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.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
