Stradia: Gathering Storm Ch. 3 Interest/Signup/Discussion

Azisien · 08-03-2005, 11:56 AM

Keeping with the trend, I'm re-opening signups for Chapter 3. This time I'm lifting the limit on posters, as many people can join as they want (though, I don't expect all that many right now). Here's a recap of the settings and such things:

Era: Swords n' Magic Fantasy realm.
Some backstory information on the settings:

Stradia

The continent has had a long history of tension. Two divided factions, the Kensurian people and the Venurian people, have lived separately for centuries. The boundaries separating them have been both physical and mental, anything from economical disputes to racism. All-out war has been rare, and the border which divides the continent in two is clear-cut.

Kenshuria Faction

It's people occupy the central and southern areas of the particularly massive continent, Stradia. Small hamlets and villages are scattered throughout the lightly forested areas of the northern borderlands and the rolling plains of the south. The southernmost regions of Kenshuria give way to hills and mountains. The Kenshuria are a relatively peaceful people, their only armies are stationed at the two largest cities in the realm: Kenshura, the capital city, and Midgaard, the midpoint of Kenshurian territory. Commoners stick to longheld religious traditions; Monk and temple life is both daily and normal here. The Kenshurians typically worship Avelia, the God of Light, and Bahamut, the God of Dragons.

Venuria Faction

They inhabit the northernmost regions of Stradia. A great forest serves as the border between the lumber towns of Kenshuria and southernmost realm of Venurian territory. While the Venurian people do stay isolated, they have shown militaristic, sometimes savage behaviour when the time came. The strength of their economy and military is almost completely unknown by the Kenshurians. If they worship Gods at all, they are obscure or exotic.

Races of Stradia

In order of population from highest to lowest: Human, Troll, Dwarf, Gargoyle, Elf, Dragonnel.

Note: Troll, Gargoyle, and Dragonnel are NPC only!

Trolls: Ranging from six and a half to seven and a half feet tall, trolls are naturally muscular and bulky. They are always used for manual labour or as grunts in the military, since they are not intellectual enough to learn academic or mental professions. They are immensely strong, and very fast during their charge, but they lack agility. Trolls commonly use greatswords, greataxes, and large double weapons. They will sometimes use a crossbow, but they're a lousy shot.

Gargoyles: Ranging anywhere from seven to ten feet in height, gargoyles are the largest known sentient creatures on Stradia. Due to their natural size and prowess, they are excellent warriors. Their mental capabilities are as good as any human, dwarf, or elf, so magicians are also a possibility. Gargoyles have tails for balance, but possess only partial flight abilities due to their stubby wings. They can take off, hover, and glide for short periods. Gargoyles like to skewer their prey with spears, lances, and other polearms. They are both strong and agile.

Dragonnel: Any priest of Kenshuria would tell you, "They are a gift from Bahamut." They are small, bipedal dragons. Ranging anywhere from 6 to 9 feet in height, they are menacing to look upon. Glinting scales, deadly claws, massive wings, and muscular tails. Most dragonnels live a docile, peaceful life, despite these formidable traits. Dragonnels are very rare, sacred creatures who are virtually worshipped by Kenshurians.

Magic in Stradia

Magic is common in Stradia. It is used to craft items, objects, even buildings. It is used to improve crops and as entertainment. It is even used in combat. Mastering magic is a lifelong task which few ever complete. Just learning the basics requires years of intense mental training. There is no explanation for the origin of magic, it is as real in Stradia as the earth beneath one's feet. Priests will tell you it is the "power of the soul" which fuels magic, they might be right.

Not only is magic hard to learn, it is physically and mentally draining. This is particularly why combat magicians are so rare, often times the amount of power needed to slay another being is enough to do the magician in. Through time, however, more and more humans, dwarves, and elves are being born with a natural knack for learning magic. No one knows why.

Magic has been categorized into several different schools. There are no actual boundaries within magic, it is simply a means of classification for the people of Stradia.

Elementalism: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. The manipulation, creation, and control of these naturally occurring elements. This can include anything from fireballs, tornados, whirlpools, etc.

Conjuration: Conjurers can create objects, small or large, depending on their skill level. They have been known to summon entire beings forth, able to control them at will. Many conjurers dabble in Elementalism, since this often leads to the ability to summon forth Elementals.

Enchantment: Enchanters can temporarily change objects or persons, bending them as their will would command. Enchanters may be able to make a sword sharper than any smith ever could. But their key strength lies in the ability to take control of other people's mind's temporarily.

