Perhaps it is just me, but I am having a hard time picturing where everyone is relative not only to each other, but to the house the man went into. Can we get a description of the relative locations?
My apologies. I've had a really difficult week, and apparently have been poor at writing descriptions. I'll try to draw up a map tonight, once I put the kids to bed.
ok, map is listed at the top of the screen.
I hope it helps, sorry for the poor artwork - I'm a bad artist. And I used paint.
Starting tomorrow, I'm going to be gone about a week. Soolam will follow everyone else, and mind spear any hostiles. If anyone comes close, he will switch his discipline to psionic weapon (on his dagger), and attack with that.
Will do. Enjoy your vacation!
(Saloom has previously notified me of his vacation plans)
Perhaps it is just me, but I am having a hard time picturing where everyone is relative not only to each other, but to the house the man went into. Can we get a description of the relative locations?My apologies. I've had a really difficult week, and apparently have been poor at writing descriptions. I'll try to draw up a map tonight, once I put the kids to bed.
No apologies necessary. I am a visual learner, so this is really helpful for me.
I use Paint all the time for my maps. It's clunky, but quick and easy. If it an important map I'll hand draw it, scan it, then use Paint.
I used to use RPTools, which is pretty slick. It has layers, so once you'd laid down the terrain you can slide people and objects around without all the erasing needed in Paint. Unfortunately I can't seem to get it to run on my new machine with Windows 10. Apparently it does work with Win10, but I can't figure out what I am doing wrong.
5e question: Did I use the right modifier on my Dex check? I added +2 Proficiency, +2 Dex ability bonus, and +1 jack-of-all-trades Bard bonus to get to +5...Is that correct?
5e question: Did I use the right modifier on my Dex check? I added +2 Proficiency, +2 Dex ability bonus, and +1 jack-of-all-trades Bard bonus to get to +5...Is that correct?
For straight ability checks, you do not add your proficiency bonus to the roll. You would add Jack of all Trades, however, see the spoiler below.
It looks like you mixed up your first and second level abilities. You have Jack of all Trades listed, which is level 2, but you're missing Bardic Inspiration, which is level 1. In light of your question, you would add Jack of all trades, but not until next level.
To help with this, I'd like you to add at least one more section to your profile: a list of your class and race abilities. If you like, you can also include descriptions of what they do for your own benefit.
Also, under the background spoiler, please include your background feature. Those are useful things for your character, and we shouldn't forget them. It could come in handy for you. As a hermit, are you using the Discovery feature? If so, we can discuss what it is via PM.
Lastly, if you want to use the same character sheet set up I use for my characters, please see here. Note that in that game, we aren't focusing on character's history, as it's a deadly campaign, so that's why you don't see much roleplay fluff in the character sheet.
I know some of us are new to 5e; if you have any questions or doubts, please ask. :)
Same goes for any Planescape stuff. And anyone can answer these questions if you know the answer.
5e question: Did I use the right modifier on my Dex check? I added +2 Proficiency, +2 Dex ability bonus, and +1 jack-of-all-trades Bard bonus to get to +5...Is that correct?For straight ability checks, you do not add your proficiency bonus to the roll. You would add Jack of all Trades, however, see the spoiler below.
** spoiler omitted **
Thanks for the clarification. I knew jack-of-all-trades was a 2nd level ability, I simply had a brain cramp on that. I do have both bardic inspiration and the genasi ability levitate 1x/day listed, but I have them in the special ability section. I'll pull these into separate spoiler listings for clarity.
So that I am crystal clear, for skill checks you only apply your proficiency bonus to those specific skills from your class and background, correct? Do you still apply your ability modifier to skill checks you aren't proficient in, essentially making these straight ability checks?
That's correct.
By the rules, they're also the skills you're proficient in, or have proficiency with. Ergo, you apply your proficiency bonus to them. You also apply your proficiency bonus to saves and attacks with which you're proficient. In addition to your ability modifier.
The rest of the time, it's just your ability modifier without your prof bonus.
Also, for when you get Jack of all trades, that applies to all ability checks that you're not also using your proficiency bonus - including initiative.
I'll be posting an update tonight.
Might I just say that Paizo's circa 1997 html format is a complete pain in the ass? How hard is it to have WYSIWYG functional boards these days?
Lol. I guess I've gotten used to it.
Welcome back, Saloom!
