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RQG Pavis Campaign


Crel

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On 10/29/2018 at 9:51 AM, Crel said:

Good McGuffins to go ruin-delving for in the Rubble

I'd say anything goes for this one. You've got a good starting range cultural starting points: Items from Genert's Garden, bit's of broken gods - like Tada's Grisly portions, but bits of Genert, Seolinthur, Yamsur, All Eyes open but one and of course bits of chaos gods. Relics of the Tada-Shi. Then there's Praxian items like the Great Magics of Prax and the tribal items, like the Medicine bundles. Items brought by the missionaries of the first council - of any background, but mainly Lightbringer stuff. Elf, Troll and Dwarf magics, Godlearner magics and stuff from robbed cradles, EWF dragon magics, magics used by the giants. Pavis's magics - grimoires and sorcerous items. Invader cult magics from Humakt, Yelmalio and Yelorna. Lunar items brought in to help with research and to populate temples. Items from the broken spirit world of the great darkness. Fallout from the Dragon rise, earth and rock that once covered a dragon, scales, seared items from the New Lunar Temple. See Pavis Gateway to Adventure and the Nomad Gods PDF for further details.

start with item, then culture then magic (or no magic), eg

Brastof's circle of conjuring from Robcradle, Waha's hunting pouch, Troll Teeth from xxx, etc

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On 10/29/2018 at 9:51 AM, Crel said:

What sort of personality to play for Argrath & Co.

My players loved him, they all took him as a patron, a few were his brother from the same bison clan. They weren't scarred of him, he was family.

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On 10/29/2018 at 9:51 AM, Crel said:

Argrath's powers and skills (because I just know that at some point he'll need to be the 'bigger & badder & keeps the party in line')

He can do miracles. In my game he summons Dragonewts with his left hand, teleports, step directly into the spirit world and heroplane. These were things he did in my game reacting to the players. He never flew as that didn't look cool. He always shaped magic visibly in his right hand before using it. He wore little armour, no magic sword. @Jeff's description of his parts is pretty good, although I wouldn't limit the Ian McShane part to just  to Wednesday, some of his other acting roles are all part of him too, notably Lovejoy,  Al Swearengen, Judas Escariot, Heathcliffe to name but a few. My players expect Argrath to do cool things, none would cross him, they are too loyal. Anyway he'd turn them into ants, pillars of salt or something else unexpected on Strike Rank 0.

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On 10/29/2018 at 9:51 AM, Crel said:

Other story and conflict seed ideas (especially if it can make use of existing material)

Although Argrath is styled King of Pavis, he's king of New Pavis. Out in the Rubble are all the existing squabbles. All of the existing power structures still exist out there. The forts, real city, garden and troll stronghold are still up against each other for control of resources. Add in to that, Ogre island,  krasht, the new temples of orlanth and the old ones like Yelorna. The Praxians are also back in the rubble too, Argrath has them back on the City council, as was up to 1582. The Zebra tribe are no longer the Pavis Survivors, they are once again the Royal Guard.Trying to exert their dominance over what was once Paragua's grazing, they are stretching the existing power structures inherent name of Argrath. Although cult differences vanish around Argrath, they still exist out in the field, and the field is the big rubble. Everything is waking up in the rubble, as though the dragon rise has recharged the sleeping powers. Lunars who escaped the initial slaughter after the siege have gone to ground, hidden in what ever groups would take them (unknowingly). The Rubble is a microcosm of the Hero Wars. Once Argrath and Jaldon head for Dragon Pass, everyone is clearly doing what they think Argrath (and Jaldon) want, so you can effectively ignore them once they're gone (why haven't your group gone with him?).

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I run in Pavis (set in 1613 now). I call my game Rubble Crawl Classics. I actually use the Mythras (Design Mechanism) rules.

You see, I realized a year or so ago how many players I talked to who loved adventuring in Pavis and the Rubble, and how few GM's set their campaigns there. My game is, at it's core, a series of dungeon crawls. Each mission is played in 1 to 3 sessions. I have half a dozen ongoing plots. Each one designed to play out over 5 to 10 (non-contiguous) session: If the players aren't interested in a plot, I drop it, and so don't railroad the players. Plots have included politics, clan issues, religion, lost magic artifacts, deadly rivals, and recurring foes.

