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Since there seemed to be ample interest in this, I'll go ahead and post a full on recruitment. This will be a call for three to five individuals to enjoy an adventure on the island Nation State of Cemeas, a homebrew world where the players will have a lot more say than usual in the creation of. The game will be using a slightly modified version of the Fate Core rules.
The Palatial Quarter situated in the west part of the city, is also called the Noble's Quarter, set up against the cliffs over the sea, and contains most nobles Palatial Mansions, including the Palace itself. Most noble families in Cemeas are fairly new, averaging one or two generations from wealth, though a few are long-time nobles from other nations, most prominently the Tremadogian Empire. Wide lawns, imported white marble and fine plazas are the norm here. Guards are very prominent but not very visible here.
The Merchant's Quarter in the northeast, is where most big business goes on, and while some people who are unable to afford these wares or unwilling to travel to the Quarter do their shopping elsewhere, most people know to shop around the Merchant's Quarter for all the best deals. There is always a lot of foot and wagon traffic between the Waterfront Quarter to the south and the Merchant's Quarter. The Merchant's Quarter features wide streets often filled with wagons (sometimes even horseless carriages), a strong presence of rifle carrying guards and flashy storefronts on every side.
The Waterfront Quarter in the south abutts the water. A badly planned pile of warehouses, docks, storage areas and trading houses, filled with sailors from every corner of the world. Always crowded, always busy, always half-flooded and never boring. The guards are here, with rifles and side swords. The streets are straight but the alleys are twisted and cramped.
The Channeler's Quarter in the northwest is an area of the city carefully split into six sections for each of the Houses of Titans. There is little traffic in this quarter of towers and fine lawns. There's little to see here unless you happen to be a channeler, and even then it's easy to get to the tower you wish to be in. There's not too much cross traffic between towers either. There are few guards here, as with battle Channelers nearby every day, it's hardly needed.
The Foreign Quarter in the southeast is a winding, twisty rats nest of alleys and sidestreets. Guard presence is near nil, and most of the buildings are held up by glues and hopes. The poor and disenfranchised live in this Quarter, as well as foreigners and many dockworkers from the Waterfront. The only exception is the Canak Enclave (considered a tiny piece of sovereign territory), which is ordered, efficient, well fortified and adequately guarded. The Canak run a tight ship and are brutal with lawbreakers.
The Builder is the Titan of Earth. Builders tend to be calm, centered and considered. They rarely move to action without long planning and intense deliberation. Their channeling can be used to throw and move earth, to incite or calm lust in people, draw great strength from the earth and to move extremely quickly overland.
The Hunter is the Titan of Wood. Hunters tend to be solitary, humble and flexible, but personable. They often avoid recognition and fame, wishing instead to simply ensure that things are handled quickly, quietly and without fuss. Their channeling can be used to hide themselves in wooded environments or move and shape wood. Their wood senses tend to make them excellent archers.
The Destroyer is the Titan of Fire. Destroyers tend to be direct, stylish, angry and charismatic. They are often glory hounds, tend to have explosive tempers and often move ahead without a plan. Their channeling can be used to create and throw fire, inspire fear or pride in people, and keep things warm or cooled.
The Messenger is the Titan of Wind. Messengers tend to be flighty, impulsive, and a bit scattered. They find comfort in other people, be passionate in the extreme and find joy in simple things. Their channeling can be used to manipulate the wind, speed up their own perceptions, and in particularly powerful cases; fly.
The Smith is the Titan of Metal. Smiths tend to be cold, aloof and practical. They enjoy the intricacy of precise machines or cold steel armor and weaponry. They tend to make excellent swordsmen and engineers. Their channeling can be used to enhance the strength or sharpness of metal they touch, bend, shape or move metals, and to ignore pain or impediment.
The Mariner is the Titan of Water. Mariners tend to be thoughtful, introspective and empathetic. They tend to be excellent readers of people, avoid large crowds and enjoy sailing the rivers or sea. Their channeling can be used to read others emotions, move and shape water, and make sailing or swimming easier and smoother.
The Stranger is the newest Titan. Strangers seem to share no particular traits, though the wish to change things seems to be slightly more popular among them. Strangers are able to use their channeling for any of the purposes the others have, including almost anything their imaginations can come up with if they have power enough. The Stranger is the only Titan who sometimes steals Channelers from other Titans. Often ruining their lives in the process. Being marked by the Stranger is, in Cemeas, a sentence to either death or lifelong imprisonment.
The players in this game will all be Channelers of the Stranger (Strangers as they're commonly called). They will all have been caught by the authorities and en route to Blackstone Penal Institution. Channeling will be a required skill by all characters, though it may be at any level between Average (+1) to Great (+4).
