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Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign


Fedifensor

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The preacher read from the ancient book. "And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." He then turned to the crowd to explain the passage.

 

"First came the sword, as men turned upon each other with weapons unimaginable."

 

"Second came the hunger, and all who lived suffered the changes wrought by the tech."

 

"Third came death, as men simply fell over, their souls rent from their bodies."

 

"Fourth, the beasts of the earth rose up as men huddled in the shattered ruins, for Man had broken the sacred covenant that gave dominion over them."

 

The preacher skims ahead a few lines, then continues. "And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind."

 

"And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places."

 

"And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains"

 

"And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb"

 

"For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"

 

The book is closed, and the preacher turns toward the crowd once more. "The Day of Wrath has come and gone. The Lord has judged the guilty, and brought the virtuous into his embrace. We know this because His word is spread far and wide, contained in every Inn of the Holiday."

 

"But what of those who remain, those who neither reached the heights of virtue nor the depths of depravity? We have been given a second chance, to work our way back into the graces of the Lord. And we must avoid the hubris that led to the Day of Wrath, when men worshiped the tech and lost sight of Him."

 

"This is not belief. This is fact. The town of Cassrock rebuilt much of its ancient tech, only to be smote barely a season ago by a Star of Heaven. Their fate is warning to us all..."

 

--------------------

 

Happy New Year, everyone! For the past few days, I've been discussing with a friend (Zac) the possibility of a HERO Central campaign set in a world that draws inspiration from sources like Gamma World and Fallout. At this point, we're ready to solicit interest in the campaign, and see what comes out of it.

 

We're trying to decide between 5th and 6th edition HERO as the ruleset for the campaign. 5th edition has the advantage of being more accessible and more familiar to people. 6th edition has the advantage of some rule changes that are useful for this type of game, and it's the newest version of the system. We'll make the final determination based on the feedback we receive and the players we get for the game.

 

 

So, for those interested, here's the campaign background:

 

The campaign begins in the village of Fedrex, located in a hidden valley in the mountains. The heart of the village is host to a massive building of ancient tech, next to a bridge over a waterfall.

 

Fedrex has survived because of the Rule of Cargo. Those who reach adulthood must prove their worth to remain in the village by securing Cargo - resources that the town can use for the benefit of its citizens. The more resources a citizen can secure, the higher their position in the village hierarchy. Those who bring small amounts of Cargo may only be given temporary citizenship, and be forced to quest for Cargo again after the turning of the seasons.

 

The current leader of the town is Daryne, a middle-aged Pure who returned to the village with ancient tech that makes the water safe to drink. His position as leader appears to be guaranteed for life, as he not only is responsible for acquiring the tech, but jealously guards the knowledge of how to repair it when it breaks down. The current members of the village council were part of the same expedition that recovered the device.

 

While limited amounts of tech are accepted by the village, particularly if it is needed to survive, many in Fedrex are fearful of acquiring too much technology. Last season, a great bolt of light lanced down from the Star of Heaven. Weeks later, a woman arrived as a refugee from Cassrock. The town had recently activated a device that awoke previously unusable tech. Unnatural lighting kept the town visible from miles away in the dark of night, strange vehicles began traveling the pathways laid down by the Ancients, and there were whispered rumors that a war party attacking Cassrock was felled from afar by metal wands that unleashed death on all who approached. These ancient wonders availed them not, as the light from the Star of Heaven destroyed the device and killed nearly half the population of Cassrock in an instant. Many say that to depend on the tech is a form of worship, and the Star of Heaven will smite any who worship false gods.

 

The characters in Starfall are seeking to become full members of their village, either from reaching adulthood or as travelers seeking to settle in Fedrex. As no one may stay more than a season in Fedrax without having offered Cargo to the village council, groups often band together to seek out tech. While the impact of the Cargo is diminished by sharing it among a group, this is more than outweighed by the safety of traveling in numbers. The world outside Fedrex is very dangerous, as bands of mindless Beasts or savage Muts prey on solitary travelers.

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Starfall - Character Creation Guidelines

 

The guidelines for character creation are listed below.

 

Character Types:

Characters can be one of three types - Pures, Muts, or Beasts. There is a fourth type, Weeds, that are limited to one in the group and only with an exceptional application.

 

Pure

Descendants of the survivors of the Final War, Pures have remained unchanged despite the perils of disease, poison, glow spots, and countless other dangers. Some say the Pures were gifted with ancient tech that was woven into their bodies and passed along to their descendants. Others believe it to be a natural adaptation to the harsh environment - given the billions that existed before the Final War, some small percentage would have the necessary traits to thrive despite the hazards. Several religions claim that Pures are the Blessed - not virtuous enough to have been taken into the Heavens, but still favored by the divine.

