[Recruiting 2 more!] In A Wicked Age RPG Quick Game

doghead · Sep 13, 2012

I like the look of this. I think that it might be time to dip my toe back into the water.

Initially I was thinking of something along the lines of a gardener, old but still strong as a result of his labours in the garden, who keeps watch over the stone crypt in order to prevent the tempter devil being released. But I think I might go with something less passive.

Character Concept

A soldier, a decade away from home campaigning in foreign countries, returns to find his family dishonoured, their ancestral home abandoned and haunted, his parents dead and his siblings missing. Bitter at this ill treatment of his family by the country he has sacrificed so much to protect, the soldier seeks to find the tempter devil and strike a bargain with it in order to restore the fortunes and status of his family.

Some additional thoughts:

* the college was somehow involved in the ruination of his family, and perhaps hold the keys to the whereabouts of his siblings.

* Initially, the soldier could see no way to realise his goals. Then one day his path that of a slightly built stranger who seemed to hold the key.

The Numbers

Without knowing the system, this is a little pot luck. But then again, few of us have the good fortune to be exactly as we would wish, so it is of little consequence really.

Covertly: d6 (deception and subterfuge are acceptable means to gain an advantage)
Directly: d8 (but as a soldier, he favoured bold direct action)
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For Myself: d4 (cares little for the price he might have to pay, or so he has convinced himself)
For Others: d12 (driven by his desire to avenge his family by doing unto others ...)
-
With Love: d6 (his heart has been severely wounded)
With Violence: d10 (a capable and dangerous man)

The Setting

Visually, I imagined this as being more modern than the traditional Medieval period; perhaps more along the lines of the 30 Years War in the early 17thC or even the later Enlightenment period of the 18thC. Perhaps an Enlightenment in which Magic, not Science leeds the way in seeking emancipation from the strictures of the Church.

"The animation of the bodies of the dead for the purpose of war is no concern of the Church; the authority of the Church is over the souls of men, and once the souls have departed the flesh, the jurisdiction of the Church is ended."
Victor Sobieski (subsequently excommunicated).

All that being said, nothing in the character is irrevocably tied to the above.

Deuce Traveler · Sep 17, 2012

doghead, Welcome back! Haven't seen you around for awhile. It looks like we have a nearly completed character from what you put down. It shouldn't matter whether or not we use a 17th or 18th century setting, but if we are going to do so we should select a country. Let's say France before the Sun King, which would allow us to change the ruined mansion into a forgotten and worn-down chateau.

Tying in GlassEye's suggestion about the monk being part of the order of mages, perhaps the mages all pose as monks and explore ancient lore when it comes to the binding and banishment of spirits and demons. Basically they are demonologists, though I am not ready to say whether they are on the side of humanity or not. doghead's character opposes the monks/mages and has a reason to meet up with the Tempter demon of LostSoul. Perhaps GlassEye's spirit still maintains his connection with the monks and is not entirely opposed to them, causing future conflict with either doghead's or LostSoul's character.

doghead · Sep 17, 2012

It has been a long time. Three years since I last logged in. Five since I last ran or played anything. I have been toying with the idea of starting a game, but saw your offering and thought I might start with a bit of player action first.

France is good, or perhaps one of the multitude of small German states. There are some good maps around. Another option would be to make it a little more undefined - 'somewhere on the Continent', which does have the advantage of freeing the game from any obligation to history.

An alternative reading of Glasseye's suggestion would be monks dabbling in magic. Such actions would be bordering on heresy in a world in which mother church is fighting a losing battle against the modernising forces who see magic, not faith, as the true way to understand the universe.

Looking forward to see what come out of this. I like the idea of the Oracles. I have been giving some thought to how I might incorporate them into character generation if I do end up running a game. I have a few ideas.

GlassEye · Sep 17, 2012

I'm liking the vibe of the more modern (relative to standard fantasy, that is) ideas that doghead has suggested. It's got me thinking in a Neal Stephenson 'Baroque Cycle' sort of way so I guess that's about perfect

So, what's the next step?

As a side note, I would be interested in hearing your ideas on using the Oracles if you're willing to share. I was thinking less of character creation and more of a wild card for campaign building: players select an oracle, roll, and the result is some sort of divination (tarot, conjunction of constellations/planets, etc.) foretelling key turning points in the characters life. Then the DM would have to work those into the campaign.

LostSoul · Sep 17, 2012

France is cool with me. I'm not sure what the science/magical conflict is about but maybe that will develop in play?

I generally like to develop in play, even with PCs. More first thoughts on the tempter demon:

An it, without gender. Takes on the forms that it thinks other people want to see. Wants to "help" others get what they want but has no empathy or concern for social mores. Genuinely wants to help but all assistance provided is horribly messed up. May or may not have a physical existence outside of the desires of those around it. May have some sort of weakness related to science and/or reason.

These may change:

Covertly: d12
Directly: d6
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For Myself: d6
For Others: d10
-
With Love: d8
With Violence: d4

May be a protagonist, may be an antagonist. More likely the latter.

doghead · Sep 18, 2012

The Baroque Cycle is exactly what I was thinking about. It is a great series. I am glad my suggestion didn't throw a spanner in the works. I was a bit worried it might.

