Welcome to the discussion thread. This is the place for general questions to the DM, discussions between players about how they might react before posting in the gameplay thread, general discussion about schedule and other details of running the game - basically, the stuff that isn't actually the game, but might relate to the game.
As a reminder, we'll have sort of two tiers of encounters: those that are simple enough that they don't really require a map, and those for which we'll rely on Roll20 for logistical positioning and the like.
Roll20 allows beautiful maps and preserves some classes abilities that hinge on map positioning, and I want to leave room for that, but maps can also slow things down to a crawl.
We absolutely will use them, when necessary, at a minimal level. That ultimately means people will need to be able to access Roll20, which if you have a browser and can access the paizo forums, you can probably do - if you don't have an account already, it will prompt you to create one (they're free) when you click on the join link. For those of you in the Crypt of the Everflame Campaign, the link should remain the same... I'll be flushing the content there and replacing it as that adventure concludes.
I don't intend on getting into nitty gritty, only character x can move player token 'x'. Yes, if I was running this in Roll20 wholesale in real time, I'd do that, but mostly we need to know character's position in relation to the room and the enemies, and we should be able to trust each other not to move the tokens of other players.
I don't want to get stuck on the map and Roll20 elements. This is a PbP game, and the strength of those games isn't what happens on those maps, it's what happens in the gameplay forum, in the text of characters interacting.
Because maps can be important, and because I know sometimes there are issues accessing Roll20, there will be a google doc which I will update with the map sporadically when we're using one. I know one character has issues with Roll20, and those updates tend to coincide more or less with when he is about to take a turn.
I do feel that our gameplay in Crypt of the Everflame sometimes bogged down over the map. This is going to make me more apt to skip it than I might otherwise be. Nonetheless, you can expect that major combat encounters will still make use of a map.
Our gameplay will start with concurrently with the players concluding their adventure. This will allow some role play interactions that give Lodric and Hansyn an opportunity to really introduce those characters and get their feet wet with the role play and how they want to present them.
In these initial posts, please play careful attention: I will note who is present at the top of each one. The responses may be intermingled, so just note the location at the top of the post. We can dispense with that once the characters have been gathered together.
for example: If a scene happens in the tavern and only Hansyn and Finlogan are there, Hansyn and Finlogan can just note In the Tavern at the top of their post when they respond.
I'm not fond of splitting the party, but I also want to give some individual time for character's to establish identity, relation, and personality early on in a less free for all environment. These interludes will be brief, but I think they're important.
You'll see what I mean by them, I'm sure, once I've posted. Don't worry, you'll all be together and on your way to adventure as a group very soon.
As the original group (Aldelenna, Venssa, Finlogan, Cole, and Rankev) depart the crypt, we'll begin combining the party. Most of THAT interaction will take place in the Crypt of the Everflame gameplay thread.
I realize this means straddling two threads for a week or two as the winding down happens. I'll do my best to have appropriate pointers to help people know where what is happening.
There is a positive purpose in starting the new adventure in a new thread, and that's ease of finding all the setup and establishment information for the adventure, and making early posts easier to find. As adventures grow and forums get to a couple dozen pages, finding individual posts can become miserable, for players and the GM!
Welcome back everyone. We'll be getting started here in the new thread. If you have an active roleplay element in the old one that you want to continue, that's fine, but anything new from this point should go in the gameplay thread for this adventure.
Excited?
Obviously it was a blow to lose Rankev, and I know the wrap up of the last adventure suffered. Part of that is my fault. I haven't been able to post as much lately as this has been my crunch time at work, made worse by the passing of one of our cherished college presidents.
But that's done. I'm back, Crypt of the Everflame has wrapped up.
The intro post has been made. There's a spoiler with a little more information for each of you.
Hansyn got a little extra in his because he asked to do specific things.
Per the gameplay thread, Arnama recruited Hansyn to deliver the invitations to go to Holgast's tower.
The sun is low in the sky, this far into Neth the days are getting shorter.
If you have anything you want your characters to do before the formal start, this is the time. Bear in mind that per his post in the discussion forum back at the old thread, Lodric is on a little bit of an autopilot until the 23rd, so we may need to do some mild retrorevision if your roleplay activities involve Lodric directly.
As a reminder: Holgast is the absent-minded town sage and mystic. He lives in a tower on the east side of town that you swear leans slightly to the south.
