pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

1. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

   #1

   I am surprised that there are not more people playing d&d online IM or chat room environment. I've been looking everywhere and haven't been able to find a searchable game database that provides games or players for the 3ed pen and paper format.
   
   Do you know of any site that does?
   
   Maybe your site could provide the d&d online community with something like this...

2. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

   #2

   Ther are tons of sites out there, you must be just looking in the wrong places.

3. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

   #3

   With the modules to play diablo in 3e, I imagine most of the 3e players flip that on when they have a need to go electronic. Frankly, I wouldn't want to play 3e at all. It is so twinkified. My brother made a barbarian that did several thousand points of damage in a single turn. Granted, he was using a wish and a magical sword, but these are problems inherent in the system.
   
   I despise hasbro (the corperate vampires who have raped D&D) and the mis-shapen get of their corperate philosophy. Like all other corperations, they sought to safe guard their investment by making a "sure thing", so they simply tried to put a new face on what was already selling on the market.
   
   Why should anyone be surprised that they have a system for playing a popular video game in the gaming system hasbro bought? Why should anyone be surprised that all the artwork now looks like the cover of any fantasy book written in the last two decades? Why does it seem like the soul of the game that has had players buying books and playing with virtually the same set of rules for over 30 years suddenly seem gone, lost without a trace?
   
   The people in charge of creating Third Edition are not, nor ever were, gamers. They do not understand what drives us to cling to our ideals and they do not know what we want or appreciate. They do not care about historical or realistic acurracy, they want to bark at over worked artists to make something visually "pop", something that will look really snazzy in the powerpoint presentation they have to show thier boss next week. Sabers begin to look like scimitaurs and magic starts being the driving force in races formerly known to be only minorly specalized in a narrow class of spellcasting.
   
   Third edition was made by people whose last job was selling "Weebles that wobble but don't fall down."
   
   I despise 3e and cling religeously to every scrap of 2nd edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons I have. The character generator was well made and FULLY funtional, not half formed and empty. The options for playing depth were vibrant and clear and easy to use, not a thin shell of play-acting over a limitless power base. When a 3e player wants more power, they buy the newest book for $20 and exploit some new, bizzare "magic" feat to make themselves into an unstoppable force. A 2nd edition player treasured their abilities and skills because to become more powerful, they had to EARN it.
   
   I am a DracoLich, I will not let this proud and magnificent dragon die! I will continue to play 2nd Ed and will crawl through the darkest dungeons of E-bay to spend my hard earned dollar on a productI value.
   
   
   In closing, I would like to apologise if I seem to be attacking any players of any gaming system. Gamers are not my enemy, I hold my fellow gamers in reverance for we are the voices that let the gaming industry know what we like, what works we consider art. Gamers are people, and as such are entitled to their own opinions and tastes. I do not hold the games anyone played against them. But I will not bow to any gaming company that tells me to give them my money because they know what's good for me.

4. build meaningful and thoughtful threads

   #4

   2 things.
   
   1) gary, I thought there may be sites, and that's why I'm looking, but I haven't found them. I did find OpenRPG, but that requires special software that I can't use on a Mac. Other sites hold games on message boards, but i can't find any that helps players find games for IM or chat. If you know of one, the helpful thing to do would be to post a link. thanks.
   
   2) agor, you views are valid and deserve to posted somewhere, but not here. your post has nothing to do with me. That is neither here nor there. next time copy your post and then start a new thread. it easy to do and will keep you from taking over the topic of the orginal thread.
   
   please only post helpful information, ideas and suggestions. and thanks for caring enough about this site to build meaningful and thoughtful threads.

5. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

   #5

   :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
   Put it to 'em. hehehehe
   
   Since you didn't post any other sites you have tried I will do a quick rundown of a few that I can quickly relocate. (I am just off 15+ hours of work so excuse me if this isn't what you need, just let me sleep and I will try and get back to you :wink: )
   
   http://dmoz.org/Games/Internet/Chat/
   http://www.rpggateway.com/Internet_Play/Play_by_Chat/Online_Playing_Facilities/index.php
   http://www.kunani.com/Games/Internet/Roleplaying/Science_Fiction_and_Fantasy/desc.html
   
   Just quick finds in a search for your topic. Hopefully of a little use, sorry if you have been there done that.

6. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

   #6

   Man... I'm new to D&D and have a 3e rulebook. Could you tell me some of the changes they made ? just pm.

7. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

   #7

   http://www.3rdedition.org/reviews/print.asp?ID=10
   
   Here is a pretty thorough article on the topic actually. Rest of the site may be useful too but didn't have time to look.

8. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

   #8

   Ok. That's good, I'm aware of the changes, but not what was changed. For example, What was the previous skill point system? Anyway, Agar, you mentioned that in 3e the heros really need to EARN their bonuses. In that case, XP will become a lot more valuable..... :x
   
   Also, What's a dracolich? Is that a Prestige class? Or just a class that isn't in 3e? :?:

9. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

   #9

   A Dracolich is a dead decaying dragon that is reanimated by a necromancer or by some other dark arts.
   
