Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

Panzersharkcat · Post by **Panzersharkcat** » 2012-07-04 07:32pm

(OOC: They're taking the hobbits to Isengard.)
"Perhaps they're overseeing the collection of taxes. Let's go. We can ask them that when we're requesting aid."

(OOC: Unless it turns out they're hostile and try to stab us or something. Taxes were the first thing to come to mind because it's a farming village and I'm fairly certain that crops were what peasants paid their taxes with in medieval times.)

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-07-04 08:35pm

This is deVerett's territory really, they should be friendly, or at least on the same side- if, as looking at the horses makes seem exceedingly unlikely, they're actually human. The animals are very well bred, and not familiar to Alfred at least, and their tack is elaborately worked and ornamented- best guess, elvish.

Vehrec · Post by **Vehrec** » 2012-07-05 02:41pm

OOC: Ok, I'm jumping in here, tell me if there's any problems. And yes, it's the exact same character as the first thread, to save time making him.

Randolf Alfman, doctor, surgeon, wizard, anatomist, and painter.

Temper:12, default 4(resist persuasion(12), determination(12))
Fellowship:12, default 4(politics(10), bargain(14))
Charm:8 default 3(courtliness(11))

Logic:13, default 4 (Perception(10), herbalism(9), physician (14))
creativity:15, default 5(alchemy(16), surgeon(14), art(9)
Education:14, default 5 (Apothecary(19), Craft; dyes(10))

Strength:10, default 3(Athletics(11))
Endurance:12, default 4(Resist disease(14), Resist injury(10)
Agility:12, default 4 (Dagger(8), dodge(16))

Talents 7, Life 16, Shape 4.

Advantage: Family 2pt wealth 1pt.

Disadvantage: Phobia:5 pt, code of honor (diet and lifestyle) 3pt(obsessive about good dietary practice, picky about quality of food) Exile 2pt, Family 2 pt.

IC: From behind a house, leading a pair of pack-mules laden with bundles a man appears, clad in a mix of styles-he was once better dressed, but has had to let his standards slip somewhat, his face thin and pinched with hunger. Obviously a refugee of some sort. And one who seems just as confused by the village's state as the group does. At the sight of the group though he slows and seems to weigh his options.

Psawhn · Post by **Psawhn** » 2012-07-05 04:25pm

I've been trying to think of a character idea for a little while, now, actually, but your recent post asking for more participants convinced me I should just go through with it. I need some help narrowing down the character idea, though. I'll just talk aloud for the next bit and hope you guys don't mind.

The core of my concept, so far, is someone who got into swordplay and martial arts because of her love of movement - the whole idea of shifting potentials, clash of decisions, inertia, and how you want your bit of pointy stick to intersect the area the opponent is in without letting them do the same to you. I'm not a kinematically-inclined person myself, but I think it might be fun to imagine someone like that.

I'm thinking of how I've heard some of the old Masters in kung-fu movies described. The idea is that they don't need to be particularly fast or strong, but their wisdom is such that they're simply where they need to be when they need to be there. I want her to have the instincts that lead well into that style of fighting. For example, instead of dodging an attack by noticing it and rapidly moving out of the way, she'd have a sense (fueled by understandings of inertia, range of body movement, weapon reach, etc) for when and where an opponent is able or likely to attack and then simply not be there.

The rest of the character I don't know about, and I think will be defined by her environment and what the rest of the players need. For example, she'd probably be an incredibly talented dancer. I expect she would have a combatant or aggressive tendency, but what else in her life could have encouraged or even allowed her to pursue a career related to fighting? That leads to an even better question: what kind of career would she have? I'm imagining her as a young woman, but at what age would it be more appropriate for her to get caught up with a bunch of adventurers and have the skills to keep up?

Simon_Jester remarked a few pages back that we didn't have anyone with ambition, so I figure it'd be neat to include that, but again I don't know much about the setting (or medieval periods in general) to put much more than a tentative story around that. It also doesn't help that, as an infrequent poster and new player, ambition is something I lack. What else would be good to help fill out the party?

So... any ideas?

Panzersharkcat · Post by **Panzersharkcat** » 2012-07-05 05:02pm

(OOC: Well, I think making an ambitious character would be neat. Have Alfred become her Legate of sorts.)

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-07-05 05:20pm

Essentially you've just described Rav- Radulf will remember her dangerously well indeed; the dark elf wardancer. That fits her perfectly. Unfortunately, there already is one of her, which is just about as much as the world needs.

