NE Ohio Tabletop Gaming...exclamation point!

Okay, the first game day is confirmed for 2/5. The first 2 or 3 sessions will be D&D 4e and we'll discuss where we go from there.

If anyone else wants to attend, PM me your email address and I'll add you to the ongoing organizational Gmail thread.

toph513 wrote:
Tigerbill wrote:

Can we change the title of the thread now since this is going to happen; maybe change the "question mark" to an "exclamation point".

Heh. That's probably fair.

spedman wrote:

So Toph, I'm practically your neighbor and looking for some local boardgame goodness...and I'm not far from Oily. However, I'm a virgin to the world of D&D. I'll try to be a better goodjer and keep up on posts like this one. Still looking for someone to teach me Dominion or some light wargames.

Well, you're welcome to come along on any of these soirees, once we hammer out the details. Penguin and I own enough boardgames collectively to stock a small gaming store, so there's never a shortage of things to try. It looks like we're roleplaying (for awhile at least) first, so if you have any interest in that at all, let us know. Having roleplayed in the past is not a prerequisite. We're quite happy to teach. But if that's not your thing, I'm sure we'll do some boardgaming sooner or later. Just keep checking the thread.

It's pretty laid back 'round here.

LATER ADDITION: Where are you at, btw, spedman?

Fairview is were I be.

spedman wrote:

Fairview is were I be.

Fairview by Rocky River? My wife works at that Starbucks during the day.

Is it wrong that I am excited enough about this, that I want to take a trip on the 5th with someone up there to buy myself some dice? No board game stores in this podunk town.

Tigerbill wrote:

Is it wrong that I am excited enough about this, that I want to take a trip on the 5th with someone up there to buy myself some dice? No board game stores in this podunk town.

A little, yes.

Underhills is in Akron. I moved a bit too far away to continue to go there but it's really great.

oilypenguin wrote:
Tigerbill wrote:

Is it wrong that I am excited enough about this, that I want to take a trip on the 5th with someone up there to buy myself some dice? No board game stores in this podunk town.

A little, yes.

Underhills is in Akron. I moved a bit too far away to continue to go there but it's really great.

So what your saying is that a year and a half ago I lived within a mile of that place; before I was on the site or cared that much for boardgames.

Apparently, I am. You should have thought ahead ;p

oilypenguin wrote:
Tigerbill wrote:

Is it wrong that I am excited enough about this, that I want to take a trip on the 5th with someone up there to buy myself some dice? No board game stores in this podunk town.

A little, yes.

Don't listen to the arctic curmudgeon. I'm under the impression that this site is designed specifically for geeking out like that. No shame among friends.

Depending on where we play, perhaps we can find a place to run out and get you some dice on the 5th.

How fast does leveling normally go? I don't really have a clear plan for my char at this point; waiting to see how it all goes on the 5th.

Tigerbill wrote:

How fast does leveling normally go? I don't really have a clear plan for my char at this point; waiting to see how it all goes on the 5th.

Yeah, I think that's what we're all doing thus far. I've got probably 3 sessions in mind. That will probably give you a new level or two.

After that I think the plan was to talk about how much fun we were having. At that point we could either continue with D&D, start something else instead or (if we all hate each other) never talk to each other again.

Truth. Since we're just starting out as a group and some of us are starting a new system or tabletop RPing entirely, we really want this is to be extremely casual at first. I think setting the bar too high with setting or grand histories (or futures) for our characters is asking for disappointment. Compounding that, I'm betting the group will maybe have significantly different people at least at first, so the more casual, the better.

And besides, in my experience, the characters I loved the most were the ones that grew organically from the group I was with and the stupid decisions we made. Investing a dozen hours into building a character only to lose them to the first wraith that comes along? Devastating*

*I'm still not sorry, Toph.

oilypenguin wrote:

*I'm still not sorry, Toph.

I didn't expect you to be. You're a terrible human being.

Although, there is a good point hidden in that unnecessary reminder of past wrongs. If we choose to continue on with these characters and story, your plan will become clear as you go. Just make a character you'll have fun with at LVL 3 and the rest will fall into place.

Or I'll kill him, and you won't need a plan. Either way.

I've been thread lurking for a bit but haven't had a chance to pipe in yet. I'm tied up on the 5th, but would be interested in joining future sessions. Here's the thing though, the majority of my D&D books are written in cuneiform.

I took a quick look at 4th edition stuff and it appears that there are not one, not two, but three separate player's handbooks. There's also a red box available (no, not the red box which believe it or not I still have lying around somewhere), though that looks more like it's half board game.

What's the best entrance point into the new rules? All joking aside, my last set of books was early 2nd edition. So I don't need to update myself all the way back from Basic, just up to whatever is new from 2nd edition. From what little I've heard though, that's quite a lot.

