Valvorik

Adding the Pagan faith from Isle of Stone make a nice Faction for the Druids above.

Re Openquest is it the different approach to wounds and dying? I did find the Openquest free SRD. What I have so far, comments welcome. Now Averoigne is said to be 13th Century but its origin stories span quite the range and it's said at times to be really closer to Renaissance but a backwater without gunpowder. The stories are actually set from what appears to be 12th Century to 18th (and include time travel). Skill Changes Replace Common Gun Combat with Ranged Combat (Bows), removing that from Advanced list. Healing – Paracelsan healing is not available (being 16th Century) Remove all artillery-skills Common – add Deception (lying CHA + INT), opposed by Insight Advanced skills - add Lore (Occult) (cf Clockwork and Cthulhu p.12) – a Profession skill for Cunning Man/Wise Woman; Physician (Herbalist); Witch/Warlock. Factions The following Factions are in use Noble House (multiple ones), Community (village or town etc), Gang (MA1), Guild, Religion (Catholic) (MA2), Religion (Druid, philosophically they are Deists and use that Faction’s stats) (MA2), Secret Society (multiple)(MA 1 or 2 depending), Self Interest (often the drive of lone sorcerers, Amoral, Greed, Revenge, Lust, Wrath etc., MA1 and 2), Order of Esoteric Discoverie (Clockwork and Cthulhu p.25, MA2), Invisible College (Clockwork and Chivalry p.119, MA2). Faction Mental Amour is of different types – MA1 applies to blood, gore and corpses, MA2 applies to supernatural creatures and magic. MA is also available to professions with an obvious connection to violence (e.g., Soldier) whether or not their faction offers it, as if it did. Equipment Gunpowder weapons and artillery removed. Remove rapier and side sword Armour categories are unchanged but constituent elements to be 13th century-consistent. Options Sanity is used Character Creation Stats using Openquest approach – all start at 8 and are bought up using 30 points, with maximum of 18. Professions limited to those appropriate to setting: Alchemist, Camp Follower, Cottager/Serf, Craftsman, Cunning Man/Wisewoman (likely Druid-connected), Entertainer (as Troubadour), Farmer, Knight (modified to be less dandy), Lord or Lady, Mercenary, Outlaw, Physician (Galenic or Herbalist), Preacher, Rook, Ruffian, Scholar, Soldier, Thief, Vagabond, Valet or Lady’s Maid, Watchman, Witch/Warlock, Witch Finder/Inquisitor, Woodsman Knight is modified only the write-up, skills remain the same. Professions created (usually just an existing one tinkered) based on Dark Ages: Averoigne suggestions in Worlds of Cthulhu Issue #1 (August 2004): Anchorite - religious hermit of heretical leanings either Roman Catholic, Gnostic, Manichaeism or Cathar – uses Preacher but instead of Influence has Resistance. Ex-Crusader - a soldier with knowledge of other lands and languages, remove Advanced Skill Lore (Tactics) and remove second “choose one” option, add Language (Other), Culture (Other), and Survival. Religious Order Knight (Templar) - Knight but remove Advance Skill Courtesy and add Advance Skill Beliefs (Own), Lore (Theology)

Thanks - can you provide what you like about combat mechanics/equipment of Openquest (3rd edition I assume)? Its preview does show a point buy system for stats that I like.

Thanks again, I also have Legend but I liked the baked-in sanity angle and factions might be useful. I also have the Basic Roleplaying core book for tweaking etc. Oh and a I have Cthulhu Dark Ages too. The system is a little too harsh for what I want, but I like somethings about it. The 'anti-wiff' option of "if both combatants miss then actually they both hit" rule is cool. Rob

Thanks

Hi all, Forum has been a bit quiet but hopefully someone can respond to this query. Also hope C&W are doing okay. I've seen references to RD being used for pre-gunpowder settings. This would be a fantasy-horror type setting, dipping into Clockwork and Cthulhu. The setting is Averoigne (from Clark Ashton Smith’s stories of the 1930’s-40’s) - 13th Century magical France, with bits of Joiry (C.L. Moore), and C’thulhu Mythos (Smith drew from HP Lovecraft in some stories). The tone of the movie Ladyhawk may provide some inspiration. The tone permits more optimism than most Averoigne stories, however it is a horror story. The primary source of information and map for Averoigne is from the Worlds of C’thulhu magazine (issues 1 to 3, much better than say the one from the old D&D module). Would the rules work for that sort of game? Rob