 

Regardless of the reasons for their purity, the Pure share several traits that protect them. Pure characters are required to purchase the following:

  • Bloodline of Purity (3 points Power Defense, Hardened, Resistant) - 6 points. In the Starfall campaign, this is the only way for a character to gain Power Defense without restrictions (Radiation only, Poisons only, etc) at character creation. This applies to all types of Drains, Transfers, Transforms, and related attacks. At the GM's discretion, it may even provide some resistance against NND attacks based on radiation, biological attacks, nanoviruses, or poisons.
  • Accelerated Healing (Regeneration, 1 BODY per Day, increased food intake) - 5 points. Pures who survive injuries will eventually return to full health. While they cannot heal back lost limbs or destroyed organs, the Pure can recover as long as they survive the initial injury and bloodloss. Pures healing from such injuries gain a vastly increased appetite. A lack of food can hinder their healing, possibly resulting in the injuries becoming permanent.
  • Stat Minimums (special) - Pures are the best of humanity, the ones who have survived and prospered in a harsh world. Barring illness, injury, or age, they are in excellent condition both physically and mentally. Pures may not buy down any of their stats unless there is an associated injury (reduced Running for having one leg, etc) and should have above average stats in most areas.
  • Tech Access (special) - Several devices of the ancients, particularly death-dealing weapons, will only function in the hands of a Pure. The few guardians of ancient tech that survived the Final War will recognize a Pure on sight. While this doesn't necessarily protect the Pure from harm, it will usually give the Pure a chance to negotiate or depart the area before being attacked. This is represented by the character not taking one of the Distinctive Features required by the other character types. In addition, Pures may choose to buy a single signature item of tech with points (maximum of 30 Active Points) at character creation, and are the only characters who have the option of acquiring tech via character points.

Sample tech item: Solar-Powered Civilian Laser Pistol - 1d6+1 AP RKA, OAF, 8 charges. 30 Active Points, 12 Real Points. This weapon has been passed down through the generations to the eldest child. Each new wielder receives the weapon in an elaborate ceremony, that ends with the current wielder placing the weapon in the recipient's hand and intoning the ancient incantation, "Transfer authorization to new user". The weapon runs out of power after 8 shots, but recharges after sitting in sunlight for a full day. [Note that weapons bought with points do not take limitations like Real Weapon.]

 

 

Muts (pronounced either as 'Mutts' or 'Mutes')

Muts are humans that have been changed in the aftermath of the Final War. Most muts show some physical sign of their mutations, and some have suffered massive alterations.

 

Mut characters must take the following:

  • Distinctive Feature: Mutated Human - 5 points. All muts must take this disadvantage, even if they have no physical signs of mutation. Many devices of the ancients can see past appearance to the true nature of a being.
  • Distinctive Feature: Mut - 5+ points. Muts with physical signs of their mutation may take this disadvantage. This may also be the basis for taking certain hunteds, as there are groups in the wasteland who hunt down muts.
  • Mutant Powers - Varies. The changes wrought by the Final War have given some (but not all) muts special abilities. Examples of such abilities can be found in the Post-Apocalyptic HERO book, pages 112-128. Powers have a limit of 30 Active Points, and all proposed powers will be carefully scrutinized for balance.

Sample mutant power: Kinetic Fist - +2d6 hand-to-hand attack, Double Knockback (up to 4d6 Double Knockback with STR). Note: This changes the default of the attack from Knockdown to Knockback. 17 Active Points, 11 Real Points. The mut has the power to magnify the force of a punch and distribute it along the foe's entire body, catapulting him backward.

 

 

Beasts

Legends say that before the Final War, the only creatures capable of thought and reasoning were humans. However, part of the changes wrought upon the land changed many of the animals. Many became larger and more aggressive than their pre-War counterparts, and several became sentient. A rare few developed mutations unrelated to their form.

 

Altered animals, whether sentient or not, are known as beasts. Beast characters must take the following:

  • Distinctive Feature: Mutated Animal - 10 points. All beasts must take this disadvantage, regardless of form or level of sentience. Many devices of the ancients can detect them, and beasts are more likely to suffer an adverse reaction when interacting with the ancient tech.
  • Distinctive Feature: Beast - 10+ points. Beasts have significant physical differences from Pures and Muts, and are hard to disguise from those who hold prejudices against them. This may also be a basis for taking certain Hunteds, as several groups in the wastelands fear beasts and may attack them on sight.
  • Altered Form - Most beasts have special powers related to their form. These are similar to the mutant powers possessed by muts, save that beasts generally have physical mutations and almost never have purely mental powers. Examples of such abilities can be found in the Post-Apocalyptic HERO book, pages 112-128. Powers have a limit of 30 Active Points, and all proposed powers will be carefully scrutinized for balance.

Sample altered form power: Carapace - 6 PD, 4 ED armor plus Hardened advantage for Armor PD plus Hardened advantage on base PD (up to 8). 19 Active Points, 19 Real Points. Several beasts have developed natural protection from the rigors of the wasteland. The carapace is tough enough to blunt the force of even high-velocity piercing weapons. In addition, the beast has a limited resistance to energy-based hazards of the wasteland like fire and electricity. However, lasers have an easy time cutting through the carapace.