Rubble adventures have come from a variety of sources, many of them classic D&D dungeons, and Dungeon Crawl Classics (Goodman Games) adventures. It just takes a little imagination to convert them to Glorantha and the Rubble (I don't convert specific spells or class abilities; I convert concepts: Enemy wizards become priests (or shamans) with a strong emphasis on attack magic (such as having elementals), Enemy clerics become priests with buffing spells. It's just a matter of applying appropriate cults. The most important difference is that in RQ, numbers are more important than in D&D, so never put the BBEG alone - always give him minions.

So far - lots of praise and few complaints. I'm happy with that.

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On 10/29/2018 at 9:51 AM, Crel said:

What in the world really is the White Bull Society?

The White Bull Society is an inter-tribal spirit cult that enables Praxians to coordinate military and magical activities. Despite its reputation for xenophobia, the White Bull Brotherhood has close relations with the cults of Orlanth and Storm Bull. Even more remarkable, it is that the White Bull Brotherhood is lead not by a Praxian, but by a Sartarite exile! All members of the society have the taboo of never act against another member. The medicine bundle of the society acts to magnify magics against Praxian outsiders.

Returning with the White Bull was Argrath's third miracle. It's likely he fathered the white bull with Eiritha. He then returned with his son to the Paring Stones on Orlanth's High Holy day. When a Praxian looks at it with his spirit eye, it looks like his tribes beast.

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On 10/29/2018 at 9:51 AM, Crel said:

Some stories I'm intending to fiddle with are Argrath's handling of the Grantlands/Rone County,

They are slaughtered as soon as the Most respected Elder declares the Armistice of Prax is broken. That's when Argrath arrives with Jaldon at the Paps. Some certainly escape, but the nomads what their best grazing back. YGMV

On 10/29/2018 at 9:51 AM, Crel said:

the civil strife in Sun County,

Check out MOBs posts in these forums

On 10/29/2018 at 9:51 AM, Crel said:

and becoming accepted by the citizens of Pavis. I figure the people of New Pavis are glad the Lunars are gone, but aren't exactly pleased about a bunch of filthy nomads roaming their streets...

He becomes king. I expect that Pavis is happy with him and Argrath meets him and demonstrates his left hand skills proving his worthiness. He's likely got Arrowsmith ancestors. He's clearly got enough power to put the praxians back on the city council as was originally. YGMV

On 10/29/2018 at 9:51 AM, Crel said:

For resources, I've got all the RQG materials, Borderlands & Beyond (which I've read), Pavis & Big Rubble (which I've skimmed), and the Glorantha Sourcebook (which I've skimmed). I'm not terribly concerned about staying canonical.

I'd suggest Pavis GTA and Nomad Gods too:

https://www.chaosium.com/pavis-gateway-to-adventure-pdf/

https://www.chaosium.com/nomad-gods-rule-booklet-pdf/

Edited by David Scott

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3 hours ago, pachristian said:

You see, I realized a year or so ago how many players I talked to who loved adventuring in Pavis and the Rubble, and how few GM's set their campaigns there. My game is, at it's core, a series of dungeon crawls. Each mission is played in 1 to 3 sessions. I have half a dozen ongoing plots. E

Hey, I'm also running a campaign there (and in the valley in general).

I'd be very interested in your stories of which scenarios especifically did you convert to Glorantha. and why they were so cool.

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On 11/2/2018 at 1:34 PM, David Scott said:

The White Bull Society is an inter-tribal spirit cult that enables Praxians to coordinate military and magical activities. Despite its reputation for xenophobia, the White Bull Brotherhood has close relations with the cults of Orlanth and Storm Bull. Even more remarkable, it is that the White Bull Brotherhood is lead not by a Praxian, but by a Sartarite exile! All members of the society have the taboo of never act against another member. The medicine bundle of the society acts to magnify magics against Praxian outsiders.

In our RQPavis game, anyone who has seen The White Bull and has spent a point of POW automatically becomes part of the White Bull Brotherhood. Their steeds become white when close to another member of the White Bull Brotherhood. One of the PCs was a Zebra Rider and he was very embarrassed at first, in case people thought he was riding a horse.

 

On 11/2/2018 at 1:34 PM, David Scott said:

Returning with the White Bull was Argrath's third miracle. It's likely he fathered the white bull with Eiritha. He then returned with his son to the Paring Stones on Orlanth's High Holy day. When a Praxian looks at it with his spirit eye, it looks like his tribes beast.

In our game, the White Bull was a very rarely seen spirit of Prax. The PCs united the tribes of Prax by realising that every Tribe had a White Bull Society. They then united the Pure Horse Tribe with Praxians, when they met some HeroQuesting Grazers who re-emerged from the Black Net to refound the Pure Horse Tribe, When the PCs summoned the White Bull against them, some of their horses turned white and they were accepted into the White Bull Brotherhood and showed their kinship with Praxians.

