Fiction - Numenera: Awakening to Need

Image owned by Monte Cook Games

Garthax awoke from the midnight black of hypersleep. He felt odd. There was a no feeling of mental refreshment as he would gain from normal sleep, but his body felt rejuvenated and ready. The medical systems in the hypersleep chamber had clearly worked as intended, repairing the wounds to his body, and saving his life. Still he wished for real sleep.

The panel before him slowly began to turn translucent allowing the physical darkness of the hypersleep couch to slowly illuminate with soft blue light, and banishing sleep from his mind. As translucency became transparency Garthax became aware that he was being watched. A pair of the primitives were peering at him through the transparent barrier while a third stood at the control panel of his hypersleep chamber. They looked different from the last time he had seen their kind, and that one of them could operate his ship's controls, even those as basic as the hypersleep couch, spoke volumes of their progress during the time he had slept. Garthax wondered just how far this hypersleep had carried him into the future.

As the medi-computer analyzed the ambient atmosphere and adjusted Garthax's lung structure to compensate for compositional drift Garthax tapped the audio sensors and ran the primitive's language through his linguistic cerebral symbiote. To his surprise Garthx found that they spoke a language that had deep roots in Kellax-trall. The symbiote assured Garthax of a 93% comprehensional match.

At last the chamber opened, and the primitives excitedly backed away. Two, wearing metallic armor and wielding crude weaponry took position in front of the third, a thin elderly female. "Careful, Jessita, we don't know what it'll do," the largest of the three, and clearly an alpha male, said.

"No harm will be offered in exception of return in kind," Garthax spoke firmly, unsure if the symbiote had fully mastered the syntax of this strange variant language. "How came your entry to this place?"

The elderly female brusquely pushed her way forward, "We seek aid in defense of our home." She looked Garthax up and down and nodded her head, "We beseech you, oh ancient traveller, to aid us in the defense of the people of Ellomyr."

Find the Numenera 2 Kickstarter campaign here.

Story Seed - Regret

Image Source: http://mleth.deviantart.com/art/Landscape-592994056

My final goodbye. I couldn't say how I knew. Pain wasn't new to me. Nor was weariness. I'd been walking the Walk for so long I can hardly remember anything before I began it. But today was different, my old body was wearing thin. Pains that I usually dismissed or ignored, caused me to wince and stifle groans. And for the first time in many months I woke tired; weary to the bone and feeling that this was more than just a bad night's sleep.

Looked up to the early morning sky, the moon rode low in the west, a gibbous egg shape belted in green and ragged along one edge where the the treeline broke the otherwise smooth shape. The stars shone in a blanket of deep blue that faded as I turned eastward. The horizon was already taking on the golden light of pre-dawn. I wondered for the ten thousandth time how it was that decades of walking the Path had seemingly brought me no closer to the end, or even a return to the beginning.

For the first time I found myself thinking that the Wandering Walk might be a futile lie; a path to nowhere walked by those hoping to find meaning in what none were willing to admit was a meaningless journey to nowhere. Was that a pain in my heart or in my soul that stirred in my breast? I don't know which.

I took my time to pack my meager belongings. My pack was light, but with time even a light pack becomes a heavy load. When at last I was ready I shrugged into my pack and found it heavy; the straps cut into my shoulders and the load seemed to drag me down. I grunted, settling the pack until I felt it sat as comfortably as it could.

At last I could delay no longer. The first unimpeded rays of dawn light were already lancing across the landscape and casting long golden limned shadows. I set out at last, a twinge of pain etching every movement with acid. After an hour I reached for the cypher I had carried for so many years and pressed it to my skull just behind my ear. I felt the pain slide away. "Farewell my home," I said.

I never felt it when my body collapsed to the ground. I never felt my body's passing. I never again set foot along the Wandering Walk. The datasphere has been my home ever since, and I feel neither pain nor want. I have learned the truth of many things, but the saddest truth of them all is this: I was almost at the end.

Story Seed - Storm Center

Image Source: http://twpictures.deviantart.com/art/Landscape-Concept-574974463

The storm rotated around the two jagged towers. Some kind of white metal from a past age, they jutted upward like knives, stabbing at the sky. I pulled the oiled canvas cloak tighter around me, as another gust of wind brought a slashing fall of water droplets that stung like tiny darts. I trudged along the road, wondering if the tightly fitted slabs were built in the same age as the towers.

An hour later the winds suddenly died out as I crossed into the eyes of the storm. I stared upward in awe, watching and wondering how the towers maintained the twin interlocked vortexes. I pulled my gaze away and looked across the plain to the towers again, they seemed barely closer; I guessed they were a good five or more miles off. The eyes of the storm must be a dozen miles across each, rotating around each other and around some point above the towers. I shook the rain from my cloak and started again for the towers.

Another two hours later and I finally neared the ancient structures. Smaller, needle thin towers hundreds of feet high dotted the grounds around the towers. Like their larger brothers they seemed to be manufactured of a silvery white metal and even on inspection I could see no seam or join. I approached the taller of the two towers and wonder how many thousands of strides high it was. An unrelieved surface stared back. I wondered how many other nanos before me had stood here stymied by these strange relics of days gone bye.

I smiled and removed the small flat pane of glass I'd paid so dearly for. Within the glass lights and symbols seemed held in stasis. I placed the object flat on the tower face and tentatively removed my hands. It hung there for a moment before sliding into the silvery metal as thought it were melting. I held my breath in anticipation and was relieved when a narrow seam formed an ideal rectangular outline. The rectangle became a depression as the metal seemed to sink into itself, finally revealing an opening. Grinning I stepped inside.

