The Campaign Builder's Guild

Xathan's Brain 3 (Casus Belli, Wastes of Urd, Gladiators PBP/IRC hybrid, and more!)

So I've been back for a few days now, so it's about time I get around to making this again. Also, wanted to take this opprounity to just let everyone else know what I've slowly been telling people - a few months ago, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. It has metastasised and spread up into the lymph nodes, which is bad, but I've been going to chemotherapy and my overall chance of a full recovery is like 96% - and even if I fall in the 4%, there's a super tiny chance of any real serious problems emerging. However, this does mean my brain hasn't been firing at full cylinders for awhile, which is why I'm not, for example, reviving WWSUN right now - that's something I'll be re-assessing once I'm done with chemotherapy and am now back in the work force, but the amount of work needed to run that would just be beyond what I'm capable of, especially since I'm kinda feeling like the system would need a complete overhaul and I'm just not up for that right now.

So instead, lets focus on what I am feeling up for!

[ooc=Gladiators, the Game]I ran this ways back on a whim once. The idea is give people an option to play some crazy Pathfinder builds by putting them into a gladiatorial arena against monsters and against other gladiators. (other gladiators here means against NPCs - PVP would only be something we would consider if there was a really strong demand for it.)  

The way it would work is that 90% of the IC interactions and other roleplay would be handled via PBP. That allows the game to run on a fairly constant basis, which is always fun, and I like PBP for interactions. Also, since this is a collaborative effort, both sparkle and I would be running games, and may even (once the game is established in tone) invite other players to run as well. People would roleplay in the PBP as managers running stables of gladiators (as many as they want to have) as well as, if they were so inclined, individual gladiators. (If a player only wants one or two gladiators, they could be a free agent, could have an agent to get them time in the ring, or could join a stable run by another player.)

The world would also be a collaborative effort. We'd create a few nations to serve as a baseline, drawing inspiration for a fantasy version of Sparkle's old Grimdark Gladiators and people could create new nations/regions/planes to serve as backstories for their characters or could use nations other people had created (with approval from myself or Sparkle, of course).  It would also be the ultimate Kitchen Sink when it comes to classes - any Paizo class would be allowed, and any 3rd party classcould be allowed the approval, including homebrews, though we'd be asking for changes to be made if there were obvious imbalances. People would be allowed and even encouraged to play multiple characters.

Races would be more limited to keep a cohesive feel to the world, and an exact race list would be TBD.  

Also, if you have a character from another pathfinder game you'd like a chance to play in this one, feel free to bring it and we can work it in - although it would be suggested if you're coming from a lower power game, you spend some time bumping yourself up or scaling yourself down to match the starting points, gold, level etc of Gladiators.) There would also be some house rules to make sure that some feats are much less crap by bundling them with other feats that are normally weak.

Starting decisions, like level and point buy and gold, are still up in the air as we gauge interest, which is part of what we're doing here. :) Please let us know if this sounds like something you might way to play in![/ooc]

[ooc=Casus Belli] Obviously I'm feeling up to this since it's posted, and Superbright and I have been working on it for...like, forever. There will be plenty more coming for it in the future - our discussions of stuff that hasn't made it in yet fills like 12 pages, and most of that would need to be greatly expanded upon before posting. (For context, the information currently in the thread is from like 2 pages of notes). Plus, I've really been loving collaborating - it's something I suggest more people try out.[/ooc]

[ooc=The Wastes of Urd] A setting that's mashing together my crazy arcanopunk "gods rule from the sky" world with Sreth, my "martial arts cowyboys fighting Eldritch abominations in the post apocalypse" worlds. If any of that sounds interesting, here's my half-formed notes for your perusal:

[ic=Wastes of Urd]

Tones and Themes

Grim but Awesome: The Wastes of Urd are full of terrifying monsters, deadly landscapes, insane gods, spreading corruption, and all other manner of nastiness. It's a terrible place to live, a wasteland world that was nearly destroyed. However, it's not intended to be depressing. All those horrible things are supposed to serve as challenges, things to overcome to make the heroes seem even more impressive.

Power Corrupts: And how. The most powerful beings, the Gods, are corrupt shells of what they once were, and they lord over mortal directly. Most forms of true magic - that is to say, arcane magic that draws from the power of the dying world, and divine magic which draws power from the mad gods - brings with it the risk of Blight, slowly warping the caster into a twisted servitor. While other forms of magic don't risk that particular breed of corruption,

Arcanopunk: The idea behind Arcanopunk in the Wastes of Urd is to make sure to capture the punk feel of cyberpunk - in addition to Xhaotech mimicking aspects of cybernetics (especially in implants and robotics), one of the goals is to use the gods and their zigguropoli to capture the absolute power of corporations in the Cyberpunk world, with a distinctly fantasy spin to it.

