Dungeon World: Second Chance Club (Closed)

[pdragon]

Wyrmfell, The City of Slayers. Erected around the corpse of Flaxum the Viledrake, it is the capital of the queendom of Lyse, and home to the illustrious Adventurer's Guild. It is where ambitious youths train and mighty heroes gather, all dedicating their lives to the pursuit of gold and glory (and helping out the weak and downtrodden of course). They face off against the malicious forces that threaten the kingdom and it's people, no matter how big or small. If one has a problem in need of solving, and enough coin to offer, then the Guild won't hesitate to extend a helping hand. It is because of them (and the dozens of other prospering trade industries) that Wyrmfell stands as one of the greatest cities in the world, a true paradise for anyone with an adventurous spirit.

Unfortunately this is not a story about the Adventurer's Guild, or it's heroes. No this story sets its sights a bit...lower. After all even in paradise there's a pecking order, and not everyone gets to be on top. While the Guild is the shining jewel, the dream that all would-be heroes aspire to, not everyone is cut out for it. And what's a person to do when they've failed in achieving their dreams? When their potential goes unfulfilled? When ambition turns to abject failure? Most would simply give up, or roll over and die. However maybe, just maybe, these poor souls could be given a second chance? Another try. Another opportunity. Another shot at gold and glory.

This isn't the story of the Adventurer's Guild, and it's luxurious hall dripping with prestige. No this is the story of a poor street on the very edge of the guild district, of a glorified shack tucked away in a narrow alley, of a creaky door upon which hung a crudely painted sign...

"The Second Chance Club"

Welcome to the Second Chance Club, a fantasy game using the Dungeon World system and my own homebrewed world. In this story the players take the role of young upstart adventurers, starry eyed and brimming with potential, who all ended up tragically (or hilariously) dying before they could make a name for themselves. Fortunately they received a second chance (eh? eh?) when a beautiful necromancer brought them back with a newly perfected resurrection spell, a breakthrough in the necrotic arts allowing one to be raised with all the benefits of undeath, but none of the gross rotty downsides. She has raised these adventurers so they could work (willingly she assures) for her newly established adventurer's guild, The Second Chance Club, using the gimmick of immortal "fodder heroes" to set them apart from the official Adventurer's Guild, and one day even rival their wealth and influence.

That's where you come in. This game has already been running for a few months now, but due to some drop outs and hiatuses I figured we had room to bring in another player or two. If the game seems interesting to you at all feel free to drop in and throw up an idea for a character.

Here's a link to the IC and OOC threads so you can get an idea for the style of the game and how far it has progressed, as well as little bits on the setting I've thrown together.


Rules

A quick list of basic rules

1. Be cool
2. DM has final call
3. Post frequency has been pretty steady with the current group so far, and the expected minimum will be at least 2 posts a week, 3 during combat scenes.
4. If you are unable to post I'll keep the scene moving forward with a minimal amount of puppeteering. In combat I'll have your character attack/assist with a non-resource expending move (or as little resources expending as possible).
5. Dungeon World doesn't have a set turn order for combat, so don't feel as though you have to wait for someone else to post first if you haven't gone yet.
6. Illustrated art for characters only
7. Please use the provided character sheet when posting up your character (you don't have to fill this out right away to show interest, just a basic concept is fine to start)

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Discord

This game is a bit experimental, in that it includes a good bit of "discord integration". Not only is it used as our main form of chatting, it is also where dice rolls are made, stats are tracked, and in-character side scenes are played out.

We also use the in-character section to more quickly play out scenes that involve a lot of quick back and forth, such as long conversations or shopping trips, that would otherwise take too much time to do in forum posts.

As a result having and using Discord is pretty much mandatory for this game. An invite to said discord will be provided upon character acceptance.

[pdragon]

reserved

[Rummy Tum Tum]

Come on in. The water's nice!

[Revelation]

I am interested, the premise seems fun but I've never really played dungeon world - would the game be amenable to newbies to the system?

[AndyZ]

It’s a very easy system to learn, and we have a lot of folks on Discord who will be happy to help out and answer questions.

[Revelation]

Cool. I've skimmed the game's latest IC posts - I can do a proper deep dive a bit later today, but it seems the group has a druid type, a fighter type, a thief type - and a wench (Which I assume is a whole class unto its own!)

I do have a few Q's

1) Are there any players in the Discord that aren't in the IC thread as of yet? IE: What other characters are there, if any?
2) What sorts of archetype could the group use in the current player's opinions, if any? I know PBTA/DW isn't quite as strict as D&D when it comes to classes and such, but if the group is in need of anything in particular narratively or creatively I can try to fill that gap. I admit I prefer more direct/unga bunga character types (Fighter, paladin, etc), but I can be flexible.

