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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  CHARACTERS
  

  
  You play one of God's Watchdogs, called to service in the Faith. You travel between isolated congregations called "Branches" and hold the Faith together. You have a long coat - colorful, beautiful, hand-pieced and quilted by your friends and family back home. It is your badge, a powerful symbol of your authority. You represent Judgment and Mercy on behalf of God, whom we call The King of Life.
  
  Starting characters can be male or female, but are between 18-23. They've had two months or so in training, education, and ceremony to prepare, and they know one another. They are unmarried virgins, trusted to travel in mixed company.
  
  When your character arrives at a Branch and finds a problem, he or she can take whatever steps are necessary, and non one can justly complain. Your character acts on behalf of the King of Life - if anyone has a problem, they can take it up with Him.
  
  Does this mean you can't sin? No. But you're the only one allowed to judge your character's actions. Your conscience is in your own hands - are you a remorseless monster, or a destroying angel? The game can't tell the difference.
  
  STEP ONE: What's your background?

  - Well-Rounded: Your character is straightforward, balanced, and effective, a good choice for men born into the Faith.
  17d6 in Stat dice, 1d4 4d6 2d8 in Trait dice, 4d6 2d8 in Relationship dice
  
  - Strong History: Your character has a good education, lots of experience, or specialized training.
  13d6 in Stat dice, 3d6 4d8 3d10 in Trait dice, 1d4 3d6 2d8 in Relationship dice
  
  - Complicated History: Your character had a troubled, dangerous, or challenging upbringing. It's a good choice for those converted into the Faith.
  15d6 in Stat dice, 4d4 2d6 2d10 in Trait dice, 5d6 2d8 in Relationship dice
  
  - Strong Community: Your character is socially adept, and from a strong, caring family. It's a good choice for women born into the Faith.
  13d6 in Stat dice, 1d4 3d6 2d8 in Trait dice, 4d4 4d8 3d10 in Relationship dice
  
  - Complicated Community: Your character is socially vulnerable, or from a broken or destructive family.
  15d6 in Stat dice, 6d6 2d8 in Trait dice, 4d4 2d6 2d8 2d10 in Relationship dice

  
  STEP TWO: Place your stats

  Divvy up those Stat dice between your stats (don't roll them!). If you had, say 10d6 in Stat dice, you could put 2d6 in one Stat, 3d6 in another, another 3d10 in a third Stat, and the last 2d6 in another.
  
  The minimum for each stat is 2d6, with no maximum.
  
  ACUITY - You are perceptive, alert, educated, clever, savvy, or well-read.
  BODY - You are big, healthy, strong, wiry, muscular, tall, graceful, quick, or steady.
  HEART - You are compassionate, attractive, charming, gentle, courageous, enduring, faithful, or likable.
  WILL - You are tenacious, aggressive, confident, unflinching, strong-willed, or unshakable.

  
  STEP THREE - Traits!

  You get to make these up. Whatever you think would be relevant or interesting to your line of work: Horsemanship is a good one, and so is Preaching and Biblical Lore. But you can also word them to be little tidbits of history, like, "My mama used to read to me from the Book of Life every night before bed" could be a Trait. Or it could be facts about yourself - "I taught myself how to shoot a gun".
  
  Either way, give yourself some and assign your Trait dice to them. You can double up dice as much as you want, but only one type of die per Trait (you can have Horsemansip 1d6 or 7d6, but you can't have Horsemanship 1d6 1d10 or anything like that). If you need some Trait inspiration, write "I'm a good shot" as your first Trait, and then use that to branch out - where did you learn to shoot? From whom? Why did you learn to shoot? etc.
  
  When assigning dice, don't match die size to Traits by competence (higher die sizes are better), but by how important or interesting that Trait is to your character. "I can shoot a can from a mile away 1d4" versus "I'm not sure about my line of work, and I doubt myself 3d10" means that the latter is a lot more important to you, and factors in prominently to how things will unfold.
  
  d4 - such Traits make it more likely you'll suffer consequences in conflicts. Take them as disadvantages, but also as complications: "I'm a good shot 1d4" means that you can shoot, but when the guns come out, your life gets more complicated.
  
  THE RULE - You HAVE to either take "I'm a Dog" as a Trait, or in the next step, take a Relationship with the Dogs. Your choice.

  
  STEP FOUR - Relationships

  Name a couple of people your character has some sort of relationship with and assign them dice (following Trait dice rules above). Don't make many, save the dice for later on in play, when you can make new Relationships on the fly.
  
  Blood - when you meet kin, you get then as a Relationship for fre at 1d6. You can spend dice if you want to change that.

  
  STEP FIVE - Belongings

  Name some things you carry with you. If you decide they need dice, give them to them (as in, do you imagine they'll come up in a relevant way in conflict with other characters? Weapons will, and so may bibles. Use your judgement, but don't worry - you can improvise their dice on the fly if you need to). There's no limit, just what you could reasonably carry with you. We won't get picky.
  
  Dogs might carry books, stationary and pens, a water flask, or other things. They definitely carry their coat, a gun, the Book of Life, a horse, and a jar of consecrated earth,
  
  Giving them dice - give them the appropriate dice if normal.
  
