Cortex Steampunk Game 2 OOC Discussion

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Other group is getting ahead, making characters.  Hope to see what Dreams has to say, but yeah up to now I have also kind of been go with what others like.  There were some good ideas in that post AsBlood made, before switching.  Having thought about it for a while, see what I can to it.  Come with some kind of setting.  Try to make it something unique, without looking at what the others are up to.

The Lovecraftian idea could be something really fun to build on.  Maybe the anthro/non-human stuff could be connected to that.  Maybe something tribal?  I had been thinking about doing a tribal character earlier, but maybe now leaning between explorer or mad-science.  A group either investigating or running away from something of a higher power maybe.  Something they may or not want to find the source of.  Would potentially mix in ruins as well.

This are things I am feeling a little more strongly about liking, but willing to work with others on, dropping or adjusting anything others don’t like or mixing in what others really like.

[DreamsnThings]

ok well then ill be briefish I guess

WANT
tech - steam tech, chem tech, or really any tech that deviates from the default science. specifically I want my character to be weaponizing pheromones and I dont want her to be the only one in universe using a weird side tech
Concepts - I would like something a little distanced from raw combat, maybe espionage, maybe a steampunk train hostage situation, maybe a high noon draw off where its more of a stand off then a battle, etc
species - im fine with... literally anything you could be a yetti and I would be starry eyed and happy, or a dragon, or a sentient can of pringles. sexual interest varies but anything im cool with being in the setting
set pieces- ... a clock tower that doubles as a mad scientists lair? a steam powered train that is a tourist attraction with an authentic robbery! and old school bank, with metal bars, and a proper vault! that gets robbed
im basically happy with anything, but these are a few random ideas off the top of my head?

DO NOT WANT
... nothing really comes to mind? I just dont want this to become a great premise to a glorified porno, well i love the lewds in these things i have been in a game where the story full stopped because two players fucked like rabbits for 8 or 9 real world months well the rest of us kinda just... waited awkwardly, wanting our own moments, sexual or otherwise.

[Warning]

...Not sure what you mean by chem tech. (Alchemy? Or literal chemistry weapons/guns/machines.) Would be insane if a zeppelin ship tried to use that weapon to spread some chem.

About species, that's nice. I might still OR not take my steampunk girl which I found before. But I am still waiting for that, just in case I find something else that I might like better. :)

As for what Dream said for "do not want", I totally agree. Lewds is good but a fair balance is nice and I think we all want to experience some of the world's ideas and story with this.

Question, though: Can we use more than one character? Reason I ask is I know we spoke of NPCs but do we only have one player character? I'm only wondering, for different styles.

[IsabellaRose]

1 hour ago, Warning said:

Question, though: Can we use more than one character? Reason I ask is I know we spoke of NPCs but do we only have one player character? I'm only wondering, for different styles.

The rules are a typical tabletop roleplaying game. It's designed for you to control a single character and the GM to control the rest of the world. 

[Warning]

Cool. Good old dnd stuff then. Just wanted to make sure for reasons. I know we spoke of "making npcs" before but I don't know if that was something for me as a player.

I'll be a little more careful when choosing a definitive character but looking forward to see what ideas others come up with. So far, I think I am fine with almost anything...

Issue is, I don't know what I'm not fine with.  I mean, it's not about me but about what's in the world. There can be anything. I'm just not fine with everything sex wise.

[IsabellaRose]

11 hours ago, DreamsnThings said:

WANT
tech - steam tech, chem tech, or really any tech that deviates from the default science. specifically I want my character to be weaponizing pheromones and I dont want her to be the only one in universe using a weird side tech
Concepts - I would like something a little distanced from raw combat, maybe espionage, maybe a steampunk train hostage situation, maybe a high noon draw off where its more of a stand off then a battle, etc
species - im fine with... literally anything you could be a yetti and I would be starry eyed and happy, or a dragon, or a sentient can of pringles. sexual interest varies but anything im cool with being in the setting
set pieces- ... a clock tower that doubles as a mad scientists lair? a steam powered train that is a tourist attraction with an authentic robbery! and old school bank, with metal bars, and a proper vault! that gets robbed
im basically happy with anything, but these are a few random ideas off the top of my head?

DO NOT WANT
... nothing really comes to mind? I just dont want this to become a great premise to a glorified porno, well i love the lewds in these things i have been in a game where the story full stopped because two players fucked like rabbits for 8 or 9 real world months well the rest of us kinda just... waited awkwardly, wanting our own moments, sexual or otherwise.

All of those are good. 

Regarding combat: the game isn't designed for combat, really. You can have combat, but the game is designed to focus on drama rather than combat or survival. When you roll, you'll roll to do things like convince the heiress to finance your latest invention, convince the sheriff to let you remain free after an altercation in a saloon, sing a song so well it makes someone in the audience swoon, seduce the heiress, grab the power source before a spy can get their hands on it, etc.

