xCRAZYxFACEx
The Sane
The Cycle of Magic is a homebrew d100 based game that focuses largely on the world and the story. Dice are going to be used mostly for combat and actions that have a chance of failing or succeeding. The writing style for the first few posts will be play-by-post, but soon after I'm going to have it switch to an intermingled style. This style has everyone writing on the same page, writing out their character's actions and reactions and forming the story that way. So while your individual 'posts' might be shorter, it'll all be part of a larger narrative with no unseemly breaks.
Magic in this universe is created by the combined soul power of all who have died in the world. First, life is created, much like how it begins here on Earth. As life grows, it gains sentience, knowledge, and power. At its peak, this life is then extinguished, from either natural causes or conflict with others. This in turn creates magic from the left over soul, and that magic permeates the world, influencing the next generations. This is the Cycle of Magic.
As for the world, I've already created a large continent that has five great cities that serve as the hubs of civilization and culture. In between are countless towns, hamlets, and smaller cities, all linked by a system of major roads. Magic is very common in this universe, to the point where even the average person is aware of magic and is acclimatized to it, and every store has some sort of anti-magic protection on top of mundane lock-and-key. What that means is you can play just about any kind of character you want, magical or not. In fact, in-universe, its up to the individual how far they want to take their magical knowledge, because nearly everyone has some form of innate magic that is unique to them.
Now, to the nitty gritty:
Stats: These are your character's attributes. They'll give you bonuses to just about every roll and encounter you'll see in game. You get 90 points to spread among your stats, plus another 10 from your racial bonus. For reference, most average NPC's in this world have 40 points plus their racial bonus.
Strength: Determines how hard you hit, how hard you are to knock down, and covers general feats of strength and athletics
Dexterity: How to move quietly and unseen, to dodge blows, to think and act on your feet.
Intelligence: Covers arcane and general knowledge, the ability to plan ahead, and to recall important facts.
Endurance: Determines how many times you can get back up after being knocked down (HP), to keep doing any activity after an extended period of time, and general feats of constitution.
Intuition: The ability to sense another’s motives, to sense a trap, to make the right call the first time.
Prowess: Your ability to fight, to stay calm under pressure, and your tenacity in any given situation.
Luck: Your ability to succeed through happenstance. If you fail a roll normally, luck can give you another shot. Also aids your ability to dodge a blow.
Combat checks:
Two characters roll d100, with a prowess modifier. Whoever has the higher roll is the one that deals damage. The defending character can now roll with a bonus of Dexterity plus ½ Luck; they must roll 85 or higher to dodge. If they don’t dodge, the attacker rolls a d60 plus Strength modifier, or Dexterity if it’s a finesse or ranged weapon, and every fifteen points they roll deals 1 damage.
HP:
Hit points are determined by your endurance. Divide your Endurance by three, rounding down. That is your HP total.
Critical Success/Fail:
Rolling a natural 96-100 on a check means you have a chance of critically succeeding, where something even better than what you were hoping for happens. You roll again to see if you get the critical. Rolling a 71-100 gets you the critical, but this time your luck gives you a flat bonus to your roll. If you roll a 1-5 on a check, you have a chance of critically failing, where something even worse than failing happens. You roll again, where a 1-30 means you critically fail. But, your luck again provides a bonus to your roll, adding its value.
Races:
Next comes your race. Each race comes with a small boost to certain stats, and they all have their own culture and role in the world. Pick carefully. And remember, I'm not going to entertain the thought of any additional races.
Magic in this universe is created by the combined soul power of all who have died in the world. First, life is created, much like how it begins here on Earth. As life grows, it gains sentience, knowledge, and power. At its peak, this life is then extinguished, from either natural causes or conflict with others. This in turn creates magic from the left over soul, and that magic permeates the world, influencing the next generations. This is the Cycle of Magic.
