D&D Subforum / Pen & Paper RPG Discussion Thread

Mollyb60

oooh that has me torn. I don't believe in luck but dice just generally hate me. I roll **** all the time. So I like the idea of removing that from me and letting you roll on my behalf. But no, I prefer rolling myself. So I only have me to blame when I go up in flames. I'll just roll in the rolz place.

Banjo

Four, don't encourage me

BTW, I notice if you leave the Rolz page open (at least on mobile) and re-open your browser you get a generic name. That's why Alric123 joined the room

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

OK, so are we going to wander around as a pack, or do we need to vary our Encumbrance so that we have a main group and scouts or something like that? Do we need to keep the thief's pack light so she can surprise our foes by bursting out of their chests from behind?

Those are all valid strategies, it is up to you to decide. Having the thief carry very little is a common enough tactic.

Are we allowed to carry gear for other people, eg if the strongest among us or the least-in-need-of-mobility act as pack animals for the loot, will that negatively impact the experience the others get? (I guess in a way I'm asking - is XP from gold calculated once you get the gold out of the dungeon, or at point of receipt?)

Out of the dungeon.

The encumbrance doesn't talk about a Strength modifier of any kind, so at 6'3" I have the same restrictions as the halflings. is that right? Seems like a more fun way to play than everyone having to micromanage.

Yeah everybody can carry the same amount. Not realistic, but the micromanagement of actual pounds and ounces and real load bearing capacity gets very boring in my experience.

The encumbrance talks about different types of items - does that mean that for this game 1 long sword and 1 dagger weigh more than 2 long swords, so if I'm not dual wielding I'm better off to carry a backup sword than have a dagger in my boot?

Thanks for this, I've updated the encumbrance rules with the answers.

Speaking of equipment, does buying the equipment happen as an in-character action - i.e. the first part of the adventure is heading to Donnie the Discount Elf's Weaponoporium - or do we need to submit that now?

At Donnie's in-game

But we probably need to have a range of things between us. Can we discuss that as Norms or do we need to do that in-character?

Out of character here is fine. The decision can be reflected by a bit of in-character chat if you want.

and if the former, are we allowed to pool our money?

Absolutely, if another character agrees.

Banjo

Dayum!
Before we leave the tavern, Saeros *has* to hop on a table for a rousing chorus of "Dwarves! Ha! Good God, y'all, what are they good for? Absolutely nothing! Say it again!"
It's on!

Edit : given Donnie the Discount Elf made it into the official narrative, perhaps I should be more careful with my words...

Necro

Ha. Should be noted that is not an original Necro/Bandylegs composition. I spent some time at work researching dwarven bards :pac:

Guffy

Always wanted to try d&d... pissed i mossed it but will join next one if it goes again

OldGoat

I'm not going to be online much for the next couple of weekends. A 4 day burlesque festival beckons
Can we just assume that I'm lurking in the background and I'll catch up as quickly as I can on weekdays.

Mollyb60

There seems to be plenty of interest. Who do we ask for a sub forum? Sully?

jcd5971

Was ironically looking for anyone interested in this in a different forum,

My interest was piqued by stranger things lol.

I'd love to jump into next one if space as well.

OldGoat

D&D Beers!

Mollyb60

BTW folks I will be visiting family over the weekend so apologies in advance if my posting is sporadic.

Digital Solitude

MOY SHOPPING LIST

Quarterstaff 2gp
Sling 2gp
Backpack 2gp
Winter Blanket 5sp
50ft Rope Hemp 1gp
Waterskin 1gp
Fresh Food x30 6gp
Preserved Food x10 5gp

Total Spending 19.5gp
Change 31gp 5sp

Carrying 7 items so encumberance of 1

Fourier

Guys just wanted to say it's so far very easy to run this game for you, you're really injecting your own flavour and touches.

Necro

Fourier wrote:

Guys just wanted to say it's so far very easy to run this game for you, you're really injecting your own flavour and touches.

Cheers dude, I hope listening to Bandylegs dribble on isn't too frustrating!

Fourier

OldGoat wrote: »

I'm not going to be online much for the next couple of weekends. A 4 day burlesque festival beckons
Can we just assume that I'm lurking in the background and I'll catch up as quickly as I can on weekdays.

