I just finished reading Kenax's latest post in the gamplay thread. Kenax is fast becoming my favourite iguana.
I'd say he's the best iguana I've ever known so far.
Kenax appreciates your praise, but he is an Ophiduan, not an iguana. Surely your human eyes can see that when there is sufficient illumination.
Nah I'm just playing. Thanks. :) If it gets too passive-aggressive or anything, let me know and I'll tone it down. But, don't you HATE people who do that? "Boy, sure is warm today" irks me.
Underneath her human seeming, Kazushi is a fox. In two senses of the word considering her charisma 18.
I think you are doing very well giving him a non-human outlook. My character thinks he seems cool, though she knows next to nothing about Ophiduans. And as she has stated, reptile, vulpine or simian, we had best get along as we dependent upon each other for survival.
And stating the obvious can be irritating yes.
Though perhaps still not as bad as the inquiry as to whether it is hot/cold/wet enough for oneself.
I am finding it easy to make mistakes when there are a lot of things unfamiliar. As with my virtual uselessness in the first combat. And most times I post I need to edit to post with the right identity. I will get better.
Question for Bob Jones. I was not sure we had decided to run. I thought Tio and Kazushi were advocating running while Kenax and Aidan had been ready to fight.
Kazushi is not exactly the skill monkey, particularly having no knowledge skills. So some of the rolls in Mr Jones last post I didn't get to make even untrained. :(
Re: Moving the game forward
Short answer - you really should have run.
Long answer - Kenax's first assertion was based upon faulty logic.
"Also I am thinking our pay will be lessened if we lose all our cargo."
"Against these overwhelming odds, the group can see and hear the caravan master point to a path ahead and shout, “The trail to Jace’s Stanchion lies that way! There are too many to fight! Run you bastards!”
A point no one brought up, so I assumed that you were all flexing your new bravado.
Re: Skills you cannot use
It will happen. Hopefully someone can fill in gaps or you will have to make decisions with less than complete information. Which can be more fun in some cases. You are also level 1. Your characters will become more well rounded as you progress as it should be.
He said "Run", I thought we were ditching the caravan. I agree, it was based on faulty logic.
Well, I am glad we did run.
On skills, if I wanted lots of skill points I would have played a different character. My character has things she is good at, but skills, I get 2 points a level. That is right, 2. It's better than nothing, but only just. :(
On my post where I improvised some locals, I take it that was fine with the GM? You sort of told us to do that, and haven't mentioned it since.
In an encounter like this I would like you to showcase your creativity. All good.
With the brief hiatus, just wanting for everyone to check back in. I will move this along tomorrow.
Sorry, I'm here! Didn't check this morning before I went to work!
I'll get a post up in Gameplay ASAP.
Sorry, I'm here! Didn't check this morning before I went to work!
I'll get a post up in Gameplay ASAP.
No worries. :)
Bob- I take it from your last post in the game thread that my little sweep with detect magic revealed nothing? You didn't mention a result.
And I had in mind casting detect magic stealthily, but I typed quietly which could have been clearer.
All As to staying or trying to sign on with another caravan I don't know. There is a mystery here we should get to the bottom of, but it may be more widespread.
My preference would be to ask for some time to think, then try some investigations, then make up our mind. Open to other peoples thoughts.
Note the other guards only answered one of my questions. There may not be anything in that though.
To answer your question in a boarder sense, many GMs run their games differently. Some are very hands on - eg you have to specify everything and be very specific. Whereas other GMs are hands off - and worry more about the narrative.
I fall into the latter. To help me accomplish this, I assume a few things about you all, the party.
You are heroes in your own heroic story, hence you will act like hero adventurers. You will never roll Perception unless I ask for it, because I assume you are actively looking for Evil & Company. If you are in a dungeon, I assume you look for traps. I call this SOP or Standard Operating Procedure. Once the social encounters are over, I will ask you all to come up with your own SOP that is party specific. eg one of my adventuring party on a dungeon craw had me (an oracle) and another party member (sorcerer) cast some prebuffs like Resistance before we went into a room. But we'll worry about that later.
In the short term, I will let you know if your spells/powers trigger anything. Your Detect Psionics did not reveal anything.
As for not responding to your second question, GM oversight. One I will fix shortly. Sorry about that.
As for stealthily casting spells/manifesting powers. I encounter this all the time with all the games I run. It is hard to allow it as there are specific abilities (metamagic & metapsionic) that allow you to cast/manifest without Verbal, Somatic, ect.
If you are going to do that, please give me at the very least a Stealth Check.
OK thanks.
I am new to both PbP and your GMing style.
On the NPCs not answering a question, I wasn't trying to pull you up, just observing it for other players. And as I said, there may be nothing in it. Real people don't always answer questions put to them, deliberately being evasive or just not taking notice, lazy, don't know the answer and don't want to admit it and so on.
That is three and good enough for me. Usually we will use a Rule of Two, two people agree and we move the story along. Happy times.
So how to explore Jace’s Stanchion
Take a look at the map. You have enough time to explore two places before you can meet back here at lunch time. You can split the party and cover four places, or each take a different place and cover eight .
Make sure to post an In Character post on the Gameplay. Exciting times.
The NPCs will not partake in your investigation.
It's always a very good idea to split the party. What could possibly go wrong? :)
Too true.
Hey I rolled well for a change. :)
And is it Simene's or Simene?
Simene - copy and paste error.
Any last questions before you head back to the Absent Eidolon? I will move you there later tonight or tomorrow.
