Cortex Steampunk Game 1 OOC Discussion

[IsabellaRose]

On 03/11/2025 at 18:31, WickedCadrach said:

Step up two Relationships once, or one Relationship twice.
- Holland Buck d4 -> d6 
- Edmund Blackwood d4 -> d6

Step up an Extra (or Location, if no Extras exist).
- Lincoln Palace 2d4 -> 2d6

Step up a Relationship, Asset, or Resource.
- Jane Montgomery d6 -> d8

Okay, so per the updates I posted here a earlier... let me find a link. Here. A day after you wrote this... sorry 

Holland is a Resource until another PC connects to him. SO... you'll need to step up a different Relationship, and I'm pausing on updating your sheet there in case you want to use one of the next two steps to step up Holland instead.

[IsabellaRose]

On 05/11/2025 at 17:50, Chiyako said:

Speaking of this, I was trying to figure out what the limits should be for the Regeneration ability I took, and how to better fit it in within the limits we had set. It could maybe be explained away by her strange experimented upon weird science body, but the limit that I noticed which best fit was 'Vampirism'. Now she isn't really a true supernatural Vampire, although I am trying to set her up to very much mimic one. If other people have good ideas for the limit I'd be all for it. My thought was primarily that she sort of refreshes the red blood cells within her own body (perhaps having had some of her own count reduced as they are overworked and used up for the regenerative process, somehow) by ingesting the blood of other creatures. Alternatively it could be a thing where she actually needs a proper blood infusion, instead of her just straight up drinking it.

But of course other limits I am open to as well.

Requiring "the blood of others" is creepy and will definitely spread her rumor. I'd be happiest if it were "scientifically based" and she needs an infusion or injection of some sort rather than drinking it. Given her specialties, it seems like needing fresh blood as the final ingredient in some infusion before being able to regenerate would make it seem more vampiric and immediate but also still "scientific" and based on her alchemical inventions/discoveries.

As an aside and only partially related, I could imagine her having a "port" installed somewhere on her body that allows for quick injections, sort of like a permanent IV cannula, but made specifically for her use. If that were the case, she wouldn't need to carry needles and no one else could try to use her elixirs and tonics as she would carry them in custom vials made specifically for use with her built-in cannula.

[IsabellaRose]

I think I caught up!

So current state:

@Chiyako - Alicia is all set for Step 5!

@AsBloodTurnsEverCold - Kojo is all set for Step 5!

@WickedCadrach - just need to change Holland to a Resource and select a different Relationship to Step Up, then verify your last two steps (in case you wanted to use a chance to step up a Resource to step up Holland)

@MagnificentBastard - just need to verify if you wanted to keep "Magical Legacy" or switch to "Esoteric Sex Mage", and what you think about the "blast" ability I mentioned a few posts back as well as make sure we're all one the same page with magic.

@StarlitSiren - still need to begin Step 5.

@DreamsnThings - still need to begin Step 5.

[Chiyako]

2 hours ago, IsabellaRose said:

Requiring "the blood of others" is creepy and will definitely spread her rumor. I'd be happiest if it were "scientifically based" and she needs an infusion or injection of some sort rather than drinking it. Given her specialties, it seems like needing fresh blood as the final ingredient in some infusion before being able to regenerate would make it seem more vampiric and immediate but also still "scientific" and based on her alchemical inventions/discoveries.

As an aside and only partially related, I could imagine her having a "port" installed somewhere on her body that allows for quick injections, sort of like a permanent IV cannula, but made specifically for her use. If that were the case, she wouldn't need to carry needles and no one else could try to use her elixirs and tonics as she would carry them in custom vials made specifically for use with her built-in cannula.

Oooh. I like that idea. Just have to figure out where to place it. Somewhere with quick access but not somewhere that just sticks out completely. Maybe the back of her neck? Quick access to spine, hidden with hair unless it is done up. But then how did she manage to do that to herself? The arm would be a good spot but it would mean she always wears long sleeves in public. But then she might do that regardless due to her illness.

