D&D: "You All Meet At An Inn" Campaign Reboot

[alexandraerin]

Note: If you see this on Facebook and would like to join, please comment on the Livejournal version of the post.



So as I mentioned in the previous post... and as the multiple preceding posts about D&D sort of indicated... I'm getting ready to revive my online gaming groups that were aborted last fall by the death of my desktop computer and the several month delay in getting a working replacement.

I'm going to be running basically the same campaigns as I was before, but due to the lengthy delay and some things I feel I could have done better from the start, they're going to be total reboots. Submissions will be open to anybody who has a Livejournal account or is willing to use OpenID to comment on Livejournal... I'm not going to be using an outside blog site this time, to cut down on my mental overhead.

The "Asfenar" campaign, which met on Sundays, will also be restarting... if you were in the Asfenar group and would like to be again, please wait for that post to go up about a week from now. I'm less satisfied overall with how the "Inn" campaign was going (because of my decisions) so I've been giving it more thought; ergo, it's getting restarted first.

Now, I already know that not everybody from the first incarnation is going to be available. Some people had issues with the time commitment that probably haven't resolved themselves. But if you were in the group before and would like to be again, I'm not trying to exclude anyone by not contacting them directly. I don't have access to the email address I was using to run the games and I don't really remember who you people were.

Even if you did play in the previous version I can't guarantee that anyone's going to be in, except for my actual close friends who I've already guaranteed will be in. That's pretend life. If you played before, please don't feel like I'm snubbing you if you don't make it in again. I'm going to be looking for the characters that I think make the best fit... you folks probably have a better idea what I'm looking for than anyone else. Feel free to submit your old character, a new version of that character, or someone new, if you're interested in playing again.

Though some of the parameters of the campaign have changed, so if you don't feel like participating, or don't have time, don't feel like you're going to be hurting me.

The game will be starting on Thursday, the 29th of this month. Anyone who's interested should have their character submitted before this coming weekend is up. I'm not setting an exact cut-off but I'm going to start putting the group together sometime Saturday, so if you have your character in before then you'll have the best chances.

The details:

1. This campaign has themes that might be found similar to TV shows like Quantum Leap, Time Tunnel, Sliders, Lost In Space, Farscape, Star Trek: Voyager, or even the old Dungeons & Dragons cartoon... the characters are "lost" or "adrift" in some fashion. More will be revealed/discovered in play.
   
2. This is going to be a fairly roleplay-heavy, story-focused game. Players should be prepared to roleplay, and to give their actions some descriptive flair in combat. Combats will tend to involve small numbers of enemies, with a focus on interesting environments or combatants. My goal is for the narrative flow of the game to continue uninterrupted throughout fights, avoiding as much of the jarring shift between "story mode" and "battle mode" as possible. This is something I've always believed in, but rarely have able to bring to life.
   
3. Required programs include Skype (free) and a web browser. I strongly encourage the D&D Character Builder (low-cost*) and a (free) IPlay4E account (Google logins work), as it's the easiest way for me to keep everybody's character sheets handy. While we'll be using Skype for chatting (I find it convenient), microphone/voice equipment is not needed, as we'll be sticking to text to avoid the technical difficulties voice conferencing can cause.
   
4. In order to keep the technical requirements low, avoid further problems caused by uneven connection quality, and help keep the combat transitions seamless, we'll be ditching Screen Monkey and using the Abstract Combat Mapless Encounter system I devised. A cleaned up version of those rules with revisions (mostly simplifications) from the playtest session will be posted soon... it's a fairly simple set of "rule hacks" to translate the action from the grid into words.
   
5. Regular game time will be Thursday nights at 9:00 PM central time. Sessions will last approximately two hours, with a half-hour overrun in case we're in the middle of something. In other words, I'll aim to be done by 11:00 central, but please be prepared to go to 11:30. This will be an ongoing game. The tools and parameters I've set mean that I can run it from any computer, anywhere I go, even my little netbook. I don't expect anyone to commit to play "forever", but please don't apply if you know you've got a conflict coming up in the next couple months. Occasional absences and breaks I can deal with.
   

If you would like to play, please comment with a link to your completed character sheet in IPlay4E, or a write-up of your character if you don't have the Character Builder. Please apply with no more than two characters. In your comment, give a brief description of your roleplay experience and your character... tell me what you're going for, basically, in about two-three sentences. Also please tell me if we know each other and how. This includes if you were in the previous version of this campaign... telling me what character you played would be helpful as I'm more likely to remember that than anything else.

