[16-Nov-21 08:32 PM] fedcomic#0310
OK, my name is John Payne and I’ve been a gamer since I was a kid in the early 80s.
[16-Nov-21 08:33 PM] fedcomic#0310
I’ve also, probably like everybody else, done lots of home brew optional rules and all that kind of stuff. But this is my first published RPG book
[16-Nov-21 08:36 PM] fedcomic#0310
Micronomicon is a licensed supplement for TinyD6 games like tiny dungeon second edition, which has been my go to table top fantasy RPG for the last few years.
[16-Nov-21 08:37 PM] fedcomic#0310
If you’re not familiar with that system, for now I think the important thing to know is that it’s minimalist and rules light, which means that this book is, if not exactly system neutral, easily adaptable to a variety of different games.
[16-Nov-21 08:38 PM] fedcomic#0310
One other thing to know about the system is that there are no classes or levels. Or attributes, or skills. Everything is handled as Traits, including magic.
[16-Nov-21 08:39 PM] fedcomic#0310
So, if you want to be a healer, you pick up the healer Trait. If you want to be a bard, pick up the bard Trait. If you want to be both, go for it.
[16-Nov-21 08:39 PM] fedcomic#0310
The first half of my book has 13 chapters, each one focused on a single Trait, like Alchemist, or Shaman.
[16-Nov-21 08:40 PM] fedcomic#0310
The second half of the book has 21 microsettings, written mostly by other authors.
[16-Nov-21 08:40 PM] Kale#1990
Is Tiny D6 the same system used for Tiny Supers?
[16-Nov-21 08:40 PM] fedcomic#0310
Yup
[16-Nov-21 08:40 PM] Kale#1990
You have my interest.
[16-Nov-21 08:40 PM] fedcomic#0310
I’ll talk more about that in just a bit. 🙂
[16-Nov-21 08:41 PM] fedcomic#0310
Microsettings are about 8-10 pages each, and give you enough to get started with your campaign, but don’t spell everything out. (Hey, minimalist!)
[16-Nov-21 08:42 PM] fedcomic#0310
One good thing about that is that, again, it’s close to system neutral. Some of the settings barely touch on game mechanics and rules, so they’re useful everywhere.
[16-Nov-21 08:42 PM] fedcomic#0310
Anyhow, it’s a 436 page book full of magic items, spells, bad guys, etc. Lots there for anyone to enjoy.
[16-Nov-21 08:42 PM] fedcomic#0310
Questions?
[16-Nov-21 08:42 PM] Kale#1990
8 pages doesn’t strike me as minimalist, but can you go into some detail as to what range of settings we’re talking about? Whimsical faery tale? Steampunk? Urban Fantasy? Variations of?
[16-Nov-21 08:42 PM] fedcomic#0310
(done)
[16-Nov-21 08:43 PM] fedcomic#0310
So, here are some examples.
[16-Nov-21 08:44 PM] fedcomic#0310
Avalant takes place on a spaceship, a colony ship that’s got lost for so long that all the colonists are dead (probably?) and the robots who were built to take care of them have gone a little funny and think they’re living in a fantasy epic.\
[16-Nov-21 08:44 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
(brb)
[16-Nov-21 08:45 PM] fedcomic#0310
That one is by Christopher Ruocchio, author of the Sun Eater space opera series.
[16-Nov-21 08:46 PM] fedcomic#0310
Steve Diamond, who just released a WWI-ish fantasy book with Larry Correia, wrote a setting called Dark Alleys of the Soul that’s magical noir. Wizards with fedoras and heaters, femme fatales with gorgeous gams and nasty spells, etc.
[16-Nov-21 08:47 PM] fedcomic#0310
I wrote one called Crossroads, which is about a little spot about an hour or two from wherever you are where the state highway crosses the old county road and everyone is just plain folk.
[16-Nov-21 08:47 PM] fedcomic#0310
Folk with secrets.