After the coup, the royal line began with Queen Maera I of the Kilyn line. The City established the Houses of the Titans the following year, appointing the Heads of Houses to the newly created Council of Seven, consisting of the Queen and each Head of House. Those without the ability to Channel were given no representation within the Council, leading them to be disenfranchised and unhappy. Things progressed much as they had for the populace, as Noble Houses cropped up in the wake of political and merchant power gained in the absence of the Empire's taxes, more common merchants hawked their wares both near and far, dockworkers traded their backs for some coins and beggars who'd lost even their strong backs traded anything they had for another day.
In the year 38C came The Stranger, a new Titan, without a House and seemingly without a limit to his power. The Titan chose very few people compared to the other Titans, and there seemed to be no pattern to those chosen by The Stranger. Where many could tell by certain talents or temperaments if someone would be chosen by The Smith or The Hunter, The Stranger seemed to decide on his Channelers with an eye only toward those who would shake things up, making the underdog the only reasonable pattern. (Though not every underdog, The Stranger chose far less Channelers than most). In addition, those marked by The Stranger were initially imperceptible, unlike other Channelers. This led to a big shakeup in power structure, with many people who were completely powerless and quite resentful about it finding themselves with the amount of power normally reserved only for those who had trained for years or decades. Robbings, vigilantism, fires, murders and destruction came to the powerful with the merchants, soldiers and poor dying in the crossfire. It took 5 years before those marked by The Stranger were declared enemies of Cemeas. A new prison facility was built by Channelers of The Builder. An imposing monstrosity of a prison towering over the Foreign Quarter known as Blackstone Penal Institution. The walls of the institution are laced with blackglass (obsidian), the only known grounding agent to The Strangers. Soon being a Channeler for The Stranger was punished only by death or a one-way trip to Blackstone.
In the year 71C, the city was hit by a plague the city called The Spellblight. While a dark time for the general populace, who suffered around 25% losses (slightly higher among non-human races), it was absolutely devestating to the cities Channelers, who suffered an infection rate of almost 90%, with well over three fifths of cases being fatal. With the numbers of Channelers cut by almost half and trade with the world outside the island cut off entirely, more people starved and everyone suffered. The discovery that Strangers seemed to be immune to the Spellblight caused a mass panic, making massive witch hunts among the angry and scared populace for those they blamed for causing the plague. Dozens were killed in lynchings and kangaroo courts, finally ending with the accusation and execution of Queen Marae I by her half-elven son and heir King Lyrant I. Whether the accusations against the First Queen were true has never been chosen, but that doesn't stop rumors and King Lyrant I's popular nickname, The Traitorous Prince.
The reconstruction efforts after the plague and purges lasted almost 2 decades. One of the major changes was the reconstruction of the Council, since the Channeler's numbers were to a small percentage of what they had been, the angry populace promoted Guilds into the Council under threat of riots and rebellion. The Guilds consisting of Merchants, Sailors, Farmers, and Soldiers promoted their Heads to the Council, quickly followed by The Representatives for each quarter, making the final and current Council of Fifteen.
In the year 96C a warship full of Canak (A violent, tyranical, short-lived race of spiked, snowy white humanoids from the north) crashed on the rocks of the isle containing Cemeas. Declared heretical by their own people for pollution of outside ideas, the Canak survivors eventually found themselves moved into a ghetto within the Foreign Quarter and largely forgotten. Attempting to recreate their homeland they spread their strange religion in the ghetto and beyond, where it took root in much of the disenfranchised workers who lacked a guild or other representation, including those marked by the Stranger. The Canak philosophy preached a system of knowing your place and conforming to your role, and protected converts as though they were born to it, including those who were criminals or outcasts in their own lands. In the intervening hundred years the philosophy has gained strength in the poor districts, but found few converts in the nobles and tradesmen. One of these converts was quite important, that being Princess Atrius, heir to the throne, who cast away her title to join the Canak ghetto in 105C. When the King discovered that his daughter had defected from his court with the help of her mother, he divorced her, and scandalized the court by taking an Ork, Queen Nicoult as a second wife and having a new heir, the half-ork, quarter-human, quarter-elf Prince Nikolas and his younger brother by 15 years Prince Lyrant II.
