Hey folks! Just a quick note to inform you that I'll be unable to post for the coming weeks -- I anticipate anywhere between 3 and 6 weeks. I just found out that the deadlines for grant proposals that will keep my organization alive have been moved forward and are now too close for comfort, so I have to work day and night for the next little while (I'm also supposed to be away on a trip to Quebec during the last two weeks of September)... I'll keep you posted as time goes by...
I'm really sorry about the inconvenience... and if it's too great an inconvenience for the DM to NPC my character, then please feel free to arrange a spectacular death for him!
Cheers!
-- X
Thanks for letting us know and DMPCing Baldrech will be a pleasure. I'll do my best the keep the snarky shifter alive and functional for you (although your pc's life is now in my hands and my current relationship with IC does not bode well for anyone - it's been rubbish rubbish all the way bar Baldrech's two crits lately).
I just realized that I don't seem to have updated my inventory.
I started with 55gp in reagents, used 10gp worth to understand the Locathah, but am not clear how much more we went through in getting him to understand us.
Rev?
You used an further 10gp - effectively you cast the same ritual twice. So you've got 35gp of reagents left.
Vel would halfway like the amulet. Non-AC attacks are relatively likely to target the person standing in the back.
She's a poor choice for the healing potion.
I'm moving into a new apartment and won't have Internet access at home for at least a week, probably until September 3rd. I should still be able to post, but it might be a little more sporadic. Feel free to jump in a little more quickly to DMPC Anarak if I'm holding things up.
We're now down Baldrech for a couple of weeks at least and Anarak for a week.
I'm happy to continue to run this if you're all happy and would like to go on, but I don't want to NPC two characters particularly going into a combat.
Can I suggest that we call a halt until 3 September (next Wednesday) if that is OK with everyone and see if we can get this up and running again.
If on the other hand, you feel you've had enough and don't want to go on, that's also fine. I like the game, I like the players and I'm enjoying running it (plus you've all been very tolerant of my many mistakes), but I'd rather draw a line under it early than let it fizzle to doom in a month's time.
Can you post preferences and we'll see how things look?
Can you post preferences and we'll see how things look?
I've having a ball, but agree we should wait until at least one of the two is back.
I'm very into this game, and would not like to call it off. Also I agree that we should wait for our friends to come back, wouldn't want them to miss out on the action!
I agree with the delay as well. Better to take a break then lose the game.
Woot!
That makes me a happy bunny :D I'm enjoying it a lot - but hate the idea of it just falling apart slowly, so would much rather wait. Roll on 3 September.
I appreciate that you guys are willing to break for us. I can post before September 3rd if you want to start up earlier. I won't have access at home, but I'm still fairly well connected. I just everyone comes back on the 3rd. Sometimes breaks cause people to lose interest. Anyway, I posted in the game thread in case anyone wants to discuss pre-ambush tactics.
My Internet connection has been re-established. I'm pretty surprised, but they actually got it right on the first try!
Excellent news.
Ever onwards with the mystery of the Rune Stones!
Tieren?
We're off again. Could Gobi please join us and roll initiative please :D
Tieren?
We're off again. Could Gobi please join us and roll initiative please :D
Hello! sorry about the delay! glad to see you all again! :D
Not a problem - and scarcely a delay. Good roll Gobi, go for it :D
haha thanks! I was pretty thrilled, not a bad way to come back to a game! let's hope we all get our rolls that way!
Well you're unlikely to roll worse than me - nobody does! Witness kobold 3 last time round who spent the whole combat comatose only waking up in time to be flattened by Whiteclaw's flail. I'm sorry for NPC Baldrech, he has awesome bonuses and me rolling for him.
Yo! Are you needing anyone for this?
Actually it would be handy if the other players are up for it. Baldrech is an unknown quantity at the moment, and if you were planning on using the warlock you originally created that would give the party some more casting power and ranged ability.
What do you think folks?
Would be delighted.
Sure sounds good. TwiceBorn is pretty reliable though, and I'm assuming Baldrech will be back when he said he would be (end of sept?). Or I think he'll at least tell you if he's bowing out. Another PC would be fine imo.
Sure sounds good. TwiceBorn is pretty reliable though, and I'm assuming Baldrech will be back when he said he would be (end of sept?). Or I think he'll at least tell you if he's bowing out. Another PC would be fine imo.
I'm worrying more about killing Twiceborn's pc than I am about him not returning. The structure of the game and Baldrech's own personality allow him to wander off alone for a while. I was thinking of doing that and (if Twiceborn wants on his return) running a small side adventure for him to make up any missing hp.
To me this seems a more natural way of handling his absence than DMpc-ing him and offers some interesting rp opportunities as well.
Fabes - you're in. Will sort out your entrance this morning.
Arianwyn
Although you were blindfolded shortly after your humiliating capture by kobolds, you learned a little from their chatter when they chose to speak in common. You were brought up through some ancient copper workings and the kobolds have had a fine time booby-trapping the mines. They are extremely scared of the duergar who command them and have no real idea what they're dealing with. It seems to you that the kobolds are acting under duress and would prefer not to have any part of this beyond the usual kobold love of mayhem. The duergar are fanatics and will stop at nothing to take all the Rune Stones.
