OOC - From the Outside
Binder Fred
3 rings to bind them all!
Both options are a possibility, I think.
If you decide to go with the second, you could always go with a Barbarian (starting moves pasted below). Maybe take the "Unencumbered, Unharmed" option and swap in a two-handed axe instead of the provided two-handed sword to make him fully distinct from Slice, my Fighter, but that's really up to you.
[sblock=Barbarian starting moves]Choose one of these to start with:
⃞ Full Plate and Packing Steel
You ignore the clumsy tag on armor you wear.
⃞Unencumbered, Unharmed
So long as you are below your Load and neither wear armor nor carry a shield, take +1 armor.
You also start with all of these:
Herculean Appetites
Others may content themselves with just a taste of wine, or dominion over a servant or two, but you want more. Choose two appetites. While pursuing one of your appetites if you would roll for a move, instead of rolling 2d6 you roll 1d6+1d8. If the d6 is the higher die of the pair, the GM will also introduce a complication or danger that comes about due to your heedless pursuits.
⃞⃞Pure destruction
⃞⃞Power over others
⃞⃞Mortal pleasures
⃞⃞Conquest
⃞⃞Riches and property
⃞⃞Fame and glory
The Upper Hand
You take +1 ongoing to last breath rolls. When you take your last breath, on a 7–9 you make an offer to Death in return for your life. If Death accepts he will return you to life. If not, you die.
Musclebound
While you wield a weapon it gains the forceful and messy tags.
What Are You Waiting For?
When you cry out a challenge to your enemies, roll+Con.
✴On a 10+ they treat you as the most obvious threat to be dealt with and ignore your companions, take +2 damage ongoing against them.
✴On a 7–9 only a few (the weakest or most foolhardy among them) fall prey to your taunting.[/sblock]
If you decide to go with the second, you could always go with a Barbarian (starting moves pasted below). Maybe take the "Unencumbered, Unharmed" option and swap in a two-handed axe instead of the provided two-handed sword to make him fully distinct from Slice, my Fighter, but that's really up to you.
[sblock=Barbarian starting moves]Choose one of these to start with:
⃞ Full Plate and Packing Steel
You ignore the clumsy tag on armor you wear.
⃞Unencumbered, Unharmed
So long as you are below your Load and neither wear armor nor carry a shield, take +1 armor.
You also start with all of these:
Herculean Appetites
Others may content themselves with just a taste of wine, or dominion over a servant or two, but you want more. Choose two appetites. While pursuing one of your appetites if you would roll for a move, instead of rolling 2d6 you roll 1d6+1d8. If the d6 is the higher die of the pair, the GM will also introduce a complication or danger that comes about due to your heedless pursuits.
⃞⃞Pure destruction
⃞⃞Power over others
⃞⃞Mortal pleasures
⃞⃞Conquest
⃞⃞Riches and property
⃞⃞Fame and glory
The Upper Hand
You take +1 ongoing to last breath rolls. When you take your last breath, on a 7–9 you make an offer to Death in return for your life. If Death accepts he will return you to life. If not, you die.
Musclebound
While you wield a weapon it gains the forceful and messy tags.
What Are You Waiting For?
When you cry out a challenge to your enemies, roll+Con.
✴On a 10+ they treat you as the most obvious threat to be dealt with and ignore your companions, take +2 damage ongoing against them.
✴On a 7–9 only a few (the weakest or most foolhardy among them) fall prey to your taunting.[/sblock]
doghead
thotd
So the moving frenzy is slowly abating. Still a bit of work to do, like get my internet connection back (thank goodness for the iPhone hotspot).
Although, having read through the thread, perhaps I should stay away a bit longer. You are doing great.
First thoughts, in no particular order:
Lief - you can take just one character if you wish. You can take a second one later if you want to. I am also happy to do some character re-working down the track as we get our heads around the rules. That goes for everyone, of course.
GlassEye - Nice character format.
Binder Fred - Nice background ideas. It pretty close to the ideas I was mulling over.
Everyone - I know that there are a few things I need to get back to people about when I have had a chance to read back over the thread. Feel free to point out any outstanding questions or suggestions you have.
I hope that you all had a great Easter. See you soon.
thotd
Although, having read through the thread, perhaps I should stay away a bit longer. You are doing great.
First thoughts, in no particular order:
Lief - you can take just one character if you wish. You can take a second one later if you want to. I am also happy to do some character re-working down the track as we get our heads around the rules. That goes for everyone, of course.
