The Official OTC TBRPG Planning and Organization Topic

[Constructelf]

MST3K MANTRA FOR THE WIN!!!

 

Okay, that joke aside:

 

I'm really iffy and the ICE'd Tea thing, it makes no sense. Even if the company was better than the government at dealing with the plague they would never give it permission to become what boils down to being a completely new country

So what would more plausibly happen? Edited October 29, 2014 by namcurtsnoC

[Zulu Yankee Kilo Echo]

Well, if we're going to make realism an issue, is it really that hard to beleive Spiritech was already doing some pretty underhanded stuff to make sure the ICE Treaty was drafted and signed considering they were already pretty much blackmailing the whole world?

[Silvan Haven]

 

So what would more plausibly happen?

 

Spiritech would get loads of money and not much else.

 

 

Well, if we're going to make realism an issue, is it really that hard to beleive Spiritech was already doing some pretty underhanded stuff to make sure the ICE Treaty was drafted and signed considering they were already pretty much blackmailing the whole world?

 

At that point the UN steps in and orders them to release the cure to the general public. People don't like being blackmailed, especially when it is a single company doing it to the entire world.

[Zulu Yankee Kilo Echo]

Okay, I'll make some edits to the story once I have access to something more convenient than the smartphone I had now.

[Flex Lord Splash]

 

Countries are only as strong as their working population. If their populations are rapidly dying and unable to work, among other problems - social unrest, massive floods, breakdown of civil order, halting of business, mass panic, etc. - countries begin to fail. 

 

If the only cure to this deadly plague was in the hands of a company, and countries were already desperate to reinstate social order and normality, how desperate do you think a government would be to obtain said cure? See the metaphor in my previous post. It's literally "pay us or die."

Question: if the world's governments and other assorted infrastructures are failing because all the people who keep it going are dying off...how are the companies still going? They're similarly dependent on having people to keep all the necessary cogs turning, perhaps even moreso given how wide they're spread. I can see them inoculating their own employees sure, but what happens when those employees take time off to look after their families who haven't been given the cure? And what about functions that are dependant on outside means? I notice not one of the Iced Tea companies has a focus on mass transportation, trucks and shipping and the like, which means that to actually sell and distribute their wares they're relying on others to ferry them around. When those lesser organisations start failing because of flood or plague, the Iced Tea companies are just as screwed. 

No company is an island, no matter how powerful. If the whole world is hurting, they're going to be hurting too and its not going to be possible for them to just walk into power

 

what about conglomerates? Have you heard of those? Aren't they huge companies that buy other companies and merge them all together? If a company is big enough then it can have several different ways of getting out its own product. And what if these companies did each have their own island? Then things would be easier right.

[Silvan Haven]

Most of the ICEd Tea companies are not conglomerates and even if they were they would still have taken major hits from the local apocalypse.

[shadow pridak money gang]

Slo Jamowitz: Snapple Mercenary-at-Large?

 

-Tyler

[Razgriz]

Beef Stroganoff: The Slavs' #1 Coke Runner in the Universe

[Flex Lord Splash]

Ice tea thing is kinda weird, yeah

[Havelock Vetinari]

At that point the UN steps in and orders them to release the cure to the general public. People don't like being blackmailed, especially when it is a single company doing it to the entire world.

 

 

Yeah. If a company tried to pull that, the response of the world would be....

 

 

Soldiers. Soldiers everywhere!

[Zulu Yankee Kilo Echo]

Intro and Karantin have been updated courtesy of Perpetual Darkness.

Edited October 31, 2014 by Zulu Yankee Kilo Echo

[Silvan Haven]

 

Buried in the Arctic and Antarctic ice lay dorman a life-form

Not sure if that is supposed to read "a dormant life form." or "lay dormant a life form." but either way I think that there is supposed to be a T in there.

 

A bit too tired to go into much detail at the moment but so far it looks a lot better than it did before.

[Let's Henshin!]

Not doorman? 

[Zulu Yankee Kilo Echo]

Added a plot-important NPC profile.

 

also if anyone wants to say anything about something other than the background feel free thanks

[25K Now!]

After I have absolutely no idea how long, I've got my RPG up here for some feedback.

 

persona 3.14 ~sea of djinn~

 

Persona, Persona, please come here!

Master Persona, Master Persona, please come to us!

---

On the coast of Rub Al Khali lies a beautiful metropolis - the city of al-Bareha. Originally a simple fishing village lying on the shore of the Persian Gulf, al-Bareha became a major centre of trade during the rule of the Umayyad Caliphs, its strategic position allowing it to be an economic hub of the Islamic world. It continued to serve in such a capacity even after the decline of the Islamic Caliphates, and following a period under the mighty British Empire, became an independent city-state.

 

al-Bareha’s wealth and prosperity did not fade in the modern era, its economy fuelled by the massive oil industry that sought to take advantage of the city’s untapped reserves. A highly multicultural city for its region, al-Bareha is home to a numerous number of people, ranging from foreign businessmen to refugees escaping political strife in neighbouring countries. Yet no matter the person, all come to al-Bareha in order to share in the wealth that it possesses.

 

Recently, strange events have plagued the city and its people. The sands of the Empty Quarter are stirring, their wild storms completely enveloping al-Bareha. Communications with the outside world regularly fail. Peculiar lights can be seen in the city outskirts, only to disappear into the desert without a trace. Objects move on their own. Mysterious forces are at work within al-Bareha, and their influence affects every aspect of life in the city.

 

As al-Bareha continues to retreat into the sands, it falls to those capable of tapping into the collective unconscious - the chosen of the butterfly - to decide its destiny.

 

They are the wielders of Persona.

 

 

Right, with that out of the way, what exactly am I supposed to do?

The city of al-Bareha is an enigma, a mystery beyond human comprehension. Only those who wield Persona, the mighty power to summon demons from within the sea of one’s soul, can truly understand what lies beneath its shining skyscrapers. That is the role you will take upon in this RPG, tapping into your Personae and the abilities they provide to unravel the secrets of the city.

