Top 5 Cartoons That Should Be RPGs - #2

Alright. Long story short - I love RPGs and Cartoons. Let's get right to the countdown. So far here's what we've got:

5. Avatar the Last Airbender
4. Danny Phantom
3. Aaahh!!! Real Monsters

Onwards we go...

#2 - Recess

"This film takes place at an adventurous elementary school. Among the elementary school faculty is the sleazy principal (Prickly), the tough playground guard (Finster), and the nice 4th grade teacher (Grotkey). The six main cast members are T.J.,the leader and schemer of the group; Spinelli, the girl who is a bully with a heart of gold; Vince, the playground jock; Gretchen, the science whiz and smartest girl in school; Mikey, the poetic drama king; and Gus, the wimp with a military family. Then there are plenty of other typical elementary school kids, like the spy Randall, the 4 Ashley snobs, the diggers, the kindergardeners, etc., and including the older kids like King Bob. Everyday the group hangs out at recess dealing with different problems they must work together to overcome."
- Anonymous

What Makes It Awesome?

I know, I know, another school based game. Blah, blah. But seriously, the world that Recess provides is awesome, and totally worthy of immortalization in RPG form. Lets break it down.

If you've seen the show, the main characters basically fill out a balanced adventuring party. You've got the leader, the nerd, the punk, the romantic, the jock and so on... And yet, they come together despite their diverse backgrounds to overcome challenges and be best friends. Sound a little like your gaming group's last session?

The big reason this game would work so well is it's parallels to D&D games already. In addition to the "classes" your character could fill, based in their role in the school yard - statistics like popularity, intelligence, athleticism and charm play a big part of this series and could easily be translated into a tabletop game's rules system.

The general basis of this show is to get the most out of every recess, whether it's participating in the various strange rituals of the playground, to battling older students for authority, to simply trying to cause trouble without getting caught. Players could be presented with a variety of tasks to complete, and much like in the Mouse Guard vein, they could be presented with a series of challenges opposing them. Depending on how they respond to the challenges they may either succeed or fail, presenting new challenges as a result.

The greatest part of Recess however, is simply this. The world of the playground is much more expansive than you might think, with a fleshed out culture, several factions, ancient rituals and traditions, and a government of it's own to boot!

A Snapshot: The World

The playground is a massive collection of varying factions and a self-sustaining government with customs and traditions that kids of the playground are expected to know. As such, the playground is populated with people who can aid with a variety of tasks, or who should be avoided at all costs. Here are some examples:

The King of the Playground (King Bob) - The playground exists as a monarchy, with the King attended by his personal aides, wielding the power to create or destroy traditions or decrees within the playground which then become law. The King is also a judge in all disciplinary issues or matters between two students who need a judge. In the show, King Bob is the ruler of the Third Street playground and the former prankster prince, whose throne sits atop the jungle gym. He is one of the school's older students (he is in the sixth grade). Bob is regularly depicted with a number "8" hockey jersey, and carries a hockey stick as a scepter. He is the individual with the most power on the playground and all bow to his commands.

The Ashleys - The prissiest members of the playground are the collection of all the girls named Ashley, a name which by some right sets them on a higher pedestal then the rest of the playground. As such, they also hold a bit of power, in addition to their own private clubhouse. They are fountains of gossip and generally good targets to go to for information.

The Kindergartners - Making up their own unique group among the students, the kindergartners live as uncivilized, and even dangerous, little urchins that wear face paint, carry tribal weapons, and harass the older children. They are uncontrollable and do not abide by the laws of the playground - sectioned off in their own private area with their own King. When they get loose however... dangerous things can happen.

And it doesn't end there. There are dozens of personalities on the playground. Each known for their specialties:

Randall C. Weems - Randall is the resident snitch of the playground. He is at the beck and call of the assistant teacher, who rewards him with various confiscated items and cookies.

Theresa "Cornchip Girl" LaMaise - Cornchip Girl is a sweet and loving girl who always thinks of other people and also gives people lots of useful advice.

Sam and Dave the Diggers - Two boys who enjoy digging holes.

Swinger Girl - A girl (voiced by Francesca Smith) who likes to play on the swings every recess. She wears her trademark pilot's outfit.

