Author Topic: OOC Thread  (Read 90949 times)

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #80 on: November 25, 2017, 02:13:14 PM »
I'm not sure what we're waiting on, to be honest.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #81 on: November 25, 2017, 02:45:01 PM »
All of the backstory arguments to be finished so everyone has completed characters.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #82 on: November 25, 2017, 04:28:51 PM »
Mine's pretty much what I outlined above. Easy excuse to be here as we're getting info from a Doomguide anyway. :lmao

Offline Archon

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #83 on: November 25, 2017, 09:27:07 PM »
I think most people have finished as much backstory as they need to.

I certainly have - I was just waiting for something to happen.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #84 on: November 25, 2017, 10:12:44 PM »
Unless we want to do more tying people together beyond "we all for some reason knew each other as children despite going different ways", I think things are pretty set.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #85 on: November 25, 2017, 10:33:17 PM »
Os was still deciding things while SorO argued with him last anyone posted.

Offline oslecamo

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #86 on: November 26, 2017, 04:22:19 AM »
My background remains sailor that knew the other paladin in the party beforehand. I only pointed out other character backgrounds as examples of lv1 characters explicitly already being pros.

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #87 on: November 26, 2017, 02:07:49 PM »
Os was still deciding things while SorO argued with him last anyone posted.
Were we really arguing or were we pointing out certain things in 5th that don't quite make sense?

For example, while you see EXPERIENCED ADVENTURER! in the background text I see "Every story has a beginning. Your character’s background reveals where you came from, how you became an adventurer, and your place in the world." "The most important question to ask about your background is what changed? Why did you stop doing whatever your background describes and start adventuring?" how your background is the stuff you did before adventuring.

It's a little different than the previous Edition's mind set that people spent years in a Wizard Academy before being turned loose or Fighter's joined the army because a level in Commoner for a farming life is mutually exclusive from a level of an Adventuring Class (and no one wastes skill points on profession). 5th's idea is no one actually has to specialize, any dumb criminal or thief can become a Wizard or Monk just as any pampered aristocrat can become a Paladin. And those throwaway teenager years do actually grant you some kind of mechanical benefit in the form of Proficients with tools & Languages (ie skill ranks in stuff no one bothered to take before) even through they are not worth an actual level or award you any advancement in leveling

But the point that people are arguing is are you a new inexperienced Adventurer? And yes, you are. But this is because they are confused and having trouble separating the flavor details with the vague understanding of what do Adventurers do. Because you've never done anything an adventurer does before, but clearly your character wasn't born yesterday either. And then Osl decided to point out how some of the mechanically granted Features which are designed to provide positive RP effects can taken in the very same RP context to impose negative effects on RP as well. Features & Backgrounds all an open gray area of RP and if you wanted to get side tracked away from the rules side you could spend hours on it. But I feel given that it's simultaneously unimportant and up to the DM (if they even care to use it) I don't feel there is anything to argue about. 5th wants you to match flavor & mechanics and they told you what to pen down and even provided random tables for RP generation for you to use too.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2017, 02:47:04 PM by SorO_Lost »

Offline Nanshork

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #88 on: November 26, 2017, 06:58:53 PM »
No offense SorO, but it's you.  Arguing is a default state for you.

Given that backgrounds can explicitly contain previous combat/adventuring experience such as Mercenary Veteran, the fluff of backgrounds can allow for more experience than the "Level 1, 0XP" part of a character sheet would leave you to believe.

Also, I find the "if they even care to use it" comment to be odd.  It's not an optional rule, it's as much a part of the base system as race is in terms of determining starting abilities.

Anyways, I'm the DM and don't actually care as I've made my stance clear.


Okay, I've fleshed out the into into a proper beginning post.  I've arranged it so that SorO doesn't have to edit his post if he doesn't want to.