  Normal thing - 1d6
  Excellent things - 2d6
  Big things - 1d8
  Excellent and big - 2d8
  Crap things - 1d4
  
  A good knife 2d8
  Old boots 1d6
  An old, bad revolver 2d4 (1d4 for being crap, +1d4 for being a gun)
  Massive shotgun 1d8 1d4
  
  If the thing is a gun, it gets an additional 1d4 no mater what it is.
  
  Your coat - give this dice, and write down what patterns and colors it has. Most coats start at 2d6, being excellent. Feel free to change that though.

  
  SIXTH AND FINAL STEP - Your accomplishment

  Say something that you have your character accomplished duirng initition into being a Watchdog. (Maybe it's, "I hope I earned the respect of my peers," or, "I hope I learned to solve conflicts without violence," or, "I hope I shook my fear of all things demonic and corrupt." Don't pick something that'll break your character if it goes sour.)
  
  Next, you and the GM (hey, me!) will have a mini-conflict, which will perfectly explain the dice rolling rules of the game to you (if you can tell if one number is higher than another, you can do this). At the end of it, we'll discover how your accomplishment went, and you'll get a new d6 Trait for it, even if it went bad.

  
  HELPFUL RESOURCES
  Your name is going to be Brother or Sister something. Here's some great names, just for Dogs in the Vineyard: http://www.bullypulpitgames.com/projects/names/milk_and_honey2.pdf
  
  BACKGROUND

  By the time you're 12 or 13, your Branch Steward is possibly considering you to be a Dog. The Steward guides and watches you up until about age 17. At 18-20, the Steward interviews you and asks you to be a Dog. You say your goodbyes, pack, and head East to the Dogs' temple in Bridal Falls City. You train for two months, along with about 15 others, depending on the spiritual haul.
  
  Your teachers' goal isn't to make you a Dog - that's your job. They are there to:
  - prove or cull you
  - train you
  - educate you
  - initiate you
  - inspire you,
  and what you do with that is up to you.
  
  Meanwhile, at home, your family and town are busy making your coat. Everyone comes to ceremoniously give a stitch. The condition and beauty of your coat reflects those back home. Afterwards, it is blessed with consecrated earth and a laying-on of hands. Towards the end of your training regimen, you receive mail from home, and it's your coat, along with letters and notes.
  
  You serve as a Dog for about three or four years. Your coat gets damaged, and the communities you serve will repair it or replace it out of respect. This is a typical case, and your Dog's mileage may vary.
  
  Next, you get a route and companions. You return to the Temple about twice annually.
  
  Your duties:
  - deliver mail and news
  - participate in local ceremony or office
  - deliver doctrine or interpretation to the Branch and its Steward
  - preach
  - participate in (but hold yourself away from) social functions and celebrations
  - help out with physical work
  
  It goes without saying that Dogs don't drink (booze, coffee, or black tea - instead, they go for herbal tea or soft drinks), and only old people smoke anyways.

  
  So now you have all that done, what's your character sheet going to look like? Here's an example I whipped up:
  

  Brother Eli Messenger - Well-Rounded History
  
  Statistics - 17d6
  Acuity - 5
  Body - 5
  Heart - 3
  Will - 4
  
  Traits - 1d4, 4d6, 2d8
  I spent a year in the Territorial Armies - 1d4
  I had discipline beaten into me - 1d6
  I'm loyal to a fault - 1d6
  I'm know how to shoot - 2d6
  I was born in the saddle - 1d8
  I've got a big iron on my hip - 1d8
  
  Relationships - 4d6, 2d8
  The Order Set Apart to the Preservation of Faith and the Faithful - 2d6
  Territorial Army - 1d6
  
  Possessions
  Eli's coat is a brightly-decorated object, covered with patterns put down by his extended family. Although a diverse range of colours are used, a bright, peaceful blue was chosen as the primary motif, reflecting his old cavalry uniform. His old insignia was also incorporated into the design, with the stripes of his rank snaking their way up his arm from the cuff. 2d6
  Colt Dragoon revolver- 2d8 1d4
  A dulled cavalry saber - 1d6
  Archippus (his horse) - 1d6
  
  My Accomplishment
  "I hope I learned to move beyond my army days."

  
  See how easy that was? As you can see, my character has a strong sense of what he can do, as well as where he wants to go in the game, but also leaves a lot of options open for development.
  
  Now you know what a character will look like, here's a blank sheet that you can use:
  

  Your character's name here!
  
  Statistics - [whatever your history says]
  Acuity -
  Body -
  Heart -
  Will -
  
  Traits -

  Relationships -

  Possessions
  
  My Accomplishment

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  Here's how the rules work: Say yes or roll the dice. Repeat that to yourself every second of every scene. Look at what's happening - the cobbler's wife seems unhappy. Say yes, or roll the dice. She's ducking out of service, saying she feels ill. Say yes, or roll the dice. She's been doing this for weeks now.
  
