Adventure! RPG: Warlords of Tellus - Warlords of Tellus OOC

[ProfPotts]

No Bryce for me yet, no - although it does look tempting. Maybe I'll take a closer look when I've got more time (& money) on hand.

[Jackson Creed]

'Iron' Jack Jameson - Rogue Scholar and Man of Will

Earth History

When Julian Jameson was made an attaché to the British embassy to Tibet in 1906, he took his wife and four-year-old son Jack with him. Since his parents were kept so busy with their work, the young Jack was left in the care of the monks from the local Buddhist monastery. Unbeknownst to the British, the monastery was actually the home to an ancient order of warrior monks and Jack was considered to be an ideal candidate for training. The monks spent the next few years carefully turning the rather introverted young boy into a near perfect warrior. After his initial training was complete, the monks used frighteningly effective mental conditioning to repress Jack's memories of it.

In 1915, his father was given a senior diplomatic post back in London and the family moved back to England. When the Great War broke out, to his parent’s horror, he lied about his age and enlisted into the army. He served out his time in the trenches of Normandy and witnessed first-hand the horrors of trench warfare. Even though he had no conscious knowledge of his incredible fighting skills, his training saved his life and the lives of his comrades on numerous occasions. With the innocence of youth lying dead in a muddy trench along with so many young soldiers, Jack returned to England when the war ended and put his high intelligence and creativity to good use enrolling in college and then university.

His suppressed memories and skills gradually resurfaced and he soon gained a reputation as an explorer, adventurer and scholar (although his academic peers are often scandalised by his rough and ready attitude and his tendency to ignore conventional wisdom). He has had adventures on every continent on Earth and has stared death in the face so many times that he is on a first name basis with the Grim Reaper.

Tellus History

In late July 1923, 'Iron' Jack Jameson, as he was now known, was engaged in the climactic final battle of his most dangerous adventure yet; to stop a madman from destroying much of Paris using a massive bomb. As they battled at the top of the Eiffel Tower, Jack managed to disable the bomb and launch both himself and the villain of the Tower. As they fell, still fighting, through the foggy air, Jack was able to finally finish his opponent. However, the thick fog seemed to go on forever and he felt like he had fallen much further than just from the top of the Eiffel Tower. He managed to twist so that his erstwhile opponent's body was beneath him and when the jarring impact came, Iron Jack Jameson was knocked unconscious.

When he awoke, he found that he was not in Paris any more. The air reminded him more of Africa, but the architecture and natives were clearly not African. For the last six months, Iron Jack Jameson has been wandering this new land of Tellus, having a grand adventure that makes his previous Earth escapades look dull by comparison. He has marvelled at how many parallels there are between the lands of Tellus and the ancient civilisations of Earth; so much so that thinking about returning to Earth has barely even crossed his mind. He also sees many parallels in oppression and injustice and is seriously thinking of doing something about it...

Profile

'Iron' Jack Jameson is a paragon of humanity; strong, rugged, handsome and charismatic. Men want to be like him, women (of many races) just want him. While a practical man, Jack is an idealist and eternal optimist, but his early experiences during the Great War have scoured a great deal of the mercy and forgiveness out of him. He will give his enemies one, and only one, chance. Those who choose wrong are dealt with in a cold, ruthless and pitiless manner.

He has few weaknesses, but he does suffer from insatiable curiosity and loves to live dangerously (although his Inspired level of luck usually lets him escape from tricky situations in one piece (although not necessarily unscathed)) and on Earth he had quite the reputation as a ladies man; a reputation he has quickly recreated while on Tellus, and he has few, if any, scruples about having multiple lovers and dalliances.

Jack is unusual in that he has never manifested any knacks. However, he has very high Inspiration and is close to human perfection in both body and mind. His early martial arts training has made him a master of a variety of armed and unarmed fighting styles, one of the deadliest warriors alive. On top of this he is incredibly intelligent and sophisticated; a dedicated student of many disciplines and a master of most of them.

