THE EMPOWERED
People with extra-human abilities can be generally divided into four categories, all gathered together under the catch-all name of “the empowered.” Beneath this general grouping, there are:
Zodiacs
The twelve bearers of the Zodiac Signs. This is naturally the most exclusive group, since there are only twelve such individuals at any given time. Currently, all twelve Signs are in the custody of the United Nations peacekeeping forces and are assigned to specially trained operatives. Not all twelve Signs are active at all times, due to manpower shortages, training schedules, routine testing, and casualties, but the UN does its best to make sure that at least six Zodiacs are in the field at all times. These heroes are also sometimes called Alphas.
Betas
This parlance has really only become common in the last decade as studies of Annunaki science and Omega genetics have paid off. Anyone with human-produced artificial powers, whether a robot exoskeleton or gene-spliced claws, is a Beta. The term was intentionally coined by the media as a bridge between Zodiacs (“Alphas”) and Gammas. It is widely believed that science may only be a few short decades from unraveling the secrets of the Zodiac Signs. Some humans with no powers except for resources and gadgetry are also sometimes mislabeled as Betas.
Gammas
Any empowered individual using an Annunaki relic to gain their powers is known as a Gamma, from the mathematical symbol for “variable.” Most relics grant far lesser powers to their wielders than the true Signs, and they are incredibly unpredictable. Some relics offer only instant death to anyone that touches them, while others transform the bearer into near-gods. Still, the promise of power has lured more than one person into relic-hunting. Others simply stumbled onto their relics by chance and have had to learn how to use them haphazardly. Gammas (sometimes called "Gizmos") have a reputation for being “small fry” and for being villains, since all of the Zodiac Signs have been in the hands of heroes for decades now. Reliquary sciences have led to the advancement of human technology at a rapid rate.
Omegas
Sometimes called “Zeds” or “Z-Twos,” Omegas are the result of the Hiroshima detonation, humans who were poisoned before birth by the released radiation of Annunaki technology, developing strange and aberrant mutations. Many Omegas are hideous monsters, twisted mockeries of the human form that suggest the nightmare shapes of the Annunaki themselves, while others could easily pass for normal—until they use their terrible powers. If anything good can be said about the Omegas, it is that Gammas have become more accepted since they appeared. The study of the so-called Omega Gene has become a major field of scientific endeavor in the last thirty years.
THE ZODIAC
The twelve Zodiac Signs have existed for thousands of years, drifting in and out of human history with the force of myth and legend. They have wandered the entirety of the world, though they are believed to have been created in the Middle East by a prehistoric figure called Gilgamesh who fought the alien slavers known as the Annunaki. The Zodiac Signs imbue their holders with amazing, seemingly supernatural powers, usually including increased toughness and longevity, but limited only by the willpower and force of personality of their bearer. The powers of each Sign seem to follow a general theme—Aries grants amazing combat prowess, while Pisces gives powers of healing—but they seem to rewrite their abilities for each new user. Perhaps the only constant of the Signs is that once they are bonded to a host, no known force save the wielder’s death can separate them.
The United Nations tells people that the Signs are currently all possessed by their Zodiac Division, which is comprised of dedicated individuals trained for years to act as a Sign-bearer should a current one fall in battle. The truth is somewhat different. At any given time, the UN only controls eight to ten of the Signs, with the others being missing in action. As well, the UN does not choose the Sign-bearers—the Signs choose their own wielders through some unknown process, traveling from their fallen host to search for a new one in a matter of moments.
Should a Sign-bearer fall in battle or die of old age (which has happened, albeit rarely), the Zodiac Division immediately mobilizes to find the new Sign-bearer and bring him into the fold before something can go wrong. The rare rogue Sign-bearers get reported to the media as especially powerful Gammas to preserve the UN’s secret (and the reputation of the Zodiacs). Occasionally, however, a Sign simply goes missing for months or years at a time, resurfacing just as mysteriously as it vanished. Signs also go quiet sometimes, spending weeks or months inert; it is during these rare quiet periods that actual research on the Signs is conducted.
Every Sign has certain personality types to which it seems to be drawn, and offers broad categories of powers. There are mythological and astrological associations with the Signs as well, and the practice of astrology remains just as popular in the modern day as it did in prehistory despite ample scientific opposition to its veracity thanks in part to the popularity of the Zodiacs.
Aries: The Ram
The master of warfare and strategy, Aries offers its followers melee combat prowess unmatched by any lesser warrior. Any weapon is deadly in the hands of an Aries, and every bit of terrain a key element to victory. An Aries thrives in situations that require courage, leadership and strength, though their aggressive nature sometimes leads them into rash or impulsive action.
Aries is a masculine sign, and its element is Fire. Diamond, also called adamant, is the birthstone of the Aries, and their preferred metal is iron. Red, white and black are the colors of Aries, colors commonly associated with warfare. Physically the Aries is tall in stature, and athletic in appearance. Even an Aries with a poor physique seems much fitter than he really is. Aries tend to have short, military-cut hair, even without cutting it. Their natural expression is that of a scowl, and they have great difficulty at showing mirth or joy easily.
Power Associations: Super-strength, invulnerability, mystic weaponry, close combat prowess, fire-based powers.
Taurus: The Bull
Resourceful and dependable, the Taurus is the epitome of defensive combat just as the Aries is the epitome of aggressive combat. A Taurus masters her own body to become tough and stable beyond the ability of others to move or harm her. Because of their desire for stability and forethought, however, a Taurus can often seem dull, argumentative or conservative to others.
Taurus is a feminine sign, and its element is Earth. Emerald is the birthstone for Taurus, and its metal is copper. Pale blue, light green and mauve are its preferred colors. Physically, individuals born under the sign of Taurus tend to have a full and square face, large and expressive eyes, and thick, often curly hair. Generally, there is something distinctly sensual about their appearance—earthy and full-figured. They are usually of average height.
Power Associations: Invulnerability, regeneration, force fields, immobility, earth- or metal-based powers.
Gemini: The Twins
The Gemini is a dualistic individual, on the one hand adaptable and articulate, and on the other fickle and insensitive. A Gemini’s abilities focus on interaction and the ability to become what others seek to see and hear. Cunning diplomats and moving speakers, a Gemini’s greatest flaw is his inability to be his own person—a Gemini ever mirrors others.
Gemini is a masculine sign, and its element is Air. The birthstone for Gemini is the pearl, and their metal is silver. Both represent the fluidity of personality and expression that Gemini consider essential. Gemini prefer white if they must pick only one color, but their true calling is in the panoply of the rainbow. Physically, Gemini tend to have a straight and narrow nose, long limbs, high cheekbones, large hands and long fingers.
Power Associations: Duality, speed, quickness, emotion control, disguise, shape changing, telekinesis.
Cancer: The Crab
Cancer is generous and devoted, capable of offering healing and care to others even at greatest cost to herself. Visionaries, teachers and lawgivers, the sign of Cancer lends itself to those that place the good of others over their own well-being. Unlike Taurus, who seeks to defend their physical selves, Cancer protects their rights and souls. Their devotion can easily turn to zealotry, however, and Cancer can seem controlling or even domineering at times.
