| Welcome to Four Against Nature, Guest. If you want to know what Four Against Nature is about, The Guide to Four Against Nature is a good place to go to. Or if you're just here to lurk around, that's fine. We hope you enjoy the discussion around the board. Join our community! New Members should probably head over to The Introduction Topic so we can learn about you! Also, It would be a good idea to brush up on the rules! |
| Drifters RPG; v1.8 Alpha Build - Dec 18, 2012 | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Dec 18 2012, 02:48 AM (1,411 Views) | |
| Jeff | Dec 18 2012, 02:48 AM Post #1 |
![]()
Veteran Monster Hunter/Rancher
|
Drifters RPG Special Thanks -Special Thanks- To my play-testers and people who pointed out just how awful I am at making RPG rules: Cog, Dan, Ishnt, Root, SFX, and Rachel. You’ll get your full names in the published version, honest. To the artists for the Drifters Project, whom I steadfastly refuse to financially compensate: Rachel, Vanessa, Wietske, Dan (again) and others, hopefully. To my dear friend, Caffeine, without whom this project would not exist. And everyone else whose thoughtful input, suggestions, proofreading and support made this all possible. -Intro/Fluff- What is an RPG? What is an RPG? Welcome to Drifters RPG. For those who already know what an RPG is, feel free to skip ahead. For those who don’t, an “RPG” is a “Role-Playing Game” wherein you take control of a Player Character (“PC” for short, or for the sake of this game, a Drifter) that you can make with the aid of this book. Then, the person leading the story, the Game Master (GM), crafts the tale you and your party will be participating in. It’s like the games you’d play when you were a little kid, making up adventures with your imagination, but a bit more structured and a lot more metal. By and large, Role-Playing Games can trace their origins back to Herbert George Wells (more commonly known as H. G. Wells) and a game book he made entitled Little Wars, published in 1913. It provided sets of rules for gameplay and score keeping by which children could play regimented and fair games using toy soldiers. While the idea of the ‘war game’ existed well before then, Little Wars is usually cited as the point where the concept became mainstream. The idea was further refined over the decades and introduced to new genres, which is where Drifters RPG comes in. So, how do you “win” the game? Well, you don’t. You also don’t “lose” the game either. Every character has a motivation and every day brings new adventures, so the story can be a multi-chapter epic spanning years or merely a single venture through a cave, it’s really up to you. What makes Drifters special, however, is the specific flavors that compose its world. You could have a story taking place in a Wuxia Kung-Fu film, reenact the Shootout at the OK Corral or just as easily lead a high-fantasy quest across kingdoms. And all these things exist at the same time, in the same world and items, merits, flaws and other details can be explained in different ways to suit your character’s needs (provided you don’t change the mechanics for each; a tendency popular in RPGs called ‘reskinning’). Neat, ain’t it? Another beautiful thing to consider is that the mechanics work as well in-context as they do out of it (at least, I assume they work at-present. This is an alpha build, after all. Cut me a little slack, would you?). If you want to change the setting, the fluff and backstory, you can. If you want to use premade quests just to enjoy the flavor of the game (after I make some) you can do that too. Whatever you want to do, you can do and the sort of experiences one given game can bring will be radically different from the next. To learn more, read on and see what the fuss is all about. Backstory -Backstory- Essentially set in the post-apocalyptic Earth, the governmental bodies and systems have all been wiped out, the biomes mutilated from top-down and while vestiges of the old world ecology do still exist, many (most, that is to say) have mutated in amazing, horrifying and astounding ways. Humanity, of course, persists despite the subsiding radiation and surreal life-forms now skulking about in the now-abandoned wilderness. Most of them are content to form villages and get by with what they have off the land. Those people are also wussies. In this game you take on the role of a drifter – one who has ventured out from the humble dwellings dotting the globe to fulfill some higher calling. This calling can be virtually anything one can imagine: charting out lands for humans to re-explore and re-conquer, finding the ancient ruins and treasures from ages lost, leading an exodus across the wilds… or it can be not-as-benevolent, as you could just as easily opt to maim, conquer, steal and cheat your way to individual fortune, fame or infamy. The world is your playground, even if a lot of it would kill you given the chance. The Abridged History of Drifters -The Heavily-Abridged History of the world of Drifters, for Busy People- Humans: Ha-ha! We are the only race on Earth (we assume!) with sentience! Mystics: Pffft. They have no idea… Humans: Hm? Did you say something? Mystics: Nope. We’re just your run-of-the-mill boring, stupid, smelly humans! Humans: Ah. Good, good… Suddenly, the Great Disaster strikes, annihilating and burying most of the cities of the Earth, sending humanity into a dark age spanning untold years where the world is bleak and lifeless. Humans: So, what’s different? No more TV. Humans: THIS SUCKS! Mystics: Yeah, tell us about it. Humans: Wait! You’re not human at all! Mystics: Uh. Nope. But we’ve always been here together. Might as well make the best of it. Humans: GET OUT! THIS IS OUR PILLOW-FORT AND YOU AREN’T ALLOWED! Mystics: Suit yourself. So, Mystics and Humanity ALMOST separated. However, humanity collectively realized this was really dumb, since magic would be REALLY helpful in the name of survival. Humans: Please come back! Mystics: No. We don’t need you. Humans: Please? Mystics: Well, if you’re really sorry… no. Humans: Fine! We won’t share our cookies with you. Mystics: Wait, you guys have cookies?! Uh, hey, can we come back now? Humans: Yeah, that’s what we thought. So, Humanity and Mystics, combining both magic and technology, create the Artificials to clean up the shit and try to get everything back on its feet. Around the same time, they also discover construction machines of the old age and create new weapons. Artificials: Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto! Humans: We’ll go ahead and score that one as half a success. Mystics: Right. Years pass and the wild monsters became more numerous and began raising hell. Humans: SHIT! THIS SUCKS! We stand no chance against them! Can’t you do something?! Mystics: We’d love to, really. But we have this thing about dying. … It’s… just not us. By chance, the Celestials appear on Earth before Humanity and the Mystics. Celestials: Yo. We’re gods and stuff. Worship us and we’ll make the monsters go away. Humans & Mystics: Word. And so they did. The Celestials, bolstered by the faith, whipped the monsters and sent them away from the sentient races’ civilizations. Celestials: Done and done. Ready to worship us as our slaves for all eternity? Humans & Mystics: Hm. Let us think about this real hard. No. Celestials: Hmph. Whatever, losers. We’re leaving our second moon parked out back though. Humans & Mystics: Whatever. The Monsters, being monsters, especially now that some had gained sentience, took this sportingly. Monsters: Someday, we’ll be greater than you and the pain and torment you will be subjected to will make Earth’s annihilation seem like child’s play. Celestials: Sorry. Can’t hear you over how badly we whooped your asses. Don’t cry, your eyeliner might run! Monsters: You guys suck and someday we’ll make YOU our slaves. During these miscellaneous wars and natural (and sometimes unnatural) disasters taking place, the Mutants were born amidst the massive continent-sized trash pile the others left out in the sun. Mutants: DAH-DAY! Humans: Whoa. Mystics: Freaky. Celestials: Gross. Monsters: Dude, even we’re not messed up that bad. Mutants: DO YOU LOVE US? All: No. Mutants: ![]() Around then, most of the trash cleanup was done and a roughly stable environment had been created. Humans: Well, we’re not dying the instant we step outside anymore. So, it’s probably safe to venture out on our own now. Mystics: Okay. But what about that legion of sentient machinery we made? Humans: Meh. We’re sure it’ll be fine. Artificials: Secretly, we only want to be loved. The Artificials stopped being produced en masse, but secret cults continued producing them quietly, as did scientists obsessed with the astounding processes of making them. This put sort of a sore spot on the track record. Artificials: You give us sentience and free will to move about as we see fit, then you attempt to force life spans on our alchemical bonds. You really had a hard-on for Blade Runner, didn’t you? Humans: HAH! Yeah. We’re dicks like that. The Artificials rebelled, leading to some less-than-stellar attempts at finding employment elsewhere. Artificials: Can you help us? Celestials: Can you give us faith? Oh, wait, no. You can’t. You have no souls. Piss off. Monsters: Your strength is inconsequential. Mutants: GLORF. Artificials: Well, that didn’t work. Screw it; let’s just be our own masters now. So the Artificials moved out on their own, being one of the few races who would willingly tolerate the Mutants’ body odors. Artificials: And that’s when we got collectively screwed the hundred-and-tenth time! Mutants: OH MY GOD! SOMEONE’S PAYING ATTENTION TO US! As the wars began settling down, the world entered into a new era. There were still some tensions left-over but it was better than it had been in a long time. Humans: By the by, you’re still our bitches. Mystics: Weak! Monsters: Bullshit. They have more in common with us than you. They’re OUR bitches! Mystics: DUDE! WEAK!!! Can’t you guys just leave us alone?! Humans & Monsters: HAH! No. Celestials: By the way, you still owe us for liberating you from the monsters. Humans: Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourselves that. We’re going to reclaim our world now. Bye. Mystics: HEY! WAIT FOR US! … Damn Stockholm Syndrome. Monsters: Oh well. Back where we were, then? Celestials: *Sigh*. Yeah. Mutants: Can we play too, guys?! All: No. Mutants: At least YOU think we’re cool, right? Artificials: … Uh. Sure, why not? Mutants: Yay! And that brings us to today… The Full History of Drifters -The Full, Official History of the world of Drifters, for Curious People- Part 0: The Ancient World? The precise nature of the Ancient World, well before the advent of humanity and their sister tribe came to be, is largely unknown. This chapter of the world’s history is largely based on records the Celestials themselves have to present to the tribes of Earth. The authenticity of what’s contained therein cannot be confirmed as truth or lies and terrestrial evidence that might’ve once given insight to the nature of this riddle has long since been destroyed. Make of it what you will for yourselves. In the Ancient World, the animals of the Earth struggled against the relentless onslaughts of the monsters, which preyed on all creatures ravenously. Especially ferocious and with an appetite insatiable was the greatest of all monsters: The Titan King. The Celestials looked down and saw the pitiable world, heading towards the brink from over-predation and a swiftly-changing climate. They said unto one another, “Let us give this planet direction and hope,” and so in their infinite wisdom and might, the Celestials slew the Titan King, dealing the monsters a crushing blow. As they did, they round up the monsters that remained and drove them through a rift in space and time to the world from whence they came. The Celestials then decided to give this world a new way to live – guided by dominant, intelligent lifeforms, similar but lesser to the Celestials themselves. The Celestials disagreed how they would set about this, and thus split into two groups to achieve the same ends. They disassembled the body of the Titan King and began to create new life from the pieces. The first tribe was Humankind. They were physically weaker than the animals but they were wise, great of will and able to wield weapons and their natural resources to make life easier for them. The second tribe was the Mystics, who were great of body and spirit and channeled the forces known as magic which gave them their name. Together, these two tribes rose up and lay claim to the blue planet. Seeing their work was good and complete, the Celestials left in their divine home and set out for the stars once more, content to allow their creations to live their lives on their own terms, in their own world. The Celestials claim that is how the world came to truly begin. The Humans and Mystics responded to these claims with a hearty chorus of “Bullshit!” Part 1: The Old World The Old World is exactly what it sounds like or, rather, what the world is now as of this writing. It probably shouldn’t require a great deal of imagination to come up with some kind of notion as to what this is like. Computers, cars, buildings, modern convenience, to say nothing of the less-positive aspects like politics, wars, terrorism and calculus. Not exactly high-brow concepts we’re working with here, yeah? However, all of this changed one fateful day in the modern era, when a corporation named Solaris Inc. began researching what it claimed were alternative energy sources. As a means to this end, Solaris President Samuel Watkins announced the highly-secretive “Project: Leora”. Details were scarce, but Watkins promised an end to dependency on fossil fuels and a new era of prosperity the world over. Such claims were, naturally, commonplace during this time so the media didn’t pay it any more mind than any of the other whackjobs who were spouting the same rhetoric and never delivered. What set Watkins and his beloved project apart was that unlike his competitors, he actually had a means to this end – or he desperately believed he did at the very least. Watkins hired on the absolute best science team the world had ever known: physicists, chemists, engineers, mechanics, architects, you name it and he had them there. On a much lower profile, he had also brought in experts in magic, religion and the occult. Using both teams he had discovered what was previously only believed to be theory – an alternate dimension or, for those snobs who are pointing out here that a ‘dimension’ is a direction in space, a parallel world. The other world was vast and chaotic, as if laws of physics and thermodynamics ceased to apply once you crossed over – and no doubt our world looked equally alien to those from beyond the barrier. Upon seeing this for the first time, the two teams were shocked and amazed such a thing could really be but, all the while, Watkins had a confident smirk on his face. Then something went wrong and the machine burst aflame from an overload, the magical gateway suddenly sealing shut as emergency sirens wailed. The lab was mostly ruined before emergency rescue teams had arrived to fight the blaze that ensued. Most of the employees of Solaris Inc. turned in their resignation within days of the event. Watkins, however, refused to surrender for he had already come too far and seen too much – seen the other world awaiting him on the other side of reality. Tabloids began running story after story about Samuel Watkins, now with an intent focus on the strange religion both he and his late wife, Leora, had professed. Among them, one in particular caught attention: a “World of Magic” waiting just beyond the fabric of space, ready to be tapped for an unlimited source of energy for humankind’s use. Employee accounts of the “world beyond” were laughed out of credible institutions, but still served to ruin the once-wealthy Watkins even further. Bankrupted, humiliated, and alone in his fool’s errand, Watkins broke into his former lab space and, in a frenzy of impassioned and sleepless work, managed to rig together a near-perfect replication of the device once used to tear down the walls between worlds. He would show them all, he mused, show them the error of their small, narrow minds. So he believed. Closely resembling a cartoonishly overblown caricature of a man, Watkins ranted and raved at no one in particular about his years of work and dedication to “The One Who Called” as he ascended the stairs to the top of the building, where he established the final connection. That was pretty much the straw that broke the camel’s back. Unbeknownst to the sad, strange little man, the fabric between the human and magic worlds had been under duress for quite some time and his messing about with it didn’t help matters one bit. Worst of all, when he powered up the machines this time, he drew the attention of a being known as The Seventh Presence. Do not ask about The Seventh Presence. The less known, the better for the mind and soul. A mere fragment of the beast – one of possibly many hands of the fell creature – came through the gateway he opened. Once in our world, it was drawn to the Earth’s southern magnetic pole, flying through the sky with speed disproportionate to its size and ferocity meteoric, shattering miles of ice as it burrowed downward. The impact from its entry into our dimension and second shockwave from its striking the South Pole created a two-wave burst of magical energy that forever compromised the structure of the barriers between Earth and the World of Magic. This event ushered forth in a storm of magical energy so great that it is now known as “The End of the World”. The fact that it leveled most of Earth’s cities, compromised all military and civilian communication networks and wiped out 90 percent of all life might’ve had something to do with the name too but I, for one, doubt it. Part 2: The Mystics Revealed & the Artificials are “Born” The after effects of the disaster left no region unfazed. The most immediate impact was the temporary loss of the magical disguises the Mystic tribe had used throughout history to blend into human civilization, thus leading to humanity becoming acutely aware that they weren’t the only sentient race on Earth. Under any other circumstances, such a massive reveal to the world might’ve lead to war and segregation, but the conditions were so intense that they welcomed the Mystics as equals. So, even with billions dead, there was that at least. All across the world, the residual magical and natural radiation levels were dangerously high, limiting where the survivors could and couldn’t go and what they could and couldn’t do. Survivors spent the first few months holed up, desperately awaiting any help that could find them, but since none ever could, they had no choice but to rebuild. Cleaning out the rubble and ruins was a big task, as was replacing them with suitable buildings and farms and other vital facilities. There was, needless to say, a lot of complaining. To ease the whining, the lead teams of the Science! divisions (always needlessly capitalized and accompanied by an exclamation point) in larger settlements constructed the first humanoid automatons, dubbed The Artificials. The Science! teams were also not very good at naming things in a clever manner. Once the methods of the Artificials’ creation were discovered, the makeshift towns could send carrier pigeons or other trained fowl to fly the notes to other settlements that had similar materials on hand. Naturally, this makes it difficult to peg when and where the first Artificials were made, due to some places never seeing the plans or those that had but lacked the necessary resources to act on them. By merging human science and Mystic magic, it was possible to give the Artificials some manner of free will. The idea was so they wouldn’t need constant direction during clean-up, but once it was found they could play cards and hold conversation, the more severe restrictions were lifted on their creation. Of course, because you, dear reader, had already guessed this plot point, the Artificials were treated as slaves and property and, yadda-yadda futuristic metaphor for historic atrocities. However, due to being severely out-numbered and overpowered, the Artificials minded their protests to dull roars and passive-aggression or, on rare and creative instances, aggressive-passiveness. Despite these misgivings, the three tribes did alright in setting up living quarters, rediscovering lost technologies and generally making their little slices of the world more livable. Most of the surface was chaotic and untamed, making it unsafe for living beings, so the tasks of investigation and salvaging usable material was left to scout Artificials. So, they remained, content to make a life for themselves with what little they had left until such a time came that they could return to the outside world. However, that was not so simple. Part 3: Rise of the Monsters & the Glorious Return Time wore on for countless decades, maybe centuries. But when you live in a hole in the ground surrounded by furries and mouthy machines, ‘time’ becomes a depressing concept, so who knows how long it really was. Then, one day, from beyond the ruined barrier between worlds (and God only knows where else) came the tribe known only as Monsters. Some monsters were sentient, capable of speech and thought whereas some were not. However, neither one was truly preferable as they had some antisocial tendencies such as eating everything in sight. So, they began persecuting humans, Mystics and Artificials with a sadistic glee. Humans did the only thing they could think of at the time, boldly leading the way for the Mystics and Artificials to emulate in-kind: they ran away screaming like little girls. That method gained them a little time but since it was exhausting, the Mystics were the first to claim they ought to stand their ground and fight back. When asked how they would do so, the Mystics reminded humanity of their former greatness – the times before the modern era where humankind fought every day for food, land and justice and complacency was but a far-off dream. For a time, humanity lost interest in the conversation and took a sudden interest in the ground as they kicked at it with their shoes enthusiastically. Not deterred, the Mystics, primarily lead by the Centaur Tribe, launched the first battles against the Monsters. They lost, but it was incredibly motivational, like the ending to a bittersweet movie with a generally uplifting sequel hook. The humans, now convinced they could run from their problems no longer, did as their sister species advised and took on the aesthetics and tools used by their ancestors, giving rise to the new world take on the Classes. The terrestrial races stood up before the monsters with a unified front and… lost again. It was a gallant attempt, but a foolish one. Dejected and resigned to their fate, those without hope turned to booze and those with it turned to religion. Their fervent prayers pierced the heavens and suddenly a second moon appeared in Earth’s night sky. This had the unfortunate consequence of ruining the oceans even more, complicating the terrain doubly so, but what can you do? From the new heavenly body descended the self-proclaimed Celestials, citing themselves the gods of yore who left humanity to its devices when they were strong enough to do so long, long ago. The Celestials, in turn, promised liberation from the Monsters for human and Mystickind’s collective and eternal gratitude and enslavement but failed to get it in writing as the two Earth-borne tribes fled the scene as soon as the fighting got underway. The Celestials’ mighty divine powers were more than a match for the Monsters’ otherworldly magical influences and the latter was driven into hiding to lick their wounds clean. When the Celestials came to reassert their terms for their services, humankind realized that not only would the Monsters be a difficult force to remove entirely, but also that by wishing for a power great enough to drive them back, they had invited another major problem into the world: bureaucrats. As a result, humans and Mystics got off on the wrong foot with the Celestials – who are haughty and brash on a good day – who view the two Earth tribes as being “young”, “naïve” and “beneath them”, the pricks. So, many follow Celestials as gods and leaders and just as many don’t. Part 4: The Mutants Arrive & the Artificial Rebellion Some of our readers are probably thinking “with all this radiation and magic stuff flying around, wouldn’t there be more than just your usual death and killing?” Right you’d be. After the repeated wars and disasters and everything else the new form of the Earth flipped off humankind with, it was pretty much inevitable that new life forms would be born amidst it that were already used to the wanton bullshit. Such came forth in the form of the tribe that could only be called one thing: The Mutants. Unlike Humanity or Mystics, the Mutants were a new addition. They also weren’t Artificial (being organic in the strictest sense of the term) and they certainly weren’t Celestial beings but weren’t Monsters as they were previously known; so ‘Mutant’ stuck. The Mutants first appeared on a continent-sized trash dump that had formed in the middle of the ocean from constant trash dumping the world over and the two moons’ influence over the currents and tides. Once it was all in the heap, the Mutants either came out of it or came from all around to it as it’s now the Mutant capital, Carcincadia. This would otherwise have been a fairly mundane occurrence (apart from the formation of new life under extremely mysterious circumstances the likes of which the world has never previously known, but who’s counting?) however, it was imperative for humans living within view of said trash dump island to maintain vigil to ensure the Mutants didn’t have similar plans in-line with the Celestials and Monsters. During said vigil, the Artificials were frequently used as go-betweens and scouts. After a time of viewing the Mutants carefree lifestyle (foul-smelling though it may have been) the Artificials became inspired. The Artificials around the world began petitioning their makers for independence and citizenship rights. The Humans and Mystics retorted, “Guys, there’s no high-minded-yet-heavy-handed metaphor here. You guys are robots in every sense of the word. You’re machines that we built so we get final say,” And that would’ve been the end of that, seeing as how they had a pretty sound argument there, but some of the Arts said “Nuts to that, they can’t stop us from just leaving,” So many of the Artificials departed, leading to the Artificial Exodus through the ruined world. However, please remember that the Artificials had been a slave caste race since they were first fashioned and now that they were truly free – and being one of but two races who could literally live anywhere – they had no idea what to do with themselves. Once they realized they were pretty terrible at self-governing, they opted to ask other races if they would employ them. The Monsters, still a bit sore from their recent losses, chased off or destroyed any who approached them and the Celestials just kept on laughing when they were asked. At last, some Artificials spoke to the Mutants about an alliance and, due to their similar heritage (in the loosest sense of the term) they formed a very unusual friendship that would be great for a plot in a buddy cop film. Once they had done so, the Artificials lost all desire to find new masters and decided to give being their own rulers another try. It worked a bit better this time as they established their own cities and towns and further cleaned up regions other races had yet to return to. Not too long afterward, a funny thing happened. Humans and Mystics traveled outside their homes for the first time in time immemorial and didn’t spontaneously die. It was then they realized it was time to take back their world. Part 5: Business as Usual At this point, the very first brave and foolish souls set out from their peaceful homes into the wastes to find other civilizations. Some set out for justice, others for money, and some others still for personal agendas both good and bad alike. The era of the Drifter had come. The first two generations of Drifters have come and gone, being some 80 to 120-odd years since it first became popular and Drifters now come in every shape, size and race. Monsters and Celestials still have their blood feud, Artificials and Mutants still have their… very, very strange kinship and Humans and Mystics remain that couple from high school where everyone could see them getting married except for themselves, at least until they grow up a little. What happens next? You tell your story and make history. What is a Drifter? -What is a Drifter?- Most of civilization now exists in the confines and safety of villages, towns and the occasional city, content to rebuild their little pockets of the world. The people who work day jobs, live in one town their whole lives, settle down, have kids, pets and responsibility compose most of the world and don’t have any special name ascribed to them – though “normal” might count. A Drifter is one who wanders, travels, or explores, living outside of or on the fringes of normal society. The word itself carries with it a mixture of emotions including, but not limited to, admiration, bravery, hope and at the same time, disdain, annoyance or even outright hatred. Drifters are the ones who shape the new myths and legends, for good or for ill, and, in turn, spread the stories about during their travels. The tall tales of these wanderers are known the world over, bringing a hope to those who hear of their daring exploits. In essence, anyone can be a Drifter; the real question is can they become a great Drifter? Taboos -Taboos-
