Eosin

Re: Blogs and PodCasts You can take a taste of my site. There is a ton of Hero-centric stuff buried within. The blog is mostly system free with a primary focus on setting pieces. There is also play by post fantasy campaign that has been kicking for close to a year and a half. http://www.pencil-pushers.net

Re: Thats one nimble little bull I, personally, do a benchmarking for each style campaign and expect that I'll do the same with the new system. The benchmarks will be different but give me the same guide. CV will now have its own slot rather than just be filtered through DEX. I do expect that my write-ups will look quite a bit different in the stat department.

Re: Real Locations that should be fantasy Yeah, the stuff I am doing is more of a history + gaming slant. That doesn't take any cool factor from the show. I did not see any Moscow episodes after taking a gander. I am need to look at a few of them when I hit other locations. Some of them are awesome just watch for computer viruses! I hit one nasty Russian site a few days ago -- unrelated to this search but still. There are 2-4 sites that are basically nothing but pictures if you Google "Moscow Underground" plus a mind-blowing site about their subway stations which are much more magnificent than ours. I posted part II of the Moscow piece and will be moving on to the next location tonight. I'll shoot for one location every week.

Re: Real Locations that should be fantasy I've proposed doing a column at RPGnet on these places and I am in the midst of writing the second half of the first one. Comments and suggestions would be appreciated... The Preispodnyaya

Re: Shadow Angelus Nope.

Re: Taking Surbrook's Stuff website to the next level Bump I run my own site which is impossible to keep up with but I wish you luck!

Re: [uF]Advent - Union City I've gotten much further along on the Union City map - here is an update. I've also plugged away at the wiki. Once I get the map completed, I'll post it in a much larger size and in various permutations so that anyone can tweak it for their own use.

Re: [uF]Advent - Union City I've actually been working on Union City but I've been putting it on the Herowiki site run by Curufea. Union City I gotta say, this style game sure does come off better with a wiki format both from a GM and player perspective. I'll post here as I get closer to having things all properly organized. Eosin

Re: [uF]Advent - Union City

Re: [uF]Advent - Union City They don't have any idea that the plot from Demon resulted in the Zero Point Event nor that 40 million people weren't killed in a catastrophic explosions but were instead consumed by one of the elder things that walk among the stars. I am also keeping them in te dark about what - exactly - is out there. They know what they are and they know wizards, werewolves, and vampires but that is about all that they know of the things that go bump in the night. I am going to make up a character primer for each PC that will include what he or she knows. A PC who inherited an magic sword that is consecrated will learn that the church has agents who oppose the forces of darkness... exactly what those forces are is something that few can say with any certainty. A daywalker type of character might know that more than one type of blood sucker inhabits the night but he won't know there are several distinct types and that some weapons may not work on them equally. And so on.... The players might know that I like Dresden, White Wolf, Delta Green, and Witchcraft but they won't know exactly what it might be that they are running into until the dice are rolling. They also don't know the abilities of each other unless they are playing the same type of critter. They will know each other but only socially when the game starts. I am going to start a players wiki which will have setting stuff that is vague. I may take Curafea up on his offer of hosting so that they can go look at the site whenever they want. Finally, this thread will start to uncover many of the major players in town and I don't want them looking to see who is connected to whom.

Re: [uF]Advent - Union City Hehehe, yeap. I am sure that this thread is killing my PCs who frequent these boards [Edsel, Nightstick, 1Eyedjak, Shiro]. They cannot come and play or comment in these threads which they know reveal all to them. I'll make sure to start a actual play when we get running in 3 weeks.

Re: [uF]Advent - Union City You know, I could have saved myself a bit of trouble if I'd ever looked up Liberty City from Grand Theft Auto. I happened onto a map today and it is similar to the Nolan Batman one but it was done with google maps. I am a little too far into this one to back out now but dang that is a sweet resource. I got a lot of ideas just toying with the "site" buttons to reveal things like restaurants and secrets. Liberty City Map Now I just need to finish work on my map and figure out how to build my own google map application. If I can pull that one off it would be a sweet addition to the game.