Cancer is a feminine sign, and its element is Water. Ruby is the birthstone of Cancer, with its connotations of blood and health. Cancer’s colors are silver, white and black, muted tones for the seriousness of their calling. The physical characteristics associated with Cancer are below average height and short legs; many Cancers are also somewhat pudgy. A Cancer usually has dark hair, a round face, a pale complexion, and small eyes. They sometimes walk clumsily, for no readily apparent reason.
Power Associations: Group defense, invulnerability, healing, natural weaponry, water-based powers.
Leo: The Lion
Ambitious and independent, but ultimately noble, a Leo finds his truest calling as a leader of men. From magistrate to king, a Leo is born to greatness. Perhaps because of this regal bearing and their aristocratic calling, Leos also have a reputation for being overbearing and luxurious, without any concept of the value of money. A Leo does not request—he demands, and expects to be heard.
Leo is a masculine sign, and its element is Fire. Leo’s birthstone is the royal peridot, a jewel of nobility, and its metal is gold. Gold and purple are the colors of Leo. Leos tend to be large in all physical features. They are usually tall, with broad shoulders, large hands and feet, and tend to be quite tan. They keep their head held high and look down their noses at others, and have thick manes of light-colored hair.
Power Associations: Empathy, mind control, unnatural charisma, super strength.
Virgo: The Virgin
Purity is the watchword of the Virgo. Not just physical purity but spiritual purity as well. Not all Virgos are literal virgins, but even at their worst they seem virginal. A Virgo values innocence and justice, and is willing to pursue truth and moral uprightness to almost any extreme. Their modesty and discretion can make them seem prudish and perfectionists to those who have lower standards of excellence.
Virgo is a feminine sign, and its element is Earth. The Virgo’s birthstone is sapphire, blue and placid, and their metal is quicksilver, better known as mercury. Grey and deep blue are the representative colors for Virgo. Physically, individuals born under the sign of Virgo tend to have a graceful figure, a round head, large and clear eyes, and refined features. They are usually of slightly above average height, and their limbs are long and graceful.
Power Associations: Empathy, invulnerability, mind reading, energy powers.
Libra: The Scales
The sign of the Libra is one of the most valued in the Zodiac. With its penchant for balance and moderation, and talents that lend themselves to fairness and equality, Libras are judges, peacemakers and builders. Unlike the Gemini, who is skilled at copying another’s viewpoint and mimicking it, a Libra excels at actually understanding both sides of complex issues and finding ways to balance them. Some see Libras as easily swayed thanks to their willingness to shift views, however.
Libra is a masculine sign, and its element is Air. Opal is the birthstone for Libras, and has become the traditional precious stone in the garb of judges and magistrates. Steel is a Libra’s metal, and its colors are lavender and pale green. Physically, individuals born under the sign of Libra tend to have a graceful figure, charming appearance, a high forehead, and a “trademark” dimple. Libras are of above average height.
Power Associations: Mind reading, empathy, emotion control, telekinesis, air-based powers.
Scorpio: The Scorpion
Secretive and intense, a Scorpio revels in mystery and enigma. They understand that knowledge is the truest currency—and that the fewer people who know a given thing, the more valuable it becomes. Their innate talents lend toward being spies, thieves and infiltrators, and some Scorpios take their assets a step further to become assassins. Even friendly Scorpios hide things from their loved ones, and their inner passions often drive them to become manipulative or cruel.
Scorpio is a feminine sign, and its element is Water. The topaz is Scorpio’s birthstone, and, like Libra, its metal is steel. Scorpios have a natural affinity for maroon and black. The nose is the most prominent physical feature of the Scorpio; it tends to be large and hooked, aquiline. A Scorpio’s eyes are dark and piercing. Their faces are angular, and their hair dark, sometimes with a red tinge in direct light. A Scorpio’s body is short and thick, resembling its opposite sign, Taurus.
Power Associations: Stealth, invisibility, quickness, superhuman dexterity, natural weapons, magnetic powers.
Sagittarius: The Archer
Born with an eagle eye and a steady hand, a Sagittarius is a master of archery almost before he can walk. Freedom-loving and idealistic, the Sagittarius hopes that someday every person will embrace his broad-minded philosophy. At his best, a Sagittarius is open and honest, accepting of others, while at his worst he is impulsive, tactless and rebellious without good cause.
Sagittarius is a masculine sign, and its element is Fire. The birthstone of Sagittarius is turquoise, and its metal is tin. Blue and white are the colors of Sagittarius, though pink is also sometimes used. People born under the sign of Sagittarius have a large and well-shaped head, with a high and broad forehead. They possess a tall and broad figure, and fair hair that tends to grow long and wild.
Power Associations: Ranged combat prowess, energy projection, quickness, super speed.
Capricorn: The Sea-Goat
With their birth sign so closely resembling the traditional emblems of devils, it is no wonder that Capricorns are regarded with mistrust and suspicion. A Scorpio might stab you in the back, but she would do it in a moment of passion—a cold, ambitious Capricorn would do it with perfect calculation, having decided your doom months beforehand. A Capricorn’s mystical powers make them no less strange and terrible to others, but their hard-working and serious natures make them reliable allies to anyone willing to associate with them.
Capricorn is a feminine sign, and Earth is its element. Garnet is Capricorn’s birthstone, and many mystical properties (including summoning powers) are attributed to that gem. Electrum is the metal of the Capricorn—neither truly gold nor silver—and its colors are brown and dark green. Physically, individuals born under the sign of Capricorn tend to have dark hair, steady eyes, a dark complexion, capable hands, and prominent cheekbones.
Power Associations: Strange luck, pseudo-arcane powers, mind shielding, warding and defense, deception.
Aquarius: The Water-Bearer
The Aquarius looks into the depths of the human mind, seeking meaning in the pursuit of the intellectual. The urn held by Aquarius in myth does not hold only water, but the very water of life—the urn is the receptacle of all knowledge. Though somewhat detached because of their intellectual pursuits, an Aquarius is friendly and progressive in his personal life. He seeks knowledge not just for its own sake, but to share it with others and improve their lives by doing so. Their erratic pursuit of esoteric learning can make them eccentric and self-centered, though.
Aquarius is a masculine sign, and its element is Air. Amethyst, purple and full of palpable magical force, is the birthstone of Aquarius. Brass is its metal, and its colors are various shades of blue and purple. Physically, individuals born under the sign of Aquarius tend to have finely chiseled features and a slender figure. Male Aquarians are often somewhat soft in features, while females are somewhat broad-shouldered and strong looking but also fair.
Power Associations: Mind reading, mind control, super intellect, illusions, general psychic powers.
