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Author Topic: Noblesse Oblige 2  (Read 1527 times)

Jgilling

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Noblesse Oblige 2
« on: March 18, 2018, 12:02:31 AM »
Hey everybody, this is the second forum game I'm running using a bit of homebrew i've cooked up. it's a bit free form, and a bit solid at this point, but in general, the idea is as follows:

You are a lord (known as a graf in pictish) in the realm of Pictia. it is a wide country full of steppelands and just about every biome you can think of. A year ago, a great cataclysm happened in the east, brought on by a campaign by many different countries and factions against the Khaganate of the falling star, lead by Kaillus, son of Haillus (yes, pronounced as per the klingon hero of note.) It is a dark time in Pictia and the six nations of the west, with a great daemon having been summoned in westeria and subsequently causing a storm of daemons to be spewed forth, slaughtering all in their path to the drum beat (bleat?) of the Horned god, said to be a great goat.
Alternatively, you may be a Lord of Westeria, which was, until recently, a footnote in history compared to their easterian neighbours. the entire reason why westeria exists is strictly because it is divided by a mountain range, and was too useless in most any respect to be considered a threat. but now, after magics have seen their renewal in the world, and their successful application in westeria, it is beginning to become a global power. [maps of westeria are forthcoming; until then, the following are approximately correct --]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZAgbqLx5FOGip10I8GDVTFUDTaF9cGyrsMwA8Wbr90M/edit
-- 'men of flying rocks' was the pre-translation name the picts had for westerians. Dalak-Tai (see second map) would be the border province west of westeria.

This game is based on the system known as Reign, and uses much of the same mechanics, but with a few modifications, most importantly being: you cannot roll to increase your stats. you must instead bargain with allies to better your realms, as well as do battle with your enemies. what this means in practice, is that a constitutional monarchy/oligarchy has been established, yielding a limited democracy. to increase stats, you must therefore pass laws, and set about great building projects, from equipping your army and crafting siege weaponry, to making sure agricultural practices work, and constructing bridges over rivers. your resources can be used to enact those laws.

your basic stats are as follows:
Might (land)
Might (naval)
territory
sovereignty
influence
wealth

Land might is the value of land force strength and can also represent other forces, such as police.
Naval might is warships at your disposal, both for riverrine warfare, and ocean going vessels.
Territory is a measure of how well your country's resources are being used. it can also be a measure of manpower, and is used for defense.
Sovereignty is how well connected the government is, and how good the bureaucracy is. A state with 0 sovereignty is DEAD. also rule of law and all that. a state with high sovereignty and high might may well begin to show signs of manifest destiny, especially if the people are suitably hawkish.
Influence is how good your spies are planted in your enemies domains, and also at home.  
Wealth is cold. hard. cash, and other valuable resources. pretty self explanatory.

each stat can have a value between 0 and 7, but you must be of a rank higher than lord to gain more than 3 in any given stat.
 I may split this thread in two, for westeria and pictia respectively, but we'll see. Each side has a king, who have already been selected. they are charged with the power to veto legislation, and will dictate foreign policy for each side. in addition, there are a number of other nations, which are controlled by me, the GM, to generally make your lives more interesting. They are as follows:
Easteria
Cumberland
the former kingdom of Dalak Tai (now ...western... westeria)
the great southern forest

The crimson kingdom
the holy college
Bellaria,
Trimerron,
gothica.
(these, along with pictia, form the conglomerate known as the six nations of the west. capitoled at Seven keeps, the city which the God King Isaac son of Isaac named, was the site of a few different forum and IRL games we played a long time ago. 'we' being a bunch of students from SFU in vancouver.)


rules documents:
How rolling works:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M1abT1PMemiLQvs1-fuOIaspylR7wfnJrR7cJw1ags0/edit
(more to be added as needed)

REMINDER: FOR ROLLS, SEE THIS REFERENCE. http://www.gregstolze.com/Company_Reference.pdf


Game documents
board of bills (picts):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lRKKezaW2tPhEgUT9yKvu29d2vBqyIT79UqFCS1Ji5M/edit#
board of bills (horned servants/westeria):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UVZupT8gpckmROY0xcLTGagAAGpikTSOdRSfO4Kmuqk/edit
[under construction]

All of that said, to create your state, you need to do as follows:

describe where it is. feel free to add geographical notes such as rivers, mountains, deserts, great forests, etc. 'west of westeria, north of the Kal'don river, on a great mountain perch' would be a good start. your stats should reflect your state, so think about this in terms of territory -- a city on a river with absolutely no boats is not going to make much sense. likewise, a city in a desert probably wouldn't have a navy. just be creative. Some notes on pictia to give you a bit of direction:

technologically wise, it approximates mongolia around 1200 AD. guns exist, but suck by todays standards. (Fire lances, not muskets yet.) they are, however, still potent. same goes, more or less, for westeria. cities in Pictia use the term 'tun' for city. for extra legitimacy, Picts first born take their fathers name (Eg, Isaac son of Isaac), and their second sons rhyme with the first -- eg, Mazaac son of Isaac. but that much is optional, as plenty of intermarriage has happened over the pax pictia.

