OOC Chatter

[subaltari]

Very good points, and I'm glad you spoke up, Mr. Rose!

[Rex]

To be clear here, I don't expect others to follow my lead particularly when I do take chances. I am as a player very willing to take chances, it is a game after all. But I don't expect others to just follow along. Drest is an odd character who I have tried to play as both loyal and an a-hole at the same time. We shall see.

[Karaunios]

Very good points, and I'm glad you spoke up, Mr. Rose!

I concur.

[OGRE MAGE]

I'm enjoying the game, and have had a few too many TPK-like events in other games due to impulsive PC actions. And I love OM, but he has clearly shown that he won't prevent players from screwing themselves over.

Thanks! (I think)

This is so much easier to discuss in person.

Totally agree on this point!

And this is why I haven't updated the situation in private with Rex yet.

[Rex]

I am trying to be patient.

[The_Wanderer]

Very good points, and I'm glad you spoke up, Mr. Rose!

I concur.

While Cyril may be half-mad and willing to jump into the unknown, I agree.

Separately, I'm going on a bit of a vacation. I'll be mostly out of touch from 9/14 thru 9/24.

[OGRE MAGE]

Thanks for the heads up.

[subaltari]

A peek into Magda's internal dialogue: she is loyal to the whole group seeing as they 'rescued' her from the Toad Matron. She is not quick to risk herself, but might do so in the belief that there's some good XP or treasure on the other side of that gem. But when she suggested sending a volunteer to contact Drest, I wasn't thinking of her own familiar. Nice idea Kain

With that said, make no mistake; if Skavi went straight into a volcano or deep space, he'd be toast and Magda would roll a save or immediately take 3d6 damage which would probably kill her.

Enjoy your vacation The_Wanderer! Also, I had a feeling about Belkregos and am sorry to see him go.

[Karaunios]

Yeah, that was a very good idea with Skavi. But it's a big risk if it dies.

Also sorry to see Belkregos leave. I'm enjoying this game a lot, so I guess it's real life getting in the way again. I sort of would like more people to join and have several parties on several missions, like Big Shiny Island or Barromaze. But I guess very few people are keen to playing Hyperborea.

[subaltari]

I sort of would like more people to join and have several parties on several missions, like Big Shiny Island or Barrowmaze. But I guess very few people are keen to playing Hyperborea.

Player attrition is the nature of the beast in PbP's. I certainly doubt this campaign itself is to blame, and really hope it's not the system either.

I tell anyone (who will listen!) that out of all the attempts to "clean up" or repackage 1e AD&D, the best by far is Hyperborea/AS&SH! Leaving out the elves and dragons is only a small price to pay. For that matter, you could easily put them back in using 1e stats (though personally I've never run or played in a high fantasy game using Hyperborea/ASSH rules).

[Rex]

My current FTF Hyperborea campaign isn't set in Hyperborea and after some discussion with my players I included dwarves and halflings. Still no elves or dragons (yet) though. I also dropped the raise dead spell but kept reincarnation. I also kept the Hyperborea dwarves too, so there are 2 different dwarf races. It works just fine.

[Karaunios]

For me, it's a breath of fresh air that there are only humans I like its Sword & Sorcery approach. I love D&D, but sometimes I feel like playing campaigns without hobbits and gnomes (for some reason, I can't take these races seriously), and more "low fantasy".

[Rex]

We like Hyperborea with just humans too. I just had a particular campaign idea we wanted to try and after some discussion we thought dwarves and halflings would fit it well and they did. Elves would have worked too but wouldn't have been the Tolkein version so much as the Norse version.

As far as gnomes and halflings go gnomes have never seen much play no mater the system we have used over the last 45 years. Halflings on the other hand are almost as popular as dwarves and both beat out elves, half-elves, and half-orcs. My first character was a halfling fighter in Holmes D&D when I was 9 years old so I have a soft spot for halflings and find them fun to play.

[Karaunios]

Now that i think of it, among all games with my friends and relatives I've only seen humans, elves, half-elves and dwarfs. I think I haven't seen once someone playing a gnome or halfling

[Rex]

Not surprised. Different strokes for different folks. I suspect we are in the minority in a lot of ways. My players love critical hits and misses for example but I read on the internet how horrible it is and no one would ever want to use them.

[subaltari]

I just had a particular campaign idea we wanted to try and after some discussion we thought dwarves and halflings would fit it well and they did.

In the canon Hyperborea, the Mu Men ‒ didn't they appear in OM's previous game? ‒ could work well as a re-skin of halflings (and I think the 3e physique table makes Mu PCs taller than they should be). You could also devise any sort of exotic pygmy-type race to create a weird fantasy/gritty halfling.

As far as dragons: Hyperborea already has the hydra, salamander, and wyvern so it's not much of a stretch to add traditional dragons. The Lovecraftian Lloigor could also be the rationale behind a very nasty sort of dragon in the game.

[subaltari]

. I think I haven't seen once someone playing a gnome or halfling

My brother and I both rolled up OD&D Hobbit Thieves as our very first characters (back then it was straight 3d6×6 and when we rolled high Dex, we were told Hobbit Thief was the best choice!) My first characters to actually survive to 2nd level were both single-class Elves, one fighter and one magic-user. Later, my favorite 1e character in many adventures was a multiclass Gnome.

Later editions balanced out the racial bonuses, making Humans a better choice. It's been a few years since I played anything but humans.

[OGRE MAGE]

I agree on all points regarding the fantastical creatures of Hyperborea.

Magda was trying to let another PC volunteer to write a love letter to Drest... but sending him a blank note is fittingly ironic

Ya, I picked up on that, but I don't think anyone else did.

I have one player waiting around wondering what actually happened to his PC, so the sooner we get this stuff resolved the sooner he can start rolling up a new character.

[subaltari]

I agree on all points regarding the fantastical creatures of Hyperborea.

I have one player waiting around wondering what actually happened to his PC, so the sooner we get this stuff resolved the sooner he can start rolling up a new character.

In which case, you have a second player wondering if his PC is now short a familiar...

[Rex]

I agree on all points regarding the fantastical creatures of Hyperborea.

Magda was trying to let another PC volunteer to write a love letter to Drest... but sending him a blank note is fittingly ironic

Ya, I picked up on that, but I don't think anyone else did.

I have one player waiting around wondering what actually happened to his PC, so the sooner we get this stuff resolved the sooner he can start rolling up a new character.

I can start on that any time.