Exploring the Savage World of Keltica

Game Master ZenFox42

A Savage Worlds campaign in a fantasy setting (Elves, Dwarves, magic, etc.) with pre-Civil War technology (steam engines, locomotives, but only single-shot guns and no electricity).

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I’m thinking of DM’ing a PbP game using Savage Worlds (Deluxe edition, or "SWD"). In the interests of full disclosure, while I’ve been playing and DM’ing FRP games for more than a couple of decades, I’m new to both PbP and SW. I’ve also never DM’ed a PbP game before, so the initial set-up may take me a little longer than usual.

But, I can guarantee at least one long post a day, for 5 out of 7 days a week. And depending on the day of the week, I can check several times a day and give short replies. I would ask that you be able to commit to posting at least once every other day, once a day if at all possible.

If you’ve never used SW before, I wouldn’t let that stop you. It has all the basic concepts of any FRP system (roll some dice to get a total over some target value to succeed at the task), and while some of its details can take a little getting used to, the basic concepts are not that hard. Both Loveless and I had never used it before, and picked it up pretty quickly. I have several short documents I’ve created while learning it myself that may help, and those of us who do know it can help those who don’t. See THIS PDF for a very concise 16-page summary of how SW works.

One of the things I really like about SW is that you can custom-design your own PC by picking whatever Attributes (PF’s “Abilities”), Skills, and Edges (PF’s “Feats”) you want. Do not worry about party “roles” – pick whatever you want your character to *be*, first. You can reasonably have an armored, sword-wielding magic-user who’s good at picking locks! However, if you’re totally new to SW I can give you a few simple “gotta have” recommendations for any PC.

You can be any race you want, from any system or story you like. If you’re not human, at least one Edge AND Hindrance must go towards “defining” your race in some reasonable way (humans may get an extra Edge to compensate, I haven't decided yet). See SWD for some examples of what I mean, and please run your concept by me first (a description of the race, its Edge and Hindrance).

The SWD standard Arcane Powers (Magic, Miracles, and Psionics only) are available. Powers from the Fantasy Companion and Shaintar are allowed as well, if you have access to those. I have a couple of house rules which should make Powers more useful, and intend to add Power-based house rules as we go (always to your advantage). If you're not familiar with SW, their spell list may seem very short, but it provides the functionality of many dozens of PF's spells.

I have several SW house rules already, which you should be aware of before you create your PC, especially if you know SW well.

I’m thinking of a world where each “major” race (Dwarf, Elf, Hobbit, Human) evolved on its own continent, and about 100 years prior to the game, ocean-going ships became reliable and not only did all the races discover each other, but they discovered an “uninhabited” continent (well, there *are* Goblins and Orcs on it, but they don’t *really* count now, do they), and everyone’s been colonizing different parts of it (think North and South America in the 1500-1600’s being colonized by the English, French, and Spanish).

The technology level is that of right around the U.S. Civil war – steam engines, steam locomotives, and single-shot guns. It takes a few rounds to reload any gun, so bows and crossbows are still more deadly in the long run (and I'm adding an Edge to reduce reload times). This means science is firmly established, ocean navigation is not hit-or-miss anymore, and there are telescopes, microscopes, hot-air balloons, steam (paddle-wheel) boats for rivers, printing presses and mass-distribution of newspapers. There's no practical electricity of any kind (telegraph, light bulbs, phonograph, etc.).

So on the coasts of this new continent, civilization is fairly well established, but probably not with ALL the modern conveniences of the "home" continents ("London" would have THE latest and greatest stuff and the highest quality-of-living [think Sherlock Holmes], but while early "New York" would be the height of civilization on this continent, it's still far behind "London"). A few railways connect the big cities on the coasts, and go a little ways inward, but the vast part of the center of the continent is "uncivilized". Besides Orcs, there's all kinds of beasties and humanoids that evolved only on this continent that the PC's wouldn't be familiar with.

The PC’s would meet on a (steam-powered, screw-propeller) ship taking you to the “new world”, for whatever reason you decide for your PC. The party forms as you find like-minded people (or at least, ones that annoy you the least) during the month-long voyage. For whatever reasons you decide, you each intend on exploring the uncharted territories of the “new world” (as opposed to staying in the coastal colony cities). The game would start with you getting off the boat and preparing for your journey.