 

At least, that’s the overall goal. Everything else is up to you. Whether you’re a confused citizen looking for the truth, a government worker attempting to reduce growing resentment amongst the populace, or a businessman thinking up ways to profit from the mysteries, you will have access to the power of a Persona (or maybe you won’t!) to ensure that your dreams are a reality. With al-Bareha becoming more and more isolated from the rest of the world, its fate will be influenced by your actions.

 

 

Hang on a minute, what is this Persona thing that you’re talking about?

A Persona is the manifestation of, in the words of Carl Jung, “a kind of mask, designed on one hand to make a definite impression on others, and on the other to conceal the true nature of the individual”. In essence, it is a supernatural phenomenon born from one’s own sense of self, and usually takes upon the image of either mythological, supernatural or historical figures. It is quite rare for one to manifest a Persona, but the unique circumstances surrounding al-Bareha have awakened this power within its citizens.

 

It is well within the capabilities of a Persona to utilise magic. Through both elemental powers, physical combat or other, more esoteric abilities (such as healing, mental compulsion or assisting in cartography), a Persona is able to channel their magic to fight, though it has been recorded that their presence may influence the way others perceive their wielders. These abilities are usually subject to the identity of the figures that the Persona is based on (such as Zeus having similar thunder powers to the god it mimics). They may also be immune to certain magics or abilities as well depending on their history and own powers. Yet due to their immense powers, they are a great burden on their wielders, and can only be summoned for short periods at a time. Also, if harm inflicted on a Persona is significant, the user may feel the pain of the blow.

 

The concept of Personae are heavily associated with Tarot Cards, with emphasis on the Major Arcana. Every Persona will be associated with one Arcanum, usually due to a Persona’s identity (which will commonly stem from mythology, history or the public domain) possessing the traits embodied by the Arcana. Humans are also assigned an Arcana based on their own personality, and if they possess the potential for a Persona, it will share the same Arcana as its wielder. In this RPG, the Fool, Judgement and the World are all restricted for players, as Persona of those Arcana are usually in possession of great power.

 

Persona-users are also enhanced by their powers in comparison to baseline humans. They are granted a greater resistance to the spiritual energies produced by Personae and other, more malicious entities, which include the beings known as Shadows. They are also slightly more resistant to physical damage, as their Personae will cushion some of the force involved, but not all. Their spiritual energies are also far more effective against supernatural entities than conventional firearms or melee weaponry. As such, it is difficult for a non-wielder to fight against them due to a lack of effective tools and resistance, although it is still possible for one to triumph.

 

 

So how do the Major Arcana factor into this?

The Major Arcana are twenty-two cards of the Tarot Deck, all of which have been assigned allegorical or exoteric meanings. As stated prior, all humans will have an Arcanum that represents their personalities and motivations, one that is shared by their Persona. Depending on the Arcana (or more accurately, the wielder), a Persona will specialise in different roles and powers. For example, a cheery, optimistic person could likely be a member of the Sun Arcana, and would therefore possess a Persona that will use powers of fire or light (such as Horus or Apollo, who are sun gods in their respective mythologies). However, this is not completely set in stone, with some Personae breaking the mold (Heimdall and his ice powers yet part of the Sun).

 

The twenty-two Arcana (see above for a link to the Wikipedia page) are:

• The Fool - Unavailable to players.

• The Magician

• The High Priestess

• The Empress

• The Emperor

• The Hierophant

• The Lovers

• The Chariot

• Justice

• The Hermit

• Wheel of Fortune

• Strength

• The Hanged Man

• Death

• Temperance

• The Devil

• The Tower

• The Star

• The Moon

• The Sun

• Judgement - Unavailable to players.

• The World - Unavailable to players.

 

You mentioned a Shadow, what’s a Shadow?

According to Jungian psychology, a Shadow may refer to the aspects of one’s personality that are not consciously identified to exist within oneself. It is highly instinctive and irrational, traits shared by the corporeal creatures of the same name that exist in undisclosed areas of al-Bareha. These creatures are born from the negative emotions of humanity, and are both incredibly hostile and dangerous to every human they meet, capable of devouring minds and leaving their victims in a vegetative state. All Shadows share sickly golden eyes, but otherwise their eldritch appearances differ immensely from one another.

 

Persona-users are immune to the effects that other humans suffer, for a Persona and a Shadow are in actuality two sides of the same coin. If one loses control of their Persona, allowing it to run wild, it will be no different from the violent beasts that the Shadows are. Be warned, if your will falters or you begin to reject parts of your self, it will be ridiculously difficult to regain control, especially if the Persona is a powerful one.

 

Shadows must be approached with extreme caution. Especially those that seem human.

 

 

Groups of note in al-Bareha

While the citizens of the Arabian city-state are many, with all possessing their own, distinct ambitions and motivations, there are also a number of consolidated groups that hold some influence, especially in regards to the mysterious happenings that have begun to plague al-Bareha of recent. Although not all-powerful and still subject to the law of the nation (even if certain groups disregard it), they are still heavily involved in the city, and are usually on the front lines in dealing with the supernatural.

 

Al-Bareha Defence Force (ABDF) - the armed forces of al-Bareha are small in number, though quite capable as proved by their participation in the Gulf War of 1990. Their presence within the city is rarely felt, but the recent establishment of a small stockade on the outskirts have shown that they are aware of the mysterious happenings. While they are passive actors compared to other groups, it would be wise to avoid garnering their ire.

 

Al-Bareha Police Authority (ABPA) - even in these troubled times, the police forces of the city-state are dedicated to upholding justice and the law on the streets of al-Bareha, fighting petty crooks to criminal gangs and even the odd terrorist or two. The appearance of the supernatural, however, has proved to be beyond their capabilities, and in response the police have formed a new department to handle any problems.

