Mournstones: A Commentary

We like to talk about players who make less-than-optimal choices for their characters here at Intwischa for the purposes of crafting greater story. The Dresden Files RPG's "Changeling" character concept takes this notion to an extreme by allowing characters a choice to take on phenomenal power for a very brief time--at the cost of that character's free will. Technically, any character in DFRPG can do this, I suppose.

In any case, the loss of free will in the game is represented by that character's conversion from PC to NPC. The player gets to resolve the last conflict where this overwhelming power is used; then, she must turn her character sheet over to the GM to learn the ultimate fate of her character. And that ultimate fate is generally best saved for future story lines.

There are less dramatic ways that this same conflict can play out in game to great story effect. It is the classic "deal with the devil" scenario where, in a moment of desperation, power can be taken with a price. That's the concept behind the Mournstones (read more about them here if you missed it yesterday); while some of them simply cause harm to a character, many give the characters a choice or put them in a position that should lead to interesting twists in the story.

Some GMs or players might think the Mournstone's effects are too severe. I was intentionally aiming for that--the purpose of the mournstone is to create story opportunities. One of the stones you'll read about today actually imprisons the living victim in hell. The point isn't to remove a player from the game; instead, it is to give the party the chance to have an adventure on par with Orpheus. If I were running a game where this were used, I'd allow the player the chance to play the demon controlling his character--if she wasn't interested in that; I'd move the story back and forth between the over- and under-worlds, as the party moved to rescue her and she attempted to escape her hellish prison.

Most gamers agree that magic items in D&D have become severely uncool as they've progressed from the Dungeon Master's Guide to a shopping list in the Player's Handbook. I fault the concept of "balance" here. If 3.5's magic items are boring, then it's wondrous items are just that--wondrous. It's a pity they have price tags and balanced rules attached to them; I'd like to see them simply exist as a story element. I hope the Mournstones can be that in your game.

Enough commentary. Here's another helping of...

More Mournstones for Your Warlock

Sandstone of Sin

Description: This rough sand-colored disk finds the darkness in its victim's heart and aggravates it until the sin is an indomitable force.
Full effect: Randomly determine a sin or vice (for instance, roll 1d6. 1: gluttony, 2: lust, 3: greed, 4: wrath, 5: vanity, 6: sloth) This sin becomes a consuming force in the victim's psyche. The victim does not lose control of his actions or free will, however, unless he gives in to this sin by taking a physical action that feeds the sin. When that happens, however, he must carry that sin through to its fullest extent. (The player is encouraged to interpret this liberally so that the GM need not intervene). For instance, if some lout slaps a victim dominated by wrath in the face, and the victim slaps back, the victim will launch into a full attack, not stopping until the offender is destroyed. Woe to he who is cursed by consuming gluttony or sloth, and attempts to take a meal or a rest! This can only be reversed by refraining from engaging in the related activity (violence, eating, sleeping) for 7 consecutive days.
Partial effect: Same as full, except the effect lasts for 2d4 hours.
Sacrifice demanded: Seven consecutive days of human sacrifice.
Example of greater sacrifice for multi-use stone: Seven consecutive weeks of the same.

Mourning Marble

Description: This rough-edged black and white slab serves the primary purpose of gaining a new follower of the warlock's patron demon. Because it does not cause immediate harm to the victim, it is generally used only by a very cunning warlock, or one desperate to please his liege.
Full effect: Randomly select another mournstone. As the Mourning Marble is absorbed into the victim's person, it passes through her heart, down her arm, and appears in her hand as the randomly selected stone, which is in her possession, and may be used now or at any point with no sacrifice made. Except, of course, for eternal allegiance to the demon associated with the warlock. Using the stone represents a full sacrifice of free will (the PC becomes an NPC). There's another catch--if this exact stone is used by anyone (for instance, if it is stolen from the victim and used for the gain of the thief), then the victim also loses her free will in service to the demon.
Partial effect: The victim suffers no ill effect on a partial effect. The stone simply (and quite unnaturally) bounces off the victim and returns to the hand of the one who attempted to use it.
Sacrifice demanded: A pint of the blood of the one requesting the stone from the demon. (The cost is low because the demon's interest in this stone's use is quite high.)
Example of greater sacrifice for multi-use stone: Not applicable--because of the nature of the Mourning Marble, it is always a one-use item.

Diamond of the Devilish Doppelgänger

Description: This precisely carved and multifaceted gemstone reflects the face of whomever gazes upon it dozens of times over… but something distinct is wrong about each reflection. Using this mournstone causes the victim to become an avatar for the demon who granted the warlock's powers.
Full effect: The victim's consciousness is immediately stripped from her body and forced into the body of a damned soul under the demon's dominion. Simultaneously, the demon's consciousness (or that of a minion) is transferred to the victim's body. Casting out the demon is only half the problem… the consciousness of the victim must be fetched from the hells for any sort of restoration to occur.
Partial effect: The possession still occurs; however, enough of the victim's will remains to cast the demon into the body of another living creature. The victim should beware casting the demon into a powerful foe--for the anger of the spurned demon will surely be taken out with extreme aggression. For every ten seconds that the victim does not cast the demon out, he must assert his will against the demon (D&D: save vs. magic or will save) or suffer the full effect.
Sacrifice demanded: The one who wields this stone must spend three days in service to the demon in the hells.
Example of greater sacrifice for multi-use stone: The one who wields this stone must deliver in person to the demon three living souls, who will be made into servants. Any time the stone is not used to its full effect, the warlock must deliver a soul to the underworld within 7 days, or suffer the full effect himself.

A mournstone is formed when a warlock or witch imbues dark eldritch energies, varied in nature but singular in the intent of causing creative pain to one's enemies, into a small stone about the size of a toddler's fist. Because of the level of effort (read: personal sacrifice) involved in creating a mournstone, you will not find these among the possessions of a hedge wizard or some country bumpkin witch. No, the mournstone is the province of the wizard self-exiled from an ignorant society in the tower; the warlock in the sulfurous dungeons who pays his debts with the blood of heroes.

In other words, magic users powerful enough to have armies of at least semi-intelligent people. Or monsters.

As such, it has become a customary practice for the warlock to reward service with a mournstone. This serves two purposes for the warlock: first, it allows his personal guard to unleash a devastating attack against the warlock's foes; second, and more critically, it allows the warlock to defer the sacrifice required for a mournstone to its recipient. A side benefit for the warlock is that mournstones tend to be single-use, and when their minion gets a taste of true eldritch power, they generally want more.

Still, some particularly heartless sorcerers choose willingly to make the sacrifice on their own rather than by proxy, and indeed offer more than demanded for the creation of a mournstone. To these are gifted the mournstones that work more than once--indeed, sometimes multiple times per day. However, the demons who reward the warlock with a powerful mournstone do demand ongoing sacrifice.

