KhorasForum

AWESOME! ECELLENT WORK!! and man am I slow....

Hello All,

I have been working on a new role playing game. Well, actually, the same one I've taken a few half-hearted attempts over the years. But this time is different. I'm older, wiser and a more experience game master. I'm sure those of you who have been around the Khoras forum know that I am frustrated with the Dungeons and Dragons game and have longed for something more realistic. Well, I've decided to build a new role playing game system, once and for all. The only way to play the game of my dreams is to build it myself.

I've been focusing on it a lot the last few months and I've just started playtesting sections of it with a friend. He's running a sword and shield type fighter so we are really just testing the basics of the melee combat system. More playtesting will come later and we'll test other sections. I expect it'll take another year to complete. When it's ready, I'll make sure it's available online - either on this website or through DrivethruRPG or something similar.

Anyway, I had a couple of questions. I'm in the United States. The US is one of the few nations in the world that doesn't use the metric system. It's maddeningly frustrating to some of us in the States. I am a huge fan and ardent supporter of the metric system. I think the United States should switch to the metric system. I am SUCH a firm believer in it that I decided to use the metric system for this new game.

However, I've wrestled with that idea. The writer in me doesn't like the idea because the metric system doesn't "feel" medieval. And now I'm having second thoughts about it. Should a medieval fantasy "swords and sorcery" game stick with feet, inches, miles, leagues and such in order to maintain the illusion of a medieval world?

I am particularly interested in what people from Europe have to say. Those of you in Europe use the metric system every single day. For those of you who are in Europe AND are gamers, what do you use in your role playing games? Do you tend to stick with metric measurements or do you switch to imperial units for medieval gaming? If you switch, does it feel weird to switch or does it feel "appropriate" for the genre? What do you think I should use for a new medieval fantasy RPG? What RPGs are you playing and what systems of measurement do they use?

I really am curious. I welcome all input from everyone. I have been thinking about this for awhile. I've gone back and forth on it a couple times. Now I'm hoping to get some input from other gamers and fantasy readers. Metric or imperial?

As the game gets further developed, I will likely have other questions and will throw them out to this forum.

Thank you in advance,

David

Absolutely!

I understand that. I just like to collect as much inspirational/educational material as possible; I like honing skills, even if there's not an immediate payoff. I think it makes my baseline higher than if I focus just on what's immediately useful.

Besides, on the sort of timescale that a setting like Khoras has existed on—as opposed to a more standard session-to-session campaign timescale—there's always time to add little details, right? 

Interesting. If I was writing a book that involved another language in a significant way, these tools would be invaluable. Very cool. However, in gaming, I have found that I rarely need to go into that kind of detail with other languages. But there seem to be a lot of people that are really into constructing language. And that first one, Vulgar, is absolutely amazing.

found these two things for language making...

vulgarlang.com <<< very professional costs some money though
polyglot https://draquet.github.io/PolyGlot/readme.html  <<< a little less user friendly...free

This is not spam and I have no financial interests in either...

It was a good video although a little hard to hear at times so missed some stuff....

15 years later, here's my idea of the role of assassins 
I'm not saying it's the "right" way for all worlds - it is what adds most flavor as I like it.
And what I look forward to discuss with you guys.


Assassination is integral part of a system.
Murder is illegal - even if reality might mean no plaintiff, no judge.
Where killing someone is accepted by might making right, the term "murder" does not apply, as I understand it.

Assassination...is different.
I see two ways:

1) in a system of opposing nobles/guilds/..., in the past too often rivalry escalated into open violence, so now, in a cynically pragmatic way, assassination is the less violent solution.
In such a system, between the factions there would be rules - spoken or unspoken - and if I comply with them, assassinating me would justify retaliation, so it's not done lightly.
As soon as I break the rules (which might include getting too powerful), I'm no longer protected by them, so assassinating me would be generally accepted.

In some way, assassination is a balancing factor, and accepted as such (at least unofficially, between those who know what's going on).
It might even be viewed as a courtless law system. Not necessarily a fair one...I might be framed, and the rules and their interpretations might be arbitrary.
Just like I could be framed into prison or death sentence in any corrupt system.

Hey after all, there's a reason why no roleplay takes place in a constitutional democracy with checks and balances and all the boring stuff 

2) Religious assassins would be just another continuation of diplomacy by other means.
I.e. it is directed outward, as a display of power.
Dying after the assassination would be the highest deed the assassin could imagine in life. He might stab a political leader on stage, and offer no resistance to be hacked to pieces by the guards.
Actually assassins could even be expected to be this kind of "one hit wonder"...the seeming inefficiency is more than offset by the terror this disregard for their own life inspires.

I think there's a scene in the Conan movie where The Evil Guy just handwaves at some followers, which instantly jump from a cliff.
THIS display of power, plus taking out an important figure.


Come to think of it, the video game Skyrim features a pretty cool third idea:
Religious and pretty close to the idea of a guild with assassins for hire.

But I never claimed to give a complete list of what's possible 

Quote from: David Roomes on March 30, 2022, 09:04:11 PM
This is done. I've added a new section to every nation - Common Names.

Awesome work!

Thanks for your answer - and wow, that's the coherency and consistency for which I love this site 😎
Everything fits together.