[7thsea] inky says, "sure"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok. So there are 6 steps."
[7thsea] Sargent says, "The first is to say outloud, 'I am an alcoholic.'"
[7thsea] BastardJack asks, "Step 0: 20 Questions. I'll boil it down to 1 question: do you have a good character concept?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "BTW, there's gonna be a lot of traffic on here, starting now."
[7thsea] inky says, "I have a vague character concept"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok, we'll do the 20 questions then."
[7thsea] BastardJack asks, "1. What country is your Hero from?"
[7thsea] inky says, "vodacce"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "You wanted to be a mercenary, right? The main mercenaries are the Eisen, since their country was torn apart in the 30-Years War. Vodacce works, though."
[7thsea] BastardJack asks, "2. Physical description?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "You don't have to answer all of these here, BTW. Just say OK when you have one."
[7thsea] inky says, "ok"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Or pass, if you don't wanna think about it now."
[7thsea] BastardJack asks, "3. Recurring mannerisms?"
[7thsea] inky says, "I'm not sure I can think up the character down the quirk level without playing him first"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok, pass then."
[7thsea] BastardJack phone
[7thsea] inky says, "but please keep rattling off the questions."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Dang. missed it"
[7thsea] BastardJack asks, "4. What is your Hero's main motivation?"
[7thsea] inky says, "hrm."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Pastebomb coming:"
[7thsea] BastardJack | 1. What country is your Hero from? [7thsea] BastardJack | 2. How would you physically describe your Hero? [7thsea] BastardJack | 3. Does your Hero have recurring mannerisms? [7thsea] BastardJack | 4. What is your Hero's main motivation? [7thsea] BastardJack | 5. What is your Hero's greatest strength? Greatest weakness? [7thsea] BastardJack | 6. What are your Hero's most and least favourite things? [7thsea] BastardJack | 7. What about your Hero's psychology? [7thsea] BastardJack | 8. What is your Hero's single greatest fear? [7thsea] BastardJack | 9. What are your Hero's highest ambitions? His greatest love? [7thsea] BastardJack | 10. What is your Hero's opinion of his country? [7thsea] BastardJack | 11. Does your Hero have any prejudices? [7thsea] BastardJack | 12. Where do your Hero's loyalties lie? [7thsea] BastardJack | 13. Is your Hero in love? Is he married or betrothed? [7thsea] BastardJack | 14. What about your Hero's family? [7thsea] BastardJack | 15. How would your Hero's parents describe him? [7thsea] BastardJack | 16. Is your Hero a gentleman? [7thsea] BastardJack | 17. How religious is your Hero? What sect of the Church does he follow? [7thsea] BastardJack | 18. Is your Hero a member of a guild, gentleman's club, or secret society? [7thsea] BastardJack | 19. What does your Hero think of Sorcery? [7thsea] BastardJack | 20. If you could, what advice would you give your Hero? [7thsea] BastardJack |
[7thsea] inky says, "ok, there we go."
[7thsea] inky says, "I will think about these as we continue, how about."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Forgot that I had those typed out."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok, then. Step 1: Traits"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "There are 5 of them. Each starts at 1, and you can spend 8 Hero Points to increase them by 1."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "You have 100 Hero Points to spend."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "They go from 1 to 5, or 0 for 'incredibly low' and 6 for 'legendary'. You can only get up to 3 to start."
[7thsea] inky asks, "is there a general adventurer/explorer's guild that I might belong to?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Brawn: strength and stamina. Used for Damage in combat, among other things."
[7thsea] inky asks, "is 1 low or average?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "2 is average"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Finesse: Speed and agility. Chance to hit in HTH combat"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Resolve: Willpower and determination. Number of Dramatic Wounds you can take in combat."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "(Minor wounds rack up until you get a Dramatic Wound, and when you take Resolvex2 of these, you're knocked out)"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Wits: Intelligence and Charm. Um, I think this isn't used in combat."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Panache: That 'certain something' extra. Flair. Derring-do. The number of actions you can take in a round."
[7thsea] inky asks, "wait, 100 points is enough to raise these all, isn't it?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Now, as a Vodacce you get an extra point of Wits free. And Wits can go up to 4. Everything else only goes up to 3, for now."
[7thsea] BastardJack says (to inky), "Yes. But you also use these 100 pts for skills and stuff."
[7thsea] inky says, "ah, ok"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Waitaminute. I'm doing this in the wrong order."
[7thsea] inky says, "are there suggested breakdowns or whatever for points in skills vs traits"
[7thsea] inky asks, "?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "First you have to decide if you're a Sorceror or Swordsman, or neither. We'll come back to Traits in a second."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Um, Jota and I both spent 56 in traits, and were fairly happy with that, I think. Also we spent a lot in Sorcery. Skills cost 2 pts each, so you don't need to leave as much."
[7thsea] inky says, "I think I use the crossbow mostly. I believe Miseri said you have to be nobility to use magic, and my guy isn't noble"
[7thsea] inky asks, "does "swordsman" just mean "fighter"?"
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "Damn! TWO glamour mages. And I went and noted down that of all the sorceries in Theah I trusted Glamour the least...."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "In this context, Swordsman means you've studies it intensely in one of the national academies. THink Inigo Montoya."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Erm... I keep my Glamour secret, actually. So you don't know this."
