See connors campaigns thread for my thoughts.
Chaotic Good: Governments should be afraid of their people.
Recent Forum Posts
Calling all players. I have set up some sites for my settings, but I am wondering whether something like World Anvil would be a better place for all my RPG stuff.
Have a look - tell me your thoughts.
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
in discussion Scales of War Campaign / Campaign Discussion » 8 Players... Wow!
Okay guys, thanks for the game Friday.
I just wanted to say a few things regarding the actual playing group, not the characters or setting.
First of all, I don't mind large groups. Many prefer small, but having run for kids at school, and some larger groups in the past, it does not particularly bother me, but there are things to consider.
1st. It is not easy. ;) I try to run very character-driven campaigns and involve your backstories etc. That is what the Renown & Relationship dice are meant to do. Given we have so many players, when next we roll these, I am going to suggest choosing 2 relationships only, rather than 3 each.
Also means I forget to do some things I had planned. I really had something I wanted to do all along for a certain PC if they every entered the Marth Forest and especially if they encountered an aberration like you did. Trying to get things rolling and getting the attention of 8 players, I completely forgot. (I might have to resolve some of that in some private posts. ;)
2nd. Thanks for your patience. With 8 of you, you all realise the spotlight cannot be on your PC all the time. The more players, the harder this balancing act is, but I appreciate players being cool with others taking the spotlight for a time… yours will come :)
3rd. Combat. I love combat. I also love a heavy roleplaying game. More importantly, I like a bit of each, as well as exploration. However, I defaulted to a couple of combats Friday. These were encounters, but I was happy for combat to take up a fair part of the night b/c we had a new player and some straight up action is an easy way for them to get involved without pressure of RPing. Also, combat ensures everyone gets their turn. In interaction situations that can be hard, and I have even resorted to using initiative in those situations with large groups (and might again). This encourages those that would otherwise sit and say nothing to actually consider something on their go, but they can always choose to say nothing. Anyway, with so many players, combat ensures you get to do something and gets attention of all.
If I had just one thing to add to this, it would be, try to be ready BEFORE your turn. I know things change etc. but having the spell description ready before your turn for eg would be great :)
Also, rolling dice together will help, but I will speak about this ;). ie roll attack AND damage at same time. Also roll 2 d20s for advantage, rather than picking up and rolling again.
4th. We are not going to get as much done with 8 people. Rarely will we achieve what I have planned. That is okay, but just be aware, progress will be slow, especially when all of you want your time to shine and interact, which you should. To help, this may mean, there are some encounters/situations where you do take a back seat. if your PC is not of major importance to a situation, let others deal with it ;) Even combat - for example, if you are at the back of the party in a corridor and get an early initiative card simply go on hold until those at the front move or sort the situation out. (I have noticed a lot of people wanting to move through combats and shoot into combat. Usually, my penalties for this are a lot worse. Remember all combatants are MOVING/evading/lunging/fighting, not standing still. So again, I know you all want to be involved all the time, but expect to start affecting other characters if trying to move near them when fighting or shooting 'through' them). ;)
5th. Another thing people can do to keep progress going is keep up to date with things here, especially the Adventure Log. Any changes to your character sheet or what happened last session does not have to take game time then. Even better, add to the PC Page or the Adventure Log yourself! That would be awesome. If someone is interested, the Adv Log could even become an actual character's journal. :)
If people want to take over their PC Sheets themselves, I don't mind. I am happy to do them and as long as I do, I will use my Word docs sorted the way they are. If this does not gel with you, feel free to do your PC however you wish, including on D&D Beyond. ;)
Anyway, just some random thoughts :D And to let some of you know 8 players is not a typical game, but doable.
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
Yeah, thanks Lachy, I love the idea of that, but will do in another setting. Perhaps one where there is only one kind of magic too (or two with deities granting magic), but we'll see :)
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
STATS
No swaps or racial bonuses etc.
| Str | 10 |
| Dex | 14 |
| Con | 13 |
| Int | 11 |
| Wis | 11 |
| Cha | 12 |
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
Still being relatively new and getting my head around everything. I’m happy for everything to stay as is. Especially as I’ve already chosen my subclass and still getting my head around my current spells, playing with ideas on how I can mod them with my class abilities etc…
That said, the concept is interesting, and I would like to see how it would work in another setting. I’ve seen a few fiction works where you have characters ‘tapping’ into natural flows and pools of magic, rather than pulling it from themselves.
One book comes to mind, Geomancer by Ian Irvine, Which is part of a larger series.
A feature you often see in such works is the idea of “dead zones” where no magic can be pulled, which could be interesting.
In any case, happy that things are staying as is in this current setting, but would be interested to look at this in other settings.
Thanks Jason.
Yeah, i am going to keep my whole 'fueling of magic by the land thing' for another setting. Yes, in this setting the Spirit Stones are more linked to the land and therefore primal power sources (druid/ranger, some barbarians, etc.).
IF anyone every comes across one then I would simply probably let them attune to them for extra power. :)
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
in discussion Scales of War Campaign / Campaign Discussion » Loot From Keep Trask
Okay everyone. Don't print the PC Sheets, I will do that for tomorrow night.
I have fleshed out the magic items from above a little more to give them some 'grounding in the world'. Some may even have minor properties or quirks.
I am adding what you know to the PC sheets.
