G.A.S.P. Forum
GASP Forum => Role Playing Games (RPGs) => Topic started by: Shingen on February 22, 2013, 03:35:22 PM
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I am going to run a sort of learn to play type introduction to Fate game with Fate Core in the third slot. We will work up a setting and background and everything there. I am trying for 4-5 players. Right now those players are:
John
Damon
Gina
Mike
Dan
So I am currently set.
If people want to post here to start brainstorming setting and style, that's cool with me.
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What sort of options?
I know i can be obnoxious and overbearing so ill wait for some posts before i toss out mine
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What sort of options?
I know i can be obnoxious and overbearing so ill wait for some posts before i toss out mine
The main thing I want to do is an analogue of the Burning Wheel's World Burning - lets figure out what setting and campaign we want, and then we can go from there. So if people have preferences, that's cool.
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Preferences: Weird is good. Superheroes and outerspace settings are much less good.
Edited to add... I haven't looked at any of the new FATE Core settings yet. Are any appealing?
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Several of the setting for Core are really cool. The Fate Core KS home page has a list of their basic pitches, so we can run from those if people are interested.
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Weird in what way Gina? Weird like Weird War 2 with nazi zombies? Weird like Clark Ashton Smith stories or Kull of Atlantis vs witches from drowned Mu? Or weird like Twin Peaks?
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If people want to post here to start brainstorming setting and style, that's cool with me.
Just to warn you, those words have killed more than one Fate campaign for me in the past.
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If people want to post here to start brainstorming setting and style, that's cool with me.
Just to warn you, those words have killed more than one Fate campaign for me in the past.
Ok.
I've never had a problem in the many fate games I've run, so I guess we've had different experiences.
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Weird in what way Gina? Weird like Weird War 2 with nazi zombies? Weird like Clark Ashton Smith stories or Kull of Atlantis vs witches from drowned Mu? Or weird like Twin Peaks?
Yep - any and all of the above. Any weird is good. That said, I'm happy with just about anything; I know we'll have fun no matter what the setting.
Luke, since you're the GM, you should get first dibs! What sounds good to you right now?
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I'm pretty open, because I'm mostly interested in playing more FATE to better grok the system.
Our day is pretty Fantasy heavy, Luke, between the high fantasy of Pathfinder and the low fantasy of Burning Wheel...maybe some middle fantasy, to round it out? Ha...Though it may be interesting to see how the three systems compare, it's does seem like overload.
I'm just tossing out this idea?
Anyway, I also like "weird" as in weird horror/fantasy...Monster hunters seems like a reasonable profession for fate characters, right? Maybe something similar to Spirit of the Century meets Rippers? Private "social" club with another agenda? Pulp or gaslamp era might be fun? Or maybe a reboot of your Ravenloft game from the con? Or modern?
Or ignore all those suggestions...hah.
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So Van Helsing or something similar? How about pre colonial cthulhu?
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You could do modern day WOD Mortals or Hunter via Fate. :)
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Ok enough people have chimed in I feel like I can comment on some of my ideas
1) "Ever since the peace after the failed Martian invasion of Earth mankind has been slowly expanding the footholds on Mars that the treaties allowed. With the rise of the Nazi party in Germany in the aftermath of the Great (Interplanetary) War various freedomloving groups have been very worried with the rumors coming from Neu Schwabea on Mars. Perhaps its time for some specially talented individuals to look into it?" Nazi bashing pulp in John Carter of Mars territory
2) Colonial Cthulhu - its weird and it draws on Luke's historical knowledge so if he cant set the scene we really need to question his degree. Here is the link for FNH's Sanity bolt on for Fate => http://blackdogofdoom.blogspot.com/2011/04/fate-of-cthulhu.html
3) I know Luke's not a fan but Dresden would be awesome, much better than WoD in my opinion
Im up for generic fantasy too
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2) Colonial Cthulhu - its weird and it draws on Luke's historical knowledge so if he cant set the scene we really need to question his degree. Here is the link for FNH's Sanity bolt on for Fate => http://blackdogofdoom.blogspot.com/2011/04/fate-of-cthulhu.html
I was also thinking that it would be great to draw on Luke's scholarly pursuits, and I would be very keen on the idea. Arrrr, pirates! Uh, I mean privateers. ;D That said, I understand how mixing 'business and pleasure' can be a drag. Archaeology was a lot less fun when I was an actual archaeologist.
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Well, I was thinking Van Helsing, with the Century Club (or Rippers Club or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or...) backing him up...
Nazi bashing on Mars sounds good, too...
I'm completely satisfied with the way the way CoC handles Mythos stuff (for better and worse)...that said, it's not like I'd walk away from the game or anything.
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I suggest Luke's area of study because
1) i enjoy making him work
B) in my experience the more the GM knows the setting the more real the description feels and that enhances the game for me
Heres another idea
4) "For the dream of freedom" - the characters are all playing sentient starships (and attendant humanoid interface unit) that have decided they have seen enough combat. Will they be drone equivalents of Spartacus or can they forge their own destiny?
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Like Mike, I'm primarily hoping to get a feel for Fate so the setting isn't a huge deal. That said, fighting Nazis in space sounds like fun, and a lot less hopeless than anything Cthulu-related.
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I'm really looking forward to Saturday! I'm going to bring the FATE Core rules on my iPad. For kicks, I'll also bring Strands of Fate and Strands of Power as idea sources (if needed). Is there anything else that might be helpful? Index cards? (I've got lots of scrap cardstock here at work.) Character sheets? Just lemme know.
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Fun generation session! Lets get this thing rolling and finished up. I am also trying to think up a name for it. I initially thought of "Esoterica." Or since I was thinking of running the game in 1881, I thought "Esoterica 1881" but I can't tell if it sounds too goofy.
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High Concept - Great White Hunter
Trouble Aspect - Anger Management Issues
Skills
Shooting +4
Resources +3, Notice +3
Stealth +2, Physique +2, Will +2
Drive +1, Crafts +1, Intimidation +1, Investigation +1
Story 1 - West Africa, hunting the Mokele-Mbembe
Menry was hunting in West Africa when he encountered several tribes speaking of an amazing river beast, the Mokele-Mbembe. Weeks of trekking through the jungles paid off, as the great beast rose up before him. However the native guide threw off his aim so he wouldnt kill the heathen "holy creature". So as the beast fled Menry shot the man.
