GM Hansj's page

TL;DR; Seeking one character for a narrative heavy, long running, high level, "interplanar" campaign. Please NO “I’m only here for the melee” characters. Maybe a bard or a party-face with other extras + skill-monkey (everyone's a skill monkey to an extent in the campaign). Make-up interesting back-story in a plane of your choice. Read more than this.
Sample/Recent Post: Harclus furrows his brow and strokes his chin. "'temporal anomaly'? This is not a term I know... However, I could hazard a guess at the meaning ... unusual phenomena related to time itself? The idea seems preposterous yet it could explain a number of the weird occurrences I have been tracking in the area for the several years... So perhaps you're answer is yes?" The Rationality Researcher pauses... "As to our escapees, I can take to you to the location and show you the recent tapes. My automaton is a special unit that can accommodate us all and make good time.
At this point, Terex, disguised as the group's "tiny dog" comes bounding up, gets news of the situation and raises his concerns. Jocinth sends back "Yes, I believe this location was chosen because there were lurking temporal anomalies. But if this group is indeed 'later us', we should investigate but ... not follow closely... if anything, it's good argument for eventually entering this complex and emerging at the time of these characters, if we have the option."
After further discussion, Harclus takes the party to the Republic Guard's ultra-high security headquarters in the Giant's Garden where the audio-visual expert plays the crystal visual recording device that captured the group exiting the tunnel. It's pretty rough but it does seem like you, though for Terex, there is only a shadow that might or might be him and there might be others in the image too.
Jocinth sends by message "Well, seeking the opening Terex is predicting seems appropriate at this point...

Description: In a multiverse based on the Planescape setting, using PF1 rules plus custom “caper”/world-building rules and narative, you will be an agent of an ad-hoc group of wizards, priests and occultist, known on as "The Organization", aiming to stop plane-destroying effects, unleashed by various mysterious forces. Your employers are sophisticated interdimensional operators who understand many kinds types of magics and technologies operating on a variety of planes (with their own personal agendas too? Of course!). The operation still resembles a group of gentlemen adventurers than a true bureaucracy and you will operate as part of a cell of adventurer, the cell making its own choices on the ground, though guided by your mentors/handlers/comrades.
Style: This campaign began as an effort to use some ideas from the Blades In The Dark system. I am creating/evolving an approach of investigators who make their choices and add their own narrative. This is still a work in progress (after about three years). At this point, it mostly involves me outlining a situation and anyone can make a choice for the group (within reason but still). A lot of the initial thread following action involves; narrate what you do, maybe add a little improvised detail about the situation or world, and roll a skill (standard Pathfinder skills). It gets more defined as each character’s threads get more developed. The campaign has gone on for nearly two and half years with 5,000+ posts. Look at current posts for what’s happening.
Group: We currently have a pseudodragon rogue, a psionic android, dwarven Paladin and human shaman. Given the campaign, every character should sort of expect to be something like a "skill monkey", a researcher in some field and a social character (or be prepared to role play slightly awkward).
Inspirations: The Black Company series (especially Shadow Linger) by Glen Cooke, Nightwatch/Daywatch Sergie Lukyanenko, The Elder Isle series and other works by Jack Vance, The Dark Tower by Stephen King, Dilvish The Damned and The Amber series by Roger Zelazney, The Cornelius Chronicles and The War Hound and The World’s Pain by Michael Moorecook, The Earthsea Series by Ursula LeGuin and a number of others.
Campaign Parameters: Start at 14th Level, standard character wealth for magic item buying. 25 point buy. No dumping wisdom, intelligence or charisma below 9. Don’t maximize for initiative (I’m doing ad-hoc initiative for speed – party-goes, monsters go, repeat). Alignments between lawful-good and neutral. Standard wealth by Core Rule Book. All Paizo books allowed, third party books might be OK but only psionics or hi-tech or other classes/races not duplicating things in Paizo books. Magic users probably shouldn’t lean on teleport/dimension door since it’s hard to handle in play-by-post. Monstrous characters permited. 3rd party stuff OK but be prepared for some modification if it gives some weird power imbalance.
Campaign Traits (choose at least one of these and one standard trait):
Interplanar Travelers(s); knowledge planes is a class skill.
Minor magic awareness; Can cast detect magic once per day as a spell-like ability and spellcraft is class skill.
Minor technological knowledge; Can use knowledge engineering to determine the principles powering a given technological device. If you are trained in knowledge history, you can use it determine the sort of society which would produce such a device. You may make a Wisdom check to determine how to activate a given device (this does not imbue the character with any skills in the use of the device. It doesn’t teach to use firearms or welding machines, etc).
What's the post rate? One post per 1-2 days with periodic exceptions. I post nearly everyday and you should read my posts at least to keep up. If your character is absent during combat for a bit, I may act for you (keep in mind combat is rare). If you vanish, your character might become a regular NPC. I try to keep everyone's situation in mind - I expect certain currently absent players may return but I think I can handle the six we'll have if Rollo returns.
Posting approach: Most of the time, anyone can start posting after I’ve posted (In melee, anyone can take act first once I give the go-head, just don’t act twice – fair warning, this may initiative-feats less valuable). To a reasonable extent, you can post actions that the entire party takes part in (we enter the room). Don’t be shy. Always be thinking about how you can post to move forward the action – and feel free to send me suggestions on that as well (I’ll required saving throw levels, AC the monster hits + potential damage etc. You will too).
Learn the standard narrative style – write in the third person present tense, etc. Don’t just name a game mechanic, don’t just narrate what you are doing, combine the two. Don't ask whether you can roll a skill, just roll it. I encourage everyone to improvise little pieces of plot as we go along (but exactly how much you do that is up to you, since it’s fairly personal, each continuing player has their own style here). Still, we are creating a story together. I hope to find people excited to help shape this multiverse. I like to move actions quickly and give the group suggestions - though I've slowed down a bit over these years of player. Feel free to push back if things seem to fast for you, you don’t like a suggestion or for any other reasons. I try to be very open to constructive criticism (obviously there are limits). Did I mention “work in progress”? It is a continuing work, with stuff happening, however.
Applying: Describe your character concept and give an example of something you’d improvise in the process of acting in the world. (see above for allowed classes etc). I’ll answer questions and ask questions and then show me a character sheet. I will decide after three days, longer if there aren’t enough applications. This is a demanding campaign so if you are busy or already are in many campaigns, think if you can make the added commitment. Expect to read a fair amount, read each day even you can't post. I put some effort into my narrative, plot development and world-concept. I'm looking for one more players who that appeals to.

