Post by Bethany Ravenholm on May 16, 2013 14:48:53 GMT -5
This is the place for all of the frequently asked questions that are asked about when first entering within this forum. There wasn't one before this, but in there not being one, and so that people won't be lost and just eventually not wanting to come here at all, this is set up to help out those that are just starting out.
Now for some basics:
Are there any rules for this forum?
Well, so far there aren't any rules of the forum specifically other than to try your best in keeping with your character's limits and to have fun. You are able to make threads in order to start a new scene/roleplay to see of who would be interested, and when the scene/roleplay ends, it gets locked. You can also jump right into threads as well, so don't feel like a stranger.
what does (tag for benefit) or (tag) mean?
when it shows (tag for benefit), it means that it is enacting an aspect that is on your character sheet, and in order to be able to gain something from it, you will have to spend a Fate point. (tag) means that your aspect is naturally becoming active, and so you are earning a fate point. If you do not want that aspect to be active, then you will have to use a fate point in order to deny that aspect from happening. Sometimes that can lead to an aspect being taken from one's sheet, so be very careful.
How can you tell if you win or not at a challenge?
That would be by the ST making the necessary movements. Going by base alone in comparing sheets would give a general idea, but not anything too solid would be able to be cleared on that. If the ST is not on when needing some form of challenge to be made, then use wits of creative roleplay writing instead of speaking aloud of what challenges you are making.
Is there mature roleplay allowed?
The fact is, not everyone can handle mature roleplay, and others are just not comfortable with such roleplay with those they may not be very familiar with. I heartily support the Fade to Black clause, as in, if the two of you are interested, you may fade to black and let the reader assume what they may. If you wish to have a mature Roleplaying session, I will be happy to create a forum section for that kind of roleplay, OR you may mark your post as containing mature roleplay, and that other players should beware. To mark a scene as having such content, please add (Rating: M for Censored) to the subject line - it's a Worm Quartet joke (look up Worm Quartet, "C is for Lettuce" to hear the song on YouTube).
If I have an item I can use as a prop and I bring it will it go onto my characters inventory?
You can wear any prop that you can justify getting SOMEHOW in game. For example, you may not be able to afford Leather or Chain armor, but if you bring in Chain Armor OOC, I'm sure we can work out an old soldier loaning his armor, or perhaps the character strips it off of a long dead skeleton or receives it in a hidden treasure trove in the woods. The ST reserves the right to refuse any such addition at any time: Chain and Plate are prohibitively expensive for a reason, and that reason is, partially, the cost of knightly maintenance.
How are spells calculated for effects, damage, and Fate Points?
Good question. While we are no longer using the Free Fate Magic v0.1 packet, we are still using the basic idea of the system to calculate spells. The concept is to have easy spells cost 1 Fate point, difficult spells cost 2 or 3, and very difficult spells cost 3-5 Fate points. They take a similar amount of rounds to cast; which means that Empowered Casting is immensely useful for dramatically reducing that time. Whereas before, difficult spells cost 3 Fate Points and required 1 round and 2 Empowered Casting stunts, now a prospective caster can use what they have to achieve the effect in a little more time for a little more cost but without requiring extra stunts. Think of it this way: the amount of Empowered Casting stunts it would take to reduce the spell's casting time to 1 is the actual power of the spell. So how is this calculated? Well, if a spell more or less mimics a regular action that can be accomplished in a round or possibly 2, then it costs only 1 Fate point and one round. Adding difficulty to this would be accomplishing multiple effects at once (such as Frost Bite, which targets a zone rather than one character), accomplishing an impossible feat for a mundane action (such as Levitate or the upcoming Banish/Summon spell), or allowing access to an immense amount of power for a single-round action (such as Hide, Charm, Stone Wall, or Dragon Fire). Each addition adds either one or two Fate Points to the cost of the spell, depending on the additional power of it. This is why Blinkstep costs only 2, as it removes the penalty for obstacles and difficult terrain, but Frost Bite costs 3. This is also why a deceptively simple spell such as Disrobe, were it created, would actually take quite a bit of power to cast (you would be Opening all of the clothings' clasps and belts at once as a zone, then Fetching the item off the target). This becomes an even more powerful spell if you can do this to armor, which usually takes minutes to put on or to take off. Therefore, such a spell would cost a minimum of 5 Fate Points (and 5 rounds of casting), reduced by 1 (and 2) for each EC. At 2 EC stunts, the character could cast the spell for 3 Fate Points, but could do so in one round. Again, a powerful effect, indeed! (Disrobing ARMOR would cost an additional 2 Fate Points and rounds of Casting, for a total of 7).
