This is just a place to make OOC comments, including game questions, that would disrupt IC posts.

Hello everyone!  Looking forward to this game.

I live in Mozambique where the Tabletop RPG hobby basically does not exist, so my only RPG outlet is via forums.   Over several years of playing in various forums, I have ended up only being active in RPOL.   Despite its rather tight-arsed rules and moderators, I have found it to me much easier to play in than the off-the-shelf forum software which other sites use.

Hey,

I'm in the US but there is no RPG'ing here either (small town). I, however, don't have much forum experience. I pick up things pretty quick but if I do something off, please let me know. After all, you can't fix something if you don't know it's broken.

For the character creation, were you just wanting the fields you have listed filled and the abilities, or did you want the full sheet and the character fleshed out?

Just the listed fields for the RTJ, but since you are already here, fill out the character sheet.

I just need a name for your character so I can set the character sheet up.


As for not having a lot of gaming experience, shouldn't be a problem. That was the whole point of the Basic game... even kids could learn it.

Boss, may I suggest that you bump the original thread atlink to a message in another game
I tried to but fell afoul of some moderator rule about mentioning a game you don't GM.

The thread is still on the first page for both GMs Wanted and Players Wanted. Those in the original thread just haven't revisited it.

Hello, all, SCARY WIZARD, here!  I can't wait to go on all sorts of expeditions with you adventurers!

Just to be sure, we are using the equipment list in Mentzer Basic correct?

In reply to Xalentha (msg # 9):

Hello, all!  Let's kill some monsters, amass some treasure and pinch some bottoms!

The equipment in Basic is just a convenient working list. Any reasonable equipment is okay.

Everybody get your character sheet filled out so I can start the game... hopefully tomorrow.

Hello all.  Your friendly neighborhood Dwarf Warrior at your service.

Exited to be playing in Mystara again :)

I thought you were going to fill out the details, Mysterion?

Should I choose my own spell?

How do we fill out our backgrounds?  Is this set somewhere specific in Mystara?

Yeah, I'll fill in the mechanics detail... as soon as I get to it.

The game is set in Glantri City.

Any of the following would be appropriate as background hooks:

emissary
wanderer
native of Glantri
traveling merchant/minstrel
mercenary looking for work
delivering a message as a favor or mini-quest
just passing through on the way to somewhere else
seeking fame and fortune
pursuing magical studies

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 14):

So far we have an Elf and a Dwarf.  Anyone else want to chime in with Character thoughts?

I am a human thief (actually a bard with thievish tendencies...)

IIIII...have been mulling over these classes, because I'm really impressed by the variety Scott Ludwig's creations have given us!

In reply to Scary Wizard (msg # 17):

Yeah I've been eyeing them myself, but I really have a hankering to play an Elf recently.

When and if Talis gets killed I'm going to try one of them out.

Hi folks, I'll be playing the outrageously-flamboyant Rodrigo, a Belcadiz elf!

In reply to Rodrigo (msg # 19):

Fun start!

Mysterion, I still need a spell for my spellbook.  DO you want to choose one for me or do I get to pick something myself?

You can pick your own spell.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 21):

Hmmm...looks like a should start with Read Magic so I can leanr others spells later.

In reply to Talis Aramorn (msg # 22):

This may seem like a silly question, but should we react to your post now, Mysterion?

That's post WOTI, then? I forget, is Glantri essentially the same as it was before, in that period?

And there are free dwarves in Glantri? How about clerics?

Thanks!

Yes, post away!


The meteor struck in 1006.
The Wrath of the Immortals occured in 1010-1013.
Current date is 1056.

Glantri is mostly the same. The monsters beseiged the city and were driven off by the Heldannic Knights.

Glantri has suffered severe economic problems ever since, and is only slowly recovering.

Clerics are no longer outlawed, but they are still 'unwanted and discouraged'.

Okay, I haven't played BECMI version in years.  With all the clones out there I'm muddling some of the rules.

Do spellcasters receive bonus spells for high scores?
Are there attribute or racial bonuses to thief skills?

I'm playing a Viridian, essentially a reskinned version of an elf.  Though with 2 elves already, perhaps we need another straight up spellcaster or thief or fighter.

I think my character's done! :)

No, there are no spell bonuses for Int in this game, nor are there any Dex bonuses to Thief skills.

That's why it's Basic... keeping the game mechanics simple.

I should be able to get a post up for Geirdon, Rodrigo and Xalentha later today, and anyone else if their characters are ready.

Hello all,

Hardened Dwarf looking forward to the many battles I may fight at your side.

Welcome.  Always great to see another Dwarf

In reply to Durek (msg # 30):

Two Dwarves?  Now I'm out numbered.

Well, I'm an elf.

In reply to Rodrigo (msg # 32):

Thank goodness.  We can't let the Dwarves have their own way or else we'll be up to our ears in ale and drunken stories about blacksmithing and stonemasonry.  /shudder

Don't be a hater...........

How much would Kareth reasonably know about Radiance and the Day of Dread?

In reply to Kareth Melphis (msg # 35):

My Kung Fu is a little weak when it comes to Mystara.  Is there a good site I can use for reference?

Vaults of Pandius, google it.

To Mysterion:

  Are we using the Language Private groups? i.e. Are they setup?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:32, Wed 22 Jan 2014.

If the answer to Gierdon's question is "yes", then my languages are: Common, Elven, Harpy, Neutral, and Orc.

Kareth has probably heard whispers about the Radiance, but he'll know about the Day of Dread, also known as the Wrath of the Immortals. It was a day 44 years ago when all magic ceased to exist. It lasted for a week before the magic came back.

It caused a lot of upheaval, and nothing has quite been the same since.


I don't really know what the Language Private groups is, but I suppose we're using it.

I think it's private tags for characters who speak whichever language.  For example, when Rodrigo is speaking Elven, what he says would only be seen by players who speak Elven, so as to prevent meta-gaming from those non-Elven speakers.

In reply to Anneth Mage-Singer (msg # 41):

Mysterion, I love your Avatar, but I won't lie: having The Specter staring at me all the time makes me feel like I'm being judged. ;p

OK, so there are free dwarves in Glantri nowadays. And, it seems, halflings. And clerics.

If I recall, Alfheim has been destroyed in this timeframe?

Are any of the GAZ3 - era princes and principalities different in this campaign/timeframe?

And the Radiance is no longer a hidden secret that requires years of research to even get a hint of? I refer to the mention of the Radiance in relation to the magical necklace.

Thanks, just want a clear picture.

Whew! You know a lot more about Mystara than I do!


I was never a big fan of mass alterations to countries and borders. It kind of got back to the old Greyhawk map... in theory, your PCs could go out and conquer the Duchy of Urnst, but there was no way you could change the borders on the map or even the name. So what was the point of having this huge full color map if it stopped being accurate after a month of play?

I haven't read most of the GAZ in any detail, and when I did, it was 20 years ago!

I guess I'm stuck with Alfheim having been destroyed.

The whole point of Glantri getting besieged by the hordes is that everything changed afterwards. Some changes were big and obvious, some were small and subtle. Some lasted, some didn't. Some were good, some were bad.

