Savage Marches

[bladerunner_35]

Just from a quick read I'd say that Code of Honour is off. Come on, she broke her word and stole from the people that trusted her the most (as far as trust goes on a pirate ship)!

Edit: Greedy is much better.

[God45]

I missed that nDervish had posted a build for the character before me... Oh well, now you have two different versions to chose from

[nDervish]

Just from a quick read I'd say that Code of Honour is off. Come on, she broke her word and stole from the people that trusted her the most (as far as trust goes on a pirate ship)!

When I was doing my version, the main thing that stuck in my head were the "takes care of her girls" aspects of the original writeup, but, on re-reading, I agree - she doesn't sound like she takes care of them so much out of any desire to do right by them as simply because it's less work.

[Ironjens]

she doesn't sound like she takes care of them so much out of any desire to do right by them as simply because it's less work.

Exactly!

Looking at the numbers you've done up I think God45's are closer to what I imagined. But I would like to add Streetwise to the skills and also change the Attractive edge to nDervish's Florentine. Rich on the other hand suits her very well.

Is flintlock weapons really a part of the general fantasy setting?

As for arcane background for the song I'll go with sorcery since I feel instictive is more in keeping with her theme. So that gives dispell right?

I would like some kind of misdirection spell or illusion that would allow for her to skulk away unnoticed. Or maybe some kind of mobility enhancing spell to allow for a comfortable lifestyle

[nDervish]

Looking at the numbers you've done up I think God45's are closer to what I imagined. But I would like to add Streetwise to the skills and also change the Attractive edge to nDervish's Florentine. Rich on the other hand suits her very well.

Florentine requires Agility d8 and God45 only gave you Agility d6, so you'll need to either reduce another stat by a die type (note that reducing Strength to d6 would mean that the longsword damage will go from 2d8 to 2d6, not d6+d8), drop Rich, or reduce one of Fighting/Notice/Taunt/Survival by a die type. I think I'd probably go with reducing Survival to d4, since that's primarily wilderness survival and Mouri seems to be more attuned to civilization.

Is flintlock weapons really a part of the general fantasy setting?

My concept of "generic fantasy" is much more Warhammer than D&D, so yes. (No dwarven steam tanks, though...)

As for arcane background for the song I'll go with sorcery since I feel instictive is more in keeping with her theme. So that gives dispell right?

I would like some kind of misdirection spell or illusion that would allow for her to skulk away unnoticed. Or maybe some kind of mobility enhancing spell to allow for a comfortable lifestyle

Correct, Sorcery gives you Dispel and one other power. So, let's see what fits what you're looking for...

Burrow
Rank: Novice
Power Points: 3
Range: Smarts x 2
Duration: 3 (2/round)
Trappings: Dissolving into the earth and
appearing elsewhere.
Burrow allows a mage standing on raw earth
to meld into it. He can remain underground
if he wants in a sort of “limbo” or burrow to
anywhere within his range. A mage with a
Smarts of d8 could therefore move up to 16”
(32 yards) on the first round, maintain the
spell and stay submerged for the second and
move another 16”.
A burrowing earth mage can attempt to
surprise a foe (even one who saw him burrow)
by making an opposed Stealth versus Notice
roll. If the mage wins, he gains +2 to attack
and damage that round, or +4 with a raise.
Targets on Hold may attempt to interrupt the
attack as usual.
Additional Targets: The power may affect
an additional target for every additional
Power Point spent, up to a maximum of five
targets.

The default trapping is burrowing through the earth, but it could be defined as something else that fits what you want.

Other likely options would be Blind, Confusion, Light/Obscure, or (for simple mobility enhancement) Speed.

[God45]

My concept of "generic fantasy" is much more Warhammer than D&D, so yes.

Awsome! Now I can start trying to get a dwarve...

(No dwarven steam tanks, though...)

Damn! (are skaven gravity feed crossbows kosher? )


Anyway let`s talk about Ironjens character. Listen to nDervish, he knows what he is talking about

[bladerunner_35]

My concept of "generic fantasy" is much more Warhammer than D&D, so yes.

Awsome! Now I can start trying to get a dwarve...

(No dwarven steam tanks, though...)

Damn! (are skaven gravity feed crossbows kosher? )

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!!1

[nDervish]

Damn! (are skaven gravity feed crossbows kosher? )

Not quite the same thing, but Fantasy Companion does include a pump-action crossbow...

BTW, I keep forgetting to mention that I created an Obsidian Portal page for the campaign at http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/savage-marches

So far, I've put up a list of the names of the four close farms around Eastmere and stats for the five NPCs who are willing and able to accompany you as henchmen (http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns ... g=henchman). Not all of them look likely to be particularly useful, but you can take as many or as few of those five with as you like.

