The group is full! Thanks everyone :-) Greetings Adventurers! TL;DR – As you can probably see, this is a long post and if you don’t want to read it all thoroughly or don’t have the time to do so, please don’t apply :-) I tagged this post as both 5E and 4E because I would like to aim it at players who are either new (or fairly new) to D&D or who have some 5E experience but would like to try a more tactical version of the game, which 4E is more geared towards. I find enjoyment in both versions but at the moment, I am in my 4th edition phase :-) I am also learning Pathfinder but it will be a while before I feel comfortable DMing, as it is even more complex than 4E. You may enjoy 4th edition D&D if you are someone who prefers to have a more tactical experience in combat and a more defined and complex game ruleset than that of 5th edition. Combat usually does take longer in 4E and there are more things to keep track of so it’s definitely not for everyone. A Little About Myself I have been DMing for about a year and a half on Roll20, which has been my only experience playing tabletop games. I haven’t mastered DMing for sure but with every game, I learn more and more. I started playing computer RPGs back when the old Sierra games like Space Quest, Hero's Quest etc. were just coming out. Then as time went on, I spent many months in Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Icewind Dale and many other CRPGs. Many, many games (and years) later, I found pen and paper D&D which brought me to Roll20. To this day, I thank the blackout that caused my wife and I to go to a bookstore and buy some D&D products! As for my DMing personality/style; I tend to be pretty easy going, laid back, relaxed and I don’t get worked up about silly little things that might otherwise create drama or cause game play to stop. I do enjoy following the rules but I prefer to keep the game moving along instead of having prolonged rule discussions in the middle of a session. Above all, I value kindness, cooperation and harmony. Play Schedule I would like to play at least once per week; either on Saturdays or Sundays and possibly a second day each week. The second day, if any, would totally depend on everyone’s availability and can be decided upon on a week by week basis. The actual sessions will always start at 1:30 pm and go for about 4 hours, until 5:30 pm or so, Eastern US Time. The given hours are the only time that works for me and my wife, who will probably be playing with us also. Our first session, which will in part be dedicated to character introductions, can happen as early as February 18th or 19th (a Saturday or Sunday). The Campaign Our official campaign will likely mainly consist of published 4E adventures (with my own touches sprinkled here and there), starting with Keep on the Shadowfell, converted to fit into the Forgotten Realms setting. KotS is part of a series that takes characters from 1st, all the way to 30th level. KotS itself will take you from 1st to 3rd/4th level. If the group is having a great time during and when we finish KotS, we can talk about continuing with the next adventure(s) in the series for as long as we like and we can also pick up other shorter, standalone adventures in between for some variety (to try different characters and settings for example). Having run KotS once before, I can tell you that it is a bit combat heavy. However, the amount of roleplaying we end up doing is up to the players and the DM so bring your imaginations and be ready and willing to think outside the box! I also have Madness at Gardmore Abbey prepared…in fact, I am running it for another group currently. This adventure starts at level 6 and might be something that we could also play in the future. It is considered one of the best published 4th edition adventures, and for good reasons. As for character creation and any other specific campaign details, we can talk more about that once we have put together our group. I am pretty flexible with what you can do, as long as it somehow fits into the rules of the system and the adventure/campaign. If you do have any specific questions right now though, feel free to ask in here or PM me! Here is a link to the fan made 4th edition wiki: <a href="http://dnd4.wikia.com/wiki/D%26D4_Wiki" rel="nofollow">http://dnd4.wikia.com/wiki/D%26D4_Wiki</a> You can get quite a bit of info there if you don’t have access to the 4E Player’s Handbook. The 4E quick start rules pdf is available for free from WOTC here: <a href="https://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/quickstartrules" rel="nofollow">https://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/quickstartrules</a>... I can help you with anything that isn’t covered in the above resources and I also have my own in-game 4E “compendium” with the most up-to-date rules that all of my players will have access to. Who Should Apply I am actually quite selective about the people I play with and I have put together a fairly extensive list of what qualities I look for in my players. Most people I have played with find my list just common sense but I include it here anyways so that there are no surprises, should you wish to apply. One of my pet peeves is when someone decides that they want to be a backseat DM. So please keep in mind that you will probably be replaced very quickly if you decide to take on the role of making rule calls or arguing about a call that I have made :-) I have no issue talking about rules in between sessions but in the heat of an encounter, I’d rather just make a ruling and move things along, possibly revisiting the issue at a later time. There may be times when I make a call that seems odd or unfair to someone. If that happens, just roll with it and know that I usually realize pretty quickly when something doesn’t go as it should have and I will adjust and balance things to make up for it as the game goes on. Another thing that is very important to me is that game play and language is kept 100% PG and family friendly (we will be using voice chat for all our game play, probably the one built into Roll20 but possibly another method). I don’t enjoy cursing or hearing it for that matter nor do I find that it adds anything of value to any conversation. I may be the minority in that and so I want to be up front about it. If you