Planescape Femslash (Inerest Check)

Started by Dhi, March 13, 2013, 03:07:12 PM

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Dhi

More Information:
Sigil, City of Doors
(The planar city where the story begins)
Character Sheet
(What I need from you if you want to join)


I have it in mind to run a freeform Planescape game centered around a plot involving the Society of Sensation, intrepid women (human or otherwise) pursuing the faction's mandate to experience the multiverse, and villains both foul and lovely. This is primarily a lesbian game, with a greater than normal number of lesbian NPCs and an emphasis on the sexually liberated atmosphere of Sigil. I'm looking for players with a sense of wonder, a love of exploration and discovery, an interest in the philosophical side of Planescape, and dirty minds. Any and all player genders are welcome.

So what is Planescape?
Beyond the safe and familiar of the earthly Material Plane, through the silvery veil of the Astral, fantastical worlds await. The heavens of Mount Celestia, holy home of the angels, may lie through one gate; the clockwork of Mechanus, hive of the studious Modron automatons through another; through a third, volcanic Gehenna, eternal battlefield of the fiends' Blood War.

Connecting all of these places and untold more is the city of Sigil. Some call it the City of Doors, for there are hidden gateways to all other realms of existence, and a constant traffic of extraplanar creatures passes through this trade nexus. Some call it the Cage, for these gateways often move and close, leaving visitors stranded and at the mercy of fifteen powerful factions all vying for power. But if Sigil is a Cage, then it wasn't built for mere mortals- the Cage, it's said, is prison for the Lady of Pain.


The Lady of Pain is not a woman and she isn't human- nobody's quite sure what she is. The Lady (as she's called) does not speak and does not govern, though her power is absolute. She doesn't have a house, a palace, or a temple, and she does not tolerate being worshiped, under pain of death. The Lady is absolutely removed from the everyday life of Sigil, and yet none of it would be possible without her. It's the threat of the Lady that keeps the peace, it's the Lady who insulates Sigil from the dangers of the planes, and it's the Lady who ultimately allows Sigil's powers that be to flourish.


The Factions consist of fifteen major groups commonly known as "philosophers with clubs." Because the planes can be shaped by belief, Sigil's factions aggressively recruit new members to their philosophies, protect their own, and pursue their own agendas both in Sigil and beyond while opposing the goals of rival factions.

It's assumed the PCs will belong to the Society of Sensation. Also described are their closest ally, the Sign of One, and greatest opponent, the Doomguard.


To a Sensate, the multiverse is known by the senses- the only proof of existence. Without sensation, a thing isn't. The only way to know anything for sure is to use the senses. The meaning of the multiverse is elusive until everything has been experienced- all the flavors, colors, scents, and textures of all the worlds.

From their headquarters in Sigil's resplendent Civic Festhall, the Sensates explore the planes and one another, striking out on missions of sensory experience and self-discovery. Those who return alive to tell the tale have their experiences recorded in the Sensoriums, huge complexes where experiences are stored among millions of small stones called recorders, which can then be replayed by anyone seeking the experience stored within. In this way, the Sensates hope to catalog a complete library of sensation, for the purpose of ultimate enlightenment- but in the meantime, the huge 20-story complex of the Public Sensorium is a great attraction and moneymaker.


To a Signer, every person, every individual, is unique. This is the greatest glory of the multiverse- that each creature living (and dead) is different from all others. It's obvious, then, that the multiverse centers around the self.

The world exists because the mind imagines it. Without the self, the multiverse ceases to be. Therefore, each Signer is the most important person in the multiverse. Without at least one Signer to imagine it all, in theory nothing may exist.

The Hall of Speakers is the base of operations for the Signers in Sigil, where congress between factions debate, and disputes are mediated. The Speaker, always a Signer, oversees public sessions, presiding over the debates regarding statutes, decrees, and Sigil law. After sufficient public hearings, the Council retires to chambers to vote the proposals into law- or vote them down. The most mysterious chamber within the Hall of Speakers is the tomb of the faction founder Rilith. This impressive vault bearing an urn carved from a colossal ocean pearl is watched by Signers day and night, all the while pondering their founder. Should their attention lapse for a moment, Rilith might disappear from history. And without its founder present in the mind of at least one Signer, the faction itself might vanish, no longer to exist.


A Sinker revels in the entropy of the multiverse. Things are meant to crumble, and it's the Doomguard's job to keep the meddlers from messing it up too much. What right do mortals have to deny the natural existence of things? Don't get the faction wrong- isn't not like somebody builds a house and they tear it down. That building's part of the whole decay: the stonecutter chips the rock, the logger cuts the tree, and later the termites chew the beams until the whole case comes down on its own. There's a long view to this, and that's what the Doomguard is all about.

Although the Doomguard maintains citadels on each plane where entropy is strongest, their home in Sigil is the Armory, a forge and storehouse of weapons of devastation and mass destruction. The Armory is dedicated to the buying and selling of all types of weapons, small or large, magical or mundane. Guarding these weapons is a powerful, highly intelligent and highly evil demon- because what could be better for the goal of entropy?

And the rest...

Crash

Count me in Dhi, though I am not familiar with Planescape very well.  I may need a little help getting oriented.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Kunoichi

I've certainly got some interest, though I'm not sure if my schedule will permit me to participate in a full game. ^^;

Dhi


Crash


"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Crash

#5
What races are you allowing?  I'm not familiar with planescape races.  How crazy can we go?  :D

I know this is free form what about starting level.  I can think of so many wonderful things my Lady of Sensation could do with Polymorph Self and Polymorph Other.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Ershin

Expressing my interest in this, though does it matter that my only experience with the Planescape setting is the computer game Planescape: Torment?

Dhi

You have the usual fantasy fare- humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, gnomes, halflings- but Planescape is a very diverse place where denizens of many planes, some of them polar opposites, are forced to live together. A unique race should be reasonable, there oughtn't be a big power gap between PCs, but some common sights around Sigil include bariaur, eladrin, genasi, aasimar, tieflings (left) and succubi (right), modrons, githyanki, and githzerai.

Characters should be organic and not limited by the scope of the game rules, but if it helps you to visualize, Planescape characters usually start out at level 4-6. Since polymorphs start to show up a little later than that, we could say that she's in the process of honing this next level of mastery and can polymorph passably well, or that she's focused on transmutation and learned polymorphs without generalizing into a bunch of unrelated spells.

Dhi

Quote from: Ershin on March 13, 2013, 08:06:40 PM
Expressing my interest in this, though does it matter that my only experience with the Planescape setting is the computer game Planescape: Torment?
No, not at all! Torment deserves high praise for doing justice to the setting.

Kunoichi

Hmm.  I've got a Modron character who would work pretty well for this game, I think. ^^ She's got a more humanoid form than standard Modrons, and she's both very curious and very naive.  I even drew a picture of her at one point, though it'll probably take me a little bit to track it down...

Dhi


Kunoichi

Alright. ^^ Having found that picture I mentioned and refreshed my memory a bit, I can add in that the character's name is Harmony, and that she's an Exiled Modron, rather than a rogue Modron.  I can provide more details, if you'd like.

I also won't be posting the picture I drew of her here, both because it's NSFW and because, looking at it now, I can't help but notice all the embarrassing technical flaws in the image. >>;

Crash

Quote from: Dhi on March 13, 2013, 08:18:04 PM
You have the usual fantasy fare- humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, gnomes, halflings- but Planescape is a very diverse place where denizens of many planes, some of them polar opposites, are forced to live together. A unique race should be reasonable, there oughtn't be a big power gap between PCs, but some common sights around Sigil include bariaur, eladrin, genasi, aasimar, tieflings (left) and succubi (right), modrons, githyanki, and githzerai.

Characters should be organic and not limited by the scope of the game rules, but if it helps you to visualize, Planescape characters usually start out at level 4-6. Since polymorphs start to show up a little later than that, we could say that she's in the process of honing this next level of mastery and can polymorph passably well, or that she's focused on transmutation and learned polymorphs without generalizing into a bunch of unrelated spells.

That works for me.  I was always a fan of the genasi but will look into all races.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Empyrean

I'd like to express interest in this. A succubi sensate who's looking to leave the cut-throat world of the Abyss behind and just explore her own sensations and pleasures is the idea I had.

frost rose

I would definitely check my interest as well! I mean, both femslash and Planescape? The biggest problem I'll have is narrowing down all the things I'd want to play.
There was a SIGNATURE here.

It's gone now.

Crash


"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Dhi

Very cool and Planescape-y!

I will endeavor to have something to fill out for character sheets this weekend. I'll also explain a little more about characters, and hopefully that'll help with choosing a concept if you're having difficulty.

Galactic Druid

I'm very interested in this, assuming I can keep up with the expected posting rate. I can be pretty busy sometimes, especially on weekends.
A/As last updated 11/27 - Halfway past busy season!

meikle

I enjoy Planescape!  I would like to be involved in this thing.  I have this image in mind of an Aasimar with a body-modification tendency (think lots of tattoos, piercings, and other fun stuff like that) who has an illusionist/rogue kind of bent.  That is a brief summary, but it is where I am right now! 
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

O and O and Discord
A and A

MdG

Am expressing a strong interest in principle. I love the PS setting and its possibilities.

Any ideas re: plot/tone and character types to orient the thought process?

Dhi

I'll have some more details on characters today or tomorrow. The plot is going to be based in the Society of Sensation, a faction that your characters are assumed to belong to, with the eventual goal of cataloging all sensation in the multiverse. The role of characters like yours is to go out and experience, and return to the Sensorium to upload those experiences for others to enjoy. Both good and bad experiences are needed for a complete catalog of sensation, but it's the really good ones that sell tickets, so the Sensates have no problem with you going out and having a raucous orgy with dryads in the Beastlands. They'll fund that!

Maybe your characters are on a path of self-discovery. Maybe this is all about making money. They'll be thrust into new experiences and expected to take an interest in them. Some of them are naturally going to be adult, but it won't just be a greased slope to smut- in tone I'm thinking 1970s swingers, the decadence of something like Great Gatsby.

But while fulfilling your duties as Sensates, there will also be an adventure! There'll be mystery and exploration, with optional perfunctory violence. I run a pretty combat-light D&D game already, and for something like a quest for sensation I think a minimal number of goals can be met by ending somebody's life.

Does that help?

MdG


Dhi


Sigil, the City of Doors
The City of Doors is an important planar city, hosting perhaps a million sentient creatures, most of them transient. Some have arrived in Sigil by accident, after stepping through unknown portals. Others have come to Sigil to trade, or for information, or as a waypoint from one plane of existence to another. Only a small minority counts Sigil as a permanent home.

Sigil is a self-contained city in the shape of a torus. Like many places on the planes, it doesn't follow the same rules as the "normal," or Prime Material, world. The city curves across every interior surface of its ring shape, with up and down relative to where a body's standing. There is no sun or sky, but a light that waxes and wanes in cycles of day and night. On a clear day you can look straight up and see the streets of the city above you, but it's rarely clear in Sigil. It's a wet, dirty place, full of noise and brawling, slippery stone and razorvine. When the native poets write about their home, it's not about glowing sunsets or walks through sweet-scented parks. They write about the things that shouldn't be seen in the dark alleys, about the way the shifting streets rumble like a dying beast, or about the decay that cleanses the bones of the city.
Though you wouldn't know it from the inside, Sigil hovers high atop an Outer Planar structure known as the Spire. Though the Spire is in theory infinite, its end can be perceived, and the barren outer surface of Sigil can be seen there, forever out of reach. The only way into or out of Sigil is through portals- there is no known way to approach it from the outside, since it is always an infinite distance away. Rumors tell of breaches in the bowels of Sigil, deep in the Hive Ward, where one can stand and look down from the infinite Spire. It's said that one who falls from one of these breaches will fall forever through infinity, or else become one with oblivion, erased from memory. But for all its terrifying possibilities, this is far from Sigil's most compelling mystery.

A very detailed map of Sigil and its wards can be found at
http://k005.kiwi6.com/hotlink/1vld01b4zd/sigilmap.png
(Warning, it's huge, 4800x3300, 25 MB in size)

Factions of Sigil
In addition to the Society of Sensation, the Sign of One, and the Doomguard, Sigil is run by a dozen other major factions. The Fraternity of Order run the city courts and enforce its laws. The Harmonium serve as the city's police, detaining criminals and preserving social harmony. The Mercykillers complement this triad as deliverers of justice, as jailors and executioners. The Bleak Cabal are a fatalistic organization dedicated to caring for the city's poor and ill and insane. The Dustmen handle the business of the city's dead, running its mortuary and records of death. Other city records are kept by the Fated, who collect taxes and balance the city's budgets. The Believers of the Source educate the city's public so that they might reach their true potential. The Transcendent Order, among the least bureaucratic, run the city's Great Gymnasium and emphasize unity of mind and body. The Free League serve as the city's merchant guild. The Revolutionary League, the Xaositects, and the Athar are all rebels in their own right: the Revolutionary League opposes the structure of the city's factions and authority at large; the Xaositects embrace chaos and systematically tear down the established order for new growth; finally, the Athar achieve a balance with all Sigil's hundreds of faiths and thousands of street preachers by opposing all religion equally.

The Dabus
The dabus are both servants and lords of Sigil. They're unique to the Cage, never found anywhere else in the planes. In other words, the dabus never leave Sigil. This fact, coupled with their tireless work maintaining the infrastructure of the city, leads some to believe they are actually living manifestations of the city.

Most of the time the dabus are found repairing what's broken in Sigil. They keep the sewers and catacombs beneath the streets from crumbling, they cut back the razorvine when it grows too rampant, they patch the cobblestone streets, and they repair the crumbling facades of the city's buildings. To most, the dabus are nothing more than cryptic workmen.

