Duvors

Does it need one? 'The World' is probably what most people call it and I don't think a post-apocalyptic setting would have a formalized name for the planet.

To be honest, that's entirely up to @Endgame. They're his creation after all. The Factions listed here are supposed to only be the major ones that everyone would know about, not all the ones that exist. There's also the fact that these factions are meant to be automatically available for Mission Masters to base quests around. Other MMs might want to create a faction that's solely their purview in order to create a tighter narrative around them, or minor factions that other MMs are free to use but aren't well known enough to be listed with the big ones. @Goliath@Waterbrick Down I do think there are technologies that have such a huge impact on the setting that they'd have to be established by the basic lore. I do have such an idea in fact, primarily about the relationship between FTL and communications. Jump Gates Jump Gates are mysterious ancient devices that seem to be derived from magical transposition circles but on a much larger scale. When activated by a specific sequence of magical discharges a jump gate will open a 'tunnel' between itself and another gate connected with it allowing ships to pass through. This requires a lot of energy however, meaning the tunnel only stays open for a short while before closing so the Gate can recharge. This by itself wouldn't mean much, as most large vessels have their own FTL drives. However years of testing discovered that a Gate can broadcast signals to any connected Gates at FTL speeds without opening a tunnel, something currently unheard of. These qualities have made these gates the center of interstellar commerce, with Ebria Station built next to one of these Gates (in fact, the Ebria Gate was the most Gates connected to it of any in known space). However, there is never more then one Gate in any star system, and and many systems that one would wish to visit have no gates at all. As no form of FTL communication other than the Gates currently exists, these systems often rely in information couriers for news of the wider Arm. Additionally, the sequences for some gates have never been discovered, meaning that what lies on the other side is unknown. That may not last forever though, and if a new one opens Heroica may find itself among the first explorers. Aside from the similarities to Stargate, the point of this is that FTL communications are ubiquitous but not universal. That way MMs can take their players off the grid if they want to, but otherwise don't need to worry about transmission times and other such nonsense. All excellent, I approve. You clearly put a lot of thought into this! Eh, it's just an example. I only really care because we want to encourage certain archetypes, not pigeonhole people into them. I'm probably overemphasizing Logical in order to make that point but hey, what can you do? As to traits, I only really think they're necessary because we need a way to distinguish bigfig characters from normal minifigs. And possibly winged and multi-limbed characters. You seem to have missed the point of the orcs, they're not antagonists. They were once, but currently they're trying to peacefully integrate themselves into the galaxy. This is complicated as not only is the war and all the territory they took still fresh in the minds of everyone but the populations of those territories probably don't like the orcs very much (they may also feel betrayed by the governments who essentially signed them over to the orcs, or perhaps some willingly joined them out of fear or a belief they'd make better rulers). Remember, the orcs signed on to the ITA, that means they allow free trade between themselves and the other nations. I'd also say that the Drandora accords make it so the orcs have to adopt standard passport and customs systems and allow immigration to and from their territories (people leaving conquered territories to return to their nations is one possibility). In fact I'd say that the orcs have more to lose from war than anyone else. Their local situation is unstable due to conquered populations and the uncertainty of their continued unity and another war might cause it all to fall apart. Ultimately they're meant to show how upset and unstable the situation is and act as another place for people to come from. I'd rather have a largely unique narrative for the game as a whole honestly. A rehash of the inter-house conflict of the last game doesn't really speak to me. The rest I'm fine with.

@Classic_Spaceman That's very well done! However I doubt that a tribe of hunter-gatherers would have a full on 'intelligence branch', a scout would probably be more appropriate. The high-tech equipment is probably fine though as that's intended to be fairly ubiquitous. One thing I have to mention however is that you've forgotten to designate your weapon's type. Considering what it is I'd say it's a hand cannon. And since you're not a spellcaster you don't need to list Ether on your character sheet. Other then that you look fine!

Thank you! To be honest it's only some very general spitballing, there are plenty of things I'm not satisfied with and changes I already want to make.

Because you come from far away and might've seen things? I don't know! You're not obliged to know if you don't want to.

