Well that didn't take long at all- it appears that one of the players in my City of Varo campaign is now obsessed with Salumar chess and wants his character to collect as many variant pieces as possible. I totally lured him in by introducing a chess aficionado NPC who was willing to teach him how to play the game while they both endured a boat ride from the City to the island of Tendyra, then sealed the deal during the most recent run when his character turned up a chess set while looting one of the bad guy's hideouts... including the Beholder bishop major variant!
Another player suggested an additional mechanic for major variants which I rather liked- not only does a major variant increase your Gaming ability score by 1, but it also allows you to re-roll your skill check once for every major variant you put into play. Note however that this re-roll does not counteract the effect of rolling doubles (nor does it mitigate the effect of the opposing player rolling doubles against you), which means that it is possible for a player to win twice as many pieces from his opponent if he/she rolls two sets of doubles in a row.
Talk about unlocking the minigame...
Showing posts with label rpg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rpg. Show all posts
Friday, January 21, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
One more idea for the Gigastructure
Dysonian Paradise- The original gated communities of the Gigastructure, Dysonian Paradises are spheres that completely surround G-type main sequence stars at a distance of 1 AU (or 93 million miles), making the entire interior surface of the sphere perfectly habitable with Earth-like gravity and limitless solar energy. As most of these places were enclosed long before the vastness of space was filled, many Dysonian Paradises are blissfully unaware of the existence of the Gigastructure, or live in reactionary isolation to it.
(Another feature for the Gigacrawler RPG)
(Another feature for the Gigacrawler RPG)
Disco Borg zombies?
(Another idea I had for Zak S. open-source RPG project, Gigacrawler!)
The Rhythm of the Layers- Sprawling across gravity wells, dimensional rifts, and who knows what else, as it is pushed and pulled by cosmic tidal forces the entire Gigastructure resonates on a subsonic frequency that is commonly known as the 'Rhythm of the Layers.' Although some entities are immune to this phenomenon, the Rhythm can have a baleful effect on sentient creatures, especially with abnormally-long lifespans (such as elves and genetically altered human immortals)- for every hundred years a Crawler has lived, he/she should make a Sanity check with a cumulative -1 to the die roll for each successive century. Failure means that the Crawler will spent the rest of its existence dancing throughout the Gigastructure in a trance-like state, roaming with other affected Crawlers in great capering hordes like the Bacchae of ancient Greece, deranged and deadly.
It is said that some Crawlers worship the Rhythm as a kind of deity and use technology to amplify and/or internalize it with cybernetic implants. If the mental image of some kind of Disco Borg entity doesn't chill you to the marrow, I don't know what will!
The Rhythm of the Layers- Sprawling across gravity wells, dimensional rifts, and who knows what else, as it is pushed and pulled by cosmic tidal forces the entire Gigastructure resonates on a subsonic frequency that is commonly known as the 'Rhythm of the Layers.' Although some entities are immune to this phenomenon, the Rhythm can have a baleful effect on sentient creatures, especially with abnormally-long lifespans (such as elves and genetically altered human immortals)- for every hundred years a Crawler has lived, he/she should make a Sanity check with a cumulative -1 to the die roll for each successive century. Failure means that the Crawler will spent the rest of its existence dancing throughout the Gigastructure in a trance-like state, roaming with other affected Crawlers in great capering hordes like the Bacchae of ancient Greece, deranged and deadly.
It is said that some Crawlers worship the Rhythm as a kind of deity and use technology to amplify and/or internalize it with cybernetic implants. If the mental image of some kind of Disco Borg entity doesn't chill you to the marrow, I don't know what will!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Wyrmholes!
I decided to take a stab at contributing some material to Zak S's crowdsourced Gigacrawler RPG. Here it is...
Wyrmholes- In ancient times it is said that the Great Wyrms coiled themselves around the geological faultlines of the heavenly spheres, burrowed deep beneath the tectonics plates. When the Gigastructure filled the spaces between celestial bodies the wyrms were free to roam, their tunnels trailing for millions of miles in seemingly random directions. Wyrmholes are perfectly smooth, their tunnel walls perfectly frictionless- enterprising Crawlers can ride these tubes from region to region at maximum falling speed, although such a means of travel is not without its hazards. Upon encountering an unfamiliar wyrmhole, roll 2d6:
2. Dead End- Aeons ago a Great Wyrm perished here in the midst of the Gigastructure. Unless they have some means to brake themselves suddenly, Crawlers will take maximum possible falling damage when they reach the end.
3. Non-Euclidean Wyrmhole- the Great Wyrm which carved this tunnel blundered across an interdimensional faultline, causing the Crawlers to teleport to a random location in the Gigastructure (with a possibility of reappearing in solid matter).
