OOC Thread

Hi everyone!

I've fixed it-- a little late-- but a stat score of 15 should only be worth +1, not plus 2... sorry y'all...

Everyone describe your clothes (just go with your normal walking-around clothes), and what you're carrying (including weapon or weapons... but be aware that normal firearms that work on Earth don't work in all Shadows... (for that matter, the special firearms that work in Amber don't work in all Shadows))...

Clothes: A little black dress as per the picture in my description.
Gear: A handbag with the usual - makeup, hygiene products, purse with money in it and a smartphone. The closest thing to a weapon she has is a can of pepper spray.

...No, I meant on your character sheet and in your Description.

...But I see you did that, too... (I put it in your character sheet under Gear and modified it for you a bit)
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 12:40, Sat 01 Sept 2018.

Also, everyone choose a portrait (if you haven't already)...

Done and done.

I've got my trusty smartphone on me, surely as a millennial that's all I need!

The people who keep logging in are some of the people who are already ready to start.

Sure hope the rest of you show back up soon to finalize things and start...

In reply to The GM (msg # 10):

I should be able to get in tonight and finish things up.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:00, Tue 04 Sept 2018.

If you do so over PM, fine. If you do it via your character sheet, then let me know when I should go look.

I have decided that (unless something happens to my schedule on that day) we will start on Friday, if at all possible...

Unless everything's ready tomorrow, but the way things are going, I doubt it...


OH! That does remind me... does anyone have days they just aren't going to be likely to be able to post?

I know Tues and Thurs will be busier days than average for me... and maybe one weekend later this month...

...If you know you'll never be able to post on weekends, or only ever on weekends, or some other special days, let me know in this thread...

I can typically post most days.  Short posts/OOC I can sometimes do during the day (East Coast US) on my phone, longer things better in evening at home/keyboard.

Yeah I don't have any specific day I normally wont be able to post. I'll normally be posting some time between 1900-2400 GMT, which is 5 hours behind the east coast.

We have one player who's caught the flu or something, but even discounting that, I have a feeling that not all of us will be posting even once a day... or to put it another way, not 7 times a week. I certainly was expecting to... Ah, well. I guess we'll see what happens... Mmmmaybe starting tomorrow, for the people who seem to show up most often, and be ready...

Okay, I'm going to start setting people up.

If you've logged in today, and you're ready, then I'll start setting you up privately.

If you haven't taken care of all required details, you won't get to start until you do.

If you have, I'll start you the next time I see you've logged in, not before (so if you're reading this today, you're logged in, but if you're reading it 3 or 4 days from now, well, now you know why I didn't get your character started already)...

Working on it boss

For example, the only player who has logged in today so far is Thaddeus' player.

Thaddeus, I'll get you started after you answer the questions I sent you via PM (unless I have any extra questions left after that, which I may have one...)

Right

(Thumbs up)

Think I'm ready.

Yup I'm ready whenever.

One player has actually started playing in a solo-for-now thread...

If you feel that you're ready and that I'm not talking to you about it, let me know here...

Two players have started playing in their own solo-for-now threads...

Funny (or is it?) how it's the two who're starting on Earth that got rolling first...

Once again, if you feel that you're ready and that I'm just not talking to you about it, let me know here...

FYI Thad's thread seems to be general visibility.

Yup, my mistake, thank you...

So, FYI there’s a possibility that I may be without power etc in the aftermath of a hurricane starting the end of this week. If that happens posting will be difficult.  I’m not on the coast, no evacuation or major danger but complications likely.

Yeah, a player in another game I play gave the rest of us a similar heads' up. Don't worry, just survive and thrive.

We have a typhoon incoming, which isn't nearly as bad as a hurricane, and it probably won't pass directly through the part of the island I'm in, and even if it does the chance of power cut is minimal, but still.

Aren’t they just the same thing, just different terms depending on which ocean?

Anyways hope the typhoon is minor for you!

Oh, sorry, my sleep-depraved brain thought you said it's a tornado. Yeah, typhoon and hurricane are basically just the same thing with different names.

Both of you guys stay safe!

 Be safe and god bless.

Had a terrible 24 hours, me. Might be back tomorrow...

Sorry to hear.  Deal with real life, fantasy will keep.

Take your time, real life is all that matters.

We need to talk about combat.

I've hacked this game out of the Dungeon World rules, basically.

But I've been running combat more like PvP combat... where the bad guys roll to hit you, and can miss.

It's been pointed out to me that in that case, if the bad guys miss, the PC should get to counterattack. I think I'm fine with that.

But another issue that's been raised is that attacking with weapons should do more damage than attacking without a weapon.

One problem is that Dungeon World says little about this.

One rule I've seen to deal with this suggests that attacking without weapons should have a -2 penalty to damage.

I didn't really like that... but the proposed alternative, that attacking WITH a weapon should give a bonus, seems overpowered to me.

So I'm asking in general... what should be done about this?

I'm thinking about having the penalty to damage if no weapon is used... but should it be -1 or -2...? (I have to admit that -2 seems more realistic, but who said we have to be realistic...?)

I'll give my 2 cents on the damage unarmed issue, as I might need time on thinking about the more general combat action thing.

If there is a penalty, there will be opportunities to get around that issue with a little inventiveness (say hidden weapons, extra tools, techniques or magic to transform some natural claw/horns etc. Don't let me be the one to limit imagination). Plus it gives those who go Special Study - Martial Arts or those generally good at combat that extra worth.

Here is something to consider, problems can be fun to overcome. So the best thing to ask is, is this a situation people want as a challenge?
I'm game for a penalty. But as a combat guy. I might be shooting my own foot a little with my lacking magic spell solutions to problems.

