Closed - Grim Hyborian Tales - Game Thread Created.

[ragboy]

I really enjoy Robert E. Howard's Conan stories, as many of us do. In that vein, I'd like to run a PbP game that has a different angle from either a fluid, open-ended campaign, or a plod-through-the-adventures railroad. Here's my angle:

- Short one-off adventures that span time and all of Hyboria (much like reading a collection of Conan stories)
- Characters that are not 'progressive.' (More on that below)
- A campaign that's not contiguous...
- An unobtrusive story thread running through the campaign leading to a final confrontation.

Work with me here. These are the bounds for character creation:

- Use Grim Tales as the base ruleset.
- 28 point buy system
- Any character concept is welcome within the bounds of the "look and feel" of Howard's world. I'll work directly with anyone that wants a spellcasting character.
- Make a version of your character at the following levels:
- 3rd
- 8th
- 12th

- Equipment - Equip your character with mundane equipment however you want at each level. There will be additions/subtractions before each episode.

- Magic - Hyboria is a low magic setting, but that doesn't mean no magic or low-powered magic. Using the forces of the unknown have a price and it's usually not an easy one to pay, either socially or personally. For any and all magic (spellcasting, magic items, etc), I'll work directly with the player before each episode to get things right.

- Spellcasting - I'm going to use an odd mix of GT and Savage Worlds for the spellcasting system. More on that as applicable.

- Campaign "Settings" -
*Flat-footed - Lose your shield bonus
**Death - Death at -10
**Massive Damage Threshold - CON only.
**Spellburn Die - d6 (though some spells situations may call for more or less)
- Horror/Insanity - Not used.
- We'll also be using the Mooks/Massive Damage variant to speed along any fodder combats.


- Sources - Other than Grim Tales, I'll be drawing heavily on: http://hyboria.xoth.net/. I won't be using the various human races as game Races, however. More on that later. The episodes will be drawn mostly from my own head, Howard's work, and 30 years worth of Conan comics...

- Timeline - I'm looking to spend some time getting the characters and character mix right, so I don't plan to begin the first episode before the middle of November. What I'd like to start with are character concepts.

- Theme - First and foremost, as with any game I run, the theme is character pain. Like brutal, oh-Crom-on-the-Mountain-make-it-stop kinda pain. And secondly is fun. Because we all like the have fun...

Game thread: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=2725286
Rogues Gallery: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=2726477

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

I could be interested... but there is a few things that I have issue with:

I see the 28-point buy as being rather low.

How will you do armor? Most of the people in those books run around in any sort of armor yet without house rules people will be forced to wear it for survival.

Both issues are IMHO you and others may not see it like that.

 

[Bobitron]

Rockin'. Great to see a Grim Tales game up.

I'm too busy to join, but wanted to give a great big stamp of approval and a round of applause.

 

[ragboy]

--Thanks bobitron! I know you're busy...

Shatterstone - Well, GT characters get a class bonus to armor class, as d20 Modern, and armor works a little different in GT, so I don't see a problem with it. I'm assuming you're suggesting the Parry mechanic in the d20 Conan book. Si o no? I've thought about that, but considered making it a feat or talent tree of various parry moves. I haven't played d20 Conan, so if you have an opinion on mechanics from that book, lemme know.

28-point buy will be fine, by the way.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Shatterstone - Well, GT characters get a class bonus to armor class, as d20 Modern, and armor works a little different in GT, so I don't see a problem with it.

Oops... I missed the GT part of the recruitment thread. I don't have that book so I'll withdraw my name. Sorry.

 

[Fenris]

Well let me be the first to throw some Grim Tales love your Hyborean way. Count me in!

 

[ragboy]

Well let me be the first to throw some Grim Tales love your Hyborean way. Count me in!

Excellent!

 

[Fenris]

Ragboy,
What options (ie skulls) are you going with? APs, MDTs etc. Just trying to get the full feel going for my concept.

I could kill Wulf. I spent all weekend working on a character. He has so many frickin choices and oprions in GT, that any given concept could be made, like 4 thousand ways! I guess there is such a thing as too many options

Anyway, my intial idea is for a Pictish archer/tracker. Dedicated/Fast I am pretty sure is how I will be going with him.

 

[ragboy]

I just started looking at that last night. I'll translate my notes into more guidance tonight. Your input is more than welcome on this, as well. If you give me an idea of your 'ideal' character, I'll morph that into campaign law. (how do you like that for great power == great responsibility?)

 

[ragboy]

Updated with 'skull' level. Let me know if I missed anything.

And tell your friends! Not much interest, it seems. Not sure if the concept is too weird or what.