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[Enkhidu]

This is moving along nicely, so I think I can say that we should plan on starting in earnest on Monday the 21st.

In the meantime, I got a few bits of feedback on the combat issue. Has anyone else got any views on this?

[willpax]

I don't care about dice rolling, and I think some kind of standing orders (and general strategies with conditions) would be a good idea. I don't use maps in my own pen and paper campaigns, so I certainly don't feel the need here. I trust you to help us optimize things as if we had the character's perspective in the world.

Look forward to starting. The 21st should be a good day (I will be back from a visit to my in-laws).

[Mirth]

I'm afraid I'm gonna have to drop outta this one, folks. Work has me swamped recently and I just don't have the time to devote to this game that I want. I definitely don't want to bog the game down, so I think it's better that I drop out. It looks to be shaping up well and I'll be following along. Everyone have fun.

Mirth

[el-remmen]

Hey Enk!

Do you want we should send you completed versions of out characters?  

And, did you mention starting gold somewhere in this thread?  I can't find it.

Any house rules I should know about spells/choosing spells?

[Enkhidu]

Hey Enk!

Do you want we should send you completed versions of out characters?  

And, did you mention starting gold somewhere in this thread?  I can't find it.

Any house rules I should know about spells/choosing spells?

Completed versions of PCs you can send to my gmail account (which has the same name as my nick here).

Starting gold should be as per a standard 2nd level character. I don't have a DMG in front of me, so I couldn't be certain, but for some reason 900gp worth of stuff sounds about right.

As for house rules on starting spells, I have very few. To begin with, we'll be doing core only spells. Wizards will add spells as normal (through level up and through discovery/research), and other spellcasters will have normal spell advancement.

However, that does not mean that we'll always[/] be core only as far as spells go. Adding spells from new sources will occur one of a two basic ways, either I will introduce them (for example, the PCs might find a spellbook that a wizard or sorcerer could take and use for thier own purposes), or the player can introduce them (by approaching me and saying "there's this cool spell I want to try from here, can you look at it?"). Either way, I want to look over new spells in the game before they hit play. In addition, I'm open to home grown spells that you might come up with. Ping me in the same way and I'll take a look at them.

One final note for divine spellcasters - if you as a players decide to use an introduced spell, you must add the spell to your available spells list, and remove an existing spell. For example, if a druid wanted to add a 4th level spell that temporarily gave a creature, say, a half-plant template, then the druid would in turn have to give up another 4th level spell like, say, rusting grasp. Such a change to a spell list is permanent.

[Enkhidu]

OK,

As go time draws near, let's nail down the little changes we'll be making to speed up combat. Based on the feedback I got from you, this is what we're looking at.

Change #1) Multiple actions in combat: When declaring actions in combat, give two or three choices so that if the first is no longer available, the second/third will apply.

Change #2) Roll your dice when declaring actions: Make sure to roll all necessary dice (attacks, possible damage, etc) when declaring your actions. For example "I attack the crazed goblin chief (Rolled an 8, +7 bonus, 15 total, spear damage rolled is 5 + 2 = 7)". In fact, feel free to play with the auto die roller on the site over the next few posts to see how well it works.

Change #3) Standard tactics: In your character sheet, add a few lines about favored tactics (for example "Xamot loves using true strike followed by a full power attack on the biggest target available"). I'll be able to incorporate these when you as a player are not available.

Change #4) No map: We will not be using a map during combats. AoOs will be determined ad hoc. All actions, unless otherwise dictated, will be automatically assumed to be the least risky, and areas of effect will be optimized as much as possible. For certain combats, I may set up a map for myself, in order to properly judge PC actions, but that map will not necessarily be shared with the players.

I've dumped the reverse init order + map idea, and the DM rolls all the dice idea, as those didn't seem very popular.

[Megamieuwsel]

Change #2) Roll your dice when declaring actions: Make sure to roll all necessary dice (attacks, possible damage, etc) when declaring your actions. For example "I attack the crazed goblin chief (Rolled an 8, +7 bonus, 15 total, spear damage rolled is 5 + 2 = 7)". In fact, feel free to play with the auto die roller on the site over the next few posts to see how well it works.

One remark :
Multiple instances of a similar roll in one post (Say , where there's like three times a single D20-roll is needed) all reseults will be equal.
So , having to roll these three checks , you'll need three posts.

[Enkhidu]

Good point, Mega - I hadn't thought about that restriction.

Speaking of that, what is the syntax for die rolling again?

[el-remmen]

Ok, this is going to seem like a dumb question - but I have setting specific rules in Aquerra to determine the # of spells a wizard starts the game knowing.

I cannot find anything in the SRD that tells me how to determine that.

[Enkhidu]

It's sort of funky, but its listed in the spellbook section under the Wizard class:

"A wizard begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level wizard spells (except those from her prohibited school or schools, if any; see School Specialization, below) plus three 1st-level spells of your choice. For each point of Intelligence bonus the wizard has, the spellbook holds one additional 1st-level spell of your choice. At each new wizard level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new wizard level) for her spellbook. At any time, a wizard can also add spells found in other wizards' spellbooks to her own."

[el-remmen]

Thanks!

[Enkhidu]

OK, here's the skinny of how I'm planning on kicking things off on Monday:

- Over the next few days, I'll be laying out some more detailed information about the western edge of Ffolk, one of the petty northern kingdoms recently "conquered" by the Empire (and now claimed as a "County" by the Marshall installed there, who has begun styling himself the "Count of Newffolk"). We will begin play in and around one of the larger villages (a walled compound that normally houses about 250 people, though about 750 to 800 people would fall back to it in times of danger), a place named King's Crossing.

- Please feel free to ask questions about the tidbits I post - I'd like for you all to be at least somewhat comfortable with the local setting.

- Also, feel free to decide for yourselves how long you have been in King's Crossing, and whether or not you have come as a group or singly.

- Sunday night/Monday morning, I'll be posting an opening scene based on information you give me before hand. After that, expect about one involved post from me per day as I describe action and move time units along.

[Megamieuwsel]

Good point, Mega - I hadn't thought about that restriction.

Speaking of that, what is the syntax for die rolling again?

[ dice=1 ]20[/ dice ] (but leave out the spaces...)

Here's the output of aformentioned "snap" :[dice=1]20[/dice]
Saving this one for my first check in-game

Edit : HEY! in the preview I got 18!.....

[Megamieuwsel]

A little something for Willpax here:
About the looks of the twins ; We already settled on Ravenblack hair , now about the rest:
Ice-blue eyes and "classical" nose-line (family-traits)
Lithe , almost skinny posture (With Ramirez being better described as "sinemy"..)
Short ; About some 5"3' (I'd really hope to get to the point where the Bar-bully goes : "Bwuhahaha! What does the little guy..*urkh*..." ...*feet dangling 1" above the ground*....

or something similar
Nothing set in stone though. Your thoughts?

[Enkhidu]

[ dice=1 ]20[/ dice ] (but leave out the spaces...)

Here's the output of aformentioned "snap" :[dice=1]20[/dice]
Saving this one for my first check in-game

Edit : HEY! in the preview I got 18!.....

Ha!

That's funny.

Let's see what happens to that 4 when I quote it.

[dice=6]6[/dice] Hey look! Fireball damage!

I'm thinking that the rolling mechanics might be a little wonky. Editing your own post preserves the roll, but previewing and quoting end up doing a reroll.