Sarachim

I have a question for the players that I don't think anybody has addressed yet. One of my highest priorities was maintaining a good pace, mostly by responding to players' questions and actions as quickly as possible. Sometimes this got a bit hectic, and created a tradeoff between the speed and the quality of my answers. A similar problem applied in combat; I get the impression that my private rules for combat were less complex than those of other GMs, but I kept them simple so I'd be able to process actions faster. The thing is that playing and GMing are such different experiences that I have no idea how fast I was compared to other GMs. So, my question: would I be better if I were faster? Could I lose a little speed without hurting the mood? Or did I somehow get it just right?

Originally Posted By: Triumph Goblins aren't primitive barbarians, but they (along with humans) have tended to be presented as races that end up on the fringes of society ("proper" society primarily consisting of elves, dwarves, dragonborn, and lacewings). Or at least that's the impression I've gotten. That sounds right to me. I think my basic point (that goblins would be more likely to acquire goods by making them than by shopping for them) still stands.

Originally Posted By: Lilith Originally Posted By: Triumph Currently no race has bonuses with Martial or Crafting, FWIW. Given that Martial and Magic are the two main combat skills, a race getting a bonus to either of them would probably be too powerful in comparison to the others. I mean, the idea is good, but that wasn't the best example. A bonus to crafting could work, though. It could make sense for goblins, since uncivilized people tend to make their own stuff.

Thanks for your feedback, guys. Constructive criticism is difficult and often thankless, so I appreciate that you're doing it anyway. And, as it happens, I think you're mostly right. Originally Posted By: Nioca leveling mechanics I've reflected on this more fully, and I've come around to your/most people's way of thinking. The problems you describe were evident to me as well at the end, especially when handling NPC defense. If/when I use AIMHack again, I think I'll use Lilith's system, or whatever descendant of it is fashionable at the time. Originally Posted By: Nioca 5. I roll for Deus ex machina. IIRC, only one of the rolls you describe actually succeeded during the campaign. In that case, Xiriatl was praying to Tanann about lightning elementals, and Lilith rolled an 18, so its success seemed reasonable. In general, these rolls had very high thresholds for success and limited potential to help. In future, though, it would probably help to impose some kind of penalty for a bad failure, if only to discourage people from praying any time it might possibly help. Originally Posted By: Nioca 1. Bumble in the Jungle This is fair. I got bored with the jungle, too. When I planned the campaign I honestly expected the jungle to turn out more interesting, and in fact my original plan was to have even more of it. Live and learn. Originally Posted By: Nioca 2. Suddenly, Labyrinth Once again, I agree. Part of the problem is that I planned to set this up in a more satisfying way in the penultimate session, but I have good GM days and bad ones, and that day was a bad one. When I'm not at my best it's tough to respond to what's going on in the present and set up the future simultaneously, and the latter usually loses out. This led to a session that was pretty good on its own but that I felt was poorly integrated into the rest of the campaign. I think this is mostly an experience issue; I've gotten better since I started Dust Bowl, but I've still got a way to go. Originally Posted By: Nioca 3. Expecting Cities? Too Bad. Jungle Time. This was sort of the point. I originally pictured the campaign having more of a survival element to it, which would work better if we didn't have a party that would be perfectly at home in the jungle. Even though that changed, I still liked how the fish out of water angle played out. I do understand your point, though. In future, I'll probably do the "take the party out of its comfort zone" thing at the micro level, rather than base a whole campaign on it. Originally Posted By: Nioca All in all, an excellent campaign. I particularly like how you handled NPCs; they felt like they were actually different people, rather than just one person voicing many people. Thanks! This is one of the things I tried hard to do well, and I'm glad it got noticed. (Also, thank you for not mentioning my habit of forgetting that NPCs exist until someone else mentions them. ) Originally Posted By: Ephesos In the future, I'd rather that people avoid that, particularly when they toss virulent magic-eating molds into the Labyrinth. Well, Hoggle knows it's there, so it's not like we have to assume that the mold has serious consequences. More generally, I see what you mean. I was a little cautious about inventing new canon on my first try, but I think that led me to lean a little too heavily on already-established elements (see also: Ouracasos, Thuja, Korossos). Alec suggested I set my next RP in E/A2, which would set me free to muck about with the canon of someone who won't notice or care. (I also think I'd enjoy doing something historical- maybe 19th century America, maybe pirates, maybe the ancient Mediterranean. Seriously, if anyone's got ideas about what they'd like to play, tell me about it. These ideas will percolate for a long time before I actually start planning another campaign, and hopefully they'll emerge in strange and exciting ways.) Originally Posted By: Lilith I think part of the issue is that the on-paper definition of what the Religion skill does (knowledge of religious beliefs and rituals, normally those of just a single religion) is just not going to be all that useful in most campaigns, and is a little too close to History anyway. I figured attempting a bit of hermetic magic now and then would at least put the skill to good use -- I did only do it three times in the whole campaign, after all, and it only worked once (and that was on a roll of 18). But maybe the entire Religion skill is really just a holdover from D&D and its intended functions can be collapsed into History? I don't disagree with this, but it also seems like, if the gods exist, and a PC has a long history of devotion to one in particular, prayer should occasionally do something. A skill check is probably the wrong way to handle it, though. In the future, I will probably make it a no-skill roll, and set the threshold for success based on the circumstances of the attempt (basically how I already handle Intimidate). Maybe I'll dispense with the roll entirely. Originally Posted By: Lilith (also i agree that chucking us into the labyrinth for 3/4 of a session felt a bit like filler, and it was at a pretty weird time to put filler in the first place) Looking back, I share this view. I was feeling a bit burned out with what we had been doing so far, and doubted my ability to do a final approach/storm the castle type of ending without repeating elements that I'd already exhausted the novelty of. I tried to do something totally different and surprising, and probably wound up veering too far to the opposite extreme. Again, an experience issue.

