Post by kipponoui on Feb 26, 2010 21:12:44 GMT -5
Alright, let's try getting this up here before firefox crashes again, shall we?
That's right, Dungeons & Dragons! After getting the rallies I was looking for, I've finally set this thing into motion.
For those of you who aren't aware, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D, or DnD) is a table-top fantasy role-playing game. As opposed to our more standard written rpgs, table-tops utilize a more prove-able method of story-writing: dice. Popular dice-based systems are the d10, d20, and d100 systems (d is shorthand for die, and the number indicates the number of sides the die should have). D&D uses the d20 system--that is, the twenty-sided dice is the building block of its gaming methods. Of course, there are many other dice out there. Be aware though, depending on your character you may not be using them all! The popular ones you should be aware of are the--
You'll most often see me asking for a "XdY+Z". This means you'll roll the Y-sided die X times and add the results together, then add Z. Take for example 2d6+2; this means d6+d6+d6+2.
Naturally, in such a campaign, half the fun is rolling the dice. Die rolls are usually not valid unless the DM can certify them; however, in an online setting such as this one, I don't have time to roll all of your dice for you, and you could easily pull the wool over my eyes. This is why I have to turn to the Honor System. I trust everyone here at the boards; while IRL they may not always be the most honest people, no one wants to ruin a good rpg, right? Unfortunately, as a DM I have to consider all possibilities--which is why, if anyone is caught manipulating the system by any means, but especially through die rolls, I'm going to shut down the entire campaign.
Character creation is going to be far more involved than any others we've had on here. This is largely due to the fact the D&D is number-based, not creativity-based; it's not a matter of "Do I think my character can do that?" but a matter of "Can my character do that?" Most of the time, when we're working together as a group, other people can answer this question for you. This is one of the benefits I see to online D&D--you'll be the only one who knows what your character can and can't do (with the exception of me, of course). This really helps with character interaction and establishment in-campaign, which is why I "ask" (code for demand) that you NOT reveal anything about your character until he/she has been brought into the campaign.
Character creation and leveling is to be done solely through PM or PC with me. If you see a random person walking down the street and you start talking, what do you have to do? Do you instantly know his/her name, age, personality? Do you know his/her career, hobbies, likes and dislikes? No. You have to establish knowledge of these things by asking the person, and getting to know him/her. You can see how I want this to be done IC, right?
To begin the character creation process is relatively easy. There are 3 things you need to do:
1. Visit www.d20srd.org and skin over Basics, Races & Descriptions and the list of Classes (respectively found under "Basics, Races & Descriptions" and "Classes").
2. Think about what kind of character you'd like; doing a little research within the srd could never hurt you. Maybe you're considering being a wizard; take a closer look at their special abilities, what it takes to be a wizard, and maybe even skim over some of the wizard's spells. [see Note below]
3. PM me with the following information:
I ask for your reasoning behind your preferred selections because very often, I encounter misconceptions about character possibilities. For example, in one of the first campaigns I was a part of, we went about 3 sessions before someone realised they couldn't actually ride a horse, and couldn't aspire to become part of the local cavalry; this person also thought her character was about my height (6'); aquatic elves can do/are neither.
Note: In light of certain abilities, I'm only allowing options for the "Core Rules" list of the srd, with the exception of Additional Domains & Spells, found under "Additional Spells, Domains, & Divine Minions"
Before creating a character though, I want you to know what you'll be getting yourself into:
-Regular and consistent posts are mandatory. Once we get the story going, it's really going to move; trust me when I say that coming up with stuff to write about will not be difficult. I, as DM, am in charge of the storyline and NPCS--as such, you can rest assured there will be plenty of topics to write about. Also, try and post in first-person
-Check your PM inbox frequently; you'll never know when I have something to say aside to you. One of the benefits of working online is that I can run a differentiated campaign. You'll never know when I've got a special proposition for your character, and I won't tell you to go check your PM.
