One Who Tames

Mortal Kombat Outworld war

Hoo boy. I feel like this might end up catfishing some people and driving away others who might enjoy it based on the title alone.

Personally, I find the idea interesting. I don't know a damn thing about the Outworld but I love world building and nation stuff. The idea of a judge seems pretty interesting but it would need to overcome quite a few issues.

This reminds me of an old German wargame. It was two players and a judge. Each player had an identical map but could not see the other player's stuff unless the judged deemed it so. Whenever the pawns clashed, the judge would then decide the outcome based on his own experience, external factors and the direct capabilities of the units engaged in the fight. Very early style of GMing.

Persistent Characters vs "One-and-Done" Characters

@Ammokkx Don't you fucking start nit-picking over terminology with me. I made it clear what I meant.

I don't really have much more to add without repeating myself. I have no desire to change your mind. Doing so would only ruin what you currently enjoy and that isn't how this one does things. We're just going to have to disagree.

What do you look for when searching for an RP?

The name of the RP is, of course, the first catch. If the name sets off warning bells in the reptilian part of my brain then I stay the fuck away from it. If it seems to mesh with my interests or tickles my curiosity then I check it out. Often, as long as the title doesn't sicken me, I tend to give things a look just for fun. No-brainer so far. For the record, I prefer a micro-summery of the game in the title but this is more of a nit-pick.

If the introduction post is, for whatever reason, difficult to read then I move on. There are some rare exceptions to this @pugbutter. For the most part, my eyes are more important to me than your concept.

If a game requires the beautification of one's post, then you can fuck right off. As a personal rule of thumb, if it took longer to make the post template than it did to write the post itself, then the template is too fucking complicated. I don't even want "pretty" posts in my own games. Also, if you have a character sheet section and still require a picture for every post, then you can fuck right off.

If a game's character sheet is too complicated and arbitrary, then you can fuck right off. If it visibly took more effort to create the character sheet than it did to create the plot for your game, then your priorities are fucked.

I give zero fucks about "face claims". The game should not be about how people look. If a picture is more important to you than the player then your priorities are fucked.

Of course, the content of the game needs to mesh with what I want to play. That should go without saying but it is technically something that could turn me off toward a game. I'm trying to stay away from defining the content I prefer since it doesn't seem relevant.

Something that can make me lose interest at any point in the process are the other people who seem interested in the story. I do my damnedest to not give GMs the wrong impression toward my intentions. If I decide the people are not tolerable then I will gently let the GM know that it is time for me to depart.

If the GM doesn't live up to something they advertised then I might depart. This, sadly, has happened more than a few times.

I might take my leave if I feel like my personality will clash too much with other players. If I'm going to become the thorn in their side then I find it easier to just go somewhere else rather than risk ruining the fun for everybody else.

As far as I can tell, the majority of people who respond to an interest check will never make a second comment once the game goes live. I can accept that. I don't like it. Oh well.

This is less of a thing that scares me off and more of a gripe. I dislike when a potential GM finds a decent group and then just fades away. Depressing stuff, that.

Character Sheets: Where do you stand?

Character sheets are important if they are important to the game. I find it nice to check out who is playing and what they're like and it has proven to be an easy reference point to help with fleshing out a post. If there are going to be character sheets, simple is best. If you're going to try and make me jump through a bunch of hoops with some complicated bullshit template or arbitrary pro/con crap then you can fuck right off.

Persistent Characters vs "One-and-Done" Characters

I’ll not pretend to understand mentality of people who describe legacy characters as somehow flawed or those who play them as inferior. To me, all that means is admitting an inability to adapt one’s own world view as well as the arrogance to declare anybody who disagrees with you as simply “wrong”. I could go so far as to describe the practice of discarding one’s characters after only one use as shallow and lazy, but that would only be me being spiteful.

Legacy characters gain the benefit of being established and better developed than ones made up on-the-spot. More love and heart can go into a creation that persists than a simple one-off who will be forgotten in a year but I digress.

The simple fact is that both one-offs and legacy characters have merit. Any GM can tell you all about that. Arbitrarily condemning one or the other is a sign of weakness on the part of he accuser. However, preferring one or the other is simple opinion. I enjoy a mix of the two as a GM and, in fact, find the “disposable” one-shots essential for the random NPCs that don’t really matter. A few, even, have gone on to become fleshed out and beloved additions to the party.

A Fantasy Adventure Focusing on Story and Backed by a Dash of Dice

You both have good points. If I put it in TT then people might come looking for a dice-focused game. If I put it in the others, then people might be put off by the presence of dice at all.

I’ll think on this and listen to any argument you all want to offer. I don’t know how many people are willing to commit to this but the feedback seems promising!

A Fantasy Adventure Focusing on Story and Backed by a Dash of Dice

Things are looking pretty good. I won't have much time during this week to do anything more than answer questions and get to know you fine writers. I *should* have Friday off so I think I'll go ahead and start putting everything together.

I do have a question for anybody who is interested, though. I'm trying to figure out which subforum to put this in. I'm leaning toward Tabletop for the obvious reasons. However, I'm also considering putting this in Casual because fuck the system. By definition, however, it seems more suited for Advanced.

