Post by cartomancer on Jun 27, 2010 21:28:06 GMT -5
... Not at all related with Sword for Hire but, i can't think of a better title.
Regulars to the board might recall a conversation in a thread between myself and eisenmann regarding running Mythic with Tunnels and Trolls. For anyone that missed it, you can check out the thread here:
trollbridge.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1841&page=1
The long and short of it was that i wasn't too sure that Mythic could really claim the name of GM Emulator as, well to be frank, that's a tall order. A GM spends a lot of time preparing an adventure ahead of time generally and Mythic proposes you do it off the cuff. It was like being told that i no longer have to walk, i can just teleport myself wherever i want or, i no longer have to wait a month for a new episode of AVGN, i can just Bebo fast-forward time and the work will be instantly done for me... It seemed like a stretch at best.
Still it peaked my curiosity enough to want to try it. If it didn't work, it didn't work and, it wouldn't be the first gaming suppliment i had that i never used *looks over at the three groaning 4th Edition D&D on his desk*.
So i set to work. On opening Mythic i was amazed to find that the whole product was 148 pages cover-to-cover... I didn't need that! I already had a rulebook and i didn't need to add 148 pages to that by a long shot so with a little craftful editing, it was cut down to size, down to 9 pages. Much better.
Now i needed a character before my adventure could begin (not to mention an idea, but, i'm never short of them). So out came the dice and, here's what i got. Meet Solas.
Name: Solas
Kindred: Human
Type: Warrior
Level: 1
Languages: Common
STR: 14
DEX: 14
LK: 12
SPD: 8
INT: 9
CON: 12
WIZ: 5
CHR: 11
Combat Adds: +3
Missile Adds: +5
Weapons: Gladius (3+2), Dirk (2+1)
Armour: Quilted Cotton (6 Hits)
Equipment: Backpack, 10 Torches
Gold: 0
Silver: 5
Copper: 0
So far, so good. I had my protagonist, and now all i needed was an adventure to test out how well Mythic worked or, didn't work. I had said before that i was going to run a simple 'Warlock of Firetop Mountain' type scenario but, i decided that this was far too cliche to run at face value. So i decided first to change the environment that the lair would be in. I figured that a jungle could be fun and, maybe a step-pyramid instead of a mountain. Still imposing but far enough away from the original idea not to be cliche, so it ticked all the boxes for me. Having a location wasn't enough though, i needed a reason.
I mulled this over a little and decided that Solas was in a large nameless city some distance from the jungle in which a curator was putting together to explore the pyramid (which i named Cinder Rokk) for some reason or another. Vague but good enough to form a plot hook i figured and given Solas' financial situation a fairly realistic adventure. He needed a job. He was a sell sword and, the curator was hiring. So now to fill in the details for the first scene and, time for the fun to begin.
Scene 1: A job to be done
Characters:
Solas
Curator
Threads:
Seek employment (Find an adventure)
Chaos Factor: 5
Scene Modifier: 6 (Un-modified)
Standing at the corner of a busy but nameless street not far from a great marketplace Solas stood counting his fortunes. 5 silver pieces. He needed work. Not nearly as much as he needed a good meal but figuring one would soon lead to the other he began to search the streets looking for those that may need his services. The choices were plentiful from the many rich merchants but no-one was hiring. It was then that he noticed a small group of powerful looking men wearing a variety of weapons gathered around something that he could not see but, whatever it was, it had their attention. Curious, Solas decided to investigate.
I decided that there would be 1D6 people around the sign and, rolled a 3. This seemed like a fair estimate and i decided also that given that this was a large city, they wouldn't be looking for trouble. At least not yet.
The men allowed Solas to pass to the side of them where he could see a sign pinned to the building. 'Wanted: Able bodies for expedition to the south. Food and supplies provided. Apply within - The Curator'. Thinking that this seems like a good prospect (and as this is my adventure hook) Solas decides to enter the large building and to find the curator.