GlassEye - Nice character format.
Binder Fred - Nice background ideas. It pretty close to the ideas I was mulling over.
Everyone - I know that there are a few things I need to get back to people about when I have had a chance to read back over the thread. Feel free to point out any outstanding questions or suggestions you have.
I hope that you all had a great Easter. See you soon.
thotd
Binder Fred
3 rings to bind them all!
Speaking of, are you guys thinking of adding to the background thing (HERE)? I've got one extra bit of idea that I'd like to put out there if I could, but this is supposed to be interactive, right? Don't want to hog all the fun.
Leif
Adventurer
You're certainly welcome to add more as far as I'm concerned. I haven't exactly been burning up the pixels writing background ideas for my cleric.
But....
The Witching Troll, that hulking hill-sized mass of granite, imbued with the full measure of the power of the magic of elemental earth, but also deriving power from its (his?) fae nature, instead of being owed service from my cleric, Artur, has somehow come into possession of items containing his soul [perhaps gems?], even though he may not be fully aware of this fact yet. Part of Artur's quest is to retrieve the gem and restore it to the vault of his temple/deity where it will be safely guarded. Or else he, Artur, could keep possession of it himself, which might make him sort of a "free-fae agents" able to 'follow his bliss' without being limited by the usual Laws of the Fae, or perhaps even the strictures of his faith, and the resulting limitations.
Want me to shut up again?
But....
The Witching Troll, that hulking hill-sized mass of granite, imbued with the full measure of the power of the magic of elemental earth, but also deriving power from its (his?) fae nature, instead of being owed service from my cleric, Artur, has somehow come into possession of items containing his soul [perhaps gems?], even though he may not be fully aware of this fact yet. Part of Artur's quest is to retrieve the gem and restore it to the vault of his temple/deity where it will be safely guarded. Or else he, Artur, could keep possession of it himself, which might make him sort of a "free-fae agents" able to 'follow his bliss' without being limited by the usual Laws of the Fae, or perhaps even the strictures of his faith, and the resulting limitations.
Want me to shut up again?
Last edited:
GlassEye
Adventurer
(Nothing new here, really, just a bit of remix...)
Hmm... the 'lost soul' idea flips the concept from agents (through debt or service; reluctant or otherwise) of the Witching Troll to the Witching Troll being an outright antagonist. I'm not sure I like that direction for the whole group though it is fine if you want to use that idea for your character. In fact, a cleric who has lost his soul (or luck?), likely by some sort of fae trickery, makes for interesting story, I think. And I think it is fine we all have different reasons for associating with the Witching Troll or his minions.
Khirynnax would be a willing agent, having given up his (albeit peripheral) place in the Summer Court and traded his service for what he sees is beyond the Courts of the fae: primordial magics. Note: I see Khirynnax more as a wizard in the style of the Riddle-Master of Hed (though it's been a long time since I last read those novels so my memory might be off) than a faux D&D-styled druid.
'They say you can't squeeze tears from a stone, but I'm gonna try,' --Trickle. Trickle wants something from the Witching Troll and is cocky enough to think he can get it without making a fae bargain. So he'll hang around until he thinks he can take it and then be on his way.
Trickle and Slice, partners in crime, living the life of lawless, hardened rogues? going after the big score that will either set them up or give them the resources to pursue their goals/excise their personal demons. Meanwhile, Brier going after an object he believes will get him the attention of the fae and the cleric pursuing his lost soul-gem. Same job, same night... Continue on with BF's ideas:
-Job goes bad
-Rescued by the Witching Troll's agents (a minor one, and least monstrous of which is Khirynnax?)
-Whispered promises
Using all of this binds each of our characters in multiple ways to the Witching Troll.
Hmm... the 'lost soul' idea flips the concept from agents (through debt or service; reluctant or otherwise) of the Witching Troll to the Witching Troll being an outright antagonist. I'm not sure I like that direction for the whole group though it is fine if you want to use that idea for your character. In fact, a cleric who has lost his soul (or luck?), likely by some sort of fae trickery, makes for interesting story, I think. And I think it is fine we all have different reasons for associating with the Witching Troll or his minions.
Khirynnax would be a willing agent, having given up his (albeit peripheral) place in the Summer Court and traded his service for what he sees is beyond the Courts of the fae: primordial magics. Note: I see Khirynnax more as a wizard in the style of the Riddle-Master of Hed (though it's been a long time since I last read those novels so my memory might be off) than a faux D&D-styled druid.