I imagine she might carry syringe vials with her in that case, designed to puncture a person's flesh and quickly draw blood. Maybe it is fitted with a needle which also fits the "port", so she can then quick inject herself with it. Would that be a gear thing to add in a later step?

[StarlitSiren]

@IsabellaRose I think I did step 5?

Edit: I did, but I sent it to you instead as we were conversing,. sorry. for reference:

 

The Reckoning

Stepped up Justice and Honor once each

Stepped up Passion once

Stepped up Tinkerer Distinction to D10

Stepped up the Exchange

Stepped  up Kojo relationship to d6 and Stepped up Edmund relationship to d8

Stepped up Gearhart repairs to 2d10

 

Millicent's family finally found her a match despite her eccentricities, and this was the moment that sparked her runaway and taking the job on the fringe...

 

Now what I haven't done is fix the relationships to resources issue, or collect my statements.

[IsabellaRose]

1 hour ago, Chiyako said:

Oooh. I like that idea. Just have to figure out where to place it. Somewhere with quick access but not somewhere that just sticks out completely. Maybe the back of her neck? Quick access to spine, hidden with hair unless it is done up. But then how did she manage to do that to herself? The arm would be a good spot but it would mean she always wears long sleeves in public. But then she might do that regardless due to her illness.

I imagine she might carry syringe vials with her in that case, designed to puncture a person's flesh and quickly draw blood. Maybe it is fitted with a needle which also fits the "port", so she can then quick inject herself with it. Would that be a gear thing to add in a later step?

I figured we would just include it as part of her "Elixirs and Tonics" unless you can think of any cool SFX or limits you'd want to attach to it. 

Edited November 7 by IsabellaRose

[IsabellaRose]

1 hour ago, StarlitSiren said:

@IsabellaRose I think I did step 5?

Edit: I did, but I sent it to you instead as we were conversing,. sorry. for reference:

My bad, I forgot... looks like you're all updated. You just need specialties for Otis as a 2d4 Resource (Extra).

Oh, and @WickedCadrach, you need specialties for Holland Buck.

[DreamsnThings]

4 hours ago, IsabellaRose said:

@DreamsnThings - still need to begin Step 5.

My net is absolutely dying and has been for like a week now, im waiting yo sit ay my pc to work but its a situation here 

[IsabellaRose]

1 hour ago, DreamsnThings said:

My net is absolutely dying and has been for like a week now, im waiting yo sit ay my pc to work but its a situation here 

No worries. I’m not trying to rush you. That was just a post so I knew where everyone left off. 

[MagnificentBastard]

On 06/11/2025 at 13:42, IsabellaRose said:

...and then I read everything else in the thread (I should know by now to not respond until I'm caught up) and I forgot about the point that @WickedCadrach brought up. This IS meant to be a low magic setting. Blast seems out of line for magic. Maybe for a steampunk rifle or weird tech, but magic IS meant to be quiet, slow build, more ritual than spellcasting, more let's take the time to collect hair and craft a vodoo doll than "BANG! I zapped you!" 

I was picturing the esoteric sex mage as the kind of guy who's gather riches, power and authority, collecting strings tied to everyone around town, and using his magic to further his ambitions, not to blast his way out of a saloon fight.

BUT...

I do like my players to be able to  do what they want. So... what if we just define what his blast is, and make it something related to being an esoteric sex magician? Rather than a "flaming fingertip of doom" maybe he has a "eros blast" that can inflict Aroused stress on its target...? It's nothing flashy, invisible to the naked eye, but the end result is the same as if you hit someone with a weapon - disabling erotic sensation instead of pain. It seems more in line with the kind of magician Edmund is. 

I'm not big on the super speed aspect, either, tbh. The list of abilities is straight from a superhero game, and half of me thought I should edit it heavily before posting, but I figured if I put that stuff in there so we had a point of reference. It definitely feels more like D&D in the wild west the more superhuman abilities we add, especially with the magical aspects. But Super Speed is already something Alicia has with a tonic, so I we'll make it work. I guess I was hoping to keep the abilities tied thematically to the type of character. 

