LFP - 4 or 5 players - weekend game - 5E - Homebrew campaign

[DealBreaker]

EDIT: I guess people do not necessarily skim through the most recent posts and I should put the note here. I have selected the group and am no longer considering others. Thank you for your interest and I hope you folks find a game that fits well for you and your style soon





FG License: Ultimate (both classic and unity, open to running on either), players will only need a demo/free licence
Game System: D&D 5e

Time Zone: Mountain time (UTC - 6); i.e., an hour ahead of Pacific or 2 hours behind Eastern
Day of week and time: Will be determined with group but aiming for Friday evening starting about 7pm Mountain, Saturday starting at either 10am or 1pm, or Sunday 10am or 1pm
If new game, planned start date: Aiming to get the group together for session 0 and character creation for weekend of April 17-19th or 24-26th if there is delay getting the group together
Planned Duration & Frequency: Sessions will be weekly and be about 4 hours with a short break midway through. Sessions may run longer if (1) I have additional material prepared and (2) the players can and want to continue playing. Any disruptions will be communicated as early as possible.
Term: No set end point but the first adventure should take 4-6 sessions. Ideally we will get along as a group and the campaign will continue to evolve overtime. I don't pre-write full campaign arcs; instead I come up with adventures/missions that build on each other or character stories. In my opinion, having a fully developed campaign arc pre-written leads to railroading.

Text or Voice: Voice
Voice software used: Discord. It's free and has always worked well for me in the past.
Will this be recorded and/or live streamed?: Nope, this will be a game for our enjoyment and odds are it will not be entertaining for others (like most d&d games that aren't cast by professional voice actors/full-time content creators).

Roleplay & Combat mix: Varied from session to session (obviously) but slightly more towards RP (ongoing story and character development). Almost all sessions will have at least the potential for combat and there will be some sessions where the party have a string of combat encounters. It all depends on the situation in the developing story and the situations and scenarios the party finds themselves in.
Number of Players in game & needed: Looking for 4 or 5 players. I find this to be my ideal number of players to DM for. Enough that a party can be well rounded without players feeling like another player is doing 'their thing' all the time. Also that number of players allows each player to have their time 'in the spotlight' on a regular basis.
Character starting level & equipment: Probably level 1 with standard gear from background & class (small changes will likely be allowed), possibility of starting at level 2. Final decision will be made in session 0 with full group.
Character restrictions: No monstrous races (i.e., orc, goblin, kobolds, etc in Volo's). I have most of the published source books and players may use races & classes from them: PHB, Volos (except monsterous races), Xanathar's, Mordenkainen's, SCAG, Ravnica. You are welcome to ask about UA but come from the expectation that the answer will be no.

Details of your setting: Otrantis, or 'the New Continent', is now the center of the civilized world. Peoples of all races live and trade across the the kingdoms of Otrantis. However, not all the races now common in Otrantis have always called it home. Humans and elves fled the old continent of Caldorre in the aftermath of a magical cataclysm marking the end of the previous age. In the time since the cataclysm, elves established their own kingdoms on Otrantis and humans assimilated into other nations as well as creating their own. But Caldorre itself has become little more than a dream. The cataclysm caused storms to rage and the seas surrounding the continent to become so treacherous that only a foolish or suicidal crew would dare try to reach travel to Caldorre. However, such a crew has recently returned from a voyage claiming to have found a way to make landfall safely. While seemingly unlikely, kingdoms and adventures salivate at the chance to reclaim Caldorre and the resources and riches of the past age...
Details of initial scenario: The Brokers have carved out a lucrative business with markets in many cities and outposts. They connect mercenaries and adventurers with clients and benefactors with (and take healthy service fee for their efforts). Your characters, for reasons of their own, find themselves in the Broker's Market in the small foothill city of Tiashold hoping to find a contract.

Themes the DM is interested in exploring or including in the story: Heroic adventure (this is not the campaign to play a character that wants to watch the world burn), mysteries of the past (this is an old world with past ages which are not completely known and some completely forgotten), exploration (with it being an old world there are ruins to be explored and there are truly wild areas), political tension (unlikely to be a political thriller, but I am interested in how different ways of governing would influence society and how those in power relate to those they have power over).
Themes the DM is NOT interested in exploring or including in the story: Horror (undead will likely come in at some point but the game as a whole is not going to be like Curse of Strahd or Call of Cathulu or the like), murder hobo-ism (killing is not the only answer to problems), major internal party conflict (if we have to ask why would the group keep you around, odds are you have made a problematic character).

About the DM: I'm a 29 year old graduate student. I have loved fantasy stories and games since I could read. In my spare time I read quite a few fantasy novels from 'big' or popular novels from folks like R.A. Slavatore, GRR Martin, Terry Brooks, Glen Cook as well as less well known authors like Peter McLean (War of the Rose Throne series) and Sabastien De Castell (Spellslinger series). I got introduced to D&D as a game (as opposed to lore which I was somewhat familiar with through reading) through the incredible game Baldur's Gate, it's sequels; Icewind Dale (and sequel); and Neverwinter Nights (and sequel). I didn't start playing D&D until late 3.5e, skipped 4e, and when 5e came out I started running more and more games. At this point I mostly DM and do so mostly online. As a DM, I prefer to run games in my own worlds. That way I am not beholden to some piece of lore from some adventure written in the 80s and my players and I can freely explore a world and ideas. Also, in a homebrew world and adventure there is no chance of someone having played that adventure before and dropping spoilers. Though my style of running a game seems to be somewhat different, I find that the way I think about issues and the game are quite similar to Matt Colville and I use his "Welcome to Dungeons and Dragons" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo_oR7YO-Bw) video to help get brand new players into a headspace to start playing.

