I expect that I should have access to a computer, but if I do go longer than the usual amount of time, someone NPC Declan, please? I'm going on a trip and am relatively certain I will be able to access the 'net, but just in case...
To give you guys a heads up, once Pentor gives the official word, I am going to be your Co-DM. I am working on several things right now that you hopefully will find interesting and fun.
Bear and his family in RL will be on vacation at the Grand Canyon from Sat-Sat next week, so my access and posting will be spotty or I might go missing for a day or two.
I am not gone and will be back to squash more stuff :)
Post for me if needed.
Welcome Darkbiter! Glad ta have ya as our new co-DM. Looking forward to hearing some of your ideas.
Keenword Out
Dotting. :)
Krathok have simple tastes:
Stuff to stab people better
Stuff to make sneakier
Stuff to make killing Krathok harder
Magic Two handed weapon
Magic Bow
Magic light armor
Strength items
Dex items
Small sized weapons and light armours ;)
Ability increase items
Stealth items [we're a stealth unit so anything that improves that is a major bonus]
Poisons
As we lack a defined healer [Bear's spells are better suited to making him BIG(ger) and MEAN(er) lol] - healing items will be a long term boon.
Dotted (oh and I'll have that goblin jerky you promised :P)
Get an unique melee weapon at 3rd level. Highly improbable that I'll ever find a magical version of my ranged weapon. You seem to already be on track with the small enemies for small sized loot. I guess ability boosting items, spell affecting items, stealth enhancing items and speed items are what I am interested in gaining.
Dotted (oh and I'll have that goblin jerky you promised :P)
"Heh..I'll send some over."
Abi would also like lots of poisons or things with poison that he can harvest :)
Can't wait to kit Talbot's razor honed bolts out with a nasty venom...
One Shot. One Kill. Slow Death tho :)
Can't guarantee that you'll find a magical staffsling but I'll see what I can come up with.
Like I said, highly improbable.
What kind of melee weapon you talking about?
At level 3 I get my black blade. Per UM, I might find it adventuring, it might appear in my gear, etc. As the black blade is also my deity's holy symbol, it seemed a great choice. As Thamir Gixx is the shadow of Norgorber and focused on stealth, the ideas for how it comes to the character were all cool means of delivery.
Also taking a page from a co-GM of mine can you folks list the magic items that you'd like to gain in the future? No guarantees that you'll actually get them, but it gives me an idea on what stuff I can try and seed into the game.
Talbot is a sniper and I plan to eventually make the transition from crossbow to rifle, so obviously some type of musket or ammo would be helpful. Also items that help me stealth, as the others have pointed out, are always useful.
Also taking a page from a co-GM of mine can you folks list the magic items that you'd like to gain in the future?
Spells. I can't counter it if I don't have it, not until 6th lvl. UM has a spell in it that lets me steal spells out of a recently dead opponent's blood, but I'll need a take on the [evil] descriptor to see what your (the two of you) stances on it are.
Blood Transcription
School divination [evil]; Level alchemist 2, magus 2, wizard 2,
witch 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V
Range touch
Target one dead spellcaster
Duration 24 hours
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
By consuming 1 pint of blood from a spellcaster killed within the last 24 hours, you can attempt to learn a spell that spellcaster knew. Select one spell available to the dead spellcaster (this must be a spell on your spell list); you gain the knowledge of this spell for 24 hours. During this time, you may write it down (or teach it to your familiar, if you are a witch) using the normal rules for copying a spell from another source. Once you have learned it, you may prepare the spell normally.
Can you poison musket balls? ;)
For what its worth I think the Blood Transcription spell fits right into our modus-operandi...
"Krathok agree. Gypsy drink blood make Gypsy less girly man. Maybe Krathok need club. That way less blood leak out when kill."
Declan, spells shouldn't be a problem at all. Blood Transfusion seems fine to me, although you'll have to find a copy of it somewhere first though. I'm not sure what the [Evil] descriptor would do though when applied to your character?
That was my concern as well. There is a thread HERE that is discussing that descriptor itself, but provided we level, I can make that spell one of the ones I could be researching to add as I level up-- that is, provided you are amenable.
Gotcha. HP/AC at the bottom of the thread. And it does fit with the theme of the squad, doesn't it. ^^;
Bear won't need much, just protective magic and an amulet of mighty fists :)
Declan, given that the party is already at best neutral anyway, I don't see how that particular spell would make you stand out anymore to the world at large than the insane butcher in your group. But it will take an equally insane NPC in order to find it.
(looks up from playing "one little piggy" with a dead goblin's severed toes)
"Insane butcher? Me?! I'm the sane one. Everyone else is mad... Just ask Hakon..."
