Survivable, barely, with Rad-X. Dark spots are about half as lethal as a hot spot, Shambles Bridge is half again.TyrannisUmbra wrote:What kind of lethality do you think is the right amount? Requires Rad-X, requires radiation suit, or requires both? For hotspots, I mean.
The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
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TyrannisUmbra
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Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
... I had something working, but then I realized it wasn't what I wanted. This is gonna take longer than I thought...
EDIT: Finding pretty numbers is not worth this trouble x.x I'm making it way too complicated for mostly my own benefit -- this is something that can be approximated for much more simplicity... The problem is beyond the scope of what I remember.
EDIT: Finding pretty numbers is not worth this trouble x.x I'm making it way too complicated for mostly my own benefit -- this is something that can be approximated for much more simplicity... The problem is beyond the scope of what I remember.
Primary IRC nicks: TyrannisUmbra, Silver_Wing
Current PNP characters: <Non-FoE Only>
Current PNP characters: <Non-FoE Only>
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
I'm Thanqol's RL GM and I've always had a bit of a problem figuring out and balancing radiation numbers, what is lethal, what is survivable etc. As a result, it hasn't come up much in my games.
What is a dangerous amount in combat, can be ridiculously deadly outside of it. Even 1 RAD a second will kill a character in under 20 minutes. If something happens in a 'combat deadly' area that traps the characters they'll die very very quickly. And since my party spends a lot of time travelling, even trying to tracks rads per day would very annoying due to different levels of radiation in different areas.
Though not strictly related, I use 10 second rounds in my game, as I feel ponies move obscenely fast with 6 second rounds. Which also affects radiation gain, since in the Belt's case you would be covering less ground over more time.
What is a dangerous amount in combat, can be ridiculously deadly outside of it. Even 1 RAD a second will kill a character in under 20 minutes. If something happens in a 'combat deadly' area that traps the characters they'll die very very quickly. And since my party spends a lot of time travelling, even trying to tracks rads per day would very annoying due to different levels of radiation in different areas.
Though not strictly related, I use 10 second rounds in my game, as I feel ponies move obscenely fast with 6 second rounds. Which also affects radiation gain, since in the Belt's case you would be covering less ground over more time.
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
Bwuahahaha! My brilliant, handwavey plan of just picking flat numbers for the crossing triumphs over mathematical certainty! Ahahaahahaha!
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
The Mountain Ring
Beyond the artificial warmth of the Empire, beyond the Belt that wraps the last piece of the world before the War in comforting radiation, beyond the blasted, skeletal suburbs, there is the cold. A vast, frozen plain that goes on for what seems like forever. Mountain spires that impale the storming winter clouds. An ocean at the edge of the world that goes on for-ever. This is where the world comes to die.
The first danger of the Mountain Ring is the cold. That's plenty, by itself. Unprepared ponies who don't know the lay of the land or how to survive in sub zero conditions are going to die. As funny as the quips about setting oneself on fire to keep warm are, the fire probably won't last in winds this strong. As a part of this, navigation in a whiteout is extremely hard even for experienced survivalists.
The second danger is the Republic. While the Republic prides itself on being fair and even-handed with it's laws, it's laws only apply to those who seek citizenship peacefully or who are otherwise seeking immunity through it's governmental systems - paying for a Caravan Flag, which protects from the Republic's raiders, for instance. The Republic has ranger stations around it's borders that alert and educate travellers about the Republic's policies and laws, and let travelling groups know that unmarked caravans are going to be considered Crystal Empire infiltrators and attacked on sight. Unfortunately, the rangers sometimes miss a few otherwise innocent ponies.
The third danger is the radiation - many missiles went off course, and howling winds sent huge pillars of baelfire spinning off into the wastes. With radiation comes mutant monsters, animals, and plants. While inside the Belt radiation is a rarity, outside it is a fact of life. The Republic is thankful for it's plentiful supply of Pip-Bucks and radiation supplies from the Stables, but Crystal Empire ponies are often worse off in that regard.
