Not in my experience. That's not to say there aren't disagreements, though the disagreements are usually IC. And I've seen them resolved more often than not.
Fair enough. Sounds like I need a Caller in my RL group, though. So yeah, I'll ditch the Caller thing for the time being.
Adopting the bump day concept seems like a good idea though. It'll be whatever day I open the IC thread on.
Quote:
Q: What do you want to rule about "table talk"?
I've found it handy to allow Players to discuss and help eachother - not to kibbitz 'bad' moves - but remind eachother about powers or bonuses or story tidbits that they may have forgotten. It's especially helpful when there might be long periods between posts.
Because IC threads are wonderfully narrative in a way that few of my face-to-face games have been, "table talk" in the OOC thread doesn't detract in the same way as it does from face-to-face games.
I don't have a problem with table talk, honestly. From my experience the game requires team tactics that most groups don't currently posses. Being able to talk about that sorta thing is pretty critical to figuring it out, I'd reckon.
That being said, the sort of table talk I don't want to see is the over-bearing "your character should have done X and I'm going to imply that you're stupid for not doing it" sorta stuff. Basically, have some social grace and be respectful.
How am I going to handle a player that acts like that? Hopefully I won't ever have to deal with it.
Quote:
Cool note for the shiny new forums... you can use hot-keys to place tags... ctrl-I makes italic tags, ctrl-b makes bold tags. Very handy.
That's very cool!!
__________________ Wandering Star - All hail the Master Orb . . .
Right you are, I just like shields. There is absolutely no penalty for wielding one that you aren't proficient with (unlike Armor).
No penalty? What does being proficient get you, in that case? Access to special shield related feats?
Ohhh. I see. You aren't penalized but you don't get the benefit either. Heh.
Quote:
The CHA bonuses are only worth it IMO if you really pour points into CHA and for most powers, they're just perks to the power. I wanted Pip to be a Healing-focused Cleric which means he had to credibly land Healing Smite - hence the STR. It also gives him more options as he levels.
Maybe I'm missing something, but what god do you see Pip being a cleric of? Sorta seems like Melora . . .
Quote:
I wanted Ranver to be a brainy, sleuthing, Cleric who knows too much (Ioun). A sorta Indiana Jones. Humans can only focus on one stat, so I picked WIS, since its, in my opinion, the one stat you need to be good to be a half-decent cleric at all.
Heh heh. Actually, you can be a very decent cleric with Wisdom of 8. You just don't get the extra boost from adding your wisdom score to healing surge values. Oh, and you aren't very good at turning undead. In fact, the High Priest of the Shining Redoubt is based on a pre-gen I posted to the boards a while back that drove home that point.
I like the Ranver concept, I have to say. For whatever reason, I've always had a soft spot for the "odd" cleric concepts.
__________________ Wandering Star - All hail the Master Orb . . .
Seems like we're pretty close to getting the character sheets finished up. Besides Sparky, please let me know if you don't consider that part of your character to be "finished."
The character backgrounds are coming along, but we don't necessarily need those done to get started. I will have a couple of questions for individual characters that will need to be answered, though. Here's the first.
Zargesh D'Zariel, the High Priest of the Shining Redoubt, has an important favor he needs to ask of Zarathas Moonscale. Where's Zargesh likely to run into Zarathas and what's the context?
__________________ Wandering Star - All hail the Master Orb . . .
Maybe I'm missing something, but what god do you see Pip being a cleric of? Sorta seems like Melora . . .
[snip]
Heh heh. Actually, you can be a very decent cleric with Wisdom of 8. You just don't get the extra boost from adding your wisdom score to healing surge values. Oh, and you aren't very good at turning undead. In fact, the High Priest of the Shining Redoubt is based on a pre-gen I posted to the boards a while back that drove home that point.
I like the Ranver concept, I have to say. For whatever reason, I've always had a soft spot for the "odd" cleric concepts.
Avandra. Mostly for the Travel aspect. I considered Melora, but she doesn't seem like someone who'd be interested in you getting your shipment of sugarbeets past The Dire Maelstrom, if you follow. Avandra, now, Avandra would be all over getting your beets from A to Z. Especially if it was for The Good.
I guess my point about WIS is that having a good WIS gives you the best use of powers that you don't have a choice about (Healing Word).
I like Ranver better from a fluff standpoint, but Pip is probably a better Leader and his fluff is fun too.
I'm happy to leave it to the group to choose between them.
