A Holiday Tale Rules
Table of Contents
1. Posting Requirements
2. Subject Lines
3. Combat
4. IC/OOC dividers
5. Talking between PCs
6. Changeling products
7. Excuse typos
8. Read the turn summaries!
9. Cantrips & bunks
10. Birthrights
11. Your "Character sheet" post
12. Experience Points
13. Skill Advancement
14. Status Post
15. Backgrounds, Merits, & Flaws
A Holiday Tale Rules
1. Every player must post at least once per week, regardless of whether they want to say something or not. The first week without a post will get a warning (personal, of course, not on the list), the second turn without a post get you removed from the game (not killed, just removed in some non-lethal manner. If for some reason you know you will not be available to post for a period, tell me in advance, that is not a problem. And, I will listen to excuses and appeals fairly leniently, but I really want people involved enough to post, otherwise your character is just dramatic deadweight. Sorry to have to be a bit harsh here, but it is difficult for me to come up with NPC actions, as well as those for PCs whose players didn't respond. Not responding is simply rude to the other players and myself.
2. Start each subject line with the words Holiday Tale. If you are sending to the list, the list will do this automatically, but you have to add it yourself for private posts. Helps me keep track of what's what.
3. Combat will occurs in the standard Storyteller Action turn format. If-then statements are encouraged. I will roll all dice, you will keep track of your health levels (see 14. Status Post). Combat turn deadlines are closer together (two per week usually) and far firmer. If you have trouble with posting during a battle let me know so I won't penalize your PC.
Do not post combat actions to everyone in the group. Combat actions should always come to me alone. Be realistic as to how much can be accomplished in one turn. Remember, your dice pool is the lowest for the actions needed (if your dodge is 2 dex plus 2 dodge for a 4 dice pool, and your melee is 2 dex plus 3 melee for a five dice pool, then your dice pool for a round in which you swing your sword and dodge is 4, to divide between the two actions.) Watching how past battles have worked should make this process much easier.
Here's a good set of examples to help people understand how the Action Turns should work:
Conan rushes forward. If he reaches the knight he grabs the knight's horse's reins while parrying any attacks with his sword. (5 dice pool, 2 dice to grabbing the reins, 3 dice for parry)
Note: Colorful narrative interspersed with actions makes my job easier and causes me to be favourably inclined towards your character:) It is not a requirement however. It is just easier to modify your narrative then it is to come up with my own whole cloth.
Players may post "descriptive" posts to the list. This includes verbal exchanges, visual signals, and even descriptions of what your PC is doing. However, you as players must keep track of locations and may not take advantage of information your PC wouldn't have. I will try to post guidelines on who is visible to who with each turn. (I might say, for example, "Everyone can glance at each other, except Antonio who is flying high above in the dark, and Thand who is trapped in the cave") If a player is invisible they may only post verbal actions of course:). Descriptive posts should never include game stats or cantrip names, but do not have to include if/then concepts designations. They can (and should) be somewhat general, though in some cases specific actions are fine: "Thand attacks the two orcs before him viciously", "Alwyna climbs the rope until she reaches the second story, then swings onto the roof and attacks the orc from behind".
CANTRIP NAMES AND MAGICAL EFFECTS SHOULD NEVER BE DESCRIBED IN A DESCRIPTIVE POST.
You may describe the bunk, but never describe the effects of the cantrip, after all someone may disrupt your casting, and the others shouldn't know which cantrip was ruined. Those with Gremarye may ask me if they can identify a cantrip being cast.
I will try to post 'descriptive' posts for the bad guys in battle, but I may not always remember. If I do post such remember they are not set in stone, I might alter their actions according to what you do. Descriptive posts are _not_ required. Players do not have to post them if they don't wish to. Descriptive posts do not replace the actions sent to me, nor do they replace if/then statements, though they do give me an additional way to judge player intent.
Actions sent to the group will be ignored, your character will take no actions instead when this occurs. This means even if you send a descriptive post you still need to send an action post to me.
4. Separate the message in your posts between IC: in character and OOC: out of character. OOC should be used when ever you have a question for me, and when describing game mechanics.
5. You are encouraged to carry on IC: conversations between yourselves.
6. Changeling products
All the Changeling books are excellent resources, though some will have less use then others. I do require that all players have at least one of the following: Changeling: The Dreaming 1st edition, Changeling: The Dreaming 2nd Edition, or the Changeling Quick Start Rules available on the White Wolf Website. You are allowed to consult any Changeling books, encouraged to do so in fact, but the rest are not required. Only use it as character knowledge if appropriate for your background/history. Be warned I change some things.
