Lost Spheres Publishing does a lot of what you’re looking for Seb. They have various different power sources. Talking to the owner/primary author for them, this is what we’ve come up with(His personal thoughts are in bold):
Arcane: The power of the universe drawn through the innate gifts of sorcerers and studied in the tomes of wizards.
Divine: The power of the Gods, drawn through creation and returned to their mortal vessels. Clerics, oracles and druids use this power source.
Entropic: The power of system failures in the universe and broken entities of great power. The umbral source is considered entropic for the echo, though some GMs may wish to make it a separate Source if they have higher instances of both.
”Entropic is going to be things like binders, spirit binders, pact mages, some mediums and spiritualists.”
This would be The Grey power source.
Mental: The power of the mind unlocked through self-awareness or rigorous study. Psions, wilders and similar classes fit this power source.
Obviously, Psychic Magic would fall here too.
Primal: The raw power of the cosmos and the natural energies of the world. (Some GMs may wish to reassign Druids this power source.)
”Primal is good for Druids, Metamorphs, and some of the Path of War Classes, if you use Spheres shifter and fey adept work great, arguable some radiants may count as primal.”
Temporal: The power of the flow of time. Exploited by Time Thieves, Time Reavers and Time Wardens alike to alter the course of reality.
Umbral: This would be the power source for The Black.
”Shadow Weaver is pretty much the best Shadow/Umbral thing out there... Path of Shadows classes are decent and RGG has Shadow Assassin and Shadow Warrior. Also the Eclipse.”
Other thoughts:
”I would probably get kinda weird with sun/moon mages... go godling (mechanically) snag oracle revelations to give them relevant...
I'm pretty sure psurlons live on the moon of athas canonically, so I think that would at least be a neat option. Loving the material and ideas, need to dig into this more.
Ceruleans as 20-level options...Hmm. I'm at lunch at work right now, so I'll have to give it some thought. Should be doable, though.
The Shadow Weaver has a pair of sections on the mechanical side of Umbral Spells.
Also their spell list is very solid as well, and if you scroll down to the section for their list, you'll see suggestions for adapting other spells to their list/Umbral Magic.
This is the Eclipse which is very solid Akashic/Veilweaving class. Hamza took levels in it via the Gestalt HOP feat.
The Nightblade is the main class from Path of Shadows from Ascension Games. Hamza also has levels in this since there's no limit to how many times you can take the Gestalt feat.
I believe all of the Path of Shadow archetypes, and other class material can be found on the PFSRD.
These are the Rogue Genius Games classes, including Shadow Assassin, Time Thief and Godling.
Here's all the info for Pact Magic aka Binders, including the base class Pact Maker.
Also, you might wanna check out Strange Magic for a variety of other interesting classes and subsystems.
I think how I want to do it mechanically is that there is more than one class/mechanic way to be a 'Shadow mage', 'cerulean mage', 'preserver' etc., and list some major models for doing each.
EDIT: Also, I had forgotten there were 2 moons. The moon mage could differ based on which one you're aligned with. One could be more alienist in slant.
Seb, if you access to Kobold's Press Deep Magic, there's a fair amount of stuff in there you might wanna use:
Ley Line and Ioun magic for Geomancers, Illumination magic for one of the moons(Shadow magic sort of falls here too, but there's also a lot of star and light themed magic), a Moon oracle mystery and the Astromancer, and Time Magic and a Timekeeper archetype.
You also might wanna check out Vril magic, which is a form of primal, ancient magic.
And if you're interested in some nature oriented sorcerer stuff, there's a pair of bloodlines to go with verdant and fey.
As far as I know, psionics is the only clear and safe magic in Athas.
Everything else is tainted or needs some special precautions.
In my eyes, that should also be a focus.
But :
I think we have at least one kineticist psion.
Damage from spells and maybe DCs as well should be looked at to keep it viable.
If we raise everything but leave that out, it is devalued.
