Triumph

More thoughts: Shopping: I tend to favor what Nioca has chosen to do by making shopping a purely PM activity. Every single time shopping came up in either campaign, it just seems to bog down the session and add little, if anything, of interest. Now, the shopping take place by PM in session, or outside of session, and can still rely on the players to take initiative in asking the DM to shop. But it won't bog down the sessions as much that way. Sense of direction: This varied widely. I have no answers here, no solutions. Sorry. Just reflections. Sometimes I felt like we had a clear sense of direction and freedom to achieve it; for example, in the canopy-drake-hunting session we met Khielek, giving us the "mission" but I felt we had a degree of freedom in exploring the jungle and how we chose to hunt the creature. The final session set a clear course of action too; we run in to a crazy murderous lacewing and we start chasing him. The traveling sessions (e.g. the one that began in Quera and ended with us meeting Khielek) were good; definite goal/sense of direction, and some freedom in how we got there. However, several times in the campaign I felt really lost. The Quera-challenge session, yeah, I didn't fully understand what we were supposed to be doing. I really, seriously, thought our goal was to put out fires for a while, and was kind of confused by the other stuff that kept seeming to get in the way of that. So yeah, I missed the point. But even at the beginning of the session, at E'Tarn...we seemed to dawdle with no apparent purpose (unless there were people/shops that we failed to exploit???) before getting on our way. The session when we reach Sarden...oh, fail. Once we got there...I don't think we had any clue what to do, which probably part of why we failed. After the failures with the slavemaster outside Sarden, I felt like the rest of the session was a railroad ride. I tried to stop clashing with others and just support finding, oh, whoever, Rikkla, I think; it didn't seem like there were any other options, or if there were, that no one was considering/aware of them. Oh, another example of failed sense of direction...the session in Bloodmarsh after the party first returned to Mekos. I was playing Alexander most of that round...and felt so clueless. We seemed to just be standing around town, and had no idea what to do. The circus showed up...did it mean anything? I just had no sense of goal or direction. So, at the beginning of each session, and throughout major turning points, it is important that the party have a clear sense of direction (or else know that they are just supposed to wait or aimlessly explore). I LOVE having a sense of exploration, and freedom to choose from a variety of means to achieve our goals. But it's no fun to feel lost and helpless because I have no clue what I'm supposed to be doing, or what is possible. If I'm just supposed to explore aimlessly, cool! If I'm pursuing a specific goal, cool! If I'm just waiting for important event to happen, cool! I know this isn't all the DM's job...part of it definitely relies on the imagination of the players, an area I can improve in. I suspect this is a very difficult thing, balancing giving the players a sense of direction with not railroading them. Getting railroaded is no fun, of course. But feeling lost is not much fun either. This is not meant to be a complaint, but a reflection on things did or didn't seem to work. And I still want to emphasize that I had a lot of fun along the way. Again, I hope this is constructive.

And the final level-up of the campaign for Lanrezac, balanced and not super-excelling and any one field to the end, but hopefully a valuable contributor nonetheless(?): Click to reveal.. Lanrezac, the historian (Level 8) Occupation: Historian and Mage Alignment: A Bit Eccentric Race: Lacewing Deity: Sliros Strength: 3 Dexterity: 3 Intelligence: 5 Max Health: 31 HP Stamine: 10 Speed: 5 Magic (Abjuration): 6 Martial (Staves): 5 History: 5 Diplomacy: 5 Perception: 1 Thievery: 1

I really enjoyed the campaign, and had a lot of fun. Some of my questions/concerns have already been raised, but I'll mention or summarize a few thoughts. -------- I think some of my difficulties came from never having played a game like this before. Sometimes I just really didn't know what I was doing. Lessons: Don't make unnecessary diplomacy rolls; you'll ask if they're need. There are no visual cues (like in computer RPG) that anything/anyone is important, so it's best to pay close attention to detail and assume everything is important. Sometimes a party member's diplomacy will lead to disaster and must be stopped, other times intervening to disagree will really make things worse and it's best to be silent (I failed the first way with the mob in Quera, and the second way in the session where we got to Sarden). In Eph's games, shops actually apparently carry GOOD equipment, and we are expected to look there to acquire stuff, rather depending on enemies to drop loot (as happens in just about every computer RPG I've ever played). Also, don't assume the first shop you visit is only available. Also, badger major, friendly NPCs about training??? They might have something to share. ------- In terms of dissatisfaction, nothing of these takes away from the great fun I had playing...but I did have issues with the plot/ending. I hope this criticism is entirely constructive. I have no idea how we could possibly have determined that Chak-Tha was the guy sent assassins to Khashen, Hakkel, Rikkla, and Trassak. He was just a random a lacewing we suddenly encounter and start fighting. Beside not knowing that HE was the leader of the assassins we fought, we never learned why he was doing anything, either. I totally understand the desire to leave plot hooks for the future...but I really felt like very little was resolved and that the campaign seemed to just arbitrarily end, rather than reach any kind of resolution. Leaving a return to Quera/meeting with Zarusa out of the ending was also unsatisfying...if our goal in going to Sarden was working for Zarusa, it seemed weird that we would not get see our characters reporting back to her. Again, none of this should be taken to be taken mean that I did not have GREAT FUN playing this game. Because I did. But it's hopefully constructive criticism. ------ In terms of future campaigns: reusing Lanrezac and continuing the Oracle story would be interesting, but I'd also like trying out other characters. Bringing in the old Labyrinth characters rocks. Exploration sounds most interesting to me, followed by intrigue. I've no interest in gritty or horror...I play for fun, so I prefer something tends toward the lighter side. No particular thoughts regarding plot right now. Well, I hope this is helpful. I'll post again if I think of more.

