Descending the Temple Depths (OOC)

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Mar 8, 2022 5:36 am
vagueGM says:
Hope that helps.
It does help, thanks. I thought because I had a success I could embellish and add the whole jumping over part, but it makes sense to describe the intention beforehand.

I remember I tried doing something like this with DnD 5e, but it would be clunky because of the binary result. The whole "miss", "partial success", "full success", and "critical success" adds more narrative depth to combat.
TrailHead says:
Anyone else please speak up if this is not okay.
I'm fine with it, but I would say Dirk might be getting a little weirded out with all the talk and praise for Raynor, much like how one would get uncomfortable finding themselves in group of zealous religious people. But it makes sense that there would be discussions about Raynor since he seems to be taking an active role in the story what with all the glowy stuff and shining lights.
Mar 8, 2022 7:47 am
TrailHead says:
TheGenerator, okay if Deoring asks some naive questions to Albert about Raynor? Not to make this adventure revolve around religion but to flesh out our two characters and the setting a little bit. I’m trying to lean in to the "Fresh Face" of my character. He’s definitely amazed at the healing miracle he just experienced.
Sure, that's fine. :)
sunnyVoid says:
but I would say Dirk might be getting a little weirded out
Feel free to let that come out in RP as well.
Mar 8, 2022 8:11 am
TrailHead says:
... asks some naive questions to Albert about Raynor?

... speak up if this is not okay.
It is more than 'OK', it is encouraged. :)

These are interesting character, and we want to see more about them, asking questions of each other helps to draw out details we might not otherwise see.

Be a Fan of the Player's Characters.
- PbtA Principle, (addressed to the GM, applies to everyone).
Mar 8, 2022 8:32 am
sunnyVoid says:
... I could embellish and add ...
Embellishing afterwards is also fine. Try not to change the fiction (so, not too much 'adding':) I am mainly encouraging you to include those details before the roll, not trying to discourage you from continuing to add afterwards.
sunnyVoid says:
... clunky because of the binary result ...
Agreed, 'binary success' has always grated against me in DnD, and I always struggle with it when I do back to games that enforce it. I have always added (even if just internally) some level of 'degrees of success' based on how close the result was to the (often completely arbitrary) Target Number.
sunnyVoid says:
... The whole "miss", "partial success", "full success", and "critical success" adds more narrative depth ...
Yes, it really does. And especially on a full (or better) success we are encouraged to add some flourish to what happens.

To be clear. I don't object to your adding the 'jump over', but had not waited for it as I was not expecting it. We could have negotiated which of the conflicting posts to keep, mine is not necessarily the 'official one', and we could have merged them. The leap would have been nice to see, next time, add it to the 'intent' post so it definitely happens. :)
sunnyVoid says:
... Dirk might be getting a little weirded out ...
Please show us that, as it happens. It is interesting to see such different views.
sunnyVoid says:
... I'm fine with it ...
Which is what matters. It is good to be nice and clear about what our characters might be uncomfortable with, and what we, the players, do not want to see in the game. This is also a matter of moderation, if it gets too much and detracts from anyone's fun, then we can adjust.

Which is also why we ask, so thank you TrailHead.
Mar 8, 2022 10:58 am
sunnyVoid says:
I think I'm finally getting a handle on what "fiction first" means when it comes to PbtA combat.
I think you did it well here, where you added "...tries to...". If you use that way of writing the GM has the option to choose between "You try it but you fail." or "You try and it works, but something bad happens at the same time." in case it's a bad roll (or even on a good roll). So you can describe it exactly how you'd like it to happen without blocking the GM's options.

Besides that, I like to wait with my roll until the GM asks me to. Cause I think it makes it easier for another player to help you out. "When Albert sees Dirk getting ready to jump over the river, he holds out his hand to catch him". This might give Dirk a bonus (or even make a roll obsolete).
How do you prefer it, @vagueGM?
Mar 8, 2022 11:28 am
TheGenerator says:
... "...tries to..." ...
The less rigid a post the more freedom there is to work around the dice.

When dice are involved we kinda have to assume there is an implied 'tries to' in the action, even if the player did not explicitly write it.

If the player narrates a success instead of an attempt, then we either need to roll back the description or just accept the implied fact that they tried to do what they said the did.
Quote:
"I leap over the body and attack the orc!"
"... but, instead, brain myself on the door-jam and end up sprawled at the orc's feet"
We are not writing a novel here, so the prose does not have to be perfect.
TheGenerator says:
... I like to wait with my roll until the GM asks me to ...
I do prefer that. It can slow down the pace a bit in PbP, but also avoids many problems.

