Ohhhh I was already plotting around the Crimean ... so one step ahead of you!

That said, I think my character's 'history' I had planned is about a generation off, - being the son of a Colonel that fought in Crimea, so I'll have to adjust fire 30ish years ....

The way it sounds, is this is going to be a 'Europe' based game, at least for our character's starting history (not necessarily the location of the game) so, I'll drop the ideas I had for an American - Unless it more easily fit with your :



If so, I can easily have a history that fits my character for either America or the Old World.



NICE!

Just be aware that the "creation" idea that just blossommed in my mind when answering previous questions has far reaching affects that even I have yet to see or figure out. So can, and hopefully will be, a random plot change element that we all may discover when we actually play. I simply won't know because I cannot figure out or understand all the possible ripple effects, until I actually see one and decide to grab it. Which is the kid of randomness I love to have in my games, because that is what keeps me engaged and interested. Even I don't know what can happen, until it happens!

1857 as the rough start year, Hmmmmmm LOTS going on ..... The dust is just settling from the Crimea, the first Opium war was finished by our fathers / uncles, but the 2nd war is soon to kick off along with the Indian Rebellion ... Russia will be unhappy about losing and pressure Prussia & Austria for not joining Crimea on their side, and in a few year stir up Christian revolts in Turkey/Ottoman and then be back in war , France & Austria are about to go to war .... yeah lost going on.

For my character's background, will it be presumptuous to have my older brother be one of the Aid de' camps to Lord Raglan, and ride with the Aid de' Camp that rode to the Light Brigade and passed the order to take the Russian guns, which lead to the infamous charge of the light brigade at Balaclava ?????

This just occurred to me while reading this thread...I could play Harry Flashman! LOL!

Mike, Flash by nature?

I had to Google that one. Yeah, he would be an interesting character concept to try to play. Would super powered equal super coward?

It might be fun, a guy with super powers and as such everyone expects him to be super-heroic...and he's a coward! LOL!

So, can I do this? Let me know and I'll write him up!

Mike, who promises not to go to overly-bawdy levels of Flashman. Honest!

Flashman is awesome. (although: trigger warning: the protagonist is authentically of the 19th century, and thus outrageously racist , sexist, etc. Great series of books to learn your Victorian history though).

I actually was going to post an amusing Flashman reference when I saw Lurker's character background. An anecdote from the book that covers the Crimean war is that the commanding general for the British (a confused old duffer who had been in saddle so long he remembered the wars with Napoleon) kept on referring to the enemy Russian army they faced as "the French"! (I am sure that went down well in the joint strategy meetings with their French allies )

I'd never heard of him either .... I'm not sure I could pull off playing him, but it would be great to see if it is pulled off correctly (as long as my character isn't one of the accidental dead that falls around him that is)



Rgr that, it is amazing that the English Army went from amazing leaders that could defeat Napoleon to .... idiots that lead the Crimean ... & yes I've heard a college lecture that points out exactly what you are saying . Old confused dolts more worried about their status and getting back to their privet dinner than truly leading their men, and capable leaders overlooked and not promoted because they didn't have the correct last name and place in society.

[a bit off topic]

Of course, part of the reason we know this is that the Crimean War was the first "real time" journalist-covered war. Well, a few hours delay if not in true real time. Britain has a saying, that the UK "Loses the first battle of a war, but wins the last." Could apply to the United States too, at least before 1960.

Mike

Flashman. Rapist. Cheat. Narcissist. Sadist. Truly a hero for these times.

There is an assumption that racism was more rampant during Victorian times than our own. Hearing that women, disabled, gay and Muslim people got beat up and/or threatened the day after the election makes me wonder.

Though racism fulfilled a variety of functions and was even supported by pseudoscience during Victorian times there was also pushback from people whose moral compass aimed true. Europe came together to abolish slavery and a war was fought in the United States over that issue. So all I can say is (tongue in cheek perhaps) not all Victorians ….

