Would love some feedback and ideas for a post apocalyptic setting

[Sabeki]

I like. It allows you to construct spells in anyway you can think of.
@axharr: If you do run it, I want to play!

[Lord of Shadows]

Some tweaking to the Spirit Words

This post has been combined with a subsequent one to avoid clutter.

Please see This Post for the update.


.

[Lord of Shadows]

Some more slang/terminology:

Bug Dung - Worthless; of little or no value.

Burnlands Breakfast - A stew created using Food Chips and meat of questionable origin. A favorite among The Vaxx.

Furnace Burn - A condition caused by over-exposure to direct sunlight or a source of extreme heat. Named after the condition of most creatures who wander into, or are placed within, The Furnace.

Priv Paint Job - Trying to improve one's appearance by artificial means. Can refer to anything from plastic surgery to using large amounts of makeup. Used to derisively refer to non-Privs who want to look like one.

Sandtop Shower - A sandstorm, the most violent of which can peel the paint off a Sand Buggy.

Scaler Sauna - Also called a "Water Dungeon" or a "Waterhouse," usually used as torture or punishment. The victim is placed in a room that quickly fills with water, and are given a hand pump that will keep them from drowning as long as they can continue pumping.

Talvorian Toothpick - A 12 to 20-inch long metal shard with a sharp, pointed, straight blade and a wooden or rubber handle. Usually balanced and weighted for throwing and can also be used for thrusting and slashing as a dagger.

Talvorian Windmill - Torture device where one or more victims are strapped to boards or other flat surfaces that radiate outward from a central hub, forming a "windmill" like device. The device is then rotated and slowly lowered into water. Eventually each victim is completely submerged with each rotation. This device has reportedly been seen in the Carnal Carnival.

Tripping the Triad - Avoiding an assassination attempt. The Triad doesn't fail very often, but when they do it is often something of legend.

Venetian Violin - Any full or semi-automatic rifle, machine gun, or other weapon that fires in bursts. The name supposedly comes from the merchant house Clan Venetia to describe their favorite weapon.


.

[Sabeki]

Tripping the Triad is a thing of legend... That is perhaps the most awesome adventure seed ever.
Just, a bunch of things you set up like a tactical mastermind in advance to make the assassins fail...
genius.

[Lord of Shadows]

Project Six Spirit Words Version Two

This post was revised and moved ahead in the Thread to avoid clutter.

Please see This Post for the update.


.

[Eulalios]

"Energy
Acid"

Dear Lord, the Science ... the ancient Science ...

More seriously, nice condensation of the PF power words.

[Lord of Shadows]

"Energy
Acid"

Dear Lord, the Science ... the ancient Science ...

More seriously, nice condensation of the PF power words.

I know... normally Elemental Earth is Acid. I decided to go a different route that gave more choices.

PF's Power Words had possibilities, unfortunately the original version tried to shoehorn the Vancian system into a mix-and-match format, and while that's OK, it just seemed cumbersome, and overly complex. Of course, by streamlining it you no longer have a Vancian system...


.

[Eulalios]

I'm still enamored of a magic system built on the flickering remnants of mesh-networked swarm AIs, linkable with satellite recon and weaponry, and voice-responsive to whatever was the dominant language pre-Event.

But that would definitely not be Vancian.

[Lord of Shadows]

I'm still enamored of a magic system built on the flickering remnants of mesh-networked swarm AIs, linkable with satellite recon and weaponry, and voice-responsive to whatever was the dominant language pre-Event.

That almost sounds like a Technomage type of concept... using technology to duplicate at least some spells. Similar to Spirits, a Technomage could be bonded to a certain Swarm, and be able to call upon it.

Interesting...


.

[Lord of Shadows]

Project Six Spirit Words Version Three

Spells in Project Six work by a system of Spirit Words. Gaining access to Spirit Words requires one to bind to a Spirit Folk, who are the real sources of power. Anyone can bind to a single Spirit and gain limited access to its power. True believers become known as Spirit Kin and continually work to modify their Spiritual connection to gain ever increasing power. Doing this causes them to have limited ability in other areas, such as combat and stealth. Increased power can also be obtained by binding to more than one Spirit, which is tricky since the Spirit Folk have their own agendas, or by binding to a rarely seen Spirit Folk that is capable of manifesting more than one Power. There are also items and devices that are capable of holding a bound Spirit and passing its power on to the possessor.

Unlike other spell casting systems, there are no "material" or "somatic" components required for a Spirit Word, unless specified in its description. The power is in the Words. A Focus is required, however, which is the Reminder, the physical representation of the contract the Spirit Kin caster has with their bound Spirit. In the case of a Spirit bound to an object, that object is the Focus. Without the Focus, the Power cannot be called upon.

Also unlike other systems, all Spirit Kin casters are spontaneous, meaning that Spirit Words are assembled at the time they are needed. Spirit Kin still have a limit of how many times per day they can cast, and must still rest to regain the power to cast Spirit Words.

Spirit Words are made up of two or more component words. A minimum of a Target word and a Power word are required. Further refinement is possible with the use of optional Meta words. Beyond that, words can be combined, mixed, and matched to create a variety of effects. Stacking multiple words will increase the level required to wield the combination. Care must be taken not to exceed one's ability to control the words, or disaster may result.

