GameStorming: Earth 2238

In the last year, I have let my Anxiety keep me from running a campaign and I decided this week that it is time to face that head-on. It's neat to have a group willing to go along with different games and an erratic schedule, but in my opinion, a campaign is more fulfilling for everyone involved.

I'll be using D&D 5th Edition and we'll start around 3rd level. I've limited the races available to Tieflings, Dhampyrs, Hexbloods, Eladrin, Aarakokra, Warforged, Tritons, Hobgoblins, Changelings, Orcs, and Humans, but have not limited classes thus far. 

Speaking of setting, I'm looking at a post-apocalyptic world, probably between 100 and 500 years after the cataclysm. There are plenty of examples of the previous civilization but most of the secrets of those bygone days are little understood by the people currently alive.

I'm going to post some pieces of inspiration for the game.

The Riftbound Keep: Races

Palladium Books' Rifts is always on my mind to one degree or another. I began thinking about a DnD 5E game where the players have to the Keep which is surrounded by the Borderlands--an area where leylines run wild and rifts open and close constantly. It is controlled by the mysterious being known as the Castellan, who offers relative freedom and a path to riches undreamt of as long as you live by the Code: No violence and no thieving within the walls, and to break the code means being petrified and placed within the Forest of Fools that visitors must pass through in order to enter the Keep.

I try, quite often, to convince myself to run Rifts with its own system (I'm not a fan of Savage Worlds because I like Hit Points), but I like 5E and so does my group.

One of the things I would do in this campaign would be to limit the races available.

Humans, Dragonborn, Tortles, Aarakokra, Minotaurs, Shifters, Leonin, Lizardfolk, Tabaxi, Yuan-Ti Pureblood, Kalashtar, Simic Hybrids, Warforged, and Loxodons would be the races I'd greenlight. I'm not saying that other races couldn't be considered this is just that I'd like some unusual choices and I'm a fan of Palladium's TMNT and Other Strangeness and After the Bomb games. For me, Kalashtar are good to represent Mind Melters and Dragonborn are a good option for Dragon Hatchlings and I'd allow the Dragon Wings feat from this Unearthed Arcana.

In terms of other changes to character creation, I'd give every character an extra Feat at 1st level.

GameDreaming: Fantasy AGE + Numenera's 9th World

As much as I want to love the Cypher System that powers Numenera I simply feel it's approach is counter to my expectations. At the same time, I own most of Green Ronin's supplements for the Adventure Game Engine that was created for the Dragon AGE TTRPG and evolved into Fantasy AGE, Modern AGE, Blue Rose, and the Expanse and haven't gotten much out of them.

While contemplating the AGE system tonight it dawned on me that the Fantasy AGE classes of Warrior, Mage, Rogue mapped pretty well to Glaive, Nano, and Jack (yeah, I know two other Roles were introduced, but I'm ignoring them) for Numenera.

That also let me begin to think about importing Descriptors (which I love) and having specific stunts for them. That part could be a lot of work, but I think it would be damn cool.

Sadly, I won't ever get a chance to run every idea I have, but this could be a good way to use my many Numenera books and my many AGE book and that is what I call a win-win.

At the same time, my mind also flashed to using Modern AGE for the next Storm Trooper one-shot, not that I have one on the horizon. So may ideas so little time.

GameDreaming: Champions 4th Edition

For a long time now I've been looking for that "perfect" Supers RPG, which we all know doesn't really exist. But what I'm kind of mad about is that I didn't think to look at my first RPG love, Champions 4th Edition/HERO System, for the answer.

I know Champions 4 & 5 like the back of my hand, it was like a language, my group, & I learned and used for years. However, I've really been looking for a Supers RPG where you don't roll buckets of D6 (and in Champions case have to count them for Stun, Body, and Knockback) and have huge amounts of Resistant Defenses.

I've also had a Super-Powered Agents Campaign in my brain for well over 20 years that for some reason I decided to run using GURPS which just isn't my bag. I liked buying new game systems and I was convinced GURPS was superior because it had the Wild Cards sourcebooks. I was wrong, for me at least, I mean maybe if I'd found GURPS first it would be my first RPG love, but that is not how it happened.

Anyway, I've been driving back and forth to see my Daughter and my brand-new Granddaughter every weekend and it gives me about 90 minutes to "gamedream" (daydreaming about RPGs) while the rubber meets the road.

It made got me thinking about running Champions at a lower point level, maybe even set Speed at a specific level, and cap Defenses, Combat Values, and Damage Dice. I'm not sure why it took nearly 30 years to have that epiphany but it got me thinking about Champions again.

I do need to think about Disadvantages and Skills a bit, but right now things are cooking with gas.

I think the Characters will belong to an Intelligence Agency dealing with Weird Threats, I'm thinking of naming it ECHELON or SPECTRUM. VESPA was the name I chose back in the day, I didn't realize it was a MoPed though so I'm not sure I'm going to stick with it.

I don't know when or if I'll run it, but it's cool to think about. It would also be nice to teach some of my newer players a full-blown point-buy system.