How's Your Game??
So I try to stick my head in most threads, especially setting threads and system threads.
[note=system] (and can I just say that there have been some fantastic system threads lately? There has been 3-4 really good magic threads lately from Nomadic, Snakefing, SH, SA, and more...just great stuff that matches crunch to fluff in one of the 4 cornerstones of setting development, and then a bunch of great system threads as well--and wait to you guys see Troll's new system...) [/note]
So this is more of a real meta thread, Trying to wrap my head around where people's games are at in terms of the game itself:
Are you GMing your setting at all? Was it played in the last 3 months? How often do you meet? How long are the sessions?
Are you playing at all?
What is the major storyline right now? What are the players doing well? What are they doing poorly? Have they surprised you with anything? Is anytrhing making you nuts about them? Any conflicts with players or characters? Is there anything you want to zip by the CBG that you want feedback on for a current session?
(Ask Ish or me, this works...He got help with a big encounter a few months ago, and Tybalt and I used to swap logs of what was happenning in our sessions, and sharpenned each other's games nicely)
[note=Online] And if you are not GMing anything but really want to, LC the Meta-wizard started a thread about online gaming a while back, and I don't know why more folks let that field stay fallow. I decided to add another online session based on that thread, and now I get to feed a wolf pack on Nomadic's Scarlet pilum... [/note]
So where is your game? I really want to know.
(and I will answer this myself when I am not in the office)
I don't have any gaming groups right now, and it's been a while since I used any of my settings in gaming.
Which reminds me, how many of our CBGers live in the same area? I just moved to Florida and I'm wondering if there are any other guilders in Pinellas County or even Tampa.
I'm sure others looking for a new group to join/form could use this thread to post their locations as well as the information LV mentions.
I live in Bend, Oregon. Unfortunately there is pretty near nobody here interested in role playing anymore. I have been doing pretty much only PbP and IM games. Wish I could find people to do live sessions with.
UR isn't ready yet for using in a game, but it is getting closer. Can't wait for that to happen.
Quote from: PhoenixI don't have any gaming groups right now, and it's been a while since I used any of my settings in gaming.
Ditto. I might be introducing Riddle of Steel to a local group that a friend of mine is in, but I just haven't had the time.
Quote from: PhoenixWhich reminds me, how many of our CBGers live in the same area? I just moved to Florida and I'm wondering if there are any other guilders in Pinellas County or even Tampa.
I'm sure others looking for a new group to join/form could use this thread to post their locations as well as the information LV mentions.
:offtopic:
The CBG should have a map widget or something where we can put in our locations. I've seen map-and-pin stuff on other pages, but I forget where.
EDIT: Bend! Wow, I used to live there a few years ago. I live in Eugene Oregon, now.
Do you know if Gambit Games is still around?
No, Gambit Games (and Pegasus Books) shut down. People stopped playing card games/role play games/etc so they didn't have enough business to stay open with. The only place you can get a dice set in bend now is online ordering and if you want any books you might be lucky if you find the core set and one or two others at barnes and noble.
I haven't DMed for my setting for some time, but I just started back up last Tuesday. I'm running what I hope to be an episodic character driven game; each character has their goals, and everyone's goals bring them together, but the players are going to have to find out how to achieve those goals on their own. I want to run it like a Saturday morning cartoon, where each "episode" can deal with something different, even something away from the main plot. I hope there will be lots of travel so I can detail more of my world.
One of the players in particular is really helping me. He's playing a Cleric and is helping to shape the world through his association within his church.
[blockquote=THE cAP'N]One of the players in particular is really helping me. He's playing a Cleric and is helping to shape the world through his association within his church. [/blockquote]
Oh, that is priceless. PLayers who get expand the world through their characters are worth their weight in gold.
Our group is uses a sort of meta-setting dealing with all of the ideas that eventually end up in my other settings (principally Dystopia). It's kind of a conceptual testing ground for the wacky crap I post on this site.
I am on the verge of starting a smaller campaign in my setting, and I have a much longer one planned for when that is done.
I tried a PbP in my setting earlier, but it died out rather quickly.
The group I'm in plays roughly once a week, if the stars are right.
I´m not currently GMing anything (on vacation after all) but when I get back, I plan on returning to a heavily modified 3.5 game in my Lillymire setting. Its an old setting for me, or rather parts of it are. I´ve spent a good deal of time combining alot of one shots and single story adventures together, from way back when I first started DMing.
Its turning out fairly well, there are a lot of Easter eggs for my players, such as old character playing prominent roles in the world as well as old plot themes and enemies.
