Geoff’s Game Page
WARREN’S EDIT- Due to the site not allowing nested pages I am adding a link to Geoff’s sample character sheet here:
Sample character sheet page: http://www.giantrobotclub.com/?page_id=2450
****Original post below****
I’m going to post up some quick and dirty answers to some questions people have had here in no particular order, and then probably in a few days organize things better into sections and categories.
In regards to Sean’s idea that we start it this coming weekend (Sunday) when we’re all down in Eugene, the answer is no. First reason, people who are going to be in the game aren’t in bookclub (Julia, Kaylie, Claire, Quinn). Second reason, people who are in bookclub aren’t in the game (Pete). Also, I haven’t asked people to drive down to Eugene/Albany just to do this RPG, and I’m kinda hesitant to do so, since so many of them aren’t really gamers the way some others are. Also also, things will happen in the first session that I REALLY want people who haven’t RPed before to be in on. It would turn out badly if they missed the first session (cause the boys wanted to go talk about their wizard book out of town).
In regards to questions from Miles and Sean about the specific setting (technology level, races playable etc): The game will start in a very heavily forested ‘nation’ that is really made up of a small constellation of villages and maybe one medium sized town (not a city). All characters will either be from this area, or have lived there for a while. There will only be one provincial Lord in this nation, someone who is a kind of hereditary aristocrat and defacto leader. You cannot play him, or his Son/Daughter (someone asked if you can play his bastard, and I think that would be okay). You can play any of the classic D&D type races: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings and I’ma allow Orcs as well, but they will be more inteligent Warcraft type Orcs, instead of evil Lord of the Rings type Orcs. (you can play half-breed crosses of any of these too, if that’s what floats your boat). In my head right now, I imagine this small, middle of nowhere, nation to be comprised mostly of human villages, but depending on your needs/desires, that can change. So if you want a small mountain range on the outskirts with a small Dwarf mine or whatever for your character to be from, then cheers. You may notice that I don’t really want any city-folk characters, and that’s partially on purpose, but I suppose you could make a person who grew up in a city, but was forced to move out to this place or something. As it stands I don’t really want to make an exception for anyone on this starting location. There’s plenty of opportunity for diversity in this kind of location.
Anyway, pretty much the first thing that will happen to everyone’s character when the game starts is that they will be drafted into an army. Make your peace with that too.
In regards to the System and how it will be the same/different from recent games… Here it is, in brief, for people who are already somewhat familiar with the FTL system. (if you’re not familiar with FTL, and you don’t know what FTL means, I will post more about that later). In order to make the game work a little more with a ‘leveling up’ system as opposed to the ‘spend points on yourself’ system we had been using, you will all start out picking one of FOUR possible ‘classes’. These classes will include: Strength based combat, Agility based combat, Internal (white) magic or External (black) magic. One of these ‘classes’ will be your basic level skill from which all your other abilities branch from. However, unlike how we did the skill system before (by starting things out very general and growing more specific as you went along) you will branch from this basic class directly into very specific spells/maneuvers. So your character sheet will look something like, Basic level: External magic, followed by 3 or 4 spells which you know how to cast. When you level up, you will do 2 things, you will be able to ‘buy’ more spells in general OR level up your existing ones AND your basic ‘class’ skill (eg Black magic) will shift one to the right (from basic to learned). I’m gonna put up a sample character sheet or 2 to make this proccess more clear, I realize it’s somewhat opaque right now. Looking ahead, once you get to a certain level, you will be able to pick another job at some point (not for free) if you want to, say, make a warrior type person who can also cast spells.
To go into a little more detail about the differences between Strength based combat and Agility based combat here it is. Strength based combat would be combat designed around using heavy weapons and armor, and also dealing heavy blows against opponents. Agility based combat would instead revolve around using fast and precise weapons (bows, knives, stabby type weapons) and dealing damage by being mobile and accurate. Just like the magic bases ‘classes’ you will be able to branch out from the basic skill (Strength based combat for example) into specific maneuvers which would key into that class (for instance, a blow which would knock down an opponent). Leveling up would happen the same way, you get more maneuvers and all your maneuvers ‘shift to the right’ one space on the character sheet.
