Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion
A Novel Role-Playing Game
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The Local Tavern
Reva wrote: "Rylie wrote: "Reva wrote: "I recently discovered and really liked The Kate Daniels series27 works, 10 primary works
By Ilona Andrews
#1 Magic Bites is the first...."
Stephanie Plum, I'll have to reread. I listened to the first one or two books while driving to Florida for a family vacation, years and years ago. I enjoyed them then, so I know I'll enjoy them now that I'm a lot older.
The Outlander series, I've read the first 2, and yeah, they are really big reads, and full of lots and lots of historical detail. I love them, but I have to be in a certain mood. I'm sure I'll keep going with them though because I love the storyline so much.
James Patterson is great; I've read his Maximum Ride series. I'll have to try one of his thriller series, probably what he's most well-known for, lol.
The Mary Gentry series I started reading a while back, and at that time, I was a devout Christian. The explicit scenes in those books had me wanting more and feeling guilty at the same time. I'm a lot freer now, and I still have those books, ready to be picked up and properly enjoyed. ;)
Thanks so much for the recommendations. :)
Rylie wrote: "I really liked the Sookie Stackhouse series. I only have one left,
I'm also rereading the entire animorph series. I absolutely loved them in middle school. I'm..."
If you like vampires and funny books I really like the Love Bites series.
Also for mysteries the in death series Naked in Death is good and it goes up super high.
Sara wrote: "@Kelly: regarding the Kitchen quest, would you accept water as a reflective object ?"Yes, that's fine.
Allecyn wrote: "Hey guys. I am still kind of new to NBRC and have been working on getting a few challenges started. Someone suggested I check this game out, and I think that this probably has the potential to be s..."We're glad to have you :) I'll let you sort through everyone's suggestions. The quests are probably the easiest to jump into since they're self contained, then you can branch out as you learn other areas.
Kelly wrote: "Rylie wrote: "I really liked the Sookie Stackhouse series. I only have one left,I'm also rereading the entire animorph series. I absolutely loved them in midd..."
I've heard a ton of good things about the In Death series.
Vampires, and humor? Sounds like my kinda series. :)
Thank you so much to everyone for the beginners help! I know this is prob somewhere in the instructions, but with there being so much to sort thru, I figured it would be easier just to ask. Can you use the same books to level up both the sword and the staff or do they have to be different ones?? I am guessing different, but wanted to ask....
Allecyn wrote: "Thank you so much to everyone for the beginners help! I know this is prob somewhere in the instructions, but with there being so much to sort thru, I figured it would be easier just to ask. Can you..."Yep, different books. You can only use a book for one task, whether that be to level up a weapon or to check an item off of a quest.
Rylie wrote: "Allecyn wrote: "Thank you so much to everyone for the beginners help! I know this is prob somewhere in the instructions, but with there being so much to sort thru, I figured it would be easier just..."What I figured. Thanks!!!
One other thing and I am done I promise. The rules say I can only use books from when I start, but someone mentioned I can use books read from the beginning of the year. Which is the case??
Allecyn wrote: "One other thing and I am done I promise. The rules say I can only use books from when I start, but someone mentioned I can use books read from the beginning of the year. Which is the case??"All 2016. :-)
You can ask a gazillion questions -- no problema.
Allecyn wrote: "One other thing and I am done I promise. The rules say I can only use books from when I start, but someone mentioned I can use books read from the beginning of the year. Which is the case??"I changed it somewhat recently to be from start so the year turnover isn't so jarring (since hopefully we have this going for many more years.)
We're looking into a starter helper bucket for those who began after the rules changed so you'll be eligible for that once it gets going.
Reva wrote: "All 2016. :-)"I changed it when I wrote up the starter part since it seems unfair to people who start at the end of the year vs the beginning. It was only originally intended to run a year so the rules were set up for that originally.
Still planning bucket though. I'm working on March and planning something for then.
Reva wrote: "Oops did I err?"It's ok, it was somewhat of a silent change. We'll get the goodie baskets setup and that should make the playing field evened up a bit.
Kelly wrote: "Reva wrote: "Oops did I err?"It's ok, it was somewhat of a silent change. We'll get the goodie baskets setup and that should make the playing field evened up a bit."