'They say you can't squeeze tears from a stone, but I'm gonna try,' --Trickle. Trickle wants something from the Witching Troll and is cocky enough to think he can get it without making a fae bargain. So he'll hang around until he thinks he can take it and then be on his way.
Trickle and Slice, partners in crime, living the life of lawless, hardened rogues? going after the big score that will either set them up or give them the resources to pursue their goals/excise their personal demons. Meanwhile, Brier going after an object he believes will get him the attention of the fae and the cleric pursuing his lost soul-gem. Same job, same night... Continue on with BF's ideas:
-Job goes bad
-Rescued by the Witching Troll's agents (a minor one, and least monstrous of which is Khirynnax?)
-Whispered promises
Using all of this binds each of our characters in multiple ways to the Witching Troll.
doghead
thotd
Don't want to hog all the fun.
In my experience, hog the fun. If you have ideas, toss them out there. In my experience, good ideas beget good ideas. The end result will be a mix of all the stuff suggested. Its not first come first served, so no one will miss out.
If someone feels that someone else is moving to far or too fast, they can say something.
[MENTION=63746]Binder Fred[/MENTION]
1. The sword and shield - I want to leave it as is at the moment and see how it plays for now. I have had a look at the rules and understand what you are saying. But I think that the use of a weapon for defence may make a good Advance Move. We can revisit this down the track.
Campaign Wiki
Look for something soon. (really need to find a name for the game. Not even sure where 'From the Outside' came from. I think it may have been from "From the outside looking in", a play on the idea of 'outsiders'.
Setting Sketch
While this will fall under the generic fantasy medieval world banner, I thought that it should have a 'northern' feel. What does this mean? Cold winters, snow covered mountains. Funny names. Some initial thoughts. Much of the following has been borrowed from an out of print setting called Kingdom of Norweign by Precis Intermedia Games.
Social Structure - There are three basic classes of people: Nobility, Freemen and Slaves. Nobles are generally either Earls or Kings. Slavery is usually a punishment for theft and other crimes. It is often paid off in five to ten years.
Belief System - While there are a number of different belief systems among the people of the north, in general they share a believe in a heavenly caste system comprised of gods, celestial spirits, and exiled spirits. Of note is the Hacoran Church, which believes in one god who created and rules over all things. Over the last hundred years the Hacoran Church has grown in power and influence.
The Fae do not have gods, and they have their own kingdom or realm. Dragon do not have gods either, they are their own gods.
- Gods: Gods are the creators and guardians of man. The gods are attributed with the creation and release of celestial spirits to the realm of man and nature, thereby creating mortal life. The gods exist in the realm of Aesard; the highest kingdom of the heavens.
- Celestial Spirits: The Spirits are believed to belong to disembodied and enlightened mortals, and reside in the realm of Hehsard; the destination of the soul after death (in preparation for its rebirth by the gods). Bards and seers are believed to be descended from the most ancient of the celestial beings. Cutting off a man’s head is said to prevent him from entering Hehsard; most excecutions result in beheading.
- Exiled Spirits: Exiled spirits were once celestial spirits which sought to overthrow the gods and were exiled to the realm of Shadard; the lowest kingdom of heaven (akin to hell). They are capable of infiltrating our world by possessing a human or animal host. Legends of demonic animals and people stem from this belief.
- The Living Mortals exist in the realm of Mihdard; the manifestation of nature.
Calendar
Special ceremonies are performed during the festival days. These festivals are celebrated in order to appease the various gods.
- Sowen symbolizes the convergence of the Hehsard and Mihdard Realms.
- Yule is celebrated by lighting candles in order to help the gods light the dark sky.
- Disting is the celebration of the cleansing of the land in preparation for the new crop.
- Eostre is the celebration of the balance between night and day.
- Beltane is celebrated to insure the fertility of crops for the upcoming harvest.
- Midre is the celebration of the longest day of the year.
- Harvest is celebrated during the crop- harvesting period.
- Autumn is celebrated by resting during the period of balance between night and day.
The Witching Troll seems to have become the focal point of things. Cool. I like trolls. We will run with that. But the Monster Kingdom (the realm of the fae) is a dangerous place for those not familiar with its ways (it can be dangerous for those who are as well), so I would like each character has in some way come to be in bond or debt to the Witching Troll. You are all pretty much there.
