~The Darkshard’s Swift Kills~
MISSION:
The Darkshard wrote:As a DM, my main aim is to support and facilitate player-driven plots, stories and initiatives. I do not want you to merely be actors in “my” story, nor do I seek to be the director in yours. I want to help breath life into your world, and give value and meaning to your stories. With that said, I have my preferences like anyone else, and I aim to give particular attention to Baldur’s Gate itself, believing that the server namesake should have a starring role.
Furthermore, at the end of server time, I intend to ride forth on a black pillar of shadowy flame and begin the Final Battle between mortals and DMs, in which the world shall perish.
SIMPLE GUIDELINES AND RULES FOR DM DARKSHARD’S EVENTS:
• Death (Important): I find that nothing is more immersion-breaking than people being cut down, raised, and then immediately running off and being combat-capable once more. Therefore, if you die in one of my events, one of two things will happen:1) Most of the time, I will rule that you are unconscious, badly wounded, near death or some other condition of not-quite-dead. In this case, you may be brought back after a small amount of RP from your companions. I will generally still require them to burn a Raise Dead/Resurrection resource of some kind – be it spell, scroll or wand – though in some cases I may forego this if there is good “paramedic” RP and successful Heal rolls against my DC. After this, I will apply a temporary debuff (usually -2 to Strength, Dexterity or Constitution) that will last the duration of the event to represent that your recovery is not immediate.
2) In special circumstances (and I will usually warn you ahead of time), I will rule that you are, in fact, dead. Deceased. Snuffed it. In this case, not only do I require burning a normal Raise Dead/Resurrection resource, I also require full RP of the attempted spell with diamonds and holy water. After this, I will apply a temporary debuff that will last the duration of the event. If the material requirements cannot be met by your companions, then you must remain dead until either you can be raised at a Temple or the event ends.
Do not, under any circumstances, raise someone until any combat has ended and I have ruled on their condition. If you do, I will fugue them again and not refund the resource you burned.
• Do not rest: Unless I give explicit permission. For longer events, I will allow resting opportunities if there is a believable RP avenue for them. Recovering your strength may not necessarily require actual rest; you may just need some spinach like Pop-Eye.
• Be limitless: The game mechanics by no means define the real limits of what you can and cannot do (that is my job). Throw a chair, kick dust in someone’s eye, leap out a window, push that shelf up against the door to block it. I will try to facilitate whatever your imagination can concoct. Creative RP goes a long way toward tempering the difficulty of my events.
• Do not run: Without an RP reason for doing so. I need time to respond to your RP and prepare/make adjustments to the path ahead of/behind you. However, if the RP dictates it – and especially when combat starts – then by all means, run.
• Be patient: With me, and with your fellow players. Things will go wrong, always. There will be glitches and technical issues. RL will intervene. Do your best to roll with these punches.
• Forum: Use it for best results. I read all of it. Write-up IC accounts or rumours of your events. Continuing RP on the forum will result in extra rewards from me, and possibly plot continuance with more events in the same arc.
• Provide feedback: This is the only way I can really learn and improve as a DM. Let me know what I am doing right, and what I am doing wrong.
CHARACTER HOOKS AND PLOT REQUESTS:
EDIT: As of May I am no longer taking personal plot requests due to campaign demands.