Message 7 of the thread A Novel Role-Playing Game - Single Player still says 2015.
Mod
Going to modify it a bit to make it an archive.
-Kelly
Kelly wrote: "(since hopefully we have this going for many more years.)"That's the best this I've read all day!
*dances away happily*
Daphne wrote: "Kelly wrote: "(since hopefully we have this going for many more years.)"That's the best this I've read all day!
*dances away happily*"
Ditto! I think as long as you keep it going, you'll have some loyal heroes following :)
Welcome to the fun Allecyn!
Thank you so much to everyone!! I am going to try to get my thread set up today sometime. Prob after I get off work, but I may have some down time to do so before then. I actually started a new 4 book series for a different challenge I am doing last night. Obviously I will use book one to level up my staff, but for newbie advice, would you use the other 3 books for leveling up your sword or hang on to them until I read another first book in a series and use them for my staff? Also, I commute an hour to and from work so I listen to a lot of audio books. Are they acceptable?
Daphne wrote: "Kelly wrote: "(since hopefully we have this going for many more years.)"That's the best this I've read all day!
*dances away happily*"
Yayyyy this is great news!
Allecyn wrote: "Thank you so much to everyone!! I am going to try to get my thread set up today sometime. Prob after I get off work, but I may have some down time to do so before then. I actually started a new 4 b..."Audiobooks are DEFINITELY acceptable (I read most of mine on audio as well).
I'll let someone else answer about the staff because mine is only level 1. I would say though that you might want to pick one weapon and really focus on it, as you'll only need one for a battle (until maybe you get to those complicated bigger monsters).
Allecyn wrote: "Thank you so much to everyone!! I am going to try to get my thread set up today sometime. Prob after I get off work, but I may have some down time to do so before then. I actually started a new 4 b..."Read the How to get the most... Re sword and staff. If the 4 books are all approximately the same page count, then you may want to keep them for the sword
My personal rule of thumb is if the page count is over 300, then I usually keep them in my tote in reserve for the sword. No matter how tempting, don't waste them on a 100+ or 200+ slot. Read shorter books.
There are lots of series with short books. The Earthsea Series comes to mind.
1. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin 183 Pages Read: x /x/ 2015
2. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin 180 Pages Read: x /x/ 2015
3. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin 259 Pages Read: x /x/ 2015
4. Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin 281 Pages Read: x /x/ 2015
5. Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin 280 Pages Read: x /x/ 2015
6. The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin 211 Pages Read: x /x/ 2015
M.c. Beaton-- Hamish MacBeth Mysteries. About 30+ books all 100-250 pages
Louis L'Amour westerns The Sackett Series 18 books. all 100-250 pages
Edgar Rice Boroughs -- Both The Tarzan (20+ )and the Martian Series (10+ books)
Hey guys!! Finally got my thread set up. After looking through some of the more active players threads, there is a lot more I am sure I will add as I get going. But, if someone has a minute, would you care to peek at mine and see if I pretty much have my basics covered, or if there's any other suggestions to add??
Rylie wrote: "I'll take a look at it now. :)"Thanks Rylie!!
Allecyn wrote: "Hey guys!! Finally got my thread set up. After looking through some of the more active players threads, there is a lot more I am sure I will add as I get going. But, if someone has a minute, would ..."I'm glad you found your way to our little novel kingdom Allecyn! I hope you enjoy it as much as we all have.
It's been a pleasure having you join us too Rylie! You've been a splendid breath of fresh air and so helpful. :)
Sorry, I had a few things to take care of. I think you have all of the important things planned out. The only thing I would maybe do is put spoilers around your quests in progress or the completed ones. Eventually, if you're around here long, you'll build up quite a quest catilogue, and the spoiler tags really help to cut down on space when just skimming the posts for something specific. Also, though everything is organized, make a weekly or so update that just tells a little of what you've been doing, so you remember when things happened, and so that your thread is updated. At least, that's what I do. I want to make sure I have dates laid out so I don't forget small milestones.I hope this helps!
Also, sorry if there are any mistakes. My screen reader is acting up, and it's not reading any of my letters to me or any words I'm typing, so I can't proofread anything.