-Potential players, please reply to this thread with responses to the following questions. I will contact potential group members through FG to arrange a brief chat over discord before inviting anyone to the game-
1) A sentence or two about you. I want to play with players who are likely to get along with myself and other players and knowing a little about you is (in my experience) the best first step.
2) When would you be able to play? See Day of week and time above for options.
3) What is your experience with D&D, 5e, and Fantasy grounds? No experience is required. In fact I like new players because I can instill the 'bad' habits that I like in you rather than work with the 'bad' habits you developed from other DM's games. Also learning how to use FG as a player is pretty simple and easy to teach enough to play.
4) What kind of themes or ideas would you want to explore in a game? What are you NOT interested in?
5) What do you look for or want in a 'good' DM? What are your redflags that signal a 'bad' DM for you?
6) What do you look for or want in 'good' other players? What are your redflags that signal 'bad' players for you?
7) Finally, anything else that you think I should know that will help me decide if I want to reach out to start the joining the group process?

FINAL NOTE: Do not apply with a fully developed character that you think you WILL be playing. Character creation will be done as a group after an initial chat about the game and procedures. I encourage players to think about some loose concepts for characters but you should not have a full backstory and personality all set in stone.

[MockOmega]

1) I am a 36 years old, married and have one child. I work in a hybrid Finance Technology field, and spend my free non-family evenings playing computer games or reading.
2) I would prefer the Friday option above.
3) I've played in one D&D campaign, and am actively DMing another one. Fresh with Fantasy Grounds though.
4) I am very interested in digging into the lore of the world and having my character learn about its rich history, Heroic Adventures and am interested in the political tension, though i would be more of an adviser and less a face.
5)Good DM: Listens to what the party says, enables players to build up there characters stories.. I'm a fan of the yes and (where applicable). Bad DM: Railroads plot, has there own character or is constantly changing previous rulings to get themselves out of a bind.
6) Good Player: Doesn't hog all the time for themselves, Listens to what is happening in the session, actively participates in the world. Bad Player Flag: Unnecessarily confrontational, Uninterested in anything outside of combat.
7) I'm easy going and really looking forward to getting some time in as a player (My played in campaign did not last very long) and find out what my characters story is. My own campaign has been a homebrew, one so i have a tremendous amount of respect the time and effort that goes into building out one.

[Fluffypuff]

1) I am 28 years old and live with a roommate and my two pups. I work in biotechnology but my passion is for story telling and writing.
2) I would love if Friday at 8:00 PM instead of 7:00 PM was an option. I have a lot of life things that have me running around the rest of the day.
3) I've been familiar with D&D since AD&D but really started getting into it in 5E. I've been DMing and playing custom and Faerun campaigns since the core books were released. I'm currently DMing and playing on FG and AFU and have around 40 hours of play and quite a bit more time prepping (consider myself a novice).
4) I am most interested in PC relationships/stories evolving over time and how they can affect the world through their deeds. I am not interested in endless dungeon grinds.
5) A good DM works to players to make characters and intertwines their stories with his/hers. They also fill the void whenever awkward silences happen and step back when the party is on an RP roll and allow for consequences. A bad DM allows a plot to stagnate with no consequences. If the party wanders off to BS as taverns, the big bad should still be scheming and plotting.
6) A good player interacts freely with other players and the world. They also don't argue with the DM. A bad player is distracted or has no concept of the consequences of their action. What you say or do affects the rest of the players and that should always be in mind.
7) I've been looking for an opportunity to play with a crowd of like-minded players that tries to immerse themselves in the story. I would be honored to dive into the world you've created and bring in to life! I also understand that life can happen to anyone and will not get upset if people can't always attend or if a session is cancel.

[Zomnivore]

Hello I'm Ryan I'm 28 and am disabled. I own most of the content for D&D 5e for fantasy grounds or in paperback. Grew up on Harry Potter, pc video games and now that I'm disabled, I'm settling into a nice low stress D&D passion that has kept my interest for 3 years.

2. I don't mind any day on the weekend. Would prefer an hour later start session.
3. I've about 3 years of experience and while I know fantasy grounds, I struggle to remember coding for anything other then simple weapon swaps.
4. I want to work on exploration, I've worked with a small number of DMs and I think I want to see more of a world, instead of swapping from book to book. I'm not interested in power gaming.
5. I want a DM that cares about their world, and wants to make a story with the players, not sure on what I don't like yet.
6. I want my other players to find an equilibrium of wacky, serious, and escapism. I don't want someone too much of any one thing. I don't like players who are wall flowers, get in there, interact, and have a desire to do something to the narrative other then to simply observe it happening.
7. I'm inspired by miniatures, and like to share what I'm working on. I've got several PC concepts that have all been inspired by miniatures and the work of sculptors.