To use a mournstone, the attacker throws the stone at his opponent. If the victim's mystic fortitude can't stand up to the power of the warlock who created the stone, then the stone is absorbed into the skin of the victim, where it dissolves into dust and its magic goes to work. Multiple-use mournstones, contrastingly, are mounted atop a morningstar; these larger variations grow thorns which sink into the enemy's skin to deliver the magic; these thorns re-grow as the warlock performs his ongoing sacrifice. If an opponent is hit by a stone but resists the magic, the stone is still used, but the foe suffers slightly less--and the minion is generally punished heartily for this transgression.

For you D&D-ish folks, treat this as a ranged attack that ignores armor/touch attack, followed by a save vs. magic/fortitude save.

Mournstones

Burning Brimstone

Description: This dull red porous rock glows with the fires of hell, and indeed scorches the hand of the one wielding it. When used against a foe, a channel with a demon is created, who inflicts excruciating pain until the victim makes his own sacrifice.
Full effect: The victim suffers a serious wound (D&D, think 1/3rd total hit points) as his insides begin to burn with hellfire. When the intensity of the pain grows dull, an infernal voice demands sacrifice--generally, this takes the form of slaying an innocent in the demon's name. This process repeats daily until the curse can be lifted, or the sacrifice is performed. Many a demon is not above offering power in addition to comfort for the sacrifice--after all, new warlocks must come from somewhere.
Partial effect: The victim can choose to accept a serious wound, or inflict it upon an ally or innocent whom he can see.
Sacrifice demanded: The freshly severed ear of a family member or minion
Example of greater sacrifice for multi-use stone: A "generous cut" of ear that leaves the victim less-than-living results in a stone that can be use once every 2d4 days. A new ear (generous or not) must be provided to recharge the stone's power

Leprous Loadstone

Description: This nearly black rock has a swirling dark green pattern which undulates in an unsettling way to any who look too close. One infected by this stone is inflicted with a painful illness that causes the loss of first digits, then limbs, until the curse is lifted. This disease spreads to any who try to use magic to cure it; the cure, known only to powerful wizards and holy men, is to drink from the waters of the underworld.
Full effect: The cursed suffers a disease which initially causes only irritated skin. Within 8 hours, she loses a finger or a toe; this continues until her hands and feet are bare, at which point, she will lose a leg or an arm. After twenty five days, this disease causes the head of the now-limbless victim to fall from her body.
Partial effect: The victim is sickened and feels unable to act. For 2d4 minutes, any strenuous action taken results in the loss of a finger or toe.
Sacrifice demanded: All the digits from one's own hand (or all 20 digits from an innocent victim)
Example of greater sacrifice for multi-use stone: Offering one's own hand results in a stone that can be used once each time another digit is offered

Granite of Guileful Polymorph

Description: This gray rock shines like platinum, and when used against a foe inflicts a complicated and intricate magical chain reaction designed to trick the victim into tragically destructive acts. It not only fools the warlocks foes; it also gives the warlock a route of escape in a dire situation.
Full effect: Unlike other mournstones, the stone is expelled from the skin upon infection, and crumbles to dust on the ground. The victim is overcome with the knowledge that he has not only resisted the magic, but indeed stolen a powerful magic ability from the stone--the power to turn a foe into a snail. When the victim uses this power, however, the victim's target is actually teleported up to 1 mile away to the location of a nearby innocent. That unfortunate innocent is the one turned into a snail, which is teleported to the location recently occupied by the target. The transformation lasts for 2d4 hours, even if the victim is stomped, squished, or otherwise killed.
Partial effect: The teleportation works, but the transformation does not--and a confused innocent occupies the warlock's place.
Sacrifice demanded: An ounce of flesh from one undergoing puberty
Example of greater sacrifice for multi-use stone: A fresh pound of flesh from the same results in a stone that can be reused each time a new pound is offered.

Stop by next week to see Part 2 of the Warlock's Mournstones!

Readers of our more recent posts might also know that we've incorporated Houses of the Blooded into our repertoire. It might be counter-intuitive that I, who normally rely on my plot, am running these games. In case you haven't heard of Houses of the Blooded (HotB), the reason it's counter-intuitive is that this is the most improv heavy game I've ever played.

This game takes Fate's trick of letting the players take narrative control to a whole new level. You no longer need to spend a Fate Point to guide the game. Instead, you can set aside (Wager) dice from your pool whenever you roll, and, if you succeed without them, you can state one thing that's true in the plot for each die.

How can you ever hope to run a game when the players have that much control?

Let Go

The first lesson HotB taught me was to let go of the game. There's a reason that the one who runs it is called a Narrator, and not a Game Master. Nobody's the "master" of a Houses of the Blooded session. You can make all the plans you want, but anybody in that game can drop a nuclear bomb on your best laid schemes with a single well-placed Wager.

If you try to force your plans on this game, it'll only end in frustration for both your players and you. Instead, I've found that I have to keep an open mind. Let the game go where the players seem to be taking it.

This applies outside HotB too. I've written before about the importance of listening to your players, and this is a great example. Even if the game doesn't involve crazy amounts of player control, RPG plots still exist only as sets of consensual assumptions shared by the group. If the group isn't buying what you're selling, you're in trouble whether or not they have the power to do anything about it.

Setting, Characters, and Situations

Instead of coming up with a plot in Houses of the Blooded that the players will mercilessly destroy, you're creating an arena in which they can play. You set the stage, and they play the parts. Coming into the game with a few interesting settings, characters, and situations will help you out when the game is starting to drag.

As fair warning, I think my most effective contributions to our games have largely come from spur of the moment inspiration rather than preparation. Maybe they just fit better, since they were created especially for the situation at hand. Still, a prepared idea is better than no idea.

Create Complications

As much as we all like to get our way, it usually isn't fun if there's no challenge. Make sure that there are enough setbacks, surprises, and plot twists to keep things interesting. As you're sitting back, and watching where the players take the story, keep an eye out for thoughts (or player comments) such as "it would suck if", or "it would be awesome if..."

Remember that, at least in HotB, the players will be creating complications for each other too, and, in some cases, even themselves. Don't pile your own twists on an already Byzantine section of the plot. Instead, throw them in when somebody seems to be skating through a scene, or at just the right time to catch everybody off guard.

Look for Loopholes

Even when players have the ability to state "truths" about the game, they don't always mean what they think. In the best tradition of genies and monkey's paws, you can twist what the players say. This is a another great way to create complications.