After a series of short trade wars (consisting of little more than occasional naval skirmishes) with neighbors, assassins from the Nementian Confederacy, Strangers all, killed King Lyrant and his Queen in their bed in the year 131C, causing the coronation of King Nikolas I, the first Non-Channeling King of Cemeas. A small faction within The Houses of the Titans, including the head of The House of The Destroyer, worried about losing their power and favor in the City, conspired to kidnap Prince Lyrant II and placed him under guard. Many lies and half-truths were used to convince Lyrant that his brother was an ineffectual and foolish ruler, and that the young Lyrant would be a better fit for the throne. Eventually the conspiracy used Lyrant as a figurehead to launch a civil war against King Nikolas. The Brother's War was long and bloody, lasting for 12 years, but luckily for history, King Nikolas was gracious in victory. The conspiracy was rooted out (mostly) and it's leaders put to death. Prince Lyrant II remains at the Palace, a prisoner in name only who has accepted that his brother is a fine ruler and has avoided entangling himself in politics. The King's treatment of his brother and his traitorous supporters and soldiers has earned him the moniker "The King in Grace".
This will be very steampunky. Lots of swords and cutlasses, matchlock rifles common with flintlocks for the rich and maybe even a couple of wheellocks floating around, but most violence is still done the old fashioned way. Cannons are used in defense of the island and on a few advanced ironsides. Gentry but no feudalism.
This information will be up in the Campaign Info tab at all times. Lots of it is background, feel free to skim it, and consider very little set in stone.
I will be intending to run an origin story adventure, which means that all that is necessary for your character to get consideration is the following 4 things:
A High Concept
A Trouble
A short, simple history
A writing sample, in character, detailing how the character was captured by the Guard (at least a paragraph, doesn't have to be too ridiculous, just something to get me a feel for your writing)
The rest of your character may be filled in through the origin story, including aspects, skills and stunts (though if you'd prefer to do a full character before even starting feel free, I have no intentions of stopping you.)
These characters should have had some form of a life before being Marked (It never happens before about age 14) and depending on how street-smart, tough, resourceful or clever they are may have avoided capture for many years, but now they are captured and on their way to prison in one of the Guards' wagons.
dotdotdot. I'm working on a character this morning, but have two fairly different ideas and am not sure which I want to pursue yet.
dotting as well.
Brain is currently KO. More soon.
Ryuko, would I be correct in assuming that this will be mostly urban/political intrigue?
Urban is correct, and intrigue, but not in the high places of society by any means. (Perhaps in a scene or two but for the most part you guys are pariahs).
How do you feel about someone completely new to Fate Core? I'd really love to try it out.
How do you feel about someone completely new to Fate Core? I'd really love to try it out.
I'm new to it as well, but luckily for both of us, in the Interest Check thread, Ryuko said:
Since you're not familiar with Fate, you'll be happy to hear the system is available on a "pay what you want" basis. Take a look at it, I will be expecting at least a fair knowledge of the rules, but as a rules-lite system it won't be hard to get that.
How do you feel about someone completely new to Fate Core? I'd really love to try it out.
As Yorick said, I'm pleased to accept all comers. Fate is a very laid back system overall, so its quite easy to get your mind around it
Rough idea
A boatman. Pirates in the family history. Currently working as a gondolier/boatman for hire.
Good with a sword, currently senior student at a salle of some repute and always short of funds for the tuition.
He is not of a social class permitted to wear a sword but the odd ruffians who have dried to rob his customers have found that sword techniques translate rather effectively to the dagger or the cane.
More, and refining this to produce a high concept and trouble etc. soon.
Dotting.
Thinking of a seasoned sailor at the moment. A fisherman, maybe? Stolen from The Mariner and betrayed to the Guard by his own crew. Details are forthcoming.
Hmmm water is featuring strongly so far. I could see friendly competition between my character and Morpheus's. Inland waterways vs open sea, boatman vs. sailor. A bit like Australians vs New Zealanders, they bicker with each other but an outsider insulting either is met by both fists.
Fantastic. I'll keep working on an idea while I scour the rules!
I'm liking both the ideas so far (tried to look up what a salle was, found only musical things... Feel like that's not right)
If it helps at all early parts og the game will focus on breaking out of custody and getting hidden out, with things escalating from there.
Salle is the name for a fencing studio. Think dojo only more french.
Sorry I broke my own rule there and used jargon w/o defining it at the first instance.
So I'm debating between two concepts that are extremely loose:
- A hooligan sort, maybe a gunslinger -- Brazen, quick and scrappy, and witty. Gets his butt kicked quite a bit however and extremely ill equipped socially. I'm thinking the sort the would come from money and prestige, but very much the black sheep in that lineage. Possibly cut off, or possibly living a purposeless life of privilege. Likely trouble would be "Sucker for a Pretty Face" or something of that sort.
- The other would be more of a brute -- the large guy with a massive neck and even greater mustache, who likes cigars and approaches everything in the most straightforward manner possible.
