So, I've not posted here in a while now. I've been focusing a lot more of my mental energies on my food related writing and experimentation, and even my gaming thoughts have been leaning more towards just wanting to play.
The truth is, I just don't have that much patience for the nitty gritty of game design. I've got here what I still think is a great idea, a dream of mine for the last decade has been finally seeing this concept in print, but the truth is I don't think I have all the skills and resources necessary to pull it off.
So, I've recruited some help. Any of you who're still reading, give a warm welcome to Kasdaye, one of the #rpgnet regulars who in a fit of boredom has agreed to take a look at this stunted growth of a project, and maybe see about helping get this thing at least to something one can play around the table with some friends.
Since I don't know when or if I'm going to use them, I thought I might describe some of the ideas I've still got stewing, defining mechanics and concepts that I've hit on that I like, but haven't yet put to page yet.
First off, well, is the Dark itself. I've done a lot of thinking along the way, about the idea that the wild, the Dark itself, changes a person. It's like the call of the wild or the sea, but twisted into a much darker urge. The inky blackness that surrounds the Earth seems to pull at the basest and most barbaric and animalistic urges. As the mind twists and becomes darker, the body becomes similarly twisted, a bizarre manifested image of the dementia that consumes the mind in the blacker places. In game terms, I'm thinking something of a fusion of Star Wars' Dark Side Points, Vampire's Humanity, and the Chaos mutations I've heard so much about from WFRP. The GM can tempt the player with the power of the Dark, handing over a temporary burst of instinct and power, in exchange for a farther slide towards the inhuman.
The combat system I have in mind is sort of like a half-way point between full on map and tactical combat, and the usual vague abstractions. The idea is that we keep track of combat in a set of concentric circles, with the players in the center. From there we step outwards essentially be state of detection by the party, starting at close quarters, stepping out to visual spotting range, and then to audio detection range, and finally simply being unspotted, which would be effectively outside the circles. The idea is that monsters and NPCs can make stealth checks, to try and get into close range without getting spotted before hand and thus being open to attack. The rolls would be modified by the light sources carried by the party, and the amount of cover available in the combat area. Range is not a contributing factor, as it's assumed to take place at close enough range to render it a moot point.
I've also got some thoughts about how the monster and NPC systems should look. I'm thinking that to save GM prep time, we go old school D&D style or like the NPC advice given in GURPS 3rd, boiling down the baddies into only the basic stats we need to run a fight with them, plus base attribute check values to allow for any non-combat tasks needed.
I've got some more ideas still yet to be penned regarding the structure of Aralia society and government, which I hope to get down myself soon.
Stay tuned, hopefully things will finalyl get interesting again.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Behind the scenes work.
I've revised a few things in the previous entries, changed some skills around, added some new ones, in part in preperation for some system ideas I'm planning.
The biggest issue I'm having right now is just slogging through the equipment section, as it's exactly the sort of list work I've never been great at or liked doing much.
But also giving some serious thought to what the combat system will look like, as I'm somewhat torn between a number of poles, as well as on how to implement the most important factor of the whole game in a mechanical way: Light and darkness.
The trouble of trying to design a combat system in which it's assumed to be pitch black most of the time, is something I'm still wrapping my head around.
The idea so far is actually to drop the tactical, hexmap and counter approach I'd originally considered, in keeping with my love of minatures play in D&D as well as the Fallout system which inspired a lot of my early conceptiosn of the game.
Instead, I'm thinking more of an abstract system based around acquiring and keeping targets in the darkness. The biggest difficulty in combat on post-Nightfall Earth is in actually being able to see your target, and various light sources will actually find themselves sharing a somewhat similar level of mechanical complexity as swords or guns.
The main decision is in what the base assumption is as to target acquisition. If I assume that the players cannot by default see the enemies, then I need rolls to see if they can spot them, and to factor in the quality of the light source when it comes to covering a given area easily. If I asusme they can see them by default, then instead it becomes a contest of source, with the target perhaps having maneuvers to try and evade being spotted, and thus making the light source a modifier to such a maneuver, as well as perhaps a modifier based on how much cover is present in the combat environment.
So far my thoughts have been leaning towards the latter solution, and I'm thinking I may know some ways to do it within the mechanics I already have arranged so far. The end result will be much, much more abstract that I had originally anticipated the combat system being, but dealing with this issues within the confines of the hexgrid just seems like it would be far too crunchy and slow in play.
I'm also moving away from the concept of hexgrid combat simply because my present rural living arrangement means that any playtesting will almost certainly occur online, likely via IRC, which means that a hex and counter approach would be even more cumbersome than usual, requiring a setup with something like OpenRPG or similar, which is potentially too much work, work that would distract from play preparation and design work.
It is possible that a future supplement composed of variant rules might introduce a more Fallout-y combat system, but for now, it will have to wait, sadly.
The biggest issue I'm having right now is just slogging through the equipment section, as it's exactly the sort of list work I've never been great at or liked doing much.
But also giving some serious thought to what the combat system will look like, as I'm somewhat torn between a number of poles, as well as on how to implement the most important factor of the whole game in a mechanical way: Light and darkness.
The trouble of trying to design a combat system in which it's assumed to be pitch black most of the time, is something I'm still wrapping my head around.
The idea so far is actually to drop the tactical, hexmap and counter approach I'd originally considered, in keeping with my love of minatures play in D&D as well as the Fallout system which inspired a lot of my early conceptiosn of the game.
Instead, I'm thinking more of an abstract system based around acquiring and keeping targets in the darkness. The biggest difficulty in combat on post-Nightfall Earth is in actually being able to see your target, and various light sources will actually find themselves sharing a somewhat similar level of mechanical complexity as swords or guns.
The main decision is in what the base assumption is as to target acquisition. If I assume that the players cannot by default see the enemies, then I need rolls to see if they can spot them, and to factor in the quality of the light source when it comes to covering a given area easily. If I asusme they can see them by default, then instead it becomes a contest of source, with the target perhaps having maneuvers to try and evade being spotted, and thus making the light source a modifier to such a maneuver, as well as perhaps a modifier based on how much cover is present in the combat environment.
So far my thoughts have been leaning towards the latter solution, and I'm thinking I may know some ways to do it within the mechanics I already have arranged so far. The end result will be much, much more abstract that I had originally anticipated the combat system being, but dealing with this issues within the confines of the hexgrid just seems like it would be far too crunchy and slow in play.
I'm also moving away from the concept of hexgrid combat simply because my present rural living arrangement means that any playtesting will almost certainly occur online, likely via IRC, which means that a hex and counter approach would be even more cumbersome than usual, requiring a setup with something like OpenRPG or similar, which is potentially too much work, work that would distract from play preparation and design work.
It is possible that a future supplement composed of variant rules might introduce a more Fallout-y combat system, but for now, it will have to wait, sadly.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Character Creation Part 4: Equipment - Part 1
Characters will find and use a wide variety of equipment and gadgets salvaged from the ruins, most importantly, their weapons and armor, as well as any light sources they find. The wastes are a dangerous place, filled with Aralia and bandits and beasts, all of whom want to kill and even eat you, so it is best to be prepared.
Coins
The most widely accepted currency amongst the free villages is generally pre-Nightfall coinage of whatever country inhabited the region prior to the general collapse of civilization. For the purposes of this game and pricing for equipment the generic term "coins" will be used, however the actual term will vary by area depending on whatever the smallest common denomination of currency in that area was prior to Nightfall, such as cents in the US, EU, or Canada, or pence in Britain.
Weapons
Weapons come in two varieties: Melee, and Ranged, with a different set of statistics for each.
Melee Weapons
Melee weapons have a Damage statistic, which is the type and/or number of dice used to roll when the weapon hits, and is added to the character's Melee Damage stat to find total damage, and a STR Requirement, which is a STR value the player must have to use the weapon without penalty. If this value is not met, the character recieves a -15% penalty to hit when using the weapon. Not all melee weapons have a STR Requirement, if none is present, it is indicated by a dash ("--"). A weapon may also have a special ability, indicated by a word at the end of the statline.
The format of the statline for a melee weapon is as follows:
Name: Damage, STR Req., Value (in coins), Weight (in lbs.), Special
Knife: 1d4, --, 25, negligible, 1-Handed
Club: 1d6, STR 6, 10, 2 lbs., 1-Handed
Axe: 2d4, STR 8, 40, 3 lbs
Sword: 1d8, STR 8, 80, 4 lbs, 1-Handed
Broadsword: 2d6, STR 12, 120, 8 lbs, Cleave*
Spear: 1d8, STR 6, 30, 6 lbs, Reach**
Staff: 1d6, STR 6, 10, 6 lbs, Reach**
* A weapon with Cleave may, upon successfully killing an opponent, follow through to the target next to it, essentially making a second attack at a -20% penalty. Only one additional attack may be made after the initial attack.
** A weapon with Reach makes a character more difficult to approach in combat, providing a bonus of 5% to the character's Defense.
Weapons with Reach or Cleave must be used with both hands, and so no other item may be carried in the character's off-hand during combat, such as a flashlight.
A 1-Handed weapon can be used comfortably in one handed, allowing another item such as a flashlight or lantern to be held in the other.
Archaic Weapons
Archaic weapons are statted in the same fashion as melee weapons, with the exception that all have a special attribute, Reload, followed by a number. This is the number of rounds it takes to reload the weapon so that it may be fired again. A character with an Archaic Weapons skill of 60% or more reduces this number by one, so long as he possesses a quiver or other harness that allows quick access to ammunition.
The Value of the weapon is followed by a slash and a second number, which indicates the cost of 10 rounds of ammunition for the weapon. When not applicable this space is marked with a dash (--). Archaic weapon ammunition may be retrieved after a fight. On a successful Archaic Weapons skill check, the character is able to recover all of his ammunition. On a failure, half of the ammo fired during the fight is broken or lost.