The secret of the Radiance became less of a secret, particularly now that it was 'tainted'. Glantri discovered the hard way that it couldn't be so damn arrogant and survive. But just because Ember Rain is tossing around the term 'Radiance' rather cavalierly doesn't mean everyone knows about it.

Because there have always been heirs to the thrones, the principalities have remained, and were rebuilt when devastated. No matter what you take away from them, the land always remained.

There are now 13 principalities. Some have risen and fallen in prominence, and there are only 4 of the personalities that remain from the time before, and even they are getting old.

Belcadiz is the only one that has remained 'unscathed'. That's not to say they haven't had their share of troubles, but none of them were so devastating that they couldn't recover.

The one that suffered the worst was Averoigne.

I am a big fan of Mystara, and most especially of Glantri! But I don't go around memorizing gaming supplements. It just happens that in the game I'm running I'm planning on having the party go to Glantri soon, so I've read up on it recently.

You and I are somewhat kindred spirits, it seems. I see no reason to muck up a game setting that I've bloody-well paid for, and to change whatever it was that I liked about it in the first place. I want to use that setting for a good long time, and that means that I don't change the status quo in my campaigns. So my games use the GAZ series as-is, and while characters may become heroes, the Prince remains the Prince, and as with you, the borders don't change.

This is why I reject any changes to a campaign history that I don't create in my own games. Especially changes made by a publisher, "advancing" a timeline. I think Glantri rocks, and I wouldn't want to mess with it myself, because then it follows that it will rock less.

So, while I bought the products that changed Mystara, I breezed through them once and put them on the shelf (if I even still have them). So, you surprised me when I learned that this game was set after that whole explosion thing.

I may make some mistakes IC, so if I do I trust you'll allow me to go back and edit them.

I'm making it up as I go, so I'm not likely to notice any 'mistakes'. I tend to incorporate them into the game anyway.

I forgot Glantri has canals! So everybody is treading water now!

It's got some plazas and walkways. :) You said we were in a marketplace, so I assumed in 'the' marketplace, which is decidedly dry. And the second largest plaza in the city.

The laws I was quoting IC are in the GAZ, though. I wasn't making up something and trying to influence your campaign, I thought I was playing the setting. Glantri is described as a country by and for spellcasters, called "Arcaners." Anyone who isn't a caster is a "Mundaner," and is a 2nd-class citizen in a very real way. Those thugs who insulted Rodrigo were due for a stint in the Citadel of Sighs, getting tortured, just for insulting him. And the justice system uses ESP spells to verify what happened. They can't even argue in court unless they get a license for public speaking, in advance.

So, if clerics are no longer outlawed, but are still "unwanted and discouraged," have they been given the 1st-class citizenship of an "Arcaner?"

In reply to Rodrigo (msg # 47):

Geez.  That's a lot more detail than I was expecting.

The DM told me to whip up a character and choose a 1 or 2 lined back story.

I've been playing under the assumption that this was an old school fantasy adventure romp.

Oh, Glantri is and should be old school. And I know much, much less than most Mystara fans, and can't be bothered with trivia. But the points I brought up are the defining characteristics of Glantri. It's a mageocracy, in a microcosm of Europe. Otherwise you could set a game just anywhere... ;)

My pc only has a couple of lines of background, too, never fear. And there's nothing wrong with dungeon-romping from where I'm sitting! Truly, I'm having loads of fun, and happy to roll with our DM.

One of the reasons I set the timeline 50 years into the future was so I wouldn't have to worry too much about that kind of detail, figuring that enough time had passed that things could have changed to accommodate any inconsistencies.


But, yeah, Glantri is a mageocracy... their arrogance stemmed from their belief that all the magic of Mystara came from the Radiance, which was under Glantri City. When the hordes from the crater besieged the city, that arrogance was taken down a peg, since all their vaunted magical superiority didn't 'protect' them.

They were rescued by the Heldannic Knights, taking them down another peg.

Then, when the magic went away, that arrogance was taken down yet another peg or two. Clerics were suddenly 'the power'.


Anyway, things aren't always what they seem. Just because they were 'thugs' in appearance and demeanor doesn't mean they couldn't do magic, even it was only a tiny bit. Also, it wasn't them that were 'magic immune', it was a protection that the pub had because the owner was tired of having his placed trashed by magic.

Corruption still occurs, but in a bureaucracy, it often becomes SOP. There's no ethics, and there can never be enough rules and laws that cover every contingency.

So then, I have no idea of where to lead the IC conversation. Without any guidance, I was going to suggest that we return to that tavern and try a little investigation. Either to obtain the presumed anti-magic item (reward, reward!) or to spy on whatever was so secret. But if my character's assumptions were not in accord with the setting, then my thought is to sit with my new friends for a bit, eating and drinking, until something happens.

Anneth's fortune telling is part "legitimate business", and part "I'm going to do some cold-reading and see if I can't find out about adventure!".  While she is interested in funding her research in a steadier way, she's one of those ill-adjusted apples that decided adventure would be a good way to fund things, as well.  So, she's flexible!

Okay, sorry if I mislead you on anything.

This adventure/campaign isn't 'carved in stone'. I'm pretty much making it up as I go along. Just because I said something above doesn't mean that's what would happen. I ony mentioned the thugs and the anti-magic inn as an example of not everything is always as it appears.

Was your character wrong? Not necessarily. I was trying to point out that there are other ways to interpret events, and you shouldn't lock yourself into a single option.

If you want to go to the pub and investigate, that's perfectly reasonable.

Mystara was always my favorite D&D setting.  It has a rich history, but enough 'empty/open' space for characters to truly leave an imprint on the world.

Neat!  I like that approach.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:20, Tue 28 Jan 2014.

In reply to Anneth Mage-Singer (msg # 55):

Are we waiting on something?

In reply to Talis Aramorn (msg # 56):

Perhaps you're waiting for the three of us to get into a predicament, so you get the opportunity to join us?

Just waiting on me to get some free time to post (when I'm conscious). Had 3 strange days, thought today would be back to normal, but Plan A feel apart. And Plan B has expanded into tomorrow!

My friend's mom has daily doctor appointments even through the weekend and he works long overnight hours, so I've been roped into playing chauffer.

Unless something else goes wrong, things should be back to normal on Sunday.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 58):

No worries.  I was just wondering if you might be waiting for us to say "We leave the house" or something like that.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:41, Sat 01 Feb 2014.

Sorry folks.  On a business trip to Johannesburg, very long days and hotel internet is rough.

Will post as soon as I am able but GM please NPC me if necessary to keep the game flowing.

Hello, everyone!

I just finished stating up my character, although I might have forgotten something. But I am pretty sure I am good to go.

I'm thinking the best place for me to start would be to enter this tavern in the thread of my own accord for my own reasons that have nothing to do with your whole stealth operation.

In reply to Rukao Facestalker (msg # 61):

Nice to be having you, big guy!
Sorry it took me, like, three days to make a post, everybody.   :S

No problem.

And welcome!

Welcome aboard!

In reply to Rukao Facestalker (msg # 61):

'sup!

So I'm lost on this one. Elves (and magic) not allowed in this city? Perhaps he meant, not in this pub?

And by the way, Rodgrigo's original intent was to go into a Caurenzian cafe he knew of, for an espresso, the "hot drink" he loves too well. I'll just ignore that though, as this place looks like a tiki bar, with a "no magic" rule.

