Showing posts with label FATE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FATE. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

The Secrets of Cats tARE, c6s1

The session started with everything having been calm for a while, no startling things in The Cat Senate, territories respected and no urgent grave dangers for The Burdens. The four cats Grå, Tryggtass, Gast and Svansglidaren lies on the street roof covering the street between the insula where Tryggtass lives and the insula where Grå lives. Grå and Tryggtass are on good standing with each other and have devided the area between the insulas in the middle and don’t quarrel about the exact border (except maybe sometimes just to tease the other). Tryggtass has a territory of one side of her insula (including some other cats being content with their respective apartments as territories) and Grå has two sides of his insula (also including some other cats).

It’s sunny but slightly shady because of the high building and everything is cool when a sturdy cat suddenly walks up to them or more specifically up to Tryggtass catching her attention extra by blocking out the sun for her. The group greets the new cat lazily which they vaguely recognise and can put a name on, Skarpöra (Sharpear), but that haven't been noticeable in the cat senate and is no neighbour of any of them. Skarpöra presents herself and asks what they're doing on her territory.

The group doesn't repsond well to that and simply suggests that she should leave Tryggtass territory and be done with it. Skarpöra doesn't take that well and and insulting and provocation game, involving human everyday names, begins (no dice rolled). After a while Skarpöra who is a bully used to win standoffs and fights attacks Grå who is the most provocative of the cats. A fight breaks out and soon Tryggtass is also involved together with Svansglidaren and a companion to Skarpöra, Högertass (Right Paw). After a an exchange of hits and slashes and with Gast hiding in a window alcove Skarpöra and Högertass leaves quite quickly.

At the beginning of the fight Tryggtass jumped up to a window alcove one level up and there she heard steps she didn't recognise and smelled a cat she didn't recognise. When she looked into the apartment she saw an unfamiliar cat. A human in the apartment noticed them and grabbed a broom to get them out. The other cat ran out in the corridor outside the apartments and Tryggtass returned to the fight by jumping Skarpöra from above (stunt Death from above).

Later Tryggtass applied for audience to princeps, the leader of The Cat Senate, and when approved asked about this territory claim Skarpöra did. Princeps was unsure and had to check with other cat officials before saying too much but probably it would have to be solved either in court or by fight.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

The Secrets of Cats tARE, c6s2

Tryggtass got some info on what was remembered officially about Skarpöra and her territory. To the cat group's surprise and not surprise Skarpöra's territory is several blocks away from theirs which means she is a long way from home claiming territory and if she actually had taken a territory that big, like biggest in Rome, they would have heard of it. Increasing the edges of one's territory would be the normal and accepted way of expanding a territory, weird behaviour indeed.

Here we had a minor milestone:

  • Grå increased Territory to +3 and decreased Burglary to +2
  • Svansglidaren increased Territory to +3 and decreased Burglary to +2
  • Gast increases Deceive to +3 and decreases Physique to +2


A day later they return from having checked in with the consul of the day to see if there's any patrol missions for them to take on during their duty. Since it's been calm regarding the threats from lemures and such there's nothing coming up now. As they take the natural path back they arrive at the street roof between Grå's and Tryggtass's territories (usually they either split up here or take nap or rest in the sun or shade whichever preferred, it's a good spot). When they jump to the roof they stop, staring at her, Skarpöra's back. She's lying almost exactly at Tryggtass's favourite spot and being groomed by her underling Högertass as if to make it totally clear that she sees this a part of her home.

Tryggtass and Grå (the two having territory on the street roof) hiss at her but she ignores them and make herself, if possible, even more comfortable. After a short burst of words and insults between them Tryggtass jumps Skarpöra. Grå is just right behind her and Högertass joins in on Skarpöra's side. The cats jump around and slap and smack each other and the fight is even but Tryggtass maneuvers out of the fight and then Grå does that as well. Skarpöra confidently but obviously with pain returns to lying in the Sun after the four cats have stood for a while panting and staring at each other.

Grå runs off towards the areas around Skarpöra's expected territory and walks around finding a lot of her scent in the streets. He also talks with cats he meet and find that they overall seems bullied into more or less submission. At least the cats he meet talk of Skarpöra as someone to be submissive towards.