A character's Melee Damage stat bonus applies only to those weapons whose STR Requirement is marked with a plus sign (+), and the bonus only applies if the character's STR exceeds the listed value.
Name: Damage, STR Req., Value (in coins), Weight (in lbs.), Special
Sling: 1d4, STR 6+, 20/--, negligible, Reload 1
Bow: 1d8, STR 8, 60/10, 2 lbs, Reload 1
Crossbow: 2d4, STR 6, 100/10, 3 lbs, Reload 2
Javelin: 2d4, STR 8+, 5/--, 1 lbs, Reload 1*
Throwing Knife: 1d4, STR 8+, 20/--, negligible, Reload 1*, 1-Handed
* This a single weapon that is thrown at the target. The price given is for a single weapon, most individuals will carry a number of them on them at any given time. The Reload number is how quickly another may be extracted from a pack or quiver.
Firearms
All firearms have a Damage statistic much like melee weapons, given in dice, however they do not receive a bonus to this value from STR. They also have a STR Requirement, and like melee weapons if it is not met, a -15% penalty is taken. Additionally, if the STR requirement for a weapon is not met, burst fire may not be used, effectively limiting the weapons Rate of Fire to 1.
In addition to these, firearms also have a Rate of Fire, which is the maximum number of bullets which may practically be fired in a round, a Recoil penalty, which is incurred any time more than one bullet is fired in a combat round, and a Magazine, which is the number of rounds the weapon holds and thus the number of bullets which may be fired before a reload is required.
All guns have Reload 1, unless otherwise indicated as a special attribute. This functions exactly as it does for Archaic Weapons, except that the required skill for reduced Reload is that of the weapon's category, be it Small Arms, Heavy Weapons, or Alien Weapons.
Similar to the archaic weapons, the Value of the weapon is listed as two numbers, the first the cost of the weapon, the second is the cost of a single magazine of ammunition.
The list of firearms follows, broken into three sections for the different firearms skills: Small Arms, Heavy Weapons, and Alien Weapons.
Small Arms
Name: Damage, STR Req., RoF, Recoil, Magazine, Value (in coins), Weight (in lbs.), Special
Revolver: 2d6, STR 4, 1, --, 6, 200/12, 2 lbs, Reload 2, 1-Handed
Auto Pistol: 2d6, STR 4, 2, -10%, 12, 400/24, 2 lbs, 1-Handed
SMG: 2d6, STR 8, 10, -10%, 30, 800/60, 3 lbs.
Shotgun (dbl. barrel): 2d10, STR 8, 2*, -10%, 2, 325/10, 4lbs Reload 2
Shotgun (pump): 2d10, STR 10, 1, --, 8, 400/40, 5 lbs, Reload 3
Shotgun (auto): 2d10, STR 12, 2, -10%, 8, 500/40, 5 lbs, Reload 3
.22 Rifle: 1d8, STR 6, 1, --, 1, 120/2, 3 lbs, Reload 2
Hunting Rifle: 2d8, STR 8, 1, --, 5, 250/15, 4 lbs, Reload 3
Auto Rifle: 2d8, STR 10, 2, -15%, 10, 500/30, 5 lbs
Assault Rifle: 3d6, STR 12, 10, -15%, 30, 850/90, 5 lbs
* The double barreled shotgun can unload both barrels in a single combat round, effectively doing double damage but expending both rounds at once.
Heavy Weapons
Name: Damage, STR Req., RoF, Recoil, Magazine, Value (in coins), Weight (in lbs.), Special
LMG: 3d8, STR 14, 20, -20%, 100, 2000/400, 10 lbs., Mounted
Rocket Launcher: 6d10, STR 10, 1, --, 1, 1200/*, 10 lbs.
Grenade Launcher: 6d10, STR 8, 1, --, 1, 900/200, 3 lbs. Reload 2
Multi-shot Grenade Launcher: 6d10, STR 12, 1, --, 6, 3000/1200, 10 lbs., Reload 4
Anti-materiel Rifle: 6d6, STR 14, 1, --, 10, 4000/500, 20 lbs., Mounted
Flamethrower: 3d6, STR 14, 1, --, 5, 3000/500, 60 lbs., Backpack, Flame
Minigun: 4d6, STR 16, 20, -20%, 500, 10,000/2000, 60 lbs, Mounted
* The rocket launcher is a single use disposable tube containing the rocket. Price given is thus for one unit, and the device is not reloadable.
A Mounted weapon is too heavy to be utilized as a personal weapon, and must be mounted on a vehicle, or fired from a stationary position mounted on a bipod or tripod.
A Backpack weapon has it's ammunition contained in a container worn on the back. As such a normal backpack cannot be worn along with it, and additional ammunition cannot be carried.
A Flame weapon ignites the target upon impact, doing it's base damage the initial round, and continuing to do damage every round thereafter unless the flames can be extinguished.
Alien Weapons
Name: Damage, STR Req., RoF, Recoil, Magazine, Value (in coins), Weight (in lbs.), Special
Zal-illar Plasma Pistol: 4d6, STR 6, 1, --, 8, 4000/500, 2 lbs, Plasma, 1-Handed
Zal-ankar Plasma Rifle: 5d6, STR 10, 1, --, 15, 6000/700. 5 lbs, Plasma
Mitum-gisema Heavy Plasma: 8d6, STR 14, 1, --, 6, 10,000/1000, 15 lbs, Plasma
Mir Coilgun: 2d6, STR 8, 6, -0%, 30, 3000/300, 3 lbs
Masatum Laser Rifle: 3d6, STR 10, 3*, -0%, 50, 5000/500, 20 lbs, Laser
Gesamaru Gatling Laser: 3d6, STR 16, 10, -0%, 200, 10,000/2000, 40 lbs, Backpack, Laser
* The Masatum laser rifle is prone to overheating. There is a cumulative 10% chance per round of burst fire after the first, that the weapon will overheat and be permanently destroyed. E.g. on the first round of burst fire there is no chance of failure, on the second there is a 10%, on the third there is a 20%, and so forth.
Plasma weapons are extremely destructive. When fired at organic matter, the plasma projectile causes a limited chain reaction on impact, boiling or melting away surrounding flesh and tissue. If a target is killed by a Plasma weapon in a single attack, the body is effectively liquified. Because of the massive tissue damage caused, even if the target survives, he will take twice as long to heal, and there's is a 40% chance that a limb was permanently destroyed.
Laser weapons pierce through the target, cauterizing the wound as the beam follows through, due to the extreme heat. Laser wounds take twice as long to heal as normal.
Coins
The most widely accepted currency amongst the free villages is generally pre-Nightfall coinage of whatever country inhabited the region prior to the general collapse of civilization. For the purposes of this game and pricing for equipment the generic term "coins" will be used, however the actual term will vary by area depending on whatever the smallest common denomination of currency in that area was prior to Nightfall, such as cents in the US, EU, or Canada, or pence in Britain.
Weapons
Weapons come in two varieties: Melee, and Ranged, with a different set of statistics for each.
Melee Weapons
Melee weapons have a Damage statistic, which is the type and/or number of dice used to roll when the weapon hits, and is added to the character's Melee Damage stat to find total damage, and a STR Requirement, which is a STR value the player must have to use the weapon without penalty. If this value is not met, the character recieves a -15% penalty to hit when using the weapon. Not all melee weapons have a STR Requirement, if none is present, it is indicated by a dash ("--"). A weapon may also have a special ability, indicated by a word at the end of the statline.
The format of the statline for a melee weapon is as follows:
Name: Damage, STR Req., Value (in coins), Weight (in lbs.), Special
Knife: 1d4, --, 25, negligible, 1-Handed
Club: 1d6, STR 6, 10, 2 lbs., 1-Handed
Axe: 2d4, STR 8, 40, 3 lbs
Sword: 1d8, STR 8, 80, 4 lbs, 1-Handed
Broadsword: 2d6, STR 12, 120, 8 lbs, Cleave*
Spear: 1d8, STR 6, 30, 6 lbs, Reach**
Staff: 1d6, STR 6, 10, 6 lbs, Reach**
* A weapon with Cleave may, upon successfully killing an opponent, follow through to the target next to it, essentially making a second attack at a -20% penalty. Only one additional attack may be made after the initial attack.
** A weapon with Reach makes a character more difficult to approach in combat, providing a bonus of 5% to the character's Defense.
Weapons with Reach or Cleave must be used with both hands, and so no other item may be carried in the character's off-hand during combat, such as a flashlight.
A 1-Handed weapon can be used comfortably in one handed, allowing another item such as a flashlight or lantern to be held in the other.
Archaic Weapons
Archaic weapons are statted in the same fashion as melee weapons, with the exception that all have a special attribute, Reload, followed by a number. This is the number of rounds it takes to reload the weapon so that it may be fired again. A character with an Archaic Weapons skill of 60% or more reduces this number by one, so long as he possesses a quiver or other harness that allows quick access to ammunition.
The Value of the weapon is followed by a slash and a second number, which indicates the cost of 10 rounds of ammunition for the weapon. When not applicable this space is marked with a dash (--). Archaic weapon ammunition may be retrieved after a fight. On a successful Archaic Weapons skill check, the character is able to recover all of his ammunition. On a failure, half of the ammo fired during the fight is broken or lost.
A character's Melee Damage stat bonus applies only to those weapons whose STR Requirement is marked with a plus sign (+), and the bonus only applies if the character's STR exceeds the listed value.
