Phantom Mountain

I just thought this was too beautiful to pass up. It was made by the talented Doug Savage over at the webcomic Savage Chickens.

Solar Trader 2776

Solar Traders 2776 (NUGGET Campaign Setting)
"History teaches us that man learns nothing from history."
-George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

The year is 2776, and Earth is an industrialized wasteland. Greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants, mixed with the nano and biological terrors unleashed during the equatorial wars of the 2240’s, has made much of earth into a no-mans land. Vast deserts, ruined cities, stinking bogs and a poisoned ecology cover most of the land, haunted by savage bands of short-lived wild men. Domed cities in the far north and south hemispheres are all that remains of Earth cities, where corporations supply all the necessities and jobs of mankind. The moon now hosts the seats of industry and government from their domed and buried cities, dotted with industrial yards, refineries, and ship docks, as well as a Manhattan-like prestige of cultural diversity and trend setting in its underground cities.
The solar system has a U.N. like government, though it is actually ruled by “compires” or corporate empires (think mafia/feudal families) that wage trade wars with each other as they pursue their own clandestine agendas. Mars is now the great frontier of the solar system, with growing boomtowns catering to the extensive terraforming procedures underway, though any real headway is a way off as yet. Asteroid mining and vast hydroponics facilities dot the asteroid belt, but still the yawning gulf of the interplanetary deep is in need of crossing.
Great freight vessels ply the night sea with cargoes for colonies, corporations, and the outer observatories past the belt and towards the sun. These vast ships are all that connects the far colonies to civilization and certain death, as they are rarely self-sufficient.

People
The people of the dystopic future are both overcrowded and painfully isolated. Within the domed arcologies of the civilized worlds mankind lives in cramped, close quarters, with an over abundance of mindless and mind-numbing entertainments. Few of the masses in the lower tiers of society have any real hope to rise beyond their meager means, with most feeling fortunate for back-breaking, and/or soul numbing labor in service to corporate masters. Corporations own everything, and the only things that are illegal, are those things that aren’t paid for. Think Blade Runner, Robocop 1 &2, Alien vs Predator (comic), and Alien (1,3,4).
In response to an input glutted society, many people have turned to a small town mentality, as well as one more focused on superstition than science. Cults, Secret Societies, Gangs, Assorted Deviants and Xenophobes are quite common. Folk doctors and self taught street surgeons are consulted far more often than corporate doctors. The vast corporate powers mostly ignore these groups as long as they show up to work on time and pay their bills.

Recommended Reading for GMs and Players
All of the following books help reflect the oppressive and all-too likely result of our present cultural and ecological indescretions. All are sobering and intriguing reads that can go a long way to capturing the feel of the world in 2776.
Feed by M.T. Anderson
Clade by Mark Budz
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

Story Concept #1: The characters will be serving as crew on the Independent space trader Herculaneum (or Herk to the crew). The crew takes turns in cryo during the four-month journey between Mars and Europa. The setting is gritty, dirty, and dystopic. People join merchant corps to get away from the crushing poverty and corruption of the civilized world; all for pay that is deposited in banks back home (and that they have to dip into to get supplies beyond the utter basics).
Story Concept #2: The huge wasteland that is the earth still has a lot to offer to right minded folks (the PC’s). The characters are corporate privateers searching for lost research data from before The Collapse tucked away in the deserts of Earth. Their ship is not designed for extensive atmospheric flight, so they will have to set out in a Land Crawler. There isn’t supposed to be much life locally, but there are local rumors…
Enemies: Savage Tribesmen (cannibals), Horrific sandstorms (howling like the mournful wailing of damned souls), Ships Captain (on the take), Mutant Undead Creepy Things (MUCT), Independent Spaceman’s Union (ISU).

Game System
For Space Trader, I will be using a variation on the NUGGET system available for free from Silver Branch Games. NUGGET is a fairly simple game system that is easy to learn and adapt to individual games and settings.

Aliens?
Beyond unconfirmed reports of alien sightings, there are no intelligent aliens in Solar Trader 2776. Microbes and other "simple" lifeforms have been discovered on many planets, but nothing that can make for player characters. Mutated or otherwise altered humans are a possibility though.