Probably, the over arching meta plot to my next campaign will be to stop the forces of Nel´Vec (A ´Drow´ Ranger who gave my players hell for a long time... even though they killed him (well sort of... a vampire´s Swarm of Spiders technically got the death blow). At any rate, he´s back, recently having been resurrected as a Lich). Nel´Vec will threaten the Kingdom of Dasana from the north, along with a horde of Trolls from the Kogan Empire (an Empire of Trolls, lol). I invasion it being a series of political intrigue missions, first to the great Koogaa (Emperor of the Trolls) pleading with him to capture Nel´Vec´s Trolls. If that fails (most likely, the Koogaa hates Humans and my players *always* have at least 2 Humans per party), then it will lead into several dungeon crawl-y adventures into the Raiaspa Mountains (that separate Dasana from Koga).
This will force the first campaign interaction with the ´Drow´(My Drow-equivalent are Light-skinned albinos (normal Elves look like East Indians with the height of East Asians and WoW style ears) of my setting. Following that, the PCs will learn of a plot by Nel´Vec to forge an alliance with Baraza (a Black Dragon, King of Baraza, a nation of Hobgoblins and constructs to the far south). If the alliance is successful, Lillymire is in for a lot of trouble because Baraza has been creating thousands of Constructs for his next invasion (the epic level PCs barely stopped the last one in a different campaign (25 in-game years ago)...
I´m not exactly sure how things will pan out (I´m more of a reactionary ´go-with-the-players DM than a ´stick-to-the-story-line-damnit-!´DM. My last Eberron game was a great example of that, I had envisioned the campaign being a ´kill demons and save Thrane´ but turned into a ´Kill the Mockery´s Avatar on a whirl wind tour of the world.´It all changed because I sent a really weak Shadow Elemental mixed with some Ghost traits at the PCs at level 2 and they fell in love with him. So I came up with a back story and ran with it. They loved it. So, yeah, this entire plot will probably go down the drain in the first two or three sessions after they find something new to entertain themselves (probably assaulting Nel´Vec´s Castle... *ugh* :P )
I'm currently DM'ing a game in my Broken Verge Setting, usually once per month thought it changes a lot, and we have a vacation right now so it'll be hard to gather people. Then again, a lot of my friends are also starting up campaigns so there is usually something we can play.
My setting is far from complete, so i took the liberty of placing the PC's on Pantaean, my unexplored continent, thus ensuring that i didn't have to change facts about the countries or geography in the middle of the game because i changed my mind. This wasn't really enough though, so I've decided they are actually playing in the past compared to my setting's current timeline, so they'll effectively be the catalyst for some of the changes that will happen in the world and will discover some of the new technologies that will lead to the world of the "future" (Still fantasy). They have just gone on an expedition into the jungle to found a new outpost, after helping spring a colleague of a PC's wife from prison, and will help build the colony before venturing farther into the continent. The campaign will end when they activate some kind of world-wide catastrophe, thus bringing about a new age.
Elf, it sounds like your players like your style, and they sound (at least from your description) excited, so keep flying by the seat of those pants, it seems to be working.
Quote from: LordVreegElf, it sounds like your players like your style, and they sound (at least from your description) excited, so keep flying by the seat of those pants, it seems to be working.
My players love my style because I constantly react to them... I go where they want because D&D isn´t about, IMO, a DM´s sweeping magnificent story arc full of intricate subplots and deep characters. If a DM wants that, then he should go write a book. D&D is all about giving players a template on which to create their own stories that entertain and connect with them.
Plus, most of my players are excited to see the finished (or working model, at least) of Lillymire... I just need to get home and push myself to write all the stuff down, lol.
Quote from: RaelifinThe CBG should have a map widget or something where we can put in our locations. I've seen map-and-pin stuff on other pages, but I forget where.
That would be awesome!
I'm thinking the next chance I have to run a game it will be pretty core D&D 4e rather than one of my fiction settings. I've run D&D, but I've never embraced its ethos or feel before, and I'm inclined to try by-the-book now (because for the first in any edition I like the books).
I was also giving thought to something more episodic, too. I've never done that, either, not really, so that could be interesting.
I'm currently not running nor have I in a very long time. I'm looking to work on a setting and play a bit right now.
I've actually never run a game in my settings. I started Xiluh because world building seemed like a new medium for me to get a certain idea out of my head, and that gave me the perspective to look at a setting by itself. Fiendspawn was simply a case of me noticing a setting, and thinking something along the lines of "hey, this is really cool, but maybe it would be a bit cooler with this twist..". My cyberpunk stuff was just an overriding desire for the site to have some cyberpunk on here, but as far as I know, nobody had any up at the time.
That's pretty much the extent of my world building. All my games, save for my Vampire games, were either adventure modules, or they were in some sort of generic world.
Not running anything right now, but as I've been rambling about Greater Alvanenia is almost finished enough to begin playing... although until my homebrew system is also finished, it'll probably be played with 3.5 or 4e.
Quote from: Salacious AngelOur group is uses a sort of meta-setting dealing with all of the ideas that eventually end up in my other settings (principally Dystopia). It's kind of a conceptual testing ground for the wacky crap I post on this site.
This sounds fun and somewhat unsatisfying at the same time. But maybe I am just reflecting it off my own mirror.
