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Messages - wingsofwax

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1
Apocalypse World / Rebel World - beta testers wanted
« on: September 08, 2014, 02:30:33 PM »
Hi guys,

I've been working hard on Rebel World, an expansion for Apocalypse World that introduces an alien invasion to the game, and it is now ready for beta-testing. I need all the feedback I can get. I will be testing it myself. but I also need people to look for stuff that doesn't work (and stuff that does), and most importantly, make some alien invaders and see how a game of AW runs with it.

The invasion can be the focus or the background for the game - it begins like any other AW session, uses the same play books, so take a crack at it and let me know how it works out.

The beta version is here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n_atXYBQofqItgDwPsb7GySbJ9gknbIkHk5-suTYHuc/edit#heading=h.ynz0otjfabla


2
Apocalypse World / Re: Rebel World - feedback wanted
« on: September 06, 2014, 06:24:36 AM »
Rebel World is now in early beta testing. It is completely playable, so if you want to try it out, give it a read:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n_atXYBQofqItgDwPsb7GySbJ9gknbIkHk5-suTYHuc/edit#heading=h.ynz0otjfabla

A PDF is also available. Contact me if you want a copy.

3
Apocalypse World / Re: Rebel World - feedback wanted
« on: September 04, 2014, 03:17:38 PM »
I've been working feverishly on Rebel World, and it has been streamlined and simplified; take a look if you were the least bit interested in the idea before.

I've reduced the number of tables to 5 without giving the players fewer options, and the work on custom moves and alien stats have begun.

Take a look at the new and improved Rebel World:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EpNUoeLT_Tp6GAnFhjEY68CJLJrPsmO9m5zn7PRx2BY/edit#heading=h.ynz0otjfabla

I'd really like some feedback, so anything you think of will be appreciated.


4
Apocalypse World / Re: Rebel World - feedback wanted
« on: August 31, 2014, 03:06:33 AM »
You got it, I am working on an index right now and a way to navigate the many tables.


5
Apocalypse World / Re: Rebel World - feedback wanted
« on: August 30, 2014, 01:22:03 PM »
I've opened the Google Doc for everyone to see, should anyone be interested. If anyone wants to help in any capacity, they're very welcome.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EpNUoeLT_Tp6GAnFhjEY68CJLJrPsmO9m5zn7PRx2BY/edit#heading=h.1rjkjt2gp7d7

Here's the MC moves for the Humanity table. It's not 100% done, but it should give you a pretty good idea about how the system is going to work.

First, a repost of the table:

Humanity table
Do people live in occupied cities?
Do some people live a normal life under alien rule?
Are there unprotected refugee trails?
Does the resistance hold its own or is it constant retreat?
Do human traitors play a role?
Do humans have alien technology?

...and then the MC moves:

Humanity table: Alien Threat Moves

If humans live in occupied cities, use these MC moves:
- Portray these humans as scared and desperate
- Describe the city as being on the brink of destruction; buildings have been turned to rubble and roads are blocked by broken cars and other objects
- Let the players meet human resistance cells
- Have the group help resistance cells in surprise attacks in urban environments
- Show desperation by having the humans attack the group for supplies
- Introduce humans who will snitch on the group for food and resources

If humans live under alien rule, use these MC moves:
- Portray people working for the aliens as fearful and intimidated
- Make them difficult to recruit for the resistance
- Show the players how these people live in luxury in contrast to the squalor of the holds
- Offer the group opportunities to go undercover as workers to get into alien facilities
- Make the aliens ruthless if there is the slightest infraction or suspicion of treachery

If there are unprotected refugee trails:
Make the aliens merciless killers of refugees
Let the players see horrific scenes of refugee camps after they’ve been destroyed
Demonstrate alien ruthlessness by having resistance exexcuted publicly as examples to others
Have NPCs with connections to the PCs in threatened refugee camps
Show alien groups looking explicitly for unprotected refugees
Depict the refugees as desperate, starving and destitute

If the human resistance fighters hold their own against the aliens:
Depict holds as fortresses that can hold off enemy attacks
Introduce leaders of the resistance who are strategically successful and inspire hope
Give the PCs extra equipment, weapons and food
Include the PCs in a major battles against the aliens and let their actions matter
Let the resistance celebrate a victory, then introduce a major blowback

If human traitors play an important role, use these moves:
Create an atmosphere of untrust
Let suspicions run amok
Reveal resistance fighters’ plans to the aliens
Let the aliens attack when the group thinks it’s completely safe
Depict killings and executions of both suspected and guilty human traitors

If the aliens use control devices, use these moves:
Move controlled humans into holds with hidden explosives
Let controlled humans suddenly turn on friendlies
Create confusion by letting a controlled human run interference
Introduce a person wearing a control device that is faulty

If the human resistance has access to alien technology, use these moves:
Make the alien technology hard but not impossible to use
Create holds that focus on picking apart alien technology for human use
Let the PCs use alien weapons in a limited fashion
Have alien tech blow up when least expected
Introduce scientists who need certain alien tech in order to build defensive devices

6
Dungeon World / The Marseille Conundrum (adventure)
« on: August 29, 2014, 09:44:07 AM »
Hi,

I've written a scenario for Dungeon World that is a bit out of the ordinary; it takes place in an alternate version of Europe in the 1300s, and the PCs are knight templars - that is, if the templars were an order that had to eradicate real evil.