[7thsea] inky asks, "is there an academy for crossbows?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "No. Unless the GM wants to make one."
[7thsea] inky says, "ok, let's say neither for now then."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Anyway, re: your question about an explorer's guild. Yes. It's called the 'Explorer's Guild'."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok. So, Step 1: Sorcery. No. Step 2: Swordsman. No."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Step 3: Traits. You have 1 in all, and 2 in Wits."
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "Anyway as Vodacce you can't have sorcery unless you're a woman....."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "You're gonna want high Finesse."
[7thsea] inky says, "true"
[7thsea] inky says, "I think for now I will try 2 Brawn, 3 Finesse, 2 Resolve, 3 Wits, 3 Panache"
[7thsea] inky says, "which is 56, I believe"
[7thsea] Jota asks, "48, isn't it?"
[7thsea] Jota says, "No, wait, I lie."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok, you have 44 pts. left. Now Traits."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Er, that WAS Traits. Now Skills."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Skills are divided down into 'Knacks'. You pay 2 pts for a skill, and automatically get all its Knacks at level 1."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Knacks, like traits, go from 1 to 5."
[7thsea] inky asks, "once you buy the skill you raise the knacks separately?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "You can then spend more pts to increase the individual Knacks."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Yep."
[7thsea] Jota asks, "Not Advantages next?"
[7thsea] inky says, "I should scroll up and see the skills miseri's mentioned so far"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Frex, 2 pts. gives you Crossbow. You get the Knacks Attack (Crossbow) and Fletcher at 1."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Those are Basic Knacks. You *don't* get the Advanced Knack Reload (Crossbow). (This is Advanced? The hell?)"
[7thsea] Alex says (to BastardJack), "Awwwk! Word on the street is that Hell is a really hot place of eternal damnation. Also, Tartarus. Also, the Fiery Pit. Also, game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Also, for children. Also, Hades. Some folks call it Hell, I call it Hades. Mmm-hmm."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "To get an Advanced Knack, you have to pay 3 pts. to get it at level 1. AFter you take the skill."
[7thsea] inky says, "that's heavy"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "It's cheaper to raise Advanced Knacks through XP than it is at character creation, BTW."
[7thsea] inky says, "mkay"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "So, hang on a sec, and I'll type up a skill list and paste it."
[7thsea] BastardJack | Civil: Martial: [7thsea] BastardJack | Artist Archer [7thsea] BastardJack | Courtier Athlete [7thsea] BastardJack | Criminal Buckler [7thsea] BastardJack | Doctor Commander [7thsea] BastardJack | Hunter Crossbow [7thsea] BastardJack | Merchant Dirty Fighting [7thsea] BastardJack | Performer Fencing [7thsea] BastardJack | Sailor Firearms [7thsea] BastardJack | Scholar Heavy Weapon [7thsea] BastardJack | Servant Knife [7thsea] BastardJack | Spy Panzerhand [7thsea] BastardJack | Streetwise Polearm [7thsea] BastardJack | Pugilism [7thsea] BastardJack | Rider [7thsea] BastardJack | Wrestling [7thsea] BastardJack |
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "Whoa. Pugilism, Rider and Wrestling are Martial."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "So, we know you want Crossbow. Tell me what else looks interesting and I'll list its Knacks."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Erm, yeah. It cut the leading spaces."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Doesn't really matter - it's not like points are really split up between them. They all work the same."
[7thsea] inky asks, "so each of these skills has some number of knacks associated with it?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Yes."
[7thsea] inky asks, "and (reading the backlog) if two skills have a knack, you get skill 2 in that knack?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Yes. If they have the same knack."
[7thsea] inky says, "so the ones that look like my character might have them are, um,"
[7thsea] inky asks, "does archer apply to crossbows?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Archer and Crossbow both have Fletcher. Athlete and Pugilism both have Footwork."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Nope. Archer is Bow, Crossbow is Crossbow."
[7thsea] inky says, "ah, ok"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Also, Athlete and Sailor share a lot of climbing stuff."
[7thsea] inky says, "I see Mis describing athlete in my backlog, and I definitely want that"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Footwork, BTW, is a *very very* good knack to have. If you don't have it, you can't defend yourself unless you're carrying the right kind of weapon."
[7thsea] inky asks, "what is heavy weapon? is that sword?"
[7thsea] inky asks, "where does footwork come from?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "So take Athlete or Pugilism or both."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Erm... yes. Sort of. It's heavy swords (ie. not fencing swords), axes, clubs, etc."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "I would have assumed it was cannons and stuff. That's what I get for playing Warhammer for so long."
[7thsea] BastardJack asks, "So far you have Athlete and Crossbow. Anything else, before you start upping your knacks in those?"
[7thsea] inky says, "I think I should probably take heavy weapons since I was in a mercenary outfit"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Also, we can come back after you've looked at advantages and stuff if you're not sure how much to spend."
[7thsea] inky says, "I can think of about four more skills I need/could use"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok, list em and you can cut them later if you go over budget."
