Oct 2, 2017 12:09 pm
Hello. Some of the people in this group (being RL friends of mine) are new to Play by Post, so I figured I would give a quick rundown on how things work, as well as some changes to the rules to make combat and such easier and less time consuming.
Play by Post Basics
The whole point of Play by Post is to get more in-depth roleplaying and adventuring with less focus on position and combat (though some people still use maps and such). Once you have a character made, you roleplay what your character does through forum posts. There are a few guidelines used to help things run smoothly.
First off, try not to post too much, taking the spotlight away from other players. Typically you should wait until 2-3 more people post before posting something again. This is more of a guideline, though, as if you are directly discussing something with one other person, and no one will interrupt you, you can reply as much as you want to that discussion.
Next, try to include as much detail and explanation in your post as possible, but without going overboard. For example, it's fine to discuss something with another player, while your character reads a book and takes a bite out of an apple. However, you shouldn't discuss something, go run a mile, fight a creature, and try to steal something all within one post.
Some rules for combat and such are different for the nature of PbP (Play by Post). First, initiative is determined by the highest rolling player on the side, compared to the highest rolling enemy. The highest is the side that goes first. So, if you roll higher than the enemies, every player is allowed to post in any order what their action and roll is, then the DM will post for the enemies, usually within one post, and then it's back to the players. The normal rules for combat apply. If a creature is 50 feet away and you can't walk that far, then you can't melee that turn. You only get an action, a move, and a bonus action, all of which you can do within a single post.
Another change of rules is, for the purposes of attacks and surprises and the like, the DM will typically roll your saves and such to save time. For instance, if the DM throws a Fireball that will hit all of you, he will secretly roll each of your Dexterity saving throws, then narratively explain who gets his and who takes how much damage so we can keep the pace of the game going.
Now for some examples of what a typical post looks like. There are a few tools used to show everything within the post. Typical text should reflect what your character is doing, how they look, and any descriptive narrative. Bold print is used to show what your character is saying out loud, for everyone to hear. Italics is what your character is thinking, not saying out loud. When you cast a spell or use an ability, feel free to narratively describe it, but make sure you mention it in an OOC (Out of Character) part of your post (unless it's a spell attack, in which case put it in the dice roller area). OOC is also used when posting the change in some of your stats, such as health, AC, spell slots, etc.
Use the Spoiler tag whenever you feel it necessary to hide something, for instance speaking a different language than most people, whispering to another player while out of earshot of other players, etc. And finally, when a roll is required, or when you proactively try to make a roll to figure something out, use the built-in dice roller in your post. The rules for explaining that are built into the posts.
Also keep in mind that it keeps the game moving fast for you to make multiple rolls at once. For instance, if you make an attack, include the damage roll in the post as well, in case you do hit.
And last, when you go to make a post, there is a dropdown box that gives you the option to post as a character or as your player. Typically you'll want to post as your Character, especially if you set up an avatar for your character. It just helps with the immersion!
Below is an example post, using my character, Kro Darklorr, a human Warlock.
If there are any questions you have, please let me know here, or in group chat, and I will assist as best as I can.
Play by Post Basics
The whole point of Play by Post is to get more in-depth roleplaying and adventuring with less focus on position and combat (though some people still use maps and such). Once you have a character made, you roleplay what your character does through forum posts. There are a few guidelines used to help things run smoothly.
First off, try not to post too much, taking the spotlight away from other players. Typically you should wait until 2-3 more people post before posting something again. This is more of a guideline, though, as if you are directly discussing something with one other person, and no one will interrupt you, you can reply as much as you want to that discussion.
Next, try to include as much detail and explanation in your post as possible, but without going overboard. For example, it's fine to discuss something with another player, while your character reads a book and takes a bite out of an apple. However, you shouldn't discuss something, go run a mile, fight a creature, and try to steal something all within one post.
Some rules for combat and such are different for the nature of PbP (Play by Post). First, initiative is determined by the highest rolling player on the side, compared to the highest rolling enemy. The highest is the side that goes first. So, if you roll higher than the enemies, every player is allowed to post in any order what their action and roll is, then the DM will post for the enemies, usually within one post, and then it's back to the players. The normal rules for combat apply. If a creature is 50 feet away and you can't walk that far, then you can't melee that turn. You only get an action, a move, and a bonus action, all of which you can do within a single post.
Another change of rules is, for the purposes of attacks and surprises and the like, the DM will typically roll your saves and such to save time. For instance, if the DM throws a Fireball that will hit all of you, he will secretly roll each of your Dexterity saving throws, then narratively explain who gets his and who takes how much damage so we can keep the pace of the game going.
Now for some examples of what a typical post looks like. There are a few tools used to show everything within the post. Typical text should reflect what your character is doing, how they look, and any descriptive narrative. Bold print is used to show what your character is saying out loud, for everyone to hear. Italics is what your character is thinking, not saying out loud. When you cast a spell or use an ability, feel free to narratively describe it, but make sure you mention it in an OOC (Out of Character) part of your post (unless it's a spell attack, in which case put it in the dice roller area). OOC is also used when posting the change in some of your stats, such as health, AC, spell slots, etc.
Use the Spoiler tag whenever you feel it necessary to hide something, for instance speaking a different language than most people, whispering to another player while out of earshot of other players, etc. And finally, when a roll is required, or when you proactively try to make a roll to figure something out, use the built-in dice roller in your post. The rules for explaining that are built into the posts.
Also keep in mind that it keeps the game moving fast for you to make multiple rolls at once. For instance, if you make an attack, include the damage roll in the post as well, in case you do hit.
And last, when you go to make a post, there is a dropdown box that gives you the option to post as a character or as your player. Typically you'll want to post as your Character, especially if you set up an avatar for your character. It just helps with the immersion!
Below is an example post, using my character, Kro Darklorr, a human Warlock.
If there are any questions you have, please let me know here, or in group chat, and I will assist as best as I can.