Don't get too involved with Chargen yet. We still have world building to do.
I also haven't given out the chargen assignments yet.
Lets try to get another player interested, do a little more world building, and get excited about the world before we get excited about our characters. Keep them in mind, but don't get wed to a concept until we have gotten more stuff done.
Almost anything is open for world building. Let me know your ideas and elements that you would like to see.
How about ideas for an organization. Something that could exert influence in the kingdom.
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The Wisdom of Hong
I am starting to think that I should apprentice to Hong. Then some day I could be a Disciple of Hong!
"3E philosophy: the rules are a framework for building the world. Where this conflicts with gaming needs, houserule or handwave.
4E philosophy: the rules are a framework for running the game. Where this conflicts with world building needs, houserule or handwave.
If you spend more time running a game than world building, this is a net gain." - Hong
3E simulates the model of reality that 3E players have built in their heads. 4E fails to do this. Therefore, 3E is more realistic than 4E.-Hong
Well, how about this (derived from the stuff on Lindinis):
The Illurian Sages are an organization of respected scholars and other wise men known throughout the land for their level-headedness and knowledge. While they can be found in many places, the central chapterhouse of this order is, of course, located in the Great Library of Lindinis, and is home to some of the most respected historians and scholars in the known world.
The Sages survived the recent witch-hunts relatively intact, after publicly repudiating texts on wizardry and magic, but the Illurians have more secrets than most know. In fact, the Sages count among their number more than a few powerful wizards, but those with arcane power are loathe to use it - both because they know it might bring the populace down upon them, and also because they believe that 'practical' applications of magic are firmly secondary to the theoretical studies.
__________________ "Paranoia is a lot like life insurance. Annoying, expensive, and rarely needed. And like life insurance, if you need it and you don't have it, it's too late already."
"This makes no sense at all. Your DM needs to be shot. With a hammer."
-quote from the Wizards web board
Almost anything is open for world building. Let me know your ideas and elements that you would like to see.
How about ideas for an organization. Something that could exert influence in the kingdom.
What kind of an organization, or what kind of influence? Any preference? A shining force for good, a shadowy force of villainy, or something in between?
If good, perhaps the Kingsguard- in ancient times they were just as the name indicates, a sort of national police force, recruiting heavily amongst moral churchmen and paladins; with the recent decline in royal authority, they have become more autonomous, and can be found protecting travelers and handing down justice just about anywhere that qualifies as civilization. While their name is still respected, everyone knows that they don't really work for the king nowadays.
If evil, perhaps an extension of the "witch hunt" atmosphere which has spread from Lindinus- a repressive (claiming to be "official") organization of agents scouring the kingdom for arcanists and offering an ultimatum; work for them (sorry, I meant 'for the king') or face the consequences. They might also be perhaps a bit too interested in artifacts and lore of the Old People. (This is a bit trite and 'Inquisition-ish', but could work- not as obvious as the Lightbringers in the Wheel of Time).
If somewhere in between, perhaps a secretive network of arcanists and their agents, operating as gypsy-like wanderers (or in Irish terms, tinkers); they are interested in those with arcane potential, or 'the Old Blood'- they say they offer safety, training, and lore, but who can say if they are telling the truth...
On an semi-related note, how much of an "outside world" is there, at least in common usage or knowledge terms? Are there other foreign kingdoms that most kingdom folk might recognize? If so, perhaps a foreign nation/culture/competing church is seeking to spread influence or weaken the kingdom from within- secretly, of course.
Speaking for my own, personal tastes, I like everything contained in pathfinderq1's post. I don't see why ALL of those items couldn't work, unless one or more of them are in conflict with ideas already in place in the DM's grand scheme of things.
I would just add that the Kingsguardsmen should always travel at least in pairs, if not in larger groups. The members of a "squad" of Kingsguardsmen could take turns adjudicating disputes as they travel about the countryside. But they should never travel far alone, as that would make them easy marks for the enemies of the King and of the Kingdom, who are, after all, everywhere and nowhere.
