Hi all. I want to start Dm'ing again and I have a setting in mind I would enjoy and others might too. I hope... Please contact me if you are interested in a magic/technology game set in the not so past past. I have tenatively 2 players, but would really like to have 4-5 total.
Leningrad, USSR. 1949
The Nazi war has settled down finally, and the territories acquired by Mother Russia are in the process of being transformed into communist strongholds. Surrounding you, construction projects for war efforts are being left derelict to rot due to changing priorities now that Stalin has died and the new Premier, Afon Chirkoff has taken control.
New technologies are sprouting in such strange places. You can find a working laptop computer if you know the right people, but such strange things are made by mad scientists who no longer see the benefits of such things. Using them as tools to bring something else to fruition. Something much darker and more an affront to peaceful life. The remnants of World War II, have not left completely, but hide in the shadows and spur select minds into dangerous directions.
You were all part of the Fascist war, no matter the side, yet still ended up in Leningrad by force or by necessity, or by desire. Each of you coming away quite scathed by the ordeal of war. Whether changed by chemical abhorrence, technology infusion, radiation bombardment, or something far more surreal that forever altered you. No matter the cause, the effect transformed you, and left you desperate in the city of Leningrad suffering in poverty with the rest of the soviet masses.
You were once human. You may even look normal on the outside. But inside? No. No longer. That was a time now past and the future requires you, no matter whether you like the idea or not. Truly, it could be easier to like the prospect, but there are hurdles, obstacles, great forces born in shadows, omnipresent will’s that give every action you make a moment’s pause to consider the ramifications and assure you continue refraining from the spotlight of public awareness. Nothing good will come from exposure. You have been here long enough to know that with every fiber of your being.
The KGB would love nothing more than to acquire you and put your new nature under the scalpel to extract a better citizen. The newly formed Spetsnaz from the military branch has been, you learned by way of quiet rumors and personal speculation, tasked with hunting down all who don’t conform and pose a great risk. Then there are the outside forces; CIA, MI5, and many others who would like nothing more than to find a way to extract every bit of science and oddity out of you to fight the Cold War and win.
You thought you were alone. Hiding yourself and your abilities carefully, cautious about every move you make lest the neighbors and people around you find out your divergent nature and report you to the government hounds. Then one night you were coming home and a strange thing catches your eye. A misty dark shadow not at all real, but it seemed so. You could have sworn that was so. Intrigue gave you reason to chase. Knowledge of the neighborhood and your lack of responsibility for that day allowed you the freedom to indulge the moment.
You took a corner, followed a street, passed a checkpoint where your papers were confirmed, made a lie about your reasons for being there, entered a building. Continuing your curious pursuit of this dark shadowy thing. It was an abandoned warehouse for staging artillery, you note. Those jobs are gone now and moved on to someplace else, doing something else. Likely breaking rocks in a Siberian camp due to political wranglings and positioning in the single party tyranny.
The scent of gunpowder still lingers in the air as you step inside. Then there, in the center of the room, the impossible shadow creature came to sit besides the leg of a man on a rusty simple folding chair. A pipe hung from his agape lips then dropped to the floor. He stands hurriedly in his rumpled peasant clothes of wool and cotton to turn and flee, but the path is blocked by another. Another like you, as this elderly man is like you in strangeness.
He was hoping for someone else? Your eyes search to find who. A few toys are spotted. A couple child’s outfits hang in a closet on the other side. Candy falls from his pocket as the elderly man who commands shadow creatures draws a long knife caked red to defend himself from the arrival of you all. Old dried blood. Murderer. Molester. He has to pay for his actions. You have no idea how long he’s been like this, done this, but at least tonight this all ends.
Overview
The game will revolve around your superhuman characters dealing with the Cold War, Communist tyranny, Western corruption, Horror, and a world on the edge of nuclear holocaust that you could tip in one way or the other by accident or on purpose.
The game is currently scheduled to run Wednesdays online using IRC from 8pm till 12pm each week. I hope to have 5 players involved and the game will revolve around their interests and actions. There is more of a focus on characters than there is a central plot I have designed. I would like to start the game mid July, once I have the players settled and my own plans straightened out.
Experience will be gained modestly, and you will level every one or two months.
As I get a better handle on what I need to put this setting to life, I may add a few more house rules, or make small changes for balance, but I would like to stay as true to the rules as I can.
Rules – low magic
Using Pathfinder rules, you will make a 2nd level character with 2 supernatural talents of your choice and a bonus of 10 to any physical skill (Str, Dex, Con), or any magic caster with an inherent bonus of 2 to any ability plus: 1 supernatural talent of your choice or a familiar (From the druid’s list) with 1 supernatural talent of your choice.
Supernatural talents
They can be anything reasonable you imagine, but must have a corresponding flaw with each one. Though I will choose the flaw in the end, you are encouraged to suggest for character depth and wholeness and I’ll likely agree if it is reasonable. For example: A person that can change shape at will as a standard action could have a flaw that they are physically weaker and lose 1 HP a level. A person that has fire breath or flaming hands could be weak to cold damage and take twice as much with each strike. A person immune to poison could be deformed and have a negative to their Cha skills. Though I will approve or deny your choices to make sure that things are reasonable and fair, you are encouraged to be creative.
Point buy is 32.
