Yon Dungeons and Dragyns

[Falcon2001]

A world of mystery and heroics, where enchantments and magicks galore run amuck, where the dire forces of evil battle against the various forces of good, all vying for supremacy over the world.

 

I'm currently thinking about running a Dungeons and Dragons game on this forum with play-by-post. I'll explain the details later in this post. Dungeons and Dragons is a roleplaying game, one of the first (if not the very first) RPGs created. It's currently in it's third-and-a-half edition, and has been going strong from quite some time. A good way to think about it is a video game, but without the video. I'm sure a few people around here are familiar with the system, and those that aren't are free to join as well. The core rules are available at www.d20srd.org for free

 

Basically it'll be set in one of three campaign settings, which will effect the way the game is run and the basic flavor of the campaign.

 

First up is Greyhawk, the initial and typical D&D universe. Pretty well rounded out and I won't need to supply any additional materials beyond those detailed in the SRD. Excellent basic campaign, easy layout, lots of space to roam. Typically high fantasy, running around with clerics and wizards and fighters and such.

 

Second is Eberron, the new campaign setting wizard of the coast has been pushing. It's a very gritty, low-fantasy feel to it - magic is everywhere but in much different uses than typical D&D. For instance, there are hardly any other heroes in the world to the degree that a D&D character could reach. Spells such as Reincarnate are hard to find, but everbright lanterns illuminate everywhere. The feel is very pulp-y, like a black and white detective flick. If enough interest is shown, I'll explain more.

 

Finally we have Halcyon - the game setting I've been working on. It's set up as five planes that each connect to a negative energy plane that serves as the only method of transportation between the different planes. Characters would start off on one of the four elemental planes together and would adventure from there. Knowledge of the other planes is basically unknown, however.

 

The game would be run on the forums, with each person posting detailing their actions, etc etc. It's slower than running it on IRC, but we're a writing community, and this method produces actual stories as opposed to "lol I smack the skeleton okay where's my XP". I'll explain the general posting system later, but basically the standard one I'm used to is constructed in the following order: First is the Book number, Chapter number and then Post number in order. This helps keep cohesiveness, as well as allowing for easy indexing. This is in bold, along with the actual post, which follows. After that, in italics (not bold) you post the mechanics behind the post, and finally after that, in plaintext, you have any OOC comments or such. Example follows:

 

<----Begin Example---->

2.1.59

 

Celion moves through the underbrush as silently as a woodsparrow, his sword a silent harbinger of still death.

 

+9 to move silently, taking the route closest to the wall.

 

Man I hope Celion doesn't get smashed by YON OGRE.

<----End Example---->

 

Vote for your favorite setting or give a reason why you don't want to do it, as I'd be interested.

 

 

Edit: What in the nine hells of balor happened to my poll. Where did those /s come from? I'm confused!

Edited March 26, 2005 by Falcon2001

[Venefyxatu]

No matter what the anti-D20 people say, after a few years of playing Yon Dungeons and Dragyns I must say that I quite like the system. I never played on a forum, but I'd love to see how that works as opposed to the "real" p&p game.

 

As for a campaign setting ... I'm going to vote for Eberron. I've heard a lot about it but never actually seen / played it, and I'd like to get to know it.

 

Great idea, count me in!

 

Edit : Of course, if you end up DM'ing any other campaign setting, you can still count me in. Ye'll nae get rid of me that easily where D&D is concerned

Edited March 26, 2005 by Venefyxatu

[Shathward]

I'd be willing to join, but I'm not sure I like rule systems in roleplaying.

 

However, I am willing to expand my tastes. Count me in.

[Shathward]

On second thought, count me out unless the rule system is dropped. Only the traditional Pen roleplaying method appeals to me; any of this newfangled d20 nonsense is too restricting if we need to format our posts like that.

[Gnarlitch]

I vote we play HackMaster. It's what D&D was meant to be.

[DeanTheAdequate]

I'm in. It may be my only chance to play Eberron.

[Degenero Angelus]

Or you could play a decent d10 game

 

I'd almost be interested in playing, even with my deep seated hatred of all things d20. I have just one concern.

 

What about the rolls?

[Quincunx]

Deg--Ohhhhhhh yeah, I knew something was missing there. . .Second "what about the rolls?". . .ah, just second his entire post.

 

Gnarlitch--THWAP!

 

Shathward--I'm not comfortable with this either, but I am going to playtest it. You wouldn't be the only newbie.

 

Falcon--Nice explanatory post. If Deg hadn't said "what about the rolls?", I'd have no questions about basic mechanics. I'll nuke those extra slashes out of the poll in a moment.

