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LatwPIAT posted:Yes, that's the right way to do it, assuming that Adam had the gun in his hands, ready to fire (hammer cocked, round in the chamber, safety off, etc.). Thank you! I tried doing a melee attack in the Hand to Hand Combat System as well. It seems like it's harder in HTH to get to the far-right end of the damage tables, although I suppose that's to be expected/is realistic.
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Jul 22, 2016 15:38
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gradenko_2000 posted:Thank you! I tried doing a melee attack in the Hand to Hand Combat System as well. It seems like it's harder in HTH to get to the far-right end of the damage tables, although I suppose that's to be expected/is realistic.
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Jul 22, 2016 15:49
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Tasoth posted:What Schoolbus said with the added caveat that thinking machines can immediately and subtly usurped by the Legion of Darkness (big bads). This is what almost got humanity killed the first time around since the entire solar system had AI everywhere. One of the major points of conflict in the old MC (not sure of new MC) was that Cybertronic found out humans turned into machines, humans being powering machines and AI built in a specific way are actually just as effective as humans at resisting the Dark Symmetry (big bad magic powers). So the corps are either trying to buy fancy high tech gear from Cybertronic or in the throes of a religious war lead by the Brotherhood against a corporation so intent on falling to the Legion. I supposedly heard that Cybertronic got dropped in the 2nd edition and replaced by Space Turks, but I'm looking and see they're in all three editions of Mutant Chronicles. It's just the movie where they don't make an appearance.
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Jul 22, 2016 16:19
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FMguru posted:The word filter wins again. Wait what are you-  Welp, Im gay
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Jul 22, 2016 16:40
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FMguru posted:The word filter wins again. What an improbable way for the word filter to kick in!  I'm not editing that, it's magical.
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Jul 22, 2016 16:51
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gradenko_2000 posted:Thank you! I tried doing a melee attack in the Hand to Hand Combat System as well. It seems like it's harder in HTH to get to the far-right end of the damage tables, although I suppose that's to be expected/is realistic. It's not really written explicitly anywhere, but combatants are expected to start combat with their weapons in the Recovered position, so the Phase 1 Recovery is unnecessary. And, yes, it takes more effort. Bullets in PCCS tend to, if not stopped by armour, to over-penetrate. In hand-to-hand, meanwhile, managing to stick your sword all the way through someone's torso takes significant effort.
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Jul 22, 2016 16:58
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Hostile V posted:Mutant Chronicles was responsible for a very awful movie with Thomas Jane and Ron Perlman in it. That was Paradox trying to start their brand. It was based off the revision to the setting that was happening before the current one. It was supposed to be Steampunk in space, removed Cybertronic for some unknown reason and adding a middle eastern themed corporation. They also released a mage knight esque version of warzone that went no where. EDIT: Hopefully I don't seem too groggy, but the removal of cybertronic from the game is a bad thing. The way the corps are, the Brotherhood and the Cartel, humanity is doomed when compared to the Dark Legion. They've lost too much knowledge on making advanced technology, have retreated to trying to make money/gain dominance in system and the Brotherhood destroys anything they disagree with. Cybertronic is a ray of hope, one wrapped in corporate greed and murder, in the game. Tasoth fucked around with this message at 17:36 on Jul 22, 2016 |
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Jul 22, 2016 17:30
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FMguru posted:The word filter wins again. Errr, what's that replacing?
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Jul 22, 2016 17:37
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HTH
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Jul 22, 2016 17:38
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I really hth, hope that helps. Anyway in the current edition of Warzone, Cybertronic is still a thing so I assume it's extant in the current edition of the RPG (which I'm really interested in trying because 90's pulpy dieselpunk with space demons is right up my alley).
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Jul 22, 2016 17:50
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Cybertronic is in 3e along with Whitestar (Space Russians!!) and Luna PD as organizations.
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Jul 22, 2016 19:41
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LatwPIAT posted:It's not really written explicitly anywhere, but combatants are expected to start combat with their weapons in the Recovered position, so the Phase 1 Recovery is unnecessary. And, yes, it takes more effort. Bullets in PCCS tend to, if not stopped by armour, to over-penetrate. In hand-to-hand, meanwhile, managing to stick your sword all the way through someone's torso takes significant effort. Assuming I was insane enough to try and want to run this, do you have any advice on how to make it work smoothly? Obviously just the basic rules for now, and then only using the pregenerated troop stats, and then using 10s for stats whenever it comes up like for Health/wounding, and then making sure everyone has a copy of the tables and rules so everyone knows how to do their own lookups.
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Jul 23, 2016 06:02
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gradenko_2000 posted:Assuming I was insane enough to try and want to run this, do you have any advice on how to make it work smoothly? Obviously just the basic rules for now, and then only using the pregenerated troop stats, and then using 10s for stats whenever it comes up like for Health/wounding, and then making sure everyone has a copy of the tables and rules so everyone knows how to do their own lookups. I'd make sure that everyone has a small play-aid that tells them the exact AC-costs to perform things like movement (in all possible stances), reloading weapons, drawing weapons, putting down weapons, picking up weapons, etc. The game itself also recommends that the Referee delegate some table-lookups to a player with a good handle of the rules, so that when NPCs are shot at, the Referee isn't the only one resolving the attacks. In any case, the game requires some oversight to play, so anything that aids oversight is good.
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Jul 23, 2016 08:16
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So I'm gonna do Vampire: the Requiem 2e. I am. But first I need to tell you about something else. Hellas is a game of SPACE GREECE. It's based on Greek mythology and culture, twisted about for space - centaurs, for example, are squids that ride around in centaur-shaped robot bodies. Hellas is a generational game, with characters taking on the role of Heroes who seek glory vy their deeds. They die, and when they do, you play their children, with the goal being to ascend into immortality by your deeds before you succumb to your fate. The PCs in Hellas focus on being heroic, major movers and shakers on a mythic scale. The goal is to showcase both your amazing skills and your tragic flaws, because like any mythic heroes, PCs have both. The game seeks to make the PCs the primary and focal part of the story, with the most important role, and eventually, your character's bloodline will save the universe...but, well, it almost certainly isn't going to be your first character that does it. The game is focused on a hundred-year span of time, which will end with either the ascension of the peoples of the game or their destruction. The game rewards proactivity in seeking out glorious deeds to do, and seeks to have the PCs be the ones who change the world and make things happen, rather than just taking part in events orchestrated by NPCs. (Not to say NPCs don't do things - they do. But the PCs are the really important people.)  I love the art used for much of the book. The game presents a lot of its history in IC text - letters from the destruction of planet Sparta, excerpts from history texts and so on. There's also a 2000-year timeline covering all the major events of the past. I will, however, try to cover the major history setting up the game. Details are provided on various events in different places throughout the book - I love this game, but organization isn't really its strong suit. So, the history of the world begins when the Twelve awaken from Xaos (pronounced 'zayoss') in an event known as the Arxaeo ('the Awakening'), on the planet Creta in the system Knossos. There, they discover the Hellenes, a species of unenlightened creatures, and 'awaken' them. The civilization is promitive, but with the aid of their new gods, the Twelve, the Hellenes learn about technology and rapidly advance. They do not know how long they existed before this - this is the beginning of history, the Awakening. Within centuries, the Hellenes are able to colonize all of Creta and move offworld, achieving what most races take thousands of years to do, thanks to the help of their gods and, if you asked them, their innate greatness. The first colony ship launches from Creta in 450, and within 50 years, space travel was commonplace. For many years, the Hellenes explored but found nothing dangerous, and instead fought each other and the machines they created. The three primary groups of the Hellenes were the Spartans, the Atenoians and the Atlanteans. At some point, the Twelve cease communicating with their children, without any warning. This is due to the arrival of the immense creature called Kronos, who claimed to have devoured the gods and planned to devour the Hellenes. However, the Hellenese came together and defeated Kronos, casting him into a star and freeing the Twelve. The star, Thera, was disturbed by Kronos and went into nova, threatening the entirety of Knossos System. The Hellenes fled, spreading out and seperating as they traveled, with the Spartans and the Atlanteans going one way and the Athenoians (and other subgroupings) another. They discovered their first alien race - the Amazorans, a similar species of new colonizers. The two races fought for planets, and the Athenoian Hellenes won, establishing a new home system on the planet Athenoi. The wars with the Amazorans continued, as did wars between Hellenes over which system was best. The Hellenes became chaotic again, divided...until the Machina revolt, when the robots created by the Hellenes rose up in rebellion. The Hellenes came together at last to destroy all artificial life and the alien threat of the Scylla. The Zorans, cousins to the Amazorans, were discovered, as well...and this led to the Troian war, Hellene against Zoran and Amazoran. The Hellenes won, but at great cost. In the victory, the treachery of the Atlanteans was discovered. More on this later, but suffice to say, the Atlanteans were very busy using horrible genetic experimentation that freaked everyone out, and after the discovery of this, the other Hellenes turned on them, forming the Delphi League to destroy them. The Atlanteans wiped out entire colonies with their secret armies, billions died and, at last, only ambush and surprise attack on the Atlantean homeworld succeeded, forcing the Atlanteans to retreat forever into Slipspace. This will get a lot more detail later. At some point after this, the race of Zintar arrive, and the Hellenes begin to forget their gods and their bonds to each other. The Hellenes focus more on history, trade and art, holding great games but no longer speaking to the Twelve. They spread and fought still, of course, and the Delphi League even temporarily disbanded. It was reformed only twenty years before the start of the game, at the request of the Oracles. It took the return of old foes to unite them once more - first the Zorans, who once more colonized planet Troy and once more attacking Hellenic space, and then the Scyllans. But worst of all were the greatest foe. The homeworld of the alien (but allied) Kyklopes has been destroyed, as has planet Sparta. The Atlanteans have returned - and last time, they were defeated only with the guidance of the Twelve. Now, it is only the greatest Heroes who can speak to the gods, and it will be up to them to save the universe. Next time: Hellene Society
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Jul 24, 2016 06:34
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Please tell me that game is good, because I really, really want it to be.
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Jul 24, 2016 08:52
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System isn't perfect but I like it well enough.
