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<blockquote data-quote="Graf" data-source="post: 4183424" data-attributes="member: 3087"><p><strong>Faq</strong></p><p></p><p>If you find the FAQ a bit overwhelming I suggest looking at 0.0 (Glossary), 0.2 (what to expect) and 0.3 (the process by which the game will start).</p><p></p><p>If you're interested in joining us all you really need to do is read 0.9 (expectations of players) and 0.11 (what sort of players won't enjoy the game) and fill out the character template. The more of the FAQ/thread (especially 1.0 The World) you've read the easier filling out the template will be, but don't sweat it too much.</p><p></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>The FAQ</strong></p><p>[sblock=0 Meta stuff]</p><p></p><p>0.0 Glossary</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>player driven</strong> -- the players will decide what happens, there are a few set pieces that will get trotted out but generally it's up to you to motivate your characters, go out, explore and decide what you want to do<br /> ALSO the starting area will be designed using player input (ideally as much as possible); if people can't help making the starting down the game probably won't start</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>roleplaying-oriented</strong> -- there will be fighting (I loves me some combat, and I plan on throughly testing 4e), but a major chunk of the the action will be defined by the characters choices, interaction with each other and NPCs, etc.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>"Extreme PoL"</strong> -- There is -one- point of light in the world that you know of when the game begins. Your town. You're the only player character classed people in your town. As far as you now there's no kingdom you're a part of, no far off city you can call on for aid, nothing like that.<br /> This doesn't mean constant hard-core action. If you're looking for that you need to <a href="http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=223797" target="_blank">meet Jurgen</a>.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>4e</strong> -- We're using the 4e core rules<br /> [sblock=But they aren't out yet!!!!1111]<br /> Yes I know they aren't out, but between getting the town built, getting the initial group of characters together, having them rp a bit, maybe do some stuff around town (skill checks, decide what they want to do), having people "PC up" (pick their player class) they'll probably just starting to getting into some serious action when June 6th rolls around.<br /> I could be off by a week one way or the other. But PbP runs slow, so I don't think we'll be waiting around to too long.<br /> <br /> Anyway, I'm not really ready to start, but I want player input before I get to locked in.[/sblock]</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Story Reasons</strong> -- I usually say "story reasons" as an explanation for something when there is a reason for something that has to do with a secret or game-related-effect that I want the group to discover in character. You can read it as "There is a reason, I don't want to tell you, but trust me, I think it's interesting."</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>quarantine zone/boundary</strong> -- an invisible insubstantial mental effect that rings the town and prevents people in the town from leaving; discussed in more detail below</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>the daze/disease of the mind</strong> -- a magical effect that strikes when children hit their teens, it turns people into passive automatons; see "disease of the mind" (starts at 1.2)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Heroic Soul</strong> -- something all PCs will acquire that makes them classed characters; see 1.3</li> </ul><p></p><p>0.1 Where did this game idea come from</p><p>[under construction] -- short answer an email conversation with some buddies</p><p></p><p>0.1.1 I've been thinking about doing something like this since 3.0. SKR mentioned a game (run by MC?) where the PCs were the first people in a new world.</p><p>I -think- Jonathan Tweet did something similar? The PCs were the first of the young gods maybe?</p><p>Anyway, some sort of adventure would be in order.</p><p></p><p>0.2 What can we expect?</p><p>Initially, brainstorming followed by a lot of roleplaying. Once we've developed the town, built connections between the players, the characters selected to be in the first party will fully awaken their <em>heroic soul</em> it'll shift to a -more- traditional DnD type game. It'll follow all the DnD rules and most, if not all, of the usual conventions (gradual leveling as you defeat opponents and achieve your goals, exploration, dungeons (some non-traditional, some traditional), etc.</p><p></p><p>0.3 Lay out the process for me.