X4bT0rZ
June 4th, 2013, 06:26
Hey gang,
I previously mentioned that I planned to run a sci-fi body horror campaign. Link enclosed.
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18436
I've been busy so the project but side tracked, but I wanted to touch base with the community. I am in the midst of writing a handbook and an extension for FG2 for the ruleset we will be using. The ruleset is basically a heavily modified version of SWSE. Some of modifications include:
-You can play whatever character you want. There are no classes. All talents and feats can be taken by anyone at any time provided that some basic prerequisites are met.
-Weapon and armor proficiencies are now trainable skills. Attack rolls are now skill checks. AC, Fort, Ref, and Will are static defenses.
-Anyone can learn or use the equivalent of force powers, provided that the minimum requirements are met. If you've never played SWSE and don't know what a force power is, they're basically like 3.X spells or 4E class encounter powers.
-Combat is lethal. You are not special. If you cannot competently dispatch your enemies, you will die.
The reason for my post is that I want to make sure I have preliminary rules for the kinds of characters people might potentially be interested in playing. I have so far written rules for character creation and leveling, talents, feats, powers, conditions, and equipment. I still have to write starship and mecha content. That said... What am I missing? My current handbook is about 75 pages, but I don't want it to explode into a 300 page monster because I would like to actually get around to GMing a campaign.
I intend to write an introductory module that should be playable within a single 2-hour session. This session is to introduce players to the rules and setting.
If it helps, here is a preliminary attempt to fill out the all-important campaign template:
FG License: Ultimate (yes, anyone can play!)
Game System: Homebrew SWSE/4E
Time Zone: Pacific Time, USA till August, then Central Time, USA; days and times negotiable
Planned Frequency: Biweekly over a long term; adventures are original creations I write into modules (because I am insane and I think you deserve something special)
Text ONLY: FG2 chat box for everything related to official play. We won't be using third-party chat software for in-game play. That said, we will use Skype to run OOC messages, i.e. to tell the group when you are AFK or BRB.
Roleplay & Combat mix: It will vary module to module, but shooting for 1/3 RP, 1/3 Puzzles/Exporation, 1/3 Combat.
Number of Players: 2-6. I prefer fewer for the horror atmosphere, but I would like enough to be able to split up the party.
Character starting level & equipment: As it is basically a new d20 ruleset, we'll start at level 1. Players will select from an array of pre-generated lists of equipment.
Character restrictions: You will use only the content from the homebrew ruleset manual I email you. If there is something you want added to it that it does not contain, I am happy to accommodate as much as possible.
Again, to be completely clear, I am not yet quite ready to run this, but I have included campaign information for community benefit. I am hoping to be ready within, say, 3 weeks. Sooner if there is enough interest and I don't have to write a bunch of new content. I want to make sure that I have covered all the applicable ruleset bases so as to not exclude your character concept (if possible). That said, I am happy to share some campaign information.
Introductory Module: In the first session, the players are mercenary group (of some kind) hired by a shadowy organization to commit an act of corporate espionage---or, more bluntly, piracy. The job is straightforward enough. Get in your ship, jump to a set of coordinates, and lay in wait for the C.T.V. Epimetheus. When it appears, hijack it and steal the cargo. It doesn't matter what happens to the crew. But when you actually embark upon your mission, it becomes evident that not everything is as it seems...
What You Can Expect From Me: I promise to do my very best to deliver an interesting, immersive experience. If I can creep you out, I will; if I cannot, I'll show you a bloody good time. You can also expect originality. I write my monsters, items, feats, powers, talents, modules---everything---from scratch. I like to write dungeons that don't feel like dungeon crawls (though I love a brain-busting puzzle). In a word, I want to give you a cooperative survival horror experience.
What I Will Expect From You: Immersion is a group effort. I will supply the setting and the narrative. I want you to be your very best, artfully-wrought character. As much as possible, I want you to say and do everything in-character. No metagame, obviously; but more than that, you are a character with hopes, dreams, aspirations, and a conscience (though maybe not). Convey who you are through your words and deeds. Remember that the way you play the game affects how everyone else gets to enjoy the game. I'm basically asking you to be considerate. Allow everyone else to revel in the atmosphere.
No Rules Lawyers Allowed: This is a homebrew ruleset, the old rules knowledge doesn't necessarily apply. I am more interested in rewarding good roleplay and good sportsmanship. I will bend some rules for those ends.
Min/Maxers Welcome: I love min-maxing and min-maxers. There is no reason why you cannot both be a good min-maxer and a good roleplayer. If you can contribute to the atmosphere, you can play any character you want and I'll do my best to support you in that endeavor. If you find atmosphere distracting, stay the hell away.
Difficulty Disclaimer: In the interest of providing a survival horror experience (or, at least, what I think survival horror is), the difficulty will not be dialed down. Mistakes won't be forgiven. I will not put you in an unfair position, but the road you traverse is fraught with danger and dire consequences. You might become a gruesome corpse. Your choices may lead to the end of all things.
In terms of popular media, this campaign draws inspiration from... John Carpenter's The Thing, the Dead Space franchise, the SyFy series Fringe, and to a lesser extent the Lovecraftian mythos.
Final Word: If you have a serious interest in participating, send me a private message with your email. I will send you the latest version of the homebrew ruleset so that you can look at it at your leisure. Comments and suggestions are welcome. I will also email regular updates concerning the campaign. If there is enough initial interest, I will email a questionnaire concerning your character's personal history and psychiatric profile to all interested parties.
