Thursday, November 14, 2013

[Q&A] Mark Plemmons (Corporia)

[19:06] <+Corporia_MarkP> Hello everyone! I'm Mark Plemmons, creator and designer of Corporia, a new urban fantasy tabletop rpg that's now funding on Kickstarter!
[19:06] <+Corporia_MarkP> The background is the Knights of the Round Table returning to a mega-corp dominated near-future setting, and having to deal with both corps and magic and monsters.
[19:06] <+Corporia_MarkP> (Link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/504288855/corporia-the-rpg-where-camelot-meets-corporate)http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/504288855/corporia-the-rpg-where-camelot-meets-corporate
[19:06] <+Corporia_MarkP> (done)
[19:07] <~Dan> Thanks, Mark!
[19:08] <~Dan> Would anyone like to start us off with a question?
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[19:08] <&Silverlion> What is the system like? :D
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[19:08] <+Corporia_MarkP> Like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter's day.
[19:08] <+Corporia_MarkP> Or did you want specifics? :)
[19:09] <+Songtress> Whats the basic idea behind Camelot meets Corporate? i mean are we we talking about building a Corporate Empire?
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[19:09] <~Dan> (Question pause, please. :) )
[19:09] <&Silverlion> Specifics please..:D
[19:09] <~Dan> (Howdy, DCAnsell, AWOLJoe1, Kaiju_Keiichi!)
[19:09] <+DCAnsell> (Heya
[19:10] <+Kaiju_Keiichi> hey
[19:10] <+Corporia_MarkP> Silverlion, it's point based character creation, and combat and other checks resolved by [Core Value + Skill + the high roll from 2d6] vs Target Number.
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[19:10] <+Corporia_MarkP> That's a very quick summary with broad strokes.
[19:10] <&Silverlion> Sounds simple...
[19:11] <+Corporia_MarkP> Songstress, when the knights are reincarnated in the future, the magics that enabled this also weakened dimensional boundaries and allowed magic and monsters to start creeping in. Players take on roles within the Knightwatch, Sir Lancelot's supernaturally powered special ops team.
[19:11] <~Dan> (Oh, for the new folks: #rpgnet2 is open for general chat during Q&As, if you like!)
[19:11] <+Corporia_MarkP> Think Camelot + Torchwood.
[19:11] <+Corporia_MarkP> (done)
[19:12] <~Dan> What's the advantage of that particular dice mechanic?
[19:13] <&Silverlion> Is it as dark as Torchwood?
[19:13] <+Corporia_MarkP> The "Flux Dice" mechanic, as I call it, is tied into the setting. PCs are powered by Chaos magic, and are able to instinctively choose the best result (high of 2d6). 'Mundane' NPCs get only 1d6. Sometimes there may be penalties that cause PCs to have to pick low, or not get any FLux Dice at all.
[19:13] <+GenoFoxx> how does this differ from say 'ShadowRun'?
[19:14] <+Corporia_MarkP> Silverlion: It certainly can be. I like moral ambiguity, and talk about this in the Introduction.
[19:14] <+GenoFoxx> how near future are we talking?
[19:14] <+GenoFoxx> are we talking Max Headroom or more Blade Runner?
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[19:15] <+Corporia_MarkP> GenoFoxx: Keep in mind that I have not actually PLAYED Shadowrun, though I know about it. Some quick differences: clean and (outwardly) utopian instead of grim and gritty, magic and monsters are secrets that the corps pass off as cosmic radiation anomalies instead of being out in the open. No elves, dwarves, or typical fantasy races.
[19:16] <+Corporia_MarkP> GenoFoxx: Blade Runner level of tech without flying cars, and clean/white/utopian in appearance instead of grim/gritty/gray/rainy. It has been YEARS since I've seen Max Headroom, so I can't really comment with any accuracy on that.
[19:17] <+Corporia_MarkP> No future date is given, though I'm estimating about 30-40 years.
[19:17] <+GenoFoxx> I meant space colonies in the lagrange points and moon and mars bases
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[19:18] <+GenoFoxx> no flying cars? :(
[19:18] <&Silverlion> Dash it all!
[19:18] <+Corporia_MarkP> Space exploration  isn't dealt with in the main book, though I might approach it later. It is mentioned in one of the corporation sections that they are heavily involved in that side of things.