And they are cryptic. Their thoughts literally fill the air when they pass, for the dabus' speech is illusion shaped into pictures- the dabus communicate not by word, but by the complicated structure of the rebus. These are the ultimate in thought-pictures, where symbols are chosen for the sounds made in a language, and the sounds are strung togther to form words. Of course, many languages are spoken in Sigil, and a dabus' illusory thoughts are always suitable for the observer, perhaps not existing at all until a linguistic mind tries to comprehend them.

Sigil's Sexual Revolution
Though Sigil may be called The Cage, for some this melting pot of culture and philosophy is very liberating. As a city under the mercy of a beautiful, terrifying, and amoral woman, as a city with a large transient population, as a city encouraged to expand its horizons by factions such as the Society of Sensation, as a city without gods or religious prejudices, Sigil is a fashionable place to defy sexual norms. In the last decade, lesbianism has become very fashionable thanks to publicly, even competitively homosexual leaders such as Factol Erin Darkflame Montgomery of the Society of Sensation, Factol Darius of the Sign of One, and Factol Rhys of the Transcendent Order.

A second wave of alternative lifestyles has ignited more recently among younger Factols Nilesia of the Mercykillers and Pentar of the Doomguard. The city's thriving red light district sees a frequent business of those looking for a homosexual experience with no strings attached, and the Society of Sensation's Public Sensorium provides an outlet for those simply looking for the raw physical or emotional sensation, without need for human (or nonhuman) involvement.

As of the current year (127 H.R.) it's estimated that more than half of the women in Sigil have had some sort of gay experience. Niche taverns, brothels, and flyers advertising all sorts of goods with sapphic imagery have all tapped into this phenomenon. The undercurrent of sexual experimentation is so pervasive that a counter-culture promoting traditional man-and-wife relations has begun to gain traction. Since Sigil is a questionable place to try to raise a family, the movement has been met with mixed reception.

Kunoichi

Hmm.  I'm thinking I'll probably have Harmony as a factotum within the Society who is more true to the faction's base philosophy, and thus who has an equal fascination with both negative and positive sensory experiences.  I'm also tempted to have her not really understand the whole 'importance of clothing' thing yet, or perhaps deliberately choose to reject it for some reason...  Still on the fence about that one, though.

MdG

Incidentally, I wrote an article for Planeswalker (which carried on the PS franchise after D&D was bought by WoTC) on gay/lesbian/bi life in Sigil, which (I hope) you may find interesting since it's on topic: http://www.planewalker.com/080923/the-alternative-guide-city-doors

Dhi

#25
That sounds very appropriate for a modron, if you're still leaning that way with Harmony.

I guess I stayed up all night and hashed out this character sheet stuff! Here it is. If you're interested in joining, please PM me the completed sheet with the subject Planescape: (name of your character). You can also post your sheet here if you want to show it off. I know I usually do.


[b]Name: [/b]
[b]Gender & Species:[/b]
[b]Physical Description:[/b]
[b]Occupation:[/b]
[b]Faction:[/b]
[b]Place of Residence:[/b]
[b]Place of Birth:[/b]
[b]Date of Birth:[/b]

[b]Alignment:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]History:[/b]
[b]Ons & Offs:[/b]
[b]What was your last contribution to the Sensorium?[/b]
[b]What experience in the Sensorium have you been intimidated, but curious, to try?[/b]
[b]In what three ways would you most aid an adventuring party?[/b]
[b]In what way might you hinder an adventuring party?[/b]


Gender & Species:
Species can be anything commonly found in Dungeons & Dragons, such as human, elf, dwarf, gnome, halfling, half-orc, drow, changeling, etc. There are also a host of planar races found in Sigil. Some of the most common are...
Aasimar are descendents of celestial beings from the Upper Planes. Unlike other plane-touched, aasimar are rarely orphaned or abandoned by their nonhuman parent. They generally manifest some beautific celestial quality, such as golden hair, pearl or emerald skin, piercing voice, commanding height, or even dead giveaways such as angelic wings or saintly halo. Although they are descended from celestials, aasimar are not always good and trustworthy- they have the same freedom of choice of any mortal creature.
Bariaur, centaurlike beings from the Upper Planes, which are a combination of man and ram or woman and ewe. Most hail from the Norse paradise of Ysgard, but the same wanderlust that brings so many bariaur to Sigil has also established populations in the savage Beastlands, the Greek paradise of Arborea, and the fertile fields of Elysium. Among their own kind, they congregate in herds, and build no permanent homes.
Eladrin are fey native to the Greek paradise of Arborea, just as devils are associated with Baator and demons with the Abyss. They're wild and free beings who exult in their own existence and live a life of song and celebration. As creatures made from the essence of a good-alsigned plane, eladrin are born with good hearts, but as creatures of chaos and revelry they are also fiercely individualistic.
Genasi are descendents of some elemental creature, often djinn. The four distinct types of genasi (air, earth, fire, and water) are each associated with a different Inner Plane. Their elemental nature is often evident in signs such as smoldering crimson skin, hair of flowering grass, a constant light wisp of a breeze, or a fine layer of scales always wet to the touch. Genasi are rare creatures, with no culture or kinship of their own, and often alienated from the Inner Planes of their origin due to an inability to survive its hostile climate.
Githyanki are an offshoot of Githzerai (below), now a warlike people who dwell on the void of the Astral Plane and amass great armies for planar invasion. They are much more gaunt and long of limb than humans, with rough, yellow skin and gleaming black eyes. Dress for a githyanki is often baroque, decorated with feathers, beads, and precious objects. The elite warriors of the githyanki, the gish, harmoniously combine both magic and swordplay and wield silver swords capable of severing an astral projection from its host body.
Githzerai are an ancient people, sister to Githyanki along a single line that can be traced back to one gith people who were slave to mind flayers. Githzerai are taller and thinner than humans with sharp features, long faces, and eyes of gray or yellow. Severe and serious, the githzerai tend toward somberness in their clothing and personalities. As a people, they have adopted the ever-changing chaos of Limbo as their new home, and utilize extreme discipline and psionic abilities to calm and control the tumult that surrounds them there.
Modrons, specifically rogue modrons, are members of a living clockwork race with strictly tasked hierarchy and singular focus on law, stability, and harmonious regulation. Sometimes, something goes wrong, and a modron goes rogue and becomes cut off from the clockwork hierarchy. They find themselves cast out of Mechanus, the heart of law and the only world they have ever known, and plunged into the cold, lonely, and chaotic multiverse. Rogue modrons have the forbidden and reprehensible glimmerings of self-awareness, the only thing that allows them to survive in this new sphere.
Tieflings are the mutts of the planar children, part human and part something else- a something which is usually assumed to be Lower Planar. That stigma follows all tieflings through their lives. Loners by nature, they make their own paths out of necessity; no tiefling culture exists to aid the outcasts, since no two tieflings are alike. A shadow of knife-edge in their face, a little too much fire in their eyes, a scent of ash in their presence- all these things and more describe a tiefling. No planar would mistake a tiefling for a human, and most primes make the mistake only once.

Occupation:
What does your character do for money, or what did they do before becoming a Sensate? Was she a humble pastry baker? Was she already a seasoned adventurer, like a paladin or illusionist?

Faction:
By default this is assumed to be Society of Sensation. If you'd like to hail from one of the other factions as a special case, shoot me a PM!

Place of Residence:
Describe wherever it is you live in Sigil. Have you moved into the Society of Sensation's dorms? Do you hail from an abbey of Saint Cuthbert in The Lady's Ward? A barracks in the Lower Ward? A run-down slum dwelling in the Hive Ward? A gated community in the Clerk's Ward?An inherited book shop in the Market Ward?

Place of Birth:
Most who live in Sigil were not born there. If you were originally from a Prime Material world such as Krynn or Faerun or Eberron, or if you come from one of the Outer Planes, like Elysium or Hades, put that here. If your race is modron, then most likely your place of birth is Mechanus. If you were actually born in Sigil, go ahead and put that instead. You can be much more specific than a general plane of existence if you'd like.
A list of the Outer Planes can be found here. They're a little too involved to describe here, but if you'd like more information on any of them, please send a PM my way.

Date of Birth: The current year is 127 FHR, or Factol Hashkar's Reign. If your character is more than 127 years old, just use a negative number. So if your high elf cobbler is 500 years old, they will have been born in -373 FHR. We can assume the months and days are analogous to our own.

Alignment:
Alignment is the moral compass of a Dungeons & Dragons character. In Planescape, where belief shapes reality, it has real and physical effects. The two axes of alignment are Law versus Chaos and Good versus Evil, with neutrality in between. This means you can be Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral, True Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil, or Chaotic Evil.
Alignment is not in place to restrict or dictate how you should play your character. You can be Chaotic Evil and still pay for a sandwich and not murder everyone you meet. (Please don't, in fact, that would be pretty disruptive.)

Personality:
Just a little bit about who your character is deep down, beneath the immediately physically obvious!

History:
For someone who isn't versed in Planescape or Dungeons & Dragons lore, this is bound to be a challenge. I will be happy to guide you when it comes to history, or you can put together a very general history that might fit in anywhere. Your history doesn't have to be interesting and it doesn't have to be tragic, but I will forgive you if it is.

Ons & Offs:
In addition to any character-specific ons and offs, please provide a link to your O&Os thread if you have one.

What was your last contribution to the Sensorium?
The Sensorium is a database of sensation and experience. Each year, a Sensate must contribute something they personally have experienced to the recorders there. It could be a wonderful experience or a terrible one, but it must have happened within the past year.

What experience in the Sensorium have you been intimidated, but curious, to try?
This could be a forbidden pleasure, a morbid fascination, a religious taboo- something that a satisfying tour of the senses will not be complete without, but something prevents your character from opening up to.

In what three ways would you most aid an adventuring party?
If you have a talent, such as being able to cast illusion spells or pick locks, those are definitely beneficial to an adventuring party. Maybe instead you have a magical sword, or a compass that always points the way to the nearest portal. It could just as easily be something mundane, such as plucky charm or friends in unexpected places.

In what way might you hinder an adventuring party?
Nobody is perfect. Every character should have some kind of flaw that the villains might exploit. Maybe you're easily wowed by the splendor of the planes, are a staunch pacifist, have an enemy with a grudge, or can't refuse a new experience. The last is especially common to Sensates.

Dhi

Quote from: MdG on March 17, 2013, 03:06:27 AM
Incidentally, I wrote an article for Planeswalker (which carried on the PS franchise after D&D was bought by WoTC) on gay/lesbian/bi life in Sigil, which (I hope) you may find interesting since it's on topic: http://www.planewalker.com/080923/the-alternative-guide-city-doors
Oh, I love it! That is so cool, and such a great read. I would be giddy if ideas like that were to show up in the game.

frost rose

Okay, for starters, MdG, that is brilliant. The only thing that made me sad is that there probably won't be much in the way of reason to stop in at a certain percentage of those locations — a dwarven gay bar seems like the best setting for an adventure ever.

Now that I've used up my quota of italics, I had a question. I apparently am not having half the trouble considering character ideas I thought I would — after I accepted that no, yet another sex demon is probably not the best of ideas — but I had a question about race.

Are nagas okay? Not the head-only variety depicted in the MM, but the more typical monster girl kind. It's not on the list, but they're D&D enough to get included, sorta, and I have an image of a cowardly naga polymath that has gripped me and will not let go. And the rest is just falling into place, but I don't want it to fall too hard until I know if the entire thing will be nixed or not.
There was a SIGNATURE here.

It's gone now.

Crash

Dhi - Since you mentioned Eberron are Changling's ok?  That could be a lot of fun and have many uses to the Sensate.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Dhi

Quote from: frost rose on March 17, 2013, 07:07:29 AM
Are nagas okay? Not the head-only variety depicted in the MM, but the more typical monster girl kind. It's not on the list, but they're D&D enough to get included, sorta, and I have an image of a cowardly naga polymath that has gripped me and will not let go. And the rest is just falling into place, but I don't want it to fall too hard until I know if the entire thing will be nixed or not.
Monster girl nagas are perfectly within the feel of Planescape. Although D&D nagas are slightly different, there are a bunch of other creatures that look like monster girl nagas, such as yuan-ti, lamia nobles, and naga from the world of Rokugan (which technically wouldn't be connected to Sigil, but technically neither should Athas or Krynn). It's also perfectly fine to take liberties with your character's appearance, as I think Kunoichi is doing with modrons.

Quote from: Crash on March 17, 2013, 10:30:14 AM
Dhi - Since you mentioned Eberron are Changling's ok?  That could be a lot of fun and have many uses to the Sensate.
Yes! Changelings are emphatically okay.

meikle

#30
This is about where I am:

Name: Ihaana.
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
Gender & Species: Lady Aasimar.
Physical Description: Ihaana is about five-foot-ten with an athletic build.  She has dark hair and dark eyes.  She wears simple metal piercings all over her body; even her face is extensively pierced.  Most of her body is tattooed; a golden ring surrounded by tiny stars is tattooed around her head to resemble a halo.  Also present are various scars and brands, most of which integrate into the patterns of her tattoos.
Occupation: Knight of the Post.
Faction: The Society of Sensation.
Place of Residence: A three-room flat in the Hive.
Place of Birth: In a temple-city on some mad Prime world.
Date of Birth: Two decades back, give or take.

