Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Setting building help with intrigue and sci-fi

Arith Winterfell · 10-31-2015, 02:37 PM

I’m working on a sci-fi setting but find myself having trouble constructing a clear idea of the setting in my mind. I generally have a sense of it being Tech Level 10 or maybe late TL 9 sci-fi. The central element I want to go after is a setting with various factions who are all engaged in intrigue centered on various individuals who have natural psionic powers. Part of my inspiration for this is things like Vampire: The Masquerade/Vampire: The Requiem in the sense that it focuses on intrigue among “more than average human” characters who live in the shadows of secrecy influencing the mundane peoples world in secret.

Part of my problem I think is that I’m having trouble visualizing the feel of a TL 10 world and what an average person’s life would be like.

Secondly I’m trying to figure out how to construct the sense of intrigue and plotting among various factions as I largely have my experience with RPGs coming from things like D&D and haven’t really played in games like VtM/VtR in style, but am intrigued by the ideas but feel unsure how to approach designing my campaign in sci-fi and GURPS.

[Added Note]

Later in the post, I shift away from sci-fi, toward Victorian steampunk style setting with other elements remaining the same largely.

10-31-2015, 02:37 PM	#1
Arith Winterfell Join Date: May 2014 Location: Indiana, United States	Setting building help with intrigue and sci-fi I’m working on a sci-fi setting but find myself having trouble constructing a clear idea of the setting in my mind. I generally have a sense of it being Tech Level 10 or maybe late TL 9 sci-fi. The central element I want to go after is a setting with various factions who are all engaged in intrigue centered on various individuals who have natural psionic powers. Part of my inspiration for this is things like Vampire: The Masquerade/Vampire: The Requiem in the sense that it focuses on intrigue among “more than average human” characters who live in the shadows of secrecy influencing the mundane peoples world in secret. Part of my problem I think is that I’m having trouble visualizing the feel of a TL 10 world and what an average person’s life would be like. Secondly I’m trying to figure out how to construct the sense of intrigue and plotting among various factions as I largely have my experience with RPGs coming from things like D&D and haven’t really played in games like VtM/VtR in style, but am intrigued by the ideas but feel unsure how to approach designing my campaign in sci-fi and GURPS. [Added Note] Later in the post, I shift away from sci-fi, toward Victorian steampunk style setting with other elements remaining the same largely. Last edited by Arith Winterfell; 10-31-2015 at 08:16 PM.