[19:18] <~Dan> (Howdy, KJ!)
[19:18] <+Corporia_MarkP> Anyone played the video game Mirror's Edge? Looks very much like that outwardly
[19:20] <~Dan> What's the bleeding edge of technology in various areas, like military, transportation, energy, etc.?
[19:22] <+Corporia_MarkP> Environmental tech now very profitable and used all over the place. Even mild climate control devices on some skyscrapers.
[19:22] <+Corporia_MarkP> Okay, pausing for a second to deal with baby.
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[19:22] * ~Dan switches on the Muzak.
[19:23] <+Corporia_MarkP> some light energy and plasma weapons too
[19:23] <+Wiseguy> What's your philosophy behind suggestions on how to run the game? Is it meant to facilitate story arcs, sandboxing, or something else? Maybe all of the above? Some of your text about the game online suggests you can handle different modes of play too, like corporate espionage versus more fantastic stuff.
[19:23] <+Corporia_MarkP> (baby in one arm, typing with other)
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[19:25] <+Corporia_MarkP> I envision it as sandbox gaming - you could do "monster of the week" combat, or corporate espionage, or whatever. There are six mini adventures in the Game Mastery chapter that form a meta-plot dealing with some of the secrets behind the setting.
[19:26] <~Dan> Do I recall correctly that there's a Law (corps) vs. Chaos (monsters) thing going on?
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[19:26] <+Corporia_MarkP> These mini adventures can be intermixed with original content too.
[19:27] <+GenoFoxx> So Arthur and the Knights of Justice in the FUTURE!!!!...?
[19:27] <+Corporia_MarkP> Dan, yes, that's right. The Corporations are all about Order (as are some other factions), while the beings of Chaos are the magical anomalies and monsters and so forth. Some may have differing allegiances, but essentially it's Corporate Order vs Magical Chaos, with the superpowers behind each trying to dominate the other for ultimate control of the human rac
[19:27] <+Corporia_MarkP> race. :)
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[19:28] <+Bigby> So a cyberpunk game where the Corporations are good?
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[19:28] <+Bigby> That's going to take some getting used to...
[19:28] <+Corporia_MarkP> GenoFoxx: The knights return, based on the legend that Arthur will return in the time of the people's greatest need. In other words, to restore knightly virtues to a wage enslaved populate under corporate rule. But their return breached reality and allowed magic back - so they're caught in the middle now.
[19:29] <+GenoFoxx> so has Morgan Le Fay been reincarnated yet?
[19:29] <+Abstruse> (Crap, sorry, podcast editing is giving me a headache!)
[19:29] <+Wiseguy> Do you leave the setting kind of loosely defined then? Where an individual group can kind of tailor it to their needs, and you offer suggestions how to handle certain setting things?
[19:29] <+Corporia_MarkP> GenoFoxx: She MAY be in the Game Mastery chapter....  :)
[19:29] <~Dan> Welcome, Guest92, Abstruse!
[19:30] <+GenoFoxx> Bigby just because the Corporations represent order doesn't mean their good, just better than the alternative
[19:30] <+Corporia_MarkP> Wiseguy, there is a good-sized "tourist guide" chapter that details sections of The City and the corporations, and describes it in general terms. As far as adventures, yes, I prefer to layout the concepts and give suggestions for both players and game masters.
[19:31] <+jdb> Back on technology -- is there a hacker or decker type character?
[19:31] <+Corporia_MarkP> GenoFoxx: Yes, "Order" as in rules and structure.
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[19:32] <+GenoFoxx> think of the Corps more like the 'angels' in supernatural
[19:32] <+GenoFoxx> just because they're angels doesn't mean they can be mean spirited jerks
[19:32] <+Corporia_MarkP> jdb: Yes, there is a Hacker! :) The Hacker is a fun PC to play, since he/she can hack technology (doors, webcams, etc) and can even dive into virtual worlds (ala the Sucker Punch movie) to fight AIs. AND Hackers can bring the other characters along with them.
[19:32] <+GenoFoxx> can't
[19:33] <+Corporia_MarkP> (done)
[19:34] <~Dan> How do they bring people along?
