683 replies to this topic

[Ayre el KaBeer]

I think Forceful Personalities should be the working title. Although \"Golden Smiles - Silver Tongues\" is really kewl too IHMO.

Woohoo! My turn to strut!

You know Prof Potts your on to something with the interaction between Backgrounds & Social Attributes; however I think if a background increases above 5 then the Background enhancements from Adventure! should be used.

I agree with both, but how about a high level merit as another (or extra) option?

[Bahamut810]

This is what we have as far from what I can tell.  I did change the "faces" title to "Idols" because that does fit them better IMHO...it can be changed if consensus is different though.  I put a bit in there that we have talked baout

FORCEFUL PERSONALITIES

Introduction: Welcome to my parlour...(said the spider to the fly)
[Intro, lexicon, etc.]

Chapter 1: Faces of the world.
[Mega-Social "who's who"- nova cults/religions, factions, and alternative societies.]
-Faces
-Grifter
-Idols
-Cult of Kali (Novacentric, nova leader)

Chapter 2: Social Engineering
[Social maneuvering/conflicts/etc.]
-Mega-Wits and its effects in a social (adapt A! high wits rule here?)

Chapter 3: Storytelling.
[Storytelling plots/ideas/ramifications/etc.]
- Count Oraziz (im not sure if we can use him though)
- Grunts, or the wonderful world of getting people to do stuff for you
- Mega-Socials and the Law (this is where we would have all the more *ahem* adult material...which for this project I think should be toned down.  No *extreme* stuff, but adult language about what happens.)

Chapter 4: Frightening, Wonderful Behavior
[Mega-Attributes "in depth", worlds' view of given Mega-Attribute, new enhancements and aberrations. Also the problems that are specific to each Social Mega-Attribute]
-Background Enhancements (Masses , Close Family , needs name , Household name , Mega-Mentor )

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Just been chatting with CHILL, and I quote "prolly time for them to contact Harle and give her the full low down so the staff can give it consideration". Goodluck people.

[Bahamut810]

Then allow me the dubious honor...

[ProfPotts]

Any Storytelling chapter would presumably include how to get the impact of Mega-Socials across with more than the, "Ok - you really, really like this guy - no arguments." ST 'mind control' of PCs option.

[Ayre el KaBeer]

\"Ok - you really, really like this guy - no arguments.\" ST 'mind control' of PCs option.

LOL!!!

[Gideon]

Well in the vein of the nicknames:
     Idols sounds better to me than Faces for Mega-Appearance.
     Charmers work for me for Mega-Charismatics
     As a thought for the Mega-Manipulators, we could go with:

• Masterminds (not necessarily 'evil' but it isn't fluffy either.)
  
• Player (e.g. \"...this Player, talked to us and next thing I know we're all forking over our cash!\")
  
• Grifter (as in the con artist term for themselves)

Just some additional thoughts to chew on... ::smiley10

I also like the ideas folks are sharing, I was REALLY hungry for more development on this topic!! Keep up the good work!

Any Storytelling chapter would presumably include how to get the impact of Mega-Socials across with more than the, \"Ok - you really, really like this guy - no arguments.\" ST 'mind control' of PCs option.

Exactly what we need in probably Chapter 4 (maybe 3 depending how its written up)...


Jack

[Psilord]

The Golden Calf  (or Golden Calves)

for possible book title

[phoenix]

Masterminds is taken. It was coined in Brainwaves to mean someone with megaintelligence.

[Gideon]

Oops, my bad.  I knew it sounded familiar...

[Bahamut810]

I like Grifter...it has enough signifigance to mean something and enough of a negative past to make people weary of them.

[Sprocket]

Well, it looks like I've lit a match in a fireworks warehouse...   ::devilangel

Re: Nova cults- Aside from the Blood Queen's lackeys , we might also want try try our hand at fleshing out the cults led by Belladonna (the Darker Nature- see the APG) and Kelly "Calliope" Pierson (as seen in the Aberrant Storyteller's Screen). The Divisians might be worth a shot too, as they're a good example of a cult focused on a nova who likely wants nothing to do with them at all!  

