Cortex Steampunk Game 1 OOC Discussion

[WritesNaughtyStories]

18 minutes ago, WickedCadrach said:

Thank you for putting what I was just working out how to express so cleanly and clearly.

She's good at that.

[IsabellaRose]

/beginrant

Moderators should really be able to move posts in their own clubs. smh.

/endrant

16 hours ago, MagnificentBastard said:

@IsabellaRose

How are we handling player wealth? I am thinking my character could be part of the British aristocracy but not sure if that would work well.

 

There is a trait in the distinction/trait list called "Wealthy". Cortex Dramatic isn't really designed to track resources so in general, if you want your character to be filthy rich with a mansion and staff of servants... they get it. Then during gameplay, if something seems like a thing that character would have, they just have it. If you need to buy things and you're rich, you buy them. But if you want something to add mechanical weight to an argument, you spend a plot point and create a d8 Resource for it.

Example: Let's say that you decided that your wealthy aristocratic European character is hosting a ball in their mansion. That's no problem. They have a mansion, it has a ballroom, "ball on." BUT if you were trying to impress another PC or an NPC with your wealth by showing off your opulent ballroom and you wanted to add it to your dice pool in the hopes of winning a contest, you'd have to spend a Plot Point to create a d8 Opulent Ballroom resource, which you could then include in your role. You could use the d8 Opulent Ballroom for the rest of the scene, and anyone else can spend a PP to use your d8 Opulent Ballroom during the scene. You can then spend another PP at the end of the scene to make it a permanent resource on your character sheet, if you think you'll use it again.

 

[MagnificentBastard]

3 hours ago, IsabellaRose said:

/beginrant

Moderators should really be able to move posts in their own clubs. smh.

/endrant

There is a trait in the distinction/trait list called "Wealthy". Cortex Dramatic isn't really designed to track resources so in general, if you want your character to be filthy rich with a mansion and staff of servants... they get it. Then during gameplay, if something seems like a thing that character would have, they just have it. If you need to buy things and you're rich, you buy them. But if you want something to add mechanical weight to an argument, you spend a plot point and create a d8 Resource for it.

Example: Let's say that you decided that your wealthy aristocratic European character is hosting a ball in their mansion. That's no problem. They have a mansion, it has a ballroom, "ball on." BUT if you were trying to impress another PC or an NPC with your wealth by showing off your opulent ballroom and you wanted to add it to your dice pool in the hopes of winning a contest, you'd have to spend a Plot Point to create a d8 Opulent Ballroom resource, which you could then include in your role. You could use the d8 Opulent Ballroom for the rest of the scene, and anyone else can spend a PP to use your d8 Opulent Ballroom during the scene. You can then spend another PP at the end of the scene to make it a permanent resource on your character sheet, if you think you'll use it again.

 

I will probably take it as a trait, magic and not sure what else probably manipulative or charismatic. As you know I enjoying playing Dominant of dubious morality and I feel wealth/sense of entitlement fits well with that idea.

It will probably be less of an expy of Crowley and more my take on the idea.

Edited 4 hours ago by MagnificentBastard

[IsabellaRose]

I'm adding @AsBloodTurnsEverCold to this Group 1. He's on board with the original concept and likes what's been discussed here so far, so... welcome aboard!

And with that, we're full up in Game 1. 

[WritesNaughtyStories]

Welcome, @AsBloodTurnsEverCold! Glad to have you with us.

[WickedCadrach]

5 hours ago, MagnificentBastard said:

I will probably take it as a trait, magic and not sure what else probably manipulative or charismatic. As you know I enjoying playing Dominant of dubious morality and I feel wealth/sense of entitlement fits well with that idea.

It will probably be less of an expy of Crowley and more my take on the idea.

Just because I can never sit quietly and let other people figure out their own characters... If you're playing a European character knowledgeable in esoteric sex magic, you might also get some inspiration from the reputation of the Khlysty heresy, which would have been in its last decades around this time. The basic idea was "God is glorified by forgiving sins, therefore, the more we sin, the more God is glorified. Amen *start the orgy*" Other takes are that it was sort of the same logic as 'the Purge', "everybody get together and sin your hearts out for a night because we have to be godly the rest of the week." 

Ok. I'll try not to keep doing this, but I felt as if I might literally explode if I didn't send that, so there you go. 

[MagnificentBastard]

9 minutes ago, WickedCadrach said:

Just because I can never sit quietly and let other people figure out their own characters... If you're playing a European character knowledgeable in esoteric sex magic, you might also get some inspiration from the reputation of the Khlysty heresy, which would have been in its last decades around this time. The basic idea was "God is glorified by forgiving sins, therefore, the more we sin, the more God is glorified. Amen *start the orgy*" Other takes are that it was sort of the same logic as 'the Purge', "everybody get together and sin your hearts out for a night because we have to be godly the rest of the week." 

Ok. I'll try not to keep doing this, but I felt as if I might literally explode if I didn't send that, so there you go. 

Happy to hear suggestions, if I recall correctly Rasputin was said to be a member.