Before I start to actually flesh anything out though, I'm curious what else there might, so as to compliment the others. I'm not sure whether quick and witty would fill a better roll, or large and immovable.
Salle is the name for a fencing studio. Think dojo only more french.
Sorry I broke my own rule there and used jargon w/o defining it at the first instance.
I was thinking that... Perhaps I'd read it somewhere and forgotten. Either way sounds good.
@GM Nog: I'm a fan of the first concept but I would be fine with either.
Perhaps now that the weekend slump is over we can get some high concepts up.
Charles "Chance" Dillinger III
High Concept: Hooligan Son of the Dillinger Firearm Legacy
Trouble: Sucker for a Pretty Face
(History and arrest record to come. Just needed to get the ball rolling on him...)
Hey there! Sorry for my tardiness in transferring over from the interest thread.
High Concept: Count of Monte Cristo (wrongfully imprisoned, probably not noble—son of a well-to-do merchant would be as high as I would expect, probably less - soldier?—presumably for the murder of his fair lover [status or placement in society to be determined with GM], met someone in prison who teaches him and hones the abilities he nay or not have had access to at his level of societal caste; his desire for revenge and to cause upheaval among those who framed him attracts the attention of The Stranger (presumably) who gifts him with the means to escape "mundane" prison)
Trouble: Vengeance Drives Him Summary: Most likely impulsive when given opportunities to strike at his enemies. Even while incognito for longer term goals, he would have trouble resisting the urge to do them some harm even if his ultimate plan requires patience and not killing them. For example, meeting one of their wives/daughters he may try to seduce them, or meeting one of their sons, he may try to corrupt them or lead them astray in some way. But he would have to struggle to resist it, and what he sees as "doing them harm" may appear petty or pointless to someone else, but to him it has meaning which may mean unnecessary risk to satisfy that desire for revenge...
Phew! I think more history ended up in those High concept and trouble than I expected, lol. I will get something more formal written of course, and get the second arrest story discovered. A note, I also have no problem removing the "aristocratic prisoner" who teaches him if that's too corny. Having a socially inept former prisoner who is several years behind what constitutes fashion and whatnot could be very fun to play...but obviously as time wears on that will fade, so it would just be temporary fun.
Let me know if I make the cut!
I'm loving the concepts that are coming up here. Theyre pretty amazing. I love the Count of Monte Christo thing, exactly the cheesiness I'd be into. Dillinger sounds like a fun little problem.
hmmmm
Having trouble codifying trouble and high concept
Trouble is likely something to do with social class. We are talking Bottle street level here. A step up from scavenger but he does subsistence fish on occasion. Maybe 'River rat'?
For High I could go with 'Student of X' where X is the fencing master or style. A little bland but it could work.
These would bring both Class conflict and style/school rivalry into the game. Could even be a more explicit master:student thing which allows most Kung Fu movie plots into the game.
Are these worth further exploration or do you not want these elements in the game?
I am good either way.
I really think that trouble could work well!
For the High Concept though, I'd flesh it out a bit further. From what I understand, you really want the High Concept to embody your full character. The "Student of X" should definitely be in there, but I'm missing the whole "Pirate/Boatman for Hire" thing, which is too cool to miss the spotlight.
I've never played Fate, so take this only for what it's worth, but I ran across a link that may be helpful: Birthing Pains: High Concepts, Templates, and Troubles.
He says some really evocative things about High Concepts, like how it should be something that really embodies your character in a single phrase, and how it should "capture the cool of your character – when you trot it out in play, you want to feel proud of it, not apologetic."
My problem exactly.
Trouble is easy High concept is hard. "Shugyōsha gondolier" would work but only in anime.
hmmmm
Haha, yeah, that doesn't make sense to me as my knowledge there is minimal at best.
I know that people seem to like things really succinct (like 3 to 4 words), but the more I look around that doesn't seem to be the norm. I What about: "Mariner Student of X"? You could even throw in another adjective that denotes his lower-class status, like "Proletarian Mariner Student of X".
I kind of like the latter, because it creates an irony between the social class and high learning (which I think you intentionally pointed out with the note that he isn't legally allowed to openly carry a sword). He almost embodies a counter personality with my concept of an upper-class character who slums it up at the bottom--your character participates at the top, exceeding his status in ways.
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This also frees you up to become, perhaps, more specific with your trouble--since class is implied with your high concept (and can be compelled as such, I believe!). So what is it about the "River Rat" trouble that really interests you and draws you in?
Heck, what if you fully wrap that trouble up in your High Concept? We could throw out "Proletarian" (though I really like that word in a steampunk setting) and replace it with something like "Slumdog" or your aforementioned "River Rat".