7. Excuse typos from me (poor typing) and from some of our players for whom English is a second language (they still manage to out type me :))
8. Read the turn summaries!
Please. Especially the OOC parts. I take everything in the summary as PC knowledge (except on vision stuff, as noted in the summary) so do not expect much sympathy if you make a mistake by not reading it. Any questions, E-mail me. If things look or are confusing ask me.
9. Cantrips & bunks
All the basic bunk rules apply. I'm a great believer in sympathetic magic, so 'appropriate' bunks will always go over well. Also, I don't see glamour as chaos, so it doesn't hurt anything to always use the same bunk to achieve the same effect. The Changeling magic system appears to be a bit rigid, but if you look carefully at the realms, and use your imagination, it isn'tJ Most of the cantrips are guidelines, a Changeling can modify them somewhat based on Storyteller approval, so feel free to ask me if you have any questions!J
10. Birthrights & flaws:
Be certain you know when your birthrights are Wyrd, and when they are Chimerical. It's important to take any non-game system flaws into effect. A pooka who tells the truth often will lose XP, and may even start to have trouble changing shape, gain temp banality, ect. Some birthrights, like an Eshu's ability to get to where he/she should be, will require a lot of PC/storyteller OOC conversations.
11. Your "Character sheet" post
I'll need your PC's statistics in a post sent to me (not the list! ) with the subject heading: HolidayTale:<PCName>;. Type all the information into the body of the post (no attachments, please! ). In order to make it easier for me to find information when I need it, please use the following format:
Name: [mortal & faerie] Court: Seeming: Mortal Age:
Legacies: [Seelie & Unseelie] Kith: House: <;if any, all sidhe must have one>
Attributes: Physical, Social, Mental. Include specialties as appropriate. [ie Strength 2, Wits 5 (conversation)]
Abilities: Talents, Skills, Knowledges, Include Specialties as appropriate, only list those you have a stat in. [ie Drive 2 Kenning 4 (Chimera)]
Arts & Realms: List with score. [ie Fae 2, Legerdemain 3]
Backgrounds, Merits, & Flaws: List these, for Merits and Flaws provide a shorthand description of what it involves. [ie Resources 2, Poetic Heart ( 3 pt merit, great artist, May make a willpower roll (diff perm banality) to avoid gaining a point of temp banality, 1 per story)]. The shorthand is so I'm not constantly looking up merits and flaws! If your background is a holding, or a mentor, chimera, ect, describe and name them. [Living chimera should just be named and described in their own section below]
Glamour, Willpower, Banality: List the permanent values, do not list temporary values here, as they will fluctuate. [ie Glamour3, Willpower 6, Banality 5]
Health: List your health levels. For most, it's 0, -1,-1,-2,-2,-5, Inc. Some kith get extra health levels. No need to list chimerical, it's the same.
Ravaging/Musing Threshhold: If you have one, list it here. They are not essential, but is how your PC most often gains glamour.
Birthrights & Flaws /House Boon & Ban: List all Birthrights & flaws with a shorthand description of their effect (if it's an added ability, like a troll's Titan's power, it should be included allready in the affected score as well). Sidhe should do the same for their House Boon/Flaw.
Legacy Quest/Ban: Describe the Quest & ban for both of your legacies here.
Description/Appearance: Mortal and Faerie
Background/Personality: This should be the longest section!
Equipment: Any equipment, real or chimerical, your PC has.
Chimera: name, history, abilities of any lving Chimera your PC has.
Misc: Anything not covered above.
12. Experience Points
I will issue experience points at certain points during the game. You may spend or save them. Sometimes, I will issue a point directly in an ability, instead of generic XP.
13. Skill Advancement
In general, I will mention when it is okay to increase in skill, but if you have decided on something, just ask me and I'll let you know. You have to pay
14. Status Post
Each turn you will need to send me a post detailing your character's current status. The post will have to list both your permanent and current temporary Glamour, Banality, Willpower, and health level [both real and chimerical]. This post will come just to me, and should be off-list.
15) Backgrounds, Merits, & Flaws
These are always subject to Storyteller approval, of course. Sometimes, I might grant a few dots in one of these as a reward, similar to experience points. If this happens, it's always because of the circumstances of the chronicle. For example, if a PC steals a great deal of cash, and gets away with it, then decides to invest it that might translate into an extra dot of resources to represent the interest the investment will be earning. Or, if a PC discovers and claims a mystical chimerical sword, that would indicate a gain of several dots in Chimera.
I'm certain I'll be adding to this as we go along. The Golden Rule is: If you don't know, feel free to ask!