commander panda
2014-12-16, 01:42 PM
Hi playgrounders. I'm not sure if anyone here knows of the phenomenal webcomic Stand Still. Stay Silent (http://sssscomic.com/index.php) by Minna Sundberg (I recommend it for everyone ever,) but there is an effort being made to convert it into a 2d6 based rpg over at the fan forum. Unfortunately, the list of people actively contributing is fairly small, and most of them aren't super experienced with the mechanics of TTRPGs, so I'm posting here to get them some help.
For those who haven't heard of the comic, it's possible you've seen this language tree floating around. It was made by Minna to help flesh out the world she's writing in.
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0602/6961/products/P-SSSS-01_7b01fedd-48ec-4333-af69-8c423bf83ea0.png?v=1418077646
If you're interested in contributing, please go over here (http://ssssforum.pcriot.com/index.php?topic=121.0).
EDIT: Here is a blurb written my one of the posters to better explain the game world and mechanics.
"THE SETTING
90 years after the spread of the 'Rash Disease', and the subsequent fall of civilization, humans survive only in Iceland and in some small cities in Scandinavia. As far as we know, the rest of the world -- the Silent World -- is populated by rash infected creature known as Beasts, Trolls and Giants (which are a bunch of Beasts fused together like a Megazord made of nightmares). The Rash is a disease that was originally said to keep one in bed for about a week, but turned out far more deadly; it is highly infectious, and spread all over the world in a matter of weeks, preceded only by panic. It can infect all mammals (except cats) including humans, and is airborne. Nowadays about 10% of the population is immune, the rest can protect themselves with breath-masks. People and animals who died from the Rash have now evolved into the Rash Monsters mentioned above. These monsters are less active in winter, as climates too cold might kill them. The smaller ones need shelter to survive during the colder months. Rash monsters also seem to retain a measure of their former intellect, and have been observed using intelligent tactics when attacking groups of humans. many speculate that the appearance of the rash disease and the accompanying revival of magic may be connected, but this is far from confirmed.
Low forms of magic have emerged in Finland and in Iceland. Finnish magic is mostly related to controlling elements and communicating with spirits; it works via pleas and commands to the gods (in verse); it is taught informally, via apprenticeship. Icelandic magic is about prophecy and protective spells; it works with runes and rituals; it is taught in an academy in Reykjavik. Industrial technology is very expensive but exists, and computers are all but legends.
The situation has been quite accurately described by forumgoer Mayabird as 'Kinda like what people imagine a zombie apocalypse would be like, only worse because any mammal can turn into a zombie, you can be turned by breathing near one, and sometimes the zombies roll together into a giant wad of doom. '
Efforts are being made to reclaim lands by driving the Rash Monsters away, but progress is hard, and no place besides Iceland is truly safe.
The society is divided between Peasants, Academics (basicaly any job related to science and/or knowledge), and the Military, the main function of which is killing monsters and cleansing areas to make them livable.
THE GAME MECHANICS
We chose to base our system on 2d6 partly for convenience, as most fans don't have a collection of polyhedral dice. Still, it gives a nice bell curve and will give good results.
Characters have 6 main stats, which go in pairs. Education, Social; Strength, Agility; Cleverness, Affinity (being in tune with the world, both natural and not).
Health points (LIFE) is composed of 3 counters: Body, Will and Spirit (non-physical damage plays a big role when facing what amounts to real-life nightmares in sub-freezing temperatures)
There are 5 languages in use: Icelandic, Finnish, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. The latter 3 are inter-intelligible to some degree. Comprehension between people of different languages can be challenging.
Checks are done as a target score to overcome, considering modifiers that depend on the stats (usually from -2 for a skill level of 2 to +2 for a skill level above 11. These apply to the roll, not to the target). A required roll of 12 is a Very Difficult task, while a requirement of 2 is trivial. rolling a double-1 is a critical failure; rolling double-6 is a critical success, both of which might in some cases entail more rolls to determine dramatic consequences.
Certain tasks (such as repairs) can be made easier by investing more time on them.
The characters will mostly go to expeditions in the Silent World, be it to salvage resources and information, to rescue another team or to take part in a Troll hunt."