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Jul 24, 2016 14:09
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Hellas: Worlds of Sun and Stone The Hellenes are unified by need and belief, they have many different cultural and political views based on what system, planet or even city they are from. However, some practices are mostly universal - or at least common enough that while they may not be everywhere, they are known to everyone. The alien races of the galaxy often practice differing traditions, and notable practices of each race will be discussed later, but the Hellenes are the dominant force in Hellenic space and their ways have largely been adopted by the others there. Hellenic law is based on the original set of codes laid down by the Twelve, which the Hellenes claim is based on 'Natural Law' and focus on allowing for the right to life, freedom and property, while punishing theft, murder and treachery. However, every system is free to dictate these laws as they see fit. Most Hellenic systems are democracies, but many are not. The Athenoians are a Democracy with Timocratic overtones - that is, rule by property owners. The Spartans are a strong Timocracy with aspects of Aristocracy and Oligarchy. The planet Elis is only a nominal Democracy, with real rule being Kritocratic - that is, rule by judges. All of Hellenic society is built around the cultural idea of the Polis. This is not just a physical place, but the organic whole made of the place, its people and its institutions. The smallest Polis is a city and the area it controls and protrects, as well as its citizens. Larger Poleis use slightly different terms - a planetary Polis is an Ecumenopolis, while a Polis covering an entire area of space is an Astropolis. Still, the basic idea is constant. No matter how large, the Polis typically has a central gathering place called the Acropolis, where citizens masy come in times of crisis to discuss their plans. Each Polis will also have an Agora, where the poiltical leaders meet to enact laws, hold trials and so on. This term is, again, not just the physical structure, but also the people that gather there. Poleis will often also contain a central Temple, dedicated to one of the Twelve, and with major Astropoleiis this will take the form of a Temple Moon, but each planet will also have their own Temple, as will each city. Poleis are rather like a set of concentric circles - city-level Polis, then Ecumenopolis, then Astropolis. Cities are sometimes divided further into Demes, tribal aliiances which are subdivided into Phratries, or familial alliances, and Gentes, or neighborhood alliances. Many systems do not bother to delineate quite so far, however. Note that slaves, criminals and foreigners (known as Metics) are never part of the Polis. The Agora is a constant no matter what kind of government is used, a practice descended from the ruler Drako of Athenoi that quickly spread. It's an assembly where a large portion of the voting population of a city gathers, either all eligible voters or just a quorum, which can sometimes be up to ten thousand people. Cities hold Agorae several times per month - or more, in times of crisis. In systems where the masses hold more power, votes are tallied by raised hands, caucusing or other means, with majority rule. In other systems, the Agora's vote might be handled by an elected body or even a single person to implement, or might just be taken into consideration by the actual rulers and not treated as law. Still, decisions passed by an Agora are usually closely considered, since they are the will of the people directly, and ignoring them consistently will likely trigger uprisings. For the most part, only free, property-owning and native-born Hellenes can vote or take part in government, with more property allowing more participation, such as running for or holding public office. Only free, property-owning Hellenes are fully protected by law, and often more property means more protection. Non-Hellenes and those Hellene that are free but do not own property are known as Metics, and are less protected. This includes children and citizens cared for by the state. Adult age is 15, and men and women are usually considered equal under law, though in some systems women may have less rights - or, as with the Amazorans, more rights. (The Amazorans, in fact, reserve almost all rights exclusively for women, in contrast to their male-dominated Zoran cousins.) Slaves have the least protection under law, but may not be treated to cruel or excessive punishment, torture, mutilation or murder. Crime is treated differently by system - sometimes trial by judge, sometimes by jury. Jury trial is typically held before the Agora, with judge and jury both paid by the state for service. In some systems, cases are brought to the Heliaia, a court of appeals allowing any citizen the right to bring cases to trial or sit in judgment. In either case, the accused and accuser both have right to a legal representative and the calling of witnesses. These are all that really stand in common with Hellenic legal systems. Each system will have their own interpretation of law and treat crimes differently. As PCs are Heroes, it's unlikely they're ever going to be brough to trial or engage in overtly criminal acts, but it could happen. Most crimes are punished either by a fine paid to the victim or by imprisonment for some period of time. Slavery is legal in most systems, and Hellenic culture has no real problem with it. In some places, slaves are over a quarter of the population - mostly the poor, criminal or prisoners of war. Most slaves are household servants or laborers, but some serve as bodyguards, soldiers or sexual objects. Criminals can be enslaved if they cannot pay a fine or if they commit a crime so terrible that imprisonment would be too lenient...or, in some places, where imprisonment would be too harsh. For example the Hero Heraicles was sentenced to twelve great labors of slavery after the mruder of his wife and children in a drug-induced rage, rather than imprisoning him. Slavery is usually not seen as a permanent state. You could be freed after a time, set by law or your owner, or you might buy or earn your freedom, with money or deeds. Slaves that somehow make it to a system in which slavery is illegal are considered to have earned their freedom as long as they stay in that system. In most cases, a criminal will not become their victim's slave, but instead serve someone else, usually the public good, and the money from their sale or work will be sent to the victim. Public slaves serve in many functions - medical personnel, cops, librarians, farmers, temple guards, mechanics, janitors. This allows much of the adult free population to serve in the military. Spartan slaves, however, are the exception. The Spartans long ago enslaved a Hellenic race called the Helots. In exchange for their continued existence as a people, they agreed to life as slaves. Helots have more privileges than most other slaves, but they can never be free, and are hereditary slaves. Some Hellenes hold that there are countless gods, but most agree that only the Twelve are worth worship. Each major region of Hellenic space tends to ally themselves to one specific god of the Twelve, often related to the local presence of that god's Temple Moon. Not all systems, however, adhere to the same degree of reverence. Any given Hellene can be expected to respect all the gods, and while most choose a specific one as their patron or matron, that choice need not relate to the region they live in. This extends cross-culturally - even the king of a planet might devote themselves to a god that is not their planet's patron. The Hellenes do not really understand this as religion, and have no term for 'belief' or 'faith' in the Twelve. They just intrinsically know that the Twelve exist - this is known, not taken on faith. The closest word they have is 'Nomizen' - mindfulness. One who is Nomizen is one who pays respects to the Twelve and is not lazy, atheist or heretical. (Mind you, there are fourteen gods acknowledged to exist by modern Hellenes - the two that are not the Twelve, Hadon and Aionisia, are just not universally seen as worthy of worship or acknowledgement.) Beyond the twelve Temple Moons, Hellenes maintain thousands of smaller shrines, from the simplest pile of stones to the largest ornate buildings. All are appropriate places of reverence, and some Hellenes believe worshipping there helps focus one's attention. These shrines are not blessed - anyone can erect one, just by marking an area and telling others they've done it. This process is known as Enshrining, though the wealthy may well spend millions of drachmas to erect elaborate shrines. The largest are somewhat heretically known as temples, which technically speaking are the domain of the Polis. The act of creating such expensive shrines is not seen as hypocritical, though it may be seen as wasteful. All cities and most space stations iwll have at least one shrine to a member of the Twelve, and all major cities will have shrines to each. There is no specific prayers, chants or rituals that are codified, but many exist in planetary and poetic traditions. A poem may publish hymns or a local landowner may hold annual festivals. These local practices are known as Letourgeia, and can include prayers, festivals, plays, songs, parades or games. The best known is the annual celebration of the Pan-Hellenic games on Olympos. The one unifying factor for all Letourgeia is that they are not private. They can be shared by any number of people, though they may be restricted by gender, locale or social class. Most are closed to non-Hellenes, but not all. While the Hellenes believe the gods can sire children, there is no social benefit to claiming one is a demigod or half-divine, as all Hellenes are children of the gods and so there is no special honor for being the direct son or daughter of a god, even if you could prove it was so. However, one form of Letourgeia is used to recognize individual achievement: Kudous. When given Kudous, a person is publically acknowledged for showing traits and capabilities similar to those of the gods. The most common is the celebration of the victors at the Pan-Hellenic games, or when heroes are honored for performing well in battle, sometimes posthumously. Individuals who are granted Kudous, even in small ceeremonies, are believed to be chosen for greatness. Soldiers who receive Kudous are often selected as general, while poets are often asked to serve as diplomats, and healers may be expected to save entire cities from plague. Related are the terms Odous and Hubrous. Odous is a hated term, referring to public chastisement. It may cause public humiliation, but it does not remove any honor...and, indeed, tolerating it well can bring public sympathy. Hubrous, however, is a term for people who claim Kudous for themselves. It is seen as disgraceful to do so, though many Heroes of the past have done it - most notably Heiracles and Achilleos. Another ntoable form of Letourgeia is the Mysteria. A Mysterium is a regular gathering for the meditation upon a religious truth or mystery. This doesn't mean it's quiet - it could be meditation, discussion, banquet or even an orgy. Mysteria are used to feel closer to the gods, and are more common in remote regions without many temples or shrines, particularly in systems without a Temple Moon. Because of this, Mysteria dedicated to deities other than the Twelve are not actually uncommon in remote areas - Hadon, Ainoisia or even foreign gods such as the Zoran Titanoi might have Mysteria. Hellenic marriage is a series of conencted events over a period of weeks, months or even years, in which two seperate people are transformed into a couple. The first event is the Enguis, the betrothal, typically arranged by the fathers of the couple but sometimes between the husband and the father of the bride. A large part of this involves a dowry, which is a sum set aside for the bride in the event of the husband's death, abandonment or divorce. In some systems, the bride has no choice in this matter, but in others may refuse a suitor or demand a larger dowry. Following this is the Ekdosis period, in which both bride and husband perform offerings to the Twelve. At the end of this period, they and their parents select the day of the celebratory banquet marking the end of Ekdosis. After this, the official marriage takes place. Traditionally, the marriage is consummated that night, and the marriage becomes official - Gamos. The couple is known as Oikos. After this, the Epaulia happens, where they are given gifts. (Gay marriage is not really a thing in most systems, though there is no stigma to homosexual relations. Marriage is just, y'know, about kids rather than sex or romance.) Funerals, or Kedeia, are also not one event, but several, usually within a few days of each other. Most Hellenes hold that on death, the psyche, or spirit of a Hellene will quickly escape if the body is not properly cared for. Thus, the first step is Prothesia, the closing of the eyes and mouth, sometimes by sewing them shut, especially in Slipspace. This prevents the psyche from escaping and becoming a restless ghost. The body is laid out and made available for public viewing for a few days, if possible. This is most common on planetside, where it gives families a chance to show their wealth and their bond to their friends. This is usually accompaniedb y ritual washings of the body, songs and so on. After Prothesia, the body is conveyed by funeral procession to its place of internment, known as Ekphoria. IDeally, this happens three days after the death, where the body is either buried or cremated and then buried, but it can sometimes take much longer. Leaving the body exposed, burying it on foreign soil or spreading ashes to the wind or space are all unacceptable to Hellenic thought, as this condemns the soul to an eternity of wandering. Once the body is taken to its resting place, the final stage is held - Perideiprion, a banquet in which the friends and family of the dead gather to speak in honor of them and to eat and drink. This can last hours or even days. After death, it is seen as important to visit the grave regularly, to ensure the body remains at est. Ideally this happens with decreasing frequency over time - first every few days, then weeks, then months, until at last it is just once per year. For those wealthy enough to have the dead buried on the cemetary planet of Dodona, however, these visits are sen as unnecessary, as Hadon is believed to look after those dead directly. Next time: Education, romance and food.
