Ragnarok

Re: Anyone running any online games? Outstanding.

Re: Anyone running any online games? By low I mean... Low CP total. A skilled soldier or town guard would be a significant threat to me. Players need to work together as a tight knit, well oiled machine rather than a group of powerful individuals who happen to be fighting the same people. Very limited magic use. Not really interested in libraries filled with magic scrolls or magical flying ships. Magic is the rare exception, not the rule, and therefore is a significant and memorable encounter. Not a lot of fantastical playable races. I'm tired of half-celestial bugbears and fiendish centaurs running around. In short, a grim and fairly realistic fantasy world with the PCs working actively to improve a dire situation. Magic and fantastical monsters should be the spice, not the bread and butter. Ideally, I would prefer shifting it an hour backward (5:00 PM PT) because I'll be in Ohio, but I'm pretty sure I can be flexible. If you would like any campaign ideas, I have a few mulling about. Scary, dangerous elves as monsters being one of them.

Dark, low fantasy preferred. After I graduate I'm going to be working for a year, so I'm looking for something to soak up some extra time and get my gaming fix in the near future. Aid me! Thanks folks.

Re: battle Wear vs. Town Wear I've never understood why mages are supposed to be skinny. I think the common argument goes that since they study so much they atrophy. So, a powerful, intelligent person cannot manage to set aside 30 minutes of physical activity? Really?

Re: battle Wear vs. Town Wear Whether they're skinny or not is irrelevant. Skinny does not = mage, just as buff does not always = fighter. I tend to shy away from RPG body-type stereotypes in my worlds. Now, if they're wearing strange robes with strange, mystical designs that I am wholly unfamiliar with, I would mention it to a guard for further investigation. If their story checks out with the authorities, I go back to selling my wares. If they're unarmed and dressed in a familiar manner, I have no reason to suspect them unless they act strangely too.

Re: battle Wear vs. Town Wear In my seven years of RPG experience I have never seen one PC babysit gear while the others go and have fun. That's just bad GMing, unless that one PC really really wants to sit and do nothing. Gaming is a lot about the willing suspension of disbelief. With a decent enough explanation, I can buy that forces beyond my understanding can reanimate a corpse. Some things, however, are just so ingrained in our understanding of basic human behavior that I can't buy the deviation. Personally, if I see a group of strangers armed to the teeth walking down the street, my first instinct will be to contact the guards. *shrug*

Re: battle Wear vs. Town Wear ^ What he said. A couple of years ago I got a chance to visit Dublin and York, which were awesome. The national museum in Dublin has quite a bit of archaeological evidence for it being a good-sized city.

Re: battle Wear vs. Town Wear "Actually, looking back at what I wrote, I should apologize, not you - it comes across as far pissier than I had intended. Sorry about that. It was surprise rather than anything else, since I've written a lot on these boards over the years about my interest in viking history and culture: indeed, I posted just a couple of days ago about the reconstructed longship Havhingsten and a friend who sailed in it to Ireland last year. Of course it occurs to me now, that there was no reason to assume you had read all that: my bad!" No harm, no foul. I haven't had as much leisure time to surf the forums as I would like. Anyway, thanks for the info. Always helps to broaden one's knowledge base.

Re: battle Wear vs. Town Wear "It's also not true - the sagas include multiple instances of men being surprised and killed while unarmed." A couple thoughts on this. You obviously have a lot of background reading the sagas, so the examples you stated are very revealing to me. I will say that the heavy emphasis on being armed from the various books on Viking history, my professors, and Edward Short (who has studied Icelandic sagas thoroughly) has lead me to believe it was so. I'm glad that I have a broader view now, so thank you. I think it should be acknowledged (as been hammered into my head) that using sagas as a definitive proof is questionable for several reasons, not the least of which being the rather depressing lack of written contemporary historical information we have from that age. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying that I'm probably not entirely wrong either. You obviously have a head start on me about this sort of field, so I defer. "Almost nobody has a shield with them unless they are at home or set out expecting a fight, or armour (though this might reflect the fact that most of these guys were not professional warriors, so most of them probably didn't own armour)" I do not dispute this. In fact if you read my post, you will see that I specifically emphasize that from what I know, they did not routinely carry armor for practical reasons, and I would lump shields in with that as well. "Short swords were considered warrior's weapons - indeed, when Grettir gets his first shortsword, they all make a big deal out of it. Knives however, don't really count as "weapons" since people carried them all the time." I would personally classify seaxes as short swords, seeing as they could get to about a foot and a half, which is just shy of a gladius. Short sword or really big knife? YMMV. "If you weren't actively expecting a fight, why would you feel the need to be armed - and inconvenience yourself in the process?" From what I've learned, a significant part of revenge was that the avenger could kill family members of the offender (barring women), even if they weren't involved in the dispute. Personally, especially in a large extended family, I wouldn't push my luck. I'd much rather inconvenience myself with a weapon than being inconvenienced by untimely death. This would, of course, vary with the turbulence of the social climate, so again, YMMV. "Did you honestly think I didn't consider vikings when I stated that I could not think of a culture where people routinely went armed about their daily business?" I don't know you. Before this conversation I had no knowledge on the extent of your expertise in this area. My post was an attempt to bring attention to Viking society based upon the knowledge I do have, and that seemed relevant to the situation. In no way was it a personal attack, a dismissal of your background, or a proclamation of a universal truth. I'm sorry if that wasn't clear. That being said, I agree with you that the driving factor for a GM's weapons policy should be a consideration of fun and reasonable plausibility. This is a fantasy game, not a rigid reenactment. Regards, John

