Well, that's that. Your most hated rival has just won the Silver Chalice competition, and is now going to be promoted over you. Blind hack judges wouldn't know talent if it broke free from its confines and tried to savage the crowd.
Regardless, there's no way you're serving under that meddling fool. You'd rather die on a volcanic mountain swarming with obsidian crows, or be eaten by giant vine spiders in an acidic jungle. So that's exactly what you're gonna do! There's a new extraplanar settler caravan moving out soon, and they'd just
love a disgruntled wizard of your caliber helping out the colony. Maybe even just being in the colony! Depending on circumstances and leadership, you might be useful enough just being there doing your thing. Or you could try being extra helpful, taking on a leadership role or making yourself indispensable.
Regardless, the world is your oyster! Not this world, the other one. And the oyster probably has teeth and is filled with radioactive scorpions. But with luck, hard work, and the limitless powers of the arcane, you might just get what you want, and that pompous fool back home will be sorry
he didn't jump blindly into a hostile wilderness with hundreds of panicked colonists.
Yeah. Things are looking up!
Each turn represents one week, during which time each player receives two actions. Other "Heroic" characters also receive two actions, but most normal individuals only receive one. Minor actions, such as most conversations or cursory examinations, do not take an action unless they become inordinately involved.
RollsThe nature of an action's effect is determined by a roll. Nothing modifies this base number, though various things can affect the details of the actual outcome.
| Roll | Name | Description |
| 20 | CRIT! | +4 XP. Unique beneficial effect. Skeletons that are fully conscious and can act on their own and learn skills, a house incorporating a natural hot spring beneath it. |
| 17-19 | Bonus | +2 XP. Additional beneficial effect. Skeletons that can see life force, a house that stays cool in summer and warm in winter. |
| 11-16 | Good | Additional minor beneficial effect. Skeletons that emit fearsome shrieks, a house with pleasant wood grain patterns. |
| 5-10 | Poor | Additional minor negative effect. Skeletons that emit derpy shrieks, a house with creaky floorboards. |
| 2-4 | Malus | +2 XP. Additional negative effect. Skeletons that have difficulty not feasting upon the living, a drafty house. |
| 1 | FAIL! | +4 XP. Unique negative effect. Skeletons that break loose and begin causing and feeding off of bad dreams, a house that accidentally tunnels into a giant acid worm hive. |
Skills and XPMost actions utilize skills for their effect, and grant xp to those skills on good rolls. By default, the magnitude of an action is equal to the value of its corresponding skill.
Note that this does mean that Dabbling actions cannot produce useful results, while Inexperienced actions are legitimately harmful. This makes training individuals in new skills a somewhat difficult and expensive prospect.
| Name | Value | XP to Next/Total XP to Reach |
| Inexperienced | -1 | 2 |
| Dabbling | +0 | 2 |
| Novice | +1 | 4 |
| Apprentice | +2 | 8 |
| Adept | +3 | 16 |
| Expert | +4 | 32 |
| Master | +5 | 64 |
Leaving aside the convoluted nuances of interkingdom, racial, and discipline conflicts, there are five magical academies with strong connections to five allied kingdoms, each with its own specialties and outlooks. Overlap between the five is common, though each is generally considered the best in what they do.
Each academy and its associated kingdom has certain things they desire and others that they can provide. While each can buy and sell a wide range of expected goods and services, these represent the things they're unusually interested in or good at, and will thus usually value unusually highly or possess in unusual abundance. These factors can also be incredibly important politically; a colony which provides a desired good may be seen as more valuable than it possibly is, and a colony with similarities to a home kingdom or academy may appear more relatable.
Aspirants from kingdoms or magical traditions outside the academies are far from unheard of, but predictably rare.
Earthtone
A dwarven power dedicated to economic and crafting magics. Fabulously wealthy in precious metals and gemstones, but prone to incidents involving all the unruly souls they seal inside precious material golems in order to power and control them.
Desires precious metals and gemstones. Provides quality goods and tools.
Woodleaf
An elven power dedicated to healing and nature magics. Served by all things living, but prone to issues regarding their reckless mutation and insistence on every structure and item being alive.
Desires exotic plants and animals. Provides living servants and tools.
Skullspine
An orcish power dedicated to necromancy and black magics. Wield potent destructive magics and are served by demons and the dead, but prone to rather predictable complications on account of using life force to bind unholy forces to their will.
Desires slaves and dark power. Provides unholy servants and power at any price.
Glazetop
A varied power composed of ratmen, quigs, kobolds, nu-nu, flou, kai, norom, vell, retech, vile, and any other lesser race caught and enslaved by a giant floating brain. Everyone is really really concerned about that at first and then just kind of gets used to it. Dedicated to poorly thought out hybrids of two or more other schools. Possesses unrivaled versatility, but absolutely nothing works how it's supposed to, let alone works together with anything else how it's supposed to.
Desires magical materials and reagents. Provides ratmen banjo squads meldings of other things.
