This is my latest project, based on Blood Games II. I'll be posting snippets about it occasionally, and don't really care if anyone doesn't respond, although it would be awesome if you do!

The Task Resolution sub-system I'm using is StarPool - roll Skill Rank+1 d20 under Stat TN, count successes. Stats max at 15 for humans.

The time period is the reign of Elizabeth I, the "Her Majesty" of the title. The years are 1560 to Elizabeth's death in 1603. The Arcane Service is a secret service organized under Dr. Dee, Elizabeth's court astrologer, in 1560. The goal of the service is to fight assault, either mundane or magical, upon the Realm or upon the person of the Queen. Monster fighting, Fairy relations, espionage, and the like are typical missions.

Characters can be normal people, people pursuing some Path of Power - a term used for who are enhanced through magic or who use magic in some way - or characters who are unusual in themselves. An ever present danger is fear of being accused of witchcraft, with the usual consequences.

-clash

Here's one Path of Power - the Savant:

The Savant is a person of knowledge, who approaches the arcane by means of science.

The Savant is not sceptical, but is both deeply rational and something of a mystic, reading the tracks of magic on the face of nature. The Savant has a deep seated belief in both God and Magic, which allows the Savant to apply the tools of science to the purpose of magic.

Languages

A Savant is first and foremost a highly educated person. In addition to their normal skills, Savants  gain a mastery in Linguistics, with a fluency in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. They gain this Mastery over the course of their education, gaining a rank in Linguistics every three years - Latin at the age of 10, Greek at 13, Hebrew at 16, and the other languages at 19 snd 22. The Savant may take other ranks of Linguistics by year, as he would any normal skill

Pre-requisites

Savants must be first an Apprentice Scholar and then a Proto-Academic, though they do not have to pay for the education if their family Lifestyle is too low, as their intelligence would be noticed and funding made available. Savants must have an INT of at least 11 to qualify.

Warding

Savants can Ward an area from intrusion, both material and spiritual. An area Warded by a Savant cannot be scryed, spied upon, or entered by anyone not inside the wards when the Savant sets them out. The Wards themselves are at least three objects of magical and/or mystical power physically placed by the Savant, defining the periphery of the Warded area - three wards defining a triangle, four defining a quadrilateral, etc. On a successful Warding roll, the Wards are activated, one success indicating three Wards activated, with one more Ward activated per success after that.

Astrology

Once per day, the Savant may read the day’s Astrological chart. On a successful Astrology roll, the player may make one roll per success on the the Astrology Table below. The player determines which column(s) to roll on. The word indicated should be treated as a temporary Traits which is not part of the savant’s personality, but part of the environment, and available to whoever the Savant tells them to. Traits give a bonus to any other action when used, so long as the Trait could believably help. Each Trait point used adds bonus die to the roll. Traits are a resource which are used up in play.

The Astrology Table
Roll   Emotion   Reason   Romance    Conflict   Fortune   Order
1-2   Fear   Deliberation   Flirtation   Trickery   Secrecy   Boundaries
3-4   Hesitance   Inspiration   Subversion   Might   Timing   Laws
5-6   Horror   Analysis   Sex   Indirect   Boldness   Customs
7-8   Anger   Deduction   Seduction   Flanking   Lavishness   Families
9-10   Doubt   Mystification   Titillation   Position   Prudence   Organizations
11-12   Affection   Appreciation   Fascination   Intimidation   Investment   Channels
13-14   Lust   Deceit   Ingratiation   Brutality   Trust   Ethics
15-16   Confidence   Misdirection   Sympathy   Glory   Miserliness   Morals
17-18   Longing   Compromise   Intrigue   Caution   Distrust   Patterns
19-20   Joy   Persuasion   Beauty   Opportunity   Openness   Connections

Note: the Savant may roll several times on one column.

Communion

The Savant can commune with spirits. The particular device used could be anything - a mirror in the proper place tilted at the proper angle; the severed head of an innocent set in a silver cage of peculiar and particular design; a complex armature which holds a pen, with which the Savant can write and the spirit write back so long as the Savant holds the pen, etc. The player and GM must agree to the device used, noting restrictions placed on the communication by the device’s nature.

The spirits communing are not under the control of the savant in any way, and may lie or not, or totally ignore the Savant’s questions as they choose. As the Savant gains skill in Communion, however, she is better able to filter out extraneous chatter and malicious lies. on a Communin check, the more successes rolled, the more trustworthy and pertinent the information is.

Arcane Geometry

Arcane Geometry is the science of what would now be called non-Euclidean Geometry and its applications in the real world. Folds and tunnels in space, pocket universes, fairy hills, containers and domiciles with more volume on the inside than on the outside - these can be detected, analyzed, and created through application of Arcane Geometry. The savant describes what he is attempting before the skill check

Creating a pocket

The creator may vary space, time, and condition within the pocket, both at the time of creation and afterward. With patience, as pockets may only be changed yearly, a small pocket may be enlarged, time ratios changed, and conditions added. On a successful arcane Geometry skill check, each success may be applied to one of these variables.

