Quote from: David R;345818John Company. I knew you would pick up on it, clash

OHT, I was thinking about traits and magic and figured you could have a dodgy company whose members learnt things from the Mysterious East, such as hypnotism (Mentalist) and drugs (truth serums, memory loss etc) and members dabbling in the arts of reading microexpressions (Lie To Me). Just a few little tricks that would add a little mystery to the setting.

Regards,
David R

Ah yes, certainly!

Quote from: One Horse Town;345820Ah yes, certainly!

I don't know about that, though. You don't want to be just another pulp game. About the only author in this ouvre who moved in this direction was Conan Doyle. With Kipling or Haggard, you had none of this. I'd be careful!

-clash

Make it a rumour and that should cover it and fit the idea of magic being nothing major aswell.

Quote from: flyingmice;345823I don't know about that, though. You don't want to be just another pulp game. About the only author in this ouvre who moved in this direction was Conan Doyle. With Kipling or Haggard, you had none of this. I'd be careful!

-clash

That's true and i don't want to step on pulp's toes, as i'm far from an expert on it.

Quote from: One Horse Town;345826That's true and i don't want to step on pulp's toes, as i'm far from an expert on it.

Basically, this genre was one of the sources of pulp, but pulp took things a lot further. Everything was ever so much more so, and over the top was the preferred direction. This genre - I don't know what it's called - Adventure Stories? - was written by a much better set of writers, and subtlety is not a dirty word. I love my pulp, but I know what it was, and love it anyway.

-clash

Quote from: One Horse Town;345711The closer that Stone Horizons gets to completion, the more i find myself wondering what i'm going to do next.

At the moment i have no idea. It seems as though all my creative juices have been eaten up by SH. I'm not sure that i can follow it up with anything, and if i can, what that something will be.

Any ideas?

How about you write a few articles and supplementary material to support it in Chaos Ex?  

Quote from: flyingmice;345827Basically, this genre was one of the sources of pulp, but pulp took things a lot further. Everything was ever so much more so, and over the top was the preferred direction. This genre - I don't know what it's called - Adventure Stories? - was written by a much better set of writers, and subtlety is not a dirty word. I love my pulp, but I know what it was, and love it anyway.

-clash

I'll take that comment as a compliment!

I've had some thoughts, but admit that they might have negative connotations that rile some folk up...

Social class, for example. I'm thinking that we have 4. Upper Class Twits, Middle Class Drones, Working Class Heroes and Johnny Foreigners & Ne'er Do Wells. Those are working titles and might give impressions that i'm not after, but they seem to sum up the genre tropes pretty well.

There is no such thing as equipment, there is only Luggage.

Oh, and the skill governing magic and mystical pursuits is called Mumbo-Jumbo.

Quote from: One Horse Town;345883I'll take that comment as a compliment!

I've had some thoughts, but admit that they might have negative connotations that rile some folk up...

Social class, for example. I'm thinking that we have 4. Upper Class Twits, Middle Class Drones, Working Class Heroes and Johnny Foreigners & Ne'er Do Wells. Those are working titles and might give impressions that i'm not after, but they seem to sum up the genre tropes pretty well.

There is no such thing as equipment, there is only Luggage.

Oh, and the skill governing magic and mystical pursuits is called Mumbo-Jumbo.

That's pretty well nailed it. They're not hard and fast limits, but as general descriptors, they work very well.

And Mumbo-Jumbo is inspired!

-clash

I think the social titles work perfectly for the time period your going for, if people dont like the names you've chosen they can always change them themselves since thats what all good gm's do anyway

I'm also toying with the idea of 'Entourage' being a stat of sorts. These are the folk that hang around you, go on expeditions with you etc. You know, the expendibles. However, if you give them a name, they are no longer an expendible. Sort of mooks, i guess, that get a way out of mookness if they are named by the player - there's a limit to the number of named characters in your entourage (yet to be determined) and an Entourage is easier to intimidate, scare off or kill - you know, like the literary and filmic sources.

So, Sir Phillip Ross is an Upper Class Twit Professional Gambler. He has an Entourage rating of 4 (3 street toughs, 1 accountant & aide). Whilst on the notorious River Stentforth pleasure-cruise with the Gentleman Spy Roger Manforth, he comes under attack by some Johnny Foreigners! (Barge-People). The ensuing caffuffle sees Sir Phillip's life saved by his aide! In a rare moment of charity, he enquires of his aide "What exactly is your name, sonny?" Peter Corry is the reply. From now on Peter gets a larger Stipend and is no longer considered as part of Sir Phillip's Entourage when trouble next strikes.

Quote from: One Horse Town;345924I'm also toying with the idea of 'Entourage' being a stat of sorts. These are the folk that hang around you, go on expeditions with you etc. You know, the expendibles. However, if you give them a name, they are no longer an expendible. Sort of mooks, i guess, that get a way out of mookness if they are named by the player - there's a limit to the number of named characters in your entourage (yet to be determined) and an Entourage is easier to intimidate, scare off or kill - you know, like the literary and filmic sources.

So, Sir Phillip Ross is an Upper Class Twit Professional Gambler. He has an Entourage rating of 4 (3 street toughs, 1 accountant & aide). Whilst on the notorious River Stentforth pleasure-cruise with the Gentleman Spy Roger Manforth, he comes under attack by some Johnny Foreigners! (Barge-People). The ensuing caffuffle sees Sir Phillip's life saved by his aide! In a rare moment of charity, he enquires of his aide "What exactly is your name, sonny?" Peter Corry is the reply. From now on Peter gets a larger Stipend and is no longer considered as part of Sir Phillip's Entourage when trouble next strikes.

Very good! I like it! Upper Class Twits should have at least one body servant as well, with a name and a "presence". I would personally have some other player play the servant as a sort of troupe character, whatever the rules say! If a servant goes down - nobly, one would hope - another can be appointed from the entourage. Servants should be one of the following:

Old Family Retainer
Trusted Native
Former Batman
Native Royalty in Hiding

What do you think? Servants are always important in the literature.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;345929Very good! I like it! Upper Class Twits should have at least one body servant as well, with a name and a "presence". I would personally have some other player play the servant as a sort of troupe character, whatever the rules say! If a servant goes down - nobly, one would hope - another can be appointed from the entourage. Servants should be one of the following:

Old Family Retainer
Trusted Native
Former Batman
Native Royalty in Hiding

What do you think? Servants are always important in the literature.

-clash

Ha! You're reading my mind!

I have trusted native and Batman (not former) scribbled down on my pad next to the PC!

Quote from: One Horse Town;345933Ha! You're reading my mind!

I have trusted native and Batman (not former) scribbled down on my pad next to the PC!

Haha! We're both working from the source material is all! You are right, and that should be (Former) Batman, as the character could very well still be in the Army. I was just thinking of a retired officer, for no particular reason.

-clash

Quote from: One Horse Town;345883...Johnny Foreigners & Ne'er Do Wells. Those are working titles and might give impressions that i'm not after, but they seem to sum up the genre tropes pretty well.

'Hoi Polloi' would probably work better.

It almost sounds like 'the fucking Irish' the way you have it.  
Which I am sure wasn't your intent.

Quote from: StormBringer;345944'Hoi Polloi' would probably work better.

It almost sounds like 'the fucking Irish' the way you have it.  
Which I am sure wasn't your intent.

There is always that risk, but it seems to sum up the genre. I'd characterise it as a colonial adventure game.