The Winter of Discontent

Game Master Cardboard Tube Knight

I guess we're going to need one of these, aren't we?

I think so.

Glad to be aboard.

I forgot that people could find this without being shown where it was lol.

Also forgot that I had made it in anticipation.

Before we start the game I kind of want to know if anyone wants to make connections between characters backstories. Maybe you all know each other or maybe this is just a chance happening. Hell, maybe you decided to start an adventuring company.

Thanks for the invite DM CTK. As to possible connections, do you want us to post our backgrounds that we sent you by PM? That could help to decide connections. I will have my avatar up when I get home a little later.

I see no problem with weaving a few connections, where possible. I've put my backstory in my avatar/profile.

You can post them or just give basic rundowns. Really a lot of the connections could have come more recently or post-background.

Thanks for the invite! I grew up in Riddleport, but was born in Tian Xia. If anyone's from Riddleport, I could know you. If not, I kind of pre-built a reason to travel with the party into my backstory.

EDIT: Oh, right! My backstory is in my alias.

Most of my backstory isn't directly relevant, but I'm a recently escaped slave who currently has no home. It would be tricky setting up a situation where I know some of you already, so unless you guys have any suggestions, I'll probably just meet up with the party at the start of the adventure. That would be fun to roleplay, anyway.

Where did you run from and to? Who's looking for you (if anyone)? Maybe someone's path has crossed yours somewhere.

Could easily have "picked you up" on the caravan route... I'm imagining you probably fled from Korvosa (the whole Chelish ties thing), so coming inland a little would put you on the caravan route.

Speaking of, people looking for links, I started in Urglin, headed to Kaer Maga, them south around the lake to Waddle and up to Riddleport... And I'm hunting an older, cursed orc.

I suppose I could make a post for people searching for links as well. It'd be tougher though, since Koayi's a city girl.

Minkai (Tian Xia)>(5 years old) Passed through Lands of the Linnorm Kings on the way to Riddleport > Small trips to surrounding villages (never further than Roderick's Cove).

Emil's backstory is in his profile. He's spent most of his life in a small farming community between Riddleport and Roderic's Cove, but his interest in Thassilonian ruins and ancient history could have led to him cross paths with others. A recent event has caused him to leave the village and start adventuring at his somewhat advanced age.

Sir Rhaym checking in!

Well, any good knight could use a lackey; Pelner, did you want to follow Sir Rhaym into the temple with a great pile of luggage, like Nodwick?

I don't see much reason for a connection between either Koayi or Yverstrix. Koayi mentioned being in some small villages near Riddleport so she might have met Emil, but it is unlikely he would impress her as someone to interact with. Likewise Yverstrix. He may have passed through the village but probably would not have been moved to interact much with the mild, middle-aged cleric of Erastil.

I have yet to see the backgrounds for the others. Pelner, as a Druid Halfling may have more of an affinity for Emil, the connections between druids and worshippers of Erastil are fairly strong and halflings likely live in the community Emil comes from.

I'm happy to connect with the others via the chance meeting mentioned in the intro, however.

Yeah, a lot of the backstory stuff ended rather recently with the characters being in the city or headed directly there. There isn't a strong need for a connection to anyone and I don't want anyone having to change what they are or force there to be one (I hate the retconned forced meeting of characters in any medium).

For more information, he has been a slave with a group of other halfling slaves in a manor for his whole life. He recently escaped by air, with more than a little help from a roc that came to him from an unknown source.

I didn't know much about the geography of the area when I made my backstory, right now Korvosa seems like the most reasonable place to start. Sir Rhaym, I don't think Pelner would be very eager to just work with a knight right after escaping from a life of servitude. Father Emil, I'm not sure that the small town you come from would make sense for people who own a good number of slaves.

I could either have met with Yverstrix ahead of time on his caravan route (in which case the place I flew to would be somewhere in Sanos Forest, probably), or I could just meet with the party at the start of the adventure, in which case I would have flown to some patch of woods to the east of Riddleport.

So, I have a couple of questions about combat. First, how will we be handling maps? Second, for actions on opponents' turns, do you want those posted as if/then statements with rolls like this?

If the orc moves around me:
Attack of Opportunity!: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
AoO Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

That's how I've seen it done on a couple of other PbP games, but I was curious how you were going to handle it.

EDIT: Oh, and also initiative: Will you be rolling it for us to speed things up?

Here is my avatar. My character sheet and background are on it.

(Galahad0430)

Combat is something in the past that I've glossed over with groups. Usually I try to have everyone take all their actions at the start of battle and interpret them, but that takes a large portion of active control from the players and makes situational characters nearly useless.

What I want to try instead and what's worked well in my Rise of the Runelords game and in a brief 5E game I was in is to have everyone roll initiative and take it one round at a time.

You post in whatever order and I just go through and order it correctly.

If there's something situation (if and then stuff) then you can post that, but you're not required to.

I won't be using the map, combat will be simplified and distances from the group or certain players will be posted in feet and the rounds handled accordingly.

Well, there is no need to force people to have connections before the game starts. The process of discovery can be entertaining as well.