Upside Down Girl - A girl who hangs upside down on the monkey bars every recess. As a result, her pigtails always stand up.

The Hustler Kid - Francis, the Hustler Kid, is a kid that offers the children of the playground trivial toys and food, often discreetly.

Guru Kid - A boy who offers Buddha-like wisdom to kids who seek his advice. He wears a pair of striped shorts and his shirt on his head as a turban.

And my favorite...

Knarf - The nerd who usually hangs out in the school basement during recess with his three nerdy friends playing RPG games, reading comic books, and collecting trading cards.

Why Number 2?

Recess is already well on it's way towards being an RPG. There is enough just in the cartoon series to easily craft rules, a class system, and a full map of the playground and school. It would be a fun game for a couple reasons.

First, you get to be a kid again and use kid logic to solve problems. Second, the big problem is how can I get the most out of recess? Is there a nobler task? This game, as would most of these cartoon RPGs, would function best for one-shotish sessions, rather then ongoing campaigns, but I feel like it would be a blast.

This cartoon comes it at number 3 because I can already imagine playing this game, and it's not all that big a task to undertake to write up a small rulebook to make playing it a possibility. Plus, I loved recess when I was a kid - both the cartoon and the actual thing. I wish my playground was like this series!

Watch the opening below, and you can get a good idea for everything I've talked about here. If you get a chance, go watch an episode!

Stick around for #1 on the horizon!

Top 5 Cartoons That Should Be RPGs - #3

As discussed a little while back, I have an unhealthy addiction to both cartoons and RPGS. Blending my two passions, I have produced a fun little countdown for Beneath the Screen as I list the top 5 cartoons that I think could be turned into fun RPGs!

First I discussed Avatar: The Last Airbender, ranking it lowest primarily because of it's likeness to some other games out there, and it being an obvious choice. Next I discussed Danny Phantom, a fun ghost-based game where young surly teenagers go ghost hunting and interact with a variety of strange villains.

Onwards we go...

#3 - Aaahh!!! Real Monsters

"The plots revolved around three roommates/students that just happened to be monsters. You had Ickis, a monster struggling to be half the legend his father was, Krumm, a smelly and hairy little guy that carried around his own eyeballs, and my personal favorite, Oblina. She was the nerd and over-achiever of the group. The monsters studying at the observatory had to remain hidden to humans unless completing their homework by scaring them. They then reported their actions to the Gromble (the teacher of the school, and the first cross-dressing cartoon character I have ever seen) and were graded on how they assessed the situation.

Unfortunately, Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm were always suffering some sort of mishap."

- sjbursich

What Makes It Awesome?

Calling for unique challenges, widely diverse characters, strange powers, and intense creativity, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters rolls in at number three in the countdown.

I mean... think about it.

You get to play a monster. Normally you fight monster. Here, you get to PLAY the bad guy! Everyone always wants to try their hand at being eeeeeevil, but now you have a reason, homework!

This show circles around a "scare" school, where homework assignments include scaring various humans in specific ways (Think Monsters Inc). Along the way, the students run into a large number of problems, usually stemming from the fact that they're not supposed to be seen by humans unless they're actually scaring. Tie that with all of the fun monster school drama, and you have the makings of some pretty awesome game sessions.

A Snapshot: Plot Hook

The dull sound of tired conversation and silverware on ceramic filled the small diner as the roar of the midnight train rolled by on the nearby tracks. A ding from the kitchen sent Bernice into a one-eighty spin as she shuffled back to pick up the order. As she picked up the plate of pie, the angelic ringing of the door's trio of bells indicated a new customer entering, to which Bernice turned with a smile. "Welcome to Be-" The woman stopped, as no one new seemed to enter at all. Someone must have left, she thought - shrugging it off looking for the now empty table.

As she laid the pie down, a blood-curdling scream rang out from the kitchen. Turning on her heels Bernice ran into the kitchen as the lights flickers. That's when she saw it, and the entire diner erupted into utter terrifying chaos.

A group of particularly nasty monsters unaffiliated with the school have been making a series of scares in a nearby neighborhood with no regard for how many humans see them, and in many cases actually harming those they attack. In this adventure, our monsters must locate the rogue monsters and keep their activities quiet, while trying to scare some sense into them.

