Character challenges (draft)

Domain maintainer: Brian Bors

This domain will be used for generic conditions that add additional (roleplaying) challenges to your character. They generally don't come with rewards, apart from playing a cool character but some of these conditions grant rewards if you "solve" them. Most of these conditions take resources to get used to them, however if you take these conditions during character creation you can ignore that rule.

Combat Tactics (draft)

Document maintainer: Bas Weerdmeester

Editor note: This domain is under development.

This domain is designed to give leaders and commanders a way to better manoeuvre their warriors in battle. It is essential for a commander that his or her troops can execute the orders given to them. A leader is therefore not only trained in coming up with good orders, but empowers the troops to follow these orders through the strength of their own will. Every army, police force, or other combat unit of any size is structured in a strict hierarchy. Strategies are devised at the top, and then propagated down to the leaders who are each given a job to do, down to the commander who stands with his warriors on the battlefield, urging them on to victory.

Every leader has a team to command. A leader is responsible for briefing a team on the tactics that will be employed during battle, so that the team can work effectively. Leadership skills use orders to give bonuses to all members of a team. For instance, if a leader uses his retreat skill to order the team to retreat, all members of that team can temporally ignore effects of wounds that prevent them from retreating. This bonus only works for members of a team that was briefed about the order.

Briefing

Briefing the team for whom you are responsible is an essential part of your job. All leadership skills require a character to brief his team before the team members can take advantage of the bonuses these skills provide. During briefings you must inform your team on battle tactics you intend to employ. If you have any skills that can give bonuses when you give specific orders, you must inform all the members of your team about this, so that they can take advantage of your leader skills. It is advisable to have a briefing with your team at least once a day, if only to let them know you are on top of things.

Team

Leaders each have their own team to work with. The size of the team a leader can command depends on a leader's skills. As a leader, you are in direct command of all the members of your team. Your character is not a member of the team you command. In character you might look at it different, but you do not get bonuses from your own skills, neither do you count towards the member limit of the team you can command. Leading a team however, does not restrict you from being a member in another team.

Team leaders can be members of a different team. You are in direct command of your team, and someone else is in direct command of you. In this scenario, the leader of your team will be indirectly in command of your team, since he commands you, and you command them. This creates a hierarchy, like a card house with the a lone commander at the top and individual troops at the bottom. Because of this hierarchy, you can not be in command of someone who is in direct or indirect command of you, since this would create circle constructions.

Characters can not be members of more then one team. This means that you are the only person who can use leadership skills to give bonuses to your team. Members of your team may take orders from others during your absence, but they do not get bonuses from those orders. Of course characters might want to switch sides or join a different team. If someone joins your team, you must first brief them about your standing orders. Characters can not switch teams in the middle of a battle. Characters must at least have (been able to) take a short rest since the last battle they or you as a leader were in before they can be part of your team.

You as a player are responsible to make sure the members of your team understand this. When briefing your team, take some time to explain how this works. These are out of character rules, so you should make sure the players who are in your team understand this.

If you are put in charge of a team that is larger then your leadership skills permit, you can select which members of your team can have the bonuses from your leadership skills. You must inform the players of this during the briefing.

Authority

Authority is essential for a commander. Your team can only function effectively as long as they are willing to follow your orders. It is essential for the entire team that the commander can rely on his troops to follow orders. Without that, the cohesion of the team quickly fails and the leader becomes just another person shouting his opinion.

If you have basic battlefield command skills, and your orders are disobeyed by anyone who is supposed to be under your command, you will be drained of willpower. This is described like this on the skill card: "If your order is disobeyed, you lose one willpower. You can lose no more then three willpower this way in one day." To avoid confusion, some extra explanation is warranted.

This rule applies to anyone who your character believes is supposed to follow his or her orders. This always includes the team you command, and it includes the teams commanded by the people who you command. But it also includes anyone who in your character's opinion is obligated to follow your orders. For instance all soldiers in an army are obligated to follow orders. And so if a general sees anyone in a soldier uniform, this rule is applicable to them.

