Warlock! OOC Discussion

General OOC thread for discussing whatevs needs discussing.

Also, when you arrive, please introduce yourself here!

Hey, all.

First got interested in Warhammer about 18 years ago. I remember wrecking my mother’s head asking to see if the one little newsagents a few towns away had that month’s copy of White Dwarf.

While this isn’t Warhammer, it’s close enough! Hope we have a good game!

Hey gang! Excited to be here! I think I've gamed with most of you in one way or another, and am looking forward to another opportunity!

Hello everyone! I'm also delighted to be here. I'm probably less familiar to all of you, since I haven't had a big presence here on Gamers Plane. As luck would have it, this is my week for an 'Ask Me Anything' thread. If you're at all curious, hit me up over there! Otherwise, I'm sure we'll get to know one another as we play.

Thanks for having me here! I'm Jabes, RPG addict and pastry chef. I ran a cake shop for quite a few years where we made geeky cakes, including these D&D-themed ones:I was introduced to AD&D in 1987 and to this day, I still play Ithough rarely now) with the same group of guys, my best friends. I've been a pretty active member of Gamers' Plane since joining the community in early 2015. Here, I discovered numerous new game systems, and made many new friends along the way. I've gamed with Len, KCC, and cowleyc, but this will be my first Harrigan game! Pleased to "meet" you, Ciriaco!

So I don't really know much about the OSR, and know absolutely nothing about Warhammer. Am just here for the hopefully down and dirty adventuring!

Hey everyone — I should have started the thread with a bit more of a formal introduction myself. I’m Harrigan, crusty old roleplayer from way back, PBEM / PbP gamer since the mid-90s. Over the decades I’ve played AD&D, GURPS, Underground, Call of Cthulhu, Heavy Gear, Fate and loads of other games. More recently, I’m finding myself a big-time fan of Free league’s YZE games, and really into big chunks of the OSR — namely, non-retroclone "neo-OSR" games like The Black Hack, Into the Odd, Knave and the like.

I never played — or even owned Warhammer FRP, but I certainly wish I had. I did have The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, and while that was my only brush with Fighting Fantasy, those Russ Nicholson illustrations made a deep impression on me that has lasted to this day. I love black and white fantasy / RPG art, I like lower fantasy settings, I like grim and perilous adventures, dangerous magic and all the rest. Thus, let’s play Warlock!

So for those of you I haven’t played with before (Jabes), or those who I’ve only played with once or twice (Len, cowleyc), I’m wide-open when it comes to honest discussion that improves the game. I have my quirks as we all do, so if you note something that’s bugging you or otherwise needs to be addressed, just bring it up here or PM me if you’d prefer.

Looking forward to this!

Jabes — you posted while I was drafting. You’re good to go not knowing anything about the OSR or Warhammer, just so you know. As long as you like down and dirty, you’ll be fine. ;)

Hey folks, great to see familiar faces and also some new ones! Looking forward to playing with all of you.

I love RPGs!

I talked a bit about my history with Advanced Fighting Fantasy in the recruitment post, but I first got interested in RPGs because my friend's older brother had the TMNT and Other Strangeness RPG. We made so many characters without ever knowing how to use them in a game. Later, his brother picked up Heroes Unlimited, also by Palladium Books, and we had a blast with that for a while using it to invent our own cool superhero universe. Instead of playing, we'd just imagine the stories they'd go on.

It wasn't until a young English teacher, Mr. Elliot, showed me how to actually play RPGs with Traveller that I fully grasped the concept. I started running AFF for my friends, and once I got the Traveller books I refereed a long-running game even into University with a little AD&D 2e sprinkled throughout. We did so much gaming with just the core rules and some random tables. So fun!

As my gaming group started going their separate ways, I lost touch with the hobby. It wasn't until the tail end of D&D 4e when I started to get back in. I was running a high school gaming club (trying to pay it forward from Mr. Elliot) but we were mostly focused on Magic: the Gathering. Even though it was a ton of fun, I was uncomfortable with how addicting and commercial that game was/is. So, I started running D&D. I always saw those shiny D&D books in hobby stores, but couldn't afford them as a kid. Now I was an adult with a full time job, so I got to live out that childhood fantasy.

