I can't believe it was 5 years ago that i started Stone Horizons, but it was. I'm going to finish it off now.
I developed it on this site - you can find the thread here http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=7037
If you have the stamina, that long thread takes you through the process. I'm going to start posting to it again with updated information.
However, to get you started here's some info on my inspirations for the game.
Questions welcome.
-------------------------------------------------
Stone Horizons draws inspiration from the following sources:
The Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake
The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
The primary inspirations taken from these books are the feel and flavour of the game world and the naming conventions. It's a sprawling world of crumbling towers, cyclopean architecture and hidden grottos, populated by Doctors, Professors and Archivists.
The Riverworld Saga by Philip Jose Farmer
The Architects are similar in nature to the manipulative race found within this series of books. The Dark Design & The Magic Labyrinth in particular has informed my creation of the mysterious Architects.
The Darwath Trilogy by Barbara Hambly
The idea of hidden and ancient technology that is scattered through the Horizons comes from the Keep of Dare that serves as humanity's saviour in these books. Hidden depths, strange glowing orbs and vats that do goodness knows what.
Mordant's Need by Stephen Donaldson
These books primarily informed my choices as to the sort of politics that can become important within an enclosed space (in the case of SH, a whole world of enclosed spaces). The first book takes place almost entirely within one castle and the plots and schemes that take up the book are a nice indicator of what a typical game of SH will contain.
First of all, congratulations.
The only of these books I've really read is Wolfe's New Sun series, but I have passing familiarity with Gormenghast and Riverworld. It sounds like a tall order for a game, and I'm looking forward to see how you've pulled it.
I'll start with simple but significant questions: who are the PCs, and what do they do?
Quote from: The Butcher;588978I'll start with simple but significant questions: who are the PCs, and what do they do?
I can't tell you how much I dislike reading that question. It works wonderfully for games where the focus is predefined by the designer, but it is unanswerable for games where the focus is defined by the group. In SH, the setting is created by the group - that is the GM or GM + Players - using the setting design tools provided. The setting then informs design of both characters and party, including who they are, what they do, and why they are doing it. This is not a "They can do whatever they want" vagueness - the party is focused, it's just not focused by the designer.
For example, in the game I ran, the party lived in a section of the Castle that was built on an active volcano. This section had been cut off from the rest of the world by huge lava flows, forcing the area to depend on goods shipped in by water, and controlled by pirates. The party were hired to find new routes through, over, under, or between the flows, so that caravans could once more get through, and the pirate stranglehold could be broken. They were thus explorers, but that was not dictated by the game books, and would not make any sense in a different part of the Castle.
-clash
What do the player characters do? Why squabble, count social coup, gossip, scheme and perhaps fight an epic duel to the death in the darkened corridors armed only with serving trays and runcible spoons.
Quote from: flyingmice;588985I can't tell you how much I dislike reading that question. It works wonderfully for games where the focus is predefined by the designer, but it is unanswerable for games where the focus is defined by the group.
Quote from: David Johansen;588996What do the player characters do? Why squabble, count social coup, gossip, scheme and perhaps fight an epic duel to the death in the darkened corridors armed only with serving trays and runcible spoons.
For an unanswerable question, you did a pretty good job of answering it. ;)
Quote from: The Butcher;589002For an unanswerable question, you did a pretty good job of answering it. ;)
;D
-clash
Quote from: The Butcher;588978I'll start with simple but significant questions: who are the PCs, and what do they do?
There is the castle and there is outside. They are one and the same.
Welcome to Stone Horizons, where the castle is everywhere and the castle is everything!
Adventure in a world that is contained within the endless castle.
Rid the dusty corridors of lurking menaces, vermin, political rivals, or corruption.
Climb the social ladder.
Visit long forgotten wings that have not seen the tread of humans for millennia.
Sail seas that are hemmed in by the architecture of ages past.
Clamber over the rooftops of a thousand, thousand buildings that stretch beyond the Stone Horizon, only to be met by another vista of the crumbling castle.
