All OOC chatter and Discussion goes here!
That was fast! And yes, please ninja-dot Gameplay ;)
I have ninja dotted! I don't have any core characters, so I'll make something to fit what y'all bring to the table!
Looks like we are going to be in need of someone to stand up front! I'll see what I can stir up.
What has two thumbs and is holding up the show? (Probably me)
I'm looking at a TWF dwarven ranger right now that's making me happy. I have an outline built and will have the character profile complete either tonight or tomorrow night.
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Just a quick heads up. I'll be on business travel from April 19 - May 2. I expect to be able to post from my phone, but will not have access to a full computer (or if I'm the DM, the adventure.)
My current goal is to post 1/Day, though at GMT +1 it could be at odd hours. By all means, bot me if needed.
If this is a Windy Fellowship Lodge Game, I'll be on Slack, but likely only reading.
Sarzuket, did you just thundershock me a la pikachu?
Hey folks! Glad to see that everyone's more or less checked in. Apologies for the sluggish response time, as I've been busy with work, a whacked out sleep schedule, and preparing to go out of town for a week. As you've probably guessed, we'll be playing low-tier as most of you only had characters within that general level range. I've given Chris permission to play his wizard OOT, provided there aren't any major objections from any of you, as I feel he's been around enough that I trust him to not overpower the other characters.
As for what to play, Granta had no particular preferences so I solicited suggestions from everyone else when I sent out invites. Here's what I wound up with:
Signs in Senghor
The Cost of Enlightenment
The Shores of Heaven
Birthright Betrayed
Shrine of the Sacred Tempest
The Hellknight's Feast
Our Lady of Silver
*Frozen Fingers of Midnight
*Frostfur Captives
*Library of the Lion
**Portent's Peril
*I've played this before.
**I've played and GMed this before.
While my general preference is run something that I've already played first, I'm not averse to running one of the scenarios that I've yet to play for myself. Of those suggestions, are there any that anyone feels particularly strongly about in one direction or another - or has already played? Since I don't plan to start this until OutPost finishes up around the end of this month, we've got some time to noodle over the particulars :)
Yep, you didn't have any of them on your list!
Also, "Dude, just pick a scenario" is a viable response to my earlier questions in case anyone was curious :P
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All of those look good for Pavo.
As for ones that you've run before, I loved Library of the Lion (Standard), so would have no objection to replaying that.
Portent's Peril looks fun.
EDIT: I've run or played in Standard several on that list, but all of them are good choices that I'd be happy to replay if one of those got picked.
No worries, Thran! I'm still out of town on my training trip and so posting will continue to be a bit sporadic until Saturday. In the interests of running something that most of you don't seem to have played in either Standard or Core (and admittedly because running something you've already played *and* ran is much easier) I've decided to go with Portent's Peril. It's a fun little investigationy scenario but there are some opportunities for combat mixed in as well! It's also one of my favorite scenarios that I've played/GMed thus far :)
I'm out of time for tonight but tomorrow evening I'll get up some of the usual 'About Your GM' points. Of course if you've got any questions about anything in particular, feel free to ask and I'll answer them next chance I get - which will also probably be tomorrow evening :3
Alrighty! I've decided on an official start date of May 5th as that coincides best with my work schedule and the end of OutPost as well as gives a day or two before the second session of Solstice Scar B begins, if any of you are playing in or GMing for that. And it's also time for some additional information!
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Who is GM Ladile?
My name is Kristin and I've been playing tabletop RPGs for the last 20 years or so. The bulk of my playing experience has been with AD&D 2nd Edition with a smattering of other systems such as AD&D 3rd/3.5, Dark Conspiracy and of course, Pathfinder. My home group switched to Pathfinder a little over 4 years ago and we've been hooked ever since. I started participating in PbP here on the Paizo forums maybe 6 months after that and then PFS PbP maybe a year and a half after that.
Yeah, that's a great story. What about your GM experience?
I'm still newish to GMing but I just recently achieved my first GM star! If you're interested in reading to see how I roll, you can find several of them linked under a spoiler tag on my main (Lady Ladile) profile.
What does GM Ladile need or want from me?
For starters, I'll (eventually) need some information for chronicles, which will be detailed below. But there's also some additional things!