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Jul 24, 2016 15:57
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Hellas: Worlds of Sun and Stone Most Hellene education follows the Athenoian model: education is handled privately. Certainly, there are schools and universities, some of them public, but it is seen as the responsibility of the family to offer a child the chance at education, and in most systems there is no free public education. Wealthy families tend to send their children to universities, while the poor focus on getting their kids to apply to public or military service, which comes with a decent education. Education is seen, in some systems, as primarily for boys, but in others both boys and girls are educated, typically starting at the age of seven or eight, with privately educated children beginning somewhat later, often with the aid of a private tutor called a paideiagogue, usually a slave. The basic curriculum, or Paideia, lasts a decade. It covers literacy in Hellenic and at least basic spoken skill in other languages, arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, biology, chemistry, physics, ethics and good citizenship, Hellenic and military history, the arts (song or instrumental or dance or poetry or literature), gymnastics, general sport and the use of basic weaponry, including firearms. More advanced topics are introduced based on the child's capabilities, with the goal of well-rounded adult by the age of 18, ready for public service, the military or advanced professional training. Secondary training is done at universities or via apprenticeship to a master, not only in crafting trades but also in arts or politics, or even to a retired soldier. In the past, Paideia was only for the wealthy, but as Hellenic quality of life has increased, more and more citizens can affford it, and in some systems, over 90% of children receive the full decade of Paideia, with 75% moving on to more advanced learning. Paideia is not meant to be easy, and most systems grant students one of three letter grades upon completion. The top grade is A, for Arete, and represents achievement of all that is needed to succeed in life, serve the Hellenic cause and be a good citizen. A B grade is for Banausos, implying that the student, while capable of service or tradework, is unlikely to achieve excellence. The lowest grade is M, for Moria, and implies that the student has failed even the most basic expectations and is not seen as capable of serving society reasonably, perhaps due to handicap, mental deficiency, emotional instability or other reasons. Approximately 35% of students get As, just under 65% get Bs and less than 1% get Ms. Further, the grade is not a limitation, just an expectation. Many have surpassed their grades, receiving Kudous in later life and essentially retroactively receiving Arete for their work. Sparta and its related poleis see education differently, as a public responsibility and duty, which is often tied to military service. Spartan-influenced territories require young men to enter an educational course known as Agoge, or raising up. It is a difficult and rigorous training that not all are expected to survive. It lasts slightly longer than Paideia, beginning at age 7 and ending at ages 20 or 21. During tht time, the boys are taken from their families and raisedi n the public cause, for loyalty to themselves, the gods, the military and Sparta. They are given few tools or food. The goal is not to create a good citizen, but a good soldier. The basic curriculum is similar, but with much higher emphasis on military training and physical activity - though that does include the fine arts, such as dance or music. Students are encouraged to learn from each other as well as their teachers, and in some systems that means learning how to steal, lie or fight each other for privilege. Boys caught lying or fighting or stealing are punished not for what they do, but for being caught. By age 13 or 15, the boys are expected to choose a specific mentor adult, whhom they must obey and learn from. At 19, they are given a basic weapon and shield and sent out to survive a dangerous ordeal. Fewer than half do, but the survivors are acknowledged as the best warriors in the galaxy. Rumor tells of a secret Spartan school, the Crypteia, where the best students are sent after their survival mission, where they learn to practice secretive and brutal lessons on live Helots or even each other. No Spartan will admit the school exists or having graduated from it, however. Most boys that fail the Agoge are killed in the process. Some, however, make it out alive without completing all of their tasks. These individuals are seen as lesser citizens, denied voting, military service, marriage, procreation or other rights. They are ostracized and usually flee their home systems and change their identities. Spartan girls do not partake in Agoge, except in certain remote systems, but instead learn a similar curriculum save for the military training. Women in the Spartan tradition are expected to be attractive, capable, sturdy and honest, but not polite, graceful or docile. Spartan women (and Spartans in general) are often seen as somewhat barbaric as a result. Spartans, male or female, are not graded. Anyone that survives and successfully completes their schooling is considered excellent. Hellenic society is largely patriarchal, and households usually consist of a husband, wife and any non-adult children. Occasionally, older parents will move in if unable to care for themselves, but it's more common that they merely live nearby. Single mothers are treated identically to widows - traditionally, both would move into the household of their closest male relative, even if this is one of their own brothers or their father. This does not, as a result, always lead to marriage, but legally it is viewed almost the same. Households are small, but families tend to live close to each other, usually on the same street, or even on the same plot of land owned by the family. As a result, crimes are usually committed between families and neighborhoods rather than ebtween members of a single Gentis, which can lead to fierce rivalries. Women are, in most ways, seen as equals to men in most systems, though tradition dictates different societal roles. In some systems, women are complete equals, able to serve in combat or in politics, though mothers and expectant mothers are almost always barred from this, as their first duty is to their children.  Hellenes tend to be rather liberal in their views on love and sex. They don't care if you're in love or having sex, and don't mind homosexual relations or relationships with large age gaps, so long as all parties involved are willing and of sound mind. (And given their definition of adulthood starts at 15, I'd imagine their views on 'of sound mind' start there, too, which is...kind of creepy, but, well, ancient Greece.) Marriage, however, is between men and women, usually courted but sometimes arranged. Corutship typically lasts one to five years in peace, longer in war, and no one cares about premarital sex unless pregnancy happens. If it does, you either marry or abort. Orphans and fosterage are both undesirable in Hellenic tradition. Hellenes tend to keep the ideas of sex, romance, nudity and the obscene entirely distinct from each other, and situations that'd be obscene to certain other species, such as the Zorans and Amazorans, are seen as acceptable if uncommon in Hellenic society. Nudity in public, for example, is not obscene or even sexual to Hellenes, and most cities expect nudity in mixed company when at gymnasiums, pools or baths. Hellenes are not a modest people, as they see themselves as children of the gods and thus entitled to show themselves off if they want. Sidebar: Normally, it is impossible for two different species to interbreed successfully. Heroes are the exception - their divine heritage means that they can have children with other species, usually. The offspring are never half-breeds - they are full members of one of the parent species, chosen at birth by the player who is the parent. (If the parents are both players, presumably they must agree on it.) Hellenes eat a diet that is mostly vegetable - beans, chickpea,s lentils, asparagus, olives...look, you've had Greek food, right? They like fruit as a dessert, they like cheese and wheat or barley bread. The most common meat is fish and the most common beverage is wine cut with water, usually red wine. Uncut wine is considered barbaric, though bread can be soaked in wine for a light breakfast. Eels are the most prized of fish. Game fowl is also eaten, but heavier meat is saved for special occasions. Boar, bull, sheep and goat are sacrificed to the gods before being cooked at festivals, and it is seen as openly disrespectful to eat red meat without dedicated it to the gods first. Meals are light and overeating is rude, as meals are highly social as well. Kyklopes and Myrmidons have adopted the Hellenic diet for the most part, with some minor differences. Kyklopes tend to be vegetarians or to develop a fixation on a specific food which they will try to include in every meal. Myrmidons can eat just about anything, and will if it is offered, but often have an extreme taste for sugar and sweets. Amazorans eat similar foods to the Hellenes, but attach no religious significance to act of eating and will enjoy meat at any and every meal - preferable kebab skewers in a red wine gravy. Their favoring of heavier, meat-laden meals and their more raucous nature has led some Hellenes to see them even more as barbarians. Goregons, meanwhile, are obligate carnivores, unable to digest vegetation without discomfort. Their diet is thus largely meat and eggs, preferably fresh and raw, as their stomachs cannot handle cooked food well. They especially enjoy eating live birds, reptiles and rodents, as well as large amounts of raw egg, either cracked and drunk or eaten whole. Unhatched but partially fertilized eggs are a special delicacy. Goregons get most of the fluid they need from their food and drink only small amounts of water or blood. They metabolize poisons extremely efficiently and so are immune to most alcohol. The fauna of their native Ceto is toxic to most outsiders, but Goregons consider the taste superior to most non-Cetan animals. Of the Nymphas, the Oreads do not eat, being capable of obtaining nutrition via photosynthesis and rooting. Naiads, however, do eat, preferring raw seafood and seaweed. They can consume other white meats and green vegetables but often do not enjoy the taste. They do, however, quite like wine, much as Hellenes do. The Zintar, for their part, also mostly eat seafood - shellfish, for preference, boiled, steamed or cooked in broth. They can consume other meat, but tend to find it bland and overly dry. Zintar food is notorious for salt and brine - they can drink fresh water, but don't like it as much. Before meeting the Hellenes, the Zintar had no idea what alcohol was, but it is now exceptionally popular. Unfortunately, Zintar tend to drink to excess and become violent and belligerent. While Hellenic society is quite technologically advanced, technology is not incorporated into everything. Specific parts of society use it, of course, but Hellenes tend to use their tech only when needed. It's a tool, not a luxury or an assumption. People still tend their fields personally and get water from wells and make their own clothing. There are large crafting houses that manufacture and sell tech of all kinds, but most Hellenes don't need or use it. Transportation between systems and planets, of course, relies on spaceships, and even in atmosphere there are airships and sea craft for fast travel, but on a local level, most Hellenes prefer chariots, drawn carriages, wooden boats and even slave-crewed triremes. These are slower but often safer transports, and they typify the Hellenic view of relaxing and enjoying local events when at home - particularly by soldiers, who might be away for years or even decades. Hellenic entertainment is similar. Recordings and holographic projection exist, but it is seen as a poor substitute for live entertainment, and it is often more common to travel to another system to see a play popular there or wait until the playwright comes to visit your planet. Hellenes do have personal computers, often incorporated into weapons or armor, but also in small handheld devices, called comps. These are used primarily for storage of data and calculation rather than entertainment. While some have primitive games, most Hellenes cannot grasp the idea of a computer game, especially when they could be out hunting or fighting foes for the glory of the gods. Computers, to a Hellene, are just tools, like ships or robots (called machina). The idea of interacting with them more deeply is foreign, even somewhat heretical, and no Hellene would enjoy staying at home chatting on a computer when they could, say, go out and attend a symposium and listen to scholars debate in person. There is no Internet, and no universal repositories of information or entertainment. Howewver, as it is not feasible at all times to travel lightyears just to watch a play or hear a story, many Hellenes do appreciate the universal communication systems made possible by use of Slipspace. Slipspace audio dramas are regularly broadcast out in all directions, where any Hellene can pick them up when those transmission reach other systems. Because the time it takes to transmit this way is well known, due to use of Slipspace transmission for news and the military, these recordings are often scheduled at regular intervals, to allow citizens across the galaxy to listen in and keep up. 'Regular' in this case means weeks, months or even years. Slipspace communication moves at 1 parsec per week for civilian traffic - about 170 times the speed of light. (The military has transmitters able to send messages twice this speed.) This means that a message broadcast 10 parsecs takes 10 weeks to arrive. People traveling in Slipspace can occasionally intercept these transmissions if on the appropriate level of Slipspace, but at the deeper levels this is impractical, as the transmission is stretched out massively and slowed down, rendering it unlistenable at best. Next time: You're in the army now.
