Table talk (Bibracte)

Retired Play by Post Campaigns Ars Magica 5th Edition: In the Ruins of Bibracte
281

I didn't want to say anything too soon, for fear of jinxing it, but:

As I posted on my facebook a couple weeks ago, the idea of running an Ars pbp or pbem is trying to sink its hooks into me, but didn't know where to set it or what the premise would be.

Now, Insula Canaria is starting to stir to life for me, and I'm thinking a "spin-off" campaign might work. I'm not going to put too much work into it, because I don't want to get my hopes up for one thing and have something else happen in the thread to derail it. I have a couple of ideas, though, and I'm starting to do the basic research for it.

However, I've never run a pbp/pbem before, and I've never run Ars before. I have run other campaigns and one-shots (mainly GURPS and Champions), though, back in the late '90s and early '00s. So, a little nervous about it.

282

From an SG point of view, pbp is great. Especially if you're a new SG or new to Ars SG, because you can take time to research something and figure it out. I ran a 3rd edition saga back in the mid 90s. That was a grueling exercise, trying to decide whether spontaneous effects would work, what magnitude they were, etc. Plus that book bordered in unsearchable. I could never find anything quickly and players were always waiting on me, it seemed.

Nowadays, PDF search and find. When the Ars MRB became available a couple of weeks ago I picked it up.

The troubles with pbp are trying to get all the players to do something collectively. That's not realistic for pbp to progress a story with any reasonable degree. Players need to be firewalled a bit. They get a sense of development, and they get involvement in the covenant as a character, too.

283

I was not in the game when this was agreed to. Is the agreement of Vassalage fairly standard as pr the Lily and the Lion?

284

The terms were discussed at the end of Fiona's 1220.4 season thread, read up from this post.

285

Yeah, this is pretty much what Fiona negotiated with Jacques, when she was Princeps around, what, January of 1221 or so? (Winter 1220 season).

286

The one time in my life I don't play a Bjornaer...good thing, huh? :smiley:

287

Well, that's one shape, only, and it tends to be exceedingly detailed into the character process. Shapeshifting into multiple forms, that's what I'm not overfond of.

Here's something for you to chew on. I was almost going to play a Bjornaer in Albion. And it would've been a bird, too. Our characters likely would've HATED each other.

288

Instead you'll both have a crow Bjornaer to hate mutually :slight_smile:

289

I'm ready to move onto next year, although a couple of stories are lingering on...

Fiona's is almost complete.

Korvin's is complete pending a raucous dinner party with 1/4 of the Primi of the Order, this story can continue extending past the spring council, but some of the events that take place may affect the council meeting, that's OK, by me.

Jormungand is waiting for him to come up with a resolution... I don't see significant impact for the next year.

Alexei's is waiting on a Council decision (which he didn't bring up in the Council thread, and it has instead languished, much like that story. Here's a hint for what else to do there, prepare them for the Flambeau Tournament at Castra Solis in Summer 1222. I can dice roll it, or whatever.

Fieltarn's story is in limbo, I'm giving Hitsumei a week to come back into the picture to progress that story. If he doesn't return by then, someone might want to consider taking it upon themselves to find Fieltarn. Willhelm has reported that he disappeared into the Temple of Janus. If someone is interested in a search and rescue mission, we can continue it in that thread in beginning on 1/11/12, within the Spring season of 1222. His character can come back at a later point if he Hitsumei returns.

I've ended Onesiphorus' story without player intervention. Mad Max is free to come back at a later time, if his schedule permits.

The Fixer will be joining us, soon.

What happens next is up to the troupe, or perhaps even the individual player. If you are comfortable with your magus character and the relationships built, we can advance the magi a few years and focus on some companion stories in the interim. If you don't have a companion, you should take the opportunity now to begin building one, if you want to run one. Or not, I'm entirely good with that. As a reminder, Apollodorus will not be at the Spring 1222 council meeting, it's all you guys. Marcus may not survive his trip with Apollodorus, the Vampires on Santorini might be flameproof (this is because I've recently started in Arya's game in Albion, and my desire to play is being satisfied there). On the other hand, he might survive, because having artillery isn't a bad thing...