Aspect - Bloodyminded Determination
Story 2 - Merry ole England, hunting a white stag (the White Hart)
Following leads on a strange white stag, Menry headed to a village near London. While reconnoitring the location he encountered an ambush, unacceptable and unsporting! Waking up in a cell with the drunk it was time to be leaving. Surprisingly, the drunkard was much more useful than his dishevelled appearance belied, and they escaped. Sadly the the body of the stag was found at the scene of "ritual" the drunkard went on about.
Aspect - Sporting chance or not at all
Story 3 - French Indochina, in pursuit of the Tarrasque of the bay
Menry, stalking the docks of Hanlon Bay as he hunted "the Tarrasque of the bay. looked up to hear a fellow Britishman in trouble, running from those damn French. The hunt would have to wait, as a countryman cannot be abandoned, so he quickly lead them to his yacht and they sailed off.
Aspect - For King and Countryman!
Stunts
"Stand and fight or I'll kill you myself" - use shooting (and his bellicose nature and long war experience) instead of provoke to browbeat, shame and otherwise force others to do his wishes in grant Drill Sergeant fashion.
"left eye or right eye?" this is just a renamed version of the Uncanny Accuracy stunt from the core book.
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How Collecting Opium Antiques Turned Me Into an Opium Addict
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/journey-into-the-opium-underworld/
Theoretical Racism in Late-Victorian Anthropology, 1870-1900
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3828098
I happened across the latter article while browsing around today. It's a great piece about the dreadful racism so common in early anthropological work.
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How Collecting Opium Antiques Turned Me Into an Opium Addict
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/journey-into-the-opium-underworld/
Theoretical Racism in Late-Victorian Anthropology, 1870-1900
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3828098
I happened across the latter article while browsing around today. It's a great piece about the dreadful racism so common in early anthropological work.
Ah, JSTOR.
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Name: András Cornwallis
Back Story: Born Andrew William Cornwallis III, the child of Andrew William Cornwallis II & Bethany Anne Cornwallis (née Smith), two well-to-do English socialites. A precocious youngster, the boy easily took to entertaining guests to the Cornwallis home with simple parlor tricks. After schooling, he quickly grew tired of the lifestyle granted him by his birth. His childhood interest in stage magic led him to a study of Renaissance topics of Hermeticism, Christian Kabbalah, divinatory, esoteric and occult tarot, and the Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Around the same time, he began experimenting with opiates, in an effort to "clear his mind and open his soul to these ancient teachings". At this time, he took to referring to himself as András Cornwallis, the Hungarian form of his name, simply because it sounded "more interesting". His studies put him in contact with the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. He was accepted into the order, as the Third Order members felt that having a high profile member of society hanging around would give some credence to the organization. He was quickly identified as One With True Vision and introduced into the First Order. Upon communing with the Secret Chiefs, András began to understand the sinister proposition that the Order is truly based. He is seen as a cornerstone in an Earth-shattering event! Unable to bear this information, he flees the Order and goes into hiding, hoping to hone his skills and eventually remove the power held by the Golden Dawn. Unfortunately, his addiction often gets in the way and he has spent the past few years bouncing around south east and east Asia.
High Concept: Chosen one gone rogue.
Trouble: Opium addict (and loving it).
Skills:
Lore (Great +4)
Will, Magic (Good +3)
Empathy, Resources, Rapport (Fair +2)
Deceit, Contacts, Investigation, Shooting (Average +1)
Refresh: 3
Stunts:
Arcane Expert - Grants a +2 bonus to create and advantage using Lore whenever the situation has specifically to with the supernatural or the occult.
Steel Trap - Grants a +2 bonus using Will to to defend against Magic attacks specifically related to Mind Control.
Part One - Tropical Complications
While hiding out in French Indochina, trying to lay low and enjoy the culture (drugs), András is taken in by a few members of the L'Ordre de Saint-Germain. Initially he believed the French occultists to be friends, but quickly learned they were aware of his status with the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and had more nefarious intents. Being held against his will, András makes his escape with assistance from a group of Buddhist Monks with fantastic abilities and a Dhampir warrior named Cassandra. The monks provide sanctuary and training until L'Ordre eventually tracks him down again.
Aspect: One With True Vision
Part Two - African Adventures
András has been studying under a Mokele-Mbembe shaman for a few months time when a familiar face appears in the jungle. It is Menry, the very man who whisked András from the docks in Indochina once the French discovered his whereabouts. Those many months ago, Menry dropped him in Hong Kong and went on his way. What are the chances András would see his face again in darkest Africa? András agrees to act as translator and accompanies Menry and a tribal guide into the jungle in search of a great beast. After the shot that killed the guide is fired, András realizes that Menry has an affinity for finding these vile creatures. He assists Menry's escape from the angry tribe, using the cloaking techniques he picked up from the monks in Indochina.
Aspect: Jack of all Spells, Master of None
Part Three - Birds of a feather flock to Papua New Guinea
After much hounding, András agrees to an exclusive interview with Hem Vance. Realizing that there's more to this writer than the pulp drivel he's known for, András travels with him to meet Olivia. She tells András of the plight of the Vanuata Tribe. András tells them of the Amulet of Marawa, currently held in the Boston Museum. After the the writer and the anthropologist "procure" the magical amulet, the three travel to Papua New Guinea. Andras uses the amulet to remove the curse of "The Undying Death" from the tribe. In exchange, their shaman agrees to share a few of his secrets.
Aspect: Wears the Amulet of Marawa
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I'll list it as "Esoterica 1881" and if you want the name changed just let me know.
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Ah, JSTOR.
Yeah, they recently opened up their services to the unwashed masses. We unaffiliated can now read up to three articles online at a time, but we cannot save or print said articles. If a privileged someone would happen to send me a PDF of this paper, I wouldn't complain. Man I miss having access to university databases... sigh.