-I'm going to be a lot stricter in this rpg than in any other I've run. When it comes down to straight can-or-can't, chaos is lurking around every corner. Factor in a large world and a few different groups, and everything can fall down fast. If I sound final, respect it; I'm the DM, and as such, I know things you don't. If I advise you to do something, I'm not saying you *have* to do something (as a DM, I will never force you to do anything you don't want to do); keep in mind, though, that I know things you don't, and my advice may really help you down the road.
-In a post, you won't be writing about what happens in the story so much as how your character responds to an occurrence. As you'll soon find out, D&D isn't so much about 'happening-happening-happening' as 'cause-effect-effect'. I'll be the one to give the cause; it falls to you to write the effect it has on your character. If I say "The Ogre jumped" I don't want you returning "The chandelier fell down." This is what I call a macroeffect. It'll influence all the way to the surroundings. If I say "The Ogre jumped, which caused the chandelier to fall down" and you say "A piece of the once-immaculate glass cut my cheek", I will allow it (as what I call a microeffect. Please use these reasonably though--if you say your character is startled, there will be things that work against you moreso.
-If you made any rolls during your post, please put their at the end of your port under a horizontal line, along with what the roll was for. If you do not, I'm going to have to automatically make it a fail.
In the beginning, my posts will have two (to three) parts to them. The first will be a (vivid) description of what happens, as it appears to your character. The latter portion will be a down-to-Earth explanation, complete with die rolls that I request and from whom I request them. Think of it as a Side-by-side Shakespeare; on the left you have Shakespeare's work, and on the right you have a modern translation. The third part (which will not always be there) will be a map of the current area, including positions of known beings.
Sometime soon, I'll be posting here to explain skills, combat, and an example of how things will run in here; however, feel free to start PM-ing me
That's right, Dungeons & Dragons! After getting the rallies I was looking for, I've finally set this thing into motion.
For those of you who aren't aware, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D, or DnD) is a table-top fantasy role-playing game. As opposed to our more standard written rpgs, table-tops utilize a more prove-able method of story-writing: dice. Popular dice-based systems are the d10, d20, and d100 systems (d is shorthand for die, and the number indicates the number of sides the die should have). D&D uses the d20 system--that is, the twenty-sided dice is the building block of its gaming methods. Of course, there are many other dice out there. Be aware though, depending on your character you may not be using them all! The popular ones you should be aware of are the--
d4 Not frequently used. I only recall rolling it a few times in my entire D&D history; small things, like a burning hands spell. d6 The second most-used die in the game, it's used for numerous attacks d8 I'd say this die is used most often for spells and hit-points (HP) d10 Larger-scale attacks and, again, HP d12 This is the die that cries itself to sleep at night. Think of it like me: just enough action going on to keep it on the board, not enough action that it has a love life. I think I've seen it rolled once for any actual purpose, but can't even tell you what the purpose was because it was so long ago. d20 Ah, finally, the most important die in the game! It is a d20 system after all. This die will be used for a range of things, from saving throws to skill checks to combat. Be careful not to pass your d20 around, though; it's used so often, Lord only knows what it'll get on it.
You'll most often see me asking for a "XdY+Z". This means you'll roll the Y-sided die X times and add the results together, then add Z. Take for example 2d6+2; this means d6+d6+d6+2.
Naturally, in such a campaign, half the fun is rolling the dice. Die rolls are usually not valid unless the DM can certify them; however, in an online setting such as this one, I don't have time to roll all of your dice for you, and you could easily pull the wool over my eyes. This is why I have to turn to the Honor System. I trust everyone here at the boards; while IRL they may not always be the most honest people, no one wants to ruin a good rpg, right? Unfortunately, as a DM I have to consider all possibilities--which is why, if anyone is caught manipulating the system by any means, but especially through die rolls, I'm going to shut down the entire campaign.
Character creation is going to be far more involved than any others we've had on here. This is largely due to the fact the D&D is number-based, not creativity-based; it's not a matter of "Do I think my character can do that?" but a matter of "Can my character do that?" Most of the time, when we're working together as a group, other people can answer this question for you. This is one of the benefits I see to online D&D--you'll be the only one who knows what your character can and can't do (with the exception of me, of course). This really helps with character interaction and establishment in-campaign, which is why I "ask" (code for demand) that you NOT reveal anything about your character until he/she has been brought into the campaign.
