Resist the Sunne [Steampunk/Space Opera]

[natfrobinson]

G'day all. My names Nat and I am from Melbourne, Australia. I thought I'd jump right into things with an idea of my own -

My own take on the Steampunk/Space Opera genre. Earth, during the 1800's, felt and saw a large explosion in the sky; the destruction of Mars, economic capitol of the solar system. Those blinded by the destruction have gained the bizarre power to manipulate death and the afterlife.

Soon, as "Martioneum"-filled meteorites (a strange and powerful cousin to coal) hit the world, sending it into a second Industrial Revolution. In just a few years, steam rules, necromancy is common place and Earth is plunged into an incredible conflict as the military might of the Neo-Ottoman Empire clashes with the necromantic-steam forces of Britain, the genesplicing Chinese and the Teslapunk-inspired Americas.

Also contained within the Martian meteorites are strange experimental beasts from the planet, and many are quickly nabbed and used by the Chinese Empire. Martian Water also kills many on Earth, trying to symbiote with its non-martian inhabitants and killing billions.

In the struggles, the Uranus-Neptune Coalition decides to attack Earth, who do not yet have the technology to fight back. The humble Venusians come to their aid, however, driving off the Coalition and explaining the situation - the Sun, once the benelovant God of the solar system, has gone quite mad. Enslaving the Neptunians and the Uranians, as well as breeding its own species of people, the Sons of the Star, it's only purpose now is to destroy what it created. They give Earth the means for interstellar travel, and the Earthlings, still bitter by the attacks, take up their cause.

It gets much deeper than that, and the game will revolve around fighting the Coalition, engaging in the politics of the System, and trying to find the lost planet of Eris, which is guarded by the strange Plutonians and which, legend has it, has the means to win the war. Each planet has its own unique "brand" of super-beings, but no one can quite agree why they came to be after the Martians death; some argue that it was a last defense experiment by the Martians, while others believe that it's their respective planet's trying to evolve and cope with the war.

Sorry for the long post, guys. What do you think? At the moment I'm trying to sort out mechanics and I'm seriously contemplating allowing the other species of the System as playable characters..

[CommonDialog]

I like it.  That sounds like a really sweet game.  Do you have any thoughts about a system?  Are you going to write your own ruleset or make it a setting for an existing game?

[Sovem]

I love it. Teslapunk Americans? Genesplicing Chinese? Sounds awesome.

One thing I wonder about is this merging of genres you talk about. I love anything that merges genres, so I'd like to hear more about how earth seems very steampunk, but you've also got aliens out there, and you mention the sun is actually a god. Very diverse. I'm picturing maybe War of the Worlds-style for the scifi? That would fit in nicely with the steampunk.

[natfrobinson]

Common Dialogue: So far, the system was inspired by.. another game I can't quite remember. Attributes are rated from 2 (poor) to 10 (great!), with each even number giving another dice to the pool and each odd number giving a +1 bonus.
So, a sharpshooter with a dexterity of 6 has 3 dice and a +1 bonus.

The pool is rolled, and has to beat a score set by the CM (Cosmic Master) or an opposing NPC/character's roll.

Weapons and tools give bonuses, while skills give more dice.

Besides that, my ruleset will be custom-made. Nothing else has quite been figured out, heh.

Sovem: Yeah, I'm a sucker for genre-merging titles too. War of the World-stuff is exactly how I'm going, with spaceships being unpredictable and infinitely dangerous, running via steam, electricity and manpower alone.

The Chinese use their genesplicing ways to create and breed deadly new war-beasts, though there are threeChinese character classes that allow players to make either "Beastforms",  The Strange Island of Doctor Moreau-stye characters, with wings or antlers or bear-strength. The even stranger "Xenobrids", however, and "Half-Breeds" are a bit more alien - Xenobrids develop strange X-men-like capabilities through Martian DNA, while the Half-Breeds are much more sinister, often being able to spit venom or transform into a giant snake-beast. In my beta-playtestings, a friend made a Half-Breed that could lay thousands of tiny eggs, and when they hatched a swarm of deadly tiny spiders were under his control.

