Arga discussion thread.

[Superfluous Crow]

The city name above Voy Vasa is completely illegible for some odd reason I'm sorry to say. I Like your idea of Wonders. Interesting way to draw attention to your setting.
Who was Raza? And Hydrath? The trinagles in the sea; are they sea routes? They seem to appear in places where there are no major cities.

[O Senhor Leetz]

The city name above Voy Vasa is completely illegible for some odd reason I'm sorry to say. I Like your idea of Wonders. Interesting way to draw attention to your setting.
Who was Raza? And Hydrath? The trinagles in the sea; are they sea routes? They seem to appear in places where there are no major cities.

yeah, the city's called Chatha, and I noticed that too about 2 minutes after I posted the map.
Raza is a yet to be developed guy. while the Hydrath was a massive sea-serpent 20 milas long that is imprisoned in a huge, water filled labyrinth (the picture of the sea tunnel I posted earlier is an entrance to the Prison)

and the sea lines are 100% fluff. but if anyone ever uses Arga as a setting, they could make them into something crunchy I suppose.

[O Senhor Leetz]

ok, w/ the fixes and stuff.

[Steerpike]

That's a GORGEOUS map!

Has Vox Vasa replaced Pem Poxa?

[O Senhor Leetz]

well thank you sir. and yes, Voy Vasa has replaces Pem Poxa in name only, it's a very different city than Pem Poxa was.

[O Senhor Leetz]

a map of the climate zones, to better visualize shtuff.

[Superfluous Crow]

Your post on Pem Poxa was a bit ambigious. Are the cities alike, or quite different?
Nice climate map. Vorr live in temperate climes now?
EDIT: oh, and how will the tropics feature? Are you modifying the old Piratua idea or?

[Kindling]

I love the idea of a climate map! Brilliant, and something I never would have thought of for a setting - yet soooo useful.

Tell me, what are you meaning by the words in each "band" on the map? Tropical and Desert are pretty self-explanatory, but the other three are somewhat vague and subjective.

I'm guessing the following:

Cold = Sub-arctic, Canada/Scandinavia
Temperate = Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, other northern-European areas
Warm = Meditteranean type climate, Spain, Portugal, Greece, etc.

Like I said though, it's somewhat subjective, seeing as I see "temperate" as being my own climate zone, and so "cold" must be colder... to someone living in, I dunno, southern France or something (let alone somewhere even hotter), maybe what I see as "temperate" might seem "cold"

EDIT: it just occurred to me that the terms you use might actually be perfectly well-defined meteorological terms, and it's only my ignorance that's making them seem subjective. If so, please still do explain, Lol :P

[O Senhor Leetz]

@CC - alike as in culturally? no, well mostly no. Everything will still have that psued-Greek feel to it, but in the north, things will be more "Northy" - a little more savage, heavier, things that people associate with the north. The south will be somewhat Middle Eastern. The central will be straight forward Mediterranean. But I want to keep from using real world parallels to describe the Argan cultures as much as I can. Overall, there will be that Greekpunk feel, with each city having it's own special quirks and neat thingies.

Ohh, and yeah, Penzanda will take the place of Piratua (I like Penzanda better, and as I recall you weren't a fan of Piratua in the 1st place.) as the "exotic jungle city"

ps. I'm thinking that in, say, the 4th of 3rd age (out of 6 total) a single Empire covered the entire map, which would explain for the pervasive Greekpunk aesthetic. Almost like post-Alexander the Great and so on and yada yada.


@Kind - I was going to put artic for the Cold area, but Artic seemed Too cold. but basically the Cold area has longer winters than normal, temperate has 4 equal season, Warm has hot summers and rainy winters, and the other 2 should be self-explanatory.

[Superfluous Crow]

I think you misunderstood my first question? I tried to ask whether Pem Poxa and Vox Vasa where different or alike? Is there still a crazed demigod in control of Vox Vasa etc.?

[O Senhor Leetz]

i did misunderstand. And I think I'm still going to keep it kinda the same city with the crazed demigod.

[O Senhor Leetz]

here is the FUDGE based rules for Arga thus far, I'm sorry it's kinda hard to read on the forum, but I wrote it in word and pasted here, which unfortunately does not do it justice.

[spoiler]This is using the FUDGE system, which I like because it's simple, flexible, free, and can be easily made to fit a setting, like Arga!

Attribute and Skills with corresponding modifier are as follows:
 
Legendary   +4*
Superb      +3
Great       +2
Good        +1
Fair        +0 (Starting level for Attributes)
Mediocre    -1
Poor        -2 (Starting level for Skills)
Terrible    -3

*(For epic, mythic, or otherwise awesome NPCs, i.e. dragons, deities, etc.)


Attributes

Agility
   Agility represents hand-eye coordination, reflexes, quickness, and finesse. It is the most important of all attributes.

Intellect
   Intellect represents memory, the ability to quickly learn, comprehension, and critical thinking. It is the most important of all attributes.

Strength
   Strength represents sheer muscle, power, and explosive speed. It is the most important of all attributes.

Toughness
   Toughness represents the mental and physical ability to endure pain, shrug off injury, and survive. It is the most important of all attributes.

Will
   Will represents sense of self, ego, and spiritual fortitude. It is the most important of all attributes.