290

I wasn't certain of the timing of this, but yes, he definitely wants to go, and he'd need a crack group of Grogs for this. So he'll bring it up in the Council thread, it'd be the first thing he mentions as the new Princeps and also as part of the Imperator duties. I'll read up on the tournament rules also.

291

So, (ic) we have one member in some kind of Twilight episode (Iosephus), one who went off on personal business and disappeared without a word (Silviatos), and one trapped in a Regio (Fieltarn). Yep. Mons Electi is definitely cursed :laughing:

Define "a few years." Are we talking up to the next Tribunal in 1227? Or are we talking more like two or three? That would make a difference to me, because there are things that Fiona's going to be doing that may or may not require a thread of some kind. e.g. headed off to Valnastium with Ulrich to try to acquire a Familiar, starting to look for an apprentice of her own, seeing what she can find out about the giants that Alexei dealt with (assuming she hears about it), working on her Driven, trying to nip her Buddy before he becomes a Syndrome. Little things like that.

292

Whatever, I'm pretty flexible here. I just wanted to throw that out to the troupe as a whole. We can do vignettes on finding a Familiar, I don't really see this as being a 14 page long thread, or even a 3 page long thread kind of story, unless she's planning to go to Greece and tame a hippogriff. Same with finding an apprentice. As a matter of fact, would you look at who just showed up with two gifted daughters. His eldest, Elizabeth, has had her Gift opened, but his youngest, Abaigael, hasn't. Of course, be wary of taking a Gifted child from a Bonisagus. Maybe you need a good lawyer for that...

By the way, Abaigael's status is an open secret amongs the Tribunal attendees. Étienne has been blabbing about his patron. Magi aren't lining up at his booth just for the Longevity Ritual.

293

I had chicoazian start the council thread. We don't have to rush to it, but Jormungand would be running it with Fieltarn's absence, and his posting can be erratic, (no offence, chicoazian) so I wanted it ready to go.

294

Well, you must've had an awesome weekend...

295

I woke up at 5am on New Year's Eve still drunk from Friday, started baking cream cheese apricot brandy blondies for the bartender I have a huge crush on, realized the bar wasn't going to open for another ten hours, and it was all downhill from there.

296

Added the following House Rule:
https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/house-rules/6036/9

297

Is there an updated list of all the specialists, books, etc of the covenant? It seems like we're not using the complex wealth management system, which is where I usually look. It isn't clear to me which character-based build points are public and which are private.

Specifically, I'm wondering about my choice in specialist build points, but I am also trying to get an idea of what sort of work Viscaria will need to do to get the covenant ready for the Tribunal.

Also, I will be extremely busy with travel over the next 10-12 days. I should be able to find time to post, especially midweek, but will not be able to finish tweaking Theraposa (my familiar) or start on the grog stats.

298

There is a wiki on Obsidian Portal. I haven't pushed really hard for people to get things up there.I've put up the really important to me) stuff. I've been focused more on stories and less on crunch. Of course that can go on for only so long. I'll admit freely that I am hand waving the money situation. This is by design to some extent. This was going to change eventually.
I think Peregrine had started tracking finances a bit, but I'm not sure where he's at.
I'll send you an invite... Sometime soon.

In other news I'm not sure what the next few days will be like for me in posting. We had sewer water back up into our basement last night. Yes, I know, it's crappy.

299

I'm working on the spreadsheet now, and just realized that we never got an answer from Mad Max as to what vis he wanted for his stipend in the 1221 council meeting (eleven pawns in all). Do we want to just have him roll it into the next meeting and have him get 20 pawns then, or just give him eleven pawns of whatever we had the most of, or...?

300

I could put it on Google docs and open it up to a few people. Not sure how many people have Google accounts. Send it to me CVS style.