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− | bassim speaks with some pride of his direct ancestor, who won favour under the banner of the Caliph in the old wars. He expounds the feats of this warrior at some length.
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− | He tells also of the family that descended from the brave ghazi. How through the same zeal his descendants established a wealthy village, dealing honourably with their neighbours to maintain their family’s name.
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− | They admit that they have been pursuing the monster. Is it not their duty to do such? But to their shame they cannot catch him. For the beast can change form. Not only from hyena to jackal, but also to fox and crow. In this last form the creature has always managed to effect an escape.
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− | Yet the family has a means of catching BH, and now deliberate about how to use it. The largest
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− | Wazo and Mother Cave come up with some suggestions to avoid head on conflict with the monstrous giants.
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− | -sneak into the cave lair in Second Day, while the gronks rest, though one at least may keep an eye on the main entrance . The plan would suit a stealthy party.
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− | -abandon the mission and leave the district; there are hundreds of other cities and patrons after all
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− | -recruit goatherds from Wazo’s clan, use them as massed slingers to assist in the battle
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− | -apart from its main entrance, the gronk’s cave lair can also be accessed via a warren of passages that riddle the hill below. Brave the trogs, ghouls or whatever and perhaps catch the gronks resting
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− | - recover the remains of a Wanderer slayer known to carry arrow(s?) of slaying. He disappeared on nearish Moon Hill after slaying a harpy there. The arrow(s) would slay gronks, too.
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− | -adopt a combination of these plans
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− | Get Common for free.
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− | Celestial: ecclesiastical lingo of prayers and invocations, sacred Lammasu, ki-rin. Tablets of Law in this
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− | High Talk: verbose dialect used by most high caste (Holy, Skilled) folk
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− | Common : dialect used by Farmer, Wanderer, Drudge caste folk. No written form- Common only speakers are illiterate.
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− | Wanderer Cant: like hobo code, a cant and system of gate, tree, etc. codes
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− | Scribe Code: hexadecimal tablet inscription code permitting intense packing of data for admin, communication and other purposes.
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− | Secret speech: used by druids , witches et al. Has a runic written form. Used also by dryads, nymphs, hags, etc.
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− | ...
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− | Hill Speech
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− | Oceanic: trade language, needed by traders in coastal cities communicating with ocean cultures
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− | Steppe
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− | Gnollish
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− | ....
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− | Ancient: pre-Fall language found in ruin inscriptions, still spoken by monsters like manticores, dragons, djinn, greater ghouls
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− | Dead speech: slurred, backmasked low talk, used by ghouls, lesser undead and necromancers
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− | Dagonic: Deep One lingo
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− | Zogolog: alien langauge spoken only by Green Star wizards
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− | Have a look at the big map. As you can see Kiera is almost directly north. Plain sailing across open sea where there the only likley encounter (once clear of the Savage Sea) would be a storm.
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− | You know that Kiera is a bustling metropolis --the largest in this world--built on several tiers with the palaces, etc on top. Two 'poor' tiers are already underwater. New docks have been established that bustle with trade. Iron ships from the Cloaker mines, timber from the east of the island, produce from every corner of Caribdus.
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− | As you cross the ocean to Kiera, do you develop a plan as to how you will present yourself at the docks? Without a Super you will have to pay extorniate -30%-tarrifs on imports, but at least these will be the
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− | ..........................
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− | A friend and I were looking at some art produced by Erol Otus, in particular this pic:
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− | We thought about running a D&D-ish game that evoked the art’s mood (exotic, wacky, humorous, alien) more than our usual generic Tolkio-medieval settings. We figured some simple but strong setting/system choices might help conjure the feel. We arrived at:
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− | *Names: humorous, high fantasy, over the top like Zargoth, Torlak-Ka, Meera the Green Wizard, etc.
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− | *Dangerous gameplay: low-level Pathfinder level 1-6 trajectory
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− | *patron mechanic borrowed from Traveller; party is offered work by dubious patrons like wizards, merchants often with a dubious purpose and a propensity to double cross. Purpose to elicit some dark humour
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− | *Culture setting: Ancient (Mesopotamia? Eqypt?) as well as med Europe vibe. We thought—caste system founded by a LN rather than LG Law Giver. Satirically rigid society (pompous Priest class, self-serving Wizards, etc).
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− | *Physical setting like Anatolia: sunbaked cities but also howling forests, steppe and bone-chilling cold uplands. Extra moons , long day/ night lengths for an alien feel.