Orders can be objected to. If there is a sound reason not to obey the order, to which you as a leader agree, then the order is nullified, which does not count as disobeyed. This might happen as new information becomes available to you, such as that the order might conflict with some other purpose or activity of greater importance of which you were not yet aware when you gave the order. It is up to your own judgement as a player to determine who your character would believe is under his authority, and when an order has not been obeyed.

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TODO note: It would be seriously cool if these orders would fit seamlessly into other settings as well. Some do, some don't. I think the potential is there, so it's worth a try.

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Divine Beings (early draft)

Domain maintainer: Wilco Copperjaw

Divine Armoury

The divine armoury contains weapons, shields and armour inspired by those items used by angels and demons themselves. They are particularly effective when used in combination with angel or demon blessings.

Fighting Styles (Notes)

This contains notes about the "Fighting Styles" additon to Armed Combat.

Ideas for Fighting Styles

• Defender
  Gain a bonus on your defenses when standing still in Heavy Armour and wearing a Shield.
• Skirmisher
  Gain a bonus when you attack a different enemy after each attack you make.
• Porcupine
  Gain a bonus when fighting with a polearm and next to another with a polearm.
• Favored of Ratish
  Gain a bonus when you are an Orc and fight with a double-headed axe.
• Takedown
  You gain the ability to take prisoners during combat using the Bind effect. But you need to do X to achieve the bind.
• Bruiser
  Raised in the slums of a Midgardian City, you know how to fight without weapons. When you have a free hand, you can call Stumble when paying 1 willpower.
• Berserker
  As long as you keep attacking without taking a breath or otherwise pausing, you gain X hitpoints.

Fighting Style Bonuses

• Skills of type X cost Y less willpower.
• Call Hit X every Y times during combat.
• Perform Skill X for free after Y.

Larceny and thievery(draft)

These are my current thoughts on this domain. I am just putting them down to get them out of my head. Feel free to bitch about these ideas:

- You are allowed to carry one item for which you have no physrep. This is a concealed item. If a player searches you for concealed items you must show the item card from the concealed item. A Large item may not be concealed, this will be noted by the term "Large" on the item card. - The core has no rules on torture; therefore torture automatically fails unless the victim wants to fail. (Threatening with death still works of course, but this only works effectively if you have several prisoners. With one it becomes a game of bluff. And there is always the change that they will kill you regardless of you telling) - The core has no rules on concealing physreps: therefore concealing physreps works with the player his OC skills. - The core has no rules about sneak attacks: therefore sneak attacks (attacks that the victim doesn't sees coming) have the same damage as normal attacks (regardless of combat mobility not working, bypassing armour, etc). - The core rules have no rules on disguises: disguises in LARP is always a tricky subject because player A probably assumes that player B plays a different character when player B is differently dressed, disguises almost always work when played by the rules, no matter how silly little they differ from the original character. Disguising yourself as a different race with IC make up doesn't work either because players have no chance to see the difference between IC and OC make-up. Currently disguises should not be allowed. - The core rules have no rules on playing dead: Playing dead in LARP has almost the same problem as disguising ourselves in a LARP. It is a silly tactic that should not be allowed without proper rules because player A cannot see whether or not player B his character is dead/dying/pretending. - The core rules have no rules on pickpocketing: This is done purely by OC skills at the moment but it is a bit tricky because should the item card be stolen? Should the physrep be stolen? How does the player gets back his physrep? Etc.

- Allow characters to harm, steal and confront each other on a martial playing field without combat. - Should not add any core rules.

Should be able to portray the following situations

- Torture VS withstanding (VS lying during torture. VS dying during torture). - Concealing items (without physreps) VS finding concealed items. (without the need to OC strip search) - Sneak attacking (outside of combat) - Attacks of opportunities ("sneak" attack DURING combat.)

• Downtime spying VS downtime concealing. - Pickpocketing VS detection.
• Disguises and playing dead VS detection.

Roos and Wilco (Paraphrased by Brian): We do not want a system for this. Player can roleplay this, and that is enough.

