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When I mentioned it in the Hangout a few days back, it seemed to draw a bit of interest, so I wish to repost it here. I was curious if anyone was interested in running or playing a play-by-post game campaign on the forums with a given gaming system. I would GM if wished, but since I've never actually been able to run or play a game either online or in person, I'm also willing to stand aside if someone with more experience wishes to run a campaign. For those who don't know what PBP is, it's basically playing a tabletop RPG game like D&D on the forums, using external utilities for dice rolls (since the dice hack didn't pan out) and the spoiler tags for OOC knowledge. This would be an example running D&D 4E. They tend to be slower than running a campaign on IRC, but they're also less reliant on everyone being online all at once.
Of course, though, if you are interested, I suppose a couple things would be good to know. The first thing to decide if we do start a game is the system to play in: D&D (3.5E or 4E, core with or without splatbooks), GURPS 4E, BESM 2E, and Shadowrun 4E are the ones that I have immediate access to personally, so if you want a particular system, listed or not, mind a mention. A excellent dice roller that includes a save/recovery function for the GM's benefit is Invisible Castle, while two fairly good sites for online character sheets are Coyote Code and Myth-weavers. Hmmm...am I forgetting anything? Utilities, game systems, PBP description, GMing....I think that's everything.
I would be interested in playing. The system doesn't really matter to me since I don't have much experience in any of them.
I've only played tabletop D+D a couple times, and even then not particularly seriously. But, having played Neverwinter Nights, Baldurs Gate, etc I'm sure I already know mostly everything.
I was going to suggest this a while ago
I used to do a more simplistic style of RPing, based more on creative writing than traditional D&D rules in the style of gladiatorial tournaments, but I reckon if you decide on a system I could read up and see what I need to know.
OK. Since no one volunteered yet and we have four possibles for players, I'll take on GMing then for now. I'm considering D&D 3.5E for simplicity's sake, since it's closer to 2E than 4E is to 3.5 and most should at least be familiar with the basics from games like NWN. I'll try to come up with a framework for the campaign, then. It will probably be a variant of the low-fantasy "Saenz" world I drafted some time ago with several lands of varying feudal states, probably placing the players as mercenaries or others in the borderlands of one of the bigger players. I'll write up more when I have it.
3.5 is probably gonna require some sort of battle grid/table to work with, unless you want to jettison tactical movement, AOO's and such. Not that they'd be any great loss, but it is something to ponder.
3.5 is probably gonna require some sort of battle grid/table to work with, unless you want to jettison tactical movement, AOO's and such. Not that they'd be any great loss, but it is something to ponder.
It seems most GMs for PBP games keep the combat system and just make quick grid pictures for reference. I'm thinking that I could do the same.
So, now that we've decided that we'd actually do this, are we gonna comment or build on this some more?
It's largey up to Nae to bring up the setting details as well as the initial ideas for session times and char restrictions. So we're pretty much waiting on him.
Last edited by Hypnos : 25th-September-2008 at 21:23.
I'm really sorry it's taken so long. Actually, I'm getting a bit leery about 3.5E because I'm a little worried about Batman Wizards and CoDzilla, even though it does give greater scope. Well, it's probably alright. Here's what I have so far, spoilered for length. I think one of the most embarrassing things about this is that with all of this, I still haven't figured out where to start yet. Still, making your characters as freelance mercenaries/adventurers couldn't fail to work out, and if you see a flashpoint that looks especially interesting, point it out. We'll be starting from level one, and most splatbooks should be acceptable assuming I can get a hold of a copy myself. I used Complete Divine and Frostburn for this so far myself.
History
Spoiler warning:
This story begins, as all good stories do, a long time ago, when the world ended. I will not do as many others do and claim I know why. Most say it was the last Iron Emperor’s quest for power, that not content to dominate the known world, he tried to force his will upon magic and the gods themselves. Others say that it was because the gods saw the bloodshed he wrought and turned away from our world out of shame. There are even a few who say it was the work of the Old Kingdom of Arturia and the last Wizard of the White Robes, Wences, who sought to stop the magic of the Iron Emperor. Today, it doesn’t matter who caused it, just that we know that, over four hundred years ago, the capital of the Aisern Empire was wiped from the face of Strante by a massive cataclysm. The Iron Emperor was killed, as was his entire family.