Mollyb60 wrote: »

BTW folks I will be visiting family over the weekend so apologies in advance if my posting is sporadic.

No worries, I'll just assume your characters "go with the flow" and go with the group as a whole.

The Soup King

Fourier wrote: »

Guys just wanted to say it's so far very easy to run this game for you, you're really injecting your own flavour and touches.

Really enjoying it so far thanks for putting this together and makeing so much effort running the game

Digital Solitude

It's very different in the forum setting, but I'm enjoying it a lot, thanks for putting the effort in Fourier, hope this goes longterm.

Lord TSC

Fourier, what's the deal with guard dogs? I've read online they are a handy thing for magic users to take, and are 25g in the rule book, but I can't find how they work. Are they counted as separate actions or do I share actions with them? I can't find stats for them either...

Fourier

Lord TSC wrote: »

Fourier, what's the deal with guard dogs? I've read online they are a handy thing for magic users to take, and are 25g in the rule book, but I can't find how they work. Are they counted as separate actions or do I share actions with them? I can't find stats for them either...

Welcome to what D&D was like in the 80s.:D

Guard dogs are mentioned in Basic D&D, but only stated in AD&D.

Labyrinth lord, trying to be an accurate clone, also mentions them but does not stat them. It only stats them in its "Advanced Companion" which clones AD&D. The Advanced Companion is here:
Advanced Companion

In the 80s very few people used the rules of AD&D, they just took monsters, retainers and equipment from it.

So a guard dog is on p.121 of the advanced companion (as War Dog)

They're basically an NPC that you can sick on people. In terms of abilities they're basically level 2 fighter, so they'd out fight the rest of the group currently. They function as a whole extra character you can command.

They are also very steady in fights, Morale 11. Sometimes, to see if an NPC flees in combat, I role Morale using 2d6. If it's higher than their Morale they break. Hence the War Dog will only break on a roll of a 12.

Fourier

I'm off to bed. I'll pick things up tomorrow, thanks!

Lord TSC

Thanks Fourier

Ok, discussion for the group; do I take the dog or the lock?

Dog would be a strong fighter for the group....but I'm the type who cant help but wonder why I've got the chance to grab a special lock that might be necessary down the road, and dont want a situation in a few days where we're left thinking "Why the hell did Alexander not grab the god damn super lock?" :P

Necro

My opinion would be lock. However we could perhaps get both from a pooled fund?

Banjo

The way I would see it, the more we discuss this the more you'll regret your decision either way. If I were a DM, as soon as you passed up the Super lock I'd start manufacturing situations where a super lock was the ideal thing to own. You pass up the dog, I'd build a room full of cats. You take both, I'd try to find a way to make you lock up the dog and then reveal that you didn't get a key with the lock. But if you buy the lock I'd rub out every door, chain or gate on the map!

I guess that says more about me than the game

I think with my current shopping list I have 5gp left if that helps. But spend it fast, my character is a covetous wastrel and saeros appears to be an insatiable bookmaker...

Edit : if you buy the lock should we buy a chain?

Mollyb60

Ok lads trying to post with a 5 year old pestering you for a go on the laptop is impossible. Assume that Elin has spent 40GP and that the rest is fair game for whoever else in the group wants it.

Necro

I have 37 GP left but most of that will be going on my armour. With Molly's 10, my 7 that'll cover the lock and perhaps chain. (Need to check how much chain is)

Lord TSC

At the moment, I NEED...

Spell Book 15gp
Quaterstaff 2gp
Waterskin 1gp
Preserved foodx10 5gp
Backpack 2gp

Thats 25gp

Now, do I need Ink (8gp) and a quill (1sp) to write spells into the spell book? Thats 33gp 1sp, leaving me enough to grab the lock as well, which takes me to 48gp 1sp spent. Which means it would be less "lets pool our coins", and more "Hey everyone, buy me a dog please"

Maybe it's over complicating things, for now, to take the dog anyway. I appreciate the offers of pooling coins, but given we've got a fair sized party, and if ye protect me (:P), maybe we can keep the coins for other stuff? I can always hide at the back of the party, and cast sleep on anyone who comes near me...

Fourier

Lord TSC wrote: »

Now, do I need Ink (8gp) and a quill (1sp) to write spells into the spell book?

