Wild Cards: Sons of the Gun

Started by DarkDaemon, December 02, 2009, 01:26:56 AM

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DarkDaemon



Introduction (outside site)
The World
These are wiki sites, so you should be able to find the stuff a lot easier.



Summary/setting:
The Wild West as it never was. The Civil War destroyed both the North and South- creating an entire collection of walled city-states instead of one nation. Each city-state is its own government- some good, some bad, some ugly. Things were more or less quiet like, since no outlaw could hope to take down the walls of a city state. Certainly, there were shootouts, and robberies, and the train tracks would sometimes be assaulted, but it was mostly peaceful. Then the Guns, the Cards, appeared.

Introduction (ripped from 1d4chan):
There are whispers. Half truths and tall tales. To be honest no man knows where the Cards came from. No mortal man, kennit? All that is agreed upon is one day they started to appear, and the world changed.

To hear it told, there are only fifty four true Guns in the world. Guns with a capital G. Sure you can find the odd shooting iron, crafted by some smith of supreme skill. Maybe even purchase a genuine Smythe, not the mass produced crap, but one the old man made himself. More common a slugthrower, those bastard children of inspiration that many a would be 'slinger claims is a weapon true. The real deal, blessed steel, they are the only ones worthy of being called true Guns. They are the Cards, and they are the weapons of the Gunslingers. To wield a Card is to be blessed and cursed. To carry one is to be a God on Earth, and a demon of the cruelest nature. The stories hint that those who carry the Cards don't truly wield them, but are instead used by them. There are tales of Gunslingers, who with their last breath thank their murderers for freeing them from the curse in one breath, and bemoan their damned souls in the next.

Many a man will argue on the nature of the Cards. Whether they were the work of one man or many. Some even speculate that ol' scratch himself made them. What no man will argue is their power. Fifty four Guns, thirteen of each Suit and the two Wilds. Deuce to Ace, that's how their power is reckoned. Such thinking is for the jaw waggers and the boilbacks. Any man who has seen a Gunslinger will tell you, the strength of the Gun will only get you so far, the rest is the man who the Card rides.
The Cards are marked - pun unintended - with the image of their namesake, usually on the handle. Stories follow those that carry them, right into the grave. A smart gunslinger may make it to old age with a Gun, but none will make it there unscathed.
Beyond that, there's not much that a fella can say about the Cards. Or rather, there's too much. Scuttlebutt. Gossip. Stories you can never really confirm.

The suits do seem to mean something. They say that a Club can punch through steel, that you never beat a Diamond at the quick-draw, that a Heart can shoot the wings off a fly, and that a Spade can shoot around corners if he really wants to. The Jokers, now them everyone can agree on. The Black Joker, the Dead Man's Gun. No one who carries it ever dies in a gunfight, but they all die soon enough... and the Red Joker, which might as well be a myth. No one can ever remember anything about the fella who carries it. Just the gun. And even that's foggy.



I'm blatantly stealing this. Just because I think its amazing. Anyone interested in doing a freeform RP of this? A couple saloon shootouts, a wandering Slinger or two... This setting just fires my imagination, I'd rather do without the rules.
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Caeli

It would be nice if you could at least summarize the two sites, since the links you provided sent me to two really long threads that I feel little inclination for reading in their totality, especially since there doesn't seem to be any sort of summary or coherent idea available. :-)
ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀғʟɪᴇs ᴀʀᴇ ɢᴏᴅ's ᴘʀᴏᴏғ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀᴛ ʟɪғᴇ
ᴠᴇʀʏ sᴇʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇʟʏ ᴀᴠᴀɪʟᴀʙʟᴇ ғᴏʀ ɴᴇᴡ ʀᴏʟᴇᴘʟᴀʏs

ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ❋ ғᴏʀ ɪᴅᴇᴀs; 'ø' ғᴏʀ ᴏɴs&ᴏғғs, ᴏʀ ᴘᴍ ᴍᴇ.
{ø 𝕨 
  𝕒 }
»  ᴇʟʟɪᴡʀɪᴍᴏ
»  ᴄʜᴏᴏsᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴇ: ᴛʜᴇ ғɪғᴛʜ sᴄʜᴏʟᴀʀʟʏ ᴀʀᴛ
»  ひらひらと舞い散る桜に 手を伸ばすよ
»  ᴘʟᴏᴛ ʙᴜɴɴɪᴇs × sᴛᴏʀʏ sᴇᴇᴅs × ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴs

DarkDaemon

Well, I've stuck in much better links, copied most of the intro, wrote a summarized history so people can get the setting. Should be much nicer now.
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Blackbird

Hey, are you still planning on doing this one? It sounds awesome!