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− | *An otherwise typical adventure premise: characters are free Wanderer caste mercs in search of their fortune. Parties fill the wide gap between scare Holy caste warriors, and inept Farmer caste militia. Hired by patrons to destroy ghoul and Deep One cults, steppe gnolls, ogres, minotaurs.
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− | *Classes that tie into the aforementioned six Castes: “Holy” caste clerics at the top; "Experts" like wizards , scribes next down; most adventurers belonging to a fairly overlooked "Wanderer" caste that gives them the right to wander the land
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− | Anyone interested in this slightly alt setting wrapping an otherwise pretty standard pathfinder type game? Looking for good posts, pretty regular (daily ? can negotiate ) post rate, good communication . Esp. willingness to make an effort with the setting ( e.g. using currency names, avoiding ‘inappropriate’ class labels like ‘Bard’ or ‘Paladin’ when IC).
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− | Oh-usual housekeeping rules too. Players keep track of own hps, spells, money. Post character info on-site (when ready) not with off-site link. Record name, AC, hps at post head. Use ooc blocks when IC.
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− | More setting notes (if you are interested):
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− | More on the classes:
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− | *The world has six Castes:
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− | **“Holy” Priests, itinerant ‘Judges’ [=bad-ass wandering Clerics]
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− | **“Expert” scribes, wizards [=Wizards], some highly skilled trades
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− | **“Farmer” landed farmers
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− | **“Wanderer” Magicians [=Bards], slayers [=licensed Fighters, Rangers, Rogues] , Ghoul-Hunters [rascal Clerics], merchants, sailors
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− | **“Drudge” labourers, urban rabble
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− | **“Outlaw” Bandits, convicts [=Rogue], heterodox wisefolk [=Druids, Witches, etc]
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− | Judges: [=Clerics] well -meaning but harsh, itinerant dispensers of stern justice. Possibly chariot-borne? Wear fearsome helms, shields and hammers.
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− | Wizards [=Wizards] self-serving, shrewd magic-peddlers belonging to rival guilds, sell expensive scrolls and potions
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− | Magicians: [=Bard] reskinned bard class-street magicians, storytellers, etc
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− | Slayers: [Fighter, Ranger] mercenaries dealing with low level threats
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− | Ghoul-hunter: [Cleric] paid scoundrels using religious scrolls, paraphernalia for profit rather than virtue.
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− | Witches: [Druids, sorcerers, etc] underground users of the Old magic-
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− | Players could pick archetypes to build these; avoid using class names where these don’t fit
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− | Other classes possible, obv. Typical parties have Slayers and Ghoul-Hunters, hired usually by a Wizard but possibly a Judge. Unscrupulous parties carry Outlaw members
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− | Enemies: ghouls are the most common type of undead, steppe-dwelling gnolls, minotuars, lammasu, dragons
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− | Gear: OTT high fantasy winged helmets, long beards, robes. Add to intimidate and persuade rolls.
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− | Currency: iron bolts instead of gps.
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− | Fiction points: awarded for humorous or evocative gameplay
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− | Bronze age gear: wooden cups,copper and bronze utensils . Chariots rather than horses.
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− | Weapons and armour : full range available but most found will be lameller armour, spears, kukri-like crescent daggers
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− | Races: humans, maybe non-Tolkien races like goblins or reskinned others.
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− | Patron system from traveller e.d wizard hires party to recover a magic item from dangerous ruin. 1- wizard is a ghoul agent seeks to trap party 2. Wizard mistaken that item is present 3. Ruins more dangerous than claimed 4. Ruins have additional 5. Quest exactly as claimed 6. An easy quest - another party has cleared the ghouls but not the item.
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− | *Priests-law makers and ceremony performers: above the law
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− | *Judges-clerics on chariots , elect a Judge King
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− | *retainers -temple guards, judge servants, scribes, officials
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− | *guilders- artisans, wizards, slayers and merchants
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− | *farmers: form the bulk of the army
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− | *drudges, have guaranteed rights, some might be entertainers, thugs or landlords
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− | *Wards-pows, convicts
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− | *Outlaws, below the castes
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− | *Ziggurats, obelises inscribed with the laws and castes
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− | *turkey-sun baked coasts, chilly mountains, forested uplands, steppe
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− | *three day nights,
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− | *ghouls, live in dungeons
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| *Taverns are Grapes of Bacchus, Golden Lute, The Monkape | | *Taverns are Grapes of Bacchus, Golden Lute, The Monkape |