  Say yes (I agree, that is acceptable, it makes sense) or roll the dice (oh-no-you-fucking-don't, I don't want the scene to go this way, it would be better if someone intervened)
  
  You constantly want to move towards the next conflict (conflict, here, means when we roll dice to see what happens). See, here, you don't roll the way you do in say, D&D or White Wolf. If you want to do something, then you do it. Do you see the ambush before it happens? Depends - is it dramatically appropriate? Does the rest of the group care? Say yes or roll the dice. You have the option to interrupt anything, even what the GM says, and force it into a fight. So look for the next possible conflict. Be aggressive! You don't have to roll to see if you can pick a lock, or things like that. It's on a grander scale. Let's look at how to do a conflict, first, and this will make more sense.
  
  There's a problem. Someone didn't say Yes. The GM decided to pick on you. Something's wrong.
  

  1. Establish what's at stake, anyone can suggest this. The stakes are what the conflict is about, what we're fighting over, what's so important.
     - What's at stake is, does your brother shoot the woman?
     
  2. Set the stage. Fancy up the scene and get everyone in the mood.
     - Dust swirls around our feet, only to spiral down the road behind me. I've got my finger on the trigger and I'm shaking my head. It's unbearably hot, everyone's sweating. By now, school's out, and the kids nearby are wise that something's up - they're crowding around. The woman's crying, and my brother's pointing his gun straight at her.
     
  3. Who's participating in this conflict?
     
  4. Take up dice depending on how you want to enter the conflict (these are called Arenas):
     - We're just talking (Acuity + Heart)
     - Things are getting physical, but we're not fighting (Body + Heart)
     - Fist-fights (Body + Will)
     - We pulled out the guns (Acuity + Will)
     
     You can roll your Relationship dice if the Relation is what's at stake or is your opponent.
     
  5. Everyone rolls their dice for all to see.
     
  6. Take turns Raising and Seeing.
     To Raise, say what your character does and put two dice forward. Do something your opponent can't ignore.
     - (dice: 5, 6) I stare him down, not even flinching when he shifts the gun to me. I act like I hadn't even noticed. "Jed. Stop this. You ain't got it in ya, and there ain't no reason for all this. Put it away. I don't wanna have to put my hands on you, but I will if I gotta."
     
     To See, put forward any amount of dice that equals or exceeds the standing Raise (less dice is better). So, the current Raise is 5 and 6 (above), with is 5 + 6 = 11. So you need to put forward some of your dice that equals or betters 11.
     - (4, 3, 3, 2) I see he's not kidding. And, honestly? I don't have it in me. I can't shoot my brother. I couldn't shoot this woman... I won't say it out loud, but I'm afraid. My gun lowers to my side, and I take a few steps back, not wanting to get tackled right off. "Alright, Samuel. Alright. We gotta talk, though, okay...?" I'm almost in tears. "She done me wrong, brother..."
     • When you See, if you can do it with one die, that's Reversing The Blow. You turn the Raise back on your attacker somehow (he swings, but you grab his fist and squeeze, forcing him down; he tells you the King of Life has a place for him, and you remind him how the Steward said Heaven had no place for a sinner such as he). Keep your See die - you get to (and have to) use it for your next Raise!
       
     • If you See with two dice, that's a Block or a Dodge. Say how you defend against the attack.
       
     • If you See with three or more dice, that's Taking The Blow. Say how the blow lands and how your charater reacts. You also get Fallout Dice, which will later on change and affect your character, possibly for the worse. You take a number of dice equal to how many you used to See, and set them aside - if the blow wasn't physical, those dice are d4s. If they were physical, then they're d6s. If a weapon was used against you, it's a d8, and if it was a bullet, it's a d10.
       
     • If you don't want to See, you can Give. This is a pretty standard action, don't be afraid to do it. You lose the Stakes and the conflict, but you get bonus dice for a follow-up conflict! You do NOT Take the Blow or anything, you basically get out of the conflict free, and you don't win it. Take your single highest die and keep it for a follow-up conflict. A follow-up conflict's stakes follow directly from the previous conflict's resolution. You can actually try the exact same Stakes again, but to do so, the number of participants, the location, and the opening arena (Just Talking, Fist-Fighting, etc.) must be different, all three.

  
  Follow-up conflicts and Giving are important parts, and we will all be pushing towards them. Fight with all your heart, but don't be afraid if you need to Give.
  
  That's the structure:
  - Stakes?
  - Stage?
  - Who's involved?
  - Roll dice
  - I Raise, you See.
  - You Raise, I See,
  - etc., until someone doesn't have the dice to See
  
  Also, if more than people need to See a given Raise, that's acceptable. Their Sees are different and exclusive, though - they don't add their dice to beat yours. They beat you separately. And yes, you will sometimes be Raising and Seeing against each other as players!
  
  
  ESCALATING
  That's all well and good. Let's say we're Just Talking, and I'm about to run out of dice. What I can do is Escalate, and move out of Just Talking into, let's say, Fist-Fighting (the arenas are Just Talking, Physical but not fighting, Fist-Fighting, and Guns). I get to roll my Stats for Fist-Fighting and add those dice to my already standing dice, and of course, the conflict's taken a turn, where we're not just talking, we're actually fighting.
  
