New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

[Astromancer]

I'm reacquiring a set of games I lost (the mechanics were dull but some of the settings were wild). One of the settings was an advanced space faring society ensnared in an eternal replay of the Arthurian legends.

So let's start with this idea. A mad genius calling himself Merlin has an entire inhabited star system under his control. He's got everybody trapped in a primitive fantasy world with high tech props for magic. However, Morgain Le Fay is ready and willing to fight to free Merlin's captives and restore democracy and civil liberty.

Basically, the PCs are rebels against the dream of Camelot! Knights and Damsels united to liberate their worlds.

More later.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

I'm reacquiring a set of games I lost (the mechanics were dull but some of the settings were wild). One of the settings was an advanced space faring society ensnared in an eternal replay of the Arthurian legends.

So let's start with this idea. A mad genius calling himself Merlin has an entire inhabited star system under his control. He's got everybody trapped in a primitive fantasy world with high tech props for magic. However, Morgain Le Fay is ready and willing to fight to free Merlin's captives and restore democracy and civil liberty.

Basically, the PCs are rebels against the dream of Camelot! Knights and Damsels united to liberate their worlds.

More later.

I made a myth arc where Morgan (under various names) was the power behind the throne of infamous tyrants such as Baron Ungern-Sternberg and Vlad of Wallachia (yes THAT one).

In "reality" she was the daughter of Lilith.

[David Johnston2]

I just bought Dungeon Fantasy from the bundle sale...so naturally I'm thinking about Space Horror. I mean really DF is far from my favourite genre. If it had been I would have bought it already like I bought Space, Spaceships and the Space Atlases. So instead I'm thinking of are bits and pieces I could use for other campaigns, and I took one look at the Deep Beyonder and thought "Space Horror". Especially given that I looked in my Wizard's Cabinet and found that something called "Eldritch Skies" had popped up in there as a new download for reasons I do not understand. It is a thing I was not meant to know.

So now I'm rummaging through my collection and making a list of critters that would fit into a horror oriented space campaign. Obviously not a very hard science fiction campaign, since really almost all my options for hard sf horror are different flavours of parasite. But still quite a lot of critters are either insufficiently spacey in flavour or are things players will just dismiss as a moderately dangerous specimen of wildlife.

[dcarson]

Gaming Ballistic has the Garden of Evil, Bugstiary and Serpents of Legend. I used some in a Monster hunters campaign.

[dcarson]

There is a fanfic series where the one author decided to do science based versions of classic monsters after the original author that started the series did werewolf and zombie. No Gurps stats but might be useful ideas. Does have marvel RPG stats.

Werewolf. Retrovirus to give enhanced senses and speed. has the problem that shock makes them go berserk.

Zombies. Artificial prion disease that attacks two parts of the brain. The part that does friend or foe so everyone is foe and the part that decides if force is needed and how much and pegs it to all. So fully intelligent but the only thing in life that matters is killing everyone else. https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-3083...Tera-Verse.htm

Mummy. A fungus that can invade a dead body and replaces most of the cells giving a copy of the person that doesn't need to eat or breath and heals from serious wounds. No blood so most wounds aren't bad. Can dehydrate and will just be inert until rehydrated. https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-3083...Tera-Verse.htm

Invisible man. A chemical that makes of transparent, you see in infrared. Eventually the scientist adapted it so it worked on sheep also so was able to make wool clothing, felt slippers etc. And a manrikigusari rope weapon with a knot at the end. The chemical wears off the first few times but use it enough and it becomes permanent, it also usually drives the user crazy. https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-3083...Tera-Verse.htm

Frankenstein. Pretty much the reanimated corpse. Uses a alcohol based blood so you can set them of fire but are several times human strength and less in the way of vital organs. Guy that developed them would build in armor and such. Lots of replacement parts are synthetic and tougher. https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-3083...Tera-Verse.htm

Jeckyll and Hyde was a permanent genetic change some some descendants have it. https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-3083...Tera-Verse.htm

Vampires. Symbionts that boost strength and healing but need high levels of somatropin so either blood, doses of synthetic somatropin or pituitary glands when they get real hungry. https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-3083...Tera-Verse.htm

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

What actually possible disasters/crises do the people on this thread think are most likely in the next half century?

(SNIP)

I think the amount of energy that's available to a society strongly correlates to the amount of wealth that society can generate. Also, we're currently in a transition period between an older form of core energy production (fossil fuels) and a different one (renewables plus batteries) with yet a third potentially on the horizon (fusion).

As such, I think we're in for quite an interesting and eventful century, especially when you throw in some ancillary developments (space travel less expensive than anything anybody could've ever imagined, for example).