Torture

- Torture skill (Several levels): Torture somebody for 5 minutes, spend 1 WP: He must answer all your questions truthfully and do everything you say as long as he remains your captive and loses 1 WP. You can torture somebody several times if you want. You can use this skill x times without paying WP. (x is the level of this skill+2) - Resist torture (Several levels): Spend 1 WP: You can lie instead of tell the truth when being tortured (including a simple "I don't know"), and you don't lose WP from the torture itself. You can use this skill x times without paying WP (x is the level of this skill). - Prolong torture (Several levels): Torturing you takes 2 (4, 8, 16, etc.) times as long. - Quicken torture (Several levels): Torturing somebody takes only half (1/4, 1/8, 1/16, etc.) of the time.

Roos and Wilco (Paraphrased by Brian): These sound good.

Concealing items

- Conceal item (Several levels): You do not have to show one of your item cards for which you have no physrep unless somebody calls "detect x" while searching you. (x is the level of this skill). You can buy this skill several times.

Pickpocketing

Clip a clothes-peg or sticker to a pouch/bag, or drop a stone into the pouch/bag: You get a single random item or 10% of the money in that pouch. At higher levels you get more items and a higher percentage of money.

Security

Security (Several levels): Spend 1 WP: You can call (detect x) while searching somebody. Spend 1 WP: You lose less items while being pickpocketed. Guard's patience (Several levels): You can use the security skill x times without paying WP (x is the level of this skill).

Wilco and Rowan (paraphrased by Brian): "Combat should be defined better"

Sneak attacks

Assassinate (Several levels): Spend 2 WP: Attack somebody with a non-large weapon between the shoulder blades before combat starts. Call "hit 20" and "Drain x" (x is the level of this skill -1). Attack of opportunity (Several levels): Spend 2 WP, attack somebody who is under the influence of a stumble, fall or daze attack that you did no call with a non-large weapon: Call "hit 2+x" (x is the level of this skill)

Wilco (paraphrased by Brian): Should be mingled with the NPC organisations.

Downtime spying

Spying/tracking down: Spend xℜ: You have a x*10% change to find out what you want to find out??? Home security/laying low: Spend xℜ: Your home security pool is raised by x*4. When somebody spies on you the ℜ they pour in are lowered by your home security pool and your home security pool is lowered by their ℜ. You are not told how high your home security pool is at any given time.

Wilco (paraphrased by Brian): Should not do. Edge case problems.

Disguise

Disguise (Several levels): You are allowed to wear a second costume that is designed to make you look like a different character. You cannot imitate specific people nor can you change your race. (maybe you can at higher levels?). If somebody calls "detect x" while searching you they notice you are disguised. (x is the level of this skill). You can buy this skill several times (every time you can pick a different costume and thus persona.)

Play dead

Play dead: You are allowed to pretend that you are unconscious/dead. If somebody examines you for longer than 10 seconds (this includes for example looting your armour) they notice you are still alive.

NPC organizations (draft)

Design goals:

- Van een kleine gang tot politiek spel op landelijk niveau. - Word zowel door spelers als NPC's "gespeeld". - Dit systeem levert de speler geld en macht op. - De speler moet zich tijdens evenementen bezighouden met de politieke aspecten die daar aanwezig zijn. - Het domein moet game masters in staat stellen om politiek spel op het event neer te zetten. - Deze organisaties moeten met elkaar kunnen "vechten". - Geen downtime spelletje - Het spelletje moet lijken op hoe conflicten in de echte wereld werken.

Skill challange: - Je slechte daden "downplayen" of verbergen. - Je goede daden "upplayen".

