| (My quick guide so I don't have long e-mails.)
When do you play?
We play every Sunday evening at 8:00 Eastern Standard Time (American not Australian
EST).
How long do you play to.
Players meet at 8:00 Eastern Standard Time and we usually start around 8:30 after some
brief discussions. I usually try to play at least to 12:00 to maximize time, but if people
don't need to leave early we have pushed it to around 12:30 - 1:00.
Where do you play?
We play on IRC, on the sorcery.net server kechara.sorcery.net (when available), in the
channel #Grovewood (include the # sign).
Do you impose an age limit to people who wish to join your campaign?
Yes and No. Since it is difficult to determine a person's age by reading the text that
they write (can you guess my age after reading this FAQ?) I do not enforce a minimum age
that a person must be to play. I do request however that people behave themselves before,
after, and during gaming because there may be some young people present. That means no
vulgarity, sexual references, illegal activities, etc. Usually I have a group from about
15 years of age to 40 years of age, though I have had younger and older players.
What is IRC and how do I use it?
IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat, which is a networked group of chat servers on the
internet. There are several programs that you can use to connect to IRC servers
however I recommend mIRC (http://www.mirc.com) if your a
Windows user. The mIRC site has good instructions on how connect to an IRC
server and how to use mIRC (if your a Mac user, I don't know what's good, but if you need
suggestions, I can bug my Mac using player).
Which AD&D rules system do you use?
I use second edition AD&D rules. I do not use Psionics or the Players Options
books. I also do not use Netbooks so don't get any ideas about being a Jedi
Highlander Klingon Immortal or some other nonsense like that.
Do you plan on moving to 3rd Edition AD&D Rules?
No. Though I like some of the rules I've read in the 3rd edition Player's
Handbook, this campaign has been 2nd Edition for too long, and not all of my players have
information about 3rd edition or want to use that system.
What level may I start at?
Single classed characters can start at level 5. Multi-classed characters with 2
classes may start at level 4 in their most expensive class. Example: A Mage/Thief would
start with 10,000 xp in their each class making them a level 4 mage / level 5 thief.
Multi-classed characters with 3 classes may start at level 4 in their "least
expensive" class. Example: A Fighter / Mage / Thief would have 5,000 xp
in each class making him or her a level 4 thief, but still a level 3 fighter and mage.
Can I use Kits?
If you want to use a kit, I'll have to review the kit before I accept it. If I
don't have the particular book you want to pull the kit from, you'll be asked to tell me
what the kit does.
Can I use the Players' Options books? (Skills and Powers, Spells and Magic, Combat and
Tactics)
No. This campaign started prior to the time those rule books came out, and as such all
the current characters are based on standard 2nd Edition Rules to be fair to my old
players.
Do you allow Psionics?
No. I have had bad experiences with Psionics, therefore I do not allow them.
Can I be a race other than one listed in the Player's Handbook?
Though I discourage it, I will allow it if I find the race acceptable. Note
however that your race will come under social and racial discrimination, and may not have
an enjoyable life in the villages, towns, and cities of the world (and if you don't
believe me, ask my players about the Ogre that got lynched and hung on his first day).
How do I roll statistics, hit points, and gold?
I use a system that is nearly dead called the honor system. You can roll all your
own stuff without me watching you roll. However do note, that if I think you made up
most of your rolls, I don't have to accept your character. You can use any
Player's Handbook rolling method for your statistics, though I prefer Method V. Hit
points are rolled normally, and gold is rolled normally multiplied by your highest level.
Can I start with magical items?
No.
I've never played AD&D before, can you help?
This is a touchy subject. Though often I am happy to help new people learn how to
play, the AD&D system is not the easiest system to learn, and people often get
discouraged and quit, thus almost wasting my time. Therefore I ask that, if your new
and you want to play that you at least invest in a Players Handbook (2nd edition) or a
Core Rules CD (the first one, not the second one or its add on). Either you should
be able to get for about $20.00 new, and in the case of the Handbook if you go to a comic
book store that has used books, as low as $10.00 for a good condition book However
if you're really willing to learn and I have the time, I might be willing to help you
learn in my free time.
I've never played AD&D on IRC before, how does it work?
AD&D on IRC is different in a few ways than real life AD&D. Game speed is
much slower than real life which allows you more time to think through your
actions. However for all you combat lovers, combat is REALLY slow. In my
campaign I encourage more role-playing instead of fighting. Dice rolling is handled
in one of two ways: Either a dice-bot (a script with a name that rolls dice for you)
or I roll the dice in secret and announce the results.