Also, here is a Google Drive (https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BwIcMOk9jmBBeDRrenpfUEt0b00&usp=sharing) of everything they have been working on over there.
More information should be added here as people over at the fan forum send it too me.
For those who haven't heard of the comic, it's possible you've seen this language tree floating around. It was made by Minna to help flesh out the world she's writing in.
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0602/6961/products/P-SSSS-01_7b01fedd-48ec-4333-af69-8c423bf83ea0.png?v=1418077646
If you're interested in contributing, please go over here (http://ssssforum.pcriot.com/index.php?topic=121.0).
EDIT: Here is a blurb written my one of the posters to better explain the game world and mechanics.
"THE SETTING
90 years after the spread of the 'Rash Disease', and the subsequent fall of civilization, humans survive only in Iceland and in some small cities in Scandinavia. As far as we know, the rest of the world -- the Silent World -- is populated by rash infected creature known as Beasts, Trolls and Giants (which are a bunch of Beasts fused together like a Megazord made of nightmares). The Rash is a disease that was originally said to keep one in bed for about a week, but turned out far more deadly; it is highly infectious, and spread all over the world in a matter of weeks, preceded only by panic. It can infect all mammals (except cats) including humans, and is airborne. Nowadays about 10% of the population is immune, the rest can protect themselves with breath-masks. People and animals who died from the Rash have now evolved into the Rash Monsters mentioned above. These monsters are less active in winter, as climates too cold might kill them. The smaller ones need shelter to survive during the colder months. Rash monsters also seem to retain a measure of their former intellect, and have been observed using intelligent tactics when attacking groups of humans. many speculate that the appearance of the rash disease and the accompanying revival of magic may be connected, but this is far from confirmed.
Low forms of magic have emerged in Finland and in Iceland. Finnish magic is mostly related to controlling elements and communicating with spirits; it works via pleas and commands to the gods (in verse); it is taught informally, via apprenticeship. Icelandic magic is about prophecy and protective spells; it works with runes and rituals; it is taught in an academy in Reykjavik. Industrial technology is very expensive but exists, and computers are all but legends.
The situation has been quite accurately described by forumgoer Mayabird as 'Kinda like what people imagine a zombie apocalypse would be like, only worse because any mammal can turn into a zombie, you can be turned by breathing near one, and sometimes the zombies roll together into a giant wad of doom. '
Efforts are being made to reclaim lands by driving the Rash Monsters away, but progress is hard, and no place besides Iceland is truly safe.
The society is divided between Peasants, Academics (basicaly any job related to science and/or knowledge), and the Military, the main function of which is killing monsters and cleansing areas to make them livable.
THE GAME MECHANICS
We chose to base our system on 2d6 partly for convenience, as most fans don't have a collection of polyhedral dice. Still, it gives a nice bell curve and will give good results.
Characters have 6 main stats, which go in pairs. Education, Social; Strength, Agility; Cleverness, Affinity (being in tune with the world, both natural and not).
Health points (LIFE) is composed of 3 counters: Body, Will and Spirit (non-physical damage plays a big role when facing what amounts to real-life nightmares in sub-freezing temperatures)
There are 5 languages in use: Icelandic, Finnish, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. The latter 3 are inter-intelligible to some degree. Comprehension between people of different languages can be challenging.
Checks are done as a target score to overcome, considering modifiers that depend on the stats (usually from -2 for a skill level of 2 to +2 for a skill level above 11. These apply to the roll, not to the target). A required roll of 12 is a Very Difficult task, while a requirement of 2 is trivial. rolling a double-1 is a critical failure; rolling double-6 is a critical success, both of which might in some cases entail more rolls to determine dramatic consequences.
Certain tasks (such as repairs) can be made easier by investing more time on them.
The characters will mostly go to expeditions in the Silent World, be it to salvage resources and information, to rescue another team or to take part in a Troll hunt."
Also, here is a Google Drive (https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BwIcMOk9jmBBeDRrenpfUEt0b00&usp=sharing) of everything they have been working on over there.
More information should be added here as people over at the fan forum send it too me.