[7thsea] inky says, "my dad was a glass-blower so I should possibly take something that would do that"
[7thsea] inky says, "also, some kind of etiquette skill"
[7thsea] inky says, "then I'd just like a bunch more fighting and sneaking skills"
[7thsea] inky asks, "is that spy? streetwise?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Merchant: Glassblower"
[7thsea] inky says, "oh, or hunter"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "For etiquette, Courtier or Servant."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Courtier also gets you Dancing, Fashion, Oratory, and a *lot* of Advanced Knacks."
[7thsea] inky says, "I don't really need any of those."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Servant also gets you Fashion, Menial Tasks and Unobtrusive"
[7thsea] inky says, "yay, menial tasks"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "And some good Advanced Knacks, too (like Gossip, Haggling, and Valet)."
[7thsea] inky says, "hrmrmr"
[7thsea] inky says, "I guess servant is a little more appropriate, and it sounds better anyway"
[7thsea] inky asks, "what do I need to take to be stealthy?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok. I put you down for Merchant, Servant, and Hunter."
[7thsea] inky asks, "is that hunter?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Hunter and Spy both give you Stealth."
[7thsea] inky says, "works for me"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Spy also gives Shadowing, and a lot of nifty Advanced Knacks like Interrogation, Forgery, Poison, etc."
[7thsea] inky says, "yeah, I don't think those really apply"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Hunter gives you a lot more Basic Knacks - Fishing, Skinning, Survival, Tracking, Trail Signs, Tracks, but you can only start with 3 of them."
[7thsea] BastardJack asks, "Hunter, then?"
[7thsea] inky says, "yeah"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok, we've got: Crossbow, Athlete, Heavy Weapons, Merchant (Glassblower), Servant, and Hunter."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "For more fighting skills, you might want:"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Buckler: (lets you use a small shield to parry)"
[7thsea] BastardJack asks, "Commander? Or were you a low-level grunt mercenary?"
[7thsea] inky says, "I think I worked in small units"
[7thsea] inky says, "I could maybe see commander, though"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Dirty Fighting, which is pretty useless at Basic, but gives you Eye-Gouge and stuff as Advanced."
[7thsea] inky says, "yeah, I think dirty fighting would be good"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Knife"
[7thsea] inky says, "that would be good also"
[7thsea] inky says, "is this too many? I assume I should really put in points for individual knacks, too"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Pugilism (aka. clean boxing)."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "I dunno. I spent 20 pts on Sorcery, and had about this many. But my character concept is "jack-of-all-trades, master of none"."
[7thsea] inky says, "ok, hang on"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "You don't really need Pugilism, since Dirty Fighting lets you attack barehand, and Athlete gives you Footwork. If you take it anyway, you get a free pt in Footwork, and a special attack Knack (Jab)."
[7thsea] inky asks, "well, how much would it cost to raise footwork to 2 if I didn't get it? 1 point, right? so for 1 more I get jab?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Yes. Also, you can fight barehand without people yelling 'Cheat!'"
[7thsea] inky laughs.
[7thsea] inky says, "sure, I'll take that"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok, that's Pugilism, Dirty Fighting, and Knife. So far you've spent 18 on skills."
[7thsea] BastardJack asks, "Anything else you must have?"
[7thsea] inky asks, "which do you have listed for me? pugilism, dirty fighting, knife, hunter, merchant, servant, crossbow, athlete, + what else?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "| 2 - Crossbow" [7thsea] BastardJack says, "| 2 - Athlete" [7thsea] BastardJack says, "| 2 - Heavy Weapons" [7thsea] BastardJack says, "| 2 - Merchant (Glassblower)" [7thsea] BastardJack says, "| 2 - Servant" [7thsea] BastardJack says, "| 2 - Hunter" [7thsea] BastardJack says, "| 2 - Dirty Fighting" [7thsea] BastardJack says, "| 2 - Knife" [7thsea] BastardJack says, "| 2 - Pugilism" [7thsea] BastardJack says, "|"
[7thsea] BastardJack asks, "Why does this client keep adding and extra blank after I paste?"
[7thsea] inky says, "hrm"
[7thsea] inky says, "I'd better add Rider"
[7thsea] inky says, "assuming that's horsies"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Yep. Done."
[7thsea] inky says, "and that"
[7thsea] Sargent says, "It is...but only SEA horsies."
[7thsea] inky says, "is 10 skills? good enough for now"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Yeah, I think so."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "You can add more with XP or if you have pts. left at the end."
[7thsea] inky says, "maybe I'll see later if I can squeeze in commander"
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "10 skills? ai-yi-yi."
[7thsea] inky says, "yeah"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "He doesn't have Sorcery or Swordsman cluttering him up."
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "heh."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok. Now, we'll come back and adjust the points at the end. For now, I'll tell you what Basic Knacks you have:"
[7thsea] BastardJack | Crossbow [7thsea] BastardJack | Basic: Attack (Crossbow) - 1, Fletcher - 1 [7thsea] BastardJack | Advanced: Reload (Crossbow) - 0 [7thsea] BastardJack | [7thsea] BastardJack | Athlete [7thsea] BastardJack | Basic: Climbing - 1, Footwork - 2 (from Pugilism), Sprinting - 1, Throwing - 1 [7thsea] BastardJack | Advanced: Break Fall, Leaping, Long Distance Running, Lifting, Rolling, Swimming, Swinging, Sidestep [7thsea] BastardJack |
[7thsea] inky says, "those are good advanced knacks"
[7thsea] BastardJack | Heavy Weapons [7thsea] BastardJack | Basic: Attack (Heavy Weapon) - 1, Parry (Heavy Weapon) - 1 [7thsea] BastardJack | Advanced: None [7thsea] BastardJack | Merchant: [7thsea] BastardJack | Basic: Glassblower - 2 [7thsea] BastardJack | Advanced: Accounting, Appraising, Bartending, Haggling [7thsea] BastardJack |
[7thsea] inky asks, "why is glassblower 2?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "You get 2 here, because instead of all the basic knacks at 1, you get one of them at 2."
