Circle of Life's Red Hand of Doom OOC Thread

[Circle of Life]

Prologue/IC Thread/OOC Thread/Die Rolling Thread

{table=head]Player|PC
Fireheart|Charivaeri
OMG PONIES|Roni
TekHed|Auran
Sallera|Faien[/table]

Given the slow pace of PbP games, I'd like you guys to determine which of you defaults to the party leader if there is a conflict of interest, in order to keep things moving smoothly. This isn't to say that I'm banning discussion of plans or anything of the sort, it'd just be good to know that there's at least a modicum of leadership present in the group.

Also, since I just now realized that I forgot to mention this in the recruitment thread, there will be a number of measures implemented to keep combat moving at a fair pace.

Firstly, I strongly encourage if/then spoilers at the end of your posts dictating how foreseeable readied or immediate actions would be used, so I may adjudicate them appropriately when updating.

Secondly, when you're subject to an effect that forces a save, I'll be rolling that for you in the die rolling thread. You can let me know if I've forgot a mod (though your sheets should be accurate), but the result of the roll stands. Having fate taken out of your hands like that might not be the most awesome feeling in the world, but it's a difference between daily updates and twice-weekly updates as I wait for everyone to roll saves.

Thirdly, we'll be using group initiative on both sides of the combat. Initiatives are rolled, then averaged, and the group with the better average initiative acts first.

[Sallera]

That all sounds good. As for the party leader, it's probably Auran or Faien, but I'm not sure which. Judging from our interactions in the prequel thread, Auran is the most driven, but Vaeri gets along a bit better with Faien, at least philisophically, and Roni is somewhat intimidated by both. I wouldn't be at all surprised were a situation to arise where Auran and Faien have opposite opinions on how to deal with it, so... perhaps decide by whom the others would be more likely to side with in such a situation, all else being equal?

[Fireheart]

I'm good with either as leader, but given our prequel, I suspect Vaeri would support Faein over Auran if forced to make a choice.

In other news, I'm the FGOH at Stellarcon this weekend (not trying to brag.) so that means I may be limited in posting this weekend. I also still need to update the spells per day/known on the sheet. I'll try to do that soon. I will try to post in the breaks but I don't know how much I can do.

Feel free to rp Vaeri if you need her...she'll mainly be quiet and follow for a while.

~Fireheart

[TekHed]

Well, I won't make an issue out of it, but I feel like I have taken a leadership role in making the game happen through my sheer tenacity in promoting it (though it would be nothing without you guys so I SUPER appreciate everyone's level of commitment and sticking with me). In character, Auran is the one who has brought the group together for the mission, since it is his position that provides the initial hook to head to the Vale. I can see interesting conflict where Faien is taking the purely lawful route and Auran has to check him on making the good choice as well.

In all honesty, in RL as well...leadership is contextual...whomever has the best skillset to lead in a particular situation is going to organically do so. I think we have a great group of characters though so I don't foresee any issues.

I've updated Auran and moved his feat progression around, so the combat brute chain doesn't happen until 12th level (and the module supposedly goes up to/through 11). Speaking of which...I do have an excellent idea for a plot arc that goes from level 15-16 up through 20, so I'd love it if you guys stayed with me for that long. When the time eventually comes , if no one else is interested I'll probably just advertise for a solo or duo game to keep going. The further adventures of the Dragon-born... :)

Oh! And would you mind good Sir Circle, inserting a link to the prologue thread at the beginning of your first IC post? I love me some continuity...

P.P.S. I am in favor of your time saving measures Circle... just remember to take into account things like Auran's Defending Aura...all allies within a 30' radius of him get a bonus to all saves equal to half his CHa modifier...currently at +2, but can go up if he buffs with Eagle Splendor. Also spells like Prot. from Evil will be coming into play quite a bit. These buffs/auras aren't going to be on everyone's sheets so just have to keep in mind...

[Sallera]

Unless I misunderstood the question, we don't need a leader out of character. I was considering the characters only, since it sounds like what Circle wants is a method of resolving minor disputes - half the party says left, the other half says right, etc. - without a lot of discussion.

Anyway, putting aside the expertise for the task at hand, there are two main attributes required in a leader: being willing to give orders, and being able to get others to follow them. It sounds like both Auran and Faien have the first, so the simplest manner of resolving the question is determining who is more likely to succeed in the second.

[TekHed]

Well look at it this way...Auran has a Charisma of 20 and a +15 to Diplomacy, while Faien has Charisma 10 and +0 to diplomacy...

Also, since Circle never asked us to change it, it seems like we are using Fury's Pathfinder skill consolidations, which I rather like.

[Circle of Life]

Just saying, I draw the line at diplomancing the party members into following your lead. This is supposed to be a group decision, not Follow the Charisma Modifier.

