Planescape Solo Campaign with Mythic Game Master Emulator

[Fairytale]

[FONT=&quot]I received some old TSR Planescape books from a friend and after playing Planescape:Torment I was hungering for more action in the multiverse. The problem was it was all in 2nd edition AD&D (I'm a 3.5 player) and regardless of this I didn't have time to prepare a campaign anyway and didn't know anyone else who was interested.
So was it time to give up on my dreams of a Planescape campaign? Nope! Not with the Mythic Game Master Emulator by Tom Pigeon at my disposal. I'd purchased the pdf months ago and attempted to run a game with my brother but we didn't get too far with it so it kind of got left on the bottom of the pile. The concept is radically different from any other system I've encountered.
Basically the idea is that with this system based on logic, interpretation and improvisation the player/s can do away with the GM and construct a game without any preparation. Mythic GME acts as an artificial intelligence, answering any and all questions you have about the game world, while leaving you free to choose any RP system with which to implement it. Sounds wacky I know, and I have to admit I don't think the system would be to everyone’s taste but it’s certainly very clever. And I'm definitely getting used to it.

So...I have the 2E rules but am not familiar with them. I have the Planescape campaign setting books and I've familiarised myself with the player's guide but haven't read the DM's guide so as not to spoil too much for myself. When the situation arises and I need information regarding a certain topic, plane or character I'll turn to the relevant section.
I've got the Mythic GME rules and a cool little program called Mythic Apprentice which is a good aid for using the system, and there are plenty of random generators online that I can use for naming or describing NPCs, towns, inns etc. So I'm ready to roll up a character!
But first, the Planescape guide tells me to ask my DM what kind of campaign he/she is going to run. Is my character familiar with the concept of the planes, perhaps a denizen of a particular realm, or is he a visitor from another world (a prime)? Since there is no DM I ask Mythic. It seems I am a visitor to the planes and I come from another campaign setting originally.
I am very familiar with the Forgotten Realms campaign world so I decide to that my character hails from Faerun. I know it’s clichéd but I love the drow so I roll up a renegade dark elf fighter/mage. Once I'm done I wince at my starting hp of 2 and AC of 20 (in 2E, for anyone not aware, 20 is bad, 0 is good). I also notice that the more time I spend away from the underdark the less drow abilities are available to me. Well...at least it'll be an interesting character to play.
And so Luaryn Auvryani is born! I knock up a quick description and back story:[/FONT]

Origin
Hailing from the infamous Underdark of Faerun, Luaryn despised his family and his entire race. He grew up in the vast city of Zorrbinarki. He attempted to flee but was captured, brutally tortured and locked away for twenty-five years. His chance to escape came when his mother visited him to hold a dark ritual with all of the family males needed to complete it. As the door opened and his handcuffs were taken off he used them to strangle his mother and demanded to be set free or else he would crush her throat. His brother opened the door and Luaryn fled. He stole a sword from one of the guards and fought his way from the tower and out into the dangerous wilds of the Underdark. Here he fled Svirfneblin, Duegar and even a mind flayer.
Eventually he reached the surface and was taken in by an elderly mage called Esorl Whitewand. Esorl apprenticed the fearful drow and taught him the ways of magic. After many years the old wizard died and Luaryn was forced to make his own way in the world. He travelled Faerun, seeking his destiny but always hampered by his obsidian skin and white eyes he took to wearing a black hooded cloak which he pulled low to conceal is face.
Appearance
[FONT="]Luaryn is small and lithe like others of his kind. He has a gaunt, feminine face and melancholic white eyes. He is dressed all in black, decorated with mystical white patterns and carries a sword, a longbow and a large black and white, leather bound spell book. Beneath his cloak hang many bags of strange arcane powders and other spell components. When his hood is pulled back his beautiful, flowing white hair his visible, and falls down to his waist. He often ties parts of it up for practicality.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot] Using the setup rules from Mythic I soon begin my adventures. But the question remains: how do I end up travelling the planes? Well here's a transcript of the adventure so far. Mythic splits an adventure up into scenes so here is the first scene. I write as each event transpires. Its not the most eloquent or graceful of scripts because I didn't want to get bogged down thinking up elaborate descriptions or elegant wordsmithery because I wanted the adventure to run smoothly so as to maximise my enjoyment of the game. But I had to write things down so I don't forget what's happened![/FONT]

