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The Final Tales of Pendros

Game Master Goblins Eighty-Five


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I remember it like it was yesterday, before our current sadness, before the dead wouldn't rest, before the end of days. Back when the world was in a time of happiness, back when we all lived in prosperity. Those were the final days of prosperity, the final days of joy, the final days of our innocence. Those...

Those were the final tales of Pendros.
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So, I've been interested in running a PbP game for sometime now, and after reading some advice threads, the resounding "Just do it" theme kept showing up.

So, I'm going to 'just do it' and see where it goes. Be aware that while this isn't my first rodeo at GMing, it is my first PbP. One question though...How do I even make a campaign (like the cool pages that show up on your profile)? Does it make itself?

The campaign is one I ran before, based off of a few APs and stuff from my own noggin, mainly Curse of the Crimson throne, but twisted very very differently.

The game takes place on earth, in the near future, a future that couldn't exist in our timeline. It is vaguely based off of Urban Arcana, where the border between our world and another one is weak, and fantasy beings now live in our world. It is cyberpunk, and horror, pulling much, but not all, of it's mythos from the New World of Darkness. The setting takes place in a fictional city deep in the rocky mountains, known for its Casinos, Night Clubs, and University. Have I lost you yet? No? Oh good...

Because it gets nuttier. I'm allowing almost ANY d20 material. Well, lots of it anyways. Here is what I showed my players when I first ran this game, as suggestions:
The Displaced (those from fantasy worlds):
----------Last wave Displaced: D20 Modern [Urban Arcana]
----------New wave Displaced: Pathfinder/3.5 or 4ed D&D
Masked (those you are not hidden by shadow): Monte Cook’s World of Darkness/D20 Modern/Pathfinder
The Infused/Capes (superheros): Blood and Vigilance
The Infused (demigods): BESM D20
Mundane D7 Agent: M20 or D20 Modern [Dark*Matter/Future]

Here is a list of all things you could play:
* Means the Species is also a class that you MUST play

Mundanes:
(Those who are known to the world and may even live normal lives)
Human
Android
Frank
Moreau
Mutant
Infused (Superheros, or at least those with Super powers at least)

Masked:
(Those not known to the world at large. Some of them aren’t even known in the masked world)
Awakened (aka Hunters)*
Gargoyle*
Kappa*
Vampire*
Werewolf*
Werecat*
Wererat*
Wereboar*
Werebear*
Demon*
Mage*
Psychic
Ghost*
Feytouched (aka Changeling)*
Angel*
Succubus*
Kitsune
Dhampir (Half-Vampire)

Displaced/Shadowkind/Shadowborn:
(The Displaced, also not known to the world at large, are people from another world, most likely a fantasy world. Recently, those coming from the other world did not lose large portents of their memories, which used to happen, and their powers remained. Shadowkind are those displaced from the other world, Shadowborn have at least one shadowkind parent, but were born on earth)
Aasmir
Bugbears
Changeling
Doppleganger*
Dragonborn
Drow*
Dwarves
Elves
Ghoul*
Gnome
Goblin
Half-Dwarf
Half-Elf
Half-Ogre
Half-Orc
Half-Elf
Hobbits
Hobgoblin
Human
Kobold
Medusa*
Minotaur*
Ogre*
Snakeblooded
Tiefling
Undead
Vampire*
Ghost*
Werewolf*

Now, before I start posting my lengthy, lengthy house rules….is anyone interested?

I'd, uh, also be happy to greatly reduce down the list of options available...and if it makes any difference, most things are not cross compatible, you couldn't take a feat from another system, for example.

Tell me more. I have a concept you may find oddly familiar... Like you have discussed it before, in the twilight zone...

I have wanted to play a cyborg/ android type character for a while. How would that fit into the setting?

Easily! You see, in this setting, everyone is a little bit Cyborg. Have you ever seen Ghost in the Shell? Something like that.

If you are playing that kind of character, I recommend using D20 Modern as your rule system. I'll talk about character creation a little later on, as I am using a very, very different rule set. Well, in some ways. For now, I want to see what other people want to play.

I guess I could talk about some of them now.

I'm going to be using 8 stats instead of 6.

Physique (Phy):

Physique: Physique measures your character’s raw physical power and endurance. Someone who can lift a lot of weight and shrugs off attacks has a high physique. Physique also determines the amount of equipment your character can carry, how much damage they deal in close combat, and increases a character’s health points.

