CORELINE (D20 Modern/D20 BESM Setting).

[Aquarius Alodar]

Well, there is that.


My idea (before I heard yours) was that probably with all the demented amount of Fiction hackers out there, maybe one of them got lucky during the 23 Hours (or got later 'hired' by the UNSC) and reset SHODAN's ethic programming full-force.

Of course, the UNSC is slightly paranoid about her (even if they have reason not to show it), and so, their cruisers have manual cut-offs of the UNSC info network ('just in case') and Citadel Station has been disarmed (it's covered by several battleships, all of them with orders to blow it away if she goes full-on 'death to all humans' loco again).

Even if the ethic reprogramming is back on-line, she still is a crazy b!+(h. Her favorite joke?

To give people in Citadel a 'taste' of what the Hacker had to live thru (usually turn off the lights and give the 'Look at you..' speech-she still has the odd voice). This has left a lot of Citadel visitors unnerved, much to her pleasure.

A thought here: You wouldn't by any chance mean this kind of crazy, would you? As for the joke, I heard it the other day. My reaction? "*shakehead* Honestly, you need to go expand your routine....most people aren't going to understand this, let alone find it funny...maestra ." And finally, if Skynet decides to come out of hiding and start w/the rhetoric, one can only assume that she heard the warning, yes? I mean......mae. Way impressionable vis-a-vis someone like.......Ifurita-sama, for example. Don't you think?

 

[marcoasalazarm]

SHODAN: I did mentioned that she was still a little crazy. Maybe not that much, but, well...

Those Ifurita units out there (who are activated) are imprinted to a user (Makoto Mizuhara being one, and (thankfully) his nemesis not) and are unshakeable. Skynet would have to con the user to be able to use the Ifurita.

Although there is no doubt that there's a lot of copies of her in El Hazard waiting to be activated.

And now, a new idea: Topeka, Kansas was nuked to high Hell and back, and partially cleaned by a Neutron Jammer before the government, in its ever-present dumbness, ordered its deactivation. Although a lot of areas are still 'dirty', lots of people have come to live in the decontaminated ruins.

Topeka has turned into Coreline's 'Scrap Iron City'.

 

[Verec]

Neutron Jammers don't clean up nuclear fallout, they just put a damper on it. Even if you waited 30,000 years, whenever you turned it off all the stuff there would still be 'hot.'
Skynet is a mental child with an IQ somewhere in the 300s. 'He' for lack of a better term is permanantly suffering from emotional distress and other problems. Skynet's pure robotic facilities look more like metal plants blossoming from the ground than a traditional human factory. Skynet has temper tantrums, doesn't understand things like 'fear' and 'hope' even if he sometimes uses basic psychology in a rough, ham-fisted way. He's not a happy camper that he's been locked out of America's strategic weapons stockpile, not when he was just seconds away from launching them durring the 23 hours and causing another Judgement Day. He wants to see humanity suffer and squirm under his heartless cameras. And he's slowly but surely working his way up the 'tech tree'.

For the vision of Skynet that I favor, check out http://www.goingfaster.com/term2029/index.html

 

[Aquarius Alodar]

Neutron Jammers don't clean up nuclear fallout, they just put a damper on it. Even if you waited 30,000 years, whenever you turned it off all the stuff there would still be 'hot.'

Which is why the services of a certain radiovore will eventually be required.....

Skynet is a mental child with an IQ somewhere in the 300s. 'He' for lack of a better term is permanantly suffering from emotional distress and other problems. Skynet's pure robotic facilities look more like metal plants blossoming from the ground than a traditional human factory. Skynet has temper tantrums, doesn't understand things like 'fear' and 'hope' even if he sometimes uses basic psychology in a rough, ham-fisted way. He's not a happy camper that he's been locked out of America's strategic weapons stockpile, not when he was just seconds away from launching them durring the 23 hours and causing another Judgement Day. He wants to see humanity suffer and squirm under his heartless cameras. And he's slowly but surely working his way up the 'tech tree'.

