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Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth


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The year is 2219, after the great floods of the 21st century those who could afford to went went sub orbital. Around the globe those left behind were forced to make due as ice caps melted and every continent was rocked with earthquakes and storms consuming the coasts and devastating the remaining cities. Humanity though are survivors. As the Earth settled into it's new form so did the nations of the world. Vast industrial centers cropped up around the world feeding their masters above.

 

Society on the ground evolved into loosely federated nations states serving the different Colonies. All led by the promise of some day buying their way into utopia. The Colonies used this carrot masterfully to craft modern surfs. This however could not last forever. Some rebelled fleeing into the badlands left behind by the meltdown, others rioted or worse.

 

To quell the machine the Colonies created competitions between each other. Games of chnace or sport. Sport turned to war and the masses had to be sated once more. The masters within the Colonies saw those below and their need for blood from this Manhunt was born.

 

Held in different locations around the world Manhunt takes teams of four Stalkers from each nation and sets them loose in the badlands. The teams compete over six days for the highest body count, while killing another team's Stalkers earn you a bonus. Winners of the game receive cash prizes and adulation from the Colonies in the form of Sub Orbital medical care and increased food rations for the Nation. Should a Stalker win sixty games they earn a Golden Ticket retiring to a life of luxury in the Colonies above.

 

- - -

 

So that's the idea. Right now I'm thinking players would take the roll of a team of Stalkers or as a group of badlanders trying to survive. The characters would likely be build on 200 (125 + 75) points with them being required to buy any gear with points, no equipment. It's all televised so you have to fit your image right? From these points the characters would need to purchase a vehicle along with anything else. No super powers or psionics although I'm on the fence about things like cybernetics. Morality is gray and Character death would be very likely.

 

- - -

 

Filmography:

Cherry 2000

Death Race 2000

Death Sport

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

The Road Warrior

Rollerball

The Running Man

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Re: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth

 

Have you seen Battle Angel (or read the manga)? I only watched the anime, but it has the stratification you outline, with the super wealthy citizens living above in floating cities. It doesn't have the badlands (that I can recall), but there a certain lawlessness prevails in the cities below, and (televised?) cage matches to the death.

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Re: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth

 

Have you seen Battle Angel (or read the manga)? I only watched the anime' date=' but it has the stratification you outline, with the super wealthy citizens living above in floating cities. It doesn't have the badlands (that I can recall), but there a certain lawlessness prevails in the cities below, and (televised?) cage matches to the death.[/quote']

 

Actuallythe Manga for Battle Angel Alita was another one of the influences. As the series progressed you did get to see some of the world outside of Scrapyard which was mostly a wasteland. If you have a chance I highly recommend the first series. When putting together notes for the initial post I found out there is a new series that picks up from where the original left off. The death matches of Battle Angel were something like cyborg cage matches. I didn't list Battle Angel here since the technology was far more advanced and the entitled society really took little to no interest in the events on Earth so long as production flowed.

 

For Manhunt I pictured a lower tech future, The Nation States have the technology to obtain or refine what resources the colonies need and in return they are supplied with money, food and medical supplies. One of the things I see as being a kind of a possible storyline is the idea of Stalkers receiving the best gear a Nation State can salvage and or build. These people would be national heroes bringing prosperity to the Nation State at the expense of vagrants lost in the wastes. On the other side of that you have Badlanders who are simlpy trying to live outside the control of the Colonies. They would lack the resources of the Nation States but would have a wider area to salvage in. When I think of the Badlanders I pictured something akin to Lester and his gang from Cherry 2000. Although, the Great Humongous and the village form the Road Warrior are equally as valid.

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Re: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth

 

There are a lot of Post-Apoc fiction out there to mine, but I was reminded of a site called Street Use that has some real world examples of what could be badlands tech:

"This site features the ways in which people modify and re-create technology. Herein a collection of personal modifications, folk innovations, street customization, ad hoc alterations, wear-patterns, home-made versions and indigenous ingenuity. In short -- stuff as it is actually used, and not how its creators planned on it being used. As William Gibson said, "The street finds its own uses for things." I welcome suggestions of links, and contributions from others to include in this compendium.

-- KK"

 

 

EDIT: How about some Backyard Pulse Jets? Or a funky Homemade Land Sailer?

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Re: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth

 

The Northern Territory: The island state runs a four hundred kilometer stretch along the 487 transit line. Cutting like a spine through the badlands The Northern Territory starts at Ayers Rock and ends at the Northern Gap. The state consists of a series of plateaus both natural and man made. The state provides gold and other natural resources to the BHNAB Colony.

