dweller's Depths - Torus Reloaded (Rys, Katar)

[prodigyduck]

I almost feel bad this isn't a build, but I published my first e-novella on Amazon's Kindle store. It's science fiction, but being that it features super powers of sorts and I plan on serializing additions to the series I figured it would might be of interest to posters here.

Here is the url: http://tiny.cc/80krlw

And if you decide to buy and like what you read please review. Reviews are vital to ebooks like this.

Arg! And me without a Kindle!

[jspade]

Arg! And me without a Kindle!

There's free Kindle apps for every platform I use.

[dwellerofthedeep]

Good point, jspade. Everybody consider that option...

But I'll be back to building characters soon. I'm not just here to shill my stuff.

[dwellerofthedeep]

Name: Kettlebrawn - Fire Dragon (The Mangrove Suite)
Affiliations: Dragon Kindred

Background: Kettlebrawn is a lesser dragon who dwells within the same city as Layne Mackmar lives. He typically resides in a high spire near the peak where other dragons dwell.

Power Level: 10 (138pp)

Ability Scores (68pp)
Strength 4/10 Stamina 6/12 Agility 4 Dexterity 0
Fighting 8 Intellect 1 Awareness 4 Presence 7

Defenses (4pp)
Dodge +1 Parry +5 Fortitude +12 Will +8 Toughness +15 (8 Impervious)

Skills/Ranks/Bonus (8pp)
Intimidation 4/+14, Stealth 4/+5, Perceptions 4/+8, Persuasion 4/+11

Advantages (4pp)
Power Attack, Takedown, Close Attack 2

Powers (54pp)

Dragon of Fire Power Suite
Flight 4 - 8pp
Growth 6 (Permanent, Innate) - 13pp
Damage +10 (Area: Cone) - Burning Breath - 20pp
-AP: Damage +6 (Range: Perception, Penetrating 2) - Burning Gaze - 1pp
Protection 3 (Impervious 8) - 11pp
Concealment 2 (Normal Visual, Partial, Noticeable: Cloud of Smoke) - 1pp

Notes: Kettlebrawn isn’t a particularly special dragon, but I felt like doing a monster, nice and simple. He’s a good baseline for Mangrove Suite dragons.

[dwellerofthedeep]

Name: Thelden Solk - Network Gunslinger (Shattered World)
Age: 24
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 150lbs
Affiliations: Nation of Nesigant (Ethnic and Native), Network Administration (Agent)
Description: Thelden Solk is a slim and graceful young agent, and one who knows how to wear a gray coat with the insignia-pin of the Net-Admin on the collar. He is eager to root out elements of society who would oppose global peace as a movement, but the job is a wearing one.

Background: As a ‘mere monkey’, as the Vinken call humans, involved in the Network Administration Thelden has quite a story as to how he became involved in protecting the global web. Thelden started his career unexpectedly as a naval rating in the Nesiganti fleet dispatched to assist the crusader forces on the continent of Drysa. The destroyer he was stationed aboard ran afoul of the Splinterweb, a series of artificial reefs created by the Sobiati machine men to wage war outside of their prison on Drysa. The ship was lost, but Thelden survived thanks to the intervention of a Network Administration airship captained by Kosa Ruir. He alone among the survivors of the destroyer’s was offered a chance to serve in the Network Administration as he displayed heroics in protecting the rest. Despite his heritage, he accepted, realizing he could help Nesigant more by securing peace worldwide than in taking up arms for the nation directly.

Power Level: 9 (154pp)

Ability Scores (86pp)
Strength 3 Stamina 4 Agility 7 Dexterity 7
Fighting 10 Intellect 5 Awareness 4 Presence 3

Defenses (11pp)
Dodge 10 Parry 10 Fortitude 8 Will 8 Toughness 8/4 (flatfooted)

Skills/Ranks/Bonus (20pp)
Stealth 4/+11, Acrobatics 3/+10, Technology 7/+12, Expertise (Onisial Sciences) 5/+10, Vehicles 3/+10, Treatment 3/+8, Perception 4/+8, Insight 3/+7, Deception 4/+7, Persuasion 4/+7. Close Combat (Sword) 2/+12