Quote from: RaelifinThe CBG should have a map widget or something where we can put in our locations. I've seen map-and-pin stuff on other pages, but I forget where.
That would be awesome![/quote]I found mapping software.[/url]
If there was a thread to hijack, this might be it.
None of my 3 settings are anything even close to campaign ready,
I'm currently running a game in my setting of Wake. The game started with the release of 4e and we're now 4 sessions in (meeting on Tuesday nights).
KERIGAL
QuoteKerigal is an island of roughly 6,000 square miles dominated by three mountains and an old-growth deciduous forest that blankets the interior. There are three multi-racial settlements on the coast of the island; Adelsfield in the east, Pinebrook in the southwest and Middleton in the southeast. There are dozens of outlying farmsteads, as well as a handful of small mining and logging operations outside of the village centers. The populations of each are similar with somewhere between 1,800 and 2,000 residents. Each is governed by an informally elected alder council.
The western and northern coasts are wild and, more importantly, so is the interior. Despite a well-documented 500-year history no brave soul has successfully ventured into the forest to explore its depths. The forest has a gloom about it that discourages dallying under its canopy and no birdsong or squirrel chatter issues from within. In fact, even the bravest folks seem squeamish when tales of goblins, ghosts or similar fancies are passed around the hearth.
Gull eggs, fish and all fruits or vegetables that will grow are the usual fare. The quarterstaff, club, sling and long knife (i.e. a light sword) are the only weapons known in practice and armor beyond a padded jerkin. Clubs are used to keep the peace when drink makes folks a little rowdy. Some small game can be hunted away from the forest, usually with a sling. The quarterstaff and long knife serve as tournament weapons only, used to test the skill of would-be combatants during festivals. There is no coin on the island, all trade is accomplished through barter.
Kerigal's inhabitants either pay their respects to God, Kaa by his proper name, or keep their own counsel. Services are held in local chapels once every tenday. Kaa is a stern god whose clergy encourages chastity and temperance in order to avoid a hellish afterlife, many a sermon promises fire and brimstone for those who drift too far from Kaa's teachings. Most who possess magic are faithful to Kaa, though a few families are known to pass knowledge from generation to generation. Regardless of its practice, most agree that magic is a gift from Kaa not to be used lightly. Its practitioners are neither reviled nor worshiped but considered wielders of an extra tool in getting the job at hand done. No serious time has been given to its development or research.
Those who attempt to sail from the island turn back before Kerigal leaves the horizon or never return. Similarly, those who venture more than a few miles into the forest disappear without a trace.
The players entered the forest this last session and everyone is very much enjoying the campaign so far. Only one of the players is aware that the game is set in Wake. ;)
Neat, Eladris, you should update the wiki with your new information :)
I'm working on getting together a live campaign in the Triad area of NC - I have 2 dedicated players, am working on finding a couple more, but I'm always wary of going into live games with people I don't know - never know if they're turn out to be a wacko or something that I would rather not know where I live, you know? ;)
Quote from: IshmaylNeat, Eladris, you should update the wiki with your new information :)
I'm working on getting together a live campaign in the Triad area of NC - I have 2 dedicated players, am working on finding a couple more, but I'm always wary of going into live games with people I don't know - never know if they're turn out to be a wacko or something that I would rather not know where I live, you know? ;)
My group learned that leasson all too well. One of my players invited his friend to play with us... This friend was a wacko High Schooler who, we feel, hated role playing and only enjoyed killing monsters and taking their stuff. not to say that is an invalid way to play but, it just isn´t the way my group tends to play (or rather, the way I DM, lol). Anyways the 'friend' got angry when we booted him and apparently spamed my player's myspace with hate mail for a week!
At any rate, now we only try new people out at hobby shops or university and the´'re never any younger than 1st year College students (i.e. 18). I suppose this doesn't really have an consequence to your fear, directly speaking, but just sayin, always test people out in a public space, lol.
Eladris, how are the players doing? I like the macro scope...have the pC's hit the forest yet?
Quote from: LordVreegEladris, how are the players doing? I like the macro scope...have the pC's hit the forest yet?
They have! The plot revolves around the entity that lives in the center of the island and was introduced by a shipwreck that deposited a lone survivor on the island. The survivor, a member of the League of Explorers, lost her crew to The Mists and now recovers from serious injuries sustained during the wreck. Shortly after her arrival on the island the village of Adelsfield was attacked by undead, the villagers blamed the stranger. A torch-wielding mob was diffused by the players, who played a pivotal role in repelling the undead attack.
With her knowledge of the Spheres and -- without revealing too much -- the explorer has led the players to believe that some being living in the forest is responsible for the attack. She's not certain what its motives are in attacking her, but she suspects that the creature is somehow feeding on the ignorance of the outside world and wants to dispose of the threat to its power source.
The players have been putting it together pretty well. In actuality the island is a Reflection, its heart a necropolis and home of a shard of Macaba's personality. I intend for the players to explore the interior a bit before they are tricked into leaving the Sphere via a one-way portal! Hopefully they'll piece together that the spirit is malign and responsible for keeping the villages ignorant of the outside world along the way.
