08-16-2013, 01:37 AM
I decided that I would try a game where I would "surprise myself" from the very start, even when it came to campaign setting, theme, etc.
Using a random generator found in the files on the Mythic RPG Yahoo Group, I chose a random Wikipedia article to establish my setting. It turned out to be the "Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC", wine country in southern France.
I then asked a series of questions about my character:
Am I wearing modern clothing? (50/50) No.
Medieval clothing? (Likely) Yes.
Peasant clothing? (Unlikely) Yes.
OK, so I'm a medieval French peasant.
Let's bring a complex question into the mix to orient myself a little bit.
What am I doing in wine country? Punish Evil
OK, evil would have been something church-related back then...
Am I in a mob? (Likely) Yes.
Is it a witch (sorcerer)-burning? (Likely) Exceptional yes- it's a famous case! So I'm not in the countryside at all, but rather in Avignon, at an ecclesiastical court- I've probably traveled from my village around the environs of Avignon to see the burning.
Looking on the Internet, I've found a famous case of a series of trials in Avignon 1317-1320 for the two assassination attempts on Pope John XXII's life. This is the first such attempt (1317) made supposedly by the Bishop of Cahors Hugues Geraud. Here is an Internet source describing the event:
"That same morning, Hugues Géraud’s head was shaved. Dressed in a rough blanket, he was attached to a horse and dragged on foot across the center of the city. He was tied to the stake that stood tall above the firewood that would ensure that his remains burned completely. The fire was lit."
My character is present at this burning.
Is he satisfied by the spectacle? (50/50) a 51: Barely no- he came to see the spectacle but is somewhat dissatisfied. He is beginning to wonder if there's not more to life than this. It's the contorted faces of the other commoners in the crowd that really get him down, his father and brother included. Somehow, going back home doesn't seem like a great thing to do- his father will be wanting him to finish milking the cows and go to bed early to wake up and do it again.
I've decided he's about 15 yrs. old. This is young enough that he'll be able to live through some interesting events in 14th century Europe, like the Black Plague and Hundred Years War.
Are members of his family with him? (Likely) Yes.
Father? (Likely) Yes.
Any brothers? (50/50) Yes.
One? (Likely) Yes.
OK, so with his father and one brother. He'll have to try to lose himself in the crowd if he wants to escape them.
My peasant's name (using random name generator): Narcisse
Father's name: Rodolphe
Brother's name: Julien
Names are interesting- why in the world would he be named after the Greek mythological figure? His mother, after the flower and ignorant of it's origin? We don't have to figure this out now.
OK, so it looks like he's going to have to try an Agility roll (Below Average) versus their Intuition (Below Average, but since there's two of them, this raises the chances to Above Average) to not be noticed. He fails his roll at a 63- his family is watching him like a hawk.
If he can somehow create a distraction, his odds might be a bit higher...he's panicking, the press of people is suffocating him, he suddenly stops moving in the press of crowd that streams back to the gates of Avignon (where his father's cart is kept...well, if he can get to that cart or take one of the horses from it, then, just then, maybe...) he suddenly begins pushing and shoving to try to create a break in the crowd...
Does anybody get angry at him pushing his way through the crowd? (Somewhat likely, but the crowd is sated and isn't offering a whole lot of resistance...) Yes.
Angry enough to fight him? Yes!
Suddenly Narcisse finds himself being pushed back...by a (using UNE to generate a character) "tactless entertainer as strong as me" who proclaims force and overthrows modesty"...a shameless bard or rogue who can also fight?
Does he knock me down? (Unlikely) Exceptional no- his attempt to push me back misses and he ends up stumbling himself.
I attempt to escape. Do I succeed? (Below Average vs. Low) since he's off-balance: Yes.
Ah, but do I get away from my father and brother as well? (50/50, since they're surprised). Yes. I've lost them in the crowd.
I manage to get back to the cart, but they could arrive at any minute.
Am I armed? (50/50) No.
Untying one of the horses might take more time than I need...are there any weapons in the cart that could be used to cut loose the horses? (50/50)
Exceptional yes: a sharp axe that my father keeps in the cart in case of would-be brigands.
But I've suddenly reached a moral quandary. I don't want to steal from my family. Life may be boring and uninspiring, but in their rough peasants' way they've been good to me. As the shadows lengthen and dusk approaches, I slip off into the countryside around Avignon, with just the few coins in my peasant's purse jingling hollowly...and an emptiness in my soul.
End of Scene 1
Chaos Factor: remains at 5.
NPCs: Father, Brother, Flashy Entertainer from Crowd
Threads: Origin of name (Narcisse)
So that's it for my "play as you go" adventure. Let me know what you think! I'd welcome any suggestions for the next scene as well!
