Ragnarok

Re: Malthesitic Fantasy Universes Sounds intriguing, but there are a few problems with such a construct. 1) If a deity were fully devoted to the agony of mortals, states as such probably wouldn't exist in the first place. States provide some level of ease and comfort for their citizens. 2) If said deity were truly powerful, then it would have no problem eliminating the PCs were they to try to kill the deity. 3) Unless the deity makes an exception for its priests, they would likely have to be masochists. In any event, there is not really a good incentive to follow this deity unless doing so buys you an exemption, which is likely to attract the ire and perhaps violent reactions of other townsfolk. Therefore, here are some possible scenarios... 1) The deity is not really hell-bent on complete suffering, but just likes to throw a wrench in the gears from time to time. Sort of like a Loki figure. 2) The deity isn't that powerful to completely agonize the mortals, but does what it can. As a result, this deity would probably be easier to kill. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Re: Not D&D 1) If you don't want deities, go for religious orders that deal with general non-deity structures. Like "the Light" or somesuch, or even druidism. 2) If you don't want religion, then go for magic as the structure of supernatural existence. Properly done, magic can answer a lot of questions that are typically asked of religion. 3) If you don't want magic...then good luck trying to explain the supernatural without magic or religion. At a certain point, there are only a few options here. I think between all of us posters, we have supplied a good deal of ways to go about the original problem. I'm not sure what else to say. Best of luck!

Re: Not D&D And so we've been giving it.

Re: Campaign Building Blocks: General Musings I am somewhat wary of package deals also in that they might have a tendency to discourage original concepts. For example, if I wanted to create a character of the central kingdom who is really athletic, I might be tempted to pick the sea barbarians instead because that's already part of the figured cost, and I could have more flexibility to do whatever I wanted with the extra points elsewhere. It stinks a little of powergaming I suppose, but for some people it's more about cost-effectiveness. Personally, I like package deals. I think they make character creation simpler for both the player and GM. I guess what I really need is just feedback with HEROdom's personal preferences so I can guage potential success. Keep it coming, please!

Re: Not D&D

Re: Dwarves, Elves and Hobbits Need Not Apply!

Re: Campaign Building Blocks: General Musings Alright, so I'm currently working on cultures, the magic system, and the Plague (which is sort of a catastrophic apocalyptic event that happened just before campaign start). My problem right now is trying to figure out how to do playable "races." My current idea is to have a short list of human cultures available to play, each with a specific and unique culture. I'm torn whether or not to incorporate "racial" package deals. For example, Sea Barbarians would have small bonuses to CON, STR, or PD, while citizens of the more civilized kingdom in the area would have small bonuses to INT or specific skills, or something of the like. On one hand, it does lend a certain uniqueness and the idea of a "race." On the other hand, I don't want to limit the players too much in character creation. So, what would you favor more? Cultural package deals or a more freeform character creation option?

Re: Hero Dice ...collector's item, but still in demand. I would buy a handful of HERO dice.

Re: If I had 500 slaves... What he said ^^

Re: Anyone running any online games? So who is this Reverend Wright chap that Starwolf speaks of? Did I miss a post?

Re: Anyone running any online games? Green 'cuz I'm Inish? Saints alive....

Re: Only Humans Need Apply: Campaigns with Just Humans Especially if the magic somehow causes physical genetic mutations. *coughpointedearscough*

Re: Jones Spellcasting Sodas

Re: 150 Point Project Epic thread necro

Re: Dodging Fireballs What they said.

Re: Anyone running any online games?

Re: Anyone running any online games? Nolgroth, per your request I am posting two of my character ideas. These are the ones that are finished. I can give you detailed character histories if you request them, but for now I thought I'd go with the short versions. Marcus is an Avalonian spy, sent by His/Her Majesty to disrupt and gain intelligence on Montaigne/Castille colonies. He was born to a middle class Vaticine family, but quickly acquired fame as an absolutely phenomenal actor. His natural ability to influence others and fox-like cunning brought him to the attention of His/Her majesty's spy network and was commissioned to ply his trade across the sea. Kaga is a Shadow Hunter, a mystical warrior of the Eastern Woodlands. Kaga is just an initiate, and currently the only mystical powers he has are magical tattoos, visible only to magesight, that are sort of marks of his rite of passage as acceptance. Kaga, though young, is an experienced hunter and talented with the bow, though he knows how to use his meteoric iron pipe tomahawk and knife to deadly effect as well. Kaga is currently traveling on a sort of spirit journey, trying to overcome enough challenges to earn more supernatural powers. In both character concepts, I tried to think outside the box and make characters that were different in some way than what we already have. Marcus is almost exclusively a skills-based character, though he has some unarmed martial arts to help him out. I don't have enough points to do what I initially wanted with Kaga, so this is sort of the beginning of his metamorphosis. Magic pools and powers are just too expensive at this point in time. Of the two, I think Marcus would be my top choice. I've never really played a skills-heavy character before. Plus, Kaga just seems incomplete at this point level. Do new characters start out at 175/25 or does it match the current average xp level of the party, or perhaps does it match the current point total of the previous character?

