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General notice to all possible players - if you don't know how nWoD don't worry about it, I'll do all the heavy lifting, just give me something good and have fun with your idea. Once upon a time the combined kingdoms of fables lived in a beautiful unbroken peace. Sure, the occasional war or monster would bring them together and give just enough reason for knights to be knights and kings to be kings, but things were overall pretty wonderful. Farmers farmed, fishers fished, and everything was merry. Then it happened.  Its hard to tell where the invasion came from exactly, but it came fast. Doorways between worlds opened as they normally did, but out came hordes of troops pillaging all they came across. Various villians and monsters united under one Emperor, known as The Adversary. One by one the Adversary took over each realm, slaughtering all that stood in his way. Many witches and warlocks took up his cause, many giants and trolls pledged their allegiance. Fables began moving around, looking for whatever plane was untouched by their reign. The fight lasted decades before the remaining Kingdoms came to one final realization. They could not win the war. Thats when the Exodus started. Fables of all kinds jumped in ships making their way to one final gate, one they knew The Adversary would never enter. Many died in the Exodus but their deaths ensured the lives of so many. Down the river they floated away from their homelands to a new home 1921 a new group of immigrants begins arriving in droves in New York City. They come separate and slowly trickle in over the years. First order of business, they create their most important document ever, the Fabletown compact. The compact is a bitter pill for most, but needed in order to move forward. It excuses all crimes from all fables who have signed it, guaranteeing a fresh start. As you might imagine this kind of amnesty was not a happy affair for some, seeing witches and trolls and monsters they once tried to end long before the war living with them side by side. The law also created a new requirement for all fables in the world. Mundys as they became known, could not know of the fables existence, at least as supernatural beings. Those fables who could hide their appearance had to, those who could not either need to enlist the services of an illusion, or move to The Farm upstate.  They are careful with their money, trading vast sums of gold for cash and real estate. Over the next two decades they buy 9 blocks in New York City together forming a central operation, and several others throughout the boroughs. They buy large plots of land in upstate New York, quickly enchanting them to be unseen from above. The semblance of a government forms, taxes and all. Our story begins in 1978  This game is based very loosely off the comic series Fables (Most major characters will be changed drastically/replaced), though there will be major changes. Players are going to play the Sheriffs of Fabletown, responsible for law enforcement of Fabled affairs as well as the first line of defense against "The Adversary". If you are unaware of the series, that is not only okay, but probably preferable! Character creation: You are a fable. You are from at least one work of fiction that is public domain, though you could be one person covering multiple stories. For example Jack be nimble and Jack and the beanstalk could just be "Jack". Your character will be out and about a lot, so you should probably be human but if you are not you can be enchanted to look otherwise. Fables often have superhuman abilities, magics, etc based on their story or origin. Something as obscure as an old German nursery rhyme can be a source, or it could be a well known story that's been turned into a Disney film, the choices are pretty endless. Most fables do not age or age slowly. Create a write up for your character, you do not need to make a character sheet if you do not want and I suggest you not worry about it at all, just tell me what extraordinary powers your fable has and I'll fill in the gaps, or you can create a character from the following steps of More Than Human (Maximum Power Level 2, 150xp). Talk about your characters Exodus on the boats from the Homelands, their immersion into the city, or whatever gets you thinking about their fish out of water story. Feel free to post any questions, express interest, or ask about character ideas. mugrim fucked around with this message at 01:25 on Jul 31, 2014 |
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Jul 29, 2014 04:04
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Oh boy, as a total Fairy Tale buff this appeals to me greatly. Definitely expressing interest. EDIT: Considering the Fearless Youth as my character. Probe 17 fucked around with this message at 05:13 on Jul 29, 2014 |
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Jul 29, 2014 05:10
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Probe 17 posted:EDIT: Considering the Fearless Youth as my character. That could be fun, you can also submit more than one character. Just make sure you give me an idea how their story would manifest abilitiy-wise as well as how they contributed to the war/exodus. If you can't think of any abilities don't fret, you can have an object or two of immense power from another story that your character was put in charge of learning about. mugrim fucked around with this message at 11:09 on Jul 29, 2014 |
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Jul 29, 2014 11:02
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I think I would be looking for four or five PCs
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Jul 29, 2014 18:14
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Erm, when you say "Extraordinary Powers", what exactly do you mean?
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Jul 29, 2014 19:32
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Probe 17 posted:Erm, when you say "Extraordinary Powers", what exactly do you mean? Thematic abilities/magics a character might possess. For example, if you were Mogli you could speak with animals, or you could have the Vorpal blade, or you could be Kai from the snow queen and be able to only see the bad of every person you lay eyes on. Creative interpretations of the source material or what happened after the story are very welcome.
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Jul 29, 2014 20:06
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I was thinking that, as far as abilities go, literal inability to be afraid. No matter what. And maybe, just maybe, greater strength than is usual? I mean, considering that in the original story, the Fearless Youth could literally split an anvil in half with an axe and all. Does that sound good?
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Jul 29, 2014 21:59
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Probe 17 posted:I was thinking that, as far as abilities go, literal inability to be afraid. No matter what. And maybe, just maybe, greater strength than is usual? I mean, considering that in the original story, the Fearless Youth could literally split an anvil in half with an axe and all. Yeah, if anything you could easily have something else like a literal ability to control fear in others as well or an artifact from another tale that he has in his possession. But interesting questions begin to arise storywise. Why is a fearless youth alive after most of the people he knew were slaughtered? How did he get a spot on the boats exiting instead of the front lines covering the retreat? It wasnt out of fear, what compelled him to survive? mugrim fucked around with this message at 23:55 on Jul 29, 2014 |
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Jul 29, 2014 23:51
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mugrim posted:Yeah, if anything you could easily have something else like a literal ability to control fear in others as well or an artifact from another tale that he has in his possession. Well, the way I see it, he's fearless, not stupid. He realized that things were going to end horribly, and made sure he was on one of the first boats out. I mean, it's really not cowardice, more severe pessimism? That makes sense, right?
