Rise of the Black Baron [ EDIT ]
This game has been retired! That means it's no longer being run.
Basic idea: use the pulpy Savage Worlds SWADE system to run a Hammer-inspired horror adventure set in a remote mitteleuropean princedom. During the Napoleonic Wars, villagers in a remote settlement have been abandoned by the authorities. They must pull together to battle vampires, werewolves and other menaces. Characters would be Novice to suggest their initial inexperience, but the pulpy system will give them plenty of plot armour and opportunities for plucky daring-do.
Example concepts:
Ordinary resourceful villager— craftsman, farmer, shopkeeper
Hunter or poacher
Intrepid priest, monk or nun
Learned local teacher
Burly blacksmith giant!
Strange hermit
Crafty miller
Woodcutter, forester, hunter or other hearty outdoors type
Very minor aristocracy, from a local schloss or castle
Retired or wounded soldier
Etc.
Combat capable male characters would need a reason not to have been carted off to the Wars: too old, young, crazy, injured or crafty. Women, priests, elders, youths are exempt. The idea is that the village’s usual defenders have been sent elsewhere, giving the local spookies an opportunity to roam the night as in days of yore.
All characters would be German-speaking from an indeterminate alpine hamlet somewhere in Switzerland , Germany , Austria, etc.
Thinking campy pulp adventure rather than relentless grimdark. Punctuated with a few scary moments. Standard folk and pseudo folk beliefs would hold true about crucifixes, holy water, silver bullets, etc.
Weaponry includes cudgels, black powder pistols, swords, sabres. No Arcane Backgrounds.
This would be a one-off adventure with the option of continuation if it looks like real fun.
Posting could be daily or every other day depending on player preference, but no slower than that.
Example concepts:
Ordinary resourceful villager— craftsman, farmer, shopkeeper
Hunter or poacher
Intrepid priest, monk or nun
Learned local teacher
Burly blacksmith giant!
Strange hermit
Crafty miller
Woodcutter, forester, hunter or other hearty outdoors type
Very minor aristocracy, from a local schloss or castle
Retired or wounded soldier
Etc.
Combat capable male characters would need a reason not to have been carted off to the Wars: too old, young, crazy, injured or crafty. Women, priests, elders, youths are exempt. The idea is that the village’s usual defenders have been sent elsewhere, giving the local spookies an opportunity to roam the night as in days of yore.
All characters would be German-speaking from an indeterminate alpine hamlet somewhere in Switzerland , Germany , Austria, etc.
Thinking campy pulp adventure rather than relentless grimdark. Punctuated with a few scary moments. Standard folk and pseudo folk beliefs would hold true about crucifixes, holy water, silver bullets, etc.
Weaponry includes cudgels, black powder pistols, swords, sabres. No Arcane Backgrounds.
This would be a one-off adventure with the option of continuation if it looks like real fun.
Posting could be daily or every other day depending on player preference, but no slower than that.
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Characters start as Novice
—We’ll apply the Multiple Languages setting rule which gives characters SMA/2 languages. Everyone starts with Local German. Common languages will be High German, Italian, French, Latin, Greek, Hebrew.
— We’ll also use the Resources die rule, so that we do not need to keep track of money in detail. Most characters will be humble villagers starting with d4 as a Resources die. d6 for wealthier comfortable characters (with a trade or land), d8 for a minor aristo.
— Starting gear. Rather than buying equipment, assign your character the clothes and items they need to perform their trade. Those with a resource die of d6+ can own a farm or business and will have clothing, equipment and animals ( a good horse for example) that matches their resource die type. Poorer characters can start with a pistol but not a musket.
— Armour. Characters wearing stout clothes, an overcoat, etc can gain a +1 Toughness bonus.
EDGES
Devout (N). SPI d6. The character receives a +1 bonus to SPI rolls to resist fear, wield a crucifix or resist evil effects.
Learned (N) SMA d8. You roll +1 on most Common Knowledge rolls and may use Common Knowledge in place of Occult.