Declan, given that the party is already at best neutral anyway, I don't see how that particular spell would make you stand out anymore to the world at large than the insane butcher in your group. But it will take an equally insane NPC in order to find it.
Ah, okay. No researching for that spell (researching comes from Core only?), I'll require an NPC scroll to add that to my list. Gotcha.
The problem with researching that spell is I don't know where you would get the idea in the first place without meeting someone else willing to do it, since you are currently neutral good. I just don't see it as something that would occur to your character right now. Later on, depending on how things play out, and what happens to your alignment because of it, that could change, but for now, I have to say no researching that one. Other spells would have to judged on a case by case basis in regards to research.
The problem with researching that spell is I don't know where you would get the idea in the first place without meeting someone else willing to do it, since you are currently neutral good. I just don't see it as something that would occur to your character right now. Later on, depending on how things play out, and what happens to your alignment because of it, that could change, but for now, I have to say no researching that one. Other spells would have to judged on a case by case basis in regards to research.
Darkbiter's right. No evil spell research for a Mr. Goody Two Shoes like you. It's just too bad that there is no one else in this squad that uses a spellbook and is ideally suited to researching just such a spell for when he attains 2nd level magus spells. Damn! If only we had someone! Someone who Abitan had been feeding his culinary horrors to for years and would not be adverse to drinking yet another pint of blood. Someone who would actually take delight in concocting a new blood based alcoholic beverage for just such a purpose. Someone who... oh, yeah, I'll do it.
The problem with researching that spell is I don't know where you would get the idea in the first place without meeting someone else willing to do it, since you are currently neutral good. I just don't see it as something that would occur to your character right now. Later on, depending on how things play out, and what happens to your alignment because of it, that could change, but for now, I have to say no researching that one. Other spells would have to judged on a case by case basis in regards to research.Darkbiter's right. No evil spell research for a Mr. Goody Two Shoes like you. It's just too bad that there is no one else in this squad that uses a spellbook and is ideally suited to researching just such a spell for when he attains 2nd level magus spells. Damn! If only we had someone! Someone who Abitan had been feeding his culinary horrors to for years and would not be adverse to drinking yet another pint of blood. Someone who would actually take delight in concocting a new blood based alcoholic beverage for just such a purpose. Someone who... oh, yeah, I'll do it.
Good to see teamwork. I'm fine with the idea if Pentor is. It fits Hakon scarily well.
Good to see teamwork. I'm fine with the idea if Pentor is. It fits Hakon scarily well.
I just recoiled from my keyboard slightly. It does fit disturbingly well.
HA!! Dust that off, ya little freak!!
I will be taking over running in 2 weeks and things should speed up, but for now, enjoy your break, because things will get fun once I get back from vacation.
I apparently won't be going on vacation due to problems at work that find us a man short for the time being, so as soon as I can get Pentor's notes, I will be ready to move the story forward.
Fresh posts are up.
Several points of business to cover. I apologize if this gets long, but I want to make sure I cover everything.
1)You now have a new rival squad you can bash on without grating on the other PC squads that your characters don't actually know yet. This doesn't mean you can't still play around in the OOC channels, but please be mindful that you will eventually have to fight beside the other PC squads when you do so.
2)How I handle dice rolling. Part 1. I will not be using the dice roller on this board for multiple reasons. If this is truly a concern, I can spell out the reasons, otherwise, I assure you that I am not doing it to screw you over, but to make it easier for me to give you guys the kind of game you deserve to have.
3)Dice rolling. Part 2. I have found that it is easier for me to roll purely reactive rolls, such as initiative, saving throws, some Perception checks, etc., myself simply to keep the game moving. If you don't care for this, let me know, and if enough people object, I will let you roll your own, but otherwise it is simply another way of streamlining the pure mechanics so we can keep focused on the fun parts.
4)Combat. Part 1. How I handle initiative is simple. I roll initiative for all involved, and once I have a full list, I break the different groups of PCs and foes that result into groups, then those groups go in order, with order within each group in order of posts. Example: PC 1 24, PC 3 20, Foe 1 18, Foe 2 17, PC 2 10, PC 4 2. Groups would be PC 1 & PC 3 go in whatever order they post, than the foes, than PC 2 and PC 4 in whatever order they post. This preserves the advantage that high init characters have, but still streamlines the process a bit.
5)Combat. Part 2. In combat posts, it would help me greatly if you started or ended each post with the following information: round #, current and total hp, ACs (normal, flat, touch), saving throws, limited abilities (spells, rage, bombs, etc) used/total for the day, any special conditions currently on the character. This helps me keep track of how your character is doing and makes it easier to write my own posts. I will try to include similar relevant information that the party would know about for the enemies.
