Campaign Idea: Variant Technomancer

[LoneWolf23k]

I like the main concept of the Technomancer setting, but there are some details that please me less, and I figured I could settle them by simply making an alternate version of Technomancer.. Let's call it "Merlin-4".

In this version of Technomancer, there was not one, but three atomic tests occuring on the same day.. the one in the US, one in the Alps (by the Germans) and one in the South Pacific (by the Japanese). Somehow, the three Atomic explosions created Hellstorms of identical effects, raising the worldwide Mana levels to Normal, and creating three Manabelts: one in America, one in Europe (covering the germanic countries, east of France and many USSR states) and one in the South Pacific, covering a lot of countries, including Japan.

One negative side-effect of the new Manabelts was the rise of a wave of monster attacks in their borders, which caused an abrupt end to WWII: The Nazi government collapsed under both the tide of monster attacks and a coup launched by members of the military who rejected the Nazi philosophy, while the Japanese Imperial government chose to sue for peace and liberate formerly occupied territory, in exchange for aid in dealing with it's monster problem.

So the next 50 or so years of history happens rather similarly, except without an American monopoly on technomagic; Germany and Japan are second and third in the production of such devices, with America leading through an economic headstart of not having had to rebuild their country quite as much.


Another change from Merlin-1 is that Chimeras exist worldwide, and come in a wider variety then on Merlin-1: catpeople, dog and wolfpeople, foxpeople, but also lizard-people, bull-people, pig-people, etc. One idea I had was for the various Chimera races to call themselves by "refined" names.. Stuff like "Children of Bast", "Wolfen", "Nezumi", etc. For exemple, I was thinking of having the pig-people call themselves "orcs"..

[Xenarthral]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf23k

Another change from Merlin-1 is that Chimeras exist worldwide, and come in a wider variety then on Merlin-1:

Is this actually a change?
As far as I can tell ANY mage has a one in ten chance of their offspring
being a chimera, regardless of where the mage is or were born (after all,
mages themselves are not limited to Trinity's Shadow, just more common),
and the types of chimeras listed are only the most common ones, not the
only ones.

A Hellstorm centred in the Alps would primarily hit Germany, France,
Czechoslovakia, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. If it reaches "many USSR
states" (assuming that by that you mean "three or more states and a
significant area of said states", or even just "western Ukraine and south-west
Lithuania") it will also cover much of the rest of Europe. And would the
Germans really test their nukes in the Alps when they (depending on when
they test them) have access to North Africa and Eastern Europe?
(I mean, the US used the deserts out west rather than the Catskills and Adirondacks.)

One in the South Pacific wouldn't reach Japan, or would cover a lot of
other places more.

Wolfen is not a refined name, as long as loup garou, werwolf, werewolf,
varulv and other traditional names exist. "Children of Bast" doesn't sound like
something a majority of feline chimeras (being, like their parents, more likely to
be European or American Christians or Japanese Buddhist-Shintoists, than
Egyptian-influenced neo-pagans) would call themselves if given a choice.
And, since I haven't memorised Tolkien - were orcs actually literally pig-faced
before Dungeons & Dragons? (And, if so, why is Dungeons & Dragons the
only one with pig-faced orcs?)

[LoneWolf23k]

Ok, fine.. I just wanted to make magic less concentrated in the US, and a wider variety of Chimeras all around the globe. I guess I can do that with standard Technomancer.

I didn't have any maps handy when I tried to plan my other Manabelts, so I apologize if they're erroneous.

I still stand by my pig-headed Orcs idea, though. If only because I've worked on a pic on the subject, I've been wanting to make pig-headed orcs in a fantasy setting, and Technomancer's the most likely setting for having them.

[Fionn The Otaku]

Interesting idea although the Japanese bomb should be tested closer to the Home islands. Also well the pig Chimera might be called Orcs that would start as a "ethnic" slur. After all Tolkien's Orcs were totaly with out redeamable features.
Still i really like the idea of more types of Chimeras and i think that the German bomb would lead to Bear, Wolf, Horse and Bovine Chimeras.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Xenarthral

And, since I haven't memorised Tolkien - were orcs actually literally pig-faced
before Dungeons & Dragons? (And, if so, why is Dungeons & Dragons the
only one with pig-faced orcs?)

