Masked Soirée OOC

This thread is for OOC discussions related to the Masked Soirée adventure

@Smiley can you see this thread and answer here?

🤦‍♂️

Was the plan to only have Lunareth Vaeloria (Avraham), Legolas (GreyWord), and myself in this?

I invited Cormac (dunderklumpen) since they were in the Tavern at the time.

Not necessarily. But dunderklumpen choose a 3/week posting frequency and this thread is 5/week, so he will likely not join us.

Up to them, if they can keep up with this rate. =)

Gotcha He wouldn't know that in character.

I'm waiting for Luna and Legolas to join me... If they decided too..

We got 30gold (10 Each) to start.

Was there any mention of other payment?
Would Briar know that the Harpers would pay for Information gained from the party?

It will depend on what information and what happens. No guarantees besides the 30 gold

Lunareth is probably less naïve than is Legolas. First, moon elves are naturally more at home in cities and crowds than are wood elves. Second, Luna did grow up in Waterdeep—sheltered in the cloister, but still in the city. On the other hand, this is all brand new to him. I'm not 100% sure how I will roleplay it yet; I'm actually eager to find out 😝

Also, Luna knows the Harpers as a force for good. Sometimes, laws need to be bent for the moon's light to fall on those who need it 😈

@htech You are fine . You did splendid.

Dealing with a sick kid and not feeling 100% myself.

Agreed; although Lunareth is going to want to ask for funds in character if he has to grease some palms 😊😝

Do you want us to *PreRoll* dice?
If I assume you are going to ask for a roll just to roll 3d6 or just add a 3d6 roll to every post.


Is it better to add the roll to a new post or edit an old one for when you request it.

If possible, I'd rather you roll when it's likely to be necessary (risky/interesting outcome/reasonable chance of failure) and don't roll if you think it's unnecessary (e.g. don't add 2d6 to every single post).

Of course, we can accommodate either way. I'll ask if you missed the roll and hide everything if the dice wasn't considered in my response. But if we do this, things may be faster when we think the same way. =)

Your call. Works either way. Just remember to mark the checkbox so it's considered a major edit (ie. Not a minor edit) so I am notified of the change =)

@Smiley @Avraham before my next post I want to let you know I am not trying to rob you, just role-play my PC here.

My PC will demand he get 20 gold. He will pay 10 to tailor and keep other 10 as risk assurance: I'm afraid my PC can't trust your PCs so he is taking big risk promising tailor you will return your suits, besides there is a chance we will get our dress damaged.

I've figured out in other threads my PC is really broke and need some assurance of the income. If your PC disagree to the deal, Legolas will simply look for a more reliable job instead.

P.S. To compensate the fact that I as a player demand my PC getting more money out of this I will remind that my PC will take no share in anything you guys could be stealing in the process.

Clarifying Questions/Statements.

Briar never gave any of the 30 Gold coins to Luna or Legolas.
If he did, it might have been like 3 Gold.
Which would leave 24 Gold in the Pouch.
Loan 3 Outfits = 10GP + A favor
Buy 3 Outfits = 15 GP Each.


You want 20 Gold. 10 to Pay the Tailor and 10 for Assurance?

We are all really broke. Only starting with 10 Silver or 1 Gold.

Briar is not counting the 30 Gold (Now 24) as wealth until the party is over. We might need the coins to grease a few palms.

Hey all, just want to check in - let's call it a quick vibe check.

I love that we're all committed to roleplaying our characters honestly — it's part of what makes this fun and interesting. That said, it does feel like Briar and Legolas are operating on very different wavelengths, and I'm starting to wonder if their goals and methods might be fundamentally incompatible. Which can be a great source of drama, or… it might lead to the group splitting or arguing, depending on how things unfold.

This isn't a complaint — I'm enjoying the RP and I think we're all keeping things respectful and engaging. But I just want to ask: how are we feeling as players about where this is going? Do we want to play this conflict out to its natural conclusion? Should we steer things a bit to keep the group cohesive (maybe some easy gold or a new patron)? Or are we okay with the possibility that the characters might not stay together for this Masked Soirée?

