IsabellaRose

Oh... and you probably want to wait to write Relationship statements until later. As the game goes on, relationships might form a little more naturally based on the way the system works, and it will be easier to see how your PCs relate to each other based on the way we build the setting and NPCs through Pathways.

I've been thinking about the early Ashborn. I think they started out a a loose-knit group of disenfranchised individuals, but quickly took on roles to help others. Some became healers, nurturers, keepers of safe houses - the Hearthkeepers. Some became fighters, saboteurs, defends who tip the scales by force, the Firebrands, following in Prudences' footsteps in the way they imagine to be most direct. The violence they visit on misogynists who refuse to accept free women loving other free women earned them the name The Widowmakers. But the group that ended up truly walking close to the same path as Prudence were the Ashwalkers, wandering adherents, defenders of the disenfranchised. The Walkers follow the road of solitude and wandering, like pilgrims or monks with no temple but the open sky. They prefer peace, speaking gently and living lightly, but they will not stand by while the weak are crushed. When the innocent, the silenced, or the outcast cry out, the Walkers answer. They fight only when no other path remains, and when they do, they fight without hesitation. I tried to come up with some Distinctions that felt a bit "Kung Fu" to me. Let me know what you think: Ash-Walker Distinctions Pilgrim of the Ash Road You walk lightly upon the world, carrying little but your will and your fire. The road is both your teacher and your sanctuary. d4: Earn a Plot Point when you choose the harder road or refuse comfort that would be easier to accept. d8: Spend a Plot Point to appear in a scene as if you’ve wandered into it at the perfect moment. d12: Add a d6 to Trouble to Reroll a die when you act as guide or protector for an outcast. Silent Protector You prefer peace, but your silence hides a dangerous resolve. When the weak are threatened, you strike with sudden precision. d4: Earn a Plot Point when you let someone underestimate you because of your quiet nature. d8: Spend a Plot Point to step into a scene and immediately intercept harm meant for another. d12: Add a d6 to Trouble to Decrease your opponent’s Injured or Afraid Stress pool when you fight in defense of the innocent. Ashen Wisdom Your scars have become lessons. You know the weight of chains, the fire of ruin, and the need for compassion. d4: Earn a Plot Point when you let empathy for another slow or hinder your progress. d8: Spend a Plot Point to Reveal you know a story, teaching, or proverb that changes how someone sees their situation. d12: Add a d6 to Trouble to Reroll a die when offering counsel that challenges authority or unjust laws. Hands That Heal, Hands That Strike You are trained to heal and defend in equal measure, a wandering monk whose hands carry mercy and violence both. d4: Earn a Plot Point when you heal or aid another at cost to yourself. d8: Spend a Plot Point to treat physical or emotional Stress as though you had medical supplies or sanctuary at hand. d12: Spend a Plot Point to Reroll a die when you turn your healing skill into a weapon (nerve strikes, pressure points, improvised defenses). RESOURCE: For the Resource, it could be as simple as "Hearthkeepers" with specialties of: safety, healing, concealment, quick escape... or whatever you think. Or a location like an Abandoned Homestead or the Caves in the Hills she knows is a safe sport.

Yes, that works perfectly. It's really not super critical which one you choose, unless you're building an automaton, in which case you'd need to select Constructed. Otherwise it's just semantics, and the only difference is what options it gives you to build the character. You could have an Common-Born origin and still end up Wealthy, or vice versa. It's mostly just to try to help give you inspiration to create the character and think about their origin.

Oh, and don't forget to add each of the other PCs as a d4 Relationship to your character sheet. I didn't include that in the instructions.

This is perfect. Keep in mind, just because they're not on the sheet, doesn't mean they don't exist in the fiction. Family members, past lovers, etc. can and do all exist, even if they're not on the pathways map. The ones on the map are going to be connected to other locations, PCs, NPCs, and events placed on the map, often in ways you did not expect. You addition of Willis is pure gold. He's an NPC I can use, and I can't wait to see if and how he gets connected to others.