Way I see it
-2 gives strong incentive to always have a weapon or appropriate tool on hand.
Meanwhile
-1 gives a little punishment without it being end of the world, what with how exceptional the PCs are in the setting.

I'm not particularly bothered on the matter but there should be a difference between using a weapon and you bare fists.

A -2 penalty might be steep but maybe it also encourages the use of improvisation, presumably there's always some sort of makeshift weapon you could use that could at the very least move that penalty up to -1.

Maybe instead of a damage penalty, do it as a penalty to the attack roll?  A -1 there would leave you more likely to have to expose yourself to counterattack as you have to get in closer.

If do damage penalty, maybe just say unarmed d4 - avoid 0 damage possibility, but still lower average.

But depends on how granular we want to make it.  I'm fine with mostly abstract.

I'm also curious where a 'normal' human's stats would land in this system.  I know we're not the centuries-old blenders like Corwin, and my character isn't HTH focused, but wonder how scared we should be of a random guy with a knife; if we're going to end up bloodied in pretty much any combat unless we roll really well.

I think "random human with a knife" would absolutely do less than 1d6 damage, very possibly less than 1d4... AND/OR have a serious penalty to hit. AND/OR would roll a normal damage die but then have a penalty (say 1d4-1 or 1d4-2 or 1d6-3 or something)... you get the idea...

Anyone else wanna weigh in on this issue?

The common advice with self defense instructors for an unnarmed person vs. a guy with a knife? Run away.  I'm sure their advice for fighting a sword would be even more so a case of 'run away, you fool.'

A sword has reach, it can casually cause serious damage with just a small amount of pressure because it's a ~3 foot razor blade built to do the damage it does, and in the hands of a guy like a Prince of Amber it's a monstrous proposition to tell someone to attack them unarmed.

The system without the accessories proposed by Dungeon World gives no benefit one way or another, unless the DM imposes it. As it exists without those modifiers, the difference between a guy with a sword and a guy with a spoon is nil. The question in my mind isn't if there should be penalties, it's just how much.

Having read the Dungeon World's weapon rules, regarding reach and the various other qualities on weapons, I'd suggest just using their weapons rules. It's not so scary and daunting it requires a PhD to read through and suss out what the various qualities mean, and it gives a relatively fair weighting to the weapons.

Are... we talking about this sort of thing:

http://www.necropraxis.com/201...ngeon-world-weapons/

?

Yep.

Okay, I think I'm gonna install a new rule where attacking without a weapon means a -2 damage penalty to PCs in general, unless they picked the Combat major option at character creation, in which case it'll be only -1.

Anyone wanna talk me out of it, or into changing this new rule somehow...?

I guess what I have is more of a clarifying question.

As I've yet to be spell slinging, I don't know if you've let "Cast a Spell" move cause damage or not.

What happens when someone in fiction casts a fireball? Cast a spell and then unmodified damage or have they just been using the basic moves Attack and Shoot?

As I recall, none of my people who picked magic have chosen to start with direct-damage-dealing spells. Certainly none have been cast yet.

But when the time comes... spells will do damage...

...Does that answer your question (I'm honestly not sure)...?

Ah so there are chosen spells then.

I think that does answer my question then if that is the case.

Yep--

Works for me!

I'd rather see it go down a die (d6 to d4, d10 to d8).  I'd hate to go through all the mess of getting counterattacked and everything to end up with a hit but zero damage. The combat option folks still come out ahead comparatively.

I like that, actually. I think it's an improvement. Anyone else got a yay or nay argument for or against this new idea...?

It might be a pinch harder to recall, but I think it does work out fairer indeed. Old Dungeon World wizards use a d4 while a fighter uses d10.

It's good by me :)

So since it'd be -2 and -1 being converted, would it be a two dice size drop?

D8 to D4, D6 to D3?

And then the minus one for combat pros would be..

D10 to D8.

Quick edit to add:

Average for d8: 4.5, D4: 2.5 (-2), D6: 3.5, D3, 1.5 (-2)

Average for D10: 5.5, D8 4.5 (-1)
This message was last edited by the player at 00:08, Mon 17 Sept 2018.

I was thinking that it would be just one dice level drop... in great part because it seems to me that it'd be rather easier to keep straight//remember...

So the benefit for combat isn't retained?

IMO the higher base damage die is the benefit, still doing d8 unarmed while a non-combat specialist does d4 unarmed or d6 armed.

The extra benefit, on top of doing more damage than anyone else in the same situation? No, not retained.

A PC asked a very spoiler-y question today...

It occurs to me to say this: If any of you who have not read Roger Zelazny's Amber series would like to do so, and thus would like to avoid spoilers, you'd better say so IMMEDIATELY...

Likewise, if you're sure you don't care, reply and say that now too, please...

I'm not too bother about spoilers, I'm riding this experience by the posts I see and make anyway.

Yeah I'm not bothered at all, technically I've already seen what seems to be clear spoilers. Surely be hard to play in a game like this and not see spoilers?

Yeah Seb has seen some spoilers, but not everything has been a spoiler.

It’s a great series, especially the first five.  I re-read them every few years.  Zelazny has a lot of other great stuff too - a lot of short stories and Lord of Light is excellent.

Spoilers never bother me anyways. In fact, sometimes spoilers are what make me wanna read something in the first place.

...Unfortunately, I have too many books to read, so I'm unlikely to fit a series as huge as Amber into it any time soon.

La sigh.

Okay juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuussssssssssssst sayin'.

I shall proceed...

5 full-time players, and at least 1 who's still working on joining us.

The initial preliminaries (for the 5 players) are over, and I think things are going well...

Anyone need anything, have anything they want or need to say...?

Hello person without a description!

Oh yeah, I was meaning to mention that soonish...

He means you, Jack...

What he said!

