[dungeoncrawl] Re: Thursday Morning Review
- From: jimkaren@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- To: dungeoncrawl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 13:13:04 US/Eastern
I have to say also that I really had no
idea if Mylena was going to succeed -
especially at the end. All of my
expectations had Rig doing all of the
work, and her doing the transportation
afterwards.
She could have easily been killed by
Baish, if things had gone differently,
or especially by Nadan. Gadget never
got the chance, and I was really
relieved that he didn't. I don't even
want to think about it if Marnie and
Escrima weren't my own characters near
the end there.
On a personal note, my favorite moment
(one of them, anyway), was when Nadan
made a very real threat to finish her
off and she said "Hold on a minute, I'm
thinking." Very Swordfish, if you ask
me!
>
> Oh thank God! I feel so much
better! I wanted to make sure you
> understand that I truly respect your
skills as a DM, but I did want to
> make my feelings known.
> I thought that Mylena returning
was you trying to get us to do it
> ourselves, and I almost did.
However, Magnus had used Mylena in the
> first place just so he didn't have to
do it himself. He figured, if he
> started going after people now, why
bother to use her at all?
> Anyway, I already feel better
about next week. I'm anxious to play
> again.
>
> jimkaren@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> > Nah, you're right. I'm really
> > committed to the long-term story arc
> > that I envision, but it's important
to
> > me that the foundation not be
> > undermined to rush to the good
stuff.
> > Last night, I went in assuming that
> > after the first two or three
characters
> > got free, they'd get together with
> > Magnus and take care of the rest on
> > their own (eliminating any need for
> > individual roleplaying).
> >
> > That's one reason why Mylena came
back
> > partway thru - she thought that the
> > group only needed her to get them
> > started, and they'd take it from
> > there. Still, though, it was
important
> > to me that the characters come
together
> > in a plausible way - after all, they
> > were put on the planes in a manner
that
> > made it tough to leave, and I didn't
> > want to make that seem like a
trivial
> > limitation.
> >
> > I don't foresee any need for nights
> > like the last few down the road -
> > actually, if it does happen, I'll be
> > banging my head on the wall to keep
> > things moving - but it does seem
like
> > it's becoming the norm.
> >
> > I guess the stakes are so high in
what
> > we're doing with the "powerful"
group,
> > that I want to make sure the group
> > earns their victory - warts and all.
> > The last thing we need is for the
> > characters to easily obtain godhood,
> > and then for us as players to find
the
> > whole thing so unsatisfying that we
> > look for ways to make them mortal
again.
> >
> > Definitely open to suggestions - I'm
> > actually planning on emailing Shawn
B.
> > soon (hee hee) to get guru level
advice
> > on my long term plans, but it's
> > important most of all that everyone
is
> > having fun when we get together -
> >
> > >
> > > Ok, I'm going to start by
being
> > honest. I have been debating how to
> > > respond to Jim's e-mail, which may
> > seem odd, since I am the cold
hearted
> > > bastard of the group and I usually
> > have no problem being honest. My
> > > concern is that I know that Jim
is a
> > superior DM, and I don't want this
> > > taken the wrong way. That being
> > said, I didn't enjoy last night as
much
> > > as I had hoped to.
> > > I think the thing that really
> > killed me was the second week in a
row
> > > of individual role-playing. It
seems
> > to be a common thread for us, and
> > > I'm not sure how we became caught
in
> > the trap. Three weeks ago, before
> > > the Riders fought Rig, Jim had
> > brought the subject up with me. I
had
> > > advised against it. He decided
to do
> > it anyway, and he did some
> > > individual role-playing with
Ilana,
> > Kilian, Valeria and the group. And
> > > it went very well. Jim jumped
from
> > one player to another and kept the
> > > sessions short. He had proved me
> > wrong; individual role-playing can
> > > work, and he went on to DM one of
the
> > best nights of D&D we have had in
> > > a long time. He also left me
feeling
> > incredibly positive and excited
> > > about the future. I believe, if
Jim
> > had suggested it, I would have
> > > called off work, and told Brad I
> > wasn't coming home, and then
barricaded
> > > myself in the basement for the
next
> > three weeks straight to see what Jim
> > > had planned.
