by dungeonmasterchris on Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:18 pm
Welcome to the city of Kalak. A place where the members of all societies gather at the end of the Long Trade Road. To the west, the Kalak'do Desert. To the east, the Blasted Wastes. And to the north, the vast and varied lands of Little-Earth. The time has come for the Circle to choose its next generation of warriors, mages and psychics to be the last bastion of defense against the creatures of the Infinite Worlds. For the first time in a generation, masters of many arts have gathered in the great city of Kalak to face the Circle Masters and earn their place as the newest guardians of Little-Earth. This time, however, something else has its eyes on the proceedings...
8 PLAYER MAXIMUM
Players so far:
RandomMerc (Kane Selion, Human Psychic)
Kelvara (Valaa Ta'eva, Ghostling Theomantic Mage [Cleric])
Donnigan (Gareth Relshin,Human Marshall)
Kide (Hukka, Goblin Ranger)
Silentobserver (Zedax Gnawtooth, Micekin Assassin)
Kelten (Aa'argrortartoeri'agrole, Half-Giant Barbarian)
Quarg (Aure Stark-Torr, Human Auditor)
LooksandSmiles (Bhael Salath Amn-ae Rhin, Handperson Shaman)
HOW THE GAME WORKS
You are a character in the city of Kalak, either for the choosing or for some other reason. Your character will have a background, goals, strengths and weaknesses, as well as a basic set of stats. Using these values, you will role-play as your character working through an epic adventure in the land of Little-Earth.
All actions performed by you will be explained. Bonuses will be given for creativity and strength of writing (meaning good spelling and grammar will be rewarded). So, for instance, if you are a fighter and you are facing an ogre in a cave, you might say: "I hit it with my sword". This is a perfectly acceptable answer, although not particularly creative. However, if you were to say "I slide between the massive creature's legs, causing it a moment of quizzical consternation before I slice it's hamstrings with my sword", I would give you a bonus for creativity.
This will read much like a fantasy story, with each player writing their character and with myself acting as the Dungeon Master, dictating the end result of all events. I have generated charts for successes and failures, and all dice rolling will be done by me. These charts will be shared eventually, but let's keep the mystery alive for now.
I will update once a day, at about 5:00 EST.
CHARACTERS
Your character must include the following:
Name: (Can be anything)
Race: (Races will be limited to the choices below)
Class: (The ones below give you an idea, but any good ideas can be run by me)
Stats:
-Strength
-Diplomacy
-Thoughtfulness
-Dexterity
-Will
Strengths/Weaknesses (A sample list is provided, but others can be run by me)
Background
For stats, you have 25 points to spread over the 5. Negatives are allowed, but note that thus can cause massive problems in the future. For instance, a character good have -3 in strength, but this means that they would likely be unable to perform any but the most ordinary tasks. No skill can have more than 10 points to start. These will improve with time.
STAT DESCRIPTIONS
Strength: Generally, the toughness of a person physically. This includes how much they can lift, how hard they can hit and how much of a beating they can take.
Diplomacy: How tactful a person is while speaking, or how well they interact with other people. Dictates many social interactions.
Thoughtfulness: How intelligent or wise a person is. Can relate to how much a person knows, or how they view situations. A person with high thoughtfulness is either extremely learned, or can rationalize things easily.
Dexterity: How quick someone is. Includes how agile a person is, as well as their actual dextrous ability.
Will: How mentally tough a person is. This includes their strength of mind against psychic attacks and torture.
RACES
Human: +0 to all stats
The most populous race of Little-Earth, they are also the oldest. Many of the other races are descended from their stock. They are world-weary, and have put their hands to many tasks in their long history. Good at almost anything they put their mind to.
Goblins: +1 Dex, -1 Diplomacy
A relatively common race of diminutive, colorful creatures. Generally feared, for in large groups they can be quite devious. However, they can also be honorable and courageous, even if the general populace doesn't believe it.
Micekin: +1 Dex, -1 Str
Descended from the experiments of an evil wizard, Micekin are giant, anthropomorphized mice. They are dextrous and cunning, but their forms have suffered from magical influence in their blood-line, weakening their physical form. They tend to be spies, scouts or sailors.
