The Age of Mourning is going to be a High Dark Fantasy Game. Imagine it a bit like a mix of You Are King (The Politics and Kingdom Management Aspect) and Warhammer Fantasy (The Grimdark, Death and Insanity Inducing Game System). I wanted to do this for a while now and have pushed it off repeatedly since i wasn't sure how to handle this best, but ive been working on the rule system for a while now and i think i am sufficiently happy with it now.
Players will take the roles of variously specially skilled and/or highly placed Individuals in the Commonwealth of Mourn. What your private and official Goals are or if you even have any is up to you. You can go off and daddle around with your Fief (if you have one) or you can follow the Plot or explore the World.
The WorldIt is the Feast of the High Kings Ascension and the Capital City of Mourn is partying as if it is the End Days. While the commoners are partying and revelling in the streets the newly crowned High King Vladislav III. is hosting the banquet to his Coronation Ceremony. Everyone of Rank and Name is there and of course representatives from all over the World.
The Commonwealth of Mourn The greatest Kingdom on the Zaloba Coast is entering its fifth century since its creation. Originally consisting of dozens of fiefdoms, petty kingdoms and chiefdoms it has slowly consolidated into three major kingdoms over the centuries. Through shrewed politics and marriages all three kingdoms united into the Commonwealth under the Zguba dynasty. The commonwealth was always charaterized through strong nobility and a weak high king. However over the centuries the ever expanding Commonwealth has been ever more centralized. Especially with the development of Fire Arms and a standing army in the form of the Streltsy-Guard, the High King managed to wrest power from the major nobility. Nowadays the empire is very varied in regards to centralization and rulership, depending on where you go. Close to the Northern Mountain Ranges and on the Border to the Kingdom of Eiwel the old dynasties still hold sway and nothing happens without the say-so of the Dukes and Margraves. The Nucleus of the Commonwealth is the massive city of Mourn at the Traenenfluss river, which forms a major line of transportation all through the high kingdom with its many tributaries. Here the High King rules and most of the bureaucracy is under his thumb, the Nobility while reduced much in its direct state power, has lost nothing of its authority and influence. This new class of Slzachta consists of noble families providing the core of Military Officers, Bureaucrats, Mayors and Governors for the Commonwealths Provinces. The heart and soul of the Commonwealth, the Mourn Provicne is the richest,most prosperous and also most progressive of provinces. Here even common born men and women can rise to positions of authority and power and it is here that most of the policy for the continent is decided.
If one moves south one comes upon the Southern Provinces. Most of them recently settled and taken from their native inhabitants. Ever expanding and ever growing the Commonwealth always has need for more land and resources and the Southern provinces provide these. Very autonomous it is here where the South Guard rules. The vast expanse of the Southern Provinces, coupled with isolated settlements and constant skirmishes with the Southerners has led to a great deal of autonomy and powers directed towards the South Guard. Miliant Communities of Soldier Families, they are responsible for the security of the borders and the Colonists. In return they are provided with muskets and ammunition from the north and the right to tax local colonists. When Colonization and expansion of infrastructure and integration within the Commonwealths Administration is complete a region is usually declared a new province of the Commonwealth and the borders aswell as the South Guard are moved further into the wilderness.
(tl;dr: Polish/Ukrainian/Russian Kingdom. Professional Gunpowder Streltsy, Late Medieval Northern Nobility and Cossacks in the South)
The City States of the Zaloba CoastOn the very Eastern Frontier of the Commonwealth one finds not only the Zaloba Coast but also its Wealthy City States. Fiercely independent they have weathered Commonwealth Ambitions for centuries. While they have been conquered at various points in history rebellions, sedition, treachery, assassinations and mysterious strings of Turmen raids caused the Commonwealth to relinquish the cities.
The City States of Zaloba are living in a loose confederation fighting together against the common enemy of the Turmen and the Commonwealth, but also against each other. The wealthy Trade Dynasties are constantly at each others throats and assassination are not exactly seldom. The Military of these Cities is mostly private and consists of Mercenaries, Private Armies and of course the ever-present Turmen.
Turmen also form the greatest threat to the city states...or did so in the past. These between three and four meter large giants have raided the coast of Zaloba and beyond for centuries. In recent years however raids have become more seldom as more and more Turmen prefer mercenary service as a more steady and secure source of income. Where the Turmen exactly hail from is a mystery in the Commonwealth but among many a City State Explorer it is said that they come from the Far East and that they know about as much about trade and sailing as the City State Sailors. Indeed it is not uncommon that trade ships of Turmen appear in the Harbors of the Zaloba Coast with exotic wares from far off Misaia and Ainzi.
