tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60712144463635604502024-03-05T06:39:35.257+00:00Iron Phoenix Passion PlayMark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-48908967405393752152012-06-30T09:35:00.001+01:002012-06-30T09:36:41.222+01:00Want to see my weapon?<div><p>I don't think I ever posted this, so here it is - a Simba Blaster made up to look like a bolt pistol.</p>
<p>This was someone's  birthday present.</p>
<br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65zRZxUQZorvN14cDkgEGc2QwEuCZieaUviwUggqLVp2sSD-wGQL-cN5cw4f5oY1ODQSrAI1SaFw8jlY91CaxGd489y07fyJmn5qe2v213SL8ZaYmqBdhc5OKk7GqCaZ7pLE9dBe8Q6M/' /></div>Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-23414253098555277772012-06-30T09:29:00.001+01:002012-06-30T11:41:50.858+01:00What do you want?Here's a fun question: say I do finally get my FS larp started (unlikely at this rate if work keeps up its breakneck pace) what do I want it to look like?<br />
<br />
Well, for a start, I want it to look <b>pretty</b>. Pretty much every fashion and style can find a place and the game's social nature encourages something nicer than the rougher styles of outdoors larping. I think it's also because
I find inspiration in cosplay and want to continue previous successes an bringing non-gamers into gaming.<br />
<br />
My platonic ideal of a <b>gamespace </b>is probably UCL - at least, until the Masons let me wander round their grand lodge! UCL had a large, open room with an adjoining 1st floor garden (complete with Japanese marker), large marbled corridors, stairs and so on. Of course, that's not the only one. My old uni had a 7th floor lecture room that made a great Rampart Parliamentaire building, with its floor-to-ceiling view of London's skyline.<br />
<br />
Gameplay...that I want to work with. At its heart Passion Play was very much a social game and I want to keep that, whatever system I end up using. Except the combat. Even in the social style, I need violence to be energetic - at best something like Star Wars, at its worst brutal and real.<br />
<br />
It may not be the most sensible thing, but my experiences of combat turning into some round-based minigame mean that I want something else.
Besides, I do have my eye on a more traditional questing game in the undecided future, where questers travel, quest and fight with dart guns and rubber swords.<br />
<br />
I want social gaming because I want to reinforce the perspective of PCs as the 1%. These are people living in the ruins of a grand civilisation and, ultimately, the scope needs to be the same. Like the best in science fiction, it may have epic wars and stars as its backdrop, but the resolution is found in people's hearts and minds.<br />
<br />
Rather than try replicate every thing (and where would I get armies of serfs and knights on jetbikes, anyway?) I'd rather portray the outside world in slightly more abstract terms of maps, news reports and npcs.<br />
<br />
In some ways I'd say that's a more realistic portrayal anyway - just look at MPs, CBI types and the bubble they quite clearly live in.
(Also, by focusing on social gaming first and linear stuff later, I can focus on worldbuilding.)<br />
<br />
There's also a strong influence here - Babylon 5 taught me that the best drama often comes from two people in a room...just talking. Remember Londo and Reefa talking about the invasion of the Narn homeworld?Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-77142439128017447262012-06-30T08:38:00.000+01:002012-06-30T11:40:44.296+01:00Of Supergods and MenI've just finished Grant Morrison's <i>Supergods</i>. I have to admit that I've never been able to get into comics - oh, I've read a little Dredd, 40k, The Crow, Watchmen and the bad taste comedy of Lenore, but I've never stuck to anything. Most of my superhero lore, like with the mainstream, comes from the recent spate of movies.<br />
<br />
If you haven't read it, it's one part history of comics and one part history of Grant Morrison. It also talks about comic books and superheroes in deeply psychological terms, which is what interests me.<br />
<br />
After all, rpg characters are superheroes, regardless of genre.
Even Vampire, with its 'gothic storytelling' shtick had characters who represented ideas, who could punch through walls and live soap-opera lives of people who don't die unless they're written out.<br />
<br />
And what does this have to do with FS? Well, FS consciously straddles reality and myth. As I keep saying, FS characters are the 1%: mythologised like movie stars, powerful as only feudal lords can be and with technologies that look like superpowers to the common folk.
Reading a book that dissects superheroes and the heroic myth can only be useful.Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-11038105280612657192012-04-14T12:53:00.002+01:002012-04-23T21:07:53.031+01:00Wrath of the Iron Phoenix (Post-game wrap-up)Last Saturday saw my FS LARP go. The plot was pretty simple; a replay of the invasion of Rampart. It seemed like a good idea; doing it as a one-off allowed players to dictate a part of history, creating the environment they would then have to play through.<br />
<br />
<i>EDIT: for the uninitiated, this game is set during the Emperor Wars, a big dust-up between all factions of the Noble Houses, Church and Guilds that defined the 'current' setting. Essentially, House li-Halan were leaked details of heresies occurring on Rampart - nascent democracy and various techno heresies - and decided to put a stop to that. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Some say House Decados did this to distract the house from attacking Decados words, while the Guilds are also believed to have shafted their own. By letting the li-Halan take care of Rampart, the guilds on Leagueheim were able to remove a technological competitor - and while some guilds harboured thoughts of equality, Rampart was far ahead in this belief and the other guilds liked their position enough not to rock the boat. </i> <br />
<br />
<br />
There were problems - some of my prop ideas didn't work and I forgot to buy GM radio. Also I had a grand total of <i>one</i> npc aside from myself, so a lot of ideas were discarded as simply impracticable. <br />
<br />
That said, it went stormingly well. I didn't catch everything -being GM on the Guild side- but I saw a fair bit. Including one part where I walked back to the <i>Conseil</i> chamber in time to see the Ukari Reeve pistol-whip the Amalthean!<br />
<br />
<i>(Yeah, yeah, about that: basically there was an argument between the Ukari and Amalthean. The Ukari said that he was happy as long as they caused more casualties than they took, while the Amalthean - naturally - took umbrage at the sentiment. He got a pistol at his chest and then slapped with it. Probably not amongst his top five experiences.) </i><br />
<br />
I started with the Guild briefing, sending the other GM to brief the li-Halan. In an overly-empty <i>Conseil</i> chamber (a masonic hall), a handful of the remaining Guilders clustered around a <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-ESfD2goPXiMzhpQXhORG9TSnVLM1d5bXBTQ3ZyUQ/edit">large map</a>. Their fellow members were dead or had fled, fearing death or conversion by the li-Halan.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00100-20120407-1952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00100-20120407-1952.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone listens to the Ukari. There is absolutely no way this can end badly.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Elsewhere, in a brightly-lit room on a li-Halan ship, the nobles planned their assault. <br />
<br />
The Guild struck first. The Ukari Muster ended the li-Halan's occupation of Kempston mag-rail station by sending one of the trains at high speed. It crashed through the station, killing troops waiting to board and scattering the rest. <br />
<br />
They also used their Charioteer allies to set up direct radio communications and shuttle flights (the latter being rather dangerous, with Archangel fighters patrolling the area).<br />
