(Fantasy RP) A Peek Behind the Curtain
As a follow up to my last post:
Hmmm... so it's acceptable, at least in some cases, to conceal major plot twists. I would have expected at least a little more reservation from those two, just based on what I've perceived as a desire to not cope with major changes in a campaign and/or a desire for full disclosure in advance.
Well, I agonize over and over, but... I really cannot imagine any way in which I would run this online. It's not terribly likely offline either (perhaps more due to scheduling and such), and there's really only one offline gamer I know who might read any of this anyway. Kyn, at least, keeps prompting me for more details whenever I post some sort of campaign seed, so here's what I scribbled/fleshed out the other day...
Spoilery self-notes:
The Empire of Vastyr assaults and is eventually defeated by the Republic the PCs come from. In the process, the PCs (and several NPCs) are exposed to mystical forces that render them more than human when a sort of reactor or containment vessel that was behind much of the Empire's power was destroyed. That power, however, is somewhat corruptive in mortal hands. Those who truly embrace it will be superhuman, but may also be compelled to inhuman acts. Even on a mundane level, survivors of the final battle are celebrities, given honor, rank, and fame - which is easy enough to abuse. The campaign deeply involves the question of whether the power is worth the price as some of the enemies of the PCs are people in very similar circumstances who have gone "dark side" and fighting them is easier if you give in...
The PCs have to deal with their on celebrity and power, and are faced with NPCs who may be doing better or worse at it to act as foils and, in some cases, opposition. A fellow soldier on a rampage or one retired to a life of excessive greed and control can serve as a warning of what can happen. And all of these people are looked up to - any public misstep can be a huge fall from grace that proves fame works both ways. Meanwhile, dangerous "monsters" are on the rise. Tribal creatures (or people) may form up around demon cults. Possessed animals may be dangers in and of themselves. And the truth behind it all may require venturing to the Empire, which suffers even more after the shattering of its power base.
Then there remains the ultimate question of what to do about the root issue. Should the demons be re-bound to something like the Grand Matrix? Should they be bound or harnessed in some other way? Should the breach be closed?
Background and Setting
The Republic was originally a remote colony (or fleeing religious members?) of the Empire mingling with local tribes, but that origin is hidden in history. Contact was lost and the Empire essentially forgot about them while the Republic pushed ahead to forge their own destiny. The initial cross-oceanic transit was a matter of great luck (or divine influence), as ship tech wouldn't make it really viable for hundreds of years after.
The Republic's lands have relatively safe, with few real monsters. Perhaps early on there was a battle with goblin/kobold-like creatures that Imperial-brought technology (metalcrafting and such) gave enough of an edge over that they were beaten back into the wilds.
The Empire, on the other hand, was left warring with true beasts. A rise in shamanistic-powered monsters and magically-enhanced things led to a far more warlike state in an ongoing fight for survival. Religion was quelled by military doctrine and the state (which may have been a republic itself at one time) became an empire.
A breakthrough came when the Empire found the source of the supernatural badness they had been facing for generations: demons. Beings of magic and chaos and corruption from outside the bounds of the normal world, they lent power to shaman-sorcerers, they empowered or possessed animals to turn them into fierce creatures. The Imperials began to draw on demonic powers themselves to fight back, but their ingenuity didn't end their. They bound demonic beings to engines to empower war machines and weapons. And in one great stroke, their Grand Matrix trapped the breach between worlds and bound virtually all demonic power in the world, putting it under control of the Emperor.
Drawing on that power himself, he became godlike in many ways, granting out power to his sorcerers and fueling his empire. With the monsters of the land weakened and forced into submission, the empire might have known peace if it weren't built upon those otherworldly powers. Infighting was common, corruption rampant, yet the bleeding energies kept anyone from focusing and rising up against it until the Empire turned its eyes outward and found the Republic, seeing a new land ripe for the taking.
