'Poly D&D- Coordination Thread.

MattH · July 10, 2003, 21:45

D&D @ 'Poly

This is where the gods play games with the lives of men, on a board which is at one and the same time a simple playing area and the whole world.

And fate always wins.

Fate always wins. Most of the gods throw dice but Fate plays chess, and you don't find out until all to late that he's been using two queens all along.

"It seems like that I am favoring myself today," said Fate. "Anyone fancy something else?"
The gods shrugged.
"Mad Kings? said Fate pleasantly. Star-Crossed Lovers?"
"I think we've lost the rules for that one," said Blind Io, cheif of the gods.
"Or tempest-Wrecked Mariners?"
"You always win," said Io.
"Floods and Droughts?" said Fate. "That's an easy one."
A shadow fell across the gaming table. The gods looked up.
"Ah," said Fate.
"Ah," said Fate again. "What game will it be?"
"How about . . ." she paused, ". . . Mighty Empires?

"Oh, I hate that one," said Offler, breaking the sudden silence. "Everyone dief at the end."
"Yes," said Fate, "I belive they do." Henodded at the Lady, and in much the same voice as professional gamblers say "Aces high?" said "The Fall of Great Houses? Destinies of Nations Hanging by a Thread?"
"Certainly," she said.
"Oh, good." Fate waved a hand across the board.
"And where shall we play?" he said.

I've started this second thread to co-ordinate a game of D&D, as played and GM'ed by members of Apolyton.

To be Voted On:
-What rules edition: 1, 2, 3, 3.5
-Player creation method- point buy or DM creation.
-DM/GM

I've PM'ed Ming about playing the game on the Apolyton- I was thinking maybe in the NES forum? If the Ming/the owners don't want it here, would you be willing to take it elsewhere?

Ming Replies

Quote:

After much thought... Please keep your D&D game in the OTF for now. And also, limit yourself to ONLY TWO active threads at any given time. Let me know if you need old ones closed.

I will monitor how the game is going, and if justified, we will find a more permant place for it if warrented.

Thanks for your understanding... and even asking in the first place

Dice Rolling: Here is a nice, simple dice rolling page, java or HTML: http://www.irony.com/igroll.html

Players
These people said they'd be up for a good game of D&D. If you want off the list, just PM me. (thanks, John Miller)
MattH doesn't care, will play anything.
Jon Miller goes for ADnD 3, point buy, any GMs woudl be fine (if Japher or Lonestar were GMs I would want it to be a team, probably would be good to have a team anyways) and FR (but what really matters is consistent world among the GMs)
Tassadar wants to play but doesn't know how to play ADnD
Skanky Burns will play
Urban Ranger will play
Bookwyrm will play or DM, he prefers point buy
Lonestar will GM/DM but needs help
Snowfire will GM
Japher will GM but would like to be part of a team, wants 2nd or 3rd
donegeal will play but only occasionally
victor galis will play or GM and prefers 3.5 and Forgotten Realms
atawa
makeo will play
frustrated poet will play
dejon will play, prefers 3rd
felch wants to play 3rd
ellestar wants to play 3rd
korn wants to play
zevico wants to play 3rd
lord merciless wants to play with 3rd (I think that ECL races shuold be allowed if it is their setting (like FR)) and point buy
iskallin is in to 3rd
vel
Solver
Slowwhand
geeslaka
Q Cubed
reds4ever
kramerman
atawa perfers 2nd
Barley
Feephi
mad monk would like 1st (?)
(in no particular order)

GM Canidates
Lonestar
Japher
SnowFire
Victor Galis

Dice Rolling Scrip (old idea) My idea for the dice rolling script is this: The player would input a description of the roll and the number+sides of the dice. The script would assign the roll a number and store it in a text file along with outputting it to the screen.

In the game, the player would report the results of the roll and the roll number. Every once and a while, someone like me or another helpful player would glance at the roll text file to see if anyone was obviously cheating.

This script would be hosted privately (I have a spot). There would be a second, private generator (but public file) for the GM to make rolls that needed to be seperate.

If someone wants to help or knows a better, pre-existing solution, please tell me!

T

Lonestar · July 10, 2003, 21:49

If you people vote me in as DM, I will kill you all. That is all.

