Feel free to chat here.

May need to enable Player-editable Character Sheets?

I don't seem able to upload/edit currently.

Thank you for the heads-up. You should be good now. :) If you'd like anything else set up for you let me know.

Also, do you want to provide more information on your character's god and temple? I'd be happy to add it to the World Above information. :)

Thanks!

I'll get a backstory re pantheon etc. asap! :)

Added PC sheet info, character description, and Bio lines 1 & 2. Feel free to change these around as best suits the game!

Thank you. I’ll take a deeper look this evening, but things look good so far.

Also, we have a second player! Give it up for Sancho! I’ll recalibrate the dungeon for two characters and we will get started. There is a chance I’ll be ready before Friday, I’m hoping that we can scare up a third player at some point, but won’t delay the start of the game if I don’t have to. ;)

Hey, there, Mr. Wight.

I should be ready to go on Friday.

Hello Sancho! :)

@ Voice: pm rcv'd, weighing spell choice now. It's down to either Light or Purify Food/H2O. Leaning towards the later.

I don't think I specified, but I'm a Lawful cleric. :)

I'm going to choose Purify Food/Water, as it helps address basic human needs. Light is luxury. :D

Could I get a ruling on how Cure/Cause Light Wounds targets? Is it:
- Only cure self
- Only cure one other target
- Cure other target OR self
- Cure other target(s) AND self

Or something else completely?

I have no strong opinions or preferences, simply seeking clarity. :)

If I had rolled more than 3hp I'd perhaps consider Cure Wounds more seriously; as it is, one hit is likely to kill a lot of things, so healing doesn't seem as immediately crucial. Hope I'm not wrong!

Good choice for a prayer.  That will definitely come in handy. :)

Cure/Cause Wounds can effect either yourself or one target you can touch. When using it offensively no additional roll aside from the spell casting check will be required. The Wisdom check will also serve as the attack roll.

Thanks!!

Just a few comments on the house rules.

7) "Affect" not "effect" -- effect as a verb means to bring about or cause. My wife is always confusing those two. Please don't think I will make a habit of these types of edits. I used to teach writing so it's an old reflex of mine--sometimes controlled, sometimes not.

8) All five senses? Are you sure? That seems like sensory overload to me :). Maybe we could swap out a sense or two if we make decent use of figurative language or verb choice.

12) I do post on weekends. I'm usually pretty relaxed after a gym+lunch and in the mood to post.

Game setting and set up looks great so far. I'll have a look at the White Box rules tonight. Are you writing this adventure yourself?

In reply to Sancho (msg # 11):

Thank you for spotting that error. I'll go and change it.

Honestly, I'm not going to be too hard-nosed about all five senses. What you suggest sounds fine to me.

This is a home-made adventure. I've been listening to youtube videos by Runehammer and Dungeon Craft for years now and decided to put that knowledge to the test. I'll be pulling inspiration from a lot of different modules of the old and new schools. I'll also be making use of a lot of fun resources like the Tome of Adventure Design, The Mother of All Treasure Tables, Dark Sun Boxed Set, Rappan Athuk, and others. There will be plenty of material to keep us going for a while should we desire.

Y'kar'us, I took the liberty of doing a short write-up of your character's former temple based upon the information you've given. Please let me know if that meshes with your imagination. I'm happy to change things around until you are satisficed.

We shall begin, soon...
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:08, Thu 04 Mar 2021.

In reply to The Darkness (msg # 12):

Read the Order write-up, looks good!

Two things I'll add: rather than a single deity, the Order is dedicated to preserving all temples of all deities. Kind of an order of "clerics for clerics." Think sort of a blend between the pantheon of Gods like ancient Greece and the rich tapestry of major and minor deities in Hinduism.

Second thing re: temple's destruction. Forgot to add earlier, all family and friends were wiped out in that massacre.


Re: starting...

I'm patient, so definitely no rush, but if everyone else is rarin' to begin, I'm ready.

I'm curious to see how these 3d6 instead of d20 rolls shake out! :)

In reply to Y'kar'us the Wight (msg # 13):

Thank you for the feedback. Please check the revised description at your convenience. :)

Also, I added the -1 modifier next to your Con.

Honestly, I'm pretty much ready to go. I'll start working on the opening post and then put it up when Sancho is also ready. Please don't rush yourself, Sancho, because I won't let you get left behind so quickly.

I've run several games with 3d6 instead of the d20. Most of them were for kids and teens. You tend to spend more time with the lower tier monsters and thinking about strategy. Tailor made for this style of game.

Well, mathematically, the average result will still be 10.5 but while you would have a 25% chance of rolling 16 or higher on a d20, I think 3d6 will produce a 16, 17, or 18 less frequently. And let's hope we don't get any 19s or 20s with those dice. That would be unsettling.

The maths are simple, but will Lady Luck like it? ;)

So far Lady Luck is not favoring you two. I did two quick rolls to see if you could retain your selected items and both failed. Perhaps it was confiscated by a Black Guard at the last moment? Or, vanished while they were within the portal? I made both rolls public so you can check them.

The good news is that I should be finished with the first post soon.

My sweet chernips! Lol.

As DM, I trust you to make rolls as appropriate. No need on my part for them to be public at any point, if you prefer "behind the screen" rolling. No personal preference on the matter.

So it begins...

Are we together?

That's one of the sad things about being American. We don't pluralize math. It's always mathematics. I so prefer "maths."

Yes, you both are together. I figure we can start you two out as a group and then see what happens.

In reply to The Darkness (msg # 21):

Ah, I thought we were separate, apologies!

Maybe we want to do max hps for level 1? I'm not sure if we want to make this game quite so asymmetrical. Obviously, rolling a 1 brought this into focus for me.

Now I'm not feeling quite so sad over my 3hp! :D

Also, feeling *much* better about not choosing Cure Light Wounds. :|

I've been thinking about HP carefully today.

The intention here is to run an dangerous and deadly game. However, I hear you that playing a 1 hp character just stinks.

If you can stick it out for a bit and see how far that 1 hp will carry you I've put something in the dungeon that will help with that.

Also, I didn't want to mention this until the time came, but your characters will get to re-roll their HP each time they level up. So, at second level, you both will roll 2d6 with Con adjustments and that will be your new hit point total. If your roll is equal to or less than your current total after mods are taken into account then you will still gain 1 hp.

In other news, congratulations on your first posts! In addition to the mentioned items and XP you each also gain one Luck. You can use this Luck at any time to re-roll any one dice roll that you make. Once used it is gone. More Luck can be earned as the game progresses by overcoming great obstacles or reaching millstones in your character's experience of The Oubliette.

Excellent! Great job running the game thus far! Kudos! :)

Added/updated PC sheet with xp, luck, items. While doing so, I caught an error: I had my saving throw listed at 14, but it looks as though it should be 15. Made the correction.

Re: hp. I'm cool however everyone wants to run it. Low hp/extreme danger is fun in this kind of setting imho; but I'm also not the dude with 1 hp. ;)

I could be wrong, but after not partaking in rpgs for over 20 years, it seems to me as though the games have really geared themselves towards over-powered, feel-good-about-yourself sort of first level PCs. It's fun and refreshing to see people playing it old-school, where your PC is expected to die horrible deaths which is fun because then you can roll up new peeps to run through the gauntlet. I realize this style only works well if everyone is on board with it. It makes it much more fun and rewarding when you have a really successful character. Or even just survive. ;)

Just rambling pre-coffee post-loong night. :)

Lots of old-school games on RPOL.

link to another game
link to another game
link to another game

For a few. The challenge is to find the right GMs.

D&D, as it has progressed, has become increasingly spongy. Everything takes longer and becomes more taxing. But it's still great if you want to play a tactical fantasy combat simulator. I don't any longer. Dunno about the ego gratification part, though.

Re the 1 hp conundrum. I love rogue-like video games. I played the original in 6th grade.

1 hp works if you're giving your character a comic turn or if you're playing a particular type of character. Sancho's not much of a humorist; as a wanderer with 12 con, he should be pretty hearty. As it is now, his cirrhosis maybe more advanced than he had realized.

As far as I'm concerned, this is just stuff we're chewing over. No changes needed. Some possible remedies down the line. I'm easygoing.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:03, Sat 06 Mar 2021.