 

Manhunts hosted in The Northern Territory take place in the desert and mountains surrounding the state as well as below the city itself in the Black Marshes. Stalkers from The Northern Territory are said to be fearless, hardy and cruel. In the Badlands villages commonly center around resource deposits such as old oil wells or valleys with fertile soil. These villages tend to be well defended using terrain and the tools available to them to their best advantage. The Northern Territory Badlands are also home to roving scavengers and raiders.

 

On the Manhunt circuit the The Northern Territory Badlands are ranked as the 2nd most deadly terrain for Stalkers. Many of the games greatest Stalkers have made their name in the The Northern Territory Badlands including Britannia's twins of Terror Roper and Ripper and Southern Star's Wrangler. A special bounty has been placed on the head of The Northern Territory badlands gang leader Lachlan The Bladed.

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Re: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth

 

Northern Territory Sample Stalker

 

Bitzer

 

Alternate IDs: Russell Kirkland

Campaign: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth / GameMaster:

Genre: PA Hero

Value Char Base Cost Roll Notes

18 STR 10 8 13- 31/2d6 / 303.1kg

17 DEX 10 21 12-

15 CON 10 10 12-

15 BODY 10 10 12-

10 INT 10 0 11- PER Roll 11-

13 EGO 10 6 12-

15 PRE 10 5 12- 3d6

10 COM 10 0 11-

 

6/9 PD 4 2

4/7 ED 3 1

4 SPD 2.7 13

7 REC 7 0

30 END 30 0

32 STUN 32 0

 

Movement

 

Running: 8"/16"

Swimming: 4"/8"

Leaping H: 3 1/2"

Leaping V: 1 1/2"

Basic Combat Stats

Base OCV: 6 Base DCV: 6 Base ECV: 4

SkillsPts.

3 Breakfall 12-

3 Climbing 12-

7 Combat Driving 14-

3 Fast Draw 12-

3 Hoist 11-

5 Mechanics 12-

2 Navigation (Land) 11-

3 Shadowing 11-

6 Survival (Desert, Mountain, Underground) 11-

5 Tracking 12-

0 TF: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles

8 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Small Arms, Chain & Rope Weapons, Thrown Knives, Axes, and Darts, Vehicle Weapons (group)

 

Perks Pts.

1 Reputation: Up and Coming Stalker (A medium-sized group) 11-, +1/+1d6

15 Vehicles & Bases

 

Powers Pts. END

XM-29 MX 7 Airburst Weapon System, all slots OAF (-1)

5 1) Rifle Butt: Hand-To-Hand Attack +3d6 (15 Active Points); OAF (-1), Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4) 1

16 2) 25 mm Grenade launcher: Killing Attack - Ranged 2d6, Explosion (+1/2) (45 Active Points); OAF (-1), 8 Charges (-1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4) vs PD.[8]

3 3) Auto-Targeting Range Finder: Penalty Skill Levels: +2 vs. Range Modifier with All Attacks (6 Active Points); OAF (-1)

 

Melee Weapons

151) Bladed Chain: (Total: 40 Active Cost, 15 Real Cost) Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1d6 (2d6 w/STR) (15 Active Points); OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4) (Real Cost: 7) plus Stretching 5" (25 Active Points); OAF (-1), Only To Cause Damage (-1/2), Always Direct (-1/4), no Noncombat Stretching (-1/4) (Real Cost: 8) 3

10 2) That''s a Knife: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1d6 (1 1/2d6 w/STR), Penetrating (+1/2) (22 Active Points); OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-1/4) vs PD. [Notes: Titanium Laser Sharpened Machete] 2

2 Damn Tough Aussie: Damage Resistance (2 PD/2 ED) 0

3 Reinforced Stockman's Coat: Armor (3 PD/3 ED) (9 Active Points); OAF (-1), Full Coverage Helmet, Long Jacket with Sleeves, High Boots (Protects Locations 3-5, 7-14, 16-18; -1/2), Real Armor (-1/4) 0

 

Character Information

 

Height: 2.05 m Hair: Blond Weight: 168.00 kg Eyes: Blue

Appearance: A physical giant Blitzer stands at over two meters tall. Playing into the appearance of Stalkers of the Northern Territories Blitzer wears a long Stockman's coat over his bare chest cargo shorts and boots.

 

Background: Born out of the mines of the Northern Territories Russell learned early on that only those who had means could enjoy life and no man working in the mines would ever have means. From an early age he used the mines as a training tool, building his body and survival skills until he was ready to enter the game.

