This post contains thoughts about the inhuman elements of the game world: psionics, aliens, robots and androids, cyborgs and whatnot.

My experience in balancing secrets and keys is not great, so all commentary is gladly accepted. Few of the secrets are intentionally powerful; steel and wires, in particular.

Psionics

Everyone knows psionics exist. Very few have met anybody capable of manifesting them or controlling their power. There are rumours of gifted children simply disappearing and of secret government programs and corporate assassins and so on. Rumours, nothing more.

Secret of psionics: The character can contact others with her mind. This requires a successful psionics (instinct) test, possibly resisted with resist or psionics. Using a skill through the psionic contact is taxing and costs 1 instinct. Other secrets in this chapter require the secret of psionics. Only those with the secret can take the psionics skill.

Secret of disciplined psionicist: Psionics (reason), not (instinct). Using skills through the connection has no extra cost. The character has been trained by some facility dedicated for this purpose, and is almost certain to either be an employee or a very hunted rogue operative.

Secret of [freaky exotic psionic ability]: The character can use [freaky exotic psionic ability], which may cost reason or instinct, in addition to requiring dice to be rolled. Telekinesis, making the heads of people explode, invisibility, illusions, that sort of stuff.

Secret of the electromancer: Psionics affects androids.

Secret of psionic storm: Pay up to six points from insinct or reason, whichever governs the psionics ability. Roll psionics. On failure, take reason harm equal to the resource spent. On success, deal that much harm to all characters in the great area affected by the power and take half that in reason damage. Named characters get to resist; others die, are in pain, or whatever was at stake. This ability is not fast to use and any psions in the affected area may resist, hence making this a risky proposition. Still utterly powerful.

The following keys, aside from the first one, only make sense for characters with (latent) psionic ability.

Key of shattered mind: Some psionicist has violently invaded the character’s mind. 1 experience for being hostile to such vile mind-rapers, 3 for losing control in public when something important is happening (and sobbing incoherently or going berserk, say). Buy-off: Forgive and accept.

Key of the empath: The character can sense the emotions, particularly strong emotions and pain, of others. 1 xp for revealing this in play, 3 for suffering due to the talent. Buy-off: Silence the pain by becoming inured to the suffering of others.

Key of the wilder: The character has uncontrolled or poorly controlled psionic ability. It manifests at inopportunate times, particularly when the character is stressed. 1 xp for uncontrolled manifestations, 3 for major destruction or set-back by wild psionics. (Note: this could manifest whenever the character fails a roll, particularly psionics roll, or when the story guide or players feel like it. Up to group negotiation.) Buy-off: Characters gets rid of unintended psionic effects (by iron will or removing the ability).

Steel and wires

Our game has thus far not seen detailed robotic player characters. We do know that proper robots and androids are (almost) immune to psionics.

Secret of steel among the flesh: Character can accomplish deeds requiring superhuman strength or endurance. One point of vigour gives 2 bonus dice to such and makes them possible.

Secrets of wires in the head: Character can compute and analyse with great speed. One point of reason gives 2 bonus dice for analysis (not limited to epsilon-delta proofs) and calculations.

Fancy cybernetic gadgets are also secrets. Heat-vision, cleverly hidden needle guns, hidden containers, armoured skin, things out of Cyberpunk books.

Key of programmed mind: Those who built or fixed the character added some unwanted orders. 1 xp when the character acts upon the programmed orders, 3 xp when he does so against his will. Buy-off: Remove the programming.

Key of lost humanity: Some go mad when great parts of their body are replaced with inorganic materials. 1 xp for showing the cold, aloof and cruel nature that is now character’s; 3 xp for murdering or slaughter of humans in cold blood. Buy-off: Become completely human or completely machine.

Key of malfunctioning component: Some component of character is constantly malfunctioning and in need of repair. 1 xp for maintaining it, 3xp for getting in trouble when it breaks anyways. Buy-off: Fix or replace it.

The hive cluster

Just recently there have been aliens discovered. Inspirations are the zerg of Starcraft and the aliens in series of movies with alien in the name. They are not public knowledge, and whether they will ever be is up to gaming. They have a hive mind; all are connected to the collective consciousness and it commands them all, much like a player in an RTS game. The aliens encountered thus far have been somewhat insectile in appearance.

