[OOC] D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

[Hekazu]

Well then, now that most of the characters are done and @Rin's is well underway (I hope), we should probably start thinking about a few rules and guidelines for our RP, starting with how we are going to handle rolling.

First, for combat I would like to propose rolling the attack and the damage, adding them into your post in a hider and I'll apply the damage if you hit. If for any reason you would like this to be handled differently, please speak your mind. Perhaps your way is better!

Then, out of combat rolls. For this I have some different proposals, so I'll say them all and have you pick. We can either do that quite like the combat rolls, you throw what you think is appropriate and I'll use them if I come to the same judgement about the situation. Then there's the option where nothing is rolled unless I specifically ask for a roll, the last option being that I take care of them all. As I know how much players love their dice (virtual or not), while the last option keeps metagaming to a minimum, nobody usually wants to do it that way. Preferences?

And last things last, I've got to vent how hard it has been for me to reach this site today. Server errors left and right... Well, let's get this settled before moving on to the next thing on my list.

[The Harbinger of Ferocity]

I am always for the "attempt first, check result" method, in that we tell you our characters' actions, how we do them and combine them with a roll and you reply just how successful that result would be if at all or ignore it if not applicable. Given you're experienced with the rules, I am certain you can interpret intent as well. Thus, if you feel it appropriate, you can adjust the difficulty class in secret and or add advantage for us, applying the effects - and vice versa for making things more difficult. For example, trying to intimidate a thug might be easily done by the character in question based on what they say and do...

We just don't know that part. Only the Dungeon Master does and it feels more true to form for the game that Dungeons and Dragons is, at least much older versions from what I understand.

[VKAllen]

I am cool with combat rolls. I'd prefer a call out check for ability rolls in out of combat situation. It makes it less confusing.

[The Harbinger of Ferocity]

I believe called rolls are fair enough as I imagine they are in the module itself. Perception tends to be the largest offender in that case at least.

[Lucius Cypher]

For combat, I favor the "I swing by sword at his head" followed by you deciding if the attack hits and how effective it might be based off factors such as proficiency, strength, enemy's abilities, etc. Though wording is very important in these instance. Can't say something like "I make a flurry of attacks and cut off his head" because that implies that: 1. you can do multiple attacks at once and 2. You just killed them. As the GM you can always overrule that and say something along the lines of "But the enemy defends against the attacks and avoids losing his head" or some such, but being mindful of ruling for cause-and-effect would also be best.

As for out of combat stuff, I think it'd be best if we chose when we do our rolls, even for something like perception. Now we could have a passive perception (For Orchid his is 13) so if anything that is trying to hide can't beat a 13, Orchid would spot it. But if he's not actively looking, then he won't know to do a perception check to beat a 13 or higher. Yeah it's kinda a pain to constantly do perception checks, but at the same time it's sort of in-character, you know? Would your character be the type who's always on the look out, or would he sometimes just sort of stumble into a situation and take whatever is given to him?

[VKAllen]

.. Now we could have a passive perception (For Orchid his is 13) so if anything that is trying to hide can't beat a 13, Orchid would spot it. But if he's not actively looking, then he won't know to do a perception check to beat a 13 or higher. Yeah it's kinda a pain to constantly do perception checks, but at the same time it's sort of in-character, you know? Would your character be the type who's always on the look out, or would he sometimes just sort of stumble into a situation and take whatever is given to him?

@Lucius Cypher

That's what Passive Perception is designed for...

[Lucius Cypher]

I know, but some people forget about stuff like that. Heck, we could even do other passive skills too, like passive athletics to decide how easily one might say, jump a gap that's only five feet long. For some that's nothing, but if you're not the type to be running about or have some reason to be at a disadvantage, a more conscience effort might be involved.

[VKAllen]

I know, but some people forget about stuff like that. Heck, we could even do other passive skills too, like passive athletics to decide how easily one might say, jump a gap that's only five feet long. For some that's nothing, but if you're not the type to be running about or have some reason to be at a disadvantage, a more conscience effort might be involved.

@Lucius Cypher

That is at DM's discretion. I know for certain that the Wizards (the Creators) do not have that as a feature.

[Lucius Cypher]

True, but a suggestion from me nonetheless. Though it's always fun for the die gods to choice that even the most agile of monks or strongest of warriors roll a natural 1 in their forte.

[VitaVitaAR]

I'll be honest and say I don't think I have enough experience to have a strong preference. ^^;

[The Harbinger of Ferocity]

@Rin, how close do you find yourself to completing your character?

[Hekazu]

Now that opinions have been voiced, I'll have to ask a question. While I personally prefer the style of the DM asking for the rolls out of combat. The thing is, it may slow the game down. How often each day do you people believe you can pop in to the guild to do rolls I have asked for? If everyone has a couple of moments per day, this is a good method of taking care of things. If there is less time, the player called pre-rolling might be the better one.

Also...

@Rin, how close do you find yourself to completing your character?

@The Harbinger of Ferocity

Seconded. @Rin, how is your magic user coming along?