Nuts & Bolts #104 - RPG Blog Carnival - 1d20 Weird Omens

This month's carnival host +Phil Nicholls suggested I post a list of potential omens suitable for Numenera as a follow up to my post last week, which I thought was a really weird and interesting idea. Ergo, I set myself to 1d20 worth of Numenera omens!

The basic format here will be number, omen sign, omen meaning. If I need to deviate from this I'll make note of that somehow.

1. A wild Seskii is following you. Danger from wild predators. 
• Seskii are drawn to humans enough that they may even intervene if they have been treated well. 
2. A Philethis sighting. A common omen, such as it is. Most people assume rightly that it means something important is about to happen; the tricky part is figuring out what thing is actually important. 
3. Red lightning on the horizon. This is commonly held to indicate when the datasphere will go mysteriously silent for a day or three. 
4. The green band of the moon being absent during the night of the midsummer full moon. A poor harvest season is coming.
5. A child born with gills in the Beyond. If the child lives it means great fortune for them, if it dies it means flooding rains are coming.
6. Purple light at dawn. You will encounter an ultraterrestrial that day.
7. An intact dessicated amphibian in the road. The Iron Wind is coming.
8. Oily black rain. Good fortune for craftspeople. 
9. Biting ones tongue. You will find shins today.
10. A dud cypher during a new moon. You will lose a limb soon. 
11. Finding a shin in your meat. Disease or other illness within the next month.
12. Seeing a cloud shaped like a creature. A warning from the datasphere to beware of said creature.
13. One of your oddities cease to function. 
• In Ghan this means stormy weather is coming
• In the Beyond this indicates that you will learn something significant soon.
14. One of your shins begins to blink. The datasphere has an answer for you, though you may not yet know the question.
15. An all white Shanu crossing your path. Bad luck for the rest of the month (lunar cycle).
16. A falling star (meteor) in blue. Fair weather.
17. An all red bird in winter. Death.
18. Your drink loses it bubbles/head/aroma quickly. You will meet a new freind soon.
19. Breaking mirror by accident. You will discover a lie or secret soon.
20. A sweet taste in your mouth after using the datasphere. The knowledge you gained will come to bad ends. 

Nuts & Bolts #75 - Hacking the Cypher System - Cypher System Focus - Opens Doors

The University of Doors. The Dark Tower. Beetlejuice. Locke & Key. The TARDIS. Howl's Moving Castle.

All of those and more brought this idea to bloom. I hope you enjoy, and if you ever use this please let me know if you did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Opens Doors

Doors at their most simple are amazing things. They are portals between two places that can allow or bar passage between those places. However, some doors are more than simple passages through walls into adjacent space. Some doors breach the barriers of space, time, and even cross dimensions. With the right door, and the right key, a single step can carry you to new places, new worlds, or even new states of being.

You have studied doors extensively. You understand how to find doors that are hidden, open doors that are barred, and know how to travel the secret paths between doors. With enough training you can connect even forge new connections between doors no matter how far apart they are.

Connection:

1. Pick one other PC. You helped them to escape captivity.
2. Pick one other PC. You stumbled into their life while fleeing through a door.
3. Pick one other PC. You are both seeing something in common.
4. Pick one other PC. You believe that they know of a door you are looking for.

Minor effect suggestion: You forge a connection to the target door, and can find it without fail for the next 24 hours.

Major effect suggestion: You gain a moment of insight into the ways between doors and learn the true location of a door previously unknown to you.

Tier 1: 

Skeleton Key -  You have a key that you created yourself. It can change itself so as to fit into the lock of any door so long as that door uses a key. If lost or destroyed you can create a new key with 8 hours of work and appropriate materials to craft a replacement. Enabler.

The Key Opens the Way (2 Intellect) -  Using your Skeleton Key you can open any locked door so long as it's lock possesses a physical key. This ability will not work for doors that use passwords, codes, biometrics, telepathic locks, or other more exotic forms of security. Action.

Tier 2:

A knowledge of locks. - Your experience with locks has grown substantial. Your key only opens locked doors, but you don't let that stop you. You are trained in all tasks related to opening locks. Enabler

Navigating the ways. - You have looked for the hidden doors & keys that open hidden ways through space, time, and dimensions. Doors no longer bar your way but instead grant you access to all the places you wish to visit. You are trained in all tasks relating to finding and identifying doors, and navigating the secret paths between doors. Enabler.

 Tier 3:

Open the Way (5 Intellect) - You use your Skeleton Key to open a door and in so doing you ply your will to open a way between this door and any other door within 1 mile that you know of. The way remains open until either door is closed again. Alternately if the door in question is attuned to another door, regardless of distance or location, you can open the path to that location. Action.

Tier 4:

Specialized with locks. You are now specialized in all tasks related to opening locks. Enabler.

Sense the Paths (3 Intellect) - You can spend a moment attuning yourself to the energy of the ways and sense any doors attuned to paths linked with other locations within 1 mile of your location. Action. 

Tier 5:

Follow the Way - The range of Open the Way increases to any door on your world that you know of. Enabler

Specialized in Navigating - Your knowledge of the hidden ways between doors and dimensions is now at its zenith. You are specialized in all tasks relating to finding and identifying doors, and navigating the secret paths between doors. Enabler.

Tier 6:

The Infinite Door (8 Intellect) - You use your Skeleton Key to open a door creating a pathway through space to any location you know the name of within your solar system. For each level of effort applied you can increase the distance (1 level of effort for anywhere in the galaxy, 2 levels of effort for anywhere in the universe), or you can breach dimensional barriers and open a pathway to another reality (the GM determined the exact amount of effort required to access the target dimension) . Unless you have the name of a specific door, or have personally been to the target location, you cannot choose exactly what door you will exit from. Action.

