Heavy Work

Over the last few days I’ve added around 75 magic items to Heavy Future, and I feel like I’m about halfway done with that part of the draft. The magic items are adding a ton of flavor to the campaign world, reinforcing the themes and factions I’m building into the game, and at the same time, suggesting new storylines.

Today, I want to preview the Heavy Future media guide, a list of suggested books, websites, comics, games, movies and music that should get you in the Heavy Future mood. A similar media guide for Otherverse America got a lot of comments, when I released it a few years back, including a fairly nice note from novelist Andrew Vachss’ publicist.

After that, I’ll post up the Magic Item index as it stands today, and preview a few individual magic items, with a little commentary.

First up, the Media Guide…..

Media Guide: NC-17 Future

The following books, movies, comics and music capture the feel of Heavy Future. Give ‘em a look or listen.

Comix & Graphic Novels

The Airtight Garage

Alien Legion

Camelot 3000

Den (Richard Corbin)

Heavy Metal/Metal Hurlant

Lobo (seriously, anything Lobo)

Saga

Star Wars: Darth Maul mini and Knights of the Old Republic mini

Transmetropolitian

Particular Artists

Angus McKie

Boris Vallejo

Chris Foss

Fred Gambino

Mobieus

Hajime Sorayama 

Jim Burns

Ralph McQuarrie

Simon Bisley

Tom of Finland

Wayne Barlowe

Novels

Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestials (artbook by Wayne Barlow)

Biography of a Space Tyrant, Firefly, others (Piers Anthony)

Stranger in a Strange Land, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, others (Robert Heinlein)

Ringworld and others (Larry Niven)

Games (Pen & Paper and Electronic)

Brutal Legend

Damnation Decade

Dragonstar

Jet Set Radio Future

Gamma World (any edition)

Machinations of the Space Princess

Macho Women With Guns!

Planet Motherfucker

Rifts (especially Atlantis, Australia, Juicer Uprising, and the New West sourcebooks)

Space Channel 5

Stars Without Number

Warhammer 40,000, including Rogue Trader and others

Movies & Television

3,000 Miles to Graceland

Alien (and surprisingly, Alien: Resurrection, not so much the superior Aliens)

Barbarella                

Battle Beyond the Stars

Battlestar Galactica (1970s)

The Blues Brothers

Cannonball Run

Cleopatra 2025

Dukes of Hazzard

Dune (1980s film)

Farscape

Flash Gordon (1980s film)

The Fifth Element

Guns, Girls and G-Strings: the Andy Sidaris Collection

Ice Pirates

Jemm & The Holograms

Lexx

Planet Terror

The Satisfiers of Alpha Blue (adult)

Serenity (and the TV show which preceded it, Firefly)

Sons of Anarchy

Star Crash

Star Wars (the original, unmodified trilogy, bootlegged on VHS)

Titan A.E.

The Warriors

Wizards/Rock N’ Rule

Zardoz

Music (Play in a Constant Loop)

The Blue Oyster Cult

Cradle of Filth

Guns N’ Roses

Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and other boomer rockers

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Megadeath

Motorhead

Monster Magnet

NOFX

Pantera

Rob Zombie & White Zombie

Rush (especially 2012)

The Scorpions

Tumblrs (Free Visual Inspiration)
http://70sscifiart.tumblr.com/

http://exonauts.tumblr.com/

http://gammafuture.tumblr.com/

http://planet-motherfucker.tumblr.com/

http://scifi-fantasy-horror.tumblr.com/

http://sexdeathlaughter.tumblr.com/

Now, take a look at the Magic Item index, and compare it to where I was last post. You’ll notice I’ve done a ton of work…..

Heavy Magic Items

Magic items here have both a GP value and a Purchase DC. The item’s Purchase DC was calculated by converting the item’s GP cost to modern wealth using a 1 GP: 1 US dollar : 1 standard galactic credit ratio. Not too precise, but it works.

