ReedeThe23rd

The Curse of Strahd Von Zarovich

@SmikeBy all means, go right ahead.

The Curse of Strahd Von Zarovich

@webboysurfEssentially something of a mix between a generic class feature and an ability/spellpower distinct to the character, abilities that wouldn't be considered "common knowledge" but also wouldn't necessarily all be unique to that specific individual. The big thing to remember is that they're certainly not a complete list of what your character is capable of, just their "Ole Reliable" abilities, skills, and powers What you have down so far is good starting point for a WIP

@ZAVAZgggDefinitely an interesting sheet for sure. I'm going to accept him, but given the source of his powers, coupled with the malign nature of Barovia, don't be surprised if his abilities don't always have the results he expects...

@LadyAnnaLeeBy all means go ahead, I'm always more than eager to accommodate potential players to help them figure things out.

The Curse of Strahd Von Zarovich - A statless take on a D&D classic(NO D&D Experience required!)

@Smike@LadyAnnaLee@Dead Cruiser@ZAVAZggg@Fetzen@webboysurf@TyrannosaursRex The OOC is up and ready for all comers, come check it out now!

The Curse of Strahd Von Zarovich

The Curse of Strahd Von Zarovich

Locked deep within a sea of howling winds and choking mists lies the small country of Barovia, a valley land kept isolated from the world by its ruling lord, Count Strahd Von Zarovich. The gods have seemingly abandoned the land, and foul beasts of the night ambush the few travelers continuing to make the dangerous trek between villages. Even the Burghermeisters, relegated with the task of delivering the taxes they owe their lord, travel in heavily-defended caravans and only stop for the direst of emergencies. Rumors of the Count's affiliation with vile evils and dark magicks have led to his nickname among the populace as 'The Devil Strahd'.

In truth, Count Strahd Von Zarovich holds powers more horrifying than even the most daring of Barovian citizens could imagine, but even darker goals driven by a vile past. Using powers gifted to him by a contract with malefic benefactors, the Count twists and manipulates the very fabric of his land, drawing in outsiders from walks of life unknown to the inhabitants of his valley domain, for reasons unknown to all but the lord himself...

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General Rules and Expectations:
1. All standard forum rules, regulations, etc. apply.
2. While this is a Dungeons and Dragons setting and adventure, we won't be using the D&D gameplay, so characters won't be confined to the usual character classes and abilities found within the game's assorted editions. However, I still expect PCs to maintain a semblance of balance within their abilities, so if you have any questions at all about a specific spell, power, or whatever else you want to write within the sheet or an IC post, please ask.
3. Characters are not natives to the land of Barovia, but from a nondescript medieval fantasy setting beyond the veil of Strahd's powers. As such, character backstories will likely be the lightest part of the sheet as I'm not expecting any sort of constricting ties to a distinct D&D setting or world, with the hope that personalities and their skills and abilities will drive the group/adventure dynamic.
4. All the other usual standards of no godmodding, listen to the GM, and all that special stuff apply. If you have to ask if something breaks rule 4, there's a good chance the thing does.

Character Creation Info:
Dungeons and Dragons generally uses distinct character races, alignments and classes to define player characters, but for the purposes of this RP I'll be trying to trim that down, but without neglecting key elements of the D&D lore dynamics reliant on these definitions.

Races: There are three 'tiers' of races, ones that are considered "common" in most settings, ones considered "uncommon" in most settings and thus more open to scrutiny and will likely be cut off if too many get posted, and ones that will be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
Common Races: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling
Uncommon Races: Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Gnome, Tiefling, Dragonborn
The case-by-case races can be found here.

Alignments: Traditional D&D alignments tend to be a source of contention for a number of reasons, but are also intrinsically-linked to the metaphysical and cosmological nature of the settings, so are still important in a sense. To avoid tying a character down to the traditional alignment system, I'll be posting the traditional alignment groupings, with you indicating which one from the Good-Neutral-Evil and one from the Law-Neutral-Chaos axes your character favors as of the start of the RP, and which is their major and minor focus. It is not a set-in-stone definition of the character's moral standing, but essentially a summary of their personality on a cosmic scale at the start of the RP, and is very much subject to change based on their actions. Barovia is not a kind place to those pure of heart, after all...

