OOC THREAD

[BristolMatt]

Wow, thanks for all the posts, guys, great to get to know you a bit better!  I'm afraid I'll probably continue to be a bit patchy with communications until August.

I've commited to creating my own homebrew game system for my new group here in Germany (a WFRP clone using a dice pool system borrowed from Swedish games Mutant Year Zero, Coriolis and Tales From the Loop), and our first session is on the 30th June, so all my extra time and energy are going into that at the moment.

Then my sister is getting married at the end of July, and I have a lot to organise before flying out to the US on the 10th.

Early August then sees some of my old gaming group from England coming to visit, and then it should all start to return to normalcy...

So I'll try to keep up with the posts, but if there are some slightly longer pauses, don't worry that I've left already!

Feel free to ping me on Google+ if I really need to weigh in (since I get reliable notifications there).  I'm Matt Kay, and I think I may have already friended a few of you.  If not, here's my profile:

https://plus.google.com/+MattKay

[BristolMatt]

Also, updated my character sheet slightly to have sling as my main weapon, rather than short spear.  Think it makes more sense for me to be a bit of a sneaky ranged fighter if/when it comes to combat, rather than running in with my little spear and poking at people's knees...

[Telcontar]

Doug,
I'm kicking around an interim character concept for a short tour. What experience level would I have to workwith?

[Eclecticon]

Ooh, is it someone we've met?

[Telcontar]

Doug,
I sent you a PM.

[tomcat]

Replied.

I will be adding a new post tonight or tomorrow for the ALONE thread and one more for the Beorning.  After that, I will open the new Chapter thread.

I will give you some time, Tom, to get your decision made.

[Eclecticon]

Tom, I'm not saying I have a poem written for when Bandy leaves for a while.  But I'm not not saying it, either. 

[Telcontar]

Gentlemen,
 At this point I am to blame for the slowness of the game. As we were kinda lagging I was rolling around over and over on what to do for a character. I didnt want to make a knee jerk decision as I honestly believe the characters in this game, and the campaign, are taking on a life of their own. This is a testament to the players and the loremaster alike. With all this time on my hands I started to think more about what the road ahead would look like. I had a feeling that Bandy was pretty tired, after all Hobbits are not really built for six years of hard adventuring and after facing a Barrow Wight and a Nazgul I think our little friend has earned a rest, this is the age of men after all.

Part of my slowness was I was unsure with whom I would replace the little guy, and clearly he had become a key player in the story. While I was camping this weekend, (read drinking bourbon and Coors Banquet beers in the woods from dawn to dawn) I had a character concept slowly reveal itself to me. It did not come full and all at once, but as I thought about some things that I had been reading and listening to and contemplated our campaign a picture slowly emerged. Earlier this week I sent Doug an email with a couple of options on what I wanted to do, and like a father of multiple kids he said, that all sounds good.  Encouraging, but no help in making a decision. 

I believe that I will be setting Bandy aside if the concept I have takes to mechanics in a meaningful way. The past is not yet gone in Middle-earth, and as this is a period of change I thought it would be interesting to portray a figure who is at the end of that cycle of change, and at the same time reveal a different perspective on one of the firmly established races of Middle-earth, a Noldo elf. This is somewhat of a change for me. I always considered elves best suited to be NPCs in Tolkien's world, because of their age, knowledge, and power I always thought of them more as a Deus e machina instead of a playable character. This time however, I think that the character has a part to play in this story and in support of the broader campaign themes we have been playing with. 

His name is Morirúsë, and he has not forgotten the exile of the Vala, or the oaths of ceaseless war against the Enemy of the World, and the Prophecy of the North has not forgotten him either. 

[tomcat]

Earlier this week I sent Doug an email with a couple of options on what I wanted to do, and like a father of multiple kids he said, that all sounds good.  Encouraging, but no help in making a decision.  

I thought I was very helpful!  

NOT!

[Eclecticon]

I am going to give you guys another day to finish any last thoughts in the two threads and then I am starting our new chapter.

Doug, can we assume that we've retrieved the treasure and other things we buried up north?  There's been enough time. 

On an unrelated note, my camping trip starts in about 12 hours.  I'll check in mid week.  Until then, anyone who feels like running Arbogast has my blessing to do so - you probably have an idea of what he's like by now!

[Telcontar]

Doug,
 Draft character sheet is uploaded into the profiler. Please take a look. There are a couple things like gear and a Reward or two missing still but this should be enough to get the game going so I am not holding it up.

[tomcat]

He looks good, Tom.

I just sent a request to him to join the TOR campaign on the Profiler - that gives me GM permissions to the character sheet.

I will introduce him shortly.

Thanks!

[Telcontar]

I made aome tweaks, so pretty much done.

Also asked to join campaign 33. I dont see an invite message anywhere.

[tomcat]

You have been accepted.

Cool, today is kind of busy with my family, as it is my birthday, but I will get a post up tonight - or tomorrow for sure.

[tomcat]

Like I said above it's been a busy weekend, so I will have the starting chapter up tomorrow.

I am reading the book and trying to figure out how I want to use this Adventure phase. Tom - be ready to bring in your new character with this new thread.

BristolMatt - I forgot to give you your XP and AP to advance Udo to that of the Company. Go ahead and start him at 70 AP and 50 XP.