I started running a bit of 4th edition, but I found out about the 5e play test. So, we switched over to that and it was so much fun! My love of RPGs was rekindled! I had recently become a father, so I couldn't spend much time on gaming, but my imagination was SO FIRED UP! So I began playing on Gamers Plane to squeeze in some more gaming time in my otherwise complicated schedule.

I have run a lot of 5e here, but I'm starting to transition into OSR systems. 5e is great, and I've enjoyed some really fun games with that system. But, I am really intrigued by the lighter rules systems that are custom-made for telling particular kinds of stories. I listen to a lot of podcasts and read a lot of blogs on the OSR, and it seems so AWESOME. These remind me a lot of the old systems like Traveller and Advanced Fighting Fantasy that I loved so much. So, I'm really grateful to folks like Harrigan who are promoting it for us new converts.

Oops, I kinda wrote an essay! TL;DR - RPGs explode my brain with creativity, and I'm excited to be gaming with you all :)

Fabulous intros, folks -- thanks for sharing and helping us all get to know one another a little better.

Question: does everyone have the book? If not, I'll drop some wiki-ish bits around the core mechanics and such...

I have the book. Will do one more review before we start rolling dice though!

I have something called the 'Traitor's Edition' of the core rulebook, from DriveThru RPG. I don't have the Kingdom Book or any of the other expansions.

The Traitor's Edition is also what I have.

Traitor's edition here as well!

I have a copy of the book, though I don't think it's any fancy edition.

Well, cool then. The Traitor's Edition is the new one. New cover, color, different font, layout, some new art maybe? (I don't have it -- I have the original, and the Black Edition that combines the core book, Kingdoms, and a couple of pieces from the Compendiums. (Like "Pluck." Don't know if that was added to the TE.)

Yep, Pluck is in TE! Not sure if this is useful, but here's the table of contents if you want to get a feel for what this edition has.

Cool -- thanks! I'll compare.

I know the biggest change is making Pluck non-optional, and making the crit rolls 1d6+Stamina damage beyond zero vs. *2d6*+ the same.

Where in the Traitor's Edition is Pluck discussed? I haven't had a chance to read the book carefully, but I didn't see anything about Pluck when I skimmed it.

Oh, you're right Ciri! My mistake, pluck is not mentioned in the Traitor's Edition. I'm not sure where I read about pluck; maybe it was just from Harrigan's comment.

Ah, okay! In that case, Harrigan, what is Pluck? How does it work?

Huh. I thought I'd read that Pluck made it into the TE. I bought that edition today to get us all on the same page -- will have a look through it shortly, and I'll also post a breakdown of some key mechanics -- like Pluck.

Love the gazetteer posts, Harrigan. Giving me a strong urge to rewatch Excalibur! Would you encourage us to work in elements of the setting further into our backstories or would you rather us keep backstories terse?

More than pleased if someone wants to plug in a little tighter with the setting, but there's certainly no requirement to do so. Terse is fine if you just want to take your prompts and play, finding out who you are, but having a little more to go on is always good as well!

Right. Primer is up, getting into the mechanics a bit. Everyone has a character submitted... hoping to get started tomorrow or Sunday, Colorado time.

I’ll probably keep things loosey goosey, and just riff on whatever comes up in game.

Hoping to launch the IC thread tonight. We'll see if I get there!

Oh, a few little clean-up items for some of your:

Banio and Foghorn -- please choose / randomly determine 2-3 Traits and add them to your sheet.

Lambert, you should be Thief (7) rather than Thief (1) for your career skill.

Rausimod -- in the armor section, 'Shield' should be 'Helmet and Shield.'