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[19:35] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, ToddD! Here for the Q&A? :) )
[19:36] <+Corporia_MarkP> Dan, they can wirelessly hack into another PC's "EyePhone" so everything gets pulled into the same environment (and EyePhones are part of the standard loadout package supplied to the PCs). In game terms, the Hacker can bring along all the PCs, + a limited number of NPCs based on his Computer skill.
[19:37] <+jdb> EyePhone.  Love it
[19:37] <&Silverlion> Interesting.
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[19:37] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest83! Here for the Q&A? :) )
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[19:38] <+jdb> Is this more of a class system or a skill system?  Is Hacker a class or more of a collection of skills?  And is there a level concept?
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[19:38] <&Silverlion> Is there magic?
[19:38] <+GenoFoxx> so Hackers can create their own 'hackerspace' like certain villains and heroes in Japanese tokusatsu shows can create a 'battlespace'
[19:39] <+Wiseguy> Do people have to worry about cyber-psycho scenarios or losing the ability to touch magic because of cybernetics?
[19:40] <+Corporia_MarkP> jdb: Definitely skill based. There are 10 modern archetypes (classes) and 3 supernatural ones. You can play a modern one (like a Suit) or a combo of modern+supernatural (like a Knight-Errant Suit).
[19:40] <~Dan> (Question pause)
[19:41] <+Corporia_MarkP> jdb: No level system. Each PC has three public and one private personality traits. These work a bit like FATE aspects, as I understand it (never played FATE). When they become relevant in play, their use can earn Flux Points, which can be spent on bonuses. Each spending also helps earn points for permanent character improvements.
[19:43] <+Corporia_MarkP> Silverlion: Yes, magic works like other ability checks, except that you have to have the Spellcaster asset and put points into your Magick core value and the various disciplines (schools). You can cast any spell you can think of that fits within the school, the Director (GM) just gives  you a Target Number to beat. (more)
[19:43] <+Corporia_MarkP> There are 4 Witcher disciplines and 4 Sorcerer disciplines, each with 8 sample spells to help guide players who prefer less freeform spell use.
[19:45] <+Corporia_MarkP> Wiseguy: Augments (cyber stuff) is mostly biological augments (ala the video game Deus Ex) rather than electronic, though they do reduce a caster's ability to use magic, as do certain armors.
[19:46] <+Corporia_MarkP> GenFoxx: The virtual environment depends more on the creating artificial/virtual intelligence that the players are there to contact or battle than on the Hacker's preferences. More of a game master option than a player one.
[19:46] <+Corporia_MarkP> Okay, I think we can resume the questions now that I'm caught up!  :)
[19:46] <~Dan> Cool. :)
[19:46] <&Silverlion> What's the difference between the two schools?
[19:48] <+Corporia_MarkP> Sorcery spells look and act more like technology and manipulation (Holography, Kinesis, Metamorph, Technomancy), while Witcher spells are focused more on nature and life and mental (Charm, Elemental, Perception, Spiritism).
[19:49] <+DCAnsell> Is Sorcery supernatural in nature, or is it some sort of technological manipulation?
[19:49] <+Corporia_MarkP> So the two caster types often don't get along - one focused more on Order and the other on Chaos.
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[19:50] <+jdb> Are AIs working for Law or Chaos or themselves?
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[19:50] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest86! You can set your name with the /nick command. :) )
[19:51] <+Corporia_MarkP> Sorcery is supernatural. Persons who gain Sorcery are more tech-minded and like Order, so their spells reflect that.
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[19:51] <+Corporia_MarkP> jdb: AIs work for themselves.
[19:52] <+DCAnsell> As a followup to that, how long have people been doing magic? Is it something new?
[19:53] <+Corporia_MarkP> Magic faded with the rise of the Renaissance and the scientific revolution, but thanks to the knights return weakening the fabric of reality, it's back. Only recently are some people waking up to find they've gained greater abilities, magic, or horrific mutations. (more)
[19:54] <+Corporia_MarkP> Others wake up with memories of lives in King Arthur's court. The mutated ones tend to be monstrous, though they can be tortured innocents. Lancelot seeks out the others to offer them a place in his organization. The PCs are the cream of the crop.
[19:54] <+Corporia_MarkP> (done)
[19:55] <~Dan> These mutations are supernatural?