[16-Nov-21 08:48 PM] fedcomic#0310
Secrets that might kill you.
[16-Nov-21 08:50 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Cool. 🙂
[16-Nov-21 08:51 PM] fedcomic#0310
There’s fantasy with influences from feudal Japan (Rule of Three), Filipino and Polynesian mythology (Songs of Oversea), Innuit and Norse peoples (Thule), Arab and desert cultures (Fellbright: City of Bliss).
[16-Nov-21 08:51 PM] fedcomic#0310
There’s one where you build giant cookies and make them fight to the death (Clash of the Pastrium: The Gingerbread Joust, by Mari Murdock).
[16-Nov-21 08:51 PM] fedcomic#0310
We’ve got a spread.
[16-Nov-21 08:52 PM] gruevy#5422
What’s the elf sailing one again? I like that one and Rule of 3 the best I think
[16-Nov-21 08:52 PM] fedcomic#0310
The license didn’t cover supers, but it’s not hard to adapt these if you want.
[16-Nov-21 08:52 PM] fedcomic#0310
Oh, that’s Search for the Silver Haven. The Fey have all departed this world, gone over the sea in their mournful, mighty ships. For centuries, explorers sought after them, but to no avail; the way is lost. Unless you find it, or discover a new path of your own. In this maritime micro-setting, you will search strange seas for the Fey and their hidden paradise, discovering mysteries, lost magics, and other treasures as you go.
[16-Nov-21 08:52 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
So what theme unites the book overall? Magic?
[16-Nov-21 08:53 PM] fedcomic#0310
Yup, magic.
[16-Nov-21 08:53 PM] fedcomic#0310
It started as a book of spells for TinyDungeon 2e and kind of metastasized.
[16-Nov-21 08:54 PM] fedcomic#0310
So all 13 Traits in Part I of the book are magical Traits.
[16-Nov-21 08:56 PM] fedcomic#0310
Alchemist, Archmage, Artificer, Bard, Beastspeaker, Cookpot Adept, Familiar, Healer, Psionics, Shaman, Spell Reader, Spell-Touched, Teleportation Mage.
[16-Nov-21 08:56 PM] gruevy#5422
Cookpot Adept: Unexpected favorite
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[16-Nov-21 08:56 PM] gruevy#5422
tell them about that one
[16-Nov-21 08:56 PM] fedcomic#0310
That’s a fun one.
[16-Nov-21 08:57 PM] fedcomic#0310
So, it’s a little like being an Alchemist, but slower and subtler.
[16-Nov-21 08:57 PM] fedcomic#0310
The basic ability is just cooking a meal that provides a small amount of healing to everyone that shares it.
[16-Nov-21 08:58 PM] fedcomic#0310
But there’s LOTS of other Traits in the chapter that give you something else to do with it, most of which have some extra benefit depending on what other Traits your character has.
[16-Nov-21 08:58 PM] gruevy#5422
it’s very hearth magic in a way that i haven’t seen before
[16-Nov-21 08:58 PM] fedcomic#0310
very folky
[16-Nov-21 08:59 PM] fedcomic#0310
very hedge wizard. Also includes witches that have hex powers and special traits tied to their magic cauldrons.
[16-Nov-21 09:00 PM] Gregory Israel#9019
Big fan of the Micronomicon. I love how John has taken each of the 13 magic Traits and taken them in so many cool, new, expanded directions 🙂
[16-Nov-21 09:00 PM] fedcomic#0310
Thank you, Greg!
[16-Nov-21 09:00 PM] fedcomic#0310
Greg wrote one of the settings, Price of Power.
[16-Nov-21 09:00 PM] fedcomic#0310
Want to talk about that?
[16-Nov-21 09:00 PM] Gregory Israel#9019
Okay 🙂
[16-Nov-21 09:02 PM] fedcomic#0310
I like this one, because it can drop into literally any game, any campaign.
