Harshax Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I spent a good deal of time the last two weekends, watching anime with my daughter. Old, old stuff: princess mononokai, kiki's delivery service, howl's moving castle, and narsicca valley of the wind. I'm also a huge fan of girl genius. I was wondering what resources I could cobble together for the basis of a period game, reminiscent of turn of the century europe, with monsters, steam, and magic? I'm hoping there is a book out there similar to the 30's Investigator Companion - something that sorts out loads of important facts and equipment, from advances in medicine, weird contraptions (like electric belts), and the state of the world (like what's been "explored" and what is still a mystery). Any hints? Quote And don't forget Realism Rule # 1 "If you can do it in real life you should be able to do it in BRP". - Simon Phipp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 First thing that pops to mind for me... though it's not specifically European... is GURPS Steampunk and GURPS Castle Falkenstein. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kairos Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Space: 1889 had some good primers on Victorian society and the scientific romance genre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harshax Posted February 18, 2009 Author Share Posted February 18, 2009 I've found Victoriana, which gets right at the underlying themes of Steampunk. A very nice looking game. Quote And don't forget Realism Rule # 1 "If you can do it in real life you should be able to do it in BRP". - Simon Phipp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agentorange Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Cthulhu by Gaslight might be useful as it's set in the 1890's ( more or less ) As an aside I've never seen Howls Moving castle but I've had it recommended to me on several occasions, any good ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Don't know if it fits your anime criteria exactly, but Aaron Allston's Doc Sidhe combines fantasy with 1920s pulp sensibilities. http://worldlibrary.net/eBooks/Baen_Library_Collection/0671876627.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 As an aside I've never seen Howls Moving castle but I've had it recommended to me on several occasions, any good ? As usual, Miyazaki's animation is superb and his characters interesting and sympathetic, but Howl's Moving Castle is really, really ... strange. It combines an anti-war screed with steampunk and Wizard of Oz-ish fantasy. One climactic scene features a wizard turned were-griffin battling 1930s warplanes and ground troops. The selfish wizard ultimately finds a conscience and the cursed heroine finds love, but the ending isn't quite neat and tidy. It's worth seeing once but not something I could watch over and over like Spirited Away or Castle of Cagliostro. And it's not one I let my kids see, although they've seen the other two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harshax Posted February 19, 2009 Author Share Posted February 19, 2009 (edited) As usual, Miyazaki's animation is superb and his characters interesting and sympathetic, but Howl's Moving Castle is really, really ... strange. My daughter (4 years old) and I have watched it many times, but it is nowhere as deep as Spirited Away. In addition to thematic elements of anti-war, and selfishness, there is also one of being brave in the face of adversity; as is the case with the main character - a "homely" private and quiet girl who is cursed and becomes an old woman who then goes on a pretty wild adventure despite her physical handicaps. Like many of Miyazaki's films, the story is pro-girl or girl-power, without the usual Grrl socially conscious riff (Princess Mononoke being an exception - somewhat). I did pick up a PDF of GURPS Steampunk, as ever, they did not disappoint. There should be some industry achievement award for making some of the best genre or setting supplements ever. Edited February 19, 2009 by Harshax Quote And don't forget Realism Rule # 1 "If you can do it in real life you should be able to do it in BRP". - Simon Phipp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harshax Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 I picked up a couple of addition source books, such as GURPS Steampunk (SJG are always a good buy as source material), and have been reading about the planet Vulcan - a mathematical error perceived to be a hidden planet by Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier in 1859. I have an idea that instead of the discovery being an error, it is in actuallying a Twin Earth which is later explored by Tesla after he discovers that he can apply force to lumineferous ether and thereby creates a engine capable of space flight. I think this is super cool, but I'm not really feeling any good ideas of how to develop Vulcan further. Habitable: yes. Earthlike: very yes. I don't want to get stuck creating an entire fantasy world, as I want the setting to stay on Earth and explore an alternate Victorian history. (I also intend to add the Hollow Earth too, and habitable planets within the solar system) I first thought of a common heritage idea for Earth and Twin Earth. The pyramids, Atlantis, the face on Cydonia, ruins on Twin Earth - these are all remnants of an extinct culture. What wiped them out? Earth and Twin Earth have had separate technological progressions. Earth becoming industrialized, Twin Earth could have developed psionics or something else (not magic). Any ideas for what Vulcan is? Whatever it is, I think such a discover would be a catastrophic event for the Church. I also have to think about how such a thing changes British imperialism. I'm pretty sure I don't want rampant steam technologies or spacebattles. There is a reason to actually visit these places, to learn things, to find things, or destroy them - whether it is discovering what happened to the ancients, opening gates between worlds, protecting the Church, or exploiting the resources of a far away place. I don't think I want to have a "And now the world is filled with elves, trolls, and dragons again" type thing. I don't think I could make that work. Too high fantasy/science fantasy. Quote And don't forget Realism Rule # 1 "If you can do it in real life you should be able to do it in BRP". - Simon Phipp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dredj Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 (edited) Any ideas for what Vulcan is? The Vulcans have a genetics based technology. They choose to appear human for interacting with humans, but it's due to genetic manipulation. Their planet is thoroughly overrun with their mutant creations and many want to move to earth, and they don't mind sending some of the mutations to earth every once in awhile when the British empire and/or the Vatican get a little overbearing in their imperialism. Plus, there could be factions that are Nazi-ish considering that the genetic manipulation was initially to make them a superior species. Edited February 21, 2009 by Dredj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiGhost Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Another suggestion is Etherscope, which is wierd mix of victorian steampunk with an odd etherworld attached. A review The blurb: "In 1876, Harold Wallace discovered something that changed the world: Etherspace. The might of Victorian industry drove forward, breaking down the frontiers of technology. Steam engines became smaller, weapons became more powerful, and cybernaughtics replaced limbs lost in bloody imperial wars. Then mankind learned to step into Etherspace itself. Cyberpunk Victoriana Now it's 1984. In this alternative world of out-of-control technology, Etherspace is the new frontier. Punk scope riders fight evil industrialists while occult investigators war against Etherspace demons. Mysterious System Agents lurk in the shadows as treasure hunters raid Lemurean ruins for lost secrets. Jack in, scope up, and get ready, because the options for an Etherscope game are endless!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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