Iren's Play-by-post fantasy games - General Discussion thread

[Irenaeus]

Irenaeus RR Martin

Your bard will play a key role in this next chapter.

[Classix]

Been sketching some things as I read along, story related. Not sure about color yet. Not happy with them enough yet to post, but might when I am content with them. Creative juices are flowing. Was having a laugh to myself thinking; what if I did a condensed physical drawing story book of this PbP and I'd read them to grandkids and such years later lol, but I thought ehh let's not get too carried away lol. Don't hold me to it though. Maybe a drawing here and there if I can.

" Come here lad, let me read you the story about some adventurers who started out as strangers in a fantastical land of magic and wonder who went off to do glorious battle with monstrous creatures, uncovering forgotten relics and eventually... became legend."

"Where'd you get this story from?"

"It was an old wandering Forum Wizard by the name of Irenaeus..."

"What's a Forum Wizard?"

" Uhh.. well it's a...hmm... *dismissive head shake*, ehh Chapter 1..."

[DemoGraph]

"What's a Forum Wizard?"

" Uhh.. well it's a...hmm...

For uh... mmm... whizz beard.

[Irenaeus]

@Oyster Sauce @Stack of Turtles @asf @Val the Moofia Boss @Jordy @logincrash @TKVNC @Rand @Humbaba @SpellSword @Kalarion @DemoGraph @Lord of Riva @maidenhaver @ERYFKRAD

Dear adventurers,
Just posted Chapter 1's intro. Go read it and take your sweet time to input your actions at will in the new game thread. If anything is looks wrong or strange let me know. I will be answering questions, both general or rules or setting related in their respective threads for the following day or more, depending on how much time it takes for all players to post. If you want your PC to do something that isn't in the suggested actions, go ahead and be creative, I will be adapting the adventure along with you. Have fun!

PS: I'll be posting the table tomorrow with the updated equipment, money and XP gained (it's not a lot). Consider that everyone restored all their HPs in the resting night.
PS2: If anyone new wants to join the game, just let me know - we barely started.

[DemoGraph]

Ch1intro has a nice town exposition.

[SpellSword]

@Irenaeus I don't know how you want to handle shopping and town exploration, so I'm rolling reaction for the two incidental craftsmen as well as the town officials.

I'm fine with it if you want to have the lesser encounters with one or both of these craftsmen (Provided Stein can find them) be just summarized in the next post so that nothing bogs down getting to the more interesting town official meeting.


Hopefully 2 silver coins and 5 coppers are enough to secure the production of some rat themed items.

[Humbaba]

I'm just gonna walk around and grind random encounters for xp because if I try talking to anybody again with my -2 modifier, I'll probably end up getting thrown down the well.

[DagothGeas5]

Much like DemoGraph said, it was a pleasure to read @Irenaeus I wanted to express it as a separate post because it truly left me with the same feeling I sometimes got when reading a good book, and wanted to express my appreciation more properly as it was incredibly enjoyable (it was also raining slightly today here, so it truly added to the morning ambience ).

[maidenhaver]

I wasn't sure if Luck would modify my roll, so I'll just use CHA.

[Lord of Riva]

@Lord of Riva I havent forgotten about you! With no post of yours to through, I edited in, just now, a paragraph about Walfgang's thoughts and comments in the end of the prologue.

I understand, I was pretty much pre-occupied with work the last few days, I will finish what I need today and will read through the happenings tomorrow. My apologies for disapprearing

[Kalarion]

Should I roll anything for my period of contemplation in the church? I don't have any relevant spells to cast, it's just more along the lines of listening for the Voice again, with the hope that (if it's the True God), a church will make it more likely I get some result.

[ERYFKRAD]

By Crom that village is damned evocative, @Irenaeus

[logincrash]

Hrod takes the morning air deep in his lungs, happy to be out of the inn and out in the air again. He espies the @breech-clad man covered in scars, and decides to walk his path, as much to keep hapless villagers out of trouble as to keep a fellow wildman from running afoul of civilization's strange ways. Perhaps two unpleasant men put together equalled at least half a pleasant person that people would speak to?

Thank the One True God there is a tard-wrangler with Humbaba for now.

