Steampunk meets Paranoia: The Sordid Lives of Proles in New Victorian London

[gojira]

I posted this on another forum, but I got to thinking it might be worth considering here.


Hmm, get GURPS Goblins, an old copy of Paranoia off eBay and re-read The Difference Engine, by Bruce Sterling and William Gibson. Then kit bash a game of goblin "troubleshooters" in New Victorian London who serve the monstrous Difference Engine. The Difference Engine is your friend. Trust the Difference Engine. First job: unblock a clogged sewer under the streets of N. V. London. The Difference Engine gives you heavy weapons. It doesn't say why.


So how would you do this using HERO? I'm looking for products that would help, as well as original build templates, house rules, etc. Help me out!

[Steve]

I'd suggest getting Pulp Hero, since the sort of enemies could have a strong Pulp feel to them. What you're describing is a sort of "Urban Fantasy" with Steampunk tech instead of modern tech. Here's my take on how you could do it.

Decades ago, Professor Moriarty crafted his great work, a monumental difference engine and implanted his own mind within it, designing it to be self-repairing with clockwork drones. However, the process drove the machine mad and killed the not-so-good professor.

Using biotechnology Moriarty stole from the infamous Doctor Moreau and improved upon, it used its clockworks to create biotanks that would enable it to craft living beings to serve its will. These are how the goblins came to be, and allows the difference engine to replace them quickly.