# [Discussion]Tempus Fugit ['closed' to new players]



## grufflehead (Sep 19, 2010)

This thread is for discussion of Grufflehead's 'eternal champions' game, featuring Leif, Mowgli and GlassEye. Some spaces may open up on a limited basis (see details posted for how this might happen), but anyone with an interest in the concept and/or useful suggestions/knowledge are welcome to add their input.


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## grufflehead (Sep 19, 2010)

*Background*

The original idea for this game came about some time ago but didn't start to move forward until recently. The following posts summarise information sent to the players to start the discussion.


From: grufflehead
To: Leif; Mowgli; GlassEye
Subject: starting game idea

Content summary: grufflehead is going to run a game for the 3 players. Rather than specify a system/genre/setting, he proposes to select a genre/setting that is mutually agreeable, but to 'rotate' systems on a semi-regular basis. The campaign will have an overarching plot arc, but be episodic in nature; at the end of each episode, the characters will be converted from one system to another and the game will continue.

Systems suggested (due to being owned by the GM - NB some have had only a cursory glance so rule familiarity may need to be improved!):

- D20
- True20
- D6 system
- Savage Worlds
- Cortex
- Basic Roleplaying
- GURPS
- HERO system
- ORE
- Tri-stat
- FUDGE/FATE
- Active Exploits (diceless)
- Wushu

All of these are 'generic' (or at least reasonably so), but if the consensus  was for a fantasy game, then other possibilities might be added to the list.

The idea of 'eternal champions' (henceforth referred to as EC) a la Moorcock and others was mooted as a campaign hook. Mowgli further expanded on this by suggesting that in addition to changing systems, the genre could change from episode to episode.

Other suggestions/requests for specific genres/rule systems were made, none of which would be mutually exclusive based on the EC idea. Occasional rotating of the GMs was thrown in as a possibility, as was either 1 or 2 more permanent players, or, given that one of the tropes in the EC stories was that of 'companions', guest slots may become open during some of the episodes.


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## grufflehead (Sep 19, 2010)

*Potential issues*

Changing systems, and potentially genres, between games presents a number of challenges and imposes some restrictions. The Eternal Champion concept allows for some flexibility in that not all 'incarnations' are necessarily possessed of the same abilities, so only the core features of each character need to be defined so that consistent mechanics (or as close as can be attained) can be assigned based on ruleset - the personality of each champion, and the interaction between them will remain constant and independent of rules. 

Interaction and familiarity of the characters with their setting can be handled by GM fiat i.e. characters who go from a fantasy world to a high-technology setting can simply be assumed to be familiar with the environment, social, technological and other features as part of the change process.

Issues already identified and questions to be resolved include the following:

- *do we assume that all campaign worlds are part of the same 'universe', so the characters are moving back and forward along a single timeline? *

This would require the timeline to be mapped out by mutual consent beforehand. Alternatively, each episode takes place in an alternate reality so aside from the linking 'plot device', no temporal or spatial connection is assumed.

- *character creation and change have an overhead. Not all the players have access to some of the possible rulesets and/or familiarity with them.*

Either all the character creation would have to be handled by the GM (who would also be responsible for providing key information on the rulesets for players without them) OR the upcoming episode would have to be 'trailed' in advance to allow any players time to create a new version of their characters. An option is to have a period of downtime between episodes when this is done.

- *Managing the transition between episodes*

By using generic systems, hopefully transition between episodes is achievable. Are the players happy that only the core personalities are transferred between incarnations, or do they also want a limited core set of abilities to exist between incarnations? Even using generic systems, character abilities are unlikely to be able to map completely between episodes. Should we enforce a 'template' on the characters to make the transition easier? While skills and relative combat ability should be easy to translate, magic, more esoteric abilities ('feats' or unusual traits), interaction with faith (do we allow for the presence of divine beings?) and some other aspects may be radically different between systems causing potential power imbalances.

- *ability of systems to handle game styles*

Not all systems are created equal. Some of the rulesets may be more suitable for certain genres. Should we decide on matching ruleset to setting at the start? If there are to be guest GM slots, do they want to indicate a preference for ruleset and/or setting in advance? There is also the issue of power level - we need to decide what level you want to play at (which can also change on an episodic basis) but implications on how well any particular system scales is worth thinking about.


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## grufflehead (Sep 19, 2010)

OK folks over to you - the discussion is out in the open so no chance of missed PMs. Any thoughts or issues I haven't covered that you think need addressing now? 

I intend to do the lion's share of the GMing - all of it if you want. But Leif suggested he had some GURPS Cyberpunk material - happy to do an episode of that at some point? Do the other 2 have a ruleset/genre that they would like to consider running?

A thought I had yesterday was regarding handling combat. Long combats can suck the life out a game, and I'm also neither a fan of super-tactical combat nor very good with maps. First suggestion in the thread for shooting down is this: I run combat in a semi-narrative style. I'm not going full on Wushu (although we can always have a Wushu episode ) but what I will try and do is describe the scene for you (with images/maps if possible) and allow you to state actions. Unlike Wushu where what you say is what happens, I'll let you roll your own dice to decide how successful you are but I'll take a descriptive approach to assigning results more than a rigid adhernace to the rules. Good hits on bad guys may just lay them out if dramatically appropriate rather than have people hang about on low health and drag the combat out (and lose the momentum of the game).

I've already got an overall plot sketch, an intro and a couple of hooks pencilled in. I'm happy to start as soon as you want, and kick around this discussion while we are playing. Or we can spend some time thrashing out a few points before we get going.

The floor is yours! Let me know what you think of the questions I posed in the previous post.


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## GlassEye (Sep 19, 2010)

Ahhh, room to spread out in!  And lots to discuss.  I'll just hit on a couple for now...

Character creation: While I could certainly play a character created by the DM my preference would be to create my own.  There are certain types of characters I like to play and I think I would enjoy a character of my own design more than one given to me to play.  So between stories we'll likely need the time to re-create characters in the new system.  We might need to work on this collaboratively to some extent so that the characters mesh well together and, on a more practical basis, if one or more of us don't have the new system rules.  As for how this works out, I think I might prefer beginning the re-working after the previous episode is finished.  I'm not averse to wrapping up the previous episode and working on the next iteration of the character at the same time but doing this the previous way might give you a needed break from the DMing duty.

Semi-Narrative Combats:  I'm fine with taking a more narrative approach to combats in the interest of keeping the game flowing.  We may not get quite the 'feel' of the system as it's intended but I would much rather have an enjoyable game than try to experience some aspect of a system that may or may not translate well to pbp.

Same Universe:  Honestly, this doesn't matter much to me but if all the stories are in the same universe would there be certain conceits that would need to translate between all episodes?  I don't know.  Maybe there would be an explanation why magic would exist in one part or time of the universe and not in another (whether we need to come up with that explanation or not is another question.  I'd say we probably don't: how the stories link is less important than the stories themselves.)

