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ShadeRaven
June 1st, 2010, 15:27
Important specifics to start:
Campaign #1: Tuesdays, 9pm Pacific, Midnight Eastern, 4am GMT. Two hours long, typically.
Campaign #2: Saturdays, 9pm Pacific, Midnight Eastern, 4am GMT. Two to three hours long, typically.

*** Note that if people free up earlier, it’s possible to start ahead of time, and because we are usually dealing with working adults with families, it’s possible that starting time could get pushed back (or even, more regrettably, cancelled). Also note that we often gather on other nights if people are around and available on Skype… even if it’s just off-night adventures/ad-libs with alternative characters.

I wish I could run campaigns at early, more inclusive times, but family time dictates that I can only reliably run these later in the day.

As for the gaming itself….
I am hosting a couple of Forgotten Realms (4E D&D) campaigns that will be taking place on Tuesday and Saturday nights. They will be independent of each others, as far as party composition goes. That said, they will be sharing the same world in the same time frame, so there’s possibilities that their paths will cross and certainly that the events of one campaign could have ripple effects that touch the other. Anyone who is available for both is welcome to create characters for each if there is an open slot.

Details of the interface:

I am obviously using Fantasy Grounds 2 as the Virtual Tabletop host for each.
I am using the free Voice over Internet Protocol Skype (www.skype.com) to communicate with players and for players to communicate amongst themselves. Unfortunately, I am only fluent in English so that will be the designated language. I realize that it is quite possible to play D&D over FG2 without voice at all, but the camaraderie and improved pace of play is such that I will be using voice.


The campaigns:

4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. And pretty much everything that is released by Wizards of the Coast (WotC) for 4E is open for potential use. That said…
As DM, I will retain the right to reject any character build, powers, or options – even if they are published by WotC. The campaign needs to have some sensibility and continuity to it, and some of the options just don’t mesh with cooperative play. IE: Minotaur, while one of my favorite creatures, just won’t work well in a group that consists of humans, elves, etc. (Although I always have an open ear for anyone with a good roleplay and sensible background to go with it – but it will be a hard sell to convince me that a half-drow, half-ogre assassin prince works for the campaign… so if you have your heart set on something exotic, you should probably look elsewhere.)
As per RPGA, characters must be Lawful Good, Good, or Unaligned… with the good alignments being more appropriate for heroic adventures with cooperative play.
As mentioned above, the setting with be in the Forgotten Realms (for these, at least) and the characters will need to be created using the legal methods for the RPGA Forgotten Realms. Generally speaking, that just means using official material and creating characters using the point buy or standard array system. For anyone interested in the specifics, you can find them at: https://www.wizards.com/dnd/Event.aspx?x=dnd/4new/event/rpgadownloads. Download the RPGA Character Creation Guide if you want to know more.
I will be able to assign players RPGA numbers for those who aren’t already members of the RPGA. This allows you to earn points and benefits as players of an official RPGA campaign.
It’s likely that I will be using a mix of pre-created D&D material from WotC and my own. I have personally created maps for areas of adventure and geographical locations set to scale for use with FG2, but time is limited and I will be definitely taking advantage of all the material out there to make my DMing role easier. As there is a lot of good material for the Living Forgotten Realms, Dungeon magazine, etc. I am sure I will be using it for these set nights just to see what they are doing with the world, too.


The players:

The people we have currently involved are mature, working adults, but their level of experience varies from decades of D&D to first roleplaying game experience. The only requirement I really have is an enthusiasm to play.
Because I have a daughter who occasionally plays and am not prone to profanity myself, I prefer that people play with a positive, relatively clean tongue. Obviously, some latitude is allowed as the “roleplay” dictates, but even that shouldn’t involve much use of vulgarities. Argumentative, hostile, or selfish play will be discouraged or even culled from the group.
All levels of roleplaying are allowed and, in general, the biggest goal in gathering together is to have fun. I have a mix of detail oriented, in-character players and casual, just-there-to-have-fun folk. I will encourage and make use of someone who puts time and effort into a full background, motivations, and details for the character, but will equally welcome the person who wants to just make a character that contributes to the group success and fun, even if they are mostly just interested in slashing some baddies and looting the remains.
Owning the 4E Books, having a D&D Insider account, etc., is not necessary, as I have all the material necessary to play inside FG2 itself, but it is encouraged (the more you know the easier it is to prepare and play – not to mention that the material is all good stuff and well worth the money).