Appreciate the links!

This is my first real game playing as a PC and not DMing. I had another game I was in die out before it really got started, so that doesn't really count.

I had not heard of OSRIC prior to joining this game, otherwise the second game linked would have been right up my alley. I even remember looking at it briefly a while back, saying to myself, "I have no clue what this OSRIC is...NEXT!" :D

I have a 20 year k-nowledge gap between basically the end of 2e through til this year. One of the big appeals was: D&D 5e was free! That price sounds about right to me...didn't realize the whole back-to-basics movement took place with this style of free-rules open-game systems.

Dumb question: is wanderer a class or something I'm missing, or is that just how your character refers to himself?

Is there supplemental material to the S&W:Whitebox download I should be aware of?

Thx!

It was from the list of available classes from the Character Creation section. As I work with the formerly "chronically homeless," it looked like an amusing choice.

Why would you stop playing RPGs for 20 years? What set of calamitous decisions could have cast you into that desert?

Sure, free things are nice. But they really don't matter to me like they might have 30 years ago :). No change in that respect for my wife.

Thank you for the links Sancho. I'll take a look.

Man, I remember playing a 1 hp Magic user in a Rules Cyclopedia based game. At least I think it was Rules Cyclopedia. He got lost alone in the dungeon. Sadly, that game ended before he managed to escape back to the surface or find the rest of the party again. :) Good times.

There have definitely been a lot of changes to the game between 2nd and 5th. I find that I generally like playing 5th ed. Your characters can really feel powerful and obstacles don't loom as large. I just really dislike DMing 5th ed outside of carefully selected groups of people.

I went down the 3.0-3.5 min/max path for a while. It was a lot of fun at the time. I even dove head first into Pathfinder. However, I ended up playing with a group of people who were so deeply into optimizing their characters that it became impossible to DM for them and have fun.

After that I retreated back to the Rules Cyclopedia for a few years. Around when 5th came out I was diving deeper and deeper into Swords and Wizardry as my preferred family of retro-clones. it was similar enough to the Rules Cyclopedia that I could use it to run games while pulling the other options from the RC that I liked.

These days I switch back and forth between 5th D&D and S&W. I've also been branching out into other systems like Monte Cook's Cypher System and Numenera.

So, there are 3rd party supplements for Swords and Wizardry: White Box available from Drive Through RPG. I'll post some links. You don't need to buy them for this game. I'll happily share any needed information with you should you want to make a character using those classes.

Wanderer is a class that is part of the White Box Gothic book. It offers a few interesting options designed to make an exploration game easier. He'll really be able to help the party scavenge resources.

here are some links for the curious.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/p...bus-Swords--Wizardry

This is the White Box Omnibus. It contains the rules for the Bard, Druid, Monk, Paladin, Ranger and Thief. There are also options to customize the three core classes from White Box to create the Healer, Undead Slayer, War-Priest, Marksman, Swashbuckler, Weapon Specialist, Illusionist, Necromancer and Scholar. I used those as the bases for custom making the Reaver and renamed the Weapon Specialist into the Weapon Master. There's also magic items, monsters, and an entire setting and mini-campaign.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/p...-II-Swords--Wizardry

This is where I got the Acrobat, Barbarian, Cavalier, Duelist and Jester.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/p...hic-Swords--Wizardry

There is where I pulled the Monster Hunter, Metaphysician, Spiritualist, and Wanderer from. It has other options that we are not currently using and focuses on running gothic horror games. Pretty neat if that is your thing.

Re: wanderer. Whitebox Gothic, gotcha! Thanks! :)

Re: reasons for not playing. I don't know, I guess I went to college and nobody I knew played, and before I knew it LIFE had happened, lulz. Ended up going down the MTG route pretty hard, which is nice, cuz it ended up paying the down payment on my house. :)

Material returns such as those are difficult to pass up for non-payout games like D&D, especially when you're younger. It just worked out that way, and I got lucky.

When winter rolled around this year I started going stir-damn-crazy with quarantine and whatnot, so free rpgs online really appealed. I had never heard of pbp before, and that really sold me.

I like DMing, world building, etc. But I'm no actor, and I'd be just really embarrassed DMing for a group of adults. Which is weird, because usually nothing like that fazes me. DMing behind a screen with time to think and plan and write is super ideal.

I'm actually pretty glad I didn't keep playing: 3.0 had just dropped and I remember all that maxing/mining and it just wasn't my play style. I haven't heard one good word re: 4.0 so I assume that was some hot garbage as well??

So, better late than never! :)

Edit: re links: Super, thank you so much!

Spoken, well, like a true gambler. A binary. Pays out or does not. Doesn't professional MTG involve maximizing your deck? I was contracting at Microsoft in the late 90's at the height of the MTG craze.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...r_(The_Twilight_Zone)

No, 4.0 was a lot of fun if you're into tactical fantasy combat. But there were so many states, modifiers, and so forth to track that it was burdensome to run. For a few years though, my brain really loved that meal. Since then it's been strictly AD&D variants for me.

There is this game as well, link to another game, but like the others I posted (save for StoneHell), it is full. The GM for StoneHell is very good, btw.

Appreciate the game link!

I think running one game and playing in another is about the right balance for me.

I do tend to overindulge. But there just really aren't any CRPGS I want to play.

Which game are you running, Y?

In reply to Sancho (msg # 35):

I'm running a game called The Grand Conjunction of the Five Moons for two friends, one of which has never played any rpgs, and another that has, but not 5e.

Let me tell ya, I thought I was super hip with five moons!

Found out today Ebberon's got like 10 or some shizzz. Har-rumph! :| :D

I think the law of diminishing returns comes into play at some point.

Happy Monday! Also, your first loot!

It is about two and a half inches long and a quarter of an inch thick not counting the legs.

PM

Hey, other player, how would you feel if I suggested that you be our cartographer?

In reply to Sancho (msg # 41):

I like maps! :)

Y'kar'us will keep a mental map, as he has nothing upon which to write, nor the implement with which to do so. :p

If we get so far as to find such things, Y'kar'us will be more than happy to serve as grapher- of- carts. :)

I'm sure we're about to stumble upon a rich vein of charcoal and lambskin.

Roger that.

All mapping services rendered for entertainment purposes only. Caveat emptor.

Roger that! :)

I see you've fire up another, Wiglaf. Be aware of the RPOL bug.

It is rather catching. ;)

I've notices that RPoL is a lot different than it used to be when I was playing and DMing a lot. I have the impression that there are fewer people on these days.

One of the games I joined to play recently is already stalling out and we have only just started talking in the tavern. It is a sadness.

Well, certainly feel lucky to have this game to play!

Seems the game die-out rate on rpol is significant. Has it always been so?

I remember it being roughly 50% of games that I joined would die out within the first three months. Either because of player drop out or GM burn out. Not sure what things are like now. I've heard that a lot of these style games are now played on Discord, but I'm not a fan.

I am getting ready for a 5e game with some teens. Once that game is done I'll do an im-game post here. I dislike the amount of prep needed to run 5e D&D, but the kids don't want to even try anything else. At least most of them can manage their own character sheets.

It's just a matter of finding the right GMs. Yes, I've heard about the movement to Discord.

As posted before:

link to another game Always hiring.
link to another game I think he'd take another.
link to another game full.
link to another game full.
link to another game full.
link to another game  this GM is reliable but I don't care much for his homebrew system.

How is it that you find yourself running games for adolescents and kids?

Yep, I do find 4+ battles enervating. I might have mentioned this before :P.

I think I've had 3 games or so evaporate over the past year: a StoneHell, Castle Hellgate, and Into the Unknown, the old D&D module. But I have since settled into the above games.

I help run an afterschool program for students with special needs. We use games to keep them interested in math and help with developing or maintaining social skills, problem solving, and some creative writing. My co-worker and I run a campaign for the kids twice a week. I also run a game for some middle school aged students using Cypher System once a week to help them work on creative thinking and problem solving skills. It sounds pretty simplistic, but some of the children and teens really need the help. Especially now with so much isolation.

Thank you for the links. :)

In reply to The Darkness (msg # 51):

That's awesome! *high fives*

Are the bits of burned roots scattered loose about the floor, or are they poking through the ceiling/floor/walls/wherever?