DarkDaemon

I am most definitely still interested! Mind waiting just a touch more (<week) to see if more peeps are interested? If no one shows up, we'll just buddy up.

Two brothers, wandering the West, going from town to town...

Something like that could be very full of win.
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I am myself.
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Blackbird

#5
Alright, I'll wait. This RP has the potential to be great, so what's a week or so if there ends up being more participants? Anyway, I agree that the rules included in the link above are a bit much and we're better off without them. That said, however, is there any minor rules at all that should be implemented? And how about profiles?

Also, just wondering... Is this a show or a game or something? I've checked out those links, but I can't tell where Wild Cards is from.

I know, a lot of questions for one post. Sue me.

DarkDaemon

There's this... place, on the internet. 4chan. The most wonderful, most horrid things can be found there. One of the channels (their version of forums) is tg, or traditional games. And among other things, they come up with new and amazing game ideas.

As another example: Science: The Hypothesis. The trading card game.
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Blackbird

Interesting. I'm surprised that such an original idea didn't come from a show or something like that.

Anyway, what do we need for profiles? Just standard stuff I'd think, huh?

DarkDaemon

Actually- profiles are two part.
The Slinger and the Card. Some cards are given/detailed- but feel free to make your own, or change an existing one.
They're more like guidelines, really.

Basically, the Card is a large part of the game. What is it? What is her, his, its personality? What are its powers, drawbacks? Weaknesses? What kind of gun is it- derringer, shotgun, rifle, etc? What legends are spoken of it? Where did you get it- killed a man for it, found it, Dealer gave it to you, someone passed it on to you?

The Card should be as detailed as a character. That's half the fun, really.
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Blackbird

True. That's what made this thread so appealing was the Cards. Who wouldn't be enthralled by a downright mythological Gun? I'm going to put a lot of thought into this...

My profile will be up soon. Within a day or so, I would think. To go with what you said earlier, why not you and me be brothers like you suggested, regardless of who else joins. I think it would be cool if we know of each other's existence, but were raised separately and start the game apart, then meet each other later. Only how are we going to know that this other Gunslinger is a long-lost brother?

DarkDaemon

The guns. We both know our father carried two Cards, and each of us got one. So then we see the man with the other card. Of course, drama: is he our brother, or the man who killed our brother?
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torioto

I accept the invitation.
The only problem is I might need some guidance here and there.

Blackbird


torioto

I advise we set forward, and let other possible players join as the role-play continues.

Blackbird

Hold yer horses there, greenhorn! Y'all've got ter saddle yer horse before ye can git ta ridin'!

Pardon the western talk, but you're not ready to "set forward" anywhere without a profile. You have to write up a summary of who you are first, and the details of your Gun. To do that, check out the links in the first post - there's just a little background reading to get you up to speed as to what this is all about. Once you've got the know-how, you can put together a decent profile. Here's mine for an example:

-----------------

GUNSLINGER:  “Hawk”

Age:  26

Description:
Going simply by nickname, Hawk is a tall, quiet man with brown hair and piercing light blue eyes. His face is slightly unshaven, and long bangs hang freely over his brow, above a long, broad strip of dark red cloth tied around his forehead.

He is never without his trademark duster - a long dark brown leather coat with a slit in the back and each side from the waist down, allowing the flaps to hang freely when riding and running. The duster is well worn, ragged at the ends and ventilated by an old bullet hole or two. The cuffs are wide and thick, and the collar is high when flipped up. It also has two large pockets in front, side pockets, and interior side pockets. It’s also waterproof, allowing for all-weather wear.

Beneath his duster, Hawk has on a simple dark red button-up shirt over a black sleeveless undershirt, and tan pants under leather riding leggings, which also cover his sturdy but old boots. Tied around his neck is a red bandana, and leather fingerless shooting gloves cover his hands.

Lastly is his gun belts. His primary gun belt is worn around his waist and features a hanging holster on each side, a pouch behind each holster to carry ammo, and also has tiny loops along the belt’s entire length to hold individual bullets. In addition to his waist belt, he also wears an ammo bandolier diagonally across his chest under the duster. It has small pouches mounted along its length, as well as loops that spare guns can be carried in.

Bio:
Hawk is a quiet drifter - a freelance jack-of-all-trades doing whatever jobs he stumbles across in his wanderings. Having done everything from rob a train to substitute for a sick schoolteacher, there’s not a lot that can surprise him. His mercenary lifestyle takes him wherever the winds are blowing, traveling solo on a quest not even he has a reason for.