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">People help build the town. The more help I get the faster this goes. I'm -not- asking for one person to write the world, or to bring a town in from their world. I'm looking for the group (or the broader EnWorld community) to help develop a town that would be fun for them to start off in (but not so fun you don't want to leave)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Everyone who is interested will have a chance to start by making a character and rp-ing in the town. You'll still need to get my approval before you start, but it'll be a pretty painless process.; basically have you filled in the template below correctly? Do you seem have grasped the basic requirements of the world (i.e. read the FAQ)?</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">You are all afflicted by this disease of the mind (see below): Until you awaken/acquire your heroic soul you're basically classless 1st level characters. You can't make yourselves leave the town yet. You'll all be destined to become heroes, but you haven't managed to tap into that when the game starts.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">You'll roleplay, develop relationships with each other. Probably decide to do something heroic (i.e. not just sit around the town). </p><p></p><p>0.4 How much freedom will we have?</p><p>Within the game? A lot. I won't promise sand-box, because I think that's a big promise, but pretty close.</p><p>In character generation? Less. The characters have to fit the world. Personality, behavior, etc. are all yours to decide. You can also pick from any appropriate 4e mechanics and write your own fluff, subject to my approval. (see below)</p><p></p><p>0.5 The intro seems like it has some sort of mutants/weirdly appearing people.... is this gonna get SciFi?</p><p>No. It's pretty much your standard, PoL with some weirdness mixed in. No guns, etc. See the world section below for the explanations for why the races are set up the way they are.</p><p></p><p>0.6 So is this your homebrew?</p><p>No. I'm not a homebrewer really. I'm a "published settings fiend" actually (currently Eberron). The world has a degree of development to it, some key points are laid out, but it's not developed really.</p><p>It's a sort of anti-homebrew in the sense that it's not being built up in advance (beyond some key events, actors, magical effects, etc)</p><p>I imagine that I'll open a thread on the Plots and Places thread if this takes off (I think that's what they're calling the old Rogues thread).</p><p></p><p>0.7 Why not Eberron?</p><p>I was tortured and tormented. I guess I have to say I was taken with the idea, and it's much easier to run. Some of the conventions (i.e. the disease of the mind, for instance) will make it easier to have players drop the game and come back, without having to struggle and strain to keep the "plot" on track.</p><p>If I get it right the PCs -are- the plot; the "disappearing player" will effectively "turn off" their character when they go them.</p><p>This means less work for me, more immersion for the players and hopefully more fun for all.</p><p></p><p>0.8 What sort of DM are you?</p><p>My simulationist and narritivist sides war constantly. I appreciate gamist viewpoints in the abstract but beyond basic considerations of fairness and appreciation that DnD is, at it's core, about beating up bad guys and getting more powerful, gamism isn't a big consideration.</p><p>If that paragraph confused you then think about it like this i) I want the world and the events that occur within it (including PC actions) to be inherently consistent AND ii) I also want to tell interesting/fun/cool stories. I understand DnD is also a game, and some people like winning/having the most powerful character/etc. but I don't think it excuses behavior that would violate i or ii.</p><p></p><p>The best way to get a feel for my style is too look at my <a href="http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=215324" target="_blank">vampire game</a>. </p><p>This game will be less talky and hopefully have few or no dominant NPC types bossing PCs around (a bit of a failing in WoD to my mind).</p><p></p><p>0.9 What are your expectations of players</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Be cool with the other players (and me)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Post once every 24 hours on weekdays</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Help develop the town</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Play in character, support the attempts of others to play in character (respond to other people's comments, etc)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Accept my rulings (I love debate, so I don't usually tend to "rule" on something, but I can also be mulishly stubborn -- if we go back and forth a few times I expect you to be able to a) work with me to find a common ground if that fails I expect you to be able b) accept that in this particular game world things work the way that I say so)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Not read any Plots and Places threads related to the game</li> </ul><p></p><p>0.10 You a jerk about anything?