[LFP] Custom System/Fantasy Setting - Weekends @ 10AM EST. (4 stable players + GM looking for a few more)

Greetings fellow players, A pre-emptive sorry for wall of text! (read carefully however) We are looking for a few people to fill our team. We are currently 5 players (4 males and one female) + 1 GM (all stable) we aim to have 6 players + GM. It is on first come, first serve basis (who passes interviews). we are looking for 1-2 players. This is where it gets tricky I’m afraid, our requirements are quite specific and will probably only appeal to a small audience frequenting these boards but we prefer the right people (for our vision) over quantity so if this recruitment post ends up being around for a while, then that is what it will be. So let’s get all the disclaimers out of the way first before we get to the good stuff: (this is just to make sure people do not waste our or their own time) You must pass an interview so we are sure that the interests and wishes of the existing players is met, as well as to ensure a meeting of the mind for the scope and direction this campaign is going for. We reserve the right to deny all applicants (politely) for whatever reason or no reason at all if we so choose. You must be 21+ (violence, very graphic, sexual content etc. may appear) sorry youngsters! You must have TeamSpeak 3 capability (free voice program) and clear voice on the mike (sorry, no terrible voice qualities allowed) You must observe and practice the art of commitment (if you like what you see and pass the interview) We have no interest or tolerance for people who do not attend the sessions we all agree to have. We do not demand anything but fair treatment. If you cannot make it to a session, it will be expected of you to inform us in reasonable advance. Real life racism, sexism, or any other discriminatory behavior is unwelcome and will get you removed. (in-game is a different matter, setting is harsh and not for people looking for “political correctness”) Most of the materials released to the players require the use of Adobe Reader Must have a Roll20 Account or make one (free) You must have a basic understanding of RPG games but no veterancy is required. You must be willing to create a user profile on our site at:&nbsp; Our Site People who are reserved, or does not truly want this need not apply. We have not the time to enter a tug-of-war with people resistant to the concept or people with glass-is-always-half-full dispositions. Then a few practical notes: Disclaimer #1: <a href="http://ascendancy.dk/important-notification-about-" rel="nofollow">http://ascendancy.dk/important-notification-about-</a>... Disclaimer #2: <a href="http://ascendancy.dk/a-disclaimer-about-my-system/" rel="nofollow">http://ascendancy.dk/a-disclaimer-about-my-system/</a> Despite the below mentioned complexity level, fear not. This game does not require a Phd in Math, nor is it our intent to convey it as such. It is not overly "crunchy" it simply refers to the scale, scope and depth and the fact it is a new system to learn. It is in short not just a "sunday stroll in the sun" sort to speak, it requires fortitude and grit to absorb in its entirety. We usually meet every other Saturday, 10AM EDT and last 9+ hours (breaks included). That said, we set the time for the next game at the end of each session so there is some (not much) flexibility. (so that would be Sat 3rd of September 2016 and then every other week after) We are looking for RP oriented players, not min-maxers or fantasy professors. Our focus is simply being part of an immersive, engaging and dynamic story free of the limitations of most systems. This requires dedication to the essence of Roleplay itself. That said, the system has a lot of depth but never at the expense of a player’s freedom. Please note that this is not an invite for a casual session or two. This system is incredibly complex and requires a high degree of dedication and grit from all its players, beginner or veteran alike. It is also completely home-brewed and private so you can’t just google your inquiries. While the learning curve is tremendous, the investment in time and effort is rewarded beyond measure. If you are willing to put the work in, you’ll find the setting has depth beyond anything you’ve ever experienced. So if you want instant satisfaction look elsewhere. If you want a long-term, completely immersive gaming experience then this is where you’ll find it. This setting tries to strike a balance between mechanics and storytelling, it does not believe in a binary approach where one is excluded above the other, here we believe both goes hand in hand for the best experience. If you pass the interview we give you a 3 month trial, during this time we can better assess if you are a fit or not. Mostly this stage is largely irrelevant, and most if not all of the time this is but a footnote of practicality. Phew, all out of breath! Now on to the main event! So what is all this Jazz you ask? Well let me tell ya! The setting is Classic High-Fantasy, completely developed by the GM (of 20+ years). We host our own RP session blog found here:&nbsp; Our RPG Blog Site where the GM (me) also chronicles a novel-esque story about the adventurers in our group (on hold for full team formation before start), forming a continuous dynamic and entirely player-driven fictional story as well as hosting hand-outs, maps and other tidbits for the players. To give you a taste, it draws inspiration from Forgotten Realms, Warhammer Fantasy, Dragonlance and Lord of the Rings among many other sources. An ultra-compressed introduction of the system concept can be found here:&nbsp; Compressed Setting Concept Introduction Here are a few pictures if you wish to see some examples of the level of fidelity and detail that goes into the system (a picture of the current map the adventurers traverse as well as a few screenshots of parts of the character sheet):&nbsp; Bits (not all) of a Character Sheet Previous whereabouts of the adventurers (map):&nbsp; Previous Area Local Map of the Adventurers Current player handout for the God of Judgement: God of Judgement Player Handout Let us know either in this thread or through PM´s if you are interested to see how far down the rabbit hole goes. Thank you for taking the time to read all of this and hope to see you around soon! If you read all this and the important links that goes with it, you deserve applause and I and the team will look forward to hearing from you in earnest! -assuming we peaked your interest ;) Do not bother applying if you have not read the entirety of this post as well as the materials at the links posted, yes it is quite the read but an important one for us to convey to any would-be-applicants, if we get a bunch of questions that are already answered here then you are not what we are looking for because you did not pay due diligence and we want people of the right caliber. May it become my privilege and &nbsp;honour to serve you in our adventures. Cheers The Ascendancy RP team.

