Post/Author/DateTime	Post
thought_riot 10-17-05, 11:13 PM	If you'd like to read my campaign, visti the link in my sig. I'd like to get some comments about it. Starting with the fourth session, I'm writing a little reaction to how each session went, in and out of game. Two of my more experienced players will also probably write their reactions. Six players, because we're all friends. And we're still all teens. :P I'm 16, the oldest player, the player of the elven ranger raised by mountain lions, is 17. The youngest are 14, being the bard (who's very mature for 14), the warforged, and the changeling rogue. The ninja is 15, and the wizard is 16. We just began the second adventure, Shadows of the Last War. I'd like input on this. Tell me if you see anything wrong, and possible suggestinos. Five of us (everyone but the rogue and ninja) have played together for about 3 years, but only one steady campaign (we ,made it to 8th level). We never had a set schedule, jsut playing oh the whim. This campaign's more structed, but a bit more hectic due to the increased numbero of players. So, this is basically our first real serious campaign. Any suggestions would be appreciated, especially suggestinos on running the rest of shadows of the last war, and the final 2 adventures. THANKS
Wycen the Clueless 10-17-05, 11:59 PM	"Geoff, just because you have Survival does not mean a party of four hungry people will not eat you." :D
thought_riot 10-18-05, 08:55 AM	"Geoff, just because you have Survival does not mean a party of four hungry people will not eat you." :D Yeah, thats my personal favorite! :P There's been no quotes from the Eberron campaign because its pretty much been sucky so far, but I know its going to get better soon. Any input, suggestions, etc, THANKS
thought_riot 10-19-05, 06:06 PM	No one has input?
g. felix 10-19-05, 07:53 PM	Good luck with the ooc talking. My group is finishing up the whole campaign, and ooc was killing the fun. I found that it started with me the DM. I started answering players in character, which goes against my very nature, and they naturally responded in kind. I had discussions with the players, but never made any rules. Even though it is embarrasing, especially when my wife walks by making faces of disgust, the gameplay is more adventurous, moves quicker, and is more fun. More importantly, when the players are in character, I do not have to prod them to look around, search, set up formation and the like. I know that I had to soup up the adventure with only four players, so you will really need to. I would think about that on your way through the first adventure. I think it might be easier to post any questions about your specific problem than it is to ask for general advice on this board. Do you have any looming problems, or ideas that you want to hash out before your next session?
thought_riot 10-19-05, 08:23 PM	Good luck with the ooc talking. My group is finishing up the whole campaign, and ooc was killing the fun. I found that it started with me the DM. I started answering players in character, which goes against my very nature, and they naturally responded in kind. I had discussions with the players, but never made any rules. Even though it is embarrasing, especially when my wife walks by making faces of disgust, the gameplay is more adventurous, moves quicker, and is more fun. More importantly, when the players are in character, I do not have to prod them to look around, search, set up formation and the like. I know that I had to soup up the adventure with only four players, so you will really need to. I would think about that on your way through the first adventure. I think it might be easier to post any questions about your specific problem than it is to ask for general advice on this board. Do you have any looming problems, or ideas that you want to hash out before your next session? I've made it through the first adventure, and I didn't bother scaling it up, which was a mistake. The group didn't raise to level 2 until after fighting the warforged and kobolds in Shadows of the Last War. For this adventure and the future ones, I will make sure to beef up the encounters. Right now, my main problem is the OOC talking. I will keep this thread updated after every session. I just wanted to let people know if they wanted to read a campaign session by session, and get some responses. I felt like updating the thing was a waste with the only readers being my players and one other friend. :P
Saurenda 10-21-05, 02:05 AM	I've made it through the first adventure, and I didn't bother scaling it up, which was a mistake. The group didn't raise to level 2 until after fighting the warforged and kobolds in Shadows of the Last War. For this adventure and the future ones, I will make sure to beef up the encounters. Right now, my main problem is the OOC talking. I will keep this thread updated after every session. I just wanted to let people know if they wanted to read a campaign session by session, and get some responses. I felt like updating the thing was a waste with the only readers being my players and one other friend. :P Well I can definitely agree on ooc talking and such killing a game. Even with four people, right now we have about 8 in my Dm's saturday group. All this planning and ooc talking is hampering game play. When I look forward to a weekly session I like playing a character, not listening to half of the other people make one plan, or start babbeling. Worst part of it all, I started it myself as well. Perhaps if I shut up they will too. As for your campagin I was intending to do the same and post session by session, but I didn't know how much interest it would actually generate. I hope you mean summeries with a sessionly report. We recap just before everygame and it's hard to remember all the details, much less rewrite them all for others to read. Why not post some highlights here to get us more interested in moving our lazy hands to press a link?