[16-Nov-21 09:03 PM] fedcomic#0310
One day, you wake up and everything is different. Or one day, you walk into a valley where everything is different.
[16-Nov-21 09:03 PM] fedcomic#0310
(Anyway, I’ll let Greg tell you how things are different there!)
[16-Nov-21 09:04 PM] Gregory Israel#9019
The basic idea is built on the questions, “What if using magic cost you HP?” and “What if all disputes were settled by Wizards’ Duels?” In TinyD6, the different Heritages have different amounts of HP, so I imagined that society would split into a hierarchy based on HP. And almost everyone is a spellcaster since it’s the only (legal) way to get what you want. Or just take what you want. Magical might makes right.
[16-Nov-21 09:05 PM] Gregory Israel#9019
Oh, and the Healer Trait is not an option. So using magic has a legit cost.
[16-Nov-21 09:06 PM] gruevy#5422
What are some of the adventures you imagine taking place in it
[16-Nov-21 09:08 PM] Gregory Israel#9019
If I was a player, I’d want to play one of the low HP Heritages and try to lead a rebellion against those in charge.
The quest for healing magic could be the main idea for a campaign.
[16-Nov-21 09:09 PM] fedcomic#0310
I think it’s also interesting to imagine this place existing next to other places with more conventional magic, and trying to think how they would get along– or not.
[16-Nov-21 09:10 PM] fedcomic#0310
What if an army came to invade and found that none of their usual healing magic worked, but that anyone could cast a spell if they were willing to sacrifice HP?
[16-Nov-21 09:11 PM] Gregory Israel#9019
Or what if someone from outside could use healing magic? Hello, new ruler!
[16-Nov-21 09:11 PM] fedcomic#0310
Right!
[16-Nov-21 09:11 PM] Gregory Israel#9019
The leader is also decided by Wizards’ Duel.
[16-Nov-21 09:11 PM] gruevy#5422
Hey baby I have the magic touch
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[16-Nov-21 09:12 PM] fedcomic#0310
BTW @gruevy also wrote a setting for the book: The Land of Broken Roads.
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[16-Nov-21 09:12 PM] fedcomic#0310
This one has a lot of influence from non-Western narratives, including Isekai stories.
[16-Nov-21 09:13 PM] fedcomic#0310
One of my favorite things about it is that it provides a new way to play with the characters you killed off in other games or campaigns.
[16-Nov-21 09:13 PM] fedcomic#0310
But I should let Ryan talk.
[16-Nov-21 09:13 PM] gruevy#5422
Basic idea is you take a character that died in another setting and get some more play with them in a collapsing world they’re reborn into
[16-Nov-21 09:13 PM] gruevy#5422
I’m on my phone so I’m typing as fast as my thumb can move lol
[16-Nov-21 09:13 PM] fedcomic#0310
(This is one of the really system-neutral settings, also.)
[16-Nov-21 09:14 PM] fedcomic#0310
(You could use it with pretty much any ruleset imaginable.)
[16-Nov-21 09:14 PM] gruevy#5422
In a lost epoch, a mighty empire fell and human civilization has been in a slow motion collapse ever since then. All the old magic, the lore, the holy places, are lost to time. Your job is saving the world
[16-Nov-21 09:15 PM] gruevy#5422
Yeah the Isekai rules would work in any setting
[16-Nov-21 09:17 PM] gruevy#5422
Isekai being a term that means ‘other world’ in Japanese. Getting reborn into a fantasy world is a big trope in Asian pulp right now
[16-Nov-21 09:18 PM] fedcomic#0310
Similar in some ways to portal fantasy like John Carter of Mars, or even the Wizard of Oz.
[16-Nov-21 09:18 PM] fedcomic#0310
This is also a good one in which to play yourself as a character.
[16-Nov-21 09:19 PM] fedcomic#0310
We were all going out to get a pizza, and suddenly the car was surrounded by fog. When it faded away, we were in another world!
