Main / PlayerCommunication

Player Communication

This page is for news, announcements, game discussions, and issues that might have previously gone into emails. Anyone can start a topic or add to one already started. Please type four dashes after your name and before starting your message so it is easy for everyone to see each person’s contributions.

Archives: 2008 - 2009 - 2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019 - 2020 - 2021 - 2022

2024 05 02 Sharif

Hey Gang! Apologies for the short notice, but I'll be able to attend the full session tomorrow. Excited to play with everyone again feels like it's been ages. Also not sure who won't be able to attend down below because no name, but you will be missed! (Hoping it's not Lemon but kinda feeling like it's Lemon)

2024 04 18 - BOB

Once a Dragonslayer Always a Dragonslayer

As you said you can contribute as you want with the character listing so you can help everyone with that.

2024 04 17

I find it deeply ironic that when I worked two full-time jobs and went to school, I was always able to make this work. So it is with sadness that I have to let you guys know that I will be unable to be in the game from about last week to October. I am frequently traveling for work, and my Fridays are actually partial nights now to accommodate international locations. Until that project is over with, I am unfortunately stuck. I hate to admit it, but no matter how much I love you all and want to stay in the game, the one paying my mortgage is going to always be front and center. (Although you will always be my friend, duh, I'm just talking about the attendance.) P.S. I also find it deeply ironic that on the ONE year I was going to make EVERY.SINGLE.SESSION turned into the one where I'm going to be missing the most sessions. Sorry guys. I'll still keep up and bob I'll be working on that "Character Glossary", but in terms of joining the sessions, that is a no go. :(

Really wish I could say something else, but I'm not really sure what I could say. Hugs guys.

2024 04 07 - Sharif

Hello again. Just a heads up I'll be able to make full session this friday April 12th. Cya then :)

2024 03 28 - Sharif

Hi everyone. Thanks to Spring Break and early schedule I'll also be able to make it to the game tomorrow, so just wanted to give yall a heads up. Cya tmrw :)

2024 03 08 - BOB

No game tonight but wanted to lay out what I think everyone wants for training and what has been done so far.

Dates for training 08-02-587 Work begins on the clearing the landslide debris from the roadway 09-02-587 Temperance starts spell training

09-02 to 17-02 Vee and Ratbone are "free" working on chores around the church Lirt is copying documents from the "The Shroom" keeping a copy for your group, originals go to the Church

18-02-587 Roadway clearing is completed

Everyone except Temperance is available for chores and small things around the Church area

27-02-587 Temperance completes spell training and has learned 2nd level spells

01-03-587 Celebrations at the Church {first day of summer}

02-03-587 Leave to go in search of the Snow Man.

"The Snow Man knows what you need"

2024 03 07 Sharif

Hey all, hope you're not having too much fun without me :) So Dan Carlin of Hardcore History is gonna be in town on the 21st, and I obviously couldn't say no to that opportunity. Called it an early day that Thursday (it starts at 8pm, plus it's all the way downtown ugh), but I called off the whole of Friday so I don't have to worry about getting to bed too late or anything. More importantly, I'll be able to attend the game on March 22 2024. I'll plan to be around the whole session, looking forward to it :)

S

2024 02 17 BOB

Good rescue session last night.

I had the inspiration on the doorway and why we were miscommunication on it over night.

The hallway you were standing is/was 15 foot wide. A door is ~5 foot wide. So there was space on either side to take cover or block someone from moving through.

Normally you are in a:

So the situation you were in was 15 foot wide, 5 foot in the middle so Vee standing there can block anyone from coming in or going out. Temperance and Rothuss can take the angle and shoot over here into the other room but no melee attacks. Called shot to avoid hitting Vee. Another called shot to avoid hitting Ratbone as she is being grappled.

Hope that clears things up for everyone.

BOB

02/16/24

Hey all. Not so great news, starting February 20th my schedule is finally changing so that I'll be working 4-8pm west coast time, pretty much the exact time of the game. On the bright side we have tonight and I believe bonus game tmrw as well, so that's cool. I could certainly log in for the last few minutes of games, but don't think I'll be able to contribute much as everything is coming to an end session wise. There will be times I take Fridays off because I like three day weekends (unique I know). I guess it's a an opportunity for me to get more acquainted with using the site side of adventures, but considering my track record no promises lol.

Sharif

02/15/2024

Hey guys! I will be in FGU tonight from 6:00 - 8:00 PM MST to see if I can find a way out of our predicament. I'll be writing notes and possibilities and then at the end of the session will place two different potential plans on the Mushroom Man Story Arc. I'll also be in Discord if anyone would like to converse and brainstorm a way out. Also, I apologize for the late notice.

-Resp, MJH

02/09/2024 OMG this site is WAY more readable on my phone than it used to be.

THANKS BOB!!

Sorry I suddenly can't make it tonight.

02/07/2024 A Treatise on XP. Translation: How the hell are we divving it up?

First post of the new year? Man, we go this in the bag!

So, this isn't meant to be a critique, this is strictly information. Up until we started this adventure, honestly XP was some vague abstract concept because even when I joined up oh....10 years ago? Gaining a level was some once every two year type of affair. I think Lisa leveled up what was is Lisa? Two or three times? The point, is that it was just some vague abstract concept that I didn't really concern myself with because generally, I could survive most encounters without my butt cheeks clenched, and gold/magic artifacts were pretty plentiful. I think we even have a couple just sitting around on that old pack sheet.

So, why do I bring this up? Well, XP is back baby! It matters and at such a low level, I am now in XP Poverty Accounting Class 101, attempting to account for any slippage or sliver of XP that may go unaccounted for in my Scrooge McXP Vault.

I need help remembering the logic behind XP grants. I don't mean the bonuses, those are simple to understand. When I go back through last weeks chat, I see the XP divvied up at the bottom great! We nailed it! But, I notice that some characters got more. I AM NOT saying that they don't deserve it. That is not the point of this. This is me attempting to decipher HOW they got more, and what I need to do to reach that level of attainability.

And bob, I am NOT critiquing. If you feel players deserve more, I don't particularly care, I'm simply attempting to maximize my own gainage as well, because I see Jericho and a few others got 100 XP, but then others got 250. I know for a fact Jericho contributed, and was present for all encounters. From the chat files, it looks like you all wrapped up shortly after I had to leave for the night, which is my standard bedtime (11 PM Bob's Time), so I don't think I missed any encounters. I know for a fact that *cough* despite his pacifistic ways he definitely dealt some damage (although we all seem to be getting good at that), so just trying to figure out where I am going wrong on that.

Could you post the logic?

Warm regards, MJH

2024 02 08 BOB

I - Do not worry about XP, it just accumulates II - Everyone earns at a different rate III - Everyone needs a different amount to go up in level IV - Everyone earns different types of XP

a - XP for defeating creatures
i - note not just for killing, surviving/defeating/avoiding all are worth XP
b - XP for continuing the story along
i - XP for conversations
ii - XP for solving puzzles, clever ways of completing tasks
c - XP for helping out everyone with the site
i - XP Story Chats given out at the end of the story arc
ii - XP for Summaries given out at the end of the story arc
d - XP bonus for Story Arc participation
e - XP for Era participation
f - XP for roleplay overall

Logic path: Do things = Earn XP

12/23/2023 Carissa

This is the information I was missing so I'm glad you finally wrote it out. While you did mention him being a pacifist many times, I had no clue where you drew the lines. I think I mentioned many times I figured Jericho to be like Raelynn. She was full support, but by god, if you threatened her friends she'd absolutely fight back because she cares more about her friends living than not hurting something. And in the back of my mind, why would kicking a man when he's already down and can't fight back somehow not be worse than knocking out (not even killing) a monster that not only is fighting back, but hurting his friends? And yes, if it ever came up, you can absolutely expect Vee to want answers to that. Because, again, my mind doesn't draw the lines like yours, and for me, it's far easier to see give and take and reasons to not be so strict.

