Kim (Bill T) Monday July 22nd, 2002 11:47:51 PM
Wow! To those here who enjoyed the endgame online - I'd love to hear your versions of how things went. Do any of you have copies of the transcripts?
As for our own little adventuring group - I'd like to see us pitching in to help rebuild Plateau City. Fix up our place more. Bill would like to get more books (of many kinds) for our library. And visit Shianna and her folks. See if Marcus has anything in mind for us - if he is again around.
Maybe pick up a few more properties around town. Have different disguises for different places.
Go on a subterranean crawl beneath the city. Get treasures! (Bill's cash flow has been really really tight for some time now. How 'bout the rest of you?)
Help Ferrak with his garden.
Draax (Stan) Tuesday July 23rd, 2002 10:26:12 AM
The online game was fun, I am sure it did not compare to the live version (you lucky dogs) but it was nice to get a feel for what happened and why it happened.
I could really go for the subterranean/dungeon crawl and treasure collecting adventures (hurting on cash also).
I think I have a copy of the 1st online game's transcript. I will send it to the group when I get home from work tonight.
Arien (Adam) Tuesday July 23rd, 2002 10:12:51 PM
Yeah a dungeon crawl would be nice but I'd also like to go get Balentyne if he's still around.
Todd (Rond) Tuesday July 23rd, 2002 10:59:08 PM
I'm finishing up a move this week and will do my best to comment where I can. I'm hoping I'm ready to go next week.
I think we need to go either on a dungeon crawl, or maybe clear out the countryside of any monsters that might have moved in. Maybe even go back to the Hamlet to clear out monsters or help re-establish the village or something.
Kim Tuesday July 23rd, 2002 11:35:25 PM
Oh, yeah! Go back to Windhorn Hamlet. Bill would like to see his family, and introduce the new folks he's met since coming to Plateau City to them. Pies for everyone!
It might be about time for another Ceremony of Renewal of the Sentinel.
Walter Wednesday July 24th, 2002 12:59:00 AM
Anything is fine with me. I'm still trying to figure out who Feng is. Until I get that down, it doesn't matter (to me) what we do.
Carl Wednesday July 24th, 2002 7:17:23 AM
Cash! Vast hordes of loot! Oodles of booty (the monetary kind)! Renik has been broke for longer than I care to remember. And I havn't played a dungeon crawl since I started playing in the Wold. So let's chase Balentyne into a secret Undercity beneath the streets of Plateau City filled with (very rich) monsters, and finally emerge into daylight at Windhorn Hamlet, just in time for magical ceremonies, destruction of evil new inhabitants, beating on Balentyne and pie for dinner.
Kim Wednesday July 24th, 2002 1:25:53 PM
Walter - Feng is a paladin. Does that help?
::ducking::
Walter Wednesday July 24th, 2002 2:19:04 PM
Actually that doesn't help. I know that he's a paladin and a force for good but thats about it. I guess I haven't been playing him long enough. I'll eventually figure him out.
DM Donna Friday July 26th, 2002 7:07:14 AM
I sense a recurring theme here:
LOOT...and lots of it. ;)
A couple of suggestions that also seem to have been put forth from more than one source:
1. Find out what Balentyne is up to these days. 2. Return to Windhorn Hamlet and see what's up there.
I'll see what I can do about combine all three into an adventure...heh heh heh.
Meanwhile, anyone who hasn't submitted an updated post YOA character sheet to me by Sunday will be holding up whatever module I have for the party (new adventure is supposed to start on Monday, fellas..!), so GET ME YOUR CS's A.S.A.P.!!!
Kim Friday July 26th, 2002 3:32:12 PM
Donna - I'll work on updating Bill's CS this weekend. It'll be similar to his pre-drain CS.
Adam Friday July 26th, 2002 8:46:55 PM
I'm redoing Arien's character sheet and am almost done. I'm just waiting for a response to a question from Jerry and then I can finish it up.
Hobbes Friday July 26th, 2002 10:26:16 PM
heya Donna,
my mannix email account has been down and will continue to be so for at least another week. Am trying to get my character updated. Sorry for the delay.
Did you get my private email about "things I'd like to see?". Never got a response from you.
that's it.
Matt
Walter Saturday July 27th, 2002 3:12:00 AM
I never thought that having a character immune to disease would be beneficial. With the new God of Disease, it might come in handy.
I've been thinking about things that Feng would be interested in. Considering his origion, Feng has an interest in the history of religion.
DM Donna Saturday July 27th, 2002 7:46:30 AM
Matt: no, I didn't get any email from you. Please resend.