MattH · July 10, 2003, 21:50

Doesn't ANYONE want to GM?

Lonestar · July 10, 2003, 21:55

I seriously don't know enough about D&D to be a DM....I'm always asking questions,etc.

However, if you guys really wantme to, put me on the poll. Odds are I'll be asking you guys questions now and then.

MattH · July 10, 2003, 22:02

I don't think that's a problem. I was hoping this would be a nice, relaxed game. Not some kind of tournament

Japher · July 10, 2003, 22:07

I won't mind helping Lonestar... I, unfortunatly, know more about D&D than I like to admit... However, half of it is just up to the GM's disgression...

MattH · July 10, 2003, 22:17

-Canidates added

Lonestar · July 10, 2003, 22:18

Incidently, if chosen, I will be "DM" not "GM".

I'm going to bed,I may not be on again until tomorrow night.

MattH · July 10, 2003, 22:19

Me too. Goodnight, everyone!

SnowFire · July 10, 2003, 22:56

Hmm, I completely missed the thread on this before.

Having recently graduated from college and wondering for a bit if I had played a real RPG for the last time (and no, I wasn't one of the fanatics, so you needn't fear me on that), this seems a good oppurtunity to play in one again. Plus I'm still unemployed, and have plenty of time.

I'd like to volunteer to GM (or play, otherwise), since it seems that few are doing so. I own the 3rd edition Player's Handbook, but the 2nd edition one can be gotten for free online (and I already have a nice version of it) so if for some odd reason we want to do that, I could still GM (or if we wanted to do a game of Mage: The Ascension, for that matter). I've also had some experience in GMing one-shots and playing in several campaigns.

I will say one thing, though. With the vast mass of players we seem to have- why not do 2 games instead of 1? I know that I would far prefer to not have a vast stable of players. I don't see any discussion on whether this would be Play-by-email or done in an IRC chatroom, either. From harsh experience in a 6-player + GM PBEM, let me assure you that the more players you have, the slower things go (because you do need some consensus so the other players don't find themselves being dragged along). With IRC, more players don't cause speed problems, but it's harder to schedule then, since you have to get 7+ conflicting schedules in line instead of only 5.

As for dice rolling, character creation- I think this is probably best left to the GM or GMs individual taste. I, for example, would simply let people roll their own dice (as was done in the game I played in). Honor code and all that. People notice an inordinately lucky character, anyway. But if another GM wanted to be paranoid and do all the rolling himself, or have something keeping track, that'd be their perogative.

Nubclear · July 10, 2003, 23:01

I'll participate. I just need to know how to play D&D

SnowFire · July 10, 2003, 23:09

Tass: Well, in the best of games, system mastery comes second while plot comes first. Assuming that the DM doesn't decide to run "Diablo: The Tabletop version," if you can create a character and guide its actions well, you'll be fine, and the GM & everyone else can quickly explain the importance of the rolls when it comes down to combat. But the most memorable games I've played in were the ones with the best plot and the most character interaction, not the ones with the most combat & dice rolling.

MattH · July 10, 2003, 23:10

So I didn't go to bed. Whatcha going to do about it?

Snow is on the list.
Tass now has no question mark.

In the original thread, we considered doing two seperate campaigns in the same world. However, since not everybody could play all the time, magic bags of character holding would be used. I think this is a good idea, since there is no chance all 15 will (a) Be online at the same time (we want to keep the game moving...) or (b) stick with it through a long campaign.

I suppose we don't really need to keep track of dice rolls. It's not really to a players benifit to 'cheat'- it's just not fun to play like that.

I'm still waiting for a reply from Ming. He's probably

EDIT: maybe I should get some sleep. I'm forgetting the smilies

Nubclear · July 10, 2003, 23:10

Quote:

Originally posted by SnowFire
Tass: Well, in the best of games, system mastery comes second while plot comes first. Assuming that the DM doesn't decide to run "Diablo: The Tabletop version," if you can create a character and guide its actions well, you'll be fine, and the GM & everyone else can quickly explain the importance of the rolls when it comes down to combat. But the most memorable games I've played in were the ones with the best plot and the most character interaction, not the ones with the most combat & dice rolling.