Pisces: The Fishes
With a sign that governs both beauty and health, a Pisces almost literally glows with attractive well-being. Where a Cancer would heal wounds, and a Virgo would heal spirits, a Pisces wipes away disease and pain. As well, their focus on appearance lends itself easily to the manipulation of appearance—illusion and reality mix freely for a Pisces. Sometimes impractical and even escapist in their fantasies, a Pisces is sensitive, creative and artistic. “Enchanting” applies to a Pisces in every sense of the word.
Pisces is a feminine sign, and its element is Water. Aquamarine is the birthstone of Pisces, and platinum is their metal. The colors associated with Pisces are aquamarine, purple and mauve. Individuals born under the sign of Pisces tend to have heavy-lidded and liquid eyes, a tall stature, and a broad physique. Their hair grows long but thin.
Power Associations: Healing, regeneration, aquatic powers, unnatural charisma.
A role-playing and writing blog.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Sign of the Zodiac
It's been a while, but I'm not dead! Just very busy. In return, here's the outline for a superhero campaign I've been working on, Sign of the Zodiac.
SIGN OF THE ZODIAC
Earth is a troubled world, a world in need of heroes. But then, it always has been.
At the dawn of time, beings called the Annunaki called Earth home. They built a grand civilization on the backs of human slaves, making their homes in enormous towers of gold and diamond. Their technology was advanced enough that they did not need servants, of course, but the possession of slaves was a status symbol among the Annunaki, and Earth slaves were especially prized.
Cruel and inhuman as the Annunaki were, no human could truly say they truly understood their masters, who possessed seemingly endless magical powers. They slew men for sport, pitted their slaves against one another in gladiatorial fights, made them construct monuments though they had the power to do so more quickly and efficiently, and turned the primitive world of Earth into a paradise for themselves—and a hell for its natives.
The people labored under their masters for countless centuries, unable to think even of the concept of freedom because of the Annunaki’s uncanny powers of mind control. Finally, there came a day when a single man arose from the masses of humanity to call for an end to the tyranny. His name was Gilgamesh, and in his wake was rebellion. Charismatic, resistant to the powers of the Annunaki, and possessing great physical strength and intelligence, Gilgamesh learned the secrets of the Annunaki “magic” and turned it against his former masters. From among the people, he chose twelve champions named for the constellations and granted them weapons to use against the Annunaki.
In time, Gilgamesh and his Zodiac defeated the Annunaki, cast down their mighty towers, and drove them from Earth. The first hero and his companions passed down into the annals of myth and legend. Over the centuries, the regalia of the Zodiac would sometimes resurface, usually no more than a piece or two at a time, and epic legends of heroes and villains would be birthed from their appearance. Similarly, pieces of lost Annunaki technology would sometimes be unearthed in the strangest places, leading to “natural” disasters or the rise of petty tyrants. History is speckled with the legends of such occurrences, shrouded in the language of mysticism.
As the 20th century approached, such events became more and more common, and the governments of the world started taking notice. The British Empire was the first to connect the legends and strange events together, leading to their imperial push in the Victorian Age. Those in the know had put together the bits and pieces of history, creating a terrifying tapestry that they could not afford to leave in the hands of enemies. They never managed to garner more than a few scattered relics of this hidden past, but their scramble for power led to other nations discretely participating in the grand game as well.
World War I was the beginning of the end for the British Empire. While it won the war, it lost much of its spirit keeping the dangerous Zodiac Signs out of the hands of Germany and its allies. The Zodiac heroes on the side of America and England were tired from all the fighting and hoped to retire gracefully. Unfortunately, several mighty relics falling to Germany and Japan spurred the Second World War, during which the secret finally became stretched too thin to keep. By the end of the war, costume-clad heroes bearing Zodiac Signs or wielding Annunaki relics were flying alongside American bombers in the European theater or guarding warships from attack in the Pacific. During this time, anyone with super-human abilities (regardless of source) became known as the empowered.
By 1945, Germany was defeated and Japan was holding out only from sheer desperation. Unable to crack the atomic secrets held by an Annunaki ship uncovered in the American southwest, the government of the United States ordered their most powerful Zodiacs—codenamed Aries and Taurus—to unleash their full power on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Though reluctant, they were persuaded by the military high command that such a display would ultimately result in the loss of less human life.
Something went terribly wrong. Instead of becoming simple demonstrations of Zodiac might on Japanese soil, the incursion turned into a full-on battle between the American Zodiacs and a cadre of Japanese soldiers wielding Annunaki technology. In the three-day-long fight, both Hiroshima and Nagasaki were totally devastated, slaying tens of thousands of innocent civilians, inundating others with deadly radiation, and destroying buildings like matchbook houses. Finally, one of the relic-users tried something he had never done before, and for a brief second, Hiroshima was bathed in the fires of the sun. None of the empowered survived the battle, but the Japanese government was so demoralized by the attack that they finally surrendered.
After the end of the war, the world powers realized that another such conflict might mean the end of humankind. To avoid such a nightmare, a new organization was established to maintain and monitor the Zodiacs. The group, the United Nations, became a clearinghouse for diplomacy and negotiation, as well as the final arbiter of international conflicts. Armed with the power of the Zodiacs, no nation wanted to stand against the UN. The following decade saw peaceful relations between powers that once despised one another, at least on the surface. Truthfully, nations still fought and warred, they just did so on a smaller and more hidden scale. Since Zodiacs were only brought out for the most dangerous and significant situations, countries found that they could kill each other as much as they wanted, as long as they did so quietly.
The breakthrough in Annunaki technology came during the 1960s in Japan, as the government struggled to deal with the civil strife brought on by the rejection of American peacekeeping forces and the burgeoning population of Omegas. An Omega university student surpassed all of his peers when his Omega Gene went active, allowing him to leap decades ahead in raw technical prowess. By the end of the 70s, clean-energy engines were common and the internet had become a global phenomenon—and Japan had become the wealthiest country in the world. Many secrets remain to be pulled from the Annunaki relics, most of which still defy analysis. Still, it’s an exciting time to be alive.
The Present Day
The year is 1984. Jimmy Carter is the president of the United States, after winning a narrow victory against an actor-turned-politician from California. His efforts as a peacekeeper and humanitarian have made him incredibly popular with the international community, though he is little-liked by his own countrymen after several contentious decisions regarding his dealings with Communist nations. Still, America is wealthy, safe and powerful, riding high on its victories in the World Wars into a glorious future.
The Soviet Union is a mighty country, rival but not enemy of America, under the leadership of Konstantin Chernenko, though his ill health makes it seem likely that another leader will rise to take his place all too soon. Glasnost has been good to Russia, allowing the country to preserve its Communist ideals while still becoming more open to the world at large. America and Russia bicker amicably in the United Nations, while playing their long-term game of chess against one another through intermediaries in the third world.
The third great world power of this era is Japan, though Japan’s might is economic rather than military. With the large population of Omegas within the country, Japan has essentially supercharged its economy with laborers who exceed human strength and endurance, businessmen who can read minds or predict stock trends, and scientists capable of intuitively designing advanced computers and electronics. Their military, while substantially smaller than that of most major nations, is composed primarily of Omegas as well. The Japanese Self-Defense Force, or J-SDF as it is known, is the single largest organized group of Omegas in the world.