I'll probably increase the number of available henchmen for future expeditions, but it seems best to start with fewer and see how it goes before adding more.

Now to go fill out details of the farms so that you can start thinking about the order you want to check them out...

[bladerunner_35]

Can/should we register and add our characters? Does it work like a wiki?

[nDervish]

Can/should we register and add our characters? Does it work like a wiki?

Yes, it basically seems to be a wiki with RPG-specific features added.

I encourage you to sign up and add your characters (see http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns ... -the-shade and http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns ... ychic-wars for how I formatted my deva and song), but it's not required. If you don't, I'll add them myself when I get a chance.

[Ironjens]

OK, so this is starting to shape up:

Mouri the Painted

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d6

Skills: Boating d6, Fighting d10, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Taunt d6, Survival d4 (I changed Survival and Agility to account for Florentine)

Charisma: 2, Pace: 5; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6 (Don’t know how to derive these stats, might be faults)

Hindrances:
Greedy (major)
Enemy (minor)
Obese (minor)

Edges:
Florentine
Requirements: Novice, Agility d8+, Fighting d8+
A character trained to fight “Florentine” is a master at
wielding two weapons at once. He adds +1 to his Fighting
rolls versus an opponent with a single weapon and no shield.
In addition, opponents subtract 1 from any “gang up” bonuses
they would normally get against the fighter as his two flashing
blades parry their blows.

Rich (does what exactly?)

Equipment:
Sabre - Str+d6 damage
4 throwing daggers - Str+d4 damage (melee or thrown), range 3/6/12
Leather Armor - +1 armor for torso, arms, legs
150 sp

Song: Powertrip by Monster Magnet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE7Zv6d-HUA

Arcane background: Sorcery

Dispell

Light/Obscure (Burrow sounded too complicated, this sounds more like it, remember she’s lazy…)

And I skip the pistol even though it’s attractive for a pirate. Mouri follows the zombie survival guide; never use weapons that can run out of ammo or gas…

[God45]

Rich gives you four times the starting capital and it also gives you an yearly income of a lot. It basically simulates that you character stole that money before the campaign started and the income from the bordello.

Also, my character can`t cheat on his dead wife or he will lose his magic powers. I foresee no problems with the bordello at all...

[nDervish]

Charisma: 2, Pace: 5; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6 (Don’t know how to derive these stats, might be faults)

Charisma is base 0 for everyone, and you get +2 for Attractive
Pace is base 6 for everyone, and you lose -1 for Obese
Parry is 2 + (Fighting / 2)
Toughness is 2 + (Vigor / 2), and you get +1 for Obese

Since you only changed Agility and Survival, none of them should be affected.

Rich (does what exactly?)

Rich
Requirements: Novice
Whether the individual was born with a silver spoon in his
mouth or earned it through hard work, he’s got more money
than most. Rich heroes start with three times the normal
starting funds for the setting. If a regular income is appropriate
for this setting, the hero receives the modern day equivalent
of a $150,000 annual salary.

Light/Obscure (Burrow sounded too complicated, this sounds more like it, remember she’s lazy…)

OK. In that case, the full descriptions of your powers are:

Dispel
Rank: Seasoned
Power Points: 3
Range: Smarts
Duration: Instant
Trappings: Waving hands, whispered
words.
Dispel allows a hero to negate enemy spells,
miracles, mad science, or super powers. It has
no effect on innate powers, such as a dragon’s
breath or a banshee’s scream. Neither does
dispel work on magic items or permanent
enchant­ments unless the specific item or
enchantment says otherwise.
Dispel can be used on a power already in
effect or to counter an enemy power as it’s
being used. The latter requires the countering
mage to be on Hold and interrupt his foe’s
action as usual.
In either case, dispelling the opponent’s
power is an opposed roll of arcane skills. The
dispelling character suffers a –2 modifier if the
target power is of another type (e.g., magic
vs. miracles, superpowers vs. mad science).

(Special: Sorcery gives you Dispel immediately at rank Novice and you do not take the -2 for dispelling powers of another type.)

Light/Obscure
Rank: Novice
Power Points: 2
Range: Smarts
Duration: 30 minutes (1/10 minutes) or 3 (1/
round)
Trappings: Illusionary torch, sunlight,
darkness, thick fogs.
The ability to affect visibility (creating or
removing obscurement) is a pretty simple but
very effective power.
Light/obscure can be cast on an inanimate
object, but if the item is in an opponent’s
possession, the arcane skill roll is opposed by
Agility.
Light negates any darkness/obscurement
penalty up to –6 in an area equal to a Large
Burst Template for 30 minutes (1/10 minutes).
The reverse of the power, obscure, creates a –6
obscurement penalty of the same size lasting
for 3 rounds (1/round).