Re: [uF]Advent - Union City Now I am off and running.

Re: [uF]Advent - Union City I've never been able to get into Mieville. I know folks rave about him but I must drink a different Kool-Aid. I thought that New Crobuzon was more fantasy or alt than urban fantasy. Still, thanks for the list. PS - I finally got some content.

Re: [uF]Advent - Union City UNION CITY WHO'S WHO Pershing, Leland: Republican Mayor of Union just re-elected to his seat in 2020. Mayor Pershing is in his 60s but still fit from a lifetime of service in the FBI - including two years as the Director. His administration has had several charges of corruption but none of them have made it to court. Currently, he is in the midst of a sex scandal reportedly involving the female chair of the Young Republicans. Hall, Jordan: Commissioner Hall is in her first term as Police Commissioner of Union City. A detective made famous for cracking the Granite Street Killer case and leading the final confrontation that resulted in his televised death. Street rumors and bookies don't give Commissioner Hall odds on surviving her position. Holloway, Archibold: "Archie" as he is known to the press and his friends is an elder statesmen who has represented the state several decades. He is an institution. The charismatic leader of the democratic party spends little time in Union City but nothing happens here that escapes his ear. In some circles, he is called the King of The Union. Blair, Clea: The state Representative for Union City is a classy cougar with enough media power to rival her Hollywood counterparts. Ms. Blair has the full package, she is stunningly attractive, rich, and smart as hell. In addition to her civil work she often appears for various charities and public services.

