The Campaign Builder's Guild

Dormant member that I am, I won't venture to vote on what the community does next.  I will say I'm sad, in general, about the decline of the traditional forum, as I believe its format had some unique charms and advantages that more modern modes lack.  My own heyday was in the 2004-2006 era on the old Wizards board and here, and I can't imagine doing the kind of stuff I did then (5,000 word posts on, I dunno, orc religious rituals) on Reddit.  That said, long content posts don't do a bit of good if there isn't an active community to read them - so if change is necessary to stabilize and grow that community, it's probably for the best.  I'll follow wherever you go, and try to be a little more active than I have been in the past decade.

What is the timeframe proposed for shuttering and archiving the old site and moving to a new one?  I ask because I want to personally archive my material that's on the site but I'll be travelling for a wedding (mine) for the next week.  Should I pencil in time to do my archiving tonight before I fly out, or will the board as it is still be here in a couple weeks?

I miss this stuff when I'm not working on it, to be honest.  Good to poke in around.  (I did confirm I was #3, after Ishmayl and ElDo.)  I'll try to be less of a stranger than I have been the past... decade...

Well blow me down, I can't believe this place still exists!  I was just searching for some old Tasothilos-related material on a google search and up popped a link to the CBG.  I'm absolutely delighted.

I was I believe member #3 or #4 back in 2006 but vanished in late 2007.  Undergrad was a rough time for me, and I started and abandoned far for projects than I care to remember.  (And ugh looking back at some of my posts from that era... I was more than a bit of a know-it-all prat.)

In the past 10 years, I've more or less given up gaming - I was for much of my 20s a serial starter of games that fizzled after two sessions, and finally figured out it was because although system design was interesting to me, and setting design likewise, "playing" was as much a chore as a pleasure.  But I still casually pick away at Tasothilos, the setting which you can find way-way-way back on the board here, and I've lately been toying with the idea of a novel.

In the personal sphere, I'm getting married in a month, and four years deep in a doctoral program in late antique Christianity  (prospectus is being written.)  Not exactly where I saw myself being when last I posted here in (eek!) 2007, but it's been good.

Sorry to keep you hanging.  It's been busy here the past week (people are moving back to campus and I, being a good and loyal friend with a sturdy set of shoulders, have been helping in the process), and to top it off, my poor USB Wireless Internet adapter died this past weekend.  I'm back now, and you should be hearing interesting things from me fairly soon... :-D

QuoteTaking all of your comments with regards to the vows together, I'm surprised the Wanderknights have been able to keep their secrets so... secret. I'm sure a Squire that hadn't quite made it would have something of interest to say, moreso for a disappointed Knight who decides to betray the Order.

Is this an invitation to make a wish list? In that case, I vouch for more information about other organizations. While the teachings of the Wanderknights would be very interesting to read about, right now I'd love to see some of the others you've got in store. Now that you've mentioned them in the Wanderknights post, the Fated have my explicit interest.
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You got it.  I'm gonna post the College of Arcanists first, simply because they're already half done, but I'll move Fated into the next spot on my agenda.

Edit: Sparkletwist, I haven't forgotten you, I'll respond to your questions later tonight. :)

I think this is an excellent solution!  I didn't use the old interface at all because I found it far too limited.  I will, however, most likely take advantage of one of the two plans some time shortly!  (Need to take care of minor details like rent and utilities first...)

Quote from: LordVreegAlrighty, I also don't use Fire and Forget.  I use a mana based system with all casters 'linked' to their books, and their ability in their possible 12 discplines/skills determines how much they can cast before recovering.

SO if it is not a fire and forget/spells per day system, what is the mechanic in the other types of magic?  I really find myself enjoying your work, so I need to understand what the underpinnings are.[/quote]And since you are using a 'scratchpoint' system, do spells have seperate 'scratchpoint' amounts?  
[/quote]
Not sure I quite understand the question.  If you're asking about how damage is determined from offensive combat magic, it's fairly straightforward - the way I've got it set up now, the caster rolls his skill check in the appropriate magical skill, while the resister makes a Hardiness check (basically, the equivalent of a saving throw.)  The difference between the two is compared, and the degree by which the caster beats the Hardiness roll determines how much damage is done.  
Offensive magic will eat up a character's scratch points but quick.  Fortunately, direct damage magic is very difficult and tiring.

Update: any new people who are interested in joining the game, please send me a PM and I'll give you the info - we've got a good-sized group but we can take one or two more.

