Defend your nation with a secret service rpg.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Star Frontiers: Expanded - sample adventure
Star Frontiers series
Star Frontiers: Alpha Dawn Gameplay (Part 1) Character Creation and rules summary
Star Frontiers Game Play: part 2: first adventure
Star Frontiers: Alpha Dawn Gameplay (Part 3) The chase
Star Frontiers Alpha Dawn Expanded character.
Star Frontiers: Expanded - sample adventure
Star Frontiers is is once available again. Also there are Star Frontiersman and Frontier Explorer downloadable magazines.
This is from the expanded rule book on page 58, the Sample Adventure.
I've realized that the rules are much heavier than the basic rules. So I find the rules too cumbersome for solo gaming, I'll default to the basic rules for hopefully quicker resolution.
Ethest easily walks across the barren area and enters the forest. As he walks towards the forest he makes note of the sun location in the sky.
Although the traveling is slowed by the density of the deciduous forest and the cloud direction is soon confusing and mostly blocked, thankfully an occasional glance at the smoke cloud and shadows helps confirmed that the signal and smoke are in the same direction. Ethest walks 4 hours through the green forest.
Soon the signal is really close.
He began to look around the area and saw the signal beacon snagged in a tree hanging around 10 meters above ground. As he approached closer, he can see a parachute tangled in a branch above.
He strains to make out any indicator of what happened when a form floats onto the tree, several vine-like tentacles lowering quickly towards him. It's a strangler chute!
Ethest was too slow to move away from the tentacles. A current of electricity tingles through Ethest's body stunning him for a few seconds.
When he regains his senses, he tries to escape once again.
Having regained his sense, he awkwardly rolls out from under the tree avoiding several tentacles.
Once out, he winced in pain, noticing the red burn mark along shoulder where the strangler chutes tentacle touched.
"Damn, you cursed creature," he said to the jelly sack-like creature that floats upon air currents. The wind had just happened to carry it to this tree at this moment.
He put a little bit of water onto a cupped hand and sprinkled some onto the throbbing shoulder. The water wet his jumpsuit soaking the area which help to lessen the pain of the burn.
He swigged a few times to quench his now dry throat. Each drink seemed to go from his throat pouring out to his skin, sweat gathered on his brow.
I better be cautious, he thought, now he looked once again upward.
He then figured that the strangler chute had drifted with the wind blowing from the southwest. Maybe the beacon drifted from that direction as well.
Getting up from the ground, he dusted off dirt, old leaves, and twigs from rolling on the ground. Following the direction the creature had drifted in from, he adjusted his backpack on his shoulders and walked on.
It wasn't long before the forest began to thin and soon he was walking down hill through some grassy field.
Other strangler chutes drifted in the wind. Wing rippers glided in formation across the fields. One dove to the ground. When it appeared in the air again, something was in its mouth.
Off in the distance, a river or stream in the distance.
He walked down the gentle slope towards the stream.
Once at the stream, he readied to fill up his water container if it was clean. Most of the water seemed clean enough. He lowered the water container and started the filtration unit.
As it hummed, he looked across the 10 meter wide flowing water.
Then something caught his eyes.
I
Narrow ribbons of something glistening floated down from the stream from the west.
Oil!
"The ship is upstream!" he said, now happy for more help on his mission to find the ship.
Star Frontiers: Alpha Dawn Gameplay (Part 1) Character Creation and rules summary
Star Frontiers Game Play: part 2: first adventure
Star Frontiers: Alpha Dawn Gameplay (Part 3) The chase
Star Frontiers Alpha Dawn Expanded character.
Star Frontiers: Expanded - sample adventure
This is from the expanded rule book on page 58, the Sample Adventure.
I've realized that the rules are much heavier than the basic rules. So I find the rules too cumbersome for solo gaming, I'll default to the basic rules for hopefully quicker resolution.