               

Wondrous Items

(Cn) indicates a consumable item

1. Arcade Magician
2. Astronaut Ice Cream(Cn)
3. Bacta Hot Tub
4. Bailout Ring
5. Cloning Banks
6. Concert Stickers (Cn)
7. Dino Disk (Cn)
8. Dr. Youp’s Funk Soul Brand Potion (Cn)
9. Dr. Youp’s Gunslingin’ Ring
10. Dr. Youp’s Insta-Dispensary
11. Dr. Youp’s Jailbait Recipe (Cn)
12. Dr. Youp’s Liquid Dream Oil (Cn)
13. Dr. Youp’s Liquid Sex (Cn)
14. Engineer’s Kit Bag
15. Hacker Box
16. Hyperspatial Hypercubes
17. Omni-Skates
18. Outlaw Journo Headphones
19. Pacifician Pacifisto
20. Pinball Wizard: “The All Seeing Eye”
21. Pinball Wizard: “The Mighty Mutator!”
22. Pinball Wizard: “Mistress of the Crypt!”
23. Pinball Wizard: “Operation: Forcefield”
24. Pilgrim’s Staff
25. Satanic Panic Button
26. Soylent Rations (Cn)
27. Space Breather
28. Telepathic Amplifier
29. Unitrans Ring

 Magic Weapons

1. American Katana
2. Dom Gun
3. Dr. Youp’s KTMF Blaster
4. Green Wasp Disintegrator Blaster
5. Ironsaw Rocker
6. Love Gun
7. Maternal Ribbon
8. Murder Maxxer
9. Particle Vibrator
10. Reentry Pistol
11. Satanic Snuff-Dagger
12. Shahteyan Particle Katana
13. Spray and Pray Gospel Blaster
14. Sub Gun
15. Sundowner Pistol

Magic Armor and Costuming

1. Bootie Shaker Shorts
2. Combat Data Goggles
3. Daredevil’s Jumpsuit
4. Dead Astronaut’s Suit
5. Demon Swallow Masque
6. Galactic Go-Go Boots
7. Gynoid’s Wig (lesser)
8. Gynoid’s Wig (greater)
9. Hyperflight Leathers
10. King Karate Jumpsuit
11. King Vegas Jumpsuit
12. Lover’s Goggles
13. Lion’s Comb
14. Pacifician Starsuit
15. Pleasurer Stockings
16. Power Suit
17. Psyren Vocalizer
18. Racing Gloves
19. RoxWitch’s Hat
20. Salvager’s Boonie Cap
21. Scornful Furs
22. Smuggler’s Space Suit
23. Star-Fairy’s Gown
24. Star Ganger’s Cut
25. Star Trucker’s Cap
26. Star Valkyrie’s Helm

Minor Artifacts

1. Extinction Blade
2. “The Omega Starfighter” Arcade Magician
3. Spacelord’s Chakra Gem

Heavy Artifacts

1. Cosmic Excalibur

Finally, let me preview  a few of the cooler magic items… and a fancy new type of ‘mundane’ weapon.

Particle Katanas are my ‘please don’t sue me, George Lucas’ knock of light sabers. I’ve expanded the technology to different type of weapons, not just swords. You’ve got particle blade axes, even particle whips, because as a kid one of the first comic books I ever read was an issue of Marvel’s Star Wars series, wherein a female Sith with a lightsaber whip utterly pwned Luke Skywalker. An image of her is up top- sorta looks like a female Darth Vader designed by Nagel. Very cool.

Particle Axe

            The Particle Axe functions the same way a Particle Katana does, but in its powerless state is a long shaft with dual projector ends on both side of the staff, opposite the power switches. The Particle Axe produces a double head axe blade of plasma and charged particles.

           

            Special: Particle Axes use the same special rules as Particle Katana, but have a slightly different critical hit chart, focusing on upper body wounds.

            Particle Katana

            The Particle Katana is a high-tech powered weapon from a more civilized age. When powered down, the weapon is a slightly curved hilt with a concave aperture that serves as a projector array at one end. A flick of the thumb switch creates a brightly glowing blade of magnetically contained plasma and charged exotic metal particles that can cut through almost anything.

            Particle Katana are powered by the electromagnetic aura of their wielders, and have effectively unlimited life. Blade colors are most commonly green, blue, or rusty red, though purple, gold, orange and even the occasional pink blades can be found. Particle Katana cannot be thrown, as the plasma blades require positive pressure on two hilt switches to operate.

• Special: Particle Katana are always masterwork quality weapons, and receive a +1 masterwork bonus to attack and damage rolls. Particle Katana are handmade weapons, each bearing the unique stamp of their creator- these weapons are never mass produced.

• Special: Particle Katana can be used with any feat that requires a Blade of the Cosmos as a weapon focus; Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Particle Katana) can substitute for any feat with Blade of the Cosmos as a prerequisite.

• Special: On a critical hit, a Plasma Katana severs one of the target’s limbs rather than inflicting multiplied damage. Roll d20 to determine the appendage that is severed.