Setting+Genre:  We could determine all this beforehand but since we really don't know how long this is going to last I would say we do this step by step.  But then I think the deciding factor here should be how much time Grufflehead needs to prepare the next episode.

I really think a lot of these issues will work themselves out through discussion during play.  (I'm excited by this and anxious to get started!)  Grufflehead, do you know or have you decided what our first system/genre is going to be?


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## grufflehead (Sep 19, 2010)

Thanks for those thoughts GE. I'll let the others digest and contribute before responding in any depth, but on the first game system, while I did toy with the idea of having you start as yourselves and freeform it, I think I'm going to go with Pathfinder as everyone knows the basics at least. 

There's a slight twist in that I need a couple of characters from you all. First thing to decide is what sort of power level we want to play at (which can also vary between episodes - have added that to one of the earlier posts for consideration) but I'd suggest better than starter PCs without being epic. Whatever level you decide, the first episode proper is going to need the character you plan on playing as your EC incarnation in that world. Detailing these will probably have to wait until we thrash out some of the discussion points above.

But I'm going to do a prelude where you start in your own threads independent of each other. So for that, I need a second character, and the idea behind that one is it can literally be anything you want. This is your 'default' incarnation if you will, and at the start of the game you will not know each other or that you are an EC. Want to play a king or a 20th level Wizard? Go for it! Want to do a 0 level commoner? That's fine too  It will let us start once I know what that is, and we can be sorting out the other things in the background. These PCs may see action themselves from time to time, so a little detail may be required - at the start, it will be pretty rules-lite, so a short background is the most important thing.


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## GlassEye (Sep 21, 2010)

[MENTION=29558]Mowgli[/MENTION] [MENTION=48762]Leif[/MENTION]
Just want to make sure this didn't slip by you guys.


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## Leif (Sep 21, 2010)

Thanks, GE, it surely would have slipped past me.   Gee, Gruff, I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew with this....


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## Maidhc O Casain (Sep 21, 2010)

Thanks for the mention, GE! I'd intended to touch base with McGruff to see if he'd gotten this off the ground yet, and here it is!

Little time for putting thoughts down right now, but I'm VERY excited about this idea. I've got an idea for a first character, and a couple of things are floating around for my 'default incarnation.'

I'd like to try out a Cavalier, I think. His steed should translate well to whatever universe/time/etc. he ends up in - horse, motorcycle, whatever. No further details, but ideas are churning around. This could very well be both the character for the first adventure and (in a different place in the space/time continuum, at a different power level) my default incarnation.


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## grufflehead (Sep 21, 2010)

Leif said:


> Thanks, GE, it surely would have slipped past me.   Gee, Gruff, I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew with this....




No wriggling now! Get that thinking cap on


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## Leif (Sep 21, 2010)

grufflehead said:


> No wriggling now!



But, but, but wriggling is what I DO!  Birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim, worms/snakes/lawyers gotta wriggle. 

But I'll see if I can't come up with something.  Hmmm.....

[BTW, DeWar, Sharks certainly do wriggle if they're on dry land. ] [Thanks for getting me to L8, btw!]


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## Maidhc O Casain (Sep 21, 2010)

OK, the idea of a Cavalier is firming up for me, though I don't know yet what order or anything. In looking the class over, the basic tenets should translate fairly well to any genre or time so I _think_ I'm gold on this.

I'd love to play somewhere around level 8 to 10 for this first adventure. High enough to get a really good feel for the character and have some nifty toys to play with in the way of abilities and gear but not so high that it gets ridiculous. Right in the 'sweet spot.'

Still not sure how I want to develop the default incarnation. It might help if I knew a little more about what you have in mind for that. Level one commoner to level twenty wizard is a really broad range . . . how do you see this incarnation being used?


In regards to 'same universe/timelines' I don't really think it makes much difference, as stretching one timeline out long enough can make the universe seem like more than one anyway. If the timeline stretches both backward and forward into infinity it would be very easy to imagine a time of magic a million years in the past from a time of space opera. Not explaining it very well, I think, but maybe enough to get the general idea across.


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## grufflehead (Sep 21, 2010)

Mowgli said:


> Still not sure how I want to develop the default incarnation. It might help if I knew a little more about what you have in mind for that. Level one commoner to level twenty wizard is a really broad range . . . how do you see this incarnation being used?




What I was envisaging is that as part of the intro there will be an 'awakening' of sorts. Before that happens (i.e. during the intro), you will be your default incarnation which will have been living and functioning in whichever campaign world up to this point (and it won't necessarily be the same world for all of you). You'll have all the concerns and responsibilities that a 'character' of that type would have, which could be as simple as holding down a job and feeding your family, to be an 'adventurer', to ruling a kingdom. Obviously the more outlandish and/or powerful your character, the more potential headaches that gives me, but by the same token it also opens up possibilities.

Each stopping off point in the arc will see you assume your champion personas in whichever world you travel to (i.e. your first and subsequent characters). We could simply move from world to world in a path, but I was thinking of having a central hub or nexus point through which you always pass - and whenever you are there, you revert to your default persona. 

To add another twist, if your 3 default personas are from *different* worlds, then it opens up the possibility that the other 2 might end up in your home at some point... In a way, if our only scheduled fantasy episode turns out to the level 8 - 10 PF game, then having default personas at other levels means there are chances to do side-treks at those levels if 2 of the champions end up on the homeworld of the 3rd.

If you follow all of that (well done!), then you can see your default persona doesn't have to be a fantasy PC either. It could be pretty much any type of character you could find in an RPG.


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## GlassEye (Sep 21, 2010)

Mowgli said:


> OK, the idea of a Cavalier is firming up for me, though I don't know yet what order or anything. In looking the class over, the basic tenets should translate fairly well to any genre or time so I _think_ I'm gold on this.



Sounds like a great idea!  The common 'mount' theme across worlds/time is a cool one and I hope to come up with a decent theme that translates as well.  I'm currently thinking something to do with 'magic' (I know, it's vague) which may require to some thought to translate to worlds that don't have magic.  To begin with I'm thinking my PF character will be a ranger...



> I'd love to play somewhere around level 8 to 10 for this first adventure. High enough to get a really good feel for the character and have some nifty toys to play with in the way of abilities and gear but not so high that it gets ridiculous. Right in the 'sweet spot.'



Agreed!  I was going to suggest 8th level or so myself.



			
				Grufflehead said:
			
		

> What I was envisaging is that as part of the intro there will be an 'awakening' of sorts. <snip>



So we'll start with our default persona in an intro and our next thing is the Pathfinder characters?  What sort of things if any should carry over from one character to the next?  What sort of detail and at what level do you want the default persona: just key elements of the character or full-on character sheet?


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## Maidhc O Casain (Sep 21, 2010)

GlassEye said:


> Sounds like a great idea!  The common 'mount' theme across worlds/time is a cool one and I hope to come up with a decent theme that translates as well.  I'm currently thinking something to do with 'magic' (I know, it's vague) which may require to some thought to translate to worlds that don't have magic.  To begin with I'm thinking my PF character will be a ranger...