Special Investigations Department - established in response to the mysterious incidents that occur throughout the city and the recent spate of Persona-assisted burglaries, the Special Investigations Department primarily focuses on combating the more supernatural aspects of crime, seeking to develop ways to prevent criminals from abusing the advantages of any Persona. Their progress in doing so has been stalled, but there are a number of Persona-users within the ranks of the department, one of which is their leader, Captain Jalil Khoshkam.

 

Roadkill Group - originally a London gang renowned for its rivalry with the Taiwanese Tien Tao Lien, the al-Bareha branch of the gang has prospered greatly under the leadership of Mitch “Pinkie” Michaels, matching even its England-based brother in wealth and influence. As the biggest player in organised crime in the city, the Group deals in smuggling (of both illegal groups and people), extortion and drugs, and are also rumoured to be connected in some manner to local corporations.

 

Kashihara Pharmaceuticals - a successful pharmaceutical company in Japan, the al-Bareha branch has made its headquarters at 12 Elizabeth Road, and own several warehouses in the general vicinity. Renowned for their reasonable prices and heavy investment into research and development, Kashihara is incredibly popular in the city-state, and have provided numerous jobs. Their main building and warehouses all have incredible security, and it is near impossible to learn of their secrets. In recent times, they have been researching Personae, and hold considerable scientific data that can only be matched (and only barely) by the government itself.

 

 

Useful and snazzy places to check out

Al-Bareha is fairly large, possessing all sorts of establishments, parks and what-not. This makes it difficult for tourists (and even natives at times) to find the best that the city offers, so a few starting points/interesting places have been listed to help out.

 

Velvet Room - a coffeehouse secluded away on a small, inner city street, the Velvet Room’s renowned for its atmosphere and service, and holds five out of five stars on Yelp out of twenty reviews. The majority of the business is a calm blue, from the decor to the three siblings who essentially run the café. The only exceptions are the blindfolded piano player, soprano singer and the manager, a long-nosed hunchback by the name of Igor. Though all manners of people frequent the establishment, Persona-users may wish to seek out the latter’s advice on all matters supernatural. Note: Igor will be played by a GM, so please get in contact with one of them if you want his knowledge.

 

Mallville - the biggest shopping complex in the Middle East. Both citizens and tourists will frequently visit “Mallville” in search of all sorts of goods and services. From toys to clothes to garden tools to burgers, basically everything can be found here.

 

Aleph’s Antiques - a dusty old antiques store/pawn shop/junk shop near the docks, Aleph’s Antiques also supplies a large variety of working replicas of historical weaponry. It is rumoured that the pretty boy owner possesses some “supernaturally-aligned” tools as well, but few dare ask in fear of retaliation from his possible gang connections.

 

 

The profile template

Here in Sea of Djinn, there are two separate templates for profile, with one being your actual character, and the other (if you have one) for your Persona.

[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Arcana:[/b] (Which of the Major Arcana fits your character’s personality?)
[b]Weaponry and Tools:[/b] (Please be reasonable, and keep in mind that as a member of the Commonwealth, al-Bareha possesses far stricter gun laws than in the United States.)
[b]Skills:[/b] (What is your character good at doing?)
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Biography:[/b]
[b]Weaknesses:[/b]

Persona

[b]Name:[/b] (What is the name of the entity born from your own personality?)
[b]Origin:[/b] (What is it based off?)
[b]Appearance:[/b] (What does this Persona look like? Even if its origin is human, a Persona’s appearance is usually incredibly strange, even if humanoid.)
[b]Powers and Abilities:[/b] (What can it do? Is it physically strong? Capable of elemental magics? Good at identifying things?)

The rules of the game

1. No godmodding in here: don’t metagame, bunny, autohit or do other ridiculous things that should be beyond your character’s capabilities.

2. When posting, use IC for character posts and OOC for anything that you want to say out of character.

3. Please attempt to treat your fellow players with a modicum of respect.

4. Profiles must be posted in the discussion topic for approval.

5. No OOC-only posts in the game topic. Please put them in the discussion topic.

6. Follow all BZPower rules.

 

The staff of this game

Purple God (Hubert) and Purple Devil (Onarax) are the GMs. Please contact them if necessary.

Edited December 24, 2014 by Purple God

[Flex Lord Splash]

Hmmmm seems interesting mate

[sonyaxe]

So to what extent is a Persona's manifestation affected by, say, the Major Arcana they are based on? Also, say someone with a Persona had a passion for something, like warhammer or pokemon or something. Would that affect its appearence? (Example being someone with Arcana for justice, who loves a specific yugioh card that has a lot of law/order/heroism attached, would their persona look similar? Or is it just mythological stuff?)

Wow, that came out longer than expected.

[25K Now!]

So to what extent is a Persona's manifestation affected by, say, the Major Arcana they are based on? Also, say someone with a Persona had a passion for something, like warhammer or pokemon or something. Would that affect its appearence? (Example being someone with Arcana for justice, who loves a specific yugioh card that has a lot of law/order/heroism attached, would their persona look similar? Or is it just mythological stuff?)

Wow, that came out longer than expected.

Could you please rephrase the first part? I'm not too sure on what you mean.

 

And while a Persona will usually be based on myth, public domain and history (I want to avoid people from taking from existing, copyrighted works), their appearance will be affected by their wielder's personality, yes. Passion for something might lead to the incorporation of its elements into the Persona.

 

For example, Tomoe Gozen in Persona 4, despite being based off a samurai from the 1100s, wears a race suit-esque thing that is obviously based off Bruce Lee's famous jumpsuit, as Chie really digs kung-fu movies. As seen below:

 

The combination of a onna-bugeisha's signature hat and armour with a motorcyclist race suit. With lots of Bruce Lee influence.

[sonyaxe]

Ok, that makes sense. Nevermind about the first part.

Looks really interesting and I will definately join if/when it is up.

[JiMing]

Two questions.

