Sounds good. I'll toss Shayne a message to see what he thinks. For now let's do the following.
1. One post / week minimum.
2. I'll aim for 3 posts / week, but won't be holding you all to that until I touch base with Shayne.
Sorry I have been so terribly rude in disappearing.
Summer got amazingly busy. For a couple weeks I thought that would be a temporary situation. But the relentless pace is only getting quicker.
I also needed to get a new laptop, which then needed a new keyboard. Blerg.
I have been pondering how role-playing Shayne took a lot of time: to compose his rhymes and his lectures on social dynamics. I believe those are what made him fun, but my past several posts (since June 13th) have lacked them due to real-life time constraints.
I could probably squeeze in a daily post of Shayne acting like a boring warrior devoid of personality with minimal dialogue, but that does not seem worthwhile or fun. Lately, whenever I consider rejoining the campaign I sigh and think "Better quit while I am ahead" and "I do not want to GM-PC my own PC!".
Please feel free to try to talk me into staying. I do not want to announce my permanent exit from the stage quite yet. But I have finally given up on having time in the foreseeable future to play Shayne as Shayne.
I'd noticed a change in posts, but sometimes role playing doesn't always quite work the way we want. Of course I don't expect any of you to play when it becomes a chore rather than a joy.
With that in mind I've had a rough outline in mind for Shayne if a break was needed.
Keep in mind this break can be short or long. I very much want you to come back when able. So here's the basic idea.
A familiar NPC would return temporarily as we discuss the next steps for the campaign (continue / pause / recruit). A short 'note of departure' from Shayne would be great to help leave the door open, but I totally understand if that isn't doable.
Keep in mind this is just one suggestion. I've no issue if something has Shayne more introspective than in the past. Playing on is of course preferable, but I wanted to make it clear that there are a range of options.
See in my campaigns we have the ethereal dumpster. It follows the party around, randomly materializing to swallow or expunge random party members. Inside the dumpster are level 20 hookers and hobos, and the dumpsters stats are all happy faces lol
oO
I would rather retire Shayne than keep alive an expectation that he will return. Any PC can be fun. It is not a chore to play if I am contributing helpfully and as people expect.
I did not want to suggest a path for Shayne because there are four dynamics in play, none of which I care about as much as other players.
(a) Lareg has mentioned some "kingdom building" in the future, as well as normal PC playing
(b) Shayne is more useful in a town than a dungeon. It would be easy to contrive an interesting situation that replaces Shayne with a PC that takes minimal real-life time commitment. What PC class would make a useful replacement for our friendly gnome while the temple and its tunnels are finished?
(c) Does Shayne's have one replacement or two? In other words, should I play a "finish the temple" replacement while recruitment happens, or say farewell and then the group waits for recruitment to continue with a new player?
(d) Shayne wanted to deal with T'frkhr by using Stone Shape on the only doorway, once prisoners were rescued. Best to starve our dangerous foe while respectfully tending to Wuther in town for a few days! Why is not this a good plan now? (In-game we know the answer: less fun adventure! And Shayne is too much a team player to bring it up again. But with breakfast complete he does consider himself to be following someone else's less-wise plan.)
My vote, from a narrative standpoint, would be for Shayne to be drawn away for any reason and than as the group re-enters the temple and crosses its first room to hear Peter run up the outside steps to join them. "I cannot bear to simply sit with Wuther while you fulfill his dream!" the lad announces, hesitantly brandishing a sword. But I expect Lareg has plans for Peter.
There are plenty of allied orcs around; we can always give one a name.
Would you want to play a replacement NPC for a bit or time wise is that not doable? I think your plan(s) sounds fine, but I want to clarify a couple things.
1. If you'd like to continue playing with a different PC that would be great.
2. If you are willing to play one of the NPC temporarily that'll be helpful too.
Just want to make sure we're all on the same page before we move on.
My thought is to finish the temple and then work on recruitment while the PCs get characters to level two. We'll continue to play while recruitment happens and I'll bring in a new PC much like we did with Caylen.
Either 1 or 2. I am flexible!
Recruitment to replacement during the break while leveling is very sensible.
Awesome. I'll toss you a PM. Moving along the game thread accordingly.
Ok so it looks like we're going to have a new player joining us and two new PCs.
It would be great if we could continue with the game. Just be aware that teaching is starting back up for me next so I may not be posting as often. I'll be aiming for 3 / week and would appreciate if everyone else can aim for the same.
If you have any thoughts or concerns let me know.
Hey guys! Sorry for my slowness as of late, I've been working real hard to find inspiration on posts here, though I think the new momentum will help with that. I'm also hip-deep in a freelance project too that I'm hoping to be done with shortly, so my time has been quite divided. I should have a post up today :D
Thanks for the update. I'm excited about how this shift might help liven up the campaign.
Having some computer issues so posting may slow down a bit. Should be able to sneak in some posts at work.
