M-Space Luther Arkwright Space Campaign The Darkness Seeps Through

[Belgath]

Thinking of  running a game using M-Space Luther Arkwright where the players start as genetically modified super solders for the Characteristics was thinking STR, CON, DEX, INT 14 + 2D4 SIZ 8 + 2d6 POW 6+2d6 CHA 3d6 two traits from Luther Arkwright and using the Arkwright rules for the rest of player Creation. Passion, Solder Control  50% - 90%  the facility that made them can if needed take over there freewill. Also looking to come up with some negative mutations. 

The solders where created to help combat CoC type monsters that have been breaching the fabric of reality. 

So is this to much on the stats?

Any good Ideas on negative Mutations that would make the game fun for the player?

If you have other ideas a supper solders theme i would love to here them. This will be for my kids ages 13 -18.

Edited October 16, 2016 by Belgath
Change the name.

[umbraldragon]

Interesting take on the Super Soldier.  I think you have the bell curve down. I'd stick with it. It only takes a few good blaster rounds to turn heroes into paste

Something that came to mind was the concept of specialized stats for different missions. A group could be sent on a mission, each with different parameters.  No offense to anyone, but LA is a super sexy game, by that I mean slick; yet the disruptors seem very static and uniform despite their perceived mission of anarchy and, zero zero seems to be a collection of odd characters (Octobrianna) with a mission of maintaining stasis.

Mutants? Like Gamma World or Mutants & Master Minds? Both are good source material for your setting, imho. Ok, then. Hope it helps. Game on!

Edited October 4, 2016 by umbraldragon
Added thoughts and spell check

[Belgath]

My vision for this is sorta space age HellBoy. On operations they will be given cool eqp for the job ie 007 stuff.  For Mutation was thinking would be side effects of the genetic manipulation or ones that help and hinder maybe like gills the plus side you can swim under water neg any END rolls against    Smoke or Gas one grade harder.  Not familiar with  Mutants & Master Minds ill haft to look into that.

[Belgath]

Ok found  Mutants & Master Minds, no looking more for the  Gamma World type of Mutants.

[Belgath]

3 hours ago, umbraldragon said:

 

  No offense to anyone, but LA is a super sexy game, by that I mean slick; yet the disruptors seem very static and uniform despite their perceived mission of anarchy and, zero zero seems to be a collection of odd characters (Octobrianna) with a mission of maintaining stasis.

 

Best part of LA is even if you don't like the LA world it is so easy to use as post apocalyptic, Doctor Who,  CoC it jest opens up so-many possibility's. Aso if you get a chance to read Arkwright Integral it adds more depth to the disruptors. But i have to say Octobrianna is beyond odd. 

[lawrence.whitaker]

Octobriana originates in a Russian comic series and isn't a Bryan Talbot creation. He threw her into Arkwright for some colour, sex, and probably to act as a very direct foil to Arkwright and Rose Wylde. It's a very Moorcockian thing to do; Moorcock enjoyed having parodies from other media pop-up in his stories, just for the sheer hell of it.

As far as creating a bunch of super-soldiers, I don't think its something Zero-Zero would do, but there may well be much more militant agencies at large in the multiverse that are also intent on countering the Disruptors using more conventional means.

[umbraldragon]

You could always substitute alternate versions of David Bowie as a Disruptor Agent.  There are enough photographs of him in strange costumes to use as props...unless that offends you.  I think he'd find it a bit cheeky. 

[Belgath]

Now LA has been my all time favorite Game supplement I've had more fun with the  multi-verse then any other game world it's just been a blast. But with the super soldier I was gonna use The LA and M-Space rules but not the setting. My idea for the setting is that at FTL travel has been accomplished but with severe consequences at the FTL travel has cased rips in the fabric of space and time alowing CoC type of entity's  to enter our universe reaping death and distraction and horror  beyond imagination. The fact that FTL travel has cased this is a tightly held secret by the corporation that has a patent on that technology. So I'm trying to have a HellBoy in space or Call of Cthulhu in space but not pigs in space theme. Where  regular soldiers had not been up to the task of dealing with the problems so out of desperation the corporation has proceeded with an illegal genetics program to counter the problem they have created.