4. Relativistic Wyrmhole- the track of the Great Wyrm transits the gravity well of a supermassive object, such as a neutron star or a black hole. Crawlers will suffer the effects of time dilation, arriving d100 years later than they had started
5. Quantum Wyrmhole. A tunnel which forks 1d4 times, each branch representing a different quantum state. At each juncture there is a 50% chance of taking the wrong path.
6. Unstable Wyrmhole- Due to the nature of the local Gigastructure matrix, the tunnel bored by the Great Wyrm is not entirely smooth. Unless the Crawlers take special precautions they will take 1d6 points of damage per round due to friction and minor abrasions.
7. Stable Wyrmhole- A perfectly traversable tunnel from start to finish, though be sure to check for wandering monsters and other Crawlers .
8. Unstable Wyrmhole (II)- The Great Wyrm's tunnel traverses a pocket of inherently unstable matrix in the Gigastructure (d6): 1. Mud, 2. Silt, 3. Water, 4. Air, 5. Steam, 6. Magma. Crawlers must find means to traverse the hazard or become stranded.
9. False Wyrmhole- This tunnel, despite its appearances, was not carved by a Great Wyrm but something else entirely of the DM's devising. Roleplay accordingly.
10. Möbius' Wyrmhole- Somehow the Great Wyrm who carved this tunnel bent back upon itself in an infinitely recursive track. Crawlers must find an ingenious way to break the cycle or ride this loop forever.
11. Wyrmhole to Nowhere- This tunnel empties out into the Void itself, the space between spaces in which the Gigastructure itself is situated.
12. Live End- Crawlers have stumbled upon a wyrmhole that is still in the process of being carved... by a live Great Wyrm!
Wyrmholes- In ancient times it is said that the Great Wyrms coiled themselves around the geological faultlines of the heavenly spheres, burrowed deep beneath the tectonics plates. When the Gigastructure filled the spaces between celestial bodies the wyrms were free to roam, their tunnels trailing for millions of miles in seemingly random directions. Wyrmholes are perfectly smooth, their tunnel walls perfectly frictionless- enterprising Crawlers can ride these tubes from region to region at maximum falling speed, although such a means of travel is not without its hazards. Upon encountering an unfamiliar wyrmhole, roll 2d6:
2. Dead End- Aeons ago a Great Wyrm perished here in the midst of the Gigastructure. Unless they have some means to brake themselves suddenly, Crawlers will take maximum possible falling damage when they reach the end.
3. Non-Euclidean Wyrmhole- the Great Wyrm which carved this tunnel blundered across an interdimensional faultline, causing the Crawlers to teleport to a random location in the Gigastructure (with a possibility of reappearing in solid matter).
4. Relativistic Wyrmhole- the track of the Great Wyrm transits the gravity well of a supermassive object, such as a neutron star or a black hole. Crawlers will suffer the effects of time dilation, arriving d100 years later than they had started
5. Quantum Wyrmhole. A tunnel which forks 1d4 times, each branch representing a different quantum state. At each juncture there is a 50% chance of taking the wrong path.
6. Unstable Wyrmhole- Due to the nature of the local Gigastructure matrix, the tunnel bored by the Great Wyrm is not entirely smooth. Unless the Crawlers take special precautions they will take 1d6 points of damage per round due to friction and minor abrasions.
7. Stable Wyrmhole- A perfectly traversable tunnel from start to finish, though be sure to check for wandering monsters and other Crawlers .
8. Unstable Wyrmhole (II)- The Great Wyrm's tunnel traverses a pocket of inherently unstable matrix in the Gigastructure (d6): 1. Mud, 2. Silt, 3. Water, 4. Air, 5. Steam, 6. Magma. Crawlers must find means to traverse the hazard or become stranded.
9. False Wyrmhole- This tunnel, despite its appearances, was not carved by a Great Wyrm but something else entirely of the DM's devising. Roleplay accordingly.
10. Möbius' Wyrmhole- Somehow the Great Wyrm who carved this tunnel bent back upon itself in an infinitely recursive track. Crawlers must find an ingenious way to break the cycle or ride this loop forever.
11. Wyrmhole to Nowhere- This tunnel empties out into the Void itself, the space between spaces in which the Gigastructure itself is situated.
12. Live End- Crawlers have stumbled upon a wyrmhole that is still in the process of being carved... by a live Great Wyrm!
Crowdsourcing the RPG
Zak S. is attempting something very cool over at his blog (warning for occasional NSFWish content):
Playing D&D With Porn Stars: Open Call: Gigacrawler: "I'm thinking we could make a whole RPG via Gygaxian Democracy... Here's how it'll work: I provide the basic setting idea and the basic mech..."
The concept of the entire universe/multiverse as dungeon has a very Planescape feel to it- I like it!
Playing D&D With Porn Stars: Open Call: Gigacrawler: "I'm thinking we could make a whole RPG via Gygaxian Democracy... Here's how it'll work: I provide the basic setting idea and the basic mech..."
The concept of the entire universe/multiverse as dungeon has a very Planescape feel to it- I like it!
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