Time to test out Mythic. I decided to ask, Is the Curator in the Mueseum (which is what i decided the building was)? As this was the curators place of business and he was hiring i decided that the odds where above average and rolled my D100, getting 97. An exceptional yes! Not only was he there but there were another (1D6) 2 mercanaries already signing up for the expedition.
After a short conversation the other two sell swords left the museum quietly and Solas seized the oppurtunity to find out a little more about the job at hand and to determine what he may expect (time to fill out the adventure a little). Solas was told that his job would be to escort an expedition to Cinder Rokk, an obscure sandstone pyramid admidst the jungle to the south and, then to return with them. All in all the curartor expected that the expedition may take several months and, he agreed that if Solas signed up he'd receive 150GP a month for his services. Free food and a good wage was too good to turn down and Solas signed in a heartbeat.
Time for Mythic again. Is the expedition leaving soon? I decided that the odds where average as stuff like this can take time to put together and rolled my D100. I got a 79, which was a yes, which to me meant within the week (1D6 days was close enough even though i do have a D7). The D6 came up with a 1. The expedition was leaving tommorow. Good job really as Solas had next to no money to his name!
Deciding to wrap up both the day (and the scene) Solas headed to a local bar to see if he could find himself a place to sleep for the night and maybe a drink into the deal.
I determined that this didn't even warrant a roll. I'd just strike off the last of his silver and call it a done deal. Hell, he could even have a mug of ale if he fancied thrown in. I'm not that strict of a GM after all.
Next i broke out Mythic again to see if anything happened during the night? I gave this below average odds as large cities like this often had guards on patrol to stop such shinanigans. The roll however felt differently about this coming up 88, an exceptional yes!
It had to be big! Plot turning! Had a crime been commited. Hmmmm, an average chance of a crime being commited. 52, a yes.
Ooh, was it a murder? (they're always good for plot twists, so i pitched for above average) 72. Another yes!
Hmmmm, the curator was a likely target i felt. So i went for above average again. 65, another yes!!
Now i just needed to know if Solas was a suspect. Well, he was a sell sword by trade, he'd spoken to the curator. Above average i figured. 79, yet another yes! It looks like the adventure into the jungle would have to wait.
Solas was awoken in the early hours of the morning at sword point by 6 city guards (I rolled 1D6 to figure how many) as they stormed the bar that he'd bought floor space in in. Looking about him in the confusion, Solas tries to determine if he is the only one being aprehended, still unsure of his crime but in no postion to put up a fight. He notices that the three other warriors that he met outside the mueseum have also been arreseted but, the two he saw speaking to the curator inside the mueseum as he entered are nowhere to be seen
Mythic time again. Had the other two sell swords jumped town. I figured given the circumstances, this was an above average possibility and rolled a 16. No they hadn't.
I then rolled to see if they had been aprehended. Again, above average odds i figured given all that's occured in the night (that i know of anyhow). I rolled a 21. They hadn't been aprehended but, why would be a question to be asked later i guessed.
Next i figured that the guards would have Solas turn over his affects before shackling him to prevent his escape. So i asked the question, does Solas notice anything missing? Average odds i guessed. He'd shared a room with a bunch of strangers and if someone in town was capable of murder then theft didn't seem off the cards either. Then again, the murder hadn't happened in the same room and Solas probably didn't leave his possesions just lying around. I rolled and got only a 2! An exceptional no.
Nothing missing. In fact, something new. A bloody dagger. This doesn't look good to say the least.
A look of disgust met the city guards face as he made the grizzly discovery that convinced him of Solas' guilt. Roughly shackling him, taking pains to bend his arm uncomfortably, the guard uttered something along the lines of how beloved and benevolent the curator was and that Solas was sure to hang for this. Not satisfied with the innocence of the other 3 mercanaries, they where also shackled being tossed in a cell in the city jail, whilst solas was clapped in iron in a lone cell.
