Setting: World of Alts

[Doctor Agenda]

Seeing how useful Cassandra's writeups have been to me, I'm posting notes from a setting I've been running in since October, after seeking advice in the related thread, 'People with Powers'. I take what I need where I can find it, and would like to credit Gestalts as I have used both Titan and Soulkeeper and plan to use many of the international concepts. Because it is a recent origin setting, Gestalts had a lot to offer. I wish the M&M book Paragons had been available when I was planning because it is all about recent origin settings. I've gotten some good use from that, especially ideas for organizations and slang.

[Doctor Agenda]

Although the day of The Vibe--Oct 12, 2007--is an apparent divergence between the real world and the fictional setting, decades of events which, while not obviously changing the course of history, led up to that day. The ripple effect of differences was already in play, in the lives of millions of people scattered around the world.**The original players modeled characters after themselves, to avoid arguments over who could do what, any differences between the writeup and the actual person were hand-waved as being due to the slightly different past of the setting.**The following events have not yet been revealed in the setting.

Some decades ago a brilliant Soviet engineer and physicist was given funding, personnel, and a secret facility on the Russian/Mongolian border. With one of the larger particle accelerators of the time and the best computers available, this man was able to generate enough military application to satisfy his masters while also pursuing pure research. When the Soviets fell, still the work was too valuable to allow to also fall. At some point his work in brain/computer interfacing, nanotechnology, and quantum physics allowed him and his assistants to achieve a miniature, isolated technological singularity, a realm where science and technology advanced at an ever-increasing rate far outstripping the outside world. It is possible to go mad from future shock.

Somewhere in the cloud of nanobots, quantum computing, and pre-Big Bang energies a once-human mind snapped. In an attempt to gain ultimate power, perhaps even the power to be God...even power over time to have always BEEN God, something was unleashed. The wish was not granted. Perhaps somewhere in the distributed intelligence was a part still sane enough to know this should not be. And The Vibe was unleashed. Instead of one human given the power to do anything, millions of humans gained the power to do...SOMEthing. Like millions of djinn searching for masters to give one wish to, swarms of quantum-level technology traveled wave-fashion through the earth's crust, accompanied by vibrations and tremors. In some places earthquake or volcanic activity was triggered. And everywhere people were changed, their deepest desires, fantasies, and hidden selves read and people were changed. Reality was changed. Miracles occurred. If the true extent of The Vibe's impact were known, the world would understand that slightly more than 1 in 10 humans were affected that day, changed in ways limited only by the imagination.

Nothing informative remains at the site. At this time no one knows of any survivors.

[Doctor Agenda]

The Vibe's effects are not immediately apparent (except for the actual vibration, like a heavy truck passing silently nearby). Unless the change would be visible, you can't see it. If the change is subtle you might not even comprehend that you're different, at least at first. The induced changes may be sudden or could take weeks to manifest. They may even have a built-in indefinite delay: about 1 in 1000 in the population become 'latents' who are likely to manifest later when under severe stress, some desires involve the fullness of time like 'I want to be an astronaut when I grow up'.

Children under four are not affected. The Vibe is distributed evenly, but is not spread evenly, the pattern is like shotgun peppering with mixed shot. If there weren't any vibrations near you, you're out of luck. The effect is attracted to great need, people in emergency situations or experiencing great stress are more likely to be affected than someone having a pleasant nap, but there are numerous exceptions. Your chances of being affected are unrelated to any other factors, it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, male or female, honest or rotten, or whatever. The wish-fullfilment aspect is unconscious, no one gets to deliberately choose 'what they get'.

[Doctor Agenda]

About 9% of the world's population, about 540 million people, become what I arbitrarily designate as Alpha's. With +0-25 base points and +0-25 disadvantage points, they are the most numerous and least (individually) powerful group of altered people (Alts). Although they don't always realize it, pretty much every non-Alt knows or is somehow related to some of these people. These connections of normal people to relatively non-threatening Alts is the main reason society doesn't just dissolve within weeks of The Vibe. Alphas with +0 base and +0 disads are either Latents or just have their characteristics and abilities shifted around, eg, +4 Com, -1 Bod: a trade millions would gladly make.

