Sins of Our Forefathers - an intro

[Fallen_Icarus]

Hi,


I'm a relatively new Forgite and this is an intro to my first game of any note, Sin's of Our Forefathers.  A game set so far in the future, that at the time history begins, the known universe was populated and mankind had developed abilities that we would call magic. No other life forms were found in the universe. I say "was populated" because once knowledge of what came to be known as "The Decline" (minute and detrimental changes in the subatomic make-up of the universe) became commonly known, a great 30,000 yr war began, ending with the loss of 90% of the population, space travel, and all but the most common and reproducible of techs.  4,000 yrs pass and the isolated planets form functional civilizations again.  Currently however, The Decline has grown in influence and now affects the hearts of men, making them slaves to the worst of human inclinations.  Greed, depression, wrath, and lust prevail in a dying universe.  The PC's play ones who, for some reason or another, are "awakened" from this state and have an ethical system that they live by (though they don't always agree with others).  Called Journeymen by commoners, they travel in search of answers, justice, power, and countless other reasons.




The purpose of this post is three fold:

1) Give credit where credit is due.
2) Describe the whys and wherefores behind my creation of SooF
3) Give due warning to those that might be interested in the progress of the game that long posts are not my forte nor does my time allow for it very often, so please be patient.


I will approach these in reverse order.

The first should be self-explanatory and I would like to apologize to any interested parties in advance.

Secondly, I would like to start by saying that SooF is not a narrative game with loose, extremely innovative rules.  Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of those types of games, but in my heart of hearts I am a rules-monger.  I like systems, and that is what I have tried to stress in SooF.  Please keep this in mind during any criticism or comments.  As far as the choice of setting is concerned, I wanted a far-future setting that could blend the "character over technology" feel of Dune, with the grace and skill of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

And finally, though it will become apparent in later posts, the systems of the game are inspired by a number of other great games.  As I read in an intro to a different game here on the Forge, no game exists in a vacuum.  So here are some of the games that helped fill the void.  The attribute system is a product of The Window by Scott Lininger.  The skill system is based on thoughts about Fate/Fudge and the ingenuous "phase" character creation method.  Inspiration for the Aura and Task system also came from Refreshing Rain by Shreyas Sampat and 6000 yrs of Chinese culture.  Last but not least, a helpful thread about Anachronistic Sci-Fi.



This is not to imply that this is a complete game and in the following posts I would love feedback and comments to help it grow.

Thanks for reading,
Eric

[clehrich]

While I wait for scads of detail, a few things.

I assume you know Iain M. Banks and Gene Wolfe, who do the most elegant waaaaay future stuff around.

Please please please do me one little favor.  I know, I'm a pedant, but I teach writing these days, as punishment for my sins.

That's right, Sins[/b], not Sin's.  The plural is Sins.  The title should be Sins of Our Fathers.

Please?

Okay, sorry, pedant-mode has had its fix and will slumber peacefully for a bit.

Looking forward to some setting and rules!

[Mike Holmes]

Note that there's no necessary parallel between Narrativism and rules light implementation. In fact, from the sound of it, I'm betting that your game comes off more Narrativist than it sounds. I think more what your dealing with is level of Sim detail.

But that'll have to wait for the actuall mechanics. And not that it really matters. All these styles are good, so all that matters is that play looks like you want it to look.

Before anyone gets to it, what will play look like? Who are the characters (other than being different in that they have ethical systems)? What do they do?

Mike

[Fallen_Icarus]

Thanks for the correction Clehrich.  I have fixed the topic but left the mistake in my post so as to keep the understanding of the thread.


The purpose of this post is to outline in a little more detail the setting of SooF and describe possible adventure scenarios for PCs.  I think I'll try to do this in 4 sections:

1) The PC's current situation
2) Known and unknown history
3) Technology
4) Adventure ideas