The Alignment Groupings:
Good
Law Neutral Chaos
Evil

Classes: To avoid locking a character down to a specific class tradition, I've decided to break the core class archetypes into four distinct attributes, of which characters will choose a major and minor focus, building a distinct skill set.

Arcane Spellcaster - Those who garner their magic from worldly sources such as study, birthright, or a binding to a non-divine entity.
Divine Spellcaster - Those who gain their magic from holy or unholy sources such as the gods or universal forces of nature and spirituality.
Frontline Combatant - Those who prefer to fight in combat head-on, tactics generally consisting of "hit them with whatever you got and hit them hard."
Skirmish Combatant - Those who favor scheming and tactical maneuvers in combat, weaving around the foe in various means.

Character Sheet Format

[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b]

[b]Appearance:[/b]

[b]Favored Alignment Major and Minor Focuses:[/b](e.g. Major Focus - Law, Minor Focus - Good)

[b]Favored Class Archetype Major and Minor Focuses:[/b]

[b]Equipment:[/b] Weapons, armor, general adventuring supplies and gear

[b]Signature Techniques:[/b] Jot down basic descriptions of up to five special abilities or techniques you want your character to have, based on their archetype focuses.

[b]History:[/b] No need to be too elaborate, essentially something to explain their alignment and class favoritisms, personality, and overall outlook on life.

If you folks have any and all questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

The Curse of Strahd Von Zarovich - A statless take on a D&D classic(NO D&D Experience required!)

@LadyAnnaLeeI'll be putting together an actual OOC thread pretty soon that will have all of that detailed within, and I'll be sure to tag everyone who's expressed interest so far so they can at least check it out and see if they're still on board.

The Curse of Strahd Von Zarovich - A statless take on a D&D classic(NO D&D Experience required!)

@ZAVAZgggI plan to have a compiled list of Guaranteed ones, and am willing to listen to requests for others, but for starters, Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, Gnomes, Half-Elves, and Half-Orcs will be a for-sure inclusion, with Tieflings and Dragonborn being tenuous at the moment.

EDIT: To clarify, PCs will be non-natives.

The Curse of Strahd Von Zarovich - A statless take on a D&D classic(NO D&D Experience required!)

@LadyAnnaLeeI'm not planning on any defined posting regimen or order, so if you do join that shouldn't be an issue.

The Curse of Strahd Von Zarovich - A statless take on a D&D classic(NO D&D Experience required!)

The Curse of Strahd Von Zarovich

Locked deep within a sea of howling winds and choking mists lies the small country of Barovia, a valley land kept isolated from the world by its ruling lord, Count Strahd Von Zarovich. A cruel and distant ruler, the Count is often referred to as "the devil Strahd" by the inhabitants from the valley, as they believe he commands the dark horrors tormenting them, casting terror and doom from his clifftop home of Castle Ravenloft.

Unbeknownst to the inhabitants of the Barovia Valley, Strahd Von Zarovich posesses both unearthly powers and forbidden desires, and he will stop at nothing to obtain the wishes of his dark heart, bending the very fabric of his domain to suit his whims. It is this devilish behavior that finds strangers such as yourself captured by the mists seemingly at random, only to be deposited into the foreboding landscape of the Barovia Valley.

---

Welcome anyone and everyone, to The Curse of Strahd Von Zarovich! This is a more refined and better-presented attempt of a recent interest check of mine, and hopefully the more flashy and clarifying nature of the title and opening post can catch some more attention.

For those unfamiliar with the environment of this story: the land of Barovia and its ruler Strahd Von Zarovich come from an original Dungeons and Dragons adventure module based on gothic horror trappings of tales such as Dracula or Frankenstein, blending them with the fantasy elements of Dungeons and Dragons.

The idea with this RP is that I'm taking a classic Dungeons and Dragons adventure module found in every edition, and converting it into a traditional narrative-first RP, taking away the reliance of D&D on stats, dice rolls and character classes and shifting the focus more onto the collaborative writing nature we all know and love.