[16-Nov-21 09:19 PM] gruevy#5422
Except you have magic now
[16-Nov-21 09:19 PM] fedcomic#0310
And we had awesome magic now!
[16-Nov-21 09:19 PM] fedcomic#0310
And maybe we were children for some reason…
[16-Nov-21 09:19 PM] gruevy#5422
Ideally you had a sudden meeting with Truck-kun on that foggy road but whatever works
[16-Nov-21 09:20 PM] fedcomic#0310
Beep beep
[16-Nov-21 09:20 PM] fedcomic#0310
hoooooooooooonnnnk
[16-Nov-21 09:20 PM] fedcomic#0310
Anyway… 😄
[16-Nov-21 09:21 PM] gruevy#5422
Lol
[16-Nov-21 09:21 PM] fedcomic#0310
As you can see, each of the these microsettings approaches magic a different way, and gives you a different way to experience fantasy.
[16-Nov-21 09:21 PM] Gregory Israel#9019
One of the coolest things about the Micronomicon (besides all the great game content) are the short stories that introduce each chapter — and work together to tell a larger story.
What inspired you to write those, John?
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[16-Nov-21 09:21 PM] fedcomic#0310
Well, Greg, funny story about that
[16-Nov-21 09:21 PM] fedcomic#0310
lol
[16-Nov-21 09:22 PM] fedcomic#0310
The first chapter in the book really, the first substantive chapter anyway, is about the Alchemist Trait.
[16-Nov-21 09:23 PM] fedcomic#0310
And I had published an article about the Alchemist Trait already in one of the Gallant Knight Games Tiny Zines. (Great value, by the way! Lots of great ideas in those zines.)
[16-Nov-21 09:23 PM] fedcomic#0310
So when I finished writing the substance of the chapter, it felt thin to me. And I was looking for ways to give the chapter something else, something new, something special.
[16-Nov-21 09:24 PM] fedcomic#0310
And I think it was actually you who suggested maybe a little fluff text, a little fiction to start the chapter.
[16-Nov-21 09:24 PM] Gregory Israel#9019
Me? Ha!
[16-Nov-21 09:24 PM] fedcomic#0310
I think it was.
[16-Nov-21 09:24 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
The micro stories are phenomenal.
[16-Nov-21 09:24 PM] fedcomic#0310
You are too kind.
[16-Nov-21 09:25 PM] Gregory Israel#9019
Well, you had the idea to tie them all together.
[16-Nov-21 09:25 PM] fedcomic#0310
I do like that part.
[16-Nov-21 09:26 PM] fedcomic#0310
Each of the 13 Trait chapters starts with a story– mostly 1-2 pages– and all of those work together to tell a larger story.
[16-Nov-21 09:27 PM] fedcomic#0310
Actually the larger story gets introduced in the prologue to Part I, and kind of sort of wraps up in the epilogue that concludes Part I.
[16-Nov-21 09:27 PM] fedcomic#0310
And it also kind of introduces Part II, sort of.
[16-Nov-21 09:27 PM] fedcomic#0310
Anyway, they’re fun little stories.
[16-Nov-21 09:28 PM] fedcomic#0310
You can read one of them here: https://defenestrationism.net/cookpot/
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eatstuf
https://defenestrationism.net/cookpot/
Cookpot | Defenestrationism.net
by John D. Payne “Eat!” I say, and I push the bowl out the door. The vampire just look at me, with those eyes. You know. He don’t want the soup. He want to eat me. But nobody eat Babulya Zharóvnya. “Is good soup,” I tell him. “And you too skinny. Eat!” He look some […]
https://images-ext-1.discordapp.net/external/Z5-Kfki08w1Ft3USXSK6XeTQK4n-c1CY4-k0N9tHqWg/https/defenestrationism.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/defenestrationism.net-3.png
[16-Nov-21 09:29 PM] fedcomic#0310
it got published on this website while I was finishing up the book. It’s a quick read, and I think it’s fun. 🙂
[16-Nov-21 09:29 PM] fedcomic#0310
Anyway, since @CarolynIvy is here, we should ask her to talk about the setting she wrote with her husband: Thule.