As for the world, I've already created a large continent that has five great cities that serve as the hubs of civilization and culture. In between are countless towns, hamlets, and smaller cities, all linked by a system of major roads. Magic is very common in this universe, to the point where even the average person is aware of magic and is acclimatized to it, and every store has some sort of anti-magic protection on top of mundane lock-and-key. What that means is you can play just about any kind of character you want, magical or not. In fact, in-universe, its up to the individual how far they want to take their magical knowledge, because nearly everyone has some form of innate magic that is unique to them.
Now, to the nitty gritty:
Stats: These are your character's attributes. They'll give you bonuses to just about every roll and encounter you'll see in game. You get 90 points to spread among your stats, plus another 10 from your racial bonus. For reference, most average NPC's in this world have 40 points plus their racial bonus.
Strength: Determines how hard you hit, how hard you are to knock down, and covers general feats of strength and athletics
Dexterity: How to move quietly and unseen, to dodge blows, to think and act on your feet.
Intelligence: Covers arcane and general knowledge, the ability to plan ahead, and to recall important facts.
Endurance: Determines how many times you can get back up after being knocked down (HP), to keep doing any activity after an extended period of time, and general feats of constitution.
Intuition: The ability to sense another’s motives, to sense a trap, to make the right call the first time.
Prowess: Your ability to fight, to stay calm under pressure, and your tenacity in any given situation.
Luck: Your ability to succeed through happenstance. If you fail a roll normally, luck can give you another shot. Also aids your ability to dodge a blow.
Combat checks:
Two characters roll d100, with a prowess modifier. Whoever has the higher roll is the one that deals damage. The defending character can now roll with a bonus of Dexterity plus ½ Luck; they must roll 85 or higher to dodge. If they don’t dodge, the attacker rolls a d60 plus Strength modifier, or Dexterity if it’s a finesse or ranged weapon, and every fifteen points they roll deals 1 damage.
HP:
Hit points are determined by your endurance. Divide your Endurance by three, rounding down. That is your HP total.
Critical Success/Fail:
Rolling a natural 96-100 on a check means you have a chance of critically succeeding, where something even better than what you were hoping for happens. You roll again to see if you get the critical. Rolling a 71-100 gets you the critical, but this time your luck gives you a flat bonus to your roll. If you roll a 1-5 on a check, you have a chance of critically failing, where something even worse than failing happens. You roll again, where a 1-30 means you critically fail. But, your luck again provides a bonus to your roll, adding its value.
Races:
Next comes your race. Each race comes with a small boost to certain stats, and they all have their own culture and role in the world. Pick carefully. And remember, I'm not going to entertain the thought of any additional races.
+10 Prowess
Humans are among the more prolific members of the continent of Durian. They own the most cities, have the most population, and by far the most diverse out of all the races. They can fill nearly any role, and can specialize or broaden their skill set as needed. Both paths come with difficulties; specialization leaves gaps in their defenses, while becoming a jack of all trades leaves them with no outstanding strengths.
Though they own the most land in Durian, humans are not everywhere; you can often stumble across hamlets of other races. That said, at major hubs of trade and larger cities you are guaranteed to find humans; the same cannot be said for other races.
+5 Intelligence, +5 Endurance
Appearance Examples: one two three
Djinn are a magically inclined race, and possess two bodies in a sense. At their truest form, they are a floating ball of pure energy and fire, free to fly and unleash powerful magic. In practice, though, they are limited by these forms. Out in the relative cold of the world, they are vulnerable and lose their heat after only a few days, and subsequently die. Thus they typically inhabit a second body, what they call their ilignus. It is a humanoid body made of charcoal and burnt wood. In this form they are safe, though they cannot fly and their magic is lessened. It is unfathomably rare to see an unsheltered djinn outside the hottest of deserts. There, they walk the wastes, a semi-nomadic people that form loose tribes, for in the deserts they have no fear of dying if caught outside their ilignus.
