[dungeoncrawl] Re: Tuesday morning review
- From: Johnathan Detrick <jdetrick@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: dungeoncrawl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 12:03:46 -0500
I was disappointed by the revelations, but I disagree that my characters
reaction was my own. Whilce was bored spitless the entire night, which I think
I put across rather well. His reaction to the Kage thing was actually one of
minor interest, due to the cool special effects that took place right beforehand
(he was waiting for Kage to turn to leaves or something). If you remember,
Whilce said very little during Kage's story, listening to what was happening.
Cullen was rude and considered it a waste of time, for two reasons. First,
because he had been trying to talk to the group earlier, and they had ignored
him, so he didn't understand why he had to listen to them. Second, because he
felt that they were in a bad situation, trapped miles underground, and he just
wants to get out alive. Unless Fenrys was giving Kage a rocket launcher, Cullen
felt it was unimportant. It should change the dynamic in the party, but Cullen
wasn't thinking that far ahead. So I think their reactions were consistent with
their personalities.
As for the question of next time and next week, I didn't mean to imply that
one bad night had diminished my enthusiasm for this group. At the moment, I
have no great interest in them (as an example, both Whilce and Cullen went up a
level last night, and I have no desire to raise them. That's very unusual for
me.), and I'm not too excited about next week. However, of course I will be
there, and I have no doubt that within the first few minutes I'll be excited
again. The campaign is great, and one bad night doesn't change that.
Damon Kline wrote:
> I do agree with John, in that last night just didn't hit the mark as we
> usually do. Matt was not feeling well and I was getting the beginnings of
> what he has. (Which I now have in full.) :) I know that Jim was
> distracted due to issues at home and at work.
>
> Are these excuses for a very off night? Perhaps, but I believe that we have
> overcome other things like this in the past. I think that the biggest
> problem that we faced was that I was not into it last night. Because I
> wasn't feeling well, I wasn't thinking sharply. About half-way through the
> fight at the end, I realized that John had no characters there and was
> basically sitting there doing nothing. That is certainly not the kind of
> time that I had in mind.
>
> Role-playing was off, big time, but I think that was due to a few
> circumstances. Matt was not feeling well at all and that hurt his
> characters, because he couldn't bring them across as vividly as he normally
> does. With the exception of Neris playing up that wound in the fight, that
> was great. I think also that John came in with the expectation that a big
> revelation or change was going to happen. Understandable, since we did hype
> it up in that way throughout the week. When he found out that it was just
> some stupid info from Erebus and Kage getting turned into a druid again, he
> was let down and his characters showed that. When Kage tried to explain
> things about what had happened, Cullen and Whilce were both like "Whatever,
> we're bored, who cares." I think that was a reflection of John's
> disappointment at the revelation. Truly, it was more of a revelation for
> Kage than for anyone else, but I think it will have some interesting effects
> on the group dynamic. It changes how Tori and Kage interact, it changes
> Kage's spell selections, his ability to swap spells for healing and his
> ability to turn undead. It will affect his personality, which affects the
> group as well. Now, these things are more subtle changes, so there really
> wasn't any big revelation. Perhaps it shouldn't have been built up as much.
>
> In the end, it is my responsibility to "take charge" and make sure everyone
> has a good time. Now, certainly even if I am doing a good job, if the
> players aren't into it, it hurts. But, if the DM isn't into it, unless you
> want a night of complete character driven role-playing, no one is going to
> have a good time.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Johnathan Detrick [mailto:jdetrick@xxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 11:43 AM
> To: dungeoncrawl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [dungeoncrawl] Re: Tuesday morning review
>
> Yeah, I guess you could take the e-mail as singling you out as the
> problem child. Not intentional, that's for sure. There isn't any way
> that one person could be responsible for a night like last night. It
> takes group suckiness to sink to the depths we sank to.
> I'm sure that I probably had a worse time of it than anyone else,
> but then, I also spent the end of the night doing nothing.
>
> jimkaren@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> > Well, I feel a bit better, anyway. If
> > you read your original email, it sure
> > does look that way! :)
> >
> > To be honest, on two occasions last
> > night, I felt like I was focusing too
> > much on your characters to the
> > detriment of Matt and Bobby. And I
> > didn't mean what I said about "stopping
> > playing to download stuff" seriously -
> > I was just amazed at what's possible on
> > PCs in an area that I was never aware
> > of.
> >
> > It wasn't personal - Karen suffers from
> > my geek syndrome all the time. :)
> >
> > My biggest concern is identifying areas
> > where we can improve to keep everyone
> > interested - I can help by remaining
> > focused. I have one confession to
> > make, though - it's really tough for me
> > to make the time to read the 3rd
> > edition books.
> >
> > If I could do that, I'd also be
> > certified on about half a dozen
> > technical areas as well. I'm just
> > interested in too much stuff, with too
> > little time to read everything. I'll
> > always have characters who can't even
> > use their own feats -
> >
> > >
> > > I didn't mean to single you out
> > as being the one that was a
> > > problem. When I was writing it, when
> > I was there last night, and when I
> > > was driving home thinking about it,
> > not once did I think, "Jim is the
> > > problem." It was not in my mind.
> > > You are correct, we do get
> > together to have fun. But in the end, I
> > > did not have fun last night.
> > Usually, when I leave after we play, I
> > > have had a blast. Last night, when I
> > left, I had about three things I
> > > would rather have done with my
> > night. And that depressed me.
> > > Again, I don't single Jim out.
> > That wouldn't be accurate and it
> > > wouldn't be fair.
> > >
> > > jimkaren@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > >
> > > > Yes, you definitely got me on that
> > > > one. I have to admit, Matt made me
> > > > aware of something that really blew
> > me
> > > > away - it was just an honest
> > reaction.
