Against the Kobolds

[Loim]

Just a heads up for those of you who are making Monstrous/Humanoid characters:

 

"Armor: Most creatures (orcs, gnolls, goblins) have an Armor Class of 10 (and thus wear armor for protection). Some creatures, however, have natural armor which is retained by the player character. These characters gain the benefit of a +1 bonus to their AC only if the armor worn is worse than or equal to their natural Armor Class (as per horse barding). If better armor is worn, natural armor is ignored and Armor Class is determined by the armor being worn."

[Kacir]

Damn. You and your rules. Check my char sheet, bro. AC prob needs to be fixed.

[buglips*the*goblin]

Sorry if I'm holding things up, but all this is new to me.

 

So how does rolling work? Do we use on of those random number generators on the interwebz? I don't much like those. Do we roll in our homes and you trust us to not cheat? I've got a set of unused black Koplows that I don't know if they're lucky or soulless evil. I could use those.

 

And how do we work things like intiative? Combat? To be honest, I could probably use a basic primer for this whole thing. I don't know what I'm doing! It scares me!

 

Combat in my local group can be ridiculously complicated because we're all of twisted creative mind. Knowing how this thingy here works over distance will help me adapt my game to it, rather than clog things up for several days while Loim tries to figure out how, exactly, it might be possible for me to ride a mule over a bannister, grab the overhead chandelier, drop onto a table and then use my amazing kung fu powers to throw chairs as missile weapons at random surly barfolk.

 

That's happened. Only it was a horse, not a mule. And the barfolk were ghouls. Also there may have been a pixie involved, who was fighting hand to hand with an evil mechanical monkey who wielded razor sharp cymbals. But that might have been a different time, when we were looking for a quality glassmaker to construct a longbottom pipe for the dragon that told riddles.

 

 

 

 

It scares me that I now think of these things as perfectly normal activites.

[Shiqra]

I feel better now - I've never played any RP tabletop games before in my life, this is only my second pbp, and in the first one we just now got to the action. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I figure I'll keep things simple on my end to start until I see how the more experienced players do things, and work my way up to swinging from the chandeliers whilst mounted on horseback. I bought a set of dice and some extra d6 at the game shop and am assuming you roll at home on the honor system.

Edited February 8, 2013 by Shiqra

[Loim]

@Buglips. Use the Type V method for rolls (4d6 and drop lowest). And yes, all rolls are based off of trust, I'm trusting you not to fudge that 3 you rolled into a natural 20. As far as initiative goes I use a simplified version, always have, even in person. Everyone at the beginning of combat rolls initiative and adds/subtracts modifiers. You then post your initiative. I roll initiative for the monsters/NPCS. That's the initiative for the battle, rather than calculating it again at the beginning of each round.

 

Here's an example scenario. Buglips' character has insulted the highest paid, classiest orken courtesan in all the lands of Renascentia. She summons her 18 hulking brothers for retribution, and they bust up on the party wielding swords, axes, dead cats, and clubs. At this point I'll call for you all to roll initiative. I'll roll initiative. Then I'll announce order of combat. Once that happens I wait for post of your actions. If you are attacking you will announce target/intent/attack/and possible damage roll for said attack (or if it's an action what you are trying to accomplish). Then I'll inform you that you missed by a kilometer, and you are all dead, horribly. Don't be afraid to try something creative. I'll give you a chance for it, and who knows you might turn out to be the next legend, hailed with the greats, your name spoke of with the same reverence reserved for The Legendary Heroes of Legend. Though in my experience you'll most likely end up a stain on some giants club.

[Kacir]

Buglips: Have you ever fired two hand crossbows whilst flying through the air? If no, have you ever fired ONE hand crossbow whilst flying through the air?...

[Loim]

SWAN!

 

[buglips*the*goblin]

Well, I can assure you that fudging is something I won't do. Ever. Many years of local play have encouraged us, all of us including the DM, to make all rolls open and honest for all to see because it is a million times more fun to take ridiculous risks trying ridiculous things and then roll for result.

 

As my Tiefling once observed:

 

"What's my chance of success?"

 

DM: "Less than 5%."

 

"What happens if I fail?"

 

DM: "You and everything you care about will be disintegrated into a fine ash, dispelled into the astral plane, slowly coalesce over a thousand years, and eventually be used by a dying god as flavour powder."

 

"I like those odds!"

[Loim]

The running joke in our gaming group was, "I attempt to disbelieve."

[buglips*the*goblin]

The running joke in our gaming group was, "I attempt to disbelieve."

 

I once played with a guy who had a particular dagger he believed was magic. It wasn't, but he believed it was. Every single time he threw it, and always under the most dire and desperate circumstances, he rolled a natural 20 with it. Every. Single. Time.

 

Eventually I ruled that his belief, as demonstrated by use, was so strong that it actually did become imbued with magic.

[Loim]

I cast Magic Missile.

[Kacir]

I perform an augury.

[buglips*the*goblin]

I have to shovel some snow and then make the perilous trek to the mailbox, but when I return I'll fill in my homework and submit it.

[Inarah]

Got most of the important numbers figured out but can't find info on hit dice in the 2nd ed rulebook. Somebody want to clue me in?

[Shiqra]

Is this what you need?

Step 6: Roll Hit Points (chapter 3)
Roll the appropriate hit die for your character. If the character is multi-classed, roll all applicable hit dice and average the results.
Warrior 1d10
Priest 1d8
Rogue 1d6
Mage 1d4

 

That was on page 26 of the .pdf PH. I found more info in my class description (fighter) but I didn't see it for bard. Maybe for bard you have to use the multi-class rules?