DM themed play-by-post D&D game : OOC thread

[beowuuf]

Yep, they have streamlined the ruleset alot in 4th ed, and that's not a bad thing I don't think. The good news is that, from various sources, I am familiar enough to know when we are going off base from 4th ed. Funnily, some of the stuff I have altered is due to 4th ed and 4th ed style simplifications, like the skills set reductions and critical hit simplification!

Actually, that said it sounds like the simplification of ranged combat and cover has completely altered it from 3rd edition. In 3d edition, you could pick a point on your square and as long as you could trace a path without interruption to all the corners of your target's square, they weren't in cover. If I recall correctly.

[Ameena]

Woo, we ganked the troll . Well, no actually, everyone else ganked the troll while I kinda stood off to one side and missed with my one attack, lol. Actually, that's what mostly happened last night at club - attacked a few times with my sling and only hit a couple of times for not-very-much damage. Tried using my Daily Power (we don't seem to have Powers in your game Wuffy, I'm guessing that's a new 4th Edition thingy) and failed on the Attack Roll so that was a bit pants, lol.
Oh well, I'll post a reaction for Ameena I suppose. Oh, what is this residual smell thing you say she detects from Haynuus? Can it be compared to anything else or is it just some kind of "weird unfamiliar smell"? And would it at least be pleasant or unpleasant or just plain peculiar? Need to give details to someone who gets more info through their nose than through their eyes .

[beowuuf]

It's the very faint whiff of mana and magic (as she has understood it from the previous few posts) but it isn't dying off as quickly. It isn't coming from Haynuus himself, it does seem separate just in his direction.

The smell is no less nor more pleasant than the other smells of magic. Obviously, a burning torch, and the smell of half-orc, and overridding unpleasantnesses that would overwhelm a delicate nose. I might, as the game progresses, build up a colour/emtional shorthand to describe smells.

The game mechanics and my own personal feeling is to have scent like, in many ways, visual senses. So you can recognise certain sights again after seeing them, but a feeting scent disipating can be analised only as much as catching something out of the corner of your eye

One of the simplifications of 4th ed is to colour code and give a heading to the various abilities, into simple groupings. It's funny, since to fit in with the DM feel I have essentially made all magic multi-use encounter powers. Which has also happened to the D&D game. Only powerful spells are still one-shot abilities instead of all spells in D&D!


Oh, and remember, what you do matters in combat! Your attack might have missed, but had the Trolin survived to the next round the fact that a hidden creature tried to bite him might well have gotten the Trolin to back off again. Even where people stand and what they passively do is important. Certainly your movement into battle was a contributing factor in the cowardly Trolin breaking and running, instead of just holding back.

Similarly, it was bad luck (well, no, it was good luck - woohoo!) that Haynuus took out the Trolin before Westian's blow landed. However, if things had gone differently then Westian's blow would have given you an unconscious prisoner and stopped the Trolin from attacking. So it's sad Westian 'wasted' the natural 20 (though it' easy to reward another way) but it might have made the difference if a die roll had gone south for Haynuus

So yeah, I've enjoyed the fact that I have not even been able to plan moment to moment in this battle, except for Haynuus's killing blow - and even then, there are facets of the actions around that will help you. You and Falkor combined hopefully have revealed an important Trolin weakness...

For a nano-second I was tempted to swap the hit points of the leader (surprisingly low due to the strain) with the dumb Trolin (too stupid to realise he would be injured so quite high) because the above senario with Westian would have been fun, plus made everyone's action directly matter in the combat (Westian may have taken an AoO). However, honest always wins, I prefer serendipity like that to be a real achievement of the group and the dice. Just like tow natural 1s from your DM with opposed check rolls!

[Ameena]

I notice that in this version, we can melée over diagonals - in 4th you can only melée when adjacent unless you have a weapon with "reach" (like a spear), but you can shoot when diagonal to something. In this version, can we melée and (or should that be "or"?0 shoot over diagonals, or just melée?

[beowuuf]

You can shoot and melee over diagnonals in 3rd edition. Can you really shoot into a diagnonal in 4th ed then? I know you aren't allowed to use a ranged weapon on a person right beside you. Right?

