And... botted. Felt Bad doing that :|.
Not at all! I feel bad you had to do that, but I understand the importance of keeping the game's pace, especially during combat. I set aside some time to catch up on my posting this afternoon, but I ended up having to take a Benadryl after I had an allergic reaction to something. I ended up conking out before I could write anything intelligible. =(
Thanks for the well wishes on moving!
Allergies are terrible.
Alright will wait a bit to move to the dwarf building. This one will be a bit tricky as it's the most dungeony and theatre of the mind doesn't work so well for that. Let's see how it goes.
Whoops, missed my own deadline after getting busy at work. Will try and get something up tonight. Otherwise tomorrow for certain. Will give Astrianna a chance to chime in as well hopefully.
Hrm.. Astrianna isn't really responding. Oh well. It be final dungeon time now!
Probably won't be able to post tomorrow.
Dungeoneering is a big problem in PBP. Someone has to make a decision about which way to go and most of us don't want to be domineering in making all the decisions.
How do you guys feel about me just rolling a random number and moving you in that direction in situations like these? For example right now there's nothing really different about the three obvious options and I could roll a 1d3 and just use it (stating what each roll means before I roll).
Of course I'd wait for a while before doing so in case someone has a different idea than the obvious ones I present (ideas the GM hasn't even though of are the best ideas I think!). But this could prevent the game from stalling.
This is a pretty well made little dungeon which means there's going to be a lot of 'Go North or Go East?' kind of decision points and I don't want the game to stall out on these kinds of mundane choices.
Just FYI Astrianna's player has let me know that they won't be able to post too often in the next little while and has let me bot her. Hope they'll come back soon of course!
To be honest, as one of the slower posters here, I'm not sure if I like the idea. I worry that between the time I check in the morning and then again in the afternoon, we'll have visited two new rooms and Aelerie will have just been quietly trailing along. I don't think I'd be able to keep up with that pace.
If it's about waiting for us to make a decision, I kinda like the two person rule I read on one of these PbP guides where if two people say 'Let's go this way', the party goes that way, and the GM doesn't have to wait for the whole group to reach a consensus.
Just my thoughts. ^^ But let's see how the others feel.
Also, I'm happy you've heard back from Astrianna! Maybe we can hear more from our fire fox friend until she gets back?
Fair enough. There is a fine balance between pushing the pace and pushing too much and I can see how random direction rolls would go over the line.
I like the two person consensus idea as well. What say everyone else?
How about I use the 2 person rule by default and only institute the GM roll if it's been a long time. (3 days or so since last gameplay post?)
Whisper doesn't have much to do with libraries and books :)
Yes two person rule is a good guideline. Since we are really down to 3 active players now, if it's been more than a day with only one of us saying a direction, I'd say go with that one person's choice.
I wouldn't say Astrianna's not active. Just busy till the end of the week :)
Edit: But sure, two people agreeing will make a decision. After a day one person's suggestion will carry the day.
That's an okay rule for online play.
Oh, that's good to hear that she will be rejoining us soon! :)
Ok let's try this. Got a bit of time and.... Map!
Won't use this for combat but take a look and see if you guys preferred the theatre of the mind style or this. It's obviously way slower to make the images but it's worth a try.
Also let me know if my word descriptions gave you guys at least a similar concept of the area as the image map.
Personally, it's nice to have the map just to be clear on what all our options are. But I've been managing just fine so far and I don't mind TotM in general.
Yes, that's more or less what I pictured from your description.
It's pretty close to what I had in mind, but I didn't realize that there were two proper entrances into the monastery (that is, the doors) from the description you gave us. If I'd known it was an option, Aelerie probably would have suggested using the front door. =)
Like Virdel said, I prefer the map for dungeon exploration purposes just so everyone's on the same page.
I like maps when they can be easily provided, they do help set the scene better; I had a more square image in mind from your description. It is important that a GM not overload himself either. If you can for a main scene load a map all to the good, but only if the effort on your part is reasonable.
I intend for more to do in gameplay but I'm not feeling well this evening so I'll pick up tomorrow. Of course Albus will take advice.
