I think a good guideline is: Will this have some mechanical affect on the game or players? Will this change anything about the story? If you answer no to both, have it come out however you want.
The only mechanical effect on the game or the players will be my character losing money, and another gaining it. Effects on the story? Perhaps it'll affect the relationship between the characters. I made sure to get Sampi's permission first (I even explained the entire minigame to Sampi).
I do plan to use game mechanics for this minigame of sorts.
As much as I would like us all(including me&Gurlin) to play whatever game this is and have us all get our characters better acquainted, Gurlin is dismissive towards it, not wanting to join.
They got a job to do, he doesn't like deviating from work, if asked he might play, but he won't like doing so, nor would he like being made a fool of further by teasing little Niko.
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Here's a couple of additional background thingies, read at your leisure.
On alignment:
Spoiler
Alignment is one of the aspects in D&D I'm the least happy with. I think it's a copout from developing an actual personality, and instead picking a narrowly defined "morality" to guide your actions. However, since it's an integral part of the rules mechanics, I can't just dismiss it altogether. What I do instead is this:
You pick an alignment, but don't hang yourself with it. Find moral codes and behaviors that fit your character, and use those instead. Even a good character may be harsh towards some and even hate them, and an evil character may love someone and sacrifice herself to save that which they love. Use alignment more as a guidepost than a straitjacket, please.
The harsh end of the alignment spectrum is the outsiders and others that are supposed to embody the ideals. Those are indeed "always evil" or "always good" and so forth. Few mortals come close to that kind of absolute, and they should not either. Paladins may aspire to this kind of good, or law, or both - but their attempts are rarely quite the absolute.
The professor:
Spoiler
Professor Callan is a wizard of indeterminate age and species. He's rarely seen twice in the same form: one day he is a giant snake, the next a halfling. His (her?) gender changes occasionally as well, but he is male most of the time. On the school grounds, he can be recognized by his hat; on old black top hat with a red band. Not that he's around very often. He's left the administration of the school and the surrounding valley to his apprentices, and spends most of his time sequestered away in his personal laboratory or away altogether.
Few people in the school speak to him, as he only teaches his own apprentice students, after they've graduated from the school itself. The regular teaching staff know him and can talk to him if the need arises. Very few do. The ones that regularly do are the high priestess at the temple, the castle seneschal, the top leaders of Exploration and the Guard, the professor's own apprentices, and Kupari, the copper dragon living high in the main tower.
Everyone has met the professor at least once. He does make sure to greet every student coming to the school, if only briefly. That meeting has left most people wondering what the Professor was after, since he always asks very strange questions.
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Spoiler
1st commemorative BEAST award, for displaying BEASTLY qualities in overcoming tricksy obstacles.
Prince Zahn: Then it's a good thing that he'll be getting a prize that he might enjoy for each right answer that he gets.
I'm thinking of having it work as a knowledge (arcana) check against DC 20 for each magic thing. I am going to try to stick to Sampi's DMing style as much as I can. So remember these two parts...
Cool moves and spell use will often go over the RAW.
Describing the process that you go through to identify the things will get you bonuses to the knowledge check. I don't mind you using things like "[insert school of magic here]" in these descriptions, with the intent to replace them once the items are correctly identified.
Players have minor diegetic power
If you want to say that your character remembers having seen the magic thing in question somewhere else, then they remember having seen it somewhere else, and may get a bonus to the knowledge check.
To prevent myself from abusing these, my character won't be getting those bonuses.
Ceraphina: Magic thing, preferably a Haversack or like
Niko: Magic thing
Judit: Magic thing with a long wishlist involved
Chappe: Flaming sword (weapon)
Gurlin: Magic rope, or armor if rope's not possible
Stinky: wants to know what Ako has
Chaff: Magic thing
Lyta: no request yet.
I'll go through my books and see what each of you get. Needle will need to post sometime soon or Ako will just pick something for Lyta.
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My first character was a first edition thief.
Evidence that MS Paint is still a valid avataring tool:
Spoiler
1st commemorative BEAST award, for displaying BEASTLY qualities in overcoming tricksy obstacles.
