d20 Projekt WHOO! [Archive] - Wizards Community

d20 Projekt WHOO! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Mr_Seth
11-27-07, 11:30 PM Three parts boredom, one part joke that got out of hand, and an indeterminate number of parts inspiration, this thread will serve as my personal challenge. Anyone who wants to join in is welcome to - think of it like an all year RPG version of NaNoWriMo.

The goal: To complete a new d20 Mini-game (a la Polyhedron) every two months.

The restrictions: The game cannot have a proper name when it's created. Each will be named Unnamed *genre here* Game under the auspices of d20 Projekt WHOO!. If more than one person makes a game for that cycle, they'll be numbered. New classes, races (if applicable) and equipment are expected. Games should offer something other than what's already out there - fantasy settings shouldn't be D&D rip-offs, modern horror shouldn't be a clone of Shadow Chasers, et al. Setting details should fill in blanks, but leave some parts open for GMs to create. A full adventure for beginners is required to call the projekt for that two-month cycle a success.

With any luck, this'll create some unusual, playable, and memorable gaming experiences.... and who knows? Maybe we'll get inspired to turn one of these into a full-featured RPG.

THE (entirely tentative) SCHEDULE:
Nov. 30 - Jan. 29: Unnamed Fantasy Game
Jan 30 - March 29: Unnamed Post-Cyberpunk Game
March 30 - May 29: Unnamed Surrealist Game

...and more to come later.

~~

Three days to the "official start", but I'll get my opening bits in here: For my entry into Unnamed Fantasy Game: d20 Projekt WHOO!, I posit a world where life is cheap. 80% of the populace are slaves of one caste or another. Where freemen assassins advertise openly on street corners, where even the gods have fallen beneath the law of the undying Empress, and where magic is all but dead.

PCs will take the roles of those gifted with the magic of the few still-free gods, charged with no less than the liberation of the world. Classes will represent gifts from different deities, rather than differing professions, but will act much the same. No standard fantasy races will exist in this world (not even humans!), and all deities/classes will be original. I am entirely unsure how I want magic to be portrayed in this setting, but I know that arcane casters will all be slaves under the direct mental dominion of the Empress. The PCs will all channel divine power, in one form or another.

And that overview is good enough for tonight. More to come tomorrow.
Mr_Seth
11-28-07, 09:43 PM Mr. Seth's entry
Unnamed Fantasy Game: d20 Projekt WHOO!
Design entry 2
Nov. 28, 2007

I'm still just fiddling around with the most basic ideas of how I want this setting to come together. I suppose that a good way to really get started is to map out the races of my realm.

The way I envision my realm, there are three sentient humanoid races; anything that isn't humanoid is either bestial (and of subhuman intellect) or an aberration or outsider.

The first race could be described as almost elven; they're tall, lean, and graceful, with an elegant efficiency that permeates everything they do. That is where the similarities end, however. While elves love the forests and the natural world, this race has shut themselves off from such crude, unrefined things. They are beings of the urban and urbane. A second pair of eyes rests just above their first, and little escapes their gaze; this is the only truly unusual feature they possess (other than the unusually angular faces, wraithlike figures, et al...), but I think it enough to make them seem alien. Spot/search bonus, nightvision, bonus to DEX and CHA, penalty to STR (living in luxury's made them soft!). The ruling class. For now, we'll call them the Raelus.

Now, the Raelus couldn't exist without a slave race to do their bidding, and that's where the Voided come into play. They were Raelus until their ancestors were warped by mystic energies, turning them into their current hulking forms. Voided are still created today in the setting, but only sparsely. A first-generation voided is hideous; the violet and black blotches on his skin are staccato and look like great bruises, his muscles are irregularly developed, and his bones are often malformed. Those several generations down the line have a better go of it; they're titans with soft gray-violet skin and olympian physiques. The only malformation that these slaves have to deal with is that their eyes are asymmetrical - three on one side of their face, one on the other. Unnerving, but not horrendous. STR and CON bonus, penalty to CHA reflecting their repressed personas and physical deformities. Possibly large size, haven't decided. Definitely get Fortitude bonus. The fact that they aren't considered "people" but "sentient cattle" is a bit of a drag on them...

Then there's the third race. Another society that shares space with the Raelus, I think. Heartier, less likely to judge one by race, more likely to sell out their grandmother if the price was right. Stocky reptile folk, for whom the incessant heat of their world is soothing, anything with flesh is food, and everything is negotiable. I'm still fiddling with the details for these folk, but for now we'll call them the Trankel and be done with it. WIS bonus, no penalties. Enhanced heat tolerance. Possible saving throw bonuses for twitchy, lizardlike reflexes. These are the guys I have the most tenuous grip on.