At this level, with the change being limited in comparison to the more powerful Alts, changes tend to accord with Maslow' Hierarchy of Needs, if a need is not being met, the Vibe will tend to address that, although urgent immediate needs can override needs that are usually predominant (if you're homeless and hanging from a ledge, the ledge issue gets addressed first). With such large numbers involved, demographics can be taken into account: those in extreme or severe poverty will tend to have abilities that help them with disease, hunger, and food production. People with severe illnesses or debilitating injuries will tend to have them cured. Elderly people will tend to get a chance to put their money where their mouth is on those 'If I was thirty years younger, I'd....' cracks.

[Doctor Agenda]

A little less than 1% of the world's population, about 48 million, the Betas, get +25-50 base points and +0-50 disadvantage points. If you want to be an action hero or have one pretty-kewl power, this is the level where it's in reach, especially if you were already pretty competent to begin with. At this level and above, addressing the lower-level needs is kind of built in as you should certainly, on average, be able to earn some benefits and attention with this kind of talent. Self-expression and archetypes come more into play from here on up. Incidentally, by random roll, Paula Abdul and Mike Huckabee are Betas.

[Cassandra]

This is an interesting explaination for a sudden appearance of boardline superhumans. I was thinking that there might be a psychological change that would go unnoticed but still be in evidence. What if those effected began to act in more sterotypical ways. The person of gains combat luck and more skills with handguns could start acting like an action star come to life.

While I would never recommend it, The Last Action Hero shows the kind of universe that some kind of event took place where steretypes loom large.

[Doctor Agenda]

Gammas: .1%, + 50-75 base, + 0-75 disads.
Deltas: .01%, + 75-100 base, +0-100 disads.
Epsilons: .001%, +100-150 base, +0-150 disads.
Zeta: .0001%, +150-200 base, +25-150 disads.
Eta: .00001%, +200-300 base, +50-200 disads.
Theta: .000001%, +400-500 base, +75-250 disads.
Omega: One-in-a-billion, 500+ base, +100-250 disads. Titan from Gestalts, with a few modifications to fit the setting, fills this role for the USA.

[Doctor Agenda]

This is an interesting explaination for a sudden appearance of boardline superhumans. I was thinking that there might be a psychological change that would go unnoticed but still be in evidence. What if those effected began to act in more sterotypical ways. The person of gains combat luck and more skills with handguns could start acting like an action star come to life.

While I would never recommend it, The Last Action Hero shows the kind of universe that some kind of event took place where steretypes loom large.

I liked Last Action Hero, myself!

You have an excellent point. If someone fantasized about being an Action Hero, they would not only need the skillz but the mindset. And a LOT of boys--and probaby not a few girls--fantasize about being an Action Hero.

In fact a good zero-point change might be purely psychological, like changing Timid and Unmotivated to Puts His Life on the Line for Others and Dedicated to Justice. If that's all you got you might have a short career but at least you've got a shot at going out a hero.

[Doctor Agenda]

The Hourglass

Value Char Base Cost Characteristics:70 Abilities:60 Total:130
15 Str 10 5 Base: 75 Disadvantages: 55 XP: 0
18 Dex 10 24 Points Disadvantage
15 Con 10 10 5 DNPC 8-: Husband
14 Bod 10 8 15 Hunted 8- by Dark Siders
13 Int 10 3 10 Hunted 8- by Agents
13 Ego 10 6 10 Psych Lim: Dedicated to Crime Fighting
15 Pre 10 5 15 Soc Lim: Secret ID-Tricia Trent
14 Com 10 2
7 PD 3 4 Vibe Gift: Heightened Physical Attributes
4 ED 3 1
3 Spd 2.8 2
6 Rec 6 0 Costume: Running Suit and Full Face Draped Mask
30 End 30 0 Born: 1979, Eyes: Blue, Hair: Red 5’3”/105 lbs
30 Stn 30 0 Biography: Trent is a crusading AAG with
Cost Ability a sports background who is frustrated at the many
3 Break Fall 13- criminals the law cannot seem to touch. She became
3 Deduction 12- The Hourglass to bring justice to the guilty who
1 PS: Athlete 8- thought they had escaped it, reminding them
2 Running: +1” to 7” at 1 End that their time would run out.
1 Swimming: +1” to 3” at 1 End Gamma-level Paranormal.
10 CSL: +2 HTH
3 Combat Driving 13-
2 KS: Criminal Law 11-
11 Martial Art: Boxing (Martial Punch, Martial Grab, Dodge)
1 KS: Boxing 8-
4 +1 DC with Boxing
2 PS: Assistant Attorney General 11-
2 KS: Criminals 11-
1 Perk: Wealth
14 Vehicle: Custom-made Car