Hmn, sounds interesting.

I would be very interested in joining. I got a varm and fuzzy feelling after i read your introduction to the setting. I like the fact that you have spendt such a long time developing the game and setting, And i it is what i have been looking for for such a long time.&nbsp; A bit about me. English is not my native language but i will do my best and my spoken is better then my writing. Im 31 years of age. i live in Gmt +1 time zone. But since you play at that time and on saturdays it should work out. I have been playing various roleplaying games on and off for the last 18 years. I really like long campaigns where i get to develop my character. Mostly i have played fantasy 2,0 3,0 3,5 and a few 5,0 DnD also some scifi and in the last 5 our so years i have played alot of Nwod and Owod and Vampire and Werewolf. I do meet alle the requiments you have set up. I look forward to here from you.&nbsp;

PCkillerY2K said: I would be very interested in joining. I got a varm and fuzzy feelling after i read your introduction to the setting. I like the fact that you have spendt such a long time developing the game and setting, And i it is what i have been looking for for such a long time.&nbsp; A bit about me. English is not my native language but i will do my best and my spoken is better then my writing. Im 31 years of age. i live in Gmt +1 time zone. But since you play at that time and on saturdays it should work out. I have been playing various roleplaying games on and off for the last 18 years. I really like long campaigns where i get to develop my character. Mostly i have played fantasy 2,0 3,0 3,5 and a few 5,0 DnD also some scifi and in the last 5 our so years i have played alot of Nwod and Owod and Vampire and Werewolf. I do meet alle the requiments you have set up. I look forward to here from you.&nbsp; Thank you for the kind words,&nbsp;PM sent :)

PM sent.

Andrew said: PM sent. Interview concluded, welcome to the team Andrew &nbsp;and PC.

Welcome gentlemen, I look forward to our first session together!

We are still looking for another potential recruit, so if you think this could be a good match feel free to give us a poke!

A spot or two is available. we are 1 GM + 5 players ATM just looking for that extra one or two players to fill the team.

I'd like to say a few things about the game from a player's point of view. I was completely new to RP when I was invited into Ascendancy. I didn’t know much about the fantasy genre either. Fortunately, neither of these things were setbacks. As Vivo says, keeping an open-mind is key here. Not only am I learning about what the genre can entail, but also what possibilities are inherent in Roleplay itself. Despite being in this setting for over a year I still feel like I’m only scratching the surface at what can be done. It’s quite exciting! As this universe is completely custom made there is no ‘big book of lore’. Most things need to be learned either in-game or by asking the GM questions about the world. He answers based on what your character would know. This makes for a mysterious and immersive environment when you can’t ‘cheat’ by reading all sorts of source material and know things that your character really shouldn’t. This way the story is always surprising and unpredictable in the true spirit of an adventure. Important things I learned about Roleplay through this setting are that it doesn’t have to be predictable, full of limitations or invisible walls. It doesn’t have to be a guided experience, a boxed, pre-made adventure-on-rails. In this setting, you get what you put in. It’s a very collaborative experience among the players and GM. Speaking of the GM, every session I’m amazed at what he can do. He has an unparalleled ability to shape and actively maintain an entire universe that has a scale much greater than anything I thought possible. Events are constantly unfolding in the background and every choice each player makes has consequences, many unfolding over time akin to the butterfly effect. The universe doesn’t scale to the player’s level, it just is. A brand new player can literally go wherever they want, do whatever they want. But there will always be consequences so one must consider their choices carefully, just like in the real world. Even the most mundane slip-up could unleash untold hell, ‘a moment of laxity spawns a lifetime of heresy’ comes to mind. The GM is never unfair, and he certainly isn’t out to get you. The warning signs are all there if you care to pay attention. The most minute details and descriptions are important, they aren’t just given ‘for the luls’ and failing to notice them will cost you and your friend’s lives. Sure, you can be lucky for a time and survive bumbling from one mishap to the next, but the setting is harsh and unforgiving, just as one would expect from a grim fantasy environment. Survival isn’t to be taken for granted, but player death will never be the GM’s fault. That’s like blaming god for crashing your car when you drove drunk. But with that danger comes untold freedom. You can pull off some crazy things if you put your mind to it, and you don’t have to let yourself be limited by levels or immersion breaking mechanics. A little creativity can go a long way here! And damn if it isn’t exciting. Combat is highly lethal and incredibly vivid. Even the smallest fights get me riled up, knowing that every round could be my last. I remember every fight I’ve had in detail because they are so intense. While combat is certainly great, it isn’t actually the key to this setting. This isn’t just a simple hack and slash dungeon crawl. The gameplay is inherently focused on how you play your character, how you act with the world in general and NPCs play a massive part in this. The way you carry yourself, the tone you use, your body language, your appearance or more nuanced things like respect, empathy, etiquette, etc., all the things that affect real people are also variables taken into consideration here. You don’t Roll for conversation success. You act for it. It can be intimidating, but then that’s the point. It adds to the immersive effect knowing that even a mundane conversation with an NPC is important to consider carefully. To sum it all up: This is a fantasy world based on plausibility. It is a completely limitless space restricted by consequence. It is a place to escape the hardships of reality while facing them. It is a universe that is completely developed yet only exists by what is brought into it. These may seem like paradoxes but I ensure you that once you get into this setting you’ll understand exactly what I am talking about.