Right, here's my attempt at basic lore. As with the rules my thought processes are in spoilers. Basic History It is thirty years since the Pluuravian Empire and the League of Independent Nations went to war. Twenty-seven since the newly unified Orc Clans caught both off guard with a surprise attack. Twenty-six since Pluuravia and the League halted their advance with a united offensive. And twenty-five since the war ended with the signing of the Drandora Accords. With the Euripides Arm now having been at peace for more than two decades, people hope that this shall usher in a new age. However, the Arm is still an uncertain place, the war having left the political sphere unstable. It is in this hopeful, uncertain place that we find Heroica. Founded a mere two years ago by veterans of the war, Heroica is a mercenary company dedicated to providing the best service possible. With one major difference. You see, the founders of Heroica could have found work at any mercenary company without much difficulty. However they found that the unscrupulousness of most companies distasteful. Realizing that there may be more people with their skills both in need of money and sharing their scruples they pooled their resources together, purchased the necessary licenses and a disused hotel on Ebria station, and let it be known they were hiring. Making only the most cursory background checks, Heroica is designed as a place where anyone seeking a new start can go. Demanding no fixed rates for service, their help is within reach for even the poorest should they desire it. Having become well known for their quality in the short time they've been active, Heroica found itself growing rapidly. But the recent influx of new members raises one question. Will they remain true to their ideals? Regardless, one certainty remains: When You Need an Act of Heroism, We Are At Your Service. Major Powers League of Independent Nations The League had it's beginnings as a collection of minor powers who banded together in order to resist larger aggressors. Over time as more planets joined the League grew to surpass many of the powers it once feared, becoming a major power in it's own right. The League is very committed to the idea that all it's members are independent nations. While this can lead to some degree of internal disunity in the International Assembly they still manage to act as a cohesive unit often enough to assuage doubts. Doubts are not assuaged however by the end of the war. While the Fortaan offensive was immensely successful, the stalemate afterwards made some believe the commanding officers dropped the ball somewhat. There are also those dissatisfied by the amount of territory ceded to the orcs, and with the lack of a proper resolution to what was supposed to be the final showdown with one of their oldest rivals, the Pluuravians. All the same, the League remains united and hopeful for a brighter future. Orc Clans Until very recently the idea of orcs at the head of a major power would've gotten more then a few laughs. Seen as little more than barbarians incapable of even ruling themselves properly, the orcs were mostly notable for sporadic raids against nations bordering their space. That all changed however when a single orc unified the clans under the infamous 'Red Banner' and lead them in an attack against their currently warring neighbors, only being halted by a desperate last offensive by their newly unified enemies. In a move that would've been unthinkable only a few years ago, the orcs were invited to a peace conference on neutral ground. Even more unthinkably, not only did they accept, but they agreed to retain their current borders and cease expansion, even agreeing to membership in the newly formed Interstellar Trade Authority. This was due to the unifier's sudden death and the need for the orcs to choose his heir. A few years and a new ruler on many have come to accept the orcs as a permanent fixture. However, many outside the clans wish for a return of the orcs to disunity. And though the new High King wishes for a more peaceful integration with their neighbors many are dissatisfied by the treaty's terms and wish to expand once more. Regardless, while the orcs were once at a disadvantage when dealing with others, now they speak from a position of strength. Pluuravian Empire The Empire is a major state ruled directly by Empress Zimar and the Imperial Parliament (elected by and from the most 'worthy' citizens) from it's capital on the planet Hi-Pluuvon. The Empire's story began decades ago with the planet's unification and it has been expanding ever since. Recently however several border incidents with the League of Independent Nations stemming from pirate hunting operations in neutral space lead to the Imperial Parliament (with the Empress's blessing) declaring war upon the League for 'Violating our Sovereign Territory'. In truth the war was a long time coming, as the two have been rivals ever since they encountered one another. Something about 'direct rule' vs 'individual sovereignty'. In any case what was supposed to be a quick victory turned into a three year stalemate until the orcs attacked out of nowhere, forcing the two powers into an uneasy alliance. Although propaganda says they won the war, the planets taken by the orcs say otherwise. Despite the ennui evoked by this major disappointment of a war and increasing calls to expand the franchise to less 'worthy' citizens the empire carries on as it always has. Lead by the guiding hand of the Empress, it is hoped that the empire will not only recover, but soar to ever greater heights. Organizations Interstellar Trade Authority The ITA was formed at the end of the war by both the major powers and a number of smaller