@The Harbinger of Ferocity
Let's put it this way: Given how open the area is, you don't have anything particularly advantageous for your approach. On the other hand if the enemy is not expecting you to take said route, they might be disadvantaged on spotting you. This makes sense to me and I hope this short explanation can help you understand why I rule it as such.

I do understand the notion, I am simply at the point in meta of, "Why did we bother for so long with planning if we could have just cut a swathe through them and had about the same odds?" I have to hope there's something about this mill in the story that is of importance.

Another issue in the meta, that I would like to push to all present, is that we should use normal experience points rather than milestone leveling. This game has been going on for one year - an entire year - and we are still 1st level characters on our first adventure in our first module. This strikes me in such a way that I can only describe best as disappointing. I am fairly confident just based on the sheer number of encounters we have had, that we should be much further along in mechanical character progression for this level bracket, but we aren't. I understand tracking and calculating experience points might be slightly more difficult, but we are playing Dungeons and Dragons where basic arithmetic is to be expected and our numbers as a whole should not vary much.

This is not to say our characters haven't progressed since we started, but there's a startling amount of development there that is not reflected at all in their physical person within the system. I would say they're close to 3rd or so level in that regard, if I had to give it some arbitrary and ultimately meaningless number. There's quite a few dynamics and changes that have happened to and with them. Experience points are not just exclusively "enemies defeated by the chart" as they too reflect these stories.

But one might wonder what I mean by all this, to which I will say in explicit.

First, I advocate going to true experience points. Second, we need to cease beating around the bush with things, delaying posts, waiting, hesitating, and the ilk. Third, the group needs to commit to something, by which I mean being all in, even if we aren't in favor of it and communicating that; in essence, "Don't split the party". Fourth and lastly, we need to be more active overall in the out-of-character section. Everything is too dead silent here, even lacking in banter.

Tbh, it's only been dragging along because some of us are a bit slow. I'm guilty of this. As for our leveling, I still perfer a milestone progression. Even if we don't, we can't simply level up without at least a longrest; it's been less then twelve hours since we "started" our adventure. We've certainly fought a few battles and have done some character development, but I don't think it's enough to get to level 3. Level 2 maybe, but not level 3.

Really I think the only problem is the fact we're not very active OoC. I don't know what Norschtalen, Ryo, or Gordian's situation, but the reason I haven't really posted much is mostly because I don't feel comfortable just posting one paragraph at a time. I try my best to pull off at least two, maybe three at once, and when there isn't much going on but conversation, I don't really have anything to add aside "Orchid listens and doesn't have an opinion."

I imagine Brannor and or Orchid leading, with Kyra, Parum and Torus making up the second rank, given all of them have ranged tendencies. I too imagine it as less a column and more a "line" so that the enemy has less options of where to move; either they flee, or they have to confront us.

I believe this formation would be optimal. Let's do this!

Many of the concerns @The Harbinger of Ferocity brought up are also concerns of mine. While for the XP I'm fine with whatever the players would prefer (do voice your opinions about it so we can determie if changing would be appropriate), the decline in activity is indeed something I am not too fond of and I, too, would attribute it largely due to the inactive OOC section. This is further proven by the fact I asked for a couple rolls a few days ago and have yet to receive them from many. Were it not for the Game Jam, I would already have had to take control of not just one, but several player characters and I am not too enthusiastic about that.

This RP is a group activity and we can only really participate in it as a group. We have a set of rules we all agreed upon and I would love to see them followed. If inactivity continues, I am afraid I will have to free up player slots for other potential applicants. Let us hope it will not come to that.

@Lucius Cypher@Gordian Nought@Ryonara@Norschtalen

I remain committed. Personally have adored the development of each of our characters, thus far.

I'm so sorry! I know I haven't really said or did much of anything, I guess it's just because I'm kinda loosing my head juggling two jobs, rent, and my lessons on top of RPing and such. I don't really like to talk about it because I don't want to make excuses, but I swear I still want to do this!

As for plans and such again, Kyra will go with whoever has a plan, likely Brannor's since his might work. For the experience I don't care either way, but I'm in favor of milestones. It can get a bit silly if we're systematically farming/grinding random mobs for EXP, and a milestone system feels more organic to me. As for OOC conversations again, I tend to be very busy so I can't often come in to do small talk. It's not that I don't keep tabs of the RP anyways, I just can't always start or get involved in a conversation in a timely matter.

