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08:12, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Variations on a Theme.

Posted by Alexei Yaruk-Mundhenk
Alexei Yaruk-Mundhenk
member, 1597 posts
Ad Majorem
Dea Gloriam
Wed 18 Feb 2015
at 19:55
  • msg #1

Variations on a Theme

So, as someone pointed out my idea for a game about rebuilding after the fall which did not feature zombies or raiders lacked a key element, the opportunity for adventure and excitement, well, I have spent some time thinking about that and have come up with an idea that solves that problem, which is broken up into three sections: the core idea, the era, and the relative level of prep for our group. All of these ideas are very rough outlines on which I would like to work with any GMs that want to take them up to flesh out what they would become, but if the GM prefers I not have an active hand in shaping the world I think I could work with that too, just so long as we get a game going...



The Core Idea: What brave new world that has such creatures in it!

The year is 2316, at least on Earth Prime: For the past 300 years the earth has struggled with immense overpopulation problems, which have gotten steadily worse. We have managed to avoid nuclear war, barely, thought there have been a few terrorist attacks using nuclear bombs. San Francisco, Belfast, Paris, and Miami no longer exist. But that has been a symptom of the larger problem of there simply being too many people on Earth.

The United Nations became a true world government in 2251 with the Shanghai Accord under which most of the NATO signatories as well as China and Russia agreed to put half of their armed forces under the control of the UN at all times, giving the UN the world's largest standing army, but while this has done much to promote world stability it has not helped much with the issues raised by our population's continued rise.

We thought we found a solution when we completed the space elevators and started shipping convicts to penal colonies on Mars,  but wouldn't you know it: the martian colonies revolted and declared independence, leaving us with the same problem we had before of not enough space for too many people.

That solution arrived in 2312 with the invention of the Garbar-MacLear Gate, a device which can access parallel universes. The device follows Terminator rules, the only things that can pass through are living organic matter and light, so the device can view other realities, but we cannot send tools and equipment through along with the people. After the first few near disastrous tests and the scanning of dozens upon dozens of universes it was discovered that the device links two 'correspondence' points, based on earth's gravitational and magnetic fields, being point's roughly in the same location relative to each other on the two copies of Earth: and that the majority of universes are what are called 'historical alternates' places which are geographically the same as Earth Prime but at some point in the past.

This information rocked the UN when it was revealed, but the decision was made by several countries to use this technology as the ultimate response to the question of execution:  People convicted of capitol crimes instead of being killed would be dropped onto historical alternate Earths where humanity had never evolved and left to survive as best they could. If it later turned out that they had been innocent, they could be retrieved, if not, well, the need for survival should occupy their time more constructively. In the USA in particular there was a groundswell of support for this idea, and the sentence of 'Banishment' became fairly standard for a number of serious offenses, including murder, rape, child molestation, human trafficking, and serial conviction for other felonies under the national 'three strikes' laws. Some states still execute certain offenders, such as serial killers and serial rapists, or put them into the much reduced prison system, but others toss them into other worlds just like the rest of the 'trash', however the state our characters are from is one that keeps the worst offenders behind bars, so that they cannot cause trouble on their new worlds either.

That brings us to the characters and their predicament. The PCs are a group of mixed offenders mostly tossed out on the '3 strikes' rules. You could have done something fairly minor by the standards of today, the politicians stance that you have to be 'Tough on Crime'  has  not lost it's popular appeal over the past 300 years,  and with the world so overcrowded there is a largely unacknowledged but very real appeal to throwing the 'scum' to the wolves, literally. Things which might seem inconsequential to you and me are now felonies, such as stealing an apple from a tree in a park, public intoxication, and getting in an auto accident which barely put a dent in someone's fender without having current state insurance. These sorts of things still have low sentences, but they count against your 3 strike total which will get you tossed into another dimension.

This process of exiling those who cannot conform is no secret: millions of aerial drones equipped with small Garber-MacLear Devices ply the sky of the USA and elsewhere tracking convicts in other universes as they go about their daily lives trying to survive in other dimensions. The Government then repackages the best parts of this footage as 'Actual Reality' TV shows with voice overs that take up the time which would otherwise be dead air on C-span. For some reason C-Span is now a very popular network, at least at night for the DVR crowd, and some people just leave it on 24-7.