Skill: Hive mind (instinct): The character is in contact with the hive mind, willingly or not. The skill can be used to communicate and command other aliens, but they can also command back. It works by telepathy. The collective has 4 skill, takes penalty dice for distance (1 for orbit, 2 for solar system, 3 for galaxy, 4 for outside it) and can command the character; resist with hive mind, telepathy or resist. The collective can also lend its knowledge and help for the character, in which case the character gets to help almost any skill roll with the hive mind skill, though failure at the roll inflicts a penalty die. Other keys and secrets of this chapter require this skill.

Key of slave to the brood: The character is unwilling servant of the swarm, yet has little power against it. 1 experience for obeying its orders, 3 for doing so in spite of one’s will. Buy-off: Be rid of the influence.

Key of corrupted monster: Requires some visible mutations. The character looks horrible and inhuman. 1 experience for being shunned and despised for it, 3 when someone’s actively hunting the character for such taint. Buy-off: Mask your true nature.

Secret of contaminated talent: Requires hive mind and psionics. Whenever character touches the mind of another, the brood widens its influence. Pay one instinct to inflict the slave to the brood-key upon any contacted via psionics. Upon first contact they also learn hive mind at skill level mediocre.

Secret of vast knowledge: The character can scan the collective memory for information pertaining to whatever subject; pay as much instinct as desired to get bonus dice for any attempt already aided by hive mind skill, 1 die per point of instinct. This is an awfully big deal.

Secret of regeneration: At the start of a session, or when significat time in the fiction is glossed over, roll endure are heal on level of vigour harm, up to the endure result. Further, given sufficient time, the character can heal from the most severe of wounds.

Secret of [random mutation]: Character has [random mutation]. Claws like knives! Acid spit! Tentacles! Using it may or may not cost vigour. Spitting acid does, for the record.

This post contains the skill list for the scifi version of the Shadow of Yesterday that I’ve been running.

Skills

These are copied from the tSoY wiki, with removed and added entries.

Innate Abilities

Every character in this game has three innate abilities: natural reactions and quantifications of the character’s physical and mental stability.

Other Abilities

Open abilities follow a few guidelines:

• They are either innate abilities to a person (Athletics) or things that can be easily learned. Usually, they’re both, as in the aforementioned case of Athletics, or Scrapping.

• They are rather wide in scope, encompassing a field of actions, without being overly broad. Movement is too broad; Climbing Fences is too narrow. Fighting is too broad; Broad-sword Usage is too narrow.

• They are not specialized knowledge that applies only to a certain people or culture. These are the Species and Cultural Abilities, which are much more narrow in scope. Do note that academic skills are open: Internet and various projects for the freedom of information did pay off to significant degree.

• They often overlap with other abilities, which is great. Two abilities may describe different styles of performing similar tasks.

The pre-made open abilities are below. Examine them to get ideas for your own. They’ve been organized by category. Any character can take abilities from any category, but it may be easier to choose a category or two that define your character and take most of the abilities from them.

Artistic Abilities

Freeload (Instinct)

Freeload is used to get free meals and shelter. Your character can’t really get wealthy using Freeload, but you can manage to survive even if broke, which isn’t bad.

Create (Instinct)

Create is used for painting, sculpting, and other arts where a concrete item is created.

Story-tell (Reason)

Story-tell is used for creating or telling stories, including ballads.

Music (Instinct)

Music is used for singing and playing instruments, and represents musical talent, not lyrical talent. Music and Story-tell are often used together to make an effective song.

Sports (Vigour)

Athletic activities for keeping in shape, as a job, or impressing others. Specialisation is common.

Technical Abilities

Mechanics and electronics (Reason)

Mechanics and electronics is used in building and maintaining various gadgets, equipment and vehicles.

Pilot (Instinct)

Operating vehicles. Everything between motorcycles and huge spaceships, the extreme cases included.

Hacking (Reason)

Operating and manipulating a computer effectively. Programming and gaining access where one should not have it are notable activities.

Military Abilities

First Aid (Reason)

First Aid is simple medicine: bandaging cuts, binding broken bones, and washing out wounds. If someone’s been physically hurt, this can be used to heal them.