House Rules

The Investigation skill also includes forensics, interrogation, shadowing, etc.
Streetwise is by “social group” : gangs, outlaws, geeks, high society, etc.
The Elan Edge can only be used for RE-rolling with a Bennie (so the first Soak is not at +2).
New Edge – Extra Trappings (Novice, Arcane) : add 2 trappings to existing Powers (1 to 2, or 2 to 1).
New Edge – Speed Load (Seasoned, Agility d8+, Shooting d6+) : reloading time is reduced by 1 Action (once per weapon type).
The longbow does 2d8 and costs 300.
Remove the –1 Parry penalty from all two-handed weapons. And the Greatsword has AP 1.
Bennies can’t be used to re-roll a Fumble (snake eyes).
There’s no such thing as Near Total Cover. If you’re not even peeking your head around to keep sight on what’s going on, you’re in “Total Cover”, and you can’t be hit. But you can’t see what’s going on, either.
Getting first initiative and Holding is a great tactical advantage, that having to make opposed Agility rolls to resolve possibly negates (and slows down melee). Whoever’s Holding goes first.
Frenzy can be used as-is without needing an Edge. The Frenzy Edge now reduces the penalty to –1.
Rapid Attack is not available – you are always worse off using it!
For 2 raises on your Attack roll, pick one of : target goes Prone, target can be Pushed 1" in any direction.
For 3+ raises on your Attack roll, pick one of : +4 damage, attempt a Disarm.
Unless you’re adjacent to your target, a Ranged Finishing Move requires a successful attack roll, then it’s automatic death.
Powers : only a snake eyes on the Arcane skill roll is a “fumble” (Backlash, Brainburn, etc.).
Maintained Powers do not provide penalties to casting, and are not dropped if Shaken or Wounded.
Wild Cards do not apply their wound penalty to their Incapacitation or Bleeding Out rolls.
A Bleeding Out failure results in unconsiousness.
Wild Cards roll once per day for Natural Healing.


PLAYER THINGS-TO-KNOW ABOUT SW

The *** items are VERY IMPORTANT for first-time SW players!

Coming from D&D/d20/Pathfinder
-Attributes are PF’s Abilities (STR, DEX, …), only Charisma is handled a little differently
-“Trait” = Attribute OR Skill
-“Edges” are PF’s Feats (and class-specific abilities)
-SW does not have exponentially increasing HP, damage, XP, and GP like PF.
***You don't get experience for killing monsters, you get it for progressing the story.
-Because winning fights is not necessary to gaining XP in SW, running away from, or sneaking past, confrontations is a perfectly valid means of succeeding. Other strategies like negotiation or outright bribery might work.
***SW encourages players to think beyond combat as the solution for all problems.
-Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saving throws become Vigor, Agility, and Spirit rolls respectively.
-PC skill levels aren’t tied to level in the same way as D&D skills – a Novice PC can be quite skilled in one or two areas.
-Every enemy in SW is a threat; even the weakest goblin has a chance of killing a mighty dragon with a lucky first blow!

Things to know about how the system works
***A –2 basically halves your chances of success, while a +2 virtually guarantees success!
-The average, untrained person has d4’s across the board. A d6 is average for someone with some training, and a d8 is someone who has not only had some training, but is good at it!

When creating a PC
***Always take at least a d6 in Notice!
***Always take at least a d4 in Fighting, even if you never intend to wield a weapon!
-Good to have at least a d4 in some of : Healing, Stealth, Persuasion, and either Taunt or Intimidate.
-Have a combat role and a non-combat role. So have some skills that aren't combat related : Persuasion, thieving, etc.
-If you want two attacks, take the Two-Fisted Edge and buy two weapons.
-If your PC is ever going to use magic, start out with magic – it’s very slow to add later.

Using Bennies
1. You may freely spend one benny per encounter or scene. A wise Game Master will be handing bennies out a similar rate. If not, be a little more cautious.
2. Be cautious spending a second benny in the same fight, but do so when you believe it’ll make a significant difference.
3. Never spend your last benny except to soak an attack or to reroll on the Incapacitation table. This is your emergency “Keep me alive” benny.

How you use your last benny is critical to the survival of your character. If you take just enough wounds to incapacitate you, then you probably want to roll to Soak. But if you end up with a total of five or more wounds, you’re best off accepting the wounds and saving your final, precious benny for a second chance on the Incapacitation table. It’s better to be unconscious and alive than to die trying to stay in the fight.

It is vitally important to get out of the mindset of hoarding Bennies for "something worse" later. There is an important reason why removing Shaken is the only automatic effect of a Benny. If a player has Bennies and remains Shaken, then the system hasn't taken away the ability to act, the player has chosen not to use the system as it was meant to be used!


World Background

I'm still somewhat making it up as I go along (the Indiana Jones school of DM'ing), but think of a "typical" D&D medieval world that's had an extra couple hundred years of scientific/technological advancement.

But most of that "hi-tech" is back on your home continents. Compare the luxuries and such of London and Paris in 1850 to the U.S. western settlers in covered wagons having to hand-build their homes at the same time - big difference!

Magic (of any sort) as a whole is not that common (maybe 1 person in 1000? 10,000?), but as PC's of course you might be on this adventure precisely because you do have the "gift"... Compared to PF it's definitely "low-magic" (you can't just walk into a shop and buy wands and such), but magic is still pretty powerful.


Catchup on previous comments

Let me say first off (so I don't have to repeat myself below repeatedly ;), while not everyone has to have some "magic" of some sort, the more magic the merrier! I'd really like to see how SW's magic system works...but do not change your PC to add magic, or create a PC with magic, just because I've said that. Pick the PC concept *you* want!

Anyone considering using magic, please see the houserules post for how much less restricted and dangerous all Arcane powers are - you fumble FAR less often, and can maintain powers without penalty or chance of losing them if you are hit.

