[OOC] Under Heaven, Underworld - Discussion and Sign-Ups

One-Winged Eagle

So having GM'd for you folks the last time, I have developed a taste for it. Anyone up to play this wuxia/urban fantasy setting/rule set I'm working on? 

For the record; It plays nothing like D&D. Where D&D 5E had some rules on advantage/disadvantage and positioning, it's still mostly about the dice-rolls. Not so with Fate Core; you will always use never more than four d6s, with each number corresponding to a certain value (negative, neutral, or positive). Instead, the game focuses on describing actions and things present in the environment that might give you an advantage.

tl;dr: D&D models medieval combat. Fate Core models action movie logic.

Yarrun XIX

-shrugs-

If it'll scratch the itch I've got, then I'm in.

Miss Miko Mayonegg

I am a thing :o

One-Winged Eagle

Alright, then. Let's get started.

I'll make a new thread. Sign-ups are still open, for now.

Salix Babylonika

I could potentially play like a string-two character, but I have commitment problems with RPs, as you well know.

Tachyon

i'm... somewhat interested but

1) i don't know Fate Core
2) i can't commit to something that's going to be too time consuming, and i've gotten the impression that you like to keep your RPs moving at a fairly fast pace (correct me if i'm wrong)

One-Winged Eagle

That's fine, because nobody else knows the system, so I'll spend the first few "sessions" teaching you all.

I can also work with a fairly slow pace. I just can't work with an absolute stall. If you can't post or don't want to, keep me updated and we'll work something out. That's all.

Salix Babylonika

I also don't know Fate Core but was under the impression no one here does.

Tachyon

ah, i overlooked the part where you said it was your own rule set, my bad ^_^;

in that case, yes, i'm interested

Previous Calica

I might be up for it.

Yarrun XIX

Hmm. Question. 

Should character creation be dealt with here or in the other thread? Though the character creation info's over there, it looks like that's for the RP itself, and I don't want to be clogging that up when I'm not supposed to. As you know, I tend to vacillate a lot when making a character.

Also! It's safe to assume that this is the culmination of your idea from the writing thread, correct? Or at least, related to it. I have to say, I like the approach that you're taking with it.

thenamelesssamurai

How possible is it to add a character to the middle of a campaign? I'm booked until the semester ends, but once the semester is over, I'll have much more free time.

Also, I know the basics of how Fate Core works, but I've only played in campaigns using it as the system twice (well, once was Fate Core and once was Stands of Fate).

One-Winged Eagle

Yarrun: Let's have it here, then. And yes, this is that project. It's not done, though.

Nameless: It is very possible.

Salix Babylonika

so like

what exactly is the setting here?

I have a couple potential ideas for a character and have had some help with them, but I'm not even sure of the time frame this story's taking place in, so I can't commit to much.

One-Winged Eagle

A world like our own, only there is a god in everything, from Nike shoes to every city on earth. Generations ago, our ancestors could see and talk to the gods freely, although that rarely happened because gods tend to be secretive.

Those who had to live with the divine was grouped into a community known as the Jianghu, "land of lakes and rivers", which we now call the Jianghu. Within that community was an assembly of secret societies known collectively as the Wulin "martial forest", their ranks consisting of martial artists, sorcerers, half-gods and others who possessed great power, which they used to protect mortal kind and arbitrate dealings with man and god. Some of these societies include the Shaolin and Wudang.

The Qing Emperor grew afraid of the Wulin, and used treachery, bribery, legal decrees and pure force to purge them. The Emperor also used his divine connections to get the Celestial Bureaucracy to issue a decree, that no spirit under their auspices would ever reveal themselves to mortalkind. 

Most of the societies died overnight, some managed to escape, running to the edges of the empire, what would become known as Korea, Mongolia, India, Europe, and even across the seas to the New Worlds. They ran away from China, and left it to the rogue gods, the "vampires", and the Qing emperor. 

