New PbP [CLOSED]

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Which idea do you like better?

First idea (Starting at level 1 in a new campaign world, building up quickly to deific levels)
1
10%
Second idea (Starting at level 50 as god-slayers)
4
40%
Either
5
50%
 
Total votes: 10

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shai-hulud
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New PbP [CLOSED]

Post by shai-hulud »

I am going to continue having a little free time during the summer break, so I thought I would put out the offer for a PbP game that a lot of people have been asking for. If you are interested, post here. It would be a very high level campaign. By very high level, I mean level 50+, maybe even level 100, as Sunny is doing.

Unlike Sunny's game, this game would use the Cinematic rules. In other words, stats don't amount to much at those levels. So, having a +150 hide is fun to look at, but what does it mean in game terms? What does a character with 60 Intelligence look like? Is his head abnormally shaped? What about the guy with 200 strength (this is easier to do than you might think by level 100)? Heck, he is stronger than Kord, the God of Strength!!!

This is where cinematic rules come in. We don't worry about what a +150 hide check means. How this works is, when you post your intended action, make it as descriptive as possible. Description is key in a cinematic system. Why? Because from reading your description, I set arbitrary DCs to what you have described. Since the DCs are abritrary, the more your description convinces me of the ease in which your character can accomplish the task, the lower the DC becomes! So, what happens if the arbitrary DC is out of reach for your character? Does that mean he cannot perform the action intended? Not at all! It means that negotiations are underway! Based on the level of discrepancy between ability and arbitrary DC, I provide hardships to accomplishing the unlikely action.

Cinematic rules don't come into play for actions that follow normal rules. For instance, if a character wants to hide, it doesn't matter where or how he is attempting to hide, there are rules for it. That is not where cinematic rules come in. If the halfling wants to hold up a feather and try to hide behind it, no problem. That is something that I can set a DC for without too much trouble.
SpoilerShow
In fact, I would likely impose a -50 penalty for each size category smaller than a character for the item they are attempting to hide behind, so in the halfling's case, it would be 3 size categories smaller, so -150 on hide, and the halfling with +150 to hide is rolling at a +0 instead.
So, when would the rules come into play? Well, when you are trying to break the rules of D&D. For instance, when I post, "The great wyrm prismatic dragon bites you for 200 points of damage," that is not the final result of the action. That is my opening negotiation. From there, we have entered the realm of the addition of cinematic rules. You say, "Even though I have no readied action, as the dragon's mouth begins to close around me, I jump up, grab a hold of a prismatic tooth, swing myself up, and with my knowledge of Draconic physiology, biology, and dentistry, I kick the tooth in the exact point necessary to shatter it. As my adamantine boot strikes the tooth, the shattered remains are displaced by my body as the dragon clenches its jaws together with me unscathed!" To which I reply, "You rolled poorly on your tumble check, but well on the attack roll, so the attack occurs exactly as planned, but the tooth shatters, getting prismatic dragon tooth all over you. The effect is the same as a prismatic wall, but you are unable to make reflex saves to avoid the damage. Instead of the 200 damage from the bite, you take 80 points of electricity damage, 40 points of acid damage, and 20 points of fire damage (all in all, saving yourself 60 damage), but you make the other four saves." And this will continue until you feel the cinematic effect has been milked to its last drop. Eventually, things will stop getting better with better description and start getting worse again. Again, cinematic rules make it so that little to nothing is impossible.

I apologize for the length of this post. I was attempting to keep it short, but so much for that idea. Anyway, let me know if you are interested.
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Benji
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Re: New PbP

Post by Benji »

Sounds good. I'd be interested. Would it be mostly roleplaying or would there be a whole load of epic level monsters to fight?
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Re: New PbP

Post by LinusMundane »

I'm down, either way. I would like to see level 50 over 100 but either way I am geared to go!
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Re: New PbP

Post by shai-hulud »

Benji wrote:Sounds good. I'd be interested. Would it be mostly roleplaying or would there be a whole load of epic level monsters to fight?
I have two ideas for the campaign. One idea is to start at level 1 and gain a level a week or a level every other week. That style campaign would be a problem-solving campaign whereby the setting itself is character-driven. Essentially, through problem solving, you would be creating the setting. Before your input, the setting would not exist, and after your input, a fully developed campaign world would be there. This idea may incorporate the deification process. If this path is chosen, it will be a game that only loosely resembles D&D. I say that because classes like Wizard, Cleric, etc. would not exist. There would be no difference between divine and arcane magics. There would be no difference between psionics and magic. In fact, none of these would have a name, and all characters would be capable of them. The idea is that the multiverse is so new that it has not set rules for magics. This means instead of sorcerer or psion, you have wild caster. Magics will be dangerous and powerful. They will possess the ability to make or destroy the world. Because of this, description is key in this type of setting. Yes, it would be roleplaying. Here is an idea of what might occur:

The party is tasked to correct a mistake that was made. A section of world caught fire, and all attempts at putting it out have been fruitless. The party heads to the glade and knowing that in nature, water can be used to halt fire. So, the group begins a ritual to bring forth enough water to stop the fire. Only, magics of that level are difficult to control. Instead of water, the fire is turned to ice!!! And so begins the first Ice Age!