I've also got a character nearly ready to go, but I don't want to step in front of anyone who hasn't played before. Expect him tonight or tomorrow.

Originally Posted By: Dikiyoba Hey, Sarachim, for Dikiyoba's epilogue, about how long are you planning for it take to get the ship ready to leave back to Riole? About a week.

The campaign has ended in epic fashion! Quotes and log coming tomorrow-ish, once I'm no longer exhausted. Don't forget your epilogues. I really enjoyed GMing this campaign, and I'm proud of how it turned out. I can't give you guys too much credit for that. Most of the fun stuff that happened was as much the result of your work as mine. I'm going to take a break from GMing for a while, and work on some secondary priorities like not flunking out of school and finding true love and so forth, but once I've had time to recharge I'd love to do this again. If anyone has thoughts about what kind of setting they'd like to see me take on, I'm interested.

Two hours to go, everyone! Don't forget! Also, better late than never, a perk for Wybren: Subtle Performance Your mastery of songsmithery is so precise that each listener hears your songs a little differently. You can cast two spells simultaneously, as long as they do not share any targets.

Don't forget, the final session is tomorrow, September 11th, at the usual time! Also, sometime before then, a perk for Wybren is coming up.

Click to reveal.. Lephista Race: Dragonborn Occupation: Bumbling Healer Alignment: Conflicted Level: 3 HP: 25/26 Stamina: 10/10 Str: 6 Dex: 2 Int: 4 Martial (Battleaxe): 5 Magic (Conjuration): 5 First Aid: 3+1 Composure: 1+1 Perception: 1 Religion (Mariona): 1 3 points unspent Spells: * Brafdyk's Mystic Succor: Heals a single target. * Mystic Avian: Summons a bird, of a species of Lephista's choice, which can follow simple commands. * Smoke Shroud: Conjures concealing smokescreens. * Resconjure Minor: Creates a small, mundane object. Additional restrictions apply.

Originally Posted By: Nioca Yeah, that's how I've been interpreting it too, but the thing is, a character can go from having a passing knowledge of a skill to total mastery in 4 levels or less. That's like me going from a high-school graduate to a nuclear physicist in under a month. The system's Lilith's using, I think, helps alleviate this, but it doesn't remove it entirely. I honestly think part of the problem is that we're giving out too many skill points. Here: -Under the Original Ephasian Leveling system (+2 skills), the fastest you could hit rank 10 was L4, with fastest reasonable time being L5. -With the Sarachim Leveling system (+4 skills), the fastest you can hit 10 ranks is L3. Yikes. -Under the Lilith Leveling System (SP 2xL+6), the fastest you can hit 10 is L4, though the fastest reasonable is L5 (it'd require all but 1 skill point invested in a single skill to hit it at L4). I think the real problem here is that we're playing campaigns that take place over the course of a week or so, but people expect to be significantly stronger at the end than at the beginning. We could do longer campaigns, do campaigns that have the same number of sessions but much more time passing in-game, or weaken levels. All three of those options seem like sacrificing fun for the sake of realism. The way I save my suspension of disbelief here is to tell myself that the real change in a PCs abilities is less impressive than the numbers make it look. A week of training in, say, swordsmanship ought to be enough for someone to dominate a novice, but that doesn't mean they've mastered the subject overnight. In other words, somewhere out there is a person with a 50 in Evocation, and we're just lucky not to have run into them yet.