            Particle Whips

            Particle Whips are nasty, difficult weapons derived from the same tech that powers Particle Katana. They consist of a fist-sized emitter, which projects a roiling, crackling, coiling length of whip-thin magnetically charged plasma several meters long.

• Special: Particle Whips use the same special rules as Particle Katana, but have a slightly different critical hit chart, focusing on extremity wounds.

• Special: The Particle Whip can attack as a ranged weapon with a 15 ft maximum range and no range increment.

D20	Particle Axe	Particle Katana	Particle Whip
1	Non Human Limb (tail, a wing, a secondary arm or tentacle, ect. Read as 2 on humanoids)
2-6	Either hand at the wrist	Either hand at the wrist.	Either hand at the wrist
7-9	Either arm at the elbow	Either arm at the elbow.	Either hand at the wrist
10-12	Either arm at the elbow	Either arm at the shoulder.	Either arm at the elbow
13-14	Either arm at the shoulder	Either foot at the ankle.	Either foot at the ankle
15-17	Either arm at the shoulder	Either lower leg at the knee.	Either foot at the ankle
18-19	Head (as a vorpal weapon)	Either leg at the thigh.	Either leg at the knee
20	Head (as a vorpal weapon)

Melee Weapons	Damage	Critical	Range Increment	Special	Size	Weight	Purchase DC	Restriction
EXOTIC WEAPONS PROFICIENCY
Particle Axe	2d10+1 fire	20/ special	-	-	Med	3 lbs	DC 26 (11,500 gp)	Mil +3
Particle Katana	2d8+1 fire	20/ special	-	-	Med	2 lbs	DC 24 (6,450 gp)	Mil +3
Particle Whip	2d6+1 fire	20/ special	15 ft	Disarm, Trip	Small	1 lb	DC 24 (6,475 gp)	Mil +3

So now that you know how ‘basic’ particle blade weapons work, lets take a look at a magical Particle Katana.

Shahteyan Particle Katana



Aura faint transmutation CL 5^th

Slot weapon Price 24,500 gp (DC 29) Weight 2 lbs

            Just what every stripper needs- a particle katana that can double as a stripper pole or even assist in rapid costume changes by turning into a big, glowy hulahoop. The Shahteyan Particle Katana projects a beam of neon death and has a handle accented with pink chrome fins and flourishes.

            The Shahteyan Particle Katana is a +1 Particle Katana. While wielding the weapon, a female wielder can command the Shahteyan Particle Katana to assume its other functions.

            She can command the weapon to assume the form of a glowing stripper’s pole, which functions as an immovable rod and sheds colorful, Bright illumination to 60 ft. The stripper pole can extend to a maximum of 15 ft tall, and provides a +5 bonus on Perform (dance) checks made in conjunction with it.

            The wielder can also command the weapon to curl back on itself and assume a hulahoop-like form. By passing the hulahoop over her body, the wielder can cast alter self, to assume the form of any female humanoid in the same size category as her own. The character may also choose to permanently alter the cut and style of any clothing she’s wearing (though its properties do not change) by stepping through the glowing hulahoop. The Shahteyan Particle Katana can be commanded to assume hulahoop form up to 3x each day.

            While in stripper pole form or hulahoop form, the device does not inflict damage, allowing the wielder to grasp it without slicing her hands off.

Construction

Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, alter self, levitate

Cost 12,250 gp (DC 26)

Take a look at a selection of some of the setting’s wondrous items. I’m going for one of three themes when I build magic items for this setting.

1. Generic sci-fi type magic items, things that would be explained away as superscience in most other settings.
2. Stuff that captures a late 1970s vibe, based on the fads and pop culture of the era. The cheesier the better.
3. Anything that’s either super raunchy or just kinda wrong, or a direct, 70s flavored parody of something from existing sci-fi.

Guess what categories these items fit into.

Cloning Banks

Aura strong necromancy CL 15^th

Slot none Price 725,000 gp (DC 41) Weight 8-10 tons

            Cloning Banks are massive industrial flesh fabrication units. Enormous glass tubes filled with luminous aquamarine fluids are maintained by massive banks of medi-computers. Each Cloning Bank has 6 individual cloning tanks.

           

            Each tank can be used to clone a single Medium or Large creature as per the clone spell. The same creature can be cloned in multiple tubes, or multiple creatures can be cloned in the cloning banks. Clones can either be the same gender as the original or reverse gendered, as the cloner’s option. The cloning banks can sustain inert clones indefinitely; it requires a DC 20 Computer Use check to ‘dump’ a prepared clone and clear the tank for reuse.