[Ameena]

I've been told at tabletop that you can melée in adjacent squares (ie edges touching...not diagonals), and over diagonals if your weapon has reach (I think "Reach" must be a property of the weapon). I'm not sure whether reach weapons can also be used over an additional adjacent square (ie standing in front of/beside a creature but one square away rather than being right next to the monster). Over diagonals you can shoot if you're in the diagonal touching the mob. Shooting/casting from a distance you can do as long as the path you shoot down doesn't intersect the corners of any other occupied squares. If that makes sense.

[beowuuf]

Yeah, I get what you mean.


To all!

Ok, so as I said you can make some immediate reactions to the fight. Infact, that will probably be what you can do tonight and tomorrow. If I don't go to reading/london tomorrow, or only go for a while, I will be around most of the day to resolve small actions.

After tomorrow evening's official update resolving where you all are after that battle, we'll be updating in 2 - 5 minute time blocks. This doesn't mean you can't still RP instances and talking, but I guess you'll want to do broader actions that will take some time.

So if you want to sit down with the group/a person and brainstorm something, say and we can resolve that. If you want to check out a particular room, say. If you want to check out the way beyond (with the freaky walls and potential Trolin threat), say!

Assume you can take 10/take 20 (though please tell me which you want to do) in any skill check that allows it.

Use the OOC thread to co-ordinate who is doing what. As a group, are you moving forward or exploring the surroundings? As a group are you talking about stuff? Remmeber if you split up, you need to consider light. Haynuus is fine without light, Westian can only act on the edges of the light, so still needs a lightsource close. The glow from ahead maybe hints you can allow the torch-holder to be one who stays behind if anyone is.

If you want to do two major things during a 2 - 5 minute block (like talking and searching) associated checks may well receive penalties for your split focus.

Anyway, for now bask in the glow of an encounter well fought! Feel free to ask questions here about combat tactics, or other such stuff like Ameena has been

[Ameena]

It's only 'cause we're using a different rule set to the one I've been using at tabletop, so I'm just checking all this stuff to make sure of how it is in this game. I'm sure I'll be asking plenty mroe stuff as we go .
As regards the current IC situation, I expect Ameena will just want to take the time to try and talk to the others and get to know them a bit - that's what's important to murafu, to help them feel more connected to each other. That and sniffing at each other and stuff, but she knows how other races seem to take offence at that kind of behaviour, so she'll force herself to try and keep more to herself for now .
Ohhh btw, something I've noticed...Oh-Brother - it's Falkor, not Falknor .

[oh_brother]

Lol, you are right! I would have sworn it was Falknor. Sorry Money! Well instead of editing everyone of my posts I will just get it right from now on!

So group, what is our next plan? Catch our breath and then head around the corner? Westian wants to talk to Falkor about magic soon too.

[Ameena]

You could always just interweave it into the story and have Westian having misheard Falkor's name - then he can either pick up the correct pronunciation from someone else or have Falkor himself make the correction - hey, he's woken up in a strange place and just been attacked by blue trolls, he can't be expected to remember every little detail like people's names, can he?

[beowuuf]

I think I will give you guys some lee-way in the RP aspect here, and I won't post an update nor expect a 'plan of action' until Monday for a Monday evening update.

I will be around though, so I can resolve OOC questions, and more importantly will drive the story forward if the immediate RP stuff comes to a natural conclusion before then and you want some general resolutions.

That will give Ian and Money some time to chime in RP wise again, and for you lot to generally get some burning questions out of the way in real time (Like 'Falkor, are you really not a thief? Like really? But you're a halfling. And 'So, Ameena was it...so...umm...you're a rat then?')

By the sounds of it, no matter what else is happening, Westian will be trailing Falkor asking questions regarding runes and magic. so at the very least, Falkor will get to kick off another Knowledge (Arcana) roll during the first 5-minute block of time. Oh_brother, if Falkor engages Westian in a meaningful way in this regard, you can kick off a Knowledge (Religeon) roll.

Also by the sounds of it, Ameena wants to hang around with a 'group', so I assume unless anything else happens this will be Falkor/Westian. Ameena, you can decide how her talking goes (obviously!). If she's asking questions of the others, or wants to discuss their current situation, please give me a straight Wisdom check. If she's going to be discussing her own people in the hopes of finding out about others, please give me a straight Charisma check. If she wants to join in on the discussions of the others on magic, etc, she can do two things. Either an intelligence check (DC 10) to just blather on and hopefully spark some memory in the others. This is an aid another, and will give +2 to one of the two others (your choice) if you succeed.
Ooooooooooor, you can try a Knowledge (local) check. This will be a harder check (not telling you the DCs), but if you succeed, you may actively contribute something that helps instead. You can substitute the Wisdom/Charisma checks with a straight laundry list of questions or topics here if you like.