[7thsea] inky says, "timing"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "You can pay 1 to get any of the other Merchant Basic Knacks (Barber, Blacksmit, etc...) if you want."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Also, you can get money from this, if you set up a shop. And have Guild membership."
[7thsea] inky says, "mmhmm. I'm not planning on using it much"
[7thsea] inky says, "but you never know when you might need some glassware"
[7thsea] BastardJack | Servant [7thsea] BastardJack | Basic: Etiquette - 1, Fashion - 1, Menial Tasks - 1, Unobtrustive - 1 [7thsea] BastardJack | Advanced: Accounting, Drive Carriage, Gossip, Haggling, Seneschel, Valet [7thsea] BastardJack |
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok, for Hunter, pick 3 from: Fishing, Skinning, Stealth, Survival, Tracking, Trail Signs, Traps"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "And if you want more than 3, pay 1 pt. extra for each."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "It wasn't appropriate for mine, since mine wasn't a fundamental part - I just tacked it on to get more points."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Er, IDLAC."
[7thsea] inky says, "I think I'll pay 2 points for two extra skills to get everything besides skinning"
[7thsea] inky says, "er, 3 points"
[7thsea] BastardJack | Hunter: [7thsea] BastardJack | Basic: Fishing - 1, Stealth - 1, Survival - 1, Tracking - 1, Trail Signs - 1, Traps - 1 [7thsea] BastardJack | Advanced: Ambush, Animal Training
[7thsea] inky says, "mm, ambush"
[7thsea] BastardJack | Dirty Fighting: [7thsea] BastardJack | Basic: Attack (Dirty Fighting) - 1 [7thsea] BastardJack | Advanced: Attack (Improvised Weapon), Eye-gouge, Kick, Parry (Improvised Weapon), Throat Strike, Throw (Improvised Weapon)
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Some things to note: Attack (Dirty Fighting) and Attack (Pugilism) have identical game effects - they let you hit with your hands. But onlookers can tell the difference."
[7thsea] inky asks, "so since I have both, I can choose?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Also, it's much cheaper to get Advanced Knacks with XP than it is now. But it's more expensive to buy new skills later. So even if you don't take any Advanced Knacks, there is a point to having an otherwise useless skill hanging around."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Yes, you can choose."
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "Ah, nostalgia."
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "You guys planning on playing on-line, or is this a Seattle thing?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Nope, online."
[7thsea] inky says, "we're thinking about playing"
[7thsea] inky says, "neither jota or I have books, so we're being walked through character creation"
[7thsea] BastardJack says (to lpsmith), "We're still looking for a DM."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "(Hint, hint)"
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "Heh."
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "I would love to play, but I'm too busy to DM. Which I'm sure is a common refrain."
[7thsea] BastardJack | Knife: [7thsea] BastardJack | Basic: Attack (Knife) - 1, Parry (Knife) - 1 [7thsea] BastardJack | Advanced: Throw (Knife)
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "Though I've DMmed in the past."
[7thsea] BastardJack | Pugilism: [7thsea] BastardJack | Basic: Attack (Pugilism) - 1, Footwork - 2 (from Athletics), Jab - 1 [7thsea] BastardJack | Advanced: Ear Clap, Uppercut
[7thsea] inky says, "Ear Clap is the most embarassing STD ever"
[7thsea] lpsmith asks (of BJ), "Also, do I know who you are?"
[7thsea] BastardJack | Rider: [7thsea] BastardJack | Basic: Ride - 1 [7thsea] BastardJack | Advanced: Animal Training, Mounting, Trick Riding
[7thsea] inky says, "Ender and Miseri have gotten in-character"
[7thsea] Sargent says, "finger is yor frend."
[7thsea] BastardJack | ;..lpsmith I'm Ender.
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Er, I like an @endpaste."
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "Ah! Gotcha."
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "Why the name change?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Also, damn that's a lot of skills!"
[7thsea] inky says, "because his name's Jack, and he's a bastard"
[7thsea] inky says, "oh, wait."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "|inky says, "Ender and Miseri have gotten in-character""
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Grr."
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "Heh."
[7thsea] inky asks, "ok, so these are the knacks I have. and I have, um, 44 - 20 - 3 = 21 points to increase them?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok, so... I've now listed your shitload of skills. You've got 21 pts left to spend on upping your Knacks, and on Advantages and backgrounds."
[7thsea] inky says, "I better look at advantages & backgrounds before I up the knacks"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Yes. You wanna look at ... yeah."
[7thsea] inky says, "I should just let you say it:)"
[7thsea] BastardJack asks, "Ok. Advantages: did you get the list I posted earlier?"
