[DnD] D&D Discussion & Enlistment (Save Ends)

Yeah. Bunch of little kids, aren't they? Canadians.

You could always arbitrarily enforce the two-adventures per person, and slot the next guys in line right in. More turnover and still fair.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Well, yeah, but that removes the entire function of the guild concept really (and that's something I want to hold on to because it allows for plot hooks beyond "YOU WANT SOME MONEY SO OFF YOU GO"). Plus I think it's more interesting for anyone who hasn't played recently to have some kind of shot at getting in rather than just looking at the queue, seeing themselves halfway down, and sighing. Maybe it's me but knowing who's going to show up well in advance is kind of lame; I could just autocratically pick the adventures for you guys and list a queue for that too but I let you hash it out because it's more fun and unpredictable that way.

But on the other hand even if I COULD somehow keep the character roster anonymous (which I honestly can't, it takes 30 seconds to say "Acer, which of these dudes are yours") it would only reward people who are good at creative writing over those who aren't. Which doesn't sound terrible ON THE SURFACE but I think one of the benefits to the game is the way it can help you stretch your creativity a little. If you look at, say, Glenn, he started out as a cipher but now he's got a real personality with a tragic history and a lost love and all that jazz. It's fun to see things like that develop. So maybe it's better to just leave out the blurbs too, just name, race, class and go.

(Yes even NAMES will tend to reward the creative but christ maybe not everyone's name will have to start with G from now on that opens up a lot of room.)

So there's no real way to enforce fairness other than saying DAMN IT BE FAIR YOU RETARDS and that's what we're going to have to go with I guess barring any revolutionary ideas.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I'm just going to bounce random suggestions off that might solve some of these issues.

1) A minimum downtime to coincide with a maximum uptime. Two adventures have been had? Then you must sit out an equal amount at least (or more if the backup size is significant. I don't know how many people are interested? 12 or so?)

2) A randomizer, if we can't come to some consensus. Could lead to potential hilarity parties with no healer, or 5 rogues, but that might be no fun for anyone. I don't know.

I really have no issues with just hashing out groups as we go along amongst ourselves, but in order to be somewhat fair in the least we're going to need some structuring and rules so that everyone rotates in with some frequency.

I think certain groups will gravitate towards each other no matter what is done. I don't think that can be prevented, considering.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Just in case the rest of you are interested in trying your best to avoid a TPK, here's the enemy stats as far as I can calculate (it is entirely possible I might have missed some damage).

Monitor: 29/110 HP (26%) <-- priority target; kill to prevent more warder reinforcements
Marauder: 85/110 HP (77%) <-- has the ability to knock weapons off. Your melee hit may well be a miss.
Warders: 1 HP each. <-- secondary targets; kill to prevent marauder flanking

Suggested Actions: (P.S. you should know your characters more than me. I disclaim responsibility for failed plans.)

Puyet: Flattening Charge vs. P10 (Glenn activates Guided Shot if practicable). If charge hits, Furious Assault. Inspiring Word on GFZ. And you still got a move/minor left.

Glenn: Delay till after GFZ.

GFZ:
Option 1 (Eliminate Minions) Stand up, Sword Burst. If all miss, Blades of Fiery Wrath. Aegis of Assault on N6.
Option 2 (Escape) Teleport to Q10 with Rubicant Blade (include Puyet in teleport to O10 for flank bonus). Booming Blade monitor with -2 prone penalty. On miss, Blades of Fiery Wrath. Aegis of Assault on P10.

Glenn:
Option 1 (Eliminate Minions) Blinding Barrage from P8; Fast Hands switch to Sword in preparation for melee. You'll be very exposed if the minions/warder don't go down though.
Option 2 (Eliminate Warder) Fast Hands switch to Sword. Move to Q11. Clever Strike P10, Nasty Backswing on miss. Both attacks with combat advantage.

P.S. Pang, the last picture was entitled "You could have saved him". I don't see how though

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Agent Di Gun Him

I don't know how many people are interested? 12 or so?

Including the active party the total "interested" list is 20 people but this includes people who may well have been joking. Still, I'll be damned if I'm not going to make an honest attempt to get Maris to play if I can.

But yeah, minimum downtime seems like a good solution. Let's say 2 up, 3 down to start with.

I can't believe I didn't think of just spinning the Big Wheel of Party Selection. That's pretty hilarious and I might just go with that instead of giving you goons any say in it at all.

An all-rogue party would be brutal as all hell assuming they cooperated at all. Of course they wouldn't, but

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Given the large base of interest, could we not try having two groups from the guild running around doing things? I've been interested in trying my hand at DMing for a while now, and if we've got 20 or so people willing to play, then running two separate adventures using characters from the guild doesn't seem quite as silly. It might make some strange and inexplicable things happen (ex. having a nap and leveling up thanks to the XP from the other group) but i don't know how confusing things might get. Just a suggestion.

How ya doing, buddy?

Why not? That way, Pang will finally get to play. I've always been curious regarding his playstyle

Though to minimize confusion I think you should start off in a new "universe" (since you and Pang playing in each others' sandbox, and yet must collaborate as DMs to determine events).

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I don't see a problem with this idea. While running a totally separate game in a separate setting would eliminate some (very minor) issues involving consistency, I think that the occasional accidental contradiction is better than having a list of people signed up for two separate games in separate worlds with maybe a whole separate list of houserules or whatever; I think there's value in providing a consistent experience there. And it's really not hard for either of us to scan each other's threads and incorporate whatever. Like, for example, Zerg, I think you killed off poor Iggy Conmara a little while back. So now that's canon. See how easy?