Sorry for the delay in posting, work has been out of control. Will try to catch up in the next 24 hours.
No worries. I've had a bit of a crappy week, myself.
I'll be posting an update today.
For your benefit, traditional formatting for play by post games are as follows:
Bold = speaking in character
Italics = thoughts
Bold & Italics = telepathic communication
Normal = character descriptions
[ooc] tag = out of character communication to myself or a player
For dice rolling, you can separate out different rolls by using ; between the dice.
Example:
Here's what it looks like
[[dice=example]1d20; 4d6
Oo the semicolon on the dice roll is good to know :)
You might want to put a description of your background feature in your profile, so you don't forget that you have it and can use it.
Other than that, it looks good.
Since I don't have everyone's personality traits, ideals, flaws, and bonds memorized yet (I probably will as we go on), please let me know when you're roleplaying one of those four. Either in OOC text or by PM. Just say it's either trait, ideal, bind, or flaw. I may give inspiration for it.
I feel this is a way for you to be rewarded for good roleplaying and for me to help learn your character better. Also, it'll help me improve as a GM.
Book-- I haven't really defined any of these for my character. I'm still trying to find the right voice for him, and then maybe some of these will form organically. In the meantime, I've always thought that good roleplaying is just like the way a Supreme Court Justice famously described porn: "You know it when you see it". :D
From a system design perspective, the 5e approach of proscribing these seems kind of forced to me, though I get the idea of doing it to help less experienced players understand how to flesh out a character.
That's perfectly fine. We can play it organically. The point of the character traits, et al., is to assist with roleplaying. If they don't fit because you haven't grown into the character yet, then they don't fit. No point in stressing it, ya know?
The idea is to make your experience more enjoyable. Once you settle in to a personality, then you can design your own trait, flaw, bind, and ideal for the purposes of inspiration. Also, that's not the only way to gain inspiration, it's just the default way in the PHB. I also give it inspiration for good ideas, other examples of good roleplaying, and for spending extra for a bathhouse (per the campaign tab).
Ill be posting an update today.
So it's now been over a week since some of our players have made a post.
I'd like us to be posting once every one or two days. That means each player should be posting that often, not at least one of the seven of us posting that often.
If you're unable to post that often, please be courteous and let someone else play. We had a lot of interest for this game, and I'd hate for it to die due to lack of posting.
If it's me and you don't like my style of GMing, that's ok too. There's no hard feelings if you end up not liking how I run the game or even if you don't like this adventure. Please be courteous and let someone else step in.
if you're enjoying the game and want it to continue, please make an effort to take a few minutes to post. Even if it's a small post. That let's everyone know that you're still here.
I think we're waiting for what the book says.
I think we're waiting for what the book says.
Fair enough. If you're waiting on me, please let me me know. I check these boards daily, and it isn't always easy to tell when you're waiting on me.
I'll post an update in a little while, after I put the kids to bed.
Damn, nice pick pocket roll lol
Also, I may not be able to post from the 4th to the 7th, going camping, don't know what kind of signal I'll have up at the lake.
Are Zethaya and Tiberious still with us?
still here, i'll catch up soon.
Duncan is camping this weekend. And I haven't heard from Tiberius.
I'll be making a post tomorrow morning. Finally got home from New York, including a delayed flight during the layover in Phoenix. The kids did pretty good, all things considered. Although they didn't sleep until the drive home from the airport.
Anyways, I'm too tired to think, and I took tomorrow off of work so I wouldn't have to get up at 4:45am. It'll be a good time to recap and set up round 1 of the chase scene.
I was planning on posting an update tonight, but my evening suddenly got very busy. I'll post an update tomorrow morning.
How we all doing?
* silent thumbs up *
I looked into Tiberius' posts. Looks like he got a second job over his summer break, and decided not to tell us about it. He did tell the people in the game he was running, but he didn't tell anyone in any of the games he was playing in.
He's now out of the game. I've invited a new player to join us (from the initial applicants), and he'll be posting soon.
Doing good!
Too bad about Tiberius. Oh well, its better to have someone who can devote the time.
I have a busy day at work, but I'll try to post if I can. I might be able to post tonight, but today I'm hosting a D&D game at my house, so I may not have the time (our game days shifted from Saturday's to Tuesday evenings, because one of the players got a new job).
Worse comes to worse, there will definitely be an update by tomorrow evening (PST).
