Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Panzersharkcat »

(OOC: Well, I had help doing something that bad. I was partnered up and we mutually convinced each other that the washed out road that we saw wasn't the road indicated on the map and kept walking until we got really far off. Ah, the memories. Never ask me for directions.)
"I'm just reading through your formspring here, and your responses to many questions seem to indicate that you are ready and willing to sacrifice realism/believability for the sake of (sometimes) marginal increases in gameplay quality. Why is this?"
"Because until I see gamers sincerely demanding that if they get winged in the gut with a bullet that they spend the next three hours bleeding out on the ground before permanently dying, they probably are too." - J.E. Sawyer
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Eleventh Century Remnant »

I wonder- is this a gamer thing? Computer types with well developed logic bones good at maps, gamers, daydreaming and mindwandering, bad, actual ability a composite of the two? I have managed to get quite spectacularly lost at times- although it's not as stressful on four wheels.


'This might not be as bad as it sounds.' Detrick says, and may be the only person (apart from William) thinking that. 'You met the Striking Phoenix, from the pointy end?' he askes Alfred. 'That unit should not have made it five hundred paces out of barracks before they all turned on each other. So many hatreds, feuds and grudges and fallings out- she somehow managed to get them all turned outwards. Fantastically good leadership, skill that would be unbelievable if it hadn't happened.

How this goes depends a lot on how seriously she takes it, as a punishment or a duty, and how you change the mind, how you even reach, a person like that-

I know hardly anyone who met her and lived. Some of her people were happy enough to scatter what was before them and move on to the next task, others tried for blood and sometimes made mistakes, scattering too widely in pursuit; her core retinue were the reapers. You can count on one hand those who survived facing her in person, out of the thousands who tried.

Avenge our dead? It's tempting. It's the honourable thing to do, maybe. Survivable- hm.'


You get to the temple complex, and William is there with Radulf, keeping an eye on him.
Spoiler
There are a couple of messages Radulf wants taken south- one of which might get William killed anyway; find the people who thought this was a good idea and tell them to do bloody it themselves.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Simon_Jester »

OOC:
Eleventh Century Remnant wrote:I wonder- is this a gamer thing? Computer types with well developed logic bones good at maps, gamers, daydreaming and mindwandering, bad, actual ability a composite of the two? I have managed to get quite spectacularly lost at times- although it's not as stressful on four wheels.
More possible to get it really spectacularly wrong, though. TimothyC and I once managed to end up ten miles out of our way on the interstate because we'd been arguing over something long enough for me to forget to take my exit... and about fifteen miles more before we found the next exit so we could turn around.
I know hardly anyone who met her and lived. Some of her people were happy enough to scatter what was before them and move on to the next task, others tried for blood and sometimes made mistakes, scattering too widely in pursuit; her core retinue were the reapers. You can count on one hand those who survived facing her in person, out of the thousands who tried.
Which is, when you think about it, not an atypical track record for stereotypical munchkin PCs...
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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"Aye, but only one encounter with a small unit of them. And there he is, Sir Detrick." He brings him to Radulf.
"I'm just reading through your formspring here, and your responses to many questions seem to indicate that you are ready and willing to sacrifice realism/believability for the sake of (sometimes) marginal increases in gameplay quality. Why is this?"
"Because until I see gamers sincerely demanding that if they get winged in the gut with a bullet that they spend the next three hours bleeding out on the ground before permanently dying, they probably are too." - J.E. Sawyer
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Kaelan »

Detrick actually looks baffled for a second, wondering why you didn't just kill him
Never has a short line vidicated williams initial comments at the outset.....
Part of me wonders if we would not be better handing over Radulf here for trial. We all know what the expected verdicts going to be and it would save a lot of aggro
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Eleventh Century Remnant »

Right- this bit is probably going to be two NPC's shouting at each other. The edited highlights, then.

Radulf doesn't expect mercy, and isn't promised any. Detrick hauls him to his feet and drags him across to the main hall of the keep, organises a court of Radulf's peers, basically anyone who doesn't get out of the way fast enough.

