Friday, January 6, 2012
so didn't make my deadline
I didn't make my deadline of the New Year. But I will only take partial blame for this. My best friend and I have been planning on creating our own abridged D20 system for about a year. That plan is what started this whole thing. He has not been available to help. And as he is also my business partner and I manage his schedule...I can't call bullshit. We have been really busy with work, to the point of in the little free time we have we spend playing Dungeon Defenders on the 360 or sleeping. ( and getting new couches.) We want to create a system that won't be useful to most people. It will rely on the players holding themselves and each other responsible, instead of being beaten into submission by the rulebook. Based on the laws of physics and your stat bonuses. I need his role playing experience and Math oriented brain to do this project. I sat down to try and write it out myself and it was a nightmare. Thinking about it, I won't really be the one creating the system, he will. I'll just be leaning over his shoulder pretending to contribute. Then immediately hijacking it to post here, and then rolling up a bunch of characters. Then winding up my courage to invite people to come play. i'm looking forward to it. Hope everyone has a happy Wintereenmas and New Year!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
so phase 1 is done
I have my setting. Now I need people to populate it. To do that I need a stats system. My partner and I have plans to come up with a custom D20 system that is stats based. Googleing around you lots of skill based systems, but not stats based ones. We figure this is due to player abuse. However we won't have this problem. I sound very confidant. It's cause I am. Either my players will actually role-play their character and not abuse the system or I will kick them out. It's as simple as that. I know all the people who I'm planning to ask to play and I trust them to develop real characters, not math equations. We are in it for the role-play, the interaction, not rules. I want freedom for good story telling, not someone looking up some obscure reference in a stack of books.
We plan to have it so that the GM has the final say in whether something is doable with the stat. The player can make a case, and the other players can voice an opinion. The decision will ultimately be with the GM. This could lead to abuse on the GM's part. My players will have to trust that the GM is not out to get them...much.
This system will not be good for most groups. It is only going to work for us because of the unique blend of people we happen to be. Despite all this I will post all details of the system we work out here for anyone interested in using it. But I want it made clear that we are not proposing this as an alternate to the D20 system we all know at hate. This is a system we are developing to meet our specific needs as role-players. Le sigh. This will be my first GM experience. I love being a player character, and I think I will miss it. It's fun coming up with all this information for the world, and reading about what other GMs have done with games. The elaborate and cool schemes they come up with and orchestrate. Between reading the comments from Darths and Droids and stuff Howard says on Shlock Mercenary I get these really grand ideas of what is possible. I also realize that I'm never going to be as great or creative a GM as a lot of people out there. But I think I can do a passable job, and it will make me a better player character in the future.
Now for a to do list of what else will need to be prepared for the campaign to commence on schedule on December 31st!
-timeline competed
-system worked out
-NPCs rolled and worked out
-loot worked out
-plot finalized
-props purchased
-player characters confirmed
-playing times scheduled
-character sheets and supplies complied
Well that's not to bad to get done in a....shit I only have a month and a half left. Crap.
----a
We plan to have it so that the GM has the final say in whether something is doable with the stat. The player can make a case, and the other players can voice an opinion. The decision will ultimately be with the GM. This could lead to abuse on the GM's part. My players will have to trust that the GM is not out to get them...much.
This system will not be good for most groups. It is only going to work for us because of the unique blend of people we happen to be. Despite all this I will post all details of the system we work out here for anyone interested in using it. But I want it made clear that we are not proposing this as an alternate to the D20 system we all know at hate. This is a system we are developing to meet our specific needs as role-players. Le sigh. This will be my first GM experience. I love being a player character, and I think I will miss it. It's fun coming up with all this information for the world, and reading about what other GMs have done with games. The elaborate and cool schemes they come up with and orchestrate. Between reading the comments from Darths and Droids and stuff Howard says on Shlock Mercenary I get these really grand ideas of what is possible. I also realize that I'm never going to be as great or creative a GM as a lot of people out there. But I think I can do a passable job, and it will make me a better player character in the future.
Now for a to do list of what else will need to be prepared for the campaign to commence on schedule on December 31st!
-timeline competed
-system worked out
-NPCs rolled and worked out
-loot worked out
-plot finalized
-props purchased
-player characters confirmed
-playing times scheduled
-character sheets and supplies complied
Well that's not to bad to get done in a....shit I only have a month and a half left. Crap.
----a
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Decisions
I have decided not to make a more detailed map. Every time I look into making it more detailed I just don't want to. I end up making something else or just goofing off. I don't really need anything more complicated for what I have planned do far. If I need something more complicated later I can make it later. I'm going to goof off some more. If you haven't seen Torchwood you should. It's good.