Depends how the rest of the build goes- social rank? Gutter low is unlikely- someone who came from the hard end of society wouldn't turn out like the description, but high is equally so; high rank lets a character be as eccentric as they like, but they do pay for it- the social ties that come with that would be too much for someone whose joy is to move.

Religion? There's the obvious option, the war goddess, but we've already got one point one of those too.

I do have a couple of ideas, everyone else look away. Spoiler

There are a large number of people with zap in the party now, so- any magic? Not that it would be wrong, but different set of social conventions would apply.

Ah, Panzersharkcat, are you thnking of 'legate' in the legal sense? Because there's no way Alfred has the kind of money to raise, train and equip that many heavy infantry.

Panzersharkcat · Post by **Panzersharkcat** » 2012-07-05 05:45pm

(OOC: More video-gamey. Chief enforcer or the dragon would be a better word. Of course, he may still go Florian Geyer in the future if he finds something distasteful.)

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-07-05 07:00pm

OOC:

Hm. A pure swordswoman character would be interesting if she plays well off of Alfred- Alfred's a very straightforward slugger of a man. Very bullish, even unto his tendency to paw the ground, bellow, and charge red flags. Eliska would have had that potential had she been played for it.

[looks at Randolf]

Wow, he's more talented than I remember. I'm impressed- and Larric Smith identifies himself at least as much as alchemist than as wizard; I miss being the undisputed alchemist now.

Although let me say from in-game experience that handling a pack mule can be trouble, and that was with me actually having points in Animal Handling at game start. My guy nearly got kicked off a cliff just the other day; you might want to look into that.

By the way- just to link back, this is the latest iteration of Larric's character sheet- oh, and by the way, we haven't had any XP given out in three months of real time. "As of leaving the cave" might have been a good time for the party to 'level up,' I think- that begins the falling action of the stuff that kicked off with the murder of young master Owell.

Oh. One more question. ECR, I seem to remember "Thaumaturgy" being mentioned as a skill at some point, I think when we were discussion Verone. Is it, actually? Obviously it doesn't take the place of the magical powers and skills, but I presume it's an ancillary, related thing- or am I misremembering? It's not on the old skill lists that we used for character creation, I know that.
_____________

IC:

Larric hails the stranger, whose circumstances look quite familiar to him. Although he's having a hard time grasping quite why the man's apparently ill-fed in spite of having two pack animals; Larric himself was actually doing more or less all right for himself and he only had one. He'd have started pawning things off long ago if his cheeks were that pinched. There might be a mystery there.

He smiles reassuringly and waves his right arm slowly- Charm-based Persuasion being his specialty.

"Hello there, friend. And who might you be?"

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-07-05 07:21pm

Good point on XP- and after the cavern, you're due it.

Six all round.

'Thaumaturgy' is what I'm using as the theoretical knowledge of magic, of what can do what and what produces what effect, the classroom or book taught paper version. Fits under Logic or Education usually.

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-07-05 07:30pm

If you don't mind, I think I'm going to put a point in it- more on that in half an hour or so. Got to run.

Vehrec · Post by **Vehrec** » 2012-07-05 08:09pm

OOC: ECR gave me some very good alchemical and surgical equipment, packed up safely and with food for the mules, I figured the whole package would add up, especially if any of it was actual glass which would require careful wrapping and handling.

The man-he is hungry looking, but not really starved, seems to consider the wave as he returns it. "Well met stranger. I am Randolf Alfman, doctor, apothecary, surgeon, and a dabbler in the fine arts. I can dose a sickly child with medicine of my own creation, set a broken leg, all the medical professions bound up in a single individual. And who might you and your friends be?"

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-07-05 08:58pm

OOC:

Yeah, that was pretty much the shoes Larric was in- except his equipment wasn't so well off, a lot of it got broken when the Striking Phoenix hit the town he was practicing in.

And to answer the question in character, a good introduction would go something like this, hopefully not too out of character for Larric:

IC:

Larric isn't this well dressed, his hair's a mess, and he's a good deal dirtier- aside from that, he looks about like this fellow, only smiling. Middling height, looks decently well fed, but without any great bulk or sleekness to him- not a physically powerful or particularly graceful man.

