This is a longer-term experimental actual-play with a rural fantasy theme.
Background and Idea
Usually the Solo Actual Plays of Rand Roll are in 4-parts, every two weeks. Alternating between British RPGs and other RPGs.
This is great for trying out systems and getting games finished. But I've wanted to play something longer term and trying to decide on one. In the end I'm going with an RPG I've been developing, and trying it out in different forms.
The RPG has the working title of Hinterlands and is low-ish fantasy in a rural setting. Or at least in civilisation outside of the big cities. In the quiet areas which many have forgotten about. In the roads and ruins, farmsteads and frontiers beyond the politics of cities and empires.
This will be a longer actual play. Maybe 6 months, maybe a couple years. Updates will probably be sporadic, hopefully monthly...
Solo Tools
To start with I'm going to be using Mythic Gamemaster Emulator 2E. It's a solid Emulator which I'll strip down a little. I'll be using a fixed Chaos Factor of 5 and only using 5 of the likelihood ratings.
One feature of Mythic 2e I'll be using is substituting it for parts of your game system. Basically using it as a substitute for when you're not sure of the game rules (or they don't exist yet in this case). That way you can continue on with your game and learn (or writeup) those particular rules later.
I'll also be using Rory's Story Cubes as part of my inspiration to start. I like to take 1-3 simple icons and interpret them for whatever scene or situation is going on.
Eventually I have other tools I'd like to use or try out. But when starting something experimental it's often best to grab something you know to run some parts while trying out new things for others.
The RPG
The RPG I'll be creating and trying out here will be bare bones to start with. It will have a base taken loosely from Troika and adding in elements from many RPGs from the actual plays on Rand Roll and from others I've played and run.
The basic mechanic is 2d6 roll under. On a double there is an extra result. Maybe a critical or a bonus or an unrelated event.
Characters will be background or career based. So a starting character who was a Pedlar might have skills of Survival 6, Barter 8 and Gossip 7. If they rolled 5 (3+2) on a Barter Test that would be a success, while a 10 (double 5s) might be a failure, with an additional consequence of angering whoever they were bartering with.
Combat I'm starting simple, and starting characters with no magic.
Themes
The themes of hinterlands will be villages and small towns, hamlets and farmsteads. Hills and plains, farmland and roads, ruins and rivers. Herbalists, hunters, servants, farmers, herders, smith, villagers, elders, fishers and ratcatchers.
To start with I'll be using humans and have them in a simple starting situation in misty hills...
Character Creation
To start with I wanted to characters, one older and one younger. So I created two tables for the types of careers I want to use to start, for Trail and Rural. And then choose a few skills and pieces of equipment and start...
| 2d6 | Trail careers | Rural Careers |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Trickster | Elder |
| 3 | Priest | Ratcatcher |
| 4 | Outlaw | Herbalist |
| 5 | Muleteer | Militia |
| 6 | Messenger | Herder |
| 7 | Outrider | Farmer |
| 8 | Entertainer | Hunter |
| 9 | Vagabond | Villager |
| 10 | Pedlar | Labourer |
| 11 | Boathand | Smith |
| 12 | Bounty Hunter | Witch |
The table needs work, but its enough to start with!
I rolled up the characters, chose 4 skills for the younger, 6 for the older and got started...
Characters, Plot Threads, NPCs and Starting Situation...
The characters are Isette and her nephew Jankin. Isette has a hill farm, but has outlived most of her family. Her nephew Jankin is visiting when they find some of Isette's goats are missing and set off to find them...
Characters -Isette and Jankin
Isette Pugh - Old Farmer, Skill 6, Stamina 8, traditional, generous, Slow. Skills (Beasts 8, Craft 6, Farmer 8, Resolve 8, Sling 7, Stealth 6, Survival 7)
Jankin Debenwoods - Young Entertainer, Skill 5, Stamina 10. proud, ambitious. Skills (Entertainer 7, Knives 6, Gossip 7, Perform 8, Wits 6)
Threads
- Find missing Goats
- Find out why Jankin is visiting
NPCs
- Neighbouring farmers
- Jarl the Goatherd
Starting Situation
Jarl the goatherd hasn't come back with the goats as he was meant to, so Jankin and Isette go to investigate, up in the hills...
Finishing Up
So this is the start of a longer term actual play using Hinterlands, an RPG I've had in one form or another for a while. And updates will be monthly / sporadically!
