Aberrant (this is not a comic book game)

[Tamhansen]

Imagine a world exactly like ours.
The cubs haven't won the penant in over a hundred years. Brasil is preparing for the olympics and the world cup, China is occupieing Tibet, Sudan and south Sudan are fighting a post seperaion war, and the I phone 5 brought about storefront riots all over the western world.

Well, maybe not exactly like ours:
the cubs just signed a new pitcher who can make his pitch break the sound barrier, Brazil's arenas for the olympics include a human flight range, trucklifting stages and underwater hockey ranges. China's occupational forces are fighting rebels who can breath fire, turn to stone or scream a tank to bits, in Sudan men capable of creating tornadoes fight against or alongside those capable of ripping someone to bits with their claws. And the Iphone 5 has a built in 3d holographic projector making a telephone call like stepping into someone's home.

What happened there?

The world I'm describing was once exactly like ours. But that all changed on March 23rd 1998, when the satelite Galatea explodes, raining down quantum charged radioactive particles into the skies. A day later, in New York a Schoolbus full of children get's in an accident and catches fire. local firefighter Randel Portman, is witnessed to suddenly absorb the flames, saving the entirety of the bus' passengers, and leaving behind as evidence only the pieces of his disintegrated uniform, and molten asphalt around him. Randel himself is unharmed.

Within a few weeks reports of people showing Aberrant behaviour come from all over the world, and widespread panic ensues. Within a month, the U.N. launches a new program, with the help of the Aeon foundation. Project Utopia. Designed to help the Homo sapiens Novus or Novas as they are soon called to understand themselves and help the betterment of mankind and the earth.

many governments meanwhile try to control the problem by hunting down novas either to enlist their services, or to imprison or even kill them. The USA, UK, France, Germany and Japan form a cooperative agency to monitor and deal with the situation world wide. It is called the directive, and is a fully 'baseline' as normal humans are sometimes called institute tasked with assessing and resolving Nova threats. In later years South Africa, Canada, Spain and the netherlands will join the directive.

Of course some Novas don't care for helping humans or playing by the rules. A new philosophy called Terras appears, stating that Novas are the new evolutionary step for man, and that Novas can not be held to human standards. On the other end, reactionary religious groups claim Novas are a scourge, and must be destroyed.


Now it is 2012, and the world has changed. Novas have helped shape the earth in ways unimaginable before. Cures have been found for aids and most forms of cancer, a huge terraforming project in Ethipoia has turned the region into lush farmland hugely mitigating world hunger. Vast improvements have been madein renewable energy sources, and Utopia peacekeepers have stopped several wars.

N! The nova network provides round the clock coverage of Nova news, sports, entertainment and fashion. Broadcasting on six channels of the Opnet. a Viasoft invention which can be accessed by AR visors available everywhere.

Not all is good though. Nova warlords fight each other in central Africa, juntas are remerging in south America, and Nova criminals are beyond the means of any baseline police force.

And then there's actually being a Nova. Finding out you are a freak of nature. Holding great power, but also being feared and misunderstood, or sometimes downright dispised by your community, and the world at large.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My idea. I want to start a group of Novas who've been recruited by project utopia to help the world. However as time goes by they notice things at the project are of. Unexplained disappearances, colleagues being killed by freak accidents or sometimes unknown causes. People going crazy, or losing their powers. Project Utopia is not what it seems.

What this game is not.

It's not a superhero game. Players will not be a band of caped crusaders working out of a secret lair in a mountain to fight evil masterminds using their legions of minions for world domination.
it's not a costume fetish game. Sex will be a part of the game, and I will not stop anyone from writing it, but the main focus will be the development of the characters. Their hopes their fears. Essentially a three dimensional story that will be fun to read as well as write.


What is the game then.
A deep look into the soul of the Nova. his struggle against the world and his inner turmoil
A realisation that there is no such thing as black and white. Merely a whole bunch of grays
A game that revolves around the telling of a story. With plausible plots and relatable characters.
A lot of fun I hope.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I'll most likely GM this game myself, but I'm very egalitarian, I love co-GM's whether they contribute a lot or just a little, and simply relish player input.