When Russell finally made the NT Stalkers this training paid off. Using the rope work he had mastered Blitzer's Bladed Chain was an instant crowd favorite. This led him to his most spectacular stunt, killing two of the Southern Star's veteran Stalkers, hanging them both with his chain decapitating them. This has placed Blitzer on the fast track to Manhunt super stardom and on the SS Stalkers' hit list.

Outside the game Blitzer enjoys all the perks of his stardom playing up to his reputation. When people ask him about his past he brushes it off with a smile dismissively saying there is no life before becoming a Stalker. Those who look deep enough will find a string of accidents in the mines Blitzer worked keeping his fellow Stalkers weary of the up and comer.

 

Personalilty: It's easy to say Russell Kirkman is motivated only by greed but that's not entirely so. Blitzer fears dying a poor and broken man like his father. This has driven him to be a risk taker in and out of Manhunt. At the same time he seems to crave the attention and adulation of the game often blowing through his winnings just to impress fans.

 

Quote: "You're nothing special, just another piece of meat in my legend."

 

Disadvantages Pts.

Hunted: Southern Star Stalkers 11- (As Pow, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Harshly Punish) [Notes: Blitzer made a name for himself killing two Stalkers from the Southern Star. They have not forgotten. ] 20

Normal Characteristic Maxima No Age Restriction 0

Psychological Limitation: Brash (Common, Moderate) 10

Psychological Limitation: Malicious (Common, Strong) 15

Psychological Limitation: Fear of Poverty (Common, Strong) 15

Social Limitation: Must Play into his Reputation on camera (Frequently, Major) [Notes: Will only use his weapons and gear if at all possible. Draws out the deaths of Badlanders for the show. ] 15

 

Characteristics: 82

Martial Arts: 0

Skills: 48

Perks: 16

Talents: 0

Powers: 54

Base Points: 125

Disadvantages: 75

Unspent Exp: 0

Spent Exp: 0

Total: 200

 

 

Blitzer's ATV

 

Campaign: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth / GameMaster:

Genre: PA Hero

Value Char Base Cost Roll Notes

21 STR 25 -4 13- 4d6 / 459.5kg

15 DEX 10 15 12-

14 BODY 13 1 12-

4 SPD 2.5 15

 

Movement

 

Running: 20"/40"

Swimming: 2"/4"

 

Basic Combat Stats

Base OCV: 5 Base DCV: 3 Base ECV: 0

 

Skills Pts.

3 Climbing 12-

 

Powers Pts. END

4 Spikes: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1/2d6 (1d6+1 w/STR) (10 Active Points); OIF Bulky Fragile (-1 1/4) vs PD.1

17 Fixed Mount 20 mm Auto-Cannon: Killing Attack - Ranged 2d6, +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1/4), 64 Charges (+1/2), Autofire (5 shots; +1/2) (67 Active Points); OIF Bulky (-1), Limited Arc Of Fire (One hex row; Only on same horizontal level; -1), Cannot Use Targeting (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) vs PD.[64]

 

Character Information

 

Disadvantages Pts.

Distinctive Features: The ATV is marked with war paint. A row of short pikes with skulls hanging from it and two long rear spears. (Not Concealable; Extreme Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)25

 

Characteristics: 76

Martial Arts: 0

Skills: 3

Perks: 0

Talents: 0

Powers: 21

Base Points: 75

Disadvantages: 25

Unspent Exp: 0

Spent Exp: 0

Total: 100

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Re: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth

 

Motor City: North of Southern Star sits the sprawling industrial Nation-State Motor City. Ever expanding Motor City is a place of steel, it's gray skies spit poisoned water back at the ground and food is in short supply. Above Motor City floats the MX, a giant super Colony and solar powerhouse for those who live above. Using the City-State below to manage manufacturing and machining needed projects are modular and spread out across Motor City so that the residents are never really able to know just what hey're working on.

 

The city has taken on a kind of iron cross the older parts of the city long abandoned as new more advanced tools and machines were required. Unlike other City-States those who shunned modern society did not go out into the wild but dug in do the dead old city. Rumors of an inner city constantly circulate in the Nation-State, the active smoke stakes in the Badlands fueling them.

 

Another common rumor is that people of the Motor City Badlands are cannibals as Motor City is unable to sustain most plant life without major efforts. Expeditions into the Badlands by Stalkers and scavengers both seem to confirm this. Motor City is a landscape of steel towers, catwalks and pipes. Large roads cut between them like surgical scars facilitating industrial transport. In Motor City the Badlanders are as aggressive as the stalkers and masters of setting ambushes in the urban maze. Becasue of this Motor City is ranked the 1st Most Deadly Manhunt game zone. This is not a place where careers are made, it is a place where they are ended.

