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[[Category:Campaign Setup]]
 
[[Category:Campaign Setup]]
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=Campaign Setup=
  
=The Motley Crew: Campaign Background=
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This is the wiki page for the campaign setting of The Motley Crew, an odd band cast into dangerous times at the end of the world.
 
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==The Motley Crew: Campaign Background==
Welcome to Cinnibar and Odd Arbage, a Provincial rivermouth town and Village port, respectively.
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Welcome to Illis and Odd Arbage, a Provincial rivermouth town and Village port, respectively.
 
They are located at the end of the world in a Dark age. You are the crew of the ''Motley'' a ship of indeterminate size but enough heart for bold adventures in an age of Bronze and Iron.
 
They are located at the end of the world in a Dark age. You are the crew of the ''Motley'' a ship of indeterminate size but enough heart for bold adventures in an age of Bronze and Iron.
  
==Campaign Setup==
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===History===
 
 
This is the wiki page for the campaign setting of The Motley Crew, an odd band cast into dangerous times at the end of the world.
 
 
 
Countless (450) years ago, a piece of the moon fell from the sky and destroyed the Great Powers, who had grown decadent and dangerous. You are the descendents of their servants, subjects and pets.
 
 
 
This is a Bronze Age setting with limited magic, where Iron is slowly altering the way magic is used. Most gods are now silent in the world.
 
 
 
The known lands are filled with humans of many different cultures and races. There are other, stranger creatures and peoples on the fringes of the world.
 
 
 
The people of your home areas are civilized and live as part of a larger Empire. However, your local area has seen three empires in the last 200 years and is still here.
 
 
 
=Characters and Players=
 
 
 
'''[[Ineya]]'''  Boat people girl. Played by Jarulf
 
 
 
'''[[Sithalkes, son of Teres]]''' A Warrior from the high valleys of the Lees, [[played by Asen_G]]
 
 
 
'''[[Logan the seaborne]]''' A man with no past, played by t@nya.
 
 
 
'''[[Malie Hinapouri]]''' 'Shark in the dark of the moon'. A spirit Warrior from the Islands==, played by Bulya.
 
 
 
*Chalkine
 
*Max
 
 
 
'''Character creation'''
 
 
 
*[[Creating base characters]]
 
*[[Master skill List]]
 
*[[Motley Crew Character Sheet]]
 
 
 
=Equipment=
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We are using [[Price Lists]]from Griffin Island.
 
 
 
for a more expanded list, use [http://www.dimacleod.co.uk/rpg/rq.htm],
 
Duncan Ianin MacLeod's excellent website. If prices clash, go with griffin mountain.
 
 
 
 
 
==Starting Gear==
 
 
 
Assuming an average level of wealth
 
 
 
*100silver +200silver in goods
 
*An average outfitting of weapons and non metal armour.
 
*If your profession pushed you higher up the social scale, this increases.
 
 
 
For instance, Bulya's character was a spirit-warrior of the Shark, so will have access to to metal armour.
 
 
 
*Anyone can voluntarily up their social standing pre-game, as long as you can justify it. A crafter might have a small workshop in Odd...or be the head of a coral/pearl/shell trading empire and be living in one of the big houses near the citadel.
 
 
 
Once you've set your status, though, you will need to support it. Being poor has its advantages for adventurers.
 
 
 
=Setting =
 
 
 
==Languages==
 
 
 
*There is a '''trade Argot''' , though it doesnt rise above 50% + mod.
 
 
 
*The base language for motley would be '''Gott''', with a lot of people speaking the '''elder tongue'''.
 
 
 
*'''Low and high Gault''' are the languages of the Empire - Low Gault and Gott are related (half chance to understand the other)
 
 
 
*'''Islander''' is totally unrelated to any other language nearby.
 
 
 
==The Shallow Seas Ocean Daughter==
 
 
 
The Mother Ocean has many daughters and they are the seas of the world. In the shallow seas they call her daughter The Rainbow Daughter. She is the mother of all the corals and creatures that call the place home.
 