<br />
In response the li-Halan chose to reach out to local nobles, landing on Camlaan island and negotiating with the landless nobles there. Unfortunately their shuttle was spotted leaving the island by the Ukari's Reeve's friends in Bava. The next time their came back, the two Ukari and their Charioteer friend were lying in wait. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00102-20120407-2054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00102-20120407-2054.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The li-Halan guild member (right) talks to the li-Halan emissary and her Priest.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The guilders left their captives mostly to their own devices, unsure of what to do with them. Although the Orthodox priest did come up with escape plans, the noble refused to do so. She did hope that her father would come for her...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00103-20120407-2055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00103-20120407-2055.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'I'm going to take everything you have. Including the priest's hat.'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
He didn't. The guilds did try negotiating, but didn't get far - the li-Halan in charge started by saying he had to stop the rot and ended becoming more blatantly about money and power. He said that he'd spent far too much to stop now - his part of the spoils would probably be dowry for his daughter's Decados husband-to-be.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00106-20120407-2110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00106-20120407-2110.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Engineer offers weapons of mass destruction in return for forgiveness. <br />
One of the moral dilemmas (dangling tech in front of the li-Halan) where players don't bite at all. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Despite repeated negotiations, the two sides kept fighting.<br />
<br />
Eventually the li-Halan make a surprise strike to take the Agora, leading to wild rumours that the Battle Brothers were slaughtering captives (they weren't - I had <i>no idea</i> where this came from!) and started pushing towards parliament. <br />
<br />
Anyway, things went from <i>really</i> tense to <i>incredibly</i> tense. The Guilders prepared to fight, before deciding to leave in a li-Halan shuttle taken at the same time as their captives. The li-Halan pushed through the parliamentary double-doors, throwing in a grenade...only to face an Amalthean who prayed to bring calm on the crowd.<br />
<br />
The guilders then spent all the Wyrd they had to avoid getting shot down by the <i>Invictum Stella</i>, the li-Halan flagship in orbit. There they became pirates, biding their time until they could return and take their world back.<br />
<br />
The li-Halan Duke isn't playing gentle either. He's purging a couple of levels of tech, as well as closing down the Guild-maintained public schools. <br />
<br />
And that was the event. There's already popular demand for a sequel so I'll have to go back up, though I do want to get a serial game set up down here.<br />
<br />
I'll pick the game apart in another post - what worked and what didn't. <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00098-20120407-1913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00098-20120407-1913.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Guild players (L-R) Ukari Muster, Reeve apprentice (and li-Halan spy), Ukari Reeve and Charioteer. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00099-20120407-1914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00099-20120407-1914.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The invaders: (L-R) Amalthean, Battle Brother, li-Halan leader, his daughter and a Decados Orthodox Confessor </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-22337995809380866782012-03-11T20:58:00.000+00:002012-03-16T07:28:58.497+00:00Carlisle event - 2nd week of April (Updated)<i>>>Updated March 16th - I have about 7 people registering interest in Carlisle alone, plus two other people I contacted directly through rpg.net. That's enough to do something basic - let's see if I can't double this number!<< </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I know a guy who knows some people (you'd be amazed how often a story starts like that), some of whom would <i>definitely</i> be up for a Fading Suns LARP.<br />
<br />
I will be in <b>Carlisle,Cumbria</b>, for the 2nd week of April (the 9th to 15th, for those keeping count). Weirdly, despite not being much of a place (it's like South Park with a rural British accent) it has a damn good gaming scene. And a bunch of great people I've known for some time, many of whom I introduced to FS.<br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>Guess who wants to experiment on/with them? Guess which local LARP GM said they'd be interested?</i><br />
<br />
I've got a location in mind (and it <i>really</i> suits).<br />
<br />
I've got a Plan (the same plotline I've been talking about recently. Hell, it needs using).<br />
<br />
I just need a few more players. (That's where you come in.)<br />
<br />
If you can get over to Carlisle that week, email me at<i> ironphoenixuk@gmail.com</i> because I really want to get started.<br />
<br />
I got props. I got ideas for props I ain't even built yet. I got a couple of outfits (priest and Battle Brother).<br />
<br />
And I have guns. Lots of guns.<br />
<br />
Email me. <i><b>ironphoenix@gmail.com</b></i> Tell me you're available and that you believe the priests when they say Questing is the greatest virtue.Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-42753892039519462052012-03-11T20:35:00.001+00:002012-03-11T20:35:22.418+00:00[Guns Redux] I said, the BEST toys...This weekend the boys* came over.<br />
<br />
I'd finished painting and varnishing my Simba Blasters (<a href="http://www.bambinodirect.co.uk/Simba_X-Power_Shell_Shock_Blaster_107210055/version.asp">available here for about £12</a>, or go to your local Toymaster). <br />
<br />
You remember these babies? <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mhlC6Ui6Cu8be_Bq4tMvl-LCCN5uu8528rX7gcQuEsz8EuJsEt39Q30iMRaPtERV4MOW18AQR6j1iFVMpFmBHAbIrGuZWIreaohG-uac0vk7fQH9Y4il_HKR2s1AOdsg8AN-GgJkSK4/s1600/pistol+black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mhlC6Ui6Cu8be_Bq4tMvl-LCCN5uu8528rX7gcQuEsz8EuJsEt39Q30iMRaPtERV4MOW18AQR6j1iFVMpFmBHAbIrGuZWIreaohG-uac0vk7fQH9Y4il_HKR2s1AOdsg8AN-GgJkSK4/s320/pistol+black.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xKB1-wBEVIemtV1Asnd9rrY5mko781S2YawmW3FhXkFjdJtYOWuXy-P6WpBrGTBGKJI83AUn4HX0aOcMEKtDQ0ycgh-TzfDa7leGSfm8RsfeafMPrMQL_yxay02JrHVC5dgRQrD7Jwg/s1600/pistol+red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xKB1-wBEVIemtV1Asnd9rrY5mko781S2YawmW3FhXkFjdJtYOWuXy-P6WpBrGTBGKJI83AUn4HX0aOcMEKtDQ0ycgh-TzfDa7leGSfm8RsfeafMPrMQL_yxay02JrHVC5dgRQrD7Jwg/s320/pistol+red.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
(I've ordered some <a href="http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Home/Search-Results.html?filter_type=6&filter_Action=0&filter_name=SearchTerm&submit=GO&filter_value=ETCHED+LARGE+IMPERIAL+EAGLES+">Imperial Eagles from ForgeWorld</a> - I figure the black one looks enough like a bolt pistol to slap on some iconography and use it in the Death Unto Darkness LARP - assuming I remember to book in time!)<br />
<br />
Either way, they're going well. I need to take the undercoat off the cartridge shells and replace them with a single coat of bronze because I think it's actually causing jams, but beyond that it's all good. The next step is to make some pins out of clay (I'm thinking the Imperial Phoenix and the Holy Jumpgate) - I can either wrap up the handles in leather or just use the small loops on the handles. I bought some purple strips for that <br />
<br />