So while I won't admit it still makes sense to me, at least you have it written out here so I have an idea where you would come from rather than my interpretation of where I thought you'd come from, if that makes sense.

Anyways, Happy Holidays!

-- Absolute Pacifist vs Generally Non-Violent? Is that a good way of putting it? Kind of like the conscientious objectors who became combat medics in WWII? They definitely went into harm's way, but didn't fight back, merely tried to save those they could. - TMO

-- As a follow-up, I think TMO has the right idea, and my own definition of Pacsifism was...not what the dictionary said. Therefore, I am dumb. However, I think TMO's on the right track. I think it's more like Conscientious objectors. Over a LONG period of time, he might slowly adapt to the idea, but see you in 6 years by the time we progress to that point :) And, I'm sorry Carissa, I think that one decision is going to haunt me the rest of the damn game. I "Kicked Him" knowing he wasn't going to be seriously hurt. Besides, kicking someone while running, well, I can see myself biffing it. I did that point to show at the time that's he's relatively non-violent, but definitely is a little shit. That was it. Bob and everyone else read into that WAY to much. If that is going to be what everyone points back to and says, "See! See! he's being hypocritical!" then by God, let's have Bob retcon that. I'm leaning more towards TMO, and a little bit gray areas. Like I said, for a rando asshole in a Bar, and (hypothetically speaking of course) Vee breaks a bottle over the counter and looks ready to shank the dude, Jericho will probably sigh and try to stay out of it, mostly willing to go as FAR as a brawl where everyone will sober up and come back to their senses eventually. No matter what the circumstances though, he wouldn't simply reach out with his magic and "Cause Wounds" definitely too far as that's not his exact comfort with his magic. But, I posted the general rules. We are all free to react within those limits, and frankly Vee and the rest of the gang may eventually be able to talk him into it over a LONG period of time. See disclaimer above. Until then, working within those limitations is always something Jericho would have fun with. I mean, magically hurling a boulder and then the BOULDER crushes someone, well, the environment killed him, not me. I know it's an odd sort of oath, but it's self imposed and he will be the judge of when he ends it. He'll also confer with someone else first (in Game).

Thoughts all? I definitely know Carissa, TMO, and Lemon will see this, so feel free to comment :)

I would also not like to focus on this fact, and let's drop it, but Magic is a sensitives subject for ME, and one of the contributing reasons for not using it for direct harm as much as possible.

Also, Bob, links to the Hell's by any chance? Looking for Avernus if you have it in this Universe. [NM, Found it right away after remembering the name Avernus. Wow. Off day]

BTW, been looking forward to the game this entire week :)

Another thought - His non-violence might not be as important to him in a situation he is certain won't be lethal. So bar fights might not bother him as much as fights out on the adventure trail. However, that's a judgement call for you to make. It's purely up to Jericho where his boundaries lie. And they don't have to be locked in 100% right this second, either. Jericho probably wasn't in Life-or-Death situations before he joined up with us, so it was theoretical until now. He will have to decide where his personal ethics are at, and it's very likely something he won't settle on immediately.

2023 12 23 Michael

Hey Yall, As Carissa would say, the Site is the place to post for the official of the official :)

First, I did have quite a bit of fun last night, and the primary reason was a combination of factors including that we didn't lose any characters. I feel that I was on the precipice of a decision I really really did not want to make. I feel I need to explain so you know my thought processes. When we started this campaign, Jericho was outright a pacifist, a petty asshole who may have "kicked" tripped over someone who really pissed him off, but who doesn't really do serious harm. You will notice that in all our events, he hurls water, distracts, heals, but he himself has true difficulty harming something. This was one primary reason he sacrificed basically all his WP, for things that could make him an awesome support character, and even better later on.

As I thought back, I'm even more glad that it didn't happen because I thought about what Jericho would have thought. I know it's a game, but sometimes I do try and think what my character would be going through. I mean, it's a fantasy game, my mood changes, etc. All of that contributes. But, if Jericho had actually been the one to give a final kill, he would have broken. It would have been for a good reason in the real world, but inside the game world Jericho is probably thinking something along the lines of "We went into a cave, we came across a scary monster that took out a Temperance in one hit, we didn't run, and now my comrades will all die because we insisted on violence." Now, let's be straight. In the real world, I'm saying "Hell yes, we fought. That's the point of the game!" but we also straddle that line of what WE want, vs, what our CHARACTERS may want.

Talwin was a brutal tank. He was. I had a blast playing him. When this new setting started, I was clear, but I have considered this plight, and have instituted my official "Jericho Rules" This is the gospel for what Jericho WILL and WILL NOT do. Exceptional circumstances may occur, but that if that arises, I want to spend a 15 minutes VOCAL conversation with BOB to discuss the situation. I may get frustrated, but I have always accepted the rules/quirks of other characters. So, this is so no one can feel blindsided. I want to stop a potential heart-ache before it begins. As I have to deal with "Cave Mechanics" this is the "Jericho Mechanics"

Jericho is a Chaotic Good, he does have a...liberal interpretation of Pacificism because even he's like...come on man it's a cruel world. But, and outright "Cause Wounds-Touch" would have crossed that line. This can also be fun for others, if we think around these types of limitations.

1. Jericho cannot strike something with a weapon or harm via physical touch or material weapon. (That would outright result in grievous harm, death, something that pushes even his bounds. A bar brawl he might be fine with, but actual injury....no.

2. Jericho CAN manipulate the environment and be perfectly fine if the environment kills it. I.E. he summons a fireball and the fire kills the creature. Jericho's rule for this is specific: "I didn't kill the creature, an environmental force did." I did state this back early on as a peculiar quirk of Jericho in the first couple games.

3. If it's undead, it's party time, Jericho does not consider this a pacifism issue.

4. If it's evil, about to slaughter us, I'm literally about to die, Jericho will allow them to hit him if all his tricks are exhausted. If it kills him, he was fine with that. I also stated this in the early sessions about Jericho.

With that said, I just want to put out the official Jericho Combat Rules. Would I make an exception, I mean, probably? But guys, I don't want it being in the back of your head if Jericho is the last one who can actually make a difference between a win or lose fight that "Jericho will break his vow if necessary." As bob would probably verify, It's been what, a few months our characters have known each other? We've come a long way yes, but "Maybe it's time to break that vow." That's a big ask of a Character. We've all changed yes, and we have different attitudes about friends and family, but we still are who we are at our core. That ask, would have been the equivelent of me saying to Vee: "It's time to stop drinking." This is kind of who our characters ARE. (Vee can feel free to disagree with me, I mean, maybe she's trying to get sober).

I'm not preaching, I know this can be a frustrating aspect of Jericho, but I would also point out I did actually handicap him pretty badly in the domain of WP for healing, and other useful traits the group can use. I'm sorry if those aren't always effective, but that was the point of specializing Jericho to such a high degree.

I am sorry if this comes across badly, but I feel it's one of those better to communicate now, and avoid serious anger and tension later. Sometimes planning can't avoid situations like this, but the fact is, if we know Jericho's "rules" we won't be blindsided. I'm not going to lie, I was gnashing my teeth when Wendy and Lemon went down. I dont' want you to feel I'm callous. I just am playing the story as Jericho. Not Talwin, Not Bran, Not Brer, but Jericho.

Anyway's I say Merry Christmas to all of my friends, and if you don't celebrate that Pagan Holiday ;), then Happy Holidays!

Hugs, Michael

2023 12 01 BOB

The 31 writing prompts on this page exercise was a nice success this year.

Locking in the XP after last session. We had 6 regular participants all who posted at least 25 times, and 3 of them posted for every prompt.

Thank you all for participating and thank you Carissa for the idea and the prompts.

2023 11 24 Alyssa

Hi folks. I am going to be out the next several weeks. My sincerest apologies, especially since I just started again after so long. My mother-in-law is very ill and my uncle Ed in TN is officially in hospice. I will be traveling on the weekends. I hope to be back on Jan 5th, 2024. It will depend on if there are funerals and what-not.