Totally open to any direction — just want to make sure everyone's on the same page and having fun. This is a sandbox game. I have no idea how things will unfold. =)

I feel bad. Thanks for asking. You know what - I made my PC hooked to any hook listed in hook thread, but keep struggle with the unexpected quest we got here.

I just realized problem could be fixed if I just created new PC. An opportunistic human or unwise half-orc blind to any risks. That is - if my PC is taking the responsibility for returning the too expensive dress.

Or I'm just staying out of this quest hoping the next one would help me not feel bad. It works for me quite well.

Thanks for being open about how you're feeling — I really appreciate it. I’d honestly hate for you to just sit this one out entirely and don't play anything while it's happening. You’ve put effort into Legolas and it shows, and I want to make sure you’re enjoying the game too.

That said, if Legolas just isn’t clicking with this quest or party dynamic, I’d much rather we move him into a different adventure now — something that fits him better — than have you stuck feeling sidelined or waiting for this to end. "A Hot Opportunity" is kicking off soon and seems like a great match. It's more traditional in some sense.

Alternatively, if you’d rather keep Legolas in here and explore ways to shift the tone of the quest — like injecting a bit of unexpected cash, easing the stakes, or tweaking the setup — I’m 100% open to that too. It’s a sandbox, no predefined quests; we can bend things to make it fun for everyone.

Let's hear the group. I just want everyone to feel included and excited, whichever way we decide to go. We’ll always have chances to cross paths again after both quests play out, so nothing’s off the table long-term.

@GreyWord I have moved your Tiny Tavern post here. Even though it is physically, In Character, in there, OOC it's totally related to this adventure and not another thread so we should keep it here =)

@GreyWord No worries, although currently, Lunareth is at the Misty Beard acting the naïf with the dragon bartender. Also, Luna doesn't have 20 gp. Lastly, Luna thinks that entering as staff would allow for less obtrusive circling—and thus eavesdropping—than a guest would have, so he will go that route unless the wicked DM doesn't hire him. He might be able to get you a job there too, but probably for less than the standard rate. Luna is banking on the Harper's being upright and paying him for his time and information. Luna knows of the Harpers, and given Briar posed as their representative, will trust Briar. He doesn't know that Briar himself is a free agent.

Good.

Nah, of course Luna is hired. That's one of the expected / scripted entrances for the Soirée. You won’t even have to gimme a dice roll, just talking and looking for it is enough to "solve this part of the puzzle". =)

I will post something IC soon.

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(This is not meant to sound rude, angry or anything. Just want to clarify because it is hard to tell via text.)

I do not care either way if Legolas stays or goes. I think it might be fun roleplay if he does.
I will leave that up to Legolas. It might be easier to roleplay at the tavern than decide.

If we need some extra coin to guarantee Legolas's joining us I thought about trying to *procure* some extra gold over night. Maybe via a Card game or some quick hands in the night.

I was going to try to make a *Deal* with the Tailor when we see him tomorrow.
Depending on the usefulness of the new clothes I might want to keep them.


Can I wait for Luna to join us at the Tavern to respond? Not wanting to ignore post.

Sure! He will join you soon. =)

@Smiley believe me or not it's wasn't my PC pouch of coins I'm worried about and situation with tailor wasn't the only reason Legolas just isn’t clicking with this quest.

Regardless I've decided to take the opportunity DM provides me - I'll try my second chance starting game in different quest. I'm just waiting for Briar to answer Legolas question he asked half-elf in this post to narrate my PC sharing tailor contact and with you good luck with the job. I will then leave this quest.

@Avraham Sorry, my wife plays a character named Luna in a DnD campaign also. Sort of themed like Luna Lovegood.
My mind keeps defaulting to that.

@htech Since The Wristpocket was Only going to be used to after he got the Knife can I do something else and Ignore that?

Sure. But you have a failed roll, nonetheless, so I think it actually doesn't matter. We won't ignore it, so you would just describe trying and failing something else =(I will move on because of that dice, ok? So you can react/defend from Kael’s move and try to succeed in your next turn.

By the way, I think this system works better if you roll+resolve a major action and then write your new action afterwards (adding a new dice or post if necessary). The predetermined success/failure numbers (5+) for the dice helps with that, it's not a back-and-forth with the GM, so you don't need to roll everything simultaneously.