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[16-Nov-21 09:30 PM] fedcomic#0310
Carolyn, want to?
[16-Nov-21 09:30 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
Sure!
[16-Nov-21 09:30 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
Steve is here as well and he can talk too.
[16-Nov-21 09:30 PM] fedcomic#0310
Yay Steve!
[16-Nov-21 09:31 PM] fedcomic#0310
The thing I like about this one most is the mix of real world cultures and fantastical new creations.
[16-Nov-21 09:32 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
Long ago, so long ago that it barely matters anymore except to the Gods, a tiny piece of reality near the Arctic was snipped off. People can find their way to the frozen wastes of the Great North by crossing into Thule (via ship mostly).
[16-Nov-21 09:32 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
There they will find all the treachery of the Arctic landscape, plus magic tied to that environment.
[16-Nov-21 09:33 PM] fedcomic#0310
(Carolyn wrote a book of stories in this setting, and also a system-neutral adventure!)
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[16-Nov-21 09:33 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
Thule exists throughout all time, but the people who were mostly sailing into Thule were Vikings and Inuit peoples so that is what the microsetting focuses on.
[16-Nov-21 09:33 PM] Steve S#9386
Yes, part of the idea of Thule was to place a diverse set of peoples/cultures in an environment (the Arctic) that is as dangerous to them as they are to each other. And of course to develop a robust Arctic setting, a region that is often neglected in games.
[16-Nov-21 09:34 PM] fedcomic#0310
And to inject a small amount of historical realism, although Steve will hate me for saying that because he’s an actual historian.
[16-Nov-21 09:34 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
One fascinating thing about Arctic environments is that the map is always changing, from day to day.
[16-Nov-21 09:34 PM] fedcomic#0310
And his standards for “realism” are much higher than mine.
[16-Nov-21 09:35 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
He is as grumpy as a Karhu after a long hungry Arctic winter when people misuse history.
[16-Nov-21 09:35 PM] fedcomic#0310
lol
[16-Nov-21 09:35 PM] fedcomic#0310
Karhu, for those who don’t play Tiny D6 games, are intelligent bears who can use magic.
[16-Nov-21 09:36 PM] fedcomic#0310
And sometimes they eat people.
[16-Nov-21 09:36 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
And the polar Karhu have an advantage in Thule over the warmer environmental types.
[16-Nov-21 09:36 PM] fedcomic#0310
An advantage and an appetite.
[16-Nov-21 09:36 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
Eating people is such a harsh way to put it. I think they would call it culinary diversity.
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[16-Nov-21 09:36 PM] fedcomic#0310
Variety is the spice of life.
[16-Nov-21 09:37 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
Steve, for those who don’t know, is a historian with a substantial background on Arctic exploration. So he brings that sensibility into it.
[16-Nov-21 09:37 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
How do the various types of magic differ?
[16-Nov-21 09:37 PM] fedcomic#0310
One thing I want to point out Thule is that, again, it’s easy to fit it into whatever other game or setting or campaign you’re playing in. You get in a boat and get lost in a storm and you can be there.
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[16-Nov-21 09:38 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
Great question! Thulish magic is specifically ice-based.
[16-Nov-21 09:38 PM] Steve S#9386
Yep, that was our other priority with Thule, to make it accessible to just about any campaign (and work in a little actual history, such as Pythias, the legendary Greek explorer).
[16-Nov-21 09:38 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
Exactly @fedcomic ! It’s the best sort of portal story.
[16-Nov-21 09:39 PM] fedcomic#0310
There are lots of different kinds of magic in the book, which to me means that people who enjoy different kinds of play can all find something they’re going to like.
[16-Nov-21 09:39 PM] fedcomic#0310
If you like throwing around fireballs, you can scratch that itch with Archmage.