Holiday Interlude 2015 #1 - Octoclaus the Santapus

Image Source: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Christmas-Octopus-576097736

Since I am on vacation for the holidays I am going "off script" and not following my normal update schedule. Instead I am going to be presenting some holiday themed goodies. I also did this last year with a Gingerbread Dragon and Gingerbread Ninjas.

Today we start with one for Numenera. Octoclaus the Santapus is a member of the intelligent octopus races of the deep oceans. Sustained by relics of a prior world Octoclaus is immeasurably old, and possesses great powers. Among those technologies is a Temporal Prism that allows Octoclaus to exist across time and space. Nobody knows why, but Octoclaus uses the temporal prism to give gifts to noble ninth world citizens all at the same time.

Octoclaus the Santapus

Level 6 (TN 18)

Motive: reward the good people of the ninth world

Health: 18 • Armor: 0 • Damage: 4

Movement: immediate on land, short in water, or teleport almost any distance by using the temporal prism

Modifications: Speed defense as level 8

Combat: Octoclaus prefers to avoid combat and will retreat given the first opportunity. If need be he will use the temporal prism to flee in time and/or space. Octoclaus will take part in combat activities only if an innocent and good person is in trouble and needs his help, but he will prefer to save the person using the prism first, and stay in combat to fight second.

Interaction: Octoclaus prefers to reward people anonymously when possible, but will gladly converse with heroic characters.

Uses: Octoclaus may show up to reward a heroic PC or PCs, or the characters may learn of his legend and set a trap for this time traveling creature.

GM Intrusion: Octoclaus arrives to help heroic characters in a battle that is going poorly for them.

Loot: Octoclaus always has 1d6 cyphers on him at any time to give to people who make the ninth world a better place. Octoclaus also wears a strange red and white hat that has unknown properties.

Temporal Prism

This artifact is a large faceted crystal that shows a different image on each face. It is a level 10 artifact that allows the user to travel up to a year forward or backward in time and anywhere on the planet. Depletion 1 in d6.

Story Seed - Last of Her Line

Image Source: http://infinitecog.deviantart.com/art/Corrupted-Princess-423172933

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. The sickness, infection, whatever you call it; it is progressing ever faster."

"There is nothing? Anything, we are a wealthy country, no price is too high!"

"I have already tried all my tricks, my medicines, and my artifacts of power. The corruption is has shown no heed to any of them. Whatever has caused this I can neither say nor lift. I am shamed to admit it lies beyond my knowledge."

The Chancellor's face fell, "Then we are truly lost. Without the princess the bloodline will end and the country can only die."

"That seems a bit apocalyptic doesn't it Chancellor? Surely-"

"No, you misunderstand, the country survives only by the will of the royal blood. Our borders repel invasion through great relics of old, but only those of the blood can maintain the relics."

"Let's me see these relics then; perhaps I cannot save your princess, but mayhap I can save your country..."

Story Seed - One Man's Trash

Image Source: http://balaskas.deviantart.com/art/Scrapland-469338729

"Truly it is everything that you claimed Wrenph. A treasure trove of the numenera unlike any I have ever seen."

Wrenph nodded silently as he leaned on his staff. The nano had requested a steep price for the life of his wife, one that most could not have met. Wrenph was not most however. He was a student of the past himself, and trading in numenera was his primary source of income. Showing Kiolaj this place was a small price to pay for his wife's health however. "You are satisfied, yes? My wife you will cure now?"

Kiolaj patted his thuman companion as the creature dug about in the thick carpet of metal, synth, and glass components. "Yes. Yes, this is truly your side of our deal fulfilled." The red robed man knelt down and scooped up a double handful of small items, filtering them through loose fingers until a single cube half the size of his palm remained. He turned the cube over in his hands, amazed that such a rare find was simply lying here amidst so much else.

Kiolaj reached into his robes and withdrew a vial. "Give her the contents of this vial as directly as you can manage, an injector would be best. She should recover within one passage of the moon. If not find me again, here, and I will give you another dose." The thuman returned with an object made up of a bundle of metal and synth rods and dropped it into the nano's hand. "I fear I shall be here for some time before my thirst for the numenera is slaked."

Wrenph bowed, "There is enough for a lifetime here. Just do not drown yourself trying to quench that thirst."

Story Seed - Letter to Home

Image Source: http://kashivan.deviantart.com/art/Tyrant-of-an-Empty-Land-561939476

My Dearest Lyrinae,

Truly the south is one vast wasteland of ice, snow and the most bitter cold. I am reminded of the vastness of Matheunis or Kataru, though even Matheunis seemed warm by comparison, and Kataru's grasses relieved the eye in the way that the endless snow never can.

I am chilled to my very bones, and even the liberal use of my esoteries seem unable to restore warmth to my flesh. Would that I could have your touch to warm me. I shall keep you in my mind as I continue south, for even if my flesh freezes my spirit will be warm just from your memory.

This land is not without its inhabitants however, though even those who are friendly to wanderers such as I are alien and cold. Most speak in strange tongues I cannot understand, and those who I manage to communicate with ask questions I cannot answer. Though I know how I got here I do not know where here is, and I, for all my studies, have not one idea how the machine that sent me here functions. Perhaps now we know why none have ever exited the Dome of Mysteries that had entered it.

Worst still is the sky at night; the stars are unlike those of our home, and gone is the moon and its mysterious green belt. Instead three misshapen orbs traverse the sky at various speeds. One is swift, crossing so swiftly the sky that it can pass from horizon to horizon twice in a night. Another hangs ever present over the land, night and day both. Truly I am no longer on the world we call home.

My heart breaks at the thought that I may perish here, unable to gaze upon you once more, and worse still that you may never know my fate. If this message should reach you I may never know, but that the cypher still functions gifts me with hope that you may perhaps hear me say these words once more: You are my most beloved, and my heart will be yours until I perish, be it here in this frozen world, or at some distant future time in the warmth of our shared bed.

