Birthright: Tuornen OOC

[RocEter]

TONY NOOOOO!


So that begs the question...hey Rob, what's your excuse?

He and his woman had a baby.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

TONY NOOOOO!


So that begs the question...hey Rob, what's your excuse?

He and his woman had a baby.

Wellll I guess that'll do.

[steveflam]

So...are there any other PC epilogues? I'm not trying to seem impatient, but I am very curious to see what's next for these guys.

Well, nobody has to do one. But I'll leave it open for a while, in case anybody else wants to post one.

After everyone has posted, or indicated a lack of interest in posting an epilogue, I'll do my very last post, which will seal the thread.

I would have liked to do an epilogue for both Torthur and Dominica but ewan told me I can only do one so I'll just skip. Was nice playing with you lads and lasses while it lasted.

[VAN]

Was fun Tarlyn

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

WOO! Thanks again for a great campaign, Ewan! You have a real knack for writing epilogues that leave me longing to finish off some villain who went tragically unmurdered.

[VAN]

Cool Epilogue Ewan! Any chance for a sequel?

[ewancummins]

Cool Epilogue Ewan! Any chance for a sequel?

Yes, although it may have to be put on hold for some time.
Reasons for that:

Rob (JMatyr) has a new baby at home and thus less free time.

Tony (Skybolt) has not replaced his busted computer.

I am not so busy with school that I can't run, but I might be a wee bit too busy to run something as complex as the BR game, with multiple character types, a very large group, crunchy rules, domain accounting, and so on. If I take a summer break, that could change the equation. I definitely want to do a sequel at some point.


As far as games I am interested in running sooner, rather than later:

PENDRAGON
A short Q &A or FAQ to get you oriented:

VIEW CONTENT:

Q: What’s the game about?
A: Knights having adventures in the legendary time of King Arthur

Q: Can you tell me more about the setting?
A: Britain in the 6th Century Anno Domini, but with a dominant culture much more like the High Middle Ages. Many small kingdoms exist besides the Pendragon’s realm of Logres (That’s a good chunk of what we now think of as ‘England’). Some adventures might take place off the island, whether over the Channel or even in Fairy-land.

Q: What rule set will be used?
A: King Arthur Pendragon , 3rd Edition + Knights Adventurous and some other stuff, perhaps a few house rules.
You do not need to buy anything. Most rolls are D20, except weapon damage.

Q: What kinds of character options are there in this game?
A: You play a knight. What sort of knight? That’s up to you. He might be vain and self-serving, just and brave, cocky and combative—that will develop through your choices during generation and throughout play.

Q: Are there any other options besides playing a knight?
A: Sure.
There are also squires, foot soldiers, sergeants, and so on. The focus is on knights, but knights often employ other fighting-men as helpers. PC knights may actually start play as senior squires ready to win their spurs.
Unusual types like ladies or clerics might be possible, but I will limit the number of these to keep the proper knightly tone.

Q: Do I have to play a man?
A: If you wish to play a woman, that’s not a problem, but there are things you need to know before we roll up the PC. Ask me if you are interested.

Q: What about magic and non-humans?
A: Sure, that stuff exists, but you will play a human and you will not begin with any magic unless you inherit a healing potion or something like that.

[ewancummins]

Pendragon play and campaign structure:

VIEW CONTENT:

The basic pattern of play is for the knights to have one adventure every game-year.

If your player knight (PK instead of PC ) misses out on that year's adventure/chapter, he may get a solo adventure in the Winter Phase.

Winter Phase happens between every regular adventure. It is the time to add up Glory gained, pay costs, roll to see if your knight can get married or father an heir, and so on. All that stuff is handled simply and fast, with a flowchart and some tables. I would post the Winter Phase as an interlude between adventure chapters.

If I get busy and have to hold off on starting a new chapter/adventure, people can post vignettes from their winter activities, as they like.

If a knight dies or retires, he can pass his holding and a portion of his wealth and glory on to his son or other heir. Yes, this means you can father your own replacement player character!

[ewancummins]

WOO! Thanks again for a great campaign, Ewan! You have a real knack for writing epilogues that leave me longing to finish off some villain who went tragically unmurdered.