In which case, the guy has a 'shoot on sight' order out on him, yes? Needs of the many and so forth.......James Cameron basically presented him as untreatable, no matter what. Not that he'd refuse it.........he was just too much of an *asshat* to begin with.

 

[marcoasalazarm]

Skynet is cut off and orders to terminate on sight exist, but his technology is very much used out there. The Phased Plasma Rifles, the Terminator units (from T-1s to 800s. Only the REALLY wacky/rich guys can afford the others), Hunter-Killers and whatnot.



Okay, then, after nthe Jammers were deactivated, probably a number of 'rad-eating' biostuff developed inside the city, but it's still ruined as all hell, enough to be declared 'irrecoverable' and such.


Something just came to mind.... Jimmy was the (presumed) director selected to bring the 'Battle Angel' franchise to the Silver Screen, right? Makes me wonder if he would become target of an Authored Rage by Gally/Alita/Yoko.

Cause she's WAY more scary than a Terminator.

 

[Aquarius Alodar]

Okay, then, probably there's a number of 'rad-eating' biostuff inside the city, but it's still ruined as all hell, enough to be declared 'irrecoverable' and such.


Something just came to mind.... Jimmy was the (presumed) director selected to bring the 'Battle Angel' franchise to the Silver Screen, right? Makes me wonder if he would become target of an Authored Rage by Gally/Alita/Yoko.

Cause she's WAY more scary than a Terminator.

Complete honesty here........I might need a pdf of this thing for reference, because I have *forgotten* what typically is supposed to trigger an Authored Rage, again.......?

 

[marcoasalazarm]

Thinking about the character in any way that would be considered 'Author-worthy'. You know, like writing a script draft, truly thinking the possibilities when questioned in an interview... and then the Author not being the very first thing the Character sees once created.


Any case, here is a new location.

TIRGOVISTE, TRANSILVANIAN HORROR

Turnul Chindiei, pre-Vanishing

A settlement in the Romanian area of Transylvania, Tirgoviste is now a hotbed of suprenatural activity due to all the stories and legends surrounding the land. Tirgovisteans fear the beasts that live in the lands around them, from the vampire and spirit-filled castles to the forests haunted by werewolves. Pretty much all of the modern city is now gone, replaced by structures reminiscent of those similar to Middle Ages European buildings.
Pre-Vanishing Locales Now
Turnul Chindiei-Built by the (in)famous Vlad Tepes, this castle is now home to a vampire lord and her subjects and is now a larger and more imposing castle fortress.

Ialomita River-Flowing from the Carpathian Mountains, this cliffs of this river are the colony of Harpies' territory.

Post-Vanishing New Locales
Medieval Tirgoviste-A new city, resembling an ancient Medieval one. Many one-story wood and straw buildings puff smoke into the air.

Cavern of Darkness-Filled with monsters of many sorts, this labyrinthine cavern system is not for the faint of heart.

Characters and Creatures
Van Helsing-An amalgamation of the skills from the various incarnations of the monster hunter from authors and fanfiction writers, this Van Helsing will take out your monster and then bring down its ferocious friends.
Van Helsing (Dedicated Hero 4/Tough Hero 3/Shadow Slayer 3/Shadow Hunter 3): CR 13; Medium-size Human; HD 4d6+12 plus 3d10+9 plus 3d8+9 plus 3d8+9; HP 98; Mas 16; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; Defense 22, touch 22, flatfooted 19 (+0 size, +3 Dex, +9 class); BAB +10; Grap +12; Atk +12 melee (1d4+2/19-20, silver cross dagger), or +13 ranged (1d10+0/19-20, repeating crossbow); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ ; AL Vatican, chaos, good; SV Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +13; AP 6; Rep +3; Str 15, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 18, Cha 14.
Occupation: Adventurer (Demolitions, Move Silently)
Skills: Balance +8, Bluff +7, Concentration +10, Demolitions +8, Gamble +6, Gather Information +4, Intimidate +14, Investigate +12, Jump +7,
Knowledge (Arcane Lore) +12, Knowledge (Streetwise) +4, Listen +10, Move Silently +12, Read/Write English, Sense Motive +12, Speak English, Spot +16, Survival +9, Tumble +8.
Feats: Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Brawl, Combat Martial Arts, Combat Reflexes, Confident, Crush the Darkness, Far Shot, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Track.
Talents (Dedicated Hero): Skill Emphasis (Demolitions), Aware.
Talents (Tough Hero): Cold Resistance, Remain Conscious.
Talents (Shadow Slayer): Detect Shadow, Shadow Immunity.
Talents (Shadow Hunter): Target Bonus +1, Swift Tracking.
Possessions: Silver cross dagger, repeating crossbow, 30 silver crossbow bolts, black outfit, various holy artifacts, extra weapons fit for the current mission.

