non lore-Sci-fi, gamma world, fantasy-ish mashup

[greenknightfury]

Well we have a selection of apocalypses to choose from:

 

1) War, which both Gamma World and FO use (though Gamma World included use of nanite and biotech terror weapons along with nukes and more conventional bombs) gives best reason for various mutagen exposure outside facilities that studied biotech or used radiation.

 

2) Disaster; asteroid strike or rogue planetoid/wandering singularity/wandering spacial anomaly making a close pass or actually interacting with the planet's magnetosphere, large amounts of damage and lingering rads, but far more likely to have eliminated any tech not extremely shielded.

 

3) Even more unusual ends like the opening of a dimensional rift or experimental tech going boom. The dimensional rift allows for extremely bizarre items and creatures.

[devinpatterson]

And the old gamma world (the one I'm reading) that has a secret group that (I'm currently unclear from what I read) either triggered the war or had a super weapon that just kick'd the S out of everyone. They were a terrorist group called "The Apocalypse".

 

Also accidental biotech, like the stand. Accidental breach of military biotech lab that one survivor escaped containment and spread capt trips to everyone.

 

I like the great mistake from gammworld 2010, because it mentions multiple realities (time lines) intruding upon our own. Then we could have gamma world tech in one area, cyber in another. But it might drift toward Rifts and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Because all I know about rifts is it's got multiple realities.

 

Another is the AI/singularity. Ala terminator.

 

A long shot is alien invasion/bombardment.

 

I'd better stop now, got too many choices as is.

 

Did you want to toss out some mutant (alpha if I understand my gammworld info right) abilities and a some advanced tech (omega?). That way I can start thinking of ways to make them work, if possible.

[TrooperScooperMKII]

Regarding the internet thing, has anyone here seen/read Ghost in the Shell? Basically it's a ~2040 elite Japanese SWAT team. It's very interesting how the author (don't know who) used prosthetics and the internet- basically, linking brains directly to the web via implants- and the cyber-crime setups are quite creative...

just to name a few, there's a cyber-brain hyper-autism, where people basically become utterly non-responsive super-hackers (spending all their time on the net) and the potential to "hack" cybernetic eyes and limbs... imagine an Edward type child-hacker messing with a cyber-upgraded player's eyesight/limbs just for kicks. THis could even be a means of "possession" for the elites; mandatory "upgrading" of their servants/inferiors, allowing them to "hijack" the eyes, ears and bodies of the peons, whether as a Big Brother surveillance or as a possession scenario.

[devinpatterson]

Regarding the internet thing, has anyone here seen/read Ghost in the Shell? ...used prosthetics and the internet- basically, linking brains directly to the web via implants- and the cyber-crime setups are quite creative...

 

I did, but quite a while ago. I'll rent it again, sounds like a lot of good material for this mod in there. It's also one of the inspirations for the Wachowski brothers when writing the Matrix.

 

just to name a few, there's a cyber-brain hyper-autism,.....THis could even be a means of "possession" for the elites; mandatory "upgrading" of their servants/inferiors, allowing them to "hijack" the eyes, ears and bodies of the peons, whether as a Big Brother surveillance or as a possession scenario.

 

Definitely, good idea :thumbsup:

 

Maybe in addition to, they (slaves/servants what have you) are "paid" in off hours VR worlds that are there additctions. Whether that's a porno VR or a direct connect into the pleasure centers of the brain. Alternately/addition to they are punished by direct connect into the pain centers of the brain or horrible gut wrenching VR hells.

 

I really like the direction the cyberpunk region/part is taking.....

[TrooperScooperMKII]

You've all seen Inception, right? Awesome movie, and plenty of food for thought. :smile:

and I LOVE cyberpunk, an awesome blend of transhumanism (I'm a trans-humanist, BTW, can't wait for longevity meds and cyber-bodies) and the rather obvious ramifications of divorcing technological progress from social justice/"progress", e.g. just because we have the tech to feed/clothe everyone doesn't mean we'll up and switch to an enlightened commie land. That it's generally more "realistic" than other fantasy/sci-fi also helps.

[devinpatterson]

You've all seen Inception, right? Awesome movie, and plenty of food for thought. :smile:

 

I'm embarrassed to say I havn't, but I'll check it out ASAP.

 

(I'm a trans-humanist, BTW, can't wait for longevity meds and cyber-bodies)

 

I'm more pessimistic. I don't think the generation that will experience significant life extension has been born yet. But I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

 

and I LOVE cyberpunk,......That it's generally more "realistic" than other fantasy/sci-fi also helps.

 

Right on :thumbsup: couldn't agree more, also love the style

 

In re: to the mashup/mix (mixing cyberpunk and gammworld) I see at least three ways to do it.

 

#1 no explanation or plausible reason at all. Just throw in what we want and mix it up however. But that could be pretty eclectic and messy.

