basic outline for "fairy tale" game (premise &

[Green]

I.  Once Upon a Time
 A.  Introduction
 B.  Premise
      1.  A world where magic is real and normal
      2.  Used to be balance between the forces of dark and light
           a.  Darkness tainting the magic, threatening to turn the whole  realm into a world of horror and nightmare
      3.  But, every now and then, heroes arise who take up the challenge to subdue the darkness.
          a.  Most do not know the threat they face, but, guided by destiny, fairy guardians, or the power of their own wits, they seek to make the world right again.
          b.  Yet, these heroes are not flawless; to overcome the greater darkness, they must first confront the darkness within themselves.
     4.  Their success becomes legend, inspiration for future generations
          a.  Their failures are warnings.
II.  In a land far, far away
 A.  The Land
      1.  The landscape of this realm changes, shifts constantly according to the will of the greater forces that guide magic
      2.  Despite this, there are definite regions within The Land, with their own flavor and customs
           a.  The North
           b.  The South
           c.  The East
           d.  The West
     3.  Some realms, though, are named by type; they are present in all the cardinal directions, though called by different names in different tongues
         a.  The Woods
         b.  The Deep
         c.  The Heavens
         d.  The Sea

More will come later, when I have time.

[Mike Holmes]

I'm not sure if you have a title for the game, yet. "Once Upon a Time" has already been taken, but "Far, Far Away" hasn't as far as I know. Might make a cool title.

I don't have much to say about the organization, other than it sounds pretty good to me. But then, we really can't tell from the outline what each chapter is about. Instead of guessing, could you post a sentence explaining the contents of each?

Mike

[Laurel]

What kind of influence are actual fairy tales going to be having?  Like Mike said, the outline was a good start, but it doesn't provide the reader with much concrete information by itself.

[Green]

Like I said, "More when I have the time."

[Green]

Concept
Your character's concept is the general gist of who the character is.  It is the broad brush strokes that describe your character's personality and motivations.  For example, "vengeful son" or "fugitive gingerbread man."
Here are some basic ideas, but the list is far from complete:

Damsel NOT in distress
Tribal chieftain
Servant
Royal heir
Criminal
Entertainer

From the concept, you develop your character's personality even further.  Think about the heroes and villains of your favorite tales.  What were their primary characteristics?  Do likewise for your character.  What are his primary characteristics?  How do they help or hurt him?  These basic traits will determine your character's Redeeming Virtues and Tragic Flaws.

Redeeming Virtues and Tragic Flaws influence how your character may act at crucial times, especially when confronted with temptation.  Redeeming Virtues are those traits that help your character, giving him a push from inside when things are hanging in the balance.  They are the things that your character will be praised for once her tale is over.  Despite the lure of revenge, perhaps your character is too merciful, and avoids becoming like the fiend he seeks to destroy.  A Tragic Flaw is a trait that can mean your character encounters a great deal of pain and loss, perhaps even doom, when he succumbs to it.  When your character is about to fulfill her destiny, will she overcome her love of gold to bring her fate to fruition, or will she succumb to this and perhaps be destroyed because of it?

The list below are some sample Redeeming Virtues and Tragic Flaws.  Feel free to create more according to the Talespinner's (for lack of a better term) discretion.

Redeeming Virtues:  Generous, Humble, Kind, Merciful, Brave, Patient, Chaste
Tragic Flaws:  Greedy, Proud, Cruel, Vengeful, Cowardly, Hot-tempered, Wanton

Having your character's Redeeming Virtues and Tragic Flaws figured out, it is easier to determine the Type you will play.  Of course, humans are the default Type for player characters, but there are also other Types that make viable PCs.  It may even be that your character's true form has been magically altered, and your body resembles the Types presented.  So many tales have been told of princes and princesses trapped in the forms of frogs, swans, and other animals.  One unfortunate man was even transformed into a hideous beast, but he was fortunate to have a true love to kiss him back to human form.  Other young men were not so fortunate.  

Consider the following types:

Little Person (fairy, elf, leprechaun, etc).  Little People are essentially species that are like humans in intelligence and tool usage, but are usually smaller than the average person.  The tallest little person is about the same height as a short human adult (about 5 ft.), but exceptions do exist.  It is rumored that there are fairies as tall as giants living somewhere in the Woods, although this has yet to be proven.  However, one thing that often separates Little People from humans is that Little People often include magic as one of their tools.  They seem to have an innate knack for it, particularly in Green, Red, and Blue magics* (more on magics later, which I should have addressed in my first post).  This may be an adaptation to their native environments (most originate in the Woods) Unlike people, however, they tend to share a distaste for Black and White magics, although, once again exceptions do exist.