Take a look at the first few paragraphs and let me know if this could work as a Dungeon World adventure. There's much more - the adventure is more or less finished, so if you need more, let me know and I'll paste the rest here.

Here we go!

The Marseille Conundrum
A Dungeon World scenario

“...And there shall be Two Suns in the Heavens; one white, one black. Together they are the sign from God that it is Time for Man to take to his Potential; to reach towards the Black Sun and embrace the Powers that are His, God-given or otherwise....”
- From The Two Suns in the Sunset, by Damian De Lamierre, 1299 AD.

The Pitch
   In the fall of 1309 AD, rumours of the collapse of several cities in southern Europe begin to surface in the city of Paris, one of the strongholds of the Templar Order. Refugees tell stories of an evil presence capable of destroying entire cities. Most of these rumours concern the city of Marseille; it appears to be under attack by unknown, superior forces.

   The characters are experienced and powerful heroes, loosely or directly connected to the Templars. They’re tasked with infiltrating the city of Marseilles to find the truth behind the collapse and stop its destruction.
   
Introduction
This scenario is meant to introduce you to an alternate Earth where abhorrent entities from beyond the universe we know spread corruption and chaos that threaten human civilisation. Mysterious, powerful orbs with different properties have appeared all over the world, and they emit a constant supernatural energy that corrupts and deforms the human mind and body.

When an orb is left to its own devices, it can have horrific consequences. People around them tend to go insane with an unquenchable thirst for blood, or worse; orbs can transform people into grotesque creatures resembling the stuff of nightmares.
Everything supernatural comes from these orbs. They serve as sources of energy for the few who learn to control it. The PCs all have this ability, and they draw on the orbs to perform superhuman feats. However, this comes with the constant threat of overusing these powers and become slaves of the orbs, doomed to roam the world as mindless creatures of havok.

The Who’s Who of the story
Two major factions exist in Europe in the 1300s; The Order of the Knight Templars and the cult of the Black Sun. The Order is hell bent on destroying the source of the evil - the mysterious multi-dimensional orbs that are hidden all over Europe in mountain caves, deep seas and buried in fields and forests.

The cult of the Black Sun take their name from a pitch black orb floating in the air, giving the illusion that it is much farther away than it is, which causes people to think of it as a second sun.

The cult wants to destroy the Templars and let evil reign over the world. They are fanatical and spare none to get what they want. The cultists are a mix of insane savages, level-headed opportunists and truly powerful wizards who draw their powers from the orbs. Few cultists know the secret of the orbs; they are portals to a dimension where their vile creators dwell, intent on invading Earth and enslaving everyone.

Getting started with the game
If you're a player, you can go directly to Appendix I and choose your PC. Do not read the GM section. If you are the GM, keep reading.I will be addressing this book to you, the game master, because you will need the most information, while the players simply have to choose one of the pre-gen PCs.

The core of this scenario is the destruction and invasion of Marseille in the south of what is now France. The PCs are ordered by the Order of the Knight Templars to find out what happened and destroy any evil that might be involved.

So what really happened?
   The Black Sun Cult has taken control of the city by using the powers of a nearby orb that can control people's’ minds and memories, basically making them helpless and easy to control. The Cult has also managed to lure a Leviathan into the city to crush its defences; it still roams the streets aimlessly, going into fits of rage and destroying the buildings with its mighty claws. The leviathan is huge; at least 30 meters tall, dragging a long tail behind it. It is fast and its jaws can break steel and stone with ease. Do not feed the leviathan.
   The reason for the invasion is to create a base for the Cult where they can conduct their evil rituals, use their orbs for obscene purposes and launch attacks on Templar Knight strongholds. The population of Marseille are both like cattle and expendable soldiers; they can be told anything and believe it, making them easy to manipulate. The hold over them is not completely unbreakable; PCs with mental or social abilities can successfully free them.

What’s the plan?
   The goal of the PCs is to sneak into Marseille to find out what has happened to the city. The Templars suspect Black Sun Cult activity, but can’t be sure. The leviathan is a surprise; the players better run like hell when they see it. In the end, the PCs need to destroy the orb that lets the Cult control the people of Marseille and find a way to stop the Leviathan before it does too much damage or kills the group.
   This adventure can function like a starting point for more adventures. If the group likes the idea of hunting down evil cultists and destroying orbs from another dimension, this game is for you.
   The following chapters describe the events and encounters of the adventure. You can change the sequence of events the way you prefer. The players are free to do what they want, and as the GM, you can add your own material and details to the story.

