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Post by Ashiel on Jun 19, 2015 18:42:27 GMT -7
Questions & CommentsDoes this mean low-fantasy Pathfinder? I can do that but I need to know if I need to adjust NPC statblocks and treasures. Not really interested in running any world changing games. Mostly because I think it's unfair to other players unless everyone is onboard with it. Pretty much would stick to one shots and GM arcs unless asked to do otherwise by those responsible for the setting. I'll be honest and real with players. If they have a problem with a ruling, I will neither ignore nor patronize them. I will listen to them and I will discuss it as I would with anyone else. If it is in the middle of a session, I'll ask them to discuss it with me at length afterwords if it doesn't immediately pertain to the success/failure of their game. That's all.
Ashiel's ApplicationMs. Raital Latral asked me to apply as a GM. I decided to indulge her wishes. I also enjoy GMing. Availability: Random. I work a full time job with shifting schedules so I might be around early in the morning, late in the evening, or sometime during the day, or in the middle of the night, any given day of the week. Experience: 15 years experience running some version of d20 D&D. Samples
Here's some samples of GMing style, structure, commentaries, and material I've got on hand.
Policies There are several standards that I uphold and abide by. This is my code of conduct. - I will never cheat. This includes fudging (which is cheating by another name).
- I will never build encounters for or against players.
- I will always strive to give the best gaming experience that I can.
- I will accept feedback from players to shape further gaming experiences.
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Post by novasry on Jun 20, 2015 2:36:38 GMT -7
The low fantasy stuff is pretty out of date now, surprised it hasn't been changed on the wiki yet. There is a fair bit of magic in Rook now, but general populace attitude is still weary and cautious.
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Post by Ashiel on Jun 20, 2015 4:04:19 GMT -7
The low fantasy stuff is pretty out of date now, surprised it hasn't been changed on the wiki yet. There is a fair bit of magic in Rook now, but general populace attitude is still weary and cautious. Well the primary reason that I was asking is because "low-fantasy" is a sort of setting in the Pathfinder core rulebook and it strongly affects things like NPC wealth and treasures that are available. It would also strongly influence the sorts of encounters that get used if spellcasters of all kinds are super rare. This would influence most any encounter with humanoids. For example, if I wanted to use a spread of hobgoblins in a warband, I would generally include a few magical supporters (such as adepts, bards, arcane or divine casters, alchemists, etc). However, if there are virtually no witch-doctors and shamans and such in the world then it would mean that to remain consistent and immersive I'd need to axe all the casters. This would concern me because it would drastically dumb down the encounters and mean I would have to seek alternative means of adding mixed elements to the encounters. It also means that in general spellcasting PCs will have a huge advantage over martial PCs because unless they are explicitly facing creatures with specific SLAs, they can be confident that nothing they do will be overturned since all they would be fighting in most cases are various flavors of "I hit it with a stick". |
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Post by novasry on Jun 20, 2015 4:57:21 GMT -7
As I said, the low fantasy stuff is out of date, I pretty much go wild with casters and no one has made comments otherwise.
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Post by Ashiel on Jun 20, 2015 16:17:35 GMT -7
So was Rook just kind of a bizarre metropolis of muggles while the rest of the world was teeming with magic?
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Zanos
Leadership Council
No
how did i get here i am not good with computer
Posts: 684 
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Post by Zanos on Jun 20, 2015 17:05:37 GMT -7
Rook and the surrounds were fairly isolated at the beginning of the PW, actions of some of the PCs changed that and magic became more prevalent as Rook became more involved in global matters and adventurers started blowing stuff up. Magic existed, but people were largely superstitious of it so it was extremely uncommon.
