Indeed Quelthas, you do know how to Mage. That was my fault, not yours. I had the wrong class listed for you and have been studying the storm wizard instead of the Mage. I will need to spend more time with the Mage it seems, but I have little doubt that your interpretation is correct. However, we will need to wait on the fog then as it would be an action from your character. We'll hold off on any actions until the game starts.
And yes, the storm hunter has minor weather control, but it is described as a gust of wind or isolated rain. Rolling fog I would likely seem to be more personal, as in enough to cover one person or maybe a small group. A Mage, however, can likely fill the courtyard as I believe you intend.
Thanks for clarifying that for me. The Mage is extremely open ended, and from what I've read is only limited it appears by one's creativity.
I like the ink sac idea, I can squirt it, but it can also happen when I am startled.
I entered the guard post and asked to see the captain of the guard, so when the guard turned to go get him, and nobody else was watching, I slipped the bomb under some floorboards threw the entire long wick down there, lit it, and left before the guard returned.
Is this better?
As Obed waits for the end of his life he's comforted by the words of the prophecy:
Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.
There hath he lain for ages, and will lie
Battening upon huge seaworms in his sleep,
Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;
Then once by man and angels to be seen,
In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.
Soon Landlings, soon...the stars, and moon and planets will be aligned and the veil torn away. Then the dry lands will sink and the waters rise, Obed thinks as he stands upon the hangman's gallow. Those around him are probably surprised to hear chuckling come from beneath his hood.
Can we get a Gameplay thread active? Even if the game itself hasn't started yet, it'll help me by putting the campaign in my active feeds.
Can we get a Gameplay thread active? Even if the game itself hasn't started yet, it'll help me by putting the campaign in my active feeds.
Gameplay thread already started.
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Spoiler:
"So Everett, I'd like to learn more about my captain, if I'm to be a part of your crew," Numeo speaks quietly, one hand grasping a haunch of pterodactyl. The two men are seated near to one another on the beach of Numeo's island, the night of the day Everett's ship was temporarily stranded there. The alchemist glances at the captain out of the corner of one eye, and the charms and bones in his hair clack together softly.
Kale chews thoughtfully for a moment, then swigs from his flagon of rum to clear the taste of pterodactyl out of his mouth. "Not to say I'm ungrateful for the food, prophet, but this damn lizard tastes like fried leather." He looks down the beach, where a half-dozen fires have been lit, and his men laugh and drink and try not to think about the work they'll have to do tomorrow. Somewhere down the beach, Sebastion's voice rises higher than all the others, spinning some outlandish tale about six mermaids and the horrifying sea beast he saved them from.
"I ain't sure what brought you out here, half-past the edge of nowhere, on a isle that's known to have made short work of better men that either you or I. You'd say its fate, or prophecy, or the work of some god or another." Kale sips from his rum again, grimaces, spits. "I don't know a damn about that--if there's a destiny for me, I don't give a rat's ass, as long as I'm on the sea to face it."
"I'm not taking you on 'cause you asked, or even 'cause you fed my crew when they needed it, though I'll admit that swayed me." Kale stands, wipes the sand off his pants, and starts to walk away. He looks back after a few paces, his expression hidden in shadow. "I'm taking you on 'cause by those old burn scars on your face I can see you're one who knows what it is to suffer. And what it means to want something bad enough that you just get right back up and stick your face into that fire all over again."
"And if you know that, prophet, then you already know what kind of man I am. Point of fact, we ain't all that different."
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Update:
The plan is to get the gamethread started today, with the actual adventure. If you're half as excited as I am to get started, Monday is just too far away.
Let me outline a few things here though first, just so there's no confusion regarding the way I intend to run this, and you all know exactly what to expect:
- There are no turns. If you've played Dungeon World before, you're used to this. At a table, it still keeps a semblance of order, but online it means a lot of people acting at once. It also gives you a chance to step in and help where it might be needed. (Example: If Quelthas is casting a spell and gets a 7-9, Everett could use his turn to jump in and defend him from the potential complication. Or if Numeo is falling of the side of the ship and rolls a 6, Obed could use the Aid move in hopes of bumping that 6 up to a less frightening 7.