</p><p>[under construction]0.11 What sort of players won't enjoy this game <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">People who aren't comfortable reading big blocks of text (I try my best, but I really am "brevity impaired")<br /> [sblock=Not a native English speaker?]Let me know, if you like and I'll try to make sure can participate and don't feel excluded. I don't promise miracles of course, but I've been the "non-native speaker" a lot over the course of my life and I respect that it requires compromise by both parties.[/sblock]</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">People who don't like to roleplay.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">People who always like to have their character make "the best move".</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If you play DnD like DDM you'll absolutely hate playing with me. (I'm not saying most DDM players play DnD like DDM, but if you do, you really won't enjoy me as a DM.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">People who hate having questions asked about their characters. I almost always ask questions. If that sort of give and take bothers you you'll really really hate playing with me.</li> </ul><p></p><p>0.12 there is no 0.12</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p>[sblock=1. The world]</p><p></p><p></p><p>1.1 Was once a more-or-less bog standard DnD world. Some time ago <em>something</em> happened and things got very messed up. The game is about the PCs in the world, finding out what happened and what they do about it.</p><p></p><p>1.2 The disease of the mind. Unless you have the <em>soul of a hero</em> you are affected by a disease of the mind. It prevents you from leaving the town. Most of the time it also puts people in a kind of trance-like a daze. When you're dazed you function normally (smile to their neighbors, feed their children</p><p></p><p>1.2.1 Effects of the daze (in terms of roleplaying)</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">dazed people can't lie; they speak in simple, completely honest sentences and usually can't consider the feelings of others.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">They tend to go about their activities almost mindlessly, a baker bakes, even if no-one comes to eat their bread, they pile it on the window.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">People, generally, aren't greedy. They take what they need and offer what they make for any who want it. There is no money to speak of.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Violence is extremely rare. The daze makes it hard for people to get mad.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Almost everyone shakes off the daze, at least to a degree, a few times in their life. They manage to get married, learn a trade, and function in society, but little more.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The daze is weaker on children, and much weaker also on people who could have the soul of the hero (<em><strong>unless</strong> their player stops posting, or leaves the game</em>)</li> </ul><p>[sblock=example with a mother and child]</p><p>A child: Why do the other children avoid me?</p><p>Mother: You're ugly dear.</p><p>Child cries.</p><p>Some small part of the mother wants to reach out to take the child in her arms, to tell her she's loved and everything is fine. But most of the time she's just not strong enough. So the mother reaches out and gently rests her arm on her crying child's cheek for a minute before turning to stir the stewpot.</p><p></p><p><strong>Note: </strong>Though it is not an effect of the daze, per se, <em>no one in the town can read</em>.</p><p></p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p>1.2.2 Is there a metagame reason for this whole disease of the mind?</p><p>Yes. These include</p><p>a) Story reasons</p><p>b) <forgot what I was going to put here></p><p>c) I don't have to develop an entire world in one shot</p><p>d) It plausibly explains why your characters don't know anything about the world beyond the towns borders/the past/etc</p><p>e) It lets me "pull" characters out of the world when players stop posting with minimal disruption:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px">Example: If Trogdar's character stops posting for a few days. Trogdar an outspoken and aggressive warrior, was once an animated figure in the party becomes pleasant and amenable. His face is slack, he stares off into space, he can have only simple conversations. He follows instructions, but can't do much more than follow people about and carry things. If food is nearby him he'll eat it.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><u>Short Term:</u> If the player is just away for a bit then it'll be possible that the daze really just overwhelmed them for a round. They lost an action, but otherwise everything continues on normally. (Of course, being suddenly overcome by the daze during combat could potentially be fatal -- but again the character will have died for an IC reason).</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><u>Long Term:</u>The daze persists so long the player isn't posting. Generally the party will probably wind up dropping Trogdar off when they head back to the town he'll sit there it may be possible for the the player to return and play him later(or someone else wants to pick him up).