Theoretically it's legal and legitimate acording to the accepted law, but as much of a drumhead court martial as it is, the method is perfectly capable of leaving a bad taste in the mouth- or it would be if anybody had any more reason to defend Radulf than the sheer principle of the thing.

Anyone doing anyhting squirrelly when you get called as witnesses? Anyone interrupting with tidings of impending doom?


The Bailiff makes the point, more or less directly against Detrick, that the men of the south of the barony are notoriously prone to look out for their own, barely answer to authority anyway, and may not actually be worth going to war over. That his relationship with Catarin, an outlaw and practically a bandit chief, may mire them deeper in strife than needs be.

That draws a very angry response, and there is nearly another duel. Postponed for the moment, though.

What are you all saying and doing to influence the verdict, and the course of action that follows?
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Kaelan »

Given williams current low standing at the moment, he will direct his comments to Larric.

"Given the fact that the south are already looking for any excuse to march to war, might a quick speedy trial & execution be achieving exactly what they were after? We know for a fact that this bunch can barely protect anthing within a days ride of the city, let alone the province which has practically broken away."

"At some point the countess is going to get involved. I think she'll look more kindly on those who tried to calm down the situation, and not throw a barrel of oil on it. As you're the one putting roots down here you might want to consider it before she levels the place as an example - or just because you've upset her breakfast."

"If that doesn't concern you, just remember that our old friend Mr D. felt that having Radulf over there stand trial was such a good idea that he was willing to let us initially pass by his siege of the fort unharmed. I doubt he had the cities best intention in hand at the time."

"Me, I don't care that much either way. Though I do tend to get more pay when wars kick off."
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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OOC:

I'm going to be rather busy this evening and somewhat busy tomorrow, I doubt I'll be able to post in the next few hours before ECR goes to bed and I don't know when I can post tomorrow. So please don't move on to the next major "DM says things happen" post before I get some input, OK?
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Panzersharkcat »

He only says that he trusts the judgment of the court to do the right thing before speaking his part of what he witnessed Radulf do and how he was assigned to bring Radulf in for justice.
"I'm just reading through your formspring here, and your responses to many questions seem to indicate that you are ready and willing to sacrifice realism/believability for the sake of (sometimes) marginal increases in gameplay quality. Why is this?"
"Because until I see gamers sincerely demanding that if they get winged in the gut with a bullet that they spend the next three hours bleeding out on the ground before permanently dying, they probably are too." - J.E. Sawyer
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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OOC:

...Assigned? Alfred doesn't have to take orders from Catarin- indeed, it makes no sense whatsoever that he would do so, given her own questionable legal status. He's a big boy, he decided to do this himself.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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(OOC: Yes, that was a poor choice of words. Requested would have been better.)
"I'm just reading through your formspring here, and your responses to many questions seem to indicate that you are ready and willing to sacrifice realism/believability for the sake of (sometimes) marginal increases in gameplay quality. Why is this?"
"Because until I see gamers sincerely demanding that if they get winged in the gut with a bullet that they spend the next three hours bleeding out on the ground before permanently dying, they probably are too." - J.E. Sawyer
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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Eleventh Century Remnant wrote:'So,' Caralus askes Eliska, after a second of trying and not quite succeeding to parse her words, 'what do you want to see? The old lord's dead, you have a succession made of hollow fools, are any of them truly worthy?

What are you going to work for, what are you going to make happen, then- what does your future look like?'
"I've yet to determine what I want to see. So far there is little hope for the gathering of aspirants, they all have little that gives them strength that we can use." Better for me to be inclusive with my use of pronouns here, as a little bit of persuasive rhetoric. "I guess if I were to be moving strictly towards a goal it would be finding a way into the company of the natural successor, if there were one evident. How long can our distant Governors let this place be without a clear claimant? If the rumors are true that one of their (OOC ie Governors, just to be exact) Kin are traveling the region I do not think this issue will be exploitable for long."

"I had hoped that we could use Randulf as a key to influence power with or against Sir Derrick. Allas he might be to simple and distant to this opportunity to really work through."

