Sireap Valley: opinions requested
Nick the Nevermet:
My God, I really did create peasant dragoons, didn't I? Wasn't my intent, but I won't bother arguing about the end result. Honestly, the idea came to me while reading the RPG Reign, where a certain nation was horse-free for much of its history. That got the idea for the running warrior elites. Then I wondered how it would fit in Near, and I got the Ushers. I can't decide if I'm amused or saddened that I accidentally reproduced a Final Fantasy character. ;-)
The devil is in the details, and when you get past the specific images I have, my details leave something to be desired. I am, however, happy that the things I cared about seem to hold water. To be specific, that would be a human agricultural society devoid of animals whose elite warriors were fast pole-arm wielders, and whose former city was now dominated by the Ratkin. From there came the ideas of a cursed land, and peasants who rebelled during the Year of Shadow. I also take the total lack of discussion over my secrets as an indicator they'll probably do whats needed without any dramatic effects, which is fine by me.
Anyhow, I couldn't think of a simple way of getting the 'no animals' thing, and the farro seems to work even if it gets complicated quick. Your idea about a highly addictive plant for animals is appealing. Sapa probably tried to play botanist & make a grain that would be a 'super-feed'. My only question then is whether or not it would kill off all animal life in the vallley, instead of my original idea of just domesticated animals. I'm tempted to just make it 'a mysterious curse', but that'd just be lame. Also, you mention Ratkin, and that makes for an interesting idea: farro is 'just' a powerful narcotic to the Ratkin when processed correctly, and there is an illicit trade between humans and Ratkin as a result.
Feel free to borrow as you like, though I'd like some help working this out if possible. The things I'm not happy with is I still don't feel satisfied with how to explain the lack of domesticated animals (I'd prefer to avoid a 'purely social' answer like a religious ban), and I like the hodgepodge holy men, but they're not well developed yet. Fortunately, they're really not the 'point' of Sireap either.
Eero Tuovinen:
I think that farro works just fine as an explanation, actually. TSoY is not the most realistically thought-through game at the best of times, so just saying that the farro pollen kills animals or drives them nuts does fine. Characters who have with some interesting method found out this explanation for the phenomenon (as if they could do it, unless they're themselves scientist-wizards) might try to protect their animals from it by keeping them inside or whatnot, but they're still going to go mad at the most amusing moments. That's more than enough reason for the peasants to not bother with animals; they're big long-term investments, just having them all die off during a certain month of summer would be more than enough of a disincentive in the long term. In the short term some outsider might bring some horses into the valley, and they might or might not get into trouble depending on the length of the visit and the conditions, but that just adds spice to the curse. Much more interesting if it's not quite absolute and easily replicable as a phenomenon.
The Secrets are solid. I've myself removed the Secret of Leaping (was that the name?) from among the general Secrets in my own games, but here's where it makes a comeback. Mechanical punch might well be increased some, but that depends so much on the local crunch landscape that it's almost arbitrary.
I'm liking this stuff a lot. No idea if I can sneak it into the book I'm laying out, but maybe...
Nick the Nevermet:
How much more mechanical punch were you thinking about?
And if you don't put it in, I guess I'll see if I can upload it to the TSOY wiki.
Eero Tuovinen:
The wiki is a fine destination to be sure!
As far as mechanics go, my own play is pretty pervy, with lots of complex and powerful subsystems. For example, I might well give the Ushers that signature dragoon ability:
Jump Attack Technique
The character can jump really high, which he has adapted into an attack. In normal conflict the character gets synergy as per the Secret of Synergy between his Athletics (V) and Infantry (V) Abilities. In extended conflict his jump with Athletics (V) is a defensive action (that is, opposed for bonus dice) that provides its full value as bonus dice if successful, but the dice have to be used on an Infantry (V) attack on the next round. Cost: 1 Vigor Requirement: Flying Leap Technique
(That's a Secret, I'm just calling it a "technique" because it belongs in the Usher martial art, specifically.)
That sort of thing, of course for running fast and nimble footwork as well. No idea if that's comprehensible without the Solar System booklet at hand - probably not.
Nick the Nevermet:
That's an awesome secret.
I was already thinking that an Usher worth his salt needs the secret of synergy, but thats just perfect.
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