Categories
Games Roleplaying

Kingmaker Session 1

We’re playing through the Kingmaker Adventure Path. I’m playing Arndor– see the previous post (Kingmaker Arndor Background) for his story.

The first session began with our characters riding out to Oleg and Svetlana’s Trading Post. This became our base of operations, for our charter to bring peace and prosperity to Brevoy’s borders.

When we arrived, Oleg told us about bandits who made quite a nuisance of themselves. We decided to ambush them when they arrived on schedule the following morning. Haps led five of his men into the fight; they fell to terrible spells and deadly blows. We took their cloak pins, interrogated the two men we’d captured, and set off to the bandit camp.

There, Egg-Shen crept around the camp and silently gathered information on Kressel’s men. We were outnumbered, but struck with the advantage of surprise. After pressing hard, Kressel fled into a hollow log–but did not emerge from the far edge. We pursued her into the log and found a passage to a cave/chamber below. Stannis climbed down the ladder–and was struck by two deadly axe blows, falling unconscious. Arndor pledged her safe escape if she allowed him to treat their fallen friend. She accepted, and we let her walk from her camp while we treated Stannis.

Categories
Game Group Games Roleplaying

Kingmaker Arndor Background

Concept sketch for Arndor [Background: Rostlander]

Family History
– Our family was influential in Rostland prior to the conquering.
– Descent had long passed through the female line; family legend had it that our foremother Hildirid was Iomedae’s older sister.
– When the barbarian conquerer Choral defeated the forces of Rostland, the Earl and Marchioness of Skaklis burned under the assault of his dragon allies, along with most of our family’s troops and retainers
– In the aftermath of that terrible defeat, the family’s heir was Gunnolf (a young man). He went into the woods for refuge, found a wood wife, and returned with a half-fey daughter
– Generations later, our family is still not large or wealthy; the best part of the land was seized and distributed among the barbarian’s followers, leaving us a hardscrabble remnant of our former estate

In My Day
– Arndor is the third child; his older sisters are Sigrun (the heir) and Katla (her spare).
– Our mother Estrith, married a local landowner, Ingebrit. She is the Marchioness of Skalkis… or at least what remains of it
– The powers of our foremother (the fey) spark in Arndor; the old woods magic has awakened
– The family was raised with tales of our ancient glories, careful stewardship, and ties to the land.

Arndor
Arndor is young (17), raised with the obligations of the nobility, but unlikely to ever inherit or exercise power. As a child, Arndor had little patience for studies–his ramblings were indulged, with servant’s whispers that his grandmother’s sap flows through his veins. His sister Sigrun will inherit the obligations and responsibilities of rule; as third, there is little chance Arndor would have to put learning to use. For the last four years he’s grown increasingly impatient; too noble to apprentice to a craftsman, but not bookish enough to be useful in administration. The path of knowledge doesn’t seem to be his; he has no talent for book learning.

For the last three years, he’s been a landless country lord, dependent on family. He has begun to circulate on his own and develop his own friends, many also superfluous sons and displaced nobility. These friends call him focused; what’s in front of him is what he pays attention to. He’s cultivated a reputation for wanderlust, so he can wander the woods (out of sight of spies), and show up unexpectedly at the houses and estates of allies without comment. So far, he’s all talk–moody, impatient with the world, not willing to understand the realities of modern Brevoy.

As a noble without an inheritance, Arndor wants to make his mark on the world. He desperately wants to restore the seized lands of Skaklis to his mother’s domain. He is cautious, knowing that the barbarians would seize the scraps of land left to his family if they were found guilty of treason. It is hard to wait, though, given the strange disappearance of House Rogarvia and the relocation of rule to distant Port Ice. Truth be told, Arndor needs bold allies to help restore his family and prosper in the looming civil war. To be worthy of such allies, Arndor needs to develop his powers, his heritage, to be a valuable ally.

Arndor values directness and bold speaking, considering weasel talk Issia’s vice. He’s quite vulnerable to pleas of having fallen on hard times; while he’s never been wealthy enough for extensive charity, he tries to aid and support any who suffer under Brevoy or Issian oppression. He’s confident that if the yoke of oppression was removed, starvation and privation would be a thing of the past. Despite that… he was raised in Iomedae’s church, and believes the righteousness is the correct path. While he’d be tempted to use demonic or infernal allies, he wouldn’t–the blazing glory of Iomedae demands their destruction.