Last edited by Leif; 17th November 2008 at 02:26 AM..
How about a schism of sorts in the official power? You've got the Kingsguard, the older police force that people mostly trust and respect, and a newer, more urban 'secret police' that uses questionable methods and hunts down arcanists?
__________________ "Paranoia is a lot like life insurance. Annoying, expensive, and rarely needed. And like life insurance, if you need it and you don't have it, it's too late already."
"This makes no sense at all. Your DM needs to be shot. With a hammer."
-quote from the Wizards web board
I especially like the inquisition idea. How about a fanatical sect that has gained too much influence in the Church, say with the help of the merchant guild. Originally a result of fear of the growing darkness. They are in secret opposition to the King. The witch hunt was an effort to destabilize one of the kings powerbases, namely arcanists. The merchants guild are just greedy, and see opportunity.
The Kingsguard are great. They are an elite faction of the regular Army. A knighthood. Maybe mostly Swordmages and Paladins? The Church is trying to gain control of them, but they are resisting. Room for some moral ambiguity, especially if the Church co-opts their name for the inquisitors.
As for the outside world, we'll keep it somewhat sketchy so we fullfill the Points of Light theme. A few ideas are good, but keep them loose.
__________________
Sig
The Wisdom of Hong
I am starting to think that I should apprentice to Hong. Then some day I could be a Disciple of Hong!
"3E philosophy: the rules are a framework for building the world. Where this conflicts with gaming needs, houserule or handwave.
4E philosophy: the rules are a framework for running the game. Where this conflicts with world building needs, houserule or handwave.
If you spend more time running a game than world building, this is a net gain." - Hong
3E simulates the model of reality that 3E players have built in their heads. 4E fails to do this. Therefore, 3E is more realistic than 4E.-Hong
How about a schism of sorts in the official power? You've got the Kingsguard, the older police force that people mostly trust and respect, and a newer, more urban 'secret police' that uses questionable methods and hunts down arcanists?
That might create an interesting dynamic, especially when the two groups interact- one side having a good, established reputation and respect (but in current times, no 'official' mandate), while the other side is sneaky and often suspect, but has (or claims to have) the formal authority. Messy- especially for those caught in between.
Commerce-wise, a similar rift can be opening, as the king's sphere of influence shrinks. Once upon a time, there was a kingdom-wide system of coinage, well-maintained roads for merchants to travel on, and a respectable network of commerce. Now, as the kingdom is less-centrally controlled, things are falling apart: the roads are dangerous, and in disrepair, so many towns are becoming far more self-sufficient; those who act as traveling merchants might be brave, or desperate, or con-men; and the old monetary standards are less respected (but everybody respects gold, now exchanged by pure weight- and this has increased interest in the Great Bog, despite its danger, because the ancient gold has an even stronger pull).
As far as the Kingsguard goes, I'd personally have them be Fighters, Paladins and Rangers mostly. At this point I'd have the Arcane power-source being looked rather unfavorably on (which can lead to fun for whichever PCs use it).
__________________ "Paranoia is a lot like life insurance. Annoying, expensive, and rarely needed. And like life insurance, if you need it and you don't have it, it's too late already."
"This makes no sense at all. Your DM needs to be shot. With a hammer."
-quote from the Wizards web board
I especially like the inquisition idea. How about a fanatical sect that has gained too much influence in the Church, say with the help of the merchant guild. Originally a result of fear of the growing darkness. They are in secret opposition to the King. The witch hunt was an effort to destabilize one of the kings powerbases, namely arcanists. The merchants guild are just greedy, and see opportunity.
The Kingsguard are great. They are an elite faction of the regular Army. A knighthood. Maybe mostly Swordmages and Paladins? The Church is trying to gain control of them, but they are resisting. Room for some moral ambiguity, especially if the Church co-opts their name for the inquisitors.
As for the outside world, we'll keep it somewhat sketchy so we fullfill the Points of Light theme. A few ideas are good, but keep them loose.