[AndyZ]

1.) That's us.  The character sheets are at https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=342165.msg16251477#new if you want to check over.  Katra more or less is a fighter type but made with some of the custom stuff in Class Warfare, allowing her to manifest a psionic weapon and being good at taking damage meant for others rather than Bend Bars, Lift Gates or having her own signature weapon.

2.) I encourage getting PDFs if it's in your means, but more than enough to play can be found at http://book.dwgazetteer.com/ if you just want a basic class.  Look up at the top and you can see some of the options under Classes.

Paladin could probably work to some degree.  http://book.dwgazetteer.com/paladin.html  As stated, we do have someone who's more or less a fighter, but a paladin can also do a lot of things like heal which can be very useful.  We don't really have a healer right now.

However, remember that your character is going to be someone who wasn't all that fantastic starting out, got killed, and was brought back by a necromancer, and is partially undead. with some undead traits.  That's something that many paladins will have trouble coming to terms with, so just make sure that your concept works where they won't go rogue and try to destroy the entire party.

There's a writeup for Gods/Religion at https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=342164.msg16182527#msg16182527 if you want to check it out.  I doubt that's a complete and absolute list, though; Dungeon World is all about making up your own stuff, so if you have an idea for your own God/dess that your character would serve, pitch it to the DM and you'll very likely get it okayed.

[Revelation]

Right! I wouldn't want to introduce anything that would cause conflict in the group - But I admit I do like the idea of a schlub paladin who got killed, gets ressed, and sort of has to ...deal with it, so to speak. I would not want them to be all divine crusader on the party or anything over the top like such.

[AndyZ]

That can definitely work ^_^ I just figured you’d want to know about it straight off the bat to ensure it’s the kind of character you want to play, and making sure it won’t cause unwanted conflict.  (Drama can definitely work to some degree, though I’ve seen it tear apart games when there was just way too much.)

[Revelation]

Proper conflict can work in a group - but not things that IMO would result in direct PVP or characters seeking violence against other characters. I think creating meaningful conflict can be interesting but that's super nuanced and comes with knowing your fellow players!

Primarily I would prefer to make a character that can mesh with the group at large while still being dynamic enough to be unique.

[pdragon]

I paladin could definitely be fun. And it does seem like the kind of thing Cass'andra (the necromancer) would do, either as a sort of experiment or as a "oh, I guess I didn't really think about it" situation.

As Andy said I haven't introduced a full pantheon yet, my style of introducing lore and background details has just been to drip feed it through posts over time, so I'm regularly adding to it. However if you'd like I could give you a more comprehensive list to choose from, or we can work out what kind of God you'd like your character to follow and I could either suggest one that'd fit or we could workshop a new one.

For an example, the paladins of Madama Muerta are the

Sororidad de Muerte

, the Sisterhood of Death. Their main thing is that they go out into the world to find the bodies of those who have died away from home, temporarily raise their corpse, and then escort them back home so that their friends and families can see them again and host a proper memorial. I think it's a cool faction, and they do use necromancy themselves to an extent, but it probably wouldn't be a good pick for the party because the idea of using necromancy to defy death long term is a big no-no. So that would be an example of a paladin that would probably be incompatible with the game, where as some others might be doable.

[Revelation]

I'd be happy to hear more about the deities of the setting!

With that in mind though I don't have to be a paladin either, it was just an example I brought up, ahaha. I'm perusing the book at the moment so I'm fairly open.

[pdragon]

Of course, feel free to play whatever you like. Let me know if you're going to go with a religious character and I'll get back to you with more info.

[Revelation]

After reading I will go paladin after all, so some religious info would be Gucci!

[Rummy Tum Tum]

Hey Rev, good to see ya. Didn't recognize you at first with the name change and all lol

[Revelation]

Thanks! I have a feeling this is a good group.

[pdragon]

Alright, so you have the Goddesses already listed in the OOC thread.

established pantheon

Ava the Lifebringer: Goddess of life and nature. Her paladins are more druid-esque than traditional paladins.

Madama Muerta: As previously described, her paladins are skull painted, benevolent necromancers.

The Three: Daughters of Ava and Muerta. The big religion. Most people worship one of them.

Sol: sun goddess, most popular. Paladins to her are the most traditional style: shinning armor, radiant holy power, etc. etc. There are a lot of different sects of Sol's worship, so there's a lot of flexibility in the exact flavor you can go with. Currently the most prominent sect of Sol worship are the Sunseekers, known for wearing sun-shaped masks in public to conceal their faces and literally staring into the sun to try and divine the Goddess's will.

Lun: Moon goddess. Since her religion is more personal and decentralized there isn't necessarily an official order of paladins for her, though anyone who can channel her blessings can claim themselves to be a cleric/paladin in her name. Most worshipers of Lun style themselves after their phase of the moon, so that would play into stuff like a paladin's armor and weapons, etc. A paladin's powers would be stronger under their chosen phase of the moon, and weaker when under the opposite phase. Being a paladin of Lun would also potentially give you access to moonshard weapons, either passed down from a relative or maybe made from your own moonshard after you first died.

