Adventure in the World of Xanaste (Inactive)

Game Master Helix Missionary

I tried to convince Helix to allow the minotaur race, but he shot me down :P

Also, will hopefully have the mechanics together later tonight or tomorrow.

Can someone else summarize Markus’s professions (and alignments) for him I didn’t realize what time it is and have to hit the hay. I have an early start tomorrow. Thanks.

What's special about dwarves in this setting?

distinguishing marks: 1d100 ⇒ 16
distinguishing marks: 1d100 ⇒ 74
distinguishing marks: 1d100 ⇒ 57

Thanks, Gaming Ranger!

I shall take over forthwith

Apothecary: While Barber Surgeons perform surgeries and bind wounds, Apothecaries are the ones who make the medicine. They can ward off infection and disease with archaic remedies and treat wounds with ointments and pastes. Their special talent allows them to flip the results to succeed on Alchemy tests and lets them avoid harm on a critical failure.

Grave Robber: Everyone dies someday, and that means that a graverobber's business is always booming. They exhume the bodies of the recently deceased to sell to academics and scholars in need of test subjects, as well as occasionally the depraved and monstrous. Though on occasion, they accidentally dig up something not quite dead anymore. Their talent makes them immune to fear and stress from Supernatural creatures and immune to diseases commonly found on corpses.

Entertainer: People can always use a little entertainment, both the masses and private shows for the rich and powerful. Every race has their own arts and preferences and depending on their talents and specialties, entertainers can be hated or renowned. Their talent allows them to bolster their allies with Inspiring Words for a full day when using a specialty related to their entertaining specialty.

Ferocity: ORDER: The will you possess is capable of moving mountains and comes with such a rush of passion and vigor that others are often forced into stunned awe. You are unlikely to break under torture or mental duress, possessing a well of emotional strength that at times seems unending.

Hypocrisy: CHAOS: Others see you for what you are; a charlatan and a liar, unwilling or unable to be held to your words. Your judgments and insights are seen as false, unlikely to be followed or trusted.

I shall take over forthwith

Thanks kamenhero25!

No problem Markus.

Alright, and here's my mechanics. I'll put together an alias later.

Guessing I'll deal with a Drawback, for the extra Fate.

Drawback: 1d100 ⇒ 85

VETERAN’S BOOT
Perhaps lost during an unfortunate carriage accident, during an intense battle, or in the jaws of a rabid animal, you are missing a foot. In its place is a wooden boot, which you must strap onto your leg to stand up straight. It makes a characteristic ‘CLUD’ sound as you walk, which has earned you a number of embarrassing nicknames.
Effect: You cannot Charge, Maneuver or Run with Movement Actions without spending an additional Action Point.

VETERAN’S BOOT

Thanks again!

What's special about dwarves in this setting?

[dice=distinguishing marks]1d100
[dice=distinguishing marks]1d100
[dice=distinguishing marks]1d100

Thanks, Gaming Ranger!

All dwarves are special!!

Broken nose
Pox scars all over body
Long mustachio

You’re welcome, it has actually been beneficial. It has helped me understand the game mechanics a little better by looking everything up.

Wow there are a lot of classes!!

Brunhard, very nice to see you! I actually played Little Aurelie in the game with you, and I remember enjoying your Hedge Knight immensely. Feel free to roll for other Archetype/Professions just to see what Fate offers, but I'm fine with you keeping our random rolls from that game. I'm sorry it ended when it did (and that I stepped away a little before then, even), so hopefully this game might offer a new chance!

As far as worshiping the Leviathan, that's totally reasonable. I'm happy for players to invent just about anything for their characters as long as it fits the tone and the few outlined rules I have in place for the setting. That includes Gods, Orders that worship them, Holidays they celebrate, Myths and Parables surrounding them... You get the idea.

Hey Helix - apologies for not joining the dots :) Yeah that game was immense fun while it lasted - Little Aurelie was another great character in that crop of misfits.

Will look at Brunhard this weekend and have a dig into notes for his Order etc. Like the idea of a shield and pike, water themed knight, but also want it to "fit" into your setting & Xanaste.

@kamenhero25: Will have a dig into Main Gauche - don't have it but might get it (if that makes sense). Cheers for the heads up.

@Markus: Good to see you my friend - potential to be sparring partners again lol. Always a pleasure sharing a virtual table with you mate.

@Markus: Good to see you my friend - potential to be sparring partners again lol. Always a pleasure sharing a virtual table with you mate.

When I rolled Gravedigger... It was Age of Worms all over again!

So, anyone pitch in if you'd like...

This guy is old and beat the hellz up, but indomitablly tenacious.

