PBeM going live

[DM_Anuire]

Hey BR community! Together with another long time BR player (we have both played BR since its launch), I am creating a 2nd edition BR (based in Anuire) campaign. This campaign will have a ton of cool ideas and we plan to keep the rules very simple. So, if you've only recently discovered BR or perhaps you are a long time player that gets wore down in a ton of rules, then this will be the campaign for you. We are using 2nd edition because it flows so much easier in a PBeM setting.

This is where we need your help, however. I can see there were a lot of threads about "new awesome pbems" but it appears that most of them either A) never launched or B) only ran for a short time.

Our goal is to run a long range campaign and we have a lot of ideas to get it there. BUT, we need your response to see if BR is even viable anymore. Please respond to this thread if you would be interested in playing in a balanced, ever evolving, duel-DM BR campaign.

We will have a website dedicated to the PBeM and forums for history and interactions. We need to know if there are enough players out there, however, before we begin all the technical stuff.

Please post your interest and any questions or comments you may have.
Thanks,
DM_Anuire

[adg]

Hello.

Interested I am, but would love to know more. A link to the website you spoke of perhaps? :)

[DM_Anuire]

Hello.

Interested I am, but would love to know more. A link to the website you spoke of perhaps? :)

Yay! Glad to see someone alive out there. Right now, we are taking a poll to see how many active players there are for BR. The site is not up yet because we don't want to take the time and resources to do that until we have at least 10 players interested.
Hopefully others will see this and get on board. Thanks for the response!

[Jaleela]

It's viable. We've had a table top game going since 1995. It is currently in 578MR.

More information would be appreciated. You might get more nibbles. :)

[Vicente]

Color me curious about this too :)

There are four running that I know right now (Dawn, Reign 2, Eastern Marches, and Shards of a Broken Crown), so even if lots of people play in several of them, there seems to be enough players interested in these games. It's always more a matter of GM's burning under the burden of running such a game :S

Regards!

Vicente

[Swashbuckler]

I'm interested to learn more about the campaign. Would love to play in an old-school style BR game!

[urwaz]

I wanted to take the opportunity to post my interest in such a thing so as to at least lend some encouragement, but I'm not sure how reliable I can be in terms of playing for at least a week or two.

Any idea as to when you'd want to start?

Is there a specific region you want the game to focus on or do you allow a range of cultures/distance between realms?

Landed regents only or may we be regents of guilds or temples?

As its going to be 2nd edition what player class restrictions do you want to see? (Speaking as an unashamed fan of the anti-palladin concept, though I prefer to think of them as paragons of an amoral philosophy rather than comic book villains..)

Thats just a few in terms of questions, but regardless of the answers the fact that you guys will be running such a game at all is awesome.

Edit: Now that I've rushed in and posted on this thread it looks like I missed a thread or two with more information. My apologies if my questions are repeats.

[ebatalis]

I would urge you to elaborate a tad on your plans since there is surely interest all around. I would be glad to help you and participate if you come up with some of your plans in the near future. I would also like you to keep in mind that its summer time and people get complacent during this time of the year since there are more interesting things to get your time at. ((the beach etc))

[DM_Anuire]

Now this is what I'm talking about! It's really, really good to see the BR community still alive! Hopefully, we can bring a level of excitement to this campaign that no other has done (I know, that will indeed be a task)! But, listen in as the bard of the Straits of Aerele gives some lore about the upcoming BR campaign using 2nd edition rules!

"Behold listeners! BEWARE! A new horizon rises before us. Although it is in plain sight, some cannot see the changes happening before them! There is the sound of war in the distance, the deceiving of nations all about us, brothers fighting brothers, darkness arriving from unknown locations, there is a Birthright Revolution taking place!

Across Anuire, rulers of all domains are making advancements for the Iron Throne. What a prize! But what they do not know is that the forces that would destroy humankind kindle underneath their feet like coals awaiting to burst into flames! Will there be a ruler strong and wise enough to rise from the rest to lead the world? Only time, sweet time will tell..."
Parstan Jollywood Bard from the Straits of Aerele.

Basic gameplay rules:
* 2nd edition rules - We will be providing the 2nd edition BR and PHB rules in PDF format, so don't worry of you don't know the rules that well. Again, we have played BR since its inception and we have tried nearly every version of every rule set out there and 2nd edition remains the most reliable/simplistic rule set for a PBeM.

* Landed and non-landed regents - We plan to allow for a complete BR PBeM experience. Both types of domains will be available and we also have house rules that prevent the outright ownage of a landed regent taking out non-landed regents. I remember playing in one PBeM that lasted a total of like three turns because the poor DM allowed (without penalty) landed regents to simply declare war on non-landed regents and clean them out in one fell move. Not in this campaign my friends...

* An adventure system that gives and takes away - So we have this adventure system that will allow your regents or lieutenants to go on quests that potentially have high rewards as well as high risks! The lower level the quest the lower the gains and risk and vice versa. But, truly amazing and epic things await those who are brave and diligent!

* Anuire based campaign - The focus will be on the Northern Marches, Heartlands, Western Coast and Southern Coast. Ultimately, this will depend on the number of players.

* Campaign Start - This is summer, so to prevent a lagging start, our target start date will be in August (UNLESS THE RESPONSE IS OVERWHELING TO BEGIN SOONER!) The last thing we want is to put in a lot of time and resources and then have a crappy launch. Our goal is to make this campaign one of the funnest and most memorable campaigns EVER!

* House rules - We have developed a set of house rules to counteract some rules issues. However, we are not closed minded and we will be listening to the player base in order to continue to refine the rules.

*All PC classes and alignments allowed - All 2nd edition PHB base classes will be allowed and the 2nd edition BR rules for multi-classing restrictions will apply. Also, there will be a reward/penalty system that will be adhered to for alignment. This keeps players truer to their regent's inner desires and personality. So whether you are good or evil, that's fine, just remember to keep it in character!

* Over 34 years of combined BR experience and well more than that in D&D experience. Our knowledge of the game and rules should provide a fun, fair, and exciting gameplay experience.

As interest continues to grow and we see more players coming onboard, we will release more information. If there is anything specific you'd like to know, then shoot, we will try to answer all questions! I check the board daily so let them come!
DM_Anuire

[chumblefuzz]

Exciting! I've never done a pbem, but I'm willing to give it a shot if birthright is involved, as I've not had much opportunity to play in this (seemingly pretty original and fantastic) gameworld.

Interested, and eager to give it a go!

Newb question the first - Would it be possible to begin play as a blooded lieutenant or vassal of some other regent? Begin blooded and organically come by whatever holdings through game play? Or are we to start as independent regents?

[Fearless_Leader]

Wow, I haven't been back to these forums in ages. They're all flashy looking and what not now. =)

But anyway... to the OP, if you can find someone who's presently in a pbem or one of their DM's, you can probably advertise to that player base. A lot of people play in more than one game.

I only came back here to the forums by chance a day or two ago, but I'd be interested in playing. The last few games I've participated in I have, I'm embarrassed to say, basically flamed out because I haven't been able to maintain my attention due to how crazy-busy I've been during the last three years. So I would probably need to limit my ambitions to something small and relatively innocuous.

[Magian]

I am interested as well.

[DM_Anuire]

Exciting! I've never done a pbem, but I'm willing to give it a shot if birthright is involved, as I've not had much opportunity to play in this (seemingly pretty original and fantastic) gameworld.

Interested, and eager to give it a go!

Newb question the first - Would it be possible to begin play as a blooded lieutenant or vassal of some other regent? Begin blooded and organically come by whatever holdings through game play? Or are we to start as independent regents?

Its good to see the continued excitement!

To answer your question, in a table setting of BR, playing as a lieutenant would be more likely possible. In a PBeM setting, however, it is more fitting for you to play as a regent (landed or non-landed) and to develop your domain. There are two main reasons for this:
1) You are more active in the game
2) You will be able to make and create lieutenants and eventually your heir to your domain. We do play with an emphasis on heirs, and developing that character along with your main character can be really fun. We have had situations where the main regent and his heir (typically his son/daughter or very trusted adviser) were of clashing alignments which lead to treachery at times as well as an overall domain alignment shift because of the new regent. It leaves the door open for massive RP. Not to mention that grooming an heir is your only way to continue in the PBeM in the event that your regent dies (barring some special ways of course which will be revealed later).

[DM_Anuire]

So, in order to tease you guys a bit more, I thought I would actually give you some factions and happenings that you might expect to see and hear in the opening days of the PBeM.