But if this is really a "no magic" bar in the City of Mages, they might put a sign out front! There aren't any thugs at the door anymore...

EDIT: And they have magic disappearing doors, and they're using an anti-magic spell?!
This message was last edited by the player at 15:24, Sun 16 Feb 2014.

In reply to Rodrigo (msg # 66):

All good questions.  I think that if you bring them up in game their may be answers forthcoming.

Who said that Rukao was necessarily well informed about such matters? There is a no magic using policy in the city-- and elves are so rare that it is highly unlikely he'd ever bump into one even after being in the city for a while.

So he merely presumed that no elves weren't allowed in the city based on his understanding of the policies.

In reply to Rukao Faestalker (msg # 68):

If we're entirely OOC here, I'm pretty familiar with Gaz 3. YGMV, but elves are not rare, and there certainly is not a "no magic" policy in the country that exists by and for mages.

Again, our GM may do whatever he wants, but those would be two very major changes... No offense intended.

You are right. I misread a message from the GM and understood it backwards. You are supposed to be a mage here, not that they don't like mages.

He wrote "Glantri city doesn't like anyone who can't cast arcane magic" and I read it "Glantri city doesn't like anyone who can cast arcane magic" since well... a city that banned magic made a lot more sense to me.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:59, Sun 16 Feb 2014.

In reply to Rukao Faestalker (msg # 70):

Well, maybe it will be fun if your hobgoblin thinks it's reversed! Orcs of Thar is my second-favorite Gaz!

Perhaps-- he probably thinks the nobles are all mages and jealously guard their position by banning outsider spellcasters from the city. And thus, they would forbid non-citizen spellcasters, particularly elves. Because, well... they are creepily long-lived and that makes the human mages uncomfortable.

Otherwise, if chances are he would have seen elves within a couple weeks of being in the city, he'd have expressed much the same sentiment as the Dwarfs-- "there are way too many."

Post to come this afternoon.  Sorry for the delay, folks!

Activity on my part may be a bit scarce in the next week, as I'll be moving, and won't have internet for a little bit.  This will, of course, be remedied in record time... I'll see about posting from my phone, in the meantime.

You were starting to get a bit inebriated anyway. Shall we just assume you passed out? ;)

In reply to Gierdon Warbeard (msg # 75):

Yyyesss.  Let's.   :D!  It'll give the Dwarves something to comment on, down the road.  "Oh, you humans, you can't even hold that juice the Elves call wine!"
It will also spare Rukao several headaches...

Happy GM's Day!

Bought myself Hexographer/Dungeonographer/Cityographer bundle!

Sorry. Does Rodrigo read this on the papers? Or are you just giving Rukao a story lead? Thanks!

((Both, if you want to play it that way. But Rodrigo won't know about the person.))

Boss, how do we handle combat?

In this particular case it seems like Manfred Mann gets a free strike since he has the drop on me.

When it is my turn to go, will you tell me, or can I just make a roll and then post a dramatic interpretation of my action in the light of that roll?

I tend to go with the latter.

Just post what you are doing, and then make a roll. I'll then post a dramatic interpretation of your action in the light of that roll.

Back to our regularly scheduled Dabbling!

In reply to Anneth Mage-Singer (msg # 83):

And just in time!

Sorry am travelling and have rubbish internet access.

Is our DM still with us? I got a large posse heading Vengo's way, so... the ball is in the thief's court.

Last online on the 14th...hrm.  But yes.  Glory is at hand!

Still here. Just had a couple of disruptive days compounded by Internet issues. Will get caught up on Sunday.

Rodrigo's kind of in the back. Someone toward the front may try diving through after Manfred. If enough do, Rodrigo might be able to follow (assuming they keep the 'door' from closing). But I don't see a way for him to climb over people and furniture to reach the wall.

In reply to Rodrigo (msg # 89):

I guess this is the moment of truth, eh?  All in or all out?

I say in.

In reply to Talis Aramorn (msg # 90):

Yeah sure, I'll go if given the chance.

How are we handling such things as subdual or unarmed combat?

I hesitate to have Rodrigo use his sword on a cook...

You can use a weapon to strike for non-lethal damage (otherwise known as 'subdual' damage), even with a sword. You just use the flat of the blade.

You take a -4 to hit, though, unless you've got a proficiency.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 93):

What the heck then, he'll go for it!

Don't use the crossguard!

Unless you're striking at a helmet with it.   ;D
Ahh... I'll get a post in this afternoon, sorry for the delays, folks.

I have a baby on the way.  It is due any time so I might not be around for a little while.

Congratulations! I'm sure hoping the game will be here when you can finally get back to a bit of gaming. We'll drag Talis along until then.

If he lives, we ought to reward the squealer. Never know when you might need a rat...

Yes, congratulations on the little one!

Congrats!

Thanks, All!

I'm back.  My posting will be understandably sporadic for a few weeks.

Has Rodrigo heard of this fellow, or seen him before?

Probably. There's really no such thing as a reclusive mage in Glantri. Everyone is known for something.

I'd say Ember Rain's reputation is a mix of 'leave me alone', 'he's a nice guy', and 'don't mess with him'. He's not known for excessive show of magic--he doesn't flaunt it, but 'still waters run deep' may also apply.

He gives to the poor, attends council meetings, does some magic for sale, does some minor trading, and likes fine wines.

Like Discworld's Eighth Color? :)

Hmmmm... could be... the Color of Magic. Considering how many variations in color there can be, this would make sense.

Exactly, or "going up to 11" on the volume control

Heads up, my computer ain't in a good shape - posting may be a little delayed.

On vacation to the big island of Hawaii until8 June.  Limited connectivity at my cabin.

So, really? You guys take on quests without getting paid?

Sure wasn't done that way in my day! :p

Things have been moving really slowly.  Time to push it forward.

Oof. OK, we're moving along. Riding north, which is presumably the way to Fenswick.

I will assume our characters know the fellow's name, description, his mode of convenyance, where he was going in Fenswick and why, who he was meeting, who knew he was going (and if they knew why), where he's from, next of kin, whether he was accompanied, when he was due back, and who knew he had a piece of the Septagram.

But it would be nice if I knew... ;)

Patron offered us mounts and supplies...

Anneth was really only mildly successful at the fortune shtick.  See, she's got a 15 Charisma, so most of the people she cold-read weren't as offended by her questions and statements as they should have been.

Just like that no-account ranger, Strider, in Bree! ;)

Don't be a hater-Actually going for more of the Thorin look in Hobbit2

Ah, dwarf-ninja-acrobat! Got it! ;)

Anneth is now being portrayed by, uhh..."confused-looking woman".

I, for one, welcome our new overl- I mean, new Anneth! ;)

In reply to Rodrigo (msg # 118):

New player or just new picture?

In reply to Talis Aramorn (msg # 119):

New picture.

Hi everyone, I'm a new player joining the game soon.  I've just about got my character worked out, and awaiting the DM's availability to work me into the story.

Howdy, pardner.

In reply to Elwood (msg # 121):

Hello!

Please tell me you're a Dwarf Bard that specializes in Country Music.

Just joking with you.  It's a neat picture.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:35, Fri 18 July 2014.

Yes, just having fun.