Melee (Vigor)

Killing and surviving in close quarters combat with or without weapons. Weapons are highly recommended, though. Also, using exoskeletons and such in melee combat.

Sense Danger (Instinct)

This ability is used to perceive anything that might physically harm your character. It is not a “sixth sense”: the danger must be somehow perceivable, if only barely. Here’s where you get those cat-like reflexes.

Tactics (Reason)

Tactics is the basic skills and techniques known by any military commander. It is used for giving orders in combat and planning attacks, including ambushes.

Shooting (Vigour)

Using and taking care of weapons that shoot targets from a range. Includes weapons installed in various vehicles.

Military training (Vigour)

The daily routines, etiquette, basic combat and technical skills, rough knowledge of organisation. Can be used when fighting in orderly situations. Generally useful as an auxiliary skill.

Explosives (Reason)

Controlled and precise use of explosives. Timed explosives, mines, excavation and sabotage. Nuking it from the orbit just to be sure.

Black ops Abilities

Stealth (Instinct)

Stealth is used to sneak up on people, hide from other characters, and conceal objects on your character’s body.

Theft (Instinct)

Theft is used for picking pockets, cutting purses, lockpicking, breaking and entering without being noticed, and safecracking, as well as any other theft-related activity.

Deceit (Reason)

Deceit is used to fool other characters, including pretending to be someone else, forge a document, or straight-out lie well.

Underworld (Reason)

Underworld is used to know information about the illegal underground, including where to buy illegal things, sell stolen goods, or know who controls organized crime.

Security (Reason)

Security is used for building, recognising, analysing, avoiding and disabling various electronic security implements, such as cameras and locks.

Assassination (Instinct)

The art of killing someone unaware of the menace. Common equipment includes poisons, long-range weaponry, discreet explosives and various fancy gadgets.

Outdoor Abilities

Surival (Reason)

Survival is used to track people or animals, know what sorts of plants and animals are present in an area and their properties, as well as set traps.

Animal Ken (Instinct)

Animal Ken is the social skill for dealing with animals, and is used to deal with domesticated animals or wild ones. Domesticated animals are much easier to control, of course, and this may be used to give them commands. For wild animals, on the other hand, this works about as far as scaring them off, or convincing them not to eat you.

Outer planets (Reason)

Measure of the character’s familiarity with strange, unexplored and hostile planets, asteroids and moons. Settling them, using them and surviving therein to the extent possible.

Academic Abilities

Psychology (Reason)

Psychology can be used to bring peace to someone via private conversation. It is the spiritual equivalent of First Aid. It also is the academic knowledge of mind and workings thereof.

Rhetorics (Reason)

Rhetorics is used to sway opinion with speech or demagoguery, and is generally used with crowds. Media makes it an effective tool for crowd manipulation.

Biochemistry (Reason)

Biology and chemistry. Knowledge and research of nature (of several worlds) and processes happening therein.

Physics (Reason)

Knowledge of space, relativity, quantum mechanics and various less exotic fields of physics. Used for surviving the process of gating.

Research (Reason)

Research is the valued skill of finding and interpreting highly specific and useful information to solve a particular problem.

Diplomacy (Instinct)

Diplomacy is used for negotiating treaties between corporations, nations and other large groups.

Politics (Reason)

Knowledge of the various political parties, shadowy or influential organisations, military establishments and important people. Manipulating the aforementioned for one’s selfish benefit.

Social Abilities

Sway (Instinct)

Sway is used to affect individuals through conversation. Unlike Orate, this works better one-on-one, and the character being swayed may not even realize your character’s intentions.

Savoir-Faire (Instinct)

Savoir-Faire is used to act smooth, dance, get a kiss from a lady, and get another character into your character’s bedchambers.

Etiquette (Reason)

Etiquette is used to know your way around a society, including knowing who is important and where to get favors. It is the non-illegal society equivalent of Streetwise.

Pray (Vigor)

Pray is used for meditation, blessing actions, and performing religious rituals. It involves the character’s belief that she is connected to something better than her.

Discern Truth (Instinct)

Discern Truth is used to tell if someone is being honest, or read a person’s intentions.

Athletics (Vigor)

This is a measure of raw physicality and fitness. It is used for running, jumping, swimming, climbing, or any other strength-based task not listed as a separate ability.