1) A fanatical group of elves in the Aelvinwood, calling themselves "The Believers", are on a rampage through their ancient homeland. Supposedly, these are elves that are as fanatical as Rhuobhe and have even gone as far to ally themselves with goblins, ogres, and maybe even worse! The lands of Talinie, Alamie, Mhoried, and others have had trade routes interrupted, towns vandalized, and people murdered. Until this merciless band is stopped, they will continue to plague the Northern Marches.

2) Gavin Tael is growing in years. He has always had a dream of being more than a "Baron." It appears that he is growing more ambitious with each passing year. How much longer will Ghoere wait before its war-like leader will be patient no more?

3) Blood stones, veins of tighmaevril, artifacts that bend the power of sources, and many other lore and legends about powerful items roam through Anuire like the wind. However, there must be truth about some of these things. Otherwise, why and how would the people know to spin tells of such things?

Keep watching, more to come!
DM_Anuire

[Arentak]

It sounds promising, but its also short on specifics. I currently play in 4 Birthright PBEM's, but I always have room for one more. Especially with the 2E rules in play.

Edit: Also, check out Birmail to help you run an email game, if you haven't already.

[AndrewTall]

What mechanism are you using to track domain turns, holdings, etc? birmail, as mentioned is one, although it has it's idiocyncracies, word and excel have their uses, but in practice the key to me is consistency - updating for different spreadsheet versions is a chore for both player and DM.

The issue will not be recruiting I suspect, but recruiting people who are around for more than one or two seasons.

Some questions that I usually think about when considered pbem's:

* What sort of players is the GM looking for, story-tellers, board-gamers, people willing to play to win rather than just pussy-foot around, historical realists, etc?

* What are the GM's plans for NPC's, will they be reactive and passive, pro-active, etc? Does that apply for all NPC's, major players only, or npc's within a player realm?

* Will domains have aims and goals pre-set, or just take on whatever the player wants?

* Will the game be run via a website? Will it have an imperial senate / conclave / etc for stage-strutting, or will players need to hold a grand festival for that sort of thing?

* Do players need to be active every day, or can it work if they log on just once a week - or just send in their domain turns without emailing anyone / posting on forums?

* How fast are the turns expected to be? Once a week, once a month, once a quarter?

* what sort of tone is the game meant to have? Heroic, chivalric, realistic, gritty, against the odds, courtly, board-game detachment, etc?

[urwaz]

I'm also interested in the answers to AndrewTall's questions and have another of my own.

Regarding people (like me) who haven't done a pbem before at all with any game, is there some resource we can look into to become acquainted with the process? Or some sort of guide you are going to offer so we understand the format enough not to bog down your game due to a lack of understanding as to how it works just generally speaking?

[splinter]

that sound very interesting, i would like to know more :)

[AndrewTall]

In RoE2 we had a 'soft start' - no one was to declare war, etc in the first few turns. That gave us new to RoE time to get our feet under the table before the vets started pulling the rug out from under our feet.

There are several aspects to learning to play in a PBeM that I've come across:

1. PBeM etiquette, i.e. every email subject line must be in the correct format (allowing the DM to quickly identify key emails, find submissions, etc), i.e. RoE 72 Dispatch HA to Mhoried diplomacy translates as RoE email, turn 72, email is a dispatch, sent from Haelyn's Aegis to Mhoried, contents are about a diplomacy action. Similarly if using a website forum typical etiquette may include "use forum w for events only, forum x for adventure actions only, forum y for rules queries, forum z for stories and floating rumours, when floating rumours please follow the guidance in the good player guide"

2. Player etiquette. Some people are always in character, some people write ooc and expect you to translate their stuff into character (i.e. the duke responds in insulting tone and refuses your advances utterly), some mix IC and OOC in posts either with or without signposting which is which. Again this is a learning curve where being constructive and tolerant for the first few turns will probably be very helpful, DM instruction is handy i.e. "OOC is fine in forum's A and B, in forum C use IC only, in emails anything OOC should be labelled as such, if you forget the other person can take it as IC if they so choose)".

3. Ruleset - tabletop. This is the table-top rules that apply to regents, lieutenants, npc's, adventures, etc. Generally easy to pick up for D&D players, of questionable use to many domains but important for flavour - and generally vital to wizard and to a lesser extent priestly domains. The DM needs to set out how important it is to the game and summarise any key aspects impacting the domain side of things.

4. Ruleset - domain. This is the toughie, and is why the BRCS and original 2e ruleset are far less complex than many house rulesets. This area tends to have a steep learning curve that will deter many if they are not helped.

5. Accountancy. Learning the rules can be tough, filling in the spreadsheet templates / whatever can be equally daunting for some. The best way to learn is for someone familiar with the domain ruleset to mentor the newbie but that's hard in a game that's setting out. One way is to use an existing ruleset, or by providing completed sample sheets.

There's probably a lot more that could be usefully added, but that enough for me to give some simple advice:

A: start small. You don't need to detail every npc in round one, heck, it's counter-productive as it stops you sparking off other people later on.

B: don't sweat it. This is only a game, if it's driving you nuts or absorbing all of your time take a break and relax, ask to swap to a smaller domain, or to run an npc for the GMs for a while - you stay involved but cut your time to suit your resource.

C: there is always another turn. While this sappy homily proven a lie by the d4-1 curse, if you play like there will be more turns to come then "wasting an action" becomes less important, you don't need to "win this turn", and generally you can take time to savour the inter-play of the players and GMs - all of which encourages game longevity.

D: the players get out what gets put in. The people most at risk of burnout or overload are the GMs, so help them - if they want new structures, spels, etc design them, put them up on the forum and ask the other players if they are balanced, feel right, etc - the GMs can then pick the ones that they like and don't have to start from scratch.

Similarly if the template spreadsheet is wonky see if you can fix it, start a conversation to summarise its problems and collate them into a coherent document that someone else can use to fix the sheet.

The more support the players give the more likely the game is to survive, even if it doesn't you are likely to be remembered positively in a future game.

E: Be a good player even if your character is an ass. Provide handover notes for your successor if you decide to leave the game, even if your character is trying to deceive their character, don't try to deceive the player, etc.

[Calsius]

I could also be interested. Look forward to more details to come.

[Wishing]

Interested, awaiting more info.

[DM_Anuire]

Well, with the interest you guys have shown, I think it is safe to proceed with our plans to launch this PBeM. As far as some technicalities, here goes some as I know them atm:

Forums: We will have forums. We are still ironing this out as to see if we want to have public, semi-public or closed forums. Ultimately, I think we are leaning towards all turns being handled via e-mail for some very obvious reasons. But, the forums will be available for other interactions.

Role-play: We have never been "huge" role-players personally, HOWEVER, BR has always brought that out more in us than any other setting. That being said, we will be setting up a reward/penalty system for playing characters a) in character b) by alignment c) maintaining a consistent personality. By presenting this type of reward system it helps maintain character parity. Also, it helps us to quickly identify RL or multi-accounting relationships that tend to lend more power to one or the other OR tries to establish unfair advantages through unsportsmanlike treaties/agreements. Fairness leads to a successful campaign. If 3 out of 4 players are having fun then imo the campaign is a failure.

Website: Hopefully our website will be uber. I am working with a friend of mine who is a designer and I am hoping we will have a very interactive website including an interactive map of Anuire that shows the large map at first. Then, by clicking on a domain, it will take you to that domain's map, then by clicking on a province within that domain it will show you the holding info for that province. More on that to come.

Simplicity: I will be addressing some of the questions asked by Andrew Tall in another post. In the meantime, I can assure you of this: Simplicity with rules, interactions, gameplay, etc will prove to be far suprior than any other form of governing a PBeM. That is our goal and that will be how we execute it. If you are counting on a 50 member senate from the City of Anuire that establishes laws every 3rd Sunday of each season and you want to know the color of the trees in Avanil in the spring time then this campaign may not be for you. We are focusing on domain rule, alliances with others, and an overall plot and storyline that will be in effect for the entire campaign. EACH domain will play a part in the overall story.

Hopefully this info will allow you to get a tad better picture of what is to come. We are excited that there are this many BR players still alive out there. We KNOW we can run a successful campaign. Bear with us as we try and set the stage for your most memorable BR experience yet!

DM_Anuire

[Vicente]

Website: Hopefully our website will be uber. I am working with a friend of mine who is a designer and I am hoping we will have a very interactive website including an interactive map of Anuire that shows the large map at first. Then, by clicking on a domain, it will take you to that domain's map, then by clicking on a province within that domain it will show you the holding info for that province. More on that to come.


Be careful of not dying in the technological part. I have seen the awesome work in LegacyOfBlood, and in Dawn related to computer tools, and it's a huge effort, do not underestimate it :)

[DarkApple]

Interested as well :)

[Swashbuckler]

To both echo and add to my previous post:

I am *way* interested in this campaign. I have done PBeM games before, but not one for the Birthright setting. I can imagine that it has its own unique dynamic with regard to domain turns and inter-PC diplomacy. Still, I've got 3 decades of D&D experience and a couple of tabletop Birthright campaigns under my belt, and I'd love to be a part of this one.

