Admin / OOC

Lore building and ad-libbing is encouraged.

I'm going to have to start the week posting this evening rather than this morning.

Correction: I framed up the camp setting. Will leave it there, hopefully time to post more tonight.

Players' Club,

Here's some topics I plan to be posting up about through this week and upcoming weekend, either here in Admin or on the Campaign Setting Details Forum and/or Sub-Forums:

*In-game language (Classical Auran) and select glossary, including terminology decision(s)
*Game view on danger and potential character death
*Expanded commentary on the relations between the Tirenean and Krysean Folk, especially in this south junction region
*Rules Forum, with select cuts of Rules as Written (RAW) for easy reference.
*XP Award Forum
*Player workspace Forum, for any RAW cuts or other references desired by the Players' Club

Reminding myself here as much as anything.

J-Org

Holy smokes, I'm getting left in the dust here. Seems like every time I check there are a few new posts, and I absolutely can't keep up. I'm going to drop out of this game, and wish you all the best!

Yikes. Stinger.

Cowleyc, I hate to see you go. Thanks for trying it out, and I wish you the best.

I'll have to assume that if one good Player is feeling this way, others are as well. I'll take this as an indicator to adjust downward on rate and amount of content.

Will pause today in hopes that everyone will feel comfortable and have enough time to settle. I've also made some adjustments to most recent posts, resetting a lot of the less important details behind "Optional" spoiler pop-out banners. That content can be bypassed to avoid overwhelm.

I admit this first couple of weeks have been loaded with framing and setting content. Cowley's departure shows me it was likely too much in fact.

I hope everyone else would consider sticking with the game. This point in the story is a real waypoint, OUT OF buildup and background and INTO the Action Phase. I think you will see it streamline and change in tone - less information and more traditional game play.

Thanks for bearing with it.

J

Oh damn, I posted to Culchas before noticing you were vacating, cowleyc. This is the third game I've brushed shoulders with you. I hope to play in a game with you one day!

Update in my current situation, my mother in law's surgery went okay and recovery is proceeding slowly but surely. Last few days have been complicated by our kids get covid. Bad timing, causing more work and less play. Thanks for your patience!

In the wake of Cowleyc's departure, how are we to handle the matter of Culchas?

BTW, the magistrate was aptly named. Dude's having a bad hair day and is in dire need of a comb or pick.

I'll be writing Culchas out of the story in next entries (tomorrow).
Haha. Chia Pet style.

Len, glad to hear success on surgery, but sorry the same on household sickness. Tough setting. Stay at it, buddy. Good luck.

No worries Len, take care! What a week

Players' Club,

PCs will delve "The Old Forest". New thread will begin today is up.

This will put us to high likelihood of Encounters and the related shift into the Time, Movement, Distance, etc. Rules. I don't think I'm giving anything away saying that Combat is a possibility.

With that in mind, take some time if you want to discuss and decide 1 or 2 marching orders: 1 for when the trail is thin and single file is the only option and 1 (optional) for areas where the trail is broader and you see advantage of stacking in an order side-by-side. If the 2nd option isn't desired, we can assume the single file version is always used, just spread out a bit more on the wider trail sections.

Also, NOT REQUIRED but for anyone interested: I'll hear any other things about characters that you think I should know - anything in Class, Ability, Proficiencies, etc. that might affect Encounters or Travel or Surprise or Ambush - things like that.

I'd especially like to hear any commentary you have about Initiative, how your PC's stats influence Initiative. We'll likely be doing a Group Initiative of some sort, for the sake of PBP timing/availability challenges. But before finalizing that, I'd value any input about the PCs.

Thanks and good luck!

J-Shift

p.s. I'm controlling Hunter Culchas as NPC for now. Feel free to tell me anywhere you want him in marching order.

Wow. Check out the new Ascendancy Forum.

Explorers gain a +1 to Initiative (and surprising opponents) as a Class ability (Animal Reflexes) and with Syrena's DEX bonus she has a +4 to Initiative.

Also she has:
Tracking at a base of 11+
Difficulty to Spot Outdoors 3+
Region Familiarity +4
Random Encounter Evasion +5
Avoiding Surprise/Ambush 19+

This is besides normal actions listed (open/detect/hear/find/etc.)

Nothing too much useful to know about Xenophon regarding initiative. His seafaring background won't have much bearing at the moment.

For marching order, Syrena at the front seems appropriate based on her role. For single file, I'll suggest:

1. Syrena (scout)
2. Xenophon (front meat shield)
3. Damanandros
4. Gundus (healer in the middle)
5. Gennadius
6. Culchas (rear meat shield)

If it's double file, I'd suggest

1. Syrena, Xenophon (tough front rank)
2. Damanandros, Gundus (mage, healer)
3. Gennadius, Culchas (tough back rank)

I'm not set on any of these, and I can't see anyone's character sheets so I have no idea on our actual strengths, so feel free change.

This sounds right to me.
Being squishy, I appreciate the consideration of a middle spot.
Sleep Spell may come in handy in a pinch or if there are too many to effectively fend off.

Unless the group's average is better, I vote option 2 for initiative. Which would be 1d10-2, unless someone has more than a:+4 personal Initiative.

100% agree.