Next entry: hammering out gods and classes.
Mr_Seth
11-29-07, 10:15 PM Mr. Seth's Entry
Unnamed Fantasy Game: d20 Projekt WHOO!
Design entry 3
Nov. 29, 2007

So I've decided that there'll be a tightly-knit pantheon struggling against this Empress, who's discovered a way to enslave the gods that she formerly served. Each class will represent the blessing of a specific deity.

First off, I envision a sort of divine warlock class - a celestial warrior armed with searing blasts of white-gold light. To complement that, I see a harsh sun god, an unforgiving berzerker that sears the land with his heat, and is not amused with the slavery and tyranny that he sees within his world. For the moment I'll dub this class the Light-wielder, and the deity Solus.

Keep in mind - that's a working name.

Next, I see an uber-crusader. Imagine a warrior whipping around an axe the same size as himself, cleaving through three of the Empress' personal guard effortlessly, and then turning the blade to harmlessly slap aside a reluctant slave-guard being used as a meat-shield. To seek a fight with them is to seek death; but likewise they cannot harm those that do not wish to harm them. We'll call these guys Grayblades, and their deity the lawful-good, merciful-yet-just Umos.

UUUUUMOOOOOS. I just like the way that sounds...

Right, right, another class. Well, how about this one: a class that's obscenely lucky. They're AC tanks, saving-throw maniacs, the sort of guy you always want to hide behind. Their deity keeps them safe to fight another day, and gives them enough skills to take care of themselves in the meantime. Persistent nuisances with a penchant for survival, daredevils with a conscience... we'll call `em Shadows, running off the metaphor that it's easier to get rid of your own shadow than to get rid of one of these guys. Their patron's going to be Rhendis, a gambler deity.

Next on the list is another warrior-type. This one's going to rely on technique instead of brawn; more inspired by Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon than Dynasty Warriors and Conan. They can tag foes half a mile away with a thrown spear, deflect dozens of blades at once with unerring accuracy, and perform wall-jumps typically seen only in wire-fu. Unlike the Grayblades, they have no need to be merciful... I'll call this class the Swordsoul. The deity associated with this one will be the contemplative warrior Tsen.

With two dedicated warrior classes, a blaster/paladin type, and an evasive monk/rogue type, I think it's time to consider casters. Rather than using standard casting, I'm thinking about giving my "caster" classes set spell-like abilities that they rely on. I'm still a bit unsure about these guys, but I know I want one telepath/illusionist type that messes with people's heads and a transmuter type that messes with the physical makeup of just about everything else nearby (usually without any sort of control over it). Beyond that, I want at least one more generalist class, but I still have no idea what to do for that... perhaps a shapeshifting sort, taking the variant druid from PHB2 and running with it?

Still hammering things out. More to come tomorrow.
Mr_Seth
11-30-07, 10:47 PM Mr. Seth's Entry
Unnamed Fantasy Game: d20 Projekt WHOO!
Design entry 4
Nov. 30, 2007

A short entry tonight; I've actually work to accomplish. A rarity when one is employed as a radio board operator...

I've been toying with the idea of how the Empress enslaved the deities, and why there are some still active. I think I've just about got it pinned. The Empress was once a mortal who ran a theocratic state, as head priestess of a unified pantheon that all the greater gods were united under. After millennia working together, there were grumblings of dissent from all sides; the gods were prideful beings who were often rankled with their fellows' habits and dogma. The Empress suggested a bold strategy to halt the aggression permanently; to have each deity write his true name on a scroll to be placed in the temple's most holy, deepest vaults. The idea was that no deity would act against the others if they knew that their true name could be invoked - the temple would pull out the scroll, one of the other deities would speak the true name, and the offending god would be brought low.

The gods did not realize that the Empress was not merely a dabbler in truespeak, but an unparalleled master... one whom had learned to keep her studies secret, and her skills hidden.

When they gave her the scrolls, she immediately called forth the true names of the entire pantheon and bound them in the most holy vault, drawing their powers into herself. Now the deities are mindless servitors, living batteries that cannot access the might that was once theirs. The Empress is a quasi-deity, not able to access the full might of the pantheon (as it will obliterate her as soon as she attempts to do so), but peerless in a world of mortals; undying, unaging, unyielding.

The gods that remain weren't part of the pantheon. They're all demigods and lesser deities, the quibbling sort that couldn't get their heads around the concept of a unified pantheon before. Now they do so out of necessity.

