Maxwell

Such Haukes, Such Hounds

Rayn Night: Let's see if I can explain this. Ki is really just a philosophy, and a way of training. High-level fighters in this setting are unquestionably superhuman, and it doesn't really matter whether you're Inigo Montoya or Kwai Chang Caine - once you reach the upper tiers of martial ability in this setting, either one could ram their naked fist through the skull of a regular human. Ki-users just evoke a more eastern style, with tai chi swords and nunchucks and meditation and acrobatics and what not; a fencer could use a comb or a toothpick about as well as a kung fu type could use his fists. A yoga master might be able to slow his heartbeat and hold his breath for three hours, but a ranger could do that too, if that's the type of character you're playing.

Once you surpass the limits of ordinary humans in this setting, all styles are basically equal - the difference exists so people can use any character archetype they prefer. So yes, basically what Acrolith is saying.

As for your suggested introduction, I don't actually get it. Keeping the king sane? What's that supposed to mean?

Acrolith: Looks pretty good, and has evaded the greatest concerns I had for applications to this game in general. It's actually nice to see someone not being afraid to take charge of some setting details. Just a few things:

The archipelago is pretty untamed, and there are monsters everywhere, not to mention non-human but still sentient races. Non-human combatants are very common. Fighting them unarmed, though, I'll grant you that's a different matter.

Finally, though I may not really be one to talk, your writing gets a little flowery now and again.

Such Haukes, Such Hounds

Lexicon: The Sixth. :P By tradition, he actually doesn't have a last name.

The rest of you I will answer later, when there's time and I've had my coffee.

Such Haukes, Such Hounds

Other than me just not seeing any theme, or any specialist skills or dedication that would lend itself to turning you into the sort of badass I'm looking for, I can't really have you related to the king in any way. With the kingdom in shambles, the nobility would support any claimant with a known blood relation to the king, just so they'd be able to mount a united defence without bickering about who gets to be in charge - and that means there's suddenly hope for the kingdom. That don't work.

I also feel that it lessens other characters if their backgrounds involve inhuman training, sacrifice and hardship, and your character became just as strong, sitting around in an ale house. I may be misinterpreting your post, of course, so please see this only as an example, and not as my final judgement or anything.

Such Haukes, Such Hounds

Lexicon: Altranor is the name of the kingdom, (and the capital city, and the king's castle), and it has existed for hundreds of years, at the very least. Chymistry is a thing (as mentioned under the martial and technology header, that's a collective term for alchemy and early chemistry. Actual English term) and magical potions can be a thing if you want them to be, otherwise it's mostly just superhumanly good medieval chemistry. Magical items (potions or otherwise) still require magic to make, though - spells and dead magical creatures.

What exactly you use isn't all that important, just remember not to make yourself any more powerful than anyone else. Also, don't be surprised if powerful characters are able to shake off poisons and such that would kill lesser men.

Such Haukes, Such Hounds

Hank: Firmly within acceptable limits, but it doesn't blow me away with excellence. ;P

Rayn Night: Sure, but a new king wouldn't really have any motivation to kill them, either.

Nemasaire: Yep, that's basically what I was hoping you'd write. Paste that into your personality section and you won't go far wrong. Just don't forget to describe your species somewhere.

For the record, I'm not particularly a fan of realism in fantasy. I just want the setting to be consistent and all my players to know what they want out of playing. That's something I never get in pen and paper. ///_.

Flagg: Love the concept, but that's a very short sheet.

Lexicon: Please shrink your image.

Such Haukes, Such Hounds

Rayn Knight: Not impossible, but:

1) Try not to step on the actual spellcasters' toes too much when creating your ki powers. It was very much intended to be an internal power that allows you to bend metal, hold your breath for hours, walk on water - basically, if you can imagine a rogue/barbarian/knight going 'meh, I can do that with sheer skill/toughness/willpower', you're right on the money. Try to avoid laser beams and such.

2) Why does your character care about the king dying, when the man held his entire people hostage?

Hank: No complaints.

Such Haukes, Such Hounds

Feel 100% free to write one now if you prefer. I'm going to paste them on the first page of the OOC anyway. Much more convenient than links, I think, so long as there are hiders.

Oh, and as to that talk about turning something into a dog, I just remembered I didn't address that. As it says up there, a wizard could theoretically do anything, but in reality their powers are very limited. Turning a human into a dog, for example, would involve describing all the internal workings and the exact appearance of a human, all the internal workings and exact appearance of a dog, as well as the process whereby one turns into the other. It's questionable whether all the magical terms involved are even known to all the wizards in the world, collectively, and there is certainly not a single wizard who could speak them all without stopping to draw breath. In fact, it would be a lot easier to turn a human into, say, gold, since that only involves a single kind of atom in the latter part of the spell. Still basically impossible, though.

Not that you need to be a chemist to play a wizard. A passing familiarity with high school science should be more than enough - just fill the blanks in with pulp. Just remember that the more complex and powerful a substance, reaction, item, etc is, the more words it takes to describe. A skilled enough wizard might be able to turn a human into what looks like a dog through a series of thousands of small changes, each sustainable (if unspeakably agonizing to live through) on its own, but if you cut that creature open, it probably wouldn't look like a dog on the inside. Kind of like that movie, Walrus, but with magic.

Such Haukes, Such Hounds

I would actually be fine with that, if it weren't for the fact that I think I've implied some moral ambiguity in this game. I don't think people came into this expecting that kind of game.

Heros of Alfanta

I didn't read all of it, but I get the impression that NewSun means that he doesn't retain his personality from before he became undead.

Still not a fan, however. I'll see how the thread proceeds.

Such Haukes, Such Hounds

All three of those work fine. The king appoints whomsoever he wishes, baby. Additionally, if the capital city (and surrounding towns, I suppose) need to be reasonably equal for your background to work, then they will be.

In general, the kingdom's policies will depend on which characters join the game. If you play high priestess of god X and bffs with the king, then god X is what the king will worship as well. Unless it's something unkingly, like a god of parliamentary democracies. That wouldn't work.