Hi!
Since there was a lot of interest in Game Master's interest check (and with his kind permission), I've decided to run a pathfinder game for pony characters. The campaign I have in mind to run is, obviously, ponies, with an Arthurian feel - I have the Valoreign campaign of Chris Perkins firmly in mind (not that I compare myself to him as a DM, though naturally I aspire). I've DM'd before, but never here.
I've written a bit about the setting, with some information about available races options below. If you have thoughts or comments, I'm very open to them and willing make changes if necessary.
Document
I will probably run more than one group either in the same world, or alternate versions of the same world (so I can leverage my prep-work for both groups). For the purposes of breaking up people into compatible groups and playstyles, can everyone please answer the following questions with score of one through five (from the top-10-tips for GMs)? If you have in mind a particular character concept or two, please feel free to post that too (a few lines is more than sufficient at this stage).
Questionnaire:
How do you like your Plot?
1: Railroady/Predetermined - We are on a set path, and there is little we can do to alter it. It's like reading a book. I trust you with forming a good story, I just want to play a part.
2
3: There is an overarching plot, but what we do and the choices we make certainly have an effect on the outcome.
4
5: Freeform/Sandbox - You plop us down in a world, and we are totally free to go whatever direction we want. We will do what we want, and form our own objectives
How do you like your Difficulty?
1: Hardcore- My first character is going to die. Probably my second and third character too. I don't want you to pull any punches. I want to get ambushed if we don't set up watches, and I want enemies to focus fire on the weak, and coup-de-gras the downed.
2:
3: Certainly don't pull any punches. If we make any big oversights, then we will die. However, I want things to be fair, and I don't expect my death unless I make a serious mistake.
4:
5: God-mode - We are lords of the universe! Quests are relatively easy, and we are gods among men. We laugh at death, and throw caution to the wind!
How do you like your Roleplaying?
1: Roleplaying- Mechanics are secondary. The important thing is fleshing out my character. I'll be happy if an entire session goes by with mostly character roleplaying
2
3: I like roleplaying at times, but hate when it bogs down there game. I'll happily role play conversations, but don't expect me to describe every die roll.
4
5: Mechanics - Man, we're not playing make-believe. This game is about numbers, and I like to watch my character in action. Let those dice fly, roleplaying just slows me down.
How do you like your Optimization?
1: Optimized - I will spend days researching and make my character 100% optimized. He is going to kick ass.
2
3: I'll try to build a good character, but I'm not going to research it or anything! Sheesh.
4
5: Not-Optimized - I could care less about success in a fantasy world. My character will have flaws, and may not shine at everything. But, it's all part of the experience.
How do you like your Suspension of Disbelief?
Note, this does not mean more magic to less magic. It means realistic ecosystems to not realistic ecosystems.
1: Fantastic - I really don't care why these kobolds were just waiting around for me, or what they eat in the totally improbably dungeon crawl. Ridiculous is fine, as long as it is fun!
2
3: A mix of both. I can suspend disbelief and dungeon crawl, but too much ridiculousness takes me out of the game.
4
5: Reasonable - I want to play in a world that makes sense. I don't want to be tripping over contrived dungeons, and I want the placement of enemies to make sense. If we come across Kobolds in a dungeon, they have to have a reason for being there.
How much Combat?
1: Fighting! - I love combat! I would be happy if the vast majority of sessions were spent in combat.
2
3: Gimme 50/50. Half of the time combat and half the time not combat.
4
5: Peaceful - I am totally happy if there is not a single combat for the entire session.
How Serious?
1: Silly! - Dude, I play this game to have fun. I'm gonna be a jokester, and I'm going to do things that are hilarious.
2
3: A Mix - I like to have some humor in the game, as long as it doesn't overwhelm everything else
4
5: Serious - It's really hard to roleplay if people aren't taking the game seriously. I don't want people just screwing around. Our actions should count.
Why not use Ponyfinder?
A couple of reasons... it doesn't quite fit with the tone I intend to set (this will probably be slightly grittier), I feel that the stat bonuses can be a bit coercive (very difficult to play a wizard if the race has a -2 intelligence, which is fine normally, but in this context you might have strong feelings on race and class). I do have that book though, and I may use some elements.
I think this is one of the most well done homebrew settings I have seen in a while and im definitely interested. As for the questions I would like a overarching plot with hardcore difficulty and moderate role-playing. I don't have a preference for optimisation but I would mutch prefer a reasonablea world, a good amount of fighting and a mix of seriousness.
To provide a short update...