TL;DR; Seeking one character for a narrative heavy, long running, high level, interplanar campaign. Please NO “I’m only here for the melee” characters. Maybe a cleric or a character with insight into “the divine” (add your own ideas). Read more than this.
Sample/Recent Post: Armaund assumes the form of a bluff human trader, straightening his jacket and looking slightly embarrassed... The party then feels the typical disorientation of entering a portal... You find yourself in a softly, magically lit stone corridor facing a group of Tarnuviens, some dress similarly to Duwei Kulamber, others with arms and armor and in a more military regalia.
The person heading introduces herself as Dina Mulender - "It is very rare to have anyone come to this fortress - it has been at least a century since it was even sought out and it is well defended. Duwei claims you are enemies of the worms and we have decided to take the risk of allowing you into our safe point. You may tell me now what you think is relevant if you wish. But we will have a council in three hours and you will have to repeat yourself then. Meanwhile you may rest" After you say what you wish, she shows you to a rest area. As she takes you to the rest area, you notice out a window that this demi-plane includes an outdoors with pleasant pools, waterfalls, some crops growing, all lit by a soft glow (no visible sun). It is like the inside of the cubic mountain was empty with this complex carved on the four sides of it..
After you rest or explore the fortress a little, you are taken to a fairly austere council area where Dina Mulender, Duwie and several others sit in a semi-circle facing you. Dina opens. "I understand you enemies of the worm. My people have battled these creatures for nearly a thousand years since my Oblen Navien first divined their nature and created a system to restrain them. Still, their baleful influence seems to have subtly spread over the world, leaving us the only opposition. What can you tell us about them and what is you motivation here?"
Description: In a multiverse based on the Planescape setting, using PF1 rules plus custom “caper”/world-building rules, you will be an agent of an ad-hoc group of wizards, priests and occultist aiming to stop plane-destroying effects, unleashed by various mysterious forces. Your employers are sophisticated interdimensional operators who understand many kinds types of magics and technologies operating on a variety of planes (with their own personal agendas too? Of course!). The operation still resembles a group of gentlemen adventurers than a true bureaucracy and you will operate as part of a cell of adventurer, the cell making its own choices on the ground, though guided by your mentors/handlers/comrades.
Style: This campaign began as an effort to use some ideas from the Blades In The Dark system. I am creating/evolving an approach of investigators who make their choices and add their own narrative. This is still a work in progress (after two and a half years). At this point, it mostly involves me outlining a situation and anyone can make a choice for the group (within reason but still). A lot of the initial thread following action involves; narrate what you do, maybe add a little improvised detail about the situation or world, and roll a skill (standard Pathfinder skills). It gets more defined as each character’s threads get more developed. The campaign has gone on for nearly two and half years with 4,000+ posts. Look at current posts for what’s happening.
Group: We currently have a pseudodragon rogue, a occasional damphir sorcerer, a psionic android and Satyr bard. Given the campaign, every character should sort of expect to be something like a "skill monkey", a researcher in some field and a social character (or be prepared to role play slightly awkward).
Inspirations: The Black Company series (especially Shadow Linger) by Glen Cooke, Nightwatch/Daywatch Sergie Lukyanenko, The Elder Isle series and other works by Jack Vance, The Dark Tower by Stephen King, Dilvish The Damned and The Amber series by Roger Zelazney, The Cornelius Chronicles and The War Hound and The World’s Pain by Michael Moorecook, The Earthsea Series by Ursula LeGuin and a number of others.
Campaign Parameters:
Start at 13th Level, standard character wealth for magic item buying. 25 point buy. No dumping wisdom, intelligence or charisma below 9. Don’t maximize for initiative (I’m doing ad-hoc initiative for speed – party-goes, monsters go, repeat). Alignments between lawful-good and neutral. Standard wealth by Core Rule Book. All Paizo books allowed, third party books might be OK but only psionics or hi-tech or other classes/races not duplicating things in Paizo books. Magic users probably shouldn’t lean on teleport/dimension door since it’s hard to handle in play-by-post. Monstrous characters permited. 3rd party stuff OK but be prepared for some modification if it gives some weird power imbalance.
Campaign Traits (choose at least one of these and one standard trait):
Interplanar Travelers(s); knowledge planes is a class skill.
Minor magic awareness; Can cast detect magic once per day as a spell-like ability and spellcraft is class skill.
Minor technological knowledge; Can use knowledge engineering to determine the principles powering a given technological device. If you are trained in knowledge history, you can use it determine the sort of society which would produce such a device. You may make a Wisdom check to determine how to activate a given device (this does not imbue the character with any skills in the use of the device. It doesn’t teach to use firearms or welding machines, etc).
What's the post rate? One post per day with periodic exceptions. If your character is absent during combat for a bit, I may act for you (keep in mind combat is rare). If you vanish, your character might become a regular NPC. Bonus points if you tell me your situation.
Posting approach: Most of the time, anyone can start posting after I’ve posted (In melee, anyone can take act first once I give the go-head, just don’t act twice – fair warning, this may initiative-feats less valuable). To a reasonable extent, you can post actions that the entire party takes part in (we enter the room). Don’t be shy. Always be thinking about how you can post to move forward the action – and feel free to send me suggestions on that as well (I’ll required saving throw levels, AC the monster hits + potential damage etc. You will too).
Learn the standard narrative style – write in the third person present tense, etc. Don’t just name a game mechanic, don’t just narrate what you are doing, combine the two. Don't ask whether you can roll a skill, just roll it. I encourage everyone to improvise little pieces of plot as we go along (but exactly how much you do that is up to you, since it’s fairly personal, each continuing player has their own style here). Still, we are creating are creating a story together. I hope to find people excited to help shape this world. I like to move actions quickly and give the group suggestions. Feel free to push back if things seem to fast for you, you don’t like a suggestion or for any other reasons. I try to be very open to constructive criticism (obviously there are limits). Did I mention “work in progress”? It is a continuing work, with stuff happening, however.
Applying: Describe your character concept and give an example of something you’d improvise in the process of acting in the world. (see above for allowed classes etc). I’ll answer questions and ask questions and then show me a character sheet. I will decide after three days, longer if there aren’t enough applications. This is a demanding campaign so if you are busy or already are in many campaigns, think if you can make the added commitment. Expect to read a fair amount, reach each day even you can't post. I put some effort into my narrative, plot development and world-concept. I'm looking for one more players who that appeals to.

I'm interested in people's advice and experience. I moved to in a fairly small town (Nevada City, CA) in 2019 and getting people pre-covid was challenging but now that the disease has receded somewhat in my area and things are moving ostensibly to normal, I've had a devil of a time finding people - I ran about a month and a half of a kids and adults game but I get no nibbles from meetup or from my seeking players post here or from my posters around town.

(and definitely believe in Covid safety, I'm fully vaccinated etc).

Starting up an in-person campaign.

Pathfinder 1 Rules.

Initial location will likely be outline Grass Valley Games,
Initial time will likely be Sunday, 2:00 pm

I have one committed player and need just 1-2 more.

Planescape setting, 5th level, 25 point buy, standard starting wealth

You can view my ongoing PbP as a flavor sample.

The most current info will be on: https://www.meetup.com/Nevada-City-Dungeons-Dragons-Meetup-Group/events/285 218125/

Check it out if you're in the area! You can message me here also with questions

It always seem like there's a long pause in people's responses when an NPC appears and has to be interacted-with. I find I have to really lay out players options about saying something, doing etc.

But anyway, I'd be curious what approaches/ideas other GMs have here.