Example skills
Here are some suggestions for common skills to help you along.
Arts (specify - e.g. a musical instrument, Painting)
Athletics (lifting, jumping, throwing, etc)
Business
Bureaucracy
Computer (specify -e.g. Hardware, Software, A.I. interaction)
Drive/Pilot (specify - e.g. Car, Motorbike, Boat, Shuttle)
Engineering family: Mechanics, Electronics, Construction
Fighting (specify - e.g. Unarmed, Sword, Knife, Gun)
Firearms (specify - e.g. Handguns, Rifles, Machine Guns, Ray Guns)
Intimidation
Investigation
Language (specify - each is a separate skill, level 1 is .tourist. proficiency)
Leadership
Medicine
Natural History
Observation
Occult
Physical Science family: Biology, Chemistry, Geophysics, Physics
Research
Social Science family: History, Law, Psychology, Sociology
Socialising
Stealth
Subterfuge
Survival
Theft

Sample Careers
Most people in Solar Trader will be Technicians and assorted Laborers, with Pilots, Scientists, Security Personel, Businessmen and Beaurocrats. Psychics also exist (see below).

Psychics and Psychic Skills
Psychic powers are a reality in 2776, with its practitioners being seen as mutants, magicians and sometimes as evolved humankind. Use of psychic powers require that the characters starting career is “Psychic” and that he or she spend skill points in one or more psychic skills. Known psychic skills are Clairvoyance, Telepathy and Telekinesis, but others are rumored to exist.
Using psychic skills requires a Brains + Psychic skill roll for using a power and Will for the effect when applicable. Use of psychic skills cost a Hurt unless a success is spent to be good enough to avoid it.

Wild Technology
Technology in 2776 is quite advanced. Spaceships, simulated gravity, and all manner of wonderous gadgets are out there, most of which are VERY expensive and require extensive training to use. Weapons such as firearms are not normally used in space, as an errant shot can puncture a hull (and kill everyone), replaced with assorted stun weaponry and melee weapons such as clubs and knives where needed. If firearms are needed or desired, make energy/ray weaponry be of the sort that disrupts living things such as radiation or sound weapons, and keep projectile weapons illegal.
Game Masters are encouraged to have most technology be so everyday that is sounds almost hum-drum. Manking in 2776 lives alongside wonders of science and nature, but hardly notices over the background roar of the drudgery of survival.

Robots










Robots come in all shapes and sizes, from small maintenance bots, to security and accouting types. Robots in-general are very expensive, far more expensive than human laborers, with most owners more willing to risk the safety of human employees over the mechanized help. All are fairly intelligent, and strong but lack imagination or much self motivation. Most will obey their programming and/or last commands to the letter.

JANUS (Maintenance Robot)
The JANUS is a simple maintenance droid that is used for everything from ship repair to heavy waste disposal.
Brawn 4, Agility 2, Brains 2, Will 0
Skills: Computer (all) 3, Engineering (all) 1
Special: Immune to mental attack, poison and disease.
Combat: Initiative 4, Physical Resistence 6.

LUG (Security Robot)
The LUG is a standard security robot, used to defend important installations and cargo.
Brawn 8, Agility 2, Brains 1, Will 0
Skills: Computer (all) 2, Fighting (all) 3, Firearms (ray guns) 2.
Special: Immune to mental attack, poison and disease.
Combat: Initiative 6, Physical Resistence 10. Stun Pistol (4 dice damage).

Note: I really like the NUGGET system, not least of which because it is free. As for the setting, I adore gritty Dystopic setting where a storyteller/GM can underline the futility of mans greed. In Solar Trader 2776, mankind has achieved a civilization across multiple planets, but most folks are unhappy, living in squallor under Corporate Empires. The more things change, the more they stay the same...

Lion Love

I thought this was just too neat not to post.

Phaeton Island (Labyrinth Lord Setting)

Phaeton Island is a magical island that was created ages ago by a group of lesser gods (see Godlings below) of the ancient world. Not happy with their lesser status amongst gods, these deities pooled their resources to create the Cauldron of Tempests, transforming a large island into a magical preserve for their own use.

Now this island/world travels through space and time, touching upon this and other worlds, gathering travellers and creatures as it goes. It is the source of many "lost islands" and strange se stories, particularly of the sort that involve disappearing lands and ships. It is the home of a host of lesser demigods and a civilization of mixed sailors and shipwreck survivors.

