Friendship is Dragons
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Page 142 - Different Kind of Bored
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Newbiespud
30th Jun 2012, 6:00 AM
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And I didn´t know Spiel des Jahres was recognized outside of germany. I just figured every country has some similar award.
An HOUR? Good lord!
And I hadn't heard of Nine Men's Morris before. I might give it a shot.
Crappiest selection of board games ever? So, no Apples to Apples?
...Not even checkers?
And I hadn't heard of Nine Men's Morris before. I might give it a shot.
Crappiest selection of board games ever? So, no Apples to Apples?
...Not even checkers?
You think I wouldn't have checked the internet?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_men%27s_morris
It's a different game. And it's interesting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_men%27s_morris
It's a different game. And it's interesting.
nice! a animated avatar!
...sadly,I only have settelers of catan out of those games. You NEED 3 players for that game.
...sadly,I only have settelers of catan out of those games. You NEED 3 players for that game.
There's a two-player variant in the Barbarians and Traders expansion, but it doesn't help much.
Basically, it works like this: On your turn, roll twice. If the rolls are the same, reroll both. Otherwise, both effects apply. Then, every time you build a settlement or road, you must also build for one of two "imaginary" players (for free) who otherwise do nothing. It's incredibly boring.
Basically, it works like this: On your turn, roll twice. If the rolls are the same, reroll both. Otherwise, both effects apply. Then, every time you build a settlement or road, you must also build for one of two "imaginary" players (for free) who otherwise do nothing. It's incredibly boring.
If the game is taking that long all the time, you're probably doing something wrong.
Super long games of Monopoly generally mean people aren't trading well and/or they are using the 'free parking jackpot' house rule.
Super long games of Monopoly generally mean people aren't trading well and/or they are using the 'free parking jackpot' house rule.
Now that I think about it, that kind of sounds like a welfare state. Except without the bureaucratic waste.
As for selling/trading property, generally properties can't have their value measured in money alone, and when trading two or more properties, the value of one goes up drastically if it completes a set. Or if it's Boardwalk or Parkplace. Adam Smith help you if the same player snatches both up before anyone else gets a chance.
Why are properties so much more valuable in the hands of players than their face value on the board? One word: Hotels. Is it just me or does it not quite make sense to charge someone more for rent than what the original land cost?
Yes, the Free Parking Jackpot: Stop using that house rule, it makes the game take much longer because it shifts the base money flow to be from the bank to the players. It also tends to make the winner random.
JSYK: This is one of the best examples of a bad house rule in existence. It's not only a rule which a lot of people use, (often not even realizing it's a house rule), but it is also a horridly bad rule.
And yes, the value of properties is not in direct concordance with the price on the board and changes based on what else you have: This is why trading is so important! When you trade with another player, it helps _both_ of you. In fact, one of the most common misconceptions that leads to poor trading is the belief that you have to 'win' the trades.
For most people, 'fixing' Monopoly means correcting 4 things that they are actually getting wrong:
1) Free Parking is just free parking. Nothing bad happens, but there is no reward either.
2) Trade, trade, trade! You don't need to win them, just profit from them.
3) If you land on an unowned property, someone _is_ going to buy it. If nothing else, someone will bid $1 just to be able to mortgage it.
4) There are 12 hotels and 32 houses, _NO MORE_. Part of the price of a hotel is turning in 4 houses and you can't replace that with extra cash.
JSYK: This is one of the best examples of a bad house rule in existence. It's not only a rule which a lot of people use, (often not even realizing it's a house rule), but it is also a horridly bad rule.
And yes, the value of properties is not in direct concordance with the price on the board and changes based on what else you have: This is why trading is so important! When you trade with another player, it helps _both_ of you. In fact, one of the most common misconceptions that leads to poor trading is the belief that you have to 'win' the trades.
For most people, 'fixing' Monopoly means correcting 4 things that they are actually getting wrong:
1) Free Parking is just free parking. Nothing bad happens, but there is no reward either.
2) Trade, trade, trade! You don't need to win them, just profit from them.
3) If you land on an unowned property, someone _is_ going to buy it. If nothing else, someone will bid $1 just to be able to mortgage it.
4) There are 12 hotels and 32 houses, _NO MORE_. Part of the price of a hotel is turning in 4 houses and you can't replace that with extra cash.
That said, having seen what a truly ruthless player can do in 'speed' monopoly, I have no desire to play it anymore.
Heh. I've played enough Carcassonne that I hold it to be a quirky idiosyncrasy of the game that I make jokes about.
For instance, the chalk outline: when a farmer ends up surrounded entirely by roads. It's a crime scene worthy of many tears.
For instance, the chalk outline: when a farmer ends up surrounded entirely by roads. It's a crime scene worthy of many tears.
Settlers of Catan? More like Settlers of RAGE. I have an incredible amount of difficulty playing that game without losing my temper. Oddly enough, I can play Monopoly without hating everyone in a four block radius just fine.
(Game continuing once we get a few more comments, as per Lynt's request. Tiffany/Horizon, feel free to spill your guts on the brother's backstory / Horizon's familiarity on it when I post the next update.)