As such, characters won't be bound to the strictly-defined abilities of a D&D class but will instead come with the general expectations of self-constricted balance and proper etiquette we're all used to here on the Guild, though the standard fantasy fare of D&D races is to remain the norm. As such, absolutely NO knowledge of D&D, Ravenloft, Strahd Von Zarovich, or tabletop roleplaying games is required!

However, that isn't to say elements from the tabletop RPG depictions of the Ravenloft adventure won't be prevalent. The original adventure incorporated elements of randomization in plot details designed for replayabilitiy, and this will be present within the RP as well to ensure that even veterans of the original versions can find some fun here. Likewise, the nature of Barovia is one such that spellcasters are rare and non-humans are utterly non-native to the land, so the already-wary inhabitants of Barovia will be more than a bit perturbed by possible characters. I, as the GM of this RP, will also not be controlling a single static character alongside the players for this journey, and will instead take a role similar to that of the Dungeon Master found in D&D sessions proper, solely directing the NPCs, monsters, and environments, and describing and explaining their reactions to the PCs: their actions, their behaviors, and their words.

My ultimate goal with this RP is to present a story I deeply enjoy to people who may have little to no knowledge or interest in the gameplay and mechanics of D&D, or simply don't want to devote the time and energy to a proper campaign. My hope is that by running the narrative as a traditional story-first RP, I can make it more accessible to others in the long run.

I'm also not calling for too many players, and can run this with as little as one Player Character if needed, so if anyone out there is even vaguely interested, let me know! And as always, I'm willing to answer any and all questions.

Bayonets, Brimstone, and Bullets - A Napoleonic Inspired NRP

4/21/2020 Update: Did some revamping and added more elements, still a WIP barring word of the DM.

The Sovereign Order of Bannerets

Name of Nation: The Sovereign Order of Bannerets

Territorial Claims: Assorted Garrison-Monasteries established within willing nation-states.

Species: Slight Human majority throughout, Volyudki form the Grenadiers' chief majority, but representation of any known species can easily be found.

Population (total and by species): Approx. 500,000 total, no clear percentage breakdown beyond slight human majority.

Culture and Society: A sovereign military order founded on monastic traditions and beliefs that "True Honor and Skill Comes from Blind Warfare." That one can only truly prove their martial prowess and military acumen by fighting anywhere and everywhere, without care for political disputes or international bickering. As such, they operate as a unified independent diplomatic and military entity, leasing military forces to governments and private individuals in exchange for the right to establish Garrison-Monasteries and acquire necessary supplies, trade goods, financial subsidies, and useful services. Only those wholly dedicated to this cause are admitted, to ensure true transparency between the Order and their contractors and the sovereignty and survival of the Order.

History: The Order's history stretches back several hundred years, to more feudalistic times when national militaries were far more disjointed and decentralized, and protection for civilian travelers was almost nonexistent. The Order of the Bannerets began as an affiliation of independent knights and men-at-arms, who owed allegiance to no lord or ruler, and sought honor in battle and protecting others.

These warriors would band together under the ideals of perfecting martial tradition, while fighting for anyone and everyone who could afford their services. The Order's early history was as a coalition of loosely-aligned equestrian houses and traveler's posts, connected more by a shared code of honor and heraldry than by any bureaucratic structure or chain of command.

However, as the world grew and advanced, and ruling powers became more able to afford standing armies, the role of the Order had to change. They quickly reformed into a highly regimented, disciplined organization, centralized and on the cutting edge of advancements.

No longer was the Order of the Bannerets' existence defined as a band of lordless knights and soldiers, instead they became strictly defined by their founding philosophy, the Code of Blind Warfare, and a strict regimen resembling a blend of military command and training, and ascetic and monastic lifestyles.

Striking deals with various national bodies great and small, the Order of the Bannerets began to found "Garrison-Monasteries", all-inclusive compounds within which their soldier-monks lived every waking moment not spent in service to a contracted power.

Economy: The Order's economy is utterly linked to their contractual payments and obligations. Their leasing of forces finance their needs for supplies, goods, services, and payment for their Garrison Monasteries and their troops. This is both a blessing and a curse, as it allows them greater flexibility in income sources, but also puts them at risk of suffering a serious blow in the event of a major source of income being destroyed or cancelling their agreements.