What is social class 14 or flipping it mean?

I'm thinking he needed a job, was picked by a noble child or siblings as their house servant, watch them, keep them safe, teach them basics, serve them... Butler, nanny, concierge and body guard.

He quickly realized that entertaining them was the best course, so he learned magic tricks and pantomime, street charlatan type stuff the kids loved, adults may have looked down their nose, but tolerates. Even, the long mustachio.

Parents loved him because kids were happy, healthy and excelled even at subjects and skills that were not his to teach, meaning because he was there they applied themselves to everything.

Fast forward several years, nobles squabbling, their is some loss of fortune or favor, and there is a changing of the guard... Patriarch dies, estate taken over by the bad guys.

There original family still lived there, though almost in house arrest conditions... "Markus" was thrown out... But the child/children, a bit older now would find ways to have him attend events.

Upon discovery, the new Big Bad (unhinged, like the tell tale heart] had him arrested and tossed into prison. But, the child/children found ways to visit him. Bribing guards for better treatment.

So finally, Markus finds himself abducted in the dark of night, dragged to port and pressed into a chain-gang at sea...

He is nothing if not adaptable.

Pock marks, a crooked nose and missing foot later, he is making his way back... home.

=====

So, is there a pirate or swashbuckler themed... Or just a basic underestimated more than meets the eye... stone cold killer class?

Not bad for a septagenarian? Outwardly, he's an old man, one of the overlooked and forgotten.

See what you've made me do? The Dread Pirate Markus?

There are fairly large number of criminal careers. For a swashbuckler type, I would suggest the duelist advanced profession. It's easy to get into for an entertainer and feels like it's just what you're looking for.

Another day, another check-in! I'm still thrilled and excited with how much interest is being shown and the characters being put together. As of this post, I'm not going too in-depth on anyone's stuff so far; I'll try and get more directed responses together by tomorrow.

Markus the Librarian, I believe Gaming Ranger was correct in having you roll an additional 2d100. Three are for your Archetypes/Professions, but you can also roll a combined 2d100 for information on your Ancestry and Ancestral Trait. Strictly by the rules, you'd decide on your Ancestry before rolling the Trait, so it doesn't influence your decision, but I'm fine with the process being a little more loose on here for the sake of making things easier to roll all at once.

Brazod Stronglock, taking the Bailiff role more literally from our meaning of the word is fine! It's certainly a job they would also perform. The key thing about the Professions is that they all try to stay a bit malleable, so people can interpret and use them as they want for their character. Even the more defined ones usually leave a little breathing room.

Markus, what's special about dwarves? Well, in a very general sense, they're tough, they're good at fighting, and they've got strong wills, but they're not the most friendly, quick, or perceptive. In specifics? Whatever you want there to be! Draw on inspiration from the classics, or create something entirely new. In my own mind, there's at least one Dwarvish culture that's heavily based on Renaissance Spain/Italy, but that's mostly because it's an idea I've cooked for a while. I for one second the notion of long mustachio being a factor, though.

Re: Repeated Drawbacks--As much as I'm on board with Drawbacks and the possibility of Fate resulting in overlapping aspects of characters, having a party with multiple people having the same Drawbacks might get a little whimsical-feeling, depending. (Multiple folks riddled with debt or possessed of hateful enemies is one thing, but more than one person with a wooden foot does get a tad ridiculous.) As such, when I make the final party selections, anyone with repeated Drawbacks will be allowed the chance to reroll and select something else.

Re: Setting Info/Adding Things--I'll try and start getting information gathered in a single place in the coming days, to keep track of what I'm putting out there and what players are coming up with. It might be a shared Google Document, it might be a website of the sort built for this kind of thing; I'm not sure yet. But I'll do my best to get it rolling so people can keep a coherent sense of the overall tone, and keep in line with what's already been established.

Keep it coming, everybody! As I've said, I'm very excited and will try and give some more detailed feedback on characters and concepts soon. As of the moment, I see the following voices in the thread. Let me know if I've missed you.

kamenhero25--Elf Astrologer
thejeff--Interest
Gaming Ranger--Human Reeve
Krek--Rolled
Boss Zog--Rolled
Reckless--Rolled
Branding Opportunity--Rolled
hustonj--Rolled
Maho Tsukai--Dwarf Bailiff
Helikon--Rolled
Black Dow--Human Hedge Knight
Markus the Librarian--Human Entertainer?

Markus the Librarian--Human Entertainer?

That was one of his Archetypes/Professions = Socialite/Entertainer. Not his "Class" per se.

I may invest in the core book tonight. Looking for something frail and impotent looking (old man) but deadly enough.