He is generally mild-mannered and willing to help others, but also has a darker, ruthless side when it comes to fighting. He is neither outlaw nor lawman, but his own man. However, having dealt in several less-then-lawful jobs, Hawk’s got his face on a handful of few and far between wanted posters.

There’s still one great looming mystery for him: the Cards. All he knows about his own past is that his father was a legendary Gunslinger, and that he has a brother somewhere out there in the West. His family is somehow linked with the mysterious Guns, and the answers start with becoming a Gunslinger himself.


CARD:  Seven of Spades, “Fortune”

His father, known for the possession of two Guns, promised one to each of his sons. His left-hand Gun, “Fortune” was to be Hawk’s, but the Card disappeared along with him when the brothers were still only kids.

(OOC:  I have a story for how I reclaim the Card, and can make it part of the role play or a separate post.)

The Seven of Spades is a top-break revolver with a long, nine inch barrel and a cylinder that can hold seven shots. Whatever metal it’s made out of is of a silver so shiny it’s almost like a mirror, and the handle is a brilliant crimson wood with seven golden spades inscribed on the right side. In total, its features make it slightly larger then the average gun… but then again, this is no ordinary gun.

He who holds the Seven of Spades is said to wield luck itself into battle. The Gunslinger becomes capable of pulling off the most extraordinarily probability-defying shots and stunts imaginable, even compared to other Cards. It is said that not only does the Card holder’s fortune shine, but that of his enemies will dangerously decrease when they cross him. However, the cost of lady luck’s fortune in combat is bought by draining the Gunslinger’s luck when the Gun is not held. And rumor has it, that once every so often, the Gunslinger‘s luck will horribly backfire, even during a fight when it is needed the most!

As the saying goes, “Lucky in war but nothing else,” the Seven of Spades offers both great power… and great risk.

------------------

Just concentrate on your profile for now. DarkDaemon will tell us when the role play starts.

...Won't you DarkDaemon?

torioto

Quote from: Blackbird on December 15, 2009, 10:47:02 PM

You have to write up a summary of who you are first, and the details of your Gun.

Precisely what I meant with moving forward. ('_')

torioto

GUNSLINGER:  Krad
Age:  17

Description:

Appearing too young for his age, Krad has a face that reminds you of angels, but don't let the innocent and impeccable face fool you because he hides his emotions better than any poker player. You wouldn't like to find out what would happen if you try to take off his cowboy hat.  He also usually dresses a long sleeved white button shirt, the first one unbuttoned with barely noticeable embroided details running through it and jeans that follow under to his black boots. His simple gun belt hangs at an angle.  His medium long dusty gold colored hair can be seen in bangs flowing from under his hat making heavenly finishes to his angelical look.

Charismatic, smart, observant, and detailed are the best of his features. They serve him most in dangerous situations. Or when he's courting a young gal. He will escape any given situation without harm in the most graceful way though he is usually too smart to be trapped.

He likes to maintain a reputation for he feels like a god for achieving so many feats without flaws.

Bio:

His unusually graceful talents were ignored in his high class family. Having almost non-existing parents that only care about their ever prospering industry though him the cruel truth of the world: you are always alone in this world, even if you are always accompanied. Receiving the finest education and perfecting his many skills was his way of proving himself to his family though they were robbed and killed by the Black Arm Gang for denying and illegal gun traffic deal with them.

This left Krad with more wealth than he cares and a desire to grow to be known. He sought  a master of battle and learned the secret arts of fighting, and the modern ways of shooting.

Being so wealthy he is target of many but victim of none. He will usually find himself in tricky situations but his sharp mind and dexterity allow him to escape unscratched.

Krad is a lawful trader that feels no need for wealth only for personal greatness. He is a charismatic cold-hearted playboy that doesn't care in the least about others. He is willing to leave everything behind for any adventure interesting enough.


This is actually my first character, so feel free to point out my flaws while I learn. And I learn fast.
My character is still gun-less and I hope a side story is made for it.

Blackbird

Not bad. Your character is very original.  ;D  And here I thought everybody wanted to be a badass outlaw!

That's two diverse characters... all we need is Daemon's profile and we're good to go!

torioto

Thank you Blackbird.
I am looking forward to it

DarkDaemon

Okay, I'll update this with a full bio later, but I wanted to ask: both of you are gun-less for now, but I made my character's gun a little more tied in, so I'd like to start with it- but if that isn't what you want, its ok.
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torioto

It may serve as a reference as to how they work for me.
I wish to wield the 7 of hearts, thats is if I get to choose.

DarkDaemon

I think it would work great if we all have sevens- also makes 21.