---a
---a
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
final two cities
Alright here we are down to Ebon-Gray and Black. Black is completely surrounded by Ebon-gray, which is a rather unusual setup for Adama. The politics between these two cities reflect their physical setup. The culture of Black is rather like that of ancient Athens. Ebon-gray is their Sparta. They have very similar cultures, but focus causes tension. They just happen to have a slightly more artistic and scholarly bent than Sparta.
The main reason Black manages to stay independent is that they are the only real land in the whole area. Plus they are very rich, and not shabby soldiers themselves. Black is a plateau of black shiny rock with grass on top. No buildings are on the plain. The whole thing is reserved for gazing cattle. The city itself is built into the interior of the plateau with the richer areas being the outside, air facing bits. Its odd in that way that the farther into the city you get the poorer it gets. unlike the other cavern and caves of Adama, these are entirley manmade, and usually less than expertly. They are smelly, stale and gross. No real method for waste removal or sanitation. Lights are rare. Its a very dank dangerous subculture in the center of the plateau.
On the outside it is a beautiful city. Shining carved black rock, with classic motifs and Ionic columns. The monied are really the only citizens that are counted. The youths put in there time in school, then in the military, and by 30 retire back home to marry and help mom and dad with the cattle business while settleing down to whatever research or craft they have chosen and the business of produceing the next generation. The generations are rather regimented, broken into 5 year blocks. Because women(they go through the same school, military schedule the men do) wait so long to have children they have fewer chances. They tend to be healthier and survive better than their younger counterparts, but it is not unusual to only have one child naturally. A form of 'adoption' is common, but is basically buying children from the poor. They are not treated as second class children or citizens either. It is also not seen as any sort of stigma against it. It is not uncommon to see a family unit where the child is clearly not related to the parents genetically.
There is a whole market for theses 'adoptions' to take place. And rather than it being shady, it is very well regulated, so as to 'protect' the children. It does actually manage to make sure slavery isn't a real issue. Families who want to adopt must be citizens of Black. They must be at least a married couple. (Group marriages and same-sex marriages are not the norm, but they are not exotic and have the same rights as any 'traditional' marriage) The adoption must be registered and the child registered in the records as a new citizen.
Unlike our world, children are more often adopted, rather than infants. Parents like to chose children that demonstrate some sort of inclination toward an interest of there own, possibly to find someone to inherit the family business if a biological child does not seem interested. Or just trying to find a talented engaging child. Competition to be that child is fierce. The monetary reward for your biological parents, plus the privileged new life is a hefty goal. Often an adopted child will hire some or all (depending on how many there are) of his biological family as servants when they reach adulthood. But before that, they don't get contact with them. Once adopted the new family is the only family.
Ebon-gray has a similar problem with their women of birthing age. This is made worse by their slightly more war-like disposition. Few want to retire from active duty and incidents that result in sterility are much more common. Unlike Black , there is no pool of poor to draw from for adoption. They resent black for closely cultivating there little starving section to pick gems from. They also resent the lack of access to it. There had been an instance of testing allowing families from Ebon-gray adopt from the pool(100 to be exact), but they didn't adhere to the strict tracking that was required. Further investigation found that in some cases the children were being put to work as slaves, or were not even in residence. Some 20 children were never accounted for and were believed to have been trafficked out of the area and and sold. That put an end to that experiment. Black needs the pool to have hope for better things. It is what keeps them tractable and controllable. If rumors had got back in that bad things were happening to the adopted ones, the whole balance could have come crashing down around the government of Black. This is the main source of conflict between the two cities.
Ebon-Gray is a moat-like lake all around Black, throughly freckled with small dark gray rocky islands. These are where the buildings are. Some are as small as a single family home others as large as New York City block. The largest can be walked across in less than 15 minutes at a leisurely pace. Few islands are further apart than 50 yards. It is almost like having a very through canal system rather than a bunch of islands on a lake.
ugh, this will have to be cont. later guys.
----a
The main reason Black manages to stay independent is that they are the only real land in the whole area. Plus they are very rich, and not shabby soldiers themselves. Black is a plateau of black shiny rock with grass on top. No buildings are on the plain. The whole thing is reserved for gazing cattle. The city itself is built into the interior of the plateau with the richer areas being the outside, air facing bits. Its odd in that way that the farther into the city you get the poorer it gets. unlike the other cavern and caves of Adama, these are entirley manmade, and usually less than expertly. They are smelly, stale and gross. No real method for waste removal or sanitation. Lights are rare. Its a very dank dangerous subculture in the center of the plateau.