Tolkien's orcs weren't pig-faced and neither are the current D&D orcs. Tolkein got it from an old english world that he believed meant demon.

The pig-faced orcs come from Basile in the 17th century relating Neopolitian folktales about hairy tusked man-beasts. This usage comes from italian orco meaning giant or monster.

[LoneWolf23k]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Tolkien's orcs weren't pig-faced and neither are the current D&D orcs. Tolkein got it from an old english world that he believed meant demon.

The pig-faced orcs come from Basile in the 17th century relating Neopolitian folktales about hairy tusked man-beasts. This usage comes from italian orco meaning giant or monster.

So, if I make the pig-chimeras originate from Italy, along with Satyr and Minotaur Chimeras, I can justify them being called "Orcs"...

[transmetahuman]

A significant element of the Technomancer setting is the way the second nuke made a much much bigger Hellstorm, which basically scared humanity off nukes. It wasn't until the second Hellstorm that anyone realized they were progressively destabilizing reality, and a third detonation anywhere on the planet (or in the universe??) could wipe out life as we know it.

Your triple detonation would negate that whole element of the setting. It's maybe not a major thing, but on the other hand... "Gee, those guys blew up nukes and ended up with Very High Mana areas; let's try that ourselves!"

[chewie]

Disclaimer: I've never played Technomancer and do not have the book to comment. Just brain-storming here. How about this for an alternative to the triple atomic bomb theory. Let's say the original atomic test that started it all had an unplanned geological destabilization effect as well, that high mana levels traced the edges of plates, that the world itself bucked and wobbled in its orbit around the sun. The magnetic fields dissolved in chaos as the core fought to re-establish a regular flow, finally re-asserting itself as the opposite pole we know today. (Apparently, the whole magnetic field flipping has happened frequently to the Earth over its lifespan.) The original hellstorm is still centered upon the first atomic test, but mana levels are concentrated around geologically active areas. You could even drop half of California into the sea if you want. ;-)

[LoneWolf23k]

Originally Posted by transmetahuman

A significant element of the Technomancer setting is the way the second nuke made a much much bigger Hellstorm, which basically scared humanity off nukes. It wasn't until the second Hellstorm that anyone realized they were progressively destabilizing reality, and a third detonation anywhere on the planet (or in the universe??) could wipe out life as we know it.

Your triple detonation would negate that whole element of the setting. It's maybe not a major thing, but on the other hand... "Gee, those guys blew up nukes and ended up with Very High Mana areas; let's try that ourselves!"

Oh, I'd have kept the Antarctica Hellstorm incident, and made the triple-nuke a massive fluke..

...Although now I'm reconsidering my triple-hellstorm idea from the feedback on this thread.

[LoneWolf23k]

Originally Posted by chewie

Disclaimer: I've never played Technomancer and do not have the book to comment. Just brain-storming here. How about this for an alternative to the triple atomic bomb theory. Let's say the original atomic test that started it all had an unplanned geological destabilization effect as well, that high mana levels traced the edges of plates, that the world itself bucked and wobbled in its orbit around the sun. The magnetic fields dissolved in chaos as the core fought to re-establish a regular flow, finally re-asserting itself as the opposite pole we know today. (Apparently, the whole magnetic field flipping has happened frequently to the Earth over its lifespan.) The original hellstorm is still centered upon the first atomic test, but mana levels are concentrated around geologically active areas. You could even drop half of California into the sea if you want. ;-)

Hmm.. That's an idea. Another idea could be to swipe a page out of Palladium's Rifts concept and have the Hellstorm's effects kickstart the Earth's Ley Lines into full gear, triggering a flow of magical energy along the Ley Lines criss-crossing the Earth...