Each Target, Power and Meta word has a Level. The combined Target and Meta Levels must be equal to or less than the Power level, although Feats and Items are ways around this limitation. Exceeding this limit without assistance requires the Spirit Kin to roll a check against the DC of their own Spirit Word. If successful, the Spirit Word works as normal. If not, the Spirit Word detonates in the caster's hands and causes 1d6 per two caster levels of raw arcane energy damage to all with 10 feet of the caster.

Target Words (Minimum of one required):

0-level Self, Cone, Line, Touch

1st-level Burst, Specified

3rd-level Wall, Shell

Target Word Definitions

Any given Spirit Word will only have one Target Word component, unlike Power and Meta words. Targets must be valid at the time of selection.

Level-0

Self - The caster is the target of the Power; this cannot be combined with the Meta word Distance.

Cone - Range increment 15 feet. Cone shaped emanation affects everything within range. The cone originates from the caster and is 3 feet wide at the origin, expanding to 15 feet wide at the terminus.

Line - Range increment 30 feet. Straight line emanation originating at the caster affects everything within range that the line intersects.

Touch - Range increment 0. The caster must touch the target, which unless the target is willing would require a melee touch attack. This cannot be combined with the Meta word Distance.

Available Meta Words for Cone

Push, minor: The range increases to 30 feet. This increases the Target Word to Level 1.
Push, medium: The range increases to 50 feet. This increases the Target Word to Level 3.

Available Meta Words for Line

Push, minor: The range increases to 60 feet. This increases the Target Word to Level 2.
Push, medium: The range increases to 120 feet. This increases the Target Word to Level 4.

Level-1

Burst - Affects a spherical area with a 10 foot radius. This includes emanations and static fields that generally cannot be moved once created.

Specified - The Power affects a specified target within range. Damaging Powers generally manifest as a Ray that requires a ranged touch attack to strike the target. This can also be used in melee as a touch attack, and if it misses the caster can hold the charge for another attack, although no other Spirit Words can be used while such a charge is being held.

Available Meta Words for Burst

Push, minor: The spherical area increases to a 20 foot radius. This increases the Target Word to Level 3.
Push, medium: The spherical area increases to a 40 foot radius. This increases the Target Word to Level 5.

Available Meta Words for Specified

Push, medium: The caster can select up to one target per caster level, each of which must be no further than 30 feet apart. Damaging Powers generally manifest as multiple rays and therefore require multiple attack rolls. Melee touch attacks are not possible with this Push. This increases the Target Word to Level 3.

Level-3

Wall - The Power manifests as a visible wall of up to 10 square feet per caster level. Anything touching or passing through the wall is affected by the Power. The wall does not hinder movement unless specified in the Power's effects. A wall can be created in a space already occupied, and affects anything in that space as if it were passing through. The wall is one foot wide, must intersect at least one solid surface, and must be formed in a straight line.

Shell - Affects a spherical area with a 10 foot radius. This includes emanations and fields that will move with the caster.

Available Meta Words for Wall

Push, medium: The wall is 20 feet long per caster level and up to 20 feet high. The wall can take on any shape desired by the caster, but it must remain a vertical surface. This increases the Target Word to Level 4.

Available Meta Words for Shell

Push, medium: The spherical area increases to a 20 foot radius. This increases the Target Word to Level 4.
Push, major: The spherical area increases to a 40 foot radius. This increases the Target Word to Level 5.

Power Words (Minimum of one required):

The level of a Power Word is equal to the caster's level, generally limiting a caster to one Power Word per casting at full power. Casters may assign a lower level to a Power Word, however, in order to use more than one Word at a time. This can be a different Power Word entirely, or a different usage of the same Power Word (such as Healing used to both heal lost hit points and cure disease at the same time). As long as the total does not exceed the caster's level, the Spirit Word will be cast.

Caster's must bind to a Spirit to be able to cast Spirit Words. Casters start with only one bound Spirit, but most will eventually bind to more than one. For example, a caster with access to both the Fire and Acid Power Words could use both of them in one Spirit Word. The caster would also need to stay within their level, since Power Words each count as a level, and the damage would be half fire and half acid.

Elemental Spirits: Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Sonic

Energy Spirits: Acid, Force, Shadow, Light, Cold

Cosmic Spirits: Gravity, Negative, Positive, Time, Place

Creature Spirits: Augment, Control, Protect, Sending, Summoning

Matter Spirits: Harmful, Healing, Alter, Create, Destroy

Power Word Definitions

The listed manifestations are the default, can be customized by the caster to a limited extent.

Note: These require further refinement before they would be useful in play.

