Initial Worldbuilding and Character Discussion

So. For everyone new to PBtA, and everyone new in general. Welcome. We are going to build a world together. Less so than in other games; as a GM I'm actually encouraged to just throw you all into a dangerous situation and come to the world side of things afterwards, but I'd like to get some prep going in.

The fun part of this, at least for me as a GM, is that I play mostly reactionary to your input. While I've laid out the initial groundwork for the region of the world in which the game's going to be set, the rest is up to you as players to come up with to add your own interesting hooks into.

So lets discuss the type of characters you want to play, but also discuss the kind of world you want to play in! If you don't want to throw your input on the world, that's fine. And build up on each other's ideas.

The Western Reach
The Western Reach is a very sparsely (well, by Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Halflings anyway) region of the kingdom, far from any real major cities. It contains a vast and hostile forest and an ever-smoking volcano. Since the earthquake, great caverns have been unearthed, ruins and dungeon complexes belonging to an unknown civilisation are ripe for the taking, and the hidden things within have stirred.

Questions: What monsters are native to this area? Have any farms been lost in the months since the earthquakes? Which fortresses are still maintained by the kingdom despite the wars in the east? What other signs of civilisations has the kingdom left behind here? Are any native tribes of humanoids here despite the dangers, and how do they feel about the kingdom's sudden attention? What do we call the volcano and forests, and what other unwelcoming terrain is in this region?

Camptown
Established by the prospector who found the first cache of artefacts and gold buried beneath the earth in this region, Camptown is right at the foot of the volcano and grows with every passing day as traders, adventurers, and other hangers on crowd in on the sudden adventuring fever that has struck.

Questions: Who was the prospector (now de-facto mayor and tavern owner)? What is the tavern's name? Who is in charge of the peace around here?

The Kingdom
Seemingly at war at all times with it's neighbours, the monarchy that nominally rules over the Western Reach is distant and uncaring. It is an old and multicultural empire, but seemingly detached from it's subjects. With every passing week, the glittering riches that beneath the caverns of the Reach tempt them into deploying forces there, but for now they hold back.

Questions: What is this empire's name? Who is it's current monarch? What are they at war over? What do they think of magic, and what is it's state religion or pantheon?

Characters
And now the bit I'm sure most people care about; who are you all? And what do you hope to find here? Fortunes? Fame? Redemption? Are you here on orders of the Kingdom? Are you chasing an answer to the voice in your head that called you here?

Q: What monsters are native to this area?
A: Dinosaurs!

Q: What other unwelcoming terrain is in this region?
A: Tar pits!

Q: Who are you? And what do you hope to find here? 
A: I am Tezoc, the Mighty! I was sired by a god I do not yet know. I seek glory and fame! And perhaps to finally meet my father.

I... was NOT expecting that but I have some horrifying ideas now for you.
Aztec themed Barbarian? Ni~~~ce. So. I presume you're not from around these parts. Or are these your people's native lands that the kingdom has claimed for themselves? How much like you are the rest of your kin?

There is a single-towered fort about 5 miles From Camptown "affectionately" known, at least locally, as Fort Wet Noodle (often just "The Noodle). It was originally a simple scouting outpost, placed to keep an eye out for any parties that might be crazy enough to cut through from the other side of the volcano. As Imperial resources continued to be reallocated, The Noodle was left without much to protect, and, thus much of a purpose at all. It became one of the least desirable assignments in all the Imperial military.

Of the roughly dozen soldiers stationed there at any given time, it's likely that three-quarters of them are being punished for failing in some duty, falling on the losing side of a political struggle, or "bumping into a servant causing her to upend a cask of red wine all over Duchess Arielle Constantia Duchovny de Vosskamp LaCroix, painting her brand new ball gown, ruining her debut, and indebting the corporal to the mistress for more than his yearly salary eight times over..." as a hypothetical example.

Now, "the Noodlers" find themselves with a renewed purpose. Those loyal to their superiors are now in a position to prove their worth and earn their way back into good graces, while those less interested in upholding their vows to the crown have many opportunities to line their pockets or increase their influence locally.

For centuries goblin tribes have roamed the wild lands just beyond the Western Reach. Recently, though, they've been seen much closer, well within the empire's borders. As of yet their motives remain unknown. What is known is that they seem to have found allies in some kind of sentient plant life.