Stap 1: (Event check-in) Spelers ontvangen feedback over de vorige ronde Stap 2: (Event check-out) Iedere speler mag resources uitgeven voor de volgende acties: - Capitaliseren: Haal een aantal resources uit de pool

• Onderzoeken: Achterhaal informatie over een ander - Verdedigen: Zorg dat het lastiger wordt om je te onderzoeken en aan te vallen - Aanvallen: Vernietig resources van een andere speler Stap 3: Geef spelers de resources die ze uit de pool halen ?? Wat gebeurd er als er meer uit de pool wordt gehaald dan er in zat? Stap 4: Geef spelers een aantal 'defence' counters Stap 5: Voor alle spelers die onderzoeken; bepaald wat ze hebben ontdekt ?? Welke informatie is verkrijgbaar? Is er een random factor in? Stap 6: Voor alle spelers die aanvallen; Bepaal hoeveel ze hebben vernietigd. Geef de aanvaller en verdediger feedback over de aanval. ?? Kun je resources afpakken? Stap 7: Vul de pool aan met resources

Algaritme voor aanvallen? Attack power: X Defence power: Y Resources lost: Z Resources conquered: Q

Y = Y * 2; A = X - Y; IF A > Y THEN: Q = A - Y; Z = Y; Else if A > 0 then: Z = A;

Pay fielty Monopolize markets

- Food industry Villages -- Leisure industry Towns --- Arms industry Cities ---- Warfare industry States

Sovern vs Pay fielty/tax

- Capitalize - Attack [organisation] - Investigate [organisation/market] - Defend

Give X to Y Attack Y with X Defend with Y Capitalize Y

Aquisition Security Sabotage

Fase A: Opdrachten verzamelen

Stap 1: Sorteer spelers aflopend op hoeveel staff ze inzetten, en daarbinnen oplopend op hoeveel opdrachten ze proberen te krijgen.

Stap 2: Begin bij de laatste speler in de lijst en werk de lijst af naar boven: Iedere speler krijgt 1 opdracht per staff. Je kunt niet meer opdrachten krijgen dan je hebt gevraagd. Dit gaat door totdat alle spelers zijn voorzien of de opdrachten op zijn.

Stap 3: Begin bij de eerste speler in de lijst en werk de lijst af naar beneden: Iedere speler krijgt het aantal opdrachten waar ze om vroegen, min het aantal dat ze al hebben ontvangen in stap 2. Dit gaat door totdat alle spelers zijn voorzien of de opdrachten op zijn.

Primordial Magic Extensions

# Program start
start ->                    # 0;

# Gather energy
set R1 => 2 : Fire          # 3;
set R2 => 1 : Water         # 5;

# Wait until a target is chosen then execute the rest, this sets TARGET register
on target jump target       # 10;

target ->                   # 10;

# Combine Fire and Water to get Fire and Energy
set R1, R2 => R1 + R2       # 15;

# Combine Energy with Direction to get Force
set R2 => R2 + TARGET       # 19;

# Apply force to fire to gain a missile
set R1 => R1 + R2           # 23;

# Release the energy of the missile to finish the spell
release R1                  # 24;

$identifier ::=     [a-z][a-zA-Z0-9_]*
$number     ::=     [0-9]+
$comment    ::=     #.*\n
$typeID     ::=     [A-Z][a-z]*
$register   ::=     R[0-7] | TARGET
$eventID    ::=     touch | target

@label      ::=     $identifier

@label_def  ::=     @label ->
             
@jump       ::=     jump @label
             
@event      ::=     on $eventType jump @label; 
# Blocking, sets TARGET when activated

@branch     ::=     branch @expr jump @label;
             |      branch @expr jump @label else @label;

@expr       ::=     $register
             |      @constant
             |      @comparison
             |      @expr + @expr
             |      !@expr
             |      isnull @expr
             
             
@comparison ::=     @expr < @expr
             |      @expr <= @expr
             |      @expr = @expr
             |      @expr > @expr
             |      @expr >= @expr
             
@constant   ::=     $number : $typeID

@set        ::=     set $register(, $register)* => @expr

@release    ::=     release $register

Spirit Magic (early draft)

Maintainer: Wilco Copperjaw

Things shamans can do:

• Look into the local spirit world
• Feed spirits
• Communicate with spirits
  • Promise spirit energy
  • Promise spirit to serve
  • Order spirit to attack
• Call spirit connections
• Use spirit abilities / channel spirits

Spirit ranks: - Sprite - Spectre - Phantom - Wraith

Example banes and abilities:

Sprite level: - Smear honey (worth at least 5 copper) on a tree every month. => call stumble once per hour.