Elemental Spirits:
Air - Inflicts 10 points per caster level in electrical damage, manifests as a bolt of lightning
Earth - Inflicts 10 points per caster level in bludgeoning damage, manifests as a compact ball of rocks and minerals
Fire - Inflicts 10 points per caster level in fire damage, manifests as a compact ball of fire
Water - Inflicts 10 points per caster level in water (bludgeoning) damage, manifests as a spout of water
Sonic - Inflicts 10 points per caster level in sonic damage, manifests as visible waves in whatever material it passes through (Note: Sonic damage requires either an atmosphere or solid matter to travel through to reach its target)

Energy Spirits:
Acid - Inflicts 10 points per caster level in acid damage, manifests as a spout of acid
Force - Inflicts 10 points per caster level in force damage, manifests as a spiraling coil of energy; also effective against incorporeal creatures (Note: Force damage ignores any atmosphere, or lack thereof, but is blocked by solid matter)
Shadow - Countered by Light, darkens an area from gloom to complete darkness, affords protection against Light-based damage
Light - Countered by Shadow, illuminates an area, can also be used as a Ray weapon that inflicts 10 points of damage per caster level
Cold - Inflicts 10 points per caster level in cold damage, manifests as a compact ball of ice and snow

Cosmic Spirits:
Gravity - Can increase or decrease the gravity in the target area, and manipulate objects remotely
Negative - Countered by Positive, releases negative energy, damaging life forms vulnerable to this type or negates an area of Positive energy
Positive - Countered by Negative, releases positive energy, damaging life forms vulnerable to this type or negates an area of Negative energy
Time - Allows for divining the future and a limited form of time-shifting, limited increase or decrease of age
Place - Allows instantaneous, inter-dimensional movement from one place to another and remote viewing

Creature Spirits:
Augment - Increases the natural abilities of the target creature. This can include sight, hearing, strength, agility, etc.
Control - The caster attempts to influence or even gain control over other creatures, useful for Cult leaders and Warlords
Protect - Provides protection to target creatures or an area in the form of armor, deflection, sacred/profane or other bonuses
Sending - Countered by Summoning. Allows the caster to banish a summoned creature, or when used against a normal creature it can be temporarily shifted to another dimension
Summoning - Countered by Sending. Allows the caster to summon allies from elsewhere. These allies will follow the caster's instructions to the best of their ability. To be completely effective, both the caster and the creature summoned must share a language

Matter Spirits
Harmful - Countered by Healing. The caster affects the target with a baneful affect that draws life, abilities, or levels from the victim. Can also cause disease and other harmful effects.
Healing - Countered by Harmful. The caster affects the target with a beneficial affect that restores life, abilities, or levels to the victim. Can also cure disease and other beneficial effects.
Alter - Changes the physical appearance (and actual composition at higher levels) of an object or creature to appear as something else. Can be used for everything from a temporary disguise, to invisibility, to a more permanent change; can also be used to return an object or creature to its original state.
Create - Countered by Destroy. Allows the caster to create an artificial object or creature that can be commanded or used as needed. Duration of the creation is temporary at low levels but can eventually become permanent. Creatures so created are automatons with no independent thought.
Destroy - Countered by Create. Allows the caster to destroy an object or, in some circumstances, a creature.


Meta Words (Optional):

0-level Push, Distance, Variable

1st-level Careful, Quiet, Reinforce

3rd-level Focused, Dispersed

4th-level Manifestation, Mindbend

5th-level Irresistible, Penetrating

Meta Word Definitions (Optional):

0-level

Push - This meta word allows a caster to increase some aspect of either the Target or Power word, or both. The affects of Push are listed in the descriptions of the Words where it is available. This Meta can be used with both Power and Target words in the same Spirit Word, provided the Spirit Kin has enough levels.

Distance - Add or subtract up to 10 feet per caster level to a Power, allowing more precise targeting at a range; this cannot be combined with the Target words Touch or Self.

Variable - Vary the strength of the Power between Gentle and Damaging, allowing more precise use of the Power

1st-level

Careful - Allows the caster to omit one selected creature per level from the effects of the Power being used

Quiet - Allows the caster to use a Spirit Word without having to utter the words, useful in stealthy situations

Reinforce - Increase the DC to save against the Power by +1, or alternatively, increase the caster level check for an opposed caster by +1

3rd-level

Focus - Halves the duration of a Power while boosting the DC of the saving throw by +2.

Disperse - Doubles the duration of a Power while reducing the DC of the saving throw by -2.

4th-level

Manifestation - the caster can change the way a Spirit Word manifests from one form to another. The choices are: Burst, Cone, Cylinder, Emanation, Line, Ray, Sphere, or Wall. Duration remains the same, so applying Sphere to a Power that is instant basically results in a Burst.

Mindbend - A failed save against a Spirit Word with this Meta can be disastrous. While the target may have avoided the primary effects, they are affected by one of the following conditions: deafened, blinded, shaken, exhausted, fatigued, or staggered. The conditions are progressive, meaning the victim has to fail subsequent saves for Spirit Words with this Meta to advance to the next most serious condition. The failed saves do not need to be consecutive, but a target must be under the effect of one Meta-based condition in order to advance to the next. The Spirit Words need not all come from the same caster, but they all must have this Meta attached to them. The conditions have a duration of 1 round per two caster levels. No more than one Meta-based condition can affect a target at a time. The conditions can also be removed by Healing words.

5th-level

Rebound - In the event that a Spirit Word fails to affect a given target, it returns to the mind of the caster and is not expended.

Piercing - If a target has a defense that requires a DC check to bypass, the caster may roll twice and take the desired result.