He comes closer and extends a hand. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Larric. Larric Smith- an alchemist, used to be in Peredburh. Moved to Qulan town; they call me a wizard, and I'll stop worrying about that as soon as I get square with the guild. The others- milord and milady..."

He nods his head toward a large knight in heavy armor, adequately mounted, whose weapon of choice appears to be a large maul such as is traditionally carried by the longbowmen of the local yeomanry. "Sir Alfred of Lillehammer-" then he extends his hand a bit toward a female knight, also in armor, who's favoring her side on account of having broken some ribs recently in a fight with a ferocious murdering blob-monster. "Dame Tamarin."

By this point Randolf is probably wondering about the nine-foot giant looming in the back of the group, who Larric indicates next. This ogre is (probably) carrying an interior castle door as a tower shield, and also a potted plant. "His name is Dirt Deadhead-" which he says with an absolutely straight face, "-besides what you can tell by looking, he's a gardener. And be careful, I'm pretty sure he speaks more languages than the rest of us put together."

The quiet raggedy-looking fellow loping along towards the back gets a nod next. "Rohal, our guide." He looks like a proper ready-for-aught, but one who's spent most of his life in the wilderness. From his demeanour, someone very impolite but very perceptive might ask if he's been raised by wolves, the answer is "yes" and given what ECR's said in the past I suspect that Randolf's life-magic skills are good enough that he can figure out Rohal's a werewolf.

OOC MK II:

(Rohal's player, Feralgnoll, is currently in training at Fort Knox and will be unable to post for some time)

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-07-05 09:02pm

And now the out of character answer. Ongoing revised draft of Larric's "character sheet." I'm taking notes every time on what I spend points on, and why.

Factoring in:

[elided for brevity]

+6 XP gained after the fourth and fifth days- Master Owell's murder, going out in search of the baron, fighting the unlucky bandits, fighting the dark elves, going down into the First Age fortress, fighting Kardren's advance guard.

[elided for brevity]

Day Four and Five

These have been days of power and the exercise of it, metaphorical and literal, for him. The politicking angle started it, but once he got out of town he was constantly, repeatedly exposed to wizardry- strong, subtle, ancient and modern in rapid succession. Some of it rubbed off. He's drawing power more effectively, is thinking a bit more about subtlety and appreciation of the possible (thanks, Lisanna!), and his observation of so much magic is teaching him a bit about the hows of sophisticated manipulation. Some of the things he saw referred to obliquely in nearly incomprehensible books over the past ten years or so are making a bit of sense now.

So he starts in Logic-Thaumaturgy; things worked out from observation, sense, and a theory of magic that would best be expressed in waves-and-fields mathematical formalism, if Larric had formal mathematics instead of visualization skills. Default for Larric's Logic skills is 5, so...

2 points to increase Wits from 8 to 9
2 points to increase Passions from 7 to 8
1 point to increase Air Magic from 10 to 11
1 point to increase Thaumaturgy from 5 to 7

Any problems there?

Incidentally, this bumps his "default" score in Passions to the next category- the limit at which he starts paying 2 XP per point of skill is now 12, not 8.

It doesn't actually make a difference in this case, but I'm curious because I don't know how this works under your rules. I assume you don't recompute skill level. Boring remark follows:
Spoiler

Larric Smith

Temper 13
Determination 10
Resist Magic 13
Resist Persuasion 10

Fellowship 10
Bargain 10
Human Perception 10
Oratory 7
Politics 6

Charm 13
Animal Handling 10
Banter 11
Persuasion 13

Logic 14
Evaluate 10
Perception 16
Runes 11
Thaumaturgy 7

Creativity 14
Alchemy 17
Composition 9
Scrounge 10

Education 9
Craft: Bookbinding 10
History 8

Strength 9
Club 9
Brawl 9

Endurance 10
Resist Injury 10
Resist Disease 11

Agility 11
Dodge 10
Riding 6
Crossbow 10

Passions 8
Water 4
Insight 8

Wits 9
Substance 9
Air 11

Advantages:

Allies: -1 AP
Larric has friends and contacts among the alchemists of the region within which he's traveled, which is large but not that large; they have very high respect for him professionally, and generally like him. Being professionals in a relatively high-end line of work, they have quite a bit of money, and contacts that could be used for minor things like getting introduced to important people. However, none of them feel so indebted to him that they would endanger their own lives or livelihoods for him- they might loan him money, but they'd expect it back.