It is now 2013. The last Qing River-Killer died in a hospital, the final operative in a long-dwindling line. China is a fertile ground for re-taking, lands that have not known the Underworld's touch for about a thousand years. Additionally, most of the surviving societies left many things of value generations ago, and would like them back.

That's where you come in. Will you stay where you are, dealing with the day-to-day weirdness of your chosen city or town? Will you build an outfit with the purpose of one day standing tall amongst the rest of the Wulin? Will you support your society's agendas and engage in politicking, secret wars and espionage? Or will you engage in an expedition to retake the homelands?

tl;dr: Asians. Asians everywhere. Flashy kung-fu. Godly superpowers. Slow and sacrifice-laden sorcery. Pantheon consists of potentially every god from the Hindu, Daoist, and Buddhist cosmologies.

Salix Babylonika

OK, I have things

1. I want to clarify I'm understanding the setting. Basically what we have here is a veiled fantastic underworld beneath the mundane world as we know it, or is there not a veil? I'm not wholly clear on that.

2. I kind of feel like I am sort of unqualified to play a character from Asia given that I know relatively little about the region compared to the rest of the world. I realize that's my own fault, but it is sort of a stumbling block here. Do you have any recommendations?

3. I would like to play a character where, preferably, I can contribute at my own pace, somewhat off from the rest of the group initially, and then drop in more fully if I find the RP is going to my liking. Is that OK?

Salix Babylonika

also a tacked-on 4. a friend had planted the idea of a pirate character in my head and I don't know how to make that work here.

nevermind, I worked this one out.

One-Winged Eagle

1. There is a veil, yes. A veil enforced by divine decree and the sleeping tiger that is the easily-frightened human populace.

2. You could play that to your advantage. Be Dr. Watson and have things explained to you. Additionally, the heart of the narrative is the Asian diaspora, not Asia itself, so I don't really expect anyone to know everything.

3. Playing a bit character is fine, but I'm not sure how and when you should be included.

Salix Babylonika

1. Got it.

2. That's cool, but I don't know much about that either. Would writing a Japanese character living in California be unreasonable? It makes some sense with the character archetype I have cooked up. Furthermore, I feel I write my characters better when I identify with them on some level and, while I cannot identify with being Asian (I am Dutch), I can certainly identify with being somewhat rootless, and I think it could be an interesting conflict to explore a bit given the setting. You wouldn't know it given how often I bring up my ancestry, but I don't really feel any deep-seated connection to the Low Countries.

Not to mention my character in particular has a couple personality traits in common with me, but that's neither here nor there.

3. Nor do I! But it would make it easier for me to contribute if I could do so at my own pace.

Salix Babylonika

I have edited many things in. Sorry about that!

I will do a signup as soon as I'm able.

One-Winged Eagle

California has more Filipinos, Chinese, and Vietnamese (although Japanese trail not far behind).

But as to location, we'd have to wait for what the others say.

Salix Babylonika

Alright.

Location doesn't matter much to me personally, I'd just be more familiar with the united states. You're the DM so I don't imagine I'd do much location-setting.

Let me sketch up what I have so far.

One-Winged Eagle

Reposting here.

We're starting with a stripped-down system of Fate Core, to get you folks acquainted with the basics.

Step 1: Think about the character you're going to make.
There are three constraints that I have ask your character to be. 
A), they have to be Asian. Chinese, Malay, Kazakh, Mongol, Tamil, Korean, whatever. Additionally, they could be mixed, or Eurasian. 
B), you start as children, between ten to eighteen. Don't worry, you'll be adults later, and we'll be playing through a montage of your growth. 
C), you should either know each other, or have reasons to meet. This is important, because I can't run a game with two individuals in different places. You will be a team.

Step 2: Determine your High Concept.

Aspects are elements of the world and its people that are both true and important. In this case, your High Concept sums up what your character is or does. It doesn't have to encompass everything, but it will tell me what you think is important and what you want to do. For example, say your job as a thief is the most important, so your High Concept would be 'Bombay Cutpurse'. You could show that a relationship is important, such as with 'Neglected Young Master', showing that your family is rich but without love.

