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I am starting up an online campaign and run into a snag and my searches haven't revealed any info. Then again I don't know which section to search so I thought I would post here.
If any of you know old threads that answer these questions or where to ask just post.
I am used to running games on Myth Weavers which allows lots of threads for a game. If I wanted to run a pregame for potential players to run around in how do I do that. Or is that done at all here?
How do I pick the 6 players to play in the game. It seems that once I post the game thread anyone posting gets into the game?
I see that everyone kind of uses campaign tab for everything. Do you generally run the entire game out of a single thread or do you close it at some point and open another?
I am running an adventure path so is it okay if i copy room descriptions from the PDF or do I have to paraphrase everything? I am already redrawing maps and other materials just so I'm not posting up to much content from the actual module but wanted to know how everyone else deals with it.
Thanks for any help!
Wish they had this in the FAQ
Welcome!
If I wanted to run a pregame for potential players to run around in how do I do that. Or is that done at all here?
How do I pick the 6 players to play in the game. It seems that once I post the game thread anyone posting gets into the game?
Usually something like that is done in the Recruitment thread itself - or if you create the entire Campaign, sometimes people use the Discussion tab for it. That way you can still answer questions and view people's final characters before Okaying them to go ahead and get acquainted with the others. It keeps things a bit cleaner. And from there once you have your party chosen, you'd move those players in particular over to the Gameplay thread.
Technically, yeah, anyone who posts in Gameplay is added to the game automatically, but it's really understood that you shouldn't post in a gameplay thread for a game that you weren't selected for. Sometimes you'll get someone who Dots the Gameplay thread for a game that they aren't in so that they can read it, but I am not sure how common that is.
I see that everyone kind of uses campaign tab for everything. Do you generally run the entire game out of a single thread or do you close it at some point and open another?
Almost always single threads - though I've seen a lot of games that use Google Docs for everything from tacking loot to having maps to even having several documents on Lore. There's really a lot that you can do.
Do you already have players or you are searching for some? For the latter, I wrote this a couple of months ago
As a player I'd stress on something, tough (I mean I think that's important, but maybe it's only me): work on your recruitment thread. It's like your business card! Technically, you only need to write what AP you want to run and the build requirements, but seeing only a single line with
"I want to run CoT, 20 build points, all race allowed, no summoner or gunslinger, ready, set, go"
puts me off. A fancy recruitment post with an introduction to the AP (bonus points if you wrote that!), your style of DMing(bonus point for a sample here!), number of posts, player and DM expectations, paragraphs and good formatting goes a long way to make people submit a character to your campaign: except some people (like me :P) who looks at the DM posting history and things like that, most people look only to the recruitment, so make it count!
You said something about running a pregame for selection: sometimes people run a sort of "Recruitment RP" (usually in the classical tavern) in the discussion thread before selecting the players. It's something I wouldn't advice, tough...
And yes, everything is generally done in the campaign threads. Actual posts in the Gameplay and general discussion in, well, Discussion. :P
As Yorick already said a lot of people use Google Docs to host the maps and keep the loot tables, and sometimes other things like images and the like.
And there aren't any problems in copying room description. They're there to be used. ;)
Ha, I feel your pain. I had the same thing when I hosted a game on here.
On the maps: if you got the PDFs, make screenshots and paste them into paint or photoshop. Edit it, upload it to google drive and tada. I've also seen some DMs works their magic by pasting the map into an excel like program together with little cut-outs of the character portraits. The players can then move the cut-outs around on the map - that's truly the handiest way to play, but I got NO IDEA how to set that up =)
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I already have the recruitment thread and have players lining up so I wanted to setup the usual tavern for players to interact in...although in this case it is a market but its the same kind of idea.
What do you not like about the tavern pre-game RP? IT seems that without that people will get bored waiting around or just want to play something.
Although in this game I am recruiting an entire party so they'll need it to get a handle on each other's characters. although the recruitment could be used to figure each other out.
I already have the recruitment thread and have players lining up so I wanted to setup the usual tavern for players to interact in...although in this case it is a market but its the same kind of idea.
What do you not like about the tavern pre-game RP? IT seems that without that people will get bored waiting around or just want to play something.
Although in this game I am recruiting an entire party so they'll need it to get a handle on each other's characters. although the recruitment could be used to figure each other out.
It clogs up the recruitment thread. That's why I don't like it.
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I have jpgs of maps to let people see the the usual stuff but for battles I have so far used google spreadsheet since with a little tweak I can make it a grid then just do some ascii art of the terrain and other elements. So far it worked out well. I figured out how to put players icons up there but to put all the art up needed for a game as icons could be a bit much.
if they got the map up AND the icons on top of it then they are way ahead of me. getting them both to work would definitely inspire me. will have to play with the spreadsheet some more.
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It clogs up the recruitment thread. That's why I don't like it.I already have the recruitment thread and have players lining up so I wanted to setup the usual tavern for players to interact in...although in this case it is a market but its the same kind of idea.
What do you not like about the tavern pre-game RP? IT seems that without that people will get bored waiting around or just want to play something.
Although in this game I am recruiting an entire party so they'll need it to get a handle on each other's characters. although the recruitment could be used to figure each other out.
Good point. I'll setup the discussion for RP
I missed the room descriptions question! Absolutely you can use them, but I'd also encourage you to have fun with it and add your own flavour. What the GMs and Players bring to the table is what makes the APs different. You can play the same AP 15 times and it'll be 15 completely different games if you have good parties and a good GM.