Synopsis
A ship has been missing a few days and is believed to have crash landed on the plane. Ethest must locate the ship, rescue any survivors, and find out why the ship crashed.Begin
An aerial search spotted a barren grove of trees possibly burned by the ship engine. The ship could not be seen from the air. He was dropped in the barren trees, given a homing device. The aircar will return in 20 hours.Barren Trees
The trees are bare and burned, however smaller foliage is not burned. The homing device detects a signal coming from the southeast. I see something that looks like a billowy cloud in that direction.Ethest easily walks across the barren area and enters the forest. As he walks towards the forest he makes note of the sun location in the sky.
Rolling an INT/LOG (60) check modified +15 due to the cloud help and tree shadows, though in the denser forest, to help maintain the correct direction to the cloud compared to the signal. 60 +15 = 75. Roll = 63.
Although the traveling is slowed by the density of the deciduous forest and the cloud direction is soon confusing and mostly blocked, thankfully an occasional glance at the smoke cloud and shadows helps confirmed that the signal and smoke are in the same direction. Ethest walks 4 hours through the green forest.
Soon the signal is really close.
He began to look around the area and saw the signal beacon snagged in a tree hanging around 10 meters above ground. As he approached closer, he can see a parachute tangled in a branch above.
He strains to make out any indicator of what happened when a form floats onto the tree, several vine-like tentacles lowering quickly towards him. It's a strangler chute!
Reaction Speed (70) check. Roll of 91 = fail.
Ethest was too slow to move away from the tentacles. A current of electricity tingles through Ethest's body stunning him for a few seconds.
When he regains his senses, he tries to escape once again.
RS (70) check. Roll of 55 = success.
Having regained his sense, he awkwardly rolls out from under the tree avoiding several tentacles.
Once out, he winced in pain, noticing the red burn mark along shoulder where the strangler chutes tentacle touched.
"Damn, you cursed creature," he said to the jelly sack-like creature that floats upon air currents. The wind had just happened to carry it to this tree at this moment.
He put a little bit of water onto a cupped hand and sprinkled some onto the throbbing shoulder. The water wet his jumpsuit soaking the area which help to lessen the pain of the burn.
He swigged a few times to quench his now dry throat. Each drink seemed to go from his throat pouring out to his skin, sweat gathered on his brow.
I better be cautious, he thought, now he looked once again upward.
He then figured that the strangler chute had drifted with the wind blowing from the southwest. Maybe the beacon drifted from that direction as well.
Getting up from the ground, he dusted off dirt, old leaves, and twigs from rolling on the ground. Following the direction the creature had drifted in from, he adjusted his backpack on his shoulders and walked on.
It wasn't long before the forest began to thin and soon he was walking down hill through some grassy field.
Grassy Field
He followed the treeline down, now traveling much swifter, glad that he could now see everything around him.Other strangler chutes drifted in the wind. Wing rippers glided in formation across the fields. One dove to the ground. When it appeared in the air again, something was in its mouth.
Off in the distance, a river or stream in the distance.
He walked down the gentle slope towards the stream.
Stream
Once at the stream, he readied to fill up his water container if it was clean. Most of the water seemed clean enough. He lowered the water container and started the filtration unit.
As it hummed, he looked across the 10 meter wide flowing water.
Then something caught his eyes.
I
Narrow ribbons of something glistening floated down from the stream from the west.
Oil!
"The ship is upstream!" he said, now happy for more help on his mission to find the ship.
To be continued
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Fable #1: Bird takes Snake to the moons
Myths Series
Myth making: my plan
What are myths, legends, and folklore? Definitions (Quotes)
Joseph Cambell : Myths
Myths: Types and functions
Mythology: How they are created
Myth #1: Blood and Water - Begin
Myth #2: From them, all become
Type of Myth #1 & #2; Fable #1: part 1
Fable part 2: bird symbolism
Myths and Fables: ponderings & decisions
Fable part 3: snake symbolism
Fables part 4: building a basic action & reaction
Fables part 5: add magic
Fable part 3: snake symbolism
Fables part 4: building a basic action & reaction
Fables part 5: add magic
I've pieced together a short Fable tale for Aioskoru based on my notes and decisions created over the past few weeks. Here is Bird takes Snake to the moons.