Anyway, if the above is correct, it sounds like Haynuus and Falkor's wishes for where to do/what to check will drive the group. Oh_brother, do you have any preferences? I'm happy for the group to stay put and just talk for the first five minute block. As you saw last time, it makes it so much easier for the Trolins to find you lot


Anyway, I have some DMGs to read! Weeeeeeeeeeeeee. Though not with the windows open, there seems to be a plague of ladybugs around. Maybe I'll go...outside....

[oh_brother]

Avast ye! (I want to talk like a pirate to celebrate the day that it is, but the "Talk like a pirate thread" is moving too fast for my tastes!).

Anyway, if the above is correct, it sounds like Haynuus and Falkor's wishes for where to do/what to check will drive the group. Oh_brother, do you have any preferences? I'm happy for the group to stay put and just talk for the first five minute block. As you saw last time, it makes it so much easier for the Trolins to find you lot

I have a preference for quick talking and then moving - as Beowuuf says the longer we stay where we are the easier it will be for more creatures to find us. I would vote that we go and see what wooden structure the Trolins destroyed!

[beowuuf]

If you all do that, you can each say if you approach slowly and get a take 20 inspecting the walls and perhaps hear any dangers, or you can move there faster and give the walls and the surroundings a cursory take 10 perception check.

Obviously, if anything nasty (like a trolin or worse) is lurking, those hurrying take the brunt. But would also likely get to surprise whatever could be lurking...

[money]

Sorry all - I'll update the story in the morning, been a manic day and wasn't sure if we were taking a w/e break...

[beowuuf]

Not a problem!

[Ameena]

Well, I don't really know what kind of checks will be required, since I hadn't planned that conversations would need to get into mechanics...Ameena will probably just see how it goes, but she will want to just basically talk to the others to find out general stuff about them. And sniff them and stuff. She doesn't have[/]i to hang around with a whole group of people, she just has an innate social need to have someone to talk to sometimes. At least in the outside world she knew she could just look for a town or something and at least be near people talking - down here she has no clue whether she'll find anyone who won't try to rip her face off and stuff, so it's a bit...well, lonely.

[beowuuf]

Write the questions by all means and have them answered IC, I'm just very conscious that a back and forth in play by post can have some people fall behind if they can't post alot and of course can swallow a week or two A day or two of questions and answers should be ok, no biggie, and if you guys are into a scene it will just run anyway .

The checks just make it easy for me to summarise anything else that you may learn incase something interrupts....not that anything would interrupt....not Trolins. Nooooo....

[Ameena]

Okay, if you think we need to make a check on something, let us know then . I wonder if Ameena will remember to check out that weird smell coming from the torch (or wherever it was).

[beowuuf]

You may as well get used to rolling a d20 every action just incase to speed things up

[Ameena]

Or I could just roll about ten d20s now and you can just use each roll in order as I do stuff that needs a roll .

[beowuuf]

I'm off for a walk today! Weeeeeeeeeeeeee. Be back later in the afternoon.

A quick comment about levellling up: Everyone can go up one level. Woohoo! Haynuus gains +1 fighter level for his intimidation and killer blow, Falkor gains +1 wizzard level for his judicious magical use, Ameena you get +1 rogue level for sneakiness,

Westian, as you stood in the fighter rank and got off an amazing shot, you have a choice. You can either gain +1 cleric level, or your can start multi-classing and grab +1 fighter level (no penalty). Yes, you get all the feats. No, you don't get the x4 skill points, only the standard (2+int) skill points of a normal fighter level. Your choice!

Everyone will vaguely be aware that they seemed to have gotten back into the rhythm of their skills and be more confident. To anyone who picks new skills or gets new abilities - yes, this is very weird. You will feel slightly nauseous when you realise you knew something you have always known, yet didn't actually remember about before.

One of these days it will make sense to your characters, even if the players can make an educated guess already

Anyway, everyone feel free to grab a copy of your character sheet and adjust it for all the pretty numbers. Ameena and money, I'm happy to help if you want it, but it might be fun to figure the sheets out with this.

Anyway, later!

