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2012-02-29, 04:50 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
Avatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-02-29, 04:55 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
Sometimes I've noticed that new pages don't always show up when posts kick over to them. Strange.
Avatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-02-29, 04:56 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
One thing you could do to keep the power scope low (from the PC viewpoint) is move anything over a given "level" of magic power into a ritual instead of a simple "spell".
Rituals would be used to entreat magical creatures or objects to help do the bidding of the spellcaster in major magic.
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2012-02-29, 05:42 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
SpoilerWhy couldn't the boy be Eckhart? His origins would be probably kept a secret, so that a DM could pick and choose as he would, and he might switch his origins between "just human" and "half-elf" depending on what serves him the best in the situation. Besides, tell me if I'm wrong, but Eckhart's exploits would be shrouded in myth anyway, leaving this perfect opening.
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2012-02-29, 05:49 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
That's a great idea! I think any GM would be more than welcome to include something like that in their own take on the world, but of course I wouldn't add it to the canon.
The further I travel down this Grognard-inspired road, the more I realize how much potential there is for customization, and how that's so much cooler than meticulously accounting everything the world could possibly offer. I feel like--to a certain point--it makes the world more marketable, too. Instead of saying "This is the Way It Is, and woe betide all those who should seek to alter it," I'm saying something like "Here's an idea I had; how can you build on it?"
I like it.Avatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-02-29, 07:01 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
Well, Binders don't get spells. If they get to 6th level, they can bind one vestige of 3rd level or below at a time, can suppress the signs if they made a good pact, can get some dinky little bonuses, a bonus feat from an EXTREMELY limited list, and get immunity to fear while bound to a vestige.
Up to 6th, they get vestiges of 1/2 their binder level, rounded up. Levels 1-2, they get 1st, 3-4, they get second, etc. I'd recommend an epic feat to let them bind a 4th level vestige, just because some of them are cool.
Also, I'll be honest, binders are one of my favorite classes to play, sometimes more so when they bomb a binding check and you need to rp out the effects of being possessed by a fallen angel, greedy dwarven king or some other stuff. It's actually a lot of fun.Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
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2012-02-29, 09:41 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
Now that I've taken a look at the book (cool stuff, btw) let's crunch some numbers.
The highest level a character can reach in E6 is, obviously, 6. Let's assume someone was lucky enough to get a 20 on their Int (the key stat for the Sage->Caller), and by level 6 they manage to increase that to 26 through various means. That gives them a +8 on their Int score.
A Binding Check is as follows:
1d20+Level+Int (with Int replacing the Cha used by normal Binders)
At 6th level, with a +8 to Int, they'll be able to roll a maximum of 34 on their Binding check. Just looking at the book, that would allow them to theoretically bind an 8th level Vestige. So long as they can find out about the Vestige, I don't think I mind them being able to do this. It's a very long shot, especially when the GM will have control over which Vestiges are available (as for myself, I think I might set up something like a d% table to determine things like that, giving some helpful/relevant Vestiges a better chance of being discovered).
Above all, I want to carve a different mold for the way casters are played. I want to emphasize the "power comes as a product of knowledge and experience" aspect of magic, and the idea of making the characters go hunting for that knowledge and/or experience is something I want to play with. Of course, I'll want to playtest this before I finalize any of it.Avatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-02-29, 09:54 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
So there will never be a place where you can buy magic spells. Only individual spells from quests and bargins...
I LIKE.
I know what I'm going to play as if I play a game in this world.LGBTA+itP
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2012-02-29, 10:21 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
I wonder.... could you trace every witch and wizard's education's to a select few powerful figures who decided to take on apprentences?
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2012-02-29, 11:09 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
That's right. There may be "exotic" shops in the larger cities, but they'll sell things like jewelry and house decorations. If you want to buy a magic hoodad from someone, you'll have to deal with a witch, the hoodad probably won't be all that cool, and you'll have to pay with something more dear than money.
If you want the Legendary Blade of Hero's Heights, you'll have to pass through the Legendary Ten Gauntlets to get it. If you want to learn Fireball... you're going to have to find it on a page in the ruins of Deadhollow. That sort of thing.
Originally Posted by PokonicAvatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-02-29, 11:27 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
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2012-03-01, 10:07 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
The only beings that I picture having "inherent" magical power are Elves and spirits. If you're not an Elf, you can learn magic either by discovering a spell that an elf has written down ("learned" as you say), or make a deal with something that does have inherent power, and serve as a funnel of sort for that entity.Avatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-03-01, 02:41 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
I'm in the process of writing the next bit of folklore for the setting. This one is a step in a different direction, as it focuses on the encroaching nation of Cerai and their religion, the Unified.