A taboo is a cultural concept of what is considered okay in polite society and what isn’t. Here is a short list detailing some of these in a broad, sweeping stereotypical view of the Drifters world: -The six races have specific enemies and allies to each. Humans and Mystics are fairly close to one another, as are Artificials and Mutants. However, beyond that, romantic relationships between the six are frowned upon (hence the “Forbidden Love” flaw) and will result in some tension between both societies involved (or at least those who care). There are advocates who will support you, but by and large, interbreeding (while mostly-impossible) is frowned upon. As a footnote, homosexuality is frowned upon but not explicitly illegal; the general thought process being that if you’re not helping with repopulating the desolated planet, you’re doing it wrong. On the topic of bisexuality, most of the populace could go either way (BA-ZING!). -The six races have wildly different life expectancies. Humans live to be around 100 years old in the safety of towns. In ideal conditions, a Mystic could live to 300. An Artificial can expect to see several centuries pass before their body starts to break apart, though this varies significantly by build type. Mutants are adapted well to the world and thus have been seen as old as 150. And most types of Celestials and Monsters are essentially ageless and immortal, unless killed. -The religions of the world prior to the Great Disaster are still around and play a significant role in day-to-day life in many settlements. Despite the presence of gods and demons on Earth, there are some who (with some degree of solid reasoning) figure the Celestials are just really advanced aliens who happen to parallel some ancient myths. Whether this is true or not is up for debate. -The six different races, due to their differing origins, hold to different codes of ethics relating to their cultures and civilizations: -Humans and Mystics share a similar credo in that they consider cannibalism and the butchering and consuming of sentient beings unthinkable. Murder and rape are punishable via execution (preferably a swift one) excepting cases where the former was in self-defense and lesser crimes met with, in descending order of severity: exile, jail time, fines, and shunning of the perpetrator. Torturing enemies for information is considered justified, but very few pocket societies consider anything beyond that okay. While killing and eating animals (including hunting for trophies) is generally okay, Mystics with connections to certain animal types will usually forgo eating them, unless desperate. Slavery of certain key races (AKA: Mutants & Monsters) is considered okay but a practice reserved almost exclusively to the rich. -Artificials, not needing to eat, have no taboo concerning butchering (since it doesn’t really apply to them), but murdering another Artificial can be met with execution, regardless of circumstances. Meanwhile, murdering another sentient is merely met with exile. Lesser crimes are usually dealt with jail time, albeit, not frequently (since time is a non-concept to an Artificial). Artificials, due to their time in chains, consider torture and slavery inhumane and refuse to participate in either practice. Killing animals is frowned upon as wasteful. -Celestials are horrified by thoughts of cannibalism (albeit, blood cults of Celestials trying to rob others of their power will sometimes try, but this is not acceptable in society) and butchering sentient beings, though murder of a fellow Celestial (with the possible exception of Transcended) will be answered with execution of the perp. However, killing of a lesser being – especially a monster – is considered okay, provided the Celestial have some rationale to the act. Lesser crimes are usually met with petty annoyance, as Celestials tend to keep out of each other’s way for fear of causing massive worldwide devastation. Torturing for information or to make someone an example is considered fine in Celestial society. Killing animals for any reason is okay. Slavery of any race, including lesser Celestials such as Elementals and Messengers, is considered okay, provided Celestial Slaves get decent accommodations. Such luxuries are rarely spared for the other races taken in as slaves. -Mutants will eat their fallen dead (while few Mutants are active cannibals, they do exist) under the notion of “taking in their essence”, though it’s a poor excuse because they’ll eat the fallen dead of enemies too (though they would rarely deliberately butcher a sentient being for this expressed purpose, go fig). Murdering another Mutant without the most extreme of reasons is considered the highest crime in Mutant society and will usually end in execution or at least exile. Lesser crimes are a nonissue in Mutant society, since most things can be justified via the excuse of “I felt like it” and that tends to sit well with most of them. Torturing for information or, hell, just for fun, is perfectly acceptable, as is killing animals for any reason. Slavery is considered a matter of personal preference. -Monsters will eat just about anything, sentient or otherwise. Murdering another Monster is fine with a halfway decent reason. Lesser crimes are most often ignored, regarded as a “personal preference”. Torture for any reason is fine, as is slavery of any other being. -More as they come up. |
| "It's cogerent. ... That's coherent and cogent at the same time," ~Dietaku | |
![]() |
|
| Jeff | Dec 18 2012, 02:50 AM Post #2 |
![]()
Veteran Monster Hunter/Rancher
|
So, Where are We? -So, where are we?- Welcome to the new and slightly worse-for-wear Earth. No one knows what set off the disaster (or even the true nature of it) but everyone remembers what happened minutes after – the end of civilization as we now know it. This was a mild inconvenience for a species as determined and resourceful as humanity and thus we only lost 90% of our number. A great deal of time has passed since then but after a while that concept becomes depressing, so the precise year date is an unknown. However, it has been about two or three generations since drifting became a popular way of life. The maps from the old age are useless now as amazing tectonic activity has reshaped them since. Earth -Earth- •The continent far to the west, Linpace, is largely composed of grasslands in the northern regions and deserts in the south, dotted occasionally by hills, valleys and mountains. Many various creatures roam the flatlands, including unusually large bugs. Many ancient, well-worn trails line this part of the world, linking the many small towns and grottos in a spider web of dirt roads. Many of these roads delve into the vast network of underground caverns, which is the truly interesting part of the continent. Below the surface remain vast quantities of ruins and buried landscapes, including the only known path to the enormous, so-far unbroken sealed door leading to the legendary ruins of “Milwaukee”, the lost city of riches. Tourist Attractions: The Yellow River – A flow of sand running through the deserts, composed of sand particles so fine that they actually closely resemble a liquid. The sand is safe and germ-free, sans the Sand Dragon that lives in it. -The Underground – A massive series of caves and ruins underneath the otherwise flat and placid Linpace terrain, home to countless species, knowledge and treasure long thought lost to time. - Milwaukee – This city, named for the odd signs and archaic markings found around it, is mostly found in the cave systems below the surface world. Oddly enough, most of the city seems to be even LOWER, implying that this mystical place was destroyed prior to the great cataclysm that ended the world. Progress below has been slowed to a near-halt due to redundant security measures and thousands of tons of concrete. Archeologists refuse to give up the search, however, as an aged tomb found in a climate-controlled room speaks of an emerald casket containing a great and mighty force, a golden map showing its location and a lost weapon all relating to the destruction of the city… •The northern continent, Rookvale, is composed of an enormous series of islands, some naturally connected and others linked by bridges and roads. It boasts the largest shipping industry in the world and, as a side-effect, the largest collection of pirates in the world too. Rookvale’s most noteworthy landmark is the city, Dimine, and its enormous castle. Within the castle walls is the home base of the Azure Court, the greatest arrangement of champions the new world has yet seen. These brave knights serve King Dimine III and his Queen, Sandra. The knights include: - Jacob of the Twin Blades. Jacob, a human knight, cast his shield to the ground the day a midnight assault of monsters took his wife from him and ever since has held a sword in each hand. He says little but, in close combat, there is no blade that can best his – not even the King himself. Rumor has it that his blade and strength combined are so great that, at their best, they could even cut the barrier between Earth and the Magic Realm. - Rose the Eye of Fate. Rose, a Sphinx Mystic, started off as little more than a carnival brat, following a circus caravan as it traveled and telling fortunes that turned out to be eerily accurate. When Thomas, fellow knight and an advisor of the King, lead troops to victory based on her predictions about his fortune, she was called into the royal assembly. Her control over magic, both for combat and medicinal uses, is unparalleled and her ‘third eye’ which gives her insight into the immediate future has caused small, but zealous, cults to follow her. - Ketrin the Fair. A Celestial of dubious origin, Ketrin is renowned as among the most lovely and charismatic entities to dwell upon the Earth. Legend has it she brought a Demon Lord who was terrorizing a small city to his knees with little more than her singing voice. She is also known for her gentle and warm nature, having become in some ways more beloved than the Queen herself. - Eileen the Hawk. A Birdwoman Mystic, Eileen began as a lone, hired gun. When news of her unparalleled mastery of ranged weapons began to spread, coupled with her tendency to disappear and then return months later without warning, many thought her little more than a ghost or a rumor. However, those that threaten Rookvale or the Dimine principality will find her always there, her trusty, well-worn rifle in hand. When asked where she vanishes to, she simply replies something about looking for “a friend”. - Thomas the War Master. A clockworks robot Artificial, Thomas has served in the royal house since King Dimine I brought together the warring nation-states of Rookvale as advisor and military strategist. Despite being a brilliant tactician, he expresses a desire to adhere to pacifism whenever it is entirely feasible to do so. However, he never disobeys a direct order from his King, nor would he ever allow harm to befall the royal bloodline. The sea to the north of Rookvale, however, has become a dark-colored, thick, viscous briny mud. The mud is such that no boat can sail on it for it being too thick and humans cannot walk on it for it being too much like a fluid. Tourist Attractions: The Ancient Library – A gargantuan building, reportedly of ancient Greek architecture in style. Supposedly, it houses a copy of every book ever printed within its white, stone walls. The exact location of this glorious wonder of ages long past is, for one, highly debated. What is confirmed, however, is the existence of a steel semi-human entity living within its walls who protects the library’s contents from anyone and everyone who comes near, killing or grievously injuring those who dare enter. •The southern continent, Scionas, is by far the largest, having become a never-ending jungle/rainforest climbing up and down mountains, valleys and everything in between. This continent is the primary breeding grounds and stronghold of the Monsters and those that follow their ways. Tourist Attractions: Acid Lake – Precisely what the name implies. It’s a large lake whose contents are so acidic nothing of the old ecology can live in it anymore. Metal rapidly dissolves in it, but the glass-bottom boat tour has been a big success. •The easternmost continent (on most maps, at any rate) is Rendrelve, the continent that boasts the closest thing to a metropolis in the world. The City of Five Towers, as it’s commonly called, covers most of the land and the latest in medical and technological advancements are found there first. Due to it being where many Humans and Mystics fled during the attacks launched by the monsters, it has a high population and is densely-packed even in spite of its size. That large population does not coexist equally, however, having a clear hierarchy based on race and wealth – the dregs of society largely composed of Mutants and the occasional Monster living on the street and ground-level, the middle-class living several stories above them (mostly Human and Mystic), the rich and influential just above there, and the five ruling families living in the highest stories of the grandest buildings the world presently knows – the Five Towers – on top. The five ruling families have divided the city into five roughly-equal pieces, but each wishes to expand its lot, their lust for power diminished only by their unwillingness to damage the city. As such, Coliseums have been erected throughout where chosen champions and private armies battle in the name of political advancement and personal glory; inadvertently giving rise to a form of free entertainment to placate the rabble simultaneously. The Five Ruling Families are: - Tourist Attractions: Quinstintz – the City of Five Towers – is a sight to behold, from the glitz of the upper echelon to the humble fishing district by the sea. The city is a massive structure of interconnecting overpasses, underpasses, subterranean tunnels and a sprawling urban body becoming more and more as one massive superstructure in scope. It’s considered the heart of polite civilization and every Drifter makes it a point to visit Quintintz at least once during their lifetimes. •Middenshell, also known as The Garbage Heap, isn’t so much a pile as it is a continent-sized trash dump. Well, did you think all these places cleaned up themselves?! No. Everyone dumped them into the ocean and they all flowed here and built up and, hey, whaddya know? Suddenly every mutant, misfit and criminal defense attorney found a place to call home. Rumors circulate aliens routinely visit, but the little green man who told us this had left his Polaroids of the events in “his other saucer” so nuts to that conspiracy nut, I say! Tourist Attraction: Carcincadia – the Mutant capital city. “City” is being extremely generous, though, as it’s really just a huge series of makeshift tents, huts, teepees and domes made of whatever the owner found laying on the ground (it is built atop a huge garbage heap, after all). Mutants and Artificials are often seen frequenting this place, mostly because they can’t actually smell it, whereas most other races avoid it as much as possible. •The North Pole, the frozen lands in the northernmost part of the globe, is now the home to the Jotunn, a clan of ice-giant monsters, and where the landscape isn’t ice or snow, it’s metal. No one has gotten the chance to go inside (that is to say, no one has gone in and returned alive apart from the Jotunn themselves) but it seems that the Jotunn’s base of operations spans the entire primary body of the polar ice cap. •The Lunar Plane – also known as the Dark Lands or the Surrealscape – is a vast, twisted hellscape that has pretty much replaced Antarctica and, since its inhabitants prefer to stay where they are, this is fine by everyone else. Now, by hellscape, I don’t mean FIRE and BRIMSTONE and DEMONS I mean “This place is extremely weird” and it tends to radiate pure madness in its forms. The objects and landscape are non-Euclidean and the life there tends to defy common sense, physics, biology, thermodynamics and much more. Compounding to this issue is the fact that “object” and “being” are not mutually exclusive states of being. Best avoided. Visiting the plane will result in a headache at best and violent no-sense-makey death at worst. •Australia was largely unchanged, which means it’s dangerous and inhospitable to humans. Avoid at all costs. The World of Magic -The World of Magic- Coming Soon? The Moons -The Moons- •Earth’s Moon (Luna) is a (comparatively) small heavenly body orbiting Earth. Supposedly there’s nothing up there but rocks and not-air, but some stargazers claim to have witnessed strange activity on the surface as of late… Tourist Attractions: The Sea of Tranquility. A massive mare (large, basaltic plains formed from ancient moon volcanoes) with a bluish tint now a massive nesting grounds for Tau Dragons (so much for tranquility, right?). It’s one of the few places in existence where one can easily see a Tau’s nest in the open and they don’t seem to mind tourists, provided they stay away from the actual nesting grounds a great deal. Sure, this behavior is incredibly strange and the fact that the dragons moved there at all is alarmingly out of the ordinary but it’s just so gosh-darned pretty… •The Celestial’s Moon (Foluna) is slightly larger than Earth’s native moon and also an off-shade of green. Closer inspection reveals sprawling cities and palaces dotting the sphere’s surface. Tourist Attractions: The Lunar Capital. Other -Other- •No-Zones. What are No-Zones, I hear you ask? A No-Zone is where you don’t want to be. It isn’t so much a place as it is a phenomenon; an area engulfed in intense otherworldly energy, whether by intense magical influx, a distortion in space/time or just a particularly powerful Celestial throwing a temper tantrum. They vary by degrees and are ranked by number and the lower the number the more like the Lunar Plane in nature they become – AKA: 10 is a zombie invasion and 0 is the Lunar Plane itself. The real danger comes from their unstable nature, able to warp space and time in erratic and chaotic ways with no apparent rhyme or reason. Particularly potent examples are actually walled off from the rest of the world by magical “shells” which even those with no connection to magic can see. A No-Zone, however, can be purified because each No-Zone has a Core. A Core is the epicenter of the No-Zone’s power and if it is purified or destroyed, the No-Zone’s hold on the region vanishes and will collapse in on itself. The precise nature of what happens at this point is rather unclear. No-Zones can be custom-made by GM or rolled by the players themselves if you feel particularly sadistic. 10 – The No-Zone isn’t entirely awful. Zombie invasion at the worst, usually. The Core is probably some wizard being a dick. 9 – Your standard haunted mansion falls around here. There’s a reason they seem three times bigger from the inside than the out. Also, the whole “You can’t escape” part. 8 – The world within the No-Zone is dark and uncaring. Survivors are few if any and the odds are already stacked against you. Running away isn’t exactly uncalled for… 7 – Around this point, your experience will probably strongly resemble an 80’s slasher flick and you’re the pretty, blonde cheerleader character who the audience wants to see die. And the Core of the No-Zone is the script writer and director. 6 – A Rank 6 and below are easily-recognized because this is the first rank at which a magic shell encapsulates the area. Getting in requires just a little force. Getting out is a lot harder. Hope you’re prepared. 5 – Welcome to a world run by demons who oddly enough treat Chainsaw as an element on the table and are all weak to it. And have odd senses of humor. Just a tip, steer clear of the trees. Just trying to help you out. 4 – My favorite example of a Rank 4 No-Zone was the evil, haunted amusement park that used B-list movies as themes for traps and giant, evil cakes tried to kill the heroes. That was a blast. 3 – At this point, the Core has insane leverage on the world around them. While their control is not absolute and blind spots exist in their field of vision, their might is not to be under-estimated. You are in for the fight of your life if you want to escape. 2 – If the Core is in full control, time and space are their tinker toys and you are pawns in a large, mind-bending game you’ll probably not figure out. If they aren’t, then pray to whatever deity you believe favors you quickly. 1 – Welcome to Hell. Hope you didn’t have plans for the rest of your (admittedly brief) life. The Legends, so they go… Like any other period in history, myths, legends and tall tales get spun and spread around, some based on more fact than others. More of these are uncovered every single day. Deities -Deities- A deity is one whom the residents of the world worship. Some are proactive in terms of how often they get involved in the affairs of the world and some are very passive, preferring a distant, gradual influence. For simplicity’s sake (and my own personal safety) the only listed deities will be those that appeared on the scene after the Great Disaster. -The First Presence: -The Third Presence: Thought Affinity: Unknown This Presence is perhaps the most benign of its “siblings” in no small part due to it not existing physically in space or time. The Third Presence is form given to the abstract concept of abstract concepts – thought itself. By contemplating upon it for a great deal of time and with great studiousness, one runs a (rather slim) chance of having a meeting with it within the confines of one’s own mind. The “host” seems to enter a comatose state while the “guest” remains within. The shape, voice, size, scope, race and even gender of the ‘guest’ vary from person to person but it always maintains a startlingly polite and astute tone and is eager to converse at great length on many subjects. When it fatigues, the presence will politely excuse itself and the ‘host’ who invited him in will reawaken… provided the proceedings are pleasant. Asking the Third about itself or its siblings (or even daring to refer to them as its family) will upset it greatly and it will issue the host a stern warning on etiquette. If the host persists, the Third will turn hostile and its powers in combat remain inconsistent between victims of its wrath. It is not impossible to talk it out of combat once it has engaged, but it’s perhaps better to let sleeping dogs lie in this case. -The Seventh Presence Affinity: Unknown Origin. Power. Scope. Shape. Goals. All unknown. The Seventh Presence cannot be described, understood or fully known. However, it can be known in parts, such as the part on Earth. A lone survivor of what used to be a full expedition party returned, raving nonsense and occasionally bursting into tears of sorrow and fright, speaking of “The Hand of the Seventh”. The Hand is the core of the Lunar Plane, but despite its immense might, many speculate it is just a fragment of a greater entity who anchors itself in the World of Magic, where mere mortals dare not tread. Do not attempt to seek out the Presence. Do not attempt to fight it. Legends say of those that do, all meet ends that are far worse than death. -Aidaruma Affinity: Light Standing: Lesser God Aidaruma appears early on the modern era’s timeframe as a sort of ‘mother’ figure, preferring to lead by love and compassion (a rare trait among power-hungry Celestials, which most are). She quickly became humanity’s preferred Celestial of choice, despite her worrywart nature, compelling her to travel from settlement to settlement to bring comfort to the terrestrial races. Such was her influence that one of the Divine Powers, Savior of the Sky, was given its name as a reference to one of her more popular titles. Since then, she has apparently disappeared, leaving her followers wondering what will happen to them next. -St. Joe of Rock Affinity: Null Standing: Transcended Joe (as he prefers to be called) was once an ordinary rocker, following rigorously in the Ways of Rock. But one day, whilst jamming out, his awesome sound shattered the Heavens above in a phenomenon now known as the Night of the Living Shred. In this, he transcended with his hallowed sound, rocking out to this day in secret. Now he passively blesses those that wield the holy sound in homage to him. -More will go here. Eventually. Names of Legend -The Names of Legend-