As for characters. You will start out as Baseline humans, and gain your eruption in a one on one prelude. Of course you'll have great say over your powers, but I am the final judge to whether something fits your focus (A focus being the core power, that from which all your powers are derived. Examples can include: Nature, a specific element, a specific animal, a concept) Your focus will in essence be your choice, but I reserve the right to deny or restrict foci.

For more background information, there's an Aberant section on the White-wolf wiki, and I will be adding info to my own site this week, as i need to prune the books to only include that for which I have permission to share without having to pay CCP/WW

Character sheets will be available online tomorrow as will be the character creation rules. The powers list will be along before the weekend.

[Kolbrandr]

are you going to be using the actual system from the Aberrant rulebook and such? I'm pretty partial to it and all.

[avorae]

I would be interested in playing if this game gets off the ground.

[Starlequin]

I think I might be interested in playing as well, if its freeform or close to it.

[Muse]

  Hi, I really love the Aberant game.  (And Trinity after it.) 

[AribethAmkiir]

So interested.  Not familiar with the system unfortunately though.

[Muse]

Ari-chan, it's a White Wolf game.  The system came out about the time the Classic World of Darkness was winding down.  That means--if I'm not mistaken--some contested rolls.  I'm not sure how the GM will want to handle that on play by post. 

[yaracyrrah]

I'm interested.

[Tamhansen]

are you going to be using the actual system from the Aberrant rulebook and such? I'm pretty partial to it and all.

I think I might be interested in playing as well, if its freeform or close to it.

Ari-chan, it's a White Wolf game.  The system came out about the time the Classic World of Darkness was winding down.  That means--if I'm not mistaken--some contested rolls.  I'm not sure how the GM will want to handle that on play by post. 

i was planning on using the cyharacter sheet, and the creation system, but resolve most of the mechanics by freeform. I want to use a character sheet, because I want to be clear about the characters' strengths and weaknesses. Mainly for myself as I have a terrible memory. i will not be requiring rolls, merely plausible (well plausible in abberant anyway) explanations. I see role play as a way to sell stories, and although some rules are required, too many just get in the way.

I see there is already quite a lot of interest, and I'm glad for that. i would like to know if there are some people who'd be willing to do a little bit of co ST ing. Nothing to serious, just throw an encounter at some people, or play the role of an NPC now and again. If there are, we'd be able to host a larger group, where people mingle, form groups and leave them again. Form rivalries or romantic ties. I'd love for that to happen, but as a single ST it's a bit hard to do. so if a few, or all of you are willing to pitch in here and there, that'd make a great game, I'm sure of it. Anyway, I'll have the char sheet and creation rules up in a few hours. list of powers, probably later today or early tomorrow system time, as I want to tweak them a bit for forum play. I'll also provide a list of foci, but that will not be exhaustive, feel free to pm me with your own ideas.

[yaracyrrah]

I'd be happy to pitch in with NPCs.  I'm not very good at running encounters, though.

[MaiMizzu]

I dont know the source material you mentioned, but I think I'd still be interested in this. I know you said it's not a comic book RP, but it feels sortakindainaway like the first parts of x-men first class. Like the 'novas' finding out they have power and dealing with them. So the individual characters would start without human, then gain powers, then be 'recruited' by Project Utopia.. am I right in this?
I think I could get into this. Like I said, I dont know the source mateiral, but I know about playing muta--ERRRAAARR Novas, and I'd like to give it a go.

[Tamhansen]

I dont know the source material you mentioned, but I think I'd still be interested in this. I know you said it's not a comic book RP, but it feels sortakindainaway like the first parts of x-men first class. Like the 'novas' finding out they have power and dealing with them. So the individual characters would start without human, then gain powers, then be 'recruited' by Project Utopia.. am I right in this?
I think I could get into this. Like I said, I dont know the source mateiral, but I know about playing muta--ERRRAAARR Novas, and I'd like to give it a go.

Actually the "this is not a comic book RP" was coined by White wolf, and it was used to explain that were comic books were black and white (morally, not litteraly) Abberant was all about grey areas. I just use it for the same purpose.

I agree that there is more than a bit of common ground with first class. But first class is kind of an exception to the rule. Except for goodie twoshoes Xavier.

I guess the point of my post is that the game will not be about a group of superheroes saving the world from some nefarious overlord. Expect moral quanderies, questionable orders, having to decide the lesser evil. Great heroes turning out to have less pleasant motives.

If you'd still be willing to try please apply. I'll try to accomodate as many players as is reasonable.

