Rules are being written up and the outline for the first game has been jotted down!
This is the setting of the game world as would be pitched by the rulebook. It’s kind of a mock-up, could use some polish.
This is a working title; if a better one is thought of I’d be open to hearing it.
RAVENHOLME
A gothic fantasy
The English countryside has for a long time been home to the manor Ravenholme. The history of the house on the hill goes back several centuries, but the history of the site upon which it is built dates back to the time of the Elder Gods.
The mansion’s land belongs to no country and its walls reject the constraints of normal society. Since its construction, the house has been a popular resort for nobles and people of class and wealth, and its owners-- whoever they have been over the ages-- host to garish gatherings of hedonism and indulgence. Glasses of wine punctuate duels to the death, players at cards bet with their souls. It is said that wars have been started and ended in its parlor, entire fortunes lost to dice and the course of history changed.
The house is also the subject of many dark and unsettling rumors. Whispers of creatures seen in the shadows and rituals for mysterious forces are framework to tales of transformation-- of the body, of the mind, of the soul. Those who go into Ravenholme and come out again are different people-- if people at all.
As a character in the setting, you will be a player in a vignette, a single strange tale from the halls of the manor Ravenholme. You and your fellows will explore its many corridors and corners, both unearthing and writing its dark and unusual history with every step taken. You will face creatures of the night and forces incomprehendible; you will face your fellow actors, you will face death itself.
All are but strokes on an epic canvas; each tale a single movement in the grand opera that is Ravenholme.
/end fapfapfap
What this means in practical terms is that Ravenholme will be a decidedly gothic fantasy, each game being a new chapter in the manor’s history. Each game will take place in a different time period; as such, the rules will be a little different each time. Also, the house has been renovated, rebuilt, or otherwise altered several times throughout its history and also has several wings-- rarely are all of them in use at the same time-- so it’s safe to occasionally change the venue and just say it’s another part of the house or it’s a different era of its history. I’m still looking for a catch-all venue that can accomodate it, though.
The approach I’m taking to streamline this is that there will be two sets of rules. I’ll write a core rulebook that covers the setting, the basics of character creation (the ‘how to’) and combat, and other things that apply to each game. After that, each game we play will have its own set of rules according to the time period and nature of the event; these supplementary rulebooks will provide the available races, skill sets and house rules for that particular event, as well as the story setup.
I’m looking for a decidedly dark, potentially quite adult flavor for the games, and as such an age restriction may be necessary depending on how things get written up. Along with the horror and swordplay I want a high element of sophistication and hedonism. Costuming should be decidedly gothic; let’s see lots of corsets, flowing dresses, sabers, cravats, high-class stuff. Think Dracula!
I’m really excited about getting this written up and getting the first game going. Anyone who is interested in helping me write it up or get NPC gear together would be great. I have some ideas for creatures and costuming already but little resource; who’s good with gear?