Action Chatroom Development Thread

[Lighthearter]

Looks like XCOM has a crushing majority. Will take this into consideration whenever I launch my next AC, but no promises.

Current prediction is two to three weeks, but that's very liquid.

-L

 

[Dem Taqat]

Well, I came up with this to use myself, but somebody mentioned it would make sense to put it in the Development Thread so here goes. Behold a check-list for what you need to start an AC!

Does your AC have:

A Name?
A setting?
An Explanation of that setting for the players? (Required details may vary between games)
An Introduction? (May be as simple as 'you wake up in a room')
A set of Character Creation Rules?
A plot? (The exact detail may again vary, much will likely be made up on the go)
A reason for Characters to follow that plot?
A combat system? (This can be altered mid-game if it doesn't seem to be working)

This may or may not be everything you need, but if you have all these things you're definitely on the right track.

And as an additional note, anybody who wants can now go to SpAAAAAACe!

DT

 

[SamSniped]

SnipedAC III: Third Time's the Charm?
Might be coming to theaters near you, under a different name.

Spoiler TOP SECRET :

Spoiler FOR SAM'S EYES ONLY :

Spoiler ANYONE WITHOUT PROPER SECURITY CLEARANCE WILL BE TERMINATED :

Spoiler You've got balls if you're still here. Go on, open the spoiler :

Spoiler :

Trololol.

Spoiler :

Stuff

Spoiler :

Wheee

Spoiler :

This is going to be a ***** to format.

Spoiler :

Moar stuff

Spoiler :

THE ONLY EASY DAY WAS YESTERDAY - A SNIPEDAC
Or, "Maybe the Third One I Make Won't Suck? I Need a Better Name for This First."

Setting: Cold War (80's or Vietnam)? Suddenly Heated Cold War Mk. II (Roughly NATO and parts of MidEast vs. Russia/China/Socialist nations in Asia/parts of MidEast, with nuclear detonations occuring in places in the MidEast)?
Regardless, PCs are operatives on a NATO spec ops team, tasked with intel gathering, counter-insurgency, and helping with various tasks behind enemy lines.

Char stuff: SSD style charsheet and feats? Possibly HoH-style, adapted. Extreme XCOM influences.

Combat/Gameplay: XCOM, with AK-wielding madmen in place of aliens. Potentially as scary as Mutons?
Good stealth mechanics. Creativity and MacGyvering rewarded.

 

[SamSniped]

ARDORES IMMORTALIUM
The Flames of the Immortals - A SamSniped AC​

The Roman Empire. Famous for its glorious conquests, its impact on the modern world, and its amazing architectural achievements. But the gods of Rome are often overlooked, disregarded as little more than myths, tales used to explain nature back then. Jupiter ruled them all, and possessed the sky. Neptune controlled the waves, and his wrath was feared. Pluto oversaw the Underworld, and dealt with the souls of the dead. In the Underworld, a corner existed for those eternally damned. Prometheus, who gave fire to humanity. Tantalus, who fed human flesh to his guests. And many other poor souls, suffering for their crimes. Including the Titans, who ruled before the gods, locked away forever. All myths, designed to explain the unknown.
Or were they?
You've never been normal. You became an elite soldier, through hard training and service time. Your job is to protect the world with blood and bullets, a life more glorious in the books and movies than what it actually was. But even then, you have always felt a presence around you, seen something out og the corner of your eye when there's nothing there, heard a voice when you were alone. Psychological examinations show you as being perfectly sane, but there's always something there, you just can never quite see it.
Your next mission with the JST, a global peacekeeping special operations team, happens to be on Mount Olympus in Greece, attacking the arms warehouse of a well-known terrorist group. Maybe some of your questions will be answered by then.

-----

Yeah, here's that idea I mentioned in AC/XCOMchat yesterday. Just posting the general stuff, might run this, might not, depends on how the next few weeks go. As a side-note, this will require a bit of compliance from the players, at least until after the first mission.

HOW TO JOIN:
Just fill out the sheet below.

Name:
Gender:
Description:
Age:
SP:
HP:
Stats:
-STR
-DEX
-INT
-WIS
-CHA
-AIM
Feats:
Equipment:
Bio:

Spoiler Description of the above :

Name: What do you call yourself? What do others call you? What crazy things do the enemies call you?
Gender: ARE YOU MANLY MAN OR WEAKLING LITTLE GIRLY GIRL (almost anywhere between the two is acceptable)
Description: What do you look like?
Age: How old are you? 20 is the minimum. No scrubs are allowed in this super secret spec ops team, foo.
SP: You use this to buy Feats, Stats, and Equipment. You start with 25, but are only allowed to use these for Stats until after the first mission.
HP/Stats: See the Stats section below.
Feats: See the Feats section below.
Equipment: See the Equipment section below.
Bio: TELL ME YOUR BACKSTORY RAWR. The more you tell me, the more I can use against you I can get you involved with the plot.