It's a bit out of order, but I'm the 'Vivo' mentioned above. Hello! Around 7 months ago I grew interested in D&D after watching Critical Role with Matt Mercer and friends. I especially loved the moments where characters felt so real that the players on screen would very clearly be affected by what was happening around them. I have a fair bit of experience role-playing from a writing perspective but I had never played a single game of D&D in my life. I got my feet a bit wet with some online, introductory D&D sessions but soon found myself thirsting for something more serious with depth in terms of character and story. That is when I discovered Ascendancy (from a similar post to this one) and applied to join. The interview process was pretty open and relaxed. There are no trick questions here and no need for stress. This interview is not to test one’s abilities, but instead to ensure that everyone is of a similar mindset. When I started the process of character creation I’ll be honest with you, it was completely overwhelming. It seemed like there were a million skills and details in a million ways that would be nigh on impossible to keep up with. Fortunately the DM was more then willing to take me through it step by step. Though the system seemed daunting to me, it wasn’t too different from D&D or Pathfinder (from my personal optics) as playing D&D was new to me in general and I generally required help regardless of the system I’ve played on. I also later learned that the complexity of the system is actually to the player’s benefit. In this I mean it gives the player more freedom to make and play the character they wish. When it came down to actually playing, a lot of things were more streamlined/simplified. So on to the sessions! I’d be lying if I told you it was a walk in the park. There were many times I was questioned whether or not I was realistically playing my character or not. Ego here will be your detriment as it will be impossible to survive if you are the type who can’t handle warranted criticism. But that’s not to say the DM or the system was being an asshole. I was simply used to acting and doing things a certain way due to prior experience. Be that Critical Role or even playing RPGs in my past. This is a realistic setting and thus many things are determined by how well you realistically play your character. If you treat NPCs as real human beings you will be rewarded for your efforts. If you pay attention to possible signs of dangers rather then simply walking to whichever location looks cool to you then you’ll be rewarded with staying alive. You can even change how you cast certain spells based on however you’d wish or take out incredibly high level creatures with the right amount of planning and luck. This is a system that gives you complete freedom and agency for your decisions – there are no hard limits here! But with that comes the risk of being wiped from the map if you ignore warning signs and go off the beaten map. This GM is not the type to try and kill you. Our philosophy is that we want to write a story cooperatively with between GM and players. It just won’t be as the cost of the realism and gravity of the world. So how did a newcomer like me survive in a complex realistic setting like this? Well…I kept an open-mind. I played even when I had little idea of what I was doing. I just tried to get into my character’s shoes and play them as realistically as possible…and I ended up accomplishing a lot of very good things in doing so. Being a newcomer actually helped me in some ways. Being open to change was very helpful and the system didn’t feel as foreign to me as any system was foreign to me at the time. It was very much like discovering and exploring a brand new world for the first time. You can’t Google your answers or be a rule lawyer here. It’s all very new and exciting and promotes story-telling in a way I’ve never seen in any other campaign. You won’t be rolling dice here unless you need to, so don’t worry about having to roll a Persuasion or Perception check every single time you want to convince someone to give you a bit of information or check out a room. If you’re looking for something more in-depth or involved with D&D then this is the place to be! What I’ve experienced here seems to break the barriers of storytelling I’ve seen in other sessions and it’s been a true joy to work with the team and learning about this world. Despite spending over three months with these guys I feel like I know less then a baby about the world…just like in real life! It draws a sense of awe and wonder within me and it makes the story and my own character all the more compelling for it. I always look forward to experiencing D&D, but when it comes to this group I never get any sleep the night before because the anticipation is too great to quell