This works for me. For the "Inquisition", the merchant guild idea ties well into my idea (in the other post) about commerce- with the slow disintegration of a formal trade network/structure, the guild merchants would be looking for either a new source of power/influence, or a way to restore the old network. Building a new organization might be one route, and that organization (whatever their original intent) has grown beyond their control, into an "Inquisition" (we'll have to come up with a better name- where did that thesaurus go?). For the Kingsguard, a knighthood works well- some paladins (particularly among the older members), some fighters and warlords, some swordmages (though I don't have the FR stuff for 4e, I can pick up a great deal through context).
Yeah, this has shaped up rather well, went quicker than I had expected, and was really fun and surprising for me as a DM. Made quick work of creating a setting.
I have posted chargen info and assignments. Have fun, and lets communicate about our public ideas. There is also a lot of room for sectrets, but we need to fit together as a group.
__________________
Sig
The Wisdom of Hong
I am starting to think that I should apprentice to Hong. Then some day I could be a Disciple of Hong!
"3E philosophy: the rules are a framework for building the world. Where this conflicts with gaming needs, houserule or handwave.
4E philosophy: the rules are a framework for running the game. Where this conflicts with world building needs, houserule or handwave.
If you spend more time running a game than world building, this is a net gain." - Hong
3E simulates the model of reality that 3E players have built in their heads. 4E fails to do this. Therefore, 3E is more realistic than 4E.-Hong
I'll work on the char-gen "homework" tomorrow at work, and I'll put something out tomorrow evening. Considering how well this has shaped up in not even one day, perhaps we will acquire another player or two in the meantime. I do not have any 4e material beyond the 3 core books, so anything I end up with will come from there.
Party roles discussion:
It looks like we have four people so far, plus whoever we pick up soon (one or two, at most)- so those already aboard can probably go with their first choice concepts. If nothing has changed, that gives us:
1. Striker (archer/ranger)
2. Leader ("Healer"; cleric)
3. ?Defender, I think? (Swordmage)
4. Controller (Wizard)
I've only played one 4e game so far, as a fighter- so if we have anyone who _Really_ wants the controller slot, I'm perfectly willing to play a fighter or melee rogue.
Sounds great. We probably have a few days for chargen before anyone gets too anxious to get started, hopefully we will pick up another player. If we don't have a wizard, that is OK. I think it is the most disposable role in 4e. The others, especially leaders, are much more necessary. That said, a wizard can add a lot, and are really fun to play. If you would like to play one, go for it. I just don't want to be stacked with wizards.
This will be my first experience DMing 4e. I have only played a little bit, but we have plenty of time to look up rules and such if we need it, without making other people annoyed with us for taking the time.
The Return to Northmoor is written by a long time RPGA writer. He is putting it on a podcast, making it relatively easy for me to run it. (Hopefully). I will be changing a little fluff here and there, but most of this stuff is how he said it should be run, with player input and everything. I think I will be sending him some transcripts of our game as feedback for how it is going. This should be a very fun project.
__________________
Sig
The Wisdom of Hong
I am starting to think that I should apprentice to Hong. Then some day I could be a Disciple of Hong!
"3E philosophy: the rules are a framework for building the world. Where this conflicts with gaming needs, houserule or handwave.
4E philosophy: the rules are a framework for running the game. Where this conflicts with world building needs, houserule or handwave.
If you spend more time running a game than world building, this is a net gain." - Hong
3E simulates the model of reality that 3E players have built in their heads. 4E fails to do this. Therefore, 3E is more realistic than 4E.-Hong
I'm workin' up the character homework slowly, it'll take a bit .
Swordmages are, in fact, Defenders. They use light armor, but have Intelligence as a primary ability so that works out alright. Not as good as fighters at taking down single targets, but they have a lot of AoE powers and teleporty-stuff.
Basic character-ideas if others want to start collaborating...