Anyhow, back to the point. The boys came over and they couldn't help but play with my weapons# . I tell you, there is just something viscerally cool about firing off a shot, ejecting the cartridge and hearing it tinkle on the floor.<br />
<br />
I really need to get a video of that at some point.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*Lovely couple; nice to see they're back together again</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">#Giggity!</span>Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-31989108661829371902012-03-01T21:11:00.002+00:002012-03-01T21:11:56.324+00:00Blurby Blurb<br />
<br />
Well, I've picked up a decent amount of interest in the time (oddly, not from the Rule 7 LARP forums. go figure) so here's the blurb. In particular I think it needs a flowchart to help picking a faction, some advertising materials or somesuch. <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the war of wars, final victory lies in the human heart...</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Empire rips itself apart as everyone tries to make the future in their name. House Li-Halan seizes Rampart, vowing to end its crimes of mad science and heresy. Victory is too swift, leaving all sides wondering who did it - and what price they will demand.<br />
<br />
The Ten Edicts force the guilds to reject their values in return for peace, But while the Li-Halan condemn technology and liberty, some fear that technology holds attractions too great to be denied... </blockquote>
<br />
If I get < 10 people, then I'm going for a more traditional 'questing' LARP, set around the basic FS group - a noble, with retinue. The great thing about FS's social order is that each of the three factions (plus Those Who Differ) can have opportunities to lead the group. I'll probably need to alter the system, make it more boffer based, but hey. I tested my Simba dart guns last weekend and everything works fine.<br />
<br />
Plotwise, that means exploring post-invasion Rampart, experiencing the conflicts that come with occupation and social change, but keeping it on a personal scale. <br />
<br />
If I get more, then I'm going for something more epic: power players throwing assets against each other in order to reshape the future.<br />
<br />
Ideally I'd have the resources to do a little of both - power play stuff with section where characters determine actions and then a few (or their alts) go off to commit actions or sideplots. <br />
<br />
I'm also thinking of Con games, but right now there's not much on in the UK. Also, I have no idea how to write for a con game]...Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-39964832065738753022012-02-22T14:01:00.000+00:002012-02-22T14:01:07.257+00:00Attracting a CrowdHave decided to just go ahead and get <i>something</i> done. <br />
<br />
So yeah, if you want to take part in a social sci-fantasy LARP, comment below or <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/117271840426119039687/posts">find me on G+</a>. <br />
<br />
The setting I want to use is what I'd long planned - Rampart during the Li-Halan takeover. I'd start with PCs on both sides having to broker a peace, then try to keep it (with attempts on both sides to get their own way and third parties trying to screw everything, of course) with downtime estate management thrown in.<br />
<br />
I'm going to run it in London, because I live in Lambeth and don't have a car. I'm approaching UCL and my old uni to see if I can run it there, but I'm pretty much open to any location that <i>looks</i> right and has a good amount of space for the money.<br />
<br />
I'd really love to get somewhere near where I work (we have loads of nice buildings around here), but I suspect The Royal Courts of Justice don't hire out. I know people who use their local Masonic Hall - maybe the masons will let me hire out their United Grand Lodge. <br />
<br />
It's also making me think a lot about how to sell it to other people. After all, my love for it is one thing, but it is niche and the massive levels of setting details can scare noobs. I've also been playing a lot of computer games lately, which makes me think of how computer and tabletop games share DNA.<br />
<br />
So, how to interest people? (I'm just throwing out random ideas here)<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Emphasise the power fantasy element. You are one of the 10%, after all and that kind of power trip is rather nice in these straightened times (guess who's been playing Saints Row The Third and Space Marine lately?) <br /></li>
<li>Say it beats the alternatives. One of the reasons I'm doing this is because there aren't any good sci-fi shows on. And I'd rather be in a grand drama than sitting on my bum, passively watching one.<br /></li>
<li>Emphasise the courtly drama and maybe cosplay elements to appeal to a wider bunch. I also like having a decent gender balance - sausage fests aren't my thing socially, and I want to encourage la femmes to come along, so pimp the in-depth social conflict and less of the dumb male violence. <br /> </li>
<li>It's cheap; the sheer variety of styles and outfits in the Known Worlds means that you can look in all kinds of places for stuff - vintage clothing, ex-military, cod fantasy and renaissance-style outfits. <br /></li>
<li>Things and stuff... </li>
</ul>Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-75717890531548067702012-01-18T20:44:00.004+00:002012-01-18T20:46:08.176+00:00Rules ideas - starting from scratch (again)<div style="text-align: center;">
New rules (Take whateverythehellitisnowdearzombiejesuscan'tIjustpicksomethingandgetonwithplayingSkyrim?!)</div>
<br />
<i>OK. I'm knackered from my new job, but I played with some rule ideas of Christmas and this is what I came up with. I don't have the same guys around to argue it with, so feel free to kick the tyres. </i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>I have a bunch of principles that basically run along the ideas of keeping it idiot friendly (I'm the idiot in this example; I hate having to remember more than a couple of numbers at a time), easy to grasp but very flexible in the long term. </i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>Oh yeah, and rules should support play and setting. You'll see what I mean with the virtue/vice thing. </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Characters
and character generation: </span></b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><i>At this point rewards can change, but the basic system is predicated on using Drama points as currency. You gain them by playing to their sins (and creating drama) and spend them on boosting your stat+skill test result. Wyrd points are more powerful Drama Points.</i> <i>Of course, all of this is unstable - it only lasts until I think of better ideas</i>. </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Each
character begins with named traits.</span>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-insideh: none; mso-border-insidev: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Destiny</span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 385.8pt;" valign="top" width="514"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Your destiny is your ultimate goal and
should be suitably epic; if you are uncertain, or new, ask the ST to create
one for you, with some input. </span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
reward for advancing your destiny is to receive Wyrd point(s).</span></i><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Passions
(5)</span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 385.8pt;" valign="top" width="514"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Passions are your smaller objectives;
anything from the political (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'become
renowned at duelling'</i>) to the personal (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'woo the lady Serafina'</i>). </span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
player gains XP for advancing their Passions.