David's player normally checks back into RPol a LOT. I bet he'll be back soon...

Nothing comes to mind to ask except...
1. Where do you guys get those emblems from and how did you even get images into these text boxes anyway?
2. GM, Do I need to verbally agree with Flora's proposition to get our thread moving?

Making heraldry can be as simple as just googling "heraldry generator" or something similar. Here's one I used for this example: https://worldspinner.com/heraldry/device_editor/




It was inserted by putting:

img src=https://i.imgur.com/tCcgdhJ.png

between < > signs

I actually just used Google image search and picked one I liked. ^ ^;

Don't even ask me what it means, because I have not idea at all!

The generator is super useful though. Thanks for sharing, Jack!
This message was last edited by the player at 08:26, Wed 26 Sept 2018.

Uh... Lilith? You okay? You've been gone for some time, now...

Sorry, had been really under the weather the past few days. I'm feeling much better now and will try to get a post in soon.

I'm fine with that, just making sure you didn't disappear forever on me, as will sometimes (okay, often) happen on RPol...

Yeah, that's annoying, and I'll try not to be that girl. :)

The fact that they were 6's just add insult to the injury. lol

I would laugh at that, but because I know the pain of a bad luck with the dice.

Congrats there Lilith.

Mm, we do seem to have lost Sebastian... oh well, if he ever comes back, I'll work with him...

In the meantime, yes, move on without him, fellows... Play through, as they say in golf...

Max, if you're amenable to Jack's suggestion, let me know, and I'll relocate you two, to another thread...

Sure

Another hurricane and loss of power, may be slower over next few days.

In reply to David (msg # 80):

Thanks <3

Annnnnd all four of my active PCs are in the same place at the same time, hooray.

Please post in the Great Hall, part 2 thread (until you leave the Great Hall...)

A fun little question that might come up in game.
What kind of Shadows have you imagined on a possible to do list?

Some of mine include:
- Sherwood forest
- Goblin market/bizarre bazaar
- A world which is entirely a library

Just to name a few.

Where did everyone go?

Probably the same place as you've been, chief.

Well, I'm almost double posting to get something out.

I'm not answering this one IC because the answer is you're it unless Thaddeus ever starts posting. Or Weyland. Or anyone else who comes later.

OK, real dumb one here.
How did you guys get images into the character descriptions anyhow?

Copy Pasting didn't seem to work and neither did clicking and dragging either.

What a mystery...

Btw GM
What time of day does David see if he looks towards any windows or such for lighting? He has been down there and in a desert for a while. Never mind that staircase, by gum.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:41, Sat 27 Oct 2018.

I think it's around lunchtime, unless anyone wants to contradict me

Quote it to see the format.  after the = paste your image link, then close it with the > at the end.

The more you know.



Ta for the save there.

Anyone wants to go anywhere, let me know and I'll make a thread for you as needed...

Okay, Lilith's back... but it sounds like we might be ready for that evening meal together...? At least 2 of us are, maybe more...

Sound off in reply to this post here and let me know...
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:13, Thu 08 Nov 2018.

Sure thing.

I'm good

One more reply from anyone and I'll start it...

Works for me.

Well, American Thanksgiving holiday is over... Anything I can do to help wake things up again...? Or shall I just give y'all a bit more time...?

Would we/I know about Ghostwheel? To what extent?

Lemmee talk to you on PM...

Welcome Alec! :-)

Come back other people! :-/

One of them things, I'll be here, waiting to amass the power to end the threat to my people!

We have worlds to explore, cousin!
This message was last edited by the player at 23:55, Mon 03 Dec 2018.

Thank you, Maximillian!

I'm with you. Come back, other people!

Ug. I tried to catch up on all my RPoling today, but still haven't managed it completely. Will try again tomorrow... let me know here or over PM if there are questions (besides "where are you, GM...?")

I just can't wait to see other worlds with my intrepid explorer skills.

To see things the bizarre and strange and even the uncannily familiar.

Merry Christmas Y'all! It's currently David's colours on the site today :)

Merry Christmas!

And a happy New Year!

*Confetti cannon*

Alec, I think it's your move to talk...

I got lazy and didn't think to update the character descriptions for Random and Benedict (in Benedict's case it was because the first person who met him was Jack, who already knew what he looked like, but it's still lazy on my part). Now updated so that Amber newcomers can just look at him and see what he looks like...

I'm good to time skip forward to the next day. I need health badly.

I agree... sorry I didn't say so sooner.

For a good night's rest, everyone gets 50% of their max health points back (round down, if you need to do so).

Any other questions before I start?

So far I'm good really.

Last chance for anyone to stop me from starting a Next Day thread... anyone? Anyone?

I'm not gonna do it until I hear from one more person... Everyone awake...?

I'm good to go to the next day.

gtg

What kind of sword, David? Fencing/dexterity kind, or strength/lop-heads-off kind?





I'll let you have:

Adventuring Gear: 5/5 uses, 1 weight.

Basically if you have any uses of Adventuring Gear, you can say "I pull a rope out of my gear" and bam, you've got rope (for one use).




Backpack: 0 weight
Tent: ...1 weight
extra blanket: mm, just use Adventuring Gear for that
Rations: 1 weight for every 5 uses

Lopping off head kind as David wouldn't think a fencing sword would be good in combat. He can't see the stats and only has the modern fencing sport to compare to.

Yes, blocking meta that much.

Okay then:

Long Sword; close, +1 damage, 2 weight

Arming jacket/gambeson: 1 armor, 1 weight


EDIT: everyone otherwise ready to set off?
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:30, Fri 18 Jan 2019.

I'm good.

Make sure no one is over their weight limit...

Whelp, no armor for me I guess... (One over hurts)

I just wanted to say to you David, that Jack is just a bit of a jerk in fitting with the setting. Don't take it personally.