Army: The Order's military structure resembles a blend of a highly disciplined modern army, and ancient monastic and ascetic traditions recognizable the world over. Their recruits are drilled in the arts of both military conflict and in acting as guards and escorts for individuals and locales of great importance, but are also disciplined into eschewing much of the trappings of wider life, recreation coming in the form of distinct festive celebrations and individual hobbies and interests. In terms of formalized unit composition, there are four distinct deployments offered to contractors.

The Banneret Guard: Small retinues and individuals whose training and drills prioritize escort and guard duties, whether those be in service of an individual, a location, an organization, or a patrol route. These men and women are no mere garrison force, however, and have devoted their lives to ensuring the safety and protection of their charges to their last breath, with outsider speculation suggesting they train in the very actions they seek to thwart. Only the most disciplined and well-performing of the Order's troops are permitted into the ranks of the Banneret Guard.

The Banneret Skirmishers: These forces make up the bread and butter of the Order's military deployments. Drilled to act a vanguard force, these units chiefly deploy in skirmish line formations, acting as light infantry and harassing forces, and opening up ground for the main attack from their contractor's forces, or possibly other Banneret units. These units are generally favored by contractors who don't wish to deploy their own forces in such roles, or seek quality auxiliary screens to their main forces.

The Banneret Grenadiers: First and foremost assault units, these are the best infantry fighters the Banneret has to offer. Their drills and training condition them for the harsh conditions of close-quarters fighting and violent siege assaults. More candidates for the Banneret Guard are drawn from these units than any others, and this plus their dangerous combat role makes them the most expensive units to lease from the Order.

The Banneret Dragoons: A holdover from the equestrian and knightly heritage of the Order, these units operate as mounted infantry, using their steeds as rapid transport before deploying into skirmish line formations to engage the enemy. Given their very specialized deployment style, they're generally leased to those who hope for a quick campaign or coordinated strike against a weak foe, and thus need quickly-deployed forces at their beck and call.

Navy: The Order's naval capabilities are solely based on what contract arrangements can be formulated and organized, meaning it is directly linked to their buying and negotiating power. It is not uncommon for contracts to stipulate that the leasing nation or entity must provide transportation for the forces they lease to the location they're needed. The Order's forces are also not suitably trained and outfitted for serving as Marine Infantry, and thus contracts requesting such are generally overturned.

Traits:

Lines of Communication: The Bannerets have devised a means of communication between their Garrison-Monasteries that allows messages to be sent via a mix of electronic wiring and light-based optical signals which are then transcribed into text by a typing device upon arrival. Referred to as "Transwire Mail", this system is currently kept close to heart by the Bannerets, as it allows communication to travel across the continent far faster than by courier.

Without Nation or Ideology: The Sovereign Order of Bannerets believe that real battle can only come from being willing to fight for anyone or any cause, and so they offer their services as career soldiers to such. The entire organization's design is built around this, with all members being capable field troops beyond their daily duties to the order. The only requirements for joining are a willing mind and a capable body. Members are welcome from any nation, race, gender, or religion, and individuals from across the known world can be found within their ranks.

The War Economy: Although the Bannerets can and do offer their services as guards and escorts for individuals and private businesses, their lifestyle comes from warfare, and it is easily what they rely on. War, both the threat of it and the active fighting of it, keeps the Order alive, and without it, they would quickly need to restructure or disband.

The Army Without Borders: The Garrison-Monasteries that serve as the homes and encampments of the Bannerets are both a blessing and a curse. Their existence as independent land makes establishing contracts across the known world in multiple locations at a time a cinch, but it also means they have no unified core territory to return to in the event of disaster or tragic loss. Contracts negotiated by the Bannerets often specify that if the home Garrison-Monastery of the contracting units falls under risk of danger, the units will withdraw to defend it, even if it means a breach of contract.

Ignoble Warfare: While the history and namesake of the Bannerets are intertwined within the historical cultures of nobility, knighthood, and equestrianism, there are members within the Order's higher command structures who feel that the darker side of warfare is just as important as the side fought upon the field of battle. Rumors abound beyond the walls of the Garrison-Monasteries that the Banneret Guard, elite troops trained to act as bodyguards and personal honor escorts, are trained in the arts of spycraft, assassinations, and kidnappings in order to understand exactly how to prevent such techniques. These rumors claim that those in training are contracted out illicitly in order to fulfill these tasks in real situations to test the full resolve of the members.