[ProfPotts]

Just a quick note to remind everyone that there are no Merits & Flaws in Adventure! & none in this campaign either. Merits & Flaws are even less appropriate in Adventure! than in other games, IMHO, 'cos that sort of stuff is covered really well by Knacks & the rest of the rules - but whatever you think about that, they won't be allowed here.

Cheers all.

[ProfPotts]

Ah... where's the IC thread gone? ::confused

[phoenix]

Excellent question. It seems to have been... "moderated."

::glare

I don't think I can bring it back.

[ProfPotts]

Please... ::unsure

[phoenix]

I think it's simply been deleted. If this is the case, the only way it could be brought back (as far as I know) would be if someone backed up the forums in the past few days, and could access the file from there.

[ProfPotts]

Okay - I've just noticed that Mr Creed said as much in a PM. I don't normally save posts - but those two I'm pretty sure I did, since I wrote them out in Word beforehand... I'll have a look & see if I can recreate the thing.

[SkyLion]

any way to find out who did it???

,,

It wasnt me thats for sure...maybe someone objected to naked feline breasts...like I said, not me. Still, deleting it was rather rude...

[ProfPotts]

Jackson Creed did it by accident whilst creating the sub-folder - I tell you, that's not a responsibility I'd want! Still, no harm, no foul. ::thumbup

[Jackson Creed]

Oops! It was my bad! I got distracted by the cat (jumping onto my keyboard) while I was moving the forum thread, and the bloody animal managed to delete the IC thread! From now on my living room is a cat free zone while any Mod-type stuff is going on.

Sorry again! ::sad

JC

[phoenix]

Maybe she's opposed to the objectification of cat-women ::laugh

[Alex Green]

Say, how many background dots do we get?

It's 6 of our choice, one from something, and one from something else isn't it?

[Prince of Boredom]

Yeah, you get 1 backing from allegiance (or in this case 1 cipher for humans), 1 free background based on your origin (each origin has a couple to choose from) and then 6 of your choice.

[Alex Green]

origin... page 128.

Thanks.

[ProfPotts]

Technological Marvels of Tellus

(a rough guide to gadgets, gizmos, and guns)

As promised, here are a few example gadgets & the like which feature in the Tellus setting. Of course, several people have already started to propose their own gadgets, which is brilliant – I think you guys are really clicking with this genre! ::cool

Gadgets

● – Panacea Fruit: the golden fruit from the incredibly rare Panacea tree, known only to grow in the most remote, wild, & inhospitable areas of Tellus, the Panacea fruit is a miraculous natural curative.

Consuming a single fruit cures the recipient of all known diseases & toxins, & speeds the healing of their wounds (Lethal damage heals as fast as Bashing damage – but only those injuries sustained prior to eating the fruit). It is even rumored that regularly partaking of the fruit (at least once per month) slows the aging process to a crawl (ages one year per decade) – popular rumor suggests that the seemingly immortal Emperor K’reed has somehow discovered the secret of cultivating the Panacea trees, but no one knows for certain…

●● – The Allurement Process: discovered by the Emperor’s loyal science cadre this painful series of chemical & radiation treatments results in fundamental changes in the subject’s physical & mental forms.

Females subjected to the allurement process are shaped into perfect visions of beauty & sex appeal, permanently gaining 3 dots of Appearance & 2 dots of Manipulation. However, they also become submissive & easily controlled by dominant males; sexual slaves all too eager to please their masters. So far all attempts by the Emperor’s scientists to refine the process so that it can applied to the population as a whole have failed – the Imperial authorities have to content themselves with using the process as a punishment for trouble-makers, rebels… & the occasional officer’s wife… ::devil

●●● – Electro-whip: the hallmark of Imperial officers, torturers, & others in positions of power & dominance the electro-whip consists of a telluric crystal power generator imbedded in an insulated hand grip. From this grip can extend, at the touch of a control stud, a two meter long tendril of coherent lighting.