Fairport
A human power dedicated to magic-affecting magics. Able to affect and examine magical forces extremely well, but prone to unforeseeable catastrophes involving the reckless manipulation of poorly understood magical forces.
Desires oddities of any kind. Provides augmentation and manipulation of other things.
Name: What do they call you?
Race, Gender, and Class: What are you?
Academy/Kingdom: Where did you come from?
Physical Description: What do you look like?
Mental Description: What do you think and act like?
Backstory: What happened to you?
Primary Skill: You begin at +3 (Adept) in a magical school of your choice. Feel free to experiment or inquire as to what constitutes a valid skill or school.
Secondary Skill: You begin at +2 (Apprentice) in a supporting skill of your choice. Should support your primary skill, class, or role, but then why wouldn't it.
Tertiary Skills: You begin at +1 (Novice) in a pair of tertiary skills. These may be supporting skills to your class or other skills, hobbies, racial or cultural quirks, or something else entirely.
Signature: Possessions come and go, but this thing seems fairly well-entrenched on your person. Usually a practical tool of your trade, but sometimes an aid for your interests, sentimental token, or even a servant or pet.
Submission: Your submission to the competition to determine who would be promoted was a true work of art that any half-blind simpleton could see would revolutionize your entire field. Unfortunately here you are, so if there's anything left of it and it's not too toxic you might as well bring it with you.
Equipment: Your material possessions, or at least the ones you're bringing with you. Usually just clothing and basic tools, but a handful of more exotic trinkets aren't unheard of.
[b]Name:[/b] What do they call you?
[b]Race, Gender, and Class:[/b] What are you?
[b]Academy/Kingdom:[/b] Where did you come from?
[b]Physical Description:[/b] What do you look like?
[b]Mental Description:[/b] What do you think and act like?
[b]Backstory:[/b] What happened to you?
[b]Primary Skill:[/b] You begin at +3 (Adept) in a magical school of your choice. Feel free to experiment or inquire as to what constitutes a valid skill or school.
[b]Secondary Skill:[/b] You begin at +2 (Apprentice) in a supporting skill of your choice. Should support your primary skill, class, or role, but then why wouldn't it.
[b]Tertiary Skills:[/b] You begin at +1 (Novice) in a pair of tertiary skills. These may be supporting skills to your class or other skills, hobbies, racial or cultural quirks, or something else entirely.
[b]Signature:[/b] Possessions come and go, but this thing seems fairly well-entrenched on your person. Usually a practical tool of your trade, but sometimes an aid for your interests, sentimental token, or even a servant or pet.
[b]Submission:[/b] Your submission to the competition to determine who would be promoted was a true work of art that any half-blind simpleton could see would revolutionize your entire field. Unfortunately here you are, so if there's anything left of it and it's not too toxic you might as well bring it with you.
[b]Equipment:[/b] Your material possessions, or at least the ones you're bringing with you. Usually just clothing and basic tools, but a handful of more exotic trinkets aren't unheard of.
Isolation: How difficult the settlement is to reach, be it through time, danger, or other obstacles and complications. Greater isolation tends to mean greater freedom and less assistance.
-Exile: Practically a one-way trip. While reaching and returning from the settlement is probably possible, it's a terrible idea unless you absolutely have to. Freedom (from anyone not already in the settlement, that is) is virtually guaranteed, but so is being almost entirely on your own.
-Trek: A challenge to find. Reaching and returning from the settlement is a major undertaking, not to be done lightly. Freedom is high, assistance and merchants are low.
-Journey: Difficult but doable. Reaching and returning from the settlement is most certainly a project, but an entirely feasible one under the right conditions. Contact is limited but relatively routine, ensuring that freedom and assistance are both respectable.
-Lark: Not bad at all. Reaching and returning from the settlement is about as easy as an extraplanar foray can be, ensuring that freedom is a little sparse and assistance is pretty plentiful.
-Neighbor: A planar expedition in the sense that eating in front of your house is a picnic. Reaching and returning from the settlement is scarcely worthy of mention, ensuring that orders and assistance can come in at any time.
Power: How much is being invested in the expedition. Higher power grants more benefits, but comes with increased ownership and involvement from entities back home.
-Penniless: This is less an expedition and more a starving herd of colonists. You don't owe nobody nothin', but that's also about how much stuff you have so good luck.
-Poor: This expedition has some token outside support, but is largely operating on its own merits. Outside interference is low, but you don't have much to work with.
-Comfortable: This expedition is well-stocked for a pioneer outing. You'll probably have some obligations to somebody, but they're more likely to be an investor than an overlord.
-Wealthy: This expedition is suspiciously well-supplied; somebody wants it to succeed. That somebody is likely going to be keeping a close eye on their substantial investment, however.
-Extravagant: Quality tools and talented servants rain from the sky. Of course, you're probably now legally something's property.
Size: How large the expedition is intended to be. Larger expeditions offer more developed and varied settlements, but tend to require more effort and responsibility to maintain.
-Outpost: Little more than a basecamp of specialists. You probably have a job you're expected to do, but likely one you're also in charge of evaluating your own performance on.