Why Number 3?

I love Aaahh!!! Real Monsters because it can be played in a few ways. One of which being a sort of light-hearted, childish manner. One of which being a more Hunter fashion where setting up and executing scares is all about forward planning, staking out your foe, and executing everything flawlessly. And the final of which being in a World of Darkness horror genre type setting, where you are the things that go bump in the night, but there are other dangerous things out there as well.

This game gives the players a chance to combat enemy monsters, plan and puzzle out complex scare assaults, and try to achieve a large number of goals all at once. It is far from typical and has the makings of a great game.

Stick around for #2 next week!

Top 5 Cartoons That Should Be RPGs - #4

As discussed in yesterday's post, I have an unhealthy addiction to both cartoons and RPGS. Blending my two passions, I have produced a fun little countdown for Beneath the Screen as I list the top 5 cartoons that I think could be turned into fun RPGs!

Yesterday I discussed Avatar: The Last Airbender, ranking it lowest primarily because of it's likeness to some other games out there, and it being an obvious choice. I hope these remaining four choices will catch you all a little off-guard!

So, without further ado...

#4 - Danny Phantom

"Action-packed adventures of Danny Fenton, who straddles two worlds as a shy freshman at Casper High and a heroic phantom-fighter with ghostly superpowers. With his best friends, techno-geek Tucker and free-thinking Goth girl Sam, he thwarts the misdeeds of menacing ghosts; and stumbles through daily social hurdles."

- Anonymous

What Makes It Awesome?

Danny Phantom is great because it's a superhero game with a unique (ghost, specifically) twist. Since Ghostwalk came out and the idea of playing a ghost actually became a possibility it got me pumped.

One of the best parts of Danny Phantom is the awesome villains you have the potential for. You've got full ghosts, half-ghosts, and ghost hunters, each of which can come in all shapes and sizes.

The main reason I love the potential of Danny Phantom as an RPG is because of the hilarious grouping of ghosts you can throw at your players. There are runty little ghosts that basic combat can take care of, puzzle ghosts who can be destroyed by figuring out what makes them tick and dealing with it, and then of course really powerful villains who never quite can be destroyed.

Another great thing Danny Phantom has going for it is the wide spectrum of character concepts. It would be played in a modern setting, and players could take the roles of half-ghosts, full ghosts, ghost hunters, computer whizzes, or any other variation of average joe who takes up the mantle of battling evil ghosts.

There are many options for unique adventures and challenges in this game, from ghost hunting, to protecting innocents, to evading the public eye. Obviously a party with ghost-members has a lot to worry about in terms of staying hidden amongst the normal populace, which can create some interesting plots and challenges.

From entire towns being hypnotized by ghostly music, to neighborhoods vanishing one by one as they join a ghostly pirate crew, to a massive underground scientific organization opening a ghost portal and using ghosts for their own gains, there are hundreds of potential adventures that your heroes could embark on.

Similarly, this game would include pretty awesome opportunities for playing evil ghosts - sneaking onto the mortal plane and causing chaos while avoiding ghost hunters and do-gooding ghost folk.

Lots of fun opportunities.

A Snapshot: Villains

Here are some of my favorite villains taken from the TV series, to give some ideas of villains that are possible in this system.

Ember McLain: Ember McLain is a hard rocking ghost girl who feeds off the idol worship in teenagers. Ember's appearance, song, and character in general, portrays her as a ghostly embodiment of teenage rebellion and disobedience to authority figures.

Skulker: Skulker is the predator ghost hunter who hunts down rare and unique things, and sets his sights on half-ghosts, unique humans or creatures, and rare artifacts. Skulker is actually a small ghost blob who wears a large battle suit.

Youngblood: Youngblood is portrayed as a child who plays Dress-Up as a game. He has an assistant, a skeleton-like shapeshifter who takes the form of animals who go along with these characters (when Youngblood is a pirate his shapeshifter is a parrot, or a horse when Youngblood is a cowboy)

Vortex: Vortex is a century-old ghost with the power to control the weather. He finds the earth to be a meaningless planet, and has wrought havoc on the earth throughout the ages. Vortex is a ghost of large stature. He wears metallic armor on his torso and, rather than having legs, his lower half mimics a tornado. A lightning-shaped "V" crosses his right shoulder and comes to a point at his chest. His most notable detail is his constant, mid-sentence wheezing.