[The Harbinger of Ferocity]

I am still of the belief that us as the players should tell you our intentions, roll for it, and you as Dungeon Master make the executive decision about its outcome or relevancy. As an example, say we encounter goblins and we try to talk down a combat, but none of us know Goblin and none of the goblins know Common, so the attempted Persuasion roll the player made is irrelevant and the goblins react as to how the module states they would. If the roll would just not apply, such as trying to use a skill for a purpose it does not apply to, you could just use the skill you find appropriate and then go with the results for that character; if not relevant at all, we just get whatever outcome you had in mind.

As for skill checks and the sort, I think it would work best as a hybrid-passive system. If a character has no real chance of failure, assuming they would roll average plus their modifier and there's room for retries, it can just be hashed out that they succeed. If they character could fail, or there's no retry, the roll should just be accepted for whatever the player rolled. In this I mean something such as the following.

The burly 1st level fighter is proficient in Athletics and has a good Strength score of 16, needing to jump across a gap or risk falling into the pond water. The difficulty class is not too terrible, coming in at a 10. It can be assumed that because the fighter isn't being rushed or in combat, he can just jump the gap without rolling, but the player rolls anyway just in case there's more to this than it appears and because they want to jump further than just the gap.

Even if the fighter were to roll a 1, one can assume that he makes the leap because he's not in danger. If he were in combat, he would slip and fall off into the water, his footing lost on the ledge.

That's my opinion at least, as it speeds up the rate of posting and leads to less questions. It's just a matter of trusting @Hekazu then to apply bonuses and penalties alike, which I do not think is an issue or question.

[Lucius Cypher]

Well, aside from the guild constantly crapping out on me, I'm pretty much here everyday. If not on my computer, then on my phone. I can do rolls when needed, though I would prefer passive rolls, at least for characters whom could be safely assumed to be able to succeed them easily. Orchid could probably climb a tree or jump over a hole with relative ease, but he'll need to roll off if he's actively looking for something or trying to knock over a boulder and some such.

Another thing, which I'll admit is rather controversial, is that the GM can always roll for us. He simple needs to keep track of all the bonuses or whatever we might have attached to the associated roll, and then he can decide by his own hand how it happens. This is how some GM I know handle things like perception rolls, since by asking us to do a perception roll, we have the meta knowledge of knowing that we're suppose to be looking for something. And yes, this is what passive perception is for, but when it comes to more threatening things like an assassin aiming an arrow at you, I'm sure most players would like to have a chance to beat a 25 stealth check.

[Hekazu]

Seeing as there are arguments in many ways, I'll make my call. The fact alone that in five hours I have received answers from two of you drives me towards the combination of pre-rolling and DM judgement. I can, of course, roll things behind the scenes if I like, nothing should be stopping me from doing that. But here come the first and second rule:

• When making an attack/grapple/equivalent in combat, roll all applicable rolls, including damage. I will utilize those that are needed.
• When out of combat, make a fair guess on what rolls might be called for and add them into the end of your post, preferably in a hider to not mix mechanics and roleplaying too much.

The next matter is something about the amount of time people will need to post. I would prefer people to post within 12 hours from "their turn" coming up, but as I am fairly certain such a standard is unachievable, I will again ask on your opinions on the matter. The question is as follows: How long of a time would you be willing to wait for another player to contribute in the game out of combat/in combat and how long would you be willing to grant them to edit any requested fixes into their posts? After all, the game has to keep moving or it suffocates. Faster or slower, we need to agree on a pace.

[The Harbinger of Ferocity]

I would say a twenty-four hour rule is the fairest and most applicable, but a safety component should be integrated. I am firmly of the belief that for the health of the game to continue, the character in question - if their player does not post in that time elapsed - becomes a non-player character for that turn under @Hekazu's control. By this I mean that their character, based upon their alignment, behavior, personality, interests and so forth and the event itself at hand. Either they filter into the background for the scene until the player posts, or if in combat, performs the most reasonable action for them.

I say this because I often am away or on during unusual times. There is a chance that I cannot post even in a twenty-four hour period, unlikely as it is. I would rather trust the Dungeon Master to not place me in jeopardy and spend my turn doing something reasonable, rather than making anyone wait or making myself useless and performing no action, thus creating more problems for the party as a whole.

[Lucius Cypher]

For casual stuff like walking through a forest or chatting in a tavern, I say we should post within at least a week from our last post. Of course we can post more than that within a week, but the maximum players should wait if they're looking to respond to a play is a week, unless otherwise forewarn.

For combat where things are more intense and fast-pace, three days tops. I understand that people can be busy, get writer's block, or just straight up forget, so 24 hours seems a bit too harsh considering we can't dedicate all our time to RPing. At least 3 days and maybe dropping a mention in the relevant post directed those PC's whom the actions of a player or enemy would directly affect (i.e. mention me if you're about to have the dragon eat my character).

[Rin]

Um hum... Been working on my stuff but if that's the time constraints for posting IC I might have to drop. I can't guarantee at all that I'd be able to post that regularly due to health problems, unfortunately, so... Yeah. Sorry about that, and hope things go well without me.

[Hekazu]

@Rin And that is why we are discussing this matter now. How much more time would you need compared to that? If you think you'd rather drop I am not stopping you, but the matter is still up for discussion and no real decisions have been made.

[The Harbinger of Ferocity]

When do you plan to start, @Hekazu? This weekend I will be mostly away, perhaps but a post or two. From this coming Tuesday on my routine will return to its natural pattern.