Re: [uF]Advent - Union City THE KITCHEN SINK Where in one may find a list of the critters who seek control or influence within Union. Vampires Lamian vampires: demon-like creatures hidden behind human hosts. They are strong, fast, and capable of withstanding catastrophic injury to the host. While they share some of the classical weaknesses of vampires, such as susceptibility to holy water others have no effect on them - such as sunlight or wooden stakes. Lamian vampires prefer guile and treachery over outright confrontations. Many believe that Lamians inhabit only women but this is not particularly true, they just find it easier to manipulate men. Nosferatu: The most commonly recognized vampire. Hideous, bloodthirsty reverent returned from the dead who subsist on the blood of mortals. Unlike the Lamian Vampires, the Nosferatu inhabit the rotting corpses that they possessed as mortals. Nosferatu possess many of the classic characteristics of pop-culture vampires: they posses monstrous strength and durability; but they must sleep during daylight hours lest they perish in the sun. Nosferatu also have the ability to enthrall humans as slavish servants, "thralls" or ghouls. Wizards The Arcanum: Traditions, both old and new, joined for common defense but little else. The Arcanum is rules by the Tribunes suggesting that it has been around since antiquity but wizards are notoriously closed lipped. Each wizard possesses a common hedge magic that amounts to little more than parlor tricks but many are also versed in powerful rituals or destructive evocations. Given forewarning a powerful wizard is an adversary that few wish to face. The Hierarchy: Enemies of the Arcanum and servants to the infernal powers. Hierarchs receive their wizardry from the service to powerful lords of the abyss. There is little known structure among the wizards of hellfire but they have been known to work together when the need was sufficient. Hierarchs rarely possess benevolent magic but their command of destructive and manipulative magics is unrivaled. The Instrumentality: Whispered among the wizarding world as a third faction in the Mage War but little is known of them or their motives. The Kryptiea: Their powers are unknown but their aims are transparent - to possess the totality of magic. The agents of this organization kill wizards and others to further this goal. Werewolves Warg: Wargs are nature spirits inhabiting the bodies of humans. Whatever the person was before they were enchanted or cursed is now merged with a raging monster of blood and violence. Wargs appear human but with a feral edge to them. Lycans: Humans afflicted with the ability to metamoph into a supernatural terror that is half man and half wolf but double the size of both. Tremendous creatures capable of slugging it out with the most powerful supernatural creatures on earth and nearly indestructible by human standards. Garou: Creatures from the twilight who can shift between human and wolf form although they are neither. The Garou are spirits whose purpose in Union is unknown. Spirits Bound: Spirits from the Twilight who share mortal forms with a human who has stood at the edge. They posses a eclectic array of powers that depend entirety on what - exactly - is inhabiting them. The Bound are typically loners. Reevers: Insane spirits of the Twilight who seek entrance into the mortal world to weave a trail of destruction of despair from which they gain some energy. Weak Reevers are usually found near haunted sites where the barrier has thinned but stronger Reevers may manifest nearly anywhere. There are dozens of other spirit types who qualify under the "ghostly" umbrella but I haven't worked them all out yet. Vigilants The Order of St. George: hunters of the supernatural in all the myriad of stripes. The Georgians have a reputation for benevolence and mercy although they will not allow a killer to go unpunished. The Georgians possess some of the most powerful relics known and are capable of facing any supernatural creature. Malleus Maleficarum: The boogieman of the supernatural world. The Maleficarum is a merciless and tireless organization bent on the total annihilation of all that is not "of God." Heller Institute: A scientific think tank in Union City devoted to exploring the supernatural world to exploit their findings for profit and the betterment of mankind. I am sure that I will come up with a few more just for the sheer joy of torturing the players. The Fair Folk I am still working out exactly how I will handle the Fae. There will be half breeds out there who serve the distant lords of the courts but I doubt that "Arcadia" will come into play much. I picture it as slowly drawing away from the mortal world as fewer and fewer believe. OTHERS much more rare... these are urban legends even among the supernatural Cryptids: Creatures of urban legend and folktale. These reclusive creatures serve their own masters and may possess strange powers. Many are rightfully weary of Crytids because they can be so unpredictable. The Fallen/Incarna: True angels cast down and seeking to vent some of their anger. I will probably use the Denirians strait from the Dresden Files. Demons: Lesser but still vastly powerful spirits who seek to corrupt the mortal world. Warlocks: humans possessed by demonic entities. Angels/Incarna: Rumored to work through mortal agents and the churches. Angels of the Host have not taken direct action in human affairs since antiquity and they have not reliably been seen by anyone outside of an asylum. Nephilim: descendants of the Incarna fallen or otherwise. Rumors of the Nephil abound but very few are known. Grigori: Incarna who guard reality. Old Ones: relics of bygone ages who once stood as gods but now struggle against oblivion. Well, that is a good start to what inhabits the world.

Re: [uF]Advent - Union City UNION CITY Uptown Down Town The quiet Downtown area is the seat of the city authority housing both the mayor and all the major public works buildings. Downtown is newly built and stately in its marbled architecture. The government seat was relocated from Brownfield less than a decade ago. Small neighborhoods provide residents for many civil servants but many chose to live elsewhere to avoid the noise of Halifax International Airport. Old Town Old Town, the southern end of Union Island, primarily serves the industrial needs of the city and as a home to immigrants. It is a low-income district filled with laborers, ethnic gangs, and vice. Dozens of small neighborhoods give this region a quaint charm despite the high crime rate. The residential regions cluster on the western half of the island. Old Town is also where one will find Reynolds Park, the home of the Union City Saints baseball team and Cellular Colosseum which houses the Union City Marauders football. Midtown Midtown is the upscale business district and the most famous skyline in the world. Dozens of commercial and residential highrises soar above the western shores while upscale residential condos trail away to the east. During business hours Midtown is the most populated district but few people actually live here. Midtown is also the home of two universities, museums, the theater district, and several major hospitals. Brownfield Fell's Point Coventry Haven PLACES OF INTEREST Union Naval Yards

Re: [uF]Advent - Union City The start of my map.