"River Rat Mariner Student of X"
heh. That has some punch. But it needs to really grab YOU, not me :)
Then for the trouble you can focus on a flawed dimension of your character more personal than social status. Does he have vices? Does he have prominent enemies? What would haunt him, even if he were able to rise from the mire of society's classifications?
You can think of the "Trouble" as: "What do I want my character to constantly be struggling against?"
And maybe that really is his social status. So that even if he rises above, he'll NEVER be able to shake his origins and the stigma that comes with that. If that's the case, then again: what really draws you to that, and how can you make it punchier? Is it that he'll ALWAYS act low-brow? Is it that he has powerful adversaries that will never let him forget his inferiority? Is it a personal pride in his grass-roots upbringing?
That way, you get to really punch the aspect that interests you most. All of that stuff will likely come up anyway because it's tied into your High Concept as a "River Rat". But by defining it further, you create a specific pocket that will come up far more often, and will bleed into other areas. (e.g. Your undignified actions will be compelled in social situations, or your adversaries will be a constant source of struggle and conflict, or your personal pride will come up in other areas where you as a player (not character) might be more inclined to act humbly).
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I hope this is helping. And please tell me if I'm just further muddying the waters. I can handle that.
'Proletarian Gondolier '
hmmmm clunky... but maybe
It is almost 2 aspects
""
and
"Favored Student of X" or ""
I am liking
"Proletarian Boatman, Senior student of Salle St Maurice"
'Boatman' to separate him from open water sailors and to give a knowledge of the rivers and canals and the folks living near and on them.
'Senior Student' and 'Salle St. Maurice' to reinforce the social dichotomy established by 'Proletarian'
I can see this lending a bit of a Scaramouche feel.
Now trouble...
'River rat' is out it was folded into the high concept.
'hot-blooded' or 'duelist' could work.
We might be getting close to something...
FWIW, I'm loving "Proletarian Boatman, Senior student of Salle St Maurice".
I couldn't agree more on the effects of using "Boatman" and the addition of "Senior Student".
Additionally, I love Sabatini's work, especially Scaramouche.
And I'm excited to see the new dimension of a trouble!
'Hot-blooded' is more flexible letting in romantic issues (conflict with Dillinger over a pretty face) as well as a readiness to fight
So
High Concept: Proletarian Boatman, Senior student of Salle St Maurice.
Trouble: Hot-Blooded.
"A short, simple history" and "A writing sample, in character, detailing how the character was captured by the Guard." TBA
Haha, yes! I especially like the romantic side of hot-blooded, as it creates PC - NPC - PC triangles. If you've ever looked into any of Vincent Baker's games, that's a key component.
Plus, Chance is definitively shotty when it comes to being around women, as drawn as he is to them. So it sounds awesome to have someone hot-blooded wedging in there as well!
That's all very good. Mogthrasir, you're doing an excellent job punching up high concepts and such.
I think I'm putting out an ultimatum. The games 'origin story' will be beginning on tuesday, sometime in the late afternoon for me (pacific coast time), so everyone needs their submission in by then.
Also, I wanted to throw our a quick post about initiative and guns. I intend for guns to be around and prominent in the setting. Guns will be easy to use, and often used as an opener to combat, but rarely used to continue combat (think pirates, fire one bullet then draw your blade). To reflect this, I think one actions worth of reloading (reflected with an aspect) will be required after the first bullet is fired in a fight. Guns will also be considered a Weapon:2, even though weapon ratings won't be used in any other context of the game, to reflect their deadliness.
Rolling will be handled with 4d3-8+modifier. This accurately simulates Fate Dice.
Initiative will be done in blocks and in a style me and my friends have called comic book style.
Alice:
Bob:
Charlie:
Guards 1:
Guards 2:
Those Rolls make our order:
Player (Charlie's Roll)
Player (Bob's Roll)
Enemies (Guard 1's Roll)
Player (Alice's Roll)
Enemies (Guard 2's Roll)
If Bob happens to be the first person to get online after initiative is rolled, he'll take the first Player slot, deciding to create an advantage. Alice gets on next and takes the second slot, creating another advantage. I get on next, having the first group of guards try to overcome one of the advantages and succeed. Then Charlie gets online, takes the last Player slot and uses his high combat skill to obliterate a group of guards, getting rid of their first initiative, before the final group of guards goes.
The process then starts over.
This accomplishes the tricky problem of initiative in a play-by-post, making each slot open to whichever player happens to be online right now. Each player or enemy may only take the one action per turn, but may act wherever works for them. When me and friends do this in real life, high attack skill players tend to take the last slot, invoking aspects from other characters to really put the hurt on groups.