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Jul 30, 2014 00:08
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Oh what a neat idea. How does this sound, Johannes Hummel, the Brave Tailor, King in Exile Seven in One Stroke Once upon a quite fine summer's day a Tailor sat at his window, minding to his stitching as he supped upon cheese, jam, and bread. Drawn by the sweet scent of the jam a swarm of flies descended upon the Tailor, who in annoyance set upon them with a switch. With a single stroke he scattered the swarm and to his surprise found seven flies laying before him with twitching legs, their lives cut short. "Holloa! What a deed that was, why the whole town should know of this!" So saying he cut himself a sash from a disused bolt of fabric and emblazoned upon it the record of his deed, Seven in One Stroke, and bore it proudly through the town for all to see. The townsfolk were amazed, and in a series of unusual events a band of bandits, a witch, and several giants were also amazed (and/or slain) and ultimately the Tailor found himself with the enviable position of having won the hand of a Princess in marriage. With time, bravery, and wit he found himself to be a competent King and in his years ruled his kingdom wisely. That is to say, until the black gates opened and the goblin hordes of the Adversary swept through the land. Extraordinary power of bluffing like a son of a bitch? It'd be well useless against an actual multi-dimensional invasion by a seemingly endless monster army, so as a competent and responsible monarch with more than three braincells to rub together the Brave Tailor would wisely have chosen to make discretion the better part of valour and evacuated as many people as possible ahead of the Adversary's advance.
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Jul 30, 2014 01:25
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Okay, here's my attempt at a write-up... Hans Furchtlos, The Fearless Youth Hans was always a bit dim growing up, and was somehow incapable of feeling fear! he was also particularly strong, good for strenuous labor and not much else. When his father told him to go out in the world and learn a trade, foolish Hans decided to learn how to shudder! His journey eventually brought him to a kingdom where the king sought a man to exorcise a nearby haunted castle. Hans stayed in the building for three nights, besting the worst that the castle had to throw at him. At the end of the third night, the castle was exorcised, and Hans gained the hand of the king's daughter in marriage. As time went on, and Hans learned the ways of the world, he realized that, in fact, his lack of fear wasn't borne of stupidity, but some almost supernatural effect! When the Adversary's armies came, Hans lost everything, and only barely managed to escape with his life.
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Jul 30, 2014 01:51
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Puppies are dicks posted:Oh what a neat idea. How does this sound, Nice. Bluff, and an extreme amount of Luck which is a very viable ability (That's the story about the dude who either fools giants/animals or gets lucky by doing mundane tasks right?) What happened when he was fleeing? How has he done the last few decades in NYC? Is he still a Tailor? Does he have beef with any other fables? Feel free to indulge to your hearts content. Despite the fact everyone is anchored to a public domain character of note you should feel free to indulge in other fables as well. Create a beef with The Little Mermaid. Have it known that Prince Charming stole your wife. Whatever works works, you have a lot of control over the narrative. Probe 17 posted:Okay, here's my attempt at a write-up... Awesome, same thing though. Feel free to engage. Did faithful John sell you out? Did the Huntsman get drunk and become enraged that someone else claimed Hans was braver? Feel free to draw this poo poo out, you have nearly full control.
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Jul 30, 2014 02:55
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Interesting. Going to think on this one a bit.
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Jul 30, 2014 04:19
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Hmm kind of interested in this, maybe as Paul Bunyan if that would work. Not sure how this superhuman nWoD thing works, looking at that link and I don't see what the superhuman template actually grants, other than Power Level 1 and 150 xp. Also what is the max size for a character to still be relatively reasonable to pass among people, even if they quite stand out. Hmm maybe a literary mishmash of all kinds of strong folk heroes/legends like Paul Bunyan, John Henry, and even Hercules. All these mythical larger than life strong men who accomplish crazy landscape changing actions. Ryuujin fucked around with this message at 06:01 on Jul 30, 2014 |
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Jul 30, 2014 05:49
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mugrim posted:Nice. Yep, basically just one really extraordinarily lucky afternoon for a dude who killed some flies with a rag and decided to pack his own lunch and subsequently bluffed his way into becoming king. "Ahh well where to begin? You have to understand that when the Adversary's forces first appeared they were almost unanimously ignored or written off as just another invasion, an embarassment of a dark horde or evil army that some bright young third son would inevitably sneak his way into the heart of to rescue his fated sweetheart from and defeat in a single fell swoop. That was the way of things. But one day suddenly (and it happened very, very suddenly) there were black gates everywhere and everything was happenning much too fast for anyone to react to. The greatest heroes, wizards, and powers of the land raised their banners high and opposed the Adversary but were thrown down, corrupted, or enslaved piecemeal or all at once. It made no difference." Johannes sipped at his espresso as he stared into the coffee house's enormous fireplace, setting it down and pushing it carefully across the table before continuing. "It was a terrible time. It was like the world itself was nothing but fire and swords and monsters... We met their armies in the field, with brave, glorious raids, astonishing last stands. But at the end of the day that's all they were. I like to think that it was clever generalship and planning, but honestly it was nothing but dumb luck that enough of the remnants of my army were able to form up into as coherent a force as we did and fight our way out. Even with the core of my army intact we lost so many, so much. My wife and her courtiers didn't make it." He smiled sadly, his expression light with recollection despite the somber statement. "There was a witch, a girl with ruby slippers who told us of a land so far away and beyond the pale that only the greatest and most powerful magicks would be able to reach it. At that point there was nothing left but the prospect of death and pyrrhic war that no-one had the stomach for and so we fled, bringing others with us as we could before slamming shut the gate." "Many scattered