INTRODUCTION I'm the fantasy GM. Really, it is all I've ever run. We've played some fine Dark Champions games and recently tried an anime styled game set in the 22nd century with magic, cyborgs, and psikers but I don't run those games. Imagine my surprise when I found myself helping to create the anime city of Angelus - still, creating a city is a long run from running a game. The problem was that I kept thinking of how to use this in a game or what about using this as a hook for magic. I was addicted and thus was born Advent. I've had the idea in the back of my head for eons, in fact, I tried to run a play by post in the first incarnation of this setting but it failed on launch. Older and wiser, I've returned to the setting and made some adjustments. Still, although the campaign hasn't started yet I have had to do some tap dancing. I'm looking to run a game that is equal parts horror, action, and mystery. Let me tell you, asking players to give you backgrounds for "wizards" in a dark urban setting and no I can't tell you anything else will get one of two responses - silence or "can I play a XXX" where XXX is anything but a wizard. So here I am ready to embark on my foray into the wizarding world with a crew of... not wizards. It is still a game of horror, action, and mystery but it isn't that nebulous wizarding game that was drifting among my neurons last week. I think it is important to let the players have their way up front so that they land in the drivers seat of their character - don't force the concept so to speak. Still, the name Sanctum no longer works for a campaign. I hear you. You want to know what Advent is about. Well, Hero fans should grok this fairly well. Have you read DEMON? Advent is basically the concept of the Great Spell having been cast. The kernel of the setting comes from that idea. Centuries invested in a grand spell to steal the powers of the Elder Beings but it went wrong. Not all the way wrong, just partially wrong. That was seven years ago. The spell isn't complete. That which is dead still dreams but now those dreams are in our world. Welcome to Advent. BACKGROUND The current in game date is 2021 In 2012 the world nearly came to an end. At least that is the view held in the United States after the detonation of the Zero Point Warhead in New York or Washington D.C. [the origin of which is unknown]. Even after years of speculation, the Zero Point Event is poorly understood and no one voice of credibility has risen to dispel the many rumors. Most citizens of the United States believe that the Zero Point Event was the detonation of an experimental weapon developed by North Korea or Iran with the aid of China. However, such a theory leaves many unexplained questions such as how it could have been developed in total secrecy and how was it deployed without any advanced warning. Another major theory is a meteor-strike on the Eastern seaboard. Historic impacts have incinerated hundreds of square miles and gouged massive craters into the Earth. A meteor laced with radioactive minerals or unknown items of stellar origin could explain many of the hazards and weird events since the Zero Point Event. Regardless of what caused the Zero Point Event, America was dealt a crippling blow that would bleed her strength for generations. Nine years later, the world is a different place. America is different. It isn’t just the unprecedented loss of life, the world is truly different. The cable channels won’t run the stories but occasionally a story leaks into smaller – private – news channels about men and women who are more than human. Anyone who cares to peer deeply into the darkest alleys understands that things – predators – stalk the unwary. Some believe the predators are unfortunate victims of the Zero Point Warhead. Men and women warped and mutated by the unnatural energies released by the bomb but dozens of obsessive websites offer proof that something much worse lurks in the shadows. Conspiracy theories offer aliens, demons, vampires, even intelligent insects as the cause of the suffering during the last decade. No one believes their deluded tales but no one walks down the darkened allies of America without good reason and a large firearm. America is a dark and dangerous place. The shining beacon on the hill wavers and threatens to falter in the long, dark night. Key Concepts: More than 40 million US Citizens are dead or missing. The Eastern Seaboard is a wasteland. The following cities are assumed to have been completely destroyed; Washington D.C., Boston, Albany, New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, Richmond, and Annapolis. Civil Liberties are not as civil as they once were. The Military Police exist to control the population not provide justice. Corporate powers employ their own security. Private Security Contractors and mercenary groups have grown until they are capable of challenging local authority. Violent crime has escalated beyond the worst levels ever seen in the US. History is close but not exactly like the real world. Magic was once difficult to master but it was real. Now it has become far more common spawning covens and traditions as well as energizing older traditions. Supernatural encounters have surged since the Zero Point Event but the general population still does not believe. The US government works through state run media and news outlets to keep it that way. Tech level is slightly more advanced that the "now" but not as pervasive. Fewer people own computers, public internet access is filtered but a second freer internet has thrived. GPS and satellite technology has faltered and stagnated. The space program is dead. That kind of stuff. Zero Point Event The most popular theories according to web traffic: The event was a terrorist attack [North Korea, Iran, China, Islamic Extremists, Fundamentalists]. The event was caused by a scientific experiment that accelerated out of control. The event was caused by aliens [insectoids hibernating in brains, Hyper-intelligent spirit invaders, and classical grays]. The event was caused by “god” and is the beginning of the “end times.” [or Shiva’s Rebirth] The event is a hoax [uS government, Corporate Interests]. The theories have points that make them appealing to those with certain mind-sets, but they obviously have problems as well. Even the most reputable explanations fall short. Also, the rise of other phenomena poses a problem for the more rationale explanations. Far more people are willing to believe in supernatural powers and events than they were prior to 2012 but the true believers are still considered odd-fellows by much of the general public. Some believe that the Zero Point Event and the rise in supernatural encounters are connected at some fundamental level that has yet to be explained but just as many who claim to “believe” view the increased supernatural activity and the Zero Point Event as two separate events. _________________________________________ A life is such a fleeting thing, but a city… A city can shine for a thousand years and a dream; well, a dream can live forever. UNION CITY Since its founding, Union City has been the embodiment of the urban fears that drove families in to the suburbs – those gentle retreats from the urban battleground. Union City has always been a dark place, full of crime, violence, and the unseen things that dart in the corner of your eye. It is a city of graveyards, alleys, and asylums. Union City is a paranoid nightmare where the halls of power are stained with the blood of those who have failed. It is an urban jungle filled with predators and principalities. Citizens, those who tuck their children into bed, own Union City during the day but once the sun begins its descent into the western horizon they flee the island to the comfortable track homes and brownstones that guard against the enemy. They abandon the halls of power to the nocturnal overlords who command unseen powers. The night is ruled with gunshots, baseball bats, and bloodletting. The civil rules of the citizens do not apply. This is the story of Union City, a dreaming city that struggles to wake itself from the nightmare. UNION CITY VITAL STATISTICS SIZE: 415 square miles CITY POPULATION: 5,120,000 METRO POPULATION: 28,795,000 (Empire County) DENSITY: 31,452 sq mile ALTITUDE: 42 feet WEATHER: Use Detroit TRAVEL Bus: Metro Transit including Coventry and Haven. Elevated Rail: RTA Redline, a.k.a Red Rita along the waterfront. Subway: RTA Blue and RTA Green serving the city and the county. Driving: Driving the congested streets of Union City is not recommended. Parking is akin to winning the lottery. RESIDENTS Working: 17 million in the city Unemployed: 5.2 million (Empire County) SPORTS Baseball: Union City Saints & Coventry Lightening Basketball: The Kings, Haven Ravens, Union City Jacks Football: Union City Marauders, The Sharks GOVERNMENT Mayor: Leland Pershing [autonomous and strong mayor-council] Police Commissioner: Jordan Hall State Senator: Archibold "Archie" Holloway State Rep: Clea Blair City Nicknames: The Crimson City, Beirut on the Lake, Queen of the Lakes, The Magic City, Freight City, City of Beers, Empire City LANDMARKS Atlas Towers (5 clustered buildings of 1,250 ft), The Spire (1,985 feet and the tallest building in the world), The Union Sentry (Harbor Monolith), The Hall of Faces (memorial of the Zero Point Event).