Fully understand. Looking forward to your return, but definitely take care of yourself and your family in the meantime. - Carissa

2023 11 21 BOB

The plan for this week is to have a finalized plan for everyone for what they want to train for. We will be discussing the details of such (the who, how much, how long) for everyone. Then we can walk through the process step by step.

At the end of the evening we will have clicked off time by at least two weeks (18 days) to allow for some of the training to be completed. Then we continue on the first story arc of the new era that will cover in part some of the training characters are doing.

I know this seems like a lot of minor detail things that people want to gloss over. The reason we are walking through it slowly step by step is that most people have not done this before other than clicking off large chunks of time with a healthy treasury to pay for everything. We are all readjusting to how this will work going forward as everyone gains levels.

As an example - Jericho needs training in 2nd level spells. That will only take one or two weeks if the high level people in the Temple do it. What will they require of him for that? Ratbone needs 1 level of thief training, she can train herself for free if she wants. It will take 12 weeks. Not ideal. So there are options to discuss.

2023 11 20 BOB

Note that the length of time to train someone (or to be trained by someone) is governed by the Wisdom of the Trainer.

Standard Training Time is 19 weeks minus the Wisdom of the trainer. So a Priest like Jericho can train someone in 1 week (19-19 wisdom) (the minimum amount of time) while Lirt can train someone in 5 weeks (19 - 14 Wisdom).

NPC trainers average cost is 100 GP per week at the 7 week mark. This number varies wildly. Someone like Jericho which the Michaelangelo ability to train someone can charge more to train in 1 week, while the average Blacksmith might charge less for training over 8 weeks.

11/19/2023 Carissa

Too tired to figure out if I should put it on the same post or make a new one.... Whatever.

Things we have to consider:

2023 11 19 BOB

So two shortish things.

1 - Please post your thoughts on training. Knowing what skills you want to learn will help me plan for the session.

Things we have to consider:

2 - Calendar lessons

So there is a page all about Calendars already but I will put a short note here too.

So 5-10-351 SGR - The fifth day of the tenth month of the year 351 of Seagate Reckoning Or Beyfinde 351 SKR

In Fantasy Grounds there is a Calendar that is laid out in one long stretch like you are used to seeing for the Gregorian Calendar. The one laid out on this site is only three months long because every three months is identical.

11/08/2023 Michael

Along that same vein, I'm probably pretty screwed on training. Working on ideas to get by this whole cluster unscathed, but honestly, at this point I want to throw the damn thing at them and then see what punishments are coming and then how to train up. Otherwise, Jericho is probably going to need to spitball with the group on suggestions. (No, I'm not asking you to figure this out anyone, just spitballing different scenarios). Taking a look at the rest of the site tomorrow so maybe will have some more ideas. A bit fried at the moment. Hell, it wouldn't surprise me if something is already being discussed. So, will verify again tomorrow.

11/07/2023 Carissa

Venting and communicating are always good. Maybe not always fun, but necessary so we all know where we stand such as not everyone enjoying a specific session. I think Lemon covered that all fine so I won't add more. I mentioned this in Discord, but it's good to have this all on the site where it's easier to reference, but so we don't all fall into the weeds:

  1. In regards to details, I think I mean more being attentive during the game. If Raimund says to row, but only two players (not counting the navigator) actually bother to row, what are the rest of you doing? Why aren't you rolling? That's an easy example, and doesn't sound like a big deal, but it's a death by a thousand cuts when it continues to happen.
  2. In regards to the site, it's more know how to fill yourself in on things you missed rather than relying on another player. Now, if another player offers to help with that like TMO did, that's great, but make sure it's established and consensual. If you ask me, I'm just going to point you to the site.
  3. In regards to homework, think of it more as extra credit. You get out of this game what you put in. If you want to be more important to storyline plot, then you'll need to do more than just log in and let others think for you. That's already been covered. But, on that thought, if you all ever feel you want a more challenging game, you need to prove you can put the work into it. And it's fine if you do not, if you're happy with how things are currently, but keep that in mind for the future.
  4. In regards to availability, once more, I'll say that you can still accomplish a ton just being in on Fridays. Mini (JTom) isn't on Discord nor active on site, but he pays attention during the games AND provides ideas AND initiates things whether it's rolls or picking which bar to explore or directing us to the quiet library when we needed it. And that's why, even without doing extra credit, Lirt is already First Mate.
  5. In regards to communication, just keep it up. Big discussions like this are better on site than Discord where it gets lost and can't be drawn out over multiple days. This is something all groups need whether it's a real life or text-based TTRPG. And yeah, I am kind of repeating myself here, but I really want to make a fifth point more than I wanted to not repeat myself...

And a note that the other reason to pay attention to this part of the site are for what BOB posts. We'll be training soon. It'd be very nice if you had at least an idea of what training you want to get done and how to do it. We don't have the big coffers from the previous campaign. Who are you making friends with to train you?

11/06/2023 Lemon

I realize now that I didn't specify which "you" I meant specifically and which "you" I meant generally. The zzzzs were a general you, applicable to everyone. Including myself. I also fail at this. Trying to do better.

11/06/2023 Sharif

Thank you Lemon, your points are valid and appreciated. Bob sent me a link to summaries and I've setup a bookmark folder in my bookmarks bar on my browser so I can hop directly to it. Making it easier for me to access will help me keep up. Is this something I should have done ages ago? Maybe :)

Anyway, I actually do feel better after venting. I appreciate how supportive you all have been and appreciate you all :)

Edit: Oh yea, usually when my guy goes zzzz it means I'm there just not doing anything, and the times when I actually step away I'll usually put on the afk unless I forget for some reason.

11/06/2023 Lemon

So I've been kind of holding back, because I've talked to Carissa in private before about all this and she kind of already knows where I'm at with it.

For me, personally, it's not as much the not knowing things as it is just how much people are not there or not paying attention. Sharif, I don't want you to feel like you can't keep doing what you've been doing. When you're there, (other than the most recent one) you're participating and it's very fun hanging out with you. I love your jokes. You and Ryan are the ones who make my quotes on the summaries the most frequently, because you guys have the sense of humor I appreciate. I can't speak for anyone else, but again, I don't mind it if people don't 100% know what's going on, as long as they're OK with not knowing 100% what's going on. I personally don't care if people read the site, UNLESS they miss a session, then I think just the summary would be helpful so they have at least a concept of where we're at in the stories. Carissa also barely was talking for a huge chunk of the session and we still thought it was tons of fun, so don't think it has anything to do with you personally. It's absolutely not about personalities, we love everyone in this game right now. (Yeah, I'm speaking for Carissa here too, but I'm pretty sure she would agree on that one.)

So in my opinion, (and reiterating that I can't speak for anyone else), what I would want you to do for you part is
1. Just let us know when you're going to be later than usual, or not there
2. If you miss a whole session, check the summary. They're short, like 5-10 minute reads tops. And honestly, you could log in and be like "brb catching up on summary" and afk while you read it. It doesn't have to be extra homework.
3. Otherwise, just keep doing what you've been doing. Your characters aren't the type who are supposed to know every detail. That's fine, as long as YOU'RE ok with that, and just communicate to us that that's how you want to play. Which you just did!

As for me, I know I got used to not having to know anything, because even if I would try to look something up, Lisa and Carissa would get there so fast that it wasn't even worth trying. They either already knew it, or knew how to find it fast, and I did not. I'm getting a little bit better at that, since I write the summaries now, I have a better idea of where to go to find specific information, and I remember things better. But I don't expect everyone to be able to do that. As long as you are paying attention when you're there, and participating, then I have a fun time with you.