Name: Damage, STR Req., Value (in coins), Weight (in lbs.), Special
Sling: 1d4, STR 6+, 20/--, negligible, Reload 1
Bow: 1d8, STR 8, 60/10, 2 lbs, Reload 1
Crossbow: 2d4, STR 6, 100/10, 3 lbs, Reload 2
Javelin: 2d4, STR 8+, 5/--, 1 lbs, Reload 1*
Throwing Knife: 1d4, STR 8+, 20/--, negligible, Reload 1*, 1-Handed
* This a single weapon that is thrown at the target. The price given is for a single weapon, most individuals will carry a number of them on them at any given time. The Reload number is how quickly another may be extracted from a pack or quiver.
Firearms
All firearms have a Damage statistic much like melee weapons, given in dice, however they do not receive a bonus to this value from STR. They also have a STR Requirement, and like melee weapons if it is not met, a -15% penalty is taken. Additionally, if the STR requirement for a weapon is not met, burst fire may not be used, effectively limiting the weapons Rate of Fire to 1.
In addition to these, firearms also have a Rate of Fire, which is the maximum number of bullets which may practically be fired in a round, a Recoil penalty, which is incurred any time more than one bullet is fired in a combat round, and a Magazine, which is the number of rounds the weapon holds and thus the number of bullets which may be fired before a reload is required.
All guns have Reload 1, unless otherwise indicated as a special attribute. This functions exactly as it does for Archaic Weapons, except that the required skill for reduced Reload is that of the weapon's category, be it Small Arms, Heavy Weapons, or Alien Weapons.
Similar to the archaic weapons, the Value of the weapon is listed as two numbers, the first the cost of the weapon, the second is the cost of a single magazine of ammunition.
The list of firearms follows, broken into three sections for the different firearms skills: Small Arms, Heavy Weapons, and Alien Weapons.
Small Arms
Name: Damage, STR Req., RoF, Recoil, Magazine, Value (in coins), Weight (in lbs.), Special
Revolver: 2d6, STR 4, 1, --, 6, 200/12, 2 lbs, Reload 2, 1-Handed
Auto Pistol: 2d6, STR 4, 2, -10%, 12, 400/24, 2 lbs, 1-Handed
SMG: 2d6, STR 8, 10, -10%, 30, 800/60, 3 lbs.
Shotgun (dbl. barrel): 2d10, STR 8, 2*, -10%, 2, 325/10, 4lbs Reload 2
Shotgun (pump): 2d10, STR 10, 1, --, 8, 400/40, 5 lbs, Reload 3
Shotgun (auto): 2d10, STR 12, 2, -10%, 8, 500/40, 5 lbs, Reload 3
.22 Rifle: 1d8, STR 6, 1, --, 1, 120/2, 3 lbs, Reload 2
Hunting Rifle: 2d8, STR 8, 1, --, 5, 250/15, 4 lbs, Reload 3
Auto Rifle: 2d8, STR 10, 2, -15%, 10, 500/30, 5 lbs
Assault Rifle: 3d6, STR 12, 10, -15%, 30, 850/90, 5 lbs
* The double barreled shotgun can unload both barrels in a single combat round, effectively doing double damage but expending both rounds at once.
Heavy Weapons
Name: Damage, STR Req., RoF, Recoil, Magazine, Value (in coins), Weight (in lbs.), Special
LMG: 3d8, STR 14, 20, -20%, 100, 2000/400, 10 lbs., Mounted
Rocket Launcher: 6d10, STR 10, 1, --, 1, 1200/*, 10 lbs.
Grenade Launcher: 6d10, STR 8, 1, --, 1, 900/200, 3 lbs. Reload 2
Multi-shot Grenade Launcher: 6d10, STR 12, 1, --, 6, 3000/1200, 10 lbs., Reload 4
Anti-materiel Rifle: 6d6, STR 14, 1, --, 10, 4000/500, 20 lbs., Mounted
Flamethrower: 3d6, STR 14, 1, --, 5, 3000/500, 60 lbs., Backpack, Flame
Minigun: 4d6, STR 16, 20, -20%, 500, 10,000/2000, 60 lbs, Mounted
* The rocket launcher is a single use disposable tube containing the rocket. Price given is thus for one unit, and the device is not reloadable.
A Mounted weapon is too heavy to be utilized as a personal weapon, and must be mounted on a vehicle, or fired from a stationary position mounted on a bipod or tripod.
A Backpack weapon has it's ammunition contained in a container worn on the back. As such a normal backpack cannot be worn along with it, and additional ammunition cannot be carried.
A Flame weapon ignites the target upon impact, doing it's base damage the initial round, and continuing to do damage every round thereafter unless the flames can be extinguished.
Alien Weapons
Name: Damage, STR Req., RoF, Recoil, Magazine, Value (in coins), Weight (in lbs.), Special
Zal-illar Plasma Pistol: 4d6, STR 6, 1, --, 8, 4000/500, 2 lbs, Plasma, 1-Handed
Zal-ankar Plasma Rifle: 5d6, STR 10, 1, --, 15, 6000/700. 5 lbs, Plasma
Mitum-gisema Heavy Plasma: 8d6, STR 14, 1, --, 6, 10,000/1000, 15 lbs, Plasma
Mir Coilgun: 2d6, STR 8, 6, -0%, 30, 3000/300, 3 lbs
Masatum Laser Rifle: 3d6, STR 10, 3*, -0%, 50, 5000/500, 20 lbs, Laser
Gesamaru Gatling Laser: 3d6, STR 16, 10, -0%, 200, 10,000/2000, 40 lbs, Backpack, Laser
* The Masatum laser rifle is prone to overheating. There is a cumulative 10% chance per round of burst fire after the first, that the weapon will overheat and be permanently destroyed. E.g. on the first round of burst fire there is no chance of failure, on the second there is a 10%, on the third there is a 20%, and so forth.
Plasma weapons are extremely destructive. When fired at organic matter, the plasma projectile causes a limited chain reaction on impact, boiling or melting away surrounding flesh and tissue. If a target is killed by a Plasma weapon in a single attack, the body is effectively liquified. Because of the massive tissue damage caused, even if the target survives, he will take twice as long to heal, and there's is a 40% chance that a limb was permanently destroyed.
Laser weapons pierce through the target, cauterizing the wound as the beam follows through, due to the extreme heat. Laser wounds take twice as long to heal as normal.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
I'm still here
I apologize to any who are still reading this for my lack of updates. A combination of writer's block, and health issues have been slowing my work a bit.
I see this blog as sort of a "first draft" for the work, and lately I've not had much to work with that was even first draft material.
I'm still in a bit of brainlock with the Aralia. I want to dig in deeper and explore their society and family structure, I'm just having some trouble figuring out just what that structure is, and winding up with something that fits the themes and image of them I want. there's a lot of conflicting ideas in my head right now.
I also had some thoughts on a village design system that wound up going nowhere.
So I'm still working on things, still thinking about it, I just haven't had anything good enough yet to show to the public. There's a number of unfinished pieces sitting in my drafts folder right now, it's just a matter of finishing them.
I see this blog as sort of a "first draft" for the work, and lately I've not had much to work with that was even first draft material.
I'm still in a bit of brainlock with the Aralia. I want to dig in deeper and explore their society and family structure, I'm just having some trouble figuring out just what that structure is, and winding up with something that fits the themes and image of them I want. there's a lot of conflicting ideas in my head right now.
I also had some thoughts on a village design system that wound up going nowhere.
So I'm still working on things, still thinking about it, I just haven't had anything good enough yet to show to the public. There's a number of unfinished pieces sitting in my drafts folder right now, it's just a matter of finishing them.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Character Creation Part 3: Skills (cont.)
What follows is a list of the skills present in A Song in the Dark. Each skill is presented as a name, followed by the base formula for calculating starting skill level, and then a short description of what it covers and any important special rules.
Unarmed Combat [(STR + AGI) x2 +10]: This skill covers a character's abilities at unarmed combat: striking people with the fists or feet, or grappling them. Characters receive a bonus to their unarmed damage of 1 for every 10% over 70% they have in the Unarmed Combat skill.
Melee Combat [(STR + AGI) x 2]: This covers skill in use of close combat weapons, from clubs to bats to swords to axes. Any handheld weapon meant to strike and kill or maim another living target.
Archaic Weapons [(STR + DEX) x 2]: Archaic weapons refers to primitive, muscle powered projectile weapons, either thrown or mechanical, such as javelins, bows, or crossbows.
Small Arms [(PER + DEX) x2]: Covers the use of small personal firearms, such as pistols, SMGs, and rifles.
Heavy Weapons [(PER + DEX)]: Covers the use of heavy weapons, such as heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, and similar high powered weaponry, both single man, and crew loaded. Such weapons are generally very rare in the wastelands, but have been known to be salvaged, particularly from abandoned military bases.
Alien Weapons [(INT + PER + DEX) /2]: Weaponry is occasionally salvaged from Aralia patrols out outposts, and this skill covers the ability of characters to puzzle out their use, as Aralia technology and weaponry often works in strange ways or utilizes unusual technologies unfamiliar to the free human settlements.
First Aid [(INT x 3)]: First Aid measures the sum total of a character's medical knowledge, and is important in stabilizing wounds taken. Medical knowledge is largely primitive amongst most survivors in the wastes, with only basic knowledge of bandaging and the importance of sterilization, though in some rare villages, primitive surgery may be performed.
Maintenance [(INT + DEX)]: This covers the ability of a character to repair various mechanical and electrical devices scavenged from ruins, as well as basic weaponry like hand guns and rifles. As professional knowledge is scarce, this skill tends to represent an experimental instinct. A character with a 70% skill or higher in Maintenance recieves a +10% bonus to all Tech Lore rolls.
Tech Lore [(INT + PER) x 2]: The ruins of civilization are littered with all manner of technological and mechanical devices, most of them useless, some of them potentially vital to the survival of one's village. Being able to spot which is which is an important skill for those who roam the wastes, and this skill is what measure's a character's ability to identify an item, what it does, and how to use it.
