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Trinity Universe: New games?


ProfPotts

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Ok, I'm gonna' give Paradise's Aberrant game a shot (finished the character today - well the pre-ST scrutiny version anyway ::sneaky2). The big question now is:

"are there gonna' be any on-line Adventure! games run on here"

(or, alternatively)

"have I missed something really big & am looking in the wrong place" ::wacko

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you're in the right place, but unfortunately our last A! st got overworked and had to drop off. there are more than enough players willing to jump at the opportunity for an online game, but it seems that noone has the time to really ST....

....you're not volunteering to ST are ya??   :D

::withbeer

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Hmmmmmm.

(Briefly scans through the game run by Heritage)

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

(Checks diary.  Discovers most weeknights are pitifully empty of entries)

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

(Prepares to utter potential Final Last Words)

Apart from a house move in the next couple of months, and a piece of fiction I was going to do for the competition, I don't have much on at the moment......

If you guys are willing to bear with me, I may be able to do a bit of online Adventure! STing........(can't guarantee I'm up to Heritage's standards, but I'm willing to give it a go.  ::halo )

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What kind of a ST would I be if I turned down players?  One without a game........... ;)

Consider yourself more than welcome to play, Tumbleweed.

Think I'll have to post a separate thread this evening to try and drum-up some more players (the more the merrier, after all)

Meanwhile - on with the scheming...........

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Methinks I dost hear some brave soul quoth forth "Online Game".  And verily there was much joyous dancing and Bacchanalian debachery!  And the angels didst lift their voices unto the highest heavens... and the seas did tremble... and the Knave did say, "Cor!  Can I play!"

-Knave

"phwoar!"

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Oh yes...........

Run yourselves up some characters (give yourselves 18 transformation points. I'm nice like that), and mail them to me (justinkruyer@msn.com is your best bet) and then we can get this show on the road.........

I'm going to post another thread to see if I can get anymore players, but since things seem to run a little slower online (if the game Heritage ran is anything to go by), I should be able to start pretty much whenever you guys are ready.......

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Yep. Some of us are actually semi-functional and could even pass for human in poorly lit conditions........ ::bigsmile

Update time - I now have notsoangrydave's character, and hope to be able to make an introductory post by the end of the week.  Anyone else who wants to get in at the beginning - send me your characters!  Other than that, I'm more than happy to drop latecomers into the plot so......

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  • 1 year later...

Just to breathe life into a long-dead thread...

... Right now we have a classic Æon Society game (Cap'n Morgan), & a WWII game (Lethal Experiments). An idea I've been long toying with is a 'masked men' game.

The basic premise is characters who are pulp-era masked / costumed adventurers / detectives fighting for justice in a city where the rule of law has broken down (a quasi-fictional prohibition-era New York in this case). Organised crime has a firm grip on the city, & the police are hopelessly corrupt (given their poor civil-servant wages & the relatively large amount of bribe-money the criminals have on hand, it's no wonder). Whilst prohibition has seen a doubling of the number of drinking establishments in the city (with no taxes going to the legal government, & the profits being pocketed by the gang bosses), the rise of the crime gangs has also brought an increase in protection rackets, smuggling, vice, violence, & murder. Innocent citizens aren't safe walking the streets at night - but who can they turn to for protection in such dark times?

The answer, of course, is those few concerned citizens with the willingness, & ability, to don an identity-protecting alternate persona & face the criminals head-on. Vigilantes all, some may aim to use less-than-legal means to obtain damning evidence that even the corrupt law-system of the age cannot ignore, whilst others may consider themselves judge, jury, & executioner. These brave masked men (& women) are the last line of justice between the innocent & the guilty.

For characters, think pulp-era masked men (The Shadow, The Spider, et al) to early Golden Age superheroes (early Batman, Superman, etc.).