I'd imagined using the points-buy statistic-generation method, using 25 points.
All the core, base, alternate, hybrid and prestige classes will be available, but please ask if you want to use third-party content.
The race-details I put in for Ponies (with variants for pegasi, earthponies, unicorns, zebra's, dragonponies, and changelings), Griffons and Breezies are at the bottom of the document in the OP (can everyone read/access that thing okay?)
I like your idea! Ponies' adventures in a fantasy world... Interesting!
As for the questionnaire, I would like an overarching plot, with a medium difficulty (enough to risk death, of course, but I think it might be frustating if your character dies only a few moments after making his first steps in the game), and moderate role-playing.
I don't really have a opinion on optimization.
It would be preferable if the world was realistic and logic, but a good laugh from time to time would be more than appreciated! Like Caesar, I would prefer fighting, and medium seriousness.
I can access the document pretty well but what lvl are we going the be?
I'd had in mind to start at level one, and just keep going. But, I'm not adverse to starting a little way down the story at a higher level if that is important to everyone. I'll just make up what the villains were doing whilst they had a free (heh) rein...
Im fine with first level just some concepts don't work at low levels but it was mostly for fluff.
Well now. This sounds like it would be a lot of fun. :)
As for the questions.
Plot - 3 - An overarching plot is helpful in pointing the players in a goo direction, but a little free will and choice makes it worth playing.
Difficulty - 3 - No need to pull punches, but hopefully we won't bite it unless we really fubar it.
Roleplaying - 3 - Roleplay again makes the game more enjoyable, but it shouldn't slow things to a crawl.
Optimization - 4 - I like to think I can build a good character, but I like to build it around a hook. He/she may not be the best possible, but they should hopefully be fun to play and able to get the job done.
Disbelief - 3 - A mix is good to keep things entertaining.
Combat - 3 - Like before and mix is good. You don't want things to degrading into a 'see how many times you can roll higher' contest.
Serious -3 - Anyone who plays games knows that the laughs will come wether you want them to or not. ;p
Just my 2 cents. But if this becomes a thing I think I would like to try it out. :)
Tossing in an interest tag.
Plot 3, difficulty 3, roleplaying 1, optimization 2.5, suspension 4, combat 3, seriousness 3.5-5...I can go moderate to gritty but I don't like things to be ridiculous. Which isn't to say a pony or two can't be ridiculous, even ridiculous at all times, but I wouldn't be comfortable if the entire environment were ridiculous even most of the time. I like causality.
(As an aside, one of the ways I define a 'well-written' vs a 'badly written' Pinkie in an episode is whether she was being clever in ways no-one understood (i.e., about the parasprites), or when she's simply 'I am so random and obnoxious!' and it not only doesn't end up serving any purpose, it actively interferes with everyone around them.
It's almost never fun to play with a character in the party who actively interferes with everyone around them, at least in my experience.
I really love the background so far, but something made me pause:
Even the lowest-ranked noble will own an area of land of approximately nine square miles (a square three miles on a side), occupied by approximately one thousand ponies split about evenly between several hamlets and a moderately sized village, supporting the noble knight herself, a couple of squires, their family and a hooful of servants in a moderately-sized stone-built house - whilst still tithing to Solar and Lunar churches, returning taxes to the King and paying the dragonduty.
This is higher than the highest recorded city population density of France in the 14th c. (and France had the best arable land at the time). For comparison, the British Isles supported at most around 40 people per square mile in the most arable regions (mountainous country was much more thinly populated). Think about plopping down a 3x3 mile square and adding a moderately sized village (most moderately sized villages would have a center under a mile across surrounded by a several-mile radius of farmland and farmsteads) and then several small hamlets...You could shout from one to the other! The people in the hamlets could probably chuck rocks from the outskirts of their hamlet and hit the village's outlying buildings...And there'd be next to no room for farms to feed that many.
Yes, I'm being fiddly, and I apologize. 100 ponies/square mile is probably appropriate for Canterlot, but a village (including its surrounding farmland) will probably be more like 30-40 ponies/square mile (and that's kind of skipping the whole 'ponies don't eat meat and might need more grazing space' argument by saying 'ah, but they're little ponies!').
You might enjoy this article about medieval demographics and gaming. Or it might be too fiddly. :)
Other than that little nitpick, however, I'm enjoying the background a great deal!
Little clarifications:
Under "Inn Debt" the inn in question seems to've been renamed "The Black Hart" (do deer exist in this setting? We know there are minotaurs and goats...at least in the era of FiM!)