As for 4e, I think the system is an improvement from previous systems. We (my group) is a bit disappointed that they removed any form of real RP for the rules and its pure combat, but we just made most of that stuff up as we went along anyway.
Also, Ish, I intend to. Work has been kicking my butt recently, though, so all of my free time has been preping for my Tuesday session! (And well, summer means lots of camping and hiking for me!)
I'm just about to wrap up my 3.5 campaign that's been going on for some time now. Basic plot premise has been that a lich kidnapped a prince, possessed him, killed the king and took over the kingdom. Now he's using the nations army as well as a neighboring nation's army as giant blood sacrifices to release a potent demon. Players have enjoyed the game, but everybody's ready for a change.
Big highlight, last session I made a 4e solo encounter and converted in to 3.5 and put the PCs against it. It went really well.
Once we're done this game, a couple of my players are talking about running some Starwars, or running through the 4e modules that come out. I'm planning on putting together a bunch of short adventures (4 sessions or so) in a bunch of different game systems, to try to get a feel for running games besides DnD. Speaking of which, if anybody has a system that they want playtested, feel free to fire me a PM.
I'm also working on a homebrew, which is still in the initial design phase..
Quote from: LordVreeg[blockquote=THE cAP'N]One of the players in particular is really helping me. He's playing a Cleric and is helping to shape the world through his association within his church. [/blockquote]
Oh, that is priceless. PLayers who get expand the world through their characters are worth their weight in gold.
Is this cleric still helping with his world shaping?
[blockquote=Eladris]With her knowledge of the Spheres and -- without revealing too much -- the explorer has led the players to believe that some being living in the forest is responsible for the attack. She's not certain what its motives are in attacking her, but she suspects that the creature is somehow feeding on the ignorance of the outside world and wants to dispose of the threat to its power source.
The players have been putting it together pretty well. In actuality the island is a Reflection, its heart a necropolis and home of a shard of Macaba's personality. I intend for the players to explore the interior a bit before they are tricked into leaving the Sphere via a one-way portal! Hopefully they'll piece together that the spirit is malign and responsible for keeping the villages ignorant of the outside world along the way.[/blockquote] how is this going? How has this progressed.
Did they end up in the one-way portal?
Personally,
My Igbarians have been recovering in town after finding some constructs in a sub-tomb in the Northern Boneyard. They have figured out that there is a current master of the tomb, someone in town who is actually using it as a base. And probably an artificer, since they finally figured the glowing red pentegram they found a while a go was not for summoning, but an enhanced comforts of home spell (COH, Beacon (http://celtricia.pbwiki.com/Comforts+of+Home,+Beacon)). These spells are cast by artificers in their sanctums, allowing them better spell ability in their own home turf
Back in Igbar, whilst preparing for a well publicized bardic performance, Kiko (My Wife's assassin of the Karin Machination) found out that there were shadowy figures trying to put out contracts on the New Legion. Then she went out by herself in the dockside on a trip to the Church of Lucky Ishma. She never made it. Ambushed. So we ended with the rest of the New Legion attempting a scrying on her dagger that was identified by Padaluscious of the Green Flame. Will she be found? she was -2 HP, is she dead????
Meanwhile, My online sessins are slowly going on and have started to be updated and posted online, though ugly right now.
http://celtricia.pbwiki.com/Ocodig%20game%20page
So...how is everyone's game? What is happenning right now with you and your players?
I just started the fifth campaign set in Calisenthe. The first was run 1995-1996. The world was substantially different then, but recognizable. It wasn't grounded in the world's history to any particular time, as the scope of history was still under development.
The second 1996-1997. THat was the first one that had a sense of taking place in the world I now enjoy, and it was set way in the past -- during the Sethreki (then called just the Itarii) expansion into Cellefar.
The third was 1998-2002. This was a really great one that was set at the time certain prophecies were being fulfilled. It was very large-scoped and had an "epic" feel to it.
I had a brief campaign from 2004-2005. That was a pure Valdetha v. Valadim campaign that wasn't as successful as I had hoped.
My old high school gaming group just started the new one this week with three players, six characters. It's set about 20 years before the big 1998 campaign, and deals just with the Duchy of Aklar. At least at first.
My players have been my primary source of inspiration. The Feynar took their entire character as a race from the portrayal one of my college buddies pulled off with his assassin character. My friend who played the main protagonist in the 1998 campaign has seriously shaped the structure of the Church of Elleleth and more or less defined how the Legion works. Another friend who played a wizard in that campaign (an elementalist, actually) really helped me nail down my views of the Valdetha and their relation to magic.
I would, however, love to run a Halgladir-focused campaign. Maybe later or concurrent with this one... I don't know. Life's very busy after college, and it only gets busier. Free time is at a premium these days.
Quote from: LordVreegSo...how is everyone's game? What is happenning right now with you and your players?
