Post by VemuKhaham on Apr 13, 2007 19:43:09 GMT -5
I am now officially declaring my wish to run a game and calling for all interested players to join this campaign. Read on if you want to know more:
Buon giorno, signore/a!
Listen to me, please, and hear what I have to tell you. I know much that you must learn.
For I have lived to see the rise and fall of many great men: brave generals, cunning politicians, truly divine artists and merchants wealthy beyond believe. I have traveled throughout my humble life to all the great centers of European civilization, from ancient Rome to mighty Paris; I saw it all. I was, as they called me, a universal man, learned in the sciences, the arts and the Word of God. I myself have known great wealth, fame and prestige. I was born an illegitimate son on the Tuscan countryside; I died in the arms of the king of France.
But I live on. Immortalized has been my spirit in the smile of the Mona Lisa, the representation of the Last Supper, the minds and memories of those who admire me. While I laid dying in the arms of King Francis I, he asked me which of my works I thought were the most splendid and would have the most influence even after I die. I hesitated not an instant.
Already, I said to him, bridges are being built spanning entire river valleys inspired by my drawings; engines of war are being made and tested after my creations; I have given men the ability to chase the birds through the skies. I told him that for better or for worse, those creations would be my greatest gift to humanity.
And now, I have been dead for over eight years. I look back upon the world I left behind from the Heavens above and see new events being triggered and adventures unfolding. These adventures will not be mine to partake in, but those involved in them shall have to cope with the consequences of my own adventure. I sit back and watch, curious as always…
Brief description of campaign and setting:
Setting:
Rinascimento (Italian for 'Renaissance') will be a campaign running in, of course, Renaissance Earth, starting in Italy but with possibilities to go anywhere. For those of you unfamiliar with this period, don't be discouraged, as I will provide any information I can, and since we're playing a game, there is no need to get upset about possible historical inaccuracies.
However, in short, the Renaissance is the period marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modern times, which began in Italy and from there spread further throughout Europe. The Renaissance is known, among other things, for the great artistic and literary achievements by people like Machiavelli (the father of political science and intrigue), Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci.
Especially the latter will play a key role in this setting's history; Leonardo was known for his inventive ideas. He made sketches of flying machines, tanks, and way more. Such ideas were, in reality, not put to practice however until the twentieth century. That is where this campaign setting differs from that of real Earth's history though: the inventions of Da Vinci and many other great thinkers and creative artists of the Renaissance have all been made real! Thus, one may see great airships float or one-person aircrafts fly over the streets of Rome, battlefields dominated by the most intricate and devastating war machines, and much more which will have to be discovered during the gameplay itself. Machinery however is not yet very commonplace: it is still obscure, only obtainable by the rich and wealthy Renaissance merchants and nobles who are able to obtain the services of one of the great artists and inventors that roam the land and spread their clever devices.
(Thanks to Arclite for much of this setting idea)
Campaign:
The campaign itself will begin in the center of Renaissance culture: Rome; 8:30am, may 6, 1527. The city gates have been sealed, and you are inside. Beyond the walls is a Spanish-German army 25.000 men strong under the banners of the Holy Roman Empire ready to assault the city defenses. There is no way out. The Roman militia and the Swiss Guard are terribly outnumbered. However, Pope Clement VII, leader of Rome and the Papal States, does not wish to surrender. People are terrified; rumor has it that the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V has not paid his men in weeks, and now they are standing at the gates of Rome, beholding its great wealth, and demanding some form of compensation. Their commander, Duke Charles III, seems hardly in control...
Indeed, all seems lost. Regardless of whether you are a Roman citizen or simply have been unfortunate enough to visit the city that day, you prepare for the worst. As always in such situations, people pray to God, but in Renaissance Rome, there are other divinities. The city's, and indeed the world's, greatest artists are called upon by the Pope to come to his new and splendid residence, the Saint Peter. Will heroes like Michelangelo be able to save the day with their enormous creativity and cleverness? Is there yet hope?
