Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

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Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#1 Post by Q.Q Elf »

Okay... since the other ideas worked so well :lol:

Interested in trying out Numenera? Here's a one-shot with the introductory adventure, "The Beale of Boregal". (We can go on from there, but I am only promising a one-shot at this point.)

What is Numenera?
Information can be found:
http://www.numenera.com/
http://theninthworld.com/

It won the 2014 Origins award for best roleplaying game (beating out Shadowrun 5e, FATE Core, and 13th Age). It won a 2014 ENnie Gold award for product of the year, best setting, and a bunch of other stuff. It's pretty much one of the things to check out in the RPG world this year.

It's Monte Cook's Kickstarter project, which raised over US$500,000 at the time. Why? Monte Cook wrote a ton of Planescape content, along with the Ptolus setting. Monte also wrote a bunch of stuff in 3e. After "creative differences" with Wizards over 5e, Monte left the D&D business. Numenera is his new thing. (It's also the setting for the next "Torment" PC RPG game, sort of following up on the beloved Planescape: Torment.)

Numenera uses the "Cypher" system, which is Monte's creation. The system is MUCH lighter than 3e D&D... it completely does away with the battle map. Rolls don't have the layers of umpteen billion modifications like there are in 3e. It's straight up difficulty checks, with player-driven choices to shift difficulty in exchange for effort (read: use up some of your pool of "hit points" for various attributes). There's no requirement for tank & healbot classes, and there's no XP for killing. XP is earned by finding cool new stuff (exploring) and by taking on GM "Intrusions" (read Fate Points from FATE, Hard Moves from Apocalypse World, etc.).

It's basically D&D with a more narrativist bent, but it's not as wildly on the one side as 3e D&D nor on the other side as FATE. It's kind of a middle-of-the-road kludge-light narrativist-light system. A lot hinges on GMs using Intrusions without being giant donkey holes about it (and FATE/Apocalypse World/Burning Wheel experience helps you understand how to use this kind of thing).

What is the setting? It's set in the 9th Age of the Earth, which is basically a far future Dark Age... about a billion years ahead of our time. (Monte doesn't like the way our Fantasy Dark Ages do away with squalor, filth, disease, and the general unpleasant nature of Earth's Dark Age.) Everything that we know about the Earth is gone, except for humanity. There were 8 previous ages of the Earth, including eras in which Humanity no longer was the dominant species.

In the 9th Age, Humans exist in a future techno Dark Age. A lot of civilized Human effort goes towards uncovering the Numenera... which is described as the technological detritus of the fallen ages. It's technology that is so advanced, it's indistinguishable from magic, per Arthur C Clarke. Nanotechnology (its purpose long since forgotten) allows for wizardry & such. Basically, it's D&D without the poop & filth, and with more plastic & techno-weirdness.

...

If you want to see what Numenera characters look like, check out the following character generator:
http://darkliquid.co.uk/playground/numenera/

There are 3 classes.
  • Glaive - the fighting dudes
  • Nano - technowizards
  • Jack - jacks of all trades, which can be built as fighter/wizard hybrids and/or more technical specialists (Thief, Bard, etc.)
Your basic character creation is like this.
--- I am a (adjective) (Class Name) that ("verbs" some special ability)

That's about it. Picking stuff to fill out the sentence is the hardest part of character generation.

There's a chunk of additional work, including character background linkages that are implied by the choices you make in setting up your character. If you fire up the generator, though, you'll see how much more streamlined it is compared to 3e.

...

So... looking for 3-5 players. No experience with Numenera is required.

If the game works out, those who want to continue onward can go on another premade adventure from the book. (We can always re-recruit for the next adventure because there will be no implied linkage to the next game.)

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#2 Post by Mister-Kent »

Hmm--I'd be interested! No Numenera experience but my friends recommend it. Probably a nano or jack?
DMing DUNGEONESQUE, LL AEC Gothic-weird fantasy
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Formerly Numen, Thisby Queller (RIP) and Radiant Olympia (RIP)!
Frekken Ribbitowicz in Mutant Future: Tales from Gam'A Zone (Gamma World)
Anne Summerisle and Gustav the Grasping in Caves of Chaos (LL)
Elden Vodarte in The Horror at Briarsgate (AD&D 1E)
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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#3 Post by Q.Q Elf »

I leave it up to you all to decide classes. I think we'll want one of each just because you'll want to see each one... but the game itself doesn't require it.