In this chaos, however, I ask that you not take too many moves before I can respond. Defying Danger, then Hack and Slash make sense together in some situations (and if you fail the first, it may simply negate the latter). But if you've already declared a Hack and slash move on a creature, then before I reply to resolve it also decide to defy danger to get away and go defend a comrade who's in trouble... you have 3 moves now to be resolved. If those all go poorly it may kill you outright before anyone else can jump in to help.
Some people can post a lot, some may only be able to get a single post per day. I will try to keep an equal pace by not resolving some actions until everyone gets a chance to jump in.
- Regular Pacing. I'm hoping that one post a day (on weekdays) isn't too much to ask. Sometimes it may be more frequent, but I will not let it get too far before everyone's had a chance to post. Weekends, however, are family time for me, so I likely won't be able to do more than maybe ask some questions or resolve small actions.
I'll give you a heads up if I'm gone for a bit, and would appreciate the same so I can maybe NPC you for the short stint. And if the group is waiting for 24 hours without a reply of any sort, I reserve the right to NPC or make a soft move.
- Basic respect. And this probably doesn't even need mentioned, but there are people behind the characters you're playing with. There may be in character conflict, but I would like you to keep it in game. Likewise, any in character conflict I would like to be mutual... if you want to steal something from a character, check with that player and make sure they're ok with this happening. I will do things to complicate your lives, you don't need to be watching out for the same from each other. (Waking up to find yourself tied to the mast is one thing if the ships under attack and I forced that, it's another to find out another player has done it).
- Make it a conversation. I don't feel the need to isolate questions or thoughts to the discussion thread, and keep only tangible actions in the game thread. I expect it to look like a conversation there. So ask questions. Share plans. Etc. Then we can use the discussion thread for other things, like debating what the best kind of bear is or how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop.
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There are still some things to iron out on the character sheets, but I feel ok moving forward even with them. I would like to see a character sheet for Quelthas though, so I at least know HP and stats.
Oh yeah. This isn't an "evil campaign", per se. Some of you may be more evil than others (I'm looking your direction, Obed!), but I intend to help push you in directions other than "kill everyone in sight". But morals are a bit... undefined. Right now I like to think of it as hanging out in the same realms as mobster movies. Yes, they kill people sometimes, and steal, and cheat, and lie. But they're good to their family, and there's some weird sense of honor that keeps them from killing everyone in the bank or restaurant.
I don't know if that makes sense. And it's obviously my job to give you something big enough that you'd want to fight for it, and give you reason to care about the world and the people in it. I just don't want you to be disappointed when you find that I don't spend a lot of time pushing you to burn down the orphanage and sink the ship full of nuns.
Are these "nun ships" common, and how may we recognize them? What colors do they fly?
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[dice=Spout Lore on Nunships]2d6+2
Nunships are evangelical in nature. They have no defenses and are often filled with naive' proselytes dedicated to spreading the word of their deity. They are widely recognized by the flag of their faith which they fly prominantly. There seems to be an unwritten code, even amongst seedier sorts, that protects nunships from attack - since their nature is benevolent and peaceful. Especially since there's rarely anything on board worth pillaging. And stealing their flags for the sake of a ruse is widely believed to be inviting the wrath of the gods themselves.
However, as the concept has spread throughout other burgeoning faiths, there has developed a phenomenon in which nunships have attacked other nunships of an opposing religion.
Few are aware of this new phenomena, but you are aware that through this development has come a sort of "battle nunships", which arms these frail but devoute "peacemakers" in order to pursue or defend from other "battle nunships". This variety is only recognized by the subtle introduction of red somewhere amongst the flag of their faith, which they fly to designate themselves as nunships.
Obed's quiet chuckles turn into loud cackles as he continues to picture the world drowned in water.
Before the visions struck me and drove me from my home, I belonged to a prosperous and thriving island tribe. Trade with the outside world was common, though outsiders were never invited to stay long. One of these visiting ships was a proselytizing missionaries traveling on a nunship.
While these missionaries were visiting, one came to my hut for some potions. Since some of the potions were volatile, I pressed him for details, and he confessed to wanting to use them as armaments against ship to ship boarders.