[ERYFKRAD]

Hrod takes the morning air deep in his lungs, happy to be out of the inn and out in the air again. He espies the @breech-clad man covered in scars, and decides to walk his path, as much to keep hapless villagers out of trouble as to keep a fellow wildman from running afoul of civilization's strange ways. Perhaps two unpleasant men put together equalled at least half a pleasant person that people would speak to?

Thank the One True God there is a tard-wrangler with Humbaba for now.

Uh, be right back guys, I gotta go re-evaluate the life choices that led me here.

[maidenhaver]

I read breech as birch, and thought Hrod had followed da Green Profit.

[Irenaeus]

Should I roll anything for my period of contemplation in the church? I don't have any relevant spells to cast, it's just more along the lines of listening for the Voice again, with the hope that (if it's the True God), a church will make it more likely I get some result.

No need to roll for contemplation.

[Irenaeus]

I wasn't sure if Luck would modify my roll, so I'll just use CHA.

I'm going to post a rule that you can "burn" luck for increasing points in rolls eventually. For now, I'm just using it to tiebreak random stuff and how lucky stuff happens or not to characters sometimes.

[Irenaeus]

Much like DemoGraph said, it was a pleasure to read @Irenaeus I wanted to express it as a separate post because it truly left me with the same feeling I sometimes got when reading a good book, and wanted to express my appreciation more properly as it was incredibly enjoyable (it was also raining slightly today here, so it truly added to the morning ambience ).

I'm flattered with the post, it's just a humble description to an adventure game, nothing too fancy. I'll try to keep the writing engaging as much as possible. Thank you.

[Irenaeus]

I'm just gonna walk around and grind random encounters for xp because if I try talking to anybody again with my -2 modifier, I'll probably end up getting thrown down the well.

Not a terrible idea, but the way you act and communicate in context of the game can add or detract from talky encounters too. So please bear that in mind.

[maidenhaver]

I wasn't sure if Luck would modify my roll, so I'll just use CHA.

I'm going to post a rule that you can "burn" luck for increasing points in rolls eventually. For now, I'm just using it to tiebreak random stuff and how lucky stuff happens or not to characters sometimes.

I remember Olwin recognizing George was a Ranger. Do Rangers have some sort of kindred or shared purpose, in this setting? Like how the Dunedain joined to destroy the witch king.

[Irenaeus]

@Irenaeus I don't know how you want to handle shopping and town exploration, so I'm rolling reaction for the two incidental craftsmen as well as the town officials.

I'm fine with it if you want to have the lesser encounters with one or both of these craftsmen (Provided Stein can find them) be just summarized in the next post so that nothing bogs down getting to the more interesting town official meeting.


Hopefully 2 silver coins and 5 coppers are enough to secure the production of some rat themed items.

Alright, I'll be including everybody's actions and their respective consequences all together in the next post. I think the prologue served as exercise in how to handle separate character events in such a big party. When the real action gets going with exploration, combat, etc., the adventurers will hopefully be mostly together.

[Irenaeus]

I wasn't sure if Luck would modify my roll, so I'll just use CHA.

I'm going to post a rule that you can "burn" luck for increasing points in rolls eventually. For now, I'm just using it to tiebreak random stuff and how lucky stuff happens or not to characters sometimes.

I remember Olwin recognizing George was a Ranger. Do Rangers have some sort of kindred or shared purpose, in this setting? Like how the Dunedain joined to destroy the witch king.

He likely infered from the way your character dressed and acted. As far as I can tell, rangers served as scouts in the king's armies or independtly on service of their towns, tribes or their own. If there is a larger organization of rangers, your character is not familiar with, given his background as a solo operator.

[maidenhaver]

That's fine, although I could argue my kit is extremely basic, only including a sack, ****, sword, and bow, and clothing is probably handmade so besides materials tipping what region I may be from, Olwin wouldn't know they're "Ranger clothes," but I won't argue because its your game. It might be good to know that I look like a Ranger, if that can help talking to npcs about stuff. A 40 year old (approximately, since he only knows he's getting older by how much he hates winter) Ranger would probably know of some ranger organizations, even if he doesn't work with them.

