Welcome to hell, or at least a good enough fit. You are a mighty demon lord, or again something vaguely similar. You should probably set about shaping this place to your will and crushing any who would dare defy you.
Name:
Appearance:
Abilities:
Location:
Name is pretty self-explanatory. Note that most titles will only be taken seriously if you earn them; otherwise it's just a name like any other.
Appearance is also self-explanatory. This may have some impact on how others react to you, but in general physical form isn't terribly important.
Abilities is a very broad term describing what you're capable of. This can include special powers like regeneration or incredible hearing, but also dietary habits, personality quirks, how fast your claws grow, and other minutiae. You will not automatically start the game with most of your abilities in any meaningful way; rather, you must earn them through the course of normal play. This might represent you gaining powers associated with your type, or simply developing existing powers to the point where they actually matter.
Abilities can change during play, so this is generally better as a description of your general theme than a wish list for super powers, but it can work as that too.
Location is the hellish terrain you start out in. This can be just about anything, and the laws of physics are generally your plaything. Note that it must count as uniform terrain; you could have numerous mountains and valleys, or lush islands of jungle in a desert, but not a mountain over there, a river here, and so on. Your terrain might grant immediate advantages and penalties, but mostly will be the same as everyplace else, at least until you learn to exploit it better.
Note that the rest of hell is pretty malleable. You can spread your favored terrain, create different terrain, and so on.
You may also submit a symbol, portrait, or color if you'd like. Aside from aesthetics, these would mostly be used to denote things on maps.
You may run off and attempt to do things personally, in standard RTD fashion. Under most circumstances the results of such actions are relatively minor, but obviously there will be times when you can get a lot of mileage out of the little things.
Note that many "personal" actions are actually large-scale actions done by you alone.
Most large-scale actions, such as gathering resources, building structures, and waging war, are performed by fairly large groups. A group's Magnitude is the measure of how much it can get done; a Magnitude 3 unit is three times as powerful as a Magnitude 1 unit. Sometimes Magnitude is attained by being exceptionally powerful or skilled, but more often it's a result of combining several groups into one for the purposes of a given task.
You start off as Magnitude 1. On the one hand, this means you're not particularly special. On the other, it means you can stand up to a fairly large-sized group in battle or pie-making contests.
Aside from needing a large group to do it, large-scale actions function similarly to "normal" ones in most respects.
1: -1 unit
2: +0 units
3: +1 unit at a penalty
4: +1 unit
5: +1 unit at a bonus
6: +2 units
Resources are collected from terrain tiles using labor and spent on a variety of projects. Resource collection often uses the above table, with a unit being a standard measure of something to work with. As a general rule, the materials for smaller, higher-quality projects are proportionately harder to get, and so enough stone to build a building and enough metal to forge several pieces of jewelry would still just be one "unit" each.
Resources can be just about anything, and can be used for a variety of purposes. Obviously, rarer and more difficult materials tend to produce better results. The types of resources available in a given tile are generally fairly open to interpretation; diamond mines and gold veins will generally not appear on the map, but those materials might be found by anyone determined and lucky enough to search in a likely area.
Structures must be build on a hex, and typically require one unit of materials and one success for a level one structure, two of each to upgrade a level one to level two, three of each to upgrade from two to three, and so on. Their exact benefits vary wildly, but resource collection and refinement are obvious candidates.
Structures generally require labor to operate. In some cases high-level structures simply require one unit of workers, but more often each level requires another unit to have any impact. This can make it more efficient to build several buildings in different hexes, rather than upgrading existing ones, except for a few problems. For one, spreading yourself thin makes it harder to defend yourself. For another, spreading out can impact efficiency and improve the odds of your minions skimming off the top, disobeying your orders, abandoning you, or even rallying together to usurp your throne.
Terrain functions similarly to a structure in that it can have certain effects, and can be created or destroyed. Generally magic is required to spread terrain, but sometimes there are other ways. Most terrain is relatively bland, having little difference from other types. Those nearby can attempt to refine ways of exploiting it, however, gaining access to new benefits.
Like structures, it is possible to invent new types of terrain. Note that the majority of the world is fairly blank, so until you get around to spreading your chosen terrain around, there might not be much of note out there.
Minions can be created with magic, using various materials as a base. As with everything, better materials and luck tends to result in a better product.
As with most things, minions can be just about anything. They may have various bonuses and penalties to certain actions and circumstances.
Minions are broadly divided into self-replicating and non-self-replicating. Self-replicating creatures can innately produce more of themselves, usually through some sort of biological process, but instinctively knowing how to produce more of themselves would also count. Non-self-replicating creatures need something with the proper knowledge to make more of themselves, though generally nothing's stopping them from learning themselves. Self-replicators are twice the cost to produce as non-replicators, but are self-sustaining.