 

One, so I've always had a passing interest in the Persona series and think this RP looks awesome. Yet, I've never played a single game or even watched a Let's Play or something. How much stuff hasn't been explained in the intro post and will I need aid from fans of the series?

 

Secondly, what connections exactly do personalities have to a chosen Major Arcana? Like, what archetypes match up with which Major Arcana? Or do they not matter at all?

[25K Now!]

Two questions.

 

One, so I've always had a passing interest in the Persona series and think this RP looks awesome. Yet, I've never played a single game or even watched a Let's Play or something. How much stuff hasn't been explained in the intro post and will I need aid from fans of the series?

 

Secondly, what connections exactly do personalities have to a chosen Major Arcana? Like, what archetypes match up with which Major Arcana? Or do they not matter at all?

 

There's not really much beyond what I've explained that you need to know. Persona are magical extensions of your personality that you can fight with. Shadows are born from your negative emotions and whatnot and are dangerous. The Velvet Room knows stuff about Personas and Shadows. Otherwise there isn't really anything else you need to know from more experience with the series. I've completely ignored the more complicated stuff like Wild Cards, Social Links, Rumour-powered Nazis and whatnot, so you'll be fine.

 

To answer your second question, a character's motivations and personality and whatnot will probably fit interpretations of one of the Major Arcana, which means that their Arcana will probably be that. For example, a cop with a strong sense of obligation and responsibility who deals with things impartially and logically might get given Justice, while someone's who quick to act, a bit hot-headed and incredibly determined might get the Magician.

Edited December 23, 2014 by Purple God

[Parugi]

I'd personally be really excited to play this. I haven't read through it fully, but I love Persona so whatever's there is automatically fantastic by default. : P

 

As far as explaining what the Arcana are and what they symbolize--since there does seem to be multiple people asking about it, it might be a good idea to include some brief descriptions of each. Barring that, you could include a section on it and link to the wiki article about it, as that then links to the individual pages with overviews of what constitutes each. Just a suggestion.

[25K Now!]

Yeah, should probably explain the Arcana in more detail. Onarax is better at explaining and summarising them than me, but I'll try to edit something in before he swoops back in on a plane and dazzles me with his superiority.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

So if Personae are based on aspects of your personality and figures from history/mythology, where do the Arcana come into it? The only examples you've given are Zeus and a Samurai, and maybe its just me but I don't recall seeing those in any tarot deck

It just seems to be an extra step is all. You say someone has an specific personality, so get a certain Arcana, so get a certain Personae...but whats the point of that middle step? Seems you could just have a Personae that was based on your quirks and hobbies without the need to go via a tarot card (again, that example you provided where its a samurai with adding kung-fu flavour not any kind of Arcana). 

Is it just that there are only 22 Personae, with each one representing one Arcana? Or could you have two people with different Personae representing, for example, the Chariot running round?

Edited December 23, 2014 by I Am Ultron Six

[25K Now!]

There can be more than one person sharing the same Arcana, yes. It's less "your personality fits a certain Arcana so you get a Persona that fits that Arcana" but more "you fit that Arcana and your Persona does as well". In Persona, sharing an Arcana with another person usually means that's it's easier to get along with them, and a Persona's sort of ... specialisation ... is also usually associated with the Arcana (Sun-based Personae will usually have light or fire powers, Hermit-based Personae are more about reclusiveness and what-not, so you'd probably have a Apollo throwing fireballs around and Mothman hiding and stuff respectively).

 

Huh, I realised that this stuff isn't too obvious from the get-go.

 

I'll edit this in when I get some time.

 

(Man the planning topic is useful for this stuff)

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Ah, so more a case of "Well you're a very self-reliant person determined to overcome their obstacles, and your Personae appears to be KITT from Knight Rider. Guess you're a Chariot". That right? Kind of like Hogwarts sorting people in houses, except there's 22 of them?

[25K Now!]

Well if you look at it from a certain angle it can be construed as that.

 

Man I need to add this stuff to explain it better.

[Flex Lord Splash]

Meant to um, post this hear not the the other thread. Sorry guys.

 

"It sounds like in the game you can start with one Arcana but end up with a different one? Is this true for the RP or are characters bound to one Arcana the entire RP?"

 

My question.

[AuRon the champion]

I'm going to hazard a guess and say "yes". Especially considering how persona are a reflection of the personality... Changing them would be no easy feat IC. Ooc, it probably would require staff approval?

[Let's Henshin!]

Yeah. the reason you can change Persona in the game is because you're something called a Wildcard. That's not the case in this RPG, any Persona changes would result as the culmination of a character's development and would be very late late game. and would obviously require GM approval. In other words whatever Persona you choose at first is basically going to stick with you. 

[25K Now!]

Are you asking about an Arcana or a Persona?

 

Because changing Arcana is something that's technically possible but usually subject to personality change. Reiji Kido was originally Devil, but he later ended up as Death. But really, unless your character's personality shifts pretty dramatically, you'll be sticking with the same Arcana.

 

Now, to explain what exactly Onarax means, in Persona 3/4 the protagonist is a Wild Card and also the Fool, which allows them to change Persona at will (as they represent the empty zero and whatnot and can put on different masks for different situations yadda yadda). In Persona 1 and 2, the entire party is capable of changing their Persona as well, but I'll chalk that up more to being boosted by Philemon than being an actual group of Wild Cards. Otherwise, characters are usually subject to one Persona.

 

However, it is perfectly possible for a Persona to change and evolve as a character experiences development. Or if something else gets involved. Junpei in Persona 3 originally begins with Hermes, but later it fuses with another Persona to become Trismegistus. And as Yosuke in Persona 4 becomes less of a jerk and more a responsible guy, his Jiraiya evolves into Susano-o and then finally into the ultimate version, Takehaya Susano-o.

 

Basically, the changing of both is subject to personality change and development, and you'll need to talk to a GM. 