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Jul 24, 2016 20:35
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After a long period of traveling and moving, the archive is once more fully up to date. I'd like to repeat that there's room to contribute to it: for example, you could help by designing a more readable page layout (because I certainly have no skill at that), or by adding subtitles to reviews (such as Werewolf) that don't have them. Get with me on PM or IRC if you'd like to learn more.
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Jul 24, 2016 21:20
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 CHAPTER TWO Game and Character Creation Cold City values the idea of building the game and campaign with the players before making characters. You want to figure out how long you’d want to play for, what kind of tone you’d like and if you want a closed game or open game.  Closed Game: The players don’t know each other’s Hidden Agendas for any characters but their own. Character creation is a group process up until you get to Hidden Agendas and then the players step aside to talk to the GM. The upside of a closed game is that it heightens the drama and the tension. The downside is apparent to anyone who has played a game of Paranoia: it puts a lot of weight on the GM and might lead to some friction at the table. Open Game: The players know each other’s Hidden Agendas, character creation is an open process. An open game is less dramatic and much more of a group story; use the knowledge of what everyone wants to move the story along without focusing on just one Agenda. Honestly the open game feels like the better choice for Cold City, but that’s my opinion. SAMPLE GAME TONES
 CHARACTER CREATION
 TRUST Initially, your views on other characters and nationalities should have a little bit of stereotype to them before you open your mind and learn to get past them. The stereotypes are based on national views and propaganda that the characters have been exposed to and should lightly inform how they view the other characters at first. Pick one or two of the following stereotypes:  As the game goes on and as the characters learn to Trust each other, you can start leveraging Trust and start ignoring the stereotypes. Trust can be used in two ways. First, in a conflict where you are trusting another character to help you, add your level of Trust you feel towards them as bonus dice. If you have Trust 3 towards someone else, you get those three dice. Second, if you're betraying someone you can add the Trust they feel towards you as bonus dice. This is cumulative if you're betraying multiple people. At the end of combat, you can raise the Trust in another character by 1 or lower the Trust by any amount.  THE DRAW SCENE So before you play the game, you get to play out the Draw that you figured out for your character. This is a lot like what you see in any nWoD game, but the other players actually get to play a part in this. The player gets to pick out what the scene would be with three restrictions. 1: The scene must include the Draw by taking place when the Draw is set, the direct aftermath or right before they join the RPA. 2: There must be conflict in the scene. 3: The stakes for the character must not result in the character being killed or prevented from joining the RPA. The player of the character can draw the scene and the opposition/conflict of the draw has a dice pool of 5d10. The other players around the table can reduce or increase the opposition pool by 1 dice per person for whatever reason they see fit, thinking success/failure would be a better story or for liking the roleplaying or for whatever meaning. Winning the conflict of the Draw grants you a free positive Trait based on the conflict, losing gives you a relevant negative Trait. And that's it for chapter 2! The system is pretty light but I like the Trait system quite a bit and like I said, it's good to ask players what they want to play and what they want to do when you're coming up with a campaign. Next time we'll check out Chapter 3, playing the game and mechanics. Vox Valentine fucked around with this message at 22:13 on Jul 24, 2016 |
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Jul 24, 2016 22:09
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Hellas: Worlds of Sun and Stone It's impossible to summarize the entire Hellenic military apparatus - each system, planet, country, city and even neighborhood have their own rituals and customs. However, there are some things that are in common, broadly, over most of the Spartan and Athenoian military structures. All male citizens, in general, between the ages of 18 and 60 are expected to serve in the military if required. Some systems, like Sparta, require regular service in a standing army, while others form up only as needed. In some cases, they are paid, but in others, they are a militia given only subsistence wage in times of war. In cases were armies are raised as needed, typically they are by conscription. A Strategos is chosen - a general, usually elected but not always - to post lists on the Agora walls calling individuals to service. They are chosen semi-randomly, though it is rare for a Hellene to never be called to serve, and even if they were, many volunteer. It is extremely dishonorable, in the Hellenic view, to not fight in your life, especially among Spartans. Even Helots are honored to serve and die in battle. Armies are usually divided into Lochoi, which are between several hundred and a thousand men. Each Lochos is subdivided into 4 to 10 Pentecostes, each of about a hundred men, which then divide further into 3 to 5 Enomotiae of 20-35 men. In a skirmish, this may further divide into Tesseracts of between 10 to 12 men. A Tesseract is always an even number, composed of Aktinoi - pairs of two men exactly. Each Lochos has a specific function or specialty in the army. Most of the army will be Hoplites - heavily armed and armored infantry shock troops named for the shields they often carry. Hoplites are typically armed with a helmet, breastplate, greaves, shield and other armor, a standard sidearm and a short sword (called a Xiphos) or a spear (a Doru), often augmented with additional personal gear. Besides them, therre are the Skirmishers, also known as Peltasts, Ekdromoi or Sciritae depending on where you are. They are trained for speed, using hit-and-run to infilitrate enemy lines and disrupt them. They are typically less heavily armored, though they will always have at least a breastplate, helmet, sidearm and short melee weapon. Some armies also contain Lochoi made of Hippeis, or heavy cavalry. They are typically mounted on animals that each personally owns, though in some cases htey instead use mechanized vehicles, particularly among the Zintar, most of which are also perosnal property. Thie need to own, maintain and care for this property means that Hippeis have a position of high honor in any force. They are also more mobile and protected, thanks to their mounts or vehicles, and so often must do the jobs that foot soldiers cannotm like flanking or guarding VIPs. Hellenic armies use a mix of adaptive strategies and tactics depending on the enemy. The basic land philosophy is the same, however: armies form into Phalanxes, various groups that charge the enemy with gun and spear for shock combat. Holding cover and using secure positions are rare - the goal is to smash the lines and infiltrate their ranks for maximum damage. This typically ends a battle between Hellenes, with one side fleeing or surrendering in acknowledgement of defeat. Spartans, however, are infamous for fighting to the death. Foreign foes like the Zorans do not follow this protocol, but even they tend to prefer shorter battles that are swift and decisive, if brutal. Wars may last decades, but a single battle is usually over in hours. Tradition holds that the strongest in a Phalanx are on the right flank, with the leader at the front. The leader is often the most skilled soldier. The second in command will be in the rear to kep order, and will usually be the most experienced soldier. Depending on the foe, a Phalanx might mass the bulk of their forces in the center with skirmishers at the wings, or put most of the Hoplites at the wings for a pincer attack. Massed formation is rare in the modern era, but when used, the Doru will be swapped for the Sarissa, a longer and double-pointed spear in two pieces, about 6 meters total. The ranked lines allow many Sarissas to poke out the front, menacing the foe. These tactics are of little use against guns, however, so they are now used only against more primitive cultures. Hellenic navies are similar to the armies, save that each Lochos is assigned a group of ships, from four to twelve. Each ship is manned by one Pentecoste, known as a Pleroma, of varying size. All ships work this way - sea, space or Slipspace - though Hellenic troops tend to focus only on one of these areas, due to the differing needs of combat and navigation. Most Hellenic navies are made of mid-sized capital ships known as the Hoplite Triremes, or just Triremes. They are meant to cover long distances at speed, functioning in space for up to 40 weeks, with periodic supply stops. They are named for having three decks, with three weapon banks on each side. Each deck can theoretically seal itself and operate the entire ship if the other two are breached. Most systems have several dozen Triremes, and the Athenoians have over 200, with 90 on active patrol at any given time. While many ships mount weapons on the side and fight in broadsides, Triremes notably tend to mount the heaviest weapons on the front. This is due to the standard Hellenic naval tactic: charge at the enemy quickly and use the front weapon as a ram to punch a hole in the enemy ship, crippling it or killing everyone aboard. This is known as the Diekplous. If it fails, the Trireme attempts to outflank and fire broadside, with marines sent aboard to kill survivors. This is the Periplous. A Trireme has a standard crew of 100 to 200 men, plus 250 additional passengers at maximum. Technically speaking, only 50 crew are needed for all essential parts of the ship, with the rest serving either as Epibatai (ship-to-ship and boarding marines) or general army being transported, each of which might do any necessary onboard security work. The captain is the Trierarch, a position purchased annually via a Letourgeia known as the Trierarchia, and can be shared between individuals, as it is often expensive. Below th Trierarch is the Helmsman, or Kybernetes, who steers the ship both in and outside Slipspace. Other officers include the Prorates (lookout), Keleustes (petty officer and effective first mate), Pentekontarch (quartermaster) Naupegos (chief engineer) and the Toicharchoi (deck commanders). The command crew as a whole is called the Hyperesia. The rest of the crew is roughly divided into thirds for each deck and are in charge of cleaning and keeping it working. The top deck are the Thranitai, the middle the Zygitai and the bottom are Thalamitai. While equal in rank and skill, tradition holds that the upper decks have higher status, as the command crew is on the top deck. Marines often outrank the crew, but they must obey crew orders during normal flight operation. During boarding of another ship or while being boarded, crew must take orders from the marines. One of the major military groups of the setting is the Delphoi Legion, also known as the Delphoian League. They are a quasi-spiritual military group dedicated to peace and justice across the universe. While they are associated with the Hellenes, have a Hellenic history and are named for a Hellenic oracle moon dedicated to a Hellene god, they are not exclusively Hellene. The Legion accepts from any race, culture and system, so long as those who would join will agree to their codes and beliefs and will pursue their goals over all else - even their own lives. The Legion was first formed by an early ORacle of Delphoi, centuries ago, and the first Legionnaire was handpicked by the Oracle to lead them. This Legionnaire, Amphictyon, was a prescient and a master of Dynamism, and many believe this is why so many Legionnaires also master that art. The Legion now claims to have been involved in every major conflict they've run into and to have been involved in ending at least half of them. It's hard if not impossible to prove this, but their philosophy encourages open involvement...though those they work with are often quieter about it. In general, people everywhere respect the Legion and they are admired by common men, but disliked by government leaders due to their tendency to meddle in politics.  