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Grand Master

IsabellaRose

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2 hours ago, MagnificentBastard said:

Whilst we wait for Dreams to catch up. Can you elaborate how a little about Pathways, how many steps are there?

There are up to 9 steps. It depends on how far we want to take it.

We have to do at least the first 5: Origin, Youth, Focus, Road, and Life Changing Event. That will give you a character with an entry level amount of Distinctions, Abilities, Relationships, etc. 

Ideally, we'd complete the last 4 steps (Priority, Modus Operandi, Motivation, and Identity) as well to get us all up to fully fleshed out characters, but I might try to find a way to just step some stuff up for each of you if we're getting "Pathways Fatigue"... the process runs a lot quicker around a table.

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I'm glad Dream got into this side of things. Just saying... I was afraid I might have ruined for them, mostly. You're all very much more active anyway and certain of what you want to do. I wish you al

IsabellaRose
IsabellaRose

I was planning to just wholesale import basic historic reality (more like... um... well, as if it were a tv show - sometimes veering into exploring darker themes, sometimes just handwaving the trouble

IsabellaRose
IsabellaRose

This step is “the things we want to make sure exist in the game for it to be fun.” So themes, scene, set pieces, technology, etc.  in Pathways we’ll add specific NPCs, groups, locations, and even

Grand Master

DreamsnThings

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well I see i have been very thoroughly welcomed into this side of the game<3 absolutely great to be welcomed so warmly!

before I catch up ill start with sharing the basic concept I had for my character to see if anyone has any immediate Ideas or sees any immediate conflicts well I start looking through the backlog... 15 pages hot damn.

the short and sweet explanation is my character uses an off shoot of steamtech based around chemicals, namely pheromones, my intent initially was for her to be this secret agent or honey trap style character carrying a parasol that doubles as he main gadget, it can function along the lines of a spray bottle at the tip to utilize some pheromones, it can be deployed like a shield when its opened, and the main shaft houses several smaller gadgets and tools.

without knowing... anything about anyones characters currently a few plot points or connections with other characters I would potentially like to see are 1- Im investigating the supernatural activity in the area, and your character is a person of interest for one reason or another 2- I have been tasked to seduce a big name in the area, and you know theres something off about my interest in them 3- we are both at a ball, party, or gathering. something was weird in the air, I was one of the only people who seemed collected which seemed odd. 4- you are a mole, an inside man, or an informant. you know who I work for and what I do, and we are in this together.

anyways im going to take a moment to glance through whats going on and go from there

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WickedCadrach

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43 minutes ago, DreamsnThings said:

before I catch up ill start with sharing the basic concept I had for my character to see if anyone has any immediate Ideas or sees any immediate conflicts well I start looking through the backlog... 15 pages hot damn.

Let me see if I can help a little, lol

Character Sheets are here - People also have notes in their character sheets about some of the NPCs tied to them, so that's a good place to look for that too.

Rules Reference (important lists) are here

The Board (our web of connections) is here (you'll need to make an account of some kind, and probably want to use the same user name as here since it's how we'll see your cursor and notes on there)

--A quick PC rundown--

Edmund Blackwood (MagnificentBastard) is the wealthy, casino/brothel owning playboy who is rumored to be connected to occult societies and dark (sexy?) magic. He has an automaton butler, TIAL-V, as well. 

Alicia von Vulf (Chiyako) is a scientific prodigy living out of her laboratory. Her disconcerting complexion and ailments have given rise to the rumor she is a vampire, and she is being pursued by those who seek her ruin, like the obsessive Aldert Helsink. 

Carlo (Kojo) Amankona (AsBloodTurnsEverCold) is a virtuoso musician bound by contract to Kirsa Autenrieth. He performs at the Thane-Cash Rebirth Hall, a newly constructed music hall in the booming town, but beyond this, there is a strange eldritch power to his music, a torturous gift that he keeps secret. 

Millicent Gerenhart / Millie Gearheart (StarlitSiren) is a tinkerer and machinist with her own shop. A genius of her own kind, she nonetheless is struggling under the weight of a debt to the irascible Willis Sloan. And though shy and unassuming in public, she has been working on 'personal projects' in her workshop resulting in devices of a scandalously 'carnal' bent. 