In fact, since Pip-Bucks are so common in the Republic, anypony who wanders in to Republic territory with a Pip-Buck will generally be assumed to be a citizen. In Dragon, all slaves have their Pip-Buck tags registered with the dragon, allowing the white dragon to easily locate runaway slaves and collect them from the freezing wilderness (which is often doing them a favour, because most slaves quickly begin to die from exposure).
There are valuable treasures buried in the snow. Old secrets, installations, even Stables. While the Empire is the last, greatest bastion of civilisation in the world, if anything is going to change the balance of power in the region it's not going to come from inside it. That's what the Republic is counting on.
*
WONDERS OF THE WASTE
The Purple Librarian Railroad
There once was a railway connecting the Crystal Empire to the outside road. Powerful enchantments had to be placed upon it to prevent the train from snap-freezing to the rails or getting buried by a blizzard. The entire length of the railway is dotted with magical gemstones that, when powered from the central reactor building, will create a magical aura of perfect temperate weather to a range of about ten meters in all directions of the railway, and create a perfect corridor for travel all the way from the Canterlot wasteland to the Empire.
The charge for the Railroad's crystals ran out a long time ago, but recharging is a relatively simple - if utterly exhausting - matter. First, the Railroad Reactor has to be found. It's a large metal complex buried in the snow and partially caved in from a nearby Megaspell hit. A train filled with exotic monsters was on the track when the spell hit, too, and many of the strange creatures found lairs in the old Reactor building. A few cockatrice, a manticore, nothing insurmountable.
Once the building is cleared and the reactor is repaired and serviced, it needs to be charged. Charging the reactor is a simple, if not easy, process for any Unicorn: It merely requires the Energy Strike (Fire) spell being cast 100 times into it, for a total of 1000 Strain. Once charged, the reactor expends 10 stored points per day to create and maintain the bubble of warmth around the tracks.
Activating the Railroad is a major disruption to the setting because it create a high speed corridor to Equestria from the Empire - and perhaps just as importantly, it creates a very large (if very narrow) stretch of perfectly fertile, untouched arable farmland. There are problems with farming in the 10mX10m area on either side of a railroad line but it sure beats farming in a blizzard.
*
Observatory of Starswirl the Bearded
Starswirl the Bearded, greatest unicorn mage in all of history, lived in the North. From his isolated, snow-swept observatory he worked on the greatest secrets of magic. There have been other Unicorn Masters through history, rivals to Starswirl's might and mastery. King Sombra invented and perfected his techniques of Shadowcasting, and cheerfully spread the secret to any student who would listen - secure in the knowledge that he was the sole master of his own techniques. Twilight Sparkle metabolised the might of the Ministry of Arcane Technology into the creation of the Alicorns and reached for the power of Celestia and Luna. But even Celestia and Luna themselves learned everything they knew from the principles laid down by Starswirl.
It is said that Celestia created the Sun itself inside the library of Starswirl the Bearded. It is said the tower is still out there, lost in the snow.
The Observatory is defended with a very different kind of guardian from anywhere else in the wastes. Living spells, golems of light and fire, monsters summoned from strange and alien dimensions. Old Magic. High Magic. The kind of magic done by craftsmen, far removed from the industrial production of the War. The traps and spells of Starswirl's sanctum have withstood the test of time, and the wards have sent it invisibly back into the snow whenever an army tried to claim it.
The mysteries of the oldest magic are sealed within the tower. Stories of the Princesses, of sun and moon, of light and darkness, of corruption and purity. Raw magic, elemental magic, questions of Harmony and Discord. The foundational principles, more powerful than modern Megaspells.
Any Unicorn would give their right hoof for an hour inside that Observatory.
It's never been made clear what happened to Starswirl. A unicorn as powerful as him could have achieved immortality; others did. Is he still alive? Trapped by his own magic? Quietly conducting his research, as isolated and friendless as he's ever been? Is he dead and haunting the place?