 
 
There are many spirits within her realm, but they define themselves by their relationship to her. Deep ocean has other spirits. Islands each have a spirit and the people who llive there need to acknowledge them.
 
 
 
Rainbow Daughter has two lovers - the sun and the clouds. When she is with one, the other rages. Her many children are the animals and humans that live on or in her.
 
 
 
==History==
 
  
 
'''The Grand and Terrible Age'''
 
'''The Grand and Terrible Age'''
 
 
When the [[Grand and High Powers]] finally fell to arrogance and insane magics in the Great Age, they took much of the Light out of the world.
 
When the [[Grand and High Powers]] finally fell to arrogance and insane magics in the Great Age, they took much of the Light out of the world.
 
*Whole peoples, lands, spirits and divine beings became pieces and pawns in their elaborate, ritual wars and amusements.  
 
*Whole peoples, lands, spirits and divine beings became pieces and pawns in their elaborate, ritual wars and amusements.  
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'''History begins'''
 
'''History begins'''
 
 
Things that were not part of the Powers survived the Moons Burn if they were not touched by the great burning light directly. This included people. Most of the survivors were servants of the Powers, their pets or slaves, unwitting or otherwise. With all the great wonders and everyday magics of the Powers gone, most peoples fell to barbarism or reverted to more primitive lifestyles. Here and there, cities or estates held on to enough knowledge and civilisation to use metals and mills and keep some of the old skills alive.
 
Things that were not part of the Powers survived the Moons Burn if they were not touched by the great burning light directly. This included people. Most of the survivors were servants of the Powers, their pets or slaves, unwitting or otherwise. With all the great wonders and everyday magics of the Powers gone, most peoples fell to barbarism or reverted to more primitive lifestyles. Here and there, cities or estates held on to enough knowledge and civilisation to use metals and mills and keep some of the old skills alive.
 
Most of these places, like Motley, have a similar history, holding on to enough of a civilization to weather the Storm and the chaos afterwards.
 
Most of these places, like Motley, have a similar history, holding on to enough of a civilization to weather the Storm and the chaos afterwards.
  
'''Recent history'''
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===Recent history===
 
That was a long time ago as the Sages tell it, in the lives of long dead ancestors. Those who count say it's been 442 solar years.
 
That was a long time ago as the Sages tell it, in the lives of long dead ancestors. Those who count say it's been 442 solar years.
  
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Add the small but steady merchant ship traffic that ventures into Odd Arbage from the Border colonies or Manii to the west, and the place is fairly cosmopolitan for a village of 650 odd.
 
Add the small but steady merchant ship traffic that ventures into Odd Arbage from the Border colonies or Manii to the west, and the place is fairly cosmopolitan for a village of 650 odd.
  
=='''Technology:'''==
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===Current situations.===
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These will fill up as people create their characters.
  
'''No Stirrups, no shipboard weapons.'''
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=Characters and Players=
 
 
'''Mature Bronze Age (Early Iron)'''.
 
 
 
The civilized nations of Land Ends (and a few less civil) have built themselves around Bronze. Both Tin and Copper can be found locally and traded for fairly easily.
 
Iron is available but until recently has been hard to find...many Powers had Iron mines that are now unstable or unworkable and any readily available source was too poor in quality. The Empire of the Lee Plateau (which has no name at present and only a vague political structure) has recently begun producing more Iron, mainly for infantry and heavy Cavalry.
 
 
 
The many, many barbarian and nomad tribes are generally able to buy or make some bronze, but a lot of it is acquired through trophy.
 
 
 
Some more primitive cultures don't use metal at all, especially ones isolated from general cultural contact.
 
 
 
'''Ships'''
 
 
 
As far as ships go, you are looking at single masted square rigged galleys, smaller lateen rigged coastal traders and single mast fishing boats as your most advanced ships. No wheel and rudder mechanisms and oars rule for speed. You'd rarely spend more than a night away from shore and most ships beach or layover at night. well known trade routes are the exception to this.
 
 
 
 
 
'''Magic use.'''
 