 

#2 Use the Gamma World 2010 explanation, where the LHC merged various time lines (the two most prominent being cyberpunk and fallout). This one has a Rifts type feel. Since it could allow even other realities like western, horror, mythological etc (just limited by our resources, like models). The advantage there is a lot more variety, but once again could be messy.

 

#3 The direction I think I'v been sort of wandering down, which is a Cyberpunk campaign with tech/science behind everything. The idea that cosmetic genetic tech for the fantasy races and humanoid mutants, very advanced tech being misinterpreted as magic, etc. etc.

 

The advantage to #3 is that you could spin a pretty believable yarn, by just projecting what could reasonably be possible in the future. And with teh VR worlds you don't even have to loose the other realities. You could have VR westerns, VR horrors etc. The disadvantage is some gamma world mutations that defy reality may fall by the wayside, you couldn't collect VR loot etc.

 

Any thoughts or preferences Trooper?

Edited October 3, 2012 by devinpatterson

[TrooperScooperMKII]

 

 

I'm embarrassed to say I havn't, but I'll check it out ASAP.

Definitely, Nolan really poured his heart into it (basically he did the Dark Knight as a warm up and to give his name enough clout to get a blank check... smart man) and it's just amazing. Though as far as this mod thread goes, it mainly touches more on the dream/illusion vs. reality dichotomy, a la the matrix.

 

I'm more pessimistic. I don't think the generation that will experience significant life extension has been born yet. But I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

As a 19 year old, I fully expect/hope to live into the next century in a body that doesn't look like a shriveled raisin... in a sense we've already doubled the life-span of the average human (at least, in the developed world :sad: ) in the last 80 years or so, and the sheer pace of development (60% of everything humanity's produced was since 1980) really opens the door to speculation...

but that's another topic.

 

Right on :thumbsup: couldn't agree more, also love the style

 

In re: to the mashup/mix (mixing cyberpunk and gammworld) I see at least three ways to do it.

 

#1 no explanation or plausible reason at all. Just throw in what we want and mix it up however. But that could be pretty eclectic and messy.

 

We could handwave a few things, but as a primary "reason" it's rather hollow.

 

#2 Use the Gamma World 2010 explanation, where the LHC merged various time lines (the two most prominent being cyberpunk and fallout). This one has a Riftstype feel. Since it could allow even other realities like western, horror, mythological etc (just limited by our resources, like models). The advantage there is a lot more variety, but once again could be messy.

 

#3 The direction I think I'v been sort of wandering down, which is a Cyberpunk campaign with tech/science behind everything. The idea that cosmetic genetic tech for the fantasy races and humanoid mutants, very advanced tech being misinterpreted as magic, etc. etc.

 

The advantage to #3 is that you could spin a pretty believable yarn, by just projecting what could reasonably be possible in the future. And with teh VR worlds you don't even have to loose the other realities. You could have VR westerns, VR horrors etc. The disadvantage is some gamma world mutations that defy reality may fall by the wayside, you couldn't collect VR loot etc.

 

Any thoughts or preferences Trooper?

I tend towards three in sci-fi and fantasy both, though a good story and/or sparing use of a**pulls gives some leeway here.

"Know the rules so you know how to break them properly."

Or something to that effect. 8)

[devinpatterson]

I tend towards three in sci-fi and fantasy both, though a good story and/or sparing use of a**pulls gives some leeway here.

"Know the rules so you know how to break them properly."

 

Sounds good, maybe little tweaks. Like instead of gammaworld style mutations (critters rising up whole cloth from rads), you have mostly the result of pre-war gene tech, with minor mutations off of that. And then a very rare, true mutation, that comes out of nowhere will be all that much more interesting....if I get your drift.

 

I think greenknightfury is on-board with that (number #3), because it essentially will give us most of the mutations/traits of gamma world, just a different, more plausible explanation and he preferred a more modern tech (with options for a little retro thrown in).

 

Let me know what you think greenknightfury and if your good with it, I'm gonna shift fully into that mindset, and start designing everything around that paradigm.

 

Also if we're not getting the X-13 stealth suit re-texture, the muscle girl project got me thinking of going even more Crysis like. So I could use those muscles as the base of the suit. I mean if you look at the Crysis suit, it's essentially a anatomy project with a little chrome thrown in (see pic). Whip up some good textures and I think it just might work.

 

example pic;

 

http://www.freeiphone4swallpapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/crysis_3.jpg

 

[greenknightfury]

And the old gamma world (the one I'm reading) that has a secret group that (I'm currently unclear from what I read) either triggered the war or had a super weapon that just kick'd the S out of everyone. They were a terrorist group called "The Apocalypse".

 

Also accidental biotech, like the stand. Accidental breach of military biotech lab that one survivor escaped containment and spread capt trips to everyone.

Well in the d20 version there was such a group that triggered the war, they got hit by pretty much everybody when they figured out they had doomsday weapons, not realizing those doomsday weapons were set to go off automatically if not stopped periodically.