Also, as groups are Taken Out or Concede, the top score of their sides initiative is lost, reflecting the loss of momentum as their side is pushed back.
Does everyone have a good understanding of this system and what's going on in it?
Sounds good! I hope to have that stuff up by the end of the day. And Comic Book Style seems like a great way to do initiative--efficient in PbP and fun.
As for understanding the system, nope. I'm trying to figure it out, and I think I'm getting it. But you may have to correct me a few times on stuff as I've never played it. Just really intrigued by it.
I think I understand the system but why did only one side exploit it in the example?
Should not the guards, acting in the first guard slot have attacked Charlie thereby preventing his attack?
Also If the guards had attacked Alice and forced her to concede thereby removing the slot created by Charlie's roll, what happens to the advantage created by Bob who used that slot?
History:
Charles (or "Chance") Dillinger III (the Third) is heir to the Dillinger legacy. The Dillingers are a fairly affluent family, even by the heightened standards present amongst those of the Palatial Quarter. His father, obviously the second Charles, had much to do with their rise in status through his exceptionally crafted firearms as well as prowess with them. As a family, they have ties to old blood and money, but receive an even greater respect as Charles II has so thoroughly proven his worthiness of it.
Charles the Third, is the only son amidst four older sisters. Thus he is the child of the family, but also the heir. The former he boldly personifies, while the latter he shirks.
Growing up his father took immense pride in finally having a son to carry his increasing legacy, and did everything to foster it in the youth. Charles the third was trained in etiquette, in the art of gentlemen's combat, in marksmanship, and the intricacies of craftsmanship. And while he managed in every area, marksmanship is the only area in which he showed any passion.
Instead, the boys passions were just that--boy's passions. He's grown to be quite a blemish on the Dillinger name, as his father spent much of the boy's youth calling in favors to keep him from facing the full repercussions of his delinquent actions.
The past year is when the young man reached the end of his incredibly long rope. Frustrated at the boys constant rebellion and haphazard lifestyle, not to mention the flagrant disrespect of the name that he represents, his parents have cut him off from the chords that tie him to their affluence and privilege. He no longer has access to their limitless funds, completely cut from access to their account (though he still has a generous amount he's ferried away under his own name). He also no longer has them to free him from the penalties of his almost nightly charades.
It was during one of these most recent blunders, where he was forced to occupy a cell like so much of the riff-raff he chooses to associate with, that his warden took notice of his mark...
I think I understand the system but why did only one side exploit it in the example?
Should not the guards, acting in the first guard slot have attacked Charlie thereby preventing his attack?
Also If the guards had attacked Alice and forced her to concede thereby removing the slot created by Charlie's roll, what happens to the advantage created by Bob who used that slot?
Now if the first Guard group had beaten Charlie up and had him Taken Out (beaten in a way not his choosing. In the case of a brawl against Guards, I would probably knock him out or something else dramatically interesting. Deaths are reserved for dramatic scenes), then no one would be able to act in the last slot. Furthermore, we'd get a new order since the first slot is always removed.
Player (Bob's Roll)
Enemies (Guard 1's Roll)
Player (Alice's Roll)
Enemies (Guard 2's Roll)
Note that Charlie's is now missing, not because it was Charlie who was taken out, but because he had the first roll. It would have been Charlie's roll that was removed no matter who had been taken out, since his was first on his side.
Advantages, situational aspects and boosts remain, no matter which slots are removed.
Also I've been thinking of how to represent passing free tags/boosts back and forth on the table. I've decided that when creating an advantage, one should mark the resulting boost or tag with an asterisk(*) to indicate that you have plans with it, and are not allowing the rest of the table to use your free tag or boost. Otherwise, the other players may use it as they see fit. Of course, either side may use a Fate Point to tag the aspect either way, but only you or the players may use the free tag.
Sheesh, I thought a deadline would kick people off.
I'd like to have everyone in, is there anything I can do to help people out?
Sorry Ryuko.
As usual, having thought things over again, I wound up with a completely different character idea that I neglected to work on. Everything is not set in stone (though it should be), but here's what I have.
High Concept: Muckraking Novelist - Might change the name, but the general idea is there. He remains a novelist at heart, but his concerns lie with exposing the "evils" of the government. Maybe the government isn't actually "evil," or maybe he is just in way over his head.
Trouble: The Heartless Masses - As a writer, Willard can combat ignorance, but there is little he can do to remedy those who just don't give a damn. They will always be a thorn in his side, and to Strangers as a whole. Willard is convinced that there is something he can do to change them, setting him up for disappointment, and perhaps even making him more gullible than he should be.
