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So... For some time the signs of Darkness and Venom have grown stronger. Much of the land has been transformed from lush, green landscape to pools of corruption and rivers of blood. Monsters, genuine monsters, not the limping inbred creatures covered in whip marks that you can see at the circus, have been appearing in the hills and raiding villages. The earth itself rends open to reveal ancient passage ways and lost dungeons and crypts containing animated corpses and terrifying horrors. Once great kings become paranoid hypochondriacs before sealing themselves away among their fortunes or drinking themselves to death. Farmers fighting over land burn each other's homes, slaughter each other's cattle and murder one another with farm tools. Jealous lovers, vicious slavers, psychotic members of local clergy. Darkness and Venom is spreading and thickening. Only Saffron Knights can stop it. What is Saffron? The entire four page rules can be found HERE The first page is an intro, the second is the rules, the third is your character sheet and you don't even have to look at the forth! Saffron is a game I wrote for the February Design contest held on these very forums by Ulta. The thread can be found HERE. The rules are extremely straight forward, the concept has gone down really well so far with people, now I want to play it! I did a playtest with a real life group for the contest and it was a lot of fun, now I want to try running a game via PBP. I don't know if anyone will be interested in trying a new game over PBP, but you should because it'll be a hoot!  What are Saffron Knights? What are Darkness and Venom? The core rules explain the setting, but just to make it straight. You play a Saffron Knight - a paladin of the Saffron Church. You are all that stands between the world and total corruption at the hands of an ancient force named Darkness and Venom. You complete Quests for Paragons of the church - the format of which is simple. You go to a location, you find Darkness and Venom - you destroy it, you are hurt or killed in the process - you leave the world safer for just a little while. But Darkness and Venom will, inevitably win in the end. On top of all that, if you break your sacred oaths or gently caress up in some other way, you can widn up Fallen - a dark caricature of your past self that summons Darkness and Venom, spreads decay and corruption just through existing, and terrifies people at a glance. The only way to reverse the process? Complete your sacred quest. Saffron Knights are paladins in that they fight by a set of divine rules for a divine source. They are not necessarily armored knights with silver swords. In my play test one character was a traditional paladin powered by sunlight, one was an alcoholic family man with a cannon for one arm, and one was a northern barbarian woman based on a Led-Zepplyn song. Be creative.  What are the mechanics? You make a dice pool, I take some dice away from it, then you roll and add your two highest dice. A 12 is a success. Anything less is a failure. If you succeed I tell you what happens, but you at least partially achieve your aims. If you fail you roll harm based on the intensity of the conflict. If you try to kill something and fail there is a 1/10 chance you'll be killed. The life of a Saffron Knight is a hard one!  Can I be a dwarf? Can I be an elf? Can I be a warforged?  I would refer you to Exhibit A. Great paladin or greatest paladin? How do I submit a character? Just post in this thread! Give your paladin a picture and a short biography, then fill out this template! quote:
You should make a Paladin if: You are a cool dude! You like making complex choices as part of your character development! You like facing the concequences of your actions! You shouldn't make a Paladin if: You are a loser with no friends.  How long will recruitment last? Probably only a few days if people are in the least bit interested. I'll be taking three or four guys, five at a stretch. Feel free to ask questions or just express interest ahead of submitting a sheet. Think this could be a lot of fun!
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| # ? Feb 26, 2013 17:32 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 03:28 |
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You mentioned that your first group had a guy with a cannon and a viking type character - what's the setting for this technologically, is it swords and sorcery, guns swords and sorcery, or is it more industrialized? Should my paladin ride around on a horse or on a motorcycle?
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| # ? Feb 27, 2013 00:13 |
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I'm thinking fairly traditional - swords, shields, maybe some early gunpowder stuff. Your guy probably rides a horse rather than a motorcycle, but hell, maybe he rides an ancient and rickety mechanical bird or something. Essentially ignore what I say, make what you want and if I feel like it's too modern or won't fit we can discuss it.