[Flex Lord Splash]

Hun, awesome. Last question, is any player allowed to be have a character with a shadow persona? And what arcana would shadow be or is that their arcana kind of?

[25K Now!]

That doesn't really make much sense.

 

You don't control a Shadow. They're the uncontrollable, wild emotions and dreams of humans given form. A Persona can be described as a tame Shadow in a way. But you can't have a Persona that's still a Shadow.

[Flex Lord Splash]

Ah gotcha, I wasn't sure if we could have characters with that uncontrollable wild manifestation of negative energy.

[Light]

Undermountain. A vast, ever changing labyrinth of monsters, traps, death and dead ends, but with nearly limitless rewards for the intrepid adventurer. Ruled over by the Mad Mage Halaster, it has successfully survived assaults by dark elves, the wrath of the Hero of Waterdeep, and even the forces of itself.

But now, 70 years after the defeat of the Armies of the Eighth Circle, Undermountain has gone quiet. Halaster’s disappearance does not bode well– last time he vanished, an archdemon attempted to dominate the world of Faerun. Adventurers have gathered in the Yawning Portal, an inn located above the only entrance to Undermountain, in an effort to find the Mad Mage– or what’s left of him.

Complicating matters further is the reappearance of an artifact thought long gone: The Relic of the Reaper, the object that allowed the Hero of Waterdeep to cheat death long enough to defeat the dread Mephistopheles, ruler of the Armies of the Eighth Circle, and last known to be in the Hero’s possession.

How this bodes for the fate of Faerun… Remains to be seen.

Background knowledge guide:
70 years ago, the city of Waterdeep was under attack from forces of drow traveling through the huge, magical dungeon of Undermountain built under it. Ordinarily the dungeon was controlled by the mage Halaster, who was as powerful as he was insane, but Halaster was conspicuously absent. Investigation by an adventurer only remembered as the Hero of Waterdeep revealed that Halaster was being held captive by the drow and forced to allow squads of raiding dark elves through to the city, though he refused to open the main portal and let armies through. Eager for revenge upon being freed, Halaster cursed the Hero and teleported him and his companions, a rebel drow and a dragonblooded kobold, to the Underdark, the underground realm that the drow resided in. Under Halaster’s hex, the Hero was forced to oppose the Valsharess of the drow and her armies, eventually raising an army against her forces and defeating her in a last stand effort at the rebel encampment of Lith My’athar. The Valsharess’ forces were pushed back to her fortress, but before it could be stormed she revealed her final weapon: The archdemon Mephistopheles, ruler over the Eighth Circle of , bound to her command.

Mephistopheles had a trick of his own, however. When ordered to slay the Hero of Waterdeep he refused, revealing that the artifact that had allowed the Hero to cheat death numerous times was a part of his own flesh, and that by ordering the demon to attack the Hero the Valsharess had violated their covenant. He freed the Hero from his magical bonds and set him against the Valsharess, a fight that the Hero won. Mephistopheles, finally totally free, banished the Hero to the Eighth and began a war on the Underdark and surface world alike, using the souls in his realm to reanimate the dead of his enemies to fight against them.

In the Eighth , the Hero revived in the Gatehouse between life and death, a place the artifact had taken him many times before… Only now he could not return home. Venturing into the frozen wastelands of Cania, he gathered the spirits of his companions and sought the Knower of Names, the only person who could give him the power to dominate the Reaper that controlled the gates. Fighting his way through countless enemies, the Hero found the Reaper’s true name and used it to escape, he and his companions meeting Mephistopheles on the battlefield that Waterdeep had become. After a long, hard battle the dread Mephistopheles was defeated and banished back to Cania, leaving the people who had defeated it heroes.

Deekin Scalesinger, the kobold bard and dragonblood who published his account of the adventure, is still famous today. But the Hero and the rebel drow did their best to become nomadic adventurers again… And faded into obscurity, taking the Relic of Reaper with them.

In recent times, however, the Hero and the drow were rumored to be seen in Waterdeep again , possibly investigating the second disappearance of Halaster. The reappearance of the Relic of the Reaper in the Yawning Portal inn certainly seems to corroborate that rumor. But the Relic wouldn’t part from the Hero’s hands willingly.

The implications of both Halaster Blackcloak and the Hero of Waterdeep vanishing in the space of a few months is immense, and as adventurers answer the call to venture into Undermountain to investigate, an atmosphere of foreboding descends over the town…

 

 

 

One might question my sanity, making a TBRPG based on a D&D computer game. But I love the universe, and I think I can make it work. Tell me if the concept sucks, please. XD

[Havelock Vetinari]

I think it's about time we had a D&D based TBRPG. There is a playerbase for it, if the blogs are any indication. 

[Light]

And I finished it. Comments and questions appreciated.

 

Undermountain. A vast, ever changing labyrinth of monsters, traps, death and dead ends, but with nearly limitless rewards for the intrepid adventurer. Ruled over by the Mad Mage Halaster, it has successfully survived assaults by dark elves, the wrath of the Hero of Waterdeep, and even the forces of itself.

But now, 70 years after the defeat of the Armies of the Eighth Circle, Undermountain has gone quiet. Halaster’s disappearance does not bode well– last time he vanished, an archdemon attempted to dominate the world of Faerun. Adventurers have gathered in the Yawning Portal, an inn located above the only entrance to Undermountain, in an effort to find the Mad Mage– or what’s left of him.

Complicating matters further is the reappearance of an artifact thought long gone: The Relic of the Reaper, the object that allowed the Hero of Waterdeep to cheat death long enough to defeat the dread Mephistopheles, ruler of the Armies of the Eighth Circle, and last known to be in the Hero’s possession.

How this bodes for the fate of Faerun… Remains to be seen.