to the far corners of the world, some choosing to lose themselves in the kingdoms and lands that most reminded them of home but I stayed close by to where we'd opened the gate. Enough of my subjects made it that they've done well for themselves out there but having nothing else to do with myself I opened a shop, invested conservatively, and here we are." He waved broadly in the direction of the exclusive men's clothier shop across the street and finished his drink before offering a biscotti from his plate to the Fable journalist busy scribbling away. "Don't believe a thing that inbred son of a bitch Charming says about his 'contributions' to the war. Ask any four people there at the Battle of Five Hills where Charming was and you'll get five different answers, half of them outright fabrications he's made up or paid for out of his own pocket. He didn't save anything but his own neck and it was other men who paid the price for his vainglory. I wouldn't trust a man like Charming to lead me to anything except a brothel or an early grave. Even then I wouldn't put much stock in the former unless I was expecting syphilis." I'm kind of thinking slightly older, owns a Brooks Brothers-esque store, hangs around NYC and lives in a building overlooking Central Park (possibly because there's rumors of an unactivated gate), and occasionally gets nice postcards from a bunch of kingdom dudes who live elsewhere that's probably Germany or out in the country. Dorothy grew up to be a witch/went back to Oz, and Prince Charming is apparently a dick who's been going around talking up how great of a war hero he was. (and probably has syphilis) Puppies are dicks fucked around with this message at 07:11 on Jul 30, 2014 |
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Jul 30, 2014 07:04
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I'd apply but I just about killed the last game I rolled up a character for  will definitely keep my finger on the pulse here, tho
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Jul 30, 2014 09:56
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Puppies that is perfect. Do note that the status of King, while respected, doesnt inherently let you rule over someone. However, it does allow a great excuse for the Retainer merit. Basic Chunnel posted:I'd apply but I just about killed the last game I rolled up a character for The game was killed by me loving up, and no one else. I looked through the posts again and for some reason I missed a lot of Connies actions which understandably frustrated the Player. It had nothing to do with your posts. Throw out some ideas for a PC. Have fun with it.
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Jul 30, 2014 15:34
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Yeah I was basically thinking a few dots in Contacts/Retainer/Allies or something but little to no actual kinging due to the profusion of kings, queens, princesses, etc. We live in a democracy after all. 
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Jul 30, 2014 21:24
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This looks pretty interesting! Here's my pitch: (image from Split Lip Comics's pretty good comic version of the story, albeit a different version from the one I'm using) Greta Vogel, who was once Fitcher's Bird Greta Vogel is the third of three sisters, and most Fables know what that means. Third siblings are clever and quick, charged with saving their foolish elder siblings from peril, and for sisters, that's usually marriage to a monster -- murderers, thieves, trolls, or the Devil himself. In the case of Greta and her elder sisters, their monster bridegroom was a sorcerer named Fitcher, who kidnapped each sister in turn, killed the first two for their curiosity, and finally found his match in Greta. She resurrected her sisters, sent them home, disguised herself as a bird and put a dummy in her place, and then burnt Fitcher and his wedding party alive once they were all locked in. Soon she was home safely with her sisters again, and in time they even married more suitable men, men they could trust -- if never quite as much as they trusted each other. And that was that. Wasn't it? When the Adversary arrived, the Vogel sisters' village was nearly defenseless, and Greta's husband and brothers-in-law were lost; it took all of Greta's cunning to help her sisters slip away and to keep them safe until they could join the Exodus. Integration into New York was easier; the Vogel sisters were simple village people, not yearning for hidden magic or lost kingdoms, and they found their niche in Fabletown easily enough. The three sisters operate the White Pigeon Tavern, a little bar with old-country ambiance (if you ignore the pool tables and dartboards), and Greta focuses her wit on the finances and business administration. Really, it should be like home, after Fitcher was dead and the story was over. The only problem is that, ever since the exodus, Greta's felt this nagging sense of responsibility. Too many Fables, she realizes, are like her sisters: too drat curious for their own good, liable to trip into the forbidden without any precautions. They're all used to surviving and winning by the rules of the old world, and those rules don't apply anymore. Someone has to keep an eye on them -- someone clever and careful, someone who's used to being imprisoned and powerless, someone who can put the pieces back together when everything goes wrong. Someone like her. Greta's extraordinary abilities mostly come from her quick wits and cool head, with a special talent for tricks, surprises, and traps. She can cobble together convincing disguises out of nearly anything -- after all, if you can roll in honey and feathers and pass for a bird, wearing a blue nylon jacket to pass for a cop is child's play. She might also be able to resurrect the dead, as she did with her sisters, but that's probably limited in scope due to sheer power; perhaps it needs to be someone with whom she's intimately familiar, or perhaps it requires a magic ointment or the Water of Life, as in other third-sister tales. Greta is not the third sister of all the stories, but she probably knows the others, if they made it to the Exodus. Clever third sisters and women fleeing monster-marriages need to stick together, after all. EDIT: Character sheet: pre:Name Greta Vogel Sex Female Virtue Prudence Vice Sloth Concept Clever Third Sister / Fitcher's Bird Alignment xxx Affiliation Sheriffs Chronicle Fables and Exodus Attributes Intelligence Presence Strength Wits Manipulation Dexterity Resolve Composure Stamina Skills Academics Animal Ken Athletics Computer Empathy Brawl Crafts Expression Drive Investigation Intimidation Firearms Medicine Persuasion Larceny Occult Socialize Stealth Politics Streetwise Survival Science Subterfuge Weaponry Specialities Academics (Accounting) Crafts (Sewing) Larceny (Lockpicking) Occult (Raise Dead) Subterfuge (Disguise) Powers Mega-Specialty: Disguise (Alpha, increases base skill by 2 dots per dot of Mega-Specialty while using the specialty, or decreases penalty by 3 dots pre Mega dot) Premonition w/ Extra: My Brother's Keeper (Beta, Spend 1 Verve to turn on danger sense for a scene for you or