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23:06, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Game Proposals, Input and Advice.

Posted by engineFor group 0
engine
GM, 44 posts
Fri 14 Jul 2017
at 21:26
  • msg #1

Game Proposals, Input and Advice

This thread might spawn spin-offs, but please feel free to start hear with ideas and questions you have.
engine
GM, 45 posts
Fri 14 Jul 2017
at 21:43
  • msg #2

Game Proposals, Input and Advice

An idea I have that I haven't been able to shake is a game set in Eberron (for its modernish, quasi-sci-fi trappings) that emulates an XCOM-type game.

That is: the primary characters would be agents in a secretive group that is trying to deal as quietly as possible with an alien threat, in this case aberrant creatures and their allies.

The party would be sent on missions (ideally, they could select from a few options but wouldn't necessarily be able to deal with every call for help) where they would smack around some strange and nefarious creatures, while making an effort to recover the creatures' bodies and remnants of the items and vehicles they use.

The enemies would rely less on stock powers and more on special items that would shoot or blast "plasma," which would do copious amounts of damage of a compound type: probably at least fire and lightning, but possibly fire, lightning and radiant/necrotic.

Missions would generally involve hunting down and killing aberrants (with the aforementioned focus on relic recovery), but there would be missions involving shutting down strange equipment while under fire, or escorting or rescuing NPCs, or other things.

Collected artifacts and bodies could be researched to provide certain bonuses. One main focus would be to try to mitigate the effectiveness of the plasma weaponry, or find a way to integrate the plasma energy type into PC powers (which might provide some special effectiveness, such as increased damage, or might just be represented by higher enhancement bonuses).

In the XCOM games, there are non-combatants who do things like research and item creation. I think I'd like those to be PCs, but not actual 4th Edition characters, since they won't have combat ability. One thought I have is that the players could "donate" trained skills from their characters, because they won't need things like Diplomacy and History in the field. The non-combatant experts, such as medical staff, mage wrights, researchers, operations, command, etc, would have one or two of the donated skills, for with which the players would make checks to see if, for instance, research succeeds, or an alliance can be maintained.

The XCOM games I've played have an aspect that involves balancing relationships with nations or corporations. In Eberron, the dragonmarked houses and gangs would stand in for these, and would be the people requesting specific aid. Success would keep relations good, which should keep things stable or provide rewards. Failure in the missions (or not choosing to prioritize them) would result in deteriorated relationships, which would lead to decreased resources and possibly armed conflict.

Okay, that's enough for now. It just felt good to get that out. I welcome input.
jkeogh
player, 5 posts
Wed 19 Jul 2017
at 14:42
  • msg #3

Game Proposals, Input and Advice

It sounds like a really fun concept. I like that the PCs would be donating skill ranks to the researchers and scientists, feels very fitting. I'd definitely play :)
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