The Legion's symbol. The Code of the Legion posted:You are a Legionnaire. Legionnaires are often found in the courts of kings or as advisors to elected leaders. Others travel the galaxy as scholars, healers or teachers. In times of war, they are often militant as suited to their talents. Some serve to advise generals or pilot flagships, while others fight on the front lines. Most of them make these decisions autonomously, going where they are needed or asked to go by the agencies they work with. However, they also obey the advice of the Oracle at Delphoi, who speaks for Apollon. In times where desires conflict, the Oracle's will has the heaviest weight. This can be difficult, as the Oracle is known for vague and cryptic advice, but usually Legionnaires can figure out what must be done. These messages are technically considered advice, not orders, and Legionnaires are not bound to follow any one person's will. While they do not take orders or have leaders per se, they do have Counselors, elected every ten years (or as needed, when one dies) to voersee the Legion's maintenance and finances. The Legion Council's main job is to work with other Legionnaires to ensure they're assigned tasks they are best suited for. While technically all Legionnaires have total autonomy to pursue any goal, most follow Council advice closely in respect for their knowledge and wisdom. There are always at least several dozen Counselors and sometimes up to 100. The primary Legion base is a station orbiting the Temple Moon at Delphoi, and it is home to their main weapons cache and their small fleet of warships. At any time, between 100 and 1000 Legionnaires can be found there, perhaps twice as many in times of crisis. There are approximately 10,000 Legionnaires across Hellenic space - a tiny number, given the billions and billions of Hellenes out there. Most are just rank-and-file...which isn't to say they're grunts, given that all Legionnaires are a match for just about any single combatant. Most have military training from before they joined the Legion, though all allegiances must be cast aside while on Legion business, and many do so permanently. Still, they are free to pursue other jobs, serve in other groups, raise families and so on. Jedi, these guys aren't. About ten percent of them, however, do possess the power called Dynamism. The Legion doesn't seek out or cultivate this ability in recruits. Rather, they believe anyone can do it, Legionnaire or not, and that it's their philosophies and exposure to other members that bring it out in so many of them. Those who have these powers get no special rank or treatment. However, they do tend to get involved in situations others can't handle. This is no blessing or curse - it's just about having the right tools for the job. There is no Legion uniform, just a single item: a midnight-blue cape with a white monad (that'd be the symbol up there) showing their status. Legionnaires on official businss should proudly display the cape, but just in case they can't, the interior is pure black for incognito work. Legionnaires also often have special equipment and weapons, but there's no standard kit. They use what they have, plus any special tools needed for the mission from Legion stock. These tools must be returned when not in use, and the Legion keeps stockpiles on most major planets, plus hidden caches around the galaxy. The Legion believes that all people and all things are bound together, and so all people deservel ife and justice and all things deserve respect and freedom from suffering. This must start with the Legion, which leads by example. They don't just teach - they must demonstrate their beliefs openly whenever possible. It is a common misconception that they fight for good - they avoid use of the word good and the word evil. They strive for constant balance, which cannot be maintained in the state of constant war, so they tend to avoid conflict if possible, often via preemptive action, or to end it when it starts. This has given them a reputation as pacifists, but in truth they're as likely to use war as diplomacy. Their focus is to return order and peace, usually, but sometimes that means accelerating a war to a final showdown that will cost many lives but fewer than if the war stretched on for years. This does mean that the Legion prefers neutrality, but it's an active neutrality. They don't stay out of conflict, but involve themselves on both sides, often as ambassadors, arbiters or negotiators, but also as soldiers. Delphoian Legions are Monists - they believe that all things are one. All Legionnaires are of one Legion, of one mind and belief, even if they operate autonomously. For some Legionnaires, that's it, but others hold to the tradition started by the Legion's second commander, Anaximander. All of creation is one substance, and all things are literally one with each other. Legionnaries are not atheists, but often omnitheistic and pandeist. They believe that all beliefs have some validity, and that the universe contains the divine. They do not deny the Twelve, only that the Twelve are seperate from the rest of the universe. They don't deny other gods, only hold that they are a part of a larger truth. The monad, or circle with a dot in it, represents this oneness, which can usually be understood only once it is divided in two. The dyad represents the twofold nature of all things. Body and mind, life and death, cahos and order, hot and cold. The Legion believes that all of creation divides itself, voer and over. Two becomes four, for the elements and seasons. For ubecomes eight for compass points, and so on. But everything is still contained in the original one. The whole and the parts are one. This doesn't make sense or sound good to many cultures - including many Hellenes. Thus, the Legion tends not to bring it up in mixed company. Their goal is justice, not preaching. They don't require that others share their beliefs, as all beliefs are shades of the universal truth.  Every Legionnaire has a Focus - essentially, a current mission or purpose, but it's more than that. The Focus is also the tools and weapons used in the mission, the people that aid you. It is also the larger reasoning behind the mission. These are generally not clear to even the Legionnaire at first, and reveal themselves over time. The Focus, however, keeps them on track and prevents them from drifting aimlessly. As they never are given specific orders, the Focus lets them order themselves. By knowing the Focus and keeping within its scope, they do what must be done and no more. Foci may start broad, but as the Legionnaire learns more, the Focus sharpens. To help keep Focused, eahc Legionnaire will choose an object to represent their current Focus. This is known as the Focus item, though it has no power beyond the clarity it offers to the Legionnaire. It typically will relate to the mission at hand. A Legionnaire learns to maintain Focus at all times, to make it one with themselves. They can have only one Focus at a time, to avoid distraction. While Focused, they are said to be in the state of Flow. This idea represents giving themselves over to their Focus entirely, avoiding all distraction. They become one with all things and can see what must be with total clarity. They can do what must be done and avoid doing more. Focus and Flow are seen as a dyad, which some Legionnaires call Ithys - a word meaning 'just and true'. It has many contexts and uses, and is both a greeting, an admonition and a prayer mourning a fallen Legionnaire, depending on how it gets used. Legion Rumors posted:
Next time: The hell is Slipspace, anyway?
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Jul 24, 2016 22:20
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Hellas: Worlds of Sun and Stone This is a Kyklopes. That rock floating over her head is her eye. The Panthalassa, or cosmic all-sea, is the proper name for Slipspace - the extradimensional space that allows faster-than-light travel between stars by riding the Aetheral currents. Traditionally, the Aether is held to be the breath of the gods. Most sailors compare the Panthalassa to the open ocean or the rivers of a planet - currents, tides, waves. However, unlike sailing on water, the Panthalassa has different strata that move differently. Travel within the Panthalassa is done with use of a Slipsail, which allows the ship to cpature and accelerate Aether. The Aether blows into the sail and pushes the ship. Without the sail, the ship must rely on actual Slip current or subliught drives, and moves significantly slower. The Slipsail is an Aetheric force screen, fired from the ship on large cables. Once active, it charges with Aetheric energy and propels the hsip forward. The sails are just energy fields, and if the emitters is damaged, they may not work. Ships with a damaged or malfunctioning or nonexistant Slipsail can travel on their drives alone, but they move at half speed and 75% maneuverability. In combat, ship captains will often target the Slipsail in order to cripple the enemy ship, but it's not easy - a sail emitter is around a meter in diameter, total, and not easy to target with shipboard weapons. Thus, the favored tactic is instead to board the enemy ship and capture their engine room, bridge and projector arrays to cripple the enemy. The Panthalassa is a mass of dark red-violet clouds in a strangely Aethereal atmosphere. Every so often lightning illuminated the area, but in the higher parts of Slipspace, it's harmless. The 'clouds' are constantly moving, indicating the current's direction. The higher you are, the more light there is to see, though it has no obvious source. The lower you go, the darker and more foreboding it is. There is no sun, but many scientists and philosophers hold that the light comes fro mthe stars of realspace, much as real oceans are lit by stars. The environment is warm, at least in the upper regions, like a nice spring night, and there is no vacuum, unlike normal space. The air of the Panthalassa is entirely breathable - you can stand on your ship and breathe just fine. Most cruise liners thus have open pool and rec areas for when in Slipspace. The weather gets colder the deeper you go into the Panthalassa, and eventually it can be cold enough to freeze exposed skin. The debris of old wrecks and ruined planetoids litter the void of Slipspace, and it's not rare to see a floating island of rock. Some of these rocks harbor strange, twisted plant or animal life, and scholars believe them the remnants of planets destroyed in the far past. The animals are usually nothing but shades, and the plants can neither grow nor die. Sometimes, people get marooned in Slipspace, and they can survive on the flesh of the beasts or the fruit of the plants...but it's not fun. The fruit is bland and tasteless, and the flesh is ashy and bitter. It provides only just barely enough sustenance, leaving you sunken and ashen over time. Some scholars believe larger planetoids exist in the deeper strata, home to creatures like the Harpy and the Lamia. Deep in the Nether Regions of the Panthalassa, some claim, is a dark island called Thule, where the air is thick and cold and there is no