The energy tendril can be used to grab, lash, or constrict a victim, or even to swing on, & inflicts Strength +4 Bashing damage in combat (it is designed to inflict agonizing high-voltage shocks, not lethal high amplitude ones). In addition, when cruelly used against a helpless victim, the electro-whip adds +4 to the user’s Interrogation dice pool.

●●●● – Lightning Gun / Heat Ray / Shard Spitter: these three telluric crystal powered guns vary in design, but have essentially similar functions. The lightning gun fires a crackling bolt of electricity, the heat ray a sparking crimson beam of destruction, & the shard spitter (a weapon made only by the Ice Warriors of Xon) a deadly volley of razor-sharp ice crystals. Each weapon comes in a pistol version, with 2 charges & a range of 50 meters, & a bulkier rifle or carbine version, with 5 charges & a range of 100 meters. Each shot from one of these guns drains 1 charge from the weapon’s reserves (although Inspired users can, as usual, sacrifice their own Inspiration instead).

The three guns all use the character’s Firearms dice pool to attack, & each inflicts the user’s Destructive facet +3 dice of Lethal damage. In addition the three weapons each have potential secondary effects: the lightning gun’s electrical bolt can fry powered equipment & spread along conductive materials, the heat ray’s incendiary beam ignites flammable materials, & the shard spitter’s ice crystals shatter to flash-freeze the target area. These secondary effects cause 3 dice of damage, plus 1 additional die per extra success the user scored on his or her attack roll.

●●●●● - Rocket Pack: powered by telluric crystals the rocket pack straps to the pilot’s back & expels a powerful thrust which sends the pilot hurtling through the air!

A rocket pack holds 5 charges, each charge powers the gadget for a scene & enables the user to fly at a speed of 40 meters per action in combat, or 50 kilometers per hour out of combat. The character uses his or her Pilot dice pool to perform aerobatics or tricky maneuvers, and can also substitute this dice pool for a normal Dodge roll to avoid attacks – in this case including explosions & area attacks.

In addition the character can perform Aerial Strike & Aerial Slam combat maneuvers. Each uses the character’s Pilot dice pool to attack at +1 Difficulty: the Strike is a passing blow which inflicts the character’s normal Strike or Weapon damage +1 die; the Slam is a full-on ram (usually two-fisted) which inflicts an impressive Strength +5 Bashing damage & knocks the target back 2 meters for every dot the maneuver’s damage dice pool exceeds the target’s Might pool by. A character attacking with an Aerial Slam suffers half the attack’s damage themselves (soak applies as normal), or full damage if they fail to knock the target back.

●●●●● ● – Visi-orb: a large globe of telluric crystal imbedded in a control console which houses various complex dials, switches, sliders, & buttons the visi-orb is an incredible remote-viewing device. The visi-orb holds 10 charges, each charge allowing one use of the device lasting for as long as the operator focuses his or her attention on the device – the visi-orb’s controls require constant fine-tuning & skilled operation is said to be as much art as science.

The visi-orb can produce real-time images from any point within its considerable range – up to a maximum of the operator’s [Perception + Intuitive facet] x 1000 kilometers, although the further the range sought, the longer it takes to tune the device’s controls (15 minutes of tuning are required per 1000 kilometers of distance). Tuning the visi-orb requires a Perception + Intuitive facet roll, at +1 Difficulty per full 2000 kilometers of range to the target. The operator’s successes on this roll determine how clear the resulting image is:

One – very hazy, as if seeing through fog
Two – slightly blurry
Three – perfect image, as if standing on the spot
Four – perfect image & sound
Five – perfect reception of sight & sound which also allows the use of any such enhanced senses (such as heat vision or a higher range of hearing)

In addition two visi-orbs can be used to establish a two-way communications link over distances up to the sum of both units’ ranges – this function requires nothing more than a simple action & a Perception + Intuitive facet roll to establish the link, no matter the range, & produces reception on both units equal to the sum successes of both operators.

