Bay 12 Games Forum

I copied the MWAR Dice system.

Utter Failure (2): Nothing is gained but the knowledge of how not to do it next time.
Buggy Mess (3): The design functions, just not too well at all. At least some experience is gained.
Poor (4): The design can be used without being a threat to anyone handling it. Still, it is far from reliable.
Below Average (5): It works, but there is clear room for improvement.
Average (6,7,8): The design generally functions as intended.
Above Average (9): The design works, and something about it works out better than expected.
Superior (10): It works much better than intended, and a lot is learned in related fields of research.
Masterwork (11): This is the perfect design.
Unexpected Boon (12): Development of this design goes so well that some sort of extra benefit is provided to the side building it.

The difficulty of the design modifies the roll for +4 (Simple), +3 (Trivial), +2 (Very Easy), +1 (Easy), 0 (Normal), -1 (Hard), -2 (Very Hard), -3 (Theoretical), -4 (Ludicrous), or -x (Impossible). Difficulty is based off of the ambition of the design as well as how experienced you are with similar concepts. Impossible designs will always fail, but they may still result in some sort of progress on a higher roll.

Tales:
Design - Design something new to use this month
Hidden Movement - Quietly shuffle troops around the Woods in preparation for a strike
Revision - Revise the gear you designed while your troops move around. (takes effect next turn)
Raid - A targeted raid at the enemy, this phase also is used to plan defense of your own assets.

Bookbinders:
Revision - Revise your gear in preparation for the next month
Surveillance - Survey areas for hidden movement and suspected plots
Design - Design something new to use in this turn’s operation
Operation - Fight off raids, attack enemy leadership, etc.

The World - the known world is known as the Woods, bordered by an endless sea of trees and the occasional actual sea (really just a lot of unmapped terrain - there really do be dragons here).

Capital - Camelot
The capital of the woods, founded by King Arthur, Camelot is a city of humble stone buildings and wide streets lined with vendors, landmarked by the less than humble stone citadel where the king resides. While nobody has seen the king since his coronation, everyone is sure that he’s fine.

Public Transport - The Vinepath
To make travelling easier and quicker, the people of the Endless Woods invented trains. The Vinepath is a network of underground vines, branches and plants of various colours that connects all the lands and kingdoms of the Woods. Each route is named after a vine (usually flowering). Formerly only open to “Good” people, this obvious injustice was swiftly banished by Rafal.

Outlying Towns -

Jaunt Jolie - one of the Wood’s major port cities, and the conduit for the Wonderland trade, Jaunt Jolie has a long history of rough pirate bars, fabulous merchant kings, and stacks and stacks of both rats and money. Home to the descendents of peter pan and captain hook (the originals are still nowhere to be found).

Foxwood - a simple wooded town, sleepy and quiet. Nobody makes trouble here, lest the trees complain and put them in an extended coma. As such, many retired heroes and villains live in harmony, and the Bookbinders dont consider this area a threat. Rumors are that Rumplestiltskin keeps a summer home here.

The Stymph Forest - not a kingdom, but rather a no man’s land, this dead wood borders both Bloodbrook and Foxwood, and is home to the skeletal “birds” called Stymphs. Luckily, most kingdoms have developed measures against the occasional murder passing by, but their chilling calls are still feared by all. The trees are fireproof, too.
Bloodbrook - a dark forested swamp, this area is home to thieves, bandits, having separated from Sherwood Forest some time ago. This schism also took most of the werewolves with them, adding competition for optimal hideouts. A bandit king still rules this area, having joined with the Bookbinders after seeing what happened to the Black Knight.

Sherwood Forest - a shady, forested wood with endless creeks, streams, and lakes, this forest is home to nymphs and spirits of all sorts, as well as some brave and questionably noble thieves. It’s also home to Nottingham, one of the larger cities in the south. The current sheriff of Nottingham is actually descended from Robin Hood, but has thrown his lot in with the Bookbinders as well.

Malabar Hills - hilly lowlands in the foothills of the Bloodtooth mountains, the hills are home to a variety of swamps and thickly shrubbed moors. It’s widely suspected that ogres live here, but it’s hard to tell, since most people who actually decide to live here build rickety castles with lightning rods and keep to themselves.

