Dark Skies, Dark Hearts

Game Master greg white 722

hmmmm we may have our bellman.....

My collector is mainly a scholar, but he can still explore ruins to add to his collection. Although he may still need help from his artifacts, and other people.

My collector is mainly a scholar, but he can still explore ruins to add to his collection. Although he may still need help from his artifacts, and other people.

Cool, that doesn't preclude a thief then!

I'm currently limited to posting from my mobile, so I'm keeping my fancy script to a minimum for the time being, just a warning.

I'm loving what's coming together here! The characters already showcase the diversity of this setting. I support emphasizing the dark pulp feel, since the setting seems to be inherently high magic it feels proper to contrast the flying citadels and so forth with a grungy atmosphere. On the topic of magic I agree with the sort of mysterious approach, seeing it as an inherent (maybe even conscious?) part of the uiverse that can be manipulated by the determined individual.

As far as a character goes I'm still debating with myself, but here are some ideas.

Name: Johann Ver Magnusson

- "Wide-eyed and precocious"

- "Wielder of Muspell, the fabled living sword"

- "Mother is watching over me"

- "The prophecy must (not?) be fulfilled!"

Alright, I have a question for the group. Should each of my items require their own stunt, or just an aspect? I put this to the group as it is mainly a balance issue.

I love the "Mother is Watching Over Me" aspect! Supernatural protection, but be careful what you say or do... Mom's watching.

Still working on a character. I have one in the works but at this point, six aspects in, he's basically just Star Lord, and I'm not sure I want to play that. Gotta get it out of my system though. Still want to play a thief, I'm just not quite sure how to build him yet.

It would help if I had a better idea of the sort of mood the game will be. Light or heavy, gritty or action packed, these kinds of things.

Sorry recruitment is closed-- just saw this thread.

I'll probably lurk on your gameplay thread: I was wondering how to run a Fate game over PbP.

Good luck!

@Nohwear, I would think that one aspect or stunt could cover multiple items. For example say you had a stunt called...I don't know, "bag of tricks", well maybe it allows you to create environmental advantages with your toys using...will, or lore, to create effects such as lighting a fire without tools, blowing out torches or whipping up debris and dust into an obscuring shroud. I feel as though these more mundane style effects could be grouped together, but more outwardly offensive or game changing abilities should be their own stunt, aspect, or even extra.

@Mogthrasir, thanks man! I might take that aspect In a less supernatural direction, invoking it to keep his cool or give himself a boost of confidence. I'm a big fan of Volvi's "materials speak to me" aspect, very unique concept, the unsophisticated ship made me chuckle.

Some more ideas:

"They call me a Witch Hunter"

"Hormonal Teenager"

High concept.
Wanderer of the wastes

Aspects
1 Black arrow deserter
(+)Fighting/military knowledge/knowledge of the black arrows.(-)Someone is looking, Bad black arrow reputation. (hook)Why desert?

2 Old ways are not the best.
(+)building non storm tyrant/magister things, breaking ST/M things. (-)using ST/M things. (hook)Why this hostility to the old ways?

3 At home in the wastes
(+)Living/moving in the wastes.(-)fitting in in the magister states.(hook)Finding things out there. What happens if you gain a connection to a city?

4 Living on the run
(+)hiding, running, making due with less.(-)Reason for running, sometimes running is the wrong choice.(hook)Running to? Running from? Do you even know?

5 Trained stick fighter, wood hand style.
(+)Fighting w/ staves or clubs ect. (-)known style can be countered (hook) Trained by whom, where, and why?

6 Own little, carry less, walk lightly
(+)surviving without. sneaking. traveling.(-)buying things, looking respectable. (hook)???

7 Friends in low places
(+)streetwise, criminal connections (-)dealing with authority, being a 'usual suspect' (hook) favors owed

8 ??? leave open for now I guess.
(+)(-)(hook)

Poor Wandering One : So as the default setting is Sword and Sorcery the overall technology level will be roughly equivalent to
the 1st century AD of this world. As far as the basis of the Storm Tyrant's power, that would probably be a "super-science indistinguishable from magic." One technology that might show up now and then would be some of sky-craft/flier/ornithopter: there would have had to been some way of transporting people and goods to the Cloud Citadels. Magic does exist, but, as per the genre conventions, it's probably very dangerous. Don't forget that as a plot element there's also the threat of the Lovecraftian 'Outsiders' in this setting.

Mogthrasir : Instead of Sucker for a pretty face perhaps Ladies Man would have more potential to be 'double-edged.'

Here's what I have so far, I still need another aspect, but I've just hit a wall on this so I thought I'd see what everyone thought of him so far, maybe glean another aspect from the conversation.

High Concept: Petty Thief with Grand Designs

Aspects:
Small Name, Big Ego: Thinks he’s better known (or should be better known) than he actually is. His feats have not earned him the fame he desires. Really wants to make a name for himself, which has led to him getting in over his head, and will likely do so in the future.

Petty Criminal: On the one hand, he’s relatively easy to forgive because he’s not perceived as being that big a threat, but on the other hand people who do know him rarely trust him (or expect much from him). Capable of bypassing mundane security systems but prone to having sticky fingers.