 

Edited by soltakss
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14 hours ago, soltakss said:

In out game, the White Bull was a very rarely seen spirit of Prax.

I think that’s the actually the case and Argrath made it his own. In theory both exist. 

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On 10/31/2018 at 4:14 AM, Jeff said:

We NEED you to find it and bring it back." That sort of stuff. The requests are strange and dangerous, and the reason why they are needed is never given beforehand.

I like this idea, though I find it a bit tricky to work with. It feels like a useful direction to play with. Unexplained and as sudden as lightning. I feel like I'd want to emphasize that it's sudden and unexplained for the other NPCs, too.

On 11/2/2018 at 8:06 AM, David Scott said:

He can do miracles.

I tend to be of the school that "If an NPC can do something, a PC should plausibly be able to do it (even if it requires obscene time and effort)." That being said, I do find this useful as a way of thinking about how Argrath acts. Rather than "this is bigger and cooler Rune magic," just "Look, he's being Jesus, okay? It's a miracle. You've got no freaking clue." Conceptually, I feel like this puts it in a different category than "normal" magic.

On 11/2/2018 at 8:20 AM, David Scott said:

The Praxians are also back in the rubble too, Argrath has them back on the City council, as was up to 1582. The Zebra tribe are no longer the Pavis Survivors, they are once again the Royal Guard.Trying to exert their dominance over what was once Paragua's grazing, they are stretching the existing power structures inherent name of Argrath. Although cult differences vanish around Argrath, they still exist out in the field, and the field is the big rubble. Everything is waking up in the rubble, as though the dragon rise has recharged the sleeping powers.

This is really helpful, thank you. I'm playing pre-Dragonrise (but only by a few seasons), but this definitely gives me some material to work with. My understanding of the (New) Pavis & Prax relationship was somewhat antagonistic, but not open warfare. I had no idea the Zebra Riders once were the Royal Guard, though I did know in passing they were a major faction in the Rubble. I wish I could get a physical copy of Pavis & Big Rubble; I find it hard to skim PDFs for tidbits and I don't really have the time to sit down and read that one :D. I really like the idea of "in the name of Argrath!" while he's off in Sartar.

On 11/2/2018 at 8:36 AM, David Scott said:

They are slaughtered as soon as the Most respected Elder declares the Armistice of Prax is broken. That's when Argrath arrives with Jaldon at the Paps. Some certainly escape, but the nomads what their best grazing back.

 

On 11/2/2018 at 8:36 AM, David Scott said:

He becomes king. I expect that Pavis is happy with him and Argrath meets him and demonstrates his left hand skills proving his worthiness.

These are probably areas where I'm going to drift into YGMV because I find it more interesting. I see Fort Raus surviving to some degree simply because walls are good against nomads, especially if (in my Glorantha) Argrath's focused on stuff other than mopping up random Lunar farmers (and I'll just YGMV-assume it was Argrath & Jaldon who knocked down the New Pavis walls against the Lunar garrison). Corflu's also smaller than I had thought it was, as I keep reading material. Of course, the Praxians want to clear out the valley, but I think it might provide the PCs some interesting choices about mass-slaughtering peasants. Eh, I'll figure it out.

It's in a similar vein that I'm seeing a period where Argrath (or rather, his followers) wants to consolidate control of New Pavis. I just see "king by conquest" providing more interesting stories and options than "and everyone liked him and was happy and ate cake." (Largely joking there.)

On 11/2/2018 at 8:34 AM, David Scott said:

The White Bull Society is an inter-tribal spirit cult that enables Praxians to coordinate military and magical activities. Despite its reputation for xenophobia, the White Bull Brotherhood has close relations with the cults of Orlanth and Storm Bull. Even more remarkable, it is that the White Bull Brotherhood is lead not by a Praxian, but by a Sartarite exile! All members of the society have the taboo of never act against another member. The medicine bundle of the society acts to magnify magics against Praxian outsiders.

Returning with the White Bull was Argrath's third miracle. It's likely he fathered the white bull with Eiritha. He then returned with his son to the Paring Stones on Orlanth's High Holy day. When a Praxian looks at it with his spirit eye, it looks like his tribes beast.