"So then what is your thoughts on the matter."
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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Eleventh Century Remnant wrote:Anyone doing anyhting squirrelly when you get called as witnesses? Anyone interrupting with tidings of impending doom?

The Bailiff makes the point, more or less directly against Detrick, that the men of the south of the barony are notoriously prone to look out for their own, barely answer to authority anyway, and may not actually be worth going to war over. That his relationship with Catarin, an outlaw and practically a bandit chief, may mire them deeper in strife than needs be.

That draws a very angry response, and there is nearly another duel. Postponed for the moment, though.

What are you all saying and doing to influence the verdict, and the course of action that follows?
Larric, whose political alignment is 'with but not of' southern Qulan, feels handicapped by his rank. What he wants is to point out... well, it'd go something like this if he can get enough words in edgewise.

"Begging your lordships' pardon, but you're right about one thing, they're a lot of hotheads down south. I heard some crazy things shouted in Sheldayne, and I can understand you don't much care for those that say them. But I know those people, and whatever the rights or wrongs of it, the strife came to their doorstep from Carfax, whether anyone up north wanted to get into it or not. They're getting raided and burned, and that means they're going to fight- it's just common sense. Without troops sent south, then... you could lose most of everything south of the Moshar, one way or the other. If it doesn't get turned into North Carfax, then it'll turn into a nest of firebrands and republicans.

"And what then? What if Baron deVerett comes back? How will he feel, to come back to his home and find that the Kardrens conquered a third* of his lands, without any answer from his own men? Or that a rebellion broke out because men had to help themselves when their lords left them to swing? And... sirs, it'd be even worse if Colonel Calvern shows up here- to fight her would be madness, and... she might even think a yeoman's republic was a good idea- who can know what she thinks?"

_______________

*Half? I don't know what the map looks like.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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Evidently, Detrick has sharp ears; as was only reasonably to be expected. He looks to William, says 'One out of three, but that may be enough- somebody shouted something about the elves attacking Caer Edric at me, you were there?'

Hopefully someone other than William tells the tale, permitting him to avoid another near death experience- but Detrick takes it seriously, and takes it into account.

Larric's comment falls on receptive ears, too- and it rapidly turns into a discussion of what needs to be done instead of a trial.

He also is no repecter of his fellow noblemen, as becomes obvious when he says 'The Constable is useless, but some of his followers may be labouring suficiently under the burden of their misdeeds to wish to atone- we have more things to be done, more to fight, than we have force to do it with.

Five things to begin with; follow and find what's left of deVerett, if anything, close that path down. A voulnteer for martyrdom to approach the Countess.
Somebody to find a sensible elf and ask them what the hell their people are playing at. If they want us busy in the south, it's unlikely to be out of pure kindness, and they seem to have their own problems at the moment.

The actual defence of the south- beating back whatever the stew of bastards Kardren left behind him are actually up to. The defence of the North, possibly against renegade elves into the bargain.

I'm taking my banner south, that means someone else has to clear out the worst of the scum, at least, in the north.

You.' at Radulf. 'I have a doom to lay upon you, a trial by ordeal if you like- go before the countess and ask her what she means with the barony; do that and I'll consider your misdeeds atoned for and let you go.'

'If that's mercy,' Radulf spits back, 'I'd rather hang.'

'So be it- take him out and string him up.' Detrick closes the book on that one.

'For trying to rid us of a renegade arcanist and rebel?' the Bailiff objects, although not very vehemently.

'The woman who managed to puzzle out which bits were actually me and which were my horse, and drag me back from the gates of the dead? Damn' right.' Detrick points out. 'Still leaves much to do.'
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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go before the countess and ask her what she means with the barony; do that and I'll consider your misdeeds atoned for and let you go.
"What the hell, why not. Throw in supplies and coin for the road, the destination of the countess and I'll take up that offer to deliver the message."
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Eleventh Century Remnant »

Um...Sorchus, when you say "governors" are you thinking about the overlords of the Authrani Empire? In which case describing even the Countess as "kin" may be at best premature.