No worries, I picked that quickly from the first few posts. David's CHA is him getting across the wrong thing one way or another.

The sky in Amber is a blue, like back home, but an even brighter, richer blue.

My guess is that Jack is either asking you what color a clear sky normally is on Earth as opposed to Amber, or else he's asking you to note that Amber's sky is a bit different, or both.

He may or may not also be winding you up a bit, it's slightly hard to say.

In part,why the response is so "what glue are you sniffing to ask this?"

I'll add the extra description in with an edit.

This scene seems, to me, to be going well in general... I'll remind you, when you're ready to go to an actual destination, of this move:

Travel Through Shadow: roll plus your Perception modifier.
10 or higher: you arrive where you meant to arrive or find what you meant to find.
7-9: you arrive at a place like your intention, but not the same thing.
6 or less: before you even get to where you wanted to get, you run into trouble, and/or it turns into a Hellride. Hellrides are noticeably more dangerous.

If you are riding a steed, or in a vehicle someone else is driving, you get +1.
If you have plenty of time, and you're not in annnnny hurry, you get +1.
If someone else is actively trying to stop you, -1 or -2.
If you're in a terrible hurry, -1. SYNONYMOUS WITH: Hellride rolls: -1.


You're all riding steeds, so you get an extra (that is, stacking with any Perception modifier you might have) +1 bonus.

If you take plenty of time, you'll get another +1.

However, this is something only one of you can do. You get no bonus for traveling as a group.

On the other hand, since each of you have been to Earth, I'll let any one of you make the roll.

Me: waiting to see if the other two follow Jack's lead in going along
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:42, Fri 25 Jan 2019.

...Alec? You comin'...?

...Erm, anyone need anything from me...?

I can just wing it with what was previously described, but I was sort of hoping for some sort of mention as to what the defenses were like and if I could improve them for the squats.

Just a big wall of logs around the place, about 14 feet high (unless I said a different height earlier).

https://upload.wikimedia.org/w...village_palisade.jpg

Like this but with logs each about 3 feet thick, and straighter, and taller, and practically no gaps between, and a lot sturdier.

And... no, not right now you can't...

Dumb question, but could David listen to more about the wolves and pick out the difference?
Like figure out if they are operating on instincts still, despite their higher intellect.

Considering its part of David's special interest it might make sense.

...Not sure I fully understand the question. Rephrase plz?

What is it exactly you're hoping he might figure out...?

Ok, so it is known that the wolves appear smarter (as well as stronger but that's besides the point). Enough that some traps don't work.

Now, the main thing David is looking into (besides how much smarter the wolves have become) is if the wolves instincts have changed?

Are they social? Do they still hunt in packs? Do they have Alphas (male and female)? Etc
This message was last edited by the player at 22:22, Tue 12 Feb 2019.

Ah. Yes. If he asks about that, he can get enough info to form answers, given his park ranger background.

I can't help but think of Captain Jack Sparrow saying:

No survivors? Then where do the stories come from, I wonder?

But I think even David wouldn't say something so rude.

Hello.

Hello!

How are you?

Oh hello. We're strolling along pretty well all things considered.

In reply to David (msg # 145):

That's good!

Welcome! Interesting that you're keeping your last name.

Oh, now Jack points it out, that is interesting. Almost wonder if I need to get mine back up...

I'm good to go to the next day if you other gentlemen are? I better not hold us down with 20 questions on the latest discovery anyway.

Hi Jack. Hi again David. Keeping it for now at least.

Yeah, she said her first and last name, I unthinkingly put that in, specifically not thinking about how that's not what everyone else's been doing.

I'll take away last names, or add last names, on anyone's request.

In reply to The GM (msg # 150):

I don't mind either way.

Thennnnnnnn I shall make no change

Hope you all are having a good day today!

In reply to Janessa McCoy (msg # 153):

Just ambling along the dirt road, as you do.

In reply to David (msg # 154):

Sounds good to me.

Okay, dudes, so you 3 are basically bedding down in the little stockade for the night, yes?

yes

Evening.

Yup, unless the laws of dramatica get in the way of that of course ;)

I'm gonna wait for Alec and Jack before I let the wolves start busting loose. (They're cocky, the wolves. At this moment, anyway...)

No worries, I'm just setting up a one liner over here. I can wait for the execution.

Meanwhile I'm looking forward to reading how you gentleman handle that particular situation.

OOOOPS, that's NOT a private-to-the-boys thread, is it?

I've been making scenes that not all players are in private to whomever's in it...

Should I privatize the wolf thread, or do we say it's too late now and just do it from now on...?

Nope.


I think mine's private. Alec, David, or Jack would be able to tell me otherwise.


However y'all want to handle it. I've been glossing over it, not really reading, but the wolves situation peaked my interest.

Your thread is private Janessa. What it is is our thread is group 0, the everyone group for things like moves and character gen. How I didn't click on that for so long is a mystery...

On where to go from now on, I don't know... I mean, that might be agony for Janessa to get the cliffhanger ending as we get started.

Let me just play Roundabout by Yes if that is the case.
https://youtu.be/cPCLFtxpadE

I'll wait on other votes (at least one more)...

The cliffhanger would suck, I won't lie.
David that's just plain evil!

My vote is,  and has been that we just open all the threads to players.

I'm good with that. Hi Jack by the way.

My not doing that has had two thoughts behind it:

1. Paranoia about what family members are up to when they're out of your sight (which is extremely on-brand (awesome pun NOT originally intended) (Note: the pun is a series in-joke so don't worry if you don't detect a pun, trust me, there is one)

and

2. If you don't all know what each other are up to, it encourages you to talk to each other and compare notes when you see each other again... (which is also pretty on-brand actually)


But I am ready to listen to opposing arguments...
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:17, Sun 24 Feb 2019.