Example Spirit Word Construction:

A 3rd level caster wants to hit his enemies with a blast of damaging water. The enemies are in a group, so he decides to use a Cone with his Water Power.

Target Word: Cone - The Power manifests in a cone shape, where the base is 3 feet wide, and the end of the cone is 15 feet wide. Cone is a Level-0 Target word and does not affect the overall level.

Power Word: Water - The damage is Water damage. 1.5 times damage against Fire, and 0.5 times damage against Air. Base damage is 10 per caster level, so at level 3 base Spirit power damage is 30.

Spirit Word: Cone + Water. For a 3rd level caster, the damage is 30; or 45 against Fire sub-types and 15 against Air sub-types.

In the above example, water would shoot forth from the caster in the desired direction in a cone shape. By adding a Meta word the caster can cause the Power to manifest at another location:

Adding a Meta Word:

Say the caster wants the Power to affect his enemies from a certain point, he can apply the Distance Meta to change the point of origin to anywhere within his range. Distance is a Level-0 Meta and does not affect the overall level.

Meta Word: Distance - The stream of water springs forth from the earth under the caster's enemies, and rises upward in a cone shape starting at their feet. Words: Cone + Water + Distance.

Although this caster could have used any Target or Meta words that added up to 3, the same as his level, he did not in this case.

An enemy, in response, uses a Fire word and shoots a fireball from his hands. The fireball expands as it shoots forward. Words: Cone + Fire + Disperse. Again, assuming a 3rd level caster, damage is 30, or 45 against Earth and 15 against Water.

Some Meta words can be applied more than once, and have effects that stack.

All Powers do half damage to inanimate objects unless otherwise specified.

Some creatures are damaged more severely by certain energy types, such as water vs. fire, and depend on the type or properties of the creature or its bound Spirit.


.

[Lord of Shadows]

Yet more Slang of Project Six:

Bean Bucket - street vendor who sells food; so called because most cheap food usually starts out as some form of bean.

Crop Duster - a vehicle that creates a cloud of smoke behind it when running, usually due to some mechanical problem

Dance with Henry - death by assassination; so named for Henry Ulric, leader of the Assassins Guild of The Triad. Sometimes "dance a jig with Henry."

Giggle Water - An intoxicating beverage; alcohol

Hayburner - anything that uses a large amount of energy compared to its benefit. Originally referred to a horse that continually lost money at a racetrack.

Henry's Halter - a noose for hanging; so named for Henry Ulric, leader of the Assassins Guild of The Triad, whose favorite death by torture is to repeatedly hang the victim until almost dead, then loosen the rope. Rinse and repeat.

Juice Joint - a bar or tavern, usually of questionable reputation

Shark Bait - originally an injured Scaler that is bleeding. Instinct tells them to flee to the water, but wisdom usually tells them that to do so would not be a good idea. Has come to mean anyone who is injured and bleeding.

Spifflicated - Drunk. Alternate terms include canned, corked, tanked, primed, scrooched, jazzed, zozzled, plastered, owled, embalmed, lit, potted, ossified or "fried to the hat"

Talvorian Tickler - Slang name for a Cat-o'-Nine-Tails, a whip that splits out into nine knotted lines or cords at the end, often used for flogging. The Talvorian version usually has barbs on the tails.

Triad Telegram - sometimes those in the Triad (an alliance of three human Clans dealing in Aquatics, Assassins, and Thieves) decide to telegraph their punch, and will send the target a message in some form. The "message" can be anything from a threatening letter to the dead body of a close associate.


.

[Lord of Shadows]

Gear in the World of Project Six

House Tekkor

Many futuristic items are available from House Tekkor in Old Vanalia. These Scalers have access to a machine that does "additive manufacturing" to create most of their advanced products. This technology converts a supply of raw materials into precise patterns, constructing real 3D objects described by a set of information. Instead of casting, molding or machining products, additive manufacturing constructs an item precisely, layer by layer, in a type of 3D printing process. The benefits are huge. Objects can be manufactured with incredible precision, such as required for cybernetic body parts, and fairly quickly.

Yet there are some items that even House Tekkor cannot create, either due to a lack of data or a lack of proper raw materials. Demand also causes a long wait for some items, as the manufacturing plant can only produce so much a day. For these reasons, this house's Recovery Teams are forever scouring the land, searching for raw materials and ways to increase their productivity. Items that they cannot create must be found the old fashioned way: by seeking them in the ruins and wastes that used to be the Old World.


Equipment, Weapons, and Vehicles

Arc-blaster: an unpredictable weapon that sends out a line of electrical energy. It is hard to control, and often damages the wielder as well as the target. It requires a source of electricity to recharge, which must be done after each use. Rare and valuable, only a few have ever been reported in existence. The user paints the target with a laser sight, then pulls the trigger to send a powerful laser pulse. This pulse forms a plasma conduit down which a powerful electric discharge flows, looking for the path of least resistance to ground. This weapon is most effective on metallic targets, and when the user has little or no metal on their person.

