[Strife]Walking the line

[Inner Circle Inc]

In American society today, and most of the world, there are certain things that aren't supposed to be messed with, religion being one of those.

The situation we're in, is that we have a back drop based heavily on Christian mythology and the Occult.  What I'm wondering is whether it will prove to be an advantage or a disadvantage?  Will people not play our game based on the sheer fact that it's theoretically possible, at the higher levels, to become one with God, or will it prove to be one of those "There's no such thing as bad publicity" things?

[Andrew Martin]

...it's theoretically possible, at the higher levels, to become one with God,...

Is this the key part of your game system that makes it different from AD&D?

Regarding your system's class/level names:

"Ninja" doesn't fit as a class/level name as it's Japanese. Neither does "Saboteur" for a similar reason. Similarly for "Barbarian" and "Berserker". Berserkers were the god-touched warriors for their culture, Norse or Saxon, IIRC. Barbarians were the Greek's names for foreigners or a warrior from a foreign primitive culture, as in the Conan stories..

"Squire" and "Knight" are placed in wrong order; they shouldn't be placed after "Fighter" and "Soldier"; instead, they should be placed as a separate path, with "Page", like: "Page", "Squire", "Knight" as this was the normal progression in the European Medieval culture for a boy, teenager and young man of the noble classes.

"Avatar" should not appear in your class/level as an Avatar is actually a fragment of the god sent down to the mortal world.

"Magi" is a plural of "Wise man" or "Mage", and so shouldn't appear as a class/level name.

"Templar" is the name of a member of the Templars an order of knightly monks in the medieval middle ages, who fought in the middle east. Giving it as the name of a class tree devoted to what looks like scholars, seems very strange.

"Revenant" is the name of a form of ghost or undead.

Sure you could change the meaning of these words, but that makes your game system harder to understand, as each time a reader tries to read your system, for every word, they have to think, "now does this word mean what I and many, many, many people know what it means, or does it mean something different?"

Have you considered simply copying the AD&D class/level names? Or perhaps dropping them entirely? D&D 3.0 and 3.5 seem to have no trouble with this approach.

What do you think?

[Inner Circle Inc]

Hi Andrew, I think you've got a few things misplaced in your analysis, let me go ahead and fill you in on why we feel it's alright to utilize names from so many cultures in our game.  Simply put, the history of Origin. . .

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In The Beginning

   It is said that Man came from the Garden of Eden, a wondrous, lush, ever prosperous place.  It was a land where food grew plentifully, where trees and bushes provided shade by softly flowing streams.  Animals, great and small lived in harmony.  Life and Death were as integral and as accepted as any other part of life, for in those days, death was not the end.  It is said that man lived until he died, only to be reborn and live again, but alas, it was not to be.  The One created man in his image, to act as stewards of Eden, but in Heaven there was dissension between The One and his angels.  Lucifer, the Mourning Star gathered those loyal to him, and pleaded with The One to give him the gift of Free Will, the Gift that man kind had been blessed with.  The One refused, and in his prideful anger, Lucifer stormed to Eden, intent on turning Man against The One.  He and his angels whispered of wonderful things to the ears of Man, tales of being equals with The One, of power, of greed, of pride.  Man fell easily into his trap, and with the help of the angels, Man attacked The One.  The One struck Man down, and banished him far from Eden, to the West, to a place called Earth.  As reminder, The One created the star Adam to watch over Man, a beacon to the East to remind Man of what he had lost.  Years passed, and Man slowly forgot of Eden, it sinking into legend, myth until finally if fell before Science.  Man grew, and grew more powerful.  Man mastered his universe, turning his prison into his playground . . . it seemed that Man could last until the end of the universe . . . but that was not enough.  Man still dreamed of Lucifer's whispers, they dreamed of power, money, and everlasting life, yet without Eden, they could not reclaim it.  That is, until they found the Ark.  The Ark of the Covenant was more than simple legend . . . it was The One's forgiveness for Man when they would release their pride.  IT was the key to Eden.  They came by the billions, some with hopes of Heaven, others with hope of a new beginning, the Ark was uncovered by them, not simply a box, but the ship built by Noah to escape the wrath of The One.  Sealed within was The One's covenant. . . a promise that one day, Man would be allowed back into Eden, and from there, would be allowed into the kingdom of Heaven.  They took to the massive ship, and found within a wealth of ancient knowledge, but most importantly, the exact location of Eden.


