Welcome to the OOC thread v 2.0!

First off, a few rules:

1. If you are a member of the game, please subscribe to this thread so you get updates from it.
2. This thread is for Out-of-Content (Out-of-Character) discussion only. That includes rules inquiry, idle chit-chat, availability updates (let us know here if you'll be going inactive for a while), discussions and votes about new house rules, pictures of your pets... anything that isn't done specifically in the game.
3. If you wish to post something in the game, please do so in our IC Thread v2.
4. Please reference this post for updates about active players and house rules that have been voted on by the players.

Next, a few house rules:

1. Play-by-Post happens on our time. So I don't expect constant updates. But try to check the game at least every other day (especially when in combat or when interacting directly with an NPC) to see if there's anything you need to add. 
2. If you need to go inactive (not posting for a week or longer) please let us know here in the OOC thread, so we can work around that. We understand that life takes priority, and you don't need a reason to go inactive. But if we know you won't be able to respond to an IC interaction, we won't attempt to, and therefore it won't be awkward. 😅 Players who are inactive for a week or longer and haven't notified me will be removed from the game.
3. If you wish to leave the game, please notify me privately. We can discuss whether you wish your character to be killed off (gone forever) or just leave the game for several months until you are ready to return. If you wish, I can even run a clone of your character in your absence. If you don't want to discuss it, you can also remove your character from the Campaign, and I'll take that as the hint as well. But please don't post that you're leaving in the OOC thread or the IC thread.
4. Check the campaign notes for updates on NPCs, daily logs, and game lore. If I'm missing an NPC or a daily log, or a detail on the daily log that you find important, please let me know.

Active Players (in Alphabetic Order):

