Post by Malcadon on Oct 25, 2015 10:09:33 GMT
I have been working on this setting for some time now. Much of it is world building — literally: coming up with new and unique worlds, with different key figures and places. Also, having to come up with cool items that go beyond generic blasters and magic swords.
The Inspiration
The inspiration comes form A Princess of Mars, sorted '80s barbarian flicks (Conan, Krull, Beastmaster, etc.), the kitchen sink fantasies that made-up of 80s cartoons (Thundarr, He-Man, Pirates of Darkwater, and the like), and years of playing classic Gamma World in an equally gonzo way. Two of the most influential factors in creating this setting was reading the early Masters of the Universe mini-comics, and a line of knockoff MotU action figures called Galaxy Warriors by Sungold Toys.
The early Masters of the Universe mini-comics were far removed form Filmation's more iconic Masters of the Universe cartoon, with a canon entirely all its own. He-Man was not a foppish princes to turns to a superhero, but a generic Barbarian From The North archeotype who was given really powerful gear by saving a helpless sorceress (who could have easily used said items to defend herself... dumb bitch!). Even without the fancy gear, he can hold his own and is a badass by his own right! The word once had a powerful kingdom with super-advanced technology and magic, but a prolonged way shot everything to shit, and is vary Gamma World with how post-apocalyptic it feels. The protagonist — the evil skull-faced sorcerer Skeletor — was just a petty despot, who not just trying to take over Eternia, but find a way to get off world, so he could takeover more worlds. Some of his henchmen — Beast-Man and Mer-Man — are leaders of a race of their own kind, while Trap-Jaw and Tri-Klops were badass mercenaries form other planets. It is a great series to checkout
To call Galaxy Warriors (Fighters, Heroes, etc.) a knockoff of MotU would be selling the line(s) short. They ripped the general look and concept form Mattel, but the designs where mostly ripped of the art of Frank "Fucking" Frazetta!! (If you're gonna rip anyone off, you ripoff from the best!) The end result are a toy line that looks kinda like MotU figures, but are so different, they look surprisingly original, and could stand side-by-side with MotU figures without looking too out of place! (Although, without the context of backstories on the packaging and with how cheap they were, they were usually relegated to MotU henchmen.)
Another major source of inspiration comes form a device from Frank Herbert's Dune. The Holtzman Shield is a personal forcefield that protects it's wearer from range attacks (in a sci-fi setting where guns are normally prevalent), to allow combat to go back to melee range. Basically, this setting allows warriors to safely go into battle in beefcake and cheesecake attire (think Conan and Red Soyna), while fighting with swords and blasters. The end goal of this setting is to make something that looks as awesome as a badass '80s heavy metal album cover, while being totally playable!
Oh... Fuck... YEAH!!! _,|,,
,,|,_
The History
So in the universe that I am working on, the galaxy was once the home a galaxy-spanning civilization, which developed their understanding of science and physics to a degree, where they could alter the workings of reality. They made earth-like worlds — with full gravity and atmospheric pressure — on the smallest of moons. They linked worlds with a network of transit gates that allowed people to step into another world, like it was in another room (like the Stargates, but without the fancy water show). The quality of life (along with some post-humanist manipulation) was as such, that people could live for centuries with youth and vitality. They could even make changes to their environment, without any real effort.
It was glorious, and beyond what we know as being highly idyllic, and it lasted a long time... until it fell apart from the inside. The reason for this was lost to legend, when the galaxy erupted in warfare. The initial battles played-out like old mythologies, where the gods waged wars in the havens, and thundered Armageddon onto whole worlds! Countless centuries has passed since the wars started, and the galaxy was thrown into a state of barbarism. Pieces of technology are still lying around or hoarded away, but a far too few who have any understanding with how they fully work, and for most, figuring out their functions requires a lot of experimentation. There are still people who use and maintain these artifacts as jealously-guarded family heirlooms, but production of new parts are limited, if at all. Some of the artifacts still in use are airships, gates, personal force fields, and energy weapons. Some of the systems that allowed people to toy with reality are still in effect, but they are so complex and tricky, that few if any have any discipline with it, and for it, they are called "Sorcerers." Many were damaged, and can be harmful if not triggered right. These effects are called "spells," and those who have leaned them are rightfully feared by those who have no access to them. There are powerful intelligence that still linger. They are bodiless minds trapped in strange rock or crystal artifacts like the old tales of the genie in the lamp. They can grant great power, but centuries of living have driven many of them mad. Most people worship them as gods, and some men would use them to make themselves powerful sorcerers.