Snicktaw – A rugged, ancient drifter who is reportedly still alive, despite rumors of his existence first appearing in history centuries ago. He wanders, seemingly without destination in mind, from place to place, bringing aid and strength to the weary and hopeless. He refuses payment or indulgence and rarely speaks. When he does speak, it is only enough that he mentions a “mistake” from “long ago”. Kyahs’Hahn – An ancient warrior with a body of steel, so the story goes, awaiting in the depths of an ancient library, long, long forgotten, prepared to fight to the death to protect the secrets of the age from which created him… Blast Chestcheese of the Many Taboos – An early-era Drifter, tales record her being well over 80 years old by the time her name appears in history. Known as a “Transforming Prostitute” (whatever that means) she set the bar as low as possible for all to follow after her. However, she’s famous for her love affair with a Mutant, known only by the name of Glorfgh McTentacles, and thus has become an icon for all those baring the “Forbidden Love” flaw. Basil Marseau & Marc Nordan – While the details about these two are difficult to peg down, historians agree these two early-era Drifters were notorious rivals who competed in all things. Marc, who has been confirmed by historians to have spoken in a low, raspy voice, was a well-known womanizer who would breeze into town, speaking of his fantastic trade caravan (and the ease of which one could obtain credit there) and would leave town shortly after. For unknown reasons, Basil went after Marc after he went through his town. Basil spoke in a high-pitched voice and slurred certain key words of phrases, making his precise motivation unclear. However, rumors concerning these two circulate even to this day, giving credence to the theory that their battle of good and evil (or, perhaps more their battle of good-natured cluelessness and shifty marketing ploys) rages even to this day. |
| "It's cogerent. ... That's coherent and cogent at the same time," ~Dietaku | |
![]() |
|
| Jeff | Dec 18 2012, 02:56 AM Post #3 |
![]()
Veteran Monster Hunter/Rancher
|
What You'll Need -So, that’s the world; who am I and what do I need?- Okay, if you tolerated my sense of humor this far, you must be curious as to how to play this game. Let’s dig into the fun stuff – how to play. What you’ll require (this list, like the rest of this document, is in beta. Expect changes!): As many 10-sided die as required. Probably around 10-15 should do at base power levels. Paper, pencil, erasers, etc. Graph Paper/Something to make a map with. A copy of the sample character sheet, provided at the end of this book, for each player. Your friends – preferably mildly buzzed for maximum enjoyment. The more the merrier, but you need at least two people total – at least one to GM and one to play – and anywhere from 3-8 for best results. So, You Want to be a Drifter... -So, You Want to be a Drifter?- If you made it this far you’re probably somewhat overwhelmed as of where to begin with all this – which is understandable as this is still an alpha build of the game. This section is the Quick Start Guide that will put everything in small words and hold your little hand as we venture through the character creation process from the top-down. Pick Your Species Step 1) Pick a species. I consider this the first step because it will help shape all your decisions from here on out. During this phase, apply species Bonus and Penalty and jot down what species attribute you get for your choice. Remember: all attributes (unless otherwise noted) begin at 1! If you choose Artificial: You are the Tank. You take hits like a champ with your natural defenses and can go blow-for-blow with most any enemy due to your colossal might. Remember, your Processing Power is the ace in your sleeve. By contrast, you’re biggest weaknesses will be in social settings and your naturally low movement speed. If you choose Celestial: You are the Party Figurehead. You are big and powerful, ‘nuff said, really. Wanton abuse of your Divine Powers will be what makes you accepted in the party as well as garner more of that delicious faith you crave. While your stats may be a bit higher than the others in your group, remember, you’re going to be the natural target to enemies, so be aware. If you choose Human: You are the Wild Card. You can be anything and become anything when it suits your needs. You’re flexible and your natural skills and tools will be a boon in battle to confound and help thin out enemy numbers. You may not be the best at any one thing, but you can do everything at least modestly well which makes you a force to be reckoned with. If you choose Monster: You are the Cannon. Everything about you is designed for killing with extreme prejudice – not that anyone kills with mild prejudice but I digress. You have access to the biggest MP pools in the game, which let you spam magic from a distance or you can get in close and bash skulls in with your fell and terrible strength. Be wary, as few will trust you and many will despise you. If you choose Mutant: You’re in it for the Challenge. Mutants can BE anything in a very literal sense. Your body will rapidly mend itself and you can venture into places few others can, double with the advantages your positive mutations can grant you. Take care, however, as many enemies have attacks that can exploit your natural weaknesses and Mutants are physically the weakest tribe. If you choose Mystic: You’re the All-Rounder. You have aspects of humanity’s diversity and the monster’s raw might. You can take up any role the party needs you in. However, as the Mystic is Humanity’s next of kin, you share their lot in life, for better or for worse. Choose Your Subtype Step 2) Decisions, decisions… If you opt to go as an Artificial, then choose a material build and all the Build Bonuses, Penalties and the Build Defense that go with it. Remember, you cannot purchase cheap armors, so pick your weapon well. If you want to go as a Celestial, choose your standing and record all the Standing Bonuses and Penalties that accompany it. Then, select a tree of Divine Powers you will align yourself with. You can only select one and trying to change later on will result in a massive drop in your faith as confused followers abandon you for a more consistent leader. If you want to play a Human, at this point, you want to pick a class that best reflects the role you want to play in the party. Write down all the Class Bonuses, Penalties and Bonus Gear you get and any special notes that apply. If you’re going as a Monster, pick your Pedigree and record the Pedigree Bonuses, Penalties and details that go with it. Afterward, select the Lore tree you wish to study. You may only study one Lore tree at a time. If you’d rather be a Mutant, then, select the Biome your Mutant was born and raised in, recording the Biome Bonuses, Penalties and details that accompany it. If you’re playing a Mystic, pick the sect that best reflects the role you want to play. Write down all the Sect Bonuses, Penalties and so on you get and any special notes that apply. At this point, now might be a good time to consider a Life Path. A Life Path is simply a code or system of law or logic you abide by. These are all optional and just for fluff. A Life Path is a short phrase or mantra reflecting your long-term, overarching goals and can amount to anything. For example, a righteous Knight might have a Life Path called “In the Name of the King”, reflecting his fealty to his ruler, or one dedicated to spreading the corruption of the Lunar Plane might mark down just “Corruption”. A Life Path is simply a reflection of your Drifter’s ambitions, so you’re not obligated to have one at all. Remember: Artificials and Mutants are the “Unnatural” races, Humans and Mystics are the “Terrestrial” races and Celestials and Monsters are the “Otherworldly” races. An additional note: you do not gain or lose experience points for the Merits and Flaws you get from your Race and Subtype Bonuses and Penalties. After calculating your race and subtype bonuses and penalties, it’s entirely possible (and altogether likely) you will have negative numbers in some attributes. That’s fine. Leave them there for now. Once you’ve done this, it’s time to do some math! Add it Up Step 3) Number Crunchin’! All Drifters get 10 points to distribute freely cross their six primary attributes and 50 experience points to power up their Drifter (refer to the racial growth charts for specific costs), except Mutants who get 40. However, no one attribute may be boosted higher than 6 at character generation with starting points, unless the party is not beginning the game at the base power level, at which point it’s the GM’s problem to decide these things. Any experience points not spent during this phase may be pooled for later use. Calculations Step 4) Calculations are Fun! Calculate the following: HP = Stamina x 2 + Misc. (Except for the Otherworldly Races.) If Stamina is equal to or less than 0, your starting HP is 1 and all HP gains are equal to 1 until you boost your stamina above 0. TP = If Human, [Stamina + Skill + Job Class Bonus]. If Mystic, (Stamina + Aura + [Job Class Bonus/2]). If Artificial, [Processing Power + 15]. If Celestial (Stamina x 3). If the initial result somehow is equal to or less than 0, your starting TP pool is 0. MP = If Human, [Intelligence + Skill + Job Class Bonus]. If Mystic, [Aura + Intelligence] x 2; if Monster, [Aura x Intelligence] x 2. If Celestial (Intelligence x 3). If the initial result somehow is equal to or less than 0, your starting MP pool is 0. Willpower = [(Stamina + Intelligence)/2] + Misc. (If Artificial, this will always = 0). This cannot be a negative value. On the off-chance it is, your base willpower is 0. Speed = Starts at 3 by default. At this point, add a bonus to speed based on race: Unnatural Race = +1 Terrestrial Race = +2 Otherworldly Race = +3 Afterward, consider any other modifiers like Merits and Flaws at this point. This cannot be a negative value; if it is negative or 0, Speed = 1. Round up in all fractional results. Once you have these things sorted out, it’s time to… Go Shopping Step 5) Go Shopping! All Drifters, barring those rare few examples who don’t, start with 500 silver to spend as they see fit. Buy any items, weapons, armors, trinkets, etc that you feel might serve you well on the trail ahead. Humans start with gear but, remember, you’re not obligated to use them if you don’t want to. Remember – experience points can also buy you status and attribute points, merits, techniques and magic spells. These will help customize your drifter and highlight their strengths and weaknesses. Theme & Aesthetic Step 6) What kind of Drifter are you? Merits and Flaws make a nuanced, detailed and specialized Drifter. However, you may only take 10 experience points worth of Flaws before you cease gaining additional experience points for them. You may, however, take as many flaws as you’d like, even beyond the additional points – GMs are encouraged to reward player creativity through freebie willpower points or (in exceptional cases) experience points. Some Merits and Flaws have multiplier values rather than addition and subtraction values. In instances where certain stats being positive or negative make the utility of these odd, check with you GM about what to do with them. The rule to bear in mind, however, is where it doesn’t match up with common sense, disallow it. Finishing Touches Step 7) Both God and the Devil are in the details! With the essentials established, it’s time to answer the questions that this book can’t fill in for you. Some things to consider for your character at this point are: What is your name? What is your quest? What is your favorite color? What gender are you? How old are you? Have you been a drifter long? What do you look like? Where are you from? Where are you going? Alternatively, what are you looking for? What did you do before you decided to be a Drifter, or were you always on the road? Do you follow a life path? Which? Do you have any family? Close friends? Lovers? Enemies? What’s your relation with each like? Do you have any opinions on the supernatural or religion? Law and Chaos? Good and Evil? What’s your short-term goal? Just survive? See the sights? Have fun? Sex? What’s your long-term goal? Vengeance? Redemption? Treasure-hunting? Sex? That should get you started, but seriously consider each of these and more. A well-developed character can give a GM fantastic ideas to incorporate details from each together into the narrative in addition to the outside forces that act upon each. Stat & Attribute Overview -Okay, let’s make a drifter!- All drifters, regardless of race have the following attributes, each starting with 1 in each by default (unless otherwise specified) but can, sometimes be as low as 0 (or even negative, minimum of -10) and as high as 20. =Attributes= Melee Attack (MA) Ranged Attack (RA) Stamina (ST) Intelligence (IN) Charisma (CH) Special Trait* *Special trait is species-specific and shall be discussed in each relevant species’ section below. Melee Attack is your aptitude with dealing with close-quarters combat. This applies to short and mid-range weapons, martial arts and improvised melee weaponry (like grabbing and using a chair as a club). This does, however, account for using a ranged weapon (bow, gun, etc) as a melee weapon, as it wouldn’t be used in its traditional method. If this attribute is 0 or less, it indicates that you have either abysmal hand-eye coordination or perhaps that you’re grossly far-sighted instead. Ranged attack, as you might have guessed if you’ve been paying attention, is the key stat for projectiles, throwing weapons and just grabbing fistfuls of dirt to throw at your enemy when you opt to puss out at a critical moment and can’t be more creative. If this attribute is 0 or less, it indicates you are horrifically near-sighted or possibly blind. Stamina governs all the aspects concerning your character’s build, including – but not limited to – endurance, ability to bounce back from illness and injury and their general overall health. In the event of this being 0 or less, you are remarkably weak and not in good shape. Not conducive to survival, mind, but no one will stop you from trying. Intelligence is an all-encompassing term for your character’s mind’s speed and sharpness. Though, for the purposes of mechanics, this covers book and street smarts, you are free to play your character as you deem fit (making a bookworm knowledgeable about math and ignorant about how to get by on the streets, for example). For gameplay purposes the traditional RPG stat of “Wisdom” is counted here as both are fundamentally interrelated as wisdom is just intelligence from experiences. This handles how quickly and how efficiently your drifter can research a subject, recall information, investigate a scene and so on. You can have 0 or less in this attribute which indicates you are grossly below average intelligence or perhaps even feral. Charisma is the general aptitude of your drifter’s capacity to interact socially, but isn’t limited to that. Charisma also is the net sum of your physical attractiveness (for your species), your wit, charm, and the other litany of small details that make for great leaders and liars. Player characters can have 0 or less in this attribute which usually indicates hostility towards social settings or am inherent distrust in others, which is a common aspect of the world of Drifters. Artificials, however, start with 0 in Charisma due to their mechanical origins. All drifters also have the following stats as well. =Stats= Health Points (HP) Magic Points (MP) Technique Points (TP) Will Power (WP) Experience Points (EX) Speed (SD) Insanity Points Health Points indicate the amount of damage you can take. If you hit 0 you are knocked out. If you are hit again in this state, you are automatically removed from the fight with no chance at revival and, if hit hard enough, you run the risk of death, which is a real possibility as a drifter. Life’s hard. HP restores at the rate of +3 per hour (faster for Mutants) and completely after a good night’s rest. Magic/Technique Points are your capacity to perform special moves relevant to your species. Running out of these does not harm your HP or overall wellbeing. Not every class and species allows for this to be considered. As a general rule, when referring to all possible pools of magic and technique points, this book will refer to them as Special Points. Special Points restore at a rate of +2 per hour and completely after a good night’s rest. Will Power is your general capacity to do… stuff. It’s the most versatile stat in the game. Your starting Will Power is [(Stamina + Intelligence)/2] but from there can go up or down as you use or gain it. You may spend 1-3 will power points to add that number of dice to virtually any roll you can do. This can also be invoked to avoid engaging in mental and social combat phases by showing the resolve to not “stoop to their level” and walk away. Drifters whose species is under the “Artificial” branch do not have will power and thus do not gain these advantages. GMs are recommended to reward crazy-awesome or just plain awesome (sometimes just plain crazy applies too) stunts and feats with willpower points. Willpower will replenish back to its present maximum at a rate of +1 per hour or by accomplishing something that moves you closer (or at least, in a way you perceive as moving you closer) to your drifter’s overarching goals, allowing you to exceed starting levels – at GM’s discretion. Or just by being awesome. Experience Points are a numeric representation of your character growing harder, better, faster, stronger and so on. These are acquired by winning fights, coming out on top in debates, or by the drifter in question moving closer to their goals. Once acquired, experience can be spent to purchase attribute upgrades, techniques, spells, merits and more. GMs are encouraged to reward creativity, going above and beyond and generally amazing feats be rewarded with a little exp to encourage bigger, better things of their players. Speed is your character’s movement across the grid, measured in squares (which in real-world sizes account for about 10 square feet a pop). Speed will be lower than its stated value more often than not, due to armor carrying a Speed Penalty and terrain that isn’t perfectly even being more difficult to traverse. Weapons tagged ‘Heavy’ have an innate Speed Penalty of -1. Speed is also used for initiative rolls and dodging. Speed’s maximum is 20. Insanity Points are a negative stat. Sometimes bad things happen and you get over it. However, sometimes you don’t get over it and that’s when insanity rears its ugly head. When encountering situations that are extremely high-stress, otherworldly, or are exposed to elements of places or things corrupted by the Lunar Plane, you can be inflicted by Insanity Points. A single Insanity Point doesn’t cause any (direct) harm, but as they accumulate, your Drifter will suffer and degenerate more and more and the therapy and treatments necessary to remove Insanity Points can take years before the Drifter’s mental state properly and fully recovers. See the “Psychoses” chart for details. Still awake after all that? Good! Let’s move on to the next part, which should be more fun: Species & Subtype -What species are you?-
The world of Drifters is diverse and complex. Not all drifters are human and even when they are none are created equal even if they are, in terms of numbers, identical. These changes come about as a result of two new aspects of character development: Species – What species you are. In the world of Drifters, there are six playable races: Artificial, Celestial, Human, Monster, Mutant and Mystic. Humans and Mystics are considered the “Terrestrial” races, Artificials and Mutants are considered the “Unnatural” races and the Celestials and Monsters are classified as “Otherworldly” races. -Subtypes- A Subtype is the subcategory that your Drifter is a part of. All Drifters fit into some Subtype or the other. Artificials are categorized by their Build, which is what they are made out of and the advantages and disadvantages such brings. Celestials are categorized by their Standing with the terrestrial races. Humans are categorized by their Classes, which are aesthetics and sets of tools used in each, adopted from the ways of their ancestors. Monsters are categorized by their Pedigree, or breeds. Mutants are sorted by the Biome within which they were born and raised – which effects how their bodies mutated from birth onward. Mystics are categorized by their Sect, which is similar to a pedigree, but as Mystics are all humanoid in form, not the same thing. |
| "It's cogerent. ... That's coherent and cogent at the same time," ~Dietaku | |
![]() |
|
| Jeff | Dec 18 2012, 02:58 AM Post #4 |
![]()
Veteran Monster Hunter/Rancher
|
Artificial's Overview -Species: Artificials- Nicknames: Art(s), Golems Pros: Artificials are all ridiculously strong. You must literally hack one to pieces to stop it and even then, it might not be completely destroyed. Artificial Types get +5 Max HP to start. Artificials are naturally immune from Poison, Rot, Burning and Drunk status ailments. Lastly, Artificials’ defense rating is inherent to their build and thus cannot have it avoided. All Artificials are granted a pool of Tech points [Processing Power + 15]; from the tier-1 abilities you may choose 2 free techniques. Cons: Artificials start with their charisma at 0 (reflecting their… well, artificial nature and lack of empathy which results in a strong ‘Uncanny Valley’ vibe) and must expend double the experience points to raise their Charisma by 1. Further, Artificials, not being alive, can never have Willpower. Artificials also cannot wear armor (unless it is Metatron, which is often prohibitively expensive). Lastly, it takes much longer for an Artificial to recover from wounds as other tribes, recovering at +1 HP per hour, or to full with a good night’s rest. Species Trait: Processing Power (PR). Processing Power is the way Artificials compensate for a lack of Willpower. Due to their indefatigable nature, they can use this as a power reserve and substitute. For every point of Processing Power the Artificial possesses, that many times per battle the Artificial can do one of the following: 1) Add 1-3 dice for a roll, subtracting the same number from Processing Power, 2) Reroll a failed or botched roll and reduce PR by 3 or 3) Substitute Processing Power for Charisma for a social roll and reduce PR by 2 after the roll’s resolution (however, should this measure fail, the entire thing will be counted as a botch due to creeping the target out with your very not-human features). If Processing Power hits 0 due to these special rolls, you may not use it anymore until you’ve had a chance to rest for a time first. Processing Power regenerates at the rate of 1 per hour or completely to the cap with a good night’s rest. Processing Power starts at 1. Calculating an Artificial -Calculating an Artificial- HP = (Stamina x 2) + 5 + Misc. If Stamina is equal to or less than 0, your starting HP is 1 and all HP gains are equal to 1 until you boost your stamina above 0. TP = [Processing Power + 15]. If the initial result somehow is equal to or less than 0, your starting TP pool is 0. And please tell me how you managed this because I really want to know. MP = Artificials cannot take magic powers. Speed = 4 + Misc. (Base 3, Plus 1 as an Unnatural Race) Starting Techniques: 2 Tier-1 Techniques (Social techniques not allowed) Starting Experience Points: 50 Round up in all fractional results. Artificials at a Glance The greatest strengths and weaknesses of being Artificial lie within the fact that the entity in question is artificial. On the upside, hey, you are ageless, liable to live forever unless killed (not a small feat due to your RAW POWER), immune to most status conditions (most, depending on build) and you’re like a robot! How cool is that?! The downside is, well, you have no soul and thus kind of freak everyone else the hell out. Also, you lack humanity’s diversity, Mystic’s magical prowess and even the Mutants have the whole “Oh my God, what?!” fear factor for them. You’re like the creepy mannequin dolls from department stores wearing battle armor. Artificials have absolutely no access to magic, lacking the soul necessary for it. Fun fact: Artificials are, by design, sexless, though some adopt gender identities either due to build or by preference. Stereotypes held by Artificials: Celestials – They claim to be the makers of our makers. We hardly see how, though, despite their amazing power. Their arrogance is boundless, but they also ignore us. So, if nothing else, we have a working relationship. Humans – They are largely the reason we’re here. They made us to clean up the mess they probably caused in the first place. Then again, do we really want any of the OTHERS in charge? Maybe we oughta just roll with them for now. Monsters – Take them or leave them. Though, they’re probably more trouble than they’re worth. Mutants – We have an understanding. We’re both considered “weird” by the others. Then again, we consider ourselves a mote LESS weird by comparison but that’s just us. Mystics – Their magic combined with human science gave us life. So the question is do we love them or hate them? They haven’t paid us much heed since the rebellion. Builds Artificials are broken up by their “Build” or what they’re made of. These include: Aether, Flesh, Gargoyle, Golem, Lunar Steel, Metatron, Orichalcum, Robot, Titanium, Uranium and Wood.