I've played four out of the five games you've just mentioned, and a few other Spiel de Jahres winners and nominees: Qwirkle, Dixit, Stone Age... Yes, I am totally a gamer-nerd.
I’ve played a number of Eurogames, including Settlers of Cataan, but I’ve never been a big fan of the way they tend to go out of their way, sometimes fairly blatantly, to avoid conflict—often boiling down to “race games” instead. My allegiance is given largely to RPGs and historical wargames—Avalon Hill, SPI, GDW, and that lot.
The only conflict style game that seems to go over alright with my friends is "Chez Geek".
Well...you just have to look a little harder than usual to find the conflict. In a word: the robber. Hooooo boy the robber. It's like a hot potato for my conflict-averse friends.
And it's a weapon of gleeful destruction in my hands.
And it's a weapon of gleeful destruction in my hands.
Took me forever to figure it out.
when our GM needs to multiset, as we call it, we usually end up discussing our week, or looking stuff up on youtube.
i have a question to ask the comglomeration: i'm going to be in my first ever D&D game on monday (3.5e. i want to play a hig-dex character, but i'm unsure of which race/career is best suited for that. can anyone give me some advice?
i have a question to ask the comglomeration: i'm going to be in my first ever D&D game on monday (3.5e. i want to play a hig-dex character, but i'm unsure of which race/career is best suited for that. can anyone give me some advice?
3.5e, high-dex. I'd go with an elf (standard), gnome (secondary), or pixie (unusual) for race, and rogue, bard, or ranger for class. Alternatively, a specialist cleric, possibly multiclassed. Really, the only class where dex doesn't matter is generic cleric, or *maybe* a smashing-stuff-focused warrior type. But a klutzy wizard might be fun to play anyway.
First time poster, long time listener. ^^
@Newbiespud: I was introduced to MLP because of this wonderful series. I just wanted to say, thank you.
If you take Bronymous' advice for a Ranger then i suggest you keep your Str at at least 11. If your DM is a stickler for the encumberance rules then that will give you enough strength for a chain shirt, two scimitars and ... a full waterskin. Regardless, dual wield is a LOT of fun. I have a Rashemi (Forgotten Realms) Bard idea that attempts to dual wield moon blades.
For an interesting Dex build, I suggest a Rogue/Scout combination particularly if your DM allows the "Complete" series of supplements. It's probably not a build for first timers, but will consistently sneak attack/skirmish for fireball levels of damage once a round (3d6 @1, 18d6 @20). You will always get this damage on a normal non-fortified enemy.
Human is always a solid racial choice, that extra early feat (and bonus skill point) is potentially very useful.
@Newbiespud: I was introduced to MLP because of this wonderful series. I just wanted to say, thank you.
If you take Bronymous' advice for a Ranger then i suggest you keep your Str at at least 11. If your DM is a stickler for the encumberance rules then that will give you enough strength for a chain shirt, two scimitars and ... a full waterskin. Regardless, dual wield is a LOT of fun. I have a Rashemi (Forgotten Realms) Bard idea that attempts to dual wield moon blades.
For an interesting Dex build, I suggest a Rogue/Scout combination particularly if your DM allows the "Complete" series of supplements. It's probably not a build for first timers, but will consistently sneak attack/skirmish for fireball levels of damage once a round (3d6 @1, 18d6 @20). You will always get this damage on a normal non-fortified enemy.
Human is always a solid racial choice, that extra early feat (and bonus skill point) is potentially very useful.
I'm more partial to Red Dragon Inn, though not so much its latest expansion.
This session, Stairc had completed the out-of-combat talents for our ponies, and we got great milage out of them!
Pony Tales: Aspirations of Harmony
Session 01 - The Mystery at Winter's End
Session 02 - Like a Ship Over Troubled Firestorm (NEW!)
Prologue Fanfiction
Chapter 01 - Inky Quills: Runaway Writer (By Ranubis) (NEW!)
Chapter 02 - Soaring Song, Quiet Giant (By Oblivious) (NEW!)
Resources
Player Cheat Sheet
NPC Cheat Sheet (Updated!)
NPC Cheat Sheet (Spoiler Free Version) (Updated!)
Fun Stuff!
Photo of the Current Party (Say hi to Stylus!) (NEW!)
A Quick Little Gag Battle Photo (NEW!)
Stylus (NEW!)
All hail Heat Wave, the living jinx!
It's hard to call her a jinx when she survived, despite all probability being horribly against her favor. She effectively won the lottery by not dying.
Or it's the opposite way around: The Lady despises her, but Fate won't let her die without a considerable fight (He has plans for her, random ignitions be damned!).
What the...
I... Is this what I should expect from my game 9_6. Things being loopy?
Seriously, Heat Wave. That's like getting struck by lightning twice while holding a Royal Flush.
