Current and Recent Claymore Campaigns
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"One" Shots |
Any campaign I run that lasts one to six seasons I am going to call a one-shot and put here.
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My GMing Style
I try to run Claymore as a game where what you do matters more then what you roll, and who your character is matters more then what's on your character sheet.
I use a rule system that I made myself over years of play. The tone of my campaigns is more like a story-telling game with extra combat. PC's aren't super heroes, they are humans that gain exceptional abilities but can still be killed by a lucky shot in any combat or by falling overboard in rough seas.
I try to make things realistic--meaning logical and consistent. In the rules, setting, and plot, logical outcomes are my highest priority. NPCs aren't quest-givers, trainers, or macguffins they are people with psychologies and internal motivation.
"Encounters" aren't balanced, it's up to players decide how to react to enemies they have little hope of defeating. I try not to even think in terms of encounters or scenes. The world simply unfolds how and where the PCs' actions dictate.
Death is always an option and I try to make the dice the final arbiters, not the GM's whims.
I use a rule system that I made myself over years of play. The tone of my campaigns is more like a story-telling game with extra combat. PC's aren't super heroes, they are humans that gain exceptional abilities but can still be killed by a lucky shot in any combat or by falling overboard in rough seas.
I try to make things realistic--meaning logical and consistent. In the rules, setting, and plot, logical outcomes are my highest priority. NPCs aren't quest-givers, trainers, or macguffins they are people with psychologies and internal motivation.
"Encounters" aren't balanced, it's up to players decide how to react to enemies they have little hope of defeating. I try not to even think in terms of encounters or scenes. The world simply unfolds how and where the PCs' actions dictate.
Death is always an option and I try to make the dice the final arbiters, not the GM's whims.
Setting Elements in Claymore RPG
Urna the Great and the Conclave
The first human wizard, Urna the Great, was born the second son of the king of a small city state. With the aid of his arcane power Urna conquered the known world. After his death his 10 apprentices ruled his empire. These apprentices quickly lost interest in the mundane world. They formed the Conclave to facilitate their actual interest, wizardry, while dividing the Urnum Empire among political appointees whose descendants became the first royal families of the various kingdoms. With a virtual monopoly on arcane knowledge, the Conclave remains the most physically powerful organization in the world. The Conclave has rarely been a force for good in the world, as ultimately, the source of all wizard magic is demonic.
The Church of Ignimius the Divine
The religions of prehistory were failing. The faith that humanity had inherited from the elves was disorganized and permissive. With that faith guiding mankind, a culture based on vice, exploitation, and hedonism predominated causing untold misery. Allowing monsters to pillage, destroy, and kill thousands in unending cycles of violence. From this decay a humble soldier in the ranks of the legions of Urna the Great was called by the one true deity Valroon to build up and lead humanity to its rightful dominance over the world. This soldier, later called Ignimius the Divine, started with a small band of zealot followers, a retinue of loyal men at arms, and an uncompromising vision. Through conversion, diplomacy, and the sword, Ignimius united all human faiths under his hierarchy. The Church of Ignimius the Divine became the single cultural center of human society. The Church instilled its virtues of piety, heroism, effectiveness, courage, justice, duty, fortitude, self-control, honesty, hospitality, and charity to a broken world.
Theology
Ever wanted to play in a setting where the theology of the most prominent world religion has been painstakingly thought out over years and dozens of pages of text. Ever wanted to play in a setting where you could reference what you PC priest might believe about the nature of evil, or the parts and purpose of the human soul--and have it all be consistent with the metaphysical reality of the world?? Well, I made it anyway.
Kingdoms
Campaigns are played after the fall of the Urnum Empire, which briefly united the world. Some campaigns take place shortly after the empire's fall, others take place more than 1000 years after that fall. During that span of time culture advances from bronze age to late medieval, but very little technological development takes place. Depending on how you count and when you do the counting, the world is made of 10 human kingdoms or thereabouts. The Kingdoms have some cultural similarities owing to their shared history in the Urnum Empire and their common faith in the Church of Ignimius.
The first human wizard, Urna the Great, was born the second son of the king of a small city state. With the aid of his arcane power Urna conquered the known world. After his death his 10 apprentices ruled his empire. These apprentices quickly lost interest in the mundane world. They formed the Conclave to facilitate their actual interest, wizardry, while dividing the Urnum Empire among political appointees whose descendants became the first royal families of the various kingdoms. With a virtual monopoly on arcane knowledge, the Conclave remains the most physically powerful organization in the world. The Conclave has rarely been a force for good in the world, as ultimately, the source of all wizard magic is demonic.
The Church of Ignimius the Divine
The religions of prehistory were failing. The faith that humanity had inherited from the elves was disorganized and permissive. With that faith guiding mankind, a culture based on vice, exploitation, and hedonism predominated causing untold misery. Allowing monsters to pillage, destroy, and kill thousands in unending cycles of violence. From this decay a humble soldier in the ranks of the legions of Urna the Great was called by the one true deity Valroon to build up and lead humanity to its rightful dominance over the world. This soldier, later called Ignimius the Divine, started with a small band of zealot followers, a retinue of loyal men at arms, and an uncompromising vision. Through conversion, diplomacy, and the sword, Ignimius united all human faiths under his hierarchy. The Church of Ignimius the Divine became the single cultural center of human society. The Church instilled its virtues of piety, heroism, effectiveness, courage, justice, duty, fortitude, self-control, honesty, hospitality, and charity to a broken world.
Theology
Ever wanted to play in a setting where the theology of the most prominent world religion has been painstakingly thought out over years and dozens of pages of text. Ever wanted to play in a setting where you could reference what you PC priest might believe about the nature of evil, or the parts and purpose of the human soul--and have it all be consistent with the metaphysical reality of the world?? Well, I made it anyway.
Kingdoms
Campaigns are played after the fall of the Urnum Empire, which briefly united the world. Some campaigns take place shortly after the empire's fall, others take place more than 1000 years after that fall. During that span of time culture advances from bronze age to late medieval, but very little technological development takes place. Depending on how you count and when you do the counting, the world is made of 10 human kingdoms or thereabouts. The Kingdoms have some cultural similarities owing to their shared history in the Urnum Empire and their common faith in the Church of Ignimius.