Another 13 minus 1..... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Another 13 minus 1..... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Fevil
02-23-05, 01:10 PM There are times in my GM'ing career that I despair of my players and their ability to write up their character backstories for my campaigns.

This is not one of those times.

An Elven expedition heads into the Demon Wastes for unknown reasons and ends up entertaining a Kyton and his Cult. After being saved by the residents of a nearby Monastery the 13 female survivors give birth to healthy Half-Fiends, and after a lengthy discussion with the Monks it is decided to keep them alive and hopefully indoctrinate the inherit evil out of them.
This works up to a point.
One of the Half-Fiends ends up attempting to summon his Father and is found by his siblings just before he succeeds and is torn apart by them.....leaving 12.

Please understand that this is the bare bones of the backstory and I am in no way doing it the justice it deserves.

Apparently this is just coincidence, as the player in question knew nothing about the significance of a 13 minus 1, which IMO just makes the backstory even better. :)
Naudachu
02-23-05, 01:31 PM Sounds like a cool back story. Are you going to try to keep the other 12 alive? Or now that the number is down to 12, its possible to rehabilitate them?

So, does that mean a baker's dozen in Eberron is actually just a dozen?
RamblingScribe
02-23-05, 02:23 PM That's it! The "Baker's" Dozen. That's why all these thirteens that are twelve or twelves that are thirteen are in Eberron. Good one Hellcow!

Craig Shackleton
The Rambling Scribe
Okami
02-23-05, 02:32 PM Somewhere deep within the complexities of Argonassen a dragon is sitting with a box of doughnuts laughing at us. It's true.
Aris Stormdragon
02-23-05, 02:41 PM Fevil: Great backstory.

RamblingScribe: Nice catch :cookie:

I can't believe that I missed that :embarrass
Dagda Mor
02-23-05, 11:13 PM RamblingScribe: Nice catch :cookie:
Agreed.
*Tosses another :cookie: at RamblingScribe*
fuindordm
02-24-05, 03:36 AM (deleted superfluous realization)
sooperspook
02-24-05, 05:26 AM Huh? possible cross cultural mix up here. i have no idea what the 'twelve is thirteen and thirteen is twelve' is supposed to mean. anyone want to explain?
Lara Flynn
02-24-05, 08:04 AM A great background indeed. I love the idea.

Perhaps the twelve go mad one after another leaving a wake of destruction. (Possible future for the houses?) or maybe they seek other half-fiends to destroy them (aberrant marks) and do not care for their believes (silver purge)?

You may create further relations at will as the fabled 13 is so common in Mr. Bakers RPG vision.
Full Quiver
02-24-05, 08:49 AM Huh? possible cross cultural mix up here. i have no idea what the 'twelve is thirteen and thirteen is twelve' is supposed to mean. anyone want to explain?

The term "Baker's Dozen" is in reference to something that has 13 of something instead of 12. In Eberron you have The moon's, planes, dragonmarked houses and nations (i think). all of them currently numbering 12, but are suppose to have 13. Baker's dozen is funny because eberron's creator is named Keith Baker.
Cheers!
Thorgrip
02-24-05, 12:54 PM In olden days, when one bought baked goods from the baker, one paid for twelve (doghnuts, cakes) and received thirteen as a little bonus. Hence, baker's dozen.
Ricohard_Draconis
02-24-05, 02:25 PM a bakers dozen is because in the cooking you were likely to have one that was ruined so to get twelve you cooked thirteen as the likelyhood of disaster subsided with better cooking methods the thirteen stayed as the bakers dozen.
Edymnion
02-24-05, 04:04 PM a bakers dozen is because in the cooking you were likely to have one that was ruined so to get twelve you cooked thirteen as the likelyhood of disaster subsided with better cooking methods the thirteen stayed as the bakers dozen.Yup, the thirteenth was made as a backup in case something went wrong, like you dropped one and the dog ate it.

Although the idea of the 13-1 goes back farther than that. To my knowledge, the first example of it was the 13th lost tribe of Judiasm, which left the 12 we know of today.
Darkest90
02-24-05, 08:32 PM Twelve apostles and Jesus Christ (who was crucified)?

That's a 12+1, sorry to mention religion.

There are 12+1s everywhere. 12 dwarven clans and 1 lost to Khyber, for example. Look through the books. Pretty much every time the number twelve or thirteen shows up, its somehow incorporated into a Baker's Dozen.
Fevil
02-25-05, 02:19 PM Sounds like a cool back story. Are you going to try to keep the other 12 alive? Or now that the number is down to 12, its possible to rehabilitate them?

I certainly intend to keep them alive, as I have ideas for each and every one of them as individuals (the player was kind enough to give me names and basic personalities for them :D ).

