A Brief Guide to Hunters of Terra Dolor
Welcome to the rules section of Hunters of Terra Dolor. Here I'll briefly go over any information one might have about Terra Dolor. Questions and answers will be added as they come up (or as I think of them). The first question is, naturally, the most obvious:
Q: What is Hunters of Terra Dolor?
A: Hunters of Terra Dolor is an up and coming roleplaying experience run by ZombieSplitter53 (that's me). Part game, part story-telling, players will take control of specially trained fighters, soldiers, and warriors who fight to slay monsters, save innocents, and make some gold along the way. This will be a fantasy story, filled with monsters, magic, Elves and Faeries, gods and demons. Dispensing with the use of dice, character sheets, and saving roles, the players will be writing an epic story together. The point, naturally, is to have fun, write an enjoyable story, and have a good time with friends.
Q: What is the setting of Terra Dolor?
A: On the planet of Terra, Terra Dolor is the name of continent in which our story will take place. It is a mega continent taking up nearly the entire southern hemisphere. The world itself contains a variety of different sentient races and terrifying monsters. The players will be new Hunters, recently recruited by the Hunter's Guild known as the Havenbrook Organization, in the Country of Serasam, near the border of the Duchy of Temar. The year is 3349 A.D. (After Darkness).
Q: What is a Hunter? And a Hunter's Guild?
A: Dating back to the mid 24th century, the Hunter's Guilds were created in order to have a organized group of people to deal with the constant threats of monsters, horrors, and bandits. A Hunter is a hired sword employed by a guild and sent out to help people and slay foes for a fee.
Q: How does one participate?
A: With some assistance, you'll make a character (possibly two if you feel you can handle it), a Hunter of your very own will a unique past, appearance, set of skills, and weapon proficiency. Roleplaying will then be split into two parts. One is purely character development at the Havenbrook Organization's headquarters, the Havenbrook Manor, were you'll play out interactions with other players' characters and the various NPCs (non-player characters) located at the manor, most of which will be played by myself. The second part is the adventurous part. Your characters will team up and put their skills to the test fighting, escorting, and protecting. These missions can range from large fights that will involve everyone to smaller missions that will only need your character and a few NPCs, occasionally with you writing it without needing me to narrate.
Q: How do I make a character?
A: First, take a look at the description of Terra Dolor's various countries (here), and the various races (here). You may pick a character race of Human, Elf, Light Elf, Thrope, or Netzi. Other races, such as Ophidians and Vampires, will not be selectable at first, but perhaps later on they will be. Then pick where they are from, what they look like, how old they are, and detail information about their past. Once the first NPC bios go up, you'll have a good template to make your own characters. An few important things to remember are that magic is not as common in this story as other fantasy tales, and guns are available but not as reliable either, so do not discount the usefulness of a good old fashion sword (or spear, or axe, or daggers, etc., etc.).
Q: Any tips for making a good character?
A: Well, I'm no expert, but I can give a couple things that I feel help flesh out my characters, and maybe they can help you too. Try and be specific about your character's appearance. Hair color, eye color, height, weight, distinguishing features and marks, and favorite clothes. Anything to help other visualize this person when they reading his or her lines.
Make their background just solid enough to have a firm foundation, but not so firm that you can't plant a garden or put in a pool. By this, I mean make sure there is some wiggle room for their past. It is good to know who this person is and where they are coming from, but there should be details about their past that are open, both so you can add things about them later, and to give others something to discover in the future.
Make sure they are interactable. The stone faced loner is always a go to, and that's okay, but you will be expected to interact with other players, both on and off the battlefield, so don't make them alienate people too much, or at least make them get better. Character flaws are something that give your character some uniqueness, but don't make them too out there. Ask yourself, "If I worked with a person who tends to lose their temper at the drop of the hat, curses at others all the time, and likes the taste of human flesh, would I want to talk to them?" Probably not, so keep that in mind when making your character unique, just not too unique.
Finally, don't be afraid to put a little bit of yourself into your character. They should, as someone you control, be someone you care about. Treat them like an extension of yourself, and have a little passion about them, their safety, and their friendships. (Just don't take it personally if they are insulted or anything.)
Q: How strong can my characters be?
A: Pretty strong. The Hunter's Guilds don't hire weaklings, and you will be fighting terrible monsters, so you want a character who can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. That said, keep in mind that none of your characters are going to be the strongest. As new recruits, there will be many other Hunters that are far stronger then yours. What's more, there will be plenty of monsters that you might not be able to take at first. You don't want your character to be too strong at first. Gary Stu and Mary Sue characters get boring fast. Part of what makes a character great is a reader's ability to connect to them, and one can't do that if they're too strong. Plus, who doesn't want to watch their character grow?
Q: Tell me more about the story of Terra Dolor. What is the theme?