 
 
*Must always have a '''POW of 15''' - it it drops below this, magic ties are lost.
 
 
 
*'''Iron effects all magic''' - a human can have contact with only a limited amount before it begins to disrupt it.
 
 
 
*There is '''Spirit (or Common or Hedge) magic''', but it is restricted to Members of Magical or Spiritual orders, commonly known as Low Magic.
 
This is the magic of Craft Guilds, Religious Orders, Barbarian warrior Lodges, witches and Warlocks, apothecary and Herbalist. Bards and initiates gain this sort of magic.
 
 
 
In the past it was more common. Part of its decline may be attributed to increased Iron usage.
 
 
 
*'''Divine Magic''' is gained through the worship of and bargaining with divine forces. Only priests and champions may wield it. Druid types, too.
 
  
*'''Spirit Magic''' is obtained through bargaining with spirits and only occasionally involves learning spells. More often, you have allied or bound spirits.
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[[Ineya]] Boat people girl played by Jarulf
  
*'''Sorcery''' Confined to the literate, must be learned from Grimoires.
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==A Character Sheet==
I'll decide which books magic to use once people start creating their PC's.
 
  
'''Non Humans'''.
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[[Motley Crew Character Sheet]]
Humans make up the peoples of Land Ends. There are many different kinds of people, some altered by powers in the past to be servants, pieces of Art or pets.
 
  
There are, however, many, many other sentient folk, though non human.
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=House Rules=
Most are hybrids, like Centaurs and Satyrs - a mixture of human and animal forms.
 
  
There are Sauri, however - sentient creatures descended from the dragons. The two most common types are Saurians (lizardfolk), a generally savage people who inhabit warm, desert lands and Newtlings, who live along rivers and in swamps.
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==Magic.==  
 
 
There are the giants and their descendents, too. They were common as the brute force component of a Powers lands or holdings, and their descendants plague the less hospitable parts of the world.
 
 
 
Most other sentients fall into the category of embodied forces from other planes of existence, from elementals to The Kind Folk to Gods and their servants.
 
 
 
These many, many races tend to exist away from human society or on its fringes - most have learned that humans make poor neighbours.
 
 
 
==Themes==
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
===The Coming of Iron.===
 
Iron has previously been a scarce metal, found either as relics of the great Age [in various forms of steel] or as bloom iron, pounded into wrought iron or layered steel. The Powers had Many uses for Iron in the past and have mined all but the meanest sources.
 
 
 
Iron affects magic. A little makes it unstable, a lot disrupts it entirely.
 
Steel can be the same, but is sometimes a conduit for magic force instead. The hows and whys of this were known to the Powers, but that knowledge is yet to be regained.
 
  
 
I'd like to have a variety of different magic types in the game, based around systems from BRP, Legend and Runequest Three. Their relative rarity is up to you.
 
I'd like to have a variety of different magic types in the game, based around systems from BRP, Legend and Runequest Three. Their relative rarity is up to you.
  
 
==Magic Types==
 
 
Possible magic types are:
 
Possible magic types are:
  
'''Innate Magic'''
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==='''Innate Magic'''===
  
 
These are the inner magics of true skill that set heroes apart without them being spellcasters.
 
These are the inner magics of true skill that set heroes apart without them being spellcasters.
  
 
*'''Natural Magic - Talented (skill % based)'''.  
 
*'''Natural Magic - Talented (skill % based)'''.  
 +
There is a talent for each skill. This grants the ability to invest Magic Points into changing a result roll for that skill. It is entirely situational, varies wildly in MP cost and can only be learned by a master (95%) of the skill.
 +
Some people are born with a Talent, even before they master it.
  
Talents are skill based and each skill has a talent. Some people are born with a Talent, even before they master it and these are known as Birth talents. Some people develop a talent for a skill after years of practice (95%+ in the skill) These are known as Masteries.
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*'''Gifted Attribute'''. You can use MP to change the results of a Gifted attributes rolls, either on the resistance table or on attribute rolls.  
 
 
*'''Gifted Attribute'''.  
 
