Using FGII for PBEM

[DanLal]

For all newcomers to FGII.

I've been using FGII for all my Play By EMail games for the last 3 to 4 years or so. A long time anyway.

Reason it works so well:

1 - (MOST IMPORTANT) it saves everything you do even after closing the program at any time and nothing is lost - This is important in a PBEM game, because to keep track of battles, you want to track where things are in the initiative roll, how many hp are left, etc...

2 - Everything is in one place - My Maps (Battle or otherwise), NPC, Items, Combat Tracker, Story line, all there with a click of a button.

3 - I get to roll all the dice - Using the automation for 4.0 is great. Now I'm testing the 3.5 automation, and that looks promissing too. But that did stop me. The d20_JPG version is great, even with very little automation.

What other tools do I use:

1 - A screen clipper of some kind - I personally use OneNote because you simply press Window+S and you can copy to clipboard easily. But now Windows 7 has a free Clip feature built in. I clip the changes to Map so I can sent the battlemaps changes to my players. I also use OneNote to same other useful information about my Campaign.

2 - a Photo editor of some kind - So that the battlemap clippings can be saved or updated. I also use the photo editor to format my maps and create tokens. You want your players to get the best experience of playing your RPG.

Some Backgroud information about my games.
I have a group of players I've been playing with since 2002 or there abouts when D&D 3.0 came out. The Campaign is still going, even after upgrading to 3.5e and if can believe it. A previous campaign from 2000, stopped a few years back and he characters were 8th level. In the current game, the characters have reached 10th level. 4.0e is a little quicker. Currently DMing 2 games, the oldest only a year ago and they are already at level 4. The other game I just started.

So if anyone is interrested in knowing a bit more of how to organize a PBEM game, let me know. I kind of got it down to a science and I have to thank FGII for delivering such an excellent product.:)

[mr_h]

I'd be interested to hear more. Some friends and I have talked about a pbem, but I've never thought of using fg for it.

[Leonal]

Me too, which could also be useful for in between session gaming. Or when it's hard to find time for everyone to meet.

[GunnarGreybeard]

I'd definitely be interested to know as well. I have many friends interested in a FGII RPG game but we are not able to get a set time for everyone to be there for a regular live connection game.

[DanLal]

I'm willing to answer any question you have. What other information would you like to know?

[mr_h]

How do you handle turns? Just keep FG up and let people connect as they want? How do you show information that you typed to someone else (if I recall the chat buffer doesnt 'fill up with past information' every time someone connects.

[GunnarGreybeard]

I was thinking the same as mr_h. I thought about leaving my copy up and running and PC's just log in when they can to make their moves, etc BUT no one except me (since the server would stay up) would see all their replies.

Wouldn't you also need to re-share any open maps though each time "after" a player reconnects?

It sounds more like you are using FGII to run everything at your end but players mainly stick to the Email Only or am I misunderstanding?

[DanLal]

How do you handle turns? Just keep FG up and let people connect as they want? How do you show information that you typed to someone else (if I recall the chat buffer doesnt 'fill up with past information' every time someone connects.

No connection from players are done. Everything is handled through email.

Example; Player 1 says, "I move to location X9 and cast Cloud of dagger on Goblin." The DM opens FGII and opens the combat tracker and map. The tracker is still in the same place as it was when you closed last. The tokens on the map are still in the same place too. You update the map by moving the token. Addd a cloud of dagger token on top of the goblin. Then rolls the dice for the power to determine if the character hit. If so he rolls the damage. Grab a copy of the map, answer email with the consequences and add the map for the next player in line.

I seen some PBEM groups use external dice, but I only found that this slows down play a bit. I prefer rolling all the dice, and that's why FGII works great for that.

[DanLal]

It sounds more like you are using FGII to run everything at your end but players mainly stick to the Email Only or am I misunderstanding?

You are right. PBEM is perfect for some folks, because they can post their actions, through the Website (if you use Yahoogroups), from work, from home, through smart phones, etc... and they don't have to worry about Dice.

[mr_h]

ooookay, I see. FG is more of the DM organizational tool, as opposed to a client for the PCs. Interesting...that would make things easier for a DM to handle.

[Leonal]

https://invisiblecastle.com/ works well for dice from where ever you are with internet access.