 

I'll play, no setting preferred. I've played D&D for two sessions, ever, most of which was taken up by Minta arguing with a 15th-level goblin wizard ("Gobbie." "Goblin!" "Gobbie!!!" "Gob-Lin! Goblingoblingoblin!" It might have gone on for months had Exalted not been released). Any guidelines on what races/classes to play, or whether existing characters can be modified to fit the system?

[Kasmandre]

I'm in. My system-based RPing experience tends more toward White Wolf: the Pretension games , but I've played enough d20 to know my way around. I don't know much about the settings, but from your description, I'd like to play Eberron. Maybe I just like the idea of fantasy-noir.

[Falcon2001]

Rolls will be made by me in a dicebot. I'm playing the way that I've been playing on another forum, and generally the DM does all of the rolling for fairness and sanity's sake. Having every person roll seperately is crazy to keep track of for a DM.

 

Tzim/Deg - I'd play a d10 system but the only one I'm familiar with right now is Exalted, and in all fairness a good portion of the writing here is more D&D-like, even if I do love Exalted. Also I'm much more familiar with D&D, and the SRD is available online instead of having to tell people to go 'find' e-copies of the rulebooks - and I feel that a pretty much pure PHB game like this will be is going to be fairly simple.

 

Rules on classes and such are as follows: If it isn't from the eberron setting book (which I'll detail soon) or the official SRD, then no, you can't play as it. This is going to be newbie friendly and I'm not looking to have to search through all of my rulebooks for the ruling on how a Howling Scavenger's special class ability interacts with other stuff.

 

I'll type up the new eberron rules soon, but basically it includes a new class - artificer - and about five new races, which are pretty , so once I get those typed up, feel free to choose among those and those found at the SRD.

 

Quick description of D20 rules - you roll a d20, add any bonuses to that roll and if it's over a certain number, you win. The number you have to beat, or the DC (Difficulty Check) is dependant on the situation. For instance, if I wanted to jump across a 5 foot gap it might be a DC 10 jump check. But if I wanted to leap across a 20 foot ravine, it might be much higher, up to DC 30 or so. By standard rules, a natural 20 is an automatic success, and a natural 1 is an automatic failure.

[Venefyxatu]

See? The D20-system is easy and user- and newbie-friendly. What's wrong with it, you D20-hater Deggie?

After my first Werewolf : Apocalypse game I was absolutely convinced that D10 was horrible ... you just keep rolling dice, and by the time you know whether you succeed or fail an hour has passed. Now that I'm playing Vampire a little more seriously, I have to admit that I'm starting to like it, though.

 

No, that does not mean that I'm starting to hate D20

[Degenero Angelus]

d10 is a good system. It's less chance than d20. It's not d20 I hate, though, it's the d20 system. You know, the one where you have to roll to do *everything*

Edited March 27, 2005 by Degenero Angelus

[Salinye]

I'd be interested in learning more. :0)

 

~Salinye

[Venefyxatu]

What you say is true, Deg. Until the point where you start talking about rolling for everything you do. While there are rolls for everything in the books (okay, so you're right about that as well ), whenever I DM I ignore about 60% of them. If it is better for my story that a player succeeds or fails, I usually make the roll myself or just skip it and go on with what I think is best. It's aaaaaall about the DM, and aren't those rules made for breaking / changing / ignoring?

[Ayshela]

*Seconds Sal's comment*

 

EDIT: haven't voted - yet - but i LOVE the poll options!

[Shathward]

Bffprrrphbt.

 

Very well, I guess I could give it a shot.

 

*EDIT: Remind me what "the SRD" is?

Edited March 27, 2005 by Shathward

[Falcon2001]

The SRD stands for System Rules Document, which is the basic rules for dungeons and dragons, which is distributed for free by WotC

[Vlad]

I'll play, but it's been a while, and I don't remember the settings. So I'm like a newbie, except all creepy-like!

 

(How many people do you want to limit it at? If there's a lot of interest, I'll sit out.)

[Mira]

I would be interested in playing, doesn't matter on the setting.

[Falcon2001]

Right now I want a maximum of six people, but they will be chosen once I post an actual recruitment and OOC thread on the merits of their characters as opposed to first-come, first-served. This is a writing community, and if you're just going to make Smashy McSmasherson with no backstory, then you'll find yourself at the bottom of the ladder.

[Gyrfalcon]

I'm willing to take a run at this - I'd also try your game setting, as its likely to be interesting.

[Shathward]

Uh oh. There looks to be competition.

[Vlad]

Smashy McSmasherson?

 

Yep, that's my character!

 

I'll make it good, trust me. Real good.

 

*scampers off to write a back-story*

[Quincunx]

Auditions! So can I add my Perform skill to the audition roll? (dodges various simple missile weapons--mostly rotten)

[Gryphon]

I've been playing D&D for years on and off... No reason to stop now.

 

I'll be keeping my eyes open for the recruitment post to see what develops.