 
 
Similarly, some people have Gifted Attributes - the warrior who always pulls off feats of strength, the scholar who can will an obscure piece of knowledge out of their memory, the tracker who can run all night. Each attribute can be taken as gifted.
 
  
 
*'''Maximum umber of Talents and Gifted Attributes'''.
 
*'''Maximum umber of Talents and Gifted Attributes'''.
 +
Each one takes up a point of your Int, in the same way spirit magic or Sorcery does. The three aren't eclusive, So a PC with Int 15, three talents and two gifted attributes has ten points available to memorise Low magic or Sorcery spells.
  
Each Gift/Talent takes up a point of your Int, in the same way spirit magic or Sorcery does. The three aren't eclusive, So a PC with Int 15, three talents and two gifted attributes has ten points available to memorise Low magic or Sorcery spells.
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'''How to use Talents and Gifts'''
  
*'''How to use Talents and Gifts'''
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*Talents/Gifts consume 1MP per 10% difference between a skill roll (or attribute test) and a desired result. Adding a special success (or a x 1 result for an attribute check) costs +3 pts over and above the % cost to reduce the roll to that level of success. Adding a critical success coss +6 pts.
 
 
'''Talents/Gifts''' consume 1MP per 10% difference between a skill roll (or attribute test) and a desired result. Adding a special success (or a x 1 result for an attribute check) costs +3 pts over and above the % cost to reduce the roll to that level of success. Adding a critical success coss +6 pts.
 
 
*Talents are used before a roll is made. MP cost is worked out after the roll is made.
 
*Talents are used before a roll is made. MP cost is worked out after the roll is made.
 
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*Gifted attributes:
For '''Gifted attributes''':
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**Attribute Tests fall into two types, Resistance rolls (Att vs some other force) and  
Attribute Tests fall into two types, Resistance rolls (Att vs some other force) and Characteristic rolls (Attribute x One to five gives degree of success)
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**Characteristic rolls (Attribute x One to five gives degree of success)
  
 
MP's are consumed at the rate of 1 per 5% change on the resistance table or 1 per 10% reduction in a characteristic roll, +3MP for Attribute x1
 
MP's are consumed at the rate of 1 per 5% change on the resistance table or 1 per 10% reduction in a characteristic roll, +3MP for Attribute x1
  
'''Note''': Talents and gifts are not considered magical, so magic hating types can still have them.
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==='''Magic schools.'''===
 
 
='''Magic schools.'''=
 
 
 
'''Magical Talent'''
 
 
 
Only people with a Talent in a magical skill can use magic. The skill might be Worship Rude Pantheon, Low Magic, Sorcerous Art or something more specific.
 
 
 
This makes magic rare...you are either born to it or get there after great effort.
 
 
 
If you actually want to be talented in a magical skill, you need to use up two talents to do so - one to have magical talent, one to be talented in it.
 
 
   
 
   
'''Low or Common Magic'''
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*'''Low or Common Magic''': Learned from particular Backgrounds and Professions.
 
 
Learned from particular Backgrounds and Professions.
 
 
 
There are Six Subtypes or traditions of common magic:'''
 
  
 +
There are Six Subtypes or traditions of common magic:
 +
'''
 
*Battle/Hunt
 
*Battle/Hunt
 
*Craft/Hearth
 
*Craft/Hearth
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*Elemental
 
*Elemental
 
*Wild
 
*Wild
*Common  
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*Common'''.
  
 
These are purely cultural and anyone who can learn Low Magic can (in theory) learn any spell.
 
These are purely cultural and anyone who can learn Low Magic can (in theory) learn any spell.
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You may learn spells up to your Int in points. (Minus any Talents or gifted Attributes).
 
You may learn spells up to your Int in points. (Minus any Talents or gifted Attributes).
  
'''Divine'''
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'''Divine''': Divine magic as per RQIII, but tied to Pantheons. Through sacrifice of permanent POW, you build a 'Divine reservoir' which you fill out from the pantheons spells.
 
 
Divine magic as per RQIII, but tied to Pantheons. Through sacrifice of permanent POW, you build a 'Divine reservoir' which you fill out from the pantheons spells.
 