Millicent 'Missy' Fisher (WickedCadrach) is a con-artist with a velvet voice who has convinced the world she's a spirit medium who can speak with the dead and psychically divine the unknown through her clairvoyance. In reality, she's as psychic as a baked potato and relies on the cunning she picked up as apprentice to a travelling snakeoil salesman. Nonetheless, she has Jane Montgomery, daughter of automaton magnate, Adelaide Montgomery, wrapped around her finger, and Missy harbors ambitions of high society life.

--My First Thoughts on your character (since you asked) --

Love her. We're doing kind of an alt-history vibe, but it's 1880 which means the US Secret Service was founded about 15 years earlier. If you're looking to play a secret agent type of character, an actual G-Man here to cover the burgeoning city feels like it could be a good hook. Edmund Blackwood being a suspected occultist feels like a natural connection, as does an investigation into rumors about Kojo, Alicia, and Missy. If you have a some steampunk style gadgets, then you might have a working relationship with Millie Gearhart (or more?). 

 

Anyway, look around! We're here if you have questions. 😊

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MagnificentBastard

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4 hours ago, IsabellaRose said:

There are up to 9 steps. It depends on how far we want to take it.

We have to do at least the first 5: Origin, Youth, Focus, Road, and Life Changing Event. That will give you a character with an entry level amount of Distinctions, Abilities, Relationships, etc. 

Ideally, we'd complete the last 4 steps (Priority, Modus Operandi, Motivation, and Identity) as well to get us all up to fully fleshed out characters, but I might try to find a way to just step some stuff up for each of you if we're getting "Pathways Fatigue"... the process runs a lot quicker around a table.

I wasnt asking because I got fatigue just wanted to make sure I will still have the ability to buff the things I want to buff 😅

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Grand Master

Warning

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I'm glad Dream got into this side of things. Just saying... I was afraid I might have ruined for them, mostly. You're all very much more active anyway and certain of what you want to do. I wish you all to have fun with it. I rarely am this indecisive about a character but this was something completely new for me. Two different games didn't seem ideal, anyhow.

Satai and I should be fine. I just hoped Dream didn't lose their chance to enjoy this. So yeah, I won't derail too much of your ooc in case you need it for story planning and other purpose. I will just say good luck and have a pleasant game. Maybe on a next idea, I might be able to join it better or easier? (I also didn't want to ruin the setting either, tbh. ><)

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Grand Master

IsabellaRose

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22 hours ago, AsBloodTurnsEverCold said:

@IsabellaRose
Debating on Supernatural instead while we're still in this step but I'm not really sure how to make a heritage distinction but figured I'd run the idea by you. I admittedly have no idea how this work or if being cursed would go to heritage: 

d4 Cursed by Cacophony: 
You've read the the ebon pages and heard the aberrant strain. You've sung the peculiar arias, and played with odd tones. Your study into the music of the world beyond has given you the ability to open the minds of all who hear your songs, but in turn wrenched open your own never to be shut again. Your head filled music you can no longer escape, only abate. Your mind an instrument, your body the vessel.
Your new eyes are the mark, the clearest sign that you are touched and changed by a sacred Cacophony, a twisted Euphony, and forced to see and hear the beyond...forever. You are, forever, a servant of The Noise. Roll whenever your ability to see or hear aspects of The Other World will affect a scene. 
Connected Abilities: Sense of the Other World, Heightened Hearing, Soul Sight (as living music), The Other Theory? 
Limits: possession, sensory overload, sanctified ground. 

d4: Earn a plot point when resisting possession by The Noise causes you pain, makes you collapse, or retreat. 

This is terrible but I hope it gets the ideas across? 
 

I feel like this is a variation on The Other Theory and the two might overlap too much and leave you with less abilities. So...

A Heritage distinction is really about being part of a group or species that have a set of predefined abilities and limits from a single source: Vampire, Kryptonian, Atlantean, Lycanthrope, Skrull, Cybernetic System, etc. I stretched it a bit for the Vampire by Science. 

I think we can cover the effects of the Other World with abilities without a Heritage Distinction. 