So I can be Tassadar the Battlemage and as long as I dont "Tassadar casts RAGNAROK AND EVERYONE ELSE DIES AND HE WINS HAHAHAHAH!", I'll be OK?

MattH · July 10, 2003, 23:12

Sounds about right, Tassadar

Kramerman · July 10, 2003, 23:52

Quote:

I've PM'ed Ming about playing the game on the Apolyton- I was thinking maybe in the NES forum? If the Ming/the owners don't want it here, would you be willing to take it elsewhere?

yes, i wouldnt mind taking it elsewhere

, but be warned, where the games goes, likely my apolyton time will go with it... i dunno if i should put a "

" or a "

", heh

SnowFire · July 10, 2003, 23:53

Setting both campaigns in the same world could be interesting. Still, I'd want to talk to Japher/Lonestar first on that- I know practically nothing about Greyhawk as an example (aside from complaints that it's far too generic), and my version of Ravenloft might be rather different than the official one. There's also the issue of power levels- if one campaign wants to do a gritty low-level soldiers of the Crown style one, while the other wants to do a 10th level dragonslaying expedition, things can get weird.

That said, if it works out, it'd be really neat.

Nubclear · July 10, 2003, 23:54

YES!

All those +1s....

Boris Godunov · July 10, 2003, 23:58

Sorry, I don't intend to play. Have enough on my plate.

Skanky Burns · July 11, 2003, 00:01

I would be interested in joining.
I may or may not need help - it will be my first time.
I will just take Boris' recently vacated spot.

Urban Ranger · July 11, 2003, 00:02

Put me down as a player. I don't know squat about AD&D 3rd edition though.

Vlad Antlerkov ran one before.

Jon Miller · July 11, 2003, 00:12

I have a ton of E-books

JOn Miller

Jon Miller · July 11, 2003, 00:19

I think we shuold keep the game moving

whoever is online at the time will play (other people will be in the bag of player holding) and there will only be one group

Jon Miller

Bookwyrm · July 11, 2003, 00:44

I would like to join in, if you'll have me. I'd prefer to be a player, but if you need someone to DM I'd be willing to do so.

I agree with Snowfire that character creation guidelines should be left up to whoever is chosen as the DM, though I'd like to put in a vote for point buy or the standard array.

Donegeal · July 11, 2003, 01:43

Is this done in a chat of some type?

I would like to play, but my participation would be only intermitent at best.

Damn... where did that spell checker go....

Victor Galis · July 11, 2003, 01:47

I'd be entirely willing to DM, but I might not have all that much time in the next 4-5 weeks before college starts up again. I'll definitely play if not DMing (and if DMing expect a random NPC that seems to be part of the party).

My votes would have to go to 3.5 edition (though technically not out yet) and the Forgotten Realms.

Urban Ranger · July 11, 2003, 01:50

Just make up the rules as we go along

atawa · July 11, 2003, 02:04

I'm not on the list

SnowFire · July 11, 2003, 02:35

Donegal: That's a good question, and probably the best thing to vote on. The easiest way is to just have an email list and send things back and forth to the whole email list. The problem is, that can be a bit slow. IRC is hard to schedule, and requires a GM who is quick on their feet, but moves at a good clip. I suppose the prospective GMs need to talk to MattH (who seems to be organizing this), but assuming we do in fact run multiple campaigns, the answer might vary by campaign.

In fact, instead of having a universal vote, it might be better for each GM to start a thread in the Stories & Diplomacy forum, describe the game, and have people who are interested in playing in that campaign vote there on how they want the game run- PBEm vs. IRC, lasting a year vs. lasting 3 months, and so on. For instance, I don't expect I'd run a game that Jon Miller seems to be suggesting- myself, I despise Diablo over tabletop where you have a bag of player holding and interchangeable heroes being tossed to hack at some threat. I'd most likely run a more plot-heavy, dungeon-light game. Another GM might want to run some kind of odd strategy RPG, where the players don't just adventure, but rule a kingdom and get involved in political intrigue. And another GM might run each of his characters individually, as they all compete against each other in one large city, or something like that.

Jon Miller · July 11, 2003, 02:52

pt buy spystem on page 19 of 3e DMHP

9 - 1
10-2
11-3
12-4
13-5
14-6
15-8
16-10
17-13
18-16

you start with between 22-32 points

Jon Miller