Children are not given an ilignus until one year of age, and consistently grow through shells until they reach maturity at the age of 24. A full grown djinn, when in their ilignus, can reach anywhere from 5 to 7 feet in height. A djinn near the end of their life, at around 200 years old, can be as tall as 9 feet.
The Djinn are not the same beings that we imagine in our world. They do not reside in bottles and do not grant wishes. They are merely a magical race.
They possess three genders, and can seamlessly transition from to another. For simplicity, most humans regard them as male, female, and demale, even though a Djinn isn’t stuck as one or another.
+10 Endurance
Appearance Examples: one two three
Majin, as they are known to most other races, are a race of sentient machines that are thought to possess souls. They tend to keep themselves, even avoiding others of the same kind. They are genderless, and the knowledge of how they reproduce, or at least the manufacture of more of them, has been lost to time. Their bodies are incredibly durable, though being made of metal they are clumsier than other races. That is not to say they are not fast, though. Majin can vary even more than humans in terms of size and shape. They can be wiry and short, as short as 4 feet tall, or massive and hulking, up to 8 feet.
Though they are durable, their weakness is a consistent means of regenerating their bodies. They cannot take healing potions like other races, and sleeping only rests their minds and souls. They must find metal - any kind - and consume it. Then, they can sleep and regenerate their health. Additionally, once a year they have to maintain themselves, removing rust and replacing bad parts. This costs additional metal to perform.
It is unknown how long a Majin can live for, though some claim to have been alive for over a millennia, while the youngest claim to be at least 200 years old.
+5 Dexterity, +5 Intuition
Appearance Examples: one two three
Kenku are a race of avian humanoids. They resemble crows in both appearance and mannerisms. They usually range 4 to 6 feet in height and are very lightweight, though not particularly strong. Though they have feathers, claws, and beaks, they have no wings and cannot fly. Moreover, though they can speak avian and understand the common language, they cannot talk normally as others do. If they attempt to do so, what they intend to say comes out in avian and sounds like a crow’s caw. If they wish to speak in common, they must rely on their mimicry. If they have heard a sound before, they can mimic it near perfectly. This includes ambient sounds, the sounds of animals, and other languages, including ones they do not understand (though they cannot truly communicate if they do not understand the language.)
Most Kenkus live either in small cloisters in the mountains and the forests, or they live in the slums of large cities, thieving and robbing to survive.
It is said that, long ago, the god of the Kenkus became displeased with their avarice and greed, and struck them from his domain. They lost their wings and the ability to speak anything other than avian.
Most Kenku are displeased with their lot in life, and wish more than anything to fly and speak freely. They turn to thieving to fulfill the desire they have to take back their gifts.
+10 Intuition
Appearance Examples: one two three
Metatyutem, as they call themselves, or doppelgangers, as they are known colloquially, present a very controversial issue. They are, without a doubt, sentient creatures, and have played a valuable role in the world and in civilization. But their capability of turning into another creature and mimicking their persona near perfectly frightens many and angers even more. Many see doppelgangers as lesser beings, and look upon them with spite and mistrust.
As a result, most doppelgangers prefer to stay disguised most of the time, using one or two favored personas. They are relatively rare beings, so they often have no reason to reveal their true form; they will only do so around truly trusted individuals, or behind closed doors with another of their race.
Metatyutem can recognize one another when disguised, their natural magic leaving a footprint that others can identify. They assume the gender of whichever person they replicate, and although they can mate with other shifters, it is usually more convenient to mate with members of another species, usually humans. The offspring is almost always a shifter, whose powers are latent and only reveal themselves near adulthood.
As a species, Metatyutem aren’t necessarily malevolent. They are merely interested in self-preservation and furthering whatever goals they have, whether they be good or evil.