Construct (doll, puppet, gingerbread man, etc.).  Constructs are beings who have manufactured bodies yet, through magic or some other means, have gained sentience and will.  Like most people, they vary in size, shape, color, and function.  Their abilities tend to closely match the material they are made of as well as their size.  Large, iron constructs tend to be stronger and more durable than most people, whereas small, porcelain constructs tend to be weak and frail.  Sadly, many Constructs do not tend to live long because of the material they are made of (iron rusts, wood rots, porcelain breaks, etc), but some, through superior craftsmanship or magic, manage to outlive generations of humans.  Very, very few constructs practice magic.  Those that do tend to be humanoid.  The reasons for this are unclear, although it is rumored that some constructs undertook a quest to seek the answer.

Intelligent Animal.  Animals with human reasoning capabilities are actually quite common.  They tend to stick to their native habitats, though, because they have figured out they have better chances of survival there (For instance, finding an intelligent fish walking around in The Land is very unlikely).  Some, however, are curious about the human worlds.  It would seem like they get the best of both worlds: animal instinct with human intelligence.  However, like all animals, they are what they are, for good or ill.  Some animals develop an affinity for magic, but they, like the Little People, tend to focus on Red, Blue, and Green magics, for these are most familiar to their natures.

Monster.  Like humans, monsters are completely and totally unique.  What separates Monsters from natural animals lie in the fact that instead of evolving, they are created.  They are not like Constructs because their bodies are not crafted.  Most Monsters are magically created.  Some look like a hodgepodge of animals.  Others are twisted forms of normal creatures.  Many of them are formidable, and many have strange weaknesses.  Some are vulnerable to sunlight, others to water, some to certain precious metals.   Of course, if a monster is aware of having a particular weakness, it is unlikely that he will tell others what it is.  While most monsters do not practice magic (unusual, given their origins), many of them are extremely vulnerable to White and Black magics.  The natures of monsters are as varied as human nature, but a general rule to follow is that the more human a monster appears, the more dangerous it is likely to be.

[Green]

Now we get to what your character is made of and what she can do.  These things are measured in Blessings, Curses, and Talents.

Blessings, obviously, are aspects of your character that help her in certain situations.  A Very Nimble character can do much more when speed and coordination are involved than one who lacks that Blessing.  

Curses hinder your character, or at least make life a little less comfortable for him.  A character who is Quite Foolhardy faces more difficulties in life than one who is neither Wise nor Foolhardy.  

(Insert title) works on bonuses and penalties.  Average is the norm, so there is no need to increase or decrease traits.  So, when it comes to Blessings and Curses, the average rating is none at all.  However, since we are speaking about characters beyond average, there is a system for determining exactly how different they are from the norm.  Each rating determines any bonuses or penalties they get to task resolution rolls involving that particular Blessing or Curse.

Quite (+1)  While not unusual, a character who is Quite Blessed or Quite Cursed is noticeable.  
Very (+2)  A character who is Very Blessed or Very Cursed is significantly above or below average in the Blessing or Curse he has.  He may even have a nickname based on it (such as Town Savant or Village Idiot), although, once again, most people know someone like him.
Extraordinarily (+4)  Extraordinarly Blessed characters may use their Blessings to make a profession and make it to the top of their field.  An Extraordinarily Nimble character can easily excel in acrobatics.  Extraordinarily Cursed characters often go out of their way to avoid being hurt by their curses.  For instance, Extraordinarily Frail characters do not like to venture outdoors because of the risk of disease, nor do they like to do heavy exercise for fear of getting hurt.  Many debilitating illnesses (such as hemophilia) are Extraordinary Curses.
Legendary (+6)  Legendary Blessings and Curses are so rare that, within a hundred years, only one such person is likely to possess Blessings or Curses of its type.  At this level, your character's Blessing or Curse impacts the world around her, and may gain fame or notoriety based upon it.  At this point, your character is defined by his Blessing or Curse.  Helen of Troy was a Legendary Beauty.  Certain Legendary Curses can make a character unplayable, especially those who are Legendary Dullards and those who have Legendary Frailty.  

At this stage, you get to have fun with numbers.  Your character get the following Blessings:  3 Quite, 2 Very, 1 Extraordinary.  It doesn't have to be exactly like this.  You may trade in particular ratings to get either a stronger Blessing or more Blessings at a lower rating.  Of course, if this is not enough, you may always take Curses equal to the level of the Blessing you want.  The conversion rates are:

1 Extraordinary=2 Very=3 Quite
1 Legendary=2 Extraordinary

It is the same for Blessings and Curses.  So, if you'd like to get an additional Extraordinary Blessing, and you don't want to trade in any Very Blessed or Quite Blessed traits, you can take an Extraordinary Curse, 2 Very Cursed, or 3 Quite Cursed traits.  Legendary Blessings and Curses are up to the discretion of your Talespinner.

