RPG Play By Message Board Best Practices

I’ve moved one of my campaigns to an on-line message board due to real life getting in the way of many group members.  The campaign has been running on the message board for over a month.  Here’s a list of “best practices” we’ve discovered:

• Create a separate thread for tracking PCs’ conditions and memorized spells. If the GM doesn’t do this he’ll waste a lot of time trying to find a PC’s current hit points or checking to see if a wizard really does have another fireball left. Depending on how well the GM trusts the players the GM could make this thread editable by all so that players can update it themselves as needed.
• Depending on how your group handles dividing up the treasure it may be helpful to use a separate thread for treasure. If characters take treasure immediately and claim it as their own a separate thread may not be necessary. However, if the party waits until most things are identified before claiming many items it may be best to have a thread devoted exclusively to noting what items the party has and who is holding them for now. It may also be useful to have a private thread that can only be read by the GM so the GM can say that the sword found in the knight’s tomb is a +2 sword with a lightning strike ability instead of needing to look that information up later.
• Create a separate thread for game world/background information. Players will want to read up on your game world and a separate thread will help them more easily find this information. Furthermore, as the characters learn more, hear new rumors, get a map of a new area you can add that information to this thread.
• To keep the game flowing, players should try to anticipate possible answers or actions and post contingencies based on these guesses in addition to what they want to do right at that moment. For example, if the party finds a treasure chest, the rogue player shouldn’t just post that he wants to check it for traps. He should also post that if he finds one he removes it now (or not) or if he doesn’t find a trap he should describe how he wants to open the chest.
• Update maps often. During combat, the GM needs to update the maps at least once a round, usually just after the “bad guys” turn. It can be helpful for the GM to update the maps more often than that, but usually the players can keep track of each comrade’s most recent action (especially by reading the most recent few posts).
• Mark coordinates for your maps. If your group is using a simple square grid map, put numbers in one row of squares and letters in a column of squares so your players can easily say “I’m moving to jk-32.” You can do the same thing with a hex map, but keep in mind that one dimension of the hex map will have to flow diagonally. It helps to shade every other “row” of hexes that go at an angle so everyone can tell what label each hex has. Alternatively, work out a clear system for saying “I move two squares north, then diagonally northwest three more squares.”
• Have all foes go at the same time in the round. Depending on your game system and house rules, some groups might give each foe an individual initiative. Doing so will slow down the game. Think about it: if there are four foes and four players, the GM will have to post about each foe’s action in between each player’s post. If all the foes go at the same time the players can tell the GM what each one wants to do and the GM can describe what happens with their actions, then list the foes’ actions, then update the map and finally ask the players for their next actions. Yes, in some cases the players may have to make contingent plans (“If Ragor kills the orc between us before I attack, I’ll attack the orc to the right”) but the game will flow a little better if everyone can try to do so.
• Don’t railroad the story. The play by message board format makes tangents easier to handle than during regular game session because if the party wants to go in an unexpected direction, the GM has time to develop whatever is needed to let the players pursue the tangent.
• Because the message board format isn’t ideal for conversations with NPCs or even other PCs, make the best of the role-playing opportunities you have. Instead of posting “I threaten Ogol if he doesn’t tell us what to do. Can I get an intimidate roll?” post “I tie Ogol’s fingers to the arm of the chair spread out. I say, ‘Ogol we’re going to play a game. I’m going to take this knife and stick it between each of your fingers back and forth, faster and faster until you answer my questions.’Can I get an intimidate roll?” That might get the player a slight circumstance bonus on his intimidate check, but it definitely will stick out to the other players and GM.
• “Talk” in character. Remembering to talk in character during in person gaming sessions is sometimes hard and it is also hard for some players do to even when they remember. Before you post, rephrase what your character has said and occasionally remind the group of an accent your character may have. Change, ‘Ogol we’re going to play a game. I’m going to take this knife and stick it between each of your fingers back and forth, faster and faster until you answer my questions,” to “I say with a Scottish accent, ‘Ogol we’re gonna play us a game. I’m gonna take me knife and stick it between each of ya fingers back and forth, faster and faster until you start talking!'” (Why do Dwarves have Scottish or Irish accents anyway?)
• The GM should roll all dice. In many cases, the GM needs a quick spot check or someone suggests a search and most of the party agrees. Waiting for another set of posts for each player to report his rolls would slow things down too much. The same goes for combat. When combat starts the group doesn’t want to wait for another set of posts for each player to report his initiative. Again, the GM should simply make the rolls and report the results.