I don't mind a few days' delay with your CS's, guys, if only because it will technically give me a bit more time to work on a module for you all. 8)
Carl Saturday July 27th, 2002 2:16:24 PM
Hi Donna, I'm on holiday until early August, so I won't be able to get you Renik's CS until then. I havn't spotted anything that will change for him though, so the last one I sent you should serve. Please mail me (crg_white@hotmail.com) if that's a problem.
Hobbes Saturday July 27th, 2002 7:56:55 PM
Resent
Walter Sunday July 28th, 2002 2:04:26 AM
Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I thought that Ga'al was an evil god? He sure acted that way before. Wouldn't that make Hobbes an evil priest?
DM Donna Sunday July 28th, 2002 7:17:41 AM
Carl: unfortunately, it's a problem. Look for the emails.
Matt: got it this time; thanks! I do believe I can work one or two of your requests into this upcoming module.
Walter: I do believe that Matt *meant* to type Gargul instead of Ga'al...otherwise there's gonna be some disappointment for him. ;)
Walter Sunday July 28th, 2002 2:36:22 PM
Thats good because I couldn't see Hobbes doing the things Ga'al priests do.
For the life of me, I don't know what you guys are talking about. I don't recall ever typing Ga''al. Perhaps I was typing in my sleep.
or else I'm a closet evil bastard.
Walter Sunday July 28th, 2002 7:25:17 PM
On the main link to this page, the winhorn hamlet caption has Hobbes listed as a priest of ga'al.
Hobbes Sunday July 28th, 2002 8:01:16 PM
oh, I see it now. Nope, that wasn't me that typed that. I don't have the power to change that paragraph.
Jerry perhaps?
Carl Monday July 29th, 2002 6:19:13 AM
Cayzle typed that paragraph from a post I sent him, so I may be the culprit here. Oops! Cayzle is the man we need to contact to make the change. I'd do it, but I'm on holiday and don't have access to my email addresses.
DM Donna Monday July 29th, 2002 7:10:41 AM
Well, we aren't starting the game back up again (yet)...I have yet to receive the latest, correctly formatted as per Jerry's request character sheets from everyone yet.
Do NOT make me name names..! ::DMly glare of doom::
;D
I'm still working on the module, anyhow--but DO try to hurry up with your CS's, people!
(Todd, Jerry informed me about your hard drive, so I know I'll have to wait for your CS.)
+++++
Now, I'd like you all to post your YEA's or NAY's:
1. Would you still like to see the Hamleteers remain as secret operatives of the Plateau City government?
2. Would you like to return to Windhorn Hamlet?
3. Would you like to swing on star...carry moonbeams home in a jar..?
4. Or would you rather be a pig..?
;D
Todd (Roger) Monday July 29th, 2002 8:14:02 AM
I thought we were developing as a nice look spy group inside the city. As we start to invest time in our business and buildings, it would be sad to lose them to continue on somewhere else, I think.
Kim Monday July 29th, 2002 9:02:16 AM
Yes, the spy business suits us. Bill still *would* like to have a visit back to Windhorn Hamlet, to check up on his family, and to participate in the Renewal Ceremony. But Plateau City is a fun place to be.
Stan (Draax) Monday July 29th, 2002 10:31:05 AM
I would like to keep the spy business going and spend some time back in Windhorn.
Hunting the SoDs is also a desire that Draax would like to pursue.
I do not care for swinging on a Star, but if the moonbeams in a jar are magical I could go for a jar full.
I think some of our guys already did the pig thing when we were looking for jobs, so I think I will pass on being a pig. :)
Kim Monday July 29th, 2002 4:13:40 PM
Games 1,3&5 have their sheets in. "C'mon, fellas, let's get all ours in," says Kim, who got his emailed off last night.
Web MDM Cayzle Monday July 29th, 2002 5:13:56 PM
You guys didn't really start yet, so I feel free to intrude. I just fixed the Ga'al/Gargul blooper on the front page. Sorry about that.
Any other changes you all want to that descriptive text? It now reads: This game features a brave band of heroes - half from Windhorn Hamlet, the balance from Plateau City. Employed by the capital of New Elenna to act as undercover agents, they perform missions deemed too sensitive for official government forces. Their work is secretive, often dangerous, and vital to city security. They are (with their undercover aliases) Arien (Tamosvar), Bill (Lake), Draax (Steps), Ferrak (Woofer), Renik (Gullion), and their leader, Rond (Roger). Recent additions to the group are Hobbes, priest of Gargul, and Feng, a paladin.
If so, please e-mail me at cayzle@yahoo.com, since it might be a month or three before I wander in here again!