 

 

Weeds

No one is sure how some of the plants of the Wasteland gained sentience. The most common legend is that a mut with the ability to control plants pushed her powers too far, and died. At the moment of death, her consciousness fragmented and was imbued into the many plants under her control, and passed along to the seedlings. Another legend states that in the last days of the Final War, desperate men tampered with plants to create guardians for their fading civilization. Several of these plants are hostile and/or insane by human standards, and the Pures have nicknamed them 'Weeds'.

 

Players interested in playing a Weed should contact the gamemaster for details.

 

 

Everyman Skills

Acting 8-, Climbing 8-, Concealment 8-, KS: of player's choice 11-, KS of player's choice 8-, Native Language (4 pts of Amrikana, no literacy), Paramedics 8-, PS of player's choice (job, hobby, or other area of interest) 11-, Shadowing 8-, Stealth 8-, Survival (mountains) 8-, TF: one subset of Riding Animals.

 

 

Other Character Guidelines

Characters are built using the Hero System 5th Edition Revised rulebook (5ER) at the Heroic level (75+75). Power Frameworks are not allowed. All characters will be reviewed for balance and to ensure they fit within the setting. Aside from the tech item allowed to a Pure, equipment is not bought with points. Starting equipment will be based on character background, and should fit within the pseudo-medieval tech level. Firearms will not be given out at character creation, but may be bartered for if a supplier can be found. Specific notes on skills, powers, and disadvantages are listed below:

 

Characteristics:

  • Normal Characteristics Maxima is a standard disadvantage for characters, though special permission can be given to avoid taking it. Characters with NCM get 20 points for the disadvantage, as per 5ER page 329.

Skills:

  • Combat Driving, Combat Piloting, and Transport Familiarities with vehicles are allowed, but the character will not have access to a vehicle at the start of the game. It will be possible to acquire vehicles during the course of the campaign.
  • Concealment is also used for scavenging, as per the Post-Apocalyptic HERO book (pg 36).
  • Inventor can be used in conjunction with other skills to create primitive guns and other devices, but ancient tech requires resources far beyond what is available to the characters. The skill can also be used to figure out basic uses of ancient tech.
  • The language of the ancients is both familiar and strange to the denizens of the wasteland. It is possible for characters to figure out some words with INT rolls. Some scholars have taken the language Pre-Apocalypse English. Starting characters may purchase this language at no higher than the 1 point level (Basic Conversation). Characters may also purchase Literacy, and those who do are literate with all languages known to them (if those languages have a written version).
  • Survival must be bought for different environments. There is one new environment - Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland, which allows characters to survive in areas with Bad Water and Glow Spots.
  • Weapon Familiarity may be taken with weapons the character doesn't have access to, if their background justifies the purchase. For example, a character who originally came from Lo may have used firearms in the past, even if they currently don't have a gun.

Perks:

  • The Money perk is very rare in the wasteland. The few that have it generally derive their wealth from control of resources, either directly or indirectly. For example, a character who knows how to make weapons may have the Money perk, representing the bartering power of trading assembled weapons for raw materials or other supplies.
  • Reputation generally isn't appropriate beyond the starting area of Fedrex, as there is no widespread communications to carry the tales of the character throughout the wasteland.

Powers:

  • LS: High Radiation only protects against environmental effects, not radiation attacks. It has the prerequisite of at least 3 points of Power Defense that applies versus radiation.
  • Power Defense must be bought versus a specific effect (radiation, poison, etc), with the exception of the Power Defense possessed by Pures. Power Defense bought versus radiation only applies to low-level radiation effects. Stronger radiation requires that the Power Defense be bought as resistant (via Damage Resistance), and some lethal radiation effects may require that the Power Defense be bought with the Hardened advantage. All purchase of Power Defense versus radiation requires special approval, as radiation is one of the major hazards of the wasteland.

Disadvantages:

  • Dependent NPCs in the Starfall campaign are often bought as 'floating' DNPCs. Examples include the "girl in every town", the "child in trouble", etc. While the DNPC changes from adventure to adventure, the standard rules about the character being obligated to protect the DNPC applies. Most DNPCs are only bought at the 8- level.
  • Hunteds only apply if the Hunted knows you personally. Simply being a mut or beast isn't enough to have the Order of the Pure as a Hunted - they have to have some reason to seek you out specifically. Hunteds work best as organizations, as most conflicts between a Hunter and a PC end up with one or the other dying. Hunteds are limited to an 8- roll except in exceptional circumstances.
  • Reputation requires special permission to take as a disadvantage, since the lack of communication between areas makes it difficult for a reputation to be sufficiently widespread to be worth points.