+5 Strength, +5 Dexterity
Appearance Examples: one two three
Naga are a race of amphibious, lizard-like humanoids. Possessing a wiry strength no other race can match, they can be a fiercely territorial, yet surprisingly artistic race. They are usually no-nonsense when it comes to people outside of their village, and it shows in their weaponry, murals, songs, dances, and general behavior.
Naga typically live in one of three types of environments. The first is in marshland, where they are a semi-nomadic people that reside in medium sized wooden tents. They patrol a wide swath of land, keeping outsiders away and hunting for their village. The second place is by a river. These villages can grow quite large, as they have a ready supply of water and food, not to mention access to other races. These towns can grow to be as large as small human city, and are often hubs of trade and commerce. Naga in these towns are often more tolerant of other races; considering their proximity, it is an expected outcome. The third type of environment is by an ocean, or by saltwater. These villages are often smaller, as Naga can’t breathe saltwater as well or as long as in freshwater. Moreover, their food is limited to what they can catch in the sea and what they can forage above ground. These towns are usually far away from the mouths of rivers, and are somewhat isolated; after all, if Naga decided to camp near the mouth of a river, they would prefer to head upstream rather than stay by the saltwater.
Their weaponry is known to be of a very high quality and very efficient for underwater combat. The quality is surprising, considering they often have little to no access to metals, instead relying on bone and other organic materials.
+5 Endurance, +5 Dexterity
Appearance examples: one two three (ignore the thing on the right)
It is unknown whether a Sarben is more organic or more construct, though many speculate they are spirits that have come to inhabit a mostly inorganic body. In that regard, they are most closely resembled by Djinn and Mechanids.
Little is known of this race, as they rarely venture beyond the sand of the deserts they inhabit. They are thought to be highly mobile nomads, and are known to live off of cactus juice and sunlight. For the most part they get along with Djinn they may encounter, though still keep to themselves.
Sarben that have left the desert are usually quite polite, and even amicable to others. Such individuals are few and far between, rarer even than Majin, and when asked refuse to say why they are there or why they do not go back to the desert. One of the few things they have said is that in the desert, they can morph into sand and travel as fast as the wind (though not outside of the desert, and of course none who have been asked have been able to do so in the taverns they were asked in). Whether this claim is true or not is up for debate.
--------------------
Great! Now, the last part: abilities. Abilities are special things your character can do, like summoning a fireball, dancing in and out enemies and slashing with your blades, summoning ethereal wings so you can glide around, summoning poison from your fingertips, and so on! Go nuts here, this is where you get to really customize your character. Now, I am going to be reviewing these, so if you have something I feel is overpowered or something, I'm going to ask that you either change or remove the ability.
You can have four abilities. The first two are somewhat weaker in their abilities, or are meant for non combat purposes, but you can use them pretty much all the time. The third is something you can use occasionally (think taking a twenty minute breather between uses), or a certain number of times in a day, but is stronger. The final ability is something you can only use once a day or less, but is much stronger than the other three. For simplicity, let's call them Simple abilities, Advanced abilities, and Ultra abilities. When you post your CS, we'll go over it and make any necessary adjustments, so don't worry too much about making something over or under powered. In fact, don't worry about numbers or stats for abilities yet. Just write what you want to happen, and I'll make sure it happens.
In the next OOC, I'll post what the character sheet should look like and valuable information like maps, organizations, and places. I hope you like what you see and will consider joining this game!
Humans are among the more prolific members of the continent of Durian. They own the most cities, have the most population, and by far the most diverse out of all the races. They can fill nearly any role, and can specialize or broaden their skill set as needed. Both paths come with difficulties; specialization leaves gaps in their defenses, while becoming a jack of all trades leaves them with no outstanding strengths.
Though they own the most land in Durian, humans are not everywhere; you can often stumble across hamlets of other races. That said, at major hubs of trade and larger cities you are guaranteed to find humans; the same cannot be said for other races.
