Elements, Energies, and Wierd Science

[redknight]

I was looking for some input about strange properties of elements (as in Table of...), types of lasers, and just weird pseudo-science concepts. If it’s based on or inspired by real science that would be a plus but dramatic and weird is my main focus. Weather it’s from the real world, comics, or your own fertile imaginations is fine.

(If there is already a threat about this I'd appreciate a link)

Off-the-top-of-my-head example:

Darknium. An element that does not naturally appear on earth or other planets at the furthest extent from the galactic center. When naturally combined in sufficient quantity this dense and relatively light metal has crystalline angles. The material is most often employed for military purposes by species with access and knowledge how to shape it.

[Fictional]

Oh, and if it is real or inspired by such, please meantion that too! Thanks

[Dreadnought]

Re: Elements, Energies, and Wierd Science

 

Here's a real example:

Astatine: Astatine is a relative mystery to scientists. It has been shown to be both reactive and extremely radioactive, having a half-life of only 8 hours. It is the rarest of the naturally occuring elements on Earth, with only about 1 Oz being in existance at a time. As a halogen, it is reactive, but does not last long enough for most long term uses.

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Elements, Energies, and Wierd Science

 

A fun place to start:

 

http://www.uky.edu/Projects/Chemcomics/

[Metaphysician]

Re: Elements, Energies, and Wierd Science

 

I tend to figure you can get alot of mileage out of building lasers with bizarre materials as the lasing substance ( dark matter, kryptonite, demon blood, etc ). . .

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Elements, Energies, and Wierd Science

 

Welcome to the forums, redknight! I hope you enjoy your visits here - we're generally pretty friendly to newcomers.

 

Here is a Wikipedia compilation of a long list of fictional elements and materials from numerous sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictional_chemical_substance

 

This thread from our discussion boards brought up a lot of original materials from the campaigns of our boardmates:

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2589

 

Here's a great website with "how-to" instructions for creating devices based on various new age quackeries:

http://www.quantumbalancing.com/projects.htm

 

BTW redknight, are you familiar with the materials and technologies of Hero Games's official Champions Universe?

[CraterMaker]

Re: Elements, Energies, and Wierd Science

 

I gotta say I'm not, and it would be cool to have a rundown on them..

 

My current project is using a metal derived from Alchemical studies, called HyperPyrite - It cannot be melted from heat alone, being forged with magic.. It absorbs energy, which can be siphoned off into capacitators, or once a threshold is reached it will release it as sound (from a low buzzing to a thunderclap, depending on the amount)..

 

CraterMaker

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Elements, Energies, and Wierd Science

 

I gotta say I'm not' date=' and it would be cool to have a rundown on them.[/quote']

 

Okay, let's see what I can remember. Note that these items include a lot of "GM's Vault" information from various books.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are several "uncanny metals" in the CU, most of them standard superhard materials although a few have other properties. Kendrium is an extremely tough alloy invented by one Darryl Kendrick. Dr. Destroyer has created a similar alloy which he calls Destreum. There's a rare element named Questionite which is just as durable, but can also be made into blades with an incredibly keen edge able to cut through almost anything. Another rare metal is referred to as Neutronium; it's even stronger than those above, but much denser, although not nearly as dense as the theoretical supercompressed matter in collapsed stars that astrophysicists refer to as neutronium.

 

Orichalcum, the metal associated with classical tales of Atlantis, exists in the CU. In modern times it's only found in the area of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. It's also very hard when alloyed with steel, but in addition is exceptionally effective at retaining enchantments.

 

Moving away from metals, Kelvarite is a meteoric mineral charged with unknown energies. It's highly unstable, and people who have been exposed to it when it explodes have sometimes gained remarkable superpowers.

 

Speaking of meteors, the three superheroes who have used the name Meteorman gained their energy-wielding powers through possession of fragments of one or more meteors, which they fashioned into rings. Two such fragments are known to exist, and there may be others.

 

The European supervillain Pilvi knows the secret of a mutagenic chemical called trilenium, which can grant the user superpowers, although apparently with unfortunate psychological side effects. There is also the Coil-gene isolated by King Cobra, which can infect humans with reptile-inspired powers and reptilian forms. Also on the genetic front, Dr. Phillippe Moreau (grandson of that other Dr. Moreau) has surpassed his ancestor in mutating animals to human-level intelligence and humanoid form.