Key Concepts:

Gods: The Gods of Urd are not pleasant beings - at least, not any more. While myth and legends make them out to have once been protectors and shepherds of mankind, that time is long past. Now, after the Eschaton War, the only survivors are insane or tyrants, ruling over chunks of humanity with an iron fist or preying upon them in some fashion or another. In addition to them, some of the Outer Beings that arrived during the Eschaton War remain, conducting strange experiments and pursing their alien goals.

Although the gods of Urd are quite varied, they can be divided into four distinct subclasses:

The Outer Beings: Creatures from beyond the Firmament that shattered it when they invaded, revealing the Inner Spheres and exposing Urd to the monsters that dwell amongst them. The Outer Beings are alien to behold, strange creatures with features not of this world. While their forms are numerous, there are types that can be identified. For example, the Xenohim stand a head above any man, winged, fungal creatures with the the torsos of men, angular heads adored with numerous eyes, six arms like those of insects and ending in delicate hands, and long tendrils that serve as legs. Unlike most Outer Beings, they congregate in groups and are fond of using their strange magics to warp beasts into servitor forms to aid them in pursing their alien goals.

The Outer Beings, in terms of the divine, refer only to the most powerful amongst them, the beings with power to rival the gods directly - powerful enough to be considered gods in their own right. Lesser creatures from the Outer Spheres are simply called Exoterics or Outsiders, and while some serve the Outer Beings, other Exoterics peruse their own goals.

The Cryptic Gods: The spectres of dead gods. Appearing most often as faceless, semi-solid beings wearing long robes that fade into nothingness, they still possess immense power. Individually, it's possible the Cryptic gods hold the most individual power of any god-type, but they are also the least scrutable. The Cryptic gods rarely reveal their intentions until their plans are made manifest, and it's difficult to discern why they wanted whatever they were doing. They can be found sometimes floating above an area for days or weeks before taking some action - typically destructive - and then moving elsewhere. Some Ur-priests claim to be able to communicate with the Cryptic Gods, while others maintain such a thing is impossible.

The Cryptic Gods are the gods of the abstract, of ideas and potentials. While they have human servitors, those are rare. Instead, they are served by legions of Forgotten Moments, Might-Have-beens, and Neverweres. These entities are weak and flock around the Cryptic Gods like flies to rotting meat, hoping to get a chance to become Real and manifest fully on the world.

The Carnal Lords: The gods that run the Zigguropoli, powerful beings of flesh and blood that only hold a fraction of the power they once did, bound to the physical with the destruction of the heavens. The Carnal Lords are the most relateable of the various god types, since they are bound to the basest of desires - lust and greed and hunger and dominance. The Carnal Lords are all unique in their appearance, but for the most part they look reasonably human, although with additional features such as wings or extra arms or the head of an animal. Most Carnal Lords either look like physically idealized humans with a single feature that is in some way grotesque - eyes that are empty pits, strange scars or scabs, disturbing coloration to their skin, rotted teeth, open sores - some sign of the corruption that grips them. The truely depraved amongst them, the ones that have given wholly over to the corruption, show clear signs of it - only one or two features hold their former beauty, while otherwise they are horrid monsters.

Zigguropoli: The Floating cities from which the Carnal Lords reign over chunks of Urd called Dominions, spread out and while they are absolute masters within and of the land beneath, they still require their agents to exert power beyond.

Reclaimers: Those who seek to free the world from the tyranny of the various gods and hope to find a way to reverse the Blight. Major source of Player characters, Reclaimers are sort of hybrids between classic cyberpunk runners and cowboys with martial arts or magic.

Zhoatech: Technology powered by the fragments of the firmament that fell to Earth after the Eschaton wars. Zhoatech provides tools to help get martial classes onto the level of magic classes, and provides crazy steam-punk style technology.

Bastions: Ground-based city states that hold out against the monsters. Bastions are usually controlled by humans and typically are not going to be the jewel of anyone's crown - those that become major or too strong in one area typically get absorbed into some gods Dominion.

Crimson Mist The bloated, foetid corpse of Faerie leaking into Urd and other worlds. The twisted monstrosities that spill out are former Fey, horribly warped by the death of the natural world. [/ic][/ooc]

[ooc=Taxology of Madness, Bizzare, and Weird]I started this project awhile back and it seems like the perfect fun little thing to do during the periods when the chemo side effects are really bad and I can only write in short, 30 minute bursts, so it's getting revived.[/ooc]

So yeah, that's what's on my mind right now. I also have some vague ideas for Pathfinder classes I'd like to make that wouldn't quite fit in my current setting and getting back to reviving Terra Macabre, but those are vague right now.

Added some more information to the Wastes of Urd.

Of course, I am totally behind the idea of reviving the Gladiator game. I had fun with that the last time, and in the meantime a bunch of crazy character builds have occurred to me. I think one of the mistakes I made in Grimdark Gladiators is, honestly, trying to use a homebrew system that didn't have the depth and complexity and wealth of weird options that Pathfinder does. So this might work better.

