Game of Thrones-esque RP Discussion

[TJByrum]

I was wondering if anyone here wanted to discuss an advanced, epic-sized, GoT-esque role play; it would be an original creation, and not something that blatantly copies GoT itself. I think the 3 biggest things are:

• Multiple Plots - Approximately 3-5 major plot lines occurring. We'd start with one plot, and then introduce a second later on, and then a third, etc. They would be happening simultaneously, but we'd introduce them at specific intervals so as to ease into it a little better. Each major plot has its own subplots that may have to be accomplished to advance said plot.
• Warring Kingdoms - A series of kingdoms which are currently vying for control of the realm. Each kingdom has its own family members, allies, and armies. The idea is to politically interact with one another, but was is always certain. I'd like to see marriages, assassinations, betrayals, and that sort of thing.
• Death - I want death to be pretty evident in the RP. If you get captured during a battle, your opponent has the ability to kill you, keep you, or let you go. If two characters are talking, and one randomly grabs a knife and kills you, you're dead - no if, ands, or buts - the killer just needs to be aware of the consequences. It sounds harsh, I know, but that's the point.

Now for the major plots. One major plot will be the warring kingdoms. The other, I was thinking, concerns a group of loyalists who are protecting the rightful princess: a very young girl who everyone believes is dead; there goal is garner support and perhaps place her on the throne. What others would you like?

Also, combat points. Everyone gets maybe 5 points. You allocate these points into one or more of your characters to show their skill in combat. This way, if someone is being attacked, the character with a higher rating has the upper hand. This can go up depending on specific IC-related events (training, experience in combat, etc).

[Teddyinahat]

Sounds interesting. I'll have a think about plot ideas and let you know, but you can count me in for now.

[Stoutland]

The idea sounds pretty cool. You got my interest.

[TJByrum]

I kind of just want to let everyone create a cast of characters and see who kills who. Maybe each character you create has a specific role. Commander class leads armies better than others, Fighter classes are excellent warriors, Spymasters allow you to meta-game, Snakes give you the ability to poison other characters, Watchmen can spot poisons, Tongues can persuade others to join you or do your bidding, etc. What other types could we have?

[Teddyinahat]

Knights, maybe they could be like Fighters but with some political power.

Assassins. Obvious what they do, but could replace your Snake class.

Fighters could be Split into Pikemen, Archers, Swords, Cavalry.

Torturers? For when people get captured.

Though personally I don't like the class system, we have seen with GoT that everyone needs to lift a blade at some point, and if you cant talk you way out of something you are likely to die. I think it better to have like a list of maybe 1 or 2 things you are really good at and 2 or 3 you are average at, and then as the game progresses you gain or increase your skills. This allows for character growth and doesn't make players feel tied to a class. Skills can be unrelated too, as long as it is reasonably explained in the character Bio why they have those skills. E.g. someone could be a expert in intrigue and court politics, but also a very good shot with a bow because they had taken part in many archery competitions while growing up in court.

It is of course, up to you, i'm just giving an opinion. I'm still in either way :)

[Vahir]

Yeah, it'd be better to avoid something as restrictive as a class system.

[Red Wizard]

I'm very much interested, but I'm also thinking no classes.

As far as plots go, we could use some common tropes and rework them to suit us. Eastern Hordes springs to mind, as well as some kind of Cold War setting. Maybe a secretive Big Baddie hiding in the midst of the struggling nobles, just waiting for a chance to turn everything upside-down?

[Stoutland]

Agree with the no-class system.

[Kingfisher]

This has very much got my interest. Cant wait to see what comes of it.

[TJByrum]

I'd like to go ahead and mention the idea of a prologue. I'm in this other RP on another site called Rise of Domrius, and in it the players are in this cobbled alliance as they try to defend a mountainpass from a Roman-esque faction. It's really fun, and seeing the players discuss strategies is neat.

Perhaps we could do this prequel where our great houses have banded together to oust the Red Legions. Then once that RP concludes, we start the actual RP, where our armies have returned home for some time. Our characters would be the sons and daughters and whatnot of our characters from the prologue or something.

Or perhaps another prologue where there are two factions vying for power, and your house has to choose one. We have this large battle between the players. The victors choose conditions (who they want to execute, whether they take prisoners and make them slaves/wards, take their land, make them a vassal state, etc). Then once that prologue is done, we fast-forward x amount of years and a new war is brewing. Some of our factions may have more men due to conditions placed int he prologue, some family members of yours may belong to someone else, etc etc.

Would you guys be more interested in a single political/war RP, or do you like the idea of multiple plots? If you like multiple plots, perhaps one can be about the warring kingdoms, one about the loyalists protecting the princess, and one can be about the senators of the Red Legion; the senators will debate courses of action against the sultanate, and perhaps one day discuss strategies to invade the western kingdoms again.

[TJByrum]

Alright, been thinking.

The RP begins at a standoff. There are two groups: one who is loyal to the current King, and one who resents the King. I'm not sure what the disparity is between these two groups, but I'm looking to Wars of the Roses for inspiration. The rebels have gathered their forces and marched towards the capital, but the King has assembled his loyalists and marched forth to meet them. Two encampments stand at opposing sides of a mountainpass, and a battle is about to occur. However... a parley has been accepted. The rebels are invited to peace talks with the loyalists. The goal of the rebels is to negotiate terms, while the loyalists must try to do what they can to prevent bloodshed or whatever - your goals are your own. And then we go from there.

