Guide to Play by Post Games
The Guide to Play By Post Games is a resource for players and game masters, with tips and suggestions on how to conduct games via Play-by-Post (and other similar text mediums), as well as a set of commonly used templates and websites.
Play by Post QuestionnaireReference MaterialsSpoilerWhen starting a game, a DM should provide enough information for players to make their characters. The 16 Questions (by TheVorpalTribble) have been traditionally used on this forum, but because of its length and redundancy, a newer version has been provided, which you should adapt to suit your needs. The tradtional sixteen questions have been preserved below as well.
Copyable Template:Quote:
System: (e.g. D&D 3.5e, 4e, GURPS, etc.)
Player Count: (Number of Players)
Style of Play: (Type of Game, e.g. Hack & Slash, Roleplay, Sandbox)
Allowed Content: (List of Allowed Content)
- Book #1
- Book #2
- Book ##
Character Creation: (Character Sheet Generation)
Backstory: (Required?)
Experience: (e.g. 5th Level)
Wealth: (e.g. Standard WBL)
Ability Scores: (e.g. Rolled 4d6b3)
Hitpoints/Health: (e.g. Average, Rolled, Max)
Alignment: (Restrictions?)
Other Notes: (Anything Else You Want to Add)
SpoilerCode:[b]System:[/b]
[b]Player Count:[/b]
[b]Style of Play:[/b]
[b]Allowed Content:[/b]
[list]
[*]Book #1
[*]Book #2
[*]Book ##
[/list]
[b]Character Creation:[/b]
[list]
[*]Backstory:
[*]Experience:
[*]Wealth:
[*]Ability Scores:
[*]Hitpoints/Health:
[*]Alignment:
[/list]
[b]Other Notes:[/b]
2
The Sixteen Questions:SpoilerCopyable Template:Quote:
Originally Posted by TheVorpalTribble
Code:[b]1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)?[/b]
[b]2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)?[/b]
[b]3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?[/b]
[b]4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)?[/b]
[b]5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?[/b]
[b]6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with?[/b]
[b]7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes?[/b]
[b]8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species?[/b]
[b]9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?[/b]
[b]10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?[/b]
[b]11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?[/b]
[b]12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?[/b]
[b]13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.[/b]
[b]14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?[/b]
[b]15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?[/b]
[b]16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters?[/b]
Thread/Post FormattingSpoiler
{table="head"]Resources|Description
Currently Recruiting|Games that are currently recruiting players or replacements.
Player Registry|A repository of player profiles, for archival or signature purposes.
Dungeon Master Registry|A repository of GM/DM profiles, for archival or signature purposes.
Common Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Terms|An incomplete list of common RP/PbP expressions.
Dice Rolls|The ‘Giant in the Playground’ Dice Rolling Subforum.
D&D Dice Roller|WotC’s official online dice roller.
Invisible Castle|Invisible Castle transparent, group dice roller.[/table]
{table="head"]System Reference Documents|Description
WotC SRD 3.5e|Official, Downloadable RTF SRD for D&D 3.5e
d20srd.org|The Hypertext d20 SRD
System Reference Documents|A collection of SRDs for various systems.
Paizo PRD 3.6e|Official Pathfinder SRD
d20pfsrd|Expansive Pathfinder SRD
Pathfinder Wiki|The (canon) Pathfinder Wiki
White Wolf Quick-Start Guides|Collection of various WW Systems (e.g. Exalted)
[/table]
{table="head"]Character Sheet Profilers|Description
Myth Weavers|Formerly known as 3EProfiler.net.
The Tangled Web|Another popular character sheet host.
DnD Sheets|3e Profiler Character Sheet Host[/table]Using the Forum Dice RollerSpoilerWhen creating your game threads, it would be a good idea for your threads to be formatted nicely. Most threads will invoke a prose format, in which a third person, past-tense, point of view are preferred. Character speech is often differentiated by colors, while italics might be used to represent character thought. You can create your own variation, but be aware this can be a bit confusing for players. Regardless of format style, all players should follow the convention set forth by the GM, even if their preference is for another style. An example is displayed below.
Many players reserve colors for character speech, either for consistency between games/characters, or for personal reasons. When picking a color, pick one different from the other players and stick to that specific color. If the GM reserves a color, don’t use that one. Red is acceptable for character speech, though it is preferred that you do not - normally, {red text} is reserved for Mod posts, at least in theory.Quote:
Originally Posted by Prose Sample
Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation (barring unusual speech patterns or accents as part of a character's defining traits) are a must, since confusion resulting from a run-on sentence could lead to mistakes, possibly even character death. Running a post through a spelling and grammar checker before posting is a good idea. If you are unsure of your post clarity, run it by your GM prior to posting.
SpoilerQuote:
Originally Posted by Fixer
1
Frequently Asked QuestionsSagely Advice for PlayersSpoiler
- What is a play-by-post (PbP) game?