[Zenosyne]

Have you tried any of the books by Brandon Sanderson? I know this is supposed to be about me but I just have to plug his work here as a fellow lover of fantasy!

Ok ok ok down to business...
1)
I am a 32 year old Male Living in USA.
My current hobby is playing with my resin 3d printer. I print miniatures and such for people locally. Looking into possibly doing it on a larger scale.
I grew up with gaming an anime and have a vivid imagination and I'd love to try it out in a real DnD setting!
2) Saturday and Sunday will be perfect for me for the foreseeable future. I can do Friday until work starts back up.
3)I know the basics, I've heard some podcasts and seen some videos on some aspects of the game but I don't even have a solid grasp on the character creation.
As far as FGU I have never used it yet as I have just signed up. will be looking more into it as i explore the site.
4) I love a good mystery. I don't really have anything I am against including.
5) Honestly I have no idea. Ive heard horror stories of DM-PCs and Railroading but never experienced it all my self.
6) Just a good person in general, someone who is courteous and is willing to work with a newer player like me.
Bad players? Probably the powergaming super hardcore That Guy Murderhobos? Again I'm kinda inexperienced here.
7)Thank you for your time, I hope you contact me!

[aeyyan]

Hello!

1) I'm 25 years old, currently a student trying to finish his Uni. I work in a theatre company and spend my free time writing and directing for productions and plays.
2) I'm free for the Friday and Saturday options.
3) I was introduced to D&D earlier this year in January and have been actively playing in a campaign. I'm new to Fantasy Grounds.
4) I would love to explore a Heroic adventure embroiled in political tension where I'll try to figure out more about the world I'm in and the people around me.
5) I think a good 'DM' allows the characters to fully immerse themselves in the world and enables characters to tell their own stories. They are just and reasonable in their rulings. I think the signals of a 'bad' DM is someone who are obtuse to character suggestions and that doesn't take in to consideration the different and possibility conflicting interests and desires of the players
6) I think a 'good' player is someone who are supportive of players trying to role-play, participates actively in the story building of the world and also relationships between other characters. "Bad Players" to me are players who rude and doesn't give opportunities for themselves and other players to grow together.
7) I'm looking forward to play with other like-minded people who are passionate about D&D like I am. I love creating stories and role-playing!

I hope to hear from you.

Thank you.

[bgray21]

Hi.

1. I’m 30 engineer in the automotive industry. I’ve been playing dnd sine 3.5. I’ve been playing 5th on fantasy grounds for about 2years.
2. Sunday would be best for me. I can make Saturday work as well.
3. Like I said. I’ve been using fantasy grounds for about 2 years now. I’ve been playing 5e since it came out. Mostly as a player. But I also am dming a game right now.
4. I’m a tactical player when I play. Outside of that. I love exploring the history and lore of a setting.
5. A “good dm” is that one that listens to the players thoughts and ideas. A “bad dm” is one that wants to be the main player in the game.
6. A “good player” is someone that works with the rest of the party to progress and build the story. A “bad player” is one that tends to control everyone and stats they will not be allow another player to do certain things.
7. This setting sounds like a great world to play in. I hope I get a chance to play in it. If not, I hope you have a great game.

[GarethM]

Good evening DealBreaker,

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to post the LFP and outlining what sounds like an exciting game opportunity! I’m delighted to post a response for your consideration. Taking each point in turn:

1)
I am 27 years old, living in the UK. To earn a crust I’m a lecturer and researcher, although I think you guys might term it ‘Professor’ across the Atlantic (I tend not to complain when international students use the term reflexively, although it’d be quite a promotion :-) ). I live with my partner in the countryside. In the downtime I cycle, ramble (hiking), tinker with computers, tend to the garden and play with our furry critter.

2)
We’re GMT and BST over here… so I really couldn’t guarantee attendance for that Friday session! The Sunday session, however, would be excellent.

3)
My experience with D&D is minimal; under lockdown I have started playing in the last few days with a local group; enjoying the game and universe so far! My teenagehood was built upon World of Warcraft and Warhammer tabletop games, so I’m relatively familiar with roleplaying and dice-oriented play. I have both copies of Fantasy Grounds, both with the Standard account. I have copies of the three core books, and my PHB is already well-thumbed. Looking forward to hitting the tabletop experience once the covid-19 restrictions are eased, but I think the available software makes the online equivalent a strong prospect in its own right.

4)
To be honest, I’m approaching the tabletop/VTT D&D experience with a completely open mind; I do not have pre-conceived or pro-ordained projections here. An engaging world with a compelling story – however constructed – would be great, perhaps with the possibilities of rabbit holes. That being said, if there is space for gentle/light collaborative input I’d happily offer suggestions wherever useful. Conversely, if no input is wanted that is okay too!

5)
hmm, as a result of the limited experience, I’m not sure if I can proficiently answer this one. DMs, even if they are channeled through fibreoptic cables are still human… so one can assume that DMs come in all varieties (like friends, colleagues, family). A good DM may be someone who cares about the world that they are narrating, and about the collective experience of that narrative. Patience is a good virtue, but likewise, players should come to the table with patience too. Communication and empathy are important tenets… a ‘bad’, or just ‘less diplomatic’ DM might inadvertently bring life stresses to the tabletop/VTT (even without realizing it), when it may be better to communicate with the team to give them a heads up or suggest a rest day.

