Reference The Game Group

Cheers, Splinter. I absolutely don't mind. I have pretty much everything I need to refurbish my OP now, so it's just a matter of finding time to write it up. Expect something after the 17th.

In the meantime, hit us with your idea.

 

Thank you Nick. And without further ado, presenting:

“The Dying Chronicles”
(Insert ominous image here... coming soon)



No one knows how it started. No one even knew it was possible. You see it in the movies, the dead rising from the grave to devour the living. It’s fiction, not real life.

Nobody believes in monsters.
Monsters aren't real.
Everyone knows that…

Everyone was wrong.

It started in the most populated cities. The dead wouldn't stay dead. Everyone thought it was a joke at first.

They didn't laugh for long.

The National Guard was called in. The President declared Martial law. People were advised to stay inside and report any suspicious activity immediately.

They still died.

Inside of a week the air waves, so full of news and special bulletins, went silent. A few days later saw massive power outages across the country.

Survival became the primary goal, and quite a few people didn't care if their survival came at the cost of their fellow men. These savage groups of of lawless men are just as dangerous, if not more so, then the ravenous dead.

People fled the cities for the country side where it was less populated.
But the dead do not rest.
With the absence of the living, they went searching. Hordes of rotting corpses abandoned the cities in search of meals.

But the dead are not the only killers of Man.

Winter can claim the living just as easily as rotting teeth do. The only silver lining is that the dead seemed to become lethargic in the cold. A small concession, if any at all.

Through the harsh cold winter, the harshest America has seen in decades, small groups of survivors have clung to hope that life would continue.

But the worst of winter is over. It is time to move on…

To find a safe haven…

If one even exists…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to “The Dying Chronicles”

The world of this RPG has been overrun with The Living Dead!

Players will take on the roles of survivors trying to find a safe place… if one still exists.
It has been almost a year since the dead took over the world. Survivors have holed up in where ever they can to try and outlast the winter. More than a few perished due to the harsh conditions and moral is relatively low… as are supplies.
The dead have mostly left them alone during the cold months, but are becoming more active the warmer it gets.
Can our survivors live to see another day?
Join us and find out.

Rules:
No godmoding:
GM and Co-GM decisions are final
Respect and follow the rules of the RPF and the JC
PM Character sheets to the GM for approval
Have fun

Character Sheets:
*Note to players. Create a second character and keep it ready or even submit it for pre-approval, in case your main character gets slaug… I mean becomes unplayable.


Group Preference:
Name:
Age:
Former Occupation:
Forte:
Appearance:
Skills you’re good at:
Skills you Suck at:
Family & Friends:
Equipment:
Bio:

*Group Preference: Please state if you want to be part of a group or if you are alone.
*Former Occupation: What you did before the world went to hell in a hand-basket.
*Forte: This is the area of survival skills you are the best at. Example: Tracker, hunter, scavenger, mechanic, ect… It will usually stem from your occupation though not always.
*In the Skills section, this is just a helpful way of keeping track of what you’re good or not good at. Skills in the “You’re good at” category will be viewed in the light of “He/she has done that so many times it’s hard for him/her to mess it up.” Skills in the “Suck at” category will be viewed like my cooking… a hot mess.
*“Family & Friends” Is a list you can put close friends and family that you are uncertain survived. You may find some of them as we go along or get word of them. No promises as to their condition.
*Equipment: Everyone can have two weapons to start with. Anything you could reasonably get your hands on. If it’s more exotic make sure to justify how you came to have it and it will be decided if it’s ok. You can list a vehicle here as well, again only what you could reasonable get a hold of.

----------
I welcome all feedback

 

I'm not sure how I feel about having to create a second character on the off chance mine gets killed. To me it'd be simpler just to put a "two character limit" rule rather than making your players come up with an extra character. Maybe they just want to focus on one?

I also think you can trim up the character sheet a little. For instance, the "Forte," "Skills you're good at," and "Skills you Suck at" sections could all be consolidated into one "Skills/Weaknesses" category. And this is just a cosmetic suggestion, but maybe instead of having notes below the sheet, you could incorporate them into it? E.g.

Group Preference: Please state if you want to be part of a group or if you are alone.
Name:
Age:
Former Occupation: What you did before the world went to hell in a hand-basket.
etc.

