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| − | == Travel ==
| + | '''The DM:''' Hello All. It is January 4th. I've slept in a bit, so give me a few minutes to get my bearings. Let me start by asking, is anyone here? |
| − | By three o'clock, the wind has strengthened even more, verging on a strong wind. The sky is nearly overcast, but there's no rainfall yet. The two masted sloop has slung your mule and donkey into its hold and the cart as well, stowed your gear and assigned you to bunks, about 22 in. per man. As you get underway, the swaying of the ship causes you to swing and bump into each other, as you lay in near dark, one lantern swaying in your room. The captain has ordered that food will be served after 5 o'clock, when the weather permits.
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| − | By six, you've eaten, the temperature has grown brisk (in the high 40s F) ... but though you might expect a storm, the intensifying weather passes. By midnight, the sky is clear again, the wind has slackened to a moderate breeze. By morning, the weather has improved so that it is cool, though unfortunately the wind is still against you. By nine in the morning of the 24th, you can see the southern peninsula of Karmoy. By 11, you're there. It takes an hour to unload your gear and set you ashore. The sky is clear as a bell.
| + | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Present! |
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| − | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I say load up the cart, hitch the donkey, and head northward along the road. No real reason to hang around the dock while daylight is burning. Are there any other passengers disembarking here?
| + | '''The DM:''' Good morning. Have a good Christmas? |
| − | :'''The DM:''' Today, no. The sloop is picking up two passengers, a young man and a woman, and a load of winter potatoes, three bales of wool and two tons of timber. With this wind, it will be back in Stavanger in about 5 hours.
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| − | == Karmø ==
| + | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Very good: had another baby right before the holidays so all around very pleasant (lack of sleep aside!). How about you? |
| − | The little hamlet of Karmø is nothing but three rickety docks supported by stone braces, half a dozen buildings and a 20 ft. stone lighthouse. The road from here to Treborg is cobbled, smooth but rackety, with a dirt shoulder and wide enough for wagons to pass. There's minimal drainage if it rains.
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| − | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Then let us be off! If there is rain I would like to make some headway. I will have spotty availability over the next few hours, but I'll work out the AP penalty for the donkey and post as soon as I can. | + | '''The DM:''' Relatively pleasant, though of course didn't get together with anyone. Been exchanging presents across lawns and such. Been thinking about the format of the campaign and changes that could be made to build better communication. For example, there are just two of us here, and we don't know who else might be lurking. |
| − | : ['''OOC-DM''': to be completely honest, I'm somewhat distracted. Full disclosure, my daughter has been in labour since 2 a.m. this morning and still hasn't -- as far as I know -- given birth. Should be sometime today, however, because its the real thing]
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| − | :['''OOC-PAN''': I have a new medication that pretty consistently drops me around mid-day, so I'm no stranger to needing to bow out for a bit. No worries, and take care of what matters.]
| + | '''The DM:''' So, for starters, I suggest we begin by managing more clearly whose here and who isn't. I suggest that, if the player is here, and plans to check their status at least every 20 minutes, that they should write: |
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| − | == Travel ==
| + | '''The DM:''' In. |
| − | '''The DM:''' Pandred's agreement assumed, the party starts off for Treborg at once. The journey is very beautiful, with the road located high above a rocky coast, looking out over the fjord. | |
| − | : Can you please tell me the AP of the cart? Additionally, looking at [https://tao-dndwiki.blogspot.com/2019/12/routes.html this page], can you tell me if you wish to amble, move normally, hurry or rush?
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| − | :: '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' We will need to carry some things by hand, but I think we can get the cart down to about 900 lb, which would put us at 2 AP (slow, unfortunately) with the mule. Normal movement if possible.
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| − | ::: '''The DM:''' That's not bad. It takes you 7 hours to reach Treborg (passing through some farmland on your way, but you see no other travellers). That's a pay of 2 lbs. of food each. By the time you reach Treborg, on a clear and sunny day, is it still cool and the wind has slackened to a light breeze.
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| − | == Treborg ==
| + | And that they should, if they know they're going to be out of touch for at least an hour, they should write: |
| − | The village is a transshipment point for goods throughout Ryfolke, this part of Rogaland. It is a shelter from storms from ships heading to and from Bergen, and for fishing boats in the Boknafjord and beyond it.