Dressing with casual elegance, antique silver buttons flashing down the center of his jerkin, Arndor knows that his family’s wealth is quite limited. He carries himself as best he can, but patched trousers and a torn but carefully mended cape of forest green with his family’s coat of arms are the glories he calls his own. Buckskin boots lace high for careful forest travels. He often hunts with Bjorn, the manor’s kennel master, hawking or running the hounds to bring back meat for the table.

Not at all fond of cold, Arndor is particularly unhappy with snow and slush. In decorating, he has an irrational dislike for pottery, especially porcelain and clay fired–probably due to one too many childhood mishaps. Conversely, while his fellow nobles don’t appreciate them, Arndor is a fan of shepherd’s pipes. He also has a taste for lemon–its mere scent can jolly him out of a funk. He also whittles habitually–he’s not particularly good, but it calms him. He’s not good at math, particularly formal math for exact answers, but he’s estimates quite quickly. While he’s not a fast or strong reader, he does know over 1000 years of his family history–as brute force memorization.

Categories
Roleplaying Trips

GenCon games

I tried out four new RPGs, most of which I’ve been following casually since development– and one, Burning Wheel, which I’d owned but had been too intimidated to run without playing. After playing it, I think I could run it– and would enjoy doing so. Dresden was fun– very like I expected, but it was great to see the other players go “click” when they got Aspects. The game was crazy and over the top by the end, when it all sang. The GM took some chances, but they paid off beautifully, and really reinforced the feel of the novels. Star Wars was very well run intrigue– and I accidentally got to play the straight man– the only guy no one had a hold on. So they kept me in the dark– as a player and PC both– and it was a blast. Of course, it didn’t end quite right… my dice went on a hot streak and the rebel defectors fell to my blaster. 😉 Pathfinder was interesting; it’s exactly as advertised– a slight cleanup and extension of 3.5. I was able to play confidently from my character sheet, despite never looking at the book.

Meeting writers of blogs and RPG books was less exciting than I’d anticipated. Despite following people for years, it’s all one way, so conversations really stalled at the “nice to meet you” stage. Which, really, is fine– I’d never pushed to make them closer before, and a con with so many new faces wasn’t the place.

Conversely, finally meeting the people I’ve been writing with for a couple of years was neat. We didn’t schedule enough together time– I could have spent a day, easy, in camaraderie, but we were all trying to fill our GenCon, most were traveling with other friends, and so on. Still, it was great to meet them, the same night we won the Ennie– which was nice. The ceremony was too long, and Pathfinder’s roll of victories (something like 11 of 21 categories) got a little embarrassing after a while. The workshop the next morning was great– I’m not a huge public speaker, but it was very comfortable passing the conversation and questions back and forth, due to our years of interaction. Winning a silver Ennie was great– I think it caught us all off guard. Selling out the 50 con copies of Eureka was gratifying– all the way through the design I though the product category was a long shot because so little system neutral stuff does well. I was pleasantly surprised to find out otherwise– though some of that was due to our sights not being too large.

Open board gaming was a way to fill the cracks; it was interesting to see which games were popular enough to maintain tournaments years after their release. The Rio Grande room was great– they had a roving demo staff who would come up to you when you sat down at a board, and would walk you through the first couple of turns. I got to try out several new games, which was a nice spot of fun. They also had Dominion’s new expansion, Prosperity, which really broke the mold of the first few sets. It’s intentionally inflationary, and I suspect that it won’t mesh well with core sets Dominion– or, rather, that games using Prosperity cards will feel more like Prosperity than core Dominion.

I blew off a game for more dealer’s hall roaming Sunday. The dealer’s hall was impressive, sometimes overwhelming. Each time I’d hit an area I’d see new booths I’d somehow not noticed on the previous pass. Given my biases, it was more amazement at the variety of goodies out there than the need to buy much that struck me… but the IPR booth was dangerous, particularly when a designer pitched their own game.

Sunday morning we also got a very quick demo of Battles of Westeros, FFG’s new “Battlelore” core set. We all liked it right away, and I think it’s a lot like a Euro-game version of most tactical minis games; about a 90 minute play time, simple but deep rules, with lots of room for strategy but a strong influence by luck. We bought BoW and it’s been a frequent play this week. We have the rules down pretty smoothly now, and once the new game luck wore off for me, Jennifer enjoyed it too.

It was sometimes overwhelming, often fun in a small way, sometimes fun in a huge way, and simply an amazing experience. I have no idea when I’ll get to go again, but I hope it’s some time soon.

More on the RPGs (from the original post):
Burning Wheel was great to see in play; I’ve long owned it, but had been intimidated by the rules. I now think I could tackle it.