I have a few issues with the history of Casus Belli, but I'm probably being a bit pedantic. I am on board with the general "look and feel," definitely. I've already posted in the thread about it and will do so again.

So anyway! I also love the feel behind the Wastes of Urd. It seems a bit like my own Frontier, yet it also seems different. I enjoyed the little bit you posted and I'd certainly like to read more about it. Are Xhaotech and Zhoatech the same thing?

I also support reviving the Taxology. There are some cool monsters in there. Maybe some of the gladiators could fight some of them. :P :D

Quote from: sparkletwist
Of course, I am totally behind the idea of reviving the Gladiator game. I had fun with that the last time, and in the meantime a bunch of crazy character builds have occurred to me. I think one of the mistakes I made in Grimdark Gladiators is, honestly, trying to use a homebrew system that didn't have the depth and complexity and wealth of weird options that Pathfinder does. So this might work better.

I think that's an excellent point. Part of the fun of this game will be being able to go crazy with Pathfinder stuff...which has a ton of stuff that's hard to jam into a single settings, so this method will allow us to mash it together.

Also, based on some IRC discussions, figured this would be a good chance to let people know the base setting for this will be Sparkletwist's Underdepths, specifically the Torizzod Colosseum, since it seems right up the Dark Elves alley to host this kind of thing. If you have an Underdepths character you want to fit into this as either a gladiator or a manager, feel free! :) Also, it's going to be E6 or E8 or E# - we're still making final decisions in that regard.

QuoteI have a few issues with the history of Casus Belli, but I'm probably being a bit pedantic. I am on board with the general "look and feel," definitely. I've already posted in the thread about it and will do so again.

Looking forward to more feedback. Glad you're on board for the Look and Feel.

QuoteSo anyway! I also love the feel behind the Wastes of Urd. It seems a bit like my own Frontier, yet it also seems different. I enjoyed the little bit you posted and I'd certainly like to read more about it. Are Xhaotech and Zhoatech the same thing?

Glad you're liking it so far. Plan on putting more work into it over the coming days until it gets big enough for it's own thread. The similarities are striking and amuse me, because I was thinking of this before I came back. :) I am debating making a change since I'm early in the development and going a bit less "martial arts cowboys" and a bit more "martial arts gothic," since A) it feels like it might fit the overall tone of the setting a bit more and B) would make it a bit more different from Frontier. Plus, I don't think I see any currently active gothic settings roaming around, and I do love my gothic settings, and I can't recall any goth + punk mashups that aren't steampunk. Thoughts?

And yes, yes they are. I like the X spelling better, but occasionally slip up with the Z spelling. Perhaps it's a regional thing? I'm going to go with it being a regional thing.

Also, the original Xhoatech stuff was from Keldora, and can be found here. Some of it is going to get modified later on to fit the overall tone of Urd better, but it gives you a good idea of the kind of stuff I'm thinking about for this.

QuoteI also support reviving the Taxology. There are some cool monsters in there. Maybe some of the gladiators could fight some of them. :P :D

That has to be a thing. Even though I'm...not exactly the best at mechanics for pathfinder monsters, I'm going to have to learn to make this something I do. :D

[ooc]New information for Urd![/ooc]

[ic=Xhoa and Ardor]

When seeking to work magic, there are two ways do it. Most mortals tap into the Xhoa - a energy source that connects almost things, be they spiritual or physical. There are numerous ways to tap into Xhoa, the three most common being: Xhoatech, the most recent such way, where rigorous scholarship and study, as well as the laying out of formulae, imbues this power into items and tools - including scrolls and tomes. Conjuring, also called Channelling is the oldest, where one taps into the Xhoa through an innate connection, drawing upon its power directly to accomplish great feats. Also, some call directly upon the spirits of the Xhoa, and these spirits can also lend their power to those who can reach them - this method is known as Invoking. A specific type of Invoking calls upon the souls of men and women who merged with the Xhoa upon death. Another method, has been rediscovered in the wake of the Eschaton War, one long forgotten - called Umbra, it involves drawing upon the ideas and potentials within the Xhoa as opposed to the Xhoa itself, using the shadows of potential it casts upon reality.

Ardor, on the other hand, is about imposing one's will upon reality, and how the Gods accomplish their deeds. It does not directly manipulate the Xhoa, although it can impact it - instead, it is sheer strength of one's desire being imposed on the natural order. For the Gods, this comes as naturally as breathing, and is the source of much of their power - for while Gods can manipulate the Xhoa, few see a point - save to wrest souls out of it to punish or exalt them depending on their actions in life. Since the Eschaton Wars, however, some mortals have begun to learn to impose this will as well. Called Ki when used by mortals, their feats are not even close to those of the Gods - yet - but they still accomplish things beyond what Xhoa can do by honing their mind and body into instruments of their will.[/ic]