 

Then there's the bizarre "magitech" of the Lemurians, which they use to create animated golems, vehicles, and various weapons and other devices. It's based on four magical substances which only they possess: Ignaetium, which releases powerful elemental energies when burned; Corusqua, a liquid which is an excellent conductor and storage medium for electricity; Crystallos, and extraordinarily strong crystaline substance; and Fulminor, a smokelike lighter-than-air substance with great levitational properties.

 

Speaking of technology, the Silver Age superhero Microman developed a "Shrinking Ray" which could tremendously reduce the size of matter, although for unknown reasons only he and one other living organism have ever proven able to survive the process. Another example is the advanced force-field technology left by the alien Qularr, who invaded the Earth with giant monsters. Those monsters are now confined to a Pacific island nicknamed "Monster Island," imprisoned by those force-field devices.

 

However, the most advanced tech in the Champions Universe is probably that possessed by the Progenitors, a mysterious race who experimented on the ancestors of humanity in primordial times. They are definitely responsible for the race of immortal, superhuman Empyreans who live in the valley of Arcadia in Antarctica, and Progenitor devices keep the valley habitable, and render it invisible to any observers. There may be other Progenitor devices hidden elsewhere in the world.

 

This being a comic-book universe, there's quite a bit of supertech around from various sources, but those are the only specific named examples that I can remember. I'm sure other people will be along with more examples that eluded me.

[sinanju]

Re: Elements, Energies, and Wierd Science

 

Not EXACTLY on point, but...

 

I saw an idea in a Star Trek novel once that I really liked. Why does dilithium look like ordinary quartz? Because "dilithium" is a form of quartz with properties we have not yet learned to even _detect_ much less exploit. Seems that the whole periodic table has a three dimensional aspect we in the 21st century haven't stumbled upon.

 

So when that was discovered, and humans learned about the value of dilithium, there was a mad scramble to sort through endless quantities of ordinary minerals to find those that were actually extremely valuable...now that we knew what to look for.

 

(A side effect of this idea, which was not in the novel but is my own suggestion: THIS is why it looks like Dr. Genius is running his Powered Armor with a hunk of some common substance. How can he possibly generate 1.21 gigawatts of electricity from a piece of quartz the size of his fist? Because he knows something nobody else does....)

[redknight]

Re: Elements, Energies, and Wierd Science

 

Wow, great stuff guys. I'm amazed with how many replies I got so quick. I think I'll stick around and hopefully contribute my self.

 

Welcome to the forums' date=' redknight! I hope you enjoy your visits here - we're generally pretty friendly to newcomers. ... BTW redknight, are you familiar with the materials and technologies of Hero Games's official Champions Universe?[/quote']

 

Thanks! And yup, I have lots of the HERO system books that I shamelessly pilfer ideas from all the time.

 

At the moment I'm building a campaign timeline that goes back farther than the big bang and sprinkling lots of plot hooks and character origins based on shreds of reality and from my own quirky imagination. Twenty pages so far! I'm trying to find lots of origin events and substances for more variety and the stuff you guys gave me is uber helpful. Thanks again!

[Evil Steve]

Re: Elements, Energies, and Wierd Science

 

Wow, great stuff guys. I'm amazed with how many replies I got so quick. I think I'll stick around and hopefully contribute my self.

 

 

 

Thanks! And yup, I have lots of the HERO system books that I shamelessly pilfer ideas from all the time.

 

At the moment I'm building a campaign timeline that goes back farther than the big bang and sprinkling lots of plot hooks and character origins based on shreds of reality and from my own quirky imagination. Twenty pages so far! I'm trying to find lots of origin events and substances for more variety and the stuff you guys gave me is uber helpful. Thanks again!

 

 

OOOHHH!! Its probably too big to post here, but do you have a website?

 

 

If you want some weird engeries, try Orgone. Just Wiki or Google it. Lots of stuff, very crackpot.

[redknight]

Re: Elements, Energies, and Wierd Science

 

OOOHHH!! Its probably too big to post here' date=' but do you have a website?[/quote']

 

Funny, I hear that a lot by my female friends...