Buggy: a generic term that refers to any of the lightweight, four wheeled vehicles used for ground transportation. They come in three general types: Sand, Street, and the heavier Armored. Sand Buggies are outfitted for life in the Wastelands, with high efficiency power plants, camouflage colors, oversize tires, and stripped of any unnecessary weight. Street Buggies are slightly heavier and not as spartan as their Wasteland cousins, usually featuring more comfortable interiors and extra electronics. Some owners of Street Buggies modify their models for racing. Armored Buggies, the heaviest type, are used almost exclusively by Recovery Teams, local law enforcement, and others with a need for extra protection. Sacrificing speed for endurance, these Buggies frequently have weapons mounted to them for additional protection.

The Falcon: a combination road and airborne armored vehicle that can carry four. This lethal machine was the final military project for the Falcone Manufactory before The Fall, and only a few prototypes are known to exist. The basic design is a four wheeled off-road vehicle with retractable rotor blades. It can take-off and land vertically, especially important in rugged terrain. It has a composite carbon-fiber body and chassis which are embedded with solar panels. The combined body and chassis is incredibly strong and light, and with the addition of the solar cells actually generates supplemental power for the on-board electronics. It has a range of around 300 miles by either land or air, and is fitted with automatic flight controls so it can be flown by someone who is not a qualified pilot. The composite armor protects the crew, while machine guns and a cannon provide offensive firepower. It is 20 feet long and can reach speeds of around 65 MPH on the ground and more than 150 MPH in the air. House Falcone itself is believed to have one, and sometimes sends Recovery Teams underwater into Old Aberdoon in search of spare parts.

Grasshopper: a lightweight, two wheeled, single seat vehicle where the wheels are on each side of the rider rather than in front and behind

Plasma Bullet: a bullet with a capsule filled with plasma, which is triggered to release its charge when it hits any solid object, preferably the intended target, and creates a small, scorching explosion. Available from House Tekkor in Old Vanalia.

Smart bullet: common projectile weapons can miss targets at a distance by as much as a meter, if not more. Featuring an integrated sensor connected to a processor that calculates course corrections 30 times per second and adjusts the bullet's fins, smart bullets reduce this error to 10 centimeters or less. A laser guidance system guides the bullet to its intended target, which could be up to a kilometer away depending on the caliber of the weapon. Available from House Tekkor in Old Vanalia.

Sandtop Sled: a two wheeled vehicle capable of carrying a driver and a passenger where the wheels are mounted in front and behind the riders

Tekkor Cloak: a cloak available from House Tekkor in Old Vanalia. It has thin, powerful solar cells imbedded in the fabric and a connecting cable, allowing the wearer to use it to power augments and other cybernetics.

Tekkor Hat: a wide-brimmed hat available from House Tekkor in Old Vanalia. It has thin, powerful solar cells imbedded in the fabric and a connecting cable, allowing the wearer to use it to power augments and other cybernetics.

Thundergun: a powerful weapon that sends a shock of air in a cone shape that can shatter bones. Requires compressed air to recharge. Rare and valuable, only a few have ever been reported in existence.

Walkers: large automated robots that come in two versions, civilian and military. Capable of movement by "walking" on two legs, and capable of limited independent thought, these relics from the Old World are few and far between. They have not been made in decades, and many of them have been dismantled for spare parts or scrapped as salvage. To have a working model of either version would be a boon to anyone able to keep it running.


-------------------------------------------------
Note: many of these entries are based on real-world equivalents that are either in current development or are being proposed.

.

[Lord of Shadows]

Guys, I've been looking a while for something to DM (PbP), and now I really am itching to run this setting. Rasch would you be ok with me breaking-in your virgin brainchild?

I am curious what rule system you would be using.. D20 Modern? On that same note, I can't tell from past posts if it ever was nailed down what rule system this was going to be geared toward:

Rasch suggested FATE, which is a good fit as far as Spirit Words go since it doesn't have a built-in spell/magic system.

Sabeki suggested D20, the grand-daddy by WOTC, works well but can become bloated quickly with all the supplements.

axharr suggested D20 Modern, offers the mechanics of D20 with the feel of present-day Earth.

Shadow suggested D20/Pathfinder, a slightly leaner D20 system, with some differences in execution.

Hmmm... Lots of D20 there. Actually, we could make the setting system-neutral. Well, except for Spirit Words, which would shoehorn nicely into FATE and maybe Pathfinder (as a replacement for Words of Power). Then again, if it will fit into Pathfinder, it should also work in any other D20 system.

I kinda like the system-neutral idea, but I keep bumping into mechanics in the compilation, such as casters having levels, actions having DC's, spells having saving throws, etc. This is more a product of what I am familiar with than anything else.

Keep in mind that Rasch had proposed this as a computer-based RPG to start with. Any table top version should try to keep the same "feel" as that version.

Maybe we shouldn't worry too much about rules/mechanics just yet?



.

[Thunderfist12]

Dice-pool systems tend to work nicely for tabletop versions of video/computer games. I'd have to use that for my suggestion, but I'm not sure exactly what system to suggest.

[Alexkubel]

personally s an opinion as I use my own custom system, a system natural would be best for me, makes my life easier, all I need to do is balance. (6d100 is the damage for a .303 Lee Enfield Mk4 rifle round) my system has no way to not insta-kill by accident, your health is more how much damage you can take there before being knocked out, killing someone requires a crit.