Saurenda 10-21-05, 02:23 AM	I've read all four sessions on the lj account and my only reaction is this is just too dry. A basic retelling of the story is fine, but I feel like there wasn't any effort put into the log. There were no funny play qoutes, and one was noted above making me feel I was in for some humor at least. there is little to nothing in these logs except standard 3rd party observation. As someone who ran these adaventurer's it feels like you are hurrying through the sessions in an atempt to get the most done as possible rather than focusing on on the moment of what happens. For people who were in the last war Sycthe and Zanza have no team work, or special tactics? As a thief and bard pair the changelings were captured and not killed by two seasoned veterains of the Last War? I'm more willing to accept the second instead of the first, just so everyone can come together and get started on the cmapagin. As it stands it doesn't seem like even the rouge or the bard have anythign tha tuniquely defines them, much less real teamwork as was mentioned in the first of the 4 sessions. The only real thing of personal note for the ninja was mentioned he would craft a necklace from the remains of the rats he killed. At least that stuck, a persona that enjoys tropheys and victory in combat. It feels very early in the campagin. Perhaps they haven't had a chance to develop if they feel they are being pressed ahead. Maybe the ooc is making it difficult to correctly identify and portray thier characters. Reading through the 3rd person narative wasn't pleasent. IT is better if you highlight what happened and focus on good roleplaying than just list all the events as they happened.
Saurenda 10-21-05, 04:36 AM	To be more specific with what's missing from the logs I attempted to put the first half ofone of our sessions into a log. It's currently 4:36 am here, and I didn't proofread this. You were warned =p Session 5 The day pulled long on our minds and hearts, only to have our expectations smashed in our faces. After our decent past the Cogs and return I couldn't look anyone in the face. Sig had to carry me all the way back up. When the cultists transformed into that thing all I could do was vomit. What's worse I overreacted, and cost myself every advantage. Experience is our greatest edge, my teacher use to say. I certainly won't go into fits of vomiting the next time. When I read those sovergin store novels in the safety of my research lab I had no idea how little thier dry retelling of events actually meant in the face of loss. Nothing truly effected me like the day I found out Cyre was gone. I couldn't eat for the better half of the day. All I could think about was the mark parks and food vendors that lined the streets. The kind I would rather die than eat from during alunch break when I was still working Research Lab 22 in Metrol. The side of the road. The Half orc whiping his greesy hands on all over the apron that looked like it hadn't been washed. At all. And yet people bought form him. Then after the experience hit me I went down a huge list of my disapointments with Cyre. And as I sat in my artifice robes looking at the clock, they announced our lab would be open despite other businesses closing out of respect. "Productivity over compassion" That's the Cannith way. I am a Cannith North, working as a dog of the South. Damn it all. I want a greesy sandwhich you stupid orc. Derex Cannith sat down at the bar of the Mac Daddy, a less than reputible bar ran by the Half giant companion he had come to know recently. A week ago when he first came in through the dilapated doors of the establishment he had ordered a scotch. It had yet to arrive. As he read the Korrenberg Chronicle, a fine eye watering mist filled the atmosphere. He looked up in a brief interuption of his horoscope to see a group of goblin men standing in tandum against the bar talking to his adventuring group. Adventuring as they called it these days, is the next big thing. Exploration rules all. Go out there and find it, whatever it is. He wore his maroon robes over his breastplate, and a Haversack laid ont he floor beneath him. One day he would need a bag of holding. His current projection of cartogrphy would help adventurer's the world over. An Ioun Stone of Mapping. Valuable topographical and ruin data coudl to transfered without even a single sketch. He held the patent in his hands an a copy was at Zilgaro Breuacracy. Silent image does it all. Arcane mark for labeling. Somethign to make the information downloadible, and uploadible....perhaps legend lore? No too high. Rary's Nmenonic enchancer? No that only recalls spells he mulled over in a mumble. Eden, a human woman. A warforged, of female adapted persona. Her failed attempt at wearing a easily ripped synthetic skin made Derex sigh more than chuckle. He had enetertained the thought of calling her "Lilth" many times. She was filled was lies. Champion of the people and honesty, and she wouldn't even be honest to herself. He long coat and poor choice of colored clothes proceded her Paladin nature. Celeste. There was a woman worth getting to know, for a night. And then never talking to again. The emotional baggae on this beauty would make even the most seasoned House Orien porter protest. Her features were nothing unlike an angel. But angels do not drink, and angels aren't loose with thier bodies. At least, not the angels Derex knew. And that was less than the number of Cannith Bards. Her long dull hair fell below her shoulders. A blank slate. No memory or anything. Nothing to be ashamed of at all, not matter what she did. Yet as empty as her mind was it was deadly. Reaching out and creating fire without so much as an incantaction. She had burned the last male suitor