Welcome to the game! The steps to join are: 1) Be interested - by sending in request you are already there. But stay interested. I've had many folks who say they want to join but fade away. At least have the courage to post a note when you are behind things or can't do this or that. Let me know when you want out of the game due to family or other things. This is above all a fun game and a way to relive stress not only for me but for all others. 2) Step 2 - Read the first link - How can I join the game on the site. This has some basic info and at the end a zip file to download. This is a ancient set of files including a text based character sheet that I use. The other files may be of use though may be a bit out dated in some regards. When I made them they were a few helping files. * GMscreen.txt were the basic GM screens the game uses and I use for many of the rule processes. A text version. Some minor changes need to be done but for the most part still good. * Help.txt - A simple info file I made for new folks years ago. More advanced players may not need it. This was done way back in the '90s. But still possibly useful. This file explains the text version of the character sheet. * Gameapp - Please read and return to me. Back in the old days I used this before google searches and such. But with folks who simply lose email or such this is good to have data on where you are located in case I need to find you via some searches on the web. These needs to be done. Please. * Skill.txt - If you have the rules skip this. it was just a simple pre-v2 skill info file. 3) Return application to me in email. 4) Optional steps A) Read the What is a PBEM link on game site. If you are new to PBEMs this might help. B) Read What is P&P - I assume you know this already but if not that link is on website. C) Read Intro and other game stuff link - A catch all file of stuff you might find useful as a player. D) Read Summary of Campaign link - This file is a brief overview of the last adventures. It might be a good idea to read this at some point to know where folks have been and such. E) Read Characters of Campaign - This is optional but will let you get brief info on each character. This is a large file so can read it later. But it will be useful to understand who is who. Some characters return and some leave. So if these characters are in the game it will be useful to know a bit about them for your own character. 5) Optional steps - A) If you don't know Wout's site then at bottom in the links section is a link to his site. It has all the great pnp resources you may need. B) Combat/Magic Info link - If new to pbems this file will give some real basic info on how things are done in a pbem. C) Contact info - A link is for Contact so you can find player contact info here. Let me know of any contact info you want the others and myself to have I will post it here. D) PBEM intro - A link here is for some basic info on how pbems work for real new players to the service. E) Damage link file - A very small file I use as a basis on damage levels and hit locations. Optional read. f) Tweaking Spells - This is a advanced file so for new folks this will not be needed. This is when your EL gets to 10+ and need to improve the spells even more. So can skip for now until you get more advancned. G) Language File - This link documents all the languages the players know. I had to keep track of this due to a item a necklace someone made to learn languages. This allows folks to figure out who knows what. It is a optional read. H) Home Brew Rules - You may at some time read this file. It is home brew rule or rule changes. Usually every adventure I add to this file. I) Future Adventure - This link is for end of the adventure. It allows folks to vote on next. Since you are new no need to read this now. J) Character Improvements link - This file details on spending cep/meps when stats are maxed. If no more Characteristic Points then this file is good to spend points for things. Since new you will probably skip this. K) Items of Campaign link- This is just a file I update for items/sites and such to keep track for long term purposes. It is optional read but can read if want. L) Adventure Timeline - This link will keep track of the time line and anything else I need to keep track of like food if doing long term travel. Optional read. M) People of Adventure link - This file will hold any names and brief info on folks encountered. A good way to use this as a reference if you can't recall the name of a person in old posts. This is cleaned out new adventure time so it may be empty. All people are added to the Characters of the Campaign file later at end of adventure. N) Important Updates link - At times there may be a update when things happen - that riddle or the evil bad guy's plan for world conquest. So that you can reference those things fast I may at times update this file with the info so you can find them faster. O) Mana/Energy link - This file can skip as a new player But as the game goes on this will contain Mana, Health, Energy info as well as Experience, Item Damage and Skill increase info. So optional read now but useful during adventure. F) Any other links will be added during adventures like Maps or such as needed here. 6) Sign up on mailing list - At bottom you will see the link to the pnpgm list. You can sign up or send me your email address and I can do it for you. The updates are sent out via this mailing list in email and online on the game site for viewing as well as the list archives. If you sing up to the list please let me know so I can welcome you there for the others so they know you are around. Thanks. 7) Take a look at the roster - R1.John Haight.......HY..Arawn.............Druid .Normal/Alfar .. Ma --.Tobie Bonahoom....YY..Fremea............Sidh....Normal/Faerry.. Fe R3.Mark Murtha.......HN..Kell..............Trader..Normal/Human....Ma R1.David Sanders.....HN..Kiet.Sunan........Acrobat Normal/Human ..Ma W4.Wout Broere.......YY..Unali.............Ninja...Normal/Human ..Fe R4.Alex Koponen......YY..Z'leyra...........Healer..Normal/Human ..Fe First column is what type of horse they have I use this as a means to track it so don't have to look at sheets. Then the person's real name/alias. Next 2 columns are codes I use for myself see help files above for info. Then the character name. The character type Damage Status Race Gender. This is what will be in the next game. So based on this you can get a idea of what you want to play. Some tips on this is I tend to like underdogs. We have some well powerful and experienced players. But my own character Xian (see pc file) is not as strong. So I tend to favor those types. If you want to do magic keep in mind the list above on what is done already if you think magic is too much. Bards, Priests, Druids, Fighters any style you want. Once you get a feel of what you want le time know and I'll approve. I can make your character or you can but doing it your own will be a bit more restrictive (a natural magic user! Yes I really really rolled it!) Note: Kell is npc now but the others are PC. Mark just faded away. He was a very active player but his job think got bad or he lost his job. No clue where he is now since no feedback from him. But i try to at least have one npc in game for views as a player may have/hints/etc. 8) Once you figure out character and do the above we can move on. I suggest a few things before though. A) Read at least ONE update on the site. If the adventure is new then go to the last adventure's site and pick one at random. Pick a normal one and a Combat one. Usually it will be easy to figure out combat ones like X Attack - Turn 1 on the site as a clue. Then once you do this you can get a feel for the game. Read as many as you want. You can go back to 1999 adventure if you wish! This will show how things are done. Typically a normal update might be from 100-300 lines. For combat maybe 300-500 lines. I post twice a week Monday and Friday. I tend to work on the updates Monday night (and/or Fri/Sat for Monday's). For Friday I tend to work on things Wednesday if I get swamped due to Thursday being busy at times. B) Read a few of the player posts on the site. This will show how some folks post. Some do 1-2 lines but some like Arawn do very lengthy and detailed stuff. The nice thing about PBEMs is you can add so much more detail but for a table game you are rushed at times and forget details. You are free (and I enjoy it more) to do as much as you want. But if you are busy then a line or two is fine as well. You may not need to reply to EVERY update but if you are too busy some folks let me know. This will help. 9) Above all have fun! We had a certain player Greg Reid who did not understand how PBEMs work and the rules to pnp work. This is fine but he constantly argued with players and myself. This caused a full summer to go by with little action. It bogged down things. You are allowed to argue and it doesn't bother me and in fact if you don't I worry! But keep things on a good level. Don't be afraid to ask me or the others. Get back to me! PS - As my contact shows I can be found on Facebook, ICQ and such. This means I can quickly react to chat messages. So if you use AOL or such let me know via the contact info. I already have two players Alex and tobie I chat with often. Alex I've talked to since 1999 so it might help if you have quick questions that Email may not answer fast enough.