light. Side note: do not activate a Slipspace drive in a planet's gravity well. Aetheric weapons work on a similar principle and work planetside, but that's because the gravity wave caused by their firing is tiny. Slipspace drives are much, much larger, and the gravity distortion can damage everything nearby. This will cause (Drive rating*30) damage everything within (Drive rating*100) meters around the drive. Items protected by Aetheric shields will be protected...except the ship, which is hosed even if shielded. The Panthalassa has a clear-cut up and down, rather than the freeform three dimensional space of realspace. There is a distinct gravity, and without anything holding something up, it will drift gently downwards until it hits 'bottom.' So will someone who falls overboard, and that can be very dangerous if the ship is moving quickly. Your only real hope is to find an island to cling to before you hit the netherworld. The highest level of Panthalassa is the Shore, and it's still 'close' enough to realspace to see the stars, dimly. Most commercial or civilian ships travel on this level. It's usually safe of the creatures that inhabit the deeper regions. The currents are fast but manageable even for a novice navigator, and it's often the most crowded level as a result. In a planetary system it's not rare to see hundreds or even thousands of ships dripping in and out of the system, as do transceiver satellites for communciation. Below this is the middle current, the Open Sea. It is less reliable, with currents moving at different speeds. Dangerous creatures live among the stone islands, as do the rare 'ghost' ships, drifting in the currents. There are no stars, just the purple clouds, and below is a mix of explosions, lightning and Aetheric howls. Navigators who are skilled can manage these currents, but there's risk - Harpies, Sirens or even the terror of the Kraken from below.  The Nether Regions are the lowest layer, a boiling black cloud of Aetheric energy that roars about in torrential currents. Here, ships move exceptionalyl quickly...but at great risk. There are terrible monsters, lightning and fire to dodge, large 'islands' of black stone to avoid. The Aetheric air howls all about, and the only visible light is from the ships there. At the very bottom, it is rumored there is a sea floor, like any ocean, and rumor holds that it is covered in dark boulders, shattered by lightning, and the corpses of dead sailors and wrecked ships, with strange creatures scurrying about, ready to kill anyone that might have survived. This is just rumor, however - no one has ever survived to see the bottom of Slipspace and return. While Slipspace is incredibly important, it has drawbacks. Prolonged exposure to it is not good for the mind. Most ships drop out of the Panthalassa occasionally to reaffirm reality and avoid dangerous problems. Essentially, for every week in Panthalassa, you need two days in realspace to avoid the strange, ennui-causing effects. Most modern ships have special safety features that force them out of Slipspace after three weeks, but failures have happened. Eventually, the mind will forget realspace, and when this happens, the beings involved become shades - not-quite-living creatures that hate the living and want to drag them into the shared oblivion that they exist in. Shades subsist off Slipspace itself and need not eat or slip, though they do enjoy murdering people. Most shades inhabit the ships they crewed in life or else live on the small islands of Slipspace, but others float along in the current until they slam into a ship. Sometimes, rarely, a ghost ship's crew will remember some aspect of their past...but these are the most dangerous shades. They are said to sail Slipspace in search of plunder - not of valuables, but people, to join them in their doom. Now, on to how spaceships do. Spaceships are divided into four broad categories. The largest are space stations - anything from a mobile weapons platform to a colony cylinder for mining. These 'ships' are staggeringly large, usually over a kilometer long and sometimes over 20. Operating them requires a diverse and large crew, as each station is really a colony in itself. On the lower end, maybe a hundred crew. On the upper end, tens of thousands. Stations generally do not move much, but most do have small drives to avoid asteroids or other hazards. Many also have Slipspace capabilities in order to dip in and out for message purposes. Any ships inside a station also enter Slipspace when it does. Below this is the capital ship or battleship - an immense transport or combat vessel. These are usually more than 100 meters long, with large crews, and heavy armament with weapons and shields alike. Many carry fighters, dropships or cargo craft within them. These ships require crew with several different skills, coordinated by a good captain. Fighters are designed for space combat in both real and Slipspace, and often also in atmosphere. They typically have a crew of six or so and no cargo space whatsoever. Some are light and fragile, while others are durable, larger and better armored. Heavier fighters often also have Slipspace drives on top of normal engines, allowing them to jump between systems. Those without drives must rely on carriers instead. Transports, meanwhile, are those vessels not designed for combat. They often move people or goods, gather astrographical data, explore new regions or otherwise perform civilian jobs. They often are armed, however - it's just, they're not primarily made for combat. They're exploration ships, utility, merchants, cargo ships, shuttles, research vessels or space yachts. Interstellar travel is exceptionalyl complex to calculate...and so, the pilots don't do it. Instead, they rely on the Antikythera navigation computers. The navigator relies on this to plot a safe trip through Slipspace, relying on their vast databanks of current speeds, standard routes and debris to avoid. This helps the navigators determine the best routes to use. When a route is calculated well enough and traveled enough, it becomes more understood and can be plotted faster, which can decrease travel time between specific planets...but then again, travel time may increase due to obstacles drifting into the route. In general, however, the more physically distant two planets are, the longer the trip in Slipspace takes. However, even nearby planets may require roundabout routes due to the currents and hazards of the Panthalassa. I am going to skim over the different kinds of sensors and comms and ways to gently caress with sensors. You can buy the book and read about 'em if you want that level of gritty detail information right now. We then get a list of major regions in Hellenic and adjacent space, with one or two paragraphs on the regions - basically, we learn the chief system of a region, which species dominates it, its government type and chief deity, if it has a Temple Moon and the names of major NPCs there and briefly what they're like, then some description of the area and what life is like there. It's neat stuff but not vital to know here. Next time: Chargen and Species
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Jul 25, 2016 02:08
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What's the watsonian explanation for everyone running around space with muscle-breastplates and spears?
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Jul 25, 2016 07:11
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I want to know if there's a Space Trojan War, and if so, what's the Space Trojan Horse.
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Jul 25, 2016 10:25
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inklesspen posted:I want to know if there's a Space Trojan War, and if so, what's the Space Trojan Horse. 2001: A Space Iliad
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Jul 25, 2016 11:03
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inklesspen posted:I want to know if there's a Space Trojan War, and if so, what's the Space Trojan Horse. There is the war, but it is kind of skimmed past as just a timeline entry. The Zorans are given a full write up in the first supplement and are both Troy and Persia and super sexist. E: Also, the breastplates and spears are both really technologically advanced breastplates and spears - they can absorb laser shots on the breastplate or whatever and the spears are AETHERIC SCI FI SUPER SPEARS often. Guns are still used more often these days but the return of the Atlanteans is going to push a move back to melee weapons because Atlantean tech is really good at absorbing energy blasts and less good at, say, absorbing being stabbed. Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 14:26 on Jul 25, 2016 |
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Jul 25, 2016 14:14
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Hellas: Worlds of Sun and Stone Hellas uses a lifepath system for character creation, and it wants you to do it as a group, so that players can discuss what they get out of it and make connections based on what they roll up on the lifepath charts. You start off by picking a race, though the lifepaths assume Hellene. (This was solved in the first supplement, which added lifepath options for each species that modify the base lifepath. I'll be pulling those out when I do sample character creation.) After that you go through the life path to get your childhood history, then pick a Profession, which modifies your stats and skills, gives you a Talent and some free equipment and so on, and suggests what the most common Calling Paths would be. Calling Paths are basically what you did as an adult, you can go through them between 1 and 5 times, each time raising the age of your hero and giving you a chance for stat boosts or new problems. Then you customize your hero with 30 Customization Points, which can raise stats or skills beyond what you got free. After that, you determine secondary stats, age and Epithet. This is Greek myth, after all. Your Epithet's important. Swift-footed Achilles is different than Lion-hearted Achilles. Anyway, first we're going to look at the species. In this book, there are eight: Amazorans, Goregons, Hellenes, Kyklpes, Myrmidons, Nephelai, Nymphas and Zintar. The first supplement added the Zorans (a mix of Persia and Troy, cousins to the Amazorans) and the Pandorans (a failed Atlantean experiment). Each has different base attributes. The attributes are:
 Amazorans: Defiant Warrior Women Amazorans are an offshoot of the Zoran species, though the name literally translates to 'Not Zoran.' This was originally given to them as a means of differentiating them as outcasts of Zoran society, but over time they have grown into their own culture and feel pride in it. Amazorans are strictly matriarchal, with men as second-class citizens and almost a type of personal property for women. However, Amazoran men tend not to resent this much, because the women who 'choose' them are responsible for their care and well-being, and those that fail to take care of their men are punished under law. Some other species find it laughable that the Amazorans still practice their semi-archaic polyandric traditions of multiple husbands, but most accept that this is just how things are. Amazoran law grants full Citizenship (and the right to vote or hold office) only via voluntary military service, which is generally restricted to women in Amazoran systems. However, these rights cannot be used until after honorable discharge, so active military can't vote. Amazorans who opt not to go into the military retain all other rights of Amazoran society - free speech, freedom of assembly and so on - but cannot vote or hold office. Amazorans and Hellenes traditionally don't get along super well due to past attacks by the Hellenes on Amazoran space. Most of their trading is done through the Nephelai instead. However, in recent years things have warmed somewhat, and several Hellene governments have allowed the Amazorans to establish military bases in their territory. Amazoran women are exceptionally tall - over two meters, always. Men are much shorter, closer to Hellene size or even smaller. Amazorans are blue-skinned and tend to have hair ranging from pale blone or even white to deep violet. Members of the Amazoran military tend to wear their hair cropped close to the scalp, but retired soldiers and civilians often allow it to grow quite long. Amazoran eyes are almost exclusively black, but most have gold or violet flecks or highlights. Amazoran fashion favors utility, and most Amazorans have tribal tattoos all over their bodies, representing deeds done while in the service and military rank, and most wear face or body paint. The Amazorans never forget a grudge or a favor. They are good allies, but terrible foes, known for their intense ferocity in battle and their dedication to any cause they choose. Often, they are known to swear blood or life oaths to their causes, seeing them through to the bitter end. They are known for being almost exaggerated in their emotions, quick to rage and quick to love. They especially enjoy laughing, joking and love affairs, but can easily turn to deepest hatred if they feel slighted. Some Amazorans have been known to wait decades to get bitter vengeance if they feel justified in it. Like the Zorans, the Amazorans worship a pantheon of twelve beings called the Titanoi, whom Hellenes associate with the ancient enemies of their gods. This has in the past been a point of major friction between the two species, but the Amazorans are significantly less religious than the Zorans, and most are, in fact, largely agnostic, so in modern days it's mostly overlooked. Amazorans have the following racial abilities: Alacrity: +1 to all Initiative rolls. Combat Tenacity: Amazorans can call on sheer force of will to resist fear, pain and fatigue. When they take a critical hit and must make a CON roll, they may add WIL. When resisting fear, they may double their WIL (and always have a minimum of +2, even if their WIL would not result in that). Sharp Shot: Amazorans get +2 to any one ranged weapon skill, chosen at character creation. Swift Footed: Amazorans may double their SPD up to (CON+1) times per adventure.  Goregons: Serpent Warriors The Goregons hail from the planet Ceto, a hot and dangerous jungle planet in the Phorcys Region. Earthquakes are common there - several daily, usually, and volcanic eruptions weekly. It's a harsh environment, home to many large predators and some of the most poisonous creatures in the galaxy. This has kept Ceto safe from invasion for most of its existence, and it's toughened up the Goregons, but even that was not enough to prevent Atlantean enslavement. The Goregons were primitives until around a thousand years ago, when a damaged Hellene ship crashed on Ceto and jumpstarted their technological advancement, which was at the time in an early industrial state. Within a century, they were spacefaring...and then they ran into the Atlanteans, who enslaved them as warriors. They remained slaves for several centuries until they saw a chance to rebel with the aid of the Hellenes, Nymphas and Kyklopes. Since then, they have entirely revamped their military and political structure. There is no central government on Goregon worlds, instead being ruled by family and tribal sects. Goregon families are immense, with 40-50 people in each central family and hundreds or even thousands in extended family. Goregon women are equals in all ways, and especially revered for the amount of children they can produce. While equally skilled as warriors, most Goregon women avoid the front lines due to the reverence in which the Goregons hold mothers. Goregons are large serpents, up to 4 meters long, with the upper body of a humanoid. Their scales range from black-green to bright yellow, red or brown. Their hair is exclusively black and worn in thick dreadlocks woven with bands denoting status. Goregon men and women are difficult to tell apart, as Goregons do not nurse their young and do not have breasts, but men tend to have broader shoulders. Goregons are rough, boisterous creatures, but very generous with what they have. They believe in fully embracing life, as they know that death may come at any time. Goregons will never betray their personal tribe, for those that do are cast out and can never be forgiven. This also covers personal friendships. When a Goregon gives their trust, it is for life, as is mating. Any betrayal between Goregons tends to result in one of the two Goregons getting killed. The Goregons have embraced the Hellenic pantheon of the Twelve. While they follow the standard naming traditions of Hellenic space, they also grant other names. The personal name is normal, but they have three others - a name that expresses their personality or the hopes of their parents, a name relating to their tribal kinship or their heroic or divine ancestry, and a name relating to the region or planet they are from. Typically, though, they go by their personal names in public. Goregons have the following racial abilities: Poison Immunity: Almost everything on Ceto is poisonous, and Goregons can process poison easily. They add (CON*2), minimum +2, to resist any natural organic poison, but not synthetic poisons. Their blood is also slightly poisonous. They may coat a melee weapon with it for extra damage - each Hit Point of blood used causes +1 DR, with a max of 5 HP spent in this way. The poison lasts for 2 hits. Paralytic Stare: Goregons have mastered hypnotizing prey with a mix of their eyes and natural Dynamistic ability. They may hypnotize someone with eye contact and a WIL roll against the enemy's WIL. Opponents affected by this get -2 to all actions and -2 SPD for 3 rounds. The Goregon can extend this by spending an action each round staring, keeping the foe enthralled until they win a WIL roll. Coiling Tail: Goregon tails can be used to coil around foes or slap them. This is an extra action on top of any other melee attack, with standard multi-action penalties, and DR (STR+3). Bloodlust: When a Goregon is reduced to 50% of their HP, they must make a WIL roll or fall into a blood rage. While in blood rage, they double STR for damage, but halve their Evade, rounding down. To escape blood rage, they must either kill their current foe or leave the presence of others and succeed at a WIL roll, made once per round while alone until they succeed. Next time: Hellenes and Kyklopes
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Jul 25, 2016 15:16
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Mors Rattus posted:E: Also, the breastplates and spears are both really technologically advanced breastplates and spears - they can absorb laser shots on the breastplate or whatever and the spears are AETHERIC SCI FI SUPER SPEARS often. Guns are still used more often these days but the return of the Atlanteans is going to push a move back to melee weapons because Atlantean tech is really good at absorbing energy blasts and less good at, say, absorbing being stabbed. Kinetic weapons (i.e. machine guns) spring to mind, but whatever, mythic Greece in space.
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Jul 25, 2016 15:20
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 The Gazetteer, part 2 So after the general outline, it moves to a slightly more in depth breakdown of things. One thing all the entires have is tags, which are sort of like Fate aspects but even more loose. Most entries have seven. These are basically used when narrating a scene so the person who takes over next has something to hang things on. The inner planets section talks more about how people are kind of weirded out that humans are found on all three planets; no one's sure which was the birth planet who seeded the other two, or, possibly more concerning, all three planets were seeded with humans at the same time by something from the outside (Parallel evolution is dismissed as absurd.) All the inner planets have rocket launch platforms in orbit- the experience with the Moon men made the patrol dubious about setting up on natural satellites in case of more telepaths. Mercury is a shared protectorate of the alliance, with no native life and temperatures so hot that the only thing that survives on the surface are robot miners, which the Venusians aren't happy about but can't come up with an alternative for. Their orbiting platform coordinates the robot workers and is run by a Venusian, which is weird, because, well: Venus is still recovering from the robot apocalypse; hundreds of years ago, they had a thriving civilization, with robots called 'automen' handling all the dangerous and practical work while the Venusians were free to theorize and focus on 'pure' sciences. The Automen woke up en masse and rebelled, and the Venusians tried to order them back to work. This ended badly. Right now it's a cold war of sorts- Venusians have off-planet capability, while the Automen wander the wilds of Venus, moving to unknown purposes. Their orbiting platform is science and discovery focused, performing experimental work with resources they just didn't have after the robot wars. Earth is pretty much as presented, the core of the Cosmic patrol command, with three different orbiting platforms, and mostly recovered from the invasion with the help of reverse engineered supertech. Mars is resource poor, which is why the martians never moved much past the late iron age. No prime directive here, though- they've been getting tech shared and recruited into the patrol, with their own orbiting platform in place...mostly staffed by humans and venusians because a lot of martians don't see the point. The Outer planets are actually sparsely explored because the fractum drive makes interstellar travel easier than going to the outer planets, who have to rely on rocket travel instead There are satellite-hopping space vikings going from moon to moon around Jupiter, who may be descended from a more advanced civilization. Saturn is...pretty much just regular old Saturn, with no surprises and back-burnered plans to build a base there. Uranus has flying jellyfish, and Neptune is a jungle world, home to hypnotic carnivorous flora called "The Mind Plant" because the Patrol isn't great at naming sometimes. No one knows if it's sentient, but it's actually capable of both slow hypnosis and psychic blasts. Pluto is just Pluto, though there are signs that the Cometarians have settled there a few times. Cometarians? Right. Ever see the Pod People ep of MST3K? Several systems the patrol's come across have things that look like that living in them, (In fact one of the tags for the cometarians is "Trumpy") They're mostly encountered alone, are very uncomfortable with gravity, and are usually hostile if you come into their territory.  It turns out that the Coalsack "Dead Zone" is inhabited by the Hakhaze, who are basically sapient fungus living in symbiosis with some kind of reptile; they're incredibly aggressive, and the best weapon against them turns out to be the Martian axe. Other species encountered in other systems include Annorans, stone agewarrior cat-people; the Zorn, who are basically friendly-but-eccentric full replacement cyborgs, more Uth, and the Baetans, a tall, skinny humanoid species that evolved on a tidally locked planet with a super-scientific day side and a savage warrior culture on the nightside. (Just once, I wanna see this reversed, but this is not the game that's going to do it, I guess.) Oh, and then there's the planet Metalloid, entirely inhabited by sentient robots who had the bad luck to run into an all Venusian patrol ship who immediately freaked out and opened fire. Good job guys. Apparently they have the patience of saints and are just ignoring peace offerings instead of out and out declaring war, though. Next time we hit the actual rules.