I like the idea of characters (less Khirynnax), having fallen on hard times, manage to get into trouble from which they are saved by the Witching troll, for a price. Khirynnax is there as the deal is sealed, although the Witching Troll never says why. Later, when the four are summoned, he is there again. And perhaps thats where we will leave things until the IC thread.
I am thinking that I will start with Enworld's To Slay A Dragon adventure. Its a sort-of-old-school adventure divided into three parts. The first part consists of a number of adventurettes, all of which are fairly short and diverse in nature. They should give us an opportunity to put the system through its paces. After that, we can decide if we want to continue with the more substantial Parts 2 and 3. Follow the link in the Adventures Tab to the website. The Home and Art pages are pretty much player safe. Let me know if this adventure is a problem for anyone.
thotd
Binder Fred
3 rings to bind them all!
Hey there Leif. Your goal with the soul-gem thing, is it because 1. Troll bribery/greed didn't feel like something Artur would fall for, or 2. You don't think your character would (initialy) be associated with "a bunch of lawless, hardened rogues"?
If it's the first one, how about (changes underlined):
(*) Or maybe he used to work for Slice's defunct House? Met Needles in the outcast slums? Something else?
- At certain times and at certain places, the boundary between realities bends before the forces of nature and fades to nothing on its own, so that even an unaided mortal (or Fae) can just walk across without knowing if he is not careful, and quick to return.
Such as the ruined valley of Urington, that appears to would-be pillagers but once a year and only under the pale light of the first full moon of spring. Or visions of Seelie towers that appear to float in the sky of the mortal world. Or a certain barrow entrance, that takes the unwary visitor to a very bad version of reality indeed, if he should but walk into it at the moment of twilight every day... You guys get the idea.
(If you remember, I myself rather favored Knives in the Dark for our first adventure.)
If it's the first one, how about (changes underlined):
- Brier, Slice and Trickle were a bunch of lawless, hardened rogues travelling with Artur -- a mendicant cleric in disgrace with the all-powerful Church (*), yet still trying his best to save ALL their souls
- A B&E raid on a noble's little summer estate turned bad and they ran
- They would have been wiped out just then if not for the help of a Witching Troll agent named Khirynnax who called them out from under an avalanche of blades and torches and into a secret, magical way to the Monster Kingdom
- Not only do they now owe the Troll for their lives, for which they swore loyalty to him, but he whispered fantastical promises in the ears of each of them in turn, promises which would surely come true if a few, trivial events happened to fall his way...
- Artur however, (still) being a man of Faith, proved much more difficult to tempt. But, unbeknownst to the others and even himself, the Witching Troll tricked him (through another agent maybe? A sylph?) and imprisoned his soul inside a gem, making the cleric susceptible to his control and far-reaching influence (Artur will gradually come to realize this during play).
- Not satisfied with just that, the Troll also set one of his pets (the very Khirynnax who rescued them) in the group with them -- to watch them and report no doubt. Seeing as he's the one who rescued them, it's difficult to argue too loudly about it too.
(*) Or maybe he used to work for Slice's defunct House? Met Needles in the outcast slums? Something else?
Then let's begin by adding this for What is the monster kingdom like? :
- At certain times and at certain places, the boundary between realities bends before the forces of nature and fades to nothing on its own, so that even an unaided mortal (or Fae) can just walk across without knowing if he is not careful, and quick to return.
Such as the ruined valley of Urington, that appears to would-be pillagers but once a year and only under the pale light of the first full moon of spring. Or visions of Seelie towers that appear to float in the sky of the mortal world. Or a certain barrow entrance, that takes the unwary visitor to a very bad version of reality indeed, if he should but walk into it at the moment of twilight every day... You guys get the idea.
Fair enough. Slice's weapon will therefore be a huge hand-and-a-half sword which he (of course) wields one-handed with mad skillz, the other hand holding his heater shield at the ready.
I don't know about this one, Doghead. The initial set-up of To Slay seems made for your usual party of do-gooder first level characters with a hankering to deliver messages and guard caravans. To be honest, the way they present it makes it all sound a little flat and un-exciting, at least to me... Maybe I'm not seeing the big picture though, so maybe if you went a bit more into how the richness of the Witching Troll/Monster Realm background we came up with will fit into all this?
(If you remember, I myself rather favored Knives in the Dark for our first adventure.)
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