Midnight: Shadow of the Gods
gambler1650
Explorer
One other note...
Izrador's victory occurred 99 years ago. This means that humans for the most part can't hear 'first hand' accounts of the events while the Fey races can (being much longer lived). The kinds of despair the two groups deal with are different too. Humans have grown up and lived in the current world, and this can lead to a 'this is the way it is, this is the way it will always be' mood amongst most humans. The Fey races have some who knew firsthand what the world was like before the Shadow fell, so their despair is often directed at all that was lost compared to the present day Aryth.
Izrador's victory occurred 99 years ago. This means that humans for the most part can't hear 'first hand' accounts of the events while the Fey races can (being much longer lived). The kinds of despair the two groups deal with are different too. Humans have grown up and lived in the current world, and this can lead to a 'this is the way it is, this is the way it will always be' mood amongst most humans. The Fey races have some who knew firsthand what the world was like before the Shadow fell, so their despair is often directed at all that was lost compared to the present day Aryth.
gambler1650
Explorer
A bit more character creation guidance. Don't worry about coming up with a background and fully fleshed character before chatting with me about it. What I really want in the first communication about it is:
1. Race(s) of interest.
2. General theme(s) of interest (fighter, spell user, wilderness type, thief/rogue, etc) - also note that any race/profession combo in Midnight can learn to cast spells, at the expense of some of their normal class development.
3. (Optional) Very general idea behind why the character would seek to become an insurgent against Izrador. (One like "Village was destroyed by orcs.", "Grew up in a family of well known insurgents", etc). This can be done at any point however and is not needed initially.
I'd like to see a couple choices from folks, especially with regards to profession as everyone choosing a spellcaster would probably make for a very short campaign (same if everyone chooses a strict fighter type). If one choice is much more interesting to you than any other, go ahead and say that, but if there are a couple you like then I may ask you to choose a specific one based on what others are choosing (or if a storyline triggers).
1. Race(s) of interest.
2. General theme(s) of interest (fighter, spell user, wilderness type, thief/rogue, etc) - also note that any race/profession combo in Midnight can learn to cast spells, at the expense of some of their normal class development.
3. (Optional) Very general idea behind why the character would seek to become an insurgent against Izrador. (One like "Village was destroyed by orcs.", "Grew up in a family of well known insurgents", etc). This can be done at any point however and is not needed initially.
I'd like to see a couple choices from folks, especially with regards to profession as everyone choosing a spellcaster would probably make for a very short campaign (same if everyone chooses a strict fighter type). If one choice is much more interesting to you than any other, go ahead and say that, but if there are a couple you like then I may ask you to choose a specific one based on what others are choosing (or if a storyline triggers).
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gambler1650
Explorer
ifspuds: Not at all! Develop joint concepts as desired...
darnoff: The only clerics in the game are Izrador's, since divine magic can only come from him on Aryth (due to The Sundering, the event when he was thrown out of heaven and drew a veil between Aryth and the heavens). Therefore, the answer is no.
Since by definition a cleric on Aryth would be serving Izrador. You could play a character with great faith in the gods but still would be unable to access divine magic (and for those who've played AD&D and remember how much a Cleric can be helpful in healing a party... well, this is one more major difference from a standard AD&D campaign.
Basically, here're the classes you can take:
Fighter
Rogue
Barbarian
Wildlander (Ranger without the spells) - with other benefits that will be described if a person is interested
Defender (Monk without the spells) - see Wildlander.
Channeler (The base spellcaster)
There's one other major aspect to character development in Midnight, which I'm not going to bring up at the moment, because I'm thinking about a way to not give away what exactly it is while still having y'all choose it.
darnoff: The only clerics in the game are Izrador's, since divine magic can only come from him on Aryth (due to The Sundering, the event when he was thrown out of heaven and drew a veil between Aryth and the heavens). Therefore, the answer is no.
Since by definition a cleric on Aryth would be serving Izrador. You could play a character with great faith in the gods but still would be unable to access divine magic (and for those who've played AD&D and remember how much a Cleric can be helpful in healing a party... well, this is one more major difference from a standard AD&D campaign.Basically, here're the classes you can take:
Fighter
Rogue
Barbarian
Wildlander (Ranger without the spells) - with other benefits that will be described if a person is interested
Defender (Monk without the spells) - see Wildlander.
Channeler (The base spellcaster)
There's one other major aspect to character development in Midnight, which I'm not going to bring up at the moment, because I'm thinking about a way to not give away what exactly it is while still having y'all choose it.
gambler1650
Explorer
One more quick extra bit of information before going to sleep. Someone mentioned literacy being forbidden. The following are major crimes under The Shadow's rule:
1. Literacy
2. Carrying weapons
3. Using magic
4. Being a Fey (specifically Elves, Halflings and Dwarves - Gnomes have something of an 'exemption' due to providing a service that the orcs can't, being afraid of water).