Sample Hunteds:

  • Order of the Pure (More Powerful, 8-): 15 points. A group dedicated to rebuilding the ancient tech, and the ascension of the Pure over the aberrations created by the Apocalypse.
  • Stargazers (As Powerful, NCI, 8-): 15 points. Religious cult that believes the tech of the ancients to be responsible for the Apocalypse.
  • Gang of 70 (More Powerful, Limited Area, 8-): 10 points. A gang that limits its membership to 70 people (not including recruits). Normally seen on the ancient road near the Great Var, but they have been spotted as far north as Unirad and as far south as Cassrock.
  • Darwinists (As Powerful, 8-): 10 points. A group that believes that the fall of the ancients is the result of evolution, and that Pures have been surpassed by the new races that arose after the Apocalypse.
  • Wasteland Gang (As powerful, Limited Area, 8-): 5 points. Any one of a number of small gangs that dwell in the Wasteland.

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

Character proposals are welcome, though you may want to wait on full writeups until we have the character guidelines fleshed out. Submissions will not be accepted on HERO Central until we have narrowed down the list of candidates here.

 

While the character guidelines are a work in progress, I can share my thoughts about overall power level of the characters at character creation.

 

Attacks are going to top out around what a strong Pure can do with a greatsword (2d6 killing, or 6 DC). Most weapons are killing attacks, and Hit Locations will be used. Starting weapons are medieval-level technology, though a select few have heirlooms of ancient tech (see the Pure section of post #2 in this thread for an example), and the village stockpile of Cargo includes weapons.

 

Characters have access to armor up to chainmail, though chain may not be practical in certain situations (especially with the temperature fluctuations in the wastelands). Characters should have some level of resistant defenses (even if it is a cinematic defense like Combat Luck), but no more than 6 resistant DEF at the start of the game. Also, innate armor and worn armor overlap instead of stack, which means a mut or beast with armored scales won't benefit from wearing light armor. The exception is if both armors are bought with character points. For example, a Pure with 2 rPD/2 rED from the Combat Luck talent who also pays for Sports Padding (3 DEF) as his one tech item can have a total DEF of 5 (on locations protected by the Sports Padding).

 

Characters should have a Speed between 2 to 4, with 3 being the average. 2 SPD characters have some leniency with the Active Point limits of attacks and/or defenses, while 4 SPD characters may need to lower attacks or defenses to be in line with the other characters.

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

Do you want us to post character ideas in this thread or PM them to you? I have both 5th and 6th. I would like to go with 6th but depends on the group.

Currently, the plans are for Zac and myself to share GM status, so it's best to post to this thread. It saves me from having to forward private messages to him. :)

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

So generally we explore here what SFX are available?

 

Mutations, Muts see that

 

What About:

Psionics?

Vehicles?

Followers - Beasts ?

Cybernetics ?

Bio-netics - Cybernetics but with Biological components ?

Superskills ? ie.I am a dedicated tracker, I have Mind Scan

Do Religious characters have access to a VPP or something else?

 

all of course with the post apoc twist

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

What About:

Psionics?

Available to muts as a type of mental mutation. Unavailable to pures, rare among beasts. Must still fall within the 30 active point limit.

 

Vehicles?

No modern vehicles available at the start of the game, though the group may be able to acquire one later. A Pure may be able to swing a vehicle as his one purchased tech item. Even then, the best I could see would be some sort of autogyro (like the one in the Road Warrior) and fuel would be a constant issue.

 

Followers - Beasts ?

Followers are available, beast followers are not. However, there are still normal animals (like dogs) that a character could have as a follower. I'd prefer to avoid having followers in the game unless it's essential for your character concept - the Sancho Panza to your Don Quixote, the bear that follows Grizzly Adams, etc.

 

Cybernetics ?

Bio-netics - Cybernetics but with Biological components ?

Not at character creation. Both require advanced knowledge to install. Even if you find them during the game, and a medbot to install them, you have to be compatible. Pures shouldn't have a problem getting a medbot to install cybernetics as long as they can acquire clearance for the procedure. Muts may have problems - if the initial scan shows parameters outside of human norms, the medbot may halt the procedure. Not to mention that if the procedure continues, the mut may die on the table because of incompatibilities. Beasts won't be able to get either type except in rare cases, such as cybernetics specifically designed to be placed into an animal. Even then, they are likely to run afoul of the same problems as muts. Weeds - not happening.

 

Superskills ? ie.I am a dedicated tracker, I have Mind Scan

We are willing to consider certain skills as powers, though we don't want to go overboard. It's a post-apocalyptic setting, not wuxia or superheroes.

 

Do Religious characters have access to a VPP or something else?

Not as PCs. :) Keep in mind that the intro text in the first post is one person's point of view. The actual truth may be very different...or be exactly as was said. Such are the mysteries of the wasteland...

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

Fed and I have discussed a number of these regarding cybernetics, wetware, chemical enhancers (like a Sandevistian speed boost via inhaler), etc... most of this is going to be a NO at the start of the game with a big HOWEVER.