More later.
Mr_Seth
01-05-08, 11:52 AM (Challenge closed due to utter lack of interest)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Mr_Seth 11-27-07, 11:30 PM	Three parts boredom, one part joke that got out of hand, and an indeterminate number of parts inspiration, this thread will serve as my personal challenge. Anyone who wants to join in is welcome to - think of it like an all year RPG version of NaNoWriMo. The goal: To complete a new d20 Mini-game (a la Polyhedron) every two months. The restrictions: The game cannot have a proper name when it's created. Each will be named Unnamed genre here Game under the auspices of d20 Projekt WHOO!. If more than one person makes a game for that cycle, they'll be numbered. New classes, races (if applicable) and equipment are expected. Games should offer something other than what's already out there - fantasy settings shouldn't be D&D rip-offs, modern horror shouldn't be a clone of Shadow Chasers, et al. Setting details should fill in blanks, but leave some parts open for GMs to create. A full adventure for beginners is required to call the projekt for that two-month cycle a success. With any luck, this'll create some unusual, playable, and memorable gaming experiences.... and who knows? Maybe we'll get inspired to turn one of these into a full-featured RPG. THE (entirely tentative) SCHEDULE: Nov. 30 - Jan. 29: Unnamed Fantasy Game Jan 30 - March 29: Unnamed Post-Cyberpunk Game March 30 - May 29: Unnamed Surrealist Game ...and more to come later. ~~ Three days to the "official start", but I'll get my opening bits in here: For my entry into Unnamed Fantasy Game: d20 Projekt WHOO!, I posit a world where life is cheap. 80% of the populace are slaves of one caste or another. Where freemen assassins advertise openly on street corners, where even the gods have fallen beneath the law of the undying Empress, and where magic is all but dead. PCs will take the roles of those gifted with the magic of the few still-free gods, charged with no less than the liberation of the world. Classes will represent gifts from different deities, rather than differing professions, but will act much the same. No standard fantasy races will exist in this world (not even humans!), and all deities/classes will be original. I am entirely unsure how I want magic to be portrayed in this setting, but I know that arcane casters will all be slaves under the direct mental dominion of the Empress. The PCs will all channel divine power, in one form or another. And that overview is good enough for tonight. More to come tomorrow.
Mr_Seth 11-28-07, 09:43 PM	Mr. Seth's entry Unnamed Fantasy Game: d20 Projekt WHOO! Design entry 2 Nov. 28, 2007 I'm still just fiddling around with the most basic ideas of how I want this setting to come together. I suppose that a good way to really get started is to map out the races of my realm. The way I envision my realm, there are three sentient humanoid races; anything that isn't humanoid is either bestial (and of subhuman intellect) or an aberration or outsider. The first race could be described as almost elven; they're tall, lean, and graceful, with an elegant efficiency that permeates everything they do. That is where the similarities end, however. While elves love the forests and the natural world, this race has shut themselves off from such crude, unrefined things. They are beings of the urban and urbane. A second pair of eyes rests just above their first, and little escapes their gaze; this is the only truly unusual feature they possess (other than the unusually angular faces, wraithlike figures, et al...), but I think it enough to make them seem alien. Spot/search bonus, nightvision, bonus to DEX and CHA, penalty to STR (living in luxury's made them soft!). The ruling class. For now, we'll call them the Raelus. Now, the Raelus couldn't exist without a slave race to do their bidding, and that's where the Voided come into play. They were Raelus until their ancestors were warped by mystic energies, turning them into their current hulking forms. Voided are still created today in the setting, but only sparsely. A first-generation voided is hideous; the violet and black blotches on his skin are staccato and look like great bruises, his muscles are irregularly developed, and his bones are often malformed. Those several generations down the line have a better go of it; they're titans with soft gray-violet skin and olympian physiques. The only malformation that these slaves have to deal with is that their eyes are asymmetrical - three on one side of their face, one on the other. Unnerving, but not horrendous. STR and CON bonus, penalty to CHA reflecting their repressed personas and physical deformities. Possibly large size, haven't decided. Definitely get Fortitude bonus. The fact that they aren't considered "people" but "sentient cattle" is a bit of a drag on them... Then there's the third race. Another society that shares space with the Raelus, I think. Heartier, less likely to judge one by race, more likely to sell out their grandmother if the price was right. Stocky reptile folk, for whom the incessant heat of their world is soothing, anything with flesh is food, and everything is negotiable. I'm still fiddling with the details for these folk, but for now we'll call them the Trankel and be done with it. WIS bonus, no penalties. Enhanced heat tolerance. Possible saving throw bonuses for twitchy, lizardlike reflexes. These are the guys I have the most tenuous grip on. Next entry: hammering out gods and classes.