Alignment: Neutral; Ihaana doesn't participate in the Good/Evil, Law/Chaos thing.
Personality: Ihaana is a daredevil, a risk-taker, and a rebel.  She rejects authority and defines her own morality; she fetishizes the concept of self-definition through physical reconstruction.  She's a reliable friend, but she has a mean streak, and she's the kind of person who burns bridges sometimes as quickly as she can build them.
History: Wouldn't you like to know?  Here's the dark of it: Ihaana's pa was a priest and her ma was a Celestial-born lady with bad taste; Ihaana was raised into that faith, and not just as a follower, but as some sort of ideal of virtue -- like her mother'd been, a divine grace blessed on the population.  It didn't sit too well with Ihaana; she didn't take to the life, and the more intensely her parents tried to inflict their restrictive faith, the more intensely she rebelled.  For all their barmy talk of purity and faith and love, it didn't keep 'em from declaring her anathema and exiling her out of city and out of their lives -- granted, she may have gone overboard, getting the Bleeding Sigil of the despised Eblis tattooed onto her palms.  Escape was just a portal away -- and she found Sigil as a meek, aimless teen some five years ago.
Ons & Offs: Ihaana is a devout masochist (not necessarily with any other baggage that might imply.)
What was your last contribution to the Sensorium? Ihaana maintains a collection of the sensations of having her various body modifications applied; the most recent features a branding session, during which Ihaana had a spiral burnt into her upper arm.
What experience in the Sensorium have you been intimidated, but curious, to try? Ihanna has been working up the courage to immerse herself in a recorded experience of one woman's long-awaited and well-received homecoming after decades apart from her family, though she wouldn't admit as much to anybody.
In what three ways would you most aid an adventuring party? Ihaana knows Sigil and it's people; she's a competent criminal with all that implies; she can manage an inkling of magic, though she isn't good at much outside of illusion.
In what way might you hinder an adventuring party? Ihaana is innately self-destructive; she considers it an important part of her personal growth.  Ihaana might be a dangerous traveling companion because she considers "in harm's way" to be a good place to live, and will often to choose to take the reckless and dangerous path over the thoughtful and safe approach.  It's not a death wish, but it's close.

I welcome critique and criticism from my fellow players, because it would be awful if she was someone people didn't want to interact with.
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

O and O and Discord
A and A

frost rose

Ho boy, that got... longish. But I like Perrin, so I'm not too displeased. But I apologise in advance for the wall o' text.

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Name: Peregrine Sabien Prisca van Slithers. For the obvious reason, she typically responds to Perrin.

Gender & Species: Nagini

Physical Description: Perrin's human part would probably place her at a about five and a half feet if she had legs. The snake part of her body, however, is nearly twenty-one feet long, a little over eight-ninths of her overall length, a distressingly long figure despite how attractively svelte it is by her standards. She's quite sensitive about her human-snake ratio, often curling up her coils more tightly than most would in an attempt to appear smaller. Her scales are off white blending into pale skin, marked from tailtip to tramp stamp to cheek with irregular red patterns rather like tattoos. Her human figure is as slender as the snake part of her, although she retains a healthy chest size despite this. Her ears are slightly pointed, parting vibrantly pink hair that she wears long, framing red eyes with slit pupils.

Her fangs are small but fixed forward and hollow, even if her bite is less venomous than most of her sisters' and cousins'. Her tongue is almost eerily long, but not forked. She retains a slight accent from her native Dietsc while speaking the Sigilian common tongue, and when caught unawares or particularly sleepy her accent gets thicker, making her sound a little like she's speaking with a mouth full of mashed potatoes to some native speakers.

(This being the hopelessly anime model for what I had in mind.)

Occupation: She claims to be principally a polymath and philosopher, but spends most of her time essentially as a banker.

Faction: Society of Sensation

Place of Residence: The Hive, at first by necessity, but the place has grown on her. She lives in a giant hollowed out cog, discarded from Mechanus as not up to spec. It has no external entrances, the only ways in being on the interior ring. She herself accesses it by slithering over the side and down a pole she has set in the atrium the central void creates.

Place of Birth: Loenswerde, Overijssel located in a part of the Prime Material no one she's met to date has ever heard of.

Date of Birth: 65 FHR

Alignment: LE, although remarkably nice about it.

Personality: Perrin is charming, friendly, and accommodating to a fault most of the time. She enjoys others' company, and when not working often ends up spending excessive amounts of time in spas and massage parlours, baking herself while cornering everyone who comes through in conversation. Her friendliness disguises a certain level of sadism, however, both of the intellectual variety where she can never let anything go, and revels in picking people apart, and to a lesser extent physically as well. It also covers up a certain degree of casual callousness. She is at heart an aristocrat, and finds it easy to shrug off the concerns of her lessers. It makes her something of an implacable force within the legal and financial world of Sigil, and more than one debtor has found themselves being offered the chance to repay their borrowing by adding to the Society archives the sensation of broken kneecaps.

Despite her sometimes fearsome reputation in certain circles, she remains a committed coward, having discovered that the secret to long life is not dying, and that bodily harm frequently makes that difficult. While she's perfectly willing to put on pressure when backed up sufficiently, she'll be the first to turn tail and flee when things look like they're going genuinely badly, a fact that causes her absolutely no shame at all, much to the exasperation of both her family and many of her acquaintances.

History: Perrin was born to the little known Van Slithers family, a cadet branch of the Van Oranje-Hissner family, the hereditary Princesses of Orange and frequently elected Stadtholders of the Vlaamsrepubliek where she grew up. But while little known, the Van Slithers remained a part of the half-snake upper class that formed the aristocracy of the republic, and she was brought up in the finest traditions of a third daughter: sent off to study at university as soon as she was able, and likely to end up joining the clergy or shuttled off to some mercantile concern.

She performed well at university, after a mere eight years of study and at the age of 23 receiving joint doctorates in natural philosophy and law. She joined the clergy shortly thereafter, but in name only for the most part, joining the faculty of the university which entailed taking the orders. While not teaching and writing, she spent much of her time managing the family concerns in the region, overseeing and auditing the legions of human and dwarfish go betweens and clerks that the family employed to maintain their businesses.

She did not end up as a planar traveller for nearly another two decades, and then it was quite by accident. While like all her kind she was a naturally talented spellcaster, and armed with her studies in natural philosophy her abilities as a theoretician were quite remarkable, she was and still is somewhat shaky on the applied ends of things, lacking the practise and drive to be truly excellent. And so it was at the age of forty while aiding a colleague in an experiment that she found herself making a critical mistake and ending up a marsh of blood ringed by hills of corpses under a sanguine sky.

Realising that she was lucky to be alive in the wake of her mistake, she became luckier still when despite her lack of extra arms she was mistaken for a little while as a marilith, long enough for her to slip away from the ancient and everlasting battlefield of the Blood War she found herself on.

It was another three years before she managed to make her way to Sigil, and another two after that of getting by that when she finally managed to get back in touch with her family. By then she had been written off for dead back at home, and had built up a taste for travel of her own, and so while the reunion was joyous all around she in the end decided to remain residing in Sigil. She does maintains a magical case that allows letters to be sent back and forth from home to keep in touch with both her mothers and the rest of her family, and is careful to visit at least once every few months, during which times she is extraordinarily popular with her nieces, as no one brings back as interesting gifts as she does.

She joined the Sensates almost as accidentally as she became a planar traveller in the first place, hanging around the Festhall primarily for the excellent body massages. (She was less popular with the masseuses than with her nieces — massaging Perrin's entire body is a task that takes hours to complete.) Despite hanging out with the Sensates themselves, she managed to get a misimpression of their society even so, and between that and the massages she found herself a member before not too long.

She's stayed on since despite correcting her misapprehensions. Her colleagues despair at how mild and pleasure-seeking she remains, but her talents at organisation and finance are a welcome addition to the bureaucracy the Society maintains to keep its affairs in order and fund new ventures out into the world. And while she does manage to fit in amongst the heterodox crowd of Sigilites more or less, she still manages to enjoy perhaps a little too much her position as resident philosophical gadfly, taking delight in poking holes in the beliefs of everyone around her.

Not everyone is quite as fond of her as she is of them, however, taking exception to her generally laid back attitude towards the primary mission statement of the Sensates, and she found herself a resident of the Gilded Hall for a solid 14 months at one point. She still remains on the lower end of adventuresome for a member of the Society, but even if most of the novelty she indulges in is intellectual she still has been far more careful to keep her tail in line since then. Despite this, she remains a Namer despite having been a member of the Society for about 18 years and holding considerable responsibilities in the orgnisation's financial operations.

Ons & Offs: Besides having the usual collection of curiosities and exploratory disposition common to many Sensates, large sections of Perrin's coils are erogenous zones and she enjoys squeezing down on things, an act similar to how her own species' coils intertwine and squeeze during intercourse. It's bled over into a certain degree of mildly sadomasochistic tendencies, especially when regarding her own and others' breasts, and that peculiar biped fat deposit where the tail should be. She has no ass of her own, and is deeply intrigued by those who do and the possibilities it offers. She tends to keep quiet about that in mixed company, however, a little embarrassed about the mere thought of how much her sisters would harangue her about being a pervert and biped-fancier if they ever caught wind of it.

What was your last contribution to the Sensorium? Debatable. She considers her last real contribution to having been the product of her ruthlessly and philosophically mocking a collection of traders at the Bazaar, one of whom owed her money, and the rest of whom had gotten caught in the crossfire. When pointed out that a significant fraction of her sensations provided are vindictive intellectual glee, she will fall back on a dust bath in the Grey Wastes that was remarkably relaxing for the snake half of her once she had managed to find a spot where she didn't have to worry about being ambushed.

What experience in the Sensorium have you been intimidated, but curious, to try? Recently, Perrin's curiosity about the mysterious biped lower half has progressed so far as to thoughts about what it would feel like to be spanked (amongst other things) herself. She isn't even close to trying yet however, let alone playing around with a polymorph for a first hand experience.

In what three ways would you most aid an adventuring party? Perrin retains her scholastic bent, despite no longer being a working professor, and she is a vast wealth of information on a surprising number of topics, from philosophy to the planes to magical theory to economics, and her intense curiosity leaves her knowing more every day. In addition to the theoretic knowledge she's also a practising sorceress herself, although not a particularly combat-worthy one, being mostly interested in divining magic, frequently related to her latest field of research in her career as a financier. Finally, as such, Perrin is remarkable with handling money. Not only is she personally well off, but she has an almost eerie talent to make sure funding is available when needed, either as grants or very favourable loans from the Society. That she's signing off on transactions that will directly benefit her and her companions is a fact that has never once made her lose any sleep.

In what way might you hinder an adventuring party? While useful in a debate or funding an expedition or simply getting around town, Perrin is hopeless in anything remotely resembling a fight, at all times fighting her instinct to slither up the nearest tree and wait for the violence to die down. Worse still, whenever she's without backup or promise of immediate rescue, she's apt to cave in to pretty much anything when credibly threatened with serious violence.
There was a SIGNATURE here.

It's gone now.

Kunoichi

Those both look quite good. ^^ It seems like we'll have a pretty diverse team, overall, especially since my own character is going to be more of a front-line combatant.  Now all we need are a healer and someone who specializes in explosions, and we can call ourselves a proper adventuring party.

Though, speaking of adventurers, Harmony's backstory presents a pretty good option for at least some of our characters to start the game knowing one another, if either of you think your character would have joined a scientific expedition to Mechanus.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
Name: Harmony
Gender & Species: Female Modron Exile
Physical Description: An artist's rendering
Occupation: Currently unemployed
Faction: Society of Sensation
Place of Residence: Sensate Dormitories
Place of Birth: The City of Regulus on Mechanus, the Clockwork Nirvana, Plane of Law and Order
Date of Birth: Modron records unavailable for access

Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Personality: Though cast out from the Modron race as a whole, Harmony is still a being born from the fabric of Mechanus, and can always be counted to act in a very calm, almost mechanically precise manner.  She is very straightforward in her actions, asking questions when she wishes to know something, performing actions instantly once she has decided upon undertaking them, and even standing as still as a statue and doing absolutely nothing when contemplating her next task.  Lacking in knowledge as she is about life on planes other than Mechanus, she shows a great deal of curiosity about nearly everything she encounters, and has a tendency both to ask far too many questions and to be willing to believe almost any answer she is given.
History: A very recent addition to the ranks of the Society of Sensation, Harmony, formerly Quadrone 101172032, once lived a very dull, orderly life among the cogs and wheels of her home plane.  That all changed the day a party of adventurers came through, a joint expedition from among the ranks of the Society of Sensation and the Fraternity of Order aimed at learning and experiencing the secrets of the Clockwork Nirvana.  She was asked a great many strange questions by the members of that adventuring party, and her attempts to answer those questions led her mind down avenues of thought that it had never explored before.  Eventually, she was asking those Guvners and Sensates questions of her own, and from there, it wasn't long before she was pronounced rogue, and both she and the adventurers that had 'corrupted' her were arrested and put through the Modron court system.

The final sentence she was given, perhaps because it was judged most efficient that she share the fate of that adventuring party, who had managed a stellar defense in their own trial, was not the summary execution that awaited most Modron rogues, but instead a lesser punishment: permanent exile from her home plane.  Taken to the Modron Cathedral at the heart of Regulus, the great Modron city, she underwent a bizarre transformation which severed her life force from that of the Energy Pool to which all Modrons are inexorably linked.  Her body twisted into a new form, and she was deposited with the adventuring party in the Outlands, in the Gate-Town of Automata.

There was a brief scuffle after that, as both the Sensates and the Guvners who made up that party argued over who would be responsible for her.  Each faction had their own reasons for wanting to lay claim to her, but ultimately her status as a sentient being led them to place the decision upon her.  Members of each faction argued the relative merits of their philosophies and the methods they went about in achieving them, and ultimately, her own curiosity and desire to experience as much as possible led her to choose the Society of Sensation.  She was brought back to the Society's headquarters in Sigil in triumph, and shortly thereafter became an official member of the faction.

