This will be my second attempt to run a Planescape campaign on this forum using the 2nd Edition AD&D rules.

Because the first ended abruptly, I am going to do a few things differently. The primary difference is that I intend to hand-pick the players. If you're interested in playing, please let me know - but please don't take it personally if I decide against your inclusion. I am taking this extra precaution because I really want this game to work out. It's a big investment of time and energy both for myself and for the players.

The criteria for choosing players will mainly follow a few simple guidelines:

1. I'll be looking at post-count (taking into account my personal experience with you as a poster) to make sure that you're likely to stick around.

2. I run a very detail-oriented game, so a precise mastery of the English language is a definite requirement. PbP games are confusing enough already, and while I don't like to place this restriction here and alienate our non-native speaker friends, it really is a necessity for a game of this type.

3. I'll need to either know you off-hand from the forum or have a player vouch for you. This is mainly to ensure that everyone in the game more-or-less gets along and knows how to behave.

4. Familiarity with the setting and/or rules is not a requirement. It's not even especially encouraged.

5. Those not accepted are still welcome to hang out and talk in the OOC thread, offer insights and suggestions and so on.

As for the way the game will work, I will roll all dice on my end and summarize the results of your actions. The game will not be turn-based during combat - rather I will ask for a general outline of your tactics and goals in the encounter, play out the encounter myself, and post a narrative of the event. This is not a combat heavy game, though. The first game ran for 53 pages and I believe there were only two or three battles.

You'll need to sign up for a wikispaces account so that you can view and modify our wiki: http://intheladysshadow.wikispaces.com/

I have tried to edit out most of the references to our previous game (via deleting links to irrelevant pages), but there may still be the occasional bit referring to the previous game. You can ignore such information. On the front page are two links of particular importance: The Planescape Primer and the House Rules.

So far, the two players signed up are Lord Foul and GordonGoblin. So let's start coming up with your character concepts and I'll set about inviting more folks to join us.

In terms of character ideas: are we looking at a similar setup to the previous game? ie we make up Primes from a backwater plane?

If you feel comfortable with the setting, you are welcome to make a Planar character. If not, I strongly encourage you to play a Prime. For anyone unfamiliar with the terms, a Planar is a person born in one of the areas covered by the Planescape setting. A prime constitutes anyone else - a character from a homebrew setting or Forgotten Realms or Dark Sun or whatever.

I've decided to roll stats twice and allow you to choose which set you want.

Gordon, your stats are: 16, 9, 11, 9, 15, 18 -OR- 10, 14, 16, 15, 13, 13.
Foul, your stats are: 12, 14, 14, 15, 15, 14 -OR- 11, 13, 15, 18, 15, 10.
Saragon, your stats are: 12, 17, 12, 10, 6, 13 -OR- 10, 14, 10, 11, 15, 13

You can place your stats as you like, but no rush. I'm just putting them here so you've got access to them.

Hoopla!

You know, I'm feeling a bit swashbuckly this time. I fancy something of a fighter/thief type, maybe with some magic tricks, a wide grin and a tendency to swing from light fittings. Maybe a half-elf Fighter/Magic-User/Thief.

Does that sound like something you could work with?


EDIT: I've placed this note here as a reminder.

On Page 57 of the IC thread there is a series of three long posts giving a summary of everything that has happened up to that point.

well I liked having something in common in the previous game. We were all ignorant together.

I think I'd rather play a Prime again so that we can be overawed by the Planes. Though there is something impressive about the idea of growing up in Sigil, but I doubt I'm ready for that yet.

I have this totally original idea for a gnome necromancer... only kidding. I'm still thinking.

Lord Foul - I like where you seem to be going, does that come with a sidekick?

That sounds great, Foul.

You guys have any preference for what prime world the party comes from? Also, send me a PM if there's anyone from the forums you'd like for me to invite.

I know next to nothing about Faerun so I'd rather not there. I have a real soft spot for Athas, as Primes go. And, while not exactly a proper Prime... Ravenloft would make for a nice sense of puzzlement.

edit - I love Athas, but just remembered how insanely complicated psionics was!

I'm inclined against the majority of the party being from Dark Sun, only because it's sufficiently alien a setting that I think something would be lost. A Dark Sun character would be as shocked by the fact that everyone is walking around with metal weapons as he would by a passing balor. That said, if we end up with a nice-sized party (say, five people?), I'd certainly be willing to allow someone to play a character from Dark Sun and then meet up with the group in Sigil.

well I just realised that Dark Sun had all that psionic stuff threaded through it, and that kind of put me off anyay. I am happy to come from a more standard Prime worls. I can always read up on it onlne.

I'm trying to figure out if there's a good way to be a Celtic/Sláine style Witch. All blood and hexes. And flying on broomsticks (eventually)

Well, you guys could always come up with a fairly straight-forward homebrew setting like we did last time, and include whatever cultural elements are necessary to facilitate your character choices.