[Sallera]

Charisma certainly makes leadership easier, and as a purely mechanical representation, it's a good place to start, but a person with high charisma can still be a poor leader, and a person with poor charisma an effective one. I've actually been exploring that very issue (the latter scenario, that is) with one of my other characters, hence why I've given the question some thought.

As I said, the two main attributes required are simple - giving orders when needed, and having them followed. What goes into each of those, however, has to do with a lot more than how forceful and/or likeable you are, which you seemed to acknowledge in your previous post. How much do the people you're ordering around trust you? As a corollary, how much do they need to (i.e. how clear do you make the benefit of following your orders)? Conversely, how much hold do you have over them, material, emotional or otherwise? Do they have reasons for obeying you that go beyond the immediate consequences of compliance? On the opposite side of the equation, what kind of orders do you give? Do you take into account the personalities of the people you're directing, adjusting the level of oversight and detail necessary, or do you treat everyone the same way?

All of that is why it's a lot easier to simply ask the person who created the character whom they'd be most likely to follow, rather than trying to model their thought processes yourself.

[TekHed]

I wasn't talking about diplomancing. I was talking about *filters.*

See...my character is waaaay more charismatic and diplomatic than I, the player, am. Therefore, though I will do my best to portray, it helps if other characters keep in mind "hey, this guy is supposed to be really charismatic" when weighing their words. It's a roleplaying aid.

As far as motivations go...on one hand Auran is a draconic like the twins...but also an idealized representation of one...which as Sal pointed out makes him intimidating. So...I could see Faien being seen as the "safer" one...or not. As a magistrate, he presents a different form of intimidation for the more...roguish mindset of Roni...

Meh...do as you will...but realize that if anyone else asserts leadership in such a way as it would violate my Paladin's principles, he will have to do the paladin-y thing and go his own way. It ain't easy being good...especially when you' re bucking for a sainthood...

Edit: Just read the IC forum...did you read the Prologue Circle? We were on the train going after an artifact. You mention rumors that have lead us here but not what they are or who told us...could you please connect the dots a bit more between the prologue and the IC start?

Edit 2: Did you see my request to link the prologue into the first IC post?

[Circle of Life]

I have skimmed the prologue, enough to know you were on the train, the twins had forged tickets, etc., but as I've said earlier my time has been limited recently and the forums have been extremely uncompliant. What time I do have has been spent getting the game up and running. As an aside, I don't believe I mentioned rumors drawing you into the Vale, but rather rumors of trouble heard from within the Vale. I also mentioned that the lightning rail would be taking a detour around the Vale, as it's supposed to be a remote locale and that's not really possible with the largest form of transportation running right through it.

As to the precise reason why your characters got off the lightning rail and went into the Vale, yes, I could tell you why that is... but I'd be more interested in your versions of events. They're your backstories, not mine, and personally I'd never want someone else to write my backstory for me.

A link to the prologue has been added to the first post of this thread. I'd prefer if the IC remained link-free.

[TekHed]

Hmmm....


Trying to fill in the gap a bit...


Roni threw the rod off the train...so we likely got off and searched for it. When that didn't turn anything up, Auran would have gathered information locally. Perhaps he came upon a fisherman whose family had been killed by bandits...further investigation would show the cottage had been ransacked...but none of the neighboring huts had been touched, suggesting they had been after something specific. The trail of the bandits headed towards the Vale.

I understand you've been busy Circle...however I would strongly recommend you read our back stories and the prologue when you get an opportunity, as Auran's history and motivations are tied directly into Tiamat, the Dragons of Argonessan and the Chamber. It dds a very personal and very Eberron specific twist to the proceedings.

Thanks for posting up the link.

Do you guys all get what I meant by the charisma/diplomacy scores? I grew up playing White Wolf games where Social attributes were a big deal and if you just hand wave the presence of someone who is very charismatic/forceful of personality, its cheesy and tantamount to metagaming. Not saying anyone has to feel forced, but Roni and Auran *should* be seen as social powerhouses...otherwise stats just get relegated to mechanical bonuses with no effect on roleplaying...

[Sallera]

Yeah, that's more or less why I'd assumed we were here, hence why Faien mentioned your treasure hunt in the IC. Technically we're taking an *ahem* shortcut back toward Karrnath from Faien's point of view; he did agree to help, so he's sticking with you despite the delays.

And of course we're taking into account Auran's charisma; I'm not sure how you could think we aren't. Seriously, look at everything he's gotten away with so far. Just take a step back from your backstory, and read it from the perspective of the average Eberroni citizen. It sounds completely fantastical, especially in a world that doesn't even have verifiable gods, yet he's convinced a bitter magistrate and a compulsive liar that he's telling the truth. And on top of that, he's drawn all three of us with him on a save-the-world quest with barely a scrap of evidence aside from his appearance.