She has not been in Sigil for very long, however.  At the start of the game, it has been roughly one month since her induction into the Society of Sensation.
Ons & Offs: Harmony has not yet come to grasp why it is that most races throughout the planes prefer to wear clothing, and refuses to wear it herself unless given convincing reasons to do so.  Though she does not yet understand her budding emotions well enough to have realized it yet, she has in fact come to derive some enjoyment from the extra attention she gets when walking naked through the city streets.  Between the stares, the compliments, the preferential treatment, and even those bold cagers willing to cop a quick feel when the crowds are particularly thick, she is slowly beginning to develop an exhibitionist streak...
What was your last contribution to the Sensorium? The precise nature of the memories of beings from the Plane of Law and Order have allowed Harmony to contribute exact recordings of her entire life cycle as a Modron, from her initial birth as a simple Monodrone, up to her eventual transformation into a rogue Modron.  The very last sensation contributed was the (not entirely unpleasant) sensation of being severed from the central energy pool, her body twisting and transforming into a soft and sensual new form in the process.
What experience in the Sensorium have you been intimidated, but curious, to try? The sensation of causing mass amounts of chaos and disorder, and reveling in the resulting anarchy.
In what three ways would you most aid an adventuring party? Harmony's Modron physiology renders her extremely durable to most forms of physical assault, even protecting her somewhat from extremes of heat, cold and corrosive materials.  Even coming with her own built-in armor and knowing quite well how to use a sword, she thus makes for a capable front-line combatant in any adventuring party.  Additionally, her precise, mechanical mind gives her an excellent resistance to illusions and other mind-affecting magic, and she shares many other traits and immunities with constructs.
In what way might you hinder an adventuring party? Though Harmony's Modron nature is a source of great strength to her in battle, that same nature can be a great hindrance while adventuring, as well.  Used to the precision schedules of Mechanus, her mind takes extra time to process sudden, surprising inputs, such as surprise attacks by enemies, and her overall lack of experience with and intense curiosity about life outside of the Clockwork Nirvana can often lead to her walking into areas and touching items best left alone.  On top of that, her lack of understanding of concepts such as 'lying' have left her gullible in the extreme.

I think our characters are all going to have some rather interesting interactions with one another, overall. ;D

Crash

#33
The Changeling I am planning on writing up will be a wizard and live at the dormitories so she may tie in nicely with Harmony.  Now if I can just find some time to write her up!

Hmm a cleric could be better though.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Kunoichi

I say be a Mystic Theurge. ;D Maybe going the Wizard/Archivist route, so you can keep both your Arcane and Divine spells in the same book.

Crash

Don't really know exactly what that means, but I like it!  Mystic Theurge it is.  Now to create her Goddess too...that should be fun.  ;D

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Kunoichi

The Mystic Theurge is a prestige class that allows one to progress both arcane and divine spellcasting at each level.  The Archivist can be found here, though the short version is that it's a more Wizardly, knowledge-focused version of a Cleric, who can scribe divine spells into his Prayerbook and then prepares them from said book each morning.

Given the spellcasting focus and the fact that you can pray to an ideal, it might be interesting to just make your character someone with an innate love of magic in all its forms, rather than a follower of a specific deity. ^^

Crash

Perhaps.  Not sure about that.  I was thinking of tying her Planar walking with her deity.  She would not likely have been able to do it without help considering the power level of the characters.  Depends on if she found some minor artifact that could help her move between planes or not.  Will have to see what kind of leeway Dhi will let me have.  She needs a reliable way to survive hostile planes as well.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Skynet

#38
Is there room for one more?  I might be up for a group game.

Unless a similar role is not taken, I have a Drow Ranger/Cleric of Fharlanghn.

Picture.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
Name: Alzeggra
Gender & Species: Drow Female
Physical Description: 5'4", lithe build, dresses in functional shirt with a skirt and white hair styled in a pageboy cut.  While adventuring, she wears a mithril chain shirt over her clothes when adventuring.  Sometimes she grows her hair long during long breaks when she knows she won't be going on dangerous journeys, but since this doesn't happen often it rarely extends past her shoulders.  Her breasts are relatively small yet perky, and she has a preference for loose, colorful robes which can be easily taken off when not on any official missions.  Alzeggra's facial features are less angular and more rounded than the typical elf, giving her a rather youthful appearance.  Her dark red eyes have a mischievous twinkle whenever a new hare-brained scheme pops into her head.
Occupation:  Healer and diviner part-time.  Often acts as a sort of tracker and scout, and helps people find rare and treasured lost possessions.  She also specializes in cartography, of both the two-dimensional and three-dimensional variety, and helps interested parties lay claim to unexplored planar territory, from miners and colonists to interested factions of Sigil.  Despite not being a member, she has a cordial relationship with the Fraternity of Order.  The faction values her work in their attempts to expand their knowledge of the Planes.
Faction: Society of Sensation.
Place of Residence: Has a small apartment in the Market Ward, where she buys and sells various trinkets.  The store is relatively small and low-key, and the room between shelves can be quite narrow.
Place of Birth: Ysgard, Svartalfheim.  Unlike the faithful of Lolth on the Material Plane, the dark elves of this layer are mostly neutral and wish to be left alone.  She traveled for many years across Ysgard and the Planes before settling in Sigil.
Date of Birth: -13 FHR (140 years old)

Alignment: Neutral
Personality: Alzeggra can often get a one-track mind when on a job or mission.  Knowing of the many dangers of the world, she often takes on a grim and humorless demeanor when her job involves significant risks and danger.

When on free time, however, she has no problem enjoying the little things in life, from stirring ballads to fine foods.  She has many tales to tell of her travels across the planes, and sometimes loses herself in her stories.  "Work hard and play hard" is her motto while off the job.

History: Alzeggra grew up the daughter of dark elf miners in the underground tunnels of Ysgard.  Her people swore off the ways of Lolth long ago, instead dedicating themselves to the continued survival of the community.  Young Alzeggra was too smart and inquisitive for her own good, and often went exploring the caverns and reading ancient books of worlds beyond.  She turned this into a profession, acting as a scout for her people by exploring unknown and hostile areas.  When she saved up enough money and resources, she set off with a passing merchant's caravan for the world above.
The world was an unfriendly place, and she learned to fight and avoid the Plane's warring factions and giants.  However, the nature of the plane meant that she was revive 24 hours after "death," so she had many opportunities to improve upon her failures.

Eventually she found herself at a way shrine to Fharlanghn, God of Roads and Travel.  She was not one of the faithful at the time, but she uttered a short prayer to him and left an offering for good fortune on her journeys.  While venturing through a dangerous mountain pass, she felt a sort of insight, a kind of sixth sense warning her of danger if she continued down the path.  While taking another pass she noticed a rockslide crash over the other pathway.  She could not prove it, but she knew that her offering to Fharlanghn was not in vain.  Over time her blessings became greater and more frequent, and in  a short time she became a Cleric of the God.

Every so often she visits her home of Ysgard, both to meet her friend of the faith and her family below ground.

Ons & Offs: Alzeggra is an open lesbian with a fondness for other elves.  She often gets along with Tieflings, understanding how others can think the worst of them and knows better to look past such things.  After some unfortunate encounters with others of her kind, she has gained a disgust for genuine sadism (of the non-consensual variety), finding traditional Drow culture horrific and repellent.  She is not fond of the idea of having sex with a man.
What was your last contribution to the Sensorium? Alzeggra ventured to the lower layers of Pandemonium and came upon the maddening shrieks of Harmonica, a series of hollowed-out rocks which make a musical sound when wind passes through them.  She was temporarily deafened by the encounter, but found the melody strangely enjoyable.  She allowed other Sensates to read her mind and experience the music with her before adding it to the archives.  She has yet to discover the mysteries of the place, and might return someday.
What experience in the Sensorium have you been intimidated, but curious, to try? Alzeggra has gained an interest in magic-fueled dream-sex with others after learning about it at a college of Wizards on a Material Plane world.  She is eager to try it out, but the level of trust it requires, as well as its unpredictable nature of the unconscious mind, means that she won't try it unless she's absolutely sure she can trust the participants.
In what three ways would you most aid an adventuring party? Very accomplished scout with survival skills, well-versed in divine magic, has several wands of cure wounds spells and various restorative scrolls on her person (and can cast).
In what way might you hinder an adventuring party? Alzeggra tends to be a rather uncompromising professional in her line of work, and has little tolerance for clumsiness and recklessness.  She has a habit of traveling light, and often cautions fellow travelers against carrying "unwanted" things with them.

meikle

Quote from: Crash on March 18, 2013, 10:30:06 PMDepends on if she found some minor artifact that could help her move between planes or not.
I don't know if Dhi has something else in mind, but planar travel isn't meant to be incredibly difficult in Planescape.  Sigil is the City of Doors, after all.
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

O and O and Discord
A and A

Crash

meikle - Okay, but surviving them might be more difficult. ;)

Hmm, a wizard and potion maker.  I can imagine all of the sensuous concoctions she can come up with.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Kunoichi

From what I've read, in Planescape, most of the danger out on the planes comes more from the local inhabitants than the nature of the planes themselves.  It was pretty much designed from the ground up to allow planar travel as a central aspect of the setting from level 1 onwards.  Even the more inherently dangerous planes tend to have more 'liveable' areas within them, for example.

Crash

Ahh, okay.  That makes some things easier.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

meikle

Quote from: Skynet on March 18, 2013, 10:32:02 PMUnless a similar role is not taken, I have a Drow Rogue/Cleric of Olidammara.

Sometimes I get sticklerish about niche protection, so I might be reading into more than what is there; but I get the impression that our characters are both very similar (professional criminals, rogue/casters, reckless-behavior and criminal background as drawbacks, rejection of racial cues, etc)?

QuoteThough, speaking of adventurers, Harmony's backstory presents a pretty good option for at least some of our characters to start the game knowing one another, if either of you think your character would have joined a scientific expedition to Mechanus.
Gears, gears as far as the eye can see!  It's so easy to motivate Sensates; "Do you want to do this thing you've never done before?"  "Yes."
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

O and O and Discord
A and A

Dhi

Quote from: Skynet on March 18, 2013, 10:32:02 PM
Is there room for one more?  I might be up for a group game.
We do still have room. If the group ends up being unwieldy, we can have two or more story threads happening simultaneously to accommodate different posting rates and tastes.

Quote from: meikle on March 18, 2013, 10:38:13 PM
I don't know if Dhi has something else in mind, but planar travel isn't meant to be incredibly difficult in Planescape.  Sigil is the City of Doors, after all.
That's true. You won't need an ability to create planar portals. It could actually change the tone of the setting dramatically if you do.

Skynet

Quote from: Dhi on March 18, 2013, 11:18:46 PM
We do still have room. If the group ends up being unwieldy, we can have two or more story threads happening simultaneously to accommodate different posting rates and tastes.

Ah, thanks!  I'll just say ahead of time that I can be a pretty active poster in RPs, and I check Elliquiy at least once a day.

MdG

My draft character. Tiefling machinist based on some half-realised character sketches I had for internet fiction.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide


Name: Bryseis (prefers "Rysse")

Gender & Species: Tiefling female

Physical Description: Proudly tiefling, Rysse does nothing to hide her infernal-red skin, curved horns and thin, pointed tail. A dedicated machinist and alchemist, she cares little for cosmetic niceties and can usually be found in her dark leather jerkin and work boots and breeches, her short dark hair unkempt, scruffy and slicked with oil and dust. Her eyes are a deep, molten gold, exuding a certain sharp intelligence. Her angular features could be considered elegant by tiefling standards, and her fingers are long and dextrous. She is solidly built, with good fleshy volume on her bust, belly and hips - which makes sense, since she is a woman who likes to drink her calories, and then drink some more.

Occupation: Freelance (and often unemployed) machinist and alchemist

Faction: Dabbled with the Xaositects "back in the day" when she was less cynical (which she swears was a long time ago).

Place of Residence: Flophouse bedsit in the Hive, or wherever the latest disastrous drunken tryst with a drow/githyanki/tiefling woman takes her. 

Place of Birth: Sigil - obviously.

Date of Birth: Fucked if she knows. Ask the orphanage at the Gatehouse.

Alignment: Opportunistic Indifferent

Personality: When she isn't drunk and ingesting/inhaling narcotics, she retains a strong enthusiasm for her work, convinced that her mechanical skills and her ability to speak to machines is the one good thing she has going for her. She has a sharp mind, but never had any formal study, so she tends to be practical and functional in her approach to problems. She has been wounded (physically and emotionally) by countless failed relationships, so her hedonism is mixed with a defensive wariness of commitment and emotional attachment.

History: http://www.planewalker.com/100331/tieflings-diary-extract

Ons & Offs: She's a sodding tiefling - generally anything goes.

What was your last contribution to the Sensorium? The distilled sense of bitterness and betrayal at being beaten by your githyanki now ex-lover. Try it sometime.

What experience in the Sensorium have you been intimidated, but curious, to try? A long term relationship involving a tiefling which actually works.

In what three ways would you most aid an adventuring party? Mechanical aptitude; a selection of well-hidden knives and shivs; resistance to toxins and poisons, whether administered willingly or unwillingly.

In what way might you hinder an adventuring party? Where to start?



In my limited experience groups larger than 3/4 PCs are difficult to run given different posting rates, but  am happy to work with any proposals.


Crash

Flesh it out more. Game hasn't started yet.  :)

And you are further along than I am.

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Skynet

This might be something to say ahead of time to clear up any confusion, but when it comes to one-on-one sexual RP, I'm only comfortable with female players.  I'm not averse to the idea of group RP with male participants, as long as at least one of the players is a Lady.  I don't think that this will be a problem, though, judging by the pool of interested takers. :-)

Crash

No problem here Skynet.

I guess this is a good time to say I don't care either way.  ;D

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Dhi

Quote from: MdG on March 19, 2013, 09:30:47 AM
Alignment: Opportunistic Indifferent
Is this maybe True Neutral? Chaotic Neutral?