[7thsea] inky says, "I don't remember, but let me check scrollback rather than you retype"
[7thsea] inky says, "oops, I see no list."
[7thsea] inky says, "but jota offered to post it"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "I kind of did it piecemeal."
[7thsea] inky says, "I think I came in after it was posted, hence jota offering to edit and repost"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "In the meantime, I'll type up Backgrounds"
[7thsea] DiegoValdez asks, "Speaking of Advantages, you probably want a language that the rest of us can speak?"
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "Do you guys have a time you're planning to play yet?"
[7thsea] inky asks (of DV), "what's our common language looking like?"
[7thsea] inky says, "we have no DM yet, so"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok, here's Backgrounds:"
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "Vague ideas? Evenings, presumably? Weekends?"
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "Right now it looks as if we're all talking to each other in Montaigne. With Mutt and Jack speaking Avalon, and Mutt and I speaking Castillian occasionally."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "They should really be discussed with the DM, so unless it's a major part of your character concpet, I'd avoid it."
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "lpsmith: Don't know yet..."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "But I'll list it anyway so you know."
[7thsea] BastardJack says (to lpsmith), "I'm in school next term, so evenings or weekends should be no problem. Or I can cut class, for that matter."
[7thsea] inky says, "heh"
[7thsea] inky says, "well, the major hurdle will be coordination cross-timezone, I suspect"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "You pay 1 to 3 pts for a background (you can spend a max of 4 pts) and it becomes a source of conflict for you."
[7thsea] inky says, "that makes it sound like a disadvantage"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "For instance, a 1 pt Nemesis is someone fairly minor who keeps trying to do you in, while a 3 pt Nemesis is a major villian."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "It is a disadvantage. Except that, whenever it becomes a major plot point, you get XP."
[7thsea] inky says, "aha"
[7thsea] inky says, "so you really do mean "pay" and not "get""
[7thsea] Jota | Academy (4 pts) - You've attended a military academy, and martial skills cost 1 pt instead of 2 [7thsea] Jota | Appearance (5 pts. for Above Average, 10 pts. for Stunning) [7thsea] Jota | Citation (4 pts - you have a medal) [7thsea] Jota | Connections (3 pts for Allies down to 1 pt. for Informants) [7thsea] Jota | Combat Reflexes (3 pts) [7thsea] Jota | Commission (Varies: an Army or Navy rank) [7thsea] Jota | Dangerous Beauty (3 pts) [7thsea] Jota | Faith (5 pts) [7thsea] Jota | Foul Weather Jack (5 pts) - Excitement has a way of finding you. Get a free 4 pt. Background [7thsea] Jota | Also, Foul Weather Jack is the only way to get a 4-pt. Background.
[7thsea] Jota | Indomitable Will (3 pts) - Extra dice in contested social rolls.
[7thsea] Jota | Inheritance (Varies) [7thsea] Jota | Keen Senses (2 pts) [7thsea] Jota | Language (Varies - you already took a ton of these) [7thsea] Jota | Large (5 pts - an extra 6" to 1' in height) [7thsea] Jota | Left-Handed (3 pts - helpful in swordfighting, since most are trained against righties) [7thsea] Jota | Legendary Trait (3 pts; 1 pt. for Avalon heroes) [7thsea] Jota | Linguist (2 pts) [7thsea] Jota | Membership [7thsea] Jota | (in a guild or secret society - Varies) [7thsea] Jota | Noble (5 or 10 pts.) - this means you still get all your noble advantages. If you have a Sorcerous Bloodline without this advantage, you've lost your good standing in the family or he family's lost its good standing in society. [7thsea] Jota | Also, it's 5 pts. if you've already paid for Sorcery, 10 pts. without. [7thsea] Jota | Ordained (4 pts) [7thsea] Jota | Patron (Varies) [7thsea] Jota | Scoundrel (3 pts) - You get the Streetwise skill free, and some reputation as a bad guy [7thsea] Jota | Servants (3 pts) - You have some. [7thsea] Jota | Small (2 pts) - you're short. Bonus to stealth and such [7thsea] Jota | Toughness (5 pts) - extra die to wound checks [7thsea] Jota | University Eduction (4 pts)
[7thsea] inky spends all his points on Large.
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "Hrm ... Vodacce can get the "Left-handed" Advantage for 1 point, not 3."
[7thsea] (from Sargent) inky says, "I'm huge."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Uh, yeah. That list is edited for Avalons. Lemme see:"
[7thsea] inky says (to Sargent), "combine that with my high charm and look out ladies!"
[7thsea] Jota asks, "Is that a pun on 'sinister'?"
[7thsea] Jota says, "(Sinister being Latin for 'left')"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Left-handed is the only thing different for you that's not noted."
[7thsea] BastardJack says (to Jota), "Erk. Probably."
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "Heh. No ... the Vodacce school of swordsmanship emphasises the left hand. So there's a lot of pro-lefty-ism in Vodacce."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "I bet they developed the swordsmanship school based on the pun."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Anyway, for reference, here's the list of Backgrounds:"
[7thsea] BastardJack | Amnesia [7thsea] BastardJack | Cursed [7thsea] BastardJack | Debt [7thsea] BastardJack | Defeated [7thsea] BastardJack | Fear [7thsea] BastardJack | Hunted [7thsea] BastardJack | Hunting [7thsea] BastardJack | Lost Love [7thsea] BastardJack | Mistaken Identity [7thsea] BastardJack | Nemesis [7thsea] BastardJack | Obligation [7thsea] BastardJack | Rivalry [7thsea] BastardJack | Romance [7thsea] BastardJack | True Identity [7thsea] BastardJack | Vendetta [7thsea] BastardJack | Vow
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "That's just suggested, of course, and you should discuss it with the DM if you want one. Once we have one."