Return to Eden

   To go through a star is simple . . . to survive the trip is what is difficult, so Man created the Four Stars as his guide.  A star to control Light, a star to control Magnetism, a star to control Gravity, and a star to control the very basis of reality itself. . . the Atom.  Called the Light Star, the Drawing Star, the Black Star, and the Shadow Star, they were constructed and built upon the hull of the starship, each one working to neutralize the destructive pull and heat of the star until the center could be reached . . . the center that would bring them to Eden.  It is said that three billion made the journey, Three billion men women and children left.  They traveled through the star, till they came to the center and passed through . . . exiting in a world with no stars, no sun. Simply a crossroad between a realm of soft, inviting light, and harsh, inky darkness.  They turned towards the light, moving towards what we now call Elysium, but were stopped at a massive gate.  They were turned back, but in His benevolence, Man was allowed back into Eden.


The Second Fall

   Man was not satisfied with this, for Elysium was so close, while Eden was still part of the Shadow Realms.  Then, the demons returned.  They started simply enough, whispering to Man, reminding them that there was a better world within sight . . . if The One would not give it, then Man must take it.  Man re-boarded the starship, minds full of glory, determined to prove their worth to The One. . . They assaulted the gates, but Abbadon was not as steadfast an ally as they seemed, and attacked man from behind.  In the Chaos, the Seraphim opened the gates and attacked, driving Abbadon back to the depths, and banishing Man to Eden once more.  In anger, The One decreed that for 400,000 years, man would not touch the surface of Eden and live.  He released the demons, giving them free rein to feed on any above ground by night, and his angels, free rein to kill any above ground by day.  The Ark. . . . the magnificent ship that Man had used to both escape and return to Eden, was destroyed and scattered above Eden, floating in perpetual twilight.  The four Stars were kept intact, and floated serenely above Eden, giving Man light, warmth, and food during his Exile.   Years passed, and The One lifted the decree, Angels unsealing the caves that Man had hidden in during his banishment.  As they took their first steps back into Eden, Mankind swore to be faithful to The One once more.  The demons never left Eden, they kept moving by night, always running from sunrise and feeding upon whatever humans they could find.  Man's numbers drastically dropped by night, and Man scrapped to survive however he could.  Some moved to the north and south lands, where the land was in perpetual twilight, though the cold killed nearly as many as the demons.  Others wielded the powers of the four stars, some even going as far as to tap the power of their souls to call upon great inner power in their fight.  Still others took up arms and fought against the Night itself.


The Desecration

   Wars raged, as Wars will rage, but Man spread across Eden once more, each being shaped by the environment he found himself in.  Though strife still existed, Man thrived, growing stronger. ..  That is, until the Desecration.  Demons existed with Man, an uneasy truce forged by might of spell and weapon that held them at bay.  War raged constantly between heaven and hell, Elysium and Abbadon always seeking to destroy the other, though as Abbadon watched Man's power grow, it grew hungry for the power of the four Stars. . . a power which it believed would help it to destroy The One once and for all.  Abbadon launched the greatest of its black crusades, a battle so fierce that the Seraphim themselves were sent to Eden.  Man fought along side the Seraphim, being slaughtered by the thousands as Abbadon tapped the power of the Shadow Star, and killed Man cities at a time.  They talk of a time on earth where weapons of terrifying potential were used, weapons that in the blink of an eye could vaporize a city, killing millions at a time.  Abbadon had gained access to these weapons once more, and Man responded in kind.  Eden rippled with the destruction across it, each battle leaving gaping scars across its surface.  As Man pushed Abbadon back, Elysium launched a final, desperate raid . . . an assault on the Shadow Star itself.  Though Abbadon fought to defend it, in the end, the forces of Elysium were victorious and knocked the Shadow Star out of alignment, upsetting the precarious balance all satellites were on.  The Desecration had come to an end, but Man's technology was no more, everything ceasing function as the power source in the sky dried up.  Worse yet, Man's magic had ceased to function. War once more returned to Eden, a land whose name was changed to Origin as the first step in Man's quest to rejoin The One.


