5E PbP conventions

[Fenris]

Mods: If you feel this thread belongs elsewhere, please feel free to move, but I think this is an important discussion for this forum.

Hi Folks,
This may be a bit premature, but I figured lets get the ball rolling. Soon our PbP forums will be starting up many 5E games, not to mention the possibility of a Living 5E. So let's start talking about ways we would like to present things for PbP games.

Now everyone has their own preferences, so this isn't about absolutes, but rather ideas to make things run better.

First of all, Any one come up with a handy way to post a 5E character?

Secondly: How are people considering dealing with dice rolling with Advantages and Disadvantages?

So ideas? Other issues for PbP? Let's start talking

 

[Shayuri]

I don't know that 5e poses any unique challenges for PBP...it's actually easier than 4e in that it has a far FAR fewer effects that can be applied as interrupts, or otherwise retroactively, which are a pain in PBP since it requires retconning previously existing posts.

Combat system is also considerably streamlined, which is good.

But to answer your questions more specifically:

1) I find that the good old 'write a text file and paste it into the postbox' works fine for me.

2) For Advantage/Disadvantage, I'd just make the roll twice using the die roller of my choice, and post both results in my initial post. Much speedier than posting once, seeing if it hits or misses, then posting another die roll in a new post.

 

[Fenris]

I don't know that 5e poses any unique challenges for PBP...it's actually easier than 4e in that it has a far FAR fewer effects that can be applied as interrupts, or otherwise retroactively, which are a pain in PBP since it requires retconning previously existing posts.

Combat system is also considerably streamlined, which is good.

But to answer your questions more specifically:

1) I find that the good old 'write a text file and paste it into the postbox' works fine for me.

2) For Advantage/Disadvantage, I'd just make the roll twice using the die roller of my choice, and post both results in my initial post. Much speedier than posting once, seeing if it hits or misses, then posting another die roll in a new post.

Absolutely. the streamlining will make things easier. But how to designate proficiency in an easy way? Bold the name of the skill? Place an A or P before it? What about noting Inspiration? Just trying to find elegant ways to note new things.

 

[mips42]

I've not run a lot of PbP so I can't comment on 5e Vs. other systems. However I am currently PbP'in a 5e game and, although these specific things have not come up yet, here's my take:
Advantage/Disadvantage: Gm declares in post 'a' that advantage/disadvantage is appropriate, player or GM rolls dice(depending on game setup) in post 'b', GM declares results in post 'c'.
Proficiency/expertise: player declares they want to do something which they are proficient or have expertise in with either a OOC or bolding the thing they have proficiency/expertise in in post 'a', roll as appropriate in post 'b', declare results in post 'c'.
not to divert the thread too much but, do GM's usually roll dice or to the players or is it a mix?

 

[fireinthedust]

1) I wouldn't mind using the old living 4e text boxes someone used, or a 5e variant that's essentially fill in the blanks. Anyone know where that is, or how to set that up? Gotta learn me some text-fu...

Given that most modifiers are standard by level (ie: proficiency bonus plus ability score; or for spells you've got the saving throw DC for all of them), so long as those two numbers are visible, the rest of the sheet would be specific options by name, and equipment used. Whatever format of sheet gets used.

That said, I have to go over the rules and try them out. They seem like they'll be simple, though the PHB (I only got it yesterday) has several pages of sheets to photocopy (need to look those over, see if they're important for a sheet)

2) For Advantage/Disadvantage, I'd just make the roll twice using the die roller of my choice, and post both results in my initial post. Much speedier than posting once, seeing if it hits or misses, then posting another die roll in a new post.

This.

Keep it simple, and traceable, and it won't be an issue. Heck, the dice roller on the boards here would let you put it into your post. Anything to save time in pbp should be fine.


It's funny, but without an idea of how NPCs will look, any games run now will only be fighting a lot of skeletons, zombies, constrictor snakes, and house cats...

 

[Jomolungma]

I'm in 3 separate 5e PbP games on The Tangled Web. For character sheets, we all posted PDF sheets to a Character Sheets thread and some of us also set up linkable sheets at Myth-Weavers for quick reference with a link to the character page in our signatures.

For adv/dis the DM tells us when we have it and we roll twice and he uses the higher/lower roll.

The games are going swimmingly. One game is using a battle map system, the other two are entirely TotM. One's a custom campaign, one's the Starter Set, and the other is Hoard of the Dragon Queen.

The only thing affecting the games negatively is pace-of-post. Sometimes things drag when people can't or don't post, but that's just PbP, not necessarily 5e. PbP is by far how I'm playing most of my 5e and it's been great so far.

Oh, as for proficiencies, etc., we don't specifically mention it in our rolls. That info is in the sheet. Everyone is trusted to reflect their modifiers accurately. I suppose if you were worried you could put in the description of the roll mention of the proficiency. For example, "Dander, particularly proficient in stealth, moves toward the woods and attempts to hide."

 

[DMDanW]

Does anyone know when the 5e PbP section will be put up? I'm interested in getting back into PbP but was waiting for 5e for a fresh start.

 

[Fenris]

Does anyone know when the 5e PbP section will be put up? I'm interested in getting back into PbP but was waiting for 5e for a fresh start.

I don't think there will be a separate section for PbP. There may be a Living 5E eventually. There are a few 5E games getting rolling now, so keep your eyes open. After the DMG comes out and people digest it, I would imagine you will see more games.