Quote from: Omega;1051267Works for some players. A week between turns, or two weeks for some PBMs was totally worth it.

And slow gaming is better than no gaming.

But PBeM can actually go fairly fast depending on the group. Similar to how TBF sessions can go. The game moves at the speed of the slowest player.

Yeah, but these days you can play real time, online.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1051781Yeah, but these days you can play real time, online.

I'd prefer that, but sometimes schedules don't synch up the way you want.

Quote from: Warboss Squee;1051785I'd prefer that, but sometimes schedules don't synch up the way you want.

And that is why some prefer PBM or PBF. It perfectly meshes with crazy or just incompatible work schedules.

Exactly!

I guess that could be a factor, if you want to play with specific people rather than putting together an online group of people who are available at the same time.

But really, if you can get together even once a month online, you can probably get more done in a four-hour session online than in a month's worth of pbem.

Did PBEM use a specific system?  If so, what was it?  Interested in this.

Quote from: RunningLaser;1052755Did PBEM use a specific system?  If so, what was it?  Interested in this.

ca 1995-6 I actually invented a d6 based system from the ground up for PBEM play - looks a bit like Warhammer Battle.

PBEM RULES: SWORDS & SORCERY VERSION.

These rules are intended to enable a PBEM GamesMaster (GM) to simulate the world of swords & sorcery fiction. They are based on the throw of a single six-sided die (d6) combined with the GM's good judgement to resolve almost all actions.

Characters

Most Characters have the following five stats: Strength, Speed, Skill, Agility, and Stamina. The average stat, based on an 18-year-old human male, is 3. A character with Str 6 is twice as strong as a normal man. Attribute checks are made when a character attempts a task they might fail - roll a d6, if the number rolled is equal to or less than the stat, they have succeeded. The roll may be modified (eg +1 or -1) for particularly easy or hard tasks. Characters do not usually have Mental attributes (except possibly Magic, below) because the GM should adjudicate use of mental and other abilities depending on the character and the situation. (But if the GM prefers, characters may be assigned stats in Intelligence, Willpower, Knowledge & Charisma).

Character Stats

Typical Normal Human Stats.

Character (Strength Speed Skill Agility Stamina)

Male, 40-yr-old 4 2 3 2 3

Female, 40-yr-old 2 2 2 2 3

Male, 18-yr-old 3 3 3 3 3

Female, 18-yr-old 2 3 1 3 2

Male, 12-yr-old 1-2 3 2 4 2

Female, 12-yr-old 1-2 3 1 4 2

Magic-using characters have a sixth attribute, Magic.

Witches and Warlocks.

Rank Magic

Novice 1-3

Adept 4-6

Sorceror 7-9

Magus 10-12

Example: Munchausen is a powerful Warlock, his stats are Strength 4, Speed 4, Skill 4, Agility 4, Magic 8, Stamina 3.

Fixed-Point Character Generation.

A starting Swords & Sorcery player character is given 18 Attribute Points to allocate to character stats, at least 1 point per stat. Magic-using characters (Witches, Warlocks, Priests) also get 18 points and must allocate at least 1 point to their Magic stat.

Typical Characters (18-pt).

Character (Strength Speed Skill Agility Stamina)

Warrior 4 3 4 3 4

Rogue 3 4 4 4 3

Sorceror 2 3 3 3 3 Magic: 4

Priest 3 3 3 3 4 Magic: 2

COMBAT.

The combat round is about 6 seconds, in which time a character may attack, cast a spell, run away, etc.

In 1 round character may move 10' per point of Speed, double if running, treble if sprinting (but may not then attack).

The Combat Sequence:

Each character rolls the following

1. Initiative: d6+ Speed, highest rolling character goes first.

2. Attack: Need to roll (4 - Skill + target's Agility) or more to hit.

3. Damage: Strength + weapon damage.

4. Wounds are compared vs target's Stamina - see below.

Special Note: in melee a defending character can use his Skill as

the attribute the attacker has to beat, instead of Agility, to

reflect parrying ability. This applies to only 1 Attacker (unless

the defender splits their Skill amongst several attackers, trying to

parry 2 or more at once).