The times I DON'T have fun is when only like two people show up, or if everyone who shows up is afk or zzzzz for half the night and has no idea what's going on even though they were "there" when it happened ten minutes ago. I know it's not possible to be staring at the screen the whole time, especially during a lull, and even when I AM doing that, I still miss things. But yeah, when people disappear with no explanation or time estimation, then it's hard to play the game with them. It's like, can I ask this person what they think or do the zzzzs mean that they're off wandering around their house somewhere and will never even see this? A simple "afk 10 min" or "afk might be awhile" solves that particular problem for me. I also try to have things around that will keep me busy but that don't require my full attention... for me it's like crafts and coloring books and stuff like that, but I'm sure everyone has their own thing they could think of that can be an activity for during a lull in the game that won't be so distracting it will pull them away for a long time.

Not going to lie, I'm also in the camp of "considered taking a break" but for me it was like, "Well, if no one is going to be here, what's the point of me being here." So as long as people are showing up when they can (life and health should come first, but communication is appreciated) and participating, even if it's mostly just jokes or whatever, then I'm having a good time.

Editing in another thing: Even when you're just joking around, you are contributing, in my view. Sometimes your jokes lead to offshoots of thought that inspire other ideas about things, so even when it seems like people are just goofing off, even that can be helpful. I did notice you were quieter last week, and I missed your usual banter. The game was fun, but it's always more fun with more people, in my opinion.

11/06/2023 Sharif Hi Everyone, So I read the comments on the website after Lemon’s all caps post on Discord and before our last game. Again, thank you Lemon. I believe I get the idea behind what was being said, but of course there is always room for misinterpretation. I understand that if one puts in the work of reading and creating that there’s a special thing this sort of text-based DnD gaming experience can be. It seems to me that at the core of the complaint is our previous sessions not meeting that potential.

To that end I’m certainly guilty. I haven’t interacted with the site in any significant way and haven’t even spent time developing my own character, leave alone reading up on the others. I just want to recognize my overall lack of activity outside of game night, and that this has a negative impact on the gaming experience of others, and for that I apologize.

I wish I could follow that up with “I’ll clean up my act and check in on the site and come into game night prepared with the knowledge to maximize our gaming experience”, but I believe I’ve essentially made that statement a few times before only for it to not happen. At which point I feel guilt and anxiety about game night and that these are all negative pressures that I voluntarily put on myself. So I’m not going to do that this time.

I read the comments then joined our last game night. I’m glad people seemed to have such a great game night, but I did not. I found I was restraining myself from joining in, from writing the things down that came to my mind and from interacting with the game the way I normally interact. Constantly questioning whether I should write the thoughts that came to mind and then deciding not to. Boredom would arise. A desire to play Deep Rock Galactic would arise. I stuck with it though because I know it’s worth sticking with. Earlier, a part of me knew this would happen, which is the reason I decided to go with a fighter, so I could at least be useful in the action parts. Of course we haven’t had much action parts, but I’m sure they’ll be there eventually.

Then after game night, reading up on the chat (as per the instructions) on the site afterwards about how that was such a great game night we haven’t had in a while and we’re not sure why. Understanding that not everything is about me and I’m just one player in the game. Still, didn’t feel great, especially considering I’ve been able to attend greater portions of the game the last few weeks. Then I spent a lot more mental and emotional energy basically thinking about this note over the weekend than I care to admit, and that doesn’t feel great either.

I suppose what I want out of this game is the camaraderie and the fun socializing. I want the fun gaming aspect too, but I think that comes secondary. I wish I could put in the work needed, but my adhd mind just runs around too much and gets lost and I’ve come to accept that rather than make myself feel bad about it. I might put in the work for a few weeks or something, but eventually I fall. Same reason I’ve never been able to stick to a book club. I do not want to feel like the student that didn’t do his homework or didn’t prepare for the exam and keeps his mouth shut so he doesn’t get called out. I want to relax and have fun with my Friday night. I like making jokes, and I don’t like feeling like I need to hold my jokes back, even if they’re bad jokes. This last session I held back.

And hey, I recognize that I’m not so new to Dragonslayers anymore, but I am still new to DnD and it still hasn’t clicked for me. Maybe this particular format of DnD isn’t right for me. I could always get my fun socializing with Bob at the MMS discord and then rock and stone in Deep Rock Galactic or play Baldur’s Gate 3 if I have a DnD itch. And such is the natural direction my mind tends to go in this type of situation, but some smart people said it’s a good idea to lean into the resistance, and so that’s what I’m doing. The thought of leaving the game has entered the house, I haven't engaged, but I have offered it a seat on the sofa. I’m not sure what I do next but I’m sticking with it, but it bums me out that I’ve spent so much energy just writing all this stuff down and that it ate up so much of my Sunday and none of it was fun.

So that’s where I’m at hey. I’ll say it’s my affection for all the players that’s been the highlight of the experience and a significant driver of my wanting to stick around. I also appreciate the open discussion and I hope I wasn’t too harsh but I wanted to equivocate the authenticity of the group. Thank You

TMO - Is there something or some way that would make it easier for you to digest or review sessions? I'm not ADD/ADHD as far as I know, but maybe we can come up with a strategy that might help? Rothuss has enjoyed his interactions with MeLange, if that helps you at all. And don't worry about the "it's all about me" mindset, I suffer it too. :) Some of the weirder ideas I've had was to try a text-to-speech app to read the logs? I don't think that'd work for me, but maybe? Or even maybe a post-session review group over the weekend, where we just verbally discuss the session? Probably both unworkable ideas, but throwing them out there. But if we come up with something that helps you, it might also help my general poor memory.

Sharif - Thank you TMO. Those are cool idea, but I was actually thinking maybe we could create a summaries section in the discord group that we put the weekly summaries in, and that way I would just have easy access to the summaries whenever I need to read up.

11/06/2023 TMO

Okay, so... Rothuss. He has the potential to be annoying to the other characters. It is *supposed* to be a fun kind of annoying, but the fun can disappear from that at a moment's notice, and completely unintentionally. So I'll lay out the elements of his character here so you can understand the basic building blocks of the character, and if he gets to the point of annoying you, it'll be easier to just shrug it off and ignore it. Or you can poke me and ask me to dial it back.

Elements of Rothuss:

11/05/2023 Carissa

Again, if you haven't read the end of chat 20231103c then you need to, and that means everyone. Friday was enjoyable, but it's good to know why, and no, it isn't just because some of us needed to vent. And again, I'm not calling anyone out specifically, but everyone has something they could probably work on, so please don't think none of this applies to you.

Anyways, just to help summarize the patterns I noticed, and what I think made it enjoyable for me (and others):

  1. Communication
    1. I mean yes, this is always going to help. But it laid out where we were hitting snags in the game. If something isn't communicated OOC or IC, we can't move past it, solve it, figure it out, all of that. The big snag this story arc was the geas. We finally talked about it IC as a group (which then also covered OOC). And by doing so, we found common ground. Nice when that happens, right?
  2. Initiative
    1. The timing of my sister's call was perfect. You all took the initiative I've been waiting for you to take for awhile now. You know Vee (and me) wanted that silver gone. And rather than say your character doesn't know how to do it, you did actually try. It was a very low risk, high reward situation. I think sometimes we stick too closely to "my character can't do that" without ever even trying, skillset or not. We can't appraise, sure, but that doesn't mean we can't try to find someone who may give us a fair deal.
  3. Clarification
    1. Poking fun directly at TMO, it's good knowing now that Rothuss is supposed to be absentminded. That means I can grant TMO 90% forgiveness for his absentminded moments (and yes, you had a lot going on and obviously you get grace for that, too). But in all seriousness, that's something that's nice to know so for the sake of my frustrations. It doesn't necessarily mean I'll start filling in Rothuss when he's not paying attention, but it does mean Vee can now smack him upside the head without me feeling guilty.
  4. You all using the site
    1. You think I'm joking, but no. I'm still firm in my boundary of not catching anyone up anymore. If you miss a session, or have to step away without warning me (and/or do that all the time), I'm not helping you out. You can go read the chats or summaries or BOTH yourself. Or you can learn to roll with no information if you don't care to find it (or take a page from Spring's playstyle). And some of this might have been on me, too. This session, when I had my call, at least two of you had to look things up yourself because I was AFK. That meant I couldn't make it easy and tell you - it forced you to look things up. And I'm so proud of you for that!
  5. Comradery and Participation
    1. I think we were missing some of this during the chase because we were so focused on not letting Ruffus get away, but without that deadline, everyone was around to talk. Vee found out she can now turn to Rothuss regarding her complicated feelings and confusions regarding flirting and seduction. Jericho found out he has friends to help him disappear. Lirt has a new bookworm buddy. It's a new group that still needs bonding. This was a good session for it, especially so because everyone was participating this week.