cheapjoke123 as Sharn Starsleeper (he/him) Hill Dwarf Monk (NG)! The split on the dwarves was never forgotten; not by their elders; not by their offspring. Sure, some of the Neidar rejoined with their cousins of Thoradin, but not Sharn’s tribe. Those who live on soil: Krauth-tyn, they said. When Sharn was born, his tribe was well into their exile for over two centuries, barely a dwarven generation. Though, for humanity they would’ve wandered for over two lifetimes. Sharn didn’t grow up surrounded by stone. He grew treasuring wood and clay. Things that could be useful and turned into tools. Tradition and industriousness turned into pragmatism. In much the same way is how he learned to fight. Sharn despised violence, even to this very day, but he realized the need to protect the Krauth-tyn and himself. Many of the elders were more than glad to teach him and the other youths. Though, all did not learn the same lessons. Deseen had grown up with Sharn. She protected him and cared for him, always acting like an older sister. She idolized the past, unlike Sharn, and yearned to return to the old days. With the dwarves as a unified people. A civilization of greatness that sculpted the mountains themselves into legacy and memory. There was no room for hatred in her heart, for it was all taken by ideals of greatness. In that way their combat lessons fitted her better than Sharn. The hard blows, the resistance, the perfect shield that would make way to the hammer. Sharn was too afraid of broken bones and bleeding flesh. Deseen grew up with strength in her mind. Ambitions of greater power that would guide her people to greater heights. Sharn did not understand her ambitions, but he assisted her in what he could. Starting gatherings around a campfire with his flute, that Deseen would use to promote her ideals to the rest of their family. In a way, he created and provided the tools for his own betrayal For every lesson Deseen absorbed, Sharn had to work twice over to adapt. He exchanged his hammer for a humble quarterstaff. The bone breaking blows for stunning strikes. Soon, the calling of stone was exchanged for the soft whispers of the stars. Be it whatever god that may be, for it couldn’t have been Reorx. And yet he felt at peace in his ways. A peace he wished had lasted forever. In the year 347 AC evil caught up to the Krath-tyn. Their elders had died one after the other. Many thought it was due to old age, and natural causes, all the fatalities occurred after their third century. Deseen only confessed of their murder to Sharn, after it was too late. As there were no elders to guide them, Daseen pushed to become the leader of their tribe. They had never had a leader, and Sharn opposed the idea, but it was his friend, and he knew she only wanted the best for their people. She guided them to the gates of Thoradin. The forces of the Dark Queen had begun to gather, though they were not yet apparent. There, at the gates of their ancestral home, Deseen sprung her trap. Her followers murdered any who would oppose Deseen. She herself grievously injured Sharn, severing his beard in the process and leaving a scar that would never fade below his neck. His beard would never grow again either. Sharn still wonders why she forgave his life. His salvation came not by chance, though some would say so. After the confrontation against Deseen, he was left to die of his wounds on a dusty hill. A scout of the Hachakee Tribe found him, and by mercy of their leader, he was nursed back to health. He explained his circumstances, and with some hesitation, they allowed him to stay. Sharn proved to fit the Hachakee very well. He had been a nomad before; and though he didn’t have much experience with horses or animals, he was skilled in foraging. His proficiency with woodworking made him very popular with their children too. There were few sources of toys and joy. After only a year, he came to be known as an affable member of their tribe, if suffering from battleshock sometimes. After two more years he was like an uncle that many liked, but few truly knew. In reality, that battleshock was his form of meditation, unsettling though it was to see him staring at the dirt. Sharn could swear that if he dug enough with his staff, he could see stars just below the ground. Eventually he made it to Sanketh with the rest of the tribe. He had spent two days looking at dirt near the entrance, trying to see the stars below. They whispered to him at night that things would change, and that he would have to look for strangers. Those strangers would need all the help they could get. Those strangers would have a war of their own. And even the help of a weird dwarf would count.
Hrothbert_Neruca as Merkas Flinttassle! (he/him) Lightfoot Halfling Sorcerer (CN)! Having been raised in a more urban center during his youth he picked up many different "skills" to help him survive, Lockpicking, Stealth, Deception, and, well, truth is he was a criminal. These skills however landing him a lucrative job to track down and scour multiple battlefields for magical and valuable items. This is ultimately what got his skin to turn towards the colour of the sky instead of the typical sun baked visage of treasure hunters. At one of these sites he was inundated by some magical force which surged through his body causing a variety of spells to go off simultaneously, one of which turned his skin blue, another was a fireball that nearly blasted his sister, Yvana, onto her back. The surges continued until Yvana bodily slammed Merkas out of the area he was standing in. This saved his life but ultimately locked his sister into what seemed like suspended animation until an hour or so later he noted that she was aging rapidly. He had to watch as his younger sibling was reduced to bones and ash in accelerated decomposition. After grieving her loss he picked up what he could and set out to find a way to prevent anyone else from coming to such a fate. This brought him to the Golden Company and ultimately in the escort of the refugees.