            Cloning tubes are inert for 1d6+1 days after either a clone is decanted from the tube or a stored clone is ‘dumped’ in anticipation of another cloning.

Construction

Requirements Craft Wondrous Items, clone

Cost 362,500 gp (DC 38)

Outlaw Journo Headphones



Aura strong divination CL 13^th

Slot head Price 165,000 gp (DC 36) Weight 2 lbs

            These bulky, hot-pink headphones are emblazoned with Outlaw Sex Station 09’s glowing star logo, and have a retractable antenna built into the left ‘can’. A folding boom microphone is built into the opposite ear piece.

            Outlaw Journo Headphones include an integrated palm top computer (controlled by holo-displays and voice commands) and a secure, multi-channel ansible communicator with a multi-light year range.

            The Outlaw Journo Headphones allow the user to use several Bard spells, the better to seek out information, tell a story the ICG doesn’t want the galaxy to hear or just spread the love. These powers can be used a number of times per day as shown below.

• Detect Magic (at will)
• Expository Geomorph* (3x per day: 1x four sided geomorph, 2x twenty sided geomorphs)
• Joyful Rapture (1x per day)
• Persistent Image (3x per day)
• Share Memory (at will)
• Undetectable Alignment (at will)

                     

Construction

Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, detect magic, expository geomoroph, joyful rapture, persistent image, share memory, undetectable alignment

Cost 82,500 gp (DC 33) 

Since you need the spell to use this item, here it is, the new Expository Geomorph spell.

Expository Geomorph

School divination Level bard 3, oracle 4

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range inapplicable

Effect

Duration 1 hour / level or until discharged

Saving Throw No Spell Resistance No

            You conjure a glowing, multi-faceted crystal that floats near your eye level. It pulses and chimes softly, and answers your questions in a sing-song voice. When this spell is cast, you decide how many facets your geomorph has, which in turn determines how knowledgeable it is and how many questions the geomorph may answer before the spell ends.

            Each time you ask the Expository Geomorph a question, it makes a Knowledge check on your behalf. Whether the check is successful or not, one of the facets goes dark. When all facets are expended, the Expository Geomorph winks out and the spell ends. Geomorphs with fewer facets have more information, as shown on the chart below. The Expository Geomorph is considered to have the listed ranks in all Knowledge skills.

Number of Facets	Modifier on Knowledge checks
Four	+20
Six	+14
Eight	+10
Ten	+6
Twelve	+4
Twenty	+2

The Pinball Wizard series of magic items were really fun to write. The whole, bad-sci fi, lazy world building idea that they’d still be playing pinball in the 35^th Century fits well with the 70s-flavored esthetic I’ve got for Galaxy Command as a whole. It just works, and because there are so many, I can honestly imagine retro ‘space-arcades’ as adventuring locations…. This new type of magic item will feed back into the Gazetteer section, and help fill out the world a little bit more.

Pinball Wizard: “The All Seeing Eye”



Aura strong divination CL 10^th

Slot none Price 150,000 gp (DC 35) Weight 200-250 lbs

            The All Seeing Eye is a futuristic pinball machine with a fantasy motif. A neon hologram of a bearded wizard with a conical hat taunts and berates the players as flashing lights and buzzers distract them. Victory means access to useful transmutation magic.

           

            Playing a game of “All Seeing Eye” requires 2d6 minutes and a 1 gp ‘donation’ into the credit slot. Make a DEX check; the result of which determines the divination effect provided to the player. Failure wastes the money and time but provides no benefit.

A specific creature can only benefit from the pinball machine once per day.

• DC 10: Anticipate Peril
• DC 12: Identify (an object placed atop the pinball machine)
• DC 14: Locate Object
• DC 16: Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
• DC 18: Locate Creature
• DC 20: Scrying

Construction

Requirements Craft Wondrous Items, Anticipate Peril, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Identify, Locate Creature, Locate Object, Scrying

Cost 75,000gp (DC 33)

Next time, I’ll post up some armors.

Enjoy,

CHRIS

Heavy Magic

            Over the last few weeks, I’ve been working very, very hard on Heavy Future, my sleezy 70s sci-fi campaign world. Today I thought I’d preview the spells and some of the magic items for the setting, since it will be running on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game engine, and in addition to the expected ‘hard tech’- stuff like lightsabers, blaster pistols, robots and hyper-drives, full 9-level spellcasting will be available.