My suggestion is :
Count gestalt levels.
Damage = 1dx per gestalt level, so a level 5 psion/monk would do 10d6 damage on a fireball.
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Here's some more fluff ideas for mages -- I think the mechanical dimension will allow dozens of different 'builds' as long as you can connect it to the relevant lore. Since Cae is a Witch, and Hamza is using shadow magic (am I missing anyone else?), I'd like to see if you can develop some new fluff or mechanical choices to connect your spell casting to these ideas (or help me develop them further):
Sun and Moon Mages:
I love the idea for using the godling classes for the sun and moon mages.
It also gave me another idea -- the fluff I'm using has twin dead gods of the sun and moon. Part of the 'godling' idea is that sun and moon magic draws on the residual powers of the dead divinities of these heavenly bodies. The dead deities of the sun and moon essentially form 'Living Vortexes' of the sort the Templars draw upon to harness power from the sorcerer-kings and queens.
For both solar and lunar magic, the powers of the mage will be increased during the time of day with which their powers are associated, and decline during the opposite period of time.
The powers of moon mages will also wax and wane with the cycles of the moon.
The twin moons of Ral and Guthay each offer slightly different suites of abilities depending on which entity the mage directs its attention. Ral is based on Barsoom, and offers gravitational and teleportation powers, among other abilities. Guthay is a destroyed gas giant whose orientation is more Lovecraftian, and is home to psurlons. The latter can somehow use psurlon-related leaches to channel or increase their powers.
Moon mages also draw power from the Athasian zodiac and other astral phenomena.
There are several significant cabals of moon mages in the city of Draj, where they are a part of the sorcerer-king Tektuktitlay's cult.
Sun mages run the risk of immolating themselves if they overstretch their capacities with meta-magic feats, which allow them to use their own life force to increase the effect of spells. This is a kind of blood sacrifice to the power of the sun. Sun magic requires blood as a material component, either that of the caster or a material component sacrifice. They can achieve exceptional results by channeling their powers through blue age artifacts like the Pristine Tower.
Shadow Magic
Shadow magic derives from the residual powers of the Feywild after it was devoured by a xxyth lord during the Cleansing Wars, resulting in the creation of the Black. The primary orientation of Shadow Magic is illusion and darkness/concealment. Just as the Feywild was a kind of spirit world or first world that represented a primal, enchanted version of Athas, so the Black is a twisted, macabre copy. The powers of shadow magic draw upon an individual's shadow to power their spell weaving. The shadow is a doppleganger that perpetually seeks to control its material plane partner. The excessive use of shadow magic always risks the shadow 'taking over' from its twin on Athas. Over time, shadow magic users can also fade into shadow stuff.
Geomancy
Earth magic is the most closely related to psionics of the other power sources, and would include builds that incorporate the cerebremancer prestige class. It involves drawing on gems and crystals that channel the innate powers of the living world that is Athas. This includes dealing with lesser earth spirits and drawing power from mana nodes. The physical corruption of Athas can afflict those who employ these arts, potentially causing geomancers to go crazy and become 'dire' mutants that wander the wastes until they are 'put down'.
Cerulean Mages
These magic users draw upon the Living Vortex which contains the powers of the Dragon's spirit (since the Dragon is still alive right now, I suppose he will be killed in game to facilitate these options), and focuses it through the Dark Lens. Cerulean mages risk being turned into 'storm wraiths' who are trapped with the Dragon and Tithian if they are too zealous. Each Cerulean mage carries a shard or copy of the Dark Lens known as an obsidian spectacle. Their powers increase in close proximity to a Tyr storm.
Grey Mages
These casters draw upon the powers of the grey, binding spirits to enact powerful enchantments. These arts created the Dead Lands, and were developed when the survivors received tutelage from the free willed undead lords of the obsidian plain in the arts of nethermancy. The powers of Grey Mages increase in the vicinity of the Dead Lands. However, they risk possession by these spirits, as well as prematurely fading into the realm of the dead. Grey mages also can draw the life force out of living beings to power their spells, an effect which is comparable to a free willed undead's energy drain ability. Whereas sun mages sacrifice blood, grey mages offer life force to power their enchantments.