The Ruined Estate - unoccupied other than a few escapees from justice and desperate souls, these cursed grounds are home to a ruined castle, with twin, ornate spires and a wild, dangerous wood. It’s rumored that the great queen Belle’s husband once lived here, though that was long ago.

Kingdom Kyrgios - founded by the Sultan Shahryār, this kingdom borders a desert that stretches as far as the eye can see, and is a major trading port with several kingdoms within and across the desert. A city full of wonderful smells and bustling traders, it’s one of the kingdom’s financial centers. Used to be home to many gnomes, who now work in goldsmithing shops.

Borna Coric - the kingdom of the Bloodtooth mountains, the knights of borna coric have actually tamed Stymphs using their dark magic, led by the formidable Black Knight, and his son, the Green Knight. A militant, isolationist kingdom, they nevertheless fell to the Bookbinders early on in a coordinated assault, and now the Black Knight lies dead, executed for treason. Home to many dwarves.

Maidenvale - elegant forests and steep valleys define maidenvale, which sits near the foothills of the Bloodtooth mountains. While dragons sleeping in caves and coming down from their mountain lairs have always been a concern, the magic of the elves has ensured this kingdom has been a training ground for heroes for centuries, with notable heroes such as Briar Rose, Snow White, and Cinderella emerging here.

Ravenwood - on the other side of the Bloodtooth mountains lies Ravenwood, Maidenvale’s opposite. Maleficent ruled here once, and the witches of Ravenwood are not to be trifled with. The lord inquisitor only maintains tenuous control here - but the Tales themselves dare not tread either. Notable for the witch hunters Hansel and Gretel, whose extended family now lead up much of the Bookbinders.

Avalon - the birthplace of both King Arthur and the Black Knight, this kingdom is renowned for its chivalry and pride. While there are murmurs of discontent, it’s proud stone walls stand tall and quiet.

Mogrifs - talking animal, plants, etc. Inanimate objects typically aren't inanimate.
Creatures - unicorns, ogres, giants, fairies. Not strictly good or evil. Some may collaborate.
Villains - pirates, vagabonds, and bandits, oh my!
Heroes - princes, lawmen, bandits and more!

The Unholy Pack Contains the designs for Imps, Flame casters, and Shadow blades
   >Imps are short leathery red skinned creatures with small claws and horns, imps have a minor affinity for fire.
   >Flame casters are a form of imp sized stave roughly two feet long, Flame casters shoot small balls of fire roughly several inches across, and require several minutes of time after each shot to recharge.
   >Shadow blades are short, vicious daggers formed from a semiclear crystal with a very sharp edge.
The Berzerk Pack Contains the designs for Orks, Crystal Mauls, and hide armor.
   >Orks are Big, green savage humanoids, they are adept with melee weapons and lack intelligence, Orks suffer from a lethal weakness to silver.
   >Crystal Mauls are long lengths of wood with a chunk of Dark Crystal attached to the end.
   >Hide armor is rough armor formed out of cured skin, tough but weak to piercing.
The Geneforge Contains the designs for Grafters, Darkbile, and the ambush tactic.
   >Grafters are short (4ft), bony creatures crafted from spare parts, they have fanged maws and dull eyes hiding a crafty facade. They possess digging claws and a Darkbile attack.
   >Darkbile is a sticky, highly acidic substance capable of hitting one or two human-sized targets at a time.
   >Digging claws are Darkcrystal claws toughened allowing the Grafters to burrow in soft sand or the equivalent.
   >The ambush tactic is where the units spring up behind their targets to attack unexpectedly, typically approaching from underground.
The Dark Engines Contains the designs for Gearkin and Adamant spears, as well as the swarm tactic.
   >Gearkin are simple humanoids made out of bronze. Oil hisses through their veins and around their gears as they march. They are simple of thought, but strong of arm.
   >Adamant spears are spears made out of Adamant, a divine metal. Strong and light, these work well with your forces but are expensive to make due to their material.
   >The Swarm tactic is a basic tactic where in all units march forward and attack at the same time, without fear and without stopping for their wounded.