They also gain a one-off payment of XP upon completion of their
Passion. Passions are basically goals and exist on top of the GM-inspired plots. A little player power in defining what they want to do and getting a reward for it.</span></i></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Strength</span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 385.8pt;" valign="top" width="514"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The character has taken one of the
Seven Virtues to heart (see table). </span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
player may take a bonus based on </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">½</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> their Spirit stat at a critical juncture in their Task. Not sure about the reward on this one, but I like teh idea of a temporary buff for doing something like that. </span></i></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 76.3pt;" valign="top" width="102"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Sin</span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 385.8pt;" valign="top" width="514"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The character is prey to one of the
Seven Sins (see table).</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
player regains Drama Points in-session by giving in to their weakness and
creating drama. I totally got the idea for this after playing ICONS. FS is often about human frailty and players are notoriously frit of showing or acknowledging ANY weakness, so this is a gentle push. </span></i></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here are the quick-and-dirty descriptions of FS's virtues and sins. </span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center">
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 18.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: none; mso-border-insidev: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td colspan="3" style="border-bottom: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 352.7pt;" valign="top" width="470"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: FadingSunsIcons; font-size: 20pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "High Tower Text","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Seven Virtues </span></b><span style="font-family: FadingSunsIcons; font-size: 20pt;"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "High Tower Text","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 65.15pt;" valign="top" width="87"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Virtue</span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 134.65pt;" valign="top" width="180"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Patron</span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 152.9pt;" valign="top" width="204"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Tasks</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 65.15pt;" valign="top" width="87"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Questing</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 134.65pt;" valign="top" width="180"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Paulus the Traveller</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 152.9pt;" valign="top" width="204"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Investigating mysteries.</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 65.15pt;" valign="top" width="87"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Loyalty</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 134.65pt;" valign="top" width="180"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Lextius the Knight</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 152.9pt;" valign="top" width="204"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Upholding a pledge.</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 65.15pt;" valign="top" width="87"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Compassion</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 134.65pt;" valign="top" width="180"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Amalthea the Healer</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 152.9pt;" valign="top" width="204"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Aiding those in need.</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 65.15pt;" valign="top" width="87"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Protection</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 134.65pt;" valign="top" width="180"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mantius the Soldier</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 152.9pt;" valign="top" width="204"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Defending the faithful.</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 65.15pt;" valign="top" width="87"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Justice</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 134.65pt;" valign="top" width="180"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Maya the Scorned Woman</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 152.9pt;" valign="top" width="204"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Punishing the guilty. </span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 65.15pt;" valign="top" width="87"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Wisdom</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 134.65pt;" valign="top" width="180"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Horace the Learned Man</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 152.9pt;" valign="top" width="204"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Learning something new.</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 65.15pt;" valign="top" width="87"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Humility
</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 134.65pt;" valign="top" width="180"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Hombor the Beggar</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 152.9pt;" valign="top" width="204"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Selfless acts of charity.</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 9; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 65.15pt;" valign="top" width="87"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Discipline</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 134.65pt;" valign="top" width="180"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ven Lohji the Alien</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 152.9pt;" valign="top" width="204"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Investigating occult mysteries.</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center">
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 59.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: none; mso-border-insidev: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td colspan="2" style="border-bottom: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 310.75pt;" valign="top" width="414"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: FadingSunsIcons; font-size: 20pt;"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "High Tower Text","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> The Seven Sins </span></b><span style="font-family: FadingSunsIcons; font-size: 20pt;"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "High Tower Text","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 50.95pt;" valign="top" width="68"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Sin</span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 259.8pt;" valign="top" width="346"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Acts</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 50.95pt;" valign="top" width="68"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Pride</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 259.8pt;" valign="top" width="346"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Insisting on primacy; ignoring the
social order.</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 50.95pt;" valign="top" width="68"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Greed</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 259.8pt;" valign="top" width="346"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Extracting too much from others, be it
money or other goods. Stealing.</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 50.95pt;" valign="top" width="68"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Lust</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 259.8pt;" valign="top" width="346"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Overt seduction, lascivious excess,
miscegenation (xenophilia).</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 50.95pt;" valign="top" width="68"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Envy</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 259.8pt;" valign="top" width="346"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Acts designed to deny or take a
desired person or object from another.</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 50.95pt;" valign="top" width="68"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Sloth</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 259.8pt;" valign="top" width="346"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Failing to advance a Passion. </span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 50.95pt;" valign="top" width="68"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Wrath</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 259.8pt;" valign="top" width="346"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Becoming angry or violent against
