Clutches of Evil - OOC Thread

[unleashed]

Nothing special here, so I'll be around.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Okay, I'm back.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Please note the XP reward in the game thread and adjust your character sheets accordingly!

 

[Nonlethal Force]

I don't think the game's become old, though it's kind of hard to keep up the momentum with so few of us, and I'm not sure how well we'll be able to keep it going with just the two (or how that will work with encounters, for that matter). Is your other game in this setting still going on? Maybe after we finish this mission, if Daz still isn't around, there might be a way to intersect with that game if there's room?

I'm certainly willing to work through this mission, at least, while we maybe discuss options OOC here.

Looking to the future - as this is now an ideal time to begin to look ...

It doesn't seem like Daz is going to be back anytime soon. That's going to leave the two of you. My other game just voted to recruit another player (Erekose13 if any of you know him) and assuming Keia comes back to being active they'll be up to 4 again.

That leaves it up to you two to figure out what to do with this game. Here are some possibilities:

1. We could recruit someone to play Bahruul, although I think that's likely a hard sale if people are like me. They'd rather play their own character than someone else's.

2. We could recuit someone (or two someones) to join the party with their own characters and I'd continue to NPC Bahruul and Destiny (or one or neither, see note below).

3. We could discuss ending the campaign, but unless you both want to quit I'd prefer to keep it going.

4. We can keep going on strong as a two player game if it is working for both of you.

5. Other?

NOTE: I don't really want to have 2 NPCs as a major part of the game. In all honesty, I usually only put in a DMPC at the beginning of the PbP to give me a backup plan if the story gets stuck. So, if the party wants Bahruul and Destiny to stick around, that is an option. But assuming the party doesn't want to keep splitting XP with a DMPC (or 2) either (or both) can vanish at the end of this mission, also. Basically, I'm saying I'm flexible here. I just don't want the party a third to half made up of DMPCs.

 

[unleashed]

Looking to the future - as this is now an ideal time to begin to look ...

It doesn't seem like Daz is going to be back anytime soon. That's going to leave the two of you. My other game just voted to recruit another player (Erekose13 if any of you know him) and assuming Keia comes back to being active they'll be up to 4 again.

Hmm, I don't know what's up with Daz, beyond what he posted around the time he disappeared.

[SBLOCK=Absent - D20Dazza MIA]Hi everyone I game with, my apologies but my net access is very, very spotty at the moment. I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth but home access is proving difficult, and is likely to remain so for the next couple of weeks, and getting on here from work is problematic at best.

If DMs I'm gaming with could either NPC me (preferably), or cull me so I don't hold things up, it would be appreciated.[/SBLOCK]Yeah, I know Erekose13, playing in a few games with him currently.

That leaves it up to you two to figure out what to do with this game. Here are some possibilities:

1. We could recruit someone to play Bahruul, although I think that's likely a hard sale if people are like me. They'd rather play their own character than someone else's.

2. We could recuit someone (or two someones) to join the party with their own characters and I'd continue to NPC Bahruul and Destiny (or one or neither, see note below).

3. We could discuss ending the campaign, but unless you both want to quit I'd prefer to keep it going.

4. We can keep going on strong as a two player game if it is working for both of you.

5. Other?

NOTE: I don't really want to have 2 NPCs as a major part of the game. In all honesty, I usually only put in a DMPC at the beginning of the PbP to give me a backup plan if the story gets stuck. So, if the party wants Bahruul and Destiny to stick around, that is an option. But assuming the party doesn't want to keep splitting XP with a DMPC (or 2) either (or both) can vanish at the end of this mission, also. Basically, I'm saying I'm flexible here. I just don't want the party a third to half made up of DMPCs.

Well, lets just scrap options 1 and 3 to start with.

Option 2 has a some appeal as we could probably do with at least one replacement for Gav, no matter what happens, though when to do that in real time is hard to say, as we'd really want to finish the current mission before adding anyone in, and we don't want to make anyone new wait too long to start. Option 4 also works.

Splitting or not splitting XP with DMPCs really doesn't matter, as if we've got a smaller party we probably can't handle the same level of encounter, so we'll be getting around the same amount of experience we currently are, only we'll be dividing less experience with fewer characters.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Yeah, I know Erekose13, playing in a few games with him currently.

Great, then you can tell him what a horrible DM I am!

