Yeah, I definitely don't mind changing the strips into a scroll; so I hope I didn't give that impression. I was having some difficulty figuring out how to keep them from being lost, as well, which is why I decided to have them tied/pinned directly onto her clothes. Going with the one scroll will make for much less of a headache. Since they serve as divine focus items, are you interpreting them to only be necessary if the spell components include "DF," or necessary for all spells?

I would personally prefer to roll dice in the IC thread; I think it breaks it up cognitively too much when the action description takes place there, but the dice roll elsewhere. The only reason I use the dice images in a spoiler block instead of inline dice rolls is because I like seeing dice

I kind of consider the dice as being *more* immersive, because seeing dice is such an integral part of roleplaying to me.

For the DM, though, I don't care where you roll your dice. You can just make up numbers if you want, or roll in thread, or whatever.

An example of how players would use a dice thread.



Just an example, feel free to adjust to your liking.

I like using the IC thread with spoilers, so that'd be my vote.

My dice rolls are generally awesome (I really thought the double nat 1 was going to wind up much worse).

Thankfully, I have chosen generally simple tasks like "looking around a room" and "walking through a tavern."

One day, I'll break 5 on a d20, I am certain of it, then I can perhaps advance to such actions as "walk and chew bubble gum" and "pat head while rubbing belly"

Yeah, you're not exactly tearing up the boards at present. You might do better just stating "I look around the room...who's there?"

The spot check is more for detecting stuff that is hidden that you might accidentally spot, like an ambusher lurking in the woods, or a hidden trigger to a secret door, or a thief moving through the shadows to flank you, rather than actively scanning a room. In most cases, I'll probably prompt you to perform a Spot check based on where you are and what you are doing, instead of you calling it (since you don't know what I've hidden until you "Spot" it.) You can still ask for a spot check, no problem, but I still reserve to the right to ignore it if it doesn't make sense.

So while the spot check to see the flyer was right on with intent and use, checking the room for racial profile while invisible isn't really the best use of it unless you happen to be spinning around a dizzy bat at the same time. The difference being intentional looking (i.e. searching/scanning) and something that catches you out of the corner of your eye. So in this case, I'll ignore that last roll for this check. (you just looked at the room, no problem)

You're right, the better option (were I to roll anything) would have been a Search check, since I actively knew what I was looking for and was thinking about it. I've been playing too many games recently with only a "Perception" and no distinction between a Search and a Spot/Listen.

OK, since we're on that one, too. If I were to say I look around the room, what people are inhabiting? They aren't hiding behind the pillars, under tables, or in portable bags. You're not playing hide and go seek, thus a search check isn't the best option, either. You are just looking, and humanoid creatures have lost a lot of other sensory inputs, which means the eyes are practiced at picking up the slack. Look around your house and think of how much you pick up in a casual glance. I would think that is only applicable as a roll if you are studying them in detail (which means you're going to have to spend quite some time staring at them.) If you weren't invisible, such pronounced staring would likely get you tangled in a bar fight, or someone trying to take you to bed, right?

Searching is exactly what we do when we aren't just scanning. It means you are up in someone's business, or fingering through something, or staring at something/someone to glean all sorts of details. But if you can casually scan a room to see who's attractive (buy them a drink), then you can easily also scan to pick up races. Humans in real life do this all the time.

When it comes to dice rolls, I prefer to ask first, roll second as a player, because I don't believe role playing has to be so slavish about rolling dice. If you definitely feel it's a fine line between looking and searching, then include the roll, and I'll let you know if the roll is even necessary. You shouldn't have to roll just to observe the room as a whole. In anyone made you do that in the past, you were probably being abused.

So let me put this all together into an example. You walk into the Prancing Pony, you and your three mates. You do a quick once over on the crowd, seeing that they are all humans, least the ones you can see (because you are half as high as them). You sidle up to the bar and ask for a pint. As you're all drinking, one of your mates is doing a more thorough look as he slyly scans the room (acting like he's just looking about at the action, but he's definitely staring). At this point, a search is called for...ie. you are looking for hostiles, something that might seem out of place. There is a person in the shadows, a man in a dark cloak, casually smoking in the corner. But he's really looking at you. A spot check of someone deep in the shadows might be prompted off of the search check. That example was the Hobbits in Bree looking about, and one seeing Strider, ala Peter Jackson's rendition of the Lord of the Rings, but it's a good visual example of how I use skill rolls in general to perceive things, and more importantly when I don't. The DM should always be willing to share details that will be readily available, so don't hesitate to ask. I will call you for dice rolls if I definitely feel you need to, but you are still welcome to include them if you wish to shorten the delay on playing.

Scanning for races was just a part of it; I was trying to actively observe the fashion and clothing that people are wearing here, too. I want to make myself look like a regular in Southport, instead of a foreigner, and I am sure I'm not familiar with this region. I was fine walking through town with a patterned cloak over a kimono, but not here.

Though I was trying to think about the clothing specifically, I know I don't have terrible much time before one of my earlier spells wears off, so I was a bit hasty about it.

I didn't word it very well in my post, but that was my intent.

