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[Runed Worlds] Runed Worlds FAQ


Sean_RDP

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I will keep this updated so folks can ask questions and keep people generally informed.

Runed Worlds FAQ

1. What is Runed Worlds?

Runed Worlds is a space fantasy rpg that will use the Q21 system as it's base. Runed Worlds takes place in a Universe where humans have undergone a diaspora.  In their travels they have come across other races that have also dispersed through the stars. Empires and Republics are amorphous things, often only useful for knowing who to pay your taxes too. The main setting takes place in the area of the galaxy known as Liminal Space as it is both a physical, quantum, and psychological place.

2. What is Liminal Space?

A region of space encompassing 1000 LY in every direction (at least) that has a profound physical and psychological effect on sentient races and space itself. Liminal Space and the technology that manipulates it is responsible for (relatively) quick travel through space as well as a number of "experiences" both accidental and purposeful. Of course it has also been turned into a weapon by a number of factions. "Going Liminal" is a phrase used often to describe someone who is acting crazy, spacey, or abnormal in some way.

 

Edited by ReignDragonSMH
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3. What is a Runed World?

Runed Worlds are planets where life has evolved, might evolve, or had evolved at some point. Some of the worlds are dead now with a few having mysterious fates.  No one is sure whether the worlds had been seeded or simply marked by some great power because life had already evolved there. There are rumors that weapons exist that can take the life and bio energy of such a living world and turn it into an enormous well of energy. Scientists have not yet discovered the connection between Runed Worlds and Liminal space, if one exists.

4. Are there alien species? As playable characters?

The goal is to make as many of the aliens in Runed Worlds as playable races. Maybe not all at once, but in follow on setting books, get them all in there. In a setting like this it will be important to even have non humans that are not humans with foreheads. There will be other bipedal species, but there will be a large amount of slugs, lizards, and even energy beings that will be playable. Also, droids of course. This is weird space and life is abundant.

Edited by ReignDragonSMH

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On 23.5.2017 at 5:38 PM, ReignDragonSMH said:

There will be other bipedal species, but there will be a large amount of slugs, lizards, and even energy beings that will be playable. Also, droids of course. This is weird space and life is abundant.

I love the thought of playing a slug! Sounds like you're aiming for a setting out of the ordinary! :)

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5 hours ago, Trifletraxor said:

I love the thought of playing a slug! Sounds like you're aiming for a setting out of the ordinary! :)

Yes very much. I am aiming for psychedelic and real New Wave.  I have noted players complaining about too many bipedal races in SF rpgs. So I am going away from that.

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1 hour ago, Trifletraxor said:

I'm very intrigued! Hoping for lots of scenarios for the setting! :)

The Intro scenario is called Vega, Two Stars and will be out later this summer (after the Skaemyr / Salt Mine Blues revision is done later this month). And I have not decided on a model for Runed Worlds though I am thinking about this weekend, wit regard to scenarios. Any thoughts are appreciated.

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  • Sean_RDP changed the title to [Runed Worlds] Runed Worlds FAQ
On 5/23/2017 at 8:38 AM, ReignDragonSMH said:

3. What is a Runed World?

Runed Worlds are planets where life has evolved, might evolve, or had evolved but are now dead. No one is sure whether the worlds had been seeded or simply marked by some great power because life had already evolved there. There are rumors that weapons exist that can take the life and bio energy of such a living world and turn it into an enormous well of energy. Scientists have not yet discovered the connection between Runed Worlds and Liminal space, if one exists.

A couple of clarifications -- are Ruined Worlds lifeless?  You wrote, " ... life has evolved, might evolve, or had evolved but are now dead," and I was unclear as to whether the "... now dead" applied to all, or just the last one.  Also, are all Ruined Worlds in/near Liminal Space?

On 5/23/2017 at 8:38 AM, ReignDragonSMH said:

4. Are there alien species? As playable characters?

The goal is to make as many of the aliens in Runed Worlds as playable races. Maybe not all at once, but in follow on setting books, get them all in there.

I urge you to reconsider!  One of the things that IMHO makes a richer setting is Mysterious Unknown elements, including species that are so fundamentally DIFFERENT that humans and other PC'able races can only go "WTF" at them.  I'll point to the methane-breathers of Cherryh's "Chanur" books as an exemplar.  I do look forward to seeing your setting, and agree that a vast muliplicity of PC'able races (including much more than "humans with special F/X & makeup") can be a great element in a RPG!

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1 minute ago, g33k said:

A couple of clarifications -- are Ruined Worlds lifeless?  You wrote, " ... life has evolved, might evolve, or had evolved but are now dead," and I was unclear as to whether the "... now dead" applied to all, or just the last one.  Also, are all Ruined Worlds in/near Liminal Space?

Only some of them are dead. I will edit that, thanks! And yes, as far as anyone knows all known Runed Worlds are in Liminal Space.

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5. What is Runed Worlds all about? What do the players do?