Again, to reiterate from other stuff I’ve said before. You will play starting character, which means you won’t be very good at things at first, and your equipment will also be a little mediocre. As you may have been able to tell, you will get much more powerful when you level up. Don’t worry though, I will make the enemies much harder than your used to as well, and also the loot you get will be of immediate use.
Please reply if you have any further questions.
I don’t know when I’ll actually be able to play, but I was thinking after reading this of playing a character that acts as some sort of combat medic/chaplain. Basically the equivalent of a non-combat personnel with some healing and mind magic, maybe from a religious sect or race of elves that are trained in this kind of thing and possibly for whom, like the tribunes in Rome or medics under the Geneva convention, it is illegal/forbidden to attack directly (assuming the person is civilized and follows the laws of our country).
But, you know, probably just some human who is just starting out in this order of medics. Has the benefit of being considered sacrosanct but hasn’t really developed much of the magic to be really considered worth notice.
I don’ think Julia will be playing with us. It’s not due to lack of interest. She’s moving out of the state, and will only be in Oregon for a few more weeks. I’d tell you more, but I think she’d prefer to tell the whole story herself.
I’ll extend the invitation to Quinn, but I’m not sure if she’ll join or not. She usually hangs out with her Albany friends on weekends, so I’m not sure if she’ll want to be a regular player or not.
Tell me a bit more about internal magic. Is it simply just healing spells? Or would “buffing” the party with status enhancements be internal magic? For that matter, how about “debuffing” the enemy.
I’m strongly considering taking on the internal magic/healer role. But not if all I get to do is heal. There needs to be more strategic applications before I’m 100% committed.
Will weapons and fighting styles be limited only to european styles? or will eastern and other styles be acceptable?
I already gots the dibs on being the healer, though. Actually, no, wait- let’s all play starting-level healers, like a fantasy version Scrubs. When we power up, it becomes more like ER.
I half think that might actually be a really interesting game.
@Sean
I like the idea that we eventually become Grey’s Anatomy, or as I was told what miles calls it- Sex Hospital.
Hokay, sorry for the wait.
In regards to Jared’s question first: If by eastern you mean ‘very far away’ then no, you can’t learn that without a good reason… I guess like some foreign monk guy got exiled to this nation and started up a school… but that’s a stretch I think. If by eastern you mean ‘a martial art that resembles things that, in our world, come from east asia’ then sure, that can just be something that is part of the culture in this particular neck of the woods.
In regards to Miles specific question about what can be done with internal magic… Yes, since magic can do anything, and internal magic concerns stuff that happens within a living body, it would cover buffing and debuffing. This is one of the ways a healer can be usefull 100% of the time during a fight, instead of only when people start to get hurt. You could proactivly make people more resistant to damage, or make enemies sicker and weaker, or whatever, remember you’ll have to buy specific spells for all this stuff.
And now to Sean’s character idea. I’ll go ahead and say that magic users would by far make the best healers in this world, and that anything else (like a guy who really knows how to dress wounds and make poultices) would be pretty lame in comparison. Also, it’s almost going to be required for the ‘bigger’ fights that heals get cast on party members during the fight, or else people will die. In regards to the whole idea of being a designated non-combatant, that’s not really going to work (sorry). For one thing, if I’m a big ol’ monster, and a group of people attack me, I’m going to kill them all, especially the guy who heals all the other guys, if I can. Also, and this may be a spoiler, even though I said you’d be drafted into the army, you won’t be fighting other nations… much. So the idea of being politically or socially immune wouldn’t work well. I hope this doesn’t discourage you, because like I said, a healer would be very helpful.
Also, I really hope Quinn joins in the fun, and I’m very sorry to hear that Julia won’t make it, and I’m curious about why she’s leaving the state. I had thought to suggest, like Alan said, that Miles and Julia play a brother and sister in the game, which would have been cool. Tell Quinn, if she doesn’t read this herself, that this game will be a lot of fun, and that the changes to the system are only going to be a small part of the changes I’m going to make about how I run games in general.
Micah is interested in playing too.
What low level enemies are in the vicinity of our starting location? like Leafers, eating our cabbage or goblins, trolls? Kobolds? Working on some character background
Made a new page for character ideas where the TEST page used to be.
Added a character idea to the character ideas page.