I like descriptive battle.
I was trying to post something for the rest of you to do and the postmonster ate it...
Anyway. I don't think we NEED a map, at least for a while, but if people like them it would be nice.
I don't really care either way about how we do combat. It's rather easy to visualize.
In other news, I feel like Apollo is going to be the death of me.
Well, see how it goes, but all I need to know is where the doors are if I'm to map it.
I can probably make it look rather pretty and label it with a grid without taking too much time. I'm okay either way, but just feel it's easier to get a grasp of where holes are, ledges are, walls are, doors and towers are, and find a map easier to work out my positioning. :)
I do my maps in powerpoint. I scan the image from the book, then throw a grid over it and post on flikr. If you want to look at any of my maps, look at the two game's I run, "Aardvark's...." for an example of them.
Posting again in about 60 minutes.
Dmitri, in game it's dark/night time right now. :p
Lein said a few posts above yours, haha.
Woops
As to maps vs. descriptive combat. I feel like maps are important if we want to emphasize the tactical aspects of combat (AoO, Reach Weapons, Flanking, AoE spells and so forth). For my part I like that aspect of the game but quite frankly I have never been in a PbP game where the party actually used clever tactics so we can probably do without. Also from looking at everyones sheets it didn't seem like we are in any way built towards tactical combat either.
So if you want to stay descriptive with combat that's fine by me. I just think you need to be a bit more lenient with players. But for starters where most people have just one attack it's really no big deal to just post stuff like: move to close with Gnoll flanking Apollo and attack two handed while activating judgment as OOC.
Now a level 6 TWF has like 4-5 attacks on a full attack and here things start to get complicated and a map become more important...
EDIT: GIMP is also a free and fairly simple way to make maps.
I agree with the dwarf. We'll only really need it when we get to the point where we're fighting multiple, multiple, multiple men or monsters. Or hell, both.
I'll be posting in a couple of hours.
Fighting multiple opponents will begin soon...
Yeah I've played the AP until clearing out of the church before...
I've played to the almost end of this first book. Maps would help for areas, but I can speak to the Gm about that as I honestly don't mind making them.
I've never played it, so you can expect near-null amounts of meta gaming from me.
Hey, as I've said, I don't mind either way. If one of you could show me the place to make maps, I will gladly do it, as I have the time and inclination, but my default is to not.
I snuck in a post, by the way. I'm very curious about this wagon. My first thought are the pactmasters, but I've not played this AP before or even seen the book itself, so it's merely a hunch.
Well, two members of the party know for sure XD
I'd still rather not have the thing spoiled. For all I know Kallien did it and almost blew herself up in the process.
Hey, I'm glad you don't know! Gives you more excuse to find out.
Ah, I don't recall if I ever found this out, though I know someone who had something to do with it. Not saying anything though.
I'm happy to draw some maps for the first book though, or perhaps you could scan them so I can sort then out in Photoshop? Will give you my email lein. :-)
Pretty sure we need a map for the bm and surrounding area though. That took some strategy last time!
I actually don't have a scanner, but I think I can just ah..send you a PDF of the map folio!
Oh god... Pugwampi -__-
That works. :)
Heads up, PM coming your way!
Faced 'em before, Dmitri?
I've almost died to them before, but there were other things present. They're nasty simply because they are, and it takes rather good runs of luck to actually take them out at level 1, despite otherwise.
lol best bluff ever. Hey im telling the truth i swear im not lying trust me. lol :P
I feel like making some Bluff checks with my other party, what with my +39 to bluff. There's nothing like that spoiler that reads Sense Motive DC 54.
First combat, you guys! And for those of you that are busy talkin', don't you worry. There's a very large pile of enemies for you to fight in your future.
Lol, ninja'd by Keth.
COME ON ROMBARD! Don't take all 3 points of damage! Nom doesn't need seconds!
You know, that WOULD leave him just staggered at 0 hit points. ;)
Pretty funny image of Apollo right there!
Apollo steals all of the credit and experience! Lol.
Aaaand speaking of that, everyone gets 300 experience for the solving of the fire, rescue of the goat, and killing of the tiny annoying gremlin.
Aww, and I did all the work. XD
Convenient goat is convenient.
Keth being online is delayed :P
Lol. is he alright? He was on a lot more at the start. :p
I think he's in trouble with his parents, so he's been just avoiding his house. He should be on more when the workweek starts cause he'll have to be home every day.
Apollo, are you ASKING for an ambush?
Ah okay, and haha, no, but even in my state, I'd still probably take out 3 before dying myself. They are my favoured enemy from both my trait and class afterall! XD
+9 to hit. Yum.
I guess that means I'll have to up the stakes in combat versus gnolls, huh? XD
Nah, you're good. I made him to be a gnoll killer hopefully on par with the Carrion king, so if you do that, he won't stand up to reputation. I can still easily fumble and get low rolls unfortunately.
'twas just teasin' ya. Of course, the encounters will be more difficult than as stated in the book due to larger party size, but that's so that combat isn't completely boring.
I approve! :p
In case anyone missed it, I like the idea that Kori would consider most non-drow names not worth learning. She has assigned each of you a moniker.
Dmitri is Pain-lover
Apollo is Lizard-friend
Keth is Camel-talker
Angmar is currently just Dwarf, until she sees something specific from him, maybe Red-dwarf for his hair if she needs to differentiate.
Sabeen is Girl-child, or also something different if the need arises.
I just wanted to put it out there so you knew who she was looking at/talking about/talking to whenever she does it.
Pain-lover was a given.
I believe I will be wanting to amend one thing about my original groundrules.
Regarding combat, I will still be posting the defensive information of creatures, so you can describe the grisly results of your own actions (and also so that I don't have to make three Will saves in addition to all of the attack and damage rolls I'll be making) but I want to remove the stipulation that you have to post in initiative order. That slows a lot of things down because some people can only post during certain hours of the day, and if the person before them in initiave hasn't posted before then, they have to wait a day to do so. This means I will still be doing summary posts as necessary during combat.
Just wanted to let y'all know.
Fine by me.
I suppose if you want to think about it in strict game terms, if "honor" means fighting only fighting CR-appropriate creatures, you'd be gaining a regular amount of experience as opposed to a reduced amount :D
Haha, I like the sound of that. :p
Dmitri had been awake prior because he was honestly considering taking up the cloth of a cleric. So many options with it that he could easily make do, no?
Okay man. Is he posting today do you know?
No idea. I told him to, and he said he'd try. I wonder what's keeping him so busy.
I'll post a continuation late tonight if he doesn't, though. I don't wanna hold the rest of you up much longer.