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Any Arcanum-style campaigns out there?


Eodin

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Has anyonce created any Arcanum-like campaigns out there? In case you're not familiar with Arcanum, it's steampunk with magic. There's elves and dwarves, pistols and bows and magic oh my.

 

The only thing about Arcanum that I don't like as a game world is that technology cancels magic and magic cancels technology. The Arcanum I'd like to see doesn't have magic and technology cancelling each other out, but rather has social and cultural ramifications.

 

Anyway, I wanted to see if anyone had put together such a world, and if so, how did your players like it? Did it work?

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Re: Any Arcanum-style campaigns out there?

 

I've got rules for alchemy as a science (gunpowder, acid, etc) and I wrote up some stuff on steam engines.

 

In my game world technology and magic don't work well in the same areas, but that is just a skill roll modifier for an area, it is not built into the magic or tech system. (IE in some areas you get a +1 on magic skill rolls and a -1 on science related skill rolls).

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Re: Any Arcanum-style campaigns out there?

 

I got a copy of Victoriana (Fusion-based) at the FLGS. Didn't find the GURPS Castle Falkenstein, but what I did find on the internet didn't intrigue me.

 

Hmmm, so dugfromtheearth, are your players enjoying it? Do you have any trouble with the mix of tech and magic?

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Re: Any Arcanum-style campaigns out there?

 

I started running Caleon in 1987 and it hasd steam and magic from about day one. I'm slowly converting it back to HERO after a long stint in GURPS and d20... It will have steam rules soon, and the magic system is one Killer Shrike and I adapted from my notes on how I should have been doing it all along.

 

http://www.geocities.com/jephkay

 

Again, the website is in it's earliest stages. There is a bit on Steam Tech, but it's not in HERO terms just yet. The Ultimate Vehicle has some stuff, tho...

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Re: Any Arcanum-style campaigns out there?

 

"STEAM" tech is just a shtick. Put extra time only to activate on constant powers to represent them "building up steam", and put Lingering on Instant Powers with Extra Time for the same exact effect, with the end of the Lingering duration representing the items "running out of steam".

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Re: Any Arcanum-style campaigns out there?

 

Steam Tech Fulminator Cannon:

 

3d6 RKA (Explosion; Alternate Shape: Cone; +1/2), Lingering (1 Turn, +1/2) (90 Active Points); Extra Time (Extra Segment; Only to Activate; -1/2), OAF (Fulminator Cannon; - 1); Real Cost: 36 Points

 

 

Steam Powered Bicycle:

 

+10" Running; Reduced END (1/2 END; +1/4) (25 Active Points); Extra Time (1 TURN (Post Segment 12), Only to Activate; -3/4), OAF (Steampowered Bicyle; -1); Real Cost: 9 points

 

 

 

etc.....

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Re: Any Arcanum-style campaigns out there?

 

"STEAM" tech is just a shtick. Put extra time only to activate on constant powers to represent them "building up steam"' date=' and put Lingering on Instant Powers with Extra Time for the same exact effect, with the end of the Lingering duration representing the items "running out of steam".[/quote']

 

 

Well, yeah... I knew that... sure... yes... I was just gonna say just that... um... perfectly obvious...

 

:)

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Re: Any Arcanum-style campaigns out there?

 

The hardest thing about running any kind of Victoriana is that you have to really get into the mindset. When I ran Falkenstein, it was fairly easy, as my players were all Dickens fans. The best part is diving into history and picking and choosing your favorite characters. Tea with Disraeli (as an old man, or an immortal, or what have you), cards at the Marlborough club with Bertie (That's PRINCE Albert to you!) with the sole woman in the party dressing in a tux and being treated as a man by the staff and members (none of whom were fooled) because WOMEN are simply NOT ALLOWED at the Marlborough!

 

Crossing swords with Bismarck . . .

Visiting Vienna when it was a center of political power . . .

Waltzing with a beautiful actress and causing a scandal . . .

Discussing technology with Jules Verne . . .

 

and characters from Victorian novels, such as Zenith the Albino . . . there are whole websites devoted to characters from Victorian novels, all of whom are fascinating.

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Re: Any Arcanum-style campaigns out there?

 

Maelstrom is absolutely right: The hardest part is getting into the Victorian mindset. I didn't have a problem with it, but my players did. My campaign was more combat-oriented than a regular Castle Falkenstein campaign, but at least my players enjoyed it.

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