4707 AR, Sunday, 22nd Rova at 12:00 pm.
Five brave adventurers descended on Sandpoint during the annual Swallowtail Festival. Their leader was a short bald man who wore red robes at all times. He was fond of saying I am Dungeon Master, your guide in the realms of Sandpoint and beyond. Ok not really...
What started out as an opportunity to play a great AP quickly turn to well nothing much at all. The campaign lasted to the very first encounter and then just kind of stopped.
We are a group of players that are looking for a replacement DM. Our last one was new to PBP and his two campaigns did not do so well. He quit one and the players from the second one were ready to quit, so he bailed on that one as well.
We have currently three of the original group that have confirmed they want to continue on. The forth has in past said they were interested but have not hear from them since. The fifth is MIA he had a nasty animal companion (dinosaur) that we counted as our sixth member.
There are few things that we look for in a new DM.
1. Must want to have some fun at this game.
2. We would like to post daily and when you can on the weekends.
3. Please be creative...
Any questions please ask away.
I'll bite. I prefer a group of 5 - 6 players, not including animal companions.
All races except duergar royal, drow noble, sniveblin, drider, and gargoyles.
All classes are allowed.
All archetypes are allowed.
25 point buy, or 4d6 reroll ones, drop lowest in this thread.
500 starting gold.
Oh wow, that's a powerful campaign! I'd need to make some adjustments for Kargas' stats and gear, but I was one of the previous players.
Also, thank you so very much for taking this on!
No problem. I've taken over a few campaigns. I also sometimes bump up the power level of a campaign.
"sometimes"
I was tempted to give you all a mystic level and multiply the number of enemies.
I'm gonna set up a new recruitment thread.
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2u73u?ROTRL-by-DM-Forgedawn#1
New thread here.
You've both been accepted by default.
Well I am back again.
It may seem that we are cursed with DMs that do not post and give up on a game when the players request a tiny bit of direction.
So once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more
I am looking for a DM to take over a game that never made it beyond the first encounter from the original DM and never got to the first encounter with the replacement DM.
If you are interested please oh for the love of the gods please be interested in taking this to the end. We have a group of players that have spent time creating characters and have had a fun time bringing them together.
I am not sure if the other players will be interested in trying again as it tends to leave a bad taste in ones mouth after two failed attempts.
So I am crossing my fingers.
Thanks for the input.
They original campaign
http://paizo.com/campaigns/DeadlySecretsRiseOfTheRunelords9uipg/gameplay&am p;page=1
The second campaign
http://paizo.com/campaigns/ROTRLByDMForgedawn/gameplay&page=1
Bump
I just downloaded the anniversary edition on pdf today. If you give me a little bit of time to look it over I can give GMing a shot.
I tend to go a little slower than most PbP games though.
I'm interested in trying to get this off the ground again!
I am interested in playing in this if you need another PC.
@ L Kanan We will keep that in mind, but I would like to keep the slots open for the original group first.
@ Edward Sobel
Have you ever ran a PBP game before. How slow are we talking about?
The last Dm Posted 12 times in a span of 6 weeks roughly...That is not a fun time and makes for a very boring game. We would like to see a DM that can bring the game together and keep the party motivated to continue the story. Creativity and dedication are a most. If you are wanting to take this game over we would like to see it go beyond the first encounter.
Completely understand and wouldn't have it any other way.
I have some interest in running this game. I have played in RotRL through the first 3 books.
I don't own the AP though, so I would have to buy it and get up to speed.
I generally expect a post a day from all players (there are exceptions - we all have lives to live).
I live in the central time zone (GMT -6). I generally cannot post during work hours, but will post several times every evening. Same with weekend days.
I have run a few campaigns on this site. To be honest, most games fall apart after a year due to player issues and etc.
Let me know your thoughts.
p.s. where are you in the adventure again? Exactly?
It's been a while since I have GM'd a PbP, but I have run the game irl. A couple questions: where do you want to start? Where you left off, or a fresh start completely?
As a GM for PbPs, I tend to cut out some of the combat. Mostly a few random encounters that have no bearing on the story, and mildly buff some of the more cinematic fights to account for fuller spell lists and HP. PbP combat, I find, can really drag a story out and slow things down if it isn't interesting. It gives me of a focus on storytelling, but might be offputting to folks looking to sword-slap some skeletons at every turn. Would this be at odds with the group's goals for an AP?
Do you folks have a preference on mode of combat? Roll20, Google Docs, or pure theater of the mind?
@ L Kanan We will keep that in mind, but I would like to keep the slots open for the original group first.
@ Edward Sobel
Have you ever ran a PBP game before. How slow are we talking about?The last Dm Posted 12 times in a span of 6 weeks roughly...That is not a fun time and makes for a very boring game. We would like to see a DM that can bring the game together and keep the party motivated to continue the story. Creativity and dedication are a most. If you are wanting to take this game over we would like to see it go beyond the first encounter.
