Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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Simon_Jester
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Simon_Jester »

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Lots of confidence you have in the unknown spell of an unknown man to put the fire out...
ECR, a question for what to do if this doesn't work. Does the building have any exits or at least first story windows on the side opposite where most of the fighting? Especially, opposite the longbowmen who are loosing arrows?
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Eleventh Century Remnant »

Bryan looks at the heraldry of the two noble sides, and instantly spots the obvious- they're from two different baronies, and therefore rivals at best. That makes this likely political.

Verderer, in other places and times, is a position that isn't a nobleman's at all; master of the green, esentially- chief woodsman and huntsman. Around here, though, there are far too many elves and far too many other ugly things lurking in the cover of the deep woods to let it be a peasant's job.

The Verderer's jobs include monster hunting, outlaw- hunting, enforcement of forest law, and when bad things like war happen marshalling and leading the people from the forest, he's effectively the leader of the baronial army's scouts and skirmishers. Which may be why he's alive. This also gives him- Detrick Lautern, if you remember rightly- an opportunity for a wide acquaintance among dubious people.

One of whom- one of the yeomanry- just tried to shoot Bryan, and comes very close- arrow right through where his head would have been if he hadn't spotted the licker of motion and sidestepped; near enough to feel the flights skim across the end of his nose. Using the arrows as cover may be the wrong plan, if the yeomanry are shooting at anyone who looks well to do.


Passing through seemed a good idea at the time, but now, not quite so much. Smothering the fire out with magic- first attempts fail, because the fire is already making the air dance, and Larric can't quite follow the steps. A second attempt is more successful, but it takes a bit more time and energy than Larric would have liked to spend- and the shouting, screaming, twanging and clattering outside indicates this is not a standoff. Yes, there are other exits.


Alfred ducks out- two of the yeomanry spot him and are about to give chase, but have to turn to face off a group of men at arms; getting there is not going to be a ping- and- you're- there task, he has to duck through a vegetable garden behind one of the houses- and spots a big man in a green jacket with a longbow talking to about a dozen of the local townsmen, all armed.

William may easily think that's so, but remember un- Guilded, improvising amateur covers a world of territory, from "Major of Strategic Demolition Troops"- although that is about twelve hundred days away- to "cannot reliably light a candle"- and shiny- lad is from Carfax, where they are more or less living in the shadow of the largest single remaining fragment of the Black Towers, they take their magical resistance very seriously there.

It's a good shot, but a better block; he already has his shield up, takes the quarrel, glances at where it came from but has no time to follow it up- too busy fighting off other threats.

The three way fight is disolving into a five way, the two leaders and a handful of men still trying to hack at each other, a group of both sides trying to stand off the rebellious peasantry, the rebellious peasantry who are shouting some very levelling slogans.

PS; Merry Christmas.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Panzersharkcat »

He opts to hide a bit to see what's going on, who's siding with who and whatnot, and debates whether or not to sneak up on the archer and smash him over the head (he hates archers) or talk. He opts to walk up to them and talk. Resting his maul on his shoulder, he says, "I am Alfred Norden, son of Friedrich Norden, baronet of Lillehammer. I request that you lower your arms and explain what is going on here." He hasn't bothered to look at the heraldry yet, nor would he likely recognize them. He'd remember what they'd look like if he bothered to look, though.
"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 Simon_Jester »

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Identifying yourself as a nobleman to the Levellers? I think you're thinking with your hammer. ;)
Larric slumps a bit as the fire dies out- thinking about it, trying to make sure it stayed put out was probably what took the extra time and effort, since a fire once snuffed may reignite if you don't keep it snuffed. He turns to scan the room, as if to police up his goods and make a run for it out of town, but they're in another building, since he just happened to be in this house because of diving for cover by coincidence.

So he drops the reflexive action of looking around for them, and heads toward the windows in the front, crouched over to avoid drawing unnecessary attention, so as take a peek outside and see if he needs to run or not.

He arrives just in time to see the knight in shining armor raise his shield and block a crossbow bolt, then look in Larric's general direction before returning to the fight. Larric looks about, seeing a large fellow of somewhat dubious character (William) holding a freshly loosed crossbow. The words "dibs on his armor" drift through the alchemist's mind... Two plus two equals folly, at least in Larric's frame of reference.

He shouts at the crossbowman: "Are you out of your mind? Come on, let's get out of here before he sends a squad after us! Out the back way!" This is loud enough that others in the house are fairly likely to hear it. Larric turns and trots out the back (diving through window if necessary), glancing over his shoulder to see if the crossbowman decides to leg it.

