In a world of corrupt technocrats and sinister scientists,
In a world of things that go bump in the night,
In a world of automatons and airships,
It is time do your duty,For Queen and Country!"For Queen and Country!" is set in a light steampunk version of victorian england, a setting in what world of man fades away after sundown as the things that go bump in the night come out to play. Will you establish the Queen as the true power behind the British Empire, will you ensure that the time of man continues, or will humanity fade away, as a footnote in history?
Earth is a measure of your passive strength, health, endurance and resiliance. It governs how much damage you are able to sustain and how well you resist things that affect you both physically and mentally.
- Every earth point grants you one point of damage you may sustain without penalty.
- Once that is exausted, every two points grants you one point of damage you may sustain with a temporary -1 penalty to all stats per point.
- Once that is exausted, your character is mortally wounded and removed from play.
- Poison, corruption, physical and mental resiliance check against earth for their effect.
Fire is a measure of your active strength, physical finess and fitness. It governs how talented you are in combat and how well you perform in physical activities involving agility and/or exertion.
- Every point over/under a foe in combat gives you a bonus/penalty of the same magnitude.
- Any activity that requires high physical prowess benefits from higher fire.
- Fire, along with Air, affects technical aptitude where applicable.
Air is a measure of your mental aptitude, your ability to comprehend and grasp terms and concepts. It governs how intellectually able your character is, how quickly they learn and how well they apply their knowledge.
- Any check against knowledge or lore requires air.
- Learning in general gains a blanket benefit from air.
- Air, along with Fire, affects technical aptitude where applicable.
Water is a measure of your sensetivity to the world about you. It governs how well you may read emotions, intent, your ability to adapt to social situations, your ability to sense energies and your receptiveness to them.
- Water benefits you in social interactions, permitting you to sense deception, intent and emotion.
- Corrupted beings may be sensed if not visibly apparent with high enough water.
- Energies and opponent strengths may be gauged with high enough water.
The above stats are measured from one to ten, with three being average and six representing the limits of human potential. Under most circumstances, even the most wretched of characters cannot have one in any score and the most gifted cannot have ten.
Each stat may have a related speciality, represending an area of expertise for the character in question, such as acrobatics for fire or learning for Air. The exception for this is cross-element speciality, that permits you to opt to take specialities that primarily fall on different elements, on a stronger element. Fire governs physical prowess, yet a hero with high air may choose to specialise in bow mastery, thus using air for their rolls with a bow instead. Cross-element specialities must be very specific however, limiting them to a narrower band than regular ones are permitted. Marksmanship for example for fire, would only permit bow mastery for air, athletics for fire is broad, yet swimming for water is specific.
Powers are composed of three aspects that determine their cost, with each count of an aspect costing a point. Powers may be taken incomplete and built upon as you work towards their full potential, though they are generally signifigantly less effective in an incomplete state. Powers may seem magical, though in a world where magic is dying and almost forgotten, this usually translates to powers being gifts and corruptions, and unlocked usage of the hidden potential of man. Be warned, heavy usage of non-passive powers may tire a character.
The three aspects are: Frequent, Major, Versatile.
If it's a power that's needed (potentially) frequently, powers that will often make a difference, they take one point for each level of frequency. Rapid healing from injury may be deemed a single point of frequency.
If it's a power that has a very noticable, a very big effect then that aspect makes it major. A power that lets you redirect lightning would be major, but not frequent. The ability to shoot lightning from your hands would be both frequent and major.
If it's a power that has a wide range of applications, then it's versatile. If the ability to shoot lightning from your hands was to include other elements than that, it would gain versatility.
In addition to this, the strength of the element associated with these powers may govern how effectively your character is able to apply it.
Each character starts with 20 points to distribute between elements and powers.
The following is a list of powers and specialities for each stat - People are free to suggest further types of power and specialities to add to the list, though things such as mind reading/control are not permitted. Some powers are however, restricted to or from certain character types. All characters may have one free zero point power - zero point powers are generally not quite things that warrant any cost at all, though taking a second one will invoke a charge of one point for it.
Zero Point Powers:
Cats Leap
Able to Jump up to fifteen feet.
Friend to Water
Able to Breathe Water.
Friend to Fire
Unharmed by contact with any flame up to the size of a torch or lantern's.
Firefly
Able to glow with a soft luminescence while focusing, granting torch levels of light.
(Animal) Tongue
Able to talk to a specific animal type.
(Creature) Friend
(Creature Type) generally acts inexplicably friendly towards the bearer of this power.
Weapon Master
Able to use any mundane weapon without prior training, thus negating penalties for inexperience.
Healing Related:
1 (f) - Quickened Healing
Sevenfold rate of recovery.
2 (fm) - Instant Healing
Rapidly recover from all manner of injuries.
Fire Related:
1 (f) - Sweat Fire
Able to emit candle sized flames from your skin at will.
2 (fm) - Throw Fire
Able to produce fire in your hands at will, either for throwing or using while still held.
3 (fmv) - Mastery of Flame
Able to create heat, light and flame at will, for use in hand to hand or over a distance.
