DM themed play-by-post D&D game : OOC thread

[money]

Thanks Beowuuf for the help tonight... My Charactor:

Name: Falkor
Race: Halfling Mage

Strength - 6,
Dexterity - 13,
Inteligence - 14,
Wisdom - 11,
Constitution - 8,
Charisma - 10

knowledge - 4 (Dungeoneering 1, Arcana 3)
concentration - 4
Acrobatics - 2
Heal - 2

4 ranks in speak language (halfling,common)
1 rank in speak language (orc)

Feat - Spell Penetration

[beowuuf]

@Ian. You still get to pick one fighter feat. It must specifically be a fighter feat, but otherwise you can chose whatever as long as you have the pre-requisites. Can I suggest power attack, which lets you take hit roll penalties to damage? If you have that, you can then go for cleave, which allows to to make an attack on someone beside you right away if you drop an enemy. And that sets you up for great cleave, which lets you keep doing that as long as you keep dropping people!

It's a boring staple of the fighters, feel free to chose other feats, but it sure is fun if you get the right set of enemies and damage rolls!

[beowuuf]

Ok people, put up the four character sheets for you to peruse and add to, and so I also have spotted where I suck:

@ian: as said, I need your bonus fighter feat, otherwise you are good to go.

@oh_brother: You can pick an additional language from the elven additional languages. You will only be able to speak basic sentences in this (1 rank).

@money: I mis-calculated your intelligence bonus. So you actually have +2. That means you get an extra 4 skill points to add to your skills (no more than four points per skill still) or you can add to an additional skill like appraise or knowledge (something else). It also means for free you can either get another language from Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin or you can improve your Orc to 2 ranks, meaning you would speak it better than Haynuus!

@ameena: TBC

[beowuuf]

And so begins the game! Sorry this is a bit of a 'love you and leave you', time marches on, but really a week just feeling out your characters should be a good start. Just don't worry about the surroundings or mechanics of the game just yet

Anyway, all you need to do now is...post!

For the next week, you are obviously going to be stuck in a room with each other, which will equate to however long in game time. Use it well to roleplay your characters and make your mark on each other, as I hope to keep pushing the game forward after that. Basically, use the week as characters to sound each other out. As players, use the week to work out what you want to do and not do together. Call for help? Focus on one door and get it open? Take the time to pool your knowledge, or perhaps conduct a thorough search? Should you be quiet or not? All fun things to think about, and have your characters bicker about. As players, have a plan of action ready by next Wednesday! Dice will start rolling, and thing will start happening! Ish.

Since I won't be around to resolve alot of actions, here are some basic points. We can explore them more thoroughly when I get back and the group has a plan of action:
- the grate appears solid and not instantly movable
- the area beyond the grate, even to those with dark vision, seems to be empty - like a huge hall.
- the wooden door does appear to be movable, probably by pulling the chain. Might need some effort to open it, though.
- the torch seems normal, and can come out of the the wall
- none of you possess any weapons, nor carrying containers. You are dressed simply, in clothes you would usually wear - if any - but as if anything or worth or use has been stripped from you. If you possessed such things when you left your home. Hard to tell, because...
- you all can remember the world outside well. You can all remember being in your homes. If your backstory is that you were preparing to undertake a mission, you remember preparing. However, you cannot remember any danger you might have been preparing for. Certainly, you cannot remember any details of what got you from your last memory, to this place. In a way it is like a dream, as if you have fallen asleep and can't quite remember your normal life right now
- certainly, anything that strikes you as odd you are allowed to comment on and conjecture over
- none of you actually heard someone say welcome back brave adventuers...at least, if you did, you will not remember it having woken up...

Ok, hopefully that is enough for you. I will maybe be around until tomorrow lunchtime. again, apologies, and hope this isn't an odd false start. Anyone who has not posted a bio, remember to include a description of yourself in your first post, or include an OOC description here.

Remember to not post too far ahead of one another - try to keep to one post a day for the next week!

Good luck!