  You can only roll a Stat once per conflict, so if an escalation calls for you to roll Acuity + Heart, and you've already rolled Heart, just roll Acuity.
  
  TRAITS AND THINGS
  When you use one of your Traits as a Raise or See, you get to to roll its dice. Same for a Belonging. You can only roll a Trait / Belonging once per conflict. You can keep using in the conflict as much as you want, you just don't get the dice for it.
  
  You roll their dice before putting them forward, and you don't have to use them if you don't like them. You can even use them for a separate See or Raise.
  
  CEREMONY
  You can do neat spiritual things, like Call someone by their True Name (said to summon demon's attention and obedience), Sing Praise, Recite from the Book of Life, or Make the Sign of the Tree (right hand, palm out, shoulder level, fingers wide spread) as part of a Raise or See, especially against demons. It looks badass.
  
  FALLOUT
  Nasty stuff!
  - Roll all your Fallout dice after conflict. Add the two highest together.
  - You'll be presented with a list of Fallout Consequences according to the sum, and you get to pick something to add to your character. Less than 8 is pretty safe, with only short-term damage. More than 8 is lasting harm, bad stuff, and more than 12 is injured. 20 or higher, and your character is dead.
  - Fallout will be dealt with as it happens, since it's not immediately relevant. Just know that it's bad.
  
  Here's the list of Fallout Consequences, for quick reference when I tell you what to choose from!
  
  Short-term Fallout:

  - Subtract 1 from one of your character’s Stats for your next conflict.
  - Take a new trait rated 1d4 for your next conflict.
  - Change the dice of one of your character’s Relationships to d4s for your next conflict.
  - Have your character leave the scene and spend some time alone. Only choose this one if nobody else launches a follow-up conflict.

  
  Long-term Fallout:

  - Subtract 1 from one of your character’s Stats.
  - Take a new trait at 1d4.
  - Take a new relationship at 1d4.
  - Add 1d to an existing d4 trait or relationship.
  - Subtract 1d from an existing d6+ trait or relationship.
  - Change the die size of an existing trait or relationship to d4.
  - Erase a Belonging from your character’s sheet.
  - Change the description of your coat to include bad damage. Reduce your coat’s dice as appropriate.

  
  Experience Fallout:

  - Add 1 to one of your Stats.
  - Create a new Trait at 1d6.
  - Add or subtract 1 die from an existing Trait.
  - Change the d-size of an existing Trait.
  - Create a new Relationship at 1d6.
  - Add or subtract 1 die from an existing Relationship.
  - Change the d-size of an existing Relationship.
  - Write a new Belonging on your character sheet and give it its usual dice.

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  3clipse wrote: »

  So the last thread of this game just quietly died.
  
  Here's hoping this one lives!

  
  Shit, man, you ruined my combo!
  
  Hurry up and get rid of that, if you could. Please?

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  3cl1ps3 I will build a labyrinth to house the cheese Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  simonwolf wrote: »

  3clipse wrote: »

  So the last thread of this game just quietly died.
  
  Here's hoping this one lives!

  
  Shit, man, you ruined my combo!
  
  Hurry up and get rid of that, if you could. Please?

  
  Done. My bad dude, sorry!

  3cl1ps3 on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  3clipse wrote: »

  Done. My bad dude, sorry!

  
  No worries, mate. I'm hoping to be the first GM who doesn't cause the game to die - I predict failure on all accounts.

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  SUPERSUGA Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  Colour me slightly interested. Will look this over later. I hear the system's really good once you get to grips with it.

  SUPERSUGA on September 2009

  
  SoogaGames Blog

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  3cl1ps3 I will build a labyrinth to house the cheese Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  simonwolf wrote: »

  3clipse wrote: »

  Done. My bad dude, sorry!

  
  No worries, mate. I'm hoping to be the first GM who doesn't cause the game to die - I predict failure on all accounts.

  
  To be fair, my game was caused by the GM disappearing, so I think it's well within your power to keep the game alive.
  
  Suga: yeah, it takes some getting used to, but it's pretty slick once you get the hang of it.

  3cl1ps3 on September 2009

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  Megazver Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  I'll read the rulebook.

  Megazver on September 2009

  Chief Tyrol. Academician Megazver of the Jol-Nar Universities

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  Cheeseliker Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  Oh please, I'm extremely interested, seen this game twice on here but was too late to join both times. Will work on my character.
  
  
  EDIT: Actually, I can't get into this right now. Have fun everybody.

  Cheeseliker on September 2009

  write1st.wordpress.com

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  summeryclept Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  One "join," please! (already own the rulebook, so happy to see this)

  summeryclept on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  summeryclept wrote: »

  One "join," please! (already on the rulebook, so happy to see this)

  
  Nice! It's always good to hear someone else has the rulebook, so they can constantly clarify rules and tell me what I am doing wrong, all the time. It worked wonderfully in my old D&D game.

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  summeryclept Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  simonwolf wrote: »

  summeryclept wrote: »

  One "join," please! (already on the rulebook, so happy to see this)

  
  Nice! It's always good to hear someone else has the rulebook, so they can constantly clarify rules and tell me what I am doing wrong, all the time. It worked wonderfully in my old D&D game.