Under "Church Business" hopefully that's a tome, not a tomb. Tombs are heavy and most people don't like the idea of them being carted off by strangers.
Under "Lost and Found" a pony(?) named "Tall Harmridge" is listed, who (unlike the others in that entry) does not appear to have been mentioned anywhere else in this document.
Sorry for quibbliness! Just trying to make life easier.
Little clarifications...
...Sorry for quibbliness! Just trying to make life easier....
Not a problem! All of these were errors, essentially. The inn is named the Fallen Apple, the tomb is indeed a tome, and I'd forgotten to add Tall Tower as a location/home for Tall Harmridge.
Yes, I'm being fiddly, and I apologize. 100 ponies/square mile is probably appropriate for Canterlot, but a village (including its surrounding farmland) will probably be more like 30-40 ponies/square mile (and that's kind of skipping the whole 'ponies don't eat meat and might need more grazing space' argument by saying 'ah, but they're little ponies!').
Actually, I looked at that source material too! The sample noble estate is meant to be of a type common in a settled, arable area - it might be in Brightmeadows, Western Hundredhills, Southern Threerivers, Northern Redriver - all of which I'd imagined as similar to Brittany or southern England. The semi-wooded area around Rondel is probably a little less productive and a little less densely populated. That said, I've lightly dialled down the density even in those areas to approximately one-thousand ponies per sixteen square miles, instead of nine, and adjusted the text to make it clearer that density is lower even in strongly Valish areas like Hundredhills and Spearpoint, let alone the outer reaches like Toskott.
So since there is enough interest I will definitely run this! Is it normal to make a separate recruitment thread? Or should I continue to use this one?
Character Creation Guidelines
Recruitment will close on Saturday the 1st November, and I expect to post the group or groups on Sunday. The game will start as soon afterwards as everyone is ready!
The expectation is for one post per day, more relaxed at weekends. Naturally people have holidays, work trips and whathaveyou, so that's fine but if you can let us know a few days in advance that'd be great!
All that is required for Saturday is a character concept/outline of four sentences or so including your race and class, the questionnaire-responses from the opening post (though you are free to write as much as you like). As there might be more than one group, please let me know if there's anyone you'd particularly like to be with (by mutual agreement only! No stalking!). I'll need your background (a ten-minute background is great, but I'm not adverse to other kinds) as soon after as possible so I can plot a little, and the crunch before we start the game.
Statistics will be determined by points-buy, using 25 points.
All the core, base, alternate, hybrid and prestige classes are available, but please ask if you want to use third-party content. Use the maximum starting gold for your class.
The race-details I put in for Ponies (with variants for pegasi, earthponies, unicorns, zebra's, dragonponies, and changelings), Griffons and Breezies are at the bottom of the document in the OP. I'm not wedded to those choices, so if you strongly want something different, feel free to ask (of course I may say no, but the question is harmless).
Everyone can select two traits.
Chose to be of Noble Birth, or not (its in the document in the OP). It's kind of trait and drawback all rolled into one...
I've got a question:
I'm working on my character, an unicorn oracle, but something is disturbing me: an oracle is supposed to be the repository of his God's power, in order to spread its glory everywhere (and so on), but there's no "deity" in Valorein, only the Sun and the Moon...
Can the star name its servants? Does it have a conscience and an objective of its own?
Maybe I misunderstood something... Could you explain to me how it works, exactly? I'm so confused right now! xD
Okay! Good question! All characters are either a Sun, born during the day; or a Moon, born during the night. The Sun and Moon have long been recognised as divine, but Garrick codified that when he made the Churches of Sun and Moon the state religion of Valorein.
Can the Sun and Moon name their servants? Certainly. Most likely, you woke up simply 'knowing'. Or you had an epiphany whilst watching the dappled sunlight beneath an orchard tree, or whilst gazing soulfully at the moon. Maybe you were visited in a dream by an Alicorn pony of shining white or deepest midnight blue, stars glittering in their mane.
Do the Sun and Moon manifest and politic like, say, our Greek gods? No. At the very most, they might send an exarch, in a moment of deepest need and devout prayer. Possibly. Or not. Their objectives, if something so powerful and alien to mundane experience can even be said to have them, are entirely unknown and probably unknowable.
That said, it is definitely known that certain domains are associated with the two divinities, both from the spells that can be obtained by praying to them, and from the sense that ponies have of the two divine bodies. These are...
Sun/Moon: Feminine/Masculine, Light/Dark, Fire/Ice, Right/Left, Land/Water, Truth/Deception, Active/Passive, Physical/Mental, Offence/Defence.