[7thsea] inky asks, "would there be any win pointwise taking the military academy one?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "All your Martial skill cost 1 pt. instead of 2. So you'd gain 7-4=3 pts."
[7thsea] inky says, "I think that'd be totally in-character"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Nice euphemism."
[7thsea] inky says, "heh."
[7thsea] inky asks, "can you describe combat reflexes, keen senses and linguist?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok. Looks like you've got 24 pts left after that change."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Combat Reflexes: After initiative is rolled for any Combat Round, you may reroll one of the dice, but you are forced to keep the new roll."
[7thsea] inky asks, "of course, this means nothing to me. but basically, you're more likely to get initiative?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "This is more useful than it sounds, since Initiative is a little different than normal."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Yes."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Keen Senses: You receive one extra unkept die for any Skill Checks that involve one of your senses, as well as any checks for Surprise."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "(Unkept die = if you normally roll 3 dice, now you roll 4 and discard the lowest.)"
[7thsea] inky says, "ok"
[7thsea] inky says, "that seems pretty good"
[7thsea] inky says, "although I suppose not as good as a kept die"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Linguist: All languages cost 1 pt. less to purchase (minimum 1 pt). See the chart."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Kept dice are extremely rare. They use unkept dice a lot."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Here's your base Language costs, BTW (this varies by nation):"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Avalon 2, Castille 1, Crescent 4, High Eisen 3, Eisen 2, Montaign 1, Thean 2, Teodoran 4, Ussura 3, Vendel 2, Vodacce 0"
[7thsea] inky asks, "and we're all speaking montaign, right?"
[7thsea] Jota says, "Unless you're not speaking Montaigne, in which case I'm probably translating."
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "hee. it's funny because none of us are montaigne ... at least two of us want to do Bad Things to Montaign."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Crescent = The Crescent Empire (the Moslems), High Eisen = something Eisen dignitaries use to speak privately in front of foreigners, Thean = Latin, Teodoran = the languange Ussuran is descended from"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "That is both funny, and kind of cool."
[7thsea] Jota says, "Oooh, I didn't know there was a Thean language."
[7thsea] Jota says, "Too late for me to take it, but maybe I'll spend some experience on it..."
[7thsea] inky says, "my"
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "Er. You can't spend xp to get Advantages. And languages are considered Advantages."
[7thsea] inky says, "weird"
[7thsea] Jota asks, "Really?"
[7thsea] inky asks, "so you can't learn any more languages once the game starts?"
[7thsea] Jota asks, "Is it possible to gain advantages after the start of the game?"
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "yes. By roleplaying."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Membership: Swordsman's Guild (3 pts) You have the exclusive right to initiate duels (anyone can accept such a challenge). Merchant Guilds (4 pts per guild) You can legally practice a trade. (Glassblower in your case). Secret Societies (5 pts) You may only join 1 - Explorer's Guild, Invisible College, Die Kreuzritter, Rilasciare - Free Thinkers, Rose and Cross."
[7thsea] inky asks, "explorer's guild is a secret society?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "You asked about an Explorer's Guild earlier - here it is, for 5 pts. Also Merchant Guild if you want it."
[7thsea] inky says, "definitely not merchant's guild."
[7thsea] inky says, "my guy would join the explorer's guild if j random adventurer would"
[7thsea] (from lpsmith) inky says, "All they care about is gold-pressed latinum. Phooey on that."
[7thsea] inky laughs.
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Apparently."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok. On Monday I'm going down to take this book back. The binding just split."
[7thsea] lpsmith says (to BJ), "Ack."
[7thsea] inky says, "oog"
[7thsea] inky says, "whizzard's fault!"
[7thsea] inky asks, "ok, these are all these things I can spend/get points on, right?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Yes."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Spend points, that is."
[7thsea] inky says, "ok, let me do some point-shuffling then"
[7thsea] inky asks, "are there disadvantages or something?"
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "Can you have points left over?"
[7thsea] inky says, "oh, good question."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Um, there's one other thing: ... yeah. Sort of."
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "That you, like, convert to XP, or spend later, or something?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Hmm. I dunno. Don't recall seeing anything in the book on that, I guess it's DM's choice. Which we don't have yet."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "The one other category is Arcana. You can take a Virtue (major heroic quality) for 10 pts. Or you can get an extra 10 pts by taking a Hubris (major heroic flaw)."
[7thsea] inky says, "enh, I don't think my guy has either"
[7thsea] inky asks, "ok, so how much to raise a knack? 1 point?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Ok, that's that then."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "1 pt. to rais a Basic Knack, 3 pts. for an Advanced Knack."
[7thsea] inky asks, "and 24 points left,huh?"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Yep"
[7thsea] inky starts shuffling numbers.