[Belgath]

Ok got a good resource for mutations. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/115703/The-Metamorphica-Classic-Edition

Now looking to Develop A - Powers that Be list with there motivations. Never been a big horror buff so I am a bit lacking in this area. As listed on the big purple one of the major player will be Alien races knowing the dangers of worm hole punching FTL travel are seeking to destroy the technology and all knolage of it. But are severely hampered buy the limitations for warp bace FTL. Where travel takes months and years to get from place to place.

[umbraldragon]

Metamorphica Classic is deep.  Definitely food for thought there.  It raises questions like: will you use all of it?  will it be available for characters to choose or will it be whittled down to an arbitrary selection?  I assume err on the side of conservatism before jumping into the unknown at least for manageability.

Here's some idea generators that might help:

Ambitious Organizations

• Misguided Good - well intended organization but ultimately wrong (impulse: to do what is “right” no matter the cost)
• Galactic Syndicate/Mobsters  - want to use corrupt means to continue making cash flow on the FTL Drive(impulse: to take by subterfuge)
• Cult - secretly want to let the monsters in (impulse: to infest from within)
• Religious Organization - misguided belief in diabolic force as a messiah (impulse: to establish and follow doctrine)
• Corrupt Government  - self explanatory (impulse: to maintain the status quo)
• Cabal  - wants to ursup power one at a time (impulse: to absorb those in power, to grow)

Arcane Enemies

• Lord of the Undead - a being kept alive with machines uses its powers to absorb negative energy from a worm hole (impulse: to seek true immortality)
• Power-mad Wizard - an energy wielder or psionicist seeking to use the wormhole to augment their powers (impulse: to seek magical power)
• Sentient Artifact - a cybernetic being seeks to use someone as a literal puppet (impulse: to find a worthy wielder)
• Ancient Curse - perhaps a prophecy against making wormholes causes a curse to fall on nearby planets (impulse: to ensnare)
• Chosen One - believes they are meant to sacrifice themselves as a means to open a portal into a hell dimension (impulse: to fulfill or resent their destiny)
• Planet Sized Space Creature - has come through the wormhole and laid eggs on a nearby moon (impulse: to hoard objects, to protect the clutch)

Hordes

• Wandering Raiders from an alternate dimension -  (impulse: to grow strong, to drive their enemies before them)
• Humanoid Vermin from an alternate dimension - (impulse: to breed, to multiply and consume) (think Aliens like the movie!)
• Underground Dwellers - xenophobic race unknowingly protecting a wormhole (impulse: to defend the complex from outsiders)
• Plague of the Undead - space zombies come through a wormhole or it creates zombies of anyone near the event horizon (impulse: to spread)

Hope that helps

[Belgath]

22 minutes ago, umbraldragon said:

Metamorphica Classic is deep.  Definitely food for thought there.  It raises questions like: will you use all of it?  will it be available for characters to choose or will it be whittled down to an arbitrary selection?  I assume err on the side of conservatism before jumping into the unknown at least for manageability.

 

For the player will have The stuff from LutherArkwright available to them and a Whittled down list of things that The Corp. would have attempted and thought appropriate for the genetics program. 

I will have a much larger table to help me generate some of the stuff they come up against.

And your Idea generators are great thanks for the input.

 

I was wundering how long ago would FTL drive Technology need to of been in place for these different entities to have gained a foothold strong on different planets and societies. Was thinking of maybe over the past hundred years or so. 

Edited October 5, 2016 by Belgath

[Belgath]

Now in apocryphal Book of  Enoch it talks about watcher that came down  and shared with men knowledge and technology that was gonna end up being there destruction so these watcher were bound and earth was destroyed so the knowledge and corruption would not go forward. So I'm thinking at this corporation discovered where these Watchers where bound and it's the watchers that fed the corporation. All its great advances in technology and FTL travel.

