"Shadows of Ravenloft" PBP

[Crimson King]

I can't get enough RL running tabletop once a week so I'm starting a PBP called "Shadows of Ravenloft." The subject of the campaign will be mystery, weirdness, and illumination -- the sort of stuff Ken Hite writes about. In particular, I have plotlines dealing with the "holes in the world" -- things like false histories, and the inconsistencies or little weirdnesses that result (in Ravenloft) from canon changing between editions.

I plan to post two to three times a week; the tone I'm trying for (on my end) is something like Neil Gaiman, although I've been told my style is closer to Terry Pratchett.

The rules are 3.5 with optional rules from Unearthed Arcana (particularly "Armor as Damage Reduction" and "Spell Points with Vitalizing") but I expect to emphasize storytelling and have very little mechanics. (If you want to use something -- race, class, spell, skill, feat item -- that's not in the core rulebooks or UA, ask me ahead of time and we'll talk.)

Character Creation: 32-point buy for characteristics. 10,000 points to divide between XP for character and gp value of magic items. 10,000 extra for a detailed description and background story.

Races: Human, Half-Vistani, Caliban. If you want to play something else, let me know.

Other: Both Outlanders and Ravenloft natives are allowed. (In fact, one potential player asked about a character from Zelazny's "Courts of Chaos.")

[Lord Soth]

This sounds interesting. Would a Half-Vampire from Libris Mortis be acceptable? How about the Knight of the Raven Prestige Class from EtCR?

[Crimson King]

This sounds interesting.

Thanx. I forgot to mention that I expect the campaign to be about 10% combat, 20% mystery, 30% storytelling, and 40% /c/h/e/w/i/n/g/ /t/h/e/ /s/c/e/n/e/r/y/ /a/n/d/ /o/v/e/r/a/c/t/i/n/g/ roleplaying.
And I forgot to put up a poll asking about people's preferred styles of play.

Would a Half-Vampire from Libris Mortis be acceptable? How about the Knight of the Raven Prestige Class from EtCR?

Yes and yes, respectively, although if you're planning on doing both for the same character, I'll want to know if you're trying to do a parody of Blade, Vampire Hunter D, Alucard, and suchlike Oedipal Dhampirs.
Also, if it makes any difference to you, one likely player has already asked about playing either a Half-Vampire or a Vampire Spawn. OTOH I'm strongly in favor of people playing whatever character they will most enjoy, rather than trying to balance the party.

FWIW the characters that prospective players have already come up with include:
* an expatriate Borcan monster-hunter;
* a half-Vistani rogue;
* a Cleric of the Morninglord;
* a creepy female Elf;
* an Outlander female Elf;
* a Half-Vampire cleric;
* a Paladin;
* a Barbarian (or crude Ranger) from Kartakass.

NPCs:
* a really tough (but not very effective) fighter;
* a rogue;
* an Outlander elf Shadowcaster.

[Lord Soth]

Well, I'd be multiclassing out of Paladin, which doesn't seem like a class suiting Blade or D, and I don't have a clue about Alucard. I may just go human, though. As for the rest, chewing the scenery is what I do best.

[Crimson King]

1. This is primarily a "blue-booking" (storytelling) game. Participants will post their character's actions (including dialog) in a scene. They can post the actions of minor NPCs, subject to approval/veto/modification by the GM. They can post the actions of another PC subject to approval by the other player.

2. I assume each participant can post at least two to three times a week. Posting more than that is fine. If you can't post at least twice a week, please arrange for your character to be absent with a plausible in-game explanation, or else arrange someone else (either the GM or another player) to play your character.

3. By default I'm using D&D 3.5 rules (with optional rules from Unearthed Arcana and elsewhere) but I have no problem with someone who wants to play their character using 2nd Edition, 4E (ha!), GURPS, Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying, World of Darkness, or anything else, because story will always trump mechanics.

4. I'm using the optional rules for "Armor as Damage Reduction / Damage Conversion" and "Spell Points with Vitalizing" because they make D&D /m/o/r/e/ /l/i/k/e/ /G/U/R/P/S/ better, i.e. more like fantasy fiction.

5. As in my tabletop game, I will make a sheet (for myself) listing each character's name, race, class, level, AC, Defenses (DR and Damage Conversion), Hit Points, Fortitude, Reflex, Will, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot.

(In a tabletop game I would also hand out red glass beads to represent hit points, blue beads to track spell points, and wooden blocks to put in front of any player whose character has a light source.)

6. Any questions? If not, please go to the in-game thread.