I am probably in the minority here, but I like individual initiatives for the PCs and cluster initiative for the Foes.
I like the idea, I just think that in PBP, it either makes it hard on the GM--has to reconcile what happened first, second, third and change actions for people if theirs no longer makes sense--or hard on the players--have to wait for your turn and maybe miss available posting times or come up with several contingencies, which becomes a lot harder with higher level spells.
I too will go with whatever is decided though.
I agree with the blocks or cluster initiative. I am playing in another PBP campaign, and that GM rolled separate initiatives for all. So I tried the same thing here. Block initiatives make more sense, and is my preference in my ftf campaigns too.
However, with everyone having access to maps, decisions made are based upon what one sees. So initiative will likely be followed, but will be more guideline than strict rule.
The only issue I could forsee with block init, is if the critters win init and there's a sizeable number of them, that could wind up being a lot of potential hits all at once, which would put a drain on resources for the PCs. If Init is done on a per character/monster basis, there is less chance of that. The flipside is that if the PCs win, there's always the potential to ROFLstomp a BBEG fight.
I'm good either way, that just seems to be the glaring issue.
That is actually a good point Garrath. Towards the end of Rise of the Runelord in my home campaign, the monsters were each so powerful that I never attacked in group initiative. I will consider each encounter with this in mind. Thanks.
Also. The Diviners school gives Elektra a scaling bonus to iniative. Wich would make my school moot.
I will still use initiative of course. I like the fact that everyone has access to the maps. I don't want to change that. The issue with it though is people come at different times to post and move their tokens, and not in the order of their initiative.
Like in the last encounter, if I used the precise initiative, Goblin 2 would have had an Attack of Opportunity on Elektra because he would not have yet fallen in battle.
We are still very early in the campaign. I am giving Garrath an opportunity to change out his Improved Initiative. You can do the same for Elektra's Diviner's school. However, there are other benefits besides initiative for that school.
Again, initiative will always be my guide. I just may not make it a strict rule to determine the rounds outcome. That's all.
Plus, anyone with the very first initiative will likely not be as affected. Garrath actually had the highest initiative in the party. The likelihood that he would go first in most rounds are high. That alone could be a good reason to keep "Improved Initiative."
I have seen in other PBP campaigns that the GM has to often work around the actions made by the players to make it fit. This is an experiment to try and reduce that somewhat. The last thing I want to do is say, Elektra you can't move your token there because some other PC was to be in that spot first. Doing that in my honest opinion would upset game play. Smooth continuous game play and the overall narrative of the game in this format, to me at least, should be important considerations, and to a degree trump using strict by the rules initiative roll determinations.
As I have said, I am not horribly worried either way.
ended up being 12 hours, due to the 4th season in canada. (Construction)
4 Seasons. Nearly winter, Winter, after winter, construction. :)
And now for something completely different.
I know that Brandark already has a horse. Who else has a horse?
Usually 1st level characters don't have one right of way due to starting gold limitations. Cavaliers tend to be an exception.
Either way as the Cavalier, I am going to give Brandark first pick for his horse token. Yes. I have horse tokens. It will come in to play some, maybe not a lot but some.
Brandark, just tell me which horse number you would like from the link.
Anyone else that already has a horse pick a horse number other than Brandark's.
After that we will pick based upon RIDE skills.
If my calculations are correct it should go as follows"
Kelvin 4
Elektra 2
Garrath 2
Lyr -3
Lyr, I know. I often play Clerics with lousy Ride checks.
If I have miscalculated, or forgot to incorporate a Feat or Trait in the calculation, please let me know. It will not come in to play immediately, but I am guessing it may so in the not too distant future.
Number 1, if you would be so kind.
As for the cleric's with lousy ride, in my FTF game, that is exactly what I play. . I could not stay on a horse to save my characters soul. :)
Kelvin does not have a horse.
As far as the healing, I made sure to gather everyone up first.
And horses . . . Well, as Lyr recently said to Mother Magara, Horses are very beautiful creatures. They ought to be cared for and admired . . . from afar. ;)
garrath doesn't have one yet, but 4 if it's still around
to me, lyr, just seems to scream 5. :)
A Couple of things I noticed in the ACG. Will ask you about them, before I jump into trying to work for them. They just yell cavalier feats, and I will put them out here for you to look at before it becomes an issue, nor start to work towards them. :)
Pack Flanking (Teamwork)
You and your companion creature are adept at fighting
together against foes.
Prerequisites: Int 13, Combat Expertise, ability to acquire an animal companion.
Benefit: When you and your companion creature have this feat, your companion creature is adjacent to you or sharing your square, and you both threaten the same opponent, you are considered to be flanking that
opponent, regardless of your actual positioning.
Normal: You must be positioned opposite an ally to flank an opponent.
It will be a while before I can get this feat, but wish to work towards it. do you see any issues with it ?
Brandark I don't see any issues with this. Now all you would need are some levels as a Rogue. :)
Don't really have the dex for Rogue. I figured I would bounce the feat off of you before I tried to bring it in. :)
Easier to ask about things than surprise you. :)
There is at least one magic item from there that I have been eyeing up, but not going to be able to afford it for quite a while. Will ask when we get closer to being able to afford them.
Did we come to a final conclusion on the initiative? I'd like to know so I can figure out what to do with that feat.