Zargesh D'Zariel, the High Priest of the Shining Redoubt, has an important favor he needs to ask of Zarathas Moonscale. Where's Zargesh likely to run into Zarathas and what's the context?
There are four possible places to find Zarathas at any given time. The first is within the temple area of Shining Redoubt, praying, or resting in his quarters. The second place to look for him is in the training grounds of Glory Blades, honing his swordarm. Failing to find him in either place leaves only two options. He's having a drink at Gullafar's (though only drinking one at any day), or spending time at Badger's Hole (he is on good terms with the half-elf).
Say a certain someone who wanted to be discreet was looking to have an object rumored to be Arcane in nature recovered from the location it was said to currently be found at.
And let's also suppose that this person thought you were the go-to guy by virtue of your above average knowledge of all things arcane. Where would this individual be most likely to find you?
Keep in mind that there aren't any arcane colleges, wizard towers or any of that overtly mage'ish stuff in Helen's Reach. There's likely a "trade association" of sorts that meets from time to time in some old whitebeard's parlor where they spend hours pontificating on the latest advancements in cantrippery.
__________________ Wandering Star - All hail the Master Orb . . .
Varilar's revised background... I took a few liberties, Helium. I hope you don't mind. I was looking to explain the streetwise and dungeoneering training, and it just sort of kept going.
backstory
Most elves learn to love the forest before they learn to walk.
Most elves spend their childhoods playing predator-prey and hide-and-hunt in the trees around their villages.
Most elves are more at home with stars over their heads than a solid ceiling.
Varilar has little in common with most elves.
Growing up inside the walls of Helen's Reach isn't a bad thing, but it's far from the natural state for an elf. The Bulwark constantly separated him from the forest-life of his ancestors, and the shadow of Half Sigil Keep constantly reminded him that he answered to more than his whims. For years, Varilar rebelled against the constrained life he was handed, but eventually he accepted it.
From that point on, he became one with the streets of Helen's Reach, learning to love the alleys and gutters the way his wilderness-dwelling cousins loved game trails and forest rills. Without knowing why, he was drawn to the heights of the city, running across rooftops and watching the world below him. He learned how to hunt those who lived below him, not to kill or even rob, but to best. For a while, many people travelling through the streets alone at night found themselves hounded by something unseen but felt. Almost always they found themselves running through some area of town they had no intention of being in, driven by the constant presence of something. Without fail, they ultimately found themselves standing alone on an isolated dock, looking out over the lagoon, with nothing but lilting laughter coming from the city at their backs to assure them that they weren't crazy. Of course, if they had ever learned that they had been running in fear of a 10-year-old elf, they might have rethought that conclusion.
Eventually even this became boring for Varilar, and that is when he discovered the sewers, and their remnants of the tiefling empire. There he learned to fight, and to flee what he couldn't fight. There he learned of survival, and the need for brutality. Despite the harshness of the lessons, he was drawn back again and again.
He grew to know the sewers as well as he knew the streets, and eventually he stopped being overlooked. Eventually he earned the notice of Morthos. Whether that proves to be to Varilar's benefit or detriment has yet to be seen, a fact the elf is very aware of.
Varilar's revised background... I took a few liberties, Helium. I hope you don't mind. I was looking to explain the streetwise and dungeoneering training, and it just sort of kept going.
I love it.
__________________ Wandering Star - All hail the Master Orb . . .
Thanks, Sparky. I had a bit of late night inspiration. I think I'm going to have fun playing the urban elf. I'm picturing his version of rogue as being an urban version of the ranger. I'm still trying to get a solid grasp of his personality, but I'll get there.
Thanks Redclaw, you've inspired me to put a bit more work into Horto.
Let me know whatcha think.
Horto Dandorin - background
Horto Dandorin, a twenty-something human, was raised an orphan in Helen's
Reach. Always the class clown, he spent about as much time serving out
punishments as studying and attending classes in the school next to the
orphanage. His raw strength led many of his peers to underestimate his
mental powers, an error that invariably led to his winning whatever
humble belongings they had. Admittedly, his quick fingers probably had as
much to do with his winning as anything.
As he grew older, he began to escape into town, hanging out in bars and
brothels, eager to prove himself a real man. At one point, he found himself
in a card game with some local society types, including, unbeknownst to him,
Martros Berkstrom, who liked to play incognito once in a while.
He was winning handily, as usual,
and as the game was breaking up, Matros pulled him aside and told
him he knew that he was cheating and if he could please come quietly with him.
