One of my primary motivators for signing up to Elliquiy, beyond general inability to find high-quality RP was an interest in running a (perhaps several) game(s) of my own. This particular idea has been bouncing around my mind for... mmm... must be weeks, at least, at this point. But enough boring chatter, here's my pitch:
Elevator Music
If you were to seek out a true Modern Babel, the Strait of Dover Aerospace, Commerce, Industrial and Housing Complex would be a good place to start. 35 kilometers long from South Foreland to the adjoining maglev relay on the French shore, nearly 2 kilometers wide and reaching from the seabed to two-hundred stories above the waves in a few places, pathetic words like “massive” or “gigantic” do not even begin to describe the scale of the Channel Strip (as it is commonly called). Having survived a particularly vicious half-century, including the infamous European Reformation Wars, countless riots, imagination-defying firestorms, flooding, hurricanes, tsunamis and a record-setting eight fusion warhead strikes, some have suggested that the Strip will outlast its builders, even that it has a kind of life of its own.
Regrettably, these handful of “crazies” are, generally speaking, correct.
The date is February 2nd, 2139, and humanity has spread over much of the solar system. The Pan-Human Union, alone, consists of some twenty-billion souls, with countless more filling the thousands of habitats orbiting beloved Sol and its satellites.
Of the fifty-odd million people crammed into the Channel Strip, only seven foreign visitors will survive the catastrophes to come, finding themselves isolated and lost within a seemingly-endless maze of metal, plastic and glass. They will face madness, fear, pain, and more unspeakable, impossible things in the depths of the Strip with only each other and the quiet elevator music issuing from the ubiquitous speakers as companions. But if even one escapes, maybe, just maybe, there is hope for mankind and perhaps even the truth itself.Elevator Music is a survival/horror/sci-fi/fantasy game for seven players. Expect the impossible, the unsettling, numerous challenges from within and without and a slow descent into madness as the borders of reality becomes increasingly unclear. Furthermore, I plan to be playing hardball, so cooperation, resourcefulness, creativity, some amount of planning and excellent roleplaying will not only be rewarded and admired, but also probably necessary for survival (and even then it isn't guaranteed).
Now, for the nitty-gritty.
Each character will be created using the following template.
Name:
Gender:
Age:
Physical Description:
Brief History:
Starting Items/Mods:
Advantages:
Disadvantage:
I assume there will be some clarification required or requested, though the first two should be reasonably self-explanatory.
Gender is only male or female, though I realizes that cuts down on the options. Genetic technology has advanced to the point where very exotic genetic manipulations might be possible, but the Pan-Human Union takes a dim view on such things and so most follow suit.
Age has a minimum: 6300 days. For those too lazy to do the math, this comes out to roughly seventeen years and ninety-one days.
Physical description is how your character looks, of course. Don't forget to consider the mod (if any) you have selected in your starting items.
Brief history should also be self-explanatory. Give a brief summary of who this person is, and what they're doing on the strip.
Starting items/mods are the objects that your character has directly on their person or containers that they are carrying (though sufficiently large containers might count as an item in itself). These should all be important or useful items for the character. Also keep in mind the technological advancements that have occurred. While I cannot predict every possibility (though I will do my best to answer any questions about the availability of an idea), here's a rough outline of what's possible.
- Handheld computers with double-digit gigahertz processing speeds are practically as common as shoes.
- “Mono” items, or blades with impossibly sharp edges are doable, but still pricy and generally restricted, at least for personal uses, as violence is most commonly the intended use and firearms are still more practical.
- Chemically-based slug throwers are still the predominant personal weapon, though exotic ammunition is nearly common, within reason. Frangible AP rounds, yes. Miniature fusion warheads, no.
- Massively miniaturized versions of common modern items? Certainly.
- Somewhat enhanced versions of mundane items, such as backpacks that can also serve as sturdy waterproof shelters or whatnot, can and should still be considered, as they are generally far more durable than their fancier counterparts and can be more versatile, as well.
Also noteworthy is that basic items like ID, a single set of clothing, and such normal items can be added without being one of your choices. This includes a basic multipurpose mobile communication device (including excellent video, audio, games, etc).
And I'm sure that at least some of you are curious about the “mods” part of Items/mods. Cybernetic or Bioengineered enhancement is relatively common, though generally marks the bearer or his or her parents as somewhat well off. While this is obviously oversimplifying things, bioengineered mods should be somewhat less powerful, but are more dependably and effectively meshed with the host. Cybernetic mods are more powerful, but are more likely to clash with the host or fail if mistreated. Here are some ideas of what's possible.
- Basic physical enhancements: enhanced oxygen relays for increased stamina, reinforced skin or muscle for better toughness or strength, ocular replacements for better sight, backup memory banks for perfect memory and so on.
- Built-in multipurpose communication devices or other tools.
- Low level healing enhancements, not regeneration, but allowing for better recuperation and recovery with or without aid.
Each character may only have a
single mod, and a total of three items/mods.
An
advantage is rather simple, it's a thing or skill which sets your character above his or her peers in some way. Each character starts with up to three advantages.
A
disadvantage is something that sets your character below his or her peers. Each character starts with one disadvantage. It does not need to be a fatal flaw, but it's something to help define, develop and hinder your character.
Characters may gain or lose advantages and disadvantages as the game progresses.
Six of the characters will be entirely mundane, but the seventh will be the
crazy, an otherwise unremarkable person who is harboring what might politely be called "a drastically altered reality matrix." This will fulfill their disadvantage obligation (and likely represent more of a disadvantage than the others), but will also grant them partial resistance to further mental degeneration and possibly some odd insights. This role need not be adversarial (and preferably won't), but may be more interesting or frustrating than other roles, especially after seeing giant cockroaches three times and only having them actually be there once.
This is my first time attempting to run a game on a forum, so please be kind and feel free to ask for clarifications and whatnot. I'll give them as I can.
Most importantly, is anyone interested?
