Advice for PbP [4e]

[horngeek]

Okay. I've just volunteered to DM a Play by Post game for the first time (and am currently wondering what I may have gotten myself into ).

Here's my question: for 4th Edition, using a battle-map of some sort comes highly recommended (for reasons I very much understand). So, here's my question: where can I find a good site to make battle-maps?

[Another_Poet]

There's not a single good answer to this.

Maptool has a good setup, but is meant more for play by chat.

What most DMs do is just draw maps and post them in the thread, using Paintbrush and an image hosting site, or ASCII characters.

You might consider sending a private message to a Shhalahr_Windrider and asking about the software he developed for an easily updated PbP map. I'm not sure if he's sharing it yet or not but it looks like he finally got all the bugs worked out.

[horngeek]

I tried PMing him, and it said 'invalid user specified'.

I'd prefer not to have to draw my own maps, partially because my drawing, quite frankly, sucks.

[Malek]

I use combination Gametable (with some modification that allows for status icons for 4e statuses) + Token Tool (the later from the same place where maptool comes) for PBF maps. Gametable is inferior to Maptool, but allows for export of the whole map to an image. Tokens are done with Token Tool obviously, maps might be a problem though unless you have an idea where to fetch some tiles or premade maps.

[Koboldshroud]

Try asking someone who does like drawing to do the map for you, you just provide the guide lines, failing that, Doesnt mythweavers make maps/ (not sure, i just think i read it somewhere)

[Ichneumon]

1 advise: ignore initiative. It takes to long for everybody to wait until it is their turn.

[horngeek]

1 advise: ignore initiative. It takes to long for everybody to wait until it is their turn.

Yeah, I'm not going to ignore it entirely (since it is an important part of the rules) but allies who aren't separated by an enemy's turn are going to be considered to have equal initiative.

[Mando Knight]

Yeah, I'm not going to ignore it entirely (since it is an important part of the rules) but allies who aren't separated by an enemy's turn are going to be considered to have equal initiative.

I'd simplify it a bit more: Grouped initiative: Good guys, then bad guys, or vice-versa.

Either good guys always go first, or one guy rolls Initiative for the whole group... I'd go with the slowest one, but that nerfs some of the stuff available to Rogues and Rangers, but depending on the team, the other way could mean that the players always go first because the Rogue/Ranger/Monk has ridiculous Initiative. You could also do unmodified d20 checks, with any bonuses based on party-wide initiative modifiers, like a Warlord or everyone having Quick Draw...

You could also check the average initiative bonuses between the parties and the monsters, and the ones with the higher average bonus goes first...

[Swordgleam]

You can play 4e without a map. Just go with "he's right next to you" (1 square), "he's a few paces away" (2-5 squares), "he's a little ways away" (6-10 squares), etc. Then be lenient on the ranges of things.