those within 4 yards) Raise Dead w/ Extra: True Resurrection and Weaknesses: Slow Activation, Costs Health (Gamma, spend 1 health level and roll PL+Raise Dead+Occult to return the dead to life. The Extra "True Resurrection," assessed as two Extras for power cost purposes, indicates that the raised dead are returned to a truly living state, living until they would die again, with personalities and capabilities intact; however, as with the weakness "Pushing Daisies," Raise Dead imparts no special loyalty to the raised. This power takes a full scene of to activate, as it requires reassembling the dead and willing life into them again, so it can't be done under pressure.) Scan (Alpha, spend 1 Verve to roll Int+Invest+Scan to reveal target's powers and weaknesses) Merits Allies (The Veiled Brides) () Can call upon associates for favors, with a Manip+Persuasion+Allies roll if necessary. "The Veiled Brides" are a semi-public mutual-aid organization made up of women like Greta who escaped from a monstrous marriage through guile and presence of mind; contacts include Bluebeard's would-be wife Charlotte, her sister Anne, and Allison "Alle" Leirauh. Contacts (Taverngoers, Veiled Brides, Fabletown Government) () Can use contacts for information, using Manip+Persuasion or Manip+Socialize. Emotional Detachment () Ignore stress penalties up to your Resolve rating. Tolerance for Biology () Avoids nausea due to gore and other biological unpleasantness; +2 to remain composed under those circumstances. Resources () $2000 disposable income a month, $10,000 in assets. The White Pigeon Tavern is a fairly successful business, so Greta has a certain amount of money at her disposal, although she doesn't advertise that fact. Weakness N/A Advantages Health | Willpower | Power Level Verve | Morality | Size Speed | Armour Defence Initiative | XP: Attribute: Intell. +1 15xp Attribute: Presence +1 10xp Attribute: Strength +1 10xp Attribute: Wits +1 15xp Power: Mega-Specialty 9xp Power: Premonition 15xp Power: Raise Dead 21xp Power: Scan 9xp Skill: Animal Ken +1 3xp Skill: Drive +1 3xp Skill: Empathy +2 6xp Skill: Firearms +2 6xp Skill: Larceny +2 6xp Skill: Socialize +1 6xp Skill: Streetwise +2 6xp Specialty: Crafts 3xp Specialty: Larceny 3xp --- 146xp Antivehicular fucked around with this message at 07:09 on Aug 5, 2014 |
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Jul 30, 2014 23:57
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Anti, I could totally imagine Hans stopping by their bar every now and then. Losing everyone and everything he holds dear has rendered him generally depressed. Just, kinda trying to work out relationships and such, assuming we both get accepted.
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Jul 31, 2014 00:37
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Probe 17 posted:Anti, I could totally imagine Hans stopping by their bar every now and then. Losing everyone and everything he holds dear has rendered him generally depressed. Yeah, a big reason the bar is in the pitch was in hopes that it'd be a gathering-place sort of thing for PCs, and that'd be rad. (Hans sounds really cool, incidentally -- excellent source material choice.)
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Jul 31, 2014 00:46
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Let's have a go at this then. Just as a FYI kinda thing I'm working from Russian fairy tales, specifically the women in the stories of Ivan Tsarevich. -  Tsarevna I had a name, back in the old country. I remember that much. Many names, in fact. And titles to match. But for the life of me I couldn't tell you what they are. It seems like it's always at the tip of my tongue, but always just out of reach. I suppose that even back in the day I was rarely addressed by anything other than my appellation, so it makes sense that given time those names have just fallen out of use and faded away. It is a good thing that Tsarevna has always fit me well then, I say. There once was a tale about a wise frog. The daughter of Koschei the Deathless, she had been cursed to wear the skin of a frog for three years as punishment for disobeying her tyrant of a father. Something she had done one too many time now. One day in the swamp an arrow, loosed by youngest son of the Tsar, landed in her mouth. The young man had to find his bride to be, but it was surely his luck that his arrow hit a frog instead of a woman! Oh, the frog said, don't be quite so sure. And though skeptical at first, the wise frog convinced the young man that his arrow had struck true. Carrying the frog back to the castle, the young man was laughed at by his brothers and father. You intend to marry a frog, the Tsar scoffed. Why yes, the wise frog interjected, he did. Through wit, skill, and a little magic she passed every test (no matter how impossible!) the Tsar set for her, and she proved herself worthy of the youngest son's hand. In celebration of their engagement, the wise frog removed her slimy skin to reveal a beautiful young woman within. And threw it into the fire. Though her father had different ideas, once he found out about what his daughter had done. These were the early days of what was to come, and we learnt some of the hardest lessons of the war in those first few months. When invaders first arrived in our frozen lands I didn't think anything of them. This wasn't hubris, you understand, I had just yet to see just what they were truly capable of. And lacking any information, had to assume them inferior. Though I ruled my lands from a throne, I lead my troops to battle and fought on the front lines. Countless battlefields have been soaked to the bone with the blood of those who stood against me, and there was nothing to tell me these interlopers would be any different. My lead scout division met The Adversary advance just before dawn broke. And was routed by midday. They achieved their objective, they gauged the strength of our advancing enemy. But only one soldier came back for every four that died. And there was only one response to that. I mustered every soldier I had to command, left my dearest Ivan with a decree to evacuate the kingdom should we not return, and set forth to engage The Adversary before they gained a foothold in our lands. The battle was won. It raged for days. Adversary fighters outnumbered my army two to one. We faced monsters from the smallest of gnarl-toothed goblins to hulking, boulder wielding trolls. Witches commanding dark magic kept their dead standing and fighting until legs were hacked off. Barely ten thousand able men survived. But the day was ours. And the moment I arrived back at the castle, my husband gave the order for the kingdom to empty and flee. Knowing that I had lost the war after just the first battle was a cross I hadn't had to bear before, and I couldn't face giving the order to fall back and surrender everything I had to The Adversary on top of it. For us, it was the start of the Exodus. There once was a tale about beautiful princess. Though she lived in an isolated fortress hidden in the woods, her beauty was known across the land. Men came from far and wide to woo her, though she spurned all their advances. Her heart belong to another. One day