Nobody knows what's inside. Nobody's ever lived to tell the tale.
*
<TBA>
Beyond the artificial warmth of the Empire, beyond the Belt that wraps the last piece of the world before the War in comforting radiation, beyond the blasted, skeletal suburbs, there is the cold. A vast, frozen plain that goes on for what seems like forever. Mountain spires that impale the storming winter clouds. An ocean at the edge of the world that goes on for-ever. This is where the world comes to die.
The first danger of the Mountain Ring is the cold. That's plenty, by itself. Unprepared ponies who don't know the lay of the land or how to survive in sub zero conditions are going to die. As funny as the quips about setting oneself on fire to keep warm are, the fire probably won't last in winds this strong. As a part of this, navigation in a whiteout is extremely hard even for experienced survivalists.
The second danger is the Republic. While the Republic prides itself on being fair and even-handed with it's laws, it's laws only apply to those who seek citizenship peacefully or who are otherwise seeking immunity through it's governmental systems - paying for a Caravan Flag, which protects from the Republic's raiders, for instance. The Republic has ranger stations around it's borders that alert and educate travellers about the Republic's policies and laws, and let travelling groups know that unmarked caravans are going to be considered Crystal Empire infiltrators and attacked on sight. Unfortunately, the rangers sometimes miss a few otherwise innocent ponies.
The third danger is the radiation - many missiles went off course, and howling winds sent huge pillars of baelfire spinning off into the wastes. With radiation comes mutant monsters, animals, and plants. While inside the Belt radiation is a rarity, outside it is a fact of life. The Republic is thankful for it's plentiful supply of Pip-Bucks and radiation supplies from the Stables, but Crystal Empire ponies are often worse off in that regard.
In fact, since Pip-Bucks are so common in the Republic, anypony who wanders in to Republic territory with a Pip-Buck will generally be assumed to be a citizen. In Dragon, all slaves have their Pip-Buck tags registered with the dragon, allowing the white dragon to easily locate runaway slaves and collect them from the freezing wilderness (which is often doing them a favour, because most slaves quickly begin to die from exposure).
There are valuable treasures buried in the snow. Old secrets, installations, even Stables. While the Empire is the last, greatest bastion of civilisation in the world, if anything is going to change the balance of power in the region it's not going to come from inside it. That's what the Republic is counting on.
*
WONDERS OF THE WASTE
The Purple Librarian Railroad
There once was a railway connecting the Crystal Empire to the outside road. Powerful enchantments had to be placed upon it to prevent the train from snap-freezing to the rails or getting buried by a blizzard. The entire length of the railway is dotted with magical gemstones that, when powered from the central reactor building, will create a magical aura of perfect temperate weather to a range of about ten meters in all directions of the railway, and create a perfect corridor for travel all the way from the Canterlot wasteland to the Empire.
The charge for the Railroad's crystals ran out a long time ago, but recharging is a relatively simple - if utterly exhausting - matter. First, the Railroad Reactor has to be found. It's a large metal complex buried in the snow and partially caved in from a nearby Megaspell hit. A train filled with exotic monsters was on the track when the spell hit, too, and many of the strange creatures found lairs in the old Reactor building. A few cockatrice, a manticore, nothing insurmountable.
Once the building is cleared and the reactor is repaired and serviced, it needs to be charged. Charging the reactor is a simple, if not easy, process for any Unicorn: It merely requires the Energy Strike (Fire) spell being cast 100 times into it, for a total of 1000 Strain. Once charged, the reactor expends 10 stored points per day to create and maintain the bubble of warmth around the tracks.
Activating the Railroad is a major disruption to the setting because it create a high speed corridor to Equestria from the Empire - and perhaps just as importantly, it creates a very large (if very narrow) stretch of perfectly fertile, untouched arable farmland. There are problems with farming in the 10mX10m area on either side of a railroad line but it sure beats farming in a blizzard.
