online al-qadim true20 game

[aaronil]

Interested in playing True20 but haven't had a chance yet?
A lover of the Arabian Nights and scimitar-fu fantasy?
Ready to embark on a journey of theology, history, and magic?

Come weary traveler to "Caliphate Nights"! I'll be running some games (possibly a campaign) on OpenRPG if anyone's interested. You'll get to play with all kinds of new home-brewed content for the game and to explore a fresh setting. Pass on the word.

[critter80]

That sounds awesome, but I must confess I've never done online RPGs before. What is OpenRPG?

[aaronil]

I just found it myself. It is a free online jave & browser-based software that is available at: www.openrpg.com
My gaming group has scattered to the wind so I thought I'd give it a try.

[Matterhorn]

I am interested Aaronil.
Where are you located? I am in Australia so time difference may be a problem.
Matterhorn.

[The Shadow]

I'm intrigued... and OpenRPG looks awesome. When do you plan to start, and how do we get our hands on the new rules?

[aaronil]

Oh man! Matterhorn and The Shadow? I'd *love* to have you both in a game. I'm in San Diego, California. I can e-mail you the rules or provide them to you in openrpg, but they're in pieces and unfinished right now (though its 100+ pages of unifinished pieces ).

And I'm open about when we play; I'm still gathering players.

[The Shadow]

Well, having seen the adventure you posted, I'm more than willing to have you GM for me, too. :)

What level are you thinking of starting us at?

[aaronil]

First level. Though even that is negotiable with such prestigious persons as yourself. Salaam. Salaam. Salaam.

I'm thinking Friday night around 6-7 pm PST?
Matterhorn, I think PST is 8 hours ahead of Melbourne. So that's like 11am your time? Would the weekend be better?

Just uploaded some old Al-Qadim maps into the program. Wow!

[Matterhorn]

Aaronil.
Friday should be fine. Just let me know when on your local time. Also, let me know about what you want to do for characters, etc.
Just to let you know, I am currently located in Adelaide so I am +16:30 hours from you. So 6pm your time is 10:30am my time. Suits me fine. (Hooray for working from home).
I have never played an Arabian themed campaign so I am very excited about this.
Matterhorn.

[critter80]

That sounds really cool. I'm definately in. I know I haven't been as active on the boards, but I've been running true20 games for months now, and I'm pretty up on the rules. I'd love to see the campaign-specific stuff when it's done.

[GoRocket]

I don't have time to play in this game, but I would like to see how it goes. Can you guys post some sort of brief journal about it?

Thanks.

[The Shadow]

Well, the first game was FANTASTIC!! Tremendous fun was had by all.

I don't know that a brief journal will really help, though. The bare bones of the plot are good, but what made the game great was how we got there. A plethora of great lines.

A typical pattern:

Farraj: [makes a terrific one-liner]

Yasir: You talk too much, Farraj.

[critter80]

It was a great session. I'm jazzed about playing again this Saturday. I figured I'd post my travelogue (I don't know if anyone else kept one, but if you did, by all means put them up). I know this is rather Yasir-heavy, but he's my character, so I was more interested in what he did then in creating an objective blow-by-blow account:

The journey began in a sandstorm where Yasir met Farraj and Abdul. Abdul was trying to save the caravan master's (Metef, son of Batuta) blind grandfather, Naskir al-Ghaffir; Yasir aided Farraj and his camel Shasti after they were lost in the storm. Just outside the gates of the caravanserai, Yasir assisted a guard, bringing him inside. Once safe from the storm, Abdul, Yasir, and Naskir talk. Naskir says that he is among saints. After a brief introduction, he takes Yasir and Abdul toward his private chambers where Yasir and Abdul talk about their pasts. In the meantime, Farraj wanders the market, talking to some merchants. All are interrupted by a disturbance at the gates, and when they arrive, Metef claims that a djinn is outside the city. After some discussion, Abdul offers to be lowered outside the walls to address the problem. Farraj assists by getting some silk cloths, tied together, and lowers Abdul to meet whomever is outside. Abdul resuces the man, who turns out to be Mamoun, Metef's step-son, thought dead. Metef flees as the crowd gathers to help Mamoun. Yasir chases Metef down. Metef tries to curse Yasir, but Yasir is restored by faith and attacks Metef, knocking him into a chest wherein Yasir traps him. Farraj binds the chest, and the three PCs chat briefly. Mamoun, who is now the caravanserai's leader, offers them each a boon. Yasir refuses one, instead offering his share to the silk merchant. Abdul asks for safe passage to Huzuz, and Farraj asks for the silk that was used to lower Abdul and bind Metef.

[The Shadow]

Some notable quotes from the tale of The Three Men Who Saved Mamoun:

Farraj: Well my friends, the Sun rises, the Sun sets, and God is Great.

Farraj [remember, they're in a tiny caravanserai]: We stand in the greatest city in all the land. Help is at hand. The prince will send his guards - you will see!