I'm as interested in people who have experience with freeform roleplaying (like is often found in forums or Livejournal communities) as experience with D&D, though some experience is preferred.

Legal characters:

• All characters should be level one, using standard point buy or an equivalent method of generating ability scores. (No rolling.) Standard 100 GP for starting equipment and money. What your character is carrying/wearing is all you'll have access to in the campaign... you can have other property "back home" if it fits your character, be it a hovel or an estate. Your clothing can be of any quality/description suitable for travel without having to pay out of your equipment budget.
  
• You do not start with any magic items. I hope none of the old group is disappointed by this. I'd like to keep things simple for less experienced players.
  
• If you select Backgrounds for your character, do not pick one that gives a non-standard benefit.
  
• You can pick campaign-setting-specific Backgrounds and Deities. Feel free to create your character as if they are from the Realms or Eberron or any permutation of the vaguely defined core D&D campaign setting. Or not.
  
• I'm not going to veto any race or class that's in the Compendium/Character Builder. If anybody wants to play as a Monster Manual race I may have to alter their racial abilities for balance. Please don't take that to mean that "monster" races will be deprecated in favor of Player's Handbook ones.
  
  Also, people who read this journal regularly should know I see serious issues with the Drow. Keep that in mind before submitting a character. I'm not saying there is no Drow character I would accept. But it's not likely a given person will come up with one.
  
  Other than that I'm not going to favor any selections over others, except that I'm not likely to pick two characters from the same race if that race is one of the ones that sounds more like a superhero origin story than a people with a culture. Keep that in mind when asking to play a telepathic crystalline construct made from fragments of the Living Gate or an undead being called forth into new life by the Raven Queen. Elves and Dwarves and Goblins and Gnomes and things will be evaluated on their own merits. Shardminds and Revenants and such will also be evaluated on how far the rest of the party's composition is straining my credulity.
  
• I'm not aiming for a specific number of characters in each role this time. However, I will be trying to make sure every role is covered.
  
• I'm not aiming for a specific group size, either. If there are too many characters I like, I may create a "second cast" that meets on a different night.
  
• While creative interpretation of character abilities (also known as "re-skinning" or "re-fluffing") is a good thing, all characters must be valid, legal 4E characters with no homebrew abilities. Please don't ask me to approve any power customizations or substitutions not allowed by the rules as written.
  

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*The full version of the Character Builder with up-to-date information can be downloaded by anyone with a D&D Insider subscription. It's possible to get a one month subscription just to download the current version of the program, giving you a one-time fee of $10. Sharing DDI passwords or copies of the program is a violation of the license terms and will thus not be discussed here.

If you already have access to the books you need to create your character but don't have the Character Builder, you can post the salient details in a comment and... if selected... I'll run it through the Character Builder and put the results up in IPlay4E. It's just less work for everybody if you have the Character Builder.


Update on 7/16:

The group list is almost set, see the next post for details. I wouldn't mind having another character or two who can fight on the front line/in melee, again, see the next post for details. Please follow the instructions above to apply with them. If you've already applied and didn't make the list, you can submit a new character.

Comments

[calianissene.livejournal.com]

Awww. Thursdays are a no-go for me :(
That's sad, I would really have liked to pick up Aurora again. Text-style would actually have been even easier for me than chat-style as well, as that's the type of roleplaying I'm most used to.

Oh well. Have fun, everybody!

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. I had a chance to accommodate a friend who wasn't able to play last time.

On top of the other benefits, I'm hoping text will bring out more roleplay... I know one of the groups had some roleplay going on in text, while voice ended up mostly being used for technical stuff. I didn't expect it to, but I think voice actually robbed a little spontaneity, because you feel you have to wait to be sure if someone else is about to start talking.

[ionicaq.livejournal.com]

Hmm, 9pm Central is 11pm Eastern, right? I'm very interested, but I'm not sure I can be up that late during the week...

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

10 PM Eastern.

[stormcaller3801.livejournal.com]

Simply because the character demands it (and text would mean I don't have to worry about the neighbors), I'm resubmitting a character based upon Brian Blessed. However, this time he's a Bard/Warlord Hybrid, because honestly that just sounds right.