The duergar cleric the group are currently battling stripped you of clothes and possessions and told you with relish that he proposed to gut you on the altar with your own sword. This is after you refused or were unable to help him to understand the purpose of the Rune Stones. You get a small sense from him that he's not operating entirely for his clan. There is an air of panic about his actions as though something has gone badly wrong for him.
You are currently nude, bound and in whatever emotional state you consider appropriate for the situation. You are also aware that the circle seems to be haunted. Your arcane senses are tingling with a reek of wrongness.
Fabes
Also - please can you give me an initiative roll for now along with a set of ten pre-rolls in case of absenteeism in the character profile. If you haven't already done so, and on the same basis, post up some basic preferred actions in case I need to run Arianwyn any time.
Tieren? Just to warn you, there is a spoiler for Gobi buried a few posts up on the game thread.
Arianwyn
You get a turn at the end of this round after Anarak. What you do is up to you. It's possible someone may have spotted your prostrate form by then.
Vel's never going to ask, but just a note: Gobi should not be shy about throwing around Lay on Hands at the end of a fight. He has more surges than most of the rest of us and they're more effective!
Yeah I was thinking about this just last night actually, I'm going to start focusing more on my healing side from here on out.
Cool. Vel has 2 surges left today . . .
Alright, I'll make sure to stay close to heal you in a bind
I'm going to be afk all weekend and won't be able to post between Friday night and Sunday night. I'll be at the cottage with no www.
Thanks for letting us know. You've a few things to deal with in game before you hit the next round of combat I'd say, so if needs be I'll roll for you and guess something plausible for actions.
Have a good time at the cottage.
Thanks for letting us know. You've a few things to deal with in game before you hit the next round of combat I'd say, so if needs be I'll roll for you and guess something plausible for actions.
Have a good time at the cottage.
Ok, thanks. I'll post in game before I leave.
Just a heads up to you all. I've been enjoying this a lot and am going to see if I can run Scepter Tower of Spellguard (it's a Forgotten Realms module in case you aren't aware). While I haven't worked out all the kinks in the system yet, thanks to your patience, a lot of them are less kinky than they were :D.
My preference would be for players who are already enjoying 4E. I'll aim to put a recruitment thread up over the weekend, so if any of you are interested, keep an eye open for it.
Cool stuff for gnolls here. Still free . ..
Interesting stuff. Amelia if any of this is useful to you, let me know and we can see about swapping stuff in and out for you. Based perhaps on your growing experience of life outside the enclave.
Sorry for the long silence, folks. I just returned this weekend from Quebec. As for work... One grant application will be handed in tomorrow (the funders called me today at 4:30 to mention that they had neglected to share some important feedback with me during my meeting with them two weeks prior... which meant a lot of last minute work... grrr...). I have the first draft of another proposal due on the 10th, and alot of other stuff to handle in between (interviews for new staff, board meetings, clients, etc.)... and I'll be out of town during the next two weekends. I'm in a little over my head these days...
All that to say, I'm not sure when I'll be able to return to the game... maybe after the 24th, once the final draft of the second proposal will have been turned in, and once the hiring process will (hopefully) be complete?
It might be best to retire Baldrech for the time being, and leave a window open for him to return (if that's not practical, no worries... do what you have to do...). I'm really sorry that I've been holding things up (I rarely check the Paizo boards these days). And thanks for your patience and understanding...
Sorry for the long silence, folks. I just returned this weekend from Quebec. As for work... One grant application will be handed in tomorrow (the funders called me today at 4:30 to mention that they had neglected to share some important feedback with me during my meeting with them two weeks prior... which meant a lot of last minute work... grrr...). I have the first draft of another proposal due on the 10th, and alot of other stuff to handle in between (interviews for new staff, board meetings, clients, etc.)... and I'll be out of town during the next two weekends. I'm in a little over my head these days...
All that to say, I'm not sure when I'll be able to return to the game... maybe after the 24th, once the final draft of the second proposal will have been turned in, and once the hiring process will (hopefully) be complete?
It might be best to retire Baldrech for the time being, and leave a window open for him to return (if that's not practical, no worries... do what you have to do...). I'm really sorry that I've been holding things up (I rarely check the Paizo boards these days). And thanks for your patience and understanding...
The door is open for Baldrech to return if you want to. He's currently off in the forest hunting down kobolds on his own. Come back if you can and want to. Mr Snarly is more than welcome any time.
Thanks for the kind words, Rev. After the day I had today, and seeing things piling up on my desk faster than I can get through them, I'm starting to fear that I may not even be able to return in the near future. Despite an amazing holiday in Quebec, I'm already feeling ragged from excessive overtime, with no end in sight. As a result, my energy is low, and I presently don't even have any enthusiasm for gaming (that should tell you something). My promotion a few months back has become a curse as much as a blessing... hence, I've begun to search for jobs elsewhere, with the hope that they'll enable me to restore a sense of normalcy to my life.