[Eulalios]

I am curious what rule system you would be using.. D20 Modern?

...

Maybe we shouldn't worry too much about rules/mechanics just yet?

.

Second that.

As far as running this setting, I could go for any of: Adventure Fantasy Game; GURPS 3e; d20 Modern; or d6 Adventure. <<< All *free* rulesets. Also, all *not* focused on traditional D&D classes.

[Lord of Shadows]

Also, all *not* focused on traditional D&D classes.

Speaking of non-traditional classes, BRC has some nice ones listed in his signature that almost scream for this type of setting:

The Doctor - A healer with some limited spell-casting ability, it seems like Spirit Words would fit right in. Also, the current version lacks a "Special" at 7th level; easy fix: Skill Focus - Heal as a Bonus Feat.

Replaces: Divine Casters, all casters now would use Spirit Words

The Preacher - A slightly more traditional spell slinger than The Doctor, with the following Class Ability:

Spellcasting: At the beginning of each day, the Preacher chooses a style, either Good Shepherd, Fire and Brimstone, or Wandering Pilgrim. The style they choose provides them with a list of known spells for the day that they can cast from spontaneously. Preacher casting is Charisma based.

In Project Six I would probably change each Style to being a specific Spirit, and you choose one at Character creation. Whether you get the others depends on if you bind to those Spirits, a game mechanic that is yet to be fleshed out.

Replaces: Arcane Casters, all casters now would use Spirit Words

The Brawler - This is awesome, a melee class that beats its opponents into submission with its bare fists.

Replaces: Fighter (?) or at least the melee role

These are all D20/3.x, so they might need some tweaking for some of the systems mentioned. I just wanted to suggest them as good examples of Base Classes for Project Six. All we need now is a Rogue...

And if you do end up using BRC's creations anywhere, be sure to give him a nod. This is some good stuff.


Edit: Seems like the perfect "Rogue" for Project Six would be "part Burglar/part Engineer."

Edit 2: Found another interesting gem, Lappy9000's Engineer


.

[Hovannes]

Rasch;

I really like your spirit-riders idea. As to the question about why a person would want to have a spirit bound into his body, there could be many reasons. At the top of my list is Healing, Curing Diseases, or simply becoming resistant to different ailments – especially in a post apocalypse era. Depending upon the state of affairs, the acquisition of food, water, and basic supplies such as gasoline could also be a major factor. It would be great if you only had to eat say once per week when food is very scarce.

Finally, people would make all kind of deal with spirits if the powers gained could be used to aid/protect a loved one/family.

Just my two cents;

[Lord of Shadows]

Anyways, I applaud that you don't want elves, orcs, and dwarves. However, you should definitely keep to the Five Races Trope (WARNING: TV TROPES LINK) for the sake of familiarity.

Thomar's words have been gnawing at me for some time, as though something were missing from this world. As a result, the following is submitted as the fifth, and last, of the "Core" races for Project Six:

Shortlings - A race of small-sized man-like creatures noted for their ingenuity and agility. They possess a fascination for all things technological, and are fairly proficient at making such things work. They are not very good in melee, but they understand how modern weapons and armor work, and can usually repair them if given enough time and resources. They are not very good as spell casters, but they do make good Swarmwardens, controllers of swarms of nanobots. Nanobots are machines that can duplicate some Spirit powers with surprising accuracy. Shortlings rarely bind to Spirit Folk, preferring to rely on augments and their machines to help them. Capable of getting into small spaces and manipulating small objects, they can prove valuable to have around.

Shortling lore claims that they were the result of what they call the "Happy Accident." During the End Wars a certain Warlord used a biological weapon that targeted a specific ethnic group. The weapon was based on a protein in their cell walls that nobody else had, and those who weren't killed by it began having children who were decidedly different. Thus were born the Shortlings. This "good from bad" origin gives many Shortlings a rather optimistic outlook on life, and a fondness for practical jokes.

Homebrew notes: this started out as an investigation into the Five Races Trope that Thomar mentions, and what races are usually present in an RPG. We seemed to be missing two things: a small-sized player race (ie, Halfling, Gnome, etc.), and a race that emphasized technology over the supernatural.

I also figured that if one more race was going to be added, it better be done soon to avoid making compilation a headache

I have no idea if "Shortlings" is product Identity anywhere, so apologies for any toes stepped on.


Edit: Removed the text using "Ratlings"


.

[Alexkubel]

just as a suggestion, for simplication have nanobot swarms classed as a type of spirit, rather then having it separate. meaning people who don't want a spirit don't lose out as much

[Thunderfist12]

I have no idea if "Shortlings" or "Ratlings" are product Identity anywhere, so apologies for any toes stepped on.

Ratlings are an alternate word for Nezumi - from Rokugan, and in Oriental Adventures (D&D 3.0). So... yeah, they're product identity. I think.

Homebrew notes: this started out as an investigation into the Five Races Trope that Thomar mentions, and what races are usually present in an RPG. We seemed to be missing two things: a small-sized player race (ie, Halfling, Gnome, etc.), and a race that emphasized technology over the supernatural.

We don't need the five races thing, but I would rather see a technology-based race than a race that's just their to be shorter than everyone else. I'll put up some categories of these.