From the initial post in this thread: 1. Start with the basics of worldbuilding. Working from that original description (in the very first post): Write down anything that YOU WANT to be in this game, concepts, set pieces, species, tech, etc., for you to enjoy it. If you want there to be Automaton's write it down. If you just think they'd be cool, but you don't really care one way or the other, don't write it down. This is the list of "I want this to be in the world!" Write down anything that you DO NOT WANT in the game. If zombies will ruin the setting for you, let us know. Once we get input from everyone, we set the world. Then we can move on to character creation. 2. For characters, here's my recommendation: Start with what sound exciting for you to play. This is a new world, an original setting, and the only limits are what everyone else in Game 2 agrees to. I highly encourage original characters. Outline what you like in a character. Let us know what excites you. See how it fits with everyone elses' ideas. Obviously be willing to adapt your character ideas to the world and what others want, but start from a strong "this is what I want to play" position. Put all your cards on the table. For all you know, everyone says "cool, let's do that!" But if not, we work towards a middle ground where everyone is happy. The ideas put forth by everyone in the original thread don't hold here. It's just the four of you as players. Make the world your own!

When you add your NPC to the Miro board, click on the arrow and type your relationship to them. Something like "in love with" or "needs me to protect them" or whatever you think. Also, post here and let us know who that person is to you, and what things you've added to your sheet. If there's not a Distinction, Ability, or Heritage that fits what you have in mind listed, mention it here and we can custom-make one for you.

OKAY!! It's time! Go to the Character Creation section of the Cortex Rules Reference thread, and copy out the template for a character sheet. Then scroll down to the Pathways section and follow the instructions for Step 1: Origins. Select one of the five origins. Before you add things to your Character sheet, head over to the Game 1 Miro Board. You'll find your name on a square and all the arrows already drawn to connect you to the other PCs. Add your character name to the square. Just click in the square and type. There's already a circle attached to your square with an arrow - add a name to it. This is an NPC that's important to you. Ideally it's someone who will be around during the roleplay, but it can be someone from your past. Keep in mind that anything you put on the board can later be connected to other PCs, other NPCs, locations, etc. This builds a web of interconnected things for the setting. It's super cool, and it makes it better than you might have made it by yourself. Trust me, it's the most fun aspect of the system. Once you've added your NPC, come back to the Pathways steps and Add or Step Up Relationships, Values, Distinctions, Abilities, and Resources as appropriate for your chosen Origin.

Honestly, I adore the idea that people think she's a vampire and she's not. That provides so much fun potential for NPC reactions and interactions in town.

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 events. What we add in pathways is definitely going to be in the game. So we want to cast broad strokes here, then get specific pinpoints in pathways. if everyone is more or less in agreement, I’ll setup the pathways chart and post the Pathways Step 1 instructions here once I’m back on my laptop. I’m playing Auntie Daycare at my nieces house right now and typing that out on the phone is going to be a nightmare.

One of my favorite things about the old west setting is that communication can be fairly quick with the telegraph, but transportation takes time. You can’t just zip from point A to point B. so I’d be curious what your intention was for gliders. If it’s just a one off or novelty tech then I definitely have no problem with it.

I'm moving @AsBloodTurnsEverCold to Group 1. He's expressed interest in the original concept as I posted it I think he'll enjoy that group quite a bit. Game 1 is full up, now. I can't accommodate more than 6 players in 1 game. Group 2 is down to just 3 players now.

I'm adding @AsBloodTurnsEverCold to this Group 1. He's on board with the original concept and likes what's been discussed here so far, so... welcome aboard! And with that, we're full up in Game 1.

I want to say not guilty because the me I am now would never do that, BUT... 20-year-old me was just a messed up, jealous, insecure, untrusting jerkface and she definitely did that. Sigh. Some things you're not proud of... The next person hates mayonnaise.