The Americans are perhaps one of the few countries that have embraced electricity, effectively blending it with the power of steam. They are the only nation whose Sightless can speak with and contact the Devils in the Machine - the raw spirits of electricity. They can control these spirits, and also have a range of EMP abilties, as well as advanced "elektric" weapons. As a result, American space-ships are much more stable and value speed, efficiency and the shielding over might and heavy hulls. American classes include the gun-toting Space Cowboy, the Sightless Elektric Ghostbuster, and the Sky Jockey, who can efficiently captain both space-vessels and airships.

The British, being the closest to the forces of death, have weapons that unleash screaming souls, or rip them from an enemy. They are the darkest Earth-race, and their classes include the Tomb Warrior and Death Captain, deceased warriors that have decided to fight the Sun even in undeath; the Technecromancer, who creates such reanimations and meddles with spirits, and the Polymath and Alchemist, two very powerful scholar-classes in their own right.

The Ottoman Empire has denownced the way of the Sightless, instead opting for success through anti-necromantic and super-military means. They're classes include the Sharpshooter, the Spy, the Sightless-hunting Inquisitor and the Strategist.

Several other "minor" nations are also represented, including Australia, France, Haiti, Egypt, etc.

... Was that enough setting material?

[Sovem]

Holy shit. That sounds like one of the most awesome roleplaying world I've ever heard of. I assume the British are the darkest race because theirs was the country pointing right at Mars when it blew up? Dude I can't even decide between which is my favorite: the Chinese with their crazy half-breeds and symbiote like classes (two all time favorites of mine), or the Americans or British. That's a sign of a good game, in my opinion.

What're you looking for on the forge? Mechanics help? Setting help? I assume, with the system example you gave above, you meant to say a skill of 6 would be 3 dice and +3 modifier, right?

[Reprobus]

And what about Siberia or Australia or Brazil... there are a lot of places/countries which could be used instead of the US or China.

Surely you should use the US because the people who will play your game and are addicted to the dominant role of the US in today's world , but I'm really bored by always reading about the US or the UK or China.

[natfrobinson]

Sovem: Yes, that is why the British are the darkest. Plus, I think that with all the raining, and the population issues Britain had during that time suits the Sightless/Necromancy theme quite well, in my opinion. I can see the whole of the British Islands as one huge smoke-filled necropolis, a great palace for the dead.

I'd enjoy system criticism as well as whatever ideas/criticisms for the setting people have to offer. At the bottom of this post I'll add another little bit to the setting.

Reprobus: There IS a selection for the minor nations, eaching having one to three archetypes. These minor nations do not have so much support simply because most living their do not have the means or the contacts for space-travel. While Siberia has been assimilated into the Ottoman Empire, Australian archetypes include the Highwaymen (rogues who are experts in setting up ambushes and escapism) as well as the Sightless Dreamers (aborginal mystics who can speak with the dead, but more importantly can interpret their thoughts, goals and dreams).
Other nations are supported, such as the Native America, France, the Czech Republic, Japan, Mongolia, Tibet, Spain etc., though I must admit that I am not familiar with Brazil and have overlooked them.

Another Setting Piece: The Pitch

I figured from the beggining that I while space-vessels may take anywhere from a week to a year to get to their destination, and naturally in a science-fiction game they needed a faster mode of travel for when they were truly desperate. I cannot describe how much I hate ideas such as "warp-speed", and faster-than-light-speed didn't seem feasable for any but the most powerful of Martian ships.

So, I've designed a sort of "Hyperspace" (I think), extrapolating upon the original Sightless setting. While other species in the solar system have their own way to get around, humans make use of their Sightless. The ship must be in a zone where recent deaths have occured (the destruction of Mars still being the strongest, most conveniant point, though the atmosphere of most planets are potent enough), or, if they are in an area where that is not possible, they must create their own; they must sacrifice a crewmember or prisoner.