In the Battle of Nadir, the Matrix was destroyed, instantly shattering the web power woven throughout the Empire. Technology and magic alike faltered or failed and the Emperor's influence crumbled. But in the process, that power was unleashed on the world again. Those nearest the point where all that energy went free (the heroes of the battle) absorbed some of that power right off. While not necessarily "possessed," they all contain some measure of that corruptive energy and a link to it. With that power free in the world, demons are loose again to bolster other beings into "monsters," and this time many (consciously or not) followed the victors back to Republic lands.
The "high" technology of the recent Empire is sort of steampunk in design, but all fueled by harnessed demonic power. With the failure of the Matrix, most of it doesn't work anymore, but it could be made to with more direct empowerment/binding.
Hmm... Perhaps "demons" should be called something else. It fits well enough with the connotations, but I definitely need some form of shorthand for "demonic energies."
Here they are otherworldly, corruptive beings. Their nature is pointedly bad for order in the world. They are nearly impossible to fully kill, as doing so only discorporates their power - usually that shunts them back to their home realm, though something like the Grand Matrix can block that. The Matrix bound them, on a grander scale than Imperial engines. If the breach were actually closed, a demon may remain dispersed or eventually reform in the mortal world given enough time and power.
They are beings of energy ultimately. In a sense, breeding fear, conflict, and chaos makes the world more conductive to them - it makes enacting will and maintaining form easier. Meanwhile, belief, faith, and worship give them more power. This is why they create shaman/sorcerers and support cults, granting their magic in exchange for worship or a sort. Imperial binding techniques trap the demons and draw on their power without returning it and will eventually destroy a demon entirely. But in the meantime, they are able to exert lessened influence in spite of the containment (through the same channel used to draw their power for an effect), altering perceptions and attitudes around the engine. A full containment could be accomplished, keeping a demon sealed in energy form for an indefinite period of time.
Though most of the Empire's advanced technology relied on a feed from the Grand Matrix, some pre-Matrix artifacts may still be empowered by their own contained demons.
The gods of the Republic (a trinity I think would be suitable) seem to offer boons, and advice through high priests, but proving they're "real" is a harder matter. The nature of demons may raise the question of whether the gods are the same sort of beings, given more power through larger followings. I probably should answer the question of their origin and nature one way or another, but that answer should probably not be revealed in-game, keeping the presence of the gods a more distant thing.
Tangentially, some demons might seek to become gods, whether this is truly possible or not.
Priestly magic revolves around the typical fair, including healing, but should be limited, low-level stuff. Similarly, Republic wizards have access to relatively small effects through ritual, study, and will. Greater feats of magic are simply beyond the non-empowered.
With demonic power, however, comes shamanistic ability (through direct pacting with demons, usually very specific by powerful effects) and sorcery (which can draw from a demon or through the breach directly and has a range of effects).
Mechanics
Perhaps split "experience points" and "power points."
The former are gained fairly normally and, whether directly or via leveling, can increase attributes and skills up to a point, can be spent on mundane advantages, and can be used to purchase "low" magic.
Power points are gained while doing things by using the supernatural powers a character has access to. This is side-by-side with XP rather than mutually exclusive. PP can be used to increase attributes and skills over the normal cap, gain supernatural advantages/powers, and to gain "high" magic. The spent PP total, however, acts as a drawback of sorts, which can lead to encouraged or compelled actions.
Each PC starts with one "unit" of PP (whether one level or one point or however it's broken down) of special something, and also a single Vice - an undesirable personality trait/habit that the character would indulge in if totally freed of inhibitions, and the thing power corruption pushes for. Perhaps characters actually gain an extra Vice for every X PP units they have.
Thinking of it this way, it could actually work in Unisystem-ish something. HP are fine over wound penalties because PCs are "special" enough that they can fight past wounds and unempowered NPCs are usually going to go down fast enough it won't matter. XP and PP can be tracked fine under the system. My biggest immediate concern there is that one or two points over a mortal stat/skill limit doesn't really convey "superhuman" very well.
I could still run this in d20, divorcing some class traits from level to associate with PP instead. I might also limit HP advancement from normal experience gains. In my concept, premiere/awesome unimbued characters should be of around 5th level in general power and ability, with only the gifted going beyond that.