Dresden was great– I love the novels– but what really made it sing was watching the non-Fate players “get” Aspects. We did some crazy big, crazy cool stuff. I’m going to steal the GM’s big marker and index cards for keeping track of scene and city aspects– having them in front of you reminded you to tag them for awesomeness.

My Star Wars game involved some really well run intrigue. It was great to play with my normal Star Wars GM– he’s long run it, but hadn’t had a chance to actually play. Winding up the accidental straight man, and rolling incredibly lucky just when the story required that I not do so was great.

Learning byswarm’s “Dark Golden” world and Pathfinder was neat. The easy grapple rules really were impressive, and familiarity from long play of 3.5 made it relaxing.

Categories
Game Group Roleplaying

The Journal of Robert Cassidy (April 9-10)

Tuesday April 9, 1875; Independence, MO
For a boom town in the wild, Independence is big. It’s a town with a purpose: equipping wagon trains with their supplies and turning a tidy profit.

The day started early; Malachai and I started lining up supplies for the follow up wagons, making good use of our new found wealth. We went from shop to shop, turning over more and more credit from the letter over to the merchants, until it was finally exhausted at near day’s end.

Categories
FATE Games Roleplaying

Centurions: DeLeon

DeLeon

Aspects
Latin Ways
Dad taught me everything about flying
Flying Ace
Lady Killer
Could Fly Swiss Cheese
Eagle Eyes
Man-O-War, his plane
Skills
+5: Pilot
+4: Engineering, Guns
+3: Alertness, Intimidation, Might
+2: Athletics, Leadership, Resolve, Survival
+1: Burglary, Drive, Endurance, Gambling, Rapport
Stunts
Barnstormer
Death from Above
Flying Ace
Personal Aircraft (Man-o-War)
Fly By Night
Health: 4
Composure: 4
Refresh Rate: 5
Current Fate Points: 5

Man O War: Detachable Pontoons, Armed

DeLeon grew up with his father, a plane maker, who inspired DeLeon with a passion for flying from a young age. He never knew his mother and avoided school as best he could, flying with his father to remote corners of Portugal. They moved to the US, where his Latin Ways intrigued the girls and charmed other boys. When he turned 13, his father died crashing an experimental plane.

With no one keeping track of him, DeLeon joined the military as an aviator. During the war he relegated to gunner… until the day his pilot had to bow out at the last minute due to a sudden flu. They turned to DeLeon, who amazed them with his expert flying. Soon he was a decorated Ace.

DeLeon in Around the World in 60 Days
Guest Starring: Thomas Kretchman and The Shamrock
While filling his plane, DeLeon spotted a flash over the hill. Shots burst out around him; he threw the propeller and got in as it rolled forward under fire. He barely made it off the ground and turned to take on the ambushers when a plane dove toward him out of the sky. Despite several shots piercing Man-o-War, he managed to maneuver, blinding the following plane with the smoke pouring from his plane, before rising up and finishing off his ambusher.

Later, DeLeon hired Thomas to carry his plane across a long gap in the Pacific where refueling would have been difficult. Enemy agents tried to storm the decks of the Princess Greta to sabotage DeLeon’s plane… but were thwarted when Thomas broke out a stash of tommy guns and chased them over the side. The Shamrock, a fellow passenger, noticed a few raiders trying to sabotage Man-o-War and joined the fight!

Categories
FATE Games Roleplaying

Centurions: Micky “The Shamrock” O’Sullivan

Micky “The Shamrock” O’Sullivan

Aspects
I’m a Mountain
Driven
Mob Enemy
Darling of the Shamrock Fight Club
Soft Spot for Kids
Real Men are Straightforward
Can Smell Sabotage
Loyal to Friends
Devil May Care
Skills
+5: Fists
+4: Might, Athletics
+3: Endurance, Intimidation, Weapons
+2: Alertness, Guns, Resources, Resolve
+1: Academics, Drive, Gambling, Rapport, Survival
Stunts
Brawler
Dirty Fighter
Crippling Blow
Wrestler
Hammerlock
Health: 5
Composure: 4
Refresh Rate: 5
Current Fate Points: 5

Micky grew up not knowing his parents, in an orphanage. His Irish heritage is obvious, and he was always a size larger than his peers, becoming a playground enforcer. His natural talent for fighting soon made him famous on the streets of Brooklyn. His childhood was desperately poor, lighting a fire for wealth in Micky’s veins.