Scene One

Travelling through the farmlands of Sembia on the outskirts of the city of Selgaunt, at night of course, after being chased by a mob of angry merchants who want to see my kind ‘back underground where I belong’ I am saved by a kindly man called Thiambus who hides me inside his farmhouse.
‘I cannot thank you enough sir’ I bow gratefully to the man who is suffering from a broken leg. I help him down into his chair and he thanks me in return. ‘If there is anything I can do to repay you please tell me. Unfortunately my coin purse is rather light at present so I can offer you no gold. It is…difficult to find work with this wretched appearance…’ I close my eyes and clench my fists in frustration and self loathing. ‘But anything else I would be happy to help you with. I have a fair sword arm and studied under the tutelage of a fine mage for a number of years.’
‘I helped you, master drow, because I could see innocence in your eyes’ Thiambus tells me. ‘I have always been a good judge of character so I can see that you have a good heart.’ I smile at this, one of so little positive things said about me. ‘I do indeed have need of your skills as it happens. Recently I was expanding my field out back. I was cutting down the nearby wood so as to extend its reach and I came across an enormous oak. When I tried to strike the oak with my axe something happened. The very bark of the tree melted into a pulsing portal. A portal I fear leading either to some dark corner of Faerun…or perhaps another world entirely. For as I stood back a band of strange, lithe, yellow-skinned creatures leaped forth armed with wicked blades and assaulted me. I was glad I had my axe at hand because it saved my life, if not my leg.’ He glances at his broken leg and winces. ‘I dispatched them but one of the bastards managed to jab my leg and as you can see it is broken. As you can see I live alone and am in no fit state to defend my farm against these monsters. I need somebody to close the portal but the tree itself must be practically indestructible. Will you find a way to do this for me?’
‘Spells to seal portals are beyond me I am afraid but I will visit this place and see if there is anything I can do to at least block it temporarily before I can locate a more seasoned mage.’
‘Thank you night elf’ Thiambus shakes my black gloved hand gratefully.
‘You are most welcome’ I smile awkwardly. ‘You may call me Luaryn. Luaryn Auvryani.’
‘Luaryn it is then.’
‘I will investigate this portal immediately, for I fear more of these creatures may break through.’
I follow Thiambus’ directions and see the tree stumps at the edge of the wood and eventually I see the great oak with the shimmering portal embedded in its trunk. I tentatively approach the tree, looking for any arcane symbols I may be able to interpret. However as I do so the portal begins to shimmer more violently and it ripples like the surface of a pond. Suddenly a figure emerges. A tall, yellow creature, just as Thiambus said. I draw my sword slowly. The creature smiles and walks towards, a cruelly hooked blade in hand. He is followed by a large group of the creatures who all approach me and screech commands in a language I do not understand. Seeing that I cannot possibly defeat such a large number of enemies I hold up my hands in surrender. They smile evilly and grab me violently. They bind my hands and feet and throw me over their shoulders before rushing back towards the portal. I close my eyes as the mystic doorway pulls me in, like breaking the surface of water.

And so ends the first scene. I can imagine it might be somewhat confusing to those of you who aren't familiar with Mythic so if you have any questions regarding the means to which I generated the above events, conversations and characters then please ask away.