A play-by-post, or PbP, game is any game that is normally played face-to-face or on a tabletop played by posting to a web-board. Types of games might include Roleplaying Games (RPGs; e.g. Dungeons and Dragons), Strategy Games (e.g. Diplomacy), and Freeform Games.
Free-form games lack formal rulesets - the GM of the game determines what is possible and what is not depending on the situation and what the players tell him. In short, free-form PbP is sort of collective story telling. The second form utilizes an existing ruleset for tabletop gaming. On these boards, this primarily means d20 systems.
- How do you play?
Simple: the GM explains what’s going on, and then you post to the game thread explaining what your character is doing. PbP is just tabletop gaming expressed through the medium of the forum. More detailed information on how exactly to express what you want to do will be found later in this guide.
- How do I join a game?
First, if you want to join a new game, check the Finding Players (Recruitment) forum and see which games are looking for players. Do not post to a thread in an IC channel asking to join. This just annoys the GM and other players. You might also wish to create a player profile in the Player Registry, or if you wish to run a game, create a profile in the Dungeon Master Registry. Please keep in mind that the GM should start all game threads, unless he/she gives express and specific instructions for someone else to start the thread.Divine Advice for Game MastersSpoiler
- Character Creation
The GM will list all relevant guidelines for character creation. The standard method here is to use some form of point buy appropriate for the system being used (many systems use point buy as a default), and then let people know how many points they have to play with. Note that specific rules for how to use a systems point buy will be found in the appropriate rulebooks, and is generally copyrighted and thus cannot be posted publicly on the forum. Where to post the character stats/sheets will also be explained by the GM. See below for more detail on this.
- Regarding Other Characters
In PbP, there is a temptation to include the actions or reactions of other characters, PC or NPC, in your own post, in order to move things along in the story. Do not do this. It's known as“godmodding”“railroading,” and quite frankly is rather rude. It may take a while longer, but waiting for another player to compose their own characters response is generally worth the wait, and the slight acceleration of the plot is not worth the trouble. Also, let the GM resolve anything that needs an opposed die roll. In order to speed things up, its usually okay to post probable actions your character will take depending on what happens next - a sort of “if, then” statement. Don't go overboard with this.
The exception to this rule is if you have permission from the GM and/or another player to control another character's actions, or if a GM has taken control of a character from an absent player.
- Mechanics, and Resolving Dice Rolls, Checks, and So Forth
The GM of a particular thread will designate a method to be used for dice rolls, generally reserving the right to make the rolls for all checks, or at least opposed checks. Generally, as a player you will post what checks you think you're making and your relevant modifiers in the OOC section after your main post, and then the GM will actually roll the checks and usually post your results. Sometimes, a GM will allow players to make their own rules using an online dice roller. Regardless, check the game's main thread to determine what methods are being used, and follow the GM's guidelines.
It's always a good idea to include the relevant statistics for any sort of skill check you're making in the OOC section. For example, in combat listing AC, attack bonuses, weapon damage, and current HP is a good idea. If you cast a spell, list caster level, save DC, etc. When making a skill check, list the relevant bonuses (for example, “Survival +6, +8 aboveground, +8 when tracking goblins, +10 when tracking goblins aboveground”). The GM does have access to the character sheets, but its good form to give quick reference information when possible.Starting a GameSpoiler
- Scheduling, Timing, and Pacing
One of the benefits and curses of PbP games is that there is no formal meeting time for games. Players post whenever they are available to check the boards. However, this also extends the time it takes to work through adventures quite a bit. It could take several hours, or even days, for every player to post to a single combat round.
Given this, a few suggestions can make the game run more smoothly. First, state how often you expect players (and yourself, as the GM, in particular) to post at a minimum - once a day, three times a week, whatever works best. If you have particularly prolific posters in your game, especially if the rest of the players don't post as often, establishing a maximum number of posts in a specific time period might be a good idea as well.
Additionally, establish limits for non-responsive players. For example, if a player doesn't post for two days, the GM will decide that PCs actions in order to keep the story moving. Another good thing is to establish a limit to how long a player can be gone (not posting at all), without providing an explanation, before their character is turned into an NPC or otherwise removed from the game. Two weeks is a typical limit.
- A Leave of Absence?
The previous paragraph brings up another potential problem of the expanded time span of PbP - player absences. Players might have to leave for a week or more due to vacations, family concerns, work, school, or any of a myriad of reasons. Generally, if the player contacts the GM, that player should be able to return to the game when they get back, without penalty - though, if the absence is going to be especially long, it might be better for the player to leave altogether. Also, its often standard-practice for another player to handle an absent player's character while they are gone. This should only be done with the player's permission, and the GM should make sure the absent player's character doesn't get, well, screwed, while the player is gone.
If you as the GM are going to be away for a while, it’s a good idea to post to both the IC and OOC threads, and let people know when you'll be back.
- Dropping and Adding Players
Players end up dropping out of games – whether standard tabletop or PbP – regularly due to outside concerns. This is problematic in PbP due to the extended time span the game progresses through. Ideally, having a few alternate players to call on should a regular drop is a good idea. Otherwise, adding a new character should proceed in the same manner as starting a game.