Based on my current backstory, possibly nautical/marine related, pirate/bandit-esque.

I appreciate kamenhero25's Duelist suggestion. What would the best abilities be for that class?

I think there's a misunderstanding--your Profession is your "class," insofar as that goes in Zweihander. It defines the first handful of abilities your character focuses in, as they draw on their experiences from before picking up the adventuring lifestyle. Once you're experienced enough you can take another Profession, including Advanced Professions like the Duelist.

Ahhh, then yes!

Cry havoc and release the entertainers of war!

Heh. I spent 18 hours traveling yesterday, and spent some time thinking about what those rolls make, and I just can't let go of one interpretation:

A morbidly obese, filthy, elven, gourmet chef who lost a foot (ankle, really, but, hey) to his gout.

I mean, come on! How far outside the fantasy tropes is that, while still being completely reasonable? (And mundane, actually.)

Need some guidance about what we're heading to do, though, so I can work his "martyrdom" aspect into how he's giving up his comfortable life to serve/protect his nieces and nephews.

Maybe he was employed by a temple to a Bacchus-like elven god, and he's being transferred (one way ticket to paradise), but the temple in Xanaste has lang since been destroyed/sold/occupied by a very different group, and he's suddenly left to fend for himself with a luxury skill set in a survival-based environment.

What's anybody think of any of the above?

I think a grease, fat chef fighting monsters with his cleaver sounds perfect for a low fantasy game with a good helping of black comedy. Helix is pretty open to designing your own aspects of your character's culture and whatnot, so it should work well. There are two daemon lords, the Endless Maw and the Prince of Pleasure, who could certainly have certain aspects worshiped as glutinous and indulging in feasts and celebrations.

Amusingly, cleavers are actually given stats as a unique weapon because one of the advanced professions in Main Gauche is known for using them.

Aurora the Arctic Fox
Combat: 42
Brawn: 41
Agility: 48
Perception: 39
Intelligence: 45
Willpower: 40
Fellowship: 43
Ancestry: Elfen Ancestry: 1d100 ⇒ 70
Archetype Profession Pit Fighter
Waiting for the ancestry to continue

In general, especially for the uninitiated... This seems a helpful link (scroll down a bit)... lots of good info.

ZWEIHÄNDER – Create A Character

Enjoy!

Nice link Markus!

Nice link Markus!

Sure thing, answers a lot of basic questions.

How do you put together the skills you get from your office?

Also, saw mention of additional skills or experience from age (elderly)?

Also, saw mention of additional skills or experience from age (elderly)?

I think that was a thing in the play test. As far as I can tell the only advantage/disadvantage associated with age is the number of Distinguishing Marks you get.

I’m not sure what the effects of aging during the campaign might be.

Ancestry: Elfen [dice=Ancestry]1d100
Archetype Profession Pit Fighter
Waiting for the ancestry to continue

Sorry I missed this earlier:

Meditative healing: Gifted with the kindred’s ability to live between the weave of the world, you have learned how to harness an inner power to mend your own wounds

@Helix: Will definitely run with Brunhard being of the same background as he was previously - son of a shipwright who was also a zealot follower of The Leviathan (am just running with the pantheon in the rulebook for simplicity). As part of his baptism into the faith he was submerged into low tide seawater and held there until near drowned (Hence his Drawback of Weak Lungs).

Brunhard, although not the zealot his father was, is still a devout follower and has been drawn to Xanaste due to its close proximity to the Sea of Trials, the dangerous body of water the subject of many tales involving horrors which lurk in the depths... and a place where those Faithful of the Leviathan seek to test themselves...

Helikon wrote:

Ancestry: Elfen [dice=Ancestry]1d100
Archetype Profession Pit Fighter
Waiting for the ancestry to continue

Sorry I missed this earlier:

Meditative healing: Gifted with the kindred’s ability to live between the weave of the world, you have learned how to harness an inner power to mend your own wounds

This is very very cool.

@Helikon: As a burgher you are from an (effective) middle class upbringing. My Hedge Knight is also of burgher stock, but from an Industrious background - hence I went with the scion of a shipwright family. As from Militant stock you have a long tradition of soldiers and warriors - with discipline and a harsh upbringing being the norm.

Sounds like he/she has skill at arms running through their veins, but for some reason you've scorned a traditional route and found yourself as a pit-fighter, entertaining folk with blood and death... Expectation and family history would definitely been there - so its an interesting tale why you spurned that :)

Rebellion as your Chaos Alignment would fit the backstory better - but its Helix's call.

I'll drop you a PM shortly with a breakdown of your XP purchase options.