-Aether- Nicknames: Rainbow Golems, Aether Artificials are the rarest sort, as you might have guessed. The nigh-apocryphal metal is rare enough as it is, but gathering up enough for just one Artificial is a task to itself, probably spanning years if not decades, not even taking into consideration everything that could possibly go wrong with that sort of plan. Aether Builds are truly awesome in appearance, brightly-colored and gaudy, contrasting their duller-colored brethren. Due to Aether’s nature, they are lightweight and surprisingly flexible. Build Bonus: +3 to Intelligence and +2 Stamina. Aether Builds do not suffer cross-species social penalties. +1 to social rolls made vs. Celestials. Build Penalty: You are made of Aether. Obviously. This puts a huge “PLEASE MELT ME DOWN AND USE ME FOR YOUR OWN ECONOMIC GAIN” sign on your back, so you start with the “Wanted” flaw. Secondly, all stealth rolls will fail because your very presence is like an air raid siren to most sentient beings. Also, all upgrades will cost +1 exp more than usual, because… aether. Build Defense: 2 -Flesh- Nicknames: Frankensteins, Corpses (Derogatory) Not all Artificials are made of rock and metal. Some are made out of body parts of animals and, in some more gruesome instances, humans. Frequently the work of mad grave robbers or serial killers with a sense of irony, these piles of meat are the most disturbing types of Artificials to encounter. Further, they suffer from more status ailments than any other type. However, these abominations wouldn’t exist if there weren’t uses for them… Build Bonus: +2 to Intelligence, reflecting the once-living’s muscle memory and brain within the beast and +2 to Stamina. Build Penalty: You have no immune system anymore and nothing to stop disease from re-killing the tissues that make you – hence you start with Vulnerability [Status Ailments] which, obviously, you’re not immune to any of them. -3 to social interactions with non-Artificials. Mostly because you smell so bad that no amounts of body spray will cover that funk. Build Defense: 1 -Gargoyle- Nicknames: Watchers, Flying Bricks (Derogatory) Represented in architecture dating back countless centuries, the Gargoyle is seen as both a sign of the ever-present evils in the world and as a form of protection from those evils simultaneously. Also, they were designed as really kickass old-world gutters, no fooling. However, this being a world where even terrible ideas are pushed forward with, the advent of the Gargoyle as a viable Artificial was inevitable. They are made of lightweight stone (comparatively speaking) and built with large, strong wings that, while aesthetically intimidating, do little in ways of getting them off the ground. Build Bonus: For one, Gargoyles are the only Artificials who can fly, even if they can only fly to a maximum height of 3 blocks up. They also get +1 to Melee Attack and Stamina due to their composition. Also, you’re pretty scary, so rolls to intimidate gain +2. Build Penalty: Well, you aren’t exactly the shining example of something built with higher thinking in mind, so you suffer -2 to Intelligence and -1 to Processing Power. Secondly, Gargoyles are built with monstrous or animalistic motifs, which aren’t exactly easy on the eyes, so your social rolls involving flirting, seduction or persuasion suffer -2. Build Defense: 2 -Golem- Nicknames: Statues, Golems are made of rock, stone, dirt, mud, and so on. They are powerful and unstoppable in many ways due to their build and being – quite literally in some cases – a brick wall. Golems are animated by magic but, once formed, have a will of their own. Some of these rock-men swear their loyalty to their creators. Others rebel or swear revenge on their makers. Build Bonus: +2 to Stamina. +2 to Melee attack. It is impossible for an enemy to knock you down by means of a sweeping attack or lifting you up. Build Penalty: You take double fall damage because you’re so damn heavy. Speed is reduced by -2 (min: 1). You start with the flaw Vulnerability [Water]. Entering water causes you to sink down to the floor of the water and your speed is cut by half (round up) while submerged. Build Defense: 3 -Lunar Steel- Nicknames: Destroyers, Lunatics (Derogatory) Lunar Steel Builds are easily the most terrifying sort of Artificial. Even the ones that mean well are prone to fits of madness and berserk rage for no discernible reason. They are tough built but well-balanced which means that, unlike most Artificials, they have few weaknesses to exploit. When one goes berserk, you will probably wish they had weaknesses to exploit… Build Bonus: +2 to Stamina and Processing Power. Further, you’re completely immune from gaining Insanity Points and the corruption of the Lunar Plane. +1 to social rolls made vs. Monsters. Build Penalty: Lunar Steel Builds are liable to fly off the handle at any time due to the metal’s corrupting influence. Once a day they must roll Intelligence + Processing Power against difficulty 1 + X (X being how many days since they last berserked). Failing sends them into a killing frenzy attacking friend and foe alike until downed in battle or until the scene has ended. Build Defense: 2 -Metatron- Nicknames: Heavies, Metatron is already associated with Artificials, so making a build out of it would be the logical consequent, right? Well, it worked. Kind of. Metatron Builds are insanely tough and durable, making it a nightmare to take one down, even with a trained team. The trade-off is they’re incredibly slow, even as Artificials go. They are not to be under-estimated, though. If one catches you, you will probably die in short order. Build Bonus: You’re an unstoppable wall of awesome. +3 to Stamina, +2 to Melee Attack. Further, you are immune to knockdown from sweeping attacks and being lifted up. +1 to social rolls made vs. Artificials. Build Penalty: You’re unbelievably dense and heavy, which has drawbacks. Base Speed is halved, round up. Fall damage is doubled, obviously. You start with the flaw Vulnerability [Magic Damage]. You gain no benefits from any armor, accessories or jewelry. Build Defense: 4 -Orichalcum- Nicknames: Orichalcum Builds are quite striking because of their radiant golden color and potent magic aura. As a result of this, they are about as subtle and sneaky as a chainsaw tied to a bulldozer. Orichalcum, however, has a low hardness value, meaning they don’t repel damage so easily, but they more than make up for it in their versatility. Build Bonus: +2 to Processing Power and +2 to Ranged Attack. +1 to base speed. +1 to social rolls made vs. Mystics. Build Penalty: -1 to Stamina and -2 to Melee Attack. -3 to stealth-based rolls. Build Defense: 2 -Robot- Nicknames: Homunculi, Fakes (Derogatory) Perhaps the most-easily recognized among Artificials and the most humanlike in nature, these can be the clockwork robots of ancient times or super advanced AI systems, but all maintain their kin’s humanoid shape. These are among the sharper Artificials, trading in raw power for balance and processing capabilities. Build Bonus: +2 to Processing Power and +1 to Charisma. +2 to Stealth Rolls. Build Penalty: -1 to Ranged and Melee Attack. -1 to Stamina. Failing a social roll with a non-Artificial has the effect that botching would due to your appearance. Further, social rolls with other Artificials suffer a -2 penalty because you look JUST human enough to be annoying. Such is the perfectly natural consequence of being unnatural. Build Defense: 1 -Titanium- Nicknames: Hoping to imbue a portion of humanity’s strong will on an Artificial, some possibly-mad-possibly-brilliant mind came up with the idea of the Titanium Build. This created a (comparatively) lightweight Artificial that could emphasize speed without compromising its structural integrity. At one point, some tried to gather up large numbers of these for an army, but it seemed a bit of human willfulness did find its way into the build as they refused to be controlled after all. Build Bonus: +2 to Melee Attack and Stamina. +1 to base speed. +1 to social rolls made vs. Humans. Build Penalty: -1 Intelligence, -2 Ranged Attack. You start with the flaw Vulnerability [Fire] and [Lightning]. Build Defense: 3 -Uranium- Nicknames: Nightlight (Derogatory) Because no one in the world of Drifters can back down from a truly awful idea, some wiseass thought a Uranium Build Artificial would be just swell. They went ahead with this and probably died of cancer shortly thereafter. The Uranium Build is a fantastic nightlight due to its dull luminescence if you don’t mind carrying a Geiger Counter at all times. They’re soft as golems go, but they pack a mean wallop. Build Bonus: +2 to Melee Attack and +2 to Processing Power. Attacks run the chance of inflicting “Radioactive” ailment on targets and you get to be immune to the ailment yourself. +1 to social rolls made vs. Mutants. Build Penalty: -2 Stamina and -1 to Intelligence. Also, being in water deals 3 HP damage per round on top of drowning damage, due to smothering your aura. Build Defense: 1 -Wood- Nicknames: Puppets (Derogatory) Sometimes things have to be done. Sometimes these things also have to be done on a budget. Such is the case with the Wood Golem. Wood Golems a far more lightweight than their metal, rock and flesh counterparts and are also incredibly buoyant as a result. They’re also cheaper to outfit than the others due to their light, easily-repaired nature. Build Bonus: +2 to speed and +1 to Ranged Attack. Wood Golems spend -1 experience point on their growth chart for any upgrade that costs 2 or more exp. Wood Golems may move over water as if it was dry ground and suffer no fall damage. Build Penalty: Wood Golems are not nearly as hearty as their brethren thus suffer -2 to Stamina and -1 to Melee Attack. And, obviously, wood burns, thus you take the flaw Vulnerability [Fire] and take double damage while inflicted with the Burning ailment. Build Defense: 1 |
| "It's cogerent. ... That's coherent and cogent at the same time," ~Dietaku | |
![]() |
|
| Jeff | Dec 18 2012, 03:00 AM Post #5 |
![]()
Veteran Monster Hunter/Rancher
|
Celestial's Overview -Species: Celestials†- Nicknames: Gods, Pros: Celestials are ridiculously powerful, especially compared to their terrestrial counterparts, so your HP multiplier is 3. You also get access to one of the Divine Powers list, which no other race can ever access, provided your Celestial adheres to a singular concept, which is pretty sweet. You also begin with 2 free tier-1 spells and 2 free tier-1 techniques of your choice. Cons: Celestials must appease their followers, lest they lose them and, by extension, the faith that powers their abilities. Their powers are also limited to a specific type, lest they upset or confuse their flock much to the same end result. Further, Celestials must remain on the move and remain somewhat aloof from their followers in so doing, lest they become old hat and thus lose faith via apathy. A Celestial will begin suffering HP loss, stat reductions and possibly die if their Faith is 0 or, worse yet, negative (meaning they’ve offended a flock away and gained none) for an extended period of time. Hubris, my good readers, is the enemy of all. Species Trait: Faith (FA). This is an indication of the number and zealotry of each Celestials’ followers. Regardless of their inherent alignment, there’s always someone dumb enough to follow you, yeah? This allows Celestials to use “Divine Powers” from the Unique Abilities List. However, it’s both the blessing and curse of Celestials, as it also brings with it the responsibilities you owe to your flock, causing you to maintain status quo or lose followers, making Faith among the most dynamic attribute in Drifters. Furthermore, Faith can be expended like willpower, the current Faith rating being the maximum Faith Pool, and points can be used to buff rolls for yourself and allies by expending 1 Faith Point per 2 die added, or by spending 2 to automatically revive a KO’d party member at 1 HP even over a distance, or spending it to invoke stronger miracles still, granted GM discretion. Faith, unless a Divine Power expressly states it reduces the maximum Faith amount, regenerates at about 1 point per hour or completely overnight. At Faith level 5 and above, granted GM approval, a Celestial may recruit heralds and summon like-minded spirit beings for help, guidance or assistance. Unless otherwise specified, Faith starts at 1. Faith can, however, be a negative value – which indicates revulsion and a negative association with your name. † - Players cannot take Celestials or Monsters as standard player characters. Due to being on a higher power level, these are reserved for special Advanced Tier Games, where all party members take one of signified races to play as. Otherwise, a game is considered Average Tier and these are disallowed. Calculating a Celestial -Calculating a Celestial- HP = Stamina x 3 + Misc. If Stamina is equal to or less than 0, your starting HP is 1 and all HP gains are equal to 1 until you boost your stamina above 0. TP = Stamina x 3. If the initial result somehow is equal to or less than 0, your starting TP pool is 0. MP = Intelligence x 3. If the initial result somehow is equal to or less than 0, your starting MP pool is 0. Willpower = [(Stamina + Intelligence)/2] + Misc. This cannot be a negative value. On the off-chance it is, your base willpower is 0. Speed = 6 + Misc. (Base 3, Plus 3 as an Otherworldly Race) Starting Spells: 2 Tier-1 Spells Starting Techniques: 2 Tier-1 Techniques Starting Experience Points: 50 Round up in all fractional results. Celestials at a Glance Dubious in origin, Celestials, once prominent in the long-ancient times, have reentered the world in force, some with plans to save the wild and savage world and others with designs on conquest or destruction. Celestials’ greatest power come from miracles and their amazing “Divine Powers”, but the power source for these is faith from the terrestrial races (Monsters and Celestials are not on good terms and the “faith” of other Celestials is cynical where it isn’t fictional). A Celestial may have grand overarching plans for the world, but to do it, they have to consider the amount of faith garnered along the way, which will dictate their short-term actions. Life’s a trade-off even for gods and demons. Stereotypes held by Celestials: Artificials – That which can give no faith is no more than a puppet on a string. Use them when necessary but otherwise, let toys play and weapons fight. Humans – They are the biggest source of faith on this planet. We are to guide our flock and punish those that threaten them. It’s a simple relationship, provided they remember their place. Monsters – The only good monster is a dead monster. Mutants – Worthless, the whole lot of them. Their faith is as twisted as their forms. Whatever created them certainly had a sick sense of humor. Mystics – Very much like the cocky older brother of Humanity, they show great promise. They, too, are to be regarded as lost sheep we are to herd back together. They are our children too. Standings Celestials come in relation to their standing with the terrestrial races and thus have their classification based on their Standing. Celestial Standings include: Abandoned Deity, Angel, Corrupted, Demon Lord, Elemental, Lesser God, Messenger, Theriantheios and Transcended.