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| − | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I assume there is not much here in the way of lodgings? | + | '''The DM:''' Out. |
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| − | '''The DM:''' There is a hostel for sailors that have been rescued from ships. It holds about 30 people, but it is little more than a wooden shed with hay for beds. As you're not victims, there is a nominal fee of 3 c.p. apiece; there is stone bench to which you can tie your animals for the night. There is no shelter for the cart. Do you have a canvas to cover it? | + | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' In. |
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| − | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' No canvas as such, but several linen tents we could perhaps use. I'll go ahead and pay the fee since I'm thinking about it. | + | '''The DM:''' Exactly. Then we know who's here; and players should be less concerned about waiting to see what someone else wants to do, because they're not here. This would, then, at this time, make you the quorum, Vafrandir, regarding what the party does next. Questions? |
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| − | '''The DM:''' What do you do on the morning of the 25th, when you wake? It is 8 a.m., the weather is cool-to-pleasant, the sky is still clear from horizon to horizon. | + | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Pandred has attacked the wolf; we took a break mid-swing, as it were. After that action is completed, I assume the wolf will act. Since no one else is here, I can make my wisdom check again and attempt to attack at that point. Is that correct? |
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| − | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Our intent is to explore the wilderness hex to the east of Treborg. I see on the map that there is a track that branches off from the main "road." If there are any folk about, I'll chat to see if anyone has been up that way. | + | '''The DM:''' My apologies. I just deserted the campaign badly, didn't I? Upon being hit, the wolf will vanish again, just as it did before. But just at present, I'd like to sort out any issues with getting the campaign to move along a little faster. As it's going, it can take days just to manage some small momentum. |
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| − | '''The DM:''' That branch leads into the agricultural district there and then stops. | + | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I think the quorum will help. But being asynchronous is a pretty big obstacle. Parties can discuss options for long enough in person; when there's a lag of minutes or hours then decisions can take weeks to reach. If we can resolve those questions of "what to do next" more quickly then I think that will help significantly. But I'm not sure the best way to do that: perhaps a time limit on how long we can discuss before one of the options must be picked? |
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| − | '''[[Pandred]]''': I'll ask around, and send Odds for that same purpose, about the countryside of Ryfolke, particularly up the road. Even knowing someone's cousin who lives up there might be useful. | + | '''The DM:''' I think with some matters, it makes sense to request a general consensus, such as spontaneously going back to Treborg. Any major relocation should require at least 3 members of the party. But the issue has been that players are concerned about taking any bold action. Rather than say, "I am going back to the camp," they will say instead, "I think we should go back to the camp." This calls for others to answer, which can take all day. |
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| − | '''The DM:''' Though Embla would not know it, not being from around here, several members of the party would know that the farmers up there, just four miles from Treborg, would be gently friendly people. Beyond the road there is the small forest indicated, and then stony fields between mountains somewhat taller than those of the Appalachians, about 7,000 ft. Not many, of course, as the group is only 18 miles across; but the ground is barren and alpine once you climb above the forest and treeline. | + | '''The DM:''' We've got to get into a rhythm of recognizing who's here, and then recognizing that IF others want a say, they should BE HERE. Otherwise, they must accept by default that Vafrandir said, "The party goes back to the camp." And so it is, because the party through default had made Vafrandir the deciding member. |
| − | : Once you reach the end of the cart-track, the ground will be too rocky and uneven for your cart; you learn that at the top of the road, particularly in the mid-summer, trees are picked and logged out of the small forest and dragged down to Treborg, for shipment to Stavanger.
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| − | '''[[Pandred]]''': Alright. So the cart is no-go for now. The mountains seem difficult, but at least promising. I'll disarm and de-armor myself to ask a nearby farmers about the surrounding area, particularly the nearest mountains. What lives there? Has anything unusual happened lately? | + | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' That's good feedback. I'm getting better about being more deliberate, but I agree that calling for a consensus on every small action slows us to a crawl. We would not do this if we, personally, were in the Norwegian outback. Regarding the quorum, could it be useful to have someone (me?) keep track of the active players and put something like this in the text? |
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| − | '''The DM:''' If I live to be a hundred, I will never understand what players expect when they ask questions like this. DMs are just too ready to dole out exposition on the flimsiest of premises. What would a real farmer say? "Those mountains? No idea; haven't been up there since I was a boy, when we searched for Old Sven, who went up there after he killed his brother. Cold up there. Why would you be wanting to go up there, Mister?" | + | <div style="text-decoration: underline; color: green; text-align: center">'''Quorum:''' Vafrandir</div> |
| − | : Prior to the Romantic craze in the late 1700s, no one ever went into the mountains just to hike around and see what was there. We have no literature at all of any poet or explorer just "going up into the mountains." It wasn't done.
