DM Diaries 2

DM DAIRIES

Welcome to DM Diaries. Here, you can find my personal thoughts and opinions on things like PC, direction of the campaign, individual sessions, and so on.
DISCLAIMER: These articles will reference specific players by name, as well as events that occur in sessions or reviews. Please be aware that this is not made to offend anyone, and if it does, feel free to let me know. If these articles become a problem, I will gladly take them down.

DM Dairies - 2

REFLECTIONS ON A NEW PATH
OVERVIEW

A few sessions have passed since the last DM Diaries, and overall, I have to say that I'm feeling rather good about the campaign thus far. It seems like a lot of people have taken my thoughts into consideration, which has been reassuring to see. There's still a lot to talk about, of course, and these DM Dairies have become my way of putting everything down in one place, where all of you can then think about what I have to say.
ROLEPLAY
Since the last DM Diaries, it seems like the roleplaying of the party has completely shifted. There are some characters that I love with my whole heart, namely Serpica and Stumpke. These two characters are completely different, but I truly think they make up the backbone of the party.
Serpica is an excellent example of what I think a defecting Highborn would act like - pompous and full of himself, but with enough heart to recognize that the ways of the Imperium rub him the wrong way. He's honestly become the character I turn to most when I need a strong narrative reaction, whether he knows it or not. I think it's become pretty clear that Serpica is the leader of this party, or, he's one of them. That certainly leads to an interesting question when it comes to his current motivations of leaving the Imperium. . .
Litia, though quiet, also seems like she has a very strong grasp on what her character believes in, how she thinks, and so on. The dynamic between she and Serpica is a driving factor, obviously, but their romance is done in less of a in-your-face type of way and more of a this-is-my-person approach. It's clear that these two characters depend on each other, and I think it's really well done. Some good examples of this were the panic Serpica felt when Litia went missing, and in turn, the panic Litia felt when Serpica was seriously injured. The talk in the temple was also :chef's kiss:
Stumpke, on the other hand, acts as a type of comic relief in a way that the orcish shenanigans can't reach. Stumpke feels on task and useful in the serious moments, but also has so much personality and sass to hand out. I adore that she isn't intimidated by the Highborn that surround her, and I look forward to seeing how she comes to develop further.
Gorlac has become a character that walks the edge of serious and comedic, and it's a really unique spot to be in, given the last two characters his player has made. In my opinion, Gorlac feels like a very complete character, and I get a very good sense of his morals by how he acts.
Gruuk, like Stumpke, feels more like a comedic relief character. He's hilarious, and has presence even when his player is absent from the session. I really look forward to how he's going to handle the more serious aspects of his personal story.
Viv has come a seriously long way since the last DM Dairies! Like, seriously. I know in part, it's because the last few sessions have catered to her directly when it comes to story aspects, but I hope that it's enough to push her out of her shell and cause more interactions with the party.
Anya is a bit of a special case - I feel like she's a really solid character, but she falls flat on my end, actually. Chi the Eidolon is supposed to be a key part to her character, and I feel like I haven't been doing a good job with him. So, Anya -- when you have the time, let's talk about it, ok?
The last three members of our party are Rakki, Grim, and Karna. These characters feel under-developed, to be frank. The point of the roleplay section in the reviews is to help aid those who need it in developing their characters, and Rakki, and the very least, seems to be doing this. Now, I know that Grim and Karna are new players. I didn't like to roleplay when I was first starting, either. That being said, I still do urge these two to take a moment and think about who their characters really are, and maybe try to respond to the review, at least, with whatever you come away from that thinking with. I know the confidence will come in time, and I look forward to seeing all of these characters blossom.

STORYLINE

I wasn't expecting this when I wrote the visions for Session 6, but the course of our story has actually changed substantially. So much so, that I had to rethink the first few quests that will be given to you in Harcross. This is both exciting and terrifying - I literally have no idea how to swing the main storyline. I know that that's part of the fun, and really, it is fun, but I'm also a little worried. I try to keep us in a cohesive-enough storyline without too much railroading. We'll see how things pan out :)

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I'm feeling good, honestly. Sometimes, the weight of balancing Pathfinder with my every day life is a lot. It feels like I have no idea what to do sometimes, like I'm not ready for the upcoming session. Thinking about session planning can feel exhausting and unfun. But then I start to do it, and I'm consistently reminded about how excited I am to give this world and this story to the ten of you. When we're in our sessions, I honestly have so much fun. The laughs are innumerable, and I know you guys can't see it through the masks, but I get so proud of myself when I give you guys something and the reaction from you is powerful, be it fear or awe. Either way, it's a good feeling to see you all like that. I hope you can tell that I'm enjoying this campaign more than last time - I feel like I've learned a lot, and I'm still learning all the time. I feel more confident in roleplay situations, in my world building. My combat is still a little sloppy, but I usually feel pretty good, even with that.

See you Sunday ;)