[19:56] <+Corporia_MarkP> Yes! Pockets of usually invisible chaos magic (aka Flux anomalies, outwardly dismissed by the corps as cosmic radiation) float through the city and cause havoc by opening rifts and mutating.
[19:57] <&Silverlion> Yes because no one knows how radiation works! hehe.
[19:57] <+DCAnsell> Is the setting largely confined to a city then? At least in the main book?
[19:57] <+Corporia_MarkP> The corps know what the magic is, they just cover it up. :)
[19:58] <+jdb> I'm picturing "gas leak/hallucination" being a common story :)
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[19:59] <+Wiseguy> Can you talk some more about the... Outsider archetype, I think you called it, which is slated as the next goal the project is working toward?
[19:59] <+Corporia_MarkP> DCAnsell: Yes, the main book focuses on "The City". There's a 34 page section detailing it and the corps
[20:00] <&Silverlion> Is it a specific city like London?
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[20:01] <+Corporia_MarkP> Wiseguy: the "Outcast" is a humanoid 'demon' that fell - or was pushed - through one of those Flux rifts to land in The City. They may join the Knightwatch to avoid being dissected in a corporate lab, or because they are the "Drizzt" of their race.  :)  Others would just lead clans of Morlocks in the subway tunnels and get hunted by the PCs.  :)
[20:02] <+Corporia_MarkP> Silverlion: The city map is based on Tokyo, and the architecture on Hong Kong. But The City is intentionally unnamed, so it can be set anywhere as needed.
[20:03] <~Dan> I've got a followup question on the Law/Chaos thing.
[20:03] <+Corporia_MarkP> Go for it.
[20:03] <~Dan> One problem I often have with that setup is the "Law = science, Chaos = magic" thing.
[20:03] <~Dan> The reason being that if that's the case, Law can't "push back" against Chaos.
[20:04] <~Dan> (Or Order can't, to use your terminology.)
[20:04] <~Dan> HOwever...
[20:04] <~Dan> ...you mentioned that Sorcery is related to Order. Is it the case that Order in the setting is fundamentally supernatural as well, and that Sorcery is a manifestation of that?
[20:05] <+Corporia_MarkP> Dan: I'm not sure how well I'll explain this, but here goes....
[20:07] <+Corporia_MarkP> In Corporia, "Order" is shorthand for rules, regulations, bureaucracy, and totalitarianism.  "Chaos" is shorthand for freedom, uncontrolled savagery, and so on. (more)
[20:08] <+Corporia_MarkP> Both Order and Chaos have their good points and their bad points, but as I said, this is shorthand to describe the situation. The mega-corps are Order out of control, as are the creatures and magics of the adjacent Chaos dimension (anyone seen "Event Horizon")? (more)
[20:10] <+Corporia_MarkP> I'm not sure if that helps - throw more at me if you need to. I have a fussy baby here so I am only SLIGHTLY distracted. :)
[20:11] <+Corporia_MarkP> Speaking of which - going to change a diaper. Back in a flash.
[20:11] <~Dan> No problem. I think you answered my question, but allow me to rephrase if I may?
[20:11] <~Dan> (np!)
[20:11] <&Silverlion> There is a balance ..somewhere.
[20:12] <+Duloth> Hmmm. Could be interesting if I ran a large-scale game again. Been a while since I got one of those started.
[20:14] <+Corporia_MarkP> Okay, back!
[20:14] <+Corporia_MarkP> Go for it, Dan.
[20:14] <~Dan> Okay, so I'm just trying to get a handle on whether Order is just as much a supernatural force as is Chaos in the setting. I take it that the answer is "yes"?
[20:16] <+jdb> My understanding was that Sorcery was more Order and Witcher more Chaos.
[20:16] * ~Dan nods to jdb
[20:17] <+Corporia_MarkP> Ugh - I am having trouble writing an answer to this one! :)
[20:18] <~Dan> Well, can I try to make it easier for you? :)
[20:18] <+Corporia_MarkP> Shoot.
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[20:19] <~Dan> Does Order have a means of imposing itself on reality and countering the supernatural effects of Chaos? (To clarify, science is more like using Order than it is imposing Order, IMO.)
[20:19] <+Wiseguy> Maybe Order and Chaos are more like metaphysical principles that can power supernatural stuff in certain ways?