AsBloodTurnsEverCold is very accurate. I think you're overthinking it. Here's my recommendation: Start with what sound exciting for you to play. This is a new world, an original setting, and the only limits are what everyone else in Game 2 agrees to. I highly encourage original characters. Outline what you like in a character. Let us know what excites you. See how it fits with everyone elses' ideas. Obviously be willing to adapt your character ideas to the world and what others want, but start from a strong "this is what I want to play" position. Put all your cards on the table. For all you know, everyone says "cool, let's do that!" But if not, we work towards a middle ground where everyone is happy. The ideas put forth by everyone in the original thread don't hold here. It's just the four of you as players. Make the world your own!

Kill, because it's the last thing they'd expect.

sensual dreams

I provided a list of character tropes and ideas in the original interest check thread. That being said, I did specify that these two games are NOT set in the same world. So of you want to make changes to increase your enjoyment, this is the time and place to make suggestions for what will make this more enjoyable for you. I certainly don't want anyone feeling obliged to play this game and feeling constrained by its limitations. If you want something different than what I outlined above, say so. Please. Let's make this the world you want to play in.

/beginrant Moderators should really be able to move posts in their own clubs. smh. /endrant There is a trait in the distinction/trait list called "Wealthy". Cortex Dramatic isn't really designed to track resources so in general, if you want your character to be filthy rich with a mansion and staff of servants... they get it. Then during gameplay, if something seems like a thing that character would have, they just have it. If you need to buy things and you're rich, you buy them. But if you want something to add mechanical weight to an argument, you spend a plot point and create a d8 Resource for it. Example: Let's say that you decided that your wealthy aristocratic European character is hosting a ball in their mansion. That's no problem. They have a mansion, it has a ballroom, "ball on." BUT if you were trying to impress another PC or an NPC with your wealth by showing off your opulent ballroom and you wanted to add it to your dice pool in the hopes of winning a contest, you'd have to spend a Plot Point to create a d8 Opulent Ballroom resource, which you could then include in your role. You could use the d8 Opulent Ballroom for the rest of the scene, and anyone else can spend a PP to use your d8 Opulent Ballroom during the scene. You can then spend another PP at the end of the scene to make it a permanent resource on your character sheet, if you think you'll use it again.

What I mean by “Goofy Slapstick Steampunk Tropes” is nothing silly just for the sake of silliness. Steampunk embodies a wide spectrum, from gritty gears-and-smoke realism to over-the-top silliness. For this campaign, we’re leaning toward the dramatic, weird, gothic end of the scale (Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Poe), and away from the cartoon comedy end. Examples of what I'm not going for: Silly gadgets like a steam-powered top hat that shoots lasers, an umbrella that turns into a pogo stick, or monocles that shoot lightning beams just because it’s funny. Cartoon logic, like jetpacks made from tea kettles, mechanical ducks that double as grenades, or someone riding a unicycle tank into battle. Pure gags, devices whose only purpose is to be goofy, like a clockwork butler who exists only to serve pie with comic timing. Tone-breaking contraptions, in short anything that feels like it belongs in a parody cartoon instead of a gothic Weird West story. Examples of what we are going for: Gritty tech... weapons like Tesla rifles, pneumatic shotguns, or steam-powered exoskeletons... things that are dangerous, experimental, and often flawed. Science with consequences so that every unique invention feels a little dangerous, untested, or morally questionable. Atmospheric weirdness. I want the tech to inspire awe and unease, not laughter. It’s not that humor is banned. There will be room for wit, charm, and irony at the table. But the technology itself should feel serious, dangerous, and uncanny, not gag props for a steampunk comedy sketch.

Also, all questions require an answer, so you might want to add a "None of the Above" in case someone would love to play in several games they've heard of, but doesn't want to GM them, or vice versa.

It might be too early for the Golden Dawn, but it was inspired by Masonic organizations and I think the Rosicrucians... or was it the other way around? I get my esoteric orders all mixed up. Regardless, if those organizations didn't exist til later, perhaps this character was an inspiration for them, a practitioner of secret thaumaturgic sexual arts, a coitamancer or something...