her closet friend, the Grey Wolf, howled at her window to warn her that a man was coming to steal her away for good! Without hesitation, she leapt on the Grey Wolf's back to escape. But to her surprise this wasn't simply any man, but the youngest son of the Tsar! He explained that, through a series of unfortunate happenstances, he now needed to take her back to a local King or else his own life was forfeit. In exchange for a swift marriage, the beautiful princess agreed to help the young man. She devised a plan to fool the local King, as her friend the Grey Wolf was a sly shapeshifter who could imitate even the beautiful princess. By the time the ruse had been found out by the King, the Grey Wolf had easily escaped and the newlyweds were more than a week away by horse and safe in the domain of the Tsar. Oh Ivan. He was always an idiot. However tenacious, daring and brave. Inventive, resourceful and lucky. Sweet, caring and loving. But he was an idiot. He was terribly naive, far too trusting of strangers, easily led astray and tricked by connivers. He never had a plan before he blundered in, flying by the seat of his pants. Getting himself mildly killed more than once. But he was my idiot. After we led our refugees from our lands to safer domains we did the only thing we could do, turning back around to return to the fight. It all starts to blur together after the first few years, but we must have been fighting together like this for well over a decade. And you know what? It felt almost like when we first met, more than anything. Perhaps it was just my head trying to relate the situation to something familiar to help me cope, but there were certain parallels. He the brave knight in shining armour wading into battle, and I the cunning princess pulling him out of the fire. Neither of us having kingdoms or subjects to look after. The two of us striking out on our own against monsters and terrible odds. Getting screwed over by bastard witches. And never once did he leave my side. Neither of us were the type to give up easily, which is why we fought on for so long even as kingdom after kingdom fell. But we must have done some good to keep going as we did. We must have. Tenacity to save a life is one thing, throwing lives away over wasteland is just futile. But when the time finally came to board the boats for the one place The Adversary could not follow, I was relieved. Battle is one thing. War is one thing. A running, years long retreat where every skirmish is a delaying action is nothing but slow, methodical slaughter. I had seen too many good, innocent people die for nothing. After so much fighting the excuse to just flee to safety felt to me like the warm embrace of my mother's arms. Not that I would ever let Ivan know, I had to be as ready to fight as he was. except I wasn't. When the final boats were leaving, riding his luck as always, Ivan was one of few to insist they stay behind to continue the fight. Skirmish, sabotage, gather information, do whatever they can to keep us safe from The Adversary on the other side of the gate. But I couldn't go with him. There once was a tale about a warrior queen. Ruling her lands justly and leading her armies to many victories. Looking over the corpse-strewn battlefield of her latest conquest, a man rode up to her encampment. He was the youngest son of the Tsar, and was invited into her yurt to rest for the night. Love was blossoming between the young couple, but the warrior queen was a woman of war and soon had to leave to command her army yet again. She left the kingdom to her husband, trusting him to rule in her stead. There was but one thing she asked of him, to not look inside her oubliette. But her husband was a curious man, and it was a matter of days before he threw open the trap door. Inside he saw an old man shackled to the floor, in chains large enough to moor ships. Oh sir, the old man croaked, please! I beg of you, just a sip of water. I have tasted not food nor water for years! Taking pity on the old man, an entire bucket of water was lowered down to quench his thirst. But the man he took pity on was none other than Koschei the Deathless, now given strength enough to break his bindings! My thanks, Koschei bowed to his unwitting rescuer, but now I must go see to that daughter of mine! Stunned to see him riding free once again, the warrior queen was quickly overpowered by her father. Carried off, she was taken to a small forest fortress and herself imprisoned in Koschei's own dungeons! For years she was trapped while her husband tried again and again to free her. So desperate was he that eventually he struck a bargain with the foul witch Baba Yaga to free his wife. But the naive young man soon found out why one does not deal with the wicked Baba Yaga, as his wife managed to escape the dungeon and return to him. As a bird. If there is one thing that I learnt from my father, and my marriage, and my rule as Tsarevna, and my leadership on the battlefield, and from our cruel winters themselves it's that you never show weakness. The moment you do is the moment you get overrun; be it by an army, a wicked witch, or your own doubts. But I'll admit to being somewhat lost for a time after I arrived in New York, in the years before our community had really come together. The war had taken a toll on all of us, and I was not exempt. After all, what is a Tsarevna without a land to rule? Or subjects to protect? What is a Tsarevna without her Tsarevich? But I persevered through the pain and tried to make myself useful. I found myself asking, what does one do in New York? All of us who travelled across were encouraged to blend in, find an apartment, get a job, earn money, adapt to the whole Mundy thing. And I know many Fables who managed this without issue. Even the Grey Wolf was getting by. I, however, was not so fortunate. When it came down to it, I lacked marketable job skills. What did I have going for me? I can't use my magic out in the open, and it was hardly up to the standard of a proper witch. Even if I somehow wanted to spill blood again, leading an army to fight in the streets is against the law. New York has 'elections', so there's little need for a Tsarevna to rule. And keeping a low profile meant there was no using my beauty to earn me a living. Besides, I couldn't do that to Ivan. As the post of Fabletown Sheriff was being discussed, I was among the first to volunteer for the position. I no longer had any right to rule, and I accepted that a long time ago, but I still felt it was my duty to protect the people as I had once done. As a warrior I have fought armies and as a ruler and tactician I have lead them, in both organising a police force or launching a military sortie I am able to help. I owed it to myself to not simply shirk this responsibility and to have a hand in the prosperity of our community. It's what Ivan would have done, without even a second thought. The big softie. ~ Re: extraordinary powers. Besides being forcibly changed into various small animals, I don't think there would be much in the overtly powered category. She would have some measure of magic from Koschei, I think. And the stories show her as notably beautiful, so that might need to stand out. Other