D&D General Looking for D&D Play-By-Post Tips

[TheDelphian]

I have not run a D&d PbP but have run a few other games.

Assume much more than you would in a Face to face. Meaning assume players do certain things but allow for them to retro some things. I know it takes some player agency but it certainly speeds up the game. And once you get a sense of the characters you can include more things that fit them.

 

[J-H]

I have run some fairly successfully on GITP, and participated in some that have succeeded.

• Don't expect to run a 1-20 campaign in PBP within a reasonable timeframe. Especially if it's your first time, pick a module with a defined ending that can be reached in a reasonable timespan, like 2-3 sessions IRL.
• Have a Discord server for OOC chat. It's much better and faster than an OOC thread, and lets you ping people when it's their turn, when the party is up, etc.
• I do maintain regular initiative instead of block initiative. It lets players and DM-controlled enemies react instead of potentially clumping up damage (All the enemies go, one character gets shot twice with arrows, then fireballed, then an ogre moves up to hit him...oops, he's dead).
• Have and set proper expectations. I expect a combat turn within 24 hours (although several players are slower on the weekends), and unless it's a critical turn, if you don't post, your character does nothing. With the Discord server above, this doesn't happen too often.
• Play and run multiple games, and over time you'll learn who is good and who is not. I'm basically at "invitation only" at this point. Most of the time when I try to give someone new a try, they ghost before the first 20 posts are done.
• Use a map. TOTM doesn't work well over PBP where a fight is stretched over a week, and it makes it really hard to properly place Grease, Fireball, etc. I flat out will not play any PBP game that doesn't use maps unless it's for simple encounters (the party vs 1 wyvern, etc). They don't have to be fancy. I use an Excel sheet set to a grid.
• Do fast-forward when battle results are obvious. "You kill the last two X" can save you a couple of days vs. making everyone roll things out.
• Get your players to use post headers, like this:
  Spoiler

  Paul Mauser Half-orc Artillerist Artificer AC: 18 HP: 14/52 PPer: 14 PInv: 18 PIst: 11 Conditions: -- Concentrating: -- Infusions active: Wand (me) +1 AC armor (Polina) Ring of Spell Fueling (restore 1 3rd level slot as action): Leif

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  It helps make info accessible to everyone. Also, I think I need to have Paul drink a healing potion.