Here's the discussion board.
First item. I will be creating tokens to use with the maps, and I can use the Alias thumbnails you're using for the game, or if you want to send me a link to a piece of artwork you want to use, I can use that. Just let me know.
I actually select avatars before I come up with the character's appearance, that way I have an image to work off of. The avatar is fine for me.
This avatar works for me. If we get through the first book, I'll have something commissioned to better represent Jens, but this works for now. :-)
Also, is it too late for me to make a minor adjustment to my stats? I just realised my current array is from my last game, where the GM didn't allow starting stats over 17. And would you enforce ageing effects for a middle-aged character?
You can make the adjustment and I'm not going to enforce the aging effects. I like the concept of Jens' character and I see no reason to penalize a good character concept.
NPCs of Note are in the Campaing tab
Poor Iolana. Jens you are a cruel cruel man sicking Horgus on Iolana, or even vice versa ;)
I apologize sincerely. I really do. :P I just tried to get into my character's head, and figured he'd send more experienced people to the ones with obvious injuries, and to his old, fatherly, patronizing eyes, Iolana doesn't have a lot of experience with anything.
Everyone feel free to prove him wrong, of course. He's just a bit stubborn. ;-)
On a similar note, about this broken leg...?
another few things I will say about my GM style too, that will help us all out.
Potions: I keep a spreadsheet that will list the color, consistency, smell and taste of each potion type, which will remain the same throughout the campaign (99% of the time ;) ). So, for instance, if you find a red potion with a cinnamon smell, viscous consistency and tastes of red peper, and it's a cure light wounds potion. Any potion that you find that matches that description is usually going to be a cure light wounds potion.
Detect Magic: The glow associated with each school will remain consistent, so if you detect magic on an item and it comes up Green, it will always be an item that has a Transmutation School aura.
Checks on an item to determine what kind of magic: Most of the time I'm just going to flat out tell you bonuses +1 sword, etc, rather than try to give you a "it helps cut through an opponents defenses" and then leave it up to you to figure out the bonus. It's a waste of all our time! ;) However, an item that has more than one ability will either require a higher roll on a spellcraft check, or multiple rolls. I will always let you know if there is more to discover.
I will put the list of these in the campaign tabs, as they're discovered.
Working on a Roll20.net map that'll have dynamic lighting and LOS. It's different, and it'll take you some getting used to, but I think it definitely adds to the realism and suspense. We can adjust as we go too. I have a few workarounds for things depending on the reception.
I searched the recruitment thread and the player expectations post, but I'm unsure exactly how you're going to handle combat. Will we be able to post out of initiative order and have you sort it out, or would you prefer we post in the correct order?
Post out of order and I'll sort things out. If there are multiple targets and the target you were trying for is down, I'll target something close if it makes sense. I just list initiative so everyone will have some sense of who is going to attack first.
Thanks for the head's up though. I'll have to add combat stuff into the expectations.
Note on combat. I list the initiative just to let you know the order things are going to happen. Please go ahead and post any action you will take, regardless of whether the person in front of you has acted yet. I'll take all the posts and have the actions take place. If the creature you're looking to attack is already dead, I'll apply your action to another creature that's in the same melee reach if I can. This will help keep combat moving at as crisp a pace as it can.
If you think it prudent, give options if your primary objective might already get achieved.
Roll 20 map is ready, but I need you all to check in, so I can assign you to your tokens, so you can actually see anything but a black screen. :D
That is truly a large black screen. Tats is "Chris H."
You should be able to see it now, Tats
Done. I should show up as "Veronica E".
As for combat, noted. I don't feel bad about posting out of order anymore. =)
Jens should be set now too.
Claylyth, I'm fairly familiar with roll20, but using the dynamic lighting/LOS tech with a PBP game is somewhat new. I think what I'm going to do is describe things until we get to an encounter area, so the game can move along without having to ask for input every time you move the light. It'll be a fluid environment though, so we can feel it out as we go. Any input from anyone is welcome.
Remember to please let me know what username you're using in roll20 so I can add it to the character, so you can see the map.
Tats is only taking the scouting role because she's got darkvision, and she'd feel much safer with a meat-shield in front of her. If you'd like to call her back, she probably hasn't gone too far yet. As far as marching order goes, Tats would prefer to be close enough to be able to do some damage if needed, and she's not heavy on the armor, so perhaps second or third?
What's done is done - I'm too sleepy to be bothered by much at this point :-) If Tats makes mention anywhere that she'd feel safer behind someone big and tanky, or if she goes in first and gets chomped, Ye Olde Meat Shield will probably insist on going in first. There's always a chance to change things up.
But as I said. It's late Down Under, and this little Aussie needs her sleep :p
My name on Roll20 is BenF. I <3 Roll20 so much. The fact that you're running this AP and using Roll20 is filling me with joy. Also, I apologize for not having found this thread sooner. I'm not used to PBPs on Paizo's site, I've previously only used Myth-Weavers.
Piousa and Iolana, just need to get you into roll20 if possible, if not, just continue using the googledraw map and I'll do my best to update the roll20 map at the same time.
I read on a different game that I'm reading that GM Shathira has a good reason for not posting. I figured it was best to mention that.
I was about to ask what was going on.
Hope everything is fine with them.