Thanks! I was also thinking that the Cavalier's 'Expert Trainer' ability would translate similarly. Rather than always being facility with animals suitable as mounts, the Handle Animal skill would translate into facility with maintenance and repair of vehicles in a higher tech genre.

_Default Persona_
Gaibrial Brannan is a mechanic in an impoverished, gang riddled neighborhood of a major city. He's been a mechanic his entire life; he learned the trade in his father's garage, served in the motor pool in the marine corps and came home to take over the family business on his father's death.

Gaibrial is a leader in his community, much respected by both the 'civvies' and the bangers for his unique attitudes as well as his physical prowess. He sees the gangs as misguided organizations with the potential for positive influence; thus, he treats the bangers with respect and courtesy even as he's pushing them to use their influence for the true betterment of the community. At the same time, he tolerates no foolishness from them and keeps the 'peace' within his neighborhood with an steel will and iron fist if things get 'out of hand.'

A huge man (6'8" tall, 305 pounds) with features that lend themselves naturally more to ferocity than to laughter he nevertheless has an easy way about him. Possibly his ease comes from the utter certainty that he can handle himself in just about any situation. Wherever it comes from, he laughs far more often than he snarls, and while he can 'mix it up' with the best of them he prefers to solve problems with words if possible.

Appearances aside, however, Gaibrial has an inner unrest, a sadness, that comes from the long-standing belief that he could be doing something _more_ with his life. This, along with his natural sense of loyalty to his 'old stomping grounds' and his father's legacy, is the motivation behind his efforts to rehabilitate his community rather than just packing up and leaving when things started to go downhill. This belief and its resultant discontent has led to much difficulty in his life; his wife, citing emotional distance and irreconcilable differences, divorced him and took their daughter to live across the country on the west coast.

(I may rethink the 'easy way' part of his personality - not sure on second reading whether it's too 'vanilla.' But I got the leadership aspects of Cavalier in there, along with the loyalty aspects for the Order of the Dragon, so I'm pretty happy with the way it's coming along).


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## Leif (Sep 21, 2010)

I'm leaning towards the "skill-monkey" not only as the default persona, but also for most of the alternates.  Rogue, techie, engineer, etc., with maybe a dash of magic added to a couple of his personas.


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## grufflehead (Sep 22, 2010)

Excellent work on Gaibrial! Gives me lots to work with (in fact after 1 read through I already knew how I was going to do the intro and segue into 'part 1' for him). 

I'm very happy for people to build in 'core skills' which will express themselves in one way or another in different personas; should help ease transitions.

I'll throw out another idea - only for the curious. I mentioned on the possible game list something called Active Exploits. It's a diceless system, which you can still download for free (got mine from DriveThru). I've only skimmed the first few pages, but as it has a fairly simple way of assigning abilities and task difficulties, I may well try it out for interactions with the 'defaults' when we do a little playing with them (and if we get to the stage of having 2 of your respective defaults visiting someone else's home).


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## Maidhc O Casain (Sep 22, 2010)

What will be the guidelines for our Pathfinder incarnations? Level, ability score generation, monies to spend, etc. Also, will be using traits?

I have him in mind as a Half-Orc, with the Chain Fighter and Beastmaster alternate racial builds from the APG.

I'm ready to build Gaibrial and get a move on . . .

I also have a vague notion that he did something extraordinary during his time in the Marine Corps . . . something heroic that whetted his appetite for 'doing something more' with his life. Or maybe he _almost_ did something extraordinary, but just missed saving that life or catching that infiltrator.


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## grufflehead (Sep 22, 2010)

For your Pathfinder PCs I'll let you guys decide where in the 8 - 10 range you want to play - maybe someone has a build that gets something cool at 10th, otherwise 8th will have got you another stat point, and 9th a feat so either of them have their attractions.

2 traits, 25 pt buy, any PF source you want to use (I've only got the Core book and the APG but if you have others feel free).

For cash, do you want to just take standard wealth by level? As we're pushing the envelope a bit here, options might be: increased cash, no magic items at all, items assigned by me (which you may or may not be told what they do!) or something else. Happy to let you guys drive, so to speak.


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## Maidhc O Casain (Sep 22, 2010)

"Here's some money, kids . . . head off to the candy store and buy yourselves whatever you like!" 

I'd like to play at 10th myself . . . I've got a finesse build in mind that could use a couple of levels of fighter to round out the Cavalier stuff.

(In his default persona, Gaibrial was infantry before some unusually perceptive NCO recognized his potential and bucked him up the chain for additional training. He 'mavericked' and became an officer.)


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## Maidhc O Casain (Sep 22, 2010)

Regarding money and equipment, I've got a couple of thoughts but probably no time to put them down today - Wednesdays my schedule is packed, usually. I may have some time this evening.


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## grufflehead (Sep 22, 2010)

Still happy to go with what you guys want - will wait to see what Mowgli proposes later - but thinking back to some of my original notes, unless anyone *really* objects, I'm thinking of significantly reduced wealth in terms of what you can 'spend' to equip yourselves, as I have something else in mind to even the playfield...


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## GlassEye (Sep 22, 2010)

I've never much cared for the 'buy what you want' idea.  I think I would much prefer if you selected items for my character, Grufflehead.

Also, I've been thinking about themes for my champion.  I've come up with a few keyword/phrases that I think I'll try to work into his incarnations.  Granted they won't always be able to be worked in and in some incarnations the emphasis will be on different keywords but they'll be there in some fashion at least.  I hope.  And, of course, during the course of creating these first two characters they are subject to modification.

GE's Eternal Champion Keywords/Phrases: Nimble (mind & body), Knowledge, Guide, Genius (of place), Magic, Wolf

My PF character is Sir Geoffrey Campion of Wehrlight Isle.  He'll likely be predominantly Ranger with the Guide archetype.  I may toss in a level or two of something else if it enhances his story (which I am still working out).

I'm still contemplating the essence of my default persona and the genre that would mold his outward expression.

I don't mind 10th level for the PF characters if that's what Mowgli prefers and if you're ok with that, Grufflehead.


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## Maidhc O Casain (Sep 22, 2010)

I had a moment to check in, and wanted to chime in. I was thinking pretty much as GlassEye, it seems. I've been reading recently in a thread wherein one of the topics is the idea that characters are so often defined by their gear (magic items in particular). I'd rather the character stand on his own, or at the very least have the gear inform rather than define him.

I've become more and more averse to the 'shopping spree' that is high level character generation - or even that which accompanies extended campaigns. I don't really like the idea that any item a party wants is available for purchase.

So I'm all good with you providing any items for us other than the regular old mundane stuff.

I'd propose that we go ahead and equip whatever mundane equipment _we_ wish, and then grufflehead augments or replaces anything _he_ wishes.


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## Leif (Sep 23, 2010)

I'm thinking now of using the Swashbuckler Rogue, with a level or two of Deep Earth Sorcerer thrown in.  Assuming we're using PF rules, that is.  I also have a slight hankering to use the fantasy GURPS system, too, though....