With perhaps a few gullible exceptions, they would not do anything illegal for him, not without strong extenuating circumstances. A few would at least lend him a sympathetic ear, but that's about it.

(This might equally well be modeled as a 1 AP reputation which has basically the same effect- alchemists within a loosely defined area know who Larric is and respect him, while other people have never heard of him)

Supernatural Awareness: -2 AP
Although the way Larric perceives supernatural effects can be rather odd; if there's such a thing as synaesthesia of the second sight, he's got it.

This is a relatively recent experience for him, and he's still not entirely comfortable, or sure he can tell truth from illusion, when it comes to things like auras.

Disadvantages:

Code of Honour: +2 AP
It's not so much that he's got unusually strong ethics as that he can be stubborn about them. He's not above the idea of doing dirty to people who obviously deserve it, he understands as a practical matter there are people the world wouldn't miss were they knocked over the head, and he's not a complete blithering idiot. But he can get quite vocal, sometimes at inappropriate times, about what he sees as Just Plain Wrong. More savvy and cynical characters have come to the conclusion that he is short on survival instincts.

Phobia: +2 AP
Fear of dead bodies, more so than normal for a medieval society. Symptoms include brief incapacitating bursts of the shakes, loss of the initiative in combat, and periodic die roll penalties.

Vehrec · Post by **Vehrec** » 2012-07-05 10:37pm

"I am sorry, where are my manners? At your humble service, Milord, and perhaps more immediately at your service milady?" The two get a bow to split between them, courtly manners unpacked and rolled out for inspection briefly, before being packed away again. "And the services of a good guide and gardener are never to be underestimated, as you undoubtedly well know." He turned back to Larric, tucking his hands into the pockets of his coat. "You know, I have some cause to practice alchemy myself, but in all the hubbub and disruption, I fear I may have allowed my own guild dues to slip. Not that I imagine I will get into that much trouble out here for it, but yet another thing to worry about."

Randolf gestured over his shoulder towards the village, the horses, and other things that were happening behind him. "But more pressing questions. What is all this about? I don't suppose you're here for some sort of meeting with whoever's animals those are?"

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-07-05 10:51pm

"Never seen them before in my life. We're here looking for food for Baron deVerett and his entourage; they just climbed out of a cave up in the hills."

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-07-06 05:00pm

As a reply to the rules query in the spoiler; for physical attributes, when the default goes up (or down), no recalculation, that would be too much number crunching to be done round the table, but all the skills based on that attribute do go up (or down) too. For shapeshifting, this applies too.

For magic, usually not because, for the first reason that would be a system exploit, effectively- rapidly rising in skill and power at the same time, one and a half for the price of one.

For the second reason that decoupling them in that way, making the link not apply, actually adds a dimension of freedom in how the character is written and played- force and subtlety don't and shouldn't always go together, it means a character can be powerful without subtlety, or dexterous without being a powerhouse- I find that useful.

Picks look good, no problem.

Not obvious to the eye, but to active probing, it is inded obvious that Rohal is a werewolf- his life force, to use a chiched term, vibrates slightly, doesn't quite match the physical outline of his body.

Vehrec · Post by **Vehrec** » 2012-07-06 08:20pm

It's a good thing then that with no unnatural senses to allow him to extend his senses and pick up on such things, Randolf has no reason to go active on the man-wolf until such time as he needs to be put back together.

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-07-07 12:27am

"Maybe we'd better see what's what in the village. Milord?" He glances at Alfred, not particularly deferentially, there's a hint of come on, quit stalling in there.

Panzersharkcat · Post by **Panzersharkcat** » 2012-07-07 02:44pm

"Yes. I am eager to see who is here and what their business is."

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-07-07 04:07pm

Don't forget to spend your XP;

there are two inns in the village, and one of them has the event happening in it, the other one is full of people grumbling about it; dumb luck, you get the right one. The one full of people grumbling.

The village has about two hundred people in it total; about seventy of them are here, and from the proportion of them it must be most of the village's men. Two of note, the blacksmith- with an improvised weapon that looks like a scythe blade with a hilt riveted to it- and a face Alfred vaguely recognises from the war, a yeoman archer he fought alongside; after the warband was scattered he must have made his way home, and this is it.