Much of Africa is in the grip of various Beta and Omega warlords, ruling over their territories like feudal kings without United Nations sanction or cooperation. China is restructuring itself as a pseudo-Communist state and rapidly becoming the Soviet Union’s primary local rival for power. The Middle East is a land of peace since the end of world reliance on oil, though just as prosperous thanks to their undertaking of major archeological and scientific study of the many Annunaki ruins beneath the surface of their lands.
Europe, on the other hand, has become a renewed hotbed of conflict since the German reunification in 1980 as the nations of the European Union, long engaged in rivalry with the Soviet Union, must now also contend with the German Federation. As well, England seems to be on a new imperial push after leaving the European Union in 1979 and conquering Argentina during the Falklands War of 1982 against United Nations political opposition. South America is rapidly restructuring its previously fractious governments to stand against English aggression, gaining a new foothold in the world community and building allies in the UN.
Modern Technology
Because of the rapid Japanese advances in electronics, computers, and robotics during the 1960s and 1970s, the modern day is a time of incredibly advanced technology. Cell phones, little more than science fiction a decade ago, have become a major part of the global communications network, and the InterNet (International Network) of home computers is rapidly gaining popularity as well. First world nations have access to nearly-unlimited power, most cars are electric, and virtually every citizen in the world’s largest countries owns a personal computer as well as a vehicle.
Along with the benefits of advanced technology have come the drawbacks, however. Energy weapons have taken the place of ballistics on the battlefield, and most security forces are now armed with “bolters” (plasma bolt weapons) or “sizzlers” (laser weapons) as well as advanced ceramic body armor. Only the most common criminals or concerned citizens use gunpowder weapons anymore. (The American right to bear arms was recently upheld to include “personal arms” like rifles and handguns but not “military arms” like bolters, but getting a military weapons license is easy enough for the wealthy.) Primitive force field technology has managed to banish the brief fears of nuclear war, after the development of the atomic bomb in 1969. Virtually every major city has a force-screen generator, allowing it to deflect incoming missile attacks, though these screen generators have only limited battlefield application.
Medical sciences have advanced along with civil and military sciences, making most forms of surgery simple outpatient procedures. Cybernetics have become quite improved, allowing people with missing limbs to regain almost full functionality (if not sensation). Exo-frames are becoming more popular in the medical field as well, used for restoring mobility to people with major bodily paralysis or granting it to individuals with mobility-related birth defects. Major strides have been made in cracking the Omega Gene, allowing for simple genetic manipulation and modification of individuals. Such “enhancements” have become very popular in some nations, leading to entire subcultures of body modifiers.
Space travel has been aided by the proliferation of free energy, and the United Nations has both a working international space station (named Lagrange Station) and a moon colony (ostentatiously called Luna City). A manned Mars expedition is expected within the decade, and corporate investors are pushing to allow private industry access to Luna City. Should they succeed, the sparsely populated moon colony could become a real city in very short order. Space exploration is considered vitally important for Earth, since modern people know that aliens exist, and that they’re likely to be hostile if the Annunaki are any standard to judge by.
The most unusual application of modern science is so called DT-science (short for Dimensional Theory science), the study of Annunaki technology. Most Annunaki relics store the bulk of their mass in sub-spatial dimensions, protruding only the necessary pieces into “normal” reality. The friction between dimensional strata is the basis for zero-point energy, the nearly limitless energy source that has made modern life so comfortable. The manipulation of dimensional layers is the origin of the seemingly miraculous properties of Annunaki relics (and the Zodiac Signs, of course), but little more than this is certain, even today. The few human made zero-point reactors are town-sized facilities, capable of putting out a small fraction of the power of a fist-sized Annunaki weapon.
***
Next post: The Empowered!
SIGN OF THE ZODIAC
Earth is a troubled world, a world in need of heroes. But then, it always has been.
At the dawn of time, beings called the Annunaki called Earth home. They built a grand civilization on the backs of human slaves, making their homes in enormous towers of gold and diamond. Their technology was advanced enough that they did not need servants, of course, but the possession of slaves was a status symbol among the Annunaki, and Earth slaves were especially prized.
Cruel and inhuman as the Annunaki were, no human could truly say they truly understood their masters, who possessed seemingly endless magical powers. They slew men for sport, pitted their slaves against one another in gladiatorial fights, made them construct monuments though they had the power to do so more quickly and efficiently, and turned the primitive world of Earth into a paradise for themselves—and a hell for its natives.
The people labored under their masters for countless centuries, unable to think even of the concept of freedom because of the Annunaki’s uncanny powers of mind control. Finally, there came a day when a single man arose from the masses of humanity to call for an end to the tyranny. His name was Gilgamesh, and in his wake was rebellion. Charismatic, resistant to the powers of the Annunaki, and possessing great physical strength and intelligence, Gilgamesh learned the secrets of the Annunaki “magic” and turned it against his former masters. From among the people, he chose twelve champions named for the constellations and granted them weapons to use against the Annunaki.
In time, Gilgamesh and his Zodiac defeated the Annunaki, cast down their mighty towers, and drove them from Earth. The first hero and his companions passed down into the annals of myth and legend. Over the centuries, the regalia of the Zodiac would sometimes resurface, usually no more than a piece or two at a time, and epic legends of heroes and villains would be birthed from their appearance. Similarly, pieces of lost Annunaki technology would sometimes be unearthed in the strangest places, leading to “natural” disasters or the rise of petty tyrants. History is speckled with the legends of such occurrences, shrouded in the language of mysticism.
As the 20th century approached, such events became more and more common, and the governments of the world started taking notice. The British Empire was the first to connect the legends and strange events together, leading to their imperial push in the Victorian Age. Those in the know had put together the bits and pieces of history, creating a terrifying tapestry that they could not afford to leave in the hands of enemies. They never managed to garner more than a few scattered relics of this hidden past, but their scramble for power led to other nations discretely participating in the grand game as well.
World War I was the beginning of the end for the British Empire. While it won the war, it lost much of its spirit keeping the dangerous Zodiac Signs out of the hands of Germany and its allies. The Zodiac heroes on the side of America and England were tired from all the fighting and hoped to retire gracefully. Unfortunately, several mighty relics falling to Germany and Japan spurred the Second World War, during which the secret finally became stretched too thin to keep. By the end of the war, costume-clad heroes bearing Zodiac Signs or wielding Annunaki relics were flying alongside American bombers in the European theater or guarding warships from attack in the Pacific. During this time, anyone with super-human abilities (regardless of source) became known as the empowered.
By 1945, Germany was defeated and Japan was holding out only from sheer desperation. Unable to crack the atomic secrets held by an Annunaki ship uncovered in the American southwest, the government of the United States ordered their most powerful Zodiacs—codenamed Aries and Taurus—to unleash their full power on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Though reluctant, they were persuaded by the military high command that such a display would ultimately result in the loss of less human life.