Lewd scenes: We can say they're limited to two or three posts before we continue with the rest of the story and just assume the couple are satiated. Honestly, I don't want anything devolving into just rampant sex either. I'm content to have characters head off into the saloon girl's room so the rest of the group can continue the scene, then reappear later with a smile and missing an item of clothing. As long as we know it happened, we don't need pages of gritty details of how the bits fit together. 

[IsabellaRose]

So here's what I have so far:

Game 2 Lists

INCLUDE:

• Dusty boomtowns, saloons, and lawless frontier towns.
• Railroads, train robberies.
• Airships.*
• Cursed mines.
• Traveling carnivals and bizarre expositions.
• Mad scientists in brass-and-copper laboratories.
• Automatons and clockwork men questioning their humanity.*
• Creepy experiments.
• Tesla coils, pneumatic weapons, and steam-powered contraptions.
• Strange inventions with unintended consequences.
• Poe-style hauntings and spiritualism (séances, mediums, spirit boards).
• Folk religion and superstition (totem cults, skinwalker legends).
• Themes & Drama including Progress vs. Peril – new technology brings danger as often as salvation, and Law vs. Chaos – marshals, outlaws, and vigilantes clashing.
• Ruins of old civilizations
• Magic esoteric, rituals, unseen hands, magic on the decline - witches powers fading
• Cults: dedicated to magic, lovecraftian influence, and tech
• The Lovecraftian idea could be something really fun to build on.  Maybe the anthro/non-human stuff could be connected to that.  Maybe something tribal?  I had been thinking about doing a tribal character earlier, but maybe now leaning between explorer or mad-science.  A group either investigating or running away from something of a higher power maybe.  Something they may or not want to find the source of.  Would potentially mix in ruins as well.
• tech - steam tech, chem tech, or really any tech that deviates from the default science. specifically I want my character to be weaponizing pheromones and I dont want her to be the only one in universe using a weird side tech
• Concepts - I would like something a little distanced from raw combat, maybe espionage, maybe a steampunk train hostage situation, maybe a high noon draw off where its more of a stand off then a battle, etc
• species - im fine with... literally anything you could be a yetti and I would be starry eyed and happy, or a dragon, or a sentient can of pringles. sexual interest varies but anything im cool with being in the setting
• set pieces- ... a clock tower that doubles as a mad scientists lair? a steam powered train that is a tourist attraction with an authentic robbery! and old school bank, with metal bars, and a proper vault! that gets robbed
• im basically happy with anything, but these are a few random ideas off the top of my head?

DON'T INCLUDE:

• Romero-style zombies (mindless hordes shambling about).
• Goofy slapstick steampunk tropes (overly cartoonish tech): Silly gadgets like a steam-powered top hat that shoots lasers, an umbrella that turns into a pogo stick, or monocles that shoot lightning beams just because it’s funny. Cartoon logic, like jetpacks made from tea kettles, mechanical ducks that double as grenades, or someone riding a unicycle tank into battle. Pure gags, devices whose only purpose is to be goofy, like a clockwork butler who exists only to serve pie with comic timing. Tone-breaking contraptions, in short anything that feels like it belongs in a parody cartoon instead of a gothic Weird West story.
• Overly modern politics or moralizing that break the 1880s frontier feel.
• Alien invasions from outer space (though alien fossils, crashed remnants, or hints of otherworldly influence are fair game).
• High fantasy elves/dwarves or Tolkien tropes. Stick to Gothic, Weird West, and pulp science.
• Overt superhero tropes (no caped crusaders or spandex heroes, this is pulp adventure, not comic book).
• Pure comedy tone. Humor is fine, but the core is dramatic, atmospheric, and weird.

 

[IsabellaRose]

If that's the world you all want to play in, then start making character concepts. If you have an idea that doesn't fit on that list, then discuss what we need to add to that list to make it work.

 

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

I’m good with that.  Are we at the point of trying to fill out the below, or starting with something more basic first?  Figuring out a basic idea of all the characters before trying to fill that out?

https://ecchidreams.com/community/topic/9924-cortex-steampunk-rules-reference/

 

[IsabellaRose]

Right now we want character concepts, jobs, backgrounds, species, etc. What do you want to play? Who are they? What do they do? How do they interact with the world?

 

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Alright, this should be easier. Making characters is fun. I can build on it/change if necessary, but let’s try this as the starting point.

Maybe mix a few of my ideas.  A young human woman, formerly a student of a mad scientist, who seemed enthusiastic at first but found herself more troubled as it went on.  Eventually running away, mostly on the run/exploring since then.  Not sure if her former employer is searching for her.  She is cautious, but loyal to people she trusts.  When possible, she tries to use her education from the mad scientist to make money.  Probably gives her a little skill in repairing things, though not necessarily an expert.  Or with identifying purposes of strange objects.  Maybe other methods?  She can and has resorted to the world’s oldest profession at times, but it is not her first choice.  Usually resorting to it, when she sees no other options.

