Play By Forum RPG - Discussion Thread

[Kodi]

How did I not see this thread? I'm always up for playing a game if there's still room. If not, shucks.

[MadCat]

Woot! I certainly hope there's still room! The more the merrier, I'd say!

What thinkest thou, DM?

[Dan]

Not unlike jello, there's always room for Kodi.

[Dan]

Madcat: Thanks for bringing that up. Yes, the 4 die cap for character creation is in effect. However, it is still possible to have lower then 3 cliches if one of them is a double-pump cliche (Which cost twice as much at creation). On that note however 4 cliches is better, 4/3/2/1 being a nice distribution
Okay, so I think we're doing steampunk since none of the other genres are getting any interest. I'll start giving more details about the game world as the day goes on, but for now, think Industrial Revolution/Dickensian London for the starting point with areas of lower tech levels at the frontiers. I'll throw out some more random facts. Magic as enchantment is fairly common, spellcasting magic is less common and abstract (think, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell). Firearms technology is fairly restricted, but it's out there. Computers (Mechanical Computational Engines) are a new, but growing technology. Airships and Rail are major competitors for inland transport. Trade guilds are very powerful. Airships are controlled by a particularly powerful and secretive guild.

More later.

[MadCat]

I always forget about double-pump cliches, because they confuse me. >< lol

I'll look up Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, because I'm thinking I might like to have my character be a spellcaster. Not sure yet. And more references to work from for cliches is always good.

[Dan]

Okay. Spellcasters will be double pump cliches. FYI.

[MadCat]

In that case, I'm going to need you to help me understand exactly how these funky double-pump cliches work. >< I understand that it costs double, so [3] would cost 6 dice, but how it works in general, I'm still fuzzy on.

So let's see... for standard "Pumping Cliches" most of the time I'd be a Sorcerer (3) but I can choose to "pump" the cliche for a single round and act as a Sorcerer (6), but would then lose 3 dice at the end of the combat, instead of 1? Or pump it by only 2, to Sorcerer (5) but lose 2 dice. Loss equal to the amount I pumped it by.

But "Double Pump" cliches, every die I pump it by gives me 2 dice instead... so if I start at Sorcerer [3] and pump it by 3 dice, I actually get 6 extra, and act as a Sorcerer(9), but still lose 3 dice at the end of combat? (Or if I pumped it by 2, I get 4 and act as a Sorcerer (7) but lose 2 dice at the end.)

Am I understanding correctly how Double-Pumping works?

[Dan]

In that case, I'm going to need you to help me understand exactly how these funky double-pump cliches work. >< I understand that it costs double, so [3] would cost 6 dice, but how it works in general, I'm still fuzzy on.

So let's see... for standard "Pumping Cliches" most of the time I'd be a Sorcerer (3) but I can choose to "pump" the cliche for a single round and act as a Sorcerer (6), but would then lose 3 dice at the end of the combat, instead of 1? Or pump it by only 2, to Sorcerer (5) but lose 2 dice. Loss equal to the amount I pumped it by.

But "Double Pump" cliches, every die I pump it by gives me 2 dice instead... so if I start at Sorcerer [3] and pump it by 3 dice, I actually get 6 extra, and act as a Sorcerer(9), but still lose 3 dice at the end of combat? (Or if I pumped it by 2, I get 4 and act as a Sorcerer (7) but lose 2 dice at the end.)

Am I understanding correctly how Double-Pumping works?

Yes, except in both examples you don't lose the dice at the end of combat, but at the end of the round. At the end of combat you start getting those dice back. Also, you cant pump down to 0.

[MadCat]

Okay, sweet. And you can't pump down to 0 because 0 takes you out of combat automatically, I assume. But you could pump down to 1, and use different cliches after that. If I'm a [4] and I pump by 3, gaining 6, I would lose 3 at the end of the round, becoming a 1... I can't pump by 4, gaining 8, losing 4, and becoming a 0 at the end of the round. Right?

[Dan]

I think you've got it.