Wanted: People that can handle being a god

[Delta]

Wanted: Players w/ knack for storytelling, interested
in limitless power to help defend world against forces
from beyond our universe. Must have imagination and
determination; rulebook, scruples, and experience all
optional.

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I'm looking for players for a game of Nobilis.
I realise you may never have heard of it, but that's okay. It's not hard. There aren't even any dice.
If you're looking for a game that's heavy on the storytelling and characters with literally limitless potential, you might want to read on.

---------Something about the setting and the system----------

In Nobilis you play a regular human from a world a lot like our own. However, for some reason you may not even understand, an immensely powerful being has given you a shard of his Power and the responsibility to manage this domain for him while he is off fighting a war in the spiritual realm. So now you're an immortal Power and you have control over a single aspect of the world.
This could be anything and it's completely up to you.
There are no tables or limits besides your imagination. You could rule Fire, or Dreams, or Happiness, or Treason, or the Internet, or Animals, or something much more limited like power over Malevolent Cheese-loving Forum-Admins.
The things you can do with the domain you have power over are, again, only limited by your imagination.

I don't mean to quote Spiderman, but with great power comes great responsibility. The Imperator that granted you his power expects you to manage his affairs while he is off fighting, and he expects you to do a good job. Luckily there are others who have also gotten a shard of his power to help you with this task (the other players). Powers have to work both in the Prosaic (mortal) world and the Mythical world where everything has a living, sentient spirit and monsters are real, and in both these worlds at the same time.

The enemy that the Imperator is off fighting, the Excrucians, are trying to destroy our world, and when they try this via more covert means you're going to have to step up. The forces and Powers of Heaven, Hell, Dark and Light are constantly fighting both each other and the Excrucians, and there's an Illuminati-like human organisation with immortal support that's trying to muscle in on your affairs.

There are only 4 stats and combat is ridiculously uncomplicated, but because of the god-like nature of the PCs it's more versatile than in any other game.
However, actual man-to-man combat is rare as the Excrucians and the other Powers know that Powers are hard to kill.
Instead, knowing that you were mortal until recently, they attempt to destroy you by destroying and corrupting the things you love...

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Nobilis is a very, very versatile game, which I think is very suitable for forum play. So if you're even the slightest bit interested, or if you have questions, reply here and I'll get back to you!
Don't worry if you don't know the rules, you don't need the rulebook to play and I'll explain the rules in more detail once I get some players.

[RafeIxeian]

Lots of power can be fun. One question, is the power assigned by the god (and our choice is thus made OOC or does the god tell the character to choose the portfolio (making the choice a more IC thing)?

Possible portfolio ideas:
Time - although how to handle this might be a bit complex, it has enough potential that the possibilities have been explored by lots of authors already.
Light - Light allows for a lot of useful things if you're creative. All visual perception is based on light, afterall.
Weather - interesting because of how obvious the damage of a mistake could be, although I guess the same could be said of the others
Knowledge/Secrets - I can so easily imagine tons of different characters for this (e.g. Sarcasticly remarks, "What good would I be with this if I just trusted everyone?")
Memory - always an interesting one to explore. <Conflict with knowledge though - memory is technically defined as knowledge of past events>
Dreams is also very interest. Even just control over sleep could be fun.
Or as a very interesting character, but one that would definitely need special approval and cooperation from the GM - the domain of "All things that affect <some specific person X>" It's not hard to imagine motivations for someone to choose this, and it could be a good story if handled right.

Anyway, I'm sure that by now you've worked out that I have some interest in this, but I should probably mention that I'm considering joining two others as well, and am already GMing one. I could easily drop myself from one of the others though.

[superhal]

Ok, please pm me, i love this idea.

Dibz on time though.

[k-raov]

Only if I can have Domain over Plaid.

wEs

Or Quarks (Not the guy from DS9), given the trend of physics oriented thigns I've seen. Our Imperator could be good for some Quantum Physics or something.

[Niko_Kaze]

Hmmm if he claims time I claim Physics. I got to find a rule book though, I think my local BME has one.

[Kurogo]

Ooh, I have got to get in on this. I call dibs on Space, as in, the area that matter exists within, not orbit.

[Niko_Kaze]

So we have Time, Physics, And Space... I see a trend...

[Alexeon]

This sounds interesting! How often do I need to post to play, though? I can handle one or two times a day but I cant be counted on to be essentially chatting on the forum for extended periods. I have a job so I can post a bit and catch up before work and after work.


