Rend's page

In hindsight, though... how far would you expect to get in this current arc? I think finishing the Whispering Cairn might be possible... but the whole AoW? Unlikely, unless the next DM made major modifications to the plot and the scenarios, or the group was exceptionally dedicated and somehow able to keep playing over a period of years. If we do find a substitute DM, I'm still in...

Mothman also has another Whispering Cairn PbP happening, which is still in it's early phases... don't know if he could make room for you there, but it seems to me that if Rend returned to town, he might be able to join with that party... You would only need to make some relatively minor background changes.

I agree. Finishing the Whispering Cairn would be a noble goal, but considering that you guys are both in multiple games and that the logistics of finding a replacement DM would be difficult at best, it's probably better to join a new campaign.

There's a lot of material to catch up on, but my preference right now would be to join the Age of Darkness campaign rather than replay the first half of AoW. Wicht, thanks for the offer, but I've also already played the first half of Falcon's Hollow on another site and I think I'd rather get into a fresh game.

I'll start wading through the Age of Darkness posts and will continue the discussion over in the AoD discussion thread.

Jon

Actually Canadian, but a night owl, especially after an 11 pm hockey game!

I'll take a look at the thread. I haven't really decided where to look for a new game. Wicht also mentioned he's looking for players. To be honest, I'm holding out some hope that the Age of Worms game can continue with a new DM. I don't read the APs before I play them and am reluctant to start a new arc when I feel like this one is just getting started.

Thanks for the praise btw. I don't really think I'm a great writer like some of the others on this thread. I try to post frequently and do my best to add some flavoUr to the game :)

Sean, thanks for running the game as long as you did. I think you're a great DM and I had a lot of fun while it lasted. I'm also convinced you always had good intentions in terms of commitment to your players. Truthfully, I'm disappointed that the game is ending prematurely, but I suppose that's a reality of PbP. Best of luck with everything in the future.

Jon

Sean,

I hate to add to an already stressful situation, but I'm afraid that if I'm going to continue playing in this game, this issue needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.

I only want to play in one PbP. Which means that I am not currently playing in any, and I would like to. I've held back on trying to find or organize another game because I really want yours to continue. But at some point I'm going to have to cut my losses and look elsewhere.

I'll wait it out until Tuesday. Hopefully you'll have some time over the weekend to share your thoughts and decide how you want to proceed. If nothing has been resolved by then, I'm going to start looking for another game. And once I find one, I will have to regretfully resign from yours. I'm really sorry about imposing a pseudo-deadline since I would prefer to keep real world terms like that separate from my hobby, but I thought it would be better to give you some advance notice rather than announce next week that I'm out. In any case, I feel like several of your players are close to the boiling point, regardless of what I do.

I'm still hopeful that things can be worked out. It seems like everyone wants it to. But the ball is in your court. Please advise.

I actually have 1 copy of AoW, (Dungeon 124, the first installment) but that's hardly enough to run a campaign. :)

Is that the issue with the first adventure? At the pace we're going, that's probably sufficient for now. I'm sure we can get you a copy of the second adventure if we get that far.

I don't have the resources to DM RotR and have never actually run a PbP game, so Arctaris or TwiceBorn would probably be a better choice. I'll consider it more seriously if that's the only option.

Of course, these are both still Sean's games and an alternate DM is only a Plan B imo.

Rend... apparently you posted last, but for some reason, I can't see your post... would you be so kind as to re-post?

Thanks!

I lost a post earlier which may be the one you're missing. Anyway, here's the one that I actually managed to submit:

I enjoy spending 15-20 minutes every night reading the game updates and posting for my character. I can understand that life can occasionally interfere and make posting for a day or two impossible. In all honesty, I can't really fathom that being the case for weeks on end. If you're looking for time management advice, I'd suggest that checking in every day rather than saving up for one huge update would keep the game flowing and make running it less daunting.

Sean, I wouldn't presume to tell you how to set your priorities, and if you feel you can handle multiple games and want to contribute to the alpha threads, that's certainly your choice. What I would ask is that you make an honest evaluation of your time and inform the players what frequency of updates they can expect. Long unexpected delays are frustrating, and it is compounded by promises to post that only lead to further delays. That's happened several times.

