So does our dice pool of 15 (minus traits) go up, or do we just stay the same and we've just got the option of sacrificing some of our pool for the solidity of traits?

I think the game says that it goes up to 9 if not at nine or above on the next session. At least, I'm reading it like that. So, even if you have less than 9 now, at the end of the session, you start with 9 at the beginning of the next.

Can we use those 9 to buy more points for traits? How does it work for traits that already had points in them?

If that's the case, though, then what would be the point of not putting all of your dice into traits, so you had 15 points of traits, square in the knowledge that you'll get a new 9 at the start of each session?

I fear I'm getting terminally confused.

I think I picked up an extra die after my roll in the last scene, which would put my total on 6 (5+1), but if I'm getting nine, then why would I bother doing anything more than going for a MoV, given I'll always get booted up to nine? Or is the nine just quoted because that's the maximum amount you can gamble from your pool at any one time?

Again, probably missing something here, but this is doing my head in.

It's kind of very double-or-nothing system... You'd take the +1 in hopes of being over 9 at the end of the session, so you can carry those extra dice over... But then on the other hand, sooner or later you'll fail a roll and lose everything. A lot hinges, in my opinion, on how long the "sessions" are.

(Another thought is: this was an extremely impromptu, extremely experimental system that has been later refined. That's why I was mentioning Lady Blackbird earlier, it feels like a much more polished version).

Anyway, we going hunting or what?

I hope so. Ready to go!

I will try to get things started today, but with the start of the school year things might be going a bit slow for a week or two. I'm not dropping this though. I'm enjoying this way too much.

Fair enough. I think I certainly like the bare bones of the system (the easy access character creation, the choice between a betting build or a trait heavy build, and the way of resolving differences in a more narrative way, but I do feel the way it's set out doesn't always make sense, and I do think it needs a bit more polish for things like progression to make sure we can keep growing the characters in a way which is both narratively satisfying and balanced.

And we're off, sorry for the delay. I hope to be able to pitch in again this weekend or next Wednesday with a bigger update. I'll try to keep up and check daily between then, but I cannot promise this. We seem to be a good group though, so if needed and I'm not responding, talk amongst yourselves and reach a sensible conclusion. Once I pitch in again I might see if I need to correct some things in case it conflicts with hidden story points and secrets. So far, I haven't really had all that much set in stone. Of those present in this start, I don't think I have many secrets. They are all still blank slates besides what we know about them. Other people already established can be called upon if it makes sense. The Jew might join, Catharina likely does not want to show her face, but could show up. I have plans for her, she's the one NPC I've got a plan with, and there are other people that would make sense to be there, like a master of the hunt, some foot soldiers, courtiers, nobles, etc.

Hope you don't mind the introduction of another historical personage GM, but the dates and names just lined up so well that I felt I should go for it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogier_van_der_Weyden
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 18:46, Wed 01 Sept 2021.

In reply to Gerhard de Colmar (msg # 124):

Does he do nudes? Asking for a friend.

(For clarity, I have spent 4 points on Avid Huntress +2, so I have 5 Pool.)

Nice! The cream of the top from these parts of the world in this period.

For me? Darling, you shouldn't have!

I'm going to pay for it with your money, so I thought, you might as well enjoy some tiddies <3 I'm too good, I know.

I mean, I think I've already established that my issue is not the spending of money, it's that it's not been invested in sound business ventures, so this makes Helena much happier.

I feel with this sort of thinking we might have avoided The Hundred Years War, or numerous other conflicts entirely.

It's like, Edward, chill thy princely self, take a look at some of these oil prints.

I mean, to be fair to him, Edward III didn't exactly lack for things in that area, given the quite magnificent number of children he sired.

Also, I suspect Anne may just have declared war. Or at the very least, earned herself a hefty hike of borrowing fees in the future. I will expect some grovelling!

Or our good Duke, the magnificient slut! He had an inordinate amount of bastards, hence the inspiration for Anne's origin story.

What, Anne's just giving you a fair chance of earning a tip. Which will also come from your pocket, why do you ask.

I mean, thus far, you're one of the few people I haven't leant money too in court, albeit I'm sure your income has probably been facilitated by a couple of dopey debtors who don't see through the facade of purity to the callous core within.

And I suspect you may be foregoing the tip.

Even Roland can appreciate a nice pair, and he's gay, so...

In other news, I've been stuck on what else to add to my description - any ideas?

Tit Appreciator +2

You never know when you'll have to tell Helean's apart from mine's in the dark.

I mean, that's easy. Yours are in easy reach and have a welcome mat out the front. Helena's are nowhere to be seen (as is right and proper), and exist on a higher plane of infinite self righteousness and no small amount of hypocricy.

God, this is going to end up very Aveline and Isabela, isn't it?

And in answer to the original question, you might want to put in something about his friendship with and patronage from Pepin, given it's potentially likely to carry some weight and might have some benefits either reputationally or financially.

They're a bit more than friends &#128563;

In all seriousness, I'll add something like that and then I need to figure out what else to add to his description. Thanks!

You say that, but five centuries of historians afterwards will claim that your relationship is just that of Alexander and Hephaestion, and Achilles and Patrocles, and that you will just be 'good friends' with a 'platonic relationship' that 'only men of a certain status and purity of mind can enjoy'.