Moonrise Over Karse

[simonh]

Im splitting this off from the general topic of running games online. My plan for this is to run it online using tools such as Phil’s Google Sheets character sheets, Rolz dice roller/chat site, Skype (or Hangouts, etc) and such. Here’s the campaign introduction:

Moonrise Over Karse Intro

These are the overall mission goals:

1. To establish diplomatic links with the city, connect with potential allies and identify and undermine enemies of the Empire.

2. To evaluate and advise on the military options for successful invasion, siege and conquest of the city.

3. Investigate the economic and trading potential of the city. Establish trade links. Identify strategic assets and objectives for the invasion and their exploitation post-conquest.

4. Establish the Lunar religion in the city, create cultural links and bring the Lunar Way to the people.

Specific missions the team may be assigned include: Neutralise an enemy of the Empire. Destroy or obtain a strategic asset. Recruit or gain leverage over a person.

If you are interested in playing, please post the following info.

Who is your character? Provide a few sentences summarising name, career, homeland, cult and personal summary.

Why were you selected? Which of the four goals of the team will your character pursue and how? Ideally each character should have a dedicated reason to own or joint-own at least one of the goals. Only characters useful for the team mission would be chosen. Why did they come to you?

My plan is to create a set of character sheets using Phil’s Google Sheets template and share one with each player. That way I can generate the stat dice before sharing so you can create your character. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure the stat totals are respectable. Only capable candidates would get selected for this gig.

[simonh]

Karse Guide

Overview of my version of the city.

[simonh]

I’ve discussed this with Phil and I think at first a short mission might make more sense. So the game would consist of a more focused expedition with specific limited goals, for 3 or 4 sessions of play. Then as a group we can regroup and see what we are comfortable with from there.

[Jusmak]

Will a dark troll merchant from Blue Mon Plateu do? Just figuring out character concept, and trying to do first character. Of course there is no ready material from this place and this race, but improvising from older material is not a big deal, I think. 

Dark Troll merchant named Bog, could be hired by lunar officers to investigate especially economic potential and trading opportunities. By doing so, Bog also gathers information not only to lunar officers, but himself. And maybe getting good opportunity to sell troll goods later on. His main cult is Argan Argath. Darkness, earth and harmony rune affinities.

However are trolls open for this campaign, I have no idea how hostile or friendly area city of Karse is for trolls? Is Bog too suspicious character for a job?

I can easily grasp another character concepts too, if this will not be a good idea.

[simonh]

1 hour ago, Jusmak said:

However are trolls open for this campaign, I have no idea how hostile or friendly area city of Karse is for trolls? Is Bog too suspicious character for a job?

Interesting, I can see that working. Karse is Near the Shadow Plateau, a major troll stronghold, and was part of a Troll empire long ago. There is a troll enclave just across the river, and Trolls are commonly seen about the city especially at night. Troll scouts guide the city watch night patrols, they work in the sewers and a squad of troll mercenaries called the Hellborn serve the lord of the city. There will be an Argan Argar temple nearby, and a shrine within the city.

An Argan Argar Troll could also make a fantastic spymaster. Dark Walk, Speak With Insects, Glamour. All useful stuff for getting around unnoticed, espionage and grooming informants.

[Jusmak]

Oh, indeed. I just read from Guide, that lunars have hired dark trolls as assisins and spies, but not understanding why would they do so. Dark Walk explains that much as create shadow. Never played runepriest, so use of runemagic was quite rare. But, as now things are different, and Shadow Walk for whole party can do wonders for mission...

Could you throw me stats for dark troll? I already did with my own method, but it may be more fair to have standard method for campaign. Here is my email: taipalenator@gmail.com. I will then throw back suggestion for skills and such, trying to keep line with RQG.

[simonh]

Stats for dark trolls are in the first bestiary preview, available from the Chaosium preview mailing list. You can sign up here,and they’ll send you a link. Use the skills, language, passions, etc provided there as your base chances. I’ll give you 35% New Pelorian for free, but as a trader you should be trying to pick up as many useful human languages as you can at a functional level. I’ll rarely give you a hard time with a language you have over 25% talking to a native speaker.

For their Power Rune affinities they should have Darkness instead of Beast. That creates a problem because it’s also an elemental rune affinity. For now Ill rule you create the character as normal, using Darkness instead of Beast, but in the end the highest Darkness rune rating takes precedence and counts for both, if you see what I mean. So e.g. if your Darkness Element affinity ends up at 60% and your Darkness power rune affinity ends up as 80%, then your Darkness elemental affinity is also 80%.

You won’t have a family background from the provided tables, but feel free to make one up. You will have a few Trollkin assistants. I’m working on a way to represent that.

[PhilHibbs]

I think Jeff once said that Uz will not use man/darkness as an opposed pair. Unless the preview says otherwise? I don't have it to hand.

[simonh]

Trollkin

You get your CHA in Trollkin Points. A Value costs 5, Warrior costs 3 and Worker (Mahout) costs 1 and comes with a pack/riding beetle. You need at least one of each.

Value Trollkin get skill bonuses on any five skills of +50, +40, +30, +20 and +10. They get 3 points of spirit magic

Warrior Trollkin get skill bonuses of +30 to two combat skills, then one skill each at, +20 and +10 and come with 3pt armour, 1H spear and shield. They also get 2 points of spirit magic.

Mahout/Worker Trollkin come with a riding pack beetle and trade goods.