Twi: Star goddess. She's pretty much a complete crapshoot as far as divine classes goes. She's not heavily worshipped in a church sense. Because she's considered the goddess of knowledge she's mostly studied by scholars and smaller cults. You could become a paladin of Twi through many different ways, from being raised with it to just happening to catch a shooting star one night and having the inspiration seared into your mind. People who channel Twi's power tend to have it reflect in their physical appearance: their eyes start to glow white, their skins changes to a dark blue/purple, little "star freckles" start showing up all over their body. They'll also tattoo constellations on their body that have some form of religious/personal significance. Since there's no real organization here, or even dogma the goddess makes her worshipers follow, you can do pretty much whatever you want with very little moral restriction.

Ardora the Traveler: Goddess of fire and travel. Her followers are travelers, much like the goddess herself, focused on taking long pilgrimages and exploring the world to expand their horizons and retrace the steps their goddess took across the land. Since they're so frequently on the move, and either travel alone or in small groups, they don't really have an established order or paladins/clerics. People who learn to channel her divine power usually only do so to protect themselves/others they meet on their travels, which sorta makes them "wandering paladins" in a sense.

There is one sub-group of Ardora that is more organized: the Scarlet Sisters. They're made up of women who are all descendants of Ardora, from her frequent affairs with mortals, and thus can naturally channel her divine fire powers.

While those are the ones who have write-ups already, there's also a few more (though not comprehensive) that I haven't properly introduced yet.

extras

The Queen in Wax: Another daughter of Ava and Muerta. Her dogma focuses on the preservation of life in defiance of death (the idea of preserving something in wax). Her followers and paladins tend to be candle themed, using wax as a means of channeling their power. While the Queen in Wax is part of the divine family, because her dogma so harshly opposes the natural order of life and death her followers are often seen as an antagonistic force, often written off as just a sinister cult.

The Stained Lady: Is a goddess/patron unconnected to the main family of Goddesses. She is an entity who mostly appears to people through windows and reflections, and has powers over transmutation. Her paladins mark themselves with stained glass motifs, and wield weapons that are similarly themed. As a more obscure entity her church isn't particularly large or widespread, but they're generally considered to be good/nonthreatening so they're not classified as a cult.

The Emerald Star: The entity worshipped by the Orisian Empire (orcs/elcs). It is a mysterious, unknowable being from space (literally seen as a green star up in the sky). The orcs believe that it's glow is what's responsible for their green skin and physical might, and see themselves as heightened beings as a result. Paladins of the Emerald Star mostly stick within the Orisian Empire, usually as part of their military, but they do sometimes venture out into other parts of the world, and could end up in Lyse. However orcs/elcs from the Orisian Empire have a strained relationship with the people of Lyse, especially with elves, and so they might face some prejudice. Paladins of the Emerald Start are able to channel green flame and also have green skin. Even non-orcs who start worshipping the star will find their skin miraculously dyed green.

The Queen: A bit of a weird case. She is literally the Queen of the Sect's (bug people race) hive city, and is by most means a mortal. However due to the latent psionic powers of the sect, and the general power of belief in this world, their collective reverence of her kind of ascends her to the power of a minor deity, to the point where people can actually become clerics/paladins of her if their belief is strong enough, even non-sect

If none of them really strike your fancy we can always workshop something new as well.

[Revelation]

Of those, a paladin of Sol seems most likely, thinking a protector of those who can't defend themselves, but also someone tempered with mercy in addition to their sense of justice. Would see their 'resurrection' as a second chance and wouldn't mind it came from a necromancer. Wouldn't be a very experienced one though given their untimely demise. Not sure on gender but since the group seems lady heavy might make them a guy if such is okay!

[pdragon]

Sounds good

[Rummy Tum Tum]

Man, Ardora and her followers and descendants are dripped the fuck out

Also I forgot that's what the Ava the Lifebringer looked like. I see how she got her name lmao

[pdragon]

Dripped out and goated with the sauce. Also yeah, I do find it amusing that all the goddesses are the offspring of a futa centaur fucking a skeleton. I feel it gives the lore a bit of that nonsensical greek/norse flavor.

[Rummy Tum Tum]

Yeah I was wondering the logistics on that, but not enough to picture it lol

Definitely fits the greek/norse flavor tho

[Revelation]

Would a new character start at level 1, or what is the starting level for new characters?

[pdragon]

I suppose I'd leave that up to you. At the point we're currently at levels don't really mean too much, and you do level pretty quickly in this game, so if you wanted more of a natural first-time experience it might be good to start you at level 1. However if you'd like to start closer to everyone else we can definitely do that.

[Revelation]

I admit selfishly I like to be on-par with other characters. But dungeon world characters don't necessarily seem 'stronger' in the way D&D characters get each level up. I'm fine starting at level 1, given I assume leveling up won't take that long to do.