New DM seeks interest in PFRPG PBP - Crypt of the Everflame
Hi folks,
Is anyone here interested in giving a newcomer a shot as a DM? My circumstances are such that I don't have a face-to-face game available to me at present, due to family life and variable work schedule. I've been nosing around the web, looking for a place to take a shot at running a PBP game using Pathfinder rules. Having lurked here for a month or so, it seems that the folks here have a certain maturity and sense of strong community which many PBP boards lack. So, I've decided to give it a try.
I'd like to run the Paizo module Crypt of the Everflame, which is an introductory adventure for 1st level characters. I'm sure there will be questions about character creation rules and so forth, but for now, I'm just trying to see if there are some interested players who might like to give me a shot. As for my pedigree, I'm 36, married with two kids, and work in management. I've been playing and DMing Dungeons and Dragons (as well as many other PnP RPGs) for a whole lotta years now. I like role-playing interesting characters just as much as I like rolling dice and slaying monsters. Mostly though, I like the fun of gathering with friends for a game, and my hope is that maybe a group of us here could recreate a bit of that camaraderie, even if it is just through the computer screen.
If you want to know more about Crypt of the Everflame, here is the copy from the back of the module:
Spoiler:
The young heroes of the town of Kassen are ready for their coming-of-age ceremony, an old tradition in which they retrieve a piece of the eternal flame burning in the tomb of the town’s founder. Yet when they arrive there, they find only the corpses of their fellow townsfolk, dead bandits, and mysterious animated skeletons. The novice heroes must brave the traps and perils of the Crypt of the Everflame, discover the source of the corruption that has awakened an ancient evil, and defeat a menace that seeks vengeance against Kassen and its people.
Hopefully we can get four or five players interested in giving this a shot. I look forward to hearing from some of you. Thanks!
Excellent, welcome Fenris! I'd be happy to discuss ideas for character race/class, if you have any yet.
Spread the word! Tell your friends!
Oh, give it about an hour and the game will be bustling with players.
Reserve one for a friend if you would and I will check with them.
As for races/classes, I would like to know how you would like to start the characters. Usually for PbP, point buy works well, but other DMs do have players roll using a dice roller like Invisible Castle. your call there. But a lot of players will want to know that first as they think up characters.
Oh, give it about an hour and the game will be bustling with players.
Reserve one for a friend if you would and I will check with them.
As for races/classes, I would like to know how you would like to start the characters. Usually for PbP, point buy works well, but other DMs do have players roll using a dice roller like Invisible Castle. your call there. But a lot of players will want to know that first as they think up characters.
Fair enough! I definitely will want to use a point buy system for ability scores. I think the exact number of points may depend on how many players we end up with. If it's four, I'll probably allow a 20 point build. If five, I'll likely draw the line at 15.
I've got a 1st level human barbarian that I built for another PF game that seemed to end up dead already...I'd love to give him a new home.
I might have to change his stats based on what point buy you use, but here is ANUNDR VALKRSSON
And welcome to the forums, BJA!
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
My curiosity is piqued by Pathfinder. I honestly know nothing about it, I think I've had my head in the ground for too long. I'm interested in knowing the system and if you'd take a flier on someone like me whilst doing a little hand-holding, then count me in.
Wow, it's great to see so much interest so quickly! Fenris, you were right!
So tell me, oh veterans of the boards, is it customary to accept the first 'X' number of players on a first-come, first-served basis? Is it bad form to wait for a larger pool of interested persons, and choose players based on completeness and quality of character sheets, writing skills, or party balance? I want to follow established convention as much as possible.
If we go with first-come first-served, we have five already (Fenris, rangerjohn, Rhun, ethandrew, and Queenie), which is my limit for a first go-round, I think.
BTW, Rhun I like Anundr quite a bit, good character there!
And ethandrew, it's okay if you're unfamiliar with PFRPG rules, because it's pretty new to me too. I keep finding myself slipping back into certain old habits from 3.5, so we'll all just have to be patient with one another.
Advice on player selection is welcome.