Also here are my rolls for stealth (19) and initiative (6).

Does it bother no one that we have been at this for a year in the meta for just one session, one the first chapter? Is that really so lacking in reason to be furious? This is not an issue of "grinding experience", but that our characters have evolved and developed far beyond where they were and in terms of ability. Level is a mechanical representative of this. Milestone is legitimately holding us back.

We fought into the town, snuck through the town, got into the keep, fought off enemies in said keep, fixed a door in the keep, survived a dragon attack and rescued the apparently last few villagers in a town. For a single night, that is a significant amount of experience we would reasonably gain, especially at the first level where gains are exceptionally fast. We are not "3rd" level in terms of mechanics no, but as I expressly said we are "3rd" in terms of development of those characters; if we are splitting hairs, we are probably 2nd level, close or at half to 3rd. This means we are so far behind we will continue to be under level and under equipment going forward.

For a game going on year, this is the slowest pace I have encountered with a tabletop. I have consulted outside the group even and they too are confused at this to the point of asking, "Why would anyone ever use milestone leveling?" If surviving the dragon wasn't a "milestone" I am uncertain as to what is. This is more grind intensive because we have no incentive to even be doing this. We are legitimately wandering around flailing at enemies who do not matter.

Yes, you can argue this is "plot important" because Kyra's character has a story arc, but I remind you that this started as a two-person attempt, to which I imagine all else joined in on just so the group would not wipe. Again, "Don't split the party." That is all fine and well but we know there is still some major event to come. If I had to guess, that dragon might make another appearance, or that person we were told about earlier might do something. In either case, it is clear we are far from the effective end of this chapter, months even.

Let me pose this to you, "What happens if one of us dies?"

Just start over? Make another character to play for a year and pray to whatever you find holy that you do not lose on the dice once more? Does that sound like a rewarding experience? Again this has been a single night. One. Look at the amount of character development we have wedged in to it in one night. Levels that you see in movies, that which need condense it down so much because the audience only has so much attention to give.

Transitioning some, this goes back to inactivity. I understand the issue of, "My character has nothing much to say." to which I can say, "Neither does mine, so I find stage business to do to keep posting and contributing something." Bring effectively inactive is worse than posting two paragraphs of basic information or action; it doesn't need to be fluff.

It is clear people want to continue, but the activity, pace and interaction needs to increase in and out of game.

I largely reverberate @The Harbinger of Ferocity's sentiment, but I am unsure what is at fault.

Our collective indecisiveness is immense even in the IC. Not to meta too heavily, maybe we can agree on optimal tactics in the OOC, while promoting plot progression in our submissions? In essence, we roll our rolls and plan our course of action outside the OOC but we incorporate said actions with simultaneous DM approved and revealed repercussions, so we can expedite the story faster with each post, without waiting to discern if something is even possible. This implementation requires a very active OOC or Discord, to keep interactions lively.

First, I would like to apoligze for vanishing these last few days. Though it's been weeks since I've recovered from my operation, my work had been backed up due to the time I was away. Were it not for a timely donor, I don't know if I'd still have a job or even be alive. So I apoligize again for my lack of activity here, and I thank @Hekazu for being so generous as to let me stay around.

Looking over the OOC, I'll admit that I personally like a fair slow pace IC and even OoC simply because RPing, while an enjoyable hobby for me, generally does not take a high priority because I have to take care of my family and business, something that only me wife and myself can deal with. I often get lost when things move quickly IC, or if there was something important discussed OoC, without someone giving me a run down so I can be informed. But if things don't move on but there still is sign of activity, I generally don't show up simply because it takes a load off my mind knowing that I still have "time" to make a post and am not in any rush. I know this doesn't work well with others, but unfortunately I can't really change my schedule or life to accommodate the playing styles of others. All I can do is ask for your patience and do my best.

@The Harbinger of Ferocity

As I mentioned above, I'm slow. Yes, it does seem absurd that it's been nearly a year in real life, but maybe just around five hours at most IC. If this was a real live tabletop, this entire scenario would be done in one, maybe two sessions. Twenty hours at most, if we take time dallying about. Again, I don't really see a problem because to me that just means that I can afford to relax and not feel rushed trying to get a post up while confident that this RP will still live. I'm not a very active Rper and I'm sorry if you don't like that.