A: The theme of this story will be dark fantasy. Inspirations for both the story and the world include Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Berserk, and the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Those worried about a story that is too depressing, worry not. There will be levity. The overall idea came from my love of JRPGs, like Final Fantasy, the Tales games, Dragon Quest, and so forth. I always understood why there were monster all over the place from a game play perspective, but I couldn't help but think how much more miserable a lot of these people should be considering the fact that they can't go from one place to another without the constant threats from bandits, killer cats, smiley-faced slimes, and angry trees. That is the idea here is we have a world where those monsters are a constant threat, and it makes the world a miserable place.
Q: How are skills and spells going to work in the RP?
A: Basically, when you are designing your characters, you'll use your imagination to come up with any special skills they might have. If they can use magic, you'll come up with a number of specific ways they can use the magic, limited of course by the element. Then, you'll go over it with me. I'll either approve it, say it won't work for one reason or another, (for example, if it is too overpowered, or it doesn't fit with an element, or it doesn't fit with the weapon your character uses), or I'll work with you to get it to a point where it does work. I'll be pretty understanding and open to ideas. But as I've said, I don't want characters to be too strong right from the start. Not everyone can start by running up thirty foot vertical walls, chopping boulders clean in half, dodging bullets, healing decapitations, or throwing giant, planet destroying death balls from the start.
Q: Can you tell me more about the history of Terra Dolor?
A: See below (A Brief History of Terra Dolor)
Q: Can you tell me more about the history of Hunter's Guilds and our Hunter's Guild?
A: See below (Hunter's Guilds and the Havenbrook Organization)
Q: If Sesaram is the place with automobiles, does that mean the party will be traveling around in a car?
A: Sometimes. Vehicles are fairly hard to manufacture and expensive to buy and maintain, and the vehicles used will be owned by the Havenbrook Organization itself. At least at the beginning, automobiles will be a literary device, meant to cut down the time needed to travel to farther away countries without the travel time being obscenely long. After all, there are no airplanes to hop in for a long trip. There will be simple passenger trains though, and there is a transcontinental river flowing through the mainland. Expect to use them more often then cars.
Q: What are the languages of Terra Dolor?
A: Terra Dolor has a common language, known as Doloran, spoken across the world and acting as the most common first language. The second most common language the Elvish language, Elven, and is taught in many countries. Nez is the language of the Netzi, though most Netzi additionally know the common tongue as well. Other languages include Ophidian, spoken the the race of the same name, Aquin, spoken by Merfolk, Ferata, spoken by Vampires, and Draconian, believed to be the Dragon language. Naturally, since it has been half a millennium since a dragon was confirmed seen, let alone spoken to, only specialized scholars can speak Draconian.
Welcome to the rules section of Hunters of Terra Dolor. Here I'll briefly go over any information one might have about Terra Dolor. Questions and answers will be added as they come up (or as I think of them). The first question is, naturally, the most obvious:
Q: What is Hunters of Terra Dolor?
A: Hunters of Terra Dolor is an up and coming roleplaying experience run by ZombieSplitter53 (that's me). Part game, part story-telling, players will take control of specially trained fighters, soldiers, and warriors who fight to slay monsters, save innocents, and make some gold along the way. This will be a fantasy story, filled with monsters, magic, Elves and Faeries, gods and demons. Dispensing with the use of dice, character sheets, and saving roles, the players will be writing an epic story together. The point, naturally, is to have fun, write an enjoyable story, and have a good time with friends.
Q: What is the setting of Terra Dolor?
A: On the planet of Terra, Terra Dolor is the name of continent in which our story will take place. It is a mega continent taking up nearly the entire southern hemisphere. The world itself contains a variety of different sentient races and terrifying monsters. The players will be new Hunters, recently recruited by the Hunter's Guild known as the Havenbrook Organization, in the Country of Serasam, near the border of the Duchy of Temar. The year is 3349 A.D. (After Darkness).
Q: What is a Hunter? And a Hunter's Guild?
A: Dating back to the mid 24th century, the Hunter's Guilds were created in order to have a organized group of people to deal with the constant threats of monsters, horrors, and bandits. A Hunter is a hired sword employed by a guild and sent out to help people and slay foes for a fee.
Q: How does one participate?
A: With some assistance, you'll make a character (possibly two if you feel you can handle it), a Hunter of your very own will a unique past, appearance, set of skills, and weapon proficiency. Roleplaying will then be split into two parts. One is purely character development at the Havenbrook Organization's headquarters, the Havenbrook Manor, were you'll play out interactions with other players' characters and the various NPCs (non-player characters) located at the manor, most of which will be played by myself. The second part is the adventurous part. Your characters will team up and put their skills to the test fighting, escorting, and protecting. These missions can range from large fights that will involve everyone to smaller missions that will only need your character and a few NPCs, occasionally with you writing it without needing me to narrate.
Q: How do I make a character?
