PENTHIAE CAMPAIGN QUESTIONS

[Zanaikin]

[Zanaikin]

I believe I told you that I am incorporating BDB post Trelling right?

and here it is!

BASE DEFENSE BONUS:
DM Note: The following rules comes as a set for the maintenance of game balance.
1. Basics
Base Defense Bonus is a class and level dependent boost to AC as a dodge bonus. This bonus is denied if you are wearing any armor, carrying more than a light load, or denied your dexterity modifier to AC. This bonus is calculated by the following equation:
Base Defense Bonus = Base Attack Bonus + Base Reflex Save – Character Level
Your Base Defense Bonus is a minimum of 0 (it cannot penalize your AC).

2. Armor to DR
You receive DR/– equal to half your armor AC (rounded down). If you are wearing adamantine armor, you receive DR/– equal to your armor AC instead.

3. Mage Armor
Mage Armor, Bracers of Armor, and similar spells and items no longer grant armor AC. They now grant deflection AC instead. Armor AC may only be gained through real physical armor or magically enhanced clothing (e.g. +5 robes)
DM Suggestion: Arcane spellcasters who do not benefit from Base Defense Bonus should invest upon Twilight Mithral Chain Shirts (0% ASF).


SPELLS SECTION:
8. Bonus Type Clarifications (Also for Items):
• Armor bonus are no longer granted by spells as Mage Armor or items as Bracers of Armor, instead they grant deflection bonus.
• Deflection bonus to AC may be up to +10 for non-epic equipment and costs (bonus^2 x 1,000gps)

as most of you already have Bracers of Armor or Rings of Protection, this will require some upgrading:
If you have Bracers of Armor (or similar +AC mage-armor-ish effect), change it to deflection instead, simple enough.
If you have Rings of Protection (or similar +deflect AC), double the bonus (do the math and you'll realize you're on the high end of the bargain stick here so I don't want to hear any complaints )

My custom Arcane Armor spells are hereby declared obsolete...

also, an PHBII feat I edited for the new armor-to-DR rules. This + adamantine makes wearing armor actually well worth it . And don't forget this rule also increases the values of feats like Heavy Armor Optimization.

ARMOR SPECIALIZATION [FIGHTER]
Requirements: Base Attack Bonus +12, Proficiency with selected armor type
Benefit: Choose light, medium, or heavy armor with which you are proficient. When wearing masterwork armor (including magic armor) of that type, you gain damage reduction equal to armor AC instead of half armor AC. Any time you lose your dexterity bonus to armor class, you lose the benefits of this feat.
Special: If you wear adamantine armor, you gain damage reduction equal to one-and-half times your armor AC instead of your armor AC.

[Zanaikin]

figured this needs an update before Judson tries to come up with something smart about it:

3. Free Spells:
A caster or manifester may use spells equal or below one-third his/her highest spell level once every minute without burning a spell/day slot. All level 0 spells may be used as a free spell, level 1 spells are free once you gains level 3 spells, level 2 when you gain level 6 spells, and level 3 when you gain level 9 spells.
To a class that must prepare spells, this ‘free spell’ may be of any spell he/she has prepared that day, whether or not if it has already been expended. However, classes that must prepare spells gain only one free spell per minute.
Manifesters who augment / metapsionic the ‘free power’ may only raise it to a maximum number of power points equal to the minimum manifester level for the highest ‘free power’ level he/she has. Thus, a psion (level 9 powers) can use a maximum of 5 power points (minimum manifester level of level 3 powers) for his/her ‘free powers’.
If you already used your ‘free spell’ or ‘free power’ in the available minute rounds, you may spend 1 action point to gain another use.
This spell/power is strictly temporary in nature and cannot be stored using any means (including Rods of Absorption).

[Zanaikin]

[Zanaikin]

people are breaking the free-spell rules too much...
not to mention that rule was inserted as a meant of 'reserve' spell use, with the [reserve] feats in they're not really necessary now.

so... the free spell rules is modified to:

3. Free Cantrips/Orisons
Level 0 spells of all classes are considered ‘free’ spells and may be cast with no daily limit.

[Zanaikin]

okay, one thing I might try to make official. I do not plan to enforce this exceptionally strictly (just like I give leeways on the ingame action-time rule), but be forewarned should I decide to skip someone:

If a battle sequence is run PBP, you have 24 Hours after it becomes you turn to post an action. If you take longer than this, I will dish out the same effect I give to those who take too long to decide on their turn: your character is set to full-defense mode and does not perform any other actions.

If you drop me a note (IM or PM) that you're busy I'll extend this to 48 hours, although I will reserve every right to not offer this should someone abuse this rule excessively. Appropriate considerations will be given for those who requires clarification of details from the DM to decide (again, abusing this rule to ask something stupid will not grant your a postponing).

If you are unable to reach the internet or simply away from a position for which you can access your character sheet (say: visiting relatives, having a school network crash, going on a trip) you'll be excused from this. However if it becomes stuck on your character for more than two days you should assign another player (or the DM will assign for you) to act on your behalf, just as if you have to be absent for a meeting.