The Church

   They bill themselves the only way to salvation, a direct link from Elysium to Origin.  Many follow them, at least in name, if not in practice, for they are a powerful organization, and one that you should not ever cross.  Controlling the Paladin Legions and the Clergy, as well as Healers Guilds, they have more power in Origin than any other group.  No one receives healing without the blessing of the Church, and those that cross them rarely live to tell the tale.  The Church is split into five orders, the largest being the Healing House.  Guarded by Acolytes, always with Clerics near by to preach to the sick and injured, it is a peaceful place, healing poor and wealthy without requiring payment or giving preference.  The second section of the Church is the political section, comprised of powerful Paladins and Clerics, or the odd Inquisitor or Avatar, they act as bodyguard and spiritual advisor to city governors, mayors, and councilmen.  The third, and most feared branch of the church is the Inquisition.  Lead by a council of Inquisitors, it is these men that oust evil where they find it, no matter where it may lurk.  No amount of money or power will stop them, and the fear neither man nor demon.  Usually working alone, Inquisitors have been known to call upon the Paladin legions to assist them in uprooting cults and dispatching of deeply entrenched and powerful enemies.  The greatest foe that the Inquisition faces, comes not from the demons that stalk Origin, it comes from within, by practitioners of magic.  Mages are distrusted by the Inquisition, for power corrupts and mages hold great power, some able to call forth the forces of Abbadon itself to further their cause.  The fourth branch and most militarily powerful branch is the Legion.  Composed of hundreds of thousands of Paladins and Clerics, they are the sword arm of the church, holding Demons at bay well outside of city walls.  Using Acolyte spotters in specially constructed guard towers, combined with roving bands of Clerics, Paladins, and Healing House Mages, the Legion is man kinds only defense against evil.  The fifth and final branch of the church is the Council.  Composed of an elder Avatar and an elder Inquisitor from each church within the organization, they are the voice of the people that allows the Church to function at a large scale.  Reporting everything from tithes, to demonic incursions, to new philosophies and religious beliefs that pop up inside their jurisdiction, they command the Legion, the Inquisition, the Spiritual Advisors, and the Healing House.  


The Templar

   Not all see the Church as a force of good, and many see the corruption within the church as a metaphorical corruption of society as a whole.  They call themselves the Templar, an allusion to tales from the time before Origin of holy knights that fought to better man kind, and they are the keepers of all knowledge in Origin.  Some call them the most powerful of all the sects, some whisper that they are more powerful than the church, not having the restriction on magical research that the Church has imposed.  If something is known, the Templar are the most likely to know it, though this has put them at a precarious position.  The Templar have released most of the advances that have pushed mankind forward, creating a renaissance of sorts, but at the same time, have culled the wrath of the Church.  Though the Church has no great love for the Templar, and openly is at odds with them, behind closed doors both work together towards the same goal. . . moving Man Kind closer to becoming one with The One.  Wielding extensive knowledge from nearly every single aspect of combat, warrior Templar are fearsome opponents.  While not as strong as a Fighter, nor as sneaky and agile as a rogue, nor powerful as a mage, the Templar is able to bring with him whatever  skills he may need, some able to tap the powers of even the most powerful of mages, the most agile or rogues, and the strongest of fighters after extensive training.