Thank you for the info posted thus far. Most of my questions have either been asked or answered already, except for one:

Will the 2nd Ed pdf's that you are supplying be house-ruled versions of those rulesets, or could we begin to come up with a regent as soon as say, when we get home tonight? :)

[Fearless_Leader]

I'll just add a few things to what others have said.

- Assuming that there will always be another turn is crucial to the success of the game, even if it isn't true. Quite often players are aware that the game-life will be short and so are incentivized to carry out grand, over-arching plans in the first couple turns or to attempt to resolve or settle a claim quickly (for example, Diemed might try to resolve its claims on the Southern Coast quickly by invading Medoere in the first couple turns).

- Keeping things simple is best on the technological side of things. The actual content of the game is what drives it; a high-tech website is just icing on the cake unless it actually automates DMing functions and helps to keep game management a manageable task.

- In the past, when I've DM'ed games, its never been war itself that I found overwhelming. Indeed, most wars are fairly limited. Rather, it is the crises that precipitate war among the major powers that are difficult to handle. Such crises generate huge amounts of email and forum posts as PCs try to recruit allies, dissuade others, make plans for the coming war, convince the enemy of his/her resolve, negotiate a pre-war settlement, etc., etc.

- I think open forums are the central part of the game, with turns and private diplomacy handled by email. Forums foster a sense of community among the players and allow them to interact and play with others. There can be private forums that are closed to all but a few players (a common practice now is to have forums specifically for wizards, or guilds, or what have you; another one is to have forums for each realm's court). Whatever the case, even if there are closed forums, I think its important to have one common in-character forum for everyone to play in. As a general rule, a multitude of forums works only if there are a large number of players in the game (30 or 40+). Fewer than that, and there should be a smaller number of in-character forums.

[AndrewTall]

Roleplaying alignment can take on a new aspect in BR compared to normal D&D because of the domain system, if the player is seen to play the domain, rather than a specific regent, then abruptly you get a whole host of potential PCs - some of which are part PC and part NPC.

As an example at present I'm playing Haelyn's Aegis in RoE II. So I'm playing a domain, that domain happens to have Robhan Khaiaren as its regent, so I'm Robhan most of the time. But I also play Pryor Ranele, secretary to Robhan, who is much more "practical" than Robhan and occasionally deals with his post for him, particularly if she thinks he'd empty the treasury in response by failing to negotiate "properly" or hesitate to demand the church's due from misguided charity. I also play Captain Raenwe, a Cerilian version of Ray Winstone who is the unofficial leg-breaker for the church - these quasi NPC's alignments, goals, etc all vary, but all are part of the domain and so I play all of them to a greater or lesser degree along with several others.

As a result "alignment" is something that is more a domain characteristic than a personal one, I can swap/create a new character in moments, but they always have to follow the tenets of the faith and pursue the goals of the Aegis - at least publicly - otherwise the domain suffers from internal strife, being seen as hypocritical, etc, etc.


Domain goals are a fun addition that Bjorn, the RoE DM, uses. He set HA up with various goals which are sometimes very different to the goals I'd have picked as a player. Some of these goals encourage me to work with those I might otherwise seek to exploit, other encourage actions that I wouldn't otherwise be interested in, but the goals are important to the domain and if Robhan wants his domain to run well he has to at least look like he's progressing its goals.


"turn zero" treaties, grievances, etc could also be used to shape the game a little, prevent turn 1 diplomatic frenzies, etc.

[DarkApple]

Roleplaying alignment can take on a new aspect in BR compared to normal D&D because of the domain system, if the player is seen to play the domain, rather than a specific regent, then abruptly you get a whole host of potential PCs - some of which are part PC and part NPC.

As an example at present I'm playing Haelyn's Aegis in RoE II. So I'm playing a domain, that domain happens to have Robhan Khaiaren as its regent, so I'm Robhan most of the time. But I also play Pryor Ranele, secretary to Robhan, who is much more "practical" than Robhan and occasionally deals with his post for him, particularly if she thinks he'd empty the treasury in response by failing to negotiate "properly" or hesitate to demand the church's due from misguided charity. I also play Captain Raenwe, a Cerilian version of Ray Winstone who is the unofficial leg-breaker for the church - these quasi NPC's alignments, goals, etc all vary, but all are part of the domain and so I play all of them to a greater or lesser degree along with several others.

As a result "alignment" is something that is more a domain characteristic than a personal one, I can swap/create a new character in moments, but they always have to follow the tenets of the faith and pursue the goals of the Aegis - at least publicly - otherwise the domain suffers from internal strife, being seen as hypocritical, etc, etc.


Domain goals are a fun addition that Bjorn, the RoE DM, uses. He set HA up with various goals which are sometimes very different to the goals I'd have picked as a player. Some of these goals encourage me to work with those I might otherwise seek to exploit, other encourage actions that I wouldn't otherwise be interested in, but the goals are important to the domain and if Robhan wants his domain to run well he has to at least look like he's progressing its goals.


"turn zero" treaties, grievances, etc could also be used to shape the game a little, prevent turn 1 diplomatic frenzies, etc.

This could indeed be the seeds of a more stable and understandable (also enjoyable) campaign start

[DM_Anuire]

Hey BR Community! Glad to see you guys talking and awaiting our unveiling! We recently bought another paper version of our beloved campaign off of e-bay to ensure we would forever have an actual set of the rules! =)

Now, on to some other things:

Historic Setting: This campaign will pick up where the current rules leave it. However, be prepared for our overall campaign storyline to drive alliances and attitudes. Again, we are not huge RP intensive players. But, I will be using RP to setup and paint the overall picture for you and we have enough experience at the helm so that not all NPC's are the same cardboard cutouts of each other. For instance, in a Dhoesone campaign we ran when BR was launched, Mheallie Bireon was a tremendous thorn in their side. She combined intrigue, deceit, and outright murder at times to get her way. It was fun getting into that role and being a cool antagonist for the PC's.
Also, along the historic setting, current alliances will remain intact IF you are in a domain that is not overly affected by the initial campaign storyline. If I tell you more about this you may surely figure some things out before we begin so I had better hush!

We are currently planning to let you folks choose your domains. However, I am leaning towards a more "generic" selection to an actual direct choosing of the domain. Meaning, if you want to play a wizard, then we will put you in a source somewhere vs allowing you to choose exactly which domain you want. What are your thoughts or does this matter?

Anyways, each of you will play one character in one domain. The only way you will ever play a different character is if yours dies AND you have an heir. Please designate an heir via investiture as quickly as possible or you will be eliminated from the game. We believe this game will be a blast and we can't wait to share it with you.

Cheers!
DM_Anuire

[Arentak]

"pre-game alliances" leave very bad tastes in people's mouths, and signing up to be "Landed, Temple, Source, or Guild" rather then "Talinie" helps create that a little bit. My buddy and I can't join together, me as Boeruine, him as Avanil, and plan on conquering the world.

Good DM's handle that anyway, but I don't hate the idea. OTOH, some realms just suck. Cariele for instance. I'd almost be afraid to pick landed knowing I might get stuck with that one.

Is the idea that if I got stuck with Cariele, for instance, I'd be Entier Gladanil, a relatively low level fighter, NE? Or I'd make my own character, possibly be named Entier Gladanil, or possibly be named something like Maevic Cariele, and be a Paladin of Haelyn?

My preference might be that if you want a new char, you get a 1st level newbie, with a worse bloodline then the guy you're replacing....

I only offer my preference since it seems like you're looking for input.

[Magian]

You may want to establish a site where you can post that link. I doubt the admin here will keep it up. Advertising such things is risky. FYI.

[Magian]

Pre-game alliances leaving a bad taste in people's mouths is kind of silly to me. If we are going to play in Cerilia, then let's play in the setting. What leaves a bad taste in my mouth are these arbitrary alliances that pop up in pre-game diplomacy changing the face of the political arena before we even begin. That takes away the feel of the setting to me and it becomes a meta-game more like Total War in sandbox mode. There is nothing wrong with a sandbox play, but there is no sense of historical relationships in a game like Total War, but there is and should be in Birthright.

I like the ideas I am hearing from the DM thus far. Regardless of what a person may think they want in game play, a new experience that attempts to bring a new sense to an old setting is always worth a try. I always wanted to play in a game that would actually bring out the established diplomacy and political climate that the setting offers pre-game. Playing a new role is always worth exploring, and always being able to choose something on your own terms isn't exploring roleplay much at all. For example I am playing TCV in Osoerde in a game and I've done things with it I could have never imagined unless I got the role to play it. This a domain that is rarely if ever taken and most likely seen as a target to get rid of in most games. I suggest give it a shot even if you are leary of the presentation at first. You may find you enjoy it more than your already established assumptions of what the game should be.