Re: Maps

I'm more than happy to do the mapping, but was wondering if you guys had any preferred method/format.

I've tried the ASCII mapper online tool, and don't particularly care for it.

Usually I'd use something like MS Paint cuz I'm super kewl like that, but thought I'd ask because you guys are obviously wells of k-nowledge! :)

Thx!!

In reply to Y'kar'us the Wight (msg # 53):

It looks like the bits of root are scattered loosely there. They do not appear to have come up from between any of the stones or fallen from the ceiling above.

Thank you, by the way. It is fun to see fresh perspectives in gaming. Even if the kids have a tendency to murder hobo their way through problems if we let them. Soon they will be facing an ancient red dragon. Why, because they’ve already been through plenty of dungeons...

Regarding maps, sadly I’m not sure I have any special insight. If you have a way of hosting an image you could draw a map on paper, take a digital picture, and then post the picture. That’s probably how I would do it.

I think hand-drawn on graph paper looks best. This is from Arden Vul.

No, it sounds necessary. What is your connection to the school? I tried that math-gaming approach with my daughter; it never took. She's...barely numerate. But the exception is not the rule.

Y, why do you spell knowledge the way you do?

Sorry, if it's annoying I'll stop.

I don't know WHY I do what I do, I just, like, DO it, man. ;)

Long answer...I studied dead languages in college. Linguists embrace the fluidity of language. Street slang I've picked up god knows where doing god knows what peppers my speech and writing. The plasticity of language is my plaything.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:44, Sat 13 Mar 2021.

In reply to Sancho (msg # 56):

That looks great. Graph paper, huh?

I'm not sure I've got paper paper in the house, let alone graph paper lol.

My MS Paint skills will look better than I'd manage free hand. :)

Thanks for the input!



Oh, forgot to mention...glad to hear I'm not the only person who doesn't care for the idea of Discord.

I didn't make that map by the way. Another player from that game did.

Not annoyed. If I'm annoyed, I won't hide it. Resentment is worse than annoyance.

So like K-Town instead of Korea town.

Or K-Leigh instead of Kayleigh. No.

K-street for Wall Street. Or is that street for lobbyists?

I think the K-thing might work better depending on the consonant that follows.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:54, Fri 12 Mar 2021.

Tried many different mapping options today, found most terribly lacking. I ended up disliking MS Paint for active mapping more than I would've thought, after a little trial and error.

Finally found a site called Dungeon Map Doodler that was easy to use and wasn't a security nightmare.

https://dungeonmapdoodler.com/draw/

Highly recommended.

Or K, the protagonist from The Trial, one of the themes of which, incidentally, was the futility of self-knowledge.

I like retro fonts and all but maybe one that is a little less fussy?

Fussy? :p Something's fussy, not sure it's the font. :| :p

5 hrs chopping wood and tending a bonfire makes me more direct.

Feel free to correct or suggest technical/dimensional issues, in fact, please do. :)

Aesthetic suggestions will be lower priority. :|

Please also feel free to graph your own carts, pleasing your personal aesthetics however you choose. :)

That said, I'll see what I can do. The lack of quality "fantasy"-esque fonts was one of the few issues I had with Dungeon Doodler or whatever that site was called.

5 hours of chopping? You're no Oblomov.

There was a time I could play soccer 2-3 times a week. That time has passed.

Yep, fussy but, I hope, not all that fastidious.

I'm afraid aesthetic suggestions tend to be all I have. I think the current font is some flavor of Gothic? I think some of the Ultima's might have used it.

Anyhow, apologies. The map is essential and I'm too much of an Oblomov to do it.

No apologies needed. Please don't mistake my bluntness for having been offended. :)

Updated map, found a little better font. There's some real bad ones, lemme tell ya! :D

Frankly, that map is pretty good, and now I'm going to look into trying out that dungeon mapping tool. Thank you.

Quite happy with the new font.  Wife teaches art history, which can include the History of Graphic Design. So, yes, fonts.

Still impressed by your Bunyonesque chopping of wood.

Just a note, DM, for Sancho movement: if he sees Y. wants to look at something longer, he'll wait. He's not impulsive -- although it might be fun to give our characters a disadvantage.

DM, I wonder if not enough people are familiar with this system to know that it's just a D&D retro variant, so they skip over your advert?
This message was last edited by the player at 00:13, Sun 14 Mar 2021.

Mood much improved post-lunch, post-bubble bath (listened to Prince's Diamonds & Pearls, a bubblebath fave), post-couch nap with the kiddo sleeping on me. Wife's turn to do yardwork, she flipped our compost bins over. Getting yard prepped for spring post-winter is always a chore.

Massive ice storm this winter and then 2+' of snow for several weeks straight means I'm just now getting to all the downed limbs. Ice stripped the whole damn side of a 150'-ish eastern white pine of all the branches. Still a few widowmakers I'm dodging.

Hate having stuff like that out in the yard. Got up a little toasty from the night prior, grabbed some black coffee, and sweat it out. Not all 5 hrs was chopping, but enough of it was...:)

Will get an IC post in finally a little later tonight.

--

Art history, eh? Love me some art history of all sorts, yes, fonts included. ;)

--

Note re: Dungeon Doodler...I turn all the hatching off or to zero to have the above style, seems easier to manage, and then you can either add hatching after drawing the layout or omit it entirely, etc.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:57, Sat 13 Mar 2021.

Sancho, that is a fair point about people not knowing the system. I normally walk in circles where Swords and Wizardry are well known so sometimes forget how niche retro-clones are to begin with.

You two are making some serious headway into the first section of the dungeon. I hope your luck continues to hold. :)

Map updated!

Questions regarding materials in this new room:

Chain thickness? Total chain length?

Essentially, looking for if it's fine enough of linkage to potentially replace the rope section of my meteor hammer, if we can get it unmoored from ceiling.

Maybe the weight of one of us isn't enough to pull it down (based on the hanging remains), but both our weight together might do it...?

Thickness, and style of vines? Are they woody, where the outside can be peeled off to make cordage? or are they "fleshier/juicier," and might contain water?

Those are great questions. I'll answer the chain questions in my next post.

@Wiglaf re: rules-lite game play query in community chat.

I haven't played the rules set you speak of...it's a fairly pricey rules- lite option; a few mechanics and then a bunch of setting material.

I've been poking around a bit for rules- lite freebies like OSRIC and Pocket Fantasy RPG. While I haven't really jumped into Pocket Fantasy RPG fully yet, as I've been quite busy, it seems at least comparable-ish.

Just a heads up in case you were unaware of that option, and in case the free feature appeals to you as something you could easily have a group of kids download hassle free. Also I believe there are a few similar "imagination starters" included.

Just a thought! :)

Pocket Fantasy RPG is not one that I'm aware of. I'll take a look. Thank you. :)

One of my hobbies is collecting and reading short RPGs. I like seeing what different designers think a fantasy RPG is when it gets taken down to brass tacks. It really shows what their priorities are and where they find their fun.

I've definitely been very interested and intrigued in the whole OSR and rules-lite movements from a game design standpoint since being introduced to the concept by you. Big fan of seeing the game theory and aesthetic design choices being made.

Read over the Pocket Fantasy RPG and looks pretty funny (in a good way). All done with a d6. 4 pages total, includes a lot of good stuff in not much space. Not sure how that compares to Tiny RPG.


Re: map...updated, I found the "stamps" feature. Not sure how I missed that first several go arounds, but I did.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:36, Tue 16 Mar 2021.

So...looks like "GM fiat" is a pretty touchy discussion point in the general rpg community, lol!

To be clear, I'm definitely from the older school, GM's word is final camp. From a time when half the world was homebrewed and you depended on the GM's imagination to bring it all to you, and run the rules, etc., it seems natural and good. Excepting arsehole GMs, of course.

I guess that makes more sense when it's a group of friends, and everyone can keep everyone else honest because it was face-to-face and friend-to-friend.

Strangers on pbp I guess changes that trust calculation a bit, I get it.

But I can't understand people's complaints for "GM Fiat" being so bad. Obviously it's necessary sometimes, right? Either to speed up play, or for stylistic reasons?