  
  Not only will I do this, but I will also spit on you and everything you own.

  summeryclept on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  summeryclept wrote: »

  simonwolf wrote: »

  summeryclept wrote: »

  One "join," please! (already on the rulebook, so happy to see this)

  
  Nice! It's always good to hear someone else has the rulebook, so they can constantly clarify rules and tell me what I am doing wrong, all the time. It worked wonderfully in my old D&D game.

  
  Not only will I do this, but I will also spit on you and everything you own.

  
  Man now you're just soundin' like my ex!
  
  Which is probably not as much of a good thing as I think it is.

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  Shameless bump!
  
  I ammended the second post to include a sample character of my own making, as well as a character sheet that's blank, so you can easily make your own. Ain't I sweet.

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  summeryclept Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  So kibitzing: y / n? It takes longer to do here, so I'm assuming not. But if so! here's what I'm shooting for, and I'll make the character tomorrow.
  
  Sister Prudence - slow, soft in the head, but not mentally challenged or anything, just really thick and dumb at times. Unquestioning loyalty to God and the Watchdogs (though not necessarily those traveling with her). Little patience and quick to anger when she feels stupid or embarrased. She's all might, all judgment, very little capacity for shades of gray - you either sin or you don't, and you either atone or you don't.

  summeryclept on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  summeryclept wrote: »

  So kibitzing: y / n? It takes longer to do here, so I'm assuming not. But if so! here's what I'm shooting for, and I'll make the character tomorrow.

  
  I have never come across that terminology before, but now I have, and I am better for it! I honestly enjoy discussing games I'm involved in with others, so I'm perfectly alright with talking this stuff over with you. Being a PbP format, everything is going to be a smidge slowed down - if you want instant advice, you can always hop into the Critical Failures IRC channel.
  

  Sister Prudence - slow, soft in the head, but not mentally challenged or anything, just really thick and dumb at times. Unquestioning loyalty to God and the Watchdogs (though not necessarily those traveling with her). Little patience and quick to anger when she feels stupid or embarrased. She's all might, all judgment, very little capacity for shades of gray - you either sin or you don't, and you either atone or you don't.

  
  I like the concept, and there's some clear character development potential in there! Especially with stuff like her personal morality regarding sin. I wonder how long that'll actually last, depending on the situations that get thrown at her while she's in the service?

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  summeryclept Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  simonwolf wrote: »

  summeryclept wrote: »

  So kibitzing: y / n? It takes longer to do here, so I'm assuming not. But if so! here's what I'm shooting for, and I'll make the character tomorrow.

  
  I have never come across that terminology before, but now I have, and I am better for it! I honestly enjoy discussing games I'm involved in with others, so I'm perfectly alright with talking this stuff over with you. Being a PbP format, everything is going to be a smidge slowed down - if you want instant advice, you can always hop into the Critical Failures IRC channel.
  

  Sister Prudence - slow, soft in the head, but not mentally challenged or anything, just really thick and dumb at times. Unquestioning loyalty to God and the Watchdogs (though not necessarily those traveling with her). Little patience and quick to anger when she feels stupid or embarrased. She's all might, all judgment, very little capacity for shades of gray - you either sin or you don't, and you either atone or you don't.

  
  I like the concept, and there's some clear character development potential in there! Especially with stuff like her personal morality regarding sin. I wonder how long that'll actually last, depending on the situations that get thrown at her while she's in the service?

  
  That's the fun of it, totally. Her world view has made her unprepared psychologically, but apt physically. So I predict total emotional breakdown once she sees that everything isn't clear-cut. This leads to frustration, leading to anger, leading to violence - except at that point, she won't know who to be violent towards. Cue some tense shit!
  
  Love to hear what others have cooked up.

  summeryclept on September 2009

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  Megazver Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  I am making Boris, the Afro-Russian samurai for both this and the Mountain Witch.
  
  Just cause I can.

  Megazver on September 2009

  Chief Tyrol. Academician Megazver of the Jol-Nar Universities

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  Megazver wrote: »

  I am making Boris, the Afro-Russian samurai for both this and the Mountain Witch.
  
  Just cause I can.

  
  You are banned from all my games. Forever.
  
  Just because I can.

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  Megazver Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  nooooooooooooooooooooo

  Megazver on September 2009

  Chief Tyrol. Academician Megazver of the Jol-Nar Universities

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  Plutonium Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  I've always been interested in the setting. I'll take a look at the rulebook and see what I can come up with in the next few days.

  Plutonium on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  Plutonium wrote: »

  I've always been interested in the setting. I'll take a look at the rulebook and see what I can come up with in the next few days.

  
  Please do! It's pretty much going to be "first come, first serve" with the characters, since the overall interest level in this game seems to have dropped since the last attempt at a game. However, the PAX weekend did just get out, so maybe there'll be a small spurt of interested people.

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  Kay What we need... Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  I was in a game of this. It was fun. Then it died quietly.