[WickedCadrach]

39 minutes ago, MagnificentBastard said:

Happy to hear suggestions, if I recall correctly Rasputin was said to be a member.

That is the rumor. Though, from what I understand, it was likely just part of the smear campaign against him. Good fodder for alt-history though!

[StarlitSiren]

Hi @AsBloodTurnsEverCold <3

[AsBloodTurnsEverCold]

Howdy folks! Migrating over from Group 2, but been keeping up with everything here. I've loved pretty much everything going on here! 

I'm just gonna post some statements I did have over from that group but most of them line up and I'm more than willing to go with everything already noted as it is. I know it says no planes but no idea if you count Gliders as part of that and it was brought up over there of the extraterrestrial remnants so that's what that part is about.
 

Spoiler

On Automatons: 
I think they're a must for this sort of setting, and interesting to have as a sign of the coming advancement. Since we're now in a separate world from the other group I suppose it can be debated if they're new or older though if they're more recent given the 1880's setting we could always say (if we're fine with any historical reference) that after the release of Steam Man of the Prairies (1868) that people did come to realize they were quite partial to the idea of mechanical servants and workers. Research and development went quickly but that didn't leave much time to ponder on the fact that these mechanical creations might actually develop their own sense of selves. God mad Man in his image. Mad man made Machine in his image. What did you think would happen? 

Airships: 
Anachronistic but with the accelerated pace of technology I imagine airships could be around and more luxurious and ready for travel than they really were more akin to modern Hybrids or closer to the Hindenburg without the unfortunate disaster (Normally). Different classes of them like for military use, regular ferry, or luxury. They're practically mastered but they are slow overall. 

Gliders: 
I would think in a world like this George Cayley's ideas (though I do suppose we should avoid literal historical figures) took off much faster than they did in our world which was actually already pretty fast. Essentially John J Montgomery or his equivalent proved that controlled passenger Glider travel was already viable and while they are much faster and much easier to plan they obviously have much lower capacity, are more rare, and cover shorter distances for the time being. Rivals to the airship industry, perhaps ruthlessly so, but the future is creeping up and fast. 

Ruins:
No such thing as a good adventure without ruins of some sort so featuring these heavily would be nice. Ruins of old civilizations no longer named, remnants of worlds that might not be our own ready for plunder, marvel, trade, and dangers that show that just because the future is uncertain the past wasn't exactly much safer nor is its influence so innocuous especially if you got rummaging around in a corpse. 

Magic: 
Esoteric rather than gamified. Rituals, unseen hands, consequences and trades. I do think magic is on a decline but is no less powerful. A witch is a threat, obviously not immune to a bullet (unless her magic is just that good) but being cursed is still one of the worst things that could happen to you...its just not a thing you'll encounter easily. This is more of a sign of spiritual decline though, old traditions beings pushed and snuffed out by "progress" which isn't always positive. Technology can't solve everything and sometimes looking past the studies and surefire things yields unexpected answers. Those dedicated to progress aren't paragons either. Its a type of rivalry. 

Technology: 
Teslatech should probably be more upperclass stuff. Cities more civilized. City Automatons could even run more on that than steam engines or whatever interesting energy source people discovered. I do think the holy grail should be whatever can be salvaged from potential crashed vessels should be holy grail...mostly rumors obviously but one or two people having something they really shouldn't.

Lovecraftian influence: 
A sort of grey force in preference not quite magic, not quite human, something more than alien. Not evil, not good just something unknowable that can be anything because it ultimately doesn't adhere to the binary itself but how the people use it. No clean answers when its involved. Its beyond people but its there. 

Cults: 
I'd like to see cults dedicated to both magic, lovecraftian influence, and tech even the synthesis of the two. I think that'd be fun. 

As for the character Idea I was thinking of myself: 

An Ethnomusicologist (Depending on how you guys feel about Anachronisms given this discipline came about way later but doesn't need a name atm its just kinda shorthand) and performer (Multi-talented in that area) who in the course of study discovered a strange notes related to music that's occurred in multiple cultures of unknown origin (Or this knowledge was in their predecessors notes left to them so they could grow up with the knowledge and might be why they even went into Musicology and Archaeology) Strange musicality, melodies, rhythms, etc that are out of this world (Obviously not really planning to move much beyond the music of the time in idea unless we imagine the way technology movies would allow music to evolve a little faster too and could even be part of the influence). 

They learned from these old instructions, unknowingly (at first) opening themselves up to communication and influence with entities beyond their world. Cursed even. They've gotten quite famous but on another side that trouble has appeared at his performances with people appearing not themselves leading to all sorts of things like violence, out of body experiences, debauchery, etc. The music, at least so the rumors go, does something to the brain. Its explained away but it happens and when they preform they sometimes lose track of even themselves. 

Still they eventually realize something is wrong as they lose themselves more and more so choose to look for answers, becoming a gunman in the meantime to protect themselves. 

Basically just try to mix the Archaeologist with the Singing Cowboy archtype with a little bit of lovecraft. Might be a bit much but thats the main idea I have rn apart from a fairly simple gunrunner. 
 