Carrog the (fill in the blank). Carrog the Mighty! Carrog the Magnificent! Carrog the Brave! It all really comes down to what sounds appropriate for that moment. His family was part of a half-elven troupe of actors, with the goliaths (predictably) filling in for any sort of giant or other large opponent in the things. Carrog took to the role enthusiastically, particularly in one of the recurring favorites, The Downfall of Lord Temerius, Titan General. As part of his enthusiasm he's learned as much as he can about both oratory and warfare, feeling it necessary to play the part and just generally being fun.

He's also got a 'musical instrument' although it's hard to decide whether it's a woodwind or a horn- it's akin to a stave that's been hollowed out, and creates a sound not unlike a fog horn. Carrog used to use it to announce the play was about to begin. For some reason the troupe insisted he take it with him when he struck out on his own.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

Insider Tip: You might want to submit an alternate build for Carrog that's more Striker or Defender, or else an alternate character. There's already a character in this group who is an (admittedly very different) admixture of Warlord and Bard.

I'm not yet sure whether or not I think it would cause any problems/confusion to have the two in the same party. Both characters at issue seem to a very good example of how character classes can be utterly invisible in relation to character concept and play. But I think it's only fair to let you know that this may be an issue that causes me to pass over this incarnation of Carrog The Superlative.

Count me in

[sylvandragoon.livejournal.com]

I'm heading to work right now, but you can bet your ass that the Paladin/Bard character I discussed with you in those messages last week will be submitted.

I did want to ask you a question though.... Would you consider Prestidigitation or Mage Hand (and this is stretching it, but....maybe both?) as the Half-Elf Dilettante power? If not that is fine, there is a nice Cha based Warlock at-will that damages an opponent if they move closer to you... which works very well with the Paladin's Mark. But, the wizard class features make more sense from a background perspective, and I LOVE having prestidigitation. A bookworm Paladin who can make dancing lights for kids, tidy his armor with little/no effort, and sit in a library flipping through books without touching them? Yes please.

Re: Count me in

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

Sorry, no. Strictly rules as written for character abilities (except, as noted, Monster Manual races). Otherwise I have to start evaluating everybody's customizations for balance.

Re: Count me in

[http://www.google.com/profiles/Sithobi1 (from livejournal.com)]

Dire Radiance is Con-based, by the way.

[gamingdragon.livejournal.com]

i'll be there I can bring Gallifreya back

[kynn.livejournal.com]

darn, someone's already got a charisma paladin... back to the drawing board.

[bobmacpharson.livejournal.com]

I am tempted to submit a Drow-something, just to prove I can make it work. (Don't recoil in terror too quickly, I don't even own any fourth edition books and this doesn't seem like the optimal time to try the game out).

I am curious though: do you even have something specific in mind for how Drow operate (civilization-wise) in your campaign? For that matter, do you have anything specific in mind for how any given race operates in your campaign?

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

You can pick campaign-setting-specific Backgrounds and Deities. Feel free to create your character as if they are from the Realms or Eberron or any permutation of the vaguely defined core D&D campaign setting. Or not.

[shadedevlin.livejournal.com]

I'll see if I can work something out. I only played 3.5E for about three months, but 4E shouldn't be too difficult to learn, especially with how you're presenting it.

Now I just hafta make myself remember what having fun on a day off is like.

[sylvandragoon.livejournal.com]

http://iplay4e.appspot.com/characters/agdpcGxheTRlchQLEgtDaGFyYWN0ZXJWMhi49fUBDA

I first played D&D with my brother and his friends when I was around 8-9 years old, and have tried to keep up with the hobby in the intervening fourteen years. My favorite campaigns have been largely story-driven, where the actions of players have had definite consequences in the campaign world. I enjoy D&D for the opportunity to team up with other creative minds to create an ongoing, and hopefully awesome story.

Brief example of what I am thinking of when I say player actions change the story, and have definite consequences. While flying in our airship over a Pelorian theocracy, my healer wrote an impassioned letter to the nation's high priest requesting they marshal whatever aid they could to assist with the destruction of a horrible, multi-planar abomination.... The response? 4 months later (real time) their messenger *finally* catches up to us....to deliver an artifact staff traditionally wielded by the avatar of Pelor. Yeah, major awesome moment. The same campaign also had us visiting five locations affected by the demigod abberation, and each location was designed to grow progressively more complicated and screwed up as we took more time to reach it.