Yep, as does Saeros/Old Goat.

Banjo

Fourier wrote: »

Yep, as does Saeros/Old Goat.

Can they scrawl a map in the margins or do we need separate gear (ink, quill, parchment , case) for that too?

Necro

Lord TSC wrote:

Maybe it's over complicating things, for now, to take the dog anyway. I appreciate the offers of pooling coins, but given we've got a fair sized party, and if ye protect me ( ), maybe we can keep the coins for other stuff? I can always hide at the back of the party, and cast sleep on anyone who comes near me...

Probably have to factor in food for dog as well so overall could be over 30 GP. I was looking at buying a lock tbh but with armour purchase I had to leave it out of budget.

We'll need torches or lanterns for our fighters in the dungeons from my reading of the rules as well or they might incur a penalty on attack for fighting in the dark.

Necro

Banjo wrote:

Can they scrawl a map in the margins or do we need separate gear (ink, quill, parchment , case) for that too?

I think from my understanding is we assign a character to map the dungeon and they'll have to pay attention to all the description from our DM. Don't think there's a cost incurred on that but could be wrong

Necro

Kind of glad for the slower pace today actually. Have a busy weekend myself!

Fourier

Only Lord TSC's character would know this stuff in-game, so it's only important for him, but just in case others want to know.

Material Plane: The plain old normal universe, where your characters are from.

Transitive Planes:
These are planes which are used for going from one place to another.

Etheral Plane:
A twin to the Material Plane, basically the same place but everything looks blurred and muted. Also a fog fills the realm. The walls of buildings in the material realm are not solid here and there is no gravity. Home of Ghosts. Also contains the entrances to little pocket realities high-level Magic-Users can make called "Demiplanes".

Shadow Plane:
Another twin plane to the material realm. Similar with colour bleached out and geographic features and buildings are warped into "horror movie" versions of themselves. Distances between places in the Shadow are not always the same as their Material counterparts.
Inspiration for the "Upside Down" in Stranger Things.

Astral Plane:
You pass through this plane on your way to more distant planes than the Etheral and Shadow planes. Looks like an empty silver void. Some solid matter from things travellers have left behind.

Inner Planes:
I won't go into these in detail, but they are "further" from the material plane than the Transitive planes and you have to go through the Astral to reach them. They are realms each made purely of one type of elemental magical energy. They are:
Realm of Fire
Realm of Air
Realm of Earth
Realm of Water
Realm of Positive Energy (also called Realm of Life)
Realm of Negative Energy (also called Realm of Death)

Outer Planes:
Home of the Gods, Demons, Devils and the different Afterlives. Further away than the Inner Planes. There are too many to list. The only thing I'll mention is that Demons and Devils are not exactly the same.

Demons are basically destroyers and just monsters, from a violent, primal and chaotic realm.
Devils have a society, like to manipulate mortals and are evil, rather than being just violent monsters. Their realm is like Hell.

One special realm, the Outlands, has a portal to each of the other Outer Planes, making it the "central" Outer Plane. It's capital city Sigil is the focus of the PC game Planescape Torment.

Far Realm:
Even further away. Contains Lovecraftian entities that are completely alien, some more powerful than the gods.

Necro

I need to read the rules but the cursed armour I bought gives me Blink nearer higher divinity areas..

Anyone care to explain that to me before I get out the rules :pac:

Fourier

You'll teleport randomly when near a statue or idol to one of the higher gods.
Random in the sense of I roll for how far and in what direction.

sKeith

so, you'll most likely be safe, we can find you again. do cursed object stay cursed after they have been activated?

Necro

sKeith wrote:

so, you'll most likely be safe, we can find you again. do cursed object stay cursed after they have been activated?

I had to buy it as per my character sheet :pac: I'm a spendthrift! Also more gold if anyone is stuck for something they really need.

By my calculations I have 22GP left to spend.

Fourier

In general yes. There are usually conditions to removing the curse, unfortunately the guy who cast this one is dead. A sufficiently good magic user will know methods of removing it.

