[PFS][Private] GM Ilmakis Year of the Shadow Lodge CORE level 1-2 (Inactive)

Game Master Ilmakis

Ok, the part about Charvion being in the Shadow Lodge and trying to find the Decemvirate info was not communicated at all. Thanks for explaining it.

Glad it help you to better understand the scenario. Sometime key information are not display in the scenario... which was the case here. Except if you capture the cleric on the market encounter and make her talk.

As I recall that encounter was cut short. Compared to the other multi-table special I've done by PbP, this felt like it was very rushed, with the coordinators pushing us from phase to phase a lot faster than the other one.

This multi table is rather short considering that there are more table cooperation than the other Multi tables. So some loss of time would be expected there.

Also, having GM's and played, I will say that the pace on tables varied a lot with posting rate. Some of the sections were based on number of successes for all tables, so if a table goes slower than others, it might get swept along. This is the second special I was able to play in PbP, and the other one was better suited for the format, I thought. But this one was fun too! Just harder to convert to a posting rate.

Hi guys :)

Just for general awareness...

The conversion rate for minutes into days is basically a 5:1 ratio, and that is across all multi-tables. We basically ran to the schedule kindly provided to us by the online play team to ensure our tempo and practices were consistent with theirs. Arguably we could have opted to juggle the days, but then we'd be establishing an inconsistent experience in the execution of Specials.

As stated above, posting rate was varied amongst tables, and there were some really fast paced groups who ended up waiting around during individual sections - I think they cleared the courtyard and then spent two days waiting at the gate, and with the dragon we had a few fast groups stuck waiting for resolutions.

That's the nature of the beast - 6 Pathfinders being caught up in a raid 90 strong, and the wave doesn't slow down.

I agree this scenario was different than the S6 one here on the boards, basically the more recent mechanics are far more superior to the S2 multi, because the years of fine tuning from the first published multi to the fifth one really paid off. That said I'm highly sceptical about the viability of pbp Stonelords. The writing on this one was also a bit basic, and the reviews on the Paizo page for it suggest that's the player/Gm consensus.

From my perspective when we/I looked at running a multi we had no idea how it would play out off the whiteboard, hadn't tried it before so no idea. Jesse had done it with the might of Paizo behind him, but Magabeus and I are just 'two dudes on the boards' so we thought we'd grab two gms make a 3 table and see what happened. Looked like a straightforward multi so toooooo easy mate! No concern for the end, more a practice run.

Then it became a 15 table beast with 107 people involved and a waiting list.

So that's a background, nothing was set as a different tempo, but the mechanics were a bit rustic - new scenarios are smoother with aid tokens but the collaboration is also far less.

See you for Blood under Absalom.

Thanks for passing by Shifty :) and your explanation.
Thanks again for you and Magabeus for all the hard work you've done to organize and run this !

To all : If you have no more question/need I will put the campaign inactive after the 14th.

Thanks a lot for organizing all this. Don't take my feedback as indicating I didn't enjoy myself -- I did, very much!

All good mate :) Just thought I'd come share some of the experience from the other side of the screen with my fine fellow players and get some feedback etc and also help foster more community awareness about how it all works - in 'Shifty World' I'd love to think other GM's took some notes and start thinking how they might run these in the future.

I intend to roll through the Specials, but once I'm done it probably wont happen again unless some other wild eyed loner from a mountain comes down and takes up the reins.

What I am THRILLED about though is getting 16 people that ONE special closer to their 5 Star requirement - the 10 specials are really problematic and a bonecrushing experience to get as the opportunities are so rare.

Yep, thanks for that Shifty, it was my 10th special :P

Thanks, Shifty, for making this all happen! I was V-C when this came out so I was always overseer both times we ran this locally; without you I'd never have had a chance to play it at all. It was also my first PbP special so I wasn't prepared for the faster tempo (although in hindsight I should have seen it coming). Once we got into the swing it was fine. And still lots of fun!