And as for a title... how about "Aberrant: Icons"?

Re: Count Orzaiz- between the Aberrant Storyteller's Screen and the Teragen sourcebook, I think he's pretty well covered for campaigns circa 2008-2020. I'd be interesting to see how he'd develop in the future though- especially after he undergoes his first Chrysalis! (He's got the Marvel Archetype, doesn't he?)

Re: Terms for Mega Manipulative novas- "spin doctors", of course!  ::hehe

Re: Chapter 2: Social Engineering- We sould also take a look at the mega-Social rules in the first Aberrant: Worldwide book- if anythin, they look like an embryonic version of what they'd originally been planning to put out in Cult of Personality anyway...

Re: expanded Backgrounds- all of these ideas sound great! We might also want to put the "Suitors" background I submitted earlier this year in as well- it may've been already put up on the main site, but it's a natural for the Mega-Social book!  

BTW, we might want to put in some more stuff about the media (and the N! channel) as well. seeing as how the campaign setting is so media-driven...  

Re: aberrations- Peter pan might work well in this new book, but where the heck did you find "Lascivious" and "Kharmic Cycle"? I sure haven't seen 'em here on EON, so I can't say whether they're any good or not...  

[Bahamut810]

About the Nova cults:

Thats iffy...we cant do anything claiming to ce Canonical.  I would have to ask an EON staffer who knows if we would be able to get by with that (Chill, Harlie?), but I would love to take up that banner myself.

For the title:
Once we get a little farther...I think we will probably have a vote on it to see which it is.  We seem to have a few different opinions on the matter, and I think it would be a good "EON touch" for the EON audience to name this book.

To Oraziz:
An Oriziz Cult?  Hmmm...  To his after Chrysalis self...I think thats way out.  Personally I dont think he would undergo the chrysalis.

To: Suitors Background
I think thats a given it will go in with your approval  

To aberrations and such:
I think I may be making a few emails to get permission for a couple megasocial abberations/enhancements (mostly to you I think, Sproket...).  They have some submitted that are really suited for this book.

To N!tertainment:
We cant have an abby book without at least one piece of N!tertainment...now can we  

[Gideon]

Oh, sorry Lascivious and Kharmic Cycle are a couple of my house aberrations I made up for Mega-Social novas.

Lascivious - A nova with this aberration exudes sexuality constantly, whether they want to or not.  If tey are talking to their friends, lovers, enemies, or parents everything they say sounds and loks intentionally sexual or seductive.
     SYSTEM: This aberration will cause all applicable observers to make a Willpower roll versus the novas effective Apearance to resist being attracted to the nova.  If they fail they will begin to attempt to attract, proposition or stalk the nova.  All is not lost for the nova, they can always burn a Willpower point to prevent the inuendo or explicit seduction for one scene.  This is a mid-level aberration in my game.

Kharmic Cycle - What goes a round comes around.  thats what everyone says, though a nova with this aberration knows its the truth.  somehow when ever this nova participats in an activity that hurts or harms another entity, it never fails that the manner in which it was done, or by their reputation alone, they cause a recipracal harm to themselves, eventually.  Blow someone's hand off, watch out, maybe that blender is unstable, Ruin someone's reputation, yours may be dragged down with theirs.
     SYSTEM:  Every time a nova with this aberration performs an act where tey singularly are responsible for harming another physically socially or mentally, something in there nature arranges for a similar fate. For minor acts, at the Storyteller's discretion, the nova may spend a Willpower point to cancel the effect, but Major acts, Storyteller's dicretion, Willpower will only delay it for a short time, and as long as they delay t they cannot regain Willpower normally.  This is a High Level aberration.