I'm really fine however you guys want to do it. I do ask that if you make the boys thread private, would one of the three of you let me know y'all survived? Don't need blow by blow, just a simple we're alive, we beat them. You can even private message it to me. That way I'm not left with a cliffhanger. If that's ok with The GM.

I'm okay with it being a public thread as well.

Hmm. On one hand, the players want one thing, which I would normally think would be more important than my opinion. On the other hand, I have reasons for my opinion that no one's rebutting.

I guess my answer for now is to leave the status quo the way it is for each thread, and think it over some more.

Well be sure to let you Janessa.

But I guess no one has refuted the whole "unreliable narrator"/paranoia angle for a reason. While we could pretend to not know information from other perspectives, there is extra authenticity when it is maintained by thread allocation.
I for one can appreciate making a new game/story experience through mechanics.

I guess my one negative is you will have to be careful to maintain this treatment universally. If it might be a bit much when there is 4 or more people to contend with, that is the one consideration I can put across.

Other than all that banter, I for one would love to stop these wolves getting at innocents.

Sorry about taking time to respond, I had food poisoning yesterday. Still a bit funky.

Anyway, my response to those two things is: I don't need meta reasons to do those things anyway. And if one of us were "up to something" we could always be doing it in PM. In fact, we can just assume that if someone does something negative with the others, it'll probably be done in PM.

But I'm fine either way.

I guess the one additional thing that sells it for me is the number of times we had to have a new thread made so that we could have conversations with comers-goers in the main hall. It would have been easier to do the standard..

--> Exits to courtyard.

And just move ourselves from a thread.

I sorry to hear your not feeling well Jack! Hopefully you feel better soon. K

Yeah, that's what I was expecting-- pre-fight banter is delightful (and arguably on-brand), but I was kinda wondering if someone wasn't gonna Scream And Leap.

And if only one PC was gonna do it, I must say, who did it was exactly whom I expected would do it...

I'll respond after breakfast...

I must applaud you Jack. Bravo. :)

Ok, let's be clear, as soon as stabbing starts, David would be doing the same.
If for nothing else than the ineffectiveness of verbal intimidation after stabbings.

With the presumed inability to add a roll in now, I learn the lesson of forcing a roll so I don't waste "action economy" in the future...

All I have to say is: have fun battling the wolves! May the dice forever be in your favor.

Actually, it's not what I expected. I forgot Jack used his Character Creation point for a Tactical move we/I came up with... Okay, groovy...

Oh bother. I didn't update the sheet when I was aware of Acacia's encumbrance capacity. (I think the discussion was about weapons and flak jackets).

Though I presume David slept out of that armor (he doesn't know how safe it is for long term use) so he's probably not wearing it right now for a narrative fit.

Which leads to the question, does David himself count as 1 Weight to Acacia? Considering she will have to carry all the weight of David plus his gear presumably.

So, no armor for David at this moment. Check.

...Your question above is an interesting question... I'm gonna say no, the rider doesn't count toward a horse's encumbrance limit. (As long as no one doubles up, or is the size of Gerard (a bigger-than-average guy) or larger. Yay, convenience...

Erm... Alec, what are you basing your miss on...?

Oh, as the wolf snaps at Alec and the wolf misses. Gottttttt it.

What threw me is that you didn't roll to attack. It's time to learn...

Go to the dice roller and roll 2d6 plus your STR bonus (which in your case is +1).

10 or higher is very good.

6 or lower is failure (but you get an experience point).

In between is a partial success (you do your damage but something inconvenient happens too, which I decide).

If you get to do damage, that's 1d8 (since these are definitely supernatural creatures (as opposed to if they were just weird creatures that would be 'normal' in whatever weird Shadow they came from)).
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:12, Sun 24 Feb 2019.

Yes. So far you have done all the rolling. Well, here goes nothing...

In reply to Alec (msg # 186):

Don't forget that 1d8 mate. Best get that damage in before that complication happens. ;)

ACTUALLY, I'm wrong. YOU roll 1d10 for damage, Alec.

I was thinking of the non-combat people, whose dam is d8, and d6 (one die smaller) vs. supernatural. You combat types are just hardcore against killin' anything.

Wait, so we combat types roll D12 against normal people/creatures? Jeez, that will be helpful sometime.

No, it's just always 1d10, regardless of how tough they are.

Ooooohhhh. That makes so much sense now. Whelp, better get a special training in a weapon type to be unparalleled then.

Meanwhile I'm sitting back with popcorn.

I already posted my action.

Yeah, waiting for Alec to do his damage roll

*Hands together*

That luck is strong. Good job on that damaging Jack.
Also can't wait on level up moves of my own with this exp gathering.

I had the advantage coming into this game that I've played a solo game based on Hunter x Hunter with the DM up to about a thousand posts so far.  So I have pretty thoroughly, in my opinion,  learned the system. I knew what I wanted.

Heh heh heh... David's player plays other PbtA things with me, mostly with me as GM, one with him as GM, and those posts total just over 3500... yet his dice still betray him badly, in long streaks of betrayal...

Oh, nice! Fix your dice, David.

David is definitely having some bad luck with the dice. Hi everyone!

GM ain't kidding. I have almost died like twice thanks to dice betrayals. Dice refusing to understand narrative drama. Recently, it almost got me thrown out of a feast by failing to lighten up the mood.

I once spent and entire two sessions of IRL Rogue Trader without a single success. The horrors. I still remember the silent screams in space...

Lesson is, always make your prayers to the RNG gods children, for they are fickle beings.