Larric's first thought is to get to his luggage before anyone burns it or takes it away, and that's the direction he heads; I assume the luggage would be at whatever lodgings he'd had for the night before. Given that he's traveling with at least fragments of alchemical gear and some books, he might have a pack mule or the like as well- DM discretion there.

Also at DM discretion, and I imagine he would deem this convenient, he may coincidentally be headed in the same direction as the vegetable garden full of rebels that Alfred the hammerer just stumbled on...
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by S.L.Acker »

Reacting to a barely perceived flicker of motion the mercenary turns just swiftly enough to avoid taking an arrow to the face an end up just another corpse in the street. The shock of being shot at abruptly moves his mind from risk and reward to thinking about the best way to avoid being turned into a bloody pincushion. Cursing the archers not understanding that he's not an enemy, he looks for any cover that will advance him towards the woman still tied to a pole atop the would be pyre.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Panzersharkcat »

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Hey, his politics score is a 4 for a reason. :P
"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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This is why I try to avoid playing low-intelligence characters, except occasionally for comedy. I never trust myself to make the right daft decisions.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Kaelan »

1st off, sorry if this is a semi double post - I don't know if the original went thru.

William looked forlornly at his old crossbow. A few months ago it still held the strength to punch through a full set of armour and still cause damage on the other side. Now it was only good for hunting rabbits. So much for aquiring new arms and equipment.

Still, on the bright side the Mage next to him must be competent as the fire above had been extinguished. Also the words 'let's' and 'us' implied a sense of companionship, at least for the interim crisis. The amount of equipment that the Mage was carting around implied a reasonable amount of wealth (at least enough for the next few meals).

Abandoning his worthless crossbow William picks up his travel pack and axe. Quickly glancing out of the window to see who is winning the current fight he follows his new 'boss' to help him pack his luggage.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Panzersharkcat »

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Well, he's hardly of low intelligence. He just never bothered to pay attention to politics. Of course, the reason he's like that is because I don't know who is who. I've been spending a lot of time buried in the GECK and haven't been able to read through the first thread. If he suddenly starts knowing stuff, it's because of his moderate history score.
"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 Simon_Jester »

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Kaelan wrote:1st off, sorry if this is a semi double post - I don't know if the original went thru.

Still, on the bright side the Mage next to him must be competent as the fire above had been extinguished. Also the words 'let's' and 'us' implied a sense of companionship, at least for the interim crisis. The amount of equipment that the Mage was carting around implied a reasonable amount of wealth (at least enough for the next few meals).
The only question on my mind is how William knows what gear Larric has- which would probably not be a secret, of course, but it wasn't on his person in this house. We're only in this house because it looked like a good place to take cover, right?

Just to clarify, I figure one pack mule could carry everything Larric owns that isn't on his own back. He's got a fraction of the library and equipment he'd want in a proper lab and library, whatever he was able to save from the fire that burned out his previous alchemists' shop. Any money he has is likewise salvaged or made on a catch-as-catch-can basis with hedge magic and the sort of kitchen chemistry that can be improvised. And probably the only thing he has that he could hope to sell in a place like this would be the relative handful of sturdy bits of glassware that weren't crushed under collapsed roof timbers- not much.

But William might think he's rich for some reason, even though he isn't. Not unreasonable, and we certainly want to get the party together.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Kaelan »

Wealth is relative my friend!

A few books and some alchemical equipment implies at lot more wealth than William currently, or ever had. If you have more than two brass wazoo's you're richer than William is. Also, given his watchman profession he's probably worked out your net worth in terms of gate tolls, tax, and shake downs within the first few seconds of seeing you.......
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Kaelan »

.... Of course he may have overestimated your worth at this moment of time - how olds the mule?
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Eleventh Century Remnant »

Panzersharkcat; oh dear, it's just as well Alfred's got backup. Larric's close behind, and both of you see the yeoman archer's eyes light up. 'Really? How much is your ransom?' The locals look surprised but willing to go along with it.

Bryan dives behind a horse trough; an arrow thunks into it, but not through. Best way to do this might actually be to wait a moment and let them all focus on each other, let them have more urgent things to deal with than you. The lass on top of the pyre hasn't done anything magical yet, but she has just managed to wriggle one hand free.

Kaelan, if William's that cash strapped, why is he throwing away a perfectly good crossbow? ...or is this a hint to go into more detail about explaining weapons and damage?

The quarrel was stopped on the knight's shield- glanced off the boss, actually. Nothing unlikely for that to happen.