Thieves’ Cant: Member (of questionable standing) in a sprawling underground society of thieves. He can use them to get information or occasionally help, but as there’s no honor among thieves, he can’t always rely on them to not betray him (unless they’re providing a safe house, then they have to follow guest law and treat him well or risk being ostracized). He won’t betray other members of the order lightly.

Wanderlust: He’s been around, seen the sights, and heard the stories. If there’s somewhere he hasn’t been, he probably knows (or believes) something about it, usually what’s worth stealing or what might kill him. Doesn’t have much in the way of roots though, and can’t really rely on having friends in those places he’s been.

Noble(ish) Bloodline: Somehow related to a Magister, but not considered an important relation. A nephew or maybe the tenth child or something. He can use this to intimidate some people, but if really pressed has no way to truly enforce things. On the outs with said Magister. Does give him some insight into politics though.

Cool Weapon: Carries a magical item of Storm Tyrant design (such as a sword which discharges lightning) which he can only use occasionally (for the magical effect anyway) because it has a long cooldown/recharge time. He stole it from the family and getting it back is one reason they might bother to pursue him.

Scrappy: Not terribly big or strong, but not afraid of a fight. Gets his ass kicked at least as much as he kicks ass.

So, as far as Magic goes, I see there being two parallel tracks in this setting.

The Ordered Way, the Path of the Wise :A kind of folk-mysticism, that works by invoking deep, spiritual resources. A cross between shamanism and 'The Force.' Mechanically this would be expressed by Stunts, that, in the main, augment existing skills. Each stunt would require the expenditure of a Fate point to use.

Sorcery : This would work like the Lovecraftian Mythos magic. You study blasphemous tomes, and then test using your Mysteries skill to tease out the spells within. When using a sorcerous spell, you must make test both against the spell's base difficulty, and its Rigor. The first determines whether the spell is successful, the Rigor determines the cost in Physical/Composure stress that the caster suffers: the caster can successfully cast the spell, but unless they make the Rigor test they incur the stated loss of stress themselves, as they were unable to handle the psyche and body-wrenching effects of the spell.

An example:

Dread Curse of the Daemon Sultan
Failure Cost:1 Composure
Difficulty: +3
Rigor Difficulty: +5
Rigor Cost: 1 Composure/1 Physical
Effect:A single target must make a successful test of Resolve against a difficulty = to the caster's roll, or the Rigor Difficulty, whichever is highest, or suffer the loss of Composure stress equal to the amount by which they failed the roll.
FX:As the caster enunciates the Daemon Sultan's secret name, the air roils with strands of force.

The Failure Cost is the cost if the base Difficulty in the Mysteries skill roll is not made. FX is the sensory appearance or mark of the spell.

I see these spells as being brutally destructive, both to their targets, and the caster; with most practitioners eventually ending up crippled in body and mind, like most Black Magicians in S&S tales.

circle, are you ruling out my collector idea? If not, where do you stand on how I should represent my stuff.

I am effectively scared away from being a caster. Are all stunts going to require a Fate point to activate? Or just magical stunts?

@Owen, "Petty criminal" is kind of a repeat of your high concept, but I like the vibe. "Scrappy" is hilarious, and "thieve's cant" is a good relationship aspect. Was your cool weapon going to be a main part of your character's identity? Just curious as I'm going for a "Boy and his sword" kinda thing. We can totally both have special weapons, I'm just making sure we're not trying to do the same thing :) I think a goal related aspect could be put to good use.

I'll probably reword the concept because I think Petty Criminal works well as an aspect.

As to the weapon, I was thinking of it more as a tool that he uses but doesn't fully understand. He's bound to it more because it's useful and valuable than because of any deep connection to it. It's essentially a useful trophy, not a companion. He's not known for using it, but he uses it, so I guess it's part of his character but not much a part of his identity. It also doesn't have to be a sword or even a weapon, it could be some kind of weird, arcane tool or the like.

Nohwear:: You can be a collector of artifacts. Each artifact would be purchased as a stunt, with one of the following qualifications chosen:
--Requires a Fate point to use.
--Requires successful use of the Mysteries Skill (against a difficulty of +2 to +5).
--Requires "Charges": item has a stress track. The "power source" may be self regenerating (you can you use your refreshes to restore spent "charges").

GypsyMischief : Non-magical stunts won't automatically require a Fate point spend, unless they're extremely powerful in effect.

This is Nohwear. I will be posting my aspects here as I think of them. However, I will not create all of them at once so I made a persona.

High Concept: Collector of the strange

Trouble: I need just one more

.....

Trouble: I need just one more

Psssst Trouble is Fare Core. We are using FreeFate. There are many important differences.

Hassid the Collector wrote:

.....

Trouble: I need just one more

Psssst Trouble is Fare Core. We are using FreeFate. There are many important differences.

Yeah, but I felt like giving myself one anyway.

And more power to you.
The Trouble aspect is a great addition to the game in my humble opinion, I just didn't want folks getting confused.

Are the important differences few enough that someone could give us a run down on here? Or should we just do our homework?