*
Observatory of Starswirl the Bearded
Starswirl the Bearded, greatest unicorn mage in all of history, lived in the North. From his isolated, snow-swept observatory he worked on the greatest secrets of magic. There have been other Unicorn Masters through history, rivals to Starswirl's might and mastery. King Sombra invented and perfected his techniques of Shadowcasting, and cheerfully spread the secret to any student who would listen - secure in the knowledge that he was the sole master of his own techniques. Twilight Sparkle metabolised the might of the Ministry of Arcane Technology into the creation of the Alicorns and reached for the power of Celestia and Luna. But even Celestia and Luna themselves learned everything they knew from the principles laid down by Starswirl.
It is said that Celestia created the Sun itself inside the library of Starswirl the Bearded. It is said the tower is still out there, lost in the snow.
The Observatory is defended with a very different kind of guardian from anywhere else in the wastes. Living spells, golems of light and fire, monsters summoned from strange and alien dimensions. Old Magic. High Magic. The kind of magic done by craftsmen, far removed from the industrial production of the War. The traps and spells of Starswirl's sanctum have withstood the test of time, and the wards have sent it invisibly back into the snow whenever an army tried to claim it.
The mysteries of the oldest magic are sealed within the tower. Stories of the Princesses, of sun and moon, of light and darkness, of corruption and purity. Raw magic, elemental magic, questions of Harmony and Discord. The foundational principles, more powerful than modern Megaspells.
Any Unicorn would give their right hoof for an hour inside that Observatory.
It's never been made clear what happened to Starswirl. A unicorn as powerful as him could have achieved immortality; others did. Is he still alive? Trapped by his own magic? Quietly conducting his research, as isolated and friendless as he's ever been? Is he dead and haunting the place?
Nobody knows what's inside. Nobody's ever lived to tell the tale.
*
<TBA>
Last edited by Thanqol on Thu May 30, 2013 6:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
Oky doke! That's basically it! Those are all the major setting elements of the Northern Empire! Take it, and use it with my blessing!
There's still a bunch of comparitively minor stuff to do - finish writeups on the last two Republican races, do some more factions, another few sample hazard sites or adventure locations - and of course the mechanics and gear. But this is the solid, beating core of the Northern Empire setting; everything else is just expanding on what's already there. Going to be fun to tinker with, and as usual I'm happily open to ideas and suggestions!
I hope that anypony out there who reads this finds some small enjoyment in it, and if you ever run a game or steal any ideas from it I'd love to hear about it!
There's still a bunch of comparitively minor stuff to do - finish writeups on the last two Republican races, do some more factions, another few sample hazard sites or adventure locations - and of course the mechanics and gear. But this is the solid, beating core of the Northern Empire setting; everything else is just expanding on what's already there. Going to be fun to tinker with, and as usual I'm happily open to ideas and suggestions!
I hope that anypony out there who reads this finds some small enjoyment in it, and if you ever run a game or steal any ideas from it I'd love to hear about it!
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The Custodian
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Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
Somepony make a game dangit! *starts throwing stuff around*
Great stuff Thanqol... Cant wait to see if anyone uses it ^^
Great stuff Thanqol... Cant wait to see if anyone uses it ^^
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TyrannisUmbra
- Global Moderator
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Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
I wanna play a game in this setting so bad! I hope somepony starts one up soon >.>
Primary IRC nicks: TyrannisUmbra, Silver_Wing
Current PNP characters: <Non-FoE Only>
Current PNP characters: <Non-FoE Only>
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
the game will be full before it even starts. 