> > > > I was also a bit petrified about job
> > > > security last night - a lame excuse
> > in
> > > > a sense, but it was a distraction.
> > > >
> > > > I noticed in your original email
> > that
> > > > Matt & Damon were exempted for being
> > > > ill, and that Bobby did what you
> > > > expected - sorry for letting you
> > down.
> > > > But bottom line, aren't we just
> > getting
> > > > together to have fun anyway?
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > There was some role-playing
> > > > towards the end of the evening, but
> > it
> > > > > was not important enough to
> > warrant
> > > > my presence. I can at least name
> > > > > one time you ignored me. Cullen
> > was
> > > > addressing the group, and during
> > > > > that you and Matt started looking
> > at
> > > > the computer and discussing it.
> > > > >
> > > > > jimkaren@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > I agree it wasn't the best
> > night,
> > > > but I
> > > > > > thought it went OK, anyway. Do
> > you
> > > > > > mean ignored role-playing wise,
> > or
> > > > > > ignored story/interaction wise?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > At least on my part, I remember
> > Kage
> > > > > > interacting with Cullen about
> > the
> > > > fight
> > > > > > the last time, and Alturo with
> > > > Cullen
> > > > > > about the use of "fascinate".
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Kage also tried to start a
> > > > discussion
> > > > > > about Thor with Whilce -
> > mostly, I'm
> > > > > > trying to find out how I ignored
> > > > you?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Synopsis:
> > > > > > > After the battle last time
> > > > with
> > > > > > the driders, the Sigil was
> > > > > > > discussing the need for
> > > > leadership.
> > > > > > During the discussion, Erebus
> > > > > > > appeared in an illusionary
> > form.
> > > > > > Apparently it was difficult and
> > > > > > > painful for him to manifest,
> > but
> > > > he
> > > > > > was able to inform the group
> > that
> > > > > > > they were not on Toril. He
> > also
> > > > told
> > > > > > them that the menace they had
> > been
> > > > > > > formed to defeat was on the
> > same
> > > > > > plane they were. Before more
> > could
> > > > be
> > > > > > > revealed, Erebus appeared to
> > > > shrivel
> > > > > > up and implode into a pile of
> > > > > > > leaves. Those leaves then
> > formed
> > > > > > into the visage of the god
> > Fenrys,
> > > > who
> > > > > > > seized Kage, removing his
> > powers
> > > > as a
> > > > > > cleric, and restoring him to a
> > > > > > > druid.
> > > > > > > Somewhat startled, the
> > party
> > > > > > decided to continue on their
> > way to
> > > > the
> > > > > > > ilithid camp, hoping to learn
> > more
> > > > > > about how to reach the surface,
> > as
> > > > > > > well as information on Lo
> > Pan, who
> > > > > > appeared to be worshipped on
> > this
> > > > > > > world as a deity. Elizabeth
> > had
> > > > > > found some charts and notes in
> > the
> > > > > > > captain's cabin on board the
> > ship
> > > > the
> > > > > > Sigil had used when they first
> > > > > > > appeared on this world, which
> > > > > > suggested that the people on the
> > > > ship
> > > > > > had
> > > > > > > also been followers of Lo Pan.
> > > > > > Deciding he was the menace the
> > > > group had
> > > > > > > been created to destroy, they
> > > > needed
> > > > > > to learn all they could about
> > him.
> > > > > > > The group continued
> > through
> > > > the
> > > > > > caverns, until they reached a
> > side
> > > > > > > cavern. Tori, Neiris and Kage
> > > > > > decided to quickly scout it out,
> > > > while
> > > > > > > the others continued. They
> > found
> > > > a
> > > > > > series of rooms, connected
> > > > > > > vertically by holes in the
> > floors
> > > > and
> > > > > > ceilings. Kage explored them,
> > > > > > > only to encounter a beholder.
> > > > > > Fleeing, he engaged some of the
> > > > > > > beholder's minions in combat,
> > and
> > > > he
> > > > > > managed to defeat them, with the
> > > > > > > help of Tori and Neiris.
> > Soon the
> > > > > > party was reunited.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I don't know that
> > discussing
> > > > last
> > > > > > night in great detail is
> > > > > > > necessary, or that anyone
> > really
> > > > > > wants to. In my opinion, it was
> > > > > > > certainly the worst night we
> > have
> > > > had
> > > > > > since we started playing the
> > Sigil
> > > > > > > again, and possibly the worst
> > > > night
> > > > > > we have ever had playing the
> > Sigil
> > > > > > > (and I'm not exaggerating).
> > For
> > > > me,
> > > > > > it boils down to one sentence; I
> > > > > > > could have not shown up last
> > > > night,
> > > > > > and it would have made no
> > > > > > > difference. I tried to role-
> > play
> > > > > > with the group, and was totally
> > > > > > > ignored (except for Bobby;
> > thank
> > > > you
> > > > > > for role-playing with me), and
> > of
> > > > > > > course, I sat and did nothing
> > for
> > > > the
> > > > > > final 70 minutes, while everyone
> > > > > > > else fought the beholder's
> > > > minions.
> > > > > > > To be fair, Matt and Damon
> > > > > > weren't feeling well. But it
> > was a
> > > > > > > depressing night for me. I
> > was
> > > > in a
> > > > > > great mood all day long, so it
> > was
> > > > > > > quite a letdown for me.
> > > > > > > If anyone wishes to
> > discuss
> > > > last
> > > > > > night, please let me know.
> > > > > > > Otherwise, I'm going to leave
> > it
> > > > > > at, "It sucked", and walk away.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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