New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

[cptbutton]

Originally Posted by dataweaver

Let's just say that janissaries posits a… different explanation.

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Oh! The Janissaries theme suggests that those that took humans and other beings to the Ringworld we're breeding them for warriors. If one assumes that they aliens or whatever are taking their time and letting each group of sophant beings provide an evolutionary challenge to the others, the setting stays pretty much the same.

But it's a cool logic.

If you are going by the word janissaries, yes. But in the SF novel Janissaries by Jerry Pournelle (and the sequels) the aliens have been transporting humans to another world for a [spoiler] reason that dataweaver and I are dancing around.

Spoiler:  

Every few hundred years this planet's climate is suitable for growing a valuable but illegal kind of alien drug crop. So when that time comes the aliens recruit some human soldiers from Earth to conquer that part of the planet (from whatever human society has developed there), to grow the drugs for the alien drug lords. (The drug is illegal in alien society, so all this has to be hidden.)

Once the climate shifts again, the aliens don't care about the planet until the next climate shift.

[dataweaver]

There's a little bit more to it than that, but yes.

Spoiler:  

The alien drug lords “clean up” after themselves once they're done with the harvest.

[Astromancer]

The North Wind doth blow...

The Calderas went up in Indonesia in 2053. There was no spring in either hemisphere in 2054. The Snow Wars, along with famines and plagues reduced the world population to around 750 million, give or take a few tens of millions.

The successor state to the old USA has recently gone through a period of consolidation and stabilization. Between technologies like Fusion power generation and Vertical Farming the American Federal Union is rebuilding American society.

However, the persistence of aerosols in the upper atmosphere means the ice age continues. But since it's 150 years since the Calderas went up, so why hasn't the shroud of dust and aerosols faded away?

Basically, the PCs are explorers and diplomats exploring a strange Earth trying to solve the strange puzzles of this frozen world.

[Astromancer]

A School for Wonders

The Aliens showed up in 2023. They said they'd been watching us since the 1950s. They don't understand the UFOs either, it wasn't any of their people joyriding.

The main goals of the Aliens are, set up embassies and see if Earth Humans can learn Psionics. They chose to contact the USA first (grumbles about Hollywood's undue influence went around the world).

A few years later the Aliens (they look like humans except for their skin being the same blue as Cornflowers) have an Embassy in New York City and they have a school to teach humans psi powers on Long Island.

Basically, it's a freewheeling Espionage campaign set in the Near Future.

Assume the Aliens favor democracies and are carefully husbanding Humanity into TL9. They see Humanity as rich in potential and very useful allies in the future. They don't want to wound or cripple what they see as a potential treasure.

PCs should start out as interesting PCs and then add about five to eight Psi Perks, Remarkable Luck, Empathy, and Intuition, all with the Psi limit. These abilities represent the first fruits of Psionic awakening.

Spies and other interested people are determined to control the students and if necessary to kidnap them. The Aliens have a variety of allies fighting to keep the student safe. PCs could also be experienced Espionage Agents, Undercover Police, and military types, protecting the students.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Sounds a lot like the Tokyo Psiber Police setting from that one Pyramid issue.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by SilvercatMoonpaw

Sounds a lot like the Tokyo Psiber Police setting from that one Pyramid issue.

I never read that, So it's both a coincidence and good luck for you. Take anything you like from the other setting and use it in this one as you like.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

A few years later the Aliens (they look like humans except for their skin being the same blue as Cornflowers) have an Embassy in New York City and they have a school to teach humans psi powers on Long Island.

Ok, that's a cool campaign premise. Drives a lot of plot in a very small space.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Ok, that's a cool campaign premise. Drives a lot of plot in a very small space.

Even better, although the UN headquarters is the most logical place for the embassy, you can put the Alien Embassy and the school in any city and it environs that suits you.

[warellis]

Originally Posted by SilvercatMoonpaw

Sounds a lot like the Tokyo Psiber Police setting from that one Pyramid issue.

The one called Cyberme in Pyramid #3-20?

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Originally Posted by warellis

The one called Cyberme in Pyramid #3-20?

No, this is a completely different one from Pyramid #3/29. (I got the Psiber part wrong: it's "Tokyo Psience Police".)