 
These can be changed each time you pray for renewal, which will be daily or hourly depending on your rank.  
 
These can be changed each time you pray for renewal, which will be daily or hourly depending on your rank.  
 
Divine ranks require high POW - 15 for Acolytes, 18 for full priests. Acolytes can only memorise 1/4 of their POW in spells, Priests 1/2.
 
Divine ranks require high POW - 15 for Acolytes, 18 for full priests. Acolytes can only memorise 1/4 of their POW in spells, Priests 1/2.
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** These are semi divine orders, often with only a few divine spells.
 
** These are semi divine orders, often with only a few divine spells.
  
'''Sorcery'''
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'''Sorcery'''. Could be MRQII Sorcery or BRP/Basic fantasy magic.
 
 
Could be MRQII Sorcery or BRP/Basic fantasy magic.
 
  
 
*Sorcery is the study of a Sorcerous Art (to manipulate spells). There are many. Each Sorcerous Art allows you to cast spells from Grimoires of that type.  
 
*Sorcery is the study of a Sorcerous Art (to manipulate spells). There are many. Each Sorcerous Art allows you to cast spells from Grimoires of that type.  
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Many schools of sorcery are confined to very specific effects.
 
Many schools of sorcery are confined to very specific effects.
  
='''The Different Folk of Land Ends'''=
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=='''The Folk'''==
 
 
*Different breeds of human inhabit Land Ends - this often leads to humans having different baseline Attributes from normal. The common types in the area are mentioned, but there may be others.
 
  
*Folk of Illis
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*Different Folk or breeds of human inhabit Land Ends - this often leads to humans having different baseline Attributes from normal. The common types in the area are mentioned, but there may be others.
*Valley/Sea folk(local)Golts or Gelts - Std
 
*Mountain Folk: Gaults or Goltish (locals) - Std (From the Lees Plateau)
 
*Wood folk: Gern or Cern (locals) - Std
 
  
The above make up 80% of the population.
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*Folk of Motley
 
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**Local Folk (valley/sea folk)
*Sylvan folk: Bacchae or Woses. -2 Int, +2 Con and Cha (from the elder woods - Relics)
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**Mountain Folk (locals)
*Elder Folk:Limnis. -3 Str, Siz, Con. +3 Int, Pow.(from the elder woods - Relics)
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**Wood folk (locals)
*Andermen: -3 Siz.(from the Fells. Minor race.)
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**Sylvan folk (from the elder woods)
*Helleas: -3 Str, Con. +3 Pow,Cha. (old slave race)
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**Elder Folk (from the elder woods)
*Islanders: Vanu or Piri : +2 Str and Siz. (from across the seas)
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**Andermen (from the elder woods)
*Bladhamers: -6 Siz, +3 Con. (old Servant race)
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**Halleas (old slave race)
*Goblins: Heabog or Snauk: -3 Str, Siz. +3 Dex. (from the Fells)
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**Northerners (from across the seas)
  
 
*There are many non-human races or oddities in the area - generally creations of the great powers.  
 
*There are many non-human races or oddities in the area - generally creations of the great powers.  
  
'''Other well known folk of Lands End'''
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Possible Exceptions are folk of the five forms:
 
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** The Dverger. People of the Land. A range of giant to small, strong and durable folk, long lived and tied to the Primal Runes.
*Republic of the Lees is the formal title of the Leelander Republic. The population is mainly Goltish or Gaults, but there is a minor race of Fenlings along the coast of the Shallows.
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** The Lios. People of the Spirit. A range of large to small, light and subtle folk, long lived and tied to the Spirit Runes.
Fenlings -4 Siz, Str, +2 Con, Dex. Semi-Aquatic, excellent swimmers.
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** The Saur. People of the Dragon. A range of giant to small, long lived hardy folk, tied to the Dragon Runes.
 