 

However, if you wanted to set some points aside at character creation with a cavet :eg: A Pure sets aside 25 points of disads asking for cybernetics (so he is a 75/50 character at the start of the game). After discussion it is determined the players wants a blaster stuck into his arm (just like the cover of the ole Gamma World Red Boxed set) and some enhanced senses. The GM decides a Endurance Reserve is in order with a low recovery and a increased recovery with the limiter for additional power source (like -1 requires Broadcast power). The player then gets his blaster, an Enhanced Sense for Detecting Power Sources, IR Vision in his right eye and some added armor (covering his head and right arm). The player then takes the Physical Limitation: Intrusive Cybernetics, Physical Limitation: Missing Right Hand and maybe a Distinctive Feature: Cybernetic Enhancements. A Mute and a Beast also asks for some enhancements after seeing what the Pure has planned.

 

During the course of play the characters encounter a group of Skinjobs (androids that look human, though the skin part maybe lacking) who accost the players as patients who escaped from a Mental Asylum. The players are put in confinement (the Altered Humans are sent to the infirmary for "treatment", the mutated animals are sent to the kennels and the mutated plant is left alone as the Skinjobs don't even comprehend it). The Pure player gets his cybernetics. Unfortunately all did not go as well for the Mute. He was treated with retro virals and a large dosage of nanites to cure him of his diseased condition. He is then changed from a Mute to a Pure :sneaky: His Mute disads are replaced by Cybernetics and yada yada yada. It goes completely south for the Beast. The Medbot in charge of this whole outift decides the Beast is diseased with an incurable condition and marked to be put down (that would be the most Humane thing to do). The players then make good on an escape by disabling the broadcast power station, hauling off with a small amount of Cargo and saving their friend from the gas chamber.

 

As the game wears on the player sets some xp aside and asks the GM for an upgrade. The upgrade could be arranged through experimentation, accident, helpful npc, etc. Again, this might be a complete subplot of an adventure or just something role played out on the side between adventurers.

 

I think the main point is the player is "probably" not going to get to pick and choose his exact enhancements. I would not discourage a player from submitting his idea in points, especially the disadvantages. After all, you are going to be RPing the final product :ugly: Who knows, what you dream up may be completely ok, but just like Mutes all powers will be looked over.

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

During the course of play the characters encounter a group of Skinjobs (androids that look human' date=' though the skin part maybe lacking) who accost the players as patients who escaped from a Mental Asylum. The players are put in confinement (the Altered Humans are sent to the infirmary for "treatment", the mutated animals are sent to the kennels and the mutated plant is left alone as the Skinjobs don't even comprehend it). The Pure player gets his cybernetics. Unfortunately all did not go as well for the Mute. He was treated with retro virals and a large dosage of nanites to cure him of his diseased condition. He is then changed from a Mute to a Pure :sneaky: His Mute disads are replaced by Cybernetics and yada yada yada. It goes completely south for the Beast. The Medbot in charge of this whole outift decides the Beast is diseased with an incurable condition and marked to be put down (that would be the most Humane thing to do). The players then make good on an escape by disabling the broadcast power station, hauling off with a small amount of Cargo and saving their friend from the gas chamber.[/quote']

I want to bring up the issue of how Pures are treated in the game, since some may infer that the world is biased toward Pures.

 

Several people believe Pures are the Blessed, as mentioned in earlier posts. Androids, robots, and other "intelligent" tech react more favorably to Pures than other beings. That's the good news.

 

However, this does not mean Muts and Beasts are going to get a raw deal. Packs of feral Beasts are probably going to go after the Pures or Muts first, leaving the other Beasts for last. A Mut with no obvious signs of mutation can have the best of both worlds - innate mutant powers, and the ability to be treated as a Pure by most of the denizens of the wastelands if they so choose. It's even possible to have mutant powers like Machine Empathy, which would skew the reactions of Ancient tech. While Pures do have an edge when it comes to using technology, not every piece of Ancient tech has a genetic scanner, and it's possible for scanners to be fooled. Plus, tech eventually breaks down - mutant powers don't.

 

Each type of creature will get along better with those of their own kind...and there's a lot more Muts and Beasts than there are Pures. Also, some groups HATE Pures with the fire of a thousand suns, blaming them for the Final War. Some androids may try to rescue Pures from the wasteland, putting them under guard in a secure facility "for their own protection" while leaving the Muts and Beasts alone.

 

Finally, I'd like to point out that any player of a Mut in the situation Zac described above would be told OOCly of the possibility of significant character change before any such procedure occurred, so the player could decide whether it would be worth the risk.

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

So some characters may elect to be form other places and having travelled to Fedrex and wanting to be part of th e commmunity participate in the Rule of Cargo.

 

Are Cryptic Alliances known to most without specific KS?

 

Are the Knights of Genetic Purity known to be? How hidden is Fedrex from all of te surrounding Communities?

 

Is Fedrex a Vault or does Fedrex have a Vault in its genesis?

 

Are th echaracters of sufficent age to have had contact with or be members of a Cryptic Alliance?

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

Are Cryptic Alliances known to most without specific KS?

As we update the campaign info, we'll post the information known to the players at large (either here, on the Campaign Message threads of Hero Central, or both).

 

Are the Knights of Genetic Purity known to be?