Me
As for myself, you can probably glean quite a bit from the above about my personality and intent for the gaming. I know my way around FG2 (having used it for 4E D&D for a couple of years now), as well as 4E D&D. I run an upbeat, casual game that is more about having fun with friends than anything else. That said, I still take the roles, rhyme, and reason seriously enough and encourage everyone to go as far as they can with it as well.

Conclusion
If, by some miracle, all of the above doesn’t preclude you from being interested in joining us, we’d love to have more people involved. Please reply, send me a private message (here or on Skype), or email me ([email protected]) and, hopefully, we can get you involved, too!

Pheonix-IV
June 1st, 2010, 16:11
Colour me interested. Time works out well for me too.

Guess it's time to dig out my RPGA number :D

ShadeRaven
June 1st, 2010, 23:26
Colour me interested. Time works out well for me too.

Guess it's time to dig out my RPGA number :D

Awesome, Pheonix. We'd enjoy having you as a part of the gang. Did you have a night that would be better for you or just get in on everything you can? :D

Outside that, do you have Skype yet? If not, grab it at skype.com and then search me out at either [email protected] or ShadeRaven64. Either should get you in contact with me.

Once we get that done, we can go over more details over Skype's IM and get you quickly into the fold.

Pheonix-IV
June 2nd, 2010, 02:30
Well from a long term perspective, the saturday game would work best, as that's sunday for me, and i can guarantee that my sundays will be mostly free, but i can't guarantee that when semester 2 kicks in that my wednesdays will be free.

I do indeed have skype. Adding you naow.

someoneinatree
June 2nd, 2010, 04:04
I too could probably do Saturdays (Sundays for me).... and hey Pheonix... another Melbourne player!

I'll add you to Skype shaderaven.

Hye Jedi
June 2nd, 2010, 05:03
I'd be interested in Saturday nights although there may be weekends that I'm out of town visiting family and wouldn't be able to join in. This happens once a month typically.

Question: When you say LFR, are you planning to run the published mods or just an "ongoing (living)"campaign using the Forgotten Realms campaign setting?... it wasn't clear to me from your opening comments. I'd actually prefer a campaign as I'm already playing LFR on Thursday nights when I travel for work.

Helvegr
June 2nd, 2010, 07:11
While I'm quite interested in this, I fear that I'm quite new to FG as well as 4E. I've got all the books and such, but I'm sure my lack of abilities would be a bit of a burden to more experienced players.

However, I would love an opportunity to maybe sit in on a few games if possible. I could easily remain quiet simply to observe and learn. Let me know if this is something you would consider.

Thanks

ShadeRaven
June 2nd, 2010, 14:22
Chez: Saturdays will work well. We broke Pheonix in last night (not quite literally, but he did seem to insist on being bloodied every fight).

Hye: I'll pencil you in on Saturdays as well, if you can grab Skype and get the ball running, we'll integrate you with the others getting invovled. As for the campaigns themselves... initially (typically?), I will be running Living Forgotten Realms modules (for Saturday, this will mean in Impiltur), just to see what they are doing with the world and what kind of material they are producing. However, I am never shy to divert to home-made material. It will all always be within the Forgotten Realms world, though, and whatever tangents/tweaks I might throw in, it will be in the spirit of the LFR. There will also be times when either the full regular group can't get together and off-nights where people want to play that I will allow alt/secondary characters to go out and have some rompin' fun.

Helvegr: I have no qualms with new folks. As I indicated, we started out with everyone being new to FG2 and 4E (with even some being new to RPGs altogether) and both are wonderfully welcoming products for those new to either. Listening in, getting a preview of what is in store, is perfectly fine. If you'd like to take a peek, grab Skype, look me up, and you'll get a chance to drop by almost immediately (we have impromptu nights all the time).

Gribbs05
June 2nd, 2010, 21:03
I'd be rather interested in joining both groups if I could. I won't be able to play every game but I will at least be able to play one or the other every time you have them. I'm new to this type of gaming but I'll do my best, I do however have a lot of 4E experience as a dm and a player.