Prepared. (N) repair d6, SMA d6. The character carries an array of small items (tools, keys, trinkets) to deal with a variety of situations. The player can declare the character has any common mundane item (a candle, some rope, a whistle) in their possession even if it is not listed in their equipment. For a Benny, something more obscure (a particular coin, silver bullet, an appropriate key) can be declared at the GM’s discretion.
Sense evil. (N). SPI d8. The character can use notice rolls to detect strong motives or alignment in others.
Silver bullet (N). The character possesses an heirloom dagger, bullet or other ancient implement which does additional damage (one additional shift) to supernatural creatures. If lost/ destroyed / expended the item can be recast between adventures.
Night vision. (N). Notice d8. The creature can see in all but pitch darkness.
Luck of the Devil (N). Once per adventure, the number of wounds removed by a soak roll is increased by one.
Animal Empathy (N). SPI d6, survival d4. The character can use persuade to calm or even win over animals including — as difficult or very difficult rolls— wild creatures.
HINDRANCES
Sympathy for the Devil (Major). At some level, the character pities the plight of the monstrous and undead. They must make a SPI roll to deliver a killing blow to a significant (wild card) enemy.
Craven (Minor, Major) The character rolls courage rolls based on SPI at -1, or -2 if Major.
Sneak Thief (Minor, Major). If you encounter valuables while unobserved ( or able to filch them easily) you struggle to resist taking them for yourself. As a major hindrance , you will do so even when might this be detrimental to your party or in conflict with your usual ethics.
—We’ll apply the Multiple Languages setting rule which gives characters SMA/2 languages. Everyone starts with Local German. Common languages will be High German, Italian, French, Latin, Greek, Hebrew.
— We’ll also use the Resources die rule, so that we do not need to keep track of money in detail. Most characters will be humble villagers starting with d4 as a Resources die. d6 for wealthier comfortable characters (with a trade or land), d8 for a minor aristo.
— Starting gear. Rather than buying equipment, assign your character the clothes and items they need to perform their trade. Those with a resource die of d6+ can own a farm or business and will have clothing, equipment and animals ( a good horse for example) that matches their resource die type. Poorer characters can start with a pistol but not a musket.
— Armour. Characters wearing stout clothes, an overcoat, etc can gain a +1 Toughness bonus.
EDGES
Devout (N). SPI d6. The character receives a +1 bonus to SPI rolls to resist fear, wield a crucifix or resist evil effects.
Learned (N) SMA d8. You roll +1 on most Common Knowledge rolls and may use Common Knowledge in place of Occult.
Prepared. (N) repair d6, SMA d6. The character carries an array of small items (tools, keys, trinkets) to deal with a variety of situations. The player can declare the character has any common mundane item (a candle, some rope, a whistle) in their possession even if it is not listed in their equipment. For a Benny, something more obscure (a particular coin, silver bullet, an appropriate key) can be declared at the GM’s discretion.
Sense evil. (N). SPI d8. The character can use notice rolls to detect strong motives or alignment in others.
Silver bullet (N). The character possesses an heirloom dagger, bullet or other ancient implement which does additional damage (one additional shift) to supernatural creatures. If lost/ destroyed / expended the item can be recast between adventures.
Night vision. (N). Notice d8. The creature can see in all but pitch darkness.
Luck of the Devil (N). Once per adventure, the number of wounds removed by a soak roll is increased by one.
Animal Empathy (N). SPI d6, survival d4. The character can use persuade to calm or even win over animals including — as difficult or very difficult rolls— wild creatures.
HINDRANCES
Sympathy for the Devil (Major). At some level, the character pities the plight of the monstrous and undead. They must make a SPI roll to deliver a killing blow to a significant (wild card) enemy.
Craven (Minor, Major) The character rolls courage rolls based on SPI at -1, or -2 if Major.
Sneak Thief (Minor, Major). If you encounter valuables while unobserved ( or able to filch them easily) you struggle to resist taking them for yourself. As a major hindrance , you will do so even when might this be detrimental to your party or in conflict with your usual ethics.
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