Mission: Zodiac

Did a little work on spells for Mission: Zodiac. I don't want ridiculous overlap like in D&D (instead of reiterating more powerful spell effects, I just have scaling-power spells). However, right now it feels like I don't have enough. I'll figure out more, I'm sure.

Current Location: The Game Matrix
Current Mood: creative

More work on Mission: Zodiac. I've gotten the archetypes laid out, although they won't really be done until I have more traits worked out. I'm also leaning back towards a more point-buy system, I think. In that otherwise I don't know how to fairly regulate gaining further traits (or any kind of spells or combat tricks).

Current Location: dagobah system
Current Mood: creative

So I've revised my plan for the Planescape version of Between the Spaces. Remember how I always thought Ringwalker was a weak middle (eventually leading to me dropping that arc)? I figured out how to make it work. In that I have a different plan to replace it. Things will now go
I. The Void Engine
II. Portal-Slayer
III. Requiem
which is also a basic setup I can follow for the M:Z BtS plans (of which I'm already conceptualising and formulating, which means I'm farther there than I ever have been).

A few of you might be slightly familiar with the story of the Void Engine. I plan on working on that and making it cooler (and longer. Longer is a more important aspect it's lacking, too).

Current Location: kicking everyone's ass all the time
Current Music: Final Fantasy VII: Voices of the Lifestream - [djpretzel & Vigilante CD2 #01] Short Skirts

Over at Mission: Zodiac I've put up the racial write-ups in mechanical terms. I figure I should get M:Z's mechanics hammered out before I keep wandering too far into the lore department.

Also, I know some of you celebrate Christmas, so merry Christmas.

Current Location: an iceberg fortress in Norway
Current Mood: creative

I've finished up brief write-ups on all the major regions of the Mythic Age. Additionally, I present to you the six magical systems practised in the Mythic Age. That'll be all for now.

Current Location: m:Z inc.
Current Mood: creative
Current Music: House

Small update to Mission: Zodiac. Having finished up People of the Mythic Age, I started on Geography of the Mythic Age. I've got a small bit on Zükinn and a not-even-pretending-to-be-complete section for Issheim.

Current Location: rolling up your hometown to rebuild the universe
Current Mood: creative

Apparently I haven't made any updates here about it since I did the site reboot. Weird. So, I have a lot of things up for Mission: Zodiac. Under mechanical concerns you'll find the basics of the game system, although it's notably lacking in some of the specifics (no races, archetypes, magics, that sort of thing. Skills, though, are a yes). Under people of the Mythic Age you will find that, as of today, I completed basic write-ups of all the "PC races" in the setting. None of them, as previously mentioned, have rules yet, but they all (hopefully) have enough stuff that you could form the background of a character from it. Or maybe they don't and you'll need more flavour about the world, rather than just its cultures.

Also, I decided to redo my LJ trading card, since my other one was horrifically out of date.

LiveJournal Trading Cards Free Account Edition bluegodjanus User Number: 930913 Date Created:2003-03-04 Number of Posts: 979 He's kind of like a superhero. Between saving the world from Ragnarok and beating up deities with his superior kung fu, he finds time to play video games and engage in RPG design. Strengths: Lightsabre permit, an awesome hat, can reach things on the top shelf Weaknesses: Hunted: Deities (11-, as powerful, extensive NCI, harshly punish) Distinctive Features: Jedi Knight (difficult to conceal, detectable by unusual senses, noticed and recognisable) Special Skills: Kung fu, telekinesis, can drink noni Weapons: Lightsabre, telekinesis, the sun I-word: Invulnerable

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Current Location: ninja hideout
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Garbage - Special

I'm actually working on Planar HERO right now, but I had a neat idea for a Modern Age bit of tech and thought I would put it down here, as my Modern Age notes haven't really gotten to devices yet.

Letter gnomes. They're little humanoid mechanigolems that run around between cities, delivering mail.

Current Location: m:Z inc.
Current Mood: creative

Except that I did something totally different for this one. Last weekend found me and Ariel in Oregon, to go to Faerieworlds near Eugene. We went with my friend Puck and her boyfriend, and found ourselves hanging out in Portland for about a day on either side of the event. It was sort of amazing. I spent a lot of time hanging out with a tent of jugglers, learning how to perform various methods of entertainment. I also managed to catch up with foxgrrl and have some wonderful conversations with her. She got a great picture of me in my goggles, which I have up at my Facebook profile.

Now I'm back (have been for a few days, really), and working mostly on my D&D campaign (which has to do with why Mission: Zodiac has slowed down a bit).

Current Location: cipher HQ, Elysium
Current Mood: calm

It's been a while since I made one of these. That has to do with the fact that I haven't been working much lately, and also the work I have been doing is on paper. First, I've come to some conclusions about Between the Spaces. Most notably, I'm dropping the Planescape campaign aspect. I'm going to use BtS exclusively as the campaign arc that leads into the end of the Mythic Age. Additionally, I'm dropping the middle section of the arc. It'll just be Portal-Slayer and Requiem. However, I am currently running a BtS Planescape game, and I'll have some campaign journal action at the end of this post. I'm a little concerned that my PCs are planning the inevitable murder of Slayer, but I think I can work with that, if it happens.

Secondly, I've been doing a lot of concept and background work on Mission: Zodiac and the Mythic Age setting. At Ariel's suggestion (she's kind of like the Zodiac copilot now) I'm starting at the a beginning with the Mythic Age. Once I get the Mythic Age all worked out and playable, I'll probably write some adventures for it (most notably Between the Spaces) and then start work on the Modern Age. In this way I'll eventually have all three Ages worked out and playable. I have some ideas for the way the mechanics will go (again, on paper), and I think I'm likely to use something resembling these skills, although there are to be some changes given the work I've done since then.

( And on to the campaign journal )

More updates as they come up.

Current Location: dagobah system
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: Aladdin - Robin Williams - Friend Like Me

I finished up that work on the Mission: Zodiac Planescape Document I was talking about. Basically, I wanted the magic/psychic system to emulate (in a faint way) the same systems from Planescape's native D&D. Note that the system allows for more "spells" and "powers", if desired. Now I'm back to work on Between the Spaces.

Current Location: m:Z inc.
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Somebody's watching Hook in my room

So, yeah. Haven't been working on much over the past week or two.

However, I've got a couple new things going now. First, I've decided the Mission: Zodiac Planescape Document requires some revision. Second, I'm working with darkain on some redesigns for the website, because I believe in RMX Theory. I'll be sure, as you know, to notify when anything is done.

Current Location: m:Z inc.
Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Falconer - Chapters from a Vale Forlorn - Stand in Veneration

Little bits of touch-up today. I made a list of generically applicable skills for Mission: Zodiac, which cascaded into a small flurry of changes to the Mission: Zodiac Planescape Document. Most notably, I added a new skill (Initiative), which is one I've felt a need for but hadn't gotten around to doing anything about. Also, I folded Science and Knowledge skills together, so they're just Knowledge now. Also, all of those skills in the MZPD (like Logic) that were simply Knowledge skills with their own entry are gone. Now they are, for example, Knowledge (Logic). More streamlined that way.

Current Location: an iceberg fortress in Norway

So what have I been doing?

Reading, mostly. See, I've decided to put another project on my plate. I've recently acquired some Call of Cthulhu books, and I'm working up some ideas for a campaign. I've completed my initial perusal of them, and now I need to let some ideas tumble around in my head for a bit. That's part of my process. I don't expect this to supercede work on Between the Spaces, just another project that I'll work on concurrently.

Current Location: rolling up your hometown to rebuild the universe

I've updated Mission: Zodiac with the first couple chapters of some stories I have in progress (The Alchemist and the Fiend and Nexus: The Elemental Gates).

Oh, I've also put up the intro page and prologue for Between the Spaces: Portal Slayer. It's about time I got started on that.

Current Location: practicing my kung fu superpowers
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Dragonforce - - Fury of the Storm

Some big uploads to Mission: Zodiac. Mostly to the idea that it's where I'm putting all my projects there. As such, current and future stories will show up there, as well as my gaming work. Essentially, if you like what I do it can all be found at M:Z. I'll still be updating people here on what it is that I'm doing, so you don't even have to go anywhere to hear about my amazingness.