Take for instance Dirk's roll. What would have happened if it was a 6-? The fight was already over, but I would have to (by the rules) introduce a complication. We don't just get to ignore the dice after they are thrown (and some games complicate this even more by giving XP on a Miss)
TheGenerator says:
... This might give Dirk a bonus (or even make a roll obsolete) ...
Indeed. The whole fiction will affect the outcomes, possibly removing all risk from the action and rendering the dice contraindicated. If a roll is still called for, having someone spotting for you means the ultimate result is less severe. If course, this is not a perfect example, since there is little time for such coordinated actions in a fight.

We can also add this 'helping hand' post after the roll if it is reasonable to have had time to help out. PbP is full of out-of-order posts.
Mar 8, 2022 11:49 am
vagueGM says:
We are not writing a novel here ... The less rigid a post the more freedom there is to work around the dice.
Yes, mostly for that purpose.
vagueGM says:
We can also add this 'helping hand' post after the roll
It's a different dynamic imho :)
Mar 8, 2022 11:53 am
TheGenerator says:
vagueGM says:
We can also add this 'helping hand' post after the roll
It's a different dynamic imho :)
This can save a lot of time waiting to see if anyone wants to help. Especially important in game with games with more mechanised Help mechanics.
Mar 8, 2022 12:37 pm
Hmmm I didn't receive a notification after my last post. And now I see I have a lot to read up on.
I'll try to check the site more regularly and don't rely on the notifications anymore.

Zombie mode was poorly expressed. Berserk would have been so much better 😄.
I like your idea that it happened before in a bar fight, but I was trying to find a way to weave religion into his actions. The glowing sword, Raynor's touch.
One does not have to exclude the other of course.
I'll try to read everything soon. And think of a way to piece it together.
Any suggestions are welcome!

Sorry for the late reply.
Mar 8, 2022 12:46 pm
Airshark says:
Hmmm I didn't receive a notification after my last post. And now I see I have a lot to read up on.
I'll try to check the site more regularly and don't rely on the notifications anymore.
When I get back to a computer we can check on your notification issue. We can check your options and I can check the logs to see if they say anything about your emails (PM me your email address in the meantime if you want me to look for it).
Mar 8, 2022 5:43 pm
The notifications are back.

Is there more info on the captain from before? Name, age, looks,...
Mar 8, 2022 5:52 pm
Airshark says:
The notifications are back.
Did you have to do anything to get them back? Is there a server problem on our end that we need to know about?
Mar 8, 2022 5:54 pm
Airshark says:
Is there more info on the captain from before? Name, age, looks,...
All the guards who knew her just called her 'the captain'. Would you have known her better?

The merchant may have called her 'Bimi', but none of you were sure if that was her name, a pet-name, or something else, and no one has been brave enough, so far, to test her reaction to your saying it. :)

Age and looks are available to be filled in as we need them. I seldom define such things about NPCs till we need them, then often go with what a player says or whatever pronoun the players start using.

Your consequence from your 7-9 is an awkward scene with someone you feel uncomfortable with. Enjoy. :)
Mar 8, 2022 6:36 pm
vagueGM says:
Airshark says:
The notifications are back.
Did you have to do anything to get them back? Is there a server problem on our end that we need to know about?
They came back after I sent you the pm. Very weird.
Mar 8, 2022 6:45 pm
Airshark says:
They came back after I sent you the pm. Very weird.
Did you check those places I suggested? Do you want to get Keleth --the site owner-- involved? I can only really look at the mail logs, and I don't see anything there, except that you received over 100 mails from us this month, so it seems to be working here.
Mar 10, 2022 10:20 am
vagueGM, you've referenced Asha not using her glowing axe a few times now. Is it something you want us to investigate IC? So far it's always been a bit too subtle for Albert to notice, I think. Or is it just a setup for a future (possible) reveal?
Mar 10, 2022 2:54 pm
TheGenerator says:
... glowing axe ... want us to investigate IC ... been too subtle for Albert to notice ...
I don't think any of the characters would have noticed that she has not noticed. The timing has just worked out that way so far.

There is nothing more about her situation to investigate, she is just another clue.

[quote="TheGenerator"... just a setup for a future (possible) reveal?[/quote]

A reveal for her, sure. But you all know about the glowing weapons, even if you (or your characters) might not know the exact mechanism behind why some are and some are not.
Mar 12, 2022 3:59 pm
For marching order, it makes sense that Deoring would be in the slot slightly ahead of Albert and Asha.
Mar 12, 2022 4:50 pm
Alright. So we have

Rook, Dirk/Deoring, Albert/Asha, captain/Roald.

The slashes mean you are --or could be-- side by side, and could swap order without notice.
Stampman49 is going focus on their DnD games --that being what brought them into this hobby-- so we will let Falur fade away without comment.
Mar 12, 2022 5:19 pm
I must admit: I done goofed when I said that Roald's blade was glowing (I think, I am not sure). I lost track of who was whom, and who had done what amongst the new characters.

Let's leave it as it is, but we will need to slightly shoehorn that fact into the 'explanation'. It is not a big deal.
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