Together, friends, we can beat the Forgotten Realms into a bruised, unrecognizable lump.

Just to be clear, if Hawk decides he'd rather not ride my coattails (so to speak) and just does his own thing I completely support that as well, whatever gets more people rollin' and less people trollin'

Additional Spam:
I remain guarded, yet optimistic. The bitter memory of promised Shadowrun still weighs darkly on my heart

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Pangalin

Just to be clear, if Hawk decides he'd rather not ride my coattails (so to speak) and just does his own thing I completely support that as well, whatever gets more people rollin' and less people trollin'

Are you kidding? For the first while i won't be so much riding your coattails as hanging on in desperation while being dragged through the dirt. Dirt with large rocks scattered all over the place. I'm hardly confident enough to try running a game, let alone one without the help of a more experienced DM.

On another note, this conversation is making me because of the implication of my character's imminent death which i'd rather not think about right now.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

On a note for Pang's sadness:

I've actually been toying lately with the best way to adjust the Shadowrun campaign rules for online. It is a little more complicated than the D&D 4th system, and by a little I mean holy fuck jesus movement rules.

So I'll probably just run a game of sci-fi mutant D&D.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Pangalin

Like, for example, Zerg, I think you killed off poor Iggy Conmara a little while back. So now that's canon. See how easy?

Really? Christ, Zerg.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

The Arena post in question is located in http://www.gamingforce.org/forums/showpost.php?p=766688

I'm pleased that someone was paying attention, but am saddened lurker didn't notice that the Brooch of No Regrets has "Conmara" inscribed on to it. All the hints I dropped there to tie into descriptions given by Brigid -- unrecognized

But no, I - or rather Ebony didn't kill off Iggy. That was supposed to be his leprous tee-totaling father, who I'd like to think was named Hubertus. Who didn't die from cirrhosis after all. It was only later upon re-reading the Crusader thread that I realize Iggy was also a halfling prowler with the exact same stats.

The tools belonged to his grandfather, Griddley (name provided by Brigid). I figure, if the grandfather's name starts with G., maybe the father's was H. and the son's was I(gnatius)!

___

But point taken, Pang. I've set events of the Arena in the relative past compared to your campaign to minimize any inconsistencies, but a few major cameos or cross-overs wouldn't hurt.

Gonna stat out Bombastus Hamfist for the Arena nao~~~

I was speaking idiomatically.

Retconned. The Conmara clan is enormous.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

In the face of Brady's recent madness and Garr's inexplicable meltdown I'd just like to remind everyone to never play a human fighter, ever.

It's a dangerous road, friends.

FELIPE NO

Ah, but Lehah's still fine!

Whelp. For now, I guess. You're currently sane, right Lehah buddy?

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Play a half-elf fighter. A mul fighter. Even a revenant fighter who used to be human. BUT BY NO MEANS SHALL YOU BE PURELY HUMAN, YE FIGHTERS

BY NO MEANS DARE THAT WILDERNESS

LeHah was crazy BEFORE, that is no proof of safety!

Or maybe the effect is limited to Human Sword & Board fighters, nobody's tried a two-hander or a dual-wield build yet, let alone the sweet goodness of the brawler fighter

We must forge into these areas, for science

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Argumentus was portrayed as Dumb Muscle with a learning disability. Garrmondo was a cynical Knight in Sour Armor. Delic, of course, was the quintessential Cloudcuckoolander.

So perhaps, a case of metagame transcending into real life?

How ya doing, buddy?

I am even toying around with DMing a satirical RPG about teenage vampires, but I'm currently having my soul crushed by school and other obligations in which I just don't think I'd be able to devote the necessary time to it.

Anyways, Pang, here's my suggestion, supposing Hawk doesn't want to DM after all, which would itself probably solve all our problems:

Everybody is retired after one adventure. Either one or two current members are chosen randomly (or amongst themselves, if it can work itself out) to move into the next adventure solely for continuity of storyline. I think that 3 or 4 months for one adventure is enough for one time, with the chance of continuing later if lucky. Obviously the recurring members for the next adventure would have to exclude anybody who has previously recurred.

Just my take.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Question: is standing up from prone not a move action? Meaning I should have had an AoO on the Monitor?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Well, the monitor was never adjacent to you. If you mean the marauder (spear guy) then no, standing up is a move action but doesn't provoke AoOs. AoOs just care whether you're leaving a threatened space, not what kind of action you're taking.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Dammit, I just can't remember what enemy is what.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Okay, after Glenn's attack the monitor is dead, the mopup should be fairly manageable now.

FELIPE NO

Not accounting for the other guy stealing all of our weapons, of course.

I keep forgetting we still have Cal around somewhere. Though if he stays in that form Glenn might accidentally start attacking him too...

edit: Pang, what do i need to look at for purposes of trying to start up another parallel game? I've got maptools downloaded and sort of figured out, but i lack the income to purchase books / d&di subscriptions.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

You'll need some textures and stuff for maptools (Pang hooked me up with this huge torrent). As for the books, you'll survive without ddi if you download one of those 4e compilation torrents, and there's quite a lot to be found. For example, http://www.demonoid.com/files/download/2357445/2688245/

You'll also benefit from having Adventure Tools installed (already in the torrent). Just apply the latest update and you're good to go. The October one should be coming out soon.

Don't kill Cal, please. He has a shiny gold token! That proves he's a friendly!

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Perhaps you should shapeshift into the Whip and try and command whatever minions you can to flee the scene, even the ones in the water. We'll just assume I said that in game.

There's nowhere I can't reach.