Westeria has no such notes, so feel free to be as creative as you like there.
With those things in mind, I will enforce balanced teams. if there is one too many players to balance, they will be put in a precarious position between the two sides.
don't forget to lie, cheat, and backstab eachother, guys :D
« Last Edit: March 18, 2018, 01:32:36 AM by Jgilling »

Jgilling

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Noblesse Oblige 2
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2018, 01:38:01 AM »
Other stuff:
I will be posting crises to both sides every turn. every turn is two weeks or so. crises may also be the result of enemy actions or espionage or sabotage. to combat that, you need to do some internal policing, and espionage to find out stuff. all covert actions should be communicated to me, and to your side's king. I want to see at least 4 players per side, king's included. we will start in one week on sunday (the 25th). until then, feel free to create your state. Good luck!

so, post your Character and your fief/state down below, and we'll have some high adventures.
note regarding technology: the timescale isn't long enough to really allow for real development. don't worry about it. technological development should be considered more along the lines of weapons procurement.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2018, 01:42:54 AM by Jgilling »

Cataphrak

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Noblesse Oblige 2
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2018, 03:16:25 AM »
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2307[/ATTACH]

Count Radovic Tor, 9th Count of Doume, 5th Baron Freemoneys
Faction: Kingdom of Westeria
Capital: Doumehold
Motto: "Only Good Can Come of This!"
Battlecry: "Doume!"

Might (Land): 1
Might (Naval): 0
Territory: 3
Sovereignty: 3
Influence: 2
Wealth: 3

Description:
The County of Doume rests in the deepest heartland of Old Westeria on a bend of the River Doume, far from hostile neighbours or untamed frontiers. Doume is a land of verdant fields and wooded hills, perfectly suited for agriculture. Much of the cleared land in the county has been farmed for centuries, and a robust local economy focused on agricultural goods, timber, and wood products is anchored not only by a half dozen well-established market villages, but the capital city, Doumehold.

Doumehold is a city which has not yet fully recovered from the horrific Great Plague of 776, when a full three-quarters of the population (including Count Ludovic Tor, 4th Count of Doume) succumbed to a terrible contagion. Many of the buildings within the city's mighty stone walls were razed and never again rebuilt. Even today, Doumehold remains something of a shadow of its former self, despite the inauguration of the impressive new Church of the Horned Lord in the previous decade, and the recently-completed refurbishing of the main Bricking Square.

The town of Freemoneys sits on the County of Doume's eastern border. Once a rowdy frontier outpost, the devastation of the Plague of 776 reduced the burgeoning colony to a quiet walled settlement, barely worthy of being called a town. Yet still, as Doume's second-largest settlement, it commands a certain level of respect, and serves as a secondary trade centre within the County.

History:
House Tor has been a part of Westeria ever since there even was a Westeria. One of the first families to settle what was then Westeria's eastern frontier, their fortified homestead on the River Doume eventually grew to become a major trading post, and then a fortified settlement. By the 3rd century, Doumehold was a sizable town, and the leading family was ennobled as the Barons of Doumehold.

The reach of House Tor grew slowly over the course of the next few centuries. While other noble dynasties rose, made all-or-nothing grabs for power, and inevitably fell, the Tors of Doumehold gradually expanded their reach with slow-burning, long-term investments in agriculture, trade, and the gradual settlement of the frontier. By the middle of the 7th century, the Barons of Doumehold controlled much of central Westeria, which in turn, led to their elevation to their current senior title as Counts of Doume.

It was Ludovic Tor, 4th Count of Doume who led the house through much of the mid and late 8th century. Count Ludovic was the first to establish a close working relationship with the Church of the Horned Lord, an alliance which the Counts of Doume have been careful to maintain ever since. As Royal Minister for Agriculture, Count Ludovic was also the founder of both the town of Freemoneys and of Westeria's Royal Yeomanry, which would in turn be the foundation of Westeria's later civil service. After the Great Heresy of 776, Count Ludovic developed plans in conjunction with the Church to build a standing army to fight in the Horned Lord's name. However, the 4th Count's death during the Plague of 776 would leave the completion of that task to his younger brother and heir, Sir Stanvic Tor.

Stanvic Tor, 5th Count of Doume completed what his brother started. He was instrumental in the effective ouster of Westeria's royal house in favour of the Church of the Horned Lord. In return, the Church did much to assist the 5th and 6th Counts of Doume in rebuilding their plague-ravaged demesne, something which has ensured the exemplary piety of the County of Doume's peasantry to this very day.

The current lord of Doume is Count Radovic Tor, a sickly boy who has little talent for House Tor's traditional strengths of agriculture and infrastructure. However, the young Count possesses talents in other places. He is considered one of the brightest theological minds in Westeria, and enjoys not only the traditional close political alliance with the Church of the Horned Lord, but also a personal friendship with many of Westeria's senior clergy. Count Radovic sees the current political upheaval as an opportunity to both spread the word of the Horned God, and consolidate the church's hold on power at home.

joriandrake

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Noblesse Oblige 2
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2018, 06:56:45 AM »
Hi, welcome to the forum!