As for our character's development, that I don't agree with. You have to consider that this is all happening in one night, and it was our own characters who decided to do everything in their power to help (Frighten as they may be in Parum's case). But that doesn't always mean it's enough. I really do think that maybe we've gotten in over our heads trying to face off against an entire bandit horde without any plan or preparation, or even facing an adult dragon, but honestly? This sounds exactly like the sort of situation a main character would go through in a fantasy RPG. For some like Kyra, that's exactly what's happening. A quiet little village suddenly besiege by and unstoppable army that no one can stop? Our interpreted heroes, willing and determined to fight but simply too weak to make a difference? Classic stuff right there. Sure enough, this is only the beginning. And while we have dwelled on it for far too long, it's still in chapter one and will likely remain that way regardless of how long it takes us to progress.

Even for our characters, I don't think we've really developed them so much as showed who they are. Parum has always been a bit naive and underestimates the sheer reality of being a heroic adventurer and the dangers it involves. Just because she's seen this and is suitably horrified doesn't mean she's developed a lot of character. It certainly opens a lot of doors for development, but she hasn't gotten any braver, and despite how much she tries to justify or encourage herself in her own mind, she hasn't done anything to change. She wants to change for the better, but she hasn't yet. To be fair, the reason she hasn't is because I haven't written a lot for her because I'm a slow RPer, but IC Parum hasn't done much to develop, just to reveal and perhaps give her the chance to grow.

Also, this is the first tabletop RP I've ever been in. I don't really know what is suppose to be a "regular" pace for it. I joined because I hoped that it would have a relaxing pace where I don't feel obligated to quit just so everyone could go ahead of me, and because I have a good friend who's willing to keep me up to date about the going ons in the RP. In all the other RP's I've been in, even the longer running ones tend to be slow pace with a group of understanding friends who's willing to put the RP on hold for the others to catch up when life prevents them from playing the game. Perhaps it's unfair for me to assume that the rest of you would be so willing, and for that I apologize.

As for your question about character death, I'd assume we'd treat it nearly the same as the other three or four characters who had joined us but left. Granted, some may be easier since they haven't done much, and honestly? Our characters aren't too endeared to one another either. Kyra obviously sees everyone else as just an outsider. Parum is more scared of her own life than for everyone else. Orchid seems to be more interested in action than interaction. Brannor is aloof and distant, and Torag is enigmatic. While I'm sure if any of us die right now, we would certainly have a few things to say and perhaps mourn. But regardless if we die or if our characters simply left the group, that's not going to stop the story. Short of a total party kill, one or two people dying or leaving isn't going to stop the RP. At worse, we'd have to figure out a way to introduce a new character into the party.

All in all, I don't really have a solution to your problem, Harbinger, because the way I see it I am the problem; I can't always be around to chat or post, and frankly I should have been kicked out of the RP months ago due to my inactivity. That being said I do rather @Gordian Nought idea of being able to use the OOC to discuss IC plans because one thing I always have a problem with is conversing with other characters, since usually my only response will be a verbal one, and I'd rather not post a one-liner. It might get a bit odd meta wise, but it'll also feel more true to a tabletop experience if we could use the OoC to discuss things such as combat strategy or a plan of action before we put them into the IC. You know, when some of us are actually around to say anything about it.

I'm working on a post right now.

@Ryonara @Lucius Cypher @Norschtalen @The Harbinger of Ferocity @Hekazu

By the sound of the "timely donor," it seems you were on a UNOS waiting list for a transplant, bone marrow or otherwise, requiring, in the prior interim, transfusions, dialysis, or other intensive therapeutics, to foster and promote your health and well being. It is not my place or role to inquire. However, I pray, that you continue to garner strength through this recovery process, which in of itself is as painstaking as your previous medical journey. If anything, you're the hero who has faced and overcame the odds. For that, I am grateful; if you possess a need or desire advice, please do not hesitate to reach out, for I have a few connections I can lean on.

In regards to our pace, I feel cutting corners, via meta OOC, may be an adequate compromise, especially if there is stagnancy or an impasse after 1 round of posts from all participating PCs. This method would mandate potentially a post from each person, minimally once a week or so, at the earliest, if everyone posts day after day. In combat, a faster pace may be more necessary, to which I defer to those with more experience. Does that sound fair to everyone?