In his teens he found his way to a boxing club and began to make a good living. The sports world took notice as rose quickly in rankings, concealing his true age behind his large frame. He loyally joined the army, but found that secret patrons wanted him kept out of harm’s way– he spent his days teaching hand to hand combat to new recruits. One day he came across a group of men smuggling supplies out of the camp; alone and unarmed he stopped a half dozen men. This brought him to the attention of Colonel Wilkensen, a member of the Century Club.

The Shamrock in Fists and Dollars
Guest Starring: Alastair Carstairs and Jack Hex
The Shamrock was scheduled for the super heavyweight boxing match of the century in France, pitted against the Turk. On the way over, Jack Hex stopped several attempts on The Shamrock, ambushes to prevent him from making the fight. Jack was a motivated defender of Shamrock, since he had his life savings invested in Shamrock’s victory. If the opposition had only known Jack was on the job, they’d never have wasted their time making the futile attempts.

Reporters from around the world witnessed a 12 round bout where the Shamrock won, despite the Turk’s corner cheating. Alastair noticed the opponents slipping a drug into The Shamrock’s water bucket. Taking matters into his own hands, Alastair cautiously foiled the plot by pretending to trip, spilling the bucket of poisoned water.

The Shamrock’s victory secured the mortgage for the orphanage he’d grown up in and preserved the Shamrock Boxing Club building.

Categories
FATE Games Roleplaying

Centurions: Jack Hex

Jack Hex

Aspects
Son of Billy the Kid
Born in the Saddle
Master of Disguise
Anything for a Friend
In the Nick of Time
Twisted R Ranch Rivalry
Always Bets the Farm
Got The Shamrock’s Back
Hero of the Mexican War
Skills
+5: Guns
+4: Gambling, Survival
+3: Athletics, Fists, Weapons
+2: Alertness, Endurance, Resources, Resolve
+1: Contacting, Drive, Leadership, Rapport, _______
Stunts
Quick Draw
Winnings
Hell Bent for Leather
Two Gun Joe
Lightning Hands
Health: 4
Composure: 4
Refresh Rate: 5
Current Fate Points: 5

Jack was raised by his Pa in the ways of a gunfighter. Both were surprised when Jack bested his father at age 12. A horse ranch is a great place to grow up; Jack learned a lot from the local Indians who worked on the ranch.

Jack eventually fell in love with a local girl, but the call of glory was strong. He ran off to war, while she pledged to wait for him. Jack rode in the cavalry in North Africa, quickly rising to the rank of Captain. While serving, he got bad news: his sister had married into the twisted R family.

Jack Hex in the Fall of Pancho Villa
Guest Starring: The Shamrock and DeLeon
Seeking the day when the way of the gun was a way of life, Jack accepts Blackjack Pershing’s invitation to quell the Pancho Villa uprising. Using his skill as a horseman and gunfighter, Jack confounded Villa’s army by cutting off supply lines and beating his best men.

DeLeon contributed by scouting from the sky, strafing an enemy formation, and flying back to Jack Hex with Pancho’s location. The Shamrock joined up with Jack and cleared away a bunch of rebels standing between Jack and Pancho. Jack took on Pancho, defeating him and earning a congressional medal of honor for his actions.

Categories
FATE Games Roleplaying

Centurions: Alistair Carstairs

Alistair Carstairs

Aspects
Mask of Quetzalcoatl
Single Minded
Sucker for a Pretty Face
Mask of Thor
Enemy: Devlin VonStein
Clumsy on Cue
Mask of Ra
Skills
+5: Mysteries
+4: Resources, Weapons
+3: Academics, Resolve, Stealth
+2: Alertness, Science, Contacting, Survival
+1: Athletics, Guns, ______x3
Stunts
Artificer
Psychic
Secrets of the Arcane (Mythology)
Herbal Remedies
Rare Artifact: Mask of Thor
Health: 3
Composure: 5
Refresh Rate: 5
Current Fate Points: 5

His mother, a successful and beautiful debutant could always get him to do anything with a smile– a trait that has continued to haunt him through his life. Alistair was with his father on an Aztec dig in Central America when he fell down a shaft in a pyramid, and knocked over an Aztec mask which somehow landed on his face. The glowing mask offered him power…

Alastair ran away to join the army, enlisting as a foot soldier, in contrast to his older brother and father. They each served as officers, directing the war safely behind the lines. He was in the trenches when a canister of mustard gas landed nearby and crept over the trenches. A wind sprang up, saving Alastair and his companions… and bringing him to the attention of Grandpa Merlin, who inducted him into the Century Club.