Important Question: How much should players be told about the PP-Vice connection? If players are allowed to learn about it as their characters do, that increases the emotional impact, but might be seen as a betrayal at the table if they are allowed to get too deep in "debt" with PP expenditure before realizing the costs. Forcing control of a PC is usually a bad thing, after all.
Hmmm... so it's acceptable, at least in some cases, to conceal major plot twists. I would have expected at least a little more reservation from those two, just based on what I've perceived as a desire to not cope with major changes in a campaign and/or a desire for full disclosure in advance.
Well, I agonize over and over, but... I really cannot imagine any way in which I would run this online. It's not terribly likely offline either (perhaps more due to scheduling and such), and there's really only one offline gamer I know who might read any of this anyway. Kyn, at least, keeps prompting me for more details whenever I post some sort of campaign seed, so here's what I scribbled/fleshed out the other day...
Spoilery self-notes:
The Empire of Vastyr assaults and is eventually defeated by the Republic the PCs come from. In the process, the PCs (and several NPCs) are exposed to mystical forces that render them more than human when a sort of reactor or containment vessel that was behind much of the Empire's power was destroyed. That power, however, is somewhat corruptive in mortal hands. Those who truly embrace it will be superhuman, but may also be compelled to inhuman acts. Even on a mundane level, survivors of the final battle are celebrities, given honor, rank, and fame - which is easy enough to abuse. The campaign deeply involves the question of whether the power is worth the price as some of the enemies of the PCs are people in very similar circumstances who have gone "dark side" and fighting them is easier if you give in...
The PCs have to deal with their on celebrity and power, and are faced with NPCs who may be doing better or worse at it to act as foils and, in some cases, opposition. A fellow soldier on a rampage or one retired to a life of excessive greed and control can serve as a warning of what can happen. And all of these people are looked up to - any public misstep can be a huge fall from grace that proves fame works both ways. Meanwhile, dangerous "monsters" are on the rise. Tribal creatures (or people) may form up around demon cults. Possessed animals may be dangers in and of themselves. And the truth behind it all may require venturing to the Empire, which suffers even more after the shattering of its power base.
Then there remains the ultimate question of what to do about the root issue. Should the demons be re-bound to something like the Grand Matrix? Should they be bound or harnessed in some other way? Should the breach be closed?
Background and Setting
The Republic was originally a remote colony (or fleeing religious members?) of the Empire mingling with local tribes, but that origin is hidden in history. Contact was lost and the Empire essentially forgot about them while the Republic pushed ahead to forge their own destiny. The initial cross-oceanic transit was a matter of great luck (or divine influence), as ship tech wouldn't make it really viable for hundreds of years after.
The Republic's lands have relatively safe, with few real monsters. Perhaps early on there was a battle with goblin/kobold-like creatures that Imperial-brought technology (metalcrafting and such) gave enough of an edge over that they were beaten back into the wilds.
The Empire, on the other hand, was left warring with true beasts. A rise in shamanistic-powered monsters and magically-enhanced things led to a far more warlike state in an ongoing fight for survival. Religion was quelled by military doctrine and the state (which may have been a republic itself at one time) became an empire.
A breakthrough came when the Empire found the source of the supernatural badness they had been facing for generations: demons. Beings of magic and chaos and corruption from outside the bounds of the normal world, they lent power to shaman-sorcerers, they empowered or possessed animals to turn them into fierce creatures. The Imperials began to draw on demonic powers themselves to fight back, but their ingenuity didn't end their. They bound demonic beings to engines to empower war machines and weapons. And in one great stroke, their Grand Matrix trapped the breach between worlds and bound virtually all demonic power in the world, putting it under control of the Emperor.
Drawing on that power himself, he became godlike in many ways, granting out power to his sorcerers and fueling his empire. With the monsters of the land weakened and forced into submission, the empire might have known peace if it weren't built upon those otherworldly powers. Infighting was common, corruption rampant, yet the bleeding energies kept anyone from focusing and rising up against it until the Empire turned its eyes outward and found the Republic, seeing a new land ripe for the taking.