Actually, that game sort of flopped because I moved and schedules changed. I'm having a character creation jam session with a few folks tomorrow night; it'll be a Wake game. I was planning on running a game in Ashraead, centered around the mining operations in the eastern part of the Sphere, but I'm not sure what they'll want to play and I'd rather leave the motivations (epic adventurers, thief's guild, mercenaries, etc) of the group up to the players.
Which reminds me, if you're in the NYC area and are bored on Wednesday nights from 7->11 we could use another player. *snicker*
Well I finished up a mini-campaign in the Murkmire last week. It was about 6 sessions long and saw the PCs save the County of Northshire from a Dwarven invasion. Quite fun actually.
Right now, I'm creating a new Gundam-esque setting for a cool mini-campaign that will, hopefully, see the PCs help MAG defeat the Totality in their ongoing struggle.
Prior to that, however, I'm planing another mini-campaign in the Star Wars universe, that will see the PC Jedi mediate a dispute between 2 outer-rim worlds but then be drawn into defeating the Sith and their mini-Deathstar-esque battle station.
Finally, I am in the beginning stages of a new Campaign setting that will, if all goes well, become my new standard setting for years to come but more on that later. :)
Ahh... Star Wars. I finally just replaced my West End Games books that I had lost several years back. It was sooooo much fun re-reading them.
It made me want to play.
Quote from: AcrimoneAhh... Star Wars. I finally just replaced my West End Games books that I had lost several years back. It was sooooo much fun re-reading them.
It made me want to play.
Star Wars SAGA is a great edition to get back into RPing with. I love the system, it works much better than WotCs older edition stuff, from what I've seen. My only complaint thus far is a lack of books (which is slowly changing) and the lack of Councilor/Guardian/Sentinel base classes.
All in all my group has done two mini-campaigns and they loved it dearly, so you have my groups stamp of approval. :)
Just had my second session in a Memory Fading campaign, and so far, we are really enjoying it. I want to wait until I have more time to do a fully-thought-out blog before going into details, but the campaign has started with a bang, and has truly inspired me in recent weeks to continue working on my setting.
Quote from: IshmaylJust had my second session in a Memory Fading campaign, and so far, we are really enjoying it. I want to wait until I have more time to do a fully-thought-out blog before going into details, but the campaign has started with a band, and has truly inspired me in recent weeks to continue working on my setting.
Memory Fading... Sounds cool. Is it a homebrew or a published setting?
Quote from: Elemental_ElfQuote from: IshmaylJust had my second session in a Memory Fading campaign, and so far, we are really enjoying it. I want to wait until I have more time to do a fully-thought-out blog before going into details, but the campaign has started with a band, and has truly inspired me in recent weeks to continue working on my setting.
Memory Fading... Sounds cool. Is it a homebrew or a published setting?
It's here. (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?8595)
Quote from: Rose Of MontagueQuote from: Elemental_ElfQuote from: IshmaylJust had my second session in a Memory Fading campaign, and so far, we are really enjoying it. I want to wait until I have more time to do a fully-thought-out blog before going into details, but the campaign has started with a band, and has truly inspired me in recent weeks to continue working on my setting.
Memory Fading... Sounds cool. Is it a homebrew or a published setting?
It's here. (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?8595)
Ah, I see I didn't realize Memory Fading was Shadowfell x.
ish, we await your Blogoliciousness.
But did you mean band, or bang? with you, it is hard to tell.
for once, I wasn't speaking in musical terms ;)
(typo fixed)
Ever notice when you have a good session, the email communication between players and between them and you picks up?
After Kiko (my Wife's shadowy-type) got whacked last session (she admits it was her mistake travelling alone), and since the group is trying to sell some items from the tomb right outside the town, and with a somewhat publicized bardic performance going on in the Sweet Retreat in 3 hours of game time---the emails have been flying between all the players after they scryed Kiko's dagger and deduced the location of the weapon...
(as an aside, even my wife is not sure if her character is dead or not. She was knocked to -2 when she was ambushed, and failed all her rolls, so she should be dead. I even had her make the initial rolls for a new character...but unknown to her, she was stabilized and drugged by The Terrors of the Knife ( Assassin/Fighters of Vernidale), and is now held by the Sheering family Artificer who is actually a co-leader in the Serpent Queen culthidden in the Church of Vernidale.....)
for anyone who has been following the Igbarian socio-polical mess.... MWAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!!
Since I've been out of town for the last month and a bit my game has not made progress, though I've basically got the last three encounters all stated up and good to go. I'm going to continue with my trend of converting 4e style Monsters/NPCs to 3.5 for combat. It just seems to go so much smoother that way.
I've also been doing a bunch of work on a couple of relatively short adventures that I would like to run in the near future, and started doing some work on a wiki (http://valsarn.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page) for my games, though there's barely anything on it yet. Te next game I'm going to try running is going to be more roleplaying intensive, especially when compared to the hack and slash fest that my DnD campaign turned into. Hopefully it'll go over well and I can talk my players into making use of the wiki. I'm really hoping to build the world around the PCs, and have their friends, family and hobbies all used to build up the region that we'll be playing in.