Starfall is a campaign inspired by Gamma World, but is not copying directly from it. For example, there is a group known as the Order of the Pure, commonly called Purists. However, they may not be exactly like Gamma World's Knights of Genetic Purity. More details to come.

 

How hidden is Fedrex from all of te surrounding Communities?

There are a few traders that know of its existence, but it has thus far escaped notice of most of the predatory groups in the wasteland. The biggest nearby threat is the Gang of 70, which will be detailed in future posts.

 

Is Fedrex a Vault or does Fedrex have a Vault in its genesis?

No and no. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to show the picture that was the inspiration for Fedrex (thanks, Susano!). It's not exact, especially since the tech level at the time of the Final War was higher, but should give you a good idea of what the village center is like.

 

Are the characters of sufficent age to have had contact with or be members of a Cryptic Alliance?

Yes, though I prefer more of a team game than one with PCs plotting against each other. That excludes PCs from being members in several of the more extreme organizations (including the Order of the Pure).

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

So some characters may elect to be form other places and having travelled to Fedrex and wanting to be part of th e commmunity participate in the Rule of Cargo.

 

Yes, players can have characters that have come from other area. I am working on the "known lands" now and hope to have PDF up in the next few days. I will also be posting some info on some of the other species common to the area, as well as additional languages.

 

Currently Fed and I are discussing a form of currency, but the barter/trade system is going to be a huge part of the game.

 

Are Cryptic Alliances known to most without specific KS?

 

There are no such thing as Cryptic Alliances. You must be paranoid :P

 

Are the Knights of Genetic Purity known to be? How hidden is Fedrex from all of te surrounding Communities?

 

There is a group known as the Purists, but how much you know is about them is still being determined. Hidden alliances and secret societies are "obscured" from the players view at this time. However, knowing how a GW influenced game would run, it would not be illogical to think there is some group out there who seeks their own rise in power born on the necks of another. Considering this is a "city-state" world, vying for power and power sharing are all part of the process.

 

The "known lands" are as follows, if the area was a watch Cassrock would be the joining of the hands. To the 12 oclock position would be the Great Var, to the 3 oclock are the open plains, to the 4:30 position would sit the expanse of "Undertown". To the 6 oclock lies the Burning Lands. To the 8 oclock would sit Fedrex. Now, distance is not exact but it takes over a week to get out of the mountains and down into the foothills where Cassrock once stood. The Great Var rests maybe two days north from Cassrock. The Burning Lands start about three days south and go on for at least a weeks travel south. Undertown is about three days travel from Cassrock. A few days south of the Burning Lands lies the Village of Lo and the Gateway to the Oracle (who resides a full two week trek up into the mountains). The Fort of Seven Wells escaped the Ancients wrenching blow that created the Burning Lands and lies about a week travel from Fedrex or Cassrock, depending if you travel through the mountains or out into the foothills and then back into the mountains. It is one of the few sources of pure water and one of the largests bastions for trade in the region. Cassrock and Undertown use to share the glory as which was the better, but that debate has been silenced of late.

 

The plains are home to the immense herds of Uff (large, eight legged hairy beasts with great horns standing about 3 meters at the shoulders) wander, feeding on Willow Grass and Tanglevines. The plains are also home to the beastly Ggaru, a tribal people who don't mind people crossing their ancestral lands but don't tollerate squatters (think of indians that lived in the american plains, bingo). The Ggaru stand on two legs but run on all fours, hunting in large packs and using a Uff Horn Atatla as their main weapon.

 

Undertown is home to the Aiogs, a short race of beasts who trade almost as avidly as they tunnel. Undertown seems to grow by the day and is home to over a thousand Aiogs. If Cinders did not eat so darn many Aiogs, the Aiogs would be more prevelant than grass. Aiogs trade with the Ggaru for Uff Dung (for farming) and Uff Hides (for leather working). Ggaru in return get metal and stone tools. Aiogs trade medicines and food with Cassrock who use to act as a middle point between Seven Falls. Seven Falls sells pure water and is a trading post for prospectors, skinner and trappers.

 

At present Ggaru and the Aiogs speak their own language. Ggaru dont have the ability to speak any other languages due to their canine like snout. Aiogs can "get by" speaking Ggaru and the Trade Tounge common in the Wasteland. The players get the Trade Tounge (or Common, or Wasteland-ese) as the default language. The Language of the Ancients is seldom heard but by priests speaking from the Scrolls of the Gideons (translated at the intro to the game), or from Ancient Tech. Other languages may/will exist but we (Fed and I) don't really want to turn the game into some European Rennisance for Art and Culture :P

 

Is Fedrex a Vault or does Fedrex have a Vault in its genesis?

 

No vaults for Fedrex.

 

Are th echaracters of sufficent age to have had contact with or be members of a Cryptic Alliance?