[16-Nov-21 09:40 PM] fedcomic#0310
If you want to enchant adoring crowds, you’re going to love Bard.
[16-Nov-21 09:41 PM] fedcomic#0310
If you like destroying the GM’s carefully constructed adventure, there’s a Prestige Trait called Chaos-Touched that you’re going to want to check out.
[16-Nov-21 09:42 PM] fedcomic#0310
Among the 13 Traits (each of which you can build on with other Traits and Prestige Traits) gives you a different style of play, and a different experience with magic. They all feel different.
[16-Nov-21 09:44 PM] fedcomic#0310
For example, a Spell-Touched mage has a limitless ability to cast small, subtle spells, while a Spell Reader has a limited number of powerful scrolls that are lost when you cast them.
[16-Nov-21 09:44 PM] fedcomic#0310
Very different kinds of play.
[16-Nov-21 09:45 PM] fedcomic#0310
Each of the settings also gets you a different feeling, a different style of play.
[16-Nov-21 09:46 PM] fedcomic#0310
For example, The Forge, by author Quincy J. Allen, is about a magical school for half-elves (despised by both humans and elves in this setting). Players are going to start out very weak, but quickly gain in ability as they move through their schooling.
[16-Nov-21 09:48 PM] fedcomic#0310
Adventures center around the school itself, just like they would at Hogwarts, etc. It’s more focused than some of the more wide-open sandbox settings, like Mage Hunters.
[16-Nov-21 09:49 PM] fedcomic#0310
With 21 micro settings, I can almost guarantee you’re going to find something that feels fun and fresh to you.
[16-Nov-21 09:50 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Do you introduce any new monsters?
[16-Nov-21 09:50 PM] fedcomic#0310
There are…
[16-Nov-21 09:51 PM] fedcomic#0310
something like 75 new creatures in the book.
[16-Nov-21 09:51 PM] fedcomic#0310
Often, they come in groups of six, because it’s a TinyD6 book.
[16-Nov-21 09:52 PM] fedcomic#0310
So if you’re going to have the party bump into some undead, roll 1d6 and see what you get.
[16-Nov-21 09:53 PM] fedcomic#0310
Obviously, if you play something like D&D 5e, you would need to do some work to adapt these and get the stat blocks right.
[16-Nov-21 09:53 PM] fedcomic#0310
But I think you’re going to find a lot of cool ideas.
[16-Nov-21 09:53 PM] fedcomic#0310
Things that will surprise your players.
[16-Nov-21 09:54 PM] CarolynIvy#6158
It really is cool and some parts are worth reading just because they’re funny.
[16-Nov-21 09:55 PM] fedcomic#0310
And sometimes those are even the parts that are intended to be funny!
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[16-Nov-21 09:55 PM] fedcomic#0310
But speaking of undead, it always seemed weird to me that worlds that are full of sentient creatures have almost exclusively undead humans. Human vampires, human skeletons, human zombies, human ghosts, etc.
[16-Nov-21 09:55 PM] fedcomic#0310
Like, do gnomes never get bit by werewolves?
[16-Nov-21 09:55 PM] fedcomic#0310
Are there no Storm Giant mummies?
[16-Nov-21 09:56 PM] fedcomic#0310
So all the undead in this book are non-human.
[16-Nov-21 09:56 PM] fedcomic#0310
The vampire is a dwarf. Dwarf vampires don’t turn into flocks of bats. They turn into a heap of naked mole rats.
[16-Nov-21 09:57 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Very cool. 🙂
[16-Nov-21 09:58 PM] fedcomic#0310
The mummy is a goblin, the shade is a treefolk, the ghost is a lizardfolk, etc.
[16-Nov-21 09:58 PM] fedcomic#0310
All of them have special abilities based on their pre-death species.
[16-Nov-21 09:59 PM] fedcomic#0310
Because it’s lame to have all liches be alike, or all ghouls or whatever.
