Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: Shee Empire

Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: Shee Empire

The previous post mentioned another crystalline species - the shee, so it is a good idea to actually describe it. The Shee Empire is an active player on the galactic scene and should provide different opportunities for adventures. For example, the PCs may wish to stop the shee from playing gods for low-tech aliens, steal some of their psi-tech, or maybe even gain their trust by attaining "divine traits". As a racial template, the shee are not very expensive, but still have many exotic advantages and disadvantages. They are not as protected from the environment as the l'rimra, but are armed with vicious talons and stingers - useful when you are stranded on a hostile world with no equipment. Also, the shee are not humanoid, and this fact may appeal to some players.

Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: L'rimran Technocracy

Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: L'rimran Technocracy

We have established the principles of our setting, and now it's time to create a faction. I decided to start with one of the major alien powers - the L'rimran Technocracy. While the faction is very advanced technologically and has a powerful military presence, it rarely ever threatens the other factions. Less technologically advanced species should fear attracting the attention of the Technocracy with their military actions within the l'rimran space, but can do so freely in other regions. This should provide interesting interactions, both combat- and diplomacy-wise.
As a racial template, the l'rimra have many exotic advantages and disadvantages, but their point cost is low.

Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: First Steps

Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: First Steps

Two of my favorite tabletop RPG genres are high-magic fantasy and soft sci-fi. I dislike using most of the published settings for my own games, so I have no choice but to create ones myself. And I like persistent settings to play many games in, so if I create one, I should make it enjoyable for myself to GM and, hopefully, for the players to play in too. While I have a setting for TL 4 fantasy ready, I do not have one for a high TL sci-fi game. In this post I will try to explain how I start creating one.

Monster: Behir

Monster: Behir

Behir is a serpentine draconic monster that is very intolerance of actual dragons. Dwelling in warm hills, this beast is intelligent, but not very bright. It is tough, strong, and possesses an electric breath attack that takes recharge.

Sorcery: Metal Spells VI

Sorcery: Metal Spells VI

Last metal spells. And not only that - these are the last unconverted vanilla Magic spells, including the ones from Pyramid, at least at the time I'm writing this post. The whol system conversion sure took me a while. Smelt Ore transmutes ore into an ingot of metal. Stone to Metal transmutes stone to metal. Transmute Metal converts one type of a metal into another. Walk Through Metal is a useful prison escape tool.

Sorcery: Metal Spells V

Sorcery: Metal Spells V

Three more metal spells. Rust makes an item more fragile, Restore Metal reverses the effects. Sharpen Blade is a limited version of Penetrating Weapon.

Sorcery: Metal Spells IV

Sorcery: Metal Spells IV

Not done yet! Metal to Stone and Purify Metal are transmutative spells. Move Metal is a limited version of Apportation. Rain of Shards is yet another area attack.

Sorcery: Metal Spells III

Sorcery: Metal Spells III

Even more metal spells. Essential Metal creates orichalcum. Flesh to Metal transforms a living creature into a metal statue, and Metal to Flesh reverses the effects.

Sorcery: Metal Spells II

Sorcery: Metal Spells II

More metal spells! Blunderbuss is a rapid fire missile spell. Celestial Shotgun is an area metal attack. Conjure Dart is a basic metal missile spell from GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 9. Conjure Shield is a very useful defensive spell. Create Metal creates metal, just like the name implies.

Sorcery: Metal Spells

Sorcery: Metal Spells

The Thaumaturgy of Metal by Ted Brock is featured in Pyramid #3-91 and is one of my favorite articles. Metal spells need some love! Alloy Metal transforms simple metals into alloys. Anvil Strike drops an anvil on the target. Arrow is a basic missile spell. Bloody Iron extracts iron from someone's blood.

Sorcery: Book Spells III

Sorcery: Book Spells III

And the last book spells! Live Libram makes a book help the reader. Narrative Conveyance transports the reader to the place the book describes. Retro-Reading lets the caster learn who read the book last. Speed Reading increases the pace of reading tenfold (when using the normal Skills-to-Advantages approach, this requires Speed-Reading (A) IQ+80, which costs 320 points; I decided that it's ridiculous and went with the ETS approach). Writer's Block makes all Writing rolls fail.

