From: Jonathan Amery Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 17:15:05 +0000 (+0000) Subject: Text from email X-Git-Url: https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~jdamery/git?a=commitdiff_plain;h=b7d36b83830d1e4501001b6ba215bff58b5fb290;p=PlayersGuide.git Text from email --- diff --git a/The_Track_Not_Taken.mdwn b/The_Track_Not_Taken.mdwn index a3b2e67..2b27e80 100644 --- a/The_Track_Not_Taken.mdwn +++ b/The_Track_Not_Taken.mdwn @@ -1 +1,150 @@ -Placeholder page. += The Track Not Taken = + +=== Setting Info === + +Amethyst is a trading principality at the head of a small trade +league. It's ruled by Prince Martin, who's been around for most of +your life, and various other members of royalty visit from time to +time (King Luke & Queen Coral, Duke Merlin, Viscountess Julia..). +It's all the universe you've grown up in; a little bubble of shadow +about a day's hellride in any direction from Amethyst itself (once you +get past the sight of Amethyst Spire and you can move into shadow with +any ease). You've all grown up with Martin's stories of Amber and the +Shadowfall war; but they seem at a distance that makes them seem like +either ancient history or Just So story. Perhaps Amber was what +Amethyst was before Martin came to power; but that must be at least +300 years ago and none of you are older than a century. + +Amethyst Spire is a great glass construction about 600 feet tall, +built on the top of a mountain. Public rooms ring the outside and +private rooms are towards the middle with windows opening onto a +central atrium that runs nearly the height of the building and which +forms the throne room and communications centre. Airships and packet +steamers trade with neighbouring states and steam trains connect the +Spire and the city that sprawls up the lower reaches of the mountain. + +The Underspire is just as impressive, some curiosity of geology has +made the rock for at least 4 stories down shiny, and mostly shades +of purple/black (perhaps this is where the name for the principality +comes from?). However it was originally carved out hundreds of +years of servants have polished the walls and floor until you can +see your reflection in most of them. Off to one side lies the +Pattern; a kind of family secret an apparently the prime mover of +the multiverse; and also amongst the various store rooms and the +inevitable dungeon is an underground railway station. + +A shadowy city does appear in the sky on nights of the full moon; +but you can't get into it. + +Anyone of any consequence in the principality has some kind of +device, be it a pocket computer, an enchanted mirror, or a +personal familiar that's capable of opening a short range trump +connection to facilitate communication. Some of these are also +capable of facilitating sorcery and those who have innate +abilities with the powers of the universe are capable of using +them from shadow as well. + +As the game opens the Spire is in the hands of the current Prime +Minister as Prince Martin is off on one of his regular trade +missions; but that doesn't really concern you except that there's +no authority figures around who can complain if you spend all +week in the public houses and dens of iniquity near the harbour +and that is your goal when you board the train under the Spire. + + +=== Character Generation === + +You are the descendent of one of the younger members of the Merlin +Saga; and have the blood of Amber in your veins. You've been brought +up by Prince Martin (or rather mostly nursemaids with him overseeing) +with probably occasional visits from at least one parent whom you know +who they are. Feel free to pick. + +You all have Pattern Initiation and have had at least a decade to get +used to it. You have some kind of trump communication device (this +can be a deck of cards if you want) and can be assumed to have trumps +of anyone you've ever met; although outside of the party and possibly +your ancestors; these are unlikely to be very useful. If you have +Sorcery, Conjuration or Power Words then this device is a device of +power that helps you use your magic. + +You can have any items / creatures that (a) are less than 15 points +each (b) you'd reasonably carry with you on a week long bender. + +You have 75 points on top of your Pattern Imprint. No more than one +stat sold down, If you sell a stat down to Human I will put you in +situations where this is a problem. No more than 5 points of stuff +either way. + +Modifications to normal abilities: + +You can have Advanced Pattern for an extra 10 points. You are +*really* shit at anything in it because you've had to figure it all +out for yourself, have only recently got any of it to work, and +haven't had a chance to look at any Patterns than Amethyst's. + +Sorcery costs 20 points but so long as you have your device of power +with you: +a) it works reasonably well near the Pattern +b) you can have up to 4 simple effects that you can use at whim +(e.g. "fireball", about as effective as hitting someone with a +sword, "teleport 10m foward" etc) +c) you can come up with arbitrary effects on actually useful +timescales (not on the scale of falling, combat, or geology unless +they're very simple modifications of one of your known effects; but +on the order of 15 minutes or so). + +Don't expect to lose your device of power unless you do so +deliberately or really deserve it. + +You can have Shapeshift. + +You can't have Logrus; chaos is just a myth to you. + +You are the descendent of one of the younger members of the Merlin +Saga; and have the blood of Amber in your veins. You've been +brought up by Prince Martin (or rather mostly nursemaids with him +overseeing) with probably occasional visits from at least one parent +whom you know who they are. Feel free to pick. + +You all have Pattern Initiation and have had at least a decade to +get used to it. You have some kind of trump communication device +(this can be a deck of cards if you want) and can be assumed to have +trumps of anyone you've ever met; although outside of the party and +possibly your ancestors; these are unlikely to be very useful. If +you have Sorcery, Conjuration or Power Words then this device is a +device of power that helps you use your magic. + +You can have any items / creatures that (a) are less than 15 points +each (b) you'd reasonably carry with you on a week long bender. + +You have 75 points on top of your Pattern Imprint. No more than one +stat sold down, If you sell a stat down to Human I will put you in +situations where this is a problem. No more than 5 points of stuff +either way. + +Modifications to normal abilities: + +You can have Advanced Pattern for an extra 10 points. You are +*really* shit at anything in it because you've had to figure it +all out for yourself, have only recently got any of it to work, +and haven't had a chance to look at any Patterns than Amethyst's. + +Sorcery costs 20 points but so long as you have your device of +power with you: +a) it works reasonably well near the Pattern +b) you can have up to 4 simple effects that you can use at whim +(e.g. "fireball", about as effective as hitting someone with a +sword, "teleport 10m foward" etc) +c) you can come up with arbitrary effects on actually useful +timescales (not on the scale of falling, combat, or geology unless +they're very simple modifications of one of your known effects; +but on the order of 15 minutes or so). + +Don't expect to lose your device of power unless you do so +deliberately or really deserve it. + +You can have Shapeshift. + +You can't have Logrus; chaos is just a myth to you. +