Only the Human race is allowed. If you come up with a very good reason to have anything besides human, I will listen and see if it can fit into the setting. There will be non-humans in the game, but they will be very rare.
Leningrad, USSR. 1949
The Nazi war has settled down finally, and the territories acquired by Mother Russia are in the process of being transformed into communist strongholds. Surrounding you, construction projects for war efforts are being left derelict to rot due to changing priorities now that Stalin has died and the new Premier, Afon Chirkoff has taken control.
New technologies are sprouting in such strange places. You can find a working laptop computer if you know the right people, but such strange things are made by mad scientists who no longer see the benefits of such things. Using them as tools to bring something else to fruition. Something much darker and more an affront to peaceful life. The remnants of World War II, have not left completely, but hide in the shadows and spur select minds into dangerous directions.
You were all part of the Fascist war, no matter the side, yet still ended up in Leningrad by force or by necessity, or by desire. Each of you coming away quite scathed by the ordeal of war. Whether changed by chemical abhorrence, technology infusion, radiation bombardment, or something far more surreal that forever altered you. No matter the cause, the effect transformed you, and left you desperate in the city of Leningrad suffering in poverty with the rest of the soviet masses.
You were once human. You may even look normal on the outside. But inside? No. No longer. That was a time now past and the future requires you, no matter whether you like the idea or not. Truly, it could be easier to like the prospect, but there are hurdles, obstacles, great forces born in shadows, omnipresent will’s that give every action you make a moment’s pause to consider the ramifications and assure you continue refraining from the spotlight of public awareness. Nothing good will come from exposure. You have been here long enough to know that with every fiber of your being.
The KGB would love nothing more than to acquire you and put your new nature under the scalpel to extract a better citizen. The newly formed Spetsnaz from the military branch has been, you learned by way of quiet rumors and personal speculation, tasked with hunting down all who don’t conform and pose a great risk. Then there are the outside forces; CIA, MI5, and many others who would like nothing more than to find a way to extract every bit of science and oddity out of you to fight the Cold War and win.
You thought you were alone. Hiding yourself and your abilities carefully, cautious about every move you make lest the neighbors and people around you find out your divergent nature and report you to the government hounds. Then one night you were coming home and a strange thing catches your eye. A misty dark shadow not at all real, but it seemed so. You could have sworn that was so. Intrigue gave you reason to chase. Knowledge of the neighborhood and your lack of responsibility for that day allowed you the freedom to indulge the moment.
You took a corner, followed a street, passed a checkpoint where your papers were confirmed, made a lie about your reasons for being there, entered a building. Continuing your curious pursuit of this dark shadowy thing. It was an abandoned warehouse for staging artillery, you note. Those jobs are gone now and moved on to someplace else, doing something else. Likely breaking rocks in a Siberian camp due to political wranglings and positioning in the single party tyranny.
The scent of gunpowder still lingers in the air as you step inside. Then there, in the center of the room, the impossible shadow creature came to sit besides the leg of a man on a rusty simple folding chair. A pipe hung from his agape lips then dropped to the floor. He stands hurriedly in his rumpled peasant clothes of wool and cotton to turn and flee, but the path is blocked by another. Another like you, as this elderly man is like you in strangeness.
He was hoping for someone else? Your eyes search to find who. A few toys are spotted. A couple child’s outfits hang in a closet on the other side. Candy falls from his pocket as the elderly man who commands shadow creatures draws a long knife caked red to defend himself from the arrival of you all. Old dried blood. Murderer. Molester. He has to pay for his actions. You have no idea how long he’s been like this, done this, but at least tonight this all ends.
Overview
The game will revolve around your superhuman characters dealing with the Cold War, Communist tyranny, Western corruption, Horror, and a world on the edge of nuclear holocaust that you could tip in one way or the other by accident or on purpose.
The game is currently scheduled to run Wednesdays online using IRC from 8pm till 12pm each week. I hope to have 5 players involved and the game will revolve around their interests and actions. There is more of a focus on characters than there is a central plot I have designed. I would like to start the game mid July, once I have the players settled and my own plans straightened out.
Experience will be gained modestly, and you will level every one or two months.
As I get a better handle on what I need to put this setting to life, I may add a few more house rules, or make small changes for balance, but I would like to stay as true to the rules as I can.
Rules – low magic
Using Pathfinder rules, you will make a 2nd level character with 2 supernatural talents of your choice and a bonus of 10 to any physical skill (Str, Dex, Con), or any magic caster with an inherent bonus of 2 to any ability plus: 1 supernatural talent of your choice or a familiar (From the druid’s list) with 1 supernatural talent of your choice.
Supernatural talents
They can be anything reasonable you imagine, but must have a corresponding flaw with each one. Though I will choose the flaw in the end, you are encouraged to suggest for character depth and wholeness and I’ll likely agree if it is reasonable. For example: A person that can change shape at will as a standard action could have a flaw that they are physically weaker and lose 1 HP a level. A person that has fire breath or flaming hands could be weak to cold damage and take twice as much with each strike. A person immune to poison could be deformed and have a negative to their Cha skills. Though I will approve or deny your choices to make sure that things are reasonable and fair, you are encouraged to be creative.
Point buy is 32.
Only the Human race is allowed. If you come up with a very good reason to have anything besides human, I will listen and see if it can fit into the setting. There will be non-humans in the game, but they will be very rare.
