
Kirth Gersen |

(Yes, the title should read "Playtest.") I've resisted for years, but I'm thinking about DMing a play-by-post game, if sufficient interest exists. I have only two pre-existing conditions:
1. The purpose of this exercise is to provide additional playtesting of the version 2.0 house rules posted HERE, ones that I refer to as the Superior Hybrid Interactive Tabletop game (better known by its acronym), and which others have dubbed "Kirthfinder." These rules are similar to pure Pathfinder, but classes (especially martial ones) and feats have been rewritten, and combat rules are a bit different (half-move and full attack are compatible, for example, and spellcasting in melee is more difficult).
2. If you're going to lose interest and stop playing, that's OK, but have the decency to let me know in advance. Anyone who just randomly drops out of the game with no explanation will incur my lasting animosity. So please do not offhandedly say "Why not?" on a lark, unless you're genuinely intent on going through with it. I'd rather have 0 interested players (and know it in advance) and cancel up front, than to have a dozen people who never show up after their first post.
Other idiosyncrasies: I don't use battlemats. If you want to be in a certain place vis-a-vis others, and you can reasonably move there, you can do so. Also, play is open-ended in that players can assume that reasonable surroundings exist. If you're in a tavern and want to assume there's a wagon-wheel chandelier overhead (and I haven't said otherwise), then it is so. Likewise, if you want to flee an encounter and go back to town to look for reinforcements or oil or whatever (and the group agrees), then that's legitimate if a means of escape exist.

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Hey, Kyrth - I would love to join your game. I have seen some of your rules and I like them. There's just one thing - I have a craving to play litorian or some similar race. I have this old character who was litorian paladin in a Ptolus game that ended when DM disappeared from the boards and now I am looking for the game that would allow me to recreate that experience.

downrightamazed |

Definitely interested. As described, your house rules sound similar to mine, at least in spirit, so the style of play is right up my alley. I've never played anything rogue-ish so would love to use this an excuse to rock a straight-up old-school thief. With a heart of...maybe not gold but at least zircon.
This is the first I've seen of your house rules, though, so I need to read 'em. In the meantime, do you want more thorough character concepts or anything? What's the campaign gonna be? Etc.
ETA: Also, I'm DM Downrightamazed, running two concurrent PBPs at the moment (Hi KenderKin!), plus playing in Severed Ronin's Homebrew (group 2) and DM Barcas' just-starting Kingmaker. So, my PBP posting history will hopefully speak for itself. :-)

Kirth Gersen |

There's just one thing - I have a craving to play litorian or some similar race.
Thanks for your interest! Just to warn you, though -- I don't do "yarfing" or whatever that stuff is. You can play a furry if you want, but no one will allow you into town unless you're in a cage as part of a circus.

Chainsaw |

Looked at the races and I'm liking the idea of a hobgoblin monk.
I don't have the pbp resumes as some others. In fact, the one pbp I almost started here I had to drop out. I am a total paizo pbp noob--although I have played pbp on other sites.
But, I am genuinely interested. Here's hoping you take a chance but completely understand if you want to hedge your bets.

AdAstraGames |

I am currently in 3 PbPs. I would really like to be in this one, but I think you should take others first - if one of my other PbPs ends, I'll have a slot open to play with.
I am, however, going to make your life more difficult, by helping applicants avoid the most common things that cause GMs to say "Naaah." to characters.
1) Read the background the GM has provided.
2) Think about how your character's motives will drive them to heroic actions. It's not the GM's job to get your character away from his rose garden to fight the orcs, it's yours.
3) Think about what aspects of your characters will cause others to like them, both PCs and NPCs.
4) Try and limit yourself to 300 words in writing a character bio, describing some life changing events.
5) Try to avoid "revenge quests" - they are a common trope in the literature, but seven characters from seven species and seven different cities each seeking out the murderers of their parents/sibling/girlfriend/teacher/insurance agent is going to mean that all of the revenge quests get thrown overboard.
Bonus points for using proper grammar, spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
Double bonus points for having a background that integrates with your character's abilities, and showcases what sacrifices your character made to get that power (or how that power has changed their lives).

Kirth Gersen |

I'll make things even more challenging:
So far in the live playtesting we've had 2 monks, 2 wizards, 2 rogues, a cleric, an archivist, a ranger, a barbarian, and a battle sorcerer. No bards, one very limited part-time druid only, no favored souls, no full-time fighters, no prestige paladins.
Certainly you can play a monk in the PBP -- but two of them, on top of the two "live" monks, isn't giving me a lot of useful feedback!