Edit: You could do like you did, everything into a single post, if your first action doesn't need a roll (moving, drawing a weapon, etc)

My mind is a little fuzzy right now.
Can you give me an example of how you want the combat post to run?

... But Briar tries to parry it his own dagger...

... So Briar twisted his wrist, angling his dagger to parry the thrust, but Kael’s aim was unpredictable, wild with the recklessness of someone who had nothing left to lose.

Steel glanced off steel with a shriek of metal, but not cleanly. Briar’s blade caught the edge of Kael’s thrust, redirecting it slightly—but not enough. The dagger sliced into the meat of Briar’s upper arm, a hot line of pain blooming beneath his coat as blood welled instantly.Before Briar could recover, Kael followed up with a brutal backhand—the hilt of the dagger arcing toward Briar’s face like a hammer...

... But this time, Briar was ready.He ducked low, the weapon slicing through the air just above his head. The motion carried Kael forward, momentum dragging him a step too far. Briar twisted beneath the blow, rising on the balls of his feet and slipping to Kael’s blind side.

Nope we are good.
I just wanted to make sure it was correct in my head.

I could do all of this in one post?

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Decided how I want to defend. Roll dice.
Narate the defend based on rolls.

Decide how I want to attack. Roll Dice
Narrate on how I Attack.

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Rinse and Repeat.

Yup. Your call =)

I’ll try to get a suitable post in either tonight or tomorrow, @htech, but your last post on onyx/obsidian was simply poetry. Beautiful! Goodness, I hope you’re having fun and I hope I can live up to posts like that. Thank you!!!

I also wanted to thank you and @Smiley for your posts. This system gives a lot more responsibility for the players during combat, as the GM never rolls.

It only works if you're willing to write more than a short sentence each round. That's not how D&D and most games play =)

I am having a lot of fun with this game. :D

I love this style of game. I just got to get used to it again.
I hope you don't mind me using AI to enrich my post.
My brain is a fractured mess of chaos.
I mostly use it to more details to my post.

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In my combat can I roll to convince Kael to give up? I don't want to hurt him just get him to stop acting a fool.

No problems.
Yeah... But this would turn into a Social Conflict for you and Physical one for him. This means he will lose WP and you will lose HP. You can try that next round. Instead of rolling your dagger, you roll for persuasion. =)

@htech
Can I roll and If I drop you roleplay it out?
If I drop Kael I will roleplay it out.

Will roll in morning.

Sure

@Avraham don’t forget to post after the obsidian/onyx one. =)

Sorry, work was crazy the past couple of days.

Clarifying question before I post.
I am assuming they take all of Briar's belongings.
Pack dagger, the whole kit and caboodle.

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Briar was been through this whole thing before but it has been at least 5-6+ years. Not since he joined the Harpers, at least.

Yes. But they will return it in the morning, after/if the magistrate hears you.

Hi. Between getting a new account at work and the upcoming holiday, I’m probably going to be closer to 3/week for the next week or two. I won’t be able to post at all from late Sunday afternoon through late Tuesday night. My apologies.

No problems =)

Since Avraham is going to be busy with life for some time(which is perfectly understandable) and I don't want them to miss out on the Party.
Is there any mischief or side quest Briar can do while we wait?
It could be after the party also. Just something to keep me active until Avraham is back to full swing?

Sure. Let's exercise the sandbox nature of this game. What do you want to do? You have an in-game day, more or less. =)

I thought about just heading to the market looking for anything interesting or check to see if there is any simple Harper task I could do.

Okay. Just write Briar heading to the market (which one?) and we will take it from there =)

@badbaron can you read and post here? =)

Posting in here. To not tangle up Game Chat.

@badbaron, I am ok with you passing all three of those secret rolls. I saw what they were for but don't remember.

@htech, I am going to leave my whole Backpack with Branric. Keeping 10 gold (5 for party, 5 for robes) 10 silver in the side pouch and dagger. That is it.

OK. Please write Briar giving them to Branric and, as you didn’t notice Raoul, leaving the Tavern =)

Good answer Luna!

🙏 Thank you.

I am assuming the Invitation had a name on it which would be a completely fake name.
Some made up Lesser Lord.

Briar is not going around telling everyone who he truly is here.

Sure! =)