Freebiewitz: I have a few reactions in mind, so I'll pick one based on my roll, I'll make a similar diplomacy check, until we determine what check it is, unless either result leaves only 1 obvious outcome: (1d20-2)[17]
Edit: ...well... Gurlin will present his case.
__________________ Thanks to Ceika, Vamber lives to play with fire in this cheerful avatar!
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Freebiewitz: I have a few reactions in mind, so I'll pick one based on my roll, I'll make a similar diplomacy check, until we determine what check it is, unless either result leaves only 1 obvious outcome:
[roll0]
Edit: ...well... Gurlin will present his case.
.... Even if it was a diplomacy check Chappe would still fail vs Niko.... I find this situation entertaining!
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"A knife can only bring true happiness in the hands of a chef."
True, convincing characters like Niko to stand down is a bonus feat in it's own right.
I'm interested to see how this turns out...
I was also going to rewrite "diplomacy" as "charisma check", until I noticed my roll.
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I'm sorry if that's a problem. I may have been a bit of a munchkin in the offline games I've played until now, but I've been trying to make the shift to roleplayer.
Also, I hope Gurlin forgets the first condition of that permission to punch.
Let's do some math:
If I got it correctly, Gurlin needs to pass a DC 20 Knowledge (Arcana) check to guess one correctly ( or at least I need to identify it and come up with a good reason why Gurlin knows too) before we even consider the aftermath, now adding up his ranks(none), his intelligence modifer(+1), the monocle(is that +2, or does it just aid player guesswork?), and memory modifiers regarding the item (+1 or 2? If it arises at all?)
Giving him the optimal modifier of +3/+5 per item to beat DC 20, anywhere between 10%~30% success, and 30% is maybe on a single item all modifiers apply.
I'd assume your character safe until proven otherwise, were I you.
Frankly? Niko should thank his lucky stars his player did not propose a spellcraft check(the traditional magic spell and effect deciphering skill) to determine the competition, Since Gurlin already has 4 ranks in that.
Freebiewitz: Think nothing of it, Gurlin doesn't care how people adress him, heck, if you were to believe rumors spread by the student body, you would probably assume Gurlin as a chunk of living clay
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Actually, I was referring to a rather different condition. If you would think back to the very sentence that brought up the punching...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Niko Tezza
And if you're still upset with me, Gurlin, then I'll let you punch me once for each of them that you get right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Niko Tezza
...if you're still upset with me, Gurlin...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Niko Tezza
...still upset with me...
Anyway, I kind of want to do all of the rolls for this little minigame in one post (for dramatic purposes), so if you guys don't mind me doing all of the rolling once everyone's posted how their character goes about identifying the magic things...
...
That was my next guess... We'll see if he's still bitter afterwards, since right now we're playing it by ear...
Anyway, looking at your character's responses, I feel I should ask just how bright are the ideas that "pop into Niko's head"?
To me, it just looks like he's trying to dig his own grave when a man of honor offers him a rope to climb out of the ditch...
If you got a plan, which I guess you do, then my concerns are in vain, but don't go into details if you do have one, just think to yourself what Niko would do if the lug meets the conditions(again, IF...): would he dodge and/or run? Would he take the punch as he said he would? Would he apologize for upsetting him? Knowing what Gurlin could do to delinquents, would he beg for mercy?
Would he turn to Chappe and hope for his help at a moment of desperation?
The more you think about it, the more the appropriate response would seem the perfect choice, and I'd like to see myself, if Gurlin is lucky.
EDIT: Of course I wish your character no ill will, and should Gurlin have reacted more carefully he wouldn't either.
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Well, you are missing one bright idea that's underneath all of the others. It's one that I've shared with our DM. I have kind of altered it a bit since the PM, but I'm sure that it is a good idea. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I wouldn't mind Sampi giving his general, undetailed view. It started as my idea and so, I may be a bit too biased towards it.
Any bravery that Niko may have is probably due to his ranks in knowledge (religion) having allowed him to identify that 2 of the people in the room are capable of curative magic. Either that or he's too wrapped up in his own scheme that may have been inspired by a novel he's read (or maybe that's just my own personality shining through).
