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[Gamerlord]

Harvesting souls, harvesting souls, let's-all-go-harvesting-some-souls!

[Ross Vernal]

...yes.

DM-fiat awards bonus XP to Myrln because of honesty and catching me in an error.

[Xantalos]

...yes.

DM-fiat awards bonus XP to Myrln because of honesty and catching me in an error.

O.O
...
Not sure how to respond to this other than 'thank you'.

[Ross Vernal]

You're welcome. I'm a fan of positive reinforcement.

If I forget something, or am inconsistent, then point it out. It makes for a better quality game for all of us.

EDIT: Speech is pretty much a limited free action. Which is to say, don't bust out into a monologue or recite lengthy poetry in the middle of a combat round because duh; saying a few lines beyond which can be said in six seconds is totally acceptable, though.

Keep in mind that if you narrate battle plans, your opponents aren't going to be stupid enough to follow them.

[Gamerlord]

So we can earn more XP by staring at you like hawks and criticising you at every turn? Good to know.

[GrizzlyAdamz]

Only if it's justified I suspect.

Pst, Ross, is damage based on dice range/attribute modifiers or is it at your discretion?
If it's the former, could you spot me what kind of behavior I could expect from the starter versions of: a hungarian shield, a bastard sword (hand&half), a greatsword(longsword), & a halberd? I've got a case of the indecisives.
I can take my answer off the air and at your leisure.

[Ross Vernal]

If you mean "Point out things if you notice them", then yes. If you mean "nitpick the posts looking for errors", then the answer is "I can be a nice DM or I can be a sadistic DM. Are you sure you want to tempt me?"

The answer is "Sort of both." I have certain values for default damage in mind that are based on d# + modifiers taken from d20srd and the GUWAST, but circumstances do apply. Like, let's take swords. Most regular swords have a d6 guideline regardless of size.

If you're halfswording, do a powerful thrust into someone's midsection, and twist the blade on the way out, it's going to deal more than just d6 damage. If your character is trying to put a sword in someone's undefended neck and hits, I'm not going to say "Sorry, but your sword only deals d6 damage, so he magically survives 3 inches of steel rammed into his trachea because DM-fiat."

Alternately, if someone is very close to you and your response is to slam them with the butt of your halberd, don't expect d10 damage out of it.

Obviously, the more detail put into the attack, the greater the odds of it not working unless there is no logical way for me to counter it.

[Xantalos]

I gotta ask, Ross: how does it feel to be a DM of a campaign like this? We are essentially playing against you, aren't we?

[Gamerlord]

And we will WIN.

[GrizzlyAdamz]

Many thanks sir vernal. Another question if I may: how does gaining proficiency, (levels?), in a piece of equipment work? (As well: more often or less often?)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Heeey Myral......did you have any particular weapon setup in mind for yourself?

[Ross Vernal]

Familiar. Good. Easier than I remember. Harder than I remember. Enjoyable. Kind of demanding.

I am used to free-form roleplay where it's basically me playing the entire opposing side, where there are no dice ruling actions. So it's not something brand new for me. And I have to say, I like it. I get to see you guys come up with ideas, express and develop your characters, and interact. I get to have you guys ask me questions about the universe and give answers. Heck, I even get to see it from new angles. I like challenges, and this certainly counts as one.

This is a lot easier because I don't have to go about the process of envisioning the combat in great detail and thinking up a variety of counters, tricks, and schemes. There's less pressure on me to insert lengthy prose, or to constantly have to adapt to a new person doing something game-changing halfway through a reply. Also, I don't have a DMPC and play both sides against myself.

It's harder because I have to think of numbers for things. I have to think of when I throw the numbers out the window for the sake of realism, or when to say "Reality can suck it, I'm doing this my way." It's also harder because in said freeform, I knew most of the folks who got in on the events, or they knew the people I knew, usually for years. I also don't quite have as much control, if you will; when in freeform, my DMPC filled a "leadership" role and I could herd people in the direction I had planned. Not that y'all have done things that made me go "Wait, what?"

...yet, because I know for a fact that at least one of you is going to. It's inevitable.

It's kind of demanding because I do have to think of individual quests for all of you, and update with some regularity on a near-daily basis. Also, I have to answer your questions. Which is fine, be curious, by all means, I like that.