'And if not natural successor was evident- prowess without finesse on one hand, dexterity without force and prudenc without boldness on the other- then what?' There's definitely an answer he wants to hear here.


To William, Detrick points out 'if anybody knew where exactly she was we'd all be running the other way.'

Which would be an excellent moment for Rohal to wander in.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Kaelan »

OOC

Well that one of the four hopefully soon to be sorted then....
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Simon_Jester »

OOC:

Let the record state that Larric has not yet signed up for the "go find the Countess" bit.

He would actually think "go find the elves" is more appealing, but he speaks no elvish. Verone? You around?
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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Major OOC to begin.
Simon_Jester wrote:OOC:
Special forces aren't super-skilled soldiers, they represent an entirely different approach toward warfare (at least in theory). Fewer firefights, more "detonate the claymore from the other side of the hill, sniggering at them for walking into the trap." Much more in the way of exploiting little situational details of the environment to one's own advantage.
The technical goal of US Army Special forces is to infiltrate undetected and raise an army using the local populace. However they have some of the most hardcore warfighters there are. They engage the enemy in smaller scale stand up fights as often as using their expertise to to exploit the terrain and enemy. I was talking to my master sergeant, and he said in a 5 month deployment they had near 300 confirmed kills.
Simon_Jester wrote:OOC:
Although the encounters ECR thinks up for you when you're in wolf form are so... interesting. I'm hoping to chase after some of those plot hooks, if possible.
Me too, thats why Rohal will try to Explain them when he has a human tongue.
Panzersharkcat wrote:(OOC: Well, I had help doing something that bad. I was partnered up and we mutually convinced each other that the washed out road that we saw wasn't the road indicated on the map and kept walking until we got really far off. Ah, the memories. Never ask me for directions.)
Last Spring a UCLA cadet walked 8 kilometers off the course.... we did a police call across the training area for 5 hours only to realize he got picked up by base personnel and got hauled in later.
Eleventh Century Remnant wrote:I wonder- is this a gamer thing? Computer types with well developed logic bones good at maps, gamers, daydreaming and mindwandering, bad, actual ability a composite of the two? I have managed to get quite spectacularly lost at times- although it's not as stressful on four wheels.


Land navigation is hard to do because of all the factors involved (plotting, pace count, compass, drift, the map you have ect.) Some gamers are really good at it, some super technical people suck at it, at least in my observations.
Simon_Jester wrote:OOC:
Eleventh Century Remnant wrote:I wonder- is this a gamer thing? Computer types with well developed logic bones good at maps, gamers, daydreaming and mindwandering, bad, actual ability a composite of the two? I have managed to get quite spectacularly lost at times- although it's not as stressful on four wheels.
More possible to get it really spectacularly wrong, though. TimothyC and I once managed to end up ten miles out of our way on the interstate because we'd been arguing over something long enough for me to forget to take my exit... and about fifteen miles more before we found the next exit so we could turn around.
I know that feeling. My fiancee and I drove about an hour off course because we were talking about what we would do if we were dragons...

(finally) IC: Now sufficiently clean, Rohal will walk into the are where the party is, and wait for a time to discus the matters at hand, as well as the hound out in the forest... oh and the countess nearby.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Panzersharkcat »

(OOC: Ah, MSG Monnet and the poor snakes he decapitated. Let's hope Alyrium Denryle doesn't read this.)

Alfred's contempt for Radulf grows. He wishes he gave him a few more kicks on the trip. He recounts the details of the situation at Caer Edric, omitting his redshirt sacrificing plans and Larric's magic, what with him not being quite squared away with the guild. He goes on as to describe the fight against Dleam and how Bryan died before saying saying he was out of it after that by healing magic.
"I'm just reading through your formspring here, and your responses to many questions seem to indicate that you are ready and willing to sacrifice realism/believability for the sake of (sometimes) marginal increases in gameplay quality. Why is this?"
"Because until I see gamers sincerely demanding that if they get winged in the gut with a bullet that they spend the next three hours bleeding out on the ground before permanently dying, they probably are too." - J.E. Sawyer
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Feralgnoll »