Looking forward to it! For Qualthas, is the issue not having a mage character sheet? Cause the alternative playbook provides the mage sheet for free - Available Here.
I really like the Mage abilities, much more dynamic than the typical wizard. This will be interesting.
The Focus idea is awesome, and some of them are themed perfectly for this campaign (Abyss, Storm, Horizon, Stars, Twilight).
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** spoiler omitted **
Spoiler:Kale chews thoughtfully for a moment, then swigs from his flagon of rum to clear the taste of pterodactyl out of his mouth. "Not to say I'm ungrateful for the food, prophet, but this damn lizard tastes like fried leather." He looks down the beach, where a half-dozen fires have been lit, and his men laugh and drink and try not to think about the work they'll have to do tomorrow. Somewhere down the beach, Sebastion's voice rises higher than all the others, spinning some outlandish tale about six mermaids and the horrifying sea beast he saved them from."I ain't sure what brought you out here, half-past the edge of nowhere, on a isle that's known to have made short work of better men that either you or I. You'd say its fate, or prophecy, or the work of some god or another." Kale sips from his rum again, grimaces, spits. "I don't know a damn about that--if there's a destiny for me, I don't give a rat's ass, as long as I'm on the sea to face it."
"I'm not taking you on 'cause you asked, or even 'cause you fed my crew when they needed it, though I'll admit that swayed me." Kale stands, wipes the sand off his pants, and starts to walk away. He looks back after a few paces, his expression hidden in shadow. "I'm taking you on 'cause by those old burn scars on your face I can see you're one who knows what it is to suffer. And what it means to want something bad enough that you just get right back up and stick your face into that fire all over again."
"And if you know that, prophet, then you already know what kind of man I am. Point of fact, we ain't all that different."
"The skies above us are clouded, Captain. The waters below us are dark, and none among us have plumbed their depths. If fire burns us, it at least also lights our path. And we will need all the light we can manage, I think." He draws his robes more tightly around himself, shivering despite his proximity to the blazing fire.
Another moment, and he turns back to Everett. "Your crew are decent men. But none can defy the coming doom, only understand it." With that, he uses the edge of his thumb to work some more island leaf into his wooden pipe. He lights it with a small branch from the fire and lapses into silence.
I really like the Mage abilities, much more dynamic than the typical wizard. This will be interesting.
The Focus idea is awesome, and some of them are themed perfectly for this campaign (Abyss, Storm, Horizon, Stars, Twilight).
I agree. The alternate classes did a good job of making some of the core classes a little bit more open ended!
Everett
- Racial Bonus - you may pick a human racial bonus from one of the core classes if one appeals to you, or come up with something of your own of relatively equal power.
- The Playbook I got you was missing some gear options. Pick 1 mark of office, so something that marks you as a man of authority (other than your cool hat or wicked sabre). Maybe it's a captain's pistol, or a jacket with old medals, or a beastly tattoo that lets you into the Captain's Club.... Also, Choose 3 supplies: Scurvy Rations (4 dungeon rations, 1 weight), Bottle of Grog (heals d6 HP. Causes Confusion until you rest. 1 weight), Adventuring Gear (5 uses, 1 weight), Healing Potion (0 weight), Fancy hat and bag of 15 coins (0 weight).
I was looking over the human racial options, and trying to think of something that would make sense for the Fanatic. I wanted something that would have good synergy with the Conscript ability (which will be great for obtaining new crew members!).
So first of all, there's this move:
When you return triumphant and throw a big party, spend 100 coins and roll +1 for every extra 100 coins spent. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7–9, choose 1. On a miss, you still choose one, but things get really out of hand (the GM will say how).
[/list]
You can only carouse when you return triumphant. That’s what draws the crowd of revelers to surround adventurers as they celebrate their latest haul. If you don’t proclaim your success or your failure, then who would want to party with you anyway?
I started looking over the rules for hirelings, and noticed that Loyalty can be increased with gifts at appropriate times. So I came up with the following idea for a human racial trait connected to Loyalty and Carousing: Add the following effect to the list of choices for the Carouse move: You treat the party as an appropriate gift to affect the loyalty of any conscripts in attendance.
What do you think of that one?