   I am thinking that Agar is just saying that even though Wizards of the Coast killed 2nd edition, he will resurrect the glorious beast (2nd ed.) and enjoy its power (play it) even in death (as dictated by the manufacturer).
   
   Or something similarily dramatic.
   
   It would be in the Monster's Compedium or whatever they call it. Don't believe they made it a class, yikes.

10. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

    #10

    Yeah, that would be scary....
    (Step right up, get a knife stuck into you, get polymorphed into a dragon and then get reanimated! only $.99 !)

11. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

    #11

    In Second Edition AD&D, you make your character to start with, and that's what you get. You live with your flaws and you do your best to use your skills. Alot like life. If the DM is feeling generous, he might let your character get over a flaw, but it will be every bit as challenging and difficult as overcoming something in real life.
    
    In 3E, you go up in levels, you get more "feats". Just all of a sudden, you figure out, "Hey, if I swing my sword REAL hard, I can chop through everything I can touch!", or "Check this out! If I mix this mushroom with this bug and wipe it on Bob, he turns blue and grows fish scales!". Instant gratification. And the only sort of flaw I found was Barbarians can't read.
    
    Batman isn't a hero because he has all the cool toys, he's a hero because he has overcome (sortof) the tragedy of his parents deaths with a fanatical drive for justice. Every hero has a downside, otherwise, they're just cheeze.

12. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

    #12

    Wow... I agree. The only real flaw anyone has is not having the next guy's ability. So... like... if was going to make a character with a flaw, and i made an elven bard he might be an egomaniac? Or my gnome barbarian might have the kill-them-then-ask-questions view on combat? Or, maybe, he's a pansy and will run at the sight of something even a little bit taller than him? Of course, you might also be getting at physical flaws, but OK.

13. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

    #13

    This might be totally irrelevant, or it may not be. I had a character once who was extremely skilled at knife fighting. There were precious few who could defeat her in a knife fight, but the woman couldn't use a sword to save her life (and I proved that at the end of a respectably long and infamous career). And then there was a character who was very, very good at melee combat (to the point where she was a famed and much-sought after fighter), but she was dangerously insane (but quietly so; it wasn't obvious until you spent a little while around her). Are those the kind of faults you were referring to, Agar? I've also never played 2nd edition, so I don't know. I just made those up when I created the characters, because I feel everyone needs some problems and serious hang-ups.

14. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

    #14

    Those are wonderful examples of flaws and how they make the character much more worthwile to play. There is some supplement, I forget what, dicemasters or something, that let you roll up all sorts of these weird quirks and backgrounds for your characters personality. I had a wizard and ran him through the wringer to see what I would get and ended up with three levels of introversion, I forget what the levels mean, but introverts are the shy quiet people, and two levels of extrovertion, the loud people that need the focus of attention on the all the time. The guy running it tried to say the results canceled each other out and to reroll, but I was feeling stubborn and had a great idea, so I said no, I could play it.
    
    Come time to play, it went something like this.
    
    Strange Old guy in bar: "I've sent word to all of you to help me on a mission. You will all be greatly compensated, but first, why don't you get to know your partners?"
    
    Muscular guy laden with armor and weapons: "I'm George the Righteous. If anyone doesn't want to finish their ale, let me know."
    
    Small nimble guy dressed in all black: "I'm Micus Padfoot. I studied with the scholars at St. Urins because I'm so good with numbers. If we find some treasure, I can make sure everyone gets an even cut."
    
    Strange Old Guy: "And lastly we have ..."
    
    Bearded man with pointy hat with his hand under the table suddenly thrusts it at the Strange old guy. It's covered by a dirty, geasy old sock with two buttons sewn on it and moss tied on to look like a beard. The bearded man shouts "Talk to the puppet!!"
    
    Flaws make the character and a good system, in my opinion, provides some structure to flaws to make them work within the system.

15. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

    #15

    I LOVE flaws. Whenever somebody went below 0 HP, we had them roll on a phobia chart when they came back. An incentive not to get killed as well, plus it made it lots of fun. Palladium has a phobia chart in their book, so it made it easy.
    
    Scared of heights.
    Hate woman/children.
    Uncomfortable around sharp objects.
    Water phobia (it get it twice you can't even drink it ;-)
    
    We should come up with a list of phobias and then compile it into something for the Articles/Essay forum :wink:
    
    I had one character, a shaman, that was so screwed up he got multiple personalities, for each stressful situation I would roll on my personality chart and figure out how I would play him. I even had three character sheets made out because he was so different. That was a lot of fun!!

16. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

    #16

    Transdixiphobia - the fear of being reincarnated as a fencepost.
    
    I'll do some research and see what phobias I can come up with.

17. pen and paper d&d online via chat or IM

    #17

    Fairly standard phobias-
    Acrophobia (fear of heights)
    Agoraphobia (fear of being out in the open)
    Claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces)
    Arachnaphobia (fear of spiders)
    Triskadecaphobia (fear of the number 13) - I'm not sure I spelled it right
    And then my personal favorites -
    Phobiaphobia (fear of fear)
    Pantophobia (fear of everything)

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