You said something about running a pregame for selection: sometimes people run a sort of "Recruitment RP" (usually in the classical tavern) in the discussion thread before selecting the players. It's something I wouldn't advice, tough...
I'm curious why you said that. I dislike it as a player because I feel like it gives those with a ton of free time an advantage over everyone else, but as a GM, I think it's probably a valid tool. I can't say because I've never run one because of aforementioned issues with it.
It clogs up the recruitment thread. That's why I don't like it.
That's valid. Like I said, that's why I've seen it used in the Discussion thread, too, during Recruitment. Everyone can still use Recruitment to get feedback on their characters and ask questions, and then they can go RP when the GM okay's their submission.
On the maps: if you got the PDFs, make screenshots and paste them into paint or photoshop. Edit it, upload it to google drive and tada. I've also seen some DMs works their magic by pasting the map into an excel like program together with little cut-outs of the character portraits. The players can then move the cut-outs around on the map - that's truly the handiest way to play, but I got NO IDEA how to set that up =)
Remind me and I'll do up a tutorial on it. Really we should have one huge FAQ / Help Document for both GMs and players. Maybe a few of us can get together and make something happen with that?
I already have the recruitment thread and have players lining up so I wanted to setup the usual tavern for players to interact in...although in this case it is a market but its the same kind of idea.
What do you not like about the tavern pre-game RP? IT seems that without that people will get bored waiting around or just want to play something.
Although in this game I am recruiting an entire party so they'll need it to get a handle on each other's characters. although the recruitment could be used to figure each other out.
Well...
I didn't have anything against them at first, but after a discussion on why a recruitment thread I submitted a character for wasn't doing it, I changed my stances on the matter.First thing, it's very demoralizing for someone that's thinking to submit a character late. Sometimes, when people see that there are other 50-100 posts, they don't even submit a character, thinking that they would start at a disadvantage: the other already had time to develop their character well, and maybe the RP discussion has already died down, with everyone only able to go around what they already said.
I saw that this causes both bad feelings both if it's real or perceived.
In the first case, people who are able to post more are awarded, while others, even if they have more interesting character, have a very slim chance to make it. Second case, it happens the opposite: someone may be really active in the recruitment thread, but still don't make it. That's very depressing, too, because s/he still invested a lot of time checking and interacting on the RP thread.
In short, I think they do more harm than anything else. :/
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Ah I get you. Hmm.. that's a real issue. That's the problem I always see. I hate that 30 people will sign up and there is no way to run anything for the 25 who didn't get in. Hell even running two games would only cover 10 of them.
Hell I should just say first 6 in are in. lol would make everything much easier. May try that next game.
Chaiboy, a great way to have players be 'linked' is to have each player pick another character that they have a history or bond with. Whether they've just been traveling together, hail from the same village or were trained by the same person .. :)
.. and yes, you'll have to disappoint a lot of people. I got enough applications for my Serpent's Skull game to play it till I get to retire :'D
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Chaiboy, a great way to have players be 'linked' is to have each player pick another character that they have a history or bond with. Whether they've just been traveling together, hail from the same village or were trained by the same person .. :)
.. and yes, you'll have to disappoint a lot of people. I got enough applications for my Serpent's Skull game to play it till I get to retire :'D
Good point. I think I'll try that.
Is there no BBCode for images?
Chaiboy, a great way to have players be 'linked' is to have each player pick another character that they have a history or bond with. Whether they've just been traveling together, hail from the same village or were trained by the same person .. :)
.. and yes, you'll have to disappoint a lot of people. I got enough applications for my Serpent's Skull game to play it till I get to retire :'D
Good point. I think I'll try that.
Is there no BBCode for images?
No, you have to link an url with the image. The only images the paizo messageboards supports are the avatars. :/
You can weave the hyperlink to the map into the small text next to your name though when you post. People use it to show their current hp, initiative modifier, saves and what not, but you can also put links in there.
That, or put the current map in the title or description of the campaign so that it always shows at the top of the page.
I already have the recruitment thread and have players lining up so I wanted to setup the usual tavern for players to interact in...although in this case it is a market but its the same kind of idea.
What do you not like about the tavern pre-game RP? IT seems that without that people will get bored waiting around or just want to play something.
Although in this game I am recruiting an entire party so they'll need it to get a handle on each other's characters. although the recruitment could be used to figure each other out.
I know people have already put forward their reasons which I agree with I wanted to add as some one who lives in a different time zone to most players it adds problems. I've found in pre-game RP I might start a conversation with another player and one of us goes to bed/work and when they come back 50 posts have happened making it hard to continue. In addition I find them hugely chaotic and they destroy any illusion of reality as conversations occurring at the opposite ends of a marketplace are suddenly brought crashing together by one post. These days I just avoid any recruitment thread that encourages it.
On the topic of picking the first X people to apply. I was in a game like that once, we unfortunately broke the GM, we were 5 very keen players and the GM struggled to keep up. We got through the first book of the AP in about a month at which point the GM said she couldn't keep going.
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lol wow must have been a rough game.
Thanks for the info. Now that you mention it I remember the recruitment threads here having much more people talking than the other forum I ran a game in.
First X players also seems to get the people that post the most. So people in different time zones can be out of luck there too.
Well I am going with a self organized group idea. Players organize themselves into groups and I'll pick one that has the best feel in the game. I am giving everyone till saturday before I start the game so plenty of time for another group to form. That gives everyone the best shot.
How do I get the stats nect to my name. so far I can't get them to show up
They don't show up on the general forums.
http://paizo.com/people/chaiboy/profile > edit profile .. and then add what you want to be displayed next to your name under 'special abilities'.