I am, after all, a flamenco elf, so who am I to talk?

:D  Reworking an old Pathfinder PC, a paladin of Murlynd, a cowboy deity from Greyhawk.  He is half Blues Brothers, half Johnny Cash and half John Wayne.  Yes, I realize that is three halves.

I remember Murlynd, yes. Good times.

Good to meet you, Knight!

Wellp, here we go!  Here's to hoping our dear, part-decked Dabbler can get a word out of this fellow.

Obviously Rodrigo will invite Elwood (as a PC) to join the group. Just trying to drag it out a bit to simulate a natural suspicion. OTOH if that's too onerous we can just skip over the naturally-cautious bit and say, "Sure, saddle up and ride!"

"It looks like your party could use a mage."
"You seem trustworthy.  Get into marching order."

It's been a while since the DM has posted.  I'm getting nervous.

Yeah, just had a weird week...

I'll get a post up a bit later...

I want a flying boat.

I'd be the envy of all my friends.

So the confused-looking woman in my portrait is Amy Acker!
Hey, can we get a list of languages everybody knows?  So we can speak to one another in them using private text lines.

I've got birthday plans for you all.

In reply to Anneth Mage-Singer (msg # 134):

Common, Alignment, Elf, Gnoll, Hobgoblin, Orc, Belcadiz, Averoigne, Caurenze.

Common, Elven, Harpy, Neutral, Orc.

Just Common and Lawful (and I suppose Thyatian if that's different from Common in this campaign?)

I'm baaaaaack!

If you haven't heard...

A thunderstorm swept through the area Thursday night and a lightning strike took out the router so that I didn't have any internet connection. Due to the vagaries of schedules and errands and whatnot, I wasn't able to replace it till today!

Barring any other problems, I should get caught up on my posts this evening.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 138):

All is forgiven as long as you push us forward =)

Didn't think we should talk treasure out in the open with witnesses.

Looks like the rest of the party has suspicious characters to deal with in the common room, but in any case Rodrigo just plans to get all the details, and then return. Don't mean to drag out the time that the party might be split, and then we can 'take a walk' or something and trade information.

Or whatever anyone else wants to do is fine, too.

Gierdon hasn't logged in since April and Rukao hasn't responded since May.  Not sure you'll get much from them.

I'm still here. Just overloaded at work, and there are so many characters in the tavern that Kareth doesn't need to intervene.

Just dropping in to say 'Hi"...


Hi!

I've been working on a character with Mysterion, so hopefully I will turning up when he can fit me into the story.

Til then I will be lurking around.

Hi Aaron!  I also just joined the game recently, and have just become part of the adventuring party.  If it will help get you in the game faster, we could say we're partners.

Welcome aboard!

Namaste!

Maybe one of the bad guys will try and follow us to our room and eavesdrop... ;)

In reply to Elwood (msg # 144):



It would work for me.

The hooded guy at the bar hasn't moved all this time?

Talis, I'm in the room with the others.  Or, hmm, maybe I was the last to go upstairs, and got that information before going?  Because this could work in our TV Drama Questioning.

Wait, who's the Good Cop, and who's the Bad Cop.   :(

I'm a paladin, I think I have to be the good cop by default.

You could be a forceful Paladin.  "My God's way, or the highway!"
Anneth is Neutral, with Chaotic tendencies... She could be the bad cop!  Yes, give her a few more levels, and she'll be breaking into homes and casting invasive spells in the name of the law in no time!  Who gets to be the Fat Loveable Comic Relief Cop?

Maybe if Anneth casts find familiar, her familiar can be the wise-cracking animal sidekick!
This message was last edited by the player at 22:10, Thu 11 Sept 2014.

I'll be the smart-mouthed little cop who's got an attitude (as a coping mechanism).

I had left this message originally, but it was never responded to:



I restated it later on for your benefit.

Jes' waiting for some word on the secret compartment!

Oops! My bad! I forgot I said their was a secret pocket in the backpack! On the other hand, everyone kept calling it a secret 'compartment', which was what was in the sword hilt. So I was getting confused!

I am a Dabbler.  I have Dabbled in, uh...Enchantment magics!  Yes.  I cast an altered explosive runes spell with my keyboard, that causes confusion.

Yesss.  Eww, no, wait, that one teacher on Buffy the Vampire Slayer did magic through keyboards, and look where she ended up.   :(

Sorry have been overloaded at work. Still here though.

Guys, I have to drop. Too many commitments. Thanks for the game.

I dropped out for four months, but now that I am back-- I am kind of stuck so long as the party remains in the tavern.

My character has been left to guard the wagon after all.

Maybe if Rodrigo releaves Rukao of guard duty, I could rejoin as a more active participant.

Heh! Wagon-guarding sucks.   Rukao doesn't even get an ale...

Looks like we should be heading out soon, once we interrogate the ogre.

In reply to Elwood (msg # 162):

Just waiting on a reply from the DM.

Next time you show up like that, I'm calling out, "NORM!!!"

In reply to Elwood (msg # 164):

I think we're about ready to move on, Mr. DM.

Greetings all!

I am the replacement player for Rodrigo. I look forward to adventuring with you.

In reply to Rodrigo (msg # 166):

Welcome, new Rodrigo!

Thanks for the welcome. I have been following this game for a while, and was thinking about taking over one of the redundant dwarves, but couldn't quite bring myself to do that. When Rodrigo become available I jumped at the opportunity. I'm a big Mystara nut from way back, so playing in Glantri is going to be cool.

Let's get going. I want to find this seventh magic, stick it in a box and then bring it back home with me...

I'm a little confused.  Are we two separate groups or did we manage to join up?

Can't we just say we have joined up and get going?

It might be worthwhile if Elwood and Rodrigo made the introductions.

Anneth is actually in the best position to introduce everyone since Rodrigo's player is new.  Elwood still hasn't been introduced to any of the old party except Anneth and Rodrigo.

I only skimmed the old posts, and I am a little confused about who is in which room in the inn, and who has been introduced, so I would prefer not to do the intros. That said, it would take much. As Elwood said:



What is that from again? I have watched it on you tube at some point.

Well, Elwood would need to introduce Tom and me. But for the rest of the party, either Rodrigo or Anneth. It is only you three who have had much of a conversation.

I thought I already introduced Anneth to Aaron and Tom.

And the quote is from "The Gamers" which was (originally) an amateur film about a group of college kids playing D&D and the same actors playing their characters within the game.  Pretty funny.  I haven't seen the bigger budget remake, yet.

Sorry, Elwood. I hadn't realised that was an introduction.

Thanks, Durek, for the intros.

Yes, 'The Gamers', that was it. There is a remake?! Oh man, I have to check that out!

Just an FYI, New Rodrigo, the original party was Anneth, Durek, Gierdon, Kareth, Rodrigo, Rukao and Talis.  Everyone else was met in the Inn.

This talk of 10' poles reminds that I have always thought carrying a 10' pole through a dungeon to be impracticable. It also reminds me of the scene in the Dirk Gently novels where a sofa gets stuck on the stairs and can't moved because a time machine had temporarily opened an extra doorway in on the landing.

In reply to Aaron Gray (msg # 180):

MAybe if it could be broken down...