@Garrath - I will try to follow the initiatives as rolled. However, like I mentioned earlier there may come times when I will not use the precise initiatives to determine the outcome in the round. It can be fluid based upon when people post and the subsequent changes in map positions. I will leave it to your discretion whether to keep Improved Initiative or change it out for another Feat.
@Elektra - the same is true for the Diviners School.
But as the last round indicated, whoever is first in the round will likely not change, so having a very high initiative will still create advantages.
As an additional note, and as I mentioned in my initial Recruitment post, I will be using both the original AP and Anniversary Edition with several modifications along the way. So please do not expect every encounter to be by the book.
Blink. . . Blink . .. There is a book ??? Shock, Gasp, Horror. :)
I think we all were expecting on you to change the encounters a little bit, so that it wasn't strictly by the book. :)
A legit question, would you allow stacked magic items. as an example, a cloak of protection(deflection or whatever) joined with a cloak of the montbank ??
Or say a ring of protection joined with a ring of curing ?
Those were examples, and this way, people are not just using the common magic items, but could at least customize some items, or pay for custom items along the way.
I know it is a bit early, but I figured I would ask before we get to far, and it will give you time to think on it.
So, not expecting an answer right away, but please think on it.
Are you referring to special created magic items with multiple affects?
If so, yes, but it will usually cost, and RotRL is not a particularly rich adventure until the very end.
I wasn't expecting magic items with multiple effects not to cost just wanted to confirm if you were going to allow it, or if you were going to stick with the fixed items. :)
You did answer my question though, and thank you.
I figure that you are still going to want to look at the items that are going to be combined.
Mazra, can you put that treasure page on the campaign info tab?
Other than that, I have updated it with the info that you have given us, with the exception of the pearls.
Link at the top. Will that work?
That will work well.
Kelvin, are you letting us know about the stuff the warchanter had?
Hmmm... Yea.
ok, now we just need to appraise it. was trying to work out the value of what everyone was going to get.
Figured I would discuss it here, as my character was not in a position to see you grab them, and thus cannot mention it in character. :)
The value of the equipment, and all the gold that was found.
88 gp, 62 sp, 80 cp each.
I did not calculate for the bracelet, potions, pearls.
The total here, didn't include the sale of the equipment, nor the stuff that kelvin had. The accurate total is what I gave everyone in gameplay.
I added the total to Garrath's entry in the treasure tracker. I'm also keeping this in HeroLab, just for personal reference.
Mazra, I think you're doing something that I do with my games regarding potions. The description of a type of potion doesn't change often, so a green potion, that smells like <x>, tastes like <y> and has <z> texture is almost always going to be the same type of potion? If so, I have an excel spreadsheet that will autocreate those descriptions and then you can save a hardcopy. Makes that type of generation easy. Or anyone that wants it really.
That would be very helpful. As this is my first PBP campaign, I am still finding my way around. I do hope everyone is finding it entertaining so far.
I will not be at a PC most of the day, so my responses will likely be spotty until tonight.
I am enjoying it. :)
Spreadsheet emailed to you, Mazra :D
I was able to find an internet connection on the road. Hope to be at my PC tonight.
Sorry to ask. how much money does each of us get?
92,66,80 gp,sp,cp Is what Brandark gave to each of us in the pouches.
92gp 66sp and 80 cp? Elektra gladly pay 9gp 62 silver and 80copper for her rapier. Maybe one of elven origin?
Add 5gp more. It was given to us as an extra at the emporium.
Updated it on the treasure sheet, so that is the accurate total.
I will try to keep the cash part up to date on the treasure sheet. :)
DM,
How do you wish to handle expendables, such as crossbow bolts, bow arrows, trail rations, water skin, and other minor expendables?
-- david (aka Kelvin)
Well, in game tomorrow, I plan to find an emporium that sells common mundane items, and pick up a few things.
I admit, I can be a bit of a golf bagging geardo, but I have occationally have something odd and mundane that made problems less so. :)
Yeah, and as a dwarf, wth right? You always move at 20' regardless of load, so pack it all on! ;)
@ Kelvin
I really, really don't.
Unless they are magic, expendable items becomes tedium.
But, I am an accountant by trade, so keeping up with minutiae is something I know how to do.
So let's take a vote, and I will go with whatever way the party wants to do it.
I always found it kind of a bother to try and track ammo. I usually handwave it as long as people occasionally buy a new bunch of ammo.
If you want to track it, I usually just go with the standpoint of, if you hit with the arrow, you can retrieve it, if you don't, you can't. It's a bit harsher at low levels, but evens out as you go up, because you don't miss as much.
I handwave it also in my campaigns. Too much bother to keep track of.
I am willing to go with so long as the party member says they are refreshing their supplies, and marking off some money, just hand wave it. Expecially with ammo.
I see kelvin was the only one to comment on the potions, so I am taking that as a no problem. Will update the treasure sheet appropriatly.
Lets not get rid of the arrows, as they can be snagged by those that use bows.
I am willing to go with so long as the party member says they are refreshing their supplies, and marking off some money, just hand wave it. Expecially with ammo.
This makes sense.
i notices the Regular Pearl is missing on the treasure sheet.
Mazra, did you get that spreadsheet?
The 2 pearls are just above the potions.
You said we found a very small pearl, and a small pearl.