I probably had more thoughts, but DST while traveling over the weekend is destroying me today. The only thing I ask right now, and I'll post this on Discord, too, is that, if you know more than a day in advance if you'll miss a session OR be late, please please post it on the site. We did that in the past, too. Tell Bob, that's fine, but it's not his job to tell us. I mean he will, but not usually until the game starts, and sometimes it's nice to have a warning. I'm asking this more since most of you don't do IC post. I have conversations I try to plan ahead of time with some of you, but it helps me a ton to know if you aren't going to be in. I'm even going to post the link to News Amp Updates where you can put when you'll be late or miss.

Anyways, keep posting thoughts and talking and all that good stuff. I need sleep.

11/04/2023 Carissa

I'm posting early so maybe you all see this before bed, but I'm seriously having a ton of fun tonight. Thank you.

And moving this above Spring's post, and just going to say, I think Spring is a good example of what point I'm trying to make. They're there when they can be, don't feel a need for us to fill them in, and can roll with the punches. They're okay with that, and we've learned to be okay with that. That works for them, they get what they want out of the game, and that's been clear for awhile. Just my sleep two-cents on that one.

11/04/2023 Spring

I've been half-assed for a long time, not just because I'm working during game time but also because my attention throughout the week is on other things. Even before my work was interfering, it was pretty rare for me to get involved in website and for me to do the politics, diplomacy, and geography things. I don't put work into the game. I only put play. I do chores for chores and fun for fun and that's why you'll never catch me on World of Warcraft.

I do enjoy in-game character building but I don't enjoy it as an extra-curricular. And I accept the consequences of that. If I don't know what's going on, that's fine. My character can have missed their coffee that day. Nobody needs to fill me in.

That's my part.

But. If my failure to stay up-to-date is causing harm to others, I have to rethink and make some decisions.

Mainly, I'm in this because I like the players and want to spend time with you. I don't really care that much what we are playing or how we are playing it. And what I hear right now is that one of my friends has unmet needs. So it's on me to figure out how much I can contribute to help with that. I'm not gonna say no, because I don't want to.

Also, wasn't it part of the change that we could do one-offs in the old world with the previous characters? Can we do one/some soon? Is there a chance of serializing some of them? Or would that make things worse instead of better?

11/03/2023 Carissa

You do what you need to do. You're having the introspection I hope everyone is having right now. The passion (and bargin - it's a good way of putting it) everyone had when we restarted the campaign just feels like it's dwindled. Severely.

Bob's rule has always been anyone can play however much or little you want, and that's fine. If you commit little, and get little in return, and you're fine with that, then it's all good. But if you commit little, and want more in return, then yes, I can see why that might make you realize you need to step back for the sake of you, and the sake of the group. Play as little or as much as you want, but don't expect others to pick up the slack. And again, not just you specifically but you as in everyone reading this.

I'll say, too, that I don't think Jericho is a failed character at all. He's starting to see growth. Vee would find it cute how worried he was (if he tells her) and that's relationship building - equally doable in game as it is out of game. I hope you stick around long enough to get the geas resolved, but that's your choice. In the end, maybe he just wasn't the right character for you, at this moment, with everything going on. And that's okay, too. Not a failure. Just not the right fit for now.

11/03/2023

As a P.S. I'm not disagreeing that I haven't upheld my part of the bargain (just in case I need to reiterate that). I just (even with more time) Don't want to dedicate that kind of work on building relationships. I think that is part of the issue with in-person, vs. online sessions. They work, but the more serious the game has to be, the more effort and communication issues become a challenge. They can definitely be solved with site communication, I just can't justify that. You guys are made of sterner stuff, but after my job I am mentally drained and just don't want to do the in-depth kind of research on the obscure, or the forgotten. THAT is unfair to EVERYONE. I'm hoping that by taking the time, I get that passion back. It's just gone now. So again, this is no one's fault but mine, I have a problem with that kind of commitment and that's again not fair to everyone else.

11/03/2023

Still agree with many points. One I do contend is that Jericho does not care about secrets anymore. He first approached the Cathedral, because at that time, it was his (and my) assumption that the faith was the same and time was the absolute essence. We thought at that time that DeOrange might have gotten on a ship, which he did. The more time we had spent in the city, the worse off we would be. Turns out, my paranoia was unjustified and he's chilling over here as a Duke and having fancy meals with pretty woman, and apparently hadn't done anything with the stamp. I do feel like the fool there. Jericho believed the faith was the same, he assumed (apparently incorrectly) that he could ask for help. He's being used, which I hate in games and in real life. Now that he has a geas on him, he doesn't particularly give a darn about what the secret is as long as he gets the geas removed. He has not spread any word of the stamp to anyone outside the faith (pretty sure the Cathedral and Shrine, but might be mistaken).

One area I had difficulty with (again, partially my fault) was the bag search. After that happened, none of us knew where Vee was. (Or if we did, I totally missed it (again my fault)). We went looking for her and were lucky we could even send her a message. A concession from Bob.

Now, I don't know how the game feels on a gut level with you all, but I take it seriously enough that I was like, we need to find her ASAP because who knows what that guy would do. I was getting physically worked about a woman being alone with a creepy dude and we were just flinging through bars looking for her. (Which we didn't even consider because they were at an inn, not a bar).

So, with that in mind (and through no one's fault, seriously), I've talked to Bob through Discord and informed him I'm preparing to leave the game for an extended (I.E. more than a year) absence. After the last post, I slept on it and realized that ever since the B-day game I've started to get depressed the nearer Friday Evening is. When I realized that, it was time to put in the notice.

I am really sorry about your characters Carissa. That was pretty selfish of me to not think of them especially. I hadn't really considered that and that was unfair to you. I'm not Bob, and I'm certainly not the other players, but If there was a return to Drillian for everyone to get their happy ending, I couldn't find fault with that. Lisa is gone, I am going to be gone, who knows what everyone might be okay with. I hate to admit it, but Jericho is pretty much a failed character that I'm regretting ever creating. He was supposed to be fun, but in a campaign this serious and as serious as I'm treating it, it was doomed to fail.

I don't want to leave on bad terms and am fine sticking around a session or two to try and get everyone to a good place, but it's time to leave for a while and explore other passions.

-Michael

11/03/2023 Carissa

Getting a conversation started is step number one. We haven't done that as a group in far too long which I believe is part of the problem. No one knows what anyone wants out of the game anymore nor are we talking about issues coming from lack of communication so thank you for replying. I realized I've been holding a lot close to my chest feelings wise so I'm getting it out there to then sort through.

In regards to the campaign, I understand that. I know Lemon wanted a new character, too. But this now has me with three out of my four characters forcibly retired before I found their happy ending. I had to write one of them a happy ending. I'm still trying to get in a mindset to do the same for the other two. The minute I was told we'd be starting all over, one foot was already out the door.

Again, a situation where I feel like we kind of talked about it as a group, but no one was listening to anyone. It took a lot of persuasion from a couple people to convince me to give it a chance. That's why it hits harder how it feels no one cares right now. And why, again, I really didn't feel like anyone was considering what it would really entail to start over again. That meant new relationships, new characters, new settings, and more work. That means a whole different campaign in many, many ways. But I've harped on that already.

Vee is not shunning anyone, but she's not confiding in anyone, either. She's fine hanging out, helping with more minor problems like goblins so don't worry about that. But again, if you want to start getting into the complex parts, the intrigue and such, you (and the group) need to work on it. You, and others, need to pay attention and keep up. You need to convince her to help you. She's not going to swoop in and solve all the problems because that is, again, a lot of work and pressure put on me.