To be honest, after so many months I have forgotten which characters Rukao has actually met. How many of them are going to be surprised that they have a Hobgoblin guard working with them when they are going out to fight Hobgoblins.

Since Anneth is about five brain cells away from "are you huffing spores?" and knows Harpy, nothing will surprise her!

Except for Harpies that speak Common.

Looks like we are ready to keep going Mysterion.

Most likely I will be unable to reply between noon on Thanksgiving and sometime Sunday afternoon thanks to evil work.  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

If they don't have missile weapons we could move into bow range and let them have arrows until come at us or move on.

In reply to Aaron Gray (msg # 180):

10' poles - those were the days.  So cheap that everyone had one in his backpack along with 50' of heavy rope etc.     As you say, in practice it would be a complete nightmare to walk anywhere except an open field, with one of those strapped to your back.

Which characters are mounted, by the way?  And are all of you with mounts charging?  Are the rest of us going to hold back and fire missiles?  I don't have a missile weapon, so I'll be trying to work my way forward towards the ambushers, I guess, but I'd rather not be the only character toe-to-toe with a bunch of angry hobgobbos.  :P

In reply to Elwood (msg # 188):

I'm not mounted.  I do have a bow, but if you end up being the only one without a bow I'll leave my arrows with someone who can use them and join you in going toe to toe with the hobs on foot.

I'm mounted.

I'm on foot with a short bow.

I'm mounted, but will be spell casting rather than waving my sword around in the first pass.

I have no idea. I thought we still had the wagon until a few posts ago.

I intend to fire from horseback, but know I will be nowhere near as successful as the Mongolian warriors.

So are we adjourned till after the Holidays or are we done here?

It looks like a slight postponement, at least till after Christmas.

If it slows down till after New Year's Day hangovers, that's also to be expected.


Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Merry Christmas everyone

I'm going to conserve my arrows, and get ready for some horseback whackings.  Will I need to get back to the rest of the party?

Not significantly so. The horse charge only went about 10 feet past the last hobgoblin, and by the time Anneth turns around to charge back, the hobgoblins charged down the hill. Half went towards the two Dwarves and the other half went to the horse riders.

Well, two more shots, and then conserve!  Going to stand still this round so I can get two shots off, too.

Hope everyone had a happy holiday and didn't get too drunk last night!


Now, is everyone ready to get back to gaming?

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 201):

Been ready all day :)

In reply to Tom Wolf (msg # 202):

Mysterion, thanks for letting me join.  I'm really enjoying this game.  More than I thought when I first asked to join.

Mysterion, so is Rodrigo now in melee and should I make an attack roll?

It depends on what Rodrigo wants to do. He can approach to short range and shoot his bow at them, or he can continue into melee range. Certainly one of the hobgoblins had moved clse enough to attack Rodrigo, but since Rodrigo is on horseback, he can back out of combat.

Any time you say you are going to attack, it helps if you go ahead an make a dice roll.

I think we should wait until we know more about this lot before we decide what we do with the sleeping ones. It can wait until after the interrogation.

In reply to Aaron Gray (msg # 206):

Agreed.  And if the party decides to eliminate the captives permanently, Elwood won't stand in the way, but won't help either.

DM willing, that may be the easiest solution to the "Paladin" problem.

In reply to Elwood (msg # 207):

Not that the opinion of a scammy pseudo-spellcaster would matter much, especially since GM Judgement trumps it, but I agree... As long as the Immortals see him standing with his back to it and frowning disapprovingly, he should be fine!

Why did we bother to ask for their surrender then?

This won;t go down well with the Lawfuls.

OK, but what are the practical alternatives in this world?

Talis, it won't sit well with Elwood, and in character I'm going to press for taking the captives to town/the authorities.  I'm just saying that if the majority wants to slice throats murderhobo style, as a player I'm fine with that and I'll try to work in a way that Elwood would begrudgingly allow it.  Again, IF it's the majority opinion to do so.

Do the authorities take prisoners? What do they do with them?

Aaron, would begrudgingly accept a group decision, but he really believes the only good Hobgoblin is a dead Hobgoblin.

The local authorities have no facilities for imprisoning that many hobgoblins. If the crime is serious, they are tried and executed if convicted. A moderate crime usually has them put in chains are forced to work at the mine or in the fields. Minor infractions are fined, and then they are released.

I'm for stripping them and branding them with a "B" for Bandit.  If we catch them again it's death.

OK, Aaron would be happy to hand them over since they had tried to kill the party and should get executed.

Unless there are extenuating circumstances.

In reply to Aaron Gray (msg # 215):

Save the trial and lets just be judge jury and executioner.

In reply to Tom Wolf (msg # 216):

Aaron, Talis and I seem to be against that, Tom.

Anneth, Rodrigo, Rukao, Kareth, Gierdon and Durek, how do all of you feel?

I asked them to surrender and they did.  In the future we don;t have to offer quarter, but it goes against my morals to kill Foes who have surrendered.

Hobgoblins aren't traditional enemies, so Gierdon isn't interested in slaughtering them, which is what it would be now.

They are hobgoblins. You lose, you die. That's the law of the land.

However, if we're going by some other law... then they might have been justified in attacking the group if we 'invaded' their territory. Animals will threaten first, to drive you away, and attack only if that doesn't work. They skipped that first part, so I suspect that wasn't their motivation.

What?!!! You woke me up for this?

Kill 'em all and let the gods sort it out! Sure, they ain't orcs, but they're like cousins or something, ain't they?

Sort of agree with Rukao. Law of the land and all that. They lost. Their lives are forfeit, except for you goody-two-shoes types.

Borderline-Chaotic character.  Out for self.  Not out for truth, justice, and sweet little Halfling mommies.  Off 'em if it comes to it, otherwise a branding and a divesting of goods will work just fine!

Rodrigo wants to kill as many of them as he is allowed to. Dirty inhuman skum.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:26, Fri 20 Feb 2015.

It's not that we are bloodthirsty, it is just the law of the wildness. If I attacked someone and got taken out with a sleep spell, I would expect no better. And what is the difference between dispatching them when they are sleeping and killing them outright with an arrow? The moment that spell took them down their lives were over...

(Character's viewpoint, not players viewpoint)

I can sneak.  Wearing leather armour.  Not too good a sneakswoman, yet, 10/20, but yeah!

In reply to Anneth Mage-Singer (msg # 225):

Inside are Muppets.  Are you still going to do battle with them?

I was going to reply with a video link, but I can't seem to find The State's "Eating Muppets" skit online anywhere that isn't behind a pay-wall.  Bummer.

In reply to Elwood (msg # 227):

I was hoping that the Thief-types might like to earn their keep, but it seems that we don't have one.  Kareth hasn't been on in 4 months =(

I'm a pseudo-Thief.  All I can really do, though, is pop locks and sneak around.

In reply to Anneth Mage-Singer (msg # 229):

This would have been a sneaky moment, I would think.  It doesn't matter now as we've charged in.

Eh, I can't backstab, we're good.

In reply to Anneth Mage-Singer (msg # 231):

I will post something this evening.  Last night was really bad at work and I had stuff to do at home.

On vacation so can't post for another a couple of days.

Hi everyone. I am going to be away for a week, so have fun without me.

Are we ready to kill that skeleton yet?