Was going to use the Watchers for Mythic Rome but may use them here as well. Here's some quotes from the apocryphal text.

CHAP. 7.—And they took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in to them, and mixed with them, and taught them charms and  conjurations, and made them acquainted with the cutting of roots and of woods. 2. And they became pregnant and brought forth great giants whose stature was three thousand ells. 3. These devoured all the acquisitions of mankind till men were unable to sustain themselves. 4. And the giants turned themselves against mankind in order to devour them. 5. And they began to sin against the birds and the beasts, and against the creeping things, and the fish, and devoured their flesh among themselves, and drank the blood thereof. 6. Then the earth

complained of the unjust ones.

CHAP. 8.—And Azâzêl taught mankind to make swords and knives and shields and coats of mail, and taught them to see what was behind them, and their works of art: bracelets and

ornaments, and the use of rouge, and the beautifying of the eye-brows, and the dearest and choicest stones and all coloring substances and the metals of the earth. 2. And there was great wickedness and much fornication, and they sinned, and all their ways were corrupt. 3. Amêzârâk taught all the conjurers and root-cutters, Armârôs the loosening of conjurations, Baraq’âl the astrologers, Kôkâbêl the signs, and Temêl taught astrology, and Asrâdêl taught the course of the moon.

 

4. The name of the first Jeqûn; he is the one who has led astray all the children of the holy angels, and has led them down on the earth, and has led them astray through the daughters of men. 5. And the second is called Asbeêl; he is the one who has taught the children of the holy angels the wicked device, and has led them astray to destroy their bodies with the daughters of men. 6. And the third is called Gâdreêl; he is the one who has taught the children of men all the blows of death, and led astray Eve, and showed to the children of men the instruments of

death, the coat-of-mail and the shield and the sword for battle, and all the instruments of death to the sons of men. 7. And from his hand they have come over those who dwell on the earth, from that time to eternity, 8. And the fourth is called Pênêmû; he has taught the sons of men the bitter and the sweet, and taught them all the secrets of their wisdom. 9. He taught men writing with ink and paper (GTR), and thereby many sinned from eternity and to eternity and up to this day. 10. For men were not born to the purpose that they should thus strengthen their fidelity with a pen (GTR) and with ink. 11. For man was not created otherwise than the angels, that they should remain just and pure, and death, which destroys all things, would not have touched them, but through this their knowledge they are

destroyed, and through this power it devours me. 12. And the fifth is named Kasdejâ; he has taught the sons of men all the wicked beatings of the spirits and the demons, the beatings of

the birth in the womb, that it [i.e. the birth] fall, and the beatings of the soul, the bites of the serpent, and the beatings which take place at noon, the son of the serpent whose name is Tabâ’t. 13. And this is the number of Kesbeêl, who showed the head of the oath to the holy ones, when he dwelt high in glory; and his name is Bêqâ. 14. And this one said to the holy Michael that he should show them the secret name, that they might see that secret name, and that they might mention this name in the oath, and they may tremble before that name and the oath, those that showed to the children of men all that is secret. 15. And this is the power of that oath, for it is powerful and strong, and he placed this oath Akâe’ into the hands of the holy Michael. 16. And these are the secrets of this oath, and they were strengthened by his oath, and heaven was suspended before the earth was made, and to eternity.

3. Why have ye left the high, holy, and

everlasting heaven, and lain with women, and defiled yourselves with the daughters of men, and taken wives unto yourselves, and acted like the children of earth, and begotten giants

as sons? 4. While ye were spiritual, holy, having eternal life, ye defiled yourselves with women, and with the blood of flesh have begotten children, and have lusted after the blood of men, and have produced flesh and blood as they produce who die and are destroyed. 5. Therefore I have given them wives that they might impregnate them and children be born by them, as it is done on earth. 6. Ye were formerly spiritual, living an eternal life without