I wanted to write something more positive and imaginative than the prior two myths.
Bird watched each day as snake would stare at the sky in the evening.
"Why do you look at the sky," asked bird one evening.
"Oh. How I long to visit the moons," snake said.
Bird, having visited the moons before, was intrigued at snakes wish.
"Let us go to the moons," bird suggested to snake.
Bird flew down and picked snake up by the beak.
Up and up they flew.
They flew first to Gaon.
Gaon is speeding, the fastest of the moons. It seemed much lie a speckled egg.
Next they flew to Vrim.
Vrim the largest of the three was filled with strange birds, different serpents, and other beasts.
Finally, they flew to the furthest moon Duna.
As they were nearing Duna, a bright flaming ball flying fast across the sky shot a wing of bird, sending them to Duna's surface.
Bird's wing was injured. Bird tried to fly once again. The wing was too injured to to fly.
Bird mourned for both of them. "How can we return to Aioskoru?"
"Fear not Bird," Snake said,"We will be able to fly from this wonderful moon."
Their fall had attracted strange small creatures. Hairy, with many legs, and squeaking the furballs gathered at the outskirts of the lush purple field that they had landed.
Snake began to slither, hiss, and dance. Snakes body swayed side to side, tongue flickered, and tail flipped in a slow rhythm.
A green cloud gathered and grew around the body of Snake.
Snake slithered to Bird, danced near the injured wing, and that cloud moved to Bird's injured wing.
The furballs squeaked louder as the wing burns began to fade, skin and bone mended, and feathers grew quick.
Bird's wing returned to its original condition.
With a happy song, bird picked up snake, the furballs squeeked as they flew once again back to Aioskoru.
Bird and snake remained friends throughout their life
Bird takes Snake to the moons"Why do you look at the sky," asked bird one evening.
"Oh. How I long to visit the moons," snake said.
Bird, having visited the moons before, was intrigued at snakes wish.
"Let us go to the moons," bird suggested to snake.
Bird flew down and picked snake up by the beak.
Up and up they flew.
They flew first to Gaon.
Gaon is speeding, the fastest of the moons. It seemed much lie a speckled egg.
Next they flew to Vrim.
Vrim the largest of the three was filled with strange birds, different serpents, and other beasts.
Finally, they flew to the furthest moon Duna.
As they were nearing Duna, a bright flaming ball flying fast across the sky shot a wing of bird, sending them to Duna's surface.
Bird's wing was injured. Bird tried to fly once again. The wing was too injured to to fly.
Bird mourned for both of them. "How can we return to Aioskoru?"
"Fear not Bird," Snake said,"We will be able to fly from this wonderful moon."
Their fall had attracted strange small creatures. Hairy, with many legs, and squeaking the furballs gathered at the outskirts of the lush purple field that they had landed.
Snake began to slither, hiss, and dance. Snakes body swayed side to side, tongue flickered, and tail flipped in a slow rhythm.
A green cloud gathered and grew around the body of Snake.
Snake slithered to Bird, danced near the injured wing, and that cloud moved to Bird's injured wing.
The furballs squeaked louder as the wing burns began to fade, skin and bone mended, and feathers grew quick.
Bird's wing returned to its original condition.
With a happy song, bird picked up snake, the furballs squeeked as they flew once again back to Aioskoru.
Bird and snake remained friends throughout their life
© 2017 Ken Wickham
Fable built using the following notes which I have gathered over the last few weeks.
The dangers of expending too much power (magic) when using powers.bird guide
snake healing
bird does something that leads to snake interaction.
Aioskoru Notes
Aioskoru Type Terrestrial World
Orbital Radius 1.93 x 108 km (1.29 AU)
Period 1.12 x 104 hours (1.29 earth years)
Physics Standard iron/silicate
Gravity 9.76 m/s2 (1.00 x earth)
Hydrosphere 50 % water, 10 % ice
Atmosphere Standard breathable
Civilization Species
Special 3 small moons
Day (Deyn)
24.4525 our earth hours per day
Week (Gaon)
9 days per week based on one complete orbit of the smaller moon Gaon around Aioskoru.