That would make it a little more sleek and presentable.

Also, where does the game take place? Will all of the players start out in one specific region, or will the story span the globe?

 

It will take place in a specific region. I'll need a way to declare that in the OP, I'll work on that.

 

I think it covers all the basics very well, but I kinda miss a bit flesh to those nice looking bones. Where do we start? What is the state of the world like? Many survivors? As good as none? Actually where does it all play out? I feel you need to add a bit to make it work really well.

 

So Thursday I had a spark of inspiration and I fervently went to work on it. I have change up the state of the world and it has a more Land of the Dead feel to it. I don't know if this would interest people, but that is what the other thread is for, I would simply like to know if this OP is well rounded and informative enough. As always, all critiquing is welcomed.
Cheers.
********************************************************************************************************************************************

Only the dead were left Cedar Creek Michigan. They littered the streets, the houses and the stores. The stench of rotting corpses filled the air as if trying to choke out any life that may still inhabit the town. Houses sat abandoned, corpses sprawled over the furniture. Offices were gutted, blackened by fire and bleached by the sun. Stores were boarded up, their produce and stock rotting or collecting dust.

And if those stores had been empty then Ben would never have bothered.

The trucks rolled right down main-street. The noise was enough to wake the dead, and that was why the men on those trucks were armed.

Because the dead do not stay dead.

Ben stepped out of the truck and surveyed the area.

“All right boys. Set perimeter. Snipers, find some nests…”

The moans of the dead started to increase. Walkers started to rise. They came by the dozens, shuffling, drawn by the scent of warm flesh and by the noise of the living. They had only one instinct, to eat.
“Light the torches. Conserve you ammo. Don’t fire unless threatened. Let the snipers work.”

The dead do not think. They do not feel. The do not care about pain or pleasure. They are all instinct and hunger. If it is warm they’ll bite it. The dead do not remember anyone or anything. But the dead do remember fire. Fire exists beyond thought. Burning flesh is a sensation beyond pain. The consequences of fire have literally been burned into the primal natures of man.

The dim glow of fire lit up the area as every other man lit a torch. The dead slowed. Long dead memories of fire giving them caution. Shots rang out of the darkness as the Snipers set to their business. Each shot was methodical. One shot, one corpse.
Once the horde was thinned down Ben signaled the scavenger teams to advance. “Remember, essentials supplies only. Elysin isn’t paying us to bring in luxuries. Leave that to the Runners. Now move!”

Scavenger teams fanned out, always keeping formation, torches bared, taking out any walker that would get close. They raided the stores for food, pharmacies for medicine and service stations for fuel. It took less than ten minutes.

“Ben, that’s it, we’re loaded up.”
Ben nodded. “Good. Let’s pack it in.”
The trucks moved out, and once again Cedar Creek Michigan was left to the dead.

***

“The Dying Chronicles”

A Summary:

The world has been overrun by the Flesh Eating Living Dead!
By the time the truth was known to the public there had been little that could be done. People died by the hundreds and thousands. Only about a tenth of the population has survived. Cities were abandoned and towns burned. Survivors formed groups to endure. It was inevitable that they some would start to prey on others. Death may no longer be a fact, but the scum of humanity is a constant.
This game will focus on Grand Rapids Michigan. Here, survivors have cordoned off ten square blocks (Called the Del), centered on the Elysian Towers (a large hotel, condominium and office complex) owned by Kristof Elysin.
In the Del, people have power, water and security. Elysin keeps the Towers and, only out of necessity, the Del supplied by having his Scroungers raid nearby abandoned towns and cities (some not so abandoned).
Now those who can afford it live in luxury, Elysian Towers, while those that have a trade can make a decent living. Those that have no craft and no fortune must eke by on whatever they can, catering to the rich, becoming Runners or working for Elysin
Everyone in the Del can leave whenever they like. It’s getting back in that is the trick. Runners, those that acquire specialized items for those that can pay, are issues passes to get back in.
Weapons aren’t allowed in the Del and must be checked at the gates. Elysin Security Patrols enforce “Order” in the Del, and any disturbances are dealt with swiftly. That doesn’t stop people from sneaking in weapons or any illegal activity. It didn’t in the past and it won’t now.

