I'll take a look at the Fatescape rules and make revision as necessary since that doc is a tad unfinished in some areas and get back to you tonight,
Planescape PbP
I'm really sorry to have disappeared like that, guys. I wish I had a better excuse, but honestly I've just sort of been distracted by other things. Still haven't gotten a chance to look at the Fate rules in much depth, and considering that I'm getting busier it might not be a good idea for me to gm right now.
Maybe we could do some kind of rotation or something to share game master duties. For now, though, I'll focus on getting up to speed with the rules and maybe putting together a character; I won't be offended at all if you go ahead without me, if you're all ready to go.
Life happens, no problem. I just know how PbP tends to go, and it's usually more important that *somebody* keeps posting than to worry about who's GMing.
Also, knowing all the rules is less important with Fate. A complete character isn't strictly necessary-- just an interesting character concept with a few good aspects.
CatDoom- No worries. I hate it when real life interferes with my fantasy life.
How is this for a concept- if we are going to do some type of rotation, would it make sense if each of us prepare a "chapter" in the story to run, without the others knowing what we are prepared to throw at them? This is just a quick thought and let me know if I'm totally off base here.
Modric
BTW, are we still locked into Fate as a system, or are we considering anything else?
Modric
Modric- I like the idea of alternating chapters between all of us. It sounds potentially pretty interesting, and strikes me as the best compromise.
If we're alternating chapters, we could alternate systems, as well. Little extra work, but it could be fun. Or we could stick with Fate. I do like Fate.
If we're starting with CatDoom's premise of a group investigating a book, we would need to divide the chapters so there is no overlap- one chapter could have Sigil as a setting, another the inner planes, another the outlands., etc.
Different systems would be interesting. I'll defer to the group on that.
Modric
Ha. That'd be interesating. Like do D&D sometime for a dungeon crawl, and then like, at some point go to some complicated social event using a modified Vampire the Masquerade.
Actually... tinker around a bit, use "belief" instead of "vitae" and replace all the various vampire clans with the factions and VtM would work really nice to a faction-politics heavy Sigil-based Planescape campaign.
Githyankee- Now that is a very interesting concept (I say this not actually knowing the rules for Vampire particularly well).
Of course, the key thing is being able to impart the basic rules in a fairly compressed amount of time. During which we could just do freeform, interaction-based roleplay.
White Wolf's rules aren't too complicated. The basics are pretty simple, individual rps in thier setting have a few additional mechanics depending on the rpg, so, it's pretty versatile to rework.
Just out of curiosity, what other systems would people be interested in?
Modric
Githyankee- I'm familiar with some of White Wolf's stuff, and I like Storyteller/Storytelling as a system. I even know a bit of backstory from Vampire. But I don't know Vampire's specific rules, other than a bunch of the Disciplines' names.
Modric- I wouldn't mind running Dungeon World, Fiasco, possibly Thirteenth Age. I'd like to try Nobilis, though I've never played it before. The sheer scope of Fantasy Flight's Warhammer 40K games could possibly work, with a little rethinking, for Planescape, and I'm reasonably familiar with those. The city-sized ships of Rogue Trader strike me as interesting fodder for a Planesjammer game, and Only War seems like it could represent the absolute misery of fighting in the Blood War just as well as 41st Century.
Well, all the specific stuff would get changed anyway.
I just like the idea that, different clans had different pros and cons, and had access to different disciplines. Which would translate to factions pretty well.
What are our next steps to get a game going?
Modric
What are our next steps to get a game going?
Modric
Seems like folks are too busy to DM, and it can be a little difficult to get started. I think the issue lies in not having the time to prep a game.
I'd still like to run Dungeon World, if I could get enough interest. I do think Dungeon World is great for encouraging and rewarding improvisation, playing off the cuff, and making sandbox games more enjoyable for people who are not generally inclined to run sandbox games (like me).
I'm reading up on Dungeon World and I think it would be interesting to play.
Modric
Basically everything you need to know to start a game is in these pages:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3269630/dwdotcom/DungeonWorld_character_sheets.pdf
Pick a class and fill out your first page, and we're basically ready to go. (Wizards and priests are only *slightly* more complicated.) I'd love it if you wanted to play a non-standard race. Don't worry too much about balance-- that's something we can figure out as we go.
Modric, would you still want to play a paladin?
No, I'm not married to the paladin character. I'd play something non-standard, like a modron or aasimar.
Modric
So as a modron, you could have wings, or four arms. Either of those might give you a specific mechanical benefit (higher damage when you have more than one weapon equipped, a bonus to Defy Danger while you're in the air), but what's more important is that you could fly, or that you have four hands. Neither of those things is necessarily overpowered, because the dice really only come into play when there's some risk or reward. You also gain XP for failing a rolls, which works perfectly in a narrative game, because it gives you some incentive to fall into quests and to give over some temporary control to the DM. It makes the game more collaborative.
I think this will be easier to understand if we just go through the process and start to play. What class do you think you'd like to start with?
This might help with converting a rogue modron to DW.
According to my 2ed material, a rogue modron could be either a warrior or a wizard. I don't have much preference towards either.