  Kay on September 2009

  
  3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
  

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  summeryclept Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  Kay wrote: »

  I was in a game of this. It was fun. Then it died quietly.

  
  So play in this one, eh eh?

  summeryclept on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  summeryclept wrote: »

  Kay wrote: »

  I was in a game of this. It was fun. Then it died quietly.

  
  So play in this one, eh eh?

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  Kay What we need... Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  I will think on it.
  
  I get wordy in PbP, though.

  Kay on September 2009

  
  3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
  

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  summeryclept Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  So here's what I've got.
  

  Sister Prudence Sprague
  
  Statistics: Complicated History (15d6)
  Acuity - 2d6
  Body - 4d6
  Heart - 3d6
  Will - 6d6
  
  Traits - 4d4 2d6 2d10
  
  3d4: "I get intimidated and offended when people are smarter than me."
  1d4: "I can shoot and fight better than I can talk."
  2d6: "I'm a Dog."
  1d10: "My belief: a sin's a sin."
  1d10: "Violence don't scare me none."
  
  Relationships - 5d6 2d8
  Steward O'Hare - 1d6
  
  Possessions
  -Coat: 2d6 (grays, reds, and browns - a lot of fancy stitchwork, triangles and swoops, a short verse stitched into the back)
  -"Ol' Trusty", her shotgun: 2d6 1d4
  -Her father's knife: 2d6
  
  
  My Accomplishment: "I hope I taught my peers that there's no room for weakness within our Order."

  
  Prudence Sprague grew up in the cold and snow. Her Mother died when she was young, and she grew up entirely under her Father. He taught her the values of God and family, and instilled in her her (very basic) outlook on life. Sister Prudence was out helping in the field at the age of 13, being unusually strong for her age.
  
  Prudence was shipped off from the isolated Sprague family farm to a nearby Stewardship where she lived under a host family in order to practice and learn under the eye of the Steward. Her host family was a bit "softer" than she was, morally, and she treated them with grim formality and respect, nothing more.
  
  The day she packed up to head to the Temple, an eager cadet elected by the Steward, she received word that her Father had died weeks earlier. It's weighed on her mind ever since.

  summeryclept on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  Kay wrote: »

  I will think on it.
  
  I get wordy in PbP, though.

  
  Even better.
  

  summeryclept wrote: »

  So here's what I've got.
  

  Sister Prudence Sprague
  
  Statistics: Complicated History (15d6)
  Acuity - 2d6
  Body - 4d6
  Heart - 3d6
  Will - 6d6
  
  Traits - 4d4 2d6 2d10
  3d4: "I get intimidated and offended when people are smarter than me."
  1d4: "I can shoot and fight better than I can talk."
  2d6: "I'm a Dog."
  1d10: "My belief: a sin's a sin."
  1d10: "Violence don't scare me none."
  
  Relationships - 5d6 2d8
  (none)
  
  Possessions
  -Coat: 2d6 (grays, reds, and browns - a lot of fancy stitchwork, triangles and swoops, a short verse stitched into the back)
  -"Ol' Trusty", her shotgun: 2d6 1d4
  -Her father's knife: 2d6
  
  My Accomplishment: "I hope I taught my peers that there's no room for weakness within our Order."

  
  Prudence Sprague grew up in the cold and snow. Her Mother died when she was young, and she grew up entirely under her Father. He taught her the values of God and family, and instilled in her her (very basic) outlook on life. Sister Prudence was out helping in the field at the age of 13, being unusually strong for her age.
  
  Prudence was shipped off from the isolated Sprague family farm to a nearby Stewardship where she lived under a host family in order to practice and learn under the eye of the Steward. Her host family was a bit "softer" than she was, morally, and she treated them with grim formality and respect, nothing more.
  
  The day she packed up to head to the Temple, an eager cadet elected by the Steward, she received word that her Father had died weeks earlier. It's weighed on her mind ever since.

  
  Lookin' good! I'm assuming that your character has decided not to take a pistol, and instead carry the shotgun around with her? That's an interesting choice, and I think it'd make for good conflict fuel! But if you want a pistol, as well, that'd be fine and dandy - but it'd probably be issued by the Order, and not be anything special (standard 1d4+1d6).
  
  Otherwise, everything seems to be in order aside from relationship dice - even if you chose just one person to have dice assigned, perhaps a fellow Dog Acolyte from training or one of your mentors, I think it'd be better than having none. Everyone has someone, if you get what I'm saying.

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  summeryclept Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  simonwolf wrote: »

  Kay wrote: »

  I will think on it.
  
  I get wordy in PbP, though.

  
  Even better.
  

  summeryclept wrote: »

  So here's what I've got.
  

  Sister Prudence Sprague
  
  Statistics: Complicated History (15d6)
  Acuity - 2d6
  Body - 4d6
  Heart - 3d6
  Will - 6d6
  
  Traits - 4d4 2d6 2d10
  3d4: "I get intimidated and offended when people are smarter than me."
  1d4: "I can shoot and fight better than I can talk."
  2d6: "I'm a Dog."
  1d10: "My belief: a sin's a sin."
  1d10: "Violence don't scare me none."
  