I looked into Tiberius' posts. Looks like he got a second job over his summer break, and decided not to tell us about it. He did tell the people in the game he was running, but he didn't tell anyone in any of the games he was playing in.
He's now out of the game. I've invited a new player to join us (from the initial applicants), and he'll be posting soon.
Thank you for inviting me! I'm looking over the gameplay thread to get up to speed and can be ready to jump in whenever it best fits. I don't mind waiting if that works better for the story. Whichever you prefer.
Wyaph - please update your character's tag line (located in the race and class fields when you edit your profile) to look like one of the other players. Also, to speed things up, I'll be rolling initiative for you. You can join in any time once I post Round 3.
Zethaya - can you include your Spell DC in your tagline?
So my wife came home with some sort of stomach bug and is very sick. This meant I had to end my home D&D game and send everyone home early so I could take care of her and the kids.
However, that also meant that after the family was in bed, I had time to write up the post for Round 3.
Hope she gets better quickly!
Did it!
I'm going to try to make an update tonight. I'll bot anyone who hasn't posted.
For leveling up, when it happens, Soolam is going to take a level of rogue, gaining 6 hit points, sneak attack 1d6, expertise (athletics, perception), a new skill (sleight of hand), and thieves cant.
I will be on vacation starting tomorrow 8/31 through 9/6, and then out of town for client meetings 9/7-9/9. I will still be online on and off, but responsiveness may be delayed. Please feel free to bot me whenever necessary.
No worries! Thanks for the heads up!
I'll post an update tonight.
We have six players. With the exception of Aerin who has shaky connection right now due to vacation and travel, I expect to see at least six posts every 48 hours.
We're only two months into this game and it shouldn't be this slow at this point.
If the pace doesn't pick up and people keep delaying the game, I'm going to have to start taking measures to pick up the pace, such as kicking out slow players and bringing in new players who are willing to play at the pace we all agreed upon when the recruitment was opened.
One post every 48 hours isn't difficult. Most PBP games require one post every 24 hours.
We're closing in to the end of chapter 1. I'll be making my decision for who to keep and who to cut at the end of the chapter. Please pick up the pace and post at least once every 48 hours if you don't want to be cut from the game.
If you have nothing to add, then either post in OOC that you're simply waiting, or make a post describing yourself fidgeting, or something so that I know you're here and paying attention to the game. If you're too busy due to work or life or something, please have the common courtesy to post in the discussion thread that you're really busy and will be slow posting until whatever it is you're working on is over. It takes 2 minutes to hop online and post that, and there's nothing so busy that you can't make a quick comment giving us a heads up that you're busy for a few days so we're all not waiting on you.
We've only had half our players post at least once in the past 4 days. Please pick up the pace.
If you have nothing to add, then either post in OOC that you're simply waiting, or make a post describing yourself fidgeting, or something so that I know you're here and paying attention to the game. If you're too busy due to work or life or something, please have the common courtesy to post in the discussion thread that you're really busy and will be slow posting until whatever it is you're working on is over. It takes 2 minutes to hop online and post that, and there's nothing so busy that you can't make a quick comment giving us a heads up that you're busy for a few days so we're all not waiting on you.
Apologies. I'm used to just not posting anything when I have nothing to add, but I'll post something whenever Soolam is just waiting.
I am on the forums usually at least twice a day, so a posting rate often isn't a problem for me, I just sometimes feel that the other players are doing better than I could at contributing to a social scene, and I don't want to break the immersion for them.
Speaking of that, my posting will become slightly spotty for the next 3 days or so, but I should still have time to get on here once a day (hopefully). I have some friends visiting until late monday for a bit of a D&D marathon. But I should still have time! I just sometimes get caught up in it all and forget to go on my computer at all.
Anyway, I think we don't have anything more to add to this scene, so I'll move it on.
Almost done levelling up. I just don't know what to take as my second Eldritch invocation (first is Beguiling Influence: Proficiency with Persuasion and Deception), should I take Agonizing Blast (Cha to damage on Eldritch blast), Mask of Many Faces (disguise self at will) or eldritch sight (detect magic at will)
Sorry, I was waiting for the interrogation to end as well. But I will make sure to post one way or another even if it's just to indicate I'm waiting on something else.
Also, as I leveling later or do you want to keep us together to make it easier to track? I won't feel slighted waiting. So either way is fine with me.