Sample/Recent Post: When his terms are agreed to, Ang Ban Dongar is efficient and cooperative, stowing the documents in a leather pouch tied around his waste that he refers to as "the royal records department". He always keeps a distance between himself and all but Lady Lyra and her only to allow her do the operation. He also follows along carefully in the construction process, being certain the mechanical foot can be detached effectively if he so desires. Still the process takes much of the days and being near such a beast is awe inspiring, a little frightening and a bit just weird (you can feel that he thinks of you as food despite being willing to bargain).
Still, he gives detailed advice on reaching Oomsatta territory, about the organization of the Oomsatta and about ways to navigate the entire area. The Oomsatta, supposedly, have ten villages total, two of which are large (~300-400) and the other smallish(~100 people). He shakes loose a shower of iron feathers from his body, saying these mark one who follows the Compact between man and dragon and you should attach them to your clothing as the Oomsatta do. The compact was made years ago when Oomsatta came down from the hills and he mentions that both dragons and Oomsatta are "children of the earth" (unlike ordinary humans and he knows not of whatever your kind is). The Oomsatta camp/villages is apparently a somewhat cosmopolitan place - traders from the Kind Lands and the Free Lands often pass through and a number stay to escape the kindness or the freedom of their lands. Some of the small peoples such Arlo or Paritosh can be found there, especially in one village (he doesn't know the name).
Ang notes, "As mentioned in the document, my land extends to twenty five miles around the peak Skyorn, where you are now. Unfortunately, interlopers, both bear and dragon, have been violating these valid and established borders and I cannot guarantee your safety or accompany you past fifteen miles from great Skyorn. Move carefully, since it is winter and the dumb beasts are eager for the hunt."
He shows you a buried stone building to sleep in that night and goes someplace to sleep himself after that. In the morning, you head out and Ang indeed accompanies you fifteen miles beyond Skyorn. With Arlo and Paritosh scouting, you move quickly and carefully. However, at the twenty five mile mark, your begin to feel some beasts are stalking you. Deciding to force the matter, you take a rout that would require any following you to come into view. Thus you reach a ridge and behind you two large, dire-sized (ten feet high) white-coated cats emerge 50 feet away. In shape they are like American mountain lions. They were stalking and just beginning to charge. See map.
Description: In a multiverse based on the Planescape setting, using PF1 rules plus custom “caper”/world-building rules, you will be an agent of an ad-hoc group of wizards, priests and occultist aiming to stop plane-destroying effects, unleashed by various mysterious forces. Your employers are sophisticated interdimensional operators who understand many kinds types of magics and technologies operating on a variety of planes (with their own personal agendas too? Of course!). The operation still resembles a group of gentlemen adventurers than a true bureaucracy and you will operate as part of a cell of adventurer, the cell making its own choices on the ground, though guided by your mentors/handlers.
The Party is currently aiming to reach the city of Syranix. Impersonating a group of noble amateur athletes to get close to an old family and steal and destroy a Lich’s phylactery.
Style: This campaign began as an effort to use some ideas from the Blades In The Dark system. I am creating/evolving an approach of investigators who make their choices and add their own narrative. This is still a work in progress. At this point, it mostly involves me outlining a situation and anyone can make a choice for the group (within reason but still). A lot of the initial thread following action involves; narrate what you do, maybe add a little improvised detail about the situation or world, and roll a skill (standard Pathfinder skills). It gets more defined as each character’s threads get more developed. The campaign has gone on for eleven months and nearly 2000 posts, so you can read the approach.
Group: We currently have a pseudodragon rogue, a damphir sorcerer, and dwarf paladin. Given the campaign, every character should sort of expect to be something like a "skill monkey" as well as social character (or be prepared to role play slightly awkward). Sports, Gaming and noble-intrigue are themes for the current world (the last was dragons).
Inspirations: The Black Company series (especially Shadow Linger) by Glen Cooke, Nightwatch/Daywatch Sergie Lukyanenko, The Elder Isle series and other works by Jack Vance, The Dark Tower by Stephen King, The War Hound and The World’s Pain by Michael Moorecook and a number of others. The Earthsea Series by Ursula LeGuin (especially the later books).
Campaign Parameters:
Start 10th Level, standard character wealth for magic item buying. 25 point buy. No dumping wisdom, intelligence or charisma below 9. Don’t maximize for initiative (I’m doing ad-hoc initiative for speed – party-goes, monsters go, repeat). Alignments between lawful-good and neutral. Standard wealth by Core Rule Book. All Paizo books allowed, third party books might be OK but only psionics or hi-tech or other classes/races not duplicating things in Paizo books. Magic users probably shouldn’t lean on teleport/dimension door since it’s hard to handle in play-by-post.
Campaign Traits (choose at least one of these and one standard trait):
Interplanar Travelers(s); knowledge planes is a class skill.
Minor magic awareness; Can cast detect magic once per day as a spell-like ability and spellcraft is class skill.
Minor technological knowledge; Can use knowledge engineering to determine the principles powering a given technological device. If you are trained in knowledge history, you can use it determine the sort of society which would produce such a device. You may make a Wisdom check to determine how to activate a given device (this does not imbue the character with any skills in the use of the device. It doesn’t teach to use firearms or welding machines, etc).
What's the post rate? One post per day on week days (Mon-Friday, roughly), post when you can on weekends. If your character is absent during combat on a week day, I may act for you. If you vanish, your character might become a regular NPC. Bonus points if you tell me your situation.
Posting approach: Most of the time, anyone can start posting after I’ve posted (In melee, anyone can take act first once I give the go-head, just don’t act twice – fair warning, this may initiative-feats less valuable). To a reasonable extent, you can post actions for the entire party takes part (we enter the room). Don’t be shy. Always be thinking about how you can post to move forward the action – and feel free to send me suggestions on that as well (I’ll required saving throw levels, AC the monster hits + potential damage etc. You will too).
Learn the standard narrative style – write in the third person present tense, etc. Don’t just name a game mechanic, don’t just narrate what you are doing, combine the two. Don't ask whether you can roll a skill, just roll it. I encourage everyone to improvise little pieces of plot as we go along (but exactly how much you do that is up to you, since it’s fairly personal, each continuing player has their own style here). Still, we are creating are creating a story together. I hope to find people excited to help shape this world. I like to move actions quickly and give the group suggestions. Feel free to push back if things seem to fast for you, you don’t like a suggestion or for any other reasons. I try to be very open to constructive criticism (obviously there are limits). Did I mention “work in progress”? It is a continuing work, with stuff happening, however.
Applying: Describe your character concept and give an example of something you’d improvise in the process of acting in the world. (see above for allowed classes etc). I’ll answer questions and ask questions and then show me a character sheet. I will decide after three days, longer if there aren’t enough applications. This is a somewhat demanding campaign so if you are busy or already are in many campaigns, think if you can make the added commitment. I try put some effort into my narrative, plot development and world-concept. I'm looking for one more players who that appeals to.

Sample/Recent Post: When his terms are agreed to, Ang Ban Dongar is efficient and cooperative, stowing the documents in a leather pouch tied around his waste that he refers to as "the royal records department". He always keeps a distance between himself and all but Lady Lyra and her only to allow her do the operation. He also follows along carefully in the construction process, being certain the mechanical foot can be detached effectively if he so desires. Still the process takes much of the days and being near such a beast is awe inspiring, a little frightening and a bit just weird (you can feel that he thinks of you as food despite being willing to bargain).
Still, he gives detailed advice on reaching Oomsatta territory, about the organization of the Oomsatta and about ways to navigate the entire area. The Oomsatta, supposedly, have ten villages total, two of which are large (~300-400) and the other smallish(~100 people). He shakes loose a shower of iron feathers from his body, saying these mark one who follows the Compact between man and dragon and you should attach them to your clothing as the Oomsatta do. The compact was made years ago when Oomsatta came down from the hills and he mentions that both dragons and Oomsatta are "children of the earth" (unlike ordinary humans and he knows not of whatever your kind is). The Oomsatta camp/villages is apparently a somewhat cosmopolitan place - traders from the Kind Lands and the Free Lands often pass through and a number stay to escape the kindness or the freedom of their lands. Some of the small peoples such Arlo or Paritosh can be found there, especially in one village (he doesn't know the name).
Ang notes, "As mentioned in the document, my land extends to twenty five miles around the peak Skyorn, where you are now. Unfortunately, interlopers, both bear and dragon, have been violating these valid and established borders and I cannot guarantee your safety or accompany you past fifteen miles from great Skyorn. Move carefully, since it is winter and the dumb beasts are eager for the hunt."
He shows you a buried stone building to sleep in that night and goes someplace to sleep himself after that. In the morning, you head out and Ang indeed accompanies you fifteen miles beyond Skyorn. With Arlo and Paritosh scouting, you move quickly and carefully. However, at the twenty five mile mark, your begin to feel some beasts are stalking you. Deciding to force the matter, you take a rout that would require any following you to come into view. Thus you reach a ridge and behind you two large, dire-sized (ten feet high) white-coated cats emerge 50 feet away. In shape they are like American mountain lions. They were stalking and just beginning to charge. See map.
Description: In a multiverse based on the Planescape setting, using PF1 rules plus custom “caper”/world-building rules, you will be an agent of an ad-hoc group of wizards, priests and occultist aiming to stop plane-destroying effects, unleashed by various mysterious forces. Your employers are sophisticated interdimensional operators who understand many kinds types of magics and technologies operating on a variety of planes (with their own personal agendas too? Of course!). The operation still resembles a group of gentlemen adventurers than a true bureaucracy and you will operate as part of a cell of adventurer, the cell making its own choices on the ground, though guided by your mentors/handlers.
The Party is currently aiming to reach the city of Syranix. Impersonating a group of noble amateur athletes to get close to an old family and steal and destroy a Lich’s phylactery.
Style: This campaign began as an effort to use some ideas from the Blades In The Dark system. I am creating/evolving an approach of investigators who make their choices and add their own narrative. This is still a work in progress. At this point, it mostly involves me outlining a situation and anyone can make a choice for the group (within reason but still). A lot of the initial thread following action involves; narrate what you do, maybe add a little improvised detail about the situation or world, and roll a skill (standard Pathfinder skills). It gets more defined as each character’s threads get more developed. The campaign has gone on for eleven months and nearly 2000 posts, so you can read the approach.
Group: We currently have a pseudodragon rogue, a damphir sorcerer, and dwarf paladin. Given the campaign, every character should sort of expect to be something like a "skill monkey" as well as social character (or be prepared to role play slightly awkward). Sports, Gaming and noble-intrigue are themes for the current world (the last was dragons).
Inspirations: The Black Company series (especially Shadow Linger) by Glen Cooke, Nightwatch/Daywatch Sergie Lukyanenko, The Elder Isle series and other works by Jack Vance, The Dark Tower by Stephen King, The War Hound and The World’s Pain by Michael Moorecook and a number of others. The Earthsea Series by Ursula LeGuin (especially the later books).
Campaign Parameters:
Start 10th Level, standard character wealth for magic item buying. 25 point buy. No dumping wisdom, intelligence or charisma below 9. Don’t maximize for initiative (I’m doing ad-hoc initiative for speed – party-goes, monsters go, repeat). Alignments between lawful-good and neutral. Standard wealth by Core Rule Book. All Paizo books allowed, third party books might be OK but only psionics or hi-tech or other classes/races not duplicating things in Paizo books. Magic users probably shouldn’t lean on teleport/dimension door since it’s hard to handle in play-by-post.
Campaign Traits (choose at least one of these and one standard trait):
Interplanar Travelers(s); knowledge planes is a class skill.
Minor magic awareness; Can cast detect magic once per day as a spell-like ability and spellcraft is class skill.
Minor technological knowledge; Can use knowledge engineering to determine the principles powering a given technological device. If you are trained in knowledge history, you can use it determine the sort of society which would produce such a device. You may make a Wisdom check to determine how to activate a given device (this does not imbue the character with any skills in the use of the device. It doesn’t teach to use firearms or welding machines, etc).
What's the post rate? One post per day on week days (Mon-Friday, roughly), post when you can on weekends. If your character is absent during combat on a week day, I may act for you. If you vanish, your character might become a regular NPC. Bonus points if you tell me your situation.
Posting approach: Most of the time, anyone can start posting after I’ve posted (In melee, anyone can take act first once I give the go-head, just don’t act twice – fair warning, this may initiative-feats less valuable). To a reasonable extent, you can post actions for the entire party takes part (we enter the room). Don’t be shy. Always be thinking about how you can post to move forward the action – and feel free to send me suggestions on that as well (I’ll required saving throw levels, AC the monster hits + potential damage etc. You will too).
Learn the standard narrative style – write in the third person present tense, etc. Don’t just name a game mechanic, don’t just narrate what you are doing, combine the two. Don't ask whether you can roll a skill, just roll it. I encourage everyone to improvise little pieces of plot as we go along (but exactly how much you do that is up to you, since it’s fairly personal, each continuing player has their own style here). Still, we are creating are creating a story together. I hope to find people excited to help shape this world. I like to move actions quickly and give the group suggestions. Feel free to push back if things seem to fast for you, you don’t like a suggestion or for any other reasons. I try to be very open to constructive criticism (obviously there are limits). Did I mention “work in progress”? It is a continuing work, with stuff happening, however.
Applying: Describe your character concept and give an example of something you’d improvise in the process of acting in the world. (see above for allowed classes etc). I’ll answer questions and ask questions and then show me a character sheet. I will decide after three days, longer if there aren’t enough applications. This is a somewhat demanding campaign so if you are busy or already are in many campaigns, think if you can make the added commitment. I try put some effort into my narrative, plot development and world-concept. I'm looking for one more players who that appeals to.