In reply to Rodrigo (msg # 235):

Take it up with the Dice Roller.

Heads up.  I will be travelling on Thursday June 4th, and Friday Jun 12th.  During those two days it is unlikely that I will be able to or capable of replying to any posts.

Greetings all!

Hello, and welcome to the game!

Howdy, Ma'am!

Welcome "aboard"!

Welcome aboard, matey.

Well met, Anya Canson!

Say, Anya, are you in need of weapons?  Or were your captors very irresponsible, and did they leave your arms and armour within arm's reach?  Because I've got a spare dagger you can have, and a mace you can borrow.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:35, Sun 21 June 2015.

My computer just gave up the ghost today. The screen stopped displaying anything, though it's lit up, so I'm figuring it's either the  monitor that somehow burnt out or else the videocard went out. Or maybe the hamster died.

Anyway, I can use my friend's computer on a more sporadic basis until I can get mine fixed or replaced.

Anyway, I'm still around; I just may not be able to stay on top of things all that quickly.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 244):

Have you tried recalibrating the fetzer valve?  Add ball bearings.  It's all ball bearings these days.

Got caught up with stress/work.  Back!

In reply to Anneth Mage-Singer (msg # 246):

We should probably give the Halfling a full body cavity search.

Dear fellows.

I am, very belatedly, writing to say that I am going to have this game up.   I like the setting and the story, I have just decided that after 12-ish hours per day chained to a computer for work, being battered by a constant barrage of emails, I cannot spend any more hours of my life typing on a laptop, when there are so many other things to do.

My apologies for going AWOL and not informing yous of this sooner.

Thanks to the GM and good hunting to the rest of you.

regards,
Kareth.

I have ship plans and a program to draw them... all on the two computers that aren't working at the moment.

I managed to find something online that I could awkwardly modify to give you an idea of what the layout is.

It's under Map 0.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 249):

Thanks

Nice map, thanks.

So we started in the sterncastle, and cleared out areas 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8? That was the halfling + his bodyguard and then the skeleton and the new PC Anya.

Then we went down through the stern hatch (9?) and got into the hold. So there is a lot more of the ship to search, isn't there? We still haven't found Anya's equipment.

Yes, you checked out 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 on the Main Deck, but haven't searched the forecastle areas 1, 2 and 3. If Anya's gear is still on the ship, that' where it'll most likely be.

We check the fo'c'sle area.

Just checking in. There's not much for Elwood to do right now, the other guys seem to have the ship exploration well in hand. So he's just guarding the prisoner, making sure Rukao doesn't rough him up too much. ;)

Post to come after work!

Rescuing the Minotaur is just enough 'experience points' to push everyone to 2nd level! Please update your character sheet when you get the chance.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 256):

Great! What's the rules for rolling for hit points?

Wee!  Yep, also curious about the Hit Points...aside from updating Thieving Abilities, 'Nettie's got to wait a couple of levels for To-Hit increases and/or Saving Throw increases, and it looks like...one level for Magic-User spells, and two for Cleric spells.

HP are max at all levels. It's just too silly to deal with it any other way online.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 259):

I will fix mine tomorrow morning then.

Character sheet updated.

Just out of interest, how many active players do we have? Is Anya still with us? What happened to the dwarf called 'nobody'?

Alas, Anya disappeared shortly after she joined. Don't know why. It's a shame. Nice character and was pretty good role-player.

I believe there are still 6 active players, 7 now with Mort. That leaves 5 NPCs, plus Fando.

I can't recall a Dwarf called 'nobody'. Give me a reference please.

Hello to one and all.

I apologize to the group, for not introducing myself sooner and saying hello.

I'm a fellow gamer who has been around for more years that I care to mention.  If TRS80 means anything to you that should give you an idea of how long.

Appreciate the opportunity to join up on the adventure,

Just looking to be part of the adventure

As it turns out, my time and energy seems to be getting affected by others so that I'm not on top of things gaming-wise as I once was. Partly it has to do with mom being sick, and now the holiday season is scrambling things up even more.

Anyway, don't panic! I'm still here.

I'm just letting you all know that if the game gets a bit slow, there's reason, particularly at this time of year.

However, if you are expecting a response from me, and don't get it within 2 days, feel free to PM me to wake me up!


Also, I wanted to see what kind of campaign/adventures you would like to have. In ftf games, you generally have some idea what your players want cause you usually are friends, or at least have been gaming together for awhile. It's one of those things that tends to get lost in pbp.

I've got lots of ideas, but I just want to make sure they are compatible with you guys.

Not sure how much time I'll have to post between now and Saturday. I'll have some, I think, but suddenly have a lot of stuff on my schedule. Expected some, but it just seems to be that time of year! Hope everyone has a Happy Holiday.

Things should be back to normal for me on Saturday.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 265):

I will not be posting on Dec 24th.  Work followed by Family things.  The 25th is questionable.  The 26th doubtful.  The 27th things will return to normal.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I should be finishing up grading today, so I should be posting a bit more regularly after the holidays.

May Santa find you all, and the Grinch pass you by!

In reply to Elwood (msg # 267):

I am now back to my regular if irregular schedule of posting.  The evil part of the holidays is over for me atleast in the form of odd working days and hours.

I had my Hoppin' John and Skippin' Jenny.  Thanksgiving, Christmas...not important to me.  All that matters is the Hoppin' John and Skippin' Jenny!

In reply to Anneth Mage-Singer (msg # 269):

Posting may be delayed until the weekend.  I'm having to rebuild my pc thanks to a virus and malware.

Does the dragon's breath have any odd but recognizable smell?

Apologies for my lack of posting, but I've been sick this past week. It was bad enough Monday that I should have gone to the ER, according to my doctor, but by the time I saw my doctor, it had mostly passed. However, it did take its toll on me. My brain's been a brick and my body feels like it got run over by a herd of elephants.

I honestly didn't expect it to last the whole week, but then my car broke down on the highway on Friday on the way back from the doctor, dragging it out further.

My brain finally came back on-line yesterday, but body is still sore. I should start getting caught up on my posting later today.

Know ye oh princes, that across my games, across my realities, I declare that on this Saturn’s Day I withdraw from all my fictional lives until at the very least the Day of the Sun. For my real life dog-brother, the godsfather of my son declared a Slam, a day of Viking smoking, Tudor roasting and Caribbean drinking where we will lift our staffs of rum to long exiled spirits, mighty tales and illusions of grandeur. And perhaps, when we lift ourselves from our self-inflicted purgatory tomorrow this bloody real-life world will hear from us again.

But perhaps not.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
My best friend, the god father of my son, is having a massive barbecue so can't post for a while.

---

In reply to Gierdon Warbeard (msg # 273):

The hallucinations you have during those times are scary.  Metal birds that carry people?  Bards in boxes?  'Tis something most unnatural, and I want no part of it!

Unfortunately, the hangover afterwards is all too real!

Ok Gierdon has zero magical weapons as far as I know, how the heck do we get out of this?

On my way. GM Mysterion decided that paladins should have a "smite" ability to damage magical creatures with normal weapons. Once we get up this interminable slope...

Avast Ill take it. A bit of change of face to show someone different behind the mask.

No one's posted in a week. What are waiting on?