Usually message boards want to discourage spam, not train acolytes in how to produce it. On a related note, did you know you can order Spam at McDonalds in Hawaii?

So that would translate to 7:30 p.m. Eastern time, correct? Bah. Temporal anomalies are SO confusing. I! Shall! Be! There! ...As! Long! As! Nioca! Posts! The! Link!

If you go... English-Greek-English-Russian-English-Japanese-English-German-English-Spanish-English-French-English-Chinese-simple-Chinese-traditional-English-Portuguese-English-Korean-English-Dutch-French-Italian-English ...you get: I guaranteed the circle that is to this newest one cliché.

Dude. Selos will be OVER...on May 11? That's, um, three days from now! Wow. But cool. Very cool. It's also good to see how Selos has asserted their superiority over Bloodmarsh in punctuality, calendrical matters, number of levels, and general coolness.

Originally Posted By: Rowen I was looking at the character roster and saw that Kundak was still listed as level 5. Wasn't sure if this was just a mistake or not. I seem to recall that Excalibur voluntarily decided to penalize himself by not receiving a level-up for a session that he missed. Classy choice. So I think it's not a mistake.

Lanrezac, the historian (Level 7) Click to reveal.. Occupation: Historian and Mage Alignment: A Bit Eccentric Race: Lacewing Deity: Sliros Strength: 3 Dexterity: 3 Intelligence: 5 Max Health: 28 HP Stamine: 10 Speed: 5 Magic (Abjuration): 6 Martial (Staves): 5 History: 5 Diplomacy: 3 Perception: 1 Thievery: 1 Spells: Quartz Aegis - Create a personal shield against magic and physical attacks. Locking Spell - Create an invisible and impermeable barrier around the target. Mystic Trumpet - Raises an alarm if unauthorized creatures enter a warded area. Zorlock’s Bridge Repair: Create a solid magical barrier in the horizontal plane. Zummi’s Lesser Scramble: interfere with target’s spell-casting, causing the spell to go off randomly. Perk: Words of Wisdom: Once per day, you may grant one ally a bonus on a roll equal to your History skill. You must supply your own inspiring phrase for this perk to work properly. Also the current HP/STA and inventory: Click to reveal.. HP 25/28 Stamina 5/10 Inventory: A couple of small history books Various stray sheets of parchment and writing utensils Flint and steel 1 healing elixir 2 stamina elixir Maps 24 gold coins 54 Silver coins Food and water 3 canopy drake scales Broken pieces of a compass Halith’s blood magic amulet 2 Pitted Short Swords

Originally Posted By: Ephesos Lanrezac, who has made his mark this campaign by being a truly reliable source of knowledge, earns... LOL! Source of knowledge? With...one successful history check? Heehee... Originally Posted By: Ephesos Words of Wisdom: Once per day, you may grant one ally a bonus on a roll equal to your History skill. You must supply your own inspiring phrase for this perk to work properly. Oh noes! You mean I actually have to roleplay to use this perk??? Cool! It's actually really appropriate, given Lanrezac's general role as a sort of support character. I like it. From a mechanical point of view, does this just offer a bonus on another character's next role, whatever they do, or do I have specify "Nixak's next Diplomacy role" or something like that? To use do I just say something like "'blah blah blah' (Words of Wisdom bonus to so and so)"? Also, does belittling Vitze's plans qualify as an inspiring phrase?

Ooh, two very nice/fitting perks! And an intriguing penultimate session for Bloodmarsh. Now I'm pondering where the portal could have taken them...

