The Boy King: A Pendragon Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Jubal Breakbottle

It's a really unique setting that I love for the attention to details. However sometimes we're unsure of how to proceed and it often drags us down for a while.

Since I'm making it up as we go, is there anything different that I could do?

There are times when I enjoy this game, but if I'm being totally honest I'm not that invested in Bran.

This (including the game I just shut down, and one other I ran in the past) is the third game I've been in that takes Pathfinder rules to run an essentially real-life Earth as the setting. Each time I've been really excited going in, and thinking it was going to be super awesome. Buuutt, it always kind of ends up the same, feeling less rich than normal fantasy PF (for me anyway). There are only so many ways you can build a character without magic or technology and so the fights become relatively repetitive and there's not that much difference between the PCs' abilities. The roleplay aspect has been fun at times, but I don't have as much time to invest in deep/heavy RP across all my games as I used to. So the characters I'm less invested in tend to become relatively shallow/2D. It doesn't help that Bran sucks at social skills, so even when I try some kind of RP thing (finding a wife, gathering info, etc) I usually fail.

I won't have as much free time going forward, but I will continue to participate here if everyone else wants to.

Jubal, are you having fun? That's also important in my book.

I do feel as if the fights are a little boring. We basically bash our numbers against theirs until one of us dies, although that is accurate to the time. Hey, speaking of that, shouldn't we be rich from all those composite bows? :P

I feel as if there's no real drive, no overarching goal. There was a really cool entrance with big events. Then we became knights and just started doing some mundane patrols. Now we're going to take a few castles. Sometimes it feels as if we're just doing little odd jobs.

Half of Pendragon is the social skills, so that's tough. But I'm running a Pendragon variant for Pathfinder. And I know what you mean about character investment and lack thereof.

The overarching goal is to explore chaotic Britain without a high king becoming veteran knights who will become some Arthur's biggest supporters or not. You could always rewrite history legend.

Yes, the battles have been tough, because of the milieu. I was hoping to spice and shorten them by using the mass combat rules. Maybe some one on ones.

Money's not the same in Pendragon. It's not very liquid. Wealth comes from status and lands and taxes. Not really from things per se. Very different from Pathfinder.

Mundane Patrols? You had the most interesting patrol in decades! OK Maybe the word patrol was a bit of a turn off, and I guess my goal of starting you guys at a low rung of knightly duties came through. Actually, there are lower rungs of household knights and poor/landless knights that you would meet.

Am I having fun? Some. I've always wanted to play Pendragon, so we're further than I ever been. I'm affected too by the boring combats. Plus, I've a persistent streak a mile wide.

What do you think about fast-forwarding 16 years? You could rebuild your characters at 18th level nearing middle-age affects. I could sketch out a timeline and develop your family which we could roll or you could just write.

The campaign would restart with Arthur pulling the sword and the succession wars. Battles and negotiations. How does that sound? For me, building an 18th-level character would be a punishment.

While I agree that the fights tend to drag, I feel like that's more because it's PbP than anything else. THAT BEING SAID! I truly, GREATLY enjoy this game and am more than happy to keep going. I've got an iPhone now, so I'm able to make posts while on the go, which'll make it easier for me to keep up.

I do admit that sometimes things feel directionless. Granted, part of that's because the REALM is directionless without a king, and this part of the game is supposed to illustrate it, but nudging us a little more in appropriate directions would help things flow. That's always been the issue with sandboxy approaches in my opinion. You spend a lot more time just trying to figure out where to go and what to do than you do actually doing it.

In summation, is this game worth continuing for me? Hell yeah, it is! I can see if maybe I can wheedle a few of my buddies into checkin' it out if we still need more players. :)

Definitely don't want to play an 18th level character. I feel like that would just exacerbate the issues we're having.

In fact, the highest level person in the entire world probably shouldn't be more than like 6th level.

Calibrating Your Expectations

Yes, I remember that article. I just remember my first Deities and Demigods with the Arthurian legends.

OK Do you want to fast forward 16 years and rebuild your characters to 6th level?

No, if we're going to do this, lets keep doing what we're doing. Let's fast forward to getting the intel, and planning our attacks on the three keeps.