Background knowledge guide:
70 years ago, the city of Waterdeep was under attack from forces of drow traveling through the huge, magical dungeon of Undermountain built under it. Ordinarily the dungeon was controlled by the mage Halaster, who was as powerful as he was insane, but Halaster was conspicuously absent. Investigation by an adventurer only remembered as the Hero of Waterdeep revealed that Halaster was being held captive by the drow and forced to allow squads of raiding dark elves through to the city, though he refused to open the main portal and let armies through. Eager for revenge upon being freed, Halaster cursed the Hero and teleported him and his companions, a rebel drow and a dragonblooded kobold, to the Underdark, the underground realm that the drow resided in. Under Halaster’s hex, the Hero was forced to oppose the Valsharess of the drow and her armies, eventually raising an army against her forces and defeating her in a last stand effort at the rebel encampment of Lith My’athar. The Valsharess’ forces were pushed back to her fortress, but before it could be stormed she revealed her final weapon: The archdemon Mephistopheles, ruler over the Eighth Circle of , bound to her command.

Mephistopheles had a trick of his own, however. When ordered to slay the Hero of Waterdeep he refused, revealing that the artifact that had allowed the Hero to cheat death numerous times was a part of his own flesh, and that by ordering the demon to attack the Hero the Valsharess had violated their covenant. He freed the Hero from his magical bonds and set him against the Valsharess, a fight that the Hero won. Mephistopheles, finally totally free, banished the Hero to the Eighth and began a war on the Underdark and surface world alike, using the souls in his realm to reanimate the dead of his enemies to fight against them.

In the Eighth , the Hero revived in the Gatehouse between life and death, a place the artifact had taken him many times before… Only now he could not return home. Venturing into the frozen wastelands of Cania, he gathered the spirits of his companions and sought the Knower of Names, the only person who could give him the power to dominate the Reaper that controlled the gates. Fighting his way through countless enemies, the Hero found the Reaper’s true name and used it to escape, he and his companions meeting Mephistopheles on the battlefield that Waterdeep had become. After a long, hard battle the dread Mephistopheles was defeated and banished back to Cania, leaving the people who had defeated it heroes.

Deekin Scalesinger, the kobold bard and dragonblood who published his account of the adventure, is still famous today. But the Hero and the rebel drow did their best to become nomadic adventurers again… And faded into obscurity, taking the Relic of Reaper with them.

In recent times, however, the Hero and the drow were rumored to be seen in Waterdeep again , possibly investigating the second disappearance of Halaster. The reappearance of the Relic of the Reaper in the Yawning Portal inn certainly seems to corroborate that rumor. But the Relic wouldn’t part from the Hero’s hands willingly.

The implications of both Halaster Blackcloak and the Hero of Waterdeep vanishing in the space of a few months is immense, and as adventurers answer the call to venture into Undermountain to investigate, an atmosphere of foreboding descends over the town…

Setting:
The continent of Faerun is a large and varied one, but this story takes place primarily in two certain locales, though a third is extremely important to the story.
The Yawning Portal: An inn built by the first adventurer to ever successfully return from Undermountain, on top of the well he used to enter the dungeon. While a relatively basic inn in terms of quality and price, the clientele is anything but ordinary. The tavern on the ground floor is full of a diverse and often rowdy crowd of adventurers from all over Faerun, and a room on the second level is devoted entirely to useful gear and weapons available to dungeon crawlers– for a price, of course. The inn is managed by the original adventurer’s daughter, Tamsil, whose half-elf heritage has kept her looking young far past the death of her father Durnan.
Undermountain: A legendary, massive dungeon ruled over by the mad mage Halaster. Maps are useless in Undermountain, as its corridors and rooms are bound to Halaster’s will– he can reshape and reform them whenever he wishes, though he doesn’t do it often. Ordinarily, the monster inhabitants of Undermountain are kept in check by Halaster’s presence. With his disappearance, Undermountain has fallen into chaos, with warring factions of monsters and creatures fighting in the halls. Rooms that are known through songs and tales of returning adventurers are few, but they include the Hall of Sleeping Kings, a large throne room that serves as the tomb for the greatest warriors of a past age, and the Maze, a nearly completely empty room with only a few magic pillars in it. Invisible traps line the floor in certain patterns, waiting for the unwary adventurer to take a wrong step and suffer the wrath of a magic missile storm.
The Underdark: While not playable at the beginning of the RP, the Underdark is a subterranean world where a large population of the dark elves know as drow live. The only way to get to it from the surface world is through Undermountain, on the deepest level.

Character Creation:
Blank profile form, with necessary information following it:

Name:
Species:
Age:
Class:
Alignment:
Abilities/Skills:
Gear:
Spells:
Personality:
Biography:

Name:
Species: See Races of the World.
Class: See Classes.
Alignment: Alignments are done along two axes, good to evil and lawful to chaotic, with neutral being in the middle.
Abilities/Skills: This is where you detail what your character is good at and can do naturally. Incredible skill with a sword or a natural affinity for casting illusions would go here.
Gear: List your relevant items such as armor and potions here. Any magical item must be listed, its effects detailed, and staff approved. It isn’t such a big deal if you have a set of ordinary gloves that isn’t stated in your profile, but if you spontaneously have a cloak that ignores all physical damage… It’s a problem.
Spells: See Magic, the World, and You.
Personality: How your character acts.
Appearance: How your character looks.
Biography: How did your character come to Waterdeep? How did they get involved? This is their life story until now.

The Races of the World:
Base playable races include humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings, along with hybrids.  Custom races are acceptable, though they will have to be described in your profile if they aren’t in Forgotten Realms/D&D canon.
Humans: The most adaptable and the shortest lived of the common races, humans have spread like wildfire across Faerun. They can be anything from magical to martial arts masters, and anything in between.
Elves: With lifespans reaching into the millennia and legendary beauty, many other races look upon elves with something approaching awe. Shorter and more slender than humans on the whole, an ordinary elf can’t take a punch as well as a human can, nor are as resistant to disease and poison– but they are more nimble and can see in almost complete, nonmagical dark.
Dwarves: The underground craftsmen of Faerun, dwarves as a whole are a hearty, hardworking sort, though that is by no means a universal trait. Shorter than elves but built far sturdier, a dwarf is far more robust even than a human against physical trauma, and their innate familiarity with caves gives them an edge underground.
Halflings: The shortest and smallest of all races, halflings tend to be masters of trickery and thievery, though many will claim that is an “offensive stereotype propagated by the elven rulers of society”. No matter what the opinion of their mannerisms, however, the facts about their biology remain: Humans, elves, and especially dwarves are far stronger than they are– but nobody’s fingers move as fast or with as much skill as a halfling’s.