Names in common human language of the nine days of the week, mostly describing how the moon looks, in order from new moon.
"Nemeyhns","Sohwldeyn","Heytimeyhns","Semimeyhns","Meyhnsdeyn","Solomeyhns","Dorudeyn","Emdeyn","Dhemeyhns"
Month (Vrim)
36
days (4 weeks) per regular month. 37 days for some months. Extra day
months falling at the final months of the year. A month is mostly based
on the orbit of the larger moon Vrim, which is 36 days. Several months
have the extra day to help fit the months into the year, and leap years.
Names in common human language of the thirteen months mostly
describine the seasons, in order from solstice.
"Sneigwei","Yegos","Bhelos","Alghei","Rekos","Bheis","Egas","Osem","Ehteros","Deguos","Hesenos","Keweros","Gelos"
Duna moon - 42 days per cycle
Fable Notes
by American Heritage - Fable1. A usually short narrative making an edifying or cautionary point and often employing as characters animals that speak and act like humans.
https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=fable
A fable's emphasis is on a "moral." Examples include Aesop's fables, such as the stories of the tortoise and the hare, and the fox who complained about "sour grapes."
http://www.mythome.org/mythII.html
Comparison
Fact to Meaning ContinuumHistorical account Legendary Occurrence Mythical Event Folktale based on cultural truth
Fact < ---- > Meaning
Myth vs Fable
Fable Myth
Morality < --- > world issues and functions
- The dangers of expending too much power (magic) when using powers.
- How powers can be used for both good and bad purposes.
- Powers can be used in unusual ways besides obvious purposes.
bird guide, atonement, resurrection, wisdom, hope, help, courage, happiness, splendor, or wisdom
snake healing, rebirth, benevolent, inspiration, creator, intelligent, without morals
fear, threats, untrustworthy, dangerous, and vengeful
- The dangers of expending too much power (magic) when using powers.
- How powers can be used for both good and bad purposes.
- Powers can be used in unusual ways besides obvious purposes.
Structure of fable
At the minimum, looking over the Aesop fables from both the bird and snake symbolism posts, a basic structure of the two interacting with each other either directly or indirectly.
bird + action.... reaction
snake + action.... reaction
Direct interaction
snake does something to bird.
bird does something to snake.
Indirect interaction
snake does something that leads to bird interaction.
bird does something that leads to snake interaction.
Bird and snake actions
Bird most often sings, eats, or flies.Snake most often bites or slithers into hiding.
So based on these, I can have:
A.) Bird sings and the snake hears the song and then the snake reacts.
B.) Bird eats and snake sees bird eating and then the snake reacts.
C.) Bird tries to eat snake, and the snake reacts.
D.) Bird tries to fly, snake does something to prevent, impede, or change the flight of the snake for some reason.
H.) A snake tries to bite a bird, and the bird reacts.
I.) A snake slithers, and the bird reacts.
Not all birds sing.
J.) A bird crows, quacks, screeches, pecks wood, winnows, mimics, hoots,Of course, not all birds can fly.
K.) A bird that can't fly is fleeing from a snake.
L.) A bird that can't fly seeks help from a snake.
And some birds can swim.
Built using the following notes
M.) A snake sees a bird swimming and has some plan.And some snakes can swim as well.
N.) A water snake is swimming, and the bird reacts.
For snakes, I think that the healing, resurrection, and renewal symbolism of snakes from some cultures comes due to snakes the shedding of skin.
O.) A snake sheds its skin, and the bird reacts.
Pythons may also wrap and strangle their prey.
P.) A snake strangles something, and the bird reacts.
Q.) A snake tries to strangle the bird, and the bird reacts.
Birds may also be known for their talons.
R.) A bird attacks the snake with its talons, and the snake reacts.
S.) A bird grabs something with its talons, and the snake reacts.
Snakes hiss.
T.) The snake hissed at the bird, and the bird reacts.