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| − | '''Pandred''': Maybe, but frankly those people didn't have the benefit of living in a place where something like a Troll or a Giant was a real thing. If we had asked in Hole, they would have said something about some spooky wolves. Fuck if I know. I popped open the megalith page we originally used to decide on Mimmarudla, and here I am stymied by not knowing what Treborg is a stand-in for and understanding that your Norway's coast is really damn good, but not exactly 1-to-1. So while I '''can''' say that I'm reasonably certain there's barrows or megaliths within 30 miles, I have no better orientation than that. Has this farmer heard of "The Sewing Needle of Virgin Mary"? That seems like it'd be something notable, but we previously rationalized Mimmarudla's discovery with a Druid in the party, so I do not know the rules here. | + | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I will continue on towards the camp. Should the wolf reappear, as it likely will, I will fight it. It can be made corporeal by startling it and its immediate goal is to retard our progress towards the camp. Therefore, the best way towards defeating it is to continue on. |
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| − | '''The DM:''' I've never heard of it, until you'd written it here, so you can't expect that I'd have put it into the mouth of a farmer. Regarding my world's 1-1; yeah, well, never been to Norway. The map that I worked off from to make this part of the world did not indicate that 200 meter separation of land between Rossabø and Storasund north of Avaldnes, nor any of that 1 km to 500 meter gap north of Kopernik. So, I drew my "Karmøy island" as a peninsula. My source material called "Kopernik" by a different name, because it was a much older source, 70 years old; so their researchers called Kopernik "Treborg." As regards the needle, reading around, consider: in the 17th century, tourism wasn't a thing. And there are cairns and stuff all over this country; no doubt, it's there, but it's just a curiousity leaning 9.2 cm next to the church, it's not something to go and see and it wouldn't ''mean'' anything except that it's old. | + | '''The DM:''' And that would make sense. But while I recognize you're champing at the bit to continue the campaign, this policy IS something that has to be understood among the general group. Is there a campaign at all if we're the only people playing? |
| − | : I'll try to explain this bugaboo of mine. "Adventures" are not found by asking the locals where they are. They are found by going there and finding that thing. You didn't ask Høle to tell you about something interesting there; it was passed along to you because that was the story you found when you got off the boat. The same thing applies here: I have no "story" for Treborg. It is just a place. Not every place is an adventure. IF there's an adventure in the mountains, you will have to go to the mountains. You can't always expect me to set up the adventure for when you get off the boat, and you can't make it happen by asking people for rumours. If you go to a place, and nothing happens, you have two choices. Make something happen, or go to another place. Set yourself up in Treborg, count it a peaceful base, build a house, put your stores in it and then hexcrawl. Or kill someone and leave. Or prospect or whatever you want. But don't try to make something "happen" or create a narrative by asking me, "What do random people have to say about the place I want to go?"
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| − | : I should think that knowing there are trolls and giants would make them more insular, wouldn't you?
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| − | '''Pandred''': That's all fair. Can you understand from my perspective that not asking seems like negligence? If something were to happen to us on our excursion, something preventable by saying "Hey, you live a day of this thing, what's up?" and we hadn't done so, I'd feel even more foolish than I do during this exchange? You might view it as wasting time, but for me at least it just seems like due diligence. The answer "Never been." is disappointing maybe, but it is AN answer. | + | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Oh I very much agree. I can certainly be patient until everyone is on the same page! |
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| − | == OOC ==
| + | '''The DM:''' And so we wait. I've sent emails out to others; it's understandable that it takes time to regather. |
| − | Pandred, your response, that you're seeking to avoid the preventable, and not do something foolish, and thus perform your due diligence, is in your own words, "all fair." So, let me deconstruct that.