Vehicles

Sky Ships

Kept aloft by the power of telluric crystals sky ships resemble floating platforms or flat-keeled boats, can hover in place & fly, are piloted by a vertical steering column (you pilot standing up), & come in a variety of sizes. (Despite their power source, sky ships are classed as ‘mundane’ vehicles on the world of Tellus & are purchased with Resources – although super-science vehicle advancements can, obviously, improve them greatly).

Sky Skiff – the smallest of the sky ships the sky skiff (also known as a sky sled or sky cycle) has just enough room for two people to stand, one behind the other (with the pilot in front), Military versions are often mounted with weapons & are used for patrol & scouting duties.

Safe Speed 120, Max Speed 250, Maneuver 6, Passengers 2, Armour 3[8], cost ●●●●

Sky Ship – a ‘typical’ medium-sized sky ship can be used as anything from a military gunboat, to a light cargo hauler, to a private yacht. They are popular with pirate bands & rebels, as well as those who try to catch them.

Safe Speed 160, Max Speed 225, Maneuver 6, Passengers 20, Armour 3[8], cost ●●●●●

Sky Barge – the very largest sky ships resemble huge barges & are favored both for transporting cargo & as the floating palaces of rich royals. Royal sky barges often include luxurious cabin suites, dining halls, & even bathing pools! All sky barges are large enough to mount impressive weaponry if needs be.

Safe Speed 60, Max Speed 140, Maneuver 6, Passengers 500 – 1000, Armour 3[8], cost ●●●●● ●

Rocket Ships

Polished metallic cylinders covered in art deco fins rocket ships are powerful enough to blast away from the surface of Tellus & reach the nearby moons. Unfortunately they handle like drunken bricks, & can’t even hover in place, so have proven of little use in planet-side tactical engagements. On the other hand, if you need to get somewhere fast, a quick trip into orbit is your best bet. Rocket ships land on their sides, & tend to take off in tight concentric circles, showering sparks out of their thrusters & creating a distinctive drone as they do so. The exact maximum speed of a rocket ship is largely irrelevant – they tend to get anywhere they need to be in a period of time known as ‘sometime later…’ (usually about an hour or so).

Safe (‘take-off’) Speed 200, Max Speed n/a, Maneuver 3, Passengers 20 – 100, Armour 5[10], cost ●●●●● ●

[ProfPotts]

Heavy Weapons

Destructo-cannon – the size of a heavy machinegun this powerful weapon launches rapid-fire streams of glowing, sparking, electrical spheres which detonate in crackling explosions when they impact a target. Each ‘shot’ from a destructo-cannon fires a stream of energy spheres & counts as either an Automatic Fire or a Strafe maneuver. The cannon gets one such shot per charge, the number of charges a cannon has available depends on the size of the telluric crystal power source it is hooked up to (see p. 184).

Accuracy 0, Damage 6[4]L, Strength Minimum 4, Range 500 meters, Rate of Fire 1 burst per turn, Mass 75 kilograms, cost ●●

Atomic Cannon – this terrifying device launches a huge sphere of destructive energy which explodes on impact, spreading devastation in its wake over an area as large as a kilometer across. Only the Imperial City & similar vast military fortresses (with suitably vast atomic furnaces) possess atomic cannons, although military bombers sometimes carry a limited supply of tellurically charged energy spheres which they can drop for similar damage (although over an area only a tenth that of the atomic cannon).

Accuracy -2, Damage 15[10]L, Strength Minimum n/a, Range 10 kilometers, Rate of Fire 1 per turn, Mass 3000 kilograms, cost ●●●●

Miscellaneous

Space Suits – Tellus space suits are skin-tight body suits with a clear crystal ‘fishbowl’ helmet, boots, & gloves. They provide environmental protection in space, or underwater, but no extra Armour. Considerations like oxygen capacity are conveniently forgotten (until an appropriately dramatic cliff hanger moment) since these things are mostly there to enable heroic types to go adventuring in exotic locations. Cost ●●

[Centimane]

Here's an idea that I wanted to bounce off of all of you:

My character concept is a Stoneman named Gro-Khash who's background is already connected to phoenix's (and thus, very loosely, to Jackson Creed's), but not obviously connected to any of the other posted characters. So I got to thinking about where Gro-Khash might have come from (the mountains, obviously) and how that might affect who he'd know.

