Early on in my gaming days, we didn't use published settings either. We didn't know such a thing even existed. We just made up dungeons and gave little thought to an actual campaign world. A few years in, I bought the 1st edition Forgotten Realms boxed set, and we played that for a few months before we decided we wanted to play a more 'realistic' game. So, we switched to Rolemaster and built our own campaign worlds.

I then took about an 8 year break from RPGs and came back to Forgotten Realms for a couple of years. Then 3rd edition came out and I went back to mostly homebrew campaign settings, until I ran an Eberron campaign for a couple of years. 4e came out and I ran the default 4e setting, Nentir Vale, for a couple of years.

And then came Stormhaven.

As far as fantasy medieval Japan goes, the problem I would have is that I do not know much about the legends and lore of it, so I would have a hard time doing a dedicated game like that any justice. I just don't know enough about it. I don't really remember the mechanics of it. I had friends who owned the book, but I never looked too closely at it.

Oh, definitely understand.  I think we were more considering what it might be like if we visit Japan-analogue at any point rather than a whole campaign set there.

Actually I'd imagine Saliq might want to journey to the Empires of the Shifting Sands first - that's where he is from after all.

In reply to Saliq Musfara (msg # 6):

Yeah. I knew what you were asking about with regards to this game. Was just more making a general comment about OA. For "historically-themed" campaign settings, I think it is key to be well-versed in the folklore and mythology of those cultures.

Al Qadim seems really cool, but aside from Aladdin (Disney version at that) and Sinbad, that's about where my knowledge of the source material ends.

Side note: for those of you who have not seen it, the animated Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas movie that came out about 10 years ago is very good!

I played in the worlds of Greyhawk and Blackmoor when I started.

One of the players also had the Arduin Grimoire which was a fun world, but we mostly used it to pluck magic items and spells from.

Boothill was out, but I never played that. It was an old west setting.

I did play Gamma World (post holocaust with mutants and robots) and Traveller, a sci-fi space game as well as the first game I ever played where rolling the characters was more fun than playing the game.

We were more into creating our own worlds back then though, and for years I felt using a module was lazy. I've used many since then of course. My first world was really childish in retrospect, but we had fun in it.

Interesting views. Personally I'd love to play an OA campaign straight, I'm not so keen on visiting one with Eagle (basically cos I want to play a Ninja or that cool dextrous fighter type character that I can't remember right now!)

But also personally I don't care at all about being versed in the historical folklore or mythology - I think that just gets in the way as people start getting hung up on accuracy. I mean if you take 'standard' AD&D as a historically themed version of the game based on medieval Europe, and then compare how much of the accurate folklore and mythology gets in, it's not a huge amount, but that's never stopped me enjoying it. I'd rather just play an AD&D fantasy mash-up with Ninja's, Wu-Jen and martial arts! My impression is you'd never get a collection of OA characters descending into a lost druegar citadel, and about to be eaten by a winged demon, which I always think is a shame!

Interesting views. Personally I'd love to play an OA campaign straight, I'm not so keen on visiting one with Eagle (basically cos I want to play a Ninja or that cool dextrous fighter type character that I can't remember right now!)

But also personally I don't care at all about being versed in the historical folklore or mythology - I think that just gets in the way as people start getting hung up on accuracy. I mean if you take 'standard' AD&D as a historically themed version of the game based on medieval Europe, and then compare how much of the accurate folklore and mythology gets in, it's not a huge amount, but that's never stopped me enjoying it. I'd rather just play an AD&D fantasy mash-up with Ninja's, Wu-Jen and martial arts! My impression is you'd never get a collection of OA characters descending into a lost druegar citadel, and about to be eaten by a winged demon, which I always think is a shame!

In reply to Eagle (msg # 9):

I think if you are interested in a specific campaign setting, such as Far East, then getting a relevant sourcebook/supplement is worth it, but I think with the whole D&D world there are just many books which must make GMing a nightmare!

Keep it simple, I say, and get on with killing winged demons!

Speaking of which - if Monvo left the circle of the spell can he simply walk back in and be covered by it again, or is he now visible to anyone who ventures by?

Monvo isn't wearing a red shirt by any chance?

No, but hey, when did Inas grow a goatee? hehehe...