***

Players are encouraged to join in any way they want, as a citizen of the Del, and aristocrat of the Towers or as a sole scavenger on the outskirts of Grand Rapids. All are welcome. Do not be deceived by the shiny zombie coating on this RPG, there are depths of intrigue and political posturing just waiting beneath the surface. External threats are waiting at the gates and black-market deals done in dark alleyways.
And then there is the ever erratic actions of Kristof Elysin, who continues to baffle the populace with his bizarre proclamations and speeches.
Welcome to the world of The Dying Chronicles.


(Rules and CS format follow this, but are not included in this post)

 

Radical rewrite . . . just as I was about to get my mind up on the next one. Very Land of the Deadish, but a fine write-up and certainly a lot more unqiue than the rather generic spin of the first incarnation.

More probably later.

 

I'd like to have the floor ... when it becomes available.

On TDC I am torn ... personally I like the original setup more ... but that is taste. This One objectivly the better op and has a lot potential. Stories and characters come to mind, conflicts are basically build in and I am sure it will work well as a game.

 

I think I have all I need. I well gladly cede the floor to you SirakRomar

 

Thanks Splinter

Star Wars​

Episode VII​

​

Visions of Peace​

​

The Battle of Endor is over and the Galactic Empire has suffered a fatal defeat at the hands of the Alliance and it´s greatest heroes. The Emperor and his apprentice Darth Vader are dead and the Empire´s Second Death Star has been destroyed by the fleet of the Alliance. But while the heroes of Endor celebrate their victory, the war has not stopped. People all over the galaxy have risen against their oppressors and overthrow their regional Governor´s to join the Alliance. The Empire is retreating on a thousand planets. But still, wounded and desperate as it is, it is the single greatest military in the galaxy. And like all wounded beasts, it is most dangerous when it has nothing to loose . . .

_______________​

​

​

Imagine there would never have been an EU. Imagine a SW galaxy . . . the Star Wars galaxy you had in mind when first watching the movies. And then imagine . . . nothing more. There is no cloned emperor, no blue skinned admiral, no Sith Tribes in hiding. Nobody will ever flowwalk anywhere and if Han and Leia get children is as unwritten as the question if they stay together in the first place. Imagine anything could happen. That is what this game is about. This is an Episode VII set in an alternate universe where none of the EU exists. Only the movies, Episode I to VI are canon for our players and only they will count.
Whatever happened after Luke defeated the Emperor and redeemed his father, whatever happened after the Rebels one the Battle of Endor . . . this will be your story!

_________________________________​

The Universe

This is your Episode VII. Only yours. Nothing is set in stone, nothing is meant to happen. Whatever happens after the Battle of Endor, is up to you alone.
Every bit of EU is voided for this game. No Bakura will call for help, no Thrawn of Vong invasion is bound to happen. There are no secret Sith in hiding anywhere. We will use planets from the EU on occasion and we also allow for most alien races known from the EU (the Vong are not allowed), as long as they are not force-related, but what happens to them is completely up to the players and the universe as it develops through this game.
The same will be true for any ship or ground technology, with the exception of anything that would qualify as a Superweapon. Those things won´t exist in this Star Wars universe. It goes without saying that anything you have seen in the movies is somewhere out there anyway.

___________________________________​

​

The Characters

You can play whatever character you want, if he exists in the Star Wars universe and if he is in line with movie canon. Canon characters are welcome, so are original characters. Original characters can be created in any faction and from any part of the galaxy. This game aims to explore what these troubled times mean to the “ordinary” people of the galaxy and what happens in the corridors of power alike.
Considering canon-characters we will hand them out on a first-come-first-served basis.
EU characters will be allowed on a case-to-case basis, but they will always be alternate version of themselves and whatever position or power they have in any book, they will not necessary have it in this version. I reserve the right to not approve any character who would probably lead to an reenactment of EU events.
If you are in doubt about the canonicity of an idea you wanna use, send a PM and we will discuss it.
Please use the character sheet below and send any CS to me for approval before posting.

Character-Sheet
Name:
Rank: (only if he has any authority over others)
Age:
Race:
Canon: Yes or No
Possession: (only if anything special is in his possession like a ship, fleet, planet, unique armor, lightsaber or the like)
Appearance: Description or picture, whatever you prefer
Bio: (as short or long as you feel appropriate, for canon-characters a link is okay)

ALL PLAYERS ARE WELCOME, therefore don´t be shy if you are new to this. We will help you out with anything you need.