[bedwear]

So , when the game will be open to apply?..,)

[Swashbuckler]

I agree with almost every POV that Magian espoused above. I have played in a game where we took the standing alliances and temperaments as they were from the book(s), and I have played in "make a PC, replace a named regent, commence world domination" games. Both are fun in their own right, but I much prefer the canon setting to rewriting every domain and regent and trying to make a game of it. To me, that sorta kills the idea of playing in Cerilia with the Birthright setting. You may as well craft a homebrew world at that point and use just the ruleset.

However, it sounds as if we have a mixed game ahead - one where most of the background/alliances/temperaments are in-place ala the 2nd Ed rules, but one where some of the main domains may have some initial changes which have not been revealed yet (as our DM alluded to above). I have no issues with that, but such things should be clarified before we kick off the first turn.


We are currently planning to let you folks choose your domains. However, I am leaning towards a more "generic" selection to an actual direct choosing of the domain. Meaning, if you want to play a wizard, then we will put you in a source somewhere vs allowing you to choose exactly which domain you want. What are your thoughts or does this matter?

My thoughs are - have players submit a PC concept (basics like name, gender, age, class, etc.), and then give them the "top 3" choices of domains where the DM(s) see a good fit. If nothing suits what the player is looking for, then suggest other avenues or directions that they might consider. I realize this is the most DM-Player-interaction-intensive method, but I've seen it used before, and it worked out very well.

[Fearless_Leader]

I agree with almost every POV that Magian espoused above. I have played in a game where we took the standing alliances and temperaments as they were from the book(s), and I have played in "make a PC, replace a named regent, commence world domination" games. Both are fun in their own right, but I much prefer the canon setting to rewriting every domain and regent and trying to make a game of it. To me, that sorta kills the idea of playing in Cerilia with the Birthright setting. You may as well craft a homebrew world at that point and use just the ruleset.


Hmm... well, I agree with some of the points here, and disagree with others.

- In almost every game I've DM'ed or played in, the pre-existing alliances have remained intact. Most of the time this is a good thing, but since 1995 there have been dozens of pbems (perhaps hundreds) and most of the scenarios in Anuire's balance of power have been played out with each game offering only a minor permutation. I don't mean this as criticism; after all, I have played in and DM'ed those games and they're a lot of fun. I would however make the point that mixing things up and having games without the pre-game alliances can be a very good thing from time to time.

- I think someone above made reference to 'pre-game alliances' in terms of players joining the game and conspiring together. I think there's a fine line to be drawn here. Some players like to join pbems with their friends (or, occasionally, their spouses). This seems fine to me as long as such players join as domains that are either tied together in the pregame setup, or else as domains that make natural allies. I've actually had players join the game before where one takes up as a major power and then seeds his RL friends all around Anuire, so I understand the ways this can get out of hand.

- OP was looking for thoughts on domain selection. My thoughts are that the generic selection mechanism could work, so long as this is made clear to people that are joining. I agree with what Magian said above -- introducing elements into domain selection that are beyond the immediate control of the player sounds interesting, and could allow for domains and options that aren't typically selected. It could also alleviate some of the repetitious play I talked about above in my first point.

[Magian]

I'm sure it'll work out no matter how it is done. Personal preferences tend to leave room for personal growth. That is, as long as we can maintain an open mind. One thing you'll find is there are many definitions of what an RPG is that focus on the various dimensions of the game styles inherent within this aspect of gaming. The tendency to focus on power in the political game of Birthright we can lose the dimension of the story, the characters, the organics of the setting, and the actual role we are attempting to play. The mind naturally can transcend the rules and start meta-gaming. This is where most of our forum discussions begin. Since we have little to go on in our personal experiences to bring this kind of thing out in character, we have tendency to leave the character's knowledge and rely on our own. Unless we are someone like an actual senator or politician we have very little experience to go on. Therefore it becomes a challenge to relate to our roles.

In the wargame aspect of play, which I find very helpful for rules that add to the gameplay, there is a tendency to thinking about how to win the game. For me, this begs the question did Julius Ceasar win the game? Did any emperor of Rome win the game? Persia was always there, Alexander died young, and they like all other humans end up dead. Alexander being the paragon of all Roman emperors as the one conqueror of the empire they could never defeat. To me the notion of winning is in many respects absurd. I see it as a shallow understanding of what an RPG has to offer. The win for me is fun. Back to my TCV game I am getting my royal butt kicked by the bigger domains and yet I feel that I am winning because I have created the domain with more detail that I would have ever given to it before, and I am seeing a political viewpoint of the game I hadn't thought of before. Therefore I see as part of winning as creativity and yet I don't view it as winning.

Why I bring these points out is, if you are Brosengae, Taeghas, or Talinie and are put under the thumb of one of the big guys, you still have options. You owe fealty to them, but are free to read it as you may. That can be a relationship for you if you choose, or it can be a challenge and maybe even an obstacle to overcome. The many styles of play to me are nothing but a focus on a particular dimension of the game and they all fit into the setting as presented or altered by the DM for his own choosing. Therefore it can all work out even if we are put into a role that at first may turn us off.

[DM_Anuire]

Hey guys. I've been reading along and wanted to touch on some of the topics you guys have mentioned so far:

Pre-game alliances: I define these as alliances that are NOT in the setting at campaign start but begin when two people know each other and attempt to benefit one another with an unlikely alliance. First off, these are a drag. They take away from the point of playing the game and in general are no fun to the other players who are working hard to try and establish legit, in-game alliances. This is one reason for a "generic" domain selection as it makes fitting players into domains a tad more random and can help curve pre-game alliances. Also, these types of shenanigans will be monitored. If we notice that the Mohr and Guilder Kalien (for instance) all of a sudden have this unbreakable alliance and are sharing resources freely after just one diplomacy action, then, yeah, we're probably going to have a problem with that. This is where "random events" can surely interfere with unfair alliances and such. Don't get me wrong, we will award players who try hard to establish these types of alliances, but what we won't tolerate is two players coming together to form an unlikely alliance just because.

Story Line: I wanted to mention this again. The storyline that we have will drive many domains to "perhaps" do somethings they wouldn't normally do. Maybe its desperation, maybe its greed. But, what we can promise is this, there will not be a single played domain that will NOT be a part of the story, either directly or indirectly. This is where I believe a lot of the PBeM's fail. They simply try to place players in domains and then say, "Go at it guys! May the best player win!" Not us says I. Having a story line that helps drive the campaign will not only create some unforgettable moments, but it will also drive the campaign so that players will come together, war, intrigue, live, and die. Besides, everyone likes their character more if they are a part of something larger than they are. Granted, not all players can "win." Some WILL be eliminated via character death. Some will play for a while and quit, and well, someone will perhaps rise to be the new Emperor (isn't that the goal, the ultimate prize?). We can't promise who that will be but we can promise you will have fun figuring it out!

Start Date: We are doing the technical stuff now and main campaign setup. Our goal is the first week of August.

Multi-Characters: No. Only your regent. You may name heirs (highly suggested) and that will be the only other characters you could ever play.

NPC Domains: NPCs will control the major powers of the setting. Avanil, Boeruine, Ghoere, to name a few. This is done very intentional. Mainly, as someone mentioned before, to prevent the game from ending up the way most people would imagine it to end up. i.e. Avanil is set up in the campaign to most assuredly take the throne. But, that's BEFORE our story line! ;)

Again, this isn't our first rodeo. We have played in quiet a few PBeM's and BR campaigns and we have a learned a lot from those experiences. I'm telling ya, when we officially open the domains for selection, you better grab a seat and hang on! Its going to be a wild ride!

DM_Anuire

P.S. Continue to post your questions and comments. I'll let ya know when we get closer to domain selection.

[Fearless_Leader]

I agree with the point on pre-game teamwork. I've had a lot of trouble with this before and, yeah, its terrible roleplaying, its unfair to the other players, and it represents a triumph of meta-gaming over roleplaying and strategic skill.

But like I said, some players only join games in groups; either with their good friends or spouses. In such cases, if the players want domains that are far removed from one another and are good enough not to secure an unfair out-of-game advantage, then all is well; although even the appearance of impropriety can be just as damaging as the real thing.

However, if such players want to join together as natural allies (or at least natural non-enemies), that's another matter. Some examples: Avanil and the Prince's Pride or even Taeghas, Aerenwe and High Mage Aelies, etc. But such cases are pretty rare and there are no guarantees -- in the first pbem I ever ran, Aerenwe and HMA ended up fighting each other and successfully killing one another's characters, even though they were played by two old friends of mine.

