Newbie Observer Request: Anybody running a PBEM or PBF game

[zedturtle]

I'm running a TOR game over on Myth-Weavers.

Is there an easy way for others to read along?

- - - - -

I probably should have mentioned this, but rpg.net does have another active Tales game going. They have a very different pace than my game and started with The Marsh Bell, but it does make an interesting point of comparison.

[robbmiller]

http://youtu.be/BKVBBEKzDUg?t=43m0s

In the video series of "Don't Leave the path" At about 43 minutes. Theodmund of Rohan is asked to roll a persuade check to get a horse onto a raft. Shouldn't it just be assumed that a man of Rohan should be able to do this? Or, am I miss reading the rules?


http://youtu.be/BKVBBEKzDUg?t=45m0s

@45 minutes he tells the player character how the action proceeds. Is this correct play?

I'm not trying to be critical. Rather trying to improve my understanding. The appear to be having much fun.

[zedturtle]

http://youtu.be/BKVBBEKzDUg?t=43m0s

In the video series of "Don't Leave the path" At about 43 minutes. Theodmund of Rohan is asked to roll a persuade check to get a horse onto a raft. Shouldn't it just be assumed that a man of Rohan should be able to do this? Or, am I miss reading the rules?


http://youtu.be/BKVBBEKzDUg?t=45m0s

@45 minutes he tells the player character how the action proceeds. Is this correct play?

I'm not trying to be critical. Rather trying to improve my understanding. The appear to be having much fun.

Hmmm... If I were the player, I would argue that have a Horsemanship trait would allow a simple basic success without having to roll.

My understanding of the scene as written in Tales is that it's really intended as a moment to show the otherworldliness of the Elves... they can whisper into the horse's ear and have it step onto the raft and stay still. The LM in this case seems to be in a more 'traditional' or 'practical' mode, with the talk of blinders and what-not.

This isn't to say that it's wrong, and to be fair I didn't watch the whole thing, just a couple of minutes around the marks you gave.

EDIT: Nominally there are two ways for rolls to come up... Tasks and Tests:

Task
Player: 'I want to do something.'
LM: 'Well, how are going to do this something.'
Player: 'Skill X. I got a...' {or Player: 'Trait Y should be an automatic success.' or Player 'Trait U should allow me to roll Skill V.'}

Of course, with experience, the player can often nominate skills immediately and newer players might well need suggestions from the LM.

Test
LM: 'Roll a W Test'

Lots of times this is an involuntary check, like a Corruption Test or Fear Test. But you could also determine that 'The troll smashes the wagon with his club. Everyone on the wagon must make an Athletics test or you're trapped in the wreckage and can't act this round.' is a test.

[Majestic]

EDIT: Nominally there are two ways for rolls to come up... Tasks and Traits:

Just for the sake of clarity, I believe zed meant "Tasks and Tests" here.

[zedturtle]

EDIT: Nominally there are two ways for rolls to come up... Tasks and Traits:

Just for the sake of clarity, I believe zed meant "Tasks and Tests" here.

Wow, that's a typo and a half, thanks for catching that!

[Stormcrow]

There is one critisim in the comments that their style is too D20... not narrative enough? Any veteran players agree? disagree?

I haven't watched the video, but I'll disagree with the notion that D20 rules are "not narrative." "Narrative" is making speeches and inventing descriptions for things decided upon by the game mechanics. You can "narrate" as much in D20 as you can in The One Ring.

I prefer my games to be game-like. I don't like amateur poets or thespians trying to tell stories at me. The story is what you tell AFTER the game is over. Immersion happens in the mind, not off the tongue.

[robbmiller]

Here are two other PPF games on BGG.

This one is also running "Don't Leave the path":

[IC] http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/123 ... leave-path
[OoC] http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/122 ... leave-path

...

And yet another fellowship that is just forming now:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/128 ... rland-ooc/

[robbmiller]

Here is the IC Thread for the new BGG PBF of "Tales from Wilderland"

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1293586 ... derland-ic

an the OOC thread (repeated from above)
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1286335 ... erland-ooc

The players in this game seem to be taking much more responsibility for the narrative.

[Vardaen]

I have a TOR game running on Brennor's RPG Corner (Play by Post/Forum)

Also have another game cued up waiting on Ruins of the North to start there, and a third game we are converting from WFRPG rules going to run TOR there once the Adventure Compendium arrives.

Lots of good games there:

http://brennor.dyndns.org