-Abandoned Deity- Nicknames: Ancients, Relics (Derogatory) An adage in the east goes “When one god becomes obsolete, there’s another to replace it,” and such was a literal practice even in the ancient days when gods walked among men. Abandoned Deities are among the eldest entities in the world, some being even older than the ancient dragons, but have long since had their flocks wiped out in the disaster or having been forgotten amidst the changing times. Without their followers, the Abandoned Deities that remain must now make their way in a world that has all but forgotten them. Standing Bonus: You didn’t make it this far by dumb luck and your experiences have taught you well, so you start with +3 to Intelligence and +2 to Stamina. Further you start with the Hunter’s Instinct merit. Standing Penalty: Your Faith begins the game at 0 and you can’t raise it with the starting experience points or the bonus attribute points. You going to need to work your ass off to garner a flock, but the silver lining is you don’t have any NEGATIVE associations with your name, so that’s something. Lastly -2 to Ranged Attack. Rachel Art - Male ![]() Rachel tells me the basic concepts for the Abandoned Deities were inspired by Princess Mononoke. Personally, I don't see it. The designs actually strike me as very "Neon Genesis Evangelion". Neither of these is necessarily better than the other, I guess. On this one, I'm not sure if that red thing is a beard or its chin, or possibly both. And the less I know about the exotic dancer coin armor and whip, the better. Rachel Art - Female ![]() While I understand sexual dimorphism in species IS significant... I don't see it. But if Rachel insists they are of the same race, I guess I'll go for it. I like that this one appears to be in-motion, though, which gives the hair some dynamic flair. -Angel- Nicknames: Wings, Angels are above Messengers and below Lesser Gods on the power scale, acting as both messengers between the Otherworldly, Unnatural and Terrestrial tribes as well as defenders of the Celestials’ homes. Angels are more in-line with the more recent (read: wrong) winged-humanoid interpretation rather than the Old Testament (read: awesome) versions purely for convenience sake and not needing to write additional rules for them. Standing Bonus: Angels gain +2 to Melee and Ranged Attacks and start with Bird-Type Wings (max flying height: 5 blocks). Standing Penalty: Angels are not usually perceived as needing Faith, thus their starting Faith is 0, but it can be brought up with starting experience points. Also, Angels have a unique flaw in that they cannot willfully ignore evil nor can they concoct a lawyer-ish excuse why they should (I know your type, gamers!). Lastly, Angels suffer a -3 social penalty when interacting with Lesser Gods and cannot use the Death Divine Powers tree. Rachel Art - Female ![]() Well, when I said 'angel' I assume everyone got the same mental image. Not much to say. -Corrupted- Nicknames: Fallen Celestials are neither immune nor above the touch of the Lunar Plane or the dark corruption that eats away at the Earth in some places. For some, this taint is only skin-deep but for many, that darkness erodes away the very soul. The end result is a terrifying, gray-skinned visage with the eyes sunken so far into dark recesses as to be invisible and hair that seems to hover through the air without regard for force or wind. And being ass-ugly is only the start. The Corrupted Celestial, once touched by the darkness, will only degenerate further over time, losing their memories first, their personalities second and their regard for living things before becoming something… else entirely. Standing Bonus: The Darkness that flows in you empowers your body to carry out its will. You gain +2 to Melee Attack, Ranged Attack and Stamina. +3 to Intimidate Rolls. Standing Penalty: Your mind wastes away as you live. You begin with the Weak Will and Weak Mind flaws and -4 to Charisma. -Demon Lord- Nicknames: Assholes (That counts if they use it enough, right?) You sir, are an asshole. No, seriously, that’s what you are and are all about. You are about individual choice and freedom and yadda yadda chaos yadda. The reality is you’re a selfish dillhole and you live for your own self-gratification and taking the easy way out of everything because, hey, throw a few lightning bolts around and everyone worships you in respect. Or fear. Same thing, right? And in a world where everything is prone to exploding every other week or so, what’s a few thousand innocents between naps? Standing Bonus: You are feared and for good reason. You start with +1 Faith and +3 Ranged Attack. You also get a +1 to Charisma, so please don’t hurt me, sir. Or ma’am. Whichever. Hard to tell under your KISS-Makeup. Standing Penalty: You are hated by polite society, put simply. You start with the “Wanted” and “Poor Impulse Control” flaws. Then again, depending on your outlook on life, this might be just another set of bonuses. Whatever helps you sleep at night, you hermaphrodite. Demon Lords suffer -3 to social interactions with Angels and cannot use the Fertility Divine Powers Tree. Rachel Art - ? ![]() Question: What happens when you use the word 'hermaphrodite' as an insult, then your artist takes it seriously? Answer: This image. Oh yeah. Below the punk exterior, it's packin' heat. ![]() -Elemental- Nicknames: Elementals are physical incarnations of the concepts of the eight elements that compose the world. And any scientists out there readying your spectacles, preparing theses about the periodic table can fuck off and get with the program. Elementals tend to be among the “lesser” Celestials, which is kind of like being the shortest giant in terms of sheer amounts of damage your can belt out. ‘Nuff said. Standing Bonus: Elementals start with the Elemental Affinity merit (obviously). Further, they get +2 to Melee Attack and +2 to Stamina. Standing Penalty: Elementals are very easy to confuse for Artificials. As a result, you will probably not get the respect you deserve until you start throwing magic around with impunity. -2 to Charisma and -1 to Intelligence. Lastly, Elementals can ONLY use the “Element” Divine Powers list. Rachel Art Prototype ![]() I really didn't know what to expect with the elemental tribe. Then I saw this little guy. Now I love him and all his whimsical, tiny folk. Rachel got really creative with this one, so I really look forward to seeing all 8 elemental variations on him. -Lesser God- Nicknames: Champions, The term “Lesser God” is employed due to the still-present belief that the greatest forces in the universe exist beyond the physical realm, in part due to the off-chance that the Celestials are, in fact, just sufficiently-advanced aliens. In addition, it’s also to avoid grief from advocacy groups from certain real-world organizations who would otherwise be harassing the author of this book. However, these are the most readily-recognized Celestials on Earth due to the symbiotic relationships most try to form with their followers, often performing heroic deeds including being the tribe that prevented the Monsters from simply overrunning the last few bastions of humanity’s defenses. They are mighty and surprisingly numerous, but their arrogance knows no limit. Standing Bonus: Lesser Gods start with +1 Faith, +2 to Intelligence and Melee Attack and the “Willful” merit. Standing Penalty: Lesser Gods start with the Poor Impulse Control and Prideful flaws and suffer -3 to social interactions with Demon Lords. They also take -2 to Ranged Attack. -Messenger- Nicknames: Messengers are probably the least-resented Celestial Standing, being the first to interact and be on friendly terms with humanity and the Mystics. They are also probably the least-dickish of the Celestials, rarely being interested in outright war or conquest of an already war-ravaged world. Messengers got their name due to their high speed and association with Hermes. Also, it was easier to remember than “That one type of Celestial that isn’t a dick”. Standing Bonus: Messengers start with +2 Faith and Charisma. +1 to base speed and the Leery merit to start. Standing Penalty: Messengers are weak as Celestials go, not having the stats to cause massive incidents, so they suffer -1 to Melee and Ranged Attacks and -2 to Stamina. -Theriantheios- Nicknames: Beast Kings Most Celestials mimic the form of humanity (or they claim humanity was shaped in their visage, but who even knows if it wasn’t all a big coincidence) but the Theriantheios Celestial closer resembles the other denizens of the Earth – animals. These gods are strong and wild and respect the same in their followers and, as a result, are often associated with the ancient, tribal ways of humankind. Standing Bonus: Theriantheios Celestials begin with the Animal Totem Merit and gain +2 to Stamina and Intelligence. They also get +1 to Melee Attack. Standing Penalty: The beastlike nature of the Theriantheios means they compromise aspects their humanness, suffering -2 to Charisma and -3 to attempts to seduce, flirt and other such actions versus non-Celestials. Lastly, they suffer -1 to Ranged Attack. -Transcended- Nicknames: One of the reasons Celestials want as much faith (and therefore, subservience) as possible is because they have every reason to fear the terrestrial races – who are more numerous and remarkably hard-headed. Far more terrifying, however, is when one of the terrestrial races trains in both body and mind until their very essence completely transcends what they once were into something “more”. That’s what this Standing is, a Human, Mystic or even an animal that became a Celestial-type. They inspire awe in all who see them and a nervousness in Celestials who are used to keeping to their own… Standing Bonus: Transcended Celestials gain +2 to Intelligence and Charisma and +1 to Stamina, reflecting the arduous training necessary for their new forms. Standing Penalty: You are an unwelcomed addition to the Celestial families, so when interacting socially with any other Celestial Standing, your charisma is treated as 0. Also, being new to the whole ‘god or demon’ gambit, your faith requires double experience points to up one step during character generation. Further, you suffer -1 to Melee and Ranged attacks because, hey, transcendence don’t come cheap, bucko. Rachel Art - Male ![]() Definitely not what I expected. If nothing else, this art experiment will keep me open-minded about the end results. I guess my sole beef is that Rachel seems to have a very eastern mindset on religious iconography. Rachel Art - Female ![]() WHY YOUR SHOES ARE SO BIG?! |
| "It's cogerent. ... That's coherent and cogent at the same time," ~Dietaku | |
![]() |
|
| Jeff | Dec 18 2012, 03:01 AM Post #6 |
![]()
Veteran Monster Hunter/Rancher
|
Human's Overview -Species: Human- Nicknames: Man, Hairless Apes (Derogatory) Pros: Humans are incredibly diverse, holding the largest number of choices available by far and having the greatest diversity in terms of special traits and advantages. Also, humans are quite average, thus having no obvious weaknesses. Humans have their Intelligence stat begin at 2, reflecting their tendency to rely on smarts and wits to survive, unlike the other races. They’re also the only race to begin the game with Bonus Gear, or free items other than the backpack. Cons: Humans are very average and tend to be on the squishier side of the power scale, making them dependent on gear, numbers and abilities. Species Trait: Skill (SK). Since they first arrived on the scene, humanity has depended on their wits, their tools and their cunning to compensate for lack of the raw, brute power. Skill is a general measure of inherent talent coupled with the experiences each human has. Skill is used in many different rolls and is a part of how Tech Point Pools (Stamina + Skill + Job Class Amount) or Magic Point Pools (Intelligence + Skill + Job Class Amount) get calculated. For a while there was a prankster spreading the rumor that humans being good at running away from their problems meant that speed was the human’s primary trait, but common sense should dictate that that just isn’t true. Skill can be substituted in any non-combat roll at the human’s choosing (indicating they’re working from experience, as opposed to pure charisma or book-knowledge, for instance) granted GM discretion. Mystics who use human classes do not gain the Skill attribute, but apply Bonuses and Penalties against their Aura. Skill begins at 1. Calculating a Human -Calculating a Human- HP = Stamina x 2 + Misc. If Stamina is equal to or less than 0, your starting HP is 1 and all HP gains are equal to 1 until you boost your stamina above 0. TP = Stamina + Skill + Job Class Bonus. If the initial result somehow is equal to or less than 0, your starting TP pool is 0. MP = Intelligence + Skill + Job Class Bonus. If the initial result somehow is equal to or less than 0, your starting MP pool is 0. Willpower = [(Stamina + Intelligence)/2] + Misc. This cannot be a negative value. On the off-chance it is, your base willpower is 0. Speed = 5 + Misc. (Base 3, Plus 2 as a Terrestrial Race) Starting Techniques & Spells: Dependent on Class Starting Experience Points: 50 Round up in all fractional results. Humans at a Glance Humans are bipedal mammalian creatures with long developmental cycles (compared to other animals of similar sizes) and a penchant to whine at the slightest provocation. By and large, they are a useless blight on the Earth and the world is probably better off having had most of them excised by the Great Disaster. However, humanity shines brightest when pushed into a corner, and the loss of 90% of their number has reinvigorated the remainder’s fighting spirit, causing them to readopt the ways of their predecessors and grow a freaking pair already. Now, they return from the hidden, relative safety of tiny, dotted villages and are ready to reclaim their world. Stereotypes held by Humans: Artificials – A tool is a tool, even if the tool can mouth off. However, a hammer can drive in a nail as easily as it can crack a guy over the head, so it’s probably not a bad idea to give them a little respect. Celestials – God or Demon? Who can really tell these days? But when the world is this bleak, the best sources of hope are God and booze, so, what have we got to lose? Monsters – Screw ‘em. They almost wiped us off the Earth, might as well repay in-kind. Mutants – Ugh. Just thinking about them makes our skin crawl. If they stay where they are and we stay where we are, we’ll get along just fine. Mystics – Hm. They can change shape to look like us? Are they that way on the inside too or are they just looking to steal our jobs? Classes Humans, on the whole, have access to the following class options: Caveman, Cowboy, Detective, Gadgeteer, Knight, Martial Artist, Ninja, Rocker, Pirate, Priest, Samurai, Sycophant, Treasure Hunter, Viking and Wizard. Also, you have the option of forgoing the class system which does mean you miss out on the advantages granted by each, it also means you don’t have the disadvantages found within either. In this case, mark you character as “Drifter”, listed at the bottom.
-Caveman- Nicknames: Berserkers, Barbarians (Derogatory) Caveman is the broad term defining the ancient tribal ways of life that included the concept of “I hit hardest, therefore I am King”. This does not mean that your character cannot speak or have a high charisma stat. Cavemen (or Cavewomen, of course) are usually against overcrowded city areas and prefer the open, untamed wilderness. Happens when you have the biggest stick around, I guess. Class Bonus: Caveman class drifters gain +2 to Melee Attack and +1 to Stamina. Cavemen also start with the “Hunter’s Instinct” merit. Class Penalty: Cavemen, despite their best efforts, tend to want in the hygiene department and take a -1 to Charisma and Intelligence. Bonus Gear: Cavemen start with a Stone Hand Axe weapon as starting gear. Because stone isn’t as awesome as metal, it suffers -1 durability, but seeing as how I can’t think of any game ever where weapon durability was a good idea, this means jack shit. Further, you get a tiger toga. Special Points: Cavemen do not start with special points. -Cowboy- Nicknames: Gunslingers, Bandits (Derogatory) The rugged heroes of the west have learned to adapt to harsh climates by being tough-as-nails and unrelenting. They are firm, but traditionally fair. They can be seen virtually anywhere in the world and pursuing any number of goals. The Cowboy (or Cowgirl, if you prefer) class brings in all sorts but all of them tend to lean towards more traditional means. Because of this, it’s hard to nail down the essence of what it is to be a “Cowboy”. Class Bonus: Cowboys net +3 to Ranged Attack and a +1 to Skill due to fancy footwork required on the fly. Also, you get a pimpin’ hat at no charge. Class Penalty: You take -1 Stamina and -2 to Intelligence. Why? Because bullets hurt and books are rare in the desert. You start with the Prideful Flaw. Bonus Gear: You get a revolver and a cowboy hat. Special Points: Cowboys start with “Quick Reload” Ranged Tech and +10 Tech Points, plus one additional tier-1 tech of their choice. -Detective- Nicknames: Gumshoes, Slick Dicks (Derogatory) The detective is a specialist class that, unlike most classes, emphasizes mind over matter. They assess things slowly and carefully and look for the details others might have missed in the rush to bash someone or something over the head. Their slow and methodical nature seems to run counter to the rest of the species’ “Kill it before it kills you” attitude, but it has helped culture flourish by simply not rushing in to where angels fear to tread. It’s a lemon tree, my dear boy. Class Bonus: +2 to Intelligence and Charisma. All investigation, interrogation, pry and recall memory rolls gain +1. Class Penalty: Detectives are not the epitome of raw power, taking -1 to Melee Attack, Ranged Attack and Stamina. Attempts to ignore or walk away from social combat take a -2 due to their natural curiosity. Bonus Gear: Detective’s gain a Trench Coat and a Magnifying Glass. Special Points: Detectives do not start with these. -Gadgeteer- Nicknames: Tech-Heads, The gadgeteer is the go-to tech-head for all of life’s little and enormous problems. Mechanics, carpenters, smiths and architects all fall under this term for the sake of gameplay classification. They’re also nerds. Class Bonus: +2 to Intelligence, +1 to Skill. Gadgeteers get a +2 bonus to any sort of roll involving crafts, technology or a broad range of tech and gear-based things Class Penalty: -1 to Charisma, -3 to charisma rolls if you’re covered in sawdust, oil, ash, etc, something relating to your job. -2 Melee Attack. Bonus Gear: Gadgeteers get Overalls. Special Points: Gadgeteers get +10 technique points and pick 1 tier-1 technique. Wietske Art - Female ![]() Gogglehead here could easily pass for a well-dressed Treasure Hunter, but the gear background won me over to use her as the Gadgeteer. The "Nanny from Muppet Babies" socks are a questionable fashion statement, but she looks confident. -Hunter- Nicknames: Archers, Tights (Derogatory) One of the very first things humanity had to do when it was sent careening face-first back into the ancient days was provide for food. Secondly, it had to survive. These two problems were faced head-on by the hunters, who were swift to adapt to the new conditions in forests and jungles and obtain food for their towns. This lead to a lot of people wearing green tights and hanging out in trees. While this might sound like the origins of some kind of bizarre blood-orgy cult, it actually ended up working pretty well, so the hunters survived the test of time. Class Bonus: +2 to Ranged Attack, +2 to Skill. Hunters start with the Hunter’s Instinct merit. Surprise, yeah? Class Penalty: -2 to Stamina and -1 to Melee Attack. Hunters also start with 100 silver less than other classes because of their limited resources and simple ways of life. Bonus Gear: Hunters start with a Bow and Gauntlets. Special Points: Hunters get +10 technique points and may pick 2 tier-1 ranged techniques. -Knight- Nicknames: Warriors, The Knight is one of the most iconic representations of romanticized western history and, as a result, is one of the most popular and most-easily recognized classes in Drifters. All knights, regardless of their walk of life, have some kind of code they follow. This code can be virtually anything – chivalry, an oath to a King or loved one, family tradition, etc – but he or she must have a code of some sort to which they obey at the expense of all else. This is both the Knight’s curse and their blessing and acting in-line with their oath will restore Willpower to the drifter and the more strenuous the oath the more will they can summon up (GM’s discretion, of course) meaning the knight can persistently empower their movements with righteous fury. If the knight is forced to forsake their oath, they are considered “Broken” and stuck at a willpower of zero until they can redeem themselves and either restore their oath or pick up a new one to live by. While broken, a Knight suffers a -2 penalty on all rolls he performs, no matter how mundane. Class Bonus: Knights gain +2 to Melee Attack and +2 to Stamina. Class Penalty: Knights are awesome and so is their gear, but it also is because of this that they suffer a -1 to Skill and a -2 to Intelligence due to training physically at the exclusion of all else. Further, they must stick to their oath or suffer great penalties. Knights begin with the prideful flaw. Bonus Gear: Knights get one free Broadsword and a buckler. Special Points: Knights can, if they choose, take on a magical repertoire and +10 magic point pool at the start and 2 spells from the tier-1 White pool or +10 tech point and 2 techs from the tier-1 melee pool. -Martial Artist- Nicknames: Monks, All those who specialize in punching and kicking fall under this branch, even wrestlers, boxers and grapplers. Martial Artists are cheap to equip, fast and furious though they forgo use of most weaponry (some things, like nunchucks, are okay) and their capacity to learn a great array of moves and powers are a boon to any team. They are not to be underestimated, however, as their punches are comparable to any sword. Class Bonus: +1 to Melee Attack, Stamina and Skill. Martial Artists start with the Iron Hand Merit. Class Penalty: Martial Artists can only use weapons and shields with the [MA] tag. Ranged attack costs double experience to boost by 1 step. -2 to Intelligence. Bonus Gear: Padded Kenpo Gi. Special Points: Martial Artists get an impressive +20 Tech Points and 3 skills from the tier-1 Martial Arts Techs. Wietske Art - Female ![]() I really like this one. Then again, almost ANY woman would look amazing in a short-cut Chinese style dress. Guess I'm biased. -Ninja- Nicknames: Assassins Ninjas are the master of stealth, speed and assassinations. Not to mention, looking incredibly awesome. At any rate, ninjas are awesome but they do have their drawbacks. For one, they don’t talk a whole lot so getting to know the man or woman behind the awesome mask takes time. Class Bonus: Ninjas get +2 to Skill and Melee Attack. Class Penalty: -2 to Charisma and -1 to Stamina. Further, all rolls take a -1 for every additional ninja involved in the fight. -3 in social interactions with Pirates. Bonus Gear: All ninja get outfitted with full-body ninja suits and shuriken. Special Points: You are a ninja. Why the hell do you need these? -Rocker- Nicknames: Musicians, You are a master of instruments – both musical and of war and in this unique instance they are one in the same. Rockers are diverse but like-minded, following in the Ways of Rock as rigidly as a Cowboy does the Code of the West or the Martial Artist in the Ways of Combat. Do not underestimate the rocker and do not subject them to bubblegum pop, unless dying is high on your list of things to do today. Class Bonus: Rockers get +2 to Stamina due to being used to long performance hours and +2 to Charisma. Class Penalty: -2 to Intelligence and you take a -1 to all attributes if you are separated from your instrument of choice. -1 to all hearing-based, non-music tests, due to damaging their eardrums by rockin’ out all night. Cannot use weapons or shields that do not have the [MU] tag. Bonus Gear: Rockers start with a leather jacket. Special Points: Rockers can take +10 technique points and pick 2 tier-1 abilities from the corresponding attack type pools as their main instrument. -Pirate- Nicknames: Swashbucklers, Masters of the high seas, the buccaneers of a bygone age and scourge of the seven non-muddy seas! Yar-har-har, shiver me timbers and all that jazz. Most Pirates operate under the Pirate Oath, which is open to very liberal interpretation when the situation calls for it, so always be sure to get all legal dealings with them in writing. Class Bonus: +2 to Ranged and Melee Attack. +2 to social interactions with outlaws. Pirates excel at combat on land and at sea and thus move at a speed/distance ratio of 1:1 while swimming and start with the Flawless Balance Merit. Class Penalty: -2 to all social interaction with government functionaries and agents. -1 to Stamina and Intelligence. -3 to social interaction with Ninjas. Bonus Gear: Either 1 Rapier or 1 Revolver and a Red longcoat. Special Points: Pirates don’t have ready access to magic powers, unless taught later on. -Priest- Nicknames: Holy Man/Woman, Preachers The holy man (or woman) bringing forth the holy light to a world gone astray, would naturally find nothing but the choir hiding in the towns and cities. Hence, these pious individuals set off into the wilderness to bring whatever God, gods or demons they worship and are empowered by their might to perform feats of wonder, miracles, or bring about disasters. For good reason, priests and priestesses are some of the most feared, revered and respected drifter types. Class Bonus: +3 Intelligence, +1 Charisma. Class Penalty: -2 Stamina, -1 Ranged Attack. Cannot use Heavy class weapons. Bonus Gear: Wooden Staff weapon and a priestly robe. Special Points: Priests start with a considerable sum of Magic Points, including +25. From the first two tiers of white spells, they may select 2 starting spells. -Samurai- Nicknames: The eastern counterpart to the more western Knight, one could argue they’re more alike than different but the mechanics between the two are different enough to merit their own classification. Whereas Knights use heavier gear, Samurai prefer mid-tier weight class equipment and a balance