Pariah Dark: Pariah Dark is the King of all Ghosts, with control of the powerful Ring of Rage and Crown of Fire. While wearing both of these items, Pariah Dark has near limitless power. He commands the Fright Knight as well as an army of Skeletal ghosts. Very powerful foe, but more interested in becoming king than defeating his enemies.

And my favorite...

Box Ghost: The Box Ghost has the standard ghost powers of intangibility, invisibility, and flight. Most importantly, he has the ability to control boxes, and to empty the items inside. Later versions in the series of Box Ghost also have the ability to control bubble wrap and the power to create energy cubes out of thin air. Box Ghost's goal is to find Pandora's Box, with which he temporarily gains unlimited evil power, rendering him unstoppable.

(Villain info taken from the Danny Phantom Wiki)

Why Number 4?

The idea of fighting ghosts has always appealed to me (one of the reasons I'm the only one in my White Wolf group who actually really wants to play a Hunter game).

One of the big reasons that Danny Phantom is great though, as I've said, is the wide expanse of villains, challenges, and encounters you can have. On top of ghosts invading the mortal realm, the Ghost Realm itself holds an entirely new world to explore.

The greatness of a Danny Phantom game really comes forth in the fact that the sky is the limit in terms of encounters. The downside is that most of the action comes in the form of combat encounters, and will pretty much always be fighting ghosts - regardless of how unique each individual enemy may be.

A much more unique setting in terms of RPGs then Avatar, Danny Phantom's game play could wind up being somewhat limited or repetitive in terms of encounters and abilities (unless you have a really creative GM). The sheer potential for creativity is huge, but not quite as huge as the cartoon which falls in at #3.

Stay tuned, the final three may surprise you!

Top 5 Cartoons That Should Be RPGs - #5

It's Saturday morning. You crawl out of bed at ten without an alarm clock and take a breath of that fresh weekend air. Time to put on your favorite Cthulu slippers, grab a bowl of Sugar Frosted Sugar Lumps cereal, and sink into your couch in front of your favorite
Saturday morning cartoons RPG!

Inspired by some of the great "someone turn this into an RPG please!" posts I've seen over at the RPG Blogger's Network I thought I'd throw some of my own RPG dreams out there, building a huge past time of mine - cartoons.

Not sure why I'm such a huge fan of cartoons, but twenty two years young and I'm still hooked on my Saturday morning sugar cereal and animated antics. Combined with my love of RPGs I threw together this little list I'll be delving into for the next week or so.

So, here we go. Five cartoons that should be made into RPGs.

Starting with...

#5 - Avatar the Last Airbender

"When the hostile Fire Nation threatens to enslave the Water, Earth, and Air Nations, a reluctant and irresponsible boy must face his destiny as the Avatar, the Chosen One who can restore the world order. This new animated series centers on twelve-year-old Aang, who must forgo his selfish wandering to learn to master his latent powers over the four elements. Only then can he conquer the Firebenders, the evil magi who threaten the world."

- Sara Stern Levin, Nickelodeon

What Makes It Awesome?

Avatar: The Last Airbender has a lot of good things going for it.

Firstly, Avatar is set in a well developed world, with lore and culture all it's own. Comets and stars, as well as the changing seasons and the yearly solstices, all have a significant impact on the world. The world believes in spirits (with powerful beings being able to travel into the spirit realm) and sometimes even see spirits made flesh. And the world is rich with secret organizations such as the White Lotus, and unique games such as Pai Sho.

Secondly, the potential build of characters could be very interesting. Benders must gain training to increase in their skills, encouraging them to travel all around the world to learn from masters. The world itself is full of strange creatures and unique challenges the players could match themselves against - using not only bending powers, but creativity, physical skill, and philosophical minds.

Thirdly, the setting is fantastic. A world divided, locked in a neverending war. And ever since Oriental Adventures was released for D&D, I've loved Oriental settings, which I think Avatar alludes nicely to with it's roots in martial arts.