Well I would be posting more than that. but I also see a few others that may be better suited.
I am currently gm-ing one PbP game I had a couple of others that did not work out well.
I am in a few games and have been around these boards for a while. (over 21,000 posts)
I have GM'd the first book of RotRL with a table top group, but had to stop due to work schedules.
@ Cade - I see you have some choices to move forward, so I will withdraw my offer as I don't have the books for RotRL anyway.
Good luck!
I would be interested in continuing (was in both previous games).
To answer Professional Calvinball's questions, I of course enjoy combat but for PBPs I find that rollplay is much more fun and fulfilling, I would be fine with some random encounters being skipped for the sake of the story's flow.
@ Keith S.
Thank you for checking in on us, good luck
@ Qstor the game is not full as of yet but we have several players that were in the original game and would get first picks out of any...so far three players from the original game have posted here.
@ professional Calvinball
I am not sure where we would like to start, The players have made past the first attack of the Goblins and saved the city...We started to investigate why this happened but that is where it died out with no input from the original DM the second Dm never made it past the first part of the goblin attacks.
I am leaning towards starting right after the Goblin attack as I would like to avoid doing the RP to meet characters that I have already been playing with for several months now..lol I agree with Kargas' statement. I have done Roll20 or Google Docs and find that both are fine. I like to have some form of map for combat as it make it easier to work with.
@ Edward Sobel
We are looking for a dm that can post often, not required to post everyday but should be willing to keep the players involved and informed as to what is going on.
I think it best to choose anther to gm for you guys. My schedule is a bit crazy right now. Besides I can't even get in as a player in a runelord game right now.
Hi, guys.
If you are still looking for a GM I could take this one up. I am GMing a home game of this and we have just started book 5. I have the AE edition hardcover.
I am currently running a PbP game here on the forums which has gone on more than a year.
As a rule I can make one or possibly two posts a night on weeknights. Weekends maybe 1 post.
Love to get in on this as well, though I'm currently GMing 2 campaigns, so I don't think I could run it.
Thank you everyone for your interest.
I am going to see if the others chime in and if they do nto by tonight, I will contact the others through PMs to see who we would like.
to all that would like to run this game
What would your recruitment specs be?
How often can you post?
What would your recruitment specs be?
How often can you post?
Already answered the second.
My character creation rules would be as follows:
First of all, Rise of the Runelords is meant to be an "easy" campaign, and as a resource mostly uses Core-only, with a bit of stuff from the APG here and there. It is written for 4 players with a 15-point buy. A lot of encounters in the AP have a CR of APL or APL-1. I don't mind ramping things up a bit but when characters are using options from a huge host of books they have a big advantage.
So I would prefer to see characters that are versatile rather than characters that can only do one thing very well. I don't mind optimization - I think that there should be some rewards for system mastery - but try to keep it under control. Leave room for side abilities, and make sure your character can do things both in and out of combat.
Backstory: Make sure your story includes where you are from, what your upbringing was like, how you ended up in Sandpoint, and why you are there. It helps to give names to family, friends, and enemies in your backstory. You are allowed to be a Sandpoint native, and I'd prefer to have at least one character who is from there. I often give minor bonuses to those who come up with a good story.
Alignment: Preferably no evil. The AP assumes characters that are 'hero' types who will put their lives on the line for strangers. If you really want to play an evil character, you will need to explain why your character would act like a 'hero.'
Points: 20 point buy. Don't dump more than one score to 7. Don't dump more than two scores at all.
Race: Any Paizo Core race or any other Paizo race worth at most 10 RP. If you want to play a more powerful race I may allow it but will likely nerf it somewhat. Some races will not be appropriate for the setting and will be rejected, such as goblins, orcs, drow, etc. If you want to play something unusual make sure your backstory explains what you are doing in Sandpoint.
HUMANS: I personally think humans' race traits are boring as f**k. So human characters MUST take an alternate racial trait.
Classes: Any Paizo except occult classes. No guns. Summoners must be the unchained variety.
Starting gold: average for class or 150 gp, whichever is more.
Traits: Pick 2. Make sure they are not in the same category (please list which category they come from on your sheet). You may choose a Drawback for a third trait ONLY if A: one of your traits is a campaign trait and B: The Drawback actually hinders your character. For example, if you wanted a drawback that gave you a penalty fighting in melee, and your character never fights in melee, this doesn't hurt you at all and is not a valid drawback for you.
HP: Max at first level. I will allow the players to decide whether they want to go with average round up or rolled hit dice for the rest of the levels, as long as everyone is doing it the same way.
Variants: Background skills will be allowed.
3pp Material: It is very unlikely that I will allow any 3pp material, but for me to even consider it it must be available online for free at a site like http://www.d20pfsrd.com/. It also would have to be simple. If I have to learn a whole new game system to understand your character, it's a safe bet that I won't allow it.