Quote- Do Wanderknights travel outside the Salabrian area (I got this impression when I read about the existence of a Taec Knight)? In earlier drafts, I was always under the impression travelling far off (say, outside the ring of countries you have extensively described) was almost unheard of. If this is correct, are the Wanderknights an exception to this rule? What does this mean for them, and for how they are perceived?

- Could you clarify how the Vow of Secrecy works with regard to Squires? Your description of the Vow states that no Wanderknight secrets are to be revealed to those who haven't taken the Vows, and it is stated that the vows are taken only once one becomes a full member. However, when you describe the process Squires go through, it seems as though the secrets are actually revealed to them before they become full members. This would seem contradictory.[/quote]I was wondering about the extent of the Vow of Detachment. For example, is a Wanderknight forbidden to enter into a contract/agreement when it lays no demands whatsoever on him, i.e. when a beaten enemy wants to swear a vow of loyalty to him, or when someone wants to give him something in a formal manner? It also seems that '˜mere' sexual contact (i.e. in the absence of a love relationship or marriage) with a woman is not forbidden.[/quote]-Is there any enforcement of the vows, such as penalties in case of transgression or, even better, some sort of (magical) compulsion to follow them?[/quote]- Suppose that I am the '˜well-educated outsider' you speak of and have figured out most or everything you've written above. I wager I'd start guessing about the (spiritual) secrets held by the Knights. Assuming others have done the same, I wonder what guesses have been made. (Actually, reading again I notice you've already stated that '˜a number of different conjectures are ventured' so I guess I'm just asking what they are.) I've personally come to think that (one of) the Wanderknights' Liberations might have something to do with dying in battle. Perhaps they believe this is the best way to go?[/quote]
I'd prefer to hold off on this until my notes on the matter are a little more collected - if this is of particular interest to you, I will definitely put the teachings of the Wanderknights (and the rumors about them) on my list of 'things to do soon'.

Thanks as always for your questions and comments, Turin!

Agreed on the Wheel of Time, but I actually even liked it into 5.  It was with 6 that things started to get hairy as far as I'm concerned...

Just to clarify - the 'fire and forget' is only attached to one kind of magic, namely Logomantic Spellcasting.  Logomantic Ritual magic, Lyromancy, Willing, Arithromancy and the other 'minor' arts do NOT use the fire-and-forget Vancian mechanic, and are instead, like everything else in Panache, skill-based.

A 'classically trained' magician of the Salabrian sort generally focuses his studies on spells and Willing - Spells are generally more powerful, while Willing is more flexible.    

(In both types of magic, I am actively trying to balance combat with non-combat functionality.  Most magicians in Tasothilos are not adventurers, and while they almost universally acquire some offensive and defensive magic for personal security reasons, most of their attention is focused elsewhere.)

Yes, it's entirely free.  Once I hear back from the other people who were interested, I'll start up a game there.

You can check it out here: http:///rpol.net

Quote from: LordVreegyou call that bogged down?  Bah...
I should have known you'd try to work the mechanic this way.  It does make for a faster paced game, so that more of the 'story' get written at a sitting.  I guess I'm a little gritty in my story telling, in that I don't mind a few more rolls and a longer combat to be able to know what swings were stopped by armor (and that might have stressed the armor) and that allows players to try for success in multiple skills before every swing.  But that's my mania talking... :blah:

Ok, this is definitely the work and mindset of the maturing GM.  (I await a lightningbolt).  As players and GM's see more of the world and read and experience more, creating a 'story' more than a collection of combats that allows for better and better trerasure.  Progression and evolution of the characters is still a great source of enjoyment, but a good system allows for this without the wild inequities of power that many games suffer from.  Most combats should still involve risk, especially when the numbers are against someone.  
Very pleased with your use of dice odds to screw with the frequency distributions, so that you go from a 5% chance of rolling a 20 to a 1% chance, but your chance of rolling a 1 is the same.[/quote]This is one place we differ.  The evolution I so search after for the character narrative needs the pain and angst of rolling a '1' on a level break (and the way they work though it), as well as the good rolls.  I keep experience and levels in every single ability, so a character breaks a few 'little' levels (individual skill)overy session, on average.  And the level breaks on these are always randomized.  I get to see high-fives and commiserations all night long when people use a skill and break level in it.  
Not saying 'boo', just saying that you might be taking something away from the players.[/quote]How many different 'schools' of magic are their, in terms of sources?  where does the power to cast a spell come from?  For example, what is the 'in-game' mechanic for the source of the fire in a fireball spell?[/quote]  
There's a very lengthy post in the thread over at Homebrews covering these questions.  It's very slightly outdated (Willing has grown in importance and prevalence since Tasothilos 2.0), but it is mostly accurate.