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #89 on: November 27, 2017, 06:43:19 AM »
Also, I find the "if they even care to use it" comment to be odd.
It's from this.
Quote from: DMG, Background Creation
STEP 5. SETTLE ON A BACKGROUND FEATURE
Choose an existing background feature or create a new one, as you prefer. If you choose an existing feature, add or tweak a few details to make it unique.
For example, the acolyte of Candlekeep background might have the Researcher feature of the sage (as presented in the Player's Handbook), with the additional benefit that the character is allowed to enter Candlekeep without paying the normal cost.
A background feature should avoid strict game benefits, such as a bonus to an ability check or an attack roll. Instead, the feature should open up new options for roleplaying, exploring, and otherwise interacting with the world.
For example, the sage's Researcher feature is designed to send the character on adventures. It doesn't provide information or an automatic success for a check. Instead, if a character with the sage background fails to recall information, he or she instead knows where to learn it. This might be a pointer to another sage or to a library long lost within an ancient tomb.
The best background features give characters a reason to strike out on quests, to make contact with NPCs, and to develop bonds to the setting you've devised.
Take it however you care to since you already have before you knew about it.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #90 on: November 27, 2017, 09:55:04 AM »
You're picking and choosing.

Quote from: PHB, page 125
Proficiencies
Each background gives a character proficiency in two skills. Skills are described in chapter 7.
In addition, most backgrounds give a character proficiency with one or more tools. Tools and tool proficiencies are detailed in chapter 5.

When it's talking about features it specifically means the part in every printed background labelled FEATURE. Which often say "you can do this because of ties with some group" or the sage example giving you a way to know where to find this rare info that isn't conveniently overhearing some random NPC talk about it.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2017, 09:57:03 AM by Raineh Daze »

Offline Archon

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #91 on: November 27, 2017, 10:14:24 AM »
What is the point of this argument?

As far as I can tell, the point of contention here is that Raineh wants their character to have seen combat in the past, given their military background and to justify their hatred of undead, and SorO feels that if they had been in a fight in the past, they would have xp, and thus not be a starting character.

Is that correct? Because currently, you are both kinda going off on a tangent, and I'd like to start playing sometime this year (given that everyone has their characters done, we are solely waiting on a resolution to this argument.)

I think 5e clearly and unambiguously supports the proposition "Your character has done stuff in the past, even as a starting character". If SorO continues to wish to disagree with this statement in general, then how about we have Raineh's character have been on patrol on the day of the battle, missing the fighting (and thus being all the more impassioned - they won't be absent and unable to save their friends again".

Do either of those solutions work for you guys?

Offline Nanshork

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #92 on: November 27, 2017, 10:48:01 AM »
DM says that combat experience is fine in a background as long as it isn't excessive.  No mechanical benefit other than what is listed in the background will be used.

SorO, you're quoting text about making up a new background.  I don't see how that makes backgrounds an optional rule.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #93 on: November 28, 2017, 01:34:34 PM »
So...we've been ready to go for two days now while I wait for people to post in the IC thread.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #94 on: November 28, 2017, 02:00:50 PM »
Well, do we know where the graveyard is? That way the question in the only post so far could be directed to one of us.

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #95 on: November 28, 2017, 02:50:08 PM »
What is the point of this argument?
Presumably to clearly establish the clear lack of communication - like Nan thinking I said Backgrounds were an optional rule - and highlight some inherent problems of experienced players sliding into a different rule system that has analogs from another more familiar system.

Well, do we know where the graveyard is? That way the question in the only post so far could be directed to one of us.
It is directed at whom ever is standing next to Teferi. Be you, an NPC, or the whispering voices in Teferi's head.

You know, your character could shrug and suggest asking a local or maybe since it's your priesthood your character would have asked such while at sea (or leaving). RD doesn't need a map, she just need to post something like "I lead the way to where I think the graveyard is." right? I mean, people were just trying to make a case your character is experienced:P

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #96 on: November 28, 2017, 04:37:38 PM »
That doesn't mean by default I've been somewhere and thus can avoid getting lose. :P

Offline Nanshork

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #97 on: November 28, 2017, 05:18:07 PM »
Well, do we know where the graveyard is? That way the question in the only post so far could be directed to one of us.

You were explicitly chosen for this quest.  You know where it is, as does Os' character if you shared the information.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #98 on: November 29, 2017, 07:00:01 PM »
And I found a map of the place.

Handily, the graveyard is outside. :lmao

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: OOC Thread
« Reply #99 on: November 29, 2017, 07:42:30 PM »
Handily, the graveyard is outside. :lmao
Most graveyards are, but they might have a tomb you can go inside *dundundun*