This is also incredibly helpful for me, thank you. The White Bull Society is something I've struggled with understanding--as it's usually just mentioned, rather than explained--and I appreciate this. I think I will go with the "Argrath fathered White Bull with Eiritha" just because again, it's a way to describe Argrath's power in a concrete, but basically untouchable way. "The dude conceived with a goddess, okay?" Even if this is a cult secret from the start of play.

On 11/2/2018 at 8:36 AM, David Scott said:

I'd suggest Pavis GTA

Didn't know they had cars in the bronze age... :P

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On 11/2/2018 at 8:29 AM, pachristian said:

You see, I realized a year or so ago how many players I talked to who loved adventuring in Pavis and the Rubble, and how few GM's set their campaigns there. My game is, at it's core, a series of dungeon crawls.

This is what my RQ group has done for several years now, and it's worked really well (although not just in the Rubble). We've played a mix of AD&D adventures and old RQ material that my GM has access to. I expect at some point to be doing the same (if only because there's some adventures I'm dying to play, like D&D3.0's Red Hand of Doom). A few of our highlights have been The Lost Shrine of Tamoachan and Castle Amber. There was also one with ghouls in a castle near a village named Vast I liked, but I haven't figured out what module that actually was.

I know a module which has caught my eye that I may adapt for RQ is Spire of Iron and Crystal, by Frog God Games, for Pathfinder (and other systems). It looks like a cool way to mimic crazy God Learner technomagic.

If you have suggestions for the Rubble, I'd love to hear them :).

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1 hour ago, Crel said:

Conceptually, I feel like this puts it in a different category than "normal" magic.

Yes, Argrath can do normal magic, but he's also the Arkat of the Third Age. He can do magics brought back from HeroQuests. Remember that in the future he pulls down the Red Moon. He can't do that now, but he already has access to some dragon magics - like the Dragontooth warriors. 

1 hour ago, Crel said:

I had no idea the Zebra Riders once were the Royal Guard, though I did know in passing they were a major faction in the Rubble.

The Zebra riders are the direct descendants of the Arrowsmith Dynasty that Pavis set to rule his city when he moved on. 

Quote

Foundation of the Zebra Tribe

The Arrowsmith dynasty were Pure Horse People Their horses were not granddaughters of Eiritha and were not part of Waha’s Covenant. Within local customs they were invaders and could never properly thrive except in the in the richest of Praxian pastures. Under the Peace of Paragua’s Grazing Joraz [King of Pavis] still had to deal directly with the Praxians, and sought to ensure continued goodwill with them.

Joraz was a man of the Sun, as were all the Pure Horse people in those days. Yet he was different, too: changed by the mix of magics offered by the Empire of the Wyrm’s Friends where he and Pavis had studied and became friends.

At the Paps he sought his answers:

“Under what meagre conditions would one allow a horse to live in one’s land?” he asked the Most Respected Elder.

“In bondage,” she spoke, “Broken from kin.” She spoke with the words of the Goddess.

“Need they be unhealthy?” he asked. “You aid herd men and giant lizards.”

“Their health I grant, within their confines.”

Joraz sought to resolve this dilemma. He took his horses, the finest mares and stallions with shining golden eyes, and magically bred them with the small zebras he collected within the great walls of Pavis. The result was a fine breed of creatures, striped like zebras and but big like normal warhorses. The stripes symbolising their bondage, and the interbreeding that severed them from their kin pleased the Goddess. She gave her blessing for them to remain, but for them to be paired with men to ride them, Joraz was tasked by the Most Respected Elder to prove his worthiness. Strange magics were abroad, Joraz went to the Green Age with the Zebra High Priestess and wed the Zebra Protectress herself. Their twin daughters, were born the following year, and Joraz was declared Zebra Founder by the Paps. Their two-legged daughter Joria was raised there, becoming High Priestess of the Zebras in 880 and the Most Respected Elder in 914. Her four-legged sister became the mother of the small zebra herd still found at the Paps today.

The Peace of Paragua’s Grazing was broken. The Arrowsmith dynasty were no longer invading Pure Horse People, but Praxians themselves.

The Zebra tribe were the Royal Guard to the Arrowsmith kings of Pavis. The king being the tribal Khan of the Zebra tribe. 

Edited by David Scott
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On 10/31/2018 at 10:14 AM, Jeff said:

Argrath spends 1625 and 1626 in Prax gathering an army of Praxians and adventurers, and building his White Bull cult. Late 1626/early 1627 he brings that army into Dragon Pass and routes the Lunars at Alda-Chur, and becomes Prince of that area. He then marches around Sartar gathering allies before entering Boldhome and lights the Flame of Sartar

I got the Heroquest book Pavis: Gateway to Adventure book, it details events up to 1621.