It is, however, one of those tricks you'll want to use sparingly. Players will get pretty pissed if everything they say gets turned against them. Just don't be a jerk, and only use it when it will make the story better.

Say Less

The less you say, the more room the players have to guide the story. This is (usually) good, because you've got all those imaginations working to build the story. It also leaves more room for you to work later, and lets you play off anything the players thought they heard.

What you do say has to be effective, though. You have to say enough to establish a tone, and set the stage. You have to create a sufficiently interesting foundation that the players can build upon.

Pacing

Controlling the pace of the game has proved to be the hardest aspect of Houses of the Blooded for me. What was intended as a one (or maybe two) session intro game has extended to four session now, and we're going into a fifth. Each of my players has cool stuff going on, so I've been trying to reach an ending where everybody gets at least some closure. However, trying to achieve this feat while the players simultaneously steer the game makes me want to scoff at those who simply herd cats.

What I'm coming to realize is that I have a couple tools in my belt that I'm not using enough. First, is the classic "fade to black." I need to be quicker to fade out on a scene when we've reached little summits of closure. This way we're not creating even more complications to resolve. Second, results can be resolved "off stage." Instead of playing through every scene, we can quickly cover how it ended like a flash-back, and move to something that seems to lie closer to the path of the "main plot."

GM Exercise

I've heard authors talk about their writing as if their characters had minds of their own. In the case of an RPG GM, that's literally true. We're similar in that we're trying to work our way through an interesting story, but we're also dealing with player characters that might very well decide to completely ignore our awesome plot.

Running Houses of the Blooded seems to be something like an exercise regimen for those muscles that GMs need more than authors. I think that I'll come out of this game with better improvisational skills, and a greater comfort level with letting the players take control. That's on top telling some pretty awesome collaborative stories. I'd definitely urge everybody to give this game a try.

Why do Mormons Keep Showing Up?

OK, I promise to avoid making this a political or religious statement. But when I read the title "Mormons and Morlocks" at Jeff's Gameblog, I thought "First Dogs in the Vineyard, now this... Why do Mormons keep showing up in games?"

I'll admit readily that I know very little about Mormonism, and so have tried to take a default "thou shalt not judge" approach. And (no sacrilege intended), I approached the article as I generally approach religion in roleplaying games--as an utterly fictional concept designed for generating theme. (Again--distinguish this from real life... religion in games ==> fiction, religion in reality ==> personal choice).

So, with all those caveats, man alive this sounds like an awesome game! Jeff details how the history of the Book of Mormon can be used as the foundations of a setting. While I don't share his need to incorporate elves and dwarfs and such, I see a tremendous amount of potential in using the various groups that "settled America" to create a varied and dark setting. Thanks, Jeff!

Links

• Campaign Concept: Mormons & Morlocks from Jeffs Gameblog
• Swords and Sorcery and Sunday School from Intwischa
• Jungian Archetype Generator from Intwischa
• Cuz I Gotta Have Faith from Intwischa

A Call to Useful Blogs

TheGazebo at Dread Gazebo (that's a weird clause to write) ruminates on the state of the uber-gaming blogroll in a way close to my heart. Way too many game blogs are nothing but complaining about 4E or 5E, or philosophizing on pseudo-game-related content.

Time for a little meta: Of Intwischa's 294 published posts, only 11 are tagged "rant." I'm proud of this. However, I just noticed that 83 of our 294 posts are "commentary," meaning that almost 30% of the time, we're giving you ideas about games rather than ideas for games. This, unfortunately, just edges out our 80 articles containing "game ready content."

To be clear, we intentionally follow a post schedule: Game Ready Content Mondays, Links Tuesdays, Advice Wednesdays, Wildcard Thursdays, and Commentary Fridays. This means we plan to have 20% of our posts be commentary. However, it doesn't seem to me that we should be offering more commentary than game-ready material.

I can't speak for my co-editors (although I hope they speak in the Comments!), but I'm going to pledge to make Thursdays "game ready content" until this ratio is better.

We do strive to provide useful commentary; this post isn't to state that all commentary is useless pedantry. However, the game should come first. Thanks, Dread, for reminding us of that.

Links

• I'm A Bad Geek from Dread Gazebo
• Game Ready Content from Intwischa
• Rants from Intwischa

All I Need is a Pair of Wheels

Speaking of game-ready, thank you Will @gameplaywright for reminding me of something I can't stand about how some gaming groups approach problems: plan the hell out of it.  He instead suggests a theoretical Indiana Jones RPG that rewards players for moving.

Going back to "Three Questions," specifically (in my own words) "How does your game reward players for contributing to the theme of the game," this notion of constant movement is brilliant for any hero. Unfortunately, too many of our games don't provide penalties for avoiding risks, or good enough rewards for taking them. Systems like "(action|style|grit) points" are good starts... but what about going straight for the jugular/holy grail of Hit Points?

What if your character healed by taking action?

Yeah, no verisimilitude. Who cares? Any sense of reality is equally dashed when "our heroes" gather around debating what the Dark Lord's weakness is while he is right in front of them! Why not reward the player who goes on a dare and smashes his mirror--even if it was just a prop?

Look for a game-ready content post on this soon

Links

• Indy's Game from gameplaywright
• Lost and Found (3 Questions) from Intwischa

"I knew I shoulda stayed in bed this morning," Ailmer grumbled, sneaking a peek through the rough boards that had been hastily nailed over the broken window.  "There's gotta be fifty of 'em down there, and that's just the ones I can see.  Please tell me you got a plan for gettin' us outta here?"  He darted a suspicious glare in Jax's direction.

Kilgore, who had been hastily scrawling something on the wall with a small, dirty piece of chalk, stopped for a moment to curse under his breath.  Then he too questioned their leader.  "I cannot currently conceive of an outcome to this predicament that does not result in at least two of us getting captured at best, or perhaps killed should fate start working against us."  His perfect diction and formal tone did little to hide his mounting concern.  "What exactly will be our recourse from this perilous position?"

"Maybe the fates need a bit of a push, seeing as how we've done an extraordinary job of placing ourselves in harm's way this time."  Beirtein began rummaging through his many pouches as he spoke, obviously searching for a particular item with which to emphasize his point.  "I believe I have something for just such an occasion." His eyes lit a bit as he found what he was looking for, drawing a pair of sleek rabbits' feet from a bag on his belt.

This whole time, Jax had seemingly been ignoring the conversation, but now he began to chuckle as the clamor of the angry mob grew louder outside.  "We're gonna need something a little bigger than a bunny if we're all gonna make it out of here in one piece," he jeered.  The rest of the group could see that he now held his trademark flintlock pistol in one hand and in the other... what appeared to be a human finger, the severed end capped in iron.  "Luckily, I know somebody who can help us out."  Jerusalem Jax grinned wolfishly as he turned toward the stairs.  "Well, at least part of somebody."