</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Either way I don't really need to worry about playing him, the remaining members don't need to worry about roleplaying with Trogdar, or any weirdness that normally comes when a player leaves.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">This isn't meant to be a method to arbitrarily torture people/destroy their characters. It's just designed to keep the and sudden departures from making my head hurt. </p><p></p><p>1.3 The soul of the hero</p><p>This is what gives the PCs classes, allows them to gain levels, allows them to (mostly) shake of the disease of the mind (and leave the town), grants them all their action points, lets them use magic items, and probably does some other things.</p><p>It doesn't have a particularly obvious physical sign, (you don't glow or anything), but certain NPCs will be able to sense your heroic soul.</p><p>You can think of it as a weaker version of exaltation from Exalted.</p><p></p><p>1.6 Status Quo Encounters</p><p>[under construction]</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p></p><p>[sblock=2. The rules]</p><p>2.1 Core 4 rules mechanics</p><p></p><p>2.2 Races</p><p>You can play humans, or half-elves (but you're related to one half-elvin family). I can work in Tieflings or maybe Dragonborn if there's interest.</p><p></p><p>2.3 Classes</p><p>All classes are available, but fiendish warlock fluff is embargoed. You can use that crunch with some other fluff and minor mechancial changes (fire warlock, a psionic blaster who pushes people about with his/her mind).</p><p></p><p>2.4 Can I use something I made up?</p><p>No. Must be core. You can massage fluff to make it different, but that's it.</p><p></p><p>2.5 Magic Items</p><p>[under construction -- there will probably be "few" magic items</p><p>There are story reasons for this.]</p><p></p><p>2.6 Impact of Magic Item "few-ness"?</p><p>[under construction -- Obviously hard to talk about in detail without rules.</p><p>Impact of magical items will be minimized by applying a set of static bonuses as characters level -- characters will receive a fixed set of bonuses (per Mike Mearls) provided by their Heroic Souls.</p><p>Magic items people do find will "level up" with PCs (so they're always the right power level for their wielder)</p><p></p><p>There is the potential for alternate kinds of magic items (ex: if the characters can manage to contact gods or similar entities they might receive "blessings" that function like magic items)]</p><p></p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>3. Character Creation template</strong></p><p>(see first <a href="http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=4183422&postcount=1" target="_blank">post of the thread</a>)</p><p></p><p>[sblock=4. The town]</p><p></p><p>4.0 [sblock=The original quick overview]Is the town detailed?</p><p><s>No. I like to have players design the place they start in (i.e. design the town, or most of it). It lets them make an impression on the world, help create the environment that shapes their characters.</s>With player input the town is starting to get detailed.</p><p></p><p>I imagine four to six neighborhoods. Split up by odd black walls. There is probably a river that runs through town, and down to a swamp at the edge. There is no militia, because of the daze violence is extremely rare. No-one one leaves the town, no one remembers anyone entering.</p><p></p><p>You can pitch in ideas for a neighborhood; ideally each one has it's own character, unusual traits, etc.</p><p>You can pitch in ideas for specific people/places/other[/sblock]The town has been developed to a fairly large degree already, you can try to work your way through the thread, or just ask questions if you're confused.</p><p></p><p>My goal is to get key information about the town up here, but it may take some time.</p><p>[/sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Graf, post: 4183424, member: 3087"] [b]Faq[/b] If you find the FAQ a bit overwhelming I suggest looking at 0.0 (Glossary), 0.2 (what to expect) and 0.3 (the process by which the game will start). If you're interested in joining us all you really need to do is read 0.9 (expectations of players) and 0.11 (what sort of players won't enjoy the game) and fill out the character template. The more of the FAQ/thread (especially 1.0 The World) you've read the easier filling out the template will be, but don't sweat it too much. [B] The FAQ[/B] [sblock=0 Meta stuff] 0.0 Glossary [list] [*][B]player driven[/B] -- the players will decide what happens, there are a few set pieces that will get trotted out but generally it's up to you to motivate your characters, go out, explore and decide what you want to do ALSO the starting area will be designed using player input (ideally as much as possible); if people can't help making the starting down the game probably won't start [*][B]roleplaying-oriented[/B] -- there will be fighting (I loves me some combat, and I plan on throughly testing 4e), but a major chunk