            The spelllist is fairly complete as it stands, though I want to add a few more spells over the next couple weeks. I’m especially disappointed with the 9^th level spell selections- every ninth level spell in this preview is previously published, some in The Modern Grimorie, others in freelance projects I did for Louis and am ‘reclaiming’ under the OGL. I need to add a few more high level spells, unique to Heavy Future.

            However, I’m pleased with the lower level and utility spells. The spells really emphasize the fact I’m going for immature sleeze, building a game world purely around sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. They have a lot of flavor.

A few of the spells listed manipulate Pleasure- a deadly new energy type introduced in this sourcebook. I’ll explain that later, but in short, Pleasure weapons are sorta like the tasps in Larry Niven’s Ringworld universe, or Duran-Duran’s torture-organ in Barbarella- addictive psychic weapons that kill you by overloading your nervous system. Adding a new energy type to the game has really opened some interesting new design space- I’ve already added about a dozen Pleasure weapons, armor to counteract the new energy type, magic items based around the concept, and I’ll add some Pleasure-using monsters later.

           

By the way, I don’t expect to place a full Heavy Future Bestiary in the sourcebook…that will migrate to a stand alone release, due to the rapidly expanding page count of Heavy Future as is. This one’s going to be as big as Black Tokyo or Otherverse America’s Unlimited Editions!

            After my spell preview, take a look at the Magic Item chapter outline (at least as it stands this afternoon). Right now, there’s around 2 dozen magic items- I want to have at least 100 before I go to press, and might have as many items as I did in Black Tokyo Unlimited.

            Right now, I don’t have as clear a sense of cultural identity for the magic items as I did with Black Tokyo Unlimited. There, I could pull items from obscure myths or create something vaguely inspired by something I’ve read and stat it out. Easy. Heavy Future’s magic items are going to be a bit more scattered, I think…..

The goals I’ve had in mind for the magic items here are to be slightly vulgar, but more immature and lighthearted than the more explicitly sexual stuff in BTU. I’ve also wanted to parody a lot of sci-fi stuff… the Bacta Hot Tub magic item is a favorite because the idea of a bunch of stoned, skuzzy adventurers and assorted strippers hot-tubbing in this green healing goo is just hilariously 70s to me. I’m also going to be including more weapons than I did in BTU, I think. For BTU’s magic items, I made it a point to include relatively few magical guns, because Japan as a whole isn’t a big gun culture. Strike that, reverse that, and you’ve got Heavy Future. Expect tons of weird magic guns.

            Let me know what you think, and remember it’s all a work in progress.

            CHRIS

Zero Level

• Condom When You Need One (conjure a single condom or other prophylactic)
• Glow Kiss (share the effects of a Glow joint with a kiss)
• Laser Max (next attack with a laser does maximum Fire damage)
• On Tap (conjure a mug of tasty beer)
• Plasma Torch (a torch fire becomes plasma, able to burn in vacuum or underwater)
• Pocket Pills (conjure a single dose of nonprescription drug)
• Sexy Furover (restyle a felinoid’s pelt to grant a +1 bonus on sexually oriented Diplomacy checks for a day)
• Tit Show (turn armor and clothes transparent for one round, allowing you to activate abilities requiring nudity while wearing them)

First Level

• Atmos Field (low power forcefield prevents atmosphere from escaping a particular area)
• Bacta Bolt (non-positive energy healing bolt restores 1d6 + caster level HP, maximum 1d6 + 8)
• Bathroom Wall Wisdom (retry a failed Knowledge check at a +5 luck bonus thanks to useful bathroom graffiti, or make a simple gather information check)
• Bigoted Perception (craft an illusory disguise based on the mark’s prejudices)
• Erobot Trans (immediately alter an Erobot’s gender)
• Glam Guise (all creatures perceive you as sexually attractive)
• Neurogram (project a real time hologram of a sleeping creature’s dreams)
• Rockin’ Blast (musical blast inflicts 2d4 sonic and deafens target for 1 round)
• Stunning Orgasm (target suffers 1d6 Pleasure and is stunned for ½ that number of rounds, minimum 1 round)
• Summon Erobot’s Parts Shelf (briefly teleport a specific Erobot’s parts shelf and associated tech to your location)