[20:20] <~Dan> Wiseguy: Yeah, something like that.
[20:20] <+Corporia_MarkP> Wiseguy: Yes, that's a good way of putting it. I was groping for the word 'metaphysical'!
[20:21] <~Dan> Yeah, there we go. Is it correct to say that Order is a metaphysical force in the setting, rather than just a scientific force?
[20:21] <+Wiseguy> I've run into a fair bit of that kind of thing before. Ever hear of the Recluce novels? All about order mages versus chaos mages and philosophies surrounding them.
[20:22] <&Silverlion> I've read those.
[20:22] <+Corporia_MarkP> I will have to look up Recluce! Never heard of them before.
[20:23] <&Silverlion> Be careful--te author uses a lot of the same tropes.
[20:24] <+Wiseguy> Yeah, would warn you about that. Read one and you basically know more or less what happens in the others, but the discussions about order and chaos are still interesting.
[20:24] <+Corporia_MarkP> Dan, yes, that would be correct, though I don't really go into it in those terms (sounds like an upcoming edit!). Order battles Chaos in the most efficient way possible - by eliminating it. Here's a movie analogy (more)
[20:24] <+Corporia_MarkP> If the "Alien" is Chaos, then Order is "Let's nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
[20:24] <+Corporia_MarkP> :)
[20:24] <~Dan> Heh. :)
[20:25] <~Dan> So can you tell us a bit about monsters in the setting, and the extent of the game's bestiary?
[20:25] <+DCAnsell> You covered briefly before the sorts of high tech weapons available in the setting, what sort of weapons do the standard armsbearer, like a policeman or corporate grunt, generally carry?
[20:26] <+Wiseguy> How detailed do you get with the stats on gear?
[20:26] <+Corporia_MarkP> Dan, a lot of the monsters are based on stuff you've seen before, though there are few new ones. The monster descriptions are written like they were pulled from the Knightwatch files. (more)
[20:26] <~Dan> (Question pause.
[20:26] <~Dan> )
[20:29] <+Corporia_MarkP> Most of the monsters are mutated humans, and include the Doppelganger, Eloi, Morlock, Sanguivore, Succubus, Synth, Therianthrope, etc. Example: the Sanguivore is a human with vampiric characteristics, and may even believe he's been turned into a vamp, but he doesn't have all the folkloric powers or suffer the penalties.
[20:30] <+Corporia_MarkP> Other monsters include digital life and creatures who came to Earth through Flux rifts.
[20:30] <+Corporia_MarkP> Ok, now onto gear for a second.
[20:33] <+Corporia_MarkP> DCAnsell: Like most of the rules, I've kept the weapons list intentionally small for now. Firearms include taser, bow, pistol, rifle, shotgun, submachine gun, wand, and x-calibre (directed energy weapon). Melee is dagger/knife, hand axe, (more)
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[20:34] <+Corporia_MarkP> short sword, com/bat (high density baseball bat), longsword, war axe, two-handed sword, and raypier (sword with nanoparticle energized blade). (more)
[20:34] <~Dan> (I love these weapon names. :D )
[20:35] <+Corporia_MarkP> Each weapon has a skill level ranging from 0 to 5. PCs must have a minimum ‘Getting Medieval’ or ‘Firearms’ skill to use these weapons effectively. Otherwise, they suffer the difference between the requirement and the PC's acttual skill level as a penalty to Attack.
[20:35] <+DCAnsell> Cool.
[20:36] <+Corporia_MarkP> Aside from the skill level, weapon categories may include price, rate of fire, range, damage, and "reload die".
[20:37] <+Songtress> Can Swords, weapons haves names & properties: Ala  Excaliber- We know that the Sheath was enchanted and the weilder wouldn't die or be  hurt in battled (if you havd the sheath & sword)? Is it plausible possible to CREATE such weapons?
[20:38] <+Corporia_MarkP> Reload is basically if you roll doubles on a Flux Dice attack, you roll that weapon's reload die (varies from d4 to d20). On a 1, the weapon jams/runs out of ammo, etc and you have to take time to fix it or use a different weapon.