From the RQG book I know that in 1624 Argrath travels to the border between Sartar and Prax and summons Jaldon Goldentooth. I assume that during late 1624 Argrath gathers forces with Jaldon Goldentooth and The White Bull society - considering what happens in 1625.

Is there anything else specific to Pavis between 1622-1624?

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Sor-eel leaves, Gimgim possibly stays (if that "this is how we deal with assassins" is spoken at the liberation of New Pavis). A certain Seven Mothers initiate recently active in Elkoi gets assigned as Sor-eel's successor.

The Windstop freezes up the Zola Fel in the north. When it stops, a flashflood washes down the valley, carrying ice and debris and devastating all low-lying areas. New Pavis is safe within its walls, but Badside and low-lying parts of the Rubble fare less well.

Other than that, the Lunars still remain in the city, a good portion of the rebellious elements among the Orlanthi are missing since the Cradle incident, and the more rebellious of the Praxians keep low profile.

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Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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I tend to be of the school that "If an NPC can do something, a PC should plausibly be able to do it (even if it requires obscene time and effort)." That being said, I do find this useful as a way of thinking about how Argrath acts. Rather than "this is bigger and cooler Rune magic," just "Look, he's being Jesus, okay? It's a miracle. You've got no freaking clue." Conceptually, I feel like this puts it in a different category than "normal" magic.

It might help to not think of Argrath as an NPC: he’s an NPC only in the same sense as the Crimson Bat is an NPC. 

I find it helpful to view the rules as an emulation of the workings of the world, not as the actual physics of the world. And I make that clear to my players. The rules do not describe everything that is possible, or even how things actually happen: they are a framework that allows the players to understand the world, and for describing how the characters interact with the world.

 

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23 hours ago, Crel said:

I tend to be of the school that "If an NPC can do something, a PC should plausibly be able to do it.

Sure, and everything Argrath does can be done through Heroquesting, but just for a start, to get to where he got you'd have to play through the adulthood initiation and absolutely ace it. Stat rolling, roleplaying, and rune/skill rolls would have to all go spectacularly well, and the player and GM would have to be thinking along the same lines when deciding on actions and consequences. Plot characters have that advantage, that the player and GM are the same person and think the same way (most of the time).

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1 hour ago, PhilHibbs said:

 Plot characters have that advantage, that the player and GM are the same person and think the same way (most of the time).

That's roleplaying terms for "touched by destiny".

It is a bit harder to achieve in gritty RuneQuest than in simulationist HeroQuest, but most of the memorable events in the development of your character are less roll-playing and more entertaining your GM with your choice of actions. As long as the game system doesn't make such choices impractical, you'll be fairly fine.

It is a case of know your GM and his style of narrating and judging actions, so thinking a bit like your GM while surprising him may be at the core of such character antics.

Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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2 hours ago, Joerg said:

That's roleplaying terms for "touched by destiny".

It is a bit harder to achieve in gritty RuneQuest than in simulationist HeroQuest, but most of the memorable events in the development of your character are less roll-playing and more entertaining your GM with your choice of actions. As long as the game system doesn't make such choices impractical, you'll be fairly fine.

It is a case of know your GM and his style of narrating and judging actions, so thinking a bit like your GM while surprising him may be at the core of such character antics.

I would prefer more of "know your players and their style, and go along with their ideas if you can", although that's quite difficult. If you've got a plan for how something should work, and a player comes up with something very different, then rolling with it is not necessarily easy.

I once gave my players each a dream sequence. The trollkin who wanted to become a troll was in the darkness, and there was something in there with him. Something large, and dark, and breathing with a slow rumble. He (female player, male character) ran like hell out of there, and I couldn't think of any way to turn that into a positive developmental situation.

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21 minutes ago, PhilHibbs said:

I once gave my players each a dream sequence. The trollkin who wanted to become a troll was in the darkness, and there was something in there with him. Something large, and dark, and breathing with a slow rumble. He (female player, male character) ran like hell out of there, and I couldn't think of any way to turn that into a positive developmental situation.

It can be difficult.  I had a magical situation where I wanted the players to highlight a thing they would have boosted at the expense of something that they would lose.  I wasn't that explicit but they were all asked the question of what they would give up - one player said "nothing" which was a legitimate answer that I was not actually expecting.  I had nothing at the time to deal with that but, after some hard chewing by my subconscious, he did not lose anything but he gained the boon he was seeking but he also now shows up on ANY detect spell that is cast around him.  It is surprisingly disruptive in all kinds of ways and I think he might have to quest to do something about it...