Larskolstad as Sera Uth Darnon (she/her) Human Cleric (LG)! Born to Letren and Innaia, Sera grew up on the hard soil of Solamnia’s countryside, a life marked by toil, love, and loss. Her father, Letren, was a retired Knight of Solamnia, a man of both valor and scars. He rarely spoke of the horrors he had faced in battle, but his restless nights—filled with nightmares and screams—hinted at memories too painful to share. Despite this, he poured his energy into training Sera with wooden swords and knightly drills. To her, he wasn’t just a father—he was her mentor, her protector, and her playmate, embodying the ideals of honor and strength. Yet Letren, ever practical, also feared the brutal life of a knight and taught Sera carpentry to give her a trade untouched by the sword. He worried aloud that she might one day have no choice but to take up arms. Meanwhile, her mother, Innaia, worshipped the old gods, particularly Paladine. She gave Sera an old silver triangle, a holy symbol she believed would protect her daughter from harm. Life on the farm was hard, but manageable—until it wasn’t. A sickness swept through the land, leaving death and ruin in its wake. When Sera’s parents fell ill, there were no resources to save them. On their deathbeds, her father warned her of enemies who might come for her, chief among them Hart Goldenspear, a vindictive noble who bore a grudge against Letren. Her mother, with her last breath, told Sera the gods had a purpose for her. With their passing, Sera lost not only her family but also her home, which was confiscated by corrupt nobles. Fleeing Solamnia, Sera made her way to the streets of Palanthas. There, she scraped by as a beggar and carpenter, barely surviving. Even amid the cruelty of street life, Sera couldn’t bear to turn away from others in need. Her father’s sword hilt and shield, the only relics of her past, were a constant temptation to sell—but she refused, holding on to them as symbols of her family’s legacy. She always wondered why her fahter had kept this swordhilt as a valuabel item. She attacked a blade to it and used it as a poorly but sharp sword. Her courage and selflessness didn’t go unnoticed. One day, while defending a group of beggars from violent thugs, she caught the attention of Gero uth Sedm, an aging cleric of Gilean. Gero claimed he could see the divine spark within her, an aura of Paladine’s favor. With his hill dwarf companion Handar Grimaxe, a retired adventurer, Gero took Sera under his wing, teaching her of the old gods and their resurgence as Takhisis’s dragonarmies rose to power. But Hart Goldenspear hadn’t forgotten her. He tracked her down, ambushing her one fateful evening. The attack was brutal—his men beat her, and Hart himself committed unspeakable violence against her before stabbing her with her father’s sword. They left her for dead in a dark alley. Lying there, broken and bleeding, Sera prayed to Paladine. She did not beg for life but for the chance to fight against the injustice she had suffered and to protect others from the same fate. As her consciousness faded, an old man with a staff appeared, his eyes filled with sorrow and power. He said nothing, simply nodding before she passed out. When Sera awoke, she was aboard a ship bound for Khur. Gero and Handar had found her, and though her recovery seemed miraculous, she was forever changed. Paladine had answered her prayers, granting her the power to heal and fight. Something also happened with the swordhilt. She had it close to her body and suddenly knew the command to make a blade of pure energy shoot out. her awakaning to her powers had connected her to her fathers old sunblade. She hid these newfound abilities, afraid of how others might react, pretending to be nothing more than a hired sword as she traveled with Handar to his sister’s remote outpost in Khur. Glynnis, the Brewer are Handars sister and Owner of The Laughing Dwarf Dance Hall The journey was eye-opening. Everywhere, the shadow of war loomed. Sera saw suffering on a scale she’d never imagined and realized the divine powers she carried were not merely a gift—they were a call to action. Though she doubted her worthiness, she trusted that fate had placed her on this path for a reason. Arriving in Khur, Sera began training in secret, her resolve hardening with each passing day. She knew Hart Goldenspear would come for her again, and when he did, she would be ready. But more than that, the green dragon army terrorizing the region stirred something deep within her—a sense that this battle would be her true test, one that Paladine had prepared her for all along.
MrUncleTio as Hastos (he/him) Elf Fighter/Champion! Hastos was born in the Silvanestri Forrest. Being a part of a minor caste, he was raised by his single mother in a secluded part of the forrest away from the other elves. His mother never spoke of his father, but had always told Hastos not to linger near the Tower of the Stars, and to keep his hood well over his face when around other elves. Hastos grew up poor, but happy. Helping his mother work the garden until he was able to wield a bow, then helped her with hunting. Be became proficient enough that he was able to start selling pelts and game at the local markets. As the years passed, his mother grew frail and passed when Hastos was fairly young. With nothing to keep him, he struck out and roamed the Syvanestri Forrest, surviving on his own until he enlisted in a small army in the northern area of the Sylanestri Forrest. He rose to the rank of Sergeant. His army suffered high casualties in a long and intense battle, most of the remaining survivors dispersed and returned to their homeland. Hastos joined TheBlue Dragon Army. While he didn’t like the work, the group provided a stability to the region and had promised no incursions into the Silvanesti Forrest.  All of this changed one summer when Hastos learned that Ariakas had betrayed his people and had launched a devastating attack against the elves in northern Sivanestri, burning down the northern forests that he had spent his life protecting. Hastos abandoned The Blue Dragon Army, killing many in the process in order to join his elven kin in the defense of his homeland. The remaining members of his troupe were killed in the town of Larune in a last ditch effort to slow the advance of the dragon army. Hastos returned to the devastated Silvanestri as the dragon armies fled and as King Lorac is overtaken by the curse of the dragon orb and the land is twisted into a nightmarish hellscape. Hastos swore that he would one day avenge the deaths of his people, using his skills learned in battle to seek and eliminate members of of the Green Dragon army wherever he encountered them.
Weathervision as Arvos Quain (he/him) Half-Elf Druid (NN)! A quiet and practical resident of Santekh, Arvos is always there when someone needs help. His kindness is well noted throughout Santekh, and he has earned a shining reputation amongst the people there. He can be found restoring the cemetery and shrines in Santekh. Arvos Quain is a part-time PC, part time NPC, who can be sought out when Dawnbound needs extra help, or seeks a quest.