So, all of this upheaval will likely result in number of drastic changes, but trigger some real tragedies along the way.

Tragedy: The steady shift away from fossil fuels -- which receives additional impetus as nations with single-commodity economies based on them, begin to use brutally violent methods to seize greater control of the market-share for resources ever-fewer people want -- results in profound social displacement as the structure of the economy changes.

As entire sectors of a national economy vanish, those who have never known any other livelihoods grow ever-more frustrated and lash out in fury in an attempt to destroy a future that has no place for them. Developed nations that have areas focused on energy resource extraction, see those regions become hotbeds of sometimes-violently reactionary political instability.

Tragedy: The steady increase in global warming crosses the 1.5 degrees centigrade mark resulting in steady reduction of ice-caps; massive flooding of coastal areas; massive rainfall in areas already wet; and increased drought and desertification in areas already dry.

This triggers massive migrations from the most unstable areas to those that increasingly desperate populations perceive as safe, as first tens of thousands -- and then millions -- start to die. Border regions become flashpoints for violence of all sorts.

Tragedy: As the most advanced economies shift to renewables, they become less dependent upon -- and therefore less interested in -- events in areas that formerly provided resources they find themselves needing less and less.

That perception of the decline of importance in those areas no longer seen as vital to a nation's interest, combined with increasing domestic political difficulties, results in a fracturing of the global economic system in favor of isolationist leanings, regional economic ties instead of global, and interactions increasingly restricted to those nations with similar cultural values.

However, the slow decline of foreign interest in the resource-producing regions -- and the reduction in foreign and military aid, as well as the decreasing levels of foreign trade -- mean local governments that formerly exercised some discretion when it came to domestic enemies and regional rivals, slowly change their behaviors. Authoritarian rulers who formerly exercised some tact in the name of keeping open the spigot of foreign currency decide they have less and less to lose, and begin to pull out all the stops.

Those parts of the world that already struggled with violence see massive upticks in bloodshed and in horrors that everyone had thought (hoped?) humanity had moved past.

A century later, the combination of demographic change, massive upheaval and nightmarish horror leave a world with a billion less people; a slowly recovering global economy; and a hugely wealthy global "north" with a fusion economy and recovering environments looking beyond their borders with trepidation.

Do they actually try to reach out and help people those areas that have fallen into the political chaos of failed states?
Or do they, instead, reinforce "successes" and focus on expanding exploitation of the energy and resources in the Solar System, so as to eventually have the wealth needed to just move into disaster zones and re-shape them as they see fit?

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

I think the amount of energy that's available to a society strongly correlates to the amount of wealth that society can generate. Also, we're currently in a transition period between an older form of core energy production (fossil fuels) and a different one (renewables plus batteries) with yet a third potentially on the horizon (fusion).

As such, I think we're in for quite an interesting and eventful century, especially when you throw in some ancillary developments (space travel less expensive than anything anybody could've ever imagined, for example).

So, all of this upheaval will likely result in number of drastic changes, but trigger some real tragedies along the way.

Tragedy: The steady shift away from fossil fuels -- which receives additional impetus as nations with single-commodity economies based on them, begin to use brutally violent methods to seize greater control of the market-share for resources ever-fewer people want -- results in profound social displacement as the structure of the economy changes.

As entire sectors of a national economy vanish, those who have never known any other livelihoods grow ever-more frustrated and lash out in fury in an attempt to destroy a future that has no place for them. Developed nations that have areas focused on energy resource extraction, see those regions become hotbeds of sometimes-violently reactionary political instability.

Tragedy: The steady increase in global warming crosses the 1.5 degrees centigrade mark resulting in steady reduction of ice-caps; massive flooding of coastal areas; massive rainfall in areas already wet; and increased drought and desertification in areas already dry.

This triggers massive migrations from the most unstable areas to those that increasingly desperate populations perceive as safe, as first tens of thousands -- and then millions -- start to die. Border regions become flashpoints for violence of all sorts.

Tragedy: As the most advanced economies shift to renewables, they become less dependent upon -- and therefore less interested in -- events in areas that formerly provided resources they find themselves needing less and less.

That perception of the decline of importance in those areas no longer seen as vital to a nation's interest, combined with increasing domestic political difficulties, results in a fracturing of the global economic system in favor of isolationist leanings, regional economic ties instead of global, and interactions increasingly restricted to those nations with similar cultural values.

However, the slow decline of foreign interest in the resource-producing regions -- and the reduction in foreign and military aid, as well as the decreasing levels of foreign trade -- mean local governments that formerly exercised some discretion when it came to domestic enemies and regional rivals, slowly change their behaviors. Authoritarian rulers who formerly exercised some tact in the name of keeping open the spigot of foreign currency decide they have less and less to lose, and begin to pull out all the stops.