Finances (Reason)

Investments, stock markets, accounting, keeping one’s finances in order, finding items of quality at affordable prices.

I mandags mødtes jeg med min nye rollespilsgruppe, som består af folk i og omkring Randers. Det var lidt en sejr bare at kunne samle fem voksne mennesker til noget rollespil – og så var alle endda (nogle mere tøvende end andre) nysgerrige for at finde ud af, hvad det-der indie er for noget. I gruppen er bla. René, som var en af de første, jeg spillede rollespil med for alt for mange år siden.

Vi lagde ud med en snak om forventninger og så kastede vi os ud i en hurtig gang TSOY/Solar System med udgangspunkt i et lille scenarie, jeg har fået af Jason Morningstar og som drejer sig om Robin Hood og hans lystige svende. Vi havde Little John, Friar Tuck, Midge the miller’s son og Will Scarlett i spil. De fire helte opsøgte Robin, som de troede lå syg hos Red Roger – men det var, selvfølgelig, en fælde, og masser af forviklinger, kampe og sjov og ballade fulgte. Mest memorable scene var vel, da Midge kælkede på en afrevet dør ned af en trappe, over hovederne på 10 soldater, der forsøgte at fange de lystige svende.

Det var en sjov aften, som dog også bød på lidt for traditionelt spil. Noget af skylden ligger klart på mine skuldre – jeg kørte flere ting som rent task resolution, fx. Jeg skal lige vænne mig til systemet – og ikke mindst til at have fire spillere. Jeg er vant til at spille med to spillere, som jeg kender godt – fire nye spillere er lidt en udfordring. Men det skal nok komme til at flyde bedre. Specielt glæder jeg mig til, at vi selv skaber spilpersoner og dermed får lidt mere investering i dem.

Planen er nu, at vi skal spille en række forskellige spil. Og jeg har svært lyst til at spille MLWM!

Uma das ideias que tinha pensado para pôr em prática no Sopa do RPG era a produção de materiais originais de introdução ao RPG em língua portuguesa baseados nos poucos RPGs na nossa língua quase disponíveis no mercado. Eventualmente iria postar aqui algumas apresentações/apreciações do Mundo das Trevas e Vampiro: o Requiém da Devir (edição brasileira do jogos de terror misterioso e gótico da americana White Wolf), do Manual 3D&T Alpha (RPG brasileiro de animé/mangá de acção!) e o modo como as ia usar para atrair novos jogadores e garantir a sua participação na rede de roleplayers.

Entretanto, os meus planos mudaram com ajuda do Rui Anselmo. Finalmente decidimos criar um blogue onde possamos desenvolver e publicar, de maneira gratuita, as nossas ideias para novos materiais de RPG. O blogue é recente e está localizado também no serviço da WordPress, em ideonauta.wordpress.com. Não tem nada de interessante a apresentar por enquanto mas acho que já a partir de quarta-feira será publicado a primeira secção do Sistema Solar, a edição portuguesa da versão genérica (Solar System) do sistema de regras do The Shadow of Yesterday em licença aberta Creative Commons desenvolvida e escrita pelo finlandês Eero Tuovinen. Não será único jogo para o qual se irá produzir material pois não pensamos previlegiar nenhuma filosofia ou estilo de jogo em especial. Já discutiu a possibilidade de escrever algo para o True20, Mundo das Trevas, e 3D&T respeitando os direitos dos seus autores e até a criação de jogos originais.

Até lá, acompanha-nos numa viagem pelo ideoportos do ideoespaço!

It’s really weird how I sometimes sit down and have temporarily lost interest in a lot of the games I’m designing or was previously really excited about running, only to be struck from left-field with an overwhelming desire to run something completely different.

Today, for example, I’m really excited about setting aside Transantiago, The Snow Queen, and Agonia to pick up my notes (posted April 17 & 18, 2007) for running Continuum using the Solar System / The Shadow of Yesterday.

Specifically, I’m actually thinking about reviving a novice corner (warning: Continuum jargon begins here) called “All Tomorrow’s Parties” that I ran in a play-by-email-game in 2001 or so. That game never really went that far but included Jack Aidley (Game Chef 2004 winner) of all people. For some crazy reason, I decided to set that game in Coventry, England, but I think a new version of that corner should be set in Cambridge or Somerville. One of the best things about All Tomorrow’s Parties, as a corner, was me getting to play their rather unconventional mentor, Gibson, who was himself a reformed Narcissist. Gibson’s younger self, then, was the leading mastermind behind many of the Narc attacks within ATP’s jurisdiction.

