I like both ideas, I will start to read up on both and give a few ideas of my known.

Aloha.

So, heres a basic barebones sketch of a character.

The character that springs would, in D&D, probably be of the Bard or Savant class(which I say just to help convey my intent). She's an incessant wanderer, who pokes and pries into thing. Bottomless curiosity and itchy feet. Would walk into Mordor the ruins of Valyria just to see whats there. Jack of all trades, silver tongue, knows a bit about almost everything. Pokes into ancient legends, current events, interestingly shaped trees.. Strong resonance with the trickster sage archetype. I'd also like to start with a little magic and/or the Warg thing. Lady always has a trick up her sleeve and some of them are real magic.

I'm thinking she might be one of Robert's bastards, through a camp follower during the war.

Happily, she could work in almost any sort of style of SoIaF game. When you're more trouble than a bag full of cats, all sorts of potential doors open for you. Admittedly, usually someone is trying throw you out through those doors but the point remains!

In reply to AstroTurtle (msg # 6):

Well I'm somewhat flexible regarding my character concept, I can adapt to whatever style of game people have in mind (and whichever Era).

I have played PCs in different Eras, so I have a variety of backgrounds/concepts I could go with (or try something new).

Usually I play knights of some type (though I have played a Braavosi dance master and a Maester before).

So AstroTurtle, any preferences on location?

Of the 7 Kingdoms, I have to admit that I'm partial towards Dorne.

I suppose The North could be interesting (though perhaps a better setting for a Night's Watch oriented game).

Another idea would be if we didn't start out on Westeros... what if we were from the Free Cities across the Sea (though I will admit that some sort of "tweaking" would be needed regarding Languages because as the standard ASOIAF RPG rules go, it is prohibitively expensive to learn even the very basics of a 2nd language).

Obviously once a location/region/kingdom is picked, then discussions about Houses will be easier (as the Region will narrow down the available Houses).

I do like Dorne. Lots of sand in Dorne. Good shorelines.

We could be a pirate crew!

Oh dude if we do a pirate crew I'm so being a drowned priest from the iron islands.

I'd prefer to be in Westeros to Essos, I just feel there is so much more background in Westeros.

We could sail the high seas, pirating and smuggling and performing exquisitely choreographed musical numbers!

I would say that most of my knowledge is Westeros, BUT I enjoy this setting so such it's not a problem for me to buckle down and read up on the rest of the world.

Also the game can start in Westeros and end up anywhere. The adventures and storyline is still very rough - all ideas so far is wonderful, I hope to incorporate into the game as we go.

In reply to WarynJasra (msg # 10):

An Ironborn House would be very interesting, we could sail all over and the politics of the Isles are pretty interesting when they are at home. But the GM requested no evil characters, and since the Ironborn seem to revere pillaging and raping I think they might qualify as evil by default unless our characters were very exceptional Ironborn like Baelor Blacktyde or Rodrick Harlaw.

I would like Dorne. It seems to be the most unique region, and has the added benefit of being more accepting of women, allowing for more diverse female characters if that's what we want.

But I could certainly go with any other region.

Not sure how I feel about being "pirates," unless we're an Iron Islands house doing some reaving.

We could try smuggling? Davos did well with that.

Of course, there's going to be a fight over who ends up as Chewbacca.

In reply to AstroTurtle (msg # 16):

I could be Leia! Though, I think all the Seven Kingdom's princesses are accounted for.

Question for discussing eras we might play: Has everyone here read all the books?

In reply to FPSMC (msg # 14):

That's not what I exactly meant as 'evil' - but if everyone agrees to the Ironborn then I can work with it.

I'm just not interest in a detailed posting of sexually content with deep description of a rape or those types of topics.

Hmm... yeah that's true.

I generally view the Ironborn as "bad guys"... though to be fair, I'm not sure who the "good guys" are in ASOIAF.  ;)

I suppose there's really no more raping, pillaging, raiding going on with the Ironborn than there are among the other Houses (they just use "knights" like how Tywin uses The Mountain for his dirty work).


Alternatively... what if the game was set either just after or shortly after the Greyjoy Rebellion?  We could be a crew of Ironborn who refused to "bend the knee" to Robert even after Lord Greyjoy surrendered.

We would be "fugitives" (although secretly some of the Ironborn might support us) who are basically carrying on our own private guerrilla war against the Iron Throne (sort of like "The Undefeated") through raids and such.  Of course all we would own would be the clothes on our backs, the weapons in our hands, and a share of the ship we sail upon.  But perhaps when things got too hot around Westeros, we would travel across the sea to sell our "swords" as a mercenary ship (basically the nautical equivalent of a Free Company).

In reply to FPSMC (msg # 17):

I have only read the wikis and RPG books not the George R. R. Martin stuff - A Song of Ice and Fire.

Yeah that is part of the reason why I tend to be partial towards Dorne (but I too can roll with whatever region people prefer).  ;)

I've read the series.

I favor Dorne too, though a northern setting could be fine. Zombies!

Don't forget that not everyone has to be Ironborn if that's what some like. As long as you can weave a story that fits we can form a group.

 If I wanted a maritime-focused game, I'd probably try for a game/system designed with explicitly that in mind. Not that I'd mind an Ironborn house or a house of Blackwater Bay (i.e. the Velaryons), but swashbuckling adventures on the high seas aren't really what I'm after. The politicking and intrigue and dynastic conflicts are more what I'm after.

And we could certainly play ironborn who aren't raping and murdering types. An interesting option might be an ironborn house trying to repair the Islands' reputation and forge a new path for the ironborn after Harren's death, Balon's defeat or Dagon's rebellion.

But my vote is for Dorne, but I'm flexible as long as it's not a pirate/maritime game. If people want to go for Pirates of the Carribean in Westeros, you can count me out.

I'd prefer the North to Dorne, but I'm okay with either.

The problem with Ironborne politics is that Ironborn are forbidden to kill other Ironborn, so if they stay in the Iron Islands any combat-based characters are going to be really bored.

I have read the first 4 books and part of the 5th book.  I have ready the ASOIAF Wikis pretty extensively.  I am familiar with but have not actually read the "Prequels" (the Duncan the Tall & Egg stories).


That's cool with me Mustard Tiger... I have to admit that I have a small prejudice against the Ironborn (they strike me as real bastards with few redeeming qualities).  So my heart is far from "set" on playing Ironborn or pirates/raiders.

And I'm not really sure ASOIAF RPG really handles sea voyages or sea battles all that well either.

So I guess my vote joins yours (and AstroTurtle) in being in favor of Dorne.  ;)

In reply to Mustard Tiger (msg # 24):

I would agree that some game like 7th Sea would be a better pick for a swashbuckling campaign.

but I can have an adventure that takes the PCs for a short time in that direction - maybe :)

Here are some of the key ideas so far;
Knight Errants
Free Company
Iron Island raiders
Pirates
Westeros
Dorne
Fugitives of the crown
northern setting

Well there is always the possibility of being a Ward (or marrying into) Dorne from The North.