This game world operates the same as most Fantasy RPG worlds, though with a somewhat different feel. The setting is loosly "attached" to our world, touching upon different times and places, allowing for a wide variety of cultural and genetic influence. Because of this Asian metalwork, 20th century hygiene and do-do birds all have their place.

Magic

Magic, by its very nature causes change, both good, evil and indifferent in nature. Few are those who seek to direct and control this energy who come away unchanged by its power. Magic Users study and seek to control magic in its rawest form, interpreting its power towards their own ends. Because of this, magic users (or Mages) are greatly respected, though not necessarily loved.

Mankind and Civilization

Mankind and his allies try to maintain their own natures as best they can, and try to survive amidst the chaos of their world. Civilization is a mixed cultural affair, with a fairly wide range of different races intermingling except for certain cases. Humans are the most organized race.

Dwarves- These small cousins to man dislike magic, and bury themselves deep to try to avoid it.

Elves- The oldest remaining human-like people that learned to stabilize itself in the presence of magic. Now elves are nearly immortal beings, never aging nor succumbing to natural disease, though they are less diverse than humankind.

Halflings- These little folk can be found anywhere, though near humans is the most likely.

Humanity- The most numerous and organized, humanity is well adapted. Three major cities of humankind are:

• Eusebes ("Pious"-town): A wealthy city/civilization whose people are a diverse mixing of cultures. Academic pursuits are of the highest order here, with all who honestly seek knowledge being welcome.

• Machimos ("Fighting"-town): A warrior civilization in the northlands, the people of Machimos prize the warrior ideal and honor over all other concerns. Though seeming to be a brutally violent people, the people of Machimo consider the bonds of family and friends sacred and inviolate, and are amongst the most loyal of people.

• Anostos (Place of "No return") A dangerous city in the far north-east, Anostos is the realm of bleak sorcery and wicked enchantments. It resembles a yawning abyss, does not have day or night, and is covered by cloudy, red fumes.

The Un-Natural World

Phaeton Island is a land saturated with the chaotic energies of magic. Because of this, the island is "un-stuck" in time and space, connecting with our world in many ages. The ecology of the island is mixed with creatures and peoples of many ages, many of whom are warped and twisted by magical mutation. Some details of the land are as-follws:

Animals- Few natural animals exist anymore, either having become mixed-breeds (see Love Springs) or transformed in some way altogether. Rabbits and Hares (terms being used interchangeably for some reason) are the most widespread natural animal, though some have learned to speak and reason. Insects are almost always huge and carnivorous versions, with even honeybees being the size and ferocity of terriers and using meat to make honey. Due to this lack of pollinators, many plants are also carnivorous or otherwise use magic to supplement their needs. To add to this problem, many natural animals found through the land are in-fact other sorts of beings transformed into their animal shape due to assorted enchantments, though usually retaining their original intellects. Some unscrupulous folk (evil magic users, elves or others) revitalize their stock of “normal” animals, making clever horses, dogs or even meat animals from transformed people.

Plants- Mobile and predatory plants are widespread, being quite common in magic rich areas. Though some mobile plants are peaceful, but many more are hostile and territorial in nature, seeking to attack mobile creatures. Many plants exist whose fruit, leaves and other components has special properties.

Cursing- All foul words spoken (by players or characters!) in high magical zones contain the ability to cause various effects such as the wilting of plants or the summoning of assorted small demons and mischievous fairies. These creatures are always aware of how they were summoned and by whom.

Love Springs- Magical springs which causes two drinkers, not necessarily human, or even of the same species, to fall madly, and lustfully, in love with one another at first sight. This has the added effect of making these two beings able to procreate, causing the majority of magical crossbreeds such as centaurs and griffins. See Animals.

Oaths- Are powerful here, as an unwise promise, no matter how innocently meant, will be heard. Characters who swear to something or someone, or make any absolute statement of this sort must save vs. spell or come under the effect of a Quest regarding his or her oath.

Dragons- Dragons are the absolute top predators, and they know it. Though still having differing alignments, all dragons consider demihumans and humans as food, unless these creatures talk VERY fast and convincingly why they should be spared. It is believed that dragons and dragon-like beings such as lindworms, wyverns and hydras all are descended from dinosaurs picked up during the islands journeys through time and mutated by magic and cross-breeding via love springs.