[20:39] <+Corporia_MarkP> Songstress: One of the last sections in Chapter 6: Game Mastery details a selection of Relics like Excalibur and its sheath. Finding and carries one of these weapons gives special bonuses/powers AND also lets the wielder have a certain extra # of Flux Points per day to spend on improving die rolls.  (More)
[20:40] <+Corporia_MarkP> I might delve into magic item creation in a future book, but it's not covered here.
[20:41] <~Dan> I forgot to ask earlier, but how powerful can magic get? Give me something impressive that a Sorcerer or Witch could do.
[20:41] <+Corporia_MarkP> Some Relics are so magical they can appear in their original form, or in modern guise. So the "Siege Perilous" could appear as an old chair in an antique store, or a modern desk chair!
[20:43] <+Corporia_MarkP> Dan: Well, since the magic system is freeform, then technically a caster can do almost anything the player can imagine, though the Director should set an appropriately high and perhaps impossible Target Number. (more)
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[20:44] <&Silverlion> Are you using a lot of stock art? I've seen a few complaints about that..
[20:45] <+Corporia_MarkP> However, in the sample spells, the TNs go from 3 to 17. A sorcerer using Kinesis spells might easily be able to float a small object towards him, have average difficulty reducing the velocity and damage of ranged weapons that strike him, slightly more difficulty flying, and at high levels even teleport. (more)
[20:45] <+Corporia_MarkP> There aren't any superpowerful "Wish" spells or anything like that. If I had to compare it to D&D, I would say that the typical spell levels don't get much higher than level 6.
[20:46] <+Corporia_MarkP> Of course, it's a different scale.
[20:46] <~Dan> So could Kinesis let you toss cars around?
[20:46] <+Corporia_MarkP> (done)
[20:48] <+Corporia_MarkP> Conceivably, sure! If I were the Director in that game, I'd make that a high TN like 17, but others might put it lower. Generally, a character's result will be anywhere from 3 to 18. TNs go 3, 5, 7, 9, etc.
[20:48] <+Wiseguy> This kind of ties in to Dan's question, since if it's possible to do that I would guess you need to be either very lucky with your roll or have a high base before you roll. What's the assumption in the game for how quickly characters progress with their abilities and powers, if there is one?
[20:48] <+Corporia_MarkP> Flux Dice that roll the max (6 on d6) on ability check can be rolled and added to the total. Damage rolls can't.
[20:48] <~Dan> Regarding creatures from Flux rifts, do thar be dragons? :)
[20:49] <+Corporia_MarkP> "re-rolled" and added to the total, I mean.
[20:49] <+Wiseguy> Or to rephrase, how quickly do characters get mechanically better at the stuff they do, as you wrote the game?
[20:50] <+Corporia_MarkP> Wiseguy: That depends a lot of the players. Players who really throw their characters into the game and make use of their Traits will get more points to spend. Players who don't get as involved will progress less frequently.
[20:51] <+Corporia_MarkP> Dan: I do have a plan for a mutated human with significant dragon characteristics, but no plans YET for a full-on dragon.
[20:52] <~Dan> So what sort of creatures do come through?
[20:52] <~Dan> Any faerie critters, for example?
[20:54] <+Corporia_MarkP> Dan:  what comes through will be very alien or demonic in appearance. The "Eymplant" for instance, looks like an eyeball head on a tapeworm, and is an intelligent parasite.
[20:55] <+Corporia_MarkP> The 'fantasy' creatures will mostly be humans who have been mutated by the Flux.
[20:55] <~Dan> Ah.... so more Lovecraftian than mythological?
[20:55] <+Corporia_MarkP> Yep! In fact, the Chaos dimension has definite hints of the Old Ones.
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[20:56] <+Wiseguy> Is there anything in setting about this sort of thing happening before? Like cycles or anything like that?
[20:57] <+Corporia_MarkP> Wiseguy: Yes, there is some brief discussion in the Game Mastery chapter - not really a huge secret so I don't mind mentioning it here.
[20:58] <+Wiseguy> Cool!
[20:58] <+Corporia_MarkP> That would have been primordial man stuff - WAY back in the day. (done)
[20:58] <+Kuma> How badly are animals affected by the Flux?
[20:59] <+Corporia_MarkP> Kuma: I'll be delving into that in later supplements, though one of the backers (Architect) level does want to briefly mention that so as to leave it open for the Director.