[beowuuf]

Oh, one last thing to the wizard and cleric, regarding runes. You may well remember they exist, you may well remember even using them somehow to invoke your powers, but for right now, they are sliding away from your memory. Like trying to recall a dream...

We may well be able to remedy that next week... for now, you are powerless!

[Ameena]

Oh good, so we're not waking up in a dark room surrounded by worms then .
Just to note - there is a detailed physical description of Ameena in her character profile, but out of habit and inc ase anyone can't be arsed to read it, I'll include descriptions and stuff as I RP her anyway, in case even if you have read it, you've forgotten .

[Gambit37]

Nice start! I shall have fun following what everyone gets up to. I think I'll enjoy reading it more than I would playing it -- the reason i loved DM is not needing to know any rules....

By the way, the plural of foot is "feet" -- the room is 20 feet wide.

[beowuuf]

Damn, and my surprise where you all have to make will saves to realise you are in a dark room surrounded by worms is all spoiled now

[beowuuf]

Nice post Ameena.

Hmm, perhaps I should place the current game time wise for you all. Well, you certainly all know of the Grey Lord, and Mount Anai..thingie. Unfortunately, if you try and concentrate on anything more than that, you will get another one of those memory swirly thingies. For now

[ian_scho]

@Beo The power attack sounds great, thanks.

[beowuuf]

As you get higher level, and can put a bigger bonus into it, you'll love it

Ok, off to get my last minute stuff done, might quickly check in beforehand. Everyone feel free to make up your little corner of the DM world in your posts and breathe life into the setting aswell as the character!

[oh_brother]

@oh_brother: You can pick an additional language from the elven additional languages. You will only be able to speak basic sentences in this (1 rank).

I was thinking about something relatively useless the priests would have taught him, along the lines of Latin. So Celestial is the closest. He learned the basics in school, although his accent is probably terrible since he never spoke with a native Celestial speaker

[beowuuf]

That's cool, I imagine it like latin if you are RC, you'd know the basic phrases and roughly what they mean, but if someone put a holy text infront of you, you'd only be able to get the basic gist if that

[ian_scho]

I'll be grabbing the torch and waving it on the other side of the closed metal grating next. See if we can see anything... Just to DO something

[beowuuf]

You can certainly do that. The inky blackness will resist your efforts to be anything but black. Even with your darksight, all you would see is a wide open expanse like a huge hall. The floor looks about the same, and you imagine the walls the grate is on running beyond the edge of vision. At 60 feet, that's alot of room!


Anyway, love you guys already! Nice intros, I expect I will be well entertained when I get back. Speaking of which, I need a clean t-shirt, a packed bag, and then a train time!

[Ameena]

Quick question (Ian, Money, OB) - what's everyone wearing? Just out of curiosity. Ameena's just a sleek brown rat-looking critter in a worn brown travelling cloak (in case anyone's not had the endurance to make it through the entirety of her profile and find out ) and with nothing else on her at all. Just wanted to know what everyone else looks like, beyond the basic physical description given in the character profiles...

[ian_scho]

I hope I'm wearing those sexy leather brown trousers you get in DM. Pleeeaaase!
Not too bothered about the top half.
Sandals would be nice.
No charms, bracelets or trinkets but one onerous tattoo.

[oh_brother]

I hope I'm wearing those sexy leather brown trousers you get in DM. Pleeeaaase!

Ha ha! Those are damn sexy alright

Westian is wearing what appear to be expensive clothes: a fine blue pair of trousers, a white shirt , a blue cloak and leather boots. He is slim, but moves with a fluidity that shows what muscles he has work very well indeed. He auburn hair is tied back from his face.

[money]

Falkor is a naturist - at least in the comfort of his own home, however on this occasion, as was usually the case for him going on a quest (Not that he can recall any quest!) he is lucky enough to be wearing a pair of Grey Trousers, and Green top (kindley donated by an Elf friend many years ago) and a small Steson styled Cowbay Hat - White of course

[oh_brother]

Folks, I don't know if I will be internet active on Saturday and Sunday. If people are posting you can assume Westian is listening to what you are saying (of course I will read the topics when I am back) and I will be back posting as normal on Monday.