[ctcharger]

I was thinking about playing it this way as the DM. It seems it would make more sense to play it as you say using emails and screen clippers to show the players what is going on. What kind of pace do you maintain? Do you sometimes run the whole encounter?

[damned]

PBEM is hard in a tactical game like 5e or Pathfinder when it comes to fights/encounters!

[ctcharger]

I agree, I am thinking that except for the major boss fights, the DM could run most of the battles with instructions from the players on what to do if kind of thing. In some sense, you could consider that more realistic. With 6 second turns, combat is going to go very very quickly. Planning and preparation is key and that is what makes a party of heroes that have worked together extensively together so lethal to a group of monsters who most likely use basic tactics. Of course the DM could stop the battle in critical spots to get more input. If the players want to fight every battle step by step, it won't work or at least if it did, it would be really slow.

[LordEntrails]

Years ago I ran a PBP (www.rondaksportal.com), the way I handled combats (3.0/3.5E) was to have the players tell me what they intended to do, then as the DM I would calculate the combat rounds until something happened that was a decision point etc. Then I would post the combat results so far and let them give me new input. Sometimes I had to ask after a single round, sometimes I could run half-a-dozen or more rounds before needing another set of player instructions/choices.

[ctcharger]

Thanks. That makes a lot of sense. I think working out a plan would be fun but maybe not for everyone. When faced with a crew of weak monsters and 1 big one, what do you do? That sort of thing. For a boss fight at the end of the adventure, slow is fine but not all the time. Maybe create some standard tactics that ramp up in complexity. Dumb monsters use the "charge the closest and bit" tactic while even a goblin archer is capable of "get to cover and take out spell casters".

I am thinking you would almost have to create a separate rule section on combat tactics which would be used most of the time, major battles could be done the standard way but maybe not.
Basic tactics:
Stand ground and melee
Charge to melee
Take pot shots at spell casters, find cover if possible first
Surround and flank
breath fire and charge
slip around and try to back stab..
fighting retreat to more advantageous terrain
etc..

[ctcharger]

The Case for PBEM Roleplaying using D&D5E and Fantasy Grounds

If you read nothing else, please read this:
PBEM gaming will not interfere with your face to face or real time gaming. You are still free to play face to face or in real time.

As much as I would like to, I would love to play D&D5E face to face or Real Time using Fantasy Grounds but that is not going to happen. Maybe it will down the road but not now. So what can I do? I downloaded the demo for Fantasy Grounds and bought the D&D 5E starter set. In short, I am pretty much hooked and I am preparing to purchase everything I need to DM a 5E campaign on Fantasy Grounds (on my Mac no less). On the face of it, it is serious money but entertainment wise, I believe it is a great investment or at least has the potential to be.

The fly in the ointment is that D&D and most role playing games are played face to face or in real time using Fantasy Grounds and voice chat technology. PBEM works for many board games which I have played Middle Earth Quest, Mage Knight, Star Trek Expeditions, Fellowship of the Ring by ICE (just getting started), and plan on trying Descent if I can find a player. So the question might be, why not stick to board gaming? I like board gaming and but you are really restricted by the rules. A D&D5E campaign is very much NOT limited in this way, sure it has rules for many things but the game play is pretty much wide open which I find very appealing as a player and (especially) a DM. So what can I do?

My solution is to run a PBEM D&D5E Campaign using Fantasy Grounds. Fantasy Grounds stores everything you need, allows the DM to quickly run combat, screen grabbing lets you share information with the players, and forums allow you to log all of your interaction. Sounds great BUT and it is a BIG BUT, most players view PBEM D&D gaming as really slow face to face/real time gaming so it is tough to generate interest and keep players in the game. So here is my attempt to promote PBEM role playing.
1. Because it is PBEM, you are still free to play real time and face to face as your schedule allows, so why not give it a try?
2. View PBEM role playing as a completely different way to play in its own right. It is not board gaming, video game, or a version of really slow role playing. I am not down on those formats just that PBEM role playing has its place also.
3. Since the decision cycle is much slower relative to real time game play, the interaction content, campaign, and how the game is actually played will change to match.
4. The campaign can become more realistic, time isn’t a constraint, preparation and planning are now key aspects of the campaign and both DMs and players have time for both.
5. Players can be much more flexible in how they solve problems as now the DM has time to think through how their choices will impact the NPCs and factions in the campaign.
6. Weather, random encounters, and longer term campaign impacts can now be modeled, as while tedious in real time, easily handled by the DM in a PBEM game especially using Fantasy Grounds (love that calendar and weather extension).
7. Combat will still occur but most of the tedious part of it will be done by the DM and will go quickly especially because the players will have told the DM their standard tactics and the monsters will standard tactics also based on their capabilities and training. Epic campaign battles can be done on a turn by turn basis but that adds to the tension and will not appear slow to the players. Fantasy grounds makes this quite manageable.
8. Players can manage not only multiple characters but also multiple parties. This is easily done using Fantasy Grounds and not all parties will be involved in combat every turn, nor do they have to be.
9. Time can become a real issue for quests, players can go quickly to the hot spot with minimal preparation or can take a longer and maybe safer route but that may make the quest harder when you do finally get there. Of course they may meet people along the way and on it goes.
10. As you play it more, you figure out what works, what doesn’t, what is fun, and what is just tedious and so the gaming will improve quickly through time.