Although I also suggested it in the AoW thread, I'm a little skeptical of the alternate DM route. A public recruitment effort that could see post quality suffer or yield an alternate with similar bouts of absenteeism. Especially since they would generally be a non-participant in the game.

That said, I've been really impressed with the frequency and quality of several players in the RotR game. If one of them is willing to step in as an alternate DM for our game, I would be all for it. They could also assume control of Dalzig (gnome priest of Wee Jas) as either a PC or NPC if they wanted since it's pretty clear that his player has abandoned.

Other than that, I would say that, more so than a discussion, what's required here is a decision from you as to what you can and want to commit to. I personally want to keep playing, but only if this issue can be resolved.

I enjoy spending 15-20 minutes every night reading the game updates and posting for my character. I can understand that life can occasionally interfere and make posting for a day or two impossible. In all honesty, I can't really fathom that being the case for weeks on end. If you're looking for time management advice, I'd suggest that checking in every day rather than saving up for one huge update would keep the game flowing and make running it less daunting.

Sean, I wouldn't presume to tell you how to set your priorities, and if you feel you can handle multiple games and want to contribute to the alpha threads, that's certainly your choice. What I would ask is that you make an honest evaluation of your time and inform the players what frequency of updates they can expect. Long unexpected delays are frustrating, and it is compounded by promises to post that only lead to further delays. That's happened several times.

Although I also suggested it in the AoW thread, I'm a little skeptical of the alternate DM route. A public recruitment effort that could see post quality suffer or yield an alternate with similar bouts of absenteeism. Especially since they would generally be a non-participant in the game.

That said, I've been really impressed with the frequency and quality of several players in the RotR game. If one of them is willing to step in as an alternate DM for our game, I would be all for it. They could also assume control of Dalzig (gnome priest of Wee Jas) as either a PC or NPC if they wanted since it's pretty clear that his player has abandoned.

Other than that, I would say that, more so than a discussion, what's required here is a decision from you as to what you can and want to commit to. I personally want to keep playing, but only if this issue can be resolved.

I felt like we were quickly approaching the point where someone would have to say something. I have to admit that it is frustrating to log in every day and see the same number of posts in the game thread. I really want the game to continue, but I also want to be in a game that updates daily, or close to it. I'm reluctant to join another game and have been filling my PbP time by posting on the messageboards. I even started a 4E debate thread, which makes me thing that there really is a problem.

My ideal situation would be for Sean to continue running the game and to decide that he can and wants to commit to more regular updates. Failing that, I think we need to know what frequency of updates we can expect and how often long absences of a week or more are likely to occur.

Sean, if you are still interested in running the game, but know that there will frequently be periods of a week or two where you won't be able to post, maybe you could find a second DM to fill in or share the workload? I don't know if that's a reasonable option or not, or even something that you'd want to do. But it might be better than throwing in the towel.

I guess the other options would be to look for a new game or for the players to try and find a new DM to step in. These seem like drastic measures so I would like hear what Sean has to say before jumping to any conclusions.

Rend takes the waterskins offered by his companions and starts off back towards the room with the mold. He lines up about 10' from the edge of the mold and frowns. How will I empty the waterskins without getting too close?

Thinking back to his days as initiate at the Temple of Kord, he calls to Dalzig. "Hey, does your death sorceress give you the ability to create water like the mighty Kord? It seems like that could be handy right about now. I would do it myself if I could only learn to read those stupid scrolls..."

If Dalzig can't or won't cast the spell, Rend basically gives up and resigns himself to returning to Diamond Lake, as long as Shamus promises to continue helping him with his reading lessons.

Before going back to the elevator, he'll try to at least splash some water onto the mold in order to gauge the effect. Still standing 10' away, he'll unstopper one of the waterskins and spin around, launching some water into the air over the mold. He'll do his best to try to gauge the effect if any. Not much water will make contact, but hopefully enough will land on the mold to satisfy his curiosity.

Rend takes comfort in Shamus' groaning. A warrior who can speak is a warrior ready for battle.

"The fire made the mold grow, but did anyone else notice that the oil on its own had the opposite effect? Maybe it doesn't like liquid. We could try tossing water on it. Maybe from further back..."