than that it's noted that she's talented, skilful and intelligent, with quick wits and a way with words. And as queen she was a committed ruler, fierce warlord, and deadly fighter. Probably some degree of toughness and fighting skill in there. Ivan also had a sword, Kladenets, which I can imagine Tsarevna inheriting and using liberally. Nothing terribly special about it, it's just a magical shashka. Translates to 'self-swinging sword', apparently. pre:Name Tsarevna Sex Female Virtue Fortitude Vice Wrath Concept Russian princess Alignment xxx Affiliation Sheriffs Chronicle Fables and Exodus Attributes Intelligence () Presence Strength (|) Wits Manipulation Dexterity Resolve Composure Stamina Skills Academics Animal Ken Athletics Computer Empathy Brawl Crafts Expression Drive Investigation Intimidation (|) Firearms Medicine Persuasion Larceny Occult Socialize Stealth Politics Streetwise Survival Science Subterfuge Weaponry Specialities Investigation (Crime Scenes) Occult (Slavic Fables and Magic) Weaponry (Swords) Powers Daughter of Koschei Armour (Beta, When damaged, each in Armour downgrades one level of damage one category) Durability (Alpha, Every in Durability grants character one additional health level) Invulnerability w/ Extra: Broad Category (Gamma, Negates one success from physical attacks) Regeneration (Gamma, auto heals one level of bashing damage, or downgrades one level of lethal damage, per ) Wise Warrior Queen Mega-Attribute (Gamma, add for rolling and meeting prerequisites/reduce penalty by three, Strength) Mega-Attribute (Gamma, add for rolling and meeting prerequisites/reduce penalty by three, Intelligence) Mega-Skill (Beta, add for rolling and meeting prerequisites/reduce penalty by three, Intimidation) Magic in the Blood Illusion (Beta, Subvert senses of others, 1 Verve, Intelligence + Expression + Illusion) Sword Kladnets Super Speed w/ Weakness: Attached to Sword Kladnets, Specialised (Alpha, 1 Verve/turn *Gain +1 Defence and Initiative per dot *Speed is multiplied by dots in Super Speed plus one *Can activate at any point in a turn including during someone elses turn and before rolling initiative *1 Verve to take an additional rolled action per dot per turn with cumulative -1 penalty and no multiple dice pools *Special dash attack! Get up to full speed before doing so, slam target with body, or strike them with a limb or weapon. To get up to this speed, move at least 10 yards in a straight line, then make a single melee attack as an instant action. This attack has a +1 bonus for each 5 yards moved or for each dot in Super Speed, whichever is lower.) Merits Resources () Approximately $500 disposable income and $1000 of assets. 'Modest' would be an overstatement, but after so long on the battlefront Tsarevna had gotten used to living it rough when she is not at home. So she is happy to live in her spartan apartment on the very edge of Fabletown, waiting patiently for the day her Ivan will return and make their house a home. She doesn't think it's right to settle down in comfort and opulence without her husband there to share it all with. Status: War Veteran () Standing, authority and respect from commanding part of the war effort. A warrior queen like no other, Tsarevna's exploits during the war against The Adversary are well known and still remembered. She lead from the front, being the first into battle and the last to cover a retreat. Her tactical knowledge and military strategies saw her armies win victories where so often The Kingdom suffered nothing but defeats. Today she tries to not think about those days, for they were dark times. But Tsarevna stands ready to lead the fight again should Fabletown ever come under threat. Enhanced Item () Curved sword, +1 damage die, 9 again. One of the few keepsakes of Ivan she has, Kladenets is an enchanted sword that is famous across many Slavic tales. A deadly weapon, even a child could use it and put down a trained swordsman in a bloody mess of a fight. Tsarevna is just the latest owner, with her husband holding claim to the sword for the longest time out of anyone. Legend has it that the sword was forged on the island of Buyan until it was raised in anger against the North Wind. Kladenets managed to somehow cut the North Wind, and the sword drunk deep of his blood. Ever since, Kladenets has swolen with the power and swiftness of a mighty winter storm. Danger Sense () +2 on reflexive Wits + Composure tolls to detect impending ambushes. Regularly leading troops into battle, Tsarevna acts as her own scout. There's simply not often a better choice, and never one who can escape and survive if discovered by the enemy. She has developed a sharp eye and keen ear for noticing ambushes before they have a chance to happen, and when she suspects something she never leaves it alone without checking it out. Iron Stamina () Ignore up to -2 brought on by injury or fatigue. Upon resting, sleep like the dead for twelve hours. Having spent her life trudging through ice and snow, as frog, bird, and human, Tsarevna has built up an extraordinary endurance over the years. This is no magic, just pure determination and resilience that has kept her going longer and harder than most Fables could manage. Striking Looks () +1 to all Presence or Manipulation rolls when using looks to entertain, persuade, distract or deceive. As much as she is strong and deadly, Tsarevna is also striking and beautiful. While it is true many Fables are somewhat good looking, Tsarevna is one of the fairest among the fair. She is not known for using her looks to get something she wants, which makes it all the more convincing when she decides she needs to. Her beauty is owed to her mother no doubt, whoever she is, as it couldn't at all be from the repulsive form of her father. Equipment Damage Size Durability Notes Sword Kladenets 4 (Lethal) 2 (Long Jacket) 3 +1 Damage from position of height, 9 again Weakness N/A Advantages Health | Willpower Power Level Verve | Morality | Size Speed ||(||||) Armour Defence () Initiative (|) XP: Attribute: Resolve +1 10xp Attribute: Dexterity +1 10xp Skill: Investigation +2 9xp Skill: Occult +1 9xp Skill: Politics +2 6xp Skill: Empathy +1 6xp Skill: Expression +2 6xp Skill: Intimidation +1 12xp Skill: Brawl +1 9xp Skill: Survival +1 6xp Skill: Weaponry +2 12xp Power: Armour 2 10xp Power: Durability 2 6xp Power: Illusion 1 5xp Power: Invulnerability 7xp Power: Mega-Attribute 7xp Power: Mega-Attribute 7xp Power: Mega-Skill 5xp Power: Regeneration 7xp Power: Super Speed 2 6xp Advantage: Morality -1 +5xp --- 150xp Robodog fucked around with this message at 23:36 on Aug 5, 2014 |
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Jul 31, 2014 00:50
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Antivehicular posted:Yeah, a big reason the bar is in the pitch was in hopes that it'd be a gathering-place sort of thing for PCs, and that'd be rad. (Hans sounds really cool, incidentally -- excellent source material choice.) Thanks! I'll admit, I've been playing American McGee's Grimm recently, so I've had that story on my brain for the longest time! I figured he'd be a decent character, though now I figure since I've got the basics I should flesh him out more, yknow?