In any case, you're right; some of the experience is lost in translation, and that's a shame. That's why we chat afterwards to make sure we have detailed notes for Karilyn's session summary, and try to get some of the smaller details in there, like some of the out of character dialogue and improvised jokes that make it to the in-character moments. Ultimately, this is all in good fun, and we're hoping to provide some related entertainment to anyone willing to pay attention to us goofballs post-session. Plus, it's a nice consolation for anyone who wanted in on this campaign, but couldn't make it/missed the cut-off/just barely missed being selected.
Personally, I'm waiting for the inevitable moment when Heat Wave asks Alcazar (Elements of Honesty are fun, aren't they?) exactly why they took so long.
Explaining how I was the first to destroy a major clue? That may be a bit more difficult.
I was one of those almost-barely-but-not-picked individuals, and I feel great sadness that I am not in the game.
http://thousandyearsunrise.deviantart.com/#/d55w7bi
A little something for you and your group. I'll post this again on the next comic, since it's technically Tuesday right now and I doubt that you'll see this.
A little something for you and your group. I'll post this again on the next comic, since it's technically Tuesday right now and I doubt that you'll see this.
We definitely saw it! As it was linked to hell and back up in our Skype chat room.
Anyone here play Civilization? No, not the Sid Meier variety, but the Avalon Hill variety that inspired the computer game of the same name. Although, speaking of Sid Meier's Civilization, I remember I once played a game of Civ II until around the year 2400. Good times.
Minesweeper is pretty fun too. Also, Uno.
Funny, I found my best games of chess were the ones in which the positions mattered more than the opponent. I've never been all that successful at the board, but my opponents generally find my games creative and entertaining. Some higher rated players preferred the risk of losing to me than the option of winning against stronger but duller players.
Then again, I consider 1. a3 e5, 2. Nc6 Ne7, 3. Nf3 d6, 4. d4 exd4, 5. Nxd4 c5, 6. Ndb5 d5, 7. Nxd5 Na6, 8. Nf6+ gxf6, 9. Nd6+ Kd7, 10. Nxf7+ resigns to be good comedy, so my judgment might be suspect.
Then again, I consider 1. a3 e5, 2. Nc6 Ne7, 3. Nf3 d6, 4. d4 exd4, 5. Nxd4 c5, 6. Ndb5 d5, 7. Nxd5 Na6, 8. Nf6+ gxf6, 9. Nd6+ Kd7, 10. Nxf7+ resigns to be good comedy, so my judgment might be suspect.
Once you know that four move pattern, it opens an amazing number of possibilities. It's amazing how many master class games have ended with play against that square even twenty to thirty moves later.
I'm also not going to underestimate anyone that demonstrates understanding that initiative is a commodity and that an advantage in space can be exploited against you.
As for the game, it was a game in which I moved my knights eight times in ten moves to good overall effect. The only one of them that could be criticized was the first, but sometimes you just have to play to your strengths without regard to norms, right?
I'm also not going to underestimate anyone that demonstrates understanding that initiative is a commodity and that an advantage in space can be exploited against you.
As for the game, it was a game in which I moved my knights eight times in ten moves to good overall effect. The only one of them that could be criticized was the first, but sometimes you just have to play to your strengths without regard to norms, right?
i suppose having your queen-side pawns destroyed, doubled pawns on the f file, your queen and king's rook forked at the same time as a discovered check does call for a speedy resignation.
you're right, i can't see the point of your first move. you might as well have played black.
i prefer Go over Chess.
you're right, i can't see the point of your first move. you might as well have played black.
i prefer Go over Chess.
That was exactly the point of the first move. I'm referring to the first knight's move, however. The Nimzovich Defense isn't very popular for a lot of reasons.
As for Go, it's a matter of tastes. I'll admit it's more complicated, but I've yet to see in it the same flexibility and humour I find in chess.
As for Go, it's a matter of tastes. I'll admit it's more complicated, but I've yet to see in it the same flexibility and humour I find in chess.
But... knights...
When I was very young I always opened with knights because I loved them so much. Alas, I never got particularly good at the game.
I wouldn't call Go complicated, but I agree it's a matter of taste. Also, in Go there's also a very simple mechanic for evening out skill advantage which is nice because it allows me to play any of my friends.
I do have a friend who is a HUGE fan of Shogi. To his mind, the more types of units, and the bigger the battlefield, the better.
When I was very young I always opened with knights because I loved them so much. Alas, I never got particularly good at the game.
I wouldn't call Go complicated, but I agree it's a matter of taste. Also, in Go there's also a very simple mechanic for evening out skill advantage which is nice because it allows me to play any of my friends.
I do have a friend who is a HUGE fan of Shogi. To his mind, the more types of units, and the bigger the battlefield, the better.
Oh, yeah, shogi is fantastic. I miss the option for closed positions, but the fact that it's almost entirely middle game is fantastic. It also offers great insight with regard to containing opposing pieces in a seemingly open position.
I generally prefer it as well, though my first two performances in the Canadian Open suggested otherwise. (Seven wins, one loss, and two draws with white. Two draws and eight losses with black.)
I heard of Catan but... not the others.
I was more a PayDay/SkipBo/Apples-2-Apples kind of player.
I was more a PayDay/SkipBo/Apples-2-Apples kind of player.