[VAN]

It seems an interesting setting Pendragon. A knight has to be LG or any alignment? The game will consist to the various adventures every year and the winter phases our knight has to do or we have to build our reputation, get land, a castle etc?

[ewancummins]

It seems an interesting setting Pendragon. A knight has to be LG or any alignment? The game will consist to the various adventures every year and the winter phases our knight has to do or we have to build our reputation, get land, a castle etc?

There is no alignment system. A knight can strive for the Christian chivalric ideal, but he certainly does not have to. Even many knights of the Round Table are not what D&D calls paladins.
Some are, though.

Instead, every character has personality traits, passions, and a religion.
Here's a character sheet:

http://www.gspendragon.com/images/knigh ... rsheet.pdf


Personality traits come in opposed pairs. As one half rises, the other half lowers. A typical guy might have 10/10 for Valorous/Cowardly, but a brave knight would have, say, 16 in Valorous and thus 4 in cowardly. The pair adds up to 20, with rare exceptions.
In play you be asked to roll a D20 against a trait in appropriate situations. Match or roll less than the trait equals a success (skills are the same way). Sometimes you will earn a check on a trait, which might increase it in the Winter Phase (success at skills can increase those in a similar fashion).


NPCs have Traits, too.


You only have to roll if I require a roll. The system supports roleplaying. It does not remove your choices; it tends to reinforce them.

Passions are things your character feels strongly about. Loyalty to his liege lord, love for his lady, hatred for an enemy or group of enemies, and so on. Sometimes a Passion roll can inspire him to great deeds. Knights with deep loyalty to a lord may go through hellfire to aid him.

Notice that PCs all start off with at least a few points in four Passions:

• Loyalty to a Lord
  Love for Family
  Honor
  Hospitality

The first three are common values of every culture in Britain, Christian or Pagan. Even treacherous Saxons are hesitant to break the guest-right. Kinslayers are believed to be cursed by supernatural powers. A man who betrays his lord cannot be trusted.
Honor is mostly expected of knights and nobles, Christian or not. If people don't think you will keep your word, you are diminished in their eyes.

As Stafford, the designer, notes, losing Honor requires not only that you do something dishonorable but that people learn about it.



Passions can increase or decrease based on your choices in play.


Religion does not have to be strong personal faith. It's part of the culture, a background element. It provides minor tweaks to starting Traits.

[kintire]

I've played Pendragon a long while ago, and I was a bit wary of the traits and passions system. It did rather seem as if my character was roleplayed by the system. I got to fill the details in, but the structure was set out for me.

[ewancummins]

I've played Pendragon a long while ago, and I was a bit wary of the traits and passions system. It did rather seem as if my character was roleplayed by the system. I got to fill the details in, but the structure was set out for me.

I had similar reservations until I ran a short campaign, tabletop. I found that it all worked well and there were no complaints. This may be because I'm the right kind of GM for that sort of system. I'm not going to club the players over the head with it.

Now that I think of it, D&D has alignment rules and class-related limitations on choices in play. It's not as if it is freeform, either.


OTHER OPTIONS, BR AND RL:


Birthright will use the AD&D 2E rules, just as in the first installment.
Ravenloft will use 3E, as before.

If anyone is curious about anything to do with these other two options, please do ask.

[kintire]

True, but you pick your alignments whereas we had to roll our traits! Also, and alignment is not a straitjacket, its a handy character summary, and follows your behaviour, it doesn't force it.

[ewancummins]

True, but you pick your alignments whereas we had to roll our traits! Also, and alignment is not a straitjacket, its a handy character summary, and follows your behaviour, it doesn't force it.

Ah, the GM had you roll your traits?

I won't do it that way, except by request.

I much prefer the default system of:

• start with 10/10 in all traits
  
  modify by culture and religion
  
  assign one trait pair at 16/4 IF YOU SO CHOOSE

Traits should be determined by player choices, IMO. Religion and background are choices of design you get to make for yourself. Ditto assigning a 16/4 pair, or choosing not to make that adjustment. All future shifts will come through actual play, which is obviously affected by your choices.