those weaker than thyself.</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td style="border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 50.95pt;" valign="top" width="68"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Oathbreaking</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 259.8pt;" valign="top" width="346"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Choosing not to honour
agreements/contracts.</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 9; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 50.95pt;" valign="top" width="68"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Technosophy</span></i></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 259.8pt;" valign="top" width="346"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Relying on technology to do something
for you.</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Characters
have three main traits: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Body</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mind</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spirit</i>. These traits act as
health tracks and limits - a character cannot have a skill rating higher than
their trait rating.</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> A
character's <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Body</b> represents how much
damage they can take before falling unconscious. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Health
is lost</b> through physical conflict, with each point of damage removing one
point of health. See the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Combat </i>section for more details<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. </i></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> A
character's <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mind</b> is the measure of
their mental stability and their defence against the Darkness Between the
Stars. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Stability is lost</b> when the player comes across horrific situations
(grisly occult rituals, facing the Darkness Between the Stars and so on).
Players can also make mental attacks against one another, seeking to sow
confusion and uncertainty in their enemies through debate. </span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> A
character's <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Spirit</b> is their
worthiness, be it in the Pancreator's eyes or their own. Theurgic or Psychic characters need a strong soul
to control their abilities, while the ungifted may offer their Spirit points to
demons in unholy bargains. A character's<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> conviction</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">is lost</b> when installing cyberwear, or engaging in spiritual combat.</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "High Tower Text","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Falling
to Zero </span></b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> When
a character's trait falls to zero, they are temporarily taken out of play. </span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A
character with zero</span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Body</b> is grievously wounded and
unconscious. They can recover through healing, be it chemical, technological or
mystical.</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A
character with zero Mind</span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> is insane and must be locked up for their own good. Psychological healing is a limited art in the
Known Worlds; instead, many go on quests to recover their minds, exploring
their history in order to recover their personality.</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A
character with zero Spirit </span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">no longer<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>abides
by their own morality; instead they act as they please. A character must either
return to their path through spiritual acts, or choose an alternative,
such as soul death through
transhumanism, or demon worship.</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<i>Stats work like in Dr. Who: the actual stat number is reduced, which has a knock-on effect on taking tests. Body works fine, and Mind is generally OK (not sure of the PVP thing, but as PVP is a big part of the game I guess I'll have to work something out. Spirit...sucks. I have no idea how to work this one yet, although I do like the idea of selling soul like a certain Patchwork Prince). </i><br />
<br />
<i> Combat is sketched out but basically runs like this: a character's total health is their Body + any armour rating (armour is extra health). If all the armour points are used up, its effectiveness in subsequent battles is 1/2 total until repaired and is halved again every time it's used up. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Energy shields protect against a range of damage values for X many hits.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Weapons do X damage. That's basically it. </i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i><b>Things to add: Feats(?), a proper skill list</b>, <b>crafting</b> and whatever else I've forgotten. </i>Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-12287220292088365092012-01-01T16:40:00.001+00:002012-01-01T16:40:44.313+00:00[GUNS] I bring you the best toys...Look at this Pancreator-lovin' gun. Is this not awesome?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00042-20111222-1516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/IMG00042-20111222-1516.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This is the X-Power Shock Blaster from <a href="http://www.simbatoys.de/de/marken__produkte/x-power/detail.shtml?sArtNr=107210055">Simba</a>. While everyone's ooh-ing and ah-ing over Nerf guns, Simba snuck out this freaking bolt pistol lookielike<br />
<br />
And you see that open bullet chamber? That's right; once the dart's fired you cock it again and the freaking shell casing tinkles onto the ground.<br />
<br />
That's <i>cool</i>. <br />
<br />
OK, so it's not what you's want in a forest shooting match, but in a closed social environment it just looks funky. Plus, spent cartridges are a storytelling device. They say 'there was a fight here' without having to do messy special effects and make someone lie still for too long.<br />
<br />
I picked it up in Toymaster for £12, down from £16. It isn't coming up any more, but Amazon and other places have them. <br />
<br />
Bargain.Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-51632470191000703152012-01-01T16:15:00.001+00:002012-01-01T16:15:47.008+00:00Damnit Brain, shut up!So there I am, lying in bed at grannies' house and pondering a Christmas Mass Effect game. <br />
<br />
And my brain decides that's pretty dull and switches track.<br />
<br />
"You know what?" it says. "You should dump as many stats as possible and make Fading Suns about <i>Passions. </i>Flagged ideas that form characters, with skills and stats coming second/last. <br />
<br />
"Start each character off with a Destiny, a really big goal the player/character has. Link progress towards this goal with Wyrd point recovery. Then give them Passions - anything from political ambitions to love stories - and let them gain XP for achieving those. <br />
<br />
"You could throw in a Drama point economy, like in Cinematic Unisystem. Give each character a virtue and a vice, straight out of the Universal Church's seven virtues/vices and link them to Drama points; they can recover DPs if they succumb to their vices and can spend DPs for a bonus if their virtue helps them. or something. I'm sure you'll figure out the details."<br />
<br />
I love and hate my brain sometimes. Never did finish off the Mass Effect plot, either.Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-90831193331643440642011-07-22T11:08:00.003+01:002011-07-22T11:18:06.876+01:00Dice PokerI play a fair few CRPGs. Given how little gaming I got in my time at uni, it was a way of plugging the gap. <br /><br />One thing that's always bothered me about CRPGS (yes Bioware, I'm talking about you) is the paucity of decent in-game gambling. <br /><br />Take, say, Bioware for example. Roam the Old Republic playing Pazaak! Or, as I call it, Pontoon - a game I stopped playing after about age 11 because it wasn't very good.<br /><br />Then <span style="font-style:italic;">Mass Effect</span> came along with its much better gameplay. Play Quasar, while roaming the galaxy! A game suspiciously like...Pontoon.<br /><br />Meh.<br /><br />I recently completed <span style="font-style:italic;">The Witcher</span> (on only my second playthrough. What a game...but back to the point).<br /><br />In <span style="font-style:italic;">The Witcher</span>, you play a game called <span style="font-style:italic;">Dice Poker</span>. You and your opponent have 5D6 each and try to score rolls similar to card poker - multiples of the same number, straights (1-5 or 2-6). <br /><br />It's really simple, but it's also addictive. I'd actually boot up the game just to play dice poker. <br /><br />And it wasn't !"£$%^&* pontoon!<br /><br />As such, I think that I'd introduce this game into the Fading Suns universe. After all, it's simple to play, easy to play anywhere with a flat surface and is pretty damn fast. <br /><br /><a href="http://witcher.wikia.com/wiki/Dice_poker_in_The_Witcher">Here are the rules on The Witcher Wiki</a>. Enjoy.Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-48452431315303228342011-07-21T06:53:00.002+01:002011-07-21T06:59:08.199+01:00Couple of LARP thoughtsA couple of thoughts: <br /><br />FS needs a 'pulling rank' mechanic. There is one in the contracts subsystem, but it would be nice to see something more general to allow high-ranking characters to use their rank - for persuasion or coersion, as they will.