STATS
These numbers show you how good you are at certain things, and how badly you tempt the RNG Gods in others. You start with 5 in each category (except HP, but read the damn descriptions ). SP are spent on stat points at a 1 to 1 ratio. Maximum starting attribute value is ten, minimum is zero. It is possible to increase attributes beyond 10, costing 2SP for 11-20, 3SP for 21-30 with 30 being the real hard cap.
Strength (STR): THIS IS STRONG MANLY MAN STAT. Over five points increases damage from melee attacks, how much weight you can lift, how easily you can punch through a wall, etc. UNDER 5 STRENGTH MAKES YOU PUNY LITTLE BABY GIRL.
Dexterity (DEX): DEX shows you how fast on your feet you are. Over 5 points gives you bonuses to dodging, hitting with a melee attack, and might help you steal, but don't take that as a promise. Under 5 points makes you easier to hit, and more likely to miss with a melee attack.
Intelligence (INT): INT shows your raw brainpower. Over five points helps you defend from mental attacks, and increases how sharp your mind is. Under five points makes you a sucker to psychics. No one wants to be a sucker to psychics.
Wisdom (WIS): WIS is Applied INT 101. This increases the power of your mind, and also increases how much you can apply your mind do. Under 5 points causes your mind to be WEAK LIKE LITTLE BABY MIND.
Charisma (CHA): CHA is for how smooth you are with the ladies . Over five points helps you get what you want from NPCs. Under 5 points doesn't. Don't get in a Charisma duel with the Devil, he'll buy your soul for a golden fiddle.
Accuracy (ACC): ACC is for how sharp of an eye you have. Over 5 points helps you find hidden stuff and hit targets. Under 5 points means your character needs glasses, although that won't necessarily help.
Hitpoints (HP): You start with 20 HP. Spend 1 SP for 2 HP.
(GM Note: description of INT and WIS will change after the first mission. Prepare your bodies.)

FEATS
Feats are what you are capable of when you get in trouble, or are bored and want to do something. I'm willing to accept any feat idea, but wait until after the first mission to start asking me. Below will be a list of example feats (to get ideas started), as well as a list of feats everyone can use (GM note- I might allow some player ideas to be available to everyone, don't get mad if I do) You all start off with Combat Specialist (0 SP, No penalty for using items tagged Firearms, Grenades, Knives, Military Equipment, or Light Vehicles. +2 to-hit chance with the Assault Rifle).

EQUIPMENT
This is the list of stuff you carry with you, or leave lying around the base (because that's totally a secure system, right?). Ask me before you add anything, as some items might cost SP (this includes cars and Badass Weapons). Every player starts off with the following:
-Assault Rifle (Firearm, 4+1d8 damage, crit on natural 20 (max damage +2))
-Pistol (Firearm, 2d4 damage, crit on natural 20 (does 2+3d4 damage))
-Frag Grenade (Grenade, 1d10 damage, destroys cover, slight knockback, crit on natural 20 (5+1d10 damage))
-Smoke Grenade (Grenade, 1d2 damage on a hit, creates a cloud of smoke (-2 to-hit inside and shooting through), crit on natural 20 (-4 to-hit inside and shooting through))
-50m of rope
-Duct Tape
-Comms
-Body Armor (Absorbs 2 damage from each hit, blocks some attacks (by GM Fiat) on a natural 20 defense roll)
Note that all damage numbers are subject to change.

 

[bestrfcplayer]

Thinking of doing an AC based on both Battle Royale and Hunger Games. Rule set will be posted within two weeks.

 

[Arrow Gamer]

The Horror Within

Welcome to The Horror Within, my very own AC! This a ‘Type 2’ AC, in that there is very little to no combat. Instead, this is an AC based on plot. Specifically, a plot about... well, that’s to be discovered throughout the game. All you know is that you woke up in a bedroom with some other people and that’s about it. More shall be revealed throughout the game, and some parts of the story may never be resolved. But that's neither here nor there.

Now! Character design. The template is easy enough:

Name: What you’re called.
Gender: Male or female. Both, neither, or in between is not allowed.
Appearance: What you look like. You must be human and you must be clothed. Anything outlandish will not be permitted.
Items: Anything a normal person might have. Nothing like a tank or something else in a similar vein. I reserve full right to veto anything I want.
Biography: Your backstory. Please don’t make it a depressing story for the sake of it. Normal people are just as fun as someone whose entire family died in front of them, if done right.

That’s it! Reserving a post or two below.

 

[Dem Taqat]

Rather than post it in every single game thread around, I thought I'd put this here:

Merry Christmas Gang!

DT
Very Merry

 

[Omega124]

Happy Germanic pagan celebration of the winter solstice, overtaken by Christianity in order to better attract converts

 

[arya126]

Happy Germanic pagan celebration of the winter solstice, overtaken by Christianity in order to better attract converts

There's no need to be obnoxious.

In any case I have a series of AC ideas that may or may not happen, and any are free to take the ideas and use them themselves if they wish!