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Also, is it okay to tweak somethings with the timelines? ...For right now, I've gone the route of adding those tweaks to the story, because they make the whole thing flow a little better, but if that's wrong, I can change it to what I wrote on my sheet.
For what it's worth, I figured that we'd all have to do a little post-production editing to make things work. From my perspective, I know that in one of my contribution's to Menry's story, the hart is still alive. In another, it is not. Since it's John's story, I figure it's up to him to take what works for him and finalize it. I suspect I'll do the same today when I work on Miss Olivia.
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Not that I've posted anything myself yet (I'm working on it...), but I was going to suggest that it might be helpful to post your high concept & trouble as well as your skills and stunt(s) too.
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Done. At least as much as I could do from memory. Also added in a back story.
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Just a heads-up if you hadn't heard. They've issued a change log for Fate Core and posted it as a Google Document here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_vejM0c75qjWqLB5nyo09daxyQQ0SO5k7graoBrZ7ec/edit
Luke, obviously it's up to you if you want to incorporate them. Changes that will affect character building are:
Default Number of Free Stunts Increased
The default number of free stunts a character starts with has raised up from 1 to 3.
You don’t have to use all of the free stunts offered, so you shouldn’t feel pressured to add more, but if your characters have more than 1 stunt and you reduced their refresh accordingly, it’s time to give them a refund.
Intimidation Skill Replaced by Provoke Skill
The Intimidation skill was judged to be too narrow in scope. We’ve replaced it with Provoke, a skill devoted to provoking immediate, visceral, primarily negative emotional responses -- fear is one, but so is anger, and others as well.
Some Skills Get Minor Name Changes
We’re moving some, but not all, of the skills to “active verb” constructions:
Deceit > Deceive
Fighting > Fight
Intimidation > Provoke (see above)
Investigation > Investigate
Shooting > Shoot
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Aspect: I could use some help wording this part. I'm thinking something like "Celebrity of the Occult". Basically, people in these circles know who I am, for better or for worse.
How about the excellent title from your background: One With True Vision
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That's a pretty good suggestion, Gina. I'll take swap it in, for now.
Regarding stunts (and aspects, I believe), you can also discover them through play. If you have an open slot for a stunt, and something comes up that seems interesting, you can pass it by the GM and other players for approval.
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OLIVIA DAMFORTH ~ Photo Attached
High Concept: Peabody Anthropologist Gone Native
Trouble: The world hasn’t changed, but I have.
I originally intended to use “Plagued by White Guilt” as Olivia’s trouble. I prefer the re-write above because it can include the idea of white guilt, but it encompasses broader changes as well. It better reflects the fact that Olivia is a woman somewhat out of/ahead of her time. She’s not entirely comfortable with society as it is.
Skills:
Will (Great +4)
Crafts, Magic (Good +3)
Lore, Notice, Stealth (Fair +2)
Athletics, Fight, Resources, Shoot (Average +1)
Stunts:
- You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry: +2 to Magic attacks targeting one or more opponents, e.g. curses.
- Survivalist: +2 to Craft rolls in wilderness settings
Background
The Damforth family roots run deep in the New England soil. Some even say that the first Damforth arrived on the Mayflower. Their privilege and quiet but strong influence pervades certain social circles, especially those of the “old families” of America and Europe. The Damforths are known for producing a woman of strong character and bullheaded determination once every generation. Not content with the status quo, these women either rise to prominence and power or are destroyed from without -or within- because they cannot conform to society’s demands. Rumor has it that among them one might find Salem witches, prominent politicians in all-but-name, sea captains, and abolitionists.
Olivia Damforth was carefully educated and enjoyed all of the advantages that society offered. Settling for nothing less, the Damforths persuaded Harvard to admit the young lady, contrary to all policy and propriety. There she studied the decidedly unladylike field of anthropology, and upon graduation she transitioned to a position with the Peabody Museum. Unable to decline her appointment, the director -one Edward Fiske- did his best to marginalize Olivia. He hoped to frighten her into resignation with an assignment to collect ethnographic materials in New Guinea. Quite the contrary, Olivia relished the challenge.
In 1874, Olivia set forth for the island by rail and steamer. Guides and missionaries led her as far as they would dare into the jungle and arranged contact with familiar tribes. Determined to prove herself, Olivia knew that artifacts from known people would not do. She traveled from one tribe to another until she encountered the Waru – people isolated entirely from western society until the fateful day of their meeting.
Intrigued by the pale creature with leaf-colored eyes, the Waru welcomed Olivia, recognizing in her a strong spirit. The attraction was mutual. Weeks turned to months, and months to years. At some uncertain point, Olivia realized she had no intention of returning to Cambridge. She had adopted Waru ways and acquired the skills necessary to live in the highlands. From Waru sorcerers, Olivia learned about the life-force and how it could be manipulated, stolen, or restored. Contrary to the haughty views of her professors, she learned that the Waru were not a lesser people, clambering up the ladder of cultural evolution. They were skilled and knowledgeable, and she both respected and admired them.
Olivia’s life with the Waru came to an abrupt end when they were found by gold prospectors traveling illegally and secretly. They took food instead of bartering for it, and they shot people who got in their way. Worse still, they carried a weapon more deadly than guns – disease. Several days after their contact with the prospectors, many of the Waru succumbed to smallpox as Olivia watched with horror.
Phase One – Foiled Again, Curses!
The Waru were lost. Olivia knew that. Those few who did not die from the first wave of disease would perish through violence or disease as they met other outsiders. Her only hope was to return to Harvard to convince the department that cultures like the Waru were more than sources of bric-a-brac and fodder for papers about the superiority of European culture. They were people to be valued in their own right, people with lore and knowledge anthropologists could only dream about.
She confronted Edward Fiske, director of the Peabody and pled with him, trying to impress upon him the importance of not only studying but also saving these cultures before it was too late. Fiske was enraged by Olivia’s temerity, repulsed by her sympathy for “savages,” and secretly frightened by the mysteries she had uncovered. When the argument escalated and he dismissed her outright, Olivia seized a hank of hair from his head, uttered a Waru curse, and fled from the museum, vowing to continue the mission on her own.