<br /><br />The character system is too complicated. Blessings and Curses need to go - I'm thinking of either a limited amount of bennefits/negatives to stats at chargen, or keyword-based traits, much like the system in the Vampire MET rules.Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-58673748806977197872011-01-27T17:40:00.005+00:002011-06-14T11:03:02.038+01:00New Prop: personal advisor<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/sudokuprop.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 430px; height: 322px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/sudokuprop.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Lidl is selling sudoku machines for a tenner. They're perfect for futuristic, Blackberry-style cogitators. Just look at it- once painted it will look just right...Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-69890279832200966302011-01-25T15:27:00.003+00:002011-01-28T10:33:33.013+00:00New LARP Rules?A <a href="http://www.redbrick-limited.com/cms/index.php?categoryid=10&action=showentries&blog_id=8">recent Redbrick blogpost </a>revealed details of the VP3 system.<br /><br />It's pretty awesome. Here's the best bit:<br /><br /><blockquote>We chose 6 attributes: 2 physical (Dexterity & Vigor), 2 mental (Wits & Will), and 2 social (Intuition & Presence). These are rated on the standard 1 to 10 scale, but may exceed these limits with racial modifiers, cybernetics, or theurgic influences, etc. <p>We also expanded the Vitality health track, dividing it into Vitality, Resolve, and Reputation, and essentially providing 'hit points' for the areas of physical, mental and social conflict. In addition, these health tracks are considered 'ablative' or non-life threatening -- only when the track is completely depleted do characters suffer real injuries and risk death.</p> <p>When a character takes an injury that depletes his Vitality he suffers a Wound. A wound can be almost any type of permanent damage... perhaps losing an arm or an eye. Of course, with cybernetics and wonder medications like Elixir, even these can be restored, but they don't grow back without help. Resolve, when depleted, leaves mental scars, derangements, etc. Reputation leaves the character marred by social embarrassments or a bad reputation that just will not go away.<br /><br />Finally, there is a new system of 'pool attributes'. Pool attributes accumulate or diminish over time. Every character has a Faith Pool to start with, but characters with occult abilities also have a pool related to the dark side of that ability... a Hubris pool or an Urge pool, for example. Pool attributes have two tracks: a permanent score and a temporary score. All goal rolls using the attribute work from the permanent score. As characters progress through their adventures, their temporary scores will fluctuate. If they increase their temporary score to 10 they immediately gain a permanent point, but if they lose all their temporary points they lose a permanent point.<br /></p></blockquote><p>I haven't really said it before, because working a new LARP system from base sounded like too much work, but...the original rules sucked balls.<br /></p><p>You know it's true, I know it's true. There are too many sub-stats and skills, with some serious complications. It's not a good LARP ruleset.<br /></p><p>This, though...this I can work with.<br /></p><p>Here's hoping I'll have the time. A couple of mates were saying that they would travel down the entire country to play if I run - how can I say no to that?<br /></p>Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-23596547723490052972010-11-07T08:58:00.002+00:002011-01-28T10:33:56.403+00:00FS space combat game from Mongoose<a href="http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2010/11/04/40630">Well, it looks like Noble Armada is being resurrected</a> using Mongoose's <span style="font-style: italic;">Call to Arms</span> system.<br /><br />This will be interesting to watch.Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-13560219932723640112010-10-21T08:27:00.004+01:002011-01-28T10:34:42.460+00:0040K v FSOn the <a href="http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Fading_Suns_Games/">FS Yahoo mailing list</a>, someone asked about the difference between 40K and FS. It's an interesting question; I've posted, but I'll stick it up here as well so it doesn't let lost in the noise.<br /><br />For me, the difference is simple; subtlety and space to ask questions.<br /><br />40K has EVERYTHING turned up to 11; one hive city holds the worlds' current population, a Super Star Destroyer would only make it as a frigate and everything is nastier than everything else. I mean, just look at the bad guys; zombie robots that serve soul-eating star gods, god-level manifestations of raw human urges, fungal super-soldiers that not only fight but infest so there's a never-ending source and some hive-mind god intelligence eating our galaxy and turning our own biospheres against us.<br /><br />And all of these are fought by demi-human supersoldiers with guns that fire rounds bigger than your thumb.<br /><br />The morality is black-on-black; the good guy is a fascist, xenophobic human empire that uses criminals as spare parts and got its fashion tips from the wrong side of WWII.<br /><br />And the thing is, all of the technophobia is good and necessary after the scrap with the Iron Men. Psykers need to end up as the God-Emperor's lunch because that's what keep space travel going and because until they mature they'll only serve to break reality. You can't stop and ask if it's OK to bomb a planet of civilians because you'd already be eaten by whatever got to them.<br /><br />And that's awesome (I should point out that I have both DH and RT and I think they're great). Everything is supposed to be epic and more than a little mad and hardcore - the political conceit of being hard men making hard decisions made very real, desperately fighting to survive just one. More. Day. Against things that would make Cthulhu go <span style="font-style: italic;">'I'm outta here; this stuff is *whacked*'</span>.<br /><br />Compare with FS; each of the sects has factions ranging from evil bastards to moral paragons and most shades in between; even the symbiots as written are a weird transhuman thing that doesn't quite work out, rather than the 'consume!' thing of the Tyranids.<br /><br />Yes there's technophobia and space feudalism too, but they're inverted by being painted as a choice. The nobility took their chance when the Second Republic fell down, and remade the Known Worlds as they wanted them - and they had to fight to do it. The Guilds' precursors built the Second Republic and would like to do it again in some form.<br /><br />In many ways it's classic sci-fi of the type we don't see often enough, questioning the human condition.<br /><br />Tl:dr: Fading Suns asks 'why' - why did all this change and can we escape it? 40K says 'blessed is the mind too small for doubt. Now reload and let's get that thing or die trying!'Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-22389252936758630962010-09-25T12:35:00.005+01:002010-09-25T12:42:50.216+01:00The End (Of Summer)Yeah, I know. My time in the last few weeks has been taken up with the student magazine, as a bunch of writers failed to do their part. Not to mention only just having my modules registered despite having put them in before the end of term.<br /><br />Yay. <br /><br />On the upside, I do have a regular gaming group. Bad new is that it's monthly and I'm running Stargate. The weekly gaming group hasn't, for various reasons, although I hope my newly-started Dark Heresy game may flourish (I pimped FS but a player vetoed it). <br /><br />Another upside is that an old LARPer of mine is moving to Essex. He's been helper to a regional Camarilla guy (and was still there after they split) so I'll have help. He's not quite round the corner, but he has already pledged to help me set up once my degree's over. Next year will involve me doing some writing but I'm shucking my magazine role in favour of being a showrunner on the new radio station.Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-17269295856047725632010-08-05T14:02:00.010+01:002011-01-28T10:34:26.241+00:00Downtime (Again!) [Updated xI]OK, here's another crack at sorting out some kind of supportive downtime system. I've been pondering for a couple of weeks now and I think I've wrapped my head around the basics.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Basic Principles</span><br /><ul><li style="font-style: italic;">I still want to keep this as abstract as I can, while providing options for players to <del>stiff each other</del> interact during downtime.</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">It needs to be an extension of player actions, not something they rely on.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">But it also needs to provide a more epic canvas, to give players the feeling of being in charge of something greater than they are.<br /></span></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Fief</span><br /><br />Each player (or group of players) can buy a fief at character development. The advantage of clubbing together is in having more actions per downtime; the downside is that you have to share power.<br /><br />A Fief has the following basic characteristics:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Owner:</span> Obvious if only a single owner, but groups have to pick one person as leader. This is important, because it defines the fief as owned by one of the factions.