Stephen

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We had our first session this past evening, and did adventurer creation. It seemed to go pretty well; three of my four fairly-certain players were able to attend. Two of them have experience with RQ3 (though I'd call that game a bit Glorantha-lite) and the other has never played D100, but has played Pathfinder for years. Everyone seemed pretty happy with their adventurers. So far we have:

  • Tatonka Watco: A herder of the Bison Tribe who helped manage the herds while Argrath & Co.'s army marched on New Pavis. He eventually ended up choosing the cult of Waha after originally wanting Eiritha. I pointed out that it noted female Praxians only (but offered him the cult anyway) and he declined, wanting to try sticking with the material. He expressed some frustration that he couldn't find an Earth Rune cult which was actively accepting of males, and I couldn't think of any vaguely canon-friendly suggestions on the spot. He seemed bemused and excited that his adventurer basically starts play with a small herd (6 meat bison).
  • Unnamed 1: A heavy cavalry warrior of the Bison Tribe, but who worships Zorak Zoran rather than a conventional deity. This player had played Storm Bull in RQ3 and basically wanted "same but different." The first adventure I have set up involves trolls, so I thought it could be interesting to offer this. So far, he seems really happy with his character--he rolled three 6s for CHA! Which was hilarious and weird--we figured he's big and scary and brutal (CON 19 and SIZ 17) but has that sort of cult-leader, Charles Manson-type appeal to normal folks. He was part of a Zorak Zorani cavalry group (giant beetles!) who joined Argrath's horde in conquering & sacking New Pavis, but has mostly split off from them to pursue his own ambitions (I figure in hopes of gaining enough power to rank higher in troll society).
  • Unnamed 2: A morokanth assistant shaman, who worships his ancestors. We're still working on his story, but I plan to suggest that he's accepted the call to adventure because he's heard stories of Argrath's odd mystical insights (this adventurer has a very high Moon Rune). I'm cribbing the baboons rule about using Beast Rune instead of Man Rune for Daka Fal, since it felt like it fit better with this character--not exactly the savage parts, but very separated from normal society. His favorite food is newtling.

Additionally, my fourth wants to play a trollkin because I intentionally described it & set it up as "Hard Mode," and he enjoys a challenge. I plan to introduce him to play as a slave of Unnamed 1 (which he's approved). Beyond that, I rolled up a few NPCs using the same adventurer creation rules for if new players want to step in and try the game out:

  • Shadowpaw: A large, dark-furred baboon shaman who worships Grandfather Baboon. (I'm not entirely sure if he'll be assistant or full shaman, but when I did the [POW+CHA]/2 x5 roll for approval, he succeeded. And, his shaman skills ended up really strong.) He hates humans--especially Praxians who killed most of his mother's troop--but is also strangely fascinated by them. He's adventuring to understand them, perhaps to figure out how to overthrow them and rebuild the Monkey Empire.
  • Garick Ulstor's son: A heavy infantry warrior from Sartar, he joined Argrath's followers shortly after the Battle of Pennel Ford (if I have my battles right). He's kind of my "example standard Orlanthi," who worships Orlanth Adventurous, has good weapon skills, and so on.

I'll probably say that Shadowpaw and Garick tag along with the party (just to make the story flow better), but I don't know yet if I'll end up GMPC-ing them; I'd like not to, but it'll depend on how many players are able to make it to sessions, on average. I figure once we're settled a bit into the system I'll let other players run them if needed. I'm running sessions in a game store, so my hope is that I'll have people see the game and be interested in jumping in if I've got the spare characters to offer.

Next week, we plan to finalize character choices (and maybe at other points during the week, for those of us who can get together) and start play in New Pavis. My plan is that they're in the city while a party of adventurers is mustering for an expedition into the Rubble, but they get caught up in more mundane issues in the meantime as a local peddler complains to the new "authorities" about having been robbed of her pack donkeys for the second time this season...

(Plus this'll give me more time to actually figure out what the heck to do with the Rubble! :P)

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11 minutes ago, Crel said:

I'm cribbing the baboons rule about using Beast Rune instead of Man Rune for Daka Fal, since it felt like it fit better with this character--not exactly the savage parts, but very separated from normal society.

I don't think there is such a rule. Baboons use the Man Rune for Daka Fal stuff just like all other shamans.

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