Hall of Fame Nominations 2012

[Chronicler]

It's time for another round of Hall of Fame nominations, this time for 2012!

The current games in this folder are amazing already, but we're sure there are more games of the same quality out there, and we'd love to recognize them.

Game Criterea Solo Games must have at least 300 in game posts and 'Regular' Games must have been active for at least a year. Games which were inducted into the Hall of Fame during a previous running are ineligible for nomination during this running. However, if a game was nominated during a previous running but DID NOT make it into the hall of fame, it is eligible. Staff-run games are eligible for nominations. Inactive games are eligible for nomination! Just because a game is finished or has died off, it doesn't mean that it's not a prime example of what we like to see. You can nominate any game that meets the criteria, even if you were/are a DM/player! It's not arrogant. It's nominating a game that you loved and thought was great-- and that's what we want to see. You must have at least 100 posts to nominate a game.

What we are looking for in a game Quality posts-- good role-playing is always a plus. Longevity-- dedication to a game on this site is one of the highest aspirations of a DM and players. Good Implementation-- Whether it's a very unique game idea or if it's a classical game idea done very well, a masterful DM and players make any game fun.

Nomination Format Name: (include a link) DM(s): Self-explanatory. Current Players: include past players if you wish Reasons for nomination: Describe your reasons for nominating the game and why you think it deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. Links: You must provide a link to a section of ten posts which you would like reviewers to read. This link is allowed a paragraph of up to 300 words to set the scene. You can provide up to two of these. All of this makes it easier for the Community Supporters to review.

"Second"-ings should contain their own nomination and description so that the thread isn't cluttered with "second"s. Nominations that are a simple 'I second this nomination' will be deleted. Please do not "third" a nomination.

On June 15th, there will be a public poll to narrow the list down. Approximately a week after that, these games will be brought over to the CS Forum where the Community Supporters will decide which games make it in!

Want a hand in the final voting process? Go ahead and become a Community Supporter!

You can peruse all the previous Hall of Fame inductees here.

[Lormador]

Mindflayers nomination Name: Mindflayers DM: Lormador Current Players:   anomalousman, Guts, Scimmy, tiluvias99, Fil kearney, Eviltedzies. Past players include DiabolicalGenius, Ithamar, and many more in the Colosseum area. Reasons for nomination:   For 20ish months now, the twists and turns of Mindflayers have brought life to the Underdark. Many players have played parts in this campaign, and it continues to grow. The setting is a unique underground Planescape/Ravenloft fusion, of my own design, packed with dark secrets, many of which still lie hidden. Prophecy, intrigue, gritty detail, way over-the-top player characters and wild, anything-goes homebrew make this a game that just won't quit. Also, we're the only game in which the consumption of brains is described with a connoisseur's delicacy, and in which humanoids are most often referred to as food-creatures. Posts:   It is impossible for me to boil down the best posts of this game, there are so many that I enjoy. Therefore, I asked the players to contribute their favorites, and here they are! Travel to, and arrival at, the Drow Noble House of Zavakvol, which one of the PCs (as a doppelganger) has replaced the Matron Mother. The characters make for the safe room, where all four irredeemably evil creatures negotiate the twisted terms of their alliance, guardedly share the precious little they know of the plane, and plot the destruction of the Hidden Lord. Kyraxxus, a mind flayer Soul Eater who hasn't eaten in a very, very long time (enough to seriously contemplate eating his friends), detects an edible creature. A massive battle ensues, involving a nude Gloura armed only with a light mace and an Underdark Treant Grove Guardian who proves quite the challenge for the party. Note: some posts are stored in the password-protected archive, or contain lengthy secret text sections. I will provide the password to interested parties, but do not wish to open the archive. The players would read it, and the tense atmosphere of mystery we've worked hard to build would be diminished. If my assistance is required to access certain information, I'll happily provide it. Please respect my wishes, in turn, to conceal as much as possible from the players. Strict control of information is a hallmark of the campaign.

[Wretch]

Name: Binary Messiah
DM: Wretch
Current Players: Copatt, Still_Pond, Sulldawga, HellsingsRaziel, EngrinAZ, Tbonezes, kingmonkey, GleefulNihilism
Past Players: Ricochet Jones, Reivision, Dragoon, VaricoseDwarf, Tsavatar and LupusRegalis
Guest Player: Nimlos

Reasons For Nomination: Since it's inception fifteen months ago, Binary Messiah has striven to maintain very high standards of written quality. We're not novelists, but we have great writers and the vast majority of our posts reflect this. The players pride themselves in going the extra mile (or paragraph) to make their posts better, their characters more fleshed out and believable. The result is an incredibly colorful cast of gripping characters, very human, despite a few of their wild particularities, and all of whom are easy to genuinely care for.

The story itself is grand and sprawling, a massive space opera, PbP style. First and foremost, Binary Messiah is the telling of a tale, it's game status comes off as secondary. We're not freestyle though, as, we do adhere to the guidelines set by d20 Modern, but in no way is the game restricted by it's pen and paper rules.

We've succeeded in attracting a good number of lurkers to us, many of who still continue to have very positive feedback about the game. I consider that an achievement, if these people are willing to give their time to read a game they don't even play in, then, surely, the game is doing something right. Also, since I mentioned achievements, Binary Messiah was awarded for a post of the month back in August of last year and we continue to submit entries on a regular basis.

