Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Prophet of Chaos 02-07-06, 01:52 PM	I would like to suggest the creation of a new type of metacampaign group that would allow PCs from any region to join. For example, creating a church of boccob group for all of his clergy and worshippers across the Flanaess.
Mortepierre 02-07-06, 03:33 PM	While I like the basic idea, I am afraid of two consequences. a) Right now, belonging to a regional church usually gives you a discount on low-level spells cast on your behalf in your homeland. That's a nice reward for low-level players. If you create a Flanaess-wide church meta-org, some players will join just to get the discount anywhere they go. b) Historically speaking, priests worshipping the same god but living in different countries often had different ideas about what was "right" and what wasn't. For instance, you can bet that LG Nyrondese priests of Pholtus don't see eye to eye with their LN Palish brethren. Thus, a church "core" meta-org wouldn't make sense because it would probably crumble due to infighting in less than a year. That isn't to say a core meta-org can't exist. A criminal organization for instance would make sense (though be difficult to implement and maintain).
Drayen 02-09-06, 01:36 PM	[QUOTE=Mortepierre] a) Right now, belonging to a regional church usually gives you a discount on low-level spells cast on your behalf in your homeland. That's a nice reward for low-level players. If you create a Flanaess-wide church meta-org, some players will join just to get the discount anywhere they go.[QUOTE] The problem with regional meta-orgs is that the regions have moved to low level play for regional modules. Regional modules are now APL 2-8, for the most part. Higher level characters are left having to play down to keep in the regional goings on or moving on to Core modules. (Some areas meta-regionals may continue with high level play, others may not) There are also players that choose to make characters strictly for play in Core modules. Those characters lose out on a facet of the game because they're not nationalistic. There should be some organizations available across borders.
redgamer 02-09-06, 10:24 PM	If you're regionals are mostly 2-8 I beleive you're region is an exception. If your meta-regionals are mostly low level I know you are an exception. Meta regional are supposed to be high level. There is only one meta-regional I know of that starts a APL 4. Most of the others start at APL 6 with a significant minority starting at APL 8 and 10. The rule about only 1 mod per year going past APL 12 has not as far as I know changed although I beleive there are ways around it if the triads feel the playersbase warrents more high level play.
kenobi65 02-09-06, 10:48 PM	(removed double post)
kenobi65 02-09-06, 10:48 PM	If you're regionals are mostly 2-8 I beleive you're region is an exception. If your meta-regionals are mostly low level I know you are an exception. Meta regional are supposed to be high level. There is only one meta-regional I know of that starts a APL 4. Most of the others start at APL 6 with a significant minority starting at APL 8 and 10. With the regions starting new story arcs in 2006, I think you'll see that this is changing in many (if not all) regions. In Verbobonc, the Triad is specifically suggesting to our players that we start new PCs to play the new story arcs, and is indicating that most of the region's modules will be primarily low APL for a while, to reflect this. My understanding is that this isn't isolated to Verbobonc. And, in the VTF metaregion, VTFs 5-03 through 5-06 all go down to APL4, and VTF6-01 is APLs 4-10.
RanielK 02-09-06, 11:07 PM	Yeah, you either retired on 12/31/05 or you started on 1/1/06. There seems to be little room in between for characters these days. I'll be lucky to see 16th level before 2009. I'll make 12th in spite of myself and might make 13th this year. With the way nearly everyone has reset, even my 7th level cleric will soon be out of tolerence for play. Gee, nearly 3 years down the drain. Thanks. Miles
Mortepierre 02-10-06, 04:11 AM	Ah come on, the situation isn't that bad. Meta-regional & Core mod. still offer a lot of opportunity for mid- to high-level PC. If anything, I would like to praise such authors for managing to come up with (not always but often enough) viable plots whose adversaries cover the whole range from APL2 to 14 (or higher)! I think the fact that regional mod. are going to target lower APL is great. You start low at home, then move further away as you grow in power. Makes sense. And while some region have indeed tried to sell the idea that players should make new characters to take advantage of the new story arcs, I haven't heard of anyone forcing you to do so. Besides, it's a gamble. Suppose most of your players say "no" because they prefer their current characters and you're left with regional mod. no one will play. I doubt triads/authors would like that...
Mortepierre 02-10-06, 04:18 AM	There are also players that choose to make characters strictly for play in Core modules. Those characters lose out on a facet of the game because they're not nationalistic. There should be some organizations available across borders. Then - as others happily quoted to me recently - they are missing part of the game. Apart from PC coming from the BL, everyone else and their mother has to pick a home region. So, they do have the opportunity to join meta-org, albeit on a regional level. Don't forget that while your idea has merit, you would need people to implement it. That would mean 4-5 folks devoting the same time as triads on "core" MO and willing to deal with the WHOLE LG community whenever an issue arises (and we know it's going to happen because it always does). Not to mention that, unless you restrict your MO to the regions currently not assigned to anyone, you're going to step on a lot of toes to create them. New church? The regional ones won't share worshippers New criminal organization? The regional ones will fight back the "invader" New knightly order? Regional leaders will ask for their oath of fealty Etc... Meta-region MO would make sense (and already exist btw) but Core MO.. I doubt you could pull it off.