Once the blood has been spilled, and the ritual was succesful, the Sightless who enacted the ritual starts to go into a deep coma, and is placed into the "Sightless Chamber", where they will experience the whole trip in their mind, often prematurely aging them many years. During this time the Sightless does not need to eat or drink.

The ship then slowly goes through change; electricity stops working, hallucinations among the crew are common, and chains, moans or mysterious clicking sounds can be heard. The ship is dark, and the crew are all on edge for roughly 12 hours (depending on the experience of the Sightless), until they finally break through and enter the Pitch (Working title - other names I have considered include Darkness and Blackness. Suggestions very appreciated).

The Pitch is the dark, immensly cold Afterlife of Space, where the stars cannot be seen and ghostly occurences and strange events are common. Travelling through the Pitch is often dangerous, as the vessel may fall under attack from recently vanquished foes, strange apparitions or the dark gods that inhabit the Afterlife.

Once the vessel have travelled the Pitch for a sufficient amount of time, they will then reach their destination in Normal Space pretty much instantaneously, and the Sightless will awaken, famished and thirsty. If the Sightless dies during the travel, the Crew are stuck in the Pitch unless another Sightless solves their problem, or they encounter another frienhdly vessel eager to get to their destination.

Black Holes are direct portals into the Pitch, being areas that once contained great death (i.e., the death of a star or major planet). While it is possible for vessels to enter, it is much, much easier for other things[/] to come out, ravenousl eager to kill and devour.

Comments? Criticisms? Any comment on my setting/game will be greatly appreciated and replied to, posthaste!

[Mikael]

Hello Nat(?)
I will join the others in cheering you on with your obviously inspired setting. I would also like to know which parts or aspects of your setting are you planning on specifically supporting with the system? In this context, what kind of dice and how many you roll are largely irrelevant; I am more interested in the specific strengths you think your system must have to support the setting? Or: What do you plan to gain by designing a custom system, as opposed to crafting the setting on top of an existing system?

[natfrobinson]

Mikael:

Thanks for the support, mate.

Honestly? (And this is going to sound pretty shallow, so bear with me..)

I really only have designed this system because it matches the pace and the way my gaming group (and playtesting group, coincedently.. heh) like to play. Another favourite is another steampunk game my studio designed, The Gentleman's Game, which fused Amber-inspired betting/inspired backstabbing with a great and affective diceless system. We like our games with lighter rules than, say, Dungeons and Dragons (though it must be said that both the nWoD and WFRP systems are VERY popular among the group..)

The second reason is because while I don't mind being inspired by a particular system, I detest "stealing" the system: it just doesn't sit well for me. Whenever I try to adapt a setting to a previously-designed ruleset, I fail pretty hard, so I just stopped trying.

Um, does that answer the question? I hope so.

[TwoCrows]

Hey Nat,

The setting sounds awesome! So far in the last two weeks I've witnessed two way sooo kool new subgenres of Punk get coined right here on The Forge; Swordpunk ©, and your Teslapunk ©. I hope both make it big!

Regards, Brad

[Thenomain]

Setting Questions:

If only the people who witnessed the destruction of Mars have the power (Sightless, is it?), what promise is there of future generations, especially of natons or economies that rely upon it?  Is that part of the theme, or is it just something you haven't yet revealed?

If only the people who witnessed the destruction of Mars have the power, does that mean people on the far side of Earth have no chance?  What about people on other planets or in orbit?

I can't wait to see a more complete history of this game-world, myself, even if your group is making it up as they go along.

And as for Hyperspace and Warp Speed and all that are concerned, I do like The Pitch; it seems to fit well so far with the dark-spiritual-heavy theme you have going.  But I have to ask: Are you going to do anything with other spiritual spaces, or even other spiritual spaces related to death, or are you mostly planning it all to be related to what you've already mentioned?