So basically it all comes down to the preference of the DM (not exactly a stunning conclusion, but there it is).

[AndrewTall]

Pre-game alliances: I define these as alliances that are NOT in the setting at campaign start but begin when two people know each other and attempt to benefit one another with an unlikely alliance. ... If we notice that the Mohr and Guilder Kalien (for instance) all of a sudden have this unbreakable alliance and are sharing resources freely after just one diplomacy action, then, yeah, we're probably going to have a problem with that. This is where "random events" can surely interfere with unfair alliances and such.

I'm sure that some-one said on the forums something along the lines of "in a good game random event's probably aren't". If using the "domain has its own alignemnt and goals" approach, those sort of freakish meta-game domain alignments will encourage the npc's in the relevant domain to take action to prevent the fruits of their hard work being squandered, encourage corruption as others follow the example of the leadership, etc.

That said people are more likely to join, and stay, in a game if they are with friends. Friends are also able to nudge each other to complete turn orders, answer emails, etc. So saying "I'd like a realm that's on good terms with and close to my buddy Joe" doesn't sound unreasonable - as you note though it is something for a DM to watch in practice.

[Arentak]

How will you handle the 2e rules about high-level sources acting as guilds? (TSR 3117 Book of Magecraft, Page 19). This has massive implications for the elven realms. not so much for the rest of Anuire.

How about the maximum number of holdings in a province (TSR3100, Birthright Campaign Setting, Page 34)

Edit: Also, what about "XP For domain actions".

[DM_Anuire]

How will you handle the 2e rules about high-level sources acting as guilds? (TSR 3117 Book of Magecraft, Page 19). This has massive implications for the elven realms. not so much for the rest of Anuire.


How about the maximum number of holdings in a province (TSR3100, Birthright Campaign Setting, Page 34)

Edit: Also, what about "XP For domain actions".

The high level sources = guilds will more than likely not apply. No elven realms will be open at this time.

Number of leveled holdings in a province will be enforced. There is no limit to the number of level 0 holdings.

XP will be handled primarily with the adventure and train action. Look for posts specifically about these to come later.

DM_Anuire

[DM_Anuire]

Behold! We have completed our list of PREFERRED player domains. Now, what this means is that we would prefer to fill these domains first. If someone is just dead set against these OR if we have more players than domains, then perhaps some additional domains may be available. We have selected these domains because they flow with each other in some form or another and because they fit into our storyline for the campaign. Also, we may actually be leaning to allow you to send a list of your top 3 domains you'd prefer to play. So, in no particular order, here they are!

Landed:
Talinie & NIT
Alamie
Tournen
Cariele
Mhoried
Endier and guild network
Dhoesone

Temples:
Militant Order
Northern Reformed Church
Celestial Jewel
Oaken Grove

Guilds:
Mhellie Bieron
Banner Andien
Storm Holston
Galien Thuried

Sources:
Caine
Clumine Dhoesone
Daeric Dhoesone
Talinie Wizard
Mhoried Wizard

Don't have my actual ruins guide with me as I type this, so I apologize for not having the names 100%. Also, please note that some of these domains WILL be altered from their form in the Ruins of Empire initial setup. This is so we can keep domains centralized. Most domains will either have lateral changes or increases to their initial setups. (This mainly applies to non-landed domains)

Anyways, thought I would share with you our open domains! We will be taking your orders as soon as we open our forums. Until then, get an idea of what you would like to play and be thinking of the possibilities!

DM_Anuire

[Muaadeeb]

Greetings DM_Anuire,

It has been over a decade since I have played BR - but back in the day I was extremly active (original beta tester for Birthright: Goron's Alliance, met Ed Stark at gen Con, ran several long running BR PBEMS, played in several epic games (Dark Star's/Solymer's etc..., have a few submissions in the BR netbook...)

Anyway - I am interested in re-igniting a BR fire. Please select a domain for me and keep me in the loop. I have no preferance.


Muaadeeb / Kariu

Muaadeeb@cox.net

[Arentak]

In the second edition Birthright Campaign Setting, it says that coastal or river provinces have a source rating of 7. On the printed map of Anuire, and in the Ruins of Empire sourcebook, this was mostly ignored. For instance, Calrie, Plains, Coastal 6/0 instead of 6/1. Will you be using the published source potential for each province, or the published level for each terrain type (i.e. Endier (plains, River) would be 6/1 not 6/0).

Can you tell I'm wanting to play a wizard?

[Muaadeeb]

DM_Anuire,

I would like to apply for this game. I will take any domain type or position.

Thank you.

Muaadeeb

[DM_Anuire]

In the second edition Birthright Campaign Setting, it says that coastal or river provinces have a source rating of 7. On the printed map of Anuire, and in the Ruins of Empire sourcebook, this was mostly ignored. For instance, Calrie, Plains, Coastal 6/0 instead of 6/1. Will you be using the published source potential for each province, or the published level for each terrain type (i.e. Endier (plains, River) would be 6/1 not 6/0).

Can you tell I'm wanting to play a wizard?

No, sorry Aren. We will be using the province levels from, the book. The majority of our rules will come from the base rules. We may incorporate some of the supplemental rules, but the majority will definitely be from the main campaign book. Main reason for this is simplicity.

DM_Anuire

[DM_Anuire]

DM_Anuire,

I would like to apply for this game. I will take any domain type or position.

Thank you.

Muaadeeb

Heyas Muaad! Thanks for showing interest. If you have read through this thread, you can tell there is a level of excitement brewing over this campaign. It will certainly not disappoint. We plan on trying to get the website going here very soon and when we do we will begin accepting domain requests and official sign ups. Keep watching this thread and I'll disclose more info as we get closer. Our targeted start date is first week in August.

DM_Anuire

[Muaadeeb]

Outstanding!

Did you by chance run a web pbem for Birthright back 97-99 (somewhere in those years?). I am an old school player/GM from back in the original days of DarkStar, Solymer and others..


Muaadeeb / Kariu

[Arentak]

No, sorry Aren. We will be using the province levels from, the book. The majority of our rules will come from the base rules. We may incorporate some of the supplemental rules, but the majority will definitely be from the main campaign book. Main reason for this is simplicity.

DM_Anuire

I was referring to the base rules. TSR 3100, Birthright Campaign Setting, page 81

It says
Terrain Type Potential
Plaints, Hills, Tundra, Marsh Moor 5
Forest, Mountains, River, Coast 7
Swamp 8
High Mountains, Ancient Forest 9

However, one can look at the map, and one can see Caercas has a river. Caercas is plains. Caercas thus, should have a source potential of 7. According to Ruins of Empire, page 10, Caercas is a (4/1), and that is the value printed on the map for Caercas also. According to the table above though, it should be a 4/3.

[DM_Anuire]

I was referring to the base rules. TSR 3100, Birthright Campaign Setting, page 81

It says
Terrain Type Potential
Plaints, Hills, Tundra, Marsh Moor 5
Forest, Mountains, River, Coast 7
Swamp 8
High Mountains, Ancient Forest 9

However, one can look at the map, and one can see Caercas has a river. Caercas is plains. Caercas thus, should have a source potential of 7. According to Ruins of Empire, page 10, Caercas is a (4/1), and that is the value printed on the map for Caercas also. According to the table above though, it should be a 4/3.

I see your point, however, we no intentions at this time to change the printed domain values. One technical reason is because we are submitting a map of Anuire for our web guy to make our interactive map and changing the values might be confusing. Besides, 2nd Edition Wizards more than tip the power scale anyways. They don't need a lot of help! =)

[DM_Anuire]

Outstanding!

Did you by chance run a web pbem for Birthright back 97-99 (somewhere in those years?). I am an old school player/GM from back in the original days of DarkStar, Solymer and others..


Muaadeeb / Kariu

No, actually we only played in them during those days. Our PBeM DM'ing experience came after the 97-99 era. And we have actually DM'd both 2nd and 3.x versions of the BR settings so we are fairly well versed in the rules. Again, we chose 2nd edition because of the more simpler interactions.

[ptrayal]

I'm definitely interested in this type of game, though it would be nice to see more landed regents available.

[TheDegn22]

I'm in for sure! Haven't played in years but I am definitely familiar with the PBEM. I also have actual copies of the books and maps. Osoerde is my favorite but any landed regent will do for me.

[Swashbuckler]

I'm a huge fan of Mhoried, myself, and that'll be choice #1. But I could also try my hand at a temple or wizardly type if needs be.

(Edit: And yes, I own a copy of almost everything ever produced for Birthright by TSR.)

