"Into the Haunted Forest" OOC Discussion

[Pvt Minsk]

Gentlemen, let’s kick off the planning! I’m hoping that before making full character sheets, everyone would mention their plans for their characters so that there’s no unnecessary overlap in classes (unless you guys want to have multiple characters with the same classes, just saying). But since that shouldn’t take long, here are rules and guidelines for character making.

Everyone starts off at level 1 for Into the Haunted Woods. Ability points are generated with standard point buy (DMG pg. 169), 25 points to spend. Everyone has the average amount of starting gold for equipment (PHB pg. 111).

Anything in the core SRD is perfectly legal for your character’s creation. If you’ve got a feat, spell, class or etc. from a WotC or even third-party splatbook (I know Kaeam’s always got crazy feat-spell combos on his mind), gimme the details on the book it’s in before using it so I can check it to see if it’s balanced and alright. But I’m pretty easygoing with extraneous stuff like that, I love me some Oriental Adventures myself, so 6 times out of 7 I’ll be alright with it.

For dice rolling, you can of course link to Invisible Castle if you want to. But you can also just roll on your own table and post the results on the internet. I’m positive everyone will be playing fair, after all. …I think.

The game will be set in Paizo’s Pathfinder campaign setting – but it’s a generic setting with every fantasy trope represented so no need to know the fluff. Specifically, this adventure’s set in the northwest of the nation of Andoran:

Everyone will be on the road through Arthfell Forest heading north. The northwest part of Andoran, and the northern end of the Arthfell, is known as Darkmoon Vale, a Germanic-style countryside fraught with peril, superstition and scared peasantry, so there’s plenty of need for adventurers up there. Everyone should hopefully have some motivation to be travelling north. In fact, optimally, in case we do want to continue after this game, then one or two characters could be heading for the lumber town of Falcon’s Hollow where we can set a following adventure.

At the game’s start, everyone will be meeting towards evening on the road at a Wayshrine of Desna, an hour’s way from a known inn. Some or all characters can know each other from before, I don’t mind, but being so close to an inn should be motivation for even a group of strangers to travel together in these dangerous woods at least until there (should all go well, there’ll be more motivation at said inn for the group to stay together).

One more note on the mechanics of the forums – the character sheets need to be able to be frequently edited, what with characters levelling and getting new equipment and such. But there’s the unfortunate feature of the forums that posts can’t be edited after 15 minutes. I think that the first post of a new thread can be edited afterwards (at least by me, but not sure if it’s admin only or thread-starters also), so maybe what should be done is that the final character sheet should be made an individual thread. If that still doesn’t work, we’ll have to think of something else. Blog posts, even?

If I forgot something or if you need clarification, gimme a ring. Otherwise, have fun making your characters, guys! When everyone has an approved character we can look to start this train wreck adventure.

Cheers,
Minsk

[Pvt Minsk]

Okay, it's time to wrap up. I'm letting everyone have their characters say goodbyes (and possibly most likely "screw you"s) and walking out/spending the night/etc. before throwing up the epilogue and credits. Although if someone wants to visit Doctor Krane at his tent outside one last time once he's done with the new shroud, that can be done real quick too, but it's not necessary to ending the game anymore.

[Pvt Minsk]

Ooh, quite the plot twist you pulled there, Mr. King. I would almost be inclined to freeze frame with Morgoon's mace about to connect with a wide-eyed Falash's noggin and cut to the credits, like the last joke of a sitcom.

Buuut, since Morgoon and Falash have been chomping at each other through the whole adventure and this is the last chance for them to have a go at each other, let's go ahead. Before I start chucking dice, is that a regular attack you're doing there, Mr. King, or are you maybe going for non-lethal damage?

[Pvt Minsk]

Th-th-th-that's all folks! Into the Haunted Forest is over!

Again my apologies for skimping on the final battle at the end with the two party members. Unfortunately the one thing I feared the most was having to run a fight between player characters, and with it at the end of the adventure I saw it best to leave it untold to do the minimal amount of damage. I must say, given the attitudes of this adventuring party, I must thank you all for not putting me in that uncomfortable position at an earlier moment in the game.

In any case, I hope Into the Haunted Forest was a fun game for you all. Lingering questions about the game are welcome. Stay sharp, everyone!

[Ziadan]

That was a excellent way to end the rpg... end credits... hahaha!! i would definatly watch that movie.. and great choice of end music aswell... :D

[Pvt Minsk]

Why thank you. It's with great pride that I can now check off "Play Whitesnake at the conclusion of an adventure" on my checklist of Things to Do as a DM, right next to "Stat up the Predator for a boss fight" and "Run an adventure on the Isle of Dread with FRICKING DINOSAURS".