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Jul 31, 2014 00:51
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General notice to all possible players - if you don't know how nWoD don't worry about it, I'll do all the heavy lifting, just give me something good and have fun with your idea. Posted in the OP as well Antivehicular posted:This looks pretty interesting! Here's my pitch: Looks great! The bar is a fun idea. Robodog posted:e: still tweaking a bit! Awesome! If anyone just wants to make a regular nWoD mortals sheet, I can handle the supernatural template. Or you can venture and do the whole thing, or you can do none and just tell me to whip it up. Just let me know what route you want to go. Also, with the fabletown compact, you can play a villian as well. While some have toned down their tendencies just enough to live in modern society, many were excited by the idea of a fresh start and while people don't forget, many are learning to forgive.
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Jul 31, 2014 02:36
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I'd like at least a villain or two if only to provide more avenues for the group, more...diverse contacts.
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Jul 31, 2014 02:57
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Finished tweaking my app. I might have a poke at the sheet but man, the last few nWoD ones I've done have not worked out great at all. While not outright a villain, Tsarevna is a mass killing general who has no qualms over chaining people away forever. Also, daughter of the most evil man in Russian folk tales! That might count for half a point.
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Jul 31, 2014 03:13
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Ooo that's a really neat fable Robodog. Since you've namedropped the Baba Yaga already how about working in her three immortal dudes? Bright Day, Black Night, and uh... third guy? It'd be really neat if those guys were around and were Russian mobsters/had a segue into Fabletown Russia or something.
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Jul 31, 2014 03:19
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mugrim posted:I'd like at least a villain or two if only to provide more avenues for the group, more...diverse contacts. Yeah, I'm looking at villains.
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Jul 31, 2014 03:27
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I've decided to test out writing in character as Hans, and maybe see what you guys think? The man sighed, staring into his half-empty mug. "What, you honestly want to hear the story? Fine, I guess I'm drunk enough..." He sighs again. "Well, I was a dim boy growing up. What's the term, not the brightest bulb in the socket? Something like that. Well, because I was so dumb, I was incapable of feeling fear. I once slept underneath a burning, hanging criminal. Hell, I was the reason he was burning in the first place." Once, there was a boy who lived in a village. He wasn't very bright, and so his older brother was always sent out to work in his stead. But i his father made him go out at night, he would say "No father, I won't go out there! It makes me shudder!" the boy heard this, and wondered what it was like to shudder. The man takes a long swig from his mug, slamming it down and signalling for another. "Well, long story short, I turned 13 and my dad sent me to work for the sexton for a while. Apparently the man got it into his head to teach me to shudder, and when I went to ring the church bell in the morning, he dressed in white and stood at the top of the stairs." He laughs briefly before continuing. "So, being the stupid bastard that I am, I pushed the poor man down the stairs. He was lucky to get away with a broken leg, honestly." "Say something, or I shall throw you down the steps!" The sexton thought the boy was lying, and remained silent. So the boy threw him down the steps, rang the bell, and went back to bed. He thinks for a moment before continuing. "So, considering I nearly murdered a holy man, my father kicked me out of the house with fifty thalers to go and learn a trade. Eventually, I reached a town where the king wanted me to exorcise a castle. I stayed three nights in that place. I played nine-pins with some skeletons, rode a killer bed and murdered some jaguars, and then on the third day the place was exorcised. I won the princess' hand in marriage, and soon enough I became the new king. Of course, as I learned more about the world, I realized that for some odd reason my lack of fear wasn't because I was a stupid bastard." And so the princess poured the water and gudeons onto her husband. He awoke with a start and said "Ah, wife, what slithers in my clothes? At last I know how to shudder!" He downs more beer before continuing. "I dunno, I was the youngest son, and god knows us bastards have all the luck, but it's still strange. So of course the Adversary came by and nearly destroyed us all. I only barely managed to escape with my life. Everyone else got killed... I lost everything..." he says, holding his head in his hands. Thoughts? E: Decided to follow everyone else's example and add some good ol' fashioned fairy-tale quotes. Probe 17 fucked around with this message at 06:49 on Jul 31, 2014 |
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Jul 31, 2014 03:30
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Puppies are dicks posted:Ooo that's a really neat fable Robodog. Since you've namedropped the Baba Yaga already how about working in her three immortal dudes? Bright Day, Black Night, and uh... third guy? It'd be really neat if those guys were around and were Russian mobsters/had a segue into Fabletown Russia or something. Ahh, third guy. Most people don't suspect third guy on account of his nonchalant demeanour. But those in the know understand that if Baba send third guy around to pay you a visit, you're in serious trouble. I had that idea for the background, yeah, just didn't have anywhere to slot it. Being crafty on the whole, I imagine a fair few 'villain' Russian Fables made it across and signed the compact. Leaving Tsarevna in the awkward position of having to live in peace with many bastards and witches she tried very hard to murder back in the homelands. Koschei. Baba Yaga. Her boys. Domovois. Zmey. etc. This is why she wouldn't live in the Slavic district.