The PCs would be humans living on a planet that was once part of a Great Imperium that spanned the entire universe, now isolated due to the loss of space travel.  What the PCs know about their world is up to the GM as each world could be significantly different.  Some things are the same wherever you go however.  Almost all civilization is just coming into their renaissance age.  Meaning flintlocks and duels, sabers, fantastic architecture copied from the relics of the ancient palaces (many of which still exist) and the cities that weren't destroyed in the war, etc.  Pockets of civilization, without any governing force, dot the landscape, which is, for the most part, wild and untamed, a dangerous place to travel.  Wealth is the only form of power.  Those with it make the only semblance of rulers on the planets.  Nobility, honor and goodness are replaced by greed, pride and corruption.  Slavery runs rampant.  The sun or suns seem to grow dimmer every year, and the winters harsher.  Earthquakes and other natural disasters are commonplace.  Humani still have the shadow of the ancient powers within them however.  They have the power to manipulate time through sheer force of will, though almost all have lost the ability or the desire to do so.  It is speculated that this is how the ancients traveled the stars, and with the help of the massive vessels that can be seen, sometimes with the naked eye, circling the worlds. No one knows for sure though.  Perhaps those are some of the secrets that are held in the minds of the ancients thinking machines, of which so many are buried in vast underground complexes, gone insane from loneliness.  Or maybe the old rulers of the race of machines known as the Mecorpus know the answers.  Though they claim to search just as the Humani do, only a fool would think they have nothing to hide in their whirring cities of brass, polished wood and gears.  In the past hundred years or so, the Journeymen have arrived, or rather appeared.  In a universe of decadence, they are the only stars that brightly shine.  Unlike the others, they believe in something.  About 5% of the population claim to be Journeymen now, and the three houses, or Dogi claim the majority of them.  There is Dogi Saber, dedicated to protecting the commoners.  They feel that the Journeymen are there to serve.  Dogi Parasite, the antithesis of the Saber, they feel that the Journeymen are a higher form of life that must feed on the remains of the common man to gain ascendance.  And then there Dogi Urim.  They believe that the answers to all the questions asked can be found in a study of the lost temprology arts and in the forgotten computers of old.


History, at best, begins with the Decline.  The knowledge of the change in the sub-atomic make-up of the universe sparks discord.  This insights riots throughout the Imperium, which eventually flare up into the Final War or Ag'nar-Ga'don.  In the course of the war, 90% of the population was lost and almost all of the technologies and skills that had been gained in the untold ages of history.  A heavy toll was taken upon every planet in the Imperium, leaving them drained of all their fossil fuels.  Once the war was over, the genetically superior flora and fauna that had been used or created to terraform each and every world, had free reign and therefore the survivors had a rough time of it.  4,000 yrs of history unfolded separetly for each planet, but tales of hardship, adventure and strife were common in them all.  100 yrs ago, the first of who would later be known as the Journeymen appeared.  With the sword of morality and the knowledge of good and evil under their belts, they started their search for answers and for each other.  Since the formation of the three Dogi, their goals have become more concrete.  Some people fear them, others just avoid them, but wherever they go, they are never accepted.


As mentioned before, almost all technology was lost by the end of the Final War, with two exceptions.  Advanced kinetics, the ability to enhance or offset inertial force, and the construction of super strong, ultra light plant based resins called, mistakenly, alloys. K-tech is fairly inexpensive to reproduce.  This allows for anyone with a little money to afford at least a small personal shield and movement device.  This technology has all but ended any large-scale battles for thousands of years and fostered civilizations that rely heavily on dueling and assassination to settle disputes.  Alloys are another story however.  Easy to create, incredibly hard to form, the weapons and armors made from the resin are very expensive and those who have them or can make them are men of influence and power.


As far as adventure ideas go, a number come to mind:

   - Traveling in search of other Journeymen
   - Rescuing towns from tyranny or oppression
   - The struggle to gain enough power to form a government
   - The accumulation of wealth (all business is barter as there is no coinage, however to say something is worth one Goru or literally, day, would mean an average person could make it in one 10 hour working day)
   - Trying to get off the planet to see if anyone else is alive
   - Honing the skills of a Temprologist
   - Delving into the underground ruins in search of ancient thinking machines
   - Fighting off giant, evolved creatures



These are pretty generic but, as you can see, a lot of possibilities could come up in the course of an adventure.

Hope this helps clarify the setting a little bit.  I hope to get the first post about the basic mechanic up in a day or two.





Thanks,
EVH

[Fallen_Icarus]

Hello again,

The purpose of this post will be to outline the basic resolution mechanic of SooF.  Its nothing new and will seem familier to most.


1) Take an applicable Attribute (i.e. Strength, Agility, Size, Knowledge, Keen, Drive or Vigor)
2) Roll the die that is assigned to it (between a d4 and d20) agianst a target #
3) If the # rolled is greater then the target #, the player succeeds


This means that if a PC has an AG of d6, he cannot, even on his best day, walk a tightrope with a target # of 10.