Some rely on faith, and others rely on steel, and others still rely on their cunning.  There's a certain breed of adventurer, however, who take chances, defy fate, and roll the dice.  Those particular adventurers can use all the help they can get, so today we look at six lucky charms that might just improve the odds when all looks lost.  Hopefully they'll bring good fortune to a campaign near you!

Fortune Factor

Because Lady Luck can be a mercurial mistress, none of these charms will work every time.  However, some can prove more potent than others based on the quality of their components and the time taken in their preparation.  To represent the fickle finger of fate in these matters, roll a D6 for any charm chosen from this list; that number becomes the charm's Fortune Factor.  The Fortune Factor represents the following for each affected item:

• The number of weeks it takes/it took (in game) to create the item
• The number of times the item may be used before expended
• When multiplied by 1000, the item's monetary value (in gold, dollars, or the like)
• When multiplied by 10, the rate of success of the item (expressed as a percentage)

As an example, then, a rabbit's foot with a Fortune Factor of "3" takes/took 3 weeks to craft, may be used successfully 3 times before being expended, is worth roughly $3000, and has a 30% chance of succeeding when used.

1. The Freedom Fetish

Main Component:  The finger of one who has escaped from prison.  It must be removed while the person is still living, and the severed end must be capped in metal; iron, gold, and silver are used most often.  This charm loses its power if it is stolen from the one who created it.

Main Benefit:  When called on, it is thought that this charm allows its bearer to more easily free himself from an otherwise inescapable situation.  This may apply to being bound, controlled, incarcerated, or otherwise trapped against the bearer's will.  The bearer may choose to aid others in escape as well, but must determine the success for each accomplice separately.  Successfully aiding another in this way counts as a use that may expend the item.

2. The Truth Talisman

Main Component:   A lock of hair each from three virgins.  They must be removed while the persons are still living, and then braided or twisted together into a single cord which must be worn on the bearer's wrist.  This charm loses its power if it is stolen from the one who created it.

Main Benefit:  If they truly wish it, the bearer can somehow sense when someone is dealing dishonestly with them.  This may apply when they are being lied to, misled, or taken advantage of by another.  While they cannot divine the truth, they are more apt to recognize the absence of it.

3. The Burning Bauble

Main Component:  A nail from a house that has been destroyed by fire.  The nail must be cleaned and burnished so that it is free of ash or soot, and then pierced through a part of the bearer's garment and worn continuously.  This charm has no power if the fire that destroyed the house was caused by the bearer.

Main Benefit:  The bearer seems slower to suffer the adverse effects of heat.  This heat may be the result of extreme temperatures, physical exertion, or open flame.  They may still suffer physical damage from it eventually, but they seem to be more capable of acting normally despite its influence than others.

4. The Curing Coin

Main Component:  A penny, or other coin, that has been placed in a corpse's mouth.  The deceased must have then been buried, with the number of weeks it lay interred often determining the potency of the charm.  The coin must then be recovered, and continuously worn against the bearer's skin without being washed.  This charm loses its power if the bearer caused the death of the deceased.

Main Benefit:  The bearer seems slower to suffer the adverse effects of sickness or disease.  Sickness may range from epidemics to the common cold, and may even extend top biologically or magically engineered ailments.  While they are not granted any additional health or healing, they seem to be more capable of avoiding the symptoms of disease than others.

5. The Sustaining Strand

Main Component:  The dried umbilical cord from a friendly animal; the bearer must have assisted in or been present for the birthing process.  The cord, once cut, must be dried thoroughly and then fashioned into a sort of collar and fastened around the bearer's neck.  While rumors do exist of these charms being made from human births, such a thing must be exceedingly rare.

Main Benefit:  As long as the bearer continues to wear this charm, they should have no trouble finding food to eat.  Whether it be edible berries, wild game, or the nearest restaurant, the bearer just seems to find the way to their next meal.  This charm does not grant the bearer any additional hunting or culinary skill, but it is sure to make certain they don't go hungry.

6. The Rainfall Runes

Main Component:  The teeth of a carnivorous beast.  The bearer must have assisted in or been responsible for the death of the predator; taking the teeth from an animal carcass would not suffice.  All of the teeth must be present and intact for the charm to be effective.

Main Benefit:  The bearer has found a way, with some degree of accuracy, to use the charm to predict local weather patterns.  Most often this applies to "yes" or "no" questions, such as "Will it rain tomorrow?" but some proficient bearers have been known to yield more specialized results.  This charm does not allow the bearer to control or divine the weather, but seems to make them more adept at interpreting its cycles.

Of course, I'm certainly not the first one to have considered that gamers have different priorities. In fact, I can think of a couple off the top of my head.

Classification Systems

GNS

The classic groupings are Gamist, Narrativist, and Simulationist. However, just picking one seems overly simplistic. Also, there's a lot of room in those categories.

Fourth Edition Player Motivations

One thing I thought was a cool addition to Fourth Edition D&D's "Dungeon Master's Guide" was their list of Player Motivations. This feature urged a DM to classify her players based on their gaming preferences into: Actor, Explorer, Instigator, Power Gamer, Slayer, Storyteller, Thinker, and Watcher (4E DMG, pp 8). I like that this system is more fine-grained. It also helpfully includes tips on how to engage such players in the game, and keep their tenancies from causing friction.

Ranking

When I try to classify myself in any of these systems, however, I see pieces of myself in several of the categories. For instance, in the 4E system, I'd probably fall most under Storyteller, but I also gravitate toward Actor, Explorer, Thinker, and even a little Power Gamer. The more I think about it, the more I think that these shouldn't be mutually exclusive labels, but a ranked list.

Also, it seems to me that player classifications are of dubious use. Even if I know for certain that a given player is a Narrativist, what do I do with that? I have to infer from the label what the player would enjoy.

Instead, what if we ranked the properties of a game that player prefers? This allows us to get at a player's needs while avoiding the problem of classifying people into stereotypes that they're inevitably going to exceed. It also (hopefully) gives us an immediately useful list of how to appeal to the player in question.

Priorities

I've been brainstorming a list of things to prioritize. Some of them I've blatantly ripped off of the classification systems I mentioned above. This is a work in progress, however, and I'd appreciate your input in the comments!

If you've got a relatively recent browser, with JavaScript enabled, you should be able to move those around into the order that best fits your preferences.

Uses

How can the information from those rankings be useful? I find that I rank both Plot and Verisimilitude above Challenge and Action. As a player, this probably means that I'm going to put a lot of effort into the story, and not as much into combat. It also probably explains why I've never been especially good at running good encounters: I just don't care as much.

