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PostPosted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 5:09 pm 
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Just a thought. To what extent would you include prophecies in your games? Are they all charlatans or do you think angels and demi gods, or simply talented seers might exist? I think in Bloodsword there was some element of this though I can't remember the actual incidence.

I do recall the sailor in book 3 telling stories which may be partially based on fact. Perhaps he exaggerates but he served to entertain and contribute to the story.

What about minor things like winning at gambling? There is a sixth sense which helps the players avoid danger and anticipation of possible outcomes.

Oh and how do you handle ragnaroks, end of the world scenarios and all? What happens if that yggdrasil tree doesn't get to where it needs to be? How about a final confrontation Vallander vs that one eyed Fimorian god, whasisname? Seems to be a major difference in weight category there....

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PostPosted: Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:58 am 
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To what extent would you include prophecies in your games? Are they all charlatans or do you think angels and demi gods, or simply talented seers might exist?

That's entirely up to the gamesmaster. Prophecies can be fun, but they do add an element of fatalism to the game. They also require a certain amount of preparation to be made to work... Especially if your players have a habit of going off the beaten trail...

I managed it by having very few prophecies and having them happen to important NPCs rather than to the PCs.
(I ran a game which covered over 40 years of game time set in the time of Vallandar. I made it very clear to the players right at the outset that this was 'history' so some things would happen. Also, there was an element of prophecy - when Mathor occasionally made one - and Fate: again, those things would happen - no matter what.)

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What about minor things like winning at gambling?

I find that depends how much of the outcome is down to pure chance. If it is pure chance, then I simply use dice rolls to check the outcome. If there is an element of skill I allow a skill called 'Gaming' which runs as follows:

Gaming
Characteristic: Intelligence
Raw Ability: Yes
The Gaming skill allows the user to play certain types of games common in Legend effectively and with aplomb, whether in competition or for entertainment. This skill does not include ability in physical sports such as wrestling and jousting, having nothing to do with them.
All types of common gaming, including simpler forms of gambling, are included. Common games include Selentine Tabula (backgammon), Mercanian Hnaefatafl (“capture the king”), Cornumbrian Gwyddbwyll (“wooden wisdom”), and the Coradian Dames (draughts).
Two characters playing a game together make opposed Gaming rolls. If a monetary stake is involved, the difference between the two number rolled can be used by the GamesMaster to determine the amount of money won (i.e., a difference of 3 might indicate that the winner took away 3 Florins from the loser).

If the character has taken a keen interest in something which might affect a bet (e.g. a good knowledge of horses might allow them to determine which horse is most likely to win a race) I may allow a roll against 'Gaming' to allow them a better chance of winning a related bet...

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There is a sixth sense which helps the players avoid danger and anticipation of possible outcomes.

Yes, the Mystic's 'Premonition' (or 'Sixth Sense') special ability. This relates specifically to danger and acts within 5m of the Mystic. I'm not sure it's really applicable to gambling...?

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Oh and how do you handle ragnaroks, end of the world scenarios and all? What happens if that yggdrasil tree doesn't get to where it needs to be?

Again, that's up to the gamesmaster - it's their game. If the players have a taste for apocalyptic games, then go for it. This generally means epic quests and seriously mean opponents, of course. As I recall, the whole Bloodsword series was such a game - with the game ending on the Year 1000 (for good or ill). The gamesmaster should have an idea of what the outcome means, whether the PCs succeed or not...

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How about a final confrontation Vallander vs that one eyed Fimorian god, whasisname?

Balor.

Again, that's up to the GM. Does Vallandar really awaken? Have the players taken one of his swords - they could end up recalled as one of his 'knights'? If Balor is released then, at the very least, that will have a significant effect on the northern half of Ellesland...
(As for the 'weight category' - if Vallandar awakens, then so does Mathor and, presumably, all those heroic knights who once served him. Balor was defeated once, it can be done again.)


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:06 pm 
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Kharille wrote:
To what extent would you include prophecies in your games?

So long as they're suitably vague as not to deprive a player of their character's agency, then they're fine, in my opinion. Or perhaps they concern events in such future as to be inconsequential to the characters ("Lord Vallandar shall return!") - fireside myths used to entertain children, nothing more, and any truth to them will likely not be revealed within the lifetime of the PCs or the campaign. This doesn't mean to say they can't be part of the legend (exploring Vallandar's tomb, perhaps?), just that the prophecy will not directly impact the PCs.

Kharille wrote:
What about minor things like winning at gambling?