One rumor that keeps floating around is that the goblins are eager to shed their reputation among the "civilized peoples" as barbaric and beastly, especially through trade of their vast knowledge of and industry with the dark brown sludge called "bilge paste," the same that is found in the newly formed tar pits surrounding many of the fractures created in the earthquake.

Of course, if the tribes were somehow unified, they could be planning a full scale invasion. Hard to say.

Q: What other signs of civilizations has the kingdom left behind here?
A: Great, circular stone structures as high as the sky. They were originally temples built to protect against evil. The earthquakes brought many of them down. The elders say this is a sign of the end of days.

Q: What is this empire's name? Who is it's current monarch? What are they at war over?
A: The Rydian Empire, currently ruled by Empress Jesmina Catalina Rosalind IV. The current war is over succession rights.

Q: Who are you? And what do you hope to find here?
A: I am Xadra, the Brave. Myself and my companion Beast (cougar) hope to test our mettle in the wilds here.

Yes to all the above. :D
I see we're going for exceptionally long names when it comes to Rydian nobility.

Q: Who was the prospector (now de-facto mayor and tavern owner)?
No one seems to know The Prospector's real name, and if you ask around about him, you'll get as many answers as there are people. Rumors abound about him being the empress bastard brother to him being the offspring of a demon and an angel. If confronted with any of these rumors, he'll just smile and shake his head. All anyone knows is that he'll pay handsomely for any Artifacts, though for what purpose he wants them is unknown.

Q: What is the tavern's name?
The Devil's Hall. The name only adds to the rumors about the Prospector.

Q: Who are you? And what do you hope to find here?
I am Lucas Gregorio Fernandez, envoy of the Empire. Having proven my fighting skills in the tournaments I have been tasked with exploring this area and set up a camp should they decide to send their forces.

So, I'm reading through the classes, and I'm wondering if y'all can help me figure out how to build a character concept.

My idea was to be a young soldier whose father is a high-ranking military officer with the Rydian army. The youngest of 9 boys, he always had a special place in his father's heart, and, as a result, his father always expected a lot from him. The son joined the military, but didn't excel. Even in adulthood he simply wasn't as big or strong as his brothers (or many of the other soldiers). Rather than spend time at the training grounds as was strongly encouraged, he poured himself into study, determined to find a way to compensate for his lack of physical prowess. The father's disappointment was doubled, then, when he learned that his son was physically unimpressive AND that he refused to work to get better. The father requested that his son be transferred to Fort Wet Noodle in hopes that he would be freed from distractions and spend the time training his body.

Mechanically, I want to make a melee combatant who augments his fighting with magic, for offense and especially defense. Here's what I've considered:

- Wizard: matches most with the flavor, but the 4HP is sort of a dealbreaker from the start, as it necessitates the wizard avoid close combat. The Arcane Ward advanced move, however, is emblematic of the kind of character flavor I'd love to implement.

- Cleric: I think cleric maybe matches most closely mechanically with what I'd like to create (I'm even cool with the idea of healing fellow combatants, as I think it fits this character's personality), but the flavor is all wrong. The idea is very much about this guy, through force of will, bending magic to aid him in combat. His goal is not just to prove himself, but to find a way to improve himself that can be replicated, so other soldiers might be able to do the same. He's not just trying to say, "I found a way around your system;" he's trying to say, "I found a better system."
- I suppose he could be serving a god without knowing it, but, if he ever found out, he'd be really disappointed.

- Paladin: Would also be acceptable mechanically, but has the same problem as the cleric in the the flavor is all about connection to a divinity and relying on diving authority. The paladin seems super focused on implementing the will of their god in the world, which is a bit harder to fold into this character concept.

- Bard, Druid, Immolator, & Thief seem to not apply. Barbarian, Fighter, Ranger are taken.

Any input or thoughts would be appreciated.

Your character sounds like an Arcane Duelist!!!

Excellent! :-D
I have no memory of being born or of growing up. For all I know I simply came to be. I have no native land nor kin that I can claim. But sometimes fragments of memory come to me. Could it be of my past? Possibly. Could it be that the ancient civilization recently unearthed is my own? Perhaps.