Heading Off Criticism

I know that list isn't perfect. In fact, I thought of several other possible options, such as risk and novelty. However, I wanted to narrow it down to ten so that sorting wouldn't be too arduous. If you can think of ideas that you think are more important than those in the list, let me know!

Also, it's pretty concise to say, "I'm a Gamist." It isn't quite so easy to give a list of ten sorted abstract ideas. I'm not sure how to get around that one, though. Any way you could convey that more simply also loses some of the accuracy I was looking for.

Links

• GNS Theory
• Taking Inspiration From Reality

WETHERSMYTHE

Bellamy Palethorpe

Archetype: God

Commonly Found: The Pale Horse Inn

Proprietor of the Pale Horse Inn, Palethorpe is just as famous for his rumbling laugh and piercing stare as he is for his ability to fill just about any order his customers may place- no matter how unique or unusual.  In his wisdom, Palethorpe has catered to and made friends with most of Wethersmythe's old money, keeping a formal dining room set apart just for their lavish parties and masques.  Strangely, however, he has little desire for their gold; he'd just as soon collect a favor or a secret as a coin.

Palethorpe is at once friendly and guarded, treating almost every guest as a long-lost friend while revealing almost nothing about himself in the process.  A gifted storyteller himself, he often trades stories around the fire with visitors who claim to have fought monsters or met magical beings.  Palethorpe spins all his yarns as if they're true- even the most incredulous tall tales.  Palethorpe speaks with such weight and conviction that they are generally believed by the patrons at the Pale Horse.

Seamus Hobac

Archetype:  Maiden

Commonly Found:  Graveside Chapels

Seamus Hobac has the unique task of maintaining all of Wethersmythe's graveside chapels.  Far from a dismal duty, however, Hobac sees a simple purity in the rituals of death.  He helps the citizens of his city pass from physical life into the serenity of spiritual slumber, into the waiting arms of Golgomane and his velvet embrace.  Under his watchful care, there is no longer a need to fear death.  Free of the pain and strife of the waking realm, and the constant dread of what prowls the dark, Hobac's charges finally know peace.

While others may look down on his role, Hobac actively sought this position.  He has spent many years in devout study of the intricate symbols and sigils that adorn the architecture of Wethersmythe's cemeteries.  He has devoted countless hours to honing his craft of stone carving, inscribing each column, vault, and head stone with unique meaning.  Hobac hopes that by demonstrating his deep devotion to Golgomane, he will be protected from the terrors of darkness, and one day be granted the boon of meeting him face to face.

Father Philip Bartleby

Archetype:  Apollo

Commonly Found:  House of the First Dawn

Father Bartleby is of a dying breed.  While many call on Akiva for boons or protection, the open worship of him as a divine creator is very rare.  Yet Father Bartleby has devoted his life to maintaining the oldest sacred place in the land and keeping it ready for those who would seek Akiva's guiding light.  Even as Wethersmythe literally crumbles around him, he continues to build up the House of the First Dawn as a sanctuary for the frightened masses.

The old ways of Wethersmythe called for a balance between light and dark, day and night, life and death.  While many have used Akiva's name to accumulate physical wealth, unnaturally prolong life, or destroy creatures of the night out of fear and ignorance, Father Bartleby continues to preach a world where the children of Akiva and Golgomane exist in harmony.  He teaches his congregation to light the way when darkness falls, rather than to violently fight its coming.  His doctrine is viewed as radical, but he quietly insists that without the darkness the light would have nowhere to shine.

Nicholas Durant

Archetype:  Shadow

Commonly Found:  The Stone Steps

While most inhabitants of the region are busy trying to forget that they're constantly being hunted, Nicholas Durant is proclaiming it loudly to all who will listen.  Durant can be found almost daily on the Stone Steps, calling the citizens of Wethersmythe to arms to fight against the predators that lurk just outside their walls.  His rants are frequently peppered with graphic descriptions of fiendish monsters and dire beasts, followed by an urgent demand to fight against them to protect the civilized way of life.  He cites Wethersmythe's recent disasters as evidence that nature is against them, and insists it must be controlled lest it destroy them completely.

When he began his mission to awaken the public to the dangers they chose to ignore, he was constantly decried or even arrested by the town guard.  Now they accept his wild exhortations as a part of everyday life, and respond only if a formal complaint is filed.  Every so often Durant actually recruits a few willing souls, and together they brave the surrounding lands with torches and steel.  Inevitably, however, Durant's followers come rushing back into town before too long, having seen nothing but the black of night.  Still, Durant's reports of his hunting experiences always seem to fuel his message.

Cephas Moore

Archetype:  Animus/Male

Commonly Found:  The Stone Quarries

Quarrying the stone that has kept Wethersmythe, and in fact many other settlements, alive is a rough, risky, thankless task.  And never was a man more suited for his job than Cephas Moore.  Moore is an unrelenting master who constantly admonishes that 'a man's not a man, except when he proves to be.'  He has little tolerance for anyone is is not as disciplined and hard-working as himself; which is to say, he has little tolerance for anyone.

This stern veneer is born of the constant knowledge that the work of the quarries is to provide stone, and the work of stone is to protect life.  As a boy, Moore saw the men of his own village fail to protect his family from an attack from vicious beasts.  Instead, they fled as soon as the bloodshed started.

Moore decided that from that day on, he would stand up to protect those who could not defend themselves.  He sees his harsh operation of the stone quarries as a means to that end.  If he were to allow laziness or failure, more innocent lives could hang in the balance.

UPPER HOUNDSFELDT

Daphne Seagraves

Archetype:  Faithful Dog

Commonly Found:  The Hound's Tooth Inn

Daphne Seagraves is the mistress of the Hound's Tooth Inn by default.  It was over two years ago that her husband, Nathaniel Seagraves, left town with a band of hunters intent on tracking and killing whatever beasts were destroying whole fields of crops at night.  None of the hunters have yet to return.  Daphne still insists that her husband is a strong and decent man, and that he will one day return to his business and his family.  Sadly, Daphne is about the only one that still believes.

When she first took over the Inn during her husband's absence, she knew little about running a public house.  However, she seemed to take to it naturally; her beer was always fresh, her door was always open, and her customers were always happy.  Her regular crowd were good folk who wouldn't tolerate any rowdy customer who thought they might drink for free in a woman's bar.  Above the taps is a printed notice of her offer for a lifetime of free drinks to the man who finds her husband.  So far, however, no one has come to claim that reward.

Hob Bishop

Archetype:  Family

Commonly Found:  Agriculture Collective

A Bishop has been Master of the Plow at the agriculture collective since it was founded ten lifetimes ago.  Hob Bishop has held the title since his father's death, and has wielded it fairly ever since.  Under his tutelage, members of the collective have been blessed by the land with great bounty.