Links: Lastly, here's a few highlight posts for you guys to sample

PotM Post
A pretty good post near the end of chapter one
An awesome post by the wonderful Copatt
Excellent post by Reivision
An exemplary post by our resident simian, kingmonkey

Thank you for your consideration!

[Master of Monsters]

Name: Forgotten Realms Chronicles (formally Scepter Tower of Spellguard)
DM(s): Master of Monsters

Current Players: Hvg3akaek, Admin Sedracus, Dalinen, Olorian, sammichweasel, EngrInAZ, Humafan. Former: KithKunabi, FunkyFable, Halcyon, Knate, Lithium Flower, juxtaposition, Trapper, The Firkraag, Sakure

Reasons for nomination: Started in January of 2009, this game has persevered through the loss of players and me losing my computer. My players are the reason why this game should be considered, as they have provided me with three years of memories. With an all star cast of Admins, Mods, Community Supporters, Site veterans and new players, this game has provided joy to players of all levels!

Links: Link Fist 10 posts of that thread.Just after achieving their first goal, the party faces disaster as two of their members are found dead, and a third is missing!

The above is my way of removing a player(Rubas) and replacing two characters when the players wanted to try new materials(Mainly the PHB2 as it was recently released)

Link #2 From linked post down 10 postsrising from their first evening on the road, the party is faced by three bears.

Just a nice(and recent) set of replies from my players!

[Mal Radagast]

Disclaimer : Some referenced sections may occasionally exceed PG13 rating...

nomination Name : ...is so DM : kingmonkey Current Players : cyranojoe, Felyx Zephyr, Ericg1s, Iriel2010?, reivision?, and myself Past Players : Thybeli, Malikane, copatt, estradling and Aethera (who very kindly has not requested the return of her character, whom I've stolen and become rather attached to) Reason For Nomination/Link : If I may, I'm presenting my lack of the latter as my explanation of the former. Which is to say, there's no one part which makes any great sense when removed from the whole. The whole, however, seems to amount to much more than the sum of its parts. In endeavoring to craft an engaging world which defies common definitions and combinations, kingmonkey has driven his players insane to new places, as writers, which they may not have expected, but have come, I think, to define themselves by. So start at the beginning, read the first ten or twenty posts - if you're not driven to keep reading, then there's something wrong with you this probably isn't the place to cast your vote.

nomination Name : Sons of Ancient Hibernia DM : mountainbound Current Players : Grogg Tree, HughtheHand, AncientOrder, GeoAvanti, AlwaysCivilMike, Cidolfas, kenneth, and myself Past Player : Chiima (Who very kindly has not returned to claim her character, whom I've stolen and since become rather attached to. Hrm, I'm noticing a pattern here...) Reason For Nomination : I noticed this game before I ever got a chance to join, and for one thing, it reads as well as most novels. That's a rare enough quality in a game. The players are all immensely engaged, even when real lives bear down on them, all putting effort into cultural research, reference imagery, and realistic roleplaying. The story itself is a refreshing style of campaign - the restrictions to ancient Celtic lore and land give it a great sense of integrity and also a sense of reality which you don't find in classic mashup dnd. Links : Just two? Argh. Here begins a section wherein mountainbound juggles three groups of two PCs who have been sent on a series of challenges to prove their worth. It ends with one of my favorite moments, as AlwaysCivilMike decides for his character to do something which he knows OOC is useless, but she doesn't. Alternatively, this bit shows how extensive and interactive a full-party combat can be - complete with a character death! Afterwards, the party follows into the Otherland and manages to return with their lost comrade - which I might add is a great roleplay mechanism for keeping a beloved character in the game.

[EngrInAZ]

Name: Binary Messiah
DM: Wretch
Current Players: Copatt, Still_Pond, Sulldawga, HellsingsRaziel, EngrinAZ, Tbonezes, kingmonkey, GleefulNihilism
Past Players: Ricochet Jones, Reivision, Dragoon, VaricoseDwarf, Tsavatar and LupusRegalis
Guest Player: Nimlos

Reasons For Nomination: I am a recent addition to the game (Nov ’11), but I jumped at the opportunity to participate with such an excellent group of players and writers. This game exemplifies what I find most enjoyable about PbP, the fact that each of the players is an active participant in creating an interesting and exciting story. Wretch, our DM, creates wonderfully vivid scenes and situations that stimulate one’s creativity and imagination.

As Wretch sets the scene, the players quickly take hold and make it their own. They are all eager to interact and develop their characters, creating relationships that are intriguing and poignant. You can tell from the quality and style of writing that the players all have real attachments to their characters.

I believe that this game excels in all the elements that make for a HOF game.

Links: Here are a few groups of posts that give a feel for the game (though you really should peruse the whole game).

Start of Chapter 2 (Should read more than just 10 )
The first post sets the scene.

Later in Chapter 2 (Again, you would be well served to read beyond 10).

Hope you enjoy reading through the game as much as I have.

[dirkoth]

I am proud to nominate Ronarscorruption's "Desert Sands" to the voting

Name: Desert Sands

DM(s): Ronarscorruption

Current Players: Ronar, Aosaw, Foggyknight, Gath, myself, with a small plethora of wonderful gamers moving in and out through the storyline/past.