So, after Terexaltherin and Marella are recruited by the organization, they are taken to a pleasant beach-demi-plane, where Aranuna (A 6’ 6” asimar, with half of his body liquid metal, split vertically) gives them several days lectures on the broad structure of the planes and various planar principle as well as a number of dossiers for various projects they are doing, include detailed information on the Oomsatta (basically, everything that happened to the party up to their first report). After that they are left to read and relax for almost a week (it's a pleasant area but it's easy to get restless).

Then one day, another organization member, Cordelia, appears at the door-in-the-air that you entered through and asks you to accompany her. You walk out the door and directly into the loud and confusing streets of Sigil.

Walking only about ten blocks, you enter one of the many apartment complexes of the area and go up about ten flights of steps and into an apartment. This is an early 19th or 20th century earth-style unit but set-up as a meeting area rather than a living area. Strangely, there are a series of nearly white and nearly black painting hung on the various walls.

You're lead into what would be the main living room where a group of four individual are already seated. The group is Aruna, Ari (Beautiful and unusual-appearing female), Gorgio (slender half-orc dressed somewhat like a pirate) and Kargal (Warforged android, black body with occasional blinking lights).

Once you're seated and offered biscuits, tea and brandy, the begins.

Gorio begins: "You have read the various dossiers, hopefully serious. We have decided that Oomsatta campaign urgently requires further team members due to the potential presence of other dimensional interlopers. So we would like to send you there. But since you are new, we'd like you to first tell us about yourselves as well as saying if you have any ideas about what steps can be taken."
Kargal: "Honestly, we mostly want a sense of who you are before we send you out to possibly dying horribly. We want to feel like you have some kind of chance.".
Ari: (makes a placating gesture and smiles disarmingly)"Our friend Kargal is blunt to the point of rudeness but there you have. Tell us about yourselves and ideas you might have for Oomsatta project. Of course, our field existing agents, Arlo, Lady Lyra, Rollo and Paritosh, will be working with you and this will ultimately decide. Still, this will help us decide how we might help you. "

They await your answer.

Sample/Recent Post: When his terms are agreed to, Ang Ban Dongar is efficient and cooperative, stowing the documents in a leather pouch tied around his waste that he refers to as "the royal records department". He always keeps a distance between himself and all but Lady Lyra and her only to allow her do the operation. He also follows along carefully in the construction process, being certain the mechanical foot can be detached effectively if he so desires. Still the process takes much of the days and being near such a beast is awe inspiring, a little frightening and a bit just weird (you can feel that he thinks of you as food despite being willing to bargain).

Still, he gives detailed advice on reaching Oomsatta territory, about the organization of the Oomsatta and about ways to navigate the entire area. The Oomsatta, supposedly, have ten villages total, two of which are large (~300-400) and the other smallish(~100 people). He shakes loose a shower of iron feathers from his body, saying these mark one who follows the Compact between man and dragon and you should attach them to your clothing as the Oomsatta do. The compact was made years ago when Oomsatta came down from the hills and he mentions that both dragons and Oomsatta are "children of the earth" (unlike ordinary humans and he knows not of whatever your kind is). The Oomsatta camp/villages is apparently a somewhat cosmopolitan place - traders from the Kind Lands and the Free Lands often pass through and a number stay to escape the kindness or the freedom of their lands. Some of the small peoples such Arlo or Paritosh can be found there, especially in one village (he doesn't know the name).

Ang notes, "As mentioned in the document, my land extends to twenty five miles around the peak Skyorn, where you are now. Unfortunately, interlopers, both bear and dragon, have been violating these valid and established borders and I cannot guarantee your safety or accompany you past fifteen miles from great Skyorn. Move carefully, since it is winter and the dumb beasts are eager for the hunt."

He shows you a buried stone building to sleep in that night and goes someplace to sleep himself after that. In the morning, you head out and Ang indeed accompanies you fifteen miles beyond Skyorn. With Arlo and Paritosh scouting, you move quickly and carefully. However, at the twenty five mile mark, your begin to feel some beasts are stalking you. Deciding to force the matter, you take a rout that would require any following you to come into view. Thus you reach a ridge and behind you two large, dire-sized (ten feet high) white-coated cats emerge 50 feet away. In shape they are like American mountain lions. They were stalking and just beginning to charge. See map.

Description: In a multiverse based on the Planescape setting, using PF1 rules plus custom “caper”/world-building rules, you will be an agent of an ad-hoc group of wizards, priests and occultist aiming to stop plane-destroying effects, unleashed by various mysterious forces. Your employers are sophisticated interdimensional operators who understand many kinds types of magics and technologies operating on a variety of planes (with their own personal agendas too? Of course!). The operation still resembles a group of gentlemen adventurers than a true bureaucracy and you will operate as part of a cell of adventurer, the cell making its own choices on the ground, though guided by your mentors/handlers.
The party is currently in the land of the Oomsatta, a mysterious land where a tribe of humans has a strong connection to the Earth and the dragon of the surrounding and where two technological realms threaten this people.