death to all the generations of the world. 7. Therefore I have not made for you any wives, for spiritual beings have their home in heaven. 8. And now the giants, who have been begotten from body and flesh, will be called evil spirits on earth, and their dwelling-places will be upon the earth. 9. Evil spirits proceed from their bodies; because they are created from above, their beginning and first basis being from the holy watchers, they will be evil spirits upon the earth, and will be called evil spirits. 10. But the spirits of heaven have their dwelling-places in heaven, and the spirits of the earth, who were born on the earth, have

their dwelling-places on earth. 11. And the spirits of the giants, who cast themselves upon the clouds, will be destroyed and fall, and will battle and cause destruction on the earth, and

do evil; they will take no kind of food, nor will they become thirsty, and they will be invisible. 12. And these spirits will not (?) rise up against the children of men and against the women,

because they have proceeded from them. In the days of murder and destruction.

CHAP. 16.—and of the death of the giants, when the spirits have proceeded from the bodies, their flesh shall decay without judgment; thus they shall be destroyed till that day when the great judgment over all the great world shall be completed over the watchers and the impious. 2. And now to the watchers who have sent thee that thou shouldst petition forthem who were formerly in heaven say: 3. ‘Ye have been in heaven, and though the secrets were not yet revealed to you, still ye knew illegitimate mysteries, and these ye have, in the hardness of your hearts, related to the women, and through these mysteries women and men increase wickedness over the earth.’ 4. Tell them therefore: ‘Ye have no peace!’”

 

7. And on that day two monsters will be distributed, a

female monster, named Leviathan, to dwell in the depth of the sea, over the fountains of the waters. 8. But the masculine is named Behemoth, who occupies, with his breast, a void

desert called Dêndâin, in the east of the garden where the chosen and holy will dwell, where my grandfather was taken up, the seventh from Adam, the first of men whom the Lord of the

spirits made. 9. And I asked that other angel that he should show me the power of those monsters, how they were separated on ONE day, and that one descended into the depths of the sea and the other to the desert land. 

 

Also some fragments of the book of Giants 

 

1Q23 Frag. 1 + 6 [ . . . two hundred] 2donkeys, two hundred asses, two hundred . . . rams of the] 3flock, two hundred goats, two hundred [ . . . beast of the] 4field from every animal, from every [bird . . . ] 5[ . . . ] for miscegenation [ . . . ] 

 

4Q531 Frag. 2 [ . . . ] they defiled [ . . . ] 2[ . . . they begot] giants and monsters [ . . . ] 3[ . . . ] they begot, and, behold, all [the earth was corrupted . . . ] 4[ . . . ] with its blood and by the hand of [ . . . ] 5[giant's] which did not suffice for them and [ . . . ] 6[ . . . ] and they were seeking to devour many [ . . . ] 7[ . . . ] 8[ . . . ] the monsters attacked it. 

4Q532 Col. 2 Frags. 1 - 6 2[ . . . ] flesh [ . . . ] 3al[l . . . ] monsters [ . . . ] will be [ . . . ] 4[ . . . ] they would arise [ . . . ] lacking in true knowledge [ . . . ] because [ . . . ] 5[ . . . ] the earth [grew corrupt . . . ] mighty [ . . . ] 6[ . . . ] they were considering [ . . . ] 7[ . . . ] from the angels upon [ . . . ] 8[ . . . ] in the end it will perish and die [ . . . ] 9[ . . . ] they caused great corruption in the [earth . . . ] [ . . . this did not] suffice to [ . . . ] "they will be [ . . . ]

The outcome of the demonic corruption was violence, perversion, and a brood of monstrous beings.

 

So after all this knowledge was given man. The Watchers were caught bound chained buried as described below.

And the earth was flooded mankind for the most part destroyed to remove this knowledge from the earth.

 

Bind Azâzêl hand and foot, and put him in the darkness; make an opening in the desert, which is in Dudâêl, and put him there. 5. And lay upon him rough and pointed rocks, and cover him with darkness that he may remain there forever, and cover his

face that he may not see the light!

 

Might be fun to work with.