With love forevermore,
Kallel

Story Seed - Home, Sweet Home

Image Source: http://grungetv.deviantart.com/art/Wizard-s-Watch-308947076

"What is that?"

Lazil didn't bother to look up, it was obvious from the young boy's tone what he had seen. "That is my home, and now it is your home as well, until such time as you complete your apprenticeship." The old nano scowled at the device in his hands, muttering some choice obscenities in a long dead language as he did. The device was tucked away for further study.

"It's quite large," Ruva observed with a tinge of amazement; his entire village would probably fill less than half of it.

"That," Lazil remarked, "is no more than the bit of ice above the fluid."

Ruva flicked the aneen's reigns with one hand, keeping the creature moving at a steady pace, dragging the fantastic hovering cart they rode in along with it. "So the whole of it is what, ten times as large?" For a boy of nine Ruva possessed a keen mind and was already an accomplished student of the numenera. He had only ever seen the small trinkets that made their way into the village as trade. Those oddities, cyphers, and the occasional artifact -often already burned out and useless- had been his sole insight into the numenera. Despite that he had impressed Lazil enough for the nano to request the boy as an apprentice rather than the reverse.

"Very good boy, very good indeed," Lazil praised. "But if you think it is impressive now wait until you see it from within," he added mysteriously. The old nano stood on the seat of the cart, swaying with its motion, and scanning the surrounding fields and horizon. "First though, we must ensure that none see how we enter. Including you boy. I have my secrets and you will learn them in time, but not until you are ready and not until you have earned the appropriate level of trust."

Ruva looked up at his new master, "Yes sir, I understand. The explorers from the village would tell of bandits who sought to steal what others had paid for in hard work or hard coin." He gasped as he saw an opening form in the structure before them, he had not seen any device or manipulation of the data- or nano-spirits.

Lazil smiled down at his new apprentice, already proving himself more astute than many adults. "And always on the lookout for a trove of the numenera such as mine. Come, drive the beast inside, the way is open. Welcome to your new home."

Nuts & Bolts #49 - 9th World Icons

What are Icons? Icons are part of the 13th Age's "Archmage Engine" and I have discussed them previously in this blog. I can also point you to the SRD webpage or download the PDF direct from Pelgrane Press (also on DriveThruRPG).

The short version is that they are the big movers and shakers in a game setting. The folks who wield the most mortal influence on the world and can help to make thing happen, or prevent them from doing so. More importantly to your story though they act as touchstones for your characters, people for whom the PCs may be working for, or against, and can help generate good roleplay moments through the complications they provide.

Using Icons

How are Icons going to help spur cool roleplaying? Well when characters are created they get a certain number of relationship points to divide as they see fit among as many icons as they see fit (limited by their points). These can be positive, negative, or conflicted relationships, or a combination. Conflicted relationships are just that; sometimes these powerful figures will be one your side, and others not, and there may be some layer of complexity beyond simple enmity or allegiance.

Using three starting points you could have a character with a minor positive relationship with the Archmage (1), and a significantly negative relationship with the Warlord (2). At the start of a given session/adventure the players roll d6s for each point in each relationship on a 5 or 6 that relationship will come up during play.

So I roll a d6 for the Archmage and get a 4, and 2d6 for the Warlord and get a 2 and a 6. I keep the 6 and at some point during play I can "spend" that to gain some kind of meaningful advantage from that relationship. I may be able to spend that to gain help from others who oppose the Warlord as I do, or I may be able to use my enmity with the Warlord to intimidate some of his lackies. Had I rolled a 5 I would still be able to gain an advantage, but it would also cost me something, complicating the story in some way; perhaps the lackies return to the Warlord and now I have a war party coming to hunt me down!

Icons in Numenera

Having already gone into detail on what they are and why I think they are cool I'd like to propose some potential Icons for use in the Ninth World. These Icons are suggestions that I think would be an appropriate fit for the world of Numenera and who would make excellent allies and enemies for the players.

The Amber Pope
This one is probably the easiest and most obvious. The Amber Pop reigns over the Order of Truth in the Steadfast and by extension has power over almost all of the region's major governments, organizations, and monarchs. The Pope is motivated to lift humanity out of its current dark(ish) age by reclaiming the numenera for use. That the Order of Truth is beginning to steer its followers toward a religious bent as a means to do so may not go over well for everybody however.

The Grand Magister 
If the Order of Truth seeks understanding of the numenera for the betterment of all mankind, the Convergence would be its direct opposite with members seeking the same knowledge and understanding as a means of power and control. Therefore the Grand Magister would be the Amber Pope's opposite, with only loose control and personal gain in mind. Where the Order is vast and numerous the membership of the Convergence is small and elite, but no less powerful.

The Lucid Dreamseeker
The Jagged Dream seeks to see the world burn with conflict, and they have spread like a cancer throughout the world. Though the cult operates in a cell structure, there is one dreamseeker who secretly controls all, pulling the strings of war and conflict with one hand, while using the other to forge great nations and powerful groups for latter use. The goals of the Jagged Dream oppose those of the Order of Truth, but do not always interfere with the Convergence and at times the two might align, though seldom in a way that both parties would realize.

The Bandit Queen
The woman known as Dissicaeli (Numenera Bestiary pg 146) currently holds this position. She is a warlord like no other with a thirst for personal power and wealth. Her tactics involve raiding and pillaging those who have to amass her fortunes. Luckily for the Steadfast she has contained herself to the Pytharon Empire thus far, but for a woman as powerful as her it is only a matter of time before she sets sights on something or somewhere greater.