Gunslinger: "Johnny"
Age:   23

Description: "Heya, friend! You can call me Johnny." The lanky, unkempt man slides onto the barstool, a sycophantic smile nailed to his lips. He's the man who laughs too loud at the unfunny jokes, who leers too long at the wrong girls, who wears the clothes that were old ten years ago. He walks with a bit of a hunch, hiding his full length, a square six feet. His smile never leaves his face- yet it never reaches his eyes.

As the evening progresses, his old clothes get filthier from beer stains. He drinks and gambles, gambles and drinks. He almost gets in three fights, avoiding them all through dint of buying rounds. Yet his beer-mongering earns him no friends, and as he stumbles up the steps not a man nor woman cares for his absence.

He opens the door to his room for the night, and his hands start to shake as he grips his gun. He prays, harder than any man drank that night. He prays as soft as death's kiss. He prays to God, to the Devil, to the Dealer, to his gun. He prays that no one in that bar will remember him tomorrow. He prays that not a face sticks in his mind- or worse, his heart. He prays that no fellow says, "That was a swell guy," that no lass sighs as she thinks of him. For some men wield their guns- and some are wielded by their Gun.

CARD: Seven of Diamonds, "Lone Star"

Some time ago, a man wielded two Cards, both Guns of power- and misery. He had two sons, and unto them the Cards were passed.

The Seven of Diamonds looks like it should be melted down for scrap. Rust stains this revolver, mildew covers its wooden handle, almost hiding the seven small, faded red diamonds painted on the handle. This Gun doesn't need care- and should any be given, shall someone try to polish the damned weapon, they will find their hands burning with pain.

The Card forces its philosophy onto the wielder. It will not fire any bullet given or sold to the Slinger, but in exchange it can fire anything that will fit in its cylinder, from pebbles to seeds, though bullets still kill best. Furthermore, while carrying this Card, the Slinger can take care of himself: sow his own clothes, cast his own bullets, find his own way. This power has a price- one that haunts Johnny.

Like most diamonds, the seven is fast, blazingly so. And a Slinger who uses its speed fully, has little time to think. He has to let the gun help him aim. And if the Gun feels that the Slinger is growing dependent on someone, or has someone depending on them, then the Seven of Diamonds will take its own aim.
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torioto


DarkDaemon

Thanks. Like I said, feel free to use the seven of hearts, and to make it different than the one on the links. We should probably get started by next week?
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Blackbird

Quote from: DarkDaemon on December 16, 2009, 11:06:51 PM
I think it would work great if we all have sevens- also makes 21.
Nice! That, and it works great that my Gun's brother is also a seven.

Quote from: DarkDaemon on December 16, 2009, 11:31:47 PM
We should probably get started by next week?
Whenever is good for me. The sooner the better!  ;D

torioto


DarkDaemon

Quote from: Blackbird on December 16, 2009, 11:53:26 PM
Nice! That, and it works great that my Gun's brother is also a seven.

I thought we wanted our characters as brothers? For extra drama?
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Blackbird

We are brothers. That, and since they were both carried by our legendary Gunsliger father, makes our Guns "brothers" as well! Sorry if I confused you.

torioto


Blackbird

Good question - one I was curious about myself. DarkDaemon, you said that you were looking for this to be a freeform RP... But just how freeform exactly? I would like to propose that, (unless someone, namely you or me, wanted to impose some slight GM influence), we can all "control" minor NPCs, even ones that someone else made up. However, greater NPCs (important ones with their own name) should not be "controled" by other players out of respect, unless with permission of course.

For example: Tori here can write in one of his posts that we get surrounded by bad guys. Daemon and I can feel free to fight and kill them however we wish. But, if Tori were to include an enemy leader - Bandit the Outlaw - then he can only be controled by Tori, almost (but not quite) like his own character. The reason we can't just fight and kill Bandit the Outlaw is because Tori may have created him with some future purpose in mind, one that we would flush down the toilet should we decide to kill him off  in the post after he was introduced.


Kinda get it? But that's just one idea, mind you.

torioto


Blackbird

Thanks. It's a standard "easy" system - just enough rules to keep order in a game without official rules.

Hayley

You looking for another player?  As yet unapproved and looking for my fix.  Haven't realy put any thought into a character as I wasn't certain if you were full but I'm edging towards fire and brimstone preacher.

torioto

A female gunslinger. Could be interesting especially for Krad *wink*

Blackbird

Easy there, Tori. Gotta keep things PG-13, remember?  ;)

Anyway Hayley, nice to have you with us! I'm sure there will be no problem letting you join. Why don't you complete that profile and post it. Everyone else has, and all we're doing now is waiting for the RP to officially start.

torioto

All I said is that it would be interesting, Blackbird, nothing else. Besides, have you seen PG-13s lately?