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## grufflehead (Sep 24, 2010)

OK, seems like we have a consensus to go for Level 10 PF. Feel free to buy mundane gear - I'll probably make the assumption that if it's something that a member of your class/race/background might reasonably have, then I'll allow it even if its not on your sheet. Other stuff to be assigned by me.

I like your thinking about the keywords GE. Anything that makes the alternative personas easier to come up with the better. Obviously they're your characters, so although you know the feel I'm trying to achieve (i.e. the underlying character is the same, just re-skinned for each setting) how rigidly you want to try and translate between systems is in your hands.

I'm quite happy to start anyone who wants with their default personas. They will be individual threads, coming together at some point to go into the PF game, so you can get going pretty much as soon as you want. Mowgli has given me enough to get on with; same goes for the other 2.


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## GlassEye (Sep 24, 2010)

How much leeway do we have concerning genre for our default persona?  The idea I'm currently favoring is an Asian youth just becoming a spirit guide for his community.  Time period is pretty vague but probably equivalent to early Chinese history with some form of spirit/ritual magic.  I could stick to something more standard or modern if you prefer.


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## grufflehead (Sep 24, 2010)

GlassEye said:


> How much leeway do we have concerning genre for our default persona?




Absolutely anything you want. Although I have to say my early Chinese history knowledge is...sparse but don't let that stop you if that's what interests you. I like a challenge


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## GlassEye (Sep 24, 2010)

Well, my knowledge comes from martial arts movies and other various pop culture sources.  So I'd say my knowledge of Chinese history is downright sparse, too.  I'll get to writing up something a bit more substantial than what I posted earlier and also work on my PF character.


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## grufflehead (Sep 25, 2010)

As this thread is also home to random musings, here are a couple more things I've been thinking about. Firstly, for the defaults intros (and any interludes featuring them) I'm thinking of using a stripped down version of something called Pace. It's a diceless system written by Fred Hicks (of Evil Hat) fame. Pretty simple, but provides a framework for task resolution in those sections of the game. You can grab a copy here:

http://www.evilhat.com/pace/pace.pdf

I'll talk you through the bits I want to use once we get started on the individual threads, but essentially you give your character a three word description, with each of the words given a rating (a bit like Wushu if you've read it). Unlike Wushu, success is not automatic, but you are more likely to be able to succeed at things you are good at i.e. your descriptors. Rather than rolling, there is a resource allocation element to task resolution. I read it in about 15 mins, and it looks worth trying as a middle ground between completely narrative play, and system specific mechanics (for which we'd have to decide on something for your defaults and it might not be the same).

Secondly, I think I've got something that will do nicely for the PF adventure. Can I just check that none of you have downloaded any of the adventures from Dragonsfoot? I'm going to use one as the basis of the game (and there are 2 follow ups so if there's an excuse to go back later...). There should be at least 1 slot for a 'companion' so I'll see about recruiting when the time comes.


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## Leif (Sep 25, 2010)

Gruff, I hate to do this, but I think I'm going to have to bow out of this game.  I just have a few too many irons in the fire and I haven't even been able to keep up with the discussion about the characters.  As the game grows in complexity, I am sure it will only get worse.   My apologies to everyone.


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## Maidhc O Casain (Sep 25, 2010)

Still here - I've got Gaibrial mostly statted out for his PF incarnation. Here's his preliminary stat-block. He's got no equipment yet, and I'm still tinkering with feats (I'll probably exchange Paired Opportunists for Lookout on Gaibrial, and Iron Will for Lookout on Croimór). I have not read anything from Dragonsfoot so we're good to go there.

I'm ready to start in the individual thread whenever you are!

[sblock=GAIBRIAL BRANNAN	CR 9]
Male Half-Orc Cavalier 8 Fighter 2
CG Medium Humanoid (Orc)
*Init *+3; *Senses *Darkvision (60 feet); Perception +10
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*DEFENSE*
--------------------
*AC *13, touch 13, flat-footed 10. . (+3 Dex)
*hp *69 (10d10+10)
*Fort *+10, *Ref *+5, *Will *+4
*Defensive Abilities *Bravery +1
--------------------
*OFFENSE*
--------------------
*Spd *30 ft.
*Special Attacks *Cavalier's Charge, Dragon's Challenge +8/+3 (3/day)
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*STATISTICS*
--------------------
*Str *14, * Dex *16, * Con *12, * Int *13, * Wis *14, * Cha *16
*Base Atk *+10; *CMB *+12 (+16 Disarming+16 Tripping); *CMD *25 (27 vs. Disarm27 vs. Trip)
*Feats *Combat Expertise +/-3, Coordinated Defense, Coordinated Maneuvers, Greater Disarm, Greater Trip, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Paired Opportunists
*Traits *Ambassador, Armor Expert
*Skills *Bluff +11, Diplomacy +15, Handle Animal +18, Intimidate +15, Perception +10, Ride +16, Sense Motive +10, Survival +10* Modifiers *+0 Ride while riding your bonded mount., Dragon's Skills
*Languages *Orc, Skald, Taldane (Common)
*SQ *Aid Allies +4 (Ex), Animal Companion Link (Ex), Banner +2/+1 (Ex), Expert Trainer +4 (Ex), Hero Points (1), Strategy (Ex), Tactician (Coordinated Defense) 7r (2/day) (Ex)

--------------------
*TRACKED RESOURCES*
--------------------
Dragon's Challenge +8/+3 (3/day) (Ex) - 0/3
Hero Points (1) - 1/3
Tactician (Coordinated Defense) 7r (2/day) (Ex) - 0/2
--------------------
*SPECIAL ABILITIES*
--------------------
*+0 Ride while riding your bonded mount. (Ex)* Cancel your armor check penalty of -0 while riding your mount.
*Aid Allies +4 (Ex)* Aid Another grants +4
*Ambassador* Your natural abilities at mediation and compromise manifested at a young age. For as long as you can remember, you were always more able to solve disputes and carefully settle violent disagreements than others. You gain a +2 trait bonus to Diplomacy 
*Animal Companion Link (Ex)* You have a link with your Animal Companion.
*Armor Expert* -1 Armor check penalty.
*Banner +2/+1 (Ex)* Allies who can see your banner gain +2 save vs. fear & +1 to hit while charging.
*Bravery +1 (Ex)* +1 Will save vs. Fear
*Cavalier's Charge (Ex)* Mounted charge grants +4 to hit and -0 AC rather than +2/-2.
*Combat Expertise +/-3* Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
*Coordinated Defense* +2 CMD if you are adjacent to an ally with this feat.
*Coordinated Maneuvers* +2 CMB if you are adjacent to an ally with this feat.
*Darkvision (60 feet)* You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
*Dragon's Challenge +8/+3 (3/day) (Ex)* +8 to damage target, -2 AC vs. others when used, allies gain +3 to hit the target of your challenge.
*Dragon's Skills +4 (Ex)* +4 to Survival checks for allies.
*Expert Trainer +4 (Ex)* +4 to train mounts, reduced training time option.
*Greater Disarm* +2 to disarm, weapon lands 15' away.
*Greater Trip* +2 to Trip, target provokes AoO when tripped.
*Hero Points (1)* Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses.
*Improved Disarm* Disarm at +2, without an attack of opportunity.
*Improved Trip* You Trip at +2 and don't cause an attack of opportunity.
*Improved Unarmed Strike* Unarmed strikes don't cause attacks of opportunity, and can be lethal.
*Paired Opportunists* +4 to hit for AoOs if you and an ally with this feat both threaten the target.
*Strategy (Ex)* Grant varying bonuses to allies within 30'
*Tactician (Coordinated Defense) 7r (2/day) (Ex)* Grant the use of your Tactical feats to your allies within 30'.