Scene 1 was over and from humble origins it had come quite a way. Had Mythic delivered though. Well, to a degree i guess but, not in any way that a standard sandbox game wouldn't in my opinion. It still needs you to feed it ideas but, it does un-deniably work. A lot of the way the tale has gone so far has been inspired by my playing of Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars and, has that grit like feel to it in my eyes (not that i want grit in my eyes but i think you follow .
An interesting point i noticed was that so far, Solas has earned no AP. Not unusual for an establishing scene i guess but, considering all the action that's taken place it does seem a little off. I would say that the scene has earned 15 favour points though within Mythic as it closed a thread, has opened up two new ones, ramped up the chaos factor by one and been pretty action packed.
I'm opening up scene 2 for everone to participate in though (Which is the reason i made this a new thread , which i will break down into parts. So have a read of scene 2.1 below and write a short paragraph (or a long one if you feel like it) on how you feel Solas and the NPC's should behave and, what they should do. I'll handle everthing else and, remember, as it's sandbox, anything within reason goes. If you do decide to have a go, bare in mind that your goal is to close threads (as i did by finding a job) and progress the story, one way or another and you can only directly influence Solas' actions (although this may indirectly influence a NPC).
Scene 2.1: Banged to rights
Characters:
Solas
Jailer
3 Captive Sell Swords
2 At Large Sell Swords
6 City Guards
2 Other Mysterious Prisoners
Threads:
Escape Jail
Prove Inocence
Chaos Factor: 6
Scene Modifier: 6 (Modified, 2 additional mysterious prisoners added in a third cell)
Clapped in irons Solas hangs from the wall of his cell as the three other men arrested speak in hushed tones among themselves, broken only by the Jailer beating his baton across the bars and telling them to be quiet if they know whats good for them. What's being said cannot be heard but it is a sour expression upon the mens face. In the cell across from Solas a man sits on the floor resting his back to the wall, his dusty robes having seen better days, whilst another larger man snores heavily drapped awkwardly over the wooden bed in the cell putting great strain on the chains that support it. He seems more muscle than fat, whilst the first man is wirey thin and unkept.
The scene is set! Have at it!!
Regulars to the board might recall a conversation in a thread between myself and eisenmann regarding running Mythic with Tunnels and Trolls. For anyone that missed it, you can check out the thread here:
trollbridge.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1841&page=1
The long and short of it was that i wasn't too sure that Mythic could really claim the name of GM Emulator as, well to be frank, that's a tall order. A GM spends a lot of time preparing an adventure ahead of time generally and Mythic proposes you do it off the cuff. It was like being told that i no longer have to walk, i can just teleport myself wherever i want or, i no longer have to wait a month for a new episode of AVGN, i can just Bebo fast-forward time and the work will be instantly done for me... It seemed like a stretch at best.
Still it peaked my curiosity enough to want to try it. If it didn't work, it didn't work and, it wouldn't be the first gaming suppliment i had that i never used *looks over at the three groaning 4th Edition D&D on his desk*.
So i set to work. On opening Mythic i was amazed to find that the whole product was 148 pages cover-to-cover... I didn't need that! I already had a rulebook and i didn't need to add 148 pages to that by a long shot so with a little craftful editing, it was cut down to size, down to 9 pages. Much better.
Now i needed a character before my adventure could begin (not to mention an idea, but, i'm never short of them). So out came the dice and, here's what i got. Meet Solas.
Name: Solas
Kindred: Human
Type: Warrior
Level: 1
Languages: Common
STR: 14
DEX: 14
LK: 12
SPD: 8
INT: 9
CON: 12
WIZ: 5
CHR: 11
Combat Adds: +3
Missile Adds: +5
Weapons: Gladius (3+2), Dirk (2+1)
Armour: Quilted Cotton (6 Hits)
Equipment: Backpack, 10 Torches
Gold: 0
Silver: 5
Copper: 0
So far, so good. I had my protagonist, and now all i needed was an adventure to test out how well Mythic worked or, didn't work. I had said before that i was going to run a simple 'Warlock of Firetop Mountain' type scenario but, i decided that this was far too cliche to run at face value. So i decided first to change the environment that the lair would be in. I figured that a jungle could be fun and, maybe a step-pyramid instead of a mountain. Still imposing but far enough away from the original idea not to be cliche, so it ticked all the boxes for me. Having a location wasn't enough though, i needed a reason.