Step 3: Determine your Trouble.
Life is complicated. Trouble defines that complication. It could be a character flaw 'Hair-Trigger Temper', or a problematic relationship like 'Demanding Mother'. Your Trouble shouldn't be easy, too large to overcome, or be directly related to your High Concept.

After you've decided on these aspects, tell me what it means to your character, as well as one way it can help you, and one way it can hinder you. Every aspect is a double-edged sword.

Step 4: Choose your skills.
As a child, you will have five skills at a very low-level. There are five skills, three of which you take at Average (+1), and two of which you take at Fair (+2). 

• Fight: Defines how you handle yourself in a fight.
• Know: Governs your knowledge, cleverness, and ability to learn.
• Conviction: Measures your willpower and discipline.
• Sneak: Measures your capabilities to steal, cheat, and move around useen.
• Speak: Defines how well you can speak, lie, manipulate others, and in general interact in social environments.

So your Skill section will look something like this.

Fair (+2): Sneak, Conviction

Average (+1): Fight, Know, Speak

This is the format for all Skills; one aspect of expertise must build and rest upon another, like a pyramid or tower.

We'll be overhauling all these when you get to adults. They are important, but they can be changed, just as people change.

P.S: Everything on your sheet is important; Your skills tell me what kind of action you'd like, and your aspects that you place tell me where you want the plot to go. If you put as one of your aspects "Dead Sister", I will likely bring up the possibility of her still being alive in some form.

Salix Babylonika

Name: Akemi Shirai
Ethnicity: Japanese-Filipino
Age: 14, at game start.
C), ??

High Concept: Hopeless Adventurer, Born 500 Years Too Late

Trouble: Always Playing The Hero

Step 4: [undecided]

• Fight: +2
• Know: +2
• Conviction: +1
  
• Sneak: +1
  
• Speak: +1
  

I will describe X in greater detail tomorrow.

For now:

Akemi is a girl stricken with the soul of an adventurer and an intelligent mind, but her life is, to her, achingly humdrum and boring. She often takes walks lasting hours--sometimes into the late night--along the streets of the small town she lives in, possessed by the spirit of outlaws who lived centuries before. She admires pirates, cowboys, samurai, and archeologists, despite knowing rather little about any of these things. A young woman with her head in the clouds in the truest sense.

Salix Babylonika

I may have gotten some things wrong. If so, feel free to tell me.

I'm going to bed now. I'll revisit this tomorrow. Hopefully I have not made my character sound awful.

One-Winged Eagle

I forgot to say that you should tell me what each aspect means, and how it might both benefit you and cause you problems. 

Edited post.

Alduin

So this is basically Wuxia stuff?

One-Winged Eagle

Not basically. It is.

Alduin

I have this idea in my head about a middle-aged and obese Vietnamese mechanic. Would that fit the game?

One-Winged Eagle

I would say "yes, with dedication, hard work, and a capacity to express oneself anyone can learn the great kung-fu styles, and even that is not a requirement to being a hero", but we'll have to see what the others come up with.

Yarrun XIX

Name: Ma Zhi

Ethnicity: Chinese

Age: 15

High Concept: Wandering Bodyguard (Abandoned Guardian)

Trouble: Lingering Loyalty

Since the age of 3, Zhi has trained for the position of guardian to the Qing emperor. The Ma family* has descended from an orphan who was taken in by the first Qing Emperor. Because of this, the family is honor-bound to protect the Emperor, his family, and the empire itself. However, as time went on, many out of the family abandoned the Emperor, abandoning the country and fleeing to the West. Zhi was the last of the Ma's who felt any great love for the Qing line. 

With the Qing line finished and his dream shattered, Zhi travels aimlessly through the crumbling empire, looking for a worthy mission.

He is a WANDERING BODYGUARD, meaning that he has a natural impulse to protect people and prevent damage whenever possible. However, he has a LINGERING LOYALTY to the old lineage, so he will always confront those who outright badmouth the Emperor.