Character creation and leveling is to be done solely through PM or PC with me. If you see a random person walking down the street and you start talking, what do you have to do? Do you instantly know his/her name, age, personality? Do you know his/her career, hobbies, likes and dislikes? No. You have to establish knowledge of these things by asking the person, and getting to know him/her. You can see how I want this to be done IC, right?
To begin the character creation process is relatively easy. There are 3 things you need to do:
1. Visit www.d20srd.org and skin over Basics, Races & Descriptions and the list of Classes (respectively found under "Basics, Races & Descriptions" and "Classes").
2. Think about what kind of character you'd like; doing a little research within the srd could never hurt you. Maybe you're considering being a wizard; take a closer look at their special abilities, what it takes to be a wizard, and maybe even skim over some of the wizard's spells. [see Note below]
3. PM me with the following information:
1. Race you would prefer, and why
2. Class you would prefer, and why
3. Any experience you have with other table-top rpgs or prior D&D campaigns
I ask for your reasoning behind your preferred selections because very often, I encounter misconceptions about character possibilities. For example, in one of the first campaigns I was a part of, we went about 3 sessions before someone realised they couldn't actually ride a horse, and couldn't aspire to become part of the local cavalry; this person also thought her character was about my height (6'); aquatic elves can do/are neither.
Note: In light of certain abilities, I'm only allowing options for the "Core Rules" list of the srd, with the exception of Additional Domains & Spells, found under "Additional Spells, Domains, & Divine Minions"
Before creating a character though, I want you to know what you'll be getting yourself into:
-Regular and consistent posts are mandatory. Once we get the story going, it's really going to move; trust me when I say that coming up with stuff to write about will not be difficult. I, as DM, am in charge of the storyline and NPCS--as such, you can rest assured there will be plenty of topics to write about. Also, try and post in first-person
-Check your PM inbox frequently; you'll never know when I have something to say aside to you. One of the benefits of working online is that I can run a differentiated campaign. You'll never know when I've got a special proposition for your character, and I won't tell you to go check your PM.
-I'm going to be a lot stricter in this rpg than in any other I've run. When it comes down to straight can-or-can't, chaos is lurking around every corner. Factor in a large world and a few different groups, and everything can fall down fast. If I sound final, respect it; I'm the DM, and as such, I know things you don't. If I advise you to do something, I'm not saying you *have* to do something (as a DM, I will never force you to do anything you don't want to do); keep in mind, though, that I know things you don't, and my advice may really help you down the road.
-In a post, you won't be writing about what happens in the story so much as how your character responds to an occurrence. As you'll soon find out, D&D isn't so much about 'happening-happening-happening' as 'cause-effect-effect'. I'll be the one to give the cause; it falls to you to write the effect it has on your character. If I say "The Ogre jumped" I don't want you returning "The chandelier fell down." This is what I call a macroeffect. It'll influence all the way to the surroundings. If I say "The Ogre jumped, which caused the chandelier to fall down" and you say "A piece of the once-immaculate glass cut my cheek", I will allow it (as what I call a microeffect. Please use these reasonably though--if you say your character is startled, there will be things that work against you moreso.
-If you made any rolls during your post, please put their at the end of your port under a horizontal line, along with what the roll was for. If you do not, I'm going to have to automatically make it a fail.
In the beginning, my posts will have two (to three) parts to them. The first will be a (vivid) description of what happens, as it appears to your character. The latter portion will be a down-to-Earth explanation, complete with die rolls that I request and from whom I request them. Think of it as a Side-by-side Shakespeare; on the left you have Shakespeare's work, and on the right you have a modern translation. The third part (which will not always be there) will be a map of the current area, including positions of known beings.
Sometime soon, I'll be posting here to explain skills, combat, and an example of how things will run in here; however, feel free to start PM-ing me
Congrats grimn! You're in the real mode, now. I've no doubt that you'll surprise yourself on just how tough and mature you can be.