Rend would not generally ask for healing, though he does kind of need it. Although he would prefer to continue, provided they can get Shamus back on his feet, he might be convinced to return to Diamond Lake. Depends on how the suggestion is phrased. He's never retreated from something that wasn't chasing him...

As soon as Karid drags Shamus out of the frost, Rend grabs the rogue in a panic and lifts him off the ground. His hands seize up immediately as the cold bites into his bare skin and he nearly drops Shamus on the spot. Taking a deep breath, he fumbles with his limp companion and eventually maneuvers him onto his padded shoulder. Carrying him like a sack of potatoes, Rend takes off after Harlon, eager to get back to the safety of the elevator.

Halfway down the hallway, he slows, then stops completely. He looks back towards the mold, a confused expression on his face.

"Why are we running? This place is deserted and the mold will not follow us." Setting Shamus down carefully, he calls back to Karid or whoever is currently holding the torch we didn't toss. "Bring that torch over here. He needs to be warmed up, and quickly!"

When the torch is handed to him, Rend slowly passes it back and forth over Shamus' frozen body, trying to coax the blood flow back to normal. Can I tell if he is actually unconscious from the cold?

Here's a heal check in case it's required. Perhaps whoever hands me the torch can assist.
Heal: 1d20+3 = 10

Rend stands up straight and laughs as his antics spook the halfling. "What are you so worried about? If anything, the fire should warm up the place!"

That was just meant to be a bit of ooc to pass the time, but don't worry, halflings are much sturdier than they look. Ravens on the other hand... :(

Rend takes cover behind Harlon in the face of impending doom...

Rend would have thrown the oil from P12, and then moved back to O12 to allow Shamus to throw the torch. So O12.

Sean thanks for the offer but I think I am in enough PbP right now. RL is getting busier and busier. I will be “lurking” the game so be expecting a visit from the Eye of ManPig. ;)

I'm also gonna pass but thanks for the offer. I'm gonna stick to playing in one PbP for now since I'm planning to run a game irl and don't want to be pulled in too many directions...

I have a pretty good idea what's coming too, but Shamus doesn't. I hope separation of knowledge doesn't kill me!

Yes, I also feel that Rend is about to experience a painful merge of player knowledge into character knowledge. Fortunately, he wasn't the one stupid enough to throw the burning torch into the mold :)

Lamp oil doesn't ignite on contact, though.

I will tell you that as the lamp oil spreads out over the mold and slowly begins to evaporate, the mold covered by the oil seems to desiccate and shrink.

"Quick, someone light it!"

"Wonderful." I mutter, eyeing the irking patch of mold "I think we'll need about four pints but I don't really know how well this stuff burns."

Seemingly returned to normal, Rend dons his armor and approaches the tentative group. "Only one way to find out," he claims, grabbing a flask of oil from Shamus.

"Well, Karid, how close can I stand without freezing?"

Assuming that Karid shows him where to stand, and that there are no forceful objections from Shamus or the others, Rend takes careful aim and lobs the flask of oil at the mold at the center of the doorway.

Considering his notoriously poor aim (shaky flaw) and that he doesn't know how effective the oil will be, he's really just trying to get it in the middle of the mold, say on the intersection of R12, R13, S12, and S13. If you would prefer a specific square as a target, he'll try to get rid of the mold on R12.

Ranged attack (oil): 1d20+2 = 19 excluding range modifiers, if any

How many to burn a path through the molds.

Here

is a link to the map Sean gave us showing the fuzzy carpet layout. It looks like two flasks would create a path (R12 and R13), but Karid's investigation might show that we need 6 or more to be completely safe.

At first, Rend doesn't seem to hear Harlon and Karid as they try to make sure he's alright. He finally emerges from his cold-induced stupor and, though he still appears slightly confused, he nods to his companions. He slowly removes his backpack and digs for the two flasks of oil, handing them to the halfling. It looks as if he's about to speak, but he doesn't seem to have enough energy to actually voice the words. Shivering, he stands quietly in the corner watching intently as the group prepare to ignite the oil...

Rend shrinks back into a car of the room, as far back from the mold as possible. He shivers silently for several moments and struggles to understand what just happened to him. How did it get so cold, so fast?