Crafting Feats are NOT allowed. If your class grants crafting feats as bonus feats use the PFS versions of those class bonus feats.
One more thing: Be aware that some feats, traits, and spells are restricted to specific races, nationalities, or religions. The Paizo PRD and d20pfsrd usually do not list these requirements because they are a part of the company's product identity. The Archives of Nethys lists these and is a good source for that. If you want a feature that is normally not available to your race or religion, you will need to make a pitch as to why you think it should be available to you. It will be up to me to decide if it works or not.
While I think Kargas' point-buy would need to be brought back down, does anything stand out about his design that you like/dislike?
Just so I have a better idea of what your preferences are in practice.
While I think Kargas' point-buy would need to be brought back down, does anything stand out about his design that you like/dislike?
Okay, let's look at the characters that appear in this thread:
By my count you are already at a 20-point buy so there's no need to adjust stats. It does look like you have two extra HP (should be 12).
The only thing about Kargas I would change is to expand his backstory a little bit so he knows someone in Sandpoint or someone who appears there often (someone he met along the way perhaps?). It could be an existing NPC or he could make one up.
Cade has taken a trait that gives him a horse. I'm fine with that overall but would be inclined to change it to a riding dog or wolf, for two reasons:
1. Small characters will have a hard time mounting and dismounting a horse, because of their height.
2. There is a lot of dungeon crawling in this AP and a horse will not fit in a lot of the dungeons.
In Cade's background I would like to see him give names to his family members, particularly his stupid brother, and also whatever family member helped out Daviren Hosk kill some goblins (see the Friends and Enemies trait he took). He doesn't mention this person in his story and I would prefer he flesh it out a bit.
Also, I'm a bit OCD but I would really like line breaks between paragraphs in that background.
For Aasimars, the nerf would be two things:
1. Your creature type is Humanoid, with the outsider subtype. So you count as both an outsider and a humanoid. You are not immune to spells that target humanoids, like charm person. On the upside, you are now a legal target for reduce person and enlarge person. This also means that you don't get Celestial as a free language; instead you get the ethnic or racial language of your parents.
2. Choose to either: A, get rid of the spell-like ability, or B, get rid of two of your three resistances. You get to choose which.
I would ask that Floredana think a bit about how she will function in combat. A cleric usually doesn't usually have enough spells to just throw spells every round of combat, at least until mid-high levels. Yet with a STR of 8 and a DEX of 10 it is hard to see her contributing in any other way. It looks like Floredana has spent almost all her build points on mental stats in order to be the "smart" character. I would normally suggest toning it down there to give her physical stats some love, though it would be up to the player. She could also switch to a different Aasimar subtype that grants a +2 to WIS and one physical score if she wants.
FYI: There is a feat chain that can make a starknife half-decent (Starry Grace, Guided Star) but it would take a long time to get there.
Floredana seems to be built on more than 20 points, so that would need to be fixed. She also uses a heavy shield, even though she is not proficient. I wonder if she is aware of that and what the penalties are for non-proficiency. She should also understand that with a heavy shield she cannot cast a spell while she is wielding a weapon - a free hand is needed for spellcasting.
Floredana has a well-developed personality, but essentially has no background at all. I would want to see a background. Where did she grow up and who were her family? They need not be humans. What events shaped her personality? Why did she come to Sandpoint? Who does she know in Sandpoint? One of her traits indicates that she is from Geb. That is a long way. How did she get here?
Her appearance needs a little work, too. Aasimars are immediately recognizable as such unless they are in disguise or they have the Scion of Humanity alternate racial trait. So I'd like to see her jazz it up a notch. If she needs some inspiration she could take a look at the "Alternative Physical Features" table from the Blood of Angels book and pick a few. The table is listed on the Aasimar entry at http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-aasimar/ (you have to scroll down a bit).
I haven't really had a close look at the characters of people other than those who posted in this thread to revive the game. But I did notice that there was a centaur in the previous game thread. I would have to put my foot down about that. Looking at her scores, it would take a "normal" character race at least a 50-point build to get scores like that. That is not fair to the other players.
Starting after the first fight would be nice!
GM Peet, if you become our GM I would have no problem making adjustments based on your feedback.
Kargas will go straight Bloodrager, because I want to get to 8th level and rage-fly as quickly as possible.
Feat selection will emphasize critical hits & charging; a keen falchion + feats like Furious Focus, Critical Focus, etc. After 8th level the fly ability will let him hunt soft targets like archers or mages.
I'd be okay with writing in a familiarity with a local merchant or something, though a big part of his character is his "stranger in a strange land" schtick.
I'd be okay with writing in a familiarity with a local merchant or something, though a big part of his character is his "stranger in a strange land" schtick.