This is not an advocacy of rushing anything, this is a matter of fact that even for a play by post tabletop, we are far behind the curve in story, mechanical progression and activity. I am understanding people have lives, that isn't my complaint, it is that with the way things have been, others have been forced to wait four, five, six or so days for one post, only to turn around and wait another four or so days for another and so on until their own turn.

That is beyond excuse. It does not take roughly two weeks to make any major plot advancement. No less, this synergizes poorly with the circumstances.

Yes, we are vastly outnumbered and lacking in preparation. It is a 1st level adventure and I would wager they wrote it that way on purpose to put us out of our league so we have a story arc. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is the fact we have virtually nothing to show for it that irritates me. We have, as I said before and will again, run into the Hollywood problem where we wedged a bunch of character elements and individual plot development into a small span of time.

Torus has been cleansed of his malady, Orchid fought a dragon, Kyra has saved her mentor and her temple, and Parum has confronted her optimism with realism. I leave myself out simply for the sake of saying that my opinion on it is biased and given my stand point, you can gather I view it as much too fast for him as well.

Some of this can be seen as revealing information and insight about them, whereas others are the sort you go and say, "That already happened for this character? At 1st level? What?" For some that might be fine, that isn't mine to judge, but that is a huge amount of ground covered all the same.

To change topics and points, I realize and state that I am aware there are different rates of posting. But again I say, is no one bothered we are still in Greenest doing the exact same thing we were doing a year ago? The biggest upset was the dragon, which I am thankful for in the meta because it shook things up. We needed something to change the story because it was, and is now back to, "Beat up bandits who give us nothing."

Is it fun? Of course. I enjoy writing combat. But I can say for myself that nothing has become dynamic about that. We are still out of spells, wandering through the woods and street, fighting enemies who have no plot relevance. People make fun of "mooks" in fantasy stories for that very reason, which I understand, but what changes is where they are and why they are. This scenario? This conflict?

It does not take a year to resolve. There is no explanation for it that would be or will be suitable. I will hear out those claims day and night, but I will not agree to them.

In rebuttal to character death, that is all fine and well that you see it that way, but some of us don't want their time wasted. I have been in this topic as with some of you for the entire year. Is it really unreasonable to say, "I have invested a lot of time and effort in this roleplay. If my character dies now at this point, I basically wasted a year of my life on a character in this topic."

Is everyone else affected? Maybe, maybe not. As you admitted they are all none too invested in each other. That comes with time, experience and progression. But it only solidifies the point of why that is such a problem and a danger. I will freely admit I would and will walk out on this game if I die, not because I "lost", but because I have only so many slots for topics on the Guild and only so much patience for my time to be spent. I know some enjoy writing for the sake of doing so, but I am here to tell a story; losing that and the stakes in it is losing everything I worked for.

I could care less about the argument of the "game stopping as a whole" because there have been plenty of times this thread has ground to a near halt. Fortunately, we have a Dungeon Master who doesn't just up and disappear, which I would say is a rare saving grace on the Guild. No less, that isn't my point or appeal, which I will state again is that if I invest time and effort into a character, spend a year of my time writing for them and advocating their angle, I am going to be pretty damn annoyed to have them die to luck of the draw because we aren't even close to the level to do anything about it.

No less, wedging in new characters feels akin to that; wedged and forced. I was so astonished and pleased to find someone actually staying when we added Torus that he became my favorite character because of it. Not that I think anyone else's character is bad, but because of the timing he appeared, followed by Kyra who managed well too. Introductions of new characters is so bad in most cases, or short lived, you see it as a Dungeons and Dragons meme on the internet.

To close, one might ask about my solution if I have so many problems, to which I will answer with this.

First, get rid of milestone and go direct to experience based. We level up when we get the points to do so. No waiting, no delaying, no hemming and hawing. It is done. If you don't update your character sheet by the next combat or check you need to make, then that is unfortunate for you; you are where you are if and when that happens.

Second, a post timeframe needs to be enforced. If you cannot post in the limit, say so in the out-of-character section with what you want or would do. We go from there. If need be, ask the Dungeon Master to please assume your role and treat you as a non-player character until you return. Or even let someone else in the party take your turn or post for you; I am truly indifferent to either, all I care about is the results of not being delayed again. Stay out long enough and you get removed from the game for inactivity.