He takes a backseat to planning for the moment, content to let the others take their turn with the freezing carpet. If asked, though, he digs through his pack and retrieves Harlon's lantern oil.

Cold damage recorded.

Where did Rend land? If he's right smack in the middle of the mold, he'll try to jump his way past it into the unexplored room. If he's just on the front edge of the carpet, he'll jump back.

Jump: 1d20+8 = 9 uh oh

Rend wrote:

What are the walls like in that room. Are they suitable for climbing?

They're pretty smooth. It would be tricky, but you think that it's possible. It would be much easier with any kind of climbing gear.

Rend packed notoriously light for this excursion and has no such equipment. He removes his studded armor and makes a practice attempt on one of the walls away from the brown stuff.

Climb: 1d20+6 = 24

If the practice attempt is successful, he'll confidently attempt the same in order to get past the goop. He'll trust Harlon to watch over his armor in the meantime.

Climb: 1d20+6 = 7 oops!

After a moment's thought I say "Fire. We can burn it away. How much lamp oil do we have?"

"Seems like as good an idea as any. Long as we don't make too much smoke...I don't have any oil."

Rend would rather climb along the wall past the stuff if he can find suitable foot and handholds.

Rend beams when he sees his idea put into action. And they thought I was only good for fighting, he thinks.

Were there only three statues, or is there still one that doesn't have a figurine?

"Well, seems like that worked pretty good. There's still another room past that cold brown stuff. Maybe we should check it out. Any idea how we can get in there without touching the stuff on the floor?"

What are the walls like in that room. Are they suitable for climbing?

No worries Karid.

I'm afraid I won't be able to manage online chats for combat either. I usually post from work or whenever I happen to get home, which varies significanly from day to day. It might be possible every once in awhile for key combats, but I'll have to see on a case-by-case basis. Personally, though, I like the idea of playing without having to work around scheduling conflicts.

To be honest, I don't feel that the game is slow because of knowledge checks, combat, or other logistics. The single most determining factor is simply how frequently players and dm log on to post.

I find it a bit of a pain to make a whole bunch of checks in anticipation when most of them won't be used. Maybe what would work better is for Sean to post extra information in Spoilers like:

DC 18 Spot:

DC 20 Knowledge (Nature):

If it's helpful during combat, I'll volunteer to post round-by-round updates of initiative order, PC and NPC locations, and reminders of magical effects. It's something I like to do anyway, and if it helps Sean focus on descriptions and PCs keep track of what's going on, so much the better.

It might also speed things up if players anticipate skill checks and provide the results right away. In certain situations, they could even provide 5-10 checks for the most commonly used skills (e.g., spot, listen, search, etc.), which the DM could then use as situations require them without needing to wait for the players to roll.

Just a suggestion...

I try to include some rolls if I expect checks to be made. But I don't really want to make a bunch of rolls every time just in case something unexpected happens. I am fine with Sean occasionally making rolls for me in order to speed things up.

My only complaint about this game is the pace. It's the only PbP I'm in and I usually log in once a day. It's always disappointing when there have been no new posts over a 24-hour period.

I had already decided that I'm willing to keep playing at a slower pace because I'm enjoying the game but, since you asked, I would much rather speed it up.

My ideal scenario would be for the DM to post roughly once every 24-hours, or as needed, with any required descriptions, answers to questions, etc. I don't think it's absolutely necessary for all PCs to post as frequently. Plot can carry on with three PCs fairly well. In situations like with the figurines (or in combat) where everyone is waiting on one character's action, I'd like to see the DM NPC whoever's MIA after 24-36 hours of inactivity. It would be helpful if people can give a head's up when they won't be able to post for a few days, but it's a PbP and these things happen.

I don't have any problem with "uneventful" dungeon explorations. If the posting pace is fast, an empty room won't take us more than 3-4 days to investigate. A description and a bunch of search checks would probably suffice. But feel free to modify the scenarios if others feel differently. Rend just wants to kill some gobbos and learn to read.

Rend's also waiting for Karid to put the figurines on the statues. I'll follow Harlon's lead and discuss the game check in the discussion thread.

