Demons have murdered everything and now the world is a living hell. Fortunately you're an inexperienced adventurer who would rather brave that hell looking for power and glory than sit in your safe cottage and make shoes.
Oh and you'll probably kill yourself with your own unstable magic anyway, so you might as well get paid for it.
GeographyYears and years ago, the lands you now inhabit were peaceful and calm. Then came the demons, streaming inexorably from the north. Though their footsoldiers were not invincible, they were without fear, mercy, or number, and their hideous masters soon joined to topple those organized defenders that would not be worn away.
Most people were slaughtered, whether they tried to run, hide, or fight. Some tried to flee in ships, hoping against hope for some hitherto unknown lands to save them. If they found them, they didn't return to tell anyone else about it. And a rare, lucky few managed to flee to your current home, one of the last known bastions against the demonic hordes.
The land itself fared little better. Some places became barren, red, and lifeless, while others became twisted and dark, inhabited only by horrors now. One of the biggest advantages the remaining holdouts can claim is their ability to stop not only the demons' footsoldiers and assorted beasts, but also their corruption of the land said defenders must live and grow on. The few remaining bastions aren't just fortresses that cannot be conquered, they're literal oases of green life amidst vast seas of red death and black venom.
Haven is the name of the largest known bastion of humanity remaining. In the past its name was different, but today it is known simply and fittingly as Haven.
Haven proper is a walled city of white stone, described by most as inspiring. Though not the tallest or most imposing structure imaginable, its walls are sturdy and supported by a large collection of noble priests and valiant defenders. In times past, Haven itself served as a bulwark against the marauding hordes, but more recently its defenders have managed to push the fighting out further, giving more room for farmland and living space.
Protecting this increased territory are three major fortresses, with several watch towers in between. The center one receives the most attention, being assaulted on a fairly regular basis by demonic soldiers with no regard for their own safety. The defenders are more than capable of handling such miscreants, however, many of them being accustomed to far greater horrors than have been seen any time recently. The northwestern keep is located near the coast, and sees less action, usually horrifying wraiths or similar. The eastern fort, also near the coast, sees little action; usually wandering, sinister-looking beasts rather than concerted, intelligent strike forces.
The green area around Haven is also generally referred to as Haven; when one wishes to distinguish, usually they refer to the inner one as "the city" or "the keep." This land remains green due to the tireless efforts of the city's priests and magi, and serves as an invaluable source of food and natural resources. It also houses some independent buildings and hamlets, though most inhabitants are more than ready to flee to the protection of Haven's walls should demons slip past the outer defenses.
Finally, the southwestern coasts provide invaluable fishing potential and limited connections to the other known havens. Though the demons do not appear to have taken over the seas, ships do sometimes disappear, and travel anywhere is generally considered dangerous for obvious reasons.
In terms of governance, Haven is controlled by the Council, which in turn employs and listens to several Sub-Councils on various affairs. The Council's number one priority is of course not being savaged by demonic hordes, though most members consider improving the health and happiness of those people remaining to be critical to that endeavor.
The lands outside Haven or other holdouts is varied, but fairly universally terrible. Collectively, they are known simply as the Outlands, twisted places where few can survive for any length of time.
Hellfire Plains
To the northeast of Haven lie the Hellfire Plains, a vast red expanse of dust and death. "Plants" found there are almost universally black, twisted things bristling with thorns, more useful for weapons than sustenance or shelter. It is a prime demonic stronghold, with numerous fortresses of black stone, wandering demonic patrols, and other telltale signs of infernal power. The most common and iconic assaults on Haven come in from the Hellfire Plains, though it is uncertain if they ultimately originate from there.
Haunted Marsh
To the north of Haven lies the Haunted Marsh, a ghostly wetland covering the western coast of the continent. It is an unsettling place, infested with the dead, especially ghosts or ghost-like apparitions, but more than that appears to affect the minds of those that wander there, inciting them to weakness, fear, madness, paranoia, or other diseases of the mind. Few go there, even by the standards of the Outlands in general, which is saying quite a bit.