Stealth [(PER + AGI) x 2]: Stealth is the ability to not be noticed, walking silently, and finding places and shadows to hide in. Whenever a character wants to hide, or get through an area or into an area without being seen, he rolls on this skill with a standard penalty equal to 2 times the PER of the individual one is trying to avoid being spotted by.
Cooking [(INT + PER + DEX) ]: Cooking is the knowledge of food and food preparation. It is most vital in the wastes, as knowing how to identify edible food, and even how to make otherwise inedible food edible, is vital to survival. With this skill, a character may rummage food stores to spot preserved foods and spices that are still usable, spot animals and fungus that can be consumed, and cook food so that it is safe to consume and even tasty with enough skill.
Navigation [(INT + PER)]: Finding your way around the wastes is a combination of instinct, intuition, and learning how to spot even the subtlest of differences in terrain and surroundings, drawing mental landmarks where most simply wouldn't see anything but more dead trees. With the sky blacked out, not even the stars or the sun can offer clear indication of direction, so often a navigators route may wind up being downright convoluted, as he follows what landmarks he can recall on the way between one place and another. This skill represents that difficult talent, and is important any time a character msut find their way from one place to another in the wastes.
Tactics [(INT + CHA)]: Tactics is the skill of being able to direct warriors to maximum effect in combat. A good leader improves the fighting ability of all those who fight with him. In game terms, this manifests as a bonus applied to all combat rolls on a successful check. The character with the highest Tactics skill makes a check at the beginning of a fight, and on a successful check, him and all his compatriots receive an additional +20% bonus to all combat rolls.
Tracking [(INT + PER) x 2)]: Tracking is the art of finding other creatures in the wastes, whether it's a single target, or just a general type of target. It can be used to track the whereabouts of an oncoming Aralia patrol, an escaping bandit, or to hunt for wildlife to feed the village, or even just the party.
Animal Handling [(CHA + WIL)]: With the primitive state of human society, the use of animals to serve man has become much more important, from beasts of burden used to ride or pull a load, to beasts trained to guard and kill. Animal Handling covers the ability to tame and control these animals. This can be a very dangerous skill however, especially when dealing with the changed and dangerous creatures that roam the wilds. The difficulty of taming a beast is generated by the GM during the creation of the creature, or listed with the rest of its statistics if it is a pregenerated monster.
Diplomacy [(CHA + PER + INT)]: Diplomacy is the skill of skillful conversation, being able to find out the information one desires, or convince an individual of an idea or conclusion. As a skill, this primarily takes the form of a single check at the beginning of an important conversation, modified by the opponent's CHA (or an average thereof if multiple targets need convincing). If the character succeeds, the GM may give him one clue as to what words might sway them to his way of thinking.
Bartering [(CHA + INT) x2]: Bartering is the skill of negotiating goods and services, and is the cornerstone of what passes for an economy among the free villages. If a successful Bartering check is made before a trade, the player bartering receives a 1% discount for every 5% the roll succeeds by.
Beast Lore [(INT + PER)]: Beast lore is the knowledge of the beasts and monsters that stalk the wilderness. It can be used to identify a creature, or at least the creature it evolved from, and possibly any important habits or behaviors. In combat, a successful Beast Lore check can be made to gain a knowledge of it's weak point, giving all party members an additional +5 to damage rolls against the creature if they succeed at a called shot.
Lockpicking [(PER + DEX)]: The skill of opening locked doors and containers without the appropriate key or combination, everything from safes, to door locks, to cash registers. This is an important skill for looting, as often the most valuable items, and especially guns and money, were kept behind lock and key in pre-Nightfall times.
Unarmed Combat [(STR + AGI) x2 +10]: This skill covers a character's abilities at unarmed combat: striking people with the fists or feet, or grappling them. Characters receive a bonus to their unarmed damage of 1 for every 10% over 70% they have in the Unarmed Combat skill.
Melee Combat [(STR + AGI) x 2]: This covers skill in use of close combat weapons, from clubs to bats to swords to axes. Any handheld weapon meant to strike and kill or maim another living target.
Archaic Weapons [(STR + DEX) x 2]: Archaic weapons refers to primitive, muscle powered projectile weapons, either thrown or mechanical, such as javelins, bows, or crossbows.
Small Arms [(PER + DEX) x2]: Covers the use of small personal firearms, such as pistols, SMGs, and rifles.
Heavy Weapons [(PER + DEX)]: Covers the use of heavy weapons, such as heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, and similar high powered weaponry, both single man, and crew loaded. Such weapons are generally very rare in the wastelands, but have been known to be salvaged, particularly from abandoned military bases.
Alien Weapons [(INT + PER + DEX) /2]: Weaponry is occasionally salvaged from Aralia patrols out outposts, and this skill covers the ability of characters to puzzle out their use, as Aralia technology and weaponry often works in strange ways or utilizes unusual technologies unfamiliar to the free human settlements.
First Aid [(INT x 3)]: First Aid measures the sum total of a character's medical knowledge, and is important in stabilizing wounds taken. Medical knowledge is largely primitive amongst most survivors in the wastes, with only basic knowledge of bandaging and the importance of sterilization, though in some rare villages, primitive surgery may be performed.
Maintenance [(INT + DEX)]: This covers the ability of a character to repair various mechanical and electrical devices scavenged from ruins, as well as basic weaponry like hand guns and rifles. As professional knowledge is scarce, this skill tends to represent an experimental instinct. A character with a 70% skill or higher in Maintenance recieves a +10% bonus to all Tech Lore rolls.
Tech Lore [(INT + PER) x 2]: The ruins of civilization are littered with all manner of technological and mechanical devices, most of them useless, some of them potentially vital to the survival of one's village. Being able to spot which is which is an important skill for those who roam the wastes, and this skill is what measure's a character's ability to identify an item, what it does, and how to use it.
Stealth [(PER + AGI) x 2]: Stealth is the ability to not be noticed, walking silently, and finding places and shadows to hide in. Whenever a character wants to hide, or get through an area or into an area without being seen, he rolls on this skill with a standard penalty equal to 2 times the PER of the individual one is trying to avoid being spotted by.
Cooking [(INT + PER + DEX) ]: Cooking is the knowledge of food and food preparation. It is most vital in the wastes, as knowing how to identify edible food, and even how to make otherwise inedible food edible, is vital to survival. With this skill, a character may rummage food stores to spot preserved foods and spices that are still usable, spot animals and fungus that can be consumed, and cook food so that it is safe to consume and even tasty with enough skill.
Navigation [(INT + PER)]: Finding your way around the wastes is a combination of instinct, intuition, and learning how to spot even the subtlest of differences in terrain and surroundings, drawing mental landmarks where most simply wouldn't see anything but more dead trees. With the sky blacked out, not even the stars or the sun can offer clear indication of direction, so often a navigators route may wind up being downright convoluted, as he follows what landmarks he can recall on the way between one place and another. This skill represents that difficult talent, and is important any time a character msut find their way from one place to another in the wastes.
Tactics [(INT + CHA)]: Tactics is the skill of being able to direct warriors to maximum effect in combat. A good leader improves the fighting ability of all those who fight with him. In game terms, this manifests as a bonus applied to all combat rolls on a successful check. The character with the highest Tactics skill makes a check at the beginning of a fight, and on a successful check, him and all his compatriots receive an additional +20% bonus to all combat rolls.
Tracking [(INT + PER) x 2)]: Tracking is the art of finding other creatures in the wastes, whether it's a single target, or just a general type of target. It can be used to track the whereabouts of an oncoming Aralia patrol, an escaping bandit, or to hunt for wildlife to feed the village, or even just the party.
Animal Handling [(CHA + WIL)]: With the primitive state of human society, the use of animals to serve man has become much more important, from beasts of burden used to ride or pull a load, to beasts trained to guard and kill. Animal Handling covers the ability to tame and control these animals. This can be a very dangerous skill however, especially when dealing with the changed and dangerous creatures that roam the wilds. The difficulty of taming a beast is generated by the GM during the creation of the creature, or listed with the rest of its statistics if it is a pregenerated monster.
Diplomacy [(CHA + PER + INT)]: Diplomacy is the skill of skillful conversation, being able to find out the information one desires, or convince an individual of an idea or conclusion. As a skill, this primarily takes the form of a single check at the beginning of an important conversation, modified by the opponent's CHA (or an average thereof if multiple targets need convincing). If the character succeeds, the GM may give him one clue as to what words might sway them to his way of thinking.
Bartering [(CHA + INT) x2]: Bartering is the skill of negotiating goods and services, and is the cornerstone of what passes for an economy among the free villages. If a successful Bartering check is made before a trade, the player bartering receives a 1% discount for every 5% the roll succeeds by.
Beast Lore [(INT + PER)]: Beast lore is the knowledge of the beasts and monsters that stalk the wilderness. It can be used to identify a creature, or at least the creature it evolved from, and possibly any important habits or behaviors. In combat, a successful Beast Lore check can be made to gain a knowledge of it's weak point, giving all party members an additional +5 to damage rolls against the creature if they succeed at a called shot.
Lockpicking [(PER + DEX)]: The skill of opening locked doors and containers without the appropriate key or combination, everything from safes, to door locks, to cash registers. This is an important skill for looting, as often the most valuable items, and especially guns and money, were kept behind lock and key in pre-Nightfall times.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Character Creation Part 2: Derived Stats
Derived stats are so named because they are directly calculated based on your character's main attribute scores. They cover such things as how much your character can lift, how much damage he can take, and other specific capabilities.
Damage
The amount of damage a character can take is measured with three stats: Stamina, Wounds, and Wound Threshold.