of the the action will be defined by the characters choices, interaction with each other and NPCs, etc. [*][B]"Extreme PoL"[/B] -- There is -one- point of light in the world that you know of when the game begins. Your town. You're the only player character classed people in your town. As far as you now there's no kingdom you're a part of, no far off city you can call on for aid, nothing like that. This doesn't mean constant hard-core action. If you're looking for that you need to [url=http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=223797]meet Jurgen[/url]. [*][B]4e[/B] -- We're using the 4e core rules [sblock=But they aren't out yet!!!!1111] Yes I know they aren't out, but between getting the town built, getting the initial group of characters together, having them rp a bit, maybe do some stuff around town (skill checks, decide what they want to do), having people "PC up" (pick their player class) they'll probably just starting to getting into some serious action when June 6th rolls around. I could be off by a week one way or the other. But PbP runs slow, so I don't think we'll be waiting around to too long. Anyway, I'm not really ready to start, but I want player input before I get to locked in.[/sblock] [*][B]Story Reasons[/B] -- I usually say "story reasons" as an explanation for something when there is a reason for something that has to do with a secret or game-related-effect that I want the group to discover in character. You can read it as "There is a reason, I don't want to tell you, but trust me, I think it's interesting." [*][B]quarantine zone/boundary[/B] -- an invisible insubstantial mental effect that rings the town and prevents people in the town from leaving; discussed in more detail below [*][B]the daze/disease of the mind[/B] -- a magical effect that strikes when children hit their teens, it turns people into passive automatons; see "disease of the mind" (starts at 1.2) [*][B]Heroic Soul[/B] -- something all PCs will acquire that makes them classed characters; see 1.3 [/list] 0.1 Where did this game idea come from [under construction] -- short answer an email conversation with some buddies 0.1.1 I've been thinking about doing something like this since 3.0. SKR mentioned a game (run by MC?) where the PCs were the first people in a new world. I -think- Jonathan Tweet did something similar? The PCs were the first of the young gods maybe? Anyway, some sort of adventure would be in order. 0.2 What can we expect? Initially, brainstorming followed by a lot of roleplaying. Once we've developed the town, built connections between the players, the characters selected to be in the first party will fully awaken their [i]heroic soul[/i] it'll shift to a -more- traditional DnD type game. It'll follow all the DnD rules and most, if not all, of the usual conventions (gradual leveling as you defeat opponents and achieve your goals, exploration, dungeons (some non-traditional, some traditional), etc. 0.3 Lay out the process for me. [indent] People help build the town. The more help I get the faster this goes. I'm -not- asking for one person to write the world, or to bring a town in from their world. I'm looking for the group (or the broader EnWorld community) to help develop a town that would be fun for them to start off in (but not so fun you don't want to leave) Everyone who is interested will have a chance to start by making a character and rp-ing in the town. You'll still need to get my approval before you start, but it'll be a pretty painless process.; basically have you filled in the template below correctly? Do you seem have grasped the basic requirements of the world (i.e. read the FAQ)? You are all afflicted by this disease of the mind (see below): Until you awaken/acquire your heroic soul you're basically classless 1st level characters. You can't make yourselves leave the town yet. You'll all be destined to become heroes, but you haven't managed to tap into that when the game starts. You'll roleplay, develop relationships with each other. Probably decide to do something heroic (i.e. not just sit around the town). [/indent] 0.4 How much freedom will we have? Within the game? A lot. I won't promise sand-box, because I think that's a big promise, but pretty close. In character generation? Less. The characters have to fit the world. Personality, behavior, etc. are all yours to decide. You can also pick from any appropriate 4e mechanics and write your own fluff, subject to my approval. (see below) 0.5 The intro seems like it has some sort of mutants/weirdly appearing people.... is this gonna get SciFi? No. It's pretty much your standard, PoL with some weirdness mixed in. No guns, etc. See the world section below for the explanations for why the races are set up the way they are. 0.6 So is this your homebrew? No. I'm not a homebrewer really. I'm a "published settings fiend" actually (currently Eberron). The world has a degree of development to it, some key points are laid out, but it's not developed really. It's a sort of anti-homebrew in the sense that it's not being built up in advance (beyond some key events, actors, magical effects, etc) I imagine that I'll open a thread on the Plots and Places thread if this takes off (I think that's what they're calling the old Rogues thread). 