But the City States are known for far more than just their Trade and their Treachery. Technology, Culture and the Arts also prosper here. It is in the City of Barsaglio where the art of Negromanzia was first developed: the Art of Blackpowder and Guns.
The Engineering Guilds of the City are known far and wide for their advances in this new technology...and their spectacular failures.
(tl;dr: Mediterranean City States with Mercenaries, Gunpowder and Giant Vikings)
The Relicer OrdersRelicer. A word that casts fear and suspicion into the hearts of many. The Relicer Orders have been around ever since the earliest days since the Casting. The only men able to use the Foci of Magic, created by the Steel Gods. Magic is illusive, strange and dangerous and only lifelong training as provided by the Orders enables one to use the Foci to channel ones power and use it. How it is determined that one can learn magic is a secret only known to the Relicers and their choice in apprentices seems often capricious and illogical. Still, few resist joining these feared and respected mages.
There are three major orders existing.
The Order of NecromancersFirst, do no harm.- Is the one and only commandement the Order of Necromancers adhere to...that is, do not do harm yourself. Practicing not only the ability to heal wounds, the Order of Necromancers is also able to raise the dead and sometimes even bring people back from death. However only the strongest of Necromancers are able to do such feats and many are simply healers and doctors of various capabilities. Despite that people still are in awe and respect before the Men who have such control over Life and Death.
Myths however persist of a few Necromancers who have turned their power to darkness and have bent their energies towards hurting instead of healing people...however those are only myths...
The Order of FarseersThe Order of Farseers or Diviners are men and women with the ability to see things that no normal man or woman can. Able to predict weather patterns and natural disasters, detect hidden things, prospect ore and iron and even the movement of armies hundreds of miles away, they are used in every aspect of the Commonwealths Administration. What the Farseers cannot do however is see into the future...despite what some may say.
The Order of FireFire Mages are notoriously short-fused and easily incensed, in no small part to their vast powers. Known for their mercenary attitude the Order of Fire has the power to even pierce the dwarven deepforged armor with their magic. Cadres of Fire Mages often accompanied Commonwealth Armies in campaigns against the Eiwel Knights in the past. Recently however they have been more and more subdued and engaged more and more seldomly in anything apart from petty squabbles between slzachta.
These three are the major Orders of Magic existing, although there are many other minor disciplines of magic. The power over lightning and thunder, sky magic and thaumaturgy are lesser disciplines every Schoolman from the Orders learns about and masters to some degree. Aeromancy(or Sky Magic) is the ability to channel the wrath of the Angels of the Steel Gods but has been become rarer and rarer since few of these foci exist, many have been lost and the few practicioners are wary of teaching it. The Orders possess most of the foci needed for such ambitious magic but are jealously hoarding them. Lightning Magic, is one of the most common (and arguably weakest) forms of magic, foci for Lightning Magic are easy to aquire and there is a plethora of them being available to schoolmen. They are especially favored by Necromancers since their laws forbid them from inflicting harm themselves and lesser Lightning Foci allow the stunning and debilitation of foes without any (lasting) harm done. Thaumaturgy is the general study of the Relicers Art. the study of foci and how they function, how they can be manufactured and repaired and the proper incantations to use them. it also includes the study of other artifacts of the Steel Gods which cannot be transported around. A very specific form of Thaumaturgy is the study of Dragons or Dracomancy. Many a folktale deals with the taming of Dragons and every child learns about the Dragontower in the far west. The reality is that Dragons cannot be tamed and the study of dracomancy is at best a theoretical one. Rumours however persist that the Major Orders each have tamed Draconic beings and keep them hidden within their secretive Fortress-Schools.
(tl;dr: MAGGGGGGIIIIIC)
The Kingdom of EiwelThe Kingdom of Eiwel lies at the Western border of the Commonwealth and here the traditions of chivalry are still held high. Still living in a strictly Feudal Serf Society, the Kingdom of Eiwels current society only survived thanks to dwarven Deepforge Steel. Able to survive even the strongest bullet and crossbow bolt, the Nobility of Eiwel can afford to ride into battle and conduct devastating charges with their destriers. The nobility of those lands also plays host to the exiled elven people. Their Kingdom overrun by while demons they had to flee east and have found gracious hosts in the Knights of these Lands.
Many a crusade has been launched by this Kingdom to retake the Elven lands in the name of the Lady Ssorin, the female part of the trinity of the Steel God. None of them have succeeded. Over the decades and centuries the Kingdom has ceased the fruitless campaigns in the West and has settled into a more sedentary court life. Elven poets are much prized and many elves have given up all hope of ever returning home. However there is still a large number among their dwindling kind who hope to retake hteir homeland by their own hand. Elven Free Corps are making constant forays into Czarny Forest to drive back the vile demons who dwell there.