I'll give it a couple of hours than proceed to try a communication with our mysterious friend but I'll give a chance for others to chime in first, don't want to start the next scene without everyone's input if possible.
Sounds fine.
My recent post makes assumptions about your world GM Stargin, if you don't want that I'll post a revised message.
Sounds great to me. The fine words are a bit wasted on kobolds though. :).
They're a bit on the "Me Take Your Shiny Good Good!" side of the language scale.
So I'm thinking maybe Albus should take over if we're trying to be diplomatic with Gurtlekep. He might be just unfriendly to Albus, instead of hostile. =) Otherwise we could try to use intimidation, if any of us are good at that. Or, as a last resort, find something to muzzle him with and keep him tied up in the closet until we're finished searching the monastery.
I think kobolds are adorable, by the way, especially the ones on that side of the language scale. When Gurtlekep threatened to "stab stab", my initial reaction was "Aww... ♥".
From what I can see Golarion kobolds are like more orderly and so less terrifying Golarion goblins.
If you guys want to keep playing after this I did buy the sequel module.... you'll get a lot of stab stab there!
Oh, I'm definitely interested in continuing this story. Either way the homecoming situation plays out when they get back to the Hollow, it'll be nice to see if the group's actions on this journey will have consequences in the next module.
Kobold is turning out to have one incredible poker face!
I'd like to continue to the next adventure myself. I do hope there is more variety to scene though, I feel as though I am being the spotlight character a bit too much. Other characters need their time in the sun as well. This module really puts a lot on woodland skills and so it turned out;I thought that a ranger would be good but a bit more than I expected. I'll certainly step up based on the GM's great roll but I suspect my good diplomacy rolls will soon run out.
I understand your concern, but for me, I don't feel like I've been left out of the story or the spotlight at all. From the beginning, I was okay with Albus leading our little expedition because he had a background as a woodsman and so knew his way around the Vale (whereas the other three are just a couple of townies) and he had the best survival and perception scores. That said, I think the GM has been really good about giving each of us moments where we could let our different skill sets shine. Virdel would undoubtedly be shining in this scene, if only he could speak Draconic. =)
I'm glad all of you are enjoying the game! The sequel seems like more of a dungeon crawl though so it will need some sort of mapping solution.
Albus being in the lead has meant the fancy arrows I gave him haven't come into play at all! If Astrianna can't join us then might have to get another frontliner for that.
I didn't know there was a sequel to this one. Would we level up in between? I think it would be fun to continue! And Albus I don't feel like you are hogging the spotlight too much. It's just the way these things go sometimes. Like Aelerie said, the rest of us are townies. :D
Yup you guys would level up in between. I've got a few ideas on leveling as well that might be fun.
And based on an experience in another game I'm not going to be allowing Save Or Die spells in any games I run! Save or Sucks are fine as it at least allows other players to collapse in and try to save the helpless PC but, two bad rolls and that's all she wrote right at the start of the first combat of the day? Nope Nope.
Sorry about the slowness yesterday. We're getting into the good part of moving, which is boxing everything up and deciding what we're going to keep and cleaning the places like they were crime scenes or something. God, I'm tired already. But, hopefully, we'll be done and settled in by Monday, so my normal pace can resume by then.
I'm excited that we'll be levelling up. I was marginally more excited when I thought I would be getting my first arcanist exploit, until I realized they get them at 1,3,5... and not 1,2,4... like witch's hexes, but for standard action summons, it's worth the wait. I'm guessing that rule (which I'm in favor of) applies to the PCs, too? In which case, any spells you want me to stay away from? Color spray can be considered kinda save or die, especially if any of us are the type to coup de grace a helpless enemy (not sure, but it hasn't come up yet).
Edit: Aww, GM! You can't tug on my delicate heartstrings like that. That's the saddest, most pitiful thing I've read in a while.
I thought the pace yesterday was great. Hope you guys are enjoying the interrogation scene.
Save or Sucks are fine because at least the PCs or the enemy can drop what they're doing to save their helpless buddy or like Gurtelkep here be taken prisoner/interrogated rather than just straight dropping dead.
