[Pathfinder] B6: The Veiled Society

[kinem]

Also it must have been months since I looked at Rezak's sheet (again) want to say KUDOS!! to kinem for running a great roleplaying and not roll playing game. But I would like a couple XP if you have the time Rezak still has ?? in that spot LOL.

Thanks. Though I should point out that while the module - as a city adventure - includes investigation and roleplaying, it is not necessarily light on combat. I hope the roleplaying need not take a back seat, though.

As for XP, what I might end up doing - depending on how events unfold - is letting whoever survives to see the next sunrise to level up

 

[HolyMan]

Gulp! I see masked trouble coming LOL

HM

 

[Rhun]

As for XP, what I might end up doing - depending on how events unfold - is letting whoever survives to see the next sunrise to level up

[MrBurnsVoice]Excellent.[/MrBurnsVoice]

 

[HolyMan]

Well I think I'm ready for surprises but what we need is a roll call! Did we lose anyone besides Theroc??

-HM

 

[ghostcat]

Well I think I'm ready for surprises but what we need is a roll call! Did we lose anyone besides Theroc??

-HM

Caridoc is still here.

 

[kinem]

A roll call is a good idea.

I'll try to move this along in the next few days. Sorry that I may have let it get slow, but the PCs were planning so I don't think I should have done anything but let you talk among yourselves.

I want to see MORE planning by PCs in PBP games. A LOT MORE. It's something I hardly ever see. So I guess I'll try to figure out what would make that possible. Combat is a lot faster now that I don't use individual initiative; I wonder what would make planning a practical component of PBP.

To be fair, it's not just PBP. Face to face games are just as bad when it comes to planning. Players hate it and they generally suck at it. (Uh, not you guys of course! )

Am I wrong? How many of you have experienced the following:

1. DM sets up a situation which the players can decide how to deal with.

2. 1-2 players try to come up with ideas. The rest goof off, play with dice, and break out the munchies.

3. The idea guys come up with a crude plan. The rest agree. "We spend WAY too much time planning!" they all agree. "WAY too much!"

4. DM slaps forehead. Says to self "Damn! They didn't do any real planning and forgot most of the hints I dropped. If I play it straight, they have no chance. Why didn't they think of any of the 3 ways I expected they could use to sneak in? These guys suck! Why didn't they plan at all?!?"

Says to PCs "OK, you approach the guard at the front gate of the castle and attack him. He starts to shout for the archers to unleash their arrows through the many murder holes that surround you, and to drop the heavy gates to trap you on both sides, but suddenly he has a coughing fit. He has a bad cold. He chokes on his own mucus and dies, allowing you to walk in unopposed."

So what is DM doing wrong? I'm sure that he is doing it wrong, somehow. He needs to find a way that works.

 

[HolyMan]

I think pbp is alot harder than around the table. You drop a hint around the table mnaybe a half an hour goes by and they might remember it. In pbp a month may go by or more if there was a combat encounter inbetween the hint and the encounter.

I myself am experiencing that now, players not remembering the talk the "overheard" (ok they were eavesdropping), and they get inti a fight and then don't know what to do next exactly do to forgeting.

I always try now to give my PC's a recap of what there characters know before I post a (what do you do now?) type question. In the game the PC's are thinking only about the situation but the players have probably, gone grocery shopping, done the laundry, went to see a movie (me this weekend Robn Hood I hope, ), Worked a 40 hour week and visited with the family. So it would be easy to see why they don't remeber the red hairs in the mask were they found the bottles .

As for around the table they just want to get to the next fight, here it's just things take a while. How about a recap post of what we have discovered... Your party sits down to discuss what to do next, the bottles of liquor and the strange mask with red hair are diffently clues to who may have killed the poor girl, even if the guards refuse to see it. etc. etc.

And as for a roll call I'm in.

HM

 

[kinem]

HM, that's a good idea but I think it would be better to make a thread where you the players can post info you want to record and share.

If I post it as the DM, I think that takes away too much player autonomy, because you might not want to tell the other PCs everything you found, and because it's up to you to decide what you think is important. Some details may be clues, others might be just random details that you might seize on for some reason, and some might be red herrings planted to fool any investigation.

At this point there are a couple things that I think the party seems likely to do at this point:

1. Ask the slaves to show you where they were kidnapped.

2. The watchman mentioned that "I recognize the seal on the bottle. It's wine from the Trouscan Estates. Odd; it's imported and they usually only sell their stuff at a few waterfront inns." So the waterfront might be a good place to check out.

And of course

3. Pay for your drinks

Which will it be?

 

[HolyMan]

Rezak's not paying he's a beggar!

"Cim ons lads ye has ta have a cooper or two fir a poors ol'boy."


HM

 

[Rhun]

I usually try to take the lead in steering most the groups I play with, simply because I'm online a lot. The last few months my schedule has been hectic, with much less time for posting. So with that said...I'll try to help where I can. But my posting schedule is going to remain a bit slow for the foreseeable future.