So, if B'Krath Skill 5 Agl 3 was in melee with an opponent who attacked at Skill 3, he could:

A. Dodge -Skill 3 vs Agl 3, attacker needs 4+ to hit, or

B. Parry - Skill 3 vs Skill 5, attacker needs 6+ to hit.

B'Krath can still attack normally while also using his Skill to parry.

Weapons.

Weapon Damage Notes

Fist STR 1 att, or 2 attacks at -1 & -2.

Kick STR+1 1 attack at -1 (unless trained in kick-fighting).

Club STR+1d6 or more. Improvised club att at -1.

Dagger STR+1d6 Lethal damage.

Sword STR+1d6+1 " "

Mace STR+1d6+1 " "

Greatsword 2xSTR+1d6+1 " " (2-handed)

Spear 2xSTR+1d6 " " "

Great Axe 2xSTR+1d6+2 " " (2-handed), -1 Agility

Arrow (shortbow) 2d6 Fire 1/round

Arrow (longbow) 2d6+STR Fire 1/round

Quarrel (crossbow) 3d6 Fire 1/2 rounds.

Quarrel (heavy crossbow) 5d6 Fire 1/4 rounds.

Two-Weapon Combat.

Sword and dagger: Both attacks at -1 to hit.

Two Swords: 1 attack at -1 to hit, 1 attack at -2 to hit.

Armour.

Some characters may have armour. This reduces damage by 1 point per point of armour.

Armour. Armour Points Penalty

Leather 1 Nil (but see below)

Chainmail 2 -1 Agility

Platemail 3 -1 Agility

Full Plate Armour 4 -1 Agility

Helmets and/or Armour which covers the limbs impose an additional -1 Speed penalty.

Shields: An attacker is -1 to hit an opponent using a shield, or fencing one-handed.

_______________________________________________________

Stamina/Wounds System.

Average Stamina: 3.

NB: All effects are cumulative.

Damage Roll Result

Under Stamina. Scratch - character must make Stamina check or lose an action.

= St, Under 2 St. Minor Wound. 2 Minor wounds = 1 Major.

= 2 St, Under 3 St. Major Wound. All stats halved (round up). 2 Major = 1 Critical.

= 3 St, Under 4 St. Critical Wound. Unconscious*. 2 Crit. = Dead.

= 4 St + Dead.

*Without medical attention, character must pass 1d6 Stam check, or die in 0-9 hours + 1-60 minutes. If they pass they wake up at the end of this period.

Example: Blakus has Stamina 3.

He is punched by Jilla (Str 2), dam 2, less than his Stamina, so Scratch. Loses his action.

He is then punched by Jimec (Str 3), dam 3, = his Stam, so Minor Wound.

He is then shot by an arrow, dam 2d6. Roll 4, greater than his Stamina. Minor Wound. Has taken 2 minor wounds, so 1 Major Wound. All stats halved, Stamina reduced to 2.

He is then shot by a crossbow bolt, dam 3d6. Roll 8, = 4 x Stamina, so he is dead.

Damage Roll Result

Less than Stamina. Scratch*

Stamina Minor Wound.

2 x Stamina. Major Wound. Stats halved (round up).

3 x Stamina Critical Wound. Unconscious**.

4 x Stamina Dead.

2 Minor wounds = 1 Major, 2 Major = 1 Critical, 2 Critical = Dead.

*Scratch: Stamina check on 1d6 or lose actions for rest of round.

**Without medical attention, must pass 1d6 Stam check, or die in 0-9

hours + 1-60 minutes.

Combat Example:

Round 1. Munchausen (Speed 4) faces Mike (Speed 3).

1. Munchausen gets 4 + d6 roll 4 = 8 for initiative, Mike gets 3+ d6 roll 1 = 4. Munchausen goes first.

2. Munchausen (Skill 4) needs 3 to hit Mike (Agility 3) with a magic knife. He gets 2 - misses.

3. Mike (Skill 3) shoots an arrow at Munchausen (Agility 4) He needs a "5". He gets "4" - miss.

Round 2.

