Aberrant RPG - Teragen- The Big Bad Book

[Guest]

I bought the Teragen this week, afer having spent half an hour at the store deciding over which book I wanted the most. In the end my curiousity won, since there were bound to be more tidbits about Mal in it.

And it was better than I thought it would be, mostly because of the first half of the book, with the in character discussions about ideology. Lots of flavour and lots of things to run a campaign on.

Anyway, what are your opinions about this book. Interesting, fun, useful or just waste of good paper? Above par or below? I own very few AB books so far so I have little to compare with. Anyone who have found anything that there should be an errata for?

[Guest]

My only real complaint about the book is that the binding became unglued within the first day of me owning it.

That and Chrysalis is damn hard to acheive, what with how hard it is just to get any taint at all.

Other than that, the characterization of Leviathan (among others, but mostly Leviathan) drown out my disappointment over Divis information.

Mostly, Teragen is a damn fine book that completely destroyed my notions of them being nothing more than racist (speciests?)terrorists, causing me to completely re-write quite a few NPC's and make a much more twisted game of Abberant.

[The Ranger]

I enjoyed the conversations between the various Terats. It was helpful in getting a feel for their characters. I found the "Future fate" section a little frustrating. I prefer to be given a "canon" timeline which states directly what will happen so that if I am not using Terragen in a campaign I can say that this is happening in the background. I can then change what I want knowing where I am divering from what actually happens. Appart from that the book was fine.

[Guest]

My Teragen book imediately began to fall apart as well. White Wolf really needs to stop cutting corners and make some damn bokks that last more than a month.

......Gaining Chrysalis is actually faster than you'd think, as long as you have a few Quantum Powers and non-deity level of Quantum. Remember you can max out each power once per scene, so if you have four powers there's four opportunities to botch horribly per scene. Considering that the max score for any starting character is five (not a safely high amount of dice anyway)it should come faster. .....And then when you consider things like Probability Corruption.......

[Guest]

Why a player would max out? My players has Quantum 2/3, so, if they spend a turn maxing out, they use a WP point to get, maybe, 1/2 success. If they spend simply the WP on the roll, they get one SURE success that in most cases will do the same as a max out success, not waste a turn, and not risk taint. In six month of play, none of my player has try to max out, and none of them has get one single point of taint.

[Jager]

I'm with MasMas on this one. Unless your Q is 4+, why bother? HS, do most of your players have high Quantum scores as well as terrible die luck or are they looking for ways to develop Chrysalis? In the game I ran, maxing happened only three times (once with an NPC). In the two games I have been in, twice, though we once ran across someone who could transfer taint and did.

[The Ranger]

Most of the people in the groups I have played with have had quantum in the higher range (3-4+). Maxing is relatively common in the games I have played and mainly used to gain things like the area enhancement. It has also been used by our telepath to find people with psychic sheild and by our resident Warp freak (myself) to gain really ridiculus ranges.

[Jager]

Hey, I am not the one who referred to one's character as a "warp", "freak", and "ridiculous" all in one sentence. Bravo! We tend to run the gambit here. I have seen a Q:5 (the taint monkey) as well as a couple of Q:1's.

[The Ranger]

There is little or no point in a quantum 1-2 character maxing out. For anyone with a higher level it is well worth it. The extra armor option actually saved my life once when I was playing a character with no protection.

[Jager]

And just were was Captain Bullet-ridden? That's his job, don't ya know?

[Guest]

I am thinking about making maxing out powers more powerfull. Consider that you loose a turn, spend a willpower and risk taint.

I thought of this options:

1 - granting an extra success (in the case of a successfull roll);

2 - giving as many successes as Quantum (ouch!)

3 - granting half Quantum successes without rolling (ouch ouch!)

Too much? What is best?

[Jager]

How about this? If they succeed, they can gain extra successes up to equal their quantum by picking up points of temporary taint on a one for one basis. The characters then have control over how much they really want to push it, but are constrained by the choice of picking up the taint. How do you think this balances out?

[Guest]

Hey, that sure make players gain Taint!

Can be a good choice, 'cause players can surely do the 'big boom' they are supposed to do when they max out.