Current Location: m:Z inc.
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Weezer - - Say It Ain't So

Skills are the main component of Mission: Zodiac, and they're so open-ended that I feel they require further discussion. Basically, it requires some thought beforehand to determine the campaign standards. It's largely a matter of generic vs. specific. This has a number of applications - knowledge-type skills could be general (Theology) or specific (Procedural Doctrines of the Church for the Inner God). Weapon Skill could be bought with single weapons (WS: Shamshir) or weapon groups (WS: Swords). Probably most important and most complicated are how a character's special or extraordinary abilities function. First, this could take a number of forms (mystic martial arts, magic, or psychic powers, for example). Then, again, comes the idea of generic vs. specific. You could have broad groupings of powers (Necromancy, Elementalism) or very specific skills (Elemental Bolt, Flight). As with most other things in M:Z, the specifics you choose will always be okay. Just be consistent (mostly), and things should flow smoothly.

Another idea is to combine the two - some skills (especially knowledges) may be generic, but allow a character to focus in a specific aspect thereof. A skill focus grants a bonus in the focused area (reduced target or extra dice) while inflicting the same amount and kind as a penalty when using the skill for generic purposes. As an option, whenever a character gains enough experience to increase that skill, another focus may be taken instead.

Current Location: m:Z inc.
Current Mood: artistic
Current Music: Bloodhound Gang - Fire, Water, Burn

I've been tinkering with Mission: Zodiac again, and I think I've settled on a final version (at least for now). This one is different, though, because it's versatile and adaptable. I can make any kinds of characters with it, I think, given a little work.

First, I've patched up the ability scores a bit. Most notably, the elemental affinities have been set back to the classical four elements, rather than the Chinese five. This largely is for the purpose of reducing the number of abilities. I've kept the Body/Mind split, though. Anyway, here they are:
Agility: This is a measure of a character's dexterity. It's primarily indicative of the ability to perform complex tasks.
Intellect: This is a measure of a character's intelligence. It's primarily indicative of the ability to perform mental tasks.
Perception: This is a measure of a character's awareness. It's primarily indicative of the ability to notice inobvious things.
Personality: This is a measure of a character's charisma. It's primarily indicative of the ability to interact with others.
Prowess: This is a measure of a character's physical strength. It's primarily indicative of the amount of force a character can produce.
Quickness: This is a measure of a character's speed. It's primarily indicative of how fast a character can move.
Toughness: This is a measure of a character's fortitude. It's primarily indicative of the amount of force a character can endure.
Willpower: This is a measure of a character's will. It's primarily indicative of the ability to mentally persevere.

Air Affinity: This is a character's relation to the element of air. It's the average of Agility and Intellect.
Body: This is a character's general physical ability. It's the average of Prowess, Agility, Toughness, and Quickness.
Earth Affinity: This is a character's relation to the element of earth. It's the average of Toughness and Willpower.
Fire Affinity: This is a character's relation to the element of fire. It's the average of Prowess and Personality.
Mind: This is a character's general mental ability. It's the average of Personality, Intellect, Willpower, and Perception.
Water Affinity: This is a character's relation to the element of water. It's the average of Quickness and Perception.

At character creation, a character's abilities all start at one. From there, the player should choose either Body or Mind. The player then gets eight points to distribute among either physical or mental scores, based on which she chose. She gets five points to distribute among the other set of abilities. Then the player should choose one of the four elements. Both abilities related to that element increase by one.

Also closely related to abilities are Health and Spirit. Health is the quantity which is reduced when a character takes damage. Spirit is a form of inner essence, which is usually depleted through use of skills related to magic or martial arts powers. Every two wounds a character receives imposes a -1 on die rolls. After a sufficient period of rest, a character may roll Body. Each success restores one wound.

Health is equal to the total of a character's Body and Willpower. Spirit is equal to the total of a character's Mind and Toughness.

Characters will generally also have a race. Each race allows for different benefits, but should generally provide some or all of the following:
.bonus to ability score(s)
.bonus dice on skill(s)
.reduced target on skill(s)
.unique abilities/skills

Each character will also have an archetype, which is somewhat similar in nature to a character class. Each archetype will provide the same kind of benefits:
Ability focus: Each archetype has a particular ability score that lends itself to successful usage of the archetype's skills. This ability is increased by two.
Primary skills: Each archetype has five skills that represent its primary range of capability. Each of these primary skills begins at a level of four.
Secondary skills: Each archetype has seven skills that, although not primary, are still related in some way to the focus of the archetype. Each of these skills begins at a level of two.

Finally, and most importantly, characters will end up with a variety of skills (initially provided by archetype). Each skill has a level, which represents how well a character can perform that skill.

Having mentioned skills, I now will explain the game system. In my excellence, I have designed it to utilise (in theory) any form of die. However, I think a d4 doesn't allow for enough range of circumstantial modifiers, and a d20 seems remarkably excessive. Most likely (in part because these are the dice gamers are likely to have the most of) people will choose either d6 or d10 to use. Also note that the type of die chosen will affect how quickly characters advance in their skills. To allow for this flexibility, a certain notation is needed here. Whenever I refer to the number M, that refers to the maximum number the type of die used in the game can roll.

When making a skill roll (or "contest"), generally you roll an amount of dice equal to the skill in question plus the relevant ability score. Some things (such as race or equipment) may modify this number, but that's the base. Each die that rolls (M/2)+1 or higher is a success. Again, some things (most often circumstances) may modify this number. Also, any roll of M is a cascading success and allows you to roll another die. In an unopposed roll, a number of successes based on the complexity or difficulty of the task is required for success. In an opposed roll, a number of successes greater than the opposing character(s) is needed to successfully perform the task.

Finally, experience. Every time a successful contest is made, the skill used in that contest gains one die of experience points. Experience can also be gained in a skill through things like training or reading the right kind of book. Gaining the first level in a skill requires eight experience. Gaining additional levels in a primary skill (as defined by archetype) require five times the current level in the skill. Gaining additional levels in a nonprimary skill require six times the current level in the skill. Every time a skill is increased, the ability score related to that skill gains one die of experience points. In the case of a derived ability (most commonly an elemental affinity) select one of the component primary scores to apply the experience to. Ability scores require seven times the current score to increase.

You might notice I haven't listed any races, archetypes, or skills yet. That's because I haven't really written any (although I'll look over the most recent M:Z skill post I made and see what I can do about adapting those). I figure most of my detail design will come from what I need to make various characters. That's kind of the idea - if you need a bit of data I haven't made yet (or prefer a different interpretation than what I've done) to make a character, just invent it. Although it seems largely unnecessary to me, I suppose I should mention a semblance of game balance. Although you could theoretically make a Destroy the Universe skill, I think that would be a very poor idea (unless it was to see use in a very unusual campaign).

Current Location: m:Z inc.

I think I'm unhappy with the multidimensional nature of Mission: Zodiac. For those of you that know my gaming preferences, this might seem surprising. That's only because I haven't really explained the issue. The problem I'm having is with the nature of said multiple dimensions. I've been thinking a lot about Planescape (I do that), as well as White Wolf's Umbra. The defining principle I'm seeing is that places are defined by thought and belief. M:Z planes are just kind of like other worlds. Which is interesting, in one sense. But it's not interesting enough for my ends. Although what we could call the "material world" (although I won't) is relatively nonmalleable, the outer realms certainly should be. In fact, most of them are probably made by the thoughts and beliefs of a particularly powerful mind. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep all of the strata of Others I defined earlier, and I'm still working on many of the details. But I think a lot of the concepts need some work, and I'll be getting there.

Current Location: valhalla
Current Mood: thoughtful

I realised that I mentioned I was going to have some skills dealing with sanity. And then I didn't do that. For convenience, these changes will be listed back in the original skill post, as well. Also, I have since realised that the continent of Hervarðr is in the southern hemisphere of the world, so the mountains of Bálsteinn are in the north, while the forest Issheim is in the south.

