DentArthurDent

DShomshak,

Excellent explanation and examples!

I’m considering starting a campaign, maybe twenty to thirty sessions, in a setting where Han Solo and Mal Reynolds would be at home. 

Usually, I create giant sandboxes and give the players a lot of input. But some of the players prefer a more linear story. (I think it helps them evaluate how they are doing. Although, personally, I rate rpg’s on laughs and gasps.) So, this time I’m looking at a “Treasure Hunt in Space” or “Indiana Jones in Space” type of story.

Have you done anything like this before?

Do you have any thoughts about pitfalls to avoid?

What would make interesting high-tech treasure?

What are some high-tech clues to follow?

On 9/2/2023 at 9:07 AM, Scott Ruggels said:

Our Carboniferous age was caused by piles of dead vegetation and trees becoming compacted in situ, eons before something evolved to eat them. 

Fascinating!!!

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mushroom-evolution-breaks-down-lignin-slows-coal-formation/

Interesting. I assume that’s because viruses evolve to take advantage of the available organisms.

Hmmm …

So, does that mean colonists would be immune to everything? At least for several generations.

Or ..

Would one lucky virus run rampant?

11 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

Virology. There have been a number of references in the series to infectious diseases which have crossed species from entirely separate ecosystems.

I’ve just realized that every colonized planet would, in just a few years, kill every colonist.

Now I’m wondering what it would take to create effective xenovaccinations.
Highly mutable anti-viruses? Universal antigens? Intelligent antibodies? Nano-submarines with pulse lasers?

We played Twilight 2000 for several years (well before the year 2000). We ported the rules over to Hero system (probably Danger International). But the background and structure of a military unit made it a new experience. It helped to have one current and one ex-military playing with us.

The military structure also worked well with a Star Trek campaign and a pirates campaign. Even cutthroats need someone to coordinate tacking into the wind. 

“Okay, mister Assistant Director of the Obvious.”

Darkhope, your list seems to mesh well with the existing Traveller list. Your list has some interesting techs, like “Size & Density Physics.” Is that for Shrink ray technology?

8 hours ago, wcw43921 said:

The Mercury

I was amazed to find out it was an actual locomotive!

There are several photos and paintings online. Including, from https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/steven-agius

Hashbrowns

Scattered, Smothered, Covered, and Chunked

https://www.ajc.com/entertainment/dining/your-guide-waffle-house-hash-browns/u6FvGwLoPboYIaz6hFukGP/

2.718281828459045

I didn’t have to look this one up. Memorizing it is a result of doing math before hand held calculators could do more than multiply and divide.

This is starting to sound like a graphic novel. 
 

I really like the mechanic of losing more and more of their original stats. Let us know how it goes, I’d like to try it.

Reflecting microscopes.

They're not common but they exist and have useful applications.

https://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/anatomy/reflected.html

I try to avoid Transform, but in this case I’m with Steriaca. 
 

Trying to anticipate all the ways that differently shaped mirrors can used is making me dizzy: telescope, looking around corners, transmitting signals, laser light, signal mirror, arthroscope, microscope, …

U-Boat

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7407/u-boat

Balkan Front

So, each time they use the drug, they gain powers and lose ‘humanity’? That’s sounds great!

I had a GM do that with a couple of NPCs. But I’m pretty sure he increased the powers and decreased the ‘humanity’ based solely on dramatic effect. And it was effective. We knew that each time we met them, they would be more powerful and less rational.  But we never knew how much they would change.

One thing I would caution against: Call of Cthulhu uses a stat called Sanity. Avoid that! Mental illnesses are not a loss of humanity.

Instead, be specific. Using the drug causes a lack of focus, or depression, or increases anxiety, or loss of inhibition. Or maybe it’s different for different people, or different each time it’s used. 

REMEMBER: Having a mental health condition doesn’t make someone less ‘human’. Millions of people live and cope with mild and less severe conditions every day. More severe conditions force people to make greater changes to their lives.
 

Some good resources to start with in identifying mental disorders are:

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/servicesandsupport/types-of-mental-health-issues-and-illnesses

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders

It’s hard for me to be sure because I’m laughing so much. But I think some of the Encode numbers have been cut off. K should be 6. S should be 15. And in the message, I think the 5 in the middle should be a 6.

Thanks for the reminiscence and the incentive. I’m definitely putting a decoder ring in my next game.

This sounds really interesting! It also sounds like a mechanic that could be used in other creative ways. Very cool.

This sounds like: Increased END, x2 for -1/2 Limitation. 
 

Unless there are other Limitations or Advantages dependent upon having TK “on”.

On 3/1/2023 at 6:08 PM, mattingly said:

MOVIE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE: The Wizard of Speed and Time

What?!? I thought there were only five of us who saw that.

Ralph the Wonder Llama!!!

Damn! I thought I was going to be able to avoid throwing any more money at Python merch.

I’ve seen several people make beautiful copies of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”. There are a couple that I like even better than the original. If they burn the original, is Van Gogh still the artist?

Inimitable.

I agree with the coarse granularity of 3d6.
The problem becomes even greater for non-heroic level games, like Western Hero or Pulp Hero. If, Sam wraps tape around the grip of her .38, that should be worth something. Even a +1% is an acknowledgement of a player’s ingenuity and immersion.

I will need a week or so to look more closely at the 3d30 for skills. But I like the underlying reasoning.