Back to our characters however: We are a group of what the government euphemistically refers to as 'Involuntary Colonists' sent to a historical alternate which is currently in one of three time periods, which one is up to the GM. Each will tell a slightly different story for our characters but in most of them the conflict we face is more Man vs Nature than Man vs Man. (Though for some characters the conflict may be more Man vs Self...)

1: Age of Dinosaurs.

The world is still hot and dry over most of the surface, and great saurian monsters roam the world. I will not hold the GM to any specific era in earth's history, they can mix and match all the famous dinosaurs if they want, but I would prefer if the GM is going to pick a period it be WELL before the meteor impact, as in that event will not happen before our Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandchild’s day. The challenge here is figuring out what is safe to eat and so forth in a world for which we have no common points of reference and of course dodging and/or killing the vilociraptors or other apex predators.

2: Mammoth Hunters.

We appear in Prehistorical, in fact Pre-Human, North America, around the time when the first Native Americans would have crossed the land bridge from the Berring Straight, except on this world there are no humans, humanity didn't make it through the near extinction period in Africa. Winters are cold all over the planet and mighty mammoths roam the world along with many other massive animals such as saber tooth tigers and dire wolves. The Challenge here will be surviving the winter and dealing with the carnivores which we will have to confront.  The later challenge is that worlds like this one are considered prime spots to dump people because they have a much higher chance of survival and this goes over better with the folks back home, so eventually we will have to deal with other groups of 'colonists', some of whom may not be as nice as we are...

3: Fruiting Gators!

This one is slightly different: Instead of involuntary colonists we are a diplomatic team sent at the behest of a Native American Tribe into Louisiana circa 1000 AD along with dozens of other similar groups across the USA, with the intent of uniting the scattered and fractious peoples of North America into one unified alternate USA where the natives are never supplanted by the Europeans. Small problem? A, the language's spoken here are like Old English compared to Modern American English, and also there are Monsters abroad in the swamps of Louisiana, alligators 20 feet long and worse. Second problem, even though we have been extensively decontaminated we also bring with us the same scourge that laid low the Native Americans in the first place, viruses. What can we do as the natives begin to sicken and die? And how can we survive in order to meet them with all the snakes and spiders and, yes, “Fruiting Gators!”




With each of these scenarios the GM has another choice to make as well: How well our party is equipped at the start.

1: Chuck Them In!

We start with nothing but our own two hands and whatever skills we happened to have when we were arrested. This is the most challenging option but perhaps the most realistic. This option is not appropriate for the third game idea, but could apply to either of the others.

2: Train them and ship them out.

Instead of being chucked through the portal all Willy-Nilly we are given an intensive 6 month training regimen in survival and wilderness lore skills and so forth, however we are not given any supplies to work with: more on that in a second.

3: 40 acres and a mule.

Remember how only 'living organic matter' and light can pass through the portal? Well, before the world was quite so crowded convicted felons on being released from prison were given '40 acres and a mule' in the hopes that becoming farmers would keep them out of trouble. (There were actually a few other things but those cant come with...) Well, now that we have an effectively infinite amount of space, why not start up with that again? I am sure some states would, if only because sending people off to die is never really popular with the voting public. So, every group of convicts sent through in our state go with the following trained animals to help them survive. (None of these animals are pedigree, they are taken from shelters and the like and trained by professionals then the convicts given a crash course in handling them and shipped out. )

6 Dogs, 1 trained as service, 3 for hunting, and 2 to guard. There are always at least 2 males and 3 females.

4 cats, trained as mousers: minimums of 1 male and 2 females.

1 chicken per convict. There always is at least 2 rosters and 3 hens, making the minimum convict party be 5.

1 sheep per convict, with the same balance as the chickens. This provides the convicts with wool to make clothes on the other side.

1 cow, bull, or ox per 5 convicts in the party, which must be agreed upon by the convicts as an  exercise  in democracy.