EDIT: Oh, and I really appreciate being so warmly welcomed too! I'm glad I decided to try this here.
As a current DM here, it's easy to grab the first X players that sign up, I've changed my selection method to set a date and ask for submissions until then. However its your call, if you're anxious to get underway, the only one I haven't gamed with is rangerjohn here and know they're all good folks (most are on here).
As a current DM here, it's easy to grab the first X players that sign up, I've changed my selection method to set a date and ask for submissions until then. However its your call, if you're anxious to get underway, the only one I haven't gamed with is rangerjohn here and know they're all good folks (most are on here).
If you have any questions feel free to PM me.
Thanks for the advice, renau1g. I wouldn't mind doing something similar, but I don't want to come across as arrogant or exclusive (I don't have your advantage of 6000+ posts on which to stake a reputation ). On the other hand, it seems that the most balanced and compatible playgroup might be found by being patient, and I think I must place my priorities there. I'll wait and see who else throws a hat in the ring for at least 24 hours, and we'll proceed from there.
For those who are interested so far, what sort of characters did you have in mind?
In my experience games are largely "First come, first served" but not always, and it often depends what the DM is seeking. If you're looking for a certain level of role playing or roll playing, you may want to look at applications and choose based on that.
Either method works, so it's whichever you'd prefer, I'd say.
Accessible at almost any time: http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm
Complete Arcane
Complete Scoundrel
Complete Mage
Complete Divine
Libre Mortis
Heroes of Horror
Drow of the Underdark
Monster Manual 3.5E
Monster Manual 2
DMG/PHB
Psionics Handbook
Expanded Psionics Handbook
Spell Compendium
Tome of Magic
These I can access rarely:
Complete Adventurer
Complete Warrior
Complete Psionic
Races of Stone
Draconomicon
Complete Champion
A few assorted Monstrous Manuals... I can't recall which ones.
I MAY be able to access the Forgotten Realms and Eberron Campaign settings.
While first come first serve isn't always the most "fair" way to select players, it will at least give you the number of players you need in the quickest amount of time. The problem I've seen with having everyone post characters and then choosing the ones you think best fit is that you end up just accepting everyone, because you don't have the heart to turn anyone down or think all the characters are great. Thus, you end up with far more players than you originally anticipated. I speak from experience on this.
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
In my experience games are largely "First come, first served" but not always, and it often depends what the DM is seeking. If you're looking for a certain level of role playing or roll playing, you may want to look at applications and choose based on that.
Either method works, so it's whichever you'd prefer, I'd say.
Excellent advice, thank you Theroc! I've perused the boards quite a bit, and it looks to me like I'd be fine with the five players who have already jumped in the pool. So, I've decided to just go ahead with the following players:
Fenris
rangerjohn
Rhun
ethandrew
Queenie
Welcome one and all! Now, we know that Rhun already has a barbarian ready to go, and rangerjohn is interested in playing an elven wizard. Great so far. What do the rest of you have in mind?
You may want to post your character creation guidelines, BAJ...you know, how many point buy to use for attributes, number of traits, etc, etc. Basically anything that could vary from game to game. Also, any house rules you may use.
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
Since I'm new to Pathfinder, I should probably play something generally easy in terms of mechanics. I'm feeling like some sort of secondary fighter, be it ranged or two weaponed, or whatnot. But looking at the pathfinder srd, things look pretty standard, so I'm curious where the deviations lie.
Hmm, okay. I realize I'm doing a running commentary post as I type, go read the srd some, type some more, anyway, it's less than engaging, but it also gives me more ideas. That being said, I'll do a wait and see, allow the other players to play whatever they choose and I'll fill in the gaps as best as I can.
Now a few words about character backgrounds. All of the PCs should be native to the town of Kassen. They most likely would all know each other, and may even be close friends (or rivals?). The background information below details a bit of information about the town's founder and local hero, Ekat Kassen, and why the Crypt of the Everflame is so important to the town. All of the locals should know at least the bare bones of this story, so I don't consider it very spoiler-ish.
