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TFWoods3
June 27th, 2009, 23:48
Does anyone else like to do between game progression through email, a website, or blog?

Since my group can't play as often as I would like, I keep a website going to keep the interest up and the story moving forward. It's a great opportunity to add more detail to the story, area, and NPCs. With almost unlimited image reference available on the net you can also include great visual props.

Would love to hear anyone who is doing the same and share their experiences with it.

Griogre
June 29th, 2009, 07:52
I use yahoo groups for just this reason for my games. They (and google groups) have messageboards and files sections. Sometimes the messageboard gets used a lot, sometimes not much - but it is very useful at times to do certain types of administrative things like buying/selling things so you don't have to do it during a game and waste game time.

I find extensive roleplaying to be very slow on a messageboard - and it usually has very uneven particupation by players - but some interaction with NPCs can be done also or the players can make some decisions before the game.

Talen
July 1st, 2009, 04:26
Our group recently started the War of the Burning Sky Adventure Path. Because there is so much political intrigue going on, we needed a way to keep all the factions and npc's straight. We started with an Oblivion Portal campaign Wiki, which I thiought worked pretty well. Once the players started posting tho, we needed a more full featured forum system. One of our players put together a Wordpress site which we all populate. You can check it out at www.wotbs.worldsworkshop.com if you're interested.

I think everyone is having a good time with it so far...

MINI
August 28th, 2009, 22:17
You really do have to have all your players on board with in between game communication or its not worth doing. Players have schedules and agree to the game at a certain time. if their schedules don't fit checking a board daily its just not going to happen. on the other hand if the players do get on board in between game communication can save game time and even create some possibilities for roleplay that you might not have had time for otherwise.

TheShadow
October 21st, 2009, 19:31
In the group I DM we do it all the time. Right now I am running a 4e version of the Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde. Here is a little sample of what we do over email:

The players are:

Hap: A halfling sorcerer
Grigori: An eladrin fighter
Justinian: A half-elf cleric

This was an exchange between me and the guy playing Hap.

The meeting with Sage of the Azure Eye came to an end and Hap was more than curious as to what he had gotten himself into. As Grigori was talking privately with Dragonlord Harrak and Justinian had gone to pray for guidance from Melora, Hap was outside on a balcony in Sumberton Keep admiring the view of the city and enjoying his cigar.

A dark figure quietly approached from behind and then settled in next to the halfling.

The smoke of the cigar seemed to repel away from her with purpose.

“I would like to offer you a place among the Ebon Cabal. There are benefits to being one of us and your draconic ties will certainly be appreciated. The Black Tower will be open to you and the knowledge and magic within will be accessible. Of course from time to time we may ask for certain tasks to be completed,” Naryalla begin to play with the smoke and soon the shape of a dragon formed, its powerful wings lifted it up and with a quick breath from Naryalla the smoke dragon dissipated.

Hap took a deep draw from his cigar, momentarily holding it in as he contemplatively looked out over the city. Thin curls of smoke curled from his small nostrils, and after a moment his face cracked into a toothy grin.

"Sure, doll. I could use some answers about my condition, that's fer sure. I'll throw in with the Cabal, s'long as yer tasks ain't too dirty - I ain't the murderin' sort, and I ain't so good at the sticky-fingers work - ye'd have the wrong Whitefoot if that's what yer lookin' for... my brothers Hac'n mebbe Hoc are better at those sorta things. I'm more innerested in mysteries and the hidden powers that underlie everything in this 'ere Valley... and I suspect you guys are too. Since me and these guys are lookin' to get into the thick of it, I imagine that's why yer here. So if our innerests match - ya got yerself a deal."

Naryalla knelt down and came eye to eye with Hap. “Very well. Then, what we need from you to begin with is, if you are to come across any more artifacts from Slaughtergarde, bring as many as you can to us. The benefits that come with being able to study the magic behind it is numerous.”

The smoke continued to part around her, Hap soon was keenly aware of her deep green eyes, “Another thing that would carry a lot of favor with high ranking members of the Ebon Cabal … keep us informed about your dealings with the Luminous Order. They are unfortunately short sighted and are looking to destroy anything related to Slaughtergarde. Your companion, the Grigori, is becoming a loyal follower of theirs, so you must be careful around him.”

“Now, take this gift as a loyal member of the Cabal. Remember, good and evil, light and dark – they’re just abstractions. You know what’s important in this world? Power. We protect ourselves with power.”

From underneath her sleeve she pulls forth a dagger and hands it to Hap.

"Power works fer me, lady. Collect artifacts and keep tabs on the Lumies - ya got it." He unsheathes the blade partially and takes an appreciative look.
"I figger I ain't got time to visit yer tower before I head out, much as I'd like to. So mebbe you can pose a question to the right person there, and mebbe I'll bring back something from the field that will merit the answer? Family legend has it that the blood of Bahamut runs in the veins of the Whitefoot clan, and the dragon blood pops up strong, real strong, every few generations or so. But on my birthday, there was some sorta omen that my parents won't talk about. Some sorta bad sign. I think it was a constellation, but I ain't no astronomer so I don't know how to figger out what the hell was up there that night. I can probably ask them Azure fellas, but I want to know more than what the sign was - I want to know what it mighta meant."

Naryalla forced a smile, “Bahamut? The most regal of all dragons. I’m sorry Hap, forgive my bluntness, but you … do not reek of regality. An omen in the stars as well, huh? How interesting and how unfortunate that the Tome of Forbidden Stars was stolen. If the Tome is truly involved in what is going on with the remnants of Slaughtergarde awakening then find it and get it back. It just may have some insight into this bad omen that you have fallen under.”

"Naw, we ain't regal, that's fer sure. The Whitefoots have always been known fer being the rowdiest, raunchiest, and randiest hobbits in the burrows, but we ain't as bad as we sound. Mebbe there's some a' Bahamut's nobility kickin' around in there, though. The Whitefoot's tend to do what's right, in the end, even if we do choose some odd and often illegal ways a'goin' about it." Hap barks a laugh and waggles an arched eyebrow at her. "Power makes a lotta right, I'm figgering..."

"Sides, noone knows if that Bahamut crap is true, grandma' Halifa may have just had a thing fer wild animals, har har! Hef always said it made more sense if it was the Beast. Eh, coulda been a yeti, fer all we know. Some of them tiefling shitheads even think it was Tiamat, not Bahamut! Whatever. So, I'll keep an ear out fer that Tome I guess."