So what if the jungle-kingdom that Heritage's character comes from runs up against a large mountain range, full of lofty peaks (and the likely home of that dream-prince who was supposed to whisk away Grenda in her dreams), on one side, and whatever passes for an ocean on Tellus on the other. As the jungle nears the ocean it would likely turn into a swampy mess, a likely home for Ophidians, and as the jungle climbs into the mountains it turns into the home of Stonemen. This provides geographical proximity for pretty much all of the posted non-human character ideas so far.

On the other side of the mountain range there could be a vast expanse of high desert or plateau that eventually runs into savannah. These would provide a likely homeland for any Saurians or Red Mystics that might come into play.

I came up with this idea while thinking about Gro-Khash's mountain tribe (or kingdom, I was thinking they probably lived in tribes, but if Prof says kingdoms, then kingdom it is) which I see as being extremely military in nature. His people more or less revere the art of warfare and combat (fortunately the movie 300 was just released and it provides a good example of the sort of culture I'm thinking of). I had been planning on Gro-Khash having been a mercenary soldier in the past, but I wasn't sure of where, or for whom, he might have fought. Then I considered that mountains act as natural borders between potentially hostile territories, and invading armies must cross through mountain passes. This would put Stonemen in a unique position, and they would make valuable allies to whichever side could procure their allegiance.

So then I thought that Heritage's jungle-kingdom might make a very likely candidate, and things just sort of went from there. In fact, Heritage mentioned that Grenda's father had lost favor in Court through some sort of military blunder (I don't know if you've since changed this Heritage, but assuming you haven't...) and my idea for Gro-Khash's background was that he had fought in the losing side of a battle and then been taken and sold as a slave (which is where he hooks up with phoenix's character), so it would be interesting if that "military blunder", likely an attempt at subdueing a rebellious tribe of Saurians in the desert wastes across the mountains, was the battle that Gro-Khash had fought in as a merc.

So what do you guys think of this? Good idea? Bad idea? "What the heck were you thinking" idea?

[Prince of Boredom]

Cottus, some thoughts... and these are merely meant as constructive criticism and nothing more...

I think you're trying a bit too hard to tie all of the characters in together, ie. it feels a little strained to me. If, for background reasons you think it best that your character fought for Princess Grenda's father, then go for it, but it is certainly not necessary. I really don't think the Prof has levied any requirement whatsoever for our characters to know each other; it's just that Heritage, Ezekiel and I happened to get brainstorming one day and came up with our characters' shared backgrounds. Also, I think it unneccesary to try and define landscape in such a way to ensure every PC comes from the same general geographic area; there seems to be ample opportunities to travel, whether it being rich enough to own your own conveyance, or being sold into slavery and sent wherever. Not to mention, in all likelihood, the Prof already has a rough (or better) idea of the geography of Tellus. For my part, The Ophidian (as he is known) will likely be from nowhere near where Grenda lives; to ensure he's not recognized by anyone.

I think the idea of your character being connected to Phoenix's character is a great idea, and really makes sense with the gladiatorial arena (which I assume is your connection) Prof has described.

The only other comment I have is a question; how entrenched are you in playing a Stone Man? I ask, because we already have one out there (Ezekiel) and, as genre dictates, these races are a bit one-dimensional (no offense to Prof, I think that is perfect for the genre) and it may be difficult to separate each of your roles in the game (not impossible mind you, and I have every confidence in each of your roleplaying skills). In addition, in a game like this, I think diversity is the way to go if possible. If, on the other hand, what is most important about your character is being from a warrior culture, then perhaps playing a Saurian would fit just as well (or perhaps even better). Not trying to get you to change your character, just wanted to present some thoughts.