Defilers
These mages draw upon an other worldly power taught by the ancient race of extra terrestrials known as the Stoneburners, who are responsible for both the mutagenic tenebrian seeds of the dragons of Serran and the hideous 'evolutions' cased by the naturebenders of Athas' halflings ann their descendants, the zik'chil of the Kreen Empire. Defiling magic saps of the life of the world to power these evolutions, and the excessive employment of its arts inevitably deforms the user in hideous ways. Defilers create a toxic aura that pollutes their vicinity, and adherents of this form of magic gain additional powers in the presence of a powerful locus of defiling magic, such as a sorcerer-king or arch-defiler.
Preservers
The preserving arts were first introduced to Athas by the enigmatic Glassmakers, patrons of the halfings and their fraal masters in the Blue Age. Preserving channels positive energy but is the most unstable form of magic, and will inevitably result in bizarre wild magic effects when used regularly. The latter are responsible, most notably, for the Brown Tide during the Blue Age.
I think we have at least one kineticist psion.
started as a Nomad (psychoportation) but at the time seb's plot needed psychokinetic power to drive a plot device.
I think we're still waiting for a couple of people to make up their minds about the oath.
Also, how are the critters coming? I have stuff for them to fight while you sleep when you're ready.
Finally, I'm still mechanically figuring out what I want to do about the Red Pool and I want some input -- thinking about it more in the context of the other magic forms I identified above, the basic idea is that you become initiate Red God Templars by bathing in it, as it's a fragment of a Living Vortex attached to Dargulin.
What if everyone took a level of a Templar class that would work for their build: (there can be more than 1 mechanical option: inquisitor, helion, witch, kineticist, avowed https://img.fireden.net/tg/image/1475/46/1475466799653.pdf, etc.)?
However, this process also makes you liable to Corruption: Hive https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/other-rules/corruption/hive/
There will be an opportunity to cleanse yourself later if you want to get rid of the benefits, but you'd have to give up the class level to do so.
I don't think it's a good idea to give us a free level. Only a few us bathed in that pool, and none of the new players were around for that. Would be totally unfair to them for us to get an extra level.
Also, some of us have already worked those bonuses that you initially gave us into our character, and having to undo that will be a real pain.
Unsure what the best suggestion is to give us something tied to the magic forms, but whatever you do, I think keeping those initial bonuses(whatever they were, exactly) is a good idea. On that point, if we cleanse ourselves later, we shouldn't lose those as well.
We discussed a few options, but this was the final version:
(1). Everyone gets this feat as a free feat:
Physical Paragon
[Horrifically Overpowered]
You are the peak of physical perfection
for your race.
Benefit: Your Strength, Dexterity, and
Constitution are a base of 18 (before racial
and level-based adjustments). If you take
this feat at first level and roll for ability
scores, you may only roll for your mental
statistics. For example if your campaign
normally has new characters roll six times
for ability scores, rolling 4d6 and take the
best 3 each time, you are only allowed to do
this three times (using the values for your
Int, Wis, and Cha). If you take this feat at 1st
level and use a point-buy for ability scores,
you get only half as many points (round up)
to buy your mental ability scores.(2). Everyone gets an additional 'bin' of feats. These are equal to the number of feats a fighter of your same character level would possess. The 'bonus' feats for this bin must be spent on combat feats.
(3). Everyone recalculates Vigor, adding their constitution bonus to their Vigor scores.
Here's some more fluff ideas for mages -- I think the mechanical dimension will allow dozens of different 'builds' as long as you can connect it to the relevant lore. Since Cae is a Witch, and Hamza is using shadow magic (am I missing anyone else?), I'd like to see if you can develop some new fluff or mechanical choices to connect your spell casting to these ideas (or help me develop them further):
Sun and Moon Mages:
I love the idea for using the godling classes for the sun and moon mages.