Dwarvenkind: +1 Str, +1 Will, -2 Diplomacy
Gruff folk who make their homes in the mountains of Little-Earth. They are excellent miners and fighters, but aren't particularly well-liked, both for their smell and their attitudes.
Ghostlings: +1 Thoughtfulness, +1 Diplomacy, -2 Will
These white-skinned cousins of humans are also called "demons" by the less educated inhabitants of Little-Earth. Learned and generally well-liked for the skills they bring to any community, they are mages for the most part. They look much like humans, but with only three fingers and toes on each hand and foot, and with small horns on their heads. They often paint their bodies with intricate designs. Unfortunately, their society communicates telepathically, which has led to an opening of the mind that is often an attack point for psychics.
Half-Giants: +2 Strength, -1 Thoughtfulness, -1 Dexterity
Large and in charge, these descendants of giants and barbarians are strong fighters, but not much else. They are often employed by towns as guardsmen, due to their abiding moral code and strict adherence to honor.
Handpeople: +1 Dex, +1 Strength, +1 Will, -3 Diplomacy
Bizarre, misunderstood nomads of the desert. They have well-trained bodies and minds to withstand the elements, but their odd customs and appearance have led to many frightful stories about them. They are monks, warriors and psychics. Their most obvious physical elements are their ears, which are pointed, their skin, which is tattooed, and their hair, which is often dyed in a plethora of colours.
CLASSES
Fighter: +1 Strength, +1 Dex (Base Skill: Strength)
-Auto-Strength: Weapon Knowledge
Monk: +2 Dex (Base Skill: Dexterity)
-Auto-Strength: Unarmed Combat
Mage: +2 Thoughtfulness (Base Skill: Thoughtfulness)
-Auto-Strength: Spellcasting
Psychic: +2 Will (Base Skill: Will)
-Auto-Strength: Mental Attack
Minstrel: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Dex (Base Skill: Diplomacy)
-Auto-Strength: Performance
Assassin: +2 Dex (Base Skill: Dex)
-Auto-Strength: Poison-Use
Medic: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Thoughtfulness (Base Skill: Diplomacy)
-Auto-Strength: Medicine
Barbarian: +2 Str (Base Skill: Strength)
-Auto-Strength: Battle-Craze
Ranger: +2 Dex (Base Skill: Dex)
-Auto-Strength: Lore (Nature)
STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES
At the start of the game, each player can take 1 strength, on top of the auto-strength given by their class. By taking a weakness, you can take another strength. You can take a maximum of 2 weaknesses to start, for a total of 4 strengths (1 Auto-Strength + 3 strengths). All strengths and weaknesses give bonuses (or penalties) on the failure/success charts.
Strengths
-Weapon Knowledge: You are well-versed in the use of many weapons, and can pick up and use most weapons instantly.
-Unarmed Combat: You are trained in the martial arts of your people, and can deal lethal damage without the use of weapons.
-Spell-casting: You have knowledge of the arcane, and can cast spells (see "Magic")
-Mental Attack: You can lash out with various psychic powers (see "Psychic")
-Performance: You have the ability to charm people with your performances. This can include sweet-talking people to your position.
-Poison-use: You are versed in the use of and detection of various poisons.
-Medicine: You are trained in the art of healing, and can help the sick or injured.
-Battle-Craze: You are a wonder on the battlefield, and will keep going despite the worst wounds.
-Disguise: You can disguise yourself quite readily, allowing you to go about without being recognized.
-Balance: You are well-balanced, able to walk along thin support with little-to-no difficulty.
-Interrogate: You can gain information from various sources.
-Lie: You have a skill in bending the truth.
-Animal Husbandry: You are able to interact well with animals, for various functions.
-Stealth: You can hide and move silently better than most people.
-Steal: You are a master at thievery, either as a pick-pocket or burglar.
-Acrobatic: You are skilled at the art of controlling your body's movements.
-Lore: You are a master of the knowledge of some subject (must be pointed out). Lore allows you to gain information the rest of the party may not be privy to about certain events, people, etc. This can be extremely useful in some scenarios.