Twisted Forest
To the east-northeast of Haven lies the Twisted Forest, a perpetually dark place of twisted, nightmarish plant life and even worse "animals." It is known especially for its spiders, which exist in a variety of horrifying types and range of horrifying sizes. Its other skittering horrors are not to be underestimated, however, especially those that can't be so cleanly described as "like this animal, but the size of a cow and thoroughly malignant."
Calm Coast
To the east of Haven, the southern coast of the continent holds mist-shrouded fields and swampland. It is a subtly unnatural place, evidently "off" but not immediately crawling with bloodthirsty murderers, which alone is enough to give it the name "The Calm Coast." Creatures often venture out of the Twisted Forest to prey here, and the land itself hosts many mysterious, fey oddities, sometimes harmless but other times not. It remains one of the safest places in the world not protected by wall or sword, but that's little comfort to the unlucky souls who venture into it and then never come out.
The Crags
Far to the northeast, past the Hellfire Plains, lie the Crags. Though once a bastion of knowledge and defense, today they are darkened and evil, a twisting maze of eternally twilit canyons and crevasses, infested by nimble, skittering horrors. This rough land forms an impenetrable barrier through the center of the continent, which together with the Haunted Marsh to the west and the sheer distances involved in the east, effectively seal off any hope of travel further north save perhaps by sea.
Basic combat is decided by opposed d6s, with the attacker dealing the difference in damage to the defender if they win. The defender wins on a tie.
| Roll | Result |
| [5] vs [3] | Defender takes 2 damage |
| [1] vs [3] | Attacker misses |
| [4] vs [4] | Attacker misses |
In addition, combatants may have modifiers to their attack and defense values. These may be included in rolls for clarity, but do not modify the base roll, only the resulting damage in the event of a hit. Modifiers will add or subtract damage points, but they will not change whether or not an attack hits unless the defender's modifiers reduce the damage to 0.
| Roll | Result |
| [2+3] vs [4-1] | Attacker misses |
| [4] vs [3-2] | Defender takes 3 damage |
| [3-1] vs [2] | Defender takes 0 damage |
HP
Function: HP protects you from dying. If your HP reaches exactly 0, you are disabled but stable. Any lower and you gain a Bleed effect equal to the amount below 0 you have been dropped, and must roll each round. On a 1-2, you take your Bleed value in damage. On a 3-4, you take your Bleed value in damage, then your Bleed value drops by 1. On a 5-6, your Bleed value drops by 1. Healing generally reduces your Bleed value by an amount equal to its healing value, in addition to recovering HP.
Sources: HP comes primarily from your Toughness skill, which you gain experience in from attacks that succeed in damaging you. Armors that make you particularly durable may occasionally add HP, and body-enhancing spells may sometimes provide bonus HP.
Defense, Endurance, and Resistance
Function: Defenses reduce the damage of appropriate incoming attacks. Each point in Defense, Endurance, or Resistance reduces the damage from appropriate sources by their value. Defense lowers Physical damage, which includes Slashing, Piercing, and Crushing. Endurance lowers Elemental damage, which includes Fire, Frost, and Shock. Resistance lowers Divine damage, which includes Holy, Necrotic, and Arcane.
Sources: Defenses come primarily from your Dodging, Endurance, and Resistance skills, which you gain experience in from attacks of the appropriate type that fail to damage you. Armors may very rarely provide defenses if they are particularly well-suited to blocking the damage types in question, and spells may very rarely improve defenses.
Special HP
Function: Special HP functions as a secondary pool of HP that applies only to a specific type of damage. Whenever you would take damage from an appropriate source, half of this damage (usually rounded down) depletes your appropriate Special HP instead, with the rest applying as normal. Special HP may be recovered by certain spells or effects, but otherwise requires rest to replenish, similar to normal HP.
Sources: Special HP most often comes from armor. Spells may sometimes provide Special HP as well.