Heroes

Based on the Heroes TV series that I just started, this AC would be centered on players with supernatural powers. Its a very simple AC. Each player gets one superpower, and every mission that superpower levels up. At level 1 every roll to do with that power gets a -5 penalty, and as you level up that penalty is reduced point by point. After level 5, each mission/level up will yield a bonus point to rolls to do with that power. There will be no HP, instead relying on a realistic damage system.

The catch: each player starts on their own. Through the game you may end up grouping up, but each player must start in a different city (not necessarily having to be in the USA either).

The other catch: Two players will simultaneously be having missions attempting to track down all the 'Heroes' and kill/capture them. These two players would PM the GM to apply, and would be unknown to the players. They would get an automatic +3 to all rolls as a result of badass normal training in order to level the playing field, and can work separate from each other, or team up and fight side by side.


The One Power

The One Power is based on the Wheel of Time series of books by Robert Jordan. It is in a fantasy/medieval time period in the Third Age and the world is on the cusp of Tarmon Gai'don, or otherwise known as The Last Battle against The Dark One, the primary antagonist.

The background? Channelers 3000 years ago used the One Power to bore into the fabric of space and time in search of a special 'True Power'. They unknowingly bored into the prison of the Dark One, the source of all evil in the world, from the prison that the Creator made for him at the beginning of time. He influenced the world for 100 years before starting the War of Power, utilizing dark creatures or shadowspawn such as trollocs (half human, half animal beasts 10 feet tall), Myrrdraal (Think of the wraiths from Lord of the Rings), and other creatures. The forces of Light were led by Lews Therin Telamon, named the Dragon. But as Lews Therin made an imperfect seal on the Dark One's Prison, the Dark One tainted the male half of the One Power, known as Saidin, driving all male channelers mad. The men then proceeded to 'break the world' as the random release if the one power by madmen created 10 years of chaos as mountains were annihilated and created, land rearranged, etc.

Now, 3000 years later, the Dragon is Reborn, but nobody, even he himself, knows who he is. Each of the players will be a man or a woman who can channel. Now, gender is important. Women access Saidar, and men access Saidin which is still tainted. Male channelers are hunted by the White Tower, the organization of women who can channel, in order to gentle them, or cut them off from the course in other words. Women will generally travel to the White Tower and begin to learn how to channel and become an Aes Sedai who is a woman of the white tower who can channel. Men generally either go mad or proclaim themselves the Dragon Reborn, although these men are called False Dragons as the true Dragon has not yet come. Other men will join and follow a False Dragon. There are currently 2 false dragons in the land to follow, if you can manage to avoid attracting the notice of Aes Sedai on your way.

You may be wondering, how does channeling manifest in gameplay? Well its sort of like elemental magic. I say sort of, because it is also very different. There are 5 'weaves' of the One Power: Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and Spirit. The pure weaves of each one do what you would imagine of elemental magic. Earth can move earth, fire can create or manipulate fire, air can pick something up, etc. However the more useful and advanced 'weaves' of the one power involve weaving more than one of these elements together. At the beginning you will be barely able to channel, let alone know of any specific weaves and their uses. As you progress, you will be able to learn or discover other more advanced weaves, and also get stronger in the one power.

Not every channeler is of equal strength. Some can hold only a trickle of the power and are therefore very weak. Others, such as the Dragon, can weave dozens of flows at once and not break a sweat. As you progress you will eventually see your peak in your strength in the One Power. This will be measured by levels. Some will peak at level 1, and others may get to level 8. But wise use of the power and knowledge of certain low power weaves can defeat a stronger opponent if you are smart.

It is assumed you fight for the Light. However as the game goes on you will be given the opportunity to join the Dark One, or The Great Lord as he is known to his followers. These sort of people crave power, or just like to inflict pain. He may ask you to fight for him openly, or he may keep you as a 'sleeper' ready to do his work from the inside out.

Also, unlike 'Heroes', players do not have to start apart. In fact, you have to start in groups of threes in different kingdoms. You are encouraged to start in groups of the same gender, although mixed gender groups may make it interesting because of many of the above mentioned things. One thing to note: Women can sense other women with the ability to channel, but they cannot sense men. Men cannot sense other men with the ability to channel without going through a time consuming exercise with the other mans involvement, but their hair on their arms stands on end when a woman channels nearby.

This idea will be more sophisticated than 'Heroes', be more complicated and in depth, and can be fleshed out more if there is significant interest.

 

[Arrow Gamer]

I'd like the second as long as it has no spoilers.

However, having everyone start together might be easiest on the GM, rather than scattered groups.

 

[arya126]

True. And spoilers would be iffy. Hmm. I may start it in a few weeks if I choose to do it.

 

[CivOasis]

For those of you who missed or weren't involved, I've started a new AC. Survival/Horror, first mission received positive responses from players, etc. Mechanics are a bit different from a lot of the ones that have popped up lately, and though I have a lot of text there, it isn't actually complicated to play or join, and it's open to all.

Premise is that you're a search and rescue team in the Adirondacks, searching for a man who went missing last week under mysterious circumstances.