Having some kind of alignment is important, not to tell you how to play your character, but to understand how the Outer Planes (which are largely powered by belief) will react to your character.

MdG

#52
Quote from: Dhi on March 19, 2013, 01:43:04 PM
Is this maybe True Neutral? Chaotic Neutral?

Having some kind of alignment is important, not to tell you how to play your character, but to understand how the Outer Planes (which are largely powered by belief) will react to your character.

I'd go with Chaotic Neutral.

Edited to say:

Btw, please let me know what you think of the draft character. Comments and feedback always welcome.

Skynet

#53
My character was a little too close to meikle's in terms of personality, so I changed around her backstory and personality a little.

I made Alzeggra a Neutral Drow Ranger/Cleric of Fharlanghn.  She is a tracker of sorts, using her survival skills and magic to help people locate things, as well as mapping out dangerous and unknown regions of the Planes.

Would it make sense for her to have good relations with the Fraternity of Order?  From what I've read, they seem to be a faction who would prize information on maps of previously unknown planar regions.

meikle

Quote from: Skynet on March 19, 2013, 08:10:20 PM
My character was a little too close to meikle's in terms of personality, so I changed around her backstory and personality a little.
Hey, I wanted to say thanks.  I wasn't going to mention it again, but I appreciate that you acknowledged it; character niche is like a huge neurosis for me, probably to a degree that is not justifiable (I guess that's what makes it neurotic.)  So I really appreciate it!
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

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Crash

Quote from: meikle on March 20, 2013, 07:58:07 PM
Hey, I wanted to say thanks.  I wasn't going to mention it again, but I appreciate that you acknowledged it; character niche is like a huge neurosis for me, probably to a degree that is not justifiable (I guess that's what makes it neurotic.)  So I really appreciate it!

Heh, it is one of mine too.

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Skynet

#56
Quote from: meikle on March 20, 2013, 07:58:07 PM
Hey, I wanted to say thanks.  I wasn't going to mention it again, but I appreciate that you acknowledged it; character niche is like a huge neurosis for me, probably to a degree that is not justifiable (I guess that's what makes it neurotic.)  So I really appreciate it!

You're welcome!

Let's hope that one of the earlier characters doesn't turn out to be a workaholic explorer-priest! :-)

While we're on the subject, is anybody using PMs to discuss plot and character arcs or similar things regarding the upcoming game?

Dhi

Quote from: Skynet on March 19, 2013, 08:10:20 PM
Would it make sense for her to have good relations with the Fraternity of Order?  From what I've read, they seem to be a faction who would prize information on maps of previously unknown planar regions.
The Guvners are one of the many factions who're neutral to Sensates. Communication between the two factions is necessary but guarded, like communication between branches of government, but they can and do work together. Harmony's backstory involves an exploratory team composed of both Guvners and Sensates. Maybe you gals know each other?

Skynet

Quote from: Dhi on March 20, 2013, 11:01:20 PM
The Guvners are one of the many factions who're neutral to Sensates. Communication between the two factions is necessary but guarded, like communication between branches of government, but they can and do work together. Harmony's backstory involves an exploratory team composed of both Guvners and Sensates. Maybe you gals know each other?

Hmmm, good idea!  I was thinking that she could be part of the joint expedition of adventurers to Mechanus.  It would fit in well with Alzeggra's explorer nature.  I'll be sure to ask Kunoichi about this, as well as the backstory behind the event.

meikle

Quote from: Skynet on March 20, 2013, 08:21:02 PMWhile we're on the subject, is anybody using PMs to discuss plot and character arcs or similar things regarding the upcoming game?
I am not chatting things up in PMs with anybody, but I am not opposed to talking about character stuff!

I don't see any reason to do it in PMs instead of in public, though.
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

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Skynet

Well, I recently sent a recent PM to Kunoichi about character ideas.  I'm sort of used to PMing people for ideas, as I've only really done one-on-one role-plays.  Multiple collaboration in a group RP can be very good, given that it's viewable by multiple people and can help everybody think of ideas for the story.

@Kunoichi:

will you mind if I posted the PM ideas I sent to you on this thread, then?

Kunoichi


Skynet

#62
Repost:

Quote from: SkynetYou mentioned in Harmony's backstory that she encountered an expedition of adventurers exploring Mechanus.  I figured that it would be appropriate if our characters knew each other from this meeting.

My character, Alzeggra, is a dark elf traveler who does work exploring planar regions, and has a relationship with the Fraternity of Order.  She probably went to Mechanus to access their archives regarding the place's territories and world-cogs.  A scientific expedition is a great fit for her.

What would our character's relationship with each other be?  I figure that Alzeggra would be helping Harmony adjust to her new life in Sigil, and the one who first introduced her to the Society of Sensation.  The Cleric's dedicated work-ethic, combined with Harmony's precise approach to things, would supplement each other well, and they'd probably work together on missions for the Society and various jobs.

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts!

Kunoichi replied that the two would probably be good friends, but would not have gone on any missions together due to Harmony's recent arrival in Sigil.

Also, I changed Alzeggra to have a pageboy haircut.  Felt more fitting for her.

Crash

Dhi - When are you looking to start?  I am having a heck of a time coming up with a background and it isn't much of a character for me if I don't have lots of background. ;)

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Dhi

I'd like to allow at least a week, maybe two, for folks who're interested in creating a character to do so. We have a lot of characters in already, and they're looking great, but we had some additional interest and it's good to have enough characters that the game can survive some players dropping out.

What is everyone thinking in terms of content rating? I think we need at least BDSM Exotic to accommodate the setting and some of the characters. Would NC content make anyone uncomfortable?

Crash

As long as NC wasn't mandatory or forced on my character I don't mind others doing it.

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Skynet

I echo Crash's views for myself as well.

Further, I don't really have a problem with bondage and the more 'light' elements (paddles, feathers on bound people etc) of BDSM.  The more 'violent' aspects, such as whips and candle wax, I'm not into.

As for exotic, the farthest I might go are humanoids with animal qualities, such as centaurs, nagas, and other hybrids.  Fully animalistic characters are a turn-off for me.

Kunoichi

As far as NC content goes, I'm generally only comfortable with it if the assailant is forcing the victim to enjoy it, in addition to forcing it on them in the first place.  In Harmony's case, this would probably take the form of her getting tricked into compromising situations by unscrupulous people, or perhaps running afoul of some perverted wizard's idea of a trap in a dungeon.  If other people would be more comfortable with Bondage - Exotic for the game's rating, I've certainly got no problem with sticking to that rating, instead.

meikle

#68
I am not very pro-NC.  It's the kind of thing I wouldn't want to be thrown into without warning and discussion beforehand.

QuoteAs for exotic, the farthest I might go are humanoids with animal qualities, such as centaurs, nagas, and other hybrids.  Fully animalistic characters are a turn-off for me.
There's plenty of weirder stuff out on the Wheel than animal-people...


Also, here are some thoughts, if people are interested in Connections:

Ihaana & Perrin van Slithers: I kind of like the idea that at some point, Ihaana found herself indebted to Perrin and wound up at the heart of a cat-and-mouse (snake and mouse?) chase through Sigil for a few weeks, perhaps headed off by a confrontation between the two (that somehow results in Ihaana not getting knee-capped, preferably!)  Maybe she took pity on a fellow Sensate, or appreciated the opportunity to lead a manhunt.  Maybe she managed to repay her debt through not-entirely-legal means.  I dunno!  It's just a thought!

Ihaana & Harmony: There is the met-on-expedition thing that you mentioned early on!  Being trapped in some strange foreign judicial system sounds like it would have been exciting (or horrifying.)  Alternately, I can imagine Ihaana taking advantage of the gullible, naked new Sensate and using her as a tool in some kind of con; she'd make for a great distraction, if nothing else.  (Ihaana might not be incredibly moral.)

Ihaana & Alzeggra: I don't have any exciting ideas for associations with Alzeggra just yet.  I get the impression that Ihaana and Alzeggra might not get along great; Ihaana's predisposed against priests from the outset, after all; she'd be a strong candidate for the Athar if she didn't like the Sensate atmosphere better.

QuoteI am having a heck of a time coming up with a background and it isn't much of a character for me if I don't have lots of background.
Maybe we could help?  There's a lot that can be done with Planescape!  The near-endless supply of Prime Material planes gives a lot of leeway, too, if you don't mind a character who arrived in Sigil Clueless at some point (that's the approach I went with!)
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

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Crash

I will definately do that because I don't know the setting well.  I am thinking of a changeling Mage that was forced either do to some crime or prejudice into staying in one form as a punishment.  Maybe her society is ultra chaotic and the worst punishment in that society is not being a le to change. Somehow she escapes and finds her way to Sigil. I need more than that though like what society she was from, how she escaped and how she made it to Sigil

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Kunoichi

Quote from: meikle on March 21, 2013, 07:47:10 PM
Ihaana & Harmony: There is the met-on-expedition thing that you mentioned early on!  Being trapped in some strange foreign judicial system sounds like it would have been exciting (or horrifying.)  Alternately, I can imagine Ihaana taking advantage of the gullible, naked new Sensate and using her as a tool in some kind of con; she'd make for a great distraction, if nothing else.  (Ihaana might not be incredibly moral.)

The expedition would probably be the best bet.  I think it would also be a good point for Ihaana to have gotten to know Alzeggra, and given your thoughts on how the two of them wouldn't get along, said expedition would probably have been enough time spent together for the two of them to decide that they don't like one another very much.

Given Ihaana's daredevil streak, I also can't help but imagine that she might see Harmony walking around naked and decide to try it herself, maybe take her on a stroll through the Lady's Ward with neither of them wearing a single scrap of clothing, just for fun...

Skynet

#71
Quote from: Kunoichi on March 21, 2013, 08:11:56 PM
The expedition would probably be the best bet.  I think it would also be a good point for Ihaana to have gotten to know Alzeggra, and given your thoughts on how the two of them wouldn't get along, said expedition would probably have been enough time spent together for the two of them to decide that they don't like one another very much.

I like this idea.  It's a good way for the 3 characters to know one another.

Quote from: meikle on March 21, 2013, 07:47:10 PM
Ihaana & Alzeggra: I don't have any exciting ideas for associations with Alzeggra just yet.  I get the impression that Ihaana and Alzeggra might not get along great; Ihaana's predisposed against priests from the outset, after all; she'd be a strong candidate for the Athar if she didn't like the Sensate atmosphere better.

It could be a sort of rivalry as opposed to the more typical friendship. ;)

Fharlanghn's a pretty laid-back deity, overall.  His faithful don't strike me as zealous proselytizers, so religious arguments might not be a factor in their interactions.

Ideas for interactions: Ihaana's contact with the criminal underworld might mean she has knowledge of hidden safehouses, passages, and planar portals of Sigil.  Alzeggra might approach Ihaana with money, magic, training, or some incentive to gain such knowledge.

Crash

Dhi - Do you have a preference for Avi's?  Real People or Fantasy Art? Some GM's prefer one over the other.

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Skynet

Quote from: Crash on March 21, 2013, 08:09:44 PM
I will definately do that because I don't know the setting well.  I am thinking of a changeling Mage that was forced either do to some crime or prejudice into staying in one form as a punishment.  Maybe her society is ultra chaotic and the worst punishment in that society is not being a le to change. Somehow she escapes and finds her way to Sigil. I need more than that though like what society she was from, how she escaped and how she made it to Sigil

The plane of Limbo, is the most Chaotic of Planes in the setting, renowned for its ever-shifting storm of elements combining and separated just as suddenly as they form.  A few islands of relative stability float among the space, composed of water, earth, fire, air or any combinations of the four.  It's possible for sufficiently strong-willed people to control the elements of Limbo, although most people can only effect their immediate surroundings.

Limbo is also home to githzerai monastaries.  The githzerai are descendents of mind flayer slaves, and they practice an ascetic, monastic lifestyle.  Many of them settled in Limbo to test their perseverance against the plane itself.

It's possible that your character (or her changeling society) might have sought out Limbo to enhance their natural abilities.  She might have been sentenced to live among the ultra-disciplined githzerai as punishment.

Crash

#74
Thanks but not resonating with me.  I'm not interested in a chaotic plane.  I think she would be from a society that values freedom of form so being locked into one form would be tantamount to exile in other societies.  Maybe the prime material from where she was from borders limbo.  Could be how she escaped.  Though Growing up in Limbo could be a reason for her to be specialized in transmutation and Chaos.

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Kunoichi

Well, if you want to take a bit of inspiration from Marvel comics, you could hail from a world with a noted paranoia and distrust of creatures with any kind of shapeshifting ability.  Sort of like the general reaction to mutants, only with shapeshifters, and the mutant registration movement getting translated into a shapeshifter registration movement, along with other laws prohibiting shapeshifters from changing shape without permission.

Then, one day, your character stumbles upon and through a planar portal, winds up in Sigil or on a more friendly plane...  And voila, freedom to experiment, learn, and specialize in transmutation.

meikle

And like the book says, sure, it can be hard to get off the Material Plane if you don't know what you're doing... but there are ways for anyone to do it, and if your world's lucky enough to have a portal to Sigil, that's a surefire way to make the trip.  Conduits to the Outer Planes abound, too, if you're looking to have your character drop off in some place on the Wheel like Limbo or Carceri (might be thematically appropriate for someone imprisoned in their form to make their way to freedom through the prison plane?)

Also I like the idea of a realm of shapeshifters who uses formlock as a way to brand their criminals.
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

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Crash

Quote from: meikle on March 21, 2013, 09:16:37 PM
And like the book says, sure, it can be hard to get off the Material Plane if you don't know what you're doing... but there are ways for anyone to do it, and if your world's lucky enough to have a portal to Sigil, that's a surefire way to make the trip.  Conduits to the Outer Planes abound, too, if you're looking to have your character drop off in some place on the Wheel like Limbo or Carceri (might be thematically appropriate for someone imprisoned in their form to make their way to freedom through the prison plane?)