Something went terribly wrong. Instead of becoming simple demonstrations of Zodiac might on Japanese soil, the incursion turned into a full-on battle between the American Zodiacs and a cadre of Japanese soldiers wielding Annunaki technology. In the three-day-long fight, both Hiroshima and Nagasaki were totally devastated, slaying tens of thousands of innocent civilians, inundating others with deadly radiation, and destroying buildings like matchbook houses. Finally, one of the relic-users tried something he had never done before, and for a brief second, Hiroshima was bathed in the fires of the sun. None of the empowered survived the battle, but the Japanese government was so demoralized by the attack that they finally surrendered.
After the end of the war, the world powers realized that another such conflict might mean the end of humankind. To avoid such a nightmare, a new organization was established to maintain and monitor the Zodiacs. The group, the United Nations, became a clearinghouse for diplomacy and negotiation, as well as the final arbiter of international conflicts. Armed with the power of the Zodiacs, no nation wanted to stand against the UN. The following decade saw peaceful relations between powers that once despised one another, at least on the surface. Truthfully, nations still fought and warred, they just did so on a smaller and more hidden scale. Since Zodiacs were only brought out for the most dangerous and significant situations, countries found that they could kill each other as much as they wanted, as long as they did so quietly.
The breakthrough in Annunaki technology came during the 1960s in Japan, as the government struggled to deal with the civil strife brought on by the rejection of American peacekeeping forces and the burgeoning population of Omegas. An Omega university student surpassed all of his peers when his Omega Gene went active, allowing him to leap decades ahead in raw technical prowess. By the end of the 70s, clean-energy engines were common and the internet had become a global phenomenon—and Japan had become the wealthiest country in the world. Many secrets remain to be pulled from the Annunaki relics, most of which still defy analysis. Still, it’s an exciting time to be alive.
The Present Day
The year is 1984. Jimmy Carter is the president of the United States, after winning a narrow victory against an actor-turned-politician from California. His efforts as a peacekeeper and humanitarian have made him incredibly popular with the international community, though he is little-liked by his own countrymen after several contentious decisions regarding his dealings with Communist nations. Still, America is wealthy, safe and powerful, riding high on its victories in the World Wars into a glorious future.
The Soviet Union is a mighty country, rival but not enemy of America, under the leadership of Konstantin Chernenko, though his ill health makes it seem likely that another leader will rise to take his place all too soon. Glasnost has been good to Russia, allowing the country to preserve its Communist ideals while still becoming more open to the world at large. America and Russia bicker amicably in the United Nations, while playing their long-term game of chess against one another through intermediaries in the third world.
The third great world power of this era is Japan, though Japan’s might is economic rather than military. With the large population of Omegas within the country, Japan has essentially supercharged its economy with laborers who exceed human strength and endurance, businessmen who can read minds or predict stock trends, and scientists capable of intuitively designing advanced computers and electronics. Their military, while substantially smaller than that of most major nations, is composed primarily of Omegas as well. The Japanese Self-Defense Force, or J-SDF as it is known, is the single largest organized group of Omegas in the world.
Much of Africa is in the grip of various Beta and Omega warlords, ruling over their territories like feudal kings without United Nations sanction or cooperation. China is restructuring itself as a pseudo-Communist state and rapidly becoming the Soviet Union’s primary local rival for power. The Middle East is a land of peace since the end of world reliance on oil, though just as prosperous thanks to their undertaking of major archeological and scientific study of the many Annunaki ruins beneath the surface of their lands.
Europe, on the other hand, has become a renewed hotbed of conflict since the German reunification in 1980 as the nations of the European Union, long engaged in rivalry with the Soviet Union, must now also contend with the German Federation. As well, England seems to be on a new imperial push after leaving the European Union in 1979 and conquering Argentina during the Falklands War of 1982 against United Nations political opposition. South America is rapidly restructuring its previously fractious governments to stand against English aggression, gaining a new foothold in the world community and building allies in the UN.
Modern Technology
Because of the rapid Japanese advances in electronics, computers, and robotics during the 1960s and 1970s, the modern day is a time of incredibly advanced technology. Cell phones, little more than science fiction a decade ago, have become a major part of the global communications network, and the InterNet (International Network) of home computers is rapidly gaining popularity as well. First world nations have access to nearly-unlimited power, most cars are electric, and virtually every citizen in the world’s largest countries owns a personal computer as well as a vehicle.
Along with the benefits of advanced technology have come the drawbacks, however. Energy weapons have taken the place of ballistics on the battlefield, and most security forces are now armed with “bolters” (plasma bolt weapons) or “sizzlers” (laser weapons) as well as advanced ceramic body armor. Only the most common criminals or concerned citizens use gunpowder weapons anymore. (The American right to bear arms was recently upheld to include “personal arms” like rifles and handguns but not “military arms” like bolters, but getting a military weapons license is easy enough for the wealthy.) Primitive force field technology has managed to banish the brief fears of nuclear war, after the development of the atomic bomb in 1969. Virtually every major city has a force-screen generator, allowing it to deflect incoming missile attacks, though these screen generators have only limited battlefield application.
Medical sciences have advanced along with civil and military sciences, making most forms of surgery simple outpatient procedures. Cybernetics have become quite improved, allowing people with missing limbs to regain almost full functionality (if not sensation). Exo-frames are becoming more popular in the medical field as well, used for restoring mobility to people with major bodily paralysis or granting it to individuals with mobility-related birth defects. Major strides have been made in cracking the Omega Gene, allowing for simple genetic manipulation and modification of individuals. Such “enhancements” have become very popular in some nations, leading to entire subcultures of body modifiers.
Space travel has been aided by the proliferation of free energy, and the United Nations has both a working international space station (named Lagrange Station) and a moon colony (ostentatiously called Luna City). A manned Mars expedition is expected within the decade, and corporate investors are pushing to allow private industry access to Luna City. Should they succeed, the sparsely populated moon colony could become a real city in very short order. Space exploration is considered vitally important for Earth, since modern people know that aliens exist, and that they’re likely to be hostile if the Annunaki are any standard to judge by.
The most unusual application of modern science is so called DT-science (short for Dimensional Theory science), the study of Annunaki technology. Most Annunaki relics store the bulk of their mass in sub-spatial dimensions, protruding only the necessary pieces into “normal” reality. The friction between dimensional strata is the basis for zero-point energy, the nearly limitless energy source that has made modern life so comfortable. The manipulation of dimensional layers is the origin of the seemingly miraculous properties of Annunaki relics (and the Zodiac Signs, of course), but little more than this is certain, even today. The few human made zero-point reactors are town-sized facilities, capable of putting out a small fraction of the power of a fist-sized Annunaki weapon.
***
Next post: The Empowered!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Heroes of the Tower: New Hindrance
Just so people don't think I reserve all my love for Edges, here's a new Hindrance for Heroes of the Tower.
Roont [Major Hindrance]
You were a child of the Callas once, born in the borderlands between Mid-World and End-World, but as a child you were stolen away to Thunderclap and there things were done to you. You came back big, slow, and dumb, and while you may have gotten a little better since then, you’re never going to be quite all there—and you’re one of the lucky ones.