If you take any Arcane type, note that you need to take the Arcane Edge, AND have the related skill (Spellcasting, Faith, Psionics). You want to make this skill as high as you can (d8 or d10 would not be too unusual) because according to the core rules, you spend your Power Points if you fail the skill roll. I'm thinking about changing that, but that will be in the future (if ever). Whether you boost the Attribute to make the Skill points cost low, or leave the Attribute average (d6, d8) and spend more Skill points, is up to you.

If you already know SW, please read the houserules post! There's some important changes that might affect how you build your PC. Two-handed weapons are more useful, and you don't have to take an Edge to be able to use Frenzy (altho there are Edges that reduce its penalties). Stuff like that.

YoricksRequiem wrote:
What I'm thinking - without having read it - is that given the position of technology, society's attempts to still be "proper", and the idea of a new world, I'm pretty inclined to make a scholarly character - intelligent and scientific. Possibly reckless? Definitely curious to a fault. I may delve into the realm of Psionics, depending on how the book paints it.

Sounds good!

WickedRaygun wrote:
There's also weird science which allows you to do weird science fiction stuff, like say Alchemy.

I'm thinking (may take this back) that potions and scrolls might be make-able by all Arcane PC's (so I'd have to come up with a mechanic for it, probably involving Edges). I've seen a separate Alchemist Arcane type in Shaintar, if anyone wants to try that, but the penalties for failure are AWFUL!

I suppose Weird Science could be thought of as potions, but I can't see the "science" of this world being advanced enough to act as described. Altho maybe your PC is this world's Tesla and Edison all wrapped in one.... If anyone's interested, let's talk.

WickedRaygun wrote:
I'm thinking of a either a pure wizard or dwarf fighter type.

Either sounds good!

Loveless wrote:

Like someone with a strong natural magic talent, but one s/he can't yet control. Spontaneous conflagrations when s/he gets mad, for example -- think a cross between Firestarter Charlie McGee and "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry" Bruce Banner. One too many buildings burned down in town, you see...

Anyone interested in a familiar or animal companion?

Let's move our email discussion over here, but either or both sounds good. The animal companion *could* be a "main" character!

Loveless wrote:
Will you literally be starting as we get off the boat, or will there be some intro/mingle time first?

If y'all would like to introduce yourselves to each other while on-board, in a riff on the old "you meet in a tavern" trope, go for it! But the game itself will start as you leave the boat and decide what to do next (first?). I suppose you could role-play that discussion on-board too, now that I think about it...

Ben wrote:
He's got the "doesn't socialize with the lower class" quirk Hindrance, at least at the moment. I suppose I could change it to make things go smoother if I had to, though.

Smooth? Who wants smooth? :) You just have to tolerate each other enough not to kill each other. Bring it!

I hope I wasn't misleading when I described how the group formed - you don't have to be all buddy-buddy, it's just that these are the *least* annoying people you've met who have the same goal (explore the continent).

Ben wrote:
Here's some crunch

Ben - I'm no SW expert yet myself, but here's a few comments. Only #1 appears to be something you *must* change, all the rest is *advice* - use it if you want to, ignore it if it doesn't match your PC concept.

1. You've spent 6 points in Attributes, it's 5 max unless you give up an Edge. Unless I've missed something?
2. A d4 in Notice is ok, but Notice is used for *everything*, so a d6 is better.
3. If you've got a gun, a d6 in Shooting is MUCH better, especially since it takes a couple of Actions to reload, you might want to make every shot count.
4. Riding is only if you're going to ever be doing "unusual" things while on your horse. Just FYI.
5. Swimming is hardly ever going to be used, I would think (don't hold me to that! :)
6. If you took Ambidextrous because you're thinking of using two weapons, Two-Handed is a *much* better Edge to start. Then add Ambidex later.

Mal wrote:
I'm thinking the child itself will be psychic, and that they'll have trouble controlling this volatile power, which is what lead to the issues, etc.

Sounds good!

Mal wrote:
As much as the Young hindrance seems "correct" for this, it sounds brutal for playing, because it seems like you never actually make up those lost Attribute points and Skills.

Hey, they don't call it "Savage" Worlds for nothin'! :)

Mal wrote:

Would I be able to do one of the following?

a) Simply roleplay the age thing and choose more interesting hindrances, such as Curiosity or Phobia.
b) Get something additional for choosing it.
c) Use the Small hindrance instead like I've seen some people doing.

I can't see getting one extra Bennie a "game" (which is hard to define in PbP anyway) as fair compensation for the reduced PC creation points. A combination of Small and Curious sounds interesting, or maybe an extra Edge? (I think that may be TOO much compensation), or we could say you're more like 16 or 17, and just not taken too seriously by the "adults". What do you think?

Gavil Vasilescu wrote:
Question, though: would the Hindrance taken for the Race count as far as Hindrances normally do for gaining extra Trait dice or Edges?

I haven't decided whether the racial Edge and Hindrance are "add-ons" (and so Humans might get an extra Edge as compensation), or whether the racial Edge and Hindrance comes out of your normal PC-creation allowance (which means you have fewer options for the PC itself).