One important thing to note is the Paragon. Each faction has a Paragon, and this is essentially the strongest and most important 'piece on the game board', so to speak. The Paragon is extremely loyal, probably a son or close friend; he can fight well, inspires his soldiers, and leads like a true commander. He can turn the tide in battle, and could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Perhaps the Royal Family has been killed and now two rival lords are vying for the thrown; you must pick a side - or make your own side, up to you. We can do a second plot concerning the princess and her loyal retainers as they escort her to safety, and perhaps she can rebuild an army later on.

I was considering resources. Supplies, Coin, and Food, and each faction produces one. You need to secure alliances or conquer land to acquire the rest. Run out of supplies, and you have no weapons to fight with; run out of coin, and you've no money to pay your troops; run out of food, and your men starve and desert. Perhaps each faction has 4 territories, so have +4 of their resource; losing a province decrease that to +3, while that +1 which was lost goes to the conqueror. Otherwise, you could initiate trade and you get +1 of their resource per turn, and they get +1 of your resource per turn.

Or perhaps everyone produces all three resources, some just produce more than others. And I like the idea of Traits. Maybe one faction is known for powerful knights, another known for poisoning people in the past. Maybe you have a powerful fleet, etc. I'll allow X amount of traits per faction. Everyone may have about 5000-7000 soldiers in their army to begin with, so merged armies of 2 may exceed 10000-14000, and on and on as they gather more allies. This is your starting force; you'll never have this many men again in the future.

[Vahir]

Alright, been thinking.

The RP begins at a standoff. There are two groups: one who is loyal to the current King, and one who resents the King. I'm not sure what the disparity is between these two groups, but I'm looking to Wars of the Roses for inspiration. The rebels have gathered their forces and marched towards the capital, but the King has assembled his loyalists and marched forth to meet them. Two encampments stand at opposing sides of a mountainpass, and a battle is about to occur. However... a parley has been accepted. The rebels are invited to peace talks with the loyalists. The goal of the rebels is to negotiate terms, while the loyalists must try to do what they can to prevent bloodshed or whatever - your goals are your own. And then we go from there.

One important thing to note is the Paragon. Each faction has a Paragon, and this is essentially the strongest and most important 'piece on the game board', so to speak. The Paragon is extremely loyal, probably a son or close friend; he can fight well, inspires his soldiers, and leads like a true commander. He can turn the tide in battle, and could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Perhaps the Royal Family has been killed and now two rival lords are vying for the thrown; you must pick a side - or make your own side, up to you. We can do a second plot concerning the princess and her loyal retainers as they escort her to safety, and perhaps she can rebuild an army later on.

I was considering resources. Supplies, Coin, and Food, and each faction produces one. You need to secure alliances or conquer land to acquire the rest. Run out of supplies, and you have no weapons to fight with; run out of coin, and you've no money to pay your troops; run out of food, and your men starve and desert. Perhaps each faction has 4 territories, so have +4 of their resource; losing a province decrease that to +3, while that +1 which was lost goes to the conqueror. Otherwise, you could initiate trade and you get +1 of their resource per turn, and they get +1 of your resource per turn.

Or perhaps everyone produces all three resources, some just produce more than others. And I like the idea of Traits. Maybe one faction is known for powerful knights, another known for poisoning people in the past. Maybe you have a powerful fleet, etc. I'll allow X amount of traits per faction. Everyone may have about 5000-7000 soldiers in their army to begin with, so merged armies of 2 may exceed 10000-14000, and on and on as they gather more allies. This is your starting force; you'll never have this many men again in the future.

@TJByrum

Again, that's pretty gamey for mechanics. I think the only "Resources" should be levies and coin, both of which are derived from how much land you own. As for exact troop numbers, it should vary from player to player (it'd be strange if we all had the same amount), but more in the 1000-6000 range.

The Battle of Towton, by far the largest in the War of the Roses, had around 30 000 men on each side, and that was the combined might of the entire factions.

[TJByrum]

Right now, the title for the role play is A Crown for a King, or perhaps I'll name it Of Kings and Queens, I'm not 100% right now. Or maybe Isle of Dracos, like my old RP; that'd give me a name for the continent too.

It will take place on a continent that is yet unnamed, but divided into 4 regions: Asgeir, the mountainous northern realm, where it is cold; Eastmarch, the eastern province of rolling plains and forests; Vessex, the western province, a rocky and stormy land; the Sandsea, a southern region known for its hot and barren-like landscape.

This continent had natives, but they were conquered by a great Empire long ago (like the Roman occupation of the British Isles). This empire eventually lost its grasp and collapsed, leading to the formation of several kingdoms throughout the continent, which warred for quite some time. Eventually, one of the kingdoms managed to unite all of the other kingdoms and established a single kingdom, establishing a capital at Stormhold - which lie in the center of the continent.

Fast forward a few generations, and that's where we are. For some reason, two groups are forming: those loyal to the King, and those who are not. I just need to find a really, really good reason to make the players fight. Maybe the loyalists have family members married into the royal family, so the King treats them better, while he treats the rebels a little worse (offers no support, increased taxes, etc). The rebels decide to secede, so the King leads an army north to deal with them, then we go from there.

[Red Wizard]

Maybe the new King/Queen endorses an entirely new deity and plans on making the rest of the nation worship it as well? Fucking with peoples traditions is a sure way to get them riled up. The sovereign could also have issued a taxation of the people that some find lawful and some don't (like with King John in England). Maybe there's always been tensions between two or three groups in the population, and now that the sovereign has allied with one of them the others are rebelling?

[TJByrum]

Certainly not what you guys were expecting, but here it is anyway, the prologue:
http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/82425-red-legions/ooc

@Teddyinahat, @Vahir, @Golem, @Kingfisher. @Stoutland.