As I said, I meant this in no way negatively, just wanted to throw some thoughts your way.

[Centimane]

Alright. Thanks for the quick response.

That's why I posted this; sometimes I get an idea that I think is good, but no one else agrees with me, but other times everyone agrees with me, and I can never tell the difference until other people say something. Most of what I posted is in no way mandatory for my own background, I just thought it might add some extra background elements to the still-shaping game as a whole. No loss, no foul.

Again, thanks for the comments.

[Alex Green]

I'm in the process of building a daredevil. At first glance I was worried that he'd overlap a lot with "Iron Jack Jameson", then I decided he wouldn't. He'll likely be more of a John Carter type guy, Lightning Reflexes, much lower Int, sort of a Jack of all trades.

[ProfPotts]

Whoa! It's great to see people so fired up by this game, & I'm sorry if I'm being a bit slow responding to everyone (what with limited time & all that). I will get round to responding to all those PMs eventually...

That said, I prefer people to hold off posting until I approve them to - there's still some development I'd like to work on, based on the characters people are sending me, before the game launches proper.

[SkyLion]

Another Stone man hm? I must confess to thinking in that direction myself. As for one-dimensional, I believe I am approaching the character from an original angle. Runner's up are Saurians, mystics, and Ophidians, as well as a human daredevil..though I am still mulling over what kind of Daredevil would most interest me...

[phoenix]

So far we have two stone men, three humans, an ophidian and a feline, and whatever Sky decides to play, yes?

[Alex Green]

...three humans...

Only 2. My guy got shot down (not the first time, or the last I would think ::rolleyes ) and I'm rebuilding from scratch.

[NFVD]

Only 2. My guy got shot down (not the first time, or the last I would think ::rolleyes ) and I'm rebuilding from scratch.

Actually I'm doing a human too. I just sent his the writeup to the prof for appoval. I went for the "great white hunter" with a twist.

[SkyLion]

Only 2. My guy got shot down (not the first time, or the last I would think ::rolleyes ) and I'm rebuilding from scratch.

,,

How come? I wouldn't want to make the same error...

[phoenix]

Actually I'm doing a human too. I just sent his the writeup to the prof for appoval. I went for the "great white hunter" with a twist.

::huh In this game, that is probably a mistake. Hunting/tracking/survival types tend to get short shrift even when they're not massively overshadowed by other characters, and in this game we already have a Feline "mistress of the hunt" and an Ophidian "scoutmaster".

[Alex Green]

So far we have two stone men, three humans, an ophidian and a feline, and whatever Sky decides to play, yes?

I have a new idea (this is what happens when you rebuild from ground up several times... I noticed we have 3 character races that aren't being used. So... assuming I can build him right and the Prof approves, introducing...

K'roy Mingson. Son of the Emperor’s cousin (and thus the Princess 2nd cousin).

And what does he want to do? Why, rule the world of course. ::devil

[phoenix]

Sounds cool, Alex. I was wondering if anyone would be taking a shot at playing a Tyrian, and you seem like a good candidate to do it. You may wish to consider what reason he has to ally himself with various outcasts of Tellus and Earthmen freedom fighters, however...

[Heritage]

Sounds cool, Alex. I was wondering if anyone would be taking a shot at playing a Tyrian, and you seem like a good candidate to do it. You may wish to consider what reason he has to ally himself with various outcasts of Tellus and Earthmen freedom fighters, however...

Who says we need to be allies? We can be bitter enemies, too ::devil

[Alex Green]

Sounds cool, Alex. I was wondering if anyone would be taking a shot at playing a Tyrian, and you seem like a good candidate to do it. You may wish to consider what reason he has to ally himself with various outcasts of Tellus and Earthmen freedom fighters, however...

Is that what we are?

[SkyLion]

Is that what we are?

,,

I suppose we should get more info on the kind of Tone Potts would like to bring to the series...

,,

On one hand Im sure he will let us choose our own direction to an extent (as that is part of what this thread is for...), so we should should definitely talk some on what we would like to see/accomplish in this series.

