[Burning THAC0] B2: The Keep on the Borderlands (ooc/setup)

[Kobold Stew]

Hi there --

First off:

• How much experience you have with Burning Wheel, Burning Empires, and/or Mouse Guard.
  
  I own BW, and have played two short campaigns.
  
• Generally, what's your prior experience with the Keep on the Borderlands (for Basic D&D) &/or the Return to the Keep on the Borderlands (for AD&D 2e)... And would you be annoyed at "changes" to the Keep/Caves of Chaos?
  
  Never played; might have looked at it ages ago, but no real knowledge of setting.
  
  
• Ditto to the general setting of Karameikos, as well as Mystara.
  
  Unknown
  
  
• What class/race (racial class, for red box DnD) you'd play if this was a DnD game. And what DnD alignment.
  
  I've got an idea for a human cleric/thief -- never a happy combination in DnD, but something that might be possible in BW. Focus on social skills; with only three paths, there might not be any combat skills. Alignment somewhere between NG and LN, but veering towards TN rather than LG.
  
  
• What other PbP games you're a part of, and what amount of PbP experience you have.
  
  None currently. Started several here on ENworld, but most peter out too quickly.
  
  
• Why you're interested in this game & what you're hoping to get out of the experience.
  
  Honestly, I'm hoping for a pbp game that can continue; play a character that's fun, learn more about the BW system.

The basic character idea is this: a human petty thief who lucks into an church position, and balances the obligations of the role with her charm and petty larceny.

I guess it depends on what role you want religion to play in the game; it's everywhere in DnD, and so I hope it's viable.

Crunch:
Village born -- serving wench -- pardoner.

(Serving wench has sleight of hand and can access religion; pardoner isn't a spellcaster but has interpersonal skills and the cool trait, pardoner.)

General skills needed are some kind of healing (herbalism?) and perhaps a weapon skill (boxing? staff? -- I think she'll avoid fights generally, depending on soothing platitudes and persuasion instead).

For Traits, Aura of Innocence.

Let me know what you think, and if this fits what you want for the game.

KS

 

[engrishonly]

The basic character idea is this: a human petty thief who lucks into an church position, and balances the obligations of the role with her charm and petty larceny.

I guess it depends on what role you want religion to play in the game; it's everywhere in DnD, and so I hope it's viable.

Crunch:
Village born -- serving wench -- pardoner.

(Serving wench has sleight of hand and can access religion; pardoner isn't a spellcaster but has interpersonal skills and the cool trait, pardoner.)

General skills needed are some kind of healing (herbalism?) and perhaps a weapon skill (boxing? staff? -- I think she'll avoid fights generally, depending on soothing platitudes and persuasion instead).

For Traits, Aura of Innocence.

Let me know what you think, and if this fits what you want for the game.

KS

That'll work. One of the prior posters also wanted a Cleric-type, but that doesn't really matter. It just affects the tone of play if we have multiple Clerics.

Of course, old school adventuring does tend to have a fight or two, so I'd at least open the Brawling or Knife or Staff skill in case the fighter-types push play in that direction or things just evolve into a fight. More than opening a martial skill is probably unnecessary.

D&D religion is kind of strange. Whatever works is good. Adopting the oddball polytheist D&D pantheon is probably the best starting point... but, like the initial map of Mystara, consider names like "St. Cuthbert" or "Kurtulmak" to simply be names for us to fill up with our own stories.

The fact that there's a Paladin & potentially two Clerics probably makes religion a focus, so sort out where your character comes from. I have a "microdungeon" in mind for the setting to fit this focus. I would guess that Beliefs based on religious schisms might be good internal party Beliefs.

EDIT:
It would be cool if the Paladin & your Thief-Cleric worshipped the same deity, representing different factions of the faith.

Randomly finding Mystaran deities of Karameikos...
Chardastes

Traladaran...
Petra
Halav

... a bunch more...


These are all blended into the Church of Karameikos... I guess the Church of Karameikos is probably the best way to go. This gives a lot of options for patron deities.

 

[Kobold Stew]

I'll admit that I'm thinking more thief than cleric -- I like the Pardoner because it gives an ecclesiastical function, but one that by itself is open to fraud, misrepresentation, etc. Exactly what a barmaid needs.

I'm out of town at the moment and away from books, but if this fits, I'm willing to try the character. It'll be interesting to see if a social character can survive a dungeon-crawl. I guess the BW system is all about not making rolls, right?

A dispensation from the Church of Karameikos is fine, if that works for HandofMystra.

 

[engrishonly]

I'll admit that I'm thinking more thief than cleric -- I like the Pardoner because it gives an ecclesiastical function, but one that by itself is open to fraud, misrepresentation, etc. Exactly what a barmaid needs.

I'm out of town at the moment and away from books, but if this fits, I'm willing to try the character. It'll be interesting to see if a social character can survive a dungeon-crawl. I guess the BW system is all about not making rolls, right?

A dispensation from the Church of Karameikos is fine, if that works for HandofMystra.

Alright, that's cool. The Paladin will probably roll with Faithful, and I'm sure the Cleric is headed that way.

I think there's opportunities to run the DoW mechanics, and other methods to get around/through things in the dungeons... In addition to Fight, anyway.

Also, Cultists are usually part of the dungeons. The Cultists that with the Pardoner aspects might work well.

Think about what drives your Pardoner-barmaid into the dungeon. Having a "what drives you into the dungeon" Belief would be helpful.

And, yes, all the fun is in the dice roll failures That's where a lot of drama is.

 

[Mathalus]

Can I play with you guys? Can I? Huh?

I'd love to play with you guys. It looks like the only classic trope you are missing is... dun dun da dunnn... the Magic-User.

How much experience you have with Burning Wheel, Burning Empires, and/or Mouse Guard.