DM Donna Tuesday July 30th, 2002 7:10:23 AM
Cayzle's description looks good.
Okay, guys, the spy biz will stay in this game, no problem. I'll see about letting you get news from WH at least.
I still need updated character sheets from the odd two or three of you. Get them to me as soon as you can, please.
Adam Tuesday July 30th, 2002 2:25:25 PM
Just finishing mine up now, and don't forget that Hobbes and Feng both need aliases now.
Shawn Tuesday July 30th, 2002 2:43:38 PM
Hey, um...don't wait on my character Donna. I'm not sure what to do with Ferrak as a Druid. I don't want to change his alignment. You said to discuss it on the list so here it goes.
While both good things and evil things happen in the natural world, the natural world is neither good nor evil.
Granted the nature of the Wold is magical, but until a month ago the 'Nature' of this Wold was assumed to be like our natural world. Now all of a sudden, at least to me, what it means to be a Druid in this Wold is a completely different concept.
I'm still not sure how I react to this new concept. In short, I don't know if I want to change Ferrak's alignment. Do I have to, if I want to continue playing Ferrak as a Druid?
I don't think everything is black and white/good and evil. I don't think Druids should be good or evil. I don't want Ferrak to be good or evil. I am just a player in someone elses Wold though, so how will this affect me.
I can't form a decision without discussion, I can't finish my sheet without knowing how this affects the beliefs of my character.
Sincerely, Shawn
P.S. Hey Walter, Feng as a Paladin is also a belief driven character. (like Gargul & Ferrak) Exploring what his beliefs are, will flush him out for you.
Walter Tuesday July 30th, 2002 4:05:59 PM
Feng has an alias. I added one to his character sheet. Though he is limited in what he can be. A human doesn't wield an orc-double axe. Not using the weapon would limit me in battle.
Matt (Hobbes) Tuesday July 30th, 2002 6:01:37 PM
answers to questions
1. sure as long as it sends us on cool adventures where I get to kick some undead (and otherwise) butt.
2. If that's where the adventure takes us but I have no real stock in the place. (was that where my initial starting place was? that was never established)
3. Um...after the "How do you solve a problem like Marteus?" issue, it'd be just as likely to catch a cloud and pin it down.
4. Polymorphin wizards?!?!? Bring it on!!!!!!!
Matt Tuesday July 30th, 2002 6:03:29 PM
Jerry and all, my mannix@vr.net account is dead. it may be resurrected in the future but for now it's dead. Remove it from your records.
My alias is Ivan, BTW. Carlyze if you are reading please add that to the description too.
Thanks much
Kim Wednesday July 31st, 2002 3:31:17 AM
Shawn - I always viewed Ferrak as being good in alignment. Somewhere between neutral to lightly chaotic on the law-chaos axis. Just keep playing him as you have. Likely neutral good (and that does NOT mean you have to have two shoes!) or chaotic good. I'd think more toward the former, but up to you.
I miss Ferrak!
To tell the truth, I never thought that it was balanced to sometimes support good, and sometimes support evil. I think of that approach more as a clean stream that gets polluted. True balance is to do what is right, to do what is good! Evil destroys harmony, and brings imbalance.
Okay, any tomato-throwers out there? :-)
CDM Jerry Wednesday July 31st, 2002 9:53:55 AM
Just saw your post Matt. Removing the addy.
Carl Wednesday July 31st, 2002 11:38:23 AM
I'd have to agree with Kim, Shawn. Changing to NG would not impact the roleplaying of Ferrak to ant great extent as far as I can see. I thought that was his alignment! Hope you are able to resolve this problem, because Ferrak is one of my favourite members of the team.
Matt Wednesday July 31st, 2002 1:42:52 PM
I would think of Ferrak as more Chaotic Good then Neutral Good, but that's just my perception. The whole neutral druid thing I never ever understood.
My expectation of Neutral types of druids would be hermits that live in the woods and do not want to itneract with people. Merlin would be an example of a Druid that was good aligned with a lot of chaos in him. (I'd call him druid/wizard). I could definitely see an evil druid. He wouldn't be anti-forest but he'd use the plants and animals for his evil purposes.
Like Kim said, tho, I don't think reclassifying yourself to a good alignment would change how you played, Ferrak. You already are perceived as a good character helping with good causes. It just depends on how much chaos you want to use in doing so. (and I'm getting my chaos perception from the brief time I've seen you....running off from the party to be alone,e tc)
Matt
Shawn Wednesday July 31st, 2002 4:11:58 PM
Here's the way I see it. An animal is neither good, nor evil, they just are. Druids are the same. Did you ever see a cat playing with a mouse until it was dead and then finally eat it? Is that evil? No. Now if a human did the same thing with a cat, we got something evil going on. Are vultures evil, are cute little fuzzy rabbits good? No.