The Paladin
This Icon assumes a slight alteration to the Angulan Knights as written; instead of being a decentralized fraternity (though they are not male exclusive that term just feels like a good fit) of knights the is in fact a single knight chosen to assume the role of the Paladin. This man or woman is chosen in secret only by the Grand Knights. It is the Paladin who make policy and guides the Angulan Knights with a subtle hand toward whatever goals the original Angule laid down in secret some 350 years ago.

The Evolutionary
While mutants in the Ninth World don't have their own kingdom or society, or even a unified philosophy there has always been an Evolutionary. One mutant who above all others stands for the rights of their kind against whatever oppression may come. The current Evolutionary is a woman named Mila the Mindslayer (Numenera Bestiary pg 154). She has taken it upon herself to wage a war against the Angulan Knights above all others, setting herself on a collision course with the Paladin.

~~~~~~~~~

These are just a few ideas that jump out at me as being cool ways to introduce additional layers of world detail and allow the players to have their hands in some of the larger scale machinations within the Steadfast. 13th Age has thirteen icons to work with, and they each have their own conflicts and alliances with the other icons. If one were inclined toward using Icons in Numenera there is nothing to stop you  from creating only six, ten, or even twenty icons as you saw fit. You could broaden your scope the the world in total, or keep it narrowed to a small section.

Hopefully this will give you some ideas to potentially consider using Icons in Numenera, or maybe in some other game. I think the core concept is mechanically light enough, and robust enough in its roleplay elements that it can fit into just about any kind of game within any setting.

Some Poll Results and a New Poll

A couple of weeks back I put up some informal straw polls for the various Cypher System games looking to see what 3rd party support people were interested in. I thought I would post the current results here:

Cypher System

My first poll was to see what people wanted out of the Cypher System:

• 51% said Settings
• 25% said Adventures
• 18% wanted more Foci
• 3% wanted more Descriptors
• and 3% had other requests that were more specific

The day after I asked what format people wanted adventures to be in:

• 48% wanted to see the Instant Adventure format 
• 26% wanted Fully Plotted Campaigns 
• 16% wanted Adventure Seed or Ideas
• 9% wanted Fully Plotted One-Off Adventures

I also asked if people wanting settings wanted something new or something adapted:

• 62% wanted new Original Settings
• 38% wanted Adapted Settings

Based on the (almost) 2 to 1 preference for Original Settings, I created a new survey. This one is a bit more detailed in order to capture some additional thoughts on settings and what people want to see. Please CLICK HERE to respond. You'll need a Google account to reply (I did this to avoid people being able to reply multiple times).

Numenera

Since I asked what people wanted in support of Cypher System I figured I would do the same for Numenera:

• 70% wanted more Adventures
• 15% was new Descriptors and/or Visitants
• 8% wanted to see more Setting Detail
• 6% wanted new Foci
• and 2% had other requests that were more specific

The Strange

Since I asked what people wanted in support of Cypher System I figured I would do the same for The Strange:

• 79% wanted more Adventures
• 11% wanted more Recursions
• 7% wanted new Foci
• and 4% had other requests that were more specific

Review - Agents of the Beyond

Near as I can tell it's been a good twenty plus years since I last reviewed a book that wasn't a gaming supplement. So how do I approach a "book report" as an adult?

I have no idea. I'm going to wing it and hope this all makes sense on the back end.

Disclosure: While I was not provided with a freebie of this for review, I do know the author ... though he did help kill at least one of my DCC characters at GenCon this year, so I don't think I owe him anything.

So Agents of the Beyond is the first full length novel set in the Ninth World of the Numenera RPG. It may also end up being the only 3rd party novel as well, but we shall see. First off let me say that knowledge of the game setting is not required to read the book. Michael does an excellent job laying the groundwork of the setting and bringing the reader into the world. Starting off at the Beyond's most famous landmark the Beanstalk helps to drive home the setting's mixture of high and low tech, old and new worlds. We get introduced to the main characters there before things go topsy turvy and they are pushed into a journey across the Beyond toward Nebalich.

Because this is a book and not a travel journal it is safe to assume things do not go according to plan, and the second half of the book comprises a significant diversion for the characters that results in some major upheaval. Along the way some mysteries of the past are uncovered and revealed, while some of the horrors of the present day are dragged into the light.

It took me a little while to get into the book, but I'm not sure how much that is an aspect of the story or my own reading habits. In this instance I can say that for a good portion of the first third to half of the novel I wasn't sure if one of the mains was somebody I was supposed to like or not. That is often the sign of a good story and good writing; after all, if either of those is poor you tend to lose interest rather than feel conflicted over one or more characters.

The action and adventure are also well plotted and written. The use of cyphers, which is so key to the game play of the RPG, features heavily throughout the narrative. Discoveries of the prior worlds feature heavily into the story as well.

Come this all together and the Agents of the Beyond was a pleasurable read, a fun jaunt into the Ninth World, and a good entry into the setting for people who might be on the fence for a RPG.

Nuts & Bolts #46 - Death is but a door...

So, normally I try to keep this blog somewhat system ... neutral? But the fact is that I play a lot of Cypher System, and that's because I really enjoy it, and it is very very capable for the kind of play I like. So while I aim to continue bringing content that is useful for any RPG there will be stuff that is Cypher System specific, and maybe even stuff specific to other RPGs from time to time.

That said, this week I present a new Cypher System descriptor. It's a "racial" descriptor in that it makes some very specific changes to your character that makes them no longer "human" in a very tangible mechanical sense. Could I have approached this as a Focus instead? Yes, and no. The character I created this for is meant to be a spellslinger, that he is dead is color for the Casts Spells focus. Could I make a "Survived Past Death" focus that was all about playing a Ghost who is ghostly? Sure! And maybe I will sometime.

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Spectral

You have died, however your spirit has not left the mortal coil. Instead you, or someone else, has attached your soul to a relic of your former life. With time and effort you have learned how to create a mostly solid form out of ectoplasm that you can inhabit and through it you are able to interact with the world. It's not life, but it's not undeath either.

Beyond Life and Death -  You  are imbued with energy from beyond the grave, you get 4 additional points to divide among your stat Pools, but no pool may gain more than +2.

