Panpiper Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 I am very strongly considering starting an online game using Maptools http://www.rptools.net/index.php?page=downloads As I am still in the very early stages of learning the software, this may take a while for me to get off the ground. The beauty of it is that it appears that much can be done online as quickly as it might be done around a table, meaning a weekly game could actually be played in a few hours, resolving much the same degree of play as a regular table top game. In all likelihood I would also be using some sort of voice chat software along side the Maptools graphical program, as that will make things flow 'much' faster. I usually describe my play style as being combat heavy. But I just started a tabletop game last week and the first game of four hours had not a single instance of speed chart, so I may be overstating my combat emphases. That said, while roleplaying is easy sitting around a table, I'm not sure how easy it will be in this environment, so I expect this really will be more of a tactical combat game than a roleplaying game. When I am playing a game myself as a player, the one thing I enjoy most of all, is spending experience points. I can never have enough experience points to play with. Of course, if a GM hands out too many of them, a regular hero can grow far too quickly out of the bounds of what the world can handle. And so my thinking for this game, is to start out well below hero level, but because we are starting so low, to hand out much larger quantities of experience than would be normal, likely on the order of twice as much. I am thinking that we could start with 25 character points, spent with very few restrictions. I mean, how abusive can one really be with just 25 points? (Yes, I'd love it if people were to take that as a challenge. But expect me to nix any character that 'wins' that challenge. ) I as the GM will add an extra 10 points of non-combat skills to each character, in keeping with their conception. Characters may take complications if it truly fits their conception, but they gain no benefit from doing so. (No required complications, no bonus points.) This would be a 'Peasant Campaign' (credit to JmOz for the concept), where all the players have characters who were born in the same peasant village. For cohesion, players are all of roughly the same age, teenagers wanting to be seen as adults. The game starts with them living in the village and many of the first adventures would be centered there. (This is also because it enables me to slowly develop the Maptools world around that village.) No one starts with any wealth, armor or weapons other than what peasants might have. The village wise woman knows how to read and so people might have availed themselves of her to gain some education. One could define a character conception as having gone elsewhere so as to have learned stuff, but ultimately returned to the village, so someone could have 'soldier' skills but still not have armor and weapons, as such equipment was issued to them but not owned by them. For magic, if you're buying the effect 'the hard way' (without frameworks) it's probably fine. If you want to use frameworks, grab a system from http://www.killershrike.info/AllPages.aspx?Cat=Magic%20System and in fact pretty much anything listed on KS' site would probably be fine http://www.killershrike.com/ . (I reserve the right to change my mind if I get in over my head.) The developed 'framework' available for Maptools is built for 5th edition, so we would probably stick with that for now. Here are some sample character concepts I came up with myself while thinking of this campaign: Soldier Boy Peasant boy, big for his age left while still young and signed up with a military. He got 'basic' training and served for a short while, but ultimately returned to his village. 13 Str 3 11 Dex 3 13 Con 6 10 Body 8 Int -2 8 Ego -4 10 Pre 10 Com 3 Pd 3 Ed 3 Spd 9 6 Rec 26 End 24 Stun Total Stats: 15 4 Familiarity with Common Melee & Missile Weapons 2 Familiarity with Armor (Up to Medium) 2 +1 Level with OCV in Hand to Hand 2 +1 Level with DCV in Hand to Hand Total Combat: 10 *GM Added* *3 Tactics *1 Familiarity: Riding 8- *2 AK: National Region 11- *1 KS: National History 8- *1 KS: National Politics 8- *1 KS: Farming 8- *1 PS: Farmer Total Non-Combat: Total: 25 + 10 Grunt Big and dumb. Really big and really dumb. Very good with animals however. 