Third, if you aren't active in the out-of-character, you aren't active in the game either. Try to pre-plan, or at least plan or discuss actions. When all of us are waiting on one or two opinions over and over again, it gets old.

Yeah, kinda in the same boat as Ryo. By all rights I ought to have been shown the door because I don't post enough. Again, it's just because I don't have much for Orchid to do if it's not fighting or something tangibly related to his abilities. As for OOC talk, weeeeeeell... Tbh I'm a shit poster. I'm lewd and post memes in the OOC for shits and giggles. I can do a serious conversation, but more often than not I use the OOC to waste time and act a fool. This RP seems a bit too... Straight lace, for that sort of thing? I dunno, I'm just saying I don't think it'll be appropriate for me to start posting NSWF or lewd greentext no matter how funny they are.

AS for your concerns Harbinger, I'll comment on them in order, though Ryo's got the crux of what I think about it.

Does it bother no one that we have been at this for a year in the meta for just one session, one the first chapter? Is that really so lacking in reason to be furious? This is not an issue of "grinding experience", but that our characters have evolved and developed far beyond where they were and in terms of ability. Level is a mechanical representative of this. Milestone is legitimately holding us back.

It doesn't bother me because I've always been slow, though I'll admit as a regular D&D player I do find our lack of rest opportunities to be disconcerting. I've actually been in a lot of home games were we never rose past level 5, and in my most recent memory, the last game like that I never hit level 2 until three months later after we finally managed to make a name for ourselves in our city. Granted, it was to emphasis that we were just a small cog in a big machine, so our GM didn't want use to get too big of a head with our powers. As for if milestone or experience is best, I still stand beside milestone simply because what Orchid has tried to do isn't beyond his ability; they're in fact quite in place as far as what he can and would do, crazy as they would be. Whether or not he'll be as successful might be questionable, but without a doubt he's not doing anything he wasn't already able to do before he got to the village. So he hasn't evolved, he's just gotten to show off what he can do.

We fought into the town, snuck through the town, got into the keep, fought off enemies in said keep, fixed a door in the keep, survived a dragon attack and rescued the apparently last few villagers in a town. For a single night, that is a significant amount of experience we would reasonably gain, especially at the first level where gains are exceptionally fast. We are not "3rd" level in terms of mechanics no, but as I expressly said we are "3rd" in terms of development of those characters; if we are splitting hairs, we are probably 2nd level, close or at half to 3rd. This means we are so far behind we will continue to be under level and under equipment going forward.

We fought a few gangs of kobolds and like, two bandits. If we had to put that into mechanics, they were perhaps a CR 1 and CR 2 respectively. Kobolds were a threat only because of their numbers, and the second group only because we had to go through one gang of kobolds before hand. Our efforts at the sallyport was a bit more serious since we had to face that drake which I don't know the CR of, but I'd say that it alone would be a CR 1. Not really anything worthy of a final boss, but certainly a challenge. The dragon is a bit harder to pin down, but I'm almost certain Hezaku had no intentions of us actually fighting or dying to it. Honestly, most of the danger came from Orchid trying to fight it, and the consequences of doing so. Were it not for Kyra's cure wounds, Orchid would not be in any shape to do any sort of mission after that battle, not because of the dragon, but because of his own foolishness. As for the rescue at the chapel, I do think that went much better than expected. I had half though there would be a serious fight, but thanks to Mr. Lake's sleep spell and our successful ranged attacks, we took them out without a single hitch. Impressive, but not anything amazing.

Aside from the dragon encounter, everything else seems pretty minor or otherwise inconsequential for leveling up. Certainly good experience, but if this was a tabletop game with EXP tracking, even the dragon encounter wouldn't have given us much unless we actually needed to actively survive the dragon or otherwise kill it. Even for the dragon encounter, unless we were cornered or it was our duty to kill it then and there, I think all it was meant to do was serve as a plot point that our enemies involve dragons as a reoccurring theme (Hence the name of the module).

For a game going on year, this is the slowest pace I have encountered with a tabletop. I have consulted outside the group even and they too are confused at this to the point of asking, "Why would anyone ever use milestone leveling?" If surviving the dragon wasn't a "milestone" I am uncertain as to what is. This is more grind intensive because we have no incentive to even be doing this. We are legitimately wandering around flailing at enemies who do not matter.