[16-Nov-21 10:00 PM] fedcomic#0310
We tried to do the same with all the other monsters in the book. Give them a little something special, a little something unique. You’ll find Eldritch critters here that feel lovecraftian but also are a little different than anything else you’ve seen.
[16-Nov-21 10:00 PM] fedcomic#0310
Same for demons, magically animated constructs, etc.
[16-Nov-21 10:01 PM] fedcomic#0310
So even if you play some other game (nothing wrong with that!) you’ll be able to get some new ideas, something to liven up your game.
[16-Nov-21 10:01 PM] fedcomic#0310
Give your players something they don’t expect.
[16-Nov-21 10:03 PM] fedcomic#0310
Whether you’re playing Pathfinder, Dungeon World, D&D, ICRPG, GURPS, etc.
[16-Nov-21 10:05 PM] fedcomic#0310
Speaking of which… I want to jump back to the start of the chat. Chris, you had a question about Tiny Supers, right?
[16-Nov-21 10:06 PM] fedcomic#0310
Shoot, maybe he’s gone.
[16-Nov-21 10:06 PM] Kale#1990
No, I have the system, I was just asking for clarity.
[16-Nov-21 10:06 PM] Kale#1990
Thank you.
[16-Nov-21 10:06 PM] fedcomic#0310
ah
[16-Nov-21 10:06 PM] Kale#1990
I picked it up for Fallen Justice, one of it’s supplements, as I’m a HUGE Iron Age Comics fan. 😛
[16-Nov-21 10:07 PM] fedcomic#0310
Iron Age Batman is best Batman
[16-Nov-21 10:07 PM] fedcomic#0310
It is known
[16-Nov-21 10:10 PM] fedcomic#0310
Any of your supers have magic? It seems a little less common in Iron Age, at least in the foreground. Obviously, things like Crisis on Infinite Earths have people like Dr. Fate doing very important things in the background.
[16-Nov-21 10:11 PM] fedcomic#0310
For an Iron Age campaign, I would probably recommend the Psionics chapter in this book.
[16-Nov-21 10:11 PM] fedcomic#0310
Lots of good mental powers that kind of work like magic and yet feel different enough from magic that they fit in better with the kind of gritty realism you see in books like Watchmen or whatever.
[16-Nov-21 10:12 PM] fedcomic#0310
Also the Woken is really very Neil Gaiman / Sandman
[16-Nov-21 10:13 PM] fedcomic#0310
This setting is written by Josh Vogt, and lets you play a guardian of dream, defeating the nightmares trying to invade and devour human minds.
[16-Nov-21 10:14 PM] fedcomic#0310
Maybe a bit of Jim Starlin in there, or could be Ditko’s Dr. Strange if you want to go that way.
[16-Nov-21 10:16 PM] fedcomic#0310
Another good setting for supers play is Inkslingers, by Joe McGee.
[16-Nov-21 10:16 PM] fedcomic#0310
People get magic powers from tattooos.
[16-Nov-21 10:16 PM] fedcomic#0310
You don’t really have to change anything. Just say superpowers instead of magic powers, and you’re pretty much there.
[16-Nov-21 10:18 PM] fedcomic#0310
Okay, I think I should stop beating this poor horse now.
[16-Nov-21 10:18 PM] fedcomic#0310
lol
[16-Nov-21 10:21 PM] fedcomic#0310
Point is, you’re going to be able to use this book in a variety of campaigns, a variety of rulesets, a variety of genres– including supers.
[16-Nov-21 10:21 PM] fedcomic#0310
Also including horror.
[16-Nov-21 10:21 PM] fedcomic#0310
Also comedy.
[16-Nov-21 10:21 PM] fedcomic#0310
Sci fi
[16-Nov-21 10:21 PM] fedcomic#0310
etc
[16-Nov-21 10:22 PM] Kale#1990
Can you do something like… Uh, what’s the White Wolf game… Scion? I think. Where the players are Demigod children from historic pantheons.
