Session 0 Post Chapter 1

Hi everyone,

I wanted to start this thread to see what the general interest of the group is. To do this, I would like to first ask you to fill out a quick google form survey, linked here. The survey can be anonymous if you want. It is still the holiday season, so I won't start asking for people to fill it out until after January 5th, but the sooner you fill it out the sooner I can ask questions here based on what seems to be the majority consensus.

As you are filling out the survey and afterwards, use this thread to talk to each other and me about what your hopes are for the adventures to come and anything you would like to do as far as connecting characters together.

Heya, this will be the point where I drop off the game. Thanks everyone for playing and especially Ironmonger for running the game for us. I really liked the open discussions on the rules since we were all learning them together. Also appreciate the effort in making the Icon dice play a factor in such a short quest!

I enjoy theater of the mind combat and narrative positioning (instead of token-on-grid) especially because we're doing play-by-post, but I find the 13th Age distance bands don't quite work for me. This was the case in my previous 13th Age game too. That's unfortunate since it's a more combat-focused system.

I posted an answer to the feedback form too. Maybe we'll meet again in another campaign. To those staying, happy gaming!

Ok, glad to have run for you. Sorry to see you go. I haven't read any feedback yet, but is the distance thing a 13th age issue or a way I was portraying it? Did the on the fly battle map help or do the opposite?

Range bands seem like a melee tax, none of our combats started out of range so they had limited impact.

However, they were quite limiting to target selection in every combat we faced from a character who lacked ranged combat options perspective. I enjoyed the dissolution of artificial symmetry. It would really make the "mighty thews" of a barbarian special in a large enough arena.

I actually found the whole system lends itself to PbP and got a lot of juices flowing, creative, vital, and digestive.

I would like.to see a story where Big Z is our nemesis. Either he represents a rising icon to become a 4th member of the 3, in the sense that evil is growing and flourishing. Or that he be some catalyst that continues to foil us forcing ourselves further into becoming icons ourselves.

Oh I think it's more of a thing with the 13th Age system itself. Perhaps it would work better in tabletop where melee interception can be done more naturally, since everyone is playing at the same time. That would make fights a bit more dynamic.

The battlemap was great. I think it would be really helpful to establish how enemies are grouped.

I filled it out. I enjoyed the adventure for what it was. I felt it took a while for us to get our actual assignment, but that was likely in the adventure design, not the GM's side of things.

I don't mind the range bands. Star Wars and Genesys do something similar, and with how powerful melee is in this system, the need to close before attacking isn't that big a tax in my mind.

I'm game to continue. I have no strong preference for storyline elements except that I'd like to continue to pursue my character's destiny. I am a big believer in player-led backstory exploration, though—the idea that a lot of the burden of "but MAH BACKSTORY!" stuff is the player's responsibility, not just the GM's.

So I'm easy. :)

Before I post any polls, I want to post one specific one. Would guys want to have a say in the villains of the campaign, knowing that reduces the mystery but adds agency (beyond the icon relationships you already chose), or just leave it to a mystery knowing that the icons you choose with have a good impact on who is ultimately chosen?

Looks like the majority says keep the villains a mystery. With that said , next question:

Based on some tables I made in my private forum for GM notes, it seems a common ally almost everyone has is the dragon emperor. Hrafe is devoted to the priestess, who is oath bound to serve the dragon emperor. Edgar has a positive relationship with the Crusader, who has a good working relationship with the dragon emperor as long as there are demons to preoccupy thr Crusader, and Makasi has a conflicted but positive leaning toward the gold wyrm, who respects the dragon emperor and works with him at his own discretion. The new PC has a conflicted relationship with the dragon emperor, but not so conflicted that the refuse the work with him.

Everyone good with this as an overall icon that ties the group together?

As far as enemies, demons seem a common one that comes up. The priestess is enemies with all evil Icons, but has a personal hatred for the crusader. The crusader hates demons because they want to destroy the world the Crusader wants to rule in behalf of the dark gods. The gold wyrm is using his body to keep the demons from flooding the world (though drops of the flood manage to get through). The dragon emperor hates demons because demons just want to destroy and it is his duty to protect civilization and his citizens

This doesn't mean other enemies wouldn't come up. This is about high level enemies.

That all looks good to me!

Here are some character to character prompts to see if it gets players talking

Hrafe is allied with the Priestess, while Edgar is allied with the Crusader. The two icons are mortal enemies, as the Priestess is the champion of the gods of light while the Crusader is the champions of the gods of darkness. How do Hrafe and Edgar feel about each other, and why do they work together despite this tension? (Because for the game to work they do work together)

Ylliane has a personal grudge against the Orc Lord, and the Dwarf King is protecting the mountains and the empire from the bulk of the Orc Lords armies. Edgar has a conflicted relationship with the dwarf King. Do Edgar and Ylliane bond over this? Does Edgar care about the war between the Dwarf King and the Orc Lord, or does he not care since becoming an elf and being shunned?

Makasi works directly for the Great Gold Wyrm, but more for the promise of protection than devotion to the cause. The great gold wyrm is said to ally with the Priestess, as they both strive to fight back evil and fight for good. Does Hrafe appreciate Makasi working for the Great Gold Wyrm, or think less of him for only doing so for protection? Does Makasi admire Hrafe's devotion or not at all?

These are just prompts based on icon relationships. If you don't care for this, I encourage you to find a more personal connection with another PC

Regarding Edgar, I believe it has been established they were trained in the art of war by the same dwarf. There is superficial conflict, Hrafe is mortified that Edgar shaved his beard and suspects that he is a elf now because he shaved. Yes its a bit campy.

Regarding Makasi, she is a saint, two Miracles in life, one the ressurection. I dont think respect is quite the right word. Reverence? Perhaps even a bit of jealousy. He would follow Makasi into the mouth of Hell.

The Crusader was the one that gave Edgar purpose when he worked as an assassin, though he understands he's not the most popular. He isn't the loudest in the party and is most definitely not interested in talking at all about the secret work he did for the Crusader so I can see it is the elephant in the room that both are avoiding talking about at all.

He probably pretends not to care about the struggle, but secretly he do have hope to get his original body back and hopefully return to retire to the Dwarven halls he grew up in. For that to happen they can't lose the war.

As I've got her envisioned at the moment, Makasi cares most about finding her kids. She died in childbirth, fought her way out of the Afterworld, and now wants to find those babies (now likely older). She is only starting to realize that her ancestors are helping her along the way, with an aim of restoring their village/clan/tribe.

So, yes, at the moment, the Lich King probably thinks of her as someone of interest whom he doesn't quite know what to do with yet. She realizes the Great Gold Wyrm is someone important in keeping the underworld at bay, so she's open to working with him, but not necessarily devoted to him. It may be that if the Priestess learns about her ancestors and the tribal-restoration angle, she may switch allegiances to the Priestess. I'm not sure which Icon would be the most appropriate in supporting the restoration of victims of genocide, and neither is Makasi.

I think she's willing to work with virtually any fellow mortal, provided they aren't outright evil or sociopathic. She tries to deflect Hrafe's veneration but sees the young man as a good-hearted ally whom she probably mothers, as well. I'm open to other social ties with the other characters, as well.

I want to propose a question to all about AFK (away from keyboard) behavior. How many days should I give someone before I just act for them? And should I include the weekends or pause my counting over the weekend

Note: if you give me a heads up on an upcoming AFK that is fine

Based on the results, once two days have passed, I will autopilot a character. I will not include weekends. This means if, for example, your turn starts on a Thursday, I wouldn't do anything until Monday, but if it was Wednesday I wouldn't do anything until Friday. I read 2 days as 48 hours