while she sat at the bar laughing. After that, Derex had not approached her again except in battle to assist. Sig. Psychic warrior with a crystal blade. At least until he steped through that time rift with the group in the depths past the Cogs. Now according to the best of Derex's knolwedge had become an incarnate and wielded a giant hammer. The pulsing threat of Zeram still flooded the artificer mind after he alone had been one to realize the change. Phsyically Sig was still a mountain of a man. That long coat he wore didn't benefit form teh temporal change at all sadly. It was still sad, hanging and tacky. The half-orc with the cigar broke his train of thought. Rough, 5 oclock shadow at lunch time. Chiseled face and body, with a good smell of tabacco that meant he was someone's daddy. And a ten gallon tan hat. He chewed salivating over the shaft of the cigar as it passed between his protruding teeth. Metal belt buckle catching the light over an engraved picture of some carnivourus animal on it's surface. "Your our rivals I take it?" his mouth puffing a cloud. "Customers!" Sig exclaimed, leaving the bar where Derex sat reading the paper. "My name is Siggard and I'm the proprieter. Don't get many of your kind here, what can I get you?" his large feet waltzed over to the group of goblinods behind the half orc. "Lady Val's group right?" The infamous Lady Val to which this half orc was referring to was Derex's employer. She had a distinct passion for art. The kind that would manifest itself into jumping fits of rage and screaming, sending a group of strangers to their deaths against the most ancient of evils for something that would make her swoon. Personally, Derex enjoyed the type of woman who liked chocolate. That way while thier eating they would be quiet. "We're no longer your rivals I'm sorry to say. We were going to be your competition on your expedition to Xen drik. That is of course," He lulled the cigar's base with his tongue against the other fang, "until we found out Ebeon Locke was participating in your ruins recolmation. Don't mind the boys back there, they aren't as articulate as I am." Sig and Daddy Half -orc, who had so rudely failed to introduce himself as anything other than a friend exchanged more pleasentries. The kind only larger men do to show they mean business. If there was one thing Derex could see in Sig despite the temporal lapse, it was his attitude toward trouble had remained the same. The half orc went on to warn us to beware a war criminal not found guilty of massive slaughters and acts agaisnt humanity. A man wearing an adamantine breastplate, and carrying an adamantine sword witha shard of Khyber weld within it pulsating like it were alive outsretching viens on the metal. An agent of the dark six that killed with no compasion or soul. Derex sighed and put down the paper. No time to get that new patent looked at with the gnomes today. Just another failed idea come and gone. Lady Val would be waiting on the group, and it was poor manners to keep such a wealthy Riedian like herself waiting. Espically when she extracted apologies from her suppordinates. We collected ourselves and headed over to Val's. The mansion she owned overflowed with the kind of art that made Derex think two things. Stolen, or killed for. Tapestries depicting psionic heritage hung to either side of the entry way, and at the gate was Valor. Valor was a warforge's warforged. Not like Eden. Eden pretended to sleep. Eden Pretended to eat. Eden wore clothes. She pretended to be human poorly. Valor would sooner stand at attention for 13 hours on end and come at the slighest call of Val, and that's the way Valor liked it. Valor had purpose. It was admirible. As the adamantine bodied warforged left the five in the study. Derex never bothered the dual cross bow wielding cross bolt slinger. Not so much as to look his way or say hello. Those cross bow's afterall were Cannith north made with a hair trigger. The kind you can't buy anymore from the 70s that collectors would would ask about. Up to today Derex had heard all sorts of colorful metaphors. Lady Val was posion to the eyes. She appeared human, and Derex was sure she preffered it that way. Her rich colored hair sat like a headdress over her temples like a crown. "I want you to go to Xen'drik," Lady Val began. There is a large amount of artwork I would enjoy getting my hands on. The deal is without a letter of marque you cannot retrieve the full amount of what you extract. That is of course unless you declare yourself an expidition on behalf or morgrave, or another insitution. I managed to persuade the officals into giving you status as relic hunters with intention to donate to a muesuem all art found on this mission. Any other goods you have find, gems, coins, treasure of all sorta get's 25% taken for taxes by the state. Anything of that 75% is yours including the downpayment of 1000gold I'm giving you each. I can't wait. I can only imagen it. An enitre buttload of art!" The most terrifying woman Derex has know his enitre life. Describing a haul form Xen drik like that was asking for failure. no one ever really made what they put into an expedition unless you were with Morgrave, or an Airpirate. We all agreed to her terms, and set out with our tickets. The trip over the sea was better than Derex had hoped. Riding in an airship was far superior to that constant rolling and hazards of the ocean. The enormous ring of fire encircling the ship allowed the airship to soar among the clouds. It was breath taking. This sort of feeling would make a life tiem of artifice worth while to see such a grand thing come to fruition. Then all the birds started dying. Dying. One by one they fell to the deck of the ship cooked in the heat of the rising