As for the backstory, i will make as much of the relevant info as i can available before the weekend. Do some massive prepwork in the weekend, and start to get things going on monday.

[MaiMizzu]

Oh, I'm definately interested. How you described it is how I kinda saw it too.

I might be blind and a little dumb, but is there a CS template yet? Or a list of powers? I couldnt find either in the thread.

And yes, still definately interested. I'm in!!

[TheVillain]

Might chip in then with an old character of mine. Let me know if there's something you don't like Kata

Birth name: Frederick "Freakshow" McGowan

Nova Name: Mr. Alchemy

Country/Region of Origin: London, England

Gender: Male

Age: 23

Appearance: Like a punk rocker whose only just decided to cut his hair this young man is rarely seen out of doors in anything but camouflage camo pants, t-shirts featuring various punk albums, and his favorite jacket patched to the point the canvas underneath is almost unrecognizable. In warm weather he'll trade the jacket and t-shirt in for black a-frames. Extensive tattoo work covers his arms and most of his torso, though he has no piercings and his brown hair is not altered beside being combed. The tattoos mostly seem to be scenes from various myths and legends- predominately centered on King Arthur but every culture makes an appearance somewhere, showing a surprisingly well read education.

With his powers, it's not surprising that he has quickly acquired some level of Taint. He is basically in command of two of the four known fundamental forces of the universe. The moment he erupted Freddie's eyes went from a normal white with a blue blue iris to entirely black. When using his powers in a stressful situation his black eyes are often reported to appear to be bleeding, though chemical analysis of the fluid has determined that it isn't actually blood. He doesn't really wear a costume but he does wear a gasmask and a jacket covered in alchemiac symbols when he acts as Mr. Alchemy.

Power: Some consider Fred to have rolled the Jackpot for Powers as he has the power of Matter Transmutation. He can't stop bullets with his mind, but he can turn the metal into something relatively harmless like packing foam. Between his lack of experience and lack of chemistry knowledge he at present seems only capable of simple and temporary end-products, though a solid object turned into a gas is usually so dispersed by the time the matter tries to take it's original form that it may as well of been permanent.

Bio: Born the son of a borderline emotionally abusive and not-so-secretly-racist military man, Frederick started rebelling in his teenage years and never stopped. His father wanted him to join the military, marry a nice (white) girl, and live his own life over again. Frederick took to art and was sorely tempted to tell him he was gay just to piss off the old man. When Freddie was 10 his mother got the guts together to leave his father and moved to London, to which Frederick would take to like a fish to water when he was old enough for the punk scene.

Growing up a London punk, he quickly discovered that he was okay at drawing but otherwise really had nothing to look forward to in his future. Still, going commercial he does make enough to live on his own. A local artist considered good, though not great, he has finally been convinced to join a mate's punk/funk band as the bassist. He's not that good- but he has the attitude and he's getting better, honest. Of course, his life is starting to get more complicated as his art is taking off and the band is actually starting to not suck. His father has announced that he has political ambitions and wants to be back in his life and his mother is going to remarry.

Possible Eruption

The night started the way such things should start. Catastrophe had a gig, and Freddie was on bass. The other opening act was some hate-core skinhead band, who the consensus was that at least they were musically decent. The main act was some corporate band that was gobshite, so Catastrophe and their "entourage" hopped to a different bar. If by entourage you meant the rest of the band, Davey's younger brother Stevey, and Stevey's boyfriend John.

Freddie had thought that Stevey and John had gone off to snog if he was being fully honest. He never expected to run into that hate-core band again. He definitely didn't expect them to have guns. For now they were just amusing themselves with Stevey and John- but they looked like they'd be okay with some medical help. But between the acceptance of gays, the race mixing, and the overall better music of Catastrophe- they weren't going to take it lying down.

Freddie doesn't remember much beyond a blinding headache as his M-R node came crashing into existence. Between the surviving witnesses and some security camera footage a story has been put together. The skinheads made lots of threats. Threats to rape and kill his friends, and to make him watch it all for being a race traitor. Guns were aimed at him, knives were pulled out of sheaths and the moment the blades started touching skins- he Erupted. One skinhead screamed as he disintegrated, guns were remade into spike traps, and the leader died slowly as the oxygen in the air he was trying to breathe was turned into some sort of yellow gas.

