Another Example of Play--

[The Dispatcher]

This is another example of RPG by Message Board play. Since this will be a chain of posts, posted by me, I will be denoting at the top left of each post WHO is "supposed" to be posting what-- In the regular game, there will not be any need to do so, since all of your posts will have your Character Names already attached!

The Dispatcher (aka: GM or Game Master)

The modern world, the present day. While the rest of the world settles in into it's daily routine, the sun rises on a new threat to peace and freedom. Most of the world' inhabitants go through life without a clue about the dangers that regularly loom over them. You aren't so lucky. As newly recruited agents for Department-7, you're about to be made aware of every hidden plot and potential disaster hanging like a dagger on a frayed rope over the heart of the planet. And that's just for starters...

You're outside, on a boardwalk overlooking a deserted beach and the ocean beyond it. At this early hour, there doesn't appear to be anyone else around. You're here to meet with your handler, a senior agent named Harmon whom you've interacted with during training, but never in a mission situation.

[Before Harmon arrives, why don't you describe yourselves?]

Anything that is written between "[]" brackets is additional GM description. This isn't necessarily current IN-GAME info, but instructions to the Players or outside information that the GM wanted to add for context sake.

[The Dispatcher]

Yoriko

You see a young Asian-American woman stretching on the boardwalk. She looks graceful and nimble, not unlike dancer or gymnast. She's wearing running shorts, sneakers, and a hooded sweatshirt.

[The Dispatcher]

Russell

A young African-American male is standing along the boardwalk railing. He's tall, with a muscular frame. He wears a leather jacket and faded jeans.

[The Dispatcher]

Brandon

My Character sits on a nearby bench, typing away on a notebook computer. He looks intelligent though a bit scruffy, and while he seems to be focused on his PC, he's also listening to any discussions the others are having.

[The Dispatcher]

Moondog

You see a solid-looking young man with a sour face and close-cropped hair. He's tough as a rock and as mean as a junkyard dog, and he tends to stand slightly apart from the others, slowly scanning the beach and the boardwalk for any signs of trouble.

[The Dispatcher]

The Dispatcher

[Okay. You have trained together since being recruited into Department-7, so you know each other pretty well. This is your first mission, though, and you don't have any idea what to expect. Before anything else occurs, each of you make a listen check.]

The players each roll a d20 and add their LISTEN skill modifier to get a result. If the Player doesn't have the Listen skill, the player still gets to add his or her corresponding Ability modifier to the roll (in the case of LISTEN it is the WISdom modifier.

The players will make this roll using the off-site Dice Roller and they will enter The Dispatcher's eMail address into the email slot. When the GM gets the email of the players he replies to this post.

[The Dispatcher]

[Moondog, Russell, and Brandon continue whatever it is that they are doing as they wait for Harmon to show up.]

The sun certainly looks peaceful as it continues it's slow rise over the ocean.

Notice how Yoriko wasn't mentioned in the lats part? The reason for this is that all the characters EXCEPT her failed their LISTEN checks. Since she didn't, when she logs onto the boards next, she will find "Hey, Yoriko, you have 1 messages, 1 are new." This is that character's cue that the GM is possibly trying to inform her of something. After checking the messages she'll find one that reads:

You passed your Listen Check.
You hear a noise from underneath the boardwalk. It sounds like faint whispers, and maybe the click of some mechanism snapping into place. What does Yoriko do?

[The Dispatcher]

Yoriko

Yoriko tries to nonchalantly peer through the gaps in the boardwalk as she leans into a particularly deep leg stretch.

[Does she see anything?]

Again Brackets-- this time it's the player communicating OOC info or questions to the GM. This COULD be sent as a PM to the GM since it deals with info that Yoriko is privy to. At this time I'll leave that decision up to the player.

The player will again receive a PM from the Dispatcher with an answer. It would read something like this:

"Yoriko notices three figures moving through the shadows directly underneath the boardwalk. The seem to be preparing to do something."

Another thing that you should notice is that the other CHARACTERS should have no idea that she either knows anything or is doing anything strange, even if their PLAYERS may. This is the way it should always work. Even if you suspect the worst.

IF A PLAYER KNOWS SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW, THEY WILL TELL YOU IN-CHARACTER!

[The Dispatcher]

Russell

"Hey Moondog, you catch that football game last night?" Russell asked trying to make coversation to ease his nerves. He was wondering where the hell Harmon was. He didn't think that a senior agent of Dept-7 would be late.

[The Dispatcher]

Moondog


"Nope."

It never ceased to amaze him that his team mates wouldn't give up trying to drag him into conversation. He worked with them, he didn't sign anything that said that he had to be friends with them too.

[The Dispatcher]

Yoriko

Yoriko shouts, "We've got company!" as she leaps over the railing towards the sand below.

See? She told the other players SOMETHING at least-- and probably not too much either-- by saying anything she not only tips off her allies but also the guys below.

[The Dispatcher]

The Dispatcher

[Yoriko, first make a JUMP check to see how well you land in the sand below.

Then Everyone else make an initiative check.

Thanks to Yoriko's warning, you won't be surprised by the figures below the board walk.]

Again the players utilize the Dice roller, and have the results sent to the GM.

Yoriko, FIRST rolls her JUMP check, and adds the Modifiers to the roll. The GM receives that roll result and notes that the result was good enough for the character to land gracefully in the sand. He will let the character know this by describing it in the next block of GM text.

The GM will also receive the die results from the other players as well-- Each player rolls a d20 and adds his or her Iniative modifiers in. This includes Yoriko.

The GM will roll for the Thugs' initiative.

[The Dispatcher]

The Dispatcher

The GM/Dispatcher will now post the Initiative results, thus letting the players know the order in which they attack.

[Yoriko 19, Moondog 16, Thugs 14, Brandon 13, Russell 9]

Yoriko lands gracefully in the sand.

There are three goons skulking about below the boardwalk waiting in ambush for you. Two of the figures each brandish what looks to be metal batons, while the third is armed with a pistol equiped with a silencer.

[Yoriko, you have the highest initiative. What are you going to do?]

[The Dispatcher]

Yoriko

Yoriko lands in a crouch, and quickly closes in on one of the baton wielding figures. [Her first move action]

She launches an unarmed attack at the bastards head. [Her attack action]

Yoriko again uses the dice roller, rolling a d20 and adding in any Melee Attack modifiers. The GM receives this info, compares the attack result with the targets Defense number, and posts the result in game text.

[The Dispatcher]

The Dispatcher

To cut down on the waiting period between actions, the Dispatcher will roll the damage dealt in the event the character succeeded in a strike. Because the character Yoriko has the MARTIAL ARTS FEAT the GM rolls a 1d4. He of course, keeps track of the damage secretly, but would let the players know what is going on this way...

Yoriko strikes the man's exposed neck and connects with a solid blow. He gasps and grunts in a pained cough.

[Moondog is next.]