The Cardinal
First Post
Soon I will start 1-3 new campaigns for my players. Since I've got more than enough ideas, I've decided to let them choose their favorites. But before I'll send these "teaser trailers" out to my players I'd like some comments from the honorable members of this board (a certain knowledge of Transhuman Space, GURPS Black Ops, and GURPS Horror 3e will be necessary to understand some of the following)
The Candidates:
1. Inhuman Space
2258: Mankind has reached the stars – but out there it is cold, dark, and deadly. There are dozens and dozens of colonies but very few truly earth-like planets. Technology has taken a "safe-tech" path since the days of Transhuman Space. FTL travel must be spend in nanostasis to avoid the madness known as Zenon syndrome, FTL radio doesn't exist, and no sentient aliens have ever been found. But *something* left various strange ruins and artifacts on planets and moons in Sol's vicinity, *something* must be the cause for the greatest UFO craze of the last 300 years, and *something* just might be the reason for the high numbers of seed ships and private scouting missions declared "lost" or MIA…
This is a dark future of Transhuman Space and GURPS Black Ops. In it the contents of GURPS Black Ops are only somewhat true: they are just what the descendents and inheritors of the Company still remember of the war their forefathers fought and won – forefathers who in truth were just the best and most secret special ops in Earth's history, but no action hero demi-gods straight from late 20th century cinema. But, in all likelyhood, the Prima and their creations are still out there – as are the Greys…
System: GURPS (including GURPS Psionics)
2. The Sins of the Fathers
A small island of volcanoes and hot springs, full of strange beasts and glorious vistas, surrounded by a ring of fire and black rocks, embedded in a gigantic cave of glowing crystals: this is your land, your curse. Six, maybe seven lifetimes have gone by since your ancestors were banned to this place of eternal flames, banned by the legendary "Empire" that rules the skyworld. According to the legends there was still the possibility of pardon and release from this prison in the earliest days of this place – but then came the time of the Sealing, and all hope for a return to the skyworld vanished with the closing of the Red Gate. But your ancestors were hard men and women: they adapted and survived. They founded the city of Netherhall, the city you were born in, the only city. But now the 6 people of the city – men, draks, shags, pales, and hi and lo gobbers – have learned from the Oracle of Ice that Netherhall is doomed: soon a titanic eruption of the dreaming volcano deep beneath the city will wipe out all life in the caves and tunnels around the city. And while the true content of the prophecy is still being kept secret, the elders of the city have decided to send out 18 small parties (six chosen by race, six chosen by guild, and six chosen by luck) to search for a new home – a home in the skyworld…
System: D&D3e or GURPS (using UMana)
3. Bottom of the Heap
Most of you never left the Quagmire, never saw a true horizon beyond the ancient crumbling walls that separate the quarters of the city. Others stranded here, usually after they came to Maerddab in search of a better life, wealth, education, or just a hideout. But all of you heard of the distant shores of the Black Islands, of the desert kingdoms south of the ocean, of the great northern forests, and of the snow-covered Mountains of Dawn. Some of you even saw the golden roofs of the Great School, the white walls of the Marble quarter, or the blackwood barges of the council, gliding silently on the river. Now you want up and out, by any means necessary, and you know you cannot do it on your own. So you've found some friends, well partners-in-crime at least, and you *will* succeed or – probably – die trying…
System: GURPS (using the magic system from GURPS Cabal), 75 pts. characters with up to 105 pts from disadvantages and quirks.
4. Foresight
You know it is coming. THEY are coming. The dreams are becoming stronger by the day – and some people you've met have started getting the dreams too… But no-one else will believe you, will believe the visions of the burning cities, the plagues, and the walking dead. So you prepare. Like one of those wacko survivalist you used to laugh about. You plan, and build, and gather. Because you saw a date in your last dream – and you've got less than a year left…
System: AFMBE or GURPS (especially Undead and Y2K)
5. Snarkhunters
Many years ago you learned the sanity-blasting truths of the Madness Dossier: our reality is brittle and fragile, history is a lie, a thin veil that separates us from the horrors of History B, the Annunaki, and the terrifying alternate earth known as Nergal. We are the descendants of slaves, obedience still branded into our very genes, our brains and languages by creatures so powerful that they have every right to be called gods. But we are human. We will not release the weak hold on this world where we are free. The men and women of Project Sandman have fought the remnants and servitors of the Annunaki for decades – but now a new generation enters the war: brought up in remote monasteries, the deep wilderness, or the chaos of the worst slums of the planet, and taught and raised by crazy taoist martial artists, zen monks, semi-autistic mathematicians, drug fiends, weird mediums, and the strange psycholinguistic AI known as Alice, you are ready. You possess powers of mind and body mortal men know only from legends and modern action movies. You transcend the rules and boundaries we all carry like chains in our minds. Some call your abilities psionics, some call it wuxia, some call it a hoax – it doesn't matter: Yours is the power to finally wipe the spawn of the Red King from this universe and nothing will stop you…
System: GURPS (incl. Martial Arts, Horror 3e, and Psionics), 500 pts.