Advantages (15pp)
Quick Draw, Improved Aim, Improved Initiative, Takedown, Defensive Attack, All-out Attack, Defensive Roll 4, Improvised Tools, Ranged Attack 3, Equipment 1

Equipment (5ep)
Gray long coat - 0ep
Sword (Damage +3, Improved Critical, Strength-based) - 4ep
Cell Phone - 1ep

Powers (22pp)

Onisial Practice (6pp)
Attractive 1 (Supernatural Creatures) - 1pp
Concealment 10 (All Senses, Mental, Limited: Blending, Partial) - Bowing - 5pp
-Bowing is a simple Onisial Science which involves submission to the powers beyond human as well as mortal authorities. Thelden is skilled enough to hide himself from others by metaphysical bowing.

Ebony and Ivory--Saint Forged Pistols (Removable -2/5, Indestructible) (16pp)
Damage +8 (Split Attack, Multiattack, Range 6, Improved Critical 2)
-These pistols are ancient family heirlooms. They were forged by a saint of the family 150 years ago, but were far ahead of their time and thus are still highly useful in a modern firefight.


Complications
Rivalry - Triumvirate of Custodial Republics’ Hawk Intelligence Agency (HIA)
Motivations - Justice, Protecting Nesigant
Responsibility - Maintain International Network Coherency
Enemy - Moratoria, especially Gulth a Sobiati Warbringer

Initiative +11

ATTACKS
Unarmed +10 (DC 18)
Sword +12 (DC 22, Crit 19-20)
Saint Forged Pistols +10 (DC 23, Crit 18-20, Ranged, Multi)

[dwellerofthedeep]

Name: Doctor Felim Tosigant - Primal Sapper (Shattered World)
Age: 34
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 260lbs
Affiliations: Primals (Player), Sobronnese Medical Alliance (Doctor)
Description: Felim is a massive dark-skinned man. Faster than he looks, he knows well how to break his opponent’s defenses even without using his sapping smoke or lethal dust particle attacks.

Background: A native of a Sabonn and a lifelong primal, raised by his mother to control the vicious real-life wargames that all six player organizations participate in, Felim was raised with privilege and schooled in war. He does, however, prefer the field of doctoring to waging the secret proxy battles he fights, and thus his cover as a doctor has become more to him than a simple false identity. He believes that saving lives makes up for those his people take in his name.

Power Level: 10 (180pp)

Ability Scores (86pp)
Strength 7 Stamina 5 Agility 5 Dexterity 3
Fighting 10 Intellect 7 Awareness 2 Presence 4

Defenses (12pp)
Dodge 6 Parry 10 Fortitude 8 Will 10 Toughness 14 (Ranged)/10 (Close) [9/4 Flatfooted]

Skills/Ranks/Bonus (21pp)
Athletics 4/+9, Expertise (Terrestrial Sciences) 6/+13, Expertise (Onisial Sciences) 4/+11 Perception 3/+5, Persuasion 6/+10, Treatment 7/+14, Vehicles 3/+6, Close Combat (Unarmed) 3/+13, Technology 6/+113

Advantages (22pp)
Defensive Roll 5, Improved Grab, Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Takedown, Chokehold, Power Attack, Inventor, Status 2 (Certified Physician, Player), Wealth 4, Well-informed, Defensive Attack, Genius

EQUIPMENT
Censer (0ep)

Powers (39pp)

Primal Gifts (4pp)
Movement 1 (Surefooted 1) - 2pp
Speed 1 - 1pp
Leaping 1 - 1pp

Rohium Amulet (Removable -1/5) (4pp)
Protection 4 (Limited to ranged attacks) - Push Screen - 2pp
Senses 1 (Detect Moratoria) - 1pp
Move Object +1 - Push Screen - 2pp

Onisial Sciences (31pp)
Weaken +10 (Weaken Toughness, Affects Objects, Area: Cloud) - Sapping Incense - 30pp
-AP: Damage +11 (Multiattack, Ranged 5, Accurate 3) - Sapping Dust - 1pp

Complications
Secret - Felim’s identity as a Primal Player
Rivalry - Players of the other Five Orders
Power Loss - Sapping Requires Censer and Incense
Enemy - Triumvirate of Custodial Republics (TCR) (Crackdown on all Players)

