There are some good ideas here. I like the idea of Dice Etiquette but we'd have to define the parameters, how it works, who decides who rolls, who gives Help, after which posts, etc. I'm not a fan of taking until September off, but a month could be a good idea.
SrDeebs raises an excellent point, and FireCat expanded upon it well. We do have character inequity. Not necessarily in raw power, but in game flavor. No one set out for anything like that, of course, it just sort of developed as we role-played our characters. However, it is a thing and should be addressed. How, exactly, we do that I don't know. Maybe Raia heals up and flies away and she and Aelar no longer talk. Maybe other things happen to other characters. I'm not sure but now it's been brought up, I can see it and agree with it.
And where do we go from being teenagers that saved a city? Chased off an invading force? We've peaked...or have we? I'm not sure but it is another thing and that one has been hiding at the back of my mind and thank you FireCat, sincerely, for dragging it out into the open. It's got to be addressed, I think, as we move forward and I surely hope we do.
I do have one concrete suggestion: Grimbuld, Kina and even Raia have to go away. The kids have to grow up and they can't do that as long as the grownups are holding their hands.
As for why I play, I play to role-play. The does include combat but even in that, I role-play. More generally, I like to role-play through conflict, be that intrigue, battle, economics, whatever. As long as I can exercise my imagination and role-play out the situation, I'm happy.
((I really do appreciate the feedback and I'm definitely taking the advice to heart. I will admit, I got a little bit insecure because for a while I was thinking, "Is this too much of a departure from 'traditional D&D?' Should I do more conventional stuff?" though the arc we're in right now is again, to give group A and group B common ground when they link up. The more character-driven RP will definitely return, and I feel a little more secure in having more personal elements enter in rather than the ol' tactical combat and problem solving most people expect from a good portion of D&D adventures.))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
And where do we go from being teenagers that saved a city? Chased off an invading force? We've peaked...or have we? I'm not sure but it is another thing and that one has been hiding at the back of my mind and thank you FireCat, sincerely, for dragging it out into the open. It's got to be addressed, I think, as we move forward and I surely hope we do.
I do have one concrete suggestion: Grimbuld, Kina and even Raia have to go away. The kids have to grow up and they can't do that as long as the grownups are holding their hands.
I agree with you- The Major NPC's are a safety net. I get it- nobody wants their level 2 character to die and Kina (the DM) has done a good job of keeping them safe... but I think 5e's death save system coupled with adversaries that are appropriate for our level make the chance of us biting the dust pretty slim. Let me ask you something, if one of our characters did die (the true fail your 3rd death save death)- would we be able to roll up a new one or is that it? Lol- I dm's Curse of Strahd and one of the players suffered the true death but since Barovia is its own demiplane his soul reanimated the corpse. Smelly, broken neck dead rogue. Months of gameplay later he found a way to restore his body. Theres always a creative way around stuff- but some people don't mind tossing a character out and making a new one. The kids have to grow up, apron strings cut- etc.
"Is this too much of a departure from 'traditional D&D?' Should I do more conventional stuff?"
Some of it is, in my opinion- BUT only the stuff that makes play more complicated! Some times additional rules just bog down play- or create problems where there were none. As a DM I NEVER roll for NPC reactions- because it makes more sense for me to just put myself in their shoes and react in game how I think they would react. One of the things I like about 5e is how easy it is- I think it allows for more creativity and less restrictions. Most of the time...
The more character-driven RP will definitely return, and I feel a little more secure in having more personal elements enter in rather than the ol' tactical combat and problem solving most people expect from a good portion of D&D adventures.))
the 'ol tactical combat and problem solving most people expect from a good portion of D&D adventures is also a fun thing! I prefer character-driven RP- but maybe a straight up brawl with lots of rolls that burns up a week of play by post would make it easier for you the DM and engage the players during the time you need to cool down your brainpan. Theres room for both play styles and I think both have their merits.
