Welcome! All OOC chatter goes here!
Hokay! We're now officially a month out from our start date of August 13th. As such, I'm going to go ahead and do a couple of 'official' posts that I always make when I start a new game.
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Who is GM Ladile?
My name is Kristin and I've been playing tabletop RPGs for the last 20 years or so. The bulk of my playing experience has been with AD&D 2nd Edition with a smattering of other systems such as AD&D 3rd/3.5, Dark Conspiracy and of course, Pathfinder. My home group switched to Pathfinder a little over 4 years ago and we've been hooked ever since. I started participating in PbP here on the Paizo forums maybe 6 months after that and then PFS PbP maybe a year and a half after that.
Yeah, that's a great story. What about your GM experience?
I've only been GMing for a little over a year now but I just recently achieved my first GM star! If you're interested in reading to see how I roll, you can find several of them linked under a spoiler tag on my GM alias.
What does GM Ladile need or want from me?
Something I'm trying to get into the habit of doing when I'm gearing up to run a new game is to get an idea of what sorts of characters I'll have at my table. To this end, I ask you to tell me this: What does your character do that's cool? Do you specialize in combat maneuvers? Are you a beast that crushes Diplomacy checks with the greatest of ease? If your character has a 'thing' that they do or otherwise utilizes unusual things or specific circumstances then please let me know! This will make it easier for me to account for such things during combat and other sections where they might apply. The same goes for unique or interesting character quirks or backstory information.
Got it! Anything else?
Yes, actually. Sometimes a player might find themselves temporarily unavailable to post in the game but, alas, the show must go on, especially if the GM and other players are still present and participating. To this end, I ask that you give me some basic instructions to follow should I need to 'bot' your character for you during combat or other moments. They don't have to be elaborate. For example, you could say something like this:
'Okay, immediately prior to combat I'm going to cast SuperBuff on our melee guy if I can. Then, if things are going well, I'll stand behind the melee guy and use my Longspear of Butt-Whoopin' to help him kill the bad guys. But if someone gets really hurt or goes down I'll use my Gloves of Awesome to heal them up again.'
Generally when I bot PCs I don't use consumable resources such as spells, abilities with <X> uses per day/round/whatever, potions, alchemical items, etc. unless explicitly given permission to do so via botting instructions *or* the situation is dire and I suspect the PC would use them to save himself or an ally.
GM Ladile, are you one of those super nitpicky GMs or are you more laid-back?
I suppose it depends on what you consider to be 'nitpicky' or 'laid-back'. I will run the scenario and the encounters within as written, to the best of my ability, as all Society GMs are expected to do. But I also try to utilize my own common sense when I run my games. I'm not going to have my monsters deliberately eat your familiar when (and if) there are more dangerous threats to target. I'm going to assume that the collective group is smart enough to utilize light sources when they need them, without me making you state so every single time you enter a dark place - though I might need to know what kind of light source for mapping purposes! If you have the time and aren't threatened by anything, I'm going to assume that you'll probably Take 10 to ID items via Spellcraft, that sort of thing. You're Pathfinder agents who are assumed to have had at least a little basic training before being sent out on missions and so I don't personally see the point in dithering around on minor things - it's boring and in this type of medium, it only slows things down even further.
GM Ladile, can I just mow your bad guys down with my tricked-out Archer of Doom or Slumber Hex my way to victory?
Well, technically yes. But my real answer is a bit more nuanced. If your character has a 'Thing' that they do, whether that be something cool for combat or something cool for social situations, then that's wonderful! My own sense of fun isn't contingent on me 'beating' the PCs - I want you guys to succeed! And so if you mow down my monsters with the greatest of ease or crush those diplomacy checks no problem then I'm not going to get butthurt about it. That being said, it is important to also consider your fellow teammates. While I'm happy to try and make sure that you'll get a chance to do your 'Thing' during the course of the scenario, please consider whether or not it'll be fun for your fellow players to sit by while you destroy everything. Everyone deserves a chance to participate and an opportunity to shine, so maybe consider toning your 'Thing' down a little so others have a chance to do their own 'Things'.