-   The number rolled can, however, be modified by a few things.


1) Add any applicable skill to the roll (i.e. acrobatics for the tightrope walker)
2) Wounds
3) Wagering Vitality (this is a key mechanic to the game and will be discussed more later)

Notice that all factors that could change the roll are "internal" or part of the PC.  Things like weather, distraction and encumberence should be added to the target #.

Target numbers range from 1 (a sure success) to 40 (literally impossible)


-   The same mechanic is used for combat with a couple exceptions.


1) Melee combat usually only has a target # if the person being attacked defends.  Its pretty easy to hit someone.
2) Ranged weapons use the range increment of the weapon as the primary target #.



There are a few other types of target numbers (T#) that will come up but they will be better described in later sections.


Thanks,
EVH

[Fallen_Icarus]

Ok, time for some character creation info if anybody is remotely interested.

Before anything, you should choose a concept, preferably based on a ethics system, moral, or virtue (either good or bad), to build your character around.

Then choose a race.  Even though most PCs are human, humans have changed from what we know today and there are now three distinct races of man that populate most planets.  Some of the terms below will be explained as you read on.

1) Solda.  These are the most populace and also the shortest lived of the Humani.  Solda are tall, ebony skinned, with black to red hair.  Their average age at death is 70 standard yrs.  Their Skill Phase Increment is 3 yrs.  They have a +1 Ag DS and a –1 St DS.  Solda have an British feel to there culture while clinging heavily to ancestor worship as their main religion.

2) Parrimen.  Parrimen are a little shorter then the other races, they have tan skin and white hair, usually worn long.  Avg. age at death is 110 with a Skill Phase Increment of 5 yrs.  They have a +1 DS to Kn and a –1 DS to Sz.  We would liken their culture to the Italians and they have Shinto style religions.

3) El Glambdi.  The El Glambdi are a long lived race with pale, thin skin, deep set eyes and no body hair.  Avg. age at death is 200 and their Increment is 7 yrs.  They have a +1 DS to Kl and a –1 DS to Vg.  For culture, think France but with a worship system based around several divine families.

4) Mecorpus.  The Mecorpus is actually a race of sentient robots left over after the war.  They can look however the player wants them to look with the approval of the GM, however, they usually are made with brass and dark stained woods on the outside and alloys for their internal workings.  The Mecorpus have no avg. age of death and their Skill Phase Increment is 15 yrs.  They cannot take a class, so they make up for it by having a specialty skill.  They get a +1 DS to St and Sz and a –1 DS to Ag.  Instead of the normal –2 that all PCs get for their Vi stat, Mecorpus characters get a –3.  They also get 3 free skill points to spend on one chosen skill every Skill Phase and no max cap on that skill.  Finally, they receive a free 1d10 wealth roll every Skill Phase.


Before we go on to Classes, we should now roll Attributes.  After you have rolled attributes, reference your race again to see what bonuses and penalties you get.


First, you’ve got your 8 stats:
three physical,
St (strength)
Ag (agility)
Sz (size)
three mental,
Kl (knowledge)
Kn (keen)
Dr (drive)
and two others,
Vg (vigor)
and
Vi (vitality)


Most of these are pretty basic.  Sz has to do with your ability to soak damage, Kn is wits and perception rolled into one, Dr is will power, Vg is health and endurance, and Vi is kind of like your soul or your essence.

Take one of each die type (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20) and roll them all at once, eight times, recording die that rolls lowest.  Ties can be chosen by the player.

Next assign each die to an attribute.

You may then choose to drop one attribute’s die size (DS) by one in order to raise a single d4 to a d6.

Afterwards, drop your Vi DS by two to a minimum of a d4. (i.e. a d12 would become a d8 and a d6 would become a d4)


It makes more sense to go over classes at the same time as skills so I'll save that for the next post.
Does anyone have any thoughts on the sysytem so far?

EVH

[Fallen_Icarus]

So now I'd like to run through classes and skills and stuff and then I'll leave this thread and start others about the more setting specific goodies.