Just curious what your more informed opinions would be on the subject. I find the fact it's a major subject (apparently) humorous to begin with! :)

Nope, I see these games as collectives. A GM dictate (or fiat, if you prefer) indicates a fundamental break-down in the relationship of the participants. This isn't to say that where ambiguity exists the GM won't have the final word. But in all cases of expediency, I have found all to, more or less, agree with GM agency, so in those cases it's not really fiat as such.

For a game with teens or kids, yes, absolutely, the adult running it would need the authority. But in every game I play in here on RPOL, that is not the case. The collective is formed by older, experienced players.

I have found really only one case of GM tyranny on RPOL, though doubtless there are others. A one Mr. Radnoff was running (still runs) a Castle Amber game I was in. At first, I noticed some instances of arbitrariness on his part. But they just got worse and more pronounced as the game progressed. If I can recall a specific example, we were in the chapel which we knew had some hidden diamonds. This was brought up in the game in the form of a thought and someone responded to that thought. This enraged the GM so he effectively vaporized the diamonds, sadly informing us that he had no choice but to do so due to our transgression.

It only got worse. He would assign me the worst possible motives for my comments and actions. I quit, saying, "Why would I stay in a game when you think I'm always lying? Why would you want me in the game if you believe that?"

See. That's what I mean about fiat=fundamental breakdown.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 14:22, Wed 17 Mar 2021.

In reply to Sancho (msg # 78):

Thanks for the thoughts! I, too, see these games as collectives. With long-term, experienced players willing (and able) to drive their own characters, GM Fiat (arbitrary decisions) should be avoided.

With newer, less-experienced players unable (or at times, hesitant) to grab their characters by the horns and really "make them theirs," sometimes what would be considered "untenable" behavior by a GM in a different game becomes necessary.

Obviously, the ideal is a great mix of experienced players where everyone contributes and builds each other up, collaborate, etc.

That's not to say that the GM shouldn't always have a very clearly stated "open door" policy, and then actually implement it. In the game I run, a player had issue with something I decided, he brought it to my attention, we had an honest open discussion about it where I told him my reasoning behind the decision, he convinced me I was at least partially wrong, I admitted it, and then we went forward with a clear and collaborated way to handle the situation in the future. And we both were happy with it.

Just spitballin' some thoughts on the matter, helps to have some experienced players to bounce ideas off of outside the general forum or, say, reddit (shudder). I think you guys kinda know where I'm coming from, so if I misstate my intention of a thought, or word it awkwardly, I'm not getting massacred over something the community in general may have figured out and put to rest a decade ago for all I know. ;) :)
This message was last edited by the player at 14:38, Wed 17 Mar 2021.

I'm definitely reexamining my style of DMing, though, for sure. Apparently, from something I read in passing, 2e was notoriously DM-fiat heavy in style and tone, with some (apparently) bad advice in the DMG. That is basically what I cut my teeth on, so maybe I picked up bad habits/outdated modalities?

Dunno. Could have been formative for you. I don't think the previous versions had that tone.

I couldn't say why but 2nd edition D&D just didn't work for me. I didn't return until 3.5 when the game became far more tactical in nature.

Got my 2nd shot on Monday. Def triggered my immune system.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:22, Wed 17 Mar 2021.

In reply to Sancho (msg # 81):

Oofa, I feel ya. Everyone in my fam that has gotten the second shot has had a tough reaction (still better than the alternatives)!

Feel better soon, sounds like the reaction only lasts half a day to a day in length, from the people I know personally.

About 1-2 days of ague. Nothing beyond the reach of acetaminophen.

May have found another interested player. Old school D&D player, hasn't played since early 90's.

He had also not heard of retroclones, OSR, or rules lite systems, and is intrigued. I pointed him to the S&W: WB rules and told him to sign up to rpol.net if interested.

He and I are playing Civ VI vs each other at the moment. I know him from another hobby forum I frequent.

He said he played Axis and Allies by phone in the past, so we know he's kewl. ;)

It's boutique pastime (retro RPG) upon boutique pastime (play by post).

Have always felt that the later versions of CIV have unbearable endgames but were delicious otherwise. Well, used to be. I don't play them any longer because of said end game.

^TRUER WORDS NEVER SPOKEN!
This message was last edited by the player at 21:01, Thu 18 Mar 2021.

Seriously, though, I think Civ hit its peak on IV, V was a disaster from an AI standpoint, and VI (which I just got and am still soopernooby at) seems to just recycle the best ideas of iii, iv, and v.

UI is nice and streamlined, I like that.

But it's super cartoony, and jury is still out on whether the districts mechanic works or is a boondoggle.

I've played all of them to varying degrees since Civ I. Spent most time on II, IV & V.

I'd be more than happy to welcome them if they want to join. Just have them let me know that they are your friend and I'll add them right in. Then we can get them caught up on character creation if they need any help.

Man, the Civ games were a trip. I remember playing one, I think it was th 2nd one, with my brother a while ago. Good times.

Later on I get more into Age of Empires. That was good fun. I was terrible at it, but had fun anyway.

Sorry for being quiet. I'm also recovering from a bug and have been feeling unsociable. I should be back to normal in a day or two. I have enjoyed following the conversation. :)

Sorry to hear you guys have been under the weather! Hope you're back at it soon.

No rush if you're not feeling absolutely tip top! :)

It almost seems to be a contradiction, a fascination with minimalist RPGs (I actually prefer more Baroque designs) and a dedication to Civ games (and their maximalist layering of systems, intertwining or otherwise).

I've played too many well-designed board games to settle for the ever-expanding bubble gum wad of late-game Civ. Whereas board games have scoring systems upon which I can focus (and, more importantly, contribute to a contraction of game-play rather than expansion), Civ has those conditions, the pursuit of which becomes a slog. I kept trying to find the right settings for a decent full game of Civ -- without success.

Played my first game of indoor soccer in a year last night. I thought I had stayed in reasonable shape, but trying to race around while wearing a mask was brutal. I was struggling for air most of the game. And the silliness of it with me already twice jabbed.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:48, Fri 19 Mar 2021.

I think you mentioned something about MTG being max/min heavy; I prefer max/min styles of play in games with very precise, contained game trees. Think: Chess, Tetris, or Axis & Allies, MTG. LOVE max/min'ing those sort of games because, quite frankly, they have much more solid game design components. There is a certain BALANCE that exists. I've yet to see any sort of more-involved rpg system (and D&D seems ESPECIALLY bad at this) with even good game balance. There's just too much going on that's too difficult to properly put into well-balanced and fair game mechanics.

Since the output (win/loss v. fun/not fun) of RPG's is fundamentally different than other types of games I play and is based on interpersonal communication and shared "Illusion/suspension of disbelief," I approach these types of games very differently. Thus the, "Set up the game old-school with minimal rules so we can use our imaginations to the maximum" ethic.



I hear ya. Agree completely re: late game Civ. I recall (could be wrong) Civ iv's endgame being the most palatable. V's was literally unplayable. My personal preference is ancient through renaissance eras. Essentially, if I haven't already won (even on the most difficult settings) by this time I just quit. Not a sore loser, just less interest in the late game-ery.



I'm in garbage shape. This winter kept me shoveling, so that's something. I'm getting to the age where I really need to start taking care of myself, and I'm not doing the best job of it. I'm better than a lot of people, but my diet has gone down the tube since the kiddo was born; as I age I know it's only going to get harder to maintain.

I think another reason I prefer osr/rules/D&D Basic (vs. D&D w/ Tasha's et al.) is I've lived a lot, and have seen a lot of things, and have an overly active imagination. So to me, the less rules to get in the way of Vision, the better. I expect to a certain degree the other adults I play with to also have experienced a fair amount of real worldness, and able to expand play organically.

Too many rules contract play, imho.

That said, I totally get people's reliance on boxed settings. Those are great for kiddos, fanbois, people with no imagination, or the time-strapped. I will also admit having "common ground" in which to meet when playing with strangers is helpful.

They're just not for me.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:31, Fri 19 Mar 2021.

I think the shared common ground of a published setting can be a good thing. While each DM and players will tend to put their own twist on the Forgotten Realms or Dark Sun it is nice to generally know what you are in for when someone is setting a game up. I personally prefer making my own material, but man that can take a while. Especially if you are a completionist. ;)

Y'kar'us, to answer your questions, yes you take just 1 hp of damage. Also, we are using the Saving Throw that you have listed in your profile.