nations present at the signing of the Drandora Accords, and the number of nations allowing to authority to operate in their space has only grown since then. Headquartered on Ebria Station, the ITA acts as an international commerce regulation agency, as well operating the immediately recognizable Space Police. The Space Police are the most recognizable element of the ITA, having been founded for the purpose of conducting anti-pirate operations in neutral space and enforcing ITA regulations. Additionally they act as an international coordination body for national police forces. However, the ITA is in fact a rather limited agency, acting more as a list of international regulations then as a distinct entity, most of said regulation being overtly favorable to the major powers. And the Space Police themselves are limited in jurisdiction to open space and certain space stations. And sometimes not even that, if the space in question is owned by any national government then the SP requires permission for each individual operation. Add to that the chronic shortages of money and personnel that plague any international organization and you begin to see how effective they truly are. That being said, there are many who see them as beacons of a brighter future. Perhaps they're right. Black Sun Triad At the Opposite end of the scale there are these guys. The Triad is a major criminal organization originating from a minor information trading group and are involved in every activity you can imagine. Lead by a mysterious triumvirate the Black Sun have made themselves the bane of police forces everywhere, with only the orcs being mostly free of them (though they're starting to expand there as well). They're also believed to be involved with Blackmore Security, a mercenary company that can be summed up as everything Heroica isn't. Whether or not they're connected though, the Triad's infamous three triangles strike fear into the hearts of many. The Thaumaturgic Society Insular, mysterious, obtuse. These are all things that have been used to describe the Society. They aren't a religious organization, they aren't a research group, they aren't even a magical circle! Most people know more about what they aren't then what they are. In truth, the Society seems to be a group devoted to the study of Occultisim, the mystic science of psychic powers, secret knowledge, and things from different orders of reality. Although known for concealing much they can be surprisingly open when necessary or even just when they're asked. Most don't think to ask them anything though, not unless they need it. There's something forbidding about them that pushes people away unless they really need help. There are two things everyone knows however, one is their symbol, the other is their motto. As Above, So Below. Locations Ebria Station Located in neutral space at the crossroads of several major trade routes, Ebria is one of the largest and most cosmopolitan stations in the known galaxy. Built on the remains of a much older station of unknown origin Ebria has historically been neutral ground, a fact few nations are willing to jeopardize due to it's commercial importance. The fact that the station wasn't chosen to host the conference that ended the war was taken as a very odd snub by most of the citizens. It's nature has made it the headquarters of a number of commercial groups including the Interplanetary Banking Association, the ITA, and others. The station has it's own government and police forces (though many believe them to be in the pay of several major corporations) and cooperates extensively with the Space Police. This hasn't stopped the station from becoming a hub of interstellar crime, with many gangs using it to smuggle goods and information through this space (it's also a tax haven, which attracts a different kind of criminals). The station remains prosperous, but only time will tell how long that will last. Drandora A minor planetoid in the Draida Belt, Drandora is most notable for two things, acting as a major resupplying station, and hosting the site of the Drandora Accords. It's sudden importance has revived it's popularity as a tourist destination, something it hasn't been for ages with locals and foreign companies scrambling to take advantage. Arcadia One of the major planets of the League, Arcadia is home not to one, but three native species. Although humans, elves, and dwarves can be found throughout known space all records seem to agree on Arcadia being their world of origin. Littered with relics of the mysterious 'Ancient Empire', Arcadia is host to many nations of the three 'cousin species'. It is also notable for having acted as the command center of the League military during the war, and has become highly militarized as a result. All of the categories above can be expanded or contracted or changed entirely to suit the needs of the game and the preferences of the designers. These are just what I could think of. I think the issue here is not that there shouldn't be a basic archetype for each species, but that players shouldn't feel compelled by the mechanics to only play that archetype. The logical trait you've suggested for elves brings this to the fore, as it apparently forces a specific personality type on all elf players with no ability to opt out. To be honest I'm not entirely certain there's a need for species to be mechanically defined. I'd rather players have a list of traits to choose from at character creation that show a mix of biological and individual traits. I'd let them take two from such a list so that even if you're playing as a species with a clear biological trait (such as having four arms) you'd still have some additional freedom with character design.