Get us some soldiers, and let us try to take down the brothers. The mass combat rules should make it relatively quick and painless.

My wife and kids are still on vacation, which kind of makes me on vacation too. So I'm posting slower than I would prefer.

So what I read:

I might add that I like socially focused stuff. Drama's my drug. Maybe a bit more focus in situations where we need to mingle would help. I'll see about badgering my friends.

OK moving the ooc Discussion to here.

You're at Sarum. You've got the gold. You've a plan for the first brother. Now what? BTW Whores are just a profession, and you have enough gold for her, too. Edward could not handle that transaction...

Do you want to plan for the next two brothers, or head out?

Are you traveling as yourselves or the poor landless knights again?

Feel free to RP telling Sir Amig and Lady Elaine the plan.

cheers

Oh dear hahaha.

Let's handle the first brother first then get to the next ones.

Guys

Thanks for the recent RP posts. The lack of pace had me on the brink of shuttering the game.

cheers

It's too unique and well thought out of a game to give up on. I've recently started a new year of school and dropped a few of my games, but I intend to stick this one out. You don't give yourself enough credit DM, running a game is hard. Especially homebrews.

Tis true, the homebrews are difficult to keep going. I'm guilty of letting mine die many times. I always have bigger eyes than my stomach when it comes to running PBPs.

I've also started a new school year and am doing like double my normal work load at my job until the end of next week. My posting should in theory pick up after that.

I know it's hard, but you're honestly one of the best GMs I've seen, both for putting this together AND putting up with me...

Jelani

While we wait for posts from Edward and the new guy, would you please search for a map for us. Inn: ground floor for supper an top floor(s) for entertainment. Thanks again.

cheers

I have one that's one floor, with rooms and a dining area/bar. Would that work?

I have one that's one floor, with rooms and a dining area/bar. Would that work?

Sure. Sounds good. Thanks again!

My grandfather passed away, I will be gone for a few days for his funeral. DMPC as needed.

I'm so sorry for your loss. :(

You have my deepest sympathies.

I'm sorry to hear that, man.

Anyway, hello everyone, I would be the new guy. I read the gameplay thread and while I agree with your plan for the youngest brother, I have some suggestions about the others, especially the eldest.

@Conner When you've finished your homework (addition to your background as per my PM), we'll start the encounter.

Bran, Raedwald, feel free to RP waiting at your town craftsman

cheers

Okay, added a couple paragraphs to my background about the coup.

Please read my PM and rewrite.

I'm readying the encounter.

Guys. I've gotten surprisingly busy all of a sudden. I'm letting this game slip for that reason and to let Edward return.

Also Conner, I'm waiting for the background rewrite per my last PM, so we're on the same page.

Cheers

Ey, no worries. Work's been breaking my backside lately, so I haven't had much posting time either (he said typing on his phone during a 20 min break at work...).

I'm going to drop out of this game. I'm feeling a bit overloaded recently on the PBP stuff and I'm finding that I enjoy GMing more than playing anyway. Thanks for the run Jubal, see you in our other games. Nice playing with the rest of you, see you around the boards some day.

We started this campaign almost 8 months ago, so we've had a good run. In my experience in play by post, campaigns survive on the three things that make people post:

1. Real life allows it. We all make time to play, but some time it is crowded by higher priorities. It happens to all of us.

2. Interest in the campaign. This is easier with published adventures, because rail-roading succeeds in Pbp better than sandbox. Primarily, because along with limited time to post, players have limited time to think and remember the plots of the campaign.

3. Interest in characters. Really enjoying your character can keep bringing you back to the game when the other two don't.

But for a campaign to sustain, you need all three. I don't know where this one failed worse. Maybe we leaked from every point. However we got here, I feel that the pace of the game without Bran will not be enough to sustain my enjoyment. As I said before, I need faster posting rates to interest me. Anyway, I greatly appreciate your interest and participation. Sorry Conner didn't get a chance to get on board.

I'm going to deactivate the campaign.

I've another campaign idea, but I think that I will run that when my other adventure finishes. I think I only have 1 game in me to run at a time. Unlike Bran/Jelani/WesternWolf, I prefer to play than run.

Wish you all the best.

Cheers