Upcoming Adventure Review

[Scott DeWar]

I could dm a simple vignette if I had internet access at home, but I am certain that I would not be able to sitting at a subway for my access. I sometimes get inspiration in the middle of the night, but no way to post something while at home. I have tried to come up with something, but the disconnection between two places for me just isn't working.

 

[Aura]

I did a little more thinking about groups while at work. First, I realized I rushed to get the list of potential characters finished and missed the DWI people. So, to work with, we have:

Cheesemakers:
Pirvinia (L8) perrinmiller
Iago (L7) mfloyd3
Tsaaruck (L7) BigB
Samad (L8) CommanderFallout

Rats 3:
Jonas (L6) Mowgli
Dunkel (L4) Deuce Traveler
Cruendithas (L5) BigB
Wahyu (L5) CommanderFallout

Sea Sprite:
Qalabash (L3) Glass Eye
Tamarie (L3) Aura
Francis John (L3) FrancisJohn
Leira (L3) Anastrace
Arradon (L2) ealt
Aelspeth (L2) MerryMortician

DWI:
Erin (L2) Anastrace
Autumn Foxfire (L2) FrancisJohn
Kristia (L1) Skysear
Barnibus (L1) Resrick

Possible level breaks:
Levels 6-8 = 5
Levels 3-5 = 6
Levels 1-2 = 6

All the level breaks have some melee types and some healer types. The 6-8 bracket can't be expanded due to getting replicate players (BigB and CommanderFallout), and 5-8 is a bit wide anyway. The 3-5 bracket has one or two players that can go without playing (myself, specifically), if need be.

I fit the groups into 3 breaks because we're a bit tight on DMs for now. Obviously, those that have waited the longest have the highest priority, which puts the 6-8 and 1-2 in the higher priority, and the 3-5 in the lower. This doesn't address the Silver Road concept directly, we can still work on how to approach that for the next generation if it doesn't hash out right away.

This, of course, is all VERY tentative and just shooting out ideas. I can DM any of these games, just not all.

 

[sunshadow21]

If we need a 6-8 character, I can dust off one of mine; I have a gnome bard at level 8 that is probably getting bored entertaining the Venzan nobles and I have enough DMCs to level Thuvian, who is at level 5 at the moment. I could probably put something together for the middle group if need be as well.

 

[Aura]

If you'd like to Sunshadow, sure, there is a spot open in 6-8. Assuming we go with that plan--we'll want to make sure the other judges have seen it and approve. As for the 3-5, were you meaning "put something together" in a player or DM context? (It sounded DMish, but I wasn't sure.)

 

[sunshadow21]

DM side for the middle group. Possible PC for the higher group.

 

[Aura]

Great, and thank you, Sunshadow.

 

[GlassEye]

Lots to respond to!

One thing I would mention on the issue of getting people into adventure of some kind is the entire idea has the advantage of lower amounts of forward effort for the DM's part. Part of the problem is coming up with DM's, particularly on short notice or for small groups, and this helps that along. I think that's really part of the big picture.

Yes. My two main issues: getting new players involved asap and making it easy for new DMs to get involved. The first grows the player base, the second grows the DM base.

That and making sure veteran players don't sit around months waiting either, GE. Enough DMs has always been an issue. The Silver Road project creates something new, but still requires DMs to run things before people get bored and leave. We could just as easily provide little mini-adventures from the DWI, even if the min-adventure involves caravan guard duty. So why not just use the DWI for this idea and spin off 1 shot encounters for newcomers from there and save some time and effort?

While you are discussing this, what is being done about upcoming adventures for those finishing the three adventures that should be concluding soon? We have 5 players with characters that have been sitting in Systole's game without a new IC post for 2+ months, and they were hardly getting activity for months before that. Even after Mowgli wraps that up with a summary, what is being done for them?

I hear what you're saying, perrin. I've got three characters sitting idle but that's not the issue I'm addressing right now (I have limited resources and am only capable of handling a small number of problems). You are right that we could run mini-adventures from the DWI but that does nothing to ease new DMs into the chair. Maybe the Silver Road idea doesn't either, I don't know, really. Maybe all we would really need for that is a sticky saying 'Hey, wanna be a DM?' and a post extolling the rewards of being a DM and a link to the DM series.

As for what is being done for the three adventures ending, as you can see they are almost taken care of.

I rather viewed it as 'easier' with a somewhat canned environment and meta-plot to work with, etc. But it may not be considerably easier? Hmmm.

This said, I wasn't too keen on the creation of new mechanics, such as half TBX/TBG awards. If we're getting into that, we're prolly working too hard at it.

I can take the top bracket, with Cheesemaker survivors and possibly Jonas (hard to say, there are comp problems). It won't be Rats 4, but a new offering. Rats 4 will be retuned to be a low-ish level affair for use in the not-distant future.

For the first, that was my idea as well. For the middle, I would agree that adding modified LPF mechanics is a little more than we need. For the last, if you took the top bracket and Sunshadow takes the middle bracket, then I (or Merry) could take the lowest bracket.

I think I would feel better about devoting time this early to DMing if I weren't playing in another game at the same time. I would hate to find partway through that I've taken on too much. Since there seems to be a severe dearth of DM's, I can sit Aelspeth out of the next one and start working on something for those other low-level characters. It may be short as my first foray but it would keep things moving along.

Despite our need for DMs, I would hate to see you put aside playing in order to DM.

 

[Aura]

I could dm a simple vignette if I had internet access at home, but I am certain that I would not be able to sitting at a subway for my access.

If your situation improves and you still have the itch to DM, just let us know. Until that time, we'll just do our best. Seems the immediate situation has been mostly resolved.

For the last, if you took the top bracket and Sunshadow takes the middle bracket, then I (or Merry) could take the lowest bracket.

Ah, great. I'll write the game plan in the next post for general review. Thank you.

 

[Aura]

OK, here is the tentative plan:

Levels 6-8. DM: Aura. Judge: ???
Pirvinia (L8, currently in Cheesemakers) perrinmiller
Iago (L7, currently in Cheesemakers) mfloyd3
Tsaaruck (L7, currently in Cheesemakers) BigB
Samad (L8, currently in Cheesemakers) CommanderFallout
Jonas (L6, currently in Rats3) Mowgli
Thuvian? (L?, currently uninvolved) by Sunshadow21

Levels 3-5. DM: Sunshadow21. Judge: ???
Dunkel (L4, currently in Rats3) Deuce Traveler
Cruendithas (L5, currently in Rats3) BigB
Wahyu (L5, currently in Rats3) CommanderFallout
Qalabash (L3, currently in Sea Sprite) Glass Eye
Francis John (L3, currently in Sea Sprite) FrancisJohn
Leira (L3, currently in Sea Sprite) Anastrace
[Tamarie (L3, currently in Sea Sprite) Aura *only in event a spot is open*]

Levels 1-2. DM: Glass Eye. Judge: ???
Arradon (L2, currently in Sea Sprite) ealt
Aelspeth (L2, currently in Sea Sprite) MerryMortician
Erin (L2, currently in DWI) Anastrace
Autumn Foxfire (L2, currently in DWI) FrancisJohn
Kristia (L1, currently in DWI) Skysear
Barnibus (L1, currently in DWI) Resrick

Looks like 3-5 totals up to 7, so I moved Tamarie into the 1st alternate position. The group is awful strong without her and covers the bases nicely.

So, look good?

 

[FrancisJohn]

Fwiw, perhaps after Francis and Autumn get a few levels under their belt I might be coerced into DMing a low level adventure. Much of this depends on continuing to adjust to life with two kids instead of one. But the seed has been planted.