Lich: A humanoid figure shrouded in gloom, this creatures red eyes shine through the dark to cast a judging gaze on all before it. A master of curses, this mage’s gloom shrouds all around.
Kurst: A flesh golem crafted from the bodies of our dead elite, Kurst is a tactician with a focus on brutal, up close combat. He lacks raw power but makes up for it by being able to heal himself, making him very resilient.
Bolter:A low-slung creation of the darkness, the Adamant gears that form this golem softly clink together as it winds up the ballistae mounted on its back. This golem is capable of unleashing deadly barrages at range and destroying towns at range.
Speaker: A humanoid shape of darkness, the clairon call of its creator emanates from its body. All in its way shall be subsumed.

Adamant: A divine metal, stronger than bronze but half as heavy, only you and your master know the secrets to its creation.
Dark Crystals: Solidified dark energy, making for strong gem-like weapons that are sharp but brittle.
Etching Darkness: Magical gloom that subsumes all in its path, leaving only smoking acid and empty space.

This is an arms race where you are all gods serving a greater master in a battle over this set of planes. The more planes you conquer, the more power your master has and the more resources you gain. Designs are adjusted for difficulty, but I will be rolling a d6, because it better fits certain systems I've ripped from other arms races. I have taken some parts straight from CrazyAbe, but he has given me permission to run this game.

The second turn in, we will decide on the master and what gods you are. Also team names. This timeline is subject to change.

The turns run Combat -> Research -> Production and deployment.

There are three stages to the Research Phase. In each of these you can research, prototype, design, or revise.
Design and revision actions are modified based on difficulty and how much experience you have with a design area. Revisions roll better due to you having a base, though.
Research actions give you info and a roll bonus in areas you want to investigate. These actions require research fluff.
Prototype actions let you see the results of a roll. You can prototype most things, but not champions.
Production: you can create units. Each unit or item/structure has its own cost per instance, and champions always 30% of your power supply.

I miss running RTD, so here's a minimalist for fun.
Be aware I take actions literally in many cases. I have been replaced as the GM by a good roll. So please don't do that unless you want to continue the game. Standard D6.The title is because of GWG's old games.

You have fifteen points for stats. Every four points, you get a +1 bonus for rolls. For every stat at or below 1, you get a -1 penalty for rolls.
Name: (What to name your expendable grunt)
Gender: (Because I need to know what pronouns to use for your character)
Description: (Physical and personality.)
Str: (Your character's physical strength. Helps with heavy weapons especially, in addition to knocking down doors and the like.)
Agi: (Your character's mobility and dexterity. Helps determine what acrobatics, if any, your character can do, and also dodging. Also, somewhat for accuracy.)
End: (Your character's physical toughness. Used when determining wounds when hit.)
Int: (You character's intelligence. Helps spot enemies and dodge traps.)
Cha: (How charismatic your character is. Good for speech and a measure of mental toughness.)

SSBR (Synthetic Systems Battle Rifle): The base of your firepower. Can be customized to multiple different configurations. All soldiers carry five primary magazines total, and three secondary clips/magazines total. You can have up to two ammo types on your primary weapon.
Ammo Types:
Rockets (HE or Anti-Armor), 5 per magazine. ((HE has larger blast radius than Anti-Armor, but does less vehicle/armor damage.))
Armor Penetrating (AP), 20 per magazine. ((Takes off one from armor defense bonus))
Explosive (ER), 15 per magazine. ((What it says on the cover))
Stun (S), 30 per magazine. (Stuns, not kills))
Normal (N), 30 per magazine. ((Normal assault rifle cartridges. No bonuses or penalties.))
Hollow-Point (HP), 30 per magazine ((-1 damage against armored targets, +1 damage on unarmored))
Laser (L), 1 minute per power pack. ((A medium-strength laser))
Flamethrower (F), 1 minute per fuel pack.  ((What it says on the cover))
Incendiary (I), 20 per magazine ((Bullets can burn stuff))
Genade (G), 10 per magazine (HE, Incendiary, Concussive, Frag) ((See aux section for grenade descriptions. These are smaller versions that can be shot, that's all.))
Configurations:
Barrels (Short, Medium, Long)- the longer the barrel, the more accurate, and the less mobility. The shorter the barrel, the less accurate, and the more mobility.
Magazine (Based on ammo)- the magazine capacity varies by ammunition type used.
Attachments (Choose two of your own.) ((Just be reasonable.))
Sight- Ironsight, Holo-Sight, Relex-Sight, _x scope (2-10), Night Vision Scope, Infared Scope. ((Large zooms give larger bonuses at range and penalties at close range.))

