Some of you may remember me from NWN1, I was FanaticusIncendi then, I'm Mirabai now. New platform, new name, same DM chi! For those of you who don't know me, or were never DMd by me, the following will give you some insight into my style, what I expect from players and what you can expect from me as your DM. If you do know me and were DMd by me in the past, read on anyway because Mirabai has a slightly different flavor. I think it's strawberry.
First up, schedule. I will update this post as things change because I will tell you right now, my world is a weird and erratic one and my schedule follows suit, as well as following the weather and my whims (which are many). I won't commit to a specific day/time of the week because it won't work. Instead, I will tell you when I'm pretty sure I will not be available, and give you a general idea of when I will. So check back for the updates.
Now for the rest of it...Currently I reside in the PST timezone. Evenings are generally best for me to DM. It's summer right now so you aren't likely to see me on during my daylight hours.
- Monday evenings
- Wednesday evenings
- Saturdays all day
I'm not a big fan of the whole good vs evil thing. I like the shades of gray rather than the black or the white. I strive to create villains that are human, even if they aren't. I strive equally to create heroes who are flawed. Similarly, if you fancy yourself a hero I may well find your flaws and exploit them. If you're an evil SOB I may well look for those soft spots you try to keep hidden and shine the light of day on them. If you're a hero with no flaws or a villain with no soft spots at all... I dunno, those scenarios just don't seem very interesting to me. In general, I am not a combat-oriented DM. That's not to say there won't be combat - in fact I'm sure there will be - but it comes as a result of actions taken, rather than as an action in itself. I'm not going to box myself in by laying claim to any one style of storytelling whether it be campaign, ad hoc, or whathaveyou. If I run a campaign, I will probably avoid involving one specific group of people in favor of a plot or plots that could conceivably involve different people doing different things within that plot at different times. This includes inter-PC rivalries, as well as a need for PCs with similar agendas to share information. I may well sprinkle different hooks throughout the playerbase and leave it up to you to fit the pieces together. If you never fit the pieces together, it's entirely possible that the story plays out without PC involvement. That being said, not all plots are epic or related to some big doings. Lots of different styles and stories are possible. I will not spoon-feed players. Be proactive. I encourage players to think outside the box of game mechanics and the limits of the engine. If you can imagine it up and want to do it, and it's not utterly ridiculous, I will try to make it happen. This could include anything from visiting a government office that isn't represented in the mod to question some authority figure or other who reasonably would exist, to trying for a killing shot from cover on the bad guy with an arrow or a spear, outside the game engine. Just a couple examples. I will not always ask for die rolls and so I encourage you to use them as you feel is appropriate, whatever the scenario. All I ask is that you EMOTE your roll, and if it's a particularly busy session, be patient. A pet peeve of mine is when people don't react to horrifying events or repulsive scenes. I understand that DnD is a violent world so there is a certain amount of desensitization, and that the graphics are really not up to the task of adequate immersion into what, for instance, a bloody massacre would really look, feel, and smell like... but if I type: "the bodies of the slain orphans lay scattered like so many rag dolls, their wee little heads mounted on spikes, ravens pecking at the last scraps of rotting, putrid flesh" and your PC is standing around discussing the weather... well let's just say you better have a really good reason for the indifference you're conveying, like your PC has a blackened, shriveled heart the size of a sunflower seed and a stomach of iron. That's an extreme example but I'm sure you can all think of times you've seen PCs standing around having a latte with a slaughtered victim or some other awfulness nearby. I just ask that you really immerse and imagine, and respond accordingly. Don't rely on the engine and the graphics. I am not a rules lawyer or a canon expert, nor do I wish to be. I favor the story over mechanics and regulations. However, I also won't railroad you or play the "because I said so" card. If ever you feel that something I have done or decided is unfair or way in the outer limits past the point of any reasonable effort at DnD rules application, please feel free to send me a (polite, not ranting) PM and I promise it will be addressed. Finally, the NWN2 client is still a newfangled contraption to me, so be patient while I bring it to heel.See you IG!