Most worlds are in primitive states. The wars have been enough to ruin their delicate ecology, or reduced them into barren wastelands! The use of reality-distorting weapons have had a mutagenic effect on life, with a lot of mutant creatures and beastmen. There are a few worlds that have been left mostly unscathed. These few worlds survive by being sheltered to everything else. In the chaos, there are no shortages of despots - many of them are Sorcerers - who are trying to build their empires.
The Characters
Adventures typically dress in a in minimalist attire — a fur loincloth and boots for savages, or a cloth kilt with sandals for civilized folk — with a leather battle harness for warriors, and one’s own wealth warn as jewelry, with coins held together by wire (much like Red Sonja's so-called "chainmail bikini."), so one could just pull-off the right amount of change. The reason for carrying own wealth in the open, is a means to show-off one's power. Although, lacking in any real power, it is best to hide wealth when in a dangerous area. Loin-coverings are seen as a form of politeness in mixed company, with very few rules to enforce modesty, and with toplessness amongst women being so common, no one really bats an eye at it — it’s all seen as a fact of life. The battle harness is used to carry weapons and pouches, but it is meant to carry more powerful items, as follows:
Body armor is still used, but the most popular form of personal protection is the Shield Crest. It fits on the chest of a battle harness, or on the boss of a handheld shield. When activated, it erects an invisible forces field (although it flashes when hit) that repels attacks. It can be set to "soft protection" for the chest, or "solid protection" for the shield. "Soft protection" covers the user fully in a protective shell that deflects fast-moving range weapons and energy-based attacks, but slow-moving weapons, like swords and fists, can move through it. The reason for this, is that there still needs to be air-flow through the field, and if it was "solid," the wearer would suffocate. This would also limit the user to light clothing or armor, as body heat quickly builds up with it is active. "Solid protection" creates a powerful disc that can be maneuvered like a normal shield, to block nearly all forms of attack. The only weakness to a Shield Crest's barrier is an Energy Mace, which can disrupt it and cause it to temporarily shutdown. The harness maybe fitted with a puck-shaped stone called a Jump Stone that lowers wearer's mass, which allows the wearer to leap 30 feet. When used with Light-Wings — a crest-like plate that fits on the back, which projects translucent wings of light — the wearer can fly like a bird. Headgear made by Obsidian-men (which I will get to later) to allow outsiders to see in their own pitch-black world, which works like night-vision goggles (that, and they consider an unmasked face as obscene). Special shoulder pads, called Sun Spaulders, are used to not just to protect the shoulders, but also gather solar energy to power the these items. Otherwise, Radium Crystals are used to power these items, along with energy weapons. Although not a normal man-made device, a race of Aquatic-men have grown a creature that allows air-breathers to breath underwater by wrapping it over one's head like a SCUBA-mask. This was originally given out to a few traders and diplomats, but someone found a way to breed them, and now they are not that hard to come by. Items like these are ether family heirlooms, or spools of war. There are still places here and there, were they are produced to the point of being a common thing to them, but they are usually reluctant to trade with just anyone, much less dangerous savages and ruthless despots.
The Setting
Airships look like sailing ships, but with the ability to fly. They use force fields not just for protection, but also as a large windshield when moving fast. Sails are used to gather solar energy. They mount energy cannons for self-defense. And mount Jump Stones in the hull to counter the effects of gravity (although, gravity inside the ship remains normal). They range in size form a two-man Speeder, to the size of a War Galleon. These ships are usually family heirlooms, and the owners tend to keep the ship's designs as a jealously guarded secret — worthy only for the person they trust to inherent their ship - as a means of safety, in case the ship gets taken-over. There are still plenty of ship-owners and shipwrights who can build ships form the ground-up, but this would require a lot of travel and diplomacy to find all the exotic goods necessary to get one built.