Stone HorizonsAll you need to create characters and the area of the castle in which you start play is found within this book. Inside are 92 castle features including Hammock Clusters, Bridge Dens, Libraries, Aviary Towers and many more. Utilise the Customs & Communities tables to create a unique and interesting area in which to play. There are rules for creating Affiliations & Rivalries with other denizens, guidelines for assigning Goals & Ambitions to your character and using your Status to rise above the masses.
Creating your character also creates the area in which you start play!
Estimated at 240 pages
Veiled Horizons – GMs handbookA companion book to Stone Horizons, this book contains all that the GM needs to create plots, problems and politics for the area in which the players find themselves. The heart of this book is the Problems & Politics master table. From this resource, the GM can create an almost infinite variety of problems to plague the castle. More than 250 entries are exhaustively examined, from Death Frog swarms, to earthquakes, trade wars, Lurking Menaces and more.
Veiled Horizons also contains NPC generation information, so that the GM can populate the game area with interesting and unusual characters for the players to interact with. Watch out, they may have a secret!
Estimated at 112 pages
It sounded great before and it still sounds great now. Is there a projected release date?
Quote from: noisms;589167It sounded great before and it still sounds great now. Is there a projected release date?
Thanks!
I've only just started back on it - but it is further along than i thought!
So, there's less work to do than i anticipated.
However, i've ummed and arred over this for so long, that i'm not going to commit to anything yet.
Clash and i are mulling over the idea of doing a kick-starter to raise cash for interior art.
Quote from: noisms;589167It sounded great before and it still sounds great now. Is there a projected release date?
To give a more nuanced reply -
With a few days work i could actually release the game now. It's perfectly playable bar fleshing equipment and a few other doo-dads. However, it wouldn't be the game i set out to finish.
I estimate that i'm 70% done. If i get my finger out i can get that to 90% done within a month or 6 weeks. The last 10% may take a while longer as it is editing, tying things together, a bit of advice on creating play areas and the like.
/me does the happy dance.
Quote from: One Horse Town;589039Stone Horizons
Veiled Horizons – GMs handbook
How much of that game will depend on the availability of both books?
Are you planning to release both books simultaneously or one after the other?
Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;589195/me does the happy dance.
How much of that game will depend on the availability of both books?
Are you planning to release both books simultaneously or one after the other?
You need both books to play, so they'll be released together.
Quote from: One Horse Town;589171Clash and i are mulling over the idea of doing a kick-starter to raise cash for interior art.
Which means *I* will have to do the requisite video, as Dan apparently has to crank his computer before it starts. Ick!
-clash
Looking back at the SH thread I expressed my enthusiasm about your ideas way back on 30-10-2007.
Just to say I still think it sounds great.:)
This is great news! I'd been very excited about it but had given up hope.
It's been a while but I remember really liking the community and area creation rules. I remember it tying characters together well creating situations where adventures would practically write themselves.
Quote from: Nicephorus;589219This is great news! I'd been very excited about it but had given up hope.
It's been a while but I remember really liking the community and area creation rules. I remember it tying characters together well creating situations where adventures would practically write themselves.
You remember very well. :D
-clash
Quote from: Nicephorus;589219This is great news! I'd been very excited about it but had given up hope.
It's been a while but I remember really liking the community and area creation rules. I remember it tying characters together well creating situations where adventures would practically write themselves.
Don't forget you're getting an additional writing credit!
Quote from: flyingmice;589208Which means *I* will have to do the requisite video, as Dan apparently has to crank his computer before it starts. Ick!
-clash
Yeah, soz about that. :o
Quote from: One Horse Town;589184To give a more nuanced reply -
With a few days work i could actually release the game now. It's perfectly playable bar fleshing equipment and a few other doo-dads. However, it wouldn't be the game i set out to finish.
I estimate that i'm 70% done. If i get my finger out i can get that to 90% done within a month or 6 weeks. The last 10% may take a while longer as it is editing, tying things together, a bit of advice on creating play areas and the like.
If you need help with editing or proofreading, I'd happily lend a hand. I was a freelance editor and proofreader for some years and still do it from time to time. No charge - I think this is one of the most promising RPG projects I've seen in recent years, if it can get off the ground.