Created With Hero Lab® - try it for free at http://www.wolflair.com![/sblock]

[sblock=CROIMÓR	CR 7 (Mount)]
Male Horse
Large Animal
*Init *+2; *Senses *Low-Light Vision, Scent; Perception +7
--------------------
*DEFENSE*
--------------------
*AC *20, touch 11, flat-footed 18. . (+2 Dex, -1 size, +9 natural)
*hp *70 (+35)
*Fort *+9, *Ref *+7, *Will *+5
--------------------
*OFFENSE*
--------------------
*Spd *50 ft.
*Melee *Bite (Horse) +9 (1d4+5/20/x2) and
. . Hooves x2 (Horse) +9 x2 (1d8+5/20/x2)
*Space *10 ft.; *Reach *5 ft.
--------------------
*STATISTICS*
--------------------
*Str *20, * Dex *15, * Con *18, * Int *2, * Wis *12, * Cha *6
*Base Atk *+5; *CMB *+11; *CMD *23 (27 vs. Trip)
*Feats *Improved Natural Armor, Improved Natural Attack: Hooves x2 (Horse), Iron Will, Toughness +7
*Tricks *Attack [Trick], Combat Riding [Trick], Come [Trick], Defend [Trick], Down [Trick], Guard [Trick], Heel [Trick], Seek [Trick], Stay [Trick], Track [Trick]
*Skills *Fly +0, Perception +7, Stealth +5
*Languages *
*SQ *Combat Riding [Trick], Devotion (Ex), Evasion (Ex), Hero Points (1), Seek [Trick], Stay [Trick], Track [Trick]

--------------------
*TRACKED RESOURCES*
--------------------
. . -none-
--------------------
*SPECIAL ABILITIES*
--------------------
*Combat Riding [Trick]* The animal has been trained to bear a rider into combat.
*Devotion (Ex)* +4 Morale bonus on Will Saves vs Enchantments.
*Evasion (Ex)* No damage on successful reflex save.
*Low-Light Vision* See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
*Scent (Ex)* Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell.
*Seek [Trick]* The animal moves into an area and looks around for anything that is obviously alive or animate.
*Stay [Trick]* The animal will stay where it is.
*Track [Trick]* The animal will track a scent.

Created With Hero Lab® - try it for free at http://www.wolflair.com![/sblock]


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## GlassEye (Sep 26, 2010)

Leif, sorry to see you go.

Grufflehead, I've been to Dragonsfoot (though it's probably been years) but haven't read any of their adventures.


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## grufflehead (Sep 26, 2010)

Just had a thought regarding 'flavour' for your individual PCs. If I run a game where the setting is quite specific, would statting up your PCs and leaving the part relating to physical appearance and any crunch relating to that be an issue?

To explain, let's say for example one of the episodes is a fantasy game which I've decided is in an arabian desert setting. If you've spent time carefully crafting a PC who's a norse warrior is that likely to be something of a letdown? I could easily tell you in advance, but I thought it might be quite nice as an icebreaker in each part if the first couple of posts from me describe the world you are in, and then you can describe your characters as you think they would fit in that setting.

I'm asking now, as I've seen Mowgli's PF character. There are stats, but I don't know how he envisages that in his own mind. If, for example, he had a vision in his head that his cavalier was your classic knight in armour, is there anything in the crunch which actually only works with that specific archetype? So if you walk into episode one with a fully formed description in mind (full plate, lance, the whole 9 yards) and find everyone else running around in robes with katanas is that an immediate turn off?


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## Maidhc O Casain (Sep 26, 2010)

Crunch wise, I've got Gaibrial worked as a trip and disarm specialist using a spiked chain. I actually chose that because it seemed to me that it would work in a lot of different settings - the old Manriki Gusari if we go oriental, the spiked chain for 'classic' fantasy, a set of tire chains for modern, etc.

There are horses in a ton of different settings, and for those where there aren't it seems easy enough to just apply the horse stats to whatever mount he's got, or give him a motorcycle or something. The only place that _could_ be an issue is that his horse is actually a companion - I'd envisioned using him to track, help him keep watch, etc. and it might be hard to work that in if it's simply a motorcycle.  (However, a steampunk setting could produce a mechanical horse with a limited AI.) That said, so long as you modify any given adventure to account for his deficits Gaibrial _could_ run without his mount as well. _"There's something missing, like a part of me is supposed to be here but isn't. Like the hole in your mouth when you lose a tooth . . . you just can't stop worrying at it."_ The Cavalier has some nifty abilities mounted but he seems pretty stout even without his horse.

Appearance wise, I'm fine with changing things around. He's a big, sort of brutish looking bruiser who's ironically something of a charmer regardless of the setting, but he could easily be given an Oriental/Arabic/Native American/whatever flavor.


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## grufflehead (Sep 26, 2010)

Mowgli said:


> I'm ready to start in the individual thread whenever you are!




Have you had a chance to look at Pace? I'm going to go with 3 descriptors, 7 pts total (will make sense once you read if if you haven't already). A lot of the other stuff can be ignored unless it becomes an issue as we're not playing a full-on game using the rules.

Ill stress again, I'm looking for something simple that will handle conflict resolution when required in a way that shouldn't detract from the narrative. I'm heartened by one of GE's comments that he thinks it looks fairly straightforward.

Once you can give me that 3 word title for Gaibrial, I'm happy to go!


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## Maidhc O Casain (Sep 26, 2010)

I've read through the Pace rules (the one's that don't have to do with GMing the game, anyway). Ready to take a stab at my descriptors.

It was tough to get all the elements of Gaibrial down into three words, but what I came up with is 'Mighty Mounted Maverick.' I know, if I have to explain the descriptors they're probably not worth the paper they're written on, but:

Mighty (the combat stuff) and Mounted (the horsey stuff) are fairly straightforward. Maverick refers to the non-com making the jump to Commissioned Officer and is intended to cover the leadership/diplomacy/general knowledge of soldiering stuff.

(I should say that he's actually more Dextrous than Mighty but

I like the alliteration, and
Mighty is more accurate to his appearance.

So hopefully it can be used as the general combat descriptor.)