Communities range from small villages, to large cities. Most adventures would have little interest in villages, unless they know that there is something or someone of importance to be found in one, otherwise they have nothing of value. Cities on the other-hand are full of adventure and intrigue! A city is typically built around a trans-planetary portal, where goods and people from all sorts of worlds gather for one reason or another. Because of this, there are only a few of them on each planet, and they are spread-out across savage, untamed wilderness. They are usually walled or mounted up high to keep out the less-then-civilized locals, and travel by land is best done by airship — passage is not hard to come by. They have their own armies and fleets to repel invaders. Even behind the protective walls of a city, it would still be a dangerous place with thieves & thugs on the streets, zealots & harlots in the temples, and corruption & backstabbing among officials — it’s just not safe anywhere!! Beyond the walled cites, there are savages, bandits, and all manner of horrid creatures! If one is powerful and charismatic, then one could recruit a barbaric army. This is highly risky, as they can be extremely violent, traitorous, and superstitious. Civilized folk tend to frown on this practice. Although, if a Warlord is ruthless enough to slaughter for the sake of power, then gathering an army of savages is one of the best means to quickly lay siege to a city — usually at the cost of the city. Warlords of all sorts are constantly scheming to takeover cities to build-up their power-base, as the political power on each world is so centralized towards the cities, that the conquest of a city also means the conquest of a whole planet, if not a whole trade route encapsulating many cities!!!
The Rules
I have been split on what rule system to use. I personalty prefer Barbarians of Lemulria and Mini-Six (I use a combination of both rules in my games), but D&D/OGL are more accessible. I want it to go beyond just hack-n-slash, with a supplement system to promote narrative/story-driven adventures. The turth is, that I want room for all levels of play: from a basic dungeon-crawl to loot an old vault for powerful artifacts, to political intrigue and galactic conquest! Plus, the centralized power-structure of the cities can really turn the concept of a "point of light" setting into something that can easily play-out like a game of Risk or Diplomacy, if you want to focus on military campaigns.
Closing
I'll post more when I feel like it — I'm sorting through my notes. Its got a lot of potential, and it always feel like it needs more to fill out to satisfactory level. If this intrigues you, keep an eye out for updates.
The Inspiration
The inspiration comes form A Princess of Mars, sorted '80s barbarian flicks (Conan, Krull, Beastmaster, etc.), the kitchen sink fantasies that made-up of 80s cartoons (Thundarr, He-Man, Pirates of Darkwater, and the like), and years of playing classic Gamma World in an equally gonzo way. Two of the most influential factors in creating this setting was reading the early Masters of the Universe mini-comics, and a line of knockoff MotU action figures called Galaxy Warriors by Sungold Toys.
The early Masters of the Universe mini-comics were far removed form Filmation's more iconic Masters of the Universe cartoon, with a canon entirely all its own. He-Man was not a foppish princes to turns to a superhero, but a generic Barbarian From The North archeotype who was given really powerful gear by saving a helpless sorceress (who could have easily used said items to defend herself... dumb bitch!). Even without the fancy gear, he can hold his own and is a badass by his own right! The word once had a powerful kingdom with super-advanced technology and magic, but a prolonged way shot everything to shit, and is vary Gamma World with how post-apocalyptic it feels. The protagonist — the evil skull-faced sorcerer Skeletor — was just a petty despot, who not just trying to take over Eternia, but find a way to get off world, so he could takeover more worlds. Some of his henchmen — Beast-Man and Mer-Man — are leaders of a race of their own kind, while Trap-Jaw and Tri-Klops were badass mercenaries form other planets. It is a great series to checkout
To call Galaxy Warriors (Fighters, Heroes, etc.) a knockoff of MotU would be selling the line(s) short. They ripped the general look and concept form Mattel, but the designs where mostly ripped of the art of Frank "Fucking" Frazetta!! (If you're gonna rip anyone off, you ripoff from the best!) The end result are a toy line that looks kinda like MotU figures, but are so different, they look surprisingly original, and could stand side-by-side with MotU figures without looking too out of place! (Although, without the context of backstories on the packaging and with how cheap they were, they were usually relegated to MotU henchmen.)