You can choose one attachment and any conventional ammunition ((read: bullets/stun rounds, though I'll allow lase and flamethrower as well.)), as above.
GAP (General Armories Pistol): A semi-automatic pistol suitable for backup short to medium-range firepower. 10 rounds a clip. ((Backup pistol, -2 at long range))
SSMP (Sythetic Systems Machine Pistol): An automatic-fire capable close-range pistol that is great for CQC. 20 rounds a magazine. ((+1 close range, -1 medium range, -2 long range. A pistol with a large magazine (for a pistol) and selection between automatic and single fire.))

Choose two items other than body armor and a set of body armor, if allowed in mission parameters.
GAFG (General Armories Fragmentation Grenade): An anti-personell fragmentation grenade, with a large shrapnel blast radius. ((Can be thrown out to medium range.))
GASG (General Armories Smoke Grenade): A smoke grenade that delivers a large amount of smoke lasting around three minutes before dissipating, in optimum conditions. ((Can be thrown out to medium range.))
GACG (General Armories Concussive Genade): A concussive grenade with a small blast radius that dazes or kills enemies that it explodes nearby via the concussive shockwave. ((Kills enemies that it explodes next to. Can throw around enemies, dazing and confusing them. Can be thrown out to medium range.))
SSAPM (Synthetic Systems Anti-Personnel Mine): A planted proximity mine that uses a shrapnel blast to work against lightly-armored vehicles and infantry. ((Can be planted on any solid surface.))
SSAVM (Synthetic Systems Anti-Vehicle Mine): A shaped-charge proximity mine designed to incapacitate vehicles. ((Can be planted on any solid surface.))
PSF (Professional Signals Flares): Handheld chemical flares, for various uses.
MBA (Mercicorps Body Armor): Available in light, medium, or heavy variants, these are your lifeline to survival. The tough armor can shed enemy fire, and the built-in mobility assist system can give you a speed boost in times of need. Heavy armor sacrifices the speed boost for sheer protection, however. ((Light Armor- +0 End +2 mobility. Medium- +2 End, +1 mobility. Heavy- +4 End, +0 mobility. The mobility bonus kicks in when triggered, and can be used once every three turns. Covert missions may not allow body armor. And before anyone asks, the reason light armor gives no armor bonus is due to technology (and balance), and you still count as armored.))

Well, here's an RTD. Expect a conventional type mission to start, so feel free to arm yourself at character creation. You'll get to re-choose your loadout before every mission and level up (for stats). If you want to do something cool, just ask and I'll see if it's feasible. Five to eight slots.

I know I said I would stick with this last time. I made it through one mission. I had fun. I want to bring this back. As such, join at will, and we'll see where this goes.

PewdsRocks
IcyTea31
blazing glory
DarkArtemisFowl
darkpaladin109
Nunzillor
Sarrak
Persus13
WhitiusOpus
Playergamer

Aseaheru

In case this is new and confusing to anyone:

NaNoWrimo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and is this increasingly huge community-driven contest/challenge to write 50,000 words, a novel, in the month of November. There's great resources and tools on the actual site, and real-life gatherings in most major cities where you can go and write, talk about writing, and imbibe ludicrous quantities of coffee and tea.

But hang on... November is 2 weeks away! Why am I jumping the gun with this post?

Planning. I'm sure loads have started Nano on the day, or even day two or three and still finished. But if you have time to think about what you're writing and properly plan it out, it's a lot less headache inducing than getting to page 54 and trying to find the PERFECT name for the supersecret hidden castle of doom that houses the main antagonist. After 73 hours of sleep deprivation and a 3-quart mug of java.

(Edited the quote for time of year. If there's an IRC channel, someone tell me about it so I can post it up.)

Sappho