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## grufflehead (Sep 26, 2010)

Good enough  I'm not going to hold you to it strictly - maybe giving you 4 or even 5 descriptors in the form of a sort sentence would have been easier but we'll run with this for now and maybe fiddle with it if it looks like a useful mechanic that can be expanded on later in the game.

I'll start thinking about a thread for you today and PM you once I start it. Might help 'focus' the others once they see yours.


Meanwhile...do we want an RG to hold all the various characters?


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## GlassEye (Sep 26, 2010)

grufflehead said:


> ...If I run a game where the setting is quite specific, would statting up your PCs and leaving the part relating to physical appearance and any crunch relating to that be an issue?...
> 
> I could easily tell you in advance, but I thought it might be quite nice as an icebreaker in each part if the first couple of posts from me describe the world you are in, and then you can describe your characters as you think they would fit in that setting...
> 
> I'm asking now, as I've seen Mowgli's PF character. There are stats, but I don't know how he envisages that in his own mind. If, for example, he had a vision in his head that his cavalier was your classic knight in armour, is there anything in the crunch which actually only works with that specific archetype? So if you walk into episode one with a fully formed description in mind (full plate, lance, the whole 9 yards) and find everyone else running around in robes with katanas is that an immediate turn off?




If it were just physical appearance I don't think it would be much of a problem.  However, I don't see how it can be _only_ appearance that is affected.  For me, appearance (which is directly tied to the genre of the game) frequently informs other aspects of the character.  Many times the mechanical aspect of how the character works won't be affected but the _story_ of the character may need changing.  Generally this won't be a problem other than getting over the preconceived notions that I might have held.

However, one of my keywords is 'Magic'.  Without some prior knowledge of the world this aspect of my character (and I feel it's a major aspect) would have to be left open until after the 'reveal' (and I can definitely see the appeal of having a reveal).  In my default persona I planned on that manifesting in character as a medium with fairly high magic effects.  Now the actual faux-Chinese bit could be easily changed out for something else.  But if I were to create a character to fit into the world of Mowgli's default (which I perceive as 'fairly realistic modern') my high-magic medium wouldn't work; I'd need to take a totally different tack.  I don't feel I can leave that much of my character open; I'd essentially have to wait until after the reveal to make my character.

Concerning your example of western-styled warrior in an asian-inspired setting: unless the story were about the clash of cultures (or something else similar/logical) then yes, it might be a bit of a turn-off.  In general I think the characters need to fit into the world (as much as a normal person of that world is going to fit in anyway).  Plus, if one person goes into this particular scenario thinking _Last Samurai_ and another goes in thinking _Big Trouble in Little China_ there's gonna be issues.

Now, I feel that I've said a lot of negative here.  I _like_ the idea of a reveal.  But I think the key elements such as the aforementioned 'fairly realistic modern' are needed to create our characters.


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## GlassEye (Sep 26, 2010)

YES! to having a Rogues Gallery.  I'm in another game that _doesn't_ have a rogues gallery and whenever I want to look something up on another player's character sheet I have to spend time searching through the OOC thread to find the character.  That annoyance I'd rather do without.  So, again, I vote YES.


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## grufflehead (Sep 26, 2010)

Some good points there, and not sure how to address some of them TBH. 

I'll start with the defaults, as that is easiest. It's nice that people are trying to bring through the core elements of the characters even in the default personas. But any cross over between them *in their own settings* is not yet decided, and if I do go for it, it will be far enough down the line that we can kick around the way it will/won't work before that. As such, you are quite safe to treat them all as completely independent of each others' settings - for you, there is no need to worry about the fact that your schtick is magic, and Mowgli comes from a world where there is none. You may never go there, and if you do then your 'magic' could just as easily become psionics, cyberware, or, something that can be explained in that setting's stat block. Any side threads after the intro will be you and only you in your own setting until/unless I decide otherwise.

What I was talking about was the individual epsiodes, although I realise I wasn't being clear. What I am effectively asking for part 1 is: having told you it is level 10 Pathfinder with no magical gear, after coming up with a concept (or let's use my bete noir, a 'build') do you want to know beforehand that the game is going to be set on an island chain with a Japanese theme. Or once you've got your class/stats/feats etc etc sorted out, are you able/happy to walk into the game and have me describe a scene where everyone is walking about in robes and turbans, it is very hot and dusty, there are mosques and minarets everywhere, and take it from there?

Bearing in mind unlike a normal recruiting thread I'm not asking you for a character background for each episode, because we know what the overarching background is and for each episode you effectively have *no*background (as you are walking into it fresh). What you are coming up with is the background for your default personas, and as I've allowed you to make them whatever you want, you can control those aspects of the environment as well.


EDIT: RG is up here


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## GlassEye (Sep 26, 2010)

Re: Defaults.  I only used the default characters as an example of how setting affects character creation because I've looked at Mowgli's default persona and not his PF character, yet.  I realize having an episode in the world of any default persona isn't something that has been decided.

Re: Individual settings.  I think you were pretty clear; maybe I didn't respond effectively.  Having the information of 'level 10 Pathfinder' gives me certain guidelines to work within.  I know there are wizards and witches (if the APG is used) and warriors.  My character fits within these guidelines.  Although I haven't worked him up fully swirling around in my gray-matter is the idea that he's a knightly fellow who has been cursed.  The curse is the manifestation of his magic in this world (and is comparatively low-key when placed next to a full wizard).  Now, I had in mind that he was a western-styled knight but that isn't an intrinsic part of the actual character.  He could easily have a name change, a different suit of clothes, a katana instead of a longsword and be the same character.  I'm certainly fine with that if that's what you meant.

The point I was trying to make was that if you exchange 'level 10 Pathfinder' for '200 point GURPS' then I don't have enough guidelines to create a character because GURPS or a similarly open system doesn't have the built in assumptions that a game like Pathfinder or Shadowrun has.  Since that doesn't seem to be the issue you were bringing up I guess you can ignore that part.

Re: Character background.  The use of the phrase 'as you are walking into it fresh' is a bit confusing to me.  I assume you mean fresh for me as a player.  My character for a specific episode will have a background in that world; just compared to his background as an eternal champion it is relatively unimportant except maybe in the fine detail of how it forms him in the current world.  Is this correct?

By the way, I hope I'm not coming across as strident or complaining or demanding or anything similar.  That's not my intent.  I'm just trying to understand how this is going to work.


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## GlassEye (Sep 26, 2010)

I'd like to float my three descriptors for my default persona and get your feedback/comments/ok; whatever you might have to contribute to making them work.

1) Spiritual Guide 2 (for social/religious aspects)
2) Oni-binder 3 (for wahoo magic effects)
3) Martial Artist 2 (least of the three, for combat (using naginata type polearm))

I wanted Martial Artist to be lower than the other two.  Do you think Martial Artist 1 would be a problem?

EDIT: Maybe: Wise Oni-binding Naginata-warrior.


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## grufflehead (Sep 26, 2010)

Whew, this would be so much easier if we were in the same room!



