Dialectic

[Leitz]

It's a good idea but I think I'd prefer to just have a pbp back and forth. Right now I think I'd be grasping for issues for Marcus to deal with though so I'm at a bit of a loose end for anything to post. I can just come up with something but I don't want to make a problem just so Marcus has a problem, you know?

If the quest for the Smelter and to win over Xanthos will take some time perhaps Marcus can search for Alexander? It's a bit weird we're writing him off so easily IC. Marcus kind of assumes he ran off to join the Lycanthropes since he trusts Stelios and no-one heard a struggle, but he might have run into wolves or something coming home at night.

Err...yes. I had sort of mentally meta-gamed Alexander out since the player left. Hadn't dealt with it, in character, very well at all.

On the document idea, it's pretty good when you have a tight bit of back and forth, and everyone has a some time to focus. Dialogue is a good use case, as would be something like Champions combat, where there are so many small things to take into account. Even regular D&D/Traveller style combat doesn't need it, unless you're doing really large or complex battles.

For me the real advantage is getting someone else involved in the NPC interactions. Finding challenges for my characters is not my strength, I'm much better at being given a challenge and figuring out a way to resolve it.

[Mr Stereo1]

In our defence on Alexander the King didn't seem that concerned either. I thought about it but I've just been assuming we all tacitly agreed to let the former PC disappear. If it's a plot point Marcus could go looking for clues with Frona who's apparently some kind of hunter character?

[tibbius]

I'm willing to go either way with Alexander's disappearance. Either he just outright vanishes and no-one cares, or he's known to be an odd duck who wanders around the countryside from time to time but now he's not been seen for too long. I imagine him being an orphan without a wife, someone who spends his life reviewing scrolls and possibly writing new ones for an unknown audience.

[Mr Stereo1]

I'd prefer he just be an odd duck and he turns up to fade into obscurity at some point. It'd feel weird to leave him hanging but he doesn't really have a role Andrew doesn't fill already so he doesn't add to the story as an NPC.

[Leitz]

It was time for Bran to visit Elaionas with gifts of armaments. Who would he bring?

My original thought was to carry just one or two sets, so that Elaionas would have something in hand to back up the story, and then would send a messenger to Alec to discuss more.

I added some to the doc, based on the return from Temeni. Or it can be on the way to Elaionas, since Sosan wants to go.

Addendum: Thanks for moving the note over here. It's been a morning...

[tibbius]

It was time for Bran to visit Elaionas with gifts of armaments. Who would he bring?

My original thought was to carry just one or two sets, so that Elaionas would have something in hand to back up the story, and then would send a messenger to Alec to discuss more.

I added some to the doc, based on the return from Temeni. Or it can be on the way to Elaionas, since Sosan wants to go.

Moved this over from the game thread ...

[tibbius]

WeirdTools1.0.pdf

"Final" version of rules - updated the setback / advancement mechanic so that situations get resolved without a lot of rolling (focused on play by post).

(106.6 KiB) Downloaded 31 times

[tibbius]

Let's shift the spotlight to Bran while Marcus trains and Andrew searches for tin ore.

[Leitz]

Will do. I have some story ideas and will work on those tonight. Looking for visual materials while I ponder.

[tibbius]

Will do. I have some story ideas and will work on those tonight. Looking for visual materials while I ponder.

@Leitz You're concerned about Bran's combat skill. Consider that he'll have superior equipment to the lycanthropes - not just their leather jackets and spears or axes, but a shield and helmet as well as weapons. They're probably not any better trained than Bran, so he'd get advantage fighting them (based on superior equipment) for 2d6. I'm not sure whether he would understand this in practical terms, but Marcus probably would. Marcus with his combat competence and superior equipment would get 3d6 against the lycanthropes.

everybody I'm trying to rewrite the setbacks/advancements part of the rules to be a bit clearer: cumulative 3 successes = victory, 2 setbacks with failed Spleen rolls on the same tool = defeat. Implication that switching tools after a failure enhances chance of success. Also planning to revise the skill development ladder to 5 successes for competence and a further 7 for mastery. Apologies for the protracted development process and for the moving target on competence. I hope this will not come across as a major change. I will post when I'm happy with how I've written it.

[Leitz]

@tibbius, did you say everyone has 2d6 in the first 6 Tools?

If you're tinkering with the rules, I'd suggest combining Fist into Spear, for a generic Melee skill. That would also include pankration/wrestling, etc.

On a "you are brilliant" note, using Spleen for all "Save vs Failure" means that we can increase Spleen through any sort of hardship and setback. Which follows my thoughts on "Morale". I like it!