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Morale: </span>Goes up and down. Once it hits negative, the rating is applied as a modifier to all the downtime actions. Morale can be attacked by certain actions and is lost when you lose battles.<br /><br />After that, the character(s) can buy <span style="font-weight: bold;">Holdings</span> to increase their abilities.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Holdings</span> are individual buildings that allow the character to project their power. The most obvious holdings are the ones that produce troops and spies, allowing the characters to harass and fight with each other, but they also produce money and equipment. Holdings are bought at Level 1 and can be upgraded, which costs time and money.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Holdings</span> generate a level of whatever they build equal to their level<br /><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Agency.</span> These generate their level in spies. As a downtime action, spy points can be assigned among four stances - <span style="font-style: italic;">Internal Security</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Sabotage</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Passive</span>/<span style="font-style: italic;">Active</span> spying.<br /><br />Internal Security is the fief's defensive rating and Sabotage destroys Holdings levels, while Passive spying provides info on what holding an enemy owns and Active spying provides info on your opponent's downtime actions.<br /><br /></li><li style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">Barracks. </span>These produce trained troops who will die for you. Troops can be assigned to <span style="font-style: italic;">Garrison</span> your fief (providing a defensive rating), or sent out to skirmish. They are better at damaging enemy Holdings than saboteurs, but have to wade through the enemy Garrison first.<br /><br /></li><li style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">Counting Houses.</span> No matter what the Church may say, money is too useful to give up. Your fiefs are generally self-sufficient - that's what serfs are for. Instead, Counting Houses provide spending money, needed to pay for building upgrades, additional troops for that downtime period, bought info and equipment - things that may otherwise be unavailable or where you've reached the natural limit.<br /><br /></li><li style=""> <span style="font-style: italic;">Fabricants. </span>These are used for fabricating equipment, weapons and so on. Not so much in the sense of <span style="font-style: italic;">'I want a new pistol' </span>(that's what <span>contracts</span> are for), but on the scale of <span style="font-style: italic;">'my army needs rifles. And tanks'</span>. Of course, you don't have to keep them for yourself - you can always contract out to other players and make some money/cement alliances in doing so...<br /><br />Equipment provides bonuses and occasional special rules, but I'll talk about crafting in another post.<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Player Actions:</span><br /><br />This system isn't supposed to replace player actions, but supplement them. As such, players can spend an additional downtime action to join in the fun. They get to add an appropriate skill to the action - so if they're sending out a warband, they can throw in their tactics skill on top of the army's rating, or contract in an Engineer to add their technical skill to a science project.<br /><br />The number of downtime actions per downtime come from averaging the lead character's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mind + Bureaucracy</span>. If playing in a multi-player fief, the Mind rating comes from the ruler, while the Bureaucracy skill may be donated by another fief member. If there are more than two members in a fief, each further player adds +1 to the skill rating (unless they choose not to for some reason).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">[Update x1]</span><br /><br />Combat is something I'm a little uncertain on - not in general, but the specifics of which model to use.<br /><br />My first choice is to have each Garrison point being ablative - each point must be assigned to defend against specific attacks, rather than simply providing a set defence number. Resolution is simply by who scores the highest, with the difference between scores representing the amount of damage the winner can throw around. The point is to give a small sense of realism in that troops can't be in all places at once and makes players think about what they wan to defend.<br /><br />The second method is to make the Garrison stat apply to all fights, but resolution isn't<span style="font-style: italic;"> 'who scores highest'</span>. Instead, the victor must achieve a multiple of the defender's score, as in Games Workshop's <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3177/battle-for-armageddon">Battle For Armageddon</a>. The higher the multiple scored, the greater the devastation.Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-70908206583601908612010-07-19T08:42:00.006+01:002011-01-28T10:35:16.684+00:00UpdateI have a Mandarin resit this Friday, hence the lack of much happening beyond writing complicated pictograms and trying to remember the tone and meaning for what is basically the same word.<br /><br />But there's still something I can update on. When I initially planned my game, it was going to take place on Rampart. I had a bunch of reasons behind this, such as the social conflict, oriental flavour and others, but one thing I needed was player infodumps.<br /><br />So I made a tourist sheet, distributed by the Guilds and costing only few Crests each.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B-ESfD2goPXiYjk4ZmY2MTctN2E5NS00MzhkLTg4NGQtMjY1NzBiMTdhODFi&hl=en"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 158px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNogd_KPNwYNram84dZ1m8DUc7FWTTmztle4o4miXut0Evnh9JVSueKRCxDXaKm_SJZrlzVe5uumd53sdMIY3_qo9Up1PkKsfV9UVDoaiSLoNSpWB9DE9K7ddKWNhTW1Tz46iuUkomgU/s200/Gazetteer.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495526576543128210" border="0" /></a>Obviously it's unfinished, but I think you can see the way I'm trying to provide details though both infodumps and style.<br /><br />And yes, the Mandarin symbols actually mean stuff. And <span style="font-style: italic;">should</span> be grammatically correct...Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-72278793076755596102010-07-08T08:20:00.004+01:002010-07-08T08:46:20.852+01:00[Clothing] Initial/Random MusingsI've been thinking about costume prep on and off for a long time now and it's still a little confusing.<br /><br />There are fifteen major factions, split into three groups, in the Fading Suns universe, each of which has their own logo and style. They usually break down into sub-groups as well; for example, the Orthodoxy wear red or white, depending on whether they're <a href="http://fadingsuns.wikia.com/wiki/Mahayana">Mahayana</a> or <a href="http://fadingsuns.wikia.com/wiki/Hinayana">Hinayana</a>.<br /><br />But what's described in the books (in this case, <span style="font-style: italic;">Lords & Priests</span>) isn't always workable for a LARP where you really need to be able to switch and swap around. For example, the Orthodoxy's fashion sense doesn't quite work out - the Whites start off wearing black robes and exchange them for whiter ones as they move up the ranks, while the Reds do the same (the book doesn't say if the Reds and Whites are linked to the Mahayana and Hinayana, but it would make sense to conflate the Reds and Hinayana, given their shared conservatism).<br /><br />My thought would be to stick with one colour set for the main robes (black to white) using a cassock pattern available from any clothes-making shop and set out a character's sectarian leanings using extras. In this case, I plan to use those pashmina scarfs you can get at two for a fiver on street stalls. Get a white one and a red one, add the holy jumpgate sigil to both of them and then you don't have to worry about catering for both sides.<br /><br />Another thing I think about is identification. Characters in the Passion Play book tend to have have tattoos marking their faction, which made me think about where they'd go given various cultural leanings.<br /><br />Here are some thoughts about Scravers I had last night:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Icons</span><br /><br /> The nature of their activities means that most Scravers tend to trust in luck, not expecting the Pancreator to approve of all their actions. They often reach back to their founding myths from ancient Aegypt.<br /> <br />The most common investment is in the Scavers' icon: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7VeDJnIdANwNWnMXp2jnY98yITdcZpbTzOCVGM_-OA_jLlNLgpk_2lQFc9_uPhD-DXzQQ81VWymTNVa2ddrx1vZ1bXQwYeU4Cy8FWG6vyUYXZAmXFxUy4yxf4b_8e6iSdJUIulpLEQjk/s1600/eye.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 81px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7VeDJnIdANwNWnMXp2jnY98yITdcZpbTzOCVGM_-OA_jLlNLgpk_2lQFc9_uPhD-DXzQQ81VWymTNVa2ddrx1vZ1bXQwYeU4Cy8FWG6vyUYXZAmXFxUy4yxf4b_8e6iSdJUIulpLEQjk/s200/eye.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491438432982808162" border="0" /></a>In a job where they often need luck and quick reflexes to survive, they often choose to place the icon somewhere appropriate.<br /><br /> <span style="font-style: italic;">Eye:</span> A popular place for permanent markings is over the eye, believed to provide second sight.<br /> <span style="font-style: italic;">Nape of the neck:</span> Because we all need eyes in the backs of our heads sometime.<br /> <span style="font-style: italic;">Forehead: </span>To invoke the perceived wisdom of the third eye.Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-56889990144768799852010-07-02T08:32:00.005+01:002011-01-28T10:32:50.155+00:00[Props] More Data UnitsRemember back when flash memory hadn't been invented yet and sci-fi shows still used CD-type data storage modules?<br /><br />I do. That's why I'm also using these micro CDs as props.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9ilAGsMxd-lQ5o4IYdHqfwa2oG7YwZUEgdkEPTD8nNmGHGktr_61wyWVX5kfpEjVVydSr5kivWDRDZsUBMasTMg7TmdXng30HM4hTTittpfctaaChw6ornjVBf_Een_wgiAUItoXSQ4/s1600/data+cds.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9ilAGsMxd-lQ5o4IYdHqfwa2oG7YwZUEgdkEPTD8nNmGHGktr_61wyWVX5kfpEjVVydSr5kivWDRDZsUBMasTMg7TmdXng30HM4hTTittpfctaaChw6ornjVBf_Een_wgiAUItoXSQ4/s200/data+cds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489223915101253122" border="0" /></a><br />I got them from my fiancee actually, who got them from some conference she went to. They had an inside sticker/cover, but I pulled that off, using a damp cloth to coax off any bits that wanted to stick.<br /><br />I think I'll probably have to put a makers' mark on them.Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-86556914566290927592010-06-29T11:07:00.007+01:002010-06-30T08:32:46.699+01:00[Props] Data ChipsHermesetas; a nice replacement for sugar in my tea and also a nicely-shaped data module; some kind of plug-in Data Storage Device.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzBmahLfWbHAXyqW88knd7wAL_SaUfeytw9-iLP497d-JRwTqDfNbFGuoGui_kQGodparv2HKkMZnnKKd_9KQTDU52C7J0RfMMXsBKvRrHaIWri603vvjdtSOX3qZgXbj8m7OY5lO09k/s1600/datachips.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzBmahLfWbHAXyqW88knd7wAL_SaUfeytw9-iLP497d-JRwTqDfNbFGuoGui_kQGodparv2HKkMZnnKKd_9KQTDU52C7J0RfMMXsBKvRrHaIWri603vvjdtSOX3qZgXbj8m7OY5lO09k/s200/datachips.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488137277940347794" border="0" /></a>Specifically, they remind me of the Ancient data modules in Stargate: Atlantis.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx__wHsHgXjLfhctKM_lQgMTkhanuBRq2hsDyJMP-_qbZ6UoOQk-96YI4g2Sfzn-BzrAm0B_NK0HyZqsqDWsP2N6SbJ_JbR14HmDK3rdSE7DILm1V1jWGkOqstZAY6dd5xNLICu9yWiko/s1600/Ancient+data+chips.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 312px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx__wHsHgXjLfhctKM_lQgMTkhanuBRq2hsDyJMP-_qbZ6UoOQk-96YI4g2Sfzn-BzrAm0B_NK0HyZqsqDWsP2N6SbJ_JbR14HmDK3rdSE7DILm1V1jWGkOqstZAY6dd5xNLICu9yWiko/s200/Ancient+data+chips.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488137118278746386" border="0" /></a>While I think it might be easier to make the Ancient-style DSDs from thick plastic card, the hermesatas plug-ins work as removable data modules. Problem is, I'm still working on how to give them the crystal look using paintjobs. I figured that I can draw on silver/gold circuitry, but need a glass/crystal effect for the pieces themselves.<br /><br />Any suggestions?Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-61364439527586624712010-06-27T08:35:00.008+01:002010-06-27T09:17:48.736+01:00Guns, Guns, GUNS!Let's talk guns.<br /><br />Typically LARP weapons are fairly easy to get hold of, because they're usually swords and you can buy lots of those. But sometimes what you need is a large piece to go off in your hand (fnar).<br /><br />So...guns. They're harder to rule for in LARPS, but that's not the point of this piece - it's to show how to bring the pretty from a limited budget. So let's go. I have two words for anyone wanting to physrep guns: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Children's Toys</span>. All of the weapons shown below are children's toy weapons. <span style="font-style: italic;">Nerf</span> weapons comes later, i.e. when I've disassembled and painted them.<br /><br />What makes children's toy gunes awesome? Well, let me show the ways:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">They don't look like real guns.</span> I swear most of the designers are frustrated sci-fi fans - amongst my collection I have a not-PPG and a not-Robocop gun, as well as other futuristic designs. This is important because no-one wants to get mistaken, not with the police's twitchy trigger fingers. It also brings me to point two:<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">They also look like sci-fi weapons</span>. And that's awesome because it saves you lots of trouble.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">They're cheap</span>. None of them cost more than £3 each. Not essential, but always a cheeky bonus, especially for a student like me.<br /></li></ul>So, let's have a look (click through to see larger versions of the images):<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/robocoppistol.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 334px; height: 250px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/robocoppistol.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I think I got this from the Wilkinsons chain for a couple of quid. One quick paint job later, it looks good.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/masspistol.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 334px; height: 249px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/masspistol.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I love this design. Again, only a couple of quid (plus paints). It has light and sound, but I hate that stuff.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/ppg.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 334px; height: 248px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/ppg.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>A not-PPG from a remainder store. It was originally suposed to fire pellets (they didn't hurt though, which would be useful if I knew where the pellets went), but I turned the pellet cap into a plasma fuel cell.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/plasmapistol.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 336px; height: 252px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/plasmapistol.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/plasmapistol2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 339px; height: 253px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/morticutor/Fading%20Suns/plasmapistol2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />There two are a pair of water pistols from Poundland. They have a wonderfully exotic shape. As you can see, the first one has a streaky turquise area to it, similar to the cap for the not-PPG.<br /><br />This was a deliberate choice on my part to paint all exposed parts of plasma engines in this stylised way. Specifically I decided that plasma should look like a stylised watercolour, streaked with energised particles. Now, everyone who knows anything about plasma knows that it looks like a star within a cloud (<a href="http://gizmodo.com/5570817/no-sleep-til-fusion">see Gizmodo's interesting piece</a>), but Fading Suns has always been stylised and I wanted to keep that style.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Making</span><br /><br />I started off by getting some black undercoat, laying out the weapons and spraying them, letting them dry then turning them over.<br /><br />For actual paints, I decided not to carry on spraypainting and do it by hand. I used a mix of MP, GW and Game Color paints, depending on what I could get.<br /><br />The plasma effect was achieved by daubing on a thick layer of the ordinary colour. Then, while it was still wet, I daubed on a ligher more of the same colour. Then, while <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> was still wet, I took a very thin brush and some white paint and swiftly marked out delicate lines, to give the impression of particle trails. That was it. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Where to look:</span><br /><br />Obviously these may not apply across national boundries, but I went to:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Poundland</span> - a cheapo chain that's sprung up lately. Everything is, as it says, a pound each.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wilkinsons</span> - a home goods chain (everything from house plants to toothpaste).</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Remainder shops</span> (I think the big UK chain is <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Works</span>).</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Supermarkets</span>.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anywhere with a kids' toy section, basically. </span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">The local street market. </span>They're great for toy guns.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></li></ul>Well, that's that. Enjoy.<br /></div></div>Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071214446363560450.post-17213624264981848692010-06-27T08:31:00.002+01:002010-06-27T08:35:40.111+01:00Back in Black. And Gold. And Purple.Christ, has it really been a year? Damnit, it really hadn't seemed that long. <br /><br />Apologies to everyone wondering where I went - uni work caught up with me. I'd still be thinking, but under too much work to actually do anything. It was quite a wacky year too - a bunch of us ended up taking over the SU magazine, giving it a makeover, publishing three issues and nearly killing ourselves with overwork. <a href="http://www.scribd.com/search?cat=redesign&q=vervezine&x=0&y=0">You can see the results here</a>, if anyone's interested.<br /><br />Anyhow, summer is here and I intend - even if I can't get a game up - to do some more work, simply because it's a nice creative outlet. And because it would be great if someone else can use what I haven't been able to enjoy.Mark. A. Oxleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07076644398940711853noreply@blogger.com0