@Helikon

Incompetence could be an interpretation issue, too. Maybe he's lazy, or addicted to something, and simply can't meet the rigors of military discipline, but he's still a capable combatant, and turned to pit fighting as a way to use his talents without having to deal with constantly being called a failure for al the stuff that doesn't really matter?

Who cares about how a Pit Fighter marches?

I just see the combination is extremly difficult driven to success and failure.

Just a quick check-in--yesterday ended up being a full-day outing with my roommates looking at houses, so I didn't really have any time to go over people's characters and write up more detailed feedback. I'll be working on that today and tomorrow and should hopefully have some responses for folks posted tomorrow night! In the meanwhile, I'm still loving everything I'm seeing here and don't see any pressing matters to address, so keep doing what you're doing and expanding on your concepts! The fine details of mechanics can be worked out once the group is selected, so don't worry about those too much.

@Helikon: Pride (Law) and Arrogance (Chaos) are another decent fit? Perhaps it was arrogance that saw him turn his back on his military heritage - overlooked in favour of one who hardly measured against your prowess? Pride - the pursuit of self-perfection would have meant when you found a niche as a pit-fighter (or had it thrust upon you) that you went it full bore - to become a champion?

Brunhard currently has the those diametrically opposing alignments - but Heroism (Law) and Martyrdom (Chaos) seem better fits for the background I'm crafting...

Unsure of they're quite opposites, but "Markus" has...

ORDER/Ferocity: The will you possess is capable of moving mountains and comes with such a rush of passion and vigor that others are often forced into stunned awe. You are unlikely to break under torture or mental duress, possessing a well of emotional strength that at times seems unending.

CHAOS/Hypocrisy: Others see you for what you are; a charlatan and a liar, unwilling or unable to be held to your words. Your judgments and insights are seen as false, unlikely to be followed or trusted.

I think the juxtaposition of Order and Chaos is intended to create that real world personal tension, as order and chaos themselves are opposing forces.

The convergence and path to reconciliation is fertile soil for RP.

I personally like that he is seen as a charlatan, which he literally is (entertainer) but that itself was the lie - to make jokes and be one, bring levity and be light hearted - because he's incapable of ought else, that folks choose to believe...

Beneath it all, the heart of stalwart nobility.

The system is set up so that each order alignment has a chaos alignment paired with it that is something of an opposite. However, you can also roll each separately so you don't necessarily have to use the opposed chaos alignment instead.

There is the enjoyment of creating exactly what you want... or finding a system that allows you to. Spheres of Power/Spheres of Might is a system I've discovered recently. It seems to suit my style of character creation.

On the other hand, I always like to be the pick up or replacement character, filling in the party gaps (with my own twist, the un-cola)... and RPing into role that I didn't have in mind, but is needed. It's a welcome mental challenge.

This system is close to that, I think. But we're all doing it, in a sense. Circumstance, serendipity, etc...

Although mine was rolled separately I like the way they feel together.

ORDER/Compassion You Empathize with the struggles of others and offer your personal strength to those who lack it, defending any cause that you determine pure and just. You will inspire others to proudly rise up, and wise parents will offer your example to their children to help them sleep at night.

CHAOS/Scorn You are in love with the sound of your own voice, and no one is more impressed with your wordy bon mots that you are. Your barbs are weapons and you employ them liberally.

There are a lot RP opportunities in there.

I can see him saying something like "Fear not my friends for Robbet Reeve and his stout cudgel are at your side. Always speaking in the third person. Pointing out his good deeds etc.

Spare the rod, Robbet. Let me see if they'd rather join us for a spot of tea. I love tea parties.

His voice changing slightly, deeper then. Either way, the gate shall be taken.

The old man starts a whispered song, as he approaches the night watchman.

I see a little silhouetto of a man,
Scaramouch, Scaramouch will you do the...

... dammit, I always get stuck right there. Oh well.

This is weird, in starting to imagine him is some kind of harlequin mask, or a la V for Vendetta.

OMG, just looked it up... Wikipedia:

Scaramouche (from Italian scaramuccia, literally "little skirmisher"), also known as scaramouch, is a stock clown character of the 16th century commedia dell'arte (comic theatrical arts of Italian literature). The role combined characteristics of the Zanni (servant) and the Capitano (masked henchman), with some assortment of villainous traits. Usually attired in black Spanish dress and burlesquing a Don, he was often beaten by Harlequin for his boasting and cowardice.

Okay, a bit later than originally planned, but here I am with feedback and more! I think I've got everyone who's posted character concepts and info so far; if I missed you, don't hesitate to give me a shout. Some of you have questions included; these are mainly to help fill in certain aspects of the setting related to your characters or things you've suggested already, so just answer when you get the chance with whatever suits your fancy!