@Waterbrick Down To be honest I'm only familiar with TOS myself. I guess what I'm really objecting to here is making what appear to be personality types and cultural elements into something that defines every member of the species. The proficiencies are fine because you have a list to choose from, but the traits are going to be the same for every member of the species and ultimately a large part of what defines them. So I think some thought needs to be put into them. I think having a google doc would be a great idea honestly! @Goliath I'm not sure about using colored highlights in character sheets. I think that passions would probably best be represented as bonuses that allow you to go over the normal proficiency cap. If we have them anyway. Also, I made some edits to the rules: I added traits because we seem to have a consensus on adding them. I'm assuming that my idea of having a single generic trait for every character is accepted here, but that can be changed. The change to my levels cap idea was due to the fact that there are now multiple sources that allow you to go over the normal amount. I didn't add anything about gaining classes because I'm not certain if WBD's numbers for class levels represent points you need to spend or points you have accrued.

To be honest I think this looks very good. I know. It's just that I don't really like those justifications very much. I recognize that 'logical' is supposed to be a reference to Vulcans, but with the Vulcans the commitment to logic was always more of a cultural thing as I understood it. Logic is something they actively elevate over emotion because Vulcan emotions are very intense and they blame this intensity for thousands of years of conflict. My assertion that elves have keener senses comes largely from Tolkien ('What do your elf eyes see?') and I admit that it's not necessary to base our assumptions for this world on his work. I suggested Endurant as an alternate trait for humans because humans are often pegged as the generic species and I'd rather make them more distinctive. Talking about assumptions though, I have several ideas for a sort of initial lore segment for whatever we call the library. Something to set basic assumptions and give players something to build off. If it's allright I'd like to lay it out here.

I understand that, I was just pointing out that it's a bit finicky. Weirdly enough, this make me like those traits even less.

I think the story is fine! The only thing I'd keep in mind is what Lind said, that this is an icy apocalypse, so if there are any green places then they're being actively maintained by someone. I actually wrote out a whole orc nation that's going to be rather prominent in my quest (that's what Lind meant) and I'd be willing to share some elements with you if you want. Nice to have you! I don't think it matters what race you are, I'd rather the tribe have a good mix so plenty of different characters are available.

I was thinking that Species traits didn't have to be unique, It was just a way to give each species a feature that they'd logically have due to biology. @Waterbrick Down While I don't mind species-based proficiencies that much I feel that tying them to culture is problematic simply because not all members of a species will come from the same culture. There's also the fact that I'm not fond of 'logical' or 'adaptive' as racial traits. Those seem more like generic traits then something naturally following from species biology. As an alternative I'd give Elves Perceptive (grants +1 to Insight and Perception) to represent them having keener senses, and humans would have Endurant (May run long distances without tiring) because that represents something distinct about real humans in regards to the rest of the natural world.

@Goliath @Kintobor I personally was thinking along the lines of having a single trait for each species and then having a free-floating second trait that people could choose. That would allow us to have traits that are inherently tied to biology (such as having four arms) while still having room to customize.