I'm sorry if that's a bit... vague. They are a bit vague! More in the modern conception of God than the Greek version.
Im thinking of a few concepts and I would like to now how a separatist cleric would be treated.
Thanks in advance.
That would depend a great deal. Better, certainly, since the death of Garrick in this more lax reign of Royce. If you were an independent cleric of the Sun or Moon, or worshipping them in addition to some other divinities... not too badly. Or if you were broadly worshipping the divine spirit of nature, or some other rather indistinct entity and broadly living quietly, again, not badly. Druids, for example, range from tolerated to respected. You could still be Valish in any of these cases - a Stahlmare would be typically, or a pure Valish with some relationship to them. Similarly, Pegaspolians and Zebrans and Stahlmares retain some historical worships of their own in addition to that of Sun and Moon, and are again tolerated.
The Snowponies or Crystal Ponies are just too weird and distant to be much bothered with - you'd likely be seen as eccentric or mad preaching their gods, but essentially harmless.
If you were genuinely a political separatist that would be another matter - especially if you were of the Kingdoms of the Twelve Foals, who have active hostilities all along the Bloodshore.
The Valley Kingdoms, depending on the kingdom, sit somewhere between those two extremes. Part of the reason for the Valley Kingdoms existing is to create a space in which these kinds of things can be created - so in some ways you can design what you want. So to throw the question back to you... how would you like to be treated? What would fit with your character concept?
With my consept so far he would have a rivalry with the church but probably not much more, will have more details soon.
Sorry I am going to have to back out of this my plate is just too full. Hope tou guys have fun.
Sorry I am going to have to back out of this my plate is just too full. Hope tou guys have fun.
Sorry to hear, Caesar. Good luck in your other games!
Best of luck elsewhere Caeser! One of the players from my old IRL game has asked to join (they will have to make an account etc), so if SpaceFurry, Rosza and Ythiel are still in, I think there are enough of us to go ahead!
Well here are my answers to the op questions. Ill finish reading everything else in the thread tomorrow though.
How do you like your Plot?
4 is my preference, but I don't mind set stories in general, it really just depends on how good the GM is at getting everyone to the next step without requiring a break in character.
How do you like your Difficulty?
2-3 maybe harder if I'm allowed to do the more creative things I have in mind.
How do you like your Roleplaying?
2 though for me it is less about the writing and more I love being free to use creative solutions, solve puzzles, etc.
How do you like your Optimization?
4 my non-optimized characters have kicked the butt off optimized characters before (though not always admittedly) through creative use rather then brute numbers, so I don't bother.
How do you like your Suspension of Disbelief?
5 definitely, but not overly picky. I'm well practiced at games that don't know what plausible means.
How much Combat?
3
How Serious?
2-3
Why not use Ponyfinder?
Because it's terrible.
I'm going to look over the material here when I get home from work, but I probably will not participate - I feel that any time I spend working on Pathfinder Ponies should be devoted to building the game I will eventually be running.
Have fun! :)
@Caesar The VII: Good luck! Hope you'll have a lot of fun! =)
@Diabolical Meddler: I've still got several questions... Sorry! xD
1: How do we work out the ponies' age, size and weight?
2: Do the Brand of Destiny apply to unicorns?
3: Which traits can we select? (because now we can't use any of the religion or race traits... Can we?)
4: And, I can't help but wondering if, with all the bonuses (including the ability score, the feats and skill ranks), things would get too easy.. Unless our enemies are even stronger than us?
That's okay!
1. That is a good question...
2. Yes. As do Earthponies, Pegasi, Crystal Ponies, Zebras (and half-zebras), and Dragonponies.
3. Hmm... that is a good point. Is there a particular one you wanted to use. Most of the religion traits will probably be fine, with a little refluffing. Most of the race traits are probably not allowed.
4. Well... maybe! If so I'll toughen things up a bit. I think the races are probably no more powerful than Aasimar or Drow... except for flight, but I've some ways in mind to make that less of an advantage.
Um, I'd like to use the "Patient Optimist" Trait, or maybe "Starchild"... Should fit with an oracle of the Moon, no?
Thank you for everything!! ^^
Yeah, those are nice - but either one is fine for a Luna religion trait.
Ooh, this looks fun. :D
I think I'll suggest my Griffon mercenary here. Who is one of four heirs to a barbarian kingdom, but was like buck that noise and went away. He just doesn't want to rule.
Mechanically, he's a Griffon Rogue (Scout) because pounce + sneak attack with natural weapons? Yow. Bad donkey.
