PbP Troupe-style Game Recruitment (Closed)

I hope you won’t be disappointed in my obvious softness in allowing you to use the rolling method from Dragon #39 for your primary “Adventurer” character:

“Roll 4d6 seven times. Record the sum of the three highest six-sided dice. If that sum is six or less, reroll at once. The sums must be recorded in order. The player is allowed two chances to alter the numbers as recorded. She may switch the positions of two of the numbers and she may discard one number – not necessarily the lowest one.”

You may not combine this with the ACKS core raising of a prime requisite ability or abilities by sacrificing points in other abilities.

I very much like “organic” characters, and I especially do not like frequently occurring characters with an 18 in their prime requisite.

You can use the other rolls above for your entourage characters (similarly without raising/sacrificing).

Hmm...having trouble getting the dice roller to do 4d6, drop the lowest. I'll have to test a bit...

edit: Interesting. The documentation claims this should work, but it did not.

(Sadly I’m not signing up to play, I just don’t have the brainspace for another game.)

Fixed now.

 

Update: when I actually type the syntax in right, it's fixed....

Trying it…
Ok, so I did 8 because you said drop 6 or less. Now I could swap the positions of any 2, and remove any 1?

Also, did I do it right… I edited the post each time to roll the next roll.

Rolling

Main Character's ability scores!

Frontier style game, perhaps - either a "New World" (lost world?) sort of thing, or more Western-style, new frontier or gold rush sort of situation. As businessmen, prospectors, land-grant-holders...all of the above.

Yes, and possibly, depending on the troupe and how you see your character “fitting in”.

First, you need to agree on the nature of your troupe: the reason your Adventurers find yourselves in the company of one another, likely the motivation for the activities you will pursue together, and perhaps influencing how you interact with the campaign world.

The suggestions you’ve made so far are (in physical order of posting):

o A Silk Road campaign, in a caravan, trading our own accounts

o Like the Black Company, our own mercenary band at the platoon level

o A ruffians troupe

o The denizens of a small keep (on the borderlands?)

o A circus troupe that puts on performances as a cover for larceny/espionage.

o Decadent sons and daughters of aristocrats looking for adventures to relieve their boredom.

o Heretics of the state religion one step ahead of the religious authorities.

o Guardians of a sacred artifact trying to protect it from the many groups that want it.

o A frontier style game, either a “New World” (lost world?) sort of thing, or a more Western-style, new frontier or gold rush sort of situation.

You can continue to make suggestions to one another, or highlight the opportunities you see for a particular troupe concept.

Then, perhaps you can each list your first three preferences, so we can look for intersections of interests and make a selection.

That looks right.

Yes, now you can swap the positions of any 2, and remove any 1, or vice versa. You are not required to swap, but obviously you must drop 1.

The order of your rolls is as presented in ACKS:

Str
Int
Wis
Dex
Con
Cha

Unless I’m missing something, you get a 7th roll, then choose one to drop, etc.

Oh, the danger of putting the inmates in charge :slight_smile:

I was looking at the suggestions, and trying to come up with a way to blend a few…

How about something combining these concepts? We’re the leaders of a troupe of ruffians trying to establish/hold onto a small fortress on the edge of the frontier.

Some military stuff, some finance stuff (can we trade with the natives or is it all war?) Maybe there are rumors of the equivalent to the fountain of youth (or whatever) to go questing after, too.

[quote="DrPete"] How about something combining these concepts? We're the leaders of a troupe of ruffians trying to establish/hold onto a small fortress on the edge of the frontier. Some military stuff, some finance stuff (can we trade with the natives or is it all war?) Maybe there are rumors of the equivalent to the fountain of youth (or whatever) to go questing after, too. [/quote]

A fortress, somewhat dilapidated, reclaimed from a previously failed attempt at settlement (war, winter, drought, disease...) on a new shore; the sunset lands beyond said to be chock full of the ruins of an unknown empire, full of indescribable treasures, now ruled by beasts and beastmen; the children of that empire lost in disparate and desperate tribes.

Interest again begins to stir in the known kingdoms; can a small group of like-minded mercenaries make their fortunes before the old crowns set anchor to lay their claims and their taxes?

 

 

Wait, didn't you just describe standard ACKS?

[quote="bobloblah"]

Wait, didn't you just describe standard ACKS?

[/quote]

Yea..well..erm...standard ACKS is just that good it subsumes and supplants all thematic elements of a campaign.

....wanders off muttering....

A secondary element, but if we’re talking about the ruins of an ancient empire, what flavor of that do we like? The ruins of ancient Rome, ancient Egypt, Indian, Thailand, Africa, Mayan…? A million flavors of ancient empire :slight_smile:

Of all those ideas, I like the keep idea the best.

Maybe it could be on the borderlands!

To summarize the latest discussion, your troupe is an expeditionary group of opportunistic adventurers seeking a base from which to expand your operations, ideally a keep (on the borderlands).

If this is your choice, the final step in discussing your troupe is considering any initial purchases of a “household”. Excerpted from my original post:

“… each player may contribute as much of her starting budget as desired to the Company, or the reason that brings the players’ troupes together. This combined budget may be used for a one-time initial purchase of the Company “household” at half the normal price.”

Your desired household would seem to be a “keep” or similar. I see two obvious possibilities:

  1. One or more of you price out a “keep” (dilapidated/incomplete or otherwise) you can afford with contributions from each Adventurer’s budget.

  2. Your troupe’s first adventure will be to secure a keep, an expedition likely requiring your troupe’s full complement.

I'd vote for securing the keep for our first adventure.  It would mean more if we had to pay the iron price to get it.