Munchausen gets 4+4=8 for Initiative, Mike gets 3+4=7. Munchausen goes first. Needs "3", gets 4 and hits. Magical knife does 2d6 damage + his Strength of 4. Rolls 8+4=12 damage. This is 4 x Mike's Stamina of 3, so he is killed.

Hit Location

A hit may always be declared to be against the target's torso. Optionally roll d6 or d6+4 (for melee), or d10 (for missile), on hit-location table.

1: Head.

2: Right arm.

3: Left arm.

4-6: Torso.

7-8: Right leg.

9-10: Left leg.

Head hits do double damage (roll dammage, deduct armour points, then double the remaining damage). A major wound to a limb is reduced to a minor wound, but the limb is used at -1 on all operations. A critical wound to a limb is reduced to a major wound, but the limb is unusable until healed. A dead result to a limb is reduced to a critical wound, but the limb is destroyed/permanently disabled.

HEALING OF WOUNDS.

Recovery Without medical attention With medical attention

Minor to none 2 days 1 day.

Major to Minor 4 days 2 days.

Critical to Major 8 days 4 days.

_____________________________________________________________________

Magic

Some characters may be Witches (female) or Warlocks (male), and have a 6th attribute: Magic Skill. The character's Magic Skill determines the number of spells they know, the power of those spells when cast, and the number of spells they can cast per day. Casting a spell temporarily reduces a character's Magic by 1 (or more) - when it reaches 0, the character is too tired to cast more spells. If it falls below 1 due to casting a powerful spell, the following effects apply:

Magic Effect

-1 Unconscious

-2 Unc & 1d6 damage.

-3 Unc & 2d6 damage.

-4 Unc & 3d6 damage

Etc.

Some spells require an attribute check against a character's current Magic to succeed. Temporarily lost magic points regenerate during sleep at a rate of 1/hour.

A typical starting Witch or Warlock will have a Magic rating of between 1 (poor) and 3 (talented).

Spells usually take 1 combat round to cast. Players are encouraged to create their own spells.

Examples of Spells:

1. Energy Blast. Cost: 1.

Effect: Causes a blast of magical energy from the caster's hands, doing 1 point Stamina damage to the target per point of caster's pre-casting Magic Skill. The caster must make a succesful Attack roll (get 4 or more on d6-Skill+Target's Agility) to hit. A more powerful blast costs 2 Magic points and does double damage, the most powerful blast costs 3 points and does treble damage. Range is 3m per point of pre-casting Magic.

Spellcasting Example: Munchausen the Warlock (Magic 8, Skill 4) knows 8 spells. He fires an energy blast at Kenko (Agility 3, Stamina 10). Munchausen spends 2 Magic pts for a double-power blast. He needs 4-4+3=3 or more on a d6 to hit - "4" - hits. Damage is 8x2=16. Kenko's Stamina is reduced to 10-16=-6, killing him. Munchausen's current Magic falls to 6.

2.Domination Cost: 1 +1/order.

This spell enable the caster to temporarily dominate the mind of another, who must be within sight and hearing distance, maximum range 3m per point of pre-casting Magic. After control is established, the target is frozen in place. The caster can then attempt to give the target telepathic orders, if successful the target must carry them out to the best of his or her ability. The caster must make a d6 attribute check vs current Magic to succeed. Caster gets a +1 bonus to his Magic rating if the target is of the opposite sex (and heterosexual). Particularly strong-willed targets, and orders strongly against the target's nature, will cause a penalty, usually -1 to -3. Initial control and each order given to the target requires a separate d6 check and costs 1 magic pt. Domination requires the caster's whole attention, if the caster is wounded or distracted, control is automatically broken.

Example: Munchausen (male, Magic attempts to dominate Leda (female, average willpower). The initial attempt needs 8+1=9 or less on a d6, and automatically succeeds. Munchausen's Magic falls to 7.