Foreign Relations: The Yuukoman Principality - The Order's headquarters is located within the capital city of of Yuukoma, and the nation's histories are interlinked, with the Bannerets' history protecting those unable to fend for themselves linked to the Yuukoman Uprisings

Rolls:

(Swapped Tech of 1 with Magic Dev. of 20)
Land Area: 1
Land Fertility: 12-2=10
Social Development: 18
Technological Development: 20-2=19
Land Power: 17+1=18
Naval Power: 5
Economy: 16-1=15
Magical Reserves: 1+9=10
Magical Sophistication: 15-5=10

Capabilities: TBD

Societal Development: The Order's internal power and social structure will likely shift away from the current mindset linked to monastic philosophy and noble heritage, and begin to resemble more of a traditional military mindset, but still linked to the idea of service to warfare without nation or ideology.

Technological Development: The Order's current specializations in skirmish and assault troops, as well as escort and guard duties, will likely lead to technological developments benefiting asymmetrical and unconventional warfare, while their developments off the battlefield will likely focus on reducing the issues of long-distance transportation and communication.

Economy: The Order will likely to begin selling their technological advancements as an extra means of cashflow, and should their current level of membership and Garrison-Monasteries become unsustainable, downsizing and consolidating to a new central location will likely be a must.

Land Power: The Bannerets will likely continue to service their contractors as skirmish and asymmetrical warfare specialists, devising new and unique tactics and strategies to remain at the forefront of this side of the battlefield, while the faction who seek to endeavor into the darker side of conflicts will likely to expand their offers of international espionage.

Naval Power: The Order's lack of naval focus will likely continue, as they seek out other means of circumventing this issue in an effort to emphasize their focus as primarily supplemental army units.

Arcane Sophistication/Religious Strength: The Order's irreverence towards a universal religion or usage of magic will continue as normal, with such topics still being left to the discretion of individual members.

Other: Uniform Mockups and unit descriptions

Warhammer 40k: It's A Wonderful Life! An Imperial Guard (40K) RP

As Mordecai stood in formation with the rest of C Company, the foreboding sense of dread carved a pit in his stomach large enough to rival the old Eye of Terror. The full brunt of bad news had hit him just before he'd bunked for the night the day before, and even now it still had him spinning head over heels. He'd been the only one transferred out of his home artillery regiment, and he'd been folded as one of many into a freshly minted combined infantry regiment, specifically into the command squad of C Company.

C Company were evidently the lucky ones selected to get the shaft when it came to new gear issues, as when he'd arrived at the Munitorum attache for the regiment, he'd been told that his assignment to C Company meant his selection of replacement gear was limited at best, and that only by virtue of being appointed a member of the command squad would he have much of a selection at all.

Though a mix of this knowlege, some 'off-the-record' bartering, and sheer blind luck, Mordecai had managed to both replenish his assorted toiletries and utility supplies, but also secure some more appropriate combat gear that hopefully wouldn't leave him sticking out as much in the eys of his new footslogging comrades.

He had succeeded in replacing his disheveled tanker's uniform with a fresh set of Cadian-issue infantry fatigues, though for proper armor he was still confined to the light flak gear from his tanker days now recolored to the appropriate patterns, and had gotten his hands on a flakweave field cap matching the new uniform's color scheme as well, given proper helmets were something of a hot commodity at the moment. He'd also succeeded in exchanging the cut-down Cadian M36 Kantrael Pattern lasgun standard of his old regiment in favor of the similar Cadian MG Kantrael "Short" Pattern lasgun, which was light enough for him to tolerate holding regularly without giving up too many of the benefits of a full-size lasgun, or at least that's what Mordecai hoped.

With this new-ish look, Mordecai seemed a fair bit less conspicuous, though anyone with eyes could still tell he was a fair cry from your average infantryman. After the parade formation and regimental display ceremony, Mordecai worked to give a wide berth to anyone who didn't similarly stick out as being underequipped, figuring that C Company were as likely to be treated by their contemporaries as well as they had been by the munitorum shipments.