 

AND LASTLY, the briefly mentioned point WickedCadrach made. This is not the kind of game where combat abilities matter at all. It's a dramatic roleplaying game. It's designed to have scenes where Lois Lane's skill as an investigative journalist has the same mechanical weight as ALL of Superman's powers, where the trick arrows of Green Arrow can be as mechanically impactful as all the powers of Brainiac, where Lana Lang with zero powers can have as much mechanical impact by arguing with Lex Luthor as Lex can have using his genius to invent a new way to stop Superman... so... yeah. Combat is absolutely NOT important. 

You don't have hit points. Death is only on the table when it's narratively interesting. This game is zero simulation and 100% narrative. We're telling a story more than playing a game, although our story telling has been gamified. I don't know if that makes sense. I always have a hard time explaining it to people who are coming in from D&D and other simulationist games. Hell, I had a hard time adjusting my playstyle at first. The narrative style TTRPGs are nothing like other TTRPGs I've played.  

You could play the average guy who mucks out the stalls in the stables and have just as much mechanical effect on the game as a guy buttoned up in a steampunk Iron Man suit with heavy armor and bristling with weapons. 

Ill change it to your specifications later.

[StarlitSiren]

update: moved both extras to resources with the specialties added if you want to check those!

 

Extras

d4 Willis Sloan                     (Business/intimidating) ("Slimy, hard-edged, and dangerous. He's got me and half the town at his mercy, not at the barrel of a gun, but the signing of a contract... not that he's opposed to shooting if he has to.")

   - Willis Sloan is as close to an outlaw as you can get while still balancing on the right side of legality. He owns and operates a trading post in (town name), but is involved in shady dealings and has his fingers in a whole bunch of the town's business interests, from mining to the local whore-house. Millie was forced to borrow money from Willis a few months back, and the interest is piling up. Of course, she could pay him back in a heartbeat if she were still at home, or with the help of her family, but fuck that. And as months tick by, so too does his patience tick down.

 

d4 Otis 'Sparks' Tully          (Communication/ Warnings)  (Honest as he is old)

- Otis 'Sparks' Tully lives on the other side of the railway in a small shack, where he manages the telegrams in and out of town. He's got to be in his 70s, loves telling old stories, and has a soft spot for Millie as 'You remind me of my Granddaughter,' He's sharp, kindly, and keeps an eye on the telegrams to lawmen in town just in case any mention of Millie comes in from the city. Not that he knows why she's asked him to keep that eye out.

[IsabellaRose]

8 hours ago, StarlitSiren said:

update: moved both extras to resources with the specialties added if you want to check those!

Extras

d4 Willis Sloan                     (Business/intimidating) ("Slimy, hard-edged, and dangerous. He's got me and half the town at his mercy, not at the barrel of a gun, but the signing of a contract... not that he's opposed to shooting if he has to.")

   - Willis Sloan is as close to an outlaw as you can get while still balancing on the right side of legality. He owns and operates a trading post in (town name), but is involved in shady dealings and has his fingers in a whole bunch of the town's business interests, from mining to the local whore-house. Millie was forced to borrow money from Willis a few months back, and the interest is piling up. Of course, she could pay him back in a heartbeat if she were still at home, or with the help of her family, but fuck that. And as months tick by, so too does his patience tick down.

 

d4 Otis 'Sparks' Tully          (Communication/ Warnings)  (Honest as he is old)

- Otis 'Sparks' Tully lives on the other side of the railway in a small shack, where he manages the telegrams in and out of town. He's got to be in his 70s, loves telling old stories, and has a soft spot for Millie as 'You remind me of my Granddaughter,' He's sharp, kindly, and keeps an eye on the telegrams to lawmen in town just in case any mention of Millie comes in from the city. Not that he knows why she's asked him to keep that eye out.