Varying Space in the Pocket

Each success applied to space makes the pocket larger. For the first success, a pocket of .1 cubic feet in volume - large enough to tuck in a scroll or book - is created. Each further success extends the space as follows:

10 cu. ft. - big enough for a crouching Human, 1000 cu. ft.- a 10' X 10' X 10' room, 100,000 cu ft.- a 100' X 100' X 100' cube, etc. The actual contours of the pocket may vary according to the whims of the creator.

Varying Time in the Pocket

Time ratios are expressed as a relationship of time in our world to time in the pocket - X:Y (X to Y) - where the first element (X) is time in our wold, and the second element (Y) is time in the pocket. A ratio of 2:1, for example, would mean one hour (day, week) spent in the pocket will equal two hours (days, weeks) spent in our world. A ratio of 1:2, for example, would mean two hours (days, weeks) spent in the pocket will equal one hours (day, week) spent in our world.

At the pocket's creation, the direction of the ratio must be stated as being Fast or Slow. Fast pockets have a ratio where the first number is one, and the second number is always greater than one. For example, 3:1. Time in Fast pockets is always faster than time in our world. Slow pockets have a ratio where the first number is always greater than one, and the second number is one. For example, 1:3. Time in Slow pockets is always slower than time in our world.

Increasing Time Ratios

Each success applied to time increases the ratio of time in the pocket as compared to our world. Without applying any successes to time, the ratio of time in the pocket to time in our world is 1:1 (one to one). One success applied to time will increase the ratio to 2:1 or 1:2. Each success applied to time will increase this ratio by one - i.e. two successes applied will increase the ratio by two, a 1:1 ratio becoming 3:1. Increasing a pocket's time ratio can be done once every ten years of our world's time. When increasing time ratios, the number increased in Fast pockets is always the second number, while in Slow pockets, the number increased is always the first.

Varying Conditions in the Pocket

Conditions within the pocket can be varied as well. Without putting successes into conditions, pockets are featureless, filled with fresh, breathable air, lightless, colorless, irregular, and pliable - pliable meaning the walls are soft and can be manipulated to an extend so long as the total volume of the pocket remains the same. Each success put into conditions can be allocated to change a condition of the pocket. These conditions include, but are not limited to light, walls (including floors and ceilings), water, vegetation, animals, structure/shape, and the like.

Each success put into a specific condition will increase the complexity and/or realism of the condition. A single success put into vegetation for example would give a single plant, perhaps a giant pumpkin vine, with the pumpkins carvable into houses. Five successes might give a pocket a vegetative variety and realism equivalent to the equivalent area of our earth. A single success given to light might give a vague, sourceless light, whereas five successes might give a sun in the sky and light like a sunny day at noon, or three moons and innumerable stars giving light enough to read by. Conditions in the pocket can be whatever the creator can imagine, and are not limited by our world's constraints. Anything of the pocket, including items constructed of materials in the pocket - like a box carved from the ivory of a pocket creature - belongs to the pocket, and will dissolve to nothing instantly as soon as it is removed from the pocket.  

Pocket Entrances

Normally, pocket entrances are almost invisible "seams" in reality which can be opened up with the hands, simple tools, and/or devices designed for that puropose. The creator will always see his own entrances plainly, while pocket entrances created by others will need a single success on an Arcane Geometry skill check. It requires a slight effort to hold the entrance open, and the entrance will close again if released. A framework can be constructed of materials from our world to hold an entrance semi-permanently open like a doorway. If the framework is removed, the entrance will close. Actual doors can be hung on this framework, allowing access at any time.

A second entrance to a pocket can be constructed from within the pocket to a place well known to the creator. This creates a tunnel, with the entrances separated by an arbitrary distance in our world not at all related to distance in the pocket. To construct an additional entrance, five successes must be made on an Arcane Geometry skill check from within the pocket. An emergency entrance can be created from within a pocket with a single success on an Arcane Geometry skill check, but this entrance will disappear within five minutes from the time it was last used.

Other Properties of Pocket Creation

Pockets can be created within other pockets. Pockets can be created within items, or creatures. Pockets created within some item or creature carried into another pocket will be accessible from within the other pocket. Use stabilizes pockets. Pockets will disappear if not used within a year as measured within the pocket. Light, food, and water must be brought into a pocket if the pocket itself does not supply it.