Is it possible to cut off limbs and etc? And if so would that make the person unable to attack because of no longer being able to wield their weapon?
The Fate system easily handles severed limbs. The most common way for this to occur is as a result of being Taken Out: keep in mind, the person who imposes the Taken Out condition on a character decides that character's fate, and it does not necessarily need to be death. A severed limb could also conceivably be the result of an Extreme Consequence (-8). Tagging a severed limb would certainly imply the impossibility of doing something with that limb; however, since you can really only sever one in a combat and have the character still standing, the character could compensate by using their other limb or by tagging aspects of the scene to help them along; this means that tagging the Severed Limb aspect you impose would have the usual -2 penalty to the character's challenge (which is a fairly heinous penalty all told). Keep in mind that if you tag an aspect you haven't imposed, it will cost you a Fate point. Imposing an aspect through a consequence only allows you one free tag of that consequence; subsequent tags will likewise cost you a Fate Point.
Also can we call where our attacks will go for certain results? Example: I'm going to stab someone in the eye to blind them.
Imposing an Aspect can be done as a Maneuver. You are foregoing damage in order to force a character to take an aspect you choose. Called Shot to the Nuts is an excellent example of such a maneuver. You can throw dust into an opponent's face to blind them, or use the environment to create obstacles they must overcome. You receive one free tag of the Aspect imposed upon the character, and the character has the aspect until circumstances remove that Aspect, or the character uses an action to remove the Aspect him- or herself. Stabbing someone in the face to both cause damage and blind them would be an example of imposing a Consequence upon that character, and as I said previously, you only get one free tag of that consequence. The character who is damaged makes the choice to take the consequence in order to reduce stress, and the character causing the damage chooses what that consequence is. A character may only have three such consequences at any one time without using a stunt to gain another consequence slot.
Who wins on a tie in a challenge?
The attacker wins on a tie in a challenge. This is how someone can hit successfully but do only the weapon damage, if any. Those attacking with Fists do not do damage even if they hit unless they have shifts above the target's Defense, or are using brass knuckles which give a bonus to damage. Same with spellcasters - unless you are using a magic wand or magic staff (+1 dmg when spellcasting), you do the number of shifts above the target's Defense in damage, and no more. On that note, magic wands and staves are somewhat rare items not to be found at your local store. Magic sucks that way.
How do I create a Gadget?
Depends on the Gadget being created. Magic items require components used in a ritual. Mundane Gadgets require a Resources roll and Time (only one can be made per session; I may choose to back-log this to previous sessions depending on the circumstances). Both require a Gadget stunt (see the revised Ave Nova Roma Magic System for details).
What are some typical abbreviations used in Ave Nova Roma?
Monster - That which attacks first and asks questions later.
TPO - "The Player of..."
PC - Player Character, i.e., you.
NPC - Non-player Character, i.e., that ogre or the politician in that ogre's mouth.
Tag - Depends on context. In Subject line or on Facebook, it means someone is being asked to join the scene. In a post [Aspect Name Here (tag)]or at a game session, it means an Aspect is being compelled or used.
Token - Resource token, worth one Average Resources purchase. Multiple tokens may be placed together to make a Fair, Good, Great, or even better purchase. Tokens can also add a +1 to a Resources roll when dealing with NPCs.
How do we want to handle shield use in the rules?
Shields give a 1 Absorb (like chainmail), but have only one minor consequence. A disabled shield also disables the arm it is on. Shields use Parry (Weapons) to defend, and can also defend against physical spells that do not target a zone.