Standard Adventure! rules would apply, although some aspects (such as Gadgets) may be a bit wilder than other games would allow, & individual special effects for the more outrageous Knacks would be encouraged (E.g. 'Doc Dynamo' is a Mesmerist with Electrical Conjuration, & several telekinetic Knacks like Psychic Hand - his telekinetic Knacks, rather than being 'invisible force' manifest themselves as electrical arcs & fields).

Although set in the Æonverse many of the standard Adveture! Allegiances wouldn't fit this type of game (although the groups do actually exist in the game world). Instead, each character would start with a special Allegiance 'Masked Vigilante'. This represents a lifestyle choice, rather than an actual group, & comes with a 'free' dot of Cipher (you wear a mask, right?) instead of the usual free Backing dot. Other Backing would be allowed, but may not be relevant to most scenarios (being a member of the Air Circus isn't gonna' help out much when fighting the Dapper Dan Gang down at the docks...). More appropriate (i.e. useful) Backings would included things like newspapers (access to archives & a good reason to snoop), the police (sure most of 'em are corrupt, but you could always be the exception that proves the rule), the Prohibition Bureau ('Untouchables') or the Bureau of Investigation (it's still a few years until they get the Federal in front of their name), or a corporate or research entity of some kind (like Masters International or PRIME - Philanthropic Research Into Medical Excellence).

Opponents would also be drawn from early Golden Age works - criminal gang types (although they may well have a colourful leader - think The Joker, The Penguin, Two-Face, etc. - all just gangster types at heart), scientific geniuses (Mr Freeze springs to mind), & the odd misfit of science (the later Clayface types for example). [Yes, I do watch too much Batman animation... ::tongue ]

Remember, Johnny Rocket & Rocket Girl (his girl wonder) can't protect the city alone, even with the help of Max the Wonder Dog! Whether it's tights & cape or fedora & trenchcoat it may well just be time to grab that outfit & hit the mean streets...

So, big question - would that sort of game interest anyone?

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pssst...get the straightjacket. The Prof is actually taking on another game! Line the halls with rubber, dab the electrodes in salt water, prepare the aenesthetics!

I'm definitely interested though I can't guarantee full time attention in the near future yet (due to my going in a strange land hoping it isn't a strange land in a warzone)

Are we talking "High hoooooo!" - Masked man drops from chandelier in the middle of the apes in suits - *blam!* *Whack!* Adventure!

Or more realistic, dark, gotta be careful kinda game?

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Are we talking "High hoooooo!" - Masked man drops from chandelier in the middle of the apes in suits - *blam!* *Whack!* Adventure!

Or more realistic, dark, gotta be careful kinda game?

A bit of both really - guns still kill, after all, & the characters are only human, but it's Adventure! so standing behind cover means that Extras can't hit you... ::wink

I guess it would have a certain level of realism (within the bounds of the game system) just 'cos I don't usually run things that are plain silly. The era as depicted in 'Watchmen' would fit, as would the Batman animated series. As in both those examples, even the heroic masked men can get shot, & they never take thugs with guns lightly - they just aren't slowed down by them for long. Not diving for cover when the gangsters haul out the 'Chicago typewriters' is just gonna' end up with the character dead; & firing Tommy guns at bank robbers fleeing down a busy street is gonna' get bystanders killed. On the other hand, if the character has the Traits to back it up, then dropping from chandeliers, smashing through windows, & similar dramatic entrances are meat & veg' for this type of game.

It'd be good to remember that over-the-top heroics, if successful, gain the character more Inspiration - which in turn fuels more over-the-top-heroics.

What it won't be is the Batman TV series from the sixties... ::crazy

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oooo ahhhh..

(watches the character botch the amazing roll to grab the chandler while falling from the skylight)

eeeeeew..

I've been intrested in playing an Adventure game, but haven't found anyone to really play with (well in time)... So I'd be all over that Prof if you can be patient with someone learning the system (and reading the book still)

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What it won't be is the Batman TV series from the sixties... 