[7thsea] lpsmith exclaims, "You number-shuffling bastard!"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Re: secret societies. See http://www.cowell.org/~andy/ccg/l5r/archive/misc/438.html, and search for 'society'. A little over halfway down."
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "I suppose with no DM there's no way to say if the group's too large already, but I think I'd like to play, if there's room. It's been a while since I've roleplayed, and it'd be fun to do again."
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "But if the group's too large, that's fine."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "We've only got 4 so far."
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "Well, sign me up, then ;-)"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Also, we should post on the bb looking for a DM. There might be more hanging around."
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "Is there a general world/country description up somewhere?"
[7thsea] NewsBoy hollers, "Extra! Extra! BastardJack has posted message 1 to the bulletin board! You have a mind of your own, take it to the Dome."
[7thsea] inky asks, "for 7thsea?"
[7thsea] lpsmith nods.
[7thsea] inky says, "it's like 17th-century europe, only magic"
[7thsea] inky says, "let me pull up another thing"
[7thsea] inky says, "http://www.dimacleod.demon.co.uk/rpg/7thsea.htm"
[7thsea] inky asks, "what is Jab?"
[7thsea] inky asks, "and is it stupid to put one or no points into every skill except crossbow attack?"
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "Anyone know what the theology of the 7th Sea church is?"
[7thsea] inky says, "they're pseudo-christian"
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "Ah, the Vaticine Church of the Prophets."
[7thsea] inky says, "anti-sorcery, I think"
[7thsea] inky says, "maybe also anti-technology"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "It'll cost you 10 XP to buy a new skill later, so having them without putting any points in is probably a win long-term. (The book suggests 1-5 XP per game session)"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "No! Definitely NOT anti-technology! They're patrons of the sciences."
[7thsea] inky says, "true"
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "only recently anti-tech. For the past 1600 years, the Church was the forefront of scientific exploration."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Oh, right. They're anti-tech now."
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "ie, Pro-technology until the death of the Hierophant 2 years ago."
[7thsea] lpsmith nods.
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "It's all the fault of the Inquisition. And the lack of a Hierophant."
[7thsea] inky says, "ok, I think I'm set then"
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "Is their theology ever mentioned, or just their politics?"
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "Theah is a riddle from the Creator, and man was put here to figure it out."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Jab: Two quick barehanded attacks. Must declare before you attack. Target number goes up by 10, but you get to make 2 attacks for the price of one."
[7thsea] lpsmith says (to DV), "That would imply pro-tech, I suppose."
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "si."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "There's a 10-page section on the Church in the rulebook, but I skimmed it."
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "Oh, cool."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "I do see sections labelled, 'What is a sin?' and 'Why is sorcery a sin?'"
[7thsea] Alex says (to BastardJack), "Awwwk! Word on the street is that sin is Um, seven? Deadly ones that is. Also, Sloth. Also, Gluttony. Also, pride. Also, Envy. Also, Lust. Also, Anger. Also, Covetousness. Also, when you take Liza's name in vain. Furthermore, masturbation is a sin."
[7thsea] inky laughs.
[7thsea] Jota says (to lps), "Also, '@tel *jota' if you want to join us."
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "Obviously, they should have just asked Alex."
[7thsea] inky says (to Alex), "that rules"
[7thsea] Alex exclaims (at inky), "Awwwk! No parse found!"
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "Is there off-channel discussion goin' on?"
[7thsea] inky says, "some yeah"
The Seventh Sea
This is it! The mythical Seventh Sea! Arr, there'll be plunderin' tonight!
You can see: Arr2D2
Players: Jota, DiegoValdez, BastardJack, inky
Visible Exits: None
Teleported.
You exclaim, "Boo!"
Jota greets lps.
inky says, "eep"
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "mainly putting Mutt's character together, but that's all done now."
[7thsea] Jota asks, "Alright, so why is sorcery a sin?"
Jota says, "Greetings."
NewsBoy hollers, "Extra! Extra! zarf has posted message 54 to the bulletin board! Newsflash: A monkey isn't actually funny!"
#1 [7thsea] Date: 14-Aug-00 00:04:25
From: BastardJack Subject: Arr! Pirates!
We've got 5 players signed up for the IFmud 7th Sea campaign (Whizzard's RPG, if you didn't know). But we have no DM! Contact Bastard Jack at jcmason@uwaterloo.ca if you're interested.
Jota says, "I just finished creating my character."
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "because sorcery comes from Legion (ie, the forces of Evil), not the Creator."
Jota says, "You, being in the Lounge, missed that."
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "it is not natural. (my take: "not scientific")."
[7thsea] inky asks (of DV), "is that true, or just asserted?"
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "Does the game say whether it actually does or not, or does it leave it open?"
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "Heh."
[7thsea] Jota asks, "And the Church believes the Sidhe to be of Legion?"
[7thsea] Jota presumes it leaves it open.
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "They leave it failry open about whether the Creator actually exists or not, I believe."
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "No priest spells and the like, then."
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "Based on just the main books, it's only asserted. I heard from someone else that one of the supplements explains how sorcery came about in Theah, and it's definitely scary."
[7thsea] Jota's character certainly doesn't believe sorcery is from Legion, and he even adheres more or less to the Church in most things.
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "Like, how it was introduced, or how it works? Or both?"
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "I don't think the Church has really figured out what Glamour and Pyeryem (Ussuran shapeshifting) are yet."