He then orders Leda to kill herself, this is strongly against her nature, so there is a -3 penalty to the check. Munchausen needs 7+1-3=5 or less on a d6. He gets "5", and she walks off the rooftop. Munchausen's Magic falls to 6.

3. Levitation Cost: 1/minute.

This spell enables the caster to float in the air, he may raise or lower himself at a rate of 3m per round per current (post-casting) point of Magic, eg Munchausen, Magic 8-1=7, can float up or down at up to 3m/70' per round.

4. Invisibility. Cost: 1/minute.

This spell turns the caster invisible. Other spellcasters may be able to detect him if he is within sight, they must roll equal to or less than their Magic minus the caster's current Magic on 1d6 to do so.

5. Fly. Cost: 3/minute.

This spell enables the caster to fly at a rate of 9m (30')/round per remaining (post-casting) point of Magic.

6. Healing. Cost: Special.

This power requires the laying-on of hands, and is typically available only to goodly priests.

Healing minor wound: 1 MP.

Major to minor: 2 MP.

Critical to major: 4 MP.

_________________________________________________________

EXPERIENCE

Characters may gain Experience Points through actions, and improve their attributes. For every 100 xp earned, a character gets a +1 bonus to an attribute chosen by the GM, normally an attribute that has been extensively used, or rolled randomly.

Example: A beginning PC defeats a soldier in combat, and earns 15 xp. Six more such victories, and he will gain an attribute bonus.

I really like PBEM (and/or forum) RPG games. I don't prefer it to live play, but it's a different format which has its pros, cons, fans, and non-fans.

Sure it's slow, but it also allows busy players who aren't available all at the same time to play a game when they each do have time. It also nicely automatically creates a record/log of everything that happened in play.

It can work pretty well for handling different levels of information and note-passing, too, since you can send some messages private and some public. It can handle multiple parties and split parties and individual attention in some ways better than live games, since the GM isn't leaving players sitting waiting for his attention.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1052748I guess that could be a factor, if you want to play with specific people rather than putting together an online group of people who are available at the same time.

But really, if you can get together even once a month online, you can probably get more done in a four-hour session online than in a month's worth of pbem.

Certainly. Hell, you can do it real time online with voice chat.

Quote from: Warboss Squee;1052790Certainly. Hell, you can do it real time online with voice chat.

While that sounds simple, Real Life provides a lot of interruptions, These don't effect Play by Post games like they do anything that is in real time.
Kid needs attention, dog needs to go out, cooking, chores all these can cause the other players to wait while playing with voice chat.
Not saying voice chatting isn't awesome, just not as convenient as it sounds even with a wireless headset.
=

Well this thread got me running a Play By Post again over on Dragonsfoot!

Couple of rolls on a monster hunt table and I have enough content for a month's play...

Quote from: RPGPundit;1051781Yeah, but these days you can play real time, online.

No thanks, that's sort of the point. Do away with stress of live interaction.

Quote from: RunningLaser;1052755Did PBEM use a specific system?  If so, what was it?  Interested in this.

PBM can use any system and alot of commercial PBMs used their own systems.

That said. Cyberboard was designed for PBeM play of RPGs and board games. Theres alot of player made packs for it for various board games and someone took a crack at recreating the 2e Gamma World map using it as did I.

Quote from: Greentongue;1052824While that sounds simple, Real Life provides a lot of interruptions, These don't effect Play by Post games like they do anything that is in real time.
Kid needs attention, dog needs to go out, cooking, chores all these can cause the other players to wait while playing with voice chat.
Not saying voice chatting isn't awesome, just not as convenient as it sounds even with a wireless headset.
=

Man, if you can't work out 4 hours of time in a month, you've got to reorganize your life.

Quote from: rgrove0172;1053195No thanks, that's sort of the point. Do away with stress of live interaction.

Have you considered that if "live interaction" is something you're intentionally trying to avoid, the RPG hobby might not be for you?