Levels and EffectsSkills and their effects are divided into levels based on their relative complexity and power. Note that specialty and focus can factor into this designation; the same effect might require a higher or lower level to achieve using a skill more or less specialized for the task.
| Name | Bonus | Description | Examples |
| Inexperienced | -1 | Inexperienced effects are so ridiculously simple that one wonders why they need to be rolled for at all. Inexperienced represents having no knowledge of a subject whatsoever, beyond carryovers from similar principles elsewhere. | Inexperienced tasks are very rare, and usually far too meaningless to grant experience when performed. |
| Dabbling | +0 | Dabbling effects are basic in the extreme, things anyone familiar with the subject can do. Dabbling represents understanding a subject in simple layman's terms. | Any roll without modifiers is technically a Dabbling task. They are rare and usually too mundane and trivial to grant experience when performed. |
| Novice | +1 | Novice effects are useful, but tend to be limited or awkward in some way. Novice represents enough understanding of a subject to perform basic tasks, but not enough skill to do so fluidly or in depth. | Animating a basic skeleton, hurling a weak ball of fire, mending simple bruises |
| Apprentice | +2 | Apprentice effects are reasonably powerful but not especially advanced. Apprentice represents enough skill and power to operate in a practical sense, but not enough to achieve a craft's full potential. | Animating a tough zombie, hurling a ball of fire, healing shallow gashes |
| Adept | +3 | Adept effects are both powerful and advanced. Adept represents enough power and skill to truly be called proficient in a craft, able to wield any of the effects commonly associated with it. | Animating an incorporeal wraith, lightning an enemy on fire, returning a downed soldier to combat condition |
| Expert | +4 | Expert effects are both advanced and very powerful. Expert represents not only the skill to wield a craft expertly, but the raw power to do so beyond expectations. | Animating a warrior mummy, hurling explosive napalm at a small area, generating an persistent aura that regenerates everyone nearby |
| Master | +5 | Master effects are the pinnacle of performance, being both massively powerful and complex. Master represents the kind of deeper knowledge and unbridled talent necessary to do anything you want within a craft's capabilities. | Spawning an intelligent vampire, burning everything around you to cinders, returning an ally from the dead |
Penalties and BonusesSkills grant a bonus equal to their level on all appropriate rolls with them. Effects apply a penalty equal to their bonus on rolls attempting to achieve them.
This means that using a skill to achieve an effect of an equal level to it will be a straight roll. Attempting to achieve a higher effect than your current skill level will incur a -1 penalty for every level of difference. Attempting to achieve a lower effect than your current skill level will apply a +1 bonus for every level of difference.
Remember that net bonuses reduce the experience gained from practicing skills, while net penalties increase it.
Results of 0 or lower usually result in scars, maiming, or other permanent effects.
Base GainExperience in skills is gained from using said skills in useful, relevant situations. Actions with no meaningful outcome or consequence, such as incinerating a pebble or seducing a random peasant, do not grant experience. Especially safe actions, such as firing down on attackers from atop a castle wall, may grant reduced experience.
For actions that are valid sources of experience, the base amount received depends on the roll.
| Roll | Base Exp |
| 1-2 | 0 |
| 3-4 | 1 |
| 5-6 | 2 |
ModifiersBase experience gain is then modified by the inverse of any bonuses or penalties that may apply, as well as any bonuses or penalties that apply to a roll you are opposing.
That is, for every +1 bonus to your roll, you take a -1 penalty to experience gained from that roll.
For every -1 penalty to a roll, you gain a +1 bonus to experience gained from it.
For every +1 bonus on an opponent's roll that you are opposing, you gain a +1 bonus to experience gained from that roll.
For every -1 penalty on an opponent's roll that you are opposing, you take a -1 penalty to experience gained from that roll.