Style: This campaign began as an effort to use some ideas from the Blades In The Dark system. I am creating/evolving an approach of investigators who make their choices and add their own narrative. This is still a work in progress. At this point, it mostly involves me outlining a situation and anyone can make a choice for the group (within reason but still). A lot of the initial thread following action involves; narrate what you do, maybe add a little improvised detail about the situation or world, and roll a skill (standard Pathfinder skills). It gets more defined as each character’s threads get more developed. The campaign has gone on for eight months and 1000+ posts, so you can read the approach.

Group: The party is fairly well balanced with magic, sneakiness, tech knowledge and melee somewhat covered. So any of those would be good. Given the campaign, every character should sort of expect to be something like a "skill monkey". A character having a connection to dragons would be since you are in a land of dragons - but it's not necessary.

Inspirations: The Black Company series (especially Shadow Linger) by Glen Cooke, Nightwatch/Daywatch Sergie Lukyanenko, The Elder Isle series and other works by Jack Vance, The Dark Tower by Stephen King, The War Hound and The World’s Pain by Michael Moorecook and a number of others. The Earthsea Series by Ursula LeGuin (especially the later books).

Campaign Parameters:
Start 9th Level, standard character wealth for magic item buying. 25 point buy. No dumping wisdom, intelligence or charisma below 9. Don’t maximize for initiative (I’m doing ad-hoc initiative for speed). Alignments between lawful-good and neutral. Standard wealth by Core Rule Book. All Paizo books allowed, third party books might be OK but only psionics or hi-tech or other classes/races not duplicating things in Paizo books. Magic users probably shouldn’t lean on teleport/dimension door since it’s hard to handle in play-by-post.
Campaign Traits (choose at least one of these and one standard trait):
Interplanar Travelers(s); knowledge planes is a class skill.
Minor magic awareness; Can cast detect magic once per day as a spell-like ability and spellcraft is class skill.
Minor technological knowledge; Can use knowledge engineering to determine the principles powering a given technological device. If you are trained in knowledge history, you can use it determine the sort of society which would produce such a device. You may make a Wisdom check to determine how to activate a given device (this does not imbue the character with any skills in the use of the device. It doesn’t teach to use firearms or welding machines, etc).

What's the post rate? One post per day on week days (Mon-Friday, roughly), post when you can on weekends. If your character is absent during combat on a week day, I may act for you. If you vanish, your character might become a regular NPC. Bonus points if you tell me your situation.

Posting approach: Most of the time, anyone can start posting after I’ve posted (In melee, anyone can take act first once I give the go-head, just don’t act twice – fair warning, this may initiative-feats less valuable). To a reasonable extent, you can post actions for the entire party takes part (we enter the room). Don’t be shy. Always be thinking about how you can post to move forward the action – and feel free to send me suggestions on that as well (I’ll required saving throw levels, AC the monster hits + potential damage etc. You will too).
Learn the standard narrative style – write in the third person present tense, etc. Don’t just name a game mechanic, don’t just narrate what you are doing, combine the two. Don't ask whether you can roll a skill, just roll it. I encourage everyone to improvise little pieces of plot as we go along (but exactly how much you do that is up to you, since it’s fairly personal, each continuing player has their own style here). Still, we are creating are creating a story together. I hope to find people excited to help shape this world. I like to move actions quickly and give the group suggestions. Feel free to push back if things seem to fast for you, you don’t like a suggestion or for any other reasons. I try to be very open to constructive criticism (obviously there are limits). Did I mention “work in progress”? It is a continuing work, with stuff happening, however.

Applying: Describe your character concept and give an example of something you’d improvise in the process of acting in the world. (see above for allowed classes etc). I’ll answer questions and ask questions and then show me a character sheet. I will decide after five days, longer if there aren’t enough applications. This is a somewhat demanding campaign so if you are busy or already are many campaigns, think if you can make the added commitment. I put some effort into my narrative, plot development and world-concept. I'm looking for 1-2 more players who that appeals to.

Hi,

Paizo.com was unavailable for me in the afternoon. Then when it reappeared, I was logged off and when I tried to log on, I got "nothing", not an error, just I was still logged off. I only solved the problem by clearing cookies - first with a different browser then a Firefox alternate tab.

So, I run an active play-by-post. I'd like know to how many, if any, of my players are going to be suffering from this problem.

And just generally, it would be good to know what's up with this.

Thanks and thank you for hosting the play by post infrastructural.

Hans

Campaign: A Tiny Part Of The Dimension War
Recent Post (excerpt): “Lord Ghent is excited by Lady Lyra's idea of a party and schedules one again at his chateau for two weeks time, asking Lyra and the rest of the party for ideas, finishing the preparations for his project room and so-forth.
Arlo climbs the winding steps to Selium and takes the turn-off to the now secure Soul Well. Imchek greets him happily, showing him a number of rocks he's shaped in complex geometric shapes. Now awakened, he is entertaining his eternal existence with a variety of minor shapings, a process he doesn't expecting to tire him for at least a millennium.
When Arlo asks about the tower, Imchek replies: "I have always existed in this chamber, as has the guardian. But guardian has been many memories and so may know of the tower, even if it is from earlier era than even ourselves.", at which point the pair walk to the guardian's chamber. The chamber now seems much older than when Arlo first entered, lit with a golden light reminiscent of memory while soft music plays. After thirty seconds or so Arlo needs to somewhat gruffly interrupt and bluntly lays out his need for a clue to the towers' location, showing Aria's detailed drawings. The guardian, adrift in memory, slowly awaken, asking a series of general questions about the tower, repeating the details of the hills and the construction, with variations, sifting memories with glacial slowness... finally finding quite interesting memory, that the tower was hidden in a pocket dimension around 900 years ago with various keys now needed to open it. The entrance is indeed, about 40 miles south ... the guardian never heard what the keys were...”

Description: In a multiverse based on the Planescape setting, using PF1 rules plus custom “caper”/world-building rules, you will be an agent of an ad-hoc group of wizards, priests and occultist aiming to stop plane-destroying effects unleashed by the mysterious and sinister Dark Traders. Your employers are sophisticated interdimensional operators who understand many kinds types of magics and technologies operating on a variety of planes (with their own personal agendas too? Of course!). The operation still resembles a group of gentlemen adventurers than a true bureaucracy and you will operate as part of a cell of adventurer, the cell making its own choices on the ground, though guided by your mentors/handlers.
The party is currently in Ovium, a bustling city with approximately 17-18th century technology as well as magic, think Amsterdam in it’s Golden Age but with magic and with technology, and trade expand even more rapidly. The new member will travel to the city to join the party (a short "onboarding" then join the party). Much more information can be found in the campaign thread, though scanning the first and last pages is sufficient.

Style: This campaign began as an effort to use some ideas from the Blades In The Dark system. I can have evolved my “caper” rule system, which while still still a work in progress, has an outline something like. A) Everyone (or most player) chooses and follows their own “caper” thread. B) The threads gradually (or quickly) merge together into a single thread – ie, some party member set up the situation and C) once things get more complex, things get more complex, which can involve traps, melee, exploration of strange areas or whatever for the entire party.
A lot of the initial thread following action involves; narrate what you do, maybe add a little improvised detail about the city or world, and roll a skill (standard Pathfinder skills). It gets more defined as each character’s threads get more developed.

We're needing: magic specialists (wizard, arcanist, Pathfinder Savant, certain bard archetypes, etc). The task of the magic specialist is both spell casting and also “working with raw magic”. Not, I am allowing spell craft to improvise magical effects (just as our technologists are improvising new tech, etc) when appropriate. We currently have Paladin, Paladin/monk, Gnome-ranger, Android-investigator.

Inspirations: The Black Company series (especially Shadow Linger) by Glen Cooke, Nightwatch/Daywatch Sergie Lukyanenko, The Elder Isle series and other works by Jack Vance, The Dark Tower by Stephen King, The War Hound and The World’s Pain by Michael Moorecook and a number of others.