6)Skills. Be creative with them. I won't always allow every use you come up with, but I will try to reward creativity as much as possible.
7)The environment. Same as with skills. I can assure you that your foes will use it as much as their knowledge and intelligence allows, so you may as well do the same.
If you have any comments or concerns on anything, let me know as soon as reasonably possible, I will clarify things and work with you, but I need to know the concern is there before I can do either.
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Sunshadow,
Thanks for your efforts in picking up the game for squad 1. After reading your rule set, I am bowing out.
Quite simply, you had me at your first point. Since Monkeygod started assisting as co-GM in squad 2, he has been whining about the back and forth between the members of squads 1 and 2. There have been no complaints from any of the squad members in the threads (the only appropriate place to make them), however; Monkeygod has gone so far as to make a public complaint about one of the squad 1 members in the recruitment thread of all places. This point seems to have been made only to further his stance.
I appreciate you trying to introduce an NPC squad for rivalry, but the comment in your IC post only felt like a put down to me. Thank you for clarifying it here though; that means a lot.
On to the rest of the points. If you read the IC posts for squad 1, you will notice that the methods employed there worked without issue or reservations voiced by any of the players. Frankly, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Finally, I hope everyone has fun. You are all a great group of people and I had much fun in just our short time together (Yes, this also includes you, Sunshadow =D ). I look forward to the next time we meet up on the boards.
I'm... uncertain.
In regards to the rival squad.. I don't think that they're even relevant to squad #1, since there was never any rivalry (I thought) to begin with.
I am curious about your reasons for not using the dice roller, however. I can understand the delay it causes if you're asking for a roll and then waiting for the person to roll, and then they roll, without furthering their post, so you have to give a one-line answer, and then wait again for them to post so the game can continue.. I do agree with all passive checks, though.. I offer up the idea in every game I play.
Your method of initiative confuses me, but as long as it works, it works, I guess. Figuring out how it works is something I guess I'll have to see to learn how it works.
The data block for each post is a lot of text. I can understand it, but that is also something that can be accessed -- should be able to be accessed by clicking on the character-- If that data isn't on the sheet, that's the player's fault, and they should have that covered. I can understand it, but it's a fair amount of typing that seems unnecessary for me, but that's just how I do things. I'm not fond of the idea, but I can give it a try..
Creative uses? Most certainly. I'm with you on that one. However, if someone posts a use that you would disallow, that's three posts minimum that will have to be resolved before the rest can continue.. unless it's in the OOC, or there are fast responses.
If Hakon and Abitan fade, I'm uncertain about what will become of the squad, since they were what made the name stick.. Time will tell, I guess..
On a personal note, I'm kind of worried now about how I'm perceived, since I do similar things in some cases when I GM, and I'm moving squad 4 along.. <.<;;
I am also uncertain. I feel alot that the shape the PbP on a whole as well as individually by squad are a bit different to what we originally signed up for. We now have four squads which are 'co-DM'ed' by four different people, and it looks like the single oversight figure is incognito now.
Last contact I had with Pentor was 9 days ago, and he hasn't updated any of the squads or played his unrelated PbP character in that time.
I'm hesitant for continuing until I see opinions of the rest of the squaddies, but I'm sensing we will be at least a few short.
I think all you Co DM's And THE DM get your stuff together about the squad rivalry. I stopped posting in the discussion threads because of the Drama as pointed out by Pentor. No one else said anything at all about the rivalry player wise. If you DM's are all against it via Emails then come out and say it. Not with snide remarks.
Also, I advise not changing styles between DM and Co-DM. It is a pain to have 2 different DM styles in the same game.
I appreciate the concerns, and I agree with many of them regarding the different styles and Pentor's disappearance, but until I know how many are still here and willing to stick around, I can't do alot to fix them.
So, who is willing to stay and see what the Co-DMs can come up with and who is bowing out?
On the rivalry thing, I didn't notice anything until it got onto the recruitment thread. To me, it's less that it happens and more about where it happened. The OOC thread is fine, but the recruitment thread was a bit far for a lot of people.
The rest of the stuff is stuff I've found works in most groups I'm. If you have specific objections to any of them and plan on sticking around, let me know, I can figure out what needs to adapt to this group.
My reasons for not using the dice roller are several:
1)It is not unusual to spend more time typing out the special codes for all the dice rolls than it is to type everything else. I do a lot of updating at work where I have to step away from time to time, and the longer it takes to make an update, the harder it is to do. This is the big one.
2)The DM using the public dice roller is literally lethal. I've killed one character and had to ignore another dice roll to avoid killing another. This isn't entirely bad, but it can be disruptive to the game and discouraging to have to constantly replace PCs. The public dice roller also makes it hard to setup things like ambushes and other rolls that the party wouldn't know about. Some rolls simply are better off behind a DM screen. 99.9% of the time I don't fudge, but every once in a while, it needs to happen to keep the game running smoothly as possible.