Posting rates and types
So we are in the Sandbox phase where even the best PbPers can slow down. This is just a reminder that posting guidelines are a post every day, and please make sure your post is Moving the Game Forward. See Painlord's guide, which I have linked, for more information on that.
Another reason why no one is rolling skills like Diplomacy, is in a Real Life group there is always a face character with high social skills (Roll) or a person who is just a natural at acting (Role) who takes the lead.
In PbP with no reliance on skills, this is everyone's opportunity to be the face character.
Sorry about all the italics.
Next week for those of us who live in the US is Thanksgiving, the greatest holiday ever. I will post a modified posting schedule on Sunday so everyone is aware.
Keep up the good work; you are all doing so great!
Well, another trouble is I thought we were heading back to the Eidolon, the bar, not directly to the House. I'm thrown for a loop and wondering how we ended up here. (Even though I realize we talked about going here.)
EDIT: Also, the lizard is REALLY bad at talking to people. As I have evidenced. *Cough 8 charisma cough*
I'm also confused about how we've managed to wander to House Duarran instead of the Eidolon. Perhaps a mis-post, intended for Group B? Though we talked about heading there, we've already hit our two spots before lunch, if I'm not mistaken.
I see your confusion. We did 2 encounters so you all should have been back to the tavern, but someone mentioned the House. I will retcon it.
EDIT: Also, the lizard is REALLY bad at talking to people. As I have evidenced. *Cough 8 charisma cough*
Just leave it to the fox, charisma 18. :)
Which probably explains the mere 2 skill points. I was able to talk others into doing stuff for me.
And I think Kenax is really well depicted as a bit socially awkward, saying a lot that seems odd to other races. "This one." "I am the wind."
Psst, Kazushi, wrong alias again.
Ooops. Fixed now. :)
Also, the lizard is REALLY bad at talking to people. As I have evidenced. *Cough 8 charisma cough*
Just leave it to the fox, charisma 18. :)
Which probably explains the mere 2 skill points. I was able to talk others into doing stuff for me.
You both know that is the antithesis of the point I was trying to make, right? :)
Yes, but the lizard IS really bad at talking to people! We are talking the right amount, I hope. We aren't sticking to one face, the charisma-less character is doing almost the lion's share of talking, as often occurs in real life when people with no charm offend everyone.
It's funny, I almost made a Tactician with that archetype that lets you take the actions of Collective Members for them, and unwilling participant. Looks like that wouldn't have gone over too well with the iguana, glad I stuck with my choice!
Yeah, the Iguana gets very upset. He is willful. And he can turn invisible and murder you in your sleep. So... there's that.
"Time made or not, this one will have answers, be they given or taken." Kenax states this at full volume and with no consideration for who or what might overhear. While not normally one to get too emotional over such trivial and petty matters which don't impact him, the thought of someone taking the free will of others simply sickens him, but because he can't show such things, it infuriates him. He storms out of the Eidolon, and heads for House Duarran with all due haste.
All this and I, the player, don't believe in free will. I was convinced of this, finally, by Imanuel Kant's argument for free will in Towards a Metaphysics of Morals.
"Well thank you gentlemen. Hopefully we will find our friends in town, safe, as you say."
Saying Kazushi, then turning to her companions, continues:-
"Well, there is little more to be done here at present. We should probably try tomorrow. Perhaps we should look for Morris and Simon in this district which the locals call the Colony? I mean it is right here."
Kazushi points across the road at the Colony.
Kenax stays put. "No. Tell Horik we will speak to him or her." I remember the name Odafin, why do I remember that name? "Also, the master of our caravan has come to this place for negotiations. Is he in?" The more that happens, the less Kenax likes it here.
Ok, so at this point we have two characters that have requested to go somewhere different. And at this point we have two characters that haven't posted.
I could easily move this forward, but I want to make sure that all the players are involved. Please continue to post in character what you would like to do.
Sorry, I've been in bed most of the day. Threw out my back at work yesterday.
I hope it improves quickly. Back problems are not good, much more serious than a delay in a RPG.
I hope it improves quickly. Back problems are not good, much more serious than a delay in a RPG.
Well, I'm moving around now, significantly less pain. I should be A-OK, I think.
Good news. Hope UR right.
I think the situation is 2 players want to try to get into House Daurron and 2 are sitting on the fence, Aidan and I.
With GMs and other PCs approval I will make a speech trying to talk our way in. I don't think we have a better face.
I'm not really sure what we should do, so I don't mind you trying to persuade the guards.
I'd be open to you trying to defuse the situation I've created. :)
OK.
I just re-read the post guidelines.
I will try to make a diplomacy roll. Bob wants to make all group diplomacy rolls, it is in his post guidelines. But I will make the appropriate type speech, once I think of one. :)
Just logged in now to say I will be spotty posting until Friday at best. Enjoy your time with family, eat lots of turkey, watch football (if you are in the US), and enjoy yourselves.
Right, it's Thanksgiving in the US. Happy Holidays, guys!
I suggest we go away and come back tomorrow.
I seem to be about as intimidating as a cuddly toy. :(
Just popping in to say these Sandbox/Mystery types are challenging. Currently you are all doing a great job. To assist you, you know that the townsfolk are acting oddly, and now part of the caravan guards are missing and the others are 'changed' so that they resemble the townsfolks.
So you have the problem. Now you need to concentrate your efforts on the 'why'.
The only theory I have seen bandied about is the food, which is an intelligent theory, but ultimately wrong.
I am for heading to the Colony.
Kenax the wise lizard thinks that the local rulers are using properties of phrenic ore to control the minds of the populace. But that's just speculation.