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Post by Ashiel on Jun 21, 2015 5:20:06 GMT -7
Rook and the surrounds were fairly isolated at the beginning of the PW, actions of some of the PCs changed that and magic became more prevalent as Rook became more involved in global matters and adventurers started blowing stuff up. Magic existed, but people were largely superstitious of it so it was extremely uncommon. Yeah but I mean, Novasry mentioned (in IRC chat) that magic is plenty common throughout tribal races and such and there would be no questions raised if I had a band of hobgoblins full of magicians of different varieties. So again, was Rook just some sort of bizarre outlier, or did a handful of adventurers not only massively adjust the public perceptions of magic but also did the same for all the monstrous creatures throughout the land? Frankly, I must wonder how that works given that Rook is described as a sort of central melting pot and meeting place for trade, which by its nature implies that it should be where most innovations and advancements should be common and prejudices least common. Yet for some reason the metropolis of Rook was super behind in magic while the rest of the world and the surrounding area was teeming with magic the whole time. Novasry mentioned that this metamorphosis has occurred in only 3-4 years, which means the only people who have lived in a magic rich Rook are toddlers. Meanwhile, it takes an average of about 7 years for a human or half-orc to begin as a cleric, druid, or wizard, and much longer for the other races. This considered, how did Rook even become a metropolis when its tribal neighbors such as orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, and other more nefarious creatures had ready access to magic (according to Novasry) and Rook did not? It's no secret that one is beyond an equalizer in terms of organization and numbers. |
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Post by Haskalah on Jun 22, 2015 5:57:09 GMT -7
Consider the following: Favorable trade relations with some fairly wealthy neighbors IE Cloud City require quite a bit of tolerance for the Tiefling/Aasimar/Sylph living there and coming and going. There are a great deal of magic-users in that society and it's considered commonplace and acceptable. Sure there may be a bit of hesitance when dealing with a Tiefling, but even they on the whole aren't a bad lot in this setting and money dictates acceptance.
If you find this idea outlandish, consider that the majority of electronics are produced in Southeast Asian countries and more often than not under abhorrent conditions by most of the western world's standards, but most people don't stop buying them or accepting Asian immigrants into the country. Of course there's no exact real-world parallel, but the point is that a lot can be overlooked or forgiven when money is involved.
As for the other tribes, the fact that Rook was magic-lite could be precisely because of those tribes. When the people you hate and fear, who kill your family and wreck your crops and cause all sorts of misfortune also have some supernatural powers that defy nature, I can see where a populace would look upon anyone who can do similar with suspicion. Healers I'd say are a bit different because they "commune with the gods" or whatever various populace members believe, but they appear to act in good faith and make things better, not blow stuff up and steal babies.
I think people with a solid reputation and power, who use their power responsibly to help the city, would further the public image that magic is tolerable and perhaps even helpful. The short time (4 years or so) may be on the shorter end, but even then you have various entities traveling back and forth from Cloud City, adventurers solving many problems (we're talking hundreds by now) with the aid of magic, and the city and environs being made safer through the arts. Casters also, at the same time, have motivation to come forward now that they're not regarded as charlatans or crackpots.