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
I feel like this would change arcane users to be 'roamers' of the land, trying to get into touch with more areas and spirit stones so that they have access to more spells, rather than your typical wizard stereotype of holing up somewhere to study as much as possible.
A similar mechanic to Domain spells could be introduced for spirit stone users, or the pool of spells you can draw from could be linked to what lands you've visited and connected with.
What classes are common amongst the Shentulka? I imagine they and the similar societies across the world are in better touch with the Spirit Stones than those who've built up in one place.
Are the spirit stones only in Elsir Vale or do they extend across the entire world? Are there spirit stones in the west where Khazus came from?
Thematically I feel like this would be an easy change to adapt for druids & rangers (getting magic from the land they serve and wander), whereas it would be more difficult to adapt for sorcerors & wizards. Not impossible though!
Cool. :D
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
Yea think I'll make him a druid rather than a cleric. Thinking it's going to fit better into the background I have in mind.
Chaotic Good: Governments should be afraid of their people.
Having thought on this, I don't think I will do anything dramatic with this setting.
The idea of Spirit Stones were more for the primal source anyway. Druids/shamans etc, so I might tie that in somehow, but leave my big magic by terrain thing for another setting ;)
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
Thanks Paddy.
What you are talking about are what we used to call (I forgot actually), but extra spell components you use to enhance/change the casting of spells.
I allow that AT ANY TIME. If you want to infuse a spell with a vial of red dragon blood then yeah, change the damage to fire. Certain gems are known for certain properties too as you are getting towards, but people don't typically carry around these Spirit Stones, they are like the beating heart of a biome/terrain. ;)
I am talking about a much bigger picture, not just the casting of spells. Though (like Dark Sun) maybe there is something we could do with that.
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
What if the stones have the possibility of imbuing the spells with extra affects/change its elemental affininity if it has one/increase dmg of spells that are in line with that stones affinity. this gets around the thornwaste thing unless it causes something unpredictable when attempting to do it there….
I guess one way this could work would be treating it as similair to wild magic and making people roll for it but instead of crazy stuff with the negative repercussions it could just be threshholds similair to how you treat other checks where each 5 we roll grants an extra affect.
Depending on the balance you could use a similair system to alchemical casting from the wizards school of invention class ability and ignore the need for mech armor or maybe spell casters have to attune to the power of the stone/obtain something to focus its power (not going to lie my brain went to the deltora quest books and getting all the gems in a belt hahaha).
Expend one additional spell slot when casting a spell.
1st-level slot allows you to manipulate the spell’s energy. When you cast a spell that deals acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, you can substitute that damage type for another one from that list. instead make it in line with that stones individual power or add it onto it?
A 2nd-level slot increases the spell’s raw force. If you roll damage for the spell when you cast it, increase that damage by 2d10 force damage against one of the spell’s targets (your choice) this turn
This could mean that the stones are accessible to all spell users as long as their spells have an affinity with said stones innate power.
Ta. There are a few of those out there. I looked at several versions of the races around the traps, but still felt none of them captured what I wanted for them ;)
Does this one do anything well that caught your eye?
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
I found a darksun pdf while searching around the other day. Thought you might want to check it out if you haven't seen it already. Here
Chaotic Good: Governments should be afraid of their people.
I have had an idea recently where all magic comes from the land itself. Instead of spells divided by class, they are divided into groups according to what each 'land/terrain' is matched with. I will do this one day (inspired by the Magic the Gathering's division by philosophy and function - which I am also going to do :P).
I was reading my '7 Things You Should Know About Elsir Vale' on its Home Page and the Spirit Stones for each terrain. I am now thinking I could do this terrain thing based upon the land and their spirit stones. BUT, we have gods so I think I would only make it arcane magics. What if arcane magic was powered by these power stones?
I could just say primal magic is (like what druids and rangers) use. That would require no changes to the spell lists. Might be interesting trying to channel primal magic when stones are gone though? (Like the Thornwaste).
Hmmm. Thoughts?
1. Stones just linked to primal - leave setting/spell lists. (Do the land and spell lists in another setting).
2. Go for it. Link arcane magic to the lands and divide the arcane spell lists up accordingly.
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
The Water Cleric features can stay. Might not get a lot of use, but that is the perks of taking a water guy on a desert world. ;)
For vehicles, I would say any one group from our lists. Very little wheeled, no oared, some sailing vessels on the Sea of Silt.
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
Not sure about looting the druid list, as there are druids, but it probably makes a better list ;) The spells you have there seem fair. :)
Just remember, any spell requiring water components I will be requiring a check. ie. they will not always be successful. Summoning water and particularly ice (not really thematic at all) will be difficult :)
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman
I've sort of taken some from cleric lists, some from druid is that ok given they are more elemental than either of those?
Maybe I should remake as an elemental druid?
Cantrips: Resistance, Hydraulic Push or Primal Savagery (PCC) ?, Shape Water (XGE)?
Domain Spells: Create or Destroy Water, Purify Food & Drink
1st Level Spells: Absorb Elements (XGE), Ice Knife (XGE), Snare (XGE), Bane, Bless, Cure Wounds, Detect Magic, Guidling Bolt, Protection from Evil & Good, Shield of Faith, Quick Breath (PCC), Animate Water (PCC)
Not sure about Domain power as per the en5ider article as they are water vehicle prof, swimming = land speed & double prof in swimming/floating.
Chaotic Good: Governments should be afraid of their people.