So why do I play? or What do I like about playing? I think Firecat and LorrdWolf answered already- I like roleplaying, I like my character making neat connections with other characters, I like being a part of a larger story. Oh! and I like having my character do anything other than the mundane! I like being a hero in the game, its fun. I also like my character to have a purpose in the party- which I think we (I) haven't found yet. Should I be multiclassing into a thief because we need someone to pick locks? Is my having a sleep spell redundant because Aelar already has a sleep spell? Or should we have a signal that we both just go all out with double sleep spells and put EVERYONE to sleep?!
Also- as an aside and COMPLETELY UNRELATED if you like video games I have been playing 'Tiny TIna's Wonderland' . It's part of the Borderlands line of games and it is pretty sick. It's a D&D (sorry Bunkers and Badasses) game set in the Borderlands universe with Tiny Tina (Ashley Burch is the voice actor) as the DM. Voice acting is superb (WIll Arnett plays the Big Bad). It's a trip- check it out if you're into video games.
Anyway yeah I think we should keep playing- i don't think we need to take a break but I do think that us all talking about expectations and what we hope to get out of the game is helpful.
Full transparency, yeah, I will admit I haven't exactly been at my best for the past few months; this time of year always rips into me because my spinal condition (severe spinal stenosis) HATES the fight between winter and spring that happens here in Michigan every damn year, especially recently, and this year has been particularly rough with multiple polar vortexes resisting temperatures above freezing despite it being friggin APRIL. Plus, there was my ablation therapy that kicked the crap out of me and ever since I had it done, I've been experiencing something called 'exploding head syndrome' that has been making it very hard for me to get a decent night's sleep. (Exploding head syndrome is a weird sleep disorder that causes auditory hallucinations RIGHT as your brain switches from conscious to unconscious and rips you out of falling asleep, sometimes accompanied by muscle spasms or a feeling of 'falling'.)
Hopefully all this gets resolved sooner than later.
I do think though that group A should take a break for a little while and I'll focus on Berker and Erich, so we can get the party all collected in one place finally, if only because I haven't heard back from Bacon yet and Firecat needs some time.
EDIT: Oh yes, and definitely, the NPC 'babysitters' won't be with the group for much longer, they were never meant to be long-term companions (except maybe Kina, who would mostly act as a pack mule/ambulance)
EDIT the Return: I have tried asking multiple times to remove the polls on the thread. Either they can't, or it's just not something that the mods can be bothered to do.))
Should I be multiclassing into a thief because we need someone to pick locks? Is my having a sleep spell redundant because Aelar already has a sleep spell? Or should we have a signal that we both just go all out with double sleep spells and put EVERYONE to sleep?!
Just to clarify, Hyre actually has proficiency in Thieves' Tools, I just forgot to actually buy the stuff before setting out. I did not imagine Hyre would be picking locks in the woods, and other things seemes more pressing. Not to say you can't take a level in Rogue if you want to, but you shouldn't do it if it's only to cover this aspect in the group, and not something character related. As far as spells go, that's the problem with "must have" spells -everyone take them. It's like the case during chatacter where everybody thinks: "Well, someone must take Perception or we'll be an easy target," but in the end, everyone takes it, and nobody takes something like Nature because it's rarely useful. It's also important to discuss choices.
Should I be multiclassing into a thief because we need someone to pick locks? Is my having a sleep spell redundant because Aelar already has a sleep spell? Or should we have a signal that we both just go all out with double sleep spells and put EVERYONE to sleep?!
Just to clarify, Hyre actually has proficiency in Thieves' Tools, I just forgot to actually buy the stuff before setting out. I did not imagine Hyre would be picking locks in the woods, and other things seemes more pressing. Not to say you can't take a level in Rogue if you want to, but you shouldn't do it if it's only to cover this aspect in the group, and not something character related. As far as spells go, that's the problem with "must have" spells -everyone take them. It's like the case during chatacter where everybody thinks: "Well, someone must take Perception or we'll be an easy target," but in the end, everyone takes it, and nobody takes something like Nature because it's rarely useful. It's also important to discuss choices.