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Post by Ashiel on Jun 22, 2015 7:59:54 GMT -7
Consider the following: Favorable trade relations with some fairly wealthy neighbors IE Cloud City require quite a bit of tolerance for the Tiefling/Aasimar/Sylph living there and coming and going. There are a great deal of magic-users in that society and it's considered commonplace and acceptable. Sure there may be a bit of hesitance when dealing with a Tiefling, but even they on the whole aren't a bad lot in this setting and money dictates acceptance. If you find this idea outlandish, consider that the majority of electronics are produced in Southeast Asian countries and more often than not under abhorrent conditions by most of the western world's standards, but most people don't stop buying them or accepting Asian immigrants into the country. Of course there's no exact real-world parallel, but the point is that a lot can be overlooked or forgiven when money is involved. Not outlandish at all. Admittedly it does seem strange, bizarre even, that a metropolis would exist in such conditions. Especially one that is by its description a melting pot that has grown on a trade route between lots of other powers. Historically speaking, those types of areas tend to advance faster than any other because of things like exchanging ideas and materials. As for the other tribes, the fact that Rook was magic-lite could be precisely because of those tribes. When the people you hate and fear, who kill your family and wreck your crops and cause all sorts of misfortune also have some supernatural powers that defy nature, I can see where a populace would look upon anyone who can do similar with suspicion. Healers I'd say are a bit different because they "commune with the gods" or whatever various populace members believe, but they appear to act in good faith and make things better, not blow stuff up and steal babies. This strikes me as odd given that sort of mindset would imply "badguys have guns, we should get rid of our guns" lines of reasoning, which makes it seem really sketchy that such a community not only was able to fend off those guys and survive but to thrive into a metropolis and booming trade city. Especially if there are hostile forces in nearby areas that can do things like ignore nonmagical weapons and raze your towns and take your stuff. Mind you, the topic interests me because I find it highly curious and understanding the reasons and background information would naturally play very heavily into the NPCs and how they interact with their world. It helps to gauge how much distrust is mixed with wonder, the metapolitics of the area (such as who is in power and why) and it plays directly into the plot of the first game I'd like to GM if the application is accepted because the idea I have is springboarded by the area being relatively low magic but surrounded by dangers and what sacrifices must be made to survive in that situation. |
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Post by Haskalah on Jun 22, 2015 8:20:40 GMT -7
A metropolis wherein you have helpful clerical-type people on one side and (seemingly) manipulative or destructive people whose powers may appear to come from demons or other evil people on the other. Until recently Rook was a trade city but still relatively isolated. I think it's reasonable that a large amount of help and the sudden advantageous benefits of dealing with such people (again, Cloud City) could shift public sentiment. As Nova noted, it's accepted, but magic-users are still treated warily and cautiously.
And the gun argument is, in my view, false comparison. Magic-users aren't the fantasy gunslingers. For one, a gun is a ranged weapon like any other, albeit with a bit more power. It can't bewitch your spouse to break up with you against your will, or make you fight directly against your allies, or make an explosion around your enemies, or set your house on fire, or eavesdrop on important meetings, or create a trap that explodes when you read it, or summon creatures from beyond the world, etc.
The view is, more accurately, that anyone who can do the freaky-deaky things a magic-user can shouldn't be trusted. It's a Dark Magic vs. Light Magic debate for me. Clerics and others in the church heal the injured and sick, provide food and blessings, generally only "good guy" sorts of things, while a magic-user can do all sorts of things as necessary. Perhaps a few temples to evil deities exist, but they're likely not well attended, and even if they are the practitioners aren't dumb enough to openly commit acts that would have the populace wreck them.
Plus, the sort of lower-level magic that would normally be brought upon residents of Rook (say by a hobgoblin caster) can be handled by able fighters or archers. Most hobgoblins or other near-city folk aren't dropping fireballs down, and even then a salvo of arrows can put them in their place, or a few raiding parties. Toss in some of those wonderful cleric people for good measure and the evil magic-using bastards don't stand a chance.