,,

All this from the guy who hasnt even put up any character concepts....

,,

heh.

,,

So yeah, Im thinking about playing a stone man artisan in the employ (slave most likely) of the tyrians. Possibly a retainer to Alex's character. I was thinking that this might be a different tack than the usual stone men who are sterotypicaly bodyguards or gladiators.

,,

Also the thought of playing a Red Mystic Warrior-Monk (complete with the characteristic mohawk shaved off). I also really like the Saurians...but dont have a solid concpet for one yet, and also the idea of playing a n augmented human supersoldier a la Captain America, though not neccesarily with the same patriotic over-tones...still mulling that one over. Also the idea of a rocketeer type....need to brush up on my pulp a bit.

,,

As a side note...Alex...Ming-son! You're quite merciless yanno... ::sly

[Centimane]

Is that what we are?

Based on what little I've gleaned from PMing back and forth with Prof Potts, I'd have to say "yes". But I'm sure there's room for lot's of added perspective.

[ProfPotts]

Okay, from various human character back stories I've been getting one thing it appears I've fallen short of describing is...

The Role of Earth in Warlords of Tellus:

In this game Earth has an important genre / literary role to play, one which isn't identical to the usual setting of Adventure! While the game is set at the same time as a 'standard' (whatever that means) Adventure! game - the 1920s - the 'Earth' presented here lacks the more fantastical elements found other campaigns.

Earth in Warlords of Tellus is a more 'realistic' / historical setting than usual. That's not to say ultra-historically-accurate, but it sports none of the telluric weirdness (except the telluric mists) of Adventure!: no Inspired supervillains, no super-science, no characters transforming into dynamic or psychic powerhouses, no Aeon society, no sentient apes, no lost valleys of the dinosaurs, no ancient mystic artefacts, etc..

What Earth does have in this setting is Daredevils - these are not people suddenly transformed into semi-super-heroes, these are the setting equivalents of real life heroes & villains from the early part of the twentieth century - & the 1920s had lots: explorers, archeologists, daring pilots, gifted inventors, top athletes, violent gangsters, hero cops, pioneer surgeons, decorated war veterans, playboy rally drivers, soulful jazz musicians... the list goes on. These are the types of human player characters available.

Likewise, gadgets & super-science coming from Earth are limited to those things reasonable possible in the 1920s - so a gentleman's hand-crafted sword-cane or a souped-up racing biplane are perfectly acceptable; the ancient mystical trident of Posiedon, Doctor Evil's latest Death Ray™, or having a second heart implanted by Tibetan monks are not.

Why, I hear you cry, is the Storyteller trying to stem the flow of our creative juices & limit us in such an unreasonable way? Well, the basic reason is for genre based literary drama - Earth & Tellus are meant to be a dichotomy, a contrast between the 'mundane' & the 'fantastic'. Remember the Wizard of Oz? Well, think of a character's Earth back story as being shot in black & white, & his arrival on Tellus shifting the picture to glorious technicolour. A human character's back story can be incredibly adventurous & heroic (heck, it's just 6 years since the end of The Great War - those Tellus natives don't know how good they've got it!), just not fantastical or impossible.

To put it another way: if Emperor K'reed's Imperial forces somehow managed to invade Earth, complete with skyships & lightning guns, the local reaction should be running away in terror whilst shouting, 'Flee for the hills!'; the local reaction should not be casually phoning the Aeon society to come deal with the problem whilst shouting, 'Call that a lightning gun? My sentient ape butler has a better lightning gun than that!'...

... I hope that clears things up a little. If not, then I'm all out of ideas as to how to get my point across... ::unsure

[ProfPotts]

Notes on Gadgets:

A couple of people have asked questions concerning the Gadget rules, so I thought it best to answer here.