Extraterrestrials: Yes, I know I've listed these before, but it's what I think of when I think of technology-based sci-fi (besides robots). I've already listed information on them, so... I guess that makes my job easier.

Robots: Again, I've listed these a long, long time ago (in a galaxy far away...), but I'm making a list here, so their on it.

Highly Sapient Being: What if, in this world, there are animal folk that are smarter than humankind, and not already copyrighted? This could be humanoid, it could be anthropomorphic, it could be quadrupedal (wemic rather than tauric), it could be insectoid, or it could be none of the above. here, you have as much freedom as extraterrestrial creatures, and only one thing is different - they come from the base world, rather than elsewhere.

That's all I got. I'm done for the day, hope I wasn't too harsh about the copyrights thing, Thunderfist12 out, peace!

[Sabeki]

Gah, Thinderfist, your sig has made the whole page stretch out for me!
As for everything on this thread I have to catch up on:
Technology: Good.
Rules: D20 seems like it's very prevalent here, so we might go with that. Is there a way to merge FATE and D20?
Classes: I feel like something like in Skyrim might work better than classes for this. Just a thought.
Slang: Yep. Yep yep yeppity yep.

[Sabeki]

Thomar's words have been gnawing at me for some time, as though something were missing from this world. As a result, the following is submitted as the fifth, and last, of the "Core" races for Project Six:

Shortlings - A race of small-sized man-like creatures, also called "Ratlings" by some due to their "rat-like" features and agility. They possess a fascination for all things technological, and are fairly proficient at making such things work. They are not very good in melee, but they understand how modern weapons and armor work, and can usually repair them if given enough time and resources. They are not very good as spell casters, but they are able to command swarms of nano-bots that can duplicate some Spirit powers with surprising accuracy. They rarely bind to Spirit Folk, preferring to rely on augments and their machines to help them. Capable of getting into small spaces and manipulating small objects, they can prove valuable to have around.

Shortling lore claims that they were the result of what they call the "Happy Accident." During the End Wars a certain Warlord used a biological weapon that targeted a specific ethnic group. The weapon was based on a protein in their cell walls that nobody else had, and those who weren't killed by it began having children who were decidedly different. Thus were born the Shortlings. This "good from bad" origin gives many Shortlings a decidedly optimistic outlook on life, and a fondness for practical jokes.

Homebrew notes: this started out as an investigation into the Five Races Trope that Thomar mentions, and what races are usually present in an RPG. We seemed to be missing two things: a small-sized player race (ie, Halfling, Gnome, etc.), and a race that emphasized technology over the supernatural.

I also figured that if one more race was going to be added, it better be done soon to avoid making compilation a headache

Rats were chosen for no particular reason, except that they are small (well... smaller than humans) and agile.

I have no idea if "Shortlings" or "Ratlings" are product Identity anywhere, so apologies for any toes stepped on.


.

Why does this remind me of Skaven? Hmmm... If we added a Sewers level/biome/whatever, I feel like we could have these guys down there. They probably us a lot of augs, maybe bio (in order to explain the rattish features)?
Also, now I keep thinking of Pennywise.

Do you want a balloon, George? We all float down here.

[Eulalios]

FATE and d20 can indeed be bred to spawn a chimeric set of rules. But the end result is something like a camelopard - suitable neither for desert travel, nor for a watch pet, a laborious yet graceful disappointment.

Probably it would be best to leave rules selection for folks who want to run this world we've brewed. I personally would go with 5More but that's merely my flavor of the month...

[Lord of Shadows]

just as a suggestion, for simplication have nanobot swarms classed as a type of spirit, rather then having it separate. meaning people who don't want a spirit don't lose out as much

Hmmm... I am hesitant to call Nanobot Swarms a Spirit. I am picturing Spirits as something supernatural. There is also the Spiritual vs. Technological underlying conflict, and conflict is good for RPG.

Also, I can see the problem that those who command Swarms would somehow be lesser powered than those who bind to Spirits. Much of this depends on how the Swarms are designed. I have been doing some poking around on this, and looked at various published sources (such as D20 Modern/Future) but can't seem to find the right fit. So, in the Homebrewing tradition, here are some proposed scribbles on Nanobot Swarms in Project Six.

Nanobot Swarms in the World of Project Six

Those who command swarms of nanobots are called Swarmwardens. Swarms can accumulate and improve, granting their wardens ever increasing power.

Nanobot Swarms - Type/Function

Abundance - able to adapt and replicate

Construction - Create objects

Healing - Repair damage and remove illness

Destruction - Destroy

Nanobot Swarms - Powers

Passive: powers given directly to the Swarmwarden

Regeneration/Fast healing
Various Immunities, such as to disease/poison
Super senses (sight/sound/smell)
Super abilities (reflexes/strength/etc)
Armor, including a kind that requires activation.

Subterfuge: powers that seek to undermine and influence

Re-arranging features of objects or creatures
Inject nanobots into targets, then use transmissions to see through their senses.
Inject nanobots into brains, then controlling foes.