I mainly ask because it seems that Victorian to Edwardian Era fantasy games (steampunk to dieselpunk, etc.) tend to have two approaches: They either go with the Scientific Method that there's one truth if we can find it (Castle Falkenstein and to some extent Spirit of the Century), or the Pulp Mythos where a single truth is not explored and would be difficult if not impossible to reconcile (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen).  Both fit the era, but they are approached as mutually exclusive.

--- --- ---

The wiki was linked somewhere in the Forge before, TwoCrows, but you might be amused by the TV Tropes page on PunkPunk.  TeslaPunk isn't mentioned but, by Nikola, it should be!

[natfrobinson]

TwoCrows: Thanks, Brad : ) While I'm not sure if I termed the phrase Teslapunk, I must admit that Swordpunk seems to be an incredibly cool concept. Perhaps Mysticpunk is more suitable to the setting?

Hmm. Thanks for the support~

Thenomain

Thanks for your feedback. The answers to your questions..

1. The people who have experienced the destruction of Mars do become Sightless, but just as one can get radiation poisoning, Martioneum poisoning is possible, which results in blindness and either a) sickness and a quick death or b) Sightlessness.

2. Special aliens from seperate planets also felt the mystic effects of the Destruction of Mars. The Mercurian "Sentries" can control light, heat and sound to better defend against their foe the Sun. The immensly-peaceful Venusians gained the "Edges", elite warriors capable of anticipating and countering any combat move an enemy may make. People in orbit also felt the affects, but during that time only a scarce few Humans were space-travellers.
Some people on the far side of the Earth just lost their sight entirely, making them "Sightless", a strange effect of the explosion. In many of the more reclused countries, they still don't even know what may have caused it.

3. I've written up a short history of the world up to 1875, which goes vaguely into further detail. If you would like the Word document, please just send a PM my way; it is, I'm afraid, quite dry.

4. Could you please elaborate? I'm not quite so sure I understand the question, sorry. Are you meaning that perhaps there is a Space Heaven and Hell, or something like that? Apologies; today has been a LONG day.

Typically, I think the game swings towards more of the Pulp Mythos genre. There are many secrets that even the fabled science-masters of Mars could not figure out.

Ummm. Sorry for the answer to the last question. I know it was kinda vague, but I couldn't quite understand what you were asking :/ Sorry.

[Sovem]

Dude, your world sounds so freakin cool. What is the status of your project? Are you working on writing out the rules, or the setting, or have you already got those things done?

[natfrobinson]

Since this is the first real attempt I've ever had at writing an RPG manual, I'm up to describing the Archetypes. So, chapter two : ( It's going pretty slowly.

A list of the chapters :

Chapter I: An Introductory Timeline and Setting Brief

Chapter II: Create thy Character/Skills and Attributes/Experience and how it used/Nerve and Willpower

Chapter III: Archetypes

Chapter IV: Shootings, Bashings and other such Acts (Combat and Resolving Actions)

Chapter V: Those dark Disciplines... (The Sightless and Disciplines)

Chapter VII: You're Friends and their planets (Venusians, Neptunians, Mercurians, Martians, Saturnians as well as Earth)

Chapter VIII: You're Enemies and their planets (the Sun, Sons of the Star, Uranians and Neptunians)

Chapter IX: Everyone else (Plutonians, Jupitonians, Eris, and Ceres)

Chapter X: Strange Galaxy (Wormholes, Black Holes, Martioneum, Martian Water, Strange Beasts and Stranger Technology, The Pitch)

Chapter XI: Ships and Interplanetary Combat

So yeah. Just plodding along at the moment.

[Nuthael]

Hello all! I am Richard also from Melbourne, Australia, and I am Nat's partner and co-writer.

So yeah, I shall be on standby to answer any questions that Nat here can't cover. I'm in charge of the system and nitty-gritties of it all. As such I will soon post up a detailed overview of how one moves around the world... as soon as its finished >_>