Of course, more questions can/will be asked and they will be added onto this thread, but for this moment, these are the ones that are asked and answered.
Now for some basics:
Are there any rules for this forum?
Well, so far there aren't any rules of the forum specifically other than to try your best in keeping with your character's limits and to have fun. You are able to make threads in order to start a new scene/roleplay to see of who would be interested, and when the scene/roleplay ends, it gets locked. You can also jump right into threads as well, so don't feel like a stranger.
what does (tag for benefit) or (tag) mean?
when it shows (tag for benefit), it means that it is enacting an aspect that is on your character sheet, and in order to be able to gain something from it, you will have to spend a Fate point. (tag) means that your aspect is naturally becoming active, and so you are earning a fate point. If you do not want that aspect to be active, then you will have to use a fate point in order to deny that aspect from happening. Sometimes that can lead to an aspect being taken from one's sheet, so be very careful.
How can you tell if you win or not at a challenge?
That would be by the ST making the necessary movements. Going by base alone in comparing sheets would give a general idea, but not anything too solid would be able to be cleared on that. If the ST is not on when needing some form of challenge to be made, then use wits of creative roleplay writing instead of speaking aloud of what challenges you are making.
Is there mature roleplay allowed?
The fact is, not everyone can handle mature roleplay, and others are just not comfortable with such roleplay with those they may not be very familiar with. I heartily support the Fade to Black clause, as in, if the two of you are interested, you may fade to black and let the reader assume what they may. If you wish to have a mature Roleplaying session, I will be happy to create a forum section for that kind of roleplay, OR you may mark your post as containing mature roleplay, and that other players should beware. To mark a scene as having such content, please add (Rating: M for Censored) to the subject line - it's a Worm Quartet joke (look up Worm Quartet, "C is for Lettuce" to hear the song on YouTube).
If I have an item I can use as a prop and I bring it will it go onto my characters inventory?
You can wear any prop that you can justify getting SOMEHOW in game. For example, you may not be able to afford Leather or Chain armor, but if you bring in Chain Armor OOC, I'm sure we can work out an old soldier loaning his armor, or perhaps the character strips it off of a long dead skeleton or receives it in a hidden treasure trove in the woods. The ST reserves the right to refuse any such addition at any time: Chain and Plate are prohibitively expensive for a reason, and that reason is, partially, the cost of knightly maintenance.
How are spells calculated for effects, damage, and Fate Points?
Good question. While we are no longer using the Free Fate Magic v0.1 packet, we are still using the basic idea of the system to calculate spells. The concept is to have easy spells cost 1 Fate point, difficult spells cost 2 or 3, and very difficult spells cost 3-5 Fate points. They take a similar amount of rounds to cast; which means that Empowered Casting is immensely useful for dramatically reducing that time. Whereas before, difficult spells cost 3 Fate Points and required 1 round and 2 Empowered Casting stunts, now a prospective caster can use what they have to achieve the effect in a little more time for a little more cost but without requiring extra stunts. Think of it this way: the amount of Empowered Casting stunts it would take to reduce the spell's casting time to 1 is the actual power of the spell. So how is this calculated? Well, if a spell more or less mimics a regular action that can be accomplished in a round or possibly 2, then it costs only 1 Fate point and one round. Adding difficulty to this would be accomplishing multiple effects at once (such as Frost Bite, which targets a zone rather than one character), accomplishing an impossible feat for a mundane action (such as Levitate or the upcoming Banish/Summon spell), or allowing access to an immense amount of power for a single-round action (such as Hide, Charm, Stone Wall, or Dragon Fire). Each addition adds either one or two Fate Points to the cost of the spell, depending on the additional power of it. This is why Blinkstep costs only 2, as it removes the penalty for obstacles and difficult terrain, but Frost Bite costs 3. This is also why a deceptively simple spell such as Disrobe, were it created, would actually take quite a bit of power to cast (you would be Opening all of the clothings' clasps and belts at once as a zone, then Fetching the item off the target). This becomes an even more powerful spell if you can do this to armor, which usually takes minutes to put on or to take off. Therefore, such a spell would cost a minimum of 5 Fate Points (and 5 rounds of casting), reduced by 1 (and 2) for each EC. At 2 EC stunts, the character could cast the spell for 3 Fate Points, but could do so in one round. Again, a powerful effect, indeed! (Disrobing ARMOR would cost an additional 2 Fate Points and rounds of Casting, for a total of 7).