As for everything else, if everyone is happy with it and can keep the pace up, I don't have a problem with what you have been doing. If we continue, I would appreciate at least round #, current hp, and any other variable effects that might be active as those generally aren't going to be listed elsewhere and helps me keep track of actions by round.
Also, my apologies to drayen for not warning you about the npc squad. I was updating multiple games I'm running and that aspect slipped my mind.
Alright, since I was called out, here we go:
Drayen, what the hell is your problem??. *I* did not start what happened in the Recruitment thread. I simply stated how I felt. You then decided to be the thought police and told me that i basically couldn't voice how I felt.
The problem was, with this game of roughly 21 players, my VtM game of 3, the Eberron game I'm playing in which has about 6 and the crazy game Kobold Cleaver is running with something around 7 players, I got confused. I was annoyed by Abitan, but did not realize he was played by Black Dow, who i did not have a problem with. I then apologized, he accepted and we moved on. Hell, I even tried to keep the silly going, as you'll note in my above post here.
So seriously dude, wtf is your deal?? why are you getting so worked up over something that never concerned you in the first place???
Now then,
As both a player and GM in a few games here let me say the following regarding Sunshadow and Squad 1:
I really hope you all stay together for the most part. Apparently, Drayen is not willing to even try to work with Sunshadow, but I hope the rest of you will at least give him a chance. As a player I can't wait to meet up with the insanity that are the Crimson Kings, while I haven't followed your IC thread, I'm sure Blaze will at least be amused by a few of you.
As a GM of one of the games, I am really looking forward to eventually bringing the squads together and coming up with some cool stuff for you all as well as making some interesting challenges for your groups particular skills.
So as both PC and GM, I ask you all to please, at least give Sunshadow a chance. Talk things over with him if there's stuff you don't like. I have a feedback discussion going on for Squad 2, and while it's been all good praise for my GMing so far, it won't always be that way.
Communication is key to any relationship, be it lovers, friends, or GMs and PCs.
Easy, Monkeygod, I can understand your frustration, but your concerns could probably be said in a less inflammatory manner. This is much of the reason that the rivalry stuff ran into problems. It wasn't so much what was said, but how it was said, a trap I accidentally fell into when introducing the npc squad to alleviate the problem.
To me, the game is the game.. The reason I'm so uncertain about it is because Hakon and Abitan played off of each other, and the rest of the squad (in my opinion) played off of them as the ones you tread carefully around, so having a part of that disappear changes the squad dynamic, and the attitudes of such.
Granted, I expected one or two players to drop, but not like this.
Easy, Monkeygod, I can understand your frustration, but your concerns could probably be said in a less inflammatory manner. This is much of the reason that the rivalry stuff ran into problems. It wasn't so much what was said, but how it was said, a trap I accidentally fell into when introducing the npc squad to alleviate the problem.
Actually, that was less inflammatory. My first post, before i edited, was full of a lot more cursing, and total jerk mode.
My real problem came in how Drayen responded: I was not nasty or rude, just expressed my opinion and Drayen told me I needed to check my attitude. And now he is blaming me for stuff?? that's absurd and ridiculous to say the least. And to top it all off, he just straight bows out instead of trying to work with you?? that's just being selfish as that move may now ruin the game for the other players.
After reading the above I too will also be bowing out.
My character and Drayen's were specifically designed as a disturbingly fun partnership, and without Hakon, Abitan really loses a huge part of his appeal as a character.
With regards the DM style contrasts - I am not particularly enthused with the dropping of the dice roller [sunshadow you could spoiler all your DM rolls and if necessary decide to overrule them - you co-run the game after all...]
I for one never check DM rolls to see if they've fudged things - am usually too engrossed in the game and frankly I trust the DM to run things at their discretion.
The initiative I'm not 100% on - depends how it runs I suppose, but as Hangman mentioned when we as players then face two different styles and "systems" it gets a tad confusing.
Finally on the inter-squad rivalry, as one of the prime instigators of inter-squad banter since all our inceptions I really don't see the problem with it. Its something that seems to have been made a bigger issue than it actually was - if individuals weren't enjoying it or didn't appreaciate it, then apologies, it was just banter and hyping inter-squad competition whilst playing in character. Sadly the drama surrounding the game (rather than in the game) is something that has also drained my enthusiasm :(
Pity things have went a little south as the concept of the overarching game was, I believe, pretty unique on these boards. As short lived as it was, I enjoyed creeping around [both figuratively and literally] as Abitan.
Thanks to everyone involved for some fun times.
Cheers
Black Dow