Also, the monster is still alive. It is currently both of you turns to act against it. :)

I definitely understand and can commiserate with the completionist mindset, as I used to be one myself. Having a goodly amount of info squared away helps allow the GM to present a vision to the players that seems more grounded. I think, from lessons learned as an overly-prepared adolescent DM, that it's good to have some solid guideposts in a home-brew setting, things you can quickly and effectively present that give hooks or direction, but allow tons of "empty space" in which the players' characters can make their marks. It's definitely a balancing act.

My recent tact is more along the lines of presenting sketches that get colored in by PC participation, or as time goes on and things "solidify" through play.

Adventures I'm more completionist (e.g., running a dungeon), although I still leave a few grey areas for spur-of-the-moment improvisation. Sometimes mid adventure, circumstances will make an area really obvious one thing or another, which I may not have come up with beforehand in a thousand years.

What drove my early completionist mindset was an existential unwillingness to be "caught out" during improvisation. As I matured I understood there are times you just have to wing shizz and let the chips fall as they may. These were life lessons, that I'm now applying to my new old hobby. ;)

I will also say, a downside to homebrew, is a bit more reading to start for players as well as a bit more upfront prep from GM. Homebrew works well when people aren't already fans of, say, Eberron. If the GM AND player don't know the setting, it can be lame...whereas a little passion from a GM homebrew, even if "technically" less detailed or somehow "flawed," may capture a player's interest and imagination.

Againg, pre coffee early morning thoughts...:)
This message was last edited by the player at 14:11, Sat 20 Mar 2021.

Oh, I mean something different when I use the terms 1-"minimalist" and 2-"maximalist" vs. min/maxing. A 4-page RPG ruleset would be an example of the 1. Civ feature overload  would be an example of 2. And we all know about min/maxing in RPGs.

For MTG, you'd want to maximize your deck's efficacy within a game that takes a maximalist approach in terms of number of cards and mechanics. Tournament play moves MTG closer to a minimalist game. Is that fair, Mr. MTG Champion?

If you had been worried about being "caught out" and your players had aimed to do so, it sounded like y'all took a wrong turn a ways back. And that reminds me of one of my favorite short stories: "Hunters in the Snow" by Tobias Wolff.

Anyhow, I'm not prey to the compulsion to get everything done. I do view it as a compulsion. Not necessarily a bad one! Very useful in many situations!

The powers of imagination tend to hit their peak in early adolescence. Brain chemistry starts to change, etc.

link to another game

That OSRIC game could use a reliable player or two.

Thank you. I'm taking a look at the game and at the rules. I'm not sure I will join, but it does look like a lot of fun so far. I just want to be sure that I can commit. ;)

You're welcome. As far as I can tell, it's AD&D with some modifications I leave for others to manage.

Since we now have an effective caller/explorer system, I think daily posting would only be needed during combat.

No, I was simply a neurotic kid. ;)




Respectfully disagree. Or at least, not for everyone.

Brain chemistry certainly changes, though. :p

Oh, I'm sorry, Y'Kar. I neglected to add that you're unusual in that respect. I do think I had more free flowing imagination as a child and less of that now.

I mean we obviously all still have lively imaginations. They just can get tempered somewhat as the brain changes. I had to take some adolescent psychology back in the day.

Very tempted by that OSRIC link, but will have to pass for now.

Springtime will keep me very busy; if things settle into summer and an opening happens, might jump at it then. :)

As it is, I'm mulling over the idea of starting up a Pocket Fantasy RPG game, and attempt to run it like Gauntlet meets Conan. "Big swords, big sorcery" with an arcade feel.  ;)

I'm kinda waiting on the mods to add it to the approved list.

Yeah, we might be able to cook one of the corpses in the room of ash by means of a flame geyser. Dunno. Toss one in, see what happens.

I would continue exploring for now. Even I can go a few hours without eating.

That's fair, we can always backtrack.

I'm always hungry. :o :o

With pleasure, I welcome a third player to our mix. Lisa has joined us and is working on creating a character.

Welcome to the game, again, and I hope you enjoy yourself.

Welcome! Let us know if there's anything we can do to get you acclimated.

Scheduled my first shot, mid April. Roll out around here seems to be going well, surprisingly.

I can't explain how excited I am to return to a semblance of "normal."

I like traveling way too much for lockdowns.

*plumage wilts in cage*

Congrats on the appointment. I hope you do better than a "semblance of normal!" Let's raise the bar!

Welcome, new player.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:15, Wed 24 Mar 2021.

Cheers! *bing*

*becomes homeless drifter* ;)

I pay close attention to foreign affairs and geopolitical thangs so I entered a voluntary lockdown months before most people. Thus, I hit a "year" in late January.

I did really well the first year of lockdown, February broke my mind.

Ready to start venturing out without literally treating everyone like they have the plague (mask use was dismal around here).
This message was last edited by the player at 15:20, Wed 24 Mar 2021.

I don't know, Y'Kar.

I think you know that I have not secluded myself since May. In June, I started working with clients outside my home. My wife and I spent a week in July on the cape in a rental. I was able to do this in part because people do wear masks in Massachusetts. I returned to the gym in August. Even my staunch republican friends insist on masks when we do our bi-weekly in-person gaming.

In fact, I'm a bit of an outlier because when I jog I do not wear one.

My mindset was always that with masks and social distance in combination with my own sound health and fitness, I did not necessarily need to abide by an "abundance of caution" if you catch my drift.

And the more I took people to appointments and saw that the internal medicine shops were open, so to speak, the more normal I felt, I guess.

I feel some disappointment in my own social services agency which is keeping its main building closed (until August?). It could be opened. They would just need to staff the entrance to do the checks and monitor capacity. But the head honcho is miserly.

Where there is a will, there is a way. I'm looking at you, Chicago, DC, and San Francisco teachers.

I'd have been less "overly" cautious, but I have immediate family, all in their 70s-80s, that I help take care of on a regular basis, including my ma (who is immuno compromised, and is just now recovering from a year-long illness, and cancer before that, etc etc...)

So, I felt like if I was lucky enough to not have to go to work, and to be able to comfortably self-quarantine, I'd feel horribly if I *hadn't* and I ended up killing a fam member. :\

Everyone's circumstances are different, I get it.

I'm in dedicated Trump land, so people were downright hostile to masking until maybe a couple of months ago, when (local) public opinion finally seemed to change a bit. If people had masked up right away and been vigilant, I'd have ventured out more.

Yep, totally different circumstances. I only have my parents out here. No extended family that I'm a part of. Just a lot of cats.

I think that's one of the true tragedies of the Trump presidency: his insouciant attitude towards masks and the virus by extension. His followers would have followed his lead.

Undoubtedly.

Hello everyone, I will be playing Lisa an unfortunate tomb delver who looked into the wrong hole.


-

Glad to have you aboard! We definitely could use some help. :)

Our current dynamic duo is scrappy and plucky, but quickly running out of luck (quite literally)(and perhaps figuratively, too). ;)

Map updated.

Does this mean: spell level (e.g., level four spell) plus 2 = 6, so a 6 and lower results in Divine Wrath roll?

Whereas a first level spell (1+2=3), so a 3 or lower results in Divine Wrath roll?

In other words, the higher the level of spell cast, the greater the chance for a Divine Wrath roll?

Am I understanding this correctly?

Missed the subtlety of that earlier, when I was only thinking about 1st level spells.

You have it correctly. It is the balance to allowing you to cast as many prayers as you want. Any prayer has the chance to incur the Divine's wrath. But the higher the level of the prayer, the greater the chance that you'll gain their personal attention in a way you don't want.

Thanks for the clarification!

That makes sense, for sure...I just missed the nice subtlety involved there. :)

Also, Y'kar'us, because of how awesome your mapping skills are and how diligent you are at keeping this thing updated par the party I'm awarding you an additional Luck point. This can be used to re-roll any one roll. Once it is used, however, it is gone.