First, a modification to Meditation: Furthermore, a character can meditate to focus and calm her mind, reducing the effects of Sanity damage. Each success on a Meditation contest removes one Sanity wound.

Second, a new skill, Psychology: This skill represents a character's knowledge of mental processes. A character can gauge the intentions and mental state of a subject, in some cases opposing an Acting contest. A character can also, given much time, treat a subject for madness. Psychology can be used as a complementary skill for Meditation, if the character is attempting to recover from Sanity damage. Psychology is based off Intelligence. Cost: 2 points.

Current Location: valhalla
Current Mood: artistic
Current Music: Tuatha de Danaan - Lover of the Queen

For those of you who've been following Mission: Zodiac, I've sketched out little bits of the mythologies of the Mythic Age in my writings for the Modern Age. Here I'd like to work more on some of the legends and myths of the Mythic Age, so I have a better idea on how to build up the Mythic Age in "modern" times. It's entirely possible many of these things will be revisited later with more details.

On formation of Hervarðr:
Most everyone agrees that the world was formed by Logos, a type of entity known as a demiurge. What is not agreed upon is what Logos formed Hervarðr out of. Some say it was from a roiling chaos, some say it was made out of the warring forces of fire and ice, others say Hervarðr was made from nothing at all.

On immortals:
Most scholars of the Other classify immortal beings into three groupings. These are the First Ones, which include demiurge and djinn; the gods; and stjarnadróttinn, which include kosmika and demonkind.

On the First Ones:
Of the demiurge, only one is widely accepted: Logos, who made the world. The skyhirðmaðr speak of another demiurge, which they refer to as Tecnos. He is said to be the granter of clockworks. If there are any other demiurge, scholars agree that they are all forces of raw creation in the cosmos. With regards to the djinn, they are the keepers of magic and embodiments of the elemental struggle.

On the gods:
The gods are known to be a later generation of creatures than the First Ones, and perhaps even the stjarnadróttinn. Despite their relatively new presence in the cosmic scheme, they are the only ones to take a major interest in Hervarðr and its peoples. As such, many shrines and temples to their worship exist across the land, and many mortals bear the sign of their favour (or, sometimes, disfavour).

On the stjarnadróttinn:
Stjarnadróttinn are divided into two groupings, although both are reasonably little-known on Hervarðr. The first, kosmika, are the powerful inhabitants and often rulers of various outer realms. Some confuse the djinn to be a race of kosmika, but as they are as old (some say older) as the demiurge, they are more properly recognised as First Ones. The second, demons, are the bizarrely alien and hostile inhabitants of the realms between the spaces of the worlds. Little is known about demonkind, except that they are almost universally violent and hateful. Less is known about the horrid and alien depths from which they hail.

On magic:
Djinn are the keepers of all magic in the realms. For many years (some say millennia, some say Ages) they kept it to themselves, until a daring mortal hero (its name and world of origin are unknown, although this information is often filled in by the storyteller) stole magic from them. This isn't a tale of a mere mortal defying the First Ones, though - the hero was caught. However, Abi Hadrin'Salzar, the lord of all djinn, made an agreement with the hero. The mortal races could keep magic, if they could use it to prevent Ragnarok, the prophecied end of the world. So far Ragnarok hasn't happened yet, so sorcery remains available to mortals.

On the end:
For over a thousand years it is said that one day Ragnarok will come and end all that exists. The djinn have made an agreement that mortals are expected to use the sorcery granted to them to prevent this from happening. Though nobody knows when exactly Ragnarok will come, it is known that the conflict will erupt between the gods and the stjarnadróttinn. Though the predicted details of Ragnarok are said to be different in the outer realms, on Hervarðr it is said that a mighty wolf (a few kosmika match such a description) will devour the sun, plunging the world into eternal darkness.

Current Location: dagobah system
Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Super Mario Bros. (Underworld)

Though not always magic, spell-type effects in M:Z are all handled roughly the same way. Also, having put a little more thought into Space Age, it seems fitting to include another "spellcasting" skill. I've also gone back and put it in the original skill entry, for ease of reference.

Psionical Aptitude: This skill represents a character's ability to perform mental abilities known as psionics. A focus can be taken for particular forms of psychic power. Psionical Aptitude is only known in the Space Age. Psionical Aptitude is based off Intelligence. Cost: 3 points (Focus: 2 points).

Also, I've decided that Alchemy is no longer used in the Space Age. Anyway, most spell-type effects induce fatigue, which is handled as follows: A character may avoid fatigue using Spirit. She makes a Spirit contest whenever she would take fatigue, every success negates one point. Every point of fatigue inflicts a -1 die penalty on all contests. Fatigue comes back over a period of rest; a few points can be regained in about ten minutes. As another note, I've modified Meditation to allow a character to overcome the effects of fatigue.

Now, I kind of figure the various kinds of spell-type effects will be reasonably specific, and fall into larger groupings. This is likely to be the most complicated part of the system, although I hope it doesn't become too bloated and difficult. I don't have any specific effects for you yet, though I do have the general format said effects will take.

Name of effect
Skill/Type: The skill the effect requires to utilise, and the type of that skill it falls into.
Fatigue: The amount of fatigue using the effect incurs.
Cost: The number of points it takes to learn the effect.
Sanity: Only some effects are damaging to a character's mental health. If the effect is, its sanity cost will be listed here.
Effect: What the effect does, and how.
Source: Most effects are tied to a specific Age and, often, a specific culture or school within that Age. Such descriptions go here.

Learning Effects: While at character creation a character can just buy effects with points, it can be more complicated to gain effects during play. In some cases a character can perform research and experimentation, in others an effect will be found in a book, in still more a teacher will be found. The point cost of an effect gained during play is slightly negotiable: if the character has the points for it, just pay them at the time of learning. If not, the character shouldn't be artificially prevented from learning something simply because of point costs. Just have the next points the character earns go to pay for the effect learned. Be wary not to allow this learning to get out of control - learning multiple effects in succession should take time, and consider the idea that a character can only "borrow" points for one effect at any given time.

Current Location: M:Z Inc.
Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Scatman John - Scatman's World

Herein we have the central part of a Mission: Zodiac character. A character's skills determine almost everything she can do. Each skill has a cost associated with it; this is the amount of character points each point in the skill costs. Skills are divided into three groups: Knowledges, Professions, and Abilities. A knowledge skill is a thing the character knows, a profession skill is a type of task the character knows how to perform, and an ability skill is some (usually physical) thing the character can do. Some skills are Age-specific, in that they are unknown in other Ages than the one(s) listed. Each skill will have a characteristic listed, this is the characteristic that adds to contests made with this skill. At GM discretion, some skills may be used without the character having points in them (sometimes this may be necessary, as with Initiative). Sometimes one skill will be complementary to another (i.e. Botany can be very useful for Herbalism). In such a case, make a contest with the complementary skill, every two successes counts as one success towards the main skill.

Knowledge

Anthropology: This skill represents a character's knowledge of other cultures. Anthropology doesn't usually apply to any of the outer realms, unless the character takes a focus in them (to be taken individually with each realm). A focus can also be taken for a specific culture. Anthropology is based off Intelligence. Cost: 1 point (Focus: 1 point [2 points for an outer realm focus]).

Astronomy: This skill represents a character's knowledge of the sky above (or around, in the Space Age). Astronomy is based off Intelligence. Cost: 1 point.

Biology: This skill represents a character's knowledge of living systems. Identifying creatures from the outer realms is usually more difficult. Biology is based off Intelligence. Cost: 1 point.

Botany: This skill represents a character's knowledge of plant life. It can be used to both identify plants and discern useful properties of such. Identifying plants from the outer realms is usually more difficult. Botany is based off Intelligence. Cost: 1 point.

Cosmology: This skill represents a character's knowledge of the realms beyond the normal world. A focus can be taken for a specific realm or class of planar phenomenon. Cosmology is based off Intelligence. Cost: 2 points (Focus: 1 point).

Electrodynamics: This skill represents a character's knowledge of electronics and basic electrical principles. Electrodynamics is available in the Modern and Space Ages. Electrodynamics is based off Intelligence. Cost: 1 point.