Cygar is an outsider, and the townsfolk are naturally wary of him. He's been staying at the Seven Silvers, dresses in dark colors, and keeps mostly to himself.
Looking forward to starting this new portion of the journey with you all!
Hi guys! I am certainly excited. Couple of notes.
- I am actually Greycastle. Lodric is Grumbaki
- As far as referencing who the townsfolk are, I have found the beginning of this thread’s recruitment tab invaluable in figuring out who is who.
Hello all! Sorry for my lengthy absence. I completely forgot to mention that I was going to be offline for a week during last week!!! :?
I am here, I am excited to start this new phase of the adventure. Unfortunately having been gone for a week left me with a fat pile of work to do. I may not get a post in until late this afternoon, or even tomorrow. Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm not gone. :)
Greycastle: Sorry about that!
Grumbaki (Lodric) will be out until this weekend. Sorry for the confusion!
Aldelenna: It's okay. We have a few absences that are slowing things, but that's okay, it's just getting started.
As for Fin's question on loot. except for a few items deliberately distributed to individuals, you were having Rankev hold the treasure.
I will check on what the amounts came to. All special treasure I think was already distributed, but I'll come up with a list of what I don't think made it onto character sheets and post it here.
As for Fin’s spell abilities, I had originally thought of training with Holgast a bit. But I don’t think we ever developed that angle. I’m alright with any explanation: studies or spontaneous knowledge.
Cheers
What about training with Venssa? She would be able to help out a friend!
What about training with Venssa? She would be able to help out a friend!
That would make most sense, but different spell lists.
@Koldoon, when will you deactivate the other game?
I mentioned something to the DM about a possibility of how both Fin and Hansyn could learn new spells. Hansyn is considering “borrowing” a spell book from Holgast’s apprentice to continue his studies. I noticed Fin and Hansyn already share a cantrip, perhaps the book could help both of them as well as give Fin and Hansyn an opportunity to form a comradary.
I mentioned something to the DM about a possibility of how both Fin and Hansyn could learn new spells. Hansyn is considering “borrowing” a spell book from Holgast’s apprentice to continue his studies. I noticed Fin and Hansyn already share a cantrip, perhaps the book could help both of them as well as give Fin and Hansyn an opportunity to form a comradary.
Yes, that’s the post that I was responding to above. I double-checked Finlogan’s background and discovered that I left out any relationship with Holgast.
I would appreciate some retconning help from Koldoon to establish that relationship with the wizard. The alternative is Fin develops spontaneous spells from his elvish heritage. No spell books required. I’m good either way.
Easiest way is probably a brief role play meeting with Fin and Holgast after the meeting. You're right there.
I'm fine with that if that's what you want to do.
Let me know what you want to do. I'll hold off on the Silvers post until I hear.
Also, my apologies, my schedule was SUPPOSED to return to sanity. But some layoffs and short staffing at work have resulted in strange and unpredicatable piles of work at inopportune times.
In a sense it's good, since Grumbaki was also gone. I'm hoping he's back and able to post soon.
I have returned! My apologies for the continued absence.
Could the last campaign be marked as complete so it leaves my active campaign tab?
Ok Koldoon, Hansyn would certainly not be afraid of steeling Turik’s spellbook, but I don’t want to shoot the character in the foot either. As long as there is a path for him to learn spells, that is most important. It may mean that he return’s to Kassen to a very angry wizard, it may just be he buys his own spellbook and teaches himself how to cast spells.
If he steals it, do you want rolls or just describe it?
Learning magic is for losers.
Just sell your soul to an extraplaner being whose name you can’t pronounce and who tells you to burn things from time to time. It’s SO much easier.
Hansen. Finlogan just received a spell book. Maybe you could borrow it.
Or steal Fin's. That's a great way to make new friends...lol
Lol Cole. I’m fine to use Fin’s, as long as he won’t have an issue with Hansyn using it.
Lol Cole. I’m fine to use Fin’s, as long as he won’t have an issue with Hansyn using it.
I genuinely want you to use the spell book and created for you. I was happy with Fin to spontaneously learn his spells.
However, we need Finlogan to want to share the spell book with Hansyn. Currently, Fin has no reason.
I reread the beginning of the game again and discovered Hansyn interacted with Cole and Fin on pages 1 or 2 of the game. So, those and your own posts form their relationship so far.