Allecyn what you have is a good starting place. Just do what you want, what makes it easier for you to track your progress. There is no right or wrong way, and as you can see, each person has their own way of doing things. Also as you play and read more, you'll get a better sense on how you want to set things up (and which quests you want to do first) and can always move things around later.Have fun :D
Thanks for all the help everyone!!! I am sure it won't be my last request for help, lol!! Now that I have spent 2 days figuring all this out, time to start reading!!
Everything looks good so far Allecyn! It was smart of you to save a bunch of posts at the beginning so you can keep things organized (I didn't think of that at first and then had to go through and re-organize everything at some point).
Yea it's all preference and what kind of organization will be easiest for you- after all this is a single player Rpg, so your opinion is the one that counts!Personally, I don't use spoilers, keep mine all in chronological order, and have a little Status summary at the end of each post listing what I have and my HP/XP etc.
For me this is the easiest way I can scroll through my posts and see what I've done and where I am. And I also keep my quests I'm planning on doing and books I'll need for it on paper too for my own personal use.
So glad this will keep going. sorry I"m so neglectful in posting but I"m having comp issues. new one is on the way to me so I'll be back
Yay! I promise I won't do this every time, but wanted to share that I just finished and used my first book to level up my sword. I am excited!!!! That's all I had to say....lol!!
Allecyn wrote: "Yay! I promise I won't do this every time, but wanted to share that I just finished and used my first book to level up my sword. I am excited!!!! That's all I had to say....lol!!"That's awesome! *raises her glass to Allecyn*
Ok, I noticed this at the end last year and thought it looked like fun --- but thought it was only a year long challenge. Seems like it's a hit and you are extending it. Yeah!!Does it make sense to start now? Seems like you guys might be changing some rules? I really need to read through so it might take me a week or so to get organized.
Also, do you have to read a lot of series to play well?
JoLene wrote: "Ok, I noticed this at the end last year and thought it looked like fun --- but thought it was only a year long challenge. Seems like it's a hit and you are extending it. Yeah!!Does it make sense ..."
Since its a " SINGLE RPG" you go at your own pace and do whatever quests you are interested in. Sounds like the mods are planning a "gift bucket" for the newbies to accelerate their play. Not sure what's in it. -- but likely extra potions, gift cards etc.
If you enjoy series it will help you grow the attack power of the staff. If you prefer stand alone books, then you simply grow the attack power of the sword. Easy, peasy, whatever floats your boat.
Sometime in the year, the mods plan a "group quest" where everyone participates regardless of their level or experience. The last one was fun.
Please feel free to join. By far, it's the best challenge EVER -- in which I've participated. The quests are varied and extremely creative and most enjoyable, is the camaraderie of the players. Visit the Tavern often for lots of laughs. ;-)
JoLene wrote: "Ok, I noticed this at the end last year and thought it looked like fun --- but thought it was only a year long challenge. Seems like it's a hit and you are extending it. Yeah!!Does it make sense ..."
We LOVE to have you JoLene! It's a perfect time to start. You can use all your books read so far in 2016, so you have some to work with, but not too many to make it overwhelming.
Everyone is incredibly helpful, so if you have any questions there is sure to be a few happy to help answer for you.
Kelly wrote: "Sara wrote: "@Kelly: regarding the Kitchen quest, would you accept water as a reflective object ?"Yes, that's fine."
Thank you. :)
It definitely is a great time to start! It's an easy challenge to jump in and everyone is here to answer questions. It's also great because more experienced players an help recommend strategies.
OK --- I'm excited. Although I've never played D&D, my husband and I play lots of board games that seem similar.Now off to figure out the best way to organize my thread.
JoLene wrote: "OK --- I'm excited. Although I've never played D&D, my husband and I play lots of board games that seem similar.Now off to figure out the best way to organize my thread."
Just curious, what board games do you play that are similar to D&D?
I'm both a D&D player and dungeon master, so finding a challenge that combines those elements with my absolute love of reading, makes this the perfect challenge, at least for me.
As others have said, there's no reason not to start now. You get to be just as excited as the rest of us 2016-ers to see what goodies we get in March. :)
Rylie wrote: "JoLene wrote: "OK --- I'm excited. Although I've never played D&D, my husband and I play lots of board games that seem similar.Now off to figure out the best way to organize my thread."
Just cur..."