6)
Players should appreciate the effort that the DM – and other players – put into the collective narrative, and demonstrate this through their gameplay interaction but also more holistically. Its about having respect for the narrative, and for the human beings/other races inside and outside of the unfolding story.

7)
I love the idea of collaboratively creating the roster of characters; I very much would prefer this to imposing a particular class, race… etc. Very fluid on this one, but once I’m invested into a character I’m happy to go town on the backstory and more :-) and yes, I do have a British/English accent. I won’t make fun of yours if you leave mine alone ;-)

I imagine you'll receive a lot of replies to this post, so no offence is taken at all if I do not hear back from you. Appreciate also that I may have opted for one of the less-popular day suggestions. But I'd be delighted to have a chat on Discord or equivalent to see if we're on the same plane.

Have a great week,

[DealBreaker]

Thanks for the interest so far folks. As a bit of an update, I have not yet contacted anyone but I anticipate contacting some people to chat in the next couple days (based on the rate of posts so far, probably by the 14th). So in the meantime please post if you want to be considered.

[Uffda]

Hello.
1. I am a 48 male and live in MN so I am central time. I work as a truck driver and enjoy fantasy and also meeting and interacting with others with a like interest.
2. I work M-F and I am only Available on Saturday or Sunday. I would perfer a latter start time as I like to sleep in on my days off.
3. I am brand new to FG and currently only have a free account but would upgrade if I can find a group to play with. I have really just gotten into table top gaming in the last year. I have played a little 5e and also some 1e of DnD. Before the whole corona virus thing I was playing with a group that played Castles and Crusades. I had also found a group that was playing Arcanis 5e.
4. I am open to what ever type of game you want to run. I enjoy High Fantasy types of adventure.
5. I guess I have not really had a bad Dm, but I have only been playing for about a year. I would a good Dm is one who is prepared with thought out content but at the same time can improvise when needed.
6. I am looking to interact with others who also enjoy fantasy and role playing. I like the corporative nature of Role Playing where we are all working towards a common goal. Sometimes after a game my girl friend will ask if my team won and I try to explain that it's not like that. I guess a bad player would be one who is trying to win at DnD.
7. I am a pretty easy going person and I have several ideas for a character. I like the idea of the heroic and valiant Paladin or the the tanky fighter. I also have several ideas for a ranger, monk, rouge or even a Warlock. It all kinda depends on what the party needs and what would fit in with the party.

Happy Easter and if your game is full maybe keep me in mind for a future game.

[jimshu]

1) I am a 50 year old father of two. I am a hobby gamer as my primary hobby, miniature pai...err collector and newly minted woodworker ( had to make a gaming table ). I work in the tech industry and this whole working from home thing is bringing back memories of my younger days.
2) Right now, its really Friday of the times mentioned that I can do.
3) I am old hat at gaming, but not really anything you would consider a grognard. I havent been able to play much in the last few decades and I am almost always the GM. I have only been the player in one campaign in the past 20 some odd years. My DNA is definitely D&D and I have played most all of additions a good deal ( though I am really just getting started in 5e ). Same for FantasyGrounds. I bought the ultimate license for a remote game I was going to run but the remoteness didnt sit well with the players ultimately so we ended up not continuing. I am running another game on Saturday nights right now and getting experienced again, but I really miss being able to play.
4) Start with a base coat of Dumas adventure and then lay down the bright colors of a typical fantasy world ontop the way I feel Mr Brooks captured. Apply a wash of political machinations ( the Guy Gavriel Kay kind, not really that GRR Martin kind ) to tie it all together and give it depth and you are well on your way. Go in for detail by brushing in some humor (salvatore) and great characterizations ( Martin ) and that there is sandbox I feel at home in. Its not that a political GOT style is a bad thing, but right now in this day, I am looking for 4 color escapism, not grimdark misery. The one thing that I am generally squicked about in games is when they go down a sexual bend...allusions to and romance itself is great in game, but I feel thats for off screen.
5) I like creativity and feel its the back bone of a good game. I like GMs that are there to play the story out and use the rules along the way. Its your story I am here to listen and jam to, I just appreciate GMs that help me merge my little stanza into your song. I like games that are open sandbox where the carrots and sticks are used to keep us generally going the right direction. I have been lucky in that all my GMs that I have played with have been what I would consider a good GM. Though I have heard horror stories.
6 ) Good players I think are the players that treat each other as equals and they would wish to be treated. We all have our talents in life and in playing the game and its good to recognize those in the group and not focus on the areas where each of us are weak. Build each other up. Play off our stories and make them one and let everyone shine. In spotting problematic players I find that usually those people coming to the game with a trickster out of the gate, or penchant to quote rules that I see create ultimately create problems. I admit that I really like the quiet players because it fills me up when they ultimately break that quiet and they let it all out in game. Its like watching a garden grow and as a GM that always made me strangely prideful.
7 ) Really not sure there is much more to say. I hope I can make the cut but if I dont, I hope everyone has a good time. Gaming really is my favorite method of socialization and my wife thinks its great for me to be involved in as it improves my health and happiness. I think thats true though for everyone.