Reasons for nomination: DS has everything you could want in a game. It has been moving forward for over 4 years steadily, through six chapters. It has an award winning DM in a rich, creative world of his own creation. It has the greatest theme ever in a DnD game, wily adventurers going against a dragon... and it's been many exciting years, and we haven't fought her yet! Ronar has brought together seasoned, veteran players, and integrated fresh, new players into the game at the same time, just what you want from an inclusive, open-armed game.

While players have come and gone, many of their PC's remain, fixtures throughout. And yet, there are players who remain through the game, but with multiple characters moving through the cycle. We have mages and minotaurs, rogues and ice princesses, elven queens and reincarnated demi-goddesses. Sometimes, we seem to fight ourselves more than the bad guys, but through it all, Garig and Koma and the dozen manifestations of Jake, Nymthraz, Nibdelas, Nikta and Mana stumble their way to the final confrontation with Brauava, the great dragon, who lies in her lair, scheming to stop us before we can stop her.

Links:

Background: The party typically consisted of 5 semi-permanent PCs: Nibdelas, Nymthraz, Garig, Jake, and Koma. In the previous adventure, Nibdelas had sacrificed her life and been destroyed, in order to save the party, and to recover an important artifact to be used against the evil Dragon Brauava. Her death and loss was still an open wound for the party, who was just beginning to move past it.

In this portion of the adventure, however, Garig, an absent-minded transmutist, has recreated Nibdelas (Nib) using his magics, and brought her "back" from the dead to help fight once again, not realizing the impropriety of his actions or their effects on his friends. His magics, however, were short term, and the re-created Nibdelas lasted long enough this time to save their lives once again, and then bring back a lot of emotions among her friends, who must face losing her one more time, while their grief is still raw.

The aftermath



Secondly, a simple example of some of the great posting that occurs throughout the game. Little gems, scattered across the game, to be savored when found.

In this post, the party is in "downtime" between deadly battles, resting in a small camping area in the woods. In it, Nym carries out something as simple as bathing and braiding hair while holding a conversation.

You don't often get into the very everyday, ordinary, and mundane things like bathing and cleaning during a DnD adventure, but I felt that Gath really set the scene and drew a very in-depth picture of the "new" Nym with this scene. There's no blood, no magic, no swords or sorcery, just a great picture of a simple, everyday thing, that still brings forth something about the characters involved as Nym and Nibdelas explore this new phase of Nym's existence, and Nym explores a new set of interesting feelings.

Down Time

[hvg3akaek]

Name: The Lost Writings of Aureon
DM: hvg3akaek

Current Players: Sakure, Coeur de Lion, Soporte Vaca, Olorian, sneakybastard, UnseenShade, sammichweasel.
Recent Players: Hyregoth, kedcoleman, LoveBug, Phil, fox-master.

Reasons for nomination: The game has been running for about two and a half years (since November 2009), and has been quite an enjoyable game to DM. The players have kept things interesting, even going so far as to create well-written and in-depth posts for the rounds where they are lying unconscious on the ground! As with all games, players drop and new players arrive, but each time, they are integrated well and accepted to the party, and bring along their own talent and ideas for the story, keeping it entertaining to run and play in.

 

Olorian has a lot of fun describing Pogo's relation with his summoned animals, as well as creating a unique, one-legged kobold druid, who spends the time when he's not a swarm of tiny insects hopping around. Throughout the game, the characters interact well, such as an early archery lesson between Amaranta and Vance, Phil's ranger; or the distrust of the introduction of newer characters, such as the half-orc Udodak, played by fox-master, who arrived claiming to have killed a former enemy.

Coeur de Lion's Valna, the head of an expedition into a twisted and corrupt tower, struggles to hold the group together whilst they bravely fight to destroy a curse that threatens to encompass them all. Enemy NPCs are interacted with (not merely slaughtered), and scary or tense moments have an effect on the characters beyond mere mechanical applications.

More recently, sneakybasterd had put great effort into his portrayal of Aeleena and her summoned succubus, and sammichweasel threw aside concern for his own character and kept trying to save others, and went down as a true hero.

Links: Reading from here will give you the start of what happened to Sakure's character, Amaranta, when she fell unconscious in one particularly nasty battle. There is not a lot of background needed - indeed, the following posts give a lot of the background - but the short of it is Amaranta's fiancée died, and she misses him. And as she drifts closer to death, she meets him once more! Sadly, this deathly tale goes a lot further than the mere ten posts allowed for the nomination, but hopefully, it gives you a taste of what is to come, and you may well want to skim further ahead and find more

Thought I would recommend reading the entire doomed encounter, here's a link to the last few rounds. And, to clear the air - those that lost characters did make new ones, and are currently adventuring with the surviving few!

[mountainbound]

Seconding Malleus Malaprop's nomination.

Name: Sons of Ancient Hibernia

DM(s): MB

Current Players: AlwaysCivilMike, AncientOrder, GeoAvanti, Grogg Tree, HughtheHand, Kenneth, Malleus Malaprop, Chiima (past) and Cidolfas (past).