I will decide on that soon. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

But to answer your question, if they are "add-ons", the racial Edge and Hindrance are intended to cancel each other out. So you can take 1 Major Hindrance or 2 Minor Hindrances.


Hey! Anyone know why the campaign is listed as "Exploring the Savage World of Keltica" in the list of available campaigns, but is titled "ZenFox42's Untitled Campaign" at the top of this page?

More importantly, anyone know how I can set/change the title that appears at the top of this page?

Thanks!


ZenFox42 wrote:
More importantly, anyone know how I can set/change the title that appears at the top of this page?

I think you can change that on the Campaign Settings tab.

Will reply about other things momentarily.


Ben wrote:
Bukaru, how are you handling languages? I see that you can buy various levels of them with your skills, which seems punishing. I've also seen that you can get half your Smarts worth of languages in addition to your mother tongue. Which is it? Are those languagues all pidgin?

The second version is what's called a "Setting" rule - SW's core rules are almost always supplemented and/or replaced by the particular setting (Wild West, WWI, etc.), which are all those books Mal noticed.

Let's go with that Setting rule, but your native language is included in the count.

In addition, since the races discovered each other 100 years ago, a sort of "pidgin" (cough<Common>cough) language has started. It's most used on Keltica (the name of the new continent), but it's known on the other races' continents as well, so anyone who wants to could have picked that up (especially if you knew in advance you were coming here).

So, take your Smarts die value, divide by 2, subtract 1 for your native tongue, and that's how many other languages you can know. You can leave some of those "blank" for picking up later, or learn new ones by spending Skill points as you advance.


So I'm thinking, like, maybe this?

Kid:

Alexander James Taarnfalk's niece or nephew (Still undecided, open to suggestions). Roughly 12-13 years old. Psionic powers would have manifested w/ puberty because sure that makes sense. Good at sneaking, smart / observant. Not super useful in Combat. Maybe I'll swap Fighting for Shooting and pick up like, a Slingshot or something? Idk.

Attributes
Agility - d6
Smarts - d10
Spirit - d8
Strength - d4
Vigor - d4

Skills
Fighting - d6
Investigation - d8
Notice - d8
Psionics - d10
Stealth - d6
Survival - d8

Hindrances
Curious (Major)
Small (Major)
Phobia (Minor) - Mirrors
Delusional (Minor) - Mirrors are a doorway to an alternate dimension and oh my god that me in the mirror is going to come over here and take my place and no one will ever know and I’ll be trapped in the mirror world forever.

Edges
Arcane Background (Psionics)
Mentalist

Powers
Bolt
Healing
Mind Reading


PP 15/15 | Bennies 3/3 | Venom Strike 1/1

*Chirp*


I was thinking of making a character with glasses as per the Bad Eyes am I correct in assuming that corrective eyewear exists in this time period? I already have Curious as my Major Hindrance, and thus would like to take Bad Eyes as one of my Minors.


Mal/Yorick -

Again, this is my understanding, please let me know if you've done something I hadn't thought of...

Too many Attribute points - one die must drop by 2. But in addition (emphasis added for *everyone*)...

You *really* don't want a d4 for Vigor - once you take enough damage, that's the roll that determines whether you live or die! It's also the equivalent of PF's Fortitude save, altho I don't know off the top of my head how often that will come in to play.

2 too many Skill points (15 total) - once you re-arrange your Attributes, you'll have to re-calc this anyway...

Technically only 1 Major and 2 Minor Hindrances, according to RAW, altho I like the idea of Curious and Small, so if you want to keep those two...

Edges and Powers look good, and good selection of powers!


Ray - yep, eyeglasses have been around for a couple hundred years. Keep in mind they might be stolen, or broken in a particularly nasty area effect blast... :)

If it's Minor, you could go with a monocle - "monocle's are cool, I wear monocles now"...


ZenFox42 wrote:

Too many Attribute points - one die must drop by 2. But in addition (emphasis added for *everyone*)...

2 too many Skill points (15 total) - once you re-arrange your Attributes, you'll have to re-calc this anyway...

I think I might be confused. I thought that we got an Edge: 1) for being human , 2) for being novice. So with the extra 2 points from my major Hindrance I put an extra attribute and the 2 minor points I put into two skills. (Pg 17)

I was looking at a couple of the Archetype's in the book and my crunch seemed to be inline with theirs. Maybe I'm wrong about Novice getting an Edge?


"Magic" and Trappings

Trappings are the specific way in which *your* Power works. Keep it within the "theme" of your particular Arcane background (spells, miracles, psionics).

You pick a single trapping when you pick the power. Describe how it works, what visual or other sensory effects it creates, etc. Also give it a name other than the plain old Power's name - "Mind Devastation" sounds so much better than "Blast"!

From the manual : "Armor might represent the psion’s telekinetic force pushing attacks away from him. The same power used by a superhero might be a force field, or a body of flame that melts incoming projectiles".
Trappings can be *anything* you want!

Now, damage spells are a different thing altogether. There are standard damage trappings : acid, cold/ice, electricity, heat/flame, sound, etc. I wouldn't object to a purely mental kind of damage, if you wanted...