> > > Then last week happened. We
did
> > almost all individual role-playing,
> > > and it caused the night to slow
> > down. I know that when I left last
> > > week, my enthusiasm had dimmed a
> > little, but I was still excited.
> > > Unfortunately, last night was
more of
> > the same. I had hoped that Jim
> > > would quickly gather the party
and we
> > could be off. Instead, each
> > > individual character was gathered.
> > It took almost all night. And I'm
> > > afraid it drained my enthusiasm
even
> > more.
> > > I'm still looking forward to
> > where Jim is going with this plot.
As
> > > we saw three weeks ago, he can DM
an
> > adventure better than most, and
> > > deliver us a great night of role-
> > playing. But I fear that the last
two
> > > weeks have leeched some of the
> > momentum he had going. It's going
to be
> > > more work on everyone's part to
get
> > us back to the fever pitch we were
> > > in a few weeks ago.
> > > Comments? Please? I don't
> > intend to be overly critical of
Jim. I
> > > know how hard it can be to DM (I
am
> > the person that has had more than
> > > one campaign that I put a lot of
work
> > into shot out from under me when
> > > the players said that they weren't
> > interested), and I know Jim can pull
> > > it together. But the last few
weeks
> > just haven't worked for me.
> > >
> > > jimkaren@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > >
> > > > I don't know about everyone
else,
> > but I
> > > > had a good time last night! It
was
> > an
> > > > odd night, in a way, as only one
> > player
> > > > was doing anything at any given
time
> > > > for most of it. I didn't intend
> > that
> > > > at first, but somehow it worked.
> > > >
> > > > The gist was Magnus sent
Mylena, his
> > > > alternate-reality daughter
(believe
> > it
> > > > or not, it all makes sense from
a
> > > > campaign perspective)
to "capture"
> > > > certain Riders who were
imprisoned
> > on
> > > > the outer planes. If they left
of
> > > > their own free will, or
knowingly,
> > > > there was a greater chance of
the
> > gods
> > > > becoming offended or realizing
what
> > was
> > > > happening.
> > > >
> > > > And since the gods have no
> > influence in
> > > > the city of Sigil, and since
Mylena
> > > > technically never existed in
these
> > > > characters' version of
> > the "realms", it
> > > > seemed plausible that her
activities
> > > > could go unnoticed for a period
of
> > time.
> > > >
> > > > In the end, Mylena succeeded in
> > > > capturing most of the Riders
she was
> > > > sent for after a very difficult
> > > > struggle. She exhausted Rig,
my now
> > > > very-deceased evil 17th level
> > > > gladiator, five powerful
mercenary
> > > > githyanki, and almost herself
to do
> > > > it. She used sheer power,
> > treachery,
> > > > luck, or whatever it would take
to
> > pull
> > > > it off, and it was fun to see in
> > action
> > > > since I didn't have a definite
> > outcome
> > > > in mind.
> > > >
> > > > I thought about forcing
characters
> > to
> > > > be captured last night, but in
the
> > end,
> > > > I would be helping the Riders to
> > win.
> > > > And that wouldn't be fair. It
may
> > > > sound like a "yeah sure" thing,
but
> > the
> > > > group's rivals (like Celane, the
> > Black
> > > > Legion, and maybe Dr. Klaw) all
> > have a
> > > > chance to succeed.
> > > >
> > > > So the Riders ended up
prisoners of
> > the
> > > > Dustmen faction in Sigil's
Mortuary
> > (as
> > > > Mylena is a member there -
> > apparently,
> > > > she's at least partly a
> > necromancer).
> > > > They were released
simultaneously
> > from
> > > > gas-filled iron caskets, and
> > proceeded
> > > > to deal with their situation.
> > > >
> > > > In the end, Magnus got a core
group
> > to
> > > > agree to his crusade. Some
other
> > > > characters offered to help
Marnie
> > (my
> > > > swashbuckler) search for her
> > husband,
> > > > Surrote, who had gone missing
on his
> > > > own and couldn't be located by
> > Mylena.
> > > >
> > > > Ambrosia preferred to remain
> > retired,
> > > > running her new inn, and
the "lower
> > > > level" riders that we used last
week
> > > > are still doing their own thing.
> > > >
> > > > And that is where we ended.
> > > > Thoughts/comments?
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>
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