Hey guys,

I'm going to be starting a campaign IRL and was wondering if anyone could help me choose an adventure path.

The only one I've read is Shackled City, and I like it enough to want to run it, with the assumption that many of the later adventures will have to be rewritten, modified, or skipped depending on pc actions and motivations. It was the first AP, though, and I've heard that the others do a better job of foreshadowing and introducing major foes early enough that the PCs care about defeating them.

My preference would be to run Shackled City because I've already started the prep, but I would consider running Savage Tide or Rise of the Runelords if either of them get rave reviews from you guys. Age of Worms is out of the question since I won't enjoy playing it as much if I read the adventures.

Any comments or tips for running any of these APs in a live game would be great. Thanks!

2 flasks of oil and a hooded lantern, for a total of 4 lbs.... thanks!

Rend takes the items and puts them in his backpack.

(this may require handing a few more items to Rend, in order to maintain a light level of encumbrance... if the half-orc will allow...;-)

Sure, tell me what you would like Rend to carry and I'll add it to my character sheet.

"If no one else wants to test the figurines, give them to me," Rend says as he extends his hand.

I grab the statues from Rend efore he can break them and hand them to Kharid "Well? Do you think Rend's right? What do you think these are for?"

Rend lifts his hands in mock surrender as Shamus rudely grabs the statue from him. He smirks as Karid agrees that his idea was a good one, then motions for the dwarf to lead the way.

"Uh, guys. I think that block just might fall again real soon,” says Karid with more than a hint of worry in his voice.

"If you say so, Karid. But there's nothing left in there anyway, 'cept those ruins (sic). Can you make sense of them?"

After handing the tools to Harlon, Rend returns to where Shamus is carefully sorting through gore and treasure. "Hey, what's that?" he asks as he picks up the tower carving. "I wonder...maybe we're supposed to put these on the statues in the hallway. Didn't they have a hand sticking out?" In his effort to demonstrate the statues' pose, he holds his hand palm upwards and drops the carving, catching it in the nick of time with his other hand. He glances at Shamus to see if his clumsiness was noticed, then puts the object back on the ground.

The coldness in the room is making Rend impatient and the chance of him doing something really stupid seems to be growing by the minute.

With Shamus taking ownership of the scavenger hunt, Rend turns back to the others. He listens intently to the translation of the inscription and leans forward to get a good look at the markings. "Reading the human tongue is hard enough," he shrugs.

Seeing Harlon eyeing the set of tools, Rend nods to the halfling. "Souls of artifact do not pass on with those of their owners. Objects are to be used, and in finding this cache, we are duty-bound."

With that, Rend reaches into the alcove and retrieves the set of architectural devices and hands them to Harlon. "There is an orcish saying 'Rag Na-raak' which, contrary to what many of my half-brethren would tell you, carries a much deeper meaning than simple theft."

If anyone understands orc, or asks Rend to elaborate, he gives the literal translation: 'See. Take.'

Rend pokes at the corpse with his sword and tries to scrape away the clothing to expose the armor. He also attempts to search the body. While he's not especially put off by the smell or state of decomposition, he doesn't really want to dig into the rotting flesh with his bare hands (so feel free to apply some sort of penalty).

Search: 1d20-1 = 16

After awhile, he drags Shamus away from the glyphs, ignoring any protests. "You gotta help me some more with my reading. Then I could tell if this was magical," he says, pointing at the armor.

Rend sighs as the raised stone reveals more glyphs that the others will undoubtably want to waste time examining. Eventually, his eyes wander downwards to the crushed body on the floor.

"Looks like he has some armor. Might be magical if it's still intact after being crushed like that," he says. Then, trying his best not to step beneath the dangling stone, he reaches for the chain shirt and attempts to pull the entire body out of the alcove.

Exploring with orcs was never this complicated, Rend muses as he stands by shaking his head at Shamus' latest innovation.

"It's cold in here so get on with it."

Under my breat I add "Idiotic brute." quitely enoguh for no one to hear.

We'll see about that!

Listen: 1d20+7 = 24 booya!

Rend does nothing, thinking Shamus is talking about a non-existent wolf-bench.

"Not 'where', 'were'. As in in Werewolf."