Modric
Well, I wouldn't put the same limits on a rogue modron's progression as 2e. The fighter, as usual, is simpler and more accessible, but you should go with whatever class and concept you like. I'd prefer to make the system work around that than have you try and bend your character idea to fit the system.
A modron paladin in Hell, for example, could be fascinating. Or a rogue modron rogue who joins the Anarchists. Or an aasimar wizard! Don't let me make your choices for you.
After reading up some more, a Modron might be too exotic.
Modric
So I went through the Dungeon Worlds rulebook. I'd be interested in playing a teifling bard or thief.
Modric
I wasn't really intending to run a core Dungeon World game, so anything that's possible in the vastness of the planes is potentially playable, with a little thought.
A bard or thief, eh? Got a faction in mind?
Also, I might start looking for other players on PbP sites.
Thinking either a Bard who's a member of the Sensates, or a thief who's a Fated or in the Transcendent Order.
I'll send a PM to the other two on this board to see if they're still interested. I was also going to post on Google+ Planewalker community for this game.
Modric
Please do. And if it helps you to decide, I'm thinking of running with the rare books dealer as a starting premise, the game would focus on the Market Ward and the manors of the Golden Lords, the way that Torment dealt with the Hive and Undersigil. Would that interest you? You might be the rare books dealer yourself, or a book-binder, or a procurement specialist...
Once you've picked a class, you can assign your ability scores using the Dungeon World basic array: 16 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 12 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1).
...or roll 3d6 six times, with one reroll: (3 (-3), 4-5 (-2), 6-8 (-1), 9-12 (+0), 13-15 (+1), 16-17 (+2), 18 (+3).
You aren't limited to the alignments written on the character sheets, nor the XP triggers written for each alignment. We can, and probably should, write new ones. Same goes for bonds, but that'll be contingent on what the other players want to play.
The rare book dealer premise is good. In that case, I'll play a Tiefling Thief who is a procurement specialist. Faction is the Fated. I'll work on stats, alignment, and bond ideas tonight.
Modric
Here's a rough draft of a Tiefling Character.
Name: Ryax Darkdealer
Level: 1
Faction: Fated
Look: Lithe body, dreadlocks, shifty eyes, dark clothes
Random Tielfing appearance: long thin tail
Str 12
Dex 16(+2)
Con 9
Int 15(+1)
Wis 8 (-1)
Cha 13 (+1)
Dmg D8
Armor: Leather
HP: 15
Alignment: Chaotic
Race: Tiefling
Bond: I stole something from a Pit Fiend.
Starting Moves
Trap expert
Tricks of the Trade
Backstab
Flexible Morals
Poisoner
Race Starting Moves (?)
Gear
Rapier
3 throwing daggers
Modric
Here's a rough draft of a Tiefling Character.
Name: Ryax Darkdealer
Level: 1
Faction: Fated
Look: Lithe body, dreadlocks, shifty eyes, dark clothes
Random Tielfing appearance: long thin tail
Str 12
Dex 16(+2)
Con 9
Int 15(+1)
Wis 8 (-1)
Cha 13 (+1)
Dmg D8
Armor: Leather
HP: 15
Alignment: Chaotic
Race: Tiefling
Bond: I stole something from a Pit Fiend.
Starting Moves
Trap expert
Tricks of the Trade
Backstab
Flexible Morals
Poisoner
Race Starting Moves (?)
Gear
Rapier
3 throwing daggers
Modric
Great! Easy enough. Leather is Armor 1, and as for your racial move, that really depends on what you want to focus on as a tiefling. You don't have to limit yourself to the traditional powers. Maybe we could figure something out based on your heritage. What sort of fiends do you think are in your blood?
What was the name of the pit fiend? What did you steal from him, and why?
So far I've managed to scare up a dwarven petitioner cleric, and I'll still looking to see if I can find anyone else who wants to join. I've got an ad up on RPoL.net right now: http://www.rpol.net/gameinfo.php?gi=54864&date=1362653730 (If you wanted to answer one of the questions in bold, that'd be great.)
Further work on Tiefling character
Bond: "I nicked a small statute from the Pit Fiend Mapha on commission from a Yugoloth, who stiffed me on my jink."
Racial ability: I'll go with 15' Darkness x1 day (Standard).
Heritage: suspects he's on Tanar'ri heritage, but isn't sure.
Modric
Further work on Tiefling character
Bond: "I nicked a small statute from the Pit Fiend Mapha on commission from a Yugoloth, who stiffed me on my jink."
Racial ability: I'll go with 15' Darkness x1 day (Standard).
Heritage: suspects he's on Tanar'ri heritage, but isn't sure.
Modric
I like that bond. Expect to see it come into play fairly early, especially with your tanar'ric blood and yugoloth connections. As for your racial move, Dungeon World generally thrives on imprecise but evocative mechanics, so how about something like...
Tiefling- You can see in darkness, no matter how deep. Once each day, you can summon a cloud of magical darkness, about enough to fill a room. No light can penetrate your darkness.
I think we could keep things going, but we need to get handle on the system we're using. I prepared character using the Fatescape rules that I thought were pretty good and easier to use than the Fate 2.0 rules.
Modric