretty stubborn person under the right circumstances - this has been happening for long enough that I think I need to make some changes and seek outside assistance to reduce my game load as a GM and as a player and see if that will help the situation. What that will mean for this particular group is something that I'm still thinking over, though at the very least I do want to finish out our current scenario. Beyond that, however, I'm uncertain. Please bear with me while I get all of this business sorted out and I'm very sorry for the trouble and inconvenience :(

I’m sorry to hear that you aren’t doing well :( real life comes first, you do what is best for you! I’ve had a great time being at your tables, you will always be a great GM that I’m eager to game with and there isn’t really anything that’ll change that. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help you out!

Hey, take care of YOU first, Lady L. This is only a game.

Sometimes you don't have the energy, or the inspiration, or the time, I know that. It happens.

Take some time off if needed, do whatever pleases you, even if it is doing nothing that pleases you.

You are playing/gming plenty of games, its totally normal to feel unable to concentrate.

*sends a big hugs from across the Pond*

I completely understand!

Once or twice I’ve felt like that and it is completely overwhelming. To be in that state for a longer while must be very frustrating!!! Scaling back on your game load is definitely a great first step and I am more than happy to help with that by discontinueing this series of games after we wrap this one up. I am also in no hurry to do so, so we can go at whatever pace gets us there. Hopefully you don’t feel we are adding stressors.

I love the group and all, but there will be more games and groups and even some with all y’all down the road.

I can sympathize, especially when running two specials (standard and core) on PbP.

I can't know how you really feel or what your solution is, but I've been through this "process" with several GMs. The instinct is to wipe the board clean. Sometimes, that is necessary. I had one GM who discovered a problem that required all his attention. Another instinct is to toss those grand campaigns because they just look so darn daunting and focus on one shot scenarios. For some situations, they might be better. But it's a terrible gut punch when a GM closes a planned campaign because they've just got too much on their plate and then you see them recruiting for a new scenario two weeks later.

Again, I can't know your situation, and I'm being self-serving here, but unless you feel the solution to your problem is to separate from PbP entirely for an extended period of time, I would be slow to drop this campaign. I know that I don't have any plans for Zithembe anywhere else and can stand to wait as long as you need to get your energy back to doing the next scenario.

We all go through periods of creative blocks and periods where something that we were gun-ho about every day last week suddenly feels like a chore this week. This campaign is a series of scenarios, not an Adventure Path, so there are definitive end points and breaks after each scenario. You can take them one at a time at your pace, if you want to.

I know that there can be overwhelming situations where a person does have to stop a hobby and focus on their family or health or dealing with something that demands most of their time. I've had campaigns fold for those reasons. Reading your post, this does not seem to be the case, so I would encourage you to simply let us simmer and return when you're ready.

Hopefully, I come across less entitled and more sage. :)

Nah, not entitled at all. And you're right, my situation is not such that I need to completely disengage from PbP - and to be honest, I don't really want to. Doing that might feel great in some ways for a time but I like to think that I know myself fairly well and I'm positive that it wouldn't take me long at all to miss it.

The course that I think would be best for me is to just reduce both my GMing load and also my player load. I've been taking steps over the last couple of days to do exactly that - I've gotten someone to (hopefully) finish out my RetroCon table and I'm in the process of finding replacement GMs for my Slave Master's Mirror game that had only just started as well as for the game I'd planned to GM for OutPost. And in what is probably the best case of good timing I've ever seen, the GM for my Shattered Star game that had gone MIA has returned and expressed interest in taking the game back if we players would have him as GM again.

With all of the above taken off my plate that leaves me with you guys, the League table, my Shore to Sea game, and my table of Night March of Kalkamedes. I think that what I will probably do is try to focus on taking my Night March group to the finish line as they're nearing the end of the scenario - which is currently one of my favorites. Once they're done that'll leave me with just you guys, the other long-term table, and Shore to Sea, which I think I can manage.

I'll probably also drop one or two player games which should help as well.

So...as of right now, this table WILL be renewed for further seasons :)

Awesome!!!

I am fine with slow progression or even a bit of a delay while you get some of those other things cleared up.

Have you found a replacement for your "The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment" in outpost 2 yet? I maaay be available to assist if not.

^Let me look into that; I spoke with VC Hmm about my need/desire to get a new GM for that table but I don't know what she or any of the other Venture Critters might be up to behind the scenes. If they've not already found someone then I can let them know that you *might* be available to take it.

The maaaybe part is that I really won’t be able to commit to anything until Monday, but right now I could handle picking up that game.

Any word on if I'm needed or not? I am officially available to take it over if they/you do not have a replacement.

I'm glad you're keeping the lights on for this campaign. :)

@Maria - The VC team actually found someone to take the game so don't worry about it. That said, thank you so much for offering! :)

@Zithembe - Me too, actually! Besides, I haven't run Shores of Heaven yet and that's one that I'm looking forward to doing :3

Hey folks, just wanted to check in again and post an update. I've been doing fairly well in keeping up with my player games and slowly but surely more of my energy and creativity has been returning. In regards to my GM games I've been staggering out their 'restarts'; first my Night March game and now the League group. As long as this method seems to be working and not leaving me overwhelmed, I'm hoping to be able to get this game rolling again relatively soon.

That said, I know OutPost is also ongoing and some of you may have your plates full with playing/GMing games for that. So when we do restart I'm happy to do so at a sedate pace for a bit, if need be.

Ready to go when you can.

I'm good for whatever pace occurs. When you are ready to roll stuff along I should be able to get my posts up. Thanks again for all your work at getting things sorted!