Now, for the first time in four years, the mayor is going to send some young 'heroes' to the Crypt to recover the undying flame and signal the end of the harvest (guess who?). This is where the game will commence.
In order to further help you create a plausible background for your characters, I will post some information about an NPC in town who might act as something of a mentor to your PC. You aren't required to use it, but it may help you add some detail to your background.
Adventure Background
Ekat Kassen was a crusader and fortune seeker who came to serve Lastwall in the year 4515 ar. While he fought with distinction, he soon realized that he wanted more from life and left the Lastwall military to find his fortune elsewhere. His travels took him all over the region around Lake Encarthan, and he decided to settle down in 4522 after a very profitable adventure. Using a sizable portion of his fortune, he set out to tame a small area of the Fangwood on the banks of the Tourondel River, making it a natural stopover for those traveling up and down the river to Skelt. For the next 10 years, the town, which was then known as Kassen’s Hold, grew and prospered.
All that changed when Asar Vergas came to Kassen’s Hold with a host of mercenaries under his command. Asar was an old companion of Ekat, and the two had traveled together for some time before splitting up just after Ekat’s last adventure. Over the years, Asar became sure that Ekat had cheated him after that adventure. Promising great wealth to his mercenaries, Asar raided the town relentlessly for 2 months. Finally, the townsfolk managed to locate Asar’s camp in an ancient crypt deep in the forest, and Ekat himself went out to deal with his old companion. The battle was terribly bloody, with only a few townsfolk coming back to tell the tale. In the end, Asar was slain and his mercenaries scattered, but Ekat suffered a mortal wound. He died 2 days later, on the 11th day of Neth, 4535. In honor of their beloved founder, the townsfolk buried Kassen in the ancient crypt, interring his bones in a place of honor, above the simple sarcophagi used to inter Asar, his mercenaries, and the townsfolk that lost their lives in the bitter struggle. They placed an eternal flame above Kassen’s final resting place, so that all who visited might find warmth in the wilderness.
Over the years, the Crypt of the Everflame has become an important part of the history of the town, now simply called Kassen. The townsfolk view the crypt as a memorial to those difficult first years of the town’s history. Every autumn, a few of the townsfolk make a pilgrimage to the crypt to light a lantern from the flame and bring it back to town, where it is preserved all winter, a symbol of the town’s resilience. Most years, the town mayor and a group of dignitaries perform this quest. Every few years, however, a handful of younger townsfolk are given the honor of lighting the lantern. Many see this as a passage into adulthood, a taste of adventure before settling down to work and marriage. The quest starts out as a solemn ceremony in town, where the townsfolk gather to wish the adventurers luck, just as it was when Kassen himself left to fight the mercenaries. When the adventurers return a few days later, the town holds a great celebration in their honor. This also marks the final harvest celebration before the long winter.
Since I'm new to Pathfinder, I should probably play something generally easy in terms of mechanics. I'm feeling like some sort of secondary fighter, be it ranged or two weaponed, or whatnot. But looking at the pathfinder srd, things look pretty standard, so I'm curious where the deviations lie.
It is very similar to 3.5 ethandrew. The major differences are in the races, classes, etc. Pretty much everything is in the SRD. Oh, and if you take a look at my PC and use him as kind of a guideline, it should be a good place to start as far as differences are concerned.
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
Last edited by Rhun; 6th November 2009 at 09:50 PM..
You may want to post your character creation guidelines, BAJ...you know, how many point buy to use for attributes, number of traits, etc, etc. Basically anything that could vary from game to game. Also, any house rules you may use.
Most certainly! I intend to stick to the book as closely as we can for this game, since it's a learning process for some (including me). That said, we may always find that we need to adjust something on the fly, but for now here's what I've got.
1. 1st level characters
2. 20 point buy for ability scores
3. Maximum hit points at first level
4. No evil alignments
5. Average starting gold per class
6. Two traits to start (only one of which can be a combat trait)
7. Please write up a background and description (preferably to include some links to your mentor and the other PCs)
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