It's been about two years since I have played in any campaign. I moved away from my old gaming group and haven't found a new one to play with. I have spent most of that time trying to create my own RPG. I am getting close to the play testing phase so once it is ready; I will most likely try to run a campaign in my seven swords universe. It will most likely be a play by post somewhere.
So, once again, Head-check time.
How's your game? Are you running one? How's it going? What's working, what sucks?
Are you playing? What's good with the game? What would you do differently?
Any good tidbits?
More importantly than any of this, how's the collection can for moving Nomadic closer to a real game?
Igbarian's played last night. Great sessions, lots of PC growth (except Eodl was killed by Cyrrial...not so good) Kiko's partially healed, and after sending the burning wagon into the conveniently located ocean to the left, they found lots of weapons, armor and expensive supplies being sent north with the unconsious bodies
I'm running the sample adventure from D&D game day this last summer and it's filled with penis jokes and kids who like the numbers more than their characters. Oh wait, did I say characters? I meant the sheets of paper they never think about between sessions.
I'm playing in a game that claims to be 4e but suffers from a DM who just wings everything and apparently has never read the books. It's a hack-and-slash affair where violence is the answer and the evil wizards all wear red robes and have tattoos, hm... seems familiar. Oh, and the party didn't meet in a tavern, they spontaneously appeared in front of a cave with enemies in it.
I hope everyone else's game is going better?
Quote from: Rose Of MontagueI hope everyone else's game is going better?
Mine's going fairly well. I found a new group after getting to college, and so far we've managed to:
--attempt to stop 3 rituals that will open the way for an evil goddess to come to the Prime (and fail miserably);
--track down the cult that's performed these preparations and eliminate them before they can finish the summoning (and failed miserably);
--kill the 5 dragons that serve the goddess (and have failed miserably on 2 of the 5).
So...yeah. My first time out from behind the DM screen in a few years, and not only do we have 4 new players to teach, but because I've been going more for a support role (to not steal the spotlight) we lack the firepower we need. If the world ends in about three weeks, it's probably our fault. ;)
On the upside, when this campaign's over I'm DMing again, so that'll be nice--I'll be using the one setting I managed to post here and never finished thanks to time crunch (Living World of Glaesra, in my sig), so I might put up more material as I need to make it up for the campaign.
Quote from: Rose Of MontagueI'm running the sample adventure from D&D game day this last summer and it's filled with penis jokes and kids who like the numbers more than their characters. Oh wait, did I say characters? I meant the sheets of paper they never think about between sessions.
I'm playing in a game that claims to be 4e but suffers from a DM who just wings everything and apparently has never read the books. It's a hack-and-slash affair where violence is the answer and the evil wizards all wear red robes and have tattoos, hm... seems familiar. Oh, and the party didn't meet in a tavern, they spontaneously appeared in front of a cave with enemies in it.
I hope everyone else's game is going better?
My friend, you deserve better.
seems that subtelty is a lost art...
The Wake campaign I've been running weekly since August is up to 4th level now (4e). The players like the game very much, but I've been struggling to maintain a cohesive story with all the avenues open to them. The only way I can plan an extended combat encounter is by railroading them into a specific Sphere, which is tough. RP has been great, and the players really take advantage of the materials I've posted on the wiki.
NPC interaction, in particular, has been challenging for me. I've had to give a lot more thought to unique cultures, but also the homogenization that's going to occur when multiple major population hubs are literally a step away. The Hrol, in particular, have played a cool role in the campaign; the fact that they're predominantly elves and tattoo themselves makes it easy to evoke certain reactions from the PCs, where most other NPCs are met with a "more of the same" attitude.
Edit: Actually, sadly, the whole campaign is slowly making me want to develop a "solid" world. I've even jotted down some notes on a desert culture and lowbie campaign. Maybe I'm just addicted to world building?
Quote from: EladrisMaybe I'm just addicted to world building?
One of us. One of us.
[blockquote=Eladris]NPC interaction, in particular, has been challenging for me. I've had to give a lot more thought to unique cultures, but also the homogenization that's going to occur when multiple major population hubs are literally a step away. The Hrol, in particular, have played a cool role in the campaign; the fact that they're predominantly elves and tattoo themselves makes it easy to evoke certain reactions from the PCs, where most other NPCs are met with a "more of the same" attitude.
Edit: Actually, sadly, the whole campaign is slowly making me want to develop a "solid" world. I've even jotted down some notes on a desert culture and lowbie campaign. Maybe I'm just addicted to world building? [/blockquote]
It's great you've watched what NPC's work for your PC's and which ones don't. That's going to run really well. I'd pull in some unique organizations with mysterious goal-orientations to pique the PC's interest more. When race and culture coalesce and homogenize, political and social factions will emerge as differentiators.