 

[Fairytale]

Scene Two

When I open my eyes I want nothing more than to shut them again. For I am met with the most disorienting, unreal sight I have ever seen. It looks as if I am on a ship sailing through the stars, buffeted on all sights by a tumultuous astral storm. There are many more portals, prisms of colour leading to unknown places.
I am on another world. Or maybe a world-between-worlds…
The thin, humanoid creatures thrust me onto the deck of this great ship. The wind is immense and I feel that I may be swept off the vessel and into this infinite, roaring space. My kidnappers take my equipment, throw me into a cell and lock the door. I am plunged into darkness which suits me much better. With my infravision I look around me. I am alone in a dank, desolate little room. Where on Faerun am I? In fact I very much doubt this is still Faerun.
These ‘astral pirates’ sail for hours, and I hear the sounds of battle, of screams, of death. The hours mount up and I am sure I have been here for over a day now…if days are measured as such in this alien world.
Eventually my cell door is opened and I squint as the daylight burns my eyes. When the door slams shut I hear a bold, female voice.
‘Alright, dark elf’ she says. ‘We’ve both been ‘ad by these githyanki then.’ When my infravision returns I see before me a small tiefling in scruffy clothes with messy platinum hair, tanned skin and coppery coloured eyes. The tell-tale sign of her lineage are her furry goat-like legs and hooves and a long tail hanging between them.
‘Indeed’ I reply in my usual hushed tone. ‘But how is it you come to speak as I do? Where are we?’
‘Well, cutter, you are a prime if ever I seen one! This is The Astral Plane; a way to travel between the planes. The githyanki travel on these bizarre ships and take or dead whatever or who ever they want. Gods know where we’re headed now though.’ She sits down with an exacerbated sigh. ‘I was negotiating a price, see, so’s I could get back to The Cage on one of these astral ships’; she bangs the iron floor with her hoof. ‘But then these gith turn nasty and throw me down here.’ She regards me with her strange, infernal eyes. ‘And yer must be from Faerun as I can see you get my chant.’ It takes me a while to comprehend her weird slang terms but eventually I nod my head.
‘My name is Luaryn’ I tell her. ‘I’m a d-‘
‘A drow, yeah I can tell. But you ‘aint like no drow I met before.’
‘No’ I stare at the wall in silence for a time. ‘I am not much like the rest of my kin. I fled many years ago…my time away has depleted my inborn abilities. I can no longer summon the darkness to aid me during the daylight hours, and magic is just as much a danger to me as to anyone else.’ I look back at the tiefling and notice for the first time that she is insubstantial…as if she is not all there. I look at my bound hands and they also appear translucent.
‘Yeah that’ll happen to ya here, cutter’ the tiefling informs me.
‘Oh…and…you are?’
‘You can call me Nelayss.’ She offers me a brief nod. ‘Nice to meet ya Luaryn.’
‘And you’ I smile weakly. ‘I have heard…theories concerning the planes but I have never studied them in detail. So this is a…conduit? Between other planes?’
‘Erm…kind of. It’s a plane that’s part of all the planes. Did you see those colourful doorways scattered around the place? They’re portals to all kinds of places. Me, I’m heading back to Sigil once I get out of here.’
‘And how do you plan to do that?’ I ask, genuinely intrigued.
Nelayss bends forward and retrieves a thin piece of wire in her lips which was tucked into her boot. She angles it into her handcuffs and attempts to unlock it.
‘G’ah’ she moans. ‘This one’s too tough. Let me try yours.’ She does the same to mine but is unsuccessful. ‘Curses! But maybe I can…’ She shuffles over the door on her knees and places the lock pick into the keyhole. ‘No good…well that’s that idea down the bog.’
I think for a moment. ‘Maybe we should wait until they open the door again…if my hands were untied I could cast a spell…’ I give the door an almighty kick but it doesn’t budge. I search around for any secret exits…unsurprisingly I find nothing.