I say if wizard matches most with the flavor of what you're going for, do that. Damage isn't dealt in quite the same way as other systems.

Arcane Duellist or Wizard fit the bill very much so. I'd personally lean more into the duellist side of things of you're still a capable combatant despite your apparent physical weakness or into wizard if instead you've doubled down on magical studies since being stationed at The Noodle. Either way, it's a great character concept and we can make it work.

Great work so far everyone.

Good day all:

I am going with Florian the Bard. He specializes in stories of the hunt and glorious battles with creatures macabre. The stories of the unusual coming from the Western Reach was enough to turn his steps towards the setting sun, but the reports of great lizard beasts twice as tall as a man caused him to speed like the quicklings of legend!

A bard, a barbarian, a ranger and a fighter, and a magical combatant of some kind. Legends in the making.

Some questions from me as you all start thinking about and talking about your bonds...

Xadra
How did you find and train Beast? Since they're terrifying, what do you do about them when you're in civilised places? What are the rest of the elves like, and why are they avoiding the forests in the Reach? How did you make your living before coming to the Reach?

Tezoc The Resplendant
Have you spent much time amongst the weird Rydian folk in Camptown aside from these adventurers? What are the tenets of your God, and why are they going to prove a problem amongst these so called civilised folk?

Floran
Where did you study your art? Have you caught the attention of any of the town folk here? Who did you steal that hunting horn from and why was it a REALLY bad idea to do so? Do you have an interest in the act of hunting itself, or are you just there to tell the tales afterwards?

Lucas Gregorio Fernandez
Are you open about being here on Empire business, or have you been keeping that little fact to yourself? Are the Fernandez family a noble house, or are you here strictly on military assignment? How has your heirloom sword saved your life before? Who do you know at The Noodle?

???
Which other noble families have you caused some upset to in the past? Is magical study otherwise common amongst the noble set?

Where did you study your art?

On the road mostly. No fancy college for Florian. As a young man I ran off to join the circus, Flambeau's Calvalcade of Creatures, to be precise. It was a travelling sideshow specializing in exotic creatures and oddites from the four corners of the realms. I shovelled dung to begin with but Flambeau took me under his wing and taught me the way of the showman and a few magic tricks besides. Nothing like a good story to get the townies to part with their pennies.

Have you caught the attention of any of the town folk here?

Well, the crowd at the Devil's Hall is always happy to see me if it means a new tale or song. I think one of the barmaids, Samantha, is sweet on me. Or is sizing me up for something. Should be interesting either way. There's also Old Ironsides, that is to say Thorgrim Ironshield. The old dwarf keeps buying me drinks after the show asking what I know about wyverns and dragons and other scaly beasts. I think he's planning a hunt but won't come out and say so.

Who did you steal that hunting horn from and why was it a REALLY bad idea to do so?

I stole it from a church if you must know. If the stories are to be believed, and who I am to argue with a good story, the horn is the only known relic of Saint Gywdion, he who summoned the Wild Hunt and led them against skeleton army of the Arch-Lich Tamar. Such a horn deserved more than lying on a dusty plinth in a forgotten roadside chapel. Of course, there was all that business about the forces of darkness seeking the horn, but I'm sure that was just to frighten the punters.

Do you have an interest in the act of hunting itself, or are you just there to tell the tales afterwards?

Well, hunting is not Florian's first choice for entertainment but if you want to cozy up to the nobility, joining them at the hunt and proving yourself useful as well as entertaining is a sure way to go. Florian will share his knowledge and help track the beast in question, but when it is time for arrows to fly and blades to fall, Florian prefers to cheer from afar. However, Florian has acquired a taste for the spolis of the hunt, especially if an exotic meal is in the offing when the hunt is finished.

So many things to play with.
Alright. Everyone's got characters and some idea of who each other are. Get Bonds and any other details I've asked for or that you want to throw out and we can start in a traditional Dungeon World way... (running away from something that went horribly wrong!)

This is not my first adventure with Xadra. (Perhaps we met hunting the same beast one day?)

I sang stories of Maximilien long before I ever met them in person. (The story of Max and Markum has grown into a series of bawdy songs very popular outside of Markhony lands.)