Quote from: One Horse Town;589254Yeah, soz about that. :o
No problemo, amigo! I'll just do something clever and evil, and blame it on you. :D
Quote from: flyingmice;589279No problemo, amigo! I'll just do something clever and evil, and blame it on you. :D
You might get groupies!
Wow, that reading list could have come off my shelf...so few Dondaldson fans.
The magic in Mordant's Need is actually used by one sorcerer in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series.
Quote from: One Horse Town;589299You might get groupies!
Ex-rock musician here. Been there, done that, brother. :D
-clash
Quote from: David Johansen;588996What do the player characters do? Why squabble, count social coup, gossip, scheme and perhaps fight an epic duel to the death in the darkened corridors armed only with serving trays and runcible spoons.
oh, I'd play
that game in a heartbeat. But props to OHT - sounds really cool. Godspeed.
Quote from: flyingmice;589373Ex-rock musician here. Been there, done that, brother. :D
-clash
Maybe you could get them in the video.
Quote from: One Horse Town;589434Maybe you could get them in the video.
Now *that* wold be killer! A bunch of fifty-plus year old ex-groupies! :D
-clash
Quote from: flyingmice;589436Now *that* wold be killer! A bunch of fifty-plus year old ex-groupies! :D
-clash
Hee.
I've e-mailed you some sample pics by an artist Brendan recommended. :)
Check out the stuff by Gerard Trignac (http://www.trignac-gerard.com/) for more inspiration.
Yep, that's pretty nice!
Quote from: The Traveller;589607Check out the stuff by Gerard Trignac (http://www.trignac-gerard.com/) for more inspiration.
Ha!
I wanted to link to that stuff but from a different angle - I didn't know that the artist had a homepage.
That artwork is from a French RPG supplement:
(http://www.ludikbazar.com/product_thumb/w/212/h/399/img/LIV%20-%20ABYME.jpg)
Abyme JDR - Aventures dans la Cité des Ombres (http://www.amazon.fr/Les-XII-Singes-Aventures-Ombres/dp/2918045217)
In order to play that game you'd also need the guidebook detailing the setting, an oversized (art)book that is based on a novel (http://www.amazon.fr/Abyme-Mathieu-Gaborit/dp/2290328278) by Mathieu Gaborit who also authored the novel on which Agone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agone) was based:
Abyme - Le Guide de la Cité des Ombres (http://www.amazon.fr/Abyme-Le-Guide-cit%C3%A9-ombres/dp/2354080638/)
The publisher did this oversized "mainstream" guidebook/artbook + small RPG book combo with another setting as well:
(http://www.ludikbazar.com/product_thumb/w/147/h/190/img/JDR%20-%20KADATH.jpg)
Kadath - Le Guide de la Cité Inconnue (http://www.amazon.fr/Kadath-guide-cit%C3%A9-Inconnue-Lovecraft/dp/2354080964/)
Kadath JDR - Aventure Dans la Cité Inconnue (http://www.amazon.fr/Les-XII-Singes-Aventure-Inconnue/dp/2918045284/)
Those are some beautiful covers.
RPGPundit
Well, my avatar is the cover Jon Hodgson did for Stone Horizons.
You should get a better look-see by clicking on the thumb-nail.
Ook! I love those illos! Perfect!
As is the Hodgson cover! :D
-clash
Ummm - what happened to the Stone Horizons thread?
-clash
Quote from: flyingmice;590169Ummm - what happened to the Stone Horizons thread?
-clash
Huh? Don't know what you mean.
Quote from: One Horse Town;590179Huh? Don't know what you mean.
Never mind, Dan! I forgot it was in Design, not in the main forum!
-clash
Quote from: flyingmice;590183Never mind, Dan! I forgot it was in Design, not in the main forum!
-clash
Phew! I nearly had heart failure.
Just sayin'...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzvj9WClXrc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzvj9WClXrc)
;)
Nice one Jon!
Sweet! :D
-clash
Sounds promising and difficult to pull off. Since you are a Peake fan you might consider treating yourself to the folio edition, one of their better efforts.
http://www.foliosociety.com/book/GOR/gormenghast-trilogy
Quote from: _kent_;590592Sounds promising and difficult to pull off.
Agree on both counts!
Quote from: One Horse Town;590692Agree on both counts!
