PbP games -- how to run them

[Desdichado]

Yes, I can see how party splitting can get out of hand. Like any other activity, it would take a firm DM hand to keep it sane. I wouldn't encourage party splitting, but it seems like a good way to handle "downtime" issues where characters may want to pursue their own goals now and again.

 

[Decado]

I have been running a 1e D&D campaign for over four years via PBP. It is set in the World of Greyhawk and I am using the TTOEE as the campaign base. I let my players roll their own dice some use online dice rollers and others do not. I have never in the whole time I have DM'ed the campaign had a problem with players cheating on their rolls.

Depending on your group PBP can be a lot of fun. Over the course of my TTOEE campaign players have come and go but I think I have only lost two core members. Depending on the quality of their posts and the DM's, the tension can be pretty good.

My group has been pretty big throughout the campaign, up too 13 members at one time. I never had a problem with them splitting up. The biggest headache is combat. For me that is where the most bookkeeping comes into play. It is also another reason I have the players roll their own dice.

The two biggest downfalls of PBP style of play IMHO is the slow pace and the f2f style feel you have sitting around a table playing.

Decado

 

[Desdichado]

Yeah, the face to face is something really special, I agree. But I'm looking to supplement my face to face playing, since it seems a bit hit or miss lately (and likely will become even moreso with the holidays.) Plus, I want to test-drive a campaign setting I've been working on with several house rules to see how they work.

 

[garyh]

If you ever need players, just look up me and garyh and the other pbp addicts. We're always up for a game.

I'm (in)famous.

In response to the rolling question, in most of my games the DM rolls. Only in a couple, and those are much more role-playing and have had hardly any combat, do I role for myself.

I think the more rolling there is to be done (and since most PbP prominately feature combat, there's usually a lot) the more likely the DM should do all the rolling. It keeps the pace moving and as long as you explain exceptional succusses/failures, the players won't have a problem with it.

 

[Mirth]

Back in my ol skool gaming days I would have never conceived of anyone else rolling MY dice besides me (as player or DM). That all changed in college (86-90) when I played in a Cyberpunk game where the DM did all the rolling. I balked at first, but soon came to enjoy the more "storytelling" feel of the game - the roleplaying aspect really surged to the forefront. Since then, the majority of the games I've played in have gone back to the old model of everyone rolls for themselves, which was fine.

Now that my only gaming outlet is PbP games, I'm back to the DM rolling all the dice and I have to say that I'm enjoying the diceless feel again quite a bit. The style of play that robaustin posted above would really ruin the experience for me, I think. All that math pulls me out of my "willing suspension of disbelief."

Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Good luck.

p.s. You might get more responses if you posted this in the In Character forum. Just a suggestion.

 

[Decado]

Oddly enough I checked my e-mail after my first post in this thread and one of my players is dropping from my PBP campaign. He has been a lurker of the game for a while but has only been a player for a little while.

PBP was my only gaming for quite some time. My few gaming buddies were spread wide and this was the only way to get any gaming done. At one point I was involved in 6 different PBP games. Now I DM one and play in one. I enjoy writting fiction and another plus of PBP is that it is a way for me to write for enjoyment.

Joshua, If you ever get the desire to do a LOTR PBP count me in. I really enjoyed the LOTR story hour you posted here on EnWorld.


Decado

 

[Desdichado]

Yes, that one was fun. I might just try that again sometime...

For now, though, I'd be interested in running a homebrew.

 

[Buttercup]

In all of the PbP games I've played in or run, the DM does all the dice rolling. It hasn't ever been a problem.