I've played Burning Wheel a little.

Generally, what's your prior experience with the Keep on the Borderlands (for Basic D&D) &/or the Return to the Keep on the Borderlands (for AD&D 2e)... And would you be annoyed at "changes" to the Keep/Caves of Chaos?
If you've been to the Keep on the Borderlands before, what's your fondest memory of the adventure? What was the weakest part of the experience?
Ditto to the general setting of Karameikos, as well as Mystara.

I have never played any of this. I am reading through what is on wikipedia right now.

What class/race (racial class, for red box DnD) you'd play if this was a DnD game. And what DnD alignment.

I'd be a human magic-user. Of some dubious alignment (I promise to not be a jerk though).

What other PbP games you're a part of, and what amount of PbP experience you have.

None.

Why you're interested in this game & what you're hoping to get out of the experience.

I can't get enough of Burning Wheel and I am hoping this will help fill the rapidly expanding void. I also hope to gain experience with the advancement and storytelling elements. I think that they could help any role-playing system.

 

[Mathalus]

Ferrantos - First Draft

Okay, after reading the Enchanting rules on the Burning Wheel Wiki, I had this for a concept:

Ferrantos, Vengeful Metal Artificer.

I am a Thyatian, the bastard son of some minor nobility. It makes my younger, but legitimate, half-brother uncomfortable when I am around, so I left to study the arcane with Master Artificer Vide. He taught me the ways of enchanting objects and found that I was gifted with metals especially. Together we used our talents to collaborate on a fantastic item, a cloak of shimmering silver that protects its wearer from physical attacks. However, something went terribly wrong and it drove my master mad.

Now I need to kill my old master for stealing the Quicksilver Cloak we made and turning his daughter against me. I don't have the strength to face him. Plus, when it comes to fighting I am... careful. My master has powerful eldritch shields that make my magic worthless by comparison. To pierce my master's protection, I need to create a blade sharp enough that it can draw blood from a stone. Also, I will need someone to wield it.

I fled my master's keep, searching for ways to craft my revenge. I searched for a long time, patiently testing and learning. I decided to journey to the Borderlands because I have heard of the monsters that lurk there and I think that they might help provide the antecedents I need to create the avenging blade. Recently, however, I have seen visions of the PC's in my smoking knife trances.

Now I am convinced that the perfect wielder of my blade is one of those I am with. But which one is it? As usual, I will be patient and learn.

 

[Mathalus]

So that’s my basic draft. I took some inspiration from the song Black Wings by Tom Waits.

I am happy to discuss or change anything that seems lame or not fun to anyone. What is everyone else like? I’d like to know before I get too permanently attached to a concept.

I was thinking of taking spells that are very limited in effect. The flashiest thing I can do is limited telekinesis (of metal), and make fires bigger. I wanted to keep a bit of a low magic vibe. I’m hoping to do mainly item-based magic, a lot of imbuing rather than enchanting, since I am a crappy enchanter.

 

[engrishonly]

Okay, after reading the Enchanting rules on the Burning Wheel Wiki, I had this for a concept:

Ferrantos, Vengeful Metal Artificer.

I am a Thyatian, the bastard son of some minor nobility. It makes my younger, but legitimate, half-brother uncomfortable when I am around, so I left to study the arcane with Master Artificer Vide. He taught me the ways of enchanting objects and found that I was gifted with metals especially. Together we used our talents to collaborate on a fantastic item, a cloak of shimmering silver that protects its wearer from physical attacks. However, something went terribly wrong and it drove my master mad.

Now I need to kill my old master for stealing the Quicksilver Cloak we made and turning his daughter against me. I don't have the strength to face him. Plus, when it comes to fighting I am... careful. My master has powerful eldritch shields that make my magic worthless by comparison. To pierce my master's protection, I need to create a blade sharp enough that it can draw blood from a stone. Also, I will need someone to wield it.

I fled my master's keep, searching for ways to craft my revenge. I searched for a long time, patiently testing and learning. I decided to journey to the Borderlands because I have heard of the monsters that lurk there and I think that they might help provide the antecedents I need to create the avenging blade. Recently, however, I have seen visions of the PC's in my smoking knife trances.

Now I am convinced that the perfect wielder of my blade is one of those I am with. But which one is it? As usual, I will be patient and learn.

Cool. Interesting.

The question of Nobility is a good thread. It's woven into the Paladin concept in the group so far. I am reading the Dune novels again (the Frank Herbert books, interwoven with BHPA's "Paul of Dune" and "The Winds of Dune"), so Noble Houses are on my mind.

The half-brother might also be an important figure in all this, relative to you & the Paladin character.

The Master also is interesting... Though in the Dune concept, there are only Fremen & the Landsraad houses. All others (Mentats, Masters of Assassins, Swordmasters, et cetera) serve.

Perhaps the old Master "serves" an old & corrupt Noble house tied up in the situation? Then the brother & the Paladin might be tied up in the mess as well.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

I'm going to bow out of this one. Sorry, it looks like fun, but I've determined my hands are already full.

Take care, and have a great game!

 

[Voidrazor]

A 'houses in conflict' sub-theme would be made of awesome. And the intrigue could create some interesting possibilities for the thief-pardoner. Perhaps House Karameikos could have a few lesser houses (of varying loyalty) sworn to it, while the Traladaran houses could be independent of each other and of more or less even prominence. I'm sure this is pretty far afield from the Keep on the Borderlands materials but if everyone's down for some intrigue, betrayal, large battles, etc. it could be a lot of fun.

Another sub-theme that might be interesting would be religious conflict. Perhaps the Church of Karameikos could be monotheist, but trying to integrate/subjugate Traladaran polytheism (i.e. there could be some doctrine about how the 12 Traladaran gods are but aspects of God).