Aw shucks...you know how to make a boy blush. :D

If anyone else would like the chance to earn Luck via Map Duty, tough tacos be my guest! :)

Another way to earn Luck is for someone to volunteer to be the note taker with regards to the different items, and how many of each, the party has discovered or created. Also noting down when each item is used or breaks. You can post this in the Character Journal thread and just edit your post whenever the list changes.

I'm not asking for a 'caller' for this game because I want everyone to feel that their voice is being heard. Having said that, if two days have passed with one person not posting I'll move the scene forward anyway using the information that I can gleam from the latest posts from the rest of the group. We haven't actually had that problem yet so that's a good sign.

Lisa now has a lock pick as well.


-

Roger that!

Spent a good portion of today attempting, and failing miserably, to source a large supply of organic mushroom compost.

Could only find 18 bags of the topsoil, too. I need about four times that much and an equal total amount of the compost, plus sand.

I've burned 3 w/end days already trying to find this. Sheesh.

I feel blacklisted by Big Dirt. :| :|

In reply to Y'kar'us the Wight (msg # 125):

It's a cartel...............


-

A cabal, at the very least!

In reply to Y'kar'us the Wight (msg # 124):

I don't suppose, uh, you could scale down the plans for your mushroom kingdom?

Only the wise scale back in the face of adversity! Onwards to larger debacles, I say!

::Furiously writes new notes detailing more of the mushroom cult and expanding its infulence in the dungeon.:: Tell me more about this mushroom kingdom of yours. ;)

Just kidding. Although I am glad that you have discovered this corner of the current dungeon floor.  :)

Hah. Just a humble raised bed gardener, looking to expand. Need the mushroom compost in equal parts to topsoil, with a good dash of sand mixed in for aeration.

Although, I am also an avid mushroom scavenger. Morels are a week or so away, it seems. Which means pheasant's back for consolation prizes. Also, ramps grow everywhere. Wild asparagus not long after that; garlic mustard which is as delicious as it is invasive. I always make a point to pull whenever I encounter it by turning the young leaves into a quite good pesto with garlic and olive oil.

Then, giant puffballs, cinnabar & golden chanterelles, oysters, chicken of the woods, (hopefully) hen of the woods, wild rhubarb.

In my yard I get red cracked boletes and the occasional morel. I have a shiitake-plugged log this year, too. Someone gave it to us as a gift.

Assorted other things I'm sure I'm forgetting. :D

Forgot, somehow, to mention that every year while looking for chanterelles I find a poisonous (or at least, very inedible) variety of mushroom that is a chanterell look alike called the jack-o-lantern.

It indeed glows in the dark, or at least the gills do. You can see them from about 100' on a dark night. They don't actually give off enough light by which to navigate, but they're fun to find. :)

I'll see if I can get you guys pics of my findings this year. :)

Why don't you sweep out the Augean stables while you're at it?

Muck, no! ;)

Snowed last night, which pushes back mushroom time a bit. Probably a couple of weeks? Tough to say.

Tomorrow early a.m. will be first forage of the year for ramps, which should still be a go.

To be clear, everything I forage is on private land and/or legally foraged on public lands according to any local laws and/or good sustainability practices. :)
This message was last edited by the player at 16:28, Fri 02 Apr 2021.

Perfect ramp conditions. Still a week or so before first morels hit, minimum.

Got up early, worked up an appetite, hiked to our ramp spot, picked a bagful, came home, rehydrated some dried mushroom goodies (bowl: foreground), and had a feast of ramp-flavored hashbrowns, fried egg and mushrooms. With a side salad of freshly chopped ramp greens.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:43, Thu 15 Apr 2021.

For those unhip, the ramp is a type of wild onion/leek/garlic thing. It's super tasty. It's also basically the very first thing up in spring, so foraging it can be a real no brainer around here.

I believe "Chicago" is some form of native tongue terminology for "land of the wild leeks" IIRC. Don't quote me on that.

In the South and East, some areas have insane ramp seasons with people literally fighting over scarce harvests. Because of the popularity, ramps are becoming increasingly less common. However, around here they grow like weeds and nobody else seems to harvest them or even bee aware they're a thing.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:12, Sat 03 Apr 2021.

You planning on jarring your mushroom jelly?

I can many things. Mushroom jelly isn't one of them.

Kidding aside, it looks delicious.

Yes, very nice.

You'll be sad to know I failed my Saving Throw vs. Deliciousness.

Nothing to post atm. I guess we head back towards #1.

Oh! Super excited (and somewhat surprised) to see signs of civilization in the Oubliette.

The plot thickens! ;)

Doing a great job, Mr. GM, keep up the good work! :)

---a formal line of demarcation---

Any favorite tunes you guys enjoy listening to for inspiration? Or just in general?

To lift the gloom after another day of monotony and despair?

Juliana Hatfield sings Olivia Newton John
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...p8&start_radio=1

"Day by Day" from Godspell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekoHxB4idmg

"The Divine Chord" by The Avalanches
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvZpn322LxE

And there always is "Transilvanian Hunger" by Dark Throne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKbeRqqivdw

While working, I listen to the Commentary podcast and the Quarter to Three gaming one.

I meant more for writing/posting inspiration, but general good vibes works! :)

I remember getting the pre-release promo copy of Since I Left You while working college radio and it being an instant fave like it was yesterday. 20 years! Yikes.

Juliana Hatfield singing ONJ is something I missed somehow, and it makes me very happy. :)

Wasn't expecting Darkthrone!

When I have to write a longer, more descriptive post in the game I run, I'll usually give this a spin for prime fantasy inspirations:

Dominique Guiot -  L'Univers De La Mer (1978)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKvMLu0oTkU

Not usually a big prog fan, but ^this hits all the right spots for me. (The cover art always gives me a good laugh as well! :D)

Violent Femmes Please Do Not Go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAIVOHpmXtU

General life inspiration, I roll with 'Trane and Miles.

John Coltrane Wise One
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yagO50i6O5E

And I dig extreme metals as well...one of my personal faves on that front: Pig Destroyer Sheet Metal Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNH6HeotRGA

Clamavi de Profundis does a lot a great music. Here are some of the songs that I use for inspiration.

https://youtu.be/2YTBgFmK_bs The Lament of the Rohirrim

https://youtu.be/JXEPi7cnJ08 The Last Goodbye

https://youtu.be/2F9ADVDSZLw Lament for Boromir (Still one of my favorite characters.)

https://youtu.be/uxfoa23skHg The Song of Durin

https://youtu.be/Xm96Cqu4Ils When the Hammer Falls

https://youtu.be/4rQpYffdKPI Now We Are Free

Then, I have a few other pieces that I also like to use when writing.

https://youtu.be/PkG3yxQDLBI Efisio Cross. I use this song when I want to write something romantic and uplifting.

https://youtu.be/80-kp6RDl94 The Lady of Shalott by Loreena Mckennitt

The whole War of the Worlds Album by The Moody Blues is also awesome.
https://youtu.be/dKZrAl-7ugo Thunder Child is my favorite track.

Thx for sharing!

The Utub algorithm has hit me with those Clamavi de Profundis a couple of times at least. Did Matt Colville recommend those on his channel? They seem really familiar from somewhere....

Re foraging: Unless temps really dip suddenly, this week has been warm and rainy: perfect morel weather. Stay tuned! B-)

Covid shot #1 today, yay!

Listened to that VF album, oh, a few times back in high school. Saw them play in the Hollywood hills. They were tops along with the Pixies. Beyond that, I saw the Buzzcocks perform somewhere in LA and even Citizen Fish--maybe in Santa Barbara.

Then I had to see Dar Williams with my now wife in graduate school. I haven't really recovered.

The LoR poem recitals, I don't know, just weigh a little too heavily on me.

I still like some Robyn as a tonic to the ceaseless despair of care coordination, at least as far as it concerns the alcoholics coming out of the shelters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3Co9GxHJg0

The LotR inspired music does tend to carry a lot of weight. That's one of the reasons why I like it, but I understand that I'm something of an anomaly because I find peace and contentment in music the makes other people depressed. I'm weird. ;)

If that's my mood, I go straight to Jim Croce.

I lol'd! :D :D :p

Can we rig it up to cook?? :D

I mean, you can. It’ll taste like fuel... might upset your stomach.