Trusova -- please add your background (d6 table) results to your sheet. (Pomperburg Road, Seeing a Dragon)

Okay! I'm traveling, and reluctant to try editing the character sheet on my phone. But I'll be home tomorrow and will add the missing traits to Banio's sheet tomorrow evening.

No worries! An initial post is unlikely tonight and I'm traveling tomorrow. I am working on it, though, so expect to see it soon. Patience, my pretties!

Nice catch. Fixed. No hurry on the initial post, and safe travels to everyone on the road!

Right — have the opening post written, but it needs an edit and it’s late. So expect to see it tomorrow night. Hopefully no one will mind a little hard-framing at the front of this, including an assumption that you’re all working together already…

Works for me! I think I've finished my character. Please let me know if there's anything missing, or anything that doesn't work for the premise you have in mind.

Work trip is proving rough for free time. Hoping for the opener tonight, or tomorrow.

Don't sweat it. Safe travels!

Character is public!

Phew, that was a long post. Took a bit of exposition to explain how my mounted warrior type was on a fishing boat!

Looks like a fun crew of characters! And what an evocative setting.

If anyone else would like to join me in a failed roll, that would also be great! :D

I'm sure we will all join you soon, KCC!

Pardon my delay! I often backpack over weekends.

Lambert had clearly seen much worse in the wizard’s tower!

Sure thing! I appreciate the guidance.

Tone is very important! I should've been paying closer attention to the setup.

I'm just gonna leave this here...

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/exaltedfuneral/monty-pythons-cocurricular-mediaeval-reenactment-programme

I feel like this will fall somewhere between WORST and BEST RPG ever.

I love it! And these deadly combat mechanics rock!🤘

Sounds good to me! I’m sure my life won’t rely on this at all!

This all makes sense, Harrigan. Thanks for helping explain the rules.

Lambert and Foghorn are speed running the hard-ass captain/difficult underling duo from a Buddy Cop movie.

"I’d put any verbal to-and-fro in bold, to ensure it really doesn’t get missed. I’m certain it’s the GP standard so maybe that’s where the confusion arose from."

Good advice, but I didn't miss Ciriaco's post. I simply forgot about what Banio said. Totally my mistake. 🙂

I can certainly bold my character's dialogue in the future. Again, I would've been cool with Banio being ignored. I just wanted to make sure that it was intentional, since it would affect how I played him. For example, he'd feel differently about setting out on another expedition by boat if he thought he hadn't been paid for the last one.

So a Starbucks then? 😄

As posted in Absences:

Congrats! No wonder Foghorn ran from the sisters! =]

I'm having a blast so far, Harrigan! Loving the manky, murky world and all the colorful characters.

Nothing like Lambert getting knifed in the street for trying to pilfer a mace from a Hissanian to really bring the group together and bond. My next character will surely join a band of fast friends and adventurers.

Having a good time thus far!

I do get knifed in the street, but it doesn’t bring the group together.

Yeah having a blast here! I can practically smell the mankiness! 😆

Hey I did the poll settings wrong so it didn't show me who voted what. 😅 The intention being to help me RP Foghorn's assessment of your PC.

When you lose a luck, do you gain a pluck?

I'm having a fine time! I enjoy this style of play.

Banio Phelbt is a local. Which is not necessarily to the credit of Grim Biskerstaf.

And I think Rausimod is still at the table, right? Bemoaning his losses. It's been a tough day for the dwarf.

Yes, Rausimod is planning out his vengeance.

Given that Rausimod's still at the table, I think Foggie will stay as well. Edited my post; I'm talking to the dwarf now while watching the Dockers and Fish Wardens.

Playing with fire here!

I think at this point, Rausimod is going to just plot against the children for the rest of the evening unless one of his companions needs help with something. Looks like pedicide is back on the menu, boys!

Feel free to have these three simply roll their eyes at my witty hijinks and proceed to ignore me! Please…

Wait… the dwarf had our gold.

Did those kids steal our gold?!!!

See why Rausimod is so grumpy?!