Trouble is a problem that you can not get rid of. The idea is that you could settle down and have a normal life except for your trouble.

The right mask for every occasion

Are the important differences few enough that someone could give us a run down on here? Or should we just do our homework?

I thought I could give a quick run down on the differences but no dice. Free Fate is based on Fate 2.0 and there were shifts in design philosophy between Fate 2 and Fate Core.

So yes it looks like homework time. That said Free Fate is still Fate so the learning curve is far from severe. It looks like weapon and armor values are assumed and there is an organized way to deal with gear that I have yet to get my head around. There are more and more detailed subsystems than are present in Core and it appears less modular if that makes sense.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'll have time for this game. Thanks- hopefully my setting element will make it more interesting regardless. Happy gaming.

Can't seem to find a copy of the edition of FATE that we're working with...

My Google-fu is weak, perhaps?

Try looking it up on DrivethruRPG

Can't seem to find a copy of the edition of FATE that we're working with...

My Google-fu is weak, perhaps?

Here you go:

All right so far we've got:
Voli Sivardson The Forgemaster
Hassid the Collector
And a thief and a wanderer, so far unnamed.

So why is this quartet headed to a half-ruined port? Hassid is probably looking for the opportunity to sell or acquire some more oddities. The Wanderer is perhaps wondering if any part of their famed library survived the repeated inundations by tsunami; and if so, if the remaining collection includes any of the Cryptic Books of Hsan (though what he wants in those dire tomes is yet unknown). The thief is probably simply looking again for a big score.

I think the thief is absolutely looking for the big score. He has to make a name for himself after all.

Voli has someone to meet there. At least he hopes so. An "acquaintance" more than a "friend" really, but he used to live there. Voli has very little in the ways of connections currently, and this friend: Jegner (pronounced Yayg-ner), was close with Voli's mentor Rokar.

He would like to set up his own forge eventually, but has no capital or connections to do so currently. He's hoping that if he can contact Jegner, then he might be able to get some direction on building capital and rapport.

...and a wanderer, so far unnamed.

I am thinking the name will be Rock. There is not a great deal left of a person once they experience the first cryptical book. The brain is there and functioning more or less normally but there is very much a before book and after book person.

So why is this quartet headed to a half-ruined port? Hassid is probably looking for the opportunity to sell or acquire some more oddities. The Wanderer is perhaps wondering if any part of their famed library survived the repeated inundations by tsunami; and if so, if the remaining collection includes any of the Cryptic Books of Hsan (though what he wants in those dire tomes is yet unknown). The thief is probably simply looking again for a big score.

Looking for another book sure but the books are cryptical and are not necessarily books. The first book for example is written in black type across the sky in a never-ending star wars crawl. Of course the exact mix of scorpion venom, oxygen deparvation, and happy green toadstools one has to experience will kill you well before you can see it. Unless you get the dosages exactly right. You get one chance per lifetime.

That said folks who have experienced a book do try to explain or record what has happened in this dark enlightenment. These books are much sought and fought over, they are far less powerful that the direct experience but they leave more of the reader intact. Rock would happily chase rumors of something like this especially as most folks can't tell the difference between one of these secondary books and the real thing.

{note: ideas stolen blatantly from Twenty Palaces book series.}

Skills:
So, as listed, with the following changes:
Guns: Some kind of exotic weapon, used by the elite Guardsmen of the Storm Tyrants. The actual mechanic; steam-driven flechettes, lightning, 'The Red Ravening Beam', is pretty much up to you. These things are hard to come by, requiring a Great (+4) test of Resources to come by.
Pilot : This would be used with the 'Sky Flitters', nimble, aerial craft used by the Storm Tyrants. Most commonly these are 'single seat' machines, though a passenger can be carried, in some discomfort. There are larger transports, that can carry who platoons of armed men. Again, since the fall of the Storm Tyrants, these vehicles are rare: single seat machines are a Great (+4) test of Resources to acquire, larger machines are an Epic (+7) test.

Work life has kept me away from the forum, but gave me time to settle on a character.

Phillip Anders

Phil hails from a distant time and place. Raised in a dangerously hostile dying urban jungle brimming with chaos and carnage he learned to fight for survival and cherish what little he possessed. He has no idea how he came to this world, or for what purpose, or if it's even real. All he knows for sure is that he fell asleep in his place beside his woman and then awoke..alone in the wastes.

"Wielder of Muspell, the Living Sword" Muspell is a wise old blade forged by the Sorcerer Surturus. Coy, smarmy and sometimes dour Muspell has seen a great many things and is fairly itchy to share them. Though the legend of the living sword is also lke a lullaby to the ears of the thief. Muspell serves as Phil's guide, mentor, and single friend in this strange new land.

I'll post the remainder of my aspects tomorrow.

circle, should we not be doing this in a discussion tab?

I can not decide, should "A nose for the deal, a tongue for the trade" be one aspect or two? To me it sort of feels like one and a half.

Hassid : Since that particular aspect really could also be stated as 'shrewd dealmaker', I would say it is one aspect, though perhaps its too 'one-sided': what would the downside be? How about Obsessive Collector ?