Too much of a good time at the ol' Easter egg hunt, amazing what happens when you party with six foot rabbits, two-man chickens and lovely bunnies here in New Orleans. Then when it all started to get good, someone actually said it was not Easter anymore.

BLAST!

Its Easter, lots of family, lots of prancing fury things, it gets complicated.

Is there room for the Dragon on the deck of the ship?

Lately I seem to have an issue with my mouse double clicking things it shouldn't.

I'm traveling today and tomorrow.   Replies will be slow for the next week.

sorry about  the delay n posting

Hey, how many hit points have we recovered since our last combat encounter?

You'll have recovered all of them by now.

Hey Everyone!

Stoked to join you guys, I'm a first time player online and irl so...I will probably say/do some dumb things, but bear with me, I'm a quick learner.

I guess my first dumb question is that I don't actually know how to make a character. And I hope I'm not stuck with the name 'brahspect' - I was under the impression that was just a website name, not a character name. AND...I'm looking at the old 1991 D&D rulebook, it is insanely complicated, or at least it is when you read about it instead of actually play it.

Anyways, I guess what I'm saying is that I'm stoked to play with you guys. And I need some help getting started, if someone doesn't mind showing me the ropes. Or at least give me a place to start by making a character haha. Thanks!

Ian

I don't know that I've ever actually seen the version you are talking about, so I have no idea what's in there.

You have a character sheet under Character Details button above.

There's a thread here for Character Generation. That should explain the easy parts. The Warlock is dealt with under the Classes Available thread.

Start filling out the character sheet with what you understand, and I'll help you with the rest.

And, yes, when you come up with a name for your character, I'll change it here.

You also might want to select a portrait. Just click on the button on the Character Details.

Hey Gang,  just wanted to give you a heads up,  I’ll be doing a bit of traveling over the next two weeks,  I should have some access at times but can’t guarantee when.
Please put my character in support mode as needed.
Thanks

I have decided to pull out from RPOL since I am just too busy. I've had a ball with you guys. Thanks for the game.

Hey All,

Just to be clear, per the DM's last post - have we already traveled the 3 hours to get to the crypts and can see the door/runes etc? Or is that just what is to come; we still have to make that trip TO the ruins?

Thanks

Sorry to see you go, Aaron. That's the way RL goes sometimes.


Yes, you have made the trip to the crypt. That's not to say you can't have done something while en route. You could always cover it in a flashback... or just narrative.

In reply to Aaron Gray (msg # 290):

Take care!

Aaron, perhaps you will return some day.

Work is going to inhibit my ability to reply for the next 3 or 4 days.  I'll do what I can when I have a chance to reply.

Hey Guys,

I'm going to roll for the rune deactivation right now, please correct me if I do this incorrectly - I'm not sure how the 'intelligence' factor comes into play, but if I emulate Fando, I'm just rolling 1d20 and that's all that needs to be done for this, correct?

Either way, I'll roll and we'll see what happens, and if I do it wrong, I'll do it right the next time. :)

Yeah, in the original game, there were no Skills, and no Difficulty Class or Target Numbers, so checks were all based on your Ability Score. At some point, I suppose you could subtract your level from the roll... to represent improved experience.

Hope everyone has a happy thanksgiving.

Is this still happening? And am I still playing in it?

In reply to Gierdon Warbeard (msg # 299):

Yep.  Still happening.

My Thanksgiving will be tomorrow, my mother and I had to work, and we're heading on over to my brother-in-law's folk's place for fooding.  On actual Thanksgiving Day, I listened to "Alice's Restaurant".

Also still here. Working on final revisions of my dissertation. Not much time for games but only 3 weeks left until my committee makes their final decision. Then it should be smooth sailing!

No problem. The Holidaze tend to produce a slow down in posting. It's already bit me.

On Turkey Day, I was thinking of Alice's Restaurant, too! I don't have it to play any more, but it's on my 'to buy' list.

I've always wondered how much people that weren't there at the time really appreciate the song. I've also always felt it was a brilliant piece of comedy...

"...eight by ten colored glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was, to be used as evidence against us."

dog-smellin' prints...
aerial photography...

I can hardly believe it's been almost 50 years ago!

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 302):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m57gzA2JCcM

Well, here ya go.  I think it was Thanksgiving two years ago that my mother suggested I listen to it, since I don't really celebrate the day, and couldn't meet up with my sister's husband's family because of my work schedule or something.  So I made myself a normal dinner, and listened to that.  Then, last year she was over, because again with the work schedules, and we had hard liquor and hamburgers, and listened to Alice's Restaurant.  This year, we FINALLY got around to celebrating with the in-laws (and hubby's father can make a mean turkey, and I normally hate those things and will only eat them out of courtesy).

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Santa brought you all lots of toys and goodies!

Alas, Santa didn't stop at our house this year as there aren't any children living here. Apparently being immature doesn't count.

Further confounding things is that we had to send mom to the ER in an ambulance Tuesday morning at 6:30am. She had pneumonia and fluid in her lung. She's better now; still in hospital but will probably get discharged tomorrow for the rehab center for about a week.

So it's been a rough week.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 304):

Oof.  Speedy recovery to her!  Hope y'all that celebrates 'em had Happy Holidays!  My gift from my job is lots of time off!  And holiday pay.  I got stuff from my family, too, yeah, but time off and holiday pay is also neat.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:19, Tue 27 Dec 2016.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Happy new year

Well, mom's been in the hospital 3 times in the last month, each time having to be sent in an ambulance. Just before Christmas it was pneumonia (a week in the hospital and 2 weeks in rehab), came home for three days and had to go back for a UTI and dehydration (4 days in hospital), came home against doctor's recommendation and promptly went back two days later for pneumonia again. She was discharged from the hospital Wednesday and went to rehab this time.

It's been a bit crazy and stressful, completely discombobulated my gaming mindset; I started to write my latest post about a week ago and then got interrupted, and now just getting back to it.

Anyway, just letting you know I'm still around. If, at any time, you get a bit impatient, feel free to send me a PM. It might not get a post, but at least I'll reply and let you know what's going on.

I hope your mom is doing better now.  I'm glad you didn't fall completely off the face of the earth.

Yeah, she's doing better. The issue is that she can't stay healthy. Something always comes up. She's been to the hospital six times in the last 7 months. Admittedly, the first three times were due to falls that we've now attributed to the micro-seizures she'd been having, but we didn't know about. She's now on meds that seem to be controlling them. So she's now found something else to be a problem.

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

For those who may not have heard, eight days ago on Sunday night just after dinner, I suddenly developed a severe stomach pain--level 7. While I struggled with it for half an hour, figured it was probably food poisoning. It wasn't like any other stomach pain I'd ever experienced before. Then I wound up throwing up 4-5 times, though afterwards the pain level was only 5. An hour later, I threw up 2-3 more times and the pain level dropped to 3. And there it stayed. No more throwing up, and it didn't go away. I couldn't find any position where the pain was lesser, and it was too high to let me sleep. Finally called the EMTs about 1 a.m. and off to the ER I went.

A dose of femital (or something) dropped the pain to 1, and eventually it went completely away. However, the hospital continued to run its test to try and determine the cause. I'm not convinced that they ever did. One doctor concurred that it might have been food poisoning, but the other doctor concluded that it was a problem with my gallbladder and recommended I have it removed. He scheduled laposcopy surgery for Wednesday. If it went well, I'd be hope by Friday. Turned out it was in bad shape and required full abdominal surgery to remove it.