If you have questions or other concerns, you may of course voice them in the thread.
I previously mentioned that I planned to run a sci-fi body horror campaign. Link enclosed.
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18436
I've been busy so the project but side tracked, but I wanted to touch base with the community. I am in the midst of writing a handbook and an extension for FG2 for the ruleset we will be using. The ruleset is basically a heavily modified version of SWSE. Some of modifications include:
-You can play whatever character you want. There are no classes. All talents and feats can be taken by anyone at any time provided that some basic prerequisites are met.
-Weapon and armor proficiencies are now trainable skills. Attack rolls are now skill checks. AC, Fort, Ref, and Will are static defenses.
-Anyone can learn or use the equivalent of force powers, provided that the minimum requirements are met. If you've never played SWSE and don't know what a force power is, they're basically like 3.X spells or 4E class encounter powers.
-Combat is lethal. You are not special. If you cannot competently dispatch your enemies, you will die.
The reason for my post is that I want to make sure I have preliminary rules for the kinds of characters people might potentially be interested in playing. I have so far written rules for character creation and leveling, talents, feats, powers, conditions, and equipment. I still have to write starship and mecha content. That said... What am I missing? My current handbook is about 75 pages, but I don't want it to explode into a 300 page monster because I would like to actually get around to GMing a campaign.
I intend to write an introductory module that should be playable within a single 2-hour session. This session is to introduce players to the rules and setting.
If it helps, here is a preliminary attempt to fill out the all-important campaign template:
FG License: Ultimate (yes, anyone can play!)
Game System: Homebrew SWSE/4E
Time Zone: Pacific Time, USA till August, then Central Time, USA; days and times negotiable
Planned Frequency: Biweekly over a long term; adventures are original creations I write into modules (because I am insane and I think you deserve something special)
Text ONLY: FG2 chat box for everything related to official play. We won't be using third-party chat software for in-game play. That said, we will use Skype to run OOC messages, i.e. to tell the group when you are AFK or BRB.
Roleplay & Combat mix: It will vary module to module, but shooting for 1/3 RP, 1/3 Puzzles/Exporation, 1/3 Combat.
Number of Players: 2-6. I prefer fewer for the horror atmosphere, but I would like enough to be able to split up the party.
Character starting level & equipment: As it is basically a new d20 ruleset, we'll start at level 1. Players will select from an array of pre-generated lists of equipment.
Character restrictions: You will use only the content from the homebrew ruleset manual I email you. If there is something you want added to it that it does not contain, I am happy to accommodate as much as possible.
Again, to be completely clear, I am not yet quite ready to run this, but I have included campaign information for community benefit. I am hoping to be ready within, say, 3 weeks. Sooner if there is enough interest and I don't have to write a bunch of new content. I want to make sure that I have covered all the applicable ruleset bases so as to not exclude your character concept (if possible). That said, I am happy to share some campaign information.
Introductory Module: In the first session, the players are mercenary group (of some kind) hired by a shadowy organization to commit an act of corporate espionage---or, more bluntly, piracy. The job is straightforward enough. Get in your ship, jump to a set of coordinates, and lay in wait for the C.T.V. Epimetheus. When it appears, hijack it and steal the cargo. It doesn't matter what happens to the crew. But when you actually embark upon your mission, it becomes evident that not everything is as it seems...
What You Can Expect From Me: I promise to do my very best to deliver an interesting, immersive experience. If I can creep you out, I will; if I cannot, I'll show you a bloody good time. You can also expect originality. I write my monsters, items, feats, powers, talents, modules---everything---from scratch. I like to write dungeons that don't feel like dungeon crawls (though I love a brain-busting puzzle). In a word, I want to give you a cooperative survival horror experience.
What I Will Expect From You: Immersion is a group effort. I will supply the setting and the narrative. I want you to be your very best, artfully-wrought character. As much as possible, I want you to say and do everything in-character. No metagame, obviously; but more than that, you are a character with hopes, dreams, aspirations, and a conscience (though maybe not). Convey who you are through your words and deeds. Remember that the way you play the game affects how everyone else gets to enjoy the game. I'm basically asking you to be considerate. Allow everyone else to revel in the atmosphere.
No Rules Lawyers Allowed: This is a homebrew ruleset, the old rules knowledge doesn't necessarily apply. I am more interested in rewarding good roleplay and good sportsmanship. I will bend some rules for those ends.
Min/Maxers Welcome: I love min-maxing and min-maxers. There is no reason why you cannot both be a good min-maxer and a good roleplayer. If you can contribute to the atmosphere, you can play any character you want and I'll do my best to support you in that endeavor. If you find atmosphere distracting, stay the hell away.
Difficulty Disclaimer: In the interest of providing a survival horror experience (or, at least, what I think survival horror is), the difficulty will not be dialed down. Mistakes won't be forgiven. I will not put you in an unfair position, but the road you traverse is fraught with danger and dire consequences. You might become a gruesome corpse. Your choices may lead to the end of all things.
In terms of popular media, this campaign draws inspiration from... John Carpenter's The Thing, the Dead Space franchise, the SyFy series Fringe, and to a lesser extent the Lovecraftian mythos.
Final Word: If you have a serious interest in participating, send me a private message with your email. I will send you the latest version of the homebrew ruleset so that you can look at it at your leisure. Comments and suggestions are welcome. I will also email regular updates concerning the campaign. If there is enough initial interest, I will email a questionnaire concerning your character's personal history and psychiatric profile to all interested parties.
If you have questions or other concerns, you may of course voice them in the thread.