*Sneaks something new in*
The 4th Angels and Demons
By: Kayi
kayi: Simple system info:
First attack per turn is always at base value. Each additional attack suffers a penalty based on the type of weapon. These penalties may range from simply a lower chance to hit, to actually causing the wielder injury.
Some weapons must be charged or have ammunition built up inside it (assuming it is not one of the rare weapons that cannot have ammo created for it, or is otherwise limited uses). In this case, number of charges/shots max will be listed, and amount that can be generated/charged per turn.
Ranges affect how far a weapon can strike efficiently at. "Melee" implies the weapon remains in the hands of the wielder when striking. Though some melee weapons have a range (whips, living-chains, etc), when they reach their limit, that is the end of it. Attacking past accepted range in Melee requires moving closer, and is deemed automatically done, potentially putting the attacker at risk of attacks of opportunity, walking into traps, or other dangers, if they're not careful.
For actual ranged weapons, up to it's first range has no penalty, and every range block after the first has a -2, up to it's limit. The format is ## (##), to ##. (IE, a pistol would be 30 (10), 100. Meaning up to 30 meters/yards no penalty, and a -2 for every 10 feet after that, out to 100 meters/yards, where the weapon loses too much power to ever shoot accurately.)
Combat rounds are deemed time variable. Certain forms of combat may be as brisk as a few seconds of rapid gunfire exchange per round, other forms may be complicated martial arts passes, taking long minutes of intense combat before a single round of battle resolves. In the event of mixed combat between these styles, a middle ground is often fallen back on. IE: at melee range, it's more difficult to bear a gun on a target while they're slashing at you with a giant freaking sword, resulting in gun combat being slowed, while the sword wielder is acting overly aggressive with the weapon due to the gun-fighter's ineffective defenses, causing the two combatants to find a unique middle-ground for the fight.
For simplicity sake, when in doubt, one can assume a combat round lasts between 15 and 20 seconds. Note: This applies to recharging weapons as well, as ducking for cover while reloading allows more focus on the weapon (faster reload), than attempting to charge a weapon while dodging a melee attack (slower reload), once again allowing the system to self-balance.
kayi: SVTNPP - Standard Variable Tech Nano-Powered Pistol
Ammo: 5/5 shots. Reload: 5 sp per shot, 1 per turn.
2d6 damage, +0 to-hit, Range: 30(10)/to 100. Multi: Penalty per shot, -0/-3/-6/-9/-12 (max 5 shots)
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A standard armament of the futuristic post-apocalypse mortal world, stuffed to the brim with nanomachines so it can effectively use a variety of 'hard' ammo. Standard shots fired from this weapon are created from debris and materials around the weapon itself, expending the wielder's energy to fuel it's nano-factory for ammo construction.
Angels/Demons have learned through experience against this weapon that it is surprisingly effective for a side-arm, and that by channeling their own power into the weapon, the nanomachines, not caring where they're powered from, will perform their duty in generating ammo.
kayi: No, you decide how many shots you fire. If you fire 1 shot, it's 1 shot, no penalty. If you fire 3 shots, it's 1 at -0, 1 at -3, 1 at -6. Then that's it.
kayi: If you fire all 5, then the shots are all as described
Diagasvesle: Kk.
kayi: So if you fire 2 shots per round (and generate 1 ammo per round), you could get 5 rounds of double-shots at 0 and -3 penalty (respectively). For massive damage compared to single-shooting.
Diagasvesle: 1 at -0, 1 at -3, 1 at -6, 1 at -9, 1 at -12, is that how the rolls would work if firing all 5 shots? Would the penalties increase if the shot goes over the 30 meter mark for the pistol?
kayi: Or, you could triple shot to burn ammo... or even blow all 5 rounds in the first turn. Then swap to an alternate weapon if the fight continues.
Diagasvesle: *Nods*
kayi: Addative. If it's at 40 meters (-2) then the penalties would be -2, -5, -8, -11, -14
Diagasvesle: Kk.
Diagasvesle: If the weapon is say, bolt action, does it have the ability to shoot multiple shots per round?
kayi: It will, but the limits will reflect on this. Needing to handle the bolt will sharply penalize the player, and risk mis-bolting the round if they attempt to fire too many rounds in a turn.