I'm not sure I see Merlin as necessarily a 'good' character. He was concerned with the welfare of the land to be sure. But he certainly manipulated a lot of lives to get what he wanted, sometimes in not very nice ways. I'm sure Arthur's mother and father didn't think Merlin was a good guy.
Ferrak might have some good tendancies, but because he's a Druid/wolfboy it's hard for me to see him as actually 'good'. He's imprinted the rest of the group as a part of his pack, so he will defend the pack with his life, but if any of you guys started burning trees down...
Anyway since nobody has yet said that I have to change my alignment, I guess I won't. Think of Ferrak as Neutral with some good tendancies if you like, but I don't want to lose the dark feral instinct in him.
Like Yin & Yang, Whitefang/Darkfang.
Kim Wednesday July 31st, 2002 4:16:58 PM
Shawn - Unless I misheard, or am misremembering, Jerry said that all characters are to be of good alignment.
Donna - correct me if what I just wrote is mistaken.
DM Donna Wednesday July 31st, 2002 4:33:13 PM
Ahhhhh...a debate on the nature of good & evil. Woohoo! THIS will be interesting...
To address Kim's question first: Jerry's firm rule is that there are no Evil Player Characters in The Wold. As far as I know, he does not rule out Neutral characters (in the Good/Evil range.) However, I must admit to not having read the very latest texts just issued since the completion of the Endgame about the newest House Rules and DM guidelines (and the nature of Druids in The Wold)...I've been trying to get my own character and the BGC whipped into shape to focus on that at this time.
However, now that there seems to be a potentially major, thorny deal about it, I am going to have to MAKE the time to completely review all of the above. (oh, JOY!)
I won't render my own opinion until I've at least reviewed the House Rules and the newest Druid information...so, now, I'm off to do that.
DM Donna (again) Thursday August 1st, 2002 7:52:12 AM
Well, I just read the House Rules--it DOES say that only Good aligned characters are allowed. Jerry has also asked me to have Shawn contact him directly and voice his alignment perceptions off the board.
Okay...I'm working on the module and looking over the CS's, too.
Any questions and/or requests while I'm working on those..?
Kim Thursday August 1st, 2002 9:23:37 PM
Matt - is Hobbes all rarin' to go?
Have you heard the Blue Angels flying overhead today?
[For those outside of Seattle - the US Navy Blue Angels http://www.blueangels.com/ are rehearsing for the Seattle SeaFair Hydroplane Races flyover and aerobatics show. As their website says, "A Blue Angels air demonstration is a mix of formation flying and solo routines using F/A-18 Hornets. The pilots perform approximately 30 maneuvers during the aerial demonstration, which runs approximately an hour and 15 minutes."]
P.S.: If Appolo of Game 5 - the Aisildurian campaign (and a frequenter of the RWI) - is considered to be of 'good' alignment, then surely Ferrak is a saint! ;-)
Walter Thursday August 1st, 2002 11:09:04 PM
Being a participant of game 5, I know there has been one occasion where aligment was questioned. I never considered ferrak to be remotely close to evil. Appolo on the other hand is something else. Past discussion about tactics against the forces of Ga'al left me wondering as well.
Matt Friday August 2nd, 2002 1:28:36 AM
Yup... Hobbes is turned in and all rarin' to go! I don't think it's in Jerryformat (TM) but hopefully Donna (copyright 2002) can do that for me as I don't know what Jerryformat (TM) is. :)
I'm all excited about the new module....and I wouldn't "dare close my eyes". *nudge nudge Donna :) *
Kim Friday August 2nd, 2002 3:46:03 AM
On the other hand, when once a person sought to flatter Jesus of Nazareth by calling him 'good teacher,' Jesus asked him, "Why do you call me good? None is good but God alone."
By that standard, as the prophet says, "There is none good, no, not one."
I think what Jerry is striving for, though, is a world of heroic fantasy, in which we play the 'good guys,' working together in order to do justice, right wrongs, fix things, rescue people, solve problems, etc. As immoral (aka 'bad') friends tend to corrupt morals, he wants us not to be fellow corrupters, but fellow encouragers towards the good. He wants PCs who build each other up, not tear each other down.