Using a random generator found in the files on the Mythic RPG Yahoo Group, I chose a random Wikipedia article to establish my setting. It turned out to be the "Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC", wine country in southern France.
I then asked a series of questions about my character:
Am I wearing modern clothing? (50/50) No.
Medieval clothing? (Likely) Yes.
Peasant clothing? (Unlikely) Yes.
OK, so I'm a medieval French peasant.
Let's bring a complex question into the mix to orient myself a little bit.
What am I doing in wine country? Punish Evil
OK, evil would have been something church-related back then...
Am I in a mob? (Likely) Yes.
Is it a witch (sorcerer)-burning? (Likely) Exceptional yes- it's a famous case! So I'm not in the countryside at all, but rather in Avignon, at an ecclesiastical court- I've probably traveled from my village around the environs of Avignon to see the burning.
Looking on the Internet, I've found a famous case of a series of trials in Avignon 1317-1320 for the two assassination attempts on Pope John XXII's life. This is the first such attempt (1317) made supposedly by the Bishop of Cahors Hugues Geraud. Here is an Internet source describing the event:
"That same morning, Hugues Géraud’s head was shaved. Dressed in a rough blanket, he was attached to a horse and dragged on foot across the center of the city. He was tied to the stake that stood tall above the firewood that would ensure that his remains burned completely. The fire was lit."
My character is present at this burning.
Is he satisfied by the spectacle? (50/50) a 51: Barely no- he came to see the spectacle but is somewhat dissatisfied. He is beginning to wonder if there's not more to life than this. It's the contorted faces of the other commoners in the crowd that really get him down, his father and brother included. Somehow, going back home doesn't seem like a great thing to do- his father will be wanting him to finish milking the cows and go to bed early to wake up and do it again.
I've decided he's about 15 yrs. old. This is young enough that he'll be able to live through some interesting events in 14th century Europe, like the Black Plague and Hundred Years War.
Are members of his family with him? (Likely) Yes.
Father? (Likely) Yes.
Any brothers? (50/50) Yes.
One? (Likely) Yes.
OK, so with his father and one brother. He'll have to try to lose himself in the crowd if he wants to escape them.
My peasant's name (using random name generator): Narcisse
Father's name: Rodolphe
Brother's name: Julien
Names are interesting- why in the world would he be named after the Greek mythological figure? His mother, after the flower and ignorant of it's origin? We don't have to figure this out now.
OK, so it looks like he's going to have to try an Agility roll (Below Average) versus their Intuition (Below Average, but since there's two of them, this raises the chances to Above Average) to not be noticed. He fails his roll at a 63- his family is watching him like a hawk.
If he can somehow create a distraction, his odds might be a bit higher...he's panicking, the press of people is suffocating him, he suddenly stops moving in the press of crowd that streams back to the gates of Avignon (where his father's cart is kept...well, if he can get to that cart or take one of the horses from it, then, just then, maybe...) he suddenly begins pushing and shoving to try to create a break in the crowd...
Does anybody get angry at him pushing his way through the crowd? (Somewhat likely, but the crowd is sated and isn't offering a whole lot of resistance...) Yes.
Angry enough to fight him? Yes!
Suddenly Narcisse finds himself being pushed back...by a (using UNE to generate a character) "tactless entertainer as strong as me" who proclaims force and overthrows modesty"...a shameless bard or rogue who can also fight?
Does he knock me down? (Unlikely) Exceptional no- his attempt to push me back misses and he ends up stumbling himself.
I attempt to escape. Do I succeed? (Below Average vs. Low) since he's off-balance: Yes.
Ah, but do I get away from my father and brother as well? (50/50, since they're surprised). Yes. I've lost them in the crowd.
I manage to get back to the cart, but they could arrive at any minute.
Am I armed? (50/50) No.
Untying one of the horses might take more time than I need...are there any weapons in the cart that could be used to cut loose the horses? (50/50)
Exceptional yes: a sharp axe that my father keeps in the cart in case of would-be brigands.
But I've suddenly reached a moral quandary. I don't want to steal from my family. Life may be boring and uninspiring, but in their rough peasants' way they've been good to me. As the shadows lengthen and dusk approaches, I slip off into the countryside around Avignon, with just the few coins in my peasant's purse jingling hollowly...and an emptiness in my soul.
End of Scene 1
Chaos Factor: remains at 5.
NPCs: Father, Brother, Flashy Entertainer from Crowd
Threads: Origin of name (Narcisse)
So that's it for my "play as you go" adventure. Let me know what you think! I'd welcome any suggestions for the next scene as well!