[Datrepite]

1) A sentence or two about you. I want to play with players who are likely to get along with myself and other players and knowing a little about you is (in my experience) the best first step.
Hey there! I'm 25 years old, and have been in the family business for years now. I have a big soft spot for fantasy fiction books, and have been enjoying them since young - following a very similar path that you experienced - and this has spread to include tabletop roleplaying games ever since I have discovered them!

2) When would you be able to play? See Day of week and time above for options.
The listed times all work for me, except Sunday mornings. I could do Sunday evenings, but not the mornings. Otherwise, I can fit in any of the aforementioned time slots.

3) What is your experience with D&D, 5e, and Fantasy grounds? No experience is required. In fact I like new players because I can instill the 'bad' habits that I like in you rather than work with the 'bad' habits you developed from other DM's games. Also learning how to use FG as a player is pretty simple and easy to teach enough to play.
I have played tabletop roleplaying games for about 7 years now (trying a myriad of systems), and while fairly new to Fantasy Grounds, I spent quite a few hours getting to learn and know the system intimately - I'd consider myself proficient at the basic levels, with an extra knowledge on how the 'Effects' syntax language works (took me a while to understand that one fully). For 5e specifically, it's been about 3 or 4 years since I've started playing.

4) What kind of themes or ideas would you want to explore in a game? What are you NOT interested in?
I'm generally alright with most overarching world setting themes - be it a gritty, in-your-face low fantasy, standard high fantasy with magic everywhere, or even an epic or legendary mythology based games with gods and demigods being seen more than average people. I get the idea for most themes and ideas I'd want to touch on and really flesh out through the lens of my character by speaking with the DM and other players on the table, figuring out what everyone else's expectations are and what the overall tone of the campaign is going to be.

If I have to say one thing though, I've been itching to explore a style of game where it seems to be a typical fantasy world at first, but over time and many sessions of a little bit of history here and exposition there, the players (Out of Character) slowly come to the realization that the world their characters lived in is the modern world, set far, far into the future, where a post-apocalyptic event has regressed society and technology to its infantile stages, and introduced all the fantasy elements (magics, other races, etc).

A minor spin on the typical 'super advanced ancient civilization that mysteriously disappeared', where the remnants of such a world is seen through the viewpoint of fantasy medieval races - the 'warped iron tower that twists around itself, stuck in a perpetual climb to the skies'? Skyscraper. That 'massive underground cavern, shaped with a strange stone that was both solid yet slightly brittle, in an impossibly uniform rectangular shape'? Parking lot. So on forth. I know this doesn't interest most of your typical fantasy crowd, so I've been toying with the idea but never really started writing a campaign for it.

5) What do you look for or want in a 'good' DM? What are your redflags that signal a 'bad' DM for you?
Pretty important to me that everyone (not just the DM) is self aware enough to not be unpleasant company, and for everyone to remember that this is a group activity that we're all just trying to have fun playing together in. Don't be 'that person', treat others in a civilized manner, so on forth. As for the DM specifically, a good DM (to me) knows how to pace the party correctly - giving them space to breathe, interact and explore their own interests from time to time, or pressuring them with some time sensitive information or scenario when appropriate.

I feel like there's a growing trend of putting the party on a clock constantly, and while there's always going to be a time and place for that in any campaign, doing it for the entire campaign sort of kills a lot of potentially cool and interesting things the players might try to explore or come up with otherwise, simply because their characters don't have the time.

Another sign I tend to notice is if the DM themselves are invested into the story, or if it feels like they're just slogging through the week's session, trying to hide (or openly displaying) their disinterest.

My personal red flags for DMs (outside of just stating the opposite of things I considered to be signs of a good DM) are constantly missing out on sessions - either they are no longer interested in running or their lives are too hectic to run a game, which is fine, no hard feelings, but you should probably put the game on pause or disband it in that case, since the rest of us are probably still reserving that 4 hour block every week for the campaign. I prefer long term games to really let the story play out, flesh out characters and world lore, and telling an epic story together with the table.

One other thing is if it feels like the DM either gains immense satisfaction from beating down the player characters and killing them, or if it feels like they think that is their 'job' or 'duty' as the DM. I'm really not interested in the style of games where the DMs and players tries to one up each other in every scenario with game mechanics - I know that they are a lot of people out there that enjoy that, and it is absolutely fine (play the way your group has the most fun!), but that's not for me.

6) What do you look for or want in 'good' other players? What are your redflags that signal 'bad' players for you?
Going to bring up the whole 'self awareness' thing here once again as a sign of a good player. I also touched on it briefly above, but also another good sign is someone who's invested into the story, and are more than willing to take time doing things outside of quests, travel and killing in the game (though you could argue that anything the party undertakes can be considered a 'quest') - basically someone who is willing to try and explore different things that they think would be of interest to their character.

One thing that I wanted to highlight is your mention of avoiding 'major internal party conflict' - I couldn't agree more, and I've always disliked using 'that's what my character would do' to (purposefully) instigate something that the entire table would universally not enjoy exploring. We're already taking liberties with our hero characters, meeting through unlikely circumstances and so on forth; so we might as well let the characters be a little more organic, and spin things in a way to be more conducive for the whole table.

