Out of Character Thread

[Raven Crowking]

Cool, You can use the New Improved Purple Sorcerer generator to create a second level character of your choice.

[Raven Crowking]

I'm down.

You have been added to the group.

[Raven Crowking]

Despite the combat immanent in the game, I will probably not have a chance to resolve the first round until after the weekend. This is just a quick note to let you know that I am still around, and will be resolving actions on Monday!

[caveman]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll actually be more sporadically available for the next couple weeks as well. (Otherwise I'd jump into your playstest!)
I'm hoping to actually escape the Barrow in the next two weeks because the end of the month beginning of july I will be totally incommunicado...

[jferngler]

I too might disappear for a day or two... My wife is about to drop our second kid, but other than hospital time, I think I'll be able to keep up. Cavie, we'll get back to the surface soon. If we live.

[Raven Crowking]

I too might disappear for a day or two... My wife is about to drop our second kid, but other than hospital time, I think I'll be able to keep up. Cavie, we'll get back to the surface soon. If we live.

Congratulations!

I wish you all the best!

Daniel

[bitflipr]

Hey guys. Looking forward to joining the group. I created my level 0's and will be posting in the expedition threads shortly. A couple questions regarding format:

1. What method of dice rolling are we using? Unseen Servant Dice Roller?
2. Where should our character sheets be managed? Is this forum okay for that?

[Raven Crowking]

Hey guys. Looking forward to joining the group. I created my level 0's and will be posting in the expedition threads shortly. A couple questions regarding format:

• What method of dice rolling are we using? Unseen Servant Dice Roller?
• Where should our character sheets be managed? Is this forum okay for that?

You can certainly manage your character sheets here.

I am using a method of die rolling called "trust". Personally, I am using rolz.org, as it can roll any die type you might wish, multiple times, and do other neat tricks. Purple Sorcerer also has a great die-rolling utility. I think that the die roller here is down.

[Alethan]

I think that the die roller here is down.

No sir! The Unseen Servant Dice Roller is fully functioning and has the multiple-roll bug worked out!

[Raven Crowking]

I'm not seeing a function to append a die roll to a post. Is this something I'm just missing? And, if so, can you point it out?

I would be more than happy -- nay, thrilled! -- to be "rolling in the open" here.

[Alethan]

Well... once you make a die roll on the US Dice Roller forum, the ensuing results page (e.g. http://www.unseenservant.com/Default.as ... ne&id=5492) has several hyperlinks on it. If you triple-click in the box for "PbP Forum Code", and copy that text, you can paste it into a thread...

Initiative Roll = [1d6] = 5

... and it links to the rolls.

Does that answer your question? Or were you looking for some other kind of functionality?

[Raven Crowking]

Thanks! Now I am that much slightly better educated!

[Alethan]

No problem!

If you are GM, and you want everyone to use US Dice Roller, you can have ToniXX set up a Campaign ID for you. Then you provide it to all of your players and they set up their character(s) in the Dice Roller and assign them the Campaign ID. Then you just have to check all rolls for that campaign if you want to see them.

I can try to answer any other questions anyone might have... Start with this thread, though, if you want to start with the US Dice Roller basics...

[beermotor]

So I rolled my mercurial magic on the elf... holy crap. Not so good, heh.

[Raven Crowking]

So I rolled my mercurial magic on the elf... holy crap. Not so good, heh.

As much as I hate to do this....You know that you have to learn the spells other than Patron Bond? I am assuming you checked to see if you could succeed, and that you intend on waiting three weeks to go back in to the Barrowmaze.

In fact, even if that was not the case, let's assume that it was, because this is a pbp game, and that assumption would make the game better. Therefore: House Rule for pbp games only: You do not need to roll to learn your initial spells, although you do need to take the time, and you do need to roll Mercurial Magic.

(Sorry about the Stream of Consciousness above)

Invoke Patron is going to be interesting, depending upon what patron you end up bonding with (if any).

Color Spray. Heh.

Ekim's Mystical Mask. Huh. Tough one. I can't see you using that too often (without something along the lines of a Ring of Regeneration, anyway!)

Comprehend Languages: Useful MM.

[beermotor]

So you have to roll to see if you actually learn them at level 1? Seems kind of harsh. What if you fail all rolls? I'm not sure that's the point of the rules, but maybe I misread. All I did was roll randomly to determine which spells Cisneros KNEW, not whether he COULD, in fact, learn them. Happy to re-roll anything if you want, or you can roll 'em all up if you'd rather do that. Also, on Patrons, if you want to throw out a few choices, I'll see. I'm guessing Nergal ain't Neutral, heh.