A Snapshot: Character Classes

Airbender: Harnessing the power of air; quick movement, and even flight are at your disposal. Airbenders are spiritual, often pacifistic, nomads. Their skills are used for defense, dexterity, and unique movement on the battlefield - as well as disarming and inconveniencing their opponents.

Earthbender: Earthbenders are proud, strong, and sometimes stubborn people. Earthbenders are decisive and sure footed. Though they may be the slowest among the benders, they pack more strength behind each individual attack then any other bender. Great architects and builders, Earthbenders are as long-lasting and stalwart as the structures and cities they have raised in their kingdom.

Waterbender: With the powers of water and healing at their side, Waterbenders are powerful enemies and even more hardy friends. Flowing and graceful in their art, Waterbenders are at one with the spirit of the moon and the ebb and flow of the world around them. Talented at both defense and offense, tied with their ability for healing, Waterbenders are balanced and kind characters.

Firebender: The power of fire is harsh and quick. Firebenders are quick, deadly, and confident - not allowing any defense to stand in their way. Fast to act, Firebenders draw their power from the sun and - while they can utilize some defensive maneuvers, are best trained for their deadly offensive skills.

Scholar: While not everyone's a Bender, the knowledge Scholars possess of the world, the stars, and the many myths that circle the four kingdoms speak their own power. Seeking ancient ruins, forgotten libraries, and the shadowy history of the world, a scholar can be a fast companion - inquisitive and trained in many unique skills, including the use of ancient relics and scrolls.

Inventor: Some are content to study the past, but Inventors look to the future. Masters of creation, Inventors aren't Benders, but seek to emulate their abilities with everything from flying machines to grenades to firearms and much, much more. Some inventors are always traveling, looking for inspiration and studying the strange creations of distant nations while developing their own machines. An Inventor is a grab bag of usefulness, often coming up with the perfect tool when you need it the most.

Soldier: Whether a trained Fire Nation soldier, an Earth Tribe warrior, or a Water Nation barbarian, Soldiers may lack the skill for Bending but are skilled in the art of battle and war. There are many groups of trained warriors and mercenaries all across the four nations, each with their own unique style of combat. A talented warrior can be the greatest benefit to any group of travelers. Where Bending may fail, swords are always a good Plan B.

Why Number 5?

I partially ranked Avatar at the bottom of the list because it's so obvious! Anyone who's seen this show has probably thought of how much fun it would be to take on the role of an Earthbender or Firebender. The rest of the list consists of much more unexpected choices, which ranks them a little higher in my book simply because of how unique they are and how fresh the game would be.

In the end, Avatar - while it would be a unique take on a fantasy-like setting - winds up being not too different from some other games out there. Also, the choices for characters seem like they could be fairly limited (since everyone would obviously want to play a Bender).

Altogether though, Avatar would fit well into a tabletop game and I'd love to see it. From the deep culture and lore that's already been written for the series, to the clearly defined character concepts, to the oriental setting which always makes me smile.

Dibs on being the Earthbender!

To learn more about Avatar, check out the Avatar Wiki!

Gamebuilding #4: Prologue

So, I've begun piecing together what I have on my Othercity game into an actual word document. And... *drumroll fanfare* I actually have a system! My biggest fear with game creation was actually banging out a unique system. I decided that I did indeed want to steer clear of Othercity just being a setting within the d20 or World of Darkness universes, but to do that I needed a fresh way to organize skills, roll dice, and generally map out character advancement. I think I've figured it out!

That however, is a post for another day, as I'm still working out the kinks (*catcall*). I have however, based on the few Othercity posts I've already written, worked out a passing Prologue for the playtest copy of Othercity. Enjoy!

[Warning: crude apocalypse-induced language ahead]

- - -

The joints in Anna's fingers protested enough for the woman to finally pause - removing her fingertips from the typewriter's keyboard with such speed that an observer might have assumed the ancient machine had shocked her. The room she sat within, having just been filled with the snapping of metal type bars, suddenly fell silent. Anna nursed her hands – curling and uncurling her overworked knuckles – as she glanced over the many paragraphs that had burst unexpectedly onto the formerly blank page. Dark and organized letters, with the occasional glaring typo... Anna silently wished for spell check.