Tryggtass can't stand the invasion of her territory and hangs around with Gast at the street roof to mark that she's not given up although the fight wasn't definitive. She also declares to Skarpöra that she's gonna escalate this to the senate. Skarpöra just ignore her with a facial expression telling that she don't think Tryggtass has the guts or the social standing to pull off such a thing.

Svansglidaren also goes off on his own mission and seeks up a cat skilled in rethorics and convince her to speak for Tryggtass if it should come to a senate hearing and vote in the matter. She agrees with the condition that Svansglidaren becomes her client for a small favour. They both find the suggestion agreeable and tap paws in a gesture parallel to when the humans grabs each other hands to seal a deal.

When Grå returns he walks around the whole of his and Tryggtass territory to get into "her" insula without the cats on the street roof noticing him. He walks up the highest level and climbs up on the tiled roof and shove a tile off the roof to hit Skarpöra but in the process he almost tips himself over the edge as well and in the process several tiles follows the first one and almost hits Tryggtass as well. Skarpöra gets a partial hit on her loin. Having had enough of troubles here she walks off with her underling.

After sundown Tryggtass goes to princeps's secretary to  file a complaint regarding Skarpöra. After a short discussion where the secretary tries to find out if they can't solve it on their own, if they really have to take it to the senate. She says that a meeting will be called after sundown in three days. She also states that if Skarpöra wouldn't turn up it's Tryggtass's right to drag Skarpöra to court, literally, unless Skarpöra would be old or sick. In that case she, with help if needed, would have to carry Skarpöra.

Svansglidaren seeks out a well-off citizen living on top of his workshop on the side of Grå's insula facing the street roof. He reckons it from there would be a good view over the place where the fight and provocations have taken place. As so often when winter is over the window shutters are slightly open but blocked so that fresh air can enter but a burglar has to break it open and awaken the family inside. Unless it's a cat burglar of course, Svansglidaren sneaks through the gap between the shutters and walks up to the sleeping family head and lies down beside him, up close to his face. As Svansglidaren relaxes and start to feel drowsy he inhales some of the man's breath, sniffs it, feels it, atunes himself to the man. Svansglidaren falls to sleep and enters the dream world where all sentient beings souls during sleep partly let go of the body and roams more free than during awaken time. This means they can meet sprits close to the mundane world, good or bad spirits, lares or lemures and all kinds of spirits. Most humans don't remember this though and if they should remember something they usually mix it up with earlier experiences in the mundane world while trying to understand what happened during the dream. Svansglidaren seeks out the man and convinces him that the cat Skarpöra has to go. There's no place around here for such a cat. Luckily cats don't sleep so much during nights as humans do so Svansglidaren wakes up much earlier than the family and sneaks out the same way he came, convinced that he has created a new problem for Skarpöra, something that will benefit him and his friends.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Svansglidaren's phase trio story for tSoC, c6

Soon after the senator, Svansglidaren's burden, had moved into his domus (Domus exiguus) the slaves hadn't cared properly for the fire in the kitchen and some still glowing coal fell to the floor and set fire to the mat in front of the toilet. Svansglidaren toppled a bowl of soup and put out the fire.

Grå was in the vicinity to check out the new cat and noticed the incident. Afterwards Grå witnessed about Svansglidaren's readiness to protect his burden even if he would get punished in the process (for toppling the soup bowl and destroying the slaves's breakfast.

Tryggtass was in the house of the new "neighbour" (the domus is next to her insula) to see what the new cat of the house was up to. When she felt the smoke and ran to the kitchen and found Svansglidaren and the toppled soup bowl she showed Svansglidaren the best hiding place in the house so that Svansglidaren didn't get any blame for the toppled bowl. Tryggtass knew the previous cat in the house and thereby knew the house quite well.

Tryggtass's phase trio story for tSoC, c6

The insula that Tryggtass lives in was cheap build (as they often are in the rapidly expanding Rome) and fell together. Two young human siblings was caught and shut off in the rumble and wasn't found until Tryggtas heard them and led people there for their rescue.

Gast's burden, the senator, was on a walk through Rome with a few slaves when Gast managed to get a slave to follow him to the crumbled building and as the clever slave under guidance of Gast suggested to the senator to rebuild the house to gain popularity among the people and thereby Tryggtass's burdens was helped in a dire situation. The senator could also run a court process against the rival who built the cheap house and thereby get passed him in popularity and dignitas.