Stamina covers the overall amount of damage a body can sustain before it finally collapses. Damage taken is first subtracted from this value, and if it reaches 0, the character has collapsed, and will die at the end of the fight if a successful First Aid roll is not made.
A character has an amount of Stamina equal to his STR plus his CON.
Wounds measures the number of critical injuries the character can sustain before he dies. Wounds are checked off as they are taken during combat, with each wound taken incurring a cumulative -10% penalty to all skill and attribute rolls. Each time a character takes a Wound, he must make a CON attribute check, or become unconscious. Once all a character's wounds have been checked off, he is dead. A character with even a single Wound must be stabilized at the end of a fight with a First Aid check, with a penalty of -5% per Wound to the roll. A failure results in the character dropping to 0 Stamina, and the character must make a CON attribute check or die.
A character has a number of Wounds equal to his CON divided by 4, rounded up.
Wound Threshold measures the amount of Stamina damage a character must take in a single blow in order to suffer a critical Wound. For every multiple of the character's Wound Threshold he takes in damage from a single attack, he takes a Wound.
A character's Wound Threshold is equal to his CON divided by 2.
Healing
Every character has a Healing Rate, which is equal to his number of Wounds. A character's Healing Rate determines the number of Stamina points per day he may recover, provided he receives an adequate amount of rest (at least 8 hours sleep, and at least one meal). Additionally, it also determines the minimum number of days before which a character may recover from a Wound. After this period has passed, the character makes a CON attribute check. A success removes one wound, while a failure simply means the wound refuses to heal. The character continues to make CON checks as this time requirement comes up until his wounds heal completely.
Carrying Limit
A character has a Carrying Limit equal to his STR x 5. This is the maximum amount of weight in pounds that the character can carry in gear on his person and still be able to move about during combat, and travel normally while incurring a normal amount of fatigue.
A character can dead lift or move an object up to STR x 15.
Defense and Armor
A character has a base Defense stat equal to his AGI plus PER. This total acts as a penalty to all attack rolls made against the character. This amount may also be further increased by wearing armor. Armor provides a Defense Bonus which adds to the character's base Defense.
Sequence
A character's Sequence stat is equal to the average of his AGI and PER (AGI + PER / 2). Sequence determines the order in which combatants in a fight take their actions, with higher Sequence numbers acting before lower ones.
Movement Rate
A character has a Movement Rate equal to his AGI times 3. This is the number of feet he may move in a single combat turn.
Melee Damage
A character's Base Melee Damage is equal to his STR divided by 3, rounded down. This is the has amount he can inflict on an unarmed strike, and is also the bonus applied to damage from melee weapons.
Spirit
Every character starts with 3 Spirit Points. Spirit Points are essentially a representation of human determination, and are expended to allow the character to push the limits of his abilities to do great things. A player may declare before making any percentile roll that he will spend a Spirit Point on it, giving him a +30% bonus to the roll.
The GM may also at times offer characters the possibility of expending Spirit Points for other exceptional feats as may seem appropriate, such as lifting or moving an object heavier than his normal limit, or jumping farther than his normal ability.
Spirit Points are awarded by the GM whenever a character does something to aid the survival of his family or his village. The human spirit is all about survival at all costs.
Humans are the only species that gain Spirit Points. Aralia, mutant species, and animals do not.
Damage
The amount of damage a character can take is measured with three stats: Stamina, Wounds, and Wound Threshold.
Stamina covers the overall amount of damage a body can sustain before it finally collapses. Damage taken is first subtracted from this value, and if it reaches 0, the character has collapsed, and will die at the end of the fight if a successful First Aid roll is not made.
A character has an amount of Stamina equal to his STR plus his CON.
Wounds measures the number of critical injuries the character can sustain before he dies. Wounds are checked off as they are taken during combat, with each wound taken incurring a cumulative -10% penalty to all skill and attribute rolls. Each time a character takes a Wound, he must make a CON attribute check, or become unconscious. Once all a character's wounds have been checked off, he is dead. A character with even a single Wound must be stabilized at the end of a fight with a First Aid check, with a penalty of -5% per Wound to the roll. A failure results in the character dropping to 0 Stamina, and the character must make a CON attribute check or die.
A character has a number of Wounds equal to his CON divided by 4, rounded up.
Wound Threshold measures the amount of Stamina damage a character must take in a single blow in order to suffer a critical Wound. For every multiple of the character's Wound Threshold he takes in damage from a single attack, he takes a Wound.
A character's Wound Threshold is equal to his CON divided by 2.
Healing
Every character has a Healing Rate, which is equal to his number of Wounds. A character's Healing Rate determines the number of Stamina points per day he may recover, provided he receives an adequate amount of rest (at least 8 hours sleep, and at least one meal). Additionally, it also determines the minimum number of days before which a character may recover from a Wound. After this period has passed, the character makes a CON attribute check. A success removes one wound, while a failure simply means the wound refuses to heal. The character continues to make CON checks as this time requirement comes up until his wounds heal completely.
Carrying Limit
A character has a Carrying Limit equal to his STR x 5. This is the maximum amount of weight in pounds that the character can carry in gear on his person and still be able to move about during combat, and travel normally while incurring a normal amount of fatigue.
A character can dead lift or move an object up to STR x 15.
Defense and Armor
A character has a base Defense stat equal to his AGI plus PER. This total acts as a penalty to all attack rolls made against the character. This amount may also be further increased by wearing armor. Armor provides a Defense Bonus which adds to the character's base Defense.
Sequence
A character's Sequence stat is equal to the average of his AGI and PER (AGI + PER / 2). Sequence determines the order in which combatants in a fight take their actions, with higher Sequence numbers acting before lower ones.
Movement Rate
A character has a Movement Rate equal to his AGI times 3. This is the number of feet he may move in a single combat turn.
Melee Damage
A character's Base Melee Damage is equal to his STR divided by 3, rounded down. This is the has amount he can inflict on an unarmed strike, and is also the bonus applied to damage from melee weapons.
Spirit
Every character starts with 3 Spirit Points. Spirit Points are essentially a representation of human determination, and are expended to allow the character to push the limits of his abilities to do great things. A player may declare before making any percentile roll that he will spend a Spirit Point on it, giving him a +30% bonus to the roll.
The GM may also at times offer characters the possibility of expending Spirit Points for other exceptional feats as may seem appropriate, such as lifting or moving an object heavier than his normal limit, or jumping farther than his normal ability.
Spirit Points are awarded by the GM whenever a character does something to aid the survival of his family or his village. The human spirit is all about survival at all costs.
Humans are the only species that gain Spirit Points. Aralia, mutant species, and animals do not.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Who are the Aralia? Part 2
Lifecycle
The initial development of the Aralia from egg into bipedal stage takes approximately six months, at the end of which time, the child stands approximately 3 feet in height, but possesses basically the same proportions as an adult. Over the next year, the child will progress to full height and stature, and it is during this time that he is indoctrinated into the ways of Aralia society and the importance of loyalty to clan and race.
Once the child is fully grown, his education begins immediately, being trained in the trade of his clan, whether this takes the form of an academic course of study, military drills, or even manual labor. Aralia are quick learners, and education generally takes on some aspect of on the job training; children are effectively put to work within a year of their metamorphosis, taking on the menial tasks of society. The young essentially serve as the lowest rung of the work force.
The child serves and learns in this fashion for approximately 8 years, before his body begins to age and weaken, and within a matter of months, returns to the familial pool and enters into a form of coma. It is then that the child enters the first of his hibernations.
Aralia have evolved with a peculiar solution to the problem of longevity. Like many of the salamander species who share much of their genes, they possess a regenerative gift, able to regrow lost limbs or tails, and even some secondary organs. However, in the Aralia, this regenerative gift takes on an additional form. The body, once it reaches a certain level of aging, senses it's impending expiration and triggers a system-wide development of undifferentiated cells, a similar reaction to the blastoma that form around a severed appendage, but on a much wider scale. This process consumes a remarkable amount of energy and nutrients, which ultimately induces a hibernative state in the body. This state lasts approximately two to three weeks, during which point much of the body essentially regrows itself anew, leaving it as youthful as it was after it's first year of newborn life.
The Aralia call this the As-namsu, the first death, and it is considered to mark the child's entrance into adulthood. This state is normally induced merely by age, however, extreme physical trauma or injury can incite this regenerative state early, essentially cutting short the Aralia's childhood. Those unfortunate enough to experience this regeneration early are often stigmatized by the rest of society. Their intellectual growth stunted, these Zal-namsu are considered failures, having not even been able to survive to a natural As-namsu, and are relegated to a life of permanent menial labor and barred from ever ascending any further in their social hierarchy, and even from breeding.
This regeneration process will repeat itself approximately every 8-10 years, overall about 4-6 times over the course of the Aralia's lifetime, though individual examples have displayed shorter or longer lifetimes. The process is extremely complex, and is still not fully understood by Aralia medicine, though some experiments have been successfully completed in forced triggering of the process, and indeed, some rumors persist that in times of labor shortages, Aralia governors have essentially created Zal-namsu by inducing early regenerations in children, in order to provide a larger stable of menial laborers.
By and large however, the upper limit on regenerations seems to be mostly unavoidable, eventual final death being caused by degenerative failure of crucial organs like the brain which remain largely intact during the regeneration process and as such do not benefit from its healing effects, as well as an overall reduction in the kind of stamina and energy reserves required to survive through the hibernation. Some experiments have been made towards trying to extend the overall lifespan, but the procedure is incredibly difficult and has a rather poor success rate.