Haha! Kudos for the hat-tip to eurogames. It made me chuckle immensely.
Most of the board games I play couldn't be played in an hour...
Twilight Imperium and Diplomacy especially have absorbed far too much of my life. Settlers of Cataan is really nice-relaxing because you don't have the inevitable controversies that come up in other games.
Twilight Imperium and Diplomacy especially have absorbed far too much of my life. Settlers of Cataan is really nice-relaxing because you don't have the inevitable controversies that come up in other games.
Rolf
"Well, if you can think of something, feel free, so long as nobody gets hurt and it's showy enough. Theatre *is* mostly about improvisation."
The black mage beckons you and tells you to stand in a rune circle. He begins weaving enchantments on you of varying complexity (to prevent side-effects of your new form). As he finishes the final enchantment, he prepares for the polymorph spell, and quickly tells you:
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, this will probably hurt a lot."
Before you can object, he casts the spell on you. Needless to say, he was right, as most of your bones very painfully relocate, extend, subtract, and in one case, partially shatter. Your skin and muscles start vanishing, leaving behind a skeletal form with a shade of gray that would indicate ancient age. Your armor shifts a bit as well - turning from your usual "thug" outfit into a regal wizard's robe made of chain-links. As you attempt to speak, you "feel" sonic vibrations emanating from your now-exposed ribcage and out of your mouth. You try to touch where your eyeballs used to be, only to char your finger bone on the bright lights emanating from their sockets.
"Well, there you go, a bonafide lich, or at least, a close look-alike. I'd suggest staying the hell out of sight, unless you want to be smitten by an overzealous paladin. The spell should last at least 48 hours, but I'll remove it after the show."
You thank the mage, and mentally prepare youself as your part comes up. Time to be bad!
Skill challenge
Arcana -> Natural 1 + 8 -> Critical failure
Lore -> Natural 1 + 5 + 3 -> Critical failure
Diplomacy -> 9 + 8 -> 17 -> Success
(Blame the wizards of the coast.)
The cleric gives you one more speech before you enter the stage.
"Normally, one would say "break a leg", but that already happened today, plus, I hate theatre. So, uh, Good luck!"
You stride onto the stage. The audience gasps at your hideous visage. Caught up in the attention you consider using some magic to spice things up a bit. You quickly chant out a cantrip that would make the wind blow around you dramatically. Nothing happens. In panic, you realize that your new voice and lack of vocal organs is causing you to mispronounce some of the vocal components to your spells! You try to imagine how your skull would move, before realizing the audience is starting to get confused by your idleness. You quickly start to improvise, starting your villainous speeches. Thankfully, your lack of facial features kept your panic hidden, and your hideous visage is captifying the audience and boosting your lines. You try to ignore this setback and start to play out your dramatic speech to the hero...
...Before realizing you forgot what your character's actual name was. And that of the saint, for that matter. You stand with your hand in the air, frozen in hesitation, before blurting out a random name. The audience starts laughing, while the whisperers give you a glare that could kill.
In a final act of desperation, you skip some of the lines and prepare for the big finale - your dancing lights spell.
You stall for time with some dramatic arm flailing, getting your concentration up, before attempting to cast the spell. You breathe a sigh of relief (Or rather, you would, if you had a breath in this form) as you see your lights orbiting around you and flying towards the actor playing the saint. You watch in horror however, as the lights fly past your target and into the back stage. You manage to hit one of the stage hands in the face, blinding him and causing him to drop the rope that was holding a prop in place. You narrowly avoid getting beheaded (or be-skulled) by it, which is more than can be said for the saint, who got knocked off the stage.
Having nothing else to do, the audience starts laughing at the sole figure on the stage: you. It's magic kindergarten all over again. You bow your skull in defeat, before a single suicidal thought runs through your mind. The kind of thought that one instantly regrets thinking, let alone saying.
"Well, at least it can't get any worse..."
PS: Lyntermas, your character is put on pause for now - don't reply with him yet. I need to deal with the other players now before you can continue.
PPS: I'll give one more day for Zerbin to reply before replacing him (Anvildude would get priority in that case). I'll update the other characters soon.
*Perception check -> 6 -> Failure*
(No bonuses, due to focusing on Tiffany)
Under Horizon's coercing, Tiffany tells everything she knows. She's looking for the man on the poster because he's related to her, and he did a terrible crime. Listening to her tale, Horizon sees it's a classic case of revenge. Girl has guts, that's for sure. You tries to remember where you know the guy from, though. Judging from the story, you probably met him on one of your... errands, possibly as a witness you'll need to remove to keep your cases closed. You'll need to contact one of your business partners, in case they've heard of anything. Last time you checked, they were preparing for some hit at the booze competition. Or was it the pick & sweeps at the temple? Better check both. You'll might as well let the girl tag along too. Where to first, though...
Tiffany
*Perception check -> 19 + 3 -> Success*
(Bonus from looking in the right direction)
As the scary man interrogates you, you notice the same thief that tried to cut your purse earlier, sneaking up on Horizon, from the alley he ran into. He silently cuts loose one of his gold pouches. He sees you eyeing him and mouths a "shh" sound and a quick wink, before retreating into the darkness.