Edited October 5, 2016 by Belgath

[umbraldragon]

Pondering time frames, I think that depends on the star map of your galaxy and how fast FTL ships travel in your version.  If planets are fairly close in terms of parsecs then the time frame could be compressed since communications would be swift.  At least that's how I see that end of it.  If planets are fairly far in terms of parsecs then communication times could be extended or non existent between planets.  This could extend the time frame for organizations to set up shop, so to speak.

Edited October 5, 2016 by umbraldragon
posted late, edited for clarity

[umbraldragon]

6 minutes ago, Belgath said:

Now in apocryphal Book of  Enoch it talks about watcher that came down  and shared with men knowledge and technology that was gonna end up being there destruction so these watcher were bound and earth was destroyed so the knowledge and corruption would not go forward. So I'm thinking at this corporation discovered where these Watchers where bound and it's the watchers that fed the corporation. All its great advances in technology and FTL travel.

Was going to use the Watchers for Mythic Rome but may use them here as well. Here's some quotes from the apocryphal text.

[edited]

The outcome of the demonic corruption was violence, perversion, and a brood of monstrous beings.

 

So after all this knowledge was given man. The Watchers were caught bound chained buried as described below.

And the earth was flooded mankind for the most part destroyed to remove this knowledge from the earth.

 

Bind Azâzêl hand and foot, and put him in the darkness; make an

opening in the desert, which is in Dudâêl, and put him there. 5. And lay upon him rough and

pointed rocks, and cover him with darkness that he may remain there forever, and cover his

face that he may not see the light!

 

Might be fun to work with.

Sounds close to a W40K campaign! LOL.  but seriously, I see a cult here working for the release of Azazel.  Or maybe a Void Kraken would be kind of a cool add in to give some mythological flare, much like the argonauts.  Nephilim could be encountered as well if you stick to the text and any number of "monstrous beings."  

[Belgath]

On October 5, 2016 at 11:07 AM, umbraldragon said:

Pondering time frames, I think that depends on the star map of your galaxy and how fast FTL ships travel in your version.  If planets are fairly close in terms of parsecs then the time frame could be compressed since communications would be swift.  At least that's how I see that end of it.  If planets are fairly far in terms of parsecs then communication times could be extended or non existent between planets.  This could extend the time frame for organizations to set up shop, so to speak.

Was planning for the governments and vary  powerful to have quantum entanglement communicators. So some limited FTL Communication is possible. But thay can only communicate with those devices that were created in the exact same instance. Also Data pods are loaded with communication and sent using FTL drive Tec from place to place. 

Edited October 6, 2016 by Belgath

[Belgath]

Sorry duplicate post

Edited October 5, 2016 by Belgath

[Belgath]

11 minutes ago, umbraldragon said:

Sounds close to a W40K campaign! LOL.  but seriously, I see a cult here working for the release of Azazel.  Or maybe a Void Kraken would be kind of a cool add in to give some mythological flare, much like the argonauts.  Nephilim could be encountered as well if you stick to the text and any number of "monstrous beings."  

Well the text might be a nice primer for the Player characters to find and read.

[clarence]

You have some interesting ideas here Belgath. Looking forward to how they develop. 

Edited October 5, 2016 by clarence

[Belgath]

Working on my first cult. 

The Jairellidite's

This is a militaristic religious organization.

Below  are some notes that were taken by one of our investigators that has been posing as a Jairellidite initiate.