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Jul 31, 2014 03:43
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Probe 17 the tone is great, I'm getting a good sense of Hans. Fear is bad, but regret can be much worse.
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Jul 31, 2014 03:56
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Robodog posted:Ahh, third guy. Most people don't suspect third guy on account of his nonchalant demeanour. But those in the know understand that if Baba send third guy around to pay you a visit, you're in serious trouble. It just popped into my head while reading your fable during the part about advance by dawn, rout by midday. Probe 17 posted:I've decided to test out writing in character as Hans, and maybe see what you guys think? Much love for the German fables commoners background, Probe17. Poor Hans is so sad. A magical inability to feel fear, maybe a drunk, irreligious, and probably a fatalist? It's like he inspired Kierkegaard's ubermensch.
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Jul 31, 2014 03:56
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Puppies are dicks posted:Much love for the German fables commoners background, Probe17. Poor Hans is so sad. A magical inability to feel fear, maybe a drunk, irreligious, and probably a fatalist? It's like he inspired Kierkegaard's ubermensch. The funny thing is, the incident with the sexton was due to Hans' previous status as a stupid bastard. He literally thought the sexton was an intruder, and shoved him down the stairs because he didn't say anything. It takes a special kind of dumb to think a ghost is an intruder. It takes an even more special kind of dumb to shove that same ghost down a stairway.
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Jul 31, 2014 04:10
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Puppies are dicks posted:It just popped into my head while reading your fable during the part about advance by dawn, rout by midday. I was trying to put a couple of subtle things touching on that in the post, yeah. The seasons, weather, and times of the day play important roles in Russian and Slavic myths! For example, they have the personification of sunstroke in the form of Lady Midday. Who is to say if some of them decided to hop on the baddies side! Probe, Hans sounds like a right sorry bastard from what you wrote. But it captures his attitude and voice really well. Being fearless is a good trait for a cop though, things might look up Hans soon 
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Jul 31, 2014 04:21
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The Big Man The man is big, larger than life, massive even. He smiles at the locals, and gets slapped on the back by a number of them who refer to him as The Big Guy or The Big Man. Some a bit colder will nod to him and refer to him as Mr. Big. Those aren't his name, or rather names. For he has had many over the centuries, the millennia. Before the birth of Christ he traveled Greece as Herakles, or Hercules if you prefer. Fighting mighty beasts of legend and fable, accomplishing impossible tasks of strength, and of course going mad. And of course partying quite well. In early American history he traveled across the North and into Canada felling trees and wrestling with his best friend Blue the Ox, deforesting huge swaths of land and inadvertently creating mountains and valleys as he played with Blue while he used the name Paul Bunyan. Later on he traveled through the South working on the railways, laying lines and digging through mountains, beating the newfangled steam engines with hammer in hand and the prisoner name John Henry. There wasn't much he has done since, though he has worn quite a number of names before. If you have heard of a mighty man, bigger than any other, stronger than ten, one hundred or one thousand men and accomplishing mighty tasks that reshaped the world through main strength and rambunctious play then there is a good chance The Big Man was that man. With a tendency to get in trouble, go crazy, get drunk, and cause massive property damage The Big Man has often been on the wrong side of the law. But when the Adversary appeared and started conquering Fables The Big Man turned to help. He fought off those he could, giving other Fables a chance to escape, but in the end he too retreated. Now he finds himself in Fabletown, and though he was not generally an authority figure the Sheriffs knew his sheer size and strength could intimidate some of the more violent Fables into behaving and following the rules of Fabletown. And The Big Man likes to be liked, and likes to be useful to the common people, and so though he is not a fan of authority figures he has taken up the mantle of a Sherrif of Fabletown to protect his fellow Fables.
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Jul 31, 2014 05:53
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Well I took a punt on making a sheet, and it's edited into my BG post. I think it does but I'm really not sure if it works at all! Layering the More Than Human hack on top of it probably busted the whole thing. So if you gotta tear it all down mugrim, go ahead. Criticism helps to learn. I do have one specific question though. I left three merit points because I'm not sure how exactly to make my magic sword. Do I just go through the resources merit, or is there something in More Than Human that does it?
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Jul 31, 2014 15:51
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Man, I'm getting excited for this! A warrior queen, the archetypal "Big Guy", a clever master of disguise, a man who literally can't feel fear, and a clever tailor who bluffs like a motherfucker. Together, they fight crime.
Probe 17 fucked around with this message at 20:39 on Jul 31, 2014 |
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Jul 31, 2014 20:31
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Robodog posted:Well I took a punt on making a sheet, and it's edited into my BG post. I think it does but I'm really not sure if it works at all! Layering the More Than Human hack on top of it probably busted the whole thing. So if you gotta tear it all down mugrim, go ahead. Criticism helps to learn. Not criticism, but a question: would you mind if I stole your pregenerated code for the character sheet? I'm about to take a stab at making a sheet too, and yours looks really clean and nice. Thanks!
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Aug 1, 2014 01:27
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Antivehicular posted:Not criticism, but a question: would you mind if I stole your pregenerated code for the character sheet? I'm about to take a stab at making a sheet too, and yours looks really clean and nice. Thanks! I'd ask the same thing, except I have no drat idea how to make a sheet! My only experience with WoD was an ill-fated attempt at running a Changeling game! Though it did bring us the True Fae who fancied himself a Sauron-knockoff and the 50s writer who emerged from his Durance in a modern nightclub...
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Aug 1, 2014 01:37
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| # ? Apr 16, 2024 12:44 |
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Going to throw something together I think! I haven't even seen WoD since i bought the source books and read them a bit. So I'll focus on the concept then try to throw up something when I have a clear idea 
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Aug 1, 2014 01:43
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