RoaE: Update 1

All introduction packets are now complete.  Goal by end of the weekend is to have all letters mailed and a more complete section of Relics of the Empire.

Coming Soon... Relics of an Empire (RoaE)

Have gather some people to play test a project I have been working on called Relics of an Empire.  A game done completely by mail.  Some may notice the page has been started and will continue to grow over then next several months as the test progresses.

Relics of an Empire is a experience set somewhere between a strategy game and an rpg.  The players each take a persona role of a character that has recently come to power and is trying to make the best of the story scenario before them.  More information will be revealed soon.  As well as updates.

Warlock's Journal contest: 15, January 2015

The Warlock’s Journal is an multidimensional book that teleports from place to place, recording knowledge in whatever location it finds itself. The places it goes may be widely separated in time and space and even be in different dimensions or alternate realities.


The handful of people who have actually seen the book more than once suggest that it sends its information back to some central location, as they have seen the book nearly filled with information, only to find it almost empty again, or filled with completely different information, at some later point.


Of course, since there is no real proof that the book itself travels through time in a linear manner, such analysis is speculation at best. What powerful entity could have created such a marvel? Where is the ultimate repository (if any) of the wealth of knowledge collected by the Journal in its roving, and is its creator still waiting there, learning about the multiverse? It is, perhaps, better not to know.
(For a Better description of what the Warlock's Journal contest is Tabletop adventures have said it well here.)


This is the Fifteenth Warlock's Journal contest. See the others 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 


The Contest

As the Journal's pages turn,  Methods of summoning long forgotten heroes and champions appear within.

This time the contest is the write a hero from another would, their background and abilities.



Rules


1. Limit entry to 500 words or less. You may enter more then once but email each separately. The world limit does not include rpg mechanics, which are optional to add if you so desire.



2. Email entries to oniwolf2000@gmail.com. Please include your name and entry, as well as any other contact info you would like to share.


3. All entries should try and include a Name of the Hero, a description of the Hero, and their past and abilities.


4. Entries must be in by January 24th, after which a pdf of entries will be made public for voting. This voting will happen from July 26th to 31st. Entrants' names will be anonymous until voting is finished.



5. After February 2nd all entries will be added to a free pdf release with credit to the author (Entries remain the property of their authors, but participation grants permission to use entries in the free contest PDF and any annual or other compilation that may be made later.).



Sample Format


Name: (Name of the champion)
Description: (Of the champion)
Background
Abilities

Prize

First place will receive $15 gift certificate to Drivethrurpg. If there are at least 10 entries as second prize spot of $10 will open up to win.


Good luck and let's have fun :)

Fate Core: Inspired Machines - (Introduction)

  Will be returning to Tournament Magi next week, but here's another idea that I have been working on.  Wondering what people think of it.  I would be a setting for Fate Core.

  What is the heart and soul of a machine?  That is the concept that is at the core of Inspired Machines.  Robots that have emotions and are capable of existing beyond a simple machine or A.I., whether through evolution of their own or growing beyond their programming.  This would be a futuristic game, where technology has advanced a great deal.  Utopia as a dream has been achieved and lost once more as the feelings behind its ideal diminished.  Inspiration for this game is drawn from things like Ghost in the Shell, Astro boy, Megaman X and Transformers.  These examples help to establish the feeling of such a setting.




Goals for this project;

• PCs as advanced feeling machines or human personas transferred into machines.  
• A way to customize modular parts that can be switched out.
• Chips as items and effects.
• A world of machines and questions on what makes something 'human'.
• The ability to establish a base of Operations and Research.

Things I don't want to do with this;

• Space travel
• Magic

Tournament Magi Scenario - Runner's peril

Another Scenario for Tournament Magi.

Setup

  One team chooses to be the Aggressor.  They select up to 5 members on their team to participate.  Defenders choose 4 members.  Defenders start in any zone with a number.  These numbers represent magical cannons used to hinder the other team.  Defender decides what type of cannon is at the start of the Scenario.

Special Rules

Cannons:  Cannons take 3 forms;  Ooze, wind and fire.  Successful 'attacks' have different effects depending on the cannon.  Ooze prevents character from leaving zone until overcome.  Wind knocks character back a zone.  Fire inflicts stress.

Defenders may not directly oppose the other team, they must rely on the cannons.  Each team member may either fire a cannon, or move to a different cannon.

Scoring

Each time an aggressor reaches the end zone they score a point and that team member is returned to the start zone.  This Scenario is played for 10 rounds then the aggressor team and defenders switch.

Zones

Blue - Aggressor Starting zone.

Red - Aggressor end zone.

# - How many cannons the zones start with.

Tournament Magi - Part 6: Restructure

  As mentioned in an earlier post I have finally got back to fleshing out the rules for this sports based fate setting/game.  I will be going a different route then before.  Rather then each player having a character as a member of a single team, each player will establish their own team in a league.  I know this may lead to a more board game feel but this seems more true to the idea of Tournament Magi.

  Also The game will be more akin to the fate accelerated then fate core.  Stunts and other qualifying capabilities will be known as talents for this setting.  So I think I will dive into a little bit of team building design which will replace some of the earlier posts and brain storming.  Team creation is covered in four parts:  Home regions, Hire Team members, Armory and Training facility.  This article will cover the first two and the next will go into more details on the others and wrap up.

Home region

  To start we build our team's Home land or region and the type of people they represent.  To do this we establish two things.  First, what approach the team and/or homeland is known for.  This will be important in later team creation.  Second, you select a species, class or people or something else the team represents.  At creation, team funds can be spent to advance these traits at a cost shown below.  Finally, select a role the team has an edge in.

+$30, 000 add another representation
+60, 000 add a second approach the team specializes in.
+30, 000 add another role the team has an edge with.


Home region creation example
  Darren and Jenna prepare to start a Tournament Magi season.  Darren decides his team will revolve around Minotaurs, so he selects Forceful as his approach and Knights as his edge team members.  Since he already choose that his team represents Minotaurs he calls his team the Labyrinth Walkers.   Jenna goes for a different angle.  She wants to have sneaky as her teams approach.  She in visions that ninjas will make up her team so she chooses them from the scouts alternative names to be her edge.  She decides since she uses ninjas that her team will be representative of a clan of ninjas.

Hiring the Team

  The next step is hiring your active team members.  Your basic team member starts with two skills at rank one, a role at rank 1 and a talent from it's role.  (All roles will be shown in a later post and linked back here.)  As well the team members receive a bonus skill rank in their specialized approach.  Finally the team member gains a single aspect that must contain both their role, or one of it's alternative names, and the thing the team represents.  Prices are shown below.  A team must have at least 5 members.

+50, 000 Basic team member.  Reduced to 40, 000 if role is that which the team has an edge in.
+10, 000 a rank in an approach you don't possess.
+15, 000 bring a rank 1 approach to rank two.
+20, 000 Increase Rank of team members role

Status Update

  So I know I have been gone for sometime from any serious posting.  But life seems to have finally got to a point I can take a more active role in creating again.  So I hope to be returning to a more continuous projects soon.

  Speaking of which, I have been putting the Tournament Magi on hold for too long.  The topics been brewing in my head for a while now and I plan on returning to finish it soon.  Though there will be some changes.  First, I plan on shifting from Fate core as it's base to Fate accelerated.  I know the differences are a bit minor but it should make it alot easier.  Second, each player will field a team rather then a character on a team.

  In other news I am preparing to pair up with another soon to be author on this blog to create a new setting, Inspired Machines, hopefully we will see that coming down the line as well.  There should be more soon on this so subscribe and hopefully this blog will begin to pick up speed again.