It is also not an "extra life" in any sense. The regeneration can be triggered by critical injury, but the subject must still survive the ordeal. If the heart has been destroyed or stopped, or too much blood loss has occurred, or the subject suffers brain death, the regenerative process will be unable to trigger as the systems that manage it shut down with the rest of the body. At best it may trigger in the final moments, but it will at most succeed in producing a permanently comatose individual, and is likely to simply fail, running out of the necessary energy as the body expires, leaving only a half-regenerated form.
The initial development of the Aralia from egg into bipedal stage takes approximately six months, at the end of which time, the child stands approximately 3 feet in height, but possesses basically the same proportions as an adult. Over the next year, the child will progress to full height and stature, and it is during this time that he is indoctrinated into the ways of Aralia society and the importance of loyalty to clan and race.
Once the child is fully grown, his education begins immediately, being trained in the trade of his clan, whether this takes the form of an academic course of study, military drills, or even manual labor. Aralia are quick learners, and education generally takes on some aspect of on the job training; children are effectively put to work within a year of their metamorphosis, taking on the menial tasks of society. The young essentially serve as the lowest rung of the work force.
The child serves and learns in this fashion for approximately 8 years, before his body begins to age and weaken, and within a matter of months, returns to the familial pool and enters into a form of coma. It is then that the child enters the first of his hibernations.
Aralia have evolved with a peculiar solution to the problem of longevity. Like many of the salamander species who share much of their genes, they possess a regenerative gift, able to regrow lost limbs or tails, and even some secondary organs. However, in the Aralia, this regenerative gift takes on an additional form. The body, once it reaches a certain level of aging, senses it's impending expiration and triggers a system-wide development of undifferentiated cells, a similar reaction to the blastoma that form around a severed appendage, but on a much wider scale. This process consumes a remarkable amount of energy and nutrients, which ultimately induces a hibernative state in the body. This state lasts approximately two to three weeks, during which point much of the body essentially regrows itself anew, leaving it as youthful as it was after it's first year of newborn life.
The Aralia call this the As-namsu, the first death, and it is considered to mark the child's entrance into adulthood. This state is normally induced merely by age, however, extreme physical trauma or injury can incite this regenerative state early, essentially cutting short the Aralia's childhood. Those unfortunate enough to experience this regeneration early are often stigmatized by the rest of society. Their intellectual growth stunted, these Zal-namsu are considered failures, having not even been able to survive to a natural As-namsu, and are relegated to a life of permanent menial labor and barred from ever ascending any further in their social hierarchy, and even from breeding.
This regeneration process will repeat itself approximately every 8-10 years, overall about 4-6 times over the course of the Aralia's lifetime, though individual examples have displayed shorter or longer lifetimes. The process is extremely complex, and is still not fully understood by Aralia medicine, though some experiments have been successfully completed in forced triggering of the process, and indeed, some rumors persist that in times of labor shortages, Aralia governors have essentially created Zal-namsu by inducing early regenerations in children, in order to provide a larger stable of menial laborers.
By and large however, the upper limit on regenerations seems to be mostly unavoidable, eventual final death being caused by degenerative failure of crucial organs like the brain which remain largely intact during the regeneration process and as such do not benefit from its healing effects, as well as an overall reduction in the kind of stamina and energy reserves required to survive through the hibernation. Some experiments have been made towards trying to extend the overall lifespan, but the procedure is incredibly difficult and has a rather poor success rate.
It is also not an "extra life" in any sense. The regeneration can be triggered by critical injury, but the subject must still survive the ordeal. If the heart has been destroyed or stopped, or too much blood loss has occurred, or the subject suffers brain death, the regenerative process will be unable to trigger as the systems that manage it shut down with the rest of the body. At best it may trigger in the final moments, but it will at most succeed in producing a permanently comatose individual, and is likely to simply fail, running out of the necessary energy as the body expires, leaving only a half-regenerated form.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Nightfall
It almost seems hard to believe now that once humankind were the masters of this world. At the dawn of the 21st century, humans touched almost every part of the Earth save its most barren and hostile places. Their seemingly limitless adaptability, and the implacability of the human spirit had led them to accomplish great things, marvelous things. Men had plumbed the deepest depths of the ocean, and even reached out into the heavens, even putting a man on the Moon, that great orb that so many of us have now only seen in ancient books.
The end of the 20th century had, we are told, been met with much trepidation by many, feared to be the date of some great apocalypse that would doom all men. When the century turned to largely nothing more than a few glitches and then business as usual, humanity relaxed, now convinced that where once they had feared doom, there was now only an uncertain and exciting future. Optimism seemed to rise again, and mankind looked forward to it's next great triumph, as many talked of travel to Mars, and cures for seemingly incurable diseases, and bringing peace to torn lands.
And then one day, without any warning or cause or explanation, the sky went black. From that moment on, no light shined on the Earth, not the light of the Sun, nor the Moon, nor even the stars shone on our world. Whatever had blanketed our skies allowed only just enough heat through to keep the planet from simply freezing over.
First, there was panic. Hope was shattered, and now the certainty of doom was all too clear, written in the heavens with great swaths of black ink. Riots and fighting swept the globe. Leaders of nations rattled their sabers at anyone and everyone who had ever done them the slightest wrong, seeking someone to blame for this mysterious catastrophe. Halls of learning were attacked by frightened, confused people desperate for answers and receiving none. Stores of food were looted and ransacked. Countless people lost their lives in this global chaos.
The chaos eventually gave way to acceptance, and those that remained after this great tumult faced a very grim future. The lack of sunlight had killed crops in a matter of days, and famine became the true master of the world, as those that remained struggled to grow their own food under lamps, or scrounged through the cities in search of whatever food remained.
Then, in the midst of this time of great fear and trepidation, they came to mankind as knights in shining armor. They called themselves the Aralia, and they declared that they would now take control over the Earth, that they had lived for millennia underneath the Earth and knew how to survive in the darkness. They said they could give us food and shelter, that they had built machines that would keep the air breathable even as the plants had all since perished, but in return they demanded eternal servitude, life as beasts of burden for their great empire. The alternative was to be eternally branded a threat to their domain, and any who dared resist would be slaughtered, and even their bodies would be used as food.
They claimed to be our saviors. To many of the starved and frightened people that remained of a now shattered civilization, they may as well have been. And so, as these new conquerors poured from the Earth, much of what remained of humanity was simply absorbed into their massive machine, as they set up outposts all across the globe, endlessly patrolling for any humans who remained outside their grasp, or dared resist their might.
It has been ages since the Aralia took control over the Earth. Since that time the Earth itself even has changed, as what life remained after night forever fell over her lands has twisted and changed, struggling to adapt to this strange new circumstance. Scavengers reign supreme, twisted beasts roaming skeleton forests, devouring anything that might satiate their hunger, even each other. Rot and mold run rampant, giant fungal fields of towering spores and pulsating living soups of bacteria feed off the miles of dead and dying matter than litters the earth.
So much of the Earth seems to have forgotten that humankind once was it's master. The animals no longer fear him, not even the most docile of beasts that remain, and even much of mankind seems to have simply resigned itself to a life beneath the steel boots of Aralia battle armor.
Yet some of us have not yet forgotten. We still thirst for our opportunity to once again take back control of our world, and we will not go quietly into the dust as so many lost species have before us. We remind ourselves often of the days when the human spirit brought us to do great things, incredible things that so many had though impossible, and that even in the face of the most terrific odds, we triumphed.
Hope is our greatest weapon, and even should it prove only vanity, it should never be lost. Humanity must survive.
The end of the 20th century had, we are told, been met with much trepidation by many, feared to be the date of some great apocalypse that would doom all men. When the century turned to largely nothing more than a few glitches and then business as usual, humanity relaxed, now convinced that where once they had feared doom, there was now only an uncertain and exciting future. Optimism seemed to rise again, and mankind looked forward to it's next great triumph, as many talked of travel to Mars, and cures for seemingly incurable diseases, and bringing peace to torn lands.
And then one day, without any warning or cause or explanation, the sky went black. From that moment on, no light shined on the Earth, not the light of the Sun, nor the Moon, nor even the stars shone on our world. Whatever had blanketed our skies allowed only just enough heat through to keep the planet from simply freezing over.
First, there was panic. Hope was shattered, and now the certainty of doom was all too clear, written in the heavens with great swaths of black ink. Riots and fighting swept the globe. Leaders of nations rattled their sabers at anyone and everyone who had ever done them the slightest wrong, seeking someone to blame for this mysterious catastrophe. Halls of learning were attacked by frightened, confused people desperate for answers and receiving none. Stores of food were looted and ransacked. Countless people lost their lives in this global chaos.
The chaos eventually gave way to acceptance, and those that remained after this great tumult faced a very grim future. The lack of sunlight had killed crops in a matter of days, and famine became the true master of the world, as those that remained struggled to grow their own food under lamps, or scrounged through the cities in search of whatever food remained.
Then, in the midst of this time of great fear and trepidation, they came to mankind as knights in shining armor. They called themselves the Aralia, and they declared that they would now take control over the Earth, that they had lived for millennia underneath the Earth and knew how to survive in the darkness. They said they could give us food and shelter, that they had built machines that would keep the air breathable even as the plants had all since perished, but in return they demanded eternal servitude, life as beasts of burden for their great empire. The alternative was to be eternally branded a threat to their domain, and any who dared resist would be slaughtered, and even their bodies would be used as food.
They claimed to be our saviors. To many of the starved and frightened people that remained of a now shattered civilization, they may as well have been. And so, as these new conquerors poured from the Earth, much of what remained of humanity was simply absorbed into their massive machine, as they set up outposts all across the globe, endlessly patrolling for any humans who remained outside their grasp, or dared resist their might.
It has been ages since the Aralia took control over the Earth. Since that time the Earth itself even has changed, as what life remained after night forever fell over her lands has twisted and changed, struggling to adapt to this strange new circumstance. Scavengers reign supreme, twisted beasts roaming skeleton forests, devouring anything that might satiate their hunger, even each other. Rot and mold run rampant, giant fungal fields of towering spores and pulsating living soups of bacteria feed off the miles of dead and dying matter than litters the earth.