It also gave me another idea -- the fluff I'm using has twin dead gods of the sun and moon. Part of the 'godling' idea is that sun and moon magic draws on the residual powers of the dead divinities of these heavenly bodies. The dead deities of the sun and moon essentially form 'Living Vortexes' of the sort the Templars draw upon to harness power from the sorcerer-kings and queens.
Curiously enough, I am already doing some of this. Godling is one of my classes and my Hedgewitch fluff is moon-themed, even projecting a Moonlight aura.
Let's incorporate the moon theme into the lion cult -- it will primarily be directed towards Ral, the Barsoomian planet. We can also create some mechanics for Cae's powers waxing and waning with the lunar sequence -- it hasn't been enough time for that to impact anything yet, but we'll get there.
We already add our Con to Vigor, which is why I could have sworn you said you pick your stat to add to Vigor instead.
For the bonus feats, exactly how many do we get? We were 5th level when this happened, so I wanna make sure I took the right amount.
You're combining different iterations; I toyed w/ the idea of alternate stats for health calculation, but what I just posted was the final version of the changes.
Just add bonus feats as 5th level.
Seb, did you see my late post last night about the material in Deep Magic? There's some mechanics in there under the Illumination section that might be easily adapted for the Sun and Moon mages, based on time of day as well as special cosmic events like eclipses and meteor showers/strikes.
You're combining different iterations; I toyed w/ the idea of alternate stats for health calculation, but what I just posted was the final version of the changes.
Just add bonus feats as 5th level.
Right, but the basic rules for calculating Vigor adds Con. If you recall, I posted quotes about that the other week.
So, bathing in the pool and getting to add Con to Vigor isn't a benefit/boost. It doesn't actually do anything, because we already add Con to Vigor. All of us. Even those who didn't bathe in the pool or who just joined the game.
Also, is it the normal bonus combat feats of a 5th level fighter? Ie, from their class feature, which would be 3?
Or bonus combat feats as if we were a 5th level fighter with the feats per level added in? or something else I'm not thinking of.
Basically, I need a specific number, lol, just to make sure I took the right amount or not.
You're combining different iterations; I toyed w/ the idea of alternate stats for health calculation, but what I just posted was the final version of the changes.
Just add bonus feats as 5th level.
Right, but the basic rules for calculating Vigor adds Con. If you recall, I posted quotes about that the other week.
So, bathing in the pool and getting to add Con to Vigor isn't a benefit/boost. It doesn't actually do anything, because we already add Con to Vigor. All of us. Even those who didn't bathe in the pool or who just joined the game.
Also, is it the normal bonus combat feats of a 5th level fighter? Ie, from their class feature, which would be 3?
Or bonus combat feats as if we were a 5th level fighter with the feats per level added in? or something else I'm not thinking of.
Basically, I need a specific number, lol, just to make sure I took the right amount or not.
Right, because that was before the other players joined who were already using those rules. The original intent was to move us closer to the build they already had, so some of it will be a wash. I'm allowing you to use Cha or Con to calculate health, but that's available to everyone.
That said, I personally would be totally fine with them having a little extra in terms of advantage for gaining the same thing as me, only through roleplay means.
Hamza is currently waiting to see how the disagreements to the taking the oath play out. Cae is voicing many of his same concerns, in a much more lyrical and impressive fashion, lol
Let's incorporate the moon theme into the lion cult --
Cool, that is what I had in mind, that his lycanthropic ancestors came from the Feywild and venerated the moon.
Hamza is currently waiting to see how the disagreements to the taking the oath play out. Cae is voicing many of his same concerns, in a much more lyrical and impressive fashion, lol
Awww, thanks. =)
And the defiling isn't the point. It is that we just don't know each other. Anything like that is possible.
