[OOC] The Tangled Vine Tavern

[sammichweasel]

It all comes down to the people, Howling Winds of Xanth. Which means if you're stuck with me, your opinion of things might change drastically ^.^

[CraftyCactus]

So if character creation depends mostly on the DM, would it be suggested to wait until a game starts before putting a game together? I happen to be waiting for the newbie solo game, and wasn't sure if I should have a character ready in advance. I know my 3.5 fairly well, and would be willing to do so to speed up the process. I just don't know where/how to go about character creation here (is there a form/template that needs filling out?).

[TeufelHeunden]

You can go here to get some more advice.

Here are some links from that post to help you out on creating characters:[*]If you would like some advice on how to create a basic character and general in game posting then check out The Wandering Bard.[*]If you would like a more specific guide to Creating your character! [3.5E] or Sample Character Creation (Pathfinder) or Creating your character! [4E]

You can find character sheets by clicking on the "Tools" menu at the top and scrolling down to "My Characters"

Feel free to play around and create a character or two while you are waiting and then when you get started you can modify the sheet with your DM's input.

[zevonian]

@Cactus: The actual character creation is done within your solo game folder, in regards to dice rolls, starting equipment, and sheet review.

But if you're anxious to see how a 3.5 character looks on virtual paper, try making a 1st level character, non-evil aligned, 3.5 PHB 1 races, classes, and gear only.
See what you can do with, oh say, average starting gold and a 28 point buy.

Note: that doesn't mean that's what you'll exactly have to work with with your actual NPSG, but should be good enough to "crunch some numbers". When you get your game, your DM will have further info, and will review your sheet when you've incorporated said info.

[CraftyCactus]

Awesome, thanks for the feedback. Character has been created, and public link has been affixed to application post in newbie mage tower thread. Am I supposed to request a game via Tools > Request a game (Solo checkbox), or is a post in the mage tower thread sufficient?

Now that that's taken care of, I've been digging around the site, but haven't found any (accessible) sample games yet. I'll probably keep looking!

[TeufelHeunden]

Your post in the thread is all that is needed for a NSPG game.

Glad you found that easy , make sure to keep an eye on the game advertisements for anything that suits you.

[Hextor]

Originally Posted by CraftyCactus

Am I supposed to request a game via Tools > Request a game (Solo checkbox),

That would take you to creating your own game (being a GM). To join as a player you only post in already created advertisement threads.

[CraftyCactus]

I'm glad I didn't try to DM a game by accident!

Another question if you all don't mind: regarding site etiquette, is it rude to submit one character for two different games? So far, I have applied for two interesting games plus the newbie mage tower thing, but have put together a new character (background, build, and all that jazz) for each. Would it be okay to reuse these two characters/applications for other adventures, then withdraw the other if one is accepted? Or is it better to wait until one set of application closes before submitting that character elsewhere?

[zevonian]

I encourage folks to use their solo characters, if they feel like it, elsewhere after their games are done.

But I think it might be best if you wait for a standard game to close applications and a DM to accept players before submitting the same character elsewhere. Two reasons for this:

1. I'm of the belief that many DMs want people to create specific characters for the game world they have crafted. They want you to read all their material and come up with something special, a vibrant and vital part of the communal story to be told. Such a DM might frown upon an app if they go through DM Seeking Players and see you've got the same app up for multiple different games.

2. Suppose you submit the same character, name and everything, for two different games...and get accepted to both. Would you want to deal with having the same character in two different game worlds, interacting with completely different parties? You'd have to be careful not to mix up the two.


----
Now, if you have a character you're just itching to play, sheet's partially done and you've got system in mind, level and class and personality and all that sorted out...perhaps consider posting in Players Seeking Games.

[CraftyCactus]

Good points. Yes, I see that having a character molded with a particular game in mind would benefit everyone involved. Parallel universe identical twins would be funny to compare, though...

[zevonian]

At the very least, if you're submitting similar characters to several games, give them different names and incorporate the DMs world in regards to where your characters are from.
A character might be from the Moonshae Isles if you're applying to a Forgotten Realms based game, but not from any such Isles in a homebrew world where the DM has personally named every region and town using non-FR sources.

[sammichweasel]

Personally, I always go into each game app with a fresh eye and make a character that fits with what the DM has laid out. It lets you really fit the unique qualities of the game world they're crafting, and you might find another character that you can play off of to make better inter-party relations! It works out pretty well.

From the perspective of a DM, I HATE finding out that someone copy/pasted their character app. I disqualify them on the spot. Mostly, it's because copy/pasted characters have no chance of fitting the weirdness of my games, but the principle of it irks me too >.<

[Hextor]

I have about three class/race combinations I find myself using from time to time with the same general back-story. You know the "bad thing happened when s/he was a child" tidbit followed by the "life altering, lets become and adventurer" tale. But those are easily molded to any world.
No orc hordes to contend with? Plague.
And that is to be simple about one thing. I wouldn't tell you to not reuse a character, but I wouldn't strictly cut/paste. Before any application, make sure you read everything. Maybe your elf fighter/wizard can be used again. You may only need to polish up the background and edit a paragraph that explains where the character was raised. If your application shows that you are invested in the character, you will have a better chance. If I see a simple cut/paste of a short write-up, I will probably not feel enthusiastic about it. If I read one that has had half of their back-story completely rewritten to fit my setting, I will know they are invested so much in using it, that they are willing to do all the extra work.

All being said, I encourage you to let the DM know its a reused application if you plan to reuse it.

[lymphomaniac]

I don't apply to (m)any games these days, but I'm of the mind that the DM usually wants to see characters sculpted specifically for their world. Because of that, when I have a character concept in mind, I never recycle any characters.

Besides, they might be a bit stinky and falling apart for having been dead for quite some time...

[zevonian]

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