Reasons for nomination: Great mix of historical setting and character-focused players. The game takes place in Northern Ireland, 499AD (once known as Hibernia), using actual maps and clan names from that time period. Being a pseudo-historical game, there are no clerics, wizards, hobbits, elves, dwarves, etc. Instead, druids reign alongside their clan chieftans; and the people all carry their own beliefs about the Tuatha Dé Danann, an otherworldly race who gave rise to much of Irish mythology and many DND archetypes.

The game's historical angle has provides an incredible amount of background detail (thanks Wikipedia!) which every player has used to enrich his or her posts. Characters wear kilts, get rained on (it's Ireland, after all), carry iron-tipped spears, bear Irish names and linages, and even speak Gaelic (or Google Translate's rendition of it at least!).

Testament to the quality of writing in the game, the Sons of Ancient Hibernia netted 3 Posts of the Month in 2011, in addition to the 2011 Post of the Year. Personal note: I lived in Ireland in 1996 and 97, and studied Irish Mythology at UCC.

Links:

Link 1
This post is the culmination of the High Druid Toirdhealbhach's summons of the characters for testing by the gods (they are the chosen ones: the Ar Leith of clan Dal Riada). Five challenges are set before the group, and they must break up into duos to complete the different trials before midnight of the same day. Anyone interested in the culmination of the different quests can read on.

Link 2
In Chapter 2 the characters have to herd a few dozen unruly cattle into enemy territory (crossing the River Bann in the process). The river scene is one of the lighter moments of the adventure -- good role-playing in this section is paired against tension caused by a tough combo of Handle Animal and Swim skill checks. The focus of the chapter is "Na Bearrach Bán," which means "the white heifer" in Gaelic. The cow is ultimately sacrificed to the Irish gods in one of the last posts of the chapter.

[hvg3akaek]

Name: Heroes of Fallcrest

DM: hvg3akaek, but more importantly:

Current Players: girlplay, TheKeck, Coeur de Lion, Grogg Tree, Sakure, Master of Monsters, AximusLokar.
Recent Players: Trapper, Hyregoth, clark352, Elwen, Halcyon, Olorian.

Reasons for nomination: I was initially (early 2009) asked to DM this game, as the previous DM (Davion) had found himself too busy to continue. Right there, I knew it was going to be good - a group of players who had already played together, and were now actively seeking out a DM to continue their adventures? Great!

And great it has been - the very first thread, which I threw together to get some general role-playing, merging of characters, and setting up of the quest, went for almost a hundred posts, with me only placing one solitary post in there at the start.

Since then, the players have kept to a good, lively and committed posting format, allowing updates to be smooth and engaging, and as we have moved on through the next five chapters, over the next year or so, they have stuck around and really brought life to their characters, and excitement to the game setting!

The few new characters over the time have been welcomed and absorbed smoothly, including merging in the long running (since May 2008) "Keep of the Shadowfell" players, and it continues to be a joy to run this group in this game!

(the archive folder contains older threads, but even the most recent arc is a good read from the beginning!)

As one major arc finished, the cast changed a little, including the reintroduction of MoM, an old player, and some fresh blood to add to the .


Links: I'm going to stick with the two links used previously: the players taking an idea, and running with it. In this case, I said 'have some RP time as you rest', at the end of a long, hard day of adventuring, whilst also opening the next thread up for the following day. And even though their next day posts were great, it's nice and refreshing to see people continuing on a 'finished' thread to get more character development and interaction happening. note: Father Loki is an old dwarf who has some...ah...mental issues in as much as working out who people are, how they relate to him, and if he can remember them or not. Of course, there's far more than that, just browse the archives, or read through the current threads

[anomalousman]