Legally, it's been declared a dramatic but fairly obvious case of self-defense and defense of others.

Freddie still says matter sings to him now, and his eyes have gone black permanently. Realizing the full scope of his potential abilities- Freddie thinks he has the potential to be one of the most powerful novas in the world if he isn't already. That isn't megalomania, it's just basic fact- when he says "jump" matter itself asks "how high?". Yeah, he's registered- because somehow he's got to be held accountable for his power. If it was just claws or something he'd tell the registry types to piss off but Matter Transmutation is a bit higher then that. It scares the crap out of him, and he's not ashamed to admit it. The spandex may be for ponces but his idealism doesn't let him sit on the sidelines- and when needed he dons the jacket and gasmask of Mr. Alchemy.

[Tamhansen]

I'm currenty looking at how to best place the character sheet. As for a list of powers, it will be up around this time tomorrow. Powers are very personal based on focus. For example, there's one power called flight, but where a Nova with windbased powers might soar as a bird, or float like a genie, a person with firepowers might use his arms or feet as jet engines.

@ the villain, I love your char, but I'm thinking most people will be going "aarrrgh all those numbers" now. I'm working on a way to simplify the process for them while still allowing them to get as complete a char sheet as you have.

As for the character itself, I could really see that working

[TheVillain]

Hence why I spoilered the sheet. Just ignore that bit for now, kiddies.

[MaiMizzu]

@ the villain, I love your char, but I'm thinking most people will be going "aarrrgh all those numbers" now. I'm working on a way to simplify the process for them while still allowing them to get as complete a char sheet as you have.

Yeah my head exploded when I saw all the numbers. I was like.. i can't do that..

And yeah, if you put out a list of powers to choose from, i can make a character for one.

[TheVillain]

What numbers? *innocent whistle*

[Kolbrandr]

i was planning on using the cyharacter sheet, and the creation system, but resolve most of the mechanics by freeform.

Are you going for standard character creation? The Utopian/T2M novas tend to be a bit cut above the others as their thing, if that's who you mean to have the players be part of and all.

[stargirl]

Hi,
  I like Aberrant and I know the books. (including Action! and Trinity)
I would like to play. I may even help with NPCS.

I will make my starting character by the book rules.

[Tamhansen]

Are you going for standard character creation? The Utopian/T2M novas tend to be a bit cut above the others as their thing, if that's who you mean to have the players be part of and all.

Actually, the original character creation was designed for utopians. I'm not going for team tomorrow members, as that would put it right back in the superhero category I'm trying to avoid. But you can expect them to rear their ugly inflated heads now and again.

And yes, I think standard character creation rules should suffice. But characters will grow during the game.

Yeah my head exploded when I saw all the numbers. I was like.. i can't do that..

And yeah, if you put out a list of powers to choose from, i can make a character for one.

The WW character sheet looks overwhelming at first, but it's actually quite easy. But once you pick a concept for your character I can build most of it for you based on your ideas and wishes. That goes for everyone who doesn't feel up to the task of filling the sheet. Just dialogue with me on your concept. (Starting monday please, I'm swamped in preparation for this atm) And I can fill it for you to represent your character.

Hi,
  I like Aberrant and I know the books. (including Action! and Trinity)
I would like to play. I may even help with NPCS.

I will make my starting character by the book rules.

Sounds like a plan

[Tamhansen]

Already two other people who know and like trinity/aeon Wow, maybe we could get a game of that going in the future. It's a favourite of mine, but a hard sell to people unfamiliar with it.

[MaiMizzu]

The WW character sheet looks overwhelming at first, but it's actually quite easy. But once you pick a concept for your character I can build most of it for you based on your ideas and wishes. That goes for everyone who doesn't feel up to the task of filling the sheet. Just dialogue with me on your concept. (Starting monday please, I'm swamped in preparation for this atm) And I can fill it for you to represent your character.

Once you get the powers list up, I can come up with a character concept. I'm pretty good at that. I'll give you as much info as I can. I have a few ideas rumbling 'round in my head.

[phoenyx]

a'ight clueless to the game system other than it being a WW one, but I'm in Kata, and will help however you need as well. just give me a prod... or something to run with *grins*

[Vaulera]

Wow, that is actually quite an interesting concept. I'd like to take part in it, if there is still room.