What about the posting rate?
Glad you asked! Some of you may have played with me before and know that my own posting habits and times shift depending on when I'm working and such. On the days that I work I'll likely only manage 1 post myself but on my off days I can usually manage more. In general, I try to post as much as I need to to keep the game moving along and people from getting bored. From you, the players, I would really like to see at least 1 post/day though more is certainly encouraged.
Is that all?
Almost! The most important thing of all that I'd like you to do is to bring a good attitude and plenty of enthusiasm. I consider it my job to make your playing experience an enjoyable one but it helps when my players seem like they're excited to be at the table and are willing to participate - it makes me happy, which means I usually write better posts, which makes you guys happy, etc. A positive feedback loop, if you will.
However, not all playing styles mesh and most of you haven't played with me before. If you're not having a good time or otherwise have an issue with the way I'm running the game, please let me know and we'll try to work out a solution together. I can't help to fix problems if I don't know that a problem exists, so communicate. Talk to me. I promise I don't bite.
Last of all, I am by no means a rules expert or guru and the majority of my playing background is rooted in rules interpretations being flexible - to a point. So if I forget something or seem like I'm overstepping my bounds in what's allowed, please point it out but I also ask that you please don't be a jerk about it either :)
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And if there's something that I didn't address in the above post, please ask and I'll get an answer for you!
And this is where I solicit some information from each of you that I'll use to prepare your chronicles at the end of the adventure as well as when I'm reporting the game on the website! I'll need the following information:
***Basic Information Form***
Player:
Character:
Pathfinder Society Number:
Faction:
Slow Track or Normal:
This Chronicle #:
Starting XP:
Initial Prestige:
Initial Fame:
Prestige Spent on this Chronicle:
Starting Gold:
Day Job Roll:
Gold Spent on this Chronicle:
Anything else you want me to note on your Chronicle:
I know some of these values may change as you make purchases and the like so it's not a problem if you want to wait on providing some of that information until closer to the end of the scenario.
And I've also PMed our two other players (eddv & CariMac) to update them about this table and to check in when they're able and/or ready to do so :)
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Player Great Green God
Character Sticky "Jay", Refer Magus
Pathfinder Society Number 139009-126
Faction You ever hear of the Seattle Seven? No, then just put down the Concordance.
Slow Track or Normal Uhh, Normal?
This Chronicle # The 1 and only, man!
Starting XP Oh, I got a lot of that man. I'm thinking of big number here, man. Like a BIG number! There's like 27 zeros in it! .... That's basically it, man.
Initial Prestige See starting XP above.
Initial Fame See starting Prestige above.
Prestige Spent on this Chronicle I can do that?
Starting Gold 1.3, I'll get you the rest on Toilsday. You know I'm good for it, man.
Day Job Roll
Gold Spent on this Chronicle Uhh?
Anything else you want me to note on your Chronicle How awesome I am! I mean look at that die roll. Nuthin' but 20's so far, man.
Botting Instructions Just chill out and think about stuff, man. I mean really what's the hurry right? If you need to, bum a light or some nachos off of one of your friends. After all, you know me, I'm good for it.
What does your character do that's cool Uhh, well lot's of things I imagine.
^Soooo...based on the above I think I know another character that Jay might get along with, were their paths to ever cross ;)
More seriously, I know that most of the above fields are going be 0 or close to it since these are brand new characters but I decided to borrow my information template from Hmm - hence there being more information requested than some of you might be used to.
(Personally, I hope they make tracking stuff much more simplistic for PFS2.0 as well as shift the responsibility of such back to the player rather than the GM.)
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^Soooo...based on the above I think I know another character that Jay might get along with, were their paths to ever cross ;)
There's another Dude who fits the bill.