Initiative +5

ATTACKS
Unarmed +13 (DC 22 Crit 19-20)
Sapping Incense (Area: Line) (DC 20 Fortitude, Weaken Toughness)
Sapping Dust +9 (DC 26, Ranged, Multi)

Meta-Notes
Alright, so a little explanation: Onisial Sciences are essentially this setting’s magic. Terrestrial Sciences are sciences from the real world. That said, they function very similarly, which inspired the way the people of the Shattered World view technology and magic. Also, please note that I see Felim as a villain, despite his numerous complications. All the players operate within a network of controllers and blood-sport tournaments, and though Felim is sometimes reluctant to join in, he has commanded his share of secret wars against the other orders. The players themselves are almost never harmed in these games, but their unwitting pawns die frequently in staged battles they didn’t realize were set up ahead of time.

[Woodclaw]

Dweler I love your build, but sometimes I wish you could flesh out some of your settings a little more.

[dwellerofthedeep]

That's next up, Woodclaw!

Its just taking me a a little bit to get the setting organized. As you may have guessed, it isn't Earth...

[Woodclaw]

That's next up, Woodclaw!

Its just taking me a a little bit to get the setting organized. As you may have guessed, it isn't Earth...

I guessed that much. And I know how difficult is to set a new world, I'm working on my own fantasy setting and it's a monumental task to flesh out the details.

[dwellerofthedeep]

Yeah, Fantasy is tricky, and breaking the setting down/building it up enough to present it is even trickier. In the past most of my settings on this thread just got built up gradually through characters, but I understand I've gotten lazier in presenting characters as representatives of the setting so they develop it as they come out. In any case, world-building is one of my favorite things to do, so there it is, the bright side.

[dwellerofthedeep]

Overview

The Shattered World was once surrounded by a powerful shield created almost 11,000 years ago by the gods, but that shield was broken and invaders and their gods from beyond the planet's surface struck hard from every angle. The human race and the other inhabitants of the planet turned to the gods they had abandoned, the old gods, and have since reformed their alliances with them. In return the old gods drove the invaders either off the planet or onto the continent of Drysa, where they imprisoned them. The old gods sacrificed much of their power to establish a new Moratorium, called the Moratorium of Janham, which keeps the invaders out.

That was over 1800 years ago.

Much has changed in technology and government.

Much has remained the same in religion, so-called Onisial Sciences, and geography. The vinkens' great Vines still reach out of the ground and produce their living fruit. The Onodin's stony warrens are still home to great wealth.

Today the remains of the world's floating shield hang in the air over the land in many places over every continent. The nations of the Shattered World are built both on fragments of the shield and on the continents below them. Despite the god's intervention men still fight wars, and mankind still fights the invaders imprisoned all too close to them.

Terrestrial science, what we would think of as mundane science, has improved dramatically and now surpasses 21st century earth technology. Network Administration manages a global data network capable of downloading matter as well as information if one can pay the price to afford such fantastic power. Cybernetics and digtitization is one aspect of civilization that has grown strong, but the other elements of humanity, Onodin, and vinken society that provides the most power are Onisial Sciences and the powers of the gods of who still live among humans after the Moratorium.

These sources of power are wielded not only by nation-states and their agencies, but also by the secret societies, whispered of as the Invisible Six. These six secret societies partially rule great portions of the planet, in opposiution of legitimate nations and gods.

The imprisoned beings on Drysa, called Moratoria, have not been idle. They constantly struggle and wield their powers against the gods, who have weakened still more over time. Humanity wages war against them, seeking to drive them back to the center, and hoping one day to destroy the invaders completely.

Such is the shattered world today. More to come on nations and organizations.

Here's a world map (areas within the pale arcs are dotted with shield chunks), boxes roughly denote national borders.


The map is pretty tiny due to the board's limitations. See if this link to the big image works: http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc10 ... dWorld.jpg

[dwellerofthedeep]

Nations
This list is of the most important nations on the Shattered World. As a quick aid to reading the table so here it goes.
“Nation Notes” is the title of the nations.
“Abr.” Is the abbreviation sometimes used in place of the nation’s name or title.
“Continent/Land Mass” Is simply which landmasses the nation holds as territories.
“PL” is short for Power Level, but lower is better in this case. An ‘A’ is better than a ‘B’ but roughly, those nations with equal numbers in power level are equal in power.