  Relationships - 5d6 2d8
  (none)
  
  Possessions
  -Coat: 2d6 (grays, reds, and browns - a lot of fancy stitchwork, triangles and swoops, a short verse stitched into the back)
  -"Ol' Trusty", her shotgun: 2d6 1d4
  -Her father's knife: 2d6
  
  My Accomplishment: "I hope I taught my peers that there's no room for weakness within our Order."

  
  Prudence Sprague grew up in the cold and snow. Her Mother died when she was young, and she grew up entirely under her Father. He taught her the values of God and family, and instilled in her her (very basic) outlook on life. Sister Prudence was out helping in the field at the age of 13, being unusually strong for her age.
  
  Prudence was shipped off from the isolated Sprague family farm to a nearby Stewardship where she lived under a host family in order to practice and learn under the eye of the Steward. Her host family was a bit "softer" than she was, morally, and she treated them with grim formality and respect, nothing more.
  
  The day she packed up to head to the Temple, an eager cadet elected by the Steward, she received word that her Father had died weeks earlier. It's weighed on her mind ever since.

  
  Lookin' good! I'm assuming that your character has decided not to take a pistol, and instead carry the shotgun around with her? That's an interesting choice, and I think it'd make for good conflict fuel! But if you want a pistol, as well, that'd be fine and dandy - but it'd probably be issued by the Order, and not be anything special (standard 1d4+1d6).
  
  Otherwise, everything seems to be in order aside from relationship dice - even if you chose just one person to have dice assigned, perhaps a fellow Dog Acolyte from training or one of your mentors, I think it'd be better than having none. Everyone has someone, if you get what I'm saying.

  
  Relationships amended! I'm sticking with just the shotgun, for now.

  summeryclept on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  simonwolf wrote: »

  Lookin' good! I'm assuming that your character has decided not to take a pistol, and instead carry the shotgun around with her? That's an interesting choice, and I think it'd make for good conflict fuel! But if you want a pistol, as well, that'd be fine and dandy - but it'd probably be issued by the Order, and not be anything special (standard 1d4+1d6).
  
  Otherwise, everything seems to be in order aside from relationship dice - even if you chose just one person to have dice assigned, perhaps a fellow Dog Acolyte from training or one of your mentors, I think it'd be better than having none. Everyone has someone, if you get what I'm saying.

  
  Relationships amended! I'm sticking with just the shotgun, for now.[/QUOTE]
  
  Alright, sorted! I've already got your accomplishment conflict in my mind and ready to roll, so that's sorted for now. Now we just need to find Prudence a couple of partners in [strike]crime[/strike] righteousness.

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  Wildcat Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  This looks pretty interesting. Have all places been spoken for, may I ask?

  Wildcat on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  It's still first come first serve, mate! Once I get three characters, I'll give everyone one more day, then close it up and start the game.

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  Wildcat Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  OK, let's have a quick run through at character creation:
  

  Brother Napthali Atkinson
  
  Background: Well-rounded (17d6 in Stat dice, 1d4 4d6 2d8 in Trait dice, 4d6 2d8 in Relationship dice)
  
  Stats (17d6):
  
  Acuity: 3d6
  Body: 5d6
  Heart: 5d6
  Will: 4d6
  
  Traits (1d4, 4d6, 2d8):
  
  1d6: "I'm a Dog."
  1d4: "I can shoot, but not all that well."
  1d8: "I'm a lot better at riding than I am at walking; comes with being raised around horses."
  1d8: "I do believe in what we do, however hard it can be."
  1d6: "I know a lot of the Book of Life off by heart, but I have to think about it a bit sometimes."
  2d6: "I don't like the more brutal aspect of this calling."
  
  Relationships (4d6, 2d8):
  
  Clarence Winthrop (stablehand at the Temple): 1d6
  Matthew Brackett (fellow trainee Dog at Temple): 1d6
  
  Belongings:
  
  Coat (2d6): a tan coloured coat with an extensive design of loops, swirls and spirals in several colours of blue, red and ochre - no straight lines at all
  Horse (2d6): Aristobulus, a fine palomino quarter horse
  Family Book of Life (1d6): pretty worn but a treasured link to home
  Revolver (1d6 1d4): old but perfectly serviceable
  
  Accomplishment:
  
  "I hope I learned to stand up for my Faith and what I believe in, even in the face of others making their own judgements."

  
  That's most of the headings filled bar belongings and a history (rough outline so far: one of three sons of a horse farming family, raised in the Faith but with a more merciful bent than some may prefer). How's that stack up, do you think?

  Wildcat on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  That's a pretty good character, all up - at first I thought his accomplishment may be a bit too complex, but I gave it a bit of thought and came up with a good initiation for him to go through. Belongings doesn't need to be filled to the brim - really what you need to come up with is your coat and its description, and a gun - everything else has values assigned to it within the book. You don't even need the gun, technically!
  
  But yeah, all that's left is a coat description and a bit more history fleshed out, and that's a completed character.

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  Wildcat Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  Good stuff. I'll try to get him finished off either tonight or first thing tomorrow morning, then.