Weaknesses
-Jinx: You cause accidents wherever you go.
-Twitch: You have a twitch which can cause problems.
-Ugly: You are particularly unattractive.
-Stench: You smell bad.
-Stutter: You can't speak without stuttering.
-Illiterate: You cannot read or write.
-Accent: You have an accent which makes it hard for others to understand you.
-Headaches: You often get migraines or headaches which can cause distraction.
-Limp: You limp, which can be debilitating when speed or footing are needed.
-Scarring: You have some scar or injury which makes you stand out in a crowd.
-Short-sighted: You can't see long distances.
-Far-sighted: You can't see short distances.
-Hard-of-Hearing: You have some weakness in you ability to hear or understand others.
-Weak Attention Span: You cannot focus on a task for more than a short time.
MAGIC
If you have the ability to cast spells, you have access to magical abilities. Each day, you can cast a number of spells equal to your thoughtfulness. You can cast any spell multiple times. However, you must choose a school of magic which you have learned from. Feel free to invent spells within these schools as you write, so long as they are not over-powered. High powered spells require multiple spell-uses to cast. Some spells (like causing a light, making something glow, making something hover, etc) will be considered cantrips and have infinite uses, but these will be determined on a use-by-use basis. For instance, making a pebble hover to impress a crowd is a cantrip. Making a troll hover to prevent it from moving is a spell-use. The spells below are to give an idea of what you might cast, they are not a definitive list. The 5 schools are.
Pyromancy (Fire Magic)
Fireball: Basic Offensive Spell, creates a ball of fire which can be thrown at a target.
Firewall: Basic Defensive Spell, creates a small wall of fire that blocks incoming attacks.
Flaming Weapon: Basic Buff, makes one weapon of your choice burst into flames, allowing it to cause fire damage.
Heated Hilt: Basic Weakness, causes a weapon's hilt to heat up, making it difficult to carry
Dragon's Breath: Strong Offensive, requires 2 spell-uses, you breath a cone of flame which can hit multiple targets
Dome of Flames: Strong Defensive, requires 4 spell uses, defends the whole party against attack and causes damage to any target that touches it.
Flaming Armor: Strong Buff, requires 2 spell-uses, makes an ally's armor or clothing burst into flames, causing damage to any enemy that hits them and defending them from heat for a brief time.
Airfire: Strong Weakness, requires 5 casts, causes the air around an enemy to heat up to such a degree that they cannot see or breath for several moments.
Necromancy (Death Magic)
Death Blast: Basic Offensive Spell, creates a small blast of negative energy that harms a target.
Sickening Shield: Basic Defensive, Creates a small shield of energy that makes any target that hits it dizzy.
Cursed Weapon: Basic Buff, makes an ally's weapon glow with the power of death
Pestilence: Basic Weakness, makes a target sick for a few moments.
Ghostly Presence: Summon, Requires 2 casts, summons a ghostly presence that can perform various tasks, including weak attacks
Skeleton: Summon, requires 3 casts, summons a skeleton that will attack a specified target
Zombie: Summon, requires 4 casts, summons a zombie that will attack a specific target.
Grasping Hands: Summon, requires 5 casts, summons a swarm of hands from the ground, that will hold a target down for several minutes
Divination (Seers)
Future Sight: Basic Buff, allows a caster to help guide an ally's strike
Past Sense: Basic, allows a caster to understand the history of a given place, object or person, although not in large detail
Disconcerting Gaze: Basic Weakness, one target is frightened by the way you look at them
Luck: Basic Buff, grants an ally luck on any task they are about to perform
Visions: Strong Weakness, requires 4 casts, shares a caster's visions with a target, causing madness and fright
Time Blast: Strong Attack, requires 2 casts, ages a target a year instantly, causing great pain.
Accurate Prediction: Strong, requires 3 casts, allows the caster to see a future event regarding one target.
Terrifying Gaze: Strong Weakness, requires 5 casts, one target is terrified of your gaze for several minutes
Illusionism
Flash: Basic, causes a bright flash that effects any who are looking at it
Loud Noises: Basic, causes loud noises from a nearby location. The noises can sound like a general sound, but cannot be actual words.