What deities can I choose from for my cleric?
You can check out my world's deity list here (Note: Players
cannot be priests of Aslynn, Eris, and Guardians (the Guardians got wiped out recently in
the campaign). However if you don't like the list of deities that is in my list, you can
make up one of your own, that I will look over and approve or suggest changes to before
you play.
What classes are the other players, and what class would be best for me?
The answer that I give people when asked this is: "I don't give that
information out. You are encouraged to be a class you would like to play, instead of
being a balancing factor for party misbalances." Also if you ask that question
of the other players I get annoyed. In brief, play what you want to play.
Is it ok to be an evil alignment?
I discourage this alignment choice because my game focuses on doing good not evil (got
to keep a watch out for those "AD&D is work of the devil" people, so I can
prove them wrong.). Therefore though I won't stop you from being evil if you really
want to, neither will I stop the players from dispensing justice to the evil player (and
they will too!).
I have a magic using character, what spells may I start with?
For a first level mage I usually allow: Cantrip, Detect Magic, Read Magic, plus two
extra first level spells..
For a second level mage I usually allow: Same as a first level mage, plus two extra first
level spells.
For a third level mage I usually allow: Same as a second level mage, plus 1 first level
spell and 2 second level spells.
For a fourth level mage: Same as a third level mage, plus 1 first and 1 second level
spell.
For a fifth level mage: Same as a fourth level mage, plus 1 first, 1 second, and 2 third
level spells.
For a first level gem wizard I usually allow: 2 first level spells and 1 second level
spell
For a second level gem wizard: 3 first level spells and 2 second level spells
For a third level gem wizard: 3 first level spells, 2 second level spells, and 1 third
level spell.
For a fourth level gem wizard: 4 first level spells, 3 second level spells, and 2 third
level spells.
For a fifth level gem wizard: 6 first level spells, 4 second level, 2 third level, 1
fourth level.
(Note: You still have to buy the gems to scribe your spells on)
For a second level bard I usually allow: 2 first level spells
For a third level bard: 4 first level spells
For a fourth level bard: 4 first level spells and 2 second level spells.
For a fifth level bard: 6 first, 3 second level
How do I send you my character?
I prefer characters to be sent to me by e-mail or DCC file sending (an IRC
option). If you want to send me a character, I am able to view Microsoft
Office files version 6/95, Windows WordPad Docs, Core Rules 1 .chr files, Text files, .rtf
files, .jpg, .gif, etc. My e-mail address is magestar@worldpath.net
Ok, I've sent you a character, now how do I get into the game?
After much discussion on how to better improve the campaign my players and I came up
with these rules. If you would like to play in the campaign we require that you
watch one complete game before you will be allowed to play. The
reason for this is simple: If your interested after the game you'll probably stay
regularly for the games you'll play in. The next game you will be allowed to play
for that session, however it is your job to roleplay your way into
the gaming group, and stay there. If the party doesn't like
you, I'll hear about it and you probably won't be in the next game.
How is experience awarded?
Experience is awarded in several different ways:
First is the usual: You kill it, you earn it method where defeating nasty evil monsters
earns you experience (and not all creatures are nasty and evil, so be careful when you
decide to stereotype.)
The second is the attendance award. Every session you show up to earns you
experience based on when you arrive and when you leave. This is broken down as
follows:
100 xp for arriving on time and leaving at a reasonable time.
50 xp for showing up late, or leaving early.
25 xp for showing up and giving me an excuse why you won't be playing.
These awards receive a multiplier based on the number of levels of your character.
You receive a multiplier of your level - 2, to a minimum of x1.
The third method of earning experience is the coveted Best RPGer award. If enough
players are present, after the game session the players vote privately to me, to determine
who roleplayed the best that session. That winner earns a bonus 300xp multiplied by
their multiplier. Runners up may get smaller rewards.
The fourth way of getting xp is by completing quests and adventures. The amount
awarded is based on how difficult I deem the completed adventure multiplied by what
percentage of the games you were present for. For example if the award was 5000xp
for 10 game sessions, and you were present for 5 of those games you would only get 50% of
that award.
The final method of earning experience is by wowing me (the DM) with some display of
roleplaying greatness.
Why don't you update the website much anymore?
To be frank, I'm running out of ideas to put on my website and I don't have much free
time. I also feel that my website is fairly complete as it stands, with the
exception of some new projects or the minor updates I do every so often, to keep it fresh.
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