between power and speed. Most, but not all, Samurai follow the code of Bushido which mandates absolute loyalty to their shogun, emperor, Buddha, etc. As a result, Samurai suffer a hit to their starting willpower. Class Bonus: +2 Melee Attack, +2 Skill. Starts with the Dual Wield merit. The Samurai also have a special roll unique to their class called Sword Spirit (Melee Attack + Willpower) where they sacrifice a weapon and with the energy they draw out can: 1) buff their Melee Attack by half the amount of successes rolled until the end of the fight or 2) heal HP to themselves or an adjacent teammate by the same value as successes rolled. Class Penalty: Cannot wear any type of shield. -2 from starting willpower. -1 to Stamina and Charisma. Start with the Prideful flaw. Bonus Gear: All Samurai are issued a Katana and Wakizachi set. Special Points: Samurai can, if they choose, take on +10 magic points and 2 spells from the tier-1 Black pool. Alternatively, they can take +10 tech points and 2 techs from the tier-1 melee pool. -Sycophant- Nicknames: Bards, Yellows (Derogatory) A sycophant, to keep things simple, is essentially all the story-telling, singing, yarn-spinning, rumor-mongering, yellow journalistic types. These are the types that keep the legends, legacies, stories and rumor-mills in full swing at all times. They are both hated and loved and hence earned their lovely class title. However, because there is no such thing as a “Code of Journalism”, the ones that are just trying to exploit people and the ones who genuinely want to spread the truth are difficult to tell apart. Class Bonus: +3 to Charisma, +1 to Intelligence. +2 to social interactions with aristocrats, merchants and government officials. Sycophants get +3 to all subterfuge and interrogation rolls. Class Penalty: -1 to Melee and Ranged Attack, -2 to Stamina. During social interactions with other Sycophants or people familiar with them, Charisma is treated as 0. Bonus Gear: Long trench coat. Special Points: Sycophants take +15 tech points and pick any two tier-1 or 2 social techs. -Treasure Hunter- Nicknames: Explorers, Thieves (Derogatory) The treasure hunter can come from many walks of life, but what unifies them is what they’re after: the lost relics of the past ages. They may be doing it for the sake of history and learning or for their own profit and gain, but either way they try to find what was once lost. It’s a dynamic class and a rapidly-growing one as humans set out to find what their ancestors had made before the disaster. Treasure Hunters view one another with a certain degree of distrust because of this, however. Class Bonus: Treasure Hunters get +2 to Stamina and Intelligence from the time spent digging and researching. Class Penalty: They suffer -2 to Ranged Attack and -1 to Charisma, due to spending enormous swaths of time in dark, cramped spaces by themselves. Treasure Hunters also get the “Cave Adept” flaw to start with. Bonus Gear: All Treasure Hunters begin with a Shovel and a set of Goggles. Special Points: Treasure Hunters do not begin with any special points but can learn from any school under a teacher. -Viking- Nicknames: The valorous Vikings were the Dutch seamen of a bygone (and highly stereotypical in the modern entertainment industry) era. They became tough-as-nails by taking the elements head-on and conquering and pillaging everything that looked at them wrong. And as far as they were concerned EVERYONE looked at them wrong. Plus, they’re big, angry Nordic warriors. What more do you people want? Class Bonus: Vikings get +2 to Stamina and +1 to Melee Attack and Intelligence. Hey, don’t laugh, you don’t weather thunderstorms by being dumb. Further, Vikings get a natural +2 to all lift and throw rolls. Vikings start with the Big Merit. Class Penalty: Vikings suffer -1 to Skill and -2 to Charisma. Vikings also start with the Prideful flaw. Bonus Gear: All Vikings set off with a mace and a round shield to start. Special Points: Vikings start with +5 tech points and access to 2 Melee Techniques. -Wizard- Nicknames: Warlocks, Mages Wizards wield the destructive forces of Black Magic. They are usually aged, having spent great lengths of time researching their craft. Wizards are also capable of amazing feats using these powers. They can be incredible allies or they can REALLY ruin your day as enemies. They are respected by humans – hated by the Mystics. Class Bonus: +3 Intelligence, +1 Stamina. +2 to social interactions with other magic users that aren’t Mystics. Class Penalty: -1 Charisma and -2 Skill. -3 social interactions with Mystics. Cannot wield Heavy class weapons. Bonus Gear: Wooden Staff weapon and a wizardly robe. Special Points: Wizards start with a considerable +25 Magic Points and access to the first two tiers of Black spells. From them they may select 2 starting spells. Wietske Art – Female ![]() I love this image. I really wanted to use it in three or four places, but I had to settle on one, so Wizard it was. It would be unusual for a wizard to look precisely like this, but to each their own, right? -Drifter- Nicknames: Indecisive Bastards Drifters are the classless types. In all settings they are unpredictable and can be or become anything they desire. However, the desire to not adopt an aesthetic brings about weaknesses all its own. Class Bonus: Select one Class Bonus set from any of the other Human Classes. In addition, you have the element of surprise in mental and social combat, which grants you a +3 to those rolls. Class Penalty: Select one Class Penalty set from any of the Human Classes that wasn’t the one you picked the Merits from. In addition you start with no Bonus Gear. Bonus Gear: None. Special Points: Take +10 Technique or Magic points and two tier-one moves of any specific pool they choose. |
| "It's cogerent. ... That's coherent and cogent at the same time," ~Dietaku | |
![]() |
|
| Jeff | Dec 18 2012, 03:03 AM Post #7 |
![]()
Veteran Monster Hunter/Rancher
|
Hybrids -Species: Hybrids- Nicknames: Mixers, Sub-Humans (Derogatory) Pros: Hybrids are more than the sum of their parts. They have an unusual wild card quality that lets them go a lot of places and do a lot of things other races might not be free to do. They’re often times difficult to describe and as a result, other races attempting to recall details about the hybrid in question later on suffer -2 to their Recall Memory rolls. Though expensive, Hybrids can gain full benefit from both their parents’ racial metals, making them flexible in combat. Hybrids pick their Subtype Bonus and Penalties, as well as their species trait making them tops for customization. Cons: Hybrids are living proof of the unpleasant reality that the races are more alike than they are different and the last thing the war-torn tribes need is a reminder. Hybrids, and their immediate family, are viewed with a certain shade of distrust in social settings due to mixed or unclear loyalties, resulting in a -2 to all social rolls with non-Hybrids. Also, Hybrids are not viewed as an independent species (Hybrids are universally sterile and thus can’t very well form civilizations all their own) and will usually be held to the standards of where they were raised regardless of how they particularly feel about that, thus suffer a -3 in social rolls with political or governmental figures. You do not gain any species-based pros, cons, merits, flaws, starting spells/techniques or bonus gear from your parents and you may never utilize Divine Powers or Lores regardless of your bloodline. Species Trait: Choose One: Skill (SK) or Aura (AU). Refer to the Human or Mystic sections for more information. Creating a Hybrid -Calculating a Hybrid- Creating a Hybrid Drifter is different than most other types. First, you pick your parentage. After that, you may pick a Subtype Bonus from either parent (except for the Drifter Job Class). Once you do, you must pick your Subtype Penalty from the other parent (Again, except for the Drifter Job Class). (For example, if the Hybrid was an Earthkeeper (Human/Mystic) and chose the Subtype Bonus from the Beastman Mystic Sect, they must pick their Subtype Penalty from the Human Classes. They cannot pick their Penalty from a Mystic parentage.) Once that’s done, apply the secondary Bonuses and Penalties from the type of Hybrid you’re playing. Then calculate accordingly. All Bonuses and Penalties applied to “Faith” are changed to the Hybrid’s chosen Species Trait. HP = Stamina x 2 + Misc. If Stamina is equal to or less than 0, your starting HP is 1 and all HP gains are equal to 1 until you boost your stamina above 0. TP = [Skill + Stamina] x 2 or [Aura + Stamina]. If the initial result somehow is equal to or less than 0, your starting TP pool is 0. MP = [Skill + Intelligence] or [Aura + Intelligence] x 2. If the initial result somehow is equal to or less than 0, your starting MP pool is 0. Willpower = [(Stamina + Intelligence)/2] + Misc. This cannot be a negative value. On the off-chance it is, your base willpower is 0. Speed = 5 + Misc. (Base 3, Plus 2) Starting Spells & Techniques: One Tier-1 Spell and One Tier-1 Technique to start. Starting Experience Points: 50 Round up all fractional results. Hybrids in Brief Hybrids are what happens when the extremely rare occurrence of members of different races decide to have a child together. These end up rare due to social norms and because the resulting pregnancies and subsequent birthing process can end up so wildly complicated that sometimes it just can’t happen. The only four races that can interbreed are: Celestial, Human, Monster and Mystic, for obvious reasons. Any attempts to forcibly merge any other tribe with the technology used to make Artificials results in the subject meeting an extremely painful last few moments of life before perishing. Hybrids take on a universally humanoid (or at least hominid) body structure with some minor, tertiary traits that will indicate their family history (for example, fur or feathers representing lineage from parents who have them). Hybrids, while flexible, will suffer a hard course in life even if they get lucky enough to reach adulthood. Hybridizations Available Hybrids are: Antipolar, Earthkeeper, Enlightened, Noble, Tainted and Terror.
-Antipolar- Hybrid: Celestial/Monster The Antipolar will live its entire life fiercely hated by both of its parental species, representing a union that should simply not exist – being too much a Monster to be accepted as a Celestial and too much a Celestial to be accepted as a Monster. The Antipolar’s inherently divided loyalties will bring about hostility and suspicion from the other races as well, meaning that no matter how well-meaning one might be, they will need to earn the trust they garner in life. Hybrid Bonus: Antipolars are quite powerful due to their blood, thus gaining the Astounding Constitution Merit. Hybrid Penalty: Antipolars are hated. A lot. They begin with the Enemy Flaw (Pick one: Celestials or Monsters). Further, they suffer -1 to Ranged Attack. -Earthkeeper- Hybrid: Human/Mystic The Earthkeeper is the hybrid that will likely be accepted more often than not, being the union of the two Terrestrial races and the most common hybrid type. The Earthkeeper will still face many challenges in their life and will likely be tested repeatedly. Those who succeed are said to be immeasurably powerful, as if the Earth itself favors them over all others. Hybrid Bonus: Earthkeepers begin with the Unshakeable Focus Merit. Hybrid Penalty: They also begin with -1 Stamina and -3 Max HP. -Enlightened- Hybrid: Celestial/Human The Enlightened appear as humans with auras of light about them during times of stress or great focus, the color of light reflecting their Celestial heritage. They are viewed with some mixture of reactions and are often mistaken for priests and prophets regardless of the individual’s piety. Due to this tendency, the Enlightened hybrid’s biggest enemy is usually their own hubris. Hybrid Bonus: The Enlightened are respected and feared. They start with the Willful Merit. Hybrid Penalty: They are also difficult to control, reflected in their starting their journey with the Poor Impulse Control flaw. -Noble- Hybrid: Celestial/Mystic The Noble is not necessarily one of high society, but the name derives from the phrase “Noble Beast” reflecting the Mystic magic uniting with the Celestial divinity creating a creature of great and mighty power. The Noble are viewed as protectors and guardians of the Earth from those who would bring it harm – even their own Celestial brethren if it ever came to that. Hybrid Bonus: The Noble Hybrid begins with the Hunter’s Instinct Merit. Hybrid Penalty: They also suffer the Prideful flaw. -Tainted- Hybrid: Human/Monster Considered the opposite of the Enlightened, the Tainted Hybrid is viewed with fear and revulsion, perhaps more than any other hybridization. No matter what the truth may be, rumors will follow the Tainted that they were the product of an unholy (and likely forced) union that was never meant to be. They will be hated. They will be hunted down like animals. Eventually, they must choose to embrace their humanity or the monster within. Hybrid Bonus: The Tainted begin with +1 to Melee and Ranged Attack. Hybrid Penalty: They also suffer from the Weak Mind Flaw. -Terror- Hybrid: Monster/Mystic The Monsters’ collective claim that the Mystics aren’t all that different from them seems unusually apt in this case, as the Terror embodies the animal of the latter and the demon of the former. The Terror is terrifying in appearance and often driven to cruelty by its own base nature. If they wish to break free of their curse, they will struggle against it their entire lives. Hybrid Bonus: The Terror can scale sheer walls with their bare hands at a rate of 1 speed – 1 block without anything to aid their climb. Hybrid Penalty: The Terror starts with the Monstrous Flaw. |
| "It's cogerent. ... That's coherent and cogent at the same time," ~Dietaku | |
![]() |
|
| Jeff | Dec 18 2012, 03:04 AM Post #8 |
![]()
Veteran Monster Hunter/Rancher
|
Monster's Overview -Species: Monsters†- Nicknames: Demons, Beasts (All derogatory) Pros: You are a monster and monsters ain’t gotta take no guff from nobody. You are free of those annoying concepts like governments and laws, loyal only to the nest-mates (if that) and you’re only really expected to look out for number one. You’re also ludicrously tough, scary and big. It’s not a bad gig. All Monsters enjoy immunity from the Fear ailment and have a tendency to exude it on others themselves. Best of all, sentience has blessed the Monsters with exclusive use of the deadly magical powers called Lores, though they may only study one tree at a time. Further, their HP multiplier is 3 making you a tough SOB to kill, on top of your pedigree bonuses. Plus you are immune from Insanity Points and their cumulative effects. Not bad. Cons: You are a monster, so, naturally, everyone wants you dead. Have fun with the angry pitchfork mobs of humans and Celestials that inevitably will come after you. Further, don’t expect any sympathy from anyone except Mutants, who share your plight in the “universally reviled” category, which is kind of like when you had to be nice to the annoying tag-along kid in middle school. Species Trait: Aura (AU). Aura is an indication of a Monster’s magical potency. Monsters get it based on their Aura and their Intelligence ([Aura x Intelligence] x 2). While Monsters don’t need to exude their auras in order to be terrifying and powerful (due to being genuinely terrifying and powerful because… y’know, monsters) it sure as hell doesn’t hurt. Aura begins at 2. † - Players cannot take Celestials or Monsters as standard player characters. Due to being on a higher power level, these are reserved for special Advanced Tier Games, where all party members take one of signified races to play as. Otherwise, a game is considered Average Tier and these are disallowed. Calculating a Monster -Calculating a Monster- HP = Stamina x 3 + Misc. If Stamina is equal to or less than 0, your starting HP is 1 and all HP gains are equal to 1 until you boost your stamina above 0. TP = Monsters cannot take on techniques. MP = [Aura x Intelligence] x 2. If the initial result somehow is equal to or less than 0, your starting MP pool is 0. Willpower = [(Stamina + Intelligence)/2] + Misc. This cannot be a negative value. On the off-chance it is, your base willpower is 0. Speed = 6 + Misc. (Base 3, Plus 3 as an Otherworldly Race) Starting Experience Points: 50 Round up in all fractional results. Monsters at a Glance The precise origin of the monsters is an unknown. Arriving on meteors from space, rampant evolution, freshly-awakened sleeping giants and mutants that aren’t just pathetic meatbags are all theories put forth to explain them. Then things get murkier when you get to the monsters that are sentient. And let me tell you; they’re open for business now. And they’re angry. All the time. Stereotypes held by Monsters: Artificials – Amusing as toys. They break so easily, though… Celestials – Our hated enemy will get what’s coming to them. No one will tolerate their games much longer, and when that time comes, we’ll get them back. Humans – Arrogance is not a uniquely Celestial trait, and these ones prove it. A complete waste of space, they rely on tools and trickery rather than their own might. Perhaps with the right leader, they could become great, but that’s just more reason to eat them now. Mutants – They often liken themselves to us. We often liken them to the insects that crawl on the ground. Mystics – They are our kin, sharing more in-kind with us than the humans who have softened their ancestral instincts. We should patiently take them into the fold and reawaken their true nature. Pedigrees Available Monster pedigrees are: Djinn, Dullahan, Fae, Gel, Imp, Jotunn, Mummy, Nuckelavee, Tau Dragon, Titans, Vampire, Wendigo, and Zombie.
-Djinn- Nicknames: Genies, Djinn are powerful entities born from the World of Magic under intense, albeit unusual, magical storms. Djinn appear to suffer no negative consequences for existing on Earth, apart from their world of origin, and many are ancient enough to have no memory of that land. Further, popular legends of Genies (Djinn bound by powerful magic to serve masters) may be commonplace, actual instances of such are not. Djinn and Genies both are wily and dangerous – they’re considered monsters for good reason – and are to be treated with the utmost caution. Most are ancient and with that age comes wisdom and cunning unmatched. Pedigree Bonus: Djinn get +2 to Intelligence and Aura and the Ignore Height Merit. Pedigree Penalty: Djinn are not really warriors, suffering -2 to Melee and -1 to Ranged Attack. -Dullahan- Nicknames: The stories behind the Dullahan are numerous and cryptic. Some say they were knights once, slain after they had broken their vows to their kings and lords. Others say they were Hell’s answer to the virtuous knights. None know for sure. The Dullahan resembles a knight in many ways, except the most obvious aspect that they carry their own disembodied heads under one arm at all times, now finding it impossible to reattach even via surgery or magic. As a result, the ONLY thing in this book that can take the “Headless” flaw is a Dullahan, who consequently automatically fail all sensory rolls and attack rolls are halved (+5 Experience Points and you take on the effects of Blind, Deaf, Mute and Dumb and can never buy them off). Pedigree Bonus: Dullahans are mighty, gaining +3 to Melee Attack and +2 to Stamina. Further, they gain +3 to intimidation rolls by nature. You also gain +2 to all “Ride Animal” rolls. You already know why. Pedigree Penalty: You will not be able to use anything but a one-handed weapon because you must carry your head with one arm or the other. If you drop your head, finding it will be nightmarish and all sensory rolls suffer -4 until you retrieve it. Further, this seriously creeps people out, so your Charisma suffers -3. -Fae- Nicknames: Fairies, Little People Called “fairies” or “Fair Folk” back in the olden days, the general rarity of the pedigree and apathy on part of the terrestrial races have abbreviated the name to a single-syllable grunt. Not that the derision is without justification; in ancient times, Fae were notorious tricksters, posing as genies and mages to part fools from their gold. Other F-words were considered, but “Fae” was the one that stuck. These tricksters have only returned to the world in recent times, but their precise end goals are all unknown. Pedigree Bonus: Fae are tricky, naturally getting +2 to Charisma and Aura. Fae also get a bonus added to their social rolls equal to their Aura rating, being able to best mask their intents (for ill or otherwise) behind their magic. Not bad. Pedigree Penalty: Fae are very small, so, yes, they move quickly but they have the constitution of paper by comparison. They suffer -3 to Stamina as a result. Wietske Art - Female ![]() This was originally just a fairy Wietske drew just for the sake of drawing a fairy. However, it's pretty much what most people think of with fairies and fae, so it worked. A Drifters fae would be, however, much, much bigger than this one in scale, but I just like to pretend the butterfly is 2-3 feet tall and the mushroom qualifies as an ecological disaster. -Gel- Nicknames: Goo, Blobs (Derogatory) Gels are vaguely-humanoid shapes of thick, elastic goo. Unlike most creatures of this sort, their primary composition seems to have an alcoholic base to its structure (don’t try to drink this; you’d probably die trying). They also have no visible organs, muscles or tissue but can bend, stretch and squash into any number of shapes and sizes, limited only by their natural elasticity and size. Gels are also really dumb and eat anything they can wrap themselves around – which is almost anything smaller than a car and not bolted down (and if they can tear it off the wall or floor it’s bolted to, it isn’t bolted down in their book). They come in bright, primary colors and while they’re too stupid to understand that they’re supposed to be on bad terms with humanity, being friendly with one can be just as dangerous. Pedigree Bonus: Gels’ composition makes them tough, so they get a +3 to Stamina, and being goo by nature, they move through water as easily as they do over land. Further, they take -2 to raw damage from slashing attacks. Lastly, they gain a special attack, Absorb (use the lift roll to calculate) which lets you engulf the target. The target is paralyzed until they make a Willpower roll, difficulty = Gel’s Stamina – X (X being the number of past, failed attempts to escape) to free themselves, but they suffer the same penalties one would suffer while submerged in water during this time. Pedigree Penalty: Gels are dumb, as said, suffering -3 to Intelligence. Also, Gels are considered a nuisance by most, so most people will regard you with outright hostility where they aren’t indifferent to you. Lastly, Gels, being gel, suffer from the flaw Vulnerability [Fire] & [Lightning]. -Imp- Nicknames: Rats (Derogatory) Imps are the rats of monsters. They’re tiny, obnoxious and they all have nasally voices. They aren’t very bright, but that lack of brilliance leads to an overabundance of courage, bordering on the suicidal, especially in large groups, which is when Imps get dangerous. Alone, however, a solitary imp is of no considerable threat to anything bigger than a hunting dog. Good luck finding an imp who travels solo, though. Pedigree Bonus: Imps are fast, naturally incurring a +1 to base speed. Further, they get a +2 to Melee Attack. Lastly, for every other imp on the field, an imp gains a temporary +1 to stamina rolls and resistance dice to status effects. Pedigree Penalty: Everyone hates you. Yes, everyone hates monsters in general, but even monsters hate you. Your Charisma starts at 0 and permanently costs double the experience to raise by 1 step. Further, you’re skeletal in build so you take a -1 to Stamina and Intelligence too. And did I mention everyone hates you? Because they do. Enjoy your “Wanted” flaw. -Jotunn- Nicknames: Ice Giants, The Jotunn are feared and respected by all, even other monsters. They are large, easily towering over mankind by anywhere between four and seven feet. Their forms are composed of an otherworldly, never-melting ice that mends at the rate of flesh when injured. They dwell underground and in the Lunar Plane in large communes where they openly deride and plan the downfall of the Celestials for the insults of the past. They were the primary driving force when monsters attempted to annihilate humanity in the past and many believe they wish to take another whack at it sometime in the future. Legends say Ymir, Father of the Moon, was their King and, due to him being something of a prick, was killed. Someday, however, they plan to return to their ancestral home. Why they would want to do this is up to theory. Pedigree Bonus: Jotunn start with the Big Merit, Elemental Affinity [Water], +2 to Stamina, +1 to Aura and cannot be harmed or slain by Celestials’ Divine Powers’ direct effects (indirect effects, such as a buffed attack roll, will still harm them). Pedigree Penalty: The Jotunn begin with -2 to Charisma and Intelligence. Further, they also start with the Prideful Flaw. -Mummy- Nicknames: The rich and influential in civilizations long since gone would be entombed in only the most luxurious of ways, including a special ceremony, spacious resting tombs, weapons and riches dotting the room and walls and the finest embalming treatment known to science, preserving the corpse in near-pristine condition for all time. However, something has disturbed what was supposed to be their peaceful rest. Often times, this is grave robbers, removing artifacts from their room or powerful magical influences reawakening their inner ‘spark’ or even the voice of the Celestial Entity that they obeyed in life. Whatever the reason, they’re back on their feet and not doing too bad for themselves. Pedigree Bonus: You’re loaded! You start with +200 silver at character generation. Further, you have the wisdom of a lifetime, reflected in your +3 Intelligence and +2 to Aura. Not bad, eh? Obviously, you can’t take the “Prestigious Family” merit or “Dirt Poor” flaw, but why would you? Pedigree Penalty: Well, you are a moving corpse, y’know. While you’re still doing better than some others, you suffer a -2 to Stamina and Charisma because you smell something fierce and, let’s face it; it’s not that big a stretch to confuse you with a Flesh Golem. -Nuckelavee- Nicknames: Viewed as both omens and bringers of plagues, misery, famine and strife, these terrifying monsters show that some myths are based on fact. It has the body of an enormous, one-eyed horse with a humanoid torso sprouting from its mid-back, sporting a second, human-shaped head and arms to boot. One slight detail to note: the Nuckelavee has no skin and its “arms” end in long, curved blades instead of hands. They are universally reviled due to their inherently evil nature and known for their hateful, sadistic personalities. Pedigree Bonus: The Nuckelavee is terrifyingly powerful, gaining +3 to Melee Attack, Ranged Attack and Stamina. Their hands count as 5d10 + 5 slashing weapons that cannot be disarmed. Pedigree Penalty: You are terrifying beyond recognition so your Charisma is locked at -10 and can never be raised via experience or accessories except for Intimidate rolls, which treat Charisma as +10. Nuckelavees cannot use weapons, armors, jewelry or accessories. Nuckelavees begin with the Flaw Vulnerability [Water] and will suffer 5 HP damage each turn whenever exposed to fresh water. -Tau Dragons- Nicknames: The Tau Dragons are a source of contention for scientists in the Modern World. They are stronger than their Terrestrial Brethren and possess supernatural constitution, strength and lifespan. However, because of these, there are few in existence. It is said that Tau Dragons are limited this way due to a spell by a Spatial Tyrant or a mage of prodigious power, or even if it is Divine Retribution for an ancient slight. However, the fact remains, that were it not for this limitation to their breeding, that the world would be overrun. Currently, most Tau Dragons live in the Draconic Palace, a sanctuary that rests atop a convergence point for many of the Moon’s ley lines. However, rumors of mass migration in the near future are circulating more frequently these days. Tau Dragons have the ability to disguise themselves as any creature of equal or lesser size, taking on the associated scents, size, weight and other defining characteristics. This can be dismissed at-will by the dragon or by anti-magic effects. This disguise does not change the dragon’s raw stats or attributes. Approaching a Tau Dragon as a non-dragon character runs the risk of provoking overpowering fear due to their size and awesome might, so when nearing one you must roll Willpower at difficulty 7 or be stunned for 2 rounds. Pedigree Bonus: You’re a dragon! Hell yeah! You get +3 to Stamina and +2 to Intelligence. Tau Dragons are also living windows to the dimension of magic. Thus, when casting a spell, they can roll dice equal to their max Willpower. All successes on this roll count as MP regained. This cannot allow a Tau Dragon to gain more MP than their total. It is also impossible to suffocate a Tau, be it underwater or in space. Tau Dragons also have Dragon Wings (surprise!) allowing them to fly four blocks high. Lastly, Taus also get 1 special technique with the [DR] tag associated with it. Pedigree Penalty: Dragons are massive, occupying a 3x2 area on the grid and it takes 1 speed simply to turn around 180 degrees, even while flying (yes, dragons can fly, remember?). Your attacks are also clumsy and slow, thus suffering a -1 to Melee Attack and a -2 to Ranged Attack. Due to your sheer size you cannot use any items, weapons, armors, accessories or other gear. As penalties go, that really isn’t SAYING much, however… -Titans- Nicknames: Does “OH SHIT” count? No one is sure if these beings are mutated humans or actually the giants of legends. In any case, the Titans do not care. Titans are massive humanoid creatures with short tempers and low tolerance for anyone or anything – including other Titans. The general rule of thumb applied to them is “If you can see one, you are too close to one”. Titans, like many giant monsters, has the capacity to assume a human form. However, this form is imperfect, often time having a tell of some sort (improper number of fingers, toes, eyes; jaundiced skin; some other potentially-noticeable flaw). Using this, however, it IS possible for a Titan to be far more civilized, even move around in cities. Pedigree Bonus: Titans are notoriously hard to wound. When rolling damage against a Titan, any 1s rolled count as -2 successes. Their melee attacks can actually reach up to 3 spaces away due to their massive size. However, they are remarkably intelligent, gaining +2 to Intelligence and Melee Attack. Pedigree Penalty: Titans are massive, occupying 3x3 spaces on the grid. Further, they have but one eye each, so when rolling Ranged Attacks, their RA roll is treated as half its actual value, round up. -3 to Charisma, obviously, because the life of the party is rarely the giant, drooling carnivore. Due to your sheer size you cannot use any items, weapons, armors, accessories or other gear. -Vampire- Nicknames: Stiffs, Licks (Both Derogatory) Vampires, now thoroughly ruined by the popular culture, are not to be trifled with. They do not sparkle in the sun (saying this to their faces will get your head popped like a zit on prom night), they do not fall in love; they are not “tormented”, “complex” nor “secretly emotional”. These undead fiends are complete monsters and they relish this fact with disturbing amounts of glee. They are powerful, they are wise from living multiple lifetimes in the darkest places and their agents are everywhere. Pedigree Bonus: Vampires are ridiculously strong, gaining +2 to Melee Attack and Intelligence and +1 to Charisma. Further, they can see in the dark, even in absolute darkness as clearly as a normal person could at high noon on a sunny day. A vampire also cannot be killed via brute force and reducing their HP to 0. If left alone at this state (unconscious) they will eventually revive in one day’s time. Vampires’ bites are a weapon (Melee Attack + 4 Piercing Damage) and doing so successfully restores +5 HP each time it’s used on any non-Undead target. All Dark-elemented attacks deal no damage to vampires. Pedigree Penalty: Vampires suffer a number of weaknesses. When in sunlight, they take 5 HP damage per turn and their stamina is treated as if it were 0. Sunlight damage can kill a vampire permanently. Running water more intense than a small brook terrifies and paralyzes them. If submerged into said water, they take 3 HP damage per turn, which can also kill them permanently. Holy objects in the hands of the pious and also Light-based magic deal double damage to vampires and can kill one permanently as well. The scent of garlic repulses them and, while in its presence, their charisma stat is treated as if it were 0. Vampires begin with the flaw Vulnerability [Fire] and [Wood]. Lastly, vampires cannot use White magic, ever. -Wendigo- Nicknames: Cannibals, Supposedly born when mankind turned to cannibalism to survive, the Wendigo pedigree are towering giants who inhabit the forests, swamps and jungles, able to disappear among the trees due to their stretching limbs and astounding climbing ability. The hairy, clawed giants each wear a modified goat skull, though the reasoning behind this is debated – some believing they do so in penance, hiding their deformed faces from the world and others say they wear them as a sign of the beast from within manifested on the outside. However, the beasts can vanish into their homelands flawlessly and will not be found unless they want to be found. They only want to be found when they’re hungry – which is not a talkative time for them. Pedigree Bonus: +2 to Stamina and Intelligence. All attacks gain Reach +1. All stealth rolls performed in a densely-wooded area automatically succeed. All sensory rolls gain +1. Pedigree Penalty: All Wendigos fear fire as local lore indicates their hearts are composed of solid ice – thus suffer the Weakness [Fire] Flaw. Further, the Wendigo must move with proper elemental harmony – even strong gusts of wind disorienting them – suffering the Weakness [Wind] Flaw. Wendigos can never take on the Elemental Affinity Merit. -Zombie- Nicknames: Z, Walking Dead You are a good old-fashioned Romero-style zombie; none of this “Rage Virus” bullshit or the video game standby of “Random Evolving” nonsense, hell, there’s not even any of that “BRAINS!” crap going on here either. No, no, no. Those are dumb and wrong and dumbly wrong. You are one among many unfortunate individuals whose revival was not exactly as celebrated as the above Mummy’s and you were probably brought back purely by accident (radioactive materials mishandling, necromancer jerking you around, this shit happens, yeah?). Despite that you do have one good thing going for you and that’s that you still have your wits about you… um… mostly. Pedigree Bonus: You’re already dead! When your HP hits 0, you may roll a single die. When you do so, if it is a failure, you are KO’d normally. If you botch, you are KO’d and removed from the battle. If you succeed, you may get back up again with 1 HP again. If you roll a 10 on this, you get back up with 50% of your max HP! Further, you don’t metabolize or emote well, so you’re immune to Drunk, Rot, Fear and Disco status ailments. Also, if you bite someone (Melee Attack + Misc) you regain the inflicted damage as HP (no, this doesn’t infect them, nice try)! Oh, and you get a +1 to Melee Attack and +2 to Stamina. Not bad for a corpse. Pedigree Penalty: You’re already dead! You are also necrotic and gross, so you suffer -2 to Intelligence, Charisma and Aura. Healing magic has no effect on you as you’re technically already well beyond that point. Further you start with the flaw Vulnerability [Light] and [Fire]. You ARE kind of a sin against nature like that. And, consequently, you can never wield White magic either. |
| "It's cogerent. ... That's coherent and cogent at the same time," ~Dietaku | |
![]() |
|
| Jeff | Dec 18 2012, 03:05 AM Post #9 |
![]()
Veteran Monster Hunter/Rancher
|
Mutant's Overview -Species: Mutants- Nicknames: Muties, Freaks (Both Derogatory) Pros: Mutants are hearty and durable due to being used to the new natural order. They suffer no ill effects from the radiation status ailment. You also have a natural kinship with other mutants, thus gain a +2 to social rolls with them (refer to Cross-Species Social Bonus/Penalty Chart). You Regeneration trait means you’re going to shrug off wounds more rapidly than even the proud and mighty Monsters, so you can endure quite a bit of abuse. Finally, all Mutants gain +2 to all stealth rolls performed in the biome of their origin. Cons: Mutants are also mutants for a good reason. They’re pretty messed up. Expect most other species’ reactions to you to be one of abject horror, thus suffer -2 on all social rolls with non-Mutants (refer to Cross-Species Social Bonus/Penalty Chart). You also take double damage from fire, due to your extremely odd metabolism. And lastly, Charisma begins at 0. Species Trait: Regeneration (RE). This stat starts at 0. Regeneration is the rate at which you heal damage at +3 + Regeneration per hour, meaning you’re the quickest to mend your wounds. In battle, you regain +(Regeneration/2) HP per round. If negative, the Mutant does not suffer damage per turn but, rather, must go to greater lengths to emphasize their species’ primary benefits by putting more experience points into it. Calculating a Mutant -Calculating a Mutant- HP = Stamina x 2 + Misc. If Stamina is equal to or less than 0, your starting HP is 1 and all HP gains are equal to 1 until you boost your stamina above 0. MP = Intelligence x 2 + Misc. TP = Stamina x 2 + Misc. Willpower = [(Stamina + Intelligence)/2] + Misc. This cannot be a negative value. On the off-chance it is, your base willpower is 0. Speed = 4 + Misc. (Base 3, Plus 1 as an Unnatural Race) Starting Experience Points: 40 Starting Mutation Points: 3 Starting Spells and Techniques: 1 tier-1 spell and 1 tier-1 technique of any tree. Round up in all fractional results. Mutants at a Glance Mutants are the unfortunate but very real end result of the world as we know it ending and a lot of bad things happening immediately afterward. They’re vaguely humanoid in structure, some being in various states of decay even as they live. The Mutants’ biggest advantage, however, is simply that their tissues mend with alarming speed, their metabolic rates being easily four times that of a human or mystic’s. This creates a disturbing, ever-shifting appearance for these creeps and a rank odor that alerts everyone for miles of their presence. The real downside of this is that Mutants get persecuted an awful lot, their only real friends being the Artificials who understand the constant shunning they receive. Which is too bad, as a great deal of Mutants (more than you’d expect, really) are quite intelligent and not complete degenerates. The problem is, there are still those that are… Stereotypes held by Mutants: Artificials – They appreciate our lives of solitude all these years. Plus they talk to us without holding their noses! That’s big bonus in our books. Celestials – They overlook us, the bastards! What? Is it because we sleep in our own refuse? Is it because we have yet to rediscover bathing? Is it because we dress little old ladies in their underoos? How judgmental of you. Shame-shame! Humans – They think they’re so much better than us! With their “good hygiene” and “not easily-flammable” nonsense. Bah! They aren’t that different from us! Except for… the good hygiene and not easily-flammable parts. Monsters – They share more in common with us than they openly admit. Of course, these mostly include bad things, but hey, take it where you can get it. AND PLEASE RETURN OUR CALLS. WE KNOW YOUR ANSWERING MACHINE WORKS! Mystics – They shun us just like humans do. Is it the tentacles? Be honest. Biomes Mutant biomes are: Aquatic, Arctic, City, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Jungle, Lunar Plane, Mountain, Swamp, and Underground.
-Aquatic- The aquatic Mutant is a quadruped, unlike the Fishman Mystics, when out of water. Their webbed limbs and highly advanced gills allow them to swim in both salt and fresh water equally, not to mention the additional perk of swimming in heavy water due to their mutant qualities. On the downside, they smell like spoiled fish outside of their native environment. The aquatic Mutant is blue, green or purple in coloration and has long, webbed fins running down their limbs and back, giving them a distinctive and aerodynamic look. Biome Bonus: +2 to Melee Attack, +2 Stamina. Amphibious & Webbed Limbs Merits. Biome Penalty: Aquatic Mutants are dependent on staying near water sources. They cannot stand on their hind legs well on-land and thus cannot use weapons or shields outside of water. When dehydrated, the Aquatic Mutant suffers -3 to all rolls performed. -Arctic- The arctic Mutant is large and hearty, able to brave the coldest environs without ever succumbing to the elements. Their bodies are pure white, covered with a thick, coarse fur to both insulate and protect them. It’s not an uncommon occurrence for an Arctic Mutant to be mistaken for the legendary beast, Yeti. While not being outright hostile, the Arctic Mutants keep to their own. Large herds are often seen traveling together, heads slightly lowered as if in mourning. The reasoning for this is unclear. Biome Bonus: +2 to Stamina, +1 to Regeneration. Biome Penalty: Arctic Mutants are neither the best nor the brightest. They suffer -1 to Intelligence and Charisma. -City- The city-dweller Mutant usually (but not always) comes from the Mutant capital, Carcincadia, and is one of the most common types of Mutants as a result. The city-slicker is usually some shade or mix of browns, grays, beiges and other neutral colors which make for good urban camouflage. They’re also the ones most likely to understand extremely high-brow mutant society things like table manners and not eating the cat. Biome Bonus: +2 to Intelligence and Charisma. Biome Penalty: -1 to Melee Attack, Ranged Attack and Stamina. -Desert- The desert-dwelling Mutant is tall and slender, able to move on two or all four feet to scurry across the dunes with surprising speed. Their skin is tough and porous like sandstone and about the same color too. The Desert Mutants also have small, under-developed wings that appear to have atrophied over many generations. Nowadays, it seems they only expand them to ventilate their bodies. Like camels, they can travel for great swaths of time without food or water. Most desert mutants are nomadic, frequently living much like human gypsies would, bumming it where ever they can before resuming their trek to nowhere-in-particular. Biome Bonus: +1 to base Speed. +2 to Ranged Attack. Desert Mutants also have small wings, letting them fly up to 3 blocks into the air. Biome Penalty: -1 to Melee Attack and Intelligence. Weak Wings Flaw. -Forest- Forest Mutants managed to succeed at life by hiding amidst their densely-wooded homes, hunting only at night to conserve strength and get the drop on their prey. Forest Mutants are almost always found in packs, each member of the tribe having leaf-or-reed-like hair allowing them to blend into the underbrush. In their family troupe, the Forest Mutants know not fear. Alone, however, most Forest Mutants are actually quite cowardly. Biome Bonus: +2 to Melee Attack and Charisma. Forest Mutants have long, scruffy tails, adding +3 HP and +2 to resist sweeping attacks. Biome Penalty: -1 to Regeneration and Ranged Attack. Vulnerability [Lightning] Flaw. -Grassland- The Grasslands Mutant is a solitary creature. They do not care for the trappings of polite society and many of the things that entails – including hygiene and manners. They’re green or yellow, often striped, the bright colors easing their blending into the grasslands (and making them stand out like a sore thumb elsewhere) in addition to their highly toxic saliva. Grassland Mutants, unlike many of their cousins, are exceedingly violent and aggressive when anything else enters into their turf – even other Mutants. Great care must be taken as the Mutants of the plains are also patient hunters, who will take great time and effort to ensure there’s nowhere for their prey to run before attacking. Biome Bonus: +2 to Melee Attack and Ranged Attack. Unarmed attacks run the risk of inflicting the Poison status ailment. In turn, the Grassland Mutant is immune to Poison. Biome Penalty: -3 Charisma. Vulnerability [Wind]. -Jungle- A relative of the Forest Mutant, the Jungle Mutant shares many things in-kind with its kin. However, rather than merely hunting in packs, the Jungle Mutant pack prefers defeating their enemy without their quarry ever knowing they’re the victim. They specialize in traps, mechanisms and ranged fighting, often times using the herbs and fruits of the jungle to make chemical weapons. Jungle Mutants are a dark, rich shade of green, brown or gray and oftentimes cultivate types of small, fast-growing vine plants to grow atop their bodies to become more like their wild homes. This is apparently a symbiotic relationship and causes the Mutant no obvious harm. Biome Bonus: +2 to Intelligence and Ranged Attack. +2 to all rolls in order to repair/build/craft objects. Biome Penalty: -2 to Melee Attack, -1 to Stamina. -Lunar Plane- The most disturbing of the already-disturbing Mutant family are the bright purple Mutants who were bred amidst the chaos and corruption of the Lunar Plane. Unlike other Mutant families, Lunar Plane Mutants fight with a monstrous ferocity and seem unable to feel pain or compassion unless these sensations are forced upon them by magical influence. They are violent and deranged. Never approach one, unless your intent is to kill it. Biome Bonus: +2 to Stamina and Regeneration. Successful unarmed attacks run the risk of inflicting the Rot ailment on a random limb. Biome Penalty: Taint of the Lunar Plane Flaw. -2 to Intelligence and Charisma. -Mountain- An oddity among their race, the Mountain Mutants have a sense of grandeur and pride about themselves. Their red, tough skin and massive eagle-like wings give them an unusually majestic appearance (for a mutant, anyway). The Mountain Mutants consider themselves a rival to the Gargoyle Build, but the feeling is hardly mutual. They live in the highest peaks of the world and mostly keep to themselves. However, if their homelands are in danger, they are actually quite well-organized (as mutants go) and will defend their comrades to the death. Biome Bonus: +2 to Stamina and Intelligence. They begin with bird-like wings allowing them to fly to the height of 5 blocks up. Biome Penalty: -2 to Regeneration, Vulnerability [Lightning] Flaw. -Swamp- The Swamp Mutants have two primary hobbies: eating and breeding. And they have jaws that can crush steel with minimal resistance, so what they can’t eat is a shorter list than what they can. The Swamp Mutants are all very powerful and frequently will cooperate in the hunt, but as soon as the food is ready (AKA: dead or at least very close to it) it’s every mutant for him or herself; they’ll very quickly turn on the others, even killing one another, for the lion’s share. In fact, killing the others involved is usually considered preferable as it means more food for the last Mutant standing. Swamp Mutants are small and squat but with large, elongated heads like an alligator’s, and a dark green, red or black coloration. Biome Bonus: +3 to Melee Attack and +1 to Regeneration. The Swamp Mutant’s bite is treated as a +4d10 + 4 Piercing Damage weapon that cannot be disarmed. Biome Penalty: -1 to Stamina, -2 to Ranged Attack. All social rolls versus non-Swamp mutants suffer an additional -1 and all rolls to seduce versus non-Swamp mutants will automatically fail. -Underground- The Underground Mutants are probably the ones with the origin that’s the most unclear. What’s known, however, is they are jet black, body and eyes alike and can see flawlessly in the dark. They are territorial but will usually give unwitting intruders a chance to turn back before pouncing and ripping their faces off. Usually. Biome Bonus: +1 to Regeneration, +1 to Melee Attack. Underground Mutants can see in the dark as well as the light and they have long tails, granting +3 HP and +2 to resist sweeping attacks. Biome Penalty: -1 to Charisma and Ranged Attack. Cave Adept Flaw. |
| "It's cogerent. ... That's coherent and cogent at the same time," ~Dietaku | |
![]() |
|
| Jeff | Dec 18 2012, 03:06 AM Post #10 |
![]()
Veteran Monster Hunter/Rancher
|
Mystic's Overview -Species: Mystics- Nicknames: Demi-humans, Furries (Derogatory) Pros: All mystics have the capacity to utilize magic. All level 1 Mystics may pick 1 spell from the tier-1 magics of one color of magic. Finally, all Mystics can use a basic, intrinsic, no-cost spell allowing them to disguise themselves as humans as an at-will action for no roll or cost. However, other Mystics, Monsters and Artificials can see through this disguise. Cons: Mystics are very sensitive to magic and the forces that govern it. As a result, anytime a Mystic rolls a 1 on any magic-related task (even if there’s a success to cancel it out) they suffer 1 HP damage for each 1 rolled. Further, unless otherwise explicitly detailed as such, Mystics cannot use human classes. Species Trait: Aura (AU). Aura is an indication of Mystic’s magical potency. When a Mystic boasts about their power, they usually mean their Aura. Unlike humans who get MP pools based on classes, Mystics get it based on their Aura and their Intelligence [Aura + Intelligence] x 2 (Taking special note that this is not the same as the Monsters’). If you utilize a Mystic that uses a Human class, convert all Skill bonuses and penalties to Aura. As a special note, if you play a Mystic using a human class that gives you Tech Points record both your Aura-based MP amount (not class-based pools) and the class-based point pool separately. Mystics who select a human class that would normally grant an MP bonus get half the stated class-related bonus (round up). Aura starts at 1. Calculating a Mystic -Calculating a Mystic- HP = Stamina x 2 + Misc. If Stamina is equal to or less than 0, your starting HP is 1 and all HP gains are equal to 1 until you boost your stamina above 0. TP = (Stamina + Aura + [Job Class Bonus/2]. If the initial result somehow is equal to or less than 0, your starting TP pool is 0. MP = [Aura + Intelligence] x 2. If the initial result somehow is equal to or less than 0, your starting MP pool is 0. If calculating in a job class’ MP points take the result of the above and add ½ the class-based MP points to the pool. Willpower = [(Stamina + Intelligence)/2] + Misc. This cannot be a negative value. On the off-chance it is, your base willpower is 0. Speed = 5 + Misc. (Base 3, Plus 2 as a Terrestrial Race) Starting Spells: 1 Tier-1 Spell Starting Experience Points: 50 Round up in all fractional results. Mystics at a Glance Describing the Mystics is difficult. The Mystics always have been and always will be here alongside humanity, using their magics to blend into the crowds. Some could be your coworkers, friends, neighbors… anyone. This is not, however, a bad thing. Most Mystics would rather be left alone than cause humanity any direct harm (we’re quite capable of doing so on our own, thank you very much!). The very term “Mystic” is a broad umbrella term, incorporating a great number of species and sects together for the simplification of classification. Put simply, a hybridization of “Human” and “Monster”. Also, Mystics do not have “Classes”. Mystics have “Sects” even though there are a few of these that CAN use human classes. Are there elves and dwarves in this game? Simple answer, no. You do not get bonus stats for playing an undernourished Trekkie or a midget with a (admittedly impressive) beard. Stereotypes held by Mystics: Artificials – What? These things are still around? … Huh! We’re deadbeat dads! Who knew? Celestials – Their Divine Magic is to be respected, but do they really have our best interests in mind? Guess they’re better than some alternatives we can think of… Humans – Despite our differences, we can’t think of any other race we trust more than them. You can count on them to do the right thing… after they feel really, really sorry for doing all the wrong things first. Still better than those other pricks. Monsters – We’re not the only ones who feel more than a little nervous about these guys, right? Mutants – The less said – and smelled – of them, the better… Sects Mystics sects in the game include: Beastmen, Birdman, Centaur, Dragon, Fishman, Greenskin, Ghost, Insectoid, Lamia, Lizardfolk, Plantfolk, Sphinx, Tiobarra, and Werewolf.