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| − | If your real person went to the supermarket, wishing to obtain the best possible produce, you wouldn't say to the manager, "Is there anything I should know about the produce aisle?" Questions like, "Has anything unusual happened lately?" is not the way that we human beings speak to one another daily. The question presumes the grocery manager understands the context of your speech, or that the farmer understands that you're an adventurer in a D&D game and that you're going up into the mountains. But, the farmer doesn't KNOW, from the context you're giving, WHY you're asking, "what lives up there?" Without any context — and I'm not granting any context, because the farmer isn't a game construct, he's a ''farmer'' — you sound like a crazy person asking the question in precisely that way.
| + | '''The DM:''' Okay, I have to go to the lab and drop something off. It won't take me too long. I want to add that players need not explain why they're "out". I generally will, but given the vicissitudes of real life, no one should have to explain that they're unavailable. It should be enough for all of us that you just say you're not here. |
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| − | Now, let's suppose you said, "I step up to a person and introduce myself, saying 'My name is Pandred. I'm just up from Stavanger and I've never been in these parts before. My friends and I were planning on exploring the mountains.' "
| + | '''The DM:''' Out. |
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| − | First off, you'd be tempted to add, "Is there anything you can tell me about the mountains?" But the obvious answer from a stranger would be, "Why are you asking me? What would I know about it?" But just say, you DON'T add anything else. You just give your intentions. One part of you might think, I should explain why I'm telling him this, or he won't say anything. Or you might think, if there's something dangerous up there, the farmer won't tell me, because I'm a stranger and why would the farmer volunteer information?
| + | '''The DM:''' In. |
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| − | I would argue, the farmer would DEFINITELY volunteer information. If there ''were'' something dangerous up there, the farmer would say, "My gawd, woman, don't you know about the Snarfblag!?" Because no common, everyday farmer would want anyone to go to their death that way. The farmer would warn you, and because it's a small town, the farmer would tell everyone, and they'd come forward and tell you, "Don't go up there, the snarfblag will get you!"
| + | '''Pandred''': Oh boy, the gang is back in business! Almost! Vafrandir, I see your game plan and support it. Let's mosey. |
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| − | If they don't say anything like that, it wouldn't be because they don't care. It would be because the truth is, "Sure, why shouldn't you go into the mountains? Sounds difficult, but to each their own."
| + | '''Pandred''': Out |
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| − | The tendency is, I think, to always assume that I'm going to lead you to some place and then have a wizard pop out and absurdly kill you with a 14-die fireball, out of the blue. That every hook, from Mimmarudla to Høle or wherever, is a deliberate set-up to fuck over the party, because I get my jollies watching TPKs. I've been running online campaigns now for 10 years, and not once have I ever done a TPK. The worst fight that has happened were those firebeetles, where three 1st level party members got killed, but that wasn't me; the two that lived did so by running away; if everyone had recognized the danger when it was obvious, they would have all run away early and probably all survived. But they stayed and fought and counted +1 bonuses like that alone would win the fight for them, and it went very badly. | + | '''The DM:''' I'm reading that as Pandred not being here. I don't know if Vafrandir is, though he hasn't said out so I assume he's still checking every 20 minutes? I'm waiting for Embla and Marcule, to see if they show up. |
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| − | I am not interested in hurting people. No matter what, if there's a 150 hit point red dragon up there, if Baalzebub is sitting on a throne up there making flies as big as houses, there is zero chance that there won't be an opportunity to see it, back the fuck out and run down the mountain. Players don't get killed because I screw with them. They get killed because they think the enemy is the Toad, when it's actually the Demon, and they single-mindedly decide to do stupid things when the pressure is on. They get killed because AFTER seeing it's Baalzebub, they think, "Oh, now that I know, I'm sure Alexis won't kill me, so I'll go down and talk to Baalzebub and strike a bargain." I will ALWAYS give you warning as a DM as to what you're getting into. I won't give you plot armour. Players will be allowed to see what the risk is, but what they do AFTER seeing, that's not my problem.
| + | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I'm indeed still in. Working from home today. |
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| − | I swear and I promise, if you tell people that you're going to those mountains over there, and there's a reason not to go that these people know about, they WILL tell you so. Cross my heart and hope to die. But if you shoot out context-less phrases and presume the locals know what the hell you're talking about, they'll cock their heads, blink, and think, "I'm talking to a crazy person."
| + | '''The DM:''' Thank you. Count yourself out. I will go out also; Marcule has assured me he'll be in tomorrow. I will start a new thread and we'll get down to playing. Those seeing this, please write your name and say that you are "in" as early as you can; otherwise, Vafrandir, you and I will run alone. That's a promise. |
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| − | '''Pandred''': I 100% understand. | + | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Out! See you all tomorrow. |
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| − | == Treborg Countryside == | + | <div style="text-decoration: underline; color: red; text-align: center">'''Quorum:''' none</div> |
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| − | '''Pandred''': I'd like to get started on exploring the mountains while we have food. "Barren" is not ideal for keeping us supplied, but if we get a decent vantage, maybe we'll find something, even a few valleys over. The cart may not move but I can still lead a mule with food. Do we want to leave someone to watch the rest of our supplies here, or go back to Treborg and set up a proper place to store it?
| + | '''[[Embla Strand]]''' In '''[[Embla Strand]]''' This sounds excellent to me. |
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| − | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' [[Pandred]], we haven't stated our action to go, so we're still in Treborg, as far as I know. I am in favor of storing it the supplies in the village, somehow, until we can return. Otherwise I agree, let's explore the mountains: and if nothing is there, we'll either make something happen or leave!