[Doctor Agenda]

Looks like I'm going to have to do those writeups by hand, the cut-and-paste looks fine on edit, but hard to adjust, and completely different on the post. I hope those interested can decipher it. The above is supposed to be an Assistant Attorney General who has had her athetic abilities improved to Gamma levels, enough to fight street crime as the Hourglass. Time is running out for crooks who evade justice! She is also an example of Cassandra's thoughts about Psych Lims. Before she was a Normal with about 10 points in skills and perks, a 13 Int and Pre, 10 Com, and 8 or 9 on the rest of her Primary Characteristics.

[Cassandra]

Red hair and 5'3"

Alyson Hannigan?

[Cassandra]

This opens a lot of possibilities. There was an article on an old adventurer's club called I believe "The Schmelhorn Effect". It was an attempt to explain the quite unscientific principles of superhero equipment. Basically it was like that episode of Gilligan's Island where the hero if flying with a pair of homemade wings until he's told it's physically impossible, at which point he falls to the ground.

The "Vibe" could have the effect of making the impossible possible. Scientist would make things like cold fusion generators work, but be the only ones who could. People could actually make devices like home made wings and jet packs that would allow them to fly. Magic belts can give people superhuman strength, because they believe it possible.

[Doctor Agenda]

Red hair and 5'3"

Alyson Hannigan?

I am SO transparent!

[Cassandra]

My character sheet has a very high deduction roll.

[Doctor Agenda]

This opens a lot of possibilities. There was an article on an old adventurer's club called I believe "The Schmelhorn Effect". It was an attempt to explain the quite unscientific principles of superhero equipment. Basically it was like that episode of Gilligan's Island where the hero if flying with a pair of homemade wings until he's told it's physically impossible, at which point he falls to the ground.

The "Vibe" could have the effect of making the impossible possible. Scientist would make things like cold fusion generators work, but be the only ones who could. People could actually make devices like home made wings and jet packs that would allow them to fly. Magic belts can give people superhuman strength, because they believe it possible.

I remember that article! The setting features Power Objects (some of them very 'Lost Room'-ish) and paratechnology. Sometimes your Alt is manifested through an object (I wish these glasses would let me read minds!) or ANOTHER person (I wish my husband would be more romantic!) or even an animal (I wish Fifi could protect me from this mugger!). It could be YOUR power, and you need the thing, person, or animal (or plant, I suppose) to manifest it, or they could have their own power, redirected from you. Then the glasses would work for anyone, your husband might be such a great romantic that he'll make his next wife very happy, or Fifi can turn into a Doberman whenever SHE wants to.

Paratechnology can be very frustrating for inventors, scientists and technicians. I got the term from Paragons. Paratechnology is pretty much the Schimmelhorn Effect. It works because the person who made it is an Alt, and making it work is their power. It might only work for the maker, only work for Alts, or work for anyone but be unduplicable by normal means. Imagine if you thought you'd come up with the cure for cancer but it only works if you make it personally and it can never be manufactured in quantity?

Fortunately, to balance the paratechnologists, there are plenty of scientists, technicians, or inventors who become Geniuses (boosted Int, maybe with some Computer Brain-type stuff) or Savants (boosted skills) who are better equipped than normals to make REAL scientific and technological advances. It may be slower and not as spectacular, but they will affect a lot more lives. An example of the latter is Paul Moller, the Skycar guy, who, by random roll, is an Alpha. He's a prime candidate to become a Genius or Savant...+5 to his Inventor roll could have the Skycar available in just a few years instead of 10-15.