[money]

Falkor rolls 1d20 and gets 18. (this is for the first check on the Alcove as in the story thread)...

Should have been doing the GNR today, slightly dissapointed that i can't now that i'm watching on the telly

[oh_brother]

One of these days it will make sense to your characters, even if the players can make an educated guess already

Hehehhe...

@ Beowuuf, I have been thinking about the RP aspect, and agree that we could easily spend a week chatting to each other (since it is one post per day). So you are saying we summarise our discussions in the OOC thread?

@ Money, you can't get away from me that easily! Westian will be following you around the alcoves, pestering you with questions about magic. GNR = great north run? I had been in training for a marathon in October, but don't think I will make it. Maybe a half-marathon is the way to go!

What to level up, difficult choice! Will decide later on today.

[Ameena]

So now I'm a level 2 Rogue? Cool...but does that mean I get any extra stats/skill points, etc? I have no clue how levelling works...

[money]

I'm confused on the leveling side also - does it mean i get to use better spells? Will my health/manor increase?

@ OB, yip - was the great North Run, did it 2 years ago and wanted to beat my time but a recurring knee injury has kept me away for 2 years now... next year hopefully... fingers crossed.

[oh_brother]

The details are here. So you get 1d6 extra hit points, 8+1=9 extra skill points (to add ranks to skills you have or start some new skills). You get +1 to your attack bonus (range and melee), and +1 to your reflex save.
You also get a bonus feat, Evasion ("At 2nd level and higher, a rogue can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the rogue is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless rogue does not gain the benefit of evasion.")
I think that is it, beowuuf can correct if need be (the last time I did a pen and paper DnD level up was 2nd edition, where you had THAC0, lots more categories for saves, and skills were less important).

Edit: Money, the details for wizards are here. You get 1d4 extra hit points, and 2+2=4 extra skill points. Again +1 to your attack bonus, +1 to your will save, and an extra level 1 (i.e. LO) spell. So you can cast 2 LO spells per encounter. You also get an extra level 0 spell, which means you can use 4 spell like abilities from items per encounter.

[Ameena]

Okay...I'll just see if that is it, in case Wuffy has anything to add before I alter my profile .

[oh_brother]

@Beowuuf. I have decided to level up as a cleric, "Westian has just gained a priest level". I am a bit confused about my cleric spells though. My Character sheet has 3 spell effects and 1 LO spell per encounter. But does my wisdom not give me a +2 to each of those numbers? (also I take it the extra domain spell per level does not count in these rules?)

[beowuuf]

Oh_brother's summarised the levelling up better than I usually can

Just to point out, my house rule for this game is that there is a minimum score of hit points you gain. After the die roll, fighters can round up to 7 hit point if they get 1-6 on their die roll, clerics get at least 6, rogues at least 4 hit points, and wizards at least 3 points from their die roll.

However, once you have your extra hit points, remember you need to modify it by your constitution modifier. So Ameena, you reduce the score by two points, money you reduce it by 1 point. That means Ameena will get between 2 and 4 extra hit points, and Falkor will get either 2 or 3 extra points.

Oh_brother: I'm ignoring domains spells (for now) and the extra wisdom addition purely because your spells get refreshed per encounter, and will be much more powerful than normal D&D spells. Domain will come in to play later on in a way I won't spoil yet.

The wisdom bonus will come into effect over a protracted encounter (for example, if you were being chased through a maze, and it took ten minutes, I will let you 'recharge' a number of spells and spell-effects equal to your wisdom modifier at each level to simulate wisdom's effect on fast mana regeneration.

@Money: Regarding 'mana'. It exists in a story sense, and exists as an explaination for how your spells refresh, but mechanically I'm not tracking it, I'm still limiting how many spells you can cast per level. Mostly so I can see the effects on game balance of how the spells will work being castable each encounter!

You might find I later implement a system closely mirroring mana, where spells have a cost and you can cast up to a certain value in spells, no matter the power levels. For the moment, I'm not letting you trade around powers directly, at the moment you can cast a lower power version in place of a higher power version and that's it.

[beowuuf]

Oh, and oh_brother, I didn't want to confuse the issue earlier, but your bonus against fear effects on the undead (intimidate, etc) will also have a bonus of half your cleric level. So you just gained another +1 bonus versus undead, and you'll gain one at 4th, 6th, 8th, etc