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Exploring Equestria official campaign thread - Full

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Crystalite
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Post  Philadelphus Wed Mar 19, 2014 4:26 am

What's this you ask? This is where I attempt to run my first campaign, and put my money where my mouth is after offering GM advice in the past.

What's the setting and what's it about, you ask? The setting is one I've had floating around in my head for some months now based on the history of Equestria set a thousand years before the show. In fact, I'd planned to run this campaign last year and wrote up a lovely backstory that was consistent with everything revealed of Equestrian history to date, and then season 4 came along and demolished a lot of it and life happened and I've only recently got around to getting it started again.

But what's the actual setting, you ask? Ah. Well, it's sort of like...it's kind of like...you know how...imagine the Crystal Empire as the Roman Empire, ok? And then King Sombra is kind of a mixture of Julius Caesar and Sauron, and the campaign itself is a bit like The Lewis & Clark Expedition meets My Little Pony, and...well, you should probably just read the backstory that I finally finished rewriting to make it consistent with season 4:
The Rise and Fall of the Crystal Empire
Basically, the players are going along with an expeditionary force in various roles (primarily scouts/bodyguards) to explore the lands the nation of Equestria finds itself in after the events of Hearth's Warming Eve.

Mechanics
This campaign will be using the new abilities system, to help test it out. I'm also modifying the level-up chart somewhat: as voted by the players, we'll be eschewing boons in favor of additional ability points at those levels. We'll also probably be jumping levels slightly, I haven't entirely worked out how that's going to go. Also gold and items will be handled differently: you won't get new items automatically upon leveling up, you'll get them through story means (though I will definitely take into account what you want to get, if you have a preference). You're also going to find additional items of both combat and utility as you explore that have the potential to be worth a lot more than you would normally have access to at a particular level...

Speaking of players, these are the current ones (not currently looking for any more).
Hayatecooper, playing
Metaphoric Motif, pegasus historian
Doc Pseudopolis, playing
Flickering Cross, unicorn student of elemental magic
Bronymous, playing
Citrus Twist, earth pony filly
Zarhon, playing
Salt-Petrel, griffon cook (and explosive chemist)
Demonu, playing
Theros Spiritbound, minotaur shaman
Lyntermas, playing
Socket Wrench, earth pony mechanic

Oh, and I forgot to mention that this campaign is going to be using the board rules, using the site roll20.net for a virtual tabletop. Several combat tests have already been conducted and it's looking like it's going to be a lot of fun for all involved.

I'll put more stuff in this post as you guys encounter it in the game. I'd like to have a large-scale map that updates depending on how you guys explore, and there'll be notes on things you come across.

Level up chart:
Players voted to get extra ability points in place of boons.
For combat items, instead of magically getting them upon leveling up, you guys tell me what you want (worth the amount of gold you would normally get from leveling up) and I'll work you finding them into the story. Or you can simply leave it to me in which case I'll generate a mix of stuff from the combat items doc and some custom-made stuff to give you roughly the amount you should have.
Level 1
Level 2 & 3: 6 ability points, 2 traits, and 2500 gold worth of items.
Level 4: Destiny and 500 gold worth of items.
Level 5 & 6: 6 ability points, 2 traits, and 2000 gold worth of items.
Level 7: Destiny and 500 gold worth of items.
Level 8 & 9: 6 ability points, 2 traits, and 1500 gold worth of items.
Level 10: Destiny and 5000 gold worth of items.

Items
Items the party has found so far:

Flare-box:

Invisibility Cloak:

Springy Horseshoes:

Crystal Cruet of Endless Water:

Iron Bracelet of Motivation:

Lightningrod:


Last edited by Philadelphus on Sat Apr 19, 2014 9:58 pm; edited 5 times in total
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Post  A1C Bronymous Wed Mar 19, 2014 8:31 am

Oh wow, I saw this and thought, "hey this is really similar to that other game I'm in.

I'll do the sheet tonight or tomorrow, just remind me what needs to be changed.
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Post  Paper Shadow Wed Mar 19, 2014 8:38 am

Philadelphus wrote:What's the setting and what's it about, you ask? The setting is one I've had floating around in my head for some months now based on the history of Equestria set a thousand years before the show. In fact, I'd planned to run this campaign last year and wrote up a lovely backstory that was consistent with everything revealed of Equestrian history to date, and then season 4 came along and demolished a lot of it and life happened and I've only recently got around to getting it started again.
What happens if Season 4 continues to destroy the backstory you have wrote down?
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Post  Crystalite Wed Mar 19, 2014 9:03 am

How did you accrue players so quickly!?
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Post  Dusk Raven Wed Mar 19, 2014 11:39 am

Crystalite wrote:How did you accrue players so quickly!?

Indeed, I looked at this and thought it'd be cool, and then saw six players already signed up.  Gurk!
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Post  Paper Shadow Wed Mar 19, 2014 2:03 pm

Dusk Raven wrote:
Crystalite wrote:How did you accrue players so quickly!?

