Chivalry & Sorcery (1st-edition) PBEM, Just to Show You All...

From: rmgreen@watyew.uwaterloo.ca (Ronald M. Green)

Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1992 04:16:28 +0000

After seeing (and contributing to) the recent brouhaha over the feasibility
of early-edition Chivalry & Sorcery as a role-playing system, I have decided
to conduct a little experiment which will - with any luck - prove to be both
informative and entertaining for all concerned.
   I am going to start a Chivalry & Sorcery (1st-edition) PBEM campaign.

Since a have a number of commitments at the present time, I am only
interested in receiving applicants and reviewing ideas for characters right
now; character ideas will be hashed out between players and myself over the
next few weeks, with actual play not starting until early in April 1992.
   I am only looking for three or four players.  The setting will be the
fiefdom of a powerful landed knight at the southern edge of "settled" lands
in a relatively peaceful kingdom (you want details, have a social station
that lets you understand the system fully), and characters will be played
as individuals - *not* a party - unless two or more characters are in the
same location at the same time.
   Keep the following in mind...

a)  You are going to provide me with a very general background for a
       character idea, owing to the fact that social standing is a *big*
       part of the game.  An example of a rough character idea would be,
       "Lars is a family man who is a hard worker and is very loyal to
       his lord" or, "Bettina is a talented entertainer who loves to
       travel and has a soft spot for animals".  *Real* details as to
       social station, class and background would be between you and
       me.  Lars could just as easily be a townsman who serves in the
       militia, a serf trying to keep his family healthy and well, or
       a knight trying to wheedle a subinfeudant fief out of his lord
       for his own manor house; Bettina could also be played in any
       number of ways.
   b)  All ideas will be ultimately decided on by you; any and all
       dice rolling - *including* the numbers involved in character
       generation - will be done by me.  If you give me any numbers,
       they will be ignored.
   c)  Turns will be cycled through about once every two weeks, and
       postings will tend to be fairly long.  Your replies can be as
       long and detailed as you choose, or as terse as you think may
       be sufficient.  If I have questions, I'll ask them; feel free
       to do the same.
   d)  All players will receive a "setting" package going over the
       campaign area in more detail after final approval.  For your
       initial impressions, however, I will say this:  there is a
       single medium-sized castle (the lord's keep) and a nearby city;
       a Templar tower keep adjoining another city; and a city cited
       an independent charter (i.e., a "free town") on a large lake to
       the south which serves as a port; there are also four or five
       smaller communities; a couple of inns and hospitable manor houses;
       and a couple of thimble-sized hamlets.  Think about what type of
       lifestyle you'd like to be living in/near.
   e)  Combat will happen, although the odds of it go up astronomically
       if you have a character in a fighting profession, an adventurer,
       or if you travel overland very much.  In this regard, it's much
       like real life.  If you design a peaceful character in a peaceful
       setting ("Peter is an apprentice miller who loves to spend as
       much time at his work as possible..."), then your life will very
       likely be peaceful.  Please remember, however, that "peaceful"
       is *not* the same as "dull" or "boring" - trust me.
   f)  Characters will have such skills as seem reasonable for their
       profession, background and hobbies/interests.
   g)  You do *not* need a copy of the C&S rules to play!!!  I will
       gladly coach along any would-be players through character
       generation, and most actual play will not involve any technical
       references, just declarations of general intent.  I will provide
       any and all salient facts as required.

Well, that's it.  If you're interested in trying out what I honestly
believe to be a truly fun and "atmospheric" fantasy role-playing system,
please contact me at rmgreen@watyew as soon as possible with your ideas
for a character - and we'll talk.
   Talk to you later!

- Ronald M. Green -