Adventures

[X-IHH/Wallac Isilviere (Kasper)]

I have not voted because I disagree; its not every time players go on adventure they fail 

[X-Osoerde (Alan)]

Obviously unimportant adventures?

[X-IHH/Wallac Isilviere (Kasper)]

The Ilien adventure in start of game worked out well? I know all you did was playing around with the Countess but the rest of us kicked some Wraith but and took lots and lots of prisoners (latter freed by the Countess??)

[X-Osoerde (Alan)]

Ummm...refer to previous post?

[DM B]

Let's just say that there is an adventure in Ilien, like, right now. Only it looks like it might end very very very prematurely for the 'heroes'.

[X-Bellam & BC/TB (Bobby)]

Low-level adventures (which generally aren't important enough to hit the boards) are usually successful and safe.  Mid-level adventures are usually successful when high-level characters and decent resources are committed, but are not 'safe' - see the Elinie Vampires adventure and the Ilien Wraiths adventures, where victory involved a powerful character dying.  High-level adventures are never safe and never assured - tackling Rhuobhe in an ancient forest when he'd had time to anticipate us and prepare for us is going to be extremely dangerous. 

Basically, we're successful when we're prepared, informed, and have the advantage in raw power.  We fail when we lack too many of those things.  Sometimes we have to try anyways - Osoerde's expedition into the Shadow World after the Book of Law thieves was something we felt we had no choice in - but necessity doesn't provide any material advantage.  It just means that sometimes you get pounded, and that's life.  Or death.  Often death.

In other words, this ain't your tabletop game, the battles don't get adjusted based on the ECL you send into them, you're not always going to win, and don't send people or resources on adventures if you're not prepared for the possibility of losing them.

[X-Medoere & RCS/KE (Thorsten)]

Oh so true... Take it from someone with at least one Darth Vader-ish " Nnooooo!" moment on hand (and a very real possibilty of plenty more where that came from).

Ah well... Desperate men take desperate actions.

[DM B]

Please note that RoE II, while epic and heroic, is decidedly LESS so than RoE I.

Even Rhuobhe CAN die.

And you regent DEFINITELY can.

[X-MOC/Leman States (Even)]

I'm going to crack out a nice malt whisky to celebrate now. This must be the first time (and last?) that all the players have agreed on something. Even if in this case it is to agree that all the players are incompetent.   

[X-Haelyn's Aegis/RK (Andy)]

Ummm...refer to previous post?

Trust me, Ilien is only going to get worse now that the completely clueless Aegis has been asked to get involved. 

I was watching walking with dinosaurs recently, a bonus scene to the 'Big Al' special notes that paleontologists were surprised by a collection of fossils they found - a small number of herbivores and masses of big predators all jumbled together so clearly killed at around the same time - totally the 'wrong' mix.  Then someone figured out how it worked.

A herbivore stomps down to a water hole, much trampled mud leads to the water hole becoming a mire.  The herbivore gets stuck in the mud and dies.  A big predator smells fresh meat comes along, being so big its practically invincible it doesn't bother looking for threats or is so dim that it ignores the obvious.  So the carnivore stomps over to the carcass, chomp chomp chomp, and then gets stuck and soon it dies.  Next big predator smells the meat of predator 1 and anything left of the herbivore and comes over to feed, churns up more mud, gets stuck and dies - rinse + repeat several times.  Eventually the bog swallows up all the bones and returns to its placid looking beginnings, with added vegetation fueled by the decaying bodies to lure in another herbivore.

I'm not sure why that imagery comes to mind, as it is a little harsh if applied to RoEII's players.  I do find sometimes that the adventures feel somewhat predestined - it is hard to see how characters can influence the outcome sometimes, and I'm a little perplexed as to how anyone survives to mid much less high level.  That said both I've been on have been fun, even if 'success' always seems to get a little further away with each action - doubly so if other players are involved...

[X-IHH/Wallac Isilviere (Kasper)]

Who is involved in the Ilien adventure?

My guess is Sasi and some of their friends. I believe the lesson I learned from our first Ilien adventure is try to keep the Countess in the dark and do not involve her if possible but taking the last latest development in the sequel of Iliens breaking free of vassalage, into consideration it just may be that exactly the Countess is their goal lol!

[DM B]

I'm not sure why that imagery comes to mind, as it is a little harsh if applied to RoEII's players.  I do find sometimes that the adventures feel somewhat predestined - it is hard to see how characters can influence the outcome sometimes, and I'm a little perplexed as to how anyone survives to mid much less high level.  That said both I've been on have been fun, even if 'success' always seems to get a little further away with each action - doubly so if other players are involved...

Adventures are primarily intended to support other action, giving a bonus on the DAC. In some cases adventures can substitute for other actions (but that is largely outside the scope of a PbeM - it's more appropriate for a PnP game). And adventures are good for resolving events/rumors (some of them anyway).

Adventures only get interactive when things get interesting (and I have time). Interaction is limited by the medium of the game; its a strategic PbeM - so by necessity what we write and post are only glimpses of a larger picture. Choices are limited and often fairly simple (follow the lion or get the hell of that mountain) - by necessity.

The contents and result of adventures will also be dictated by the action it is supporting:

- the characters supporting the Caelwode campaign are largely at the mercy of the result of the battle. They can do something on the domain level, but not too much - they are simply not that powerful (well, maybe He is, but not the others).
- when Robhan and Maire go rock-climbing it's only an interactive adventure because I have a tale to tell; onyl that hopefully involves some ethics and a couple of player choices. But that's it.
- the Ilien adventure is more open. Here I'm all for letting the players help shape the story, and will even let them get away with more than they would have had it been down to only the dice. But here too the adventure must by necessity move forward and be concluded within a short time-frame, offer some fun moments, and at least some choices.

[X-Ilien & PCE/GeM (Linde)]

I don't know if it is reassuring that players can get away with more in Ilien. I hope it goes for me as well.
But it includes a bit more fun and excitement that my scry spells are foiled. It makes it a great deal harder to keep that information flowing my way. And it must be more fun for the intruders/"brave adventures" as well. So that is win/win.

Let us hope it ends with something we all can live with.

....if we can't all live with the result then I hope it ends with something I can live with