- Rolling Dice and Mechanics
Many GMs prefer to make all rolls themselves, but there are also online dice rollers available. The GM should clearly establish the method used at the beginning of the game and stick to it. If you make only some of the rolls, state which ones players will be making clearly. Also, make sure to provide guidelines on how to report rolls or relevant stats so you can make die rolls. Lastly, explain how you will be reporting die roll results at the beginning to avoid confusion. Players should always follow the guidelines and format suggested by the GM.
- Roleplaying
The nature of PbP tends to promote heavy RP games. The players have longer to compose their thoughts and responses, and heavy “roll” games tend to go quite slowly, so extra RP helps keep things interesting. Of course, what this means will vary from game to game. If everyone is having fun, then you're at the right degree of RP for your game - whether it's more or less than another PbP is a non-issue. As a GM, you should explain how much RP and detail you expect, and set an example by providing that level of RP and detail in your own posts.
- Private Messages and Metagame
Generally, with PbP games, you just have to trust players not to metagame. As a player, you shouldn't take advantage of this trust. However, every once in a while it’s easiest for a GM to send a private message to a player to supply information or ask questions. In this case, I suggest two things: try to stay in character for PMs, make the PM's subject clear that it is in regards to the PbP game, and mention that you've PMed the player in the IC thread.
- Maintaining a Game over Play by Post
It isn’t enough to just start your game and expect it to take off. Indeed if that happens, congratulate yourself, because you’ve either written a very compelling campaign, or you’ve happened upon some very dedicated players. It takes work to keep your game flowing and interesting. The fluid and noncommittal nature of forums leads to many games dying out.
- First and foremost, keep your players interested. If players lose interest, they’ll stop posting, and if one person stops posting, then everything grinds to a halt. Whenever possible, encourage your players to keep posting, even if it’s just one-liners. Anything is better than nothing. It may be worth making clear at the very beginning that if someone has to stop posting, arrange for a “heads-up” so to speak. Clear communication between all players (and the GM) is a definite must. Some possible ways of rescuing your game might be to set a maximum period of inactivity before the GM may godmode/railroad (or smite) said character to further the game.
- So you, or your players aren’t posting, because nobody knows what to do, or because it wouldn’t be in character for someone to speak. First, you need to let your fellow players know, either in character, or in the out of character thread, that you’re still here and participating. At the very least, somebody should be maintaining the “action” whether it be in game or out of game. Feel free to discuss in the out of character thread. As long as everyone is there and checking in, it shouldn’t really matter that you’ve spent the past month trying to solve this one riddle (as long as it’s really good). If your character is stumped, somebody else might have the answer (out of character) that they can just tell you, and things will go on their merry way.
- Feedback is a core component of roleplaying in general (not just play by post). As a GM, you should seek feedback and constructive criticism to make sure that everybody is having fun. Other people can’t see your face, and you can’t see theirs. Therefore, it is up to you to find out whether people are legitimately enjoying themselves. If you think something is stupid, say so, but do so nicely, and firmly, lest your thread get derailed.
Spoiler
- Getting Started
The GM should first establish what system the game will be in and what material is available in the game (SRD only? All splatbooks available? Core rulebooks only? Standard material for a specific campaign setting?). Making this clear at the beginning keeps things running smoothly later. Also, a general description of the game type - is it hack-and-slash D&D, or RP-heavy d20 Modern spy game? - should be included.
- Collecting Players
Post your idea to the Finding Players (Recruitment) forum. Figure out how many players you want, and include that in the post. Most GMs will require a backstory, selecting players from a pool of candidates based on quality of narration or premise. Backstory length and backstory quality do not necessarily correlate directly. Being clear and concise may be just as good, if not better. Above all, be creative.
- Character Creation, and Posting Characters
As GM, you should establish the rules for character creation as soon as possible. Just use whatever variant you prefer from the game you're playing, though for d20 point buy or shared stats are preferred for fairness. More important is deciding how to post character stats. The two primary methods are to have a “Rogue's Gallery” thread for stat blocks in the OOC forum, or to create the character sheet on a website that supports character databases. For the latter, don't forget to make the sheet public!
- Getting Ready to Play
Once players are chosen and characters created, and the posting frequency rules set, you should create new threads in the Out-Of-Character subforum, and Ongoing Games (In-Character) Channels with the title of the game and game type as the thread name. Make sure it’s clear which game is yours when you pick a name, and link back to the OOC thread in the first post, and post a link to the IC thread in the OOC thread. Linking to characters in the first post is also a good idea. Read some of the ongoing games to get an idea of how things work. You might also wish to create a dice rolling thread in the appropriate subforum.
1
* Original Guide by Gorbash Kazdar -- Updated and Maintained by Neftren (Yours Truly).
† Please keep in mind that Play-by-Post games are governed by the same Forum Rules that govern all threads and posts on the Giant in the Playground forums.