"There's another wolf? Where?" Rend asks, looking around.

"Are you worried about the fearsome bench assaulting you Rend? Or is there a whole horde of them? Were-benches perhaps." I ask sardonically before going back to my inspection "We don't know what it does yet. Don't touch it. Kharid! Could you be bothered to get over here?"

Rend glares at Shamus as he tries process the rogue's most recent remarks, but he can't make heads or tails of them. "What do you mean 'where bench is?' It's right in there," he says, pointing at the doorway. Finally, he shrugs and sheathes his sword, waiting for the others to examine the lever.

No problem

As Rend approaches with his sword drawn I look up and ask "What's with the sword? Did you find sign of a foe?", a little worried.

"No, just a bench. What's that do?" Rend asks, pointing at the lever. He then sheathes his sword.

"Seems like it's only the room with the pillar that's cold," Rend calls back to Dalzig and Karid. "And it looks like there's a lot more to explore..."

Somewhat wary of 22 potential foes, Rend draws his sword and steps through the doorway into the room with the bench. He scans the room quickly for any sign of life.

Spot: 1d20+3 = 4

If nothing glaringly obvious presents itself, Rend walks over to the bench and examines it more carefully, trying to figure out why there are holes in it.

Search: 1d20-1 = 11
I think I will automatically fail any Engineering-type skill check, but if a wisdom check or something would yield information about the bench, you can use this roll (unmodified): 1d20 = 6

Since he does not really want to go back in the cold room, Rend sheathes his sword and sits on the bench, waiting for Shamus and Harlon to finish examining the lever. He spends his time contemplating how useless it is to look at things. If they spend more than five minutes investigating the lever without actually doing anything, he will walk over and pull it out of frustration.

Not sure if you missed part of my post, but I'm curious how Rend's "investigation" of the bunk room went. Specifically, he wanted to know how many beds there were, what happened when he tried to lift one of the beds, and whether the bunk room was as cold as the pillar room. Thanks!

Sweet, XP!

Is this room as cold as the area where the creature died?

Rend spends a few moments counting the number of beds. This takes him longer than it should, much to the chagrin of his companions who don't know what he's doing. Finally, he decides to employ the brute force investigation method. He crouches down by the foot of one of the beds, grabs the frame, and heaves upwards with all his might, attempting to lift the end off the ground in order to look underneath.

Strength check: 1d20+4 = 7

Not sure what else to do, he stands there staring blankly at the bed...

"The door then." I say in mild irritation.

Breaking out of his self-induced trance, Rend nods at Shamus' suggestion. "Yeah, ok." He walks over to door and opens it, or at least tries to.

Buoyed both by Hector's recovery and a new room to explore, Rend calls back to his companions. "Hey, come look at this. Seems like someone lived here once. I wonder why..."

Rend passes through the archway and begins a cursory search of the bunk room.

Search: 1d20-1 = 6

Although Rend is not quite as affected by the cold as some of the others, he looks decidedly uncomfortable as he curiously prods the dead creature with his sword.

Shrugging, he finally stands up and looks around.
Spot (if it's not too late): 1d20+3 = 14

"Not sure what it is, but it's dead. I thought we came down here to explore. Why do you want to go back? I wonder what's past this brown stuff..."

First, to make sure there's nothing else lurking in the room, Rend will circle behind the pillar to U5. If he sees nothing of interest, he'll return to where the creature fell and make his way carefully to Q10, making sure he doesn't touch any of the brown stuff. From that vantage point, he'll lean over and try to peer into the adjoining room.
Spot: 1d20+3 = 6

Can you give us a bit more description of the creature now that we can examine it more closely? Is it actually a snake of some sort? Does it have wings? What does it's skin feel like? Are the eyes abnormal or was just the first thing we noticed in the dark? Also, a map would be helpful if you've figured out the photobucket site...thanks!

Hey Harlon, replied here just so the IC thread doesn't get bogged down in OOC. I'm in Montreal. We get a lot of snow, and it gets cold, but I'm sure it's not as bad as Calgary. I guess I'm just not looking forward to the really cold days after spending last winter in Philadelphia...I'm going to try and get through without boots or a winter jacket. Wish me luck!