On the other hand, most damage spells (Blast, Bolt, etc.) have different ways you can use them, and each "use" has a different trapping of your choice! So for example (MBT=Medium Blast Template, LBT=Large Blast Template) :

Blast :
2d6 MBT - Fire, called Flame Strike.
3d6 MBT - Lighting, named Call Lightning.
2d6 LBT - Cold, called Blizzard.
3d6 LBT - Sonic, called Rift in the Sky.

Bolt :
1 bolt = fire bolt
2 bolts = lightning that arcs from one target to the next
3 bolts = acid bolt that splashes
3d6 bolt = sonic

So each one of these Powers gives you 4 different kinds of damage!

Other Powers have multi-use functionality built-in to them, such as :
-Boost/Lower Trait covers Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Fox's Cunning, Owl's Wisdom, Ray of Enfeeblement, etc. And since Skills are Traits, ANY Skill can be boosted.
-Healing covers all of the PF cure spells.
-Detect/Conceal Arcana covers most of the detection spells (magic, invisibility, scrying, etc) as well as stuff like nondetection and obscure object.
-Summon Ally covers the various monster summoning spells.
-Light/Obscure covers the various light spells, along with darkness, fog cloud, etc. And so on.

BTW, Shaken is a state that happens really often, so the Succor Power can be quite handy to snap your comrades out of it...

Mel/Yorrick - please be thinking about the specific trappings for your Powers.


Humans get a 1 free edge. Other races don't get that. To get additional Edges you have to "buy" them with Hindrances. You're allowed 1 major hindrance and 2 minor Hindrances. If you get the full load of Hindrances then you can take 2 Edges.

Crunch:

Name: WIP
Race: Human
Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor d4
Skills: Fighting d4, Healing d4, Knowledge: Arcana d8, Notice d6, Persuasion d4, Repair d4, Shooting d4, Spellcasting (Arcane) d10, Survival d4
Pace: 6, Parry: 4, Toughness: 4, Charisma: 0, Sanity: 6
Languages: Common, Dwarvish, Elvish, Halfling, Human, Orc
Gear: Unarmed Strike d4 (Str)
Special Abilities:
•Bad Eyes: -2 to shoot or notice distant targets
•Curious: Must check out everything and solve all mysteries
•Loyal: Will never leave a man behind
•Arcane Magic: Gain the Magic arcane background
•Wizard: Each raise on Spellcasting roll reduces cost by 1 Power Point
Arcane Powers:
•Bolt: Single bolt 2d6 damage; Up to 3 bolts at 1pt per bolt; 2pts does one 3d6 bolt
•Deflection: Attacks are at -2 (or -4 with raise); Serves as Armor against area effect weapons
•Detect/Conceal Arcana: Sense supernatural persons, objects, or effects within sight; Conceal a single supernatural target
Tracked Resources:
. . Bennies - 0/3
. . Power Points - 0/15

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Copyright © 2004-2014 by Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved.

EDIT: Here are the trappings for my powers:

Magic Missile (Bolt): Blue-colored bolts of light
Aegis (Deflection): Translucent Shield of Blue Energy
Arcane Eye/Veil (Detect/Conceal Arcana): Eyes glow Blue


Oops, Ray ninja'd me! Thanks!

Mel/Yorrick wrote:

I think I might be confused. I thought that we got an Edge: 1) for being human , 2) for being novice. So with the extra 2 points from my major Hindrance I put an extra attribute and the 2 minor points I put into two skills. (Pg 17)

I was looking at a couple of the Archetype's in the book and my crunch seemed to be inline with theirs. Maybe I'm wrong about Novice getting an Edge?

AFAIK, by RAW you only get Edges in exchange for taking Hindrances (altho the points you get from Hindrances can also be applied to boosting Attributes and Skills).

Humans do get an extra Edge, I'd forgotten. But not Novices.

Ben, that explains the extra point in Attributes - "nevermind..."


Different Races

So now that I found that Humans get an extra Edge anyway, that answers my quandry about other races.

If you're something other than Human, describe the race to me, and pick one Edge AND (either 1 Major Hindrance or 2 Minor Hindrances) that are in-line with your concept of the race.

These racial Hindrances *do not* count toward the normal starting-PC allowed Hindrances, since they're balanced by the racial Edge.

Sound good?

OR, you can just use one of the pre-defined races on page 20-21 of the manual.


Ray - it all sounds good. Two questions :

WIP = ???

d4 Vigor? Really? Just curious, why?


WIP - Haven't quite worked up a name yet. I'm leaning toward "Anton Montalvo." But that could easily change.

d4 Vigor -- I'm going to try to tough it out with the low Vigor. Most likely my first advance will be to raise it to a d6. I could also potentially grab Elan or Hard to Kill with my High Spirit.

In theory, with having the Wizard Edge coupled with the Extra Arcane Points (15 total), I should be able to cast like a maniac and be relatively okay. I don't expect to spend much Bennies for Spellcasting since I have a d10 in the skill. So 3 bennies should act as a buffer.