Second Level

• Boarding Lock (create an airlock on the hull of a starship that lasts for 1 round/ level)
• Carnal Parasitism (one lover absorbs STR and CON bonus from their lover, becoming more powerful, as their lover weakens)
• Confused Violence (targets attack the creature in the Initiative order immediately after their intended target, which may be friend or foe)
• Gravity Acclimation (subject does not suffer skill, combat or movement penalties due to local gravity conditions, and is treated as having Zero G Training feat)
• Internal Fires (burn a target alive from the inside out)
• Love Not War (force target to resolve disagreements by a sexual competition, not through violence)
• Liar’s Blade (lie to make melee attacks with successful Bluff checks)
• Pacifician Consciousness (target receives +3 resistance bonus to all saves, which is lost if she  attacks)
• Rockin’ Blast, Hard (target suffers 2d4 + caster level sonic damage (maximum 2d4+20) and is either dazed for 1 round or deafened for 1d6 rounds)
• Shahteyan Puberty (female subject gains +2 WIS and CON temporarily, plus an awesome bush)
• Sex Stink (cloud of sex and incites lust, imposes a -2 penalty on INT and WIS checks and some WILL saves for those inside it)
• Tripglow (beam of black light blinds target for 1 round and has one of several lingering effects)

Third Level

• Ballistic Crucifixion (while immobile, you are struck with multiple ranged attacks, but inflict Pleasure damage to all creatures within 100 ft equal to the damage you suffer)
• Breath of Ecstasy (breath weapon dazes target for one round and imposes -2 penalty on all rolls due to lingering pleasure for several rounds)
• Emergency Space Suit (summon a magical space suit as a swift action)
• Expository Geomorph (conjure a glowing, multifaceted crystal that answers your questions)
• Luck of Heroes (opponents have difficultly confirming critical hits against you)
• Robotic Logic (target gains +2 INT, become immune to mind influencing effects and receives bonus vs. illusions, but becomes emotionless and uncreative)

Fourth Level

• Breath of Wasps (summon multiple wasp swarms as a strange breath weapon)
• Copperblast (target is wrapped in molten copper, which slows them and renders them Vulnerable to Electrical damage)
• Deadly Pleasures (target suffers steadily increasing Pleasure damage for multiple rounds)
• Edge of Mars (blood red forceblade inflicts 2d6 force damage; forego massive critical hit multiplier damage to inflict either panic or 1d4+1 points of CON damage on the victim)
• Electric Ladyland (female allies gain combat bonuses related to speed and electricity)
• Fold Space (declare yourself adjacent to a target regardless of actual distance between you)
• Gynoid Form (become a seductive chrome combat robot)
• Orgasm Mine (target suffers 2d4 Pleasure per round, or 3d6 + 1d6 fire/two levels if it resists the pleasure damage)
• Pirate’s Registration (starship is wrapped in an illusion that conceals its ID with forged registration and ELINT information)
• Shahteyan Puberty, Mass (as Shahteyan Puberty, but affects multiple creatures)
• Ship’s Tendrils (create enormously strong, metallic tendrils from the hull of your starship)

Fifth Level

• Confused Violence, Mass (as Confused Violence but affects 1 creature / level)
• Flamesoul (your soul is temporally linked to elemental fire, granting Fire immunity and flaming defenses)
• Pacifician Battlefield (create a rainbow lit area where lethal damage is converted into status effects like blindness or paralysis at the moment of impact)
• Ravages of Time (age objects to ruin)
• World Goes Liquid (objects and structures within a huge area pulse, move and push or pull towards or away from you based upon your sexual motions)

Sixth Level

• Alien Hand (transform your hand into a mass of tentacles that deal 1d8+ STR bludgeoning damage and paralyze for 1d4+1 rounds)
• Anthropomorphize the Problem… And Fuck It (replace any skill check with a DC up to 20 + caster level with a DC 15 Perform (sexual) check instead)
• Disco Grenade (targets dance uncontrollably, becoming helpless, dropping held objects and failing saves against Sonic spells and effects)
• Electrocutie (become a beautiful Electrical avatar, capable of flight, energy blasts and healing by absorbing electrical damage)
• Eugenics War (cone of energy inflicts 2d6 points of fire damage and blindness/ 1 round per point of negative ability score modifiers)
• Ghost Blood (become intangible and ghostlike)
• Infernal Rock & Roll (create a spherical area where Sonic damage is maximized, lawful, good and Silent spells are impeded,  and chaotic and evil summoned creatures gain new attacks)
• Pacifician Consciousness, Mass (as Pacifician Consciousness, but affects 1 creature / level)
• Swashbuckler’s Suicide (attacks on subject are resolved as touch attacks, armor penalties vanish, but subject can make a free attack against any adjacent attacker and receives luck bonuses for being outnumbered)