Re: The Northern Empire: An Alternate Setting
WEAPONS, ARMOUR AND GEAR
RANGED WEAPONS
<tba>
MELEE WEAPONS
Imperial Jousting Lance (Tier 3)
Damage: 4xSTR+15+1d10
AP: 35
Weight: 4
Value 1000
Notes: Unwieldy, Reach, Charge
AMMO
Shard Ammunition (Any)
Shard Ammo is a nasty little proliferation in the Crystal Empire. Whenever a Monolith breaks, it's shards carry a little bit of that power and can be used to load any projectile firearm. Shard Ammo needs to be charged with a little bit of the user's hate and each Shard bullet fired adds +1 corruption (which stacks up really quick when used for fully automatic fire). Shard ammo isn't clean, but it's cheap - any smashed Monolith frees up about 200 rounds worth of Shard Ammo, which warp themselves to fit in the barrel or clip of any weapon.
Shadow Ammunition (Any)
Shadow Ammo is Shard Ammo's bigger, nastier brother. It can be harvested through a process known as "Monolith Shaving" - carefully cutting away at a Monolith chip by chip over several days until you've reduced it to it's glowing 'heart' - a lump of crystal about the size of a pony's head. A heart can be used for a wide variety of malevolent weapons designs, but it can also be broken into 25 Shadow Rounds. Shadow Ammunition can be loaded into any projectile gun, as Shard Ammo, and comes with the quality Armour Piercing (Heavy) - at the cost that every round fired adds three points of Corruption.
ARMOUR
Light
HREC Environment Suit
DT: 8
Weight: 8
Value: 800
Effect: Pure, ALL Res +20%
Faction: HREC
Notes:
Medium
HREC Hostile Environment Suit
DT: 16
Weight: 20
Value: 2000
Effect: Pure, END +1 ALL Res +20%
Faction: HREC
Notes:
Heavy
HREC Incursion Gear (Fully Enclosed)
Power Armour
DT: 24
Weight: 25
Value: 3000
Effect: DR 20% Pure, +2 END, -2 AGI, ALL Res +40%
Faction: HREC
Notes: Environmentally sealed, Automatically kills wearer when Corruption raises above 950. Unicorns and Pegasus must use a version with -4DT and -15% resistance.
CLOTHING
Pure Collar
Faction: Pure
Weight: 1
Effects: +1 Charisma, +5 Medicine, +5 Mechanics, +5 Science, +5 Speech, +5 Barter
Notes: Explodes lethally if wearer dons any armour heavier than Light or carries any weapon more dangerous than Tier 0 for longer than 3 rounds.
The Alicorn's Amulet
Unique
The Alicorn's Amulet has a simple effect: Corruption 1000 no longer triggers a Manifestation. You still keep all the benefits and effects of high Corruption.
However, for every 100 Corruption above 1000 a pony goes, they lose a little bit of their mind and soul. A pony's soul cannot endure the strain of being so over-infused with terrible magic. They become cruel and insane, whatever vice drives them magnified to it's demented extreme. Only the pony who wears the amulet can remove it, and depending on how far they went they can be picking up the pieces for the rest of their life. No direct mechanical penalties occur while the Amulet is worn.
After removing the Amulet, if Corruption is over 1000 every 100 points of excess corruption lowers Charisma by 1. As Corruption drops Charisma gradually rises up again. If the former wearer's Charisma is 0 or less they exist in an extremely suggestible, soulless state - unable to gain or spend Willpower, without motivation or virtue and blindly following instructions. Drugs that raise a pony's Charisma, such as Party Time Mint-Als can bring brief moments of lucidity. When Corruption drops back down to 999, any further raise creates a Manifestation as normal.
DRUGS AND MEDICINE
<tba>
SPECIAL RULES:
Charge: Gains the Armour Piercing Quality if used after two full Charge actions. Gains the Armour Piercing (Heavy) Quality if used after 10 full Charge actions.
Pure: You do not gain Corruption from any environmental source. You are not a valid target for the corruption surge of broken Monoliths. This ability ceases to function once the suit is reduced below Good condition.
