This is the story of a land. A land of containing a Grand Civilization, the likes of which has never been seen before. A Civilization where the Fantastic was Mundane. Where Miracles were a commonplace occurrence. Alas, this is not the story of that Civilization, they have fallen long ago, its monuments having long fallen into ruin and its magic faded away; and its successor states having fallen into an endless cycle of bickering.
This is the story of those successor states. Many centuries have passed since the Great Fall; and the Land has seen new visitors to it from afar. From across the seas, Travelers from afar have erected towns along the moist northern coast. From across the wastes to the south, bands of nomads have set up steadily more permanent camps in the south. And all across the land, those receptive to it have felt the currents of magic stir, and rumors of the Fantastic sort have been cropping up in times of late...
It is up to you, Scholars, to equip your armies so that they can retake your ancestral homeland; but most importantly, to defeat your ancient adversary who was surely responsible for the Fall!
West SideEast SideDiscord LinkThe first phase of every turn is the "Design" phase. This is where you introduce new ideas and creations. Results of a design are based off of 2d6, with rolls of 6, 7, and 8 being equivalent. Design results are also modified by difficulty. Generally the results of a Normal Design scale as below:
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.
The second phase is the "Revision" phase. Revisions use the same 2d6 and rules as designs, but are restricted to altering preexisting designs. Results on either end of the spectrum of rolls are also generally less extreme.
After this, we move on to the 'Battle Phase', where I do my best to try and parse your shenanigans. Battle Reports will be posted here once contact has been made. Do remember that your game engine lies within my head, and I am not perfect. Do feel free to make your objections when they crop up. Do try to make them relevant and constructive.
This game will not deal with resources. Instead, things have a rarity that indicates how plentiful they are on the battlefield. Rarity is not (significantly) randomised, but is based on the complexity/cost of the thing in question, and cannot be lowered without reducing the complexity/cost. (ie, a revision that just says "We make X cheaper" is not always viable, even with a perfect roll)
The levels of rarity are:
Common: The bulk of your forces.
Uncommon: While nowhere near ubiquitous, they are still present in sizable numbers
Rare: A rarity on the battlefield.
Very Rare: One step below Unique, only 1 is deployed to each theater.
Unique: One one exists, and must be deployed in the strategy phase.
Hunter - Sporting a simple bronze spear and basic padded clothing; this improvised soldier may not be the best equipped or trained, but they are willing to fight to reclaim your nation's glory! They also have a simple sturdy stick as a sidearm. [Common]
Slinger - The humble sling may not be the most impressive of weapons, but a strip of leather or rope is a cheap and serviceable armament. Their ammunition follows suit, being scavenged stones they find in the field. [Common]
(Magic User) - Initiates, Acolytes, Apprentices; whatever you may call them, these men and women are practitioners of the Noble Arts of the Arcane. Their talent is rather limited and unspecialized, however. Can utilize Common Spells [Rare]
Simple Raft - This piece of Naval Technology is really rather simple; being a series of logs tied together. Crude, but can keep its few passengers dryish. Usually. [Common]
Arcane Sparks - With a flourish of the arm, a series of small magical sparks surges forth, exploding on contact. They only have about the same potency as a large firecracker though. [Common]
Arcane Bolt - A stronger spell that's still basically a lump of mana thrown at the target. Much more potent than Arcane Sparks due to higher mana concentrations, though is rather inefficient. It is capable of killing a man instead of maiming at best, however. In spite of its cost, Lesser Magic Users can utilize it, though not all are capable. [Uncommon]
-Northern Coast-
Mix of Wetlands, lots of Rivers throughout. The actual coastline is a disturbingly normal beach for about 100 meters or so. The Grand River Itwephis borders it to the south
Shimmerrock Ravine - Mired Ruins - Shrouded Jungle
-The River Itwephis-
This Grand River is unlike any other in the world; it's extremely wide and very straight; with a notable depth. This does not mean that traversing it is simple, however...
-Southern Expanse-
This wide open expanse is largely flat with some minor hills. It is largely cold and dry. The Cursed Wastes lies to the south, the Grand River Itwephis marks the northern edge of the Expanse.
Steamspout Slopes - Steel Forest - Sparkling Fields
No peeking at the other team's thread. This'll spoil the surprise and fun about things, yes?
Be civil. You know, common sense stuff.
Think that's it. Yell at me if I forgot anything important here. Oh no I'm actually doing this. Please excuse me for a moment while I scream incoherently.
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Topic: Embers of the Past, A Fantasy Arms Race (Read 1453 times)