They say that the months immediately after were of jubilant celebration in the east, tempered by the knowledge that decades would be needed for recovery. The Aisern Empire quickly shattered into rival duchies, principalities, and marches, all power-mad and greedy. The Old Kingdom of Arturia, which had remained free only because of the Arturian Straits, was exhausted by decades of war and only one step above complete collapse itself. Across the Straits, old kingdoms like Voliere and Galania declared their freedom, but their lands were equally weak and strained. Lands to the west and south, seeing the end of the Empire, began to cautiously test the borders, planning their own “expeditions” to restore order.
It was only after the first months had passed, after the Empire had collapsed into complete civil war, that things began to go amiss. The first signs came from the former Empire, when devotionals to Aisara, goddess of the stars and protector of the Empire, started to go without answer. Other gods and goddesses began to go silent, and the clergy became desperate. They were not alone, either. In the collegiums, wizards and learned mages found their spells going awry, the more complex rites and rituals failing altogether, and when the clergy came to their diviners for answers, the mages had only more questions. By this time, the goddess of magic and learning, Morena, was among those who had gone silent.
Life itself followed the ley of the land, and as the magic faded, so too did life. It was the cold southern lands that were the first affected. People fled from Sventovern, once the greatest of the human nations after Aisern, northward in hordes, and others at first feared invasion, while the neighboring dwarvish empire of Azdaja retreated from the hinterlands into the mountains and began digging deeper to escape the cold. Crops failed across the land, and no one knows how many starved in the first year. Snow began to envelop the lands as winter fell, but the spring never came the next year. It was the end of the Age of Iron, and the beginning of the Age of Ice.
For almost four hundred years, the world was covered in an endless winter. The gods remained silent, and nations crumbled. Even the elven kingdom of Galania, the northernmost and warmest, was badly affected, with only the few evergreen forests surviving. Farming was difficult, but crucial to survival, and the few months of summer, when temperatures rose enough for food to be grown or for extended hunting expeditions to be safe, were critical to the few scattered settlements that were all that remained of civilization. Others, like the goblinfolk coming north after the Sventorin, had been outcast from the settlements and banded together in like fashion. Nomadic tribes of goblin and human raided settlements for food or followed herds of game across the continent. Similar tribes of halflings made their way through trade, barter, and more cunning theft. Political power survived in name only in most places on the surface, though. There were exceptions, such as the Moira River of Voliere, where the spirit Pariele was able to draw on the limited magical leylines of the land despite the fall to keep her river free, but such exceptions frequently drew exceptional notice themselves, and the Moira River was subject to repeated attacks by raiders. In the Aisern Empire, scattered enclaves developed their own senses of identity based around the old duchies and principalities. In Arturia, coastal fishing kept many more alive than in the inland nations of the continent. Elven Galania collapsed and was conquered by hobgoblin raiders seeking a permanent settlement to call their own, and many elves today retain a strong irredentist sentiment. The lands to the south of Aisern, like Sventovern, were completely depopulated save for roaming goblinfolk nomads, but underground, dwarves, kobolds, and gnomes were all moving as deep as they could to survive. In this manner, four hundred years of isolation passed.
Less than one hundred years ago, the world began to thaw. We do not know why this happened any more than we know why the magic failed in the first place, but in truth, few cared by this point. Magic began to flow anew to both priests and wizards, and old knowledge was rediscovered. Nations are now beginning to grow and expand again as bountiful harvests fuel population booms. Some kingdoms come from the history books, like Voliere or Arturia. Others, like the hobgoblin Almirat Empire, have ascended by conquering the past inhabitants, or like the Aisern Principalities, have not truly reunited at all. Even so, the world remains a harsh and dangerous place. Vast stretches of land even in the heart of Voliere or Arturia remain empty save for brigands and dishonest folk fleeing honest work, where magic works either erratically or not at all. Even so, these places serve as encouragement to new generations of adventurers, as new treasures from before the Age of Ice are uncovered as the snows recede slightly further every year. Bounty hunters make a regular living off finding and removing brigands or high-profile threats, while mercenaries find the internal feuds of the Aisern Principalities and the looming threat of Almirat a source of rich funding from dukes and kings alike.