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| # ? Feb 27, 2013 00:27 |
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I'm up for trying new things! Plus, I can't speak for anyone else, but I kinda dig 'failure is inevitable let's do good while we can' games. Marcus of Atengard  Divine Order: Inquisitor Body: 3d10 Mind: 2d6 Soul: 2d8 Traits Peerless Warrior: 1d10 Booming Voice: 1d8 Acrobatic: 1d8 Eschews Armor: -1d6 Fights Barehanded: -1d6 Belongings Sacred Strangling Cord: 1d6 Marcus of Atengard's order of Saffron Knights is based on the Southern Continent, where concerns of climate and culture have forced the Order to adopt new methodologies; bluntly, even the most holy of Saffron Knights, if clad in the full panoply of armor and weaponry beloved of most paladins, will dehydrate and die under the blistering Southern sun. Marcus' grandfather was the first of his family to join the Saffron Knights, and he was instrumental in adopting the traditional combat styles of the southern peoples to the demands of the Saffron Church; his death at the hands of cultists seven years prior is what spurred Marcus to pledge himself to the Order. The Order of Atengard fights, not in heavy plate armor, but in lightweight cloth robes or clothes, stiffened and strengthened by weaving wires of blessed gold throughout the fabric. In comparison to northern Knights, the Atengard Knights might as well be unarmored, but they make up for their lack of protection by focusing their training on agility and speed. One need not be protected by three inches of metal if one never gets hit in the first place. Marcus, alone among the Atengard Saffron Knights, eschews not just armor but bladed weaponry as well, preferring to fight with his hands - and with the Sacred Strangling Cord carried by his grandfather. 'Mercy,' it is called, and in skilled hands it can provide a quick and painless death, or a slow and brutal one. Marcus needs not spill blood in order to take lives; indeed, he prefers not to. Proud, commanding, magnetic, Marcus is a powerful emissary for the Saffron Church. His pride, that will get him in trouble... but surely not too much trouble. Surely. ....right? ....with any luck I did everything correctly. Heh. Questions, comments, problems, concerns, flames, whatever - I look forward to seeing some feedback!
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| # ? Feb 27, 2013 00:38 |
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So does a guardian have one stat at 0?
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| # ? Feb 27, 2013 00:50 |
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zachol posted:So does a guardian have one stat at 0? No, it's just not that well explained. Those are the DICE you have for stats, not the stat distributions. 3d6 3d8 could be Body: 2d6, Mind 1d6 1d8, Soul 2d8. It could be Body 1d6, Mind 1d6, Soul 1d6 3d8. It could be everything at 1d6 1d8. You can mix and match those numbers in any combination.
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| # ? Feb 27, 2013 00:55 |
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Captain_Indigo posted:No, it's just not that well explained. Those are the DICE you have for stats, not the stat distributions. 3d6 3d8 could be Body: 2d6, Mind 1d6 1d8, Soul 2d8. It could be Body 1d6, Mind 1d6, Soul 1d6 3d8. It could be everything at 1d6 1d8. You can mix and match those numbers in any combination. I was actually kinda tempted to set one of my stats at 2d6+1d10 as an Inquisitor, actually.
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| # ? Feb 27, 2013 00:57 |
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Oh so you can split them up however? Okay that makes a lot more sense. Should've guessed.
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| # ? Feb 27, 2013 00:57 |
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No problem, like I said it's not particularly intuitively written, mostly on account of the word-count limit of the contest. Divine, Marcus is great, really like the concept - however, I'm not sure about his Negative Traits. The only reason being that they are used by me to take dice from your dice pool, so things like Eschews Armor and Fights Barehanded means that those traits would probably only have a mechanical effect when you choose to wear armor or use weapons, which as someone who doesn't do those things, you are unlikely to do. The other option is, I could use those negatives when Marcus really SHOULD be using a weapon or wearing armor, but chooses not to because of his training. So, if you're fighting something where a weapon and armor would be a massive advantage, for instance something with porcupine needles or covered in fire. That sound fair to you?
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| # ? Feb 27, 2013 01:04 |
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Oh! I thought the negative Traits were just general-purpose "these apply whenever they are appropriate" negatives, like a drawback in PDQ. So honestly I was expecting them to apply dang near constantly. Heh. Point is, if you say "I'll apply these whenever fighting without arms or armor is a serious problem for Marcus" that's even more generous than I was expecting, so believe me, seems fair to me. 