Geography: This skill represents a character's knowledge of the world around her. Geography doesn't usually apply to any of the outer realms, unless the character takes a focus in them (to be taken individually with each realm). A focus can also be taken for a specific region of the world. Geography is based off Intelligence. Cost: 1 point (Focus: 1 point [2 points for an outer realm focus]).

History: This skill represents a character's knowledge of the past. Note that previous Ages are little-known, and only mythological hints, at best, transfer through to a new Age. History doesn't usually apply to any of the outer realms (except in ways that they've influenced the history of the world), unless the character takes a focus in them (to be taken individually with each realm). A focus can also be taken for a specific region or period of history. History is based off Intelligence. Cost: 1 point (Focus: 1 point [2 points for an outer realm focus]).

Linguistics: This skill represents a character's ability to speak different languages. Each point in Linguistics allows a character to speak one additional language. Additionally, a character can make a Linguistics contest to decipher unknown writings. Deciphering extraplanar writings is usually more difficult. Linguistics is based off Intelligence. Cost: 1 point.

Lore: This skill represents a character's knowledge of magical processes. Lore is based off Intelligence. Cost: 2 points.

Mathematics: This skill represents a character's ability to devise and perform calculations. Mathematics is based off Intelligence. Cost: 1 point.

Mechanics: This skill represents a character's knowledge of machines and basic mechanical principles. A focus can be taken for a specific class of machinery. Mechanics is based off Intelligence. Cost: 1 point (Focus: 1 point).

Psychology: This skill represents a character's knowledge of mental processes. A character can gauge the intentions and mental state of a subject, in some cases opposing an Acting contest. A character can also, given much time, treat a subject for madness. Psychology can be used as a complementary skill for Meditation, if the character is attempting to recover from Sanity damage. Psychology is based off Intelligence. Cost: 2 points.

Tactics: This skill represents a character's knowledge of combat tactics. It can be used to both acquire a strategy and discern/dismantle an opponent's strategies. A focus can be taken for a specific type of tactics (siege tactics, guerrilla tactics, etc.). Tactics is based off Intelligence. Cost: 2 points (Focus: 1 point).

Profession

Acting: This skill represents a character's ability to convincingly portray herself under a persona that is not her own. Acting is based off Personality. Cost: 1 point.

Artist: This skill represents a character's ability to create or perform some manner of artistry. A character with points in Artist is capable of creating or performing a specific kind of art; further types of art can be acquired through foci. Artist is usually based off Personality, although in some cases another characteristic may be more appropriate. Cost: 1 point (Focus: 1 point).

Difference Engines: This skill represents a character's ability to utilise the massive calculating machines that run many aspects of Space Age society. This skill is only available in Space Age. Difference Engines is based off Intelligence. Cost: 1 point.

Engineering: This skill represents a character's ability to design and create machines and structures. Engineering is based off Intelligence. Cost: 1 point.

Hunting: This skill represents a character's ability to find food and shelter in the wilderness. This skill is usually more difficult in the outer realms. A focus can be taken for a specific type of wilderness (an outer realm focus negates any difficulty in Hunting on that realm). Hunting is based off Intelligence and Awareness (half of each). Cost: 2 points (Focus: 1 point [2 points for an outer realm focus]).

Leatherworking: This skill represents a character's ability to create objects out of leather or cloth. A focus can be taken for a specific type of item. Leatherworking is based off Dexterity. Cost: 1 point (Focus: 1 point).

Medical: This skill represents a character's ability to treat the wounds and illnesses of others. Medical can be used as a complementary skill to a character recovering wounds. In the Mythic Age, this skill was referred to as Herbalism and was slightly more limited in scope. Medical is based off Intelligence. Cost: 1 point.

Negotiation: This skill represents a character's ability to deal peaceably with others, and often get her way while doing so. Negotiation may be more difficult when dealing with people from radically different cultures. Negotiation is based off Personality. Cost: 1 point.

Piloting: This skill represents a character's ability to control and manoeuvre a vehicle or ship. Routine movement doesn't require a contest, it is assumed to be a negligible task for anyone with at least a single point in Piloting. A focus can be taken for a specific type of vehicle. Piloting is based off Dexterity and Awareness (half of each). Cost: 2 points (Focus: 1 point).

Smithing: This skill represents a character's ability to forge objects out of metal. A focus can be taken for a specific type of item. Smithing is based off Strength and Dexterity (half of each). Cost: 1 point (Focus: 1 point).

Woodworking: This skill represents a character's ability to craft objects out of wood. A focus can be taken for a specific type of item. Woodworking is based off Dexterity. Cost: 1 point (Focus: 1 point).

Ability

Acrobatics: This skill represents a character's acrobatic ability. A character may roll out of a fall, taking less damage and standing immediately. Each success attained on an Acrobatics contest negates one wound from falling damage. If she negates at least half the damage from the fall, she may stand immediately. A focus can be taken for a specific acrobatic task. Acrobatics is usually based off Dexterity, although for some tasks Strength may be more appropriate. Cost: 2 points (Focus: 1 point).

Alchemy: This skill represents a character's ability to utilise alchemical formulae. A focus can be taken for a category of formulae. Alchemy is only used in the Mythic and Modern Ages. Alchemy is based off Intelligence. Cost: 3 points (Focus: 2 points).

Dodge: This skill represents a character's ability to avoid attacks or other hazards. Dodge is based off Dexterity. Cost: 3 points.

Initiative: This skill represents a character's ability to quickly react to a combat scenario. At the beginning of a combat, all participants make an Initiative contest. Highest successes goes first, with turns proceeding in descending order. Initiative is based off Awareness and Dexterity (half of each). Cost: 3 points.

Martial Arts: This skill represents a character's ability to perform special combat manoeuvres. A focus can be taken for a style of martial arts. Martial Arts is usually based off Ch'i. Cost: 3 points (Focus: 2 points).

Meditation: This skill represents a character's ability to focus her mind and tune out distractions. Every success on a Meditation contest allows a character to ignore one wound penalty for a few minutes (the exact length of time is left vague, to allow for proper dramatic sense and pacing of the events going on in-game at the time). Meditation can also be used to focus on a task and ignore distractions. Alternatively, Meditation can be used to clear the mind of fatigue. Every success on a Meditation contest removes one point of fatigue. Furthermore, a character can meditate to focus and calm her mind, reducing the effects of Sanity damage. Each success on a Meditation contest removes one Sanity wound. Meditation is based off Ch'i. Cost: 2 points.

Observation: This skill represents a character's ability to notice subtle aspects of her environment, including hidden or concealed objects and stealthy characters. A focus can be taken for a specific sense. Observation is based off Awareness. Cost: 1 point (Focus: 1 point).

Psionical Aptitude: This skill represents a character's ability to perform mental abilities known as psionics. A focus can be taken for particular forms of psychic power. Psionical Aptitude is only known in the Space Age. Psionical Aptitude is based off Intelligence. Cost: 3 points (Focus: 2 points).

Sorcery: This skill represents a character's ability to perform magic. A focus can be taken for a group of sorcerous abilities. Sorcery is usually based off Spirit or an Elemental Affinity. Cost: 3 points (Focus: 2 points).

Stealth: This skill represents a character's ability to conceal himself or other creatures or objects. A focus can be taken for different kinds of stealthy behaviour (hiding, concealing objects, etc.). Stealth is based off Dexterity. Cost: 2 points (Focus: 1 point).

Tracking: This skill represents a character's ability to follow another creature. A focus can be taken for tracking across different kinds of terrain. Tracking is based off Awareness. Cost: 1 point (Focus: 1 point).

Weapon Skill: This skill represents a character's ability to wield a class of weapons (swords, bows, etc.). Each class of weapons is bought as a separate skill. A focus can be taken for an individual weapon. Weapon Skill is based off Dexterity. Cost: 3 points (Focus: 2 points).