For example: the Cathedral. Was it a hard lesson learned that the church institutes all operate differently? Sure, but then why would you, with a geas now on you, then tell yet another temple about the tax stamp? Vee isn't going to shun you and let you die, but Jericho has been very tight-lipped about the geas. You, as a player, haven't tried to find a way out of it. You haven't asked the players or characters for help. Right now, as I see it, the solution has been: let Vee get the rum, problem is solved. How is that fair to me, especially when I've tried multiple times to get a conversation going about solving it? And sure, Lisa was on board with it when it happened, but that was Lisa as Guest Dragonslayer, not Lisa as Active Dragonslayer. She didn't have all the information, nor should we expect her to, so she was relying on you to know that. And Lisa being the wonderful, generous soul she is, has offered to help (check OOC). But you need to decide if you want that help or not, and at the same time, realize that's not always going to be an option.

And I'm not calling you out specifically. I mean, yes I'm going to address the points brought up so we can talk about them, but all the patterns I've noticed and mentioned have been over multiple sessions and with multiple people. What I really need are people to figure out what they want from this game. Do you want Vee to trust you? Give her reason to trust you. Do you want Carissa to not go insane? Then start talking to me when problems need to be solved and ask for help rather than expect it. Do you want to just hang out, shoot the shit, and make jokes all night? That's fine, too, but now you know my boundary of how involved I'll be with you, and how involved your characters will be, if that's what you choose.

A relationship with Vee is going to be a tit for tat: she gives you back what you give her. If you get in her way, she's going to power ahead without you. If she helps you out, but you don't help her in return, don't be surprised when she stops doing that. And again, it's not just a Vee thing. It's a Carissa thing, too. Telling people what to do builds minions, not friendships. Working with them, instead, is how you build a relationship.

11/02/2023 MJH

Fair enough, you are 100 percent correct in your observations and I fully admit to some portion of that. I do admit that I have a few thoughts as well.

Yes, Vee has known us for very little time. With that in mind, I have always in every single interaction with newer players or PC, or henchmen done my best to get them "in the group" as fast as possible because when I first joined with Hugh, I was welcomed by session 3. Talwin was roughly session 2 but that's probably because Lisa was being nice. Additional trust came a bit later.

Indeed this is a totally new campaign. I admit that. However there is a Caveat. I too value my Fridays and I've done my best to slowly "grow" Jericho to be a little bit less of a tight-a** and try to befriend people. I feel that I've made a little progress there and am happy to keep growing there. However, I want to state upfront that if this will be a year-long process to get Vee to think of someone besides herself, I'm out. I can't commit to that kind of relationship building and wouldn't have even when I first joined up. Of course, I'm willing to put in some effort, but if it's so much work that I"m spending more time building relationships than trying to keep the rest of the game straight, well, I can't handle that. I love bob's game, but I have other hobbies as well that I've neglected the last 8 or so years that I'd like to get back into as well. Don't take it badly Carissa because it's not meant that way. This is 100 percent on me and I can imagine some of my thoughts typed here probably ranckle. I sincerely don' mean any disrespect to a true friend.

I just don't really want to commit to that kind of relationship building. I don't hang out with people who only look after themselves in real life, why would I be in this game? That does nothing but drive my anxiousness through the roof. Friday is supposed to be a day of relaxation, not anxiety that after work I need to hop into a game where my in game character is going to be shunned. (Not necessarily by Vee per say, but you get the idea).

I agree 100 percent I'm not always aware of what's going on. Yeah, I earned that one. But if Vee refuses to trust and is only going to "look after herself," I get it, I truly do. I just don't want to deal with that kind of interaction for years of real life. I have enough of people who only look after themselves at my job, and I'm not going to turn bob's game into work. Effort? Absolutely, but the day it becomes work, why am I playing?

I also hear you on the Campaign switch. That is a totally valid point. As for me, I wanted to switch locales because I wanted Talwin to have his happy ending. Going to the desert as he got older and older as a human, was a good way to possibly end happy, but also end up dead. I put so much work into him, that if he "died died" I would have been devastated. I wanted him to build up the protectorate into a fine part of the estate, and in my imagination, I'm so very proud and happy for him to have finally got there. It's a little easier with Jericho if he croaks because it's early in his life and in the game.

So, yeah, I 100 percent feel your observations are valid. I also feel like some of mine are valid too. Is there a way we can compromise on the relationships? Because the "no skin of Vee's nose" hit pretty hard. Jericho may be an asshole, but he'd jump in to save anyone in the group without a thought. And, the geas sure wasn't Vee's fault, but that was the best idea we had at the time to get us moving towards the goal. Even Lisa seemed on board with it.

If everything is going to be played close to the chest, I just need to step away from the game because it frankly sucks to me.

Again, not attempting to be a jerk, disrespectful, or otherwise hurt emotionally. I do fully admit I am guilty of a good number of your points in particular. I can't be mad at the truth.

I only ask that people consider what I am thinking as well.

-Michael

11/02/2023 Carissa

After last session, and some comments made, I think I need to make something clear:

I am still dealing with some frustration with the game. Not so much the story, but the fact that, after everyone else (except me) voted to restart the campaign, somehow I still feel like I'm the only one who is putting work into it, and no one is still coming to terms with the reality of what a new campaign entails. And I warned of this before, and I was assured you'd all help me adjust to the new campaign, but the only one who has done that is BOB. So for my sanity, I think I need to first make you all aware of this and second let you know my boundaries.

I am not going to tell you what to do. I've said this time and again. I don't mind leading, pushing this story a way that interests me, but I am done telling anyone what to do or trying to catch you up on things you missed. If you have ideas, sure, I'm happy to talk out those ideas, but if you ask, "What should I do?" then either figure it out, take some initiative, or don't do anything. My exception to this is only to new players (currently only Mini). And some of this is on me, not wanting things to fail or go wrong, but I need to learn that you need to and trust the DM to figure that out, not myself.

If you don't know what's going on, that's on you. There is so much information on the site. It has been 11 session of this story arc, guys. How do you still not know DeOrange is NOT a duke? You have the game, if you pay attention. You have the summaries, which Lemon works hard on. You have OOC thoughts that have always existed. This game relied, and still relies, heavily on learning the website. This is also why I'm purposely posting this here. Because way before Discord, we used this to communicate, and while things have changed, searching for information has not, and will not.

Vee is not mean. She is looking out for herself. Don't be surprised when she isn't benevolent. Half of the group she's barely know for what, a week? Maybe two weeks? If you make questionable decisions, especially if you don't know when to just step back and think for a moment, or because you are not paying attention, or you refuse to keep up, she is not going to bail you out. This is not the old campaign of having someone help you out. If you wanted that, you'd be in the Desert with Raelynn attending a wedding and chasing down some power cubes.

If you want a game where you have to help with the more intricate parts, you need to do the work for it. What you put into this game is what you get from it. I'm not going to be a substitute for it. This is supposed to be a group game, but when keeping up with all those details falls on a single player, when you expect them to do all the work then just distill it down for you? That's a heavy burden.

I want you all to have fun, but I want to enjoy my Fridays, too. I don't want to keep repeating myself. I hate repeating myself. I don't want to fill you in again, and again, and again, because you refuse to use the site, read Discord, or pay attention during the game. I'm not stepping away from the game, not yet, but I am stepping back from what feels like babysitting on too many nights. What happens to your characters is on you. If you ask me questions, don't be surprised if I start answering them with "read the site".