So we wont be rescuing dehydrated UN officials or fighting villainous Archers with arrows that round street corners?

darn... ::wink

Other than the cipher instead of Backing point, anything else we should know about? I imagine we're not creating criminals (In Charge - US Mafia) and need to create a character conducive to fighting crime.

Anyway, I'll try to get the creative juices flowing...

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I agree. Prof, you're crazy. ::crazy

But if you're really willing to take it up, I'm in! Haven't played A! in ages so it should be fun, although I - like Ezekiel - can't say much for certain of the future.

Say, do you want the characters to start out as allies?

And by the way: If anybody else has a Will Eisner's 'Spirit'ish idea, lay off. It's mine. ::tongue

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I'd like to play if you can handle someone still trying to learn the game...

Asbjørn, I don't suppose you're available for a little more help, are you? ::bigsmile

I was thinking kind of a John Constantine (ala Hellblazer) type of character. You know, knows a little about magic, but not really a magician, contacts everywhere (in the old DC game they had a power called omni-connection and he had it), and just able to talk himself out of a lot of situations...

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Other than the cipher instead of Backing point, anything else we should know about? I imagine we're not creating criminals (In Charge - US Mafia) and need to create a character conducive to fighting crime.

Uh... yeah - masked men (& women) only please, it's kinda' the point ::sly . Actually I first thought of going with 'masked men & science heroes' (big fan of Alan Moore's work here ::smiley5 ), but in practical terms there'd be problems mixing 'public' heroes with 'vigilante' heroes, so felt it better to go for the clear-cut masked man theme.

Obviously it'll help if characters are at least savy or talented enough to be able to handle themselves in a fight - an 'Ironside'-esque wheelchair-bound detective may be an interesting character, but he's gonna' die in the first battle ::nervous .

Following the game's theme, characters will also need a good, solid, motivation for actually dressing up & fighting crime. This is fair warning, so characters who decide to quit the costumed vigilante business & do something else after the first session, because their Nature dictates they should, obviously haven't been well planned... ::rolleyes

Generally I'd prefer characters to stick with Knacks from whichever Inspired type they happen to be, but a good solid theme is more important, so there is the possibility of some cross-over between types (e.g. the electrically charged Doc Dynamo may be a Mesmerist, but the Stalwart Knack Aetheric Vision - defined as the ability to see patterns of electricity - is an obvious fit for the character). Basically I'm saying it's not a pick 'n' mix grab-bag of Knacks, but if your theme supports it, then it's probably okay.

Strict definitions of 'Stalwart' or 'Mesmerist' energy types, & talking about 'Telluric energy' as if it was an exact science isn't really what I'm looking for. That stuff may be how some people (like Max Mercer's pals) see the weirdness in the world, but it's just one view of many equally valid views. Feel free to talk about that stuff in terms of magic, vril, or anything else that fits the character's background. Reincarnated Egyptian gods can work side-by-side with gadget-laden scientists & neither's point of view is gonna' be more 'correct' than the other's.

Whilst I prefer people to stick to imaginative uses of the Knacks in the book, Gadgets (including medical gadgets) can obviously go a bit further than that. As a rule of thumb (for reference purposes) look at Trinity modes as being Knacks of an equal level (but with Psi replaced by a relevant Facet), & the Nova Point cost of Quantum powers being the rough Knack level of that trait (but usually with a lesser effect). E.g. a dot of Mega-Strength in Aberrant grants 5 auto-successes to Strength related stuff for 3 NP, whilst Powerlifter & Piledriver combined in Adventure! equal 3 Knack levels, & provide that same rough level of strength as a maximum (based on Destructive Facet). Again, these things are better as Gadgets than innate Knacks. E.g. a character like the LXG version of the Invisible Man could have a 'medical gadget' (ingested formula) that rendered him permanently invisible to normal sight, but a Knack that just duplicated the Aberrant 'Invisibility' power would be less acceptable by itself. I, of course, am an accomplished min-maxer myself, so won't tolerate obvious abuses of such things... ::devil

Say, do you want the characters to start out as allies?