So here are some short examples of how it would play different. I plan on some longer examples later this week on my way to creating a solo campaign.

Situation: Goblin raiders are hitting some farms in the area, the party has been sent to talk to one of the farmers.
PBEM: The players are told of this situation and write out a list of questions for the farmer(s). They may have this list already created and/or the DM may have the information the players will get from the farmer already specified. The players then can act on this information in any number of ways and the DM will have time to respond realistically. The DM can also drop bread crumbs for future quests which the players will quickly become wise to and the interaction will be stored for future reference on the forum. (there was something fishy about how that farmer was acting… hmmm…)

Situation: The players trigger an interesting wandering monster or random encounter event.
PBEM: The DM uses this an opportunity to add something unexpected but highly interesting to the campaign. Since the wandering monster tables are known by the players and how their actions trigger such events, they understand how and why it happened and can try to make the best of it. Maybe next time they travel with a caravan, not wear metal armor while traveling, or not travel at night. So maybe goblins are raiding local farms but the party just ran into some Orcs. What are they doing? Protecting their turf and going after the goblins too? Doing their own raiding? Their tracks lead back to the farm, why did the farmer not mention them? Maybe the players head back to the farm. Maybe they attack the Orcs and maybe they don’t. Not a problem in PBEM, the DM has plenty of time to adjust the world to respond to the players’ unexpected actions. No looking at the clock and deciding if you have time to run this event or just skip it.

Situation: Weather, Politics, Large Battles
PBEM: Much more playable in PBEM, the campaign can be made very realistic and have things happen beyond what the players can see. Of course they will know that freezing weather means the rivers have frozen and some monsters now may wander into civilized areas and that farmer they had talked to before may be in danger…
Situation: Player vs Player(s)
Several players oppose each other as they try to build up their influence in the city. No open violence of course in town but who knows what happens in the dungeons and the wilderness especially if you leave no witnesses. This aspect of role playing isn’t realistically possible in face to face or real time or at least very difficult. Party on Party combat can be very interesting and exciting.

[damned]

I would be interested in giving it a go....

[ctcharger]

Cool! Are you interested in trying phandelver, another campaign, or a campaign I make up? Also, is there an easy way to upload characters to FG? I am on Evernote and I am guessing we can play by post using a forum here.

[damned]

Im happy to try LMoP or something you make up. Id prefer to wait for a couple of others though :)
www.tavern-keeper.com is very good for PBEM.

[ctcharger]

I will check it out. Sounds like a plan plus it gives me time to read and practice more.

[Yskonyn]

I would be interested in joining a PBEM group as well.
I have been in a table group playing 3.5E for about 2 years. No further experience with roleplaying.

I have access to 5E. And I even have a FG Ultimate license.
That tavern-keeper site looks great. :)

[Yskonyn]

double post,excuse me.

[ctcharger]

That's great! Any comment on campaign preference? My own or Phandelver?
Also? In FG. If I leave it running on my machine, can you all login and get into the campaign while I am away?

Any thoughts on how often you can do a turn a week? Respond to simple emails?

[Yskonyn]

Yes we could, but I am not sure what benefit it would have?

As for the setting; I am not familiar with either, so you can surprise me. ;)

[ctcharger]

Don't really know what the benefit would be given my very limited experience with FG and DD5E so no big deal. I need to get into the tavern website which I registered for and see what it can do.