[16-Nov-21 10:22 PM] Kale#1990
What was that kid’s book series… Percy something?
[16-Nov-21 10:22 PM] fedcomic#0310
Actually, there are two that would be good for that.
[16-Nov-21 10:22 PM] fedcomic#0310
Do you have Tiny Gods?
[16-Nov-21 10:23 PM] fedcomic#0310
It’s the Tiny D6 book that lets you create a world as gods, and then play in that world as demigods.
[16-Nov-21 10:23 PM] fedcomic#0310
It has an interesting mechanic for divine power, called Conviction, which is used by two different Micronomicon settings.
[16-Nov-21 10:25 PM] fedcomic#0310
Songs of Oversea (Justin Finley) has you play a powerful demigod trying to cleanse the world of Corruption, the taint of a fallen goddess.
[16-Nov-21 10:25 PM] fedcomic#0310
It’s inspired by Filipino and Polynesian mythology. You can basically play Maui.
[16-Nov-21 10:26 PM] fedcomic#0310
And you fight giant Kaiju that have become maddened by this Corruption. (A little like Princess Mononoke, or Nausicaa, or other manga.)
[16-Nov-21 10:28 PM] fedcomic#0310
The other one is Gods of Diazorr (Jeffrey L. Scifert). In this one, the evil gods rule the land, and they have banished the gods of light. But some of their scions remain, and you might be one of them.
[16-Nov-21 10:29 PM] fedcomic#0310
Because the Chimeric Pantheon (the evil gods) control magic, every time you use a magical Trait, there’s a chance that you’ll be polluted by their touch, eventually falling into Shadow. (This usually involves some pretty grotesque physical transformations.)
[16-Nov-21 10:30 PM] fedcomic#0310
But every time you use your powers, there’s also a chance that you will reveal yourself as one of the scions of the gods of light, igniting the divine spark you didn’t even know you had inside you.
[16-Nov-21 10:32 PM] fedcomic#0310
So your character can really take some very different paths, sinking down to depths of darkness or soaring up to the most brilliant heights.
[16-Nov-21 10:32 PM] fedcomic#0310
Demigods might also show up in The Crossroads, but that’s none of my business.
[16-Nov-21 10:33 PM] fedcomic#0310
https://tenor.com/view/hh-whta-uout-gif-22206643
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https://tenor.com/view/hh-whta-uout-gif-22206643
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[16-Nov-21 10:34 PM] fedcomic#0310
Anyhow, it’s past 9:30.
[16-Nov-21 10:35 PM] fedcomic#0310
@Dan Davenport may have turned into a pumpkin already.
[16-Nov-21 10:35 PM] fedcomic#0310
Anyone else have questions? Comments? Knock-knock jokes?
[16-Nov-21 10:37 PM] fedcomic#0310
Okay, this was fun! Thank you all for having me here, and please feel free to contact me if you want to continue the conversation. Or, just drop by the Micronomicon server here on Discord: https://discord.gg/pZjAnbq3.
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Discord is the easiest way to talk over voice, video, and text. Talk, chat, hang out, and stay close with your friends and communities.
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[16-Nov-21 10:37 PM] fedcomic#0310
Have a good night, everybody!
[16-Nov-21 10:43 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Sleep well!
{Reactions}
🛏️
[16-Nov-21 10:43 PM] fedcomic#0310
Gracias, Dan!
[16-Nov-21 10:44 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
(Sorry, had some technical issues.)
[16-Nov-21 10:44 PM] fedcomic#0310
No worries.
[16-Nov-21 10:44 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
I’ll get the log posted and link you!
[16-Nov-21 10:44 PM] fedcomic#0310
Awesome.
[16-Nov-21 10:44 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Usual reminder: If you’ve enjoyed this Q&A and would like to treat me to a coffee or two, you can do so at https://www.ko-fi.com/gmshoe. Anything’s appreciated! 🙂
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