badmudderfugger
Mar 12th, '05, 02:55 PM
Howdy all,
I'm planning to run a sci-fi campaign based loosely on the plot for the upcoming xbox game, Advent Rising. [URL=http://www.adventtrilogy.com/]
Advent Rising is a sweeping sci-fi epic about humanity's role in the larger universe and such.
For my campaign, the character starts off as just a normal dude in present-day Vancouver. Half the first session is going to be spent with him interacting with his family/friends, just to establish the major relationships in his life, at the time.
Then, out of the blue, he's struck by an incredibly bright star/meteor/something that falls from the sky.
He blacks out and has a dream of a ringed world, a jungle temple and the faces of strange aliens.
He wakes up to find himself in the remains of a hospital and seething with power that he can't control (powerful telekinetics and minor telepathy that seem to ebb and flow in their powerlevel). He struggles to control the abilities, but continues to devestate the city. Finally, he gets enough control and is taken into custody.
He is placed in an out of the way area, guarded by the Canadian military and interrogated over intercoms and computer connections. He finds out that he isn't the only one who gained these abilities.
On the opposite side of the globe (somewhere in Central Asia) another guy has gained similar abilities, only he's using his to devastate and conquer the region. The Canadians are being pressured by the US to surrender the PC to them for 'safe keeping.'
From that point on, the PC pretty much has free reign to do what he wants, but a few things will come up.
1) The US will eventually send in a cover ops team to capture him.
2) The other dude, who is MUCH more powerful than the PC, comes looking for him
This will go on for a bit, and then...the aliens arrive.
Turns out, the light that gave both guys their power came from a system very, very far away in space where the ruins of an ultra-advanced human empire lay. Humanity didn't originate on Earth. Millenia ago, humanity was the head of a phenomenally powerful interstellar empire and then suddenly one day, vanished along with all their technology.
In the time since, the various subject races that lived under the human empire have come into their own and developed their own civilizations. During their development, the memories of humanity faded and were perverted by myth and superstition.
One of the first of the new interstellar civilizations was the Seekers, who sought to find any trace of humanity in the galaxy. The Seekers believed that the humans were cruel tyrants who had dominated the other races, until their empire was stuck down by the gods and erased from the face of the galaxy. They set out across the galaxy, with the secret intent of ensuring the total annihilation of the human race.
The Seekers encountered other civilizations and incorporated them into their interstellar republic, all the while seeking for any trace of humanity. All they have found thus far has been broken and empty ruins of a once great empire.
During this period, a secret warrior cult that worshipped humankind as the divine warlords of the galaxy developed in the ranks of the military. Unlike the other Seekers, the did not seek to annihilate humankind, but to help them regain their control over their empire. The problem was, though, that no one knew where humanity was, and even if it still existed.
However, there was one race, the Aurelians, who called themselves the Shepards, that knew where humanity was.
When their civilization fell, the last remnants of humanity were placed on a suitable planet, deep in an uncharted and unknown region of the galaxy. They were stripped of their knowledge and left to develop anew on their own. However, the Shepards, an order of monastic warriors, were charged with watching over humanity and keeping it safe during its development. It was prophesized that one day, a time would come for humanity to take its place among the stars again.
Millenia passed and the Shepards watched humanity as its civilizations developed. Several hundred years ago, the Aurelians encountered the Seekers, and joined the interstellar empire they were building. The Aurelians were initially cautious of the expansionist Seekers, and quickly discovered that their caution was warranted. They deduced that the Seekers sought not to discover humankind, but to exterminate any possible threats to their own empire. The Aurelians kept what they knew to themselves and the Seekers, in turn, simply thought of the Aurelians as religious zealots.
And so it remained, the Seekers looking for humanity, while the Aurelians kept the Seekers from Earth and kept Earth from learning about Interstellar society.
This all changed a few days ago.