And regarding Daz, I reread the link you had posted a while back and couldn't figure anything out other than his internet is still not functioning well. But he hasn't logged in since a week after that post - at least not as Daz - so I'm guessing he's found major trouble.

Well, lets just scrap options 1 and 3 to start with.

Fair enough. I figured those were the least favorable options.

Option 2 has a some appeal as we could probably do with at least one replacement for Gav, no matter what happens, though when to do that in real time is hard to say, as we'd really want to finish the current mission before adding anyone in, and we don't want to make anyone new wait too long to start. Option 4 also works.

You didn't read between the lines ... Here, let me quote myself ...

as this is now an ideal time to begin to look

Splitting or not splitting XP with DMPCs really doesn't matter, as if we've got a smaller party we probably can't handle the same level of encounter, so we'll be getting around the same amount of experience we currently are, only we'll be dividing less experience with fewer characters.

One thing I can always count on ... your posts to make me laugh! I just know that DMPCs are often frowned upon by many players ... and it also means there are less people to think through a situation since the DM is controlling a significant portion of the party. Not that I've got a big problem with it, I just want to give you all the options.

 

[unleashed]

Great, then you can tell him what a horrible DM I am!

Okay, I'll make sure he knows.

You didn't read between the lines ... Here, let me quote myself ...

I did, but with the holiday season approaching, I'm never sure how far any games are going to progress... plus we might run off on a tangent you weren't expecting.

One thing I can always count on ... your posts to make me laugh! I just know that DMPCs are often frowned upon by many players ... and it also means there are less people to think through a situation since the DM is controlling a significant portion of the party. Not that I've got a big problem with it, I just want to give you all the options.

Glad I could brighten up your day! I find DMPCs especially handy in homebrew worlds though, as they can come forward with important little tidbits the PCs never thought to ask about.

 

[jkason]

I think I'd prefer option 2, with the idea that Bahruul (and possibly Destiny) would be phased out. Mostly, I have a little difficulty figuring out why Byntrou and Keryth would stick together as a pair without more of a group involved. They got together due to Bahruul and his quest, but it feels to me like Byn's bonded much more with Destiny than Keryth (this is no cut on unleashed, since in the other game we play I think our characters have developed a nice mentor/student kind of bond. But between Byn's amorality and his general unease with deities, I think they're kind of on "opposite sides" of the party, as it were).

If the party breaks apart until it's just the two of us, my natural inclination would have Byntrou wandering off on his own. If, however, another party were to form (possibly a job where Keryth and Byn need to recruit, or perhaps the other PCs recruit them), that strikes me as a more workable story direction insofar as the characters are concerned.

Mind you, if we don't find people we want to recruit, I can always find a reason for Byn to stick around, too. I mean, these are made-up people who do whatever we tell them to do in the end.

jason

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Mind you, if we don't find people we want to recruit, I can always find a reason for Byn to stick around, too. I mean, these are made-up people who do whatever we tell them to do in the end.

Good point indeed! I'm sure either Keryth or Destiny can help make a reason to stick around feel natural, as well. Same with Keryth, I'm sure when it boild down to it Byntrou and Destiny can find a reason to keep Keryth around.

I will say, I'd have much easier time finding a way to seperate Destiny from the party, although she and Byntrou have worked up an odd friednship. Getting rid of Bahruul might pose a bit of a problem because Byntrou and Bahruul were working together to ultimately get to Bahruul's "destiny." However, if Daz isn't coming back, I certainly don't want Bahruul's quest to motivate the party.

So, in the end it definately seems as though the game will go on in one form or another. We can go ahead and start recruitment for one (possibly two). I'm going to leave it as a private recruitment for the moment. If any of you know of someone in one of your other games who you enjoy playing with and would work well here, go ahead and poke them regarding this recruitment. If neither of you have suggestions (or the people you poke aren't interested) then we'll open it up to general recruiting. After round one of the battle I am even more convinced that recruitment occuring now is good timing.

Unleashed does make a good point inone of his earlier posts, though. Regarding the upcoming holidays, will anyone be without internet for an extended period of time? I know I'll have a 24 hour stretch where internet is unlikely ... but something that short I'm not woried about.


Oh - one more note. Remember that I do allow for retraining options from the PHB II. So if someone new were to come along and that shifts the direction you want your character to go you can still make that shift.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

[Sblock=XP AWARD]

For taking out the three opponents, the party receives 2100 XP. Divided four ways, that 525 apiece, correct? Feel free to add that to your character sheets.[/Sblock]