Savant Profession

Person using mundane means to control magical effect

Prerequisites: Apprentice Scholar and Proto-Academic, INT 11+
Waiver Roll: N/A
Base Lifestyle: Upper Middle Class
Skills available: Warding, Astrology, Communion, Arcane Geometry, Linguistics, Analysis, Astronomy, Course, Overdo, Operate, Mechanics, Mathematics, Evaluate, Focus, History, Research, Instruct, Meditation

-clash

Ooh, i love Arcane Geometry!

Quote from: One Horse Town;305809Ooh, i love Arcane Geometry!

Yeah - I had a blast with that! In my alpha test game, the Savant was doing some real creative things with AG - She's a tiny woman who lives in what looks like a tinker's cart, but inside it has seven large rooms chock full of weirdness. She Communes with her angels through the severed head of a five year old girl in a silver filigree cage of peculiar design. The astrology has been a huge help as well - both for the players and myself. The players because they get a bonus for approaching a situation in a certain way, and myself because I have to think of a reason that trait is a vulnerability for the opponent/subject. Arcane Geometry is, of course, the tool fairies use to build their mounds.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;305818She's a tiny woman who lives in what looks like a tinker's cart, but inside it has seven large rooms chock full of weirdness.
-clash

Buh... but... IT'S BIGGER ON THE INSIDE!!!

Sorry.

On topic:
What do you mean with "unusual on themselves"? Can the players be faeries, or something else, or just "born wizards"? Just curious, because it does sound great.

I love the idea and the setting, and especially the use of Dee.  I tend to think that I'd enjoy the politically charged ends of you game more, making the fantastic rare and a little behind the scenes.

QuoteIn my alpha test game, the Savant was doing some real creative things with AG - She's a tiny woman who lives in what looks like a tinker's cart, but inside it has seven large rooms chock full of weirdness. She Communes with her angels through the severed head of a five year old girl in a silver filigree cage of peculiar design.

This would be WAY over the top.  It's cool and different, however.
Did you ever read Duncan's 'Alchemest Apprentice' books?

Quote from: SunBoy;305895Buh... but... IT'S BIGGER ON THE INSIDE!!!

Sorry.

On topic:
What do you mean with "unusual on themselves"? Can the players be faeries, or something else, or just "born wizards"? Just curious, because it does sound great.

That should have been "unusual in themselves"! Players can be several things not considered Paths of Power*, which are also not normal humans. Immortals, who cannot be permanently killed until their task on earth is complete; half-angels, the product of recessive genes - they'd call it a throwback to ancient bloodlines back then - carried over from ancient days when angels bred with the daughters of men; Fairy changelings, those fairies who as infants had been exchanged for human babies and grown up as human; and Human changelings, those those humans who as infants had been exchanged with a fairy baby and grown up in Fairie.

-clash

*Paths of Power are in-character choices. None of these things are chosen by the characters.

Quote from: LordVreeg;305896I love the idea and the setting, and especially the use of Dee.  I tend to think that I'd enjoy the politically charged ends of you game more, making the fantastic rare and a little behind the scenes.

There's a lot of politics and espionage there, both magical and non-magical. In addition to France and Spain, as well as the Holy Roman Empire, there is also Fairie. Fairie is a separate realm - though fragmented - within England which does not recognize Elizabeth as sovreign. That's not a  thing any Tudor would stand for...

QuoteThis would be WAY over the top.  It's cool and different, however.
Did you ever read Duncan's 'Alchemest Apprentice' books?

Nope. I'm working entirely off general history and folk beliefs that were current. I'll check those out. Thanks, LV!

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;305717Here's one Path of Power - the Savant

Can I play an Idiot Savant?

Quote from: StormBringer;305947Can I play an Idiot Savant?

If anyone could, it would be you, SB!

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;305968If anyone could, it would be you, SB!

-clash

I make a pretty good straight man, right?  

So could one play an actor in the elizabethan theatre, using their travel as a cover?  
(and maybe have Kett still alive and not burned at the stake for his witchcraft, as well as Christopher Marlowe as other agents)
How is the church taking all of this?
You've certainly got me thinking.

Quote from: StormBringer;305969I make a pretty good straight man, right?  

You keep setting 'em up, I'll keep knocking 'em down.

-clash

Quote from: LordVreeg;305971So could one play an actor in the elizabethan theatre, using their travel as a cover?  

Yep! Actor is an available profession. As is Writer.

Quote(and maybe have Kett still alive and not burned at the stake for his witchcraft, as well as Christopher Marlowe as other agents)

Sure, depending on the time you set it. Kit Marlowe was a tad young in 1560...

QuoteHow is the church taking all of this?

That would depend on how you play it. The Church wasn't a monolithic thing back then - part Catholic, part Calvinist, and part its own self.

QuoteYou've certainly got me thinking.

It's got me thinking too, believe me!

-clash

I don't like this one bit. Every time I'm about to launch my own campaign, you go start something, which distracts me :brood:

Regards,
David R