Influence Related:
1 (f) - Persuasive Voice
You have a soothing voice, allowing you to sway opinions in those not hostile.
2 (fv) - Presence
Able to influence how others perceive you in your favour.
Transformation:
2 (fm) - Werebeast
Able to transform into a specific were-creature, gaining the forms benefits. Damage taken in human/were form carries across to each form.
The following specialities are examples, if you feel something is missing from the list, or you would prefer to take something not on it as it fits your character better, then feel free to suggest it so it can be added.
Earth
Resisting Injury
Resisting Poison
Resisting Taint
Long Distance Running
Fire
Swordfighting
Marksmanship
Unarmed Combat
Acrobatics
Sprinting
Athletics
Air
Disguise
Public Speaking
Creature Lore
Plant Lore
Tactics
Water
Anticipating Action
Reading People
Sensing Taint
Stealth
The proccess of combat is carried out by first comparing the fire scores of the two combatants to see what one of them has the upper hand - the one with the higher fire gains the difference as a positive bonus to their to hit and dodge rolls, the one with the lower fire gains it as a negative.
In the event of a cross element weapon skill, the to-hit check is replaced only, with fire still governing defence.
Example:
Joe the Human Civilian has Three Fire.
He is against an experienced Vulture with Four Fire.
Joe has a -1 penalty applied to his to hit/dodge rolls against the vulture, while the vulture gets +1.
Say Joe has Four Air and has Bowman as his air speciality (thus treating it like a five.)
Joe now has +1 to hit the vulture (5 vs 4) and -1 to dodge it (3 vs 4).
If the hit roll is higher than the dodge roll after the difference is taken into account, then next damage is rolled. A one always counts as a miss, a six always counts as a hit, no matter the difference, likewise the same applies to the dodge roll. If the end result is equal, or both get sixes, then it's a stalemate and both parties move onto the next round of combat.
Damage is rolled based on the weapon involved, then deducted from the opponents hitpoint total.
Characters who are unarmed do 1 damage per hit, unless they have unarmed combat as their speciality, in what case they do 1d2+1
Characters who are armed with a weapon they are not trained in the use of, do -1 damage with it, but always do at least 1 if they hit.
Initiative in combat is granted to ranged attackers over melee, with attacking order granted to higher fire scores.
Armour reduction is applied after the damage roll.
Light armour may not reduce damage below 1.
Heavy armour may reduce damage to 0.
Combat generally continues until the characters involved are victorious, incapacitated, or flee.
While only a certain number of players may be active at a time, and as such others may wait for a while before a player is deemed inactive and put into hibernation, incapacitated and removed from play, or retired, those on the queue are allowed a single shot at jumping it.
Each player upon joining the queue is given the chance to request a one time event (after a few turns in the queue) of the arrival of a mid-low tier monster, along with the target player. Only one such request will be permitted per-turn, meaning after the first person has requested such, any others still permitted to do so, wishing to do the same, must wait until the next turn.
Should a player be incapacitated by such a request, the person responsible gets to jump the queue and take the fallen players place.
They should be careful however, as the fallen player now has the option to do the same to them later. If somebody is is successful in taking out the player that did so to them earlier, they will not only get to jump the queue (bringing back their character, or a new one, circumstances depending), but be awarded with an additional point to add to their stats.
Further weapons and armour may be suggested, discovered or invented over the course of play.
Handguns:
Single Action Revolver
Double Action Revolver
Standard Rounds - 1d3+1, rolls +1d3 extra on every 3.
AP Rounds - 1d3, ignores 1d3 points of armour.
Shotguns:
Single Barrel
Double Barrel
Solid - 2d3-1
Scatter - 1d3, short range, only misses on a to hit roll of 1
Rifles:
Bolt Action
Standard Rounds - 2d3+1
AP Rounds - 2d3, ignores 1d3 points of armour.
Melee:
Knife - 1d2, may be used to silently kill an unaware foe.
Club - 1d2, may be used to knock out an unaware foe.
Hatchet - 1d2, ignores one point of armour.
Machete - 1d3
Light Armour:
Most common light armour provides 1 damage reduction.
Light armour cannot reduce damage taken from a succesful hit below 1.
Padded - May be tailored from fabric without skill.
Leather - May be upgraded to heavy by attaching plates.
Heavy Armour:
Most common heavy armour provides 2 damage reduction.
If damage taken from a hit is below 1, no damage is inflicted.
Characters not meeting heavy armours requirements are at -1 on all physical rolls.
Bronze Plates - requires 4 earth/fire
As the game progresses, available factions will have further choices opened up and new factions will appear.
Human Factions
Clockworkers:
- Tinker
- Operator
- Guildsman
Technomancers:
- Alchemist
- Guildsmith
- Guildsman
Civilian:
- Peeler
- Tradesman
- Craftsman
- Labourer
- Other (Player Must Specify)
Knowledge and any potential weapon proficiency is based on your profession.
Humans may start with either a single action revolver or a single barrel shotgun and a knife.
Name:
Faction:
Earth:
Fire:
Air:
Water:
Powers:
Possessions:
Background/Personality: (Optional)
Author
Topic: For Queen and Country! (Read 12671 times)