[IsabellaRose]

52 minutes ago, SataiRolePlayingGuy said:

Alright, this should be easier. Making characters is fun. I can build on it/change if necessary, but let’s try this as the starting point.

Maybe mix a few of my ideas.  A young human woman, formerly a student of a mad scientist, who seemed enthusiastic at first but found herself more troubled as it went on.  Eventually running away, mostly on the run/exploring since then.  Not sure if her former employer is searching for her.  She is cautious, but loyal to people she trusts.  When possible, she tries to use her education from the mad scientist to make money.  Probably gives her a little skill in repairing things, though not necessarily an expert.  Or with identifying purposes of strange objects.  Maybe other methods?  She can and has resorted to the world’s oldest profession at times, but it is not her first choice.  Usually resorting to it, when she sees no other options.

I would give her a Distinction something like this:
 

Apprentice of Science: You once studied under a brilliant but unhinged inventor, learning enough to recognize strange devices, patch broken mechanisms, and puzzle out scientific principles, though your teacher’s questionable methods haunt you still. Roll this Distinction’s die when your education helps you analyze, repair, or identify unfamiliar technology or phenomena.

• d4: Earn a Plot Point when your incomplete training leads to mistakes, misidentifications, or broken equipment.
• d8: Spend a Plot Point to Reveal a useful insight into a device, substance, or experiment — even if it’s not entirely accurate.
• d12: Spend a Plot Point to Reroll a die in a Contest or Test when repairing, jury-rigging, or analyzing a strange object.

maybe even this, if you want to lean into that aspect at all...

Skilled Courtesan: You’ve turned intimacy into an art, whether in the saloons, brothels, or boudoirs of the Weird West. You know how to read desire, how to turn charm into coin, and how to use your skills to manipulate, comfort, or control. Roll this Distinction’s die when seduction, erotic allure, or professional experience gives you an edge.

• d4: Earn a Plot Point when your profession draws stigma, unwanted advances, or complications.
• d8: Spend a Plot Point to Reveal a client, admirer, or rival from your past that complicates or assists the current scene.
• d12: Spend a Plot Point to Reroll a die in a Contest or Test when you lean into seduction, erotic tension, or sexual expertise (fading to black when necessary).

[DreamsnThings]

7 hours ago, IsabellaRose said:

Regarding combat: the game isn't designed for combat, really. You can have combat, but the game is designed to focus on drama rather than combat or survival. When you roll, you'll roll to do things like convince the heiress to finance your latest invention, convince the sheriff to let you remain free after an altercation in a saloon, sing a song so well it makes someone in the audience swoon, seduce the heiress, grab the power source before a spy can get their hands on it, etc.

sounds absolutely perfect to me! frankly was not overly sure how to approach combat for an espionage themed honey trap, but from the sounds of it she should be great!

7 hours ago, IsabellaRose said:

Lewd scenes: We can say they're limited to two or three posts before we continue with the rest of the story and just assume the couple are satiated. Honestly, I don't want anything devolving into just rampant sex either. I'm content to have characters head off into the saloon girl's room so the rest of the group can continue the scene, then reappear later with a smile and missing an item of clothing. As long as we know it happened, we don't need pages of gritty details of how the bits fit together. 

in my opinion up to 5~ posts each should be fine well letting other characters participate in their own side/main stories concurrently, I just dont want us to spend months writing a 40 post long smut scene where one of the 3 players is stuck twiddling their thumbs... its a momentum killer if you cant write a post for several months irl

7 hours ago, IsabellaRose said:

an umbrella that turns into a pogo stick

erm, I will mention I was intending my main tool to be a parasol that worked as a chemical launcher (pheromones mainly), a multitool of sorts, and a shield... I just want to make sure that particular idea does not directly conflict with the DONT WANT there? its less silly tech and more intended as a secret agents main tool if that helps explain the idea there?

 

16 hours ago, Warning said:

...Not sure what you mean by chem tech. (Alchemy? Or literal chemistry weapons/guns/machines.) Would be insane if a zeppelin ship tried to use that weapon to spread some chem.

the specifics vary from source to source, and well everything you mentioned could apply, the one i was referencing utilizes chemical reactions as a power source well the resulting fumes or other byproducts are weaponized or utilized in some way (IE my pheromone umbrella refueling its pheromone reserves after it burns some chemicals internally to slow a fall or perform some sort of action) its basically steam punk tech where the steam is not water

[IsabellaRose]

1 hour ago, DreamsnThings said:

erm, I will mention I was intending my main tool to be a parasol that worked as a chemical launcher (pheromones mainly), a multitool of sorts, and a shield... I just want to make sure that particular idea does not directly conflict with the DONT WANT there? its less silly tech and more intended as a secret agents main tool if that helps explain the idea there?

That seems like something we could play like a 1880's James (Jane?) Bond tool. I don't see a problem with the parasol at all.