Unbeknownst to Olivia, the curse was both effective and powerful. Had she completed the ritual by submerging the hair in water, Edward Fiske would simply have been marked to die. The incomplete ritual had an entirely different effect. Over the coming weeks, Fiske’s soulless body remained animated as he grew emptier and emptier inside.
Aspect – Don’t tell me what I can’t do.
This aspect references the Damforth woman of “strong character and bullheaded determination.”
Phase Two- An Interview with a Vampire-Hunter
Disgraced and still stinging from her dust up at Harvard, Olivia takes a trip to England to cool her heels and visit her great uncle, Thaddeus Damforth. Late one night at his country estate, an intruder makes an attempt on Thaddeus’s life. Fortunately, Olivia’s keen senses alerted her to the attack, and she was able to fend off the assailant, allowing her uncle to escape. Olivia is shocked to find herself face-to-face with a young woman and demands an explanation. The invader introduces herself as Cassandra, Thaddeus’s estranged daughter. But this was no simple familial dispute. Cassandra reveals that Thaddeus is a vampire. He tempted Cassandra to yield to her own true nature and to fulfill her destiny of power and longevity as one with vampire blood. She fled, conflicted, but returned later intent upon slaying the monster who fathered her and served as her mother’s ultimate demise.
Aspect – On a quest for the unknown
The idea behind this aspect is twofold. Olivia wants to study hidden cultures before their knowledge is lost forever. Also, she is now aware that ‘magic can be real’ per her experience in New Guinea. She’s also learned that legendary/supernatural creatures really do exist per her discovery that her uncle is a vampire. Is there a better way to phrase this aspect?
Phase Three – The Hart of the Matter
Olivia gets word that an acquaintance, Hem Vance, has gotten himself locked up in the drunk tank…again. She sets out hoping to leverage the Damforth name, pull a few strings, and secure his release. Needless to say, she is quite surprised to see walking toward her on the street none other than Hem himself, accompanied by a blustery old chap who introduces himself as Menry Brewbeckolf. The three trade stories over tea, and Olivia learns that Menry, hunter extraordinaire, came to England in search of a legendary white stag. Olivia knows it well; the deer is the White Hart. If it is slain, the British Empire will fall. She blanches when Hem describes the scene as he last saw it. The great beast was felled at the hands of mysterious people conducting some dark “ritual.”
Aspect – The Damforth name is known in certain circles.
This aspect references the fame/infamy of the Damforth name, the fact that their privilege and quiet but strong influence pervades certain social circles, especially those of the “old families” of America and Europe.
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I kind of shoe-horned my trouble and phase aspects. I generated them from Olivia’s background, the phase stories on her sheet, and the phase stories she appears in on other peoples’ sheets.
I referenced the Strands of Fate suggestion to use the “Aspect Alphabet”:
A – Ambition
B – Background
C – Conviction
D – Disadvantages
Strands also uses “Specialty Aspects” since that system uses a total of ten aspects. The suggested specialty aspect alphabet is:
E – Exceptional Skill
F – Foe(s)
G – Gear
H – Help (e.g. a contact you can call on for help)
I – Inferior Skill
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http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Untitled4_small.jpg
Mwahahahahaha!!!!! Perfect
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Mwahahahahaha!!!!! Perfect
Can't you see I'm trying to play another serious, tragic, outcast female over here while you're being all humorous? Sheesh. ;)
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Im not going to be humorous. I'm going to be overbearing, misogynist and LOUD!
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I'm going to be overbearing, misogynist and LOUD!
You slay me. :D
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Re: stunts
We will make them as per the existing rules (1 stunt = 3 refresh, 2=2 refresh, 3 = 1 refresh) and then I will offer bonuses based on how all the characters turn out.
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I happened across a nifty site today, the Victorian Dictionary. The site primarily covers Victorian London, but you'll find a ton of tidbits there.
http://www.victorianlondon.org/index-2012.htm
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Sir Menry Brewbeckolf
Born 5 May 1819
Appearance (beyond the picture already posted)
Menry, even in his 60s, is a big, loud, barrel chested man with salt and pepper hair and a large waxed mustache. While bulky he moves with the strength of an oxen and twice as bull headed. In contrast to the physical strength he exudes, when he is not hunting he walks with a noticeable limp, a souvenir of his time on the Crimean Peninsula.
Menry was born into a middling noble family with an ancient lineage of service to the British Crown. Purchasing his commission, as traditional, the young man entered the officers corp in line infantry. He quickly gained a reputation for strict discipline but unusual camaraderie with his men, even the low born members.
His first deployment of note was in the disastrous first Anglo-Afghan war, where he managed against odds to keep a higher number of his men alive through the conflict than other officers. The atrocities he encountered would haunt him the rest of his life. He continued to enjoy a slow steady rise in rank until 1854 when his unit was ordered into the Crimean campaign. The brutal conditions of static trench warfare took a bloody toll on the unit as Menry struggled to maintain discipline and effectiveness in spite of nonsensical regulations of the Commissariat and the "unpleasant" weather of the Crimean Peninsula. Fighting was intense and the artillery fire was unrelenting, eventually landing Menry in an overcrowded unsanitary hospital with shrapnel wounds. In spite of the wounds, and most likely interfering with his healing that would leave him limping for the rest of his life, Menry returned to his line when the last officer outranking him was killed. Taking command he was able to hold the line, effectively commanding his section of the battle, at a cost to his body that would earn him a Victoria Cross. Rewarded with command of the Grenadier company of the 4th Kings Royal Regiment of Foot Colonel Menry was shipped to China to take part in the second Opium War. After the Second Opium war, reforms passed by the incoming Liberal government changed Menry's army in ways he could not adapt to. The regulations now covering discipline made Menry's "Bloodybacks", as the grenadiers called themselves due to his liberal use of flogging, a thing of the past and he was allowed to retire with full honors instead of being prosecuted under the new laws.
While serving Menry was married and his wife bore him several children but only 1 son. Sadly the boy did not live through his childhood, and Menry's daughters have all married off. While Menry was serving in China his wife took sick and died before he could return to Britain.
