[Crucible] Steam-punk LARP

[somniturne]

Hey all,

I've been running WOD larps for a number of years, and have recently gotten the hankering to try my hand at creating a new setting.  The inspiration comes from my love of steampunk.  The dark gritty urban atmosphere mixed in with classic fantasy.  It will be a boffer larp that utilizes nerf guns as well as the traditional weaponry.

The world and it's history is still fairly nebulous.  Right now I'm just coming up with the character splats people can play and building the world around that.

The game takes place on the continent of Oros, which is broken up into ten kingdoms.
When making characters, players first choose their race, then class, then profession.  I've tried to keep the classes as general as possible so people can customise their character by choosing a profession.

There are three types of magic, Magick, Noblesse Oblige and Artifice.
Magick is based on knowing the true names of things.  It includes divine magic.
Noblesse Oblige is a practice the Nobility has guarded closely, and is akin to psionics
Artifice utilizes a force called Amber (a throwback to Electricity.  The word Electricity comes from the greek word for amber) which is used to power the mechanical constructs in Oros

The church I'm still working out.  The main religion is called the trinity.  It deals with a force called the Matriarch, which created all things.  She had two children, one light one dark.  There are a few different churches who have different takes on this myth, in addition to a few heretical pantheons.

Races:
HUMANS:  The most abundant race by far.  The humans have created the Noble Houses, which is now the dominant political force in Oros.  Though originally they were made up only of humans, now all races have made their way into the houses.

SYLVANS:  Born of the union between men and True Elves (also known as celestials), who have all but disappeared in modern times.  All Sylvans are beautiful, and have a natural affinity for magic.

SHADELINGS:  Shadelings are dark unsettleingly beautiful creatures.  They have a penchant for drinking blood and have a strong affinity for the night.  It is said that they gain power in the sun's absence.  Born from the union of a mortal and an incubus/succubus

DWARVES:  Fierce warriors and brilliant creators, the dwarves are the second oldest race in Oros.  The dwarves are for the most part broken up into 7 families, and are very proud of their lineages.  They are also responsible for creating the Golems, but now that they hold no more sway over them there is anonymity between them.

GOLEMS:  Strange creations of clockwork, the golems are a polite and genial people who have only recently gained their freedom.  They have a harlequinesque appearance and have their own church venerating their interpretaion of the trinity.  In an act of hubris, they attempted to create living progeny as the dwarves did with them, and the result was the Flesh Golems, which hunt their creators.

MANTICORE:  Majestic and noble cat-people.  The Manticore are arguably the oldest race in Oros, and thusly they were the first kings of the world.  The nobles were born with great, leathery wings, and the warriors without.  Now that there is no more monarchy (thanks mostly to the actions of the human noble houses who created a more democratic system of government), the Manticore are reduced to quibbleing along with those who they feel they should be ruling.  The females, who had always been more accustomed to manual labor, get along fine in these industrial times.  The men are bitter.

Classes:

JACK:  Shortened from 'Jack of all Trades.' Anyone from scoundrels and rogues to bards and merchants, a 'Jack' is anyone who survives on their wit, cunning and manual dexterity

FIGHTER:  Mercenaries, Knights, Sell-swords and anyone else who spent their life studying the art of war.  Fighters are common in the dog-eat-dog cities of Oros

MAGE:  Magick is learned through years and years of training in the wizard schools of Oros.  It is a result of knowing the True Names of elements and objects.  Mispronuncians can be fatal, and the Mage spends years studying the principles and practices behind Magick

NOBLE:  Highborn individuals from an earlier age when that may have meant something.  They still make use of a power from a bygone age known as Noblesse Oblige.  It is a power the kings of old would use to rule their people.  It involves forcing your will upon the minds and spirits of your subjects, and sometimes the very elements around you

DIVISER:  masters of clockwork and amber.  Amber is the power used to fuel the massive mechanical constructs of Oros, as well as the Golems.  They practice their own type of 'magic,' though it's done through artifacts and constructs

Professions will be fairly numerous, and will include versions of all the major D&D classes like Rangers, Bards

[David "Czar Fnord" Artman]

Sounds like a good setting. Do you have some kind of question or concern?

As for final system, may I suggest trying GLASS (see my sig)? It is classless and highly customizable, and I have worked hard to enable many genres and styles of play. I would love it if a whole, new play group tried it out (as I doubt that a long-running group will port over to GLASS unless my rules and planning community become ubiquitous).
David