Thieves' World (BoL Hack)

[Tibbius]

Setting: The City of Thieves, which will be familiar to anyone who remembers the Sanctuary anthologies.
Style: Roleplay plus hack and slash. Generally, swords and sorcery.

Rules: BoL Hack, an Old School styled set of rules. Chosen partly for the fast and simple combat, but also for the wide-open magic system that fits the setting.
Character building: By allocation of points among attributes and combat abilities and careers.
Permitted Classes: Hero, Magician, or Priest. Thief is a career that any class may take - and is encouraged, given the setting.
Permitted Races: Humans only.
Alignments: None, although characters should be self-consistent. "Conniving" and "mercenary" are common personality traits in the City.
Starting status and wealth: "1st level" although in BoL Hack this includes some career experience and career-appropriate useful equipment - within reason.

Players: 1 or more.

Gaming medium: These forums, in a single game thread combining IC and OoC posts.

Rolls: You narrate what your character does, and in the same post (OoC spoiler) make any appropriate rolls. If you succeed, you edit the post to narrate your character's success within reason. If you fail, I narrate the consequences in a follow-on post.

Posting requirements: About daily would be great.

Notes: No dragons, no inhuman creatures ... only inhumane monsters. Play will be almost entirely urban, unless characters develop an interest in overland travel or searching for ancient ruins.


Please post interest and character sheets in this thread.

[roryb]

This sounds awesome! I have the BoL Hack but never had a chance to play. However, I’m not familiar with the setting. It sounds like one I may enjoy. Can a player join with wiki-level knowledge of the setting?

[Tibbius]

Can a player join with wiki-level knowledge of the setting?

Definitely. The "new in town" trope would work well. If you describe your character's background in general terms (basing it off the careers you choose), I can supply setting-specific details.

Also, looking just at the recruiting thread for your current game ... I would be thrilled to play with you.

[roryb]

Definitely. The "new in town" trope would work well. If you describe your character's background in general terms (basing it off the careers you choose), I can supply setting-specific details.

Great! I’ll put something together tonight.

Also, looking just at the recruiting thread for your current game ... I would be thrilled to play with you.

You mean my dragon Fate game? I haven’t posted the recruitment thread yet.

[Tibbius]

You mean my dragon Fate game? I haven’t posted the recruitment thread yet.

I was referring to the one in your signature, Darkness Under K’tha-Tan.

[roryb]

I was referring to the one in your signature, Darkness Under K’tha-Tan.

Oh yeah. I had a hiatus due to a number of personal and professional interruptions. I’ll probably not be returning...but I’m always up for Sword & Sorcery style gaming.

I’m starting up a Fate game of PC dragons against humanity. I’ll likely not have room for more.

[MinotaurWarblad]

Playing in the other BOL Hack game and loving it!
I highly recommend giving it a try, though I can't join this game, too. I don't have the time what with all the other games I've applied to.

[roryb]

Even more looking forward to this. Here’s a shot at a hero:

Damian Nightwatch

1st-level Hero
Attributes — Strength 0, Agility 2, Mind 1, Appeal 1
Abilities — Initiative 0, Melee 1, Ranged 1, Armor Class 2
Careers — Slave 0, Thief 2, Mercenary 1, Vagabond 1

Hit Points — 10
Defense — 15
Hero Points — 5
Boons — Silver Tongued

Trappings
* Light Armor (+2 AC)
* Sword (medium)
* 2 Daggers (light)
* Pouches, picks and tools

Spoiler: Backstory

Show

Damian is an adventurer of medium build, cautious gait, and wary eyes. His voice is melodic when need demands, but his swarthy complexion and dark hair do not necessarily mark him clearly of any one ethnicity or nation.

Damian’s original name was Dust (sometimes “Dirt” or “Filth”), the name given him by his cruel slave master. Damian scarcely remembers his real parents, being born into thralldom brought by his people’s conquerors. [Slave]

During an uprising, Damian escaped, living on the streets of an oasis city, picking the pockets of unwary merchants and seekers of enlightenment. He became a particularly good cat burglar until he gained notoriety breaking into the palace of the king. [Thief]

He was consequently captured and conscripted, joining the Crimson Serpent legionnaires, known as a particularly merciless and unscrupulous mercenary company, first as a errand boy. He later saw action and learned the skills of a fighter, gaining many scars and learning his place within his company. [Mercenary]

When the Serpents were broken at the Battle of Red Sands, he was wounded and made his narrow escape. After a kindly nomad, a man named Tebrius, tended his wounds and bore him away upon his horse, Damian mended and made his own path. He served as caravan guard, wanderer, and opportunist, finally making his way to Sanctuary, where he now seeks his fortune. [Vagabond]

Spoiler: Portrait

Show

[Tibbius]

The game thread is up:
Thieves' World (BoL Hack) - Game Thread

I put your character sheet in the first post with some edits to fit the background to the setting - additions in italics, deletions struck through.