Classes:
For the sake of simplicity, the class system has been condensed into six basic classes, three martial and three magical. You are not bound to explicit definitions of these– they are merely guidelines so the staff and other players know what to expect from your abilities. A combination of two is okay.

Fighter: The most combat oriented of the classes, fighters are not necessarily the tanks of any adventuring group, though they often are. Combining skill with weapons and shields with the strength to wear armor, a tough fighter can brutalize nearly anything in a straight, no tricks fight while suffering minimal damage themselves.
Monk: Specializing in the control of a subtle inner energy known as Ki, powerful monks are ridiculously fast and can do rapid, brutal damage with their unarmed strikes, sometimes even becoming speedy enough to block arrows. But wearing heavy armor and using all but a few weapons distracts them from the inner calm that they must maintain to use their Ki to its utmost potential, causing them to lose their focus and thus their abilities.
Rogue: The technical fighter of the lot, Rogues combine speed and skill to aim strikes at their opponent’s most vital regions, but cannot take as much punishment as a fighter’s rigid discipline and skill allows them to. Most rogues are stealthy, and experts at dealing with mechanical devices like traps and locks.
Wizard: Wizards are followers of the arcane, casting spells using their own power, ancient words, and certain gestures. Wizards have the widest range of spells of the three magical classes, but since they rely on their own ability and very specific words and gestures they are more suspect to exhaustion and spell failure than clerics and druids. The movement restraining properties of heavy armor, for example, can contribute to spell failure for spells that rely on gesture.
Cleric: A blanket term for any spellcaster that relies on the power of a higher being or deity, clerics are usually extremely good at casting the spells relevant to the being they follow. A follower of Torm, the patron deity of divine warriors, would be very good at turning undead and healing– but would not be able to throw rays of ice or fireballs. There are compensations, however: Since clerics are calling upon the power of another being, they are not subject to spell failure, and spells won’t drain their energy as much.
Druid: Druids call upon the natural world for their magic abilities, so their spells mostly fit into manipulations of nature: Animal enchantment, weather manipulation, and even shapeshifting fall under the abilities of a druid. Arcane spell failure does not apply to druids, but being indoors makes their abilities suffer.

Magic, the World, and You
Magic works quite a bit differently in this game than from classical NWN or D&D. You do not have to rest before casting spells to charge them, though physical exhaustion is a factor for a wizard who has cast a lot of powerful spells recently. What is required for the magic section is a listing of the spells your character knows and how often they can cast them, along with any reagents necessary if applicable. Custom spells are okay, but if they are not canon to D&D or NWN, you must detail their effects. Magic that causes instant death, like “Power Word: Kill” is ineffective.

Clerics must list their patron in this section.

Rules: (READ THESE)
1. All BZP rules apply.
2. Listen to the staff.
3. Your posts should go something like this, with IC for “in character” and OOC for “out of character”:
IC: A mad gleam in his eyes, Halaster advanced on the captured drow with a bolt of magic forming in his left hand.

OOC: I LOVE DIS PART
4. Arguments/debates may go on for 3 posts in the main thread. After that, take it to PM or the discussion topic.
5. No godmodding. Dodging unavoidable attacks, ignoring injuries, etc. HOWEVER, this rule also applies to the attacker. Autohitting is not permissible.
6. This fits under godmodding: No metagaming. Knowing things your character didn't learn, magically crashing another player's party without a good IC reason.
7. Don't kill another player's character without permission from him/her. Make sure to write that you have permission in the post where you kill the character.
8. IN THE EVENT THAT DEATH SEEMS UNAVOIDABLE: Your character may be killed to avoid breaking rule 5. Only staff can do this. This isn't a punishment, just realism. If you have a good way to get out of it after your character is dead, please PM Joseph Cooper or another staffer.
9. NPC autohitting is permitted as long as you play realistically.
10. No bunnying. That means taking control of another person's character without permission.
11. Double posting... Nah.
12. Have fun!

Your staff are:
Nick (Joseph Cooper)
Basilisk

Staff NPCs and example profiles:
Name: Only remembered as the Hero of Waterdeep
Species: Human turned Outsider
Age: He was twenty-one at the time of his legendary adventure, but he’s 90 now. His nature as a being not quite of this world would have postponed his aging immensely.
Class: Monk
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Abilities: Legends still tell of the Hero’s speed and his ability to dodge even the fastest of attacks. While no doubt exaggerated, the Hero was an extremely powerful monk who routinely wore boots that enhanced his already incredible movement speed. The normal immunities of monks to mind spells, poison, and disease were all powers of the Hero, and master monks still try to imitate the deadliness of his unarmed strikes today.
Appearance: For a legend, the Hero was very plain looking. He was a tall, muscular individual with a shaved head and a well-trimmed brown beard. In fact, the most remarkable things about him were his originally brown eyes, which began to glow purple as he grew in power. His normal outfit was a plain-looking yellow tunic and pants, relaxed in fit to allow for free movement.
Gear: That plain outfit, however, coursed with magical power, deflecting small weapons and attacks. As mentioned before, the boots he wore doubled his speed, the belt he wore at his waist giving him strength of mythical proportions. Songs tell of how he stood up to the hottest flames Mephistopheles could conjure– a resistance to fire granted by a ring he wore. Finally, he was known to carry the Relic of the Reaper, a device that pulled him back from that gates of death at the cost of a Rogue Stone. The artifact was rendered powerless when Mephistopheles was defeated.