So this is my warning to you, one I've posted on this site before, and have mentioned in chat before, and which I still don't feel like anyone has heard:

  1. Figure out how you're going to handle the Temple of the Orange Sunset. It's no skin off Vee's back if she doesn't fulfill their quest. But those of you who have your mentors there? Need to get trained there or have some relationship with the church? How are you going to break the news that you went against their warning to tell no one about the tax stamp? Vee told you it was secret. You didn't listen to her. You can clean that up.
  2. Figure out how you're going to handle the Cathedral. The geas is not on Vee. She did not tell them about the tax stamp for the above reasons. I still haven't decide if Vee is going to bother going to the Cathedral unless her Dads make a good reason for it (such as seeing where they store the stamp or some massive reward). So make your plans now.
  3. Vee cannot trust most of you right now so she's going to keep things to herself, especially after the tax stamp fiasco. She'll probably be trying to meet with her dads by herself. She may run off to meet NPCs by herself. A crew is great for sailing a ship or killing goblins, but these finer details? Yeah, no one has really proven themselves here.

And to end it all, I highly recommend you read this article here to maybe get an idea of why I'm so frustrated. It's not about one single thing. It's about not feeling respected or like anyone cares.

2023 10 28 BOB

This year we are going to try a new project.

Carissa will help lead us in doing some writing every day. I hope that this helps everyone feel a bit more inspired about their characters and the overall Island Kingdoms in general. Carissa will give us a set of prompts to write about. Your response can be a short two sentence reply or a longer several paragraph detailed exploration.

Carissa will post the 31 writing prompts on this page. BOB will be participating also.

Everyone who does post something for each of the prompts will get 15 XP for their character as an extra incentive to participate. If you cannot post every day that is ok, posting a one or three times a week with responses to the previous prompts is appreciated by everyone.

This should be fun.

2023 09 13 BOB

It was a very fun weekend. Thank you everyone.

I did run all the updates on the characters for XP awards.

Training For the details on how to accomplish those things. Melange and Jericho do not need any until 3rd level, the three thief-ish people will need to spend a few weeks of down time training after they figure out how to pay for it. That will be at the end of the Era so there might be more characters involved too.

2023 08 26 BOB

Just a shortish note to let everyone know the roadmap for the next few sessions.

2023 09 01 - We wrap up the Into the Woods story arc with talking with the farmer and family to get as much information as you can about what happened, discussions at the church about what happened, sleeping, healing, etc. Lots of roleplay, some rollplay. Discussing what is working and what is not with the characters, the mix of the adventuring party. Some discussion about the section of the campaign world, answer some of your questions and creating more based on your questions and thoughts.

2023 09 08 - The start of the next story arc. There will be some roleplay not involved with the story arc then leading into the adventure. This story arc will be longer than the previous two. I expect it to take ten or so game sessions. Remembering that the BOB's Birthday Game will be equal to about 3-4 sessions.

2023 09 15 - Live at BOB's house! We continue the new story arc Normal game time 7 PM until Midnightish

2023 09 16 - Live at BOB's house after breakfast. Starting at Noon and running until Midnightish

2023 09 22 - Continuing the adventures as we approach the 1,000 online sessions mark.

7/30/2023 Carissa

Not sure where to put this yet, but seems worth putting somewhere? BOB can move it if he wants because I'm too lazy to do it myself. But also, he's been doing these hints lately, and if you're like me, a list would be nice, right? Right.

Potential XP Boosts Per BOB:

2023 07 24 BOB

I am getting things organized here on the site for everyone. Archiving older characters, cleaning up the new campaign areas, making sure everyone has a place to keep their notes both here on the site and in Fantasy Grounds.

So that we are all on the same page.

Before the end of this session I hope that we can be in the middle of the first story arc of the Era. That will only take a couple of hours to play out, roleplay heavy but some minor combat type things too

From this point there are five sessions until the BOB's Birthday Game. We will be working through the second and third story arcs of the Era, with the plan to wrap up the Era shortly after the Birthday Game.

2023 07 22 BOB

I think we made very good progress on building the characters in our last session.

I will be putting together the list of spells for Michael's priest, a list of potential spells for JTom and updating all the various details over the week.

We do still have the questions from before to answer for some characters, plus some new ones now.

  1. - What is one happy memory from your childhood?
  2. - What is your favorite color and why?
  3. - How do you know two of the other people in the group?

More to come as I organize all the notes.

2023 07 17 BOB

Questions I will be asking the group this session as we create characters together.

  1. - How many brothers and sisters do you have?
  2. - Who is one of your mentors? Who trained you in some of the skills you have?
  3. - How long has your family lived on the island of Borinquen?

2023 07 15 BOB

Welcome to Island Time the next Era for our campaign. There are a couple of ideas that I want everyone to understand as we start.

The first is this is a chance for everyone to build together. No forced backgrounds, no one guessing at what they did when they were growing up that had them want that skill, etc. We will take the next two sessions to talk and build together. I want everyone to roll dice and to help each other out with what they think will be fun to play. I do have some ideas to help create a new atmosphere too.

First where the first set of adventures will be taking place.

This part of the campaign world is much more expansive than Drillian was. There will be chances to interact and see different cultures, to explore different places, and I am certain there will be some fun surprises along the way. The pages for the Island Kingdoms have been dormant since 2009 so that people could look around but not learn a whole lot. Now we get to build up those things together. There are four locations that will factor into the stories over the next few years.

Everyone will be creating characters who live on Borinquen. Everyone will be human. We will want a mix of classes and types of characters as usual but I want everyone to create someone they will have fun with.

The church is a very big thing here in the Island Kingdoms. The Keldorian religion predominates with some Greek and Norse enclaves scattered about. The Keldorian church has very extensive holdings, and controls almost all of the official distilleries. The hand that controls the rum controls the sailors.

There are kits that are available to everyone that involve these themes as well: Sea mages, etc. They are in the various books to explore.

I would like to have people explore playing different classes than they have been. Michael with a thief perhaps, Lemon with a fighter, Lorie with a mage, TMO with a priest, etc. I will not force anyone to play a particular class I just want everyone to think about different ideas to match with a very different place.

The game will be up as always for anyone to jump in and look through books, etc. I ask that you hold off rolling any actual stats until we are together so that everyone can help each other with ideas and encouragement. I did have Carissa roll up her character earlier this week because it is very likely she will be missing most of these two sessions (stupid horses) but the character is in FG and I released it so that anyone can look to see what she did in creating her Sea Ranger. If you do look at the sheet please release it yourself afterwards so others can look.

This will be a fun process to help everyone work through. I expect two sessions to have the characters created, fleshed out so you feel you have a starting point, then we start roleplaying. There are more details I will share over the next couple of weeks and while we are creating to help you envision these new lands.

2023 07 09 BOB

We are coming to the end of the Intermediate Era this upcoming session. 2023 07 14

As I had promised I have talked with everyone about ideas for the next Era. After gauging everyone's input and balancing things out so that I think everyone will have the most fun we will be restarting with first level characters in the Island Kingdoms for the next Era. It is not everyone's first choice but overall I think that it is the best way forward for everyone to stay engaged in the campaign and tell new stories.

We have a couple of small encounters to finish up then we will spend at least one and a half or two full sessions on character creation and background information for the new location.

I have not changed any of the pages yet for that area so everyone gets a chance to see them in the basic outline form they are in that I created back in November of 2009.

I will have ideas for everyone, input on character thoughts, more details about the new campaign area, and much more after we officially wrap up the Intermediate Era.

2023 04 29 BOB

I think that the last two sessions have been very good for getting an overall understanding of how the next couple of sessions will go. I am ok with the rest of this Story Arc taking 2, 3, 5 sessions what ever the group decides.

During this week and at the start of the session on 2023 05 05 any last minute updates, etc. Then we start with everyone taking their places and opening the Gate.

From that point on we will be walking through person by person on the Combat Tracker. We can go slower for certain things, and click click click for others.

Be sure to pay attention to what the people before you do, and if you have ideas to try speak up.

There are things that are not fully automated for us. Holy Water was an example. I cannot find a way to turn it into a missle weapon (yet). So hurling that will be special.

Also I do want to test at some point about save options. I know the previous sessions Players rolled their character saves, but last night they seemed automatic. Not sure what happened there.

One last encounter area with Penissa, the places you stayed, etc. Then back to Red Fern lake and you are on the edge of the Wastes again and effectively home.