I'm still loving what people are cooking up here! As mentioned, you should all have at least through the next several days to keep working on things; keep in mind backstory and character presentation are far more important to me than the hard mechanics, so absolutely write more out, add to your background a bit, fill in details, give me an RP sample if you like! I don't plan to close recruitment before the 14th, and will likely keep it going through the weekend so everyone has time to add on.

I'm glad that you like it. Most of the gods I described are divine gods, but a couple of them are fey/daemon gods. Mechanically, the One-Eyed Lord is the God-Emperor, the Lady of Bones is the Custodian, and the Frost Queen is the Witch-Queen. I liked the idea that the elves of his homeland worship both the more standard divine gods and other fey/daemon lords.

For a reason to sign on with the caravan, I feel like perhaps he saw signs in the stars or something like that that basically told him that it was important that he signed on and got to Xanaste ASAP.

I'm terrible with names, so if you have a decent one, I'm fine just going with that for his homeland's name.

Thanks for the feedback! I’ll put some thought into specifics and see what I come up with.

We can do a Seven Samurai thing...

Actually, if anyone wants to have loosely linked backgrounds... I'm open to it.

@Helix Missionary
Would you say, the milieu could be pre-early Renaissance? Could one be a tailor, costume and mask maker?

Guess the question is, is that rate enough that it would be a dead giveaway if we operated wearing a mask (or several different ones)? Or are there enough artisans and demand that it wouldn't be a problem, especially in the big city.

He would of course be using less ornate masks, perhaps made of paper or parchment and easily disposed of.

I have added some to the background addressing some things you mentioned. I will think a bit more on his distant past and that later.

Ditto!

Heya,

Been away from the boards for sometime, and recently been perusing the recruitment thread for something that piqued my interest....consider it piqued!

That is if there's still time to get a submission in...

<<Waves to Black Dow.>>

Just saw your post about leaving recruitment open till the 14th...will roll and see what the gods give me!

OK, now to think on it...

Daily check-in here. I like the additions and such that I'm seeing, and look forward to more.

kamenhero25, I'll go ahead and name that, then. I'm looking at options for where to host a site for this game/setting--Obsidian Portal is an old standby, but I've heard good things about World Anvil as well, so I might give them a look.

Markus the Librarian, the setting is definitely meant to channel the Late Middle Ages into the early stages of the Renaissance, with the former taking the forefront in general society and "tone," and the latter in terms of (some) technology and dabs of culture and politics. Tailors and costume makers certainly exist in larger settlements and cities, and Xanaste boasts more than a few. There are whole nobilities and riches based in textiles and fine craftsmanship!

As far as wearing masks goes, it's certainly an oddity, but it wouldn't immediately set you apart as the only person who does that in the whole city. Masks, generally speaking, are viewed in two categories. There are the brightly colored, gaudy things worn by entertainers (from jesters to actors to 'magicians' on the street), designed to catch the eye and supplement a performance; and there are the more practical, usually darker masks intended to disguise and conceal, typically worn by nefarious sorts (from burglars to murderers to real mages who want to avoid the pyre).

Of course, this all gets muddled from time to time. Due to the very nature of masks being common for entertainers, they sometimes make good spies and killers, for the right price. And one of the latest fashions among the nobility is to hire assassins and counter-assassins who stage attempted murders at garden parties--sometimes all as a show, and all too often ending in real bloodshed for the amusement of their employers. So wearing a mask will draw attention, but it can vary widely in just what kind, depending on the sort of mask and the setting in which it's worn.

Helikon, I like the write-up and the character! It's very interesting and definitely has some good hooks in there. I'd be interested to know the name of the "capital," which I assume is of an Elvish state of some kind. And I'll be happy to help sort out character sheets when we come to the full game. (As a small note, though, you can't purchase a Profession's skill more than once per rank.)

As always, let me know any comments, questions, concerns, or so forth that you might have! I'm all on board with people potentially having some linked backgrounds, but we can figure that out once the party is assembled, and they needn't be very strong connections in any case.

For those who aren't familiar with it here is a link to World Anvil

I've never used it but it looks great.

Might I suggest a theme song?

Last in Line, song by Dio

Daily check-in here. I like the additions and such that I'm seeing, and look forward to more.

Helikon, I like the write-up and the character! It's very interesting and definitely has some good hooks in there. I'd be interested to know the name of the "capital," which I assume is of an Elvish state of some kind. And I'll be happy to help sort out character sheets when we come to the full game. (As a small note, though, you can't purchase a Profession's skill more than once per rank.)

Thanks for the words.