Sorcery: Book Spells II

Sorcery: Book Spells II

Some more book spells. Compulsive Reader makes a book very addictive. Essential Paper transforms normal paper into magical paper. Illuminated Writing makes reading very immersive. Literary Hunger is a variant of the Hunger spell.

Sorcery: Book Spells

Sorcery: Book Spells

Pyramid #3-48 has a nice section of book-related spells (Bibliomancy by David L. Pulver). Absorb Book lets the caster read a book remotely. Bedtime Reading is useful for casters who do not want to waste time sleeping. Book Binding is useful for casters who keep personal diaries. Confuse Memory is a style spell from another article in that issue (The Way of the Keepers by Michele Armellini) and is a less powerful Permanent Forgetfulness.

Sorcery: Secret Spells II

Sorcery: Secret Spells II

And the rest of the secret spells from Pyramid #3-76. Mass Coolness and Mass Shade are area versions of Coolness and Shade. Self-Repairing makes an object regenerate its HP. Transfigure Object is Transform Object with a longer duration.

Sorcery: Secret Spells

Sorcery: Secret Spells

Pyramid #3-76 has an interesting Hidden Knowledge article about secret spells by Christopher R. Rice. The spell presented there are made based on existing spells, but have some unique features. Archmagi's Recuperation is a more powerful version of Recover Energy. Balor's Eye Fire is a variant of Breathe Fire. Dwarvish Reinforcement is a more powerful, but limited Fortify. Elvish Grace would be identical to Grace in Sorcery, so there's no need to convert it. Impart Skill enchants an item to provide a skill to its user.

Monster: Barghest

Monster: Barghest

A barghest is a lupine fiend that can take the shape of a wolf or a goblin. In its natural form, it resembles a goblin–wolf hybrid with terrible jaws and sharp claws. Barghests come into the world to feed on blood and souls and thus grow stronger.

Monster: Soulspark

Monster: Soulspark

Soulspark is a mote of independent incarnum energy. A weak small monster that nonetheless may pose threat to some adventurers.

Sorcery: Pirate Spells

Sorcery: Pirate Spells

Pyramid #3-64 has a nice magical style called Scurvy-Dog Sorcery. Let's convert the unique spells! Identify Loot lets the caster determine the relative value of objects. Seek Navy lets the caster find his ship. Safe Boarding allows the subject to safely walk from one ship to another, or from a ship to a dock.

Sorcery: Stygian Spells

Sorcery: Stygian Spells

Last of the Essential Spells from Pyramid #3-25! Stygian Cold is a damaging and a debuffing spell. Stygian Ice Dagger is a nasty lingering impaling attack. Stygian Ice Sphere is a fragmentation missile. Stygian Touch is a hard-to-destroy binding spell.

Sorcery: Alkahest Spells

Sorcery: Alkahest Spells

Essential Acid spells! Alkahest Jet and Spit Alkahest are variant jet attacks. Alkahest Sphere is a missile spell. Rain of Alkahest is an area bombardment attack.

Sorcery: Phlogiston Spells

Sorcery: Phlogiston Spells

And now it's time for Essential Air spells. Phlogiston Arc and Phlogiston Touch are paralysing melee attacks. Phlogiston Detonation and Phlogiston Discharge are missile spells. Phlogiston Stare is a jet attack. Phlogiston Sphere is a homing missile attack that passes through walls.

Sorcery: Hellfire Spells

Sorcery: Hellfire Spells

More essential elemental spell, and this time we have Essential Fire spells. Explosive Hellfire Orb and Hellfire Orb are hellfire missile spells. Hellfire Jet and Hellfire Breath are variant jet attacks. Hellfire Rain is an area hellfire bombardment.

Eggplant Strategy Update v0.2

Eggplant Strategy Update v0.2

A long time has passed since the test game using my play-by-post strategy system (this post). The update was delayed, but I finally managed to pull myself together and make one.