As a teaser, I picture the Unified to be much like a proselytizing, dogmatic Christianity from the Middle Ages. The two most important elements of their god, Mareal Turi, are sight and sound, represented in the Shrines (read: cathedrals) by the light that streams through their colored-glass windows and the music that comes from their many bells. In my mind, priests of the Unified carry bells with them to remind all people of the presence of Mareal. They may also serve as foci, should a priest be sent on a mission to cleanse a place from the presence of demons. I picture something like this, but with a big sound wave instead of a beam of light.Avatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-03-01, 02:48 PM (ISO 8601)
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2012-03-02, 09:46 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
Hahaha, calling down a heavenly chorus to unless the Power of the Gods would make for a nice final showdown ritual!
I've uploaded another tale, this one a look at a part of the Song of Unity, the holy book of the Unified, the religion of Cerai, a foreign nation. It's incomplete right now, but I can't think of how I want to add to it just yet, and I wanted to get it online.Avatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-03-02, 10:01 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
Ohh, I like it!
A few questions about the religion in general: There based on old-fashened Christianity, correct? Would the "demons" that they ward off with there bells actualy be Fey? What about Trolls, Kolbold, and others? How is it treated within the Elder Kingdom? Would stringing up little iron bells (to ward off most kinds of magical things) on your door be a Cerain thing, perhapes?
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2012-03-03, 12:56 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
It is based on early Christianity, although it definitely charts its own course. This is essentially the first substantial hint at a larger outside world. I've given it some rough thought, but its by no means the focus of this setting... just a little extra flavor.
I'd imagine that the Unified would consider the fey to be demons, yes. Whether or not they actually are demons is up to the GM, but either way I think the divine magic would work against them.
In this setting, I don't imagine a difference between divine and arcane magic.Avatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-03-03, 02:38 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
I really like these guys, in a weird way. They seem really interesting. Mind if I borrow your style of using stories to explain things? It seems to be working well for you, and although I'm not an excellent writer I could probably muddle through.
I'd imagine that the Unified would consider the fey to be demons, yes. Whether or not they actually are demons is up to the GM, but either way I think the divine magic would work against them.
In this setting, I don't imagine a difference between divine and arcane magic.
I thought that was cute, anyway. It may or may not fit, as your fey seem pretty centered at first glance.
Also, if you expect people to play here, you need to at least allow people to make the distinction, even if you don't make one yourself. Regardless of the fluff, the Mystic Theurge class exists, and others like it. Hell, in Patria the only true priesthood uses exclusively arcane magic, but they say it comes from Tuhan Sky-Father. Feel free to ignore any fluff differences in the arcane/divine system, but if you abolish it completely weird things happen with the mechanics of the game and loopholes start to pop up.Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
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2012-03-03, 03:24 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
You're more than welcome to! The more I use it, the more satisfied I am with how it's working. Structurally, I think the final draft of this thread will have a "Character" section, which will include in-character tales laying out all the things players will need to know, a "Player" section, doing over the mechanics necessary for players to generate characters (race, class, etc.), and a "GM" section, which will include suggestions for how to represent the various tales.
A little idea for the Unified philosophy, "Humans and Fey both share an ability for magic and reason. In humans, the ability for Reason is vast, while our capacity for magic is generally small. In Fey, however, magic runs thick in their blood. This imbalance, however, leaves them barely sane."
I thought that was cute, anyway. It may or may not fit, as your fey seem pretty centered at first glance.
Also, if you expect people to play here, you need to at least allow people to make the distinction, even if you don't make one yourself. Regardless of the fluff, the Mystic Theurge class exists, and others like it. Hell, in Patria the only true priesthood uses exclusively arcane magic, but they say it comes from Tuhan Sky-Father. Feel free to ignore any fluff differences in the arcane/divine system, but if you abolish it completely weird things happen with the mechanics of the game and loopholes start to pop up.
As far as the distinction between divine and arcane is concerned, Divine and Arcane will likely stay rigidly defined in the mechanics, but I want to break through the narrative barrier between them. I have a really weak background in homebrew, especially in magic (10 years of tabletop play and I've never played a caster!), so I don't even want to dream about changing any of the mechanics. I guess I just didn't give anyone much to work with in my earlier comment.
Also, I want to try and tease out one of my design goals for this setting. Everyone has been suggesting ideas for the various elements I've presented, or asking questions for me to clarify certain points. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that people are interested in this, but I'm giving vague answers because I want each person to come to this world and make it their own, so to speak. I have my own ideas about how it should work, and when I run a campaign in the setting I'm sure I'll use them, but I want to leave my work vague enough that someone else can put their own ideas into play without coming to an inconsistency somewhere. Preserving the mystery in my presentation allows others to answer the questions for themselves, which I feel makes the setting all the more attractive.Avatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-03-03, 05:17 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
I've been thinking about these tales. I like that they are used to introduce the player to the world, and I like that they contain hints about the things they portray. For example, The Hollowback relates that the titular figure is mischievous, very strong, lusty, and she can be very polite and helpful so long as she isn't slighted.
I'm second-guessing, though, because those are powerful tools in the hands of a player. I want to use these stories to describe the setting (and to hint at powers and weaknesses), but I don't want to open the door for meta-gaming.
