Another Static Group Starting - Thursdays

[Fedora1]

Details forthcoming.

What the intent is NOT:

1. Although players from THACO and STORM (v1 and v2) may be participating, this is NOT an experiment trying to emulate D&D (PnP) in DDO.

2. This is NOT a rule-heavy group intended to stop DDO monty-haulism.

3. This is NOT an attempt to compete with THACO or STORM - hence the Thursday night choice (in addition to Thursdays now being an easier day to set aside than Sundays for me personally).

What the intent IS

1. Fun with a static group.

2. A stress-free and relaxed gaming experience outside the PUG and zerg scene.

3. Take our time, enjoy the ride, but do not drag a quest out needlessly.

4. Enjoy xp, loot, and favor rewards - no feeling guilty if you come across a nice uber magic item. You find it, or loot it, or earn it; you can use it.


The GUIDELINES

I hesitate to make a numbered list, as that just starts down the path of "rules" (which are not bad things, but not the way I want this group to roll), so let me describe the basics in a conversational format:

This will simply be a no-AH, no vendor, "use what you find" group with no questing outside the group. No other guidelines necessary unless someone would like to suggest something very simple. Some calls would be common sense like - yes you can use vendors to buy thieves tools, ammunition, quivers, spell components. Other decisions can be made on the fly by group consensus and changed, relaxed, or otherwise modified later no big deal.

Death is dealt with the DDO way - res shrine or release and re-enter if you want. No one will be sitting in a tavern listening to the others have a good time, no one destroys your prize weapon.

Again, this would NOT be an experiment in bringing D&D to DDO. It would be very relaxed, yet more challenging (no twinking with AH, alts, and vendors) way of playing DDO with some good company. But it still IS DDO.

Please post below if interested (even if you have already sent me a PM) so we can keep a tally. Any and all classes/races are fine, as are multiclassed characters. We will play at whatever level and difficulty the group can handle, and it could vary from quest-to-quest. I envision a static group that may eventually be able to TR together.

[Fedora1]

As I met with another interested player last night, we discussed the possibility of a group theme or even taking the role of some Korthos NPC's and "playing" them.

For instance, a group theme might be all halflings. This might be hard if some folks don't like halflings.

The Korthos NPC theme would be something like this:

Start a character called "Jeets" (or if taken,something similar) and make a halfling rogue.
Start a character called "Amalgam" and make a warforged sorcerer.
Celemus - human female cleric.
Lars - human male "something"? Perhaps an artificer or wizard?

Look around at the NPC's in Korthos.

Is "Ursa" a fighter or paladin? She is wearing heavy armor.
What about Linus? Is he just a fat, illiterate town bumpkin or is he a Barbarian and what looks like fat is really muscle?
How about the fisherman, Baldar the Bold? Just a fisherman, or perhaps he was enlisted in the merchant marines for a few years?
How about the two brothers in the Wavecrest Tavern with crossbows? Assassins?

Anyway, these were just ideas we tossed around. You could probably make a wide assortment of characters just by using the NPC's in and around Korthos. Remember the Dwarf with the trade goods out on the island?

[Fedora1]

We would probably be looking at a 7-10PMish time frame (EST).

Suggested server is Wayfinder, since we won't be looking for PUGs or using vendor/AH, may as well select the least populated server in case anyone has lag issues.

[Varhann]

We would probably be looking at a 7-10PMish time frame (EST).

Suggested server is Wayfinder, since we won't be looking for PUGs or using vendor/AH, may as well select the least populated server in case anyone has lag issues.

I'm interested, but my participation will be intermittent until after January due to personal conflicts.

I like the idea of the theme, but I'm not so sure you can name your characters after NPCs. I think those names are blocked.

Consider me in, though. I'd like to take either a Sorc , Barb or Bard.

[Fedora1]

I'm interested, but my participation will be intermittent until after January due to personal conflicts.

I like the idea of the theme, but I'm not so sure you can name your characters after NPCs. I think those names are blocked.

Consider me in, though. I'd like to take either a Sorc , Barb or Bard.

Okay I didn't know about NPC names being blocked, we could come up with another idea if need be.

Intermittent participation is not a problem. I think we could go as far as a 3 level spread without any issues, although I know some people like to "keep up". We can make it work though. I'd say if someone is self conscience about being too far behind, questing alone to catch up to within a level or two is fine. Again, this is a relaxed static group, the idea is to have a good time outside the PUG and zerg scene.

[Fedora1]

I am still deciding what I would like to do. Probably a Paladin, Ranger, or a muliclassed version of one of those classes. Human or Half Elf. Or I might try something a little less standard, just not sure yet.