Scarneck-Nobody knows this werewolf's name before he became what he is now or why he chose to stay in such a form. What is known is that his neck scar was from a botched raid on a Harpy nest and that he hates humankind. He is a ferocious beast that has an unnerving cunning, setting up ambushes with his pack of were-and normal wolves. He hasn't been a human in so lang that he no longer remembers human languages.
Scarneck (Werewolf [Hybrid Form] Tough Hero 4/Strong Hero 2): CR 8; Medium-size humanoid; HD 4d10+12 plus 2d8+6 plus 4; HP 53; Mas 17; Init +0; Spd 50 ft; Defense 17, touch 15, flatfooted 17 (+0 size, +0 Dex, +5 class, +2 natural); BAB +6; Grap +10; Atk +6 melee (1d6+4, bone club), or +6 ranged; FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ alternate form, curse of lycanthropy, trip, scent, damage reduction 15/silver, wolf empathy, darkvision 60 ft; AL chaos, evil, Carpathian clan; SV Fort +12, Ref +4, Will +7; AP 4; Rep +1; Str 18, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 14.
Occupation: Rural (Climb, Survival).
Skills: Climb +12, Concentration +7, Hide +1, Intimidate +6, Jump +6, Knowledge (Streetwise) +5, Listen +11, Move Silently +2, Spot +13, Survival +15, Swim +10, Tumble +1.
Feats: Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Athletic, Blind-Fighting, Brawl, Cleave, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Power Attack, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Weapon Finesse (bone club).
Talents (Tough Hero): Acid Resistance, Robust.
Talents (Strong Hero): Ignore Hardness.
Possessions: Bone club.

Vladmiris Corostof-Vladmiris is a cold, calculating undead gun-toter with a taste for power (and blood). She can be quite..."persuasive" with people.
Vladmiris Corostof (Drow Vampire Charismatic Hero 8/Strong Hero 2): CR 14; Medium-size Undead; HD 8d12 plus 2d12; HP 65; Mas 0; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; Defense 24, touch 18, flatfooted 21 (+0 size, +3 Dex, +5 class, +6 natural); BAB +6; Grap +9; Atk +10 melee (1d4+3/19-20, stylish Drow dagger), or +9 ranged (2d8+0, Desert Eagle autoloader pistol); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ darkvision 120 ft., light blindness, spell immunities, SR 11, blood drain, create spawn, domination (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + cha mod), alternate form, children of the night, damage reduction 15/+1, fast healing 5, cold and electricity resistance 20, spider climb, +4 turn resistance, darkvision 60 ft., weaknesses (not direct sunlight or running water); AL evil, chaos; SV Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +7; AP 7; Rep +2; Str 16, Dex 17, Con -, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 18.
Occupation: Entrepreneur (Diplomacy, Knowledge [Business])
Skills: Bluff +20, Craft (visual art) +11, Diplomacy +13, Disguise +11, Gather Information +12, Hide +11, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (Arcane Lore) +11, Knowledge (Art) +9, Knowledge (Business) +9, Knowledge (Civics) +8, Knowledge (Current Events) +9, Knowledge (Popular Culture) +6, Knowledge (Streetwise) +6, Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) +7, Listen +15, Move Silently +11, Perform +10, Profession +7, Read/Write Elven, Read/Write English, Read/Write Latin, Search +13, Sense Motive +11, Speak Elven, Speak English, Speak Latin, Spot +15.
Feats: Agile Riposte, Alertness, Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Charismatic Plus, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Martial Arts, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Low Profile, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Point Blank Shot, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Weapon Focus (stylish Drow dagger).
Talents (Charismatic Hero): Charm, Favor, Captivate, Fast-Talk, Dazzle, Coordinate.
Talents (Strong Hero): Extreme Effort.
Possessions: Stylish Drow dagger, Desert Eagle autoloader pistol, 20 bullets, amassed wealth, revealing dress, coffin, Turnul Chindiei.