0.7 Why not Eberron? I was tortured and tormented. I guess I have to say I was taken with the idea, and it's much easier to run. Some of the conventions (i.e. the disease of the mind, for instance) will make it easier to have players drop the game and come back, without having to struggle and strain to keep the "plot" on track. If I get it right the PCs -are- the plot; the "disappearing player" will effectively "turn off" their character when they go them. This means less work for me, more immersion for the players and hopefully more fun for all. 0.8 What sort of DM are you? My simulationist and narritivist sides war constantly. I appreciate gamist viewpoints in the abstract but beyond basic considerations of fairness and appreciation that DnD is, at it's core, about beating up bad guys and getting more powerful, gamism isn't a big consideration. If that paragraph confused you then think about it like this i) I want the world and the events that occur within it (including PC actions) to be inherently consistent AND ii) I also want to tell interesting/fun/cool stories. I understand DnD is also a game, and some people like winning/having the most powerful character/etc. but I don't think it excuses behavior that would violate i or ii. The best way to get a feel for my style is too look at my [url=http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=215324]vampire game[/url]. This game will be less talky and hopefully have few or no dominant NPC types bossing PCs around (a bit of a failing in WoD to my mind). 0.9 What are your expectations of players [list] [*]Be cool with the other players (and me) [*]Post once every 24 hours on weekdays [*]Help develop the town [*]Play in character, support the attempts of others to play in character (respond to other people's comments, etc) [*]Accept my rulings (I love debate, so I don't usually tend to "rule" on something, but I can also be mulishly stubborn -- if we go back and forth a few times I expect you to be able to a) work with me to find a common ground if that fails I expect you to be able b) accept that in this particular game world things work the way that I say so) [*]Not read any Plots and Places threads related to the game [/list] 0.10 You a jerk about anything? [under construction]0.11 What sort of players won't enjoy this game[list] [*]People who aren't comfortable reading big blocks of text (I try my best, but I really am "brevity impaired") [sblock=Not a native English speaker?]Let me know, if you like and I'll try to make sure can participate and don't feel excluded. I don't promise miracles of course, but I've been the "non-native speaker" a lot over the course of my life and I respect that it requires compromise by both parties.[/sblock] [*]People who don't like to roleplay. [*]People who always like to have their character make "the best move". [*]If you play DnD like DDM you'll absolutely hate playing with me. (I'm not saying most DDM players play DnD like DDM, but if you do, you really won't enjoy me as a DM.) [*]People who hate having questions asked about their characters. I almost always ask questions. If that sort of give and take bothers you you'll really really hate playing with me. [/list] 0.12 there is no 0.12 [/sblock] [sblock=1. The world] 1.1 Was once a more-or-less bog standard DnD world. Some time ago [i]something[/i] happened and things got very messed up. The game is about the PCs in the world, finding out what happened and what they do about it. 1.2 The disease of the mind. Unless you have the [i]soul of a hero[/i] you are affected by a disease of the mind. It prevents you from leaving the town. Most of the time it also puts people in a kind of trance-like a daze. When you're dazed you function normally (smile to their neighbors, feed their children 1.2.1 Effects of the daze (in terms of roleplaying) [list] [*]dazed people can't lie; they speak in simple, completely honest sentences and usually can't consider the feelings of others. [*]They tend to go about their activities almost mindlessly, a baker bakes, even if no-one comes to eat their bread, they pile it on the window. [*]People, generally, aren't greedy. They take what they need and offer what they make for any who want it. There is no money to speak of. [*]Violence is extremely rare. The daze makes it hard for people to get mad. [*]Almost everyone shakes off the daze, at least to a degree, a few times in their life. They manage to get married, learn a trade, and function in society, but little more. [*]The daze is weaker on children, and much weaker also on people who could have the soul of the hero ([i][b]unless[/b] their player stops posting, or leaves the game[/i]) [/list] [sblock=example with a mother and child] A child: Why do the other children avoid me? Mother: You're ugly dear. Child cries. Some small part of the mother wants to reach out to take the child in her arms, to tell her she's loved and everything is fine. But most of the time she's just not strong enough. So