 

Historical Note: The Red Herald, Randal Shepard of Britannia, winner of 58 Manhunts was killed in the Motor City Badlands along with 7 other Stalkers after being ambushed. This was the third straight Manhunt hosted in Motor City seeing the combined deaths of some twenty nine Stalkers. The closest Stalker to ever winning a Golden Ticket a memorial to the Red Herald is held before each Manhunt in Motor City. Some consider this fabled Stalker to be the patron saint of Manhunt. The Stalker Valkyrie has stated she uses her Edged Crook in his honor.

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Re: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth

 

Motor City Sample Stalker

 

Valkyrie

 

Val Char Cost Roll Notes

10 STR 0 11- Lift 100.0kg; 2d6

20 DEX 30 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7

15 CON 10 12-

13 BODY 6 12-

18 INT 8 13- PER Roll 15-

15 EGO 10 12- ECV: 5

15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6

12 COM 1 11-

 

2+5 PD 0 Total: 2/7 PD (0/5 rPD)

3+5 ED 0 Total: 3/8 ED (0/5 rED)

3 SPD 0 Phases: 4, 8, 12

5 REC 0

30 END 0

26 STUN 0

Total Characteristic Cost: 70

 

Movement:

Running: 6"/12"

Flight: 10"/20"

Leaping: 2"/4"

Swimming: 2"/4"

 

Cost Powers END

8 Valkyrie 's Body Suit: Armor (5 PD/5 ED) (15 Active Points); OIF (-½), Real Armor (-¼) 0

6 Paranoid Senses: +2 PER with all Sense Groups 0

10 TT-4 Pulse Hover Pack: Flight 10", 4 Continuing Charges lasting 5 Minutes each (+0) (20 Active Points); OIF (-½), Gestures, Requires Gestures throughout (Requires one hand to control.; -½) [4 cc]

Notes: Valkyrie must keep one hand on the controls for movement.

7 Bladed Crook: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1d6+1 (2d6 w/STR) (20 Active Points); OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-½), Real Weapon (-¼) 2

Notes: The Bladed Crook is a long metal staff with a curved blade at one end and a spear at the other.

47 ROKZ-7 Flamethrower: Killing Attack - Ranged 2d6, Penetrating (+½), Continuous (+1), Area Of Effect (30" Line; +1) (105 Active Points); OIF (-½), 2 clips of 8 Charges (-¼), Real Weapon (-¼), Reduced By Range (-¼) [8]

 

Perks

1 Reputation: Stalker, Stalker (A small to medium sized group) 14-, +1/+1d6

 

Skills

5 Dodgy: +1 with DCV

3 Acrobatics 13-

3 Breakfall 13-

3 Concealment 13-

3 Deduction 13-

3 Disguise 13-

2 Forgery (Documents) 13-

3 KS: Advertising 13-

3 Lockpicking 13-

3 Security Systems 13-

5 Shadowing 14-

5 Stealth 14-

2 Survival (Urban) 13-

3 Tracking 13-

5 WF: Common Martial Arts Melee Weapons, Common Melee Weapons, Staffs, Flamethrowers

 

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 130

Total Cost: 200

 

125+ Disadvantages

15 Watched: The Invisible Hands Behind the game 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find, Watching)

0 Normal Characteristic Maxima

15 Psychological Limitation: Paranoid (Common, Strong)

15 Psychological Limitation: Bound By Duty (Common, Strong)

10 Reputation: Stalker, Stalker, 11- (Extreme; Known Only To A Small Group)

20 Social Limitation: Harmful Secret (Frequently, Severe)

 

Total Disadvantage Points: 200

 

Background/History: In a previous life Amber Restrepo was a television analyst, the idea that she would one day become a Stalker never crossed her mind. The job was one of those gigs people dreamed of, review the feedback from highlight reels and report up what people liked. That was about as close to the feed as anyone outside the Colonies got and one of the nicest jobs anyone not handpicked from above was ever going to get.

 

When you’re so close to the feed you become numb to the rumors that float around Manhunt. When data starts coming from the Badlands and from one of the Stalkers that was a different story. About a year before his death Amber began receiving transmissions from the Britannia Stalker Red Herald. Small video bites filled with paranoid stories of the Colonies shifting the odds to ensure no Stalker ever got a Golden Ticket, footage of hidden uplinks and weapons caches.

 

At first Amber did her best to ignore what she saw but the more she looked at the highlight reels the more everything rang true. When Red came to Motor City they met for the first time. He was older than she had imagined. Giving her the data he hadn’t been able to transmit he told her about a secret resistance growing inside Motor City and that he was going to try and hook up with them. Then he was dead.