Experience penalties may not reduce experience gain below 0; that is, you never lose experience for performing especially simple or easy actions. Experience bonuses may grant experience on a roll normally too low to produce any.
| Roll | Outcome |
| [5+2] | +2 exp base for rolling a 5, -2 exp penalty for having a +2 bonus = 0 Experience |
| [5-2] | +2 exp base for rolling a 5, +2 exp bonus for taking a -2 penalty = 4 Experience |
| [1+4] | +0 exp base for rolling a 1, -4 exp penalty for having a +4 bonus = 0 Experience |
| [1-2] | +0 exp base for rolling a 1, +2 exp bonus for having a -2 penalty = 2 Experience, though you'll probably be too maimed to enjoy it in the immediate future |
| [5] vs [1+2] | +2 exp base for rolling a 5, +2 exp bonus for opponent having a +2 bonus = 4 Experience |
| [6+2] vs [4+3] | +2 exp base for rolling a 6, -2 exp penalty for having a +2 bonus, +3 exp bonus for opponent having a +3 bonus = 3 Experience |
Experience CostsWhen you amass enough experience in a given skill, that skill increases in level and your experience in the new level starts at 0. Excess experience when you gain a level carries over.
| Name | Bonus | Exp to Next Level | Total Exp To Attain |
| Inexperienced | -1 | 2 | 0 |
| Dabbling | +0 | 4 | 2 |
| Novice | +1 | 6 | 6 |
| Apprentice | +2 | 8 | 12 |
| Adept | +3 | 10 | 20 |
| Expert | +4 | 12 | 30 |
| Master | +5 | 14 | 42 |
Skills may be combined to produce unique or more powerful effects. This fusion can take many forms.
The most common method is simply to use your knowledge in one area in the background of another skill, such as using your skill in Swords to produce a chest that will resist sword blows. Doing so grants experience in the primary skill, in this case presumably Carpentry, but not the supporting skill.
More elaborate combinations are also possible, usually with magic. For instance, making a chest with elaborate metal hinges and mechanisms might primarily require Carpentry, but also rely on a substantial amount of Metalcrafting (if it doesn't simply count as two separate projects or components). In this case, the effect is generally considered a certain level for the primary skill and a lower level for the secondary skill; lacking in either will apply penalties as appropriate. Experience gained from such projects typically goes to whichever skill was holding you back (that is, whichever was lower level compared to the task required of it), and to the major skill if both were equally qualified.
Finally, skills may be split evenly, consisting of more or less equal parts of each component. An example might be a standard weapon built on a siege scale, requiring both Bowyering and Carpentry in equal measure. In this case, experience tends to be awarded to whichever skill is lower, or split roughly evenly if there's enough of it.
Most spell effects are temporary or instantaneous; they either apply for a short while and then vanish, or change something and then cease to be a factor directly. Making effects permanent is difficult and expensive when it can be done at all.
Power Draining Permanence
At a minimum, to make a spell effect permanent requires rolling twice- once for effect as normal, but then a second time for permanency. A bad roll on this aspect may indicate the effect is unstable, decaying, prone to wear, or otherwise less than ideal.
However, doing so continues to drain power from the caster to sustain itself, generally resulting in a penalty to rolls using that skill while the effect is active. This tends to make summoning your own army of servants or freely conjuring raw materials impractical, though one could still sacrifice their skill to maintain an effect they enjoy.
True Permanence
To make an effect truly permanent and independent of its caster requires appropriate materials. Usually these are expensive and related to the task at hand; fire-oriented ingredients to craft a flaming sword, death-related components to bring forth a towering undead, and so on.
Exceptions and Specifics
Some effects do not require extra components to be made permanent. Generally speaking, these are effects that already require items to work on or use up to exist at all.
Conjuration and Summoning are the most likely to require extra ingredients, because they more or less literally conjure something from nothing. Enchantment and Runecrafting can sometimes get away with using the item or material being worked on as an anchor, and thus not requiring anything extra. Necromancy's ability to animate corpses often follows a similar pattern.
However, even these tend to require external reagents when the effects are more powerful than the base item, such as trying to raise a skeleton warrior from a peasant corpse.