On the outside it is a beautiful city. Shining carved black rock, with classic motifs and Ionic columns. The monied are really the only citizens that are counted. The youths put in there time in school, then in the military, and by 30 retire back home to marry and help mom and dad with the cattle business while settleing down to whatever research or craft they have chosen and the business of produceing the next generation. The generations are rather regimented, broken into 5 year blocks. Because women(they go through the same school, military schedule the men do) wait so long to have children they have fewer chances. They tend to be healthier and survive better than their younger counterparts, but it is not unusual to only have one child naturally. A form of 'adoption' is common, but is basically buying children from the poor. They are not treated as second class children or citizens either. It is also not seen as any sort of stigma against it. It is not uncommon to see a family unit where the child is clearly not related to the parents genetically.
There is a whole market for theses 'adoptions' to take place. And rather than it being shady, it is very well regulated, so as to 'protect' the children. It does actually manage to make sure slavery isn't a real issue. Families who want to adopt must be citizens of Black. They must be at least a married couple. (Group marriages and same-sex marriages are not the norm, but they are not exotic and have the same rights as any 'traditional' marriage) The adoption must be registered and the child registered in the records as a new citizen.
Unlike our world, children are more often adopted, rather than infants. Parents like to chose children that demonstrate some sort of inclination toward an interest of there own, possibly to find someone to inherit the family business if a biological child does not seem interested. Or just trying to find a talented engaging child. Competition to be that child is fierce. The monetary reward for your biological parents, plus the privileged new life is a hefty goal. Often an adopted child will hire some or all (depending on how many there are) of his biological family as servants when they reach adulthood. But before that, they don't get contact with them. Once adopted the new family is the only family.
Ebon-gray has a similar problem with their women of birthing age. This is made worse by their slightly more war-like disposition. Few want to retire from active duty and incidents that result in sterility are much more common. Unlike Black , there is no pool of poor to draw from for adoption. They resent black for closely cultivating there little starving section to pick gems from. They also resent the lack of access to it. There had been an instance of testing allowing families from Ebon-gray adopt from the pool(100 to be exact), but they didn't adhere to the strict tracking that was required. Further investigation found that in some cases the children were being put to work as slaves, or were not even in residence. Some 20 children were never accounted for and were believed to have been trafficked out of the area and and sold. That put an end to that experiment. Black needs the pool to have hope for better things. It is what keeps them tractable and controllable. If rumors had got back in that bad things were happening to the adopted ones, the whole balance could have come crashing down around the government of Black. This is the main source of conflict between the two cities.
Ebon-Gray is a moat-like lake all around Black, throughly freckled with small dark gray rocky islands. These are where the buildings are. Some are as small as a single family home others as large as New York City block. The largest can be walked across in less than 15 minutes at a leisurely pace. Few islands are further apart than 50 yards. It is almost like having a very through canal system rather than a bunch of islands on a lake.
ugh, this will have to be cont. later guys.
----a
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
3 more cities to go...
I want to do Black and Ebon-gray together and I have a really good idea of what they are like and it will take me a whole day to put that together, so that is not on the board for this lovely Tuesday. (Any one else looking forward to Raid Night? Yea, server resets)
So this afternoon I will attempt to spit something out about Summer-sky. The problem is that I haven't had any ideas for this area at all. None. It is bordered by Tiger-eye, Rose, Green, Ebon-Gray, and Opal. That's a lot of borders...it is also near half the highest population centers, and most of the trade centers...A Bazaar! It is the trade city! Miners form Tiger-eye, wood from Green, imports from Opal, cattle from Black! Its even not terribley far from Yellow! Oh and the fact that Yellow is on the other side of Black from it is great for one of my already planned sub-plots! Brainstorming for the win.
Alright then. How about a slightly Indian feel to this one? Saris and piles of spices, Silk tents over the boats,....and the whole thing is a huge lake! So that scene in Aladdin where Jasmine is walking through the marketplace? Like that but on boats! ...must find refernce pic, hold on a moment...
Back, ok so this:
Mixed with this:
Good right? At night you look out at the lake and it is clear and calm with hardly anyone on it, the nighttime activities being restricted to the villages at the borders where everyone retreats at the end of the day. This is also where the inns are, and residents live.
During the day the whole lake is filled at the center with neat rows of shopboats, lashed together with their neighbors in streets to form the traditional lanes, like Potters Lane, and Shoe Street. You can even walk down the 'streets' across the fronts of the boats. There is a border fee that helps cover the cost of employing organizers that mark out the lanes, make sure all shops are in there proper place, which helps the shoppers find them. There is also a local police force patrolling the city.
A fairly wide berth is left around the edge of the lake for traffic and some sections of the bazaar are separated from one another, such as clothing, cloth, leather and such are grouped together with the vendors of leather goods being closest to animal section but still separated by a fairly large water way. (for smell purposes) Likewise, bulk raw leather dealers are on the edge of the upwind edge of the animal section. So on and so forth, so that is is organized neatly and conveintly, but also according to the weather.