Divinity
Spoiler warning:
The gods and goddesses of Strante are in many ways similar to their Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms counterparts, but carry their own weight of distinction. Many in the modern era are gods and goddesses of the once-proud Sventorin people, though there are just as many from the northern pantheons who have survived.
Aisara: The Celestial Goddess Sun, Glory, Mysticism (CD), Dream (CD)
Neutral Good
Aisara, goddess of the stars and truth, was once the protector of the Aisern Empire. Cunning and distant, Aisara is the watcher, and sits furthest of the gods from the affairs of mortals. It is said that she blessed the first Iron Emperor with the metal of the heavens itself, and that she continued to watch over the Aisern Empire throughout its meteoric ascent. Some even ascribe to her the survival of several Aisern states during the Age of Ice, despite the fact that she was the first to go silent. Regardless of the truth to these claims, aisensterne remains valued today in weapons for its anti-fey properties. In the present day, her name and worship remains in the Aisern Principalities, but are less frequent in other lands.
Belajic: The Knave Chaos, Competition (CD), Liberation (CD), Destruction
Chaotic Neutral
Belajic, the Knight Errant, is the voice of chaos and renewal. In his positive attributes, Belajic is the god of freedom and renewal, as well as that of competition and the caprice of fame. However, in his negative attributes, Belajic is more than willing to destroy pre-existing order to press his ideals. He stands in constant conflict with his lawful cousin Jurevo.
Beli Vid: The Brilliant One War, Oracle (CD), Strength, Sun
Lawful Good
Beli Vid, sometimes called Svetovid, is the god of war and divination, and is frequently referred to as God Eight-Eyes for his four heads. It is said that his is the power of foresight and precognition, and outside of those who worship Aisara, his is also the light of truth. Just as Aisara was said to guide the Aisern Empire, Beli Vid was the one god every soldier of Sventovern whispered a benediction to before riding to face their foes. In the modern era, he is worshipped by all who fight with tactics and skill, hoping for the skill to foresee the outcome of battles and use their knowledge to alter it to their own ends.
Jurevo: The Lawgiver Law, Strength, Community (SD), Inquisition (SD)
Lawful Neutral
Jurevo, the Advocate, is the voice of order and reason. In his positive attributes, Jurevo is the god of security and order, creating the ties that bind together societies. In his negative attributes, Jurevo is inquisitorial and suspicious, and is prepared to create repressive, ossified societies in the pursuit of order. He stands in constant conflict with his chaotic cousin Belajic.
Khemiora: The Faithful Air, Weather (CD), Animal, Plant
Neutral Good
Khemiora is the daughter of Svarid and Rasivia, and governs the wind and weather. She is also the goddess of nature, and is thus the subject of worship by many farmers.
Morena: The Frozen Goddess Magic, Cold (F), Knowledge, Darkness
True Neutral
Morena was originally the goddess of magic and winter. The Age of Ice saw her role as the winter goddess taken by her twin sister, but she remains the Frozen Goddess to her believers, and the ice still answers her call. She both obscures and delivers knowledge, but she rarely misleads, and never outright lies. As the goddess of magic, she is the source of all arcane magic.
Mortela: Lady Winter Winter (F), Death, Cold (F), Repose
True Neutral
Mortela was originally the goddess of death. In the Age of Ice, she began to be worshipped as the winter goddess by those who feared that the endless winter would never end, and thus she came to take on the role of winter that her twin sister once held. Both Mortela and Morena are worshipped in a similar manner, and both are held to work closely together.