Also I like the idea of a realm of shapeshifters who uses formlock as a way to brand their criminals.

Yeah I am thinking mostly the later, but may incorporate some of the rest too.

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frost rose

#79
Eeee, I need to keep up better.

Welp, as far as NC content goes, I have no issues having it in general and participating in if the situation should so arise. I, um, am probably far kinkier than necessary for this particular game by the looks of it and other people, so unless it manages to surprise me and hit a button, I suspect I will be basically up for anything that might come up.

Quote from: meikleIhaana & Perrin van Slithers: I kind of like the idea that at some point, Ihaana found herself indebted to Perrin and wound up at the heart of a cat-and-mouse (snake and mouse?) chase through Sigil for a few weeks, perhaps headed off by a confrontation between the two (that somehow results in Ihaana not getting knee-capped, preferably!)  Maybe she took pity on a fellow Sensate, or appreciated the opportunity to lead a manhunt.  Maybe she managed to repay her debt through not-entirely-legal means.  I dunno!  It's just a thought!

It's a perfectly fine thought! That seems a more than reasonable way to run across each other in the past. Perrin is not at all above loan sharking and usury — she is, after all, a banker — which gives her plenty of reason to get mixed up with less savoury hijinks. And the Sensates tend to be rather good to their membership — ergo in the canon game they start with several times the cash standard PCs do — which I assume means they do things like signing bonuses, good compensation for archiving experiences, favourable loan rates, and things like that.

Or in this case let's say Perrin ends up doing the money laundering for some of Sigil's less than upright activities, using more honest Society businesses and concerns as intermediaries. Let's say it's in this case a crooked gambling organisation that makes its real money being a vector for interplanar smuggling. Ihaana was involved in a scam there that liberated a monthly cash transfer as it was underway.

Now, that would have been that, with Ihaana and her cohorts lying low until the heat died down and they split the money, but that money was supposed to go to Perrin, who would then not only get it discretely to where it was supposed to go, but also keep a shell game going in the Society's finances to keep the entire operation secret. Without that she suddenly has a lot of unexpected red ink and a serious embarrassment on her hands.

So she goes on the warpath to get it back, finally tracing back through mutual Sensate acquaintances that Ihaana was involved, and goes on a merry chase throughout the city. She refrains from kneecapping Ihaana when they finally confront each other, instead presenting her with a consolidated bill for everything she can find on Society records to pin on Ihaana, plus every fee, fine, lien, and interest charge she can organise, using that to basically blackmail Ihaana into selling out her confederates in a sting to get the cash back.

Which also leaves her with potentially vengeful former cohorts and their associates out there too. (More of them, anyhow.) Whether or not Perrin forgave the entirety of Ihaana's technically-legal-but-seriously-underhanded debt depends on whether or not you want to have her fangs still sunk in or not.

So like that or something similar maybe? Or a variation on it if you have a better idea! (And if you can tolerate my words words words.)
There was a SIGNATURE here.

It's gone now.

Dhi

Quote from: Crash on March 21, 2013, 08:27:54 PM
Dhi - Do you have a preference for Avi's?  Real People or Fantasy Art? Some GM's prefer one over the other.
As much as I'd like to see pictures of cosplay as modrons and the Lady of Pain, no preference!

For a lot of folks, the art of Tony DiTerlizzi is the style for Planescape. DiTerlizzi's art is in turn heavily influenced by fantasy greats Rebecca Guay and Brian Froud. But at this point, so many terrific artists have been influenced by Planescape's characters and style that it would be criminal to try to limit the art style. But for myself, I'm going to try to use a lot of DiTerlizzi. I'm a DiTerlizzi fangirl.

MdG

Quote from: Dhi on March 22, 2013, 01:55:23 AM
As much as I'd like to see pictures of cosplay as modrons and the Lady of Pain, no preference!

For a lot of folks, the art of Tony DiTerlizzi is the style for Planescape. DiTerlizzi's art is in turn heavily influenced by fantasy greats Rebecca Guay and Brian Froud. But at this point, so many terrific artists have been influenced by Planescape's characters and style that it would be criminal to try to limit the art style. But for myself, I'm going to try to use a lot of DiTerlizzi. I'm a DiTerlizzi fangirl.

Spot on, Dhi. DiTerlizzi was Planescape and his distinct semi-steampunk, urban feel made the setting unforgettable (together with much better writing than was the norm at the time...just see Planescape: Torment, which is one of the few electronic spin-offs that truly captured the tabletop experience).

In relation to NC, this would need to be worked into the plot, make plot sense and be agreed (i.e. not sprung upon the character out of the blue and for apparently no reason).

When it comes to character connections, I've agreed an outline with meikle for Rysse and Ihaana, which I will update to my main character sheet or the OOC thread once finalised. I'll have a think on connections with other PCs, but please let me know if you have any ideas and I'd be delighted to discuss!

meikle

#82
QuoteAs much as I'd like to see pictures of cosplay as modrons and the Lady of Pain, no preference!
I hope 'none' is an okay option, because I totes don't know where I'm going to find a picture of someone with a halo tattoo and tons of facial piercings.

QuoteSo like that or something similar maybe? Or a variation on it if you have a better idea! (And if you can tolerate my words words words.)
Well, you certainly took it in a much more ... hostile direction?  I'm not sure it would be an ideal to have a "blackmailed you into selling out all of your friends" degree of antagonism right off the bat?  I guess it depends on whether or not Dhi is hoping for a group that can function cohesively.  I don't see being able to play Ihaana in an even remotely cordial manner with someone who pulled something like that over on her, though.  I was looking to form a little interesting character background, I wasn't quite looking to destroy my character's reputation, finances, and social standing for the sake of a PC connection.  I mean, I can see Ihaana bailing on the Sensates outright if someone who'd been a member nearly as long as Ihaana'd been alive went out of their way to screw her over.

I guess my original aim was to give the characters some history and texture (in the form of conflict), but having that conflict resolved by having my character getting massively boned and dropping a wedge the size of Texas between the two wasn't quite the texture I had in mind. :p
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

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Kunoichi

Well, there's always the option of the Sensates having sent Perrin to act as legal defense during the trials mentioned in Harmony's backstory, with her having been the one responsible for the brilliant defense case that got the adventuring party out of the jam they'd wound up in...

meikle

#84
Quote from: Kunoichi on March 23, 2013, 12:14:06 AM
Well, there's always the option of the Sensates having sent Perrin to act as legal defense during the trials mentioned in Harmony's backstory, with her having been the one responsible for the brilliant defense case that got the adventuring party out of the jam they'd wound up in...
That was only a month or so prior to the start of the game, though, right?  For characters who have been regulars at the Civic Festhall for years, it might not make as much sense for too many of the characters to have never run into each other prior to that (unless they don't participate too much in the Society's dealings.)  Perrin's been a Sensate for nearly two decades, and I imagine Ihaana's been around for three or four years.  I dunno when Alzeggra showed up in Sigil but she's old enough to have been around for a long time, too.  For characters who have been in the same faction for years, it kind of makes sense to have some degree of familiarity with one another, even if it isn't super involved.

edit: I have been accused of overthinking things in the past so maybe I am doin' it again.
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

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Crash

I picture my changeling having been only recently inducted into the Society.  She will be living at he dorms and very new to Sigil that way my lack of setting knowledge comes off as good RP.  ;D

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meikle

That second picture is a major character in the Planescape video game.  It might be hard to distance her from Annah. :p
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

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Crash

Ahh, ok.  I have no idea of these things so thanks for that.

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Crash

Fixed broken links and removed cannon character pic.  Lets try again!

Changeling Pics



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frost rose

Quote from: melkieI guess my original aim was to give the characters some history and texture (in the form of conflict), but having that conflict resolved by having my character getting massively boned and dropping a wedge the size of Texas between the two wasn't quite the texture I had in mind. :p

I was proooobably reading too much into it then. I kinda was going off kneecaps as a guideline to magnitude of the debt involved, and was sorta working out how to get something of that level, but without actual violence involved. In retrospect,  it's a bit more obvious being a figure of speech. Mea maxima culpa~

(Granted, I still like that overall sketch. I won't use it here obviously, but I think the tactic fits. Hmm…)

*coughs* But yeah, as to the degree, that is totally something I would end up doing to one of my own — Perrin gets off unusually lightly mainly because I stumbled upon the notion of Dutch snake people, found the idea hilarious, and it kind of spiraled from there.

As far as overthinking things, I don't think you are! While there are something on the order of fifty thousand Sensates in Sigil if I'm remembering correctly, there is one big palace where they all tend to hang out, so there's a good chance they'd have rubbed elbows before. And it's not like a 20 foot long snake is low profile. And beyond that, getting everyone wrapped in together in some recent events may be advantageous — it would be the required tavern scene, or the equivalent thereof, and act as implied prelude when things start happening.

Skipping back a moment with Ihaana, a more moderate version could easily be done — or invert the thing. Have perhaps a few really bad jobs or other strokes of misfortune leave Ihaana having to juggle some tricky finances, falling back on her Society membership and its benefits are really bloody wealthy to keep other less pleasant people off her back. Until Perrin catches wise to what she's doing while auditing, and does a much lesser feat of naked bribery, collecting the debt under herself, and offering to forgive the lot for helping set up a sting in a similar situation.

And then if we wanted to tap into Perrin in Mechanus to get at least most of the people all hanging out in one spot pre-story, it could be more than having the Sensates send her, but instead that once Ihaana realises their fate hangs on Modron legal proceedings, she ends up being the one who actually knows a plane travelling lawyer who she's on something like good terms with.

And then voila, four people — I think — all in the same spot.
There was a SIGNATURE here.

It's gone now.

Skynet

Quote from: frost rose on March 23, 2013, 04:27:04 AM

And then if we wanted to tap into Perrin in Mechanus to get at least most of the people all hanging out in one spot pre-story, it could be more than having the Sensates send her, but instead that once Ihaana realises their fate hangs on Modron legal proceedings, she ends up being the one who actually knows a plane travelling lawyer who she's on something like good terms with.

And then voila, four people — I think — all in the same spot.

I like this idea; gives a great way for our characters to know each other, and given the risks and circumstances of the matter they'll know how the others react when in sticky situations.

meikle

Quote from: frost rose on March 23, 2013, 04:27:04 AMAs far as overthinking things, I don't think you are! While there are something on the order of fifty thousand Sensates in Sigil if I'm remembering correctly, there is one big palace where they all tend to hang out, so there's a good chance they'd have rubbed elbows before. And it's not like a 20 foot long snake is low profile. And beyond that, getting everyone wrapped in together in some recent events may be advantageous — it would be the required tavern scene, or the equivalent thereof, and act as implied prelude when things start happening.
I'm not sure what the exact statistics are for Sigil; the Guide to Sigil only specifies "more than a million" locals and that 2/3rds of those are transients, so, 50,000 sounds like it'd probably be about one in every six Cagers?  I kind of imagine that unaffiliated/Independents would be the most populous among the commonfolk of Sigil, though they may still be; I imagine the Society of Sensation draws more followers than, say, the xaositects do.  Oh well; planar demographics aren't my specialty.

Having a recent pull-together isn't a bad idea at all, I just think there is benefit to having connections that go back further than four or five weeks, even if they're just "I remember bumping into you at that baatorian a cappella show!"  I mean, why not?  The absence of such a connection provides a little texture, too, when it's not a blank slate all around.

QuoteSkipping back a moment with Ihaana, a more moderate version could easily be done — or invert the thing. Have perhaps a few really bad jobs or other strokes of misfortune leave Ihaana having to juggle some tricky finances, falling back on her Society membership and its benefits are really bloody wealthy to keep other less pleasant people off her back. Until Perrin catches wise to what she's doing while auditing, and does a much lesser feat of naked bribery, collecting the debt under herself, and offering to forgive the lot for helping set up a sting in a similar situation.

And then if we wanted to tap into Perrin in Mechanus to get at least most of the people all hanging out in one spot pre-story, it could be more than having the Sensates send her, but instead that once Ihaana realises their fate hangs on Modron legal proceedings, she ends up being the one who actually knows a plane travelling lawyer who she's on something like good terms with.
"Never trust a slaad," Ihaana learned the hard way, and later, "Never trust a snake."  She probably ends up regretting the result of going to the faction for help (even if she did it without letting many people know), which leaves her wary but at least she gets out of the situation in one piece.  Not being worked over so hard that she's left with a mind for revenge is probably good for party cohesion.

And that is a pretty good plot for getting (almost) everyone in the same place at once yes.
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

O and O and Discord
A and A

MdG

Quote from: meikle on March 23, 2013, 04:41:54 PM
I'm not sure what the exact statistics are for Sigil; the Guide to Sigil only specifies "more than a million" locals and that 2/3rds of those are transients, so, 50,000 sounds like it'd probably be about one in every six Cagers?  I kind of imagine that unaffiliated/Independents would be the most populous among the commonfolk of Sigil, though they may still be; I imagine the Society of Sensation draws more followers than, say, the xaositects do.  Oh well; planar demographics aren't my specialty.

I agree on the stats. I would expect "card-carrying" members of factions to be relatively few on the ground (perhaps in the order of a couple of thousand per faction) with many more unaffiliated or independents with some sympathy or other for one faction or other, but without formal commitment, much in the way that members of political parties are usually far fewer than the numbers of voters.

And like political parties, there are hangers-on and members of convenience, which is very much my current proposed angle for Rysse. She has no interest in faction conflict or ideology, but is a member of the Society in order to supplement her physical and emotional addiction to the Sensorium. In exchange, she contributes particularly lurid, visceral sensations, which has so far ensured that the higher-ups at the Society turn a blind eye to her lack of conviction.   