OOC: MSG Monnett had to leave, so we have a new MSG. He is 18D and sorta insane.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Eleventh Century Remnant »

Alfred's telling the story is good; enhances his reputation and means William is less likely to get lynched. This is also a good moment for Rohal to speak- Detrick (think more of a corrupted version of "Dietrich" than a letterier version of Derek) asks 'Have there been any sightings, any fresh mounds of dead or suchlike?'
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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OOC:
Feralgnoll wrote:The technical goal of US Army Special forces is to infiltrate undetected and raise an army using the local populace. However they have some of the most hardcore warfighters there are. They engage the enemy in smaller scale stand up fights as often as using their expertise to to exploit the terrain and enemy. I was talking to my master sergeant, and he said in a 5 month deployment they had near 300 confirmed kills.
Hm. I think my image here is a bit different, mostly because it seems to me that "get into successive firefights" is a bad way to go about killing three hundred people without getting shot to pieces, even assuming you can take them on in small batches.

I would expect a great deal of:

"Surprise!" [ker-BOOM]

"Surprise!" [ker-snipe]

"Surprise!" [ker-BOOM, then ker-snipe the survivors]

...and so on. Which is where D. fits right in, he's sneaky along with being lethal. He might not actually be all that much more dangerous in a hand to hand fight than, say, Sir Oliver- I don't know. But in a one on one contest, Sir Oliver would be very unlikely to get close enough to D. to have a good chance of hitting him, instead of just getting blown up by kamikaze attack ferrets while D. sniggers over on the other side of the hill.

STILL OOC:

One more bright side of telling everyone you sighted Calvern. Not only could all the people at court do with the warning that she's in the neighborhood, but it might encourage some of the stay-at-home warriors that now is a good time to march south and fight the Carfaxians.

Not telling anyone about the werewolf thing would probably be a good idea though. "Gathering herbs" does give you a good excuse.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Feralgnoll »

Simon_Jester wrote:OOC:
Not telling anyone about the werewolf thing would probably be a good idea though. "Gathering herbs" does give you a good excuse.
OOC: Let the Stoner jokes commence 8)

"Sir if I may. I was gatherings Herbs in the vicinity of (OOC any help on where I was?) and I happened across a battle between magic users. I hid and stayed away. I looked after and there were mounds left on the battle field." Rohal looks rather nervous speaking up in front of so many.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Eleventh Century Remnant »

To nudge this back onto something resembling the setting, the Wars of Liberation must have featured many scenes of individual and small unit action like that; and the historical analogy you're probably looking for is that of the early paladins, men and women who ventured under the black shroud to give back faith and fire to a shackled people, to set them free from a mad magical dictatorship;

methods as individual and idiosyncratic as the individuals involved, though, and that set a tradition that may sit very uncomfortably with the established modern church, which has little affection for rebels.


Anyway, everyone reacts extremely badly when Rohal mentions (as I presume he does, you don't have to do it word for word unless you're putting spin on it, not something that's already happened) the hellhound- and the molten hoofprint.

'She's trying to panic us-' Detrick says, and he's almost certainly right, but it doesn't help very much, as most people have only just got over the shock of being told that she's now in charge- that was about four or five hours ago now- and this is too much. Andrea stands her ground, Detrick does, but they both look as if they are keeping a very tight grip on their bowels.

Most of the rest, apart from a handful, excuse themselves. In person, she might cause them to descend to outright panic. It's not quite that bad yet. They flee relatively genteelly; slowly, trying not to look like they are; but flee, nonetheless. They could perhaps be shamed into action, one at a time, but you'd have to catch them one at a time.

'Bollocks.' is Detrick's comment, the only thing he allows himself to give vent to. He will almost certainyl find a tree somewhere and bang his head off it for an hour or so later. 'Well, I'm for the south- Alfred? Elves, Countess or Baron, we'll just have to bash on regardless, which do you want to chase?'
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