Preserving/Defiling: Most well-defined in Dark Sun flavor and mechanics already. Keep it largely as-is: two different, opposed ways to do the standard Vancian thing.
Shadow Magic: The Tome of Magic Shadowcaster is an obvious thing to look at here.
Sun Mages: Warmages? Unsubtle raw power, often fiery, is a decent description of what the Warmage does.
Moon Mages: Realms of Chaos' Xenotheurgy system?
Earth Magic/Geomancy: Final Fantasy d20 has a Geomancer class patterned after the Geomancer class from Final Fantasy Tactics, which could work. Another obvious way to go is just to make this what druids/rangers use.
Amunet-Ra took the oath, but I have to think of a name.
Black Mamba, red viper, silk fang, blood queen, got some ideas but nothing caught on so far.
I want it to express all of her qualities.
Viper Marrow? Bringing in the fact that part of your purpose for your people is the continuation and protection of their traditions.
That sounds too much like pumpkin :D
That's one deadly pumpkin.
Seb, thinking it over, if you want, I could come up with some unique suggested 'powers' that each of who bathed in the red pool gained.
I think that's probably the best way to go about it. Getting a free level in a class adds way to much with our rules, and while just getting the special features of the class might work, it could still be hard to figure out what each PC should gain.
How many of us bathed in the pool? I know Hamza, Rik and I believe Amunet did, anybody else?
Also, roughly how powerful should I try and design this abilities to be?
Finally, if you can give me some info about the Red God, that would help as well.
I will try and tailor each boon to the specific PC, then try and come up with a good drawback as well.
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I think it was Amunet-Ra, Jimbli, Hamza, Cae, and Rokan.
Make it about a CR + 3 template with some drawbacks.
The Sorrowful History of the Red God
After the ravening xxyth hordes were sent from the northern oceans by the angered creator god Temulea to drown the world, submerging all lands and annihilating civilization, the world of Athas was covered with a seemingly endless sea. On the scattered islands of this vast world ocean, the kreen who would one day be known as Dargulin or Zak'chul lived on the verdant archipelagos of the Blue Age beside his kin. In those days, the kreen all bore luminescent gossamer wings by which they traveled from one marshy atoll to another, and enjoyed an age of peace and tranquility.
The peace of the Blue Age was shattered by the arrival of the enigmatic Glassmakers, curious, partially incorporeal beings whose servants, the diminutive rhulisti and the 'grey men' known as the fraal quickly subdued the endless oceans of Athas. The Glassmakers brought with them knowledge of lifeshaping, a great power by which beings might be uplifted to greater and higher forms. The rhulisti offered their powers to the kreen of the Blue Age, and the kreen became frequent visitors in the pyramid-filled cities of the Glassmakers' servants.
But the peace was not to last, for the eternal foes of the Glassmakers, the fearsome entities known as the Stoneburners, followed their age-old enemies to Athas, determined to hold it for their own ends. At first secretively, the Stoneburner emissaries taught the children of the Glassmakers the powers of 'nature-bending' a means to even greater, but more unpredictable evolutions. When their infiltration was uncovered, the naturebenders allied with the cults of the Princes and Princesses of Elemental Evil, including Ymeri, Queen of the Infernos, as well as the para- and quasi- elemental planes, and made war against the rhulisti, the fraal, and their allies among the servants of the Elemental Strongholds.
In this great civil war,the kreen that would one day be known as Dargulin served as an ally of the Glassmaker's servants, and helped to stem the tide of the Stoneburners, who were defeated, along with their servants. In the wake of the devastation, the naturemasters made an attempt to restore the world by channeling the sun's power through a ring of gleaming towers set around the mid regions of Athas. This ill-fated project resulted in the Brown Tide that ended the Blue Age.