So much of the Earth seems to have forgotten that humankind once was it's master. The animals no longer fear him, not even the most docile of beasts that remain, and even much of mankind seems to have simply resigned itself to a life beneath the steel boots of Aralia battle armor.
Yet some of us have not yet forgotten. We still thirst for our opportunity to once again take back control of our world, and we will not go quietly into the dust as so many lost species have before us. We remind ourselves often of the days when the human spirit brought us to do great things, incredible things that so many had though impossible, and that even in the face of the most terrific odds, we triumphed.
Hope is our greatest weapon, and even should it prove only vanity, it should never be lost. Humanity must survive.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Who are the Aralia? Part 1
The Aralia (from "arali", meaning underworld, and "a" or "lilia" meaning child or offspring) are an intelligent, amphibian descended species, whose principal habitat prior to the Nightfall event was underground. Their development of sentience predates that of humanity by a number of thousands of years, and as a result they are significantly more advanced technologically than ourselves.
Appearance
Aralia are bipedal, and are approximately 5 feet tall on average, with a tail that extends about 3 feet from the hindquarters. The tail is highly flexible, but not prehensile. The head is of a similar shape to that of a salamander's, except for a more prominent domed shape to the top of the skull, indicated a larger brain than that of their primitive cousins. Their hands and feet contain 4 digits, 3 fingers and an opposable thumb on the hand, and four stout but long toes on the feet. They are hairless, possessed instead of extremely smooth skin that is actually covered in extremely small, slick scales.
Their skin color varies significantly, and is one of the major individualizing factors in an Aralia's appearance, presenting patterns and coloration as wide-ranging as the amphibians from which they descend. Common skin colors are grey, black with reddish patches, and green or yellow with a whitish patch starting from their chin and running down through the legs and past onto the tail. Patterns however can range from spots, to stripes of all varieties, to splotchy patterns, to solid colors.
Males and females of the species are largely indistinguishable from each other, their sexual characteristics being largely internal. Some have suggested theories regarding sex affecting the patterns on the Aralia's skin, but as of yet no evidence has been able to be pieced together, while some of what is extant seems to contradict this, in that skin color and pattern are often shared familial characteristics.
Biology
Aralia are cold-blooded, like all amphibians, and particularly adapted to cool, damp climates, due to their amphibian nature as well as the nature of their habitat. They respond poorly to much warmer temperatures, as well as to extremes of cold, and temperatures too far from their comfort zone can negatively affect their energy levels. Lack of moisture is also problematic, as their skin does not hydrate itself well and can dry out easily. As a result of this, a large body of Aralia technological research centers around climate control systems, and when outside of their own home environments, Aralia scouts and military units usually wear climate controlled armor suits. However, like humans, there is considerable variation by local climate as to what constitutes an individual Aralia's personal comfort zone.
Aralia are primarily carnivores, but also supplement their meat diet with various species of fungus, and also some low starch, low sugar vegetation. Their metabolism is especially effective at producing energy from relatively small amounts of carbohydrates, and as a result consumption of foods with a higher concentration of sugars can cause havoc on the metabolism if not taken in extreme moderation.
Reproduction takes place through intercourse, with the male of the species impregnating the female, who then lays the inseminated eggs into a familial pool constructed for the purpose. The entire extended family lays it's eggs into this same pool; Aralia offspring generally are not aware of their direct parent, nor are their direct parents aware of which of the offspring are their direct descendants. The young develop through a tadpole-like stage, through to a stage strongly resembling that of their salamander cousins, before finally learning to stand on their hind legs. During this period, care of the young is shared collectively with the entire extended family unit, and as a result of this, familial bonds tend to form with the broader body of the family or clan rather than individual parents. This has lead to a much more communal tendency on the part of the species, favoring the importance of clan and state over individualism.
This attitude towards the importance of the greater good of the race also leads to a form of instinctual eugenics, as young children who appear to possess sub par genes or capabilities are often culled and even eaten, such as the sick or those possessing of genetic maladies or lesser intellect of physical capability.
Appearance
Aralia are bipedal, and are approximately 5 feet tall on average, with a tail that extends about 3 feet from the hindquarters. The tail is highly flexible, but not prehensile. The head is of a similar shape to that of a salamander's, except for a more prominent domed shape to the top of the skull, indicated a larger brain than that of their primitive cousins. Their hands and feet contain 4 digits, 3 fingers and an opposable thumb on the hand, and four stout but long toes on the feet. They are hairless, possessed instead of extremely smooth skin that is actually covered in extremely small, slick scales.
Their skin color varies significantly, and is one of the major individualizing factors in an Aralia's appearance, presenting patterns and coloration as wide-ranging as the amphibians from which they descend. Common skin colors are grey, black with reddish patches, and green or yellow with a whitish patch starting from their chin and running down through the legs and past onto the tail. Patterns however can range from spots, to stripes of all varieties, to splotchy patterns, to solid colors.
Males and females of the species are largely indistinguishable from each other, their sexual characteristics being largely internal. Some have suggested theories regarding sex affecting the patterns on the Aralia's skin, but as of yet no evidence has been able to be pieced together, while some of what is extant seems to contradict this, in that skin color and pattern are often shared familial characteristics.
Biology
Aralia are cold-blooded, like all amphibians, and particularly adapted to cool, damp climates, due to their amphibian nature as well as the nature of their habitat. They respond poorly to much warmer temperatures, as well as to extremes of cold, and temperatures too far from their comfort zone can negatively affect their energy levels. Lack of moisture is also problematic, as their skin does not hydrate itself well and can dry out easily. As a result of this, a large body of Aralia technological research centers around climate control systems, and when outside of their own home environments, Aralia scouts and military units usually wear climate controlled armor suits. However, like humans, there is considerable variation by local climate as to what constitutes an individual Aralia's personal comfort zone.
Aralia are primarily carnivores, but also supplement their meat diet with various species of fungus, and also some low starch, low sugar vegetation. Their metabolism is especially effective at producing energy from relatively small amounts of carbohydrates, and as a result consumption of foods with a higher concentration of sugars can cause havoc on the metabolism if not taken in extreme moderation.
Reproduction takes place through intercourse, with the male of the species impregnating the female, who then lays the inseminated eggs into a familial pool constructed for the purpose. The entire extended family lays it's eggs into this same pool; Aralia offspring generally are not aware of their direct parent, nor are their direct parents aware of which of the offspring are their direct descendants. The young develop through a tadpole-like stage, through to a stage strongly resembling that of their salamander cousins, before finally learning to stand on their hind legs. During this period, care of the young is shared collectively with the entire extended family unit, and as a result of this, familial bonds tend to form with the broader body of the family or clan rather than individual parents. This has lead to a much more communal tendency on the part of the species, favoring the importance of clan and state over individualism.
This attitude towards the importance of the greater good of the race also leads to a form of instinctual eugenics, as young children who appear to possess sub par genes or capabilities are often culled and even eaten, such as the sick or those possessing of genetic maladies or lesser intellect of physical capability.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Character Creation Part 1: Attributes
Attributes define a characters abilities in the broadest sense, measuring the raw capability and talent present in a character. They also serve as the basis for determining a number of important secondary characteristics, as well as affecting the default values of the various skills which characters may train in. They may also be rolled against by themselves in circumstances where no specific skill applies to an action.
The eight attributes and the capabilities they cover in ASID are as follows:
Strength (STR): A character's raw muscle power and build
Agility (AGI): Gross motor control and movement ability
Constitution (CON): Endurance and durability
Dexterity (DEX): Fine motor control and hand eye coordination
Perception (PER): Sensory ability and awareness
Willpower (WIL): Strength of mental will and bravery
Intellect (INT): Intelligence and reason
Charisma (CHA): Skill at interpersonal relations and general magnetism
Normal human attribute scores range from 2-20. A 1 indicates effective non-ability in that particular attribute. An animal for instance, will generally have a 1 in Intellect. 20 is the theoretical limit of human ability, but some superhuman creatures, or enhanced mechanical devices such as powered armor, may exceed 20.
Attribute checks are made by subtracting 1 from the attribute score, and multiplying the result by 5 in order to find the number the player must roll under in order to succeed. The GM may apply bonuses or negatives to modify the difficulty of a check.
Players may choose from two methods for generating their character's attributes: Point buy, or random rolling.
In point buy, the character is given 90 points to assign across all 8 attributes. No attribute may go lower than 2, nor higher than 20.
In random rolling, the player rolls 2d10 9 times, and then assigns the resulting numbers to his attributes as desired. Alternately, if a player is looking for a more unpredictable result, he can simply roll 2d10 for each attribute in turn, applying whatever result should come up on the dice.
The eight attributes and the capabilities they cover in ASID are as follows:
Strength (STR): A character's raw muscle power and build
Agility (AGI): Gross motor control and movement ability
Constitution (CON): Endurance and durability
Dexterity (DEX): Fine motor control and hand eye coordination
Perception (PER): Sensory ability and awareness
Willpower (WIL): Strength of mental will and bravery
Intellect (INT): Intelligence and reason
Charisma (CHA): Skill at interpersonal relations and general magnetism
Normal human attribute scores range from 2-20. A 1 indicates effective non-ability in that particular attribute. An animal for instance, will generally have a 1 in Intellect. 20 is the theoretical limit of human ability, but some superhuman creatures, or enhanced mechanical devices such as powered armor, may exceed 20.
Attribute checks are made by subtracting 1 from the attribute score, and multiplying the result by 5 in order to find the number the player must roll under in order to succeed. The GM may apply bonuses or negatives to modify the difficulty of a check.