Svansglidaren influences his burden, senator Manuel, to support Gast's burden in the rebuilding of the house and thereby helping Tryggtass's burdens and getting both his own burden and Gast's burden a new ally.

Gast's phase trio story for tSoC, c6

When Gast's burden the senator returned to Rome from Alexandria (where Gast had his vision about the senator and that he was his burden) Gast followed him on the boat trip (properly cared for by the sailors, no one wants sto mistreat an Egyptian cat when leaving Egypt). When they arrived to Ostia and the luggage was reloaded to barges for the river trip to Rome the crate with the senators Nile crocodile was dropped and suddenly the senator faced an irritated and hungry crocodile. Gast jumped in between and drove back the crocodile long enough for the handlers to capture it again.

Svansglidaren notices that something supernatural is influencing the crocodile and making it more aggressive than normal but manage to hold it off with his Warding skills.

Since the senator seems to be in an exposed position Grå helps Gast with the protection of the seantor through the streets of Rome when the barges have landed in Rome.


Cat scares off alligator

Cat and alligator decides on who gets dinner

Grå's phase trio story for tSoC, c6

In the middle of a night a burglar climbed in the window of Julia's window (Grå's burden). A short and for the burglar painful struggle erupted and woke up the familia. Sadly the thief managed to escape the same way she came.

Tryggtass was nearby when the burglar and Grå started their fight. When the burglar climbed out the window she got another cat in her head when Tryggtass jumped her from above. When she fell down from the second floor she got delayed and Grå got time to run out and lead the family head to thief who got arrested.

The burglar brought and dropped a flask of poison and Gast finds this and brings it to his burden's slave and shows where it was found. Since the senator that's Gast's burden get most of his pastry from this specific pastry chef he got a valuable lesson on the political climate and the weapons used in the modern Rome (the new principate and the way people achieve they goals as opposed to the old glorious republic).

Friday, April 17, 2015

Gast, a player character for tSoC, c6

Updated 20150424, stunts

Chosen name: Gast/Ghost

Everyday name:  Leo/Leo

Kitten name:  Bruntass/Brownpaw

True name: ---

High concept:
Newly immigrated Egyptian Abyssinian cat shaper

Trouble aspect:
Greater than the rest of the Roman cats because of the Egyptian closer bond to Bastet

Character aspect 1:
Daring

Character aspect 2:
Scheming

Character aspect 3:
Suspicious of...

Description:
Sand coloured siames patterned Abyssinian cat with a brown front paw

Burden:
A lesser senator

Physical stress: 3

Mental stress: 3

Skills:
Shaping +4
Deceive +3
Stealth +3
Territory +2
Will +2
Physique +2
Warding +1
Naming +1
Seeking +1
Notice +1

Stunts:
Deceive, Ventriloquist, +2 at deceiving others that the voice is coming from another adjacent zone.
Stealth, Prowl, +2 to stealth when hearing is the main way to discover the cat.
Stealth, Surprise! Once per session, the cat can reveal itself in a scen where it wasn't participating in from the beginning.
Warding, Invisibility, the cat whispers it's true name backwards and creates an inverted ward around itself which makes it and eventually other animals invisible.
Shaping, Shadow form, by whispering it's true name to the darkness the cat obtains a shadowy form. The cat can see in total darkness, is invulnerable to physical attacks, can slip through a shadow wide cracks but must stay in the shadows and darkness.
Shaping, Disguise, the cat can change it's appearance or even look like another cat.

We also did the FATE Core Phase trio to connect the characters with each other. Those stories will be published separately.

Tryggtass, a player character for tSoC, c6

Chosen name: Tryggtass/Safepaw

Everyday name:  Sansan/Sansan

Kitten name:  Långöra/Longear

True name: ---

High concept:
Experienced and hungry for knowledge acrobat.

Trouble aspect:
Always curious

Character aspect 1:
Keen hearing

Character aspect 2:
Everybody has something good in them

Character aspect 3:
To be decided in early gaming

Description:


Burden:
All the children in her insula

Physical stress: 2

Mental stress: 3

Skills:
Athletics +4
Investigate +3
Stealth +3
Will +2
Notice +2
Burglary +2
Empathy +1
Rapport +1
Lore +1
Territory +1

Stunts:
Investigation: Insatiable curiosity, +2 Will when someone tries to persuade her to stop investigate
Lore: Literate, +2 when reading could help
Athletics: Death from above, Athletics instead of fight when jumping her enemy from above.