Lowbie? More on that, please.
I've been GMing a post-apocalyptic campaign on and off since the summer, with a session every few weeks or so. It's set in a world filled with mutants and undead somewhere between Fallout, The Dark Tower, and the aftermath of the Book of Revelations with d20 Modern as a basic rules-set. The party includes a half-demon (hellkin) with a possessed sword, an Irish traveler mage/punkrocker, a Roland-esque gunslinger, and a telepath/psychic. It's pretty combat intensive with lots of gunfights, vehicular chases (including one memorable fight with a gang of vampiric bikers, the Pale Horseman and his Bridges), gothic dungeon crawling, etc. with some more involved roleplaying moments - do we take the dhampir's hit on the local demon crimeboss or do we help that same crimeboss run the dhampir and his gang out of town? There are some similarities between this campaign and the Cadaverous Earth, though the setting is much more Biblical and there are a lot more visible callbacks to our own era.
Hoorah for post-apocalyptic goodness!! :)
Hmm, nothing of mine compares. I've been stuck in Egypt all year with a horde of drooling genetic defectives (and I'm being kind). I've had neither time to build nor time to play. I need a heavy dose of both when I get home in the next week or two. I've been toying with running a classic 2nd edition D&D module (updated to 3.5) while I continue to bring my setting up to par. Just need to find some vic...I mean, players...
Quote from: Knight of RavensHmm, nothing of mine compares. I've been stuck in Egypt all year with a horde of drooling genetic defectives (and I'm being kind). I've had neither time to build nor time to play. I need a heavy dose of both when I get home in the next week or two. I've been toying with running a classic 2nd edition D&D module (updated to 3.5) while I continue to bring my setting up to par. Just need to find some vic...I mean, players...
We're just happy you've taken some times to post...Let us know how it goes. Which module?
Quote from: SteerpikeI've been GMing a post-apocalyptic campaign on and off since the summer, with a session every few weeks or so. It's set in a world filled with mutants and undead somewhere between Fallout, The Dark Tower, and the aftermath of the Book of Revelations with d20 Modern as a basic rules-set. The party includes a half-demon (hellkin) with a possessed sword, an Irish traveler mage/punkrocker, a Roland-esque gunslinger, and a telepath/psychic. It's pretty combat intensive with lots of gunfights, vehicular chases (including one memorable fight with a gang of vampiric bikers, the Pale Horseman and his Bridges), gothic dungeon crawling, etc. with some more involved roleplaying moments - do we take the dhampir's hit on the local demon crimeboss or do we help that same crimeboss run the dhampir and his gang out of town? There are some similarities between this campaign and the Cadaverous Earth, though the setting is much more Biblical and there are a lot more visible callbacks to our own era.
This is why I love you, man.
Irish Traveler Mage/punkrocker? The image is fantastic.
(There are definitely glam/new wave subconsious leanings in my valley OMwo~...pointed out to me in the middle of a 13 hour session back in 1986, we just rolled with it. Metalic tinted spikey hair and all...)
Awww, this thread makes me wish I had a gaming group :(
[blockquote=Lord Vreeg]Irish Traveler Mage/punkrocker? The image is fantastic.[/blockquote]
He's an NPC (though not a DM PC or anything of that sort), sort of John Constantine meets Brad Pit in Snatch; he supplies the principal transportation for the group, an ethanol-fueled mobile home (with mounted machine-guns!) covered with arcane graffiti. He's usually totally drunk/high/otherwise-addled so I get to do a slurred Irish accent whenever he talks. Often he doesn't actually get involved in the meat of an adventure itself, but lets the party get from place to place and acts as kind of a Virgil figure to the Hellish wasteland - he gets used a lot for exposition.
[blockquote=Kindling]Awww, this thread makes me wish I had a gaming group[/blockquote]
I know the feeling. Most of my friends aren't into roleplaying so I've had long periods of stagnation.
Quote from: LordVreegQuote from: Knight of RavensHmm, nothing of mine compares. I've been stuck in Egypt all year with a horde of drooling genetic defectives (and I'm being kind). I've had neither time to build nor time to play. I need a heavy dose of both when I get home in the next week or two. I've been toying with running a classic 2nd edition D&D module (updated to 3.5) while I continue to bring my setting up to par. Just need to find some vic...I mean, players...
We're just happy you've taken some times to post...Let us know how it goes. Which module?
I've been hankering to run Return to the Tomb of Horrors since it came out (goodness, 12 years ago or so?), but I'd easily switch out for Rod of Seven Parts, Dragon Mountain, or maybe even something Planescape-y like Dead Gods. Point is, I've got this huge library spanning all editions, and the past few years' hijinx haven't swept players my way. I have a load of time off coming up, so it's time to hunt for a new group.
I actually got to run some roleplaying in Crystalstar. :D
(No system, just some IM-based freeform stuff.)