are someone who finds it a challenge to abstain from cursing or who enjoys any non-PG adult themes as you play the game, it’s probably better that you don’t apply :-) I also ask that all my players stay away from any controversial topics such as real life religion, politics, etc. The above doesn’t mean that I am all serious and sanctimonious though or that I expect my players to be…not at all. I love to laugh, have fun and even get silly at times :P Here are some other traits that I like to see in all of my players: Have an open mind and don’t come into the game with the idea that you’re going to have an opportunity to change how things are done based on “how your old DM used to do it” or how you think it should be done Have a good microphone and internet connection! Be willing and able to stay for the duration of the adventure (my guess is about 4 months for KotS) Don’t have any known schedule conflicts. We will always play during the same hours and day of the week unless everyone agrees on a change. Also, if you’re in Europe or other place with a very different time zone than Eastern US, please make sure that you can actually play AND be fully present and awake during our sessions. If you’re in Germany for example, the sessions will end at 11:30 pm for you. I prefer not to play with people who can’t wait to end the session because they have to get to bed or to work. Sleep and work are obviously very important but if my game is going to cut into your real life schedule in any way then please don’t apply Be laid back and not too serious about the game and not too rigid about the game rules Have a sense of humor and be able to laugh at yourself and admit if you make a mistake Be friendly and lively (but not hyper). Cynical or pessimistic individuals should not apply Player age usually doesn’t matter as long as you fit the other criteria but be warned that I do like to refer to games and things from the 80’s and 90’s out of character from time to time :-) No evil alignment characters are allowed in my games. That doesn’t mean that your character can’t have some skeletons in his/her closet. That can actually be quite fun! Also, no attacking your fellow players Have good manners; be on time, be polite to your fellow players and DM. Let the group know in advance if you won’t be able to make an upcoming session Be present during our sessions and pay attention to what’s going on so that you don’t have to ask a question about what just happened 5 minutes ago because you were playing another game on the side or surfing the web…or tired and falling asleep Be responsive when the other players or DM ask questions during the game. Same goes for in between sessions. I may sometimes bring up game related topics in whatever out-of-game group chat or forum we end up using and I appreciate it when my players join the conversation and give some input. I know people are busy with their lives but it usually doesn’t take too much time to at least acknowledge that you read something and give a little feedback Be a team player; I prefer players who like to work as a team while figuring out challenges, combat, where to go next and whatever else comes up. It’s fine to go rogue once in a while, especially if it fits your character but that should be an exception, not a rule I also prefer to play with people who enjoy the journey, rather than rushing toward the destination. If you don’t like tactical and strategic combat and game play or if you like to rush through things, you might not have fun in 4th edition and my games in general 4th edition often does have longer combat encounters but we will have elements of exploration and role playing to balance things out. If you wish to apply, please be ready and willing to be an integral part of all aspects of game play How To Apply And Other Notes I am especially interested in people who are new to D&D but anyone else is welcome to apply, as long as they come into my game with an open mind and agree to the above guidelines. Keep in mind though that I will almost always pick new or newer players over experienced ones. If you have read this far and feel that my guidelines are not too “out there” and you feel that you would be a good candidate, here is what I would like from you: Post a quick reply here to show your interest. This step is very important. Otherwise it may be difficult for me to find you on Roll20, especially if you have a more common name Proceed to take my lovely little Application Survey on Google . (All responses will be kept confidential) Note: Please do not post an actual application in this thread or in my game posting in the LFG tool on Roll20. The only applicants I will consider are those who have filled out the survey linked above If you are new to 4th edition and/or D&D in general, please take a look at the 4th edition Quick Start Rules pdf and familiarize yourself with as many of the rules as you have time for. Don't worry about learning it all right away, I'll be happy to answer any questions before and after we start playing...or at least point you in the right direction. The above pdf also contains a few pre-made characters that you can look at but when it comes to our campaign, you will be creating your own characters – more info on that when we have our voice chat How To Finalize Your Application Once you have completed the application survey above, I would like to have a private voice chat with you using the built in voice chat on Roll20 (or another method, if you prefer) within a couple days after receiving your application. The chat shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes. I will send you a private message on Roll20 to schedule a time for our voice chat once I have reviewed your application. I plan on selecting and inviting players as soon as possible but probably not before the 10th of February. Whether you are selected or not, I will contact you here on Roll20 and let you know so that no one has to wait and wonder. And finally, thank you for taking the time to read my post! I know it is long but I try to be as thorough as possible so that there are no surprises and everyone in my games has a great time :-) Even if you agree to all the above, it doesn't guarantee that we'll get along but at least there is a good chance! I look forward to your application!