So Baldrech unfortunately may have to wander the woods on an extended basis... but I'll hopefully be able to return some day, when time and my energy levels permit...
My apologies for the disappointment, and thanks all for your understanding...
Eesh. That's bad. Those kinds of stresses and pressures are no fun and I entirely sympathise.
Don't worry about the game. Baldrech is having a wild and wonderful time (in my mind anyway) bringing doom on the kobold population of Pharoe. All I can say is that if you ever do make it back and want in on any game I happen to be running at the time, you'd be more than welcome. It was a pleasure gaming with you.
In the way of adventuring parties everywhere, you've taken the shortest possible route (so far) to accomplish your mission. With this in mind, you may be coming to the end of this mini-adventure quite soon. Unheard of and unlikely I know, but we might finish a module :D
Anyhow, I'm wondering what you'd like to do when we wrap this up? I am more than happy to take you somewhere else if you'd like to, but am aware that the original remit was a one-shot. Thoughts and preferences?
I'm having a great time playing with you all, I definitely wouldn't mind carrying on and/or starting up a new adventure with you and any of the other players here. whichever would be easier, at the moment I have no reservations about shelving Gobi seeing as how he was sort of made for the one-shot attempt. So again, whatever everyone else would like to do.
With reference to the heading directly to the heart of the matter, in the words of D.I. Fowler from Vic and Bob's sitcom Catterick, "I have an exquisite nose for such things."
I'm definately up for continuing or starting fresh. I love the Dm style and group interaction, and I'm having a blast. I'm not thrilled about fighter at low level - it clearly got less work than some other classes, but that's WotCs fault :)
You know I'm up for any 4E game you run, Rev, but I'd love to continue Vel. I like her -- she's cranky.
I think the Fighter's powers are very dependant on circumstance and weapon choice, but I don't necessarily agree that less work was put into it as a class. I have found that there is a lot to keep track of with marking, OA bonus, and whatnot, with my fighter PC in my home game.
I think the Fighter's powers are very dependant on circumstance and weapon choice, but I don't necessarily agree that less work was put into it as a class. I have found that there is a lot to keep track of with marking, OA bonus, and whatnot, with my fighter PC in my home game.
I'm not saying there might not be a lot of bookkeeping and things to watch with it, nor that the class is poorly designed, but marking is one of the reasons I *do* think less work was put into it. Compared to every other classes given power Mark is not only weak, but feels tacked on. Look at what other classes get:
Cleric: Nothing round per round but two bonus encounter powers, one of which (Healing Word) scales with level nicely.
Paladin: A better mark, the reason for which is somewhat explained. Plus Lay on Hands and channel divinity.
Ranger: Hunters Quarry and a bonus feat. IMO, Prime Shot is weak, cause the archer shouldn't want to be the closest to a target.
Rogue: Sneak Attack, a weapon bonus, CA in round 1 against slower, and either AC to OAs or +str damage on Sneak Attacks.
Warlock: Shadow Walk (an amazing power), Warlocks Curse, the weak (for the same reasons as Ranger) Prime Shot.
Warlord: Party init bonus, Inspiring Word, and either healing or attack bonus when a pal uses an AP)
Fighters? A mark with some bonus OA chances - the idea behind which is never explained. *How* is the fighter marking? A bonus to OA attacks, and a +1 with a weapon group. Unlike rogue, fighter gets to pick that group, but the core abilities are blah.
And the mark itself is weak to start with. It feels tacked on, like someone said 'Hey, why isn't the monster attacking my ranger who just did a zillion to it. Why would it stay with the fighter?' and the design team needed a reason. For Paladin the mark power makes sense, feel wise. He's using holy enegry to likely literally mark the foe, and burns it (or raidiants it :)), when the foe moves away. For the fighter, what is it?? How does a creature know it's marked by a fighter. And what's up with marking on a *miss*?
Even the powers seem a little less 'wow' than other classes powers, though Martial Powers in November might change that.
I just think fighter feels more bland than the other classes do. It's more vanilla and the others seem more exotic is all :)
On an not unrelated subject, can I raise the issue of XP?
You seem to me to be gaining XP very slowly - which is entirely my fault as I've been doing it by the book and allocating very precisely. My thought is this.
PbP is slow by nature, and leveling a rarity, which is a pity as how else can you get access to more interesting powers? So, what I'd like to do is to award any encounter (combat or otherwise) with twice the offical XP value. Consider this as representative of the difficulties involved in resolving any issue in a pbp scenario.
If we take this route, you are on 890XP which sounds about right and offers the inducement of 2nd level being within reach rather soon. The DMG suggests about 10 encounters to get to the next level. Using this system, it would be about 5 encounters to gain a level which also sounds more plausible for pbp.
What do you all think?
Also, with three of you up for further adventuring, I will start looking at some material and plan a few escapades for you.