Some examples of Blessings and Curses are:
Strong/Feeble
Nimble/Clumsy
Stalwart/Frail
Keen Sense/Impaired Sense
Clever/Dull
Wise/Foolhardy
Fair/Foul
Immunity (type)/Vulernability (type).  Let's go with Poison as an example.  A person who is Quite Immune to poison will probably not suffer the side effects of rolling around in poison oak.  Toxins meant to hinder won't affect him, but lethal poisons will still kill him stone dead.  A person who is Very Immune to poison will fall ill if he imbibes lethal toxins, but the illness is short-lived.  He'd only WISH he were dead.  For this reason, many poison-testers in royal palaces are Very Immune to poison.  Symptoms can still arise, though it won't harm the taster.  Extraordinary Immunity to poison means that this character keeps cobras for pets.  A Legendary Immunity to poison: Pass the hemlock, will ya?
Rich/Poor
Famous/Infamous
Good/Bad Fate
Good/Bad Luck

Some traits, though, can only be Blessings.  These include:

Magical Affinity (color).  Note:  Your character MUST have this Blessing to be able to work magic.  A higher rating gives you an increased affinity for a particular kind of magic or Quite an affinity for more kinds of magic.  If choosing the latter option, the ratings go: Quite (1 color), Very (2 colors), Extraordinarily (4 colors), Legendary (all colors)

Blue Blood.  The rating determines how far from the throne your character is.  Quite a Blue Blood is a minor noble, A Very Blue-Blooded individual is at the middle eschelons of nobility.  An Extraoridinarily Blue-Blooded character is either a monarch or an heir to the throne.  At the Legendary level, it probably means that your character is a direct descendant from the first ruler of your nation, no matter who is on the throne now.

Feel free to expand on the list, but make sure it is fine with everyone in the group.

With Blessings and Curses, it is important to note where they came from.  Was your character born with a particular Blessing or Curse?  Did he aquire it through experience?  Or, was it magic that Blessed or Cursed him so?

Talents are those skills and abilities that your character learns over time.  While it may be said that a character was born to use a certain Talent, they still require experience to discover and develop.  Talents go along the same ratings as Blessings and Curses, but this time, your character is allotted: 4 Quite, 3 Very, 2 Extraordinary.  The exchange rate is the same as for Blessings and Curses.  At this point, however, a character is limited to one Legendary Talent.  A list of some Talents available are:

Archery
Craft (type)
Fencing
Fighting
Hunting
Languages
Music (instrument)
Riding
Sorcery (color)
Sport
Smithing
Weaving

Again, feel free to add to the list, but make sure that the group agrees with it.

[Henry Fitch]

My gut instinct, probably wrong, is to just stick with Blessings and Curses and forget Talents. It seems like skill development isn't too important in this genre, and that level of detail isn't needed. If a character is defined by a skill, couldn't you just take something like "legendary swordsman" as a Blessing?

[Jared A. Sorensen]

A list of some Talents available are:

Archery
Craft (type)
Fencing
Fighting
Hunting...(snip)

Whoop! Whoop!Laundry list warning...

Rather than just do the same-old, same-old list of skills, why not dive down to the root of what these skills actually represent?

I'll explain.

What is the difference between fencing, fighting, archery and hunting?

Well, what is the GOAL of the person with this talent?

Por ejemplo: if i'm a good shot with a bow, am I a hunter? A sportsman? A soldier? A martial artist? Each person uses "skill with the bow" for an entirely different purpose...and those purposes are what I'd like to see being explored.

So instead of your list, maybe:

Murder
Survival
Beauty
Craftsmanship
Inner Peace
Perfection
Protection
Creation

Obviously, some of these don't align themselves with every kind of skill...but many of them DO. The poisoner, pharmacist and cook all mix ingredients to produce a "thing" -- but the poisoner's goal is murder, the pharmacist's is health and the cook's is to create something tasty and/or nice to look at.

[Green]

Jared> I haven't thought of it like that, but you have a point.  I like that approach.  I can imagine, say, Fencing for the purpose of Beauty, or Singing to Hurt People.  However, I'll take One winged coyote's suggestion too, and make particular Skills as Blessings.  Perhaps having foci for the skills, or special ends that your character is meant to have...

Such as:

Murder Most Foul
Creating Beauty
Surviving
Defending
Hurting People
Increasing Knowledge
Pacifying the Spirit

What I like about this system is that it actually makes you roleplay the special talents of your character, as opposed to just rolling stuff.  Of course, individual Blessed Skills may have different purposes.  So, you can be Quite Blessed at Cooking, and be Very Blessed as far as Pacifying the Spirit and Creating Beauty are concerned.  So, your character would be at a higher modifier when using his Blessings for those particular Talents then if used for other ends (such as killing people).  

I like that.  I think I might use it.

[Ron Edwards]

Hey,

So far, so good. I'm interested in this material, and folks' comments so far have corresponded to my concerns.

My only suggestion at this point is to check out Puppetland, either in its original (shorter) free form or in its book form.

Oh, and Green, you might consider that people posting to your thread are not clamoring for your attention, but rather offering their time and effort. When they ask questions, no one is pushing you to "hurry up and answer." If you don't want us to do that until you have time to add more material, then be clear about that and people will respect it.

Best,
Ron