Players may choose from two methods for generating their character's attributes: Point buy, or random rolling.
In point buy, the character is given 90 points to assign across all 8 attributes. No attribute may go lower than 2, nor higher than 20.
In random rolling, the player rolls 2d10 9 times, and then assigns the resulting numbers to his attributes as desired. Alternately, if a player is looking for a more unpredictable result, he can simply roll 2d10 for each attribute in turn, applying whatever result should come up on the dice.
Key mechanics: Fear
I've hit upon what I think are some of the key mechanical ideas in the system, so I thought I would begin presenting them here in a summarized form, both so that I do not forget them, as well as to give my audience here something to read.
Fear: This is a game with a feeling of horror, after all, and there are many scary things hiding out in the dark. Fear of the dark itself is one of the most basic of human fears, and the one that inspired ASID from the very beginning.
Different situations and potential horrors the players face are represented by a Fear Factor, which serves as both a modifier and a success threshold. The player makes a Willpower attribute check, attempting to roll under his base Willpower minus 1 x5, minus the Fear Factor, on a d100 roll. If the character rolls under his modified Willpower by an amount greater than the Fear Factor, he maintains control of his composure, and may act normally.
If the character achieves a marginal success, beating the roll by less than the Fear Factor, he is now in Fight Response. In Fight Response, a character will immediately attempt to attack whatever the nearest threat is to his safety. However, he is not in a fully composed state of mind, and as such receives modifiers to his combat actions based on what form of weapon he is using. If a ranged weapon, he begins firing wildly, giving him -10% to hit a target unless he is using an automatic weapon, but a +10% to his Defense, as the wall of bullets repels potential attackers. If a melee weapon, he charges into the fray with no concern for his own safety, giving him a +10% to all his attack rolls but a -10% to his Defense. If the object of the character's fear is not an actual physical threat, he will instead try to destroy it or disable it some how. A radio producing ominous sounds might be smashed or yanked from it's power source, for example.
If the character fails the roll, but not by more than the Fear Factor, the character is in Freeze Response. His mind is uncertain how to respond to the potential threat, and so he is unable to act. The character will remain frozen in place, unless the character succeeds at a Willpower attribute check to have his character hide behind the nearest cover.
If the character fails the roll by more than the Fear Factor, the character enters Flight Response. He will immediately attempt to flee the object of his terror as quickly as possible. The character must move away from the source of his fear by as direct a route as possible, and will evade any attacks against him with heightened reflexes, giving him +10% to his Defense.
A character only makes a Fear check once, when first encountering whatever horror is present. The effects of a Fear effect remain in place for at least as many rounds as the Fear Factor divided by 5, rounding up, with a minimum of 1. After this requirement has been met, characters may make a Willpower attribute check to attempt to break the effects of the Fear.
The character may also expend a Spirit Point, to waive any Fear check and continue as normal.
Fear Factors may come from a variety of sources. The freakish mutated beasts that the characters encounter in the wastes, the PCs personal fear chosen at character creation, or simply unusual circumstances. The GM is encouraged to apply Fear checks only when he feels it is something terrifying enough to produce a Fight, Freeze, or Flight response. Simple creepy surroundings are simply part of the atmosphere, for example. The Fear check is a dramatic tool, and loses it's usefulness when over applied.
Fear: This is a game with a feeling of horror, after all, and there are many scary things hiding out in the dark. Fear of the dark itself is one of the most basic of human fears, and the one that inspired ASID from the very beginning.
Different situations and potential horrors the players face are represented by a Fear Factor, which serves as both a modifier and a success threshold. The player makes a Willpower attribute check, attempting to roll under his base Willpower minus 1 x5, minus the Fear Factor, on a d100 roll. If the character rolls under his modified Willpower by an amount greater than the Fear Factor, he maintains control of his composure, and may act normally.
If the character achieves a marginal success, beating the roll by less than the Fear Factor, he is now in Fight Response. In Fight Response, a character will immediately attempt to attack whatever the nearest threat is to his safety. However, he is not in a fully composed state of mind, and as such receives modifiers to his combat actions based on what form of weapon he is using. If a ranged weapon, he begins firing wildly, giving him -10% to hit a target unless he is using an automatic weapon, but a +10% to his Defense, as the wall of bullets repels potential attackers. If a melee weapon, he charges into the fray with no concern for his own safety, giving him a +10% to all his attack rolls but a -10% to his Defense. If the object of the character's fear is not an actual physical threat, he will instead try to destroy it or disable it some how. A radio producing ominous sounds might be smashed or yanked from it's power source, for example.
If the character fails the roll, but not by more than the Fear Factor, the character is in Freeze Response. His mind is uncertain how to respond to the potential threat, and so he is unable to act. The character will remain frozen in place, unless the character succeeds at a Willpower attribute check to have his character hide behind the nearest cover.
If the character fails the roll by more than the Fear Factor, the character enters Flight Response. He will immediately attempt to flee the object of his terror as quickly as possible. The character must move away from the source of his fear by as direct a route as possible, and will evade any attacks against him with heightened reflexes, giving him +10% to his Defense.
A character only makes a Fear check once, when first encountering whatever horror is present. The effects of a Fear effect remain in place for at least as many rounds as the Fear Factor divided by 5, rounding up, with a minimum of 1. After this requirement has been met, characters may make a Willpower attribute check to attempt to break the effects of the Fear.
The character may also expend a Spirit Point, to waive any Fear check and continue as normal.
Fear Factors may come from a variety of sources. The freakish mutated beasts that the characters encounter in the wastes, the PCs personal fear chosen at character creation, or simply unusual circumstances. The GM is encouraged to apply Fear checks only when he feels it is something terrifying enough to produce a Fight, Freeze, or Flight response. Simple creepy surroundings are simply part of the atmosphere, for example. The Fear check is a dramatic tool, and loses it's usefulness when over applied.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Another writing sample
Just for fun, here's another sample of Aralian text. This one is a brief battle report, discussing the destruction of a rebel human force that attempted to attack an Aralian outpost. You'll notice the use of underlining as a way of indicating proper names. A transliteration of the text follows:
A-aga: Birtu 345
Kibala dud-gar Aralia kizrum 345. Kibala kizrum us. Nu dirig dub-gar udnamekam.
Nubanda Kelara, Birtu 345
Approximate translation:
Report: Fort 345
Rebel forces attacked Aralian unit 345. All rebel forces killed. No further attacks expected.
Commander Kelara, Fort 345
Today's update
I've continued work on the Aralia script, and have managed to produce a font out of the alphabet. It includes the basic characters, numbers, and some basic punctuation marks. It's very rough, I have no experience with font design, and the editor I was using was very awkward, so there's no doubt all sorts of wierdness.
Download now!
Download now!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
New Home!
So, after some difficulties with theRPGsite's blog system, as well as seeing Dr. Rotwang's fine blog in action, I decided I needed a better home on the old Interwebs.
So, I've set up shop here, and provided I can make sense of this somewhat glitchy Blogger editor, hopefully more content will follow.
I've also copied the two short entries from my RPGsite blog over here, so as to keep everything all nice and in one place.
So, I've set up shop here, and provided I can make sense of this somewhat glitchy Blogger editor, hopefully more content will follow.
I've also copied the two short entries from my RPGsite blog over here, so as to keep everything all nice and in one place.
First words.
So, after hours of research and experimentation, I am able to present what may be the first piece of the alien language written.
Transliterated: Aralia en abzu
Translation: Aralia (lit. "progeny/seed of the underworld"), rulers of the waters beneath the world
This is actually an archaic name for the Aralian nation, from before Nightfall. More recent texts which refer to the official name of their state generally read "Aralia en arali, en abzu, en anki", "Aralia, rulers of the underworld, rulers of the water, rulers of the heaven and earth", a much more lofty title suited to their present dominion over the Earth.
Transliterated: Aralia en abzu
Translation: Aralia (lit. "progeny/seed of the underworld"), rulers of the waters beneath the world
This is actually an archaic name for the Aralian nation, from before Nightfall. More recent texts which refer to the official name of their state generally read "Aralia en arali, en abzu, en anki", "Aralia, rulers of the underworld, rulers of the water, rulers of the heaven and earth", a much more lofty title suited to their present dominion over the Earth.
A taste of things to come . . .
"Earth's twilight hour has fallen. The skies have gone dark, and the very spark of life is fading, and what remains has become twisted and strange, vicious scavengers and massive fields of living rot. Mankind survives in slavery at the mercy of a lost, ancient race once long forgotten but now all too terribly real. Those few who live free exist in a constant and desperate struggle for survival, where a simple can of beans is worth a thousand times it's weight in diamonds, and the hunt for food perhaps a more dangerous and terrifying prospect than starvation. This is where humanity meets its final test, the final war over the very soul and nature of humanity, and the final decision over who will hold dominion over what remains of the Earth. Will you survive the darkness?"
This post is to announce the coming of, A Song in the Dark, a game of post-apocalyptic horror set in world where the skies have gone dark, and humanity stands on the brink of destruction at the hands of the very ancient race that keeps the planet alive.
The core seed of this game has been in existence for over ten years, and it's finally come time for it to come together.
Development will follow post by post, building the setting and system of the game, and then assembled into a completed game to be tested and finally published.
Hopefully this will be a fun ride for all of us.
This post is to announce the coming of, A Song in the Dark, a game of post-apocalyptic horror set in world where the skies have gone dark, and humanity stands on the brink of destruction at the hands of the very ancient race that keeps the planet alive.
The core seed of this game has been in existence for over ten years, and it's finally come time for it to come together.
Development will follow post by post, building the setting and system of the game, and then assembled into a completed game to be tested and finally published.
Hopefully this will be a fun ride for all of us.
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