1. You people are forgetting that the number next to a skill has no intrinsic meaning, except for mages gaining access to spells. If everyone gets four more skill points, so will the monsters. The only way it would be an issue would be if characters from Dust Bowl and another campaign both appeared in the same high-level campaign later on, but if that happened I think we could find a way to smooth it out. 2. The level you got after this last session was your bonus level. Note that the party leveled up after sessions 7 and 8, whereas before they never leveled twice in a row. Why give a bonus level to a character that's likely to be retired once this is over, when I could let you use it to fight the end boss instead? 3. The purpose of the double-level system was to encourage people to build up a nice range of skills instead of pumping one or two. When you compare this party's progression to those of other parties, it seems to have worked pretty well.

Originally Posted By: Ephesos ..last session? Oh god, I have preparations to make... Oh, good. I'd heard you were dead. We have a log of session 8! Click to reveal.. (Quotes!) Eva: "...We're going to die. We're going to die. It's now official. We're dead. We are so dead..." Gramzon: I look from the party to Thuja, "Yeah, I now see what you meant earlier." Thuja: "I know, right?" Pirate: "Hey, that's our boat!" Gramzon: "And thank you for letting us borrow it for the time." Leitha: "What my comrades mean to ask is, 'Do you have any valuable jewelry?'" Wybren: "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm going to hang out with Thuja now." Eric: "We used to be more competent." Xiriatl: "Who here has rope and is good at climbing?" Eric: "You have to ask?" Xiriatl: "Hey, Gramzon? This one's your fault." Leitha: "When you're all done with the amateur dramatics, can we go? You faithful companion, the one you were willing to let get blasted off a 50-foot high cliff by an evil wizard, has selflessly found an easy route up the cliff for you. So come on." The next (and last!) session will be Saturday, September 11. I don't know what's going to happen yet, but I'm excited! EDIT: I forgot something important, which was to thank Triumph for another great job subbing. And all the regular players who could make it, for being awesome as usual.

GAH I'm not sure how this happened, but somehow, AIM didn't log the last session. If anyone else logged it, I would love you forever if you could send it to me by PM or email. Also, still waiting on a calendar from Nikki. Based on his last calendar, the 11th, the 17th, and the 18th are all looking good. EDIT: Problem solved. Thanks, Lilith!

Here's a calendar for the last session: http://whenisgood.net/4abps2 Lilith and I are coordinating our campaign schedules, so please fill out any day you're available to RP. I'll make sure there's no conflict with City of Hope.

Don't forget, there's a session tonight, in two hours!

After they got separated from the party, Eric and Wybren had an adventure of their own. Here it is! Never travel alone in the swamp. Always adventure on the buddy system. Click to reveal.. (Each of your quotes exceeds the last, Wybie.) Wybren: "Your ears are all the same lengths. However do you manage?" Eric: "One of these days we're going to have to try diplomacy before attacking each other." Thuja sighs. "Promise not to say or do anything stupid." Wybren: "Us? Do something stupid? No, of course we won't!" Thuja: "Promise that as soon as I'm done with Vurziveh, you'll leave and never come back." Eric: "Gladly." Remember, the next session is this Saturday! Be there!

Originally Posted By: Empirically, no. However, Saturday 4th doesn't work or me, so if you go ahead on that date could somebody cover for Leitha? Not a problem, Nikki. We'll do Saturday, August 28 instead.

The next session is Saturday, September 4. Also, yeah, Leitha needs a level. EDIT: No it isn't, see below.

Originally Posted By: Triumph Originally Posted By: Flower Child Obviously an insidious way to distract and placate the masses so that their sinister plans can go on unnoticed. I'd never before considered ice cream's role in the vast world-spanning conspiracy...food for thought. "Ice cream, Mandrake! Children's ice cream!"

Dikiyoba and Dintiradan, don't forget you've got a side-session tonight in a little less than one hour! Originally Posted By: Lilith Originally Posted By: Ephesos Originally Posted By: Rowen Now Gramzon can have tea in a tree. His dreams are coming true. Might that be a Melaleuca alternifolia? i already made that joke in the log I was disappointed to learn that you can't actually make tea from a tea tree.