Minions are measured in Magnitude. A Magnitude 1 unit is the lower limit on what is needed to accomplish a large-scale action. You could theoretically have a single minion ordered to carve wooden idols, but it wouldn't have much game impact.
Every battle you (or another unit) wins, they gain one experience point. Three experience points are enough to level up.
Upon leveling up, you (or the unit) will be presented with your choices for leveling, generally being an extra bonus to certain rolls, or a special ability. You may specifically request certain options when leveling, either to see what is available to you or because you know what you want.
Perhaps surprisingly, leveling up does not become more difficult as time goes on (at least for now), nor does actually performing an action make you better at it, save when that action is killing. Note that performing actions diligently or well can occasionally give you a bonus ability, regardless of experience.
Creating minions generally requires a base material and a full action. Units that cannot self-replicate require just one unit of material, while those that can require two. The results are of course dependent on how well you do.
To make minions with better (or more specific) abilities in certain areas, you can use better materials and tools, and/or you can use multiple materials. Generally speaking, each notable trait requires a different material to symbolize it, though this connection needn't be particularly strong. Minions may have traits, tendencies, and other attributes without having materials or labor specifically assigned to them, but they will be far milder and less likely to manifest in useful ways.
Note that minions which are more expensive to make initially will continue to be expensive to make more of.
Minions often require upkeep, which generally means a unit of something they find desirable or useful, per unit of Magnitude, every turn. Most units will function mechanically if not supplied with upkeep, but their enthusiasm for you rule will decrease. Stronger units, those with more attractive prospects, and those further away from you or your loyalists are the most likely to rebel. Weaker units, those with no place else to go, and those closest to you and your sources of power are the least likely to raise a problem regarding pay.
Self-replicating units will often automatically create more of themselves when supplied with upkeep. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how well you can handle and utilize this extra manpower.
Units will generally pass on any special abilities they've earned (not from experience, but from actual events) to units they create of their own type. In the case of units that do not self-replicate, their creators gain the ability to pass on this ability to their next batch. This makes it possible to selectively breed or refine the construction of your minions. Be aware that increased ability can have unfortunate side effects, such as increased cost or demand for better treatment.
Roll to hit vs roll to dodge; if the attack hits, add the difference to the damage vs not damage roll; if damage occurs, defender makes a don't-die roll, adding the difference between the two damage-related rolls. If this is a negative number, they die. If positive, they still take that penalty to all future don't-die rolls until they're healed, which typically happens at the start of every turn.
I'll fill in more details later, but for now who wants in on an infernally-themed tribes/RPG/god game RTD? Always spots on the waiting list.
Name: "The Warlord"
Appearance: The Warlord appears as a construct made from bone plates, with the skull of a bull instead of a head. Its eye sockets glow a bright blue because its soul is imprisoned inside the skull. The creature is adorned in various ways with the bones of its enemies. It is incapable of speech, but can communicate telepathically, and all its minions are a hive mind controlled by the Warlord. The creature is usually related with war.
Abilities: Horns can be used when fighting , doesn't eat, drink or breathe, has no natural regeneration, can repair itself or other skeletal creatures with bones, hive mind with minions.
Location: The Dead Wastes. Badlands in which many battles were fought between primitive tribes. The wars destroyed all the tribes and left nothing alive in the wastes. There are no trees, only dry shrubs and no water. The whole wasteland is covered in bones left from the wars.
Name: Erinshuka Leunty, called "Shuka" by most.
Appearance: Her skin is a pale light-blue color. Across her forehead, the sides of her neck and back there are markings in a navy blue color. Her eyes are without pupils, but the irises are a teal color. Her hair is made up of finely arranged crystalline ice that reaches down nearly the full length of her back. She is of medium height and a slender build. Her body is adorned with gold jewelry and she prefers to wear dresses that accentuate her assets. Her voice is slow and sultry, taking her time to say anything, in order to build up arousal in whomever she is talking too.
Abilities: Enthrall, creates slaves with her seductive presence. Chilling Touch, able to surround her enemies in capsules of ice. Perfect Regeneration, Regenerates from any wounds with no visible scarring. ((We can add to these as we go and as appropriate right?))
Personality: Shuka cares only for beauty and lust. Unless she decides to take a person as a lover she will treat them coldly at best. To her lovers, she is demanding, and if the don't meet up to her expectations, she has no attachment to you in the long-term and will not hesitate to "rid" herself of their presence. She doesn't like to get her hands dirty with the 'mundane' actions that should be dealt with by her slaves and takes care of the tasks she views as "worthy" of her.
Location: The Heights of Depravity, mountainous tundra, there are a few winter valleys with some foliage, named for a clan/tribe that practiced perverse sexual rituals in these mountains.