Another major source of inspiration comes form a device from Frank Herbert's Dune. The Holtzman Shield is a personal forcefield that protects it's wearer from range attacks (in a sci-fi setting where guns are normally prevalent), to allow combat to go back to melee range. Basically, this setting allows warriors to safely go into battle in beefcake and cheesecake attire (think Conan and Red Soyna), while fighting with swords and blasters. The end goal of this setting is to make something that looks as awesome as a badass '80s heavy metal album cover, while being totally playable!
Oh... Fuck... YEAH!!! _,|,,
,,|,_The History
So in the universe that I am working on, the galaxy was once the home a galaxy-spanning civilization, which developed their understanding of science and physics to a degree, where they could alter the workings of reality. They made earth-like worlds — with full gravity and atmospheric pressure — on the smallest of moons. They linked worlds with a network of transit gates that allowed people to step into another world, like it was in another room (like the Stargates, but without the fancy water show). The quality of life (along with some post-humanist manipulation) was as such, that people could live for centuries with youth and vitality. They could even make changes to their environment, without any real effort.
It was glorious, and beyond what we know as being highly idyllic, and it lasted a long time... until it fell apart from the inside. The reason for this was lost to legend, when the galaxy erupted in warfare. The initial battles played-out like old mythologies, where the gods waged wars in the havens, and thundered Armageddon onto whole worlds! Countless centuries has passed since the wars started, and the galaxy was thrown into a state of barbarism. Pieces of technology are still lying around or hoarded away, but a far too few who have any understanding with how they fully work, and for most, figuring out their functions requires a lot of experimentation. There are still people who use and maintain these artifacts as jealously-guarded family heirlooms, but production of new parts are limited, if at all. Some of the artifacts still in use are airships, gates, personal force fields, and energy weapons. Some of the systems that allowed people to toy with reality are still in effect, but they are so complex and tricky, that few if any have any discipline with it, and for it, they are called "Sorcerers." Many were damaged, and can be harmful if not triggered right. These effects are called "spells," and those who have leaned them are rightfully feared by those who have no access to them. There are powerful intelligence that still linger. They are bodiless minds trapped in strange rock or crystal artifacts like the old tales of the genie in the lamp. They can grant great power, but centuries of living have driven many of them mad. Most people worship them as gods, and some men would use them to make themselves powerful sorcerers.
Most worlds are in primitive states. The wars have been enough to ruin their delicate ecology, or reduced them into barren wastelands! The use of reality-distorting weapons have had a mutagenic effect on life, with a lot of mutant creatures and beastmen. There are a few worlds that have been left mostly unscathed. These few worlds survive by being sheltered to everything else. In the chaos, there are no shortages of despots - many of them are Sorcerers - who are trying to build their empires.
"I have come here to sew some respectable clothing
and kick ass...and I'm all out of sewin' thread!"
and kick ass...and I'm all out of sewin' thread!"
The Characters
Adventures typically dress in a in minimalist attire — a fur loincloth and boots for savages, or a cloth kilt with sandals for civilized folk — with a leather battle harness for warriors, and one’s own wealth warn as jewelry, with coins held together by wire (much like Red Sonja's so-called "chainmail bikini."), so one could just pull-off the right amount of change. The reason for carrying own wealth in the open, is a means to show-off one's power. Although, lacking in any real power, it is best to hide wealth when in a dangerous area. Loin-coverings are seen as a form of politeness in mixed company, with very few rules to enforce modesty, and with toplessness amongst women being so common, no one really bats an eye at it — it’s all seen as a fact of life. The battle harness is used to carry weapons and pouches, but it is meant to carry more powerful items, as follows:
Body armor is still used, but the most popular form of personal protection is the Shield Crest. It fits on the chest of a battle harness, or on the boss of a handheld shield. When activated, it erects an invisible forces field (although it flashes when hit) that repels attacks. It can be set to "soft protection" for the chest, or "solid protection" for the shield. "Soft protection" covers the user fully in a protective shell that deflects fast-moving range weapons and energy-based attacks, but slow-moving weapons, like swords and fists, can move through it. The reason for this, is that there still needs to be air-flow through the field, and if it was "solid," the wearer would suffocate. This would also limit the user to light clothing or armor, as body heat quickly builds up with it is active. "Solid protection" creates a powerful disc that can be maneuvered like a normal shield, to block nearly all forms of attack. The only weakness to a Shield Crest's barrier is an Energy Mace, which can disrupt it and cause it to temporarily shutdown. The harness maybe fitted with a puck-shaped stone called a Jump Stone that lowers wearer's mass, which allows the wearer to leap 30 feet. When used with Light-Wings — a crest-like plate that fits on the back, which projects translucent wings of light — the wearer can fly like a bird. Headgear made by Obsidian-men (which I will get to later) to allow outsiders to see in their own pitch-black world, which works like night-vision goggles (that, and they consider an unmasked face as obscene). Special shoulder pads, called Sun Spaulders, are used to not just to protect the shoulders, but also gather solar energy to power the these items. Otherwise, Radium Crystals are used to power these items, along with energy weapons. Although not a normal man-made device, a race of Aquatic-men have grown a creature that allows air-breathers to breath underwater by wrapping it over one's head like a SCUBA-mask. This was originally given out to a few traders and diplomats, but someone found a way to breed them, and now they are not that hard to come by. Items like these are ether family heirlooms, or spools of war. There are still places here and there, were they are produced to the point of being a common thing to them, but they are usually reluctant to trade with just anyone, much less dangerous savages and ruthless despots.
The Setting
Airships look like sailing ships, but with the ability to fly. They use force fields not just for protection, but also as a large windshield when moving fast. Sails are used to gather solar energy. They mount energy cannons for self-defense. And mount Jump Stones in the hull to counter the effects of gravity (although, gravity inside the ship remains normal). They range in size form a two-man Speeder, to the size of a War Galleon. These ships are usually family heirlooms, and the owners tend to keep the ship's designs as a jealously guarded secret — worthy only for the person they trust to inherent their ship - as a means of safety, in case the ship gets taken-over. There are still plenty of ship-owners and shipwrights who can build ships form the ground-up, but this would require a lot of travel and diplomacy to find all the exotic goods necessary to get one built.
Communities range from small villages, to large cities. Most adventures would have little interest in villages, unless they know that there is something or someone of importance to be found in one, otherwise they have nothing of value. Cities on the other-hand are full of adventure and intrigue! A city is typically built around a trans-planetary portal, where goods and people from all sorts of worlds gather for one reason or another. Because of this, there are only a few of them on each planet, and they are spread-out across savage, untamed wilderness. They are usually walled or mounted up high to keep out the less-then-civilized locals, and travel by land is best done by airship — passage is not hard to come by. They have their own armies and fleets to repel invaders. Even behind the protective walls of a city, it would still be a dangerous place with thieves & thugs on the streets, zealots & harlots in the temples, and corruption & backstabbing among officials — it’s just not safe anywhere!! Beyond the walled cites, there are savages, bandits, and all manner of horrid creatures! If one is powerful and charismatic, then one could recruit a barbaric army. This is highly risky, as they can be extremely violent, traitorous, and superstitious. Civilized folk tend to frown on this practice. Although, if a Warlord is ruthless enough to slaughter for the sake of power, then gathering an army of savages is one of the best means to quickly lay siege to a city — usually at the cost of the city. Warlords of all sorts are constantly scheming to takeover cities to build-up their power-base, as the political power on each world is so centralized towards the cities, that the conquest of a city also means the conquest of a whole planet, if not a whole trade route encapsulating many cities!!!
The Rules
I have been split on what rule system to use. I personalty prefer Barbarians of Lemulria and Mini-Six (I use a combination of both rules in my games), but D&D/OGL are more accessible. I want it to go beyond just hack-n-slash, with a supplement system to promote narrative/story-driven adventures. The turth is, that I want room for all levels of play: from a basic dungeon-crawl to loot an old vault for powerful artifacts, to political intrigue and galactic conquest! Plus, the centralized power-structure of the cities can really turn the concept of a "point of light" setting into something that can easily play-out like a game of Risk or Diplomacy, if you want to focus on military campaigns.
Closing
I'll post more when I feel like it — I'm sorting through my notes. Its got a lot of potential, and it always feel like it needs more to fill out to satisfactory level. If this intrigues you, keep an eye out for updates.