Invisibility Burst: Basic Defensive, causes one ally to disappear for a moment, making their movements unnoticed.
Deceive Appearances: Basic, completely change one persons appearance for several minutes
True Invisibility: Strong, Requires 5, an ally disappears for a much longer time than Invisibility Burst
Memories: Strong Weakness, Requires 3, brings a targets memories to life, causing confusion
Frightful Appearances: Strong Weakness, requires 4, brings a targets fears to life, causing terror
Mirage: Strong, requires 2, causes a target to see something that isn't actually there. They can even interact with it physically, but only they can see it.
Druidism
Familiar: Basic Passive (requires one cast in the morning, will remain with you all day), summons a small animal companion that will help you with minor tasks. Must be no larger than a medium-sized dog.
Nature's Wrath: Basic Offensive, vines rise from the ground and strike at a target.
Nature's Grace: Basic Buff, grants an ally unnatural speed
Nature's Strength: Basic Buff, grants an ally thickened skin, like tree bark, for several moments
Nature's Rage: Strong Offensive, requires 2 casts, tree roots pummel a target
Nature's Glory: Strong Buff, requires 3, grants an ally the strength and speed of a lion
Downpour: Strong Weakness, requires 4, causes a target to lose sight of your allies and become wet (can cause unstable ground on certain substances)
Treeguard: Strong Summon, requires 5, summons a Treant to attack a specified target for several minutes.
Theomancy (Holy Magic)
Restoration: Basic Healing, Instantly heals small wounds on an ally or cures them of a negative effect
Divine Shield: Basic Defensive, creates a shield that prevents most attacks on one ally
Smite: Basic Offensive, summons divine power to attack one target
Holy Strength: Basic Buff, grants one ally divine strength
Close Wounds: Strong Healing, requires 2, instantly heals moderate and small wounds on an ally and removes all status effects
Holy Word: Strong Buff, Requires 3, Provides a god's guidance on a task, helping ensure success
Great Heal: Strong Healing, requires 4, heals all damage on an ally
Mass Heal: Strong Healing, requires 5, heals multiple allies
PSYCHIC
Some people in Little-Earth are powerful psychics. Their abilities work much like magic, but do not come from learning. They come from mental skill. A psychic can use a number of attacks equal to their will per day. Small abilities, called exploits, work much like cantrips and will be decided case by case. Once again, be creative. Below is simply an example of the abilities that might exist.
Read Moods: Basic, can allow a psychic to tell what a person is feeling, including whether they are lying.
Mental Spike: Basic Offensive, causes a target to feel a blistering mental pain
Telekinesis: Basic, allows a psychic to lift and move small objects with their mind
Mental Barrage: Basic Weakness, causes a target to become confused
Read Minds: Strong, requires 2, allows a psychic to tell what a person is thinking
Crush Mind: Strong Offensive, requires 3, causes a target to feel like their head is about to implode
Greater Telekinesis: Strong, requires 4, allows a psychic to move heavy objects with their mind
Turn Target: Strong, requires 5, controls a targets mind briefly, allowing a psychic to suggest thoughts or actions
COMBAT
Combat is pretty simple. You say what you want to do, I work out the rest. If you perform a task based around strength (for instance, smashing an orc over the head with a mace), a strength bonus will be applied. If you perform a task based around dexterity (like dashing around an enemy as you deftly draw a line of blood across their cheek), you get a dexterity bonus. And so it goes. All the stats have their use in combat, based on actions. If you want a highly dextrous fighter, put points in dexterity. Highly strong, strength. Highly wise, thoughtfulness.
EQUIPMENT
Pretty much anything (within reason) is okay. No magic items to start. Try to keep it to 1 armor/clothing, 1 weapon, 1 pack of basic supplies. There is room for swing here. If you are playing an armor heavy guard of Kalak, you can have a suit of armor, a weapon, and likely have other basic supplies at the barracks. If you are a medic for a merchant caravan, you likely have light clothing, healing supplies, a pack of basic equipment (a tent, flint and steel, etc.) and no weapon. Case by case basis.