Which is why he asked me to follow him with a cattle prod until it is finished!
-clash
Yow, would love to run this for my group! Here's hoping you are able to finish up and bring it to print, OHT.
Quote from: flyingmice;590712Which is why he asked me to follow him with a cattle prod until it is finished!
-clash
I preferred that to you following me with a polaroid! :D
Have firm ideas for 2 pledge rewards for when we get to the kickstarter phase and 2 more ideas that we are exploring...
Quote from: One Horse Town;590850Have firm ideas for 2 pledge rewards for when we get to the kickstarter phase and 2 more ideas that we are exploring...
"Rhaa lovely!"
Quote from: One Horse Town;590011Well, my avatar is the cover Jon Hodgson did for Stone Horizons.
You should get a better look-see by clicking on the thumb-nail.
Wow. Earlier today I was in a local book store where I saw the brand new reprint of Hans Bemmann's classic fantasy novel,
Stein und Flöte.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51U9IVb2DJL._BO2,204,203,200.jpg)
Congratulations, Jon, that your piece of art graces one of the finest examples (IMHO) of fantasy/faerie tale literature!
(Even though I find the choice a bit weird because the image doesn't resemble anything that happens in that book. The older covers--German (http://www.amazon.de/Stein-Fl%C3%B6te-noch-nicht-alles/dp/3522721152) and (http://www.amazon.de/Stein-Fl%C3%B6te-nicht-alles-Roman/dp/3492265073) English (http://http://www.amazon.com/The-Stone-Flute-Hans-Bemmann/dp/0140074457) ones (http://www.amazon.com/Stone-Flute-Hans-Bemmann/dp/0670801860/) alike--were more fitting, but also a lot more generic.)
Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;591246Wow. Earlier today I was in a local book store where I saw the brand new reprint of Hans Bemmann's classic fantasy novel, Stein und Flöte.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51U9IVb2DJL._BO2,204,203,200.jpg)
Congratulations, Jon, that your piece of art graces one of the finest examples (IMHO) of fantasy/faerie tale literature!
(Even though I find the choice a bit weird because the image doesn't resemble anything that happens in that book. The older covers--German (http://www.amazon.de/Stein-Fl%C3%B6te-noch-nicht-alles/dp/3522721152) and (http://www.amazon.de/Stein-Fl%C3%B6te-nicht-alles-Roman/dp/3492265073) English (http://http://www.amazon.com/The-Stone-Flute-Hans-Bemmann/dp/0140074457) ones (http://www.amazon.com/Stone-Flute-Hans-Bemmann/dp/0670801860/) alike--were more fitting, but also a lot more generic.)
Yeah, Jon asked if he could use the rights for the pic in the German market.
Nice art!
RPGPundit
Quote from: One Horse Town;591386Yeah, Jon asked if he could use the rights for the pic in the German market.
I wonder how that handicaps a potential German edition of Stone Horizons.
I'd hate it if that would have to use a different cover...
Congratulations, Dan. Great job :)
It ain't done yet, mate!
Quote from: One Horse Town;592062It ain't done yet, mate!
Well, what I have read shows good progress and a cool idea. So good job so far, again :)
Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;591857I wonder how that handicaps a potential German edition of Stone Horizons.
I'd hate it if that would have to use a different cover...
It shouldn't do, given the different markets the two books occupy and the contracts in place.
Additionally if I get time I'd like to update the Stone Horizons piece to 2012 standards. Nothing major, but it'd hopefully look slightly better painted than when I initially did it. :)
QuoteCongratulations, Jon, that your piece of art graces one of the finest examples (IMHO) of fantasy/faerie tale literature!
Thanks!
Hmmm. Not quite sure what they did to the tone and colours, but hey, that's all out of my hands.
Quote from: Hodgson;593617It shouldn't do, given the different markets the two books occupy and the contracts in place.
Additionally if I get time I'd like to update the Stone Horizons piece to 2012 standards. Nothing major, but it'd hopefully look slightly better painted than when I initially did it. :)
Thanks!
Hmmm. Not quite sure what they did to the tone and colours, but hey, that's all out of my hands.
Yeah - they really upped the saturation, didn't they?
-clash