7) Finally, anything else that you think I should know that will help me decide if I want to reach out to start the joining the group process?
I think I covered a lot of who I am, what my expectations are, and what I'd like to bring to the table in the questions answered above. If you have any questions or want me to clarify or expound on anything, please don't hesitate to reach out!

[KrptDrgn]

1) Hey there, am a 43 year old player from Canada (PST) and have been playing on and off for about 2 decades, maybe a bit longer. Currently laid off due to the pandemic, but I work as a cook, and really do enjoy a high fantasy style game with character and story development.
2) Any day of the week currently. and as for flexibility, am flexible once I go back to work. I prefer mid-day starts, as I tend to sleep in usually.
3) I'm pretty brand new to FG, and have the standard version. Would love to learn more about the program and how to best utilize it for future games.
4) I like the whole group development, personal development routes on games. I like interpersonal character relationships and also the world building/world changing style of game play. High ambitions, shoot for the stars type games.
5) I look for DM's that work with their players to forwards the storyline. I find that the "good" DM's focus on story and character development and aren't adverse to fudging a few rolls here and there for story purpose. I find that 'Bad' DM's are the Them against the PC's type who look at the game as the perfect vessel for TPK and gloating over it.
6) A 'Good' player for me is one who looks to team build, and isn't there to build just themselves, but help the group in general build up as a whole. A good player gives up the spotlight sometimes, and take lead in others. 'Bad' or 'Redflag' players to me look more at stat numbers, and gaming the system in order to have the best characters, with high survivability. And focus little on backstory, or flavour. As though they game for one reason, to "Win"
7) I look to add to the overall story of the game, and don't see to win, but to have enjoyment at watching a character grow, and see where their story takes them. Every story has a hero, but a hero can't win the day by themselves.. There's always others that help them to victory. I love heroic stories, and even the ones that end in tragedy (ie: character death or loss) makes for a great story. And in the end, to me, the story is all that matters.

[EricS]

1) I am 51. Played a lot in my 20's, and just recently discovered that online roleplaying is a viable hobby. I am self employed and am enjoying reconnecting with this hobby.
2) I would prefer Friday night or the Sunday time slot, but weekends are pretty easy for me to free up a time to play.
3) I played a lot of D&D a long time ago, with 2nd edition and 3.5. Have limited experience recently with 5e, have played in some games in Roll20, and decided to invest in the FG platform to see if I could find a community to play with long term. I have no experience with FG, but want to learn, and maybe evenntually be able to run games.
4) I just love the heroic art. Start small, grow, bind with your group. Find a reason to make the group dynamic fit you, and then build towards your goal.
5) I like DM's who allow things that make sense. Who stick with the rules, but also allow character to shine through. I like DM's who encourage the story, and the combat. Not sacrificing one for the other.
6) Characters that want to work together. Interested in forming a group dynamic. Interested in drama in the group for role playing purposes, while always understanding that the goal is to stay together and be cohesive at the end of the day.
7) I am very interested in finding a long term group. I would love to hear from you.

[Gitchagoomie]

Hello
1. I am 41 years old and have been playing D&D since my high school science teacher invited me over to join a game he was DMing for his wife. My last game was 5e on FG until our DM ghosted the party.

2. I currently work Tues. - Thu. 5pm to 5am and Sat. and Sun. 5am to 5pm PST. So my ideal game time would be Sun. after 5:10pm PST.

3. I am familiar with FG but might need a short refresher course.

4. As far as themes for game I don't care, I just want to get playing again. Though I am always open to letting the DM use my characters to further his plots in game.

5. A good DM for me doesn't retaliate against the party when they foil his grand plan by complete accident. i.e. accidentally blowing up a gunpowder storage warehouse while the big bad boss of the game is inside plotting the parties demise. oops.

6. A bad player to me is one who craft a character that is anti-social or through some defect is incapable of communicating with the party, or jackasses that think every single item looted should be theirs.

7. I am hoping to just get into a game that I can sit back and have a good time in at the end of a long 60 hour work week. Unfortunately I doubt I will be reached out to do to my extremely limited availability because of the current virus situation. Maybe once it passes and I have weekends off again I might have better luck in your next campaign.

[scotw1t]

1) A sentence or two about you. I want to play with players who are likely to get along with myself and other players and knowing a little about you is (in my experience) the best first step.

I'm 32 years old. I think what people find most notable about me is that I have been living abroad since 2012. I work as much as I can during these strange times, but I'm also enjoying the time I would otherwise be spending commuting to and from work.

2) When would you be able to play? See Day of week and time above for options.

My timezone is UTC + 1, so Friday is pretty much out of the question for me. All of the times listed on Saturday and Sunday work for me.

3) What is your experience with D&D, 5e, and Fantasy grounds? No experience is required. In fact I like new players because I can instill the 'bad' habits that I like in you rather than work with the 'bad' habits you developed from other DM's games. Also learning how to use FG as a player is pretty simple and easy to teach enough to play.