Good point about spells. I don't usually take sleep and wouldn't have this time if Aelar didn't 'learn' it from Raia during the prologue. I like to try to take spells that don't have an immediate combat effect and try to find ways and times to use them. Honestly, I'm not good at it but I learned that from a guy at a convention 30 years ago and I still try. I've never discussed spell-choice with my group before but, now you mention it, seems a bit obvious to do that. Still have to decide for yourself, of course, but getting input from the team can help all around.
Also, SrDeeb, good point about a purpose in the group. I can't speak for anyone else but I don't really think Aelar has one, not from a character class standpoint. Clearly, he likes to talk :) and rolls pretty well at it. I mean, he's a warlock but there are still ways he can go with that.
((I do agree though that we could start a new thread to get away from those polls, also. Once I hear back from Bacon, I'll set it up in a way that will make sense as a kind of 'new chapter' thing. Also be a little recap of what's been happening and who's where and stuff.
Okay, I'll make the new thread soon and hit y'all with the link so we can all get on the same page and stop looking at those dumb polls. THIS thread will be used for OOC chatter/gripes/discussions/nonsequiters/further artwork about the campaign ))
Also, SrDeeb, good point about a purpose in the group. I can't speak for anyone else but I don't really think Aelar has one, not from a character class standpoint. Clearly, he likes to talk :) and rolls pretty well at it. I mean, he's a warlock but there are still ways he can go with that.
"Session Zero" is a beautiful thing! I ran Tomb of Annihilation (fun campaign, one of the writers of 'Adventure Time' helped create it) and I did a Session Zero that was ALL about character creation. I used a 'Fiasco' to establish ties, relationships, and goals for each character- it made a huge difference. Here's the system I used: https://dysonlogos.blog/2017/02/06/this-is-totally-not-another-dd-fiasco/ and here's a fun video of Will Wheaton playing setting up relationships with the Fiasco system proper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuJizhyf-y4
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Fleabag Fleabane-Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
I haven't made the thread just yet. I've been dealing with ANOTHER health wrinkle that has really knocked me for a loop. It might not be anything to worry about, I'll know more Thursday.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
((I've been pretty badly sleep deprived the last couple of weeks and last night my new meds gave me my first good night's sleep in friggin forever, but I'm still coming out of a haze. I'll get to it soon!))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
((I swear it'll just be a little longer. I just feel like total crap right now. I didn't know the medication would make me feel this rotten, but I only have to take it for another week to hopefully heal up my esophagus.))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Everyone find the thread ok? I'm going to continue with Berker and Erich while Firecat and Bacon get life under control again. I just want to be sure I'm not like... posting to myself.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Unfortunately, I had some time free for the past two weeks, but in a few days I'm starting another busy time. I should have more time than before, so it's possible I can post frequently enough. Closer to mid-May I might be busier for a week or two, though.
On my end, I don't mind trying to continue. Just don't expect posts as long as I used to make.
I've got to get to work and will reply later, but I will be replying. Good stuff here.
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
There are some good ideas here. I like the idea of Dice Etiquette but we'd have to define the parameters, how it works, who decides who rolls, who gives Help, after which posts, etc. I'm not a fan of taking until September off, but a month could be a good idea.
SrDeebs raises an excellent point, and FireCat expanded upon it well. We do have character inequity. Not necessarily in raw power, but in game flavor. No one set out for anything like that, of course, it just sort of developed as we role-played our characters. However, it is a thing and should be addressed. How, exactly, we do that I don't know. Maybe Raia heals up and flies away and she and Aelar no longer talk. Maybe other things happen to other characters. I'm not sure but now it's been brought up, I can see it and agree with it.
And where do we go from being teenagers that saved a city? Chased off an invading force? We've peaked...or have we? I'm not sure but it is another thing and that one has been hiding at the back of my mind and thank you FireCat, sincerely, for dragging it out into the open. It's got to be addressed, I think, as we move forward and I surely hope we do.
I do have one concrete suggestion: Grimbuld, Kina and even Raia have to go away. The kids have to grow up and they can't do that as long as the grownups are holding their hands.
As for why I play, I play to role-play. The does include combat but even in that, I role-play. More generally, I like to role-play through conflict, be that intrigue, battle, economics, whatever. As long as I can exercise my imagination and role-play out the situation, I'm happy.