RANGED WEAPONS
<tba>
MELEE WEAPONS
Imperial Jousting Lance (Tier 3)
Damage: 4xSTR+15+1d10
AP: 35
Weight: 4
Value 1000
Notes: Unwieldy, Reach, Charge
AMMO
Shard Ammunition (Any)
Shard Ammo is a nasty little proliferation in the Crystal Empire. Whenever a Monolith breaks, it's shards carry a little bit of that power and can be used to load any projectile firearm. Shard Ammo needs to be charged with a little bit of the user's hate and each Shard bullet fired adds +1 corruption (which stacks up really quick when used for fully automatic fire). Shard ammo isn't clean, but it's cheap - any smashed Monolith frees up about 200 rounds worth of Shard Ammo, which warp themselves to fit in the barrel or clip of any weapon.
Shadow Ammunition (Any)
Shadow Ammo is Shard Ammo's bigger, nastier brother. It can be harvested through a process known as "Monolith Shaving" - carefully cutting away at a Monolith chip by chip over several days until you've reduced it to it's glowing 'heart' - a lump of crystal about the size of a pony's head. A heart can be used for a wide variety of malevolent weapons designs, but it can also be broken into 25 Shadow Rounds. Shadow Ammunition can be loaded into any projectile gun, as Shard Ammo, and comes with the quality Armour Piercing (Heavy) - at the cost that every round fired adds three points of Corruption.
ARMOUR
Light
HREC Environment Suit
DT: 8
Weight: 8
Value: 800
Effect: Pure, ALL Res +20%
Faction: HREC
Notes:
Medium
HREC Hostile Environment Suit
DT: 16
Weight: 20
Value: 2000
Effect: Pure, END +1 ALL Res +20%
Faction: HREC
Notes:
Heavy
HREC Incursion Gear (Fully Enclosed)
Power Armour
DT: 24
Weight: 25
Value: 3000
Effect: DR 20% Pure, +2 END, -2 AGI, ALL Res +40%
Faction: HREC
Notes: Environmentally sealed, Automatically kills wearer when Corruption raises above 950. Unicorns and Pegasus must use a version with -4DT and -15% resistance.
CLOTHING
Pure Collar
Faction: Pure
Weight: 1
Effects: +1 Charisma, +5 Medicine, +5 Mechanics, +5 Science, +5 Speech, +5 Barter
Notes: Explodes lethally if wearer dons any armour heavier than Light or carries any weapon more dangerous than Tier 0 for longer than 3 rounds.
The Alicorn's Amulet
Unique
The Alicorn's Amulet has a simple effect: Corruption 1000 no longer triggers a Manifestation. You still keep all the benefits and effects of high Corruption.
However, for every 100 Corruption above 1000 a pony goes, they lose a little bit of their mind and soul. A pony's soul cannot endure the strain of being so over-infused with terrible magic. They become cruel and insane, whatever vice drives them magnified to it's demented extreme. Only the pony who wears the amulet can remove it, and depending on how far they went they can be picking up the pieces for the rest of their life. No direct mechanical penalties occur while the Amulet is worn.
After removing the Amulet, if Corruption is over 1000 every 100 points of excess corruption lowers Charisma by 1. As Corruption drops Charisma gradually rises up again. If the former wearer's Charisma is 0 or less they exist in an extremely suggestible, soulless state - unable to gain or spend Willpower, without motivation or virtue and blindly following instructions. Drugs that raise a pony's Charisma, such as Party Time Mint-Als can bring brief moments of lucidity. When Corruption drops back down to 999, any further raise creates a Manifestation as normal.
DRUGS AND MEDICINE
<tba>
SPECIAL RULES:
Charge: Gains the Armour Piercing Quality if used after two full Charge actions. Gains the Armour Piercing (Heavy) Quality if used after 10 full Charge actions.
Pure: You do not gain Corruption from any environmental source. You are not a valid target for the corruption surge of broken Monoliths. This ability ceases to function once the suit is reduced below Good condition.
Last edited by Thanqol on Thu May 09, 2013 8:48 am, edited 1 time in total.