Earthly Relic - Your spirit is attached to some earthly relic of your former life. This could be a preserved portion of your former body, a phylactery, or some other item of significance to you in life. Regardless of the specifics your soul is bound to that item and returns to it when you “rest”. Your relic has 10 health and an armor rating of 2 if somebody tries to destroy it. Your soul is forever lost if your relic is destroyed while you are resting within it. If your relic is destroyed while you are inhabiting your ectoplasmic form you will feel its loss and need to create a new spirit anchor (a level 5 Intellect task).

Ectoplasmic form - As a spirit you cannot interact with the material realm without first creating an ectoplasmic body to  give you substance. Because you are already dead your ectoplasmic form is immune to poison and disease, and has a natural resistance to damage equal to armor 1. It takes approximately 1 minute to form your ectoplasmic body.

Slowed Recovery - Because you are dead and inhabit a simulacrum of ectoplasm, you do not recover like a living being; your recoveries take longer than normal. Instead of having recovery times of 1 turn, 10 minutes, 1 hour, and ten hours, you recover using the following intervals: 10 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 10 hours. Ectoplasm recovers more predictably however so you treat any 1s rolled on a recovery roll as a 2.

Feel Nothing - Your ectoplasmic form does not have the physical senses of smell or touch and you have an inability with any tasks that require those senses. However you also do not feel pain as a living creature. Most physical wounds will not pain you unless dealt by spirit bane materials (such as salt, iron, a feline, etc, depending on your setting). While you are impaired on the damage track, you function as if you were hale. When you become debilitated, your ectoplasmic form is immediately destroyed (dropping any equipment it held or carried) and you are banished to your Earthly Relic to recover. Until you recover from being debilitated you can take no actions other than communicating with anybody who is touching your relic.

A Lifetime of Experience - You retain your memories of life, though some have become hazy when viewed through the veil of death. You are trained in one non-combat (attack, defense, or initiative) skill of your choice. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Of course not every setting or genre works to have ghostly PCs wandering around. This Descriptor could easily be relabeled as Holographic for a Science-Fiction game with the relic being instead some form of portable projector and CPU. The slowed recovery would work in such a case as a power system limit or possibly a need to accumulate "particles of hard light" or similar quasi-science. This probably wouldn't work in a straight up modern day game, but maybe somebody can think of something I cannot.

Please feel free to provide thoughts, opinions, feedback, and the like. Just keep it constructive and civil. If you like this please let me know and I may post more Descriptors and maybe even some Foci.

Story Seed - Outsider

Image Source: http://evelar.deviantart.com/art/Bellus-499210897

One last (?) post inspired by +Monte Cook Games current Kickstarter Into the Ninth World.  The third book in the line is going to be called (at least for now) Into the Outside, and will deal with other dimensions that the prior worlds connected to/created/invaded/etc. I'm probably most excited for Into the Night, but Into the Outside is easily 2nd on that list, as I think this book will have the most room for the folks at MCG to really go wild!  #NinthWorldKS

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The chime jingled and I looked up from my ledger. The figure that entered my small shop was dressed in swaths of silk and brocade. Gloves pulled up to mid arm were snug on the figure's hands, and the loose and billowing legs and sleeves of their outfit were subtly quilted. A shapeless hat sat atop the figure's head which itself was further swaddled in a close fitting hood. Even the figure's face was covered, today by a mask of fine porcelain with features that were androgynous. Never once since meeting Veress had I seen even a hint of skin, hair, or other. Always when meeting with Veress the being - for I could not discern what species or sex Veress was a member of - was completely enrobed and covered.

"Veress!" I cried out excitedly. "How fares my favorite client this day?" I could not read Veress in any meaningful way, but I was truly excited because no other client seemed to be as bottomless a coin purse as Veress. I had long since ceased to feel any remorse for the exorbitant sums that I charged Veress; never once had this particular customer argued or haggled with me over price, and always I was paid as agreed.

"I am well Owan. Have you acquired the item I commissioned?" Veress' voice was disconcertingly flat and devoid of indicative pitch or timbre. I felt the flesh of my arms rise into barmskin as it always did; something about Veress' voice just didn't sit well with me.

"Indeed I do! Indeed I do!" I replied, happy both to be rid of the dangerous device and to recieve my considerable payment. "Allow me a moment and I shall return with it." I bowed toward the motionless and expressionless figure before moving into the back room of my shop. The object Veress wanted was a strange fusion of mechanics and biology; some kind of hybrid heart and power core. I had paid a group of hunters a hefty sum for the device, culled as it was from the chest of a callerail.

I came shuffling back into the shop proper and set the heavy device onto the counter. Veress leaned forward, bending at the waist, and inspected the device. "Cost a shiny shin to get one of these. Callerail are dangerous creatures, but my team managed to take one down without damaging this ... umm, whatever this is."

"It is a power regulating device," Veress said while straightening. "And it is as requested; your people did well."

I noted the odd way that Veress said "people," but I had other concerns to worry about. "What will you be needing next?" I asked, momentarily delaying the payment portion of the transaction in favor for setting up the next item to acquire for my strange client.

"I will require nothing more. This device will complete my work." Veress reached into the swadling robes and produced a small sack. The mysterious figure placed the payment onto my counter and indicated it, "Your payment as agreed." Veress began to pick up the regulator to leave.

So matter of fact; so dismissive, if not condescending. My curiosity suddenly seized the reins and got the better of me. "Wait. That's it? After six months of mysterious requests and strange hunts for exotic devices? Why have you been gathering all these things? Who are you? Why do you keep yourself so hidden?"

Veress paused, head tilting to the side slightly like a seskii. "You have never asked questions such as these before. I am surprised that do so now." The figure seemed to consider it for a moment while I struggled for a response. "Very well. The devices I have requested have been crucial components for an item of ..." Veress trailed off as though searching for a word, something else I had never seen. "A piece of the numenera, as your people call it, that will render a opening to my home so that I may return to my people."

Veress stepped forward and set the regulator down once more. "I am Veress of the urnirvoringend, and I keep myself concealed for your protection."

I blustered and finally found my words, "Please, if this is truly our last meeting let me see what you look like, I have never seen or heard of the urnivorgend."

"Urnirvoringend," the alien replied, correcting my mispronunciation. It paused again and then reached up to remove its mask. What I saw there was indescribable. Even now I cannot bring my mind to bear on the memory, only on the sensation of that memory. I know that what I looked upon was not of this world or any of those worlds that shone in the night sky. Veress was as alien to our reality as the numenera is advanced compared to a horse cart, or a simple oil lamp. More, its visage was ... unfathomable."