Pariele: The Riverborn Water, Trickery, Luck, Travel
Chaotic Neutral
Pariele was originally believed to be the protector of the Moina River in central Voliere. During the Age of Ice, the Moina remained warm and flowing, providing a thin conduit of life that wound through the heart of the nation, and it was not long before the spirit became the subject of worship. It is believed that it was through the spirit’s power and the power of the hope Volieran survivors held that the river remained untouched, and when the Age of Ice receded, Pariele was taken into the restored pantheon as a new goddess. While her aspects as a goddess govern water and travel, her old form as a siren also makes her a favorite of tricksters and rogues as well. She enjoys particular favor among those from Voliere, many of whom owe their lives to her.
Rasivia: The Lover Creation, Healing, Charm, Purification (CD)
Chaotic Good
Rasivia is the goddess of fertility and the harvest. Her most significant epithet, however, refers to her aspect as the goddess of love. Along with her consort Svarid, lord of the smith, the two deities brought life to the planet of Strante. While Svarid created the bodies, it was Rasivia who breathed life into his creations. Rasivia and Svarid are thus usually worshipped together, though romantics and healers tend to favor Rasivia.
Svarid: The Creator Creation, Fire, Earth, Protection
Lawful Good
Svarid is the lord of the smith and the creator among the gods. He is another southern god brought north by Sventovern, but is still particularly revered among the dwarves. While cosmology states that the world existed before the gods came to it, it was Svarid and his consort Rasivia who created all the things of the world. Svarid and Rasivia are usually worshipped together, though smiths and artisans tend to favor Svarid.
Veles: The Destroyer Destruction, Pestilence (CD), Death, Purification
Lawful Evil
Veles is the dark counterpart to Svarid and Rasivia. In his role as the destroyer, Veles is the master of disease and decay, punishing the object of his ire with sickness. As the healer, he reverses the course of his diseases, though he only rarely takes on this aspect. Veles is cold and calculating, firm in the knowledge of inevitable death, and rarely takes an active hand in mortal matters. While Mortela collects and delivers the souls, Veles serves as the impartial judge, determining the disposition of the soul based on their deeds in life. Offerings to Veles are given as request that he pass by without causing harm. Worshippers of Veles tend to be somewhat nihilistic, especially due to the influence of the Age of Ice, where they and their god were frequently blamed for disease and suffering despite the lack of divine presence. As with Aisara, Veles rarely approaches the affairs of the other gods, preferring to rule his own domain in peace.
Almirat Empire
During the Age of Ice, several hordes of hobgoblins came together in the lands of Galania through coincidence and luck after wreaking havoc in the Aisern Principalities. The Almirat Empire is the product of their systematic conquest of Galanian settlements. This nation, the northernmost on the continent, was the least affected by the Age of Ice, and the Almirat Empire has transformed this into a powerful military force. Non-goblinoids are oppressed heavily, in what the rulers view as just payback for centuries of oppression in turn. The nation borders the Aisern Principalities through the Havelland Marches, a massive stretch of hills, valleys, and small rivers, and borders the Kingdom of Voliere through the Pirinioak, the tallest mountain range on the continent. The Pirinioak is only navigable through seven passes open only in the summer during the Age of Ice, which the elves originally took advantage of to escape into Voliere. Though the land has thawed, the Pirinioak remains as inhospitable as ever, a formidable obstacle to any invasion.
Kingdom of Arturia
The Kingdom of Arturia claims direct descendant from the Old Kingdom of Arturia before the Age of Ice, and its present ruler, King Edvin Fidelis, claims to be a direct descendent of its last king. It occupies the Arturian isle, a large island separated from east Voliere by the Arturian Straits. Its claims to all of the lands of Old Arturia give pause to its neighbors, particularly the Fir Domnann.