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "Glamour == Sidhe?"
[7thsea] Jota says, "Right."
[7thsea] Jota says, "The Sidhe are like elves or faeries, and they taught Glamour to the Avalonians."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Speaking of scary magic: quote from an interview with John Wick."
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "according to my source, Porte (Montaign portal magic) and Sorte (Vodacce Fate witchery) both came about as a result of bargains made with Ancient Beings, a la Cthulhu."
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "Ack! Unable to connect to the dimacleod site. Sigh."
[7thsea] BastardJack | drh:What's the magic of Montaigne then? [7thsea] BastardJack | [7thsea] BastardJack | JW: It's called Portal. Portal magic was a challenge because [7thsea] BastardJack | Jennifer [Wick, his wife] wanted a visceral, bloody, mean magic to [7thsea] BastardJack | completely compliment - counter-compliment, perhaps - the pristine, [7thsea] BastardJack | perfect Montaigne. So Portal involves reaching in and ripping holes in [7thsea] BastardJack | reality and stepping through to someplace else, literally ripping a [7thsea] BastardJack | wound, a bleeding, oozing wound [in reality] that leaves stains on [7thsea] BastardJack | your hands. Again, it made the Montaigne more than just a cliche. It [7thsea] BastardJack | gave them a dimension that I think helps define the character of the [7thsea] BastardJack | country.
[7thsea] inky says, "hrm, me neither"
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "They're designed to destroy the barrier between this world and theirs; the Sidhe were the ones who put those beings where they are, and Glamour is supposed to heal the barrier."
[7thsea] BastardJack asks (of inky), "Are you done spending your other 24 pts?"
[7thsea] inky says, "yeah"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Also, since they're finished in the room, and discussion has started on the channel, lets move there."
BastardJack says, "Okay, lay it on me."
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "but that's all outside of the main book, and not relevant to us."
inky asks, "why don't I put it up as a web page rather than pastebomb?"
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "Move where?"
BastardJack says, "If you want."
[7thsea] Jota says (to lps), "Ender and inky are doing inky's character creation."
BastardJack says (to lpsmith), "Move here."
[7thsea] Jota says, "They were doing it on channel while my character was created in the room."
You say, "Inky's character creation I got."
[7thsea] Jota says, "Now they're doing it in the room, while people chat magic on the channel."
You say, "I was asking about the religion thing because I was thinking of being a monk."
You say, "Who'"
lpsmith sighs.
You ask, "Who's everyone else?"
inky says, "just so you know, "monk" is not the same as "monkey""
You say, "Drat."
DiegoValdez is a Castillian swordsman.
Login name: DiegoValdez In real life: Christopher Huang
Location: The Seventh Sea Gender: Male
Member since: The Beginning
Currently logged in. Previous login: 12-Aug-00 22:22:33
Email address: xhuang@po-box.mcgill.ca
DiegoValdez has mail.
Plan: To raise my spirits.
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Hmm. According to the main book, Glamour was definitely a bargain with the Sidhe. The bargain will end if the Graal is ever taken from Avalon."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "And Ussuran shapeshifting is explicitly a gift of Mother Winter. And the rune magic is traditionally a bargain of sorts as well. So it seems plausible that they're ALL bargains."
DiegoValdez says (to lpsmith), "since the Church is based in Castille, chances are your character might be Castillian. Or Vodacce, which is where the Real Power behind the church lies."
BastardJack is an Inish rogue from Avalon.
inky asks, "is there any benefit to having an advanced skill if you don't put any points in?"
BastardJack says, "Um, it's unclear."
[7thsea] DiegoValdez says, "They ARE all bargains. There's mention somewhere that Sorte was a bargain as well, but it doesn't say with whom."
[7thsea] lpsmith asks, "What does 'bargain' mean in this context?"
DiegoValdez says, "If you don't put any points in an advanced knack, you don't have it."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "I *believe* once you have a skill, you're considered to have the Advanced Knacks with a rating of 0."
[7thsea] inky says, "with a Dark Power, I assume"
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "IDLAC"
BastardJack asks, "So how much does it cost to get it later?"
[7thsea] lpsmith says, "I came down with the Advanced Knacks but fortunately it only lasted a week."
DiegoValdez says, "Same as advancing from 1 to 2. I consider a ranking of 0 to be "not having it"."
[7thsea] BastardJack says, "Heh"
Jota is an Avalonian/Castillian sailor.
BastardJack says, "You know, it occurs to me we only have one sailor."
DiegoValdez says, "Heh."
BastardJack says, "Is this going to be a land-based or sea-based campaign? (Or are we going to freebase?)"
DiegoValdez has no sailor skill....
inky says, "me neither"
BastardJack says, "I have a trade I can ply on a ship, if need be."
inky says, "but presumably we can spend some time at sea"
DiegoValdez can act as muscle/protection if trouble shows up.
DiegoValdez asks (of inky), "Senor, are we to act as guard dogs to these Avalon tricksters?"
BastardJack says, "My stepfather was a tailor. He showed me some o'the ropes before I lit off for far places."
Jota snorts.
Jota says, "Threads, I think you mean."
inky says (to Diego), "just so long as the money holds out."
BastardJack looks askanse at Jota. "Aye. Threads."