First thanks for splitting this, I was getting tired of seeing this "just settle it at your table" thing cluttering up a discussion of the new edition's rules. In overall target of female rulers, I think you can get there pretty easily by just ensuring widows and mothers of heirs in minority don't have to turn the reins over to a man. Given mortality among active knights generally, there will be lots of estates and holdings run by women. Similarly given mortality generally, with a change to inheritance customs or laws having a daughter be the only one left to carry on the line is not bizarre. You could even go with morgantic marriage - sorry Sir whatever I love you deeply and/or we make great allies against those common enemies, but I'm the one in charge of my father's estate and hold his title now, if we marry you're becoming my husband more than me your wife, I'm still the one in charge of the estate and the children are mine more than yours etc. (which then fits with the dynastic side of Pendragon), and my overlord is a real piece of work and demands I perform my military service personally, so I'm still suiting up in armour and heading out when the call comes. As to pregnancy and knightly service, I think it depends a bit on what else you want to do with the setting. There are fantasy novels which suggest a herb for birth control for example. Putting in terms of the "fun for the table", maternal fatality in birth per some of the rules for NPC wives would be adjusted as I don't see that as being "fun for anyone's PK female (knight or not)". Rob

On page 13 there is an explicit reference to "any female Player-knights". Personally I am fine if someone wants to have female knight and glad to see the setting will offer material in support of that but of course it's a "your table" thing about "the story we are imagining". I think you can have the tone of Mallory etc. without buying into gender roles - it's more a question of "how exceptional is that in the setting". Some of the things I see in the material for 6th edition look nice. The idea that your skill with a weapon on horseback can't be better than your skill at riding for example, the notes about Glory and melancholy etc. I say this having only 2 months ago dropped a boatload on edition 5.2 but c'est la vie.

Are you planning to use Publisher or another program for final? So that the page number on page of pdf aligns with a "go to page x" command in the reader?

I follow the comic and find some interesting plots in it at times that could transport to Pendragon, not sure about Prince Valiant game. The last one and current (which I realize are likely repeats) are potential sources of ideas for estate issues. The current one where you come home to find your estate is being managed by an outlawed woman, not the man you thought, but she's making it very profitable.... http://diversions.thestar.com/comics.html?feature_id=Prince_Valiant A past one combining a need to adjudicate a land dispute with accusations (false) of witchcraft and mobs (being manipulated). Rob

Indeed, I just bought 5.2 and some related stuff, a sense of "where 6th is going" would be great.

I love your tale. Do you/did you use the Madness Activity table in the GPC?

Am I correct that if the Summary Bout of Madness is used (isolated investigator or all have been afflicted) the duration of 1d10 hours is the same as the duration of "Insanity Phase 2", 1d10 hours and this is the same time (not an additional 1d10 hours). Thanks Rob

Thanks for responses. The reason for question is a scenario that is "on the clock" over a few days, where investigators might be tempted to keep late hours for several consecutive days. And yes Mike M, my thinking was first a Con roll (to make having a strong Con useful) to see if you are feeling the ill-effects of fatigue, another one if you exert yourself, with a Penalty die on rolls if one fails. I hadn't thought of the "adrenaline" kicking in to cancel the penalty die for a short time (sure you were sleepy and missing Spot Hidden rolls, botching your Library Use to find that article, but now that something jumps out at you ...), and I think that makes sense in the narrative and in terms of not getting too deadly too fast. I don't think I would have a character collapse, just have the rare condition of two penalty die in play - essentially a strong suggestion you should collapse but if you want to keep going...

I can't find any guidance on the effects of going without sleep, e.g., deciding after a day of investigating to stay awake all night looking out for cultists coming to the ritual spot etc. It's fairly easy to house rule something but I wanted to be sure I wasn't missing an official rule. Rob