Alastair Carstairs versus Devlin Vonstein in The Mask of Ra
Guest Starring: Thomas Kretschmann and Jack Hex

The call of the Mask of Ra lured Alastair and Devlin into a race for the power of the gods. Stormy Mediterranean seas, rogue sandstorms, desert nomads, and Devlin VonStein conspired to thwart our hero.

When Alastair took the Greta from London to Cairo, neither Alastair or Thomas suspected that thugs had stowed away inside a secondary cargo crate. When they made their move, the ship was trying to thread a stormy gates of Gibraltar!

In the desert, Jack decoyed a band of nomad attackers away on a two day detour, finally making a stand while dressed as Alastair to draw their fire.

Categories
FATE Games Roleplaying

Centurions: Thomas Kretschmann

Thomas Kretschmann

Aspects
The Black Sheep of the Family
“I’ve Got the Sea in My Blood”
“Damn those torpedoes! All Ahead FULL!”
Decorated by the Kaiser – Cross of Iron
Cutting it Close
Married to Greta, the “Not-So-Trampy” Freighter
“I’ve Got an Angle”
“I Have Some Friends in Low Places”
“Well, For a Few Dollars More….”
TBD
Skills
+5: Rapport
+4: Contacting, Leadership
+3: Deceit, Fists, Sea Captain
+2: Athletics, Alertness, Empathy, Guns
+1: Endurance, Engineering, Investigation, Resolve, Resources
Stunts
Linguist: German (N), English, TBD, TBD, TBD, TBD
Crazy Helmsman (i.e. Barnstormer) – “Greta will FIT!”
Danger Sense
“I Know a Guy Who Knows a Guy”
Personal Gadget: S.S. Prinzessin Greta
Health: 4
Composure: 4
Refresh Rate: 5
Current Fate Points: 5

S.S. Prinzessin Greta – Futurization (Faster Turbines), Rugged (Built to Last), and Secret Compartments

Thomas left home in his teens to live a life at sea. Thomas did not maintain contact with his estranged father, a wealthy Prussian industrialist, or his uncaring and detached mother. The only member of his family that he maintains a correspondence with is his sister Inga.

While serving on a merchant vessel, he was incorporated into the merchant arm of the Kriegsmarine during WWI. Thomas was made a junior officer due to his abilities, family name, and Prussian heritage. While serving as second officer of the merchantman Hamburg, Thomas took charge of the ship when the Captain and First Officer were killed during an attempt to break a Britsh blockade in the Baltic. Tom’s luck enabled the ship to break through and deliver the medical supplies needed by the German Army. He was given an Iron Cross by the Kaiser himself. His parents did not attend this ceremony and they kept Inga from attending as well.

After the war, Thomas signed on with a freighter, the S.S. Austria, owned by a salty old sea-dog named Karl Lundtz. Lundtz was a friend to the Century Club, his father having been a member in it. Lundtz noted the date of Thomas birth and realized that he would be a prime candidate for the Century Club. With that secretly in mind, Karl became Thomas’ mentor and he soon realized that Thomas had some special gifts in dealing with people.. There were many adventures and it wasn’t too long before Thomas was recruited into the Century Club. After a while, he became the First Officer aboard the newly launched S.S. Prinzessin Greta. When Lundtz passed away, he left the new ship to Thomas, much to the dismay of the wealthy ship-building Lundtz family, who had wanted to sell it to the Weimer Republic or another government as a proto-type.

Thomas Kretschmann in “A Tale of Two Princesses”
Guest Starring: Alastair Carstairs and DeLeon

The Russian princess Anastasia, fleeing communist agents from the Port of Leningrad, begged for passage aboard the Greta. When the Russian navy sorties to cut off the Princess Greta, Kretschmann realizes that escaping with the last of the Romonovs will be cutting it close.

Alastair Carstairs had booked passage to protect the fleeing princess and escort her to England. When the Russian navy sought out the Greta, Alastair called upon the Mask of Thor and divine mist cloaked the ship, concealing it until it made port in Norway.

There, Thomas was tipped off that two Russian ships lurked just outside of port, waiting to snare the Greta and recover Anastasia. Thomas tracked down DeLeon, who chivalrously flew the fleeing princess out of Norway. Thomas continued on course and allowed the Russians to board his ship in a futile search for the Princess who was already winging her way to London.

Categories
FATE Games

Niffty Diaspora Handout and AP

Here’s a link to Chris Norwood’s very attractive cluster PDF.

The first week’s actual play. Sounds like an interesting group of people and worlds.