None of these are final, and one idea was originally to have him be a descendant, diluted or not, of the Raj of Griff Dharta. I'm more in favor of him being the heir of a barbarian kingdom, but I like whichever would be more interesting story-wise.
Not sure where said barbarian kingdom would be. One idea was in the Valley Kingdoms, but they're only pony I think. Perhaps Tail Islands.
I'd like the barbarian heir character option and the noble born character hook. But the idea is that he's under contract, or debt, from one of Sapphire Treats or Treasured Heart's families to bring them home. Of course, what the contract is and what exactly it requires him to do is up for interpretation.
Have a ten-minute background though! Again, nothing final just guidelines as I threw in stuff I think would be interesting.
Step 1 - background and concept
1. Griffon mercenary who honors the letter of his contracts, while breaking the spirit of said contract when it is in his interest to do so.
2. Has the nickname 'Shub'. Like Shub-Niggurath. They are not related. Probably.
3. Most of his mercenary work involves tracking down people or gathering items instead of battle. However, he remains a good tactical fighter but is frequently reckless.
4. A passable storyteller and likes hearing tales. Shub trades in rumors and information, a practical necessity as a mercenary.
5. He is an utter mess of contradictions and conflicting desires. One example is his desire for companionship and his desire to be alone, wanting to reach out to others to make his life easier and more pleasant, but doesn't trust enough to make himself vulnerable since others have differing motivations and ambitions.
Step 2 - goals
1. Shub doesn't really know what he wants, a situation raised by his conflicting desires, such as wanting battle but preferring peace. His driving motivation at the moment is avoiding his family inheritance despite wanting to see how his siblings are faring, culminating in him not listening to anything that concerns them because he knows it might be too much temptation.
2. I would eventually like to see Shub's family and inheritance in play, even as a minor role that introduces conflict for him to want to return home. My perfect scenario would be where Shub is forced to take his inheritance because he needs it to serve some other goal.
Step 3 - secrets
1. He is a direct descendant and heir to the throne of a barbarian kingdom. His formal name is Prince Shubshi Meshre Shakkan. He hates being called that. Technically also holds the post of warlord as an excuse for his absence. Shub doesn't want to get involved and would prefer one of his three siblings to take the throne, but still feels an obligation to his people.
2. His siblings are either dying or already dead, leaving no direct inheritance to the throne without him. His kingdom is suffering from internal feuds between political figures and may be on the edge of civil war.
Step 4 - people
1. Maskim, Zaidu, and Nanshe are the three siblings of Shub from a clutch of four from their father Izdubar and their mother Tiskhu. All of them are trained in their various crafts and are expected to hold high positions. Despite inheritance not having been formalized, the most commonly-held opinion is that none of them are truly suited to rule on their own.
1a. Maskim Dalhu Shakkan - a merchant and politician. Known for his sharp mind and political instincts, he is in charge of diplomacy and foreign affairs, which includes trading and alliances. Less known for taking care of the more private and messy aspects of ruling.
1b. Zaidu Telal Shakkan - a hunter and warrior, closest to Shub due to their shared experiences and training. He oversees the military and the more public aspects of ruling, spending his time conferring with their father and his advisers over the kingdom and its survival.
1c. Nanshe Baru Shakkan - a priestess and scholar, in charge of magical affairs, religion and the courts of justice. Her duties include overseeing internal disputes, mostly over land, property, and honor.
2. Cloud Scraper and Wind Runner are father and son separated during a raid in the Dhartan war of independence. The father survived while the son was assumed dead, disappearing after the battle. Cloud Scraper eventually contracted Shub to find out what happened to his son and, if possible, retrieve a pendant his wife gave to their son. It turned out his son was taken as a slave, who Shub freed, and took him back to his father. They were both grateful enough to give him a safe haven in the relatively dangerous territory of Spearpoint.
3. Tammuz is a Griffon bandit and mercenary as well as a practitioner of the arcane. Shub and him have worked together before. They don't like each other very much but can put aside their differences for the job.
Step 5 - memories, mannerisms, quirks
1. Shub hates etiquette, but equally understands its necessity. Still hates it.
2. One of his favorite memories is hiding from his duties, watching the clouds above his home. He has a lot of these memories.
3. Loves working with the Traders whenever he can. The jobs are usually easier, rewarding, and interesting.
How do you like your Plot?
3: I like the plot fat. Snrk. In all honesty, I feel better with an overarching plot that serves as a guideline and drive for the story, but with character agency still in full effect.