Alchemy is also of note, because the physical potions of alchemy are usually semipermanent, but the effects are not. Alchemical effects are only considered permanent if the effects of imbibing them persist, not if the liquid holding those effects does not spoil immediately. Also of note is that because alchemy tends to rely on the magic in the ingredients and not the caster, permanent effects that rely on the caster's power tend to require constant doses of the concoction to maintain, rather than applying a penalty to the brewer's Alchemy skill.
Principle schools are fairly well-defined but often eclectic spheres of magic, typically having far more nuance than other, more intuitive methods of sorcery. They tend to take well to having Essence schools added to their effects, but mix well with other Principle schools only with certain combinations.
Necromancy
Also known as Black Necromancy to some, Necromancy is the art of manipulating living or formerly living things in unpleasant or destructive ways. It is a broad and resourceful school, but with a focus on utility and indirect offense.
Notable Uses:
-Creating undead servants
-Draining the life from enemies, healing yourself by damaging them
-Crippling or weakening living foes
-Buffing yourself or others by suffering other downsides
Restoration
Also known as White Necromancy to some, Restoration is the art of manipulating living (or in rare cases formerly living) things in pleasant or helpful ways. It is a reasonably versatile but very defensive and support-oriented school.
Notable Uses:
-Healing the living
-Curing ailments in the living
-Strengthening or empowering the living
More coming soon! Well, soon-ish. Feel free to suggest or request something.
Essence schools are actually collections of schools focused in a similar fashion around the manipulation of differing subjects. Unlike Principle schools, which exist or do not, Essence schools are comprised of several common, useful, and well-known disciplines, and then a theoretically infinite number of progressively lesser-known and more unlikely spheres, generally correlating with rarer, weaker, or more specific subjects. More specialized foci are naturally stronger but more limited than more generalized versions.
Elementalism
Elementalism concerns itself with the manipulation and alteration of a given element. Common elements include fire, water, earth, air, lightning, and ice. Uncommon elements include light, stone, metal, wood, and flesh. Rare elements include dust, mist, marrow, hair, and song. Elementalism tends to be very broad but limited, having direct control over its element's shape, actions, and even qualities, but lacking any power at all beyond what its element can be made capable of.
Noteable Uses:
-Shaping an element to a desired form or location, including hurling it at enemies
-Bringing a latent element into a more concentrated form, such as precipitating water out of air moisture
-Altering an element's qualities, such as making a fire hotter or strengthening stone
Animism
Animism is the art of channeling the abilities and qualities of a creature, usually a mundane animal. Common animals include tigers, wolves, bears, spiders, and hawks. Uncommon animals include sharks, cats, dogs, ravens, and scorpions. Rare animals include insects, birds, sloths, funnel web spiders, and oak trees.
Note that to become a practitioner of a given Animism, one must have had contact and understanding of the source. This can take many forms, however, including receiving training and instruction from an extant practitioner, who usually has access to spirits of a given creature even if no living ones remain. Rarely gifted individuals have even been known to receive visits from such spirits in their dreams, unbidden by any living medium.
Notable Uses:
-Communicating with source creatures, though anything remotely natural is unlikely to be found in the wild anymore
-Gaining or gifting bonuses related to a creature's qualities, such as increased strength from a bear or inhuman speed from a tiger
-Taking on or gifting a creature's traits or abilities, such as a chameleon's ability to blend into its environment or a fish's ability to breathe underwater
-Emulating a creature's abilities or habits, such as scurrying up a wall like a spider or bursting from ambush like a praying mantis
-Assuming the form of a creature, such as becoming a bat or wolf
-Partially assuming the form of a creature to merge some of its abilities with your own, such as becoming a werewolf for increased physical prowess or growing serpent fangs to gain a venomous bite
Divine schools may also be available, if you're interested in playing a priest or warlock.