Note specifically #4. Izrador may have outlawed literacy, carrying weapons and using magic, but the Elves and Dwarves don't give a damn since they still control their own (shrinking) domains (the forest of Erethor and the mountains of Kaladrun). Characters who grow up there (even of other races that for some reason find themselves there) have much easier access to writing, magic and weapons than in the central plains in which humans, gnomes and halflings live. And those that live in the plains or central villages or cities still have options (out of the way of the main invasion, taught magic in secret, parents were insurgents and bequeathed hidden weapons to them, etc).
So don't worry about choosing a race/profession concept that seems 'difficult' due to the crimes listed above... The insurgency has ways around it, even if the character isn't an Elf or Dwarf.
1. Literacy
2. Carrying weapons
3. Using magic
4. Being a Fey (specifically Elves, Halflings and Dwarves - Gnomes have something of an 'exemption' due to providing a service that the orcs can't, being afraid of water).
Note specifically #4. Izrador may have outlawed literacy, carrying weapons and using magic, but the Elves and Dwarves don't give a damn since they still control their own (shrinking) domains (the forest of Erethor and the mountains of Kaladrun). Characters who grow up there (even of other races that for some reason find themselves there) have much easier access to writing, magic and weapons than in the central plains in which humans, gnomes and halflings live. And those that live in the plains or central villages or cities still have options (out of the way of the main invasion, taught magic in secret, parents were insurgents and bequeathed hidden weapons to them, etc).
So don't worry about choosing a race/profession concept that seems 'difficult' due to the crimes listed above... The insurgency has ways around it, even if the character isn't an Elf or Dwarf.
gambler1650
Explorer
First a request, then a bit more background information, then some more areas to ponder:
1. If anyone has an interest in playing an elf, probably a Caransil, though the other races can work too, let me know. I have a potential background embellishment in mind. Note that I don't _have_ to have an elven PC, but it would make some things a bit easier... though harder for the party... which brings me to #2.
2. Midnight is a harsh and dangerous world for everyone, but especially the Fey. They will not, in general, be favorably received by human settlements in Central Eredane who fear the Shadow's forces just coming to their village to hunt the 'traitors', and using that as an excuse to brand them as shelterers of the Fey. Combined with some of the other elements (lack of healing compared to a usual AD&D campaign, weapons and magic use being limited), stealth and living to fight another day is highly valued in the insurgency. This doesn't mean you can't play a 'want to pick a fight at every opportunity character' _but_ I'm not gonna pull your fat out of the fire if you jump in with both feet. There will be encounters that will kill your characters if you just engage them in a straight up fight. In other words, every orc patrol, every creature you run across, etc, will be designed to create a challenge to overcome, even if it's to simply decide to hide until it passes. I get the impression from the people in the campaign that I don't have to worry about telling you this, but I want to make sure it's clear up front. Just to make sure...
EVERY ENCOUNTER WILL NOT BE TAILORED TO THE PARTY'S 'COMBAT ENCOUNTER LEVEL'.
And a corollary... I will not fudge die rolls. I will likely be making all rolls as necessary. In a lot of ways I really like that many of y'all don't have access to the rules and so won't necessarily know if it's 'easy' to hit an orc carrying chain mail with your sling from 60 feet away. Helpful hint... Use 'down time' to practice skills... So as an example... Your very green character, having learned how to use a bow in relative safety and comfort where they grew up, finds themself hidden from a patrol that passes by. He debates shooting at the perceived leader but is unsure whether he can remain hidden. Eventually he decides to hold his fire.. The next day, when camped on the road, he asks a couple of party members to try to spot him as he tries to shoot a target approximately the same distance away. I'll make the rolls and inform of the results. Your characters and you will hopefully learn the chances of something succeeding by actually using the skills, rather than knowing what each bonus means for the exact probability chance of succeeding.
3. Ok.. some questions to ponder. I'll probably ask them more formally in a poll format at some point (e-mail or here).
What kind of adventures would you enjoy most? Combat, stealth, dungeon crawls, intrigue, politics, puzzles, etc... Note you're likely to see varying amounts of all of these, but if the group as a whole seems to lean towards a couple of areas, I can tailor the campaign in that direction and have the 'uninteresting' elements handled by NPCs, or simply glossing over relatively quickly.
What level of 'dark' description are you uncomfortable with? I do NOT plan to go into excruciating detail of torture and abuses (ie, horror movie level), but Midnight is a dark world and horrible things happen to good people. If there are areas that make you truly squeamish that you are aware of which would make you as a player not want to play, please let me know. I won't guarantee that they won't happen, but I'll gloss over the scene as much as possible.
What's your level of 'confrontation' comfort for your characters? Specifically, let's say a character in the party does something your character would feel is wrong or stupid. Will you allow your character to go along with it to avoid 'hurt feelings' or confrontation? Or will your character confront the other party member, or even refuse to go along with something, thus harming a plan or potentially leaving the party member hanging out to dry? I personally think the ideal group is one where the characters can act however they want (as long as they're true to their character) without worrying about what the other PLAYERS' reactions are. We will have an OOC thread to chat in (likely this one) and hopefully any worries can be assauged quickly.