How do you like your Difficulty?
3: This is a question of what we expect, but I generally prefer not having to optimize and worry about every single detail but instead only on the important bits.
How do you like your Roleplaying?
3: I like roleplaying that's influenced by the dice. Which is to say, if I roll a 1 on a diplomacy roll, I'm going to roleplay as if I just accidentally insulted the other party's fertility, heritage, and mother.
How do you like your Optimization?
2: I admit that I find some fun in optimizing, but I optimize within the bounds of my character. That is to say, I'm limited to what my character would realistically have, but optimize within that set.
How do you like your Suspension of Disbelief?
3: Another one where I don't mind utter ridiculousness or utter seriousness as long as it stays consistent. I do like some fun so somewhere in the middle where we can accept that there's some reason why things are like that but we don't need to know it.
How much Combat?
3: Some combat every now and then is fun, but it's just not as exciting in a PBP. I'll take a mix.
How Serious?
3: Like suspension of disbelief, I don't mind if it's silly or serious, as long as I know what to expect and can act accordingly. I heard you say it's grittier and I'm fine with that, but as a pony campaign I'm also expecting some humor!
Gotta love Archives of Nethys,
Check out my random background,
Female Human Sorcerer
Heritage/Nationality
Human Ethnicity: Garundi.
Nationality: Galt.
Homeland, Family, and Childhood
Homeland: Town or Village
Parents: Both of your parents are dead.
Siblings: You have 2 biological siblings and 1 half-sibling.
- biological younger sister
- biological older brother
- younger half-orc sister
Circumstance of Birth: [Noble Birth] You were born to privilege among the nobility. Unless one of your parents is the regent, your family serves a higher-ranked noble but lesser nobles serve your family in turn.
Parent's Profession: [Regent] You are a prince or princess, the son or daughter of the monarch. You owe fealty directly to your parents, and to no one else. Few command the power and wealth you do, and your presence inspires great respect, if not total awe, among those who kneel before the crown.
Major Childhood Event: [Kidnapped] You were kidnapped at some point in your childhood. The kidnappers might have been pirates, slavers, thieves looking for ransom, a powerful guild seeking to blackmail your parents, a cult, and so on else. Before you were released, were ransomed, or escaped, you picked up on various aspects of the criminal underworld.
Adolescence and Training
Sorcerer Training: [Unharmed] At some point in your early life, you were exposed to something dangerous like a fall into stormy waters or a spell cast your way. But instead of dying, you survived entirely unscathed. This experience either first hinted at or confirmed that you were different, marking the first step on your path to sorcery.
Influential Associate: [The Mercenary] With this person, there was always a cost. No deed was done making a trade for something of equal or greater value. Whether this individual's actions tended toward good, evil, or pure balance, he was always fair in his dealings. You respected this trait and it influenced your own philosophy.
Moral Conflicts/Religion
Conflict: [Betrayal] You betrayed someone who trusted you. CP: 4
Conflict Subject: Noble. CP: 0
Conflict Motivation: Pressured or Manipulated. CP: 2
Conflict Resolution: Player choice, see Ultimate Campaign pg. 47.
Current Total CP: 6
Deity/Religious Philosophy: Player choice, see Ultimate Campaign pg. 48.
Romances/Drawbacks
Romantic Relationship(s): [Several Inconsequential Relationships] You have had many lovers but no long-lasting, meaningful relationships.
Drawback: [Family] Your family means everything to you, and there is nothing you wouldn’t do for them. Maybe your ties extend to your entire clan or bloodline, or perhaps there is one specific member of your family you hold closer than any other.
Available Traits/Feats/Drawbacks
(Trait) Canter
(Trait) Influence
(Trait) Kin Guardian
(Trait) Mercenary
(Trait) Militia Veteran
(Trait) Orphaned
(Trait) Rich Parents
(Trait) Unscathed
(Story Feat) Liberator
(Drawback) Family Ties
Still figuring out how to fit it in, but I have some ideas.
Interestingly, this is the best one I ever got and it just happened to be a first roll for this game.
How do you like your Roleplaying?
3: I like roleplaying that's influenced by the dice. Which is to say, if I roll a 1 on a diplomacy roll, I'm going to roleplay as if I just accidentally insulted the other party's fertility, heritage, and mother.
Hm. I'm seeing a lot of folks putting different numbers up for roleplay vs. rollplay with explanations that make me wonder about how we judge such things.