+5 Intelligence, +5 Endurance
Appearance Examples: one two three
Djinn are a magically inclined race, and possess two bodies in a sense. At their truest form, they are a floating ball of pure energy and fire, free to fly and unleash powerful magic. In practice, though, they are limited by these forms. Out in the relative cold of the world, they are vulnerable and lose their heat after only a few days, and subsequently die. Thus they typically inhabit a second body, what they call their ilignus. It is a humanoid body made of charcoal and burnt wood. In this form they are safe, though they cannot fly and their magic is lessened. It is unfathomably rare to see an unsheltered djinn outside the hottest of deserts. There, they walk the wastes, a semi-nomadic people that form loose tribes, for in the deserts they have no fear of dying if caught outside their ilignus.
Children are not given an ilignus until one year of age, and consistently grow through shells until they reach maturity at the age of 24. A full grown djinn, when in their ilignus, can reach anywhere from 5 to 7 feet in height. A djinn near the end of their life, at around 200 years old, can be as tall as 9 feet.
The Djinn are not the same beings that we imagine in our world. They do not reside in bottles and do not grant wishes. They are merely a magical race.
They possess three genders, and can seamlessly transition from to another. For simplicity, most humans regard them as male, female, and demale, even though a Djinn isn’t stuck as one or another.
+10 Endurance
Appearance Examples: one two three
Majin, as they are known to most other races, are a race of sentient machines that are thought to possess souls. They tend to keep themselves, even avoiding others of the same kind. They are genderless, and the knowledge of how they reproduce, or at least the manufacture of more of them, has been lost to time. Their bodies are incredibly durable, though being made of metal they are clumsier than other races. That is not to say they are not fast, though. Majin can vary even more than humans in terms of size and shape. They can be wiry and short, as short as 4 feet tall, or massive and hulking, up to 8 feet.
Though they are durable, their weakness is a consistent means of regenerating their bodies. They cannot take healing potions like other races, and sleeping only rests their minds and souls. They must find metal - any kind - and consume it. Then, they can sleep and regenerate their health. Additionally, once a year they have to maintain themselves, removing rust and replacing bad parts. This costs additional metal to perform.
It is unknown how long a Majin can live for, though some claim to have been alive for over a millennia, while the youngest claim to be at least 200 years old.
+5 Dexterity, +5 Intuition
Appearance Examples: one two three
Kenku are a race of avian humanoids. They resemble crows in both appearance and mannerisms. They usually range 4 to 6 feet in height and are very lightweight, though not particularly strong. Though they have feathers, claws, and beaks, they have no wings and cannot fly. Moreover, though they can speak avian and understand the common language, they cannot talk normally as others do. If they attempt to do so, what they intend to say comes out in avian and sounds like a crow’s caw. If they wish to speak in common, they must rely on their mimicry. If they have heard a sound before, they can mimic it near perfectly. This includes ambient sounds, the sounds of animals, and other languages, including ones they do not understand (though they cannot truly communicate if they do not understand the language.)
Most Kenkus live either in small cloisters in the mountains and the forests, or they live in the slums of large cities, thieving and robbing to survive.
It is said that, long ago, the god of the Kenkus became displeased with their avarice and greed, and struck them from his domain. They lost their wings and the ability to speak anything other than avian.
Most Kenku are displeased with their lot in life, and wish more than anything to fly and speak freely. They turn to thieving to fulfill the desire they have to take back their gifts.
+10 Intuition
Appearance Examples: one two three
Metatyutem, as they call themselves, or doppelgangers, as they are known colloquially, present a very controversial issue. They are, without a doubt, sentient creatures, and have played a valuable role in the world and in civilization. But their capability of turning into another creature and mimicking their persona near perfectly frightens many and angers even more. Many see doppelgangers as lesser beings, and look upon them with spite and mistrust.
As a result, most doppelgangers prefer to stay disguised most of the time, using one or two favored personas. They are relatively rare beings, so they often have no reason to reveal their true form; they will only do so around truly trusted individuals, or behind closed doors with another of their race.