...and then the 6-7 chapters that describe the group's adventure in Marseille follows. Any comments, feedback and criticism is more than welcome!


7
Apocalypse World / Re: Rebel World - feedback wanted
« on: August 29, 2014, 09:06:38 AM »
I've been writing on the agenda and prep part for Rebel World. My idea for prep is basically the same as for AW: Think about futuristic imagery and mix it with the usual apocalyptic imagery.

Here's the agenda:

MC AGENDA
   This agenda is an extension of the standard Apocalypse World agenda. not a replacement; the usual agenda should be followed closely in addition to this one.

- Describe a futuristic Earth where the human race is close to extinction.
- Let the players feel that they have a fighting chance despite long odds
- Make fighting aliens intense and engaging
- Portray the aliens as deadly enemies of the human race

Comments, criticism and suggestions are very welcome.

PS)
Oops, sorry about that, Munin. I am still having issues with sending PMs and I have no idea why.


8
Apocalypse World / Re: Rebel World - feedback wanted
« on: August 28, 2014, 01:46:20 PM »
Now that Rebel World is conceptually done, I was thinking that you guys could come up with simple suggestions for moves - MC moves, PC moves, etc. They don't have to be fully formed or perfect; I am sure that a lot of you can come up with great ideas that I've never thought of. If you get a great idea, please - share it! You'll get a thank you in the final PDF :)

Munin: The PM system here is really dodgy - I've been trying to respond, but I have no idea if my message finally got through. Did you get it?





9
Apocalypse World / Re: Rebel World - feedback wanted
« on: August 27, 2014, 05:14:58 AM »
Great stuff, Munin, that was exactly the angle I needed!

10
Apocalypse World / Re: Rebel World - feedback wanted
« on: August 26, 2014, 02:41:30 PM »
I've made a preliminary version of the expanded descriptions for the Alien Traits. I plan to add moves to each choice, but for now, I would just like to show you how this works and maybe get some feedback on what could be interesting to include.

Here we go:

Alien Traits
The aliens swarm-like

   - They have a specialised,fast form of communication that reflects many voices
   - They have a hive mind mentality
   - They are likely to sacrifice large numbers of combatants if necessary
   - The individual soldier is obedient to a fault.
   - It is likely that the aliens have a hierarchy with a single alien controlling the rest

Move: Swarm attack (physical attack:roll+Hard)

Are the aliens humanoid?

   - The aliens may pass as humans, which makes infiltration of the human populace possible
   - They can have many different origin species;lizards, marsupials, rodents, etc.
   - Their architecture and constructions may look familiar to human beings
   - The alien tech may be relatively easy to learn to use
   - Their weapons will be diverse, but they will likely use weaponry that is recognisable
   - They may feel a bond between them and humanity

Move: Alien Communication (roll+sharp)

The aliens have tech body implants

   - The aliens depend on tech to enhance most facets of their bodily functions
   - They may have increased strength, agility, speed and brain power due to implants
   - Implants may make the aliens vulnerable to targeted attacks against the implants
   - They may be dependant on repair stations, resulting in a slow invasion
   - They are likely to be able to repair themselves if they have access to the right facilities

The aliens are physically superior to humans

   - They may favour hand-to-hand combat even if they have superior firepower
   - They may have a disdain of physical weakness and disease
   - They are likely to be bigger and taller than human beings
   - They may have a social caste system based on strength
   - They may have an underdeveloped society and may have acquired their tech from others

Are they mentally superior to humans?

   - Their culture will seem very alien to humans
   - They might have technology that humans will believe to be magic
   - They will probably be able to speak or have a computer speak the human language
   - They may feel superior and be condescending to humans
   - They will rely heavily on clever tactics instead of simple, direct attacks.
   - Their tactical and general approach will be hard to predict

Do they have psychic abilities?

   - They are likely to be physically equal or weaker than humans
   - their constructions may seem functional and sterile
   - They will likely use telepathic communication
   - They might not be able to speak at all
   - They will see humans as limited and primal
   - They may have the ability to either read humans or damage them telepathically

Move: Resist Telepathy (Roll+Weird)


These descriptions are far from done, but I hope you get the general idea. I will appreciate any feedback; more moves, new aspects for each choice, supply specific dangers for each choice so the MC can create Fronts from them.