Like Ryo, this is the first time I've ever done a tabletop RP. I just wanted to give it a try because I'm tired of dealing with players with vague power levels when it comes to their characters, and by making it a table top RP there's a better idea of just how strong some of us are and what our capabilities (And limitations) are. As for the matter of milestone vs grinding, while I've already mentioned I'm a milestone guy there's a second reason to it and it involves roleplaying. Yes, you'd think that with our efforts so far we'd deserve some sort of a level up by now. But looking at it from an RPing perspective, just as Ryo said we're still in the introduction/tutorial of our fantasy RPG video game where we get the backstory of our hometown burning down so we have the incentive to go on an adventure. So with that being said, it wouldn't make too much sense if we gained the power to actually stop the tragedy, as much as we'd like it too. Now I'm sure that somehow we'll make it out of here alive and mostly well, one way or another. but it wouldn't be because we suddenly grew a few extra levels and learned a few tricks.

Not only that but personally, I find leveling up to also be a character related thing. At least in Orchid's instance, he's going down the path of the Totem Warrior, and that would imply, at least in my mind, that he's starting to tap more into the spiritual side of his barbarian nature than simply being a furious warrior. While he's certainly has had a lot of time to think during his resting periods, he hasn't quite gotten the grasp of what it truly means to be a totem warrior. It's certainly more than just challenging a dragon and pouncing every enemy he comes across, oh no. It's a sort of spiritual enlightenment that this battle in Greenest will certainly provide, but not right now. What's happening right now is the build up to the climax where he realizes enlightenment, and what follows after is how he'll use it for the next step. That is to say, I'm sure after all of this, he'll hit level two. Not sooner, not later.

Yes, you can argue this is "plot important" because Kyra's character has a story arc, but I remind you that this started as a two-person attempt, to which I imagine all else joined in on just so the group would not wipe. Again, "Don't split the party." That is all fine and well but we know there is still some major event to come. If I had to guess, that dragon might make another appearance, or that person we were told about earlier might do something. In either case, it is clear we are far from the effective end of this chapter, months even.

The way Norschtalen explained this to me, she actually started with just me and Kyra because she was worried that the rest of you might not be willing/able to help. IC she justified it as Orchid being willing to fight regardless of his state, while OoC she asked me because she and I are friends and she felt that this would be important for Kyra to do. Now I will admit it does seem a bit selfish of her to go off on this miniquest on her own, but I'll also admit fault that I was 100% willing to go with her, even though I knew that there was more to come. In fact after Hekazu said IC that there were no more villagers to save, I brought it up to Norschtalen that we'd probably be better off just waiting in the keep. But she wanted Kyra to go out, and I didn't feel the need to stop her. Perhaps she should have communicated this to the rest of you, but as far as I can tell, she intended to go regardless of what the others thought, OOC and IC.

Let me pose this to you, "What happens if one of us dies?"

Just start over? Make another character to play for a year and pray to whatever you find holy that you do not lose on the dice once more? Does that sound like a rewarding experience? Again this has been a single night. One. Look at the amount of character development we have wedged in to it in one night. Levels that you see in movies, that which need condense it down so much because the audience only has so much attention to give.

Frankly I'm surprised Orchid is still alive. I never created Orchid with any intention that he'll live long; he's a barbarian who'll fight to the death if he isn't knocked out and dragged away from it first. You saw him try to take on the dragon, or charge straight towards the drake, or hell, even how he agro'd all those kobolds. Orchid is not afraid of death and neither am I. So if he dies? Ideally he dies a warrior and I'll roll up a character who has a bit more self-preservation. As for the rest, as Ryo said, one character dying isn't going to force the entire RP to restart. We've already gone through at least two guys who just left, having one die off is just a natural progression in RPing. Pick up what you can and move on until a replacement is found. I know that highly conflicts with the whole RP angle I've been sprouting, but it could still work too. Would people expect Orchid's replacement to act like the half-orc himself? Do they feel like he's a replacement, or a genuinely new member they could get along with/dislike? Introducing a new guy could be a character developing experience all of its own.

Transitioning some, this goes back to inactivity. I understand the issue of, "My character has nothing much to say." to which I can say, "Neither does mine, so I find stage business to do to keep posting and contributing something." Bring effectively inactive is worse than posting two paragraphs of basic information or action; it doesn't need to be fluff.

