METACHAT: The Unburning (D&D5e)

Talk about things that are not making games here. But you should also make games!

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Bob the Hamster
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Post by Bob the Hamster »

This campaign has slowed down a lot--

I know that is partly due to people being busy with other things

But I am sure it may also be partly due to people getting bored with the story. I have been listening to a lot of Role-Playing game podcasts, and I am learning things, and I think this story would benefit a lot from people having more input into the world and into the scenarios that your characters are put into.

We have been playing this as me having total control over the setting and all the NPCs, and you all having control over just your own characters.

I think that would work okay for a smaller party, and it would work okay if we were playing in something closer to real-time.

With the big group and the slow timescale, and now all of the characters split up and doing different things in different parts of the city, I would like to invite any players who are interested to offer ideas for things that could happen in OTHER people's sidequests.

For example, if somebody wants to jump in and temporarily become an existing NPC, just do it. Like if somebody wants to play the part of one of the Chefs that Cece is interacting with, or if somebody wants to become the voice of the Noble who is chatting up Evangeline, feel free to do it.

You could also make suggestions for things that you would like to exist in the setting. Want to describe a part of a building that we haven't described yet? Suggest a street in some district were a certain type of business is common? Suggest an event or festival that happens to be happening tonight? Anything that gives your character an opportunity to do something you think they might need to do

I think we have been at this long enough that any of you will be able to fit the tone of the campaign, and if anybody happens to post as an NPC who is secretly an important part of a future subquest, I can just PM you with extra info that NPC needs to be aware of.

I didn't suggest this when we first started because I didn't have the Dungeon-Mastering experience to know it might work out well, and because I didn't realize how easy it would be for me to come up with ways to re-organize and adapt my plans for future subquests as you guys do surprising things in the current quests that I had not planned for.
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Gizmog
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Post by Gizmog »

God, I've been busy as hell recently, sorry. I'm not bored with the plot at all, I think this is probably the most invested I've been in a game's plot. I love your suggestions though, because roleplaying is ultimately collaborative story-telling. If Normin wants to eat a bacon and egg sandwich, that's great. He doesn't need to ask the DM if the Earl of Sandwich has made his way to Middle Earth yet.

I'm especially glad to hear that it's okay to play NPCs. Lemme tell you about my boy, Shaquille. Shaquille used to be a big time adventurer like you or me. He danced with the elves, he sang with the mermaids, and one crazy Thanksgiving, he may even have eaten a baby with the goblins. But that's all in the past. Shaquille runs a shop in the ugly side of town. It's a good shop where you can find almost any kind of adventuring gear you want. Any hero worth his salt knows Shaquille and knows that he always pays top dollar. Some heroes know a little more than that: Shaquille cannot say no if you offer him the same deal three times. It doesn't bother him or anything, that'd be an Austin Powers ripoff. Instead, it's the curse of a mad Dwarven God of Commerce, whose poisonous ramblings insist that any deal stricken is better than no deal at all! So grab a copper piece and head to the ugly side of town. Shaq's lights are on, and he's waiting for you.
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Bob the Hamster
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Post by Bob the Hamster »

Haha!

Shaquille is now canon! :)

I might nerf his product if the deal is game-breakingly good, but that is golden :)

Does Cece already know about him?
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Bob the Hamster
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Post by Bob the Hamster »

a crumpled leaflet on Polypantehonic Temple letterhead wrote: Barbalek - Mad Dwarven God of Commerce

~Whose poisonous ramblings insist that any deal stricken is better than no deal at all!

Considered to be a god of middling importance among the secretive dwarves of the distant quartz-dust mountains, Barbalek enjoys tiny followings in many cities due to his willingness to either bless or curse traveling merchants for mere passing contact with his devout. He has no temple in Great Bakak, but a cubby-shrine to him is available for worship at the Polypantheonic Temple. Contact High Priest Lenny for rental availability.
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Post by Newbie Newtype »

Can I have the process of changing the security from an alarm that murders people and makes people feel unwelcome to some kind of arcane barrier/locked doors & windows done off-screen? the intention was that it seemed really easy to get our priceless artifact by just breaking some windows and unlocking the door by reaching around, but I feel like the system that was implemented instead causes unwanted strife.
<TheGiz> oh hai doggy, oh no that's the straw that broke tjhe came baclsb
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Gizmog
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Post by Gizmog »

Cece's probably heard the name Shaquille and might know in-passing where it is, but she's never actually shopped there or met the guy.
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Bob the Hamster
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Post by Bob the Hamster »

Ooh, I have the perfect idea for an already-planned NPC who should know about (and actively exploit) Shaquille's secret.

They haven't shown up in-game yet, and only one of you might already know them
Last edited by Bob the Hamster on Thu Mar 23, 2017 10:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Bob the Hamster
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Post by Bob the Hamster »

Newbie Newtype wrote:Can I have the process of changing the security from an alarm that murders people and makes people feel unwelcome to some kind of arcane barrier/locked doors & windows done off-screen? the intention was that it seemed really easy to get our priceless artifact by just breaking some windows and unlocking the door by reaching around, but I feel like the system that was implemented instead causes unwanted strife.
Yep :)

Would you prefer:

A) having it be something that Normin works out with Instructor Vulgate off-camera sometime tonight or in the morning?

B) Put Ursula in charge of dealing with it

C) Something else?
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Post by Newbie Newtype »

A. Normin can propose a redesign to be something more akin to fortifying the fire house but allowing access with something that works like a key that all of the characters have a copy of.

Also, in the Queen Arkwyn game, it had occurred to me that the Father Cygnus plotline is probably going to be lost, but perhaps such a mystery could be solved by a team of ragtag fire fighters
<TheGiz> oh hai doggy, oh no that's the straw that broke tjhe came baclsb
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Gizmog
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Post by Gizmog »

Newbie Newtype wrote:A. Normin can propose a redesign to be something more akin to fortifying the fire house but allowing access with something that works like a key that all of the characters have a copy of.

Also, in the Queen Arkwyn game, it had occurred to me that the Father Cygnus plotline is probably going to be lost, but perhaps such a mystery could be solved by a team of ragtag fire fighters
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EDIT: Crazy fact: Triforcing breaks the preview feature!
Last edited by Gizmog on Thu Mar 23, 2017 11:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Spoonweaver
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Post by Spoonweaver »

Yea, sorry about not posting.

It's partly to blame on Zelda, mostly to blame on the fact that I'm getting married on the 1st or April.
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Bob the Hamster
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Post by Bob the Hamster »

Congratulations! :D
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Gizmog
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Post by Gizmog »

Congratulations, indeed! And great thinking having the anniversary on April Fool's Day, so if you forget, it's just a clever joke!
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Post by Spoonweaver »

Gizmog wrote:Congratulations, indeed! And great thinking having the anniversary on April Fool's Day, so if you forget, it's just a clever joke!
Indeed.
:V

And thank you
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Gizmog
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Post by Gizmog »

Spoonweaver wrote: as if she were changing the bandages of a rotten wound on a urine soaked goblin elder.
God, I know that feeling.
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