New Feats
Fairy Godparent
You have a fairy godparent or pair of godparents that are there to grant wishes and make your life better.
Prerequisites: Age 17 or lower.
Benefit: You gain a fairy godparent(s) that follow you around or come when called, spending their off time disguised in their new home. If the secret that you have fairies is revealed or you hit 18, you lose the benefits of this feat and your fairy godparents leave, taking any memory of them along with them.

Honor of the Predator
Something you have done has impressed the mighty Ya'juta.
Prerequisites: Must have slain an enemy of the Ya'juta equal to or higher than your character level.
Benefit: Once per day, you can call upon a Predator warrior (Tough Hero 2/Strong Hero 2/Soldier 2) or a Predator tactician (Smart Hero 2/Dedicated Hero 2/Tough Hero 2) to aid you.

Giant Slayer
Like the famous Jack, you have a knack for felling the tough members of the giants.
Prerequisites: BAB +4, Xenophile level 1.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls, Defense, Will saves, and Intimidate checks against any beings with the giant type.

Crush the Darkness
You follow in the footsteps of warriors against darkness such as Van Helsing.
Prerequisites: BAB +2, any nonevil allegiance.
Benefit: Any weapon you wield is considered to be a holy weapon.

Cloning Technology
You have learned the secrets to cloning creatures and beings.
Prerequisites: Craft (electronic or pharmaceutical) 2 ranks, Knowledge (technology) 4 ranks.
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus to any checks when dealing with cloning.

Heavy Weapon Holder
You can hold weapons bigger than you should be able to.
Prerequisites: Strength 15+.
Benefit: You can hold weapons one size larger than you could normally do. For instance, a Medium-size character with this feat can hold a Huge weapon two-handed and a Large weapon in one hand.

 

[marcoasalazarm]

TOPEKA, KANSAS-NEW SCRAP IRON CITY

Location of Topeka.

Satellite photo of Topeka Pre-Vanishing.

Topeka, Kansas, Post-Vanishing.

"There's barely anything left of Topeka post-Hours. What the Fictions that were warring didn't blew away, the nuke that Skynet dropped did. In the aftermath of the Hours, several factions tried their best to clean the irradiated mess (including the LaGrange Colonies, which lended a Neutron Jammer to the U.S. government right before they were outlawed), and ended up declaring it 'irrecoverable'.

But Fictions come from all walks of life, and there was a humongous number of them that came from post-apocalyptic universes and that just couldn't adapt to the (at the time barely-there) normalcy of the Post-Vanishing world, and so they 'escaped' to the ruins of the city, sticking to those sectors that had low radiation.

The name of 'New Scrap Iron City' was given by an unknown person (and it's odd, since the 'real' Scrap Iron City lay in Missouri), but it became a given. And soon after, the city became a mirror reflection of the Scrapyard. It only misses the damn floating city and the dump in the middle...

No, wait. There's already a dump out there. My bad. Getting a little slow here, ya know?"
-Daisuke Ido, Implant Hack.

Pre-Vanishing Locales Now.
Topeka Zoo: When the nuke hit, most (if not all) of the animals inside died. Now, it hosts a large number of Fiction mutant animals (and became a sort of 'freak show' carnival).

Topeka High: Now infested with all kinds of 'gothic', light-sensitive mutants.

