One of my groups uses roll20 just for maps. It allows you to scan any document easily and manipulate it.
The quality of maptools shows, I just move rough excel spreadsheets over to google drive and link them for each battle.
But, for Cult of the Reptile god I made a spreadsheet that can hold the entire dungeon level and fill it in as the party explores it and use the same map for combat. May want to check it out. Old TSR product maps are ten foot squares, so all I need to do is make each square a 4x4 set of squares.
Thanks for running this game--it has been quite good and the characters so interesting. So many of my games are dead or at a crawl, I have realized the heavy attrition PbP games take. More posts are going into this game and my GM Blood games than all my other games combined.
Most of you have been great and usually respond at an amazing rate when I do get a post up.
I'm sorry I haven't been able to keep up the pace with everyone else lately; this is one of my favorite games and is among my top games to check in with as much as has been possible these last few months. I anticipate resuming more active participation very soon since the pace at work will be slowing now that the budget has been approved, and at home now that we're almost finished putting our home life back together after some significant house projects this summer/autumn.
Would the cauldron spill?
Yeh, it is going to end up making a total mess, but nothing that will cause difficult terrain or harm anyone. Of course in this room, the total mess might just improve things.
Have I ever said how much I dislike Take-10 and Take-20. I understand the need and understand if the skill can easily be repeated and had no real risk of failure (swim on a slow river, climb with a rope, etc). However, I am amazed how often I see a character who has decided to just completely jack one or more skills - frequently perception, stealth, sense motive, etc. - and then the player just keeps taking 10 all the time. (I think that Berashel knows at least one player who does this a ton.)
I am not saying to never take-10. But, people should use some common sense in doing this and not take-10 in unrealistic situations and then point to the rules when the DM questions them.
great thing is. it won't work. that being said, I totally agree.
I am okay with taking the 10...when stuff is finished like a combat or you are researching something at a library for example.
Taking a 20 irks me more.
If it is no fail consequence to the result, I really have no problem. I guess my view is that if you have to have a 20 to make the check, then I would like to see whether you roll a 1 first. Yeh, I know that 1 is not auto-fail and 20 is not auto-make with skill checks, but like the modifiers I have in place, there should be consequences. After all, how many times have we all been looking for our glasses, only to realize they were on our forehead.
Even the smartest and most skilled sometimes miss something that is right in front of their noses.
For me it's always been a matter of circumstance.
Suppose the adventure has you scaling a 1000' cliff (with a few landings). Sure, at some point someone could roll a 1 and fall, but if they take the time to make some base preparations and a take 10 will make it I'm fine with it. Now at 700' when that Wyvern decides to attack you, heck ya checks are coming out.
Depends on whether you are foolishly free climbing, or using pitons and rope.
Depends on whether you are foolishly free climbing, or using pitons and rope.
That's what I call base preparations :)
I usually just like to roll, but I just never like the idea that you are penalized if you get more attacks and hence more opportunities to roll 1s.
Well - remember, the enemy also suffers the same penalty when he rolls a 1. The real difference being that with you all, I give you a second d20 to see if you suffered a mishap. Usually, expect perhaps for bosses and BBEGs, I don't even roll a recheck when normal enemies roll natural 1s. They just trip or drop their weapons, or look very foolish doing something. You all have a 25% chance when you roll a natural 1, giving you about a 1 in 80 chance of suffering a mishap. Probably not bad odds all things considered.
Better than Iron Crown Enterprise's critical fumble chart for Rolemaster.
I think we had an archer lose and ear firing a bow once.
They had a wonderful Wandering Damage table in dragon magazine a few years ago, mid-80s I believe. Not sure if I have it, or it might be Tybek has it - if he still has the old magazines.
As a note, I will be at CarnageCon this weekend, so my posting is likely to be light.
Apologies for not posting for a bit.
No problem - I have been really busy. For the next week - Friday-Saturday - I will be away with the family. I will have time in the morning and evening to post, but cannot guaranty if I will get through everything as I am in way too many campaigns.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
My Buckeyes made today a nervous one. 42-41!!
that was a close game as were many on rivalry weekend.
My Georgia Bulldogs beat their rivals after two overtimes...
I missed all the games as I was flying on Saturday. Seems like Auburn has had a little of Desna's luck the last two weeks though considering how their games have ended.
I will try to get something up tonight. I apologize for the delay, life has been cutting into my free time.
As a victim of the same, we all understand and will be here when you're ready!
About time and doing large battles, they do take up a lot of time. I have in the past had extra time at work to do that which has largely dried up, but I usually keep a notepad open with all the attacks in it so I can cut and paste round by round. Still takes a lot of time, but can make it go quicker.
