(IR) Announcing a New Strategic Roleplaying Campaign of Epic Proportions!

Serpenteye · Nov 1, 2004

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=109539

Take control over a nation, a race, an empire or an alliance and lead them to greatness. Advance, trough magic, technology, diplomacy and war, to create a utopian society or elevate yourself to Godhood. Destroy your enemies or convert them to your cause until you, and only you, are the supreme ruler of the world. The Revolution is coming... and everything is about to change.

The Industrial Revolution is about to return to Oerth, the world of Greyhawk, but I need you to play. I'm still figuring out the rules and the background, I've been figuring them out on and off for several years now, but before I commit them to the internet I want to know if there's still an interest for this kind of game.

The IR has a long and proud legacy. Edena of Neith was the original creator of the idea and his brilliant four IR games, particularly the magnificent 3rd IR, is the reason and inspiration behind this attempt of a game. I owe you a lot, Edena, and before this game is done I will owe you even more since I will borrow a lot from you. I will also most likely borrow some of the ideas and rules behind Creamsteak's Rokugan Revolution, a great game that ended too soon. But, in the end, I hope and intend that this game will be unique, mine. Ours. The rules will be different, the plot will be different, the factions will be different, the DM will be different, but I hope that a lot of the players will be the same. Edena, if you're reading this, consider yourself invited.

The game will be loosely based on DnD 3,5, but you don't really have to know the rules. The scale of this game will be strategic, and though your Player Characters are the most important people in the world the details of their character sheets will most likely not matter. What matters is their general level and HD, and wether they are arcane, divine, warrior-classes, tech, or psionic. DnD is not built for a game of this scale, there will be too many battles with too many combatants of too high levels for me to be able to judge them according to the DMG.

There is a lot more to write. I could sit here typing all day and there would still be much more to write. But first I need to know if anyone's interested.

The game will start in the beginning of December (barring unexpected tragedies, like noone wanting to play, or mishaps, like my computer (or myself) spontaneously combusting). There is no hard limit to the amount of player's I want, but between 10 and 20 dedicated players would be ideal.

Eluvan · Nov 1, 2004

This seems very interesting, I think I could definitely be enticed by this. But I need to be clear on exactly how the game would be played. Will it basically be a roleplaying game but with epic-scale consequences and based around strategic decisions? Or will parts of it start to resemble a wargame of some sort, with us commanding the forces specifically? If the former, I definitely want in. If the latter... nah, not so much. So if you could explain a little more of what you're intending in terms of gameplay style, I cna tell you whether to chalk me up.

Serpenteye · Nov 1, 2004

Hi Eluvan.

The game will be a little of both, actually. The players have a lot of freedom in how they want to play. Some might want to focus on character-development and role-playing, while others are more into the strategy-gaming aspect and others combine the two. You don't have to command any armies or build a single factory unless you want to, and you can still be a force to be reconed with. Or you can make very simple and brief strategic decicions for your armies and leave it up to me to take care of the details according to my impression of your faction. Naturally, players who take a more hands-on approach will have a considerable advantage, but it's a choice you get to make from day to day.
It will be a lot like the previous IR-games here on EN-world, the 3rd IR in particular, but since those threads are several hundred pages of text it's not required reading

.
The game will not be about a group of high-level characters going monster-slaying, though there will certainly be plenty of killing of monsters (and people, puppies, babies and the undead) involved. You are a leader of a faction first and foremost, though your faction can be anything from an old-ladies knitting club to a continent-spanning empire. Role-playing and interacting with the other players and NPC's (Like Vecna, for example) is the most important part of the game. Diplomacy, more than anything else, is really the key to power.

Eluvan · Nov 1, 2004

Then, I think I definitely want in.

What I'd really like to do is to head an underground organisation with political links and ties, kinda like a 'power behind the throne' thing. Think sort of a Greyhawk illuminatus. Would that be possible? My character would probably be primarily a rogue or bard, perhaps with levels in an arcane or psionic class as well. Like maybe Enchanter, Illusionist or Telepath.

What do you think?

Oh, and do you think you could provide a link to the 3rd IR thread you mentioned so I can scan over it and get an idea of what this is going to resemble? Thanks.

Serpenteye · Nov 1, 2004

Eluvan said:
Then, I think I definitely want in. What I'd really like to do is to head an underground organisation with political links and ties, kinda like a 'power behind the throne' thing. Think sort of a Greyhawk illuminatus. Would that be possible? My character would probably be primarily a rogue or bard, perhaps with levels in an arcane or psionic class as well. Like maybe Enchanter, Illusionist or Telepath.

What do you think?

Oh, and do you think you could provide a link to the 3rd IR thread you mentioned so I can scan over it and get an idea of what this is going to resemble? Thanks.

I think that would be great. Where would the organization be located?

Link to the 3rd IR:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/foru...stpost&sortorder=asc&daysprune=1000&x=14&y=13

I will write a list of some of the available factions that players can choose from soonish and begin to put together a map.
I forgot to mention this earlier, but the IR will take place 20 years after the Greyhawk War when advanced (19th-20th C) technology first appears on the planet and the crystal sphere is cut off from all interactions with the rest of the Multiverse. Incidentally, the major Gods will also be cut off from the world and unable to influence the game. Deities, such as Iuz, who live on Oerth are still playable. And other Gods may rise from the ranks of the PCs, but that's going to be pretty hard to do.
There are a number of links to the world of Greyhawk in William Ronald's stickied thread in this forum. If you want you can read up on the history of the setting there and take a look at the official maps.

Eluvan · Nov 1, 2004

Where would the organization be located?

Hmmm. Good question. It suddenly dawns on me that I know very little of the world of Greyhawk. Is that going to be a big issue? I'll do my best of course, but I might need occassional correction or information on locations, political systems, etc. Like right now, I could use some help on where would be appropriate for such an organisation to be centred.

Serpenteye · Nov 1, 2004

It might be somewhat of an issue in the beginning, in part depending on how many players we get, since you'd be playing a very politically extroverted faction, spying and manipulating all over the place. If the previous IRs are any indication, though, we're soon going to make the setting nearly unrecognizable. And if a lot of players join in that might happen even before the start of the game.
I don't think you'll need a lot of knowledge in any case. I knew very little about the setting when I started playing in the 3rd IR, and I managed.

A good location for your organization would be the City of Greyhawk. It's big, wealthy and cosmopolitical. The geographical, political and economical heart of the Flannaes in official canon.