Start with this. Tell me what you want to exist in the setting. If you want people with bunny ears, now is the time to mention it. Also, tell me what you don't want. If anything I put in my last post about what I imagine and what I don't imagine for the setting runs contrary to what you imagine, we need to work it out now, not when we're a couple weeks into a roleplay.

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 troublesome aspects, depending on how much anyone wants to focus on them and what fits into the story) and alter whatever needed to be altered to fit the setting. That includes the the rebel remnants, ex-confederates, recently freed slaves, the encroachment of the settlers on First Nations lands, the Army carrying out its campaign to clear the "savages" from the lands... But as WickedCadrach said, as background unless it becomes useful to the plot. For instance, I can imagine creating a nasty, racist, misogynistic, ex-confederate who treats non-European people (including sentient automatons, hybrids, and anything else we come up with) as if they are less than him, and being quite the hateful and hated antagonist. He doesn't have to be anyone real, but he could be a target for working out things.

Ghosts in the Flesh I feel them before I hear them. Octavia’s laughter, sharp and familiar, coils around the back of my mind. Luna’s sigh follows, tender and aching, as if she still doesn’t quite believe she’s here. But they are both here, inside me, crowded into the same fragile flesh that was supposed to be mine alone. It was only meant to be temporary, a stopgap, a mercy. Octavia’s ghost had already been with me for months, tucked like a burning coal into the neural buffer no one else dared use. And then Luna… my bright, impossible Luna. She should have had her own body, her own future. But the people hunting me found her, and made me pay by taking her from me. I never meant for her to get hurt, but she died in my arms. My only option was to steal her into the only safe harbor I had left... myself. But the buffer couldn't hold two consciousnesses. It was never even meant to hold one, not for any length of time. The safety protocols failed almost as soon as I downloaded Luna. Their minds, their beings, poured into me like two bottles of wine trying to pour into a third. Now we are three minds sharing one body. Every step is a negotiation. My legs move, but Luna leans us toward the window, wanting to see the starlight. My fingers twitch, but Octavia holds them steady, savoring the sensation of touch. It is maddening and intoxicating at once. I am no longer only myself. When I brush my hand across my cheek, I feel it three times over: my own skin, Octavia’s hunger, Luna’s wonder. One body, three minds. Every nerve an echo chamber. “Aria…” Luna’s voice is inside my throat, trembling. “I can feel you.” “And me,” Octavia cuts in, her tone velvet and sharp. “Don’t forget me.” How could I? They are everywhere. Their memories unspool inside me... Octavia’s firelit kisses, Luna’s quiet laughter on sleepless nights. I never meant for them to collide, but now they bleed together. Their longings, their jealousies, their desire… all pulsing through the same veins. I shiver, and the shiver belongs to all of us. I don’t know whose lips part, whose breath catches, whose heart pounds faster. Mine? Theirs? Ours? The body sways with its own momentum, guided by three sets of hands, three voices whispering in one mouth. I close my eyes, surrendering, and let them rise through me like a tide. “We are not alone anymore,” Luna whispers. “No,” Octavia answers, softer than I have ever heard her. “We are together.” And for the first time, I believe them. At first, it’s just a hand. My hand. But when I lift it, I feel Octavia’s anticipation coil like static, and Luna’s nervous curiosity trembling alongside mine. Three intentions, one movement. The fingertips hover, then press lightly against the curve of my body. A simple gesture, but the echo is overwhelming. Octavia inhales sharply inside me, as if she’s the one touching, the one being touched. Luna gasps too, startled, then melts into wonder. So soft, Luna whispers. I remember this, Octavia says. And I, caught between them, feel both the remembering and the discovery, layered over my own sensations. When I move the hand again, tracing upward, the pressure shifts, guided by Octavia’s familiarity. She knows exactly where to linger, the angle, the rhythm. Luna moans with surprise, the sound trembling through