[Hazelnut]

Backstory
If we can't play the continuation of the NPCs (Jeets Cellimas and friends), then how about a family? The only restriction needs to be race. And even that could be relaxed a bit. The family doesn't have to be particularly close. Cousins (including 2nd and 3rd removed) would be pretty normal. The not-quite-family family could be people that have been with the family for a long time.

One idea might be the family was forced to leave their farm/hamlet in the Cerulean Hills when the orc bandits started attacking in force. The farm was destroyed and the remaining family broken up and trying to make a new life. Our used the last of our money to book passage out of Stormreach but the ship was attacked and we ended up in Korthos. Now we are stuck back in Stormreach and lack the funds to book passage out (at least until we are high enough level to do some of the Forgotten Realms quests). Essentially an off-shoot (or part of) the Braza family. I think Nash said everyone else ran way but he was determined to get his farm back.

Guidelines
As for rules, when we say no vendors or AH, I assume you mean the "brokers" in the marketplace. Because the general vendors don't sell anything special. Even the armor and weapons vendors in House D only sell +1 items. And those aren't very special by the time you get out of Koroths. Of course, by my own argument there's no reason to actually go buy the stuff in House D by the time I can get there. So, I guess it doesn't matter.

Character
I think I would like to try something else. I've done rangers and rogues so far. Although I haven't really role-played a rogue. Maybe a Bard (Is bard F2P?) or Cleric. I haven't really decided, I'm up for suggestions.

[Fedora1]

As for rules, when we say no vendors or AH, I assume you mean the "brokers" in the marketplace. Because the general vendors don't sell anything special. Even the armor and weapons vendors in House D only sell +1 items. And those aren't very special by the time you get out of Koroths. Of course, by my own argument there's no reason to actually go buy the stuff in House D by the time I can get there. So, I guess it doesn't matter.

Yeah pretty much. The vendors that sell normal stuff (or even +1) are fine. But potion/scroll/wand vendors probably not. Anything you can get from collectors for turning in collectables is fine.

I think I would like to try something else. I've done rangers and rogues so far. Although I haven't really role-played a rogue. Maybe a Bard (Is bard F2P?) or Cleric. I haven't really decided, I'm up for suggestions.

Bards are F2P, and are always welcome in any party. They are the ultimate support character in a way. If you have 400 favor on the server you could make a Drow which make nice bards.

Oooh maybe a group of all Drow! We'd have to play on a server where everyone already has 400 favor (or bought Drow) though and not sure everyone likes Drow. lol
Anyway keep the ideas coming.

[Hazelnut]

...

Bards are F2P, and are always welcome in any party. They are the ultimate support character in a way. If you have 400 favor on the server you could make a Drow which make nice bards.

Oooh maybe a group of all Drow! We'd have to play on a server where everyone already has 400 favor (or bought Drow) though and not sure everyone likes Drow. lol
Anyway keep the ideas coming.

That sounds fun, but I haven't got anywhere near that much favor on any server yet. Heck, I'm still trying to get 75 coin lord favor for the extra backpack slot on most of my characters. Otherwise, I would consider a Drow. I've never really liked them but I would do it for a group rp.

The family doesn't prevent alternate races as long as most of the PCs are the same race. Warforged could be retainers/protectors. One other race could have been adopted.

Bard Character
I was reading through the bard and elf enhancements and was reminded of a character from a book I recently read. The book, called The Enchanted Emporium, is a sort of modern-day fantasy book about a family of witches. One of the character, Charlotte, casts her magic through playing her guitar and is able to travel quickly by walking through a sort of magical woods. It struck me as very similar to the dragonmark abilities that the elves get.

I also thought of a failed cleric. A rogue Jorasco healer. The old rebellion story. Trained to be a healer in house Jorasco, got sick of it, and ran away to be a Bard.

So, I'm probably going to make a bard.

[Fedora1]

So, I'm probably going to make a bard.

That will be awesome.

I am leaning toward a multiclass Ranger/Rogue. Probably human, but could do helf/elf if needed for a theme.

Still looking at some classes I have never played yet. Druid? Favored Soul (which I would have to buy since I don't own it yet), or even artificer? I have splashed a couple levels of arti on a character or two, but never went all out with one. I never played a bard past level 5-ish, but since you are leaning that way I certainly can do something else.

Decisions decisions....

Oh I most definitely WON'T be playing a sorc or wiz. I have tried. I have failed. Miserably.

[Relem]

When are you likely to start the group?