I mulled this over a little and decided that Solas was in a large nameless city some distance from the jungle in which a curator was putting together to explore the pyramid (which i named Cinder Rokk) for some reason or another. Vague but good enough to form a plot hook i figured and given Solas' financial situation a fairly realistic adventure. He needed a job. He was a sell sword and, the curator was hiring. So now to fill in the details for the first scene and, time for the fun to begin.
Scene 1: A job to be done
Characters:
Solas
Curator
Threads:
Seek employment (Find an adventure)
Chaos Factor: 5
Scene Modifier: 6 (Un-modified)
Standing at the corner of a busy but nameless street not far from a great marketplace Solas stood counting his fortunes. 5 silver pieces. He needed work. Not nearly as much as he needed a good meal but figuring one would soon lead to the other he began to search the streets looking for those that may need his services. The choices were plentiful from the many rich merchants but no-one was hiring. It was then that he noticed a small group of powerful looking men wearing a variety of weapons gathered around something that he could not see but, whatever it was, it had their attention. Curious, Solas decided to investigate.
I decided that there would be 1D6 people around the sign and, rolled a 3. This seemed like a fair estimate and i decided also that given that this was a large city, they wouldn't be looking for trouble. At least not yet.
The men allowed Solas to pass to the side of them where he could see a sign pinned to the building. 'Wanted: Able bodies for expedition to the south. Food and supplies provided. Apply within - The Curator'. Thinking that this seems like a good prospect (and as this is my adventure hook) Solas decides to enter the large building and to find the curator.
Time to test out Mythic. I decided to ask, Is the Curator in the Mueseum (which is what i decided the building was)? As this was the curators place of business and he was hiring i decided that the odds where above average and rolled my D100, getting 97. An exceptional yes! Not only was he there but there were another (1D6) 2 mercanaries already signing up for the expedition.
After a short conversation the other two sell swords left the museum quietly and Solas seized the oppurtunity to find out a little more about the job at hand and to determine what he may expect (time to fill out the adventure a little). Solas was told that his job would be to escort an expedition to Cinder Rokk, an obscure sandstone pyramid admidst the jungle to the south and, then to return with them. All in all the curartor expected that the expedition may take several months and, he agreed that if Solas signed up he'd receive 150GP a month for his services. Free food and a good wage was too good to turn down and Solas signed in a heartbeat.
Time for Mythic again. Is the expedition leaving soon? I decided that the odds where average as stuff like this can take time to put together and rolled my D100. I got a 79, which was a yes, which to me meant within the week (1D6 days was close enough even though i do have a D7). The D6 came up with a 1. The expedition was leaving tommorow. Good job really as Solas had next to no money to his name!
Deciding to wrap up both the day (and the scene) Solas headed to a local bar to see if he could find himself a place to sleep for the night and maybe a drink into the deal.
I determined that this didn't even warrant a roll. I'd just strike off the last of his silver and call it a done deal. Hell, he could even have a mug of ale if he fancied thrown in. I'm not that strict of a GM after all.
Next i broke out Mythic again to see if anything happened during the night? I gave this below average odds as large cities like this often had guards on patrol to stop such shinanigans. The roll however felt differently about this coming up 88, an exceptional yes!
It had to be big! Plot turning! Had a crime been commited. Hmmmm, an average chance of a crime being commited. 52, a yes.
Ooh, was it a murder? (they're always good for plot twists, so i pitched for above average) 72. Another yes!
Hmmmm, the curator was a likely target i felt. So i went for above average again. 65, another yes!!
