I an thinking that could be hilarious
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So before I send a bug report for Hero Labs, would someone please double check this for me.
Climb skill:
My Vine Leshy has:
+1 Rank +3 Class Skill +2 Str +2 Racial = 8, which matches what Hero Lab says.
It also has the Vine Climb feat that gives a climb speed.
Climbing Vine
You can climb like a vine.
Prerequisites: Str 13, vine leshy.
Benefit: You gain a climb speed of 10 feet. If you already have a natural climb speed, your climb speed increases by 10 feet. You can take this feat multiple times, but your climb
speed can never exceed your base speed.
Climb skill says:
A creature with a climb speed has a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks.
Racial skill modifiers stack.
Bonus Types: Usually, a bonus has a type that indicates how the spell grants the bonus. The important aspect of bonus types is that two bonuses of the same type don’t generally stack. With the exception of dodge bonuses, most circumstance bonuses, and racial bonuses, only the better bonus of a given type works (see Combining Magical Effects). The same principle applies to penalties—a character taking two or more penalties of the same type applies only the worst one, although most penalties have no type and thus always stack. Bonuses without a type always stack, unless they are from the same source.
Seems like my little Leshy should have +16 in climb.
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There we were, writing up an evaluation of a new GM... This Worg guy really knew how to set a scene, but even he could use a pointer or two from the Amazing Urchin.
★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★
Okay here are some of the things that I’ve noticed.
- Providing ‘eye space’ in PBPs is important. Separate paragraphs with blank lines to make them more readable.
- If your players feed you an odd detail, play with it. Improvise upon it if you can... Make them feel like you’re sharing a fun game, and let them know that you’re appreciating the extra trouches they’re adding to enliven the game.
- It’s also fairly common to spoiler skill checks in PBPs. Why? It keeps things moving, and gives the players a chance to respond to the others with what they’ve learned. You have a fast party of players here, so we’ve been moving fairly quickly anyway, but it’s a good habit to get into.
Note, there are exceptions to this... At least one time I decided for dramatic reasons to not make an advance spoiler, and instead rolled Sense Motive for the party members. Then when one of the party members (Dunia) made the Sense Motive Check against an amazing liar, I spoilered the information she found jus for her. I did that to preserve surprise for the players.
- In the case of dungeon crawls in PBP, it’s pretty common for GMs to roll perception for all the party members as they enter each room, and then tell the folks who noticed soemthing what they noticed. Once again, this is done to keep searching from slowing down to a crawl in PBP.
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I like to break up the often "wall-of-text" effect of box text with some movement, expression, a little nuance, engaging all the senses. Ad-libbing a little interaction with PCs that show interest in conversation.
Box text is also often accompanied by sample questions the PCs might ask. Since this is often a great way to provide interesting back story or give the PCs a better understanding of their mission, I usually try to work much of that in, as well.
I don't care for the "stump-the-chump" approach, providing the info only if asked.
The box text is the scene-setter, and some additional, pertinent information will often be contained in the paragraphs that follow. I usually add that to the box text, too, so the players have a complete sense of their surroundings.
Of course, it's important to know your players. Some will appreciate the extra effort. Others are just waiting for you to roll initiative.
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Of course, it's important to know your players. Some will appreciate the extra effort. Others are just waiting for you to roll initiative.
Ain't that the truth? I sometimes got entire tables at conventions where they didn't give a rat's &$% about setting and story, and wanted to be stat sticks with hammers -.-
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Sorry for my absence today. Was supposed to be off yesterday and ended up getting called in for a fun filled 18hr overnight shift.
Got home from that in time for school to call and advise daughter broke her finger. Finally managed to get back home after being up for 28hrs...
A nap was required. Catching up now.
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I'm guessing leave box text the way it is.
I almost never run box text as is.
I add little flourishes in, or scents, or sounds, character dialogue. I interweave box text description with the non-box text description that a scenario offers.
So... When the last scenario that I GMed had box text of three lines for a pivotal mind scape, I had a full blown scene with dialogue and characters. Change it slightly to suit you, just keep all the basic information.
Hmm
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I usually leave the box text itself alone, but often add other information. No where near as extensive as HMM, but still there. Almost every scenario has things that the box text doesn't cover.
It isn't that different than in a face to face game. There you are often looking for opportunities to drop in bits of background information or build off something that one of the characters did. The Role Playing Guild Guide gives us guidelines on what can be done and just as importantly what we shouldn't do.
Don't add encounters, treasure, etc.
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We haven't really discussed march order. I thought most would prefer to have Krieger/The Foreigner 'take one for the team,' given his HP, Saves, and modest Stealth and Perception bonuses. Happy to defer, if someone else wants to take point.
GM, some folks use a slide to encourage players to set up some SOPs like that. Here's an example I borrowed/modified for my own use.
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Some advice on maps (completely a matter of personal preference): I don't like having maps for future scenes in the slide deck before the party gets there, for spoiler reasons. Instead, I have two slide decks. One is player facing, and one is GM facing. I prep future slides, including the party tokens, monsters, screens covering part of it, etc., in the GM-facing deck, then when the time comes just copy the whole slide ready for action into the player-facing deck. It's really handy for running something a second time, too, because you have those nice neat slides ready to go. Here's an example (The Confirmation spoilers).
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We haven't really discussed march order. I thought most would prefer to have Krieger/The Foreigner 'take one for the team,' given his HP, Saves, and modest Stealth and Perception bonuses. Happy to defer, if someone else wants to take point.
GM, some folks use a slide to encourage players to set up some SOPs like that. Here's an example I borrowed/modified for my own use.
Interesting idea. Ill remember this for future use.