GlassEye said:


> Re: Individual settings. <snippety snip>   Now, I had in mind that he was a western-styled knight but that isn't an intrinsic part of the actual character.  He could easily have a name change, a different suit of clothes, a katana instead of a longsword and be the same character.  I'm certainly fine with that if that's what you meant.




Yes, that's pretty much what I was meaning. I was just trying to gauge if people were going to that level of detail with their PCs, or could they effectively create the 'engine' and leave the 'bodywork' until you know more about the game. To be honest, if people want to know in advance there's nothing stopping me PMing them; otherwise wait to be surprised and run with it...



GlassEye said:


> The point I was trying to make was that if you exchange 'level 10 Pathfinder' for '200 point GURPS' then I don't have enough guidelines to create a character because GURPS or a similarly open system doesn't have the built in assumptions that a game like Pathfinder or Shadowrun has.




Absolutely, from the point of view that - regardless of the plethora of options that something like PF allows - a level based game with essentially pre-defined paths vs a point buy game where you can create any combo you want is like apples and oranges. This is where I hoped that having some core elements in the character's make-up would make this easier. It's up to you guys how much you want to do on that line (although I would encourage a consistent core of skills/abilities/call them what you will) - I think Mike has exactly the right idea with his guy trying to find things which define his character but are largely system independent, and thus are likely to be translateable between episodes. In a way, I would have thought the generic or point buy systems would be easier to rework your PCs into rather than the other way round. That, I suspect, is the balancing act that, if it works, will make it a great game; if it doesn't, then there's wiggle room, I'm certainly not going to hold a stick to people and say 'well your character does X so I'm going to insist you try and recreate it in this ruleset'.



GlassEye said:


> Re: Character background.  The use of the phrase 'as you are walking into it fresh' is a bit confusing to me.  I assume you mean fresh for me as a player.  My character for a specific episode will have a background in that world; just compared to his background as an eternal champion it is relatively unimportant except maybe in the fine detail of how it forms him in the current world.  Is this correct?




Yes, essentially. I was trying to separate the meta-game aspect from the in-game part. If it makes it any easier to visualise, imagine that each of the incarnations you will end up playing in all of the many and varied worlds are actually someone else's PCs in those campaign worlds being played by them in other campaigns right now. When a given episode starts, you basically take the character over for that episode. So you are right: they *do* have backgrounds in those games because they haven't just popped into existence at that moment. They will have done great deeds already, become famous, more skillful etc etc. But if, at the point where you take over them over, all the other player does is give you a sheet and doesn't tell you anything about all the things they have previously done, then you are 'starting fresh' with them. Going off and inventing a background for them - as you would if this was a standard recruitment thread -  can certainly be done, but serves no real purpose because, unlike in a 'proper' homebrew where I as a GM would try and take what you gave me as  a backstory and weave it into the tale, the overall plot is why you are here, and once this episode passes, you move on to another incarnation (and the original player gets his PC back again). Probably still not explaining it very well...



GlassEye said:


> I'm just trying to understand how this is going to work.




If you figure it out, let the rest of us know


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## grufflehead (Sep 27, 2010)

No problems with the descriptors GE - if you can give me a little more background I'll tell you how I see them working.


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## Maidhc O Casain (Sep 27, 2010)

I neglected to put values on my three descriptors. I didn't see where you'd told us how many points we're using. Are we using seven, then?


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## grufflehead (Sep 27, 2010)

Yes, I thought keeping the standard 7 pt but spread over 3 traits would make them a bit less powerful. You can still be pretty good at some things, but not doing anything that bends the laws of reality!


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## Maidhc O Casain (Sep 27, 2010)

Right. Mighty (2) Mounted (3) Maverick (2).

He can either fight or talk his way out of most things, and he's wiz with _anything_ that transports folk from one place to another.


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## GlassEye (Sep 28, 2010)

*Gokan no Enmei (default persona)*

The Past:  Gokan no Enmei (Bright Circle of the Gods) was a perfectly ordinary child until a childhood illness left him near death and the associated fever burned away the walls that block most humans from access to the Spirit World.  The shaman who tended him during the illness warned his parents that Enmei might be changed.  For a while it seemed that Enmei would continue on as before his illness but then he experienced his first fit: he fell to the ground, his teeth ground together, his body shook and his limbs flailed about.  These seizures continued with increasing frequency and ever growing violence.  When he began growling out words in an unknown, guttural language his parents became afraid.  The shaman was called back.  The ancient informed them that Enmei’s openness to the Spirit World left him vulnerable to the attacks of spirits attempting to control him but Enmei could learn to protect himself under the shaman’s tutelage.

Enmei left to apprentice with the shaman.  In time he learned to close himself off from hostile spirits, fight off those spirits intent on harm and call and communicate with spirits.  As he grew more experienced he could allow certain spirits entry to his body at his bidding and without losing control.  In exchange, the spirits granted him knowledge and wisdom and enabled him to perform feats beyond the capability of normal men.

The Present:  Gokan no Enmei is holy man, spirit talker and healer for the small village of Aizawa having taken up the mantle of shaman after his ancient mentor died.  His life is full serving as intermediary between the villagers and the local spirits.  As such, and despite his youth, Enmei is well-respected in the community.

Enmei is a small man (5’2”, 130 lbs.) and still young.  He’s happy with his life but feels he should maintain a certain level of dignity as befits his role in the community.  His youth and lively spirit frequently slips through his self-imposed seriousness in unexpected mischievousness.  Enmei is confident in his ability to work with spirits, less so when it comes to using the weapons of war (rudiments of which he learned from a traveling warrior plagued by a malicious though minor spirit).

A recent incursion of oni into nearby swampland culminated in a spectacular battle in the village where it appeared Enmei decisively defeated them.  The truth is a little more sobering: despite binding the oni lord and using his power to drive off the others and force a truce the balance of power is precarious and could easily tip in favor of the oni.  Despite his worry over the situation, Enmei is secretly pleased with the nickname the villagers have given him as a result of the flashy battle: Oni-Binder.

Allies: Ayumu-ko – A wise and regal she-wolf spirit.  The first spirit Enmei saw and seeing asked if she was a walking dream.  The wolf accepted that as her name and advises Enmei in spiritual matters.   

Discerning 3, Medium 3, Warrior 1

Note: You may have noticed the names are all japanese.  I couldn't come up with any chinese names that met my naming criteria.  Regardless, the setting seems to be faux-asian.  Change as you see fit.


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## grufflehead (Sep 28, 2010)

Excellent! I'll try and have your side thread up before I go to bed.

If you'd like to migrate this to the RG (same for you Mowgli).

Paging Mr Leif? Still with us? 

As regards those side threads, I'll play them out as long as you like; the idea was to be able to vary the time to get you all to the same point before the PF game, so once you've got PCs sorted then I'll start thinking about how to switch games.


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## GlassEye (Sep 30, 2010)

Yay for Enmei's thread!  Just wanted you to know, Grufflehead, that I have found it and I'll post as soon as I can.  Just had a busy couple of days and expect tomorrow to be just as hectic.