(tl;dr: Arthurian Kingdom, with Bullet Proof Dwarf Armor and Elven Exiles hoping to retake their homeland, veeeery cheesy ;P)
The Secretive DwarvesThe Deepforge Dwarves of the Giantspine Mountains are mystery unto their own. Despite having longstanding trade agreements with the Kingdom of Eiwel (who they see as naive fools...but useful fools) to whom they trade their Deepforge Steel in return for excessive amounts of food and a defensive agreement against the Commonwealth, no one has ever been in the Underholds. Rumours about the secretiveness of these people abound and truly very few facts are known about them. Some say they are born of the stone, others they procreate normally and thent here are those who say they don't reproduce at all. Fact is that that the Dwarves have so far played the Commonwealth against the Kingdom of Eiwel for centuries and the incredibly profitable trade coming to and from Dwarven Lands has so far prevented an invasion by either.
(tl;dr: Dwarves. In Mountains.)
Mechanics, Rules and other StuffThe above is a short introduction into the World and only contains information generally known to everyone who listens into common tavern talks. Further information can be found in game and may be made available to certian players upon character creation.
AttributesThere Are seven Attributes every player possesses. These are quite similiar to W40k RPGs so if you have played those before you willrecognize them. HOWEVER they have somewhat different effects than in the RPGs.
Strength - Your general ability to do strength based things. In combat Strength may increase the Injury done to enemies, it is important if you try to block enemies and try to engage in fisticuffs (oh i always wanted to use that word)
Agility - Yeah basically everything agility based. However very important for dodging, be it projectiles or swords and axes.
Perception - Your ability to hear, see, smell and feel things. Important to see things like secret doors, traps, ambushes and to when making aimed shots and dodgind projectiles.
Toughness - Your ability to carry on after suffering severe injury and pain. It does not determine your Wounds/HP, it determines your resistance to poisons, your ability to continue fighting under great pain and exertion and generally your ability to do things despite physical exertion. Overall a passive Attribuute.
Intelligence - Important for Relicers, but also for Medical Actions, and everything that requires your brain, from reading and writing to assembling and disassembling a rifle.
Fellowship - Your Charisma, your ability to get chummy with people and not piss them off all the time. Also required for Mental Healthcare, to soothe and calm people who have completely broken down.
Willpower - Here an ability to withstand mental stress. Your Willpower does not determine something like Mental Healthpoints but rather your "pain threshold" before your mind starts to fall apart due to things you see and endure. Basically the Mental counterpart to Toughness.
CombatCombat is parted into rounds. Agility Bonus plus 1d10 determines who fights when.
In your turn you select the action you wish to do.
Generally people do Standard Attacks upon which they roll 1d100 and add their Combat Skill to the result. This is compared with the enemies roll 1d100 and their combat skill. Should you have the higher result the enemy fails to parry and the attack goes through.
Once per combat round you may block and once you may try to dodge.
Dodging is determined by a simple Agility Test (1d100 vs. Agility) if the result is lower than your agility you pass it and evade the blow.
Blocking an enemies blow works differently. First you add the enemies strength to the blow (Example: 1d100+CS+25 Strength), then you compare it with your own 1d100 roll + your Block Skill + your own Strenght + Shield Bonus.
If at any time during dodging or blocking your roll is lower than the enemies, the attack goes through and the worst result (for example originally your parry roll was 50 and your blocking roll was 60, then the parry result is taken) is taken for your injury roll.
Actions:
Standard Attack, Half Action: 1d100+Combat Skill vs. 1d100+Combat Skill
Alternate Attack, Half Action: Same as Standard Attack except if you have for example a sword you may stab instead of slash.
Heavy Attack, Full Action: 1d100+Strength cannot be parried, if enemy uses Block shield will suffer from breakage and if your Strength is lower than the enemies you will also suffer a Jarring Impact at which point you will recieve a bruise even if you block the attack.
Quick Attacks, Quarter Actions: 1d100 vs. 1d100+ Combat Skill (you can attack four times but dont get to use your combat bonus since you are simply wildly hacking at the enemy)
Called Target, Full Action: like standard attack, except you choose the body part you would like to hit.
Ranged Combat is deadly...for you. Archers and Crossbowmen generally hit their target and cause injuries, making them very dangerous foes.
A Standard Shot consists of you rolling your Ballistic Skill +1d100 versus another 1d100.
Enemies may attempt to dodge arrows and bolts, but for that they first have to succeed at a Perception Test (figuring out the Projectiles Trajectory) and an Agility Test (to actually dodge the Arrow). You CANNOT dodge bullets...