Cooking with a flamethrower is an interesting thought. Now I can't get it out of my mind. Thanks, dude. :P
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:04, Wed 14 Apr 2021.

I'm wondering if we could exhaust its fuel supply.

Updated map and loot list.

Please point out errors!

Regarding rope belts for the weight.

We have the three belts with which we started.

Y'kar'us found an additional rope belt in the pit trap.

Sancho found an additional rope belt in the chandelier room.

Five total rope belts, each around 4' in length.

(I'll work on the assumption that each is a minimum length of approximately 36" to account for waist circumference, plus extra length in order to tie the knots. Typically, the coarser/thicker the rope, the more 'extra length' is required in order to successfully tie a knot.)

May I suggest we figure out an optimum configuration/distribution of rope belts, and implement going forward?

Two rope belts currently are in use as Y'kar'us' meteor hammer.

Sancho has two belts, currently unused.

Lisa has one belt, currently unused.

Sancho could take possession of Lisa's belt, if everyone is in agreement, and have at least 12' of rope to work with. That's not terrible for trap checking, and if we get to a point where we need additional length for whatever reason, we could disassemble the meteor hammer.

Thoughts?

Other configurations that make sense I'm missing?

This would allow for Sancho to lead with torch and trap-checker, Lisa follow and assist in trap-checking as needed; she also has two of the more effective weapons in the form of spear/sword shard. Y'kar'us can bring up the rear.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:44, Thu 15 Apr 2021.

yep, 3x4=12.

Lisa will give up her belt if needed.


-

Sorry for being quiet. I'm in the middle of a two day conference and doing that in addition to my regular stuff/chores is kicking my butt. I'll try and get a post off in the morning before the day kicks off.

No worries, I've been slammed this week as well (and probably next week, too, now that I think about it, unless it rains the whole time).

If Y'kar'us is less verbose than usual, simply interpret it as "being shaken by the horrors of human immolation" following Dall's unfortunate demise. :D ;)

1/4 of total yard area weeded. And I mean weeded.

Insane amounts of various chickweeds, corn speedwell, prostate knotweed, et al.

Spent six+ hours weeding, raking (just to be thorough), then seeding.

I went from "weeds need a home, too" and "oh, that's a pretty blue flower, I wonder if it's a weed" the last two years, to: "if it blooms kill it with extreme prejudice and salt the earth!" :| :|
:D

There are limits to a pragmatic man's hippy-dippy-ness. :|


On another positive note, eggplants sprouted today, yayzer. Still waiting for the hot peppers and round two of sweet peppers to germinate. *fingers crossed*

Got 800 lbs of concrete and peagravel (400 each) for fence post mooring.

Drinking-water safe high-end hose reel should be here by end of day.

This is not how I imagined I'd spend my money and retirement years, but there it is. :p

My only comparable feat would have been extricating a colony of kudzu vines from a slope in Philadelphia. It was just myself, the slope, and the mother of all kudzus. We had a week together.

I take it you didn't earn all of your money from card tournaments?
This message was last edited by the player at 00:02, Mon 19 Apr 2021.

Kudzu. You're a better man than I.

I rarely played 'tourney champ;' rather, I had good ROI on cards purchased on the cheap and sold many years later after they appreciated immensely.

But that is not why I'm 'retired.' By retired, I mean I work harder than I ever did 9-5, I just don't get paid for it. Raising kiddo, gardening, housework, cleaning, cooking, homeschooling is way worse than I had it when I worked any number of other jobs.

So, 'retired' is more a barb at myself than a gloat. ;)

Anyway, I'm a Jewwk of all Trades, Master of None. :p

This hose reel is nicer than both our cars, lulz!

Clearly, you mastered the dealing of MtG cards!

Luck, and being in the right place at right time.

On the topic of collectibles and value, interested in your thoughts on Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

I first heard of blockchain and the concept of NFTs back in 2007-ish, IIRC, prior to bitcoin. Once bitcoin hit, it was largely seen as complicit with the illegal online drugs trade, money laundering, et al. I stayed away, thinking the legitimate uses were limited. I still feel that way, but with prices hitting $64,000~ recently, clearly I was incorrect. (Bitcoin obviously is fungible, but same underlying tech: blockchains.)

Now, the new rage is ripe to "replace" the trading cart and sports memorabilia markets with NFTs: block-chained "sporting moments" of which a certain number "exist," and can be "owned, traded, and/or sold."

NBA is on the cutting edge in that regard. The market seems...frothy, to say the least, but maybe I'm just too old and unhip to "get" the appeal of non-material "highlights" that I can simply Utub for free.

I'll take my collectibles in playable card games (mtg) and late-19th century silver coinage, thank you very much.

Thoughts?
This message was last edited by the player at 14:03, Wed 21 Apr 2021.

Admittedly, I only read your post once but I'm not clear on what the actual product is here beyond saying that you spent $$$ on a media moment or something or other. I don't know what that would be.

Sports trading cards do seem very mid-to-late 20th century so they do need to evolve, I reckon. Or maybe certain commodities vanish without any replacement. I kind of get the sense that sports is in decline except of course for my own: soccer.

Digital blockchain technology is used to create inherently verifiable digital collectibles of varying "scarcity."

At least that's the best I understand it.

Instead of Topps printing out unlimited numbers of 1988 baseball cards, for example, they're selling digital collectibles.

Artists are using it, too.

It's just a really weird concept to me, not having a physical item to justify your investment in something like sports collectibles and/or art. Or whatever.

But as you say, evolution is inevitable.

--

Re: Soccer. What was the deal with that Euro Super League? Sounds like a fiasco but I guess I don't understand exactly why there was such an uproar.

OK. Collectibles have little appeal to me. They can be a pleasant enough pastime or they can verge into hoarding/existential anxiety territory. I don't have that innate desire to show others what I have, whatever the form of it might be (solid or digital). Even with books, I only buy the occasional one to remind myself of the authors I like to read.

It's an American vs. Other concept of leagues. American leagues are fixed with the same teams every year, excluding the occasional move or expansion. *Other* soccer leagues have seasonal regulation such that the bottom 3 teams in each league drop out and the top 3 in the lower league advance. So a country like England has like 4 or more soccer leagues that function in this manner. It's a brilliant concept that doesn't grow old. It's like a AAA baseball club getting promoted to the Majors and then winning the World Series in a season or two (like Leicester City essentially did a few years back). Or on a smaller scale, a 10-man Leeds United squad (which got promoted last season) defeating Manchester City (the #1 team by a mile) a couple of weeks ago.

That super league was too fixed in structure too appeal to European soccer fans. The top German teams hadn't even signed on. It didn't make sense for other reasons as well. Manchester City already plays Manchester United at least 2x a year in the premier league. Why add X number of head-to-head in another less important league? Oversaturation. It was, of course, a naked cash grab as well. There is only so much greed soccer fans can withstand, it would seem.

Re: Soccer. Ah gotcha, so it was more a reaction against the way association football works vs. a more American-style "exposition" league.

Re: collectibles. Yeah, I know exactly what you mean re: existential anxiety issues around collecting. I have a few close friends in the MTG world that make me nervous just thinking about their collections, and the way they obsessively collect. It's largely what made me divest myself from a large amount of my valuable cards. I still have a good solid block of $$$ cards I play with, and I do hope down the line kiddo is interested, so I saved a bunch of the "nostalgic" cards (of little value, except to my childhood memories).

But with no intrinsic value, MTG cards make me nervous.

That's why I prefer silver coinage. Silver holds a certain value even if the collectible market somehow collapses, or the coin is in bad shape, etc. So you invest in the silver, and ideally/realistically you have a premium past that based on the coin's collectibility. Conversely, if silver prices plummet (as they are known to do), then they still have value as a rare coin.

Not my main investment strategy, for sure, but a nice side hedge.

Hey hey, kiddo found her first morel!

She's a natural!

Super proud dad moment. :)

Found another 80 this morning. :)

Couple of housekeeping questions re: items

1. I assume Lisa and Sancho split the Amulet and the vial; I gave Lisa the Amulet, Sancho the vial. If incorrect, please inform me of who has what.

(I previously missed adding these to the loot list, and map.)

2. Are the glowshroomms still aglowin', and if not, has Sancho discarded them for the torch, or is he still carrying them?

