New campaign anyone?

Annette · Post by **Annette** » Mon May 16, 2011 7:27 am

That's a good idea, Siberys. I was wondering how combat worked on a forum, actually. There isn't a way to make it a bit less... week-longish?

And you needn't worry about the skill challenge related XP. If anything, I overpay players for solving things without slaughtering people.

So how about the rest of you? Start now, or hold off until we can move quicker?

Siberys · Post by **Siberys** » Mon May 16, 2011 9:57 am

Well for combat, one thing I occasionally did was have roleplaying go on all the time or whatever, and then when a combat situation arose, stopped the game and scheduled a date where everyone could get together for a few hours and get through the combat.

This can be good and bad at the same time. If the people can actually do this, it's great, but not only is there a good chance this may not work, but it can also be a game killer to stop the game itself.

Oh, two things I'd recommend btw when starting the game. Create two threads, one for the game itself which you'll have autonomy over, and another thread for in character out of character player discussions. Having a thread like that will clear up a lot of clutter in the game thread for when players discuss something like a plan of action or whatever.

malinzaro · Post by **malinzaro** » Mon May 16, 2011 12:26 pm

I have half-done my character. Bio is only sketched in my head for now. I still have to do some final tinkering with gear and spell selection. Almost all is there though.

I will make it public once I am back from my trip. I don't feel like sharing him incomplete as it is. Once is done it will be in my signature so the DM can quickly track him down. Any changes in his bio/journal (I prefer keeping journals and I recommend them for roleplaying immersion) or in his sheet will be announced so they can be double checked for errors.

If you start meanwhile have fun, otherwise we'll talk more once I return. I apologize for being less active, but I've been quite busy with preparations. Later everyone!

Annette · Post by **Annette** » Tue May 17, 2011 8:10 am

Siberys: Not a bad idea, especially if we don't start the combat until the summer. However, most of us are in different timezones, so finding a suitable time could be difficult.

malinzaro: Please, take your time. And you needn't worry, we won't start without you.

Ellie: Unless I've missed it (which is wholly possible), you've yet to post your character's bio. Any problems, or did you just forget?

Siberys · Post by **Siberys** » Tue May 17, 2011 1:15 pm

It might prove useful to schedule a day for combat as opposed to a few hours then.

Otherwise, combat usually lasts two to five days depending on how complex it is and how much time people have to get online.

MistSonata · Post by **MistSonata** » Tue May 17, 2011 11:27 pm

I've got my character sheet pretty much done, but I'm still trying to think up a bio that I like. I've got a bare idea in my head but I'm just having trouble fleshing it out.

Annette · Post by **Annette** » Wed May 18, 2011 10:19 am

No problem, take your time. Same goes for you, malinzaro. And Moogleman, I think you mentioned that you wanted to update your bio so that it leads up to your arrival in Karnakiid?

Moogleman · Post by **Moogleman** » Wed May 18, 2011 10:24 am

I'm very nearly 100% done with my character sheet. I know I've said that for about a week but I've had my head buried in sandstorm and I want to make sure I've got all my bases covered. I'm in two minds about the priest of the wastes feat. If theres going to be lots of survival situations, weeks in the desert with minimal supplies and the like it might be worth taking it at the start and getting DMM slightly later. Or maybe the other way round would be better? If I do take the feat can I still spontaneously cast healing spells aswell as waste spells? The wastes look like they can be very punishing to a beginner.

Annette · Post by **Annette** » Thu May 19, 2011 2:29 pm

Remember, survival won't be a HUGE part of the game (it gets tedious), and it's one of the fews aspects I'm actually pretty gentle about. Most of Karnakiid is civilized, so transportation can be bought relatively cheaply. What little remains of the Wasteland, however, is indeed brutal, so Priest of the the Wastes would be a worthwhile investment. As for when to get it? It's pretty damn useful (for certain situations), so delaying DMM could be justified. However, bear in mind that it's most useful spells can't be cast until later levels (you need to expend a prepared spell of an equal or higher level.) And no, it does not affect spontaneous casting.

Siberys · Post by **Siberys** » Thu May 19, 2011 2:44 pm

One thing I will recommend, By level six everyone should have at minimum, Heat Endurance if not improved heat endurance, or some way to resist heat effects (like Endure Elements or Fire Resistance).

malinzaro · Post by **malinzaro** » Fri May 20, 2011 11:26 am

Westan Krest joins the fray! His character sheet is up and it can be followed using my signature. I recommend for everyone to do so since it can helps a lot following different changes and avoids obvious mistakes. The background story will be up shortly.

Please let me know if I missed anything. For purchasing equipment, weapons and armor I used 150 gp as the average for a duskblade.

Annette · Post by **Annette** » Fri May 20, 2011 1:44 pm

Looks good. I don't notice any errors or problems with anyone's character at this point. As soon as everyone's backstory is complete, we can get started. I'll wait until then to start the campaign thread (otherwise it might get buried with all the traffic this board gets.)