The log of session 7 is fashionably late! Click to reveal.. (Quotes!) Eva: I fire another flameburst at the wizard. "You're just full of hot air, aren't you?" Leitha: "Remind me to murder you all in your sleep for dragging me into this. If we make it through this, that is." Gramzon: "I hope this one tastes batter then that lacewing." Xiriatl: "We've inadvertently sparked a civil war on this island, I think. I mean, we were probably going to get around to it anyway, but this was sooner than we planned." Gramzon: "I might need a little help." Leitha: "Gramzon, we've thought that of you since we met you, dear." Leitha: "Do we have anything we need to ask this cretin before we kill him, or shall we put him out his misery now?" Gramzon: "Nope, this one we just kill." Eva: "Finish him." Xiriatl: "I doubt he'd say anything anyway. Kill him." Also, if the log just is not enough for you, here's Gramzon making small talk over tea: Click to reveal.. Rowen: I make small talk with the soldiers. Sarachim: Okay. They're mostly pretty glum, but trying not to show it. They seem to know less than you about what's going on. Rowen: I try to cheer them up. Sarachim: "So you think things aren't so bad, then?" Rowen: "Not at all. I mean look at us, we all just stood up to flying mages and sent them running." "Besides, we still have our appetites. After a bit of food and a cup of tea the worst of days is made better." Sarachim: "I guess, but they could come back at any time they want. Half my cohort was wiped out." He catches himself, and looks at your teapot without saying any more. Rowen: "I know what it is to lose people, to lose someone." I look down at my tea pot. Sarachim: "I know, you keep going, life flows on, I just don't know how any of us can survive this." Rowen: I look back up, "We survive because the fallen need us to. If we give up then what does the death of our friends and loved ones mean? How little honor do we do them by staying down every time we fall?" "Every day I live knowing that I lost my wife and nothing can bring her back but that is no reason for me to give up. It give me the strength to go on. I do everything for her, I try to be what she would want me to be." "Don't let the deaths of those here today end here. Stand for them and show how brave they are and live for them." Sarachim: "Well, of course we can't give up. The dream is too big for that." He finishes cooking a leg of one of those river lobsters, and offers it to you. Rowen: I accept it graciously and pour him and his companions some tea. Sarachim: They each take a cup, and thank you in turn. Sarachim: "We haven't had tea in ages. Cheers!" Rowen: "I know that I am not done here. People are starving at my home because of this Vurziveh. I will see that elf humbled to the dust for all the life's that he has taken." Sarachim: "I'll drink to that." He does. "If the gods say this island is ours, how can Vurziveh stop us?" Rowen: I smile and take the rest of the pot into the tent for the others. (End Session I see.) Sarachim: Well, you can keep going if you want. As Lilith predicted, Gramzon has earned a very specific perk: Don't Look Down "Hold on a second, going to try something rather stupid." You believe that if you can't see danger, it can't see you. You get a bonus to acrobatics rolls and grappling attacks. I'm still waiting on a calendar response from Dintiradan, but it looks like our next session will probably be on Saturday, August 28. If that date doesn't work for him, it will probably be the following Saturday, September 4. Sadly, we're going to miss Dikiyoba either way.

Ding! Click to reveal.. Lephista Race: Dragonborn Occupation: Bumbling Healer Alignment: Conflicted Level: 2 HP: 17/20 Stamina: 8/10 Str: 5 Dex: 2 Int: 4 Martial (Battleaxe): 4 Magic (Conjuration): 4 First Aid: 4 (1 racial) Composure: 2 (1 racial) Perception: 1 Religion (Mariona): 1 1 point unspent Spells: * Brafdyk's Mystic Succor: Heals a single target. * Mystic Avian: Summons a bird, of a species of Lephista's choice, which can follow simple commands. * Smoke Shroud: Conjures concealing smokescreens. * Resconjure Minor: Creates a small, mundane object. Additional restrictions apply. Great session, Thuryl! I'm looking forward to the next one.

Originally Posted By: Tirien Poor Dantius having his pyramid scheme ruined. Also...why would you have a horse...in your inventory? It just doesnt make sense, is the horse in your pack or pockets or something?!!? An inventory is everything you have with you, regardless of how you carry it (or how it carries you).

Originally Posted By: Dikiyoba Hey, Sarachim, do you have an idea for when the next session will be? I may need to miss the next session or two. Also, stop being lazy and post the newest log. Dikiyoba is impatient. Hmm. I was hoping to have you and Dinti in a side-session next week, then do the main session toward the end of said week. I guess it wouldn't hurt to post a calendar now, though: http://whenisgood.net/k7rbad If the beginning of the school year creates new scheduling problems for any of you, let me know. Also, log coming soon, you whiners.