Is any running / interested in running / interested in playing an online D&D campaign? I’m jonesing for a D&D campaign. I could run it no one else steps forward but I am horribly out of practice both as a DM and as a player. I can provide hosting for our own forums if needed as I do not wish to burden SDMB with the weight of a D&D campaign.
I have no preference to setting, though I would prefer it be based in 3 or 3.5…
I presume you’re talking about pen and paper AD&D, rather than some newfangled electronic form, so how do you play online?
It’s generally done over forums, like the SDMB.
I’d be in if you don’t mind newbies.
Man, I’d love to play an online D&D campaign of some sort. Half my group is moving to America over the summer. 
Some games I’ve played in the past (although they have always ended before the they were complete :() have used a mix of instant messaging and message boards. Maybe we could try something like that?
Count me in.
I might be interested, depends on how it will be run.
I’d also be interested. Whomever would be running (OP?) should come up with a time/date of play and approximate number of players before this thread gets utterly swamped.
Ditto that. I used to play a lot but haven’t had any opportunity whatever in the last five years.
A more detailed explanation of the mechanics, for Szlater, and anyone else who’s new to this:
There are two ways to game over the internet that I’m familiar with: message board postings and chat networks. I’ve never run a message board game, though I’ve probably seen a hundred of them started over the years. I’ve been running a chat room game for two years, and playing in a different one for almost that long.
With the message board approach, the DM/GM/ST/whatever starts two threads: one for in character descriptions of the action, and one for out-of-character stuff like die rolling (you’ll need a verifiable means of rolling dice, but luckily those exist nowadays). Sometimes the threads are combined into one (with each poster supplying an IC description of their actions and an OOC interpretation, perhaps). The GM posts a starting scenario, everyone posts their responses, and off you go. Players generally commit to posting on a regular schedule (one or twice a day is standard IME). The nice thing about this approach is that it doesn’t require everyone involved to be in the same (internet) place at the same time - ideal for busy people, or groups that span many time zones. Unfortunately it’s also really slow, especially in situations (like combat or extended conversations) where peoples’ actions have to come in a strict order. Also, it can be difficult for the whole group to keep up posting discipline. One post a day sounds easy, but I’ve seen dozens of games die for the lack of it. Example In Character thread, and its corresponding Out of Character thread. This particular game is Shadowrun, not D&D, but the mechanics are the same.
The chat network approach is more like a traditional gaming session. Everybody gets together on their favorite chat-room-plus-die-roller service and types for a few hours. AIM, Jabber, and IRC all supply the necessary amenities. If everyone involved has a fast internet connection, it may be possible to get everyone on a single TeamSpeak server, enabling voice chat during play. This is a new development and I’ve never tried it, but if it works it can spare the bad typists and poor spellers in your group, as well as enabling everyone to hear one anothers’ laughter. This is surprisingly important! Example log from a chat room session I ran about a year ago.
There are various hybrid techniques, too, but this post is long enough as it is.
Either approach enjoys some advantages over traditional gaming. Every session is automatically recorded, so it’s easy to tell war stories, assemble collections of funny quotes, and settle arguments about what happened last week. It’s also much easier for the GM to send private information to one player, or draw someone off for a side session in parallel with the main group. But (I really can’t emphasize this enough), both methods are much slower than face-to-face gaming.
Holee Kee-rap! I never expected this sort of response. 8 responses in 9 views is a sign of things to come.
Alright, since no one is diving for the world of the DM. I’ll volunteer to do it unless (until?) someone else comes along. Until that time, I’ll begin laying ground rules and details.
As mentioned, playing online with forums is not exactly… quick. So if you’re going to be impatient, you’re out. Here is what I have in mind.
Size: 6 players (possibly 8, see below)
Setting: TBD - Possibly Greyhawk, Eberron, or homebrew. I’ve got a lot of ideas floating around in my head but it may be too slow to piece them all together.
System: It would be largely 3.5 with some house rules to be laid out later. I am open to classes other than the core ones (but I will have to approve it,) and everyone would begin at level 3 with multiclassing allowed.
Setup: I picture a hybrid of Forums and chat. I would like to run forums for RP and such and then every few weeks fall into a chat because I feel like that adds a lot to the camaraderie of the game, forums become very disjointed and hard to follow after a while.
Since forums are inherently a slow way to play, daily checking and posting would be required. This is where I’m going to be cutthroat. The forums I’ll use should provide me the ability to make sure people log in daily, or see when they last logged in. If after five days you haven’t logged in, you’ll be dropped to wait list and your character will be inactive. I know we all take vacations, and there will be times where I will as well, so giving us notice of your absence will be allowed up to a certain (undefined) point. No vacations for three weeks please.
The chat would probably be over a chat client or IRC (if you don’t know what it is, don’t worry, I’m well versed in teaching people about IRC). And would be at a preset time and date (trying to accomodate all time zones).
I will also, at points, call holiday and take several days off. It might be life getting ahead of me, perhaps Bob the laundry monster has eaten the couch, or maybe I’m just burned out. During which case everyone will be given said holiday.
Non-players: You’ll be welcome to view the forums and follow the action, I’ll most likely lock the necessary threads so that you can only read and not post. And this will weigh heavily on who gets selected from the waiting list since it will mean I won’t have to relay the story up to this point. You’ll also have a Peanut gallery / audience forums to have your own chatter.
You’re still reading? Excellent! I hope I don’t seem too Draconian, I just like to lay out the hard lines right off just don’t worry - it’ll be fun!
To sign up, if you are definitely, absolutely, 100% interested drop me an email pjarrettX@gXmaiXl.com (remove the Xs) and it’ll be first come first serve. Anyone past the initial six will be wait listed such that if someone drops they will come in and replace them. I will post as soon as I have 6, but that does not mean you cannot continue to email me to be waitlisted. If I cross a certain threshhold of players in line I will bump the group size to 8.
If you have further questions, please post them here and I will monitor the thread all day (gotta love telecommuting).
I would also be interested in joining this, if you’ve not got too many people already, although I live in the UK so time difference issues might make it impossible…
Do you need to familiar with the settings to play?
I’ve only played 3.x once, but have played D&D quite a bit
Brian
I don’t mind bringing newbies into the fold so it isn’t an issue. 3.x brought about a fair number of changes from AD&D and previous editions, so it will take some readjusting.
Ditto.
Because of the main part of the game being based on the forums, it negates any concern over time zones (except if you’re playing while I’m asleep, but that’s only 6 hours of the day). So don’t let time zones make you hold back. If you’re interested read the above post I made and drop me an email!
And now I’ve gone and got myself excited, you all are in trouble. 
I’d like to play, though I too live in the UK.
I play 1.0 face-to-face, but I am currently playing the ‘Temple of Elemental Evil’ game, which I think is 3.0. I expect I’ll cope!
I know 3.5 from Neverwinter Nights, but I was never a rules mechanic. I started with the basic, earliest D&D however, so I’m familiar with it.
Drop me an email if you guys are interested, it’s much easier for me if you are the ones who intiate contact.
Save me a slot, as I won’t get on my personal email until tomorrow night, likely (dumb Websense filters).
Sending you an email as I am interested as well. Haven’t played in a looooong time so it may take me a bit to getback up to speed.