Current Location: M:Z Inc.
Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Live - Dolphin's Cry

I got two responses from my questionnaire last time, and they both agreed with what I thought already. As such, we'll be going with the idea that characteristics, like everything else, cost points to acquire. I have another question, though, this time regarding maxima. The question is twofold: First, do you think characteristics should have an absolute maximum? Second, if you don't think they should, do you think it's wise to impose starting maxima? Limits which cannot be breached in character creation, but may be increased past that point later in the game. As usual, I'm interested in why you feel a certain way as much as what your vote is.

I haven't figured out what an average characteristic should be, as that is somewhat related to maxima, a concept I haven't entirely made up my mind on yet. Anyway, here be the characteristics in Mission: Zodiac.

Every character has two categories of characteristics: Body and Spirit. Both Body and Spirit have five subabilities that are used to determine the strength of the character's Body and Spirit. Each subability is tied to a specific element, from which the Elemental Affinities are determined. All characters have a minimum of one in each characteristic.

Body

Strength: This is a measurement of the character's physical strength. This ability represents the element of Fire. Strength is used in such tasks as toppling a heavy statue or kicking open a stuck door. Strength costs three character points/ability point.

Dexterity: This is a measurement of the character's speed and fine manipulation ability. This characteristic represents the element of Water. Dexterity is used in such tasks as accurately aiming a weapon or snatching an object from another's grasp. Dexterity costs three character points/ability point.

Toughness: This is a measurement of the character's physical hardiness. This characteristic represents the element of Earth. Toughness is used in such tasks as reducing wounds from an attack. Toughness costs three character points/ability point.

Movement: This is a measurement of the character's locomotive speed. This characteristic represents the element of Metal. A character can, on her turn, move an amount of metres equal to her Movement. Characters with the same Movement may make Movement contests to determine the outcome of a chase. Movement costs two character points/ability point.

Luck: This is a measurement of how lucky the character is. This characteristic represents the element of Wood. Luck is used whenever the GM rules a character might get some lucky result out of a scenario. Luck costs four character points/ability point.

Spirit

Willpower: This is a measurement of the character's mental strength. This characteristic represents the element of Fire. Willpower is used in such tasks as resisting torture or pressing onward in the face of great adversity. Willpower costs three character points/ability point.

Intelligence: This is a measurement of the character's mental agility and problem-solving ability. This characteristic represents the element of Water. Intelligence is used in such tasks as figuring out a cryptic puzzle or discerning a tactical weakness in an enemy's strategy. Intelligence costs two character points/ability point.

Ch'i: This is a measurement of the character's life energy. This characteristic represents the element of Earth. Ch'i is used in such tasks as resisting certain forms of dread magic or focusing martial arts strength. Ch'i costs two character points/ability point.

Awareness: This is a measurement of the character's perceptive and cognitive powers. This characteristic represents the element of Metal. Awareness is used in such tasks as hearing an enemy sneak up on the encampment or seeing a note hidden under a book. Awareness costs one character point/ability point.

Personality: This is a measurement of the character's social and interpersonal ability. This characteristic represents the element of Wood. Personality is used in such tasks as seducing the enemy's leiutenant or talking your way out of being arrested. Personality costs one character point/ability point.

Body and Spirit

A character has two more stats, Body and Spirit. These are derived from the character's other ten stats.

Body: This is a measurement of the character's general physical ability. Body is the average of the five Body statistics.

Spirit: This is a measure of the character's general spiritual ability. Spirit is the average of the five Spirit statistics.

Elemental Affinities

A character also has five Elemental Affinities: one for each element. An Elemental Affinity is the average of the two stats representing that element (ex. Fire Affinity is the average of the character's Strength and Willpower). Elemental Affinities are used to determine a character's power in certain magical abilities or martial arts. In addition, a character always adds her appropriate Elemental Affinity to reduce wounds from an elemental source.

Health

A character's Health is equal to her Body+Spirit. A character can take a number of wounds equal to her health before she's incapacitated. Injury is a distracting affair, and as such every two wounds inflict a -1 die penalty on many contests.

Sanity

A character's Sanity is equal to her Willpower+Ch'i. Characters, for the most part, only risk their mental integrity by travelling in the realms beyond the normal world (or by being accosted by creatures from such places). As such, a GM who does not wish to invoke the risks of madness in her campaigns can simply forego any locations or entities which would have a deleterious effect on the sanity of her players. When certain mind-threatening encounters are had, a character is subject to a number of mental wounds, dependent on the situation. These wounds can be resisted using Sanity, with each success rolled negating one mental wound. I leave the specifics of mental damage up to the individual GMs and players involved, although as a guideline the more mental wounds a character suffers, the more unstable she becomes. Sometimes this results in bouts of temporary insanity, sometimes it can leave a permanent mark upon the character's psyche. In all cases, however, a character with mental wounds equal to her Sanity is completely incapacitated in some way. Restoration of Sanity is a function of various skills, and will be detailed in the appropriate section.

Current Location: An iceberg fortress in Norway
Current Mood: artistic

Hey, guess what? I'm back to work on Mission: Zodiac. I kinda got some ideas, and I'm interested in working on the system again. I know I said before that it lacks purpose, but then I realised that it's only because I refused to give it purpose. Did you know that I never asked anybody to play/playtest the game with me? Kind of silly to complain about nobody playing it, then, isn't it? Also, to gain greater exposure to how sodding amazing I am, I've decided I'm going to be putting it up here, on my LJ. It'll all get shifted over to the website eventually, but it started here. You can all say that. Anyway, today I'm giving the basics - how the system works. It happens to be amazingly elegant and simple. The whole thing is based on skills. A character gets a race (I am, for some reason, rather stuck on the idea of recognisably distinct PC races), some basic characteristics, and then a bunch of skills to determine what the character can actually do. I think I'm likely to drop both archetypes (although they were an awesome idea) and styles (I really don't think I implemented them well), in favour of characters just having a bunch of skills.

ALSO: Even if you don't particularly care about M:Z as a system, in particular, I'd like everyone's opinion. I've read a number of RPGs where beginning characteristics are determined randomly, and a number where they're bought with points. Which do you prefer, and why?

So, in addition to all that rambling and polling, I have something to share: the basic game mechanics of Mission: Zodiac. Herein lies its elegance and simplicity. For those of you interested enough to read them (and future M:Z installments), I'd like your feedback. Understand that I won't automatically change anything you don't like, but I will take all comments into consideration.

The quintessential game mechanic in Mission: Zodiac is the contest. There are two kinds: one is simply a contest (referred to as such), and the other is an opposed contest. In either case, you roll a certain amount of d6s. You are trying to roll the target number (usually just called "target") or higher. The target defaults to 4, though many things may raise or lower this number. Every time you reach the target on a die, you have one success. In unopposed contests, you are trying to reach a certain amount of successes set by the GM. In opposed contests, you're trying to gain more successes than whoever opposes you. Most contests use a skill and a stat - add those two numbers together and roll that many dice. In some cases you use only a stat, in others you may combine multiple skills or stats together. Circumstances can alter a contest in two ways: they can alter the target or they can alter the number of dice you get. Some skills or circumstances I detail will mention which should be applied when. In some cases, the target can be greater than 6. Astute gamers will notice that you cannot roll higher than a six on 1d6. If you have such a ludicrous target, roll the contest at target 4. Every two successes allows you to roll one die at (original target)-1. This may be required several times before an attainable target number is reached. Additionally, some skills have foci. A skill focus is an area of the skill in which the character tends to specialise or have superior ability. If a character is making a contest within her focus, she rolls at target -1.

Combat, when it occurs, is organised into a sequence of rounds. Each round is a few seconds long. Every combat begins with an Initiative contest, with highest results going first, and turns proceeding in decreasing order from there. Each round, a character may move around and take actions. Generally a character can take a single action in a round, although exceptions can be made (a character with two swords can, logically, swing more often than a character with just one). Attacking and defending are governed by skills and the contests between them. Taking damage is a similar process - each weapon will have a listed number of damage dice (often including Strength), which the attacker rolls against the amount of dice afforded by the victim's armour (usually including Toughness). Each success more than the defender has inflicts one wound. A character whose wounds equal her Health is incapacitated (and usually thus unconscious). An incapacitated character can easily be slain by anybody who wishes to take the time to do so. Also, should a might blow inflict wounds to a character equal to double her Health, she is killed outright. After a good night of sleep (or other sufficient period of rest), a character may make a Body roll; every success removes one wound.