Alone again, pensioned off from the only job he had ever known, Menry fell back on his childhood pastime of hunting. The challenge of the hunt fed new energy into his tired, injured body and he felt more alive than he had since his glory days on the battlefield. Soon however he found that it took more challenging, dangerous game to get the same feeling. Taking advantage of his carefully managed family resources he soon began roaming the world in search of new challenges, .500 Nitro Express double rifle near at hand.
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Revised Fatecore released by evil hat
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Edited 4/1, a good day. I think this is complete now:
Name: Hem Vance
Back Story: After spending a few drab years cultivating a taste for booze while acting as a reporter at the bottom rung of NYC's police blotter, Vance filed a disjointed story relating vampire-like activities in the jazz clubs of Harlem. His editor, fed up with Vance's less than traditional interests and writing style, fired him. In desperation, Vance shopped the story around the city, but the only place showing any interest was AMAZING ADVENTURES, a low-rent pulp rag. Surprisingly, the piece proved popular, and a few more like it put Vance's name on the cover. After a few years of similar stories, Vance has long since given up trying to convince his editor (or most anyone else) of the truth in his stories, and has gained a somewhat extravagant expense account but an increasing apprehension of the dark and malevolent nature of the world.
High Concept: Unheeded prophet of the coming apocalypse
Trouble: Unapologetic alcoholic with too much curiosity and too little self-preservation
Skills:
Contacts (Great, +4)
Investigation, Notice (Good, +3)
Burglary, Athletics, Rapport (Fair, +2)
Empathy, Fighting, Shooting, Will (Average, +1)
Stunts:
Always a Way Out: +2 on Burglary rolls made to create an escape
Danger Sense: Notice skill works unimpeded by sensory impairments in situations where someone/something intends to harm me
Part One:
Early in his new notoriety, Vance hears of elaborate rituals in a village near London (something about a statue made of rattan? details weren't clear), and manages to convince his editor to pay for his first trip overseas. A lack of tact gets him into a brawl; despite the unexpected help of a surprisingly ADEPT? older man, he and the old guy (Memry Brewbeckolf) end up locked up. But the cell is unattended and Vance is decent with a lockpick, so soon he and Memry are fleeing, only to run into Olivia Damforth, an acquaintance who had (ostensibly) come to London to aide Vance. She has additional information linking the village rituals to the White Hart -- Memry was hunting it, and he might not be the only one...
Aspect: How far down does this rabbit hole go?
Part Two:
The Harvard faculty uses one of Vance's stories to ridicule Olivia Damforth's interests in tribal culture, a lever to drive her out of the department. Damforth, unfamiliar with Vance's writing and dismissive of anyone publishing in "lower class" magazines, nevertheless recognizes the veracity of his story's details and contacts him. During their conversations, they realize that another tribe is destined for the same fate as the Waru; moreover, they realize that they might be able to save them, with the help of a certain amulet stored at the Peabody Museum...
Aspect: Connecting the dots, one person at a time
Part Three:
Olivia and Cassandra have tracked Olivia's uncle Thaddeus to NYC, and they show up on Vance's doorstep. He helps them track Thaddeus to the sewers of Harlem, where they confront him in a vampire lair. In the chaos, Thaddeus falls into a sewer canal; no body is found...
Aspect: The darkness is ever-encroaching
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Ok, I think I see everyone but Damon's background.
If you guys want to check the new Fate Core draft (which is up) we can start talking stunts. I think I want to do it like so:
Refresh 3, 2 stunts
Refresh 2, 3 stunts
Refresh 1, 4 stunts
We can either create custom ones from the book, or use the ones they have.
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Aspect: How far down does this rabbit hole go?
Delicious. I love the way you phrased this aspect.
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Today's Boston Globe Big Picture post made me think of Olivia's adventures. Granted, these guys are from the Amazon, not New Guinea, but they're still spooky-cool.
To see the whole photo collection, visit http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2013/03/smithsonian_magazine_2012_phot.html
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Today's Boston Globe Big Picture post made me think of Olivia's adventures. Granted, these guys are from the Amazon, not New Guinea, but they're still spooky-cool.
That is awesome.
IN other news: Damon post your @#%^$$(# background stuff.
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The host of the forums has asked that we don't post a lot of images to the forum. If you are linking to them from other sites though, that's fine.
Also, watch the language on the forums. Yeah, I know. :)
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AW Tim, you mf-er you beat me to taking Luke to task on his damn filthy mouth :P
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I've been thinking about magic in our game/setting. I'm assuming that it's more up to us as players to define what it is, how it works, and what it can do, given the way FATE is written. (Stop reading here if I'm completely off-base).
This morning, I happened across a description of Mage : The Ascension, and I thought that game's general premise for magic fit our world very well. Specifically, I liked the following ideas (lifted straight from Wikipedia as its faster than typing on the iPad):
- Everyone has the capacity, at some level, to shape reality, but it is dormant in most people.
- The beliefs and techniques of Magi vary enormously, and the ability to alter reality can only exist in the context of a coherent system of belief and technique, called a paradigm.
- Paradigms tend to be idiosyncratic to the individual Mage, but the vast majority belong to broad categories of paradigm, e.g., Shamanism, Medieval Sorcery, religious miracle working, and superscience.
- When it is performed ineptly, or is vulgar, and especially if it is vulgar and witnessed by non-mages, magic can cause Paradox which results in adverse consequences for the mage.
For more, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mage:_The_Ascension. (I'm sure you guys probably know a lot more about this system than I do.)
So, for example, Olivia is working from a Dreamspeaker (shamanistic)-type school/paradigm, while Andras is more of an Order of Hermes (occult) type. If Cassandra has magic, it might be Verbena (blood magic)-esque. Through the clash of cultures and globe trotting we may encounter other paradigms.
I'm not talking about bolting this system on wholesale, but it seems like a good source of inspiration and ideas. No sense reinventing the wheel. I especially like the idea of repercussions for inept or failed magic. It keeps magic from being too powerful, and I think it fits well with the FATE system where failures can be as interesting as success.
Thoughts?
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I don't really want to use Mage, because I have played it a bunch, and it gets into a whole bunch of questions about the nature of reality and people have a really, really hard time grasping how paradigm works. Paradigm becomes a big pain, conceptually. I also don't mind if someone does what would be vulgar magic in this game.