My oldest brother introduced me to D&D when I was still young. But that was it for a long time. Fortunately, he had a lot of fantasy novels for me to pilfer and I've never looked back. I still think back to the first time I read "Spine of the World" by R.A. Salvatore. It had a profound impact on what I would consume all throughout high school, put away during my college years, and now pick back up again. I have been DMing a game with my friends here, and we moved to FGU when things started to get weird outside, and I've DMed a couple of games on it so far. We are running the LMoP campaign.

4) What kind of themes or ideas would you want to explore in a game? What are you NOT interested in?

I think fantasy is a safe place to explore religion without anyone's feelings getting hurt, so I wouldn't mind story arcs that revolve around religious institutions or figures. Also, I like the hero's journey, going from nothing and scorned by most NPCs to someone that NPCs request advice from.

5) What do you look for or want in a 'good' DM? What are your redflags that signal a 'bad' DM for you?

I reckon a good DM has a very good feeling for pace and rhythm. A red flag would be a DM that discusses a PC's backstory with other PCs.

6) What do you look for or want in 'good' other players? What are your redflags that signal 'bad' players for you?

Good players will know that if they don't like what's going on right now (e.g. combat, role playing, shopping), but what is going on is in service of the game and having a good time, the thing they really like to do will come around again. So they'll be patient.

7) Finally, anything else that you think I should know that will help me decide if I want to reach out to start the joining the group process?

I just want to have fun and hope that all negativity is done through RP and not through player interactions. And if negativity creeps up between players, I hope the DM will know how to solve the issue (I reckon I should have typed this up there, but it just came to me and I think it fits here too).

Thanks for the offer to potentially join you in your world!

[DealBreaker]

Thank you for your interest in the game, but at this time I have invited a number of players to the group and I am no longer taking any applications. I hope you all find a game that ends up being a good fit for you. It can take a while (I've been on the palyer side a fair amount myself) but keep trying and you'll eventually find a great group.

[Diomitus]

1) I'm 32. Been playing 5E for about 6 years now. I enjoy a good story and interesting conflict resolution and problem solving. I like looking at scenarios outside the box and finding ways to solve those scenarios in non obvious ways.
2) Friday evenings would be best for me.
3) I've played many many games of 5e and quite a few on fantasy grounds.
4) Social Interaction, Puzzle solving, Exploration, and Combat are all very interesting things to me. I'm not super keen on solving mysteries and political intrigue but I'm ok with a little.
5) Trust. Trust that the DM will challenge the party in a fair way and not expect a very obscure reference to be the key to the puzzle. Trust that the players will buy in to the world and accept the fact that our actions have consequences and that the world is living and breathing. I won't be a murder hobo as long as every interaction isn't life or death.
Control RED FLAG. Don't tell me that my character is not viable. If I want to be a Noble Orc Wizard, it's my job as a player to explain why I chose that path. For a DM to simply say "No, orcs aren't wizards" big red flag. This goes back to trust and meeting halfway. Even if the world is a typical "Orcs bad" world, there are always outliers that don't fit the mold and break stereotypes.
6) Good players: Share the spotlight, play their "role", play their "roll", and roleplay.
Bad players: ME ME ME!!! Infighting can happen, but it should be very very rare. Simply saying "that's what my character would do" is a cop out. Sure your character may want to make a certain choice, but if there are other members of your party who you know would react extremely negatively to that choice, or as a player that choice undermines what another player is trying to do (attacking while another player is attempting negotiations) that's just a **** move.
7) I am very flexible with everything a good DM will present me with; from character creation to world problems.

I hope you will consider me if you have room left.

[scotw1t]

Thank you for your interest in the game, but at this time I have invited a number of players to the group and I am no longer taking any applications. I hope you all find a game that ends up being a good fit for you. It can take a while (I've been on the palyer side a fair amount myself) but keep trying and you'll eventually find a great group.

Thanks very much! Happy gaming!

[LyonArd]

Good evening or afternoon! I don't know if you've already chosen players to play with but I thought I may as well post this

1) Hello, I'm 17 male and I live within Australia, Queensland AEST. I love to roleplay a lot, even though I may not be the best at it, I still try my hardest! I have been playing 5e Pathfinder & savage worlds but I started out with 5e so it's a bit special to me.

2) Friday evening starting about 7pm Mountain, Saturday starting at either 10am or 1pm / These work best for me

3) I've played 5e for a few years now. I've stopped and have been playing other games like it, Pathfinder, Savage Worlds and I've been looking to jump back in

4) To be honest, I am quite open to a lot of things, except explicit content like rape, incest and stuff like that

5) My red flags would be a DM who feels like they are forced to do be playing when their interest has gone

6) I've played a lot of games where other players were always doing something and giving half of their attention, hardly interacting with other players on a roleplay basis

_|____|_
7) \_o.O_/ I can make stick figures, but in all seriousness, I like to have fun with everyone around me, make stories and memories in the theatre of the mind, an imaginary bonfire fire under the
| glistening stars. Talking about our
| situation while we roast a few tenderloins from an elk, a mighty catch for our mighty rumbling stomachs
/ \
Edit* I have fooled you and myself, I cannot make stick figures

[Midig]

First off. I am not sure if you got enough players for your game. So if that is the case, please write an update.