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Some advice on maps (completely a matter of personal preference): I don't like having maps for future scenes in the slide deck before the party gets there, for spoiler reasons. Instead, I have two slide decks. One is player facing, and one is GM facing. I prep future slides, including the party tokens, monsters, screens covering part of it, etc., in the GM-facing deck, then when the time comes just copy the whole slide ready for action into the player-facing deck. It's really handy for running something a second time, too, because you have those nice neat slides ready to go. Here's an example (The Confirmation spoilers).
When I have more experience with this I will consider it an option. I'm still accidentally grabbing my maps and readjusting the height and width.
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In terms of editing box text (or other text you copy and paste from the scenario), I sometimes edit a little, and sometimes edit a lot. I am careful you change 'the PCs' to 'you' or something similar, because when I'm a player and the GM does otherwise, it gives me a feeling that the GM doesn't care. I also always fix the word wrap.
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I generally keep the boxed text mostly as-is but modify it so that it makes more sense given the current situation. Such as when the PCs enter a room othrough the southern door, I'll modify the bit of text that says 'and the only exit from this room is a door to the south.' to 'and the only exit from this room is the door you just walked through.' The boxed text writing is generally better than what I can personally come up with so I tend not to edit it much.
And while I generally don't modify the boxed text much, I'll take artistic license with the non-boxed text description of events. Like in a scary scenario where the non-boxed text says blood will leak from the faucet then cease seconds later, I may take it to the extreme and say 'gallons of blood gush forth splashing everything and everyone within the vicinity then as suddenly as it began, it stops!'
As for the slides, I second what everyone has said above. However, I get somewhat lazy about copying back and forth from two slide decks as mentioned by Wertlos so I just cover the not-currently-in-use slides with a big black or white opaque rectangle, then uncover it when its time to use it. Granted a player can delete the rectangle to peek ahead but I believe most players won't go that far to spoil things for themselves. But I agree that Wertlos' method will definitely help prevent spoilers.
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I also have all the maps in the scenario in my slideshow, but usually cover slides not in use. I'm mostly a mobile poster. Transferring slides from one slideshow to another is a pain in mobile.
I say usually because sometimes I don't bother to cover a map -- especially when maps from specials and things are just woodlands or something. So the party knows that they're going to be walking through the woods... Not a surprise.
On the other hand if I had pre-prepped those very same woods with all my monsters, covering them with a shape makes sense to maintain surprise.
Hmm
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I like your idea about marching order on a slide, Wertlos! Thanks!
I have been known to expend tremendous effort wiping out traces of hidden traps and secret doors on maps for older modules and scenarios where such weren’t layered. I did this for The Flesh Collector, Library of the Lion and Masks of the Living God. In those cases, I had maps set up and ready to install for when the hidden feature was found.
I wish I had thought to create a second slide deck for those, it would have been quicker and easier to substitute in the expanded maps if I had.
I haven’t used two slide decks to prevent characters from seeing maps. I’ve just covered them with rectangles and a text box saying something to the effect of ‘No Peeking!’
I had forgotten about having to excise ‘the PCs’ from box text. I always try to do that.
Note that I am still struggling with exactly how I want to do things. Each GM has to find what they are comfortable with.
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I do a Standard Marching order as well, but it's not as fancy. (Link) My template
I don't think it's needed here, but in a dungeon crawl I also 'Standard Door Opening Protocol'. Prior to starting, I have the group decide on how they wish to kick down doors per se. Then I can automate that part to save having to wait a day or more per door while Rogue gets his post in, I get a reply in, then they open the door.
I too try to excessively hide the secret stuffs on maps, aka traps. I've never done the duo slide thing though. I simply cover the extra maps with a large black box...and often add extra blank ones covered in black boxes too.
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I have put a standard door procedure in this profile under the Botting Codes section. It is rather long, but made so that the GM could cut and paste it in.
Looking at it again, I'm thinking that I should probably put it in a separate section just so it is easier to find!
Door procedure, when not rushed.
At each door, check for sounds or traps. Take 10 then roll twice.
+1 to detect traps
+1 to detect traps
+1 to detect traps
If trapped, try to disarm it. Take 10 then if needed roll up to twice.
At this point if nothing blew up, I would like a chance to evaluate things.
If it is locked and there is only one obvious way forward, try to unlock it.
At this point I would take 20 to unlock.
If there is only one obvious way to go forward, once everyone is ready I open the door.
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I experimented with Block Initiative with mixed results.
It worked pretty well when everybody was well-balanced in a constant monitor/frequent post mode.
It was most disruptive when a player or two were always slower to post than everyone else, too often left on the sidelines while the posters with twitchy trigger fingers dominated the action.
I've adopted a method where I encourage the next round's actions to be posted, but I apply the results only after the current round's actions have been posted.
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It’s a balancing act, especially when you are dealing with vastly different time zones. Get a table of the special with people from North America, Europe, Asia and Australia in it, and combat can just bog down sometimes.
I like to know the active posting times of all my players. So sometimes (particularly with the time pressure of a special) I’ll do the necessary evil of botting the Asia time guy who’s just gone to bed so that Team North America can act, hoping that by the time they all post, Team Asia + Australia will be able to act again. Usually though people sign up for my special tables knowing that I’m going to keep a high pace, and accepting that modest botting is the price of that.
(It’s really odd that the person who cannot do gaming math to save her soul can stay aware of everyone’s primary posting times, but that’s one of my things. It’s like I have this weird clock in my head that tracks those variables.)
Hmm
Friday morning. Why is it that Friday mornings always dawn brighter than other mornings? Still, it’s a test of the tyrrany of time. All those people watching the clock, willing it to go faster...