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| − | '''Pandred''': I had interpreted Alexis' description of the friendly farmers outside Treborg and the mention of the end of the cart-track to mean we had traveled there. Going back I see I was mistaken. Good catch.
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| − | : '''[[Embla Strand]]''' [OOC sorry to be so late to this - I hadn't seen there was a new page up] An expedition into the mountains will be quite an undertaking. Let's establish something of a base. We've a keg of ale and plenty of food, and I certainly have a fair amount of coin. Why don't we see if we can get the folk here to pitch in and help us build a house?
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| − | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I've no argument with that if we have the coin. We're on no schedule.
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| − | '''Pandred''': After my refund I'm not doing so bad myself, so this sounds like a fine idea.
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| − | '''The DM:''' Correct. I have not heard anyone say they were leaving Treborg. I was giving a description of the landscape as might be learned from the locals.
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| − | '''The DM:''' There is plenty of wood around; no one in the party has any housebuilding skills, but I'm certain that there are people here who could help. Can you give me an idea of how much money you'd like to spend? A 15 ft. square, single-beamed roof house with fireplace and foundation costs 189 g.p.; adding a 10% builder's fee, that's 18 g.p., 14 s.p. and 5 c.p. Would you like it on the road, north or south of town, towards the sea or against the woods? How much land would you like to purchase? You can find the price of land listed under the Town Market on your Stavanger price list.
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| − | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' Is the land price per acre?
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| − | :'''The DM:''' Yes.
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| − | '''[[Vafrandir]]:''' I am in favor of forest land near the road to the north. A single acre should suffice for now. What would be our options for clearing and selling the extra timber? Also, how long will this take to build? I ask so we can consider our resupply options.
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| − | :'''The DM:''' You will observe there is an entry for clearing timber per acre; without a sage ability for selling goods, you can reap between 20-50% of the wood's value per acre you clear. The cost of hiring a woodsman is 8 s.p., or ½ g.p., per day. Which means you will probably operate at a loss. You can do the woodcutting yourself, but there is a chance of accident and it will take longer than 10 days, and reduce the cost of the wood sold by 20% (due to the poor job done).
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| − | '''The DM:''' The house I described would require 3 months to build; you can double the builder's fee and have it completed in 2 months; if you quadruple the builder's fee, you can have your house completed in 5 weeks and 5 days.
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| − | '''The DM:''' To clarify the day and time, I assume you're asking around to get answers for these questions. The builder's name is Anders Hagen. It is now about 1 o'clock in the afternoon on the 25th of May; you spent one night in the hostel and I assume you all spent your copper for that. The weather is cool, the sky is clear and a gentle breeze is blowing from north northwest.
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| − | '''[[Pandred]]''': Does adding our own labor to either the woodcutting or the building decrease the time to complete those tasks, or would we only get in the way?
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| − | : '''The DM:''' You would most likely get in the way. You might consider that those woods would be more valuable to you as hunting ground than as wood. This [https://tao-dndwiki.blogspot.com/2018/04/foraging-sage-ability.html page needs some rework], but once you obtain foraging from your logistic study, and I figure out the rate of food per acre searched, you will do better selling or using it to support yourselves.
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| − | :: '''The DM:''' Obviously, the more acreage you buy, the better your potential food supply.
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| − | '''Pandred''': I can chip in for an acre of forested land at 39gp. How many do we think we actually want? Embla's father was a farmer, do we think we can benefit from the quite-cheap tilled land?
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| − | ::: '''[[Embla Strand]]''' I have amateur Logistics, and thus the foraging sage ability. Consequently, let's go for a larger area - a half-dozen acres, perhaps? And I'd like to expedite the building to take only 2 months. That'd run to about 461 gp, or 115gp and 3sp each. How does that sound? I can sow crops, but that'd be a full-time job for Embla.