I am ready whenever you are for up to 1 post/day rate (2 post/day every day might be stretching it during Outpost). :)

And we're back! I'll give folks a little time to check in and then I'll shoot PMs in case the campaign has stopped updating for anyone :)

Seen :)

Seen, but will need to post later today!

That's three of four having checked in here or in Gameplay in very short order so looks like we're doing good! No big rush on posting if you're busy as I know OutPost is still in full swing.

That said, we've just got this particular quest which I'm hoping won't take too long now that we're back at it and then the final part and then we'll be done with the scenario! RowynStarr is still on board to join the group with his cleric, which will put us at 5 players. I'm happy to run with 5 but I'm also happy to pick up a new 6th, so it's up to you folks. If you do want a 6th, feel free to make suggestions if there's anyone out there that you'd really like to play with and think would make a good fit with the group and my style of GMing :)

I'm here. Posting sometime this morning. I'm fine with 5. It seems to play a bit smoother and fewer players get lost in the shuffle.

I support 5 as well, that's my favorite number for Pathfinder play! :D

Okay, then we'll stick with 5! Not like we can't add a 6th later if we change our minds.

It's a little early but I finally got my work schedule for the month and wanted to note the following now:

I'll be out of town at a convention April 13th & 14th. Given the nature of conventions I likely won't be checking in or posting at all except for maybe quick notes in Discussion if necessary.

I'll also be out of town April 22nd - April 24th. For this I will have my chromebook and should be able to check in and make some posts in the evenings before bed.

That is all :)

FYI,I'll be off Internet a few days (Monday to Thursday), just bot me as needed

FYI: I will be having same-day surgery on 4/10 and unlikely to post that day (at least not coherently).

4/9!

^Noted! Hope it all goes well!

By the way, I'm going to go ahead and start prepping the next scenario even though we've still got a bit more to do with our current one. Is everyone still good to play #9-12 Shrine of the Sacred Tempest?

good for me, when I'm back from vacation. Will level up after this adventure, and I'll consider a few options: Rogue 2 or Rogue 1/Alchemist 1, or Rogue 1/ Bard 1.

Good here!

Gtg for shrine, thanks!

I'm ready to jump in whenever the current scenario finishes up and we go to intermission!

My mini-vacation starts today (yaaaaay) but I'm super tired after last night's shift so updates to come for both GM & player games later this evening after I've had some sleep :)

I'm home from Save vs. Hunger but my brain is a bit fried from con drag so I'll resume updates tomorrow!

Regarding initiative: I don't always strictly resolve combat actions in initiative order if there's a large 'block' up all at once. Sometimes if I'm around my laptop and have the free time I will resolve actions as they're posted. Of course I have no problem retroactively applying the effects of buffs and such, should the rest of the block act but then the person who technically would've been first finally posts with casting Bless or something similar.

And in this case since Hepsubia would've needed to double-move to get into flanking with Rumble on Round 1, I shifted her attack to her Round 2 action for the sake of expediency since Red was almost dead by that point anyway.

So hey, good news. I'm now a 1 star gm so I get a free replay each year. That should easily cover the one scenario we have planned that I had already played. I also have a boon for a free replay of anything still so if we run across the issue with another scenario I'm still good to go.

Hey, awesome and congrats! Hopefully it won't be an issue but that's good to know for the future just the same :)

I'm getting close-ish to my 2nd star; just 4 or 5 more games to go. Going is slow when you do all your GMing via PbP, hehe.

What will we do? WHAT WILL WE DO?! ROLL INITIATIVE, B$+&%ES, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO!

Y'all can say what you want to say, but Rumble is in support of give this thing to their original employer.

I mean hey, she had to ask :)

HA! 30 damage at level 1 if that confirms. How did are they GM? ;)

Yeah, it's uh... gonna be a long time before Maria can do that much damage again (almost max on those 1d8 rolls too) if it does confirm. She is level 2 though so obviously that's why. :D

With a second level buff... don't forget the buffer. ;)

Hopefully she'll keep getting that buff, it really helps her and the group! None of us are very high damage on our attacks so that is quite a nice group buff.

Hopefully she'll keep getting that buff, it really helps her and the group! None of us are very high damage on our attacks yet so that is quite a nice group buff.

Fixed that for you ;)

Uh yeah...that was just a teensy bit overkill on poor Zheng there :3

Spent a good part of yesterday and last night catching up on sleep (whether I really wanted to or not) and today the internet was down from early morning until just a few minutes ago.

Getting ready to head out for an early dinner (sushi yum) now but I will endeavor to get things rolling again once I return!

Slow track on House of Harmonious Wisdom.

I'll be adding the few PFS1 scenarios that I GM (e.g. specials) onto Zithembe, so I'll be intermittently slow tracking beyond the next level, too, but I'll let you know when. :)

Perform (oratory): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10 For Dayjob

If you can't tell in character, Maria will be pursuing some non-lethal options more often in the future when facing some of the enemies she will be running across.

Slow track as well for her so the rest of you have a chance to catch up a bit.

Player: Pete H.
Character Name: Maria Kierlara
PFS #: 123584-9
Faction: Dark Archives
Day Job Craft (Alchemy) + Lab: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 10 + 2 = 19

1 star re-roll Day Job Craft (Alchemy) + Lab: 1d20 + 10 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 10 + 2 + 1 = 33

On mobile. If they can all walk, Rumble has no intention of helping them on their way. They attacked us, we won, whatever happens to them is on them. It was by our mercy they are even alive. If this happened in a city, they’d be jailed.