There are a lot of options that would still preserve that. Such as:
* People Kargas has gone to in order to get info about the Sandpoint Devil
- could be a local trapper who doesn't like town much either
- could be some kind of sage in town
- could be a local witch or druid
* Other half-orcs that Kargas might consider more approachable
- Town guardsmen or mercenaries
- Gorvi, the local garbage man
- A dockside "enforcer"
* Someone he met along the way
- a trader who bought animal pelts off him
- a Varisian fortune-teller or con artist
- a travelling bard with stories about the Sandpoint Devil (which may or may not be true)
The main thing is that I'd like the characters to have something to connect them with the town. This can be marginal at first and grow over time. But a character that has nothing for him in the town won't work very well.
I made some adjustments to my character. I made her a while ago and then adjusted her for the second try so I decided to do somewhat of an over haul.
My intended combat contribution is buffing. Her archetype let's her use her domain abilities from 30ft away, so in combination with her spells I will hopefully be ok even at low levels. I was also going to have scrolls, but if crafting is not allowed I'd be adjusting that.
I changed the point buy/stat distribution. I was originally going to have knowledge for fun, but I'll leave that to a character who is better equipped for it.
I'll add to her backstory and mess with her feats tonight.
DM Peet,
It appears that we have come to a decision. If you are still willing we would like to ask you to help us out with recruiting and starting this RotRL game up again for the third time. We will adjust our characters per your request. Thank you very much
We would like to start after the first battle with the goblins.
Looks like you have a Halfling Swashbuckler, Half-Orc Bloodrager, and Half-Elf Cleric of Desna already?
Worth noting, I have played the first book of RotRL on Roll 20, so I would know enough to be able to be tied in with the rest of the characters, and would be ok missing some of the beginning, if you end up getting this back off the ground.
Would you guys rather have some arcane assistance? Rogue/skill monkey character? That's probably more up to the GM, I guess as to what he's looking for in players, but just thought I'd ask as well.
Yep, I'm still lurking as well. Not too proud to beg ;)
This character was in a RotRL game which fell apart in the first dungeon. I would love to pick back up and see the rest of the AP if you have openings.
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Guys, it looks like there are no other serious contenders for GM for this game. If there are no objections I am just going to go ahead and start the process of taking over this game.
My GM alias for the game will be Rune GM.
I have to email the guys at Paizo to switch things over and assume control of the game. I'd rather keep the existing game thread for reference purposes.
Cade, Floredana, and Kargas will all be in the game by default. I don't have time to look at new characters yet but I will be setting up a new recruitment thread (I will notify everyone in this thread). Ultimate approval will be mine but I will be asking for feedback from the existing party members about what they would like to see before any final decisions.
So... I'll get to it then.
Peet
We would like to start after the first battle with the goblins.
This won't be a problem. The chaos ensuing a street fight is a good way to integrate characters. As in: "We can talk later. First let's get things settled down around here."
BTW, Cade, your background mentions a man named "Ameiko Kaijitsu." This a prominent NPC in the early part of the campaign, but FYI Ameiko Kaijitsu is a woman.
@Rune GM oh will you give PFS credit after "book 1"
I hadn't thought of that, but yes, I could.
For those of you who don't do PFS you should know that there are portions of each module that are eligible for PFS credit, meaning you can apply that credit towards a character as if this was a PFS-sanctioned scenario.
Note though that the character you play in this thread will NOT be PFS legal. The chronicle sheet you get will apply to another character of your choosing. Likewise, you should also be aware that it may take a long time before the PFS-legal part is completed. IIRC the first one is the section you deal with at around 3rd level. Even at a fast pace that will probably be a few months at least.
But we'll talk about this more when it gets closer to the time.
I've made it past the first goblin fight in the AP twice only to see the pbp game die almost immediately. Will look for your recruitment thread as I'd love to finally be able to play this.
I'd be fine with PFS credit but I've never done it before (i.e. gotten credit for an AP. I've a little experience with PFS by PBP & live), what does it require of us as players?
DItto that. This is like the cursed AP or something. I've tried twice and never made it past the first book.
DItto that. This is like the cursed AP or something. I've tried twice and never made it past the first book.
You should try getting into a Kingmaker game. I think I've had four or five Kingmaker GMs flake out on me, usually after no more than the first encounter, sometimes before.
Actually a big part of the reason I'm doing this is that in the latest attempt at a Kingmaker game we found a GM willing to take it over, and it turns out he is very good, better than the original GM we had. That game has been running for more than two years now.
So in a way what I am doing here is paying it forward.
I'd be fine with PFS credit but I've never done it before (i.e. gotten credit for an AP. I've a little experience with PFS by PBP & live), what does it require of us as players?
I don't think it takes that much. If you have a PFS number you should be good to go.
Rune GM is correct, as a player you just need to provide your pfs number.