Necro

By the way Fourier, I am loving my own little mini adventures within the game so far. If you want me to reign in the curiosity and scenarios I can though if it's giving you a headache

Fourier

Necrominus wrote: »

By the way Fourier, I am loving my own little mini adventures within the game so far. If you want me to reign in the curiosity and scenarios I can though if it's giving you a headache

Not at all. The party will most likely split up in dungeons and at villages, so it's to be expected and it gets more story out there for us to take advantage of and plot-threads to come back to.

Necro

Fourier wrote:

Not at all. The party will most likely split up in dungeons and at villages, so it's to be expected and it gets more story out there for us to take advantage of and plot-threads to come back to.

Yeah I was thinking that surely. It's kinda what I was aiming for with the enquiries re: quests. Looking forward to seeing the next scene when everyone gets going and equipped!

Banjo

Looking forward? We're all going to starve to death before we're halfway there! Unless we get all Argentinian Rugby Team along the way.
Tell what, I'll go halfsies on the magic user with you if you let me eat the elf.

Necro

Banjo wrote:

Looking forward? We're all going to starve to death before we're halfway there! Unless we get all Argentinian Rugby Team along the way. Tell what, I'll go halfsies on the magic user with you if you let me eat the elf.

We'll be fine. A days travel to the next town which may slightly delay us... Or at least some of us.
I jest... Probably

Lord TSC

Hey Fourier, is Feather Fall a level one skill? Can't see it in the guide book

Banjo

It's in the D&D 5e guide, 1st level transmutation.

I know I shouldn't be reading it, but when Fourier recommended we get to know our class's special skills I was really disappointed to find that all I get is, at level 1, the ability to bust heads (well, there's an extra attack at level 15, after I've become a great leader of men and built a stronghold). So I cast my net a little further, if only because depending on how the game goes sKeith and I might convince our Labyrinth Lord to throw a perk or two our way as the rest of the group starts to outstrip us in power... (archetypes, second wind, that sort of thing)

OldGoat

Banjo wrote: »

Tell what, I'll go halfsies on the magic user with you if you let me eat the elf.

/Unzips

Necro

Banjo wrote:

I know I shouldn't be reading it, but when Fourier recommended we get to know our class's special skills I was really disappointed to find that all I get is, at level 1, the ability to bust heads (well, there's an extra attack at level 15, after I've become a great leader of men and built a stronghold). So I cast my net a little further, if only because depending on how the game goes sKeith and I might convince our Labyrinth Lord to throw a perk or two our way as the rest of the group starts to outstrip us in power... (archetypes, second wind, that sort of thing)

Ahem.

Dwarf here. I'm in the same boat. I'm not expecting Bandylegs to survive the first quest to be honest so I'll worry about any extra abilities if I get that far!

Banjo

Sounds like we need to start a union! We should refuse to leave the city, kidnap a dragon-baby from a train (Heist!) and use it to start a coffee shop.

In fairness though you get Infravision, a bunch of languages and Trap Detection, plus a saving throw vs magic bonus. It's not much, but it's something.

Necro

Banjo wrote: »

Sounds like we need to start a union! We should refuse to leave the city, kidnap a dragon-baby from a train (Heist!) and use it to start a coffee shop.

In fairness though you get Infravision, a bunch of languages and Trap Detection, plus a saving throw vs magic bonus. It's not much, but it's something.

True. My infravision will be handy for fighting in the dungeons. You guys will have to use torches or lanterns or your attacks will get penalties... I think.

sKeith

Necrominus wrote: »

True. My infravision will be handy for fighting in the dungeons. You guys will have to use torches or lanterns or your attacks will get penalties... I think.

One torch or lamp lit in the group should cast enough light for whole group to see well, but if that light should be expelled, by either expiration or by gust of winds etc, then the night vision thing will be handy to get us lit up again. maybe the dwarf should hold the fire making kit.

Necro

sKeith wrote: »

One torch or lamp lit in the group should cast enough light for whole group to see well, but if that light should be expelled, by either expiration or by gust of winds etc, then the night vision thing will be handy to get us lit up again. maybe the dwarf should hold the fire making kit.

I think elves have infravision too. Might be no harm to position one of us (me probably) at the front or rear of group to keep watch. The advised positioning is:

Fighters at front

Thief, elf, halfings and spell casters in the middle

Dwarf and cleric to the rear. Obviously we can change as we see fit.