One time David's player's PC walked up to where flooding had washed out the path ahead and then the edge of the rushing water crumbled beneath him and he failed to grab a vine to save himself and then failed to avoid hitting a rock in the rushing floodstream and then as I recall failed to climb back up on shore the next chance he got and even when he finally made it out he was lost from his friends and was nearly eaten by a giant snake a couple of times

Also ask him about the time much more recently when the same PC tried to make a Let's All Stay Calm speech to disgruntled townspeople and he turned them into an angry mob who rioted and tried to kill him and nearly got everyone killed

I think Wolf Rodeo is going pretty well by comparison

Dang and I thought dice hated me! Poor David’s player must not have made the appropriate sacrifice to the dice gods.

The core issue is not knowing the fine ritual for electronic dice. Making a "Floor god donation" only works IRL (rolling dice intentionally on floor or over table onto the floor).
So I am at a loss, but my hope is that David here can do the easiest kind of failings to get a level up quick. Or better yet just not fail spectacularly.

*looks at the 1 from 1d6* uugh. If this happens with the D12 I swear to the floor god.

If anyone knows the ritual for the electronic dice, help a guy out! Good luck David!

Quick, I need to find some replicants, invade their dreams and sacrifice some electric sheep to the RNG gods, for these 1s and 0s curse even David now.

In reply to David (msg # 205):

If conjure up some for you if I could.

Very appreciated.
Though, how fares your venture Janessa? Can't be any worse then how this is going.

Yeah, this is going terribly.

For me. Dear god you are on a roll tonight.
*laughter to point of coughing*

In reply to David (msg # 207):

Not bad. Learned some stuff. Have a scar or two now.

Also thanks Jack for helping David, I was starting to get worried.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:30, Fri 01 Mar 2019.

Yeah, I figured I'd let Alec hopefully finish his own quarry rather than stealing his glory--and help David a little, since he's having a rough time of it.

There is some mechanical growing to do. Along with getting a finesse weapon because let's get munchkin-ing up the place. :p
I jest.

I don't understand the munchkin reference, but yes to a new weapon.

Well, sounds daily similar to my own route I guess.

Also, to define that word from before.
Munchkin - a word for a Min-Maxer
Min-Maxer - to minimize undesirable traits so you can put all the points in the one or two traits you want REALLY high.

In reply to David (msg # 214):

Thanks David! And good luck with that.

GM, it might be unlikely, but is there a chance of shooting that fleeing wolf?

By you? While you're on the back of a bucking wolf? I think the chance of that would = 0.

FYI, Alec, David's wolf isn't dead yet.

With an amazing feat of athletics, I guess Jack's managed to make it to the top of the wall, but I don't see how he's going to be able to catch the wolf, since I didn't imagine the beast turning right away...

Yay! David is safe!!!

'ave a good pancake day, you immortal swashbucklers!

Boys, give me a little time... Janessa may be about to join you in the morning...

Time is in your hands, but I freely give my consent for it.

Sleep well boys.

Okay, been a busy week (and cedar allergies are not helping), but progress is being made once again...

Allergies are definitely no fun! Hopefully you feel better soon!

Agreed, allergies are never fun.

It won't be too much longer before we all meet.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:07, Sat 09 Mar 2019.

I noticed David moved us to the morning without further problems, am I to assume we made it through the rest of the night unmolested?

I'm fine to delete it if the GM doesn't think it would work for the eventual meeting of Janessa with us.

I just wanted to give something for people to read over while awaiting the next step.

Along with my Move Craft work when an idea strikes me.

I'm ready to meet when GM gives the go ahead.

Did we end up sleeping?

I'm going with...apparently.

Yep. You lads get half of your max HP back (if your max HP is 18, you get 9 back (up to your max, anyway), etc)

Strength check with a bonus for gear?

Going to come rescue me David? The dice Gods Are Not playing nice.

In reply to Janessa McCoy (msg # 234):

Just as soon as I'm up this wall, I will spray and pray you to safety.

I must have made an appropriate sacrifice to roll that 12. Now if could remember which one it was...

I am considering installing this move... what do y'all think

AID
--When you help another character, roll a d6; they can use this roll in lieu of one of their own roll's dice. (If more than one player helps them, they can only keep the best 1 die from amongst all dice rolled). You are exposed to any risks, consequences or costs of their move, even if they didn’t use your die.
--If you roll a 1, the GM will probably put you at risk, make trouble for you, or make things worse in general, even if the GM can't think of any way for you to share the same problems as the character you tried to help.

I'm ok with that.

That's fine.

I think I can get behind that for very direct stuff.

Exp if your aid d6 is a 1 and you get in trouble? It's fair if I'm being a bit much with that thought.

Hmmm... I hadn't thought of that (getting an XP if you fail your Aid roll), but I think I approve.

Anyone else got an opinion one way or the other...?

I like that.

I'm in.

Good with both.

Since Janessa ran over to help with the gate do I need to roll?
This message was last edited by the player at 03:39, Wed 13 Mar 2019.

I'd say wait for the results of the current attempt before you step in. Since we were trying to shut it immediately behind you.

Okay, getting a 1 on an Aid roll will earn 1 xp...

But I would also like to make clear that if you roll a 6 (or anything lower) on a regular roll BUT someone Aids you and the roll BECOMES successful or partially successful, you do NOT get xp for the 6 (or whatever flavor of failure it was).

Also, only one person can Aid a given roll (whoever tries to Aid first is the one that counts).

Having said that, I expect to post in-game later today... mmmmmayyybe soon, maybe not

I approve and agree to these measures.

I also agree.

Agreed.

Fun one to ask, do you guys have any Shadows in your "To visit" list?

Like a "if you could go absolutely anywhere" kinda thing?

In reply to Janessa McCoy (msg # 252):

If you can think of it, it exists (in theory from what I've been told).
So yeah, it is kind of the ultimate form of that anywhere questions.