If you got a plan, which I guess you do, then my concerns are in vain, but don't go into details if you do have one
Just verifying I said this, I do want to be surprised.
shugyosha: I forgot to mention this when it was first relevant - I'm not sure just how far Ceraphina's insight is, but having seen the whole thing, the question of who was first insensitive to whom could be answered either way, either with Niko's thoughtless inquiry to the scarred or Gurlin's inappropriate outburst towards an innocent.
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In regards to Professor Callan you said he spoke to all of us and had asked us strange questions?
Are there set ones that you have in mind?
Should we have a flash back roleplay?
Or do we just make what he said up?
The bit about the professor is really just background - don't expect anything from that to come up in-game. Everybody got different questions. If you need to know them, you can make them up.
Also, this is fun to watch. I'll get back to posting real stuff when I get to use something other than my phone for it.
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1st commemorative BEAST award, for displaying BEASTLY qualities in overcoming tricksy obstacles.
Fair enough, Sampi. Though I post via Mobile all the time. It's actually not that bad once you get past the Spellchecker from HELL, considering how many deliberate typos I make writing Gurlin's accent, I'm surprised I'm faring with it, honestly, but that should be no problem to you if you don't plan to bring up a gibbering mouther Interaction quest or somethingActually, the possible frustration from that sounds kinda fun...8P
I should be fair and mention I post less on weekdays, not normally more than 2 times a day. since I'm out of the house most of the time, or writing on break time. having less chances to do so I'll try to fill in blanks with my post, hopefully not missing an important moment and resorting to "before this happened:..." parts as I did to get the antitoxin, I don't know just how much is it fair play, but I know it seems cheap to me...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sampi
Also, this is fun to watch.
glad to know the little detour pleases you as it interests me, I welcome all thee present to join forth, should ye not miss out on the drama.
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Sampi's lower rate of postings on weekends was part of my argument for this whole identification minigame. I figured that it would end before the weekend did. However, it's looking like people are using it as a reason not to show up. Sampi's lowered posting rate that is, not the minigame.
Unfortunately I can't get much gaming time in either on the weekends, but you'll be happy to know I aye a ton of bbq today. Well, I'm happy to know it anyway.
Sampi's lower rate of postings on weekends was part of my argument for this whole identification minigame. I figured that it would end before the weekend did. However, it's looking like people are using it as a reason not to show up. Sampi's lowered posting rate that is, not the minigame.
Oh, and I'm posting this from a 3DS.
This kinda doesn't make sense since we have to wait for Sampi's reply about what stuff is brought out anyway.
So, we're wanting till we're shown the stuff, write the answers and then see if we're right?
That's what it should be like from the perspective of the characters. However, the way that it will actually work is by everyone making a knowledge (arcana) check for each one with bonuses for good descriptions of how they go about it. Since I'll be the one deciding the bonuses, Niko won't get any.
Decided to update my character sheet a bit. Just the contacts/friends, enemies, and other notes sections. Gurlin and Niko are probably going to have a hard time getting along.
I can see why, I'd think that way too, were I in his position. Niko and Gurlin may have started on the wrong foot, And while current relations may be partly left to the fate of my die rolls, (what with multiple imaginable outcomes the item identification results could lead to) I- wow, this seems a bit cocky of me, but I do have some thoughts on what Gurlin would do on success.
Gurlin probably won't be passing Niko as an enemy Just yet... whether he's upset or not, Gurlin has been humiliated to these levels and higher, but not in this fashion - which triggers this unusual set of thoughts and events.
I am, however fascinated on your character wishing not to share fates with my character (despite not knowing what happened to him), everyone's got to strive for something, I guess...
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I'm still waiting on Lyta's and Stinky's requests. Until this time tomorrow - then Ako will get independent. I'll post the descriptions of the stuff everyone else gets soon, with their game stats spoilered. I'd like to get this show on the road soon.
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My first character was a first edition thief.
Evidence that MS Paint is still a valid avataring tool:
Spoiler
1st commemorative BEAST award, for displaying BEASTLY qualities in overcoming tricksy obstacles.
Sorry that it's taking longer than I expected. I thought that it would just be a simple thing that can get resolved in two days, but it turns out that we can't even get everyone to choose between "weapon, armor, or magic thing" in three. Guess that shows how unaccustomed I am to PbP games.
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Re: Under the School OOC thread
Actually, the possible frustration from that sounds kinda fun...8P