And much of the craziness of the world was due to the fightings accidental release of all kinds of nano/bio tech and the taking out of the controlling systems of a lot of the A.I. and non A.I. tech (to give an example wandering construction machines randomly creating the last thing they were ordered to build around the landscape)

 

I like the great mistake from gammworld 2010, because it mentions multiple realities (time lines) intruding upon our own. Then we could have gamma world tech in one area, cyber in another. But it might drift toward Rifts and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Because all I know about rifts is it's got multiple realities.

Well Rifts is the ultimate mashup of everything from any scifi or fantasy or modern day world, where a cyborg and his mech pilot buddy might fight a bunch of powerarmor wearing necromancers *chuckles*. Or a superhero and his elvin sidekick might be trying to stop the evil wizard working and the evil technology company he owns.

 

Did you want to toss out some mutant (alpha if I understand my gammworld info right) abilities and a some advanced tech (omega?). That way I can start thinking of ways to make them work, if possible.

Mine gives it by what causes it not by Alpha and Omega but can do.

 

I can even give you a sampling from among the minor and major positive and negative mutations( that for the most part are easy to copy, there are others listed):

 

Minor Negative: 1) Ability Degradation: one of the character's stats is reduced by 1, along with any ill effect of that stat becoming lowering.

 

2) Cracking Joints: The character's joints make popping and cracking sounds as they move incurring a penalty to trying to move silently.

 

3) Greedy Metabolism: The character needs four times as much food per day and any healing from the food items is lowered, is very thin and finds concentrating on tasks hard.

 

Minor Positive: 1) Ability Enhancement: one of the character's stats is raised by 1, along with any benefits it raising gives.

 

2) Nimble Fingers: The character's fine motor skills improve, giving a boost to any activity that requires it (repair, lockpicking, science)

 

3) Metabolic Boost: The character's metabolism is more efficient than normal, they require twice the food of a normal person but they receive more healing from food items.

 

(these will be a big tipoff of why I wanted to do a FO/Gamma World campaign)

Major Negative: 1) Half Life: this is Ghoulification, the description is just a full description of it turning you into what amounts to a Ghoul. The major difference being they no longer eat being sustained by radiation, and well we can go with that or not *chuckles*.

 

2) Monster: for all intents and purposes this is turns you into a typical Supermutant, 8-9 feet tall supermuscled and reducing your intelligence to very low levels ( 3 or less for us) just doesn't include green skin.

 

3)Radiation Leak: You begin to produce and leak radiation, dosing anyone around you while you yourself are immune to anything but the most intense radiation. A radsuit keeps you from irradiating others.

 

Major Positive: 1) Sonic Scream: The character can emit a powerful scream attack (much like the debatable sonic/psionic attack of the Mirelurk Kings/(non crablike)Lakelurks)

 

2) Frog Legs: (despite the name, the legs can look perfectly normal ,though very muscular, or become strange depending on what the DM and character decide) Doubles the jump distance and height.

 

3) Psychic Apptitude: You gain the ability to use psionic abilities.

 

 

 

Now Biotech can mimic any of the mutant abilities as well as other things like increase healing or give you poison immunity.

 

 

Then there is Nanotech:

 

Nanotech devices can do everything from converting trash into food or raw metal into finished product, to healing you totally, to being something like a (item/weapon/armor name here) in a bottle.

 

Personal Nanotech has various uses and uses a point system based on what you did with it, points are replenished by getting more nanites either by finding dormant ones or having what ones you still retain convert material into more. Any effect done totally inside yourself uses up less.

 

1) Healing (yourself or others) stimpack, doctor's bag, curing addiction or poisoning are all effects it's capable of.

 

2) Ablative Forcefield: An energy field capable of absorbing so much damage before being exhausted, due to the nanites producing it overloading as damage is dealt to it.

 

3) Induce Mutation (a truly crazy one): Purposely have the nanites pump out rads and mutagens till you receive a random mutation.

 

4) Water Purification: Purify a single container of water you carry.

 

5) Auto Lockpick: The nanites enter and break down the lock unlocking it.

 

6) Auto Hacking: The nanites enter the computer and read it's data then project it either onto a personal computing device (some of which are already basically a Pipboy) or onto your personal UI/HUD that most personal nanotech give.

 

Those are just examples it gives of various nanotech abilities.

Edited October 4, 2012 by greenknightfury

[greenknightfury]

I'm definitely onboard with the #3, it works very well and some of the tech you get out of this kind of setting does lend itself to being iterpreted as magic because it is just so wild (most of the nanotech examples I give above for instance, there is even a whole thing in the Gamma World d20 about how psionics and nanotech are often seen as magic except by the most highly tech savvy), along with the fact that there are many genetically created mutant critters and people based on fantasy in the setting, because lets face it if you can make any lifeform you want in your garage...the ones most likely to use it would be the folks that would be making unicorns and dragons! *laughs* Edited October 4, 2012 by greenknightfury