Well players can as always do anything they want, of course. However, there are a few themes that Runed Worlds will enable as strong play. The human and to a lesser degree alien disapora, which has a feeling of cynical and fatalistic hope. When a people leave their home world space, the esoteric and metaphysical aspects of it, call to them. The call of space is strong and it breaks down the bonds of a people, to their home and to one another. There is naturally push back with this that creates conflict with the various "homeworld" cultures. There is the exploration aspect of course, with liminal space full of worlds that cry out to be discovered or rediscovered. Certainly the society of liminal space is close to anarchy and there are those who thrive on it and those who try to bring order to it. Finally there is the mystery of liminal space itself and the possibly ancient people who may have had a hand in creating it. While RW is space fantasy / opera, we will try and have good Hard SF underpinnings, but you will never be able to escape the weird. Runed Worlds is definitely not  a generic tool kit for ANY space adventure you want, but it will contain a ton of content. And adventures.

6. Will Space Travel be a big part of Runed Worlds?

As much as GM and players want, of course. However, in the tradition of many d100 games space ships, battles, FTL, and the like will all be a part of Runed Worlds. A variety of FTL options will be available.

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On 26.5.2017 at 11:44 PM, ReignDragonSMH said:

 And I have not decided on a model for Runed Worlds though I am thinking about this weekend, wit regard to scenarios. Any thoughts are appreciated.

I prefer settings that are explored through scenarios. Books with some info about a piece of the setting together with adventures taking place there, colored by the flavor of the place. Pure setting books go mostly unread for me due to time-restraints. What Cakebread and Walton did with Clockwork and Chivalry campaign stands out like the best example for me - unfortunately a couple in my group disliked the setting so it came to a halt after some sessions.

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25 minutes ago, Trifletraxor said:

I prefer settings that are explored through scenarios. Books with some info about a piece of the setting together with adventures taking place there, colored by the flavor of the place. Pure setting books go mostly unread for me due to time-restraints. What Cakebread and Walton did with Clockwork and Chivalry campaign stands out like the best example for me - unfortunately a couple in my group disliked the setting so it came to a halt after some sessions.

One idea I have had is creating Sector Books. Each sector has 3-5 systems, with each system having one adventure in it or maybe 2 smaller adventures per system. Plus plenty of adventure hooks.

And with 1000 cubic LY I should never run out of sectors. 

Edited by ReignDragonSMH
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Count me intrigued, too.

Runed Worlds - apart from the pun with ruined, are there any kind of glyphs (possibly technological ones providing circuits) that pull liminal space "physics" into normal space? A meta-language that speaks to all its inhabitants?

As a RQ/Glorantha grognard, I couldn't help thinking "so these are worlds where Fertility meets the Shape Runes."

Is FTL tied to liminal space, or does it work outside of that influence, too?

Sounds like a huge sandbox to me, which can be explored with the speed of the characters' mobility.

Exploration via scenarios is not my favourite way of describing a setting. It gets rather tedious to hunt down that strange detail you remember only partially. Spelling out scenarios and scenario hooks for the setting is fine, but setting information shouldn't be hidden in those niches of scenarios that most parties wouldn't encounter.

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5 hours ago, Joerg said:

Count me intrigued, too.

Runed Worlds - apart from the pun with ruined, are there any kind of glyphs (possibly technological ones providing circuits) that pull liminal space "physics" into normal space? A meta-language that speaks to all its inhabitants?

As a RQ/Glorantha grognard, I couldn't help thinking "so these are worlds where Fertility meets the Shape Runes."

Is FTL tied to liminal space, or does it work outside of that influence, too?

Sounds like a huge sandbox to me, which can be explored with the speed of the characters' mobility.

Exploration via scenarios is not my favourite way of describing a setting. It gets rather tedious to hunt down that strange detail you remember only partially. Spelling out scenarios and scenario hooks for the setting is fine, but setting information shouldn't be hidden in those niches of scenarios that most parties wouldn't encounter.

There are "runes" of a sort, yes. And they show up in a couple of different ways with regards to the planet itself and its inhabitants. 

The worlds are part of the zone of Liminal Space and it is theorized the two are connected. Exactly how is not known.

Super fast FTL (1LY crossed per days) is tied to liminal space. The older and cruder Fission-Camdus and Fusion-Camdus drives are not tied to Liminal space (1LY every 3 to 6 days). Tied into this is the potential "threat" of Liminal space and those that use it as weapons, so if the light of Lminial space ever winks out, society would suffer even more isolation as space travel would become 3 to 6 times slower. So having a Lminal drive is a huge advantage.

And I do want it to be a sandbox, with interesting pieces all over the place. But a sandbox with a very interesting set of rules and physical laws. 

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7. Where is the conflict?

The basic conflicts are layered. There is every day survival, making money and staying alive in space. Even with all the tech, space is still a dangerous place. Below that is getting involved in some level, either in criminal or questionable enterprises and/or trying to keep some kind of peace in the various free zones. Down further you have the attempts by the various homeworlds to assert their control over members of their species (and other species) to halt the diaspora. For that matter perhaps halting the diaspora is where you want your play to go. The finally at the bottom are the dangers of Liminal Space, the odd alien creatures that live there and derive sustenance from corporeal life. Running a Lminal Space horror game is definitely possible.

8. What does humanity look like?

The human race has evolved along three lines. The main line or Terran, is much like us today. The Posthuman is a genetically malleable and androgynous figure. The Transhuman has melded with technology even from conception. Other races have gone through similar drifts in their societies and species.

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