'Sir Alfred, I thought you were dead.' he says. 'Just as well you're not, because I have a bit of a problem- we've got elves. Two of them, they say they're outriders for a column of Alavianirimirean refugees- who need food, water and shelter. What they've asked for would more or less strip us bare. We were about to murder them and take our chances with however many more of them there are.'

Kaelan · Post by **Kaelan** » 2012-07-07 05:13pm

Oh joy, more elves.

“Told you bushman bad luck.”

Dirt looks over to Larric, “Need to teach you ogre, let us say more things and not get people sad with us”

Just a quick question to refresh my memory are these ‘Alavianirimirean’ elves our friends above ground or below? (although both appear to be causing us headaches).

Right then, so we have a lynching followed by a soon to be invasion of starving elves who will most likely take this as an excuse to kill every human in the village and loot it to the ground. Just to top it off we’re about to let these good people know that we have a few hundred starving warriors heading right behind us with the intention of also taking every piece of edible food from the same village at the same time.

Dirt hide’s Fifi further down the ‘shield’ and closes the door ‘window’ quietly. He doesn’t want some hungry elf or human trying to eat her by mistake. He also tells her to keep a low profile.

Looking at Rohal and Larric and in a quite voice, “We give to baron to sort and go hunt monster in hill instead? Or try tell dumb men that getting lot of elf mad not good plan.”

Thinking it over in his head, “Maybe do hanging after baron here and we not. Dirt know good hill to watch magic show from. Take bet on how long village take to change colour and shape?”

OOC
Will spend the XP over the weekend when I get a chance to look through Dirt’s CS again. I am assuming that ECR will be handling Fifi due to her NPC status.

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-07-07 05:44pm

Larric nods. "Aye. Ogre-ese. I got kicked by You Bastard one more time, so it's like I said yesterday."

To the villager: "Did they say how many elves? Or how much food?"

He's thinking that the baron's refugee column should be able to get enough food from a village of 200 people to supply them with one or two decent meals without "stripping them bare-" if they're that close to famine, the village is going to starve anyway, and it's just a matter of degree- which is of course possible. DeVerett or his immediate subordinates might also (and this is very optimistic) be convinced to send a bit of aid if the village he went through is in particularly dire straits on his account. Because, again, the baron really is "just passing through" en route to his own capital.

If that elven refugee column needs enough to leave a village starving, either they're trying to lay in supplies for a fortnight, or there are a LOT of them...

EDIT: Also, the obvious maneuver here is to play the baron's refugee column off the elves' refugee column and see who wins. It's basically classical feudalism as experienced by peasants: "feed my warrior-minions and we'll try to keep you from having to feed all the other warrior-minions who wander through."

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-07-07 06:25pm

'Actually they're being pretty damned vague about it, which makes me think there aren't nearly as many as they want food for; old trick isn't it sir,' the yeoman says to Alfred, 'demand much more than you need so the spies and scouts trailing you think there are more of you than there really are- and who cares if the villagers starve usually, well it looks bloody different from the villager's point of view I'll tell you that.

Then again it doesn't take that many elves to be dangerous; the plan was to job this pair, then head up into the hills,' meaning the Orhan Hills you've just came over, 'reckon they'd be desperate enough, if they're that hungry, not to waste time trying to hunt us down, just snap at what crosses their path and move on.

They are right bastards the pair of them, there are two of them and two hundred of us more or less; but they hate us, hate having to ask for help, they're far enough up shit creek to really be on edge- you can tell, one of them's barely holding himself back from going psycho. It'd be a good act for them to put on, under the circumstances- but I don't think it's an act.'

For memory, Alavanirimire was the kingdom that lay within Zarthani lands and fell to them not very long ago; that's why they're refugees, and mostly full of rage and hate. In theory they're surface dwellers, but a blindfold man listening to them might easily think otherwise- if it is possible to go from one state to the other, Spoiler

, they were well on their way.

Simon_Jester · Post by **Simon_Jester** » 2012-07-07 06:59pm

"Did they say which way their lot is coming in from?"

Now Larric is thinking of asking Rohal to go loping off that way to check- he's fast and relatively likely to escape notice in wolf form...

Eleventh Century Remnant · Post by **Eleventh Century Remnant** » 2012-07-07 08:23pm

'The only way they could come without coming through somewhere else is up the river, up the Chura valley and turned aside to avoid the city,' Auvaine; 'where they're going makes no sense unless they're heading up the mountain- to the forest around there.'

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Homebrew tabletop game system thread the II

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