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Post by Ashiel on Jun 22, 2015 8:29:03 GMT -7
A metropolis wherein you have helpful clerical-type people on one side and (seemingly) manipulative or destructive people whose powers may appear to come from demons or other evil people on the other. Until recently Rook was a trade city but still relatively isolated. I think it's reasonable that a large amount of help and the sudden advantageous benefits of dealing with such people (again, Cloud City) could shift public sentiment. As Nova noted, it's accepted, but magic-users are still treated warily and cautiously. And the gun argument is, in my view, false comparison. Magic-users aren't the fantasy gunslingers. For one, a gun is a ranged weapon like any other, albeit with a bit more power. It can't bewitch your spouse to break up with you against your will, or make you fight directly against your allies, or make an explosion around your enemies, or set your house on fire, or eavesdrop on important meetings, or create a trap that explodes when you read it, or summon creatures from beyond the world, etc. The view is, more accurately, that anyone who can do the freaky-deaky things a magic-user can shouldn't be trusted. It's a Dark Magic vs. Light Magic debate for me. Clerics and others in the church heal the injured and sick, provide food and blessings, generally only "good guy" sorts of things, while a magic-user can do all sorts of things as necessary. Perhaps a few temples to evil deities exist, but they're likely not well attended, and even if they are the practitioners aren't dumb enough to openly commit acts that would have the populace wreck them. Plus, the sort of lower-level magic that would normally be brought upon residents of Rook (say by a hobgoblin caster) can be handled by able fighters or archers. Most hobgoblins or other near-city folk aren't dropping fireballs down, and even then a salvo of arrows can put them in their place, or a few raiding parties. Toss in some of those wonderful cleric people for good measure and the evil magic-using bastards don't stand a chance. Thanks. These are all good bits for understanding the mindset behind the metapolitics. Mind you, the gun example was less about whether or not people trusted them but more about being the guys without the guns vs the guys with the guns. It's a clear and obvious disadvantage, which was what I was getting at. This will do nicely I think. The first adventure I plan to run, assuming it gets OK'd, should actually be set in a village or other small community that is a bit off from Rook proper but is still technically in the general dominion of Rook. Outlying settlements sort of thing, and will heavily involve bits of superstition, conspiracies, and their struggles at dealing with problems surrounding their handicap. |
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Post by Ashiel on Jun 24, 2015 7:55:38 GMT -7
Do you have any information on the culture of the people of Rook and their surroundings? Things like... - Festivals: Their purpose, traditions, and who celebrates or doesn't celebrate them.
- Folklore: Are there any common legends, beliefs, or superstitions that are well known?
- Traditions: Common mannerisms, including small things like saying "Bless you," after sneezing, but also more influential ones like what is usually expected of children (such as reach X age, get a job, get married, etc), and little details like that.
- Cultural Norms: What sort of families and/or romantic relations are considered normal? Would people find a family with three wives or two husbands weird? Are non-heterosexual couples considered normal enough that bias is rare or is bias common? How does the general populace react to things like interspecies romance and marriages?
- Adventurers: How common are adventurers and other high-power/fantastic individuals? In some settings having a level five bard in your village would be a big deal, while in some others you can't throw a rock through a thorpe without hitting an archmage. Are commoners likely to be fascinated/enamored with heroic strangers, agitated and irritated by their existence, a mixture, or completely indifferent?
- Religion: Are there any particularly prominent religions among the general populace that includes or excludes significant portions of the rest of society? Are there any common religious taboos, etc?
- Races: Presumably humans are the predominant race but are other core races nearly as common? Is there any sort of racial bias involving certain races due to past conflicts or heritage and if so, how commonplace is that?
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diskelemental
Lich
Banned
A better world, whether you want it or not.
Posts: 781
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Post by diskelemental on Jun 24, 2015 9:52:08 GMT -7
Cliff notes answers to your questions, to be updated as I have time. - Festivals - In progress
- Folklore - Rook is a relatively young nation, and doesn't have a particularly unique mythology. Their position as a trade center puts the citizens in contact with folktales from across the continent, many of which have been co-opted by Rook and merged into the overall cultural mythos. The few original tales all generally follow the same structure, telling the tales of "ordinary" people who, through cleverness and determination, are able to overcome overwhelming odds. Magic is almost exclusively depicted negatively in these tales, something wielded by the power-hungry, the corrupt, or those incapable of succeeding on their own merits. The few positive depictions are generally of healers, those blessed by some benevolent force, and sent to assist the hero on their quest.
- Traditions - In Progress
- Cultural Norms - In Progress
- Adventurers - Five years ago, adventurers were unheard of; there were three individuals of 11th level or above in the entire city. Now? there are more than ten. Prior to the appearance of the adventurers, the most powerful individuals most were likely to encounter in Rook were members of the city guard. The district captains and elite soldiers generally range from levels 5-7 in PC classes, with the average guard being level 2-3 in either Fighter or Warrior. Given the stigma against magic, casters are fairly rare among their ranks, the few there are generally have levels in bard, investigator, or alchemist.