Re: Chaos, Order and Balance - Help Wanted Shadowsoul, I really like your Order vs. Chaos system. Very nifty. I do see a potential problem in explaining how Chaos has a priesthood. So, maybe instead of calling it Chaos, it could be called something else that isn't quite the exact antithesis of Order? I'll try to brainstorm a few things once I get a chance. What are your thoughts?

Re: battle Wear vs. Town Wear To be fair, if you were a man in Viking culture, you had a weapon with you at all times. At. All. Times. You had one next to you while you were sleeping, you took one to legislative assemblies (Things) and you even took one when you were going to the outhouse. To have your weapon more than arms' distance away from you was a deathwish. Granted, this was only for men, and the rather unique Viking culture and society necessitates it. Also, the more affordable heavy weapons tended to be multipurpose (axes for lumber, spears for hunting.) Armor is a different story. Just from a practical standpoint, you aren't going to be doing everyday chores in your armor, especially not anything metal. Wear and tear and weathering would cause maintenance to be a nightmare. If your civilization is structured through a warrior culture that allows violent retribution of legitimate grievances at any time, then go for it. Otherwise, if you're not a hunter, I'd say stick to knives or short swords at the most.

Re: Chaos, Order and Balance - Help Wanted I'll throw in my two cents... Given that this is a low-magic setting, I'm not exactly sure what is the medium and the process of how the gods in your world grant power. The way I'm doing it in my campaign is that there aren't gods so much as fundamental "supernatural" forces, and the community of folks who channel it. I too have it divided into a trinitarian system. One is a group that values heavy regulation, hierarchy and the use of supernatural power to a generally constructive end. Such a construct would tend to discourage thinking and operating outside of the box, and while the most powerful are generally the guys at the top, the system as a whole frowns upon ambitious prodigies. This would be monitored through school systems. Sort of like public school if you think about it. So, in essence, regulation and restraint for a predefined goal. The other group dislikes heavy regulation, and believes more in supernatural power as a tool to achieve whatever goals you might have. As a community, you're largely free to pursue whatever avenue you want, though there is a sort of agreement that if someone uses his/her power in such a way that it would jeopardize the system, they must be dealt with. So, keeping an eye on potentially psychopathic individuals who might cause public outcry to eradicate the freedom of the system (necromancers, demon summoners, etc.) The other group believes in a balance of light and dark, creation and destruction, sort of a cyclical system. Since nature works this way, this is the preferred path of druids and farmers (though farmers tend to want to focus on regenerative benefits rather than inevitable decay.) So there you have it. It's worked decently so far for me, and I think it has potential. It erases the "good vs. evil" mentality of stereotypical roleplaying, though I suppose one could make an argument that this tends more toward the "order vs. chaos" aspect. I would argue that this system does not include Chaos, because in chaos there is no system! Sort of like the "Anarchist Party" joke. In this system, you could have an evil tyrant who uses the hierarchy as a way to control others, or you could have a more freelance, volatile individual who goes around using his awesome power to help people.

Re: Altered Life Death Cycle Effects Makes sense. I wasn't entirely sure what the laws were regarding the death sentence vs. life imprisonment. Would make for a nice story vein though.

Re: Altered Life Death Cycle Effects Just curious, what happens when an awakened serial killer retains his personality? Assuming they're aware of this fact (through a post-awakening test perhaps), does that mean that they'll let him loose again? Or would they give him a clean slate and wait until the people start dropping like flies, then take action?

Re: Altered Life Death Cycle Effects This is a neat concept. The criminal aspect would definitely have heavy societal and philosophical ramifications, though such an occurence would be rare indeed. 1% of the total population is already low, and then accounting for the relatively small percentage (I'm assuming) of the total population are criminals, etc.... A cool plot hook for the PCs could deal with a powerful, ambitious ruler who went into torpor. Wakes up a couple generations later, and he wants his power back. Since all land and titles are passed on after torpor, the end result would probably be significant strife, if not civil war. Especially if the former ruler tried to appeal to the religious zealots by relating his experiences with the "dream state."