Indeed, I looked at this and thought it'd be cool, and then saw six players already signed up.  Gurk!
Most likely got the players before making the thread. You make a lot of connections and friendships through the Skype groups some games run...
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Post  Zarhon Wed Mar 19, 2014 2:05 pm

Paper Shadow wrote:
Dusk Raven wrote:
Crystalite wrote:How did you accrue players so quickly!?

Indeed, I looked at this and thought it'd be cool, and then saw six players already signed up.  Gurk!
Most likely got the players before making the thread. You make a lot of connections and friendships through the Skype groups some games run...
Blackmailing helps too!  Very Happy 
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Post  Philadelphus Wed Mar 19, 2014 2:50 pm

Paper Shadow wrote:
Philadelphus wrote:What's the setting and what's it about, you ask? The setting is one I've had floating around in my head for some months now based on the history of Equestria set a thousand years before the show. In fact, I'd planned to run this campaign last year and wrote up a lovely backstory that was consistent with everything revealed of Equestrian history to date, and then season 4 came along and demolished a lot of it and life happened and I've only recently got around to getting it started again.
What happens if Season 4 continues to destroy the backstory you have wrote down?
I'll...cry? I dunno, I'm not going to worry about it. I just saw the preview for one of the recent IDW comics and it completely contradicts some things I came up with, but there comes a point where you simply have to stop writing. The nice thing about working this far back is that usually the only episodes that reference it are season openers (other than a few comments in various other episodes and Hearth's Warming Eve).

I do think the re-write was a good thing. In the first draft Sombra was literally introduced in the same sentence he took over the Empire with zero backstory or anything. This version gives him a bit more filling out and character depth (not much, but still).

Paper Shadow wrote:Most likely got the players before making the thread. You make a lot of connections and friendships through the Skype groups some games run...
Yeah, that was it.

@Bronymous, just update your racial abilities and utility talents to the abilities system. For the most part it should be little more than minor formatting changes.
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Post  A1C Bronymous Wed Mar 19, 2014 7:18 pm

Do you know how hard "minor formating changes" can be on a phone? You're lucky I'm starting to get proficient in editing docs.

Also, didn't you say I was getting a point bonus for my blankflank-itude?
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Post  Crystalite Wed Mar 19, 2014 8:19 pm

Bronymous wrote:Do you know how hard "minor formating changes" can be on a phone? You're lucky I'm starting to get proficient in editing docs.

Ooh! Ooh! I do! Pick me!
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Post  A1C Bronymous Thu Mar 20, 2014 12:39 am

Citrus Twist is updated and done. "Minor formatting changes" turned out to be replacing 4 talents that didn't make it into the Abilities system.
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Post  Fury of the Tempest Thu Mar 20, 2014 7:57 am

... You could of put 'Full' or 'not looking for players' on the title you know.

Stops people from getting excited and interested. Reading the document and getting even MORE excitted.

Then seeing they can't join as the campaign is already full.

... I know its wasn't intentional. But that's still a dick move.
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Post  Lyntermas Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:04 pm

Alright, everyone! Here is the first session summary for you all to enjoy.

Exploring Equestria Session 1: The River
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Post  A1C Bronymous Sun Mar 23, 2014 1:49 am

Hope it was fun. Maybe someday I'll get to play too.
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Post  Lyntermas Fri Apr 04, 2014 11:32 pm

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Post  Philadelphus Sat Apr 05, 2014 5:49 pm

I always love seeing your writeups.  Smile

Edit: Also, I've updated the first post with a level-up table and a list of items the party has found.
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Post  Lyntermas Sun Apr 06, 2014 12:22 am

Session 3 Write-up, now in record time!

Exploring Equestria Session 3: The Fort
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Post  Lyntermas Sat Apr 26, 2014 5:56 pm

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Post  A1C Bronymous Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:52 pm

I TOO AM ALSO SUMMARIZING THE EVENTS OF THE GAME FORSOOTH, FROM THE EYES OF THE GREAT PRINCESS CITRUS TWIST.

The River, The Desert, The Cave
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Post  Zarhon Sat Apr 26, 2014 10:26 pm

For everyone's viewing pleasure, I too present a summary! ...As told by Salt Petrel in a bar, in one of her more 'zealous' moments.

Salt Petrel's tale of herring and cockatiels
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Post  Lyntermas Sat May 10, 2014 6:52 pm

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Post  Philadelphus Sat May 10, 2014 9:44 pm

Wow, THREE different write-ups? You guys flatter me. Canʻt wait to see the write-up for the most recent session!  Very Happy
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Post  A1C Bronymous Sat May 10, 2014 10:37 pm

You know, you might as well have just added in this session's summary, since you didn't have the last one's posted yet.

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Post  Zarhon Sun May 11, 2014 1:02 pm

Speaking of write-ups, I updated my own with the latest session going-ons!
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Post  Lyntermas Sat May 24, 2014 4:40 pm

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