Seventh Level

• Outshatter (dimensional vibrations destroy Outsiders, starting with their bones)
• Painful Confession (target helplessly confesses their sins, suffering physical pain for each recalled sin)
• Silver Future (nearby allies are sheathed in silver that provides +3 AC, acts as a space suit and their attacks are considered Silver and Lawful for 1 minute/ level)  
• Skull Rocket (create ectoplasmic missile that inflicts 1d6 negative energy per caster level (maximum 10d6) and summons 1 skeleton for 5 points of damage inflicted)
• Warp Envelope (shunt a single starship into hyperspace for a single journey)

Eighth Level

• Aeons Crash Down (destroy a target’s sanity by forcing it to experience millions of years of time in a few seconds)
• Nuke The Site From Orbit (expose an area several hundred meters in diameter to 20d10 fire damage with no saving throw, and leave the site radioactive for months)
• Surf the Nebula (liquid silver coats the caster’s body, rendering him immune to deep space conditions and granting phenomenal in atmospheric and space flight capability)

Ninth Level

• Early Dawn (alter local reality so that sunrise occurs immediately)
• Exile to the Outer Void (teleport a victim to intergalactic space and trap it there)
• Lesser Moon (summon a planetoid into close orbit that has severe gravitic and mystical effects)
• Madburst (psychedelic tac-nuke damages targets, animates objects randomly and drives creatures insane)
• Omniversal Awareness (gain total knowledge of the cosmos and limited prescience)
• Seal the Body (completely seal shut all orifices on the bodies of multiple targets)

Tenth Level (epic)

• Planet Killer (target world and all inhabitants suffers more than 30,000 points of various energy damage)

Heavy Magic Items

Magic items here have both a GP value and a Purchase DC. The item’s Purchase DC was calculated by converting the item’s GP cost to modern wealth using a 1 GP: 1 US dollar : 1 standard galactic credit ratio. Not too precise, but it works.

               

Wondrous Items

(Cn) indicates a consumable item

1. Astronaut Ice Cream(Cn)
2. Bacta Hot Tub
3. Bailout Ring
4. Dino Disk (Cn)
5. Satanic Panic Button
6. Soylent Rations (Cn)
7. Space Breather
8. Telepathic Amplifier
9. Unitrans Ring

Magic Weapons

1. Dom Gun
2. Green Wasp Disintegrator Blaster
3. Ironsaw Rocker
4. Love Gun
5. Maternal Ribbon
6. Murder Maxxer
7. Reentry Pistol
8. Shahteyan Particle Katana
9. Sub Gun

Magic Armor and Costuming

1. Dead Astronaut’s Suit
2. Gynoid’s Wig (lesser)
3. Gynoid’s Wig (greater)
4. Pacifician Starsuit
5. RoxWitch’s Hat
6. Scornful Furs

Minor Artifacts

1. Extinction Blade

Heavy Artifacts

            Nothing yet….but I’ve got a few ideas…..

Choice: Texas [Support This Game!]

I just read an article about an indy videogame, in the form of a text-based RPG titled Choice: Texas. The game is a political statement by a couple of Austin game designers, Allyson Whipple and Carly Kocurek, which puts players in the shoes of woman trying to navigate Texas' various bullshit anti-abortion laws in hopes of getting the procedure done.

I'm including some links to the Jezebel article I read about Choice: Texas, as well as the game's Tumblr and the Indie-Go-Go page dedicated to funding the game. I plan to support it with my next paycheck, and both as a game designer who deals with the same subject often, and as a pro-choice Texan I'm very, very curious what Choice: Texas is going to be like to play.

First, I want to see how a different design crew, working in a different genre approaches the same struggles that define Otherverse America. Whipple, Kocurek and I all are coming from different backgrounds and with different types of stories in mind (theirs, reality based drama, mine military sci-fi), but we're both telling stories about abortion. Its gratifying to see another artist- more specifically, other game designers- tackle abortion as the focus of a game.

Second,since this will be a dramatic video game, it inherently is going to get more public attention than my odd little tabletop RPG will. With an article on Jezebel, Choice: Texas has already got several hundred times the media exposure my own work has. Good for them- I'm hoping lots of people play this game and learn something, even if only empathy.

As promised, some linkage:

http://jezebel.com/video-game-would-make-players-navigate-abortion-access-1204576993

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/choice-texas-a-very-serious-game

http://choicetexas.tumblr.com/

Finally, a link to a Penny Arcade: Extra Credits webisode I watched the other week, talking about video games as propaganda and its effectiveness. Normally, propaganda games teach some pretty fuckin' loathesome values, so here's hoping Choice: Texas can teach basic DECENCY half as effectively.

http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/propaganda-games

Blesssed Be (and go fund this thing)
CHRIS

Accidental Sourcebooks

Heavy Future is an accidental sourcebook.