Just thinking about Biblical characters - many who were believers were not uniformly righteous, nor always wise. Jacob deceived his father, and had plenty of darkness in his behavior. He was shrewd, but had redeeming qualities as well. Look at his sons - the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Shawn - while going for yin/yan, don't imagine that precludes Ferrak from working within the D&D 'good' alignment.
I think that 'good' people still do wrong things. But 'good' people also are willing to recognize, when faced with it, that they need to struggle with the evil that would rise up within them. It's a battle - a life-long battle. There are weapons available to gain an edge in that battle. And as one resists evil, one gains strength, and perseverance.
Looking at yin-yan - this is not necessarily a good evil thing. It's a male/female, hot/cold, strong/weak, bright/dark, chocolate/vanilla, soft/rough thing. Life has contrasts, and points of balance, and imbalance. Ecclesiastes chaper 3 offers a splendid listing of such. Some of you might remember the song, "Turn, turn, turn." It was taken straight from Eccles 3, but with the addition of the words 'turn, turn, turn'; the deletion of 'A time for war' before 'a time for peace' and the addition of 'I swear it's not too late.'
Ah, here it is:
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn) Pete Seeger CD: Pete Seeger's Greatest Hits Words adapted from The Bible, Book of Ecclesiastes
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn) There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn) And a time for every purpose, under Heaven
A time to be born, a time to die A time to plant, a time to reap A time to kill, a time to heal A time to laugh, a time to weep
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn) There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn) And a time for every purpose, under Heaven
A time to build up, a time to break down A time to dance, a time to mourn A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn) There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn) And a time for every purpose, under Heaven
A time of love, a time of hate A time of war, a time of peace A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn) There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn) And a time for every purpose, under Heaven
A time to gain, a time to lose A time to rend, a time to sew A time to love, a time to hate A time for peace, I swear it's not too late
------
So, Shawn, is that yin-yan enough?
DM Donna Friday August 2nd, 2002 5:15:28 PM
Matt: you already had your CS in "Jerryformat" (which is simply listing all of your magic items together in their own area of the sheet--BESIDES listing where each item is located on the character.)
However, you MUST pick an alias for Hobbes, as he should have at least one alter-ego for doing the spy-biz thang that I'll be restarting soon.
Walter: oddly enough, you did NOT have your CS in "Jerryformat"...but since all Feng has in the way of magic items is his weapon, his set of bracers and his Hat of Disguise, it was easy enough for me to list them and send the CS on its way to Kent.
PLEASE NOTE: Your CS's are supposed to include all applicable updates to your characters--any magic items bought just before the YOA Endgame shut-down, plus the addition of the Endgame experience points that ALL player characters get regardless of whether or not they actually played in one of the Endgames.
I double-checked the Magic Item listings, but didn't double-check the XPs. I hope YOU all remembered to put them XPs in..!
Matt Friday August 2nd, 2002 9:19:49 PM
Aha! So you DON'T read my posts! I KNEW IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
If you do a search for the word "Ivan" you'll see that it occurs at least once on this page next to the words "My alias is".
I also had picked this and said it in-game in character while we were leaving the bed and bath. *snicker snicker* Oh, Donna, the truth is out now. :)
KIM, What are you saying that Chocolate is evil/!?!? that it and vanilla can never happen at the same time?!?!?!? That's a lie! I LOVE Chocolate swirl!
Todd Saturday August 3rd, 2002 12:23:20 AM
ummm. Did I miss something? I didn't hear anything about ep's for characters that didn't particpate in any endgame?!
Carl Saturday August 3rd, 2002 2:55:08 AM
Is Chocolate Evil? A question that has plagued scholars and philosophers down through the ages.
If I might just point out that Donna's DMing is fueled by a vast chocolate resevoir, immediately on tap 24-7, then I shall let you all draw your own conclusions.
;-)
DM Donna Saturday August 3rd, 2002 8:19:19 AM
Todd: yes, you must have missed something somewhere, unfortunately, because it was in either a post on the LNB board or in a Woldwide email sent by Jerry:
All PCs who became undead are considered to have participated in the final fight against Marteaus (the Endgame) whether or not the players were actually able to participate in online Endgames 1 or 2, or the live Endgame at the WoldCon. Thus all such PCs are entitled to add one-half of the XP difference between their current level and the next level now that the YOA story is finished.
For instance, my own PC--K'Nara Illutu of the Emerald Talons--was a Level 7 character before the end of YOA. I wound up playing Shirri the Hooded for the first online Endgame, though. Still, since K'Nara DID become undead for the Emerald Talons game, she was awarded 3500xp (half of the difference between level seven and level eight) for technically having been a part of the final battle--even though I RP'd Shirri for my part of the Endgame.