For example, I put a "1" for roleplay, meaning that I will happily and joyfully play a game without dice based on co-operative and freeform storytelling, while I will not be very happy at all in a game which is just die-roll after die-roll.
However, that doesn't mean that I dislike roll-informed roleplay. I would totally agree with what Rashly5 wrote after his "3." I wouldn't ever think to argue against a die-roll on a basis of 'oh, but my character wouldn't screw that up.' or other similar silliness.
But while I can live _without_ dice in a game, I will _not_ play if there's no interesting RP going on with characterful interaction, conversation, and an attempt to describe what's going on (controlled by dice or not) as part of an interesting storytelling world.
So I picked a 1, because RP is really important to me, but I'd hate for people to think that meant I felt the dice should be ignored.
EDIT: Also good grief, Hitomi, that's a randomly-generated thing? That's whacky and awesome all at once.
So far five/six people seem to be interested. That'd put us in one slightly larger group I think. If we get to seven or eight, I'll run two smaller groups - though there doesn't seem to be an obvious fault-line to split us so far (probably either the roleplay/combat axis or the humour/seriousness axis, but those don't seem to be well correlated...)
Review of Questionnaire responses so far...
Plot/Quests: A mixture of quests coming to you and freedom of choice. I'm going to interpret that as a few quest options which point circuitously back towards the main storyline. Which quests you do, and how well you perform, will determine the outcomes. Your tangential interactions with NPCs will also be important. Who and which factions do you support, or do you found your own (those elements will probably come more into play as you reach higher levels)?
Difficulty: Mostly moderate, tilting slightly towards hardcore - death will be the result of serious errors, not random chance.
Roleplaying/Combat: Leaning towards roleplaying rather than pure dice-rolling, but with plenty of combat. So there'll be non-combat encounters, whose resolution will depend a bit on skill checks and a lot on how you approach them, but you'll do plenty of fighting too.
Optimisation: All over the shop really. I'll try to make sure everyone has chances to shine!
Disbelief: Ranging from reasonable to fantastic. I'm going to take that as accepting the normal fantasy tropes - meeting in the alehouse, for example - but wanting the world to have an underlying sensibility. Which it does (at least to me).
Seriousness: Despite the results - which are all over the place - looking at what people have written, I think you want a world taken seriously, with humour coming from the players and the situations. I haven't been in a game where that hasn't happened anyway, actually, and I certainly won't stomp on it when the moment comes.
@rashly That looks pretty good! You can certainly be the expatriate-barbarian-prince-mercenary, using the noble-born plot hook because you were hired. It's fine to be from a Griffon Valley Kingdom... some ancestral breakaway group I guess. That would be a more civilised option. The Tail Islanders would be a more violent group - not so much barbarians as thieves and robbers. Either one could be interesting though.
By the way, plot hooks are not required, or we can invent one specially for you, so don't sweat that too much.
@GM Dark Light Hitomi - the 'canter' trait isn't at all what I thought it would be! In seriousness that character would work with very few modifications, if that's what you want.
The trick is that with dead parents who were direct rulers means that either I am now the queen (perhaps not yet hearing of my parent's death), or one of my siblings is king/queen.
I figure one of three cases,
I might be King Royce's sister,
I might be here to oversee a secret mission from the land of the Traders,
Or I might be from a hidden kingdom in the Valley Kingdoms.
The last two would allow me to be a changling like I originally planned, though I wouldn't turn down unicorn if need be.
Any suggestions or ideas how I might best fit in?
Bastard fifth cousin-in-law-in-waiting from the far left? ;)
Who says King Royce's sister can't be a changeling? :D Think of the plot complications!
Actually the document says I can't, unless I want to be a half-changling which isn't really anything other than a fluff-only changling. I don't really see the point of the half changling currently unless you want to simply have some rp fun by hinting at certain things.
Welcome Little King! I can extend the Saturday deadline a bit if you need it.
GM Hitomi - Trader's aren't meant to be playable, so that one's gone. If you want to be a changeling, be a changeling, although a unicorn is fine too. If it can be done in a way that you're happy with, then a Valish noble wouldn't go amiss.
That would make you King Royce's half-sister, probably, 'cause of the parent-as-regent thing. Garrick got around even in his old age, so you could be considerably younger than the octogenarian Royce. He will have been a distant, unloving father though. That would make your mother either some kind of minor pony noble or a changeling pretending to be one.
If you want to be higher-ranked, you could be the sister of Duke Blade Honor of Spearpoint, and it would have been your mother-the-Duchess who died in the Dhartan rebellion (I guess she can be a changeling or half-changeling. And sleeping with Garrick. Why not! I suppose that would make your half-orc sister a hippogriff (not in the document, but Rosza wanted to play one. Do you fancy being half-siblings?).