[Sorontar]

(Edit: And yes, I own a copy of everything ever produced for Birthright by TSR.)
Including "Of varsks and winter witches" (http://www.birthright.net/forums/showwiki.php?title=Of_varsks_and_winter_witches) ?

Sorontar

[DM_Anuire]

I'm definitely interested in this type of game, though it would be nice to see more landed regents available.

Man, it is so invigorating to see the response we've had! You guys are going to be in for a ride!

To answer this question here, we have backup domains that will be available for play if people actually register for the game when we get to that point. If we have more to register than there are domains available, we will be activating more domains. We have chosen this list purposely for the intentions of:

A) To make everyone a little more interactive with each other and with the overlying storyline.
B) To preserve balance (Don't think that because Talinie and Mhoried are solid domains they won't be challenged...far from it)
C) To eliminate as many domains as possible from play. If you have ever DM'd a BR campaign, the #1 error a DM can make is overwhelming themselves with to much on their plate. We have 2 DM's and a smaller focused playing field. This will enable us to process turns more rapidly and keep the game rolling!

DM_Anuire

[ptrayal]

A) To make everyone a little more interactive with each other and with the overlying storyline.
B) To preserve balance (Don't think that because Talinie and Mhoried are solid domains they won't be challenged...far from it)
C) To eliminate as many domains as possible from play. If you have ever DM'd a BR campaign, the #1 error a DM can make is overwhelming themselves with to much on their plate. We have 2 DM's and a smaller focused playing field. This will enable us to process turns more rapidly and keep the game rolling!

DM_Anuire
All of those reasons make a lot of sense. It's good to see that thought is being put into it. Are you creating the site with flash, php, or something else?

[DM_Anuire]

I wished I knew how to run a poll on these forums or I wished that I could run a poll. So, I guess I will have to do it the good 'ole fashion way.

POLL: By turn or by round?

We do want our players input and we will strive to make you guys as involved in the OOC side as you are in the game side. With that being said, would you rather we do a full turn at a time (meaning you have to include all 3 of your domain actions at once) or would you prefer to only submit a single domain round at a time. The pros and cons are below:

Full turn submisison:
Pros
Faster game play
Only have to submit once per 2 week period.
Cons
Very little reaction to what happens in your domain. You have to rely on "defense pools" to counteract contestions and such.
Not very accurate. The game is "choppy" because you are literally responding to events a full three months or so after they happen.

Round Submission:
Pros
Very accurate gameplay. You get to respond to events (if you choose) immediately after they happen.
Do not have to rely on "defense pools" as much to protect your domain.
Cons
Slower game. It will be a drastically slower game compared to per turn.
Will probably have to submit an action every 7-10 days.

Let us know what you think!
DM_Anuire

[DM_Anuire]

All of those reasons make a lot of sense. It's good to see that thought is being put into it. Are you creating the site with flash, php, or something else?

Eh, good question. I am not really a web guy myself, so I am going to be learning how to update the site and all after we get it up. I have no idea how he is going to do the map and such.

DM_Anuire

[Muaadeeb]

I vote for rounds.


Muaadeeb

[ptrayal]

I vote for rounds.

Another vote for rounds.

[Arentak]

I vote Rounds.

If it were 30+ regents, I'd want full turns, since it would be slow. You've got the right idea to keep the game smaller, and small game can go quickly. Juan has a great eastern marches game going, and what he did is start with about 20 realms, and he's slowly added more as we progress. The idea, obviously, being to make sure you never get bogged down, and add only if you can do it without a problem.

You've indicated the game will be more character driven, and that is exceedingly hard to do with 30+ regents.

[Magian]

I like the idea of playing round by round. Turn by turn focuses too much on time passing by as if we were at a race to some finish line. If it is about roleplay, then round by round should be fine. I actually prefer to see a slow game play out. 1 round about every 2 weeks seems like a nice pace to me. Maybe even a little fast at some points. The only obstacle will be getting used to planning out spending the income over 3 submissions and having to wait for income that long as well. But if we are focused on the challenges in the game, that shouldn't be too much of a drawback.

[Swashbuckler]

Rounds makes more sense from your pro/con list. That's my vote.


... and ...


Including "Of varsks and winter witches" (http://www.birthright.net/forums/showwiki.php?title=Of_varsks_and_winter_witches) ?

(Edit: checked!)
... and, no. Unfortunately not. CRAP. Now I *have* to find it. Thanks for giving me a new obsession. ;)

[Fearless_Leader]

I used to run all my pbems in turns because of the slower game associated with rounds. However, I think you'll find that because of the online nature of the game, player interaction and diplomacy will speed up the pace of events regardless of rounds/turns/etc. So another con for rounds is that events unfold extremely quickly from an in-character and role-playing perspective.

However, of late I've come to believe that rounds are better --- much, much less work for the DMs and players can responds to events smoother, as you say.

Rounds are *definitely* the way to go, although with a smaller number of players full turns don't necessarily increase the work load past the point of DM burnout.

[TheDegn22]

I vote rounds. And I vote you throw the Rjurik nations in there.

[Delazar]

I'm interested too! I vote for Rounds (one a week?).

I know it's too early to call dibs, but I call dibs on Tuornen, for sentimental reasons...

[DM_Anuire]

Ok guys. SO I wanted to drop this update to you guys to let you know how things are progressing. Here is where we are:

Website is in development and appears it should be ready by our official launch date (1st week in August).

Forums: The forums are up and are being populated with rules, clarifications, and personal domain areas. We will give you the forum address here very shortly, but, we want to assign domains before then so that when you register on the forums you will be able to use the domain you are playing as your name (or at least a part of your name).

Interactive Map: While it is our hope to have one of these at launch, this has proceeded slower than we had hoped. We may not have the cool, flashy map we were hoping for at launch. Even if we don't, all domain info will still be presented in good 'ole text form. :D

We are going to assign domains shortly. Before we do, though, we are going to invite you guys to the forums to browse over the rules, house rules, and campaign setup. We want you guys to ask questions and to challenge anything you might believe to be broken.

It looks like the campaign will be ran by the round. I think you guys will like the speed in which we plan to run this. Anyways, stick around, more to come!
DM_Anuire

[ptrayal]

I'm excited. I'd like to put in a request for a landed domain, I'm not picky about who or where.

[Swashbuckler]

Gonna have to quit drinking anything with caffeine in it until this game kicks off. Hyper enough as it is. :)

[DM_Anuire]

Hey community, we are working hard behind the scenes to get this PBeM off to a ROARING start! I wanted to give you a heads up on the next steps that involves everyone interested in joining this game. Please listen carefully because we are going to have some deadlines attached and we intend to keep our deadlines to the number.

DM_Revolution is the other DM working with me on this PBeM and he will be the primary grunt DM (meaning he's going to be the main processor of turns and such). My role will be to update the website, forums, and to pick up any slack from the turns. Also, since I have DM'd for the majority of my D&D career, he is leaving the "creativeness" to me. That means the overall story design, plot, and execution are mine to control (BEWARE HAHA:mad:).

Anyways, you will see a post from DM_Revolution here very shortly. He is going to give you an e-mail address for you to officially sign up for the PBeM. Please don't miss the window in which he gives you. Once the registration deadline is closed, the game becomes closed and we go with who/what we have. We will not open the game to any new players once it has begun. We may seem "strict" but we believe in order and that's what we are going to try and maintain. Overall, if we stick to OUR guns, then you guys will have a better PBeM experience you've ever had.

Also, once we register the players for the game and the registration ends, we will move to our websites and forums and this thread will no longer be updated.

Be prepared! The herald is blowing the trumpet! The time is nigh at hand!

DM_Anuire

[dm_revolution]

Hi all, I am very excited to be part of this campaign! As DM_Anuire has stated before, this is not our first rodeo.....he and I have played in many Birthright campaigns (both at the table and PBeM's) over the last 17 years.
We have many ideas that we want to implement into Birthright Revolution such as using different antagonists that are usually overlooked in most PBeM's we've played in, as welll as new rewards for adventuring just to name two. We look forward to putting our own twist on Anuire :D
Most of all, we want to create an environment where YOU, the players, will have loads of fun. After all, that's what Birthright is about, right?

If you desire to play in this campaign then I need you to send me an email with your top 3 domain choices. My email is dm_revolution@yahoo.com
Here are the available domains at this time. Again, if we have an overwhelming number of responses to my email, then we may open up another realm or two, but for now, these are it.

Landed:
Talinie & NIT
Alamie
Tournen
Cariele
Mhoried
Endier and guild network
Dhoesone

Temples:
Militant Order
Northern Reformed Church
Celestial Jewel
Oaken Grove

Guilds:
Mhellie Bieron
Banner Andien
Storm Holston
Galien Thuried

Sources:
Caine
Clumine Dhoesone
Daeric Dhoesone
Talinie Wizard
Mhoried Wizard


We need to have all players registered by no later than Saturday, August 4th.