EDIT: Don’t dismiss the value of trade goods, these can be used for bribes, exchange for goods of services, leverage etc. You will pretty much need to have at least one, and might it hard to get by without a few more although there may be alternative ways and means. It depends on whether you see your character as primarily a deal maker or spy. A character with more than 5 trade goods is a wealthy wheeler dealer with major financial and material resources. However a few trained spy/stealth Trollkin can be your eyes, ears, messengers and all sorts. A handful of warrior trollkin or a tough value bodyguard might mean your character could focus on other areas than any combat skills and give you muscle when you need it.

Edited June 24, 2018 by simonh

[simonh]

11 minutes ago, PhilHibbs said:

I think Jeff once said that Uz will not use man/darkness as an opposed pair. Unless the preview says otherwise? I don't have it to hand.

We can revise later, we’ll have the bestiary within a month.

[simonh]

I just want to clarify something about this game. It’s not a ‘bad guy’ campaign. The characters should be well meaning, patriotic Citizens that believe the Empire is a force for good. They’re not immoral assassins or chaos worshiping monsters.

Edited June 24, 2018 by simonh

[styopa]

5 hours ago, simonh said:

I just want to clarify something about this game. It’s not a ‘bad guy’ campaign. The characters should be well meaning, patriotic Citizens that believe the Empire is a force for good. They’re not immoral assassins or chaos worshiping monsters.

Moral assassins, as well as chaos-worshipping people, or non-chaos worshipping monsters - well those are all ok though.

#lunarforever #redmoonbestmoon #everythingisrelative

[simonh]

16 minutes ago, styopa said:

Moral assassins, as well as chaos-worshipping people, or non-chaos worshipping monsters - well those are all ok though.

#lunarforever #redmoonbestmoon #everythingisrelative

Well, sometimes people must die for the greater good

Think French resistance fighters in WW2.

[jajagappa]

On ‎6‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 8:31 AM, simonh said:

For their Power Rune affinities they should have Darkness instead of Beast.

Why?  Beast seems perfectly reasonable for trolls.  Just consider some of the variant troll forms like cave trolls or midget slashers (from the old RQ3 Bestiary).

[Ian_W]

2 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Why?  Beast seems perfectly reasonable for trolls.  Just consider some of the variant troll forms like cave trolls or midget slashers (from the old RQ3 Bestiary).

Man plus plant equals elf. Man plus stasis equals dwarf. Man plus darkness equals troll. Man plus beast = beastman.

[simonh]

You’re probably right, characters already have darkness so with trolls there’s no real need to find a home for it, as it already has one. Maybe just make sure it meets the requirements and in the bestiary. Again if there’s more to it than that we can course correct later.

Edited June 26, 2018 by simonh

[Jarulf]

Annstor of the Black Willow Clan in Lunar Tarsh, Irripi Ontor Initiate.

Annstor comes from the small Black Willow clan, near North Post and allied with the Orindori in Dunstop. The clan was traditional orlanthi but converted soon after Tarsh became a province. They are locally famous for the stand of willows with black bark, where their wyter resides. Their Chief, Orndal carries a ceremonial set of armour made from the bark.

Annstor grew up an orphan after both his parents died when he was young, but raised by the whole village. His favourite pastime as a child was wandering around and exploring, and he got to know several of the friendly entities living close the village. 
A wandering philosopher from Dunstop made a huge impression on him when he was twelve, and a few years later, after he had been initiated to the Knowledge God, sought out the old woman and trained under her. His interest in discovery and exploration has taken him on many journeys around Tarsh and northern Sartar, allowing him to compile notes and sketches of the areas visited. A gentle and friendly manner has helped him get access to persons and places that might have been more difficult to reach otherwise.

His compiled notes brought him to the attention of a group of people wanting to scout the city of Karse and surrounding lands. Eager for the opportunity to see the ocean and exotic Esrolia, he readily accepted the mission. His main tasks would be to gain an understanding of the region as a whole, both the land itself and the different groups of people living their and how they relate to each other. A bird's eye view, to help further narrow the focus of further studies. A secondary role would be to support the mission members with his unique skills and magic, as appropriate.

 

Would something like this work?

 

[simonh]

4 hours ago, jarulf said:

Would something like this work?

 

So he's going to be making maps and writing evocative descriptions of places and people, maybe cataloging the flora and fauna, etc. It's a great opportunity for a prominent student of the natural history of the Dragon Pass region.

I can see a certain potential for conflict between the character's natural interests and tendencies, and the military dimensions of the expedition. That's great!

Just be aware the powers pulling the strings will have very specific ideas about what the team is there for and the results and contribution they expect from everyone.

Edited June 26, 2018 by simonh

[Jarulf]

4 hours ago, simonh said:

So he's going to be making maps and writing evocative descriptions of places and people, maybe cataloging the flora and fauna, etc. It's a great opportunity for a prominent student of the natural history of the Dragon Pass region.

I can see a certain potential for conflict between the character's natural interests and tendencies, and the military dimensions of the expedition. That's great!

Just be aware the powers pulling the strings will have very specific ideas about what the team is there for and the results and contribution they expect from everyone.

I think he probably has as idea of what may be expected of him, and what he will be involved in. The opportunity to travel south is a big draw however, and he is probably a little flattered at being singled out too, so maybe he tries not to think too much about the potential downsides.  And he has travelled quite a bit already, he will have been in a fight or two and seen other dangerous situations (dramatically described in a journal), so I don't think he's naive exactly. 

And he does sincerely believe the Lunar way brings much good to the world, and that the cost is worth it sometimes. In general. he's an optimistic, easy-going and friendly young man (if his CHA roll allows it 😉 ) If he stays one remains to be seen.