Perfect! Another great idea, a family with a talent for weather prediction, a bunch of weather witches...Now what to do with them...
Sometimes you just gotta sit down and say, 'I will do this' instead of waiting for the inspiration to come to you.
----a
So this afternoon I will attempt to spit something out about Summer-sky. The problem is that I haven't had any ideas for this area at all. None. It is bordered by Tiger-eye, Rose, Green, Ebon-Gray, and Opal. That's a lot of borders...it is also near half the highest population centers, and most of the trade centers...A Bazaar! It is the trade city! Miners form Tiger-eye, wood from Green, imports from Opal, cattle from Black! Its even not terribley far from Yellow! Oh and the fact that Yellow is on the other side of Black from it is great for one of my already planned sub-plots! Brainstorming for the win.
Alright then. How about a slightly Indian feel to this one? Saris and piles of spices, Silk tents over the boats,....and the whole thing is a huge lake! So that scene in Aladdin where Jasmine is walking through the marketplace? Like that but on boats! ...must find refernce pic, hold on a moment...
Back, ok so this:
 |
| Image © Walt Disney Animation |
 | |||
| Not mine, just click through to see where I got it from. |
During the day the whole lake is filled at the center with neat rows of shopboats, lashed together with their neighbors in streets to form the traditional lanes, like Potters Lane, and Shoe Street. You can even walk down the 'streets' across the fronts of the boats. There is a border fee that helps cover the cost of employing organizers that mark out the lanes, make sure all shops are in there proper place, which helps the shoppers find them. There is also a local police force patrolling the city.
A fairly wide berth is left around the edge of the lake for traffic and some sections of the bazaar are separated from one another, such as clothing, cloth, leather and such are grouped together with the vendors of leather goods being closest to animal section but still separated by a fairly large water way. (for smell purposes) Likewise, bulk raw leather dealers are on the edge of the upwind edge of the animal section. So on and so forth, so that is is organized neatly and conveintly, but also according to the weather.
Perfect! Another great idea, a family with a talent for weather prediction, a bunch of weather witches...Now what to do with them...
Sometimes you just gotta sit down and say, 'I will do this' instead of waiting for the inspiration to come to you.
----a
Monday, November 7, 2011
Thar she blows!
Alright, with Yellow we have a return to the western-style culture, with a lot in common with early America. Think Moby Dick. But just a hint of that, more like a traditional, vaugley mideval campaingn setting but a very coastal flavour to it. Taste the salt on the air. Omnomnom.
Whales. They hunt whales. Go read. They also farm fish. Why do they farm fish? Cause the natural population is somewhat limiting. It's more as a middle of the line luxery item. Regular people eat brim and bass most days. On a special occasion such as a bonus check or just for a change of pace they get a redfish or somthing of that calibur. Remember, beef and pork are a bit rare because of the lack of avalible land to keep them.
Yellow also raises chickens, feeding them leftovers from the fish farms and whale harvest. Chicken tastes kinda fishy in Adama.
The people are a bit run down; whaling is hard on people. They have money though. The main character in this area will be a young woman who is trying to get them to stop whaling. Promting the chicken farming and fish farming for making a living, and trying to introduce seaweed farming. She is going to be half mermaid and talk to fish. (Maybe her hair will be kinda greenish, ohh, and her lips are kinda puckered like a fish?...and she can sing very well?) She realizes the whales are sentient. Other fish, not so much. Not sure how to turn this into an avdventure yet. Need to also bring in the Stone Man. It's a start. And need to keep the girl from getting too Disney Princess-ish.
----a
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Gray, short post i'm sleepy
Gray is connected to green by a tiny little border, but it is one of the most active borders in the whole Territory. That is because of the mass wood trade that goes on there. The majority of the business of Gray is boat building. Everything from tiny pirogues all the way up to large ships. Wood from Green and papyrus reeds from inside the city. The whole area is covered in a plant much like cyperus papyrus from our Egypt. Biggest difference is that they are half again as big. These grow from 15-25 feet tall. They grow in a fashion that forms natural pathways in a maze like fashion. The locals harvest them in a thinning pattern that does not ruin these natural waterways. The reeds are used in much the same fashion as the ancient Egyptians did and the people are culturally very similar. The biggest difference in the lack of stone and Pyramids.
The baddie will actually be here physically, before the Flight. He will be elsewhere afterward. I have the idea for him to be spreading some sort of sickness to the papyrus causing them to petrify at a unnatural rate. Then his minions gather the stone reeds and build pyramids. I'm gunna have baddie building these things all over the place. I need to figure out what they are for now...
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