Healing: While this form of magic may be tied in with any of the others schools, it has such an important place in society, it was given its own classification. A healer can cure venoms, stop diseases, and close wounds with life-giving magic. Typically, their magic only heals organic damage.

Some Summary of the Story So Far:

Kenshuria is under attack. Already, four villages are known to have been invaded (Gole, Wistria, Ateria, and Socre) by large Venurian hosts. The survivors of the attacks are fleeing to Midgaard with the army close behind.

Ground Rules For the RP:

A) Must be able to type and read coherently and effectively. Proper utilization of grammar and capitalization is required.

B) To get a feel for the "power level" of the roleplay, and much more detail compared to the Summary above, you should read through parts of Chapter 1 and 2. That's a pretty heavy read, so focus on the combat sequences.

C) Tone is serious but not formal. Do your best to stick with the era in your descriptions. (Ex. Try to stay away from posts that use modern-day analogies)

D) Fill out your character sheet and get it approved. Made-up locations will have to be cleared through me (I've already built Kenshuria, so I need to integrate it, etc etc).

Note: This is a cooperative roleplay. You can take actions (mostly basic and dialogue) of other characters that are not your own. I allow this because it helps smooth out the flow of the RP. Don't make major life decisions or revelations for other people's characters, and don't start taking actions for them until you know how they act.

Stradia's Skill System (Innovated and Patented by Azisien Industies Ltd.)

I'm using a basic Your Skill vs. Their Skill comparison system with regards to combat. It allows things to go smoothly, lets PCs make their own actions, and doesn't always require clearance from the DM (In general, more spectacular moves do, or if you're unsure of a result and want someone else to decide).

You allocate skill points into the availible skills in Stradia (Melee, Ranged, Elementalism, Conjuration, Enchantment, Healing) and you gauge outcomes by comparing them to another person's skill level in the skill. If you have double the skill level, you are twice as good.

Circumstance bonuses exist. Using the method above, someone with Melee II can beat (with moderate ease) someone with Melee I. However, if two Melee I's attack the Melee II, there is a circumstance bonus for the two attackers since the defender needs to handle more than one opponent. I'm not going to throw a bunch of equations at you, this is judgement-based. In the majority of cases, Each extra opponent adds a skill point to the pot, and skill points are cumulative if people are working in unison. (Ex. The two Melee I fighters work in unison to become Melee II. If they fight one person, they gain a circumstance bonus and as a whole become Melee III. Understand?

)

It might not sound so 'basic' anymore, but I was being thorough in my explanation. Magic and Ranged is trickier, since you don't really 'duel' with those trades. If you have problems in that respect, I can help.

Character Sheet

Name:

Age:

Race: Human, Dwarf, or Elf.

Appearance: What your character looks like. Facial features, build, height, weight, and how you wear your equipment.

Personality: Everybody has a personality. Emotionless, cold, anti-heroes are frowned upon. You can be an anti-hero, but you need to have substance.

Bio: You must be in Midgaard at the start of the RP. Most people have family and friends, not everyone dies in a tragic accident or attack. Where are you from? How has your life shaped your personality? Where did you train to learn your skills, get your equipment, etc? If you need names of villages, towns, or cities, Midgaard and Kenshura are the two largest and you can post/PM me if you want more. Making up your own is cool, but it needs to be cleared so I can integrate it into my notes.

Equipment: Clothes, travelling supplies, weapons, and armor. May include things like mounts (ponies and horses only, for the time being). No overly magical equipment for the time being. Remember, food and water exist in Stradia, if you have a waterskin, you probably have a travel pack. Magicians usually have books and scrolls. (Spell components are not required at the current power level)

Skills: You have 4 skill points.

Azisien · 08-03-2005, 12:16 PM

Double post due to length. D'oh.

Minor Character Sheet

a) Every poster can have up to two minor characters related to their main character (family, friend, whatever) with mentionable statistics.
b) The cap for statistics on each minor character is 2 skill points. (II Melee, or II Ranged, or I Ranged I Elementalism, whatever)
c) After those two, you may have as many minor characters as you want (more family, more friends, more whatever), but they will be counted as 'commoners' with no skills worth mentioning. If they have skills, I'll be the judge of them.
d) You can control these minor characters however you'd like to, just as you would your main character. They shouldn't be your focus, though.
e) Minor characters are fully expendable. I reserve the right to kill them off or make them go away whenever I want. I won't do so maliciously, only to drive the plot.