Yeh, I have some basic stuff, a file with the enemy hp/AC, etc. You have to remember, I have no experience running an AP/module actually designed for PF. So, with this one, it is a lot of converting - trying to figure how someone with an AD&D stat of 18 or 17 would compare with PF. Trying to balance levels, CR, etc. Trying to figure out magic items is just about as tricky, if I actually left all the gold in this campaign that is listed (for instance there is one place with the equivalent of about 10,000,000 pp worth of loot), it would likely unbalance things. More realistically, there are a ton of silver tea sets and gems and stuff, which combined would put you all way over WBL.
That's fine with Arin... :]
Sorry, I reread it, the item is only worth 500,000gp. Although still more than enough to throw off most WBL until you are almost to god status.
Remember in AD&D you paid for training at least 1500gp per level or more. Thieves guilds charged from 20-50% of gross and often would go after rogues who didn't pay their share. That is helps explain the huge treasure.
Braden has almost no money after scribing scrolls and buying dwarven toy shovels as spell components, so he is definitely under norms.
The end of N1 cult of the Reptile God the treasure for a third level group was (converted):
Bag of Holding Type 2
Elven Boots
Ring of free action
Ring of protection +1
Silver Horn of Valhalla (really a horn of bubbles)
Potions:
gaseous form, invisibility, clairvoyance, cure serious (x2), philter of love
Two scrolls with many spells.
They had already found a +2 ring of protection.
Letting everyone know my boss is in town this week (surprise, surprise!) and it looks like I'll be working some pretty long days all week. I'll try to get posts in when I can, but will be tough. I apologize for the short notice I also suffered from. Please bot me in combat.
Letting everyone know I'm back now. Well, back since Friday, forums seem to have been down a bit. I'm fine with Arindale's recommendation on my action (moving up and healing Berashel).
Will try to get something up today. Big meeting on Friday and will have to spend most of the week preparing for it.
By the way, at my retirement ceremony for the Air Force, my best gift was a half gallon of Vermont Grade A Amber Maple Syrup. Hope everyone has good syrup. Pancake consumption has since increased in my house.
An even better gift was a local job offer at Cape Canaveral keeping me from having to move. Now I have a choice of what to wear everyday!
Bah - Vermont Maple Syrup. Probably came from Maple Grove Farms too. (Which is in the town where Tybek lives.) I have made it very clear that New Hampshire maple syrup is the only acceptable syrup in my home. None of that western stuff from Vermont or New York.
Only the best maple syrup here, well best only if you define it as the best sale at the time I went shopping! ;)
I just checked.
My syrup was made in Orwell, VT.
Now I went to check the bona fides and it says Pinnacle Products. A quick google search says it is a the same guys that make Log Cabin.
It tastes like real VT syrup. Is it?
So reading this made me cook pancakes for breakfast. I looked at my syrup while eating and it says Chicago, IL. Maybe I should consider trying another brand next time, lol. I did finish the bottle off today.
Although I am partial to New Hampshire maple syrup, the Vermont stuff is a pretty good second.
There was a West Wing episode about this:
Most any Vermont made maple syrup has got to be good, but Log Cabin syrup is probably only about 3% maple syrup.
Mmmm. All this talk makes me want pancakes!
Traitor, we both know that NH syrup is better.
Perhaps we need a spell:
Summon Syrup
- it combines grease, web and summon swarm. The floor ends up really slippery, but if you fall, you get stuck (grappled), in addition, a swarm of flies appears and attacks anything in the area.
Just add a cantrip for summon pancake and I am sold!!!!!!!!!!
As an FYI, I may have limited ability to post until Saturday. I will probably get some time in, but will be on the road for work and have a very busy schedule which is likely to greatly cut into my posting time.
Huh. We had pancakes for dinner tonight, and I haven't been able to check my games since last week!
Hey guys I will be skiiing on vacation starting tomorrow through Thursday. I will be checking in 1-2 times per day but posting will be much lighter than normal.
Get ready to channel +ve!
Woohoo--the epic battle is over and evil defeated. Create pit is actually quite useful--even if it cost 10gp a casting.
Ranim can use the magic shield too. Bards can be capable fighters, especially with elemental damage to put on top of it.
Maybe Braden can use the brooch of shielding? Those loaded up with magic items may need to wait on money splits until the rest of us are somewhat caught up.
I don't mind those of us who have items getting either a smaller or no share until some others get caught up. I know Arin is ahead of most due to the items we have found.
I'm not overly concerned when it comes to magic items. As long as they go to someone who can use them, I'm generally fine with not getting stuff or lagging behind others. I do have to admit though I didn't realize bards could use shields too. I think I'll need to go through my spells and see what requires somatic components, see how a heavy shield will compare to a light one if I wanna start using one.