Also Deflection is pretty powerful; especially, if I get a raise.


Got it, thanks! Always looking to understand the system better...

Oh, it took a while to sink in - every PC effectively has the Hard to Kill Edge (see the end of the houserules list above). Also, since you mentioned it, note that Elan has been changed a little.


Male Aasimar Sentinel 1 | HP 16/16 | AC 17, touch 11, FF 16, CMD 15 | Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +4 | Init +1, Perception +6

Hey, Loup Blanc (Gavril) popping in. Not certain of what I'd play yet, but I could reprise a character I loved in another game on these boards. He's in this alias. I don't believe I'd need to do any reworking on him, although I might switch some things around. Let me know what you think!


Gavril - Azander looks ok, but balancing things in my head, doesn't he have one more Minor Hindrance than he should?


Equipment

Don't forget equipment - "$500" worth to start with.

Your steamship ticket to Keltica did not come out of this - one way or the other you got that separately.

I just noticed, the free PDF doesn't have prices! So if you have only that, just let me know and I can tell you the price of something.

Armor is very handy in SW! It helps reduce the *AMOUNT* of damage you take (as opposed to avoid being hit), and keeps you from becoming Shaken (unable to act for 1 or more rounds). But it gets expensive and heavy quick, so get the best you can afford and carry for now.

Ben - if you don't have the full manual, here's a typical pistol for you.
Caplock Pistol : Range=5/10/20, Damage=2d6+1, $150, Weight=3, 2 Actions to reload

Ray - no gear listed?
Mal/Yorrick - perhaps you got a "going away" / "get outta here!" gift of some money, so also $500.
Ben, Mal/Yorrick, Gavril - don't forget known languages (see above).


PP 15/15 | Bennies 3/3 | Venom Strike 1/1
wicked_raygun wrote:
d4 Vigor -- I'm going to try to tough it out with the low Vigor. Most likely my first advance will be to raise it to a d6.

I was thinking about skimping here as well. Since what I'll be running is teeny, incoming attacks will be at -2 as long as she keeps moving (granted that doesn't help with area effects). And at that size there's a -2 toughness penalty no matter what I do, so I'm kind of leaning towards being nimble and staying out of the line of fire more than trying to survive hits.

But it's still all up in the air. Heh.


Male Human Commoner 2/ Philosopher 2/ Gamer 5/ Writer 5
ZenFox42 wrote:
Gavril - Azander looks ok, but balancing things in my head, doesn't he have one more Minor Hindrance than he should?

Yeah, I was in a game where we were explicitly allowed to take extra Hindrances if we felt like it in order to make the characters interesting. I didn't have much to buy for Azander, and the others had opted to grab an extra Minor Hindrance, so I picked up Poverty. If you'd prefer I remove one for balance's sake, I'll probably drop Death Wish.

I'll add in his native tongue, although it'd be nice to know what I should call it.


Understood Re: Edge, Vigour, Languages, Trappings. I'll tweak all of those things when I make up my alias.

I seriously still can't decide on gender. WindDancer or Ben: Choose for me, since I'll likely be interacting with you two the most, at least early on, and our characters kind of go together.


Gavril - it looks like he's Human. Unless it's a buzz-kill for everyone, I generally don't bother with details like different languages within each race.

Dropping Death Wish sounds good.

Oh, and I forgot - regarding the Quick Edge : the way I came up with to handle SW's initiative, you will get a re-roll on initiative if you get less than 3500 (out of 10,000) - you'll have to remind me, please.

Ben and WindDancer : heh - each of you choose without looking at the other's choice, let's see if they match. :)


Signing off for the day, but will be back very early tomorrow (EST)...


half-elf gunslinger 3 HPs: 22 - AC: 18|14|14 - For:+3 | Ref:+7 | Wil:+6 - Per:+11 Init:+3

Whoops, looks like I just missed you. I made some changes to Alexander James based on your recommendations. I think I'll also give him a second Quirk instead of Stubborn, unless that's not allowed? I haven't quite decided what the quirk will be yet, though.

Yorick: AJ's nephew might be considered a good kid to have along on his potential regression into irresponsible debauchery... but a niece would make a nice counter... either sounds interesting, honestly. <-- so helpful

WindDancer might "belong" to the kid, perhaps?


@Ben: Yeah we're considering that angle - he's still deciding on what he wants to play. :)

As for me, Nephew it is!

  • I clocked my Pace at about a 4" rather than 6", figuring that I wouldn't move as quickly as an adult given how my legs are shorter.
  • I'm going to take fewer languages, too. Probably just 2(?) instead of the specified 5.
  • Updated my changes to Attributes/Skills/Edge to be accurate.
  • I scaled down the weight of the Armour, too, even though the book says Encumbrance isn't a big deal.

    I'm going to type up a more complete background now.


  • Male Human Commoner 2/ Philosopher 2/ Gamer 5/ Writer 5

    Alright, I've been hit with an itch, and Azander's going to be changed up slightly. He'll have piracy in his background, unless that's totally unfitting this world (but I figure with naval exploration happening more often, piracy would, too--at least for a bit).


