This is my thread for signing up for my game

[Nique]

This is a thread where you can learn about and/or signup to play a game that I have made. You may have read some threads I've made about it over the last few years.

The game mechanics come from my homebrew d10 system which is currently unnamed. It is designed to be appropriate for multiple settings, so I have created an appropriately bland steampunk fantasy world for the occasion!

I don't really know how this sort of thing is normally done so I'm going to muddle through as best I can with the caveat to you that I am muddling through this. You may feel free to ask for clarification or make suggestions. This post will probably get edited a bunch.

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The Setting

The game takes place in a world called Arden. Arden exists in a relatively peaceful state but is still recovering from a catastrophic war.

The war came about at a time when the mighty Thule empire - a formerly imperialist state rich in culture and military prowess - was quickly expanding, annexing territories far from it's natural borders in the north. Though difficult to resist such intimidation, the advancement of industry world wide, especially through the use of various of steam-powered inventions, kept Thule at bay for years through economic and military resistance.

Then, a seemingly mystical element was discovered. A previously untapped mine in one of the many mountain ranges of Thule revealed a vein of a strange metallic substance that proved at first to be extremely volatile. Dubbed 'Electronium', it was discovered that, through proper handling and refinement, this new element could conduct and generate power in unique and dangerous ways. Thule immediately set about weaponizing Electronium, and began invasions on a global scale.

This new & frightening power nearly gave Thule control of all Arden. But motivated to resist this now explicit tyranny, the hunt for Electronium was ignited by every nation threatened by Thule. Although rare, deposits were discovered in some parts of the world. Some nations were able to synthesize Electronium through various types of Alchemy. This arms race had leveled the odds, and the whole world was engaged in war for 15 long, bloody years.

Many alliances were created and abandoned during the war. The clear advantage Thule once had now alternated between Thule, Zeme, Sekai, and, rarely, Yerchaca. As casualties grew, an end to the war seemed further and further away. Eventually, several states within these nations began seceding from their governments in an effort to escape the bloodshed. Unfortunately, this, in many cases, created yet another contending force in the war. In the 5th year of the war, the splintering of the nation of Zeme proved to be most volatile. Southern Zeme forged bonds with Sekai & Yerchaca, and Northern Zeme solidified it's alliance with Thule.

Finally, in the 15th year of the war a cease-fire was declared after a particularly heated battle between Southern Zeme & The Thule / Northern Zeme alliance inadvertently ignited a huge Electronium deposit. The resulting explosion completely destroyed the nearby city of Yette. This large but unaligned territory in the Zeme valley housed nearly 25,000 civilians, mostly families, and had become an unofficial, but unchallenged, 'neutral ground' for those seeking escape, or at least respite, from the turmoil of war. The ruins of Yette now lie deep in the resulting crater of the Zeme valley.

This tragedy brought a horrific and abrupt stop to the war, creating the first opportunity in more than a decade for peace talks to begin. Nations with populations weary of war were eager for peace. Through a tumultuous but successful series of conferences with representatives from nearly every nation and faction across Arden. Anonymous soldiers, diplomats and philosophers from every nation were assigned to meet secretly and construct a document that was to become a guiding directive to ensure world peace. Eventually, the Yette Doctrine was created and accepted by all of the nations of Arden.

Under this document, universal civil rights are defined. Military use of Electronium is banned. Old kingdoms were reestablished under new leadership, in many cases granting representation to the various groups that had formally seceded into splinter governments during the war. Natural borders were used to adjudicate the secession of annexes and colonies. Rules of engagement were defined. Provisions for establishing independence were created, and shown to be successful when the displaced populations of the western colonies established the Representative Republic of Orado. The Yette Doctrine was working

But in addition to setting forth principals designed to protect Arden from entering such a state of war again, the creators of the Yette Doctrine were aware that the nations of Arden must be provided with some other incentive for adhering to the Doctrine. The still-forming global union was considered to be sufficient, briefly, but many felt the self-interest of each nation would prevent resolution in the face of truly dire conflicts. Instead, a major and radical provision was made part of the Doctrine, something that would honor those unjustly killed during the war. Something that would make the rulers and politicians of all nations answer to the memory of Yette. An organization was created. An army, yes, but more than that. An aid to those in need, and a force to be reckoned with for those that would challenge the newly established peace. A civilian military force made up of extraordinary individuals recruited from around the world, granted jurisdiction anywhere and everywhere, The Arm of Arden would operate as a mercenary force for the sake of the world - Providing aid where they could, and acting as impartial guides, standing up for the people of all Arden, upholding the Yette Doctrine above any one nation's interests, and holding the nations accountable for their actions.