Essentially, hitting or not is skill versus skill, always interactive, furthest under wins. If you can think of a move that sounds like it ought to make sense, do it, I'll try to see that it does. On a hit, the damage is the amount you won by, plus the base damage of the weapon plus a bonus from your stats, less their armour and a bonus from their stats. A lot of how hard you hit somebody's in how well you hit them, and a normal footman's crossbow is pretty much at parity with a decently made but not overly shiny set of plate, so don't blame the equipment.

And the mule's about seven, still got a few useful years in him yet.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Simon_Jester »

"How much's your ransom?" Classic. And Panzersharkcat, this is feudalism, so hell yes you want them to think you can be ransomed (besides which, you probably could); your character would definitely know this bit and like it, because it means that if all else fails and hammering will not avail you, you get to live to hit things with a hammer another day.

I suspect the mule is still young and lively enough to teach Larric that an Animal Handling skill of 8 is rather marginal. :D

EDIT: I'll work out a reaction in a while- sadly, probably after ECR gets to bed. Gotta run.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Panzersharkcat »

He walks up closer and says, "This much." He swings the maul at the archer. Yes, he's aware of the ability to be ransomed. He just thinks he may have a better chance of getting chummy with the peasants if he smashes the guy fighting with them. Plus, he hates archers.
"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 »

ECR

The reasons for dropping the crossbow are several fold.

1 - I did't know that I had hit the boss. From the description i thought that the quarrel had bounced of the shield face like a cheap stick withou leaving a mark.

2 - as the only crossbow in sight as everybody else appears to be using longbows I'd rather not be caught with the weapon being used to shoot a noble if said noble survives. If things do turn out our way I can alway attempt to retrieve it, assuming that they don't set fire to the hall again.

3 - it looks like a market for second hand longbow sales is about to open up.....
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Tasoth »

Seeing how the townsfolks are near riot (if not already there) and there are not one, but two parties of nobles loaded for bear, Fallard does what he thinks will help best: Finds a high point behind those holding the peasantry back that faces them and climbs up, throwing his arms high to get their attention.

'Messieurs and Madame, if I may have your attention please. As you can surely notice, today's events are beginning to wind down and the winning party is still noble by any extent of the word. I would implore you to please settle down for a few moments, at least until your grievances can be heard. I assure you, this will make any restitution we may have coming tend towards being benevolent!'

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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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Larric rounds a corner, with a crossbowless crossbowman and possibly a few other people in tow. He sees the yeoman and the mauler exchange words and, it seems, blows.

He comes to screeching halt, trying to gauge the attitude of the townsmen toward the fight- are they taking the yeoman's side? Are they standing back?

[This situation looks very different if those dozen townsmen are piling in on the yeoman's side than it does if they settle for spectating.]
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by S.L.Acker »

Finding cover that isn't burning Bryan waits a moment to allow the archers to find more tempting targets than himself. With a little time to think he wonders at what's going on behind the scenes and figures that the his initial choice was the correct one. The woman, biased though she will certainly be, is his best chance of getting information; the potential of meeting less than savory, but none the less useful, contacts isn't lost on him either.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Eleventh Century Remnant »

I have spent most of today in a state of total dazed post- Christmas bloat...apologies for the lack of coherence.

Panzersharkcat; what a coincidence- Alfred has a maul, and so does the archer. (There are historical reasons behind this- longbowmen tend to be big men, with the bulk to wield such a thing, and also to have to drive in stakes, make fieldworks, so forth- could just as easily have a sharpened spade but I felt that was a bit too modern.)

In terms of peasantry, you can split them into four classes; the landless who work entirely on someone else's land, who lead too precarious an existence to get away with annoying anybody; the labourers who mainly or partly work on someone else's land (or pay hefty rent for the priviledge of not doing so) but have a small plot of their own, the peasant- proprietors who work on their own land, and both those rough classes are generally more or less shout-at-able, a noble should be able to tell them what to do.

The best off and the most well informed are the yeomanry, still technically peasantry but prospering enough to hire other people to work their land; they know their rights and the law, they have and had the most to lose, too, and are in a generally foul mood- another major dropping of the ball by the nobility like the one you've just emerged from and it's Wat Tyler time.

A couple of clashes, and it's obvious that Alfred is more skilled- but there's not as much as he would like in it. Alfred's first swing is blocked, high and descending, caught haft- to- haft, the yeoman tries to push Alfred off to one side and catch him while he recovers, but Alfred rolls with it and parries; the yeoman looks to the locals as if to say well, aren't you going to do anything? Looks back a moment too late.
Alfred swings low, trying to go under the yeoman's guard, would actually have left himself wide open for the return stroke- but there isn't one. He catches the yeoman in the shin, and there's a loud, damp crack- a bone gone, at least. The yeoman lets out a kind of 'eep' noise and collapses.

