Seize the GM
Seize the GM
Episode 70: Online Gaming
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Main Topic

The world’s going digital, and while getting together with a group of friends in a living room, at a con, or at a game shop is still a great experience; getting together virtually has become a more practical habit in our ever-expanding online world. From free voice services and virtual tables, traditional roleplaying has many opportunities to expand in the online community.

  • Communication and Dice – While voice software like Discord, Skype, or Google hangouts will likely be your primary form of talking to your players, it’s not the only method. Longer running games may still use the trusted standby of play by forum gaming, or chat room text like the games of MUDs, BBS. Selecting the right method of communication is important as it’ll also determine how you want to handle your dice rolling for your players. Many virtual tables offer dice rollers but sites such as Rolz.org can provide an alternative for GM’s that need to see the results their players call out. Many voice software also have options for dice rollers, such as Exploding Dice.
  • Setting up the gaming environment for those that need more– For those that need a virtual table there are many options to running one. Hosting a table takes an understanding of the different resources out there and matching them to the game you’re wanting to play. Virtual table tops like Fantasy Grounds, Tabletop Simulator, Roll20, and Skirmish offer various free and premium tools. Games that are battle focused may benefit from these tools more than games that are more narratively driven. A webcam at the DM’s house pointed at a board of miniatures may serve as a strong enough tool to keep your players engaged.
  • Finding Players – Discord, Roll20 Forum, Facebook Groups, Friends and Friends of friends, Reddit
  • Expanded Tool Chest – Running the game from the comfort of a GM’s home computer allows them access to a number of tool that might be a little trickier pulling into the living room or con table. Tools like Syrinscape (see episode 17 of Seize the GM) can be integrated into voice software to add atmosphere. Alternative tables can also be run. How character generators have massively enabled online play

Stat Blocks

Zendead- Arondir

The cut of the figure sliding into the doorway was an impressive one. Measuring twenty hands tall where as most people where lucky to be fifeteen. Its clothing was covered in dust from the road. The weapon that was slung over his back looks like a metal hockey stick. The shadows in the room made it hard to see any features other then the most broadstrokes. As they strode forward slowly into the room pushing the rickety door back his face came into view. The crisscross of scars told of a hard life meet with lots of struggle. The most sriking feature of his face aside from the scars was the third eye squinting from his right cheek. The thing that was so striking aside from him having it was the pale lime green light emitting from it. When the light struck something alive it glowed the same color momentarily. His hands where fanned out and one was reaching forward the sparks dancing on the ends of his fingers stopped when he touched the doorframe as he slinked into the room.

His gruff voice called out, “Come out I am here to get you to town.”

I stepped out and held out my hand and made the sign of the traveller. He returned it with the sign of the warden. I grabbed my cloak from the hiding hole I had been in. I am glad I can call out in the mind to them for help once I am out of the wastelands. I need the minds to help jump the scream for help and all minds helps. I ask his name and he tells me it is Raf and I thank him as only i can by telling him my name but never in words for I am Arondir the mind speaker.

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The Golden Bowl

The bowl is ringed with a golden leaf over a dark stained wood. It sat on myriad tables for years, the simple wax fruit hiding its true nature. But when the previous owner passed away and the dish passed to their next of kin, it ended in storage for the next few decades. And now, an estate sale later, it has landed in your lap.

Its nature is curious, the bowl seems to move back and forth in the house without anyone touching it. And always the fruit in the galley vanishes. When the bowl reappears, replicas of the missing fruit can be found in the bowl made of gold and gems. The process takes time; days for berries, weeks for apples. As long as the enriched food remains in the bowl, they retain their freshness and gleam, but once removed within 24hours the fruit begins to rot. The first day it rots slowly, but after two days the process quickens as the gold and gems begin to spoil and melt. After a week, while still made of precious stone and jewels, the fruit will be pungent and rotten.

So long as fruit shaped objects remain in the bowl, it will not move. Even if it’s fake wax fruit, wooden berries, or other fake food items, the bowl will remain stationary. Only real fruit will become gilded.

Lexicon

Prolate  adjective
pro·​late | \ˈprō-ˌlāt

Definition of prolate
: elongated in the direction of a line joining the poles

History and Etymology
Latin prolatus (past participle of proferre to bring forward, extend) from pro- forward + latus, past participle of ferre to carry

First Known Use of prolate
1715

Popularity
Bottom 20% of words

Closing remarks

Zendead- iZombie So good check

nulloperations- So Many Levels Twitch stream hosted by Christiana Ellis.

Music is courtesy of The Enigma TNG you can find his music on YouTube or on Bandcamp

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And Thanks to Merriam-Webster for our Lexicon segmentFind us on Patreon

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