Yeah, I agree. Forced connections don't really work out too well, in my experience. Besides, our backgrounds are all so diverse that there aren't that many preexisting connections possible.

Thanks for clarifying how combat would work, CTK. This looks like a cool group of characters, and I'm excited to start playing.

Same here.

Me too!

I really wanted it to be less about the classes and more about the people they are attached to.

I think I said this before, but this is an imitation and adaption of the first story I ever played adapted for Golarion. It blew me away then, I hope i can bring a third of that to the table.

Game thread is posted and ready.

Some are writing in present tense (including GM) and some in past tense. Let us know if you have a preference. Some PBP groups are very particular about such things. Either one is fine with me.

I tend to be partial to present tense.

Apologies for that. In my degree field (history), we always write in past tense. It's a tough habit to break, but I'll work on it.

Don't try too hard, it really doesn't bother me that much.

It's not really a problem, just one more thing to check for when I proofread my posts. In a few days I'll be doing it out of habit.

Preparing a reply right now. At work so it might take a little while.

Going to try and get some stuff going in the aliases about those people and update the information as the group learns more stuff. The alias thing is a pretty powerful tool.

Going to post later today when I wake up. Sorry for the delay.

I seem to be having a slight problem with my typing. It's a stress related thing that happens from time to time and now that Emil mentions it I notice that I am missing words I mean to type and it's not super apparent to me. So I have started reading over stuff very carefully. If you notice that I've missed something or that it's unclear feel free to ask. I apologize if this inconveniences anyone in the game.

I don't know if you're looking for any advice on how to proof better, but I like to actually write my posts in Word and then copy/paste them over to the thread. For longer posts, it gives me a chance to step back for a little bit. Just a personal thing.

These last few I have actually been doing like that. But the thing I am doing doesn't really get caught by word processors.

For instance, I'll go to type: "They all went to the market place."

But what will come out is: "They all went to the place."

And in my head it will look completely correct.

Well sure, you know what you meant so you expect to see it.

I taught college writing for a number of years and it takes a different mind set to proofread effectively. A few tricks I use:

Focus on words, not sentences.
Find the subject and verb of each sentence or clause, and ignore all the rest (helps to find subject-verb agreement mistakes).
In the case where we're trying to use present tense, make a read through specifically to check the tense used.
Check each pronoun to make sure there is number agreement and to make sure there is no ambiguity.
Read the words out loud, slowly.
Check key words that often get mixed up with other similar sounding words: your, you're; two, to, too; they're, their, there; it's, its.
Eliminate unnecessary phrases or replace with simpler words: for example, instead of 'that this point in time,' write 'now.' (more of a style thing, but essential for prose that zings).

It's not a big deal, since usually we know what you mean, but this kind of posting offers an excellent way to practice, and as an aspiring writer, it is an essential skill.

It's kind of sad. I write in present tense when I'm writing any story in first person; it feels like after so long it should come more naturally for me, but whenever I look over something it seems like there's some tense issues.

I started a book and, while I usually write in third person and past tense, this character's voice seemed to only sound right in my head as present tense. So now all of my role playing only sounds right the same way.

I'm just awful at proof reading, but I'm trying to be more meticulous lately.

I wasn't trying to be dismissive -- I was just saying that we see what we expect to see, generally -- and your brain will "fill in the gaps" whenever it needs to (like when you miss a word) -- which is why the focus on words and not sentences is excellent advice.

Of course, my big problem is that I often post from my phone -- and it's especially devious when the autocorrect replaces something that it doesn't like (often the names of monsters) with words that really don't make sense... (Sadly, also, the swipe-to-type function isn't so much my friend in gaming posts..)

Oh, no offense taken.

Wifi is out at my house so I will have to post tonight from my neighbors place.

I think "Surprise Surgery" is the best line ever, and I will be using it at some point, as soon as I find a character who'd say that. Just so you know.

I've been sick and the wifi was out here. Usually I would just go to some other place and use it but with my neighbors having a newborn baby who can't take medicine and me not wanting to get him sick I just had to go without until I could get a work around. I'm back. Should post later tonight.

You doing alright, CTK?

Not really, but I'm back.

I've been stuck in the bed the past several days super ill. Just now starting to get better, but I'm still really wiped out. I'll try to post sometime later today (the twentieth).

Sorry that we had to slow the game down so much.

Take your time. Hope you're feeling better soon. The game's off to a great start. Father Emil sends you a channel energy: positive energy: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Assuming this is just a bump in the road for this campaign, and that bigger things are ahead, I'll be out of town for the next few days. I'll post from teh computers I have access to, but it may be inconsistent. Just so you know. Also, feel better soon, DM.

Yeah this has been a pretty rough few weeks, I was ill for longer than expected and still kind of am, but more over my father had a minor heart attack Saturday. So there's been dealing with that and the holidays at work. No plans to stop the game now. I just wanted to let everyone know what was happening.

Just as a head's up, I'll be out of town and travelling in a "not getting online to check on games" sort of way for about a week, December 12-20.

I know, I know, it's a week away -- just trying to give a little advanced notice. ;)

I'll post another reminder before I go (if only to make clear when Yverstrix' mind can be switched to auto-pilot mode for a while...)