Yeah, it's a tricky subject..

Consider that Benedict lost a limb and remained without a limb for a period until he regrew it naturally. If all it took to regrow that limb was a trip to D&D shadow and a few minutes with regeneration magic, wouldn't he do that as soon as he was free of his current predicament?

How is Gerard the strongest man in the multiverse when there are well, a ton of settings we all know about?

Obviously certain objects are hard to find, so maybe those shadows are just very small and have gone unnoticed by the Amberites since they're so off the beaten path? The reason I say that objects are hard to find is that Julian's horse is noted for how special and difficult it must have been to find or something to that effect.

I just imagined getting an arm healed in one place, walking to another shadow and having it fall off because positive planer energy doesn't exist everywhere else. That would hurt.

"Enzymes, what are those? It's all 4 humors here."

Maybe it's like finding a speck of diamond grain on a sand beach?
Fantasy stuff will exist just fine anyway, lots of room there to juggle.

Well then. Middle Earth, Star Trek, Star Wars, Narnia, Doctor Who, Supernatural, and Stargate. Just off the top of my head.

Positive planar energy isn't what's holding your arm on, by the time you leave. It's been your arm for a day or two, no more energy involved. It was restored. You could enter an anti-magic field (in that setting) and it'd still be your arm.

..

In any case, Janessa's list is good, for Jack-player, I'd add a few anime universes that I love (Hunter x Hunter in particular) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which I prefer to most comic continuities)..

Oh, and there'd be some serious hedonism until I got tired of it.

Ohhh.....I hasn't even thought of those two! Definitely visiting Marvel Cinematic Universe! I must meet Iron Man or Cap! Anime wise: Fruit Basket, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away. Fantasia (ride a Luck Dragon? Yes Please!), pretty much any Disney animated movie. OZ. Hogwarts. Anywhere there's Vampires (Janessa's player is slightly obsessed with vampires.)

There may or may not be some hedonism happening....

You should also meet your blue-alien doppelganger.

Nah. I'd be too worried she'd try to shoot me.

There'd be a question of how strong and tough we get when we go to places like that, I'd personally say that most guns in that setting are suddenly not nearly as effective against us.

As I said in an earlier message, Gerard is the strongest dude in the multiverse, that should hold true in DC or Marvel, in my opinion which probably means we're at least as strong and tough as Asgardians, if not tougher/stronger.

But I tend to favor players as a storyteller and keeping characters epic.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:46, Fri 15 Mar 2019.

Ah. I've never been a storyteller in a rpg sense, always a player.

Well here is a tip, don't make your first RPG experience one as a GM of 3.5 D&D with all books enabled... The horrors, the monsters were the players all along...

But on my own question, while one or two places would be neat to go to (A world like Monster Hunter seems cool and Very David), I actually thought of the freedom of the sort of places infinity would allow you to go to.

- A country where mercantilism is extreme and all things can be traded from the mundane to the powerful to the understated (I'll give a happy memory for this secret). Goblin market to the extreme (fae goblin, not quite modern goblin).

- A world that is covered in clear crystal, forever frozen in a moment of time by some unknown force or entity.

- A tea party between the personifications or Redemption, Mercy and Forgiveness debate moral philosophy, while Discord giggles in the background because they threw a mortal into the debate as the centre piece to convince.

- A place that forever exists in a haunting twilight of an Aurora

And more besides. I kinda went Planescape demented with infinity, exploration will be interesting.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:43, Fri 15 Mar 2019.

Thanks for the tip David. Those places sound fun, especially the Tea Party. Oh and Jack I want to see Gerard battle The Hulk, just for the giggles.

In the Amber games I have run for my friends, characters have ended up in Middle Earth, faced Lovecraftian nightmares, fought against Aliens (from the Alien movies), and one of my NPCs is a daughter of Gerard who was originally a superhero from a Champions game I ran. Oh, so into the Champions universe too.

Finally, I played in a game where a character of mine who was at a party with spiked punch ended up in Episode III of Star Wars. The slaughter of the padawans was averted and poor Anakin Skywalker didn't last long against a half-Chaosian, half-Amberite Jedi.

Spending time visiting family this weekend, my posting may be somewhat sporadic.

Should resume normal speed Monday... if not tomorrow evening...

Have fun! I have a trip coming up, 4/3-4/8, so I'll be on sporadically if at all.

Fun fact
While looking up mythological heroes to go "Yeah, I could imagine an Amberite doing that", I found the most anime hero of myth.

Cù Chulainn
https://youtu.be/MnVHLAH7MYI

Ok that was interesting. I'm now following that channel.

UGGHHH this is very distracting YOU ARE SLOWING DOWN YOUR GM FROM POSTING

BUT ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?

MUWAHAHAHA! >:D

I can also recommend the Beowulf one. It's not that they tell me much of anything I didn't already know, but they're hilarious and my wife will enjoy them I think

Beowulf is quite the fun story. You can see the inspiration for Tolkien.

At this rate, David will get the exp for two levelings before having spent one. So amusing :)

If you like that, perhaps you might like this


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000...ding=UTF8&btkr=1

Nicely noted GM.

Janessa, I believe there are spell casting consequences. We can't roll aid to help your casting in the slightest :P

Yep. I'd rather have my casting wearing me out a little; take -1 ongoing to cast any spell until the next time you rest for at least an hour or the spell is somehow less effective than it was supposed to be. The last one is the one I like most.

So noted... mark it on your character sheet or bio (or both.) Now for the rest of what goes wrong...

Ooo, Janessa, is that extra choice for the conjuration? Nice move, I think you forgot to Trace On though.

("Trace on...?" wondered the GM...)

Now that I've revealed the consequences of the earlier failed Perception roll (and aid), David and Janessa get 1 new xp each...