Any questions, post or send me a PM. If you have an interesting idea for a minor character that cannot be so easily transferred to Stradia's skill system, contact me and we can work something out.

Name:
Appearance:
Relation to Main Character: Friend, family, rival, etc
Skills:
Anything else you want: Be as detailed as you want beyond that. Kudos to those that go the extra mile and make detailed descriptions and bios even for minor characters.

Aieris · 08-06-2005, 12:39 PM

Count me in again.

Just Aieris, still no secondary characters to account for.

Death Dealer · 08-06-2005, 01:23 PM

and of course, the game's only Pally is in.

Jim, Rini and Elmric forever! (until the other two are deemed necessary to die..then Elmric gains +1000 Melee...or not. *grin*)

Nathano · 08-06-2005, 01:36 PM

The warrior of magic is still in, along with his healing companion.

Azisien · 08-06-2005, 03:19 PM

Good to know. I doubt we'll be getting more players anyway. Just putting it out there. Those that haven't posted for a while should make a nice little concluding post for chapter 2, now that the very brief battle is over for both groups. I'll be writing up the conclusion soon.

08-06-2005, 07:01 PM

Are players aloud to put 3 or 4 points in one skill category, or would that be too powerfull?

Azisien · 08-06-2005, 07:07 PM

You can put however many points you want into whatever tight or diverse grouping of skills. For instance, Jtab and Ecgtheow both play melee fighters that currently have Melee V. It means they essentially rule in melee combat. Not every situation calls for that, though. We seem to have a deficiency of magicians at the moment.

Death Dealer · 08-06-2005, 07:11 PM

We also lack a pure healer (that isn't an NPC), coincidentally enough...and completely have no enchanters.

CallmePrismatic · 08-06-2005, 07:37 PM

How powerful, in both non-sentient and sentient, would an Enchanter 4 be?