Yes, we have to take into account each others' attributes and skills, and we do. But it's just as important to play the character in a way that matches their own stats.

[TekHed]

Hee...well I'm doing my best. If you guys have any suggestions I'm always ready to improve my skills.

So I'll go with my dead fisherman explanation then...

[TekHed]

So...just waiting on OMGP for Roni's response eh?

[Circle of Life]

That and word of sheets being finalized with updates, yes.

[TekHed]

My sheet is good...linked in my sig if you need it...

[OMG PONIES]

So...just waiting on OMGP for Roni's response eh?

Geez, sorry, I was out of commission for a little while there, but I'm back in the saddle. In terms of party leadership, Roni wouldn't look to his little sister as a leader...sorry, Vaeri. While he fears Faien, it's more a fear of what Faien represents: the long arm of the law and whatnot. With Auran, Roni looks up to him, but has to give him a hard time for appearances. He wants to follow him, but can't let the others know that right off the bat. So whether it's IC or OOC, I nominate Auran/TekHed as our de facto party leader.

As for my sheet, I just need to update it with the four Alter Self forms I'm allowed at this level, right? Hmm, anyone have any good forms with a fly speed, swim speed, or burrow speed?

[Sallera]

Alright, so Vaeri and Roni's opinions are split, and Auran obviously sees himself as the leader. Faien's accustomed to making judgements and rulings, but he's also used to working alone and has no vested interest in a leadership position, so should it become important, it looks like we'll default to Auran.

[Fireheart]

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.ph...33089#msg33089
Handly list of forms above...

I have a few minor tweaks to my sheet and I'll try to wrap those up this week.

~T

Edit: I'm fine with following Auran.

[OMG PONIES]

Since Vaeri's switching speech color, I decided that I'd do the same to match Roni's scales (and fiery attitude).

[TekHed]

I had been thinking before your colors were mismatched...nice to see them properly distributed now. ^_^

We do pack a mean little punch for a tiny party...Even more so once we mature as a team...Bard and Paladin buffs with Faien tanking and Vaeri on spell support...yeah.

Oh, Auran hasn't given Vaeri her present yet...

[Fireheart]

Oh, Auran hasn't given Vaeri her present yet...

Vaeri's/my ear's perk up. I do find it amusing that as the only "female" character in the party, she's collecting gifts. Roni's of course was brotherly backstory but Auran, too?

:)

I finally moved the Eberron books to my thumb drive so I will make every possible attempt to finish the Character sheet by lunch time today. Dang spells. :)

~Fireheart

edit: And as promised I have finished the character sheet!! Added Color Spray...figured it wasn't really effective at higher levels but it so would have been one she'd have taken earlier on. :)

[OMG PONIES]

"And my gift for you, Roni..." he says in his best imitation of the dragonborn.

...who I fully expect to be voiced by Liam Neeson. At least, that's the way he sounds in my head. If not Liam, at least the dude who does Optimus Prime's voice in the new Transformers movies (who I thought for the life of me was Liam Neeson). On a semi-related note, that's one hell of a time to roll a natural twenty.

[Circle of Life]

Update later today. Sorry about that extended wait.

Fireheart, Watchful Ancestors is a 4th level spell as far as I recall... but it's a pretty bad one compared to the other 4th level spells, so I have no issue with lowering it to 3rd. Of course, there might be errata for MoE that lowers it to 3rd level already, in which case nevermind the above.

[Fireheart]

Okay...any thoughts on a better choice? I was trying to find one that was Eberron Specific but I can go with Core/SC if there is a better fit?

I'll check the errata as well.

~Fireheart

[TekHed]

Fun Fact: Due to a massive fan campaign during the casting and production of the first Transformers movie, Michael Bay hired original Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen to reprise his role for all three movies thus far. He has also portrayed the voice in the awesome videogame, Transformers: War for Cybertron and it's upcoming sequel. Autobots....roll out!

Re: Liam Neeson: Awesome!

Attn: Circle, Re: Extended Wait: As you can see (and from the prologue as well), we have so much fun simply conversing in character, to make the waiting no big deal.

[Circle of Life]

I've been waiting for Roni's reply before posting, since Auran's latest statement seems the sort of thing that you don't just ignore. If everyone would rather just get moving though, let me know.

[OMG PONIES]

Sorry, don't wait on my account. I'll often post multiple headings in an IC post to cover things I've missed and allow the story to continue.

[TekHed]

or...you could just post IC instead of OOC...

[OMG PONIES]

Posting at my in-laws' from my iPod means I lack the time to type up/format a proper IC post. Oh and also, you're not the boss of me .