So it is with all of the Hamleteers--whether or not any of them were officially in any of the Endgames played, they all DID "bite the bullet" and became undead in hopes of defeating Marteaus, so each of them is entitled to their own XP award as stated above.
Kim Saturday August 3rd, 2002 10:01:06 AM
A simple way to calculate the 1/2 experience level XP award is this. Take your current level (just prior to becoming undead), and multiply by 500.
DM Donna Saturday August 3rd, 2002 10:25:58 AM
Matt: I looked all through the copy of Hobbes that you sent me (dated July 10th, by the way)...NOWHERE in the document does the phrase "Undercover Alias: Ivan" appear in it.
You ought to add that to your CS, along with a physical description of what Ivan is supposed to appear as (a half-elf merchant, an old human beggar, an elven mercenary, etc.)
Once more, I DO hope that EVERYone updated their CS's completely before sending them to me--by all rights, the entry under "Date Updated" SHOULD be after July 17, 2002.
Matt Saturday August 3rd, 2002 4:44:56 PM
Was there a difference between the XP award for characters that actually played in the online/in person game and the award for characters that just became undead but did not play? I still have to add my XP for this. Will do it Monday as my updated character is at work.
No Donna, ya got me. my alias isn't on my character sheet. Was just mention many times in these posts. Ah well. can't be perfect all the time. :) Will do that MOnday too.
Kim Sunday August 4th, 2002 3:49:02 PM
Apparently, from what Donna is saying, there is no difference - other than any extra xps those who played acquired via hero points. 1 hero point = Current Level * 50 experience points.
Walt Sunday August 4th, 2002 5:20:59 PM
I thought that hero points acquired in the endgame didn't give any exp.
Adam Sunday August 4th, 2002 11:20:54 PM
Are we going to start soon?
DM Donna Monday August 5th, 2002 6:57:14 AM
Adam: I have to put together the module for this game (I'm working on that even as we post here.) I also have to get all your CS's updated & approved before I'm allowed to start the game back up again...which is why I was reminding everyone about the importance of COMPLETELY UPDATING their CS's and then getting them to me.
Matt/Kim/Walter: as far as I know, ALL characters that became undead for the YOA and went to the Tree of Parting (or otherwise posted going to the Lands of the Dead) are entitled to the XP award of half the difference between their current level and the next level for their character--whether or not you were able to play that particular character in any of the Endgames (either online or at the WoldCon).
Hero points translated into XPs are considered spent once you make the conversion...you can only use a hero point once.
Kim Monday August 5th, 2002 11:32:04 AM
My understanding has always been that XPs WERE included with hero points, and that spending them (on the reroll of a die in a desperate situation, etc.) was in addition to the XPs granted for the hero point award.
Kim Monday August 5th, 2002 2:28:24 PM
This I just copied from the online House Rules:
"HERO POINTS ETC: When a PC performs an action that is heroic according to his class etc. during a session, the DM will award a hero point when experience is given out. The number of hero points a PC has cannot exceed his current level. These may be spent to re-roll any roll once, or combined to add 10% per hero point to percentile roles and +2 to d20 roles. Once used, they are gone until more are earned. Other role-playing points of various types may be given which aid in role-playing only. Each Hero Point also comes with an automatic (50xp X character level) bonus."
Carl d6=6 Monday August 5th, 2002 3:05:03 PM
Now I never knew that about Hero Points. Donna, Renik has just gone up a level! I'll get you his updated character sheet (again!) as soon as I possibly can.
Adam Monday August 5th, 2002 9:56:25 PM
Eh, I missed that too until recently. But I'm not upset about it, I'm not here to powergame and make the Uber-Arien and all that. I just want to have some fun and rules lawerying and math are two things I don't consider that fun so I never brought it up, although off the top of my head I figure that Arien would have gotten 900 exp for the Balentyne adventure. True that is 1/10th of what Arien needs for his next level but hey, like I said, it doesn't really matter to me.
Kim Tuesday August 6th, 2002 1:36:31 AM
Adam - Please apply them, anyhow. It is kind of tough on the DM to have (and Jerry frowns upon) a wide spread of levels among PCs in the same game. I'll wager that if you did not apply the Hero Point XP for that adventure, you also did not do so for earlier, or later adventures.
Donna, since we have at least a tiny bit of time available before we start here, would you have any problem having the players apply the XP rules for past hero points earned to their characters? I've kept up on this for Bill, so there would be no further adjustments XP-wise in that department for him.
Kim - ramblings Tuesday August 6th, 2002 6:11:43 PM
Shawn - How are things coming with you and Ferrak?