Spectre: - Cause an injury to a person every month (or 2ℜ) and spend 5 copper on smelly oils => +1 HP

Phantom: - Blood sacrifice of 3 WP every day the ability is used =>

Connection type 1 (Spirit Guardian): - Spirits have needs in two categories (known, unconscious) - These needs have different point values unknown to the players but known to the DM. - Locations promise spirits a stable amount of points per time period, this is usually enough to sustain them. - Shamans can promise spirits an amount of points per time period. - The spirit will follow the power source that promises them the most amount of points. - Spirits will actively ask for the known needs. The DM will calculate the unconscious needs but the spirit won't communicate them. - Known needs come in the form off banes. If the player breaks a promise to uphold one of these banes the spirit becomes unruly and points will be deducted. - If a location is nearby that promises more points, the spirit will flee to that location.

• Spirits will grow in power when they receive more points than it will cost to maintain their power. This will make a spirit loyal to the shaman. - A shaman his threat level is equal to the total level of loyal spirits + an amount of levels determined by shamanic skill. - A shaman his threat level should be equal to or higher than the total level of his neutral spirits. If not the shaman his WP will be reduced. If the WP reaches a certain low willpower and you go into trance the shaman will be attacked by his own spirits and might lose his soul. - As spirits grow more powerful, they will give you more abilities, and they will develop new needs. They will also periodically ask the shaman to promise to take on higher banes. After a while they will no longer be loyal, unless the shaman starts feeding them even more points. - If spirits are underfed or if you do not keep your promises they will become unruly: you cannot cast the spells associated with them. - If you order your spirits to attack one of your own (which they will only do if they are loyal), the other spirits you have with you react to this variedly (according to their personalities). They might shift from loyal to neutral to unruly. They might shift from unruly to neutral to loyal. They might gain a temporary dislike to you. They might also go away for a day (in which case they could get attacked by local spirits) - Spirits have personality quirks that modify the basis behaviour outlined above.
• Example personality (loyalty): You gain bonus points over time. - Example personality (treacherous): You lose points over time. - Example personality (greedy): Will ask for more, over time. - Example personality (trader): Will warn you that some other shaman is outbidding you, so you have a change to outbid them. - Example personality (bluffer): Will warn you that some other shaman is outbidding you, even if they don't. - Example personality (fickle): Will periodically change needs. - Example personality (traveler): Likes shamans over locations for some amount of points. The can flee to locations that are further away. - Example personality (non-traveler): Opposite of traveller. - Example personality (location bound): cannot move from it's location. - Example personality (slightly-forgiving): Breaking banes deduces points and you won't be able to cast spells for an hour (instead of a whole day) if you apologize. - Example personality (forgiving): Breaking banes only deduces points, you will still be able to cast spells, if you apologize. - Example personality (mute): can only communicate in one of the following ways: Pictionary/sherades/miming/piglatin.

Connection type 2 (Spirit servant): - The shaman asks a spirit in a ritual to do something big. - Either the shaman or the benefactor of the ritual gains a condition stating the way in which the person now needs to serve the spirit periodically, including a consequences for not doing this.

Connection type 3 (Spirit contact): - The shaman has a way of contacting this spirit in a ritual, the shaman also known a way to get boons with this particular spirit. - If the shaman has boons at the moment, these can be redeemed for a certain standard magical effect.

Some thoughts: - Spirits should probably be a very diverse power source. One cool way to do that might be to allow a spirit to have skills, which they will perform on your behalf. We should see if we can find a way to do this, and perhaps what skills this can't be done with.

Design goals: - OC skill challange: - Onderhandelen.