Now i just needed to know if Solas was a suspect. Well, he was a sell sword by trade, he'd spoken to the curator. Above average i figured. 79, yet another yes! It looks like the adventure into the jungle would have to wait.
Solas was awoken in the early hours of the morning at sword point by 6 city guards (I rolled 1D6 to figure how many) as they stormed the bar that he'd bought floor space in in. Looking about him in the confusion, Solas tries to determine if he is the only one being aprehended, still unsure of his crime but in no postion to put up a fight. He notices that the three other warriors that he met outside the mueseum have also been arreseted but, the two he saw speaking to the curator inside the mueseum as he entered are nowhere to be seen
Mythic time again. Had the other two sell swords jumped town. I figured given the circumstances, this was an above average possibility and rolled a 16. No they hadn't.
I then rolled to see if they had been aprehended. Again, above average odds i figured given all that's occured in the night (that i know of anyhow). I rolled a 21. They hadn't been aprehended but, why would be a question to be asked later i guessed.
Next i figured that the guards would have Solas turn over his affects before shackling him to prevent his escape. So i asked the question, does Solas notice anything missing? Average odds i guessed. He'd shared a room with a bunch of strangers and if someone in town was capable of murder then theft didn't seem off the cards either. Then again, the murder hadn't happened in the same room and Solas probably didn't leave his possesions just lying around. I rolled and got only a 2! An exceptional no.
Nothing missing. In fact, something new. A bloody dagger. This doesn't look good to say the least.
A look of disgust met the city guards face as he made the grizzly discovery that convinced him of Solas' guilt. Roughly shackling him, taking pains to bend his arm uncomfortably, the guard uttered something along the lines of how beloved and benevolent the curator was and that Solas was sure to hang for this. Not satisfied with the innocence of the other 3 mercanaries, they where also shackled being tossed in a cell in the city jail, whilst solas was clapped in iron in a lone cell.
Scene 1 was over and from humble origins it had come quite a way. Had Mythic delivered though. Well, to a degree i guess but, not in any way that a standard sandbox game wouldn't in my opinion. It still needs you to feed it ideas but, it does un-deniably work. A lot of the way the tale has gone so far has been inspired by my playing of Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars and, has that grit like feel to it in my eyes (not that i want grit in my eyes but i think you follow .
An interesting point i noticed was that so far, Solas has earned no AP. Not unusual for an establishing scene i guess but, considering all the action that's taken place it does seem a little off. I would say that the scene has earned 15 favour points though within Mythic as it closed a thread, has opened up two new ones, ramped up the chaos factor by one and been pretty action packed.
I'm opening up scene 2 for everone to participate in though (Which is the reason i made this a new thread , which i will break down into parts. So have a read of scene 2.1 below and write a short paragraph (or a long one if you feel like it) on how you feel Solas and the NPC's should behave and, what they should do. I'll handle everthing else and, remember, as it's sandbox, anything within reason goes. If you do decide to have a go, bare in mind that your goal is to close threads (as i did by finding a job) and progress the story, one way or another and you can only directly influence Solas' actions (although this may indirectly influence a NPC).
Scene 2.1: Banged to rights
Characters:
Solas
Jailer
3 Captive Sell Swords
2 At Large Sell Swords
6 City Guards
2 Other Mysterious Prisoners
Threads:
Escape Jail
Prove Inocence
Chaos Factor: 6
Scene Modifier: 6 (Modified, 2 additional mysterious prisoners added in a third cell)
Clapped in irons Solas hangs from the wall of his cell as the three other men arrested speak in hushed tones among themselves, broken only by the Jailer beating his baton across the bars and telling them to be quiet if they know whats good for them. What's being said cannot be heard but it is a sour expression upon the mens face. In the cell across from Solas a man sits on the floor resting his back to the wall, his dusty robes having seen better days, whilst another larger man snores heavily drapped awkwardly over the wooden bed in the cell putting great strain on the chains that support it. He seems more muscle than fat, whilst the first man is wirey thin and unkept.
The scene is set! Have at it!!