Kirth Gersen |

seven characters from seven species and seven different cities each seeking out the murderers of their parents/sibling/girlfriend/teacher/insurance agent is going to mean that all of the revenge quests get thrown overboard.
Or, given the DM, it might mean that all seven of them are after the same guy! Or maybe it would turn out they're after each other, due to a series of misunderstandings...

Falandar Thornarrow |

So far in the live playtesting we've had 2 monks, 2 wizards, 2 rogues, a cleric, an archivist, a barbarian, and a battle sorcerer. No bards, one very limited part-time druid only, no favored souls, no full-time fighters, no prestige paladins.
Boy, I'm getting snubbed everywhere it seems...

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TriOmegaZero wrote:You know, someone on here said I should run a PBP too.If you use the houserules for it, I'll very happily bow out in your favor -- I'd rather play than DM anyway!
I was thinking two concurrent games to handle the large amount of players. I'm not committed to the idea yet, since I don't know how well I can run while over in Iraq.

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Gotcha. We can talk more Sunday -- maybe for the houserule PBP we can co-DM.
We may come up tomorrow night after the game and get a hotel room, so we can come over after checking out in the morning. We can game early, and Derek can get home to the game while we hang out with you and the wife.

Kirth Gersen |

We may come up tomorrow night after the game and get a hotel room, so we can come over after checking out in the morning.
I can check the closet for an air mattress, if you like -- some of the hotel costs near here are grossly inflated. Granted, it wouldn't be as comfortable, but it would certainly be cheaper...

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I can check the closet for an air mattress, if you like -- some of the hotel costs near here are grossly inflated. Granted, it wouldn't be as comfortable, but it would certainly be cheaper...
We have our own, but I think we would both prefer a real bed for the night. I'm not concerned with expenses too much right now, since I'll be earning more and (hopefully) spending less while I'm away.

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Kirth, if I do run, will it skew the play test too much for you if I use this method for ability scores?
OK. I figured it went without saying, but our door is always open to you.
When do we get our house key? :)

Kirth Gersen |

Kirth, if I do run, will it skew the play test too much for you if I use this method for ability scores?
EDIT: Wait, I'm not sure I understand the output.
EDIT 2: OK, playing with it, those come out biased pretty high, but not outrageously so. It should be OK.
David James Olsen |

Tangible Delusions wrote:There -- fixed those for you. It's "4d6, drop the lowest," not just "4d6."(1, 2, 3, 4) = 9
(4, 6, 3, 4) = 14
(3, 2, 6, 6) = 15
(4, 1, 4, 1) = 9
(3, 5, 1, 5) = 13
(2, 1, 6, 4) = 12
How come you got completely different numbers than I did?
4d6 ⇒ (1, 1, 5, 3) = 10-1=9
4d6 ⇒ (6, 2, 4, 6) = 18-2=16
4d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 1, 6) = 18-1=17
4d6 ⇒ (3, 5, 1, 4) = 13-1=12
4d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 4, 4) = 15-1=14
4d6 ⇒ (5, 6, 5, 5) = 21-5=16
Sorry, I just dropped the lowest on a piece of paper and forgot to edit that post...wasn't assuming I got to keep all 4 :)

Kirth Gersen |

I've got a thread on the "PBP Discussion" board -- we can post scores and discuss in-game stuff there. I'd like to keep this thread for looking at who's interested, etc.
So far it looks like the candidates are:
I'd like to keep the playtest game to 4 or 5 PCs max.

David James Olsen |

I've got a thread on the "PBP Discussion" board -- we can post scores and discuss in-game stuff there. I'd like to keep this thread for looking at who's interested, etc.
So far it looks like the candidates are:
Chainsaw -> hobgoblin monk
David James -> Mountain dwarf fighter
Kenderkin -> halfling bard who needs to fix his ability scores
Downrightamazed -> elf druid
Nightflier -> ranger or paladin maybe (and ranger/paladin works well, too).
Tangible Delusions -> ? I'd like to keep the playtest game to 4 or 5 PCs max.
Sorry the last name is me, I just clicked the wrong "Post as"

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I posted under one of your other threads and have been trying to track this one down, but I'd been interested in playing or being put on some sort of waitlist if at all possible. Still reading through a bit of your rules, but judging by the party composition currently (barring Tangible Delusions decision on their character) I wouldn't mind playing a Rogue. I'll have a concept up later if that's at all alright.
If so or not, just let me know. Thank you.
Also, as I said on the other thread, I'd like to extend my compliments to you lot and what you've done with the system. Very impressive.
They say that imitation is the very best form of flattery, so if that's true, I look forward to imitating you soon. Lol.
Signed,
Ronin
Running two homebrew PBPs - Shadows of Aris
Playing in a struggling PBP run by GM Jlighter