 

Thanks for your interest in my project, Evil Steve. I just went and did a page count and the time line is 49 pages in length so far. 30 of those pages are still roughed out notes. Definitely a work in progress. Just to give you a taste of what it’s like I dropped a single headline below.

First Supers In Public Eye

Four “Supers” are revealed to the media by military press liaisons. They are dubbed Commander Freedom, First Patriot, Lady Liberty, and Captain Justice. All are U.S. officers (of the Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marine Corp respectively) and are shown to be in the peak of physical condition and able to perform far above the average human. Interviews, film footage of their exploits, and a battery of physiological tests are given as media events for the press and the viewing public. A national frenzy ensues. A flood of product endorsements and movie deals are offered to them but are declined until “our service to our nation is no longer needed.”

 

The True reason for the public hero-making efforts of the U.S. government is two fold. First, those in the White House involved with public appeal need to introduce the American public to their Super-Soldier Program in a positive light. Second, the first generations of these soldiers, while effective, are less than favorable in appearance and impression. A glittery answer to the moral questions of the super-soldier programs is required: the Elites, as the first four public supers came to be called, provided a heroic and picturesque façade to the government’s true work. The First Gens, as the brutal company of first generation supers are known, remain covert until their decommission in 2009.

 

· REF: Supers—Captain Justice, Commander Freedom, First Patriot, and Lady Liberty; Super Groups—The Elites, Gens, Special Operations Division

The Ultra-Earth campaign is set in the year 2030, which gives a more realistic justification for moon bases and other scientific breakthroughs I catalogue. My aim is to have enough background material in place to justify all origins and explain why super-science works.

 

I have more than a 1000 villains and heroes (though few have fully worked out character sheets yet) spanning 100 years plus some cosmic and immortal types that have been around much longer. I'm updating a table listing regional perceptions of all supers for the 2010s CE, 2030s CE, and 2050s CE (and might go all the way back to the pulp era later). I've worked out the DNA chances of having unmanifested super children for all combinations of super and normal parentage for the 2 current DNA-based types of supers in my campaign. I'm also working on and off on a city map of Angel City, the post WWIII city taking the place of the blasted radioactive nightmare land that was once L.A., and the sight for the 200+ point campaign.

 

By the time it’s done, the galaxy will be mapped out for star empires, Earth history will include everything from the planet forming to our sun swallowing it when it goes supernova, and I'll have the reason why magic and super powers really exist. I'm digging up anything of genuine historic value that I can squeeze some interesting fictional stories from - comet crashes in Russia, witch-hunts on the Eastern seaboard, insane ranting of holy men...whatever!I figure it will be almost done when the year is really 2030 CE in our own dimensional time-stream...

I realize there is lots of existing official campaign stuff already published, and while I have read it all, I want the Ultra-Earth campaign to be my own baby. I'd love to put the (near) finished work up on the Internet some day but I suck at HTML stuff. At the present it needs a lot more work anyway. I'm sure this is more than you wanted to know but it was fun blabbing about it so I hope you can forgive me.

[Dr. Hercules]

Re: Elements, Energies, and Wierd Science

 

Not EXACTLY on point, but...

 

I saw an idea in a Star Trek novel once that I really liked. Why does dilithium look like ordinary quartz? Because "dilithium" is a form of quartz with properties we have not yet learned to even _detect_ much less exploit. Seems that the whole periodic table has a three dimensional aspect we in the 21st century haven't stumbled upon.

 

So when that was discovered, and humans learned about the value of dilithium, there was a mad scramble to sort through endless quantities of ordinary minerals to find those that were actually extremely valuable...now that we knew what to look for.

 

(A side effect of this idea, which was not in the novel but is my own suggestion: THIS is why it looks like Dr. Genius is running his Powered Armor with a hunk of some common substance. How can he possibly generate 1.21 gigawatts of electricity from a piece of quartz the size of his fist? Because he knows something nobody else does....)

 

 

 

I'm so stealing this for my Super-Genuis character Tomorrow Boy, it is too cool!

And just as soon as I figure out how to rep I'll do that too.

Edit: Okay Repped for that!