Is it possible to cut off limbs and etc? And if so would that make the person unable to attack because of no longer being able to wield their weapon?
The Fate system easily handles severed limbs. The most common way for this to occur is as a result of being Taken Out: keep in mind, the person who imposes the Taken Out condition on a character decides that character's fate, and it does not necessarily need to be death. A severed limb could also conceivably be the result of an Extreme Consequence (-8). Tagging a severed limb would certainly imply the impossibility of doing something with that limb; however, since you can really only sever one in a combat and have the character still standing, the character could compensate by using their other limb or by tagging aspects of the scene to help them along; this means that tagging the Severed Limb aspect you impose would have the usual -2 penalty to the character's challenge (which is a fairly heinous penalty all told). Keep in mind that if you tag an aspect you haven't imposed, it will cost you a Fate point. Imposing an aspect through a consequence only allows you one free tag of that consequence; subsequent tags will likewise cost you a Fate Point.
Also can we call where our attacks will go for certain results? Example: I'm going to stab someone in the eye to blind them.
Imposing an Aspect can be done as a Maneuver. You are foregoing damage in order to force a character to take an aspect you choose. Called Shot to the Nuts is an excellent example of such a maneuver. You can throw dust into an opponent's face to blind them, or use the environment to create obstacles they must overcome. You receive one free tag of the Aspect imposed upon the character, and the character has the aspect until circumstances remove that Aspect, or the character uses an action to remove the Aspect him- or herself. Stabbing someone in the face to both cause damage and blind them would be an example of imposing a Consequence upon that character, and as I said previously, you only get one free tag of that consequence. The character who is damaged makes the choice to take the consequence in order to reduce stress, and the character causing the damage chooses what that consequence is. A character may only have three such consequences at any one time without using a stunt to gain another consequence slot.
Who wins on a tie in a challenge?
The attacker wins on a tie in a challenge. This is how someone can hit successfully but do only the weapon damage, if any. Those attacking with Fists do not do damage even if they hit unless they have shifts above the target's Defense, or are using brass knuckles which give a bonus to damage. Same with spellcasters - unless you are using a magic wand or magic staff (+1 dmg when spellcasting), you do the number of shifts above the target's Defense in damage, and no more. On that note, magic wands and staves are somewhat rare items not to be found at your local store. Magic sucks that way.
How do I create a Gadget?
Depends on the Gadget being created. Magic items require components used in a ritual. Mundane Gadgets require a Resources roll and Time (only one can be made per session; I may choose to back-log this to previous sessions depending on the circumstances). Both require a Gadget stunt (see the revised Ave Nova Roma Magic System for details).
What are some typical abbreviations used in Ave Nova Roma?
Monster - That which attacks first and asks questions later.
TPO - "The Player of..."
PC - Player Character, i.e., you.
NPC - Non-player Character, i.e., that ogre or the politician in that ogre's mouth.
Tag - Depends on context. In Subject line or on Facebook, it means someone is being asked to join the scene. In a post [Aspect Name Here (tag)]or at a game session, it means an Aspect is being compelled or used.
Token - Resource token, worth one Average Resources purchase. Multiple tokens may be placed together to make a Fair, Good, Great, or even better purchase. Tokens can also add a +1 to a Resources roll when dealing with NPCs.
How do we want to handle shield use in the rules?
Shields give a 1 Absorb (like chainmail), but have only one minor consequence. A disabled shield also disables the arm it is on. Shields use Parry (Weapons) to defend, and can also defend against physical spells that do not target a zone.
Of course, more questions can/will be asked and they will be added onto this thread, but for this moment, these are the ones that are asked and answered.