Once you have been assigned a domain/kingdom we will help you get registered for the forums so you can log in under your domain name. This will make it very easy to keep up with who's who.

We look forward to hearing from each of you :D

[Deathknyte]

I would be willing to play if you want another person.

[PCSgtL]

Eagerly awaiting post by DM_Revolution.

[DM_Anuire]

Eagerly awaiting post by DM_Revolution.

DM_Revolution has tried to post to the thread multiple times, but he keeps getting a your post has been submitted and is awaiting an admin permission to post? Anyone know what this is about?

DM_Anuire

If we can't get it resolved, I will post it in his stead. Thanks.

[Muaadeeb]

DM_Revolution has tried to post to the thread multiple times, but he keeps getting a your post has been submitted and is awaiting an admin permission to post? Anyone know what this is about?

DM_Anuire

If we can't get it resolved, I will post it in his stead. Thanks.

Same thing happened to me when I registered to the forum. His registration is being validated.

[Sorontar]

Correct. All new members are initially moderated in the forum. This means that any posts won't be made public until a moderator has seen and approved them. This helps prevent orogs getting into the forum and spreading their foul language. Normally approval will be within one day at the most, one hour at the best.

Sorontar

[DM_Anuire]

Ok, if DM_Revolution's post doesn't show up here in the next little bit, I am going to copy and paste it from an e-mail he is sending me and we'll do it that way. Just as a heads up, THIS POST WILL DETAIL OFFICIAL SIGNUPS FOR THE CAMPAIGN. Please do not miss your opportunity to join!

DM_Anuire

[DM_Anuire]

Hi all, I am very excited to be part of this campaign! As DM_Anuire has stated before, this is not our first rodeo.....he and I have played in many Birthright campaigns (both at the table and PBeM's) over the last 17 years.
We have many ideas that we want to implement into Birthright Revolution such as using different antagonists that are usually overlooked in most PBeM's we've played in, as well as new rewards for adventuring just to name two. We look forward to putting our own twist on Anuire :D
Most of all, we want to create an environment where YOU, the players, will have loads of fun. After all, that's what Birthright is about, right?
If you desire to play in this campaign then I need you to send me an email with your top 3 domain choices. My email is dm_revolution@yahoo.com
Here are the available domains at this time. Again, if we have an overwhelming number of responses to my email, then we may open up another realm or two, but for now, these are it.
Landed:
Talinie & NIT
Alamie
Tournen
Cariele
Mhoried
Endier and guild network
Dhoesone
Temples:
Militant Order
Northern Reformed Church
Celestial Jewel
Oaken Grove
Guilds:
Mhellie Bieron
Banner Andien
Storm Holston
Galien Thuried
Sources:
Caine
Clumine Dhoesone
Daeric Dhoesone
Talinie Wizard
Mhoried Wizard

We need to have all players registered by no later than Saturday, August 4th.
Once you have been assigned a domain/kingdom we will help you get registered for the forums so you can log in under your domain name. This will make it very easy to keep up with who's who.
We look forward to hearing from each of you :D

[AndrewTall]

DM_Revolution has tried to post to the thread multiple times, but he keeps getting a your post has been submitted and is awaiting an admin permission to post? Anyone know what this is about?

DM_Anuire

If we can't get it resolved, I will post it in his stead. Thanks.

Sorry for the delay in approving his post. As Sorontar said all posters with <10 (I think) validated posts get moderated initally - we had trouble with spambots getting past the old filters and the mailing list members requested we do something as the forum-patches didn't help them.

If you find a delay in mod-duties again mail me at abotall@yahoo.co.uk and let me know - I'm online daily usually but have had trouble with my internet of late which combined with RL cut my availability down.

[Arentak]

I'm looking forward to playing a 2Ed game. I'm already planning my Non-Weapon Proficiencies. Trying to decide if I want Reading/Writing.

[DM_Anuire]

I'm looking forward to playing a 2Ed game. I'm already planning my Non-Weapon Proficiencies. Trying to decide if I want Reading/Writing.

Great! Good to see you putting some thought into it already! BUT, have sent your registration e-mail to DM_Revolution? This is the official sign up period until August 4th! GO GO!

DM_Anuire

[ptrayal]

BUT, have sent your registration e-mail to DM_Revolution? This is the official sign up period until August 4th! GO GO!

DM_Anuire
I have, very excited waiting to hear back.

[Deathknyte]

I'm looking forward to playing a 2Ed game. I'm already planning my Non-Weapon Proficiencies. Trying to decide if I want Reading/Writing.

Now that depends on if you trust the guy who will read your documents to you.

[Calsius]

In your listing of available domains I couldn't help but notice a very low amount of temples to Haelyn. I was wondering that since it would potentially fit really well into your setting, if you would consider allowing me to choose to play as the Lord Marshal of Haelyn's Aegis in Mhoried, or even the extremely weakened Lord Marshal of Haelyn's Aegis in Cariele.

[Muaadeeb]

Now that depends on if you trust the guy who will read your documents to you.

If you need and honest chancellor let me know. I'd love to help you with your reading materials.

[PCSgtL]

In your listing of available domains I couldn't help but notice a very low amount of temples to Haelyn. I was wondering that since it would potentially fit really well into your setting, if you would consider allowing me to choose to play as the Lord Marshal of Haelyn's Aegis in Mhoried, or even the extremely weakened Lord Marshal of Haelyn's Aegis in Cariele.

Hey. I already claimed Haylyn's Aegis in the email I sent them, so hands off!

[Deathknyte]

Speaking of which, can dm_revolution send out emails confirming that he has received emails from us? I sent him one a few days ago but have heard nothing back.

[DM_Anuire]

Speaking of which, can dm_revolution send out emails confirming that he has received emails from us? I sent him one a few days ago but have heard nothing back.

Yeah, good point. Dont know why the dolt hasn't done that.
Will get him on that. BTW,@ 10 players registered so far. Keep 'em coming.

Also, I do believe it is DM_Revolution's plan to go ahead and "pencil" people into domains and then send out an updated list of what remains open to help later registrars with domain selection.

And sorry, Haelyn's Aegis is not open at this time. I do believe, however, that we are going to open Haelyn's Bastion in Dhoesone and buff them with some levels. However, this is DM_Rev's final decision.

Keep 'em coming in guys!
DM_Anuire

[PCSgtL]

Drooling over the map some, is it just me or did Robert Jordan get some of his creative inspiration from Anuire?

[Deathknyte]

With ten players signed on so far, that would leave 10 more domains open.

I wonder if I got Talinie or one of the other domains I signed on for?

[Moore]

I sent an email to sign up.

Looks like fun.

[sirgareth]

Looking forward to this! I've loved Birthright for years, but never got a campaign going before Planescape stole my group's hearts and minds.

Just took out my old boxed set and am looking over the rules again. Now, to relearn 2nd edition and undo all the other rules cluttering up my brain.

[Deathknyte]

Looking forward to this! I've loved Birthright for years, but never got a campaign going before Planescape stole my group's hearts and minds.

Just took out my old boxed set and am looking over the rules again. Now, to relearn 2nd edition and undo all the other rules cluttering up my brain.

If you really wanted to mess with your players heads send them on a mission to Cerilia to find some thingymcbobber. Then have the portal shut down before they head back so they can partake in the fun before letting them leave.

Yes, I have done this.

[sirgareth]

Any more info on the website? Is it up and running?

[Deathknyte]

Any more info on the website? Is it up and running?
DM_Anuire said they were going to close up registration of the 4th. I imagine we will know within a day or two after.

[Muaadeeb]

Few things are more difficult than setting up of birthright online game. I'm sure the DM's are doing a lot of data entry right about now.

[DM_Anuire]

Hey guys! You all are exactly correct! We are in the data entry part of the website and forums and also in the closing moments of handing out domain selections. DM_Rev has been trying to balance out some of the lesser domains to bring them more in line with the other domains. Just because a guilder might only list 12 levels in the ROE, that doesnt mean he will have 12 levels in our campaign. Most domains will have a minimum of 25 levels or so.

The website, as one would imagine, has been the most work to this point. But, we have almost got it populated with the info we need. I will apologize ahead of time on the site tho, it is NOT a professional job, just my own meandering. It will be functional tho, and thats what we need the most.

Anyways, we are closing down registration TOMORROW, SATURDAY the 4th! This will be the last day to sign up. Once registration is closed, you will receive an e-mail from DM_Rev about the following things:
Your domain
Character Creation
Website Address
Forum Address and registration rules.
Turn 1 Round 1 submission info.