Diagasvesle: I believe i understand the range combat part for ranged weapons... Care to give an example for a ranged melee weapon such as a whip or living chain?
kayi: It would be akin to 20(5)/to 35. Hence at ranges up to 20 meters, it has no penalty, while out past, up to it's limit, it becomes harder to control, and eventually simply cannot move further (past 35 meters).
kayi: In that weapon, control over it gives -0 out to the 20 meter mark. Then at 25 it's -2. At 30 it's -4 and at 35 (this weapon's limit) it's at -6.
kayi:
Name:
Race/Aligned: (angel, mortal, demon)
HP: 100 / 100
SP: 100 / 100
XP: 0
Bonuses:
Skills:
Inventory:
Picture:
Description: (variance from picture if pic provided.)
Background: (Simple background provided assuming none is given here. Backgrounds must be approved.)
kayi: you will start off with no bonuses nor skills. These are obtained through items and can be perminantly gathered by spending XP to do so.
kayi: *gives full game info*
kayi: Life, the Universe, and Everything. It was all created so long ago, by an unseen force that no one has witnessed since. "Good" and "Evil" keeping balance over one another, with 'mankind' self assured that THEY were the 'third power'.
They may have been right. In the distant future in a time of deep space travel, where nanomachines gave humans abilities that could almost surpass those of angels or demons, mortal eventually discovered a way to open the passageways to both heaven and hell. Although those who died are still locked away deep within the realms of each, and without a physical body, may not merely be 'brought back'.
Each group growing ever more distrusting of the others, was ready to begin the final battle, and bring about the end of days.
Then, a fourth power came.
Offering an alliance secretly with each of the other three, they all eagerly accepted, without knowing what they were getting into, and a climactic battle erupted.
In the wake of that first battle, Heaven, Hell, and the Mortal World were all left in ruins.
The fourth power was not salvation from the apocalypse.
It WAS the apocalypse.
kayi: By the time the players start, Earth is already gone. Heaven's gates are torn asunder. And Hell is without a ruler, as Lucifer himself has fallen to the fourth power. The three sides are going to be dragged together and forcefully told, "Work together, or go fight THAT alone." And the first encounter WILL murder anyone who can't work as a team.
kayi: standard character death can be respawned from. This enemy will not allow it. Anyone dead to the first enemy is perm-dead. No revival.
kayi: which means that characters unable to work as a team will suffer very very short lifespans
kayi: There are three choices for characters, Angels, Demons, and Mortals.
Angels have high power and capability, but are susceptible to corruption. They are granted their powers from and outside source which will just as happily take their powers away if they act out of line. Angels losing their powers will NOT merely become mortals, they simply lose their powers, and cannot do anything but wield what weapons they still own.
-Advantages: Strongest starter class. No real flaws.
-Disadvantages: WILL lose powers if acting like pricks like last game.
Mortals are the most adaptive of the group, though lacking many spirit powers that the others begin with, and weapons of man being weaker by compare, they find themselves capable of wielding weapons of both sides, and even capable of merging weapons that are of both sides to create new, powerful objects.
-Advantages: Most adaptive with weapons, can create mortal-only weapons that trump holy or demonic weapons.
-Disadvantages: No spirital powers, weak starting class from no +50% weapon options. Absorbed nano-powers often weaker than holy or demonic counterparts.
Demons exist as the spawn of darkness. Though each individual demon may represent one of many acts of sin or evil, more powerful ones often represent many, or even the mere negative existance as a whole. Demons gain power by taking it from others.
-Advantages: May steal powers from defeated foes, strongest power growth if enough XP to support it.
-Disadvantages: Weakest starting class, demonic weapons will always be outclassed by holy weapons.
kayi:
Notes: There will be penalties for pointless in-fighting. Angels, fucking play good guys, act evil and you suffer. Mortals and Demons: Be evil if you'd like, but know if your actions cause the party to fail, you're going to be destroyed too. Hence to all 3 types, it's in your best interest to play nice, and acting against yourself in this way WILL cause the GM to step in and penalize you.
RPing tension, going off on different approaches to the same mission, refusing to risk yourself to aid a "foe" type, all accepted. Throwing a teammate into imminent rape or attacking her directly... NOT.
kayi:
Angels -
+50% holy wepaon damage
-50% demon weapon damage
Support Items and Abilities
Holy weapons tend to be superior (single type) weapons.