[Irenaeus]

A 40 year old (approximately, since he only knows he's getting older by how much he hates winter) Ranger would probably know of some ranger organizations, even if he doesn't work with them.

Interesting, I might come up with some stuff like that later in the campaign.

[DemoGraph]

If you're going with a relatively realistic take on rangers, they could be based on royal woodsmen. They often were kinda hybrid between a "proper" craftsman guild and a royal court service.
A dedicated royal service. Education is obtained via introductory courses (usually sponsored by a king), then a "master-pupil" model (maybe several journeymen per master). Masters get some fief to look after, a stipend and maybe some hunting or woodcutting rights on that fief. In exchange they should make sure that peasants don't cut down the trees where they shouldn't, don't hunt boars and deer they shouldn't and dangerous animals don't multiply that much. If the trees are fit for shipbuilding, they also could be tasked with looking after them and organizing reforestation.

Another idea is to have rangers also do fur trapping (that might include subduing some unwashed barbarians and forcing them to pay taxes in kind, as well as organizing them into hunting parties and bringing some civilization to them - medics, husbandry specialists, smiths, brewers, etc.).

[Irenaeus]

If you're going with a relatively realistic take on rangers, they could be based on royal woodsmen. They often were kinda hybrid between a "proper" craftsman guild and a royal court service.
A dedicated royal service. Education is obtained via introductory courses (usually sponsored by a king), then a "master-pupil" model (maybe several journeymen per master). Masters get some fief to look after, a stipend and maybe some hunting or woodcutting rights on that fief. In exchange they should make sure that peasants don't cut down the trees where they shouldn't, don't hunt boars and deer they shouldn't and dangerous animals don't multiply that much. If the trees are fit for shipbuilding, they also could be tasked with looking after them and organizing reforestation.

Another idea is to have rangers also do fur trapping (that might include subduing some unwashed barbarians and forcing them to pay taxes in kind, as well as organizing them into hunting parties and bringing some civilization to them - medics, husbandry specialists, smiths, brewers, etc.).

Great suggestions, I'll keep them in mind. It can't be developed as late medieval ages since I'm basing the fantasy society more on the dark ages, early medieval.

[Irenaeus]

I'll give the rest of the gang more time, like half a day, to post something in the game thread. Otherwise I'm going to write the next post and their characters only will have small roles in the background.

[Stack of Turtles]

What is the skill I'm supposed to roll on? And uhhh, how?

[DemoGraph]

What is the skill I'm supposed to roll on? And uhhh, how?

2d6+CHA mod

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When you send the message, this button appears.

Second roll

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Edit: Ok, I'm with stupid. I thought that you've just joined the game and don't know how to roll.

[DemoGraph]

If you're going with a relatively realistic take on rangers, they could be based on royal woodsmen. They often were kinda hybrid between a "proper" craftsman guild and a royal court service.
A dedicated royal service. Education is obtained via introductory courses (usually sponsored by a king), then a "master-pupil" model (maybe several journeymen per master). Masters get some fief to look after, a stipend and maybe some hunting or woodcutting rights on that fief. In exchange they should make sure that peasants don't cut down the trees where they shouldn't, don't hunt boars and deer they shouldn't and dangerous animals don't multiply that much. If the trees are fit for shipbuilding, they also could be tasked with looking after them and organizing reforestation.

Another idea is to have rangers also do fur trapping (that might include subduing some unwashed barbarians and forcing them to pay taxes in kind, as well as organizing them into hunting parties and bringing some civilization to them - medics, husbandry specialists, smiths, brewers, etc.).

Great suggestions, I'll keep them in mind. It can't be developed as late medieval ages since I'm basing the fantasy society more on the dark ages, early medieval.

Yes, of course, it's your call.
I'd still like to reiterate that both protected forests, hunting grounds and "fur colonies" were used throughout history.
- Romans created woodcutting latifundiae.
- Sarmatians had royal hunting grounds.
- We have notes of Novgorod's fur expeditions and "fur diplomacy" as early as 9-10th c. (though they were few at the time, because there still was a lot of game in its direct vicinity).

Here, quick google gives this, it partly confirms my examples (and gives more).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_management#History
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Al ... _in_Japan/