*snerk*
By the way, the character I mentioned is not mine but I've had the pleasure of playing with and GMing for him in the past :)
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She's currently an Inquisitor of Gozreh with the Green Faith Marshal Archetype. Plant domain of course. Still finalizing her stats and such. Yay for an entire month of tweaking that one +1 between two ability scores until I give up or the game starts.
I'm seeing her as a fairly serious Leshy for a leshy.
Player: CariMac
Character: Plumeria Thorn
Pathfinder Society Number: 110249-19
Faction: Concordance
Slow Track or Normal: Normal
This Chronicle #: 1
Starting XP: 0
Initial Prestige: 0
Initial Fame: 0
Prestige Spent on this Chronicle:
Starting Gold:
Day Job Roll: Not sure if I have a job yet.
Gold Spent on this Chronicle:
Anything else you want me to note on your Chronicle:
I very nearly did that exact thing with one of my leshies, CariMac - great minds think alike? ;)
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I plan to prepare a mostly support set of abilities and look very much forward to this.
I MAY play Vintner one last time before we start (he is as it turns out, deliriously fun to play)
Player: Eddv (Doug Edwards on the Chron please)
Character: Vintner
Pathfinder Society Number: 133118-20
Faction: Grand Lodge
Slow Track or Normal: Normal
This Chronicle #: 10
Starting XP: 10
Initial Prestige: 14
Initial Fame: 18
Prestige Spent on this Chronicle: 0
Starting Gold: 2377
Day Job Roll:
Gold Spent on this Chronicle: 0
Anything else you want me to note on your Chronicle: gm Star replay
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Thanks GM! Looking forward to the game. Seedy has almost finished a game of The Confirmation. Haven't updated gp or equipment from this yet, however.
Player: Greenclaw
Character: Seedy Pod Popper
Pathfinder Society Number: 74677-16
Faction: Grand Lodge
Slow Track or Normal: Normal
This Chronicle #: 2
Starting XP: 1
Initial Prestige: 0
Initial Fame: 2
Prestige Spent on this Chronicle: 2 (will pick up a CLW wand in between adventures)
Starting Gold: ?
Day Job Roll:
Gold Spent on this Chronicle: ?
Anything else you want me to note on your Chronicle:
Seedy is basically like a bomb-throwing alchemist but his bombs are seedpods that don't explode but do bludgeoning damage. At 1st level they also have a chance of deafening their target as well.
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Sorry for not getting his character sheet up yet, but I'd been looking at options for Uproot and decided that a mounted archery character is something I could create without needing a racial boon and that I'd rather use Uproot's racial boon for something I could only do as a vine leshy. I then found out the Green Scourge and Treesinger druid archetypes stack. If changing his build from long range to close range proves problematic, then I can certainly try out the mounted archery version, but if people don't mind I'd rather try out what is likely to be his final build.
Hey, it's your boon to do with as you please so make the character you want to play :)
SOON...
:3
Just as a heads up, once we're about a week (give or take) out from our official start date I'll open up Gameplay for some pre-adventure chatter. So keep your eyes peeled! :)
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So sorry for the wait, it took me forever to get a good chance to sit down and finalize things for Uproot! But he's ready minus buying starting equipment.
Player: Sedoriku
Character: Uproot Nacu Fen
Pathfinder Society Number: 108507-09
Faction: The Concordance
Slow Track or Normal: Normal
This Chronicle #: 2 (One being the race boon!)
Starting XP: 0
Initial Prestige: 0
Initial Fame: 0
Prestige Spent on this Chronicle: None
Starting Gold: ?
Day Job Roll: None
Gold Spent on this Chronicle: ?
Anything else you want me to note on your Chronicle:
Uproot is a more mele focused druid. I'm not sure how effective he'll be, but he can do some damage for being small.
Okay folks, just an update to let you know that I'll be opening gameplay on Wednesday and that we officially start in a little under a week. If you haven't already, please be finalizing your character details so we're ready to go when the time comes!