08-03-2005, 11:56 AM	#1
Azisien wat Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,177	Stradia: Gathering Storm Ch. 3 Interest/Signup/Discussion Keeping with the trend, I'm re-opening signups for Chapter 3. This time I'm lifting the limit on posters, as many people can join as they want (though, I don't expect all that many right now). Here's a recap of the settings and such things: Era: Swords n' Magic Fantasy realm. Some backstory information on the settings: Stradia The continent has had a long history of tension. Two divided factions, the Kensurian people and the Venurian people, have lived separately for centuries. The boundaries separating them have been both physical and mental, anything from economical disputes to racism. All-out war has been rare, and the border which divides the continent in two is clear-cut. Kenshuria Faction It's people occupy the central and southern areas of the particularly massive continent, Stradia. Small hamlets and villages are scattered throughout the lightly forested areas of the northern borderlands and the rolling plains of the south. The southernmost regions of Kenshuria give way to hills and mountains. The Kenshuria are a relatively peaceful people, their only armies are stationed at the two largest cities in the realm: Kenshura, the capital city, and Midgaard, the midpoint of Kenshurian territory. Commoners stick to longheld religious traditions; Monk and temple life is both daily and normal here. The Kenshurians typically worship Avelia, the God of Light, and Bahamut, the God of Dragons. Venuria Faction They inhabit the northernmost regions of Stradia. A great forest serves as the border between the lumber towns of Kenshuria and southernmost realm of Venurian territory. While the Venurian people do stay isolated, they have shown militaristic, sometimes savage behaviour when the time came. The strength of their economy and military is almost completely unknown by the Kenshurians. If they worship Gods at all, they are obscure or exotic. Races of Stradia In order of population from highest to lowest: Human, Troll, Dwarf, Gargoyle, Elf, Dragonnel. Note: Troll, Gargoyle, and Dragonnel are NPC only! Trolls: Ranging from six and a half to seven and a half feet tall, trolls are naturally muscular and bulky. They are always used for manual labour or as grunts in the military, since they are not intellectual enough to learn academic or mental professions. They are immensely strong, and very fast during their charge, but they lack agility. Trolls commonly use greatswords, greataxes, and large double weapons. They will sometimes use a crossbow, but they're a lousy shot. Gargoyles: Ranging anywhere from seven to ten feet in height, gargoyles are the largest known sentient creatures on Stradia. Due to their natural size and prowess, they are excellent warriors. Their mental capabilities are as good as any human, dwarf, or elf, so magicians are also a possibility. Gargoyles have tails for balance, but possess only partial flight abilities due to their stubby wings. They can take off, hover, and glide for short periods. Gargoyles like to skewer their prey with spears, lances, and other polearms. They are both strong and agile. Dragonnel: Any priest of Kenshuria would tell you, "They are a gift from Bahamut." They are small, bipedal dragons. Ranging anywhere from 6 to 9 feet in height, they are menacing to look upon. Glinting scales, deadly claws, massive wings, and muscular tails. Most dragonnels live a docile, peaceful life, despite these formidable traits. Dragonnels are very rare, sacred creatures who are virtually worshipped by Kenshurians. Magic in Stradia Magic is common in Stradia. It is used to craft items, objects, even buildings. It is used to improve crops and as entertainment. It is even used in combat. Mastering magic is a lifelong task which few ever complete. Just learning the basics requires years of intense mental training. There is no explanation for the origin of magic, it is as real in Stradia as the earth beneath one's feet. Priests will tell you it is the "power of the soul" which fuels magic, they might be right. Not only is magic hard to learn, it is physically and mentally draining. This is particularly why combat magicians are so rare, often times the amount of power needed to slay another being is enough to do the magician in. Through time, however, more and more humans, dwarves, and elves are being born with a natural knack for learning magic. No one knows why. Magic has been categorized into several different schools. There are no actual boundaries within magic, it is simply a means of classification for the people of Stradia. Elementalism: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. The manipulation, creation, and control of these naturally occurring elements. This can include anything from fireballs, tornados, whirlpools, etc. Conjuration: Conjurers can create objects, small or large, depending on their skill level. They have been known to summon entire beings forth, able to control them at will. Many conjurers dabble in Elementalism, since this often leads to the ability to summon forth Elementals. Enchantment: Enchanters can temporarily change objects or persons, bending them as their will would command. Enchanters may be able to make a sword sharper than any smith ever could. But their key strength lies in the ability to take control of other people's mind's temporarily. Healing: While this form of magic may be tied in with any of the others schools, it has such an important place in society, it was given its own classification. A healer can cure venoms, stop diseases, and close wounds with life-giving magic. Typically, their magic only heals organic damage. Some Summary of the Story So Far: Kenshuria is under attack. Already, four villages are known to have been invaded (Gole, Wistria, Ateria, and Socre) by large Venurian hosts. The survivors of the attacks are fleeing to Midgaard with the army close behind. Ground Rules For the RP: A) Must be able to type and read coherently and effectively. Proper utilization of grammar and capitalization is required. B) To get a feel for the "power level" of the roleplay, and much more detail compared to the Summary above, you should read through parts of Chapter 1 and 2. That's a pretty heavy read, so focus on the combat sequences. C) Tone is serious but not formal. Do your best to stick with the era in your descriptions. (Ex. Try to stay away from posts that use modern-day analogies) D) Fill out your character sheet and get it approved. Made-up locations will have to be cleared through me (I've already built Kenshuria, so I need to integrate it, etc etc). Note: This is a cooperative roleplay. You can take actions (mostly basic and dialogue) of other characters that are not your own. I allow this because it helps smooth out the flow of the RP. Don't make major life decisions or revelations for other people's characters, and don't start taking actions for them until you know how they act. Stradia's Skill System (Innovated and Patented by Azisien Industies Ltd.) I'm using a basic Your Skill vs. Their Skill comparison system with regards to combat. It allows things to go smoothly, lets PCs make their own actions, and doesn't always require clearance from the DM (In general, more spectacular moves do, or if you're unsure of a result and want someone else to decide). You allocate skill points into the availible skills in Stradia (Melee, Ranged, Elementalism, Conjuration, Enchantment, Healing) and you gauge outcomes by comparing them to another person's skill level in the skill. If you have double the skill level, you are twice as good. Circumstance bonuses exist. Using the method above, someone with Melee II can beat (with moderate ease) someone with Melee I. However, if two Melee I's attack the Melee II, there is a circumstance bonus for the two attackers since the defender needs to handle more than one opponent. I'm not going to throw a bunch of equations at you, this is judgement-based. In the majority of cases, Each extra opponent adds a skill point to the pot, and skill points are cumulative if people are working in unison. (Ex. The two Melee I fighters work in unison to become Melee II. If they fight one person, they gain a circumstance bonus and as a whole become Melee III. Understand? ) It might not sound so 'basic' anymore, but I was being thorough in my explanation. Magic and Ranged is trickier, since you don't really 'duel' with those trades. If you have problems in that respect, I can help. Character Sheet Name: Age: Race: Human, Dwarf, or Elf. Appearance: What your character looks like. Facial features, build, height, weight, and how you wear your equipment. Personality: Everybody has a personality. Emotionless, cold, anti-heroes are frowned upon. You can be an anti-hero, but you need to have substance. Bio: You must be in Midgaard at the start of the RP. Most people have family and friends, not everyone dies in a tragic accident or attack. Where are you from? How has your life shaped your personality? Where did you train to learn your skills, get your equipment, etc? If you need names of villages, towns, or cities, Midgaard and Kenshura are the two largest and you can post/PM me if you want more. Making up your own is cool, but it needs to be cleared so I can integrate it into my notes. Equipment: Clothes, travelling supplies, weapons, and armor. May include things like mounts (ponies and horses only, for the time being). No overly magical equipment for the time being. Remember, food and water exist in Stradia, if you have a waterskin, you probably have a travel pack. Magicians usually have books and scrolls. (Spell components are not required at the current power level) Skills: You have 4 skill points. Last edited by Azisien; 08-03-2005 at 12:16 PM.