Grieving for his lost homeland, the winged kreen wandered the far regions of Athas, eventually coming to the marshy home of the pyreen Rajaat, who had heard the whispers of the 'voices from the Outer Worlds', mysterious intelligences that revealed the ways of magic to the crazed hermit. In hindsight, it is easily apparent that these communications resulted from the sleeping minds of the few Glassmakers and Stoneburners to survive the great civil war which ended the Blue Age. Outwardly, Rajaat taught the science of preserving magic, an inheritance of the Glassmakers, while to his elite disciples he conveyed the true powers of Defiling, the arcane expression of the Stoneburners' knowledge. It was this higher knowledge into which Rajaat inducted the angered kreen, now ready to embrace the enemies of his former allies. The kreen also undertook the study of the ancient naturebending arts, and gathered to himself allies from among the heretical elemental cults. He took the named Zak'chul upon himself the Lord of Change, and in his madness resolved to be one, alongside Rajaat and the other Dark Lords of Athas, to return the world to its original watery state. Where Rajaat gathered to himself allies among the humans, Zak'chul inducted a handful of fellow kreen into a secret brotherhood that would lead their mutated armies across the face of Athas.
In the fullness of time, Zak'chul unleashed his genocidal legions alongside those of Rajaat, and enjoyed victory after victory. Among his greatest allies were a cult of Ymeri known as the Fire Eaters, who encouraged the Dark Lord Zak'chul to make common cause with Princess of Evil Creatures of Elemental Fire. However, the insanity of the creature known alternatively as Zak'chul or Dargulin, the Red God became increasingly apparent to many of his allies, who resolved, like the Champions of Rajaat, to rebel against their master. The greatest servants of Zak'chul arrayed themselves at the white monolith, a twin of the Pristine Tower, which stood in the heart of the Crimson Savannah and used its powers to trap and subdue their former master. To this day, the immense form of the Lord of Change slumbers beneath the sky-scraping ivory plinth. The descendants of these heroes founded the Kreen Empire of the Crimson Savannah, as well as the orders of the zik'chil, the priests of change, which continue to rule the teeming cities of the tohr-kreen. Not all of the Champions of the Red God rebelled, and some number of Dargluin's crazed disciples erected a hidden tomb, the location of which is said to be in the vicinity of ancient Kalidnay.
Ri'Kli'Klek touched the pool, too. I've already had enough trouble picking *one* template for him. XD
Unless Seb wants us to actually gain another template, my intention was to create some unique abilities that were tailored and specific to each PC who bathed in the pool.
Since Dargluin was the Lord of Change, it shouldn't be too difficult. Then I'll look into custom drawbacks, likely using the Hive corruption as a base.
Seb, what would the Red God's domains and portfolio be, as if he were an actual god/demigod/demon lord/etc?
He's the originator of the priests of change, the zik'chil, who rule the Kreen Empire. Think the Flood from Halo, the xenomorphs from Alien, the zerg from Starcraft, and the Tyranids of 40k for inspiration. Should have similar domains to Rovagug and or/the Dark Tapestry.
Unless Seb wants us to actually gain another template, my intention was to create some unique abilities that were tailored and specific to each PC who bathed in the pool.
Since Dargluin was the Lord of Change, it shouldn't be too difficult. Then I'll look into custom drawbacks, likely using the Hive corruption as a base.
Does this suggestion work Seb?
I could also make a custom template for each PC, but focused more on special abilities than pure stat increases.
That sounds fine
I'm good, Hamza. I have stuff already. Thank you, though.
I'm good, Hamza. I have stuff already. Thank you, though.
You already got benefits from the Red God's pool?
**Jealous**
I'm stuck trying to think of a good name, since when every time I pop in theres like 100 new post cuz ya'll post when I'm at work! Lawl. But still, I can't think of a good name to much, since I haven't really done much for the group
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Seriously, what are we thinking here in terms of our next steps -- are we going to have the critters together soon -- I think Hamza has a demon foo dog, Amunet a living serpent tattoo, Jin as the wolf, Cae has Raxus and the lizard, and Tyren has the golem and a couple of undead buddies to clear the way to the surface -- or should we push on with the characters?