Firstlight, Cycle 8032, Count 23. Anna had learned to alter it – her perception of time – a long while ago. It began the day her watch had finally broken. Such a disaster that had been... Fairly insignificant, when it came right down to things, but a disaster to her – on that day of all days. Jeremiah would have said that her lingering attachment to the watch was just an exaggeration of some deep–seated "daddy issues". Jeremiah would have said that the watch was nothing, nothing in comparison to the other events of that day. Of course, the last thing Anna needed to trouble her mind about these days was Jeremiah.

To whom it may concern, was how she started the letters now. When the writing began, it was "Dear Diary". That wasn't the way of things here, it never had been. She wasn’t writing for herself.

Not anymore.

Everything was simple. Well, if not simple, at least normal. As normal as the world could be I suppose. Well, when held up against the "world" today, things were certainly simple back then. You woke up, had breakfast. God, I miss eggs. Went to work... I hated my job, sitting in that intolerable cubicle all day – crunching numbers. I would give anything to go back. Give me a conference call – hell, give me a drunk dial from my boss any day over this shit. This dystopian cluster–fuck. I'd take it all back – every ounce of reality's bullshit over another day down here. Up here? Ah hell.

I remember that day three years ago. I pretend I don't along with the other Terrers. We all kind of pretend to forget how it used to be. Whenever we talk about "then" – about lemonade stands on the sidewalk... about the rain. God, I miss the rain. Someone always gets to crying, and we don’t have time for that. It's not safe enough in D11 to cry. Best to keep a low profile, a slingshot to your hip and your mouth shut. We leaned that quickly.

The sun was high. God, I miss the sun. And I was late. Therapy sessions don't didn't come cheap and I hated keeping my husband (ex – husband now I suppose) waiting. He always gave me that look... that disappointed look. He was the master of making me feel like shit. Damn Saturday Boston traffic. There was this car in front of me. A yellow VW bug, Massachusetts plates. I even remember their plate number. Why do I remember their plate number??? It was 2:06 PM. Peter Gabriel just came on.

I wonder how long it as before they realized I wasn't in my car anymore. I wonder if anyone's even left. I wonder how long James waited for me to get there, or to get home. Maybe they're all gone. Global warming and all that bullshit, maybe the planet's gone nuclear.. Who the hell cares anyways, there wasn't much worth saving.

God, I miss earth.

Sincerely,
Annabelle J. Bradford

Anna always signed her full name. In some small way, it made her feel less like she was going to die the next day.

- - -

Welcome to Othercity – an urban fantasy rpg where you take on the role of a uniquely average character torn away from their ordinary life and thrown into a place of mystery, horror, betrayal, intrigue, and danger. You must survive long enough to solve the mysteries of this newfound world if you ever hope to find a way home.

Othercity is a game of creative storytelling, character development, and intense roleplaying which spans a wide range of genres – primarily mystery and horror. A game of Othercity thrives on a high level of focused devotion to the game, active player/player interactions, and a positive environment between players and the Narrator. Exploration and survival are key elements in this game, meaning that heavy reliance on dice or unique powers will only kill you faster. A keen mind and creativity will always outmatch a lucky die roll. Of course, a foolhardy mistake may be the last you ever make.

This, first and foremost, is a game of role playing – not "roll playing". If you want to talk down a gunman, intimidate a torture victim, or charm the pants off of a private dancer – be prepared to do just that. Therefore, when designing your character, try to model their skills off of traits you would be comfortable portraying through roleplaying.

Finally, due to the nature of this setting, Othercity players should be prepared for potentially adult–themed scenarios. Othercity encourages the fade–to–black sequence for any sexually graphic scenes, but themes such as murder, rape, racism, torture, abuse, and other such themes are sometimes unavoidable in a horror–genre game. Such themes are to be taken seriously and conversation surrounding them should stay in–character.

In the end, Othercity hopes to be a perfect blend of horrifying scenes, devious foes, unending mystery, gritty realism, and fantastic danger. Good luck, and welcome to Other.

Gamebuilding #3: Othercity

First and foremost, I know there are bunches and bunches of blogs out there to read, and goodness knows I read about fifty RPG blogs daily. Is there anything you, my wonderful (and quite attractive, if I do say so myself) readers would like me to do a blog post about? Let me know! If you really liked something I've posted about in the past, or would like me to continue a specific series I've delved into, let me know! Getting some feedback about what to post would greatly help me know what you want to read about!