Fighting (Fgt):
Fighting measures your character’s natural ability in close combat, and is used to determine if you hit someone in close combat.

Agility (Agi):
Agility represent your characters balance, limberness, gross motor abilities and reaction time. Characters who can climb well or walk a tightrope have high Agility.

Coordination (Cor):
This attribute is a measure of fine motor skills, manual dexterity, and hand-eye coordination. A character who is a great shot or can easily pick a lock has a high coordination.

Intelligence (Int):
Intelligence determines how well your character learns and what he knows. Skills that primarily involve information-gathering and recollection (with secondary emphasis on application) and use imaginative application of information are governed by this attribute. Someone who knows a lot about science or can invent something on the fly has a high Intelligence.

Wisdom (Wis):
Wisdom describes a character’s willpower, common sense, mental quickness and attention to detail. Skills under this attribute relate to awareness of one’s surroundings. While Intelligence represents what you know, Wisdom represents how you use it. Someone who can resist an enchanter's spells has a high wisdom or notice obscure details has a high wisdom.

Charisma (Cha):
Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Skills needed in interpersonal communication are governed by this attribute.

Luck (Lck):
Luck determines how lucky your character is. It can determine whether your character will take the correct path when it splits in two, and whether the monster attacks you or your companions first. Don't make this a dump stat! You might not see the benefits of good luck, but you do see the downsides of bad luck. You never know when a car didn't hit you, or you didn't get that bottle of poisoned pills...but you sure do know it when you do! Also, if you make this stat very high, you must roleplay being very lucky.

Additionally, we'll be using another skill set. I will post them later.

Also, some of character creation will be roleplayed.

I have a question. Lets say I go with a full android, my characters body is not real. Do I still roll my Physique stat, or do you have a list of bodies I could "buy" with my starting cash (or wealth check, as the case may be)?

Can you provide a description of where the game would start out to give us a feel for the setting? Gritty like Blade Runner? Clean like Logan's Run? Is there a thematic style that should be taken into account for character creation?

PS: dibs on the Decker/ Hacker.

No rolling for stats. Either point buy, or choosing from a list.

I'll post a list of inspirational viewing/reading later.

So, here is what inspired the Cyberpunk of the setting:

Cyberpunk Inspirations for setting's Theme:

Transmetropolitan, but quite a bit less zany.
Robocop, but with a little less cheese
The Fifth Element The fifth element, (with a little less cheese), is really perfect for Theme. The lower class is downtrodden, and must fight tooth and nail just to make a living, and will never get to retire, and is TOUGH. The Upper Class is ridiculous, has everything, seems a little inbred, and is STUPID and INNOCENT. The Middle Class, or what is left of it, must either become the Upper Class, or descend into the depths of the lower class.
Max Headroom
Talk about your cover-ups! I think Max Headroom is greatly overlooked as one of Cyberpunk's greats. From here, you can see more on Corporations Controlling everything, and television controlling, in many ways, even more.

Cyberpunk Inspirations for setting's 'Look':

Blade Runner, Ghost in the shell(1st movie only, not the 2.0 version)
Both movies captured a very 'Asian' feel, and I like to think that in the city's districts that aren't cleaned up and maintained, this is what it looks like. Blade Runner's understanding of Androids is fantastic. "What does it mean to live, to exist?" Ghost in the Shell challenges us to consider, as our body and mind our replaced with cyber devices: "What does it mean to have a soul?"
The Fifth Element
When it comes from the lower class, it has dents and scratches and is covered in little trinkets of personal design. It is also condensed, to save on space. When it comes from Higher class, it is sleek, perfect, unmarred, and a little over the top. It is also large and big! Common flying cars are great here as well.
Batman Beyond
In those part of the city that corporations keep clean and tidy, look to Batman Beyond. Also, for flying cars and electric trains, I can think of nowhere else to look.
Children of Men
To understand what Computers and TVs look like, watch children of men. Lots of people actually still use ground based vehicles in the setting, and children of men has great examples of these as well.
Chase Scene in Star Wars, Episode II
I know, not many people liked it. More flying cars, and what a perfect example of Flying Traffic! Also, the scene afterwards, that takes place in a sports bar? Also a great example of the setting's look.
Other examples of technology include Minority Report and I, Robot (2004).

Next time, I will post inspirations for the Horror aspect of the game, and Music themes. Sorry I don't have any books on this list, I haven't read any pertaining to Cyberpunk!
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