Then we moved from the idea of the standard races and coming up with new things (Sentient flesh golems / Amphibious reptiles) and moving away from the standard HF races

Then we've moved one step further and are looking at changing the setting of the game (but perhaps bringing back the Elves and Dwarves?) and making it more Victorian rather than medieval in setting

So the current plan is "The Expedition".

We've taken all the game setting that we had previously and shifted it forwards. The original plan had a story that The Sundering (massive earthquakes, tidal wave etc) split the continent in two, cities were felled, forests destroyed by burning ash and so on. So we've taken that concept and shifted it slighty, so .....

Following the Sundering the Imperial city barricaded itself in for several hundred years. In recent times outsiders arrived telling stories of other cities cultures and civilisation, and now the Emporer is curious. He is commissioning an investigation, those who wish to go out and explore the wilderness beyond the city walls will be given a small fee in return for maps, information and trade alliances. So off they went, some from the Imperial City, accompanied by some of these strangers, taking their servents and butlers with them, to seek fortune and what lies beyond

The Expedition is Victoriana High Fantasy, so Ogres in top hats and tails, Dwarven gentleman adventurers, Orcish spivs, and a crazed Elf who loves his drugs and swears he's the God Kantari.(Or we might go with non-standard races)

The game "feel" will hopefully be fun, but will still be serious. The players are serious adventurers and explorers, so won't be stopping for "Pimm's o clock" and cucumber sandwiches in the middle of a fight. Comedic is fine, farce isn't.

Trying to keep the system as basic and simple as possible. Probably looking at something along the lines of the Brighton Below system, so no battleboarding, global hits, simple and quick combat.

Players will be made up from any of the 6 main cultures that we've written in (Imperial Militaristic, Peaceful diplomats, Mercantile, Forest-dwellers, "Vikingish" Barbarians and Ash-Desert nomads)

10 or so "character classes" (i.e. professional soldier, gentleman adventurer, cad, engineer, priest, academic, technomancer etc), each with a specialist skill and a selection of generic skills.

Magic does exist though we've not entirely developed that section, as do the Gods (had 36 of them initally but have chopped back to about 12 in total)

As for the actual logistics of the game, we're probably looking at day events to start us off, unless theres enough pre-game interest to do weekenders. Looking at using Friston Forest down in Eastbourne for one dayers

Going with idea of the Base Camp, the Expedition has set up camp, locals will come and investigate, there are other Expeditions from other cultures etc. The game will essentially be set in the base camp, though the people who are coming in may require some of the adventurers to help them, or orders may come from the Emperor. The players get to choose who goes on the little forays into the unknown. Too many people and its not worth the money, too few and they wont come back.

Ideally have 2 linears so that as many people as possible get to do one, but it means theres a justifiable IC process for determining who goes on the linear, as well as negotiating price and stuff IC.

Erm...what else?

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Brighton Below : Organiser

Serenity: Capt Tom Crowson

RL: Simon / Trez

You are based a bit far away for me (I am in Coventry) but my folks have a caravan in Pevency close to Eastbourne so I could always do a road trip.

I like the idea of steampunk/Victoriana high fantasy

I would like to put my vote in for non-standard non-human player races

Custom masks/prostethics could be sourced. Talk to NICHOLS_ME on these boards about new mask types. Mandala LRP have some examples of masks they have made for their own games and Maelstrom http://www.mandalalrp.co.uk/category.asp?itemCategory=Masks

I look forward to the development of this idea

P.S. Let there be guns... Realy realy big guns

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Low hit, high fantasy violence

Bladelands LRP

You might find more great ideas from that.

Just finished "The Night Watch" (its very good), and just started on the next book "The Princess Bride"

Think we're already bringing in elements of New Crobuzon, and had done before I read Perdido Street Stn, so will see what other sources of inspiration there are out there

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Brighton Below : Organiser

Serenity: Capt Tom Crowson

RL: Simon / Trez

The Expedition is pretty far from home so they're going to be living off the land so to speak. As well as moving fromplace to place they also need to keep an eye on their supplies. If you don't go near a supply shop for 4 months, then you're gonna be short on arrows, and your kit will be in bad shape. Potentially you're gonna starve

Currently planning on having a Continent Map broken up into sectors, each sector having a number of small villages, natural occurring herbs and minerals, features, and clues as to what options might be available once the game starts etc.

The Expedition itself will be based in a specific area for each game. In Downtime the Scouty characters can do do a reccy into another sector to see whats there. They can then post the results of their search on the web-site so that everyone knows what is where, and a poll is establish (or the highest Rank member chooses) which way the Expedition goes.

So scouting in the Northwest might show that theres "The village of Brockleton which has :-

1)a small supply shop with 1 weeks worth of rations, 2 units of leather, 4 units of Ale, 3 Units of wool (All trade items can either be sold on or used)  and 180 gold to trade (Merchant characters can sell items that the Expediton has acquired),

2) A smithy for repairing weapons and armour),

3) A chapel to Bellera (for healing) with a graveyard (for graverobbing).

Herbs - Naturally occurring herbs in this sector are Dragonsweed, Liverwort and Purple Lichen.

Work available - There is a man seeking assistance to find his daughter and can offer 30 gold, a man who states that his farmlands are being raided by theives and wants them arrested for 45 gold, and a woman who won't state exactly what she wants but will offer 75 gold.

There is a Spell circle here

So once the scouts have filed their reports, the players decide where they're going to move to. In the new sector they can trade in the shops etc, repair using forges, learn new spells.

The work available gives an overview of the linears that are available in this sector. Where there are larger campaign plots (i.e. an eeeeevil necromancer and his butler are causing havoc in a sector then its likely that the surrounding sectors will be having undead troubles as well)

As each area is mapped by the Expedition then its easier to see a clearer plan of the world. Some starting characters might be from another culture in which case they will have some starting information on different areas

Just ideas coming together at the moment, one of which was that we can have other branches running the same game with another party setting off from one of the other cultures. Potentially gives us the chance for cross over games where the two expeditions cross paths

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Brighton Below : Organiser

Serenity: Capt Tom Crowson

RL: Simon / Trez

If you're being influenced by Perdido st. stn., I highly recomend Iron Council, as this covers an expedition (of sorts) from New Crobuzon into the wild unknowns...

Will there be guns and black powder?

True.  A lot of people when they hear "orc" will break out their Tolkein, more will break out their WH40K kit and if you're lucky, some will read the brief and turn up with good manners in top hat and tails.

Can you avoid the use of greenskinned characters, blue skinned trolls, white painted/black painted pointy eared characters who are magical and avoid "giant" dwarves altogether?

I recommend Grand Design's races as a source of inspiration and an interesting take on phys reps.  Let's have steam punk, but please, avoid the cliches.  Please?

Ampel - Humans essentially

Ginette - Mysterious but generally peaceful. They are covered in strange gold markings that grow, change shape and colour but seem to be intrinsically linked to the age, wisdom and knowledge of the person.

Bronn - Shortlived and none too bright. Almost proto-human. Very strong and tough though

Assini - Cat people

Tellbrian - Bird people

M'na W'ib - Amphibians / Lizards

Melange - Sentient Flesh Golems. Frankensteins monsters made up from other body parts sewn / rivetted together

Yes there will be guns. Big steampowered potato cannons

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Brighton Below : Organiser

Serenity: Capt Tom Crowson

RL: Simon / Trez