If you need inspiration for character creation have a look at the faction overview in my second post.



Rules:

1. GM word is law, in this kind of game more than ever
2. Send all CSes for approval
3. No player can have more than two active characters
4. No reference to EU events shall be made, if they are not verified through the movies (for example Master Sifo-Dias and the mentor of Palpatine have existed at some point, because they were mentioned, Revan or the Vong invaders do not)
5. The GMs will update at least once a week, we expect responses in appropriate time. If someone vanishes or holds up the game for too long we will take control of the character to keep things moving.
6. No unfair behavior towards any player.
7. OOC is allowed, OOC discussions about the games content are not. We will establish an OOC thread for that.
8. Be ambitious! Have fun!
9. I mean it, HAVE FUN!


Post 2

The Factions

There is no fixed list of factions and you can feel free to come up with any number of new groups . . . but there are of course those we already know to exist and the time after Endor is an interesting one for those, certainly.

The Alliance

The tide of the war has turned. The alliance is growing with every minutes and fleets, planets and people now rise against the Empire´s oppression and look for the former rebels for leadership. But leadership comes with great responsibility and even greater challenges. How will the Alliance organize to avoid making the mistakes of the past? How will they deal with their defeated enemies? And also a battle was one, the war is far from over. Fighting could go onj for decades and cost billions their lives. Or is there a better way? This is the time of diplomats and spies as much as it is the time of Admirals and soldiers. If the Alliance wishes to bring peace to the galaxy, it needs every soul it can get.


The Empire

Despite the crushing defeat, the Empire holds the majority of the galaxies military material, thousands of planets and billions of troops. A military engine is still left and it is fueled by cloning tanks and giant factories and shipyards who never stop producing the means for war.
An Empire without an Emperor is both a dangerous entity and one with the chance to change. There is no heir left to rule, no system to find any new Emperor on which the Empire could fall back to. So what will the Imperials do? Unite under one new leader or splinter and give in to infighting? Will those prevail who favor an all out war to see the galaxy burn for their crimes or will the reasonable forces finally secure their dominance. Will peace be negotiated? Can the empire change? Does it want to? Or is a new Emperor all it needs and if so, who will that be? What will be his agenda?
Could the Empire win this war after all, ruining all achievements the Alliance has made?
No matter if you are a mighty Admiral, Moff or a simple soldier or even a clone, these are the times for great change for everybody within the Empire.


The Fringe


The fringe isn´t a faction really. After Jabba´s death it is even less so, as the criminal underworld has lost it´s one leader it still had. But it is a time of great opportunity for those who have stayed neutral in the conflict. Smugglers and mercenaries will be high in demand. Both sides of the war will have need for Bounty hunters. But even lesser known groups might rise to prominence. Treasure Hunters, traders (both small and big), corporations no longer suppressed by an Empire, miners, farmers, scientists, explorers and leaders of smaller communities or even planetary leaders . . . they all might see the opportunity this new order . . . or lack of . . . offers to them. For the fringe of the galactic society this is a fight for survival or the chance to secure their own corner of the galaxy and make it their domain.

​

 

Looks pretty great. I'll be working on a CS for it soon.

 

I'm already working on a CS for it.

Now to decide if I want to go for the Admiral or Planetary Leader character...

 

I think it just needs a couple of snazzy pictures. Maybe replace the dashes with [center][hr][/hr][/center] for a more uniform separating line.

Also, I'm assuming the timeline is close to immediately post-Endor, but a bit more specificity would be handy, methinks.

 

I agree with Ramza. A quick spelling check, some pics for the mood and some timeframe (you mentioned it starts 24 hours after Endor in Interest, is this still the timeframe?)

 

Oh how I will suffer being unable to join that one . . . oh I will suffer . . .

 

Yeah, pictures actually were quite hard, but I will include those. Concerning everything else, thanks!

And yes, it is supposed to be a day after Endor. I somehow must have forgotten to put this into the OP itself.

 

How open are you considering making it? Like, could I theoretically completely alter the way the Imperial Guard works/worked?