The Beale of Boregal doesn't require a specific solution (i.e. combat). It would be hard for me to imagine a D&D or Pathfinder module that isn't based around killing the Big Bad Boss at the end. And while such a resolution is a valid method to resolve the Beale of Boregal, it is only one option.

Numenera struggles against its D&D roots, but to Monte's credit, the Beale of Boregal neither eliminates those roots nor surrenders completely to them.

EDIT:

The basic premise behind this story is that the characters are pilgrims from the Steadfast, taking a pilgrimage to the Beyond. -OR- People who prey upon the Amber Papists. That's another valid choice to set foot on the pilgrim's path.

That's when the characters come across this "Beale of Boregal" (no relation to Jessica Biel).

(It's one of those classic D&D things for premade adventures. It's difficult to give you a pre-canned motivation that isn't corny, but there it is.)

NOTE: The Amber Papacy (the dominant "religion" of the Steadfast) is more like a militant form of atheism, based on adoration of the ancestors' numenera... nominally based on rationality & science, but certainly not above declaring Crusades on what the Amber Pope feels to be superstition/heresy. So, when I say "Pilgrim", I mean believers in the cult of numenera science-ism.

EDIT 2: (Without bumpage...)

EDIT 3: (also avoiding a bump right now)
I do have the Character Options book (so everything in the online character generators would be valid for play). I also have the "Love & Sex in the Ninth World" (giggity) PDF, written by Numenera's Lead Editor Shanna Germain, so I'll entertain backgrounds that reflect that PDF & I may well hand out Cyphers from it, but the game is not going to heavily revolve around that aspect. (Like many modern RPGs, it's pretty gender-inclusive, regardless of what they might say to the contrary on RPG.net.)

I also got the Celestial Wisdom PDF (which talks about AIs & constructs as gods of the 9th world), plus the Naval Perils PDF... both of which are free on DTRPG.

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#4 Post by thesniperknight1 »

I am a complete newbie to D&D and this is literally the first time I hear about Numenera, but I am a fast learner and a hard worker. So if you'll have me, I am there
Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.” ― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#5 Post by Q.Q Elf »

Newbies are certainly welcome in this one. I think it's a good system for newer gamers, actually. It allows you to sit back a bit more compared to other narrative type systems, but it also allows me to push your roleplaying through the system in a way that DnD doesn't.

Any way, we'll need one more to truly start it up, I think.

In the meantime, if you have questions about the game, do let me know.

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#6 Post by Mister-Kent »

I love playing with the character creator~! Some interesting results. For example, And Honorable Glaive who Murders :D
DMing DUNGEONESQUE, LL AEC Gothic-weird fantasy
DMing CAT'S CRADLE, Stars Without Number/Other Dust
Playing
Constance Wyrdweather and Ruwyn Hollowheart in Labyrinth Lord: West Marches Sandbox (LL AEC)
Formerly Numen, Thisby Queller (RIP) and Radiant Olympia (RIP)!
Frekken Ribbitowicz in Mutant Future: Tales from Gam'A Zone (Gamma World)
Anne Summerisle and Gustav the Grasping in Caves of Chaos (LL)
Elden Vodarte in The Horror at Briarsgate (AD&D 1E)
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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#7 Post by Q.Q Elf »

Character creation is a strength of this, I think. There are only 3 classes, but you have so many combinations that you can work with. And it's fast.

I think one description of Numenera is that the players feel like they have the character build optionality of new DnD, while the GM has the story powers from FATE. It's a good combination, I think. All the participants get fun bits to play with.