[Woodclaw]

Wow that's quite a lot of information to process, but thanks.

Yeah, Fantasy is tricky, and breaking the setting down/building it up enough to present it is even trickier. In the past most of my settings on this thread just got built up gradually through characters, but I understand I've gotten lazier in presenting characters as representatives of the setting so they develop it as they come out. In any case, world-building is one of my favorite things to do, so there it is, the bright side.

Yes, what's tricky is actually adding enough of a real world perspective to gave the player a good set of references, while keeping everything from feeling too mundane. Many settings I can name are definitly too geared toward the "magic did it" part to feel even remotly suitable for a non-magician to live in, others have magic so deeply burried underground that they feel not very appealing.

[dwellerofthedeep]

Yeah, "wizard-did-it" settings can gall me too, but they have their place.

And yes, I dropped a lot of information (guess I overcompensated), but that first post is the really important one. The national notes are still barebones, but the numbers and TLAs are pretty snowy. Honestly I did most of the worldbuilding in Microsoft excel so far, so a lot of it is very dense.

[dwellerofthedeep]

Nation: Triumvirate of Custodial Republics (TCR)
PL 15 (225pp)

Basics (60pp)
Population Rank 7
Resource Rank 8
Technology Rank 15

Influence (3pp)
Economy Rank +12
Military Rank +15
Culture Rank +14

Resources (0pp)
Superior: Nuclear Materials, Non-Nuclear Fuel Cells, Solar Power, Food Supply
Average: Metallic Resources, Shield Mineral Supplies

Power Centers (17pp)
Regional Capitols - 3x (7pp)
-Gambar City, Capitol of Gambar - 2pp
-Oshalas, Capitol of Kasson - 2pp
-Yath, Capitol of Chata (Advantage: Greater Population 1) - 3pp

National Capitol - Echo City (Advantages: Greater Population 3, Cosmopolitan, Communications Center, Network Center) - 8pp
Kahar Fortress (Shield-Based) - 2pp

Organizations (4pp)
Hawk Intelligence Agency (HIA) - 1pp
Custodial Intelligence Services (CIS) - 1pp
Triumvirate Home Guard (THG) - 1pp
Moratorium Custodial Forces (MCF) - 1pp
Triumvirate Central Military Command (TCMC) - 0pp

States, Provinces, Territories (8pp)
State - Chata Republic (2pp) - Culture 4, Population 6
State - Kasson Republic (2pp) - Culture 5 (Advantage: Cosmopolitan), Population 4
State - Gambar Republic (2pp) - Culture 5, Population 4 (Advantage: Breadbasket)
Territory - Kithian Colony (1pp) - Culture 3 (Advantage: Cosmopolitan), Population 1
Territory - Drysan Colony (1pp) - Culture 2, Population 3

Notable Leaders (Past) (1pp per PL each) (10pp)
Unifier - First Minister Selth (PL 10) - 10pp

Notable Leaders (Present) (3pp per PL each) (123pp)
Custodian of Chata - Cala Nayo (PL 6) - 18pp
Custodian of Kasson - Toreo Aihen (PL 5) - 15pp
Custodian of Gambar - Motta Bodisar (PL 6) - 18pp
Olonan - Deity (PL 12) - 36pp
Rana - Deity (PL 12) - 36pp

Complications
Responsibility - Maintain Homes of the Gods Olonan and Rana
Reputation - Expansionist
Rivalry - Nation of Imperial Rihon Habra (IRH)
Enemy - Moratoria, Moratoria Gods

Other Notes
The Triumvirate of Custodial Republics is the mightiest nation of the modern shattered world. The Triumvirate as it is commonly known, currently plays host to the divine couple, Olonan and Rana of the Moratorium of Janham. These two gods are weaker and more humanlike than the others, but are figure-heads rather than rulers of the country. The three Custodians and their republican governments operate mostly independently from the gods. The Triumvirate’s powerful force is seen the world over in many different conflicts, waging both economic and political wars.