Well, having been unable to join an RTD (usually posting a few seconds after all the slots have been filled) I decided to make my own. The setting is your typical high-fantasy world with dwarves, elves, humans and orcs, as well as swords, spears, and magic. Since it's my first RTD I will probably only take 5 players, as I don't think I can keep track of any more. Now, onto the official stuff:
1) Rolls:
I will be using the
Advanced TRNG to determine all rolls.
At the start of the game, I will generate a set of rolls for each character. Once these are generated, your character's fate is sealed in a sense - the rolls are already decided, what matters is what you do with them. Since there have been several complaints of GMs cheating on these forums, I will zip these rolls up and host them. After the game is over, I will provide a link tot he pregenerated rolls as proof of fair play. You should be able to tell from the fact that it was hosted on the game start that I did not modify the rolls in any way. The rolls work as follows:
Simple Tasks(Pick Up Item; Say Hello; Other)
1-2 is a Standard Failure. You didn't complete the task. No additional effects.
3-6 is a Standard Success. You did an average job and completed the task.
Standard Tasks(Cast Basic Spell; Attack; Defend; Negotiate; Apply Any Skill)
1 is an Epic Failure. You failed so bad, you caused additional harmful effects.
2 is a Standard Failure. You didn't complete the task. No additional effects.
3 is a Stumble. You did a poor job, but completed the task. No additional effects.
4 is a Standard Success. You did an average job and completed the task. You gain a small experience bonus in the skill(s) used.
5 is an Epic Success. You did a excellent job in the task, better then anyone expected. You gain a large experience bonus in the skill(s) used.
6 is an Overshoot. You did far too much, finishing you task but causing additional, unexpected effects. You nay or may not gain a bonus in the skill(s) used.
Difficult Tasks(Casting an spell above your skill level; powerful abilities)
1-2 is an Epic Failure. You failed so bad, you caused additional harmful effects.
3-4 is a Failure. You didn't complete the task. No additional effects.
5 is a Standard Success. You did an average job and completed the task. You gain a large experience bonus in the skill(s) used.
6 is an Overshoot. You did far too much, finishing you task but causing many additional, unexpected effects.
If you fail to post an action in a reasonable amount of time, I may auto you for a turn or two.
Skill bonuses will not save you from an epic failure.
2) Magic and Skills:
There are 8 schools of magic. No, I will not be telling you what they are yet; you will have to figure that out on your own. Any action is possible if it either fits into one of these schools of magic, or for more mundane tasks fits into the laws of physics using 15th century technology. Do not try to build a nuclear bomb; you will fail. Once a player discovers a school of magic, I will update this post explaining it so all other players can see. This goes for everything else in the game rules; I will be updating the OP constantly.
As far as skills go, we have things such as negotiating and persuasion; axe and armor user; crafting and appraising. We also have magic skills obviously, which means you get better in certain schools. You can either dabble in all or focus in one, it's up to you.
3) Gods:
There will be several divine presences in this game. Some are real and grant you power. Some are fake yet have gathered quite a follow anyway. Some are real and just don't care about you, so you might not get any abilities from them. However, pissing them off is still a bad idea. Some follow a 'help those who help themselves' approach. Others might condone certain actions, and may reward you with powerful abilities if you follow their creed. It varies depending on the god.
4) Goals:
This is an open-ended RTD. The most obvious goal is to become the most powerful sorcerer in existence and take over the world, though you can do anything you want, including bringing Armageddon to the world if you figure out how. Immortality is possible in this RTD, though once again you will have to figure out how to do that on your own. I have around 12 different ways of obtaining immortality already drafted out, though if you come up with another logical reason to become immortal I may include that in the game.
5) Effects:
There are many effects that may take place during the game. Most of the basic ones from Dwarf Fortress are in, as well as some additional ones like Trances, and some I don't want to talk about yet, at least not until it happens to someone. Yes, this means you can lose your arm, but it is not the end of the game for you; we have magic, remember?
6) Stats: Each character can have the following:Strength: How strong you are. How much can you carry? How powerful are your non-magic attacks?
Vitality: How much punishment can you endure? How is your stamina? What is your physical attack defense?
Agility: How agile are you? Can you dodge well? How fast can you move?
Intelligence: How smart are you? Can you learn new things quickly? How much are you capable of knowing?
Willpower: Can you do what you want to do? Will you stand and fight, or run away in fear?
Charisma: Are you a smooth-talking sorcerer, or a solitary wizard locked up in a tower with no social skills?
Appearance: Beauty or beast? Unnatural beauty, or unspeakable horror? Having a low appearance can be both good or bad, depending on what you're going for.
Perception: How well can yo notice what is around you? Can you see hidden figures, or blind to what isn't in front of you?
All stats are considered 20 for your average person. You, of course, are above average, but that doesn't mean you're superhumans. At least, not yet.
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Setting: You stand outside an inn on the east side of the town of Schalade, a city of skilled artisans and scholars. There are no poor beggars here, everyone in the city is skilled to some extent. Your reasons for coming here are your own, but here you stand, ready to chance your life. To the northwest lies the great Academy of Schalade, renown for the scholars that study there. To the west is a grand bazaar were traveling merchants and shopkeepers hawk their wares. The Temple of Aisen, goddess of knowlege, lies in the center of the marketplace. The guardhouse and the city gates lie to the south. You see mountains to the north; they are the only thing that sticks above the high city walls.
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Making a character(currently accepting a maximum of 5):
Name:
Race/Gender:
Profession:
Background:
Skills/Traits:
Inventory:
Other:
These will all be used to determine your stats and your dice rolls. You can choose to specialize in a school of magic, but if that doesn't exist, you basically wasted your stating bonus. You can always specialize in something like carpentry and get nice physical stats, or become a student and get good learning abilities.
If you see anything I forgot or need to work on, let me know. As I said, this is my first RTD, both playing and GMing.
Magic Schools Discovered:ElementalismKnowledge of the fundamental elements of the world; Fire, Water, Wind, Ice, Earth and Lightning. Can be used for a multitude of applications.
HealingThe ability to repair wounds and dispel minor curses and afflictions.
AlchemyWhile you can't turn lead into gold, you can turn everyday herbs and reagents into useful potions, which is almost as good.
RunecraftingInscribing runes on slates and parchment to give them latent effects that can be activated later. Enhances existing items.
Magical Theory/MetamagicThe study of how magic works in the world.It has
no actual spells several obscure spells that don't fit anywhere else, but a good knowledge of Magic Theory can increase the effectiveness of all your spells.
SummoningSummon extra-planar creatures to do your bidding.
NecromancyA forbidden magic entailing the binding of souls to objects. Normally these objects take the form of corpses, but skilled necromancers can bind souls to other objects...
DemonologyIt takes a foul or perhaps desperate man to bind his own soul in exchange for power. It takes a truly evil one to steal other's souls and use them for the same purpose. Where Necromancy binds souls to object unwillingly, Demonology actually consumes those souls as reagents to pull off complicated rituals that grant immense power.