For this specific ability, I would like to define a couple more SFX, maybe flesh it out a bit more. It seems like this one is sensory? Maybe I'm off on my assessment.

d4 Cursed by Cacophony: You’ve read the ebon pages and heard the aberrant strain. You’ve sung peculiar arias and played forbidden tones. Your study of the music of the world beyond has given you the ability to open minds with your song, but in turn, your own was wrenched open, never to be shut again. Your head is filled with a constant chorus you can never escape, only drown out with more sound. Your new eyes mark you as forever changed, a vessel for the sacred cacophony forced to see and hear the Other World always. You are, forever, a servant of the Noise.
Effect: Sensory
Descriptors: Haunted, discordant, visionary, marked
SFX: 

  • d4: Earn a plot point when resisting possession by The Noise causes you pain, makes you collapse, or retreat. 
  • d8: Spend a Plot Point to let the Noise speak through you, creating a d8 Complication (Unnerved, Confused, Fearful) on a listener.
  • d12: Add a d6 to Trouble to Reroll a die when your visions or sounds from the Other World grant uncanny insight.

Something like that? Let me know what you think or if I'm way off base.

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Grand Master

Chiyako

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Mostly here, a lil busy with some stuff on the side, but I should be able to keep up and answer things sporadically! My character should be up to date, depending on if her new ability is fine, and if I have actually added everything I need to or not (was confused a bit on the Focus section, namely the part written down before explaining the different Focus choices, the one where you add new things, dunno if we did that already or not).

Usually I am the sort who takes a look at the setting, makes the character, and fleshes them out more in the game itself, however I'm loving this character building section of the game and I really hope we go through the entire process.

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AsBloodTurnsEverCold

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2 minutes ago, IsabellaRose said:

I feel like this is a variation on The Other Theory and the two might overlap too much and leave you with less abilities. So...

A Heritage distinction is really about being part of a group or species that have a set of predefined abilities and limits from a single source: Vampire, Kryptonian, Atlantean, Lycanthrope, Skrull, Cybernetic System, etc. I stretched it a bit for the Vampire by Science. 

I think we can cover the effects of the Other World with abilities without a Heritage Distinction. 

For this specific ability, I would like to define a couple more SFX, maybe flesh it out a bit more. It seems like this one is sensory? Maybe I'm off on my assessment.

d4 Cursed by Cacophony: You’ve read the ebon pages and heard the aberrant strain. You’ve sung peculiar arias and played forbidden tones. Your study of the music of the world beyond has given you the ability to open minds with your song, but in turn, your own was wrenched open, never to be shut again. Your head is filled with a constant chorus you can never escape, only drown out with more sound. Your new eyes mark you as forever changed, a vessel for the sacred cacophony forced to see and hear the Other World always. You are, forever, a servant of the Noise.
Effect: Sensory
Descriptors: Haunted, discordant, visionary, marked
SFX: 

  • d4: Earn a plot point when resisting possession by The Noise causes you pain, makes you collapse, or retreat. 
  • d8: Spend a Plot Point to let the Noise speak through you, creating a d8 Complication (Unnerved, Confused, Fearful) on a listener.
  • d12: Add a d6 to Trouble to Reroll a die when your visions or sounds from the Other World grant uncanny insight.

Something like that? Let me know what you think or if I'm way off base.

This is good and right in line with what I was hoping for. I wasn't sure if it just needed to be a heritage or ability and I'm not exactly going for too many abilities just that this and The Other Theory would basically complete the character concept I was going for. 

The Supernatural Focus wanted a Heritage distinction is also why I set it under that but if it works better under ability I can wait for the next steps to allow for another ability instead. Kojo is meant to be human just changed by his contact with the Eldritch. 

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Grand Master

Chiyako

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I'll withhold setting up my relationship arrow phrase with Dream's character until they are added and such, but I do look forward to it!