I already used my good lie, unless I pop a knife from a sleeve to prove a point.

I think someone else will want to stretch their Cha muscles.

And thus David fell into a pit of corruption, to either die or become really edgy in the process of surviving.

I tried, really I did....

Technical, I'm in the 7-9 category unless a penalty pushes me down again. That might do it.

Fresh tracking roll to carry on?

Yeah

Janessa, let's share this failure state together.
Haha

Seriously...never let a 9 year old roll for you.

Also didn't know that people shared in a profile of a PBP game.
Then again I've only done it for a year so I must have missed that intel.

*Radio* Don't worry boss, we'll get 'em next time.

Learn something new?

That letting others roll for you is bad, I think.

Janessa, if you're reading this, I'm sure you're aware already, but I have given you the results of your Int roll via PM

In reply to The GM (msg # 292):

Thanks!

Shadow thoughts of the day.

- A fortress surrounded by ocean waves, connected to the mainland by a single several mile bridge. It shows signs of erosion from constant sea spray, long neglected for numerous years, decades, centuries.

- A palace-shrine to a sealed god. A mass of grasslands and hills, rocky spires and lakes. All of these contained by a circular mountain range.
But what else is contained here? The source of those low, rhythmic rumbles? Signs of geological activity, or of long forgotten creatures of incomparable size?

- Sky. Blue sky in all directions, including below you. If there is a ground, it is so far below, that the blue sky obscures it. The only features are the clouds or their absence.
What is that line? That line in the middle of the sky? Is that the horizon? Why is it vertical? Or are you falling "sideways?"

Interesting shadow thoughts. My was a place made entirely out of junk food. Mountains made out of fudge. Twizzler trees. Soda for rivers, lakes, and ocean. Muffin beaches. Cake rocks. That sort of thing. But then I'm hungry and have cravings for junk food.

By the way, I'm going on a trip tomorrow and won't be back home until Monday evening. So my replying will be sporadic.

I'm officially home!

Whoop, back to reality then.

Pretty much. Managed to catch a cold too! Not sure if it's con crud or airport/airplane crud.

I could be wrong, but I am getting a vibe like the rest of the family has no special thoughts on the matter, and would like to just move forward rather than attempt to answer David's perfectly polite invitation to comment.

If I'm right, let's think of a way to move things forward...

If I'm wrong, someone post something...

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/Fail...-size_restricted.gif

Realized at one point yesterday that I messed up-- how does Lucius even know about the other wolves? Or where to find the blockade?

I'm gonna pretend that as we were walking, Alec or Janessa mentioned them to him...?




ANYWAY, David, I take it you're gonna try the Travel Through Shadow roll again...?

...Don't one or two of you want to go back to the blockade and get your horse(s), though...?

This is the sort of thing that made me want to question before I forced anything. Especially horses, darn those wolves getting away.

I'm finally able to get back in. Not sure what was up with the site, but that was annoying.

It was down yesterday.

It was down for two days for me.

GM: Given that indeterminate amounts of time probably happened while we walked between worlds, can we recover HP?

No, sorry... even when it's a relaxing journey, it's not that restful... I could see Random's rock-ride as explained in Book 3 as being that restful, I think, but not horseback...

Fair enough.

Are we to assume everyone is in separate spots? I feel like at least the guys are separated from each other from the posts.

I say that's up to you.

I'll just be here imagining this tune while he was writing his final message.

https://youtu.be/WvPjJdqbSc8

Because I feel gut punched from that.

Gah! I was not prepared for the feels!

Time management never felt more precarious.

Three days, three days, three days...

*Rocking back and forth*

3 days?

Just musing over the game that the track came from. It really is a feels trip all the way through.

Yep.

Say! How much XP do each of you have? This could be a good time to level up, if anyone happens to be particularly hated by the dice (looks at David)...?

Heh, too bad, I was seeing if I could get two levels in one sleep.
So close :P

But... so... do you have enough to get ONE level...?

Yeah, only one, I almost feel like I've lost the spark of failed rolls.

Well you can either camp here and level up, or level up next time you camp.

If we're moving on, someone roll the Travel In Shadows move to roll on, and the rest of you can follow their lead... (David, it's logical that it be you, but you've got that -1 forward, remember...)

I guess I'll ask everyone if camping could be preferred at this juncture.

I'll be fine with that.

I only have the one point.

Well, if you're camping, camp. If so, anyone who can, level up.

If not, travel.

No rush... just making clear that ball's in y'all's court

Okay, so the impression I get is that y'all will rest, use the restroom, nap, let the horses eat grass and relax, divide the coins//adjust your saddlebags' contents, sharpen your swords, etc. for a little while, while David uses the level up move... and then one of you will roll to travel on? Is that it?

Because when you're Traveling Through Shadow, the concept of "better leave now before we're riding in the dark" is kinda different, encouraging one to travel/rest-stop much more at one's own pace...

I'm fine with camping overnight in this shadow. Would give me time to heal and loose my penalties, I think...

Looks like we're resting...

It would be cute of me to make you keep watch... and of course you may keep watch... but honestly, I'm gonna save time and say, I have no plans to attack you as you sleep...

So... travel time next...?

We good GM?

I've been waiting for someone to roll the Travel Through Shadows move.

I will admit that normally I might poke y'all to see if y'all needed me to wake you up, but this is the end of the spring semester, and since it's been my experience that everyone on RPol is either a college student or a teacher/professor or both, I thought I'd just leave people to proceed, or not, at their own paces...

Ah, didn't want to poke in case Alec had anything to say. In a few hours I'll have the moment to get an overall post fired up.

Being a DIY man in hot sun is killer on me ATM haha.

I must be the exception to the whole college student/professor thing then.....