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#8 Post by thesniperknight1 »

Thanks :) hope I am not too much of a burden
I haven't played a normal DnD game, so I can't judge it, but I did (still am) playing a custom rules DnD with much fewer rules, and that really gives the player and the GM more space to get into roleplaying which is kind of what it's all about. Too many rules can be restrictive, and thats what really pulled me to Numenera. And the character creation is really interesting and fun with a lot of possibilities.

but then again, I am new, so what do I know XD

Where can I get a copy of the core rules?
Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.” ― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#9 Post by Q.Q Elf »

I got my physical copy of the Core book through Amazon.com.
http://www.amazon.com/Numenera-Corebook ... 939979005/

The Player's Guide gives you all the character creation stuff from the Core rules (but not the Character Options book)... plus the "basic rules" behind the Cypher system, which drives the Numenera experience.
http://www.amazon.com/Numenera-Players- ... 939979013/

I got my PDFs through drivethrurpg (which has all sorts of gaming PDFs). The site is just JAMMED with people right now due to the various games on sale, so it's hard even getting there.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/114133/Numenera

You can also order direct from Monte Cook.
http://www.montecookgames.com/shop/

...
Since I'm teaching, you don't need any of the rulebooks.

HOWEVER, this is a good game.

The system is light & lends itself to quick resolution (unlike certain modern D&Ds).
The character options are awesome, if overly slanted towards combat.
The game master "Intrusion" rules are great for keeping the narrative rolling.
The game world itself is interesting and cool... it's big & has lots of interesting corners to it.

If you're not sure, buy the Player's Guide. It give you enough to play the game in an educated way. I'd only buy it in Hardcopy, though, because that's what it's useful for... to give a player something tangible to look at.

If you buy a rules PDF, buy the whole Core Rules book. It occasionally goes on sale on the various PDF e-tailers (at 50%, it's an awesome deal). I actually paid the "full" $19.99 for the PDF because I do like the system that much. It was worth it to me to not have to carry the GIGANTIC hardcover Core Rules around.

In my opinion, the ideal combo is...
Core Rules PDF + Player's Guide hardcopy
(as long as you work with PDF without trouble)

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#10 Post by Q.Q Elf »

Looking for one more player! We can use 2-3 more, actually, but I wouldn't want to start Beale of Boregal with less than 3.

If you want to see what a Numenera character looks like, check out this online character generator:
http://darkliquid.co.uk/playground/numenera/

If you have questions about any of the terms or options you see in the generator, do let me know!

Edit (no thread bump):
Request for a game board is up. I'd be happy to discuss character options in much more detail once the board of up.

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#11 Post by Q.Q Elf »

Just bumping here.

What is the Beale of Boregal about?

So there's this pilgrim's path, out in the Beyond (outside of Civilization). Again... this is a pilgrimage for the absolute faith in science and a lack of gods, in the weird far future of Numenera. And "numenera" is a term for the technological detritus of the fabled past, fallen ages.

Why would militant atheists go walk on a pilgrimage? There are numenera out there, in the Beyond, that aren't catalog-able by the Aeon Priests of the Steadfast. By going into the Beyond, to consider and analyze the unknown, a pilgrim can advance the knowledge of the techno-past in the Steadfast. The pilgrims can also help to reduce the amount of superstition about the numenera by seeing it in person. (like an anti-spiritualism journey. By seeing it as real, then you have fewer mysteries about its reality. And our science is based on physical observation rather than leaps of faith. At least, leaps of faith are reserved for the big scientists, not the ones in the weeds).

One such numenera along the pilgrim's path is a device that allows people to speak with the recently dead. It's this artifact that the Beale of Boregal is about.

...

More info (for fun)...

An interview with Monte Cook about Numenera...
Part 1: http://geek-news.mtv.com/2013/07/24/mon ... terview-1/
Part 2: http://geek-news.mtv.com/2013/07/25/mon ... interview/

Numenera Lead Editor Shanna Germain's unfortunate character sheet (if you're messing around with the character generator, she's playing a Graceful Nano who Rides the Lightning)...
https://plus.google.com/+ShannaGermain/ ... vzcDAcJxFv

Interview with both Monte & Shanna...
http://io9.com/a-new-age-of-science-fan ... 1216234747

Monte & Shanna discussing their game line...
http://www.montecook.com/an-interview-w ... a-germain/

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#12 Post by Mister-Kent »

Actually getting more excited for this. I watch the Rollplay shows on Youtube (vids of awesome RPG sessions), and they have a series on Numenera I just started watching (I'm mostly there for Swan Song/SWN!)