-Beastman- Nicknames: Half-Beasts, Furries (Derogatory) Beastmen (or Beastwomen) are the furry fetishist’s wet dream given form. They take on the motif of some animal (usually a ferocious mammal, IE: wolves, tigers, bears, et al) and are incredibly powerful. They are wild and unstoppable, particularly when they’re hungry. They are fierce, but they are also loyal to their friends and families. Once a Beastman has his eyes set on a goal, there is simply no stopping him. Sect Bonus: Beastmen get +2 to Melee Attack and Stamina and start with the Hunter’s Instinct Merit. Sect Penalty: Beastmen suffer -1 to Intelligence and -2 to Aura, due to their reliance on their bodies. Wietske Art - Female ![]() While I'd consider it an oddity for a beastman to wield a wizard-style staff, there's certainly no reason for them to not rely on the magic their type is infused with. The poor thing needs a cheeseburger something bad, though. -Birdman- Nicknames: Easy, copyright infringing jokes aside, Birdmen (and Birdwomen) are winged (Bird Wings are the vanilla flavor of wings. These allow you to get to heights of 3 squares above the action. These provide no additional protection). Really, that’s all that separates them from us. Doesn’t stop them from being arrogant pricks about it, though, flying overhead going “HEY! HEY! HOW’S THE WEATHER DOWN THERE?!” and shitting on our cars. If we had cars anymore. They’re still pricks. However, they’re versatile pricks. Sect Bonus: Flight (to a maximum of 5 blocks). Also, they get +1 to Intelligence and +2 to Melee Attack. Further, they can choose to use human classes if they want. Sect Penalty: Birdmen are also light and have hollow bones, suffering a -2 to Stamina. Also, if a birdman goes into water, they have to spend 2 turns airing off their wings before they may resume flight. Birdmen start with the flaw Vulnerability [Earth]. Rachel Art - Female ![]() This one is probably my 2nd favorite one Rachel's done (2nd only to the Elemental Tiki Guy. Tee-hee). I like how the clothing designs are simple, but efficient and how she even made the wings look a bit more rugged than the Angel's. -Centaur- Nicknames: Defenders of the Forests (Honorary), Minotaur (Monstrous) The proud and noble Centaurs are often called the Defenders of the Forests, known as brilliant strategists and mighty warriors. They stood courageously when the monsters tried to invade their homes. The more cynical historian might point out how they lost these engagements but, damn it, they tried and that’s more than a lot of you wussy Sects can say for yourselves. The Centaurs respect the strong and defend the weak with a valor that would make even the Knights proud, oftentimes causing fast friendships in the battlefield to forge between Man and Mystic when they fight side-by-side. Subsects of Centaur include other quadrupeds like cows, sheep, llamas and so on. However, if the upper half is also horse or bull-like, you have the Monstrous Flaw (see Flaws section). Sect Bonus: Centaurs are mighty and wise, gaining +2 to Stamina, +2 to Intelligence and +1 to base speed. Centaurs also can use a special roll, Trample (Melee Attack + Misc.) versus prone targets to deal an additional +3 damage. Sect Penalties: For all their power, Centaurs are a little gruff around the edges, taking -1 to Charisma and a -2 to Ranged Attack. And if you guessed they also take the Prideful flaw, give yourself a pat on the back, because they do. Wietske Art - Female (NSFW?) ![]() While the picture is good, I'm still going to gripe because, as the author, that's my entitlement. Female Centaurs of any type would NOT have horns, let alone be a six-pointer. A deer centaur? Perfectly fine, however. But it must be Hell in the winter time. Someone buy her some clothes. -Dragon- Nicknames: Whelps (Common Derogatory term used by Tau Dragons) Dragons ain’t what they used to be. Due to the long lifespan and short breeding seasons, dragons found it preferable to use magically-assumed human forms and get it on with humans – who could get it on like Diddy Kong all night long, if you get my drift. This trend, coupled with the end of the entire world, resulted in a race of hybrids, baring small horns, scales, tails, wings, the whole nine yards and a lot of dead elder dragons who hadn’t quite gotten around to telling little Jimmy and Sue that they had MAGIC POWERS. Dragons are unique among Mystics due to the fact that an average one hardly looks any different from a human. Dragon blood has been long-thinned over generations of interbreeding with humanity, so Dragons must purchase their dragon traits from the “Aspect of Dragon” merit group. The more dragon traits they have the more powerful the dragon is viewed as being. Sect Bonus: Dragons have +2 to Melee attack and +1 to Stamina. Dragons begin with the “Elemental Affinity” merit. Dragons also start with one “unique attack” with the Dragon [DR] tag, corresponding to the element they chose. Also, the merits in the merit set “Aspect of Dragon” cost 1 Experience Point less to purchase. Sect Penalty: Once a dragon picks a technique of a particular element, he or she is bound to that element and cannot have attacks of other elemental types. -2 to Charisma and -1 to Intelligence. -Fishman- Nicknames: Gills A Fishman (or Fishwoman) is one of many aquatic races belonging to many different categories and sorts. They are amphibious, but prefer water. Also, all fishmen (and fishwomen) have either mermaid-like tails or a set of rudimentary bipedal legs accompanying a smaller, sleeker tail. Mechanically, there’s no difference in these sets and fishmen on the whole don’t make it a point to think about it all that much. Furthermore, not all fishmen are just 100% scalies, there are those that have humanlike torsos, implying that some kind of radiation-fueled bestiality might have given birth to this tribe. Sect Bonus: +1 to Melee and Ranged Attack. Fishmen suffer no penalties for underwater combat and gain a +2 to attack rolls launched from water targeting onshore enemies. Further, fishmen tech allows ranged weapons to be used in underwater combat at no penalty. Sect Penalty: Fishmen suffer a -2 to speed while on land (min: 1) and on maps where there is no water at all, suffer a -2 to stamina rolls. They also start with flaw Vulnerability [Lightning]. Wietske Art - Female ![]() The mermaid is one of the most iconic representation of old-world legends. Which is surprising as the inspiration for such stories stems from the manatee, but I digress. Based on size, her great-big doe eyes and mischievous smile, she's probably young and naive. Someday, she'll grow up and face a sick, twisted world with a sick, twisted sense of humor! Mm-mm, tastes like heart-breaking tragedy! -Greenskins- Nicknames: Greens, Greenskins are all the generic high fantasy “bad guys”: goblins, trolls, orks, ogres, oni, giants, etc. Greenskins naturally gravitate to their own kind, typically settling villages much in the way humans do. Some of these tribes are war-prone and fiendish, which is what gives Greens such a bad reputation. However, a Green can be as good a guy (or gal) as any other tribe, frequently banding together with other Mystics, Mutants and even Humans in pursuit of their higher calling. This makes the green a wild card in social settings, despite usually being a bit on the crass side. Despite their name, Greenskins come in a wide variety of colors including red, blue, purple, black, white and even human skin tones. Sect Bonus: +1 to Ranged Attack, Melee Attack and Stamina. Unless you display outright hostility, social penalties and bonuses from interacting with other tribes don’t apply (this merit trumps other merits and flaws). Greenskins can use Human Classes. Sect Penalty: Greenskins suffer -1 to Intelligence, Charisma and Aura. Being hostile in social settings (even just being verbally abusive counts) causes the social merit to cease applying. -Ghost- Nicknames: Phantoms, Shades, many others. Ghost is an overarching term encompassing all sorts of specters, spirits, poltergeists, restless souls, shadows, spooks and other words that mostly start with ‘S’ but they all play by the same rules. Ghosts are actually semi-corporeal and thus CAN actually be physically assaulted. The trade-off however, is that doing so is not easy. Magic, on the other hand… A note about ghosts: most ghost-class entities in Drifters are born from a huge influx of emotion (which itself is a part of magic) in a single spot over time, so it would be unusual at best for a Drifter to die in combat and rejoin the party afterward as a ghost. It’s rarely that simple but, hey, if the GM allows it, who am I to argue? Sect Bonus: Physical attacks targeting ghosts suffer -1 to attack and damage rolls. Ghosts start with the “Ignore Height” merit. Ghosts gain a +2 to sneaking rolls and they gain +1 to Intelligence and Aura. Sect Penalty: Ghosts take double magic damage from rolled 1s during magic rolls. Further, they suffer -2 to Melee and -1 to Ranged Attacks, making them largely dependent on the stuff. -Insectoid- Nicknames: Bugs, The Insectoid family is not nearly as numerous as the creatures from which they derive their names, but they are a lot bigger. Insectoids live in villages and towns, usually composed of but a single subsection of the sect – ant-type Insectoids living in ant cities and beetle-types in beetle cities and so on – and are fierce defenders of their native lands. They are hot-headed and don’t play well with others. They’re also a little freaky, due to the bug-eyes, horns and what have you… Sect Bonus: Insectoids are natural fighters, gaining +2 to Melee and Ranged Attacks. Insectoids also have the advantages of having bug legs (You can use these to climb up vertical surfaces and even hang on ceilings, which is pretty badass. However, you suffer -2 to speed while in water) and bug wings (which let you attain a height of 2 blocks). Sect Penalty: You’re a bug, guy. A bug-guy. Bugguy. You freak other people the hell out so your charisma suffers -2. Next, bugs are kind of brittle, in more ways than one, so you also get the added wrinkle of a -2 to aura. Lastly, bugs are not masters of the elements, thus start with Vulnerability [Fire], [Lightning], and [Wind]. -Lamia- Nicknames: Nagas (Monstrous), Snakes (Derogatory) The Lamia tribe is the sister tribe to both the Fishmen and Lizardfolk sects, but whereas the Fishmen are usually found underwater, and the Lizardfolk near forests and jungles, you’re most likely to find Lamia in the desert. They tend to have darker complexions than their cousins and a very positive outlook on relations with humanity in the rugged environments they call home. Lamias do not have legs (though they can use a set using their human disguises) but rather a long, snake-like tail that descends from the torso on down, which works well gliding over the hot sand. Sect Bonus: Lamias are strong, naturally gaining +2 to Ranged Attack and Stamina. They also have adapted to their environment masterfully, as they start with the Hunter’s Instinct merit. Lamias can use human classes. Sect Penalty: Lamias are simple farmer or nomadic-type people, thus their -2 to Melee Attack and -1 to Intelligence. Further, due to the nature of their spinal column, they take Vulnerability [Fall Damage]. Lamias, lacking legs, cannot equip any footwear-type armors or accessories. -Lizardfolk- Nicknames: Reptiles, Lizardfolk are… well, lizard-like humanoids. They are trained in a regimented, military-style society to emphasize their natural ability to its greatest potential. Lizardfolk are naturally distrusting of other tribes, including other Mystics, but will grudgingly aid others should they share a common foe. Sect Bonus: Lizardfolk have a Lizard Tail by default (+2 versus sweeping attacks). Further, they get +2 to Melee and Ranged Attack. If a Lizardfolk loses his or her tail (if it is grabbed, they’ll shed it automatically to escape), it will regrow in about a day’s time. Sect Penalty: Lizardfolk are not the sharpest tools in the shed, suffering -2 to Intelligence and -1 to Charisma. Without their tails, Lizardfolk suffer -3 Max HP (Min: 1) and -1 to Stamina rolls and lose the benefits of the tail. -Molefolk- Nicknames: The elusive Molefolk are a relative of the Beastmen, but more aloof. Whereas their cousins tend to be larger and more ferocious, the Mole Sect tend to hide underground and live in burrows – small towns dug out by cooperating families of Mole Mystics. Moles are studious and strong, but living in a hole their entire lives brings some obvious drawbacks. On top of looking like a giant, clawed rat. Life’s hard. Sect Bonus: Moles are born with large, curved claws that behave like a Shovel melee weapon that cannot be disarmed. Further, they gain +1 to Melee Attack and Intelligence. Sect Penalty: You’re a mole. Charisma takes -2 and you start with the Cave Adept Flaw. -Oxfolk- Nicknames: Craftsmen, The Ox tribe is the largest type of Mystic, as the name might imply. They are hulking, massive mountains of muscle capable of astounding feats of strength. For this power, however, the Ox do not compromise finesse as they are some of the finest blacksmiths in the world, able to forge and craft the best metal objects of all. What they do compromise, however, is intellect, which in their society is viewed as unnecessary so long as you can pick up a trade. Such gave rise to the saying: Strong as an Ox, almost as bright as one too. Sect Bonus: Oxfolk start with the Big Merit, making them a tough nut to crack. Further, they get +2 to Melee Attack and +3 to Stamina. Sect Penalty: Oxfolk also get to start with -2 to Intelligence and Aura. You also start with the Magical Hypersensitivity flaw, reflecting the Oxfolk’s tendency to shun magic in lieu of raw might. -Plantfolk- Nicknames: Roots, Weeds (Derogatory), Dirty Ganja-Smelling Hippies (Derogatory, but Honest) The Plantfolk are wise and aged, having endured the harsh test of time watching over their forest and jungle homes. Plantfolk are inherently genderless and are not to be addressed by gender pronouns (this is rude in their culture). They are very rarely made of wood (unless they truly are ancient. Plantfolk that old remember the time before the cataclysm, assuming they aren’t completely petrified or senile by now) but more often formed of vines, ferns, shrubs or a collection of bending saplings. They are also hippies who will kick your ass for carving your name into a tree. Sect Bonus: All Plantfolk start with the Photosynthetic Merit. Intelligence and Stamina gain +2. They can move across water as if walking on solid ground. Plantfolk start with the Elemental Affinity [Wood] Merit. Sect Penalty: Plantfolk are slow in more than one way, suffering -2 to speed. Further, it requires twice as long for Plantfolk to heal from a wound as any other. They also take Vulnerability [Fire]. Wietske Art ![]() Despite her feminine appearance, remember, Plantfolk in Drifters don't HAVE gender. They're plants. This one in particular would be an ancient amongst its tribe, due to its firmly-planted roots and hands that are now like branches. A Plantfolk this old might remember the era before the disaster... -Sphinx- Nicknames: Sphinx is another umbrella term (Mystics get saddled with these a lot because humans are dicks) that incorporates the entire spectrum of fanservi—I mean – vaguely humanoid female-like monsters such as pixies, succubi and the like. Every RPG has a clan like this; we’re just being honest about ours. Sphinx Mystics have naturally high charisma and are among the sects that get along well with humans – if you know what I mean. There are male Sphinx Mystics but that’s not what you want this class for. I know your type better than that. Sect Bonus: You look damn good so your Charisma gets a nice +3 boost. Persuasion rolls via flirtation or seduction get a +2. However, you’re not just a pretty face, so you also get a +2 to Melee Attack. Sphinx Mystics are allowed to use human classes. Sphinx Mystics start with wings that allow for a max flying height of 4 spaces. Sect Penalty: A perfect body, even if your curves are “all natural” you blatant liar, comes with a cost – you suffer a -2 to Stamina and -1 to Ranged Attack. Lastly, you start with “Poor Impulse Control” flaw. -Tiobarra- Nicknames: The Tiobarra Sect was discovered first in the Underground region of Linpace, where they were found living in their own matriarchal society in the depths below. Historians are still debating the how’s and why’s but the general consensus was that an offshoot of the Sphinx tribe ventured underground when the Great Disaster struck and the Tiobarra were the end result of the eons spent underground. The Tiobarra have jet-black, tough skin and hair and are firm, but fair, contrasting the Sphinx tribe’s tendency to be flighty and careless. While they have lost the ability to fly, their abilities as miners, mechanics, engineers and climbers are unparalleled. Sect Bonus: The Tiobarra Mystics are strong, gaining +2 Stamina, +2 Ranged Attack. They can also scale even perfectly smooth walls without need for climbing equipment at a 1 block – 1 speed ratio. They can utilize Human Classes. Sect Penalty: Being underground for a long time and developing at your own pace causes trouble in some respects. They suffer -1 to Charisma, -2 to Melee Attack and the Cave Adept Flaw. -Werewolf- Nicknames: Fangs, Dogs (Derogatory) There wolf. Werewolves are human by day, beast by night. Having a werewolf in the party is a great excuse for a GM to maintain tabs on time rotation because the shifting solar cycle will change the werewolf’s aptitudes accordingly. During the day, the werewolf resembles a (often times) hairy human who may or may not have larger-than-average teeth (if they exhibit ears, tails, excessive fur, etc, your player is a furry and is banned from playing Drifters ever again) but is otherwise unchanged. In this form, the werewolf gains a natural +2 to all Charisma and Intelligence rolls, due to the unusually long lifespan and the generally firm-but-fair nature of the werewolf tribes. At night, they go full war form and they gain natural +2 damage claw weapons and +2 to all Stamina rolls and a natural +2 to speed, making them versatile and effective fighters. Sect Bonus: Werewolves are tough, gaining different advantages during day and night shifts, making them more diverse than their beastmen cousins. Further, they have unusually acute senses, so all rolls related to sight, scent and hearing gain a natural +3. Sect Penalty: War Form Werewolves can only use Martial Arts weapons and will be dependent on time of day for their maximum efficiency. Further, due to their feral nature, Werewolves have -3 to natural resistance versus Fear-inducing attacks. |
| "It's cogerent. ... That's coherent and cogent at the same time," ~Dietaku | |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · Role Play Discussion · Next Topic » |

























7:10 PM Jul 10