The setting showed some of its roughness but it was actually quite workable. The two PCs were an assassin-type character rather heavily inspired by Strider Hiryu, and a young servant girl/acolyte who served a priestess that our assassin was contracted to kill.
I must admit the first plot twist is fairly common in Japanese RPGs-- it turned out that those hiring the assassin were the bad guys. Thus the target ended up on the same side as her would-be assassin (and her acolyte); they then managed to sneak their way into the jungle, and I get to figure out what to do with them next, should this plotline actually continue. ;)
Quote from: sparkletwistI actually got to run some roleplaying in Crystalstar. :D
(No system, just some IM-based freeform stuff.)
The setting showed some of its roughness but it was actually quite workable. The two PCs were an assassin-type character rather heavily inspired by Strider Hiryu, and a young servant girl/acolyte who served a priestess that our assassin was contracted to kill.
I must admit the first plot twist is fairly common in Japanese RPGs-- it turned out that those hiring the assassin were the bad guys. Thus the target ended up on the same side as her would-be assassin (and her acolyte); they then managed to sneak their way into the jungle, and I get to figure out what to do with them next, should this plotline actually continue. ;)
Common plot twsits are common becasue they work, as well. I'm sure you did something to make it a bit more memorable. what type of weapons/abilities did the assassin/pc's have?
Quote from: LordVreegI'm sure you did something to make it a bit more memorable.
I hope so, though I'm honestly not that sure. I was kind of winging it. ;)
Quote from: LordVreegwhat type of weapons/abilities did the assassin/pc's have?
The assassin had some fairly standard "assassin" abilities such as being able to move in the shadows, scale walls, and so on, as well as having a crystal-enhanced sword. Being Strider-inspired, crystal-enhanced should be taken to mean "fast and powerful and makes a cool ZANG! sound."
The acolyte was less overtly powerful, though in her training as a priestess she was familiar with most of the religious lore. She also had some unarmed combat ability. In the first adventure she came to the defense of the priestess against their "enemy," but now that they're on the same side I'll have to come up with some other things she might be good at. This is a little bit of concern for me: anything an acolyte can do, a priestess could probably do better, but I don't want this PC to be overshadowed badly by the priestess NPC, and yet I'd like to keep the NPC around for exposition and such.
So, I finally started playing again after taking a few months's break. D&D this time, last time I was actively playing it was Rifts.
I am playing a Wizard. Right now we're level 3. I'm thinking of multi-classing into Totemist. Magic of Incranum was a Sol Invictus present last year, so it's kind of my shiny new toy, that I keep thinking about.
Khyron, I don't know what a totemist is. Can you describe it?
[blockquote=The Mighty Twist]The assassin had some fairly standard "assassin" abilities such as being able to move in the shadows, scale walls, and so on, as well as having a crystal-enhanced sword. Being Strider-inspired, crystal-enhanced should be taken to mean "fast and powerful and makes a cool ZANG! sound."
The acolyte was less overtly powerful, though in her training as a priestess she was familiar with most of the religious lore. She also had some unarmed combat ability. In the first adventure she came to the defense of the priestess against their "enemy," but now that they're on the same side I'll have to come up with some other things she might be good at. This is a little bit of concern for me: anything an acolyte can do, a priestess could probably do better, but I don't want this PC to be overshadowed badly by the priestess NPC, and yet I'd like to keep the NPC around for exposition and such.[/blockquote]
ZANG! sound effects are overlooked, I think. That is cool.
About the priestess versus the acolyte, I'd have there be different specializations within the church, healing, combat, Internal balance, detection of things out of place and out of harmony. To be fun, I'd make the priestess 99% obscure abilities and healing, and let the acolyte specialize in stuff that might be used a lot. Just an idea.
Well my fifth Calisenthe campaign isn't going so well -- we haven't been able to schedule a meeting for about 7 weeks.
However, my sixth campaign is about to start: I found a new group of players whom I see every week anyway. They're very excited about the prospect, but a bit intimidated by Rolemaster's voluminous charts.
I think I'm going to go back and re-do one of my old campaigns... I still have most of the stuff I wrote down. It will be interesting to see what these people do differently.
Quote from: LordVreegKhyron, I don't know what a totemist is. Can you describe it?
In a way it's the
Magic of Incarnum version of a Druid. They have d8 hit dice, Wild Empathy, 3/4 BAB progression, but instead of Wildshape and spellcasting, they get meldshaping: incarnum abilities that allow them to forgo the use of a magic item body slot to get abilities that mimic the powers of magical beasts.
Quote from: khyron1144Quote from: LordVreegKhyron, I don't know what a totemist is. Can you describe it?
In a way it's the Magic of Incarnum version of a Druid. They have d8 hit dice, Wild Empathy, 3/4 BAB progression, but instead of Wildshape and spellcasting, they get meldshaping: incarnum abilities that allow them to forgo the use of a magic item body slot to get abilities that mimic the powers of magical beasts.
sOUNDS LIKE A NICE TWIST!
Can you tell me how it fits into the fluff in your setting?