[Chronicler]

Is it too late to try to join you guys? I'd be interested in submitting a character for consideration.

My initial concept is a young, ambitious Rankan Priest of Savankala who has recently arrived in Sanctuary with seemingly benign missionary aspirations. As the third son of a minor noble family, he stands to inherit nothing of his father's title and lands so long as his older brothers are still alive. But with the constant Black-Tooth barbarian incursions into Ranke territory, the problem of their continued survival may eventually resolve itself. For the time being, he has fled his homeland with other refugees and the displaced clergy of his parish to settle within the walls of Sanctuary. His immediate goal is to ingratiate himself with those in power by offering them his healing services while collecting leverage against them with the secrets he might glean from their confidential confessions. And his long term plan is to build a power base for himself, both temporal and spiritual, from which he can exert his influence over the city. (He will bring the light of Savankala to Sanctuary whether Sanctuary wants it or not!)

Stats to follow. Just need to do a quick read-through of The BoL Hack to refresh my memory on its mechanics.

[Tibbius]

Is it too late to try to join you guys? I'd be interested in submitting a character for consideration.

Happy to have you join us.

Please consider the following modification to BoL Hack rules for priests: no magical healing (any curative abilites can be obtained by taking the Physician career). Other priestly abilities are the same.

Keep in mind that in the time of this game (63 Rankan Era?) there still is a major temple of Savankala on Gods Street, and that a decrepit but still politically connected Molin Torchholder lingers on as the High Priest and Chief Architect. Your character will need to ingratiate himself to Molin as one of his first actions on reaching Sanctuary.

[roryb]

Nice to see you, Chronicler! Tibbius, Chronicler is a great player to be sure.

Going now to bookmark the threads...

[Chronicler]

Please consider the following modification to BoL Hack rules for priests: no magical healing (any curative abilites can be obtained by taking the Physician career). Other priestly abilities are the same.

So no Cure or Heal with Fate Points? Duly noted.

Keep in mind that in the time of this game (63 Rankan Era?) there still is a major temple of Savankala on Gods Street, and that a decrepit but still politically connected Molin Torchholder lingers on as the High Priest and Chief Architect. Your character will need to ingratiate himself to Molin as one of his first actions on reaching Sanctuary.

Got it. Thanks for the clarification. Wasn't sure what time period we'd be playing in, though I figured it couldn't be later than 70 RE since you mentioned in the IC thread that Kadakithis was still governor.

Nice to see you, Chronicler!

You too! We might finally get to be on the same side of the table for once.

[Chronicler]

And some stats...

Auren Level 1 Priest Race: Human Gender: Male Origin: Ranke Languages Ilsigi, Rankene (N), Trade Tongue Attributes Combat Careers Strength: 0 Initiative: 1 Noble: 1 Agility: 0 Melee: 3 Acolyte: 1 Mind: 2 Ranged: 0 Physician: 1 Appeal: 2 AC: 10 (15) Alchemist: 1 Points Lifeblood: 8 Fate: 1 Hero: 6 Boons Marked by the Gods Armor & Weapons Scale Mail (AC +4, Penalty -2), Shield (AC +1), Longsword (Damage d8) Trappings Amulet (Holy Symbol), Belt Pouch, Cloak, Clothes (Common & Fine), Coins, Healer's Kit, Herbalism Kit, Signet Ring, Vestments

[roryb]

Very cool. Damian being an out of towner, would your priest offer employment to him to spy on enemies, shadow rivals, etc?

[Chronicler]

Most definitely. The one huge benefit of hiring an out-of-towner is not having to deal with any conflicts of interest due to previous loyalties.

[roryb]

Excellent! What sort of errand might he be interested in Damian pursuing? Asking to get some direction while I get a feel for the setting.

[Chronicler]

Aside from recognizing that Molin Torchholder and Prince Kadakithis (the current governor) are people of importance, Auren doesn't really know who Sanctuary's power players are. So information gathering would be priority number one in order to become familiar with the city's chaotic political landscape. And any kind of illicit evidence that can be uncovered and used as leverage against any of these power players would be of incredible value.

Cultivating contacts (Friends in High Places, Friends in Low Places) and accumulating coin (Great Wealth) to fund our activities are also important secondary goals.

[ashwand]

I don't know from BoL, but I'm very happy to see someone running a game in Sanctuary. I read all of these books as they came out and it looks like you've got Molin Jr. and Hanse so far. I'll probably lurk for a bit and see if I get what's going on in that system and maybe bug you to play later.

[Tibbius]

Re-recruiting. Chronicler's character has just discovered a murder. roryb's character has just been discovered lurking in a wrong house not his.