Okay, like what?
Something I'm trying to get into the habit of doing when I'm gearing up to run a new game is to get an idea of what sorts of characters I'll have at my table. To this end, I ask you to tell me this: What does your character do that's cool? Do you specialize in combat maneuvers? Are you a beast that crushes Diplomacy checks with the greatest of ease? If your character has a 'thing' that they do or otherwise utilizes unusual things or specific circumstances then please let me know! This will make it easier for me to account for such things during combat and other sections where they might apply.
Got it! Anything else?
Yes, actually. Sometimes a player might find themselves temporarily unavailable to post in the game but, alas, the show must go on, especially if the GM and other players are still present and participating. To this end, I ask that you give me some basic instructions to follow should I need to 'bot' your character for you during combat or other moments. They don't have to be elaborate. For example, you could say something like this:
'Okay, immediately prior to combat I'm going to cast SuperBuff on our melee guy if I can. Then, if things are going well, I'll stand behind the melee guy and use my Longspear of Butt-Whoopin' to help him kill the bad guys. But if someone gets really hurt or goes down I'll use my Gloves of Awesome to heal them up again.'
Generally when I bot PCs I don't use consumable resources such as spells, abilities with <X> uses per day/round/whatever, potions, alchemical items, etc. unless explicitly given permission to do so via botting instructions *or* the situation is dire and I suspect the PC would use them to save himself or an ally.
GM Ladile, are you a hard@ss?
I suppose it depends on what you consider to be a 'hard@ss'. I will run the scenario and the encounters within as written, to the best of my ability, as all Society GMs are expected to do. But I also try to utilize my own common sense when I run my games. I'm not going to have my monsters deliberately eat your familiar when (and if) there are more dangerous threats to target. I'm going to assume that the collective group is smart enough to utilize light sources when they need them, without me making you state so every single time you enter a dark place - though I might need to know what kind of light source for mapping purposes! If you have the time and aren't threatened by anything, I'm going to assume that you'll probably Take 10 to ID items via Spellcraft, that sort of thing. You're Pathfinder agents who are assumed to have had at least a little basic training before being sent out on missions and so I don't personally see the point in dithering around on minor things - it's boring and in this type of medium, it only slows things down even further.
So can I just mow your bad guys down with my tricked-out Archer of Doom or Slumber Hex my way to victory?
Well, technically yes. But my real answer is a bit more nuanced. If your character has a 'Thing' that they do, whether that be something cool for combat or something cool for social situations, then that's wonderful! My own sense of fun isn't contingent on me 'beating' the PCs - I want you guys to succeed! And so if you mow down my monsters with the greatest of ease or crush those diplomacy checks no problem then I'm not going to get butthurt about it. That being said, it is important to also consider your fellow teammates. While I'm happy to try and make sure that you'll get a chance to do your 'Thing' during the course of the scenario, please consider whether or not it'll be fun for your fellow players to sit by while you destroy everything. Everyone deserves a chance to participate and an opportunity to shine, so maybe consider toning your 'Thing' down a little so others have a chance to do their own 'Things'.
What about the posting rate?
Glad you asked! Some of you have played with me before and know that my own posting habits and times shift depending on when I'm working and such. On the days that I work I'll likely only manage 1 post myself but on my off days I can usually manage more. In general, I try to post as much as I need to to keep the game moving along and people from getting bored. From you, the players, I would really like to see at least 1 post/day though more is certainly encouraged.
Is that all?
Almost! The most important thing of all that I'd like you to do is to bring a good attitude and plenty of enthusiasm. I consider it my job to make your playing experience an enjoyable one but it helps when my players seem like they're excited to be at the table and are willing to participate - it makes me happy, which means I usually write better posts, which makes you guys happy, etc. A positive feedback loop, if you will.
However, not all playing styles mesh and most of you haven't played with me before. If you're not having a good time or otherwise have an issue with the way I'm running the game, please let me know and we'll try to work out a solution together. I can't help to fix problems if I don't know that a problem exists, so communicate. Talk to me. I promise I don't bite.
Last of all, I am by no means a rules expert or guru and the majority of my playing background is rooted in rules interpretations being flexible - to a point. So if I forget something or seem like I'm overstepping my bounds in what's allowed, please point it out but don't be a jerk about it.