[The Ranger]

I had a ST for one game who allowed you to assume max sucessess on a power roll if you took a point of temporary taint. It meant that everyone started picking up lots of temporary taint and the Terat's in the group could virtually pick when they wanted to enter chrysallis. I don't recommend it. Although spending a point of XP for the same effect might be interesting? Thoughts anyone?

[Jager]

Ranger, what good would it do to enter Chrysalis without sufficient xp, anyway? Sure, you can buy things cheaper and you can convert the chrys points, but you have significant downtime inwhich the other PC's are racking up the points to even things out. Not to much fun for the Terat, but realistic in the scope of the game. Chyrsalis isn't supposed to be the way to rack up quick experience, it is meant to be the way to handle taint levels.

[The Ranger]

I agree wholeheartedly. Although as a means of getting rid of aberrations and social penalties it sucks. I suppose the Teragen are not really interested in that which is fair enough.

[Guest]

I'm trying to using max out to give players taint because it cannot be abused (it costs a WP and can be used a limited number of times). Try giving max successes on a max out roll, and even reduce or limit the time it takes to max out (one turn doing nothing is too much for a combat and not a problem out of combat).

[Jager]

I have usually found that having an NPC standing there for a round "building up" to something is a sure-fire way to have him/her killed. I am thinking about having it two ways. One is the standard build up with the standard cost and then being able to add temporary taint to add success up to you maximum possible. The second method would be instantanious, but cost the same plus giving you an immediate one point of Temp. taint and have any failure also giving you Temp. taint. You could still add taint to max. out the roll. Heroic, but tragic. What do you think?

[Guest]

Sounds good to me.

[Coriolis]

My only real problem with the book was its layout. If you wanted players to understand what really being a Terat means then you had to let them read it, but the player stuff is interwoven with ST only stuff and that is a pain. Still, what can you do.

------------------

Bast protect us all.

[Sidious]

maybe all sit down for story session?

then we can serve milk and cookies and take a nap on the big rug?

Never know it could be fun.

[Guest]

I loved the Terragen Handbook. Until that book the terragen just struck me as the typical bad guys just out for fun and destruction. But after reading that book (in one two hour sitting I might add) I saw them in a new and intresting light. They like the, pardon my spelling, bolsheviks of the 1910's and 1920's. Mal was very Lenin-esque. But the terat that most impressed me was the Mathematician. What a unique and intresting character in my opinion. I loved the way they explained his powers, seeing the world in number and equations. Cool stuff.

[Guest]

I don't have the Teregen book so I was wondering, could some post a concise version of the chrysalis game mechanics for me?

[Sidious]

for the most part you don't want to use the game mechanics. it takes forever to build up enough points to enter the thing.

Idealy following you archtype, Marvel (I AM a god)Monster (I am the boogy man) Portent (I know what you did last summer), you channel taint into your body and into a temp pool for chrysalis. 10 points turns into one chrysalis point. You get the idea.

You go into chrysalis and the points get converted into xp. XP = (chrysalis) X 3. Bank heavily. The more point of chrysalis you spend the longer you're gonna stay in it.

I can't post the point costs for things here I don't have my book with me right now.

since it's really hard for most games to gain Taint many people have relagated chrysalis to an ST award if their archtype is played well. I favor that method, good way to cut the ooc chatter and keep everyone thinking.

[Guest]

Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just got the Teregen Book! I'll let you know what I think of it when I'm done

[Guest]

I have questions:

1-Someone can tell what is the basic ideology from the Teragen?

2-What is the Chrysalis? Is something like the Metamorfosis Path from the Tzimisce?

[Winter_Heart]

1 - Novas are superiors to human. Comparing Nova to humans is akin to comparing humans to monkeys. Thus it is a ridiculous to assume that Nova will bend to human convention as to assume that humans will obey monkey rules. While the philosophie doesn't actively prone hostility, it does prone detachement from the baselines and the development of a Nova society, with it's own value, moral, politics, philosophy, entertainment, economy, etc. Basically, they want a world for Novas, by Novas.

Now of course they all have many way of seeing that... some believe that the only way human will leave Novas alone is if you scare them/kill them... other believe they must be eliminated... but just has many have a much less violent disposition. The Teragen is splitted into so many subgroup that it is one of the most unpredictable groups.