08-06-2005, 01:23 PM	#4
Death Dealer Death Dealer's True Form? Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Cleft Of Dimension Posts: 624	and of course, the game's only Pally is in. Jim, Rini and Elmric forever! (until the other two are deemed necessary to die..then Elmric gains +1000 Melee...or not. grin) __________________ When there was life, there was death, that's where I come in. (From Sloganizer.net) You don't want Death Dealer as your enemy.

08-06-2005, 01:36 PM	#5
Nathano death from the shadows Join Date: May 2005 Location: in the shadows Posts: 227	The warrior of magic is still in, along with his healing companion. __________________ Shadows hide a deadly secret. Your shadow hides the deadliest one.

08-06-2005, 07:11 PM	#9
Death Dealer Death Dealer's True Form? Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Cleft Of Dimension Posts: 624	We also lack a pure healer (that isn't an NPC), coincidentally enough...and completely have no enchanters. __________________ When there was life, there was death, that's where I come in. (From Sloganizer.net) You don't want Death Dealer as your enemy.

08-03-2005, 12:16 PM	#2
Azisien wat Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,177	Double post due to length. D'oh. Minor Character Sheet a) Every poster can have up to two minor characters related to their main character (family, friend, whatever) with mentionable statistics. b) The cap for statistics on each minor character is 2 skill points. (II Melee, or II Ranged, or I Ranged I Elementalism, whatever) c) After those two, you may have as many minor characters as you want (more family, more friends, more whatever), but they will be counted as 'commoners' with no skills worth mentioning. If they have skills, I'll be the judge of them. d) You can control these minor characters however you'd like to, just as you would your main character. They shouldn't be your focus, though. e) Minor characters are fully expendable. I reserve the right to kill them off or make them go away whenever I want. I won't do so maliciously, only to drive the plot. Any questions, post or send me a PM. If you have an interesting idea for a minor character that cannot be so easily transferred to Stradia's skill system, contact me and we can work something out. Name: Appearance: Relation to Main Character: Friend, family, rival, etc Skills: Anything else you want: Be as detailed as you want beyond that. Kudos to those that go the extra mile and make detailed descriptions and bios even for minor characters.

08-06-2005, 12:39 PM	#3
Aieris My pants are off, right now Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 69	Count me in again. Just Aieris, still no secondary characters to account for.

08-06-2005, 03:19 PM	#6
Azisien wat Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,177	Good to know. I doubt we'll be getting more players anyway. Just putting it out there. Those that haven't posted for a while should make a nice little concluding post for chapter 2, now that the very brief battle is over for both groups. I'll be writing up the conclusion soon.

08-06-2005, 07:01 PM	#7
Admiral_Kelly Guest Posts: n/a	Are players aloud to put 3 or 4 points in one skill category, or would that be too powerfull?

08-06-2005, 07:07 PM	#8
Azisien wat Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,177	You can put however many points you want into whatever tight or diverse grouping of skills. For instance, Jtab and Ecgtheow both play melee fighters that currently have Melee V. It means they essentially rule in melee combat. Not every situation calls for that, though. We seem to have a deficiency of magicians at the moment.