[21:00] <~Dan> Do you have a character sheet that we can look at?
[21:01] <+Corporia_MarkP> Dan - Yep! There is a 17-page PDF preview link on the Kickstarter page (just above the big backer levels image) - and the PC sheet is the very last page.
[21:01] <+Corporia_MarkP> (Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/30189637/corporia_preview_131107.pdf)https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/30189637/corporia_preview_131107.pdf
[21:02] <~Dan> Let's see here...
[21:02] <~Dan> Does armor reduce damage?
[21:03] <+Corporia_MarkP> The layout of the PC sheet was based on a tax form! Just like other sections of the book were based on appropriate templates you might see today. The equipment section as a review section in a magazine, the spell section as a corporate arcane research doc, etc.
[21:03] <~Dan> Clever. :)
[21:04] <+Corporia_MarkP> Dan: Yes! Armor actually has three damage reduction levels. (more)
[21:05] <+Corporia_MarkP> The more cumbersome the armor, the higher the penalty to the wearer's defense. However, the damage reduction gets better. However (again), each armor has DR vs melee, high-velocity (bullets), and energy weapons. Like a suit of metal armor being good against swords but not as much against bullets!
[21:06] <+Corporia_MarkP> Okay, since it's a little after 9 and I'm dealing with a fussy baby who doesn't want to go to sleep, I should wrap it up. Any final questions?
[21:07] <&Silverlion> ...
[21:07] <+Kuma> How old is the baby?
[21:07] <~Dan> Well, I'll just mention that I'm also a reviewer, if you're interested in sending me a review copy when the game comes out. :)
[21:07] <+Corporia_MarkP> Kuma: LOL: She's 9 months as of the 11th! :)
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[21:07] <+Corporia_MarkP> And her initials are ZAP!
[21:07] <~Dan> I'll have the log posted and will send you the link momentarily.
[21:08] <+Kuma> That is awesome
[21:08] <+Corporia_MarkP> Dan: Yes, I think I can manage that! :)
[21:08] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Musicalife!)
[21:08] <+Bigby> Okay, you may have just convinced me based on your baby's initials.
[21:08] <+Corporia_MarkP> Bigby: Whatever it takes!
[21:08] <+Musicalife> Hey! I just saw the message, am I too late?
[21:08] <~Dan> We're just wrapping up, unfortunately, but I'm about to post the log.
[21:09] <+Corporia_MarkP> Hey, one unrelated question...
[21:09] <~Dan> Sure!
[21:09] <+Corporia_MarkP> One of my backers is Hungarian, and said he got a message when he tried to log in that Hungarian users weren't allowed.   ideas on why that is?
[21:10] <~Dan> Hmmm... No idea. That would be a question for the server admins.
[21:10] <+Musicalife> Maybe his isp is blocked?
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[21:11] <+Corporia_MarkP> Maybe - I can't find the message now, but he made it sound really weird.
[21:11] <~Dan> That is strange.
[21:11] <+Bigby> I know a forum that had DDOS attacks lately and they blocked whole countries, mostly in Eastern Europe, because that's where so much of it came from.
[21:12] <+Bigby> I don't know if that is an issue in Hungary, but it seems possible.
[21:12] <~Dan> Thanks very much for coming by, Mark! Please come by any time and hang out with us. :)
[21:12] <+Corporia_MarkP> Maybe. I was just curious.
[21:12] <+Corporia_MarkP> Thanks, Dan! I will try to do that when I have some free time!  ;)
[21:12] <+Bigby> (I'm not all that savvy about that stuff)
[21:12] <~Dan> ZAP is welcome, too! :)
[21:13] <+Corporia_MarkP> I'll tell her.
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[21:13] <+Corporia_MarkP> She's usually in bed by around 8pm CT, but tonight of course is a weird night for her.
[21:13] <+Corporia_MarkP> And speaking of which... I'd better go. Thanks again, Dan, and everyone!
[21:13] <~Dan> Have a great evening!
[21:13] <+Kuma> Goodnight you two!
[21:14] <+Wiseguy> Good luck with the project! Thanks for the Q&A.
[21:14] <+Musicalife> Good night, Mark!
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[21:14] <+Corporia_MarkP> Night!
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