Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Fiona's 122 Questions (Plus a Challenge)

Fiona Geist made this list on twitter. Then a second list.

I compiled them into a single list, and then promptly forgot about them because of the collapse of civilization in slow motion. I have remedied this.

Forgetting about the random table, not fixing civilization. Working on that.

The F-122 Challenge

First, you must select 7 classes to replace the seven standard classes. You can have more than 7. For extra fakepoints, they could be all for the same system, or all from different authors, or whatever extra criteria you wish to apply for personal fulfillment purposes.

Then, roll on the below table 10 times, and answer the questions provided, using the classes you chose as the foundation of the culture you are sketching out.

Combine with other random tables as you see fit and desire.

Then make a post and share with the class.

ROLL FOR YOUR FATE

  1. What skill is rolled on for rope bondage?
  2. Is this society a gift economy?
  3. Do they have any cultural taboos?
  4. Who are their social pariahs?
  5. Where are tailors?
  6. Is there a way to avoid traveling by boat?
  7. What do heavy mounted infantry ride?
  8. Are there entities that buy a human soul?
  9. Does anyone buy corpses without questions?
  10. Do people pay to see wunderkammer?
  11. Are there weapons that work better against armored foes?
  12. Is there a mechanic for fighting dishonorably?
  13. Is there a mechanic around playing a character with miserable stats?
  14. Are there holy fools or other types of weird sacred people?
  15. What cults venerate pleasure?
  16. What magic trades stability for power?
  17. What art movement is causing the most strong reaction?
  18. What narcotics are available? Which ones trade power for years?
  19. Can I buy ground glass?
  20. What religious festival is most prominent for the wealthy?
  21. the poor? 
  22. the largest foreign national community?
  23. practiced by the diaspora? 
  24. that causes mass return?
  25. What are only nobles allowed to own? 
  26. Is there an active criminal or taxless market? 
  27. What is mass imported and prone to price fluctuations? 
  28. What is the staple grain? 
  29. What is the most popular leisure activity?
  30. What is the highest complexity of metallurgy attained? 
  31. What is the most ornate form of ceremonial armor? 
  32. What metal is rare? 
  33. What is used for coinage? 
  34. Is there a temple-bank?
  35. What is the cultural perception of wizards? 
  36. Are wizards registered? 
  37. How are mad wizards disposed of? 
  38. What wizard is considered a paragon? 
  39. What wizard is anathema? 
  40. Are wizards eligible for citizenship?
  41. What are the patrician virtues (if any) in the culture?
  42. Is there a military cult, sacred band or other theocratic military order? 
  43. How is the military organized? 
  44. Is the military feared by the state? 
  45. Is military service compulsory?
  46. What is worth more than financial wealth? 
  47. Is loaning with interest legal? 
  48. Are private loans legal? 
  49. Are debts forgiven on ceremonial or religious occasions? 
  50. Are ancestors spirits ransomed from the church? 
  51. Are pardons available for crimes? 
  52. Is there licensed brigandage?
  53. How does inheritance work? 
  54. How do marriage contracts relate to property laws? 
  55. Is there a socially sanctioned form of theft? 
  56. Does wealth grant access to elite social classes or are they hereditary, ceremonial or awarded?
  57. How is the body understood? 
  58. Are there spiritual afflictions? 
  59. Does the culture believe in luck rituals? 
  60. What diseases leave marks? 
  61. Are there lepers or a similar infected group separated? 
  62. Is there a homo sacer? 
  63. Is the spirit material? How is medicine learned?
  64. Are there socially stigmatized groups of people for an inheritable trait? 
  65. What cosmetics or prosthetics are used to hide marks of aging, scarring or amputations? 
  66. What are the cultures spiritual afflictions? 
  67. How is “age” understood? 
  68. Are there Sin Eaters or Snake Oil Salesmen?
  69. How are covens, universities, apprenticeships, mystery cults and research societies structured for initiates? 
  70. How do you know someone is a magic user?
  71. Do they sell their souls? Eat devils? Bargain with gods & minor divinities? Become intoxicated?
  72. What sort of scholars are there?
  73. Are they connected to church authorities or as court functionaries? 
  74. Are they a religious order? 
  75. What are the standards of scholarship? 
  76. What technology is eroding traditional society or being acclimated to it?
  77. Is murder available for hire? 
  78. As individuals or professional organization? 
  79. Are there criminal brotherhoods or street gangs or bandit clans that hire out members? 
  80. How is labor contracted? 
  81. Who is allowed to contract?
  82. What behavior’s punishment do other cultures consider unnecessarily harsh? 
  83. How is the law executed by an individual charged with representing the state or an independent institutions? 
  84. Do you hire barristers? Are priests involved? 
  85. Is trial by combat or another alternate legal?
  86. What is the recreational drug abuse your culture has organized meetings around? 
  87. What is considered a negative habit imported from another culture? 
  88. How are addicts treated? 
  89. Is a bar tab used to hire on cannon fodder or sailors? 
  90. What is the most taboo Vice?
  91. What functionary has the most individuals financially interested in their death?
  92. What is the local menace? 
  93. What borders are unclear? 
  94. What existential threat exists that locals don’t understand?
  95. Are there ongoing conflicts and can individuals hire into an organization or pledge troops in exchange for plunder? 
  96. How are soldiers usually paid? 
  97. Are there honor duels or other ceremonial or cultural combats as an outlet for symbolic war? 
  98. What area is seditious?
  99. Is gambling legal?
  100. What competitive game is considered contemplative? 
  101. What sport do street children play? 
  102. What Bloodsports are legal? 
  103. What illegal bloodsports do elites favor? 
  104. Is the breeding of fighting animals part of husbandry or specialized? 
  105. Is it religiously sanctioned?
  106. What populist messianic tendencies, elite conspiracies, intelligence service or spy rings and noble plots are likely to get a lot of people killed?
  107. What religions are undergoing messianic Times?
  108. What mystery cult has been imported? What syncretic tradition is emerging?
  109. What street food is sold? 
  110. Are coffee, tea, alcohol or other drinks sold in ceremonial locations? 
  111. What do the starving scavenge? 
  112. What is the nicest meal most citizens can attempt? 
  113. What foods are associated with major festivals? What slaughter animals do poor families raise?
  114. What artworks were stolen by a neighboring civilization? 
  115. What crafts are practiced? What crafts are lost? 
  116. What crafts are constrained by resources? 
  117. What lost item is associated with your foundational myths? 
  118. What cursed item is in your cultures saddest songs?
  119. Who rules the area and how much of their wealth is material and how much is symbolic?
  120. Are there other species that collect valuables? 
  121. Are there resources harvested from “monsters”? 
  122. Are there monsters that have been sealed off in desolate places?



7 comments:

  1. I will be doing mine shortly.

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  2. New tool to fiddle with! Within five minutes of reading this I've already used it to draw up a setting.

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  3. Might use this to refine my Mothership setting.

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  4. Did this one up: https://archonsmarchon.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-f-122-challenge-itabans-verge.html

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  5. What the hell is ground glass and why would someone buy it? The only results I'm getting are weird X-rays of lungs...

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    Replies
    1. Glass that's been ground up, and probably to do horrible things with it.

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