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| # ? Feb 27, 2013 01:07 |
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Cirrus Cirrus is a withdrawn, ashen figure, methodically following his duties as a Saffron Knight without comment or spark. Although he never speaks of it, most in his order know the tale - his lovely wife and family, cut down in the prime of life when the dead rose from their graves and butchered everyone in their new home, the town of Haven in the east. Cirrus was an accomplished woodsman who had risen early that chilly morning to gather firewood; when he returned, he found nothing but death, and swore vengeance on the monsters that had destroyed everything he had. What most in his order don't know is that Cirrus returned to his house and found his wife chanting dark words, and his own child dead in the ritual used to summon the undead upon his fellow neighbors. He slew her where she stood, and she smiled at him as she died - since then, Cirrus trusts nothing and no one, except possibly himself. He follows his order and his quests, but he knows all too well how quickly the light fades into darkness. Appearance: Cirrus is tall and thin, with pale skin, tangled black hair, and a permanent grimace. He wears a combination of leather and metal armor, designed for flexibility but with more protection at vital areas. He carries two swords and a bow, and is always checking behind his shoulder for trouble. Divine Order: Guardian Stats Body: 2d8 Mind: 1d6+1d8 Soul: 2d6 Traits Outdoorsman: 1d8 Skilled Archer: 1d8 Unwavering focus: 1d6 Undead Hunter: 1d6 Distrusting: -1d6 Haunted: -1d6 Belongings Yew Bow: 1d8 Cirrus crafted this bow himself after much trial and error - it doesn't have a special name or anything, but it does the job. Swords: 1d6 (together) Cirrus fights with two weapons, mainly because that's what he had left after the attack, and they've served him well so far. Armor: 1d6 Cirrus's armor is leather with a series of steel links throughout and larger coverings on joints and other weak areas. It's not as strong as plate, but has saved his life more times than he's bothered to count. Direwolf fucked around with this message at Feb 27, 2013 around 01:51 |
| # ? Feb 27, 2013 01:38 |
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Adonai Yimlokh L'Olam Va'ed In the past, the people of G-d were confined to tiny villages and rotten neighborhoods outside the gleaming cities where sinners dwelt. In one such village by the name of Wyrms, the great holy man Maimondes worked to bring the revelations of YHWH to the people day and night. This was in vain, though, for one of the creatures for which the village was named, the Wyrm, beset it day and night, eating the people of G-d like sheep. To be continued. I might play fast and loose with your stock setting when writing the mythological backstory I want in order to justify playing THE Jewish Golem, the clay statue inscribed with every name of god who came to life and slew a dragon and left to protect good people everywhere but I have a feeling you will be okay with that.
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| # ? Feb 27, 2013 01:46 |
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Cirrus looks good my man. And a golem Saffron Knight is a wicked idea.
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| # ? Feb 27, 2013 12:00 |
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Really cool idea for a game. Lets see how well it plays! Hopefully I did the numbers right. "Brothers of the Dales, look at what these monsters have done to you! Look at your ruined crops, ravished women, mutated livestock and murdered children! Are you willing to stand up and fight? Are you willing to face the darkness? Then follow me to Old Lady Cassie's hut, for she is the Fallen Demon who has caused all this. Bring your pitchforks, tar and rope. For tonight we shall burn this fiend from our lands!" quote:Name: Benjamin Stafford Basically a fire-and-brimstone preacher who fulfills his quests by gathering mobs to do his dirty work. Slaan fucked around with this message at Feb 27, 2013 around 19:35 |
| # ? Feb 27, 2013 18:04 |
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Have a dude in mind for this, I'm thinking a contemplative, meditating atop the mountain oracle sort called into action in dire circumstances. I'll put him together tonight once I get in from work.
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| # ? Feb 27, 2013 18:32 |
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Eudora Name: Eudora Order: Cleric Stats Mind: d6+d10 Body: d6+d8 Soul: d8+d10 Traits Visions: d10 Sharp Eyes: d8 Chemical Tolerance: d6 Scholar: d6 Touched by Darkness: -2d6 Belongings Oracle's Golden Bowl: d6 Laurel Shield: d6 Eudora was not the name she was born with, but the one she was given by the Saffron Knights of the Verdant Isles. As it was given to each daughter of the Isles that displayed the gift of Vision. Thus, the mantle and the name rests upon her shoulders. In their temple, she has trained, meditated, and studied, and grown. Her guidance has bolstered the Order in their efforts to secure the Isles against Darkness and Venom for a score years, but the signs cannot be ignored. The dying sheep, sickness in the children, springs that once gushed with clear water now fetid and stagnant. Not least of all the dream that set her to the road in the dead of night, shield on her back and sword at her side - a dream where she stood in a vast expanse of sky. Before her in space hung a goat's eye, more massive than mountain, it simply stared as each star faded, struggled, and died. As the last far off light succumbed, only then did it blink.
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| # ? Feb 28, 2013 05:21 |
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Lots of cool ideas. Going to end Recruitment at some point in the next 24 hours, so hurry up and show interest or get people in.
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| # ? Feb 28, 2013 11:35 |
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Marcus of Atengard Cirrus Benjamin Stafford Eudora You guys are all in! I will put the first post of the thread up this afternoon. The game will begin with you being summoned to a Sanctum by the Paragon who will send you on your first Quest. I don't want to ruin any surprises, but it will probably be a fairly short intro/tutorial deal. There may be goblins. Miltonslavmasta, if you can finish your guy off in the next day or so then he is welcome too.
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| # ? Mar 1, 2013 14:01 |
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http://forums.somethingawful.com/sh...hreadid=3536249
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| # ? Mar 1, 2013 23:44 |
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Calling all knights...
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| # ? Mar 11, 2013 15:18 |
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Gotta get ta smitin 
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| # ? Mar 11, 2013 15:34 |
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Cyrrus - add another D10 to that roll because you were aided by an ally in the next post  .
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| # ? Mar 18, 2013 19:35 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 03:28 |
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Added, hooray for victory
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| # ? Mar 18, 2013 20:44 |
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