This, to me, wouldn't be prophecy, but prediction - slightly different talents. And this I allow (sort of). Mystics (and, to a lesser degree, Sorcerers who study astrology) may use their powers of foretelling to declare a prediction or minor prophecy. The player must come up with their prediction themselves and, if there's an in-game opportunity for the prediction or prophecy to make some kind of sense (which rewards creative players and vague predictions!), they may apply a modifier to their current skill test (which could be gambling) due to the pre-ordained favour with which the Fates have blessed the outcome (or maybe not - perhaps the Fates instead favour their enemies - I would be comfortable hijacking a character's prophecy on occasion, but only enough to keep the players from relying on their predictions for in-game bonuses - dabbling in the supernatural is never wholly in the PCs' control).

My house-ruled mystics have a slightly beefier version of premonition, which applies to more than just danger and can include predictions and prophecy. Sorcerers, however, must consult the heavens and astrological charts for their predictions. Neither are particularly reliable to fast, so tend merely to add colour than anything else.

Kharille wrote:
Oh and how do you handle ragnaroks, end of the world scenarios and all?

I don't - I leave apocalyptic scenarios for high-fantasy role-playing, for which I don't feel Dragon Warriors is particularly well suited (but could be adapted). Were the world coming to an end, I'd let it - the PCs would only be there for the ride, dealing with the fallout, chaos, war, political upheaval, etc. Or perhaps they would be allied with the doomed powers attempting to stop the world's end, heroically failing to do so but perhaps saving a whisper of the world-that-was such that it could be reborn anew in some way.

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PostPosted: Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:33 pm 
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My house-ruled mystics have a slightly beefier version of premonition, which applies to more than just danger and can include predictions and prophecy.

Interesting. How does that work?
(I had a quick look in the Cobwebbed Forest but couldn't find it...)


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:53 pm 
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Starkad wrote:
Interesting. How does that work?

Well, it's all based on a new skills system I use for DW, based on rolling 1d6 plus the primary ability score relevant to the task being attempted. Once that's in place, it's as simple as making a mystic's premonition ability a skill (albeit one only a mystic can learn) and resolving the outcome of the premonition as if it were a traditional mystic's ability. However, once the mystic becomes an Adept, their premonition ability may grow further into the prophecy ability. This ability enables the mystic to shape the future, not just "detect" it. Similarly, a sorcerer with access to astrological charts may see similar fortunes as the mystic.

Starkad wrote:
(I had a quick look in the Cobwebbed Forest but couldn't find it...)

The Forest is getting some love at the moment - not only to skin the whole thing with the new design, but also to fix some of the apps that stopped working when I upgraded PHP and to sort out some of the broken links when leaving the site. Bear with me, it's a long slow process (because I have little talent with web design and even less time...), after which I'll upload the new content, which I promise will include these skills!

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PostPosted: Sun Nov 25, 2018 10:00 pm 
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However, once the mystic becomes an Adept, their premonition ability may grow further into the prophecy ability. This ability enables the mystic to shape the future, not just "detect" it. Similarly, a sorcerer with access to astrological charts may see similar fortunes as the mystic.

That's an interesting concept. I'll have to think how I could make this work in my version of DW...
(...although, rather typically, I don't have anyone playing a Mystic at the moment.)

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The Forest is getting some love at the moment...

Cool. The "Forest" is an excellent site and one I regularly visit these days... :D
(The technical stuff sounds - well - too technical for a luddite like me!)


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 25, 2018 10:28 pm 
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Starkad wrote:
The "Forest" is an excellent site and one I regularly visit these days... :D

That's good to hear - and if you have any suggestions for more useful content, just let me know - there's always stuff in the pipeline but there's never much order to it!

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PostPosted: Sun Nov 25, 2018 11:18 pm 
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Cobwebbed Dragon wrote:
Starkad wrote:
The "Forest" is an excellent site and one I regularly visit these days... :D

That's good to hear - and if you have any suggestions for more useful content, just let me know - there's always stuff in the pipeline but there's never much order to it!


Hellions....mainly just so I can generate random looking gribblies instead of working. ;)

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PostPosted: Sun Nov 25, 2018 11:55 pm 
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Damian May wrote:
Cobwebbed Dragon wrote:
Starkad wrote:
The "Forest" is an excellent site and one I regularly visit these days... :D

That's good to hear - and if you have any suggestions for more useful content, just let me know - there's always stuff in the pipeline but there's never much order to it!


Hellions....mainly just so I can generate random looking gribblies instead of working. ;)

You'll be wanting this: https://www.cobwebbedforest.co.uk/workshop/Summoning/

It doesn't yet do special abilities or descriptions, but that's on the list...

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