Garrick didn't inherit his kingdom, he won it through battle and diplomacy. So he selected his eldest child Royce as his heir. Royce's presumed heir was the Crown Prince Orvar (Flawless Arrow), who died fighting beside the Duchess of Spearpoint in the Dhartan rebellion. Next-eldest of Royce's progeny is Brionne the Game (Speckled Wing), but nopony is very sure about having a crippled Queen, but, whilst frail and aging, Royce has yet to endorse her or name an alternative. So the matter of succession is unsettled.
Yeah, half-changelings are basically for fluff purposes only, so changelings can have family relations, and to explain why a changeling can pop up in a pony family tree.
Ah, to be clear - a pony and a changeling can have children who are ponies, changelings, or half-changelings.
PS: There is a pony name generator here:
http://nimbostratus.deviantart.com/art/MLP-Name-Generator-352292341
and though it is not required, you can create your pony here if you wish....
http://generalzoi.deviantart.com/art/Pony-Creator-v3-397808116
I suppose that would make your half-orc sister a hippogriff (not in the document, but Rosza wanted to play one. Do you fancy being half-siblings?).
I am not necessarily averse to this idea...
Though I'd like to know a bit more about how backstabby and bloodthirsty a family she's buying into, even as a half-sister with awful rebel griffon-blood.
XD I had originally interpreted my character's settlement in Rondel as a deliberate attempt to keep her unknown and away from all of the volatile intrigues of court (things can be plenty troublesome enough without having bastard half-pony offspring with a Griff Dhartan noble), so she was officially recorded as being stillborn.
In fact, to further distance her from her mother, she has a Griff Dhartan name, Chandni (which most of the Valorein would translate as "moonlight" (I noticed you appeared to be raiding Sanskrit/Hindu naming conventions for the GD))...with no surname at all.
So having a gen-u-wine contender to the throne suddenly turn up as a half-sister would be throwing one heck of a wrench in her life. But hey, it's crazy things like that which shake one lose from comfortable expectations and catapult one off into adventure, right?
I think I'll be Royce's half sister, this gives me a motive, I'm trying to get support and fame from the ponyfolk in hopes of trying to become the next queen, but this also gives me a conflict, both with myself and plenty of others, as I like the princess so don't want to hurt her but yet want to take her presumed place as the next queen. And of course so many others want that place as well.
That's cool. Remember if you're going to be a changeling, you'll have to be undercover. In general, ponies don't know that changelings exist, outside of whatever rumours leak out from the darker regions of the feywilde and the madcap unseelie courts.
Although you certainly have a fair claim to the throne, you do have an older brother who's a Duke (or did I misread your randomly-generated thing), so his claim would probably be stronger than yours. It's quite likely that you'd be drumming up support for his potential claim though. Princess Brionne makes her home in his Duchy anyway, and they went through the traumatic experience of the Dhartan rebellion on the battlefield together, so its not impossible love could blossom between them...
You make a good point, though despite others having a better claim doesn't mean I won't at least try for it, after all, you will never get your goal if you never reach for it.
Wordcasting accepted?
Why not! No horribly abusing the ward-trigger though.
Is learned sorcery an alright sorcerer archtype?
I lose the spells and powers of a bloodline and instead get an extra spell known (effect/meta word) at each spell level (not spd) which can be changed each day similar to wizard preparing except the spell can be used just like any other spell known. . Must have a rank in K Arcana for each spell level of spell known to...prep it.
Short version,
no bonus spells or powers, extra spell known each spell level, flexibly changed each day by studying spellbook (or equivalent)
No, sorry. It looks like it has some (probably unintended) synergies with Words of Power that I'm worried about.
Guess I'll stick with draconic then. Never did like the bloodlines really, but I hate their idea of "vancian" (which isn't even true vancian casting) so I can't go wizard. Hmm, oh well.
Ill fluff the abilities as powers from magic study.rather than innate connection to dragons though since it doesn't make much sense (or rather I have enough bloodline issues without adding more)
Unless there is alicorn or changling bloodline, I might go for one of those...
Oh yes, alicorn bloodline, level 20, become an alicorn! Not that I'd ever reach that but it would be , neat anyways.
Changling bloodline, enhance bluff, illusions, mind altering, etc
No alicorn bloodline as such, though of course you are playing a character descended from Garrick. I... could write a changeling one, I suppose. Do you want me to?