See you guys in game soon!
DM_Anuire

[Swashbuckler]

Thank you both for the hard work and effort you are putting into this campaign! I look forward to checking out the site and getting into the action.

Thank goodness I have the Bristol Renaissance Faire (http://www.renfair.com/bristol/) to tide me over until the emails are sent! :cool:

[Deathknyte]

Anyways, we are closing down registration TOMORROW, SATURDAY the 4th! This will be the last day to sign up. Once registration is closed, you will receive an e-mail from DM_Rev about the following things:
Your domain
Character Creation
Website Address
Forum Address and registration rules.
Turn 1 Round 1 submission info.

See you guys in game soon!
DM_Anuire

I got his email and used the stats he gave me to create a character. I also asked a few questions and listed my first action.

Hopefully everything will be approved of.

[ptrayal]

I got his email and used the stats he gave me to create a character. I also asked a few questions and listed my first action.

Hopefully everything will be approved of.

Yeah, I got the character creation stuff but none of the other stuff (web site, turn stuff, etc...). I'm assuming that is coming?

[Deathknyte]

Yeah, I got the character creation stuff but none of the other stuff (web site, turn stuff, etc...). I'm assuming that is coming?

I hope so, I didn't get any of the other stuff either.

What realm are you playing?

[ptrayal]

I hope so, I didn't get any of the other stuff either.

What realm are you playing?

Tuornen. You?

[PCSgtL]

Everyone, lets gang up on Tuornen! I claim Tuor's hold!

[Deathknyte]

I am the Thane of Talinie.

PCSgtL, is playing Alamie or Endier I take it?

[PCSgtL]

;)

Or maybe even an un-landed noble looking for his first piece of turf.

[Delazar]

it's cold up here in the north...

Dhoesone here!

[Deathknyte]

it's cold up here in the north...

Dhoesone here!

Yeah, you have snow in all your provinces in winter. It only snows in two of my provinces. Of course, it rains a lot here.

[Muaadeeb]

it's cold up here in the north...

Dhoesone here!

Look's like I am your friendly neighborhood guilder!

[Deathknyte]

Look's like I am your friendly neighborhood guilder!

Which one? He has like three or four...

[Muaadeeb]

The GM's are creating my domain now. They felt selecting one of the current guilders in that region would leave too much to be desired. ( they are very small domains).

So I guess I'll have to let you know later...

[Deathknyte]

Has anyone heard about the website yet?

[sirgareth]

Nothing here. Submitted my character, but nothing since then.

[URI]

Has this game started yet / is there room for one more noobie (me) ?

[Muaadeeb]

I got an email on Sunday. The website is still being developed. I was asked to detail my character. I got the impression the website will be up itching the next 5-14 days.

My domain is a new one, a guilder domain in the north called, "Imperial Markets".

[Deathknyte]

I got an email on Sunday. The website is still being developed. I was asked to detail my character. I got the impression the website will be up itching the next 5-14 days.

My domain is a new one, a guilder domain in the north called, "Imperial Markets".

Any idea of what domains your guild will operate in?

[illyanya]

as far as i am aware no one is suppose to be giving out what domain they have.

[Deathknyte]

As far as I know, it doesn't matter if we tell or not. DM_Anuire has been on and hasn't said anything about sharing or not. I think it is ok as long as we don't start making deals with each other before the game starts.

[AndrewTall]

I think it is ok as long as we don't start making deals with each other before the game starts.

That's good as a general rule for PBeM's...

[Deathknyte]

That's good as a general rule for PBeM's...

Or any other multi-player games.

[Arentak]

I really enjoyed making my character. When I was done, I thought "Damn, I wanna take this guy on an adventure. He can be the lynchpin of any adventuring party. What, 3 goblins led by a bugbear? I'll engage the bugbear, you 3 take out the goblins." I miss second edition.

[Deathknyte]

I really enjoyed making my character. When I was done, I thought "Damn, I wanna take this guy on an adventure. He can be the lynchpin of any adventuring party. What, 3 goblins led by a bugbear? I'll engage the bugbear, you 3 take out the goblins." I miss second edition.

Mine was pretty much born to rule. Won't be the strongest, fastest, or toughest guy out there but he can quote most of the realms laws by memory.

[Alaric23]

If there's still room for another player, I'd really like to join in. Thanks.

[Deathknyte]

Has anyone heard anything from the DM's since oh... the eighth of this month? I haven't heard anything from either of them since then.

[Muaadeeb]

Has anyone heard anything from the DM's since oh... the eighth of this month? I haven't heard anything from either of them since then.

8/15 - then they were waiting on me. I assume we are still on track.

[Deathknyte]

8/15 - then they were waiting on me. I assume we are still on track.

Maybe. I am not exactly what you could call patient sometimes.

Well, most times.

Maybe.

[Swashbuckler]

Yes, but a little blurb from the DM team as to how things are progressing would do worlds of good for us psychotic players who are chomping the proverbial bit in anticipation of the game.

:cool:

[Deathknyte]

Yes, but a little blurb from the DM team as to how things are progressing would do worlds of good for us psychotic players who are chomping the proverbial bit in anticipation of the game.

:cool:

Yes. I have had a 5 year plan laid out since the day I signed up for a spot.

For two out of my 3 choices.

[Muaadeeb]

I hope things are still on - GM's when you read this know that we understand the effort required to run a BR game. I hope this will take off still - but if it does not - stay in the community and share you views.

[Arentak]

I hope things are still on - GM's when you read this know that we understand the effort required to run a BR game. I hope this will take off still - but if it does not - stay in the community and share you views.

I second that. Most games d4-1, so if you did roll a 1, still hang out here. Maybe run one later.

[Deathknyte]

There are a couple that are really close to starting up if anyone wants to join in.

http://voltumna.cjb.net/legacyofblood/throne/
http://voltumna.cjb.net/legacyofblood/reign/

I have no idea what rule-set they are using but the rules they have posted are not that confusing.

[Thelandrin]

They're using a rules set originally designed by Solmyr some years ago, with very many adjustments made by Arakhor, thematically based on a fusion of 2nd & 3rd Ed AD&D/d20. As such, it's a separate system for Birthright, focussed almost exclusively on realm play.

[DM_Anuire]

Hey guys! I wanted to drop a note here for you guys to give you heads up on why we have had delays.

First, I fell into unemployment at the beginning of August. This was VERY unexpected and nearly cost my family our power, internet and everything. This past month has been a struggle for me but, fortunately, I think we are recovering and everything should be fine.

Second, I am not a website expert, and the website proceeds slowly. It probably will not be 100% at official start so I apologize.

Where we are: DM_Revolution is finishing up domain sheets and is passing them out. He and I will also be making a final pass on the character sheets you guys handed in, and then we will get rolling! The forums are almost 100% and that will be where you guys will go next. When DM_Rev gives you the forum address and permission to post there, please do the following steps:
a) Create your login as the domain you are playing. If you are like the Wizard of Talinie, you could use TalinieWiz, WizoTalinie, or something of that effect. If you are Mhoried for example, please make your login name Mhoried. This will help us keep everyone straight. We are admining the site and any invalid names will be deleted.
b) Once you create your login name, please go immediately to the General forum and read the sticky threads there. These include OUR rules modifications, how courts work, etc and the initial story line to kick off the campaign.
c) Each domain will have their own thread in the "Domain Chat" forum. This is where free diplomacy's with your domain and other domain will take place (if you are allowed to have free diplomacy's using our court rules and barring you are not hostile or warring with another domain). For instance, if I am Talinie and have at least a level (3) court (see courts in the sticky thread in general forum) and I have poor or better relations with the target domain, then I am allowed to go to their thread and post a message. If you do not meet the requirements above and you are caught posting to an illegal domain, YOU WILL BE CHARGED A DOMAIN ACTION FOR EACH UNAUTHORIZED POST AND YOUR ROUND SUBMISSIONS WILL BE VOIDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please use the forums fairly!!!!

Ok guys, we are fixing to roll. Sorry for the delay. Most of it has been my fault so I apologize again. We are very excited to bring you the Birthright Revolution PBeM! We hope you guys have a blast.
DM_Anuire

[PCSgtL]

Thanks for the heads up. I've been through the unemployment line a few times myself. Good luck with that all. It is awesome that your still working on this for us despite the Real Life issues.

[Deathknyte]

I can give you a hand with writing webpages. A little anyway.

[Swashbuckler]

Thank you very much for the update! Like others, I've had to do the "unexpected job search" in the past myself. Here's hoping your situation improves soon!

I'll be ready whenever you and DM_Revolution are set to go. Looking forward to this game!

[Moore]

Any updates?