Seconding the Mindflayers nomination Name: Mindflayers DM: Lormador Current Players:   anomalousman, Guts, Scimmy, tiluvias99, Fil kearney, Eviltedzies. Past players include DiabolicalGenius, Ithamar, and many more in the Colosseum area. Reasons for nomination: I just worked out that I've played in 55 PbP games over the last decade, with about half on this site. Of those, this game is the most fun. It's the most immersive, the most textured, and the most exciting. I've played in it from the start as a Mind Flayer (ECL 15, with gestalt rules to allow us some choices in our character builds). It's rare that you get to play anything that far afield, and before this game I'd literally never seen a DM pull off a campaign at that level. Never mind an evil campaign. But Lormador actually makes it a virtue - through careful construction of the scenario, there's just enough danger and restriction to keep the game in check while still maintaining a sense (and actuality) of a completely open, player-driven campaign. Over the last two years, this has gone from a party game, to a solo game, and now is blooming as a party game once again, where the various threads are allowed to separate and reintegrate naturally. The other players are great. They have created interesting characters, and play them artfully. The 'dance' as the new group met and tentatively turned from potential adversaries into allies for the moment has been deeply enjoyable. In an 'evil' game, we had to be especially careful to hit the right note: `Goldman Sachs' evil, rather than 'Charles Manson' evil. It's also a game filled with secrets. With so many secrets, we have to share just the right amount to make the process work. The spice of 'behind-the-scenes' information in posts has been just enough to keep the players interested, without distorting the in-character behaviour. They write well. Delightfully, in fact. Every page there are at least two or three posts that make me clap like an enthused nerd, and the others are all solid. Finally, Lormador is doing a fabulous job as a DM, and fully deserves any praise I can muster. His design of the setting elements is flawless. It's not easy providing the right mix of challenge and freedom for high-level play, but much of his attempts to make that work are completely seamlessly built into the scenario itself. In terms of management, he splits and merges the party with minimal angst, and this really gives the players freedom to play their characters without any constraints. The game now has an entire arena sub-game to help add flavour to his Beholder-city. That flavour goes from the sweeping design right down to the little details of essentially every post he makes. I know what this place smells like. I know what it feels like. And I can't wait for more. Posts:   This is both difficult, and easy. It's difficult, because a decent fraction of the material that I see as a player is in secret text, or in private threads. It's easy because the quality is so uniform. For those with behind-the-scenes access, just have a look at the solo part of the game. To set the scene: the Mind Flayer sept was destroyed by a staggering intrusion from an unknown force, and a small band of survivors fell through a planar gate. On the other side, blocked by thick Faezeress (restricted planar access and teleportation), they struggled against a hostile environment. After encounters with a battle-hardened small fey enclave, Samatichinfilli finds himself truly, utterly alone: (http://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthread.php?t=112511) For those with normal access, perhaps just watch as the new party forms. From my point of view, Samatichinfilli had just killed a Beholder, and watched as the dying face was possessed by the leering being who secretly controls the city and the demi-plane. And who was behind the incursion that destroyed his Sept. Seething with anger, and disguised as a drow, he flies to a bar bored out of the ceiling of the Underdark cavern. There he meets what might be one of his few hopes for allies in this place. The secret text for Samatichinfilli has this description: The bar above Olothurull The dust of the Beholder that just became your hasty meal swirls and vanishes in the eddies of Olothruul's dank, fetid air, thick with darkness. It seems viscous here sometimes in Olothruul, as though something worse than darkness were slowly festering, growing, and spreading here. The wings of your wyvern beat the air in a circular rise, bringing you ever closer to the ceiling of the cavern. After a few moments of flight, it draws near. You sense myriad holes, nooks, and crannies on the ceiling, passageways to more private areas. Directly above you, though, you notice what seems to be some sort of drinking establishment. Holes in the cavern wall form windows, through which dim crimson and vermilion light can be seen. The faint whiff of alcohol reaches your nostrils, not the poisonous grog of the Orcs but the refined distillations of the Drow. A rocky ledge forms the entrance to the nameless bar, carved into the ceiling of Olothruul. Upon is stands the being who was only just now on the cavern floor. It stands above the corpse of a Succubus. Near the cavern entrance is a large sphere of onyx, thick, and merged into the rough, stony ceiling. And the meeting is here: (http://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthrea...27#post4905027) Some of most impressive posts come on the next page, but they get so multi-layered that it's much easier to appreciate them when reading from the start.

[cyranojoe]

SECONDED WITH VERVE Name: ...is so DM: kingmonkey Current Players: Ericg1s, Felyx Zephyr?, Iriel2010?, reivision?, Malleus_Malaprop, and myself Past Players: Thybeli, Malikane, copatt, estradling and Aethera (others? I can't recall at this point) Reason For Nomination/Link: Brilliance. Beauty. No other story or world compares for such utter imagination and mystery. A lunatic who dances along walls in a vast labyrinth empty of human life; a city-sized monstrosity; a horribly destructive wizard powered by his boundless rage; ghosts, terrifying open spaces draped with silent white flags... the surprises never end, and I never grow tired of the game. I only hope to one day unravel some of its mysteries! Not to mention how the players were selected in the first place! Interested parties were asked to write a scene of cruelty -- such an unusual request, that part alone was marvelous and memorable. This is the best game I've ever been in, ever seen, etc etc.

[Foxtrot]

Name: Birth of the Superhumans
DM: Daygamer
Current Players: FoggyKnight, Nightshade, Cygnus, GleefulNihilism, Foxtrot, Anon315, DoubleL1987, Pulsar, Hawkerra

Reasons for nomination:

 

Birth of the Superhumans started out as a simple enough concept. Teenagers with superpowers. However, little did any of us realize at the time just how much the game would affect all of us who play it. It not a just a game where people come to post things, but a community where friends come to write together and share experiences with one another whether that is in the fictional universe the game takes place in or in RL. Thanks to this game, those involved have become even more than just a community. We've become a family. We don't always get along IC, and sometimes I suspect we might even annoy or tick each other off in RL, just like a real family. The people involved in this game are not just playing characters in a game, but are real people who care about one another both IC and out. An example of this is how at the end of an evening of writing with one another, everyone says goodnight to one another. New players have been seamlessly brought in and within a week, it seems like they have been with us since the beginning. Our OOC is as much about things happening in our lives as they are about what is happening in the game. And what a game it is...