Luckily, I have a degree in Ancient Sumerian language groups.

Spoiler:

This is a lie.

Honestly, the best way to learn is to play. That's a cop out answer, but it's very true. Besides that? Either get ahold of the first Player's Handbook (it's got the basics) or listen to the Penny Arcade D&D podcast on the Wizard of the Coast website. From the beginning. Not only are they enormously entertaining, they also teach the general ideas of the game as they go.

BTW, if you are looking for a rather inexpensive copy of the Players Handbook, check out Half-Priced Books. I get most of my RPG books from them either in store or using their search.

http://www.hpbmarketplace.com/bookse...

Teneman wrote:

I've been thread lurking for a bit but haven't had a chance to pipe in yet. I'm tied up on the 5th, but would be interested in joining future sessions. Here's the thing though, the majority of my D&D books are written in cuneiform.

I took a quick look at 4th edition stuff and it appears that there are not one, not two, but three separate player's handbooks. There's also a red box available (no, not the red box which believe it or not I still have lying around somewhere), though that looks more like it's half board game.

What's the best entrance point into the new rules? All joking aside, my last set of books was early 2nd edition. So I don't need to update myself all the way back from Basic, just up to whatever is new from 2nd edition. From what little I've heard though, that's quite a lot.

Huh. If only there was some way I could meet you and if only I had a second player's handbook I could loan you (or send you the PDF).

Alas. There seems to be no way to rectify the situation.

Completely unrelated, I have the PDFs for the 4e books I own uploaded to google docs. So if anyone participating or looking to participate wants to check them out, PM me your google address and I'll give you access to them.

But truthfully, the best way to learn it is to play. If you've played 3e or 3.5, this is the same only simpler. Both Toph and I have taught many a new person, it's fairly simple to just pick up and play. I've never played 2e but I know enough to say that it is very different, yeah.

Don't be confused or intimidated by the red box and PHB2. The red box is a limited simplification of the 4e rules and PHB2 is an expansion to PHB1.

Alas indeed, it seems there is nothing to be done.

I've actually not played 3e either, never even picked up any of the books to read. My last gaming group broke up nigh on two decades ago (circa 1992). Our last hurrah was a 2e spin-off setting called Spelljammer. I heard when 3e came out that it was dramatically different from 2e, and rather than learning a new system with no active group I chose the time honored alternative approach of 'standing on the lawn and yelling at the youngsters whilst shaking my cane'

But if 3e was simpler than 2e, and 4e is simpler than 3e, I ought not have too much problem picking it up. PM is sent, thanks.

Oo. You played spelljammer? That's like... space hamsters, right?

If I attempt to browbeat you into running that for 4e if that comes out as a setting, do not be alarmed. I'll end up encouraging everyone to run eventually =)

Yep, space hamsters indeed. Was an interesting departure from the typical environment to say the least. Aside from Paranoia, it was probably the most off-beat game I'd ever played.

And if I haven't played in nearly 20 years, I haven't DMed in even longer. This definitely brings back old memories.

4e just requires you to wear a dark cloak and sacrifice a chicken. The mechanics are the same. You'll pick it up.

Will a bucket of KFC chicken work?

Tigerbill wrote:

Will a bucket of KFC chicken work?

And by "sacrifice" we mean "consume?"

Yes, that kind of blasphemy I can get behind. But can we get Mr. Chicken? That stuff rules.

Well, there's a KFC 2 blocks away from my house, but maybe the sacrifice is finding a Mr.Chicken.

toph513 wrote:

Well, there's a KFC 2 blocks away from my house, but maybe the sacrifice is finding a Mr.Chicken.

I am willing to make sure my basement is habitable if it means Mr. Chicken since there's one it town.

Shoot. We shouldn't have been discussing this. I think instead of cooking I'm buying dinner now.

toph513 wrote:

Well, there's a KFC 2 blocks away from my house, but maybe the sacrifice is finding a Mr.Chicken.

There's one in Twinsburg. Roughly half way between me and Oily. If that's all the greater sacrifice that is required, I think I can handle it

Well, that's settled. The second NEO Game Day is at Oilypenguin's and it's sponsored by Mr. Chicken.

Just tagging this thread to keep an eye on things. I wouldn't be able to make it out on a regular basis, but a cameo appearance might be doable.

LupusUmbrus wrote:

Just tagging this thread to keep an eye on things. I wouldn't be able to make it out on a regular basis, but a cameo appearance might be doable.

Please do! I'm an idiot and will never remember to mail you your game back. I'm probably headed to cinci next weekend for similar reasons since I need to give Trueheart something =)

JoBoo is angered by the lack of acknowledgment of the Major League reference.

Tigerbill wrote:

JoBoo is angered by the lack of acknowledgment of the Major League reference.

Sheesh. Do you know how long it's been since I've seen that?