Character creation:
Now there are many possibilities for making your PC's. They might be simple citizens or visitors of the city, trying to survive. Or they might be artists and inventors and accompany Michelangelo to the Pope and hear what he wishes. Or they could be the actual warriors, either of the attacking Spanish and German forces or of the defending Roman militia or even Swiss Guards, who have sworn an oath to defend the Pope. Or something else entirely.
Whatever you play, those who are joining this game will get to create their own characters with backgrounds freely, with the only restriction that indeed they are present in Rome or just outside its gates as an attacking soldier at the start of the campaign. If you have a possible character idea but require more setting information to create it, PM me and I will try to provide (For instance, if your character was born in Spain and you need information for making your background). I will create a large part of the storyline based on your character's background, occupation, etc. and in order to achieve this, I am willing to lead individual character quests should the need arise to go beyond normal party-structure.
However, to provide for this possibility, I won't take more than four players for now. Expanding is always possible, cutting out players isn't really my style.
As for which rules are to be used: since I wish to make this a game aiming for realism yet keeping things simple, I will use the standard D&D3.5 rules. However, players will not gain experience and levels in the usual way: I will provide them at certain stages in the game the opportunity to learn/choose specific things/abilities based on what they have been doing. There are no racial traits. Each PC starts with 2 feats. Furthermore, we will not use the standard classes, but instead PC's are to be 1st level 25point-buy characters with the commoner, aristocrat, warrior or expert class, (no adepts, as there is no magic) which are found in the DMG as NPC classes, or here. Renaissance equipment such as firearms can also be found in the DMG, p. 144-145.
To create for a little bit of heroic opportunities, I will implement the following rule: once every day, a PC has a total of 10 morale bonus points to add on any next d20 roll, called a Hero Roll. This can be a saving throw, an ability or a skill check, but not an attack roll. The 10 bonus points can be divided between multiple die rolls. Unused bonus points can't be saved for a later day.
So if you wish to join, just let me know in this thread and I will include you on the list on the "first come, first serve" principle:
Player List:
#1: Toptomcat
#2: Rojito
#3: Arclite
#4: TheUdjat
Introduction to ‘Rinascimento’
[/u][/center]Buon giorno, signore/a!
Listen to me, please, and hear what I have to tell you. I know much that you must learn.
For I have lived to see the rise and fall of many great men: brave generals, cunning politicians, truly divine artists and merchants wealthy beyond believe. I have traveled throughout my humble life to all the great centers of European civilization, from ancient Rome to mighty Paris; I saw it all. I was, as they called me, a universal man, learned in the sciences, the arts and the Word of God. I myself have known great wealth, fame and prestige. I was born an illegitimate son on the Tuscan countryside; I died in the arms of the king of France.
But I live on. Immortalized has been my spirit in the smile of the Mona Lisa, the representation of the Last Supper, the minds and memories of those who admire me. While I laid dying in the arms of King Francis I, he asked me which of my works I thought were the most splendid and would have the most influence even after I die. I hesitated not an instant.
Already, I said to him, bridges are being built spanning entire river valleys inspired by my drawings; engines of war are being made and tested after my creations; I have given men the ability to chase the birds through the skies. I told him that for better or for worse, those creations would be my greatest gift to humanity.
And now, I have been dead for over eight years. I look back upon the world I left behind from the Heavens above and see new events being triggered and adventures unfolding. These adventures will not be mine to partake in, but those involved in them shall have to cope with the consequences of my own adventure. I sit back and watch, curious as always…
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)
[/right]Brief description of campaign and setting:
Setting:
Rinascimento (Italian for 'Renaissance') will be a campaign running in, of course, Renaissance Earth, starting in Italy but with possibilities to go anywhere. For those of you unfamiliar with this period, don't be discouraged, as I will provide any information I can, and since we're playing a game, there is no need to get upset about possible historical inaccuracies.
However, in short, the Renaissance is the period marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modern times, which began in Italy and from there spread further throughout Europe. The Renaissance is known, among other things, for the great artistic and literary achievements by people like Machiavelli (the father of political science and intrigue), Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci.