    Male Aasimar Sentinel 1 | HP 16/16 | AC 17, touch 11, FF 16, CMD 15 | Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +4 | Init +1, Perception +6

    ...And I believe this is my full rebuild. Of course, I still have a great deal of gold to spend. If anyone has suggestions, I'm open to them.

    I'll be working on a backstory in the meantime.


    Male Aasimar Sentinel 1 | HP 16/16 | AC 17, touch 11, FF 16, CMD 15 | Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +4 | Init +1, Perception +6

    Too late to edit the last post, but I just thought of something--could I use some of my extra funds to up my pistols into double-barreled varieties? If so, how much would that cost?


    Alex - that looks great! But I made one mistake with the caplock pistols, see below (the price I gave you was for flintlocks). An extra Quirk is fine, but you won't get any "bonuses" to compensate it. I guess think of it more as a roleplaying choice?

    Azandar - ex-pirate is fine. Piracy is timeless.

    I made a slight mistake with the price of the caplock guns I mentioned to Alex - they are $50 more than flintlocks because they work better. Caplocks have a much better chance of firing under wet conditions (rain, fog, in a boat) than flintlocks. Don't have rules for that yet.

    Alex and Azandar - you can have flintlock guns for the prices listed, or upgrade to caplock guns for $50 more.

    Azandar - first decide flintlock or caplock to set that price. Double barrel costs twice of that, plus an extra $50 for the special firing mechanism. And twice the encumbrance. If you choose to fire both at once, roll 2 dice and ONE Wild Die, at -2 for the extra recoil (this is straight from the double barrel shotgun rules). Then roll damage for each successful shot separately.


    So, to recap & double-check :

    Alex (male human) : pretty much ready-to-go
    Azandar (old male human) : pretty much ready-to-go
    Connor (young male human) :pretty much ready-to-go
    Anton? (male human) : pretty much ready-to-go
    WindRider (female Ost) : hammering out details as I type this

    Did I miss anyone, or get name/gender/race wrong? Other than gear, does anyone have any build questions?

    Once everyone gets their PC entered into the system, I think we can start the game! I think (at this moment) WindRider will not be on the ship, so she won't be participating in the initial "meet-and-greet".

    Maybe y'all should hold off on the planning-what-to-do discussion until you land and see what's actually going on (you've heard a lot of talk while in your native land, but of course a lot of that could be rumors and such).


    I meant, I'll take a second Quirk hindrance to replace the Stubborn hindrance, not in addition to it. :)

    Just as an aside, "ost" means "cheese" in Danish, and now I'm picturing a round of Swiss flying over the waves. ;)


    PP 15/15 | Bennies 3/3 | Venom Strike 1/1

    Yeah, this'll be a pretty cheesy character, alright. :op

    GM, please create a GMPC for yourself in this game so I can bite his/her nose for repeatedly getting my name wrong. :oD

    (Connor, "WindDancer" comes from the ancient CIS game and is her tribal name. Once you two get tight she'll answer to whatever name you choose for her.)

    Hmm... looking at the list, I'm not so sure I want to be the only girl among a bunch of pioneer-type guys. (Different species notwithstanding, and get your mind out of the gutter.) :op

    GM, seeings as how WD won't be factoring in until the ship's near land, she's not going to have any gear, etc., feel free to light things off as soon as everyone else is prepped. By the time you need something from me, I'll be ready.


    WіndDancer wrote:
    Hmm... looking at the list, I'm not so sure I want to be the only girl among a bunch of pioneer-type guys. (Different species notwithstanding, and get your mind out of the gutter.) :op

    Hah, I had the exact opposite feeling - everyone else being male nearly pushed me into the female role. But I felt like the kid and Alexander would have a more interesting dynamic if they were both boys.


    I think we're waiting for Ray/Anton(?) to make a post with his new PC, and then we're ready to go!

    ...Actually, since everyone else has posted in the last 12 hours, let's get this show on the road - Ray/Anton(?), please join us in the Gameplay area as soon as you can...

    (And WindDancer, the first mistake was because the first character of your name wasn't displaying [ = not my fault :)]; the second one was just bad memory...)


    PP 15/15 | Bennies 3/3 | Venom Strike 1/1

    GM, the *Chirp* (generally referred to as "dotting") is so the system recognizes me as being in the game and I'll get notifications of new posts. (WD's of course not on the ship yet, and unknown to everyone).

    ZenFox42 wrote:
    You're on a no-frills boat (but not quite a "tramper")...

    Is this a steamer? Are there backup sails, guy wires? I'm trying to visualize what sort of structure there is above-decks (high in the air, especially.)

    If you'll indicate when the ship is nearing the coast -- say, a tenth of a mile out -- I can use that as my cue. Thanks!


    Connor: I take it from the tone of her letter that Elise isn't as fond of her brother as he is of her? I'm thinking up some backstory, and deciding just how happy he is to have been saddled with Connor, which his relationship with his sister would likely play a large part in.


