Background Info

Welcome To Astlan Forums Into The Abyss Background Info

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #2087
    Maou
    Member

    I read that Thomas was from a mid-tech earth. If thats so does that mean that the demons have high tech weaponry that even they fear. Something that would make a nuclear explosion look weak or advanced tech for convenience, like tablets for notes, boards to allow those without wings to hover/fly. Television to relieve mild amounts of boredom, armor that can defend them from annoying mortals, and other things like that?

    #2082
    Korwin
    Member

    So the background Info reads like it could be from an RPG?
    Is it used as an Campaign-Setting? If yes, with what system?

    If no, is an RPG off shot planned?

    #2088
    Tizzy
    Member

    Well…that Antefalken took escalators up and down in the Cathedral of the Notorious Dame and that there are cars driving around the Courts…at least I think the author guy mentioned the cars and motorcycles.

    The Denubian’s are a high tech alien race, they has spaceships etc.

    As for super high tech, well I did once see this demon who drove around in, believe or not, a Blue Police Box….now there was a guy who’d wiped out more than a few entire races in fits of genocidal rage….

    #2084

    Yes and yes.

    It’s not per se from an RPG, since the book started first. I then started working on an RPG with a friend of mine (years and YEARS ago), and there was stuff we did together like character creation, etc. And then we divided up principle responsibility. He took combat, I took magic.

    So the magic system for the book and the game were basically written together. So it’s kind of a weird variation on the two options: Book based on RPG and RPG based on Book.

    The book and story and world, existed first (although not complete). We then made the world the “first” campaign setting for the game and I constructed a magic system. In general, the book is not/was not required to follow pure game rules, but rather I tried to write game rules to explain the book.

    It’s a classical RPG that has a combat system that’s fairly miniature oriented (it really helps to know where you are facing vs your opponent). It’s more similar to the old Steve Jackson games than D&D in that sense.

    So anyway…we wrote up a lot of background info for the game, and I actually had all the non-mechanics parts posted on a site for the game http://www.astlan.com (which I accidentally let expire–and now a squatter wants a couple grand to get it back) I’ve been re-purposing some of it for the book background.

    But being “one person” despite what Tizzy says, I’m a bit overwhelmed on the writing/editing/web design/graphics front and so there are short cuts and mistakes that reveal its original nature.

    I’d like to finally publish the game someday “Animus” (playing on animus and the Animus of Animosity) but I gotta drag my friend back in to get it out there and updated. Modern Self Publishing makes what we tried to do in a previous millenia so much easier…

    The game is/was completely playable, but there were a lot of rough edges we never got smoothed out. Things like a character design system that is rather long for new 1st level characters and insane for creating higher level characters. And player with an animage requires a GM of epic proportions…because what they can do is difficult for the game mechanics. Most of the game is pretty detailed and explicit in terms of rules, but Animages work better in something like the “StoryTeller” universe of games. That and Lesser/Intermediate/Greater “Miracles”

    –Onto the other races.

    yes, they are out there, the high level overview of many are on the site, just hidden. I am still editing them, and I’d like to get images for those pages, they are very text heavy.

    The section is called “The Body Politic” and it covers the races that the majority consider “people” vs monsters. I.e. they or related races conduct trade/commerce/war/etc. Although by D&D terms some are monsters. (Satyrs, Centaurs, Minotaurs, Gorgons, Giants, Ogres, Orcs and their sub races–plus most all the Sidhe (light and dark) etc.) Unfortunately, from a book perspective I only want to put out more “book level” information rather than the more detailed “monster manual” style stuff…so that is where editing becomes a huge job.

    #1119
    Korwin
    Member

    RPG???

    #2083
    Maou
    Member

    Also while I was reading about demon’s a saw that an entry for half-demon’s might exist:-s , but I couldn’t find it anywhere. Does anybody know where it is.
    Also is their any info on the non-human sentient’s such as the elves, dwarves, fey, hobbits, …etc and their opinion on magic, demon, location, or anything really?

    #2085
    Korwin
    Member

    Is it a Class/Level system, or a Point/buy?
    I would think a Point/buy would work better (so you can have an Cleric who is also an Animagus)…

    #2086

    Hmm…well…I guess I’d say it’s a hybrid.

    It’s all about training. You get XP and then you spend time training in something or with someone, you can choose to train in your profession, or your skills or your abilities and basically spend your XP. So it’s sort of like buying, but you can “buy” levels, attributes (e.g. knowledge/strength), stealth, etc.

    So there are levels like in a classic system, but you don’t have to spend your XP going up levels, you could start learning a new profession, or new skills that don’t tie to a possession. The skill system is rather like the ones used in better MMPORPG’s but it predates all of them.

    And I literally mean that; at the height of game development, AOL was a rising star! [Modem noises ensue]

    So reading that you’d might say it’s a “buy” system. Except we use levels for determining chance of success, whether that’s in casting a spell and not dying or picking a lock, or making a clay goblet.

    Incidentally, if you have the mana, and have studied a spell, a wizard can certainly “try” to cast a spell beyond their own level, just like in real life. Just be prepared to “fumble” it. Sort of like the wizard with the Cloud of Destruction.

    [i]BTW: before anyone reads that bit about AOL rising…it literally hasn’t taken me that long to write the first book. So you don’t have to fear for the second, thinking “this guy makes George Martin look like a Harlequin Romance Writer in terms of speed”

    I got stuck, paused, had to write my dissertation and then go out and get a job. I didn’t return to “writing” for about 7 years and in the mean time (10 years) have equally not finished several more long novels before finally, last fall realizing how to get unstuck and started cranking on cleaning up/finishing up Volume I. And am now cranking away on two, and have the plot through the third and maybe longer (if that’s what’s needed–and it probably will be).[/i]

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.