If I do play, though, Ill take the power over molecular control, in other words, I can make a sword out of air particles by gathering them densely enough and can wield it. Even if the item I make would be too heavy for me, since I have control over those particles, I just have them move in the path I want them to. In order to not make this into an overpowerful skill, Ill add that it works most reliably on liquids and gases. Breaking a solid's molecular structure takes a lot of energy. Additionally, I can turn gasses into plasma and add an electric-based attack.

How does that sound?

[Skurvy]

This sounds like a really interesting concept. Have you got a limit on the number of players you can run?

SKurvy

[backdoorbob]

Let's see, hmm... we got space, time, physics, molecules... plaid...

I call energy (all forms)


Thermal energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_energy) popularly known as heat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat)
Chemical energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemistry#Chemical_energy)
Electrical energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_energy)
Radiant energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_energy) commonly known as light (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light) energy
Nuclear energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_energy)
Magnetic energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_%28physics%29#Magnetic_energy)
Elastic energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastic_energy)
Sound Energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound)
Renewable energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy)
Non-renewable energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-renewable_energy)
kinetic energy
telekinetic energy
gravitational energy
temporal energy
potential energy
positive, negative energy
anti energy
mental energy
psychic energy
known or unknown energy
alien energy
black hole energy
big bang, big crunch energy
other energy
any and all energy

(Just covering my bases, you want to be pretty thorough when someone gives you a single wish.)

I would like to be a human energy detector, always looking for new forms of energy to understand and control. Kind of seeing the world as one would see the Matrix in its true form.

My character would always have himself contained in three concentric spherical fields of "Invisible" protective energy.

The first field would be three feet thick of opposing potential energy. This field would slow anything entering it to a snails pace.

The second field would be two feet thick of draining energy. This field would drain 75% of the energy out of anything entering it. So I could check to see if it is friend or foe. Be it friend, I would safely return its energy. Be it foe, I would remove the remaining energy until it was dead. Or just pull it into the third field.

The third field would be one foot thick of intense energy. This field would vaporize "ANYTHING" entering it. Just in case something that thinks it's really tough tries to get through.

I would also have a fourth, skin tight, field of shield energy that would repulse anything hitting it. You know, just in case.

So thats a six foot radius, or a twelve foot diameter, of "Invisible" protective energy.

If you were to look at my character it would look like I was walking through a heat wave. My image would be semi-hazy appearing to waver in the wind like that of a mirage. The Iris of my eyes would glow white hot, just like the light from an arc welder. Staring at them too long would give you sunspots in your eyes.

All of the energy fields can be adjusted in any way as I see fit. None of the energy I control would restrict my movement, cause harm to myself, prevent collection of new energy or restrict control of other forms of energy.

I can play Monday, Thursday and Friday. Please let me know if I am in.

Thanks,
Bob

[backdoorbob]

Whew... snatched that one up quick

Lots of power can be fun. One question, is the power assigned by the god (and our choice is thus made OOC or does the god tell the character to choose the portfolio (making the choice a more IC thing)?

Possible portfolio ideas:
Time - although how to handle this might be a bit complex, it has enough potential that the possibilities have been explored by lots of authors already.
Light - Light allows for a lot of useful things if you're creative. All visual perception is based on light, afterall.
Weather - interesting because of how obvious the damage of a mistake could be, although I guess the same could be said of the others
Knowledge/Secrets - I can so easily imagine tons of different characters for this (e.g. Sarcasticly remarks, "What good would I be with this if I just trusted everyone?")
Memory - always an interesting one to explore. <Conflict with knowledge though - memory is technically defined as knowledge of past events>
Dreams is also very interest. Even just control over sleep could be fun.
Or as a very interesting character, but one that would definitely need special approval and cooperation from the GM - the domain of "All things that affect <some specific person X>" It's not hard to imagine motivations for someone to choose this, and it could be a good story if handled right.

Anyway, I'm sure that by now you've worked out that I have some interest in this, but I should probably mention that I'm considering joining two others as well, and am already GMing one. I could easily drop myself from one of the others though.

[Delta]

Ok give me a minute to answer all of the questions here :P

On the general questions:

Lots of power can be fun. One question, is the power assigned by the god (and our choice is thus made OOC or does the god tell the character to choose the portfolio (making the choice a more IC thing)?The choice is made OOC by yourself at character creation, but IC-wise your character never had a choice. He/She was found to be a likely candidate by the Imperator, or a dying Power gave him/her his shard so the power wouldn't go to waste.

How often do I need to post to play, though?I understand that people are busy, and one or two posts is really all I expect here. I would like to point out, in case anyone was wonder, that I'd like some replies longer than 2 lines :D It's a storytelling game, for the players as well.