We also did the FATE Core Phase trio to connect the characters with each other. Those stories will be published separately.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Svansglidaren, a player character for tSoC, c6

Chosen name: Svansglidaren/Tailsurfer

Everyday name:  Oculus/Oculus

Kitten name:  Svanssnurran/Tailswivel

True name: ---

High concept:
Way too self-confident Warden of Cats. And humans.

Trouble aspect:
Promises the moon

Character aspect 1:
Quick-witted but incautious

Character aspect 2:
Generous

Character aspect 3:
To be decided in the first moments of play

Description:
Small black cat with a distinct white ring around one eye and with a very active tail.

Burden:
Senator Manuel and family, local impopular politicians, iberian, military career into civil office, married to a greek woman, lives in a small domus at Palantine's lowest level.

Physical stress: 2

Mental stress: 3

Skills:
Warding +4
Stealth +3
Burglary +3
Athletics +2
Territory +2
Notice +2
Empathy +1
Will +1
Fight +1
Seeking +1

Stunts:
Burglary: Getaway cat, use Burglary instead of Athletics when fleeing.
Stealth: Prowl, +2 Stealth when hearing is the main way to hear Tailsurfer
Notice: Preternatural awareness, +2 on noticing invisible beings, astral travellers and other subtle supernatural things.

Seeking: Invisible, become one with shadows and darkness and hard to spot.
Warding: Cat walk (exclusive): Become one with the air and create bridges to climb to get to places.
Seeking: Dreamwalking, attune yourself to a sleeping being and visit their dream.

We also did the FATE Core Phase trio to connect the characters with each other. Those stories will be published separately.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Grå, a player character for tSoC, c6

Chosen name: Grå / Grey

Everyday name: Tretass / Three-paw

Kitten name: Purr / Purr

True name: ---

High concept:
Ambitious hunter

Trouble aspect:
Has a very soft spot for good resting places

Character aspect 1:
Open windows must be guarded

Character aspect 2:
Trust associates

Character aspect 3:
Hit hard

Description:
Dappled in different nuances of grey except three paw which are of a reddish colour

Burden:
The daughter of a successful confectioner that lives and works in an insula close to lowest parts of The Palatine Hill. Grey's mother has the rest of the family as her burden.

Physical stress: 3

Mental stress: 3

Skills:
Athletics +4
Burglary +3
Stealth +3
Territory +2
Fight +2
Notice +2
Empathy +1
Will +1
Physique +1
Investigate +1

Stunts:
Burglary: Impossible entry, can get through very small holes.
Stealth: Prowl, +2 if hearing is the main possibility to discover Grey
Athletics: Leaper, +2 på hopp

We also did the FATE Core Phase trio to connect the characters with each other. Those stories will be published separately.

The Secrets of Cats Ancient Rome Edition, c6

So after a break with another gamemaster and some partly nostalgic science fiction role-playing in a 1980's that never was, partly inspired by Simon Stålenhag's pictures (http://www.simonstalenhag.se/ http://simonstalenhag.tumblr.com/) we're back in ancient Rome, sentient animals and me as gamemaster. It's not ferrets this time (which actually wasn't in ancient Rome) but cats, second best to ferrets. The setting was chosen by voting in a simple Google forms. Everyone put one to five points on all three ideas:

  • Agon, Odysseus wasn't the only hero with a too big ego and therefore was misled on the way home from Troy.
  • Tooth and Claw The Ancient Rome Edition, unknowingly by man many households are kept safe from many different dangers by the ferrets in the household. The sentient ferrets work under cover of an image of non-sentient careless pets and often by night. Some magical beings from Greco-Roman mythology exists but it's very low-key.
  • The Secrets of Cats The Ancient Rome Edition, men and women doesn't know about it but many of the dangers for humankind is averted by the sentient cats who work under cover of an image of non-sentient non-caring egoistic pets. The whole ancient Mediterranean mythology, almost all of it at least is true; from Baal and Jahve to Zeus and Iupiter, from roman nature spirits, lemures, penates to greek heros. The magic i still quite low-key and the cats have to keep everything a secret but the magic is much more present and common. Humans don't have a full insight in this though.
The Secrets of Cats won so we made characters last night and I will present the characters here and try to blog some about the adventures here. The system chosen is FATE Accelerated with some additions from FATE Core.