Those parts of the world that already struggled with violence see massive upticks in bloodshed and in horrors that everyone had thought (hoped?) humanity had moved past.

A century later, the combination of demographic change, massive upheaval and nightmarish horror leave a world with a billion less people; a slowly recovering global economy; and a hugely wealthy global "north" with a fusion economy and recovering environments looking beyond their borders with trepidation.

Do they actually try to reach out and help people those areas that have fallen into the political chaos of failed states?
Or do they, instead, reinforce "successes" and focus on expanding exploitation of the energy and resources in the Solar System, so as to eventually have the wealth needed to just move into disaster zones and re-shape them as they see fit?

Aren't parts of the world that already struggled with violence, kind of like parts of the world that struggled with licentiousness, corrupt politics, dishonesty, treachery, disobedience to parents, lack of love, bad food, to little food, and annoying advertisements? You would have a harder time searching for parts of the world that DIDN'T struggle with violence.

And now that you mention it, isn't struggling with violence kinda, oh violent? Perhaps you might try coming to a peaceful relationship with violence?

[Astromancer]

Wish Upon a Star

Granny, how can people live in the sky?

I don't know precisely how. Just like I don't know how engines or computers work. But just because I don't know how rain gets into the clouds, I don't think the rain won't make me wet.

But they do live in the sky?

Far above the clouds. Their ancestors went there before the old times ended. They got stranded up there and made the best of it. Now they've come back to see if they can help.

The Plague Wars destroyed the old societies. Those that were living in off world colonies and settlements were largely self-sufficient by the 2080s and weren't in danger of dying out. But the means to land on Earth and leave it safely without support infrastructure took time to develop. Now the space settlers are trying to rebuild and liberate the Earth.

However, five generations of time has allowed new cultures and power centers to form. Not everyone wants technology, modernity, and democracy back. The new power elites rightly fear that an empowered populace would neither need nor want them.

Basically, the PCs are building bases and connections with the communities around them. Many of these communities correctly see the goals of the Sky Folk (whether generous or selfish) as a direct threat to their societies. Who would want to be the servant of a lord when they could live a far better life as a free citizen. Precious few.

This is a game of contact and exploration with trade in goods and ideas tossed in.

[Astromancer]

Tunguska II

The basic idea is that in 2025 a comet fragment strikes the Earth. It was impossible to see until a two days before it hit. And where it was going to hit wasn't knowable until a few hours before the impact.

The impact was close to the city of Moscow. Putin was killed when his escape jet crashed because of the EM pulse caused by the impact. Russia, seriously weakened by decades of bad government collapses.

The many suppressed/captive nations within Russia rose up to seize their independence.

More later.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Tunguska II

The basic idea is that in 2025 a comet fragment strikes the Earth. It was impossible to see until a two days before it hit. And where it was going to hit wasn't knowable until a few hours before the impact.

The impact was close to the city of Moscow. Putin was killed when his escape jet crashed because of the EM pulse caused by the impact. Russia, seriously weakened by decades of bad government collapses.

The many suppressed/captive nations within Russia rose up to seize their independence.

More later.

Once again editing is blocked.

With the general collapse of Russia China claimed all Russian territory east of the Ural as rightfully theirs. This not only was denounced by various Siberian groups demanding independence but also by several other nations with claims on the territory (like Japan and South Korea) and those like the United States and Canada who don't want China as a close neighbor.

Basically, this is a near future war scenario. China feels righteously entitled to all of Siberia including the lands and loyalty of the indigenous Siberians. Luckily both China's navy and army are basically inadequate to the job. The navy is pragmatically incapable of blue water action (this is the general real world view). The Army is poorly trained and more functional for insurgency than conquest. The army is also inadequately equipped for winter maneuvers in Siberia. In spite of these glaring deficiencies, the United States, which has the job of keeping China out of Siberia won't have an easy job.

Yes the American army is more maneuverable. Siberia has very few roads and brutal terrain. Yes the Americans have better equipment, China still uses brutal human wave attacks. America does have the alliance of the locals. They fear the Chinese and will fight endlessly to drive the Chinese away. Japan and South Korea are also allied with the USA. (Europe is also allied but focused on the chaos in the Western third of Russia. So they aren't in the Siberian theater.)

This campaign is good for military action, but don't count out survival horror. Non military options might include anthropologists working on communication with the various Siberian ethnic groups. Diplomats trying to sort out new national boundaries. Engineers trying to build roads for nations that never had any.