Fair: Fight, Conviction

Average: Sneak, Speak, Know

* Ma means Horse. The orphan was said to have been found scavenging in one of the royal stables, hence the name

Salix Babylonika

I should note that I have never seen a Wuxia film in my entire life.

kingCrackers said:

I forgot to say that you should tell me what each aspect means, and how it might both benefit you and cause you problems. 

Edited post.

what are aspects?

One-Winged Eagle

Mojave: Gunslinger movies are fine; there's actually plenty of that in the game.

Aspects are elements of the character, the world, and the situation that are both true and relevant to the narrative. For example, being 'The Last Son of Krypton' means that's what you are. It reflects one part of your character. 

A game aspect would be something that is a nigh-constant thing that colors the whole game. If the nation had undergone a tragedy, the game aspect would be 'Pall of Grief'.

A situational aspect would be 'On Fire'. A blaze is only important in the scene you're in, then it goes away because you all left the scene.

Your High Concept, Trouble, and a bunch of other things that I haven't introduced yet are all aspects.

Aspects are a double-edged sword. It can both help you and hinder you, and you also get rewarded for the hindering, which I'll explain later. With your character aspects (High Concept, Trouble, etcetera), you should give me at least one way it can be a benefit or a problem, and what exactly it means to your character.

Look at it this way: I am a [HIGH CONCEPT], but [TROUBLE]. 

I am 'A Nazi-Punching Super Soldier', which means that I am good at punching German fascists and am in top physical shape. BUT I am 'A Man Out of Time', meaning that this brave new world of the 21st Century is alien to me.

Yarrun: Looks good. If you like you can PM me about your aspects and your skills.

One-Winged Eagle

Is that everybody?

Salix Babylonika

I'd give it another day or two personally, but it's your call.

Edited in thingsnstuff

Tachyon

i'm still interested, i've been kinda busy IRL...

i have a sorta character in mind... i'm wary because i'm aware i really don't know much about other cultures.

would it be ok if my character spent part of his childhood in England?

Tachyon

also iirc the only wuxia film i've seen is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Yarrun XIX

The only Wuxia film I've seen is Hero.

It's okay, Tach. We're all beginners here, learning at the feet/tentacles of Kraken.

One-Winged Eagle

It doesn't matter where your character was from, what matters is where they are now. We all need to agree on a location.

Salix Babylonika

My investment in where the location is is minimal.

Tachyon

Mojave Music said:

My investment in where the location is is minimal.

Tachyon

although if you want suggestions... Hong Kong, maybe?

Yarrun XIX

Zhi's a wanderer, so wherever you choose, he'll show up somehow.

One-Winged Eagle

Okay so we've got two characters so far. Ma Zhi and Akemi Shirai. 

And we'll start in Hong Kong.

First I need a reason as to why the both of you are there.

Mojave: If you don't take any skills, it's fine. I'll just have everything be Average (+1). This is a tutorial, so it doesn't matter that much. Also, which one is the family name?

Salix Babylonika

My impression was that we were supposed to make two skills +2 and the rest +1. I picked the two skills I felt best exemplified the archetypal hero Akemi desires to be.

Also Shirai is the surname, it is written in western order.

I can't take credit for the name, a friend (ignatius2722) came up with it.

Salix Babylonika

also you split up the adventurer and born 500 years too late thing into different things.

I should note that the latter is mostly a reference to a Jimmy Buffett song.

Yarrun XIX

Zhi's working at a market to earn money for a ticket to Taiwan. His immediate family never supported his dedication to the old path, and functionally disowned him when he left to serve the emperor. Some of his family ended up in Taiwan, so he hopes that they'll help him out until he sorts out his life.

Salix Babylonika

We get weapons?

I want a magic gun.

I will work it into my character's story somehow, but dammit, I want a magic gun.

One-Winged Eagle

Not now, you're a child.

Let's just focus on walking through play first.

Salix Babylonika

I want a magic gun at some point though.

Put it on the wish list. All DMs keep a wish list.

Salix Babylonika

is there anything else I need to do other than figuring out why we're in Hong-Kong in the first place?