‘Maybe it would be wise to wait until we reach our destination before we try anything’ I say, sitting down again. ‘If they were going to kill us, I’m sure they would have done it by now.’
‘Yeah…maybe you’re right.’
‘So this…Sigil?’ Nelayss nods. ‘Is it your home?’
‘My home? No, no! I…don’t suppose I have a home. I’m a planewalker. I travel the multiverse earning jink in whatever way I can. A bit of thieving here, a bit of treasure hunting there…I’ve been all over, I have cutter. What about you? Why’re you here?’
I tell her how I was merely studying the portal to help Thiambus when the githyanki appeared and took me here. ‘Must be approximately twenty four hours since I arrived…funny though. I’ve barely eaten…just chewed on the scraps they’ve given me and I don’t feel in the least bit hungry.’
‘Yeah that happens here. A body don’t need the same amount of grub…or sleep for that matter.’
Time passes in much the same way for the next few days. With Nelayss and I learning a little more about each other, the ship occasionally rocking back and forth in some sort of raid or astral battle and the occasional unintelligible shriek from our githyanki captors. Eventually it seems we have arrived at our destination. The gith open the door and lead us out with their cruel weapons jabbing at our backs. We walk up onto the deck and thankfully it is not bright so my eyes don’t hurt too much.
A smaller vessel floats in this dark silver expanse next to the one we stand on. We are pushed onto this with a small contingent of githyanki warriors and sail towards one of the colourful prisms, the portals.
Nelayss is in silence. Obviously she fears what could be on the other side of the portal.
‘Do you know where we’re going?’ I ask her. The little tiefling shakes her head but she looks as if she may suspect something. I look towards the portal as it looms ever nearer and look up at the tall, yellow gith, trying to surmise their intentions. Suddenly a tumultuous thundering noise sends the githyanki diving for the deck of the vessel. I crouch down with Nelayss and my eyes instinctively shut as a bright light shines from the portal. When I sense the light dimming down I look again to see an immense, grand ship, at least twice the size of the larger githyanki vessel. I can just about see many figures, akin to githyanki, positioned next to various cannons, smaller ships and many armed with missile weapons. They are all armoured and equipped for war.
The githyanki scream and start to turn the little boat around, although I see no device to perform such a task. The boat begins to rotate but the immense warship is too fast. A huge harpoon is fired towards us and smashes into our boat, impaling an unfortunate gith. Behind us the githyanki ship is returning fire but they barely dent their opponent’s hull as we on the small boat are being pulled swiftly towards the newcomers.
The gith with us hold up their arms in surrender as we approach the warship. Now that we are closer I can see that our captor’s enemies are indeed gith, if slightly more human in appearance. The githyanki are pulled from the vessel, as are we, as it slowly turns back towards the gaping prism of the portal from whence it came. The githyanki are taken below deck and we are forced to march in a different direction.
I look at Nelayss for an explanation and she whispers in my tapered ear.
‘These are the githzerai: enemies of the githyanki. They’ve warred for centuries. It seems we were going to be used as some sort of infiltration party against the githzerai…looks like they pre-empted the githyanki though!’
It is then that we are thrown into a room off the main deck. We look up to see a tall, aging man with striking, yellow eyes, long, grey hair and a pierced nose. He is dressed in elaborate, gold robes and holds a glowing orb in his thin hands.
‘Help them to their feet!’ he bawls at the githzerai who do as he commands. He then smiles warmly. ‘Welcome my friends. I have been expecting you for some time now.’ Nelayss and I give each other a confused glance. The man chuckles mysteriously and then turns to regard the colourful portal before us out of a circular window. The light strengthens once more and I am forced to close my eyes as I feel the entire ship being sucked into the vast planar doorway…

