Quote from: HinterWeltJust an idea to make it easier on the reading and writing, what if we change the highest level to "Expert" or "Best"?

Thats fine with me, those are just ones I ploped on there while typing the origional post.

Quote from: flyingmiceD20/Fudge................................./Star Cluster (Attributes Only)
+4 (18-19)............Best........................15+
+3(16-17).............Superb.................... 14
+2 (14-15).............Great......................13
+1 (12-13).............Good.......................11-12
+0 (10-11).............Fair.........................09-10
-1 (8-9).............Mediocre.....................5-8
-2 (6-7).............Poor...........................3-4
-3 (4-5).............Terrible.......................2
-4 (2-3).............Worst.... ....................1

I'd do attributes this way for SC2.

-clash

Ok, do the %s I have above look fine for skills though?

Ok, sounds good, now I can actually start on the NPCs.

RPGPundit

Quote from: McrowOk, do the %s I have above look fine for skills though?

Yep! That was cool.

-clash

Quote from: McrowOk, do the %s I have above look fine for skills though?

You seem to have it right for Iridium.

Bill

Since this is now an official project of theRPGsite's game design forum, I'm stickying the thread so it doesn't get misplaced.

RPGPundit

Ok, sorry but I'm changing a few more of the stat descriptors. It makes no fucking sense that "Mediocre" be a -1, while a 0 is "fair".
I'm renaming these Average (for 0) and "below average" (for -1).

Just letting you all know.

RPGPundit

Ok, here's a sample NPC, you guys tell me what you think; whether its too little info, too much. Keep in mind that as its Pompey, the "significance" part is a bit longer to explain who he was (since most of his life story happens before the sourcebook's timeline period) and obviously his timeline is pretty short (since he dies in the second year of the timeline).
I also decided it makes way more sense to put the "significance" section BEFORE the "timeline" section, so readers know who the fuck he was before they know what he was doing. Oh, and I added one more stat, "political abilities", which was important for the Julio-Claudian setting but might not be needed in other books.

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus; a.k.a. POMPEY THE GREAT
Lifespan: 106b.c. – 48 b.c.
Notable personality details: Extremely confident
Significance: Pompey was a deeply significant figure in the dying days of the Roman Republic.  Even at a very young age, he had been a participant in the civil wars between Sulla and Marius, where he’d earned the nickname of The Teenaged Butcher.  He was also always completely confident of his own abilities and not afraid of anyone; once having stood up to Sulla himself and demanding a triumph for his victories.
By the time of the beginning of this book’s Timeline, Pompey was, along with Julius Caeser, one of the two most powerful men in Rome. The two of them had been long-time allies (including by marriage, as Pompey had been married to Julius’ daughter), along with a third important Roman named Crassus. Pompey had the political influence in Rome, Julius had the military (although it must be noted that Pompey was also considered a military genius due to his leadership in campaigns during the civil war), and Crassus provided the money.  Together, these men had led the Populares faction in Rome (the “movement of the people”), challenging the old Senate network and their Optimates faction.
By the start of this sourcebook’s timeline, however, Crassus has died in an ill-fated military expedition against Parthia, and Julius and Pompey are now enemies, having realized that Rome is not big enough for the two of them. The Senate has judged that Pompey is the less radical of the two bad choices, and have fallen behind Pompey as their only hope to stop Caesar’s ambitions.
Personal Timeline:
49 BC: In early 49 you will find him in Rome, leading the Senate, proclaiming loudly that he only has to stomp his foot in Italy and he will raise an army bigger than Caesars. His own supporters, however, do not seem so confident, and his act looks more like bluster than anything else. Caesar is in the north but he is coming back, and seems to be willing to ignore any order the senate sends.
In spring you will find Pompey in southern Italy after he has fled the city of Rome with his faction. Caesar has crossed the Rubicon river, the point beyond which it was a crime for any general to move his troops, and Pompey was unable to raise troops to stop Caesar in time. Pompey is in Brundisium trying to raise troops, but his failure to secure the money in the Imperial treasury means that in this too, Julius Caesar has the advantage.
48 BC: Pompey has fled to Dyraccheum (in Macedonia) and finally raised his Legions. At Dyraccheum Pompey (with 45000 troops) faced Caeser (with only 15000), and nearly defeated him decisively. However, at the last moment Pompey grew fearful that the situation was a trap, and ordered his men to pull back. In fact, it was not a trap at all; and Caesar famously declares “Pompey’s men would have won this battle if only their leader was a winner”.
In mid-year, Pompey has moved to Greece, where he faces Caesar’s troops again at Pharsalus. This is the decisive battle where Julius (with 32000 men), defeats Pompey (with 70 000). It is a costly battle to both sides, but in the end Pompey and his family are forced to flee, first to the island of Mitylene, and then to Egypt.
In the autumn of that year, Pompey might briefly be met in Egypt, where the advisors of the Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII decide to murder Pompey, fearing Caesar’s wrath if they should give shelter to his enemy. On his 58th birthday, they trick him into meeting two old military friends on a boat, who are actually his assassins. They kill him, and decapitate him. His body was left abandoned on the shore.
When Caeser is presented with the head of his old enemy, he is said to have cried. He deposed Ptolemy, murdered Pompey’s assasins and allowed the senate to deify Pompey, such was the admiration Caesar had for his onetime friend.  When Caeser is murdered, four years later, his assassination takes place at the foot of the statue of the new God Pompey, and by some accounts Caesar’s last words might actually have been a prayer to his old friend.
Statistics:
Mental Ability:   Good (70%)
Physical Ability:   Average (60%) (note: in his youth this would have been better)
Leadership:      Good (75%)      
Charisma:      Good (70%)
Military Abilities:   Great (85%)
Political Abilities:    Average (60%)
Special Abilities: none


RPGPundit

I know they happened before his conflict with JC, but no mention about his military achievements? (like wiping out piracy)

Quote from: JongWKI know they happened before his conflict with JC, but no mention about his military achievements? (like wiping out piracy)

Well, the problem is I had to choose a place to start, and 49bc is it. If I try to detail everything about everyone who's a player before then, it will mean that the book would become unbearably long. Supposing that the game is set up so that 49bc would be the absolute earliest for a campaign to begin, I have given all of the really relevant information I can about characters who's prime is before then.

Anyways, he didn't actually so much "wipe out" piracy, as he TOOK OVER the pirate business.  His son, Sextus Pompey, took that part of the family business over after his father's death.

RPGPundit

Ok, I'd really appreciate some more advice about whether the entry I posted was ok or not, as far as layout, and whether it was too much information, just right, or not enough?
Also, if it was too cerebral or academic?

RPGPundit

Who are his allies?
Does he have any personality quirks?
What are his interests?

Nice work.  It made for a good read, felt complete, and definitely thorough.
 
I left a few layout comments over at HW board, btw, Bill, if you read this first...

Update:  Hope to have a near-finished initital draft after this weekend!

So you don't think its too lengthy? Or wordy?

I've decided to take up some readers' suggestions and give each entry either a "plot hook" or a "what if".

Considering the average 1-2 page length of an entry, and the number of historical figures I plan to have for the dynasty (a period covering 117 years), my book is going to be very big. I'd rather not have to divide it though, if at all possible.

So the question is, how much is too much? And is that size book plausible?

RPGPundit