The World Today

   Night still houses the horrors it did, and those not safely within city walls risk being taken and devoured, or worse.  The daytime brings simply the strife humanity creates for itself, war, famine, murder, trickery and the like.  Two forces battle for control of Origin from the outside, within, thousands battle for control.  The two most powerful are the Church and the Templar, the first wishing to bring humanity a better tomorrow through service, sacrifice, and religion, the second seeking to bring humanity a better tomorrow through science.  Though often at odds, both tolerate the other on the outside, and rarely go beyond heated debates behind closed doors.  Though the Church is more worried of defending humanity from the demonic threats the night brings, it is not unknown for the Paladins and Clerics of the church to work in close tandem with city officials to keep order within its walls, however the wild lands are a different story.  Bands of robbers and bandits roam the day time, along with freelance mercenary groups and the odd adventurous party looking for trouble, there is no law outside of cities' walls, though even within them, all the presence of guards means is that crime is committed through wide reaching underground networks.  There is no shortage of work to be done, as there is always another witch's cult, or ancient artifact, or forbidden ritual that needs to be destroyed, protected, or found, and there is no lack of employers looking for those brave enough to face the night and laugh.  Demons walk among us, my child; they inhabit the bodies of the dead, the bodies of your friends.  They are everywhere, always seeking to corrupt Humanity, and to destroy Elysium.  I have seen a dying man re-grow missing limbs and regain unholy health. . . I have watched the Church's Alter boys make sacrifices to dark gods at the orders of corrupted priests.  I have seen the Templar Archives, and I have read through the texts both the Church and the Templar wish to hide . . . for it speaks of a dark time coming . . . it speaks of an apocalypse . . . an end, following this age of strife.


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Eli and I were well aware of the meanings of the words we chose for our classes, and we felt that they best exemplified the nature of the class itself.  Note, we've several thousand years of history to play with in the formation of cultures, we also have the pre-existing history of earth to work with as we see fit.  The Templar chose that name based on the Knight Templar of old, however History tends to become corrupted as it is passed down, especially if humanity were to suffer a particularly catastrophic fall, IE the second fall of man and later the desecration.  Our philosophy has not been to reinvent the wheel, rather we've wanted to take the approach Blizzard took, and simply make a really good looking wheel.  What you will find missing are the elves, goblins, orcs, and so forth that seem so rife in every other fantasy setting. . . in its place, we have pitted players against "Monsters" who are as human as they are, albeit stronger differences between the "Race" of humanity.  Yes, we have demons and angels, yes we have "zombies" in the form of Yyoma, however we've drawn far more from Henry Cornelius Agrippa's "Three Books of Occult Philosophy" than from the D&D Core Rules.  We had considered taking the AD&D approach, yet we do not want to put out a system that is simply a clone of the tried and true, we would like to try something different, and I believe that they system as a whole works.  In conclusion, the class names reflect the mentality and ability of the class, as well as being an allusion to the history of Earth and how it has changed.  Revenants are rather disturbing, and nigh ghost like in their ability to mess with an opponent's mind, Templar are a band on a self proclaimed holy mission to free humanity, yet are distrusted and ostracized by the Church at large (Philip the Fair, anyone?).  Magi is an advanced mage, no real deviation there, Avatar's abilities make him more or less a direct link to The One, or God if you will, no conflict inherent here.  Squire and Knight are advanced versions of the Soldier line, representing a change in the importance of armored troops (more is better) in an era without gunpowder.  Ninja and Saboteur do exactly what they claim they do, while Barbarians and Berserkers would be seen by just about all as. . . well, uncouth.  As most people live in the cities, they, along with the Ranger/Druid line are oddities as they do not run for the protection of the City walls when Night falls.  I hope this helps to enlighten you as to our goals.  

-Paul of Inner Circle