Cheers
Yeah, I read the initial interaction when we first met again at the lake and used that for an initial attitude toward each other. I’m hoping when we set out together Fin sees that Hansyn does have some worth and skill in the party that things may improve. Hansyn on the other side of that will be doing some maturing along the road as well as we set out and things get “real”
Ok Koldoon, Hansyn would certainly not be afraid of steeling Turik’s spellbook, but I don’t want to shoot the character in the foot either. As long as there is a path for him to learn spells, that is most important. It may mean that he return’s to Kassen to a very angry wizard, it may just be he buys his own spellbook and teaches himself how to cast spells.
If he steals it, do you want rolls or just describe it?
You can just describe it. Turik is young and naive, if very smart. Importantly, his inability to recognize things like the possible theft of his spellbook marked him as not ready to the town elders, which is part of why he wasn't chosen.
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I have returned! My apologies for the continued absence.
Could the last campaign be marked as complete so it leaves my active campaign tab?
This is done
Learning magic is for losers.
Just sell your soul to an extraplaner being whose name you can’t pronounce and who tells you to burn things from time to time. It’s SO much easier.
His older brother Zandre did that. I suspect that's made Hansyn wary of the practice. Of course, Zandre made his bargain with something a bit... darker.
I will be spotty on posting through Thursday. I am at the beach on family vacation. Please BOT me, if necessary.
thanks for letting us know Cole
Ok, everyone -
Boards appear to be back up. I'm sorry about the brief absence since they came back; I was in England visiting my dad when they finally went workable and the internet there wasn't reliable enough to post (figures that their technology would start to work at exactly the time mine stopped!)
Now that I'm back and have no scheduled vacations in the near future, I'm hopeful we can return to regular posting schedules.
Breaks can be good.
Now for some excitement.... the Molthuni are closing in!
Welcome back!
thanks!
I want to apologize for disappearing over September. I several different family emergencies all hit at about the same time, resulting in, among other things, us entertaining a new resident at home.
It's been more than a little crazy, and not helped by my husband being injured and me being ill for most of it.
In my life the only thing that I could set aside to make life feasible was the internet... all of it except work. So that's what went.
Now that I'm on the mend, I'm trying to pull everything back together. I know I said that after the access kerfluffle at the beginning of September, just before all the craziness hit, but I hope folks are willing to continue.
I'll catch up on messages (it doesn't look like there's many) tomorrow and post something leading forward by Thursday of this week.
Woot. Glad your back. Sorry for the RL drama.
cheers
Let's get after it! Glad ya made it back!
I echo Fin and Cole, welcome back. I am glad to hear you’re feeling better.
You may want to check with Lodric to make sure he is still interested. He hasn’t posted in this thread for 2 1/2 months and is still active on the boards.
Okay. So that was a bit of a false re-start, but I'm going to try again. If you're still up for the game, please indicate so here.
I won't even get into the craziness going on here at home, but I'm going to get this thing restarted if it kills me.
Here. Don't die. That's counter-productive
Ready and willin'.
I’m here and good to go. I will jus warn that the end of this month is bad too lol. I think all of us understand when real life happens. It happens to all of us lol.
Here...ready to go!
Still here, still willing. I hope things at home and IRL calm down for you.
excellent. I've made a first post in the game play thread ... there are spoilery things for everyone.
I'll try to see what's going on with Lodric, but I have an exit strategy that would allow him to be re-introduced later if he doesn't re-emerge. So, forward we go!
I truly am sorry for my absence. I must have done something because I didn’t see any updates on these threads. I thought this campaign another dead one and didn’t think anything of it...I’m really sorry. If you’d have me I would rejoin
We're just getting restarted. I had an exit strategy that would allow you to rejoin later if you resurfaced, but you're welcome to chime in now.
Lodric: Let me know and I'll write in a prompt for you. If we don't hear anything, I'll write something that'll allow for an absence.
For many in the US and abroad the next week is filled with holidays... obviously post if you can, don't worry if you can't. I will still be updating as I am home for the duration and blissfully spared the usual family gatherings.
Happy Holidays, all!
Happy Holidays, all!
Indeed! Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, and Happy New Year!!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!!
Merry Xmas!
Also some news. I am accepting a commission in the US Army Jag Corp. I haven’t been posting much or making too many commitments while I was waiting for the news. While I could rejoin...by October I’d be dropping out again. And I’d feel bad being reintroduced just to disrupt once more without giving advance warning.
Congrats, counselor!
Congrats, and best of luck!