To me, it is simple enough: magic exists. It is a thing. We cheat in that the world isn't really changed by it (no magic technology, for example) but accept that it exists in the capacity that people have always believed it to. People who use magic are around and doing things, and people believe in it, but there also isn't a mage school or anything - there are the secret societies and cultures we discussed. There are many different forms and ways to make it work, but people with the talent and focus can use various forms of magic. Now, can people throw fireballs and stuff like that? Not really. Magic works more in the way people have believed it to work, as rituals and talismans and methods that let you do a wide range of effects, but usually at a cost or for a limited time. Magic would be bounded only by the system in which it works; if you were trained as a hex-throwing Celtic witch, you wouldn't be doing Hermetic summoning. It is like different forms of cooking - a French-trained chef typically uses those methods to make meals, even if they dabble in others.
In terms of power, that is completely handled by us narratively and how I set difficulties. Divining the location of an item might not be that hard; if you want to summon a demon, that is harder; if you want to sink a continent into the ocean, you are looking at nearly impossible without the right tools and a lengthy quest.
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Mage is neat (I prefer Ascensions metaplot to Awakening - mostly because I like Sons of Ether) and Dresden's magic is another one to steal from.
Vulgar magic will be interesting, as at least my character will react to it. "That's impossible!"
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Thoughts on stunts? Will Damon ever post his background?
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Thought - I'm confused how stunts work to even pick them.
Damon - message on another thing like Facebook
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As I said above, the stunts are listed in the book, and there is an example of how to build your own. You just have to pick the ones you want your character to have, they are like feats.
You have a Refresh, which is how many Fate points you start each game with. You get to choose how many stunts you have in relation to your refresh. You may choose to:
Have a refresh of 3, you have 2 stunts
Have a refresh of 2, you have 3 stunts
Have a refresh of 1, you have 4 stunts
So decide how much of a refresh you want, then pick corresponding stunts.
Re: Damon - he always posts here pretty regularly. Not sure why he is so scarce now.
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I must be looking in the wrong section of the book, because all they had in the way of stunts were a couple suggestions and the advice to makes stuff up. Maybe I need to read more carefully (or did this change from the old version to the new?). (Gina: I think I have the most recent version; just need to carve out the time to sit down and read the darn thing.)
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I think your stunt plan sounds fine, Luke. I've gotta think up/find another one, but that shouldn't be too tough.
Luke can correct me here, but I've been thinking of stunts as extra "special abilities". Things your character is just darn good at, given a somewhat specific situation. For example, for one of my stunts, I took Arcane Expert, which grants a +2 bonus to create an advantage using Lore whenever the situation has specifically to with the supernatural or the occult.
It's also worth noting that stunts can be created through play. Maybe something comes up regularly and you realize it may be stunt. Talk to the GM and work something out. For that reason, I'm going to stick to two stunts to get started with. Also, if something isn't working the way you expected, or you never seem to get to use a stunt, it can be changed through play. It all seems pretty flexible.
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Dan -- Every Skill has 3 suggested stunts, starting with Athletics on page 98 (of the most recent draft). If your version of the draft has art (and is dated March 18), then you have the most recent version.
I came up with these two, modifying the examples in the book. Look okay Luke? Any suggestions?
Stunts:
Arcane Expert - Grants a +2 bonus to create and advantage using Lore whenever the situation has specifically to with the supernatural or the occult.
Steel Trap - Grants a +2 bonus using Will to to defend against Magic attacks specifically related to Mind Control.
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I guess I'll just leave them empty with 3 refresh
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I guess I'll just leave them empty with 3 refresh
That still gives you 2 stunts to choose.
Building stunts is on page 92 of the Fate Core doc; it can add new actions to skills, add bonuses to certain types of action, or create rules exceptions, and each version has example stunts.
If you then go to the skill listings, each skill lists 3 stunts you can take for that skill.
Mike's is a perfect example.
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My suggestion "to let them come out in play" was more leaning towards adding a 3rd or 4th stunt and reducing your refresh, rather than skipping picking any from the start. Just pick two and know that you can change them or tweak them if they aren't doing what you thought they would do. I started by looking at the skills I had up at the top of my pyramid.
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My suggestion "to let them come out in play" was more leaning towards adding a 3rd or 4th stunt and reducing your refresh, rather than skipping picking any from the start. Just pick two and know that you can change them or tweak them if they aren't doing what you thought they would do. I started by looking at the skills I had up at the top of my pyramid.
This. I'm not going to be a hard ass if you want to change or swap stunts later, so long as it fits the character.
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Well if I have to go to the document its not going to get touched till next week, I don't have time for that
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As I told Luke I'm really sorry, I thought I posted it after the first session and apparently didn't. I'm so sorry guys! Here's the background:
STORY 1:
Went to England to kill my father and failed because I was tempted by the power he showed me and said could be mine.
Aspect: either Sealed Evil In A Can or Our Demons Are Different
STORY 2:
Olivia disgraced + still stinging from her dust up at Harvard, takes a trip to England to visit with her great uncle (Cassandra's father). While staying at his country estate, an attempt is made upon his life. By Cassandra. Olivia holds her off and asks why she is trying to kill her uncle. Cassandra breaks the horrible news that the beloved uncle is a vampire.
Aspect: Thicker Than Water
Story 3:
While Olivia and Cassandra are struggling Olivia's uncle flees. They find evidence that he's run to NYC, where Hemvance lives if he's in town. They show up on Vance's doorstep and he helps them track the uncle/father to an underground lair of MANY vampires. The other vampires flee, but the uncle/father falls into a sewer canal and is assumed to have died.
Aspect: Tautological Templar
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As I told Luke I'm really sorry, I thought I posted it after the first session and apparently didn't. I'm so sorry guys! Here's the background:
Went to England to kill my father and failed because I was tempted by the power he showed me and said could be mine. Olivia disgraced + still stinging from her dust vp at Harvard, takes a trip to England to visit with her great uncle (Cassandra's father). While staying at his country estate, an attempt is made upon his life. By Cassandra. Olivia holds her off and asks why she is trying to kill her uncle. Cassandra breaks the horrible news that the beloved uncle is a vampire. While Olivia and Cassandra are struggling Olivia's uncle flees. They find evidence that he's run to NYC, where Hemvance lives if he's in town. They show up on Vance's doorstep and he helps them track the uncle/father to an underground lair of MANY vampires. The other vampires flee, but the uncle/father falls into a sewer canal and is assumed to have died.