Have a good weekend!

[beowuuf]

Hard to type, take weekend off and carry on Monday. Love you guys, keep it up! Dm update Tuesday.

[Ameena]

Just to let you chaps know, I'm gonna be in Lincolnshire from tonight till late Wednesday night (or thereabouts). Not sure if I'll get much/any Internet access 'cause apparently the connection is crap up there. I will try, however, even if only to post on here and carry on the story . This is just a heads-up in case I can't get online.

[beowuuf]

Awww, ok!

If you get the chance, roll a couple of d20s, but otherwise from what I checked at PAX I think I have the info I need for your actions, and I'll just roll evil dice myself and laugh at you

[beowuuf]

Ok players, as I see it, this is a summary of what you've done. Generally trying to work out each other will be taken into account. Yell if this doesn't seem right, and what I now need from you is in bold

Haynuus: Checked out beyond the grate door thoroughly. Preparing to lift the wooden door. Given away the torch.
I need you to roll one d20 twice please! Also, once the dust has settled, will you ask for the torch back as Westian suggested?

Westian: Checked out what Haynuus did with the grate. Trying to remember spells. Looking to the wooden door, awaiting what is beyond.
I need you to roll one d20 twice please!

Falkor: Sneezed (free action ). Suggested planning for the door opening. Carefully inspecting to area of the torch sconce with the torch.
I need you to roll one d20 twice please! Also, I need you to tell me if you are checking the sconce but keeping and eye on the door, are you ignoring the door but only quickly checking the sconce, or are you going to fully ignore the door and take as much time as you need on the sconce?

Ameena: Thoroughly sniffing all corners of the room. Worried about being trapped in the room if the wooden door opens.
I need you to roll one d20 twice!


Also, Westian and Haynuus (mostly Westian): Are you going to allow Ameena and Falkor to do their thing, or are you going to be distracted calling for them to come back / wait for them to finish? I assume Haynuus is yanking the door up right now unless told!

Finally, Westian: If Haynuus has any problems, will you move to help, or will you let him keep trying and focus on the door/the wayward rat and halfling?


Heh, with so many posts I'm glad I don't need more stuff clarified and resolved!

So guys, basically if you roll two d20s each, post the results here for now, and I'll explain what's happening with them! Hopefully Ameena can roll her own dice and comment, if not I will go ahead assuming my action summary is correct and roll for her.

[money]

Hi Beowuuf - hope the trip was good,

Falcor rolls 2d20 and gets 12,17 - hops this is all thats needed on that front and I'm checking the sconce but keeping an eye on the door, wouldn't trust Haynuus to be of much use if anything comes through without someone giveing direction

[beowuuf]

Cool, thanks very much!

Right, time to explain money (and everyone else's) rolls, but using Falkor as the example.

Right now most of you are doing stuff that has a chance of failure. As you may guess, to resolve this potential failure, I'm making you do check rolls!

If you don't have the right skills, or if the thing you are doing doesn't have a skill associated, this is just the basic ability check. For example, Haynuus (for reasons I won't divulge) need to check roll to open the door. This is a simple feat of strength, no skill can help, so his roll will be 1d20+3.

Falkor, meanwhile, is doing things where skills can help. And he has some skills! Therefore, it becomes two skill rolls for him!
The fist skill roll will be for the suggestion of planning. Falkor is a knowledgeable soul, and wasn't doing anything else major then. Therefore, as he suggested planning, I am allowing his character to roll a knowledge check. Specifically, dungeoneering he has +3 in. Dungeoneering is essentially all the stuff you might learn about dungeons - surviving in them, what creatures are in them, architecture of them, even tactics.

