Band of Bastards Play by Post interest?

[Marras]

Ok, so I leave the proficiencies as they stand and decide on the actual weaponry later on which can be affected by what I can afford

[Korbel]

I think you should be fine with Sword and Buckler at 8 and Daggers and Brawling at 4+1. This setup gives you many options, covers many weapons. When walking on the streets, you can wear a short sword, buckler and a hidden dagger or two as a backup. And if you happen to grab a rapier and get away using it, than great.

PS. To supplement the discussion about armours...



It seems that it was a bit colder in Europe in XVI century than now and I think I really shouldn't worry about overheating

[Alex]

I would like to join the PbP game. I don’t really have the time to skype, but I could probably check the forum almost every day.
I already posted this character with his stats in the First Character post. Here are the main elements (without the stats).

Karl Friedson

Concept and Appearance: Karl stands close to seven feet tall and weighs more than 250 pounds. This light-skin giant sports a dark beard that he always keeps a few inches long, but well-trimmed. He also has a crooked nose.

Karl will be one of the mercenary hired by the merchant (or merchant son). He is obviously not Italian. He is trying to keep a low profile, which is almost impossible when you are a giant and a stranger.

Priorities
4 - Proficiencies
4 - Attributes
3 - Edges & Flaws
2 – Skills
2 - Social Class

Equipment
Claymore or Zweihänder swords

Obviously, since he is only a Low Freeman, I’ll have to wait for the equipment chapter to see if he can actually afford a two-handed sword.

Edges
Large (major)
As a large character, he is obviously very strong and resilient. However, due to his sheer size, people sometimes underestimate him thinking he is just a brute, but he is not stupid.

Flaws
Horse Phobia (minor)

He keeps telling people that his nose was broken by a horse’s hoof when he was younger. That’s why he gets so mad when he gets close to horses. The truth is, he is not simply angry at horses, but he is actually afraid of them. After getting his nose broken, he tried to ride a standard horse, but it could not bear his weight. The horse collapsed and Karl was almost crushed by it. Since that time, he has vowed to never ride a horse. The closest he’ll get to a horse will be riding in a cart.

He'll never get in cart drawn by a horse, unless he absolutely has no other choice. He might ride in the back if someone else is driving the cart.

Story Aspects
To be worked out with the other Bastards.

He also has a loyal dog, but he has not trained it properly.

I use my size for intimidation and that makes me a valuable bodyguard. A giant almost seven feet tall with an equally giant sword is normally enough to avoid any trouble.

Of course, a huge Zweihander sword (or the equivalent) is a not a very practical weapon to carry around in Venice. And most of the time, I’ll have to rely on my size and a dagger to defend myself.

I might look intimidating, but I had my fair share of combat. I have been stabbed by faster people and I consider myself lucky to have survived. I will not initiate a fight unless it is absolutely necessary.

I am not that comfortable in a city. People recognize me too easily. Also, I can’t hide easily. But that is where I can find a job and maybe settle down for a while

[Korbel]

ThirtyThree Heresiarhs proclaim a month of Session "Zero"! The population of Bastards in Venice doubles.

EDIT!
If I'm right, we got 4-7 characters presented for this game (from Marras, hector?, taelor?, Danny, Alex, nemedeus? and me).
Maybe it's the time to establish specific relations between characters? I see many of you are playing mercenaries, you could be friends or foes, meeting now in Venice. That could help with writing SAs. There could be an unfinished business, enemies might be forced to work together, and so on?
My character has got a SA that introduces a stepbrother, who he doesn't like - but maybe this stepbrother could be played be one of you, guys?

Another idea is quite a heresy, but I'll leave this for consideration: maybe we could "officially" make two or three "teams" and play PvP a little? We would need separated threads (with limited access maybe?) and this might spoil 33's plans for the game and absolutely everyone must be fine with the idea, that he might die or "lose" in another way (but, after all, the game is a PBF, these are seldom long...), but it could be fun and intensive.

Actually, a PvP situation may happen in a "classic" game, too. It happens, if we follow our SAs. What do you think about facing another PC?
Or imagine a final skirmish between PCs - 3v3 or 4v4, for example.

I believe we have time to prepare everything (two or three weeks, or a month?, before all the necessary rules are released and discussed).

[Alex]

I would be interested to have a few one on one fight. We could use the “Satisfaction Alley” thread in the forum that was specifically designed for that. I have read TROS, but I have never played it, so I would be interested in a few fights to learn more about the BoB combat system.

That way, your character can actually die (many times!), but can still be used in a normal PBP game.