Current Location: M:Z Inc.
Current Mood: after strange aeons

Although there are threads of steampunk running through all the ages of Mission: Zodiac, the Modern Age is where it's really prominent. Some other time I'll go into the various machineries and clockworks that are present in the Mythic Age and make the Space Age possible. Today I'm giving you some of the more interesting aspects of Modern Age technology.

Autocrossbow: This is a step somewhere between the ancient bow and more modern gun-like weapons. It consists of a crossbow on a tripod. A large pack of arrows attaches to the top of an autocrossbow, supplying it with rapid-fire capabilities. Typically a hand crank is used to fire the arrows, although some technologists have been known to connect the autocrossbow to a steam engine. The autocrossbow has a maximum range of one hundred metres. Most autocrossbows can fire twenty arrows before needing to be reloaded. An autocrossbow weighs six kilograms.

Lightning Staff: This is a long shaft of metal, typically just shy of two metres in length. The shaft is hollow, filled with wires, crystals, and various electrical apparatuses. It's a Tanaelian development, fusing sorcery with technology. When wielded by an electrokinetic character, a lightning staff is capable of firing powerful arcs of electricity. These arcs can strike up to thirty metres away.

Steam Rifle: This is a two-handed gun-like weapon. It uses a small steam engine to operate its internal clockwork, which propels tiny throwing knives at an opponent. This process produces a lot of heat, so a steam rifle has a series of water tanks and glass tubing worked into it that reduce it to manageable temperatures. Still, a thick coat and pair of gloves is recommended. Safe temperatures are not always comfortable temperatures. A steam rifle has a maximum range of one hundred metres. Most steam rifles will fire five tiny throwing knives before needing to be reloaded. A steam rifle is one hundred twenty centimetres long, and weighs ten kilograms.

Heavy Coat: This heavy leather coat, usually long enough to fall to the knees, is one of the most common types of armour worn in the modern age.

Mechanoplate Armour: This is an experimental form of armour, combining ancient plate armour with new electric and mechanical techniques. It weighs fifty kilograms.

Frost Welder: This is a small handheld device, very similar to the welding torch. It's difference is that it projects a small, intense jet of cold for the purpose of fusing together nonmetal objects. It, like the normal torch, can be used as an improvised weapon.

Goggles: These are large, clear plastic circles affixed over the eyes with a flexible mask. They are most often used by technologists to protect their eyes when working, especially welding. Only the most uncouth wear them outside the laboratory.

Steam Engine: This is the premiere technology on Alzhrin. It is a device that takes water and fuel and converts them into mechanical energy, used to power most of the devices across the continent. Steam engines vary in size, from the giant engines used to power airships down to the small engines used in steam rifles. Small, portable steam engines tend to be more expensive than the larger engines used in most laboratories. Tanaelians have been researching electric engines, which use electricity instead of fuel for power. Many sorcerers use pyrokinesis to fuel steam engines for a short time, although this is usually considered an emergency use.

Clockwork Limbs: Clockwork limbs are designed to be prosthetics, for those who've lost a limb due to battle or accident. They're slightly less dextrous than a flesh limb, but also slightly stronger. A character with a clockwork leg has a noticeable limp. A character with both legs replaced with clockwork has a more normal-looking gait. Furthermore, a clockwork limb is powerful and sturdy. A clockwork limb is accepted as completely normal among Tanaelians, and rumour has it that they can use electricity to increase the speed and mobility of their limbs. Ai'dreans tend to look down on a person with a clockwork limb, and so most people in Ai'drea who have this advent attempt to conceal it. The Sanolin very rarely apply this advent to people, but they are mostly accepting of it. The most common Sanolin reaction to a clockwork limb is pity, as it is clearly a big restriction on the person bearing it.

Necrotechnology: Necrotechnology is a process using electricity and machinery to reanimate the dead. It is not a form of resurrection, as the person does not return to life. Special fluids counteract, for the most part, decay of the flesh, and the process of entropy is further delayed by the installation of a small cold engine. These effects combine to produce a noticeable cold aura and chemical odour around a necrotechnologically animated corpse. A necrotech zombie is essentially unintelligent, and commands are given to it through large metal rods. These rods slide into ports on the zombie's back, and contain instructions. Tanaelian necrotechnology is said to be advanced enough to allow their zombies to accept vocal commands. It is rumoured that certain sorcerous rites allow a person to transfer their own mind into a necrotechnologically animated body. Tanaelians view necrotechnology as a natural progression of their technical skill, and necrotech zombies can often be seen in their cities performing labour. Ai'dreans find necrotech zombies to be distasteful, mostly because of the smell, and so they're kept away from higher-class regions. The Sanolin dislike the concept of reanimating the dead, and thus never employ necrotechnology. Necrotech zombies brought into their lands are viewed with disdain, as well as any technologists accompanying them.

I'm likely to have more to say on some of these subjects later. Also, I think "necrotechnology" is an awesome word.

Current Location: M:Z Inc.
Current Mood: artistic
Current Music: FF6 - Dancing Mad

I've decided to go back to putting work up here, mostly because a bunch of people read my LJ (and probably don't care). That, and I haven't felt like bothering darkain about my space on darkain.com, nor have I decided how I would rework the site to shift over to the new "generic gaming article" format. Anyway, today you're getting the people of Mission: Zodiac; that means the kind of things available for "player races". As an added bonus, I'm putting up what I have currently about both Mythic Age and Modern Age races. I've done virtually no design on Space Age yet, so the populace of that part will have to wait for another time. Two things: First, you'll notice I don't have humans in the list. Like every other sodding fantastic setting, M:Z does include humans. But they'll get their own details in the terms of different human cultures (and when I get to detailing various areas, these races you're seeing now will get more detail too). Second, you'll notice two prominent names: Alzhrin and Hervarðr. Alzhrin is the continent upon which Modern Age is based, and Hervarðr is the continent on which Mythic age is based. Anyway, here they are.
(Mythic Age)
Ålfar: Ålfar live mostly in the southern forests of Issheim. Ålfar are taller and slimmer than humans. Their skin is pale, nearly white, and their eyes are softly-coloured and luminescent. An ålfar's hair ranges from black to white, including any colours in-between. Ålfar are known across Hervarðr as puissant warriors and expert craftsmen, though they rarely work with metals. Ålfar have an excellent grasp over the magics of ice and cold, and glow faintly, bright enough to allow them to see well in dim lighting. In complete darkness, this glow just makes them easier to find.

Jotunkyn: Jotunkyn are descendents of the mighty jotun, their semi-divine blood diluted by common mortal stock. Jotunkyn are taller and broader than humans, nearly twice the height of a human. The jotunkyn have adopted from their ancestors a highly nomadic culture, and roam all across Hervarðr. Many (especially humans) assume the jotunkyn to be an uneducated barbarian race, but in fact it is from the jotunkyn that the people of Hervarðr acquired the skaldic tradition of oral storytelling.

Skyhirðmaðr: The skyhirðmaðr are protectors of the cloudspaces above Hervarðr. They patrol the skies in their cloudships, powered by the same magical technology as clockwork einherjar. Most skyhirðmaðr hail originally from Þyrskala, the aerial city. They are rarely seen down on the surface, and often engender awe and curiosity when they walk upon the earth. Skyhirðmaðr look much like humans, but their life in the sky makes them appear slightly faded and washed-out; this trait becomes more exaggerated as they age. What tends to attract more interest, though, are the magical technology artefacts they carry. These seem, to all appearances, to be both wondrous and useful. Skyhirðmaðr are careful to not let their devices fall into the hands of outsiders, and will undertake great efforts to reclaim anything that has been stolen or scavenged from them.