The war is now 50 years past. Peace exists but is always at risk. The Arm acts as a powerful incentive for international peace and aids in maintaining the balance of power worldwide, but is not always sucessful. The feud between Northern and Southern Zeme rages on. Yerchaca, a nation especially ravaged by the war has withdrawn it's support for the Yette Doctrine and closed it's boarders.

But The Arm is vigilant. It's members roam the world clandestinely. They are expert Electronium wielders as the only combat force authorized to do so. They are free to act with great anonymity, taking on missions of aid or combat as they see fit, their mission always firmly in mind:

Yette Causa, Ut Salvificem Mundum
'For The Sake of Yette, Save the World'

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Where things Are
(This part is to break down where things are in the world and also gives a little background on what these places are like).

To the Northeast: Thule
Politics/Culture: Federal Polyarchy - Each Territory ruled by a three-seat tribunal, accountable to the national tribunal. The ultimate authority are the Polyarchs. Thule is a former imperialist state. Classicist/ Aristocratic tendencies & high level of military prowess.

Notable Locations:
Feinshore, a coastal city
Heilenheim, the massive Thule Capitol
Elven, The river boardering Thule and Northern Zeme


To the Northwest: Orado
Politics/Culture: Representative Republic, formed from a collective of former Sekai and Zeme colonies. Made up of farmers, miners, laborers. Independent mentality. 'New Money'.

Notable Locations:
Sutherby Swamp, mysterious swamp said to hold secrets
Orado Mountains, rich in Electronium deposits.

To the Southwest: Sekai
Politics/Culture: Imperial Federation. Highly centralized rule in terms of law. Traders and merchants via seafaring. Advanced navy and merchant fleet.

Notable Locations:
Numerous coastal cities/ ports


To the Southeast: Yerchaca
Politics/Culture: Totalitarian Hedgemony - Hedgemon aided by viziers. Isolationists.

Notable Locations:
TBA

The 'Central' Continent: Zeme
Politics/Culture: Northern & Southern Zeme ruled by separate Confederacies. Frequent disputes over territories straddling the boarder between north and south. Adherence to Yette Doctrine, ironically, difficult to maintain.

Notable Locations:
Yette Crater Memorial, site of the most destructive act of the war

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Gameplay - Character Creation

First, I'll go over definitions for each section of the character sheet. This will introduce you to the game mechanics as well;

Character Information: This is for basic character info for 'Player Characters' (PCs). Name, age, gender, height, weight, backstory, character level, etc. There is also a sub-section for 'drawbacks and advantages' - Drawbacks and advantages allow PCs to define certain natural flaws or advantages their character possesses, which translate into increased Ability scores by sacrificing Proficiency points, or vice-versa.

Status Effect: For notating current status such as temporary changes to Ability scores. This section also tracks damage and induces status effects based on how much damage has been taken. If the character receives excessive damage, they may also enter a damaged status. This is explained in greater detail in the 'Combat' section.

Stat Pool:PCs begin at level 1 with 1 point in the Stat Pool to build their character, and are provided 1 additional point at each level up to increase their scores. These are the 6 core stats that determine the build of your character. These 6 stats combine in different ways to provide 'Break' Points, 'Action' Points, 'Health' Points, and 12 different Ability Scores (the modifiers used during game play).

STR: Strength adds to AP, Melee, Grapple, Defense, & Endurance scores.
VIT: Vitality adds to HP, Defense, Evasion, Speed, and Reasoning scores.
DEX: Dexterity adds to BP, Grapple, Finesse, Speed, and Will Power scores.
SPR: Spirit adds to BP, Endurance, Evasion, Perception, and Charm scores.
WIT: Wits add to HP, Melee, Finesse, Perception and Knowledge scores.
INT: Intelligence adds to AP, Charm, Will Power, Knowledge, and Reasoning scores.

Energy Points: Energy points are actually a type of 'Ability' score, but are used as the points PCs spend to act in game play. The max EP scores for each category of EP start at '1' by default, but are otherwise determined by the PC stats.

Break Points: Break points represent additional effort or concentration PCs can exert. Players can spend these points to add to their roll, or to reroll.
Action Points: Action Points represent the energy PCs exert to act. AP can be spent to take additional action during turns. It is also spent when using Electronium based powers.
Health Points: Health Points represent the amount of damage PCs can receive before becoming exhausted and unable to act.