11
Apocalypse World / Re: Rebel World - feedback wanted
« on: August 26, 2014, 05:20:10 AM »
Thanks for the reply. I can see how the tables look like monster creation tables, but that is not their (only) purpose. They will also reflect alien culture, interaction, hierarchy and their organisational traits. For example if the aliens use force field tech, it will have a major impact on the entire alien invasion force; each item has far-reaching consequences on how the game will play. I am working on expanding the table entries soon and will show some finished examples.

12
Apocalypse World / Re: Rebel World - feedback wanted
« on: August 24, 2014, 02:45:16 PM »
Just to give you an example of how a choice would be expanded upon...

Say that the aliens prefer melee combat. You'd then look up the corresponding section for that aspect of the aliens' traits.

Aliens prefer melee combat
- They either have a tough hide or advanced personal armour
- They do have ranged weapons but only use them when necessary.
- They are likely to be stronger or faster than humans in close quarters
- They are likely to take trophies from their kills and have an honour system reflecting this.

...and so forth. These are only suggestions and ideas for the group to pick and choose from. Each table item will have a corresponding section describing the possible implications.

13
Apocalypse World / Rebel World - feedback wanted
« on: August 24, 2014, 02:15:03 PM »
I've been working on an AW hack called Rebel World where the players are part of the human resistance, fighting an alien invasion force. The interesting part is that the group can create their own unique aliens randomly, by choosing from lists or do it freeform.

For now, Rebel World uses the standard playbooks. I am working on expanding each list item, giving the group even more room for building their alien invasion.

Take a look and let me know what you think. I could use some feedback. Here's the intro text:


Rebel World

One hundred years from now, the invasion of Earth is well underway. Her cities are burning and humanity’s fighting chance is dwindling by the minute. The human race has been decimated by interplanetary bombardment and alien ground forces. Humanity’s future is bleak, and hope is hard to come by.

But a few people haven’t given up yet. They fight the invaders with everything they have. From the few cities that still stand to the rubble and dust of those that have fallen, the human rebellion is rising. Their goal is simple but almost impossible to imagine: To overthrow the aliens and destroy their iron grasp on Earth. To destroy every single enemy that stands in the way of a free human race.

This game puts the players in the roles of rebels and insurgents in an interplanetary war. A warlike and dreadful race has declared war on the civilised planets of the galaxy, and the players must escape or fight the invaders any way they can.

The game is about resistance, building an underground army, keeping up with a technological superior invasion force. The players must complete missions to save Earth: Infiltration, blowing up alien installations, getting access to the invaders’ machinery and use it to their advantage.

The player characters are powerful combatants and veterans of the war with the aliens - a war that was lost long ago. Earth is an occupied planet. Humanity is allowed to live, but under the rule of an alien iron fist.

These rules allow your group to create a unique alien invasion. The aliens can be created randomly using tables (roll a d6 for each table) or the group can go free-form and focus on the aspects they prefer. Each table item has a real impact on how the game is played (the descriptions are underway and gives more suggestions for the aliens).

(The next part are the tables.)

Alien Traits
Are the aliens swarm-like?
Are the aliens humanoid?
Are the aliens cyborgs?
Are they physically superior to humans?
Are they mentally superior to humans?
Do they have psychic abilities?


Alien Tech
Biotech
Nano-tech
Mechanical Tech
Plasma Tech
No tech
Forcefield Tech


Alien Weapons
Projectile weapons
Melee weapons
Mind control devices
Mechs
Weaponised Aerial Devices
Weaponised Robots

Alien Activity/behaviour

Do the aliens enslave humans?
Do they actively seek out human resistance fighters?
Are the aliens’ activity mysterious and unknown?
Do the aliens build new buildings or do they use existing buildings?
Do the aliens have one central nexus or several smaller controlled sites?
Do they control people using physical or mental techniques?

Alien Goals
Extract energy
Gathering rare metals or biological specimens
Capture Slaves
Strip-mining
Colonisation
Extermination

Humanity
Do people live in occupied cities?
Do some people live a normal life under alien rule?
Are there unprotected refugee trails?
Does the resistance hold its own or is it constant retreat?
Do human traitors play a role?
Do humans have alien technology?

Each table has 6 options, so you can roll a d6 for each one. There will be expansions on how each choice impacts the game.

Right now, the idea is to use the Apocalypse World rules - the standard ones - but nothing's set in stone. Please share your thoughts and if you're willing to help develop this further, PM me or reply here.

Thanks!

14
Thanks, that was my first understanding of it too.

However, what if the PC does nothing? If he doesn't do anything that requires a move? Does the AUF follow him into next week, when he tries to Read a Stich?

Probably I am being pedantic here, but I would really like to know the move completely.

15
Hi,

I just need a little clarification here.

"If they refuse, it's acting under fire".

What does that mean in terms of the fiction? Refusing the manipulating is AUF, that's clear, but how do you work it into the story? If the "victim" fails her AUF roll, do you let an anvil fall on her head?

What do you do in your games?

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