Rules Specific to this Campaign:

1. Your party is a mercenary group called Dawnbound. Their current Renown is updated in the DM Public Notes in the Campaign. As your renown increases, you'll be able to recruit NPCs as low-ranking members who will complete lower-level quests that your patron (once patrons are earned) gives them. In return for being able to piggy-back off your guild's reputation, they'll pay you guild dues: a small percentage of the quest rewards they earn while adventuring. Eventually, you could be granted land to build a home base, branches and satellite locations, and even titles as your guild's renown grows.
2. When it comes to exploring the world, feel free to roll for comprehension. Your character may know something that you don't. Examples include: how best to strategically defeat an enemy, whether or not a rock or herb has magical properties, local lore, whether or not going into that cave or dungeon is a good idea. You can even discern the stat block and alignment of NPCs and monsters with a good dice roll. When in doubt, roll some dice, and declare what you're trying to understand. I'll try to use your passive stats when possible, but your roll overrides your passive stats.
3. Battles are fought on grids, and I use modifiers like flanking, terrain advantages/disadvantages (like high ground), and called shots.
4. XP isn't divided in my PbP games. If a monster is worth 300 XP, everyone gets 300 XP. It helps you all to level up quicker and gives everyone a sense of progress.
5. Killing an enemy isn't the only way to defeat it.
6. In combat, I use the battle tactics inherent in the monster, not necessarily whatever tactics work best. So, monsters with a high survival instinct are more likely to flee if they discern that they are going to lose the battle. Up to you if you want to prevent that. But in many cases, their body parts can be harvested for food, hides, alchemical ingredients, and items that can be sold/bartered.
7. The game has a story, but I'm flexible. I have a "yes and" approach to DM'ing. If you manifest something as true in the campaign setting, I'll usually allow it. Unless you're like "I prayed to my deity that Santekh be blessed and now it's a verdant oasis ripe with figs and fresh water! The end!" 😅 If an idea adds to the game or at least doesn't ruin it for everyone else, I am probably ok with the change.
8. Remember to check alternate uses for skill checks that I have noted in a Google Sheets doc in the Campaign DM Public Notes. You can also use feats by rolling skill checks. Ask me about it if you have a feat in mind you'd like to attempt.
9. If the game is lagging, or during combat, I will instigate a 24 Hour turnover rule. Which means, if a game has stalled for 24 hours, I will do cinematics to move the game forward and predict outcomes. Then I will message any players who are holding the game up to see if they are still playing and what I can do to help them along. I don't implement this rule often. Only if the game really seems to need a nudge.
10. Cursed Dice Rule: if you can't seem to catch a break with the dice (no result 10 or above for a while) I'll give you a chance on your next roll to roll your d20 5 times and take the best result.
11. PbP is about creative writing. Casters, remember your components (Vocal, Somatic, Material) and cast accordingly. Martial fighters, describe how you attack. Think about the setting, the vibe, the sights, the smells, the sounds. Help us see and feel what you see and feel.
12. Praying to gods, or doing great deeds may grant you inspiration. So will eating or cooking a really good meal.
13. To speed things along, I will sometimes roll for the player, but I really prefer not to do that. Please include all your necessary rolls with your post when you can. I'll roll if you forget.
14. I have special holiday rewards and games that I run in the OOC. These events can benefit your character if you choose to participate. For Halloween, we played a little Trick or Treat game. As Christmas (Hannukha, Yule, etc) rolls around, you may find something nice in your Oversized Sock of Mundane Holding (essentially a magical stocking that appears near where you sleep. It goes away after you collect your gift). If there's a particular holiday you'd like your character to be able to observe, let me know about it. I'll research its traditions and see if I can implement some fun little mini game around it.
15. Your back stories are important. I build side-quests and plot hooks around them. Also, there's a chance that it will win you special allies, patrons, magic weapons, cultural favor in specific regions of the map, etc. No back story, means I have nothing to work with. Up to you, but that seems like you're leaving money on the table to me,
16. Alignment is about how you wish to be perceived by NPCs, not how you intend to RP your character. And alignment has nothing to do with morals. Let me explain:
    Law to Chaos has to do with regards to authority. If you prefer a structured system with a clearly defined hierarchy, Lawful. If you are ungovernable and hate being told what to do, Chaotic.
    Good to Evil has to do with your compunctions towards killing. If you resolve your conflicts non-lethally, Good. If you tend to kill 'em all and let the gods sort 'em out: Evil. You can be a good person and have an evil alignment, if you tend to kill tyrants, monsters, abusers, etc. And you can be an evil person and have a good alignment if you take pleasure in tormenting (torture) and subjugating (enslaving) your vanquished enemies... especially if you do this to kind people. This goes both ways. A monster can have an evil alignment, meaning they tend to kill invaders and unknown threats to their lair, but actually be kind and loving to those they know and trust. 
17. Please see the conversion chart that Larskolstad made regarding coins in the Dragonlance setting. Basically put steel in your Gold column and put gold in your Electrum column.
18. A typical, three shift-watch takes 10 hours to complete. Night guard rotations are calculated on the following chart (thank you  Hrothbert_Neruca for providing it):
    Long Rest Calculator