Hob himself has been blessed with a large family of eight daughters.  His five oldest girls have taken husbands, all honorable men from outside the community.  Hob actively encouraged this; having no sons to carry on the family name, he looks to carry on the tradition of the collective through his children's new lineages.  In doing so, he hopes to spread the seeds of his knowledge to lands beyond his home.

Hob is fiercely protective of the collective, of the town, and of the many families whose way of life depends largely on him.  He has more than once led men of Upper Houndsfeldt in defense against marauding monsters.  He is most fierce, however, in the defense of his daughters, a fact his sons-in-law would surely confirm.

BURNING SPIRE

Watson Chandler

Archetype:  Hero

Commonly Found:  Fair Housing Commons

While much of Burning Spire's population sleeps in their floating homes, Watson Chandler is responsible for keeping them safe.  Chandler formerly served as first mate on a vessel that famously brought all its new settlers safely into port, and soon after was chosen by the town's leadership as 'their man' to lead the night watch and keep any threats away from their collective doors.

The constant fears of the townspeople give Chandler little rest, and he seems to be permanently on duty.  His home has become a de facto command post as citizens and guards alike constantly seek his counsel.  However, their dependence on him and his ability to fend off danger have made him a local hero.  He wants for little, receiving the finest food, clothing, and accommodations as tribute from his grateful patrons.

Dekuyper Fess

Archetype:  Magician/Witch

Commonly Found:  The Museum of Discovery

Dekuyper Fess is a different kind of hunter.  While many others have devoted themselves to stalking and killing the realm's many predators in the hopes of keeping their people safe, Fess seeks knowledge.  The knowledge he's looking for, however, usually proves quite dangerous.  Driven by ancient stories and historic tomes in the possession of the Museum of Discovery, Fess wants to know anything and everything about the monsters that prowl this land, and how they came to be.

Unlike the rest of the settlers here, Fess firmly believes that the powers that created this land, and the monsters that inhabit it, can be known and controlled by men.  Rather than slaying them, he hopes to discover the power to summon and manipulate them.  His experiments into this area are considered disdainful by most, and deviant by others still.  He has been blamed in the past for causing or allowing monsters to attack simply to investigate their methods.

For now, the Museum continues to employ him, paying him handsomely to journey off in search of more artifacts for their collection.  The most potent pieces never make it into their exhibits however.  Fess keeps them for himself, to study them and decipher their secrets.

Sabra Brierre

Archetype:  Great Mother

Commonly Found:  The Gilded Lily

Sabra Brierre is the owner of the Gilded Lily, and a well-respected citizen throughout the town.  She first visited the realm as a ship's captain, having made several trips to bring settlers and supplies to Burning Spire.  Her skill in sailing and maritime trade is rare, and has granted her wealth and some measure of prestige.  She is trusted by many to safely deliver guests and goods to their intended destinations.

Brierre is known for taking in children whose families are lost to native beasts.  In fact, the majority of those who help run the Gilded Lily were at one time wayward orphans in need of her hospitality.  They in turn take great pride in showing that hospitality to visitors at the tavern.  The extreme dedication of her staff and adopted family gives Brierre the freedom to pursue other ventures, and leave the running of the Gilded Lily in their capable hands.  She still makes daily appearances, however, to stay in the public eye.

WAKE HILL

Henry Irondale

Archetype:  Child

Commonly Found:  Wake Hill Lighthouse

Henry used to stay awake late into the night, watching the glowing beacon of the Wake Hill Lighthouse as it blazed through the darkness.  His mind was filled with stories passed down from grandfather to grandfather, until his own grandfather had told Henry the tales about brave sailors and monsters of the sea.  Henry took all of these yarns at face value, firmly believing that figures in these age-old myths were always but a good storm away.

When the opportunity came for Henry to apprentice with the keeper of the lighthouse, he didn't think twice.  He left his home, his family, and his intended bride and moved into a cramped shack on the rocky isle.  Now, as keeper himself and the only true resident of Wake Hill, he shows an almost religious devotion to his duties.  Secretly, however, he watches the waves in the hopes that his lighthouse will serve as a call to the sea's great heroes and terrible monsters that he still dreams of every night.

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The Real World

Whether I'm running a game, or playing a character, one of my goals is always realism. When I say "realism", I don't mean that I have to track every ounce of water characters drink in a survival situation. I also don't mean that I feel the need to run a simulation of an entire economy to figure out what products are available in a town. Despite my penchant for resorting to math to solve a problem, my goal of realism isn't about numbers.

Instead, my games and characters have to feel realistic, at least to me. It's inevitably my biggest complaint with play styles such as power gaming. The more that either the plot or character behavior exceeds my invisible mental barrier separating real from unreal, the more my engagement with the game begins to break down.

When I'm creating my own characters and plot ideas, of course, I try to make them feel as if they could step right out of the game. Partly, this is a function of the little model of the world that we all build in our minds as we accrue experiences. What could make things feel more realistic, however, than basing them off the real world?

History

My biggest inspiration probably tends to be our own history. I've played characters based on historical figures like Tamerlane, Julius Caesar, and Alexander the Great. My players have fought the battle of Thermopylae, with the part of the Persians played by a hoard of undead.

Apparently, I do this so much, that Bryan's taken to Googling details of my character background to get more information. I guess I have to start mangling my names more thoroughly. In any case, history provides an unbelievably rich source of gaming ideas. One great resource for this is...

Wikipedia

There's a whole lot more to Wikipedia than history, however. I've mentioned before how easily I get trapped in my Wikipedia delves. It was Wikipedia, among other resources, that brought me to play an ascetic priest loosely based on Sufi dervishes.

If you're ever lacking for ideas, try the following trick. Look up a marginally related topic. If you're playing a fantasy game, for example, open the page on swords. From there, take the first link to a subject that's unfamiliar to you. Repeat that step a couple times, and I guarantee you'll hit something that blows your mind. This is exactly how I stumbled on to the "Vehmic court", which I found completely fascinating.

Biographies

I've found that a book dedicated to a single person, or a small group of people, will make them far more sympathetic than a broad survey of their period of history would. I'd have a hard time playing a character with whom I couldn't sympathize. While history can tell you what happened, a biography is more likely to explain the context, and provide a better idea for why it happened.

While I'd certainly read about Tamerlane before, it was a biography of the historical Timur that made me want to base a character on him. Similarly, everybody's heard of Julius Caesar, but it was the Twelve Caesars that brought me to incorporate him into a PC. While I haven't created one from my recent forays into biographies of the American Founding Fathers, it's only a matter of time.