6. Frozen
Our great-great-grandfathers still lived in freedom. The Lords teach that mankind was a constant threat to itself in those days, always warring and fighting with each other, raping the land and killing the beasts – but that is a lie. Before their high mages called the ice to crush our empires, all man were free and brave. And the Lords lived hidden in the remote wilderness. But then came the darkcloud, the great famine, and the War of Winter – and mankind lost. Rome fell, Byzantium fell, even the norsemen, the persians, the huns, and the legendary empire of Cathay fell. Today we live as servants to the Lords: the sidhe, the elfs, the dwarfs, the goblins, the giants, and the djinn. They use us as workers and slaves, the men as warriors, the women as whores, the children as food – and they say it is just. But we know it is a lie, and we will vanquish them…
System: GURPS or D&D
The Candidates:
1. Inhuman Space
2258: Mankind has reached the stars – but out there it is cold, dark, and deadly. There are dozens and dozens of colonies but very few truly earth-like planets. Technology has taken a "safe-tech" path since the days of Transhuman Space. FTL travel must be spend in nanostasis to avoid the madness known as Zenon syndrome, FTL radio doesn't exist, and no sentient aliens have ever been found. But *something* left various strange ruins and artifacts on planets and moons in Sol's vicinity, *something* must be the cause for the greatest UFO craze of the last 300 years, and *something* just might be the reason for the high numbers of seed ships and private scouting missions declared "lost" or MIA…
This is a dark future of Transhuman Space and GURPS Black Ops. In it the contents of GURPS Black Ops are only somewhat true: they are just what the descendents and inheritors of the Company still remember of the war their forefathers fought and won – forefathers who in truth were just the best and most secret special ops in Earth's history, but no action hero demi-gods straight from late 20th century cinema. But, in all likelyhood, the Prima and their creations are still out there – as are the Greys…
System: GURPS (including GURPS Psionics)
2. The Sins of the Fathers
A small island of volcanoes and hot springs, full of strange beasts and glorious vistas, surrounded by a ring of fire and black rocks, embedded in a gigantic cave of glowing crystals: this is your land, your curse. Six, maybe seven lifetimes have gone by since your ancestors were banned to this place of eternal flames, banned by the legendary "Empire" that rules the skyworld. According to the legends there was still the possibility of pardon and release from this prison in the earliest days of this place – but then came the time of the Sealing, and all hope for a return to the skyworld vanished with the closing of the Red Gate. But your ancestors were hard men and women: they adapted and survived. They founded the city of Netherhall, the city you were born in, the only city. But now the 6 people of the city – men, draks, shags, pales, and hi and lo gobbers – have learned from the Oracle of Ice that Netherhall is doomed: soon a titanic eruption of the dreaming volcano deep beneath the city will wipe out all life in the caves and tunnels around the city. And while the true content of the prophecy is still being kept secret, the elders of the city have decided to send out 18 small parties (six chosen by race, six chosen by guild, and six chosen by luck) to search for a new home – a home in the skyworld…
System: D&D3e or GURPS (using UMana)
3. Bottom of the Heap
Most of you never left the Quagmire, never saw a true horizon beyond the ancient crumbling walls that separate the quarters of the city. Others stranded here, usually after they came to Maerddab in search of a better life, wealth, education, or just a hideout. But all of you heard of the distant shores of the Black Islands, of the desert kingdoms south of the ocean, of the great northern forests, and of the snow-covered Mountains of Dawn. Some of you even saw the golden roofs of the Great School, the white walls of the Marble quarter, or the blackwood barges of the council, gliding silently on the river. Now you want up and out, by any means necessary, and you know you cannot do it on your own. So you've found some friends, well partners-in-crime at least, and you *will* succeed or – probably – die trying…
System: GURPS (using the magic system from GURPS Cabal), 75 pts. characters with up to 105 pts from disadvantages and quirks.
4. Foresight
You know it is coming. THEY are coming. The dreams are becoming stronger by the day – and some people you've met have started getting the dreams too… But no-one else will believe you, will believe the visions of the burning cities, the plagues, and the walking dead. So you prepare. Like one of those wacko survivalist you used to laugh about. You plan, and build, and gather. Because you saw a date in your last dream – and you've got less than a year left…
System: AFMBE or GURPS (especially Undead and Y2K)
5. Snarkhunters
Many years ago you learned the sanity-blasting truths of the Madness Dossier: our reality is brittle and fragile, history is a lie, a thin veil that separates us from the horrors of History B, the Annunaki, and the terrifying alternate earth known as Nergal. We are the descendants of slaves, obedience still branded into our very genes, our brains and languages by creatures so powerful that they have every right to be called gods. But we are human. We will not release the weak hold on this world where we are free. The men and women of Project Sandman have fought the remnants and servitors of the Annunaki for decades – but now a new generation enters the war: brought up in remote monasteries, the deep wilderness, or the chaos of the worst slums of the planet, and taught and raised by crazy taoist martial artists, zen monks, semi-autistic mathematicians, drug fiends, weird mediums, and the strange psycholinguistic AI known as Alice, you are ready. You possess powers of mind and body mortal men know only from legends and modern action movies. You transcend the rules and boundaries we all carry like chains in our minds. Some call your abilities psionics, some call it wuxia, some call it a hoax – it doesn't matter: Yours is the power to finally wipe the spawn of the Red King from this universe and nothing will stop you…
System: GURPS (incl. Martial Arts, Horror 3e, and Psionics), 500 pts.
6. Frozen
Our great-great-grandfathers still lived in freedom. The Lords teach that mankind was a constant threat to itself in those days, always warring and fighting with each other, raping the land and killing the beasts – but that is a lie. Before their high mages called the ice to crush our empires, all man were free and brave. And the Lords lived hidden in the remote wilderness. But then came the darkcloud, the great famine, and the War of Winter – and mankind lost. Rome fell, Byzantium fell, even the norsemen, the persians, the huns, and the legendary empire of Cathay fell. Today we live as servants to the Lords: the sidhe, the elfs, the dwarfs, the goblins, the giants, and the djinn. They use us as workers and slaves, the men as warriors, the women as whores, the children as food – and they say it is just. But we know it is a lie, and we will vanquish them…
System: GURPS or D&D