Wasteland Areas- Some regions have been so saturated by magical energies that it is dangerous for any life form (other than fairies, demons or similar creatures) to remain. These areas are either lifeless soil and rock, or choked with plant and animal life of weird design. Detect Magic in wasteland areas will bombard the magic user, requiring a save verses poison or be blinded for one hour. The highly unstable nature of magic in these areas can result in those dwelling here for more than a day to be subject to the effects of a Bestow Curse or Polymorph spell (LL discretion) which may or may-not be permenant. A save versus spell is allowed to resist this effect.

Color Coding- Creatures of one or another alignment tend to develop hair, eye and clothing colors that reflect their allegiance. Some examples follow: Handsome/Beautiful- Law or Chaotic alignment.

Green Eyes- Lawful or Neutral Magic User.

Red Eyes (glowing or not)- Chaotic Magic User or Cleric.

Freckles and red hair on a Girl/Woman-Indomitable will (high WIS), Lawful or Neutral only. Black or White Hair- Chaotic or Neutral Alignment.

Corpse White Skin- Chaotic Alignment.

Rich Tan and Handsome Features- Lawful Alignment.

The Land Itself- Singing mountains and babbling brooks sound wonderful, but can be rough to live near! Assorted river, lake and forest spirits and elementals are all over the place. Storms are often at least partially alive and few earthquakes are natural.

Horses- Almost extinct, with most beasts of burden being demihuman or humanoid slaves. Magical creatures are sometimes used as mounts, such as Unicorns and Hippogryphs, though they require special training.

Godlings

These are some of the demigods that are responsible for the Islands nature.

Anemoi Thuellai (Tempest Winds) Immortal beings who are said to be minor gods live (or are imprisoned) here. All of these beings can fly, and consider the Island of Phaeton their property and refuge. They are fickle and strange beings, and despite an occasional romance, do not openly interact with mortals. Each of these immortals has a tower in one of the four corners of Phaeton, where their favored conditions reign supreme.

Kaikias (or Caecius- Roman) is the king of the northeast wind. He appears as a bearded man with a shield full of hail-stones, and his name derives from the Ancient Greek kakía meaning "badness" or "evil". Kaikias adores cruel jest and mischief, using his power to sink vessels and encourage vice. He is adored by Harpies and Chaotic Fey.

Apeliotes (or Subsolanus- Roman) is the king of the southeast wind. This godling adores growing things and uses his powers to encourage the plant life of the land, and is thus beloved by farmers, elves and halflings. He appears man wearing gumboots and carrying fruit, draped in a light cloth concealing some flowers or grain. He is cleanshaven, with curly hair and a friendly expression.

Skiron, or Skeiron, (Caurus or Corus- Roman) is the king of the northwest wind. He appears as a bearded man tilting a cauldron, representing the onset of winter. His realm is in perpetual winter though many plants thrive their.

Livas (Africus- Roman) is the king of the southwest wind, often depicted holding the stern of a ship. Livas is very interested in travel, trade and commerce. Appears as a handsome muscular man (often black-skinned) and is usually friendly but focused.

Clerics and Religion

I want religion on Phaeton Island to be a bit vague, almost a lampoon of politics and phiosophy, as well as tied in with the dangers of magic. And so all clerics must be from one of the following groups:

The Light

The light is the force of life, justice, truth and goodness. Clerics of The Light have a Judeo-Christian caste, but number all philosophers as worthy of study (Plato, Socrates, Confucius, etc). Opposition to the forces of The Dark is a primary concern of servants of The Light, whether through military action or gentler tactics.

Symbol: An Gold Disc

Alignment: Law

The Balance (Nature)

Servants of the balance seek to find the middle ground between forces, and to focus on the material world. Many servants of the balance are very similar to nature cults (or OD&D Druids), or village wise folk.

Symbol: Stone Ring

Alignment: Neutral

The Dark

Servants of The Dark serve the growth of chaos. Such beings cavort with demons and seek to spread the unrestrained power of magic so that no order remains. Most servants of The Dark move in disguise as normal folk, alchemists or Neutral clerics so that they might spread chaos unnoticed.

Symbol: A Black Disc

Alignment: Chaotic