2 - Chryslasis only furthers the division within the Terat actually. Terat is a philisophy with probably a mix of 'meditation' technique or what not that allows you to convert your taint positively if you do an actions following one of the precept of Terats. After all, you're not human anymore, but what are you then? A monster, a marvel or a portent (read post above for bigger description of the 3 archetype.) By following their archetype the Terat can enter chrysalis, which makes them hibernate in a cocoon, and much like a butterfly, come back rather... different. They 'control their own evolution' while in the Chrysalis.

[Guest]

Many thanks, but basicaly what means in the vision of Divis Mal the world for Novas? He think that all humanity must die or they will live in this Nova World in an inferior place?

[NeoVid]

Quote:

Originally posted by Megatron:
Many thanks, but basicaly what means in the vision of Divis Mal the world for Novas? He think that all humanity must die or they will live in this Nova World in an inferior place?

The thing about Mal is that he refuses to be a leader. He wants novas to control their own lives, and taking orders from him would go against that. One thing I've noticed, though, is that in the Null Manifesto, he included at least some of his own personal views on baselines... he's somewhat hypocritical, in that he wants novas to decide for themselves how to live, but he doesn't include staying in baseline society as an option.

[Stheno]

Mal's motivations and so on are fairly understandable...provided you accept that his understanding of "Race" and all that stuff is based firmly in the earlier part of the 20th Century.

Part of the problem of the Teragen is that Mal is essentially speaking a different language to most Terats - he's talking about personal responsibility, but to modern ears it sounds more like he's talking about being outside the law.

[Winter_Heart]

Indeed Stheno...

When he says that until a nova governement exist, each individual Nova should rule himself.... he means "They are things you shouldn't do, be wise enough to know them", not "Do whatever the fuck you want"... saddly most Terat understand the later.

Neovide: Just where exactly does Divis Mal say "Thou shall not associate with humans"? According to Mal the two most 'enlightened' Terat are Scripture and Count Orzaiz. Orzaiz is very deeply set into the human world and works with their rules to win victory for the movement...

[Guest]

In regards to binding quality:

Try to get a hold of those books printed in Canada - they tend to have better bindings than other editions printed elsewhere... at least in my experience.

[Ashnod]

Well, there is a portion from the Null Manifesto that includes essentially, "There are those who seek to remain with the herd for the comfort it brings. I say to you find that comfort in your equals." I don't know the exact wording, I know Avenger included it in his version of the Manifesto.

I think Mal views Orzaiz's baseline ties as tool. Orzaiz is the best PR the Teragen has aside from Mal himself, and Mal doesn't endear himself very well to a good portion of the baseline world. Mal told Orzaiz something along the lines of "continue to walk among them, get them accustomed to honoring us." This implies in some sense that Mal, while wanting baselines and Novas separate, wants baselines to recognize Novas as their betters and Orzaiz's way of doing it will have longer lasting effects than say Geryon's. This also would apply to Narcosis, who Mal supports as well.

[This message has been edited by Ashnod (edited 09-03-2001).]

[Wizard]

Ashnod, have you had the opportunity to peruse Adventure! With the insight it provides into the mind of Micheal Donighal and Dr. Primoris, much of Mal's attitudes become more clear.

[Ashnod]

*Sniffle*

No, Wizard, my shop doesn't have it in yet. I have it on order but it hasn't arrived.

[Kirby1024]

Hah ha!

I just yesterday bought a copy of Teragen. I've been flicking through it (carefully, mind you, I got it 2nd hand and ended up with binding that decided to seperate from the book. Oh well, nothing a good librarian can't fix...).

So, my thoughts:

• The Opnet Crash - So that's how it happened! (I also bought Trinity yesterday as well, been flicking through that as well). Makes sense. They keep saying that a hacker war would destroy the internet. How right they were...
• The Personalities - Well, that's half of the complete unknown names filled in. Now I've just got the PU and Elites and I can happily discuss with the best of 'em...
• The Philosophy - Makes far more sense now. Before I was just equating them with White supremists and/or Anarchists (no offense to any of the latter on the board. Any of the former can rot in hell). It's actually a lot deeper than I thought.

Not that I'm actually going to play a Teragen (I may understand the philosophy, doesn't mean I quite agree with it yet), but If I indeed ST again and feel tempted to put in some Terats, I'll be much better prepared.