Firstly, below Artefact (Background Enhancement / 6 dot) level a Gadget can not generally mix & match Advancements & Knack effects - that's a bonus which comes with paying for that sixth dot. On the other hand, some Gadgets (usually ones which are lower powered, less rules-abusive, or created for genre colour & effect more than pure stats-mongering) can have 'secondary' effects which are, in effect, similar to Advancement options.

Second - with 'disposable' Gadgets (like drugs, potions, magic arrows, & the like) you will generally have as many 'doses' at the start of any adventure as you'd normally have charges in a Gadget (the character's starting Inspiration +1). You're presumed to have a method of getting a steady supply of the Gadget item (e.g. you know the secrets to making the potion) &, as well as having a full set of doses at the start of a new adventure, can regain doses during a period of downtime (with appropriate effort) which would otherwise recharge a 'normal' Gadget. Unlike normal Gadgets you can't generally spend your own Inspiration in place of a charge, but can spend Inspiration during downtime (or at the start of an adventure) to have more 'doses' on hand. The big trade-off is that your 'doses' are sperate things - i.e. you can have a couple of potions on you, stash a few more at home, & give one to your Contact to hold for you - making the Gadget a lot harder to ultimately steal. By default your Gadget (as always) only works for you, but if you choose to define it as working for everyone (or 'all Stone Men' or some other logical distinct classification of people - not 'my friends only'...) then you can also hand out doses to others.

Third (& most important of all) - Gadgets are there to enhance the flavour of the character &/or setting, not to power-game super-charge a character's killing abilities. Anything which resembles 'a gun with a better dice pool' tends to leave me cold. Things with well-defined back stories, fun effects (&/or even better, fun side-effects), or that will generally make people remember it as a 'cool' part of the story are great, & what I tend to look for (& agree to). For example, the example Gadget 'Lightning Gun' could easily be built with similar special effects, but a much higher destructive capacity, & less limitations, using the Gadget rules - but where's the fun in that?

[ProfPotts]

Phew! Okay I hope I've replied to all the Tellus-related PMs (if I've missed anyone then sorry - feel free to send me a reminder! ::wink ).

Right now it looks like the following characters can make an entrance (you can start posting):

Princess Grenda: wayward royal offspring of the jungle kingdom of Lhan-Gar - the very kingdom over which the Imperial City now hovers!

The Ophidian: Princess Grenda's personal... 'troubleshooter'... a mysterious character who most people fail to notice blending in to the background... although those who do notice him tend to get a little nervous... ::unsure

R'garok 'Bone Crusher': powerhouse Stone Man slave kept loyal by a rare Mind Collar & assigned to protect Princess Grenda (despite herself).

Nick Baker: a rare specimen of Earthling, scheduled by Grenda's father to provide 'entertainment' to the visiting Imperial court.

These others are in process & (hopefully) are soon to follow (please don't post until we've ironed out the details of your characters):

'Iron' Jack Jameson: Earthman, rogue scholar, & man of will.

Sebastian Martins II: great white hunter & recent arrival from Earth who has just found himself the prey for a change...

Gro-Khash Zghal: one of the few survivors of the infamous Stone Man mercenary army (& tribe) known as The Obsidian Legion, recently pressed into service as an Imperial gladiator.

Alex Green & SkyLion have also expressed an interest in the game...

K'roy Mingson. Son of the Emperor’s cousin (and thus the Princess 2nd cousin).

And what does he want to do? Why, rule the world of course.

Who says we need to be allies? We can be bitter enemies, too

True (just take a look at how Quantum Zero turned out... ::sly ). While I have no problem with opposing groups of PCs, I'd prefer to keep the overall number of story arcs down to a managable amount - so if people do want to play 'the bad guys™' (& it's by no means necessary) then, please, make sure you're all bad guys who get along...

[Heritage]

For the record, Princess Grenda has the Sex Symbol knack ::drool

[Alex Green]

Guys, I'm sorry, but I don't see how I have time for this.

[Heritage]

Sorry, folks, having a rough week - should be able to post here and in WJ tomorrow night.

And Alex, I feel your pain - see you in the other games, though.