    Alexander James Taarnfalk wrote:
    Connor: I take it from the tone of her letter that Elise isn't as fond of her brother as he is of her? I'm thinking up some backstory, and deciding just how happy he is to have been saddled with Connor, which his relationship with his sister would likely play a large part in.

    Oh I was just riffing off of what you'd said:

    Quote:
    I picture Alexander James as sort of the black sheep of the family, not having made (or having tried to make) a name for himself by becoming a success as something prestigious like his older brothers, instead wasting his time and money on indulgences. This trip would be his first attempt at something serious.

    As well as what Doc had proposed:

    Quote:
    Well if you're an obnoxious black sheep and the kid is a troublemaker/problem child, it could be less of a "he can help the child" and more of a "good riddance to the both of them!" Which your latter thought sort of implies, at least for the rest of the family.

    I figured if Alexander James hasn't taken anything seriously so far, his family would most likely perceive him as not being serious. I also imagine this as a time period in which the American Dream of the "Self Made Man" is a pretty prominent ideal - much as it has been since our own early 20th century. She's older and has been married and I assume women have less rights anyway, so it also struck me as possible that part of her is envious of Alexander, and that's where some of her resentment comes from.

    I'm certainly open to doing it differently, though - after all, Alexander is your character! The sister could definitely be sending Connor with him for a good reason, though if he's been wasting all his time and money, I'm not sure why she would? It did cross my mind that "England" at this time could have some kind of a sickness outbreak, which is what killed the father, and might be a reason for her sending the boy elsewhere?

    As for the relationship, I figured that he might be annoyed at first, thinking the boy might get in the way of his hedonistic lifestyle. I'm sure he's fond of the boy, but there's also a difference between "visiting your sister and playing with your nephew" and "raising a child". But I think (hope!) they'd grow to be close.

    Just my few cents, I'm absolutely fine with playing the backstory and relationship any way you please.


    Oh, it wasn't a complaint - I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. Alexander could well think of his kind sister fondly while having worn out her patience with him. I was thinking maybe she's younger than him, and so he still thinks of her as his adventurous little sister rather than the lady she's become?

    I was thinking the same as you about Alexander's relationship with Connor. He's fond of him and brings him toys and stories, but hasn't had to deal with any weirdness directly yet (apart from the mirror thing), and has no idea how to raise a young man properly, other than seeing to it that he has a range of experiences and perhaps a tutor for his education. The family might have thought the responsibility would force Alexander to man up. Certainly there could be an illness in the human lands to prompt Elise to send Connor away. Showing the two forming a more solid bond should be fun!

    And think of all the trouble they'll get into on the way... hehehe.


    Alexander James Taarnfalk wrote:
    I was thinking maybe she's younger than him, and so he still thinks of her as his adventurous little sister rather than the lady she's become?

    I'm in agreement with everything except for this - but only because the maths don't track. Connor's 13 and Alexander is 22, so the sister couldn't be younger than Alexander is.


    PP 15/15 | Bennies 3/3 | Venom Strike 1/1
    Alexander James Taarnfalk wrote:
    The family might have thought the responsibility would force Alexander to man up.

    And grow up. None of my business, but I just really liked the vibe when I read the above sentence, and thought I'd stick my nose in. Coz, you know, that's what osts do.

    *Chirp*


    FWIW, this *isn't* Earth-with-magic, so women have had equal rights since antiquity (at least on the Human continent [as an aside, Celtic women had basically equal rights 2000 years ago]), and sex isn't "bad".


    Just so everyone knows, there may be 1 or 2 other PC's joining in the next week or so. They are long-time FRP'ing (as players and DM's) friends of WindDancer's and mine, but new to SW and PbP. We used to actually play face-to-face many years ago, but more recently our group used to play "live" over the Internet (using programs called d20Pro and Mumble), but we had to stop a while ago due to connection problems. I'll work them in once they get PC's ready.


    WindDancer - are the things listed under "Offense" the damage, or a rehash of specific Fighting attacks? If damage, where do the +2's come from? The +2 from size specifically says "to attack". If rehash, please also list the damages ( = STR) just for clarity. Thanks!

    Everything else looks good!

    I need to figure out what the poison does in terms of game mechanics, will look into that soon...


    PP 15/15 | Bennies 3/3 | Venom Strike 1/1

    They're attack bonuses only. That was the way Hero Lab spat them out (I merely rearranged things on the page for clarity) and I agree it could be misleading. I'll clean that up.

    As to the poison, there's an effects table referred on page 89, and additional "creature" commentary on page 132. The mechanics are spelled out but you'll need to decide on strength at least.

    The pseudodragon conversion indicates lethal only if Shaken or wounded. For the core entry it just lists "poison," and Pathfinder's pseudodragon is "save Fort DC 14; frequency 1/minute for 10 minutes; effect sleep for 1 minute; cure 1 save." So it sounds to me it's intended to mostly be a fairly low-level incapacitation versus anything deadly.

    EDIT: A question that came to mind while fixing those numbers: How does SW handle choking/choke holds? I didn't see anything in the .pdf. Seems like if it were treated as a grapple and maintained long enough with sufficient strength (which I'd say she's lacking), the defender would pass out.

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