As for the magic/science, the way I was imagining it was like the Enlightenment, but magical discovery and theory, rather than scientific, is starting to change the way the world is perceived. And mother church is not necessarily happy about it.

Deuce Traveler · Sep 18, 2012

This is coming along nicely. The next step, after creating the character or the draft of your character, is to pick a particular strength or special ability. Every character gets just one. Each character must:

-Give the strength a name
-Describe the strength's special effect (what is required and how it appears in action)
-Choose a form (one of six: covertly, directly, for self, for others, with love, with violence). The PC has to be employing the form and act accordingly to use the strength
-Finally, choose an option:
--It’s potent. Its die is a d10. If you don’t choose this option, its die is a d8.
--It’s broad. Add a second form: if your character acts in either way, she can use the strength.
--It’s unique. If the strength is written on one character’s sheet, it can’t be written on any other.
--It’s far-reaching. Your character can use the strength to act beyond her normal human reach.

Strengths are very abstract. Here are some examples: Exorcism, the holy ceremonies that expel demons and protect people and places from them. It requires you to call upon certain warrior gods and recite their holy names and deeds. It’s not dramatic; no flashy effects. It has to be used for others. Significance is that it is far reaching.

The power to inflame passions, such as a wandering spirit might possess. Whisper in someone’s ear and fan their passions into flame. It has to be used covertly.
Significance 1: it’s consequential. It threatens for others; for NPCs it threatens self-protection. Its die is a d8.

doghead · Sep 20, 2012

I have been pondering this gift or ability and have come up with ... nothing. A complete blank. Perhaps when the others start posting up their ideas it might spark inspiration.

If anyone out there has any ideas, feel free to shoot them this way.

doghead · Sep 20, 2012

An Aside

GlassEye said:
As a side note, I would be interested in hearing your ideas on using the Oracles if you're willing to share. I was thinking less of character creation and more of a wild card for campaign building: players select an oracle, roll, and the result is some sort of divination (tarot, conjunction of constellations/planets, etc.) foretelling key turning points in the characters life. Then the DM would have to work those into the campaign.

I don't want to poach too much of DT's thread, so I will keep this brief. I have been considering a couple of ways of using the Oracles.

The first would be during character generation as part of 'Backgrounding'. Backgrounding is where players propose background for the characters of other players. You can see an example of it in play in this pbp thread. It takes some mental adjustment, but so far I think the outcomes have been excellent. In this case, each player would generate an Oracle for their character and the other players would be able to write their character (or his history) into other characters Oracles. I was thinking that there might be some reward for making and accepting a proposal.

The second way would be to use the Oracles in game. Each player would generate an Oracle for their character. During the game, players can use an appropriate Oracle to intercede in events and re-write or amend the situation as suits them. They might use the Oracle to turn and enemy into a friend, provide them with the answer to a question, gain entry into somewhere they should not be allowed, etc.

I am leaning towards the second use at the moment. As a DM, I like the idea of playings being able to re-write the game. However, the first would lend itself to the creation of a closely knit group of characters, which is what I would like to start with.

Deuce Traveler · Sep 20, 2012

We don't even have to go with the special abilities. In some ways they can throw off the game. dogsoul's character seems a capable soldier in his own right, able to convince with words or fight with the sword. The tempter demon and spirit might walk unseen, but still be able to do such things as effect the world physically or try to use influence to incite those still alive to action. I don't know too much about the Baroque Cycle, but here is an idea I came up with earlier today in which I'd like the participants to add their inputs:

A veteran soldier of the Thirty Years War heads to the site of an old, supposedly haunted abbey called the Abbe Le Mont Saint Michel. The locals say that the current master, one Count Rouge, is a recluse, conducting strange alchemical experiments in his facilities. Stories surround the abbey and the Count, some dealing with contracts made with the devil, the whispered pleas of long lost loved ones carried on the wind during moonless nights, and the disappearances of local villagers. Despite the murmurs of evil acts, the nobility does nothing about Count Rouge as the fortress was too important during the 30 years war and the noble's support steadfast.

But once a year, on the Day of the Dead, the first day of November, Count Rouge throws the doors to his home open to a baker's dozen men or women of his choosing. They are then entertained by Count Rouge, and are there to entertain in kind. These thirteen are given invitations without rhyme or reason, and they all inevitably accept and come from the lands both near and far, for at the end of the night Count Rouge bestows the heart's desire of one of the lucky thirteen. As for the other twelve, not all that come into the abbey leave, and of those that leave, not all come forth sane.

And so the veteran walks to the abbey, invitation in hand. And along the way he stops to rest in an old garden near a monastery, where he is met by two men who ask if they may accompany him. The veteran knows that there is something odd about the men, for he can see and hear them while others cannot. One is in actuality a tempter demon, partially freed back onto the world, but hopeful that he can convince the soldier to free his spirit completely from its prison. Another is the spirit of a young man, hopeful to influence the proceedings in a way to have the alchemist restore his soul to an able body. The veteran has his own wishes. And so the three travel to the Mont Saint Michel, each with his own heart's desire, each having to act through one man, and each ready to face the secrets of the haunted abbey.