Here is the link to the first play session--the DM does an awesome job of setting the scene and you really see chargen in progress! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoPhzCqKTYs
DMing DUNGEONESQUE, LL AEC Gothic-weird fantasy
DMing CAT'S CRADLE, Stars Without Number/Other Dust
Playing
Constance Wyrdweather and Ruwyn Hollowheart in Labyrinth Lord: West Marches Sandbox (LL AEC)
Formerly Numen, Thisby Queller (RIP) and Radiant Olympia (RIP)!
Frekken Ribbitowicz in Mutant Future: Tales from Gam'A Zone (Gamma World)
Anne Summerisle and Gustav the Grasping in Caves of Chaos (LL)
Elden Vodarte in The Horror at Briarsgate (AD&D 1E)
I make the comics and arts! // Tumblr // DeviantArt // EnterVOID

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#13 Post by thesniperknight1 »

The more I learn about this game, the more intriuged I am. I might go ahead and buy the pdf version, sadly, where I live I must pay almost triple for the physical version for shipping, so I will stick with the pdf.

Can't wait to start this :)
Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.” ― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#14 Post by Q.Q Elf »

Might have one more player soon...

Still waiting on getting the game board up. 8-)

Did a LOT of work around the house this weekend. Where did the time go? :cry:
There is only one real path: the river of fire. Everything else is an illusion. Trevor Faith, in Christopher Moeller's Faith Conquers

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#15 Post by Q.Q Elf »

Go ahead and toss around your character info. I can fill in info about the setting & specific stuff about esoteries (within the fair use bit, any way. I can't tell you all the specific info or it would be piracy. Yarrrr).

I'm on my phone, but do an internet search on "Numenera steadfast" to get more on background of your characters' settings.

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#16 Post by thesniperknight1 »

sorry but I have two questions

First, which class should I choose? I only ask because you said previously that you wanted us to try all the classes
Second, whats the character sheet that we should use? since the website that you posted dosen't have room for background or character description

thank you :)
Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.” ― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#17 Post by Q.Q Elf »

I haven't decided on a sheet. If you could copy & paste out of the online generator, that's probably the best way to start a sheet, I think.

As for class, I think it's good if we have 1 if each, but just choose what you like best. If we have 3 Nanos, we can deal with it. Combat doesn't have to force any decision on classes, and I'd bet there's at least one Jack if not a Glaive.

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#18 Post by Mister-Kent »

I was leaning towards a Jack or Nano myself--will have a sheet started tonight, I think :)
DMing DUNGEONESQUE, LL AEC Gothic-weird fantasy
DMing CAT'S CRADLE, Stars Without Number/Other Dust
Playing
Constance Wyrdweather and Ruwyn Hollowheart in Labyrinth Lord: West Marches Sandbox (LL AEC)
Formerly Numen, Thisby Queller (RIP) and Radiant Olympia (RIP)!
Frekken Ribbitowicz in Mutant Future: Tales from Gam'A Zone (Gamma World)
Anne Summerisle and Gustav the Grasping in Caves of Chaos (LL)
Elden Vodarte in The Horror at Briarsgate (AD&D 1E)
I make the comics and arts! // Tumblr // DeviantArt // EnterVOID

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#19 Post by Q.Q Elf »

Cool.

I'm looking on the internet for rules summaries that fit the "Fair Use" rules. It's kind of tricky to find stuff that isn't totally infringing on the owner's rights.

My main goal is to find stuff to describe the XP rules... mainly, the "spending XP" rules. You can do stuff for 1, 2, 3, or 4 XP... including (for 1 XP) rerolling any dice, including another player's dice, noting that the GM rolls no dice... or for 4 XP, a permanent buff to your character, which also earns a step towards advancing one Tier.

Spelling the specific rules out, verbatim, is certainly forbidden. I think I can describe it in general terms, but I think I'd have to fudge the character sheets myself rather than tell you how you modify your characters when you choose an advancement in order to "obscure" what happens per the rules... so we'll probably have to do a hosted sheet on Google Docs, I think, as the "official" repository.

Anyway, just thinking aloud at this point...
There is only one real path: the river of fire. Everything else is an illusion. Trevor Faith, in Christopher Moeller's Faith Conquers

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Re: Interest check: Numenera intro, "The Beale of Boregal"

#20 Post by Q.Q Elf »

w00t. Game forum up here:
viewforum.php?f=175

Please direct your posts to that board, Mister-Kent and thesniperknight1.

All other interested players, please post here! Thanks :)

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