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
((I really do appreciate the feedback and I'm definitely taking the advice to heart. I will admit, I got a little bit insecure because for a while I was thinking, "Is this too much of a departure from 'traditional D&D?' Should I do more conventional stuff?" though the arc we're in right now is again, to give group A and group B common ground when they link up. The more character-driven RP will definitely return, and I feel a little more secure in having more personal elements enter in rather than the ol' tactical combat and problem solving most people expect from a good portion of D&D adventures.))
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
I agree with you- The Major NPC's are a safety net. I get it- nobody wants their level 2 character to die and Kina (the DM) has done a good job of keeping them safe... but I think 5e's death save system coupled with adversaries that are appropriate for our level make the chance of us biting the dust pretty slim. Let me ask you something, if one of our characters did die (the true fail your 3rd death save death)- would we be able to roll up a new one or is that it? Lol- I dm's Curse of Strahd and one of the players suffered the true death but since Barovia is its own demiplane his soul reanimated the corpse. Smelly, broken neck dead rogue. Months of gameplay later he found a way to restore his body. Theres always a creative way around stuff- but some people don't mind tossing a character out and making a new one. The kids have to grow up, apron strings cut- etc.
Some of it is, in my opinion- BUT only the stuff that makes play more complicated! Some times additional rules just bog down play- or create problems where there were none. As a DM I NEVER roll for NPC reactions- because it makes more sense for me to just put myself in their shoes and react in game how I think they would react. One of the things I like about 5e is how easy it is- I think it allows for more creativity and less restrictions. Most of the time...
the 'ol tactical combat and problem solving most people expect from a good portion of D&D adventures is also a fun thing! I prefer character-driven RP- but maybe a straight up brawl with lots of rolls that burns up a week of play by post would make it easier for you the DM and engage the players during the time you need to cool down your brainpan. Theres room for both play styles and I think both have their merits.
So why do I play? or What do I like about playing? I think Firecat and LorrdWolf answered already- I like roleplaying, I like my character making neat connections with other characters, I like being a part of a larger story. Oh! and I like having my character do anything other than the mundane! I like being a hero in the game, its fun. I also like my character to have a purpose in the party- which I think we (I) haven't found yet. Should I be multiclassing into a thief because we need someone to pick locks? Is my having a sleep spell redundant because Aelar already has a sleep spell? Or should we have a signal that we both just go all out with double sleep spells and put EVERYONE to sleep?!
Also- as an aside and COMPLETELY UNRELATED if you like video games I have been playing 'Tiny TIna's Wonderland' . It's part of the Borderlands line of games and it is pretty sick. It's a D&D (sorry Bunkers and Badasses) game set in the Borderlands universe with Tiny Tina (Ashley Burch is the voice actor) as the DM. Voice acting is superb (WIll Arnett plays the Big Bad). It's a trip- check it out if you're into video games.
Anyway yeah I think we should keep playing- i don't think we need to take a break but I do think that us all talking about expectations and what we hope to get out of the game is helpful.
Fleabag Fleabane -Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
((I'm all for continuing to play!
Full transparency, yeah, I will admit I haven't exactly been at my best for the past few months; this time of year always rips into me because my spinal condition (severe spinal stenosis) HATES the fight between winter and spring that happens here in Michigan every damn year, especially recently, and this year has been particularly rough with multiple polar vortexes resisting temperatures above freezing despite it being friggin APRIL. Plus, there was my ablation therapy that kicked the crap out of me and ever since I had it done, I've been experiencing something called 'exploding head syndrome' that has been making it very hard for me to get a decent night's sleep. (Exploding head syndrome is a weird sleep disorder that causes auditory hallucinations RIGHT as your brain switches from conscious to unconscious and rips you out of falling asleep, sometimes accompanied by muscle spasms or a feeling of 'falling'.)
Hopefully all this gets resolved sooner than later.
I do think though that group A should take a break for a little while and I'll focus on Berker and Erich, so we can get the party all collected in one place finally, if only because I haven't heard back from Bacon yet and Firecat needs some time.