The first step of creating a Panache character is to determine his primary attributes.  Primary attributes determine on a fundamental level what the character's capabilities are.  The attributes give a character a bonus or penalty to his various skills, and they are also used in the computation of secondary attributes, which are a handful of combat-stats and other vital mechanics.  (Secondary attributes can be independently improved by spending CP, but primary attributes provide the baseline.)
[note=The Effect of Attributes]Attributes apply their value as a bonus or penalty to any skills with which they are associated.  Because skills can reach values of 20 and (rarely) beyond, after a certain point the bonus from attributes stops being quite as significant.  It still confers some advantage, sure, but the main value of a high attribute is instead more apparent in that it gives the character a wide range of decent secondary skills.[/note]
You can spend CP later in your character's life to improve your primary attributes, but doing so is expensive, and a given attribute can never receive more than 2 points of total increase through character points, so pick initial stats that you are mostly satisfied with.  Unlike D&D, getting a near-perfect score in your character's 'main' stat is not required in order to be effective- it will give him an edge, especially early on, but skills are more important than attributes in assessing your character's capabilities.
Initial values for attributes range in value from -3 to +4.  They are bought according to the following scale:

Value	Cost
-3	-9
-2	-4
-1	-1
0	0
+1	1
+2	4
+3	9
+4	16

Note: Negative costs in the table above indicate bonus points added to your pool which may then be spent improving other abilities.

Average NPCs (Jimmy the Commoner, Steve the Innkeeper, Bill the petty criminal) in Panache receive a pool of 3 to 5 points with which to purchase their primary attributes - they may be better than average in one or two areas, but on the whole, they're fairly common.  PCs and important NPCs (That friendly old wizard who occasionally provides the party with a clue, or that awesome BBEG warrior you're gonna design) receive a pool of 8 to 12 points instead (the GM should determine a value for his party at character creation) - they can be slightly better than average in all respects, or they may focus their attributes and be truly gifted in one or two areas.

So, what are the eight attributes?
[spoiler=If you are interested, the reason for my choices here.]They are close to the Dungeons and Dragons six (I felt no need to reinvent the wheel with these, or to create needless subdivisions), but there are a couple differences.  Strength and Constitution both managed to come through from D&D (and many other source RPGs) so unchanged that I didn't even feel the need to change the names.  Intelligence and Charisma are somewhat altered, enough so that I felt new names (Intellect and Magnetism) were appropriate to signal that they were not just the D&D stats.  Dexterity and Wisdom, on the other hand, have always seemed to me like they were combining too many conflicting elements.  Wisdom combined intuition and perception (which I could see being linked) with willpower and determination, which seem to me to be different.  Dexterity combined full-body agility with hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills - the connection here makes a bit more sense to me than the Wisdom problem, but still I feel that they should be different things.[/spoiler]

Strength
Strength has always been a fairly straightforward attribute.  It measures a character's muscle and raw physical power - their ability to swing around a heavy axe, for instance, or to pull themselves up a craggy cliff.  It is applicable to the various athletic skills, but it also comes into play in combat - it is the attribute linked to the heavy weapon skills (two-handed swords, large axes, etc) and it also is used whenever a character hits an opponent, when it is combined with weapon skill to determine damage.  Strength is of greatest importance to those who want to play powerful, heavily armed and armored warriors.

Agility
Agility is one of the two remnants of the D&D Dexterity stat.  It covers one's balance and general ability to move their bodies quickly and elegantly.  It governs one's ability to dodge, to dance, to move silently and unseen, and to perform various acrobatic stunts.  A number of combat skills are linked to Agility, as it governs the light- and medium- weapon skills, and is one of the most important stats when it comes to avoiding blows in combat.  Agility is important to swashbucklers and to stealthy, crafty characters.

Coordination
Coordination is the other half of D&D Dexterity.  It governs fine motor control and manual dexterity - whereas Agility measures a character's ability to move their whole bodies quickly, Coordination instead focuses on the ability to make fine, precise movements with the hands.  It is most important for it's contribution to the various thieving skills, but it is also applicable to a number of more legitimate skills, including the musical ones.  Coordination is most important to pickpockets, wandering minstrels, and fine craftsmen.