And in regards to Kale's equipment, I've made the following choices (which I will add to the profile for reference): Mark of Office (Captain's stars on collar and sleve), Dried Pteryodactyl Jerky (4 dungeon rations, 1 weight), Healing Potion (0 weight), Fancy hat (0 weight).
Kale keeps the potion inside his hat in case of emergency (held in with cloth straps), so if it's okay, he'll actually have the potion with him as our story begins on the gallows. (If not, no worries!)
Finally, I would argue that owlbear is the best bear. And it is the best specifically because it has the wisdom to know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. ("A-One, A-Two, A-RRAARGH!!!")
I like that racial trait, but I can't seem to find that Carouse move. Is it a custom one, or one I can find somewhere? And if the later, where can I find it? It's a great move for a captain though.
Sounds then like you're all caught up on your character sheet (and I believe the fancy hat comes with a bag of coins. But gold is somewhat arbitrary in this game from what I can tell ;).
And I have no problem with the healing potion stashed in his hat. I've started this adventure with 3 of you already in a spot, which is pretty dirty; even with the relative advantages given to the other 3. So a potion seems fair!
I found Carouse in the Dungeon World SRD, here. I think it's also in the .pdf as well, but I'm not at home at the moment, so I can't double check it...
I'm just going to assume the people who arrested Kale stole his bag of coins, and have already squandered the money on cheap booze and fried squid. I'm sure we'll get more money, we are pirates, after all!
Carouse is a basic move, and I for one think that racial power is awesome. Flavorful, and effective.
Shiney! Thank you both. That's a great racial trait, especially as you're likely to end up with several hirelings (crew).
"You will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Cáptain Jack Sparrow Sebastion Atticus Abberforth IV!"
To be honest, I don't know that I'll have time for this, plus I feel like I'll end up being a hindrance to the group, so, sorry to say, I'm out. If you find someone else that wants to use my character, they are more than welcome to go for it.
Sorry again. Hope the adventuring goes well!
To be honest, I don't know that I'll have time for this, plus I feel like I'll end up being a hindrance to the group, so, sorry to say, I'm out. If you find someone else that wants to use my character, they are more than welcome to go for it.
Sorry again. Hope the adventuring goes well!
Well, that sucks! I thought you did a great job of coming up with an interesting character. But do I understand how time constraints can get in the way...
Sorry to hear! You will be sorely missed but not forgotten! Good luck in your endeavors.
To be honest, I don't know that I'll have time for this, plus I feel like I'll end up being a hindrance to the group, so, sorry to say, I'm out. If you find someone else that wants to use my character, they are more than welcome to go for it.
Sorry again. Hope the adventuring goes well!
We'll miss you, and drink in your honor should everyone survive this. You built a great character, and I appreciate your role in building this world. Feel free to stick around and pop in the conversation in the discussion thread even if you don't wish to play. And I look forward to catching you around in other games.
Looking forward to it! For Qualthas, is the issue not having a mage character sheet? Cause the alternative playbook provides the mage sheet for free - Available Here.
Thanks muchly for the sheet link!
My issues are many. I'm one of those crazy folks that works full time and goes to school full time, so my free time is something I have to heavily manage. Also, I'm not allowed access to the Interwebs at work, so I can only post at night, or from my phone during lunch, which for this site is less than ideal. Lastly, I'm still very much learning my way around this (for me) new system.
I'll work to get a sheet, and a post up tonight. Admittedly, I wasn't quite ready for the timetable to get moved up on me, but I'll do my best to keep up while I get a handle on things.
I'd be fine with slowing things down to let you prepare if you still need a couple days. I'm not trying to rush people, just ride the natural momentum that seems to be there.
If you can't get a post up tonight I'm sure the others would be willing to wait a but as well. We can goof off in the discussion thread.
Everything looks great with the character sheet Quelthas. I look forward to learning more about the elves in this world, especially as you've already shared with me some of your initial thoughts.
Don't feel rushed to get that together, as it's not information immediately needed. But it'll be great to get a little insight there. Likewise, don't feel the need to overwhelm with detail... you will have the opportunity to develop more and more as the campaign goes on.
With that it looks like everyone's character sheets are caught up.