[zefjoe]

As for theme you could do a few family members of one race accompanied by retainers/body guards of another. Or a band of mercenaries hiring out to the locals. Or two groups of races drawn together by the same tragedy.

Spinning off Hazelnuts suggestion, you could be relatives of the characters in Korthos, much like Grondley Drexlehand was the brother of Jacoby Drexlehand. [great bit of roleplay there!]

[Fedora1]

When are you likely to start the group?

Probably as soon as we get 3-4 people interested.

Right now we have 3, but one can't be reliable until January. That would only put him (at most) about 8 sessions behind. Since this is not a zerg/power leveling group, he could catch up pretty easily - or if he has Vet status it would be no issue at all. In the original STORM group we hit L7-ish after about 4 months, but this group will likely be leveling quicker than that.

[Asmodeus451]

i'd be interested in joining up, possibly with a Monk? (though a 28 pt monk might be hard to swing, i'll have to give some more thought to it)

[DrowsworD]

Count me in. Some of us have been using Thursday as a catch-up nights for STORM v2, but this sounds good.

All my characters have a back-story. They are all members of an extended merchant family. Over the generations, family status has extended to people of different races due to service and loyalty. The family has its good eggs and bad; some were stranded while on an exploratory mission to scout out new territory; some were sent or left to get away from the powerful T'hal family.

I may play a multi-class, as I have only one and not played that very much. Not certain what classes yet.

If we can't use vendors to buy stuff - we will have to use them to sell stuff the group doesn't need - we will have a huge amount of cash very quickly.

I can do 8 - 10 EST on Thursday.

[Varhann]

i'd be interested in joining up, possibly with a Monk? (though a 28 pt monk might be hard to swing, i'll have to give some more thought to it)

You can build a static group Monk just fine on 28 pts. The enhancement lines really help a lot.

I can dig a round a look for some of my old builds for you.

[Varhann]

Probably as soon as we get 3-4 people interested.

Right now we have 3, but one can't be reliable until January. That would only put him (at most) about 8 sessions behind. Since this is not a zerg/power leveling group, he could catch up pretty easily - or if he has Vet status it would be no issue at all. In the original STORM group we hit L7-ish after about 4 months, but this group will likely be leveling quicker than that.

Fedora, if you get six folks interested, don't hold my space. I don't want you guys to have to wait until Jan for a full group. I'll know more once the rehersal schedule comes out this week.

If that is the case, we can revisit it in Jan and see if there is a slot open. I'd be able to catch up to you guys in a few sessions.

If there is no rogue, I will take a rogue. If not it'll be a Sorc.

[zefjoe]

I am still deciding what I would like to do. Probably a Paladin, Ranger, or a muliclassed version of one of those classes. Human or Half Elf. Or I might try something a little less standard, just not sure yet.

I've had good results with a 3 class multi melee
- half elf w/ pally dilly; for saves boost and immunities to disease and +saves to magical disease
- rogue; for Shiv and Bleed Then Out and Venomed Blades
- ranger; for martial weapons!, TWF if you're inclined that way but also the Deep Woodstalker and Arcane Archer lines help out with Rogue abilities, crossbows and regular bow
- bard; for some utility spells and healing, some songs and the Warchanter line gives great PRR
or
-cleric; for some buff spells and healing, good fort and wis saves and Warpriest line for AC and Weapon enh and Smite

Don't hesitate to go 3 class split. In for a penny - in for a pound. Once you go multi - go all in. Look closely at the enhancement lines for synergy. It's possible to have Trip, Bleed Them Out, Shiv, Smite lined up - each on their own timer. Venomed Blades running as a stance. Devastating melee damage that will work with a Two hander weapon. Plus you get SA until you pick up aggro. [They should all be dead by then ]

[Hazelnut]

Probably as soon as we get 3-4 people interested.

Right now we have 3, but one can't be reliable until January. That would only put him (at most) about 8 sessions behind. Since this is not a zerg/power leveling group, he could catch up pretty easily - or if he has Vet status it would be no issue at all. In the original STORM group we hit L7-ish after about 4 months, but this group will likely be leveling quicker than that.

May I suggest that everyone interested meet on Wayfinder at 8pm this coming Thursday November 7 in the Leaky Dingy? Use an existing character (if you have one) or make a throw-away. We can discuss

• Race
• Class
• Back Story
• Start Time
• End Time
• Ongoing plot
• Quests (affects plot-line)
• F2P or purchased chains
• use of guest passes
• anything else?

[Asmodeus451]

gave it some more thought, turns out i cant do it after all