Re: Norse Gods in Fantasy Hero Alright HEROes. Here is a spell list of Odin's from the Norse text Havamal. I would actually be very interested in seeing writeups for these, as some could be useful in my current campaign. Have at them! I know those spells which a ruler's wife doesn't know, nor any man's son; 'help' one is called, and that will help you against accusations and sorrows and every sort of anxiety. I know a second one which the sons of men need, those who want to live as physicians. I know a third one which is very useful to me, which fetters my enemy; the edges of my foes I can blunt, neither weapon nor club will bite for them. I know a fourth one if men put chains upon my limbs; I can chant so that I can walk away, fetters spring from my feet, and bonds from my hands. I know a fifth if I see, shot in malice, a dart flying amid the army: it cannot fly so fast that I cannot stop it if I see it with my eyes. I know a sixth one if a man wounds me with the roots of the sap-filled wood: and that man who conjured to harm me, the evil consumes him, not me. I know a seventh one if I see towering flames in the hall about my companions: it can't burn so widely that I can't counteract it, I know the spells to chant. I know an eighth one, which is most useful for everyone to know; where hatred flares up between the sons of warriors, then I can quickly bring settlement. I know a ninth one if I am in need, if I must protect my ship at sea; the wind I can lull upon the wave and quieten all the sea to sleep. I know a tenth one if I see witches playing up in the air; I can bring it about that they can't make their way back to their own shapes, to their own spirits. I know an eleventh if I have to lead loyal friends into battle; under the shields I chant, and they journey inviolate, safely to the battle, safely from the battle, safely they come everywhere. I know a twelfth one if I see, up in a tree, a dangling corpse in a noose: I can so carve and colour the runes that the man walks and talks with me. I know a thirtheenth if I shall pour water over a young warrior: he will not fall though he goes into battle, before swords he will not sink. I know a fourteenth if I have to reckon up the gods before men: Aesir and elves, I know the difference between them, few who are not wise know that. I know a fifteenth, which the dwarf Thiodrerir chanted before Delling's doors: powerfully he sang for the Aesir and before the elves, wisdom to Sage. I know a sixteenth if I want to have all a clever woman's heart and love-play: I can turn the thoughts of the white-armed woman and change her mind entirely. I know a seventeenth, so that scarcely any young girl will want to shun me. Of these spells, Loddfafnir, you will long be in want; though they'd be good for you, if you got them, useful if you learned them, handy, if you had them. I know an eighteenth, which I shall never teach to any girl or any man's wife - it's always better when just one person knows, that follows at the end of the spells - except that one woman whom my arms embrace, or who may be my sister.

Re: Norse Gods in Fantasy Hero I'd buy it, and I could probably say the same of my current Norse game group.

Re: Norse Gods in Fantasy Hero I'll see if I can dig up a spell list from a Norse text I studied last term.

Re: Norse Gods in Fantasy Hero I do not know of any such writeups, but I would be willing to participate as much as I can. Odin has a few spells that would be interesting writeups...

Re: battle Wear vs. Town Wear I understand where you're coming from, but several things must be considered. 1) If an assassin busts into my house in the middle of the night, the town guard is not going to be there. Just me and the assassin. Either I have a weapon or I don't. And if I don't, I'm dead. I'll keep my sword, thanks. 2) Frankly, I am very uncomfortable with the local lord taking away my weapons. If the government is corrupt or becomes corrupted, my means of resisting his forceful tyranny just got obliterated. I'll keep my sword, thanks. 3) Army is away. Minimal guard presence. Invading army. No militia. I'll keep my sword, thanks.

Re: battle Wear vs. Town Wear

Re: battle Wear vs. Town Wear It depends upon the setting. For example, during the Viking Age (and in my Norse campaign) you would be considered an idiot if you DIDN'T have your weapon with you at all times. Armor is more convoluted, as typically the only people who could afford it were pretty wealthy, and one doesn't typically wear the cost equivalent of a shirt weaved with silver out on latrine duty. But weapons, definitely. That being said I think the social repercussion would have an interesting effect. You think you're safe in town, so you take your armor off. Then monsters come spewing out of the catacombs, and it's a running battle just to get to your armor. I could also definitely see it as acceptable to have weapons in modern 3rd world countries, especially African countries. Constant tribal warfare means that if you don't have your gun with you, you're probably as good as dead. So in essence, it depends upon your setting. I would definitely allow fantasy players to keep their weapons with them in the kind of games I run, but their armor is a different matter.

Re: WWII Dark Reich Hero I'd say your instincts are right. For first-time HERO GMs I would say that fairly low-powered characters are a good idea for several reasons: there are simply fewer powers that the heroes will fling around, and low-powered abilities are easier to keep track of in my opinion. Plus, it helps with helping to figure out game balance between PCs and NPCs. It encourages working together as a team to survive (which is precisely what you want for a military campaign) and therefore helps establish the group dynamic and a sense of how well they can handle certain situations. That experience will be helpful for later. Plus, assuming that the campaign goes on long enough, the PCs will probably feel a greater sense of achievement, at least I would. I tend to like doing things from scratch.

Re: Firearms in fantasy? I'd say so, as long as the player remembers to close the swivel first.

Re: Firearms in fantasy? I could be wrong, but I seem to remember flintlocks having a swiveling pan cover, with the idea being that once you put powder in, all you have to do is swivel the cover over and that should keep the powder in. Then, you could forage or bayonet at your leisure, and when the time came to fire all you really needed to do was swivel it back. That assumes having the presence of mind to swivel it beforehand, though. Even if I'm wrong, that would be a useful gadget.