 

That may be possible, but these Alliances you keep speaking of are delusions of a paranoid mind ;) When we finalize all the societies Fed and I will let you know which ones you have heard rumors of, which ones you really know about, which ones you can drop points on, etc. This is not a "Gamma World" game but one flavored by the Post Apoly genra. GW and Fallout are notable influences, but we are borrowing from all over to be honest. Movies like the Postman, Mad Max and Cyborg (I know, ole Leftie is hardly a credible source but... it was a Wasteland) are easy to see, but stealing a little bit from a load of other sci fi into "our" little corner is what we are after. We really don't want to go down the same ole roads of Mad AI's or Secret Societies gone amuck for Starfall.... at least that is what we are saying at the onset :winkgrin:

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

Are there any mutes with either shape shifting abilities or 'were' creatures (i.e. animal-man from Post Apocaplypse Handbook).

 

I am working up a couple of character concepts, especially as you guys post more info about the world.

 

And will the Ggaru and the Aiogs be playable as characters? If so what type would they be considered: pure, mutts, or beasties?

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

Are there any mutes with either shape shifting abilities or 'were' creatures (i.e. animal-man from Post Apocaplypse Handbook).

 

I am working up a couple of character concepts, especially as you guys post more info about the world.

 

And will the Ggaru and the Aiogs be playable as characters? If so what type would they be considered: pure, mutts, or beasties?

 

I have not "created" any true shape shifter at this point. I have a few plants that have the ability to mimic, but a 'were' critter is currently an unknown.

 

Ggaru, Aiogs and Cinders are all Beasts. Ggaru are Coyote/Dog crossbreeds that mutated, where the Aiogs are mutated Prairie Dogs. Cinders are basically very large ants, with the soldier varity being able to vomit forth a gout of chemical flame. Players can play Ggaru and Aiogs but the Cinders are currently just a monster.

 

I am still working on the Aiogs but here is the "Monster Manual" entry for the Ggaru:

 

Ggaru Val Char Cost Roll Notes

10 STR 0 11- Lift 100.0kg; 2d6 [2]

11 DEX 3 11- OCV: 4/DCV: 4

10 CON 0 11-

10 BODY 0 11-

8 INT -2 11- PER Roll 11-

10 EGO 0 11- ECV: 3

10 PRE 0 11- PRE Attack: 2d6

10 COM 0 11-

 

5 PD 3 Total: 5 PD (0 rPD)

2 ED 0 Total: 2 ED (0 rED)

2 SPD 0 Phases: 6, 12

4 REC 0

20 END 0

20 STUN 0 Total Characteristic Cost: 4

 

Movement: Running: 8"/16"

Leaping: 2"/4"

Swimming: 2"/4"

 

Cost Powers END

3 Low Light Vision

19 Canine Nose: (Total: 19 Active Cost, 19 Real Cost) +1 PER with Smell/Taste Group (Real Cost: 2) plus +4 versus Range Modifier for Normal Smell (Real Cost: 2) plus Tracking with Normal Smell (Real Cost: 5) plus Discriminatory with Smell/Taste Group (Real Cost: 10)

4 Running +2" (8" total) 1

1 Life Support (Immunity: Bad Water)

 

Talents

3 Lightsleep

 

Skills

0 Language: Ggaru (idiomatic) (4 Active Points)

4 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Atatl, Javelins and Thrown Spears

2 Survival (Temperate/Subtropical Forests, Temperate/Subtropical Plains) 11-

 

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 36

Total Cost: 40

 

0+ Disadvantages

10 Distinctive Features: Beast (Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

10 Distinctive Features: Mutated Animal - Genetic Marker (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Large Group)

10 Physical Limitation: Semi Upright (Frequently, Slightly Impairing)

Notes: This character can walk on two legs, but must run on all fours. His pelvis is slightly elongated from the typical butterfly shaped human pelvis. Apes and monkeys are good examples of this Disadvantage. When running on all fours, this character may not hold any objects in his hands. All such objects must be holstered, stored, or otherwise put away.

10 Physical Limitation: Animal Mouth (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing)

Notes: The character can't speak most languages. This is not to say they are incapable of speaking, their mouth/lips/tongue/vocal cords are unable to form most complex sounds. Characters will instantly fail a Mimicry roles to impersonate most languages, but may be quite adept as ones that exist in the natural world. Species that have this trait usual have their own language (hence the Infrequent) and are quite capable of understanding other languages.

 

Total Disadvantage Points: 40

 

Background/History: The Ggaru (the Gg is pronounced like a growl and the U at the end is long like a howl) are a tribal hunter/gather culture that exists on the plains to east of the ruins of Var. They follow the large roaming herds of Uff as their primary source of food and materials. Their main weapon is an Uff horn Atatl tipped with bone, obsidian or metal head that they use in volley fire attacks. As a matriarchal society the Chief is a woman and makes all decisions that involve the pack, however the War Leader is always a male. Women bear litters of two to six pups a season but only the Chief decides who may have a litter.

 

Personality/Motivation: Ggaru are very similar the American plains Indians that took advantage of the Buffalo herds. Where the plains Indians supplemented their diet on Buffalo, the Ggaru hunt the Uff almost exclusively. While they are not xenophobes and will allow others to move through their lands, they will not tolerate squatters. As a people they lead a harsh but relatively simple life. They only wear the bear minimum of clothing, focusing more on harness for tools than modesty.