Have you got a limit on the number of players you can run?I thought I'd be lucky if I got enough people together to play at all. It looks like right now there are 8 interested people, and I think 6 is my limit seeing as this will be the first forum game I run and I don't want to lose track of everyone.


On the power-related questions:

Or as a very interesting character, but one that would definitely need special approval and cooperation from the GM - the domain of "All things that affect <some specific person X>"Some things I failed to explain because I wanted to keep the first post catchy: dementia animus, and anchors. Dementia animus is what happens if you throw miracles around with mortals nearby. They're forced to acknowledge the existance of a Mythical world, and from then on they can't see the regular world anymore and go batshit crazy. This is really really frowned upon by the Imperators and their boss, and the boss's punishments suck severely. Having power over <Specific Person X> would mean that <Specific Person X> would probably not last too long. Also, you could only last the course of his mortal lifetime. Powers live longer than mortals, but they still age (eventually).
The (sort of) way around is is by making <Specific Person X> an anchor. An anchor is basically a mortal disciple that is exempt from dementia animus because he has been granted some fragment of the Power's power. Anchors allow Powers more direct influence in the mortal world (what if the president of the US was your anchor?), someone to run errands, plus: you can see through their eyes, communicate telepathically and you always know where they are. Downsides: they are bad-luck magnets and to create an anchor you have to either truly love or truly hate the person.

My character would always have himself contained in three concentric spherical fields of "Invisible" protective energy.Two things about this: each power has a field around him by default, called Auctoritas, which extends about 5 feet and acts as a shield against other Powers' miracles. The strength of this field is determined by one of your stats.
Second thing: Having a shield like the one you describe is good idea, but would require a constant consious effort and would drain your points very quickly, since in game terms this is a pretty heavy-duty miracle to perform. There's not really a limit to what you can do, but there is a limit to how much or often you can do it before you get too tired to do anything.

Conclusion:

I think I may need to start reading up on my physics (damn you people, I'm a language type!)
To reiterate: 6 players max. Who is in and who is out will be decided at my discretion, based mostly on what I think fits in the story.

PM me a basic character concept if you're interested, deadline is Wednesday at noon, Central time.
Basic here means pretty much like the ones in already this thread, except in my PM folder where they're easy to keep track of.
I'll need 2 or 3 domains you're interested in, since it looks like some of them may overlap, as well as anything you may want to tell me about your character. Actual character creation will occur later, of course :)

I'll start bugging Barrok about forum space.

[Delta]

I forgot to mention some domains are off-limits because high-ranking people already have them, namely:


Scorn
Destruction
Desecration
The Infinite
The Future

[Delta]

People who have replies so far:

-Alexeon
-Backdoorbob
-K-Raov
-Kurogo
-Niko_Kaze
-Rach Darastrix
-RafeIxeian
-Superhal

NOTE: I MIGHT have accidentally hit one of your replies while I was cleaning up my PM folder. I apologise. If your name isn't on the list but it should be, please re-send me your PM.

[Niko_Kaze]

I can't get a copy of Nobilis, but if I understand correctly it's a 2 point per stat point system with 15 points to start right?

[Delta]

3 points per stat 25 points to start, but close :) The same points are used to buy extra MP, a secondary Domain, or to choose gifts (like fire breathing, wings, etc.)

I'll explain character creation in detail later, after I've determined who's in. Right now all I need is just what you want your Domain to be (and a back-up just in case), and a few words on your character.

[Delta]

Alright, sign-ups closed.

There are 8 people for 6 spots.
I will be back shortly and PM everyone on whether they are in.

[RavenSnow]

Hi I would Love the Realm of Dreams. I truly believe I could fill that role quite well and I even have a kick arse plot swirling around in my head. I love Free form storyteller style games its the only thing I play. I don't have a hell of a lot of time on my hands though but I have been role playing for years and I think you would very much enjoy my style; I tend to be kinda a surrealist with vivid imagery which I think would be perfect for the power of dreams slot :D. I don't have the best grammar skills but my posts are more than ledge able and it has never been a problem in the past. I'm not an aggressive role player I usually talk to some one if I'm going to attack them or something or mess with their plot cause its all about the story for me and I'm a good sport about things so long as the other person isn't being an but head. I have worked close with Gms before to create some sweet storylines I have even been a gm in the past myself and know how it is. However this is my first time playing in this forum (Barroks Tower).


Brightest Blessings

BadgerMoonFire

PS never mind just saw your last post oops have fun

[Delta]

Hey, no problem. :) If a slot opens up I'll keep you in mind!