On a planet, deep in the Seeker empire, the ruins of a human temple suddenly sprang to life and sent out an enormous pulse of energy. This pulse raced past the planets and systems of the empire and out into a seemingly barren area of space, landing on the third planet in an unremarkable system.
Fleets of the Seekers tracked the pulse and have sent an armada to investigate what has happened.
The Shepards realize that this is the event foretold of in the prophecy and are scrambling to track down the individuals affected by this pulse. They know that two will be affected by it and granted phenomenal powers, along with the ability to reawaken humanity's empire.
They know that these two beings will represent both the worst and best of humanity. One will be a tyrant, the other a savior. One will be a conqueror and the other a redeemer. Whichever reaches the old capital of humanity's empire first, will be heir to its glories and determine the nature of the new empire.
The PC will be contacted by the Shepards, just before the Seekers reach Earth and begin a quest to annihilate it.
In addition, the warrior cult in the military will attempt to assist the other guy in reaching the prize.
The campaign will then follow the path of the PC as he attempts to find out where the world is, with the help of the Shepards, all the while trying to stay ahead of the Seekers and beat out his nemesis and the cultists who follow him.
My question for the community:
What system do I do this in?
My two main thoughts are either Tri-Stat or GURPS 4th.
Tri-Stat has the great rules for powers that I'll need as the PC discovers the abilities that have been granted to him, but I'm not sure it will capture the gritty, sci-fi stuff that I want to feature in the campaign. I'm not sure I want to develop all the vehicles and ships and guns with powers. It just seems weird to have to build a vehicle as an Item of Power, instead of just making it with a separate set of vehicle rules.
GURPS is a system that I've been meaning to get into for over a decade (including having purchased and sold GURPS 3rd about three times previously). I like what I see of the revision and it already has (or will shortly have) all the material I need to mix the psionic powers, superscience and alien races that I need to make this campaign work. My only reservation is: how well will it reflect the PC's powers as they advance?
Sorry for the stupidly long post. I'm really excited for this campaign to get off the ground and I'd really appreciate your feedback!
Cheers,
Kev
I'm planning to run a sci-fi campaign based loosely on the plot for the upcoming xbox game, Advent Rising. [URL=http://www.adventtrilogy.com/]
Advent Rising is a sweeping sci-fi epic about humanity's role in the larger universe and such.
For my campaign, the character starts off as just a normal dude in present-day Vancouver. Half the first session is going to be spent with him interacting with his family/friends, just to establish the major relationships in his life, at the time.
Then, out of the blue, he's struck by an incredibly bright star/meteor/something that falls from the sky.
He blacks out and has a dream of a ringed world, a jungle temple and the faces of strange aliens.
He wakes up to find himself in the remains of a hospital and seething with power that he can't control (powerful telekinetics and minor telepathy that seem to ebb and flow in their powerlevel). He struggles to control the abilities, but continues to devestate the city. Finally, he gets enough control and is taken into custody.
He is placed in an out of the way area, guarded by the Canadian military and interrogated over intercoms and computer connections. He finds out that he isn't the only one who gained these abilities.
On the opposite side of the globe (somewhere in Central Asia) another guy has gained similar abilities, only he's using his to devastate and conquer the region. The Canadians are being pressured by the US to surrender the PC to them for 'safe keeping.'
From that point on, the PC pretty much has free reign to do what he wants, but a few things will come up.
1) The US will eventually send in a cover ops team to capture him.
2) The other dude, who is MUCH more powerful than the PC, comes looking for him
This will go on for a bit, and then...the aliens arrive.
Turns out, the light that gave both guys their power came from a system very, very far away in space where the ruins of an ultra-advanced human empire lay. Humanity didn't originate on Earth. Millenia ago, humanity was the head of a phenomenally powerful interstellar empire and then suddenly one day, vanished along with all their technology.
In the time since, the various subject races that lived under the human empire have come into their own and developed their own civilizations. During their development, the memories of humanity faded and were perverted by myth and superstition.