Bloody hell! I can't wait to kick some ass, I hope this man's a good guy!

 

[redcat]

I'm interested in hearing more of your story! Thanks for sharing it here. I do have one question for you, as I am interested in testing the Mythic GM emulator myself, but haven't yet. Would you be able to put your "rolls"after your posts (not everything, and not in detail--I'm just curious how your chart words and rolls translated into a story...)?

 

[Fairytale]

[FONT=&quot]At the end of the previous scene I’d established that this man was an illusionist of some kind, or at least in possession of a very powerful item which enabled him to create extraordinary illusions, presumably the orb in his hands. My character doesn’t know this which I don’t like because it lessens the surprise. But I suppose when playing solo this will inevitably happen. I just have to minimize the chances of this in the best way I can.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] So to begin a scene the Mythic rules dictate that I come up with a likely proposition for its opening. Then I make a roll to see if that proposition is indeed what comes to pass. So I propose that we reappear in another plane entirely, assuming that all of the githzerai and probably even the warship are all part of the same illusion. If this is the case then there is no reason why we should be heading to the home of the githzerai. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Scene Three[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]CF: [/FONT] [FONT=&quot]7[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Scene Proposition: [/FONT] [FONT=&quot]We appear in another plane with the illusionist[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Roll 1d10 to see if seen is altered or interrupted (10) – Unaltered[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Now, in an extension to the Mythic rules it gives you the chance to ask ‘complex questions’ as opposed to simple yes/no questions. This works in a similar way to the generation of random events. I roll up two random words; an action and a subject. These are then combined and I am supposed to generate the most logical answer from this combination of words. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Q: Which plane have we travelled to?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A: Inform Pleasures[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hmm...sounds saucy. I’ll take a look in the planescape campaign guide to see if I can find something within the context. The first thing that comes to mind is The Society of Sensation. I remembered it from the PC game Planescape: Torment. I had a quick flick through the book and it seems the most appropriate conclusion to come to. The Mythic rules suggest that you should run with the first logical idea you have to keep things moving.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Now, a quick scan through the description tells me that the Sensates are most commonly active on the plane of Arborea but they also have headquarters in Sigil. I have no idea which one it’ll be so I say it’s a 50/50 between the two so I roll a d6 (1, 2, 3 = Arborea or 4, 5, 6 = The Civic Festhall on Sigil) and I get a 4.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] I think I’ll just confirm that it is indeed the Festhall that I have arrived at given all the other, if less logical, places I could have wound up. To ask a yes/no question I have to determine to likelihood of the answer being a yes. The rules use a simple system of descriptive words to classify these probabilities. I think it is ‘likely’ that I will arrive here. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Q: Do I arrive at the Civic Festhall in Sigil?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A: Yes[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I quickly glance at the description of the Festhall and onwards I go, asking more of these yes/no questions to set the scene, such as: Is it the daytime? Am I at the entrance to the hall?[/FONT]

[FONT="][SIZE=3]I feel that odd, weightless sensation akin to breaking the surface of water again and shut my eyes as I am assaulted by an intense, bright light. When I open them again I am at least thankful for the lack of light in the small room that I find myself in. It seems I am in the odd looking man’s quarters as there is a bed and a few meagre possessions. I stand here with Nelayss and the very same odd gentleman. [/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=3]
[/SIZE][FONT="] ‘Where are we?’ Nelayss asks him.[/FONT]
[FONT="][SIZE=3] ‘I must be brief as time is of the essence’ he replies, shoving some clothes in a leather backpack. ‘You are in my room in the Civic Festhall in Sigil. My name is Grarold and I have brought you here to help me close the disruptive portals. All of our worlds are in danger-’[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=3]
[/SIZE][FONT="] ‘Not mine’ Nelayss buts in. ‘I don’t have a world. I go where I wanna go.’[/FONT]
[FONT="][SIZE=3] ‘Then you are in just as much danger my child. For every plane is in danger of falling into complete chaos.’ The tiefling bows her head in silence. ‘Now, we must depart. They will be here soon.’[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=3]
[/SIZE][FONT="] ‘Who will be here’ I ask, patiently. [/FONT]
[FONT="][SIZE=3] ‘The deva and his cohorts. A proxie serving Sune, one of the elven powers of Arborea. You’ll be familiar with her Luaryn, she-‘[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=3]
[/SIZE][FONT="] Suddenly the door bursts open and a tall muscular man with long golden hair stands just outside in a stone hallway, sword drawn. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Warrior: ‘Drop everything’ commands the warrior. ‘You will come with us.’[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]
Illusionist: Attacks warrior with spell.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Deva: Enters and teleports us to a prison.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nelayss: Fires crossbow at warrior.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Luaryn: Fires magic missile at warrior if not already dead.[/FONT]


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[FONT=&quot]I've struggled to find time to do this. Hopefully can pick this up again soon.
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[RedTonic]

Hey, this is pretty cool. I've never heard of the Mythic GME. So, it's a PDF you refer to to see what to do next?

(Also, small storyhours represent! ;D)