Mr_Seth 11-29-07, 10:15 PM	Mr. Seth's Entry Unnamed Fantasy Game: d20 Projekt WHOO! Design entry 3 Nov. 29, 2007 So I've decided that there'll be a tightly-knit pantheon struggling against this Empress, who's discovered a way to enslave the gods that she formerly served. Each class will represent the blessing of a specific deity. First off, I envision a sort of divine warlock class - a celestial warrior armed with searing blasts of white-gold light. To complement that, I see a harsh sun god, an unforgiving berzerker that sears the land with his heat, and is not amused with the slavery and tyranny that he sees within his world. For the moment I'll dub this class the Light-wielder, and the deity Solus. Keep in mind - that's a working name. Next, I see an uber-crusader. Imagine a warrior whipping around an axe the same size as himself, cleaving through three of the Empress' personal guard effortlessly, and then turning the blade to harmlessly slap aside a reluctant slave-guard being used as a meat-shield. To seek a fight with them is to seek death; but likewise they cannot harm those that do not wish to harm them. We'll call these guys Grayblades, and their deity the lawful-good, merciful-yet-just Umos. UUUUUMOOOOOS. I just like the way that sounds... Right, right, another class. Well, how about this one: a class that's obscenely lucky. They're AC tanks, saving-throw maniacs, the sort of guy you always want to hide behind. Their deity keeps them safe to fight another day, and gives them enough skills to take care of themselves in the meantime. Persistent nuisances with a penchant for survival, daredevils with a conscience... we'll call `em Shadows, running off the metaphor that it's easier to get rid of your own shadow than to get rid of one of these guys. Their patron's going to be Rhendis, a gambler deity. Next on the list is another warrior-type. This one's going to rely on technique instead of brawn; more inspired by Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon than Dynasty Warriors and Conan. They can tag foes half a mile away with a thrown spear, deflect dozens of blades at once with unerring accuracy, and perform wall-jumps typically seen only in wire-fu. Unlike the Grayblades, they have no need to be merciful... I'll call this class the Swordsoul. The deity associated with this one will be the contemplative warrior Tsen. With two dedicated warrior classes, a blaster/paladin type, and an evasive monk/rogue type, I think it's time to consider casters. Rather than using standard casting, I'm thinking about giving my "caster" classes set spell-like abilities that they rely on. I'm still a bit unsure about these guys, but I know I want one telepath/illusionist type that messes with people's heads and a transmuter type that messes with the physical makeup of just about everything else nearby (usually without any sort of control over it). Beyond that, I want at least one more generalist class, but I still have no idea what to do for that... perhaps a shapeshifting sort, taking the variant druid from PHB2 and running with it? Still hammering things out. More to come tomorrow.
Mr_Seth 11-30-07, 10:47 PM	Mr. Seth's Entry Unnamed Fantasy Game: d20 Projekt WHOO! Design entry 4 Nov. 30, 2007 A short entry tonight; I've actually work to accomplish. A rarity when one is employed as a radio board operator... I've been toying with the idea of how the Empress enslaved the deities, and why there are some still active. I think I've just about got it pinned. The Empress was once a mortal who ran a theocratic state, as head priestess of a unified pantheon that all the greater gods were united under. After millennia working together, there were grumblings of dissent from all sides; the gods were prideful beings who were often rankled with their fellows' habits and dogma. The Empress suggested a bold strategy to halt the aggression permanently; to have each deity write his true name on a scroll to be placed in the temple's most holy, deepest vaults. The idea was that no deity would act against the others if they knew that their true name could be invoked - the temple would pull out the scroll, one of the other deities would speak the true name, and the offending god would be brought low. The gods did not realize that the Empress was not merely a dabbler in truespeak, but an unparalleled master... one whom had learned to keep her studies secret, and her skills hidden. When they gave her the scrolls, she immediately called forth the true names of the entire pantheon and bound them in the most holy vault, drawing their powers into herself. Now the deities are mindless servitors, living batteries that cannot access the might that was once theirs. The Empress is a quasi-deity, not able to access the full might of the pantheon (as it will obliterate her as soon as she attempts to do so), but peerless in a world of mortals; undying, unaging, unyielding. The gods that remain weren't part of the pantheon. They're all demigods and lesser deities, the quibbling sort that couldn't get their heads around the concept of a unified pantheon before. Now they do so out of necessity. More later.
Mr_Seth 01-05-08, 11:52 AM	(Challenge closed due to utter lack of interest)