the mother reaches out and gently rests her arm on her crying child's cheek for a minute before turning to stir the stewpot. [B]Note: [/B]Though it is not an effect of the daze, per se, [I]no one in the town can read[/I]. [/sblock] 1.2.2 Is there a metagame reason for this whole disease of the mind? Yes. These include a) Story reasons b) <forgot what I was going to put here> c) I don't have to develop an entire world in one shot d) It plausibly explains why your characters don't know anything about the world beyond the towns borders/the past/etc e) It lets me "pull" characters out of the world when players stop posting with minimal disruption: [indent]Example: If Trogdar's character stops posting for a few days. Trogdar an outspoken and aggressive warrior, was once an animated figure in the party becomes pleasant and amenable. His face is slack, he stares off into space, he can have only simple conversations. He follows instructions, but can't do much more than follow people about and carry things. If food is nearby him he'll eat it. [u]Short Term:[/u] If the player is just away for a bit then it'll be possible that the daze really just overwhelmed them for a round. They lost an action, but otherwise everything continues on normally. (Of course, being suddenly overcome by the daze during combat could potentially be fatal -- but again the character will have died for an IC reason). [u]Long Term:[/u]The daze persists so long the player isn't posting. Generally the party will probably wind up dropping Trogdar off when they head back to the town he'll sit there it may be possible for the the player to return and play him later(or someone else wants to pick him up). Either way I don't really need to worry about playing him, the remaining members don't need to worry about roleplaying with Trogdar, or any weirdness that normally comes when a player leaves. This isn't meant to be a method to arbitrarily torture people/destroy their characters. It's just designed to keep the and sudden departures from making my head hurt. [/indent] 1.3 The soul of the hero This is what gives the PCs classes, allows them to gain levels, allows them to (mostly) shake of the disease of the mind (and leave the town), grants them all their action points, lets them use magic items, and probably does some other things. It doesn't have a particularly obvious physical sign, (you don't glow or anything), but certain NPCs will be able to sense your heroic soul. You can think of it as a weaker version of exaltation from Exalted. 1.6 Status Quo Encounters [under construction] [/sblock] [sblock=2. The rules] 2.1 Core 4 rules mechanics 2.2 Races You can play humans, or half-elves (but you're related to one half-elvin family). I can work in Tieflings or maybe Dragonborn if there's interest. 2.3 Classes All classes are available, but fiendish warlock fluff is embargoed. You can use that crunch with some other fluff and minor mechancial changes (fire warlock, a psionic blaster who pushes people about with his/her mind). 2.4 Can I use something I made up? No. Must be core. You can massage fluff to make it different, but that's it. 2.5 Magic Items [under construction -- there will probably be "few" magic items There are story reasons for this.] 2.6 Impact of Magic Item "few-ness"? [under construction -- Obviously hard to talk about in detail without rules. Impact of magical items will be minimized by applying a set of static bonuses as characters level -- characters will receive a fixed set of bonuses (per Mike Mearls) provided by their Heroic Souls. Magic items people do find will "level up" with PCs (so they're always the right power level for their wielder) There is the potential for alternate kinds of magic items (ex: if the characters can manage to contact gods or similar entities they might receive "blessings" that function like magic items)] [/sblock] [B]3. Character Creation template[/B] (see first [url=http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=4183422&postcount=1]post of the thread[/url]) [sblock=4. The town] 4.0 [sblock=The original quick overview]Is the town detailed? [s]No. I like to have players design the place they start in (i.e. design the town, or most of it). It lets them make an impression on the world, help create the environment that shapes their characters.[/s]With player input the town is starting to get detailed. I imagine four to six neighborhoods. Split up by odd black walls. There is probably a river that runs through town, and down to a swamp at the edge. There is no militia, because of the daze violence is extremely rare. No-one one leaves the town, no one remembers anyone entering. You can pitch in ideas for a neighborhood; ideally each one has it's own character, unusual traits, etc. You can pitch in ideas for specific people/places/other[/sblock]The town has been developed to a fairly large degree already, you can try to work your way through the thread, or just ask questions if you're confused. My goal is to get key information about the town up here, but it may take some time. [/sblock] [/QUOTE]
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