Folk Stories

Role playing games have long borrowed from folk tales the world over. Open up any D&D Monster Manual, and you're looking at a distillation of a thousand years of stories. Whether it's Bahamut, barghests, nagas, or the Tarrasque, you've probably encountered the progeny of countless cultures.

One aspect of this subject that I find endlessly fascinating is Comparative Mythology. This field seeks to find patterns in the old stories, which might speak to cultural interaction, or even say something about humanity itself. A widely known example of this is Joseph Campbell, and his Monomyth. These patterns can provide guidelines for your stories and characters that will make them seem both realistic, and somehow familiar.

Current Events

Another great way to get ideas is just keeping an eye on current events. Here you can find a never-ending pool of conflict, controversy, and heroes to add flavor to your games. The expulsion of some Roma groups from France a couple years ago inspired what I consider to be probably the best game I've run so far.

Maps

Here's a trick that I just stumbled on to. If you're looking for historical examples of international conflict, simply look at a map. Check out an area, such as Europe, with lots of complex border lines. Zoom in, and look for the places where they do something out of the ordinary, veering to create peninsulas or even islands within another country. Look that area up in Wikipedia, and I guarantee you'll find some interesting history.

For example, follow the border between France and Spain west, and you'll stumble upon Andorra, the Catalan-speaking sixth smallest country in the world, with the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell as co-princes. You'll also notice Llívia, a Spanish town completely surrounded by French territory.

This trick even works within a country. If you check out the southern border of Intwischa's own home state of Michigan, USA, you'll notice a strange jog. Looking this up, you might stumble upon the Toledo War, in which the militias of the territory of Michigan confronted those of the state of Ohio over the strip of land around Toledo. Though we lost that city in the final compromise, we gained most of our Upper Peninsula.

Stranger Than Fiction

The real world can provide great ideas, all the more crazy for the fact that they're true. I say this often in my Stranger than Fiction series, but it's no less true. Hopefully I haven't given away all my secret methods here.

One of These Things is Kind Of Like the Other

This week, two utterly unrelated posts thematically wove themselves together in my brain. While you've heard me go on here about when failure is good for your character, why there should not be secrets around the table, and how balance can get in the way, there are just times where you want your character to be good at what he is good at, or to foster mystery at the table, or to establish clear strengths and weaknesses for your character.

I'm generally of the opinion that issues of character skill, background, and balance are best left to assertion rather than rule. In this way, I really like how Call of Cthulhu 6E handles things: your character's stats are randomly generated by a series of rolls, and at the end, you explain what happened in your character's past to result in these rolls.  Traveller and Burning Wheel handle this in an even more integrative way: as you build your stats, you tell your story. This is a crunchier adaptation of FATE's Aspect system: you still get stats, but your story is woven around them.

Alphastream reflects on the way various editions of D&D have dealt with (or not acknowledged) backstory, and the fact that most editions that address it have done so in either a game-breaking or verisimilitude-shattering way: either you reward someone too much for acting in character, or your offer rewards too great that character ceases to matter. While I think the solution lies in "kill your rewards; story itself is the prize," I'm intrigued by some of his reflections on D&D Next and it's apparent route of limited classes, classless backgrounds tied to skills, and classless themes tied to feats. Like Alphastream, I worry (especially in the latter case) that this will result in optimal/popular and suboptimal/'only used by me' backgrounds and themes--but I'm curious to see if it works.

And to move to the seemingly-unrelated-but-connected-in-my-brain item, Michael at HouseRules4DND paints a picture of a new kind of skill challenge where "failure" doesn't make sense. His illustration for this challenge is an investigation, and the dialectic is "little information" on one side and "A Ha!" on the other. (No, not the Norwegian pop band--but that gives me an idea for another game altogether). Michael shows how you can create a scene where players are hunting high and low for clues, and he uses a combination of both degree of success of a skill check and which skills a player decides to use to determine which clues to disburse.

How is this connected? It's in the reliance on mechanics. Like character background, investigation is one of those things that suffers when it becomes too crunchy. And yet, if you don't have rules around it, it leads to the same kind of imbalance. While I maintain that the latter is only a problem if you make it one, I still see the temptation for clear rules for things like investigation (and background). Michael does an admirable job of creating a system that allows for non-game-breakingly rewarding investigation--even if I shudder a bit at a GM not telling her players what skills they are using for a particular check.

Still, at the end of the day, my solution is to put player-driven-story and crunchitude on inverse continuums (continua?) If your desire for a solid and limited set of rules for solving mysteries is high, fine. Play a game with random character generation where backstory doesn't matter as much, and embrace the nature of the game. And if you like your characters doing things in character, toss skills out the window and give them an investigation scene where failure (even failure they know about) still leads to interesting adventure.

Links:

• Defining Character (from Alphastream's D&D Community Blog)
• Training Grounds: How to Create, Run an Informal Skill Challenge (from HouseRules4DND)
• On Making a Messiah: The Machinations of Zaim al Tahir (from Intwischa)
• How to Fail (from Intwischa)
• The Cathedral and the Scaffold: Using (and not using) Balance in your Game (from Intwischa)

Monsters Don't Kill Stories; DMs Kill Stories

The Id DM (by the way, congrats on Stuffer Shack 'Site of the Year'!) posts a refreshingly vulnerable article on running a bad gaming session. He speaks of plots that go on way too long, and how the party loses steam from level one to--in his case--level 14!

I certainly appreciate his thoughts on creating shorter story lines that can be resolved in a few sessions. However, I'd push on the notion that every abnormal thing needs resolving quickly. After all, in a world of monsters and magic, we expect some pretty long-lasting abnormalities!

He specifically describes a situation where dopplegangers have replaced high-ranking officials, and laments that players discovered this at level 1 and it isn't resolved at level 14. This can be OK! The key, in my mind, is to set expectations and character limitations early. To illustrate, as I mentioned, magic is a reality in these sorts of games. Players know it at first level. And guess what--even though "magic" is not the norm in our world, no one interprets their goal to "undo" magic in the world!

If you need a long-lasting "dopplegangers have replaced our leaders" arc, integrate it as deeply into your campaign as you have magic. Let your players find out, and refrain from setting the expectation that they can do anything about it. Make the political structure powerful and inaccessible to low-level characters, and create a world where accusations against the establishment are met with charges of harmless lunacy or punishable treason.

Heck, kick off the campaign with a well-known and powerful "retired adventurer" who publicly levels these accusations. The established leadership swiftly orchestrates a situation where this adventurer is made to look like he is actually the doppleganger (perhaps with the aid of a well-placed baleful polymorph), and he is arrested and executed for crimes against the crown.