Ok everyone! That's all the major stuff from v1 that I noticed needed to be brought over. Please read it over and let me know if I forgot anything that needs to be added.

I took the liberty of posting the currency system. :)

I like point 9. And From resent edition of Vampire they have the "1-2-3 are we done? " rule. Often you can notice how a battle will go after 3 rounds and can just speed things up by declaring how the result will be. That could be implimented in a pbp DnD game too very well I belive. Especially a PbP game.  ( you finish of the Draconian patrol and you just take some minor bruises in finishing off the last ones. Everyone take 2 hitpoint damage and you have won )

No point in rolling to hit that last darn evading goblin. Or watch how the spellcasters only bother to use cantrips to finish off that mad elephant who can not reach you up in the tree anyway. Seldom exciting to watch.

Only if the battle outcome is unclear is it any point keep it going. Or you have to spend some valuable resources.

Quote from Larskolstad >>

I like point 9. And From resent edition of Vampire they have the "1-2-3 are we done? " rule. Often you can notice how a battle will go after 3 rounds and can just speed things up by declaring how the result will be. That could be implimented in a pbp DnD game too very well I belive. Especially a PbP game.  ( you finish of the Draconian patrol and you just take some minor bruises in finishing off the last ones. Everyone take 2 hitpoint damage and you have won )

No point in rolling to hit that last darn evading goblin. Or watch how the spellcasters only bother to use cantrips to finish off that mad elephant who can not reach you up in the tree anyway. Seldom exciting to watch.

Only if the battle outcome is unclear is it any point keep it going. Or you have to spend some valuable resources.

That's a neat idea. I really like it! And I can determine whether the enemies are slain or captured based on your alignment. And I think I'm going to use that in future campaigns.

However, and I can't explain why because it could ruin a part of the game, there is a reason why I have to let you play out combat to completion in this game, specifically. That said, enemies with a survival instinct will likely attempt to escape or surrender if they do not think they can win the battle. So, encounters rarely make it past 4 rounds anyway.

Poor Amelia npc try HARD to talk to us bringing us a adventure plot it seems while we ignore her...lol. we are such bad players ;)

I must admit I kinda lost track of her and what she had to say to us. 

I bring the unpolite farting barbarian back up! ( maybe he rush back in and drink again? )

That's about right for Amelista.

When she left her cushy Senate position to join the rebels at Santekh, she expected her wealth, influence, and leadership experience to fast-track her right into a council seat, and hopefully be running the show by the end of the year. 

But her quest for glory and power fell flat when she discovered that none of the rebels were interested in trusting a senator, due to the fact that many aristocrats, nobles, and politicians already betrayed the people by siding with (or at least agreeing to stay out of the way of) the Dragon Army conquest of Krynn.

Amelista has resorted to catastrophizing and dramatizing to inspire enough fear into the hearts of the settlers to oust the current lineup of council members. But the settlers (mostly starving refugees) aren't convinced. So she's kind of earned the reputation of a doomsday prophet. A boy who cried wolf, so to speak. The fact that her formerly glamorous attire is now stained and torn rags, and her tendency to blame the council on everything from the weather and the famine, to the kobold raid, adds to the growing public opinion that she's either lost her mind out here in the desert or she's completely full of sh*t.

Either way, the people don't trust her. They tolerate her, because she wouldn't be the first person in Santekh to have a nervous breakdown.

