OOC: General adventure observations

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

Hey, I'm just following the big boss folks.  If people want me planning and preparing, they need to let me know ahead of time.  As it is, I'm just here for the show (And quite the show it is!  The burning shadow treant rampaging through the forest ranks up there with LotR's Balrog    )

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

Hmm, I'm thinking that Bjorn's adventures should have a health warning:  'warning, this adventure could seriously damage your pc's health'

I tried to send aid to Bellam but it got there too late - and would probably have been useless from the sound of it anyway as it would have been 'vs goblins and scum' aid not 'vs shadow-world' aid.

Hmm, the Shadow World is pressing somewhat closely  in the game so far, we may need to try and come up with something to even the odds a little on their turf...

[X-IHH/Wallac Isilviere (Kasper)]

But ofcause adventures can hurt your PC's health and then some 

I for one wouldn't have it any other way; that said I will ofcause do my ritual dance of whine when Wallac bites the dust so consider yourself warned 

[DM B]

By rights entering the Shadow World should give players pause and make them reconsider...but I see them jumping straight into the well, so to speak. Me thinks it is the players that just HAVE to know what is on the other side.

Anyway, as you've all noticed by now, I find adventures that are not challenging pointless...and I'm also not too keen on scaling things to fit a low-level group...so if you risk much with your low-level regent, chances are you'll die fairly quickly.

To be heroic is to risk your life - and there has to be real risk, not the pretend risk that so many games have...and reward without risk is worst of all, things that come cheap give no sense of accomplishment.

Now, the only thing that is difficult in a PbeM game is to drive the story forward (players are too reluctant to add things to the story) and to evoke a sense of CHOICE in the span of just a few posts...

...for risk and reward without choice, now that is just a DM ego-trip...

[X-IHH/Wallac Isilviere (Kasper)]

Bjørn dont get us wrong - I think I speak for all of us when I say you maneges to make the adventures exciting pretty well; and yes some of us may die; Will getting an heir through the lands choice constitute for fullfilling my minor agenda; find an heir?
 lol

[X-Tuornen/LF (Geir)]

Hmm, the Shadow World is pressing somewhat closely  in the game so far, we may need to try and come up with something to even the odds a little on their turf...

oh? :-) this is Birthright :-) you can expect the Shadow to do much more then "pressing somewhat closely" :-) I would think what we have seen so far is just a warm-up. We’re still in the "4 Safe Turns" yet... A few major PC death-kills are just around the corner I am guessing. I have heard this time the DM is not going for the heroic style, but rather the dark Gotterdamerung style ;-) no more "boldly go where no man has gone before" but rather "This is the last tales of the last of the heroes"... Tip, stay under the radar...

I have lost 2 medium NPCs in the last two turns, the DM is setting the tone I'm guessing, giving a warning to be heeded...

[X-IHH/Wallac Isilviere (Kasper)]

I'll rather recruit some new heroes and keep adventuring; How else is our PC's and NPC's going to gain levels lol!

[DM B]

To be honest you've been much more eager to go adventuring than I had anticipated.

And sending the Regent every time...not very wise. We've had 1 regent death already.

[X-Tuornen/LF (Geir)]

I'll rather recruit some new heroes and keep adventuring; How else is our PC's and NPC's going to gain levels lol!

are we sure we are supposed to gain much levels?

[X-IHH/Wallac Isilviere (Kasper)]

Likely not lol

That said I may hold a little back with my next regent. I did consider to have my ltn. going instead of Wallac but since I was introducing my Sidhe NPC I felt I needed the authority of my regent to see that going smoothly without anyone getting mad about a Haelyn temple with a Sidhe NPC; that part at least went well 

Regarding the adventures in Ilien I felt we where quite well prepared and had the needed firepower.

I thought so for this adventure as well (ETN, EOM, Mieres & IHH with a few regents, lots of bodyguards and some AA. around 100 people!). But alas we where totally outclassed it seems.

never the less I have enjoyed the adventure a lot so far and had a few good laughs (Mark keep it comming!)

[X-Tuornen/LF (Geir)]

...a Haelyn temple with a Sidhe NPC; that part at least went well 

did it? Didnt you die? ;-)

those elvs are bad luck I tell you! ;-)

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

By rights entering the Shadow World should give players pause and make them reconsider...but I see them jumping straight into the well, so to speak. Me thinks it is the players that just HAVE to know what is on the other side.

In this case, I didn't see that we had a lot of options.  Divinations weren't providing a lot of guidance, and the thieves were systematically cutting their trail behind them at each step, changing couriers and locations.  In the Shadow World, whatever trail they might leave would vanish quickly, and without a trail to follow, we could very well never find them again - and the Book of Laws is too valuable to just write off as a loss.  Maybe it looks different from the other side of the DM screen.

Now, the only thing that is difficult in a PbeM game is to drive the story forward (players are too reluctant to add things to the story) and to evoke a sense of CHOICE in the span of just a few posts...

I'm never quite certain how much to add.  Several times things I've written or seen others write have been interpreted very differently from how they were intended (at times with unfortunate consequences) or ignored/changed due to the needs of the pre-existing story.  I've settled back into doing reactions instead.

[X-ETN/Maire Cwyllmie (Libor)]

To be honest you've been much more eager to go adventuring than I had anticipated.

And sending the Regent every time...not very wise. We've had 1 regent death already.

If 2 more regents die this turn, we may start to reconsider   Actually I have joined the expediton to Thenial thinking that it will be quite safe and boring, just to keep an eye on Sarae 

Anyway I look forward to my new agendas 

[X-IHH/Wallac Isilviere (Kasper)]

Wallac has not died yet; it may happen though.

I thought not this adventure where as über dangerous as the Vampires last season - they where in for a treat back then. Now lets see if the Elves brings bad luck though to be honest I think its more so the PC's gung-ho kinda approach that kills the PC's than the presence of an elf; Lachlan should plenty be able to look out for himself though for the rest of us that remains to be seen 

[X-IHH/Wallac Isilviere (Kasper)]

To be honest you've been much more eager to go adventuring than I had anticipated.

And sending the Regent every time...not very wise. We've had 1 regent death already.

If 2 more regents die this turn, we may start to reconsider   Actually I have joined the expediton to Thenial thinking that it will be quite safe and boring, just to keep an eye on Sarae 

Anyway I look forward to my new agendas 

Heh I too thought it to be rather safe and boring - seems it is neither