Not dead, but in no state to fight on, not with fifteen bones in his lower leg where there should be two- still leaves a dozen or so confused locals, not professional fighters and not sure whether or not they're really up for it.


Fallard finds a half- full rainwater barrel to balance on, and shouts his message; (what actually happens is opposed oratory vs. leadership checks-) the northerners with the stylised mountain on their shields think about it for a second, decide right is with them so why stop now, the southerners with the ring of light symbol- Carfax's, and stunningly inappropriate- think enemy territory, the politics aren't worth it, but neither of the other two are willing to let them disengage, and the yeomanry really take offence to that line about the winning party being noble, and try to kill you.

The first arrow is dodged by jumping off the barrel, but there will be more.

Bryan notices that the fight is starting to gather spectators; taking their lives in their hands, stray arrows being no less lethal for hitting the wrong target, but- hey, look, cover.

Of the four men next to the pyre, two northern and two southern men at arms, three of them are now sprawled over it with arrows sticking out of various bits of anatomy, the last one standing has two in his shield; three of the yeomanry have put down their bows and are moving towards him.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Panzersharkcat »

He rests his maul on the yeoman's chest after flinging the yeoman's bow and maul to the side. "Before you ask again, yes, I am ransomable." He pauses for a moment to wonder if that's even a word. "Yes, it's a good amount of money. Now, can somebody explain what is going on? Who is shooting who?"
"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 S.L.Acker »

As the archers move forward to the pyre Bryan allows them to get close before breaking cover and getting within speaking range of the archer and the last man at arms; close enough not to need to shout he says, in a tone that suggests he's not in a happy mood, "For the sake of the Gods down arms a moment and tell me what the hell is going on here."

As he says this he's still looking cautiously over to the bowmen to try and dodge any arrows that might yet be fired in his direction. He's less worried about the remaining man at arms because he seems less likely to strike a well to do man of unknown intentions. Adding to it all his stress addled brain is trying to recall if the northern men were trying to burn or save the young woman.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Feralgnoll »

Name: Rohal (row-all) Human natural Lycanthrope (wolf)
Temper; 9 base 3 (6)
Animal Handling 9, Determination 9,
Fellowship; 10 base 3 (6)
Human Perception 9, Streetwise 9
Charm; 11 base 4 (8)
Animal handling 10 , Perform 6 (ocarina), Resist persuasion 10
Logic; 13 base 4 (8)
Geology 6 , Herbalism 6 , Perception 9 , Physician 6, Tracking 8
Creativity; 12 base 4 (8)
Musical instrument 8 (violin) , Scrounge 8, Surgeon 8, Tactics 8
Education; 10 base 3 (6)
Apothecary 6, Vet 6
Strength; 12 base 4 (8)
Axe 8 , wolf attacks 12
Endurance; 13 base 4 (8)
Resist survival 8, Resist injury 9, Resist disease 9,
Agility; 15 base 5 (10)
Athletics 10, Dodge 9, Stealth 6, Survival 10; Archery 10

Advantage +6 /Disadvantage -13
+ Allies; 2ap, a few close friends prepared to back you up in shady circumstances. (wolves)
- Code of honour; 3ap- a significant part of the character’s moral makeup.
+ Cast iron stomach; 2ap- can eat things that used to be edible- carrion, tree bark, such.
+ Supernatural alertness; 2ap- begin to be aware of, although hazily, the normally invisible and mystic, recognition range only. (smell)
- Secret; Rated by the consequences of it’s being revealed; 5ap- life-damaging changes, (hurr dur torches and pitchforks)
- Exile; 3ap- expatriate, or very far from home.
- Lycanthropy 2ap - involuntary shifts in dire emotional stress, 50% Chance of controling wolf form.

Being born with an unnatural curse, Rohal's parents tried to hide his condition from the world. However, the local clergy found him and a mob appeared outside his parents home. he was young and they gave their lives giving him a chance to flee into the woods. He then matured in the forests, and learned how to control his shape with many years of practice and only a few innocent people claimed as colateral. Rohal lived a solitary life staying in the forests and only briefly moving through cities and towns for equipment as he gained control over his own instincts. He is illiterate, but has a basic education from various people he as traveled with. He views himself as a self styled shepard of the woods, helping lost travelers and removing bandits with his predatory nature.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Feralgnoll »

sorry it took so long guys. Please ECR (or anyone for that matter), please let me know if there are any problems with the build.
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Re: Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Post by Tasoth »

A sound half excitement, half panic escapes him as he leaps down and hears the arrow hit the barrel. He attempts to make an escape, using the edge of the crowd to hide from the line of sight of the archers.
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