This could be fun to harass challenge the players with. Sudden hysterics revealing the locations of the PCs as they try to hide, letting slip the slightest clue in the middle of pointless rambling, an investigation stymied by an unhelpful member of the party. Reminds me of an intelligent ring a character of mine once had and could not get rid of.
Also reminds me a little of Bob from the Dresden Files.
A strong backstory that ties well to motivation. It is truly believable that his mind would snap with all that carnage and that he would become so single minded. The progression from revenge to madness holds true.
Very easy to put in a game, as well.
5/5
I like this. Good descriptions and an intriguing setting.
I am curious about their physical possessions. What types and styles of clothing do they wear? Does dress denote rank? I think clothing can go a long way toward differentiating them from each other.
Also, what kinds of weapons do they use? Are melee weapons seen as more courageous than ranged ones? Do they wear armor?
An excellent article in combination with Constellation Myth. Makes me wonder if my own world would benefit from this idea.
A wonderful idea, well thought out and nicely implemented. I think the amount of detail is what really sets it apart.
I read this early on when I had very few votes but forgot to come back around and vote on it. I'm glad it made its way back around.
Even though the language is geared around systems with levels, I find it easy to view it in more abstract terms. In fact, I think it helps to put mechanical "levels" into more generic terms that cross gaming systems. Going up in power can mean gathering XP and hoarding magic items, but it can also mean gaining political clout in a more role-playing heavy system or boosting attributes and skills in systems like Cortex or Savage Worlds.
As a GM developing a campaign, I find this to be a good set of guidelines to keep in mind.
A good start. I especially like the physical descriptions and personalities. I look forward to reading more.
The format seems a little confusing. I had to read it through a couple of times to grok it. I agree with the others that this could use some fleshing out.
I could see the priests of Percepticus being the philosophers with those of Visax having more of a scientific bent.
Overall, a creative piece.
Does this mean the meager currency of the beggars ends up in a cave full of riches? How ironic that they use it as a symbol of hope.
I like the symbolism of the rich stealing from the poor.
I heartily agree. The collaborative nature of Strolen's is one of the primary reasons I am here. I feel that receiving helpful comments has helped to make me a better writer overall. On the flip side, it can be awfully demoralizing to spend several days toiling over a sub only to watch it fade off of the front page with nary a word.
Before I wrote my first sub I spent a fair amount of time reading sub after sub. I learned a lot from both the subs and the comments, such as things to avoid and tips on how to do better. I think the comments, being public, help more than just the author. In addition, I felt comfortable posting my own work because the comments were so constructive rather than confrontational. I received some good feedback on that first sub and that gave me the confidence to keep going.
An excellent first sub. It is tightly focused on the one subject while hinting at a greater world full of history and a blend of cultures. The narrative is well-written; the characters come through strong and give a human face to the structure.
I suppose there could have been more detail on the empire itself, although that wasn't the direct subject of the sub and could be a whole new one on its own (hint, hint....)
There are plenty of subs on Strolen's that run the gamut from high and low fantasy to steampunk and science fiction, so I wouldn't worry about the genre. I think creativity gets rewarded more than sticking to cliches.
This would be a good source of clues for a larger quest. How to extract an important bit of information or lore from such a creature without going mad in the process?
NPCs (Major) (Combative)
I'm glad you decided to share this.
Go to Comment