You could call a guard, but you'd hate yourself if the scary man took it the wrong way and killed him, not to mention what he might do to you. You probably should inform the scary man directly.
Then again...
"What do you say we find a place where we won't draw attention. I keep a room at a nearby inn; if this turns out to be as interesting as I hope, I'll need to retrieve the rest of my gear. Then we can plan out how to find this guy." Horizon begins walking at a brisk pace, pushing his way through the crowd again, making sure to shoot a smug look to the guard.
Horizon's jobs pay well enough to keep a room, and he rarely carries all of his gear if he is working inside the city. Fully equipped he wears a Breastplate, and Dual wields a Scimitar and his signature Kukri, as well as general purpose adventuring gear.
(She's wearing basic heavy armor so that might weigh her down.)
Horizon follows Tiffany, realizing his gold pouch is missing. You run off into the alley, attempting to catch the thief.
Horizon -> Local Lore Check -> 7+8 = 15
Horizon knows the streets well enough to follow the thief without getting lost or losing his track. As you chase after him, you hear a cry of surprise as he runs out of sight on a turn. Peeking behind the turn, you see a group of three thugs, who appear to be robbing a blind man. They quickly notice the thief, grab him and start beating him. One of the thugs takes his pouch and starts dangling it in front of the blind man to mock him. The thugs haven't noticed seen you yet, and are busy swindling the thief. You notice the following about the alley:
- There's a chained up, sleeping dog near to you...
- A rickety-looking ladder leading to the balconies, which goes right above the thugs...
- The back wall of the alley is casting very large shadows of anything in it's entrance...
- There's a very long clothes-drying rope hanging nearby with lots of bulky clothes. The rope is long enough to spread from one end of the alley to the other, or make a tool from...
- There's sinkhole in the alley: A hole leading into the sewers, that's been covered up with fabric to keep animals from getting in. The thugs are standing near it...
- The thugs look strong, but stupid. They don't have any armor, but you can see that two of them are armed with makeshift clubs, while the third one has a dagger.
(I have no idea how do to combat. Describe exactly how you plan on fighting, if you plan on fighting at all. I guess I'll try to judge from it, or have someone else judge "who wins" the fight)
"If I go up the ladder and drop down on the one with the knife, That may knock him out and the others can only dent my armor."
Tiffany started climbing up to the balcony after grabbing one end of the clothes line.
(Hey Zarhon? Can we send you PMs as basically notes?)
Tiffany stood on the balcony, ready to hop down and drop the clothes line as a distraction.
NO Intimidate check: the plan here is to goad them into getting close, and then having Tiffany drop on them. In the confusion, Horizon kills one quickly, then scares off the third, so as to further his reputation.
Perception Check: watching the thief, to make sure he doesn't run off.
(About to head out, last post of the night. Will pick up ASAP tomorrow).
Stealth check -> 10+3 = 13 -> Success
(Bonus for size, penalty for heavy armor and rickety ladder)
You carefully climb the ladder, making note not to make any noise with your armor. The ladder creaks with each step, but not loudly enough to alert the thugs. Your extra care also prevents you from stepping with your full weight on a broken rung on the ladder as well. You reach the balcony and silently take position above the thug that's mocking the old man.
Horizon
"Yours? I don't see you name on it, stranger... And we DON'T take idly to threats on our turf."
The two thugs approach you, while the dagger thug turns around and makes sure the thief doesn't try anything funny.
Battle
(Winning rolls kill/incapacitate opponents, losing rolls miss / prolong the fight)
Tiffany -> 19 + 8 = 27 -> Success
(Bonus for surprise, momentum from the fall+weapon, heavy weight from armor)
Tiffany drops down directly onto the knife thug, crushing him with both her hammer and the weight of her own armor.
He's knocked out instantly, but Tiffany is knocked to the ground as well. The thief yells in surprise, distracting the other two thugs.
Horizon -> 9+5= 14 -> Success
Using the confusion, Horizon quickly slices one of the thugs in the back, killing him. The last thug is now completely confused and terrified. He sidesteps around you, and runs away.
Horizon -> Perception check -> 17 + 8 = 25 -> Success
The thief considered running away, but quickly dismissed the idea after you shot an angry glance at him. On one hand, he's feeling grateful for not being beaten anymore. On the other hand, he's terrified of you both. He quietly asks not to be killed, sweating. Meanwhile, the blind old man stands up and starts walking towards Tiffany. "What's going on? Who's there? Did you get rid of those pests? I may be blind, but I know a fight when I hear one!"
Horizon sheathes his Kukri; he has no intention of using it on Tiffany. However, he does keep a firm grip on the thief, ready to kill him at a moment's notice.
(Now, for a flash back)
Tiffany ran into a closet in a small cottage that she lived in with her parents, hiding as she saw an intimidating teen walk by, hold a sword covered in blood.
She crouched down in the corner as she heard yelling and then the sound of a fight going on.
She yelped as there was a loud thump at the closet door. She looked up as blood pooled in and she heard something growling outside of the door.