A roont character gains the benefits of the Brawny Edge (and cannot take that Edge again), but suffers some severe penalties as well. You cannot raise your Smarts above d4, even after character creation. You suffer a –2 penalty on Guts checks because of your occasional fits of irrational terror, and you take a –2 penalty to Charisma due to your slightly deformed and unnerving appearance. Additionally, your life span is only about half that of a normal person’s. Good luck.
Roont [Major Hindrance]
You were a child of the Callas once, born in the borderlands between Mid-World and End-World, but as a child you were stolen away to Thunderclap and there things were done to you. You came back big, slow, and dumb, and while you may have gotten a little better since then, you’re never going to be quite all there—and you’re one of the lucky ones.
A roont character gains the benefits of the Brawny Edge (and cannot take that Edge again), but suffers some severe penalties as well. You cannot raise your Smarts above d4, even after character creation. You suffer a –2 penalty on Guts checks because of your occasional fits of irrational terror, and you take a –2 penalty to Charisma due to your slightly deformed and unnerving appearance. Additionally, your life span is only about half that of a normal person’s. Good luck.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
TORG Redux
It occurs to me that I mentioned a while back that I was running a Savage TORG game, but I never mentioned any of the mechanical stuff associated with it. I used some of the things from the Savage TORG conversion at Dragonsfoot, but I also tinkered with a lot of the mechanics myself. Since I had an Orrorshan monster hunter and a Nile Empire superhero, I also had to throw together some special Edges for those guys. Here's a sample of some of the changed and new Edges I did for that campaign.
Kaiju Form [Legendary]
Requirements: Legendary, Spirit d6+, arcane skill d10+, must know shape change power
Your ability to assume new forms is no longer limited by mere size. You can change into the form of truly enormous beasts, creatures that dwarf buildings and blot out the sun.
You can become creatures larger than Size +4. Changing into such creatures costs 7 Power Points, plus 1 Power Point for every five full points of Size. So, changing into a Size +5 creature would cost 8 Power Points, while changing into a Size +10 creature would cost 9 Power Points. The duration of the power and all other limitations remain unchanged.
Storm Knight [Reality]
Requirements: Novice, Reality d4+
Your experience fighting against invading realities has given you an expanded ability to detect possibility energy. If you succeed in a Notice check against a target number of the target’s Spirit die (so d8 would be target number 8), you can detect whether or not they are possibility-rated as a blue and red aura around them. Doing so is an active use of the skill and requires a full round of concentration, during which time you can take no other action but movement.
You can also detect possibility energy in the environment as an intangible sensation. You always know whether a zone is mixed, dominant, or pure. If you pass within sight of a stelae, hardpoint, or other strong conduit of possibility energy, you automatically sense it.
Finally, you gain a +2 bonus on Reality rolls made for reality storms.
Storm Warrior [Reality]
Requirements: Seasoned, Storm Knight, Reality d6+
By spending a benny, you can infuse an inanimate object with a temporary reality field, creating a talisman. It functions similar to a reality bubble but has a radius equal to half your Reality die, and lasts for the remainder of the session.
Storm Lord [Reality]
Requirements: Veteran, Storm Warrior, Reality d8+
Over time, your experience with manipulating reality has made you a powerful force in the Possibility Wars. The number of eternity shards you can bond with is increased by 1, and you only disconnect from your home reality with a critical failure on a disconnect check.
True Sight [Weird]
Requirements: Novice, Spirit d8+, Notice d4+
Some characters from Orrorsh have cultivated a form of the “second sight” that allows them to see through the human-seeming guises of some types of monsters. A character with this Edge can peer through the veil that conceals such corruption.
The character makes a Notice check, opposed by the target’s Spirit roll, with a penalty equal to the creature’s Fear rating (if any). If the check succeeds, the hero sees through the disguise to the monster beneath. For each raise, the True Sight also reveals one of the creature’s personal weaknesses (GM’s discretion to which is revealed).
I'm thinking about starting a new Savage TORG game in the next few months, so I'll probably be posting more about that as time passes.
Kaiju Form [Legendary]
Requirements: Legendary, Spirit d6+, arcane skill d10+, must know shape change power
Your ability to assume new forms is no longer limited by mere size. You can change into the form of truly enormous beasts, creatures that dwarf buildings and blot out the sun.
You can become creatures larger than Size +4. Changing into such creatures costs 7 Power Points, plus 1 Power Point for every five full points of Size. So, changing into a Size +5 creature would cost 8 Power Points, while changing into a Size +10 creature would cost 9 Power Points. The duration of the power and all other limitations remain unchanged.
Storm Knight [Reality]
Requirements: Novice, Reality d4+
Your experience fighting against invading realities has given you an expanded ability to detect possibility energy. If you succeed in a Notice check against a target number of the target’s Spirit die (so d8 would be target number 8), you can detect whether or not they are possibility-rated as a blue and red aura around them. Doing so is an active use of the skill and requires a full round of concentration, during which time you can take no other action but movement.
You can also detect possibility energy in the environment as an intangible sensation. You always know whether a zone is mixed, dominant, or pure. If you pass within sight of a stelae, hardpoint, or other strong conduit of possibility energy, you automatically sense it.
Finally, you gain a +2 bonus on Reality rolls made for reality storms.
Storm Warrior [Reality]
Requirements: Seasoned, Storm Knight, Reality d6+
By spending a benny, you can infuse an inanimate object with a temporary reality field, creating a talisman. It functions similar to a reality bubble but has a radius equal to half your Reality die, and lasts for the remainder of the session.
Storm Lord [Reality]
Requirements: Veteran, Storm Warrior, Reality d8+
Over time, your experience with manipulating reality has made you a powerful force in the Possibility Wars. The number of eternity shards you can bond with is increased by 1, and you only disconnect from your home reality with a critical failure on a disconnect check.
True Sight [Weird]
Requirements: Novice, Spirit d8+, Notice d4+
Some characters from Orrorsh have cultivated a form of the “second sight” that allows them to see through the human-seeming guises of some types of monsters. A character with this Edge can peer through the veil that conceals such corruption.
The character makes a Notice check, opposed by the target’s Spirit roll, with a penalty equal to the creature’s Fear rating (if any). If the check succeeds, the hero sees through the disguise to the monster beneath. For each raise, the True Sight also reveals one of the creature’s personal weaknesses (GM’s discretion to which is revealed).
I'm thinking about starting a new Savage TORG game in the next few months, so I'll probably be posting more about that as time passes.
Heroes of the Tower
I'm currently working on making a Savage Worlds campaign based on Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. The working title is "Heroes of the Tower," and I've just started putting together some arcane backgrounds and campaign-specific Edges for it. Here are a couple of them.