 

As long as it is in line with the movies . . . yes. Absolutely. It will be quite a challenge to leave behind the lore of the EU, I know. But I feel it is a very liberating thing to do.

 

That's what I mean, though, the movies really just show us stuff - if I were to apply the iceberg analogy, the movies show us the tip, but there's an entire mass submerged beneath the surface - would we be able to construct some of that lore ourselves, provided it doesn't contradict the films?

 

That is what I hope for, to be honest. I hope players will create their own lore and I can integrate it into my galaxy spanning plot. This game is back to the root for me. I remember the time before Timothy Zahn, when a bunch of West End Games was all we had an Game Masters of table-top groups had to invent all the stuff the movies did not show. It worked very well. I remember a GM doing the SW prequels with a group and what he came up with over the three years was amazing.

So, yes. Inventing a SW universe more grounded in the movies (and the OT especially, as this is the direct continuation) is what I hope for. And I hope my players will participate in that.

Look at the royal Guards for example. We know a bit about them. We know there were Senate Guards, we know they were already established in the time of the clone wars (they appear in Ep III after all) and we know they stick around until Endor. We know they have guarded the Emperor through his whole career, probably listened to a thousand conversations and . . . they seem not to know his true nature. Before he confronts Luke, they are send away. That is actually quite a bit of info, but it leaves so much room for development. Who are they, who trains them etc.

Interesting plots could spawn around them.

Who are they? Stormtroopers in red? A warrior caste of he Old Republic? Aliens sworn to the Emperor? Some especially creepy superstrong clone-programm?

Did they suspect Palpy being more than a politician? Will they probably become important political assets, with their knowledge about the internal affairs of the court? Will they intervene in the search for a new Emperor? Probably denying one candidate service and follow another who they consider to be the true heir? Will they hunt Luke for retribution because their honor demands it? That is what I come up with immediately. God knows what I can come up with with a bit of thought.

But that is the kind of idea-tossing I hope for.

 

Sorry if you covered this - I couldn't see it in the OP - but are we using all six films? I really like the idea of developing lore, and it would be fun to sort of fiddle with the Jedi, but that depends on what the PT's status is.

 

All six movies, yeah. I really gave the idea "OT only" some thought, but I decided that the movies belong to each other by now. So, the Jedi Order is pretty defined at that point (and I liked the monk-like idea about it before PT better, too), but there is certainly room for addition to their history. Yet, I have to forewarn anybody who goes into that direction, that I will be really restrictive about force-users. This won´t be a Jedi dominated game at all. Best chance to become a Jedi might be becoming Luke´s apprentice, really (if the Luke player decided Luke takes apprentices, that is).

Speaking of which I guess the game comes up at some point next week and then moves forward rather quickly. I got more than one mail with CSes already.

 

The game comes up at the end of the week, so the floor is open again.

Thanks everybody!

 

Since no one has posted anything, and SirakRomar's game is up I just want to throw up my rewrite of "The Dying Chronicles"

__________________________________​

It started with a miracle.

Scientists had found, or rather created, the fountain of youth. Nanomachines engineered to attack disease and regenerate cellular tissue. No longer would humans die of sickness and disease. No longer would the old be infirmed and feeble.

A new age of man was born.

One in which illness was conquered.

We had become gods.

And in our victory we never saw our defeat.

A group of religious terrorists were able to modify some of these nanomachines, now known to the world as Nanotech. They turned them into techno-weapons of mass destruction. And in a coordinated attack they detonated aerosol bombs in key cities across the United States and Europe.

The effects were devastating. Those infected directly became incredibly violent and unpredictable. They killed indiscriminately, men, women and children. They became animalistic and feral. It was like the person they were just switched off and an unthinking homicidal beast took over.

But the worst was yet to come.

Because of the modified nanos, killing these unthinking murder machines was almost impossible. They could survive most wounds, except massive head trauma.

The governments tried to contain the infected. To limit the damage that had been wrought on them. By the time they realized that a bite from an infected spread the nano-virus it was too late. Containment was no longer an option.

Finally the World leaders addressed their respective nations, and the truth was released to the general populace. They confirmed that the cover stories that were given were false, and told the world what was really awaiting them.