Tiffany screamed as the closet door opened.
(End flashback.)
I was wondering why you were just gonna sit there and let me kill him.
"Calm down girl! Here, keep the pouch. You sound like you need this more than I do. And judging from your... friend...
*He points with his cane vaguely in Horizon's direction*
"...I wouldn't be able to sleep guilt-free, knowing how he might have earned it. Still, I'm grateful for someone taking care of those ruffians, so his secrets are safe with me if he so desires. They've been ambushing people for weeks, as well as shaking down the local beggars for fun."
*The thug Tiffany landed on groans. The blind man whacks him a few times with his walking cane*
"Why are you sticking with the guy anyway? You don't sound like the kind of girl to require his... services."
I'm going to send you another PM soon with a description of her brother.
"Hah, only thing I've got to worry about are open pits in the road. Tell me, what does this "someone" look like? I'm blind, but that doesn't mean I haven't heard of him from some of my brothers-in-fortune, who happen to see better than I do.."
*He hands you a small dove made of wire*
"It's his birthday, and I owe it to him. He'll know who it's from. He squats around the temple's graveyard usually. Just be careful, he's a bit bitey to strangers."
*He turns to leave after that, nearly tripping on one of the thugs*
Horizon begins walking back to the alley entrance. "I still need to gather my equipment. Either come with me, or take him to jail, if you must, and meet me by the Temple gardens at dusk."
(You could roll a check to see if the theif dies instantly or is bleeding out, if you plan on using him. Just a suggestion).
Skitter
You bump into another kobold that was running with a bag much larger than himself. The collision causes him to drop the bag, spilling most of it's contents:
-Four rolled-up scrolls, sealed with a familiar-looking wax seal
-A bubbling potion, contained within a cushioned box
-A kobold-sized robe, that seems oddly familiar
-A small, white, shining gem
-A sealed crate
-An amulet with a blood-red gem
-A pouch with some kind of powdery substance
You recover from the collision quickly, but the other kobold is slightly dazed, spewing random profanities as it tries to regain it's senses. You've seen his kind before: "Good-runners", Kobolds specialized in transferring goods, messages, equipment. They'd be the go-to lackeys for when you need something dangerous sent and don't particularly care about who sends it, whilst avoiding treachery: They're ordered to never question (or even look at) the goods they're carrying, under penalty of death (Which is why the job is offered as an alternative to execution). They're mostly harmless, unless you try to hamper their task. Must be some kind of errand for a local big-shot.
(You can do three actions at most before he regains his composure, after which he'll try to pick up anything he assumes was part of his cargo, or notices you stealing... Roll perception for each item, +5 for any you attempt to take)
Post-ninja edit: Bah, should have thought of that. Oh well! I'll have to
It seems Tiffany's going to join a team of neutral/evil characters. *snickers.*
And for the record, I'm chaotic good, not neutral.
Skitter
Nonlethal attack -> 12 + 8 = 20 Success
Stealth Check -> 9 + 5 = 14 Success
Your subterfuge knocks him out cold, without anyone noticing. He won't be getting up anytime soon. You help yourself to the spilled items, but find the crate too bulky to conceal on your person (You have to hold it). You could take his whole sack, but it seems pretty heavy and it might arouse unwanted attention, as you'd seem like an easy target lugging that thing around.
(How exactly will you deal with the sack and spilled items? Tell me what you plan on inspecting. Keep in mind that the open street isn't a safe/easy place to be inspecting the items.)
If I were to metagame, though, I would tell Ramsus that he could get away with carrying the whole sack without too much suspicion. Most people on the street would just assume he is one of those "good-runners". A Kobold is a Kobold, no one is going to know any better.
He should also put on the amulet and robe, unseal the scrolls, bust open the crate, suck on the gem, snort the powder and down the potion. DO IT DO IT DO IT!
Having gathered up all the items, he looks around. He spots someone dragging another someone off somewhere heading his direction. He calls out to them, "Excuse me person-dragging-other-person, would you happen to be heading to a temple? Your....friend there looks injured and as you can see so is mine and I'm worried he might have taken a serious blow to the head. I wouldn't feel right just leaving him alone but, well my claws are full, and I see you have a person-not-currently-dragging-a-person with you." At this he gives the pair a (potentially?) friendly smile. Well it involves showing a lot of teeth anyway.
Horizon is suspicious of the Kobold's intent, (and distrusts him outright) but this is a solid deal to him; Horizon will not intentionally break the deal, and if the Kobold does, he keeps the sack full of potential loot.
Perception check; trying to determine what is in the sack.
Perception Check -> 17 Success
You peek quickly into the bag. You partially see some kind of rough cloth-like material, as well as a oval, iron container of some sort.You also take note of the potion the kobold is holding. The special packaging of it hints that the potion itself is either very sensitive, fragile, and/or expensive. You can't see it's liquid contents without removing the potion from it first.
Here's a quick status check:
Tiffany & Skitter -> Dragging a kobold and a thug through a busy street.
Horizon -> Heading to a pub with the sack and other items.