Mortals -
100% damage for holy or demon weapons.
Tech focus/Devices (variety of powers)
Can create hybrid weapons from both holy and demonic power.
Demons -
-50% holy weapon damage
+50% demon weapon damage
Offensive Items and Abilities
May absorb powers from enemies by ripping it from their existance.
kayi:
Weapons can be used by any group, but give bonuses for familiarity with them and being in-tune. Items and abilities are race-specific, and as such they CAN NOT be used by other races. These penalties cannot be 'trained away' during the RP, as using computers is as foreign to angels/demons as wielding holy/demonic magics is to mortals. Things vague enough any race can use it will be tagged "generic", and possibly have an origin mark on it. But generic-tagged items have no bonus nor penalty for any race.
Spending Experience Points will allow you to take temporary skills (as available by equipping items) and turn them into perminant bonuses. Doing this absorbs the bonus out of the item through one of the means available to your group. (Angels give the power to their 'source', and can wield it, mortals analyze and retain data through nanotech, demons tear the power out and absorb it into themselves... more or less.)
Characters can equip up to 5 items before equipment burden sets in. This 'burden' is not in the physical sense, but refers to enduring multiple layers of magical (or technological) abilities not in-tune with their body. In this way, experience points are spent to bring the value under the character's control (in the methods described above).
Diagasvesle: Mhmmm
Diagasvesle: Inventory, any limits?
kayi:
In this manner, one could 'absorb' the power of weapons too, however this is not advised under normal circumstances. After all, 'stealing' a swords magic ability to be 'sharper', doesn't really help a punch be any stronger, as your fist is not a sharp weapon in any sense of the word. Thus, the action would ruin the sword (taking away it's power), while giving you very, very little (if anything) in return.
As this power-stealing is based on magic and tech 'bonuses', raw-objects (non-magic, non-tech) like everyday guns and swords have nothing to 'absorb' out of. They may be wielded as standard, and nothing more. Attempting to absorb them is merely wasting precious XP for no benefit, so have fun doing that if you really want to sit around absorbing everything you come across.
kayi: Inventory has only 'reasonable' limits. IE, you can't stick a car in your pocket. However if you're strong enough to carry one, you could heft it around for a while. (Note: Most characters won't be. But I'll happily laugh at your attempts.) The equip limit also does not apply to non-magic/non-tech objects. Or any self-contained power. Hence, having a standard old-world handgun with everyday bullets, you can equip that on top of 5 powered items. Or using an ordinary sword, or a sledge hammer. Likewise, wielding armors that are non-powered,will not apply against your 5-item limit. However, non-powered weapons, items, and armors, are substantially weaker than their powered partners, and you may very quickly find yourself lacking if you fall back to relying on such objects.
Diagasvesle: Doomsday type weapons, in exsitence in game? Or can they only be made by mortals?
kayi: you mean like nukes?
Diagasvesle: No, Nukes are WMD's 1 time usages.
Diagasvesle: Doomsday weapons are WMD's that are multi useage
Diagasvesle: Like a blade that can split plantes in two with 1 swing.
kayi: You could, effectively, carry an entire arsenal of weapons, shields, armors, and all kinds of other objects. They'd just be useless other than the first 5 you attempt to wield.
In fact, it's likely a good idea to carry a few extra items if you have them. Since absorbing powers from objects removes the power from an item. Hence once you snatch all the power out of your nano-shield and it becomes a part of your mortal's natural nanomachines, he could happily pull out a new camo-unit, or a backup sheild that he didn't have equipped, and activate it right away.
kayi: weapons that powerful exist, but even if your characters find one, they're not likely powerful enough to wield it.
kayi: Just to give you an idea... The average doomsday weapon would take about 1,000 starting players to wield. And would exhaust their entire SP supply, and most of their HP to fire it a single time.
kayi: oh very likely if you tried it all at once. But more likely your body would explode from the power, the raw energy seeping out of every cell of your being until they themselves tear one another apart. Hence why you would have to do it gradually to ever hope for the chance to do so.
kayi: this is why XP exists. XP is a running value of how much power you can absorb safely.