EDIT: Oh yes, and definitely, the NPC 'babysitters' won't be with the group for much longer, they were never meant to be long-term companions (except maybe Kina, who would mostly act as a pack mule/ambulance)
EDIT the Return: I have tried asking multiple times to remove the polls on the thread. Either they can't, or it's just not something that the mods can be bothered to do.))
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Just to clarify, Hyre actually has proficiency in Thieves' Tools, I just forgot to actually buy the stuff before setting out. I did not imagine Hyre would be picking locks in the woods, and other things seemes more pressing. Not to say you can't take a level in Rogue if you want to, but you shouldn't do it if it's only to cover this aspect in the group, and not something character related. As far as spells go, that's the problem with "must have" spells -everyone take them. It's like the case during chatacter where everybody thinks: "Well, someone must take Perception or we'll be an easy target," but in the end, everyone takes it, and nobody takes something like Nature because it's rarely useful. It's also important to discuss choices.
Varielky
Good point about spells. I don't usually take sleep and wouldn't have this time if Aelar didn't 'learn' it from Raia during the prologue. I like to try to take spells that don't have an immediate combat effect and try to find ways and times to use them. Honestly, I'm not good at it but I learned that from a guy at a convention 30 years ago and I still try. I've never discussed spell-choice with my group before but, now you mention it, seems a bit obvious to do that. Still have to decide for yourself, of course, but getting input from the team can help all around.
Also, SrDeeb, good point about a purpose in the group. I can't speak for anyone else but I don't really think Aelar has one, not from a character class standpoint. Clearly, he likes to talk :) and rolls pretty well at it. I mean, he's a warlock but there are still ways he can go with that.
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
((I do agree though that we could start a new thread to get away from those polls, also. Once I hear back from Bacon, I'll set it up in a way that will make sense as a kind of 'new chapter' thing. Also be a little recap of what's been happening and who's where and stuff.
Okay, I'll make the new thread soon and hit y'all with the link so we can all get on the same page and stop looking at those dumb polls. THIS thread will be used for OOC chatter/gripes/discussions/nonsequiters/further artwork about the campaign ))
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
"Session Zero" is a beautiful thing! I ran Tomb of Annihilation (fun campaign, one of the writers of 'Adventure Time' helped create it) and I did a Session Zero that was ALL about character creation. I used a 'Fiasco' to establish ties, relationships, and goals for each character- it made a huge difference. Here's the system I used: https://dysonlogos.blog/2017/02/06/this-is-totally-not-another-dd-fiasco/ and here's a fun video of Will Wheaton playing setting up relationships with the Fiasco system proper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuJizhyf-y4
Fleabag Fleabane -Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
I haven't made the thread just yet. I've been dealing with ANOTHER health wrinkle that has really knocked me for a loop. It might not be anything to worry about, I'll know more Thursday.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
((I've been pretty badly sleep deprived the last couple of weeks and last night my new meds gave me my first good night's sleep in friggin forever, but I'm still coming out of a haze. I'll get to it soon!))
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
No worries
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
Get some rest! No worries.
Fleabag Fleabane -Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
((I swear it'll just be a little longer. I just feel like total crap right now. I didn't know the medication would make me feel this rotten, but I only have to take it for another week to hopefully heal up my esophagus.))
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
((Feeling a little better now.
New thread is here! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/play-by-post/138697-march-of-the-iron-horses-chapter-2 ))
This thread shall now be used for OOC chatter and artwork I happen to produce for the campaign--and archival purposes.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Everyone find the thread ok? I'm going to continue with Berker and Erich while Firecat and Bacon get life under control again. I just want to be sure I'm not like... posting to myself.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Aelar is here.
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
Yes. I am happy with the new forum. Thank you!
Unfortunately, I had some time free for the past two weeks, but in a few days I'm starting another busy time. I should have more time than before, so it's possible I can post frequently enough. Closer to mid-May I might be busier for a week or two, though.
On my end, I don't mind trying to continue. Just don't expect posts as long as I used to make.
Varielky
Still here!
Fleabag Fleabane -Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training