Originally Posted By: Sag Age Of Empires 2(by MS) also Age of Empires 2 is a STRATEGY game, not an RPG. It's not really relevant to this discussion, methinks...

Dyen Dawes seems to be missing some skills...

I've got say I'm impressed (although also sometimes confused) by Monroe's image-based...ah, communications.

You've got a PM! I found the dissertation, but the not the thesis...

Let's see...if you've got to kill the queen then you're playing as the Celts. Yeah, from the area where the "civilized" Fomorians live, you kind of follow a loop up into the upper level where you kill the queen and then go back down into the lower area. At different points certain doors may lock or unlock. But somewhere along the way should get to a point where you'll be move freely through the different areas (possibly not until after you've killed the queen and been given permission to leave) when you get lug stuff to the entrance. I think.

Eventually, after you complete the mission, the only part of Goagh-Nar you'll still be able to reach is the entry cavern, the cave area where you first appear when you enter Goagh-Nar. From that cavern you either go down a secret passage to the west (if Celt) or into the front door (if Roman). If I'm not getting mixed up (which is possible) that's where's you've got to try to pile stuff before you exit Goagh-Nar. Once you leave the zone, the secret door and the front gate both close and you can't get back in.

Originally Posted By: Nioca Ah, but that's what spot checks ar- And interestingly, even though this is an exceptionally religious party so far, it's also an exceptionally unperceptive party...

Originally Posted By: Nioca That said, I will be staying near the back of the group. Which is what I usually do anyway, but now it's even further back. I hope Sarachim has your party get ambushed from behind a lot.

Ooh, kudos on trying out the 1-strength character, and for using ABJURATION!!!!! Seriously, I look forward to seeing what you do with it.

My new theory on what is going to happen in the Bloodmarsh: Click to reveal.. Originally Posted By: Lerasti, the historian "The first of Chamulsep's lieutenants was a fiendish artificer, who wrought horrible creations of flesh and metal. His machines were responsible for unspeakable atrocities, and formed the base of the Lord of Pain's power." I don't suppose this fellow, the only one of Chamulsep's minions whose end isn't mentioned in Eph's series of blurbs on the subject, might be living in the Bloodmarsh? And that his name might be Yunelias? And the Bloodmarsh party might be meeting him soon?

Since it's come up, WHY is it that some like Nethergate more than N:R? What are the differences between them that make one better than the other?

Originally Posted By: Student of Trinity I In fact I always really wanted the Geneforge games to say, somewhere, that the reason the PC was gaining levels was somehow due to geneforging or canisters, or at least somehow caused by exposure to self-shaping technology. It could be a unique, individual reaction, that the power develops slowly through performance under mental and physical stress. This would in my opinion have added a lot to the games, by making the player's addiction to levelling represent the character's addiction to self-shaping. And it would have explained why the PC goes from peon to demigod over a few months, nobody else can do the same, and nobody else seems to realize that this is going on. YES. Even if the games never explicitly said this, I liked the fact that the games at least implicitly offered this rationalization for leveling. It's not a big deal, but it is a nice touch when "leveling up" and becoming extremely powerful can be made to make sense within the gameworld. (I think Morrowind was like this as well: the reason the player can become as powerful as a demigod is because...the PC actually IS a minor demigod). As for the Geneforge being weakened...I always figured the drakons did that on purpose. By G4-G5, the only source for transmitting knowledge of the Geneforge was the drakons - and they were pretty focused on self-shaping themselves. Building a couple low-power Geneforges for the human and serviles was may have seemed like a practical step to further the war effort and please their allies, but the drakons definitely weren't wanting to power up humans and serviles into demigods. They want that for themselves. And the G5 forge was apparently based on intel about the rebel forges. Danette spent years perfecting the original Geneforge and maxing out its power. Even though the general technology/magic remained known to the drakons (ultimately it must have been passed down by Ghaldring), they didn't know all the details of the original, presumably, and in building new human Geneforges (to which they added servile compatibility) they just never bothered to try to unlock all the power that Danette's orginal forge could. /overthinking

Dikiyoba FTW.

Originally Posted By: Dantius I wonder if you could make the argument that the powers-that-be in the Geneforge universe deliberately watered down the powers of the canister as time when on in order to prevent the insanity that was seen at the beginning of the series... No, it's just that the madness of the drakons, who have been continually reshaping themselves (similar to canister junkies) for years of war means there are many such powerful, power-mad, magic-and-shaping-capable beings running around. A PC canister junkie is not nearly as unique a phenomenon in G5 as in G1 or G2 (even if most of them are non-human).