Helvegr
June 2nd, 2010, 22:05
One other question if I may. How forgiving is the Living Forgotten Realms campaign if you must miss a game do to family circumstances? I'd hate to miss a game or two because of a vacation or something and have it totally throw off the group or something.

ShadeRaven
June 3rd, 2010, 01:24
Gibbs: Get a hold of me through Skype and I'll start to get you connected.

Helvegr: As a working (albeit at home) father with a wife, there's a lot of forgiving here. Most of our group has family and/or is working or a full-time student. Living Forgotten Realms is almost too well made for people who are intermittent in attendance. There's not as much continuity within it... that's all going to be generated by me. I can adjust as attendance dictates and don't mind a little creative liberty being taken to allow the variability of group composition to work.

In other words, if you have a good attitude, make it as much as possible, and contribute to the overall enjoyment of the game... you'll be welcome as often as you can make it. Absences are much more excusable than bad dispositions.

spayne
June 3rd, 2010, 09:51
Living Forgotten Realms is the official RPGA living campaign where the DM cannot change any rules or reject any player options that are listed as legal in the character creation guide, and the changes that can be made to official modules are very limited. For example, in official LFR, a DM cannot stop people from playing Minotaurs, change the treasure found in a module, or add new monsters to a module that are not already there. In official LFR, the PCs can get XP and treasure from LFR published modules only. You can create and play custom modules (called My Realms), but you have to use the official template that dictates the XP and treasure you can give out. If a PC has XP or treasure from a source other than an official LFR module, that PC is not legal to play in the official LFR campaign.

If you are going to be using your own content that does not follow the official LFR module templates, and the PCs will be getting XP and treasure other than that which they are given by the official modules, please call your campaign something other than LFR so that the players will not think that their characters from your campaign are legal in the official LFR campaign.

Also, RPGA players do not earn points and benefits from playing anymore, so the only reason to report non-official LFR play to the RPGA is for the DM to get DM rewards.

ShadeRaven
June 3rd, 2010, 16:30
Actually, Spayne, that's not strictly true.

If I was running a public LFR with open involvement, I could not put restrictions on character creation, etc. However, in a private LFR event, I do have the right to put restrictions on it. It's up to the players to decide whether or not the restrictions work for them. :)

Also, as long as I follow the rules in the Living Forgotten Realms - My Realms event creation, it is possible to continue a LFR legal campaign without breaking from the intent or viability of a RPGA/LFR character.

I also don't see any harm in listing those players, their characters, and the RPGA/LFR event reporting the accompanies them. :)

someoneinatree
June 3rd, 2010, 17:11
Actually Shade, spayne is right. The CCG is pretty clear:

"The DM cannot specify what rules elements are or are not allowed for characters. This Character Creation Guide determines the legality of player resources for characters, not the DM."

That said, there is nothing preventing a DM from making an informal request of players to avoid certain races/classes/combinations, and the players could of their own volition agree.

Banning someone from a table purely because of a desire to play a particular (valid) LFR character though, is not in the spirit of LFR and is against their CCG rules. But I sincerely doubt Shade would do that if that was truly the player's desired character.

ShadeRaven
June 3rd, 2010, 18:32
Interesting... because even posing this question out on the LFR Forums at WotC has brought an interesting mix of opinions.

Clearly, to be LFR legal, I need to (and plan to) stick to the rules of the campaigns. That said, doing MYRE adventures do allow you to customize and create adventures that are still LFR legal while not being pre-created LFR modules.

What does seem to have some contention is the difference between Public venues and Private. Some believe that a Private venue or table can have restrictions. "This LFR Event is set in ... Only humans are allowed in ... If you are interest in joining ... you need to bring an appropriate LFR human character." Others believe that even private events should allow for anything to go.

I suppose, with that in mind, I am already "breaking" the rules as I want players to all start out with fresh level 1s and to make this part of a "campaign" set with the current plots and events that the Living Forgotten Realms is developing. The fact that I am not allowing characters of any acceptable level range (1 to 4) whom have already acquired benefits, items, and valuables from previous LFR adventures/events is against the LFR rules.