I will update the map later today.

EDIT: UPDATED-FYI
This message was last edited by the player at 16:02, Mon 26 Apr 2021.

I apologize for my silence. I hadn't realized I'd been away this long.

Work has been difficult these past two weeks. I've been working twelve hour days and trying to keep up with the house chores. So, there wasn't a lot of energy for posting and I lost track of how long it had been. I'll strive to do better.

In reply to Y'kar'us the Wight (msg # 176):

I think Sancho has both.



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Re: work & lyfe! It happens, no worries...prioritize your well-being and the game will flourish even if posts come a little less frequently. I'm sure the game (and us) will patiently wait for whenever you have time to post. :)

Anyone that has worked 12-hour days knows acutely how much that can drain a person.

Re: loot. Thanks for the clarification, Lisa, I will adjust the loot list accordingly!

I'll leave it to you two, Sancho & Lisa, whether we're going to continue forward into new room or backtrack to vines. Y'kar'us will serve as rearguard.

Ooooh! Updated map again, and I see they added monster stamps, one of which was a Giant Mushroom! :)

I can't really say that I've ever worked 12-hr days. I suppose a reasonably honest 7-hr day is the norm for me. There is the law of diminishing returns to consider, after all.

Re: investments. Haha, I think I bought 20 ounces of silver on a whim in graduate school. I have like a 1980 proof set of US coins. We have a Dali print on the wall.

I don't like the way I sound when I say this but we have too much $$ for retirement to be a concern. My wife is slated to have an 80% pension from her state job. There are various accounts. There is the house. There is the looming mortality of my aged parents and their plentiful assets. There is also my lack of appetite for luxury if you will. I like library books.

Our only real expenditures are on travel and the house.

Now, I must countenance this by saying that my daughter does not consider us to be wealthy. She says we have a "rich person's kitchen" in a .... uh ... well. This is in part because her friends at CalArts are from truly wealthy families.

I think I'm just saying, Y, that I have a rather passive interest in investments. My wife and I got our degrees before the gross overpricing of higher education. And we've worked ever since.

Worked 12 yesterday, but it doesn't feel so much like work when its for yourself, and it's outdoors in fresh air, etc.

12 hours for the man is soul sucking.

Nod, nod. I would add that neither Mr. Darkness nor myself work for the man in that sense. He's in education and I'm in social services.

Today my nascent carpenter skills had me learning about the structural and decorative benefits of mullions.

I'm spending mah bullions on mullions! *cue 80's Yo! MTV Raps interview segment*
This message was last edited by the player at 12:26, Mon 10 May 2021.

It's been over a week since GM has logged in. That tends to mean only one thing in these parts.

I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt, here. At least for a while longer. He deserves it from my point of view: he was very consistent prior to being put on 12 hour days. He's told us he's busy, we've told him not to sweat it, I don't want to write this game off that easily.

It would be a major bummer if the game did die off, though. :\

Edit: Sancho, what is your rpol screen name, if I may inquire?
This message was last edited by the player at 14:49, Wed 12 May 2021.

I haven't written anything off. It's just one of those signifiers.

If I were to dig into it, I would note that the GM's cutting this game from whole cloth. That consumes all kinds of energy and time. I learned early I could only run modules on RPOL.

The ever imaginative ben_reck !

ben_reck, good to know. I'm Jewwk of Shuu.

If things do happen to fall through here, I'll be starting up some sort of rules-lite and/or OSR-y game this fall/winter when I can dedicate the proper time/energy into it. That's why I ask.

It may even be S&W:Whitebox again, I really prefer these rules to 5e.

The current homebrew I'm running is probably closing in on the dreaded loss-of-player-interest...one player was a complete noob friend, and I'm not sure he's really digging it/grasping the full concept of role-playing. I like the setting and the groundwork I've laid for the gameplay, but 5e just seems too much for a casual, a noob, and someone who hasn't gm'ed in 20 years.

I suffered a concussion a few weeks back that I had to pause the game for some recovery time and I think that kinda was the death knell, though I could be wrong. :\

Sometimes it's just a matter of bumping the threads because my friend in Cali was too drunk on whisk(e)y to remember he read the posts. :p

Some months ago a bachelor fell and hit his head. He was the neighborhood guy who really did up his house for Halloween and Christmas. A few days later when he didn't show for his shift as a city cop, his co-workers checked on him. They found him dead in the bathroom.

And that's just one more reason why men live longer when they have wives who make them see their doctors.

D&D 5.0 is not for newbs. It remains a highly tactical, chewy system subject to analytical excess. I plan to get to know it through Solasta!

I actually don't like rules-lite systems. B/X is fine, though. OSR is great.

I've had three concussions since late November. :\

That Solasta looks pretty cool.

Stuff like Baldur's Gate was pretty fun back in the day...I can imagine the leaps in gameplay have been amazing.

Concussions make one more susceptible to the successive ones.

Football players ?used to? be treated with opiate-based painkillers to treat the short and long-term effects of head and other injuries. That led to opiate dependency.

First concussion was hitting a deer on the interstate, July 2013. I did not understand what a concussion really was or how to take care of it at the time. I was still single, and living alone; ended up dragging out months and months in post-concussion syndrome.

Finally got better, but never really was quite the same. Def shaved like 15 points off the old IQ. It was noticeable.

Couple days before thanksgiving, cracked my head open (and almost certainly fractured my skull...I did not go to hospital because I feared covid more than toughing out a head wound).

A week or two later I hit my head in the dark at night, barely bumping a wall. That was x10 worse than the initial major head injury, in terms of my concussion symptoms, despite not even showing a mark physically.

Again got post concussion syndrome.

This time I barely bumped my head against a rafter while standing up from a picnic table at a pavilion in the park. Stupid engineer put thick cross braces above the picnic benches at some weird angle. I never saw them because of my baseball cap bill blocking it. Immediately knew I was f'ed. But it was a minor blow/symptoms this last time around; mostly, I think I know how to take care of myself better.

Unfortunately, had to learn the hard way.

In re: fungal cult and mushrooms.

Morels found this year: 222.

Season is winding down and/or over.

Never did find any dryad's saddle, which is weird.

A long pause before mid-summer when chanterelles, chicken of the woods, and oysters start coming out.

Around that time, I truly hope to find a jack-o-lantern mushroom, in glowing form, across the street, where I've found them many times before...just so I can post it here. :)

From my perspective, your compulsion to eliminate risk (any possibility, no matter how minimal, of exposure to a respiratory virus (Covid-19)) effectively amplified your level of risk (didn't seek treatment for a possible head fracture). It's a distressingly common 2020 tale.

But at least you don't have an opiate dependency!

We all do our own risk management on everything we do everyday. Sometimes the calculus for one, is different for another.

Clearly you understand this at your age, no?

Ah, of course, Y, I do. And I think your history of concussions is awful. But I sure don't think you lost 15 points of IQ; granted, I sure as hell wouldn't know.

But I also think that Covid-19 threw that risk calculus out of whack for some. And they ended up dying of untreated medical conditions. I think those are considered to be deaths associated with Covid.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:35, Thu 13 May 2021.

Alright, fellow players, I'm going to bow out. Really a week is all I ever give a silent and absent DM. It may sound harsh but if he's too overwhelmed/sick to post a line about needing a week or two or three, then this isn't the place for me (or him) to be.

These are the other games I'm in:
link to another game

link to another game

link to another game

link to another game

link to another game

The games are all long-running and well-run.

Cheers!

Happy gaming!

I put in a RTJ for The Halls of Arden Vul, fingers crossed.


Cymon.

I'm exceedingly busy and excited to do a ton of outdoorsy stuff with family and see fam and friends I haven't seen in a while.

If I don't see ya round, happy gaming!

Likewise, Mr. Mushroom Master.

I'll put in a word for you, Cymon. That GM's a stickler but I find he's still fun to game with.

By being a stickler, I assuredly meant that you'd better give the RTJ a close read before posting your RTJ.

I think this is like the second go at applying... either way well see how it goes.


-

I think you might have missed something in his RTJ. You should follow it to the letter.

To be clear, on the off chance Wiglaf does return to gm, although busy, I'm still available to continue, in case there was any confusion.

Yes same here.