There are 5 classes:

1) Forgers:

Choose 1 Occupation skill.  +1 Skill Point (SP) every Skill Phase Increment (SPI)
Free Trait - Innovative (VG)

2) Archivists:

Choose 3 Knowledge skills.  +1 SP every SPI
Free skill @ 3rd SPI - Language; Code (+1 if already taken)

3) Temprologist:

Free skills @ 2nd SPI - All Arcane skills (+1 if already taken)
Choose 1 Science skill.  One time +1 SP bonus

4) Outdoorsmen:

Choose 1 Outdoor skill.  +1 SP every SPI
Free Trait - Alert (VG)

5) Duelist:

Free Trait - Quick (VG)
May choose a Path without the skill restrictions



Now that that's done, you may want to choose a Path.  Paths are specialized fighting methods that require an extreme amount of training, and therefore limit the skill groups you can choose from.  Their names are:

Path of the Bending Branch
Path of the Ravenous Flame
Path of the Shining Shield
Path of the Yellow Mountain
Path of the Crystal Pool

Choosing one of these will give your character a big advantage in combat but allows you to only take skills in the Combat, Body and Outdoor groups.


On to skills.  First decide how many Skill Phase Increments you want to give your character.  Each race has its own SPI length.  For example, if you have a Solda who has 5 SPI he will be about 15 yrs old.  Each SPI should have a theme.  Traveling Years, Scholastic Investment, or Traitor would all be good choices.  Once you have good themes for your SPI roll your Kl attribute for each one.  The # rolled is the # of SP you have to spend on skills that Phase.

Note:  Your max skill rank can only be as high as the number of your current SPI unless noted otherwise in your race or class.


The skills are as follows:

BODY:

Acrobatics, Climbing, Meditation, Endurance, Escape, Riding, Sports, Dance

COMBAT:

Bow/Crossbow, Punching, Kicking, Grappling, Sword fighting, Staff fighting, Firearms, Heavy Weapons, Knife fighting, Thrown Weapon

SOCIAL:

Con, Gambling, Wise, Administration, Business, Diplomacy, Showmanship

SCIENCE:

Astronomy, Botany, Chemistry, Ecology, Geology, Math, Mechanics, Medicine, Physics, Fractology

KNOWLEDGE:

Anthropology, Archeology, Artistry, Economics, History, Law, Literature, Language, Theology, Psychology, Lore

COMPUTER:

Security Systems, Programs, Forgery, Computer, Electronics, Research

OCCUPATION:

Locksmith, Acting, Animal Husbandry, Architecture, Construction, Operator ____________, Instrument, Sing, Art, Writing, Demolition, Craft ____________, Weapon smith, Physician

OUTDOOR:

Sneak, Watch, Survival, Track, Traps, Hunting, Animal Handling, Swimming, Navigation, First Aid

ARCANE (Note - These skills cost 2 SP for 1 rank):

Compose, Abolish, Sustain, Visualize, Wield



Now go back and for each SPI, choose to either roll a d6 for a Trait, or spend that Phase to get wealth.  There are a number of options here as well.  First I'll explain Traits.  Traits come in four sizes:  Very Bad, Bad, Good, Very Good.  This is what it means if you roll a d6 for a trait

1 = Very Bad (2 extra dice)
2 = Bad (1 extra die)
3 = none
4 = none
5 = Good (1 extra die)
6 = Very Good (2 extra dice)

These are to be defined by the player and allow extra dice to be rolled when they apply.  Therefore a PC with a Very Good Trait; 20/20 vision, would roll his Kn 3 times and take the best when his vision was a factor.  Likewise, a PC with a Very Bad Trait; Poor health, would roll 3 die on Vg tests but this time, take the worst.

If you decide instead of rolling for a Trait on a particular SPI, to roll for wealth, roll one d10 and times it by 200.  That is how many "Goru" you have earned that Phase.  You may also choose to take either a Bad or a Very Bad Trait and roll either 1 or 2 more d10s respectively.  However they do not add together.  Instead, use the first d10 you roll for the "ones" place, the second d10 for the "tens" place, and the third for the "hundreds" place.  So a player who rolls a 3, 7, 0 would take as their earned "Goru" 370 x 200.

Remember, Goru is an abstract term for a days work.  There is no coinage in the worlds of SooF (unless you want there to be).  So all Goru must be spent on items before play begins.  If the GM approves a it, the players may have a stash of barter goods that remain undefined until they are used, but in know way may they be useful for anything else.


So that wraps up a good portion of the CC for the game.  I'm going to start some other threads about specific mechanics that I would like some help with later.  For now, at least this much is up for easy reference.

If anyone has any ideas as to how to streamline anything so far please let me know.

Thanks,
EVH