The first one, was custom for a character, whom always used his sex-appeal to get what he wanted, and when he gained some serious taint I decided, I would give him what he wanted, not punish him... ::halo

The second one, was for an NPC in my last campaign.  Seemed to work, but very brutal when he tried to "get back" at Utopia fr something.  

[Sprocket]

Re: "Lascivious" aberration- Check out the "Sex Object" and "Heartthrob" aberrations that I've submitted to EON, Gideon. (They're in the Aberrant Compendium, available for download here at EON.) I think you'll find that they both cover the problem of being too attractive for one's own good rather nicely.

Re: Kharmic Cycle- Uhmm... how is this supposed to be derived form a Mega-Social Attribute?   It sounds like more of a quantum aberration than anything else...

Re: the Suitors adversarial Background- Bahamut, consider my permission to be given- provided that we can actually manage to put the book out at all!  

Re: Nova cults- Fair enough, then. I'm sure that there are some folks suitably demented enough around here to come up with ideas for some original cults...  ::hehe

Re: my Mega-Social enhancements & aberrations- It's a nice idea, Bahamut, but 99% of those have already been put out by EON in the Aberrant Compendium (shameless plug!  ). As I said before, we shouldn't duplicate stuff from that book if there's an alternative- it seems kind of cheap. Oh well...

Re: title vote- Fine by me, as long as we have a book to slap that title on! ::thumbsup

Re: Raoul Orzaiz- Oh, he'll undergo the Chrysalis in due time- he just wants to get as much out of it as possible, the way Divis Mal did back in the 1930s-40s. (In game terms, he'd be building up a resevior of experience points before triggering the Chrysalis.)

Re: N!tertainment- Why don't you go wild with this one, Bahamut? I'm sure you could think up something suitably outrageous...  ::smiley1

[Bahamut810]

Re: Nova cults- Fair enough, then. I'm sure that there are some folks suitably demented enough around here to come up with ideas for some original cults...

Oh, I can...believe me...You have no idea the demented things I can think of...

Re: N!tertainment- Why don't you go wild with this one, Bahamut? I'm sure you could think up something suitably outrageous...

See above...and im a staunch supporter of hte QNA.   

I would like official EON word on using thoes afformentioned cults though.  I know the QNA is right out...but the Cult of Calliope?  I would hope that could be expanded.  I dont think we should touch the darker Nature in any case as it is more of a Aberrant: Worldview type suppliment.

[Gideon]

Well I lifted the formatting of Brainwaves from the doc.  And created a "neutral" format for either the Mega-Physicals or the Mega-Socials.  Just cause.  Its at my site:

      
Mega-Template [ZIPPED WORD DOC]


Or we/I can create a new template Style Sheet.   ::bigsmile I have a few ideas (especially if we go the pdf route!)

please be gentle to my bandwidth...  

[Bahamut810]

UPDATE:

Working title: FORCEFUL PERSONALITIES

Introduction: Welcome to my parlour...(said the spider to the fly)
[Intro, lexicon, etc.]
-Pretty much written for the most part...need idea's for lexicon

Chapter 1: Faces of the world.
[Mega-Social "who's who"- nova cults/religions, factions, and alternative societies.]
-Faces (Mega-Chr)
-Grifter (Mega-Manip)
-Idols (Mega-App)
-Cult of Kali (Novacentric, nova leader)
-Malachites (Baseline cult worshipping Divis Mal), Paxtons (Basline social group centered on Cestius Pax)

Chapter 2: Social Engineering
[Social maneuvering/conflicts/etc.]
-Mega-Wits and its effects in a social (adapt A! high wits rule here?)
-Dealing with 2 mega-social nova's with different agenda's...and one lackey

Chapter 3: Storytelling.
[Storytelling plots/ideas/ramifications/etc.]
- Count Oraziz (im not sure if we can use him though)
- Grunts, or the wonderful world of getting people to do stuff for you
- Mega-Socials and the Law (this is where we would have all the more *ahem* adult material...which for this project I think should be toned down. No *extreme* stuff, but adult language about what happens.)
- Mega-socials and your players (or "lets avoid ordering people to like someone")