Constitution
The last of the physical skills and another fairly straightforward one, Constitution measures hardiness and health of the body.  Not many skills use Constitution, but the ones that do (Endurance, for instance) are of universal import.  Constitution is a vital combat stat, as it governs how long a character may fight without tiring and also has an effect on how grievously injuries affect a character.  Constitution is important to all characters, but especially those who expect to find themselves on the front line in a battle.

Intellect
Intellect determines a character's ability to acquire new information and to reason and form conclusions based on the information he has.  It is also the primary skill associated with creative intelligence.  It is the attribute most important for a character's language skills, as well as various artistic, magical and academic skills.  It is the primary attribute associated with the Spellcasting type of magic.  Intellect is most important to sages and wizards, but is also of great importance to musicians and poets.

Awareness
Awareness is one half of the former D&D 'Wisdom' ability score.  It determines a character's perception, insight, and intuition on a less cerebral, more instinctive level than Intellect.  It governs physical perception - determining how well a character's eyes and ears can detect minor details - as well as social perception - one's ability to pick up on minute social signals to read the subtext of a conversation or to determine if someone is lying.  It is also the primary attribute associated with missile weapon skills.  As such, it is important to archers and scouts as well as to socialite characters.

Resolve
Resolve is both a mental and a social stat.  It measures a character's force of will and determination, but also his aura of authority, confidence, and 'gravitas'.  Magnetism is used to persuade other people and to make them like you - Resolve is used to intimidate them and to lead them.  It governs a fair number of social skills, is instrumental to resisting the influence of others, and is also the primary skill behind the Willing type of magic.  Of great importance to magicians, it is also important to kings, priests, warlords, and other leaders of men.

Magnetism
Related to D&D Charisma, Magnetism measures the persuasiveness, social grace, and likability of a character.  Characters with a high Magnetism are likely to have a lot of friends and to be thought trustworthy and personable.  The attribute governs most of the social skills, including the art of seduction and the art of bluffing.  Magnetism is important to characters who want to dominate at grand balls and parties, and also those who want to be able to tell convincing lies.
(Unlike D&D Charisma, physical attractiveness has no role in Magnetism - if a character is exceptionally beautiful, this is governed by an Advantage which may be purchased later.)

Two Important Notes (and one minor note) Before Going on:
(1) It should be reiterated that a character's skills are much more important than his attributes in determining what a character can do.  More than their statistical bonuses, the main function of attributes is to provide some measure of what kind of person the character is at his core.  While going for a +4 in your character's most important attribute will help you a lot in the early stages and give you a slight edge even later, it is much more important to create a set of attributes that you feel model the sort of person you want your character to be.  

(2) One other thing to note - while in D&D all skills are intrinsically linked to one ability score, Panache takes a page out of Ars Magica (and others) - it is possible to apply several different attributes to a single skill.  For instance, when using a longsword, you would use a combination of your Longsword skill plus Agility for most of the battle, but a combination of Longsword + Strength to determine damage when you land a hit.  When we get to that part of the rules, most skills will be listed with between 1 and 3 attributes - these are the ones that are most likely to be applicable to the skill in the normal range of use.  In extraordinary circumstances, the GM should feel free to apply ANY attribute to a particular skill roll.

Minor note:  In the FAQ, it says that secondary attributes are computed right after the selection of primary attributes.  It was pointed out to me by a friend, however, that since secondary attributes depend on the primary attributes, and the character's choice of race may alter the primary attributes a little, it makes a good deal more sense to compute secondary attributes after the race has been selected.

Next Up - choosing a Race!  Note that the 'fluff' of the races can already be found in the main Tasothilos thread over on the Homebrew forum - the 'crunch' of the races in that thread is out-of-date, and will be updated here.

Sorry for going AWOL for a couple days there, but I was kinda sick.  I'm back now.

A tiefling can be a fighter/thief.  Annah in Planescape Torment was fighter/thief tiefling, wasn't she?  A Bleaker sounds fine, but do me a favor and make sure your Bleaker has SOME motivation left.  The last Bleaker I DM'd for... didn't do much.

Next question to the whole group - is RPOL.net an acceptable choice for a place to host the PbP game?  It would be preferable to me because the extra functionality and the ability to have a number of threads devoted to the game would make such things as explaining the system/setting to the less experienced a lot easier.

Just in case you've missed it, I've begun to post details of the system underlying Tasothilos over in meta.  The link is here: http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?37136

Not much there now - just a Q&A, really.  But it'll grow gradually.