Especially the latter will play a key role in this setting's history; Leonardo was known for his inventive ideas. He made sketches of flying machines, tanks, and way more. Such ideas were, in reality, not put to practice however until the twentieth century. That is where this campaign setting differs from that of real Earth's history though: the inventions of Da Vinci and many other great thinkers and creative artists of the Renaissance have all been made real! Thus, one may see great airships float or one-person aircrafts fly over the streets of Rome, battlefields dominated by the most intricate and devastating war machines, and much more which will have to be discovered during the gameplay itself. Machinery however is not yet very commonplace: it is still obscure, only obtainable by the rich and wealthy Renaissance merchants and nobles who are able to obtain the services of one of the great artists and inventors that roam the land and spread their clever devices.
(Thanks to Arclite for much of this setting idea)
Campaign:
The campaign itself will begin in the center of Renaissance culture: Rome; 8:30am, may 6, 1527. The city gates have been sealed, and you are inside. Beyond the walls is a Spanish-German army 25.000 men strong under the banners of the Holy Roman Empire ready to assault the city defenses. There is no way out. The Roman militia and the Swiss Guard are terribly outnumbered. However, Pope Clement VII, leader of Rome and the Papal States, does not wish to surrender. People are terrified; rumor has it that the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V has not paid his men in weeks, and now they are standing at the gates of Rome, beholding its great wealth, and demanding some form of compensation. Their commander, Duke Charles III, seems hardly in control...
Indeed, all seems lost. Regardless of whether you are a Roman citizen or simply have been unfortunate enough to visit the city that day, you prepare for the worst. As always in such situations, people pray to God, but in Renaissance Rome, there are other divinities. The city's, and indeed the world's, greatest artists are called upon by the Pope to come to his new and splendid residence, the Saint Peter. Will heroes like Michelangelo be able to save the day with their enormous creativity and cleverness? Is there yet hope?
Character creation:
Now there are many possibilities for making your PC's. They might be simple citizens or visitors of the city, trying to survive. Or they might be artists and inventors and accompany Michelangelo to the Pope and hear what he wishes. Or they could be the actual warriors, either of the attacking Spanish and German forces or of the defending Roman militia or even Swiss Guards, who have sworn an oath to defend the Pope. Or something else entirely.
Whatever you play, those who are joining this game will get to create their own characters with backgrounds freely, with the only restriction that indeed they are present in Rome or just outside its gates as an attacking soldier at the start of the campaign. If you have a possible character idea but require more setting information to create it, PM me and I will try to provide (For instance, if your character was born in Spain and you need information for making your background). I will create a large part of the storyline based on your character's background, occupation, etc. and in order to achieve this, I am willing to lead individual character quests should the need arise to go beyond normal party-structure.
However, to provide for this possibility, I won't take more than four players for now. Expanding is always possible, cutting out players isn't really my style.
As for which rules are to be used: since I wish to make this a game aiming for realism yet keeping things simple, I will use the standard D&D3.5 rules. However, players will not gain experience and levels in the usual way: I will provide them at certain stages in the game the opportunity to learn/choose specific things/abilities based on what they have been doing. There are no racial traits. Each PC starts with 2 feats. Furthermore, we will not use the standard classes, but instead PC's are to be 1st level 25point-buy characters with the commoner, aristocrat, warrior or expert class, (no adepts, as there is no magic) which are found in the DMG as NPC classes, or here. Renaissance equipment such as firearms can also be found in the DMG, p. 144-145.
To create for a little bit of heroic opportunities, I will implement the following rule: once every day, a PC has a total of 10 morale bonus points to add on any next d20 roll, called a Hero Roll. This can be a saving throw, an ability or a skill check, but not an attack roll. The 10 bonus points can be divided between multiple die rolls. Unused bonus points can't be saved for a later day.
So if you wish to join, just let me know in this thread and I will include you on the list on the "first come, first serve" principle:
Player List:
#1: Toptomcat
#2: Rojito
#3: Arclite
#4: TheUdjat
For a man who, in all respects, will carry out only his professions of good, will be apt to be ruined among so many who are evil. A prince therefore who desires to maintain himself must learn to be not always good, but to be so or not as necessity may require.
Niccolò Machiavelli, ‘The Prince’ (1513)
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