Ok got a hint the barbarian is not with us anymore...o well. I thought to bring him back in but no matter...how about we sneak in the night investigate this rumour Amelista talks about?

Or we have better things to do?

:)

Ok, so I have an important note on player agency:

I think it's important to respect the autonomy of other players in the game. Doing so means you can't actually describe how another player's character feels, what they say, or what choices they make, except under one of two conditions:

1. They are under the effects of a spell or curse you put on them that takes away their agency. (Be careful with this, as this can ruin the fun for some players, so I prefer this to be agreed upon by the player's involved in the OOC first).
2. The player has temporarily relinquished control of their character to another player. This can happen if a player is going on vacation for a while and won't be able to post, but doesn't want their inactivity to slow down the posting frequency of the game.

Sometimes, as the DM, I will have to tell a player what their character is feeling, but I try my best to keep it passive. "You feel a sense of dread creep up your spine." This is especially true if they are interacting with a creature that can empathically impose feelings, or telepathically communicate, or if the player is under the effect of a compulsion spell or condition. And, in some rare cases, I will have to run a cinematic to get the game going, where I take control of an inactive character in order to get the game moving again. But I always try to use a light hand with this, and attempt to communicate with the player when I do so, in case they want my interference retconned.

But even if it seems to make the game go faster, or in the direction you want it to go, please do not play someone's character for them without their permission. I'm less rigid about this with my NPCs. As long as you don't go way out of character with it, I allow my players to move my NPCs around sometimes, especially if it helps the story flow better. But that's NPCs. In order to make sure everyone in the game has fun and gets to guide the narrative of their own story arc, please don't take over PCs unless one of the two previously expressed exceptions apply.

I agree on that. I misunderstood your private message about not focus on the barbarian any more since the player quit. And get back in the story...

My bad. Sorry. 

Quote from Larskolstad >>

I agree on that. I misunderstood your private message about not focus on the barbarian any more since the player quit. And get back in the story...

My bad. Sorry. 

You're good. I've just seen this happen before in this campaign with a few different players, so I thought it was time to make a public statement.

I'm thinking about updating your character sheets with DM Notes about what specific perks you get from your back story so that neither of us forget. But I don't want to mess with your character sheets if you're uncomfortable with it.

I can also add specific allies to your character sheet, if your character has built rapport with an NPC that other players haven't. NPCs that view you as Friendly will be considered an Ally, and will do various low-risk favors for you for free if you call on them. If they discover that being your friend continues to be mutually beneficial, they will receive a loyalty score. Allies with a high loyalty score will even be willing to risk their lives for you, fall in love with you, financially back you, etc depending on how that loyalty plays out.

This sounds just fun to me. If you can mark your editing with a differnet font or something?

Our barbarian did peek in and posted!  :D

..and make incredible loud noises. I do not think stealth will be this partys best ability

But...is he back or not? We all wait for him to kick that door we wait a looooong time? 

Quote from Larskolstad >>

This sounds just fun to me. If you can mark your editing with a differnet font or something?

 I can't, but I can put it under the caption DM Notes.

The next two days are going to be super busy for me, so I won't be able to take care of it yet. But I'll start adding those notes this weekend.

Quote from Larskolstad >>

But...is he back or not? We all wait for him to kick that door we wait a looooong time? 

 Ther-bear is back in action. But his player is still quite busy. So I'll message him as a reminder.

If all else fails, we'll just say he uses the Help action. Consider Albert's Guidance spell to be applied to whomever actually does attempt to break down the door. If nothing happens by tomorrow, I'll just run a cinematic.

Also @Blunderdebust I'm going to need you to post something in content, please. Not to be too pushy, but you're last post IC was on the 26th of November, and we're at a point where the story is waiting on active members to make decisions with their characters. Next time I post IC (probably no earlier than tonight, like 10 hours from now, but more realistically tomorrow) if you haven't posed, I'm going to have to manage your character for you and change your active status.

Hey folks!

I’m the guy in the cage. -)

Looking forward to joining you in this adventure… for however long I can stay alive! :-)

Oh yeah... all the pieces are starting to come together.

Welcome to the party, MrUncleTio! I meant to give your intro post more graphics and stuff, but I ended up having to post from my phone, and it always refreshes my post when I try to add graphics and basic DTP to my posts when I post from my phone. I'll go back and edit the post a little.