Moogleman · Post by **Moogleman** » Fri May 20, 2011 2:03 pm

I just want to post the end of my back story, the part leading up to karnakiid, to make sure it's all good. Lacking a map and place names I may have made some mistakes:

Months passed that felt like years and Ehren roamed the land helping all those he could, yet his life lacked purpose. Nothing he did seemed to affect the grand scheme of the world. His blazing passion was guttering. Eventually rumours started circling of a virgin-eating king far to the south in the scorching land of Karnakiid. Ehrens’ birth land was considered hot, almost arid but Karnakiid was in the highest echelon of hostile environments.
This, thought Ehren, is what my life has been building up to. With new ire in his heart and purpose in his stride he set off for Karnakiid.
Again months went by, yet this time with speed. Every step closer to Karnakiid was a step closer to destiny. The city walls came within sight and anxiety gripped him. Ehren steeled his resolve, squeezing his moist palms into fists and paced to the city gates. He entered the city and a great roar rose from the masses choking the streets; “The King is dead!” And so is my purpose, thought Ehren . . .

Also I'm starting with priest of the wastes feat and bumping meta-magic up the queue. Will post my character sheet on my signature asap.

Siberys · Post by **Siberys** » Fri May 20, 2011 2:37 pm

I'll repost my character sheet in the first post in the player thread (anyone else who has a notepad character sheet should probably do so too). Unfortunately, I can't link to it in my signature as we can only have three lines in our sigs, and I'm using all three.

I'll let the DM actually start the Player discussion thread though. I'm not entirely sure if our characters know each other yet, so if they don't, then there's no way we can have a discussion thread open.

Annette · Post by **Annette** » Fri May 20, 2011 7:34 pm

Moogleman: The only problem with the backstory (which, as you said, is my fault for not supplying a map yet. I don't have a scanner, so I have to make it a point to get to the library sometime soon) is that Karnakiid has no northern border other than an ocean. Could Ehren come from Tormany, to the east?

Siberys: It's too early to say whether anyone knows each other. Shar'ra and Ehren don't (Shar'ra is heading west from the Wasteland towards civilization, judging by your backstory, and Ehren arrived in Karnakiid City a month ago, right after King Arluss III was assassinated.) Still waiting on the other backstories.

I asked a while ago, but no one responded: is there a decent online mapping program? If so, I could get the map up tonight.

Siberys · Post by **Siberys** » Fri May 20, 2011 7:37 pm

Maptools. That's a pretty good program if you can figure out how to use it.

If you want something a little more simple, I can give you a gridmap in a BMP format I save for mapping occasions.

malinzaro · Post by **malinzaro** » Fri May 20, 2011 11:41 pm

Annette wrote:...

I asked a while ago, but no one responded: is there a decent online mapping program? If so, I could get the map up tonight.

I know a few for dungeon drawing, but even then it can get tedious. One of them can create a full realm and you can check a few images following AutoREALM. If you like it you can download the program here

For dungeons creating you can check this map maker: Ye Old Map Maker. You can also load maps created by others and they are quite a few. I don't know the details since I never created a user to fully see the benefits of the tools.

A site for maintaining campaign would be Obsidian and you can check it following this link though again I never used it to see its tools for DMs.

I am sorry for not replying earlier, but I must have missed that post. Either way better late or never! Though this tools might be difficult to use faster than drawing something really basic and using a scanner with Paint.

EDIT: Westan's biography is up. He has some barbaric heritage, but he comes from a family traditionally trained as duskblades. I am looking forward to your feedback.

MistSonata · Post by **MistSonata** » Sat May 21, 2011 12:35 pm

Sorry for the wait everyone. I think I've got everything in order with my character sheet (a link should be in my signature) as well as my background, which is posted in the notes on the sheet, but I'll put it here too for easy reading.

Elliah was born among her kind in a small community of Dream Dwarves called Silf'klyn, on the hills at the foot of a mountain. Even at a very young age she had the tendency to wander, and explore. She would turn up in the oddest places, sometimes not coming back for days. She was called "small wanderer", a name that followed her when she left home at the age of 26—an adolescent in the eyes of her people—to join a nomadic tribe of druids, who called her "Airana". With them she traveled, and learned the ways of a druid, and the gods.

She met her animal companion when they traveled through a stretch of grassland, a female Tressym she named Aesenyth, who she became very fond of. After years of wandering with her adoptive tribe, she began to have waking dreams—visions from Dal Quor, the realm of dreams. Something was calling for her, out in the distance. A light, and an eerie song dancing on the horizon. Again she wandered, and strayed from the path of the druids she had followed for so many years to follow the astral light, unknowingly making her way through the desert sands toward Karnakiid.

Siberys · Post by **Siberys** » Sun May 22, 2011 10:55 am

Looks like MistSonata and I are ready, Is there anyone else who isn't ready yet?

malinzaro · Post by **malinzaro** » Sun May 22, 2011 1:15 pm

And why am I not ready? I think I could be counted as ready myself