Make the start of the campaign focused on upholding the old values of the city. Create short arcs with their own focus: levels 1-3 can be smuggling the family of the deceased retired adventurer out of the kingdom for their own safety. Levels 4-6 might be a wholly unrelated adventure that only serves the purpose of getting them back to the city. Levels 7-9 might actually feature the adventurers being hired by the dopplegangers, who "know they know" and need their services in a tense deal. These short arcs can continue for long periods of time, and the players might actually be surprised when, at a high level, they're afforded the opportunity to overthrow the government.

Links

The Agony of Defeat (from The Id DM)

WETHERSMYTHE

Population Size: City (5).  A city can meet the needs of its many diverse inhabitants through the efforts of its own citizens.  Clear sections of both residential and commercial properties are also evident.  A city has D8 + 3 Defining Features.

Local Sentiment: Hostile (1).  The population is actively opposed to outsiders; as such, it is difficult for a party to deal with them or earn their trust.  This may result in higher prices, false information, or an outright denial of rights or services.

Defining Features: D8 (5) +3 = 8.

1.  House of the First Dawn (House of Worship): The oldest place of worship in the realm.  The once-grand cathedral known as the House of the First Dawn is a destination for many troubled souls, especially those devoted to Akiva.

2.  Pale Horse Inn (Public House):  Only tavern left standing in Wethersmythe, situated on the cliffs overlooking a turbulent sea.  Provides food, drink, and entertainment for the city's remaining citizens, in addition to comfortable rooms and hospitality for any and all travelers as they pass through.

3.  The Havens (Estates):  Collective name given by common folk to the district that houses all the familial estates of Wethersmythe's founders.  Some homes are hauntingly occupied by the old money of the city, while others have long since become tombs for expired lineages.

4. Wethersmythe Wards (Medicine):  Originally founded to care for those stricken by illnesses or ravaged by predators in this new land.  As the population has grown more resilient and spread out, the Wards now cater almost exclusively to the rich.  Many of its patients suffer in the mind, and are permanent residents.

5. Outdoor Sculpture Gardens (Galleries):  Much of Wethersmythe is built from stone, from its estates to its churches.  As such, the land's finest sculptors learned to shape stone into fantastic works of art.  Although largely overgrown and ignored, the outdoor sculpture gardens are maintained by a dedicated few patrons.

6.  The Stone Quarries (Harvesting):  Much of the wealth of Wethersmythe was drawn from these quarries.  Steady demand for the different stone mined from them means opportunities for work for common folk.  The stone is still sought after by other settlements for building their defenses.

7. Graveside Chapels (House of Worship): Local supply of fine stone means Wethersmythe's  gravestones are exquisite, especially when compared to the simple wooden markers commonly used throughout the land.  All prominent cemeteries have ornate chapels for burial services and prayers to Golgomane, rarely seen outside this city.

8. The Stone Steps (Arenas):  Series of hand-hewn rock tiers, used historically for town pronouncements, music performances, and other significant community events.

UPPER HOUNDSFELDT

Population Size: Village (3).  A collection of homesteads and minimal commercial endeavors, a village still depends heavily on the outside world.  A village has D3 + 1 Defining Features.

Local Sentiment: Ambivalent (4).  The people of this region are content to go about their business and let others do the same.  They make no effort to stand in another's way, but neither will they take pains to aid someone who may need it.

Defining Features: D3 (3) +1 = 4.

1. Hound's Tooth Inn (Public House): A well-respected place to eat and drink, the Hound's Tooth Inn doesn't actually offer accommodations.  They do, however, have the finest selection of beers brewed from the rich grains that made this region famous.

2. Family Farms (Harvesting):  Upper Houndsfeldt enjoys some of the richest soil in the land, and works hard to provide almost every grain, fruit, and vegetable that will grow here.  Grains prove most desirable, as they are popular for bread and beer.  Farms are everywhere here, and are generally multi-generational affairs.

3. Agriculture Collective (Education): Residents of this village seem to have a secret knowledge about how to use the land to produce crops.  They reluctantly agree to share that knowledge with outsiders who are willing to join the collective, and work their fair share.  This knowledge has helped to keep several other settlements self-sustaining.

4. The Dirty Root (Public House):  Infamous for cheap ale, loud fights, and late hours, this earthen-floored establishment is frequented only by common laborers- and those thrown out of the Hound's Tooth Inn.

BURNING SPIRE

Population Size: Town (4).  A town enjoys some self-sufficiency, and may even be called home by multiple bloodlines.  It also tends to attract newcomers with its untapped opportunities.  A town has D4 + 2 Defining Features.

Local Sentiment: Ambivalent (4).  The people of this region are content to go about their business and let others do the same.  They make no effort to stand in another's way, but neither will they take pains to aid someone who may need it.

Defining Features: D4 (2) +2 = 4.

1. The Museum of Discovery (Galleries): Celebrated collection of both the land's natural wonders and unique relics from the realm's history.  Strong emphasis on the achievements of this civilization's people, with displays on cultural heroes, grotesque monsters, and artifacts from its founders.

2. The Gilded Lily (Public House): This is the only accepted drinking establishment for most of the city's inhabitants.  It boasts lavish decorations, many of which were donated by recent arrivals and 'new money' to make names for themselves.  Situated in a relatively calm seaside cove, it is seen as a waste of perfectly good shoreline by many of the other settlements.

3. Fair Housing Commons (Accommodations): Since this settlement lacks much land suitable for building, homesteads are hard to come by.  Instead, ambitious men have taken to mooring their ships in the calmer waters and offering them for rent.  Over time, lodgings have been built just for such a purpose.  Just about every full-time resident here occupies one of these floating cabins.

4. The Burning Spire (Shrine):  Local lore holds that the Burning Spire was formed when the original population of the settlement melted all their most valuable possessions in a sacrificial gesture to Akiva. The Burning Spire was the monument to that sacrifice.  It was long ago moved to the top of a church steeple to serve as an inspiration to the surrounding populace.

WAKE HILL

Population Size: Settlement (2).  A settlement is typically the result of several groups of interested parties congregating around a valuable resource or natural wonder.  A settlement always has one Defining Feature.

Local Sentiment: Ambivalent (3).  The people of this region are content to go about their business and let others do the same.  They make no effort to stand in another's way, but neither will they take pains to aid someone who may need it.

Defining Features: One (1).

1. Wake Hill Lighthouse (The Docks):  Erected on the legendary first landing of this civilization's founders.  Travel by sea would be almost impossible if not for the lighthouse, as the shoreline is quite treacherous.  The settlement is really just a cluster of shelters surrounding the lighthouse itself, as the few charged with keeping it lit live there only to maintain the light.  Viewed as an almost sacred duty.

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