Rolf -> At the temple theatre,
Edit in response to GM edit: Hmm, we could use some kind of healer.
Tiffany sighed, starting to drag the Thug.
Edit : I agree with Ramasus. We need a healer and I'm not going to take a level in paladin or cleric.
Skitter and Tiffany drag their respective bodies towards the jail. A guard eventually notices the odd duo and asks what are they doing.
Edit for Ramsus: Well, I figure Horizon is a alchemist of sorts, Tiffany might be a paladin/cleric/templar of some sort, Rolf might know some basic restorative magic ("Name ONE wizard without healing spells that didn't die horribly")
Edit: And I guess Skitter being trained in poisons would also know he meant how to cure them. Probably. One would hope. Sheesh!
Edit 2: Rincewind? =P
Ah, going to send the GM a note in a few minutes concerning the off chance that I have to leave.
Vaarsuvius from 'The Order of the Stick?'
The guards take note of your story and drag their respective individuals. With nothing else to do, you figure you should go to the temple now. (Feel free to strike up a conversation)
Horizon, I suggest you "gear up" with your equipment and head on over to the temple. You can also check through the items you were given without Skitter knowing, as long as you don't tamper with them in any visible way (e.g. opening the crate, unsealing the scrolls - You'll have to roll forgery afterwards to see if it can be restored).
Tiffany thought there was an awkward silence going on.
"Um, where do you hail from?" She asked Skitter.
Is he being evasive? Is he just stupid? Inquiring minds might possibly sorta care to know if they were bored enough!
Well, She dealt with a few people like that.
Edit: Skitter, roll to figure out her brother's eyes.
Edit : Finally sent a PM to Zarhon.
"Your brother wouldn't happen to be a vampire would he? Are you a vampire? You don't look like one."
Just noticed this >.<.
That, and you just more or less casually revealed yourself as being vampire-related to Tiffany.
Man, Tiffany sure is an evil-guy magnet.)
Just so we're all on the same page, Horizon has returned to the inn and is having an uneventful rest of the day, right? I'm just gonna wait for my cue.
@ Horizon: Yeah, I assume you went to the inn, had a drink or two, got your stuff (maybe did something with the sack or it's contents), then went along to the temple, getting there an hour or so before Skitter and Tiffany (Dragging people takes time). Describe how you approach the temple, what you do while waiting there, etc...
edit: re-read the description, updated it a bit
Whatever, its not important, I guess. I'm sure you'll straighten everything out.
Horizon arrives at the rear of the temple gardens just as the sun dips below the rooftops. In addition to his regular clothes, he now wears a matte grey breastplate with dark blue detail, a matching closed-face helm, gauntlets and boots, and a black hooded cloak. The cloak conceals his Scimitar and Kukri, as well as several pouches. Among the contents of the pouches are 5 Alchemist's Fires, the necessary equipment and ingredients to make more, an empty journal, and two waterskins. Horizon is carrying the Kobold's sack, with some difficulty due to the extra weight. He stops to rest against a tree, and takes note of the festivities to take place. Deciding that is where the two are likely to show, he shifts his load around and makes for the temple gates.
(It just occured to me our characters don't know each other's names).
edit: ninja'd. ok, ignore my first paragraph.
Tiffany started to approach, looking around at all the decorations. "Wow." She whispered.
You wait patiently for your unlikely companion. A few minutes of waiting later, you notice a man in a familiar robe walk past, entering one of the temple side doors. A few minutes after that, you see a pair of similarly-clothed individuals enter the theater crowd, one of them carrying a sack, similar to the one by your feet. You don't manage to get a good look at any of them personally though.
Chronology status update:
- Horizon is patiently waiting for Tiffany and Skitter, who should arrive soon. He just saw some hooded figures.
- Tiffany & Skitter are approaching the temple.
- Rolf hasn't started his acting part yet, but will soon.
(Horizon, will you keep waiting, or try to do something before Tiff & Skitter reach you? Think 15-30 mins leeway)
"We, Ryus, seem to breed like rabbits." -Ratatosk (Who has seven kids at that point in the RP)
(He couldn't track the pair that went into the crowd, but he's certain that they haven't left it - there's more or less just two proper way into it: the side your looking at, and the still-covered up theater door. The rest is walled off with shop stalls and makeshift fences.)
As he explains, he looks at Skitter suspiciously. What's his part in all of this?
Edit: (Going to sleep now. Talk it out a bit, discuss your plans/theories, possibly roll on examining the sack's contents, or make your own assumptions on them and how you'd like to treat them. I'll update events and what the items are tommorow.)
Edit edit: If new strip is up tommorow, I'll continue on that page.
"Before anything else, there's the matter of my payment. In light of our current situation, I'll give you a choice: Show all of us each item in the sack, or give me just one." Horizon holds the bag out as if to give it to him, but holds it up, just out of reach.
He considers his options. "Option one then. Let's see what we got." said Skitter, completely forgetting he was supposed to be pretending he was the rightful owner of its contents.