Everything is fine. My wife was admitted on Wed for an emergency c-section and my son was born about 4 weeks premature. He's doing good, and we'll hopefully get him home inside of a week :D
I just didn't have access while I was at the hospital. That should change now and things will get a bit back to normal. Sorry about not being able to let you all know. Game is still live and kicking :)
Well, I was starting to worry. I'm glad everything's alright, and now I have to try not to get all clucky, haha! What's his name? :-)
Hope your wife's recovering well, and congrats to the both of you!
Brendan Peter, born at 4lbs :D He's doing well though and keeping both mother and father busy! I go back to work tomorrow, so I'll be able to post from there ;)
Congrats! Sorry to here about the surprise, but it happens. My younger brother was born 6 weeks premature, but he is fine. I'll keep you in my thoughts, Shathira!
So just an update on things for me personally. My son is still in the NICU, but that's routine for a premie. He's eating really well (like a pig!), and they had him under the lights because he was jaundiced (again completely normal for any baby, but more of a concern for premies). Everything else is normal, and believe me they tested EVERYTHING. As long as he keeps eating and getting rid of waste, we should be able to take him home soon. My wife is sore, but doing well. So I'll try to maintain the one a day post at least, but things have calmed some after the chaos of the birth and getting my son stable and doing well.
Hoping for the best for you, Shath! Stay strong for the world's newest little gamer I'm sure he'll start rolling 20's on his Fortitude checks XD
We have our son home from the NICU now, and although he isn't allowing us much sleep, work and other normal activities should settle back into routine.
Yay! Glad to hear it Shath!
Also, internet has been bad at my home (well, town. We have really back connectivity but I hear that we're getting updated lines this year).
I think I have everyone sorted on the Roll20 maps now, and you should be able to see the map and each other. Let me know if you don't have control of the correct token, or if you can't see the map.
I'll be away from the internet from Friday until Monday. Just a heads-up.
Will not be able to post until the morning, just got engaged!
Woooooooooo! Congratulations! :D
Take the time you need! Congrats!!
Okay, I'm back!
I apologize for the absence. Between the festive weekend, horrible weather Monday, and spending a large amount of time at the doctors Tuesday (I'm fine, but now on several meds), I found my energy for games those days, well, sapped. Catching up now, will post ASAP.
Hit with a nasty flu bug. Going to try to keep posting, but if I don't tomorrow, you'll know why.
The bug's been going around. Take it easy.
I'm going to be completely transparent for a minute here, because when I signed up for this game, I made a commitment to sick it out. So, way I see it, you guys deserve to know what's going on.
My life isn't going so well at the moment. My depression has been worsening due to a series of circumstances, most of which revolve around my family. My stepfather and stepsister are nearly impossible to peacefully coexist with, and it's only gotten worse over the last few months.
Last week, my mother and stepfather got into an argument so bad and so hostile, I didn't feel safe. I walked out, saying I was going to see a friend for a few hours, and m mother followed me out. "Come back, and pack what you need for a week. We'll go stay somewhere else for a while."
So, well, we did. We were in motels for a while, and now I'm staying with my fiancé. I don't know yet whether I'll be going home soon, or just packing up my things and moving in here. It puts me in a pretty tight spot, and I don't know if it will get better.
Am I safe/alright? Safe, yes. Alright, not really.
Am I still going to play? Yes, if you'll still have me. I signed up with the intention of sticking this out, and I don't intend to let a rough patch stop me completely. I might just be sporadic for a while. I hope you understand, and I'll try to get an in-character post later today.
That sounds real rough, El Ronza. I can't speak for everyone, but I'm certainly willing to game with the understanding that real-life comes first. I want you to stick around.
Listen, Ronza, we will still have you on. Life is rough, I know. But trust me, things will get better. They may get worse before that, but they do get better. You take care of your life for the moment, and I for one will be here with open arms to take you back when you're ready and stable enough for it.
Ronza, of course we still want you, and of course you are still welcome. The fact that you've stepped up to tell us what's going on speaks volumes for yourself, and nobody could ask for more. Just let us know, like you did here, or in a PM if you feel more comfortable there, if you're going to be absent. So far, you've done exactly that. I think I can speak for everyone here when I say self and family first. The game will still be here.
I'm glad to be back. Thank you for the well-wishes, and for now, things seem to be stable... Stable enough, anyway.
If anything goes wrong here, Tats is getting a very stern talking-to from the designated meat shield :p
I am going to start GMBotting for people who don't post at least once a day in combat situations. I think right now we are suffering from spotty posting.
If it continues to be a problem, I will drop people and recruit new. Please not that this does NOT apply to anyone that's either given me a head's up about absences through a PM, or in this forum. If you think you won't be able to post, all I ask is you let me know. Most everyone's been pretty good with that.
I check these boards multiple times a day, so if we get posts quickly enough, I can increase the pace. I've been trying to give people time to post every day, but that's lead to gaps of several days, or even a week or more between posts. The expectation was, barring abnormality, that everyone would post once a day. I've been lax on enforcing that, and the game has bogged a bit because of it, and that's entirely my fault. I'm also not saying that I'm going to be draconic about enforcing this, I understand life gets in the way, but when not posting for a week at a time becomes the norm, something needs to be done/said.
Trust me I hate these kind of notices as much as you do.
Checking in.
I've recently become aware that today is "GM's Day". Thanks for running this!