- Religion - Officially, Rook has total religious freedom, you can find temples to almost any god in and around the city state. Unofficially, Desna and Abadar are the state religions, and religions that stand opposed to either of those find it difficult to take root.
- Races - Population is overwhelmingly human (70%), with a decent population of elves(4%), haflings (3%), gnomes (4%), half-elves(10%), and dwarves (6%). While not particularly numerous, Rook does host more Oreads (1%) than any other city in Erramar. The remaining 2% of the population is a mixture of half-orcs, goblins, and drow. Some other races make their homes in Rook, but their populations are too low to be recorded. Rook is, as a whole fairly tolerant. However, due to recent/current tensions with orcs and goblins, those two races face significant discrimination. Goblins are not allowed to enter the city proper without escort, and cannot own property within the city walls, forcing any goblins to make their homes in the slums. Half-Orcs are only slightly more tolerated, while the cannot own property, they can enter the city without supervision, but are "encouraged" to leave the city before nightfall.
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Post by Ashiel on Jun 24, 2015 10:29:09 GMT -7
Spiffy, thanks.  Since I was talking to Zanos about running games (not all games just some games) via MapTools for certain game-styles that Roll20 doesn't support very well, I took some time to take some screenshots and make a short demo for how I set up maps in a campaign I was running not long ago and some of the features. Here's a link to the pdf: MapTools Demo #1. Currently, some other noteworthy features compared to Roll20 include... - Players can drop their own tokens onto the map. This is a nice feature since currently you cannot have a steady RP-zone without a GM around to do things like drop new tokens into the mix on Roll20.
- PCs can view and interact on different maps. The GM can at any time set maps to player visible or invisible and the players can choose which map they are viewing from the list of player-available maps. This means that persistent RP-environments do not require all interactions to take place in or remain within a small localized area. In Roll20, everyone has to be in a tavern or something, whereas with a few maps, PCs could split up and do their own things with other PCs such as wander the streets, visit temples, go to their homes, etc.
- You can impersonate tokens that you control (and any GM can impersonate any token). This means that you can impersonate a barmaid's token and your text in chat will appear to be from the barmaid and then immediately speak as a different character on demand without having to change your username. This is also cool when dealing with things like mind-control and familiars (as you can have Pooky your Raven made idle commentary as a unique voice).
- A campaign can be equipped with a set of macros that are available to all PCs, allowing them to copy the macros to their tokens. This allows the GM to provide easy to use macros to everyone that joins the campaign for things like attack rolls. Macros can be saved as part of a token and imported into future games. GMs can also add macros to NPCs and then copy those NPCs, so if a GM wants to run a combat with like 12+ orc warriors, the GM can just set up macros for an orc warrior (such as for resolving their attacks) and then copy the token, copying the macros to each token in the process.
- Macros can be added to objects (including hidden objects) in areas to remind the GM of things or to be used as a handout. For example, you might attach some macros to a statue in a dungeon. One macro might be a description, while another might have information based on a successful skill check (such as Knowledge, Perception, etc).
- PC information on tokens. Owners of their tokens (and GMs) can set statistical information about a token and what sort of info will show up as visible on the tokens. One of my favorite things this allows is actually the initiative tool our group uses. By simply putting the initiative modifier of a character (PC or NPC) on a token, it can be sourced. So whenever we roll Initiative, the GM just selects every character that will be part of the combat (which includes drag and select functionality as well as command-clicking) and click the Initiative macro. It will automatically roll initiative for everyone involved and throw them onto the initiative bar (you even have the option to hide the initiatives of hidden NPCs no one is aware of yet).
I still need to figure out how to get my router to be kind. Currently my home group uses Hamachi to connect to my PC (which has its perks) but if I can get my computer to play nice with the foreign kids, it would save anyone who was interested the trouble of an extra download.
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Post by Ashiel on Jun 24, 2015 11:20:59 GMT -7
Router problems fixed. Had to fight with the UPnP settings and such for a while but got it fixed. I can now host a server that plays nicely with the foreign kids without the need for a virtual LAN.
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