Anyways, to the point...

As many of you may have noticed, I wrote a pair of rather vagues posts a while back here and here. I entitled these posts "Gamebuilding" for a reason, which ties back to the first post I ever made on this blog. One of my reasons behind crafting an RPG blog is to document my quest for publication! Over time I hope to submit adventures and material to several RPG magazines and publications, but the two posts you saw offer an introduction to my grand project.

Othercity.

Here's the first real pitch of this game, so let me know what you think!

Dear Diary,

Myth tells us of time's greatest cities... Atlantis. Babylon. Agartha. Places of fantastic construction, magical origin, and beautiful sights. The stuff of fairy tales, offered up to humanity as symbols of utopian hope and dreamlike wonder.

Every beacon though, however bright, casts a shadow. One fallen to forgetful pasts and dystopian ideals. This shadow, is Othercity.

Othercity is a world outside of our own. A seemingly endless reality of steel, stone, streets and buildings. Divided by districts and factions, it is a harsh place for all who live within it.

And then there's us.

To Earth, we are the lost. To Othercity, we are the Phasers. Nothing more then a bothersome thorn in the feet of Othercity's superiors. People looking for answers, people looking for truth, people looking to get home. Othercity has a system, but we operate outside of it. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we're special. Maybe it has something to do with what we can do here. Maybe it scares them. Maybe that's why they want to lock us up, or gun us down...

Some of the other Earth Phasers - Terrers they call us - say that Othercity was just another mythical location lost to time in idea and name. I think we've always known of Othercity though... just by a different name.

Welcome to Hell.

~Kayla Bradford

- - -

The way I'm envisioning Othercity is as a dozen or so different genres merging together all within this strange city. To name a few, there will be elements of Fantasy, Steampunk, Cyberpunk, Post Apocolypse, Contemporary, Biopunk, and Superhero.

As a preview to further discussions of Othercity, here is a very quick briefing on each of the cultures/factions:

Wrakes: Law officials of Othercity, unnaturally strong and known to be ruthless and cruel, though much more likely to break your arm then the law.

Serpians: Othercity's gypsy population, you can't trust these drug-dealers any further then their forked tongues will reach.

Rasks: The rulers of Below, these rats will supposidely kill anyone for a price, if you can speak their language that is.

Kienta: A winged race of scientists. If bad looks could kill, these ladies could bring back the dead, not that they aren't trying to find out how to anyways.

Phasers: The chosen. The visitors. The invaders. The Terrers. No matter what you call them, they all have one thing in common. They're a long way from home.

Humans: In the hundreds of years of Phasers coming to Othercity, their "need-to-breed" has left thousands of half, quarter, or less "Humans" in their wake. The Phaser bloodline eliminates all Othercity characteristics in the child, leaving them "normal" in a city that prizes everything else.

Brights: [Data file currently inaccessible]

Coming soon... expanded culture/factions, Othercity's basic geography, and a lexicon of terms important to know in the Othercity world.

Also, I'm leaving the below in the post even though I didn't type it for one reason. Ginger Unity.

***This is proof that Betsy Fernsten (non D&Der) was here when [Storyteller] was writing this blog entry!! She however, did not interfere (much).***

Anyways, more to come on Othercity. I hope people are enjoying what they're seeing so far!

By the way, that fantastic picture above was made by Greywulf over at Greywulf's Lair. He's pretty much awesome so go check his blog out. Right now. DO IT!

Gamebuilding #2: The Beginning

Three years earlier...

Sunday, May 4th, 2010
Dear Diary,

I suppose I should start writing something. There's a typewriter here. I don't want to forget anything. I don't want to forget a single thing.

We arrived a few hours ago.

The man behind the Hostel's counter smiled at us. It was like that was all he could do. He was of the overweight sort, with thick glasses, and a rather large stain that looked not unlike Florida on his shirt. He looked over his glasses at us. The seven of us. We'd signed in our names, we'd taken our keys, and now we were sitting - like it was preschool all over again - in a nice little semi-circle. It was morning when the last of us arrived. He was bleeding from the shoulder... maybe he ran into those... things I saw.