Svartálfar: Svartálfar are distant cousins of the ålfar. The split between them is said to have occurred near the beginning of the world, when the demiurge Logos was dividing Hervarðr between ice and fire. The ålfar, as a race, chose ice and still reside in the forests of Issheim. A small percentage of ålfar, however, chose to side with fire. In seeing this schism, Logos made these fire ålfar seperate, by giving them new names - svartálfar - and new forms. Svartálfar look much like ålfar, except that their skin is black and they do not give off light. Their eyes are also darker in colour and allow them to see clearly in the dark. Svartálfar live in the north of Hervarðr, in the foothills and mountains of Bálsteinn, both above and below ground. Svartálfar, like their cousins, are also known as skilled warriors. Unlike their cousins, they are also known as excellent metalsmiths. Svartálfar, similarly to the ålfar, possess a natural affinity for fire magics.
(Modern Age)
Homunculus: A homunculus is a man - or, rather, an approximation of a man - created with alchemy. More specifically, it's an artificial human constructed via the Constructive Alchemic formula. Homunculi are slightly shorter than humans, but otherwise indistinguishable. There are, however, a few ways to identify a homunculus. First, a homunculus often has unusual eyes. It's rarely the same from homunculus to homunculus, but an attentive person can notice that most homunculi do not have human eyes. Second, a homunculus tends to have abilities a human does not. Most notably, they can be altered with the Constructive Alchemic formula, unlike other living beings. They also tend to be slightly resistent to sorcery.

Kalmir: Kalmir are a barbarian tribal people from the western forestlands of Dhih. It is said they were humans who served the foxpeople, and the foxpeople's magic transformed them into Kalmir. The Kalmir people subsist entirely off of the land, producing no tools or permanent shelter. They are tall and slender, usually slightly taller than a human, with sun-darkened skin. They have slightly pointed ears, and a very rare Kalmir is born with a fox tail. Though they rarely wear clothing, Kalmir have elaborate tattoos and rarely leave their hair a single colour. Kalmir tend to be territorial, and travellers are expected to prove themselves in hand-to-hand combat to be considered welcome. When a Kalmir finds herself travelling the world, she often slowly begins adapting to the cultures of the people she is with. Clothing is usually the first custom to be acquired, although they never seem comfortable with the concept of hats.

Mask: Master artisans of unknown origin, the Mask are singular and devoted to their craft. Tall and willowy, they seem almost ethereal in appearance. The only decidedly real part of them are the elaborate masks they wear. They tend to get on with others fairly well - they're artisans of supernatural ability, and most merchants are willing to trade for their goods. Mask seem to have a silent language with each other that allows them to communicate simple concepts and emotions. Though some have tried, they have not been able to use this ability on those not of their kind. Mask seem extremely lucky, but are highly vulnerable to wounds made by iron weapons.

Ouvial: Ouvials are a race somewhat different than the other races, in that they are only peripherally real. Some accident set them slightly askew from the world, and they are perpetually on a slightly different phase than everything else. Their bodies are blue and semitransparent, like water. Ouvials are distant and a bit paranoid. They can see things others can't, and often react to something that's seemingly not there. They look like a blob of tinted water held vaguely into a humanoid shape. The only noticable feature they display is a pair of red dots, presumably eyes, in the blue field of their head. They are pretty insular, and only interact with other people when they feel they need to. They cannot speak. Rather, they have a limited telepathy with which to convey images and feelings, although they only extend this telepathy to individuals they like. It is considered an ouvial's racial duty to find some way to realign its people with the world, and so most ouvials are sorcerers or technologists. Some remarkably friendly ouvials have communicated the following story: Ouvials were once great, in the Mythic Age. We ruled an empire stretching across the entire world. When the Age ended, we changed. On the day the sky fell, we were cast aside.

Tanaelian: A rather advanced race of humanoids from a continent across the southern sea. Tanaelians are highly intelligent and seek whatever advantage they can find in any given situation. They seem to be able to bend the odds with their formidable intellect. They have black or grey skin, light-coloured eyes that emit a faint glow, and have hair of a metallic colour. They always dress as though ready for war, and even common clothing is lightly armoured. Despite this level of precaution, Tanaelians tend to be very friendly and generous with their knowledge. Tanaelians are excellent technologists and try to work technology into everything they do. They claim that they brought electricity across the ocean with them seventy years ago. Certainly, human technologists didn't use any electrical technology before the arrival of the Tanaelians.

Hmm. Some of these races are much more detailed than others. Not to worry. More will come, likely when different parts of the world get detail.

Current Location: M:Z Inc.
Current Mood: artistic
Current Music: Mike Doughty - I Hear the Bells

I've been thinking about purpose. And I think that I do some things that don't really have purpose. Chief among them happens to be Mission: Zodiac. Now, I know crashghost really likes reading M:Z, but that's kind of where my problem is. Nobody plays it. It seems like it would be much more useful to put my work (and, likely, many of the same concepts) into games myself and others are going to play.

So I feel, instead, I'm going to work on various concepts for HERO- and d20-based games, because myself and others actually play those. It'll take some time for the site to change, though, so if you really like M:Z, you should go save the material. Or just ask me, because I'm going to be keeping it. Just not up on the server.

Current Location: The seventh Hell: Pensive and inadequacy
Current Mood: contemplative
Current Music: Kiss -Detroit Rock City

I've just put up some information on the regions of Ilmier and Zalemar for Mission: Zodiac. I think it's time for me to start work on the Mythic Age. So now, when I say I've added new material, I'll be specifying whether or not it's Modern Age or Mythic Age. And eventually I'm going to be getting into the multiplanar aspect of the game...

Current Location: An iceberg fortress in Norway
Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Tears of Anger - The awakening

I put in those two styles I was talking about (Shadow Fist and Rogue Blade). I also added the Off-Hand skill, to facilitate dual-wielding. Additionally, I put in a section about how to make a character, in case that was somehow difficult.

Current Location: secret ninja dojo
Current Music: Angra - The Voice Commanding You

I did a lot of stuff for Mission: Zodiac today. Most notably, I changed how Health, damage, and magic work. That's all explained under combat, and I think it works out a lot better now. I also added some stuff - I realised I needed a couple more skills, so I added Meditation, Ch'i Lock, and Superb Defence. The real update was for combat styles, though. At the moment I only have three up (Dancing Fox, loosely based on capoeira; Harmonious Palm, loosely based on aikido; The Sevenfold Hand, loosely based on pa kua), but I have some ideas for some more, including a quite pressing need for some weapon-based styles. I've got Shadow Fist (loosely based on ninjutsu) and Rogue Blade (loosely based on piratey swashbuckling) tumbling around in my head, but I don't feel like doing any more tonight, so they'll just wait. I'm pleased with the inclusion of styles, though - they lend a sense of kung fu fantasy that was noticably missing before.

Current Location: M:Z Inc.
Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Primal Fear - Metal is Forever

I spent today working on Mission: Zodiac. Just in case any of you thought all my recent d20 work was overshadowing my important gaming projects. Updates include:
Lightning staves, different weapon materials, goggles, and a number of pieces of general equipment (including a frost torch), to be found under equipment.
Brief descriptions of Dhih and Sanolin lands, found under setting.
And minor updates to the Destructive Alchemic and Medical skills.

I have some more thinking to do about the direction I'm going to take Ilmier and Tanaelian lands.

Current Location: Valhalla
Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Metallica - ...And Justice for All - To Live is to Die

I've added homunculi, a brief description of the nation of Ai'drea, and a random new bit of clothing I thought was worth mentioning. I think necrotechnology is coming soon, I just have a few things to work out in my head first.

Now, having been all productive, I think it's time for some Valkyrie Profile

Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Captain Jack

I got this neat idea that the Between the Spaces storyline could actually lead into the Mission: Zodiac setting. Hmm, that would have interesting implications for the ending of Between the Spaces: Requiem, wouldn't it?