~~~~~~~~~

The old man fell silent. The aeon priest finished his notes and checked on the recording device. The quiet sound of charcoal on paper and the crackling of the fire were all the broke the silence. "And that was what caused-"

The old man nodded, "That sight blinded me, and that sight is why I have not slept soundly in forty years. It was no sight that any man should see."

Story Seed - Into the Deep

Image Source: http://loish.deviantart.com/art/aquaforest-476257572

The Into the Ninth World Kickstarter continues to blow through stretch goals and as I write this we're working toward a PDF with details for playing Octopus characters. I can't be the only one who really wants this ... #NinthWorldKS

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I floated down among the aquatic trees. The strange sea was cool on my skin. As I drifted down I found the sea grew brighter, the water itself seeming to give illumination to what should have been an enclosing darkness. I relaxed as it became clear that the bio-mechanical gills the Redfleet nano had implanted into my neck were working as well as claimed. Confident now that my shins had bought me a working piece of numenera I allowed myself to slide deeper into the eerily illuminated waters.

What had seemed the tops of massive trees in the shallower depths soon showed themselves to be a species of great floating kelp. As I neared the sandy bottom the kelp thinned to strands that wafted in the gentle currents. This world was so unlike my own; an alien environment just beneath the waves that lapped at the lands of the Steadfast.

I tried to swim forward, but found that my robes tangled my limbs. Cursing myself I stripped them off leaving me clad only in the skintight body-glove oddity I had bought from a varjellen in Qi. The varjellen had found it a curious item, as it could not be made wet. Luckily it fit me well, or perhaps that too was some part of its ancient design, and in keeping the water from my body it kept me warm in the cold waters. I rolled the robe up and tied it around my waist, freeing the small device I had brought down with me from the pocket and clutching it in my hand.

I swam forward again, deeper into the forest of kelp, weaving among the faint shadows cast by the strange and pervasive light. My eyes darted among the drifting stems and roots as I sought out my contact. I was not sure who to look for, as I had only contact through an intermediary, a member of the Redfleets who had suggested this meeting in the first place. I knew only a name, Oolluunn, and that he - or perhaps she, or even it - could only meet me here in the waters. I reached out to the datasphere to confirm my location and then allowed myself to drift to a stop, and waited.

Floating among the fronds and tendrils of the kelp forest I waited for some time, glad for the strange clothing that kept me dry and warm, and the gills that kept me breathing. After some time I heard a noise I could not identify. It repeated several times, and I tried to locate its source. I was unused to hearing sound underwater and only after the last utterance did I see what I thought was its source. A creature, perhaps the size of a child of ten; its body was seemingly little more than a jumble of tentacles and a fleshy blob. A pair of strangely intelligent, and seemingly shy, eyes peered out from the creature's center of mass.

Seeing that I had spotted it, it uttered that sound once more, and finally when it became clear I did not understand it touched its mind to my own. "Are you Kellin? I am Oolluunn, and I understand you have a device you wish me to look at."

Story Seed - Beyond the Night, Into the Morning

Image Source: Monte Cook Games' Into the Ninth World Kickstarter

Because Numenera and the Cypher System are such a huge part of my gaming life (and the direct reason for the very existence of this blog) I am needless to say super excited about the new Into the Ninth World Kickstarter they have launched. It's funding a line of books exploring the more exotic locales around the Ninth World (i.e. Space, the Oceans, and other Dimensions). They're doing like a lot of popular Kickstarters lately and featuring stretch goals that don't just rely on $$ but on "achievements" like a certain number of FB likes, or retweets, or the like. I want what I backed to be awesome and so I'm dedicating this blog to the KS campaign by using on their art pieces as a story seed.  If you like Numenera, like weird outerspace stuff, or just want to see what all the hubbub is about click through. 

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Lightning crackled through the clouds, illuminating their irregular shapes from within with blue-white light that diffused through the deadly atmosphere. From my seat behind Harrick I could see three of the domed cities that bobbed and glided through this world's sky. Our little ship was shuddering and bucking like an angry aneen as we sliced through the corrosive clouds, and split the toxic sky. Beyond the stronglass screen I could see the skin of our vessel was already pockmarked and pitted. Lines were scored in its surface from droplets that were certainly not water as they traced paths along the flyer.

I tried and failed to connect to the datasphere, it had gone silent since our little craft had slipped the grasp of our home and sailed into the black void beyond. I understood now why the Convergence referred to numenera like these as Nightcraft now, though truly night did not adequately describe this alien environment. Outside the sky had gone black, but more stars than I had ever seen shone through that dark blanket. The sun had become a blinding orb, one that the craft had darkened its viewing ports for. Such was the intensity of the star that for a moment the ship warmed uncomfortably until Jerrin managed to reconnect a loose coupling.