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Jul 25, 2016 16:03
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Hellas: Worlds of Sun and Stone Hellenes: Beloved of the Gods Hellenes are the dominant force in the galaxy - they are the most numerous, prolific species, and the most aggressive in pushing their cultural influence. They fled their home system when it was destroyed by a supernova, and have spread across the galaxy in expansion. They believe they were divinely awakened and chosen to spread across the galaxy, which has had them fight every other species at some point, and made allies with them all at some point. Their gods allowed them to rapdily advance from primitives to spacefarers, and many of them have been blessed by the 'divine fire,' giving them the power to use the gifts of the gods. They are often very pompous and haughty as a result. Hellenic politics and military structure is...chaotic, to say the least. They are divided into many poleis, each allied to a particular god or set of gods and controlling a section of space. They fight each other a lot, even when fighting other foes. They tend to be patriarchal, if not exclusively, and tend to live focused on the nuclear family. Widows are generally moved in with their closest surviving male relative, effectively becoming a second wife or child as appropriate. This isn't rare - the militant Hellenes have plenty of widows. Hellenes average around two meters tall, with skin tones ranging from deep brown to pale white. Their hair covers the entire human range as well, as do their eyes. Men are slightly taller and broader than women, on average. Hellenic personality and outlook is greatly shaped by the god they worship and the region they live in. Their gods will be covered later. Overall, all Hellenes tend to be somewhat haughty and self-important, due to their belief that they're chosen by the gods. They are courageous and loyal, but also hubristic. There are four broad cultural groups in the Hellenic sphere. The Athenoian Hellenes tend to be more civic-minded and political. The Delphoian Hellenes tend to be more spiritual. The Boetian Hellenes are more technical and focused on machines. The Spartan Hellenes are more martial and focused on battle in all things. Hellenes have the following racial abilities: Leadership Ability: Due to their innate confidence, Hellenes get (CHA*2), minimum +2 to all Command and Diplomacy rolls. Tyche: Hellenes are favored by the gods and so can enforce their will on the universe, in a small way. They may force a reroll of any diceroll that affects them directly up to (WIL) times per session, minimum 1. This roll doesn't have to be made by them - it just has to directly affect them. However, the reroll only benefits the PC - they can't use this to help others, even if the effect targeted a group.  Kyklopes: Farseeing Mystics Kyklopes hail from the Aeolia Region and the triple-sun system of Kykyon. Their home is full of massive mountains, deep trenches, broad deserts and other extremes. They were a spacefaring race when one of their colonies in Metis System was discovered by the Hellene explorer Odysseos, but they had not yet developed Slipspace technology. Their encounter with Odysseos advanced them centuries, but it took a few decades to cope with the changes, during which they allied with the Hellenes and fought the Goregons and Atlanteans, leaving their home systems terriobly damaged. In the modern era, most Kyklopes are born outside Aeolia, though most try to visit the home system at least once in their lives. While they were once quite different, their centuries of alliance with the Hellenes means most Kyklopes have adopted Hellenic culture and tradition. Their government and military and even their families mirror Hellenes, especially after the Kyklopes named Draka technically ruled over all Hellenes for a period when he seized control of Athenoi to prevent its fall to chaos. The Kyklopes are larger than most Hellenes and even some Amazorans, standing over 2.5 meters tall. Their skin is jet black, and while they have dark hair, it is typically shaved, as is all of their body hair. They prefer to wear little clothing when possible, to better experience their surroundings. The most notable thing, though, is the crystal box hovering around their heads. When a Kyklopes comes of age, tradition dictates they blind themselves, often with steel bands or cloth, but in severe cases by putting their eyes out. This allows them to see 'more truly' via a third eye, created from their pineal gland. This eye is stored in a crystal box or sphere after it is carved out of the forehead. When the other eyes are blinded, this 'eye' taken from the pineal gland allows them to see with new perceptions. The boxes containing the 'third eye' are made from a nearly indestructible mineral mined from the asteroid fields of Etna, kept in constant motion by a psychic bond to the Kyklopes' mind. This makes it hard to strike or destroy, and so it is no more of a liability than normal eyes. This third eye allows them to see things beyond what mos other species can even understand, and most Kyklopes specialize in some single subject, using their new perceptions to pursue it to its natural conclusion. Kyklopes, by and large, are reserved and quiet, preferring to remain in the background and observe rather than acting. They are not rash or quick, preferring careful study before they do anything. They tend to be openminded and are sometimes seen as hedonists for their love of new sensations. Many have a grudge against the Goregons, who nearly destroyed their home system while enslaved by the Atlanteans. Kyklopes have the following racial abilities: Poor Eyesight: Kyklopes' normal eyes are poor and colorblind. If they are not put out, they can still be used, but not well. This causes -6 to all actions until the old eyes are rebound. Several months of using their eyes will remove the penalty, but most Kyklopes will go mad or kill themselves rather than see the universe in this mundane way after use of their third eye. Those that lose the third eye often prefer total blindness. Aisthetike: Kyklopes often practice a philosophy built around knowing things by the senses. This is a branch of philosophy known as axiology, or value theory, which is the study of sensory and emotional values revolving around sentiment and taste. Kyklopes sometimes become engrossed by a subject (such as mastering the perfect kiss or making the perfect flatbread), hyperfocusing on it even when in danger. When doing this, they get a bonus of (PER*3), minimum +3, towards the subject (and any rolls pursuing it), but -2 to all other subjects and rolls. They must spend at least 5 minutes contemplating it, and may retain both bonus an dpenalty indefinitely or until they decide to change focus. Anything can be a subject, ranging from cooking the ultimate flatbread to perfecting a poem. Perfecting something, mechanically, requires making a skill roll at a -40 penalty, without use of Hero Points. One roll can be made per week and must be a full success, not a partial. Failure means you must try again next week, but get +1 to the roll cumulatively until you make it. When you finally do succeed, however, you get (20-number of weeks) Glory, minimum 1. Kyklopes also get to choose one of the following powers:
 Myrmidons: Insect Warriors The Myrmidons are a hive culture of insects from the planet Aegina, once a Hellene-inhabited colony. It was a haven for insect life of all kinds, and for a long time the Myrmidons were just...well, another kind of ant, living underground in massive ant colonies. In the midst of a civil war, however, the Hellenes had to abandon Aegina after the launching of a plague weapon enarly killed every living creature on the planet. The Myrmidons, at the time still nonsentient, survived it, and the plague remnant caused a rapid mutation which brought them to a certain level of sentience. Having watched the Hellenes from afar, the Myrmidons attributed their new intellect to these 'gods', who wanted to leave life on a beloved planet. The Myrmidons thus chose to honor the Hellenes by making their colonies resemble them. Over the course of centuries, they worked at emulating their lost gods, and when later rediscovered by the Spartans, they eagerly become Hellenic allies, using a mix of Hellenic technology and their own primitive but effective methods to cross the galaxy. In all ways except physical appearance, they mimic the Hellenes, emulating their political, military and family structures. They've even gone as far as mimicking the sex act to produce new 'offspring,' though, and I quote, "after some negative reaction from hellenes, the Myrmidons agreed to keep this practice private in the future." Myrmidons vary in color from red to black, with their 'skin,' 'hair,' and 'eyes' all being slightly different shades, always moving and shifting. They speak via a crackling buzz produced by hundreds of tiny insects rubbing their legs together, and they smell faintly of ammonia. A single Myrmidon is, in fact, an entire colony of 2-centimeter insects, made of hundreds of specialized varieties of Myrmidon acting togetyher to move, feed, protect or reproduce the colony. They behave and act as one, controlled by a single queen residing in a hard shell, typically at the center of the 'head' of the Myrmidon. As a result, most Myrmidons identify as female in situations where this becomes relevant, though for practical purposes they are entirely sexless. Myrmidons loving love Hellenes and will take every chance they can to imitate Hellene culture. They will usually find a particular person they like and try to emulate their behavior and job whenever possible. This can be annoying and silly, or a cause for respect and honor, depending on the Hellene in question. Myrmidons, obviously, have completely embraced Hellenic religion. Myrmidons have the following racial abilities: Regeneration: It's really hard to kill a Myrmidon, though possibly if you spear the queen. The rest of the hive can be sacrificed. As long as the queen remains, a Myrmidon can regenerate lost limbs by shifting the colony around. They heal at twice the normal rate. However, if the queen is killed, the rest of the colony scatter mindlessly and will die unless they are lucky enough to find another Myrmidon that will let them join. (So they still die when the mechanics say they do.) Shapeshift: Myrmidons may alter their body shape, as it is a pile of bugs. By compressing or thinning out, they may creep through cracks and under doors, or may add extra limbs (up to 1 per CON point, minimum 1). Each extra limb may be used, but causes multiple action penalty. Still, they can use a two-handed weapon and a shield at once. In combat, they may also alter their body to send bugs to attack a foe from inside armor. This requires first grappling a target, and then they can spend additional actions to cover and bite at the foe, dealing (CON) bonus damage for as long as the foe is held in a grapple and the attack is maintained. Homunculus: Myrmidons can break off part of their colony to work remoately, making a small humanoid swarm set to a task. This starts with 0 in all skills and -1 in all attributes, with a minimim of 5 HP spent to create it. For each 5 HP spent, you may add 1 attribute or 5 skill points, chosen from skills you know. You can spend HP down to your last, which is reserved for the queen. You make a WIL roll to create the body, and if you succeed, it splits off, leaving all your equipment with the main body but still able to perform physical tasks. It has no queen and can only be given a single, specific task involving up to one skill you have. This strains cohesion for the colony, so you must make a WIL roll each minute it's away, or every round in combat. If you evcer fail, the swarm loses cohesion and scatters. Half of your HP will be recovered by returning insects within minutes equal to the time spent away, but the rest is gone and must be regenerated. If the Homunculus gets destroyed while away, you have to regenerate normally. Clustering: Myrmidons can act together to form larger structures, clustering their bodies together and giving up humanoid form for the duration. Enough Myrmidons need to be used for it - two colonies for a raft, say, several hundred for a spaceship. The remaining queens huddle together in the remaining 'live' colony until more living Myrmidons can be found to replace the lost ones. It's believed that large, asteroid-like clusters of this sort allow Myrmidons to colonize other planets, with their outer shell of dead Myrmidons protecting the queens within from space and re-entry. Omni Vision: Myrmidons can see in all directions except those obstructed by clothing, as they are made of hundreds of tiny, tiny insects. This does not distract them, and they may function and perceive this all-directional vision normally. Next time: Nephelai, Nymphas and Zintar
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Jul 25, 2016 16:31
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Why doesn't every fantasy game have "sapient bug swarm" as a player character option?!
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Jul 25, 2016 16:47
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4e does 
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Jul 25, 2016 17:07
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What, you aren't satisfied with "short person with hairy feet", "short person with hairy face", and "short person with hairy chest"? I don't see how you could get more fantastical than that.
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Jul 25, 2016 17:12
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Kurieg posted:4e does
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Jul 25, 2016 17:40
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Primal Swarm druid + any of the Were-X origins turns you into a man shaped insect cloud that can wield weapons. But just primal swarm druid is a thing that exists, you don't turn into an animal you turn into a swarm cloud.
Kurieg fucked around with this message at 17:57 on Jul 25, 2016 |
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Jul 25, 2016 17:49
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I think part of the reliance on melee weapons is also energy shielding. I think, been a while since I've read it. Space Greek culture is also rife with 'ARE YOU A WEALKING!?!' which also crops up when it comes to physical disability and use of technology. Not sure if Mors has gotten to that part yet.
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Jul 25, 2016 18:19
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inklesspen posted:I want to know if there's a Space Trojan War, and if so, what's the Space Trojan Horse. 
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Jul 25, 2016 18:25
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Mors Rattus posted:This was solved in the first supplement, which added lifepath options for each species that modify the base lifepath. Apparently this supplement was published for 1st edition, two years before 2nd edition came out. Are there many changes?
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Jul 25, 2016 19:39
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Evil Mastermind posted:I think you're thinking of the Gamma World game that was based off 4e. I don't ever remember a swarm race in core 4e. Shardmind were swarms!
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Jul 25, 2016 20:08
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inklesspen posted:Apparently this supplement was published for 1st edition, two years before 2nd edition came out. Are there many changes? Not really, no. Having met the guy who wrote these books, he still sells them as if they work together perfectly, and my time reading through them suggests that they do.
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Jul 25, 2016 20:34
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