Metatyutem can recognize one another when disguised, their natural magic leaving a footprint that others can identify. They assume the gender of whichever person they replicate, and although they can mate with other shifters, it is usually more convenient to mate with members of another species, usually humans. The offspring is almost always a shifter, whose powers are latent and only reveal themselves near adulthood.
As a species, Metatyutem aren’t necessarily malevolent. They are merely interested in self-preservation and furthering whatever goals they have, whether they be good or evil.
+5 Strength, +5 Dexterity
Appearance Examples: one two three
Naga are a race of amphibious, lizard-like humanoids. Possessing a wiry strength no other race can match, they can be a fiercely territorial, yet surprisingly artistic race. They are usually no-nonsense when it comes to people outside of their village, and it shows in their weaponry, murals, songs, dances, and general behavior.
Naga typically live in one of three types of environments. The first is in marshland, where they are a semi-nomadic people that reside in medium sized wooden tents. They patrol a wide swath of land, keeping outsiders away and hunting for their village. The second place is by a river. These villages can grow quite large, as they have a ready supply of water and food, not to mention access to other races. These towns can grow to be as large as small human city, and are often hubs of trade and commerce. Naga in these towns are often more tolerant of other races; considering their proximity, it is an expected outcome. The third type of environment is by an ocean, or by saltwater. These villages are often smaller, as Naga can’t breathe saltwater as well or as long as in freshwater. Moreover, their food is limited to what they can catch in the sea and what they can forage above ground. These towns are usually far away from the mouths of rivers, and are somewhat isolated; after all, if Naga decided to camp near the mouth of a river, they would prefer to head upstream rather than stay by the saltwater.
Their weaponry is known to be of a very high quality and very efficient for underwater combat. The quality is surprising, considering they often have little to no access to metals, instead relying on bone and other organic materials.
+5 Endurance, +5 Dexterity
Appearance examples: one two three (ignore the thing on the right)
It is unknown whether a Sarben is more organic or more construct, though many speculate they are spirits that have come to inhabit a mostly inorganic body. In that regard, they are most closely resembled by Djinn and Mechanids.
Little is known of this race, as they rarely venture beyond the sand of the deserts they inhabit. They are thought to be highly mobile nomads, and are known to live off of cactus juice and sunlight. For the most part they get along with Djinn they may encounter, though still keep to themselves.
Sarben that have left the desert are usually quite polite, and even amicable to others. Such individuals are few and far between, rarer even than Majin, and when asked refuse to say why they are there or why they do not go back to the desert. One of the few things they have said is that in the desert, they can morph into sand and travel as fast as the wind (though not outside of the desert, and of course none who have been asked have been able to do so in the taverns they were asked in). Whether this claim is true or not is up for debate.
--------------------
Great! Now, the last part: abilities. Abilities are special things your character can do, like summoning a fireball, dancing in and out enemies and slashing with your blades, summoning ethereal wings so you can glide around, summoning poison from your fingertips, and so on! Go nuts here, this is where you get to really customize your character. Now, I am going to be reviewing these, so if you have something I feel is overpowered or something, I'm going to ask that you either change or remove the ability.
You can have four abilities. The first two are somewhat weaker in their abilities, or are meant for non combat purposes, but you can use them pretty much all the time. The third is something you can use occasionally (think taking a twenty minute breather between uses), or a certain number of times in a day, but is stronger. The final ability is something you can only use once a day or less, but is much stronger than the other three. For simplicity, let's call them Simple abilities, Advanced abilities, and Ultra abilities. When you post your CS, we'll go over it and make any necessary adjustments, so don't worry too much about making something over or under powered. In fact, don't worry about numbers or stats for abilities yet. Just write what you want to happen, and I'll make sure it happens.
In the next OOC, I'll post what the character sheet should look like and valuable information like maps, organizations, and places. I hope you like what you see and will consider joining this game!