Edited 9 minutes ago by AsBloodTurnsEverCold

[AsBloodTurnsEverCold]

@StarlitSiren
Howdy! 

@WritesNaughtyStories
Thanks for the welcome. Excited to play with y'all. 

[MagnificentBastard]

6 minutes ago, AsBloodTurnsEverCold said:

Howdy folks! Migrating over from Group 2, but been keeping up with everything here. I've loved pretty much everything going on here! 

I'm just gonna post some statements I did have over from that group but most of them line up and I'm more than willing to go with everything already noted as it is. I know it says no planes but no idea if you count Gliders as part of that and it was brought up over there of the extraterrestrial remnants so that's what that part is about.
 

  Reveal hidden contents

On Automatons: 
I think they're a must for this sort of setting, and interesting to have as a sign of the coming advancement. Since we're now in a separate world from the other group I suppose it can be debated if they're new or older though if they're more recent given the 1880's setting we could always say (if we're fine with any historical reference) that after the release of Steam Man of the Prairies (1868) that people did come to realize they were quite partial to the idea of mechanical servants and workers. Research and development went quickly but that didn't leave much time to ponder on the fact that these mechanical creations might actually develop their own sense of selves. God mad Man in his image. Mad man made Machine in his image. What did you think would happen? 

Airships: 
Anachronistic but with the accelerated pace of technology I imagine airships could be around and more luxurious and ready for travel than they really were more akin to modern Hybrids or closer to the Hindenburg without the unfortunate disaster (Normally). Different classes of them like for military use, regular ferry, or luxury. They're practically mastered but they are slow overall. 

Gliders: 
I would think in a world like this George Cayley's ideas (though I do suppose we should avoid literal historical figures) took off much faster than they did in our world which was actually already pretty fast. Essentially John J Montgomery or his equivalent proved that controlled passenger Glider travel was already viable and while they are much faster and much easier to plan they obviously have much lower capacity, are more rare, and cover shorter distances for the time being. Rivals to the airship industry, perhaps ruthlessly so, but the future is creeping up and fast. 

Ruins:
No such thing as a good adventure without ruins of some sort so featuring these heavily would be nice. Ruins of old civilizations no longer named, remnants of worlds that might not be our own ready for plunder, marvel, trade, and dangers that show that just because the future is uncertain the past wasn't exactly much safer nor is its influence so innocuous especially if you got rummaging around in a corpse. 

Magic: 
Esoteric rather than gamified. Rituals, unseen hands, consequences and trades. I do think magic is on a decline but is no less powerful. A witch is a threat, obviously not immune to a bullet (unless her magic is just that good) but being cursed is still one of the worst things that could happen to you...its just not a thing you'll encounter easily. This is more of a sign of spiritual decline though, old traditions beings pushed and snuffed out by "progress" which isn't always positive. Technology can't solve everything and sometimes looking past the studies and surefire things yields unexpected answers. Those dedicated to progress aren't paragons either. Its a type of rivalry. 

Technology: 
Teslatech should probably be more upperclass stuff. Cities more civilized. City Automatons could even run more on that than steam engines or whatever interesting energy source people discovered. I do think the holy grail should be whatever can be salvaged from potential crashed vessels should be holy grail...mostly rumors obviously but one or two people having something they really shouldn't.

Lovecraftian influence: 
A sort of grey force in preference not quite magic, not quite human, something more than alien. Not evil, not good just something unknowable that can be anything because it ultimately doesn't adhere to the binary itself but how the people use it. No clean answers when its involved. Its beyond people but its there. 

Cults: 
I'd like to see cults dedicated to both magic, lovecraftian influence, and tech even the synthesis of the two. I think that'd be fun. 

As for the character Idea I was thinking of myself: 

An Ethnomusicologist (Depending on how you guys feel about Anachronisms given this discipline came about way later but doesn't need a name atm its just kinda shorthand) and performer (Multi-talented in that area) who in the course of study discovered a strange notes related to music that's occurred in multiple cultures of unknown origin (Or this knowledge was in their predecessors notes left to them so they could grow up with the knowledge and might be why they even went into Musicology and Archaeology) Strange musicality, melodies, rhythms, etc that are out of this world (Obviously not really planning to move much beyond the music of the time in idea unless we imagine the way technology movies would allow music to evolve a little faster too and could even be part of the influence). 

They learned from these old instructions, unknowingly (at first) opening themselves up to communication and influence with entities beyond their world. Cursed even. They've gotten quite famous but on another side that trouble has appeared at his performances with people appearing not themselves leading to all sorts of things like violence, out of body experiences, debauchery, etc. The music, at least so the rumors go, does something to the brain. Its explained away but it happens and when they preform they sometimes lose track of even themselves. 

Still they eventually realize something is wrong as they lose themselves more and more so choose to look for answers, becoming a gunman in the meantime to protect themselves. 

Basically just try to mix the Archaeologist with the Singing Cowboy archtype with a little bit of lovecraft. Might be a bit much but thats the main idea I have rn apart from a fairly simple gunrunner. 
 

Welcome.

I am a big fan of constructs/automatons, I do hope they are rare, don't want to fight many of them.