Campaign Parameters:
Start 8th Level, standard character wealth for magic item buying. 25 point buy. No dumping wisdom, intelligence or charisma below 9. Don’t maximize for initiative (I’m doing ad-hoc initiative for speed). Alignments between lawful-good and neutral. Standard wealth by Core Rule Book. All Paizo books allowed, third party books might be OK but only psionics or hi-tech or other classes/races not covered in Paizo books. Magic users probably shouldn’t lean on teleport/dimension door since it’s hard to handle in play-by-post.
Campaign Traits (choose at least one of these and one standard trait):
Interplanar Travelers(s); knowledge planes is a class skill.
Minor magic awareness; Can cast detect magic once per day as a spell-like ability and spellcraft is class skill.
Minor technological knowledge; Can use knowledge engineering to determine the principles powering a given technological device. If you are trained in knowledge history, you can use it determine the sort of society which would produce such a device. You may make a Wisdom check to determine how to activate a given device (this does not imbue the character with any skills in the use of the device. It doesn’t teach to use firearms or welding machines, etc).
What's the post rate? One post per day on week days (Mon-Friday, roughly), post when you can on weekends. If your character is absent during combat on a week day, I may act for you. If you vanish, your character might become a regular NPC. Bonus points if you tell me your situation.
Posting approach: Most of the time, anyone can start posting after I’ve posted (In melee, anyone can take act first once I give the go-head, just don’t act twice – fair warning, this may initiative-feats less valuable). To a reasonable extent, you can post actions for the entire party takes part (we enter the room). Don’t be shy. Always be thinking about how you can post to move forward the action – and feel free to send me suggestions on that as well (I’ll required saving throw levels, AC the monster hits + potential damage etc. You will too).
Learn the standard narrative style – write in the third person present tense, etc. Don’t just name a game mechanic, don’t just narrate what you are doing, combine the two. Don't ask whether you can roll a skill, just roll it. I encourage everyone to improvise little pieces of plot as we go along (but exactly how much you do that is up to you, since it’s fairly personal, each continuing player has their own style here). Still, we are creating are creating a story together. I hope to find people excited to help shape this world. I like to move actions quickly and give the group suggestions. Feel free to push back if things seem to fast for you, you don’t like a suggestion or for any other reasons. I try to be very open to constructive criticism (obviously there are limits). Did I mention “work in progress”? It is a continuing work, with stuff happening, however.
Applying: Describe your character concept and give an example of something you’d improvise in the process of acting in the world – as you get established at Ovium, the city that party is at. I’ll answer questions and ask questions and then show me a character sheet. I will decide after five days, longer if there aren’t enough applications. This is a somewhat demanding campaign so if you are busy or already are many campaigns, think if you can make the added commitment.

Discuss to your hearts content here

After her most recent assignment, Anzarra is met at the exit area by her original contact in Sigil, a half-orc known as Giorgio (Giorgio is known for usually wearing a uniform resembling a multicolored version of 17th century earth military uniform, from the Napoleonic era). (The exit is a small demi-plane a adjoining a deserted sky scraped where Giorgio seems to keep a group of planar travelers/adventures.

Smiling: "I can't imagine that assignment was especially pleasant. Well, Livonia thought you would do well and indeed you did. Still, you did well..." shrugs a bit "but actually. It seems we will need you very soon again. But you rest and relaxation. And you need to meet your companion. "

Then Giorgio takes Anzarra to the ground floor through through the standard gate then, through deserted industrial streets to another gate, this one with a toll keeper and finally takes her to The Magic Hat, a well known and quite quite fancy Sigil restaurant; the building is hat shaped and sits on the end of a smooth pole in one of Sigil's upper middle class districts.

Here, Giorgio offers Anzarra a souvenir hat (bowler style, spinning ring, glows in the dark, folds to 1"x1") and get them a table for four in a quite part of the restaurant. As the two of them sit Giorgio waits, apparently counting ... "one, two and ... " Poof, Paritosh, appears. "There, your companion. Paritosh, welcome, adventure beckons. Are you ready? This Anzarra, you will working with you. Together you will be stopping the machinations of dimension-destroying fiends but in a small way. This time, you will going to a world just on the dawn of new technology, maybe very dangerous technology. Anzarra, you should describe your style and mode of operation to Paritosh. Paritosh we will answer any questions you have. I apologize for going at breakneck speed. That is something of my style."

OK, I am confused.

I have a campaign, I have default game thread. The campaign does not seem to create more than one action thread. Yet I can apparently create a new thread in the play by post section of the board by clicking "new thread". So does this later thread just float, unattached to any campaign? Should I click create and just find out? I'd like an example thread for various purposes in my but can wait 'till tomorrow so I'm asking.

First Post: After passing through several hallways and antechambers, you come to a large room, maybe 40'x50' feet but irregular. It contains a contains a series of floating, glowing, translucent globes filled with strange filament and points of light like fireflies.

"What do they call the plane? I believe 'Between sky and earth', like many planes. The words always just mean home, am I right?"

Hi,

I'm looking for up to 3 new players for my ongoing PbP campaign. The campaign has been happening for about a month and half: (see game thread). We currently have 3 of the original 6 players who began so I am seeking another 3 players.

A Tiny Part Of The Dimension Wars
In a multiverse based on the Planescape setting, using PF1 rules, you will be agents of an ad-hoc group of wizards, priests and occultist aiming to stop plane-destroying effects unleashed by the mysterious and sinister Dark Traders. Your employers are sophisticated interdimensional operators who understand many kinds types of magics and technologies operating on a variety of planes (with their own personal agendas too? Of course!). The operation still resembles a group of gentlemen adventurers than a true bureaucracy and you will operate as your own cell, making your own choices on the ground though guided by your mentors/handlers.

Tone: Sometimes cynical but with light showing through, Sometimes very dark but with moments of comedy. Moments of tension but lots of times where your characters can relax and blow off steam (as long as you don’t give away secrets). You are here to literally save the world yet no one knows who you are and you’re OK with that. “Rated PG” - adult themes of all sorts are raised but we will speak elliptically about the details.

World: This is homebrew world based on the old D&D Planescape setting. By "based on" I mean the standard D&D and Pathfinder rule books describing magic, monsters and the Planescape setting actually exist somewhere in this world but they are often unreliable guide for how things really are. EI, all the parts of the Planescape setting are here, somewhere, in some form. Be used to the idea that nothing is guaranteed. The Factions are often talked about. Some groups claim to represent a given Faction and a some groups may actually do so (but neither implies the other).
Most action in this campaign will happen off-Sigil proper and you will likely switch worlds after some period – don’t make your character too terrain or circumstance dependent.

Inspirations: The Black Company series (especially Shadow Linger) by Glen Cooke, Nightwatch/Daywatch Sergie Lukyanenko, The Elder Isle series and other works by Jack Vance, The Dark Tower by Stephen King, The War Hound and The World’s Pain by Michael Moorecook and a number of others.

What will we be doing: Raids, investigation, a bit of exploration, some power-politics/negotiation. As a mix, combat, skills/investigation/exploration/etc and Role playing all going appear and be important (not saying an equal mix but maybe an equal). I will experimenting with a rule mechanic for raids – each character has "caper" they're responsible for. Roll a few skill check to move things forward but a given caper may become "pressing at a point, throwing you in raid/dungeon-crawl mode (which can last a bit 'cause Pathfiner rules but it's OK).

Campaign Parameters:
6th Level. 25 point buy. No dumping wisdom, intelligence or charisma below 9. Don’t maximize for initiative (I’m doing ad-hoc initiative for speed). Standard wealth by Core Rule Book. All Paizo books allowed, third party books might be OK but only psionics or other character-types not similar to Paizo book.

Campaign Traits (choose at least one of these and one standard trait):
Interplanar Travelers(s); knowledge planes is a class skill.
Minor magic awareness; Can cast detect magic once per day as a spell-like ability and spellcraft is class skill.
Minor technological knowledge; Can use knowledge engineering to determine the principles powering a given technological device. If you are trained in knowledge history, you can use it determine the sort of society which would produce such a device. You may make a Wisdom check to determine how to activate a given device (this does not imbue the character with any skills in the use of the device. It doesn’t teach to use firearms or welding machines, etc).