Lomiat 02-10-06, 12:30 PM	I'm not sure this thread was really on-topic to begin with (according the ol' sticky rules), but before it goes further off-topic, I just wanted to chime in and say that I LIKE the idea of COR meta-organizations, but only for the groups that make sense to have followers all across the Flanaess (e.g. Churches of Greater Deities). To avoid power/access abuses, the answer is really quite simple: Provide NO statistical benefits. Charge a very minimal tithe or cost, and let the character's membership stand just for flavor. Several of my characters would join in an instant, depending on the meta-org (a secretive, underground sect of wizards? Pirates For Hire [TM]? etc.). All I'd want to get in return is the chance to say my character belongs to a worldwide organization.
Prophet of Chaos 02-10-06, 03:18 PM	THANK YOU! Finally someone understands what I was talking about. I don't know where all this other stuff came from, but I think you all took my original post a bit too literally. The church deal was just a suggestion. The Core Organization that I had in mind was the Greyhawk Guild of Wizardry (or similar groups) Basically, I just wanted to create a way for characters to join in-game organizations. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think that that's too much to ask, or too much to handle. A lot of people in my group had the same idea, but apparently it's not possible with the current rules. I had no idea that this was such a reviled idea.
RanielK 02-10-06, 07:30 PM	Ah come on, the situation isn't that bad. Meta-regional & Core mod. still offer a lot of opportunity for mid- to high-level PC. If anything, I would like to praise such authors for managing to come up with (not always but often enough) viable plots whose adversaries cover the whole range from APL2 to 14 (or higher)! I think the fact that regional mod. are going to target lower APL is great. You start low at home, then move further away as you grow in power. Makes sense. And while some region have indeed tried to sell the idea that players should make new characters to take advantage of the new story arcs, I haven't heard of anyone forcing you to do so. Besides, it's a gamble. Suppose most of your players say "no" because they prefer their current characters and you're left with regional mod. no one will play. I doubt triads/authors would like that... Granted, there are still Cores. Though not all of them will reach above 10. I think of the first six, 1/3 cap at apl 8 (01 = 10 - 16; 02 = 2 - 16; 03 = 2 0 8; 04 = 2 - 8; 05 = 2 - 12; S01 = 2 - 16 (naturally)). I'm not sure what that bodes for the rest of the year, but I kept hearing things about the campaign "reseting." Now it seems most Regions are caping at APL 8. I understand the thought of "the little guys start locally (Regionals), the medium size guys act regionally (i.e. across international borders, i.e. Metaregionals), and everyone comes and plays across the globe, but that is where the big guns definitely come out to play (i.e. Cores)." Now with 6 to 8 mods being for CL's 1 to 10 exclusively (depending on a Triad's publishing schedule, more with Intros, Specials and Interactives), and another 6 to 8 mods capping about 10 to 14 (with one forray into CL 15 w/o taking a hit to xp/gp) and what appears to be 7 mods (if the 1/3 trend continues) being for 1 to 10, that leaves 17 mods (counting all three Core Specials, out of 32 to 36 mods, more with ineractives, worse if you're in a region that can reach more than one Meta and many Regions) for guys in the 13 to 16 range. No one is forcing me to start over, but my guys are either going to be bored with cake walks (and my 11th level character does just that playing down) and sloooooooooooooooow progressions or they're going to "lounge around" until the campaign gets back to a point where the regions have more 8's, 9's and 10's than they do 1's, 2's and 3's, necessitating a bit of a shift to move these guys on to retirement. But that's just my 2cps. Miles
RanielK 02-10-06, 07:42 PM	New knightly order? Regional leaders will ask for their oath of fealty Etc... Meta-region MO would make sense (and already exist btw) but Core MO.. I doubt you could pull it off. Actually there is the Knights of the Watch/Dispatch. Granted it is a Metaregional MO and not a Core one. But it does draw folks from more than one region into it's confines. The real problem with a Core MO is mainly people, but it seems to suffer as well from the idea of "if I belong to the Greyhawk City Wizards Guild, why am I living in (insert town =/ Greyhawk)?" I.e. why is someone who is in this Core Metaorg living there, especially if he's the only guy in town. Now I understand factols/trade agents/spies/recruiters for certain wide ranging groups; however these guys don't do their organization well if they're half way 'round the world chasing down treasure. And sure a Wizzie can commute from the opposite side of Oerth to Greyhawk City, to do his studying, but why waste time? Just study in your tower and d'door down the street to the local chapter for meetings or collaborations. Of course, to play devil's advocate. Having agents all over the place because of a wide ranging MO is a great reason to travel and "bump into adventures" or get assigned as the travelling troubleshooter. Miles