Although there are many elements in the definition that have merit, there are also aspects which are not true. The notion that there are no absolutes (though certainly popular in our time and place) makes of itself the sole absolute, and hence, is self-contradictory (which is an inherent part of yin-yan theory :-) ). There are, nevertheless, absolutes (though one might, for the time being, acknowledge them or reject them), immutable truths, eternal verities. This does not sit well with yin-yang proponents. Nor with moral relativists.
God is. God created all. Eternity is in his hand. To serve him is good. To reject him is evil. Stating these things may win me no popularity contest. Some may gainsay these propositions. But I maintain these absolutes. Not merely 'my truth'. But truth, sustained regardless of whether I or you maintain them or argue against them. And 'good' can be judged by its adherence to God-given principles.
In the beginning, all things in creation were deemed good by God. But when God's pinnacle of creation, man and woman, rebelled against the one negative command, sin and its consequences entered the world - including the loss of animal-kingdom wide friendship with humans. Now, as Paul wrote in Romans 8, 'All of creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God' and awaits the time when it will be 'set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.' In time, again, 'the lion will lie down with the lamb,' (and not with the lamb as a snack), and a child will handle a viper, yet not be harmed. The world awaits its full redemption. A return to the garden, as it were.
I know many feel uncomfortable discussing such. Please know I am not trying, at all, to be combative here. I just enjoy discourse about philosophy, and theology, about basic assumptions - which, though not intended as a threatening pastime, some people find threatening, as having one's worldview (or, sometimes, lack thereof) challenged can feel uncomfortable. That's why Socrates and Jesus and many other philosophers and prophets got into so much trouble.
Anyway, besides Ferrak, how is life, Shawn? And don't worry about responding to my discourse here. This is not an assignment. At least, not by me.
Walter Tuesday August 6th, 2002 10:55:02 PM
Since I joined after the undercover work got suspended. Can somebody tell me where our headquarters is? When missions don't pop up, what is it that we regularly do?
Kim Wednesday August 7th, 2002 12:37:22 PM
Walter - if you go to the Plateau City map, into the Rogue Quarter (which is toward the right side of the city map, just left of the Druid Quarter and Nightmare Quarter), look at the upper left side. Where it says 'River Road' there are several buildings. Count from the corner building on the far left upper side. The next building to the right is ours, and the adjacent one to its right. I refer to the two buildings closest to the 'R' in 'Riverside'.
Look beyond the fourth, bigger building, across the alley to the right. Just below the 'R' in 'Road' is a skinny building, paralleling the alley. That skinny thing is a three-storey tall brick building, formerly a wizard's cluttered research laboratory. It is now our research lab / library.
Our first building (counting from the left) used to be a rather nice private club. The second is a dwelling with a kitchen. I forget, at the moment, which of these two is the new business. Gotta look in the archives.
Ferrak has been working on a little garden plot. Bill has dug out a root cellar.
Some of the party members have dug a tunnel between the 2nd building and the third, brick building.
Kim Wednesday August 7th, 2002 7:44:52 PM
Here's the link for the main Plateau City map. Or, you can get there yourself by clicking on Duncan's Travel Agency, then on the 'New Elenna' part of the map, then on 'Plateau City'.
Once on the main map, just click on 'Rogue Quarter', and there you go!
Oh, and what do we usually do? There was a bit of a hiatus, but we're working, with the help of a female gnome, on setting up a trading establishment. Before that we worked for the Beer and Bath Inn.
DM Donna Thursday August 8th, 2002 7:00:10 AM
If it says you get the XPs with the HPts, then by all means add the XPs.
I'm trying to finish the module--the proposed adventure is meant to answer most of the questions that have been posed by our newer players as well as appeal to the spectrum of requests submitted by everyone.
I'm still waiting to hear from Kent about whether all your updated CS's are approved so that the game can continue...while trying to finish the module. Even though it hasn't been approved yet, I CAN tell you that this adventure will be helping to resolve whether you're still in the spy biz or not. 8)
((MDM Jan - OOC)) Friday August 9th, 2002 12:32:15 PM
((Forgive my interruption folks, I'm trying to contact Matt, and I'm having no luck via email.
Matt - if you see this - could you email me on phyrbalxl5@aol.com? We need to talk about your new Game 8 character. Merci beaucoup.))
:)
Matt Saturday August 10th, 2002 3:26:48 AM
Yeah Jan I'm here. Still working on it. GOt stuck and never got back to it. Will get it soon.