Campaign wise this is what to expect:

Not a killer DM, quite the opposite, focus on story and plot. Combat is limited but when it happens, it is a big deal and you should have prepared extensively for it. If you find yourself in a fair fight, somebody screwed up. Of course, the bad guys prepare also.
however, if you do happen to die, it was bad luck or you look back and realize the mistake(s) you made and not feel like you were cheated in some way
The campaign is dynamic and opened ended. You will have clues as to what is going on and then go from there. However, where you don't go, the bad guys will gather strength through time. They may fortify their position, gain numbers, recruit allies, deliver high value items, learn more about your tactics, level up themselves, etc. and again you may get clues as to what they are doing.
Overall story driving the system but with side quests for additional exp, treasure, and humor.
Various factions are all around, can't please them all as you conduct your business
Think Keep on the Borderlands, you are recruited to help patrol the area during the growing season.
Alignment and race matters as the rulebooks but some of the monster manual reads like elf propaganda so keep an open mind alignment wise especially when dealing with intelligent monsters. Think more of who you can trust and your reputation.
I feel more comfortable have a NPC in the party to be the voice of the DM. They can join the party if you want and will always be reliable in that regard. They will be somewhat knowledgeable about the region and can help with how the worlds work so you don't have to guess all the time. They can ask the basic questions any reasonable person would ask of a NPC. What did you see? How many? Where did they go? what did they steal? etc. The goal is to reduce non value added email exchanges.


Here is the example of the map..
13250

[ctcharger]

I am going to try and learn tavern keeper. I also have evernote and can get One Note also.

[damned]

PC management and combat in FG will be much better than in TK. The story will be easier in TK.
I can respond most days.

[ctcharger]

Ok I have everything I need on FG, ultimate license and the D&D5E stuff plus some maps. I did create a campaign on Tavern so I am good there. I agree, FG looks great for combat and character management. Most days works the same for me. Once a week is too slow, being pushed EVERYDAY is too much after a while, most days I like.

I have to say I am rather impressed with FG II. It downloaded all of my purchases and put them there ready to go. Pretty darn cool even on my Mac.

[Yskonyn]

Sounds great. A combo of FG and TK should do the trick nicely.
You might also want to look into RealmWorks for campaign management. Just a tip.

I have irregular working schedules (my timezone is GMT + 1) and I am a husband and father of 2, so every day responding isn't likely to work on my end, but I can certainly do 'most days'.

I would really like to have at least 2 more players in before we kick off.

If we call dibs now, I would prefer a Scimitar wielding Druid as my character. :D

[ctcharger]

I believe we have 2 players so far. Checking out RealmWorks!

[damned]

I have realmworks but have no time to learn another tool...

[Yskonyn]

There isnt much to learn IMO. :)
It's just a super handy database application.
The thing I don't like is that you cannot print or export anything. But it does a great job of keeping things organised and searchable.

[ctcharger]

Ok I was able to add damned to the Tavern Keeper campaign. As having some PBEM experience with boardgames, more players does slow the game down some or at least it can. 2 players controlling 2 characters plus a NPC would make a decent party. As far as realmworks, do all of the players need to own it? It looks interesting although it is $50.

[Yskonyn]

RealmWorks is primarily a GM tool. There is a session play module inside it, but aimed at tabletop live play (with multiple monitors), not a virtual tabletop like FG.

My handle on TK is Yskonyn just as it is here. Do you need to invite me or can I just join?

I would like to control one character as opposed to multiple, please. If damned want to control more than one, that's fine, but I would prefer the expanded flavour one or two other players would bring to the 'table'. :)

[ctcharger]

I will try to invite you. I understand plus I need time to get ahead of you all at least a little bit.

It is called You can Keep the Borderlands! but I still have it as private so not really sure how damned got in

[ctcharger]

I tried to invite you but it gave me an error but damned was able to get in so maybe it worked?

[Yskonyn]

I can't find your campaign. Is there a way to search TK?

[ctcharger]

I made it public so now you should be able to find it I hope. I am knew to TK so I don't really know.

[JulioIP]

realmworks would be great for this, with the player version everybody would be able to keep track of whats been divulged by the dm, Would require the dm to have everything setup first tho :)