Control over the craft had been an illusion all along, and I silently cursed Treel for offering us this opportunity. The vile woman must have known that we would be helpless to the aeons old programming of this machine. As we had approached the Handmaiden of Morning I began to wonder what that world, with its milky yellow sky held; now I feared that our knowing would also be our death as the craft deteriorated around us. It bypassed a dozen of those bubble cities, each looking more hospitable than the last compared to the atmosphere without that seemed to be digesting the Nightcraft.

I felt more than a little useless, gawking out the glass at the alien cities that floated by. Harrick was using every last ounce of power to protect the craft as best he could, while Jerrin worked feverishly to repair the ancient machine. I didn't have their skills with machines, my only gift of the sort was the result of an unpleasant encounter with the Iron Wind that had taken parts of my body even as it gifted me with a link to the world of dataspirits.

I hunched inward, trying to take up as little space as possible so that Jerrin could work a little more freely. I wondered where the ship was taking us, and why it seemed so ill suited for its destination.

My electrostatic shielding was damaged long ago, and without it I am unable to repel the acidic atmosphere of this world. Station Q78VX3 is only ninety five point six kilometers further. I estimate an eighty three point four seven percent chance that we will arrive safely. 

My eyes shot wide and I looked to my companions. Both were deep in concentration and had apparently not heard the young male voice that spoke in my head. I opened my mind like I would to the datasphere and asked if it were possible to restore the shielding it had mentioned. The reply came in the form of images, diagrams showing the design of the device. I soon understood where to find the control circuit, and lurched into action, tearing at a panel forward and to the right of Harrick's position. More direction followed as I dug through mechanisms looking for the glass cylinder the craft's intelligence repeatedly showed me.

Behind me I heard a metallic ping and a hissing sound. Jerrin cursed even as the craft informed me of a breach to its skin. I continued to root around until at last I found the dead part, blackened and dull the cylinder was partially melted. I grabbed it and pulled without ceremony and it came away in my hand. With no thought I tossed it behind me and began to rummage through my bag of shins. I had one that would fit the socket now vacated.

Behind me Harrick and Jerrin were panicking and coughing as the toxic atmosphere entered the craft. The jack tried to plug the hole, but the corrosives ate away at everything he tried to use. I finally located the shin I was looking for and fumbled it into my left hand, buried deep in the ship's mechanism. The piece fit the socket perfectly, though it was shorter by far compared to what I had removed. With a click it seated followed by a thrum of power and a whine of circuitry.

This repair will not last long, but it should ensure that we reach our destination. The digital spirit told me. With the shield in place the ship was even able to deploy a section of paneling to close the breach and prevent more of the atmosphere from entering. My eyes were watering and it hurt to breathe but we would live; for now at least. I withdrew from the mechanisms and wondered what dangers we would face at Station Q78VX3.

CypherCaster Magazine Issue 2 - Out Now!

The second issue of the best fan magazine devoted to the Cypher System is out now. There's a bunch of awesome in here including an excerpt from the first Numenera novel, more Holstenwall for The Strange, the first part of a serialized fiction for Numenera, and more; 52 pages for just $4. If you like the Cypher System games there is almost certainly something in there for you. And if you do buy it and like it please let us know. Post a review on DriveThruRPG or your blog or whatever, tell your friends, and get the word out. The better the magazine does the and the more feedback we get the better we can make future issues.

Also, if you still haven't looked at Issue #1 now is the time! Our inaugural issue is now half off on DriveThruRPG; 44 pages of material for Cypher System for only $2!

Note: As a contributor to the CypherCaster I have a vested interest in its success. That said, it's still awesome.

Tuesday Tools #2 - NPC Records

So like a lot of people (I hope) my memory isn't exactly iron clad under the best of circumstances.  Usually when I throw together an NPC on the fly I'm lucky if I can keep them consistent within the same scene let alone during the entire session or over multiple sessions. As a result I built up a couple of records for use during campaigns.

The first is a generic NPC record. I use this for things like gang members, town guards, soldiers, and the like. Any time that the PCs are meeting one of a group that is pretty much going to be a bunch of cookie cutter goons (and yes, even friendly NPCs can be goons).

The second is a Named NPC Record.  I use this for ... named NPCs ... *ugh* ... Anyways, this sheet is useful for the guys important enough to get names AND who are not under the threat of immediate death. Player contacts, NPC antagonists with a more long term presence, town leaders, generals of armies, gang or guild leaders and the like.

Both of these forms were designed around the standard template for NPCs in the Cypher system but are open and generic enough for use with just about any RPG system.

Story Seed - Ozymandias

This is a total cheat since I am just copping a couple of famous poems, but it just struck me as being a good fit. Wikipedia has a great discussion on these works and their common history. ...

Image Source: http://artek92.deviantart.com/art/Fallen-Titan-534292228

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Image Source: http://sunmoondragoness.deviantart.com/art/SP-Mountain-of-the-Moon-513092181

In Egypt's sandy silence, all alone,
Stands a gigantic Leg, which far off throws
The only shadow that the Desert knows:—
"I am great OZYMANDIAS," saith the stone,
"The King of Kings; this mighty City shows
"The wonders of my hand."— The City's gone,—
Nought but the Leg remaining to disclose
The site of this forgotten Babylon.

We wonder,—and some Hunter may express
Wonder like ours, when thro' the wilderness
Where London stood, holding the Wolf in chace,
He meets some fragment huge, and stops to guess
What powerful but unrecorded race
Once dwelt in that annihilated place.

 Horace Smith