Honestly, the whole original intent in opening up a post here and seeing if others were interested in joining a couple of the campaigns I plan to run was simply to find additional players interested in a campaign set in the Forgotten Realms using the Living Forgotten Realms materials. But I also planned on adding in more cohesion and depth by creating backgrounds, a roleplaying environment (for those interested), and a cooperative atmosphere for the players. I am hoping to find people who are interested in group success and a continuation of story/adventures.

It may very well be true that LFR is a poor choice for a backdrop to a continuing campaign set in the Forgotten Realms.

At this point, it might be better to restructure and redefine the campaign's description. It might be more accurate to say something like:

The Campaign will be set in the Forgotten Realms and modules, plots, and events from the Living Forgotten Realms will be used along with adventures that are LFR legal (My Realms) but created by me. While characters will be LFR legal, the campaign itself is a private one and will have some restrictions set by myself (such as needing to start with new characters at the campaigns inception).

Better yet, I might just pole the players and see what everyone is interested in. Pure LFR game play without an cohesiveness or continuation... or a mix of LFR/My Realms material in a continuing campaign that's LFR legal... or just a campaign set in the Forgotten Realms that may or may not use LFR material but will certainly not be LFR legal and the plots, restrictions, backgrounds, and roleplay therein will evolve as seems appropriate.

Honestly, I am not sure I want to have someone with a decked out level 4 character drop in claiming his legal rights to do so amidst the fresh level 1s who include people who have never played any FR campaigns, much less a LFR one. If that's my only option, I need to rethink what I want out of running a campaign as the DM.

Calavingian
June 3rd, 2010, 18:54
Any reason why you cant simply run LFR modules without making it an official LFR campaign? In which case, you would not be bound by any such restrictions at all.

ShadeRaven
June 3rd, 2010, 19:09
I am giving that serious consideration, Cal... but need to talk to the players first to see what everyone is interested in. The Forgotten Realms will certainly stay as the setting, but do players want to stay LFR legal strictly or would they prefer a more detail oriented, evolving story set to the Forgotten Realms.

I enjoy DMing. I enjoy the creative tapestry that gets woven as I work with the players to weave their threads into the world. I don't think I will enjoy being told that I am only there to read text out of a pre-designed adventure.

ShadeRaven
June 3rd, 2010, 21:04
Changed the title and content to just Forgotten Realms to avoid any conflict with the way Living Forgotten Realms material is run.

This does not preclude me from using LFR material because I still hope to find some nuggets of gold within it. I also hope to find that within the LFR there will be evolving plots and big picture events that will enhance a campaign set in the Forgotten Realms.

It is also quite possible that characters coming out of the campaign will still be LFR legal.

However, I do need some creative license and the ability to tailor or alter adventures, events, and the campaign as a whole is important. So to avoid any confusion, I am going to remove the "Living" and leave us with just the "Forgotten Realms."

Sorry for any confusion this may have caused. :)

gschlosser
July 11th, 2010, 01:01
Absolutely correct Shade!

gschlosser
July 11th, 2010, 01:06
Shade,

Still looking for gamers? I have been playing d&d for 31 years and enjoy a fun, friendly game. I am more than happy to fill any role as I enjoy playing a variety of classes and don't box myself into any one type. When I am playing LFR, I typically am the guy that will fill a missing role. Weekdays are tough with the travel I do, but weekends will be fine as the time I will play EST will be after my 4 boys are in bed for the night. Besides, I am a late-nighter anyway. Let me know.

Greg Schlosser
[email protected]
810-423-3274

Necromik
July 16th, 2010, 17:34
Hey Shade

If I understood correctly the biggest thing is to make sure your adventure Rewards as magic item and XP stays within the LFR guidelines and you should not have any issues. Specially now that LFR officially allows higher level character builds and by the news going on ...LFR will be pretty much out the window very soon....so I doubt you would have any issues at all.
Just wish your game times were differently and I would love to join ehehe
Maybe next time.
BTW if your players are interested in LFR , they (and you) can check this Yahoo group:

https://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/RPGA_Group/

They play LFR (Living Forgotten Realms) in many different days and times during the week and there are people from all around the world on it....so you won;t be stuck with a fixed schedule. The down side is that there is no fixed schedule at all and nobody is 100% sure of when a DM will offer a game. But you can alwasy ask for a game during a time and day and see what the group can come up with.