I understand. Honestly the issue I see is not the presence of animal-like species, but rather the lack of distinction some of then seem to possess. And in that vein I feel that lumping all the animalistic species into a single group is less a solution to the problem and more a case of having the same problem in different clothes. To be honest if I were to lump them all into one category then I'd make them the product of druidic science (magical life sciences). But I'd prefer distinct species. for instance: Krassar: (Chima Crocodiles/CMF Lizard Suit) A semiaquatic species known for exceptional night vision. Szromkit: (4-LOM/CMF Fly) A winged scavenger species of unknown origin. Hyboran: (Chima Bears) An immensely strong species that can endure extreme cold. Culori: An amorphous cephalopod species renowned for occult mastery Hir-Connii: (Atlantis Sharks) A predatory aquatic species that requires rebreathers to survive out of the water. Ornithun: Flightless avians known for their speed. These are all very basic but you get the idea. I'd also like to see more aliens that have no particular resemblance to any recognizable animals. Lego provides several heads like that and it'd be a shame not to use them. Also, here's a species I thought up while writing that I didn't think should be mechanically separate because they already fit into an existing one. Oruk: (Ninjago skull molds) A species that was once notable for having exaggerated facial structures, the Oruk as a species are currently extinct. This is not the last of them however, as many still roam the stars as undead. Their descendants, the Orcs, still revere them as ancestral guardians and heroes. The skull of an Oruk is the device on the famous 'Red Banner' and Oruk are often leaders of orc clans.

@Goliath @samurai-turtle @Waterbrick Down If I may interject here, most of what you're describing here seems less like individual species and more like Clades, Families, or even Orders. That is, groups of interrelated species rather than individual ones. So far the only things you've described with distinct enough characteristics to be considered species are the classic fantasy races, Androids, Star-Born, Golems, Zorcon, Cricet, and Quo'ri. Everything else seems to be a catch-all term for multiple species. While this may allow for players to use more designs I feel that this leads to those groups being rather indistinct. I'd suggest rather that Reptin, Ornithun, Ursin, Cephalon, and Icthyan be given more distinct morphologies (and more inventive names). If a player wants to create a new species in the same Order, Family or Clade then just let them and help them equalize it with the others. The ability for players to come up with new races on the spot and then play as them did a lot to enrich the original game. Also, I'm not really sold on the idea that Cyborgs should be a race. That seems to me more like something people of other species do to themselves. Moving on, I've made a few changes to my rules writeup. This is just me fixing a mistake I made. Previously I was still calculating the additional vitality from strength as if the attribute total was still 10 (as in an earlier version) after I'd doubled it. This is just WDB's suggested change to how ranges work, which replaces the skill bonuses enemies got. Since the rules were the same for every range I decided just to lay it out here.

At first I wasn't entirely certain about this because it felt a bit odd to have Melee weapons target that far. But having given it some thought I believe the scaling costs of both attacking outside weapon range and of increasing Weapon Proficiency will keep it form being too ridiculous. I also like this idea because of how it interacts with larger grids. Especially that three-dimensional one I made earlier. I think something like this would be immensely helpful. I'm one of the QMs for Lind's little project and the most daunting aspect so far is building sets (something I'm probably going to do in stud.io and LDD). Having a number of standardized enemies would also be immensely helpful. Like the Bestiary from the original Heroica except not being abandoned partway through.

Nice to see you again. Sorry if our last discussions got a little heated.

Right, I've gone back and edited the way movement is handled according to @Waterbrick Down's feedback. I'm also going to quote the relevant sections here: Again, all values are provisional.

I mean, the values are provisional. But ultimately you're probably right. Endgame suggested something similar earlier and I thought it a good idea then too. Having moment tied to Skill also appeals to me. I understand. But if Obfuscate remains accessible to everyone then we'll probably need another Arcana/Nature spell. I'm going to go back and alter a few of these spells to match what you've said. All-in-all, thanks for the feedback!

Not really no. We're still working on it but there's no estimated timeframe. I myself am a bit behind due to sudden writer's block but that won't last too long. I hope.

No longer in use.

No longer in use.

No longer in use.

Well, I'm impressed! And from the sounds of it everyone else is too. On that note, I have some provisional background materiel I've been meaning to write up for a while now. As well as a 'rules revision' of sorts collated from various suggestions around this thread. I'll see if I can't get some of that done today.

Nice to see you again.

Understood. I hope you can deal with the issue quickly and safely. Have you tried calling someone?