It's an interesting example of cooperation and competition. We're writing a story together in which the lot of you work together to overcome all of the obstacles I put in your path. In a sense, yes, I am against you. I want your characters to earn their rewards. I want to see them suffer and change while remaining true to themselves. I want them to feel the despair and hopelessness that comes from a moment of being utterly fucked. I want them to face bitter defeat and to rise against the odds to seize victory in an impossible situation. I want to see your characters rise up and change this shared universe in their own way, whether it's to be infamous, legendary, or a fond memory of the survivors. I want you guys (and the lurkers) to believe in the characters to the point where they aren't just words and fictional concepts, but actual people.

And then there's you guys, too. In this, I am hoping that y'all can develop as roleplayers and writers, just as I develop as a DM and a writer. I kind of hope that we-all end up becoming acquainted as people, not just players. I mean, heck, Xero is a very good friend of mine, and I have the roleplaying to thank for that. I'd be tickled pink to know that through narrating your character, you find out more about yourself.

I suppose the easiest way to say it is "I'm here to make people happy by doing stuff I like to think I'm good at." That's pretty much it, really. It makes me glad to know I made others happy, because I know firsthand how hard it is to find joy in real life.

[Xantalos]

I am going to enjoy this, then. The only other real RP-heavy game I've taken part in was Pantheon - which never finished, but at least I got to finish a character arc.
Goddamn that was a clusterfuck of rage, ego, and whatthehellishappening.
Then there's Age of Fire, which while absolutely amazing in update quality, is a tad slow because of that. Then there's various other RPs, another god game I'm doing, your other games, and Slaves to DZA, which I admit I'm attached to - it was one of the first thins I ever joined here.
What I'm saying in this convoluted reply is, I sense good things ahead.

[Xanmyral]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Heeey Myral......did you have any particular weapon setup in mind for yourself?

Something bludgeoning. Haven't decided yet, but something bludeoning.

[IpunchFaces]

Applying for team beta!

Name: Castle
Race: Undead
Height: 5'8''
Weight: 150 lbs

Appearance: Of generic human build, but mottled skin and gaunt features give him away as undead. His brown eyes are deep set, with a vestige of intelligence behind them not found on feral undead. There is not a strand of hair on his face or head. No decay is present on his body;  his tethered soul keeping a degree of bodily functions and circulation intact.

Strength 13, Stamina 21, Agility 18, Speed 14, Endurance 14, Willpower 5, Intelligence 8, Perception 7
HP: (14+3= 17)
Level: Adventurer 1, Masseur 2, Brawler 1

Virtues:
Conscientious (Major): As a servant, one has to to his job with the utmost vigilance and care. Being through when doing something is important, especially when the job involves working around unstable materials and taking care of caged abominations.
Extremely Precise(Critical): Because when putting pressure in the wrong place can be the difference between a relaxed back or paralyzed legs, you'd have to be.
Flexible fingers (Minor):  You wouldn't believe how many little creases and edges some races have that you'd need to struggle to fit fingers inside and around.

Flaws:
Easily Magically Influenced (Critical): Necromancers use magical means to control their creations. Even though undead servants have a degree of sentience, this still leaves Castle more vulnerable to magical suggestion than most.
No Morality (Major): Like most undead, Castle has no concept of identifying right from wrong; or good from evil.
Dulled Senses (Minor): While a reduced sense of pain is welcome, Castle's other senses have faltered. His less than average eyesight is suitable for looking at close objects, but things that are far away gradually shifts into a dull-hued blur. His hearing is less than adequate as well, with very high or very low pitches being beyond his degree of perception.
Emotionally detached (Minor): Castle is emotionally vacant. This makes him unable to connect emotionally and sympathise with others.

Hobbies:
Unorthodox Research (Major): Throughout his travels, the Master has gathered many corpses for study, and any that were used or failed to reanimate found itself in the refuse pile. This was where Castle spent his time when he was not needed; peeling and ripping through skin and bone, unnaturally interested in how creatures or races he had never seen before operate beneath the flesh.  This morbid habit stays with Castle on his travels long after the Master disappeared.
Cooking (Minor): Those giblets can't be left to waste now, can it?

Feats:
In-depth Anatomy Knowledge: After decades of working in the city as a Masseur, Castle has near perfected his techniques; and the Master's spare cadavers has led to many very interesting discoveries on the physical characteristics and workings of many creatures and races.
Unarmed Combat: Under the Master's instruction, all undead servants are to have at least rudimentary knowledge of combat, in case of an attack. Having no experience in weapons, Castle had to make do with what he was most familiar with; his own hands.

---

Did I miss out anything?

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Ross
Can you tell me more about Aphiliam's religion, it's ideology and goals? By my vision of Tarana's past there were attempts to indoctrinate her during her early education and that's mostly the only religion she knows in detail even if she never was a devoted follower