Rattlesnakes rattle.
U.) The rattlesnake rattled, and the bird reacts.
Cobras rear upward, hoods flattened.
V.) The cobra reared its head, and the bird reacts.
Possible magic for the creatures
Beyond the meaning found in various cultures, there is obvious magic powers that could be assigned to bird and snake.Elemental Powers
A.) The bird flies in the air. Air elemental powers are obvious powers that a bird may have.An offensive air power is some sort of air, wind, tornado, hurricane, gust or blast of air.
Defensively, air might redirect some sort of threat - like a defensive wall of air.
Utility wise, air is important for breathing. Lack of air leads to death.
B.) Snakes slither on the earth and sometimes hide in holes, cracks, and under logs or rocks.
Elemental wise, snakes are closer maybe to earth powers.
Many snakes are known to be venomous. Snake poison and toxins may weaken, make sick, paralyze, or kill prey.
Powers not normally associated with the animal
Sometimes powers not normally associated in natural animals may be assigned to the animals.
Mythology reveals the fiery phoenix and firebird, electric thunderbird, winged feathered serpent.
One site shows snakes with clairvoyance, shape shifting, and hypnosis.
So whether or not I go with more obvious powers or powers extending the natural snake abilities, powers have and do get assigned to birds and snakes.
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Fables part 5: add magic
Myths Series
Myth making: my plan
What are myths, legends, and folklore? Definitions (Quotes)
Joseph Cambell : Myths
An offensive air power is some sort of air, wind, tornado, hurricane, gust or blast of air.
Defensively, air might redirect some sort of threat - like a defensive wall of air.
Utility wise, air is important for breathing. Lack of air leads to death.
B.) Snakes slither on the earth and sometimes hide in holes, cracks, and under logs or rocks.
Elemental wise, snakes are closer maybe to earth powers.
Many snakes are known to be venomous. Snake poison and toxins may weaken, make sick, paralyze, or kill prey.
Powers not normally associated with the animal
Sometimes powers not normally associated in natural animals may be assigned to the animals.
Mythology reveals the fiery phoenix and firebird, electric thunderbird, winged feathered serpent.
One site shows snakes with clairvoyance, shape shifting, and hypnosis.
So whether or not I go with more obvious powers or powers extending the natural snake abilities, powers have and do get assigned to birds and snakes.
Myth making: my plan
What are myths, legends, and folklore? Definitions (Quotes)
Joseph Cambell : Myths
Myths: Types and functions
Mythology: How they are created
Myth #1: Blood and Water - Begin
Myth #2: From them, all become
Type of Myth #1 & #2; Fable #1: part 1
Fable part 2: bird symbolism
Myths and Fables: ponderings & decisions
Fable part 3: snake symbolism
Fables part 4: building a basic action & reaction
Fables part 5: add magic
Fable part 3: snake symbolism
Fables part 4: building a basic action & reaction
Fables part 5: add magic
Possible magic for the creatures
Beyond the meaning found in various cultures, there is obvious magic powers that could be assigned to bird and snake.Elemental Powers
A.) The bird flies in the air. Air elemental powers are obvious powers that a bird may have.An offensive air power is some sort of air, wind, tornado, hurricane, gust or blast of air.
Defensively, air might redirect some sort of threat - like a defensive wall of air.
Utility wise, air is important for breathing. Lack of air leads to death.
B.) Snakes slither on the earth and sometimes hide in holes, cracks, and under logs or rocks.
Elemental wise, snakes are closer maybe to earth powers.
Many snakes are known to be venomous. Snake poison and toxins may weaken, make sick, paralyze, or kill prey.
Powers not normally associated with the animal
Sometimes powers not normally associated in natural animals may be assigned to the animals.
Mythology reveals the fiery phoenix and firebird, electric thunderbird, winged feathered serpent.
One site shows snakes with clairvoyance, shape shifting, and hypnosis.
So whether or not I go with more obvious powers or powers extending the natural snake abilities, powers have and do get assigned to birds and snakes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)