Random brainstorm: - Channaling - Reizen door de grey - Spirits zijn voornamelijk "melee" buff sprueken of zijn hier in gespecialiseerd. - Groepsuitstapjes naar de grey zou kunnen met resistance gameplay? - Fetishes (Objecten waar spirits in zitten opgesloten/gebonden/belooft die het item sterker maken) - Channelen van spirits zou spirits "dichtbij" genoeg kunnen laten komen om de fetish te poweren. - Shamanen zijn het communicatie kanaal tussen de community en de spirits

• Shamanen kunnen deze positie uitbuiten - Shamanen vechten onderling voor "klanditie" - Shamaan moet diensten van zijn spirit kunnen verkopen - Je kunt spririts substainen met prayer tokens maar het aan priests geven is veel rendabeler.

Spirit Magic

Spirit magic is a supernatural kind of magic in which the powers of spirits are harnessed for the benefit (or dismay) of mortals. Those who have mastered spirit magic are called Shamans. A shaman is a person who formed alliances with spirits. In exchange for some service the Shaman provides to that spirit, the spirit works for the Shaman.

Spirit magic is a dangerous forms of magic for the practitioner. Spirits are often devious and untrusting creatures. Shamans are constantly tempted by their spirits to take on greater and greater risk, for ever greater powers. But if they fail, if ever they stray from their path, his spirits may devour each other or even the shaman himself. A great shaman is one with wisdom, always knowing which paths lead to glory, and which to demise.

Trade and Commerce (early draft)

Document maintainer: Wilco Copperjaw

Some initial thoughts: - There is a very tight relationships with the trade domain. These domains might need to be designed in sync - The essential difference between this domain and trade is that this is business to consumer (B2C) and trade is business to business. Characters playing in this domain do not have to worry about transportation. Goods are always bought and sold locally - Skills and condition in this domain give players access to cheaper items. - Prices vary based on where you buy your goods. Fish is cheaper near the sea, and metals are cheaper near a mine. The price you can buy or sell your goods for as a shopkeeper will depend on how far and how difficult it is for a trader to get the goods to you. - The idea is that the entire chain from raw materials to useful products can be traced, so that foresters sell wood to carpenters, and carpenters sell their services to shipbuilders, shipbuilders sell their ships to fishers, fishers sell their fish to shopkeepers, and the shopkeeper sells his food to foresters. The entire chain must work so that if you played the whole thing through, prices and profits would be believable - We should see if this domain is medieval, or if it can be generic - Perhaps there should be a medieval items domain, and a separate Trade and shopkeeping domain - We should somehow group items together. Perhaps based on the base material or the skill needed to create it. Maybe there should be a more formal item type system, like: melee weapon, shield, armour, amulet, potion, etc. - This system probably needs some way to do bulk discount. Otherwise merchants wouldn't make any sense. - What about merchent to merchent sale? Like the spice routes were before 16th century - The problem about trade is that IRL, the further things have to go, the more expensive they are. But for players outside the merchant domain it will be very confusing to have different prices in different locations. Perhaps we can do something by saying that the further you have to go, the larger the bulk you'll buy, since your offset area will also be bigger. And so even though the cost of long distance transport is bigger, it is offset by the discount gained from bulk buy.

There are (at least) two types of prices - Store price - Production price

To OBTAIN an item players pay store price. To SELL an item player receive production price

Shopkeepers can: - OBTAIN the items in their store for production price

Crafters can: - OBTAIN items they can make for production price - SELL materials for store price

Basic supply chain: Suppliers > Merchant > Outlet > Customer

Some occupations: - Craftsman (Weaver, Potter, Baker, Brewer, Glassblower, Bookbinder, Bricklayer, Candlemaker, Cartographer, Clothier, Cook, Dyer, Engraver, Scribe) - Artist (Acrobat, Actor, Architect, Painter, Minstrel, Bard, Storyteller, Playwright - ??? (Farmer, Fisherman, Hunter) - Leather worker - Jeweller - Stone carver - Blacksmith -- Blacksmith lvl2 --- Blacksmith lvl3 -- Armourer --- Armourer lvl2 -Herbalist -- Apothecarist - Locksmith - Miner - Peddler -- Shopkeeper - Carpenter -- Bowyer -- Shipwright