He went on to author several dozens of penny dreadfuls, some of which were initially smash hits. On account of a few overzealous investments and rapidly dwindling sales however, in just a matter of years he was out of the job. Willard, who had been quite passionate about his writing, fell into a depression. He attempted to reconnect with his estranged family, but seeing him as a failure, they wanted nothing to do with him. With nobody else to turn to, he lived alone, spending much of what remained of his small fortune on cheap liquor.
As it would turn out, the bar was just where he needed to be for inspiration to strike. Wallowing in self-pity, one night Willard happened to overhear a hushed conversation about politics, and perhaps more importantly, the government’s treatment of Strangers. The writer had never dabbled in politics before, but something about the discussion piqued his interest. Willard approached those speaking - evidently activists of some sort - and after a few more nights of heated discussion, managed to earn their trust. They expressed to him their desire for a means to communicate their message to the masses, to paint Strangers in a sympathetic light and perhaps even push for reform in the government. A new purpose had practically been dropped onto Willard’s lap. He was all too eager to take up the challenge. They had access to a printing press - all he had to do was do the writing. Under the pseudonym “Ben”, he authored a periodical communicating the movement’s beliefs. The more he wrote, the more Willard found himself believing in the cause.
One night, Willard dreamt that the Stranger visited him in his home. The Titan spoke cryptically, as always, remarking on Willard’s writings, as well as his untapped potential. After some parting words, he left him with a Mark. The next morning, he woke to the sound of pounding on his front door - evidently, the authorities had managed to track him down. Fortunately, he had prepared himself for this inevitability; he knew that the authorities had no real proof that he was the one behind those writings. Before he could even find the opportunity to talk himself out of his predicament however, the guards noticed his Mark and dragged him off - much to his horror, he had not been dreaming after. The Stranger must have had a sense of humor. Without delay, and without a trial, he found himself being dragged off to the Blackrock Penal Institution.
Haha! Posts and thoughts! It seems Yorick is the only one who hasn't thrown a character out. I intend to start without him in a few hours, but I will shoot him message and hope he's still interested. Starting post of the origin story coming in a couple hours
Sorry, Ryuko! My job gave us Monday off for MLK, Jr. day in the US. I was out of touch of cyber world.
I know I still need my more complete history and arrest post, but do I need to have a character sheet finished?
I still haven't quite absorbed all of Fate yet, but if it helps anyone, HeroLab allows Fate as a free download for chargen on any paid account. Most likely I can use that to finish off a full creation, and I will try and get the creative bits up before the end of today.
Second question: pretty much the same regarding the murdered female lover.
Third: Would it be okay if my character is arrested a second time as himself, but has a new identity waiting to really go with the Count of Monte Cristo theme. Basically I'm just asking if there will be a conduit to escape the old identity assuming we escape arrest...this question is mostly so I know if I should create an avatar as the "Count" or as his original name. I'm assuming the former, but will wait for your go ahead in case the "Count" is just an alias he goes by once in a while v. subsuming his old name completely.
Oh yeah... I always forget MLK Jr Day is a thing. I work as a grunt in most jobs and don't get it off. And also not working in an office I forget that's when most people hit the Paizo boards. That's fair enough then. And don't at all about getting a full character. We'll be running an origin story adventure, which is what it's called in Fate Core when you take half a character, run a first adventure and flesh them out along the way. After the first "session" you stop and take a look at what you've got and nail down your final character from that. It's a handy way for characters to evolve from group dynamics as well as give you a sense of what the skills really do narratively. I'll explain more in my opening OOC post, which I'm writing up now.
As for your spoiler things, whatever works for you. If you'd like to focus on the ideas of noble squabbles, the first is probably best, but I don't intend for the nobility to take a front seat early on (later... who knows?). Your aspects and such are a good way to show me what you want out of the campaign, though after the first session I will probably run my traditional Fate "3 things you want to see and 3 things you don't" Q&A session to keep the game moving the way everyone wants.
And for the other identities thing... I'm fine with whatever you feel is more dramatically interesting. Fate (the system) tends to overturn plans you try to figure out, so I don't have much more than a very loose framework planned. Go with what you like.
Discussion and Gameplay are up, feel free to drop by and start things off.
He had the blessing of having a modest education outside the more hands on training he also received in the whaling business. While the more genteel education and those of Channellers was well beyond such a man as he, he occasionally had contact with the nobles. Rengo had the fortune to capture the heart of a lovely woman he met in a rare event which had been open to those of the more mercantile class. Lydia Presinelle became his whole life.
