The Art of the Sending, and how to gain DM attention
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Hey guys.
I notice in game that a lot of time people always make the shortest and most concise sendings as possible.
"Looking for work in the Spire. Jim bob joe. //Level 6"
This is fine. However, if you want to start turning some heads and have me start wondering who you are, try something like this...
"Hey, I'm Jim Bob joe and I loathe Goblins! I've come to Arabel so that I can hunt down the Hagspawn goblin tribe and kill every last one of them and make a necklace of their ears and enchant it with the holy rage of Tempus!".
Alternatively, when making a sending for that same quest you've done before a dozen times, instead of saying...
"Going to Immersea. Come to the Spire. //3-7"
Why not try...
"My name is Brannigan, and I'm the world's greatest seafarer. Umberlee holds me close to her teet and I provide with adventure and mayhem! Come join me in the Spire to travel from the docks of Arabel to Immersea, where we will investigate shipwrecks and hunt for evil pirates lost treasures!!!"
These are only simple examples, but sendings are how you alert others around you to your character and endeavors. Even scripted quests can be used as a good way to push plots/flavour/roleplay of your PCs, so try to think of creative ways to get people interested!
I'm also 1000% more likely to give you DM spice if I see this stuff happening.
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Oldest trick in the book if you're pushing plot, make a sending when you are -done- thanking all the people who attended and make it sound like you had an epic battle with a dragon. First, you are promoting your plot supporters, second, it sounds like your plot awesome even if a DM wasn't there. Think of it like a sending CV!
Don't be bored when doing it, like Bowser's examples above. Keep it professional, energetic, mysterious, etc. Twist it around and tell a STORY, cause if you catch people's attention with one phrase you get a lot further. It helps building a reputation and also improves your writing skills.
Once you have mastered this, you can pull off tricks like making a single word sending, making 3 parties drop their quests just to burn haste potions to rush towards your summoning. Cause it has happened ;)
Like Bowser, I'll be a lot more excited if I see a well written sending!
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I'll state an obvious reason i keep my own sendings like "Joe Smoe in Spire, lvls 3-7" most of the time
Sendings can't be as elaborate as you would want because the sender doesn't like long sendings, they get cut off. So without leaving out important information about what you're about to do is usually a no go, describing the task for possible DM involvement or RP reasons is usually an offshoot... and quite a few times, especially at lower levels people just want to grind, as blunt as that might sound
"I come to Arabel to be a professional bug hunter so i hereby announce my kickstart of a career by requesting fellow bug hunters to clean a lady's house named Nada."
Personally i am not sure how good a thing it can be if people start contesting over each other over "The best sending of the year award" so they could draw DM attention.
Look at me, look at me and my awesomezzz sendings DM!
No me! I have teh better sending. I always do good sendings and i never get a DM :((( sadface -
use the dot command instead of the conversation, it allows for a longer sending text, which you can check for typos etc and that the entire message will be sent too.
.sending "i want to do this .. because... etc" ---- saves the sending to a clipboard, you get yellow text confirming the message
.send ---------------------------------------------------------------- causes sender to send saved message if you are close enough to one
.send " i want to do this... etc" ------------------------- causes the sender to send the message typed without it being saved -
I wish it was actual windows clipboard.