In the Battle of Nadir, the Matrix was destroyed, instantly shattering the web power woven throughout the Empire. Technology and magic alike faltered or failed and the Emperor's influence crumbled. But in the process, that power was unleashed on the world again. Those nearest the point where all that energy went free (the heroes of the battle) absorbed some of that power right off. While not necessarily "possessed," they all contain some measure of that corruptive energy and a link to it. With that power free in the world, demons are loose again to bolster other beings into "monsters," and this time many (consciously or not) followed the victors back to Republic lands.
The "high" technology of the recent Empire is sort of steampunk in design, but all fueled by harnessed demonic power. With the failure of the Matrix, most of it doesn't work anymore, but it could be made to with more direct empowerment/binding.
Hmm... Perhaps "demons" should be called something else. It fits well enough with the connotations, but I definitely need some form of shorthand for "demonic energies."
Here they are otherworldly, corruptive beings. Their nature is pointedly bad for order in the world. They are nearly impossible to fully kill, as doing so only discorporates their power - usually that shunts them back to their home realm, though something like the Grand Matrix can block that. The Matrix bound them, on a grander scale than Imperial engines. If the breach were actually closed, a demon may remain dispersed or eventually reform in the mortal world given enough time and power.
They are beings of energy ultimately. In a sense, breeding fear, conflict, and chaos makes the world more conductive to them - it makes enacting will and maintaining form easier. Meanwhile, belief, faith, and worship give them more power. This is why they create shaman/sorcerers and support cults, granting their magic in exchange for worship or a sort. Imperial binding techniques trap the demons and draw on their power without returning it and will eventually destroy a demon entirely. But in the meantime, they are able to exert lessened influence in spite of the containment (through the same channel used to draw their power for an effect), altering perceptions and attitudes around the engine. A full containment could be accomplished, keeping a demon sealed in energy form for an indefinite period of time.
Though most of the Empire's advanced technology relied on a feed from the Grand Matrix, some pre-Matrix artifacts may still be empowered by their own contained demons.
The gods of the Republic (a trinity I think would be suitable) seem to offer boons, and advice through high priests, but proving they're "real" is a harder matter. The nature of demons may raise the question of whether the gods are the same sort of beings, given more power through larger followings. I probably should answer the question of their origin and nature one way or another, but that answer should probably not be revealed in-game, keeping the presence of the gods a more distant thing.
Tangentially, some demons might seek to become gods, whether this is truly possible or not.
Priestly magic revolves around the typical fair, including healing, but should be limited, low-level stuff. Similarly, Republic wizards have access to relatively small effects through ritual, study, and will. Greater feats of magic are simply beyond the non-empowered.
With demonic power, however, comes shamanistic ability (through direct pacting with demons, usually very specific by powerful effects) and sorcery (which can draw from a demon or through the breach directly and has a range of effects).
Mechanics
Perhaps split "experience points" and "power points."
The former are gained fairly normally and, whether directly or via leveling, can increase attributes and skills up to a point, can be spent on mundane advantages, and can be used to purchase "low" magic.
Power points are gained while doing things by using the supernatural powers a character has access to. This is side-by-side with XP rather than mutually exclusive. PP can be used to increase attributes and skills over the normal cap, gain supernatural advantages/powers, and to gain "high" magic. The spent PP total, however, acts as a drawback of sorts, which can lead to encouraged or compelled actions.
Each PC starts with one "unit" of PP (whether one level or one point or however it's broken down) of special something, and also a single Vice - an undesirable personality trait/habit that the character would indulge in if totally freed of inhibitions, and the thing power corruption pushes for. Perhaps characters actually gain an extra Vice for every X PP units they have.
Thinking of it this way, it could actually work in Unisystem-ish something. HP are fine over wound penalties because PCs are "special" enough that they can fight past wounds and unempowered NPCs are usually going to go down fast enough it won't matter. XP and PP can be tracked fine under the system. My biggest immediate concern there is that one or two points over a mortal stat/skill limit doesn't really convey "superhuman" very well.