[Arcturus]

Damn! (are skaven gravity feed crossbows kosher? )

Not quite the same thing, but Fantasy Companion does include a pump-action crossbow...

Ooooohhh... I want one of this instead of regular boring old crossbow. I think that would fit very well with my char concept and the kind of weapon he would prefer.

[God45]

Here are the stats

Pump crossbow 10/20/40 2d6 1 $1200 12 6 d6

[Arcturus]

Jonaleth "The ratslayer"

Jonaleth is a semi young man who if he had been born in a different time and place would have made a great scientist and chemist. Unfortunately he was born in i rather primitive land and the only occupation that he showed any aptitude for was in sorcery/magic. Even so, he found the rather messy structure and mumbo jumbo surrounding this practice very annoying and soon got rather put of his studies. What captured his imagination was instead the art of alchemy. Unforutantely his recipes seldom worked as intended and he got more and more distraught but the lack of succes. He seldom practiced his craft before the silence arrived and usually spent more time trying to create new contraptions to simplify the life in the village but few of the other villagers saw any point in these (usually) flawed inventions. His only claim to fame and main source of income comes from having accidentaly made the most potent ratpoison in the village (it started out as a really strong bowl of stew with a few "sligthly" dangerous ingredients. The rats can't get enough and die very happy.) and for this reason alone many sort of like him even if he is strange. He also tinkers with other potions and is convinced that he is on the right track for making water purification potions that will clean any water you pour it into.
The arrival of the song in his head changed a lot in his life. Suddenly he understood what he had done wrong previously in his alchemical concoctions and they were far more succesful that he ever expected. The thing behind his eyes started whispering that there was much more to learn and if he just "applied" himself he might eventually even find the formula for immortality. Jonaleth is a bit worried about the sinister vibe he gets from the song but hopes that everything will turn out for the best.

I was thinking that he is outgoing despite the fact that he is "a bit" of nerd. He has the wellfare of the village at heart and has a sharp analytical mind that he would love to apply to the new challenge that the silence poses. His optimism is probably greater that his actual skill, especially since he is not much of an outdoorsman.

Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d10, Spirit d6, Strength d4,
Vigor d6

Skills: shooting d6, Spellcasting d12, Repair d8, Throwing d6

Charisma: –; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5

Hindrances: Curious (Major), Outsider (minor), Vengeful (minor)

Edges: Arcane Background (Alchemy), Power Points, Jack-of-all-trades

Equipment: Crossbow 15/30/60 2d6 1 500 10 — d6 AP 2, 1 action to reload.

Portable lab

Powerpoints: 15



Song: Farewell by Summoning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrx90jreBtw
The song in his head is far more sinister and powerhungry that his current host
Arcane background: Alchemy
Powers:

Armor
Rank: Novice
Power Points: 2
Range: Touch
Duration: 3 (1/round)
Trappings: A mystical glow, hardened skin, ethereal armor,
a mass of insects or worms.

Armor creates a field of magical protection around a
character or an actual shell of some sort, effectively giving the
target Armor. Success grants the recipient 2 points of Armor.
A raise grants 4 points of Armor.
Whether the armor is visible or not depends largely on the
trapping.


Healing
Rank: Novice
Power Points: 3
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
Trappings: Laying on hands, touching the victim with a holy
symbol, prayer.

Healing repairs recent bodily damage. It must be used within
the “Golden Hour,” though, for it has no effect on wounds
more than one hour old.
For Wild Cards, each use of the healing spell removes a
wound with a success, two with a raise. The roll suffers a
penalty equal to the victim’s wounds (in addition to any the
caster might be suffering himself).
For Extras, the GM must first determine if the ally is
dead (see Aftermath on page 78). If so, no healing may be
attempted. If not, a successful arcane skill roll returns the ally
to the game Shaken.
Healing can also cure poison and disease if used within 10
minutes of the event


Blast
Rank: Seasoned
Power Points: 2–6
Range: 24/48/96
Duration: Instant
Trappings: Balls of fire, ice, light, darkness, colored bolts,
swarm of insects.

Blast is an area effect power that can put down many
opponents at once. The caster first picks where he wants to
center the blast, then makes the appropriate skill roll. Normal
ranged attack modifiers apply.
The area of effect is a Medium Burst Template. If the roll is
failed, the blast deviates as a launched projectile.
Targets within the blast suffer 2d6 damage. Blast counts as
a Heavy Weapon.
►►Additional Effects: For double the Power Points, the blast
does 3d6 damage, or the size is increased to a Large Burst
Template. For triple the points, it does both.