The convicts selection of 5000 heirloom seeds per convict, with which to plant their first crops. Almost any variety will be provided, assuming it makes sense for the climate they are being dropped in and the GM knows what that plant IS, because anything the GM has not heard of is too rare to be provided in mass batches. The convicts also get dozens of carved hollowed out sprouted potatoes as containers for the seeds, which can themselves be cut up an planted as crops.  Alternately they could be given things like garlic bulbs and apple tree seedlings that can be planted and grown else wise, but they get less of them.

Lastly they will have a 3 week or so crash course on agronomy and animal husbandry so that they know what to do with the seeds they have selected, and can in theory survive.

Lastly, the convicts themselves: the proportion of each set of 'colonists' sent is kept one of two ways, all men, or roughly 50/50 men and women. The reason it is not always 50/50 is that there are a lot more male convicts than female ones. Which one the game would be I leave up to the ST.


4: And I shall make of you a great nation!

This option combines options 2 and 3: they get 6 months training in survival skills and a host of supplies to work with. This option is the one most appropriate for game idea #3.


So, having slogged through all that,  does anyone think they would want to run this?
FluidFires
member, 54 posts
AD&D, NWOD, Green Ronin
D20 modern, D20 Apocalyse
Wed 18 Feb 2015
at 22:18
  • msg #2

Re: Variations on a Theme

Sounds loosely based on Terra Nova.... I dunno about running it, but I'd def be down for playing it.
Alexei Yaruk-Mundhenk
member, 1598 posts
Ad Majorem
Dea Gloriam
Wed 18 Feb 2015
at 22:38
  • msg #3

Re: Variations on a Theme

The Dinosaur Era part of the idea was inspired by Terra Nova, it's true, but the rest of it is largely inspired by this game:

http://titaniumspork.org/aethe...e/av_full_lowres.pdf

Though some elements are from other sources that was the crux of the idea.
Sithraider
member, 84 posts
The dead, they walk!
16 in the clip...
Wed 18 Feb 2015
at 22:54
  • msg #4

Re: Variations on a Theme

This sounds a lot like a book I read when I was a kid, called Tunnel in the Sky, I think. It was about overpopulation and space exploration. Only the door opened was a wormhole and people could take tools with them. The story was about a survival class final on a jungle world. The class was stranded when the door didn't open back up.

Great Idea for a game btw.
Alexei Yaruk-Mundhenk
member, 1600 posts
Ad Majorem
Dea Gloriam
Wed 18 Feb 2015
at 23:04
  • msg #5

Re: Variations on a Theme

Thank you, thank you, I do try. I think it will make a very interesting plot line to have the party be designed to survive together in a wilderness setting rather than the conflict be between party members: also probably a longer running game...
Alexei Yaruk-Mundhenk
member, 1616 posts
Ad Majorem
Dea Gloriam
Wed 25 Feb 2015
at 22:55
  • msg #6

Re: Variations on a Theme

Still looking to find a GM to run this.
aguy777
member, 34 posts
20 Years Old
Wed 25 Feb 2015
at 23:20
  • msg #7

Re: Variations on a Theme

I'd be interested in playing, but I don't think I'd do the concept justice as a GM.
CosmicGamer
member, 81 posts
Thu 26 Feb 2015
at 13:57
  • [deleted]
  • msg #8

Re: Variations on a Theme

This message was deleted by the user at 14:00, Thu 26 Feb 2015.
Alexei Yaruk-Mundhenk
member, 1632 posts
Ad Majorem
Dea Gloriam
Thu 19 Mar 2015
at 00:28
  • msg #9

Re: Variations on a Theme

Still, still looking for a GM.
Sithraider
member, 103 posts
The dead, they walk!
16 in the clip...
Thu 19 Mar 2015
at 00:58
  • msg #10

Re: Variations on a Theme

Alexei, I've got a couple questions for you and a concept/era/prep idea.

QUESTIONS
1: how many PCs are you thinking? 2 or 3, 4-8 or too many for me :)
2: what level of autonomy? Mostly PC directed with some GM guidance, Mostly Sandbox with problems/challenges laid out by the GM or Plot driven?
3: number of GM posts a week?
4: game system? Free form, lite or crunchy?