To that end, I'm thinking about introducing a skill called "Knowledge (Tales)." Essentially, for each point you put into the skill, your character will be familiar with one tale. They are free to use that tale to the fullest, but they can't do that with any other tales.
Thoughts? Because it basically represents how much helpful knowledge your character has about the world, does it seem too powerful, i.e. something that EVERYONE would invest in?Avatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-03-03, 05:35 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
On the other hand, a party could learn tales centered on a local area by taking the right Knowledge check, ect. Not every tale is centered on the same subjects, tho, so a person with more navel-oriented skills could talk about the time there great-uncle caught that sea-serpent that ran away that was tthhiiissss big, or the woodcutter and the time a tree once walked away from him before he swang his axe, or the time your great-grandfather was mining by himself and a rock he hit bleed and kicked the crap out of him. Basicly, everyone has there stories, and for a setting like this a single flat skill would be rather odd. It's like the existance of the Streetwise check, where if you go to any urban area in the world you can get a run-down on most criminal going ons without prior information. It's just odd.
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2012-03-03, 05:41 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
Give each story a Knowledge check DC, and if you don't know it too bad. Also, perhaps the Poet gets a little boost for knowing the tales?
LGBTA+itP
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2012-03-06, 10:41 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
Great idea!
I've updated the Excerpts from the Song of Unity post over on my blog. It now includes three sections: The opening lines of the Song and a brief creation myth, an example of a prayer to Mareal Turi, and a verse giving an example of an early, pivotal crusade within the faith. I really didn't want to focus too much on this faction, so all of those three pieces of verse are basically stolen from real-world sources (bonus points if you can guess them!). That said, it was necessary to lay out the groundwork for the faction, because how else would someone relate to it?
While we're on the subject, I think I'll assign one of these tales to each of the Character Creation factions. For example, the Song of Unity will be assigned to The Unified, and possibly also Cerai in general. If you choose one of those factions, you have intimate knowledge of the relevant tale, allowing you to always take 20 on the relevant knowledge check.Avatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-03-06, 11:45 AM (ISO 8601)
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2012-03-06, 01:18 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
I like the idea of being able to know about the difference between the tale and the facts that spawned it, but that may be another instance where it would be more easily handled with a quest. Want to learn about the truth behind that crusade? It is rumored that a tome containing the truth exists in the vaults of the Temple of Unity in the city of Freeport. Pursue it at your own risk, however, because it is said that the Dead guard the treasure from all who would seek to steal it, and it also protected by many traps.
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2012-03-06, 01:44 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
Or...
"You want to know the truth behind why the old Witch cursed Eckhart?"
The old farmhand looked quite confused, "Can't imagine why anyone would want to know that."
He pauses and scratches at his stubbly beard for a second, then says, "Well as I recall, old Barlo's Grammer used to tell us tales from when she was a youngin'. One such story says that the Witch always has to tell the truth when asked any question when the harvest moon is high in the night sky."
After speaking of the Witch, the man makes a sign to ward off evil and spits at the ground to cement his safety from ill omens. Then he continues quickly, "Perhaps you should ask the old codger if he knows who told his Grammer that hearthtale. Maybe there's a thread of truth there."Last edited by korpg; 2012-03-06 at 01:52 PM. Reason: added some detail
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2012-03-06, 01:51 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
Avatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-03-06, 02:04 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
I'm of the opinion that showing, not telling, the details are what's of primary importace in a setting such as this.
Here we let the players know they're treading on ground they may not want to walk.
It's exciting and dangerous and mysterious because it's not something commoners tend to conern themselves with.
Right there we set the character's actions and interest apart from the standard backround NPCs.
The Witch is old... really old. She's had stories told about her for what could be 4-5 generations now.
So there's a lot of possible things that have been added or removed or just plain wrong with the stories about her.
Maybe, maybe not...
Finally, the warding sign and action help cement the "low level hidden magic" of the setting while making it perfectly clear that, while most commoners don't spend their time thinking about the Witch and her kind much, they certainly believe she holds power over them.
Show, don't tell.
It adds to the mystery of the setting.
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2012-03-06, 02:13 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
"Show, don't tell" is a good maxim for this setting. I also like the implication that these stories could be true, but they might not be. Thanks!
And I've got another tale up! This one, The Lord of High Hall, is the longest one yet. It tells the story of the lord of High Hall, who was too dumb to be afraid, and too strong to be killed. I drew heavily from a Grimm tale called The Boy Who Went Forth To Learn What Fear Was for this, because it's one of my favorites. A really wacky tale.Avatar by the wonderful and talented Ceika!Playing:
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2012-03-06, 04:58 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)
Great story, although I'm not sure why the Priest made himself the object lesson, instead of just sending him off to someplace renowned for its collection of ghosts, spectres, etc. Nor, once the Priest died (!) from his foolhardy prank, why people kept doing the same thing to him (our dumb hero, that is). At least the lord at the end is Genre Savvy enough to use him to clear out that haunted mansion.