So, my question to you is, where do YOU want me to put this role play?

(D&D 5E) The Tyranny of Dragons - Closed

I can put something together for this.

All of the games I have played were homebrew and I am fairly new to 5e. I might have a lot of questions about the greater D&D world.

My Steel, My Skills, My Wisdom Are Yours If You Need Them

@CollectorOfMyst I will do that. Thank you for the invitation.

The World of Aerion

Edon Wolf
Orc Camp
Sabamin, Ethora

Embers rose steadily into the air from burning huts and tents as the sound of sporadic battle and butchery surrounded him. The main part of the actual 'fighting' had ended some time ago after Varian's assault. Now it was simply cleaning up the stragglers.

A brute of an orc yelled his savage fury over the just work that Varian's crew had carried out. He hefted a long axe that he no doubt had lifted from the corpse of one of his raiding victims and charged toward Edon. His swing could have split the noble man's head down to his sternum for all the might behind it.

These beasts have no disclipline, Edon thought as he stepped to the side and retreated. The axe bit the ground and cost the orc precious seconds to reset. All fury and strength with no finesse or subtlety.

"Is that all you are," he spoke in a soft, disappointed tone. The orc was clearly strong enough to crush his head with his bare hands. To Edon, he saw a creature who had grown accustomed to solving its problems only through force.

When the next attack came, it was just as clearly telegraphed as the last. Edon moved in to meet it with the metal-covered shaft of his halberd. His arms flexed under the sudden impact of the sideways swing but he managed to stop it cold, sending the axe rebounding. He followed it up by stepping back and striking the orc in the side of its head with the metal-capped 'butt' of his polearm. It wasn't an especially hard strike but the lights visibly dimmed in its eyes from having his brain rattled.

The orc was huge and fierce but Edon was not a small man either. He stood just over six foot tall and had the fit, full build of a person who had steady and easy access to food and fitness for his whole life. He was a fighting man and took pride in his physical fitness and skill. Being from Raelus, speed and quick footwork was essential, even if he tended to go for half plate instead of the lighter armor favored by his noble brethren. Butchering scavengers was so far beneath him that it felt like an insult.

He waited for the orc to shake away the dizziness and ready himself for another assault. This time Edon assumed a defensive posture with his knees bent and the halberd aimed straight for the orc. He almost didn't even have to aim. When the beast charged him, it swiped at his polearm to try and knock it away. Edon simply dipped his weapon then brought it back up into the creature's stomach. The orc howled in pain and rage and pressed on, but Edon dropped the butt of his polearm into the ground and held fast to it, bracing it against the attempt to push him back.

For a short time, the orc swung at him without success. Then he beat at the shaft but struck only the metal strip that reinforced the wood. When its strength began to wane, Edon pushed back, eventually forcing the beast to the ground. He extracted his halberd and stood away from the orc.

For some time, he stood there and watched the creature as it bled out in the dirt. Its breathing slowed and fire dwindled to just a spark in its eyes but it did not show any of the pain it must have been in.

"Very well," Edon whispered. "You have earned this much."

He dropped his halberd and drew his bastard sword then moved to stand by the orc's head.

"A clean death."

As he made ready to end its suffering, the orc suddenly reached for him with both hands. Edon swung out of reflex to cut down one of the hands but failed to stop the beast's attempt. His sword was knocked to the side and he found himself flat on his back after his feet were pulled out from under him. Quickly, he pushed himself away from the wounded animal and lashed out at it with kicks. Adrenaline surged through his system and, before he knew it, he was free of the struggling, dying creature.

The orc's grab had been its last attempt at revenge rather than some masterful trap. As he watched, the thing breathed its last breath and began to grow cold.

Edon climbed back to his feet and gathered his sword. He checked his surroundings but the fighting was over with. His eyes soon came back to the dead orc. Its lack of dignity in defeat offended his sense of propriety. But its defiance even in death was something he respected. After a minute of silent contemplation, he cleaned off his sword and retrieved his halberd then moved to rejoin the rest of the company.

Edon Wolf
Broken Keg Tavern
Dalenham, Ethora

Edon walked through the streets of Dalenham with clear contempt in his eyes. These people lived like animals and he hated them for it. He made no attempt to converse with anybody and continued straight toward the tavern where Varian had insisted they meet.

He had cleaned his halberd and his armor and left it at the camp for this. Instead, he wore his trusty mantled riding coat (the finest thick, black treated leather) over a deep red button up piece of formal wear. His bastard sword hung from his left hip, often with his left hand perched comfortably atop its pommel.

His resentful scowl remained even after he reached the tavern. The idea that people could adapt to this level of filth appalled him.

Drostan and Varian were easy to spot in the crowd. Edon worked his jaw for a moment and considered his next action. He didn't know either of these men, despite the previous mission they had carried out. He had only recently been hired on and even then it was through another person. This would be his first true meeting with the man.

Edon shook away his doubts and marched over to the table. The other two were already seated, but he came to a stop at their side, well in easy view of them. Again, the noble from Raelus seemed to search for the right words before saying, stiffly, "Commander Varian."