Yes, it makes perfect sense. I didn't mean to imply that she now trusts him implicitly and would risk her life for him. I just meant that things have no changed, for better or worse. Let's be honest, last night was an off night. Nothing more, nothing less. I wasn't completely in the game because I wasn't feeling well and that really hampered things. I also just realized that I forgot to have Erebus tell you something that I needed the group to know. Damn. We are going to have these every now and then. I think it is standing out so much because we don't often have these kind of nights with this group and since we only play once a week, it makes each session that much more important. Hopefully I'll be feeling better next week and I can pull off my plan better. One thing I would caution though, in the weeks and months to come, as the party delves deeper into this and finds more things out, please remember that retreat and regroup is an option. Too often we tend to think that the DM won't kill the entire party or that the party can take anything, especially with eight characters. (I know we did that with the Riders on a few occasions.) You may be able to do a direct assault and take out all of the bad guys in one shot and be done, but I would SERIOUSLY doubt that would happen. As players, just don't make the mistake of thinking that your characters will be able to triumph over anything. Unless your character thinks that! I'm not saying not to roleplay. If your character would legitimately not retreat from a certain situation, that is fine, just remember that it is an option. It's not so much that the party is being set up to fail, it's just that it may take more than one big hurrah to end this. :) -----Original Message----- From: Robert Deibler [mailto:rdeibler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 12:05 PM To: dungeoncrawl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [dungeoncrawl] Re: Tuesday morning review It changes how Tori looks at him now but the trust factor is still not there. It was a bummer we had to leave when we did she just killed the one on Kage and it woudl have been intresting to see what would transire after that. The mood and time is lost for next week but it would have been intresting, Even though he is a "druid" she still assisted all other characters first then went to Kage, She is looking at his diffrently but at the same time he is still Kage and has done nothing her book to mark a dramatic new start. His story could just be that a story. The fact he is a nature lover might be a a notch in teh favorable direction but there is teh last few days to get over and that real bad first impression. To her thi scould all be a test, and just because Ivan checked him (if he is indeed a paladin), he did give off an evil tendency. So she will have to keep an eye on him. They really did not have time to talk in length to make any new assesment on each other. Make any sense... -----Original Message----- From: Damon Kline [mailto:damon.kline@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Tue 12/3/2002 11:53 AM To: 'dungeoncrawl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx' Cc: Subject: [dungeoncrawl] Re: Tuesday morning review 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. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- Binary/unsupported file stripped by Ecartis -- -- Type: application/ms-tnef -- File: winmail.dat