Gunslinger [Professional Edge]
Requirements: Seasoned, Quick Draw, Agility d6+, Spirit d6+, Guts d6+, Intimidation d6+, Persuasion d6+, Shooting d8+
You have been trained as one of the seppe-sai, a Gunslinger of Gilead. You wear the big iron, the gun of your ancestors, and you carry yourself with the effortless grace of one who knows the face of his father. You gain a +1 bonus on Guts, Intimidation and Persuasion rolls, and a +2 bonus on any roll made as part of a gunfighting duel (including damage).
You are also gifted with a personal firearm--a revolver of fine craft passed down through your lineage for many generations. Such revolvers often have personal flourishes or small enchantments about them, but this is entirely up to the GM.
Additionally, if you take the Trademark Weapon Edge and apply it to your personal gun, you gain a +1 bonus on damage rolls with that firearm. This bonus increases to +2 if you take Improved Trademark Weapon.
The Touch [Background Edge]
Requirements: Novice, Spirit d6+
Not every person gifted with a little bit of the supernatural is a full-blown psychic. Some folks just have a touch of strangeness about them. Maybe they get a little nudge in their heads when they’re in danger, or they can feel it when a close friend or relative dies. Regardless of the exact manifestation, your character has been touched by fate.
Once per session, you can spend a benny to request a hint from the GM relating to your current situation, or to determine the status of a friend or loved one. Hints should be vague but helpful, and the status is always broad ("He’s in trouble," or "She’s hurt bad, maybe dying"). The GM can refuse to give you any information, but if he does so, you do not spend a benny and instead gain an additional one.
Additionally, if you have the Danger Sense Edge, you make your Notice rolls for that Edge at no penalty.
The design philosophy here is that the Edges grant a tangible benefit, as well as synergizing with standard Edges from the core rules. I think that this lends itself well to creating characters who are campaign-oriented, and who are willing to take things that lend themselves well to emulating the genre. That is, by making a synergistic link between Gunslinger and Trademark Weapon, you encourage characters to build their gunslingers with a personal firearm that has a name, story, and background all its own, just like Roland's guns from the novels. (No spoilers here for anyone who doesn't know the story behind them.)
Gunslinger [Professional Edge]
Requirements: Seasoned, Quick Draw, Agility d6+, Spirit d6+, Guts d6+, Intimidation d6+, Persuasion d6+, Shooting d8+
You have been trained as one of the seppe-sai, a Gunslinger of Gilead. You wear the big iron, the gun of your ancestors, and you carry yourself with the effortless grace of one who knows the face of his father. You gain a +1 bonus on Guts, Intimidation and Persuasion rolls, and a +2 bonus on any roll made as part of a gunfighting duel (including damage).
You are also gifted with a personal firearm--a revolver of fine craft passed down through your lineage for many generations. Such revolvers often have personal flourishes or small enchantments about them, but this is entirely up to the GM.
Additionally, if you take the Trademark Weapon Edge and apply it to your personal gun, you gain a +1 bonus on damage rolls with that firearm. This bonus increases to +2 if you take Improved Trademark Weapon.
The Touch [Background Edge]
Requirements: Novice, Spirit d6+
Not every person gifted with a little bit of the supernatural is a full-blown psychic. Some folks just have a touch of strangeness about them. Maybe they get a little nudge in their heads when they’re in danger, or they can feel it when a close friend or relative dies. Regardless of the exact manifestation, your character has been touched by fate.
Once per session, you can spend a benny to request a hint from the GM relating to your current situation, or to determine the status of a friend or loved one. Hints should be vague but helpful, and the status is always broad ("He’s in trouble," or "She’s hurt bad, maybe dying"). The GM can refuse to give you any information, but if he does so, you do not spend a benny and instead gain an additional one.
Additionally, if you have the Danger Sense Edge, you make your Notice rolls for that Edge at no penalty.
The design philosophy here is that the Edges grant a tangible benefit, as well as synergizing with standard Edges from the core rules. I think that this lends itself well to creating characters who are campaign-oriented, and who are willing to take things that lend themselves well to emulating the genre. That is, by making a synergistic link between Gunslinger and Trademark Weapon, you encourage characters to build their gunslingers with a personal firearm that has a name, story, and background all its own, just like Roland's guns from the novels. (No spoilers here for anyone who doesn't know the story behind them.)
Friday, October 16, 2009
Personal Update and Project
Buying a house is hard, time-consuming work. Remind me not to do this again, assuming I want to have a writing career.
On the plus side, in two weeks I will be out of my cruddy apartment and in a large, pleasant house that has a room my wife has already set aside as a study and writing office. Hopefully, things will flow more easily once I have a dedicated writing space, instead of trying to sneak in a paragraph here or there while I'm having lunch on campus.
The Savage Worlds version of my book Ronin is still up in the air. I've been fiddling a bit with it, but High Moon hasn't given me the formal go-ahead yet. In the meantime, I've been amusing myself with a side project: a wuxia-style setting that isn't set in a thinly-veiled historical China.
I love me some Asian history (as you may have guessed, O readers of this blog), but I think it's almost a disservice to myself to become typecast as "that guy who does historical Asian RPGs." There are worse fates, goodness knows, but I want to write something that isn't just "Sengoku with magic" or "Three Kingdoms with magic." I would very much like to do for China history what Rokugan did for Japan: take all the best parts, and cool things from surrounding areas, and make something new out of it. A Chinese-inspired game rather than a Chinese-historical game.
I can't tell you too much about it yet, not even what system I'm writing it for, but I'm currently doing my research, writing chapter snippets while consulting with my battered copy of Tao Te Ching, casting some trigrams for inspiration, and looking at lots of art about pandas. ^_^ Hopefully, something interesting will come of it.
On the plus side, in two weeks I will be out of my cruddy apartment and in a large, pleasant house that has a room my wife has already set aside as a study and writing office. Hopefully, things will flow more easily once I have a dedicated writing space, instead of trying to sneak in a paragraph here or there while I'm having lunch on campus.
The Savage Worlds version of my book Ronin is still up in the air. I've been fiddling a bit with it, but High Moon hasn't given me the formal go-ahead yet. In the meantime, I've been amusing myself with a side project: a wuxia-style setting that isn't set in a thinly-veiled historical China.
I love me some Asian history (as you may have guessed, O readers of this blog), but I think it's almost a disservice to myself to become typecast as "that guy who does historical Asian RPGs." There are worse fates, goodness knows, but I want to write something that isn't just "Sengoku with magic" or "Three Kingdoms with magic." I would very much like to do for China history what Rokugan did for Japan: take all the best parts, and cool things from surrounding areas, and make something new out of it. A Chinese-inspired game rather than a Chinese-historical game.