In the grate war of the gods One The devourer broke that which was most forbidden sought to take free will away and bind all intelligence to him.  For intelligence cannot be created nor destroyed but expounded upon. In the Devours deception he performed the  forbidden practices bounding power and intelligences to him till he had soon possessed one third of all that existed. And this time of desperation The greatest of the gods Jairell holder of the seed stood against the Devourer even though now only a Child compared to the Devours power. In the moment that the Devourer reached and took into himself to possess all that Jairell was. Jairell gave up control of all the energy bound by him. Resulting in the seed a singularity unfathomable density now returned its rawest form of pure energy an explosion of unmeasurable power exceeding the speed of light which enveloped and sundered both Jairell and the Devourer. All that the Devourer had consumed and bound was torn from him and the energy now loyal to Jairell would never again bend to give the Devourer form. In this first moment of the Big Bang energy far excited  the speed of light this cased a bubble of infinite possibilities and time. For those caught within this expansion of energy that created time binding all within it to times eternal prison. We are at the same time part of the singularity that begin all things and infinitely separated by distance and probability. With in  probabilities are the infinite universes and realities created in the single event. Lit  it be understood no matter can exist without perception from a simple electron to mega a cluster of galaxies neither can exist without being bound to intelligence. And in our multi verse of probability intelligences war for energy. For each probability to exist it must be perceived by intelligence. As one strengthens another must weaken for like intelligence energy cannot be created nor destroyed but unlike intelligence you cannot be expanded upon. For matter is not but energy bound to intelligence. So for one intelligence to grow it must take form and experience slowly building and expanding over millennia we are not but intelligence bound to our bodies. Ever progressing as we take form time and time again. For all Intelligence seeks for Energy to give self form. There are other greater intelligence that seek the energy and intelligence of our plane of existence. Their perception exceeds our own allowing them to bend and change our own reality to their benefit.  And worse yet other have been taught that which was for bidden and seek to take are free will and bind us to them. This is are greatest enemy those taught by the Devourer must be destroyed. For most this is a unknown battle but for us the true disciples of Jairell  true risks are known. 

Edited October 5, 2016 by Belgath

[umbraldragon]

Ah I see, so the Jairellites are fighting a secret battle against the forces of the devourer.  The ebb and flow of energy is a sign of the war over existence....unless I confused the entire thing.

[Belgath]

Yes that is about right. Though the Jairelldites also State that this is a war of perception. What most would call believes. For them perception is reality. And that are universe could  absorbed as it was bent the will of another more powerful intelligence. To them if enough people believe I a god whether he existed or not before he does now by the sheer force of unified Perception.

Was trying to match some of the religious ramblings that I at one time had to listened to. Do sitting next to the man on a flight from Atlanta to Baltimore. Is it to  confusing or  about right for what most people would consider totally wacko religious organization.

Edited October 6, 2016 by Belgath

[umbraldragon]

I think if you put it to people in that long, almost polemic, verse, it could be a little confusing.  I say keep it simple.  Like a pamphlet, or a fortune cookie.  Just write it so it's easily understood...I kind of like the idea of wacko religious organizations.  I mean, most back story never gets read, except by the GM, and so I keep it simple and short in order to move on to the game itself.  

[Belgath]

14 minutes ago, umbraldragon said:

I think if you put it to people in that long, almost polemic, verse, it could be a little confusing.  I say keep it simple.  Like a pamphlet, or a fortune cookie.  Just write it so it's easily understood...I kind of like the idea of wacko religious organizations.  I mean, most back story never gets read, except by the GM, and so I keep it simple and short in order to move on to the game itself.  

This is a mistake I tend to make to often. I have had my players complain be for that I was feeding them to much back story. Especially with my Glorantha campaigns. 

[umbraldragon]

Well, it doesn't make backstory less important.  I consider the players and the characters they play.  How much of this should they really know?  Will it set up issues with metagaming?  I might need all the backstory in order to produce more material or to guide a story to it's rightful end.  Perhaps there are personas in the story that will appear later, in that case I need the backstory to help me figure out when to bring them in and why they are there.  Players and especially their characters do not need that part of the back story.  I normally give the players just enough information that gets the story started.  That being said, keep your established backstory and my advice is select a few juicy bits to throw on their plate and work on an amazing opening scenario, leaving a framework to be filled in as you go in order to make modifications as necessary.

[Belgath]

Thanks for the input this weekend I'll try to get a good outline put together of the Powers that Be, The campaign world timeline, how much of the galaxy is known to them. And where the players beginning all this.