A: First, take a look at the description of Terra Dolor's various countries (here), and the various races (here). You may pick a character race of Human, Elf, Light Elf, Thrope, or Netzi. Other races, such as Ophidians and Vampires, will not be selectable at first, but perhaps later on they will be. Then pick where they are from, what they look like, how old they are, and detail information about their past. Once the first NPC bios go up, you'll have a good template to make your own characters. An few important things to remember are that magic is not as common in this story as other fantasy tales, and guns are available but not as reliable either, so do not discount the usefulness of a good old fashion sword (or spear, or axe, or daggers, etc., etc.).
Q: Any tips for making a good character?
A: Well, I'm no expert, but I can give a couple things that I feel help flesh out my characters, and maybe they can help you too. Try and be specific about your character's appearance. Hair color, eye color, height, weight, distinguishing features and marks, and favorite clothes. Anything to help other visualize this person when they reading his or her lines.
Make their background just solid enough to have a firm foundation, but not so firm that you can't plant a garden or put in a pool. By this, I mean make sure there is some wiggle room for their past. It is good to know who this person is and where they are coming from, but there should be details about their past that are open, both so you can add things about them later, and to give others something to discover in the future.
Make sure they are interactable. The stone faced loner is always a go to, and that's okay, but you will be expected to interact with other players, both on and off the battlefield, so don't make them alienate people too much, or at least make them get better. Character flaws are something that give your character some uniqueness, but don't make them too out there. Ask yourself, "If I worked with a person who tends to lose their temper at the drop of the hat, curses at others all the time, and likes the taste of human flesh, would I want to talk to them?" Probably not, so keep that in mind when making your character unique, just not too unique.
Finally, don't be afraid to put a little bit of yourself into your character. They should, as someone you control, be someone you care about. Treat them like an extension of yourself, and have a little passion about them, their safety, and their friendships. (Just don't take it personally if they are insulted or anything.)
Q: How strong can my characters be?
A: Pretty strong. The Hunter's Guilds don't hire weaklings, and you will be fighting terrible monsters, so you want a character who can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. That said, keep in mind that none of your characters are going to be the strongest. As new recruits, there will be many other Hunters that are far stronger then yours. What's more, there will be plenty of monsters that you might not be able to take at first. You don't want your character to be too strong at first. Gary Stu and Mary Sue characters get boring fast. Part of what makes a character great is a reader's ability to connect to them, and one can't do that if they're too strong. Plus, who doesn't want to watch their character grow?
Q: Tell me more about the story of Terra Dolor. What is the theme?
A: The theme of this story will be dark fantasy. Inspirations for both the story and the world include Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Berserk, and the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Those worried about a story that is too depressing, worry not. There will be levity. The overall idea came from my love of JRPGs, like Final Fantasy, the Tales games, Dragon Quest, and so forth. I always understood why there were monster all over the place from a game play perspective, but I couldn't help but think how much more miserable a lot of these people should be considering the fact that they can't go from one place to another without the constant threats from bandits, killer cats, smiley-faced slimes, and angry trees. That is the idea here is we have a world where those monsters are a constant threat, and it makes the world a miserable place.
Q: How are skills and spells going to work in the RP?
A: Basically, when you are designing your characters, you'll use your imagination to come up with any special skills they might have. If they can use magic, you'll come up with a number of specific ways they can use the magic, limited of course by the element. Then, you'll go over it with me. I'll either approve it, say it won't work for one reason or another, (for example, if it is too overpowered, or it doesn't fit with an element, or it doesn't fit with the weapon your character uses), or I'll work with you to get it to a point where it does work. I'll be pretty understanding and open to ideas. But as I've said, I don't want characters to be too strong right from the start. Not everyone can start by running up thirty foot vertical walls, chopping boulders clean in half, dodging bullets, healing decapitations, or throwing giant, planet destroying death balls from the start.
Q: Can you tell me more about the history of Terra Dolor?
A: See below (A Brief History of Terra Dolor)
Q: Can you tell me more about the history of Hunter's Guilds and our Hunter's Guild?
A: See below (Hunter's Guilds and the Havenbrook Organization)
Q: If Sesaram is the place with automobiles, does that mean the party will be traveling around in a car?
A: Sometimes. Vehicles are fairly hard to manufacture and expensive to buy and maintain, and the vehicles used will be owned by the Havenbrook Organization itself. At least at the beginning, automobiles will be a literary device, meant to cut down the time needed to travel to farther away countries without the travel time being obscenely long. After all, there are no airplanes to hop in for a long trip. There will be simple passenger trains though, and there is a transcontinental river flowing through the mainland. Expect to use them more often then cars.
Q: What are the languages of Terra Dolor?
A: Terra Dolor has a common language, known as Doloran, spoken across the world and acting as the most common first language. The second most common language the Elvish language, Elven, and is taught in many countries. Nez is the language of the Netzi, though most Netzi additionally know the common tongue as well. Other languages include Ophidian, spoken the the race of the same name, Aquin, spoken by Merfolk, Ferata, spoken by Vampires, and Draconian, believed to be the Dragon language. Naturally, since it has been half a millennium since a dragon was confirmed seen, let alone spoken to, only specialized scholars can speak Draconian.
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