I believe the kids made off with one of our two gold pieces, yes. :)

Did you guys see this? Ciriaco is trying to con that noble fellow, and Harrigan rolls...



But then Ciriaco rolls...



:D :D :D

Yeah, I slipped a fiver to the Gamers Plane staff. Don't even bother coming at me with those 20s, man.

Welcome back!

I keep making characters with the idea in my head that I’ll succeed on a roll at some point. A fatal flaw.

You're just getting all of the low rolls done early. It'll be 20s from here on.

That’s it! It only took two years on the site to shake out all that bad luck!

Banio is my favorite character!

Lambert is a close second!

Roll low DM. I did think about stabbing this poor bastard just to give myself a few extra points to beat your roll! :D

Chaos Crew tries not to roll 1 damage challenge! (Impossible edition)

I apologize for my latest unexpected and extended absence! We had a sudden death in the family. My cousin worked a farm way out in the countryside so we've been off-grid the past week or so to be with his wife and kids.

I'll do my best to get caught up with my games as soon as I can. Thanks!

I'm having the hardest time getting invested in this game, and finding the motivation to throw together a post. It's especially noticable in light of how the others seem to be drawn in! I'm going to drop out while Rausimod is in the background, and wish you all the best in this game!

Feel free to use Rausimod as you see fit! There is nothing too irreverent for that dwarf, and he owes the other characters some money.

Sorry to see you go, @cowleyc! See you around!

I love that it's a Road Warden is the one on the run, and the shadier characters are helping her stay one step ahead. Totally goes with the grain of the setting/tone.

Does that mean wrap the game? Or the scene? How are we looking in terms of longevity?

Happy to stay going, yeah, if there’s a group for it!! If there isn’t, well, I had a a great time and will be revisiting the system in the future, for sure!

If you're looking for player-directed action, if the bandits keep giving Trusova bruises I imagine she'd go on the offensive. Find out where they're laying low and hit them while their guard is down. But, Trusova is equally in need of coin, so she's be eager to pursue the opportunities the Confessor outlined, at least until something more profitable emerges.

@Jabes.plays.RPG, ready to hit the high seas again? We’ll be needing our captain, surely!

That plan sounds good to me!

I think Trusova would not rush to take on hirelings at this time. Coin is tight, and she wouldn't trust them. As long as there's a people who have it out for her, who's to say these people won't flip to their side? The group doesn't have the resources to guarantee their loyalty. However, if KCC or Ciriaco feel strongly about retaining some muscle, Trusova could accept it easier if they were people that Lambert or Banio could vouch for.

It's winter holidays, so please feel free to ignore this if folks are busy, but I thought I'd ask how people are enjoying the Warlock! system? The setting and Harrigan's presentation of it are stellar, so I'm thinking specifically about the mechanics on their own. For example, I enjoyed the character creation with its flavourful & randomly generated occupations. It made for some unique characters, and I'm enjoying playing in this group of sketchy folks. What are some rules people like and don't like so far?

Having tried to play Warhammer 4th Edition (which I like well enough), it was very very finicky! I like how stripped down this is. No fiddly bits. My dice rolls don’t exact work well, trying to beat 20, but the theory of it is good!

I also like leaning into the Warhammer-ness. That specific, grimy ‘ay-up guvna’ness.

Yeah, I'm really curious to see more about those mechanics. Combat seems the easiest to reach for our characters, as we are cruisin' for a bruising as we speak. I like the +5 on offense only. Partly why Trusova wants to hit these guys back - this is a world where if you're only defending then you're just pretending! Let's slice open some throats.

Magic seems further away. Don't see Trusova going down that path but it'll be interesting to see how it works at the table. Hopefully we won't be exploring crits on the receiving end, but it should be interesting to see either way.

We need a win, Whiskeyjack!

Welcome back! No worries, take your time!

Sure, I'm into it. At the very least, it allows me to express myself in reaction gifs, and I find sometimes spontaneous conversations start easier there.

I'm all for a Discord channel!

I like how we haven't chatted here once since setting up the Discord. =]