When the current character cycle is finished, which should
be in two weeks or so, a short break and then a plunge into a smaller sphere.
Imagine a small town of perhaps 2,000 inhabitants. Still in the current time
frame, and still tied back into the original Amber campaign world from 1977, so
all characters, artifacts etc. that do exist, still exist. This would lower the
temperature quite a bit. If one creature of millions dies, there is little
notice, however, if one person of hundreds is slain, the perpetrator must be
brought low, lest he do it again. A serious wound on either side would tend to
end a fight.
Current characters could be used, this proposes a small city
in Lithuania, Autumn of 868 C.E., primarily Lawful Neutral through Chaotic Good
for the general population, PCs would still be limited to the upper half of the
Alignment Chart only for creation or changing classes. Most of the current
characters would be viable, anyone wishing to create a new character, if this
proposal is accepted by the group, single class characters would start at level
seven, multiclass characters would start at level 6 for their highest class. OF
course the alignment restrictions would preclude Necromancers, pirates, ninja
and dinosaurs, well evil dinosaurs anyway…
Once character transfer or creation is completed, I would
weave the characters into the town, giving them relatives, old friends, ex
lovers, etc. in the town’s hierarchy. For example Runo Downriv, aka “the Runt”,
has an aunt Sophie and uncle Ralph, who have a grocery on the south side, his
cousin Bruno, who everybody says looks just like Runo, is an inspector with the
Police, his best friend from childhood is Vinnie “Skinny” Portega, who is head
of the dockworkers and teamsters guild, Vinnie lives in a riverfront mansion
and pulls the strings that move the government. Runo rents some rooms on Maple
street not for from the Friars of St. Cuthbert, his landlady is old Mrs.
Spleek, who knows more about her tenants than an old woman should. Runo’s
sister is a down on her luck sometimes streetwalker, known to associate with
the Kriff sniffers in the Dock street area. When Runo gets thirsty he prefers
the ale at Dirty Frank’s and Mikhail is his favorite bartender.
So Runo has ties all over the city, ties that can give him
information, alibis, or be used against him by his enemies. I will not start
any character with enemies, it would be your own responsibility to create
enemies. There are factions in a town of this size. The Guilds, the Town
Council, the Police, the Army, the representatives of the Duke, the Lord Mayor
& his group, the Merchants, the Churches, the Norsemen shippers, the
Thieves, etc.
Near the city there is a small enclave of mages, known as
the Council. They provide learned advice to various parties, they take on
students and will sometimes trade instruction for services.
At any rate, this is a proposal, if you agree, disagree, don’t
care, whatever, send your thoughts along and let us discuss this as a possible
change from marching down corridors to slaughter you enemies to using other
skills for a while. If a rotation of the two styles is desirable, I could set
it up that way.
Al Evans