(Also, guess it was Lyntermas' turn to sit around watching people RP. Man, we split the party before the game even started. =P )
Speaking of waiting, DM's not here to tell us what we've won, so we have two options: we either bookmark it here and come up with a general gameplan for tomorrow, or we keep playing, ignoring DM absence, and then tell him what happened since he left (which will almost undoubtedly end with us rewinding to this point anyway and playing it right).
So, any ideas?
My character's plan was to go backstage, apologize to the cleric, get changed back, and see if they were still selling cheap beer at the tavern.
My plan was to go backstage, apologize to the cleric, and find out that the black mage has disappeared under mysterious cirucumstances.
However, I now think I won't even make it THAT far.
edit: I made a song for our new mascot (Lighthearted tune like "It's Quagmire")
Lurking in the shadows one cold night
A pair of red eyes is a man’s last sight
His blood is drained, his skin turns white
Who’s that small figure in the pale moonlight?
It’s Skitter, the Dhampir Kobold
Bloody-thirsty abomination who’s as cute as can be
It’s Skitter, the Dhampir Kobold
“If you kill them in the dark, their stuff is free.”
Neither will probably happen.
But yeah, probably not gonna happen.
P.S. Is it just me or are the ComicFury servers really slow today? I haven't been able to download today's artwork because it keeps timing out on me.
Hoosier Hooves... would that be the group in Bloomington that I can't seem to ever find? They need a forum that's not on Facebook, darnit.
As a result, whenever I've played Elfenland, I've always been either too young to understand the directions, or too old to remember the language in which the directions are written. As such, I just sort of place tiles in such a manner that there is a valid transportation path to every tile on the map.
It says a lot about me that whenever confronted with any game even remotely near 4X, I generally ignore the competitive aspects entirely and just focus on building infrastructure and upgrading my cities.
Having worked for about four years at a game shop, yes, I have played (and own) many of these games. Still prefer Thunderstone to Dominion, though.
Cleric, The Unicorn Stallion named Sun Flair
Paladin, The Pegasus Stallion named Stormy Skies
Rogue, The Pegasus Mare named Mist Walker
Ranger/Guide, The Earth Pony Trap I mean Stallion Mountian Falls
Fighter, The Earth Pony Stallion Dodgeball
Wizard, The Unicorn Stallion Strangeknot
Ah well, that's your decision. Could I sit in on the session and observe, at least?
And this will give me more time to work on a homebrew system of my own. It's still got a ways to go before it's playable, though.
*You know, thinking about it now, it was very Gary Stu-ish. Then again, I was merely trying to follow Twilight's example while toning it down a bit, and she's like the queen of Mary Sue.
Grey gave me an idea of a set up session. The session will be solely/mostly for helping one another with and bouncing ideas for the battle system and Cutie marks. What time is good for everypony?
And possibly figuring out the following
1.) Good days to have the session
2.) How to get the game to flow easily
3.) Character sheets
4.) A quirk related to the Elements of Harmony that I've got to think over a bit
If we're just looking for openings one day at a time, this Tuesday should work based on what Greywander and Oblivious have said works for them.
I'm good tuesday this week and then, for the most part, Wednesdays are my free day. Friday too but that's not certian.
Monday and tuesday(Maybe) I might get home early enough for the game to go on but not certian.
thur Sat Sun- Not a chance. out all night.
all right. got to Chatzy.com (It makes free chat rooms) and enter /68343624174012 after the com
I'll be in the room all night checking in case we can get the setup session in tonight.
Going to give a big Fluttershy "yay" to Scotland Yard. There are VERY few truly cooperative board games, and that one is amazing. It also helps being a serious anglophile.
For those who aren't familiar with the game, one of the players takes the role of Mr./Mrs. X, and the other players are detectives from Scotland Yard tasked with bringing the criminal to justice by, literally, doing a dragnet in the streets and byways of London using taxis, buses, and the underground to get around.
The criminal's token is hidden except on specific turns when it is tantalizingly revealed. The only piece of knowledge the detectives are given on any other turn, is the chain of modes of transportation their quarry has used.
The detectives win if they either land on the criminal's location (node) or surrounding the criminal completely within 30 turns. Otherwise, the criminal slips away.
It's tremendous fun.
For those who aren't familiar with the game, one of the players takes the role of Mr./Mrs. X, and the other players are detectives from Scotland Yard tasked with bringing the criminal to justice by, literally, doing a dragnet in the streets and byways of London using taxis, buses, and the underground to get around.
The criminal's token is hidden except on specific turns when it is tantalizingly revealed. The only piece of knowledge the detectives are given on any other turn, is the chain of modes of transportation their quarry has used.
The detectives win if they either land on the criminal's location (node) or surrounding the criminal completely within 30 turns. Otherwise, the criminal slips away.
It's tremendous fun.
A cursory reading of the rules of Caper shows that there are fewer players, the thief gets a lot of turns, but with less movement than a detective. There are many ways for the thief to announce what they are doing at any given time. The thief has to run to one of three exits. And dice are involved.
So, thematically similar, but functionally very different?
So, thematically similar, but functionally very different?
You know, I feel so accomplished at having played every game Newbiespud mentioned! Well, except Scotland Yard...