Dawn Never Came - Post-Apocalypse Sci-fi Horror

[doodasaurus]

Dawn Never Came is a narrative, rules-light game of science-fiction horror at the end of the world as we know it.  Nothing below is written in stone and I'll happily adjust it if people can think of better!

The Setting

One night the sun set and it never rose.  Instead, there was a gray pallor that covered the land, something like mist or smoke was everywhere, the air was chilly, damp, and while it is never bright it is never precisely dark, either, and there seems to be no sun in the sky.

There are things in the shadows and mist.  Monsters big and small.  And things are changed, landmarks are gone or altered, though few understand the extent of the changes because travel is, at best, dangerous.  Often, it is merely suicide.

And the dead walk.  Everything that dies comes back.  Twisted and changed, usually as a shambling monstrosity, a hideous life-in-death, but sometimes a return with strange powers and knowledge - twisted and utterly, terrifying inhuman.

The characters won't really know even this.  For them, the game starts aboard a cruise ship.  I don't care why they're on the cruise ship - passengers, crew, jewel thieves, I'm going to be pretty open with character generation - but what happens is dawn comes and they're on the same ship as it sails into the Port of Miami.

Seeking players!

I'm seeking dedicated, talented, intersting, polite and friendly players.  Y'know, the usual!

Type of game - action, horror, drama

What will happen in the game will be a combination of action (y'know, fights and chases, that kind of stuff), horror (facing things bizarre and inconceivable that threaten to overwhelm the sanity of the characters, or at least make them barf) and drama (dealing with the emotional, moral and social consequences of living at the end of the world).  The ratios will depend heavily on the players and what they want.  It could range from straight-up action to a soap opera with monsters.

The Rules

Treat others well!  To make characters, I am optionally using The Droplet and, perhaps, The Droplet Expansion Pack.  The rules are optional, too, but if you don't use them, you're going to be putting a lot of faith in yer ol' GM, over here!

Making Characters

The characters will all be modern adults on a cruise ship returning to Miami, Florida.  They have to be at least marginally realistic in the sense that they can have no superhuman abilities or technology.  Otherwise, knock yourself out!  ;D

Here's the character sheet:

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[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Concept:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Sex:[/b]
[b]Orientation:[/b]
[b]Player:[/b]
[b]Physical Description:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]History:[/b]

[b]Traits:[/b] If you're using The Droplet rules, I'll need to know your character's six traits.  Otherwise, omit this part.



Finishing Remarks

If this is something people want to be part of, please let me know!

[sleepingferret]

Just an "action" perspective question, I guess.  So it is the players versus the monsters, on the cruise ship?  Or as they return to the port, they find things seriously, well...messed up and can use whatever they had on the ship itself and whatever is on the ship to make it back home or to whatever is left of their businesses (or "evil" empires), and it's "off to the races" to survive.

Well, that's wrapping it all up in the typical post-apocalyptic, action junkie view.  Obviously removing the stories about trying to rebuilding the world, any romances, and such.  Or even the darker side of things, and having the monsters "have their way" with the humans.  Not necessary because they're smart enough to, but just because it happens during a "mobbing" of some poor human.

But I'm starting to ramble in my writing...  my main curiously really was, again... was this story going to be centered around the characters on the cruise ship itself or the world (mostly the city of Miami, I suppose), itself.  So let's say I do make a jewel thief, using your provided example.  Would I once, the ship was back at port, and the characters got back to their "homes", be able to get access to some of their possessions.  So could I say maybe get a few "tools of the trade", and while said tools wouldn't make good direct weapons, they might be useful in escaping or even maybe setting traps.

Whereas, if I went with a concept of say a police officer or FBI agent, having access to firearms would be more realistic; albeit he wouldn't necessarily be the most "popular" or trusted in the group at first for being the guy with the badge.  Especially with people like the jewel thief type.

[doodasaurus]

Whether or not the action takes place more on the ship or in any port is something I could work with, either way.  In my mind, the ship would come into port shortly after the sun doesn't rise.  But I'd happily work with other ideas, such as the players being on the Cruise Ship of the Damned.

I probably should have mentioned the more adult aspects, but I've never run a game, here.  My thoughts with that is . . . I have no real interest in running titallating zombie rape scenes.  I am comfortable with non-consensual scenes when they are necessary to the plot - and I would not care if other people wanted to run them amongst themselves - but as a GM?  Not too interested in NC scenes save where vital to progressing the interests of the plot.

All of the characters must be on the ship, but they could certainly also be from Miami and thus have connections and such in that city. (I would also happily change the city where the ship pulls into, but Miami is a frequent destination for cruise ships.)  As to gear relevant to a character's abilities, I would more or less assume they have access to it unless it stretches the boundaries of believability past all recognition ("I have a flamethrower aboard this cruise ship!") or the player prefers to start without such equipment.  So in the jewel thief example, I would sorta just assume that the character has the tools of the trade at hand.  Likewise, if the character was a law enforcement officer, sure, they'd probably have access to a pistol from the get go.  But the game won't be big on inventories.  ;D

Of course there would be social consequences for various things.  A jewel thief is not likely to trust a federal agent.  On the other hand, the world has just ended and is filling up with twisted monstrosities, so maybe they could put that aside.  ;D