I definitely know now that I forgot to add my second NPC, so I have added the following:

Jack Beckett ("I find him delightfully useful!")
Both a mortician in training and a man capable of somehow acquiring items which might otherwise be difficult to acquire. An average sized man with a thinner build, if not on the slightly athletic side, with dirty blonde unkempt hair and hazel eyes, slightly younger than Alicia and generally seen with a five o'clock shadow. Fairly intelligent and even moreso clever. Out for himself but trusted to hold to his word and seemingly prepared to get into at least a little trouble for those considered allies, if not friends. He grew up on the eastern coast and only moved out west with his father, a man who currently works as a mortician with his own practice. Not exactly poor but not well off either, he has only what his father gives to him. He also appears to have some connections or outside of home business as he is often capable of acquiring items that people might ask for, including oddities and, at times, rarities. Alicia doesn't know how he acquires these things, and while she is curious she understands that asking might throw a wrench into their current working relationship. She met him during her initial arrival within her new home, having come upon the young man while out in the wilds. He had been bitten by a snake and she managed to save him, and while this hasn't resulted in free services it has at least resulted in something of a discount. His interest in her and her studies is occasionally rewarded with answers, although it often results in his being a willing (and sometimes unknowing) subject of some of her lighter experiments. The thought of taking the young man on as an interested apprentice has been floated and considered, although not as of yet acted upon.

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Grand Master

IsabellaRose

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On 29/09/2025 at 17:12, Chiyako said:

So above the box detailing our Focus choices there is a notice to draw an arrow from any circle or diamond to another circle, diamond, or square. We did that one already, right?

There is also a notice telling us to draw an arrow from our square to a new or existing circle or diamond. We haven't done that one yet, right?

I missed this somehow. Yes, you all still need to add a new NPC or Location!

For the Elixir...

On 29/09/2025 at 17:12, Chiyako said:

I suppose since the ability here needs to include a limit related to Gear or Mad Science, I'll try to add another tonic based off her Heritage Distinction, as those typically would include that sort of limit:

  • (d4) Elixar of Savitar
    A bottle of glowing elixir easily mistaken to be liquid sunlight, this creation floods the central nervous system with a concoction of stimulating chemicals designed to increase the speed of nerve impulses. It simultaneously introduces chemicals within the body's muscle cells designed to allow the fibers to contract with greater speed and force. All of this is perfect for running away from one's problems, although it does incur its own set of side effects. 
    • Effect: Evasion/Mobility. You may roll Elixir of Savitar when speed, agility, or rapid reaction could give you the advantage.
    • Descriptors: alchemy, elixar, heightened reflexes, mutagen, speed, stimulants.
    • Limits: Limited supply; Jittery Aftereffects – After the elixir wears off, your body trembles with exhaustion and frayed nerves. If you roll a 1 while using this Ability, step up Exhausted Stress or take Injured Stress (your choice).
    • SFX:
      • D4: Spend a Plot Point to immediately move somewhere nearby that would normally take a full action (through a doorway, across a courtyard, up a ladder, etc.).
      • D8: Spend a Plot Point to automatically avoid a complication or attack by describing a burst of superhuman speed or reflex.
      • D12: Add a d6 to Trouble to act twice in the same scene round: one normal action and one Elixir-fueled reflexive action (escape, attack, or create an advantage).

Let me know if something should be changed or such, or if anything needs to be done to make it fit better (or if I'm even doing this right in the first place!).

This game doesn't have typical move or initiative rules, so I'm going to suggest some modifications that are more in line with the way the game works. I tried to capture the spirit of what you were going for, but with SFX costs and benefits that fit within the standard framework.

 

d4 Elixir of Savitar: A bottle of glowing elixir easily mistaken to be liquid sunlight, this creation floods the central nervous system with a concoction of stimulating chemicals designed to increase the speed of nerve impulses. It simultaneously introduces chemicals within the body's muscle cells designed to allow the fibers to contract with greater speed and force. All of this is perfect for running away from one's problems, although it does incur its own set of side effects. Drink the Elixir of Savitar and roll when speed, agility, or rapid reaction could give you the advantage.
Effect: Movement
Descriptors: alchemy, elixir, heightened reflexes, speed, stimulant.
Limits: Gear, Supply
SFX:

  • d4 Earn a Plot Point when the elixir wears off at the worst moment, leaving you shaky, exhausted, or in withdrawal.
  • d8 Spend a Plot Point to perform multiple (non-Test or non-Contest) activities in the time it takes others to perform a single activity.
  • d12 Add a d6 to Trouble to Reroll a die in a Contest or Test where speed or reaction time gives you the advantage. 
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Grand Master