 

The data went cold, archived away as Amber tried to come up with a plan. Then it was gone. No data, her office empty and her position eliminated. They took everything and left her on the streets to die along with the truth. They couldn’t just kill her though; they had to make her disappear first.

 

Trapped Amber did the only thing she could think of to raise her profile enough that her death would be noticed and gave her a chance to find out the truth. Taking the name Valkyrie Amber Restrepo seemed to go away and the Avenging Stalker was born.

 

Personality/Motivation: Not knowing who set her up Amber keeps an air of mystery about her. Afraid her teammates will one day betray her she keeps them at arm’s length at all times. Preferring to work alone she loathes what she is forced to do. Because of this Valkyrie has gotten a reputation for going after the hardest targets, Badland Gangs or other Stalkers. Lonely, she tries not to think of her old life and all that she’s lost focusing only on the game and someday finding the truth.

 

Quote: If you were human I wouldn’t have come for you.

 

Appearance: Wearing a full leather body suit reinforced with metal plates and full mask as Valkyrie only a single braid of long black hair hangs from the back.

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Re: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth

 

The world of Manhunt, to me, seems to be a place for one shot stories. This could be one's trip to the dark side or more heroic tales. As I try and work out the details of what this world may look like I want to try and create a place for dark heroism but I haven't found the right angle for it yet. The Stalker Valkyrie was an attempt at this but I think she may be an exception not the rule. I thought about changing my focus to Badlanders but I'm not sure if this is the right fit. What I'm thinking I may end up doing is shifting the focus to Stalker v Stalker combat. However, this undermines one of the background story purposes of the game which is how does one justify doing the wrong thing. The Colonies justify the slaughter of those outside the City-States as a way of population control, removing dissidents and keeping the masses sedated. The City-States justify this as a way to provide much needed resources for their people. Finally, Stalkers justify killing others as a way to escape the world around them. So there we are...

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Re: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth

 

The world of Manhunt' date=' to me, seems to be a place for one shot stories. This could be one's trip to the dark side or more heroic tales. As I try and work out the details of what this world may look like I want to try and create a place for dark heroism but I haven't found the right angle for it yet. The Stalker Valkyrie was an attempt at this but I think she may be an exception not the rule. I thought about changing my focus to Badlanders but I'm not sure if this is the right fit. What I'm thinking I may end up doing is shifting the focus to Stalker v Stalker combat. However, this undermines one of the background story purposes of the game which is how does one justify doing the wrong thing. The Colonies justify the slaughter of those outside the City-States as a way of population control, removing dissidents and keeping the masses sedated. The City-States justify this as a way to provide much needed resources for their people. Finally, Stalkers justify killing others as a way to escape the world around them. So there we are...[/quote']

 

I agree that the world seems geared towards limited scenarios. Five or six high octane game sessions to do a manhunt, I would think. You could bring in some of the conspiracy hinted at in Valkyrie's write up, if you wanted a more in depth campaign...

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Re: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth

 

Who to hunt a Stalker's Guide to Badland survival:The Badlands are home to villages who want noting more than to live outside the oppressive rule of the Colonies. Those people truly off the grid, those who have figured out how to survive without bothering anyone, they're just bad sport. Every Stalker thinks about it, pad your numbers with a few scavs maybe ride into town, gun down a host of innocents before the town can mount of defense. Sure they pad the numbers, but that's not where the action is at. A real Stalker wants the predators. The gangs and militants who raid the City-States or attack transports. The bastards who have for years kept the any real growth to a minimum. These are the real targets for Stalkers. You want to get famous you want the perks of the position then you have to go for the ratings.

 

Badland gangs are armed, sure, but not like a Stalker. They might know how to fight, but it's not like they have any real skill. The people want blood, but what they love to see is a fight. They want to see the normality play of good verses bad and they want their heroes to be the good guys. Does it matter if you sneak up on their camps and gut them in their sleep? Not really, especially if you can make it good for the camera. The more dangerous the prey the better. That doesn't mean a Stalker has to play fair though.

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Re: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth

 

You're probably right. What I was trying to establish in the post though was more a matter of what players can expect. To try and balance out what one might see in a stalker. This way there can be a more even mix of Stalker personalities and not just a collection of sadists.

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Re: Manhunt: The Greatest Game On Earth

 

While it may seem to be a safe way to stay alive Stalkers who hunt Badlanders who pose no threat to the City-States are regarded with a particular distaste. Those who gain the rather dubious distinction are called: Bottom Feeders, Bungs, Peelers Scabs or Scabbers, Yellow Jockey or Woundless. Most of these names target the Stalkers lack of skill or inability to get to the real problems in the Badlands.

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