I could still run this in d20, divorcing some class traits from level to associate with PP instead. I might also limit HP advancement from normal experience gains. In my concept, premiere/awesome unimbued characters should be of around 5th level in general power and ability, with only the gifted going beyond that.
Important Question: How much should players be told about the PP-Vice connection? If players are allowed to learn about it as their characters do, that increases the emotional impact, but might be seen as a betrayal at the table if they are allowed to get too deep in "debt" with PP expenditure before realizing the costs. Forcing control of a PC is usually a bad thing, after all.
Perhaps the demonic energies could be called 'entropy'. The setting looks interesting though, and I like how you nested a cut inside a cut.
ReplyDeleteAs for that last bit, PP-Vice. I think that should be something the players should be aware of at the beginning. Allow them to be aware of the risk / cost, but offer the temptation.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's sorta my thought. I might be sort of interesting to explore as a surprise, but there's a little too much potential for a player to dig a hole without knowing it right off the bat. Safer to discuss that part up front, at least in general terms.
ReplyDeleteSpoiler versus cut. Sorta like saying "do you want to read this... do you REALLY want to read this?" ;) The core concept (heroes, PC and NPC, gain power, what do they do with it?) was probably heavily inspired by the manga I was reading at the time, Ubel Blatt, though it spread out from there some. I like that it gives an in-setting reason for PCs increasing in power and being faced with increasingly-powerful opposition over time, whereas that's glossed over in most games. You could draw parallels to the Force, too, though RPG interpretations of the dark side rarely make it outright better and rely on morality and social consequence to rein in players. In fact, I'm usually against social-type drawbacks as a balance against mechanical benefits - but it could be interesting to explore in a purposeful campaign.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of Aberrant from White Wolf. A setting of Super Heroes that go bad/corrupt. It was used as a "pre-setting" to their sci-fi/psionic game Aeon (Later named Trinity because of legal issues with MTV) At char gen you could buy super powers for points. But.. there was never 'enough' points to get just what you wanted, so you could take the specific flaw of corruption points. One or two doesn't make you a bad person, the character sheet allowed for up to 20 after all! It was only super villains that went full tilt that deep, right? Until a keystone event happens late in the story cycle and -every- hero with -any- corruption goes crazy and becomes wicked.
ReplyDeleteWhat was it for the d20 in regards of Dark Side? You did more bonus damage up front for less DS points compared to LS, but in the long run LS would surpass DS for dealing damage?
ReplyDeleteHmm... I have an Aeon Trinity (I think it bears both names on it) book somewhere that I've not looked at in ages...
ReplyDeletePre-Saga d20? Umm... using a Force Point for a bonus, yeah. 2d6 dark side versus 1d6 light at low levels, but 5d6 ds versus 7d6 ls at upper end. Dark side points gained for calling on the dark side for the bonus dice, performing an evil act, or using a "dark side" Force skill/feat. Chance of loss to physical stats due to dark side corruption at level-up with an optional rule of GM-controlled characters once they reach the "dark" stage. With all the drawbacks, not really worth deliberately choosing that route save perhaps for desperate, low-level characters. Saga made the default for "dark" characters to be out of PC hands (unless the GM chooses to do otherwise) and... uhh... why would you deliberately call upon the dark side? I guess if you really wanted to use one of those dark-tagged powers (and you'd have to pick on in the first place) or wanted a Sith prestige class. Force Point bonuses were the same either way. There was really no "allure" of the dark side and not much drawback save the very binary "you have control of your character or it goes to the GM."
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the risk should be made known, but the mechanics not. Afterall, the PCs are going against other powerful entities, who are "built" the same way they are, it should be evident that this is what they could become. Especially if they need to have a Vice. Every time they give in, just make a "Mmhmm" noise and mark a sheet of paper. It doesn't even have to have anything on it. Just a visual clue that maybe, just maybe, they aught to not keep doing that.
ReplyDelete