[Space/Thaumatology] Stargate: Fantasy - Worldbuilding thread

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

the NSA handles all the satellite-based intel and generally anything else highly technical.

I thought that was the NRO

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by TGLS

I thought that was the NRO

To my understanding the NRO procures the satellites and oversees their launch but takes a back seat after that.

[Prince Charon]

Elves Question I

What sorts of elves, if any, exist in this setting? I've suggested what magic system(s) each type might use, though these are suggestions, not absolute declarations.

1. No elves (There are no groups that are sufficiently similar to elves in this setting.)

2. Mythical Elves (Norse Alfr, Celtic Tuatha de Dannan, Faerie nobility, Tolkein's elves, and so on. Powerful, wise, and beautiful beings, not suited to being PCs outside of particularly high-point-level campaigns. If there's a wide variety of elven races, these are probably the High Elves. Probably use a mix of Magic as Powers and Low Magic.)

3. Standard Fantasy Elves (Pretty much the usual GURPS elves. Might use Path/Book magic or be one of the few races to use Symbol Magic.)

4. Dungeon Fantasy Elves (Similar to Standard Fantasy, but coming in a variety of elven 'races' with various abilities; probably use various GURPS DF templates and just add Unaging. More likely to use the Spell-based Magic system)

5. Eldritch Beings (Cosmic Horror Elves, like the Dark Ones or Elder Spawn in DF, or Sir PTerry's Elves from the Discwold books. Might use Magic as Social Connections... unfortunately.)

6. The Little People (Small beings (possibly fae) that often shy away from encounters with bigger folk. Most likely to just use Low Magic, though they could be one of the few races to use Symbol Magic.)

7. Spirits of Nature (Elves are a category of spirit that interact significantly with the material plane; mechanically, they probably use an elf template with some variety of spirit template added; the group most likely to be a source of Magic as Social Connections, though they themselves would likely have Magic as Powers.)

8. Grey Ones (The 'elves' resemble 'Roswell Grey' aliens, like the canon Asgard; might use Material Magic exclusively.)

9. Something else (please specify).

Please remember to include the number(s) of your preferred option(s) when you vote.

*******

Answer: 2 has three votes, and 4 has either three or four, but some of those are for the DF elves to be the 'common' elves and another variety being the major ones. 5 has two votes, and 3 and 8 have one each. So, the Mythical Elves exist as peer competitors of the Goa'Uld, while there are a range of far less powerful DF-style elves that the PCs are far more likely to meet. 'Common' elves that live long enough might grow in power to become Mythic elves, so there are probably some elves with point totals in the wide gap between them (the higher-level interpretations of Standard GURPS Elves, perhaps). Unfortunately, the Cosmic Horror Elves also exist, and there is a real risk of the PCs meeting them without knowing what they're in for. Grey Ones may exist, but would be quite rare.

[Kesendeja]

2. Mythical Elves (Norse Alfr, Celtic Tuatha de Dannan, Faerie nobility, Tolkein's elves, and so on. Powerful, wise, and beautiful beings, not suited to being PCs outside of particularly high-point-level campaigns. If there's a wide variety of elven races, these are probably the High Elves. Probably use a mix of Magic as Powers and Low Magic.)

I've always preferred this type.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Elves Question I

I'll go with 2: Mythical Elves (fae) and 3: Fantasy Elves. Basically, two types of "elves" exist - high-powered fae-type and more human-level ones - although the latter could easily be the result of the fae-type elves interbreeding with humans. I wouldn't object to 4: DF Elves, as I really see that more as a refinement of 3.

[TGLS]

I'll go with 4 and 5. If using DF types, Elder Spawn are the primordial variant, with Elves at the end. Dark Ones would be somewhere in between.

[Prince Charon]

Poll remains open for now, partly because I'm uncertain whether to go to another elf-related question, a Goa'Uld-related question, or one specific to staff-weapons and other equipment. So far for this poll, 2 has two votes, 4 has either one or two depending on how I should interpret Varyon's post, and 3 and 5 have one each. Only three people have voted, and I'm hoping for more of a consensus than that.

[Fred Brackin]

Okay for Elves question #1 I'll go for 2 (Mythical Elves) as rivals to the Goa'uld and 4 (variety of DF-type Elves) as mostly ordinary inhabitants of some worlds on the other side of the gate.

If the first batch of lesser elves are smallish and greenish it would deflect from fantasy to a certain sort of campy SF ("little green men").

[adm]

I'll go for two tiers,

4 for common elves;

8 for those that are serious power,

neither group is related to each other.

[ericthered]

For elves:


4 and 5, with five leaning really heavily into the alien/elderthing territory and can act as great powers.