Expecting the worst, Horto went along. As it happened, Martros was impressed
with the youth's cunning, and felt he would make a good addition to his
business. Martros took Horto under his wing,
teaching him all about local trade, business, and handling money. Horto soon
had more money then he knew what to do with, and ended up spending most
of it on drink and women.
Eventually, he got himself into a bit of trouble with the wife of a
prominent trading partner, and Martros had to fire him from the trade
business in order to save face. Martros had grown to
love the boy (now a man), and secretly kept him in his employ,
using him to collect on
debts, track thieves, and guard important shipments around the Reaches.
Horto discovered a love for the blade, and served well in his new
capacity, despite having rather less in common with his employer than
with those he chased after.
Now he can scarcely be seen without a sword on one hip and a flask of ale
or something stronger on the other. Feared by some, loved by others,
his good humor and loyalty to his friends is unwavering. He has a hole
in his personality from growing up an orphan, and he fills it with as
much adventure as he can stomach, often finding adventures of his own
when work is slow.
If he has one serious mission, it is to find his parents, if they still live.
He was never told their story, and is still searching for clues as to
who they may be.
Thanks Redclaw, you've inspired me to put a bit more work into Horto.
Let me know whatcha think.
Horto Dandorin - background
Horto Dandorin, a twenty-something human, was raised an orphan in Helen's
Reach. Always the class clown, he spent about as much time serving out
punishments as studying and attending classes in the school next to the
orphanage. His raw strength led many of his peers to underestimate his
mental powers, an error that invariably led to his winning whatever
humble belongings they had. Admittedly, his quick fingers probably had as
much to do with his winning as anything.
As he grew older, he began to escape into town, hanging out in bars and
brothels, eager to prove himself a real man. At one point, he found himself
in a card game with some local society types, including, unbeknownst to him,
Martros Berkstrom, who liked to play incognito once in a while.
He was winning handily, as usual,
and as the game was breaking up, Matros pulled him aside and told
him he knew that he was cheating and if he could please come quietly with him.
Expecting the worst, Horto went along. As it happened, Martros was impressed
with the youth's cunning, and felt he would make a good addition to his
business. Martros took Horto under his wing,
teaching him all about local trade, business, and handling money. Horto soon
had more money then he knew what to do with, and ended up spending most
of it on drink and women.
Eventually, he got himself into a bit of trouble with the wife of a
prominent trading partner, and Martros had to fire him from the trade
business in order to save face. Martros had grown to
love the boy (now a man), and secretly kept him in his employ,
using him to collect on
debts, track thieves, and guard important shipments around the Reaches.
Horto discovered a love for the blade, and served well in his new
capacity, despite having rather less in common with his employer than
with those he chased after.
Now he can scarcely be seen without a sword on one hip and a flask of ale
or something stronger on the other. Feared by some, loved by others,
his good humor and loyalty to his friends is unwavering. He has a hole
in his personality from growing up an orphan, and he fills it with as
much adventure as he can stomach, often finding adventures of his own
when work is slow.
If he has one serious mission, it is to find his parents, if they still live.
He was never told their story, and is still searching for clues as to
who they may be.
This seriously rocks.
I'm all set to hand out the first batch of quests, but the one piece of info I need is Sparky's character's final build.
Sparky, have you come to a decision about which character you want to play? I don't think anyone's gonna make your decision for you.
__________________ Wandering Star - All hail the Master Orb . . .
I've opened up the IC thread over in the "Playing the Game" forum. Over the next few days (or less) I'll post a couple of bits of narration that introduce the first couple of quests.
For instance, I've already begun introducing one via Zarathas Moonscale.
The quests do not need to be completed in any order, nor do they need to be completed at all. They're just a good way to get us started. I'll be doing the major/minor quest thing as outlined in the 4E DMG and the Quest Log (a link to it will be in the first post of the IC thread) will state whether a given quest is major or minor.
Generally speaking, a minor quest will consist of 1-3 encounters and major quests will be 4+. I know this is a little clunky and meta-gamey, but I want to do this the way the 4E DMG says I should, mostly because I want to see how well the system works.
Also, if there's a specific direction you want to go with your character, just indicate that in the IC thread and eventually quests related to it are likely to show up. Or, you can directly ask in the IC thread or via PM.
That being said, I'm not really looking to support six characters going in six different directions, so please keep that in mind.
__________________ Wandering Star - All hail the Master Orb . . .
![[OOC] Heroes of the Middle Reaches : Wandering Star](http://www.enworld.org/forum/iconimages/talking-talk/ooc-heroes-middle-reaches-wandering-star_ltr.gif)
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