Look at how other people posted their background, and try to format/write it similarly, please. I, and others, need to see the adventures and the aspects you got.
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As I told Luke I'm really sorry, I thought I posted it after the first session and apparently didn't. I'm so sorry guys! Here's the background:
Went to England to kill my father and failed because I was tempted by the power he showed me and said could be mine. Olivia disgraced + still stinging from her dust vp at Harvard, takes a trip to England to visit with her great uncle (Cassandra's father). While staying at his country estate, an attempt is made upon his life. By Cassandra. Olivia holds her off and asks why she is trying to kill her uncle. Cassandra breaks the horrible news that the beloved uncle is a vampire. While Olivia and Cassandra are struggling Olivia's uncle flees. They find evidence that he's run to NYC, where Hemvance lives if he's in town. They show up on Vance's doorstep and he helps them track the uncle/father to an underground lair of MANY vampires. The other vampires flee, but the uncle/father falls into a sewer canal and is assumed to have died.
Look at how other people posted their background, and try to format/write it similarly, please. I, and others, need to see the adventures and the aspects you got.
There, I just need a little input on the first aspect.
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I've been pondering stunts a bit. I need to sit down and finalize them. I may swap in the Crafts skill after all with a outdoor/survivalist stunt in keeping with her life experience.
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I'd really like to see the stunts in the next few days. I'm crazy busy, and the longer people wait to do it the less time I have to write the game for next time. If the stunts aren't all done by the middle of this week, we won't be able to play next gamesday.
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Okay, my dude is 100% complete (well, he has been for a while now, but I finally went in and deleted the extra crap and just locked everything in).
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Olivia's all done now. I did opt to swap in Crafts as it seemed like a missing skill-set, and it reduces skill overlap. I've also added two stunts.
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Ok cool. If the others could finish, too, that'd be great. I am going out of town this weekend, so I really want to wrap this up for I leave on Thursday so I can write the game out for next GASP.
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I think I'm done, at least for now -- filled in my stunts and aspects.
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Stunts added that should cover everything.
Im still almost completely unclear on stunts as the draft seems to assume knowledge i dont have, or Im just too sick to understand
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I think I'm good with stunts too.
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A bit late to be of use to us now, but there's a fun Reddit thread about aspects here: http://redd.it/1bzixx
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A bit late to be of use to us now, but there's a fun Reddit thread about aspects here: http://redd.it/1bzixx
Thanks for linking, apparently my Mod Mail has unread messages. I need to check reddit more often.
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Damon, I think Luke needs to you to post your stunts here.
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Post the stunts? Oh well I'm just using the one from the book called Riposte. "If you succeed with style on a Fight defense, you can choose to inflict a 2-shift hit rather than take a boost."
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If the stunts aren't all done by the middle of this week, we won't be able to play next gamesday.
Damon - you were told to post them by the middle of LAST week
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If the stunts aren't all done by the middle of this week, we won't be able to play next gamesday.
Damon - you were told to post them by the middle of LAST week
No, the way it was worded made me think we just had to have them done and picked out.
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I'd really like to see the stunts in the next few days. I'm crazy busy, and the longer people wait to do it the less time I have to write the game for next time. If the stunts aren't all done by the middle of this week, we won't be able to play next gamesday.
Looks pretty clear cut that they had to be posted
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Also, you're supposed to have 2 of them.
We'll see if Luke can run. If we have to wait a month, we wait a month. No biggie.
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I'll also have my copy of Kobolds Ate My Baby if we want a silly game to play.
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Also, you're supposed to have 2 of them.
We'll see if Luke can run. If we have to wait a month, we wait a month. No biggie.
We need two? Fine I'll add an advanced version of the stunt that will give an additional 2-shift hit.
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Also, you're supposed to have 2 of them.
We'll see if Luke can run. If we have to wait a month, we wait a month. No biggie.
I still planned something out. I'm not happy that it took so long, but I'd rather not punish the people that did everything on time.
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Also, you're supposed to have 2 of them.
We'll see if Luke can run. If we have to wait a month, we wait a month. No biggie.
I still planned something out. I'm not happy that it took so long, but I'd rather not punish the people that did everything on time.
Again I do apologize, I misunderstood.
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Don't worry Luke - I'm going to make you walk me through these mechanics because just reading the rules is not resulting in a clear understanding for me
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It's not exactly the same as FATE Core, but you might enjoy listening to Podge Actual Play 001: Diaspora – The Dark Tower Session 1. I'm having a hard time getting a link here at work (thanks, Net Nanny), but you can Google it up. I thought it was a nice example of the game, and it gave me a sense of how the system works in practice.
On a totally unrelated note, I was reading Play with Intent yesterday (http://playwithintent.wordpress.com/). I get a kick out of how seriously the Scandinavian folk take their story games (I guess it's in the blood). Anyway, I knew they were on to something when I read the Optional Roles and Authority section. It describes the various tasks assigned to different players, e.g. the host (Owns or controls the playing space, and serves food), the historian (Keeps track of character sheets, maps or other records), etc. One of the jobs? The bringer of the alcohol (Has a bottle of wine or whiskey and starts pouring it). Pure awesome.
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Its Scandinavian gaming in general. Nordic larps make anything local sound like a poorly prepped joke. In some ways it sounds like they game like some Pittsburghers treat football
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I had fun at our first session, and hope everyone else did too.
Feel free to post here about how you are updating/changing Aspects or stunts or skills or whatnot. Again, if we could have this done at least a week before Game Day, it would make it easier for me to prepare the game.
We will pick up with catching the train back out of Calgary to chase the evil bad men.
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I had a blast. Our crew of weirdos and misfits seems to have gelled a bit already. I'm impressed....ha
I'm pretty happy with my stunts/aspects/skills for right now, but I'll keep thinking about it.