[Korbel]

Of course we can duel there! And we will.
But, you know, an actual fight is only a part of the conflict. Within the narration, you can have real dialogues, emotions, motivations and role-playing, SAs firing (though burning them for narrative effects by both sides of a conflict might be problematic) and so on. But this is only my loose proposition.
As for Satisfaction Alley, my current character is not the best duelist, I'm far from being a "combat machine" (well, maybe in specific conditions)
So I'll be only a spectator. Or maybe I will create another character, a generic fighter.

PS. BTW, Alex - I hope our characters will have some interaction in the game, it should be fun

[taelor]

Looking at my schedule for going forward, I think I might have to bow out. I'll probably still follow the campaign in this forum, but I just don't think I can devote the time needed to be a player; I've played in enough pbp games to know that I really don't want to be that guy. Have fun.

[Korbel]

OK, so we are more like 4-5 players? In this case a "PvP" session is probably an even worse idea, never mind

[thirtythr33]

Personally, I am in favor of "antagonistic, but not hostile" player relationships.

Things like business competitors or rivals, but aren't going to just straight up murder each other. It usually gives characters more opportunity to talk (argue) amongst each other while the DM isn't available to play all the NPCs.

[Korbel]

Yeah, this is what I was thinking about, with actual fights between PCs only as a option for a finale.

[Marras]

Now, considering that almost all of us are (former) mercenaries the business rivalry can easily boil down to violence

But I am fine if there will be a bit strained relationships within the group although it is pretty easy to get out of hand with players who don't know each other and don't have to even see the face of the offended player not to mention bit of a language barrier.

What do you say, should we have a sort of gamer's guide to Venice sort of thread that is reserved only for 33? It could have all the info of available weaponry, armor and other local info that is more or less set in stone.

Then maybe a thread per PC with current build at the first message?

This thread could very well work as a session zero thread.

[Korbel]

So, we have our "Players Guide to Venice" (which is a history lesson a bit, thank you, 33!)

Seeing how so many people decided to make up military or mercenary type characters, I think I’ll run with it and steer the politicking towards things relating to the war more than I had initially thought.

But it doesn't mean my character is out of the place? I created Marco with the city-campaign in mind, far from the battlefields. He's got some high Profieciences, but is far from being a combat machine or a soldier.
But if you guys think a military type character would be more appropriate, than I will return to my revengeful polish saber-man, maybe?

To continue session "zero"... If I stay with Marco, than these are his SAs, at least for the moment:

"Son should be obedient to his father" 2
"My stepbrother Giacomo is a ruthless bastard and he should be given a lesson" 1
"It would be great if I found a true friend" 1
"I cannot stand cruelty against animals" 1

So... the second SA can be adjusted (Giacomo replaced with someone else), and I have one place free, to add something maybe.
And how are your SAs, guys? Maybe we should tie ourselves together with them? What are your ideas?

[thirtythr33]

You misunderstand. The game will still be based in Venice, it is not going to be a battlefront game. I'm going to try to keep the focus of the politics in the city on things created by the ongoing war so it ties in the soldiering types better.

For example, maybe two merchants are fighting over who in going to win the galley supply chain contract for the war effort or maybe there is a Landsknecht who deserted from his company and is seeking refuge in Venice.

[Alex]

Relationship with Fellow Bastards: I’m a mercenary stranger. I just came to Venice. I will gladly tag along other strangers and/or mercenaries. I got to stick with a few trustworthy Bastards to survive and thrive.

SAs
I was inspired by what thirtythr33 said about rape being less punishable than theft.
Now I’m trying to make a plausible scenario based on the law from Info Dump Threat.

I (and my fellow bastards?) witnessed the savage rape of a lowborn woman by one or a few drunken nobles. We were the only eyewitnesses. If I understand the law properly, we could have just come forward as eyewitnesses in front of a judge to testify. But we did not because:

1) We are new in towns, we are strangers and we don’t know all the rules/laws.

2) We fear making a powerful enemy (the noble's father sits on the Council of Forty...)

3) The girl does not want to testify because she is afraid of the noble.
But I was disgusted by what I saw and I want to avenge the girl.

“Punish the Nobles who raped a lowborn woman” 3

“I want to fit in with the locals” 1
(not easy when you are almost 7 feet tall)

Missing one SA… (waiting to see what others will come up with)

Sidenote: should we have a separate threat to work out our relationship to each other and our SAs?

[Korbel]

“Punish the Nobles who raped a lowborn woman” 3

Excellent! This could be easily tied with my character (Marco), in two ways:
1) Marco wants to find a friend and he could achieve this by helping you;
2) one of these raping nobles might be Marco's stepbrother - one more reason to hate him!