DreamsnThings

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ok so odds are this will be a bit of a post  as I go over everything thats happened since... the first post in this subset? holy fuck I just realized this is all just group 1's discussion

PG1
im going to hand wave my portion of the YOU WANT/DO NOT WANT since im joining this half late

prudence seems neat

i like the vampire esk mad scientist chiyako seems to be doing

I like the pitch isabella had for jekyll/hydeing beastfolk

im seeing how this is slowly adding elements of fantasy or atleast the supernatural

I also love the resource rush angel im seeing mentioned a couple times

I would love trains which i see mentioned

...what kind of story is this side planning to tell?

looking through peoples wants I see nothing im particularly having issues with

magnificent bastard wants elements of supernatural but not vamps/werewolves which is odd

PG2

Im liking the idea of prudence and the ashborn being a frontier legend

WNS latched onto balls, which I respect as a fellow ball enjoyer

WNS has locked in to the bardy angle, extra respect

everything in isabella's include section looks good to me

...glancing through everything else looks fine too

chiyaka switched to "i cant believe its not vampire" which is neat

the blue special mineral seems really fun actually, I think i want to work that in for my characters pherosol (pheromone parasol) as a component used in the chemical reaction

 WNS's mentioning of the stories focus's brings up slavery and its echoes, which is making me consider other interesting character concepts based off a former slave, which I dont think would really work with my pheromone tech using agent... but its interesting...

there may be very hittable NPCs based on negative historic stereotypes (yay!) 

PG3

mods SHOULD be able to move posts 1000%

with the D8 opulent ballroom example I realized I can use PP to make a temporary resource permanent, so I can have my pherosols multitool feature have permanent tools and features half on the fly, which I LOVE

and bloodturnscold got moved over around here

sex magic is actually going to be a thing which is hillarious and awesome

I like gliders personally, would give me an excuse to marry poppins with the pherosol if others had things like that /s

a few people post their backstories<3

 

...Im going to work on PG4 and beyond later, but so far everything looks solid to me

im thinking that my parasol gal owns a small pharmacy in the little town as a front, with an NPC acting as both the main pharmacist and her "Q" who is my supplier for gadgets and my main sort of quest giver when it comes to the espionage side of thing, currently there is a big focus on investigating the flow of "gold" in the town (or whatever the super valuable thing ends up being. in the process I start looking at a few key individuals around town who could be useful for their connection the "supernatural" such as the alleged vampire, what seems to be a traveling mystic with connections to the afterlife, and a monk with connections to the ashborn to name a few. something seems to be going on, and her organization wants both to know what is going on, and wants a cut of the profits if they are there to be had.

...thats the current working idea I have for her, wanted to pitch it before I get too far

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Grand Master

Chiyako

Posted
Posted
26 minutes ago, IsabellaRose said:

I missed this somehow. Yes, you all still need to add a new NPC or Location!

For the Elixir...

This game doesn't have typical move or initiative rules, so I'm going to suggest some modifications that are more in line with the way the game works. I tried to capture the spirit of what you were going for, but with SFX costs and benefits that fit within the standard framework.

 

d4 Elixir of Savitar: A bottle of glowing elixir easily mistaken to be liquid sunlight, this creation floods the central nervous system with a concoction of stimulating chemicals designed to increase the speed of nerve impulses. It simultaneously introduces chemicals within the body's muscle cells designed to allow the fibers to contract with greater speed and force. All of this is perfect for running away from one's problems, although it does incur its own set of side effects. Drink the Elixir of Savitar and roll when speed, agility, or rapid reaction could give you the advantage.
Effect: Movement
Descriptors: alchemy, elixir, heightened reflexes, speed, stimulant.
Limits: Gear, Supply
SFX:

  • d4 Earn a Plot Point when the elixir wears off at the worst moment, leaving you shaky, exhausted, or in withdrawal.
  • d8 Spend a Plot Point to perform multiple (non-Test or non-Contest) activities in the time it takes others to perform a single activity.
  • d12 Add a d6 to Trouble to Reroll a die in a Contest or Test where speed or reaction time gives you the advantage. 

That works perfectly fine to me! I shall update my sheet accordingly!

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