Important Notices

[cidbahamut]

Re: Important Notices

I sure hope so. It's the only thing that's keeping me going right now. Well that and a cup of tea.

[Jarre]

Re: Important Notices

So we on for this Saturday?

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Important Notices

Such big plans... big plans indeed. The urge to spoil is overwhelming. I've been sending the synopsis to everyone I know from back in the day to review it's content and advise changes.

Next session will be the culmination of 6 DMs working together to create an epic-size session.

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Important Notices

Next session is 100% ready. I'm so excited for it! Heres hoping we can arrange a time to play ASAP.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Important Notices

Recently I got to thinking (dangerous, I know)

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Important Notices

Recently I got to thinking (dangerous, I know) and researching into other DMs and their play styles... to kind-of find my niche. What I've uncovered is this:

The best DMs are that ones who introduce a new hitch or mechanic that makes their game unique. Gabe from Penny Arcade for example has introduced many systems like a spherical grid, cards, accumulated tokens instead of damage, etc. Basically, this gives his sessions a mechanical hook for the group to always keep in mind. These can be broad themes like, "Protect the healer. Everything here hates him because they can sense his deity." Or, "Magic is ineffective here, except for fire, which deals double damage."

I feel like the plot in my campaign is fleshed out... and the checks... and the encounters... and the skills challenges... but it needs something what will leave you guys thinking for the rest of the week, "how could we have handled that better?". More often than not, the game I've thus-far designed has presented you with encounters where there's an obvious choice and a series of otherwise silly choices. I'd like to rectify that in the coming sessions.

Most of the fun of D&D is in learning the mechanics. Unlike video games where there is an obvious mechanic ramp (oh, I have an airship now. Oh, I can summon Espers! Oh, I has grappling hook situations!), D&D rules are pretty set in stone and difficult to supplement without breaking or nerfing the game. Vets lose the joy of being amazed by new abilities (since they know pretty much at level 1 exactly how to build their character) and new players are often staggered at the sheer volume of information that they need to absorb in order to perform the simplest tasks.

What I propose is a series of surprises that won't make you feel like your characters got b0rked, but does offer a challenge. Think JJ Abrahm's "Mystery Box" TED talk.

This week's session (which has been postponed) and several subsequent sessions will integrate a few of the ideas that I've stolen from other DMs as well as a few I've created myself. These additions will hopefully provide a challenge that will not have an obvious "Right" or "Wrong" solution. Instead, they will hopefully inspire creative choices that you may not have previously considered.

Seed. Planted. You still busy tomorrow, Armando?

[Jarre]

Re: Important Notices

Guess ill just do more work

[Mezlo]

Re: Important Notices

Cool.

[Firewind]

Re: Important Notices

Considering Armando will not be able to attend, tomorrow's session will be postponed until such a date available to everyone.

Mezlo. Enjoy family time.

Fine with this. It means I get to spend the evening with my sister too

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Important Notices

Considering Armando will not be able to attend, tomorrow's session will be postponed until such a date available to everyone.

Mezlo. Enjoy family time.

[Firewind]

Re: Important Notices

Tentative yes. Most of the plans for my little sister's birthday are in the afternoon so I should be able to make it if you don't mind occasionally being disturbed by a bunch of 12/13 year old girls.

[Armando]

Re: Important Notices

Sorry guys, can't make it to this one. Parents visiting plus studying for an exam. I appreciate your effor to schedule it early though.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Important Notices

Sounds like a plan.

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Important Notices

Tomorrow: 4:00pm EST to start. Arrive early to ensure we can start on time.

Can you make it?

[Firewind]

Re: Important Notices

You see this is one reason I dislike text chat since it's hard to convey tone. I had a bit of a ranty "You Suck!" post written last night but after sleeping on it and reading over the thread again... Basically I can break what I really wanted to say down like this without sounding like I'm whining or ranting:

1. I was never trying to disagree with you or sound like I'm whining and I apologise if I came across as sounding like that, just trying to give a justification to roll with Armando keeping his "Smart Guy" role. I actually fully agree that we should all cut down on knowing things we can't possibly know since we have all done it at some point.
2. The points listed for those stats still need some form of intelligence anyway. Leading people as part of charisma? Well that person will know what to say and when. Well grounded common sense from Wisdom? They will generally have a cool head and while they might not understand what is going on, they will have some understanding.
3. It wouldn't be unreasonable to include Knowledge Skills in with how "smart" someone can be since they reflect a more specialist knowledge of subjects. While I think everyone (self included) has tried some very liberal interpretations of what Knowledge skills actually do, I'm thinking we should be taking those into account when working out as to if someone's character would reasonably know that.
4. I'm going to argue against a lack of creativity from the party when it comes to solving your "Puzzle Bosses" Yyg. One thing I've seen each of us do is pick an action that would be perfectly in character than, get talked out of it or just plain shot down by the rest of the group because it isn't the most efficient way to win, even if it would be in character, fun or creative to do. Not pointing fingers here because everyone has done it at some point (again myself included).

Also I'm not sure if this applies to anyone else but I will give the honest answer as to why I admit fully to usually saying "Anyone want to say anything?" or something like that when we are in a Roleplay Situation or seeming nervous, hesitant or as though I'm doing things half heartedly:

1. I really do want everyone to have a chance at roleplaying and start feeling a bit like a spotlight whore when I'm the only one talking but nobody else is saying anything, when or when asking exposition questions in the hope that someone else might chime in.
2. Likewise when I see someone else on a roll I don't really want to put them off it, we aren't at an actual tabletop so sometimes it is tricky to chime in at the right time, especially when voice comms have a slight delay and Skype bugging out when more than one person says something at the same time. Plus we might not have someone chiming in because say Theron is handling a situation with a guard and Vince is thinking "Oh hey he's got this" and is ICly comfortable with him handling the situation.
3. Not even attempting to using this as an excuse since if I'm coming across as lacking creativity then I must be doing something wrong, but please take into account the fact that it is starting to get late when Jarre and myself are playing so there is every chance that one of us is quite tired and in one of those "Can't think, brain AFK" modes, especially once Alcohol/Caffeine is involved.