OOC Thread

Nice breakdown of the ebb and flow of the game, Len. I just wanted to add that play by post throws in an extra wrinkle because we're not all sitting around a table. A few of you were posting while I was in bed. Yesterday when I was at work, I was able to answer some rules questions while Len was otherwise occupied. So sometimes there ends up being an artificial slow-down to out-of-combat action so all the players have a chance to participate.

I can tell you it gets pretty frustrating to keep getting email alerts on your phone because the DM and a player who happens to be online at the time are advancing the plot by themselves and all you can do is think, "Gee, I have something I'd like to add, but I'm trying to get dinner on the table." That was an extreme example that only happened to me once. Typically what will happen is the action might progress without all the players, and when the players are able to chime in, things get retconned a bit.

As for the seven player types, for me it kind of depends on the game and the DM, though I tend to gravitate toward the Method Actor and Storyteller with a bit of the Power Gamer mixed in. I love coming up with combinations that work well together, but I moreso love getting into the character and trying to tell a really good story. In my RL game, with the terrible DM we had, I tried to be an actor and tell a story, but he views D&D as a DM vs players board game. I found that what I enjoyed about the game got me absolutely nowhere. So I started playing the power game and becoming a Butt Kicker since he doesn't know the rules nearly as well as he thinks he does. There's a certain satisfaction to beating someone at their own petty game, but it's ultimately a hollow victory when you realize you spent the last four hours just trying to vex an overgrown child in the body of a middle-aged lawyer.

Luckily, one of the players suggested someone else he knew who could DM a game. Halfway through the first session, I realized he was the type of DM who would work with a player to tell the story they want to tell and to create the character they want to create. A few text messages over the next couple of weeks and, suddenly, my character is fleshed out with a set of motivations and a side story that the DM is creatively weaving into the main story. It's been fantastic, and I can't wait until tomorrow to see where it takes us.

Yeah, pacing is one of the hardest things in RPGs no matter what the medium. Maybe this is true about storytelling in general, I'm not sure. If anyone ever feels like we are going too fast, just let me know and I'll try to hit the brakes a bit. Currently everyone seems excited and I want to get as much momentum as possible off our fresh exuberance. Eventually real life will kick in for people, whether that is illness or work deadlines or school exams, and the game will probably find its own natural pace based on what everyone can give to the game.

Sucks to hear about that DM you had. Sounds like you've got a great group now though. I bet you'd make a great DM, McDunno!

I'm not too bad, if I do say so myself. I was the main DM back in my AD&D days. Recently, I jumped in a bit DMing Yawning Portal for my RL group. One of the players is a young guy (well, 24, which is young to me) who had been playing with that DM since he was 16. I now realize that he really pushed for me to DM because he was tired of the terrible DM but didn't know how to tell him he didn't want to play with him anymore. He's also the one who found our current DM. Everyone seemed to enjoy my turn at the helm, but my heart is really in telling my own story, so I didn't find running a pre-gen dungeon crawl as satisfying as the players did.

I've been working on original stuff, but it's so hard finding time to be as prepared as I should be. Even with a pre-gen adventure, I found myself scrambling on Friday night, trying to catch up with the material so I would be prepared the next day. It doesn't help that I have narcolepsy and the only time I have to sit down with a module is after I get my daughter to bed. Five pages in and I'm out like a light. I figure it won't be too many more years before the girl is old enough that she won't want to have anything to do with me, and I'll have more time to devote to D&D. Sigh.

Once the campaign we're on winds up, I think what I might do is run my own adventure with the characters already created for Yawning Portal (I interjected a lot of original material in it, including a villain they are eager to kill). When I need an extra couple weeks to prepare, I'll have them roll up some extra characters and jump into another YP adventure. Anything to keep the terrible DM on the player side of the screen!

I got Xanathar's Guide to Everything at lunch today. Ramen, looks like Word of Radiance is the same: Evocation Cantrip: 1 action. Everyone you choose within 5 feet of you makes a constitution saving throw, and if they fail they take 1d6 radiant damage.

Sweet! Thanks for letting me know. Hope you're enjoying the new book!

How tall was the tree that's blocking the road, by the way? How tall are the trees in general? Since the log was described as massive, I'm assuming they're, like, redwood tall.

If we're going to torch the log we should probably get the Bandits to step away I assume hempen rope burns pretty well.

I have good news for Ramen and neutral news for Jaketch (though you could also view it as good news).

Ramen: I made a mistake with your armor. A lot of times, even if a positive ability modifier doesn't help you, a negative one will still hurt you (attacking with a second weapon is an example, but we don't need to go into details on that). I thought heavy armor was the same. But, it turns out, I was wrong. I was looking something else up, and I noticed the Player's Handbook specifically states that a negative Dex bonus does not penalize you while wearing heavy armor. Raishe is back up to an 18 AC!