Skynet

I've always imagined that, barring factions which require significant devotion, most "members" either pay lip service to factions or make minor contributions because they support their goals.  Sort of like how people can vote for a political party candidate in an election without being part of the group, or how somebody can donate money to church without being a priest.

Dhi

I'd like to see faction numbers much lower than 50,000, at least inside of Sigil. If the Sensates are populous enough to fill a small city, then the organization becomes a milling horde of anonymous faces and interacting with any of the factols is unlikely. I want to use the factols- they're well-defined and interesting characters, which lend some humanity (or tieflingity) to what are otherwise abstract philosophies. I especially would like to use Darius, Erin Montgomery Darkflame, Pentar, and Rhys. Since you're weaving your backgrounds around the Guvners, Hashkar might be cool as well. He's got a much more interesting backstory than you would think to look at him, and it touches on some setting concepts that might otherwise go unsung. But, at the same time, I don't want to get too ambitious.

Dhi

Quote from: Crash on March 23, 2013, 02:09:32 AM
Fixed broken links and removed cannon character pic.  Lets try again!

Changeling Pics


That first one looks sort of like a changeling's natural form to me.

I'm playing a changeling bard in a jazz age Eberron game who I love to death, and I use this image for her seldom seen natural form:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/8dd22fbd36e57558d6a0455a1bef92a5/tumblr_migqxyRDwT1s1nfszo1_1280.jpg
Black, soulless eyes; small, inexpressive, almost vestigial mouth and nose; vacant expression; hair the unfortunate texture and color of dried straw. In her chosen form she's spritely and charismatic, but strip that illusion away and she's a complete outsider, impossible to mistake for human.

frost rose

#96
Aha, I looked it up, and Factol's Manifesto is what I was (mis-) remembering. In fact, in particular it has Factol Montgomery claim over 40,000 Sensates in Sigil, and presumably a few more scattered through the Gilded Hall and the rest of the planes. A lot of them anyhow. So yeah, a lot of the permanent residents, maybe as few as 1 in 10, if we go by 1.2 million total population and 40k Sensates exactly.

Of course, considerably lower here then is a possibility, given the feel Dhi wants, and honestly I think I'd probably do the same in her position. Or at least make most of the nominal faction members only people who hang out with the faction rather than card carrying members themselves. That said, I'm going to take that figure as official for just a moment in service of a digression.

For starters, that's an absolutely terrifying transient population. Sigil's going to look like a year-round intensely popular resort with that kind of imbalance, and it's even worse than it looks, as children and the elderly will be underrepresented in the transient population, so your primed aged workers will be disproportionately foreign transients. That is going to cause some very odd and interesting dynamics in terms of Sigilian economics.

This actually does explain why the Sensates are so massively wealthy, tho'. They have a stranglehold on the entertainment market in the most ungodly massive and popular vacation town in all of reality. Even with only 40,000 members — which as MdG suggests, many of whom are probably not philosophically Sensates, but entertainers wanting in on the action and the like — they're going to be swimming in sickening amounts of cash as everyone from all over the planes essentially comes and injects money into the Sensate pockets. Sigil must have some huge imports, too. Both on account of making up the tremendous import/export balance they'll otherwise have, and to make up for the fact that most of their labour is going to be transient.

Man, I may not be a specialist in planar demographics either, but now that I'm thinking about them I kind of want to be. This is fascinating from a socioeconomic standpoint.

Anywho, stopping here so I don't end up boring everyone.

Quote from: meikle"Never trust a slaad," Ihaana learned the hard way, and later, "Never trust a snake."

Aww, but she's so friendly! She can't help it if she's evil.

And don't get me wrong, I agree with it being neat to having history together. Especially since all of the people who've been around longer than a few months probably have spent enough time around the Civic Festhall that they've at least had a few casual encounters. With Perrin it's easy, too! "Hey, aren't you that big snake who harasses the massage staff and has an abacus fetish?"
There was a SIGNATURE here.

It's gone now.

Dhi

If you're delving into books like Factol's Manifesto and Uncaged: Faces of Sigil, you may encounter some spoilers. Factol's Manifesto has the spoilers pretty clearly marked, but Uncaged is purely a DM's book and the spoilers fly without warning.

frost rose

Quote from: Dhi on March 23, 2013, 06:44:22 PM
If you're delving into books like Factol's Manifesto and Uncaged: Faces of Sigil, you may encounter some spoilers. Factol's Manifesto has the spoilers pretty clearly marked, but Uncaged is purely a DM's book and the spoilers fly without warning.

I will do my very best to refrain then! I have the complete collection — in legal paperback no less! — from ages and ages ago when I actually GMed a planescape game back in highschool. But fortunately as far as spoilers go I can only remember bits and pieces as it's been like a decade or so. I'll be careful to stick around the PC-friendly sections. And the rest will be all muddled remembered estimates, a la my stab at the Sensate faction numbers.
There was a SIGNATURE here.

It's gone now.

Dhi

Very cool! I used to have a full collection. I lost some of it when my apartment collapsed. I managed to get some stuff like the Planes Of boxed sets for about $45, but Hellbound: The Blood War was going for something like $200. As much as I wanted to flip to the end and see who won the Blood War, I couldn't really justify that.  :-\

So who did win the Blood War? It was the devils, right? All the pit fiends got commemorative rings?

frost rose

Oh man, I'm sorry to hear that. I'd be devastated if I lost my old RPG stuff. And that's an obscene price for Blood War. I managed to get mine at a used bookstore that was for some bizarre reason selling it for about $30 or so. I was so happy that day. I even got to use it here, kinda! The brief bit about hills of corpses with Perrin is a reference to the Field of Nettles, which was one of the places outlined in the set, a battlefield so ancient that all the fiend corpses have made hills and all their blood has turned the place into a marsh. Fun place.

And pfffft. Like they'd ever actually solve the matter. That's like saying they'd go and have a huge civil war in Sigil that left most of the factions destroyed and introduce a whole new set we've never heard of while killing off half the established cast of the setting, amirite?

…why are you all looking at me that way?
There was a SIGNATURE here.

It's gone now.


Kunoichi

Yeah, being able to get the whole thing on .pdf would be good. ^^

MdG

I'm with Dhi in keeping faction member numbers down to highly manageable levels, though I can easily see a total of 50,000 members spread throughout the Planes. Anyway, factols have an incentive to inflate the numbers of their faction...

On the sourcebook point, I must admit my familiarity with the Planescape setting is probably better than that of any other D&D 'canon' world. I used to enjoy the books (which used to be easy to find second-hand) mainly for their artwork and feel, but absorbed a lot through osmosis and through playing a couple of one-off tabletop sessions.

Ont hat note, my two cents is that Faces of Sigil is perhaps the finest TSR supplement I ever read and should be the inspiration for any character heavy urban campaign. 

meikle

Quote from: frost rose on March 23, 2013, 07:44:01 PMThat's like saying they'd go and have a huge civil war in Sigil that left most of the factions destroyed and introduce a whole new set we've never heard of while killing off half the established cast of the setting, amirite?

Metaplot truly is the worst thing that can happen to an RPG.
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

O and O and Discord
A and A

Crash


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Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Crash

Quote from: Dhi on March 23, 2013, 06:06:05 PM
That first one looks sort of like a changeling's natural form to me.

I'm playing a changeling bard in a jazz age Eberron game who I love to death, and I use this image for her seldom seen natural form:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/8dd22fbd36e57558d6a0455a1bef92a5/tumblr_migqxyRDwT1s1nfszo1_1280.jpg
Black, soulless eyes; small, inexpressive, almost vestigial mouth and nose; vacant expression; hair the unfortunate texture and color of dried straw. In her chosen form she's spritely and charismatic, but strip that illusion away and she's a complete outsider, impossible to mistake for human.

Yeah that was another that I was thinking of but the upswept ears were throwing me.

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Crash

I can go into the strange and unusual, but I tend to land on the vanilla side of the spectrum more often than not.

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Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Skynet

#109
My thoughts were different initially, but I'm feeling less comfortable about participating in a group RP which might contain non-consensual sex regardless of whether my character's involved.  I know I said differently earlier, but I felt differently after some thought.

When RPing, I tend to craft a story in a cooperative manner, and how my character would react to situations.  So even if Alzeggra wasn't present, she might say or do something in regards to the incident.  And dealing with rape might not necessarily be a place I'd be comfortable delving into in an RP, even indirectly.

I know that role-playing is a cooperative game, and not everybody's tastes and O&Os might match up, but I don't want make anybody feel unneccessarily constrained or limited; on the other hand, I don't think it would do anybody any good if I didn't communicate my discomforts, even if I said otherwise earlier.

Sorry for any confusion on my part!

Crash

We have put NC content in spoilers in other games I am in.  I'm not sure if Dhi wants to do that or not, but it has helped other players that feel the same way as you.

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Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Dhi

I put out the possibility of NC to see how everybody felt about it, and I got a pretty clear "not my thing." It isn't my thing either, so consider this a Bondage Exotic story.


Crash

Quote from: Dhi on March 24, 2013, 07:44:50 PM
I put out the possibility of NC to see how everybody felt about it, and I got a pretty clear "not my thing." It isn't my thing either, so consider this a Bondage Exotic story.

Sounds great to me.  I plan on working on background stuff tonight.

Dhi - This is sandbox style right?  I am not sure knowing everyone in the past is going to work for my character, so I may have to re-think things if we are a regular advenuring group to start.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Skynet

Quote from: Crash on March 24, 2013, 08:06:27 PM
Sounds great to me.  I plan on working on background stuff tonight.

Dhi - This is sandbox style right?  I am not sure knowing everyone in the past is going to work for my character, so I may have to re-think things if we are a regular advenuring group to start.

It might be good to talk about the kind of game style and general themes Dhi and others want out of this RP.  From what I get out of Planescape, it focuses on D&D-style groups of adventurers exploring locales across the planes while getting embroiled in the power struggles of factions, deities, and the forces of Law & Chaos, Good & Evil.  With some philosophical debates on the side.

MdG

Quote from: Skynet on March 24, 2013, 08:14:27 PM
It might be good to talk about the kind of game style and general themes Dhi and others want out of this RP.  From what I get out of Planescape, it focuses on D&D-style groups of adventurers exploring locales across the planes while getting embroiled in the power struggles of factions, deities, and the forces of Law & Chaos, Good & Evil.  With some philosophical debates on the side.

I think one of Planescape's main strengths is its range of themes, locales and atmospheres. From Dhi's detailed setting intro, I got the impression that the game would develop as an urban adventure with a focus on Sigil and its many doors, but I'm flexible in terms of where we choose to take the narrative and am happy to discuss what works best for the group.

Skynet

#116
I also got a Sigil-centric feel from Dhi's post.  I'd be totally happy with this, as the City of Doors is a very interesting locale!

I'm not strongly committed to any one play-style, though.  Whether it's dungeon-delving, urban politicking, or a mixture of the two, I'm fine as long as we all get plenty of opportunities for sexy lovin'! ;)

Crash

Quote from: Skynet on March 24, 2013, 08:22:13 PM
I'm fine as long as we all get plenty of opportunities for sexy lovin'! ;)

I get the feeling that isn't going to be a problem.

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Kunoichi

Not when at least one of the characters steadfastly refuses to wear any manner of clothing. :P

Crash

Quote from: Kunoichi on March 24, 2013, 09:40:22 PM
Not when at least one of the characters steadfastly refuses to wear any manner of clothing. :P

Yep, pretty much what I was thinking.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Dhi

Quote from: Crash on March 24, 2013, 08:06:27 PM
Dhi - This is sandbox style right?  I am not sure knowing everyone in the past is going to work for my character, so I may have to re-think things if we are a regular adventuring group to start.
Originally I was aiming for a sandbox style game, but I don't think we have enough players right now to make that work. So I'm prepared to direct things much more than a sandbox GM would, and try to give you reasons to all work together.

I feel like a sandbox approach would fail because we don't currently have enough characters to be coming and going from each other's stories. I'm open to suggestions though.
Quote from: Skynet on March 24, 2013, 08:14:27 PM
It might be good to talk about the kind of game style and general themes Dhi and others want out of this RP.  From what I get out of Planescape, it focuses on D&D-style groups of adventurers exploring locales across the planes while getting embroiled in the power struggles of factions, deities, and the forces of Law & Chaos, Good & Evil.  With some philosophical debates on the side.
That's a great summary.

I've been told that I run a Sigil-centric Planescape game. I see it more as a launching point for adventures, like some sort of enormous torus-shaped tavern in the sky, but apparently the impression I give is that I love Sigil. I suppose I do.

Dungeons are probably not on the menu. I think a room-to-room grind would feel especially out of place in a systemless game, and they're usually shoehorned into the Planescape setting as it is. I don't find them very interesting, and I think they could bog down a PbP.

Skynet

Quote from: Dhi on March 24, 2013, 10:59:38 PM
Originally I was aiming for a sandbox style game, but I don't think we have enough players right now to make that work. So I'm prepared to direct things much more than a sandbox GM would, and try to give you reasons to all work together.

1. I feel like a sandbox approach would fail because we don't currently have enough characters to be coming and going from each other's stories. I'm open to suggestions though.That's a great summary.

2. I've been told that I run a Sigil-centric Planescape game. I see it more as a launching point for adventures, like some sort of enormous torus-shaped tavern in the sky, but apparently the impression I give is that I love Sigil. I suppose I do.

3. Dungeons are probably not on the menu. I think a room-to-room grind would feel especially out of place in a systemless game, and they're usually shoehorned into the Planescape setting as it is. I don't find them very interesting, and I think they could bog down a PbP.

