conversations.from: system
conversations.value: ROLEPLAY_MODE: Develop the plot slowly, always stay in character. Describe all actions in full, elaborate, explicit, graphic, and vivid detail. Mention all relevant sensory perceptions. Keep the story immersive and engaging.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Toliudar: character sheet 
   character sheet 
  
  It has occurred to me that, with a bunch of monster characters, the balance amongst which is hard to determine, and with us starting in a gladiatorial context, it might be useful to give the players with completed PC's an opportunity to try them out 'in the ring.'
  •	All of you will face the same opponent. No XP will be rewarded for these fights.
  •	Winning is explicitly not the point of this, so feel free to read each others' threads.
  •	Instead, I'm looking at how a character works, and how a player writes (which is NOT to say that I need sonnets in each post).
  •	Participation is voluntary, and I may accept players who don't participate in this process, but I figured that it might be fun, and gives me more information.
  •	The Friday deadline for new applications remains, but I may delay selection of a team to move forward to group play by a few days while I move some of these individual threads forward.
  
  Should you choose to participate, from your past experience, you know the following:
  
  The arena is a 50’ cube, with a tight lattice of force on all sides, and there are audience bleachers on all four sides.  The floor of the arena is gravel and dirt, but you know from talking to other gladiators the force lattice extends below the surface.
  
  Usually, your opponents are already in the ring when you enter.  You start in a small waiting area adjacent to the arena, supervised by a pair of grim-faced guards.
  
  There is a table in the waiting area with a disorganized pile of battered-but-serviceable weapons and shields, in a variety of sizes and configurations.  Spending 1 round at the table finds you any medium sized common weapon, or a medium sized buckler, large shield or tower shield.  For each size smaller or larger, add one round of searching.  For a martial weapon or spiked shield, add 1 round of searching.  For an exotic weapon, add 2 rounds.  None of the weapons are masterwork, of special materials, or otherwise mechanically exceptional.  If you are searching for a missile weapon, the associated ammunition is found with the weapon.
  Anything that you do in the waiting area that harms the guards gets you summarily and efficiently killed.  Otherwise, you can go through any preparations/buffing/etc that you wish.  Once the signal comes for the doors to open, the two guards immediately force you out into the main arena, and the fight begins.  Resisting the guards gets you summarily and efficiently killed.
  
  From your past experience, you might have only a few seconds in the waiting area, or you might wait a minute or two before the fight begins.  Functionally, this means I’ll be rolling a d20 to determine how many rounds of preparation you have before the start of the fight.  In your first post, I’ll ask you to lay out your character’s actions in each of 20 pre-fight rounds, and I’ll let you know when that sequence of actions is interrupted by the start of the fight.  You're under no obligation to do anything in any of those rounds.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: MinotaurWarblad: Entering the waiting area, Helix immediately starts weaving magic across his scaled palms with his claws.
  First, he casts a couple of spells to enhance his draconic nature. After that, who knows how many mystical rites he'll be able to perform?
  
   
   Spoiler: OoC 
  
  Round 1: He casts Primal Instinct as a standard action, then Primal Hunter as a swift action.
  Round 2: He casts Heart of Air as a standard action, then Mage Armor as a swift action.
  Round 3 and Round 4: He acquires a medium longsword from the pile of weapons.
  Round 5: He casts Extended Karmic Aura as a full-round action, then Extended Shield as a swift action.
  Round 6: He casts Extended Detect Magic as a full-round action, then Extended Resistance as a swift action.
  Round 7: He concentrates on Extended Detect Magic.
  Round 8: He concentrates on Extended Detect Magic.
  Round 9: He concentrates on Extended Detect Magic. At this point, he can now determine the strength and location of magical auras within 60 feet as long as he continues to concentrate.
  Round 10 through Round 20: He concentrates on Detect Magic. The moment the doors open, he wants to take inventory on all the auras on his opponent, then drop concentration so he can take his first turn normally.
   
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Toliudar: Rounds of prep:  (1d20)[ 8 ] 
  Opponent initiative:  (1d20+2)[ 10 ] 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Toliudar: Spoiler: Detect Magic 
  I don't think that detect magic works the way that you're describing.
  
  "The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject."
  
  In order to get the information you're asking for, you need to focus ON THE AREA for three rounds.  Just concentrating somewhere else does nothing to speed up that process.
  
  Feel free to roll initiative, and to withdraw the detect magic action if desired in light of this ruling.
   
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: MinotaurWarblad: Spoiler: OoC 
  
  
  Oops. I have been running that wrong for a while. I should run that by my own players. Thanks for pointing that out! That'll also boosts the relative power of Arcane Sight for my games.
  So, yeah, I'll retcon that casting of Detect Magic out of existence. Would you like me to edit the previous post to match that decision?
  
  Initiative:  (1d20+6)[ 19 ] 
   
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: MinotaurWarblad: What is in the arena?