I will admit, I am a slightly reformed power-gamer, but I have found a lot of fulfillment in supportive roles. In 3.5 and pathfinder my favorite characters to play have been healers and bards,

Also, as to whether or not you know me....probably not. I have posted here a couple of times... including a monster comment of my own Bard story on one of your Pallas Snowblade posts (found here http://alexandraerin.livejournal.com/66315.html)
Other than that and a PM or two about D&D stuff, no, you really have no reason to know/remember me.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I wanted to make sure you see the update I'm adding above... so far I'm seeing a lot of overlap in the classes people are applying for, so I'm going to suggest that if you want to maximize your chance of playing you apply with a second character. I'm not wholeheartedly opposed to duplicate character classes in one group, but I'm going to be looking at building a group that strikes me as interesting and where everyone's going to have their own things to do.

[luke-licens.livejournal.com]

I just gotta throw my hat in:
Toben Brausen, Eladrin Storm-Sorcerer
http://iplay4e.appspot.com/characters/agdpcGxheTRlchQLEgtDaGFyYWN0ZXJWMhjRsYACDA

A wanderer who's travels are as unpredictable as the weather that he draws his power from, Toben is a force of nature in more ways than the obvious. Despite near a century of wandering, he still retains a certain naivete. Add in insatiable curiosity and a quicksilver temperament and the result can politely be referred to as 'interesting'.

As far as my player resume, some of you may remember me as Rimmic, the Fist of the Raven Queen, during our travels in Asfenar. I'll be more than happy to share tales of glory from other campaigns around the campfire on request. ^_^

In fact I can remember once upon a time, a particularly cunning Succubus had ensorcelled my good friend Lominor, Cleric of Pelor. She tossed a hanky over the side of the ship, and asked him if he would be so kind as to fetch it for her. Being a right upstanding holy man, he promptly leaped the railing...in a suit of full plate...

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

Wasn't he worried about rust?

[kynn.livejournal.com]

So here's my first one:

Kithri Lovestruck is a halfling paladin who is focused on the "love" aspect of Sehanine. I used this picture I found on deviantart as my inspiration for what she should look like:

Kithri is cheerful and happy! Almost overly so. Kithri's got a lovely smile. She has brown hair and brown eyes, and tan skin. Usually she wears pink platemail and carries a light shield in the shape of a heart. She also wears a holy headband of some sort, and has a symbol of Sehanine hanging on a chain worn around her neck.

Kithri believes in the power of True Love. Love can overcome all! Especially evil things. True Love, and a sword. Maybe a sling, too.

She also is a consummate matchmaker and is always trying to find ways to set up new relationships for her friends, her acquaintances, complete strangers, and folks she's never met but has heard of in passing.

[kynn.livejournal.com]

I made up Arana Cross, my avenger, but her backstory was too tragic and I don't want to play her now. Poor Arana! So I am still thinking. I probably will post Optima Brand here.

[kynn.livejournal.com]

And here's my second one:

Optima Brand is a fighter who carries around a heck of a lot of weapons. This picture from deviantart was the visual inspiration.

During Optima's early childhood, both her parents were highly skilled officers in a well-regarded mercenary company. They eventually died in a disastrous campaign, and Optima followed the mercenary company around until she was old enough to join their ranks. Eventually she left and struck out on her own.

Optima is outgoing to the point of being bawdy at times; she has sworn like a mercenary ever since she first learned to speak. She loves combat and prides herself on always being prepared for whatever circumstances may come. She lives her life to the fullest, because a mercenary's life is rarely a long one.

Optima is tall and broad-shouldered, with a shock of red hair that she doesn't take care of except to hack it back when it gets too long for fighting. She carries more weapons than most; a polearm, a sword, an axe or two, a mace. She says they're all necessary. Really! Her scale armor was inherited from both her parents (it's kind of a mashup of two suits) and is quite battered and worn. When out of her armor, she wears comfortable but well-lived in clothes. She's got freckles on her cheeks, shoulders, and upper arms which seem oddly out of place. Oh, and Optima's got bright blue-green eyes.

When she gets more money (she's currently dead broke), she's gonna buy more weapons. And maybe a shield.