Blackbird

Just a joke. Note the winking smiley.

Hayley

Faith Clearwater 'The Sheriff's Widow'

Description
Faith stands only about 5'3" and often seems smaller enough to be invisible - years of being in the background have made her good at not standing out.  When she is noticed she's a fairly good looking girl, perhaps late twenties or early thirties, with long black curly hair and very blue eyes.

She's generally dressed quite plainly, a simple black dress with a leather belt - although she does havemuch nicer clothes left over from the good times in a trunk. 

Once people get to know her, which not many do, they find a deeply sarcastic quick tongue hiding behind a pleasant and eager-to-please exterior.

Bio

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Faith is the Sheriff's widow.  Born to a local rancher she married young but never managed to have children.  She managed house and taught some school while her husband progressed from cowhand to deputy to sheriff.  Known for always getting his man in alive her husband was a man of few words and Faith was not a regular at the tavern so she knew nothing of the outlaws that had set up near her town.  In fact, she was the last to know how that story ended.  When her husband was being shot by the man with the shot out kneecap she was making bread, when the rest of the possee brought his body back she was darning clothing and when the church bells rang she was taking a mid-afternoon rest.  It wasn't until the next day that she learnt her husband had been killed. 

The new sheriff tipped his hat and ma'am-ed his way through the conversation, reluctant to tell her the details.  She got them in the end though, church gossip, off hand comments when people didn't notice she was there and a drunkard who had been with her husband.  Her husband had shot the bandit leader in the knee, expecting the shock to put him down.  The man had stood, laughed off the wound, and shot her husband through the heart.  Claiming that a gal living on her own needed protection and she wanted something to remember him by, Faith managed to get the new Sheriff to give her her husband's old gun.

The bandit with the shot out knee was going to pay for ruining her marriage.  Her husband hadn't told her much, but he had told her one secret about the old rifle he used...

Card

The four of diamonds is a non-descript rifle, the type any two bit smith is capable of making.  A poorly fitted - obviously not original -  wooden stock and a everyday barrel.  Perhaps, if the angle is right, there are etchings down the side of the barrel.  Some say so, some so not.  Noone ever says they know what the etchings mean though.

Fast though it is, the four of diamonds is no hired killer's weapon.  Its no killer's at all weapon, the four can't kill.  Aim to wound, aim to wing, aim to scare there's few faster.  Aim to kill and it'll bounce off a pendant, buck at the wrong time or jam.  Whatever happens, it won't shoot and the attempting assassin will be stood defenseless. Her husband had trusted in his luck, shooting gun hands and feet.  Sadly, theres always someone somewhere with enough stamina or plain stubbornness to withstand the wound and fire back.

torioto

Krad's Card: Seven of Hearts, the "Angel"

A small and elegant handgun with dozens of small intricate feathers engraved on the barrel. As shiny and reflective as polished silver. You may notice that the black handle has the shape of two black wings.
Made for the observant and detailed oriented, the "Angel" has the ability to find the smallest, farthest or hardest to find places. It will never miss the center of a bullseye, or it will hit right in the center of a scorpions head a few hundred of yards away.

This gun has no use against bit targets for it may feel insulted and stop working. And if the slinger decides not to aim when he or she shoots the "Angel" will feel free to decide who or what will receive it's damnation. To use this card means to use extreme mental force, for every shot must be carefully thought in order for it to work right. If not the bullets will decide another destination worthier of their rage.

torioto

I was rather interested to start this adventure. Shame.

DarkDaemon

Argh! Back, Real life, back!
*cough*
Yeah, so, long break, I know. Anyone still interested?
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Blackbird

Kinda. Not sure to be honest. We'll see. Anyone else?

torioto


Arhys

Seems this hasn't lifted up yet, I wouldn't mind playing a bit.  I have to read up more on the background, and I'll do a profile but a broad stroke would be Esther, age difficult to determine but probably younger than she looks, known only to roam the land and protect women and children outside of the towns.  She is short, slight yet strong, with Native American features.  Oddly, she does not seem to belong to any tribe and her name strikes fear into many.  She comes and go, impossible to track or pin down, yet leaving signs of her activities as she sees fit.

I'm not too fixed on that, if it doesn't fit.  And I'll start reading the links to improve it but I figured I would put it out here and see...

DarkDaemon

Nice to know it ain't dead yet. Anyone feel like starting us off?
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torioto


DarkDaemon

I'm ready, but I'd prefer if someone else got the ball rolling.
I will have limited access 12/22 through 1/1.
I am myself.
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