[bladerunner_35]

1 I think I'll keep it physicak since it's more powerful but let me think about it.

If you thematically want it to be pure-psychic, I'm sure we can come up with something to keep the power level about the same. I'm very open to discussing how to adjust the effects to keep the overall power level about the same if that's the direction you want to go with it.

I've decided to keep it as it stands, ie physical.

2. Well, do you handwave food and water, sleep and rain? If you do everyone will break their load limit. If you don't then it's just window dressing and I'll drop the bedroll or the like.

I generally have handwaved that kind of stuff (and encumbrance as well, for that matter) in the past, but I think those kinds of details/that kind of resource management would be fairly significant in a game focused on exploration and wilderness travel in an area where you generally won't have a friendly settlement close by to stop off and restock. There's definitely something to be said for "we have just enough food left to make it back to town; do we turn back now or press on a little further and count on being able to forage successfully on the way back?"

On the other hand, Savage Worlds seems rather generous with the Survival skill giving food, water, and a place to sleep for a day for one person on a success (nearly 50/50 odds for a wild card with d4 skill) or for five people on a raise. As far as I tell, the roll is completely free to take and doesn't even consume any traveling time. Given that, it definitely seems possible that food and water, at least, may not be worth the effort to track.

My plan, then, has been to track food, water, encumbrance, ammunition, light sources, and... umm... I think that should cover all the expendable resources... for at least the first couple sessions, then evaluate how much of an effect they're actually having and how much bookkeeping overhead they create and decide what to do about them from there.

The two exceptions are time and fatigue, which are definitely in and staying: For long-distance trips, make a Fatigue roll after 8 hours of travel, with another Fatigue roll for each additional two hours of travel after that. These Fatigue levels will recover at a rate of one after each full night's sleep, so you can travel 8 hours per day more-or-less indefinitely, and may be able to continue beyond that on at least some days.

Personally I want to use all the rules from the deluxe edition (sleep deprivation, thirst, disease, hunger and the like) but as I've said I like resource management and being forced to make strategical and tactical decisions. Only in the general sense though, no micromanagement.

I think it works better as simple decisions, meaning we can choose to finish the defences today but suffer from sleep deprivation tomorrow, or choose to finish the defences tomorrow and risk not being ready when the attack comes etcetera. No counting each and every waking hour or meal!

That said I'll keep my gear as it is (and probably add a couple of kg worth of food and water once we head out).

I really like the webpage, I'll see what I can do about updating it.

Between Alaric, Enock, Jonaleth and Mouri we seem to have a very nice and somewhat diverse group of adventurers ehm....Devas. I am looking forward to monday.

[nDervish]

Personally I want to use all the rules from the deluxe edition (sleep deprivation, thirst, disease, hunger and the like) but as I've said I like resource management and being forced to make strategical and tactical decisions. Only in the general sense though, no micromanagement.

I think it works better as simple decisions, meaning we can choose to finish the defences today but suffer from sleep deprivation tomorrow, or choose to finish the defences tomorrow and risk not being ready when the attack comes etcetera. No counting each and every waking hour or meal!

I think you and I are pretty much in agreement on this.

My intention in adding the "check Fatigue after 8 hours hiking and each 2 hours after that" rule wasn't to track every hour, but rather because I'm not happy with RAW technically allowing you to hike for 18 hours, sleep 6, then do it again the next day, and the next, and the next... without ever tiring or suffering any ill effects from doing so. In practice, I would expect the standard 8 hours of hiking to be spread out over 12-14 hours of game-world time, with resting, foraging (for those free Survival rolls), meals, etc. mixed in throughout that time and I have no desire to try to figure it out in any greater detail than that.

[nDervish]

I just cleaned up a few things with the characters entered so far on Obsidian Portal. Specifically:

- Your characters should be tagged with "active" (members of the current active party), "eastmere" (their location), and either "song" or "deva" (or both if you enter both as a single character).

- If you enter your Song and Deva separately, include a link from each one to the other. Also, only mark the Song as a PC, not the host/deva (to keep the site from cluttering up the sidebar party listing with two characters per player).

I've already made these changes to the characters that have been entered, but, bladerunner_35, can you check to verify that you can still edit Enock's character page? It still shows you as the character's author, but I'm not 100% certain that you didn't lose the ability to edit him when I turned off the "player character" setting.

[Ironjens]

Ok, so I updated and added a picture. The woman in the picture ins't obese, so I guess it's an older photo...