"Welcome EClass Phasers to the D26 Hostel." The man began, reading through his impossibly thick glasses from a slightly yellowed piece of paper. He had a grin on his face. The man with the bleeding arm chuckled slightly. It was an angry and insincere laugh. Dark, like this whole damn place.

"As you are probably already aware, you are no longer within your city, state, or planet of origin. You are currently located directly in the center of District 26, within the city of Other. This Hostel is the designated gathering place for all EClass Phasers within the boundaries of Othercity, due to the aforementioned Phasers most commonly arriving in the aforementioned district."

"We would like to personally extend both a welcome and our condolences for your current state of affairs. We assure you that, had we the capabilities to return you to your homes, we would do so. The electrical anomalies which we believe initially induce the Phase Pulses are still being researched by our top Kienta scientists. I am afraid that we are unable to offer any explanation as to why you have been called to Other, as research in this area is slow. We do of course sympathize with your situation however, and will try to make your stay in Other as comfortable as possible."

"Our initial studies show that, at any one time, there will be a maximum of seven EClass Phasers in Othercity. From here on out, you will all have access to private rooms within the D26 Hostel, and to basic meals three times daily. These meals will be delivered to the aforementioned Hostel every morning at First Light. You may quickly find that you are unaccustomed to life in Other, and for this reason it is suggested that you stay within the aforementioned Hostel at all times, as it will be your only guaranteed Safe Zone within the city."

Other can be a dangerous place, even for those used to it, and while Phasers are granted certain liberties within Other, your safety on the streets - especially during Dark Hours - is not guaranteed. Keep in mind that you are of course free to move about Other if you wish and are certainly not forced to stay in your predesignated Hostel, or even in your predesignated district. These are simply suggestions."

"What we do guarantee is that research is being undertaken even now to find a way for you to return home. We ask for your patience in this, as such research is slow - due to the potential danger it holds for our scientists. We hope that, in the meantime, your accommodations will prove comfortable. Welcome to Other, and have a nice day."

We had so many questions. But all he could say for himself was "Who wants breakfast?" None of us were hungry, but all of us ate. My first and last breakfast in this damn place if I have anything to say about it... He said he would answer some questions after we rested for an hour or so. I'm not tired. None of us are I'm sure. Soon, we'll get some answers. Soon, we'll be home.

I'm sure of it.

~Kayla Bradford

Gamebuilding #1: An Introduction

Firstlight, Cycle 8032, Count 23

Dear Diary,

Everything was simple. Well, if not simple, at least normal. As normal as the world could be I suppose. Well, when held up against the "world" today, things were certainly simple back then. You woke up, had breakfast. God, I miss eggs. Went to work... I hated my job, sitting in that god-forsaken cubicle all day, just crunching numbers. Now I would give anything to go back. Give me a conference call any day over this crap. This dystopian fairy tale. I'd even take the boss's drunk dials over another day down here. Up here? Ah hell.

I remember that day three years ago. I pretend I don't along the other Terrers. We all kind of pretend to forget how it used to be. Whenever we talk about then, about lemonade stands on the sidewalk... about the rain. God, I miss the rain. Someone always gets to crying, and we don't have time for that. It's not safe enough in D11 to cry.

Best to keep a low profile. Best to keep a slingshot to your hip and your mouth shut. We learned that quickly.

The sun was high. God, I miss the sun. And I was late. Therapy sessions don't didn't come cheap and I hated keeping my husband (ex-husband now I suppose) waiting. He always gave me that look, that disappointed look. He was a master of making me feel shit. Damn Saturday Boston traffic... There was this car in front of me. A black VW bug, Massachusetts plates. I even remember their plate number. Why do I remember their plate number? It was 2:06 pm. Peter Gabriele just came on.

I wonder how long it was before they realized I wasn't in my car anymore. I wonder if anyone's even left. I wonder how long Bruce waited for me to get there, or to get home. Maybe they're all gone. Global warming and all that jazz, maybe the planet's gone nuclear at this point. Who the hell cares anyways, there wasn't much there worth saving.

God, I miss earth.

~ Kayla Bradford