Alternatively if they possess a Shield they can simply block incoming arrows/bolts/bullets. In which case your shield bonus+armor bonus+block skill vs. the shot roll+Projectile Bonus (10/20/30 respectively) determines if the projectile punches through (if it does Injury roll is the result of this comparison). If not the Projectile embeds itself in your shield. Your doubled Strength Bonus determines how many arrows/bolts your shield may sustain before you have to drop it and spend a turn removing them.
Should you fail to dodge or don't possess a shield and don't notice the projectile the shot roll will determine your injury. Arrows are reduced by your armor but both bolts and bullets ignore your armor unless you wear Deepforged Armour, in which case the Armor Bonus does apply.
Actions:
Standard Shot, Half Action: 1d100+ Ballistic Skill vs. 1d100
Careful Shot, Full Action: like Standard Shot, but make a Perception Test beforehand, if successfull add +30 to your roll
Called Shot, Full Action: select a Body Part to hit
Called Careful Shot, 2 Full Actions: like above only a combination of two and three.
Above we covered all the ways we determine whether you are hit by something.
The difference between your failed and the enemy roll determines the the form and severity of your Injury. The first mention is always blunt damage, second is bladed damage, third is piercing damage. Projectiles are always piercing damage.
10-19: Bruised (add armor and block penalty of -5)
Gash (add combat and dodging penalty of -5)
Puncture (add +5 to future injury rolls)
20-29: Fracture (add armor and block penalty of -10 and combat and dodging penalty of -10)
Flesh Wound (add combat and dodging penalty of -20)
Puncture Artery (add +20 to future injury rolls)
30-39: Compound Fracture (add armor and block penalty of -10 and combat and dodging penalty of -20)
Severed Tendons (add combat and dodging penalty of -30)
Punctured Organ (add +20 to future injury rolls, add combat and dodging penalty of -10)
40-49: Crushed Organ -|
Severed Limb -|----------> Deaths Door Action
Ripped Internals -|
50-x: Instant Death
Deaths Door Action: There may come a point in battle where you are injured so heavily that no matter how tough you are you will simply crumple and give in no matter how tough you think you are. Before that happens however you get to mobilize your body one final time and attack with your full strength one last time...no matter if you succeed or falter after this action you will be immobilized and out of combat. Should your allies win, you may survive...should they fail or retreat, await a quick death. Even if they win they may not be able to stop you from succumbing to your injuries.
We will be using IRC: irc://adams.freenode.net/#Mourning
Most of the Character Sheet will be handled in the IRC.
To get a vaguely functioning Party without too much hassle (and to keep them somewhat within Fluff) and also to determine your starting Skills/Equipment/etc. there will be Background Packages, you choose one which interests you most. Some of them are restricted to one Player, since the idea is to center the story around the Commonwealth and not around the Elves/Turmen/Dwarves.
Name:
Character: (Backstory, Looks, Behaviour etc. go here.)
Background Package: (look below)
Times Available: (please add that in GMT+1 for ease of quick comparisons)
Available on Fr/Sat/Sun 6pm GMT+1: Y/N
Central Commonwealth
Relicer
You are a Relicer, a Mage of the Commonwealth.
Select one Major Magic Discipline (Necromancy, Pyromancy, Divination)
Szlachta
You are a Noble of the Commonwealth.
Select an Affiliation (Northerner, Streltsy Guard, Bureaucrat)
Soldier
You are a Soldier of the Commonwealth.
Select an Affiliation (Streltsy Guard, Northern Militia, Mourn Guard)
Southern Provinces - Restriced to 2
South Guard
You belong to the infamous South Guard.
Frontiersman
You are a Settler (although an Important One) of the Southern Provinces.
Select a Posting (Commoner Officer, Mayor, Collaborator Chieftain)
Eiwel, Elf, Turmen, City States- restriced to 3
Knight
You are a Knight of the Kingdom of Eiwel
Select an Affilation (Nobleman, Crusader, Hedge Knight)
Firebrand Preacher
You are a Preacher of the Lady Ssorin
Elf
You are an Elf.
Choose your Mindset (Peace Faction(Poet), Assimilation Faction(Knight),War Faction(Ranger)
Turman
You are one of the fabled Giant Raiders.
Choose your Goal (Wealth(Mercenary), Fame (Explorer))
City States
You hail from the City States.
Choose your Occupation (Guildsman, Smuggler, Contractor)
Dwarf - restricted to 1
You are a Dwarf.
Choose your Caste (Concessionist, Surgeon, Darkhunter)
Author
Topic: The Age of Mourning (OOC) - an IRC PnP RPG (High Dark Fantasy...if thats a word) (Read 1360 times)