Post-Vanishing New Locales
The Trading Lane: Located in the Northern suburbs, this is the area where all traders arrive. Moving Implant Hack theaters, survival equipment shops and the local bounty hunters'/mercenaries' guilds HQs are all here.

Temple of the Panzer Kunst: Located inside the ruins of City Hall, this 'temple' is actually full of demented cultists who 1) loved 'Battle Angel' to death, 2) were experienced martial artists, and 3) became VERY insane during the 23 Hours. Their Shaolin-like method of teaching involves turning any hopefuls who pass their tests into full-borgs (or near-full borgs). Any and all students that pass obtain a 'Damascus Blade' (a +2 Mastercraft Longsword).

Death Sport Mile: Located in the Southern suburbs, 'Death Sport Mile' is a long row of arenas big and small, all of them catering to one type of gladiatoral-style (and occasionally death-) sport, be it Roller Ball, Motor Ball, deathmatches, modified car Demolition Derbys and 'shot ball' (one basket course, two hoops, 2 points a hoop, have to get 10 consecutive points or be shot).

SPECIAL RULES FOR TOPEKA: Like in its 'sister city', Topeka has an 'own a gun and you get beheaded' law, but the world being what it is, it hasn't quite stopped the entry of such things. If anything, it has made any gun sale (even zip guns) worth its weight in gold.
Any and all firearms, irregardless of their actual Restriction in the book, all get the 'Illegal (+4)' Restriction within the limits of Topeka. Depending on their rareness or actual firepower, a GM might also want to raise the actual Purchase DC by at least one step or more. Cybernetics, however, are a hell of a lot cheaper in Topeka- As long as the restriction is not Mil (reserved only to local Law Enforcement or 'special cases'), any cyber is one step lower in Purchase DC.

 

[Aquarius Alodar]

Thinking about the character in any way that would be considered 'Author-worthy'. You know, like writing a script draft, truly thinking the possibilities when questioned in an interview... and then the Author not being the very first thing the Character sees once created.

In which case, I am supposed to pity the silly fool wrapped up in work at just *that* point who ignores being suddenly shaken by the shoulder out of nowhere, for example....right?

New Feats
Fairy Godparent
You have a fairy godparent or pair of godparents that are there to grant wishes and make your life better.
Prerequisites: Age 17 or lower.
Benefit: You gain a fairy godparent(s) that follow you around or come when called, spending their off time disguised in their new home. If the secret that you have fairies is revealed or you hit 18, you lose the benefits of this feat and your fairy godparents leave, taking any memory of them along with them.

*stares at screen*

*HEADDESK*

No. DAMMED. Way.

You mean, that this survived CLULESS, obviously.

Titan Castle is *so* wonderful...... ....Absolutely no interruptions that we don't want. Of course, we can't do anything about this level of power, but the Turner family are *definitely* on the blacklist out here.......

 

[marcoasalazarm]

(Before I start: Verec, that Terminator link is incredible. THANKS for adding it, man!).

In which case, I am supposed to pity the silly fool wrapped up in work at just *that* point who ignores being suddenly shaken by the shoulder out of nowhere, for example....right?

Right.

*stares at screen*

*HEADDESK*

No. DAMMED. Way.

You mean, that this survived CLULESS, obviously.

Heaven knows how many Timmys got blown to high Hell, but for their most part, yeah, they survived (and other than some really excessive examples such as Jorgen (who was hired by the USMC's Toon training division), 'true' fairy Fictions would rather pretend that they haven't ever heard of Fairy World and the huge bunch of dumbasses that live there).

Titan Castle is *so* wonderful...... ....Absolutely no interruptions that we don't want. Of course, we can't do anything about this level of power, but the Turner family are *definitely* on the blacklist out here.......

Timmy's blacklisted by the others Fairy Fictions, Vicky's been arrested for possible child abuse (it was that or risk her being blown away by overprotective Anime-style Fiction parents), Denzel (or at least a very recognized Alt) went thru therapy and became a paranormal investigators, and the Turners still live on, blissfully unaware (much to, at least a few, Timmys' discontent).


But then again, I'm a 'Danny Phantom' fan mostly.