Saturday, May 14, 2011

Campaign questionnairre

While I haven't sat down to clean up, revamp and compose my A2Z blog posts into a single, coherent pdf I have still been pondering a batch of general RPG posts, as I'm getting itchy to run a new campaign. As a result, here's a rough draft of the questionnaire Id want to hand out before planning a campaign.

Campaign Questionnaire
  1. What genre of game do you most want to play? What is the least appealing?
  2. What sort of stories do you want to tell? What sort of motifs would you like included?
  3. What motifs, stories or imagery is off limits or unacceptable?
  4. Whats weird or unique about the setting?
  5. What level of grit/realism do you want? Should combat be Cinematic or Realistic?
  6. If magic (or superpowers or psionics, etc) is available, how rare is it? How powerful?
  7. How powerful should a character be? Are they above average humans, superhero-esque, or something in the middle?
  8. What level of character death is acceptable? Can a mook or minion kill a character on a lucky roll?
  9. How much is the GM allowed to use emotional pushbuttons?
I think I need to reorganize this slightly, but thats why its a rough draft

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

[A2Z] Z is for Zagyg's Throne

Zagyg's Throne is the throne of the Harbor-King, named for the man who turned the Guilds against Lich who manipulated them. A rather unimpressive chair, much of its value comes from the defensive magic worked into it, warning its user of imminent teleportation, while offering to delay the incoming travelers.

[A2Z] Y is for Ye Olde Den O' Lust

Ye Olde Den O' Lust is one of the most famous or infamous brothels in Bridgeport, where any taste can be catered to, for the right price. Occupying one of the upper regions of the Underport, the Olde Den (as it is known) is almost a landmark of the town, and caters to many of the different groups in the city. Rumors of additional service provided, up to disposal of bodies, have never been proven.

[A2Z] X is for Xandura

Xandura is the unofficial spokesperson for the wizards of the Walk. While not the most powerful magically, her peoples skills are much better than the other mages. Her ability to deflect the inquiries of the Magister of the Hidden Light has earned her the respect of most of the wizards, and those who do not respect her tend not to last long for a variety of reasons. Her regal appearance, political skill and rich connections to various merchant houses make her a force to be reckoned with.

[A2Z] W is for the Walk

The Walk is the district encompassing the dwellings of the nobility and the 25 most powerful wizards living in the city. The district is centered on the hill overlooking the port, with the Harbor-Kings dwelling at the top of the hill. No house may be taller than his rather squat and unprepossessing house, resulting in the tallest houses being nearest the base of the hill, which is predominately the territory of wizards and their towers. The interesting side effect for the others of the Walk, those trying to sneak into the Walk must avoid the ire of these mages, and given the sheer amount of wealth and magic items contained in the houses of the Walk this gives all but the most overconfident thieves pause.

[A2Z] V is for Verenthus

Verenthus is the Gibbet Lord of Bridgeport, a massive treant who has been bound as the city's executioner for the last 300 years. Once a week the towering walking tree leaves the depths of the Great Mire to march to the Tower of the Lawgiver down the grand Venue, the gibbet cages swinging from his branches, some even still bearing raving convicts. Verenthus stops his march for no man or beast, so a bell is rung ahead of the behemoth in an effort to limit the number of fatalities.

Sickness and covering A2Z

Been sick for almost 2 weeks now, time to catch up on A2Z podcasts and finish up the ones I had planned.

[A2Z] U is for the Underport

Underport is the conglomeration of some of the oldest parts of the city, built over again and again over centuries. Tying into the New Day Sewers in spots, and preventing the sewers to reach areas of the Warrens, the Underport has been built upon to the point that the street is a full story lower than the walks and entrances of the building around them, and are prone to flooding due to storm surges. Underport serves as both a history of the origins of the city and a festering canker in it. Some of the seedier businesses in the city occupy flats in this area, places like illegal fences, strange brothels and bookstores that specialize in questionable or illegal materials.