This is but a small example. Fighting would be part of it, but not round-by-round combat. It would more be like:

The party engages a society of goblins (goblins would be fey in this campaign, as I would describe later). The goblins are encountering trouble with a local group of fierce pixies. The pixies have been slaughtering the goblins for some unknown reason. It is up to the party to decide how to proceed. Perhaps they decide to battle the pixies to aid the goblins. Perhaps they decide to battle the goblins and aid the pixies. Whatever the choice, the PCs may post rounds of actions, or even days worth of actions. Attack rolls can be used versus entire societies rather than against an individual enemy. Does this mean the PCs will always win? Absolutely not!

------------------------------------------------------

The other idea is just a straight level 50th campaign. Mortals have discovered a secret to divinity. You have been chosen to stop them from succeeding. And so, you are granted immunity from deific powers!!! With such immunity, you are not invulnerable, however. Others who learn of your unique status will attempt to steal your powers from you! There are many who would like the ability to slay a god! This, again, would be highly cinematic. There would be fighting and role playing. This idea is a lot less unique, so I won't add too much detail. It will also be straight D&D rather than a hybrid of several systems, as my idea above would be.
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Re: New PbP

Post by Benji »

Both of those sound SO awesome!

Where do I sign up? :P
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Re: New PbP

Post by klakxor »

Catalyst is drunk, but wants in. Me, I have too much on my plate or else I would get in too. Why is it these high level games always start up when I don't have the time?
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Re: New PbP

Post by shai-hulud »

Added a poll. If you are interested in joining, please vote. As DM, I voted for either. If you are interested in more campaign information for each, let me know. I have a strong write-up for the first idea and an awesome title for the second (the second would be titled "God Slayers!")
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Re: New PbP

Post by Benji »

Voted for either as they both sound like great ideas. I've already got ideas for the God Slayer one, and the other looks like it could be quite ground breaking.
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Re: New PbP

Post by Catalyst »

I voted for either, as both sound like they'd be fun :evil:
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Re: New PbP

Post by MonkeyAlpha »

This primate is very very interested.

Vote cast!

-Alpha
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Re: New PbP

Post by marine7312000 »

This sounds suspiciously like a game I ran back in school. Sign me up good sir.
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Re: New PbP

Post by shai-hulud »

For the first idea, here is a workup of the variant rules that would rule the campaign world. Please note that these rules are extremely different from normal D&D rules. I am still working on generating all of the variant rules in an easily readable format (I have yet to describe class skills, improving skills, ability scores, gaining levels, spellcasting, etc.) but you should get an idea of the vast number of changes. This system is of my own design, and combines elements of D&D, Exalted, Paranoia, and more:

Myrallus SRD
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Re: New PbP

Post by shai-hulud »

Updated the Myrallus SRD (again, this SRD is only if I decide to go with option 1, and currently, the general trend seems to be more interested in option 2).
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving is not for you.
"Danger is like Jello. There's always room for more."

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Re: New PbP

Post by shai-hulud »

The Myrallus SRD is nearly complete. All it is missing is spellcasting mishaps. If you are interested in the campaign, please read through the SRD and let me know if you have any questions. It is only 9 pages long. It is a new system, and it may be incomplete. In fact, as I am writing this, I have thought of another point to add, but I will save that for tomorrow. It is an idea taken from Paranoia. It is similar to action points in D&D, but in Paranoia, it is called Perversity. Each time that a player is deemed entertaining, as the GM, it is my responsibility to reward the entertaining player with points. These points can be used to modify any die rolls made, whether they are by the PCs or by the enemy. The points can aid or hurt a die roll. If saved up, they can be vitally useful. Or, they can be spent as needed to succeed on DCs (or perhaps fail less). I have not decided if I will keep these points, but they work well! Especially for a storytelling system!
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving is not for you.
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Re: New PbP

Post by LinusMundane »

You seem like you want to do option 1 more, I understand why as you have put time and effort into it and this would be the perfect place to try it out since you will get open and honest feedback. Consider my vote changed to option 1. After reading the SRD, I really want to give it a go.

Nice job btw on what you have so far. Unearthed Arcana has a ton of rules similar to this, is that what you used or something else entirely?
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Re: New PbP

Post by shai-hulud »

Unearthed arcana had some of it, but really, it is a mix between D&D and Exalted. I love the White Wolf system of separating out skills and attributes. Instead of having a skill always attached to a single attribute, you make it circumstantial. You add different bonuses in different situations.

Next, I liked the idea of an organically grown campaign setting. This is actually going to be the second trial run of this system. The first was mostly a success until it got to higher levels. By sixth or seventh level, every PC was capable of casting at least 1 ninth level spell before I made the changes to higher DCs. Most of the rest of the system worked great! And, I like that if I want to convert over to D&D, the only change will be skill point allocation. The first twenty hit dice are outsider levels, so while in game terms, they could have been d6's, d8's or d10's, they all morph together to d8's when transferred over to D&D. But, they abilities they gained are what is really important :D
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving is not for you.
"Danger is like Jello. There's always room for more."

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Re: New PbP

Post by LinusMundane »

I'm interested to see how you make the sheet handle this
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Re: New PbP

Post by marine7312000 »

I voted for either of the options but after reading over the SRD I really wish I could go back and vote for the low level game. I've played Exalted before and I love the system.
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Re: New PbP

Post by shai-hulud »

LinusMundane wrote:I'm interested to see how you make the sheet handle this
Here is the starting character file. It is currently only compatible with the current version of TOS+. It will require updates once the next version of TOS+ is released.
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If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving is not for you.
"Danger is like Jello. There's always room for more."

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