1) I am a 24 year old part time worker and student who lives in Oslo. You might be in for a shock. I am a nerd. I am a big fan of games such as The Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age and Witcher series. I think especially Skyrim is quite interesting due to the modding scene keeping it alive after 9 years and I wait patiently for SkyBlivion which is Oblivion running on Skyrim engine. I love TTRPGs, but like a lot of people I don't get to play it nearly enough. I am familiar with DnD 5th, Pathfinder 1E, and CoC.

2) I am from Oslo, so time wise it might not be extremely fitting. But I am quite adaptable, although not 5 am adaptable. So don't prioritize me when it comes to the timing of the sessions. It's better to see if I can fit your schedule.

3) I have the most experience with DnD 5th as a DM, although I admit I have run very thorough from beginning to end campaigns, you know how RL tends to get in the way of that. I want to run my own FG games eventually. Not only due to corona thing, but that is a part of it.

4) I am honestly a fan of a lot of settings. I don't remember who said it so I am paraphrasing here. But I think one of the purest ways to explain the themes of fantasy in general is that the landscape and magic are there to explore the inner conflict of the characters. Characters like Guts from Berserk (Trauma, revenge) or Frodo (judgment and mercy, depression) from LOTR comes to mind. Unless you are running super gritty fantasy, you do beat the bad guy. But the interesting thing is often what conflicts and personal issues your character must overcome.

5) In my experience, I am the bad DM and I still try to improve. So I cant really give you all the things a GM needs. But I often think a GM needs confidence in the rules and how they like to run their games. I really like it when DMs give vivid descriptions of the places or monsters and is a skill I am working on myself. When it comes to bad DMs one thing that comes to mind is if the DM claims total sandbox and then improvises more than they prepare. If you got an insane amount of time to flesh out your world then exploring that in a sandbox environment is awesome. But there should probably be at least a 60/40 prepare/improvise ratio. I would rather have railroading then DM being clueless a lot of the time and needing time to think of what happens next because they got a big map with empty stuff. In fact, I admit I have done that and players might like it from time to time. But it tends to be better to change prepared stuff than or make something on the spot.

6) It can grind my gears when players love their own voice and talk about their characters endlessly and interrupt your roleplaying and such and incessantly try to do some side thing over and over (such as trying to invite every NPC they meet into their cult). I have only seen that once, but never again. Good players listen and allow others to have their moments or even help them through thoughtful roleplaying. An attentive DM helps a lot in my experience. That being said, I am aware that some players are going to crave more attention than others and I don't mind as long as they don't interrupt what I do.

7) Since I am selling myself here and I have been DMing for some time I will tell you what you want to hear because it is true as well. When I enter a game I am active in and out of sessions. I make it on time when I say I will and when I don't I inform ASAP. This is just common decency and respect I think you deserve as someone who is basically setting aside time so others can have fun. I also have some cool character ideas that I have yet to explore.

Feel free to message me here. I can add you on discord, facebook etc. if you ask for it.

[Squib]

1) I am married and am still a child of 44. Started playing dnd at university with a bunch of friends with 2nd edition.
2) I would unfortunately only be available for the Sunday 10am MDT time slot. Happy to sit for the session zero until the day & time slot is decided on.
3) I am currently GM'ing a game and have fiddled around with it and played with the effects but am still learning. I still consider myself a beginner with Fantasy Grounds. I started playing with 2nd edition, a lot of 3rd and very little 4th all up to that point in RL games. My group became too scattered and with other commitments have not played much 5th. Recently started 5th edition on FG. I
4) I very much prefer the story aspect of the game which does not really help you as this includes everything. I am however not interested in an evil campaign or the never-ending dungeon crawl.
5a) A "good" GM uses character backstory and plants seeds long before they are needed. They know when to use a bit of railroad, when to freeform it and when the story is more important than the mechanics. Knowing how people think and being able to anticipate player choices is a valuable skill as what is obvious to me as a GM is usually missed by players and is something that I am still working on. Being a "good" GM means that you communicate with the players on how you want to do things and be open to changes if needed.
5b) A "bad" GM is one that can not "herd cats" or does not reign in characters when they get off the adventure, unless they have a plan to freeform or a way to bring it back to what they have planned. A "bad" GM is also one that sticks to the mechanics regardless of the results unless this has been discussed upfront.
I think trust between the players and the GM is important as that allows the players to explore their character as well as the world knowing that the GM will give enough hints that the characters are heading down a dangerous path and the hints are soon enough that they can turn back.
6) "Good" players STFU when they are not the focus on the scene. They are able to separate player knowledge and character knowledge and are able to exclude information that they do not have that another PC may have. The best players that I have played with know how to let other players have the spotlight and are willing to let others take the lead if the GM has started negotiations with that character even when they may not have the best negotiating skills in the party. This ties back to trusting the GM enough that the story will be interesting and not explode because of a single failed roll.
6b) Kind of the opposite of the above. Players that always insert themselves into the story when they are occupied some place else in the story or players that have the MM open all the time. Metagaming your skill checks (tower works great) and players that are distracted with other stuff while at the table.
7) I would like to play an illusionist type character but this is often a significant challenge for the GM and the other players because of the different viewpoints of how illusions are adjudicated. I am open to hearing your and the other players viewpoints before making such a decision.

Oops, did not read the replies, seems you have enough. If you need a last minute addition, drop me a message.