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The DM: Hello All. It is January 4th. I've slept in a bit, so give me a few minutes to get my bearings. Let me start by asking, is anyone here?
Vafrandir: Present!
The DM: Good morning. Have a good Christmas?
Vafrandir: Very good: had another baby right before the holidays so all around very pleasant (lack of sleep aside!). How about you?
The DM: Relatively pleasant, though of course didn't get together with anyone. Been exchanging presents across lawns and such. Been thinking about the format of the campaign and changes that could be made to build better communication. For example, there are just two of us here, and we don't know who else might be lurking.
The DM: So, for starters, I suggest we begin by managing more clearly whose here and who isn't. I suggest that, if the player is here, and plans to check their status at least every 20 minutes, that they should write:
The DM: In.
And that they should, if they know they're going to be out of touch for at least an hour, they should write:
The DM: Out.
Vafrandir: In.
The DM: Exactly. Then we know who's here; and players should be less concerned about waiting to see what someone else wants to do, because they're not here. This would, then, at this time, make you the quorum, Vafrandir, regarding what the party does next. Questions?
Vafrandir: Pandred has attacked the wolf; we took a break mid-swing, as it were. After that action is completed, I assume the wolf will act. Since no one else is here, I can make my wisdom check again and attempt to attack at that point. Is that correct?
The DM: My apologies. I just deserted the campaign badly, didn't I? Upon being hit, the wolf will vanish again, just as it did before. But just at present, I'd like to sort out any issues with getting the campaign to move along a little faster. As it's going, it can take days just to manage some small momentum.
Vafrandir: I think the quorum will help. But being asynchronous is a pretty big obstacle. Parties can discuss options for long enough in person; when there's a lag of minutes or hours then decisions can take weeks to reach. If we can resolve those questions of "what to do next" more quickly then I think that will help significantly. But I'm not sure the best way to do that: perhaps a time limit on how long we can discuss before one of the options must be picked?
The DM: I think with some matters, it makes sense to request a general consensus, such as spontaneously going back to Treborg. Any major relocation should require at least 3 members of the party. But the issue has been that players are concerned about taking any bold action. Rather than say, "I am going back to the camp," they will say instead, "I think we should go back to the camp." This calls for others to answer, which can take all day.
The DM: We've got to get into a rhythm of recognizing who's here, and then recognizing that IF others want a say, they should BE HERE. Otherwise, they must accept by default that Vafrandir said, "The party goes back to the camp." And so it is, because the party through default had made Vafrandir the deciding member.
Vafrandir: That's good feedback. I'm getting better about being more deliberate, but I agree that calling for a consensus on every small action slows us to a crawl. We would not do this if we, personally, were in the Norwegian outback. Regarding the quorum, could it be useful to have someone (me?) keep track of the active players and put something like this in the text?
Quorum: Vafrandir
Vafrandir: I will continue on towards the camp. Should the wolf reappear, as it likely will, I will fight it. It can be made corporeal by startling it and its immediate goal is to retard our progress towards the camp. Therefore, the best way towards defeating it is to continue on.
The DM: And that would make sense. But while I recognize you're champing at the bit to continue the campaign, this policy IS something that has to be understood among the general group. Is there a campaign at all if we're the only people playing?
Vafrandir: Oh I very much agree. I can certainly be patient until everyone is on the same page!
The DM: And so we wait. I've sent emails out to others; it's understandable that it takes time to regather.
The DM: Okay, I have to go to the lab and drop something off. It won't take me too long. I want to add that players need not explain why they're "out". I generally will, but given the vicissitudes of real life, no one should have to explain that they're unavailable. It should be enough for all of us that you just say you're not here.
The DM: Out.
The DM: In.
Pandred: Oh boy, the gang is back in business! Almost! Vafrandir, I see your game plan and support it. Let's mosey.
Pandred: Out
The DM: I'm reading that as Pandred not being here. I don't know if Vafrandir is, though he hasn't said out so I assume he's still checking every 20 minutes? I'm waiting for Embla and Marcule, to see if they show up.
Vafrandir: I'm indeed still in. Working from home today.
The DM: Thank you. Count yourself out. I will go out also; Marcule has assured me he'll be in tomorrow. I will start a new thread and we'll get down to playing. Those seeing this, please write your name and say that you are "in" as early as you can; otherwise, Vafrandir, you and I will run alone. That's a promise.
Vafrandir: Out! See you all tomorrow.
Quorum: none
Embla Strand In Embla Strand This sounds excellent to me.