A very absent-minded intellectual type, who served as a professional writer in the Outpost, taking dictated letters from illiterate miners. On the Raft, he officially acts as a kind of consultant, providing the benefit of his extensive studies. In actuality, he's also there as a competent fighter and user of magic, and was drawn there by a desire to find out what the Raftman knows about the Lost Bog - all part of his plans to publish a groundbreaking paper on the subject of said location.
__________________ "Paranoia is a lot like life insurance. Annoying, expensive, and rarely needed. And like life insurance, if you need it and you don't have it, it's too late already."
"This makes no sense at all. Your DM needs to be shot. With a hammer."
-quote from the Wizards web board
Last edited by Nac Mac Feegle; 17th November 2008 at 05:21 AM..
One question relevant for character concept, apprentice: what kind of creatures (aside from pirates and such) are the Outposts defending northmoor against?
My only doubt is the "unboarded" system linked, it looked actually pretty complicated to me, but probably I'll just have to get used to it...
Come join us in the Shifting Seas and Transitive Isles of Living 4th Edition, amazing adventures and great fun guaranteed!
Then to play community 4e in Eberron join us in LEB too! Give life to your characters and contribute to the living settings!
Please excuse my poor English. It is not my first language.
Hey guys, we got noticed by the writers. They have a forum and we are linked from it. They have a feedback thread for people who play Return to Northmoor, that way fans can have some influence on the game. This is fantastic! It could almost be like having a professional writer write a game for us personally. (not really, but I can pretend)
That being said, I would appreciate it if there were no spoilers spread here in this thread. I also would appreciate it if the players stayed away from the podcasts for now. We are still in need of a fifth player, and I would appreciate it if only players that do not listen to this podcast apply to be in this game. Sorry.
This is so cool!
I am not really sure about the boardless system either. We might just play a little fast and loose with the rules and not stick too closely to the board.
As for monsters, I am not totally sure. I am not writing this adventure, and it is still being written. I will possibly reskin the monsters anyway, so who knows. I am working on it. Are there any cool ideas that you guys have for an aquatic race of humanoid monsters that I could reskin the bad guys into? There have only been 5 types of monsters through advancement to second level, and that is as far as the module has gotten.
__________________
Sig
The Wisdom of Hong
I am starting to think that I should apprentice to Hong. Then some day I could be a Disciple of Hong!
"3E philosophy: the rules are a framework for building the world. Where this conflicts with gaming needs, houserule or handwave.
4E philosophy: the rules are a framework for running the game. Where this conflicts with world building needs, houserule or handwave.
If you spend more time running a game than world building, this is a net gain." - Hong
3E simulates the model of reality that 3E players have built in their heads. 4E fails to do this. Therefore, 3E is more realistic than 4E.-Hong
A couple of random ideas.
A setting inspired to ancient Ireland doesn't look complete without some sort of Nature-worshipping religion or druidic sect. The most obvious thing that comes to mind is that this "religion" (more of a generic cult of sort, really) is scorned upon by the Churc, and has been persecuted for a long time in Lindinis.
But what if in the outside world, of which little is known, a small "revolution" is taking place, Druids at its head guiding the faithful towards the "return to the golden age", getting priests and officers out of villages and re-establishing the ancient traditions?
Some refugees might have repaired in Northmoor and spread the news...?
What d you think about it Apprentice? Too unfocused?
Come join us in the Shifting Seas and Transitive Isles of Living 4th Edition, amazing adventures and great fun guaranteed!
Then to play community 4e in Eberron join us in LEB too! Give life to your characters and contribute to the living settings!
Please excuse my poor English. It is not my first language.
I was going to suggest something about an "ex-point of light," a city that had been overrun and consumed by the encroaching darkness. Maybe the church there, or local arcanists had meddled with stuff that they hadn't ought to have messed with, or something. Anyway, the idea was to be that the former city could be turned into a dungeon for us. Well, an "encounter area," with the wizard's guild and the temple being actual, real dungeon-type thingys. Anyway, I was going to suggest that, before I knew what the deal was with our adventure thread. But I guess all of that is probably all taken care of already, isn't it?
Last edited by Leif; 17th November 2008 at 05:24 PM..
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