Now if a player insists on heading alone into a known den of vicious murderers and gets Held Person or something then, well, that's an earned death. In any case we're way lower level so I don't think we have to worry about this house rule for a good long time yet.
As for Gurtelkep... you're the one who called his bluff Aelerie!
Ok. Let's try this. See if this works for everyone.
You're currently in area 4 and Gurtlekep has shown you to area 6.
Hope your move is going well Aelerie. Perfectly understand if you need some time to just recuperate.
Let me know how this Online Powerpoint works out for you guys. From the GM side it actually works better than Google slides but I don't know how it is from your guys end.
Google slides allowing a 'View only' Link to accidentally move around the block out images I make just feels really clunky to me and Powerpoint online doesn't seem to have that issue.
Won't push forward today. Will wait till tomorrow.
I appreciate the extra time, GM. I did indeed need time to recuperate. I moved across the entire U.S. a few years ago, and that didn't leave me nearly as exhausted or in as much pain as this one did. Guess I'm getting old. =/
The PowerPoint works just fine for me, and if it's easier for you, then I think it's a keeper. Now that we have a clearer picture of what's around us, I have suggestions to make on where we should explore next pending how the interaction with Gurtlekep goes.
I loved the interrogation scene, by the way. I just felt bad that Astrianna was missing such great RP opportunities (or RPtunities, if you will); the kobold nearly took her arm off and here we are negotiating with it. Any word from her player yet?
Glad to know that you guys are at least settled Aelerie.
I'll PM Astrianna. Might be we have a drop :|
Aww, that would be unfortunate.
Buuuut, on the bright side, now would be an ideal time to pick up a new party member. Like Gurtlekep! He's just so darn cute! =)
Hope this whole Draconic section isn't dull for you Virdel.
If you like, we can go ahead and assume that Aelerie has been translating the gist of the conversation for Virdel and Astrianna. She wouldn't want to leave them out of the decision-making process, after all. Or, going forward, I could roleplay her translating it if you'd rather do it that way. I don't mind.
I prefer the idea that Aelerie's and Albus have been translating as we go. We'll just call it out next time we run into this sort of a language situation.
Virdel's been pretty great about chiming in here and there though. Too bad about the low diplomacy and sense motive rolls!
Yeah in this type of situation it's reasonable to assume the conversation is getting translated. No worries here! :D
Wolves will take turn soon. You guys okay with Astrianna blocking the doorway?
I mean, if her player isn't coming back... I guess so. I'll have a little post with Aelerie's reaction up soon.
Yup, more than 20 days since the last communication from TPJ, even though they seem to be active in other games. Disappointing but it's been long enough to call Inactive.
Ouch, that is frustrating. Yeah go ahead and bot her as you see fit.
Fine with however you choose to bot Astrianna. I do find it a bit rude not to withdraw from a group without notice. When I had to, due to health issues, a few years back, I notified all games I was in.
As for the future, I do have a recommendation involving stats. I do not think die rolls for builds is a good idea in PbP. It has to do with a sieving effect. Simply put most potential players, if they roll less then very well, tend not to make a character. Nothing against my fellow player they made great characters, and as has been shown here a character with relatively low stats can make a difference. Still I think point buy is the way to go. Just my opinion.
In any event recruiting another player would be good, Albus has been rather lucky in his combat rolls overall, he could use a melee hand as it would free him for more ranged combat though, as you noted, he was built as a switch-hitter that only goes so far. At next level Albus goes archer route, dual weapon isn't that great. Although on second thought maybe a rather martial rogue would work well.
Not really spoilers, but we're pretty much at the end of this module. So I think Astrianna is fine to be botted for a little while longer either till the end or the TPK :)
Yeah there were a few applicants from the recuritment that got absolutely terrible die rolls and didn't seem motivated to continue after that.
I tend to agree that point buy is just fairer and no one feels shortchanged.
I actually will probably not be able to continue on to the next module. I find myself with less free time lately so I am going to curtail starting up new games for a little while.
I have really enjoyed this group and I wish you the best moving forward! :D