Chapter 4: Frightening, Wonderful Behavior
[Mega-Attributes "in depth", worlds' view of given Mega-Attribute, new enhancements and aberrations. Also the problems that are specific to each Social Mega-Attribute]
-Background Enhancements (Masses , Close Family , More cash then you can carry, Household name , Mega-Mentor )
- Mega-Chr/App and addictive people (i.e. Stalkers)
- Background: Suitors, Background:

[Bahamut810]

Well I lifted the formatting of Brainwaves from the doc.  And created a "neutral" format for either the Mega-Physicals or the Mega-Socials.  Just cause.  Its at my site:

      <center> </center>
<center><a href="http://www.wideopenwest.com/~jsummanen/Mega-Template.zip">Mega-Template [ZIPPED WORD DOC]</a></center>
<center> </center>

Or we/I can create a new template Style Sheet.   ::bigsmile I have a few ideas (especially if we go the pdf route!)

please be gentle to my bandwidth...  

Can you get that in a different format?  I dont have word and I dont want to attempt it with wordpad

On a different note...check N! Prime...they have an official looking version of the book (looks ready to bind!)

[Gideon]

Um for clarification you listed:
Faces, Grifters and Idols.  Are Faces Mega-Charismatics?

Or were they still Charmers??  Lost track...

[Gideon]

Yes I can change the format (html okay?, I can drop it into basic asci also.)and I will look at the site for ideas.

[Bahamut810]

Added in what they are for

[Gideon]

Okay after your input I have taken the zip down, and replaced it with a formatted html doc.

  
Forceful Personalities Template [HTML]
  

Do with it as you will.  Note I made this a fast conversion so there is a lot of mucky microsoft html formatting.  I will work on removing that as I can...

[T-dev]

Ok some stuff,
Firstly Faces should be Charmers.

Also, we need to include a section with examples of how the various natures deal with mega-socials. VtM did something similiar with the discipline dominate & I think it is even more important with mega-socials.

As to the enhanced backgrounds, I don't think every background should get an enhanced version & I don't think the book should with all the possiblities. Mentor for instance shouldn't have an enhanced version. Level 5 is Trinity can give you one of the Proxies. I don't see why it couldn't give you even Mal or Pax in Aberrant.

The backgrounds I think should be dealt with are Allies, Followers, Influence (Icon), & Resources (More Money then God). Also I want to relook at the names for them in Adventure! to get inspiration for the names.

I also, think another small supplement could deal with background enhancements in general in Aberrant. After all, it wouldn't take much for a Mega-Mental to get some of them too.

I also had an interesting idea for a new Mega-Manipulative enhancement. It could be a merit, but here is what I got.

SUBTLE (Mega-Manipulation)
Some novas are so skilled with their powers that you never see them coming. The possessor of the enhancement can use all his Mega-social powers to full effect, but will never seem supernatural in doing it. This enhancement provides no protection against being discovered as a nova; however anytime the nova uses his Mega-Social attributes or enhancements they effect will always seem within the bounds of possibility for normal humans.
System:
This enhancement cost 1 Quatum Pool & lasts for 1 scene. It provides no protection from discovery as a nova. It does make the users Mega-Social attributes & enhancements seem not so superhuman. Therefore, the user can turn his social presence on full effect on a victim, but the victim will not realize that the nova is using powers on them.

Obviously the idea needs some work. What I am trying to simulate is a character who is a social monster & can use his enhancements stealthly, so that people are less likely to realize the nova is using powers to manipulate them.

[Sprocket]

Re: the "Subtle" enhancement- The concept sounds good, t-dev- all you have to do is clean it up and dress it nicely!   Just check out the job I did on Psilord's "Plain Spoken" (Mega-Wits) enhancement over on the "New Powers" thread, if you want an example of how to accomplish that little chore.