There's no reason why some, or all, of the characters couldn't start out as allies, or even share an 'origin' story & have related abilities - that's something to talk about with each other if it interests you. I'm not gonna' force anyone to do so however.

I was thinking kind of a John Constantine (ala Hellblazer) type of character.

Straight Hellblazer is more noir than pulp (& he wouldn't be seen dead in a costume), but elements of the character would work. I'm kinda' looking for characters who can get into the whole pulp hero bit (& not think themselves silly whilst doing it), so a fag-smoking cynical git may not be the best approach to take ::wink . On the other hand, the general 'occult expert' theme is fine - as long as he has some general use in fighting crime (otherwise he's more of a seldom used Contact when occult matters crop up than actual PC material).

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Okay, a couple more details that may help (or not) during chargen:

The game will start in January 1924, & I'll be aiming at a pulp magazine / comic inspired format of roughly one adventure / event per game month.

Characters whose 'masked' persona has the Reputation Background can have already been active as far back as August 1922 (just post Hammersmith incident - although there's no reason why most characters would know anything about that incident, or relate it to their new career choice in any way). Characters without Reputation are mostly likely new on the scene.

All Backgrounds can go up to six dots (via 5 dots & a Background Enhancement), it's just that those without specific Background Enhancements just progess as normal (e.g. you have 6 Allies instead of 5).

Inspired Allies are worth 2 Allies dots each; 'average' Followers are Extras, 'exceptional' followers are full characters (not Inspired of course) & are worth 2 'average' Followers each. Backgrounds generally need to be assigned seperately to the character's 'costumed' & 'secret' identities, but the same category can be taken seperately for both (e.g. Reputation as a rich socialite & Reputation as a dark avenger of the night).

As usual characters get a 'free' Background dot based on their origin, as well as the 'free' Cipher dot for the Masked Vigilante allegiance.

Besides Gadgets, characters can have a number of super-science (or magic, or whatever the character calls it) inventions equal to half their Inspiration (rounded down), but need to spend temporary Inspiration to do so (one dot per 5 total Advancement options - max total of 15, or per Knack level - max of 3). So, for example, a character with 4 Inpiration could take 2 inventions with 5 Advancement options total between them for the cost of 1 Inspiration dot. [see sidebar on p.177]

As noted on p.176, after play begins characters can collect a number of Advanced inventions up to twice their Resources (although they still need to find them - they can't usually be brought 'off the shelf'), & a number of additional Advanced or Innovative inventions up to their Inspiration score. Gadgets are on top of these limits, naturally. Of course these are limits on the number of items that can be hoarded, not entitlements that are the character's due - I just thought it best to mention it up front. ::wink

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Ok, after thinking about it the whole John Constantine concept kind of runs on the fact that he doesn't have a masked identity, so I thinking it's out.

That being said, is anyone thinking of the the 'American trained by buddhist monks' concept yet? Is that considered acceptably pulp? I thinking of trying it, but don't want to do it if someone else is doing something similar.

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That being said, is anyone thinking of the the 'American trained by buddhist monks' concept yet? Is that considered acceptably pulp? I thinking of trying it, but don't want to do it if someone else is doing something similar.

None of the three character proposals I've received so far use that concept (or anything like it), & yes, if done right, it's definitely pulp (just ask The Shadow ::ninja ).

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You're better than anyone else in the world in that ability. If it's a scientific ability, Mastery is required to make super science inventions. Other abilities allow you to accomplish feats no normal person could accomplish. No specific system really, the storyteller has discretion but will take it into consideration.

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I'd definitely like to play, ProfPotts, if that's cool.

Think I'm thinking of an Annie Oakley type. I'll get back to you with more, when I think it out a little more.

::biggrin

Ah, Isn't life Grand!! Just don't know what to do with all the Adventure available.

::cool

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