At the beginning of this month, I was mentally winding down from Black Tokyo Unlimited and looking for another project to focus on. My Sectaurs setting was, if not aborted, than at least put into cryo-stasis until later in the year. I had some ideas but no real passion for the work (Though I have almost enough I can publish a very solid race book riffing on Sectuars soon, and leave the world info for a later date.)

Heavy Future came out of nowhere. It was just an idea- do a grungy, sleezy, satirical space book for Galaxy Command, inspired mostly by crappy exploitation movies and Heavy Metal comics.

Somehow this idea has, over the course of about a month, blossomed into what is already a 150-175 page sourcebook. The book will likely top 200 pages before I’m done. Originally, I intended to include a monster chapter, but this will likely get moved to a stand alone PDF, simply due to the size of the project.

John Picot is doing more than just art. He’s contributed the core text for two of the sourcebook’s new races, and keeps sending various ideas for the world. At his urging, I’m making Heavy Future more of a Pathfinder compatible sci-fi product. Previously, I planed to use D20 Modern/Future with a dash of Pathfinder; at his urging I’ve flipped that, and made Heavy Future Pathfinder with a dash of D20 Modern/Future. It’ll still be compatible with Galaxy Command, but is built to take fuller advantage of the Pathfinder ruleset.

I previewed the Bounty Hunter Ranger archetype a few posts ago. Since then, I’ve added several new archetypes at John’s urging. There will be at least 3 new Bard archetypes, since rock & roll, and music in general plays such a key role in the setting. It’s interesting to see what John comes up with, because he builds things differently than I do.

For instance, he suggested a Barbarian archetype usable as a generic space marine. For me, I would of built the archetype as a modified Fighter but his logic in turning the Conan-style Barbarian class into a space suit wearing shipboard combat and boarding expert is intriguing.  It’s a very creative reversal of expectations and rules elements.

In addition, I’ve added several new Clerical Subdomains, in addition to the new Rock & Roll domain and its associated subdomains, Glam and Heavy Metal. Right now we’ve got Censorship (knowledge), First Contact (travel), Sex (charm) and Psychadelics (plant). I might add some more, but even those four new subdomains really add to the flavor of Heavy Future: vulgar and passionate, sleezy and R-rated, but definitely not mature.

Yesterday I finished off several new Sorcerer bloodlines: Ameriscum (white trash defenders of freedom) Electromedia (television mind controllers),  and Pornborn (x-rated modern fey, basically). Again, very flavorful and evocative. If you have any suggestions for weirdo bloodlines, leave ‘em in the comments.

My to-do list for Heavy Future is slimming down.

Right now, I want to add some more unique adventure sites and plot hooks to the gazetteer.

I’m also planning to add some setting specific feats and starting talents, because things are looking sparse in that sense.

After that, I’ll firm up the mundane weapons and gear lists. (I found a great timeline of genital-related slang on Io9 the other day, and plan to use this fine resource to name my guns. I want most of the weapons and items in this game to be named after obscure terms for dick and pussy from the 1930s, just because that makes me smile.)

Finally, some magic weapons. I had a great time writing up the 150 magic items in Black Tokyo Unlimited, and given how fucking over the top and bizarre Heavy Future is, it should be both easy and rewarding to build magic items for. Again, if you’ve got any suggestions, leave ‘em in the comments.

Anyway, that should whet your appetite for Heavy Future. (At this point, expect the Heavy Future PDF in a month or two.)

By the way, I’m waiting on the last 3-4 pieces of art for Closed: Monsters of the Army of God, the huge ‘monster book’ for Otherverse America. When I get those, I’ll likely take a weekend off from Heavy Future to lay out and release Closed.

I know, I know, I promised this book at the beginning of the year. It’s annoying me that it’s taking this long to get it out, but I want Closed to go out with all the art I can get for it, and I’d rather wait a little bit than release it half assed. Monster books are my favorite gaming products, and I want to make Closed great.

Finally, the art for this post is by John Picot. It depicts Shahteya, the Goddess of Strippers. Yes, stripper-nuns are a faction, this deity has clerics and grants spells. She's got an interesting relationship with the Imperial Church of the Galaxy, the big, theo-fascist bad-guy church, and should be fun to design powers and items for.

 

Blessed Be,
CHRIS