my throat before I can stop it. How did you... Luna begins. Because I knew her first, Octavia replies, but not with jealousy, with intimacy... with pride. The sensation ripples between us like a wave, one touch sparking three responses. Pleasure becomes communal, impossible to separate. When I shiver, Octavia’s delight floods me, and Luna’s awe tumbles in after it, until I can’t tell whose pulse is racing, whose breath hitches, whose need is rising. The hand lingers lower, hesitant, then pressing more firmly. Luna gasps again. Octavia laughs softly, indulgently. There. Yes, there. Wait, I feel it too—oh… I can’t tell if I am leading or being led. It feels as though my body is a stage and the two of them are dancing across it, teaching, guiding, reveling. Each stroke is shared, each sigh multiplies, each trembling pause is answered by three hearts. I close my eyes, and the voices overlap... desire, memory, wonder... all whispering through me, around me, within me. Is this me? I ask silently. Or us? Us, Luna breathes. Always us, Octavia answers. And then the thought ceases to matter. There is only the body, the hands, the chorus of three minds entwined in one rising tide. It builds without warning. One moment it’s just touch, shared and multiplied. The next, it’s everything... too much, too fast, too beautiful to hold back. The pressure surges inside us like a tide rising against glass. Octavia’s voice is sharp and urgent, pulling me higher, Luna’s is breathless, wide-eyed, swept along, and I... I am the vessel, trembling beneath the weight of us all. Don’t stop, Octavia cries. I can’t… it’s too much, Luna gasps. It’s all of us, I whisper, though I don’t know if I say it aloud or only think it. The wave crests. My whole body arches into it, every nerve singing, every thought dissolving. But I am not alone in the surrender. Octavia shouts with me, her passion burning through my blood. Luna clings tight, her wonder spilling over into joy. The crash is not one voice, not two, it is three voices tangled in a single cry. Light fills me. Darkness fills me. My pulse is thunder in my ears, and yet I hear them, hear us, layered and unbroken. The climax is not mine alone. It belongs to all of us, an impossible union of memory and flesh, of the living and the dead, of love that refuses to let go. When the wave finally breaks, I collapse inward, shaking, overwhelmed. For a moment there is only silence, the hush of a sea pulling back from the shore. Then I feel them... Octavia’s satisfied hum, Luna’s soft laughter, my own tears slipping warm down my face. We are one, Luna whispers, awed. We are alive, Octavia says, fierce. We are together, I think, and for once, neither of them argues. The silence after is strange. It's not empty, never empty now, but suspended, like the stillness in the air after lightning has split the sky. My skin tingles with fading echoes, each nerve ending humming with the memory of what just passed. Inside me, Octavia hums low, a languid satisfaction. She has always been the first to collapse into warmth after passion, wrapping herself in the glow of what lingers. Luna, by contrast, trembles with amazement, her wonder spilling over into laughter. It bubbles up through my throat before I can tell if it belongs to her or me. That was… she whispers, but never finishes. Words would only make it smaller. Yes, Octavia answers, her voice gentler than I expect, no sharp edge, no teasing, just agreement, unguarded and real. I lie back and close my eyes. Every breath I take belongs to three. When I shift against the sheets, they both feel it; when I run my hand absently over my stomach, it is Octavia who sighs and Luna who gasps. It is no longer possible to separate us. The act has bound us closer, threads braided tighter. Where once I felt like a host, carrying them inside me like passengers, now I feel like the vessel of something greater, one life woven from three. I cry then, softly. Not out of sorrow, out of fullness. Out of the unbearable beauty of holding them both, here, alive, when I should have lost them forever. The tears slip hot down my cheeks, and I hear them. Don’t cry, Luna whispers. I'm here. I'm still here. So am I, Octavia says, fierce and steady. You will never be alone again. Their words fold around me like arms, even though they have none. And in that moment, I don’t mourn what I’ve lost. I rejoice in what we have made together... strange, impossible, but real. We are three souls in one body. Haunted, tangled, and whole.