Let me tell you... in all those movies/shows when they talk about a painful wound to you abdomen, they aren't kidding! Every muscle in your chest and abdomen, and a few in your arms and legs, are all tied in together. So every deep breath, every burp, every hiccup, every yawn, every laugh, every cough causes excruciating pain! This is on top of the pain meds!

Every movement... sitting up, standing up, sitting down, laying down, stretching, reaching, bending... causes pain. One such movement at a time is usually okay, but then requires an hour of sitting still and getting over it.

Alas, the hospital's discharge procedure was rather inept on Sunday, and I wound up having to make a dozen such movements so that I could get my meds from the pharmacy before it closed. So after I got home and settled in, it took around 8 hours for the pain to subside.

It's slowly getting better, but will probably take 5-6 weeks for the surgery to completely heal and the pain to completely go away.

But, I'm back! Not sure how much I'll get to in the next two days... have to reorganize the house a bit as I'm mostly fending for myself.

Anyway, I apologize for the absence and lack of word.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 311):

Yer good.

Clarification: Anneth is talking about the suits of armour.  They might have belonged to guards of Maine Bozo's!

Wow, sorry to hear about your ordeal.   Good to hear that your on the mend, even if it is a slow process.

UPDATE: the pain is gone, the staples removed, and things are going well. Unfortunately, sitting at the computer too long causes my abdomen and back to start hurting. Next time I see the doctor, I'll have to ask about that.

I mean, really, it sort of was supposed to take about 6 months for full recovery. I used to stay up late and do my posting then, but nowadays, I crash early (by llpm).

So I find it hard to keep up with all my games some days. I'm just tired a lot still. It does seem to be getting a bit better little by little. Not sure I'll ever get back to normal, though.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 314):

Update when you can.  I'm enjoying both games of yours that I am in.  :)
I'm glad to hear you are doing better.

I hope you do get better soon, and that the docs can find some way to help with the pain.

And I agree with Tom. Take your time. This game can wait until you're well enough to run it. I'll still be around, anyway!

Thanks.

I've never been a morning person, but maybe that's because I don't drink coffee. Or is it the other way around?

Anyway, I crash early, and then wake up early, but don't get nearly as much done in the morning as I think I should. There's the usual chores and errands, meals, some 'mandatory' TV... but then I run out of steam. No brain-power left to think about games.

Still improving little by little. And I have loads of pain pills that I can take; they just don't help with the mental drain.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 317):

NOTICE!: From June 12th to June 23rd, 2017, I will be working nights.  Then, after that and until September 1st, 2017, I will be working early mornings, after which I will likely return to nights.

Nights suck.  Early mornings are ok, unless it is 3am.

Still trying to figure out if that's good or bad news, Anneth!

Also, will that affect your ability to post or be involved in RPGs?

10am to 6pm was a reasonable shift for me, but I much preferred third shift (midnight to 8am) when I was in the Air Force. Seldom had to deal with the brass.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 320):

Just the times at which I post.  Thought I'd communicate that across the, uh...RPoL!

Happy 4th of July everyone.

That is one of the things I like about rpol. You able to post any time night or day

Hmmm. I've been delaying posting because there was supposed to be a new player, but he still hasn't jumped in with his post.

So, it looks like he's bailed already.

Anyway, how about we get a head count to see who is still here?

Sound off, please!

Here

Here as well.

I'm here.

Here.

Me Be Here

Well, some players want a faster posting game, but they are usually the ones that don't post unless the GM drags them around by the nose. That's just not my style of gaming or GMing.

And, rather than talk to the GM to let me know what they'd like to see, they just disappear.

Anyway, that's why I was checking to see if anyone was still around. I'm not quite as prolific in my posting any more. It may have been the surgery, or it just may be that I'm actually over the hill now.

a slower pace works for me

Slower pace is just fine, and I agree with what you've said about posting rates.

Still alive!

As bad as Hurricane Irma was, it wasn't all that bad. Almost no building damage has been reported, not even broken windows, but signs and lots and lots of trees have been uprooted.

15 million people without power. It's starting to come back online now, but probably won't have it at the house for another 2-3 days. Posting from a friend's workplace, which never actually lost power because it was part of the evacuation route.

All we had were a few roof leaks, and the backyard fence got blown down.

Glad to hear you survived Irma.  All I got was a lot of rain and a little wind up here in north west metro Atlanta.

Glad you're safe!  My friends from when I was in high school are checking in safe on Facebook, very gradually.

The only thing we're getting in Western Washington are fires, and teasing of rain.

10.5 days without power!

 Lost power on the 9th just around noon as the hurricane passed by.

 No power, no AC, no lights, no stove/microwave/toaster oven, no hot water, no TV, no computer, no modem, no internet.

 Florida. Summer. Hot. Humid. Sat around in the dark and sweated. Didn't sleep well, didn't eat much.

 Couldn't go anywhere since most places were also without power.

 For a few days, gas was scarce, because most gas stations didn't have power, and so couldn't pump gas. The few that either had power or emergency generators had long lines and then ran out of gas. Tried getting by on ice, but so was everyone else, and ice quickly sold out.

 Finally got power back about 8:30 last night.

 So now we're cleaning up the mess.

 It'll probably be another day or two before I get caught up on all my games.

Glad your ok. Being without power sucks.

Take whatever time is needed

Heads up.  I will be on vacation starting Sep 28th until Oct 8th.   As such my replies may be slower than usual and may lack the colored text for speech as I will only have my phone for internet access for the majority of my vacation when time and activities permit.

As far as looting the crypt goes, are we going to have to play out lugging everything through the various traps, choke points, etc. of this dungeon? Or will we just hand wave it since we've apparently found all the hazards?

If we're going to play it out, we need more detailed lists about what's here in the final chamber. The list so far was a bit vague. If there's a lot of valuable and/or magical gear, we probably want to take as much as we can. And sorting out who gets what, if a lot of it is magical, could take some time.

Yes, to both of those. I was just working on the list.

I expect you can hand-wave exit from this crypt.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

Happy thanksgivings all.

Mort will use the slab to help identify all of the items

Hope your weekends were good stuff!  I got four days off at work!

Question, GM!  Do the burglar's bracers enhance my open locks, which is now at 20% to 22%?

Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving, or, as I said elsewhere, a bountiful foodfest with lots of parades and football if you don't celebrate it.

It was kind of a mixed day for me. My friend's mom died Wednesday morning. It wasn't exactly unexpected; she'd been in poor health for almost a year now. She was in a nursing home.

This year, I made Thanksgiving dinner... turkey and all the fixin's... even made pies, though not from complete scratch. It's been so long since I made a turkey dinner, a few things turned out less than perfect, but still edible. The best part for me has always been the leftovers!

Pfui. Don't know whether it's the holiday blehs, blahs, blues or busyness, but I find myself unusually lacking in time with unexpected lack of mental energy to boot. I get a few posts in (if I'm lucky), and then my brain turns to mush. Getting around to posting as I can.

Anyway, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

Merry Christmas everyone.

Merry Christmas