Random thoughts and musings as we begin to settle in:
- First off, I'm Larry (did the logon name give it away?
), nearly 40, and a long-time role-player. I'm currently DMing two 4e campaigns (one started a year ago at 1st lvl and is now at 12th, the other just started and is at 2nd) as well as playing in two occassional campaigns and LFR when I can find the time. I'm a husband of 16 years, father of two (ages 3 and 8), full-time executive assistant to a corporate vice president and Army Reservist of 17 years. And I'm damn glad to meet you all!
- So it looks like some are using pen&paper and others the old CB to create their characters. I'd be more than willing to assist in offering up other suggestions for powers/feats when the times come (things available now on the current CB).
- IMHO one of the biggest "problems" I've found with 4e PbPs is combat. 4e combat is so tabletop driven that it can easily bog down a great story for days at a time while combat rounds go by. Problem to the problem is there's no great way to mitigate this. 90% of everything we put into character creation applies directly to combat. Whatever tricks you can gin up to get from story to the required combat and back to story again will be greatly appreciated by all (including you, Goonalan).
- I'm also in another PbP here on EnWorld. The DM uses MS Excell to make very rudimentary maps, codes the players and monsters (i.e., P1, P2, etc. / Z(ombie)1, Z2, etc.), and provide x,y coordinates so we can state our movements (i.e., "I move from H2 to I7 avoiding difficult terrain, putting me in flank w/ P3 vs. Z3"). Works decent enough.
- While stats are good and necessary, I do hope to get a little character flavor from Kazzigan and Thorgrim in time!
And Pinotage, I concur wholeheartedly with Goonalans's comments regarding your ability #s. You'll find in 4e (MARKEDLY different from 3e and 3.5) that unless you're strutting at least a 17 in your primary stat, it becomes quite difficult to keep up with scaling as the levels progress. Unlike previous editions, there are no 'jack of all trades' when it comes to ability scores - you're expected to kick in high right from the start. Oh and for both you and Hairychin - don't forget you can always lower one ability to 8, freeing up 2 points to spend elsewhere. Not that you HAVE to, and not that you even have to do the things I'm saying here...as Goonalan said, this IS a role-playing game.
- Goonalan - is this the kind of thing where you're hoping to take us from 1-30? Or just a one-shot adventure-type thing?