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** The Taur. People of the Wild. A range of Large to small hybrid folk embodying beast and human forms. Tied to the Beast Rune.
*The Haut: Haut were a Powers idealised nomad guard. They still reside in the area sculpted for them before the Fall.
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** The Huldre. People of the Green. A range of giant to tiny folk with plant based attributes. Tied to the Plant Rune.
These days, there are two breeds of Haut - the old Kloos or Dragon Haut and the New Clans, who make up 80% of the population.
 
 
 
Old Haut: +1 Str, Siz, Con.
 
New Clans: -2 Siz, +2 Con.
 
 
 
All humans can still interbreed, so they are Races.
 
Old Haut dont...they try to keep their bloodline pure. There are only 10 000 or so left. They are idealised nomadic barbarian horseman, not really fit for the practicalities of true steppe living. Everything about them is too big. Their mounts are too large, too hungry, their technology and weaponry require too much metal and they are large, not compact people. They have survived through acting as a warrior clan for the New Clans.
 
The new Clans are survivors who came to the Haut for help and knowledge after the Fall. They are mainly local races, interbred with the now extinct plains folk and the few Haut who sire bastards.
 
 
 
Most border cultures (Primitive peoples, desert nomads, border States) will be standard human.
 
 
 
'''Raft People'''
 
These encompass several closely related groups of people, with a shared heritage as an experiment from one of the more benevolent High Powers. They can be divided in two very broad groups, the settled ones and the semi-nomadic ones. The settled groups live on the islands and on small villages made up of a crazy maze of rafts, small boats and stilt homes. They are poor people but trade some with neigbouring lands, mostly various forms of fish and other sea food, sponges and pearls. Their economy has slowly improved over the last few decades.
 
The nomadic groups follow different sholes of desired fish depending on the season. Small groups of a few families often band together but no groups would exceed more than two or three families. Once a year they all try to head back to their cousins for the great ceremonies and markets that are becoming increasingly important in keeping cultural continuity between the two groups. This is a time of trade, marriage negotiations, tall tales and so on.
 
 
 
Both groups are peaceful, though the settled folks are becoming increasingly aware that they present a target for both slavers and raiders. Many of their barge towns have become too complex to easily untangle for a quick escape.
 
 
 
They often have great stamina and peculiar powers related to their life style, such as being able to hold their breath far longer than most people, swimming deeper into the ocean and so on. Some say they can even communicate with dolphins and sing with whales. Some reportedly have finely scaled skin and webbed hands and feet, though that may just be rumours.
 
 
 
'''The Shallow seas'''
 
(Ill have to put that back on the map) receive the full blast of the warm Western current. The reef shown is coral and the sheltered areas teem with tropical marine life. The sea should be dotted with tiny islands, reefs, atolls, giant kelp beds, etc. These people hunt sharks and giant crabs in the shallows and whales along the continental shelf.
 
 
 
'''The Folk of Seven Forms'''
 
 
 
These are the generally accepted sentient 'Races' or cultures, according to accepted knowledge in Land Ends. All are considered to be rare and exotic, living for the most part away from humans.
 
They are each associated with a Form rune and the man/folk rune.
 
 
 
*The Shee. People of the Spirit. A range of large to small, light and subtle folk, long lived and tied to the Spirit Runes.
 
*The Kin. People of the Folk/man rune. Humans in all their wondrous variety.
 
*The Saurii. People of the Dragon. A range of giant to small, long lived hardy folk, tied to the Dragon Runes.
 
*The Taurii. People of the Wild. A range of Large to small hybrid folk embodying beast and human forms. Tied to the Beast Runes.
 
*The Huldre. People of the Green. A range of giant to tiny folk with plant based attributes. Tied to the Plant Runes.
 
*The Dverger. People of the Land. A range of giant to small, strong and durable folk, long lived and tied to the Primal Runes.
 
*The Nerii, People of the Waters. A range of colossal to small aquatic beings, tied to the Water Runes. They're not counted among the Six Forms because land dwellers don't usually have much interaction with them, lacking any common language or medium of communication, since air breathers can't speak in water and vice versa, just to begin with.
 
  
 
=Local Knowledge=
 
=Local Knowledge=

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