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## Maidhc O Casain (Sep 30, 2010)

Likewise . . . lots of stuff going on this week but I'll try to get a response up for Gaibrial soon.


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## grufflehead (Sep 30, 2010)

No problem guys, I'm away from late afternoon tomorrow (my time) until about the same time on Sunday.

Not sure we're getting Leif on board. Any arm-twisting we can apply or should we go to plan B?

BTW GlassEye, has the gnomish one been in contact about his Traveller game? We had a drop out so I thought of you as a replacement


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## GlassEye (Sep 30, 2010)

He mentioned me in-thread so I darted in, expressed interest and asked some questions which were answered by Insight mostly.

Not sure about Leif.  Maybe we should go ahead and recruit another permanent member and if Leif is able to join/continue then we'd have a full roster.  If he can't we're still ok to go and maybe Leif could be a guest in a later episode when things are at a pace he can keep up more readily.


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## grufflehead (Oct 4, 2010)

An update on the campaign plans. While I've been away I've been thinking of how the different episodes might pan out and thought you might like to see a list of possible options in case you want to do any long-term planning. After our Pathfinder game (which is just general high fantasy), I'm thinking of these:

- a lower fantasy game using Basic Roleplaying. Are any of you familiar with the Midnight setting (published by Fantasy Flight)? Very dark fantasy, and there is an adventure in the campaign guide which is quite suitable; I can use it as the basis of something of my own devising if anyone has played it before.

- a pulp/low power supers game using the HERO system. This is one I've run before; based on a 1930s incarnation of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen modified to fit the storyline of this campaign.

- a far future dark sci-fi game using Savage Worlds. One of the setting books I have is Necropolis 2350 and I will either write an adventure or, if one of he pre-published ones is appropriate, modify it to fit.

- a medieval fantasy game using Ars Magica. I was away for the weekend and picked up a copy of the 5th Ed rules. Should be a good chance for our magic using PCs to shine.

On top of that, I'd still like to use Cortex for something, so might canvas opinion on a setting/genre people are interested in. I've also bought Reign (using the ORE rules) and would like to have at least a short Wushu interlude.

If Leif is still on board, he mentioned GURPS Cyberpunk which would fit in nicely with the others. If not, I'm not really confident in my ability to run GURPS, so might well do Cortex Cyberpunk or another sci-fi setting. And then there are guest GM slots available for anyone who wants.

So that's a pretty long-term plan; I won't run the adventures in the order above but I've mapped out the vague long term arc - hope I can pull it off!


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## GlassEye (Oct 6, 2010)

Just wanted to say I think those ideas are awesome.


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## Maidhc O Casain (Oct 6, 2010)

I like 'em all! As a bonus, I'm familiar with HERO, have the Savage Worlds Lite rulebook, and have character generators for PF, HERO, Savage Worlds and Cortex.

Don't know squat about Ars Magica or GURPS, nor really about Cortex or Savage Worlds, but it's good to try new things!

(If you're really not comfortable with GURPS, you could do your cyberpunk adventure using HERO as well . . .)


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## GlassEye (Oct 8, 2010)

Gruffle,
I've been thinking a lot about the Pathfinder adventure coming up and the class I'm going to play.  It's taking me a while because I've been fairly obsessed with the Summoner's evolution mechanic but I know that you strongly dislike the class.  Anyway, I think I've worked through it and am ready to look at other classes.  Before I commit, however, I would like to know if you are ok with the Oracle.


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## grufflehead (Oct 8, 2010)

Yes, my dislike of the Summoner is rather overpowering. But, I can see how it would fit in with your character theme, so if that's the best idea you have then I'm prepared to make an exception on this occasion. Otherwise, I haven't really done more than scan the Oracle but I'm happy with that as well.


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## GlassEye (Oct 9, 2010)

I won't make you suffer through a Summoner.  Besides, I'm playing one in another pbp and I'm using one as a villain in my face-to-face game; it's time I branch out a little.  I'm thinking a halfling oracle of flame.  Something akin to a dervish/diviner, perhaps (the religious/ecstatic kind, not the 3e scimitar slashing kind) but skinned for whatever culture we are a part of.  Since you seem ok with oracle I'll start putting him together.  Let me know if you decide otherwise; I could always go with a specialist wizard of some sort.


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## grufflehead (Oct 9, 2010)

Never having seen an Oracle played before, it would be nice to see what you can do with it.

Before you do any work on it though, did I ever actually reveal *what* the setting for the PF game was going to be? I know we had a discussion about generating a PC then re-skinning it on the fly once you get dumped into the game - shall I tell you what you are facing, or are you happy to be (un)pleasantly surprised? 

If you are happy to play it by ear, then I'm happy to let you adjust things with your PCs to fit. You just happen to have proposed something that has the potential to be quite, shall we say 'interesting' in the setting...


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## GlassEye (Oct 9, 2010)

You made a couple of comments but I took them to be hypothetical so I have no idea what setting these first characters will end up in.  And considering it now, I think I'd rather be surprised.  It's all rather mysterious and exciting and I'm looking forward to getting started!


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## GlassEye (Oct 12, 2010)

Soooo, [MENTION=48762]Leif[/MENTION], what's the story?  You still in?  Enquiring minds want to know!


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## grufflehead (Oct 12, 2010)

I'm afraid the 'you must be this high to play this campaign' did for our gnomish chum...

I was hoping to recruit a third from another game I am in - have PMed someone with a view to offering them a slot but so far no response. If they don't get back to me, I have another alternate in mind. Sorry for the delay in getting it moving.


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## Maidhc O Casain (Oct 12, 2010)

No worries GH! Between gearing up to move the Pelligrew's group into the AP, taking care of the Merc's Life group, and getting my adventure ready for our annual gaming weekend at the lake (humorously dubbed 'LakeCon') I'm moving pretty slow right now anyway. LakeCon will be taken care of weekend after next, and hopefully I'll have my two APs up to date and moving along by then as well.


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## Leif (Oct 13, 2010)

grufflehead said:


> I'm afraid the 'you must be this high to play this campaign' did for our gnomish chum...
> 
> I was hoping to recruit a third from another game I am in - have PMed someone with a view to offering them a slot but so far no response. If they don't get back to me, I have another alternate in mind. Sorry for the delay in getting it moving.






GlassEye said:


> Soooo, [MENTION=48762]Leif[/MENTION], what's the story?  You still in?  Enquiring minds want to know!



Sorry, GE, but the Gruffster has the right of it.  Catch you guys around, I hope!  Enjoy the game.

Actually, the "high" comment had nothing to do with it, but I am going to have to pass this time. 

Oh, sheesh, I get it now!  Quit picking on short folks!   I thought you meant the OTHER kind of 'high.' durrrrrr


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## GlassEye (Oct 15, 2010)

Ciao, Leif!  Maybe I'll catch you in a game another time.

And welcome Perrin and unnamed guy!  So, how's this migration going to work?


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