Opening the discussion thread for general use, OOC crosstalk, off-topic stuff, level-up information, etc.
Yeah, things less than a bit are a bit.
Finally...
Decided to go tiktik insted of tik.
Yeah, haven't officially started just yet, so minor tweaks are still open.
FYI - my main laptop ses to be suffering from display issues. It might slow me down some this coming week, but I have a phone and a backup I can configure so I am more stable than Paizo's boards.
No worries hoss.
Question, is the halfling one of the player characters I have not noticed yet, or is it a random npc we have not been really introduced to?
Player, stats were just recently posted so seemed a good way to fit the character in quickly for a basic scene.
Itsa me, Derlan!
Slow to update because of computer issues, but will update sometime between now and tomorrow evening.
Next two days I will not be on because of Rosh Hashanah. Bot if needed.
I think my computer issues are resolved for the moment so getting caught up on PbPs including this one. Update coming soon!
Oh, if anyone wants to use a specific image/token for their character on mas, I've created a folder called "Player's Images" in the Google Drive folder that you guys should be able to upload to. Also, I'm trying to update/clean up that folder some to be more useful going forward.
Whoops. I forgot a whole sentence. Brain is fried lately. So simplified group initiative for most combats. Since one of these things got surprise off, they basically won initiative for this encounter, meaning the heroes are up next. Typically I will do a generic roll for both sides. I need to create some notes so I can track initiative modifiers for the group, but not going to sweat weapon speed or casting time modifiers. If it was a duel or gladiator fight type of situation, Where the focus is temporarily on one or two characters, I will use the original rules for cinematic effect. In that case (and who doesn't want at least one gladiatorial scene in a DS game?) It will be declared action posted with initiative.
Who are we waiting on? I think at least one player still needs to take a turn? Did we lose a player before even getting started?
At the moment I think you're just waiting on me, lol, so will have an update and round recap in the next 12-24.
For watch was thinking Ko-Tik for all watches, Ekee or Jaryx for first 2 hours, then the other for the last 2 hours with Dismoon covering the middle 4. This gives two awake at all times. Or does anyone have a better Idea?
My idea: you guys all take watches, and I'll give you something to drink in the morning.
Fine with me; remember that I can't see in the dark.
Hey guys, I forgot to warn you earlier: I have a peculiar form of extremely bad luck, in that anything my characters are supposed to be good at, they always fail. For example, over in another game where I'm playing a front-lining paladin, my average attack roll is a 7 over every encounter in the course of two books of an AP so far. In a War for the Crown game where I'm playing a social character, I've failed every single social scene in the game, including in the very first scene where I failed every roll for eight rounds in a row, on a character with Skill Focus: Diplomacy.
Just so you know. Basically expect my characters to be able to contribute nothing when it matters.
I know the feeling, when roll dice on the table I average 85% 3 and under pretty much no matter what type of die. The GM can confirm this.
That's great if you're playing a 2e psionicist!
Ekee can infect other people with the dice curse, seen it myself. And it is true for both of them. I have seen Ludi's monk in my Dragon's Demand game make it look easy to miss low AC targets, lol. Both make rolls that really matter though, in my experience.
Oh, and in systems where you want low rolls? Ekee gets nat 20s on the regular.
By the way, you may walk away from this obviously evil (and he doesn't care if you know it) weirdo without fear of immediate consequences. Immediate. Despite his confidence, you do not need to follow a railroad tracks here. In the original module it was very much a one-way train, but I have other plans for Farcluun.
World's full of evil people with crappy agendas. Just look at the city-states. This guy's no different. Ludi's playing it cagey because he can't be sure the dude isn't just crazy or bluffing, but he doesn't want to risk accidentally pissing off someone who might be a very high-level psionicist or even a powerful defiler.
Since my clairsentient powers did exactly bupkiss, I have no choice but to play it safe for now.
@Ekee let's be bad luck buddies. Was gonna invite Ekee to share the fire pit but the scene has moved on already.
Sorry, should have given you guys some RP time that first night, just wanted to get "Story Hook A" dangled out quick so I wasn't just shoveling encounters out with no point, lol.
Derlan, you basically treat your wagon as a traveling temple to your water patron then? Something I want to bear in mind for the future. And yeah, basically a "Staff of Ra" deal. I despise the original beginning of this module, and don't care for most of the end, but I love the meat of it, lol. And Farcluun was originally written as a generic madman villain, but like I said, I have different plans for him.
I will be down the next to days for holidays, but as needed.
Ya, I kinda view my wagon as a mobile oasis/temple to Lady Ocean. I will always give water to those who need it (regardless of who they are).
No problem with you scouting, Just RP Ekee as a concerned warrior. I will however add that I can personally confirm that our DM has a impressive history of PC KIA's in Dark Sun games
Killing PCs in Darksun is more an obligatory right of passage than a feat of GMing; remember that this is the only DnD setting that actively hates you.
...
I'm inclined to disagree; it's a sword-and-sandal setting where there are many difficulties and environmental hazards, but the PCs are also supposed to be more heroic so that they can face those challenges.
For example, people like to talk trash about having PCs die of thirst in the desert, but the core rule book explicitly says that this is boring, bad gameplay.
DARK SUN as a setting is a harsh and dangerous world, and making mistakes will get you killed, but it is not a game of arbitrarily just bumping off PCs for no reason whatsoever.
You misunderstand: I'm not saying that Darksun is a bad system. At all.
What I'm saying is that the world is built with heat that will kill you; psionic super-predators that will kill you; no real heroes to rely on; the average person on the street will, upon seeing you laying in the gutter, not just step over you, but instead kill you and take your shoes; and the people in power will....kill you.
There is, however, a reason that the default start for campaign is that all the PCs are slaves; they want you to understand that this is not a typical setting. Yes, the PCs may be heroes, but they are the exception, not the rule. Most people you meet are obsessed with personal power. It is, in fact, one of the central themes of the setting: consequences of personal power that comes at the expense of everything around you.
I'm... not saying it's a bad system either, nor do I see how you got that idea?
Low-level DARK SUN is thematically about resource starvation; you can't get metal weapons and armor, and even if you do, everyone wants to take them. You have to manage food, water, and heat. Even freedom is a precious commodity. But these are challenges that you have to figure out how to manage; they are not "oh, by the way, you suddenly just die, because that's 'fun'."
Higher-level DARK SUN becomes thematically about transformation. For spellcasters it's internal transformation, as you turn into a post-humanoid entity. For warriors and rogues it's external transformation, as you overthrow city-states, raise armies, infiltrate the houses of power and tear down corrupt structures.
All of these are heroic but also dangerous, against the backdrop of a world depleted of its most precious life-giving elements. The only element that's left to make a change for the better is the one that the heroes bring: hope.
Yeah, don't leave exp on the table lol.
Heads up. I have an elderly family member who fractured ribs, I have driven down to help with that so my posting will be spotty at best for the next week.
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg?
But seriously, no worries, hope they are going to be alright.
Hey folks, been really distracted by real life issues so been slow to post, my apologies. I should resume normal posting in the next day or two.
No worries.