Re: [uF] Designing a campaign MAGIC: One of the players asked for a better explanation so I sent him this. Wizard Spells – VPP: Small pool for general knick-knack spells. Prepared Spells – VPP: medium sized pool that stacks with Wizardry Pool. This pool takes hours to allocate and can only have a single slot active at any given point. It takes study to prepare yourself for a specific encounter. It can be nearly anything that the DM determines is a “spell.” Evocation Spells – MPP: A handful of spells [8-12] of a special effect for your wizardry. I have not decided the Max Active Points but I am toying with a number between 90-125… this is the brute force of your spell casting. EXAMPLES: Merlin uses his wizardry pool to cast “Listen to the Wind” a spell to enhance his hearing. Later in the day he believes that there may be ghostly activity in the area so he casts “spirit sight.” These spells are known to Merlin but they come from his “wizardry pool.” After finding evidence of a spirit Merlin decides that the only way to deal with such a creature is if he in the “Twilight” of the spirit world. This is a fairly powerful spell and far beyond the ability of Merlin to simply conjure and unusual enough that he does not have any similar spell in his Evocation pool. However, The Ghostly Grimoire has a spell – Deathly Doorways – that allows a mage to physically enter into the Twilight. Merlin heads to his library to study and prepare himself for the casting. Several hours later he returns with the knowledge of how to cast Deathly Doorways along with all the props he will need to ensure the spell is successful. Merlin used his Prepared Spell Pool and his Wizardry Pool to cast Deathly Doorways. Once in the realm of spirits Merlin finds himself confronted by an angry ghost. Since both are in the spirit realm Merlin may use any Evocation Spell without having to worry about the ghosts desolidification. Since Merlin specializes in Demonfire spells he casts Hellfire, a 3d6 Penetrating RKA with half END from his Evocation MPP. If Merlin had specialized in Mind Magic he could have cast Spiritshakle, a 4d6 Mental Entangle [with feed back & blocks “enhanced senses”] Does that help? Here is how I think of Harry Dresden… 1. Average Wizardry Pool: 30 point VPP for on the cuff magics. 2. Strong Prepared Pool: 60 point VPP for prepared spells [up to 90 Active Points when combined with Wizardry Pool] 3. Legendary Evocation Pool: 125 Active Point MPP for attack spells. Harry uses Foci to grant him a few additional perks to his spells. 1. Blasting Rod -- buys off “Side Effects,” increased END, and Extra Time on his Evocation Pool. 2. Staff buys off Increased END and Buys Half End on his Wizardry Pool. 3. Shield Bracelet enhances his Wizardry Pool only for the purpose of casting “Mage Shield” from his Wizardry Pool [Aid 6d6 Standard Effect, only applies to “Mage Shield.”]