It is clear people want to continue, but the activity, pace and interaction needs to increase in and out of game.

For this part I'll admit, I'm guilty of doing and I do need to change. It's just it's been so ingrained in my mind that each of my posts needs purpose, and writing a post that doesn't at least explain some sort of backstory or contribute to a short or long term goal is wasteful and possibly even detrimental. I'm the type of guy who can't even write downtime stuff because I'd probably use that downtime to train or increase my abilities as oppose to say, relaxing and having fun IC. In other words, a munchkin. I hate it, but I've come from a play style that emphasized efficiency over storytelling, and while I want to do the latter, I'm forced to maintain the former if I want to continue doing the latter. It's a hard habit to break.

Also I see that you've posted more @The Harbinger of Ferocity, but this took me a while to write. I'll address it in another post.

While I can't speak for since I've only been in this RP for a few months, I do understand Harbingers concern about just how long you all have been at this. You've been playing for a whole year, and while IC not much has happened, that's still a whole year we can't get back. Your characters may just be one-off and replaceable in your mind, but that time spent isn't so easy to replace. Some of you have spent a year fighting for Greenest, and if you happened to get killed by an errant die, that invalidates nearly all that time. Sure meta speaking you could always recreate a new character at the same level and roughly same equipment, but that's like saying you went to college for a year and then got kicked out. Sure, you could go to a new college, and maybe some of your credits would go over. But all those people you've met, all the work you've done, it's all gone. All you have left is the experience, and an incomplete one.

Now I will also admit that I'm guilty of being tardy with posts. Work has been kicking my ass and even though I want to get back into the swing of RPing, just so much stuff has been going on in my life that it's hard for me to give RPing as much attention as it should. It may be a game to some of you, but for others RPing is a way of life. It's an art and how we express ourselves, and to see people think that they could just throw it away when it is inconvenient is rather insulting. I get it, you have things to deal with in real life too. Sometimes you need to step back and take a break from all of it. But just because you can do that, doesn't mean everyone else can or has too as well. I know I need to get better at it at least.

Oh snap, it's my turn already. @Norschtalen! @Ryonara! Why do you two always seem active after a crisis like this!? Probs because I told you, but still...

Anyways. As far as this conversation goes all I can really promise is trying to liven up this OOC a bit. Questions, stories, that sort of thing. I mean, I guess it's just because of how slow things have been, I haven't really gotten to connected to my character. He was already made in my mind with the notion that he will get himself killed somehow or another. Not that I'm not excited to finally meet that moment when it comes, but I guess it's because I've accepted his death that I've not really been in any hurry to hasten it. Anyways I'll try to get a post up, but for the sake of facilitating conversation I'd like to ask the rest of ya'll @The Harbinger of Ferocity@Hekazu@Gordian Nought:

Should Orchid try to knock the bandit out, or perhaps grapple him to ensure he can't escape? He's taken at least 4 damage from Kyra's short bow, 8 if he fails against Vicious mockery (Looking at the spell again, if they pass the save do they not take the damage as well, or is it save against only disadvantage?). I'm pretty sure Orchid could knock the guy down to zero with a blow from his sword if he goes for nonlethal.

@Lucius Cypher, Orchid from his previous adventure of dragon fighting, strikes me as the sort who would leap on the man and try to grapple him, given we said not to kill him and the efforts made to take him alive thus far. If that means Orchid would rather use the flat of his sword based on his reasoning, go with that.

@Lucius Cypher, Orchid from his previous adventure of dragon fighting, strikes me as the sort who would leap on the man and try to grapple him, given we said not to kill him and the efforts made to take him alive thus far. If that means Orchid would rather use the flat of his sword based on his reasoning, go with that.

I second your nonlethal approach, @Lucius Cypher.

I'll be able to properly tally the outcomes of the current attacks in a few hours.

@Lucius Cypher My take on the attack thing would be that either works, the attack being more favourable the more damage his target has taken beforehand. And if the enemy saves against Mockery, they avoid all damage, like is the case with all Save or Dmg cantrips.

At times like this I wish I had tavern brawler. It'll let me punch a guy in the fast and grapple him at the same time. Alas. I think I'll go for a grapple.

Well, that was a turn of events even I was not exactly expecting, but I think I managed to make the best of it. Had to alter @Lucius Cypher's turn a little, but I hope what I wrote does correspond to how Orchid would have acted.