Jaketch: Pageflap's equipment list shows both a quarterstaff and a dagger. The bad news is a wizard starts off with a quarterstaff or a dagger, not both. The good news is, Pageflap's strength is so low, his quarterstaff is almost useless to him, but a dagger is a versatile weapon, which means he can use his dexterity modifier with it. His attack bonus with a dagger is 1d20+5 and his damage is 1d4+3. He has a lot better chance of hitting with a dagger (which he can also throw), and rolling a 1 with a dagger will do the same damage (1+3=4) as rolling a 6 with a quarterstaff (6-2=4).

Len: I'm finally filling out Kit's equipment list. He didn't start off with anything but his scholar's pack, so I figured Barendd would have taken him to buy everything else he needs (rations, bedroll, etc.) before they took off. Can I take the cash equivalent for his crossbow and bolts?

Oh, I chose the quarterstaff from his wizard starting equipment and the small knife was from his sage background, though for his backstory it's from back when he was just another Kenku. Pageflap attached his arcane focus to the top of the staff to make a DIY wizard staff. I did forget to change his weapon stats when I switched wisdom with dexterity though.

It will be up to Len to approve it, but I think you could say that the staff and arcane focus on top are all part of the arcane focus you get in your starting equipment. You wouldn't want to attack with it anyway. That way, you could have the cool-looking staff and still have a weapon you're effective with.

Basically the answer is yes to everyone's questions :) - staff arcane focus, cashing in crossbow, all that sounds reasonable.

Starrbeardo, the forest is a boreal forest, so nothing so grand as redwoods (too cold to get that large). Forest fires happen once or twice a century or so there are lots of younger trees, But, there are lots of old firs and cedars that have survived the ages and tower above the rest. I'm taking inspiration from British Columbia, my home, much of which is blanketed in this kind of forest.





By the way, I didn't have people roll for clearing the roadblock because it is pretty much just a matter of time. Because Pageflap came up with a good idea to speed up the task, I had the party arrive in town an hour or two earlier than otherwise. I usually only have players roll for a task if there is a significant result if you fail, or if time is in short supply and you need to get it to happen on the first try. Otherwise I assume the players are taking their time to do it right.

Barendd must be cursed at this point.
Hit with a crit
crit fail
crit fail
useless damage rolls
crit fail
At this point I'd like to see how far this trend goes.

Spectacular! But in D&D, failure is just a different path to adventure.

So I kind of mentioned it in the game thread, but I think due to his string of poor rolls and the most recent crit fail that Barendd has had his words stolen from him, especially when he gets angry or excited. I figured that this would be something to maintain until he finally get's his drink/ has a long rest. Until then, I figured if a strong emotion arises he slips into Spanish, which I would think is a language no one in this setting would understand. Does this work within the setting?

Also Ramen, I realize you live in Puerto Rico, so I assume my abilities with the Spanish language are shaky at best, apologies for any failings in my attempts.

I’m also fluent in Spanish, and your Spanish writing is definitely understandable. I like the idea!

Sure, I think this is a fantastic idea. I don't speak Spanish, and I think that might make it even better!

I had the bandit girl find you the opposite of intimidating to represent your failure to intimidate, but still moved the story forward with useful information. Maybe I'll take this moment to mention there are no 'crit' failures or successes on skill checks; you just low extra low or extra high with those numbers, but they aren't automatic failures or successes.

Yeah, earlier today I made sure the new DM in my RL game was aware of the fact that, per the rules (DMs can always call "house rule") only attack rolls have a crit success or a crit fail. So after he agreed, I said something along the lines of, "My rogue/monk uses two ki points to cast Pass Without a Trace, giving him a +10 to stealth. Since he already has a +10 in stealth, the lowest he can get is a 21. Do you still want me to roll?" Being able to combine the skills of two classes like this is one of the reasons I've become obsessed with multiclassing!

@Starrbeardo: I love the way you handled those crit fails! And as far as how many terrible rolls you can get in a row? I went through a period of about FIVE MONTHS where my rolls were so bad that I was being mocked in two separate online games AND in my RL game. Yeah. Online and in real life, my rolls were so bad for so long that people actually noticed and it became a running joke. I hope that doesn't happen for you because, honestly, it got so bad that I wasn't really having fun anymore. Terrible rolls can be great when you RP your way through them like you did, but when they become so consistent that you get to a point where you don't even want to try anything that involves a roll, it gets a little demoralizing.

@Jacketch: I love the way you're playing a Kenku! I played one in a previous game and tried to work in the whole mimicry thing and the way Kenku really don't actually speak, just repeat things they heard. I like to think I would have nailed it eventually (the game fizzled quickly), but man you hit it right out of the gate.

Well I've read threads like this, so bad rolls seem universal given enough playing. Hopefully I'm just getting them out of the way early.