Re: Campaign Building Blocks: General Musings Thanks for the feedback. I think the best thing for me would probably be to develop the cells, but leave it open-ended enough to where the PCs can pursue their goals however they wish, there is just a limited way in which the various NPCs will react to them. That way I won't have to either railroad or try to have a boatload of contingency plans that may or may not be valid when the time comes. ' My next task will be to decide what the over-arching things are. Then, I can move onto where and how I want the campaign to start, and start building the introductory cell. I'll do that over the next few weeks and reveal it as a prototype for public scrutiny. In the meantime, for kicks and giggles, what are some unique ways to kick off a game? I'd like to stay away from the standard tavern start or a prefabricated adventuring group, unless the character histories dictate such a group. Much work to do.... P.S. - Just to give everyone an idea of the tone; it will be dark, low fantasy with a fair amount of grim and gritty moments with sprinklings of magic. The idea is to make magic a reasonably uncommon, exquisite spice rather than the bread and butter. Very limited non-human options, if at all. CP totals will be somewhat low; probably around a little over 100 or so. Veteran soldiers will be able to give the PCs a run for their money, and the Royal Guard will probably be able to trounce them handily in a fair fight (what a silly concept, fair fights...). Teamwork, coordination, and communication should be the keys to achieve things that the PCs could normally not do otherwise. Strong possibility of post-apocalyptic plague scenario.

Currently, I am kicking around ideas for a dark, low fantasy setting that I will hopefully have the opportunity to GM in the vaguely distant future. I am trying to think of the best way to create my game world, and my idea at present is to sort of break things down into modular units to develop. Things like magic, nations, and races would be over-arching, and there would be a few broad plot threads weaving in and out, but specific towns or area-specific encounters would be mostly self contained within a geographic area. The actions of the PCs determine the outcome of the events happening in the "cell," and that in turn could cascade into broader, more impacting events. For example, there is a small frontier town on the outskirts of Generic Empire's borders. There is a tribe of Token Barbarians vying for power with the outpost. The PCs are sort of dropped in without forcing them to take either side, but character backgrounds will play some part in deciding this. Depending on their actions, either the outpost of Generic Empire or the Token Barbarians will come out on top. Either result will cascade into either Imperial momentum or a renewed Barbarian counteroffensive, driving the tone and consequences of the next adventures. For each 'cell," there would be a predetermined list of "miniadventures," each with some sort of power consequence. So, if the PCs rescue a lost detachment of legionnaires then that will tip the balance in the favor of the Empire in a coming armed conflict. Or maybe the PCs help the Barbarians raid Imperial resource caravans, weakening the local fort for a future assault. There would also be some other predetermined factors in each cell, such as terrain, typical weather, animal types, etc. There would also be "hidden areas," places that sharp and perceptive PCs will pick up on and discover, that contain more powerful items or something of the sort that increases THEIR personal power and influence. So, I guess this format is more like a video game than anything else. Naturally, I am hesitant to come up with too many rigid outcomes, because I wouldn't want to be too limiting or railroading at all. Of course, it's difficult to anticipate PCs' actions. Some of this may seem common sense, but the last game I ran was very geographically unrestricted and very freeform. Mostly, I'm just wanting to provide plenty of rich, dependable detail without limiting the PCs too much. Winging it is fine to a certain point, but I'm afraid that improvising too much leeches game quality. So, for those more experienced GMs out there, what has been your experience with these formats? Is what I'm describing too much work given the unpredictable nature of PCs, or is it good to have a bunch of contingency options written out and planned beforehand? And would you, as a hypothetical potential player, be interested in a game like this? Thanks in advance.

Re: Only Humans Need Apply: Campaigns with Just Humans

Re: Only Humans Need Apply: Campaigns with Just Humans I'm not an expert on the event, but I'm pretty sure neither Rorke's Drift nor World War I were a direct result of racism. The tendency to depict Rorke's Drift in a racist way after the fact, perhaps. World War I was mostly just a result of hyper-inflated patriotism, with more ethnic rather than racial divisions. Perhaps I misunderstand what you meant.

Re: Only Humans Need Apply: Campaigns with Just Humans Depending on whether you're talking about high-level or low-level fantasy, just going on humans is very feasible. I think the key would be to spice up different human cultures in such a way that playing humans from different areas seems almost like another "race" entirely. Maybe desert-dwelling humans have evolved to have faster blood clotting to preserve moisture (as in the Dune universe.) Maybe forest-dwelling humans have developed some sort of immunity from an herbal poison, etc. Maybe some groups are matriarchal, rather than the traditional patriarchal. Either way, humanity is so diverse that you shouldn't have a problem developing unique cultures. And of course there's always discrepencies in civilization levels. A large barbarian tribe might feel a lot like orcs to a quasi-Roman level civilization. They essentially play the same role; a looming frontier threat. Personally, I like to make "mundane" animals much more of a threat in such campaigns. Make animals such as bears, wolves, or lions twice as large and thrice as fierce, and your campaign just got way more interesting. Camping outdoors becomes more tense as a result, and it's possible to have a meaningful and enjoyable encounter with just an animal that way. Doesn't quite replace humanoids, but it helps. I really like the idea of dragons with regular animal-level intelligence by the way. I did that once and I think it worked. Hope this helps.

Re: Anyone running any online games? Ah, thank you! The last one will do quite nicely (caelbeard3.png). Gracias.

Re: Not D&D

Re: Anyone running any online games? Dealer of Fate is nifty. In other news....new character concept: native "american" spirit warrior; armed with bow, meteoric iron pipe tomahawk and knife, and some supernatural power. Coming soon... P.S. - I do these mainly for fun, but Cael is bound to die at some point....