Hi everyone. I am looking for something a little different from normal. I am seeking a group (or a gm I can build a group with) who is open to 'Adult' roleplay and storytelling. I had a brush with this recently and as someone who formerly had always thought of games like this as merely an excuse for a certain part of the community to ERP I was always less than interested in the idea. However with my time in this group I learned that there can be a great deal of depth and storytelling in groups where relationships and their natural flow can be explored. What I am looking for is a group that is focused around deep storytelling and character development that is not afraid to tread into the waters of more adult content as it fits the story and the dynamics of the party. Below you can read a bit more about me as a player. My available times to play are after 6pm on weekdays and after 5pm on Saturdays. I can play alternating Sundays and I can play early mornings on alternating Fridays. Note what I said above. No modules. Not even heavily altered modules. Storyteller - That's what I consider myself first and foremost! I like telling a story in a tabletop game, not just my own story either! I find the games I enjoy most are the ones with a strong central plot that a party of adventurers can weave themselves and their own backgrounds and desires into. I believe strongly that my character does not exist in a vacuum! That my character exists not just to tell his own tale but to further the tales of others. The best game in my mind is one that once it's finally over, we look back on fondly and feel the urge to tell others about the awesome plot we made together. Peacemaker - Regardless of the character I play I tend to occupy the peacemaker role in an OOC dynamic. Regardless of what is happening ICly I like to make sure everyone get's their fair shake and that everyone get's a chance to contribute to the story and the moment as well as keeping the story flowing. I can be loud and boisterous but I work hard to make sure that I don't overshadow anyone else. I also try my best to keep the group in harmony. Sometimes arguments can happen at the table and I like to make sure they never get out of hand. Guide - If the party is lost OOCly or things start getting bogged down I am usually the first to call for an OOC vote or (if it suits the character) take charge ICly. If we've done all the planning we can do for an encounter or an activity sometimes even the best parties just need a push to take the first step. I typically ask everyone's opinion (OOCly and ICly if it fits) and then we'll forge ahead based on the consensus unless someone else chooses to act differently... Which is fine because sometimes Drama happens ICly! Laughter - Serious games are the best kinds of games in my mind. But that does not mean we should not laugh every so often and I laugh! I like to help others laugh. There is a time and place for it of course (not when we are fighting the final boss or having a serious character moment) but a fun meme before a session or a remark about the absurdity of a dice roll. "I roll try to see if I spot the falcon in the sky!" roll Nat 1 "I see a bright ball of fire and for some reason my eye's are REALLY STARTINGTOBURNOHMYGOD!" Backstory - I craft my characters to suit your world and I believe an interesting concept trumps mechanics any day of the week. That is not to say I ignore mechanics entirely, I do try and make a character effective at their role in a party. But you can expect a detailed backstory from me about my character, often times including IC reasoning for feats and references to traits. I don't pick things strictly because they are optimal. Like I said above I am a storyteller first and every great character has a past. I pride myself on building unique takes on existing character archetypes. The murdered parent revenge freak has been done before. It's much more fun to write about the character who's background might not be tragic but who's future could be. I view those as my main qualities as a player! But now let's talk about a few of my personal rules and opinions on mechanics as well as a bit about my system knowledge! Wheatons Law - Yep! I follow it! I would never touch that mans dice but to keep with the refrain 'Don't be a dick!' is a core concept of mine. I believe strongly that a party is there to accomplish things together. There are no main characters and just because my character might not be the most important one in a given moment does not mean I should trample on anyone elses time in the light. The GM is always right... The second time - This is my own personal rule! Rule disputes happen and in my opinion it's perfectly all right to say. 'Hey GM, I think the rule means this and here is why.' after the GM makes a ruling. Sometimes the GM might say 'Oh hey! You know what! You are absolutely right!' sometimes they might say 'Nope! We are doing it this way!' or 'Let's talk about it after the session'. Whatever they say... They are ALWAYS RIGHT WHEN THEY SAY IT! Stop. Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars. They are correct the second time they say anything and that word is law. The GM is part of the Party - Sure they might not have a player character and they might be rolling dice for the monsters... But at the end of the day the GM is one of the players. He is not playing a different game... He is playing WITH us. His time is to be respected and his actions are not to be questioned. Any GM worth his salt is there to tell a story. If a GM's whole goal was to be an enemy of the party then the Tavern we all met in at level 1 would have been hit by an asteroid and destroyed dealing 50d6 damage to us. Respect his or her time. Respect what they are trying to do! I thank the GM and the other party members at the end of every session because I am LUCKY to be a part of a group. Mechanics - I am not a munchkin. Does that mean I hate rolling dice and turn my nose up at combat? No! Combat is part of the story! Dice are an element of randomness that enhance the path we take through our game! Yes I want combat! Yes I want difficult encounters (scaled appropriately) and YES I think it's appropriate that sometimes we lose and even die. My mechanics knowledge is fairly sound and I tend to ask the GM when making my character how lethal their combat is. This is not because I am going to try and game their system but because I want to know the minimum level of effectiveness I should be at for my role in the party. Solutions - I enjoy coming up with interesting solutions to interesting problems. Sure we could just roll dice and wait for one side to run out of HP. But I might ask the GM if there is high-ground. If there are environmental pieces that stand out. Maybe we can roll a boulder down a slope to take out some Skeletons! Maybe we can drop a decorative suit of armor on the evil noble. Not every solution to every combat is a power attack. Rated M! - I am not squeemish. Throw anything you want into the game or don't. Violence, Death, Torture, Language, Drugs and Sex (see above). All fair game! Now for some things I do NOT like... OOC Drama - Bad things happen in our day to day lives. As a party I expect we will OOCly become friends and that will entail some involvement in each-others lives. Chat outside the game and the like. All of that is fine! But come session day I really don't want to hear about how miserable life is for you. I suffer from depression and I get enough of it myself. If it comes up or we want to chat about it before or after a session sure! But please not in the middle or at the start. I want to forget the real world for a while. It's not a deal breaker but it's rough on me. Text only - I like voice chat! Sure we can do some of the RP in text if that's absolutely needed. But I like to hear my fellow party members and vastly prefer voice chat for RP as well. That's not to say I don't like out of session text roleplay! Just during session I prefer to be on voice! Play by post - No thanks! It's a bit too slow for my liking!