Birth of the Superhumans is a game that despite it's original GM having to leave for a while, survived and has since thrived thanks to the close bonds the players had built with one another despite not knowing each other before the game started. Part of this is due to the Open Roleplaying section in the game and the unbelievable amount of character development that happens there. Every character in this game has their own story to tell within the overall structure of the game. These stories range from simple stories about worrying about a test in school to massive corporations out to rule/destroy the world to first dates and love to such mature themes as death and sexual abuse and of course scariest of all... asking someone to prom! Every action the characters take have different consequences. Some good. (Saving the world) Some not so good. (Dying in order to save the world) Some characters have started off heroically and end up on a journey to become villains, while some characters have started off a little more villainous and have become quite heroic. Good and Evil are not necessarily black and white and walking that fine line between the two can be quite difficult given some of the situations the characters face. It would be easy to kill someone who wronged you, but taking the high road and doing the right thing is often more challenging and ultimately is one of the many difficult choices the players have to make. The NPCs are almost as much player characters as the player characters themselves are. In fact, a few of them could just as well be player characters for how well developed they are. All of these different themes have been woven into the fabric of the world in which we are all fortunate to write in.

The quality of posts ranks up there with some of the best I've seen on this site and the sheer number of posts (we will hit 10,000 posts by the end of this week) only makes that achievement more incredible. There are no cardboard cut out characters here. Each character has hopes, dreams, strengths, flaws, and a personality that is deeper than what they show on the surface as they face growing up in a world that is changing around them. While this game might seem like it about superpowered teenagers, it is really about teenagers who just happen to have superpowers. The world continues to grow even as the story broadens. There is even a sub-game in which some young adults with powers cope with the repercussions of the world at large knowing about superhuman beings.

Daygamer has done a masterful job running this game and integrating the multiple storylines into one cohesive work. It is amazing how far above and beyond she has gone since taking over for Hawkerra, who has since returned to bring his skillful writing as a player. Updating once a day for one thread is a difficult enough task for gamemaster, but Daygamer often updates a few times a day and often updates over ten different threads multiple times a day while juggling her RL responsibilities. It is this dedication to the game that makes her one of the best on this site. Her updates are tend to be insightful, detailed, and full of emotion. She never railroads her players and is creative enough to work things out on the fly if need be. She is always responsive to questions, suggestion, and ideas. She has worked with me personally a number of times on many different aspects of this game and directions to take my characters in which in turn has given me a feeling of ownership in it that I might not have in another game. It is a treat to have her as a gamemaster. Anyone who has ever written with her will certainly agree.

I'm sure I am missing many of the other reasons why I believe this game represents one of the best games this site has to offer. However, I really believe that what has been created together and the way the players have come together in many different ways is what really makes this game stand out when compared to other games. As one of the players mentioned not too long ago and unfortunately I'm paraphrasing, "You know it's powerful game when you grieve for a week about another player's character dying." Like I said in the beginning, thanks to this game, we've become a family.

Links:

 

Link 1
This first set of posts takes place in the middle of a battle with a sentient AI called Sygma who has been using nanites to control people in it's mad plan to bring it's own form of order to the world. Sam, Diana, Scott, Kat, and Quicksilver have just finished stopping a number of superhumans under the influence of Sygma, while Chris and Quentin are facing off against the massive computer which has infected them with nanites in an attempt to control them just as it has other people. Kat has been seriously injured after Diana made a mistake while capturing a pyrotechnic and Sam has just finished defeating a woman who mimicked her own powers. Meanwhile, a large stone and steel creature is bearing down on them. Quentin is in the main control room with Sygma's architect Max and is playing a dangerous gambit against both the man and the machine. And Chris is in the belly of the beast fighting for his life against both mind controlled minions of Sygma and the actual machine itself.

Link 2
This series of posts takes place after Chris learns that Kat had been abused by her father. He called Diana to help him get her out of her house before something bad happened again. It starts with them just outside of Kat's house and Chris telling Diana about what had happened.

[Cygnus]

Seconding Foxtrot's nomination for:
Name: Birth of the Superhumans
DM(s): Daygamer
Current Players:Anon315, Cygnus, DoubleL1987, Foggyknight, Foxtrot, GleefulNihilism, Hawkerra, Nightshade, Pulsar
Reasons for nomination:

 

As Foxtrot already so eloquently stated, this game has brought the players in it together into a close-knit group, like a family. Many of us have since gone on to play together in other games, usually at the suggestion of one of our own.

Daygamer is a truly marvelous GM who has succeeded in the difficult task of taking over a game and not only keeping it afloat, but elevating it to a level I personally never imagined was attainable. Regardless of whether or not this game makes it into the hall of fame, I don't see the enjoyment we all get from gaming together in it diminishing.

Links:Mere seconds after wiping the floor with the heroes, the unfortunately powerful Evil Scott meets his brutal end at the hands of his ex.

On a slightly more comical note, witness the truly epic failure that is our heroes attempting to confront an alien invasion. Thankfully it was merely a simulation.
One thing I learned from these two incidents: when Scott fails, he fails miserably.

[CalynCorr]

 

The World of L'Tiene




~ The Capital City of Tormauz ~

Every time the sun begins to shine the storms return...how can we even trust the light, now?