The Relic reappeared in the room where the Hero stayed the night before his first ingress into Waterdeep a few months ago, on the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Mephistopheles. While entirely defunct, a strange sense of power radiates off of it– alien to this plane, but not entirely unfamiliar.
Spells: None.
Personality: The Hero’s deeds have been exaggerated and retold to the point that no one is able to tell if he was a saint or a scourge…
Biography: See background information.

Name: Deekin Scalesinger
Species: Dragonblood kobold.
Age: 90– A little above middle aged for an ordinary Kobold, though most don’t survive to this age.
Class: A combination of Wizard and Rogue, Deekin is very good with both a crossbow and arcane spells.
Alignment: Neutral.
Abilities/Skills: As a dragonblood, Deekin is immune to fire and can breathe it at maximum effectiveness once every few hours. His draconic heritage has also made him immune to poison and disease, as well as making him stronger, tougher, and more imposing than others of his species.
Appearance: A relatively ordinary looking Kobold, apart from the red draconic wings sprouting out of his back.
Gear: An enchanted light crossbow capable of creating and firing electrically charged arrows at a normal rate of fire, a horn that opens a small portal to the Plane of Pandemonium when blown, and leather armor enchanted to be as tough as steel.
Spells: Deekin’s normally prepared spells are Sound Burst, Fireball, and Invisibility, though he is known to have others on hand if necessary.
Personality: Deekin is intensely eager, loyal and devoted, to the point of almost puppylike admiration for those he follows and knows well– though he’s a bit egotistical and snooty with those he doesn’t. His success in the art world after his publishing of an account of the Hero of Waterdeep’s adventures has not helped his ego at all.
Biography: Raised by a white dragon who alternately tutored and tortured him, Deekin was one of the Hero’s most loyal companions from the very beginning, after the Hero freed him from the dragon’s clutches. Though they were split up after the Hero found the Relic of the Reaper at the end of his first journey, they were reunited before the descent into Undermountain– and Deekin went to and back with his “boss”. Since Mephistopheles’ defeat, Deekin has achieved huge success in the literary world for his account of the tale. Now, he has been drawn back to Waterdeep, worried about the disappearance of the Hero.

Name: Halaster Blackcloak
Species: Human, though how much of him is magic and how much is still flesh is debatable.
Age: At least 1000 years old.
Class: Extremely powerful Wizard.
Alignment: Neutral evil.
Abilities/Skills: Perhaps most unique in Halaster’s vast repertoire of magical abilities and skills is his innate connection to Undermountain, allowing him to reshape and reorder it at will. If Halaster dies, Undermountain will collapse. Additionally, his millennia of experience with magic items have left him with the ability to reflect spells, though they must be targeted at him.
Appearance: An old man in rich, purple robes with a mad gleam in his ice blue eyes, Halaster looks the part of a mad priest. His white hair and beard are long and unkempt, though clean.
Gear: As he’s a walking dynamo of magical power, Halaster does not often use armor or weapons. His cloak, however, protects him from all spell damage except acid, which he’s still trying to work out the kinks on.
Spells: As an Archmage, Halaster can alter and bend spells to suit his purposes– but that takes vast amounts of energy. His less taxing lineup is fireball (which he can alter into any element), Isaac’s Greater Missile Storm, and Arcane Fire, the lattermost of which allows him to throw pure, devastating blasts of magical energy.
Personality: Simply put, Halaster is insane and reclusive. His paranoia and insanity have led him to confine himself in a dungeon where no one can reach him unless he wants them to– and that never happens.
Biography: His legend reaches far back into the mists of time, but certain things are known. At one point he had several apprentices, but after his move to Undermountain he killed two and drove the rest mad, only one escaping. For the rest of his relevant biography, check the background knowledge guide.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

You mention a background knowledge guide, is that just the intro or was that a link to a wiki that got missed out?

[Light]

There is a wiki, but that background knowledge guide contains more information about the actual plot of Hordes of the Underdark (the module/story this is based on) than the wiki does.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Okay, got a hazy kind of idea. Not sure how well it would but hey, thats what a planning topic is for.

 

Essentially, every character in it is dead. Died at some point in history, and find themselves in a sort of purgatory world. Its a simple sort of blank white void, with perhaps a few details denoting one or two structures or features. The people within are much the same, being more or less just stick-figures. Imagine living inside an xkcd comic, basically. They have no real memory of their past life, all they know is that it ended and they wound up in the void. 

Then at some point they realise that there is another level of the purgatory, and this one has more detail. Maybe this one, while still being black-and-white, has a definite ground and proper houses. So of course the people have greater detail as well. Maybe they have hair now, or have more than just sticks for body and limbs. And they start remembering scraps of their old life. Things that haunted them, things they enjoyed. All with the slight caveat that its the GM who's inventing these traits for them, not the players. So perhaps it will turn out that those two characters who have become bestest buddies were enemies in life who ended up killing each other. Perhaps the there are two characters who were lovers when they were alive and have both found themselves in limbo...but have no way of recognising each other yet because neither of them looks like anything human yet. Perhaps a character who has assumed up to this point that they were male turns out to have been a woman when they were alive.

Originally I thought that dying in one level of the limbo would be the way to move on to the next, but thats going to isolate people very quickly, so perhaps its coming to some realisation about yourself that lets you move on. You realise, I dunno, "yes I did manage to make a lot of money in life...but what did I really do with it". You work through the various sins and regrets you built up, possibly without even realising it, when you were alive and that steadily causes you to be "reborn" into a more fleshed out human each time, with the world around you also becoming more detailed as long as you're in it and fading back to blankness when you move on.

 

I can see a lot of potential problems with this, but its an idea my head keeps thrusting back into the fore so I feel its worth working on. Any tips or useful insights from the vox populi?