Ability Scores: Ability scores are divided into 'Offensive' and 'Defensive' modifiers. These scores act as indicators of the range of PC abilities. Encounter are resolved by pitting PC Abilities against the corresponding Abilities of their target/ attacker, or against a 'Difficulty Class' (DC) - a number that represents how difficult an action is too preform. The 12 Ability scores are listed below;

Melee: Used in combat, close range damage. Targets Defense.
Grapple: Used when lifting/ grappling items or opponents. Targets Endurance.
Finesse: Used when dealing ranged damage or hitting a target. Target's Evasion.
Perception: Indicates Range of accuracy. Detection. Target's Speed.
Charm: Persuasiveness. Target's Will.
Knowledge: Capacity for knowledge of facts, information. Target's Reason.

Defense: Physical defense. Resists Melee.
Endurance: Stamina. Resists Grappling.
Evasion: Quickness of movement. Defends against Finesse.
Speed: Initiative, footspeed. Resists Perception.
Will: Willpower. Resists Charm.
Reason: Logical thinking ability. Resists Knowledge.

Proficiencies: Players begin with 1 proficiency point, and are awarded an additional proficiency point every 5 levels. Proficiencies represent special areas of training. Assigning proficiency points to to one or more of these areas will increase the corresponding Ability modifier when preforming actions directly related to the Proficiency category.

Proficiencies
Proficiency: Brawl
Ability: Melee
Description: Gives advantage non-lethal 'street-brawls'. Delivering sucker-punches, etc.

Proficiency: Unarmed Combat
Ability: Melee
Description: Represents training in martial arts. Gives advantage in hand-to-hand combat, nullified if PC using a weapon.

Proficiency: Resist Illness
Ability: Defense
Description: Represents improved constitution. Gives advantage against poisons and illnesses.

Proficiency: Survival
Ability: Defense
Description: Represents training in survival skills. Gives an advantage in surviving the elements.

Proficiency: Acrobatics
Ability: Grapple
Description: Represents training in athletics/ acrobatics. Gives an advantage in jumping, tumbling, preforming acrobatic maneuvers/ attacks.

Proficiency: Lift
Ability: Grapple
Description: Represents strength training. Gives an advantage when lifting heavy objects.

Proficiency: Climbing
Ability: Endurance
Description: Represents training in climbing. Gives an advantage when scaling vertical surfaces.

Proficiency: Swim
Ability: Endurance
Description: Represents training in swimming. Gives an advantage when crossing bodies of water unaided by boats or other mounts.

Proficiency: Slight of Hand
Ability: Finesse
Description: Represents training in quick-hand movements. Gives an advantage in pick-pocketing, optical illusions, any other 'slight of hand' actions

Proficiency: Craft _________
Ability: Finesse
Description: Represents training in crafting specified category. Can be identified as a specific artistic craft, mechanics/ repair, etc.

Proficiency: Stealth
Ability: Evasion
Description: Represents ability to avoid detection.

Proficiency: Disguise
Ability: Evasion
Description: Represents ability to blend in, craft and/or acclimate to a disguise to avoid detection while out in the open.

Proficiency: Sense Motive
Ability: Perception
Description: Represents ability to sense the motives of people or animals.

Proficiency: Snipe
Ability: Perception
Description: Represents training in sharpshooting, gives a bonus when making ranged attacks from great distances.

Proficiency: Chase
Ability: Speed
Description: Gives a speed boost when chasing a target.

Proficiency: Running
Ability: Speed
Description: Gives a speed boost when running over long distances.

Proficiency: Perform ______
Ability: Charm
Description: Ability to entertain in specified category. Can be identified as music, acting, etc.

Proficiency: Gather Info
Ability: Charm
Description: Represents ability to convince people to confide information in you.

Proficiency: Intimidate
Ability: Will
Description: Ability to frighten or intimidate people into cooperating.

Proficiency: Animal Handling
Ability: Will
Description: Ability to interact with animals, convince animals to follow commands.

Proficiency: Know. ________
Ability: Knowledge
Description: Knowledge of specified topic

Proficiency: Know. ________
Ability: Knowledge
Description: Knowledge of specified topic

Proficiency: Diplomacy
Ability: Reason
Description: Ability to make arguments and convince others of your position.

Proficiency: Search
Ability: Reason
Description: Ability to search for hidden or unseen objects & clues.

Equipment: Weapons & Armor give semi-permanent boosts to PC Ability scores. Other types of equipment include Packs, Mounts and Accessories.

Weapons:
Item: Name of weapon
Weight: Weight of weapon
Durability: Measured in how many encounters weapon can be used before needing repair.
Ability: Offensive Abilities affected by weapon when equipped.
Powers: Weapons may have built-in Electronium based powers

Armor
Item: Name of Armor
Weight: Weight of Armor
Durability: Measured in how many encounters armor can be used before needing repair.
Ability: Defensive Abilities affected by weapon when equipped.
Powers: Armor may have built-in Electronium based powers

Accessory
Item: Name of Accessory
Weight: Weight of Accessory
Durability: Measured in how many encounters Accessory can be used before needing repair.
Ability: Abilities affected by weapon when equipped.