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Well it was much more enjoyable than my last experience at a story game. Of course, so are burns from welding slag Hehe
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Since most (all?) of us were Fate Core backers, I thought I'd post the link to the next Evil Hat Kickstarter (goes live tomorrow). Fred mentioned it in today's FateCore update, but in case you didn't notice it --
Edit: It's now live --
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/evilhat/fate-dicetm-dice-for-your-fate-and-fudge-games
High Quality Fate/Fudge Dice. The sample set (Spirit of the Century themed) looks AWESOME! Even though I have 10 sets, I'm still tempted to get in on this...
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I had a great time! True to form, I've been mulling it all over and thinking of things I could have done differently/better. I realized I missed a blatantly obvious opportunity to use Lore to call on my anthropological knowledge of the Blackfoot/Windigo. <face palm> I was also thinking it might have been a good strategy to lure the Windigo out of the sweatlodge into the light to prevent the dark smoke aspect from hindering us (assuming that it did). I wonder if we could have found Mrs. Red Eagle and had her join us to exorcise the Windigo from Red Eagle rather than attacking it physically. Mull, mull, mull... My brain likes to chew on things.
Speaking of, I've also been thinking about Olivia's aspects. I'm keen on Peabody anthropologist gone native, The world hasn't changed, but I have, and Don't tell me what I can't do.
I'm not happy with the wording on In search of the unknown, but I can't figure out how to rephrase it. I want to convey the idea that she knows the supernatural is real e.g. she's learned magic from the Waru shamans; she's seen that vampires do exist, etc. She knows that there are more mysteries out there, and she wants to learn about them from the cultures/people of origin before the knowledge is lost forever (e.g. the Waru were wiped out by disease). In a broader sense, the aspect could be used to represent an insatiable curiosity. Thoughts on rephrasing? Is this even a good aspect? It captures an important part of her backstory and motivation, but I'm having a hard time envisioning how to invoke/compel it.
I might replace The Damforth name is known in certain circles. It could be compelled for notoriety, but I'm not sure how else. It might be invoked to persuade or intimidate, but Olivia isn't really a persuader or intimidator. I was kicking around More than meets the eye or Where there's a will, there's a way or The spirits speak to me (which could be fun for an eventual descent into madness). Thoughts?
Regarding stunts, would it be too overpowered if I broadened Survivalist (+2 to Craft rolls in wilderness settings) to +2 to skill rolls in or pertaining to wilderness settings? If so, I'd be cool with bumping it down to a +1 or requiring a Fate point to use the stunt.
Speaking of (one last question, I swear)... In the battle with the Windigo, mechanically it would have made sense for Olivia to re-use her You wouldn't like me when I'm angry (+2 to Magic attacks targeting one or more opponents) stunt as long as she was using magic to attack the Windigo each turn. I had (I think) three Fate points, so I could have done so three times, but that seemed repetitive and uncreative. Should this stunt be limited to once per scene or should I have kept hammering away with it?
OK, I'll shut up now!
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Just noticed I made a huge mistake. I was planning on coming to Gasp on 5/11, not 5/4, and double booked myelf. I can't even leave my place in the morning because of the marathon, but I will be out all day. Really sorry to do this, doubly so because I am out of town for my Sister's wedding in June, too, so we can't play at GASp until July. HOWEVER, I am down to play any time you people with jobs are vailable outside of GASp, too.
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My schedule is kind of nuts, because I start teaching in about a week. I'm not sure how much free time I'm going to have. That said, if people want to try to get a game together, I'll see what I can do.
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Tell me what's up and I'll make it happen.
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During the week isn't possible at least for a while. My work schedule will be changing at some unspecified time in the future
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I'm only available on weekends since I'm so far from everyone. May is full, but June is free.
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I'm out of town from 6/5 to 6/26 for my sister's wedding and other such silliness.
Any time before then we can work out is good; elsewise, we'll play at July day.
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It sounds like we'll be shunning Luke for June as he'll be doing some silly family thing.
That said I can run a game if there's interest as I have some initial ideas for the con in systems I haven't run or run much
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Are we playing anything third slot at gasp?
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Damon texted me, but never got back to me when I asked what he was thinking of running. I'm seriously considering just leaving the slot open for board games or Dan's Indie-One shots, but could potentially be convinced otherwise.
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Gina, Dan - thoughts?
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I might only be there for Slaughtergarde. It looks like Eric might be out of town, so I can't leave the dog alone for 10 hours. Otherwise, I was thinking of playing in some of the 1st slot games and heading home after Slaughtergarde.
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I haven't heard/seen what's up with Dan's one-shots, but I'm up for some random RPG (even something silly like KAMB), or there's always board games...
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Yes, KAMB is great, I'll have it with me
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Just to confirm, I think I'm playing board games in the third slot.
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I'll be leaving after 2nd slot
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Hi guys - just a heads-up. I'm probably not going to make third slot on July 12th. Eric is going to be out of town for work, and I can't leave the dog for 10+ hours. So, unless the work schedule changes, I'll come for 2nd slot and leave afterwards. I'll post an update if that changes.
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More of an update: I'm moving away.
I have a fellowship this next year, and so I'll be traveling and writing. My wife wants to move back to California, as I don't have ot physically be here and she doesn't want ot be stranded here while I travel. I'm moving 7/11.
I'll probably be back in Pittsburgh next year, but for the next 12 months or so I won't be on this side of continent. I would have told you guys earlier, but there were still a lot of balls in the air. Sorry to not be able to follow through on this game, although anyone brave enough has my full permission to take over.
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Holy cow! That's more than just an update! Man, we'll miss you, but here's to all the best for you and Natalie.
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Congrats Luke! I'm going to miss gaming with you, but best of luck with the traveling and writing and all that!
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Luke is going to be gainfully employed? Who would have thought! :P
Good luck with new job - dont worry we can still harass you
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Wow! I mean, dang! (wow-dang!)
Sounds like exciting times. Yell if you need a hand.
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Jeez, we play one game then he cancels and now he's moving bout of state. I didn't think it was that level of gaming horror story :P
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Jeez, we play one game then he cancels and now he's moving bout of state. I didn't think it was that level of gaming horror story :P
The only way to build true suspense.