And yes we'll definitely be spending some time resting up and acquiring gear; Daryll needs some Thieves' Tools, Grim needs a warhammer, etc. Pretty low on cash so considering taking up some mundane jobs or a mortgage or something to try to get some stuff.

[Raven Crowking]

So you have to roll to see if you actually learn them at level 1?

By the RAW, yes. Or, at least as I read it and play it at home.

It actually works really well playing in a home game. For one thing, it gives players a chance to "trade out" their randomly rolled spells before they get locked in place. For another, it creates a real sense of character development in play. Not sure I can explain this exactly, but it seems true in my experience.

OTOH, pbp is a different animal, so I houseruled this to keep us more involved with the "meat & potatoes" and less involved with the background. The background can be utilized and still "fly by" in real life; it can take a long time to post back and forth about when it isn't really important.

Which is a long-winded way of saying that, whether you or I misread, you don't need to worry about it for this game. If you ever get involved in my home campaign, though, that's a different animal. Contemplating a move to Toronto?

Related to this, in my home games I play out the 1st level Elf's opportunity to gain mithral arms and armour at standard price. I do this in part to tie the Elf character into the world, and in part to keep a clear explanation as to why getting new mithral weapons isn't going to be easy. Also to give the player some idea of what he can try to gain a new set (if needed). I'm not going to do that here; we may assume that your Elf has the means to make this purchase at some point during 1st level when he feels like it.

Seems kind of harsh. What if you fail all rolls?

Hasn't happened yet, in any of the games I run, so I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it! I imagine that a would-be Wizard would need to quest to find more spells to potentially learn. Or to level up so he can try again! An Elf is a little better off.

Also, on Patrons, if you want to throw out a few choices, I'll see. I'm guessing Nergal ain't Neutral, heh.

Obviously, any from the core rulebook. Also, any that have been previewed on my blog. Also, any other patron you might know of or be able to think of. If you can describe the patron you'd like, well, I have some practice now at writing them up from an outline!

And yes we'll definitely be spending some time resting up and acquiring gear; Daryll needs some Thieves' Tools, Grim needs a warhammer, etc. Pretty low on cash so considering taking up some mundane jobs or a mortgage or something to try to get some stuff.

Hmmmm.....I think I will narrate some form of opportunity for the beginning of the Fourth Expedition!

[beermotor]

I see what you're saying. It's not a bad idea, and the harshness of bad rolls could be mitigated by placing a few "study to learn a random spell" items into the funnel adventure. I didn't do it this way in my game, but maybe I should have. Going forward, I was planning on forcing wizards/elves to find/quest for/create their own spells. Will see how it plays out.

As for patron, something fire/smoke-y. Got anything? There's Ithaa in the book, but he's a wind spirit. The King of Elfland wasn't what I was looking for. I did kind of like Radu, though. But, I think Cisneros has it in his mind to be more of a ranged nuker, than a melee-wizard. Cleansing fire, exactly what Barrowmaze needs! Maybe he has a touch of the pyromaniac in him.

[Raven Crowking]

http://unseenservant.us/forum/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=757

Whenever you're ready.

[Raven Crowking]

I see what you're saying. It's not a bad idea, and the harshness of bad rolls could be mitigated by placing a few "study to learn a random spell" items into the funnel adventure. I didn't do it this way in my game, but maybe I should have. Going forward, I was planning on forcing wizards/elves to find/quest for/create their own spells. Will see how it plays out.

In one of the games I am running, my son's wizard has learned sequential spells whose Mercurial Magic all point towards serious necromancy. Because each roll took place over a period of actual play time, as the party had a chance to rest and he had a chance to study, the image of his character began to take form fairly clearly.

Also, some things that happened in Starless Sea played out in random die rolls over the course of the game to increasingly point to a very particular idea of who this Wizard is. It was very cool to see the character emerge in play, discovered by both the player and the judge over the course of time.

As for patron, something fire/smoke-y. Got anything? There's Ithaa in the book, but he's a wind spirit. The King of Elfland wasn't what I was looking for. I did kind of like Radu, though. But, I think Cisneros has it in his mind to be more of a ranged nuker, than a melee-wizard. Cleansing fire, exactly what Barrowmaze needs! Maybe he has a touch of the pyromaniac in him.

I have a few patrons to finish for AD&BB before the end of the month (! !), so hold off on casting patron bond, and I'll see if I can't whip up something in the first part of October.