I have the sense we're kind of in a holding pattern right now, and I'm trying to help move us along. Just let me know.
If people just need some time to finish their critters, then I can do more fluff posts this week -- Slavathras can finish his story too, I have a lot more of that to detail if everyone's interested. I also have more on the story of how Celik fell and the lore around the Red God I can type up.
Let's try to get moving by Friday at the latest -- would that work for everyone?
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Also, I just saw a deal on the John Carter of Mars rpg from Mophidius from rpgdrivethru-- I may pick that up for ideas for an excursion to the red moon Ral, which is described as being essentially like Barsoom in its brief mentions in Dark Sun Lore -- I think it says it has green seas and a red landscape.
I'm also imagining some additional zones for this version of Athas -- I'm increasingly just coming up with my own ideas as opposed to the other fan stuff on Athas.org.
On the poles, I'm imagining two enormous salt deserts that are like the planet in the Last Jedi finale. There would essentially be 'polar' themed entities, but the landscape would instead be crystals and salt. I am imagining including elements of the Rhune setting https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/180610/The-Rhune-Dawn-of-Twilight-Camp aign-Guide. The 'vikings' of the salt deserts would have weird magitech based on elemental lightning.
Yup, I have a sentient suit of armor that a person can step into and Captain Alexander, who is a very life-like undead.
Just move us along without the critters already soon.
I'll come up with a name asap, essentially Amunet-Ra took the oath already though.
Barsoom moon sounds cool, but i'm a bit worried about story consistency.
Perhaps we should finish this one quest why we are down there before we do something else^^
I agree with just moving the party forward for right now, and not worry about an encounter for our companions.
They take a decent amount of work to stat properly, and I would much rather you move the story and the group along than wait until Friday, go through another encounter our actual PCs aren't involved in (which could take another week+ considering play by post rate) and then get to back to the plot.
If you can, I would wrap up this scene today, and then start us on whatever's next asap. Do not wait until Friday, please.
Yeah--Night will fall no matter what, after all. Plenty of chances for our pets to shine.
Onward and forward with the characters!
Okay, then we will assume enough rest time to recharge. I'm going to describe the cave and its surroundings to you, and then you have to decide to move on out -- like picking a specific route to explore, and so on.
Updated -- this is simple -- pick an exit and we'll continue. Sometimes we seem to get stuck for a week on a decision, or lack thereof, like this, so I'm laying it out clearly -- someone just pick one.
The maps are in the slide presentation. You're in the cave with the hole in the floor. Both slides are stacked one on top of the other. One is a view of a lower passageway, and the other is a view of a higher route.
Also, I started out wanting longer posts, and specified that in the recruitment, but greater experience in the PbP format has changed my mind about this to the opposite:
I'm instead just pleading with everyone to post something, anything every weekday. Even if it's just a quip or something insubstantial.
Having players not post for a week at a time can make them feel absent from the narrative, and slow momentum.
Let's recommit to this adventure and try to keep a chipper pace where everyone is contributing a minimum of 5-7 posts a week.
I totaly agree with the post thing.
And if it's just stating that your character stands by and scratches their head.
Also the shorter posts are way better for interactivity.
What i would also recommend though after skimming through the playthread, could we have those huge history posts in spoilers?
They are really awesome and i love to read them, but somehow they are also a bit interruptive to the playthread flow.
Having them in spoilers would totally solve that :D
I'm happy to do that if it will increase the posting rate.
Short posts are much better for dialogue. Most people don't speak three paragraphs at you without giving you a chance to respond, unless they're really explaining something that complicated.
A group this size is almost impossible to get moving quickly because we're on different time zones and have different schedules, so even if we can all post in one day some people might be looking before the person they're waiting on to respond has gotten on for the day that day or so forth.