Re: [uF] Designing a campaign I'll make sure to post a few of the PCs and NPCs when I get to the point of making them up.

Re: [uF] Designing a campaign I'm working on what to include and different spins on the classics. I need to look at Shadow Souls thread where he did something similar.

Re: [uF] Designing a campaign Sanctum... is the name of the campaign and provides me with a theme as well as a connection between the player characters. I still need to decide on a city I've expanded the choices to Hudson City, Chicago, San Fransisco, and a modified Gotham. I can find or have maps for all of them so it is really more of a choice of which city works the best thematically. I'd love to just jump into Chicago but it seems so over done.

Re: 6Ed Character Sheet? I use that area several times during each game session. I need my combat modifiers to stay on the front side. I even get jiggy on the current HD v.3 to keep my modifiers present.

Re: [uF] Designing a campaign Ritual Magic and Power Skills It's important to note that Ritual Magic does not require that one be a wizard to use the Power Skill. History is full of stories involving men and women who found tomes with instructions for dark spells in them that required foul practices. A ritual to Summon Azathoth can be performed by anyone if they have the Book of Agravannon. Careful study (1 month) provides a +5 to the Power Skill Summon (azathoth only) and 1 XP to be spent on the Power Skill itself. Now one need only build a circle, say the enchantment, and provide the blood necessary to entice the greater demon and he should arrive for the commanding. Want to buy some beach front property?