Some of you have already given me all or most of this, but for those who haven't, I would like the following information from each of you:
***Basic Information Form***
Player:
Character:
Pathfinder Society Number:
Faction:
Slow Track or Normal:
This Chronicle #:
Starting XP:
Initial Prestige:
Initial Fame:
Prestige Spent on this Chronicle:
Starting Gold:
Day Job Roll:
Gold Spent on this Chronicle:
Anything else you want me to note on your Chronicle:
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***Basic Information Form***
Player: Gummy Bear
Character: Rumble Craterkin
Pathfinder Society Number: 74244-18
Faction: Grand Lodge
Slow Track or Normal: Normal
This Chronicle #: 1
Starting XP: 0
Initial Prestige: 0
Initial Fame: 0
Prestige Spent on this Chronicle: 0
Starting Gold: 150
Day Job Roll: 0
Gold Spent on this Chronicle: 100
Anything else you want me to note on your Chronicle: Nope
Dice willing, Rumble will just be hitting stuff until it dies.
Unusual stuff:
Stonecunning: Dwarves gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks to notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.
As a Dwarf, I get a bunch of other situational modifiers, but I think Stonecunning is the only one that requires any work on your end.
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Player: Scott
Character: Dwozer Zaden
Pathfinder Society Number: 143586-23
Faction: Dark Archive
Slow Track or Normal: Normal
This Chronicle #: 5
Starting XP: 4
Initial Prestige: 0
Initial Fame: 8
Prestige Spent on this Chronicle: 2 (but on what?)
Starting Gold: 84
Day Job Roll: none
Gold Spent on this Chronicle: ?
Anything else you want me to note on your Chronicle: Nope
Okay, like what? Dwozer throws two-handed weapons using his Hand of the Apprentice ability. And he casts spells while in heavy armor--because he there are actually a decent amount of spells without somatic components.
Got it! Anything else? Macros and instructions on profile.
GM Ladile, are you a hard@ss? Taking 10 on Spellcraft actually requires identify. It has been officially ruled that concentrating on an active spell prevents taking 10 on skill checks.
^Really? Did not know that, either. Learning new stuff every day!
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***Basic Information Form***
Player: Tim M (Blake's Tiger)
Character: Pavo: the Crimson Nuthatch
Pathfinder Society Number: 230524-27
Faction: The Exchange
Slow Track or Normal: Normal
This Chronicle #: 4
Starting XP: 3
Initial Prestige: 4
Initial Fame: 6
Prestige Spent on this Chronicle: 0 (pending debrief)
Starting Gold: 617.77
Day Job Roll:
Gold Spent on this Chronicle: 0 (pending debrief)
Anything else you want me to note on your Chronicle: 1st level rebuild (skills and feats) done prior to beginning adventure.
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SOON... :3
May 5th! I know weekends are a bit busy sometimes for people but it ended up being the best time for me work-wise to start us up.
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There were a couple of points missing from my first info post, so here is a new one. This time, with everything.
Player: Melda
Character: Anastasia Antasarê Iva
Pathfinder Society Number: 97350-15
Faction: Scarab Sages
Slow Track or Normal: Normal
This Chronicle #: 5
Starting XP: 3.5
Initial Prestige: 5
Initial Fame: 7
Prestige Spent on this Chronicle: 0
Starting Gold: 1332
Day Job Roll: Profession: Librarian 18 (see above)
Gold Spent on this Chronicle: 0
Anything else you want me to note on your Chronicle: No, thank you.
Just a bump to note that we've officially started since I know sometimes Gameplay notifications don't show up :)
No worries, you've not missed much!
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To the cat, in cat language, Sarzuket says, "What do YOU think about that dwarf's beard, over there?"
Don't you dare mix that cat up into this too! Rumble already has to give Dwozer the business, he won't like giving it to the cat, but he will if his honor demands it! ;)
Hah, I can see that this is going to be a fun group! Apologies for confusing Dwozer's race, too - definitely a tad embarrassed. It's been a super long day and I'm falling asleep at my keyboard so I will get a proper update for you guys tomorrow after I've had some rest :)