airship bound fire elemental ring. Dying. Few gulls and bird were quick enough to escape the velocity once the ship rose. they dropped burned and charded to decks to be collected by various goblinolid workers. Derex had a bad feleing he knew what they'd be serving in the gallies. Where were you when we need you House Ghallanda Derex wondered. The half elves didn't seem picky about the food they ate, but they were slaves to detail of every facet of the ship. It got to the point where they threatened at sword point for Derex to keep his distance from the flamming ring and it's Arcane Matrix, wether he was 'just looking' or not. * * * Finally the group arrived on the shores of Stormreach. The stories had been greatly exgaerated. It was the kind of thorp like enviroment that spread out enough to be considered a small city. Everything was filthy. Adventuerers of all sorta litered the place like garbage. Thrown about and blowing in the wind with nothing to do until thier next assignment. Eden's sharp eyes could the busy hands of pick pockets. Her skin grafted hand moved to her own money pouch tuckening it away into inner shirt pocket. Though she appeared as a normal looking twenty year old woman her insecurities about human nature kep scrapping on her like the stretching skin graft. She seperated form the others while they agreed to meet at the Inn of the "Vindicator". Derex made a horrible joke about a service vessel and something called a Precursor. Eden ignored him. As she walked the dirt streets of storm reach she saw a few people in the road blocking her path. She stopped. One of them was wearing an adamantine breastplate. She reached to draw her soul instinctually. A dagger found it's way to her throat as her arm attempted to pull it out of it's sheath. "That's enough little girl. You don't want any trouble do you?" The man's voice said from behind. Assassin, Eden gritted her jaw to her upper mouth which appeared like gritting her teeth, and I'm too far from any sort of law enforcement. The breatplated man walked up with a extoiclly dressed woman. She was either a mage, or a prostitute. He spellbook said mage, but the leather laced boots coulda of went either way. Ebon Locke introduced himself to Eden. "I'm more than disturbed to find something as disgusting are you here, little forge. That's right we know your secret. That terrible disguise you've got on can fool idiots, but not us." Eden protested against her restrainer and found her skin graft slashed across her throat. Had she actually been human there would be blood on the streets of Stormreach. She drew her sword. Locke laughed at her cackling. He drew his. The dark black of the Khyber shard reached out to her senses and pulsed a great evil. Yet it's evil was no match for the evil emenating from this man. She turned to run. That had been her mistake. As Ebon Locke drew back the sword and slashed the air a wave of evil blew out form his blade adn crashed like waves towards the running warforge. The wave smashed against her body and her perception of evil become overloaded. She ran, still feeling the lingering evil cling to her body, and the energy ripping at her skin graft.
thought_riot 10-21-05, 06:54 AM	Thanks for the input. I do think the OOC is hampering everything. Our sessions are boring and bland too, mostly because we get very little done in 4-5 hour sessions, because of the OOC. I'll let you know how the next session goes (not this week, next sunday) and if anything changed, and if that affects my write-ups. As for the humor, I'd be tracking that in the Quotes section of the LJ. Problem is, with the OOC talking,theres very little discussion of the game itself, so no good qutoes about the game.
thought_riot 10-21-05, 04:35 PM	One thing, that thing you wrote is very nicely written, however it seems as though its largely like from the PC's ponit of view. Would I have to put myself in the PC's shoes, and write it from their experiences? NOTE: I'm not a great writer. :P
Saurenda 10-21-05, 08:25 PM	One thing, that thing you wrote is very nicely written, but it seems as those its written from a specific character's point of view. How would I go about writing it from the DM's view, where'd I'd have to tell each player's story, from a non-PC point of view? NOTE: I'm not a great writer. :P Niether am I =p. Surely you just saw that. 3rd person narative is the way to go. I focused on Derex's view points and reactions cause he is easiest being my character. I only had access to his thoughts. As the DM you have access to no one thoughts. So things can happen objectively through actions, unless you use creative thought to explain to the reader tha tthier alignment or other issue is guiding them.
thought_riot 10-21-05, 09:11 PM	Niether am I =p. Surely you just saw that. 3rd person narative is the way to go. I focused on Derex's view points and reactions cause he is easiest being my character. I only had access to his thoughts. As the DM you have access to no one thoughts. So things can happen objectively through actions, unless you use creative thought to explain to the reader tha tthier alignment or other issue is guiding them. Hah. You're MUCH better than me. My vocabulary is large, but...I can't seem to use it :(. Anyway, this week we;re not playing because 3 of our players are going to New York City. We'll resume next week. I'm going to focus on expanding each character's history (unfortunately, I still need to get histories for Elzix and Zo/Windsor). I'm going to take what I know from the paragraph they wrote, and what I know from talking to the, and make it a little longer. Than, hopefully, I can individually talk to each player and get them to develop mroe of a personality for their character. Thanks for the help guys.