Okay, so here's the confusing part. You start an NPC as an Extra (what they call NPC Resources), but as soon as another PC (called Leads in game terms) connects to them, you and the other Player get to decide if you want them to remain an Extra (a Resource) or become a Feature (an upgraded NPC with whom the Leads have Relationships). The confusing part is that it's not when another Lead is connected to the Extra, it's when an arrow is drawn from their Lead square TO the Extra. So Everybody could decide to connect a particular Extra to their own characters, but only when one of them makes a connection back TO that Extra is when they can be elevated to Feature and form Relationships.

These NPCs could be Features (Relationships):

• Kirsa Autenrieth
• Jack Bennett

These NPCs should still be Extras (Resources):

• Aldert Hesink
• Clayton Cash
• Jane Montgomery
• Joshua Thane
• "Judge" Holland Beck
• Mr. Kay
• Otis "Sparks" Tully
• TIAL-V
• Red Jenny
• Willis Sloan

That being said, I'm fine with NPCs created prior to me correcting myself on the rule remain as Features if you really want them to...

 

If I were to separate them into Extras an Features as a "THIS IS HOW IT SHALL BE" GM edict, I'd do this (along with my reasoning in parentheses):

Features:

• Kirsa Autenrieth (as stated above)
• Jack Bennett (as stated above)
• Jane Montgomery (believes everything our faux fortune teller says, besotted with Edmund, dreams of meeting and spending the night with Kojo, she's ripe for drama)
• Willis Sloan (I'd make him a Feature based on Millie's debt to him and his business partnership with Edmund and partial ownership of the Golden Stag. He feels very connected to the setting and story, like he's a mover and shaker and going to make something happen)

Borderline, could go either way, but I'd leave as Extras for now:

• Clayton Cash (Kojo does business with him, his interest in Millie feels more actionable, he's more likely to become a Feature)
• Joshua Thane (despised by Kojo, and his obsession with Missy feels more actionable, he could bump up to Feature with another solid connection)
• TIAL-V (the loyal manservant of Edmund, TIAL-V's obsession with Alicia could make him more dramatically interesting, and another solidly emotional connection bump him up)
• Red Jenny ( Missy thinks she created her, she's been in Edmund's bed before, close, but still an Extra)

Extras:

• Aldert Helsink (watching a location and visiting a location, but not anything that might make him super dramatic to others yet)
• "Judge" Holland Beck (only connected to Missy so far)
• Mr. Kay (his connections are only watching and awareness, nothing really emotional or impactful except to a single other Extra)
• Otis "Sparks" Tully (only connected to Millie so far)

 

That's how I see it, anyway. But as I said, the only ones I'd insist remain Extras for now are the ones created during Step 5: Clayton Cash, "Judge" Holland Beck, and Otis "Sparks" Tully.

Edited November 8 by IsabellaRose

[MagnificentBastard]

On 07/11/2025 at 08:21, IsabellaRose said:

I think I caught up!

So current state:

@Chiyako - Alicia is all set for Step 5!

@AsBloodTurnsEverCold - Kojo is all set for Step 5!

@WickedCadrach - just need to change Holland to a Resource and select a different Relationship to Step Up, then verify your last two steps (in case you wanted to use a chance to step up a Resource to step up Holland)

@MagnificentBastard - just need to verify if you wanted to keep "Magical Legacy" or switch to "Esoteric Sex Mage", and what you think about the "blast" ability I mentioned a few posts back as well as make sure we're all one the same page with magic.

@StarlitSiren - still need to begin Step 5.

@DreamsnThings - still need to begin Step 5.

I took your new Magical Heritage and copied it almost exactly. I removed the healing if we have no HP, it shouldn't and I dont like the idea of having to sleep with someone to save them.

[IsabellaRose]

9 hours ago, MagnificentBastard said:

I took your new Magical Heritage and copied it almost exactly. I removed the healing if we have no HP, it shouldn't and I dont like the idea of having to sleep with someone to save them.