There's a board game called Lords of Waterdeep that is based on D&D --- it has the questing aspect but not the battles. We play Elder Sign a lot, which is based on the Lovecraft Cthulhu world. There is lots of battling monsters. Arkam Horror is an even longer more detailed version (can take 6-8 hours to play) set in the Cthulhu world.
Another favorite we have is a cooperative card game based on Lord of the Rings -- everyone is playing against the game. This one has questing and battling monsters.
I've also played Legends of Drizzt. Here's a link: D & D boardgames
Betrayal at the House on the Hill has a "game-master" role and players are exploring a house and battling monsters.
As you might be able to tell --- boarding gaming is one of my significant hobbies ;-)
JoLene wrote: "Rylie wrote: "JoLene wrote: "OK --- I'm excited. Although I've never played D&D, my husband and I play lots of board games that seem similar.Now off to figure out the best way to organize my thre..."
Wow, sounds like there's a lot out there. My blindness makes it a bit difficult to find board games of that sort that are accessible, or I'd have to adapt them myself.
The D&D concept is super easy to adapt for the visually impaired. As long as I have the core rule books, an accessible way to roll many sided dice, and an adapted way to map things out like dungeons and such, there's really no part of the game I can't access.
Plus, the 5e rules are much more theater of the mind friendly, instead of using grid boards and lots of different colored minatures to tacticly battle. I'm sure that would be a lot more visual and I'd have to have someone explain the layout of the board constantly to me.
Treasure island is a pretty easy game to adapt, and we're on our way to adapting Munchkin. I'll have to take a look at some of those others to see if there's any way we can make them blind friendly.
Welcome to all the new players! I second what Reva said, this is my favourite challenge that I have ever taken part in, although I don't read as much as some of the more prolific players here.
Rylie wrote: "JoLene wrote: "Rylie wrote: "JoLene wrote: "OK --- I'm excited. Although I've never played D&D, my husband and I play lots of board games that seem similar.Now off to figure out the best way to o..."
@Rylie --- some of the cooperative games you should be able to play. I know that Betrayal of the House on a Hill is cooperative. The Game-Master has to be able to access the rules, but everyone else is playing as a team. You are moving through a house (building it as you go), but you work as a team so you should be able to have your team-mates explain the options. We usually discuss each persons options as a team anyway.
Elder Sign would also probably work (also cooperative). Each person will go into a room, but we always discuss which rooms for each person's turn, so having someone read the requirements of dice rolls wouldn't be very burdensome.
You can usually find both of these games at Barnes & Noble in the Strategy Game section.
I know this totally isn't the same thing, but I'm a knitter so I like playing cooperative games because I can participate in the discussions, but my husband will move my games pieces around.
Ok, I've been perusing tracking threads for ideas. Some folks have some really cool pics/graphics. I'm wondering where they find them and if one could copy them. I'm not sure I know how to post an image -- that's the one html command I don't understand since it seems the image must already be somewhere that can be accessed by a URL.Sorry to repeat questions, but with 105 pages of comments, it might be hard to find if this has been discussed
I have a Photobucket account I use for any pictures. You upload the photos to your account and then photobucket generates the html code automatically for you - you just have to copy and paste.
JoLene wrote: "Ok, I've been perusing tracking threads for ideas. Some folks have some really cool pics/graphics. I'm wondering where they find them and if one could copy them. I'm not sure I know how to post an ..."1. Use your computer to Google or bing search the picture you want. Copy the image and paste the resulting link into a comment box.
2. Just outside the box (top right) click on "(some html is ok)"
Where it says image, copy and paste the following:
<
img src
= "https://www.goodreads.com/image..."
width="40" height="100"
3 Again, Copy your image link.
4. Highlight Where it says:
https://www.goodreads.com/image...
Paste your entire picture link between the quotation marks "..."
You can then adjust the size of the image by changing the numbers of width="40" height="100"
ie change the "40" to, for example "150" or to whatever size works the best.
Hope that helps :-)
I'm so excited to see what March brings us! :)You mods do such a splendid job making this fun and keeping us anticipating more.
Nothing But Reading Challenges
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Moon Called
And if you like YA, this is the best I've read
Poison Study
I even got my daughter into this and she is not much of a reader.