It stinks to lose Squart, but I hope he sticks around and pops into the discussion thread when he feels the desire to. I won't be filling that spot as 5 is a great number, and will likely only pull from those waiting if we drop to 4 or less.
Very cool!
Damage is determined by the attacker. Player characters deal damage according to their class, the weapon used, and the move they’ve made.
If a move just says “deal damage” the character rolls their class’s damage dice plus any bonuses or penalties from moves, weapons, or effects. If a move specifies an amount of damage, use that in place of the class’s damage roll.
Damage does not include ability bonuses. I couldn't remember for a second and had to check myself =D
Quick weekend check-in: I likely won't update until monday. But things are looking good. Obed also has a choice to make with a 9 on casting - draw attention, -1 ongoing, or lose access to the spell I believe.
I think I'm starting to get a feel for this system. It's very interesting in the way that it works, allowing a great deal of player flexibility. I'm really enjoying the game so far, and I'd like to extend my thanks to all of you for the effort and creatvity you've each put into the story. Sadly, Captain Kale may not have had the best of luck so far...but I'm crossing my fingers that things turn around for him!
As a side note: was Obed's speech while casting Cause Fear a reference to Darkwing Duck? That's what it reminded me of...
The awesome thing about this system too, is that bad luck is also good luck, because it's the only way to advance. So while I seem to be the shining hero faint of flaws as I intended due to good rolls, I may not see any advanced moves for a while >.>
I'm loving this game. I will be absolutely stealing this opening and campaign idea for real life games because it is flawless. Kudos to you GM for providing an unbelievable opening. When I read the first paragraph, I had a feeling where it was going, skipped to the last paragraph to confirm my suspicions then ran to my girlfriend to force her to read it. For your first time, your handling it marvelously. You seem to really get the concept of the 'fiction comes first' rule which is what makes the game!
Quick weekend check-in: I likely won't update until monday. But things are looking good. Obed also has a choice to make with a 9 on casting - draw attention, -1 ongoing, or lose access to the spell I believe.
Hmmm...tough choice...I'm thinking the veil is getting tough to pierce some many times so quickly....-1 on-going
I think I'm starting to get a feel for this system. It's very interesting in the way that it works, allowing a great deal of player flexibility. I'm really enjoying the game so far, and I'd like to extend my thanks to all of you for the effort and creatvity you've each put into the story. Sadly, Captain Kale may not have had the best of luck so far...but I'm crossing my fingers that things turn around for him!
As a side note: was Obed's speech while casting Cause Fear a reference to Darkwing Duck? That's what it reminded me of...
I don't think Obed was channeling Darkwing Duck, but since Ducks are water creatures maybe they also worship Father Dagon.
The awesome thing about this system too, is that bad luck is also good luck, because it's the only way to advance.
Yes, that's certainly true! What I'm noticing is that the experience point gain from a failed roll is balanced with a cost, usually damage. So a player character couldn't simply fail a bunch of rolls until they reached 10th level. Another neat thing is that it's very hard to guarantee a success on any roll, even at higher levels. This encourages risk, which tends to make for a more interesting story.
And I think it also encourages teamwork as well. As a player character fails rolls and takes damage, his teammates can step up and help out, which gives them the opportunity to take risks of their own...
I don't think Obed was channeling Darkwing Duck, but since Ducks are water creatures maybe they also worship Father Dagon.
That gives me a great idea for a Toon/Cthulhu mash-up campaign!
That gives me a great idea for a Toon/Cthulhu mash-up campaign!
Lovecraftian Saturday Morning Cartoons? I'm down.
The awesome thing about this system too, is that bad luck is also good luck, because it's the only way to advance.
Lucky for me, I typically roll like poo-doo, as you may have noticed by my whopping 2 damage on the Admiral...
:)
The awesome thing about this system too, is that bad luck is also good luck, because it's the only way to advance. So while I seem to be the shining hero faint of flaws as I intended due to good rolls, I may not see any advanced moves for a while >.>
I'm loving this game. I will be absolutely stealing this opening and campaign idea for real life games because it is flawless. Kudos to you GM for providing an unbelievable opening. When I read the first paragraph, I had a feeling where it was going, skipped to the last paragraph to confirm my suspicions then ran to my girlfriend to force her to read it. For your first time, your handling it marvelously. You seem to really get the concept of the 'fiction comes first' rule which is what makes the game!