Humanity was facing extinction, and they couldn’t stop it. Some governments have claimed they have put together makeshift arks out on the Oceans or in deep defensible caverns and bunkers. Supplies are being gathered and transported there, and they promise to evac any civilians that can get to a designated evac zone…

…as long as they aren’t infected.

Welcome to the Dying Chronicles.​

​

​

The goal of this game is simple. Survive.​

​

State of the world​

Martial Law has been declared and citizens have been told to stay indoors and to report any infected that are encountered, or anyone showing symptoms. The president addresses the nation for the final time. He tells everyone what the “Plan” he has been promising is. They have setup arks in which uninfected survivors can take shelter while they cleanse the infected. Once they have gotten as many people as they feel they can safely, they will detonate massive EMP pulses to destroy all non-protected Nanotech, and the Nano-virus with it. To those that cannot make it to the arks he will give his last directive as Commander and Chief… Survive.

Where we start​

Players will start in Fort Baxter after having been evacuated from one of the initial blast zones. Each isolation room consists of three Plexiglas walls with white metal ceilings and back wall. Each room has an automated food and water dispensers in the back wall along with toiletries and other hygiene necessities. The cells are completely sound proof. Privacy is gained by closing the curtains on the glass walls. This is where the players were placed to be watched for signs of the Nano-virus.
That was three weeks ago.
No one has seen a soul in more than a week and the dispensers have stopped giving food. The last thing the players heard was something about Martial Law.

Nanotech​

Nanotech is the amazing life extending nanomachines that’s both humanities dream and nightmare. Clean nanotech individuals enjoy the benefits of rapid healing, increased physical abilities (to athlete standards, not superhuman) and immunity to illness. Death from starvation, dehydration and trauma are still possible though. They are, unfortunately, more susceptible to the Nano-virus, and the infected seem to be drawn to them as if they could sense them over short distances (5-10 meters).
Recently the military has been experimenting with NanoMods. These modules, give the user inhuman abilities, though not much more is known about them. (I am not sure about keeping this in the game)

The world before the Nano-virus​

This game takes place about 10 to 20 years from now. Technology has advanced but not by leaps and bounds (we are not counting Nanotech). Computers continue to get smaller and faster, and the whole touch screen fad is in full swing.
Unfortunately we still do not have flying cars or hoverboards or phaser/laser guns, and we still haven’t returned to the moon.

 

And now it's time for What's Wrong with Reynar's Games!?

As some of you may have noticed, I've recently launched a couple of games in the RPF that got little not no interest at all. The two games in question are Far Cry and The Strangers.

Far Cry was a little bit of a rush job, I'll admit. I decided to leave out a rules section a) because it feels like they're the same in every game and most players could probably recite them off the top of their heads fairly easily anyway, and b) it was a sort of metaphor regarding the how the story in the game would unfold. There were no rules. I'm not sure how much the absence of rules contributed to the low level of interest (I am appreciative of SirakRomar and Splinterthemindseye_ for their excellent character sheets), but either way I was disappointed as I had some good stuff planned for the game. It would've been fun, and very different from what we're used to seeing in the RPF. But alas, I moved on to...

The Strangers. I posted it a week ago and have received no inquiries, so I'm sure it's as good as dead at this point. I felt that this OP was more polished and elaborate than Far Cry (I even threw in a rules section), yet it received even less interest. I wonder why? There has been a surplus of games popping up recently, and this one was at the tail end of it, so maybe it is just a case of time management for players. Or maybe I'm just not good at coming up with compelling concepts that lure players into a game? I create games that I would want to play, but perhaps in a place such as this, I should create games that others would want to play. Which isn't far from my thoughts when I'm writing these things up, mind you. The failure of this one bums me out as well, as I was anxious to see what kind of things people would come up with for their characters.

I have to admit, I'm not used to this. Several years ago during my peak of activity in the RPF, most games I launched got at least enough sheets to warrant launching the campaign (even the ones I simply used as an outlet for my hugely juvenile and ignorant sense of humor). But most of my regulars from then are no longer active here. Maybe it's just a different crowd that my games aren't identifying with? Do you guys have any suggestions as to how I should go about my next attempt? I'm extremely anxious to GM a game of my own, but the past two tries haven't been successes. I'm looking to rectify that as soon as possible.