There IS still a mechanical value to a Healing ability. You can help someone recover Stress, both Physical (Injured and Exhausted), and Mental (Afraid, Insecure), remove diseases and afflictions, identify poisons and toxins... And you don't have to have sex with someone to save them. I imagine sex builds your reserves of energy, using your magical abilities diminishes that reserve. Otherwise you'd have to have sex with someone to affect them with any magical ability, and that would look pretty weird at the gambling table trying to get one over one someone using a little telekinesis on the dice.

Also, a Connected Ability isn't something you automatically have. It's something you can take later at a lower cost when you add abilities. So jut because it's listed doesn't mean you HAVE TO take it or ever use it.

[WickedCadrach]

On 07/11/2025 at 06:45, IsabellaRose said:

Holland is a Resource until another PC connects to him. SO... you'll need to step up a different Relationship, and I'm pausing on updating your sheet there in case you want to use one of the next two steps to step up Holland instead.

Ok! I think I've got it sorted. 

I have Holland as...
2d4 'Judge' Holland Buck (Intimidation, Information)

And I've swapped the Relationship bump over to Millie Gearhart (d6->d8)

I'm totally on board with your list for which NPCs to revert, so I've pushed Red Jenny to a Resource as well. 
2d4 Red Jenny (Secrets, *Revenge) 
*Not sure if this is specific enough of a vibe, so the fallback is 'Supernatural' if you think that would work better?

[IsabellaRose]

16 hours ago, WickedCadrach said:

2d4 Red Jenny (Secrets, *Revenge) 
*Not sure if this is specific enough of a vibe, so the fallback is 'Supernatural' if you think that would work better?

I put it down as "Secrets, (supernatural) Revenge" just so we remember the context.

On 07/11/2025 at 08:21, IsabellaRose said:

@WickedCadrach - just need to change Holland to a Resource and select a different Relationship to Step Up, then verify your last two steps (in case you wanted to use a chance to step up a Resource to step up Holland)

Oh, and just to verify - did you want to change anything on those last two steps? 

[WickedCadrach]

4 hours ago, IsabellaRose said:

Oh, and just to verify - did you want to change anything on those last two steps? 

I'm happy to let them lie. The current bump for the Lincoln Palace and Jane Montgomery still make the most sense to me. 

[IsabellaRose]

So we've hit a slow down. I'm hoping that DreamsnThings gets her net issues resolved soon. Good luck, Dreams!

This is a big step, where a lot gets added and linked on the miro board, so I'm really hoping we can wait just a little bit longer for her to catch up.

How does everyone feel about the pause? I know the momentum slowed for a few reasons over the last few weeks, several of those reasons being me. Are we losing interest? Still excited? Is everyone cool with waiting on Dreams, or do you want to plow ahead and let her catch up? 

The problem with moving ahead is that due to the collaborative nature of the game, she'll be less connected to the other players, NPCs, and setting if we don't wait for her, and she already started behind by coming in late. I'm really hoping we can all move ahead together, but I don't want everyone to lose interest, either.

[AsBloodTurnsEverCold]

Still hyped.

Admittedly the pause is a little frustrating due to excitement but I'm personally fine waiting just a little bit longer to keep things easier if everyone else is too. Hopefully her situation gets settled fine.

I'm chilling.

[WritesNaughtyStories]

Seasonal heads up: for the next two months we're all going to see our usual schedules interrupted. Holiday parties, traveling, guests and panic cleaning before they arrive are going to kick most of us out of our usual writing times and headspaces multiple times before the middle of January.

Even though I am only spectating, I'm eager to see this take shape and watch the ensuing drama unfold.

[WickedCadrach]

1 hour ago, WritesNaughtyStories said:

Seasonal heads up: for the next two months we're all going to see our usual schedules interrupted. Holiday parties, traveling, guests and panic cleaning before they arrive are going to kick most of us out of our usual writing times and headspaces multiple times before the middle of January.

This is good to keep in mind too. 

I'm still excited to see this game take off. I would vote to push on, understanding we may need to tweak some connections as we go (or before finalizing everything) if anyone is lagging behind. If we do wait a bit longer though, I'm not about to lose interest. I'll still be here.