I don't think accuracy of folklore and myth is very important in running a fantasy game, unless it's specifically the point of the game. The closer you try to make something historically or folklorically accurate, the more likely you are to be offensively ignorant. And there is certainly not a monolithic folklore of either Arabian, European, or Asian people.

Ben: you may make a DEX check to see whether you can worm your way under the gap at the bottom of the portcullis.

I don't really understand the question about whether there is a top, so I cannot answer that.

When I asked if Eagle had looked over the top of the walls on the upper section of this city,(post 23), and Eagle asked the same question (post 29) I thought you said there was a top, and he couldn't look over it, not that I  can find that post now.

Are they enclosed over the top, or did Eagle get to look into the top section over the walls when he was a bat???

Also - 19:47, Today: Ben Scristos rolled 3 using 1d20 with rolls of 3. dex roll target 17.

Guess I made it under. Any sign of the opening mechanism from here?

Oh. If you take a look at the rough map I posted, the dark gray polygons represent the towers that rise from a stone structure beneath.

There are actually not as many windows as one might expect from human engineers: apparently dwarves do not value a "room with a view" as much as the other races.

In most cases where there are windows, they are really more akin to crossbow slits or murder-holes, i.e., not big enough to really be considered a true window, but rather a defensive feature.

None of the towers feature exterior doors either, at least that Eagle was able to see while flying around as a bat.

There are interior courtyards here or there between some of the structures. Eagle did notice heavy stone doors in these locations. These were all closed as well.

So if I were to climb the walls, I could get down into them? Good to know... though being there would expose me to the flappy-flappy things I fear.

Not that Ben would think of this guys, but maybe a beholder? I know the eyes do lots of stuff, maybe acid and petrification? Don't remember...

Once inside, Norion will study the entry, the gate, stone around it, to see if his dwarvish instincts tell him anything about how it operates.

Heads up for this coming weekend: I will be camping at the beach with my family 7-10 March, and will be otherwise occupied and unable to post :)

Sounds like just the thing. Have fun!

Great weekend at the beach, but now I am back and ready to resume our game.

For the current initiative roll, Inas or Saliq has to alert the other that activity is heard in the room with the large stone plinths, as those are the only two characters who heard anything.

Assuming Inas or Saliq ties or beats a (4) initiative, they can accomplish this before I take actions for whatever horrible thing lies behind the next corner.

Before my action, can you tell me what the soul devourer's are wearing? Do they have some kind of metal armour on them?

In reply to Eagle (msg # 22):

They are wearing tattered rags.

One day you'll provide an enemy that I can cast heat metal on. . .

 :)

In reply to DM Storm (msg # 25):

Lol! Chances are he will have heat resistant armour!

Heads-up for everyone...

For quite while, I have been giving consideration to awarding bonus XP for roleplay and/or being proactive in keeping the game moving. The one problem I have had since I began running play-by-posts three years ago, is how to do it in a way that is not cumbersome?

Especially difficult because the caliber of writers in my games, this game definitely included, is usually VERY high. Still, I do believe in rewarding exceptional performance, and I have not done a very good job of that.

I have seen various systems over these past three years and think I finally have something that will work for my GM style and laid-back (read: lazy!) approach.

Basically, here is how it will work:

Bonus XP will be awarded on ~Monday and will be based on # of substantive (not necessarily long) in-character posts (2-3 is the standard). Additionally, I will consider the quality of posts and whether they either provide a) an opportunity for others to work off of, or b) moved the game along.

Bonus XP will likely range from 0-100 on most weeks; however it will certainly be possible to earn more for outstanding contributions.

Thoughts, concerns?

In reply to DM Storm (msg # 27):

Sounds good to me if that's what you want to do - I don't think it's entirely necessary though for two reasons:

First as you say the quality of the roleplay in this game is pretty consistent and pretty high (imho!).

Second, because of your existing pooled XP approach, level advancement seems to me to be pretty well paced as it is, so there might be a mild concern if we keep ticking over extra XP each week that it accelerates even more. On one hand no bad thing, but I always tend to err towards the 'if it 'aint broke' approach to life.

As I say though, I won't complain if you introduce the system (it's your game after all!) especially if Eagle starts to rack up more XP each week.