Packs
Item: Name or type of pack
Weight: Current weight / Total Capacity
Durability: Measure of damage pack can receive before needing repair.

Mount
Mounts have a basic set of stats
DMG: Damage Points, total amount of hits Mount can take (analogous to HP)
Abilities: Same Ability categories as PCs.

Inventory
Inventory list tracks items PCs carry in packs including food, medicine, money, etc.

Powers

Powers are the special skills PCs have access to through the use of uncanny items or power sources (in this case, 'Electronium'). As with leveling stats, players begin with 1 'Power Point' and are awarded a new point after each instance of leveling up, representing the PCs increased proficiency with using Electronium.

Electronium
In the world of 'Arden' Electronium is a special element with electromagnetic properties. When wielded by people (or animals) Electronium interacts with the electricity in people's bodies, and can grant users telekinetic-like control over matter and energy.

Electronium interacts with people in 6 different ways, granting PCs the ability to choose from 1 of 6 different 'Power Types';

Boosters: Boosters can increase the amount, or energy, of a given property for a limited time. This property must already be present. Boosters are generally resourceful people.

Transformers: Transformers can temporarily grant the properties of one substance to another. Transformers are usually highly creative.

Makers: Makers can generate objects and substances from nothing. These objects appear only for a limited time. Makers are typically strong-willed.

Takers: Takers are the exact opposite of Boosters, in that they can temporarily drain a specific property or substance from their target. Takers are usually very clever.

Users: Users are able to target a specific type of object or substance and remotely move the object around, as if by telekenisis. Users are typically manipulative.

Shooters: Shooters are able to emit a beam of energy that mimics a specific substance. Shooters are typically energetic individuals.

Building Powers
Once the PC has chosen a Power Type, building abilities is a matter of purchasing and selecting variables from 5 other categories. PCs are granted 1 power point in each category by default, these points cannot be moved from one category to another.

Effect: Effects are the types of energy or matter you control. Players can identify the element(s) they wish to purchase control, accetable 'Effects' are adjudicated by the GM. Players can purchase Effects for 1 Power Point.
Multiplier: How powerful your Power is on delivery (This will typically act as your modifier when rolling a d10). Players can purchase 1 additional multiplier for 1 Power point.
Range: From how far your power reaches. Players can purchase 1 point of range (approximately 5' ) for 1 power point.
AOE: Area of Effect - How far a radius from your target the power takes effect. 1 point of AOE (aprox 5'x5') can be purchased for 1PP
Duration: How long the power takes effect (measured in 10 second increments, or in turns during combat). 10 seconds (or 1 turn) of duration can be purchased for 1 PP.


Combat

When taking action against another PC or an NPC, encounters are resolved by the following method;

[d10 x (Offensive Ability + relevant Proficiency)] vs. [d10 x (Defensive Ability + relevant Proficiency)]

And when taking action otherwise, PCs will act against a 'Difficulty Class' (DC) and sucess if determined by beating the DC number;

[d10 x (Relevant Ability + Relevant Proficiency)] vs. [DC#]


As players start the game with only 1 stat point, many of the Ability scores will equal 0, initially. This does not mean that the player is unable to act using these Abilities, but the range of their Ability is lower (average tasks that anyone can do are fine, for example), and the player does not normally roll for success when preforming the action. By taking 'Disadvantages', Players can also lower Ability scores to as low as -10 in order to buy an equal amount of proficiency points, if they wish. A negative score, however, represents a lower than average range of ability in any given area (Therefore, the lowest DC players will encounter will be a DC of -10).


Status Effects: When receiving damage, PCs will lose 1 HP. If PCs or NPCs take an extraordinary amount of damage, they will be subject to certain status effects, defined below:

Stunned: If the PC receives 20+ damage in a hit, in addition to losing 1 HP, will enter the Stunned status, which lowers offensive rolls by 1/2

Wounded: If the PC receives 30+ damage (or is in Stunned status and receives 20+ damage), in addition to losing 1 HP, will enter the Wounded Status, which lowers defensive rolls by 1/2.

Critical: If the PC receives 40+ damage (or is in Wounded status and receives 20+ damage), in addition to losing 1 HP, will enter Critical Status, which eliminates the ability to make offensive rolls.

KO: If the PC receives 50+ damage (or is in Critical status and receives 20+ damage), in addition to losing 1 HP, will enter KO status and is unable to act at all.



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Ok, Power instructions are up. Feel free to post questions and check out the character sheets for further clarification as well.,

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