[tibbius]

@tibbius, did you say everyone has 2d6 in the first 6 Tools?

If you're tinkering with the rules, I'd suggest combining Fist into Spear, for a generic Melee skill. That would also include pankration/wrestling, etc.

I don't recall saying that. I thought it would be interesting to make it rare that people are competent at figuring stuff out, noticing stuff, etc. Prone to metagaming by players who constantly have their characters try to notice things, comprehend things, etc. in order to attain competence. That would be fine with me.

I really like a distinction between armed and unarmed combat, and a distinction between melee weapons and ranged weapons. Tactically it adds a little interest - the one who's skilled in the Fist tries to get inside the reach of the one with the ten foot Spear, who initially has advantage, but the Fist-worker can gain advantage by closing. Also gives a fall back tool in case your Spear gets impaired (disarmed, knocked aside, etc.).

Edit to add: the Spleen mechanic is my attempt to provide "Experience Points" within this paradigm.

[Leitz]

@tibbius, did you say everyone has 2d6 in the first 6 Tools?

If you're tinkering with the rules, I'd suggest combining Fist into Spear, for a generic Melee skill. That would also include pankration/wrestling, etc.

I don't recall saying that. I thought it would be interesting to make it rare that people are competent at figuring stuff out, noticing stuff, etc. Prone to metagaming by players who constantly have their characters try to notice things, comprehend things, etc. in order to attain competence. That would be fine with me.

I really like a distinction between armed and unarmed combat, and a distinction between melee weapons and ranged weapons. Tactically it adds a little interest - the one who's skilled in the Fist tries to get inside the reach of the one with the ten foot Spear, who initially has advantage, but the Fist-worker can gain advantage by closing. Also gives a fall back tool in case your Spear gets impaired (disarmed, knocked aside, etc.).

Edit to add: the Spleen mechanic is my attempt to provide "Experience Points" within this paradigm.

I can see the meta-gaming issue. On the other hand, if we're doing PbP and one "scene" like "Preparation" is one obstacle, it'd be tough to get too many successes in multiple things. For example, Bran has pretty much been doing nothing but "Horn", and he's only a little more than half-way to mastery. Someone might use different tools to reach the three successes to overcome an obstacle; "The Head" to reason with them, and "The Spear" when that fails. That would let them overcome the obstacle, but improvement progression would be spread among the tools.

[Leitz]

Please go on with the game. Real Life is piling up and I'm not able to make the time to do the writing.

[Mr Stereo1]

I don't mind the lull but I don't see what to do with Marcus right now. I don't want to start something separate when we're already waiting for the pcs plots to allign again so we can proceed with the war questline. Anyone have thoughts on this?

[Leitz]

Timeline wise, Bran's trips to Temeni and Elaionas would take two days, starting the day after the weapons were found. It would likely take a few days to get the militia ready, and for Andrew to convey what he can of the scrolls.

That said, if tibbius wanted to run separate games, it's feasible. Or it could be a week of game time and the PCs would be back in time sync, with the current threads having run their course. Marcus' place, I think, would be to lead the war effort.

Bran is doing the diplomatic thing, but he's also working on getting a wife. It's a fun for me, if mildly boring for everyone else, scene.

[tibbius]

I think Marcus and Andrew had another tasking - to go investigate Rododafni while Bran is being diplomatic. We could focus on their quest for a little while and leave the Bran narrative a little adrift.

[tibbius]

I think the previous version of the rules may have been too difficult / too many rolls to succeed at a task when competent in using the relevant tool. Updated:

WeirdTools1.2.pdf

(106.76 KiB) Downloaded 27 times

[Leitz]

The last bullet under "Count successes..." says the character overcomes, then the third paragraph after that specifically mentions "three successes". What about giving the teller the ability to set a range of successes required? For example, Mateusz and Alaric fighting the creature needed three successes between them, while getting the lady out of the cave just needed one.

It also opens you up to coolness if you needed "X" and you got "X+1" or more.

If a character does not put a Competency in Spleen, what do they roll? Are there "exemplary tools" that start with a basic chance of success?

[tibbius]

If a character does not put a Competency in Spleen, what do they roll? Are there "exemplary tools" that start with a basic chance of success?

Going with the most recent version of the Tools - if you aren't competent with a tool that you do have, you roll 2d6. You'll always have the first eleven tools on the list. If you're competent, you roll 3d6. If you've mastered the tool, 6s explode. Disadvantage or impairment cut off dice.

Yes, requiring different numbers of successes for different challenges does seem interesting. Might be a v 1.3 coming with that concept. For now, let's try to move the narrative along ...