  Wildcat on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  Alright, that leaves us with one more slot open before I announce the final deadline.
  
  It feels so weird to basically be begging for people to sign up for a game! Maybe I should start my conversion setting for 4th Edition, that'll get me about twenty players in five hours.

  simonwolf on September 2009

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  Plutonium Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  I'm still considering signing up, but I think Kay wanted the spot more than I did.

  Plutonium on September 2009

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  jimninja Registered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  I would also be interested if no one else wants the spot.
  
  update: I've done up my coat real nice and added a relationship with the Dogs, which I forgot to do earlier.
  2nd update: added initiation trait; was missing a d4 trait so I added "teetotaller" as 1d10 and knocked Daddy roughed me up down to 1d4
  
  Brother Esau

  Brother Esau
  
  Complicated History: Your character had a troubled, dangerous, or challenging upbringing.
  
  It's a good choice for those converted into the Faith.
  15d6 in Stat dice, 4d4 2d6 2d10 in Trait dice, 5d6 2d8 in Relationship dice
  ============Stats=============
  ACUITY 2d6
  BODY 4d6
  HEART 5d6
  WILL 4d6
  
  ============Traits============
  imposing demeanor - 1d10
  teetotaller - 1d10
  secret softy - 1d6
  I'm a hard worker and stubborn as a mule. - 1d6
  "I an't shaken by bigotry, for the King of Life loves all His Dogs." - 1d6
  raised a Mountain Man - 2d4
  don't like shootin much - 1d4
  Daddy roughed me up - 1d4
  
  ========Relationships=========
  Toothless Wolf (father) - 1d8
  God's Watchdogs - 1d8
  Brother Jacob (converter) - 2d6
  Brother Pete Stars (from Memphisto) - 1d6
  left: 2d6
  
  ============Items=============
  Deep red coat, patterned with ancient Mountain designs: squares and triangles, forming pyramids and pseudo-human figures; a single verse is stitched inside the left breast: "Whatsoever thou takest in hand, remember the end, and thou shalt never do amiss." - 2d6
  old dusty revolver - 2d4
  Book of Life - 1d6
  nag named Absalom - 1d8
  jar of consecrated earth - 1d6
  dried herbs and poultices for Mountain medicine - 2d6
  
  ============Goal==============
  "I hope I overcame the prejudice against me as a Mountain Man, for I have truly vested my faith in Him."
  
  =========Background===========
  The boy was a Mountain Man, born and raised in a village having a bad time dealing with the influx of Eastern folk and their pastimes. Though the Faith don't take kindly to alcohol and other vices of life, traders don't have the same compunctions--this particular village had dealt with a lot of issues relating to their ongoing 'civilization' by contact with the settlers. Former hunters sat on their asses playing cards all day, while their wives worked fields sown with seed bought too dear; the Spirits were half-forgotten when the Medicine Man caught something from a passing caravan that made his ears bleed and his eyes gum over; the boy's father, Toothless Wolf, crawled into a bottle of the demon rum. His childhood was punctuated by blows just soft enough to leave no mark, while his mother lay ailing in bed and the family scraped by on the charity of neighbors. It was finished when she died, and the bruises appeared.
  
  One day, a Dog by the name of Brother Jacob arrived. The boy, and indeed many of his fellow townspeople, had never heard of the Faith before, but that didn't matter--Jacob was there to convert. Over time, he won many of the townspeople by his fiery rhetoric and consecrated them and their village with holy earth. Toothless Wolf was unimpressed. The boy left home in the middle of the night and caught the Dog Jacob as he was leaving. With what little English he knew, he begged to be taken away from his father.
  
  Brother Jacob took him to be schooled in the ways of the True Faith and gave him the name Esau. Esau studied diligently, if slowly, and took to the teachings of the Faith well--after all, this religion was better schooled in dealing with the corruptions it battled than the timeless one his people had once practiced, before the evils of disease, gambling, and liquor descended upon them, and that was what Esau wanted, being a young man in need of guidance.
  

  ---

  
  Brother Esau is not particularly apt, but he is kind-hearted and charitable. His particular battle is that against vice: the lessons of his childhood abuse at the hands of a drunkard father have stayed with him. He is reluctant to solve problems with violence, and would sooner use a gentle word to make a man see the error of his ways. Adolescence gifted him a strong, broad, and tall body, which he eagerly put to use in the gardens at his newly adopted home; now, it is no mean aid for resolving a conflict, for many would sooner watch their tongues than cross such an imposing figure--even if he is gentle at heart.

  jimninja on September 2009

  

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  tzeentchling Doctor of Rocks OaklandRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  Have any of you read "Hope Chest," a short story by Garth Nix? This setting immediately put me in mind of that story, and it's tempting to try to make a character based on the protagonist.

  tzeentchling on September 2009

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  simonwolf i can feel a difference today, a differenceRegistered User regular

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  Alright! With three characters sorted, I'm going to give twenty-four hours before signups are officially closed. Anyone who submits a character before then will be in the running for a slot, so get crackin'!
  
  For emphasis, characters will be accepted for another 24 hours, ending at 11pm EST.

  simonwolf on September 2009

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