12+3 = 15. A difficulty class of DC10 would be common sense knowledge - like unless you are careful, the door might make noise that would travel through narrow corridors. DC 15 is starting to be actually knowledgeable, like the smart-ass in a pub quiz. So nice roll there, you managed to equal that DC, therefore you get to be a knowledgeable smart-ass and have a few ideas! I'll post the ideas when I update, and money you can decide if Falkor is forward enough to speak them out loud!

The other roll is obviously observation on the sconce. The reason I asked the three-part question is that, alot of the time, there are three ways you can do a skill check. Firstly, if you have all the time in the world, you can Take 20. If a skill check can be attempted many times, you could check it until you hit 20. So Take 20 is a formalised thing you can do, when there is no pressure, so just keep poking until you are happy. However, that takes time, and you cannot be unfocused or rushed!

Ameena's sniffing will be take 20 unless someone interrupts her, or unless you lot act fast and she loses the time it needs to sniff all around the room!

Notice that, if you aren't hurried, and aren't being thorough, you can take 10. This means you are focused on the check, but aren't being thorough and obsessive. You do a decent job, without panicking, yet without spending a long time

Imagine you have lost your keys. If you are rushing out the door, you would need to roll a skill check. If you are simply curious where they have gone but don't need them right now, you could take 10 - especially if you know they must be easy to find, or you are good at finding them, this would be enough. Or, if you have the time but just MUST find them, you would take 20. This is you tearing the house apart!

Why not take 20 if you always have the time? well, imagine there is a penalty for failure. Imagine if you roll a very low number, this simulates you accidentally knocking your keys from a precarious position and they slide down the back of the fridge, never to be found! If there is a possibility for failure, it will always happen with a take 20. If your keys are really that well hidden you needed to take 20, and are tearing the house apart looking for your keys, chances are you'll make them fall before you find them.

Anyway, since you are keeping an eye on the door as you check, I'll keep the roll as a check roll. Money, you don't have any skill points in perception, so this should be a flat wisdom check at +0. Which means you scored a 17. However, as a halfling you get a bonus if there is a sound-based component. So you score a 19 against hearing something.

Sadly, either there is nothing to be discovered with the sconce, or it is something complicated and subtle with a DC of 20 or higher, as you have found nothing.

Still, 17 is a good roll for perception, and there is something odd to notice there, so I will post what Falkor noticed when I update!


Anyway, sorry for the long ramble, just wanted to get everyone up to the same point on skill checks. As you suggest actions, I have no problem with you also pre-emptively rolling a d20 and adding the bonus you think applicable from your character sheet. It will help! Look to your skills section (I should have summarised all bonuses there) and if nothing relevant has been listed, make a check against the raw ability.

Remember that a skill check is usually made in conjunction with an action. Don't just roll the die, describe the action - I may alter what you find, or how difficult it is to find, for a good description. Also, remember that usually you will only have enough time per post to do one action, hence only one skill check. Don't look around while recalling a fact while holding a slippery rope - I may well penalise all your checks for the multi-tasking.

[money]

Can't wait for the next update on the story...Been getting excited all week!

[beowuuf]

I think the story really starts after the next post! Be good to get some momentum now!

[beowuuf]

1d20=6
My activation key didnt... Activate

forgot to add the +3!

Ah ha, it was using Chrome. fixed.
Test Roll (1d20=6)

Cut the rolls out to here, don't want to clutter up the story thread!

Ok, so you don't have any skill points in perception nor other non-ability score bonuses, so it's really a wisdom roll for you. You score 8, which is sadly a little below a basic DC! That darn Westian distracting you, and the torchlight getting in the way of your darksight

Your strength check is 9, which again is below average. I'm not saying a strong fellow such as yourself can't open the door, but... we'll, you'll see!

Ok, just need Westian's rolls and especially a ruling on helping Haynuus/not helping him from oh_brother (and Ameena's, but to carry on the game I will probably make hers for her) and then we can move on!

[ian_scho]

Ohh, and the half-orc had better get the torch back off the Halfling if the door rolls up. Something to hit a monster over the head with.

sorry about posting in the wrong place!