Re: Natures and Mega-Socials- I second that, t-dev- but where exactly did you find those specialized V:tM rules?

Re: Nova cults- I think Divis Mal's fan club has been covered (albeit not in the detail it deserves) in the Storyteller's Screen. And wouldn't Caestus Pax's fan club see a drop in their membership rolls after Pax's first battle with (and subsequent loss to) Divis Mal? The club might not be big enough to be worth mentioning after that...  ::hehe

Re: Count Orzaiz- I think we should restrict ourselves to using Raoul as an example of how a Mega-Social nova can use his or her quantum abilities to best advantage, as opposed to the comic-book/WWF-style approach of the Mega-Physical novas or the "The world is my chessboard" approach of the Mega-Mental masterminds.

As far as new aberrations go, a Mega-Manipulative nova could easily develop a form of obsessive/compulsive behavior focused on tricking and/or deceiving other people.

Re: Background enhancements- Should we try to come up with something for the nova-only backgrounds (such as Node), or restrict ourselves to the social/economic-based backgrounds?

This looks like it could turn out well, folks... I guess the only question is whether or not we'll get the "go-ahead" from CHILL. Any news on that?

[Bahamut810]

nope...havent heard a peep from harle

[Bahamut810]

Ok...Time for talking!!

To Backgrounds: We need to stick to the more social backgrounds...that is what this book is for after all   ...Thoes are Allies, Backing, Contacts, Followers, Influence, & Resources.  I would like to propose Mentor and Cipher, but the case to include them are weak at best.

To Nova Cults (by sproket): Gotcha...I will take another look at hte screen...but I dont remember and Malites in there.  I was going to use the Pax peeps kinda like the anti-maliates...a Nelson to the Maliates Bart if you would.

To Count Oraziz:  Gotcha again...we will use him only as a  passing example if at all.

To Name change for faces:  So far no dissenting opinions on that...so it will be duley noted in the next update on the lineup.

To your enhancement:  Good stuff...we will clean it up (Sproket is good for help with that since he has made so many) and it will go in.   On a different note...I hate to ask.. Iknow you already said its been put out already...but sproket...you have put out some mega-chr flaws that are custom built for this book...can we use them even though they are already published?

We also need some more...so if anyone has some ideas...dont hesitate to post.  We can use anything for this...its putty in our hot little gamer hands!

[Bahamut810]

I was just looking at the "Suitors" background to get a better idea of how it works and I was thinking.  Should we take a background or two from A! and adapt them to Aberrant?  I cant remember all of them off hand, but I know that Nemesis would be appropriate for this book.  Santum might be too (I would think it would be more for Brainwaves as they make more money...but hey...why not if we are including Resources).  Ill look through my A! book when I get home and pull out the more Chr/Money based ones to look at.

[ProfPotts]

You guys appear to be focusing on game-rules & stuff, which is nice, but is anyone going to do any research into how things like cults actually work (i.e. in the real world)?

Helpful info' could include what it takes to get a religion officially / legally recognised (not much in the US from what I can tell), what's the legal definition of a 'cult', what (if any) actual crimes are involved, how do they go about 'brainwashing people', how do those sucked into cults get 'deprogamed' when taken out of the cult, what do cults actually do, etc., etc..

Other useful areas to research would include how the media works - how are ratings calculated, how do people manipulate things to get coverage, etc.? How about some social science & psychology - how do trends effect different strata of society, how does 'mass hysteria' actually work, that sort of thing. Try looking at real-world examples (e.g. the Nazi movement in inter-war Germany - why did it ever get so much support from normal, sane, people?) - then translate that information & understanding to the game world.

[Bahamut810]

Im going to do the nova cults.  Ill have to do some research about that.  but I have a good idea of where to start (they even have a small oh-so-basic description of cults in the storyteller screen).

As for social science and mass delusions...that would probably be best covered in the powers/mega-soc section with powers like Domination and Empathy control.  Possibly.