[gamingdragon.livejournal.com]

that pic reminds me of my barbarin who was carrying the biggest sword we could legally give her *snicker* since she was a halfing sized cat person it was great And yes it was part of the comdy that it was bigger then her

Gnomish Warlock

[gearloose.livejournal.com]

Gnorm was born a Fomorian slave in the feydark. Life for him growing up was brutal and hard, the Fomorians were quick to punish any percived transgression. When in his mid teens he was part of a foraging group that went up into the feywild. While gathering herbs he discovered an opportunity to escape. A rift had opened between the feywild and another world. Silently he slipped away from the group and made his way through the rift. For several years he survived alone stealing what he needed, not trusting anyone. Over time he gradually began to enjoy life for the first time, and slowly realized that not everyone was out to get him.



As a side note I purchased two horns for a total of 14 gp and 6 lbs of weight. I did so because cooking implements are not available in the character builder so they really represent some basic cooking supplies. I also purchased rare herbs which I will be using as spices.

Re: Gnomish Warlock

[gearloose.livejournal.com]

hmmm the link to him didn't take lets try again.

http://iplay4e.appspot.com/view?xsl=fullviewPref&key=agdpcGxheTRlchQLEgtDaGFyYWN0ZXJWMhjCofQBDA

and oh yeah my gaming history. I've been playing D&D since 1989 started with the red box. I've done every update to the rules since. I prefer 3.5 to 4th ed but would love the chance to get in on this. I've also played several other systems including white wolf, palladium, cyber punk, mouseguard, burning wheel, and a few others I can't think of right now. By the way Alexandra I think you would really like burning wheel, it is an entirely story driven RP system that starts character creation at birth. It uses an entirely abstract combat system that is both brutal and realistic. Plus the characters get to help create the world during character creation by purchasing relationships with NPC's (both friends and enemies) and affiliations with organizations. These NPC's and organizations are fleshed out by the player. Oh and failure is needed to improve your skills, but thats ok because failure doesn't mean you didn't do what you wanted it means complication. Example if you were trying to say pick a lock and you failed the roll the GM says well ok you got the lock open but just as you did guards on patrol came around the corner.

[choiseul.livejournal.com]

I have to say, I am so glad you're doing it on Thursdays at that time. Because that's around 3 am for me, and if it wasn't then I'd be far too tempted to give this a go. And that would mean my dissertation would never get done. (That, and I haven't played forum/chat based RPs in far too long and I wouldn't want to mess anything up for other people. But I am definitely wanting to get back into D&D when I find the ever-elusive time.)

If only if only

[sejemaset.livejournal.com]

I have always wondered what my favorite author was like as a DM. If only this were being run in 2nd, 3rd, or 3.5 DnD, but every experience I have had with 4E has turned out bad.

[oniexpress.livejournal.com]

Oooooooh dear. Terribly awesome in concept, terrible... 4th ED.

Not sure if I'd submit something. Less sure that it would be desirable. Absolutely sure I'd want to read the progress of this.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

This is the wrong blog to bash 4E. :P

[xaddom.livejournal.com]

I've never played DnD before but I am certainly interested in trying it. I've skimmed a lot of sourcebooks and have some friends who play, so I know what to expect. I'm not sure if someone with my nonexistent level of experience is what you want for a campaign, but I figured I'd put in my name anyway.

I've been thinking about playing as a Human druid.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

"Knowing what to expect" is pretty good. I have a friend who had to back out for time reasons whose level of experience consisted mostly of listening to podcasts of other people playing, though she's got a lot of experience with freeform roleplaying which is why I wanted her. I don't suppose you have any experience with that sort of thing? Or improv? Anything that involves putting yourself into a scene somehow?

In any event, you're more than welcome to make a character and throw it up.

[imaginedechoes.livejournal.com]

As a fan of your work, I cannot resist throwing my hat into the ring.

Concept: A robot detective who can see dead people.
Mechanics: Warforged vestige pact warlock.

Profile: Archimedes Lens was once an inspector with the gendarmes, the job he was designed for. He was conscripted and sent to the front lines, and miraculously survived the war. But for Archimedes there was no returning home, and the horrors of the war still haunt him- literally. He's tried to return to his old profession, but his habit of talking to people and things that aren't there make it difficult for him to keep a job with any regular police force. Though his strangeness has earned him a new monicker: 'Spectre.

http://rapidshare.com/files/407345167/Character_Spectre__imaginedechoes_.pdf

I'd use character builder, but I am a mac user. The PDF was generated using:

http://dnd4.com/dd-4th-edition-character-sheet

I'm a veteran 4th edition player, and I've participated in a few literate RPs in various forums.