I appreciate that! Its a really enjoyable creative exercise, and the least "labor intensive" GMing I've ever done.
Also, a note of greater detail on Parry since you asked earlier. I would say it's usable anywhere you would use hack and slash. The concept is much the same - trading blows in combat - but more defensive minded I believe. On hack and slash, a 10+ deals damage with no repercussions (same for parry assuming you choose the first 2). On a 7-9 both still do what you wanted to (deal damage or defend) but at a cost (either taking damage yourself, or only preventing the damage).
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No one should worry about not being able to post this weekend. I won't be able to update during those days, and I don't expect you guys to be jumping in either. If you can, that's just more to work with on Monday.
However, try not to post too many times before I can update, even if your rolls are 10+. Part of this system's draw is that even when you're getting the best rolls, I'll be trying to keep the battlefield fluid so that it feels dynamic and dangerous. Likewise, if you get a 7-9 I may make a soft move, or on a 6- I may make a hard move... which means things will be changing around.
I'll try to update where things are at and let you guys keep rolling. I love the creativity, and even the low rolls and small numbers make for fun play (like Quelthas slowly scraping down the Admiral)
Yes, that's certainly true! What I'm noticing is that the experience point gain from a failed roll is balanced with a cost, usually damage. So a player character couldn't simply fail a bunch of rolls until they reached 10th level. Another neat thing is that it's very hard to guarantee a success on any roll, even at higher levels. This encourages risk, which tends to make for a more interesting story.
And I think it also encourages teamwork as well. As a player character fails rolls and takes damage, his teammates can step up and help out, which gives them the opportunity to take risks of their own...
Emphasis added...
This.
I love how even bad rolls may just mean that things shift in a difficult way. And most of the time, teamwork can offset that. Did Obed just make a nasty roll that gathered the attention of the whole cannibal tribe? Then Sebastian can step in and defend him while he finishes the spell.
In the campaign tag I'm trying to track all of your xp, as well as your hp. I would appreciate it if you'd be tracking that as well for an extra measure of accuracy. I'll also include it in the tag next to my portrait for easy tracking.
Let me know if you see anything that differs from what you have and I'll track back and figure it out!
Not a problem, I keep a running log in my character profile as we go.
Ouch. Quelthas has really low rolls whenever he deals damage, then takes the full die when attacked himself.
Quelthas: I appreciate you giving me a chance to respond before moving on to the next action. If you guys get two posts in before I can respond, I'll do my best to tie it together, but things may snowball quickly for you - If it gets up to three or more posts before I can respond, I may only resolve the first 2 :).
Here's the quick rule of thumb I'm working with in my head for what constitutes a single "action": Think of it as a single, minor goal. Sometimes that may be a single move - like hack 'n slash, or just getting the hell out of the way with defy danger. Sometimes it may involve a couple of moves - like defying danger to get within reach of the flailing monster, and a second to stab it in the face. I hope that kind of makes sense... and if not, I roll with things pretty well.
Finally, if there's something your character wants to do that wouldn't involve any rolls, feel free to throw that in there , as things such as turn order and initiative are pretty dang loose in this system (if you haven't noticed).
Sebastion: Hahaha! I love the illustration! It's exactly what I had pictured in my head from the description. Well played.
I pointed out earlier that Ezran Slade has disappeared in the confusion. He last had Everett Kale's signature weapon (sorry for such a rough fight captain, but you've pulled off some interesting things despite the damage you've endured). I just want to assure you that I have every intention of making sure you see your signature weapon again! It's a class move of yours, and it would be really cheap to just take that away.
Oh, I'm not worried about it! Kale's caught up in the insanity of the fight right now, but once all the present threats are dealt with, you can bet he'll be making a vow to get that sabre back...
Oh, I'm not worried about it! Kale's caught up in the insanity of the fight right now, but once all the present threats are dealt with, you can bet he'll be making a vow to get that sabre back...
Sounds perfect. Sebastion Atticus Abberforth IV has some other effects to retrieve as well, so you won't be alone in it!