Changelog

            v0.2

-          Turn resolution order changed – income rolls and maintenance subtraction are moved to the start of the turn.

-          Troops and characters being recruited and buildings being constructed may be given orders that are carried out immediately after they are recruited/built.

-          Wealth was reworked, now the income is static.

-          Increased resource costs of buildings and units.

Magic: Earth Spells

Magic: Earth Spells

Here's some earth spells from D&D 3.5 Spell Compendium. Earthen Grace makes the subject impervious to earth and stone attacks. Earthen Grasp turns the earth into a grappling arm. Easy Climb creates a path of handholds and footholds. Tremor creates a directed earthquake that knocks creatures down.

Sorcery: Essential Earth Spells

Sorcery: Essential Earth Spells

Pyramid #3-25 has a set of interesting essential elemental spells. Adamant Hail rains adamant on the enemies. Adamant Missile throws a chunk of adamant. Flesh to Adamant is a hard to dispel version of Flesh to Stone. Orichalcum Edge increases the damage and hardness of a metal weapon.

Sorcery: Yellow Spells II

Sorcery: Yellow Spells II

And the second half of the yellow goblin magic spells from Pyramid #3-28. Spark of Eros makes the subject more sexually appealing. Sunburst is an explosive sunlight attack. True King makes the subject more proficient in administration and strategy. Trusted Fellow makes the subject more charismatic when talking to men.

Sorcery: Yellow Spells

Sorcery: Yellow Spells

Pyramid #3-28 introduces a new magical style - Yellow Goblin Magic. It has a quite interesting occult background.  Alter Gender temporarily alters the subject's gender. Androgyny makes his gender difficult to discern. Dye Yellow makes unliving materials yellow. Sense Goblin and Sense Man detects goblins or sapient male beings.

Sorcery: Ley Line Spells

Sorcery: Ley Line Spells

GURPS Thaumatology - Urban Magics presents several ley line-related spells. Many of them did not seem to be convertable to me, but some of them work well as Sorcery spells. Ley Float allows a vehicle of a structure to float above a ley line. Ley Running replenishes FP when running along a ley line. Ley Speech lets the caster talk to somebody else via a ley line. Seek Ley Line lets the caster find the closest ley line. In other news, I'm done with all non-Pyramid spells!

Monster: Chain Devil (Kyton)

Monster: Chain Devil (Kyton)

The chain devil is one of the most interesting devil types in D&D, in my opinion. They fall out of the traditional tanar'ri hierarchy, and in Pathfinder they are a whole separate outsider type altogether. A kyton is physically strong, but not particulary bright. He's always covered in a layer of chains, which provide him unreliable DR in addition to his naturally resistant skin. Use of holy and/or silver weapons is advised. The chains effectively grant the chain devil a pair of kusaris - Reach 1-4 flail-like swinging attacks. They hit hard and are hard to parry. What makes things worse is the kyton's ability to animate other chains, allowing him to strike distant enemies. If the enemies wield chains, then it makes things even worse. In addition, making his face resemble the face of a loved one or the worst enemy can be very unsettling.

Magic: City Spells

Magic: City Spells

The Cityscape supplement for D&D 3.5 has only a few spells, but they seem to be great for urban adventures. Here's my attempt at converting them. Detect Weaponry lets the caster see all hidden and obvious weapons. Impeding Stones turns city streets into difficult terrain. Secret Weapon lets an assassin evade weapon confiscation. Spacious Carriage creates means of transportation. Peacebond is a spell that would probably be widely used by city guard mages. False Peacebond is a treacherous form of the former spell. Zone of Peace is an area version of Peacebond.

Sorcery: Meta Spells VI

Sorcery: Meta Spells VI

Meta spells! Transference Bolt transfers mana to another spellcaster. Mana Vortex damages the subject with ambient mana. Void Bolt is an irresistible missile attack. Sovereign Countermagic and Sovereign Ward counter all spells cast on or by the subject.