I can't tell you too much about it yet, not even what system I'm writing it for, but I'm currently doing my research, writing chapter snippets while consulting with my battered copy of Tao Te Ching, casting some trigrams for inspiration, and looking at lots of art about pandas. ^_^ Hopefully, something interesting will come of it.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Return and Review
After saying that I wanted to update this blasted thing regularly, I drop off the face of the earth for six months again. Partly, it was professional obligations (that is to say, writing for which I am being paid), and partly my schoolwork. I don't talk about my personal life on here very much, since I think it detracts from the point of a design blog, but I feel the need to brag: Taking six months away from the blog must have paid off somewhere, since I am now in the running for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. If I manage to keep my GPA up and not horribly botch something, I could be one of a select group of students chosen to finish out my graduate education at Oxford University in England, where I will be pursuing my Master's in Library Sciences. Hold your applause, please. The odds that I'll be chosen even if I manage to still be qualifying for the thing in two years (which is the soonest I can apply for graduation) is about one in six at best.
Ah well, even if I don't get it, it's one of those things that's genuinely an honor for which to even be considered. And there's always getting my MLS right here at good old U of K, at which I am currently enrolled and pursuing my BA in English.
I just got back from GenCon the week before school started, and they had quite the plethora of things I wanted there. While I picked up Geist: The Sin-Eaters on the first day, as I always do with the new White Wolf game, I've barely glanced through it. Something about it is off-putting; maybe it's the lower quality of the book overall (coarser paper, smudgier edge work, that sort of thing), or maybe I'm just too melancholy about it not being NWraith. Either way, I'm hoping to slog through the thing at some point in the near future.
The big purchase of the convention for me was the Pathfinder RPG, of which I am a huge fan. Being out in the cold with the arrival of D&D 4th Edition, I'm pleased that Paizo, whose work I have respected for years, has decided to carry on the torch of 3.X. It's a huge book, weighing in at 500+ pages, and the interior is so beautiful that mere words can't describe it. Suffice to say that Paizo has outdone their usual (very high already) standards. I even got to run Pathfinder Society events on Thursday and Friday of the convention, so bully for me!
I was able to hit the Studio 2/Pinnacle booth for a while, and I basked in the soft glow of Savage Weird War II and Realms of Cthulhu, both of which I desperately wanted but couldn't afford. My only purchase there was one I've been waiting for, though: the Fantasy Companion. Two of my friends picked it up at Origins, and I'd been tearing out my (last remaining) hair over wanting my own copy. I'm still planning on picking up the other books (as well as Hellfrost and Space: 1889 when I can get around to them), though it might take a month or so before I have the funds.
My last significant purchase at GenCon was something of an impulse buy. I was hearing about a new d20 variant game on rpg.net the week before GenCon, something called FantasyCraft. It's made by Crafty Games, and is a revision/alteration of their very successful SpyCraft game engine (which they are apparently calling "Mastercraft"). I was iffy about the game, having had only sporadic and somewhat mediocre experiences with SpyCraft, until someone mentioned in their review of the pre-release that one of the base races were dragons.
Let me repeat: dragons. Not dragonborn, not lizardmen, not half-dragons, but actual fire-breathing, flying, scaly dragons. That sold me right there. I couldn't give Crafty Games my money fast enough at GenCon.
Now that I actually own the book, my ardor has cooled, but only somewhat. There's a definite learning curve involved, and one that isn't necessarily made any easier by having played numerous other d20 games before. There's an odd combination of flavorful, even amusingly snarky, writing mixed in with very dry (like arid) statistical description and standardized abilities. I mean by this, you can have a class with the incredible cool-sounding ability "I'll Cut You!" alongside similar class abilities such as evasion III and uncanny dodge IV. It's jarring to the eye, as well as making NPC and monster stat blocks incredible dense, almost to the point of incomprehensibility without understanding every niggling little thing very well.
Still, the game has a lot of charm, and almost all of the added heavy lifting seems to be on the GM end or on character creation. The actual system part of the game is much more smooth and easy to swallow than standard d20 in a lot of ways. I'm reserving final judgment on it until I run or play it.
Hopefully, I'll have it in me to actually update this thing at least once a week from now on, but I won't hold myself to unreasonable expectations. I am studying Japanese this semester, after all. ;)
Ah well, even if I don't get it, it's one of those things that's genuinely an honor for which to even be considered. And there's always getting my MLS right here at good old U of K, at which I am currently enrolled and pursuing my BA in English.
I just got back from GenCon the week before school started, and they had quite the plethora of things I wanted there. While I picked up Geist: The Sin-Eaters on the first day, as I always do with the new White Wolf game, I've barely glanced through it. Something about it is off-putting; maybe it's the lower quality of the book overall (coarser paper, smudgier edge work, that sort of thing), or maybe I'm just too melancholy about it not being NWraith. Either way, I'm hoping to slog through the thing at some point in the near future.
The big purchase of the convention for me was the Pathfinder RPG, of which I am a huge fan. Being out in the cold with the arrival of D&D 4th Edition, I'm pleased that Paizo, whose work I have respected for years, has decided to carry on the torch of 3.X. It's a huge book, weighing in at 500+ pages, and the interior is so beautiful that mere words can't describe it. Suffice to say that Paizo has outdone their usual (very high already) standards. I even got to run Pathfinder Society events on Thursday and Friday of the convention, so bully for me!
I was able to hit the Studio 2/Pinnacle booth for a while, and I basked in the soft glow of Savage Weird War II and Realms of Cthulhu, both of which I desperately wanted but couldn't afford. My only purchase there was one I've been waiting for, though: the Fantasy Companion. Two of my friends picked it up at Origins, and I'd been tearing out my (last remaining) hair over wanting my own copy. I'm still planning on picking up the other books (as well as Hellfrost and Space: 1889 when I can get around to them), though it might take a month or so before I have the funds.
My last significant purchase at GenCon was something of an impulse buy. I was hearing about a new d20 variant game on rpg.net the week before GenCon, something called FantasyCraft. It's made by Crafty Games, and is a revision/alteration of their very successful SpyCraft game engine (which they are apparently calling "Mastercraft"). I was iffy about the game, having had only sporadic and somewhat mediocre experiences with SpyCraft, until someone mentioned in their review of the pre-release that one of the base races were dragons.
Let me repeat: dragons. Not dragonborn, not lizardmen, not half-dragons, but actual fire-breathing, flying, scaly dragons. That sold me right there. I couldn't give Crafty Games my money fast enough at GenCon.
Now that I actually own the book, my ardor has cooled, but only somewhat. There's a definite learning curve involved, and one that isn't necessarily made any easier by having played numerous other d20 games before. There's an odd combination of flavorful, even amusingly snarky, writing mixed in with very dry (like arid) statistical description and standardized abilities. I mean by this, you can have a class with the incredible cool-sounding ability "I'll Cut You!" alongside similar class abilities such as evasion III and uncanny dodge IV. It's jarring to the eye, as well as making NPC and monster stat blocks incredible dense, almost to the point of incomprehensibility without understanding every niggling little thing very well.
Still, the game has a lot of charm, and almost all of the added heavy lifting seems to be on the GM end or on character creation. The actual system part of the game is much more smooth and easy to swallow than standard d20 in a lot of ways. I'm reserving final judgment on it until I run or play it.
Hopefully, I'll have it in me to actually update this thing at least once a week from now on, but I won't hold myself to unreasonable expectations. I am studying Japanese this semester, after all. ;)
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