20 Str 10 11 Dex 3 13 Con 6 12 Body 4 5 Int -5 8 Ego -4 10 Pre 10 Com 5 Pd 1 3 Ed 2 Spd 7 Rec 26 End 29 Stun Total Stats: 15 -2 -2" Swimming 4 "Hard-bitten" 2PD/2ED Resistant, Does Not Protect Vs. The First Point Of Body Or STUN From Each Separate Increment Of Damage Taken [-1/2] 4 "Heroic Toughness" 2PD/2ED Resistant; Only stops half the body of an attack, up to 2 body. -1/2 4 +2 OCV with Club Total Combat: 10 *GM Added* *3 Perk: Positive Reputation with Domestic Animals (Grunt smells right) *3 Animal Handler - Common Domestic Animals *2 Transport Familiarity: Muscle-Powered Ground Vehicles *2 PS: Animal Handler Total Non-Combat: 10 Total: 25 + 10 Natural Hunter Born in the village, but as his mother died in childbirth, he was largely raised in the forest by his father who was a hunter and had to continue working. He is as adapted to living in a forest as a human being could possibly be. 10 Str 11 Dex 3 10 Con 10 Body 10 Int 8 Ego -4 10 Pre 10 Com 2 Pd 2 Ed 3 Spd 9 4 Rec 20 End 20 Stun Total Stats: 8 9 1D6 RKA, Weapon of Opportunity -1/2, Beam -1/4 2 +1 Level with OCV with RKA 3 +2 Penalty Skill Levels Versus Range Modifiers with RKA Total Combat: 14 3 Stealth *GM Added* *2 KS: Stone Tool Making *2 Weaponsmith: All Stone Musclepowered, Stone Tooled Only -1 *2 Survival: Temperate/Subtropical *2 Environment Movement: Forest *2 PS: Hunter (May be upgraded to Ranger later.) Total Non-Combat: 3 +10 Total: 25 + 10 Apprentice Blacksmith Born as the second son to the village blacksmith, he does not stand to inherit the family business, but he has learned the trade. 15 Str 5 11 Dex 3 13 Con 6 11 Body 2 10 Int 10 Ego 10 Pre 10 Com 4 Pd 1 3 Ed 2 Spd 6 Rec 26 End 27 Stun Total Stats: 17 1 Familiarity with Axes, Maces, Hammers, and Picks 3 "Tough Skin" 1PD/1ED Resistant Defense 2 +1 OCV in HtH 2 +1 DCV in HtH Total Combat: 8 *GM Added* *1 Familiarity with Armorsmith *1 Familiarity with Weaponsmith *2 KS: Prospecting *2 KS: Mining *2 KS: Quality Metalwork *2 PS: Blacksmith (Apprentice) Total Skills: 10 Grand Total: 25 + 10 Prodigy Mage Apprentice Found alone as a baby and adopted as an orphan by the village wise woman, she has evinced far more aptitude for magic than should be likely. It calls into question just who her parents might have been. 8 Str -2 11 Dex 3 10 Con 8 Body -4 10 Int 10 Ego 10 Pre 18 Com 4 2 Pd 2 Ed 2 Spd 4 Rec 20 End 17 Stun Total Stats: 1 17 "Eldrich Fire": 1D6 RKA +1/2 Variable Advantage (30AP); 2 Hand Gestures -1/2, Incantations -1/4 4 "Eldrich Aura" 2PD/2ED Resistant Defense Linked to +3 Presence (9AP), 2 Hand Gestures -1/2, Incantations -1/4, Endurance to activate -1/4 3 "Eldrich Aid" 2D6 Healing; 2 Hand Gestures -1/2, Incantations -1/4, One Day Extra Time for Effect (Not to Cast) -4 Total Combat: 24 Total Skills: *GM Added* *1 Lang: Literate *1 KS: Magic Theory *1 KS: Nature Religion *2 KS: Herbalism *3 Healer 11- *2 PS: Healer Grand Total: 25 + 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steph Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Re: 'Peasant Campaign' using Maptools Hey Peter I hope you gonna still like the table top game....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panpiper Posted December 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Re: 'Peasant Campaign' using Maptools Hey Peter I hope you gonna still like the table top game....... Heh, yes, no worries. This is something else. I have long been a fan of computers and computer games, so this is a way of merging interests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted December 5, 2009 Report Share Posted December 5, 2009 Re: 'Peasant Campaign' using Maptools You might want to toss a thread up in the Player Finder section to garner more interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Holck Posted December 5, 2009 Report Share Posted December 5, 2009 Re: 'Peasant Campaign' using Maptools *GM Added* *3 Tactics as a GM. a successful tactic roll would be represented by the GM describing the combat situation (who is dangerous and why, who would be easy to take down ...) with an exceptional roll, the GM might suggest possible actions. A tactic roll could also be used if the player describes a plan and wants feedback on the feasibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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