Oh, if Tree lets me play him....it'll be more for humor than "real" behavior. Though I've read all the books and I must say that in the later works Flashie actually does become more heroic; though he rationalizes the hell out of it in the text. After all, if you're doing heroic deeds for higher motives or to maintain a (unwarranted) reputation for being a hero...doesn't make those deeds less heroic in the end.

For example, in Flashman and the Tiger, Flashie comes to the aid of his granddaughter's virtue in confronting the very dangerous Col. Sebastian Moran. Sure, he was going to shoot Moran in the back while he wasn't looking, but the end result was to rescue his granddaughter's reputation. Pity he didn't remember she was a Flashman... LOL

Mike

Concept change: I'm thinking of an infiltrator type now. With a heavy hitter as a back up PC. We will see.

R-

DMMike, while I am going to keep it as largely Victorian flavor as possible, be aware I am going to steal an idea from a couple of other settings to explain why, rather suddenly, people are able to be "ëxceptional". If your familiar with settings like Runepunk (the Savage Worlds version is the one I am familiar with) and Paladium Rifts, I am going to use that kind of event to explain why all these things are now possible, especially for the various "magics" that will now work. I'm just not going to have ti destroy civilization like was done in Rifts or Rune Punk. At least, it won't do it directly. Now the people with all their new found powers, they may destroy everything as it was known to be in the Victorian Era, but that will be determined by game play. I will have gates opening randomly, but the vast majority are going to be to/from no where of consequence, and even if they do open to somewhere of consequence, nothing may go through, in either direction, if nothing crazy enough is nearby to do so. In other words, I am not going to have hordes of creatures suddenly invading via a gate that appeared suddenly out of no where, and only stays open for anywhere from a few seconds to maybe an hour.


Now those of you with certain powers, may want to look at eventually having them grow into being able to somehow travel to a dimension that your power is connected to. Via a portal/gate, or something along Teleportation. Set a goal for around 10th level for your ability to mature into it. Then from there you can develop the power into allowing you to have more objects/people pass through it, as well as increase the size of it, to where you can maybe do a full blown World Gate by 20th level (Meaning a permanently open portal that is big enough to allow almost anything to fit through, as well as a constant stream of people/objects), if the campaign goes that long and far.

Just ideas at this point. We will figure out the hard and fast rules as we go along to maintain game viability for as long as possible.

No problem, the baseline in the Victorious book Is simply there for GMs to hang their figurative hats on...modifications are expected and encouraged!

Mike

Yeah, its largely going to be the same, at least initially, but as events unfold and the characters act, or don't, things will change accordingly. The biggest obvious difference in the very beginning is the massive storm that came out of no where the world over, within minutes, and unleashed all kinds of rain, hurricane force winds, and who knows what else on the world. Ever since there have been all kinds of stories about "super people" popping up and doing heroic or dstardly things. There have even been stories of monsters...

Cool, can't wait!

Mike

Sounds like fun

I've already been thinking of that and have it in my character power/description and part of his negatives ... shadow realms ... causing people fear after being tangled in my shadows (letting them glimpse the darkness creatures behind the shadows) but then causing me nightmares of my own every once in a while and if I am ever drugged etc etc etc. I've thought about needing to buy off some of the negatives I took in building him, but I can't see buying that one off.

And like you said the other night, yeah my powers as they grow could get terrible ... Yeah, this won't be my normal good guy Paladin ... He will be 'good' - his history already puts him at odds with government leaders that push for him to do an immoral act - but there will be a dark anti-hero edge to him. As you noticed it is heavily influenced by what I remember of Cloak (well remember and maybe miss-remember on some things)

Rigon, if you want to play your original idea of marksman/bulls eye type character , don't let my idea for a back up character stop you. The more I go over my shadow and his story/history the more I like him. So my backup will more than likely never see the light of day .

No worries L. I contacted Tree and have most of my character done. He is based off of a Marvel character (ok, completely ripped off), but I want to wait until I have his history finished and have him checked out by Tree before I post anything.

And to what Tree said above about the Gates, my character's abilities play into that nicely I think.