-Calemond, Priest of XYZ

Reasons for Nomination The World of L'Tiene is an extraordinarily well-developed setting with a rich, intricately twined plot, such that next to nothing the PCs do goes without consequence, for better or worse. The game is cast with well-nuanced characters, each with intriguing backgrounds that further affect the plot and setting in unique and fascinating ways. There is a diverse cast of NPCs who are each unique and memorable, and all of whom add to the immediacy and authenticity of the game-world. I am repeatedly impressed with how immersively the GM depicts this massive cast of NPCs such that each has his/her own unique voice, motivations, and further contributes to the myriad sandbox-style possibilities of the World of L'Tiene. You won't find these NPCs in a box of cookie-cutters, that is for sure. The World of L'Tiene is a complexly dynamic 'sandbox' setting and provides a massive amount of possibilities at any juncture, to which the GM commendably honors player-choices and their effects, whilst furthering several simultaneous plot arcs (whether or not the PCs are actually paying attention to them!). This is definitely a nonlinear environment where twists and turns can literally lie within any post - and often do. All of this requires a massive investment of attention and commitment on the GM's part. (Thank you, WoLT!) The plot is currently ripe with religio-political intrigue and the players face such perils as breaking allies out of jail, preventing others from going to jail, navigating magically hidden underground cities (and all the persons therein), preparing the capital city for impending civil war, all whilst pursuing their own individual ends and enduring repeated intrusions and interactions with demons and angels, immortals and deities, for better and worse. The GM skillfully manages this great range as well as the disparate power level between the PC's and some of the beings they encounter. Though the players never get the feeling that the GM is “pulling any punches” (because he isn't!), there is repeatedly a sense of mortal peril that is at times incredibly intense, yet the PCs somehow are still alive, perhaps largely due to a cleverly implemented system of player rewarded roll bonuses and plot points which permit the players to remain alive and active toward their goals. With consistently superb writing, dynamic story-telling, and a commitment to quality role-playing, the GM and players are dedicated to doing their best work both on and off the IC thread, even contributing massive articles to the already massive game wiki, making the World of L’Tiene an impressive place for writing and role-playing and worthy of… the Hall of Fame! Thank you for your time and consideration. And… enjoy! Sincerely, CnC

WoLT, the GM WoLT Can’t say enough about WoLT’s skill in adjudicating everything from the most natural personal interaction to the most complex physical-supernatural combat circumstances. WoLT's commitment to consistent and fair adjudication as to the consequences of players’ actions is one of the highlights of the game. WoLT has also contributed to the DnDOG community through his his player and GM guides, publication in Explosive Runes, and is busily creating more resources for the site such as the Game Master Academy. He also offers continued presence welcoming new members, and work on the upcoming massive collaborative project: Eternity's End. (See the signature area of his user profile for links to all these goodies. ) WoLT's words: I really love this game. The home brew setting is my favorite fantasy world and has been running for about fifteen years or so underneath several game masters and tons of players, each adding wonderful bits to the game, helping it become the living, breathing campaign setting it is today... but it's not just the setting that makes this game great. When I switched to PBP, it took quite a while to get a great group together, but here we are. Each of the players here are counted among my favorites in my years of online gaming and plethora of games I've been a part of, for their commitment (both to posting and to the extensive attention they provide the game), writing ability and also the amazing writing challenges they give me as a GM. It's not just the players either, though, it's also the characters. Each character is thoroughly distinguished in their own way and evolves the game uniquely. Each post carrying with it the signature of the heart of the character. It's a very special game to me and I'm thoroughly privileged to run it.

Current Players, Their PCs and Their Favorite Thing about the Game AgentD plays Calemond, a priest of XYZ who is estranged from the main Church for his heretical views and whose utility to the purposes of his God remain… ambiguous. AgentD has been writing Calemond for over a year and a half and his stated favorite thing about the game is "the shield-bashing", which is of course, a bit of fun between the PCs. (I had to ask if his PC even HAD a shield. His answer: "Yupperz and I have successfully did very little in combat with it even! ") CalynCorr plays a simple Ranger whose associations with the old gods is anything but simple. CalynCorr has been writing Laryeim for over a year and a half; CnC's favorite thing about the game is the relentlessly maintained sense of mortal and mental peril for the PCs. Though not a single PC has yet died (at the hands of the GM, anyway) in all the four years of being run, there is nevertheless hardly a scene that goes by which does not in some way translate the incredible peril the PCs – and all they fight for – are under. Horatio plays Wynn, a war wizard who has recently revealed to the party that he is a spy... for their side. They hope. Horatio has been writing Wynn for over two years. "My personal favorite is the RP challenge of the game. I can't count the number of times that I've had to figure out what makes an NPC tick... and I haven't always been successful. I also appreciate how WoLT pushes me out of my comfort zone, which has helped develop my writing and forced me to discover my character." Croakamancer Croakamancer plays Lady Yannike Prescott, a noblewoman and politician's aide whose simple courtesy to an injured party member has plunged her into the heart of saving the nation. Croakamancer has been writing Yannike for nearly a year (the newbie!) and Croak's favorite thing about the game is it's uncertainty. "This is a game where anything can, and does happen. Not to a chaotic degree, but to the point where the plot can not be predicted, and the outcome of a character's works can have major effects. Rather with a strict attention to cause and effect within an intricately detailed setting."