-Village: A relatively self-sufficient gaggle of colonists, usually farmers and the like around a more specialized core. You're probably expected to deal with a certain class of problems when they arise, but are otherwise left in peace.
-Town: A proper, if not exceptional, settlement with most of the reasonable amenities of home. You're probably going to get dragged into aiding the colony in some capacity.
-City: An unusually large settlement for a planar colonization effort, likely with fairly obscure luxuries and services. Their grand plans probably require you to be constantly doing things.
-Metropolis: An exceedingly ambitious attempt at colonizing the new world, likely bringing along everything you'd ever need. They're almost certainly aiming to exploit you to the full extent of your abilities.
Features: Any number of noteworthy features known or suspected to exist on the new world. They can be vague, such as Geography, Weather, or Fauna; or specific, such as chitinous firebreathing rabbits.
Hazards: Any number of noteworthy dangers or risks known or suspected to exist on the new world. They can be vague, such as Natives, Ores, or Curses; or specific, such as irradiated meteor swarms.
Boons: Any number of noteworthy benefits or opportunities known or suspected to exist on the new world. They can be vague, such as Ruins, Nature, or Undead; or specific, such as city-sized ambulatory mushrooms.
[b]Isolation:[/b] How difficult the settlement is to reach, be it through time, danger, or other obstacles and complications. Greater isolation tends to mean greater freedom and less assistance.
-Exile: Practically a one-way trip. While reaching and returning from the settlement is probably [i]possible,[/i] it's a terrible idea unless you absolutely have to. Freedom (from anyone not already in the settlement, that is) is virtually guaranteed, but so is being almost entirely on your own.
-Trek: A challenge to find. Reaching and returning from the settlement is a major undertaking, not to be done lightly. Freedom is high, assistance and merchants are low.
-Journey: Difficult but doable. Reaching and returning from the settlement is most certainly a project, but an entirely feasible one under the right conditions. Contact is limited but relatively routine, ensuring that freedom and assistance are both respectable.
-Lark: Not bad at all. Reaching and returning from the settlement is about as easy as an extraplanar foray can be, ensuring that freedom is a little sparse and assistance is pretty plentiful.
-Neighbor: A planar expedition in the sense that eating in front of your house is a picnic. Reaching and returning from the settlement is scarcely worthy of mention, ensuring that orders and assistance can come in at any time.
[b]Power:[/b] How much is being invested in the expedition. Higher power grants more benefits, but comes with increased ownership and involvement from entities back home.
-Penniless: This is less an expedition and more a starving herd of colonists. You don't owe nobody nothin', but that's also about how much stuff you have so good luck.
-Poor: This expedition has some token outside support, but is largely operating on its own merits. Outside interference is low, but you don't have much to work with.
-Comfortable: This expedition is well-stocked for a pioneer outing. You'll probably have some obligations to somebody, but they're more likely to be an investor than an overlord.
-Wealthy: This expedition is suspiciously well-supplied; somebody wants it to succeed. That somebody is likely going to be keeping a close eye on their substantial investment, however.
-Extravagant: Quality tools and talented servants rain from the sky. Of course, you're probably now legally something's property.
[b]Size:[/b] How large the expedition is intended to be. Larger expeditions offer more developed and varied settlements, but tend to require more effort and responsibility to maintain.
-Outpost: Little more than a basecamp of specialists. You probably have a job you're expected to do, but likely one you're also in charge of evaluating your own performance on.
-Village: A relatively self-sufficient gaggle of colonists, usually farmers and the like around a more specialized core. You're probably expected to deal with a certain class of problems when they arise, but are otherwise left in peace.
-Town: A proper, if not exceptional, settlement with most of the reasonable amenities of home. You're probably going to get dragged into aiding the colony in some capacity.
-City: An unusually large settlement for a planar colonization effort, likely with fairly obscure luxuries and services. Their grand plans probably require you to be constantly doing things.
-Metropolis: An exceedingly ambitious attempt at colonizing the new world, likely bringing along everything you'd ever need. They're almost certainly aiming to exploit you to the full extent of your abilities.
[b]Features:[/b] Any number of noteworthy features known or suspected to exist on the new world. They can be vague, such as Geography, Weather, or Fauna; or specific, such as chitinous firebreathing rabbits.
[b]Hazards:[/b] Any number of noteworthy dangers or risks known or suspected to exist on the new world. They can be vague, such as Natives, Ores, or Curses; or specific, such as irradiated meteor swarms.
[b]Boons:[/b] Any number of noteworthy benefits or opportunities known or suspected to exist on the new world. They can be vague, such as Ruins, Nature, or Undead; or specific, such as city-sized ambulatory mushrooms.
6-8 players, selected via rolling. You may submit an Expedition Sheet even if you do not submit a Character Sheet and vice versa. Expedition Sheets may omit portions you don't feel strongly about. Contents of Expedition Sheets are not guaranteed to make it in, but are not linked to whether you make it in as a player.
Author
Topic: The Expedition Arcane [ded] (Read 44290 times)