Farraj [cheering]: We lower one and bring back two! Who said there is no fishing in the desert?

Farraj: One moment I am watering my camel Shasti, and the next we are jailing sorcerers! Are things always like this in the City? It is like having the moon on the ground and the desert in the sky!

Farraj: For a man whose wares have rescued heroes and bound villains, you have a long face.

Abdul [to a mighty djinn, unbeknownst to the rest of the party, while in the midst of a raging sandstorm]: Dear friend, would it be imposing to ask of you a favor?

Abdul [humorously, after Yasir is called a saint]: Is it possible, my friend, that your admirable humility has blinded you to your true status?

Abdul: Surely you are mistaken, O good Metef! There are many wonders in God's broad world; not all of them are djinn.

Abdul: Wait until Farraj sees Huzuz! [The capital city of the empire, not far away.]

Yasir: Do you fear death more than you fear Allah?

Yasir: You are a brave man, Abdul. Allah favors that.

And of course, with endless variations:

Yasir: You talk too much, Farraj.

[The Shadow]

Second session! Single lines from "How Yazid's Madness Was Cured":

Farraj [laughing]: You all look like a herd of camels looking at one cup of water! ... Oh, I didn't mean you are camels. [blushes]

Farraj: Golden Yasir, men don't know whether to fear or love you.

Abdul: It is a rare dream, Yazid. Yet dreams are meant to be remembered with joy and give one strength, not to trouble one's days.

Yasir: Do not worry, Shuri. My eyes are good and my sword is strong.

Yasir: Forgive me, but I do not understand. Nor, I am afraid, does my sword.

Several: Sometimes the Moon covers the Sun. [Started by Farraj, this became the by-word of the session.]

And a few anecdotes:

---------------------------

The three heroes are encountered by a mad desert sheikh named Yazid who seems to have had dealings with unsavory things.

Abdul [testing the man, watching his reaction]: I am not used to spending time on the sand. Perhaps I have heard too many tales of the jann.

Yazid [sends Abdul a dark look]

Yasir: Keep your glances to yourself, friend.

Abdul: I am sure our 'friend' was but trying to avoid bad fortune, Yasir.

Yasir: That must be it, Abdul, because I'm certain he'd like to keep both eyes in his head.

:) Yasir is so protective of the other two.

---------------------------

Farraj [of Yasir]: Is he a man or a lion?

Abdul: He is a man in an age when too many men are jackals.

---------------------------

Yasir [of Yazid]: It seems our generous host has been dealing with djinn, at least according to his men.

Abdul [impassively]: What sort of dealings has he had with them? And what think you of such dealings?

The funny part here is that Abdul is secretly a sha'ir, a djinni summoner. :)

There were also some fantastic longer lines, but rather too lengthy to quote.

[Matterhorn]

And Farraj played the sublime Hanif Zakkir on his Zephir!

[The Shadow]

And Farraj played the sublime Hanif Zakkir on his Zephir!

That was one of the ones too lengthy to quote. It WAS lovely, though!

And, uh, what IS a Zephir, anyway? :)

[Matterhorn]

Don't tell Aaron BUT....
I made it up .
I think of it as a mix between a flute and a recorder, made out of bronze.
A zephir is a desert breeze so the name seems to fit.
Matterhorn.

[aaronil]

*gasp* You...made it up??

Well e-mail me with any ideas about the Hanif Zakkir as a feat.

And thanks for posting the one-liners Shadow! If you keep this up, I'll have to amply reward Abdul.

[The Shadow]

*bursts out laughing* You... made... it up!!

No wonder I didn't recognize it! Aaron, were you fooled too?

[The Shadow]

I'm pleased to announce that a transcript of the game is now posted over at EN World. Enjoy!

...You know, I'm not sure, but this may be the very first True20 Story Hour over there.

[The Shadow]

Sessions 3 and 4 are up, as well as a solo adventure of Yasir's.

I'll see about getting some quotes up soon.

[The Shadow]

...And a solo adventure of Abdul's is now up as well. But, alas, the game is going on hiatus for a month. Details over at EN World!

Quotes will be up soon!

[aaronil]

I'm looking for one or two players for our "Zakharan Nights" on-line game. We have 3 players in our group, but one is on an extended absence(God speed Matt!).

If playing in Zakhara (Al-Qadim) with a narrative/storytelling focus, True20 rules, inspired by my own Caliphate Nights setting, and with three awesome role-players sounds like fun, I am happy to give you more information. We play using OpenRPG, a free python-based program designed to recreate the tabletop experience. Games have been sporadic, but I'd like to play 1-2 times a month. We play in the evening (over here on the Western U.S. coast).

You can find the game log to date up here, which is not only hysterically funny, but also gets across the language and feel of the Nights:
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=149135

Aaron

[The Shadow]

...Thought I'd just add that Session Five, plus a new handout, is up as well.