Past Players The value of past players is not to be underestimated for the World of L'Tiene as the game has been running for many years and each player in their time has made vital contributions to the plot, setting, and the richness of the resultant NPC pool. Each PC has become an NPC with which the current party continues to interact. Past Players here on DnDOG: Genocide Device, whose pacifist monk has been the lynchpin of the plot for over three years. Johnny Angel whose PC still serves as an NPC leading the Tormauzian rebels (Johnny in current scene) Other Past Players from old site include: Saabre, Illniyar, DaveW, Franco, EvilRoeSlade, PabloDiablo (forgive me if I'm forgetting anyone, there are a LOT of game-threads to view!)

Post series #1 After enduring repeated haranguing by various supernatural forces and the result of which is still uncertaina possession attempt by one of the big bad guys (Shazikgun), a trio of PCs (and an unconscious fourth) find themselves at last within the headquarters for the rebellion which intends to resist the incoming Attreides army's attack on the city of Tormauz. Link to posts #7-#16. Naturally, read back and forward for more delicious posting fun.

Post series #2 Since one of our PCs (Wynn written by Horatio) is in another scene for post series #1, the next selection highlights Horatio's work with the GM as Wynn descends into the magically hidden underground in order to speak with the big bad Shazikgun's ally, Vida, who is a powerful seer and a bit more than friendly () with Wynn. This series of posts do not all have consecutive numbers because there are two scenes occurring in the game thread at the same time. They are provided here in smooth succession, though post links are provided should you prefer to view them in their original location.Note about Post Series #2   Originally Posted by WoLT Post 417 Wynn Dice * observation: It didn't take long upon entrance before the children walking the street amid the adults took notice of Wynn... They were eyeballing him with prejudice, watching his every movement as they passed, and their numbers on the street seemed to be increasing, while the numbers of the more mature folk seemed to be taking a hint and getting off the street. They viewed Wynn as if he were a virus, and they were the cure, their duty to kill off the virus. Wynn would need to act fast or they would easily overwhelm him through sheer numbers, and yet, they were still not to the pub he needed to get to... Originally Posted by Horatio post 421 Originally Posted by WoLT Post #422 Wynn It was good for Wynn that he had his health again... the silent children were faster than they appeared, but Wynn's stride was greater, though he was hard pressed to keep up with Kael who was encouraging him to "hurry up". Obviously Kael was a runner type, deliberately holding back... The children started to swarm in and the streets began to empty quickly, the two had to dodge incoming patrols of the children and take strange turns... without Kael, Wynn would have surely been caught several times over, though the messenger knew his rounds, expertly so, enough to avoid the children that seemed to be coming at them from all angles. More than once Kael cursed at Wynn for being too damned slow, but in the end Wynn's stride gave him enough advantage after several minutes of running at top pace. They had made it to the bar, and while Kael was given instant access, Wynn was stopped by the bouncer, a massive Ohgr. There wasn't much time before the children would be over the crest of the hill behind him... I don't care if you came here with Kael or not, you don't look like you're from around here, and that makes me nervous... and I don't like being nervous. Originally Posted by Horatio Post 423 Originally Posted by WoLT Post 424 Dice * wynn acting: Keep it quiet and don't cause no trouble. You give me a head ache though and I'll take your purse and the rest out of your hide. the ohgr managed with a sneer. Wynn made his way inside, hopefully before any of the children had spotted him, assuming they didn't know where he was headed already. Originally Posted by Horatio Post 450   We never wrote about whether Wynn paid Kael up front, but it seems to be what Kael has implied so I'll go with that. Please correct me if I misunderstood, which I'm sure I did. I'm not even sure if he's offering Wynn to take him back later or not. Originally Posted by WoLT Post 466 Wynn Wynn made his way through the smokey bar. Avoiding the others was certainly a good idea, the whole area resonated with an anxiety so high that likely everyone had a hair trigger and the ohgr was probably the only thing keeping them this well behaved. It was a veritable rouge's gallery and Wynn could be certain some of the horrible crimes were being plotted and committed, but then again, it wasn't a good idea to linger. Such was the Doomed Fox. Wynn was careful not to disturb others on his way to the beaded curtain in the back, where a man skirted out just before Wynn arrived. He had a bald head, curled, yet greasy handlebar mustache and an eye patch. He winked at Wynn with yellowed and gapped smile, indicating XYZ knew what. As soon as Wynn entered Vida was ready for him. Originally Posted by Horatio Post 471 Originally Posted by WoLT Post 482 Originally Posted by Horatio Post 491 And do read on to see the continuation of all this within the IC thread... it is really quite good.

 

Other really good spots to read Jhya the pacifist monk disguises himself as the pompous Eldridge in order to gain access to where an ally (Johnny) is being held. Wynn, who is secretly a war-wizard pretends to be Jhya/Eldridge's bodyguard. Good thing he brought his sword. Here we have two scenes playing simultaneously. After bargaining with Chloe Goddess of Plagues for the life of a friend, Laryeim returns to the safehouse of Calemond, a priest with whom she's only had casual contact up til this point. What follows is a great PC bonding scene. Meanwhile, Jhya the monk and Wynn the war wizard descend into the undercity for the first time, with heaps of setting/NPC/and plot-twisting fun. GM's pick: While Calemond the priest talks politics with Shazikgun (yes, that big bad guy!), Laryeim slinks away in compulsive pursuit of information about souls from an enormously dangerous, soul-eating immortal, the Rhydokahn. (contains horror elements... small children beware)