1. The thing with sandbox gaming is that it's player-centric, where the PCs decide what to focus on and the DM comes up with challenges in response.  The PCs want to go to Carceri one day to free prisoners?  That's what the game's about until they decide to do something else.

2. That's cool.  Can you recommend any free resources about the city?  I'm afraid that most of my Planescape information comes from planewalker.com and 3rd Edition resources.  Although I hear that Planewalker's a great site.

3. It doesn't have to be structured like a typical dungeon crawl.  The PCs don't need to announce that they're searching for traps in every hallway, or every room to be described.  Treat it as a setting in the story, where only the interesting parts are covered in the narrative.

meikle

Dungeon crawling usually has a certain kind of impetus to it, though: it's at the heart of violence-and-loot focused games.  So I mean, it does shape the focus of the game.  In a setting whose strongest point of interest is philosophical discourse and "belief shapes reality," digging through a hole in the ground killing [goblins/orcs/githyanki/slaad] for [gold/magic items/bloodlust] can seem a little out of place.
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

O and O and Discord
A and A

MdG

Quote from: meikle on March 25, 2013, 07:06:04 AM
Dungeon crawling usually has a certain kind of impetus to it, though: it's at the heart of violence-and-loot focused games.  So I mean, it does shape the focus of the game.  In a setting whose strongest point of interest is philosophical discourse and "belief shapes reality," digging through a hole in the ground killing [goblins/orcs/githyanki/slaad] for [gold/magic items/bloodlust] can seem a little out of place.

Agreed. And since this is a freeform game, I'd definitely expect a character-driven rather than combat-driven focus.

Skynet

Quote from: meikle on March 25, 2013, 07:06:04 AM
Dungeon crawling usually has a certain kind of impetus to it, though: it's at the heart of violence-and-loot focused games.  So I mean, it does shape the focus of the game.  In a setting whose strongest point of interest is philosophical discourse and "belief shapes reality," digging through a hole in the ground killing [goblins/orcs/githyanki/slaad] for [gold/magic items/bloodlust] can seem a little out of place.

I see your point.

Crash

ok  haveher changeling form and most assumed form pics figured out.  Now off to work on background!

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Crash

It seem like we are still lacking a dedicated healer and Combat Mage/Sorcerer.  Is that correct?

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meikle

It looks that way, though considering a few of the characters have roles like 'banker' and 'machinist', you probably don't need to feel confined to traditional adventuring party roles!
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

O and O and Discord
A and A

Crash

It just helps me get my bearings.  Not sure if I am going to go either of those ways.  I am thinking Mage that specializes in transmutation to be honest.  Not sure what the exact occupation is going to be yet. :)

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Kunoichi

Actress, perhaps?  You could put in some pretty stellar performances with access to transmutation magic.

MdG

Quote from: Kunoichi on March 25, 2013, 07:04:35 PM
Actress, perhaps?  You could put in some pretty stellar performances with access to transmutation magic.

Good point - given Sigil's uniquely rich cultural scene, there should be plenty of dramatic roles in almost any theatrical tradition. Changelings would have the added advantage of being able to slip away unnoticed should the adoring crowd prove too much.

Crash

#131
Quote from: Kunoichi on March 25, 2013, 07:04:35 PM
Actress, perhaps?  You could put in some pretty stellar performances with access to transmutation magic.

Hah, I had just put down Actress as her occupation when you posted this.  For a Changeling that has been locked into one body for so long, changing into multiple characters in a play made total sense to me. Nice to see we are all on the same page.

Now to work on History and Questions!  Which may take a bit since I am making all of the locations up.  I hate thinking up names. :P.

I hope to post Fei tonight!

Wow history is taking me longer than I thought.

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Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Crash

Take a look and tell me what you think.  She is still a bit rough, but I think it gives everyone an idea of who she is. 

Fei
Name: Fei
Gender & Species: Gender Identity is Female but any gender is possible/Changeling
Physical Description: True Form: Fei is similar to other changelings in her true form.  She has milky white skin and black eyes and platinum hair that is bobbed.  She is quite thin and lithe of frame.  Unlike the Changelings of Ebberon her facial features are a little more pronounced, but that is likely to do her forced imprisonment in a human form for the span of one hundred years.
The most common for that Fei can be found in is indeed human.  She loves the beauty of the Tian with their beautifully dark and lustrous hair and sensual silks.  In her most common form she dresses in silk kimonos with elaborate hairdos and ornate hairpins.  She loves to wear make-ups and decorates her body with all sorts of paints and polishes.  While this is her most common form that isn’t to say that Fei is in it often.   She has spent an eternity in one form and is constantly changing something about her.  Even her Tian form is never quite the same.
Occupation: When she is not wallowing is self-depravity at the Sensate Dormitories, Fei is experiencing life as an actress at the Civic Festhall.  This way she can take multiple forms a day and experience the lives of others through theater.
Faction: Society of Sensation
Place of Residence: Sensate Dormitories
Place of Birth:City-State of Lei-Shu, Limbo
Date of Birth: 008 FHR
Alignment: Neutral

Personality: Fei‘s is ultimately optimistic, if flighty and carefree.  She had been locked in her own body for a hundred years and the freedom she has experienced since breaking free and finding Sigil has left her positively giddy.  Her friends find her to be playful and carefree and always helpful.  Fei is the epitome of what most people think of a Sensate.  She can be insanely hedonistic and when at the Sensate Dormitories she can often be found perusing the more sensual memories the other Sensates have recorded, in a drug fueled haze or at the center of an orgy of Sensate members.  Her job at the Festhall is one of the few things that can pull her away from the Dorms as she takes any and every opportunity to take another form and has been known to change forms twenty or more times in a day.

History:
   
     The City-State of Lei-Shu floats amid the purple clouds of Limbo.  A mostly stable floating archipelago, Lei-Shu has been the home of the Consulate of Shu.  The Shu are a powerful family of Changelings that founded the City-State in the distant past as a haven for their often persecuted brethren.  The Consulate of Shu embraces the mutability of the Changeling form and expresses it in their arts and culture.  The Consulate produces some of the most talented actors and playwrights in the known planes, who have been known to play every part in their own productions.  The chaotic nature of the plane fits well with the nature of the Consulate and they have maintained relations with many of the factions that call the plane home.
     
     Fei was the daughter of a powerful Consul of Lei-Shu.  She was an actress of great talent and a wizard of some note before her fall from grace.  The politics of Lei-Shu are convoluted, labyrinthine and deadly.  There are few laws in Fei-Shu.  Crimes are prosecuted at the whim of the Justicar that can arrest and judge anyone they find to be guilty of an action against the Shu as the Changelings called themselves.  Actions are such things as theft (petty or grand), murder…rape.  Any action that inhibits a Shu from pursuing their fate can be judged a crime.  Crimes are brought before a Justicar and if the accused is found innocent of the action any punishment that would have been levied against them falls upon the accuser.  Punishments ranged from minor fines, loss of property, loss of status (important to the Shu), banishment, death and the most heinous of all punishments, Formlock.   Formlock is reserved for only the most heinous of crimes such as treason. 
   
     So it was that Fei found herself before a Justicar accusing her own father of treason against the Shu.  The thought of doing so broke her heart, but the evidence she presented was damning.  With tears in her eyes she waited for the Justicar to sentence him.  Formlock was the judgment...against her!  Her father was found innocent, an impossibility to be sure, but it did not matter to the Shu.  The judgment was made.  The Justicar forced her into the form of a male Githzerai and exiled to a distant monastery.  The formlock was torture to the young changeling.  The manacles she worn held her form in place and extended her lifetime so that she would surely live out an eternity locked in this body or she could take the honorable way out and commit ritual suicide. 
   
     She often contemplated the later in her many years of torment, but she persevered decade after decade.  Fei delved into magic as often as the strict Githzerai would allow looking for some way to escape her form cage.  She couldn’t.  So she did the unthinkable…she died.  Fei so confined and so very alone prepared herself the way her ancestors had.  Exchanged the Githzerai garb for the ornate toga she had been given by the Justicar for just this moment and walked off the edge of the island monastery. 
   
     Fei wasn’t sure how long she fell.  Things in Limbo were always changing even distance and time.  Eventually an island formed from the primordial mists of Limbo below her and she crashed into it.  Twisted and broken she lay, body and manacles shattered against the red jutting rocks still forming out of the mists. 
   
     It was a group of planes walkers that found her.  Cast life back into her broken form and carried her back to Sigil.  They were members of the Society of Sensation and in return for her life they simply requested the memory of her death.  Her despair and anguish, the weightlessness of her fail, the fear and surprise at the forming rock and the pain of her death, the slow extinguishing of her life force and the enclosing darkness of eternal sleep. And this she gave them wholeheartedly for they had not only given her back her life, but her body as well.  She immediately joined the Society of Sensation and for the past year has been living in the Sensate Dormitories and exploring the vast sensory experience of life in Sigil and beyond.

Ons & Offs: Player’s On’s and Off’s Author note: I can go more into heavier BDSM than my on/off’s indicate.  I just tend not to.  PM me with what you are thinking and we can talk it over if you want too.  Fei is very much into multiple partners, but any sexual exploration is open to her.  Do you her imprisonment she does not like to take a male form unless it is for a role in one of her plays.  She is happy however to take a hermaphroditic form for those ladies that enjoy the female form but like penetration as well.

What was your last contribution to the Sensorium? Living a week as a stray feline in the alleys of Sigil.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.

What experience in the Sensorium have you been intimidated, but curious, to try? Bondage.  Not the standard run of the mill kind, as a changeling she can easily get out of that, but the magical kind.  Her imprisonment has frightened her severely and she would need someone she trusted explicitly in order to attempt it. She is curious though as to how it would feel for someone to hold her immobile in a form and please her so adeptly that she would forget her fears and loose herself in the sensation.

In what three ways would you most aid an adventuring party? Fei is quite a talented wizard and her skills at transmutation would be a value to any adventuring party.  She is also a perpetual optimist.  While that may annoy some of her party members she does not give up easily and will always believe that there is a way out or a solution to a puzzle. Fei has an adventurous spirit.  She will always be ready to drop everything and run off on a new adventure and is loyal to those friends that have learned to put up with her optimism, her insatiable libido and free-spirited and flighty personality.

In what way might you hinder an adventuring party?  Fei is hedonistic.  The opportunity to try a new way of sinking into debauchery draws her like a moth to a flame.  She is also intensely curious and often does not think of consequences to her actions.

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Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Crash

Hmm about the only initial connection I see between Fei and anyone else is that she and Harmony live in the Dorms.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

frost rose

Well, that is certainly one easy way to meet. There are others she could incidentally run into as well. If she's that much of a hedonist, she could easily have bumped into Perrin while the latter was being massaged, and she does sort of stand out in a crowd, even a Sensate crowd.

As an actress she might have reason to come across Ihaana as well. Thespians have always hung out with people of low reputation, and especially someone just starting out in Sigil would end up working at least a few times in theatres of poor repute that way.
There was a SIGNATURE here.

It's gone now.

Skynet

Hey Crash.  I don't have much to contribute, but I really like Fei's write-up!

Interactions between Alzeggra and Fei probably occur at Sigil's theaters, with Alzeggra as an audience member.  They both might have met up due to similar interests and tastes in 'high culture' and the arts.

Crash

#136
Quote from: frost rose on March 27, 2013, 01:10:13 AM
If she's that much of a hedonist, she could easily have bumped into Perrin while the latter was being massaged, and she does sort of stand out in a crowd, even a Sensate crowd.

Oh she is.  Hell she may very well have been giving Perrin the massage.  Given Perrin's hidden curiosity of bipedalism the fact that Fei is a changeling and specializes in Transmutation (ie polymorphing herself and others), that may draw Perrin's interest as well.

Skynet - High culture and arts would certainly draw her.

And good morning everyone

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Crash

Dhi - Are you still looking to start the game next week?

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Dhi

I was. You're going to be without internet next week, right? We could wait just a few days more until you get back.

Crash

I'll PM you with something because my Internet is up in the air.  A week is a guestiment.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Dhi

Okay, we're coming up on the week where I'd like to get started.

I'm going to get a header code for everybody to use, post up an OOC thread, and the first IC thread will be the Civic Festhall. I'll describe the Festhall and what's going on there, and you can write your own introductions and respond or not respond to those events as the mood takes you. With luck, the different stories will merge and we'll end up with a coherent party.

If you want to be in the story but haven't yet filled out a character sheet, please get that to me.
https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=168279.msg7899031#msg7899031

Some people have sent me character concepts but not any character sheet. The approved characters right now are:
  • Ihaana
  • Peregrine Sabien Prisca van Slithers
  • Harmony
  • Alzeggra
  • Bryseis
  • Fei

If you want to be in the opening scene but aren't on that list, I'm missing a character sheet from you. :-(
I understand that some things, especially History in an unfamiliar setting, may be difficult. If you need any help populating a character sheet, please don't hesitate to send me a PM.



Dhi

Everything is terrific! I spent some time today ironing out the first IC thread, but I won't get to finish it tonight. It's near enough complete that I should have the OOC, the character sheet thread, and the IC Festhall thread up tomorrow. I'm looking forward to writing with y'all and crafting a story around your characters.

Unfortunately, Crash has needed to drop out, so we're at 5 PCs. That's still a good number. I think we'll be fine.


Dhi


Crash

Looks like I will have more availability than I thought.  If you will have me back I would be happy to jump in.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Dhi

Absolutely! I'm about to put the character sheets up, I'll add Fei while I'm at it.

Wargtass

Gah! Should have seen this earlier! Now I'm tied up with a whole bunch of other threads!  :'(
O/O


Crash

Quote from: Dhi on April 09, 2013, 03:26:01 PM
Absolutely! I'm about to put the character sheets up, I'll add Fei while I'm at it.

Doh I missed this!  I will work on a Fei post tonight!

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious