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Plots, Story lines and other wierdness.

Posted by ShadoPrism
ShadoPrism
member, 390 posts
Insane and loving it
Sat 15 Feb 2014
at 20:49
  • msg #1

Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

As I have stated in other threads I am not up to running games any more. But I do come up with some ideas about plots, story lines and concepts. I imagine there are others out there with similar things - so I decided to make a thread to put forth some of these ideas and let anyone who is interested use them.

This first one is the one that inspired me to do this the most, as I never got to run it but really loved the concept of it.
Put simply, its AD&D meets Original World of Darkness.


It was a nice clear day on the lake. Hot like summers are, perfect for a day out here.

Then right at noon a cold breeze washed over the lake, the sky turned cloudy and what looked like a massive tornado forming over the middle of the lake.
At the same time the middle of the lake started to churn and froth and land pushed up through the water.

Even as the island appeared this huge black and silver structure lowered, genitally as you pleased till it came in contact with the island. At that moment their was a bright silver-blue and green flash and the feeling of the air shaking with unimaginable power, but no other real sound.
When all could see again they beheld a large tree covered island with a massive hill at its center and the black and silver building surrounded by a high black stone wall.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The peoples reactions was a mix of wonder, fear, and curiosity.
Some of the more brave or perhaps foolish, boarded boats and other water craft and went out to get a closure look at the new place.
A few of these even landed on the shore and looked around. They found a cove that made the perfect landing area and rows of trees, mostly apple but a few pear and some other plants as well. All set up in farm like rows but lacking any buildings beyond the Tower which is at the end of a steep narrow road. No one feels brave enough to approach the formidable structure.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile satellite coverage of the area picked up the strange cloud cover and a surge in the electromagnetic spectrum that is unlike anything ever seen in the modern world.

Home land security and the military immediately went on alert and sent out scouts to examine the area.
The air force, is the first on the scene with a pair of jets followed by 2 helicopters.
At this point they are taking pictures of the structure and sending those back to their leaders.

What they see is a building built in to the form of a 5 pointed star within a heavily defensible shield wall. 2 helicopters on 2 of the massive spurs as well as the 5 sided pyramid that has a tall flag pole on it waving a banner of a dragon rampant and a tree in a gold circle.
They also note the flurry of activity. What they believe is troop movements with in the structure.
So far though there has been no overt hostilities from those with in the structure.

The President is notified and the joint chiefs and heads of the different intelligence agencies are all called in to meetings as this phenomenon is examined and theories are presented.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Media responce:

Several of those who witnessed this had the presence of mind to record it either on their cell phones or other recording equipment.
Many people called in the police and a few called the media. The media helicopters actually arrived before the air force and have been documenting this event since a few minutes after the 'storm' broke up.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Super natural responce.

Technocracy is freaking out at the massive display of pure magical might that was used to effect this transition or creation. They fear Marauders are to blame. But will not rule out some fool 'Orphans'.

The Kindred and others learn of this event from the media and are slower to respond.
The local prince has sent out some scouts to learn what he can a little after night fall. But at that point there is little to nothing to report other than no one has made contact with the inhabitants of the structure yet.
This message had punctuation tweaked by a moderator, as it was the wrong forum, at 21:01, Sat 15 Feb 2014.
ShadoPrism
member, 391 posts
Insane and loving it
Sat 15 Feb 2014
at 20:54
  • msg #2

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

The above came about when a Mage from a parallel modern world was transported back in to medieval England (aka Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court type deal). Long story short, she set up a tower / mage school and one day they had a bit of a mishap, due to several factors - including exhaustion of trying to cast a 3 day long spell to create a teleport disc like those described in Auroa's Whole Realm Catalog (Forgotten Realms).
Critical fumbles can have such Interesting results.

Comments welcome
This message was last edited by the user at 02:17, Sun 16 Feb 2014.
HornetCorset
member, 107 posts
Tue 18 Feb 2014
at 00:35
  • msg #3

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

Everyone freaking out because they're on the receiving end of a mage's critical fumble. That's pure gold right there. (On the other hand, critical fumbles on great spells tend to be pretty awesome.) But that does raise questions of what the mages are currently doing. If they're worried about what's outside, why haven't the "defended" themselves? And if are aren't worried about what's outside, why haven't they tried to make contact? It's... just... well, tension is really high, seemingly at its peak, and there's been absolutely no action whatsoever.
ShadoPrism
member, 396 posts
Insane and loving it
Tue 18 Feb 2014
at 02:21
  • msg #4

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

Well in the original story this is the Mage's home world and she is excited.
And two there are post that took place before this one I just did not include.

It was a good game and this was a thread that did not work, so we removed this event and went in a different direction but I always wondered 'what would have happened had it played out'.

If your interested I can include those post.
This message was last edited by the user at 02:24, Tue 18 Feb 2014.
ShadoPrism
member, 399 posts
Insane and loving it
Thu 20 Feb 2014
at 15:32
  • msg #5

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

(Took me a bit to find (and edit) this, but here are the post leading up to the first post above)

*Tracy

posted... work

 The next evening I start working on a new spell.
I came up with an Idea while thinking about an Old AD&D game. Transporter pads that can send goods to other places.
Most often to another pad. The idea is an old one but no one I know of has ever made one.
(Site to site teleporters for sending large amounts of goods to my warehouses all over England).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Admin

posted... set up

  The spell is going to be a nasty one. It is going to take tons of energy to set it up.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Tracy

posted... points

  I go over it carefully and bring in other mages to work on it.
This is deffinately a group effort spell. But once the pads are enchanted they should actually use very little magic.

Still its going to be a bitch in the short term.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Admin

posted... project

  It is going to take alot of time to set each one of them up. It is definately a long term project.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Tracy

posted... sets

 They are done in sets of 4. This is to reduce construction time.
Even so ... I sigh and put someone else in charge. I have other duties, as Dutches to do.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Admin

posted... four

  Months pass as they work on the first set of four.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Tracy

posted... Activation

 I am needed for the activation ritual.
Its a long complex 3 day ritual and I have to force myself to stay awake through the whole of it.

And that is probably why things went so wrong on the 3rd day.
We were just setting the Links when I stumbled over something on the floor that was not supposed to be there.
One of the apprentices, who was asleep instead of sitting in her position and holding her candle.
This caused me to drop the bowl of ingredients and they spilled over two of the disc and a couple of the other apprentices, who all cried out in the middle of their chant.
Something unexpected happened next. The whole tower 'Shifted'. It felt at first like a minor earthquake, then everything started to flip end over end and there was this horrible wrenching feeling deep in our bones.
This seemed to go on and on for a couple of eternities as time and space were pulled asunder and we all were thrown in to the maelstrom of it.

Eventually though it stopped, we were pulled back together, everything in its place but still something felt off.
We learned what when we looked out a window and saw that we, Tower, gardens, ring wall and all, were on a totally new island in the middle of a strange lake.
Well strange to my people, I on the other hand recognized the power boats, sail boats and other water sports equipment in use by the people enjoying this nice summer day in Colorado.

I mutter in a stunned tone, " Oh holy bat shit. Could this be my home ? "

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Winnie

posted... ugh

 "I think I am going to be sick." I moan and clutch my stomach. "What about bat shit is holy?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Tracy

posted... distracted

 In a distracted tone, still looking out the window and taking it all in, " Werebat phrase. Something about the mother of all bats. " totally made that up on the spot. Though for all I know it could be true.
" I am not 100% sure, but this looks like my home land. "

Those around me, who are not as badly affected as Winnie all just nod. It kind of fits, all the machines and scantily clad people. (I am not known for a sense of modesty).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Winnie

posted... bat
on Mon 15 Sep 2008 @ 2:02 PM (PBW Time)

 "I want to go home. Let's go home. I do not like this place. I do not like bats. I do not want to meet a werebat."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Tracy

posted... home

 Her complaints actually cause me to laugh.
I put an arm around her waist, " Winnie love, there are no bats here. Well I have never seen any. And if I am right, well this may be My home. My brother owns land here.
As for us going home, well I am not sure how to do that as it was an accident that brought us here to begin with.
But at least we are all here together. "
Now though I foresee other problems. 20 story buildings do not normally appear out of thin air and I suspect the goverment and worse the military will take an unhealthy interest in us.
As such I turn to the guards and order a full scale alert. Tell them to man the guns and prepare the gliders but do not launch any.
I want to be prepared in case some of the locals prove hostile.

Full alert means the main gates are barred and special weapons are brought online. These range from catapults and ballista to more advanced weapons such as rail guns and 50mm cannons, and even a set of 'lightning guns'.

My war gliders mix technology and magic and can actually fly but also have weapons built in to them. Smaller 'lightning guns'. The small ones act as stun guns but can hit anything from an individual to a good sized group.


Tracy and Winnie are actually Admin characters I and my Co-gm at the time were running between other players games.
Tracy after the original events in her version of King Arthur's story was made a Dutches of the western provenances, which is largely rivers and lake territory. She is also a werepanther as well as a mage.
Winnie is um, a 'mutt' type shifter, her family mixed with so many different sorts of cats that what came out when she eventually shifted is weird to see. But her personality is somewhat childish despite being a goodly powered mage and chief apprentice to Tracy.
Tracy came from 21st century earth and is a trained pilot and had a masters degree in Economics and Architecture as well as having been a practicing mage. She is also deathly afraid of water, so putting her on an island is a special torture for her.
Winnie on the other hand hates flying and has to be dragged on to one of Tracy's helicopters, which is the Only way Tracy will come or go from her island to the main land (as she does not trust boats).
HornetCorset
member, 110 posts
Fri 21 Feb 2014
at 02:50
  • msg #6

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

That definitely sounds like a lot of fun. It really is too bad that didn't work out.
ShadoPrism
member, 407 posts
Insane and loving it
Thu 27 Feb 2014
at 15:59
  • msg #7

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

Note: I made this thread so others could put in idea's they had for plots and stories to. But I will put in more of my own as well. Maybe between myself and others some fun inspirations will come of it.


Another idea


When Worlds Collide
 Mon 27 Apr 2009 <-included when I thought of this]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Dec 24 2012 the world as we know it came to an end and No one noticed.

There was some disappointment, seeing as the Mayans calander predicted it and all. But nothing 'out of the ordinary' seemed to happen.

Mostly this is because no one knew where to look or what to expect. That and the change was quite subtle.

Changes came of course, they always do. Political, seasonal, weather related. All the normal things. Some good some bad.
But the coming of the one.
The 'Traveler' who came looking for something or someone which may not exist here.
This was an earth altering event, for he came with power and knowledge not of this world or time.
He opened a door that had never been opened in this world or Frame before. And in doing so let in things that till then had only been Myth, Legend, and in some cases out right Fantasy.
 

This game is good for Rift or free form or any number of 'modern / future' story lines.
facemaker329
member, 6284 posts
Gaming for over 30
years, and counting!
Thu 27 Feb 2014
at 19:15
  • msg #8

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

That actually sounds similar in tone to the whole basis of the Dark Conspiracy RPG.  It wasn't a single, specific 'Traveler' entity, from what I recall, so much as it was a general kind of breaking down of dimensional barriers (along with alien invaders).  Only ever played one campaign (and that was home-brewed with Star Wars D6 rules, because we all knew them and the GM liked the Dark Conspiracy setting but didn't care for most of the rules all that much), but it's still one of my fondest gaming memories.
ShadoPrism
member, 414 posts
Insane and loving it
Sat 1 Mar 2014
at 21:59
  • msg #9

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

Similar yeah. Or Rifts - basically this Traveler was the cause / origin of it all. But he did not realize it, possibly ever.
ShadoPrism
member, 429 posts
Sun 9 Mar 2014
at 02:41
  • msg #10

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

Old idea I did long ago. My first game in fact, learned allot from it (like not to put main plot around 1 PC as sometimes they wander off and don't return).

AD&D 2cd ed. Forgotten Realms -
The PCs are all -1 level and 'children' age 10 to 14 (early Apprentice ages)
City adventure (I used Waterdeep back then), takes 500xp to reach lv 0, 500xp to level 1. HD is 4hp (plus Con bonus) all physical stats are at -2. Mental unaffected. A mage or Priest type would have only a few cantrip type spells. Thief type would be at 30 pts (45 at lv0 and 60 lv1 + race and dex bonuses). And only skills numbering their Int bonus. (basic understanding in what ever field they are studying - apprenticing in).

Story around a group of friends. (not a gang) possibly they find a magical device, or learn of a plot (thieves, evil humanoids, slavers, etc) and none of the adults are willing to listen to them, so they have to stop it themselves.
HornetCorset
member, 119 posts
Sun 9 Mar 2014
at 05:22
  • msg #11

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 10):

Ah, low-low-level campaigns. Those are fun. I had an idea for a game where the characters derp out endlessly, such that the entire campaign consists of getting out of bed, opening a door, walking to the kitchen, opening the fridge, and getting rid of the final boss: a moldy ham sandwich. If the entire party survives, the GM didn't do it right.
ShadoPrism
member, 444 posts
Tue 18 Mar 2014
at 23:57
  • msg #12

Interesting Times

I ran this on Playbyweb a few years ago and had a blast. (2006)
Thought I would put out the 'hook' I used back then.


Was just another night of Chat gaming. PBW was down again and you and your friends were just playing a chat game on Yahoo when the Glitch happened. You all saw it but none of you knew what it was or how it was caused.

This weird set of neon colored 'letters' appeared on your screens. They looked like Elven crossed with Arabic. Then they started to swirl around and around. After a minute of this and much to your surprise the world exploded and you were ripped from the place you were and awoke here.

Now if you could just loose the whole body head ache ...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Basic Concept:
A group of online friends, while chatting one night, are pulled into a 'Fantasy World'.
Only they end up in new bodies. Maybe even of different genders and 'Classes'.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Character Creation
using AD&D 2cd ed Rules.

Races are from the Complete Book of Humanoids- Reincarnation chart. Player rolls 2d100, but admin decides which body type the player gets.
No Humans though, so that's a re-roll. (55-68 on roll 1 and 42-55 on roll two are auto re-rolls)

The Admin will tell you what you rolled and let you choose which of the 2 (or 4) races you rolled you wish to play.

Physical Stats (Str, Dex, Con, Chr) are rolled by the DM and adjusted for race.
Players either roll or choose their Intelligence and Wisdom score. This represents the 'mind / spirit' of the 'Real' person.

Note: just cause the body you end up in was a Priest does not mean you have to stay one. With a little work you can become another class.

I am willing to work with players for interesting ideas. Like you want to try a race not in the book. Same goes for a specialty class.

This game will be partly free form and player feedback is a Good thing (helps form Plots).
shady joker
member, 1511 posts
Wed 19 Mar 2014
at 11:51
  • msg #13

Re: Interesting Times

This idea was scrapped but still liked it. nWoD Promethean: the Created meets Hunter: the Vigil. Basically a Promethean is on a Project Valkyrie team and fights monsters. Inspired by the Hellboy comics and movies.

Another game I had an idea for used the Savage Worlds system. It was called 'Spooks' and about psychic spies that astral project to do their spy stuff and countered by ghost buster like security forces.
ShadoPrism
member, 450 posts
Sun 30 Mar 2014
at 17:47
  • msg #14

Re: Interesting Times

One of my all time favorite plot devices is 'play yourself'. Or at least a close approximation of yourself, in a time / dimension shift type story line.
Like dropping modern people in to AD&D or from this world to a World of Darkness or even 'super hero' type world.
It usually ends up being a journey of self discovery - or just fun wishful thinking.
shady joker
member, 1521 posts
Sun 30 Mar 2014
at 23:15
  • msg #15

Re: Interesting Times

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 14):

Play yourself only works if you are cool to begin with. I am a crumb bum so playing myself sucks in all genres and systems.
Eggy
member, 126 posts
Sun 30 Mar 2014
at 23:50
  • msg #16

Re: Interesting Times

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 14):

My friends have done the "play yourself" in the World of Darkness. It turned out to be pretty good. Even better was the time where the ST had us stat up sheets and we thought we were going to play ourselves. Then he had us give our sheets to the person to our left. That got pretty wild. Awesome one shot game.
ShadoPrism
member, 451 posts
Mon 31 Mar 2014
at 00:02
  • msg #17

Re: Interesting Times

I did one where people were sucked through a wormhole and given super powers - it lasted 2 years. The world was sort of World of Darkness meets the Batman cartoon (the one from the late 90's with the dirigibles over the city)
shady joker
member, 1524 posts
Tue 1 Apr 2014
at 07:35
  • msg #18

Re: Interesting Times

I always wanted to run a game based on Captain N the Game Master cartoon. I seen a conversion for it in T.W.E.R.P.S. but no other system never and never had time to make one in different system.
ShadoPrism
member, 460 posts
Sun 6 Apr 2014
at 20:30
  • msg #19

Re: Interesting Times

There was once a game called Teenagers from Outer Space - it may have worked, with some tweaks for that game.
shady joker
member, 1534 posts
Mon 7 Apr 2014
at 03:54
  • msg #20

Re: Interesting Times

You are right ShadoPrism! I know TFOS, I'll give it a look. Thank you.
ShadoPrism
member, 480 posts
Sun 27 Apr 2014
at 15:28
  • msg #21

World of Darkness Steampunk varient Reality

The story starts in 1516 when a young widow came to work for the master Leonardo DaVinci. She was unusually tall but very beautiful and so very brilliant as well. She understood all of the masters works with a near perfect sense and in less than a year became one of his most trusted confidants (and rumored to be his mistress as well, though this may have been just gossip). In the last years of the Masters life this woman inspired him and encouraged him to publish his works.
When he died in 1591 he left her all his notes and observations of the world with instructions for her to use them as she saw fit.

With the help of her only son she set out to use them and her own inspired idea's to change the world for the best. They started the DaVinci Corporation and with the blessing of Francis the First began using the knowledge to create wonders to empower France. Over the next 20 years (1592 to 1612) she and her people created a chain system to move objects across warehouses and from ships to shore. She also worked out how to make peddle powered conveyor system in which 2 strong men could work the peddled device and move large numbers of packages to waiting wagons. Thus making it easier to unload ships or other conveniences.
 This lead to the construction of a man powered flying machine. A large long shaped balloon that was powered by people using the peddled devices to turn fans that propelled the craft forward (primitive zeppelin). At first these were just entertainment for the masses as the corporation sold rides above Paris for a few pennies.
Later versions, created by scientist working for them created flying troop transports and ways for the military to spy on enemy movements. And even later 'gun ships' that carried small cannons that could rain death from above and out of the range of modern weapons. This in turn made France a world power of unprecedented strength for it's age.
In 1613, the Lady Ami Zion Penn, retired to a more sedentary life. Her son, at the age of 30, Eric Zion took over the business and helped move it forward and shape the world even further with the invention of the first steam engines and the discovery of how to created controllable lightning (ie electricity).

1640
27 years later, in an unprecedented move, the company bought from the country of France a large area of the new world. The southern half of what would be modern Louisiana. Specifically New Orleans and the surrounding land. Making it in effect its own country.


The reality behind this.
Ami Zion was in reality a Torridor genius and used her gifts to meet and befriend not only Master Leonardo DaVinci but also the King, Francis the 1st. Her son was her front man, despite being a child at the time.
In 1591 Leonardo became ill and Ami turned him. Then contracted a Tzimisce flesh crafter to make the 'dead' Leonardo look like a younger version of himself, so as to keep suspicions down. Thus Leonardo, with the help of his sire, created this business and the subsequent advancements.
Many of the advancements were actually the brain children of Ami Zion, who was blessed with a form of Precognition. She had dreams of the world as it Could be, in the far distant future. She used those dreams and her natural skills as an engineer to come up with many of the inventions that are changing the world.

In 1639, she and her group came to odds with the powers that be in the vampire world. So she set forth to make her own place in the world. She instructed her people to purchase land in the new world. She was mildly surprised that they were able to buy the cities and surrounding lands in Louisiana but pleased to. She moved to there, set up shop, and then with out governments looking over her shoulder, really moved things forward.
Ethanol powered engines, ships, flying machines, carbine rifles, gatling guns, and other things that the 'normal' world would not have seen for at least another 200 years.
Most of this technology stayed in Louisiana to keep them safe from the enemies of the people (mostly the Catholic Church and the Inquisition) as Louisiana openly accepted 'pagans' to live in their borders. (They had Freedom of Religion as well as other advanced social concepts, like womens equality. This really just doubled the countries work force.)
 Though the Church labeled them all heretics. The Corporation labeled the Church 'backward thinking spawns of Satan'. Needless to say there is allot of bad blood between the two groups.
Where as most countries would rather be on the Corporations good side, hoping to purchase (or steal) some of their advanced technologies for themselves.
This message was last edited by the user at 01:11, Mon 07 Dec 2015.
ShadoPrism
member, 512 posts
Sat 7 Jun 2014
at 16:39
  • msg #22

World of Darkness with a twist

This is a re-imagining of how vampires work. Using the original World of Darkness base character creation for stats - but with these new sort of vampires.
Note: All these vampires have no more trouble with sunlight than any mortal.


The 3 levels of Vampirism

The basic level is the Thrall or Ghoul (name is to the preferance of the dominant vampire).
This is a mortal who has injested the blood of a vampire, binding themselves to that particular vampire (refered to as their Dominant - their actual relationship can be anything really, this term is just a catchall in vampire society). They become fearcly loyal to their Dominant, protective and in many case somewhat submissive (though this is not always true depending on how strong their personalities are). They are also change internally and can never return to being fully human even if they never drink from a vampire again.

The first stage causes some mild cramping and muscle spasms. This is the initial stages of change for a forming vampire. But if no more blood is introduced then no real outward change happens. There is also no real additional attraction toward the Dominant, and no 'lock' on which vampire may become their Dominant. (no more than 2 seperate days of injested blood for this level - 3 days moves the thrall to the 2cd stage).

The 2cd stage is slightly more dramatic, as the body begins to become healthier and more developed. Not nessisarly prettier, during this period the body looses excess weight and becomes more resistant to disease.
This stage takes roughly a week to ten days. Even multiple feedings will not speed this up, though it may make the changes easier to endure.
At this stage the subject starts to feel strong feelings for their Dominant, but they are not locked to a particular Dominant till stage 3. They also start to become more sexually aware and crave the attention of the vampires more. This stage Thrall, if left at this level, are good for breeders and as the occaisional willing meal. [Stat note: +1 Strength and Stamina]

Stage 3 can Only take effect after a subject has gone through stage 2. Safely at 2 weeks for estimitation referances.
Stage 3 causes the body to reach peak physical condition and form.  This can include changes in their sexual organs. It is not unheard of men gaining better deffination of their sex organs (larger, wider or both) and women gaining larger breast or more defined occaisionally smaller breast, which ever is more healthy for their body types, as well as tightening of their buttox and cervical muscles (really gives both genders great legs).
Emotionally they become loyal, protective, very strong sex drives (this is a compairison to what it was before they were changed). This increased sex drive sometimes makes them appear more submissive or dominant. Though they will never harm their Dominant - at this stage they are locked on to the vampire brought them to the 3rd level. This last for the rest of their (long) life.
[Stat Note: +1 to Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina]

Stage 2 Thralls have mildly extended life spans - average about 30 to 50 years longer than a normal human. They tend to heal faster and are more resistant to diseases. (100 to 150 years is not unheard of)

Stage 3 Thralls have greatly extended lives. With no more vampire blood they can live a comfortable 300 + years. With a steady (minimum monthly) supply of vampire blood they can live as long as their vampire Dominant.
Bound Thralls tend to become despondant and self destructive if their Dominant dies. Suicide is not unheard of in these cases.
---------
The 2cd level of vampirsism

These are 'Lesser' Vampires. They are immortal, and all started out as Thralls. They all have the same traits. Increased strength, Dexterity and Stamina plus basic vampire gifts. Wall walking (including ceilings), super leaping (upwards of 150ft is not unheard of, but it takes someone who was very strong as a thrall to do this as a vampire), highly enhanced senses (equal to Auspex lv1) and a kind of controlled animal magnetism (increased sexual awareness in mortals - makes them more desirable but not to the point that the mortals become unaware of others or loose control of their bodies). This power has no effect on other vampires and limited effect on thralls not of ones own. On the vampires own thralls it is extreemly powerful and can make them slavish to the vampires desires.
These sort of vampires have a weaker thirst than a full vampire but also have the advantage that they may still procreate. Though this is much harder than for a mortal. Children born from either these or Thralls are automatically level 2 thralls. But because of their birth they can not undergo the change to a level 3 till after their bodies have completed the puberty change. Ironically they are also immune to their birth parent or parents Dominitors blood. The reason for this is unclear.
The vampires can also learn new abilities but at a slower rate than a full vampire. {Game Mechanics: +1xp per level of Discipline - so 8xp to learn a new discipline and 4xp per level after that. Max bloodpool is: 20 for All no matter what generation}

Lesser vampires are created by other lesser vampires or a greater vampire.
Accidental vampires only happen by feeding errors by greater vampires and they Always end up as a lesser vampire. Though a Greater Vampire can create them on purpose. (standard form of change - potential is bitten, drained till close to or at unconsciousness then fed the blood of the sire - it takes both the Venom and Blood exchange for the change to happen, just one or the other will not do it.)
Non thralls can not become Lesser vampires from other Lesser Vampires do to a weakness in the blood. When a lesser vampire tries to turn some non thrall (ie normal mortal) all they get is a dead mortal.

Lesser vampires are hardier than mortals or thralls but not all that hard to kill. Destruction of the heart, decapitation, fire, and even some very nasty blood affecting diseases can kill a lesser vampire as easily as any mortal. Anything less and they will eventually heal from do to their higher regenitive rate.
Note a bullet to the heart hurts like all heck but is not in it self fatal. A stake to the heart, no matter if it's wood, metal, or plastic, will kill them if it removes at least half the heart.
-----
The 3rd level of vampirism

The Greater Vampire.
These can only be made my a greater vampire. They are closer to the 'undead' vampires of legend. Stronger, faster and with more power than a lesser vampire but also fewer of them as they can not procreate. But two they are much harder to kill as well.
Greater vampires have more starting powers (3 Disciplines) but the type of power varies from vampire to vampire (no 'clans' or sire to child carry overs) as well as the same powers the lesser vampires have. Greater vampires also act as walking magical Cairns - they act as a 'hot spot / stablizer' for magics around them. The radius of this varies from a few yards (min 100 yards) to over 300 miles (so far only the first one has a field that large).
Interestingly they also seem to stabalize natural phenomina (weather, earth movements, etc) though this is less noticable by the mortal world. (ie less dangerous weather and earth quakes around these powerful vampires. A good concentration of them in one place (4 or more) has a more profound effect.

Greater Vampires can be made from Mortals, Thralls, and even lesser vampires. The process is similar to how the lesser are made, but for an added ritual which is kept secret till a Greater Vampire reaches the age of Release (which has another ritual with some bindings included in to it).

All vampires are subject to their sires as if they were level 3 thralls - this connection of blood and spirit is just that strong. However the Sires attachment to their child is at least the equivalent of a level 2 thrall. Because of this no sire / child murders have happened. (yet)

Sub note: do to the sire - child link - vampires can not become blood bound to one another. As such drinking from other vampires poses no more risk than drinking from any other vessel, though vampire blood is not as nutritious or tasty as mortal blood. Though it is most often only found in lovers as between vampires it is seen as an intimate act.
ShadoPrism
member, 517 posts
Sun 8 Jun 2014
at 19:40
  • msg #23

The problem with Portals and Gates

You never know when your life is going to go off in a strange way.

One day, your out running errands and this portal thing opens up around you and you and your vehicle drop down in to some strange primitive world with different natural laws. First thing you notice is your vehicle's engine dies, and when you try to restart it it acts like the battery is totally dead (ie Nothing happens, no lights come on, nada), also you note your cell phone no longer works. Then it slowly sinks in, the scenery outside your vehicle is not like home. You were on a road in town, not in the middle of some primeval forest with no visible road or people.
Once you build up enough nerve to exit your vehicle, you notice that the air is fresh and there is a path leading away from your vehicle.

What are you going to do ?

All you have is what is on your person or in the vehicle you arrived in.


This scenario / story is a what if type: Some unknown reason or force pulls people from our modern world in to a magical world where technology (well anything electronic, including spark plugs) simply does not work.
You have a few supplies (depending on the type of errands you were doing) but no clue as to this new place or how to get back to the place you came from.

I see this world as being like Realm Space (they already state in its description that electronics don't work. Magical interference probably). You have a group of people, who start out alone or maybe with one or two others (who was in the same vehicle when they arrived). The starting post will all be individual to each arrival - coming together when they all reach the end of their paths at the central location. Most likely a town, but it could be a cave, castle, tower, or what ever the GM wants. (I lean toward the town myself, with a selection of locals and general store type things. An Adventures way stop possibly - one of those places that springs up or around a known adventures dungeon crawl or meeting place. So the people are more or less use to odd people and will have a better chance at trading with the new comers.
Many wild goose chases and other adventures can spring up from this type of group or people.
Will the try to go home ?
Or maybe they like this world and want to stay but need a place to live and some form of income (lets face it, not many modern people have skills that would work in an alien and more primitive world. So adventuring maybe their only options.)
Many possibilities for events to. Accidents caused by misinformation (gamer who Thinks he knows all about the Realms only to learn that allot of what he knows is wrong, names have changed, or events he heard of never happened in this world. - like the Gods War did not happen (Yet ?) or other gamer info is accurate but brings about people who don't want that knowledge known, or worse, want to know all you know and are not shy of trying to force it out of you.



I personally think this would work best using 2cd ed AD&D.
LucidWarrior
member, 1 post
Mon 16 Jun 2014
at 08:00
  • msg #24

Re: The problem with Portals and Gates

Man, these are all incredible ideas! May I ask why you wont/cant gm anymore? You're obviously a very good one
Azraile
member, 152 posts
AIM: Azraile
Dislexic
Mon 16 Jun 2014
at 09:38
  • msg #25

Re: The problem with Portals and Gates

You can't escape the draw to and demand for the ST!!!!

MWA HA HA HA HA HA !!!!

lol  =p


One plot I had a lot of success with was a rather simple one.

First take your standard Hunter game and strip away there powers, all they get to do is pick a creed and virtues.... otherwise they write up a normal human. No supernatural backgrounds, merits, or flaws... just your run of the mill every day human.

Then go from one player to the other, one on one, RPing out the day they become a hunter. They go along there normal human day when, blam second sight sets in and they see some one for what they truly are, a monster. Then hit them hard with the call from the messengers.... words changing on adds, people sounding like they say things they didn't realy say, there whole world spinning as the weight of the messengers weighs down on there mind making them see and hear things. All telling them the monster must die, kill the monster, it feeds on human flesh... and so on and so on.

Then sit back and let it roll from there, let each char react to this horrifying situation as they will. When ever some one dose something that fits as a good trigger for one of the powers they have enough virtue for, make that the trigger for the power from then on and activate it.  Let them discover a power or two right then and there as they run from or try and kill the beast.

Do this for every char and let them have there time in the spotlight.

When all is said and done make another go around. Each person wakes up the next day to find they have a letter.... it has odd markings on it that they have never seen before and yet some how they know what it means "help" and "message". It is a letter from a local priest, he as been contacted by a local hermit and told of the new hunters and has sent a message to all of them to come and meet him... he promises to explain everything.

Through the rest of the game let them turn there conviction into virtue as normal but they never get to pick any powers, when ever they have the virtue (and I dubbled the amount of powers you could unlock from virtue points being that they didn't have control over how they were spent) and the NEED for a power comes up give it to them, again with the trigger they use when they first activate it.

This system of getting powers as you need them should focus mostly to powers in there own creed, but they can get any power on the list 1~4 (excluding the two broken creeds of crose).  Players that are smart will likely try and force powers out of themselves, allow it but don't make it to easy. If they dedicate time and research though hunter message boards and the like to see how powers manifest in others make it a little easier on them... there doing there homework and it pays off. Powers are a good bit on confidence, and knowing that something worked for a lot of other people convinces you it will work for you too.

At this point you can really go where ever you want for a good time, this system is loosely suggested in the books and put together players seam to love it.





In my game the city was our own so everyone knew what we were working with, and after everyone was introduced to each other and learned about what they were they were sent out on missions by the priest and his experienced group to go kill various groups of monsters.

This all lead up to there being a large amount of plant zombies in the park, some vines in the park were killing people at night, and then taking over there bodies. Several of the homes around the park had people that besides moving slowly and with jerky motions looked some what normal.. until the vines started growing out of them and they tried to kill everyone. (this monster is in Book of the Wyld)

A hudge hord of these zombies will threaten anyone trying to kill them or the vines, visionary powers will show though that they are all coming from one bulb. If the hunters can dig it up from under ground and kill it all the zombies will die.

If the players kill off the bulb the next night they get more stories about odd things going on in the park..... thugish clows and a strange mime in a suit. They are planting wodden stakes in the ground.

IF they investigate to much the clows will try and kill them, even though they are just really strong humans.  The mime is human but something is wrong in second sight he looks twisted and flicking green flames twist about him in strange fluid ways.  The mime will inter in if the clowns are beat up to much and start juggling balls and bale fire and throwing them at the group!  This will likely drive them off. This mime is rather strong for hunters.

The next day it seams the carnival is in town.... one that is oddly only open at night...Anastagio's Olde Time Lunar Carnival and Midnight Circus.

Yes thats right people, I ran a Midnight Circus game with weak hunters..... what a true horror story it was....

there second sight could see the thorns too, the 'night pass' was a crescent man in the moon with a snake coiling around it and biting the eye of the man in the moon... they HAVE to get the stamp to get it as the circus exists in it's own realm and the only way in is through the front gate... They watch as the more of there soul they lose the more the snakes tail coils around and up there arm.... and every where they can see the snake coiled around peoples throats and a second head of the snake bitting the persons eye...... a rather disturbing thing to see, that no one else see's.

It's hard for there second sight to brake the glamor over the place but when ever it dose they are rewarded with horrors.

In the end they can find out that the souls of the city folk visting are being collected into two phylacteries that if they can get to them they can set them free... one in the Ferris wheel guarded by the executioner ghost, and the other at the heart of the mirror maze guarded by Aphosis' embasary

They have little chance of getting these through direct confrontation.

In the end they have 7 days before the Circus moves on.

Regardless of the turn out the priest will end up calling them in. Turned out that half of the monsters they were sent to kill were good ones, the others competition for controlling the city. The bulb was a gardian of the city, it was going crazy in reaction to trying to build up power to keep the Circus away.... killing it let the Circus in...  The priest is a Drone of the Patriarch, the incarnation of Dogma, a very powerful drone at that. But he should be little trouble for the party.... the only thing they should have to worry about is the cathidral is a glass one.... and drones have the shatter glass power. They better take cover!

He's an easy kill though.... the quire boy though.... he's a weaver spirit of grate power an angel of dogma who they will have to gain there level 5 powers in the fight with it to even have a chance to beat.  Depending on how they have plaied determines what power you offer them... as level 5 has it's prices.   Oddly enough in my game I had 3 people...and one ended up with a messanger power,  one a creed power, and the other a currupter power..    lol


In the end if you run with the idea they can find out some of the things that are going wrong if they aren't hack and slashing there way through things.

Some of the fera they are sent to kill can be especialy helpful with there own wondering of why there totem spirit is so upset and is hurting people

If they manage to calm the plant rather than kill it, the Circus people will show up to kill it themselves though.

Some big red flags are the fact that the quire boy is always around.... even if just watching from a balcony... he's always there some where with the priest, even if the priest acts like it's because well you can guess why.... lol

A much bigger red flag is the fact trying to use visionary powers don't work well diff 10 with more than one success needed..... should they actually get it.... massive loss of temporary willpower, intense pain, loss of consciousness, and likely a derangement or two.

Sad thing is in my game the visionary did this... looked at the kid, used the power.... got 4 10's and a scream and a thud late was on the ground twitching. She just chocked it up to the fact that she was going insane....  lol

making friends with the fera can tell you sence they church was build weaver activity has been growing stronger and stronger driving out other spirts in the area.

this is already long, so i'll stop as this is good enugh I think lol
ShadoPrism
member, 541 posts
Mon 16 Jun 2014
at 15:48
  • [deleted]
  • msg #26

Re: The problem with Portals and Gates

This message was deleted by a moderator, as it was against the forum rules, at 16:25, Mon 16 June 2014.
ShadoPrism
member, 542 posts
Mon 16 Jun 2014
at 17:00
  • msg #27

Re: The problem with Portals and Gates

In reply to LucidWarrior (msg # 24):

Actually I am running one of those now - I burned out for a while. Couple years I just got a massive head ache when ever I even considered running a game.
Then that last idea, well I liked it so much I set it up last week. (June 10). We are just shy of 500 in game post now. (though 100 of those are OOC)
The hard part is I tend to be a touch compulsive and want to answer all the post I get Right then, and I get a little anxious when people don't post hourly - but I live with that (by checking it at least once every couple hours - though its more like every few minutes when I am online).
LucidWarrior
member, 2 posts
Tue 17 Jun 2014
at 01:05
  • [deleted]
  • msg #28

Re: The problem with Portals and Gates

This message was deleted by a moderator, as it was the wrong forum, at 04:58, Tue 17 June 2014.
ShadoPrism
member, 575 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Sat 19 Jul 2014
at 15:35
  • msg #29

Alternate Vampire Race

in the Original World of Darkness form - but with a twist.

The Curse of Caine many take to be the Vampires 'gift' itself, but looking over the stories from the book of Nod it came to me. At one point Caine made a pact with something for power, this pact made it so he and all those who came after him were forced to hide from the sun and from Faith.

What if someone found a loop hole in this Dark Pact and started making a group of vampires who did not have those two problems, as the Pact does not apply to them. That is where this concept came from.


The Alliance - a group of 'Anarch' vampires with strong ties in science and magic seek a way to return to the sun with out that nasty dieing problem. They stumble across an ancient script which speaks of the contract and the creation of the clans - how 1 vampire embraces a mortal then that child is also bound to the contract.
Through much experimenting they come across a way to create a 'lesser vampire'. These people do not fear the sun, can eat normal human fare (or anything a human can), have sex like a human (not all their fluids are replaced by blood).  Still can't procreate though. Also they can't seem to learn several powers.
Dominate, Obentration, Dementia and other 'dark gifts'. But are all naturally stronger, faster, and more enduring at birth than a normal fledgling. These they just call the Clanless.

The process of making a Clanless started with mixing the bloods of 2 or more vampires of different clans in to an embrace.
When the Child wakes they have gone through a metamorphosis that cures many physical disabilities, scars, and similar (app +1), they all gain muscle mass as well, becoming more physically fit. (Str, Dex, and Sta +2 to start or base line for Physical stats: 3 in each slot instead of 1)
They do not smell dead either. Though not alive, their hearts beat much slower and they really don't need to breath, except to talk or smell. And for some reason they all seem to be of the same generation despite their originator sires generation. Blood pool and use is set at 7th generation (BP: 20, 5 use per turn) - though they don't have a 'trait max' like the Clan vampires do either. (ie they max out at 10)

The down side is a stake through the heart will kill them (anything that destroys the heart or head will kill one of these). Any other wound heals at a very accelerated rate, though not as fast as a Clan vampire (1/2 speed in comparison - or takes 2 times longer for wounds to heal on a clanless). Except Fire. They take 1.5 aggravated damage from fire and as such fear it even more than your normal vampire.

They tend to start out with one or more of the Physical powers, (Potence, Celerity, or Fortitude) as well as 2 other powers (3 total rule still applies, [Example: Potence, Celerity, and Auspex]). They will learn those 3 'gifts' as standard clan powers. They can learn any non 'Dark Powers' disciplines at the normal cost.
Note on Protean: They can learn / have this but don't gain the Curse that goes with it.
Dark powers include: Dominate, Presence, Obentration (shadow manipulation), Vicissitude, and similar.
They can Learn these but it is difficult for them. (8xp at base and 5xp per level afterwards).
Interestingly they Can't learn Thaumaturgy (blood magics) at all, but can learn 'older' magics, like ritual or runic magics as well as any mortal mage. They have even developed a form of runic based techno-magic. They are very skilled in this form of magic, on par with the Technocracy in techno-magical wonders.
Bloodlines have formed over the years though. These all share the same powers, but do not as yet have a unified 'clan' weakness.

They can create 'Ghouls / Thralls' just like the clan vampires and have done so to the point of having several Thrall families that serve these vampires. The Clanless are more likely to form such a family around themselves than any Clan vampire. They see such family units as a great thing. Many bloodlines form from such families as a Thrall is rewarded for service by being made immortal. Interestingly it has been noted that they have more female children than male children in these families. The reason for this is as yet unknown.
(Thrall Children are all very healthy, and base line physical starts at 2 per slot instead of one - otherwise they are very close to normal human in stats - life span for a thrall is roughly 350 to 500 years as they age slower after hitting 16 years old. - figure they age 1 year for every 5 to 7 years physically)

Most Clan vampires tend to look down on the Clanless vampires, seeing them as a lesser race despite their advantages. They see them as being 1 step above Thralls or equal to a thin blood.
Interestingly the Clanless, because of their poor treatment by the Clans, tend to adopt any thin bloods they come across and treat them as equals.

By the start of the 20th century the Alliance is now almost totally 'clanless' and viewed by the Camarilla as a 'mercenary force of anarchs' - though the Sabbat still see anyone who is not Sabbat as Camarilla and treats them as such.
And Clanless in Sabbat territory are considered to be Panders. (the Sabbat really does not believe these Clanless to exist and as such has underestimated them to their detriment in the present times).


Dark Powers:
Dominate, Dementia, Presence, Obtenebration, Vicissitude, Serpentis, Quietus, Necromancy, Dementation
This message was last edited by the user at 18:57, Fri 25 July 2014.
ShadoPrism
member, 818 posts
Tue 28 Jul 2015
at 22:19
  • [deleted]
  • msg #30

Re: Alternate Vampire Race

This message was deleted by a moderator, as it was a bump, at 02:54, Wed 29 July 2015.
ShadoPrism
member, 882 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Mon 7 Dec 2015
at 01:21
  • msg #31

Re: Alternate Vampire Race - The Mad Scientist

Had this idea a few days ago.

Wanting to make a new race or clan of vampires, but not by the old stand-by's.
So what we have is a 'Mad Scientist'. He could be a vampire visionary, seeking to create the 'Perfect Vampire' or just the run of the mill wacko scientist, or even someone just screwing around with things and accidentally creating (via themselves) a new strain of vampire.
On the last one I can see someone trying to turn themselves in to a super hero / Super Soldier type thing, but their knowledge concerning genetics is limited / flawed (or they are just delusional enough to think they know all they need to know) and the end results are more than and less than they desired.

Yes you have super speed and strength and can climb walls like Spiderman, but you also have to drink blood to live. (animal blood probably works as well as human for this type).

Take this, run with it. What sort of mischief can you come up with for this concept ?
chupabob
member, 125 posts
Tue 8 Dec 2015
at 09:37
  • msg #32

Re: Alternate Vampire Race - The Mad Scientist

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 31):

Funny you should mention Spider-Man, because there was a character like that in the Spider-Man comics. He was called Morbius, the Living Vampire, and he briefly had his own series in the 90s. Doctor Morbius was a scientist who treated himself with an experimental process. I think Doctor Morbius had some sort of blood disease, but I don't remember that part clearly. He developed vampire powers, went insane, and fought Spider-Man many times. There was also a period of time in which Morbius was on an alien planet, but the less mentioned about that, the better. Because Morbius' powers were biological in nature instead of mystical, Morbius was immune to destruction of all vampires that Doctor Strange performed on the world. Around the first issue of his own series, Morbius' mutation stabilized, and he regained his sanity. As an anti-hero, he vowed to drink only the blood of criminals, and that is just what he did. I don't know his current status in Marvel continuity.
chupabob
member, 126 posts
Tue 8 Dec 2015
at 09:46
  • msg #33

Re: Alternate Vampire Race - The Mad Scientist

On the old Dragons Landing Inn forums, a user called RivCA posted several outstanding campaign concepts for a variety of gaming genres. Here is just one of his ideas, this time for science fiction and kaiju action.

Reign of the Steel Gods

The players take on the rolls of giant robots (cyborgs technically) who defend their planet from alien attackers. The PCs have more than enough power in their bodies to accomplish this task, but to access that technology, they must first remember why they are fighting. They must roleplay through flashback scenes from the time before they converted their bodies into war machines.

Background: In the distant future, humans colonized most of the Milky Way Galaxy with the help of nanotechnology. Nanomachinery became the linchpin of humanity's society. The far reaching human civilization extended even into the rare systems where cosmic radiation (harmless to humans) rendered nanotech inoperable. Those few humans who rejected the use of nanotech for various philosophic or religious reasons settled these few systems.

Things went swimmingly until a colonizing probe of nanobots returned from the Hades System unexpectedly. Something had gone wrong in the Hades System, and the nanites which were sent their to teraform came back aggressive. The rogue programming of aggressive nanites spread like an infection through the civilized worlds without explanation and without warning. Within days, almost all of the humans across the galaxy were killed. The refugees who made it out in time fled to the pockets of space where nanotech was inoperable.

The revolution against humanity did not end there. The nanite swarm which began in the Hades System attempted to press into the refugee systems. Unable to operate even shielded, the swarm began experimenting with other tactics. It sent asteroids and then rockets into the refugee systems. Then it began developing more complex technologies including killer robots and bio-engineered monsters. One by one, the refugee systems folded and were wiped clean of survivors.

In the last remaining system, scientists and engineers worked desperately to create countermeasures to these incursions. Robots were developed which could fight toe to toe with any trouble which arrived from deep space, but these systems were unreliable for a variety of reasons. One problem with robots is that they are by design stupid. The humans (and the swarm) both found that the smarter robots were unwilling to follow directions. In fact, the intelligence of an A.I. was directly improportional to its willingness to fight. The A.I.s had formed their own society which wanted no part in the war between the swarm and humanity.

Cyber-Gigantism: The first major breakthrough came when a scholar rediscovered an abandoned science from centuries previously. Cyber-Gigantism allowed the human scientists to alter the bodies of soldiers into order to become any size desired. That would allow human soldiers to carry and power the most potent weapons technology which the engineers could build out of thousands of years of experience.

The early prototype Cyber-Giants seemed to be a success. They were initially very effective on the battlefield. The problem with this program turned out to be the mental toll taken on the volunteers. Many became wreckless in battle and allowed themselves to be killed. Others simply self-destructed. None of the prototypes survived more than a month in the field. These prototypes were the titans of their day, powerful beyond imagination but flawed and destined for failure.

Enter the Player-Characters: The PCs are not titans, they are steel gods.

The second phase of the Cyber-Giants strategy involved a more careful screening of volunteers, a more gradual introduction of weapons technology, and an extensive counseling program which never ended. Most importantly, engineers added technology based limiters on their weapon systems which did not allow access to powerful systems until the soldiers met certain psychological thresholds.

Being a monster is not enough to carry one through an arms race for survival. The steel gods must continually remind themselves what it means to be human. They must remember why they are fighting in order to carry on. They must struggle to remain human as they become physically less and less so.

Other characters: RivCA also wrote an extensive post about the role of robots in his setting. It was interesting stuff but not entirely required to understand nor run the game.
laitang
member, 19 posts
CoC BRP Eclipse Phase
The Laundry FFG Star Wars
Thu 10 Dec 2015
at 20:21
  • msg #34

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

A bunch of regular folks win a trip to visit the CERN supercollider, whilst its being upgraded. Whilst the PCs are shown the collision chamber, a freaky accident causes the supercollider to activate, transporting the PCs away somewhere.

The PCs discover that they have been sent in time and space, to the Titanic, a day before the collision with the iceberg. There, they discover that the Titanic was meant to be sunk. With no way back to their home or time, the PCs have tough choices to make.
chupabob
member, 127 posts
Fri 11 Dec 2015
at 09:13
  • msg #35

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

In reply to laitang (msg # 34):

I like it. It seems very roleplay heavy since there is still limited space on the life boats. If the PCs choice to save themselves, someone else who was supposed to live is going to be killed in their place. It doesn't lend itself to more than one game session though.
This message was last edited by the user at 09:14, Fri 11 Dec 2015.
chupabob
member, 128 posts
Fri 11 Dec 2015
at 09:23
  • msg #36

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

The Paradox Institute

I had a dream recently about a concept in science called Fermi's Paradox and a type of sci-fi story which we could extrapolate from it.

In 1951, physicist Enrico Fermi and his friends went to lunch. During this fateful meal, the scientist began debating whether or not alien civilizations should exist at other stars based upon probability mathematics. After much calculating on notebooks and napkins, they reached a concensus that there should be thousands of such civilizations based upon the overwhelming number of stars and suspected number of planets in the universe. This assumes a few somewhat conservative estimates of how likely life is to take root on such planets and how likely life is to develop into creatures at least as intelligent as humans. If those conservative estimates were broadened into less conservative estimates or if the possibility of intelligent life away from stars were taken into account, then there might be millions or billions of civilizations in the universe. Then Enrico what would become one of the most important questions of all time, “So where is everybody?”

I wrote a six page explanation of the setting. Here is the short-short-short version. In the future, humans discover that thousands or millions of alien civilizations have existed in the Milky Way Galaxy. By the time that humans reach other stars, all of those civilizations are dead. The Paradox Institute is an organization which has taken on the responsibility of figuring out what happened to everybody. The characters are Earthlings (humans, transhumans, uplifted animals, and AIs) who explore the ruins of alien worlds and spacecraft as archealogists with ray guns trying to figure it all out before Earth becomes the next crypt world.
laitang
member, 24 posts
CoC BRP Eclipse Phase
The Laundry FFG Star Wars
Fri 11 Dec 2015
at 11:40
  • msg #37

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

In reply to chupabob (msg # 35):

Yes, it was meant to be a one shot.
icosahedron152
member, 515 posts
Fri 11 Dec 2015
at 22:14
  • msg #38

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

In reply to chupabob (msg # 36):

I just love the Paradox Institute! You've got a novel there, let alone a game. Did you play it? I want to know more already.
chupabob
member, 129 posts
Sat 12 Dec 2015
at 17:57
  • msg #39

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

In reply to icosahedron152 (msg # 38):

I haven't done anything with Paradox Institute yet. I just had the dream a week or two ago. This happened too late in the year for me to participate in NaNoWriMo with it, but I might do that next year since you mention it.

LEXICON
Fermi's Paradox: the mystery which queries that if intelligent life in inevitable, why does Earth's intelligent life seem to exist in a vacuum. The answer is that other intelligent life has developed but died off in mass extinction events.

The Great Filter: catch-all term for all of the events which have potential to destroy entire civilizations. Some extinction events are well known, but the unknown causes are the most dangerous and worrying to Earthlings.

Paradox Institute: an organization founded by Earth colonists to Alpha Centari to study the ruins and relics of extinct civilizations.

Crypt World: any location where the ruins of an extinct civilization exist. There are thousands and perhaps millions of crypt worlds which exist within the Milky Way Galaxy alone. This term includes but is not limited to natural planetoids, terraformed planetoids, large interstellar spacecraft, ring worlds, and dyson spheres.

Centarians: This is the human-given name to an extinct species of intelligent creatures which flourished in the Alpha Centari star system. The Centarians were the first species to be studied by xeno-archeologists.

Insightful: (used as both a noun and an adjective) This is the human-given name to a mysterious civilization of intelligent creatures who constructed a network of space ships that were distributed throughout the Milky Way galaxy and beyond. Useful relics from this civilization are called Insightful Technology.

Insightful Network: a fleet of large ships created billions of years ago and sent to distant parts of the Milky Way galaxy and beyond. The ships themselves are limited to slower-than-light travel, but Earthlings are able to access this network to instantly psuedo-travel between ships and thus explore the galaxy.

Crone: clone+drone. The Insightful Network does not create wormhole which allow explorers to actually pass through. Instead, it includes a supply of entangled matter which is controlled remotely though the Network. Explorers are able to create copies of themselves in distant parts of space. The supply of entangled matter is not unlimited and the system was designed by the Insightful to only allow each user to create one crone in each location. Death of a crone is not considered a tragedy, but it is a major setback to exploration.

TIMELINE
Here is a rough draft of the timeline for my Paradox Institute setting.

Almost 14 billion years ago: the Universe was formed
10 billion years ago: the first generation of intelligent species developed. The Great Filter almost immediately begins claiming victims.
8 billion years ago: construction of Dyson Sphere Alpha begins. The aliens who began its construction will not survive to see its completion, but automated system continue the construction process to this day.
7 billion years ago: The Insightful civilization begins building space ships and sending them out to explore the galaxy. Real time communication between Insightful Ships is possible due to an application of entangled particle physics.
6.9 billion years ago: The Great Filter claims the Insightful. Their legacy will continue in the form of their fleet, the Insightful Network.
4 billion years ago: The Apophic Civilization colonizes asteroids and comets.
3 billion years ago: The Centarian civilization flourishes in the Alpha Centari star system. They colonize and terraform their own system extensively, but they seem to never leave it.
3.99 billion years ago: The Great Filter destroys the Centarian civilization.
roughly 1.5 million years ago: The Homo-Sapien species develops on Earth
1951: Fermi first observes the principle which would come to be known as Fermi's Paradox
1984: S.E.T.I. was founded to search for intelligent life in the universe passively.
October 2015: The first evidence of intelligent life away from Earth is discovered when Dyson Sphere Alpha is observed by long range telescopes.
2036: Asteroid Apophis passes close to Earth. Astronauts intercept the stone to prevent a collision with Earth. To their surprise, they find structures there which prove the presence of an intelligent civilization predating humans. The asteroid and the ruins had to be destroyed to protect Earth, but small artifacts were preserved.
2100: The first generation space ship is sent to the Alpha Centari system.
2150: Uplifted animals are granted legal status equivalent to that of humans. The term Earthling becomes more common than the term humanity.
2200: The first generation ship reaches Alpha Centari. It discovers the ruins of an advanced civilization. The Paradox Institute is founded by colonists to study the ruins.
2350: While the colonists at Alpha Centari are focused on studying the past to learn more about the Great Filter, Earthlings adopt a different strategy. They believe that an adaptive and diverse civilization is best strategy for coping with any unknown hazards, so they focus on transhuman develop through genetic engineer, cybernetics, artificial intelligence, and the uplifting of other Earthling lifeforms.
2400: A long dead ship passes into the Alpha Centari system. Prospectors intercept it thinking that it is a relic of the Centarian civilization. Instead, it is found to be a relic of the Insightful Civilization, an entirely different and unique alien structure. This large ship is towed into the system and parked in orbit around the capital world of the colonists.
2401: The Paradox Institute announces that it has discovered how to use the Insightful Network which is composed of thousands of ships, and the network allows its researchers access to the parts of the galaxy where the ships exist.
2401: During only the third use of the Insightful Network, an entire team of crones is onboard the Insightful Ship by a nano-machine plague. These crones are only the first Earthlings to be killed by a Great Filter Event. 90% of all crones are killed by something or another within weeks of their creation.
2402: The job of exploring the galaxy through the Insightful Network is overwhelming. Most of the originally built by the Insightful are non-functional by this time, but some thousand or so ships which are functional remain. The Insightful network even includes a handful of ships which have reached the Megellanic Clouds outside of the Milky Way and the vast space between galaxies.
2410: A call is put out for volunteers to explore those parts of space which the Insightful Network makes accessible.
2475: By this time, colony ships from Earth to Alpha Centari are common. Each ship includes at least one transhuman.
2500: Less than 10% of the crypt worlds accessible through the Insightful Network have been adequately explored. Less than half have even been visited. The explorers of the Paradox Institute continue to send small teams of explorers through the network into the world.

Character templates (if used as an RPG setting)
Colonial Archeaologist: these descendants of colonists who traveled from Earth to Alpha Centari have generations of experience exploring alien ruins. They are intelligent, rugged, and resourceful. These characters are entirely human, but they are highly skilled.

Uplifted: Intelligent animals derived from native Earth species. These creatures were created using combinations of genetic manipulation, cybernetic enhancement, and good old selective breeding. They represent what can be accomplished when science and evolution cooperate. Any species of animal can be uplifted but the most common are dolphins, apes, cephalopods, dogs, and neanderthals.

Transhumans: This season's latest and shiniest new model of Earthling. This can be a chemically reanimated human head on a robot body with chainsaw hands. This can be a woman with cat's eyes and a nano-machine slurry for blood. A transhuman can have any combination of augmentation in his body and his brain, and different forms of augmentation come and go according to trends, technological advances, and personal preference. Transhumans frown upon gender identity and sexual preference as archaic concepts. The transhumans come from Earth, and they often expect to be treated as celebrities by the undeveloped backwoods humans of Alpha Centari. The colonists consider these transhumans a little haughty and are ultimately unimpressed by them. Despite cultural conflicts, the Paradox Institute always has work for transhumans.

Note: AI characters are present in the setting, but they are suggested as NPCs not player-characters. If I come up with a system that allows for people to roleplay hyper-intelligent AIs without nerfing the characters for making them hopelessly unbalancing, I will change my position on this.

All rights reserved (for now).
laitang
member, 27 posts
CoC BRP Eclipse Phase
The Laundry FFG Star Wars
Sat 12 Dec 2015
at 18:50
  • msg #40

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

In reply to chupabob (msg # 39):

You gotta run or publish it!
ShadoPrism
member, 884 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Sat 12 Dec 2015
at 18:55
  • msg #41

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

Does sound like an interesting world / universe for Sci Fi RPG or series.
chupabob
member, 130 posts
Sat 12 Dec 2015
at 20:00
  • msg #42

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

I appreciate the feedback, guys.
ShadoPrism
member, 937 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Wed 27 Apr 2016
at 03:39
  • msg #43

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

Want something to spice up your game. This chart may just do it for you.
Feel free to use or modify it. Its just something me and some friends came up with a long time ago and I found in an old file recently.


AD&D Quirks Chart
EXOTIC ATTRIBUTES AND QUIRKS

Characters may have up to 8 of these but only start out with 1-4 (1d4) of them. They may gain
more via the free attribute + 1-4 Attributes, or by DM's discretion.

1) Natural Werecreature (see sub chart 1 )
2) Member of a secret society (Thieves guild, Club, Elite organization (Harpers, Zentirim, etc.)
3) Night vision equal to day vision
4) Totally fearless (unaffected by outside generated fears [spells, auras, etc.] )
5) Good luck +1-4 to S.T.
6) Naturally lucky (Find coins on ground, accidental good fortune)
7) Internal Compass (Always knows what direction you are facing even underground)
8) Natural swimmer (50% chance of being amphibious)
9) Natural Thief abilities (pick pockets, move silently, hide in shadows, hear noise, climb walls, escape bonds) [as a level 1 thief. If a already a thief then you get an additional 60pts to spend on these skills]
10) Natural in class (+10% to exp. + any bonuses for high primary stats)
11) Natural Berserker 25% chance of continuing to attack even after foe has been killed.
12) Detect poison by smell 75% chance (Enhanced sense of Smell - works on bad food to)
13) Vision challenged (1: nearsighted 2:farsighted 3: tunnel vision 4: blind 5:color blind 6: cataracts )
14) Devoted paladin abilities ( detect evil, aura of protection, immune to disease, turn undead at -2 levels)
15) Good with animals + 1-4 on reaction rolls and training chance
16) Idiotic appearance ( Not taken seriously by others, all children, Joxer, Looked on as if a clown or incompetent)
17) Gifted mage ( gains 1 extra spell per level, if not a mage gets one 1st level spell usable once per day )
18) Gifted Priest (as Mage above)
19) Enhanced Strength + 1-4 (to a max. of 22 )
20) Enhanced Dexterity + 1-4 (to a max. of 22 )
21) Enhanced Constitution + 1-4 ( " )
22) Enhanced Intelligence + 1-4 ( " )
23) Enhanced wisdom + 1-4 ( " )
24) Enhanced Charisma + 1-4 ( " )
25) Mental quirks ( use personality chart in Creative Campaigns )
26) Aim + 2-5
27) Inspire loyalty + 1-4
28) Natural Beauty + 1-4 (affects Chr Reaction only)
29) Naturally Ugly - 1-4 ( " )
30) Blind curiosity ( think kender, does not consider response to actions 1/2 wisdom or less to avoid )
31) Natural Climber + 5-30 % to climb walls
32)Use any one 1st - 5th level spell 1/day ( determine spell when this is first rolled )
33) + 1-6 Miscellaneous magic items ( if first level then gained them from relative or teacher )
34) Sound Imitation 10 to 100 % accuracy
35) Bad with animals - 1-4 on reaction rolls and training chances
36) Intimidating appearance ( taken to seriously, treated with undeserved respected or fear )
37) Enhanced telekinesis ( can move 100 - 600 lb. per 2 levels )
38) Telekinetic arm AC: 5, 1/2 the owners Hit Points ( may lift the equivalent of the users Int. in weight)
39) Telekinetic flight ( can fly over any surface up to 10 ft per Int point high at base movement rate. Example Int 10 = max of 100ft up)
40) Friend of random race ( use Ranger companion / enemy charts )
41) Enemy of random race ( use Ranger companion / enemy charts ) {in the complete Ranger Handbook }
42) Random missing body part ( players choice )
43) Increased Infravison + 30 - 80 ft ( 1d6 + 2 x 10 )
44) New or multiple body part ( see sub chart 2 )
45) Reinforced skeleton + 2 to AC
46) Heightened hearing + 5 - 30 % to hear noise
47) Heightened touch + 5 -30 % to pick pockets and / or open locks
48) Stealth + 50 % to move silently or hide in shadows
49) Adjusted height 1-50 + 1die of height 51-00 -1 die of height
50) Regenerate 1-25 1hp / turn, 26-50 1hp / round, 51-75 3hp / turn, 76-00 3hp / round
51) Naturally skilled + 1 - 6 Non weapon proficiency
52) Weapons master + 3 to hit and damage with one weapon ( if rolled a second time then its for one broad group, ie Swords - Daggers - axes, etc)
53) Heightened sense of smell + 1-4 to tracking
54) Mutations 1 - 6 random powers (see sub chart)
55) Leaping ability + 3 - 12 ft ( as per jumping NWP + bonus ft )
56) Bad luck - 1-4 on S.T.
57) Naturally Unlucky ( always losing things , trouble finds you, as Swashbuckler )
58) Naturally fast +3 base movement rate
59) Detect magic at will ( can see magic auras. Cannot Identify magic items but can identify spell types )
60) True sight ( can see all Illusions for what they are)
61) Double jointed + 5 - 30 % chance to escape bonds
62) + 1-4 traits ( as in Skills & Powers ) (If you don't have these make up your own)
63) + 1-4 disadvantages ( as in Skills & Powers )
64) Good rider + 1-4 ( 1 land based, 2 air, 3 water, 4 all types )
65) Bad rider - 1-4 ( as above )
66) Gifted poet + 1-4
67) Gifted Singer + 1-4
68) Gifted Musician + 1-4 ( at +4 this person can play any instrument proficiently with just a few minutes of
practice but does not gain his / her bonus unless he / she actually studies the instrument )
69) Disciplined study habits ( it takes half the time to learn a new skill or to learn spells)
70) Naturally tough skin ( natural armor ) AC: 1: 8 2: 7 3: 6 4: 5 5: 4 6: 3
71) Strange Birthmark or Tattoo ( 25 % chance to be magical , DM's choice of effect)
72) Indestructible stomach ( not affected by nausea, ingested poisons, or alcohol )
73) Weak stomach ( easily nauseated , -2 on saving throws on ingested poisons, double the normal affect of alcohol )
74) Odd appearance ( unusual hair, eye, or skin color )
75) Foolhardy (like Blind curiosity but in regards to dangerous situations)
76) Ambidextrous ( no off hand)
77) + 1-4 potions or scrolls
78) Desire to form or belong to a secret society
79) +1 to find secret doors or hidden objects
80) + 5-20% to find traps
81) Natural Wild Talent ( reroll if not using Psionics )
82) Heightened visual acuity ( can see 25% farther without losing normal vision)
83) Allergy ( DM's choice )
84) Good Bargainer + 1-4 (chr ) ( good at haggling )
85) Storyteller + 1-4 ( chr ) can tell enthralling tales
86) Astral detection ( can see and talk to beings on the ethereal and astral planes as well as spirits, side effect : not affected by ghost fear power )
87) -1-4 on random stat
88) Resist Poison and Disease + 1-4
89) Naturally magic resistant ( as a dwarf , if already a dwarf then character has a +1 resistance )
90) Naturally magic receptive ( -1 resistance to spells, x2 duration on personal effect and healing spells)
91) Appear as opposite gender ( a manly woman or a girlish man )
92) Underweight - 2die (example : humans use 6d10 on weight roll this character will use 4d10 )
93) Overweight +2die
94) Appears as different race ( a dwarf looks like a gnome, a human like an elf, etc.)
95) Albino ( little to no skin , eye , and hair color )
96) Mage school immunity ( immune to one school of magic : Necromancy, Conjuration, Evocation, etc. also
cannot use any spells in affected school. )
97) Priest school immunity ( as Mage )
98) Total magic resistance ( just not affected by magic cannot use magic either, has a 50% of being unable to use
magic items.)
99-00) Roll 1-4 more times

Sub chart 1 : Werecreatures
1)Bear
2)Rat
3)Cat
4)Seawolf or Dragon
5)Tiger
6)Wolf
7)Boar
8)Raven

Sub chart 2 : New body parts
1)glowing eyes (2)quills (3)spines (4)wings ( butterfly, reptile, bat, etc.)
5)claws ( 50% retractable) 1-6" (6)forearm claws 3-12" (7)concealed orifice
(8)horns (9)fangs (10)tail 1-6 (11)2-8 tentacles 3-12'
12)Antenna (13)serpent or cats eyes (14)Hooves
15)eye stalks (16)pincers on extra arms (17)serpents tongue
18)feathers (19)webbed hands and / or feet (20)gills ( may be useless)

Sub chart 3 : Mutations (Powers)
1)pyrokinesis 1-4 dam per level (2)cryokineses (as pyro) (3)invisibility at will
4)dimension door at will (300ft range) (5)dimension travel at will
6)chameleon powers (7)light generation (8)paralyzing touch
9)webs from hands (10)speed x2 (11)lightning bolt ( as pyrokinesis)
12)phasing (the ability to pass through solid objects) (13)true flight (speed = 4x base)
14)force bubble (5-10' radius AC 2 Hp = to 1/2 characters ) (15)circle vision
(16)life sense 60' radius (17)x-ray vision (18)fire control
19)light control (20)shadow shaping (21)cell adjustment (heal 1-20 hp)
(22)induce sleep (as spell but with no level limit) (23)weapons creation (dur: 1-4 turns)
24)speak with animals (25)speak with plants (26)linguistics (the ability to speak any
language within a few minutes [ 1-10 rounds] ) (27)empathy
28)animal empathy (29)spiderclimb (30)floating disc up to 10' across (may use
this to fly )
This message was last edited by the user at 04:31, Wed 27 Apr 2016.
ShadoPrism
member, 952 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Fri 13 May 2016
at 20:33
  • msg #44

Rehash old for new

I like stories where people are displaced in time / space / dimension. So on that theme.


Scene: Some people start to 'hear' / 'Imagine' a female voice speaking to them about creating a 'new life' via rolling up a character using set specifics. All these people find on their computers / smart phones a file for Ultimate Powers. It looks like something for a role playing game, and a dice generator program with instructions on how to create their character.
Those that do this, for what ever reasons, soon forget about the character till this one normal day when the whole cities power grid suddenly fails.
All those who made up characters on that program / app, slowly fade away, first mentally then physically. Only to come to in another similar but different world, as the characters they made up.

They have new powers, possibly even new skills (depending on how through they were in creating their new Identity) and now a new life. All with only 1 common set of problems. No jobs, no money, and no Legal Identity in this new world. Also they will need to learn how to use these new powers and abilities pretty quickly, cause Somehow you know the other shoe is coming, but not what it is.


The above I can see using Marvels FASERIP system pretty easily. But the world - now that can be any thing the talented GM can think of, including Marvel / DC variants. (I like dropping them in to a world in which Scarlett Witch or someone similar removed all the Mutants (or Most of the Mutants) and SOMETHING decided to 'fix' this sudden vacuum of power by 'recruiting' these new people for this job.

The City wide power outage was caused by the needed extra energy to pull these 'recruits' out of their world and in to the new one.
ShadoPrism
member, 1085 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Wed 17 May 2017
at 02:11
  • msg #45

Deck of Fate or Doom

Your out somewhere and find an old deck of cards with excellent hand drawn images on it. Drawing a card from the top of the deck you feel an odd sensations ...

Thinking of the fabled Deck of Many things.
Imagine the sort of fun - mayhem you could have Starting a game with such a deck - imagine someone finds such a deck and first time out uses them to play poker with some friends - 5 cards, 5 random things happens to each of the players.

Takes some thought but I can see such an interesting group of stories unfolding from such a thing.
ShadoPrism
member, 1178 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Fri 30 Mar 2018
at 22:31
  • msg #46

Deck of Fate or Doom

Idea just popped in to my head.
A group of 'medival' cosplayers (with maybe some steam punk or victorian aged types thrown in) are transported to a medival world. Say around 900 AD or something. Not nessisarily one with more magic or anything. How would they survive, what sort of mischief would a group from the 21st century get in to in the 10th century.
Heck would the group even stick together, or split up and go their own ways, leading to other fates and stories.

The question of can they return to their own time or not is also out there. It could very well be a one way trip caused by some cosmic glitch or random event.

Be interesting story I think.
ShadoPrism
member, 1238 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Sun 19 Aug 2018
at 03:42
  • msg #47

Other Worlds

Someone posted an Idea for Overlord type game - I forget which forum though. But it got me thinking about what it would be like to be sucked in to a video game.
Maybe not already at the top of the power heap but not at the bottom either. (Lets face it, bottom of most games is cannon fodder or close to, till you level up some.)
How would you react if you found yourself in say Elder Scrolls, or Grand Theft Auto Online, as the character you normally play ? Only this time, if you die, that's it, game over. And pain, being shot hurts, allot. Unlike the super humans that seem to make up the standard PCs in those games.
Just a thought, maybe someone can make something more from it.
horus
member, 543 posts
Wayfarer of the
Western Wastes
Sun 19 Aug 2018
at 05:08
  • msg #48

Other Worlds

This is not an uncommon motif in the literature of fantasy and science-fiction.  Some examples:

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (Samuel Clemens writing as Mark Twain)
The Compleat Enchanter (L. Sprague deCamp and Fletcher Pratt)
The Worm Ouroboros (E. R. Eddison)
The Martian Novels (Edgar Rice Burroughs)
The Land That Time Forgot (Edgar Rice Burroughs)
The Time Machine (H. G. Wells)

In a possibly related vein, see the Amber novels of Roger Zelazny.

There are many others in the veins of the examples given here.

All of the considerations you've mentioned are valid ones for this type of story.  Making such a story line into a game here or anywhere else will require work, research, and patience to get it right.

A lot would depend on how you want the game to go:  sweeping cinematic action hero stuff or gritty realism? (Seems like you were tending toward the latter.)  Seems like you would want to pick or create a system for the game with a good bit of flexibility (unless you intend to go rules-light).

If the game is set in one particular time and place in history, the other thing that is worrisome is the time paradox/butterfly effect thing where one or more players intentionally or inadvertently muck(s) up the time stream by doing something that changes the future.

One way around this would be a deterministic universe in which it is impossible for players to change time, but that would place a high burden on you as GM.

You're considering an ambitious project.  It's one worth doing if you're all in.  How can we help?
DarkLightHitomi
member, 1412 posts
Sun 19 Aug 2018
at 12:36
  • msg #49

Other Worlds

You could also simply handle time as either multiple timestreams (going back in time splits the timestream so the timetraveller's past doesn't change, but rather a new past is created parrallel to the original) or that time isn't a stream at all but simply a measure of change amd therefore going back in time is more like changing the world to match the past rather than actually going to the past (more difficult, but ripe for interesting consequences and dilemmas, for example, just how far away can things be adjusted? A continent, a planet, or just a city?
ShadoPrism
member, 1272 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Mon 28 Oct 2019
at 16:44
  • msg #50

Other Worlds Concepts

Been reading this over and still keep going back to other worlds. People from one world to another still my fav.
Here is one thought, by pure chance a person finds an object (ring, card, or something ordinary) and unthinkingly makes a wish they did not really mean.
What are the consiquinces of this wish, does it really work, or do things go sideways from the start.

On finding a Tarot Card of the moon, a person jokingly says "Oh mighty Card of the Moon, grant me my boon, I wish I could live in another world of ancient magics, powerful places, and potentials undreamed of in the hearts of the people of this world, that there I was a mighty Wizard, with my staff in hand and knowledge of all things mystical and arcane, and that I was young, strong of body and mind and very healthy, and wealthy "

From there the story begins - what kind of mayhem can you think of for that fateful line ?
ShadoPrism
member, 1327 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Sat 1 Aug 2020
at 19:08
  • msg #51

Other Worlds Concepts

Another new concept - your just driving down the road one day, when a worm hole (Wyrm ?) opens around you and you drop in to a completely different universe.

Any thoughts on what sort of things could happen. Including becoming a new race / gender, gaining powers or special skills (or all the above).

Input welcome. Stories inspire us to write better, think stranger, do more with our hobby.
Razewun
member, 50 posts
Wed 19 Aug 2020
at 16:05
  • msg #52

Other Worlds Concepts

I often consider "Time" in any game or setting to be "that is what is is here".

Could be multiple timelines, could be butterfly effect, could be malleable, or it could be immutable.

I first considered these and other options many years ago, when buying anthologies in book form; long, long ago in a time before internet and computers where "rules", "theories" and "thoughts" abound...to the point of confusion, where a story might "die" in the making...  Thus "time" in your story is your own concept, regardless of real world theorems.

The story that evoked my thoughts way back then involved a consideration that "time" in a universe was immutable.  I cannot recall if Issac Asimov was the author, or just the Anthology Editor.

The story was of a time traveler going back to stop an assassination "then" that would have created a more peaceful world in the "now".  The protagonist did stop the assassin (and may have been loosely based on the Kennedy Assassination (Yeah, that is when the Anthology came out shortly afterward... Olde Farte I am!).  However, the "time travel" was a one shot only for the protagonist.

With the assassination shooting averted, the time traveler left "then" to return to "now".  However, the ending of the story was that the victim spoke briefly to those around him, then stepped outside onto a balcony; looked up to the stars (Kennedy's thoughts of space travel to the moon, perhaps?).... the final sentences making it clear that the "universe" corrected itself to make time immutable, by sending a meteorite down and striking the "victim" in precisely the same fashion as the "original" shot would have done.

Just food for thought.  Hope the thoughts help in creativity for authors to choose how "Time" IS, in their story for their purposes.  Malleable, Butterfly, Parallel, Immutable... or whatever.  Consistent in its own self, regardless of "real world" theories, or other stories.
ShadoPrism
member, 1330 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Wed 19 Aug 2020
at 16:46
  • msg #53

Other Worlds Concepts

I been working the Time angle in a couple of stories. I got it down to somethings HAVE to happen while others can change but the change is so subtle that it has almost no noticable effect on the greater story. Such as a minor character living and thus how things in that one persons life get better or worse, but in the grand scheme of things it makes no huge difference. Or it could make a significent difference, but only hundreds of years later.
In one such story (high magic type) I had someone wish to be rescued and gave some parameters of the sort they thought they needed for that to happen. So the Traveler is pulled to that point. The thing is, later the traveler has to do things even further back in time, so that they get pulled to that point, say direct a 'main character' away or toward something needed so their own timeline is maintained. (I did this from the point of view that the Traveler was pulled from an event that would have ended their life, accident or such, and thus with out that wish happening, they would have died, which gave them the motivation they needed to reach further back in time to make sure that wish happened.

Reading this I really get how convoluted some of my stories get. Anyway this is another take on time and how it can be handled.
rastashana
member, 3 posts
Wed 19 Aug 2020
at 22:51
  • msg #54

Other Worlds Concepts

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 53):

I will be honest, concerning time. Right now I have a story i am writing with someone else were we are swapping back and forth between present and past... in our posts. Time is what you want it to be. It has no shape or form or logical progression. It is a number you can define. It's only logic is that its speed is always the same. Like the speed of light.
facemaker329
member, 7240 posts
Gaming for over 30
years, and counting!
Thu 20 Aug 2020
at 03:12
  • msg #55

Other Worlds Concepts

Except that's not always a constant.  If you've got characters like Flash, Quicksilver, Superman, etc, who can move at relativistic speeds or beyond, Time isn't a constant.

That's the thing about creating stories, whether it's writing a novel or short story, putting together a game setting, or writing a script...the rules for ANYTHING are what you declare them to be.  As long as you cue people in on what rules are different, and stay consistent with those changes, you can cheat a LOT.  Time, physics, magic...there's a lot you can tweak and get away with it, if you do it the right way.
rastashana
member, 4 posts
Thu 20 Aug 2020
at 04:54
  • msg #56

Re: Other Worlds Concepts

facemaker329:
Except that's not always a constant.  If you've got characters like Flash, Quicksilver, Superman, etc, who can move at relativistic speeds or beyond, Time isn't a constant.

That's the thing about creating stories, whether it's writing a novel or short story, putting together a game setting, or writing a script...the rules for ANYTHING are what you declare them to be.  As long as you cue people in on what rules are different, and stay consistent with those changes, you can cheat a LOT.  Time, physics, magic...there's a lot you can tweak and get away with it, if you do it the right way.


You can quote all you want of superhero comics you want about what they do... Marvel's is good about that one with the Avengers story line. Reality wise, like the universe, it is a constant. This is about story telling though and it can be what you want it to be. I feel as if you are discounting what i say to put your reality in. Time just /is/. If you want to continue on your line you'll be talking to yourself because I have no time for people like you.
facemaker329
member, 7241 posts
Gaming for over 30
years, and counting!
Thu 20 Aug 2020
at 07:23
  • msg #57

Re: Other Worlds Concepts

Maybe I misunderstood.  I mean, this thread IS about 'other worlds' (it's right there in the subject line), and the discussion has obviously not been about the prospect of visiting Mars, Venus, etc.  That kind of defies the concept of sticking with a strict definition of reality as an immutable constant. People are talking about storytelling, not calculating the physics of time-space.

I grant, yes, in terms of hard reality...or even hard sci-fi storytelling...time is a constant until you get into some of the most hypothetical of quantum physics as a storytelling element (but for the vast majority of us, it moves at the same, inexorable pace, seconds turning into minutes and then into hours, etc etc etc).

But arguing that a hard reality is a critical element of storytelling (which is how your point is coming across) is a bit ludicrous in a situation where people are coming up with ideas about being magically transformed into fantasy creatures or dropping through holes in space-time into worlds where magic is real.  The vast majority of games on here have some HUGE departures from reality as we know it, either via the presence of magic, or non-existent creatures, or fully-integrated cybernetics, or any of a thousand other far-flung notions that exist to fulfill a thirst for the fantastic and superhuman.  As such, time is just another story element that can be handled in whatever way the storyteller chooses to go about it.
Fobok
member, 10 posts
Thu 20 Aug 2020
at 08:58
  • msg #58

Re: Other Worlds Concepts

Even in reality, time isn't a constant. You don't have to go to quantum physics to see that, just plain physics. Time is completely relative based on where you are, your mass, the mass and distance of the other nearest gravity wells, and how fast you're moving. For hard sci-fi, this can be a lot of fun to play with in stories.

As a storytelling point, you can even get into the point of our perception of time, which makes things even more fluid and interesting.

Or, you can go to the Doctor Who route, and use time travel to tell fun nonlinear stories. (See River Song.)

But yeah, a lot of the time it's completely hand-waved, and that's cool too. Some stories don't really require paying any attention to time.

What's my point in this post? Absolutely nothing. I'm overtired and I should be in bed, but for some reason I felt like rambling about time in storytelling. My throat is going to be awful tomorrow after dictating all this and my game posts. Oh well, it was fun. :)
ShadoPrism
member, 1340 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Wed 2 Sep 2020
at 14:31
  • msg #59

Re: Other Worlds Concepts

We got off on a tagnet over time, completely missing my original question for this section of thread.

quote:
your just driving down the road one day, when a worm hole (Wyrm ?) opens around you and you drop in to a completely different universe.

Any thoughts on what sort of things could happen. Including becoming a new race / gender, gaining powers or special skills (or all the above).

Input welcome. Stories inspire us to write better, think stranger, do more with our hobby.


I like the Isaki(?) type stories, which is what brought this line up.
So how would You the player, in this situation react if such a thing happened is the real question here.
What would you hope / wish for if such a thing happened to you ?
rastashana
member, 10 posts
Thu 3 Sep 2020
at 04:00
  • msg #60

Re: Other Worlds Concepts

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 59):

Well, sounds like some sorta anime thing there and well I can't really respond to that(because most of it is horrible to me). It could be anything really. It could be a book series you really love like the Dresden Files to something like Star Wars or even you come through a Gate in Stargate(whicheveroneyouwanthere)or it could be a completely different world that followed a different timeline. That's the fun with writing, make shit up!
ShadoPrism
member, 1341 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Thu 3 Sep 2020
at 11:46
  • msg #61

Re: Other Worlds Concepts

I do write, kind of the point of places like this after all. Even got a few stories floating around the web. Less since the death of Yahoo's personalized websites.
I like the Dresden Files and many anime to. Which brought up this idea. Though I liked such stories long before I saw any anime, life time favorite as it were.
I have tried to run games here based on that to. Some worked, some didn't. I got them all archived.
Maybe some day I will be well enough to run another such game. (Had a minor TAI stroke in late 2016, have not DMed since then.)
Still I got the dream.
Fire-and-Bone
member, 15 posts
Sat 5 Sep 2020
at 06:42
  • msg #62

Re: Other Worlds Concepts

ShadoPrism:
I like the Isaki(?) type stories, which is what brought this line up.
So how would You the player, in this situation react if such a thing happened is the real question here.
What would you hope / wish for if such a thing happened to you ?


If that were to happen to me I think there would be a little stress involved. Let's face it suddenly having memories of another world and life qith no evidence would make me question my sanity a bit.

But in a fun sense, being teleported to a magical world with average magical talent would probably be the most interesting scenario for me. I'm going to have a different way of looking at the world then most people in my new home. So having enough power to be useful but still need to think about my problems would be fun.

Audible has a story "How to defeat a demon king in ten easy steps" by Andrew rowe that illustrates this. The main character rather then go do the water temple in the normal way

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
instead uses magic to store the lake water in their inventory.


Using a well known and common magical power in a different way.
ShadoPrism
member, 1343 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Sat 5 Sep 2020
at 13:07
  • msg #63

Re: Other Worlds Concepts

ok I am looking for that book now.
Sounds like my kind of read.
ShadoPrism
member, 1435 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Sun 5 Mar 2023
at 21:10
  • msg #64

Alternate Histories

What happens when time goes odd and someone is dropped from 'here' to a different yet similar 'there'. Time shifts but not past or future, just alternate. How do the characters adapt, do they seek a way 'home' or stay in the world they landed in.

I know this has been done in movies and TV shows, but I don't recall seeing it in an RPG.
facemaker329
member, 7443 posts
Gaming for over 40
years, and counting!
Sun 5 Mar 2023
at 23:17
  • msg #65

Alternate Histories

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 64):

If you've got a good GM, this can be a lot of fun.  I was in a group that did this, and ended up settling into the 'alternate' versions of their characters so much that we kept playing that way for another couple of years.

A bad GM could make this a nightmare, I suppose...although, that's true of any scenario, really.
ShadoPrism
member, 1436 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Mon 6 Mar 2023
at 00:25
  • msg #66

Alternate Histories

In reply to facemaker329 (msg # 65):

I keep picturing people from here dropping in to a World of Darkness kind of realm. Though a RL friend suggested Super Heroes are real type universe to. Nothing says the Natural Laws all have to match our own reality after all.
facemaker329
member, 7444 posts
Gaming for over 40
years, and counting!
Mon 6 Mar 2023
at 00:54
  • msg #67

Alternate Histories

Ours was in a Star Wars game...went from the reality we'd been in all along through a series of others.  Every time we changed, the GM had each party member role to see if they could remember anything from the last change (and, after the first shift, to see if they could remember ALL of the realities they'd bounced through, or just the last one...)

Ironically, my character (originally a hard-bitten bounty hunter who was a complete skeptic of anything Force-related) became a Jedi Master...and had absolutely no recollection of his 'original' incarnation. He could sense from everyone else that they were telling the truth when they tried to explain it to him, but he couldn't recall it at all.  He kept his memory through all the other changes...just not that first one.

That had us all, at some point or other, going, "I can't believe he's the one saying that..." when he would, as a Jedi, insist on some course of action that Bounty-Hunter-him would absolutely reject.

It was really intriguing for all of us, because the changes in realities were all based on one or two events going differently than they had in the canon timeline (the reality where he was initially a Jedi Master?  He'd been trained by Anakin Skywalker, who had never turned to the Dark Side...Palpatine had found another way to manipulate events and create an Empire...)  Kept us all thinking about repercussions and can we change events, etc...I really enjoyed it.
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