Arts are schools of magic sharing two important properties. Firstly, and more informally, they are well-known for their constructive, out of combat uses in producing useful items or other things. Secondly, and more concretely, Arts are all very bland on their own, and tend to require a caster's knowledge in other areas to achieve their full potential.
Remember that, like all permanent effects, permanent Arts continue to drain the caster's power while extant, unless made using suitably valuable and appropriate reagents.
Summoning
Summoning is the art of calling forth extraplanar creatures or items. It cannot summon raw materials or forces the way Conjuration can.
Example Uses:
-Summoning an earth elemental out of the ground
-Summoning a small bird to carry messages
-Summoning a flaming sword seemingly made of obsidian
-Summoning a suit of finely decorated, seemingly wooden plate onto yourself
Conjuration
Conjuration is the art of calling forth extraplanar materials or forces. It cannot summon living things or finished items the way Summoning can.
Example Uses:
-Conjuring a field of sticky goop to slow attackers
-Conjuring flaming hail over an area
-Conjuring gusts of wind to move a ship
-Conjuring bars of iron to work into something else
Enchantment
Enchantment is the art of imbuing materials or objects with power. Enchantment usually provides stable and uniform effects on discrete items, with no nuance or specificity.
Example Uses:
-Enchanting a weapon to bear elemental damage
-Enchanting armor to be stronger
-Enchanting tools to weigh less
-Enchanting an arch to generate a barrier within itself
Runecrafting
Runecrafting is the art of inscribing enchanted runes on materials or objects. Runecrafting usually provides discriminating or situational effects, and can apply to a discrete item or general region.
Example Uses:
-Enchanting a weapon to glow in the presence of orcs
-Enchanting armor to fill the wearer with renewed vigor when critically wounded
-Enchanting tools to strike truer while working silver
-Enchanting an arch to generate a barrier within itself that bars access to all who are pure of heart
Alchemy
Alchemy is the art of combining reagents into a mixture or potion with magical effects. The results are highly dependent upon both the properties of the reagents, and the relevant knowledge of the alchemist.
Note that as a general rule, the number of potions produced by a given attempt will be equal to the number of reagents used. It is sometimes possible to dilute or concentrate the results with filler materials or appropriate equipment.
Example Uses:
-Brewing a potion to mend wounds from vigorous plants and medicinal herbs
-Brewing a potion to toughen skin from persistent weeds and sturdy bark
-Brewing a potion to go on a spirit quest from spiritually significant reagents and hallucinogenic mushrooms
Don't see something you like? Ask away! Schools are subject to balance and other factors, but I'm always open to the desire for custom material.
Weapons are broken into broad categories, like Swords, Axes, and Spears. Different weapons may have a tendency towards different qualities, but most simply increase damage dealt regardless of their type.
Crafting skills are divided along two axes: Material and Item Type.
Material is the thing you're working with, such as Stone, Wood, Bone, Leather, Glass, or Metal. Materials can sometimes include related concepts, like Bone covering Chitin or Gems covering Glass.
Item Type is what you're trying to produce or work with, such as Crafts, Furniture, Weapons, Armor, Clothing, or Gems.
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Primary Skill:[/b] Starts at Apprentice. You also get an item to aid you with it, either suggested by you or chosen by me.
[b]Secondary Skill:[/b] Starts at Novice. You also get a minor item to aid you with it, either suggested by you or chosen by me.
[b]Physical Description:[/b] What you look like.
[b]Mental Description:[/b] What those brainmeats are like.
[b]Bio:[/b] Why are you here ready to strike out into the world as opposed to dead in a crevasse or hiding under a porch?
Remember that you are semi-freelance adventurers technically in the service of Haven. In other words, you're expected to benefit Haven in some fashion, either by serving its goals or forces directly, coming back with taxable loot, or otherwise making them better off than they would be without you.
I'll take 8 players, method of selection undecided yet. Game expected to start relatively soon, however, and there's always room on the waitlist.
Author
Topic: Outlands RTD [~Interlude: Lock and Key~] (Read 23377 times)