What's the post rate? One post per day on week day, post when you can on weekends. If your character is absent during combat on a week day, I may act for you. If you vanish, your character might become a regular NPC. Bonus points if you tell me your situation.

Posting approach: Most of the time, anyone can start posting after I’ve posted (In melee, anyone can take act first once I give the go-head, just don’t act twice). To a reasonable extent, you can post actions for the entire party takes part (we enter the room). Don’t be shy. Always be thinking about how you can post to move forward the action – and feel free to send me suggestions on that as well (I’ll required saving throw levels, AC the monster hits + potential damage etc. You will too).
Learn the narrative standard style – write in the third person present tense, etc. Don’t just name a game mechanic, narrate what you are doing. Don't ask whether you can roll a skill, just roll it. We creating are creating a story together. You will be helping shape the world.

Applying:: Describe your character concept and write something to indicate you've read these rules and are creating a character for this approach. I will be taking "fully complete and appropriate" characters as they appear. We're needing: glass cannons, magic specialist. Rogue-types.

My question is whether it is possible to have more than one on ongoing thread at a time.

I'd like to have:
- Player actions (main thread),
- In character chat
- World information, rules and background
- More detailed combat.
- General discussion.

Am I missing an easy way to do this? Is there a reason not to do this?

Post here for preparation before you leave.

(Once any further preparations are made).

Cordelia conducts the chosen members of the party to a part of the chateau that group has not previous visited.

After passing through several hallways and antechambers, you come to a large room, maybe 40'x50' feet but irregular. It contains a contains a series of floating, glowing, translucent globes filled with strange filament and points of light like fireflies.

A variety of strange individuals are moving around the globes and lights. Cordelia points to a wan female, vaguely human or gith like, but with two tentacle about her shoulders that seem to float with the filament in the globe.

"This is Bethia, she discovered the plane you will be visiting. Please show it to us Bethia"
The wan humanoid nods gives a distant, respectful nod and leads the group toward the center of the room. Pointing with a tentacle, she directs your attention to a fist sized globe of light floating in the large diagram of the multiverse that is the globe. The light of the globe is yellow, orange, brown and turquoise. It's glow seems hopefully, promising, fruitful, surprisingly so for just floating ball of light. But also a shadow seems to float around it, also surprisingly threatening and disturbing.

"this is you destiny. Let me show you the means you will use to reach it. Be cautious but not too afraid" She lead a short ways across the floor to a group of stone chairs with mithral chains, shackles and helmets attached.
"This is, unfortunately, is what we have to take you there. As an interdicted world, not ordinary spell will. This entire room is the mechanism of transport. It will also perform some minor transformations, adjusting your mundane items, changing a bit even your hair color and the accent with which you speak common. It usually goes away but a true traveler is prepared for such things, am I right?" She smiles somewhat ruefully.

"What do they call the plane? I believe 'Between sky and earth', like many planes. The words always just mean home, am I right?"

She actually gives you considerably more background on the subject as she gets on comfortable on the store chair. Finally she gives you soft stones, colored like agates but with the texture of hard plastic and changing color when pressed.

"These serve several purposes. Place it in your mouth and you can avoid biting off your tongue. Also, hold them when you arrive. They bind you to the plane. If you truly need to leave quickly, you can destroy it and you will find your way back to your native plane of attunement. That process can be difficult. Our people can use it for an easier way. Also, when the planes align properly, you may be able to use it to communicate with or Bethia. We are the principle 'handlers' outside 'Earth and Sky'. You will appear at dawn in a dense, enchanted forest three miles outside of Ovium. Head to the Cup and Anchor quite close to the wall. Ask for the Inn-keepers' assistant Aria and she will help you each establish yourself in the town. You will find 1000 pieces of the local currency in your purses when you awake"

You strapped tightly into the chairs. Besides the Mithral chains, they bring leather straps to hold you perfectly still - a certainly that a process of torture might begin seizes you but then Bethia begins massaging the globe. It expands and a terrifying process of shifting, a process that feels as if you are being turned inside-out mentally and physically. You appreciate being restrained as your bodies writhe uncontrolled for some period and then you wake a rather forest, with tree seemingly partly burned, branches with only a few deep green leaves. And so you begin, arriving at the Cup and Anchor, which is a somewhat standard safehouse of the organization, any locals there vetted as normal. Aria gives each of you detailed suggestions and resources for establishing a network of contacts.

I will post rules, rolls and options for establishing your character in a game information thread one I make it

It’s a cool morning in the village of Meeritan. The crowd of peasants and craftspeople moves listlessly towards workshop and field. No one seems worried. You scan the faces in the passing crowd, looking for any irreversible soul damage. Some eyes seem a bit dead but not dead that way.
You move slowly and sway your cone of awareness from side-to-side, tuning out the smell of sod and the hammering of iron hammers on brass gears. Occasionally you pick-up some witches’ hexes or mending spells but nothing strong. Finding all those infernal clocks hasn’t been easy but now that you’ve paced the entire village, you’re pretty sure you have them. OK, mentally summing the report, it seems the old wood-cutter turned ax murderer and the spice merchant turned poisoner were the only immediate effects. You can head back to the safe house in urban Paritan. The group has to stop putting out fires and get to the root of this. This plane is in the midst of an industrial revolution and when it gets going, stopping soul-trapping objects will be impossible when they get to the consumers. The day seems darker as you ride back.

A Tiny Part Of The Dimension Wars
In a multiverse based on the Planescape setting, using PF1 rules, you will be agents of an ad-hoc group of wizards, priests and occultist aiming to stop plane-destroying effects unleashed by the mysterious and sinister Dark Traders. Your employers are sophisticated interdimensional operators who understand many kinds types of magics and technologies operating on a variety of planes (with their own personal agendas too? Of course!). The operation still resembles a group of gentlemen adventurers than a true bureaucracy and you will operate as your own cell, making your own choices on the ground though guided by your mentors/handlers.

Tone: Sometimes cynical but with light showing through, Sometimes dark but with moments of comedy. Moments of tension but lots of times where your characters can relax and blow off steam (as long as you don’t give away secrets). You are here to literally save the world yet no one knows who you are and you’re OK with that. “Rated PG” - adult themes of all sorts are raised but we will speak elliptically about the details.

World: This is homebrew world based on the old D&D Planescape setting. By "based on" I mean the standard D&D and Pathfinder rule books describing magic, monsters and the Planescape setting actually exist somewhere in this world but they are often unreliable guide for how things really are. EI, all the parts of the Planescape setting are here, somewhere, in some form. Be used to the idea that nothing is guaranteed. The Factions are often talked about. Some groups claim to represent a given Faction and a some groups may actually do so (but neither implies the other).
Most action in this campaign will happen off-Sigil proper and you will likely switch worlds after some period – don’t make your character too terrain or circumstance dependent.

Inspirations: The Black Company series (especially Shadow Linger) by Glen Cooke, Nightwatch/Daywatch Sergie Lukyanenko, The Elder Isle series and other works by Jack Vance, The Dark Tower by Stephen King, The War Hound and The World’s Pain by Michael Moorecook and a number of others.