Fir Domnann
When the Kingdom of Arturia collapsed in the Age of Ice, the people of Lenstreia drove out their hated overlords only to find themselves on the brink of starvation. They survived through raids on the larger Arturian Isle, though the ingenuity of a small native elven population aided immensely. Fractious and quarrelsome, the Fir Domnann is a clannish collection of republican city-states are only united in opposition to foreign threats, especially Arturian.
Kingdom of Voliere
The Kingdom of Voliere is a moderately-sized nation roughly twice the size of Arturia, equal to the Almirat Empire, and half that of the former Aisern Empire. Having taken in a large amount of refugees since the Age of Ice ended from the Almirat Empire, the mostly human population of Voliere is now also dealing with integrating a large elven minority, as well as dwarves travelling north from their own kingdom, restored and returned to the surface. King Gervais has been planning for a war to defeat Almirat before they can threaten either Voliere or Aisern, but faces opposition from much of his nobility.
Aisern Principalities
A hodge-podge of bickering nations, ranging in size from duchies and marches to city-states not far removed from their original settlements, the Aisern Principalities occupy a strategically invaluable region in the center of the continent, controlling all movement north or south. There are multiple noteworthy political entities, given below.
Margravate of Havelland
The Havelland Marches are a region of many small rivers cutting through the hills that mark the lower Pirinioak, forming a network of difficult terrain that serves as an obstacle to any invaders moving south from Almirat. The Margrave, Lord Winzern, is an honorable man whose family protected several small settlements in the region since the Age of Iron, and he is one of the leading proponents of a reunified Aisern Empire under a new emperor.
Duchy of Lessern
The Duchy of Lessern is one of the largest and oldest titles in Aisern, and enjoys a unique prominence and prestige. Lessern was once the heart of the crown lands, held by the Iron Emperor, and also held the capital of Bessem. In the modern era, Bessem is nothing more than a crater, but Lessern is made up of some of the most fertile lands of the Principalities thanks to being one of the first lands in Aisern to thaw. Duke Bartlen is seen as honorable, true to his family legacy as the stewards for the Iron Emperor, but self-centered and willful. His goal is to maintain his independence, and he leads a coalition of like-minded people in opposition to any move to restore the Empire as it once was.
Duchy of Styria
The Duchy of Styria occupies the heart of the Styrian Mountains that span over half of the southern border of the empire, and made its wealth from the silver mines of the land. However, the land was never good for farming, and during the Age of Ice, the humans of the Styrian Mountains perished. Duke Arget led the return, reclaiming what he called his birthright. Many thought it mad, that the mines could never be reopened within the year, and that those who followed him would starve without trade. His gamble paid off, and Styrian silver is today the basis for the coinage of the Aisern Principalities, the Styrian economy one of the strongest in the region due to trade. The duke of Styria is a cold, determined man, determined to preserve his birthright by any means necessary. The Styrian Mountains were never suitable for invasion, and thus Styria has avoided some of the worst that has befallen its western neighbor Tyrense, but the duke remains cautious, and keeps the few open passes well-watched and fortified.
Margravate of Tyrense
The southernmost lands of the Aisern Empire were always cold and bleak, with the Nysa River serving as the natural limit to expansion. The Margravate of Tyrense is today the southernmost limit of surviving settlement by any on the surface, and mostly lives along the river. Tyrense is a nation under perpetual siege from roving bands of savages from further south, in the ice-locked lands of Old Sventovern and Ledzian. It makes its living by regular trade caravans from the southern dwarven empire of Azdaja, which has begun to return to the surface. It adjoins the Duchy of Styria, another border nation, in the east. The Margravine of Tyrense, Lady Riet, is a natural leader and fights from the front lines, and thus frequently leaves matters of state to her steward Tarnec. Tarnec is devotedly loyal to the Margravine and Tyrense, and has been seen in the company of notables from both factions. It is believed that whichever way Tyrense goes, much of the south will follow.
Board PBP RP campaign Y/N?
Space Invaders
Mars Rover
Pacman
3 Card Stud
Pinball 7UP
Blackjack Fever
War on Terror
Navy Battles
Sonic
Pipe Mania
Linear Mode