That ammount of travel will take a handful of days, then we can click off the weeks for Branwyn's Book Return group to bring everyone into sync again.

So 2023 04 07 should be the last day on the road, then 2023 04 14 21 will be the reunion of the two groups.

So starting on 2023 04 21 28 will be Book Return full time until that is over.

2023 03 12 BOB A long one, 1,500+ words. :)

I think we are at a good time for a long update.

We have the party split into two groups both of players and characters. Group Alexandria is on the way home to Dragon Fen after leaving Loosend. Group Book Return is arriving at the Inn of the Lost Eagle and then continuing research and preparation to complete the Book Return story arc. I was slightly frustrated that our last two sessions this was the case but I could not get everyone involved like I wanted to. So I am going to tweak a few things.

This next session (2023 03 17) we will start with the Book Return group. We will roleplay arriving home, some discussion, going to the Manor House, more discussion, and then skipping some time so that anyone in that group who needs recovery gets it.

Then we do some roll playing with the Searching for Alexandria group. We are in a graveyard, so there is a séance, there will be overnight encounters, etc. We will use this time to test a couple of settings for mechanics. This will mean starting and restarting the game for people to log in to test settings, giving input on what they like or dislike. I know people want to roll their own saves. 😊

We are taking the next week off and resuming with both groups on 2023 03 31.

This is where I want to make some changes.

Going forward I want to make sure I am rewarding everyone for participating in the ways that they can on any given session, and during our times between sessions. NOT homework, just a way to make it clear that I appreciate everyone who wants to participate in our game in various ways. Starting on 2023 03 17 and going forward I am going to give out an XP award to the main character for players who post into the In Character threads. That can happen at the same time as we are playing. A player’s character might not be part of the group that is active, or they might not be able to make it in that night. To give a tangible reward for this I will give out XP for anything that happens Saturday through Friday and also count that as part of our attendance. Effectively this might mean that nothing changes, and I am fine with that. If it encourages everyone to contribute more to the site even better for everyone.

I have added a new XP category on the Party Sheet for this. I can increment that number each week and then award at appropriate times.

Over the next few weeks we will be wrapping up the Searching for Alexandria story arc. The group has already gotten the experience points for completing the story arc. I will be awarding any XP from encounters from Loosend to Dragon Fen also.

We will also be doing the Book Return story arc in parallel until that story arc ends.

During the times that we are doing both story arcs in one session I hope that people will be inspired to add to the conversations on the site. I have redone the pages to make it a bit easier to know where to start for everyone.

At some point we will complete both story arcs. That will be anywhere from next week (hey the group surprises me all the time!) to sometime in May or June. 2023 05 12 is the start of our 30th year.

After we wrap up these two story arcs that will be the completion of the Cosmological Quandaries Era. We will be having the first “Intermediary Era” when all is completed. That Era will be linked through the Home Stories story arc and the above mentions In Character pages. It will last for 4 to 8 sessions.

During that time we as a group will be roleplaying out characters lives in Dragon Fen, both in session and on the site. These are supposed to be fun, story based adventures that might involve some combat but are more concentrated on how adventurers come home after long adventures and wanting to try to be part of normal life at home again. We all know what happens next. Warm smile.

Adventurers need to travel, to go see new vistas and explore the boundaries of the world and beyond.

So I am dropping these ideas here for everyone to let marinate in the back of your minds. This is typical BOB planning things with an eye to the far future. I have three primary options for moving forward at this point in time.

One option is retiring all the characters, starting again at level one and moving to a new part of the world. This would be starting in the city of Seagate and going forward from there. Merchants on the Great Trade Route, merchants in the Island Kingdoms, a ship with a letter of marc raiding, there are lots of options. This is the primary fallback position for the game. If everyone dies in Hell, this is the restarting point. If at any point we need to reset things totally like we did in 2010, this is the restarting point.

I do not anticipate using this option this year but again the group surprises me all the time.

There are two other next Era options I am prepared to run when the Intermediary Era is over. Both involve a ‘single’ adventure run over years of game time and probably real time.

The secondary one is a trip to the Underdark. This is the Night Below campaign. The idea here is to go in search of potential artifacts that can help defeat the Vampire Lords and break The Mist. This would be a fun adventure, different than what the group has done before, but also very linear. It would be very hard to say “ok we need to take a break and go home for training, etc” until you are through the very end. I think this can be a fun long Era to run, it will definitely impact the campaign world.

The primary idea I have for the next Era is what I am calling our Explorer Era. It starts with the group in the desert (don’t worry, I can get you there no matter what characters are there) and then continues from there. This Era would involve lots of traveling, lots of very different types of adventures, and a chance at different characters. The players who want their characters to go on this grand adventure will go to the desert. There they meet up with another group of adventurers. Some of them might be characters for Players who want to try something different than what they have been playing. Some of them might be characters from new or returning players. Or just NPCs.

The characters will go explore in an Egyptian themed part of the world, deserts, pyramids, old mostly forgotten gods, and all sorts of encounters in a new part of the world. Once you solve the primary adventure that starts you there those that live will continue along on the Explorer Mode of adventures. You could go south to Al-Qadim and visit the genies and such of Youtargim’s home. Or you can head north into the druidic areas of Hallstatt and Zayden’s home. Or go east and take a trip around the world and be Magellan. Or west through the Island Kingdoms, Seagate (see I always tie things together) and along the merchant paths. You have the Silk Road, the Spice Road, and others to explore. All of it with a guiding light of Dragon Fen back home.

The Explorer Era is based on the idea that people in our world would leave home for years at a time on such adventures. In a recent book I read (About Time) it talks about how someone was building an observatory in India with precise measurements to track the stars. The king sent his advisors to Europe to bring back astronomers to work for him. It is casually mentioned that the trip to and from took nearly three years to accomplish. I think that would be a very fun concept to bring into our game. The journey is the point of the story.

Also this is meant to create a space for the characters who stay at home in Dragon Fen to have their own adventures and stories on the site through the conversation pages. We have a cast of characters that have stories to tell, that is why people want that Home Stories Intermediary Era.

All of this to say we have at least a few months before this will happen.

Our current plans involve completing the two current |story arcs, testing and refining Fantasy Grounds to suit our needs, and encouraging everyone to contribute to the stories on the site.

As always I appreciate everyone who participates, both on Fridays, on the site, on the Discord, and just being part of our game.

Love you all,

BOB

2023 02 06 BOB

Catching up with the restoration of the site and updated XP totals.

I updated all the XP totals for ALL characters through the END of the Searching for Alexandria story arc. That includes the story awards, etc. For future encounters there will be more XP but the bulk of all the XP is awarded now.

I added all the XP, but I have not yet verified that the appropriated HP, saves, skills, etc have been distributed. I will be doing that before our next session so that people can work on their characters over the next two weeks of "squishy time" as we do training, updating, etc. See the previous message below.

So that leaves the following characters who have gained a level.

2023 01 30 BOB

The group has done very well, everyone is alive, has gained experience, and now you are in The Climax portion of Searching for Alexandria. I admit I will be very surprised if anyone were to die at this point before the training is accomplished.

We likely have two sessions for roleplay and interacting to bring all the threads of the characters that have been traveling together. Then we will have at least part of a session working on training, updating character sheets, and testing some things with Fantasy Grounds.

There should be some discussion and thought about potential things you want here in Dryads Lair before you head home. Howard can help with the Mage's Guild, you have the full City there to get items and such that you do not get back home.

In some combination of all of this over the next three sessions. Then the group will need to make a definitive decision for the rest of the story arc. Click off the time and just be back in Dragon Fen or make the full trip back with encounters, or which ever combination of the two everyone will enjoy.

It has taken 41 days of game time to get to this point. We will be adding on several weeks for training for Talwin, and others, before you leave for home.

At some point I do anticipate live roleplay with Lisa for Branwyn's trip to Dryads Lair and maybe other places as well. I will have NPC characters for people to play during those moments as needed.