Already, I’m pondering an opening session involving an incident where a Narc takes off from a plane in Logan and is effectively fragging Somerville and Cambridge from the air (I’ve noticed a lot of low-flying planes recently, definitely within the 1 mile range of a Span 1). Everybody loves spanning through the air, after all…

Through talking with Eric about how to make Keys work in a competitive environment, we came up with this. It seems right to call it “Hubris,” but that already has a designation in Agon, the kinda shakey rules for Bringing Down the Pain in non-combat situations. While I think that idea has potential, I think it’s unfortunate that such an important term got paired with mechanics that are less than stellar in play (both confusing and overly complicated). In any case, this is my second best choice for names, though it has a more Christian / Agonia connotation, thanks to Ecclesiastes.

VANITIES

The heroes are not merely passable warriors, but the best there is at what they do. However, considering yourself to be the pinnacle of human achievement in particular respects means that you often have to step up and prove your worth to would be challengers. That’s what these rules do.

Vanities are ideals that a hero strives to hold themselves to, despite whatever odds stand against them. They generally come in a couple different forms:

1. Tied To An Ability (“I am the greatest horseman who ever lived” / “The sweetest singer since Orpheus”).

2. Tied To A Personal Code (“I will never allow a child to come to harm” / “Ill-guarded riches deserve to be plundered”).

3. Tied to a Particular Quest. Quests themselves are already Key-like, in that you gain Glory for completing them, so you can’t tie Vanities to their completion. You may, when appropriate, tie Vanities to completing Quests in a particular fashion. For example, “We shall leave none of those foul demon-worshippers alive” or “By my honor, it shall be done within a fortnight.”

Vanities should generally not be tied to Oaths, as they are often fickle and fleeting in Agon, as one hero tries to gain advantage over another. If you owe someone an Oath, you owe them an Oath, but you don’t need to stake your entire purpose on repaying them.

INVOKING VANITIES

Vanities are flags that the GM and other players should hammer against as much as they like. If you take the Vanity, “I will not allow a child to come to harm,” what you are effectively saying is put children in danger so my character can show off his devotion to their safety by protecting them. Or if you claim you’ll complete the Quest in a fortnight, you’re saying please place all manner of obstacles in my path, attempting to delay my journey, so I can speedily overcome them. When such a situation occurs you have three choices:

Choice A: Attempt to act in accord with your Vanity, as normal. Save the children!

Choice B: Stake part of your character’s valor on preserving their Vanity. Take a -2 to all rolls directly involving saving the children (in combat, this generally means a penalty to hit those who would harm children or a penalty to shielding them from harm, not to positioning, armor, abilities, and the rest). However, if you succeed in your Vanity, gain an extra 2 Glory (in combat, double the Glory you would normally get for killing Vanity-related foes), as you have proven your devotion and your deeds will thusly be remembered.

Choice C: If you have recently staked your valor on this Vanity and failed, abandon this Vanity. Maybe you will still try to save the children, maybe you won’t, but you’ve come to realize that it’s not as important to you as before; it isn’t what gives your life and deeds meaning. You gain 5 Glory and a point of Fate for abandoning a Vanity, as you grow in infamy and tragedy.

Quest-based Vanities are abandoned, without consequence, if the Quest is completed. If the Quest is abandoned, heroes with Vanities related to that Quest gain an additional point of Fate.

GAINING VANITIES

Characters can start with a Vanity, if their player likes. If not, they can be gained in play. This typically happens when…

1. Raising a Trait to d10 or d12. You’re pretty good at this. Maybe you’re the best there is?

2. When You Encounter Something That Offends Your Personal Code. Wait, let’s get this straight. There is a golden cow statue that is being transported on an unarmed ceremonial barge to the Temple of Zeus… and your group of heroes is not going after it? You’re appalled!

3. Taking on a Quest. Bah, you could complete this Quest blindfolded. Clearly you should up the challenge by claiming that you’ll complete it even more gloriously than required.