Name: Drummer
Appearance: A large horned humanoid with pale red skin and four arms, this demon lord has ascended to power through teaching mortals how to sing and dance, thus gaining their unconscious yet regular worship. There is a bone drum hanging from his neck.
Abilities: Affects nearby units' morale and abilities by playing music. Can affect hearing enemies with music. Can produce musical units that act similar to him. Slow regeneration.
Location: The Steamy Sands, a geyser-ridden desert hidden within a volcanic mountain range.
Name: THE DREAD LORD TIM
Apperance: A rather muddy looking peasant, he is suprisingly nondescript bar a odd look in his eye.
Ability:A captivating almost hypnotic look in his eye which can be distacting.
Personality: Tim first appeared several years ago replacing the current leader of The Plains of Eternal Toil, his human apperance has made many boubt his ability. However the fact that he is still alive is either a symbol of his luck or skill- none have yet found out.
Location: The Plains of Eternal Toil, rich arable farmland with little to no defensive use bar the thick silt making travel difficult.
Name: Hunger
Appearance: A writhing mass of tentacles, each tipped by a mouth filled with very sharp teeth.
Abilities: Consume, gains power as he eats other living things. Regeneration, regenerates rapidly should he be damaged. Spawn, can create minions by infecting others with a small slug-like creature.
Driven by a constant need to consume and expand, Hunger isn't terribly talkative most of the time, instead trying to eat or enslave most outsiders who wander into his domain.
Location: The Bog of Hunger, a vast swampland filled with poisonous plants and blood-sucking insects.
Name: Humaan
Appearance: A wraith without any indication of feet. Levitates above the ground barely. His cloak is a ebony, with blood stained where his heart should be. His face, nothing can be said. His soul, non-existant.
Abilities: Non-Corpereal, can not be harmed by normal attacks (magic or enchanted objects are the only things that will work).
Location: The End of Life, a Barren Wasteland with little to no life. Those who are alive would find it hard to travel here, and nigh impossible to live here.
Name: Lou
Appearance: Red, satyr (lower body of a goat), curved horns. Black sunglasses. Carries an Electric Guitar. Jeans. T-shirt-esque vest.
Abilities: Can play different kinds of solos for different effects. For example melt faces, inspire people and so on...
Location: A bar, owned by Lou himself.
Name:Laharl
Appearance:This
Abilities:Can use any weapon he picks up, has the ability to smash meteor into his enemies and is really strong. (Also I consider having etna as a vassal a special ability but I can wish XP)
Location:The Netherworld
Name: The formless one.
Appearance: A writhing, shapeless blob of tentacles, mouths, and eyes. When presenting himself to others, he prefers to take the form of a floating black humanoid shadow with glowing red eyes.
Powers: Can morph into the aforementioned shadow, eat things, create unspeakable hordes from anything imaginable, and possibly fire lasers from his eyes.
Location: The void. A swirling nexus of darkness, where creatures are able to float to move, with nebulae, stars, galaxies, comets, and planets moving in random directions in the background.
Name: Dark Overlord Manslaughter
Appearance: A eight-foot tall suit of gritty steel armor covered in spikes, wielding a giant mace slung over his right shoulder. It is impossible to see inside the faceplate of his helmet. He speaks with a commanding and deep voice.
Abilities: Can manipulate any kind of metal, controlling it as he wishes. An enchanted shell of armor which is incredibly difficult to damage. Has natural charisma, giving him extraordinary leadership abilities. His manipulation of metal allows him to strengthen and repair his armor with any nearby metal.
Location: The Steel Citadel. A towering fortress made of pure steel colored black. The area surrounding it is a metal and mineral-rich plain.
Name: Anath, The Hungry Night
Appearance: A great man shaped shadow, speckled with gleaming lights akin to stars. He/It/She speaks in a constantly shifting voice, forever shifting between young and old, female and male, and far stranger variables.
Abilities: Manipulation of entropic force, to either destroy or create within the limits of the energy and materials he/it/she has available.
Location: The Primal Sea. An ocean of the raw stuff of creation and chaos, formed from a liquid akin to molten gold, with strange and magic warped islands floating upon its surface and within its depths
name: changer of ways
apperance: a massive birdlike entity of magic made out of crystals pulsating in waves of black and red light and daggerlike feathers
abilities:crystaline mind,ability to regenerate with crystals but and also imbue them with arcane power to create things like wraiths, crystal daggers,you do NOT want to be in the way of crystal feather daggers- +to melee
location: the crystaline forest, just what the name said
Author
Topic: Roll to Rule Hell! (Turn 11: Surrounded By Incompetent Fools) (Read 10500 times)