As for rehabilitation, the PC is not allowed to start with a Good alignment, although he doesn't need to be Evil either (I know is says "Must be Evil" in the template, but hey, this is Eberron), the NPCs will reflect the PCs alignment......if he can stay on the straight and narrow, then the majority of his siblings will not be overcome by their inherit Evil tendencies. If he can't...... ;)

What I have done is decided that it was a Dragon that sent the expedition into the Demon Wastes, and that He/She somehow influenced the 13th Sibling to attempt the Summoning in order to achieve that "magical" number 12. Why it did what it did......I'll decide later :) but it will probably have something to do with a verse in The Prophecy.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Fevil 02-23-05, 01:10 PM	There are times in my GM'ing career that I despair of my players and their ability to write up their character backstories for my campaigns. This is not one of those times. An Elven expedition heads into the Demon Wastes for unknown reasons and ends up entertaining a Kyton and his Cult. After being saved by the residents of a nearby Monastery the 13 female survivors give birth to healthy Half-Fiends, and after a lengthy discussion with the Monks it is decided to keep them alive and hopefully indoctrinate the inherit evil out of them. This works up to a point. One of the Half-Fiends ends up attempting to summon his Father and is found by his siblings just before he succeeds and is torn apart by them.....leaving 12. Please understand that this is the bare bones of the backstory and I am in no way doing it the justice it deserves. Apparently this is just coincidence, as the player in question knew nothing about the significance of a 13 minus 1, which IMO just makes the backstory even better. :)
Naudachu 02-23-05, 01:31 PM	Sounds like a cool back story. Are you going to try to keep the other 12 alive? Or now that the number is down to 12, its possible to rehabilitate them? So, does that mean a baker's dozen in Eberron is actually just a dozen?
RamblingScribe 02-23-05, 02:23 PM	That's it! The "Baker's" Dozen. That's why all these thirteens that are twelve or twelves that are thirteen are in Eberron. Good one Hellcow! Craig Shackleton The Rambling Scribe
Okami 02-23-05, 02:32 PM	Somewhere deep within the complexities of Argonassen a dragon is sitting with a box of doughnuts laughing at us. It's true.
Aris Stormdragon 02-23-05, 02:41 PM	Fevil: Great backstory. RamblingScribe: Nice catch :cookie: I can't believe that I missed that :embarrass
Dagda Mor 02-23-05, 11:13 PM	RamblingScribe: Nice catch :cookie: Agreed. Tosses another :cookie: at RamblingScribe
fuindordm 02-24-05, 03:36 AM	(deleted superfluous realization)
sooperspook 02-24-05, 05:26 AM	Huh? possible cross cultural mix up here. i have no idea what the 'twelve is thirteen and thirteen is twelve' is supposed to mean. anyone want to explain?
Lara Flynn 02-24-05, 08:04 AM	A great background indeed. I love the idea. Perhaps the twelve go mad one after another leaving a wake of destruction. (Possible future for the houses?) or maybe they seek other half-fiends to destroy them (aberrant marks) and do not care for their believes (silver purge)? You may create further relations at will as the fabled 13 is so common in Mr. Bakers RPG vision.
Full Quiver 02-24-05, 08:49 AM	Huh? possible cross cultural mix up here. i have no idea what the 'twelve is thirteen and thirteen is twelve' is supposed to mean. anyone want to explain? The term "Baker's Dozen" is in reference to something that has 13 of something instead of 12. In Eberron you have The moon's, planes, dragonmarked houses and nations (i think). all of them currently numbering 12, but are suppose to have 13. Baker's dozen is funny because eberron's creator is named Keith Baker. Cheers!
Thorgrip 02-24-05, 12:54 PM	In olden days, when one bought baked goods from the baker, one paid for twelve (doghnuts, cakes) and received thirteen as a little bonus. Hence, baker's dozen.
Ricohard_Draconis 02-24-05, 02:25 PM	a bakers dozen is because in the cooking you were likely to have one that was ruined so to get twelve you cooked thirteen as the likelyhood of disaster subsided with better cooking methods the thirteen stayed as the bakers dozen.
Edymnion 02-24-05, 04:04 PM	a bakers dozen is because in the cooking you were likely to have one that was ruined so to get twelve you cooked thirteen as the likelyhood of disaster subsided with better cooking methods the thirteen stayed as the bakers dozen.Yup, the thirteenth was made as a backup in case something went wrong, like you dropped one and the dog ate it. Although the idea of the 13-1 goes back farther than that. To my knowledge, the first example of it was the 13th lost tribe of Judiasm, which left the 12 we know of today.
Darkest90 02-24-05, 08:32 PM	Twelve apostles and Jesus Christ (who was crucified)? That's a 12+1, sorry to mention religion. There are 12+1s everywhere. 12 dwarven clans and 1 lost to Khyber, for example. Look through the books. Pretty much every time the number twelve or thirteen shows up, its somehow incorporated into a Baker's Dozen.
Fevil 02-25-05, 02:19 PM	Sounds like a cool back story. Are you going to try to keep the other 12 alive? Or now that the number is down to 12, its possible to rehabilitate them? I certainly intend to keep them alive, as I have ideas for each and every one of them as individuals (the player was kind enough to give me names and basic personalities for them :D ). As for rehabilitation, the PC is not allowed to start with a Good alignment, although he doesn't need to be Evil either (I know is says "Must be Evil" in the template, but hey, this is Eberron), the NPCs will reflect the PCs alignment......if he can stay on the straight and narrow, then the majority of his siblings will not be overcome by their inherit Evil tendencies. If he can't...... ;) What I have done is decided that it was a Dragon that sent the expedition into the Demon Wastes, and that He/She somehow influenced the 13th Sibling to attempt the Summoning in order to achieve that "magical" number 12. Why it did what it did......I'll decide later :) but it will probably have something to do with a verse in The Prophecy.