I'm going to be running a campaign over email for a few friends and wondered if anyone had any tips to make things run more smoothly.

Namely I wondered how you handle the use of fate points and combat? Do the players have give you a set "Fate Point Tactics"? Do you handle combat one round at a time?

Thanks in advance for any tips you can give.

Rowey

Personally I wonder how you handle tests in general if everything is done over email. Can you trust them not to "fudge" numbers so that they get a leg up everything a skill test is needed?

There are online dice rollers designed for this, where the results are emailed to whomever's email address is present.

Personally, I think it would run slow. But I believe if you can use a forum to post maps, pictures, ect ect; and run the actual sessions over AIM, while having emails for the dice rolls it could work out; if you have a relable group.

E-mail, Aol Instant Messanger, and a forum of some kind that PCs can access to see the maps and the longer discriptive GM txt. I think www.rpol.net could offer a GM the forum. And Idk if the site is still operating, but www.ironyroller.com worked in the past for me. Although I havnt checked the site in years.

Good luck mate.

-Ira-

Read through Didzt's excellent guide for running a PBeM game on Liber Fanatica. Originally written for WFRP, most of the advice is just as relevant for any system. The short version is in issue III, but the long version with examples, explanations and help is at:

http://www.liberfanatica.net/PBEMGuide_LongVersion.pdf

In my game I use my own judgement and GMs knowledge of consequence to make the decision to spend Fate points on my players behalf, unless the players have stated in advance whether or not they will use them.

Thanks, the guide is paticularly usefull and I'll definately take something from it. In regard to the dice rolls, the players won't actually be rolling their own dice, they know their skills and characteristics so have a decent idea of what they can and can't do well, leaving them more time to develop their characters and the story.

Having said that, I'm starting with one friend running all the characters until I get a feel of how to run things so I can open it up to more people.

There are several on-line dicerollers, and you can easily make some tools in excel to help you out.

I've made a simple one that rolls the most usual (combination) of dice, and resolves opposed tests with DoS, etc.

Or just fudge it the way you want to

I've come across a number already and fully intend to utilise them. I won't be fudging (well not a lot anyway ), just rolling the dice for the player as I'm an untrusting sort.

Rowey said:

No problem with that, I just cannot imagine any sane person cheating in RPGs, other than GMs fudging dice for the sake of smooth gameplay. Heck WHY would players do it??

Many years ago I ran a Shadow Run campaign by email and had couple of players who's rolls weren't paticularly believable, although that could be more about getting the right type of player in teh game in the first place.

egalor said:

Back in the day we had a player who cheated, always made a point of sitting off to the side and not rolling his dice infront of everyone, and would never denominate the 10's die. After a while it got really old and we kicked him out and told him to come back when he could be mature enough to play the game to have fun, not to attempt to win at a game that has no winners.

egalor said:

Because they have an image of their character as a hero, and constantly missing in combat and perhaps getting shot and killed doesn't fir their goals. But I agree, it spoils the fun.