Gameplay is now officially open! Get in there and have some fun :)
Sounds good and no worries! :)
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Sorry for the delay in getting my PC pulled together. Just updated her profile with her details, though I still need to add the taglines.
Player: Abraham Z.
Character: Skarlit Begonia
Pathfinder Society Number: 100198-20
Faction: Concordance
Slow Track or Normal: Normal
This Chronicle #: 3
Starting XP: 0
Initial Prestige: 0
Initial Fame: 0
Prestige Spent on this Chronicle: 2 (assuming 2 prestige earned, at the end of this adventure I'll use for a wand of Cure Light Wounds)
Starting Gold: 150
Day Job Roll: n/a
Gold Spent on this Chronicle: 132 (Chain Shirt 100, Acid 10, Alch. Fire 20, Backpack 2).
Anything else you want me to note on your Chronicle: n/a
It might seem superfluous to some but when I GM I like to try and expand a little bit on some of the locations you might visit in passing or other interesting landmarks you encounter, even if they're not the focus of the scenario. There are still a lot of setting books and other information that I've yet to read and so I'm often having to look stuff up on the side when I'm playing and a scenario is like, "You pass through <famous city> or encounter <famous landmark>" in a manner that assumes that you/your character know all about it (or enough). So I like to try and offer a little additional context for my own players, when and where I can.
Just random thoughts from under the hood :)
Just popping in to say that due to all the site outages over the last couple of days I'll give folks a little longer to attempt the checks in Gameplay and/or make any purchases before I advance things along :)
Seems like we're kinda-sorta back up at the moment! I'm currently at work but if the site remains stable and cooperative then we will tentatively resume normal operations.
However.
In the event of more shenanigans, you can find my email under a spoiler underneath the map links should you not be able to post and need to get in touch with me! Some groups are forming Hangouts chats and other means of keeping in touch during site outages but I won't insist on doing that here unless folks want to.
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I really wanted to get this posted when I got back, but the board outages were perfectly timed to start with my trip home, grumble. But I am back in Japan and at home and have mostly settled. I should be able to keep regular daily postings from here on, and sorry for the lack of them the past week.
I also just realized I never posted in the gameplay thread! Shoot! I’ll try reading up on all that is happening and insert Uproot if it’s not too late.
It's good, Uproot! We'll take it slow the rest of the week as posting still seems to be hit-or-miss for a lot of us.
Roll Call! Who's here? :)
Got a post up in Gameplay but I'll give folks a bit of time to trickle back in before I advance things much further :)
Oh, one more note - due to the extended outage some of the start and end dates for Sessions 1 & 2 have changed as per the following:
Per the email sent to GMs.
Hello GMs:
In face of the ongoing Paizo outage, we have put the special on hiatus until Friday. Yes, I know. It sucks. But I think that having a defined restart date will take some of the pressure and uncertainty off this wait. You don’t have to constantly check to see if the forums are up. If the forums come up and look stable before then, we may revisit this. If this happens, I will of course send out an email blast to you!
OUR NEW DATES
Session One specials begin again on 8/24. They end 10/4.
Session Two (including the Session Two special) begins on 10/6.
The entire PBP Gameday ends on 11/20.
Thank you for your patience, words of encouragement, and everything else you folks have written to me during this frustrating period.
(Thank you also for not wielding pitchforks and storming my castle.)
Your loving and somewhat frustrated VC,
Hmm
I've said it elsewhere but it bears repeating - I'm so sorry that this happened to you and your family on your vacation but I'm so glad that everyone is okay! Hang in there and don't worry about the game; it'll be here when you're ready and able to post :)
Glad to have folks back! I'll have an update for you shortly! *grumbleworkgrumble*
Okay, so given the crazy amount of instability of late and talk and rumblings elsewhere of folks moving their games to more stable places...I feel I should broach the subject here as well. Since this is intended to be a one-off scenario for Gameday I hadn't initially planned to even consider moving it (or my other games) somewhere else. But the outages affect you guys just as much, if not more, than me so I did want to see what folks want to do.