What will we be doing: Raids, investigation, a bit of exploration, some power-politics/negotiation. As a mix, combat, skills/investigation/exploration/etc and Role playing all going appear and be important (not saying an equal mix but maybe an equal). I will experimenting with a rule mechanic for raids taken from game Blades In The Dark – roll a few dice then step into the parts of the raid you messed-up (usually melee but not always). See preliminary outline, (a work in progress) here:

Campaign
Parameters:
6th Level. 25 point buy. No dumping wisdom, intelligence or charisma below 9. Don’t maximize for initiative (I’m doing ad-hoc initiative for speed). Standard wealth by Core Rule Book.
Campaign Traits (choose at least one of these and one standard trait):
Interplanar Travelers(s); knowledge planes is a class skill.
Minor magic awareness; Can cast detect magic once per day as a spell-like ability and spellcraft is class skill.
Minor technological knowledge; Can use knowledge engineering to determine the principles powering a given technological device. If you are trained in knowledge history, you can use it determine the sort of society which would produce such a device. You may make a Wisdom check to determine how to activate a given device (this does not imbue the character with any skills in the use of the device. It doesn’t teach to use firearms or welding machines, etc).
What's the post rate? One post per day, maybe skip a day/week if everyone agrees. Talk to me about your situation. Taking a week off with warning is better than randomly not posting. You may be NPC’d if you miss a day without warning me. If your character becomes an NPC, you may be able to sometimes play the character as guest.
Posting approach: Most of the time, anyone can start posting after I’ve posted (In melee, anyone can take act first one I give the go-head, just don’t act twice). To a reasonable extent, you can post actions the entire party takes part (we enter the room). Don’t be shy. Always be thinking about how you can post to move forward the action – and feel free to send me suggestions on that as well (I’ll required saving throw levels, AC the monster hits + potential damage etc. You will too).
Learn the narrative standard style – write in the third person present tense, etc. Don’t just name a game mechanic, narrate what you are doing. We creating are creating a story together.

Applying
What's the deadline for applications? I’ll take acceptable concepts after one week.
What kind of players and characters are you after: Put effort into your character and into posting well, be interested in this adventure concept in particular. Be flexible, able to deal with learning the rules and the setting as you go along. Your character should have future goals, be at least a little idealistic and be able to trust and work with other people (PCs and NPCs). Maximizing for power is OK but also consider survivability, see dump stat limits above and avoid super-specialized approaches.
Fun, flavorful characters are nice but not required. No: murder hobos, no evil characters, no chaotic neutral characters, sociopaths, no characters who don’t understand basic things about the world, no mysterious strangers. Work out a basic concept and we’ll do questions and answers together on the thread. Players who are new to Pathfinder are welcome.
How many applications will be accepted? I will take up to five people, if they’re application is acceptable. One earlier player may be returning and they will get priority.

About me: I'm an experienced IRL DM and I've run one online campaign since the Covid stuff started. With the pandemic raging, I have lots of time to post. If you want a long sample of my style, the full transcript for my earlier campaign is here.

This campaign combine a plot-line with a game-mechanic. I'm trying to find a PbP system that would move quickly and give the players a fair amount of choice.

The campaign would takes place in an ongoing multi-planar setting inspired by Planescape. Characters are experienced Pathfinder/D&D types. The situation is that there are certain evil forces that are attempting to destabilized various planes - through importing forbidden magic, by giving them super-powerful technology or through other strange means.

The PCs are part of something like a spy agency trying to stop this. So the PCs must act to stop the villains without revealing their own nature (since that, arguably would further destabilize the plane). The PCs operate through the network of safehouses and friendly civilians that the "Good Guys" set up (the "good guys" being powerful good wizards, clerics and such who are financing the enterprise and providing power magic for it). As spies, the PCs would face a lot of the challenges of ordinary criminals - they engage in raids, follow suspicious characters, handle local spies and so-forth.

The planes involved would be relatively low-power; little magic and/or technology. The PCs would begin at 6th level, one rank mythic and be akin to superheros relative to the average person in the plane (but the baddies and other forces might still challenge them).

For the challenges that the PCs face, I'd like to use a modified version of the Blades In The Dark game. The PCs choose among possible capers - following a powerful foe, raiding a strange tavern, etc. They then roll together to see how far they get in the caper and then they thrown into the point where "things go (partially or completely) wrong" and have to finish thing off. Each player has a myth-points or hero points they can use to solve some of these problems with a flashback also.
- Each caper would have several skill-rolled associated, each of which has to be made by a different character. Each success moves you up a stage (but you wouldn't know how many stages or what the success-level is). You could improve your chances with some research and/or role-playing beforehand but nothing drawn out.
Once you get out, you find out the good and bad implications of what you've done. And the "spy agency" the characters are a part of would have internal politics, so you can succeed and still piss off a boss. Or fail and not have people worried.

This similar to an old Andre Norton book The Crossroads Of Time (except the heroes in it use psionic, details!). Also similar to a lot of original Startrek and Dr. Who episode. But characters use magic, not hi-tech.

I'm posting the idea for feedback. I hope write a proposal soon.

I'm experienced IRL gm and I just finished a two month PbP campaign using discord. I like a lot of PbP but it has problems of slowness and people confused about what choices they have. This is my idea about how to make things clear ... and fun.

Hey all,

I'm an experienced Pathfinder GM, having run in-person campaigns in first Santa Rosa and then Nevada City, over the last five or so years - I have mostly run my homebrew version of the "planescape" setting I've run with Pathfinder 1 rules.

Like many, I decide to start a play-by-post campaign with the shelter in play order. After sifting my options, I recruited a group of four ex-players and a personal friend for an online Pathfinder campaign. I made the decision to use the Discord server system because I liked the interface, liked notifications and liked that whatever server I used belonged to me.

That was about two months ago and it was fun for most of the time but now things have fairly suddenly slowed to the point that it seems like the campaign can't really be salvaged in it's present form. So I'm basically planning to do a restart and this time advertise the game to the world.

Questions, questions:

1) What do people think of Discord as a platform? Especially, would it be OK to advertise here for a Discord-based Pathfinder game? Anyone know forum features that make them better than Discord?

2) How "hard-assed" should one be about players missing posts? I'm thinking of a "two-strikes, you're out" and givign players another two situation they can warn about. Recruiting friends always has the problem they can start thinking they can take advantage of you - in the sense of not following the rules.

3) Is asking for one-post-per-day standard? Maybe high-intensity?

4) Is characters not doing much dialogue with each other a common problem? Getting everyone to fight a monster seemed much easier than getting character to character interactions. People being online at different times might have been the problem. Maybe there's no easy fix but I find a group not communicating with each other hard to deal with, it doesn't fit my idea of a story. Perhaps simply nominating a leader who pushes ideas would be one approach.

5) How directive should you be about what kind of character you want. I am inclined to say "your character most be engaged and somewhat social, your character must have goals for the future" and similar things. Murder hobos and characters who misinterpret everything as part of personality go extra-badly in online gaming, it seems.

Hi, I have a long running table role playing (RPG) campaign (The Crystal Maps Campaign) that I'm restarting and seeking a couple new players for. The setting is custom version of Planescape . The context is "interplanar scavenging".

We are currently playing Mondays at Outer Planes Games in Santa Rosa, 4:00pm-10:00pm, every Monday.

Pathfinder rules, Homebrew planescape/interplanar setting, weekly map-following treasure hunt with various optional side-quests and plot-add-ins. Structured to allow players to come and go weekly. Be ready to role play as well as fight.

Begin as ex-gladiator in Cynasure/Sigil, 5th level, 25 point buy, standard wealth (see core rule book), must be carrying all your wealth/possessions at game start, Characters must be OK with a neutral, wealth-seeking party. No Summoners or Paladins (not even unchained), Most races OK. No advanced firearms or firearms weighing more than 10 pounds.

Current PCs are at 5th level after this restart.

By now, the campaign has a fairly long history.. This involves connections with a fair number of colorful NPCs as well as various mysterious location. Many adventures happen as a result of old connections reappearing, NPCs seeking the aid of PC and so-forth.

Please, not racism or sexism. Seeking respectable, mature players (emotional maturity not age). All races and genders welcome, etc. Adult themes may occur.

Influenced by:
The Black Company by Glen Cook
The Changing Land by Zelazney

Contact: joesolbrig@yahoo.com

Hi,
I am starting new campaign in Santa Rosa, California

"The Upper Chimney – A six month variant Planescape Campaign (pathfinder rules). Travel through mind-bending and challenging terrain in search of mythic metal. A fast-paced, clear campaign with challenging melee, stirring landscape and interesting role playing. Players will at times face strange beings, inter-planar plots and metaphysical puzzles, but I will balance high concept with straightforward violence.
Starting Level 4 with standard buy. Standard Paizo classes (no summoners or gunslingers). Play begins with all players as combatants in the Sigil Arena. Character backgrounds can be from any plane but must contain some family, friends and/or foes.
Time 4 – 9:30/10 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sundays of the month.

Reply here or email: joesolbrig -at- yahoo -dot- com if interested.