Are you willing to have bad things happen to your character or character's "support system" (loved ones, places of haven, etc). I would consider it the highest honor if I could make a player feel a strong emotion over something in game and yet not be upset personally by it (ie, along the lines of watching a movie, or reading a book that does the same).
Are you willing to play a character that might betray the party, whether from their own will or if being controlled by some other force? I do NOT have a plot hook in mind at this point that does something like this. I only bring it up because I have seen the concept used elsewhere and will not rule out using it myself if a player is amenable. If I ever decide to actually take a player up on a 'yes' to this question, I'll do it early enough to modify the upcoming adventure to handle the player declining to participate if they're uncomfortable.
1. If anyone has an interest in playing an elf, probably a Caransil, though the other races can work too, let me know. I have a potential background embellishment in mind. Note that I don't _have_ to have an elven PC, but it would make some things a bit easier... though harder for the party... which brings me to #2.
2. Midnight is a harsh and dangerous world for everyone, but especially the Fey. They will not, in general, be favorably received by human settlements in Central Eredane who fear the Shadow's forces just coming to their village to hunt the 'traitors', and using that as an excuse to brand them as shelterers of the Fey. Combined with some of the other elements (lack of healing compared to a usual AD&D campaign, weapons and magic use being limited), stealth and living to fight another day is highly valued in the insurgency. This doesn't mean you can't play a 'want to pick a fight at every opportunity character' _but_ I'm not gonna pull your fat out of the fire if you jump in with both feet. There will be encounters that will kill your characters if you just engage them in a straight up fight. In other words, every orc patrol, every creature you run across, etc, will be designed to create a challenge to overcome, even if it's to simply decide to hide until it passes. I get the impression from the people in the campaign that I don't have to worry about telling you this, but I want to make sure it's clear up front. Just to make sure...
EVERY ENCOUNTER WILL NOT BE TAILORED TO THE PARTY'S 'COMBAT ENCOUNTER LEVEL'.
And a corollary... I will not fudge die rolls. I will likely be making all rolls as necessary. In a lot of ways I really like that many of y'all don't have access to the rules and so won't necessarily know if it's 'easy' to hit an orc carrying chain mail with your sling from 60 feet away. Helpful hint... Use 'down time' to practice skills... So as an example... Your very green character, having learned how to use a bow in relative safety and comfort where they grew up, finds themself hidden from a patrol that passes by. He debates shooting at the perceived leader but is unsure whether he can remain hidden. Eventually he decides to hold his fire.. The next day, when camped on the road, he asks a couple of party members to try to spot him as he tries to shoot a target approximately the same distance away. I'll make the rolls and inform of the results. Your characters and you will hopefully learn the chances of something succeeding by actually using the skills, rather than knowing what each bonus means for the exact probability chance of succeeding.
3. Ok.. some questions to ponder. I'll probably ask them more formally in a poll format at some point (e-mail or here).
What kind of adventures would you enjoy most? Combat, stealth, dungeon crawls, intrigue, politics, puzzles, etc... Note you're likely to see varying amounts of all of these, but if the group as a whole seems to lean towards a couple of areas, I can tailor the campaign in that direction and have the 'uninteresting' elements handled by NPCs, or simply glossing over relatively quickly.
What level of 'dark' description are you uncomfortable with? I do NOT plan to go into excruciating detail of torture and abuses (ie, horror movie level), but Midnight is a dark world and horrible things happen to good people. If there are areas that make you truly squeamish that you are aware of which would make you as a player not want to play, please let me know. I won't guarantee that they won't happen, but I'll gloss over the scene as much as possible.
What's your level of 'confrontation' comfort for your characters? Specifically, let's say a character in the party does something your character would feel is wrong or stupid. Will you allow your character to go along with it to avoid 'hurt feelings' or confrontation? Or will your character confront the other party member, or even refuse to go along with something, thus harming a plan or potentially leaving the party member hanging out to dry? I personally think the ideal group is one where the characters can act however they want (as long as they're true to their character) without worrying about what the other PLAYERS' reactions are. We will have an OOC thread to chat in (likely this one) and hopefully any worries can be assauged quickly.
Are you willing to have bad things happen to your character or character's "support system" (loved ones, places of haven, etc). I would consider it the highest honor if I could make a player feel a strong emotion over something in game and yet not be upset personally by it (ie, along the lines of watching a movie, or reading a book that does the same).
Are you willing to play a character that might betray the party, whether from their own will or if being controlled by some other force? I do NOT have a plot hook in mind at this point that does something like this. I only bring it up because I have seen the concept used elsewhere and will not rule out using it myself if a player is amenable. If I ever decide to actually take a player up on a 'yes' to this question, I'll do it early enough to modify the upcoming adventure to handle the player declining to participate if they're uncomfortable.
Undead Pete
First Post
Just checking in, Rob. I've sent you a character concept.
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