CONCEPT/ERA/PREP
Concept: mostly what you said for the current future. But, instead of convicts sent to populate the PCs are sent back in time to fix the futures current problem. Which is a global war and insurmountable dictatorship. The last bastions of the free world, having sensed their demise, pitch their lot in with the Revisionists. A group that has ferreted out the when and where that all of humanity's problems came from.

Era: the crux of the future's problems began in the Neolithic/Upper Paleolithic era, Central Europe. The peaceful Matriarchal tribe called Anoi, is just about to be conquered by the Patriarchal migrant horse tribe from the high plains of Mongolia. With the ice age over, expansion is happening and the Patriarchal migrant tribe has three advantages: Horses, warriors and disregard for the enemies life. This is the Stone Age and tools, weapons and what not are limited. The matriarchal tribe has some farming (very basic) but no concept of war. The other, well, you get it.

The goal; alter this past in such a way that no one in future generations knows that you've done it and save the world from certain destruction.

Prep: the team will be trained in Neolithic technologies. Things like hunting, gathering, stone knapping etc. they will also have some modern horses and dogs. They will be trained in hand to hand combat, Neolithic weapons (clubs spears, atl atl), and they will know how to make long bows and arrows from heartwood. They will get to bring knowledge of herbal remedies and apply modern medical concepts to ancient ways. They will also get to bring a few Bronze Age tools; a few axes and blades for making the bows and arrows.

The candidates would probably military, maybe scientific. Sort of like Star Gate I suppose. It would however, be a one way trip.


EDIT: My preference is to use a modified version of the Powered by the Apocalypse engine. There aren't classes and the mod is "skill/ability" focussed. I might plug in the mod to a game and send you a link by rMail to see if it interests you. It would work for any of the scenarios on this page.
This message was last edited by the user at 22:11, Fri 20 Mar 2015.
Alexei Yaruk-Mundhenk
member, 1633 posts
Ad Majorem
Dea Gloriam
Thu 19 Mar 2015
at 06:22
  • msg #11

Re: Variations on a Theme

And some answers!

1: I think 8 would be an extreme upper limit for this game, probably more like 4 to 6.
2: I think any of these COULD work, as long as the players and GM knew in advance which one I would be.
3: Honestly I would be quite satisfied with a one post per week game, but anything up to daily would be acceptable.
4: The game system you propose is one I have tried and found workable: with one major exception: Apocalypse World instructs the GM specifically to make everyone and everything you encounter some kind of problem or hindrance and also declares that you can never actually permanently improve the situation: I dislike this idea intensely and would need your solemn promise that this part of the 'rules' would be thrown out the window.
Sithraider
member, 107 posts
The dead, they walk!
16 in the clip...
Thu 19 Mar 2015
at 21:50
  • msg #12

Re: Variations on a Theme

In reply to Alexei Yaruk-Mundhenk (msg # 11):

I don't see a reason to have a lose-lose based game. I don't play DW or AW that way. So That's a promise I could readily keep. I'd keep my posting to 1-3 times a week IC and as needed for OOC posts.

I forgot to ask about rating. I've got this plugged into an Adult game now, but it doesn't have to be that by any means. I'll add a link here to the game after I touch up the RTJ. Then we can see what we work out. I think 4 or so players would be preferred for me.

I don't want to solo this game, but if we get things worked out before enough people sign on, we could start and then have the others come in as a second chalk.

What themes are you most interested in?
1: Survival
2: Intercultural
3: PC - PC relationships
4: Others?
Sithraider
member, 109 posts
Fri 20 Mar 2015
at 02:28
  • [deleted]
  • msg #13

Re: Variations on a Theme

This message was deleted by a moderator, as it was against the forum rules, at 03:24, Thu 26 Mar 2015.
Sithraider
member, 114 posts
Thu 26 Mar 2015
at 02:32
  • [deleted]
  • msg #14

Re: Variations on a Theme

This message was deleted by a moderator, as it was against the forum rules, at 03:20, Thu 26 Mar 2015.
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