Their love blossomed and inadvertently spawned more than Rengo ever suspected. When he was awoken and dragged away in chains guilty without a trial for the murder of his unfortunate love, the last thing he saw before being consigned to the darkness of a cell was a hooded man's laughing smile thanking him for his service and allowing such a "neat and tidy ending." From this he knew he was betrayed.
What clues he has gleaned over the years in the cell as to the nature of what conspiracy led his fate to this place have yet to be revealed, but a grim determination to bring those responsible to justice has burned ever since...
...but whatever he had hoped to happen failed. His strength had not yet returned after his escape from the mundane prison inside which he had previously resided. Now those guards had been pushovers compared to this evidently well-trained Blackstone team who were strong enough to take down an emergent Stranger such as Rengo.
"You have been found guilty of prison break, assaulting state officers, and the high crime of Stranger Channeling. You will now be escorted to Blackstone Penal Institution and interred there until you have been proven to be of no threat to the government and the people of Cemeas." The tone used was clearly formulaic. Rengo had no doubt how long it would take to be considered a non-threat.
Rengo spat blood in the Channeller's direction. "You and your petty prison will never contain my vengeance, Destroyer puppet. So take your pretty arrest speeches and sink 'em in the river."
Despite the blood, Rengo saw the woman's mouth twist. She made a gesture, and Rengo heard a noise behind him. He weakly turned his head in time to see a hammer of earth swing into his face. Only the black dark of his dreams of revenge followed.
Weekends are horrible for me, and MLKJr day was a holiday for me as well. But it gave me time to think and plan.
I'm also still reading through these rules. I've been looking into some other different games, and think I may be crossing wires between some. But I've dotted gameplay just so I can track it easily from my account page.
The young man sits in the back of his temporary cell nursing his swollen eye. The bruise is forming quickly and the skin stretching over it begins to split rather painfully. A large gentleman seated at the bench on the other side watches him with a smug look of satisfaction. Chance too, fights back a smile; in part because the gesture would further strain his swelling features, and in part because it might incite the larger one to even him out with a second strike.
So he laughs inwardly, as the vision in his left eye slowly fades. He recalls the couple of sucker punches he got in before being dropped, lamenting that the brute didn't have any visible marks as tokens, but hopes he can feel them at least. Surely Madeline had been impressed by the way Chance bobbed and weaved as well, beneath the booming fists and thundering insults. Girls love that stuff right? He hopes so, because there's really no reason to have started that fight otherwise.
Then, as has happened so many times before, the mustachioed warden stomps down the corridor with cell keys in hand. Chance's reprieve is at hand, which is surprising given the sincerity with which his father indicated the exhaustion of his resources at the young hooligan's behest. This time there were a dozen other men, armed and alert, who accompanied him. Chance recalls that usually there were only two or three.
The warden is cautious and quick as the keys click in the cell door, and the others spill in like a wave of steel and flesh to separate the others and wrench Chance prostrate onto the dusty floor. There's the sound of tearing fabric as they rip the tailored shirt from his back, despite the young man's growing protests.
There it was, clear even in the dim light that filtered through the high, dingy windows. Just below Chance's right shoulder blade was the mark of The Stranger.
"Birthmark, I swear." he tries to joke, through lips pressed to the floor. "Mum thinks it kinda looks like a girra..."
A baton to the back of his head, and the world goes black.
Sorry all, going to have to bow out.
Just can't seem to get a character together, which is frustrating as I love FATE.
I will be lurking though.
Good luck.
Right, forget that. I now have coffee!
Sorry to see you go, PWO. I'm betting you could jump in later if inspiration strikes. if there is anything the rest of us can do to assist you, drop us a line.
High Concept: Proletarian Boatman, Senior student of Salle St Maurice.
Trouble: Hot-Blooded.
Arrest.....ish.
I should know better than to go to one of Pongo's birthday parties. I remember,.... singing. Rowing down a pitch black canal and singing something. Too many people in the boat and all of us drunk.
remember something about strangers and a light that wasn't and wine.
I remember lots of wine... running red over white marble. And Mirable? Was she real? Or was she wine as well.
and now I am in pain, in motion. A boat? No, that was a cobblestone. A wagon, wagons hurt more..
The supine figure raises a hand to rub it's eyes...
"..and apparently I have a new tattoo."
History Member of the Mawr family a scattered and largely illegal grouping of families claiming tenuous decent from Jaque "Bloody" Mawr, a well known pirate a couple of generations gone. Hywel works as a boatman when he can and as anything else when he can't. He largely lives at the Salle St.Maurice a school which would have long ago washed it's hands of him infavor of richer students except the masters all agree Hywel is the best fencer they have seen in generations.
Glad to see you are still with us, PWO!