I'm having some thoughts on magic in Mission: Zodiac. As it is now, it's not really defined in any way. It's just... magic. Some people (mages) can do some things (magic) that other people can't. It strikes me that this is terribly uninteresting. From what I know of the setting, I would expect magic to coalesce into a few different forms:
Alchemy: You know, alchemy originated in the Arabic region. I'm thinking maybe a little bit like FMA alchemy, with some elemental magic thrown in (pacts with djinni, or something like that)
'Kung Fu' Magic: You know how in Chinese fantasy you've got these martial artists with crazy powers, apparently stemming just from training in their style of kung fu? It's like that. Some people can jump like Morpheus, some people can block a spear with their chest. Lots of people can project their ch'i to kill people from a distance.
Technomagic: I don't entirely know how I should implement this. I mean, I've got the technomancer archetype, which basically says you blend being a mage and a technologist. But there should be some kind of technomancy skill, I think. Or at least, current magic should be adaptable to work technomagic. Yeah. Maybe that second option would work best.
Runes? I think some kind of Nordic rune magic can be tied in with the alchemy. Oh, did I mention I was going to put in some aspects of Norse mythology? Because Norse myth is badass. My thoughts are that there was an old world, with old gods, which was essentially destroyed in Ragnarok. Remnants of the old world (like a god or two, and this 'ancient alchemy') still remain in the modern age. I think the runic alchemy will be a little more powerful, as it is tied to remnants of the more potent, mythic age, but harder to use, because the skills to wield it are slowly seeping out of the world. Also, the sun will be mechanical. Because technologists had to rebuild it after Ragnarok.

Well. I think I need to hammer these concepts out further, and go write some stuff. Impending update, then.

Oh, yeah. Since I mentioned old gods, I figure I'll talk some about my thoughts on divinity for M:Z. As I said, a couple old gods will remain from the mythic age. While I'm not actually going to use Norse gods, these will be the closest to Western polytheistic deities extant in the universe. The main deities in the modern age are ascended mortals - kind of like the Taoist Immortals, these are people who have attained enlightenment, become one with the universe, and ascended to divinity. People don't worship them, exactly, but much like Laozi and the Buddha, they follow their teachings and attempt to emulate them. There are also, for absolute lack of a better term right now, the divine monsters. Major djinni, dragons, Jormungandr. These are badass outworld entities that aren't divine at all, but are equal in power to divine entities. Most of them are older than the modern age (because they're awesome enough to live through Ragnarok), and many are in fact older even than the mythic age. According to the Dicefreaks take on D&D, Demogorgon made the Prime Material. This seems like an awesome idea to me, and I'm to understand it stems from the Gnostic conception of demiurge. So there might be some kind of demiurge (who would likely be some kind of divine monster) who made the world. I'm gonna look into it some more.

And don't forget the steampunk. I had this idea tonight that water-cooled steam-powered guns would be awesome. And clockwork limbs. Kind of like automail, but not as sleek and refined. And don't worry. I'm not trying to make Fullmetal Alchemist: The Roleplaying Game. I just figure it has some excellent concepts that fit well into the game I'm already making, and I'm not really afraid to draw inspiration where I see fit.

Also, I was talking to my friend Roy about dealing with high-level D&D characters:
Roy: yes, but 15th level LG chars are nearly impossible to kill, and very hard to scare
bluegodjanus: Fiends. Powerful fiends tend to solve all your problems.
bluegodjanus: At APL 16 you can use a marilith and a couple 'lesser' (like, CR 15) demons. (editor's note: 'APL 16' is roughly analagous to a party of 16th-level characters)
Roy: holy word
bluegodjanus: dimensional anchor
bluegodjanus: have a couple vrocks with antimagic field fly in to fuck the spellcasters

Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Nightwish - Angels Fall First - Angels Fall First

First, this is ragingdreamer's fault.

Second, I gave Mission: Zodiac some races. There are only five, but I plan to add more later. At the opportune moment. Once I add equipment, I'll feel it's playable.

Current Music: Lacuna Coil - In a Reverie - Veins of Glass

So, shaygod is going to another state for a while. He'll return periodically, and his absence is not permanent. What this does mean is that the game will drop into very-sporadic mode. I'll still update the campaign journal whenever we play, but don't expect any regularity. In better news, today I got a fairly clear idea of where to take the three-part Between the Spaces storyline. As a fun teaser, here are the titles of each section:
Between the Spaces I: Portal-Slayer
Between the Spaces II: Ringwalker
Between the Spaces III: Requiem
Here's a hint: those are all people.
In other news, I've been working on Mission: Zodiac. When I feel the system is up and running I'll let you all know, right now I have two more sections to finish before it's really bare-minimum operational. Then I'll have to work on the world.

Current Music: Metallica - Master of Puppets - Master of Puppets

I was just thinking, what if Mission: Zodiac were to be made as a Munchkin expansion? The first thing I thought of, of course, was Zodiac. He'd be a monster:
Level: Higher than yours
Bad Stuff: When Zodiac inevitably defeats you, he mocks you and takes your stuff. Lose one item. If you have no items, Zodiac mocks you extra, then gives you something. Draw a treasure.

Current Music: Elvendrums - The Dragon - Coolavin

I was thinking, today, about how I would piece together the ideal d20 system game from already-existing pieces, and that led me to think about what I feel would be good in a game, which inevitably led me to think about what I should build Mission: Zodiac into.

See, originally, the idea was for me to make a game based on the stories I write. Another medium for me to express my madness in, so to speak. But I think that kind of ties me down, in part because I write a lot of stuff, and no matter how hard I'd like to, I probably can't reasonably tie them all together into one logical, cohesive whole. I think what ties me down more is that I've written some stuff for M:Z before, and now I'm insistent on remaining true to some of that previous material, despite the fact that I've completely rewritten the system at least twice since its first inception.

So, in the interest of making something (mostly) new (I am rather pleased with a few of the system's basics, so I'm sure to keep those), I figured I should make a list of the things I would want M:Z to be/include. And, of course, share it with you, even though I've determined that I'm the only person in this solar system with any interest in the project.

1. Steampunk. I am, at least at the moment, completely enamoured by steampunk. Because it's awesome.
2. Magitech. Magic and technology, sometimes a little seperate from each other, but usually kind of combined into a whole that is more awesome than the sum of its parts.
3. Arabian and Chinese fantasy. While there's (technically) nothing wrong with normal European fantasy, Arabic and Asian styles of fantasy and storytelling are more interesting to me, and more exotic to most of you. Thus, themes from them would make a more interesting and exotic game/world.
4. Many worlds. Whether this is different planes of existence, different planets in the universe, or both, I think the multiworld dynamic makes for a more interesting and in-motion setting. It also allows me to have exotica (because it's stuff from one world on another one, and thus different and interesting to that world), and insert new and wacky things without majorly disrupting the setting. I haven't entirely decided which path I want to use, but I'd be more likely to lean towards multiplanar, as I think it'd fit the steampunk and magitech visions better.
5. Cinematic martial arts. This isn't just hand-to-hand, like kung fu. You can have nice, cinematic, stylised combat with swords, staves, and guns too.
6. A reasonably open magic system. D&D's system of having set spells doesn't work for me. On that topic, I prefer a 'pool' of magical energy you can draw from. This could also be used to make the martial arts system more awesome.
7. I still don't really like classes, but I think the idea I had regarding archetypes would be reasonable.

Yeah... that sounds good. I should just bust out my notes and work on it, though.

Current Mood: I'm almost working
Current Music: mp - Diablo - Tristram Rock OC Remix

As some of you know, I've been working on a roleplaying game, Mission: Zodiac. Lately, I've just been... doubting things. First, it was one of my goals to make the system fairly open-ended - to let people make whatever kind of character they wanted. Then I realised, HERO does this already, and probably better than I do. And I've always thought the idea of character 'archetypes' was a cool one, so maybe I want it to be somewhere kind of in the middle, between the restrictive class-based D&D and the completely open power-based HERO system. As it stands, there are a few things I've made that I'm really pleased with (most notably the ability scores, and I'm fairly happy with the basic mechanics of the game), but the rest... I dunno. Maybe I'll change it. I've also been thinking that a d20 system adaptation could be useful, as I can attract more attention to myself that way and it'd be a little easier to design.

Hmm. What do you think? If you found an RPG on the internet, and thought to yourself, 'I'd like to give this a try, because it seems somehow cooler than all these other RPGs at my disposal', what would you want to see in that game?

Current Music: EvilHorde - Usagi Yojimbo - Homage to Amida Buddha OC Remix