R-

Tree, any idea what city our PCs will start out in? I want to finish my history and want to include how/why he ended up there.

R-

Chicago.

Rgr, So if the character and his history I sent you last night is good to go, I assume I've been ordered to America so I'm not making waves because of the ineptitude of the leadership of the war that I saw, and the waves I've caused with Turkey.

Just read your character, hmmmmmm wonder who he is based off of ... he sounds familiar, but I can't pinpoint who you used as inspiration ...

My character is hung on page 1 too, so give him a look. And yes I did base his powers off what I remember of "cloak". They may not be as direct as yours ... but heavily influenced

So with my character, that is 2 of us with infiltrator skills / powers. I think your and my character can work well together. I have limited offensive abilities, but am not a stand up and fight toe to toe kind of guy. Soooooo who is going to be our heavy hitter/attacker ... Babbage's clock work warrior perhaps ... Hmmm I don't think I can transport someone via shadows with me .... That just may be a development I need my character to grow into after I buy off some of my negatives

When do we need to turn in our characters? I just found all my old Marvel Sourcebooks, so I'm looking them over for ideas.

By the time I announce I will finally be running Victorious. I am guessing we have a couple of months yet. I am going to be here in Charleston at least another two weeks.

Victorious PDF bundle on sale until Sunday, 60% off...

http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/219280&affiliate_rem=121555

cool thanks

ENTIRE PDF bundle is now 70% off!

So everything for $20, in PDF.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/219280/Victorious-RPG-BUNDLE?src=newest

From your description the other night - being an item / agent of the English Crown, and my character's history, and current ties to the office of The Secretary of Foreign Affairs , we may have a tie in to each other's characters.

Something like you were ordered from England, to America - New York - and then out to Chicago (if that is where Tree has us start) & I was ordered from my review of the South up the Mississippi to Chicago.

That way, though we may not have a history together, we have a reason to meet and work together other than just 'random' you are in a bar and ...

I was ordered to America to review America & the South (and spy a bit) to see who England needs to be ready to support in the upcoming Civil War, or who has an advantage in the war and if it is better if She stays out of picking sides in the war. However, I know from my service in the Crimea / Turkey to be ready for a change of orders.

I'm not sure on why you (and your Swish Watch Maker) would be ordered to America. Maybe, as a 'trial run' before you are sent the Continent .

Faith Finney
Hero Name: Faith Healer

S:11
D:11
C:14 +1
I:12
W:12
Ch:15 +1

Skills
1. Prime(Charisma)
2. Thespian(Wisdom)

Powers (3+2)
1. Healing
2. Luck
3. Blast (Psychic)
4. Telepathy
5. Force Screen

Shortcomings
1. Handicap (Needs leg braces and crutches)
2. Poverty (Works for room and board only)

Init: 0
Actions: 1
AC: 10 (+5 v temporal)
Defensive: -
HP: 30
Level: 1
Alignment: Neutral (becoming Good)
Experience: 0
VP: 0
Funds: Poor

Faith, owing to her polio, has had a difficult time in life and hasn't had a lot of opportunities. When seeking healing at a revival in a tent outside of Philadelphia, the leader of the group, a huckster, noticed how the crowd reacted to her. While of course she couldn't herself be healed, the man made her part of the act and she did cold reads and pretended to heal people of their afflictions, and the revival would take up its tent and move on.

During the proceedings a badly injured man came for healing and to her disbelief her healing worked. An atheist, she doesn't believe in miracles, but she understands she has some sort of gift, or as it turns out, several gifts. Noticing this, the revival leader (Orville T. Whitman) found her even more valuable, as she could now look into the minds of those she was healing, and speak specifically about their troubles, and the crowds became larger.

She is still not making any money for herself, only room and board, but Orville keeps promising one day she'll be rewarded, and independent "when the time comes."

She is a small, thin woman of 28 years, and looks younger than her age due to her posture and simple, modest clothing. She requires crutches and leg braces to move and stand, though she's of average strength other than her legs.