Whoops! Looks like I forgot to let you guys know I was moving!! Ugh, I knew I might miss one of my PbPs!
Sorry! My internet is down at home for the next couple days, so posts are limited to while I am in the office (such as now), so I'll have one up today.
Took me a touch longer then expected, but here I am!
Welcome!
Welcome indeed. Finally have a computer work around. Posting should resume more regularly.
poke poke (any one awake out there?)
I am! But I already took my action :B
Me here, busy this week so posting only the games im up.
Hmm, I think I must have missed something as far as rounds and who acting. I thought my round two came early (figured out my mistake there) but I dont see where I should have been up for round three.
Every gm has their own way with initiative so I am wondering what I missed.
I was thinking I might have messed up your initiative. I've been trying to transition into doing initiative in blocks. So basically I'll have any PCs that go before NPCs go first and then once PCs act I'll have NPCs go, followed by PCs that have lower initiative going after NPCs (and so on). I saw a post someplace that explains this much better than I am now - go figure. Lol
If youre going to act in blocks, why not just have two blocks, pcs and npcs? The only time intiative truly matters is in the surprise or first round, of which you can just have only the high init rollers act first then npcs then all pcs. Simple, and the only time any of us, you included, need to worry about who is going is in the opening round.
I may eventually heading that direction, but for now I think pure blocks simplifies things a bit too much. It's nice to have the opportunity for actions to have tactical element when NPCs act a separate times.
Also, sorry for the delay in posting this weekend. Sick toddler at home so I'd fallen behind a bit on work and such.
Sorry for my absence. Been busy with finals and papers and such. And my innate inability to track time doesnt help.
Poke poke...
Leveled Up:
+1 Will Save
+1 BaB
+3 hp (+1 favored class)
+1 0-level spell known (detect magic)
+1 1st-level spell known from mystery (endure elements)
+7 skill ranks
+1 1st-level spell per day
Shouldn't hp be 4 total? I'm seeing 3 from your roll and then another +1 for favored class for a total of 4 hp.
It is. I just parsed it out completely. +3 from the dice and +1 from favored class. Also gave myself the wrong 1st-level spell, forgot I'd taken planar oracle with Caylen.
Got ya. Thanks for the update.
We can do role playing for the evening inside the temple, but we'll need to have everyone at level two before we move forward.
I'll assume some members of the group take some time to search the temple now that it's safe to do so. In addition to the treasure discovered, which I'll post later the group finds several old books that have been locked away with the treasure.
The several volumes discuss a range of mental and physical disciplines (One Tomes/Book providing +1 to an Attribute, there is only one book for each Attribute). If the group can come to an agreement on who uses which tome will just go that route. Characters may decide to gift their share to others.
Triela will want str dex or cha, probably in the order. Int wouldnt hurt either.
Triela will read all the books even if no longer able to get the magic from them, always good to know that stuff, unless the books fade or something after use.
Dex>Cha>Int
We'll give Caylen a chance to chime in. Shayne can have a pick, but he'll be leaving us shortly so I'd imagine there will be some give in the one he picks.
Also, per Aak's question. Roll for hp (I'll make calls for re-rolls when appropriate).
Shayne can have a pick, but he'll be leaving us shortly...
I assumed I was more-or-less done, having already said farewells, and wrestled Ragore. The in-game time frame has moved past his bedtime story.
If I ever think of that story, I'll share it. But I nothing has come to me yet.
So I expected that in the morning Shayne says another round of goodbyes and leaves with Haknee. Is there more?
Caylen only needs Charisma, so that would be her first pick. Int and Wis, sequentially, after that.
If Lareg wants Shayne to have a book, Shayne will pick Wisdom. It is the only ability score in which he feels a notable and embarrassing lack.
So it looks like the following distribution might work well
Aak: CON
Caylen: CHA
Silx: DEX
Triela: STR
Shayne: WIS
Rema: INT
How does that sound?
I think Shayne is about covered for farewells. Without giving to much of the coming morning away, there may not be a chance for Shayne to say much more come sunrise.
Noted. Just need to check on Silx.
Updated. Do you oppose me taking an archetype now? I'm thinking trapsmith, it won't change anything till level 4 anyways.
Taking the archetype now is fine by me.
Wow, I just noticed how tired I was during my last post. Too bad I cant edit.
Yeah for str bonus, my only odd stat.
I no longer have internet at home. I'll be to post sometimes, but it will be sketchy for a while.
Next round (if needed) Triela will attack the girl, intending on disabling rather than killing though.
Understood. Thanks for the heads up.
How goes it out there? Did the map help?
Map helps, I had totally pictured the setting differently. I thought the temple was more isolated and on top of a hill with a bunch of stairs for some reason.
Yeah, I realized that as I was trying explaining the approach of the NPCs. My laptop screen has been broken for a while so it takes a bit of time to get the old visuals back.