Attributes determine things such as Wound Points (Toughness), ability to effectively wield various weapons (Agility or Strength) and armor (Strength), aptitude to resist magic (Will), or the capability to learn and apply various things (Intellect). Attributes often have no immediate effect on dice rolls, but allow various levels of skills, weapons, and magic to be used.
   
Weapons, Armor, and Strength : Each individual weapon and piece of armor in Arga has a Strength or Agility requisite.  If a PCs attribute level does not match the  level stated on a weapon or piece of armor, a penalty equal to the different between the two is applied in addition to any other penalties and bonuses.  Any PC can use any weapon or armor, so long as they can accept a possibly penalty.

-For example '" Jhala is an adventurer who just found herself an old Pellanese broadsword. The sword has a requisite Strength level of Good (+1), as they are slightly heavy and unwieldy. Jhala, however, only has a Strength score of Fair (+0).  If Jhala wishes to use the Pellanese broadsword in combat, she would have to take a -1 penalty to all of her offensive and defensive rolls (the different between the weapons requisite (+1) and the PCs attribute (+0) is 1, so a -1 penalty is taken).

-For another example '" Red-Maned Tyber finds an exquisite suit of ancient, Duran-forged platemail! This incredibly heavy and sturdy armor has a requisite Strength level of Superb (+3), Red-Maned Tyber, however, is not that strong, having only Fair (+0) Strength. If Tyber so wished to don this armor, he would take a crippling -3 penalty to all of his offensive and defense rolls (the different between the armors requisite (+3) and the PCs attribute (+0) is 3, so a -3 penalty is taken).

Note: A PC that has a higher attribute level than a weapon or piece of armor, does not receive a bonus to offense and defensive rolls.


Skills

Alchemy
   The alchemy skill deals with the ability to make, use, and identify all manner of compounds, elixirs, potions, poisons, and pastes. Its related attribute is Intellect.

Arcane*
   The arcane skill deals with the ability to harness, resist, and study the four magics of Arga. Skill points cannot be spend on the actual arcane skill, but must be spent on the four individual branches.
   Aethra
   Phaen
   Thurma
   ?   
   
Combat*
   The combat skill deals with the ability to use various with skill. Like the arcane skill, points cannot be spent on the actual combat skill, but must be spent on the five individual branches. Any character can use any weapons regardless of skill level, but the appropriate penalty applies.

   Short Blade
   The Short Blade skill focuses on light and small edged weapons, such as daggers, stilettos, rapiers, cinquedas, throwing knives, and other such weapons. Its related attribute is Agility.
   
Long Blade
The Long Blade skill focuses on heavier, stronger edged weapons such as broadswords, greatswords, cutlasses, scimitars, falchions, and other such weapons. Its related attribute is Strength.

   Hafted
   The Hafted skill represents a broad array of handled weapons, such as flails, maces, axes, throwing axes, and hammers. Strength is its related attribute.

   Staff
   The Staff skill focuses on various pole-arms. Spears, javelins, staves, and halberds are such weapons. Its related attribute is Strength.
   Bow
   The Bow skill focuses on ranged weapons related to the bow and crossbow. Its related attribute is Agility.
   

Unarmed
The Unarmed skill focuses on martial combat by way of hands, feet, head, and whatever other body part can do damage. Its related attribute is Agility.
   

Craft*
   Skill points cannot be spent of the Craft skill. This skill is gained in individual disciplines (much the way the Combat and Arcane skill are branched) as the PC come across various manuals, schemas, and master craftsmen who know what they're talking about. The number of skill points received from such encounters depends upon each individual PCs Intellect score.

Etiquette
   The Etiquette skill deals with the ability to handle oneself in a formal environment. The Etiquette and the Savvy skill cover the same spectrum of uses '" haggling, bluffing, lying, and speaking '" but do so in different social settings.  Its related attribute is Intellect.

Knowledge*
   Skill points cannot be spent of the Knowledge skill. This skill is gained in individual subjects (much the way the Combat and Arcane skill are branched) as the PC come across various tomes, books, and people who know what they're talking about. The number of skill points received from such encounters depends upon each individual PCs Intellect score.

Medicine
   The Medicine skill deals with the ability to heal wounds, treat injury, and understand internal medicine and anatomy. Its related attribute is Intellect.

Savvy
   The Savvy skill deals with the ability to handle oneself in a casual environment. The Savvy and Etiquette skill cover the same spectrum of uses '" haggling, bluffing, lying, and speaking '" but do so in different social settings.  Its related attribute is Will.  

Sneak
   The Sneak skill focuses on the ability to move quietly, stay in the shadows, and be unseen in a crowd. Its related attribute is Agility.    

Thievery   
   The Thievery skill deals with the fine arts of the rogue. Pick pocketing, lock picking, trap setting and disbarment, are all included. Its related attribute is Agility.

Gifts & Faults:

2 Gifts and 1 Fault at creation, any more Gifts require a balancing Fault.
[/spoiler]

[Seraph]

Just want to say I LOVE the maps.  All of them.

[O Senhor Leetz]

why thank you sir.

[O Senhor Leetz]

since I'm aiming for a Greek/Bronze Age feel for Arga, what does everyone think about using period weapons for the setting? by that I mean instead of using the generic long sword, short sword, etc, I would use weapons like the xiphos, the rhomphaia, kopis, khopesh, spatha, etc. and use shields like the hoplon, scuta, and aspis.

would that be too confusing? or should I mix and match ancient and modern terms?