One of the first of the new interstellar civilizations was the Seekers, who sought to find any trace of humanity in the galaxy. The Seekers believed that the humans were cruel tyrants who had dominated the other races, until their empire was stuck down by the gods and erased from the face of the galaxy. They set out across the galaxy, with the secret intent of ensuring the total annihilation of the human race.
The Seekers encountered other civilizations and incorporated them into their interstellar republic, all the while seeking for any trace of humanity. All they have found thus far has been broken and empty ruins of a once great empire.
During this period, a secret warrior cult that worshipped humankind as the divine warlords of the galaxy developed in the ranks of the military. Unlike the other Seekers, the did not seek to annihilate humankind, but to help them regain their control over their empire. The problem was, though, that no one knew where humanity was, and even if it still existed.
However, there was one race, the Aurelians, who called themselves the Shepards, that knew where humanity was.
When their civilization fell, the last remnants of humanity were placed on a suitable planet, deep in an uncharted and unknown region of the galaxy. They were stripped of their knowledge and left to develop anew on their own. However, the Shepards, an order of monastic warriors, were charged with watching over humanity and keeping it safe during its development. It was prophesized that one day, a time would come for humanity to take its place among the stars again.
Millenia passed and the Shepards watched humanity as its civilizations developed. Several hundred years ago, the Aurelians encountered the Seekers, and joined the interstellar empire they were building. The Aurelians were initially cautious of the expansionist Seekers, and quickly discovered that their caution was warranted. They deduced that the Seekers sought not to discover humankind, but to exterminate any possible threats to their own empire. The Aurelians kept what they knew to themselves and the Seekers, in turn, simply thought of the Aurelians as religious zealots.
And so it remained, the Seekers looking for humanity, while the Aurelians kept the Seekers from Earth and kept Earth from learning about Interstellar society.
This all changed a few days ago.
On a planet, deep in the Seeker empire, the ruins of a human temple suddenly sprang to life and sent out an enormous pulse of energy. This pulse raced past the planets and systems of the empire and out into a seemingly barren area of space, landing on the third planet in an unremarkable system.
Fleets of the Seekers tracked the pulse and have sent an armada to investigate what has happened.
The Shepards realize that this is the event foretold of in the prophecy and are scrambling to track down the individuals affected by this pulse. They know that two will be affected by it and granted phenomenal powers, along with the ability to reawaken humanity's empire.
They know that these two beings will represent both the worst and best of humanity. One will be a tyrant, the other a savior. One will be a conqueror and the other a redeemer. Whichever reaches the old capital of humanity's empire first, will be heir to its glories and determine the nature of the new empire.
The PC will be contacted by the Shepards, just before the Seekers reach Earth and begin a quest to annihilate it.
In addition, the warrior cult in the military will attempt to assist the other guy in reaching the prize.
The campaign will then follow the path of the PC as he attempts to find out where the world is, with the help of the Shepards, all the while trying to stay ahead of the Seekers and beat out his nemesis and the cultists who follow him.
My question for the community:
What system do I do this in?
My two main thoughts are either Tri-Stat or GURPS 4th.
Tri-Stat has the great rules for powers that I'll need as the PC discovers the abilities that have been granted to him, but I'm not sure it will capture the gritty, sci-fi stuff that I want to feature in the campaign. I'm not sure I want to develop all the vehicles and ships and guns with powers. It just seems weird to have to build a vehicle as an Item of Power, instead of just making it with a separate set of vehicle rules.
GURPS is a system that I've been meaning to get into for over a decade (including having purchased and sold GURPS 3rd about three times previously). I like what I see of the revision and it already has (or will shortly have) all the material I need to mix the psionic powers, superscience and alien races that I need to make this campaign work. My only reservation is: how well will it reflect the PC's powers as they advance?
Sorry for the stupidly long post. I'm really excited for this campaign to get off the ground and I'd really appreciate your feedback!
Cheers,
Kev