Offensive: nanobots go BOOM

Un-healable wounds and Disintegrate effects
Lightning rays, sound bursts, and other energy weapons
Drain (whatever) by injecting hostile nanobots into foes

Necromancy: new uses for old matter

Animate dead foes by injecting nanobots into them

Swarmwardens would presumably be restricted somehow as far as how many swarms they can have at any one time, OR, swarms are capable of adapting to the warden's wishes.

One possible solution is to create an array, where nanobots can do many things, but not everything at the same time. For example, if they are currently providing an exoskeleton, they are not available to heal wounds. There could be a few base powers that are "always on," and then an Offensive Array, Defensive Array, Sense Array, and other options.

In this concept, Swarms would be capable of duplicating most anything a Spirit can do. To further make Swarms distinct from Spirits, the spirits require "bargains," where they gain some influence over their host. Swarms should also have some "condition," I just can't think of one.

In terms of overall power, Swarms should be equal to Spirits, or nearly so. In fact, in an encounter, one should not necessarily be able to tell if they are facing off against a Spirit-host or a Swarmwarden. I suppose the most obvious difference would be that the Swarms would not radiate magic. And they could function in an antimagic field, which would be a dead giveaway.

Still, there should be something each one has that the other one doesn't...

Ratlings are an alternate word for Nezumi - from Rokugan, and in Oriental Adventures (D&D 3.0). So... yeah, they're product identity. I think.

We don't need the five races thing, but I would rather see a technology-based race than a race that's just their to be shorter than everyone else. I'll put up some categories of these.

Extraterrestrials: [E/T's]

Robots: [machine with a brain]

Highly Sapient Being: [Animal folk, et al]

That's all I got. I'm done for the day, hope I wasn't too harsh about the copyrights thing, Thunderfist12 out, peace!

Thanks for the heads up on Ratlings.

I tried to make the Shortlings something more than just short, by adding the gadget affinity. In a world of both technology and the supernatural, there are bound to be those who tend toward one extreme or the other. I also pictured these as kind of an answer to the Priv, who would seem to prefer supernatural.

As for a technology-based race, other than nanobots and robots I don't know if this world would be able to create, for example, an Android. ET's are possible, and I have made a note for them in a preliminary Bestiary list I am working on. As far as Animal Folk, I guess it depends on how many playable races we want to have, which Rasch also needs to chime in on. I have no idea what has been sketched in to the electronic version.

I am intrigued how a Robot would work as a playable race... images of Data from Star Trek: TNG keep coming to mind.

Just my personal preference, I would rather see fewer playable races than more. This is an area where I think Pathfinder has bloated badly. Some of those races seem... silly.

Why does this remind me of Skaven? Hmmm... If we added a Sewers level/biome/whatever, I feel like we could have these guys down there. They probably us a lot of augs, maybe bio (in order to explain the rattish features)?

Skaven were something I came across in the limited research I did to develop Shortlings. I don't know about sewers, or underground dwellers. Other than Scalers (who can dual exist on land and water), no current race has a connection to any particular environment, and that is a good thing. I can picture Shortlings being all over, like everyone else. Perhaps they are more common somewhere, but that is just a possibility.

.

[Lord of Shadows]

Gah, Thinderfist, your sig has made the whole page stretch out for me!

Yea, the image of the creature on the rock needs to be about 50% that size.

.

[Lord of Shadows]

While browsing the Playground earlier, I came across this thread:

Clockwork Spirit Vessel (discussion)

Which led to a blog post here that has the actual write-up:

Clockwork Spirit Vessel (actual 'creature')

What is described appears to be a sentient colossal construct "imbued with the ancestral knowledge and spiritual energies from dozens of warriors." While not overtly stated, it appears that it can have a crew, although one is not needed.

This struck me as inspiration for a Scaler legend about a mystical Ship of Lost Souls that sails the seas.

.

[Thunderfist12]

Yea, the image of the creature on the rock needs to be about 50% that size.

I really couldn't make the magical liopleuradon picture any smaller.

I am intrigued how a Robot would work as a playable race... images of Data from Star Trek: TNG keep coming to mind.

The Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG lets you play droids that have no free will (if you want) or cannot communicate easily (R2-D2, anyone?). One of the characters I'm running currently is an astromech droid (the other is a homebrew Sith-career human), so I'd say it wouldn't be too big a problem to incorporate moderately-handicapped robots (maybe boost their starting XP like they did, or give them superior abilities if we use a level-based system).

[Alexkubel]

on the robot idea, I approve, it adds a new dimension. the question is though, are we going to listen to the old ghost in the machine idea, which could solve some headaches.

[Lord of Shadows]

The Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG lets you play droids that have no free will (if you want) or cannot communicate easily (R2-D2, anyone?).

Unfortunately, the Star Wars RPG's were something I never got into, and so don't have any of the books. It would seem to be a challenge to role-play R2-D2, or even C-3P0 for that matter. Also, I think the Star Wars universe is far out ahead of where Project Six is sitting technologically. I have the impression that Project Six is (or was) Star Trek at about the time Cochran was working on warp drive, but hadn't quite got there yet. Somewhere between 9 and 10 on this GURPS chart. Androids aren't on the chart, but "Living Machines" are at 11.

An early version of an Android might be possible, but can it be designed so players would want to choose it?