Dungeons and Devils

[Tasunke]

also, I reserve the right to change my race to Dragon at level 20 ... (jk) :D

[Jkaen]

Played online games before and progress is really really slow. Will help with the dm if you guys get this moving

[Tasunke]

How slow? I played a campaign once before where we played for a couple hours each saturday ... that lasted about a month. I think I made it to lv3 or lv4.

I think with piecemeal participation over the weekdays, we could get farther than that.

(plus the fact that here, we are used to having games take months ... aka a game that could last 6-8 hours instead lasts nearly a year )


I would assume that the forum format could help 'speed things along' in the form of time the DM is spent calculating/contemplating being spent while the others are AFK. I suppose this would normally happen anyways with a good dm, but in our case at least, there were a fair amount of pauses to look at some rulebook or another.

Of course, not to say we have to strictly remain within any particular ruleset. I don't that will be necessary due to the non-competitive nature of the game. (at least of a one party game)

[Tasunke]

And, Jkaen, thank you for volunteering to help out.

[Merovech]

I'm also fine with helping the Dungeon Master-not enough time to play, sadly, but I have a wealth of information in my head (and a huge collection of rulebooks; although I don't have acces to those at the moment).

[Mardoc]

Played online games before and progress is really really slow. Will help with the dm if you guys get this moving

Not sure exactly how to interpret your post, Jkaen - was that a signup as a DM or assistant?

I've a fair bit of face to face D&D experience, including some DMing. I'd be willing to DM. Or possibly play, if Jkaen would rather do it himself. Don't want to step on any toes.

But...I see exactly one signup at this point, with a lot of 'maybes' and 'depending on' and whatnot. Maybe what's needed is a concrete proposal, that people can decide if they like or not. Take this as a starting point for discussion.

I'd propose something like the following:

• D&D edition 3.5, or Pathfinder. It's the version I know the best, and the version with rules available free and legal. Although I suspect forum D&D would get to be more roleplaying and less rules wrangling, it's good to have an idea on capabilities.
  There's not a huge difference between the two, Pathfinder was consciously developed as 3.5 with balance tweaks.
  
  
• Low power level, 3-5th level or so, vanilla settings (that is, character options mostly restricted to the Player's Handbook). It's easier to DM when the party doesn't have all the get-out-of-jail free cards like teleport without error, and without monsters in the party (sorry, Tasunke)
  
• The party *must*, before starting, reconcile backstories so that it's reasonable for you all to want to risk your lives for each other and you have common goals. It can work to have a group who wants to serve and protect the innocent, or a group that's looking just to get rich fast, but mixed expectations end badly. Not willing to DM for an outright evil party, though
  
• No stealing from the other players, general agreement on party goals and morality, that sort of thing
  

Some areas for consideration:

• What setting do you want? Forbidden Realms, Erebus, something more generic?
  
• What environment do you want? City, Wilderness, or Dungeon?
  
• What sort of quest do you want? "Adventurer, the world is about to end and only you..." or "King X seeks adventurers to explore the Louisiana Purchase" or "Local merchant recruits caravan guards for low-risk journey" or "You're at the caravan stop, waiting for your friend Godot"?
  
• Where do you want to be on the combat vs talk/intrigue scale?
  
• How much risk do you want? Are you ok with replacing characters due to unlucky combat rolls? Due to stupid (er...heroic) decisions? Would prefer to mostly survive?
  

[Commodore]

Cool. /sign

[Tasunke]

/sign

Would prefer to mostly be able to survive. A bit more on the combat heavy side (ie bar fights and plenty of random encounter type deals)

I'd probably prefer either erebus or some kind of psuedo cyberpunk where only 1 or 2 things is future tech (like airships or magical railroads)

---> Ironically I think there is a DnD setting called Erberus that has playable Golems and magical railroads ... but I think I'd prefer Kaels Erebus (I just think its ironic that the two are spelled similarly).


Anyways, I guess I would probably prefer an 'Erebus' start. Probably something less defined by the game as seen in Civ IV, but moreso defined by the lore alone .... with, imho, COMPLETE creative liscense on the hand of the DM. No need to be chained by the lore imho, only inspired by it

That being said, I think I could do a number of characters (but I'll only pick one (or two) of course )

--> Bannor Human Fighter (archer) -> I'm in love with my lieutenant (or superior of some kind). She once was a handmaiden for Capria and is now a powerful knight without equal amongst the House-gard. (each house, or clan, has an elite force. They serve as the leaders in any war the Bannor face). Therefore I decided to go out and prove myself to be worthy of her love. I have left the army, and am in search of glory and honor. (probably Neutral Good or Lawful Neutral). My ultimate goal is to bring to my love the head of either a Balor or a Demon lord, as a proposal present. My hope is that, seeing my trophy, she will deem me worthy.

--> Ljosalphar Human Figher (archer) -> adopted by elves after orcs destroyed my home. In the search of long lost parents, possibly living in Grigori lands, assuming they survived the slaughter

--> Malakim Human Fighter (archer) -> possible dual class with rogue. Goal is to get rich quick, and eventually establish a business and become a wealthy merchant. Interested in aquiring gold, but also in aquiring connections and important friends (for the business)

--> ex-Calabim Human Figher (archer) -> a hero with a dark side. I saw my parents slaughtered by vampires, and managed to get away by killing several moroi ... I also had to kill my childhood friend by throw him to a vampire in blood-frenzy. It was my only choice if I wanted to survive. I wish to atone for the sin of killing my friend, as well as pledging vengeance on the Calabim and all vampire kin. I know their secret, and they want me dead. (if they even know I'm still alive, or if they even care about lost angry peasants)

--> ex-Sheaim tiefling Fighter (archer) -> (possible dual class with rogue/assassin. brought to Erebus by the sounds of summoning, I killed many in service of the Sheaim as a demon assassin. Still, I eventually grew tired of this task. I have left their services, and wish to find something entertaining. Eventually I have grown fond of a group of humans, although perhaps, eventually, I will tire of them as well. Still, wishing to make a name of myself SEPARATE from the rest of the demons, I would like to do at least ONE grand thing with this playful band. Such cute little creatures they are, adorable really. -> Likely Chaotic Neutral, not against killing, but no longer randomly kills (innocents) just for fun. Still takes much joy out of killing those that cross his troop. Views the troop with some sense of comraderie/kinship ... mainly views them as pets I suppose, but pets that, after a time, he has grown to respect (at least to a degree.) After all, if your dog could talk, wouldn't you like to know what it had to say? Might even go along wit it too.

[Lewwyn]

/sign

Mardoc that's sort of what I was hoping for.

I'm okay with either surviving or dying characters. Back in high school I played with a group and the night I wasn't there they killed my character. Didn't like that. But I think I would be okay with it now. In fact I wouldn't mind something along the lines of the adventure mode in Dwarf Fortress, just slightly less frequent deaths.

I'm okay with any world as long as its consistent and not draginn infested.

3.5? I'll have to read up. Used to 2.0 and 3.0.

[Ichabod]

/sign, if you guys dont mind someone inexperienced.

I'd prefer much more talk/intrigue than combat and i prefer small tasks than save the world scenarios.