Reason why I do this:
1. You should not spend more than a few minutes (<5) deciding on what your character's actions are. And if you have to open more than 3 books/PDFs to research possibilities or figure out what spells/maneuvers do (or worse: where its from), then I suggest you organize your character-sheet better. Good roleplaying is nice to have but it is a bonus, not a requirement. Either way, you should not spend more than 5mins TOPS figuring out what your character does, and I know you guys have the typing speed to type out your action within 1min. If it takes any longer, you're probably trying to do more than you should, or you character is simply being too indecisive during the round -> cannot makeup his mind -> I have right to skip him.

2. If you consistently take multiple days to post an action, then any other player also has the right to take multiple days to post an action... roll this up for 6 players and 1 DM and we'll have 2-3 weeks time to go thru ONE ROUND, meaning = we'll NEVER get anything done. Don't give me crap on other PBP games' posting speed because the typical PBP post speed is reason why most PBP games fail!

[Mr_Praetorian]

In light of Scott's message to Marty, we may need to have a good clarification of the difference between good role-playing and Meta-Gaming.

[Squall255]

his message to Kati doesn't say anything out of character, however, his AIM speech has been slightly meta game.

Example:
Good RP: LADY GANT! What's going on down there? are you hurt? who is attacking you? Anyone I should avoid hitting?

Meta Game: Damn that Ulrich, how dare he attack Kati! I'm going to roast him like a Thanksgiving Turkey! him and his bastard church men too!

* As a note, I'm not trying to pick on you scott. I'm sure I do this a little bit as well, and I'm fairly sure Judson suffers from this too. Drew is very good about this kinda thing though. Marty and Dave have a better grip then most, but occasionally succumb to Meta Gaming.

[Mr_Praetorian]

I'm not trying to pick on anyone, I simply think that its clear that we need our DM to write a clarification post. Because, to be honest, I sometimes find myself unsure as to whether I'm about to Meta-Game or not, since the actual definition varies by DM.

I'm not asking for the DM to violently and verbally strike Scott down, but I do think that sending someone a message, warning them out-of-game about your character's future actions is not an acceptable gaming practice, because is directly effects how you're going to run your character in the future.

Just my 2 cps.

[Squall255]

ah, well in that reguard, I'd agree that a definition would be nice. Scott's post I would take for a refresh your knowledge of your options, cause your char would know what they are capeable of. I would not let it affect my action aside from a reminder that my char might send him a message. but if my char were preoccupied, I'd just ignore the post. Although I see your point on why posts like that should be left in less specific terms.

[Zanaikin]

metagaming really falls under the grey area of things near-impossible to enforce properly. There will ALWAYS be metagaming to some extent, the matter is more of a case of keeping it as minimum as possible. The fact that DMs are willing to overlook a light bit of metagaming does not mean you should abuse it, because they reserve the right to put their foot down at any moment, typically when the player least expect it (and therefore beings to whine excessively).

primary categories of what I consider metagaming:
--Acting on behalf of information which you character was not present for to know.
--Acting on behalf of having exact DETAILS for which you character should not know. Best example I can think offhand: no Ulrich does not know Kati does not cast Radiant Assault, because there is no reason why Ulrich would know Kati's list of spellsknown/prep'd.
--Directing your allies in their next course of action in detail, particularly when you do not have the ingame means to get said information to them.
--Coordinating efforts on the field (middle of engagement) as "players", not "characters". There should NOT be a discussion of why someone should/shouldn't cast this next spell... because you simply don't have time to do so in the field. Let's the player use his own judgment.

I really don't see how anyone could write an official clarification post listing all the things that define 'metagaming', that would be approaching the scale of defining 'common sense'...

[Laharl]

Don't forget the other biggie, one we all fall prey too: Don't assume you know lots about, say, monsters, without a relevant knowledge skill or sufficient Int/Wis. Same is true for some of our crazy plans: Does your character really have the background knowledge/experience to come up with said plan?

[Zanaikin]

[Zanaikin]

Well, after last night, I guess everyone is as tired of me telling them to post as ... I am of telling them to post. So, here's the resolution:

I DON'T CARE ANYMORE, HOW'S THAT?

I'm really tired of telling, begging, PLEADING for people to post. This is a game, not me asking people for charity...

I'm also tired of people treating this like work or homework. I'm not getting paid for it, I got no boss to yell at me, it doesn't look good on my resume, so why should I be taking the time to supervise the players?

From now on, if the players feel like posting, I'll put forth some effort and the game will run on.

If the players don't, the DM will pretend the game doesn't exist.

Yes, if you care about this game, YOU are now responsible for making the game move on. (and if you don't, quit so you stop being a drain to my precious time)

Better? Now you won't need to worry about me nagging, and I don't need to feel pissed off that I spent X hours preparing something and the players don't care.

[Zanaikin]

oh, also, as I can't tell if Players are finished or if they're still working on something...

You're also responsible for telling me if the game needs to move on (unless I notice it myself, which you are not to assume)