Kim Sunday August 11th, 2002 11:28:36 AM
Howdy
Walter Monday August 12th, 2002 1:25:46 AM
Hello all.
Adam Monday August 12th, 2002 5:12:59 PM
Greetings
Matt Monday August 12th, 2002 9:52:30 PM
Glug glug glug
DM Donna Tuesday August 13th, 2002 7:01:34 AM
Still waiting on the final approval for those character sheets you turned in...I think Jerry is going to end up having to do the approval, if only because Kent has recently posted that he is having computer problems.
Shawn Tuesday August 13th, 2002 12:54:58 PM
Hey Kim, I hear what your saying, but it's that kind of attitude that makes it o.k. to kill the godless "evil" people of the world in droves. I don't cotton to that. You believe you are absolutely right. You may in fact be, belief is a powerful thing. But if being righteous meens attacking "evil" on all levels at all times, I'd rather be wrong and just defend my "evil" friends and family to the best of my ability. That's what a wolf/dog would do, that's what Ferrak does. Hopefully there is a 'peaceful' balance in that.
Kim Wednesday August 14th, 2002 5:57:51 AM
Shawn,
Thanks for responding.
Actually, the kind of attitude that Jesus promoted did not seem, by and large, to encourage folks to go out and slaughter. Rather he taught:
"You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. - Matthew 5:43-48 (RSV)
It is dangerous to reflexively equate faith with violence. Yes, there are faiths which promote violence, and others that promote peace. Where belief, or faith, is concerned, one must ask, 'What is the object of this faith?' If the object is valid, worthy, true, and trustworthy, the the faith is well grounded, and should product good fruit. If the object of faith is unworthy, false, a delusion, or twisted, then the faith is groundless, and deceitful. 'Faith' in and of itself has little merit - unless the object of the faith meets the criteria I mentioned. Many people believe many things. If the law of non-contradiction is valid (as logicians assert), then if you examine mutually contradictory beliefs, both cannot be right.
Regarding your notion: "But if being righteous meens attacking 'evil' on all levels at all times" - Well, this is not the definition of righteousness I've learned through reading the Bible. Biblical righteousness deals with right belief, right worship, having a right relationship with God. It deals with justice, humility, obedience, truth, love. It may be called upon from time to time to mete out justice. But I fail to see that it requires a relentless frontal attack on evil. It most certainly does not require the continual shedding of blood of 'evil ones' - or we all should be dead!
Paul, writing to the people of Corinth, talked to them of warfare - and made the point that a Christian's weapons are not of the physical sort:
The weapons we use in our fight are not the world's weapons but God's powerful weapons, which we use to destroy strongholds. We destroy false arguments; we pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God. - 2 Corinthian 10:4-5 (TEV)
Paul wanted people to understand that, yes, we are in a battle. But it is a battle of the spirit, not of the flesh. It does not in general require that we walk around with swords, or their modern equivalents. Unless, as he writes to the Ephesians, it be the 'sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.'
The Bible pulls images from many aspects of life. The farmer. The vineyard. Running a race. Doing accounting. Paying taxes. Falling in love. Being born. Growing old. Eating, drinking. Laughing. Dancing. Suffering. Rejoicing. Weddings and banquets. Traveling. Building.
Its authors speak of good and honorable things. And of evil and detestable things. Evil men who do good. 'Good' men who do evil. It is not a book that whitewashes the truth. It presents its heroes with warts and all.
You want balance? Read the Bible. Not just a chapter here or there.
No, Shawn, the righteousness your argument portrays is a straw man - that is, an argument rendered false for failing accurately to describe that which it rejects. If you're going to reject something, make sure you understand what it is you reject, without resorting to an inaccurate portrayal. Best, accessible advice I could give is: Read the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Then see what you conclude about the main person those sources discuss. If you choose to do so, I'd suggest starting with Mark (if you like short and punchy), or Luke (if you'd like the best historian).
By the way, strong belief does not make me right. Nor anyone else. Again, look at the object of faith. If the object is valid, then the faith, if genuine, is valid. If the object is unreliable, then the faith, regardless of how sincere, is futile, misguided, false.
If Jesus of Nazareth was not raised from the dead, then my faith is misguided, and I am a fool, to be pitied, perhaps, but no one should share in my faith. However, if he was resurrected...
=========== [By the way, anybody may feel free to disagree with me, challenge what I say, or offer support, or what have you. I love a good discussion, and admire people who have the courage to discuss! Please note, too, that if I attack an argument, I do not, nor do I intend to, attack the person who advances an argument. This is not person x vs. person y. This is to talk about ideas, and, one hopes, to learn from each other.]
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