I will take note about dice rolls for this game; I don't mean to be slavish about it, it's just so second nature to me, like a fluid motion. I'll do better at keeping more focused on the text ^_^

In any case, I'm already having fun with this game I like exploring this characters options.

And that's fine. I wasn't slapping you, or calling you slavish, I just want you all to understand that you shouldn't have to justify every little scrap when I'm willing to give you half the steak up front. Don't worry, I'll hold stuff back to make it interesting. I just view skills as a way to handle things when you try to be Sherlock, or the Night Fox, or Errol Flynn and Indiana Jones, stuff that's hard to quantify with just story telling. Skills are a very useful tool, I'm just a little more free than you are maybe used to playing with. I mean, if we had to roll a climb check just to climb the stairs every day, we'd all be cripples by now. So I take a very pragmatic approach to skills. That's part of the reason for this wind-up. Yes it allowed people to finish sheets and me to review them, but it also gives you a chance to get to know me better as the DM before I try to kill...er, CHALLENGE you...yeah challenge! That's it...

@planeshaper - sorry, because you took a sit and wait action, with Lug still talking to Terek, you actually have to sit and wait. Once BountyHunter replies, I should be able to get you back into the action quickly.

That's fine; you can consider my comment as applicable whenever the time comes. Up until the point that I or my actions get noticed, I'm taking my actions slowly over the course of time, knowing I have at least an hour before the invisibility fades.

I am leading up to something, eventually

Well, I don't want to steal your thunder as you have yet to reveal your presence to the group. Are you wanting me to not bother your spot for that hour? Or should we both just do our stuff and let the chips fall where they will?

For reference, I was close to giving you a way to reveal yourself as proof of your skills without "fully" revealing yourself. Please clarify how you'd prefer to procede?

It is important I think for folks to get a sense of how you are role playing so they don't make too many assumptions about you that interrupt the game without actually hindering from getting to the game. But I am open to suggestions.

Oh, we're waiting on me? Ooops.

Ill make a small post from my phone.

I am fine letting the chips fall where they will.

So, you have an idea of what I am planning, it's possible that Lug (or anyone else) catches what's happening with the illusion out of the corner of his eye. If it looks like anyone's going to interact with it, I'm going to proceed to the final step.

I intend to have the illusion create billowing smoke rising up from across the entire bartop, smoke which will transition into the illusion of fire. Hopefully there are enough drunk patrons that just the smoke is enough to cause an evacuation of the tavern to occur, and that any reasonable voices who might see through the illusion are drowned out by the majority of the crowd.

If there is enough chaos, I plan on dropping my invisibility and remaining at the bar in my altered form.

I'll take it step by step from that point.

If neither Lug nor anyone else sees me slowly working the illusion, I'll probably spend about 10-15 minutes with it before causing the smoke.

Mostly, I'm just exploring my abilities; but I do want the bar to clear out as much as possible, ideally. If only briefly before people come back inside after realizing there isn't actually a fire.

OK, here's the deal. We could spend weeks with Clipper and Terek talking, to let the time expire for Umiki to pull her stunt. While I'm going to bite on the stunt, as I kind of want to see what the reaction of the crowd really will be, I'm going to sync up these threads to keep us moving forward. To do that, I'm going to have to do what I don't like to do normally. I'm going to take the liberty to have Terek sit it out a bit (just a couple of minutes, though. We're not going for an hour, here.) This next post will do the syncing, and that's all it's going to do. Then, Terek and Umiki ought to be aware of each other, and we can move forward. BH, apologies, not looking to short you here, but I want you both participating, or else this isn't getting us anywhere. And, since Hobwink went to bed already, we probably shouldn't keep him out for too long. Tomorrow in game time is actually the start of the adventure, so I'm sure you're all waiting to see what I have planned.

Yeah, I was ready for Umiki's action to take place at any time. If I'm not 'supposed' to be here when her spells or whatever go off then so be it, I'm set to get my coin and head off to my room or whatever.

I was just making small talk with the barkeep and waiting on the next DM post before heading off to get some sleep for the busy day at the dock tomorrow.

By the way, I fully realize that this little antic is going to require me to purchase at least one round for the house to bring everyone back onto my good side And I expect things to back to normal in the tavern after like 5-10 minutes.

If the crowd doesn't react the way Umiki thinks they might, I'll just play it by ear — maybe the smoke will turn into, instead of illusory flames, clouds and mist through which a fleet of small illusory ghost ships will sail. I'll make an IC post when it looks like it's OK to make the next one.

Personally, I don't mind waiting for BH, though. I like to watch everyone else as much as I like to play. And I can entertain myself pretty easily while others are conversing.

I'll point out that I haven't been a PC for almost 10 years, due to always being DM in real life ^_^

No worries, but the fun really starts at pier 23, and since I'll have your sheet done by the end of the weekend, we're ready to roll game-wise. The last time I did this, I had characters start at the pier, but it seemed like a good idea to start at the tavern to give you time to be ready.

The tavern into works well enough, its always good time find out how the other players tend to post and describe things, and to see how their character acts. And good to see how the DM does things as well before actually being tortured... I mean challenged.

My IC post is up now.

Can I borrow your dice?