Frequently Asked Questions

What is this website all about?

Just like it said on the first page, it's the online home of the Heroes of Altamira, a Living Campaign set in the world of Theah and using the 7th Sea Role-Playing Game.

That’s a whole lot of words I don’t understand. Want to break that down a bit?

Ok, Heroes of Altamira is basically a series of adventures in which people take on the role of Heroes trying to win the day against villainous opponents. It's called a Living Campaign because players take on the same role in every adventure and the results of adventures can change the course of the campaign. Theah is the make-believe world where this all takes place. It is, for lack of a better description, based on Europe of the 1660's, lots of Pirates, Swashbuckling, and a little magic thrown in for fun. All RPGs are basically a way to play pretend, with rules. So, the 7th Sea RPG is a set of rules that allow players to determine whether their actions were successful.

So, is this some kind of computer game?

No, this is a "Pen-and-paper" game. Players sit together, usually around a table, and interact with each other and a GM.

A GM?

Game-Master. This is the person who runs the game. He or She sets the stage for the players, and takes on the role of all the NPCs the heroes encounter.

NPCs?

Non-Player Characters. All the characters in the adventure not run by players.

So where do players and GMs get together?

Usually at either one of the player's or the GM's house. However, Heroes of Altamira will primarily take place at several RPG Conventions throughout the year.

Well, I’m intrigued at least, which conventions?

Right now Heroes of Altamira will be at Total Confusion, Origins, and GenCon. However when more GMs sign on to run games, there will undoubtedly be more than this. Check the Events page for more detailed listings.

Ok, now I'm really interested. Where can I learn more about 7th Sea?

Well, there are several websites (mostly fansites) you could check out. But now that John Wick is puting out a 2nd Edition, you could also look there. See the Links page for details. You could also read the 7th Sea RPG books. The bad news is all are out of print and the few you can find for sale are extraordinarily expensive (an average of $40-50 per book). The good news is all of the books have been released on PDF (and for far cheaper than the original books cost). Check out sites like RPG Now or Drive Thru RPG if you are interested in buying them

So how do I play in Heroes of Altamira?

Go to the convention and sign up for one of the adventures. Details for registration and sign up are on the conventions' websites.

Alright, I’m going to play, but I don’t have time to check out the Forums page (besides which you don’t have it up yet). So, what’s the deal about backgrounds?

Hey, first of all, the Forum is up. Go on, take a look around, sign up, you'll have fun, I promise.

But to answer your question, backgrounds in 7th Sea are designed to personalize the story, essentially allowing players to help GMs add more flavor to the story and make it personally relevant to the player's Hero. The problem is that Heroes of Altamira has to apply equally to every Hero. There's simply not enough time to put sub-plots in every adventure for every Hero. In addition, making it personally relevant to one Hero means other heroes might not wish to get involved.

Instead there will be a reoccurring adventure called "Personal Agendas." Players will be allowed to play in this adventure as many times as they like. The reason is there is no set plot. Heroes will be able to do whatever activity they desire, be that fight a duel, buy new clothes, work on a sonnet, etc. They can also delve into adventures involving a Background.

Since Backgrounds allow players to have input on the story, that's what they need to supply. Once a player has taken a background they must write a short description (say a paragraph, certainly no more than a page) explaining what they believe their background is about. That way, GMs who run Heroes of Altamira can supply a series of short adventures, based on the description, for the Hero to play through during Personal Agendas.

The reason to check the Forums is there is (or will be) a section for players to post their Hero's Background description.

I have a question that isn’t on the FAQ, how can I get it answered?

You've got two choices. First go to the Forums and ask there. Or, you can send an email blackjackrackham67@yahoo.com. I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can.