 

Powers/Tactics: The Ggaru are pack hunters adept at surviving on the plains for as long as anyone can remember. A hunting party usual consists of six to eight males that will harass an opponent with Atatl javelins in waves. Uff are hunted using a traditional tactic common in carnivores where one beast is separated from the herd and eventually killed. The remaining tribe will proceed to uproot the camp from the current location and move to the spot of the kill to establish a new camp.

 

War Parties consist of males and females making up between twelve to twenty members. They understand the concept of capturing an enemy, but rarely do it. Those that are considered a threat are dealt with harshly. It is not unheard of for a Ggaru Chief to broker a deal with another pack or even outlying tribe (like a human village) for trade. This trade is usual sealed with the trading off offspring for a season or so.

 

Appearance: Ggaru are semi upright bipeds averaging about in the mid 5' range and weighing about 120 lbs. They have mottled dark fur over their entire body, with pointed ears and a canine snout. Their hands and feet are very pawish but they are capable of using tools. Their dialect is compromised of barks, wines, howls and yips; supplemented with body posture. Their society has an oral culture and no written language, though they do use marking (both visible and scent based) in their travels. Packs usual have thirty to forty adults, half as many juveniles and a litter or two. If a Ggaru is unable to benefit the pack it is usual cast out by the Chief or forced into a hunt (where they are usual killed).

 

Everyone in the region knows about the Ggaru; like settlers would know about local indians as they proceeded westward. There are many Ggaru tribes but it is unknown if they fall under great tribe, shogun, etc. They are not known to worship any particular gods but they do revere spirits and their ancestors. The characters should not have any first hand knowledge of the Ggaru unless it makes sense for their background. Ggaru's within a Ggaru community have PS that would be found in a tribal culture, with a rare few having more mercantile like trade skills. One tribe of Ggaru allows the Aiogs in Undertown to come onto their lands to collect Uff dung. In return the Ggaru get items they need in trade.

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

Will this work for a character concept?

 

A girl goes out looking for Cargo hoping to prove herself dies in a radioactive forest. There a predictor fungus overtakes her body but somehow the thoughts and memories of the child linger changing the fungus. Overtime it grows large enough, building a body of plant mater in the likeness of the girl. She does not remember everything and no longer identifies as the original child but she knows that if she is ever going to find peace she must complete the girl's last trial. A decade or more later this new Weed-child wanders into Fedrex ready to seek Cargo for them.

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

So have you guys decided definitely to go with 5th ed instead of 6th?

 

Ok, I have my character concept (first draft pending GM changes to fit the world).

He is a Ggaru. His father discovered an item/fact that would spell doom for his family if the rest of the pack found out. (thinking maybe that maybe he had some kinda of abilities that were not normal for Ggaru). There was a civil war in his pack/tribe/whatever they are called over food/rights/etc. They were driven out and forced to live in isolation eecking out a living however they could. He was out on a hunting trip that went wrong. Last thing he remembers before passing out from his wounds is seeing some kind of angelic creature above him. When he awoke, he was in a church halfway across the country being tended to by the local clergy. Nobody there knows how he got there. He just was found on their doorstep. He has no memory of anything before the event.

 

That's a quick and dirty to see if it is worth expanding.

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

Will this work for a character concept?

 

A girl goes out looking for Cargo hoping to prove herself dies in a radioactive forest. There a predictor fungus overtakes her body but somehow the thoughts and memories of the child linger changing the fungus. Overtime it grows large enough, building a body of plant mater in the likeness of the girl. She does not remember everything and no longer identifies as the original child but she knows that if she is ever going to find peace she must complete the girl's last trial. A decade or more later this new Weed-child wanders into Fedrex ready to seek Cargo for them.

Looks good to me. We'll have to work out the specifics, of course. While you'd have immunities to several types of diseases and poisons...you'd be vulnerable to some that wouldn't affect other creatures the same way (like pesticides) so it'd be a wash overall. The Venus Mantrap in the Post-Apocalyptic book is a good starting point, but I'll check a few other sources and work up some guidelines.

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

So have you guys decided definitely to go with 5th ed instead of 6th?

Leaning that way, mainly because Zac is doing a lot of the creature-building and he only has 5E. If we go with 6th edition, I'm basically signing up to convert everything he makes, as well as everything created by a player who doesn't have 6E.

 

Ok, I have my character concept (first draft pending GM changes to fit the world).

He is a Ggaru.

It works, though are you a 'stock' Ggaru, or are you different in some fashion? For example, you could have developed the ability for normal speech, which may have contributed to some packmates turning against you.

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Re: Starfall - A Gamma HERO campaign

 

I was thinking of going with the being different. Normal speech would make a good mutation/ability. For one, it provides a good reason for the packmates turning on him. Two, it would make interactions easier. I see him keeping that still kind of a secret, out of fear of reprisal and shame. And we can work through any other details. I will start on fleshing out a more complete background.

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