The year is 2085, and Alaska has fallen. Dominoes topple as the Migou take mile after mile of northern and southern turf. From home, mathematicians are driven mad by strange algorithms. The price of technological advancement is paid in blood. Across the world, the Cult of Dagon strikes, summoning their horrors of insanity. The New Earth Government is shattering, propaganda becomes fact to the media, and hope seems to be faltering. Earth’s days could be numbered, and the clock is ticking.
-----
THIS GAME IS A... High tech science fiction pseudo-fantasy manga/anime mecha horror tabletop role playing game.
-----
Before I had said this would be a private game. I have since changed my mind, and now keep it open for everyone!
Also, I have changed the lore from some of the PDFs (You can find several for free on the internet now...) I have (for now) removed the non-human race you could play, and changed how their culture affected the setting. Just keeps things more simple.
For more understanding on the crappy game this actually was, see many of these wonderful pages like this. 1d4chan.org/wiki/CthulhuTech
For more things that are less funny : cthulhutech.wikidot.com -----
SETTING The elder gods have always been watching. As the great old ones slumber, across the universe a strange alien race begins to expand and search for, and destroy, any possible threat to their race and steal technology in conquest.
‘D-energy' is magic. Kind of. After three months of trying to debunk the D-Engine, the scientific community is forced to accept the principles of arcanotechnology. A new discipline is born and the face of the world is changed forever.
CORPS The Ashcroft Foundation coined the name arcanotechnology when they first shocked and amazed the world over fifty years ago. They used it to describe a bold new field that married advanced technology with the effects of ritual magic. Arcanotechnology touches all citizens of the NEG every day, though they may not even be aware of it. Teresa Ashcroft pioneered arcanotechnology as a gifted young doctoral student at Miskatonic University. While working in the library’s restricted section, she discovered a unique and as of yet unknown translation of The Mysteries Within – an ancient book detailing non-Euclidean mathematical principles that could rip through the very fabric of the universe. It’s upon these principles that she designed the theory behind the D-Engine. Unfortunately, the pursuit of such cosmic forces claimed her mind. Others followed in her footsteps, eventually creating the Ashcroft Foundation and the first D-Engines. All initial applications of arcanotech were derivatives of the D-Engine. D-Cells created powerful rechargeable batteries, Cascaded D-Engine Generators created and distributed power for everyday use. Arcanotech is now everywhere. Fossil fuel exporters lost their power overnight. Resource mining and management companies went bankrupt. D-Engine. When the D-Engine was finally revealed to the world, the Ashcroft Foundation went from a small, unknown research group to one of the most wealthy and powerful corporations in history in a matter of months. They still hold patents on nearly all ubiquitous arcanotech and draw massive revenue from licensed manufacturers. The New Earth Government and the Ashcroft Foundation are in bed together the way no government and corporation has ever been. The Foundation is the government’s primary producer of essential arcanotechnology. Their equipment powers the nation and, through subsidiaries, they manufacture critical military components. They are, in many ways, the premiere research and development arm of the NEG’s military. Beyond all that, the Ashcroft Foundation floated government agencies a great deal of money to rebuild the world’s infrastructure using arcanotechnology and to help build them their new army.
The Chrysalis Corporation Snacks and soft drinks. Pre-packaged foods. Consumer electronics. Computer software. Video games. Motorcycles and cars. Industrial machinery. Military hardware. Through over a dozen subsidiaries, the Chrysalis Corporation is a contender in these fields and others. They’re a constant presence in the lives of people today and one of few giant corporations to have survived to the modern day. The Chrysalis Corporation is not what it appears to be. Forty years ago, at their downtown headquarters in Johannesburg, the Board of Directors changed the course of the world. Discontent with the power of money, the Board created an initiative to research and harness the power of the occult – the T99 Division was born. Members of the Board would become the most powerful men in the world through these disreputable scholars. T99’s responsible for the acquisition of the complete Necronomicon and Breath of R’lyeh. The Children of Chaos will tell you they were led to them. Whatever the truth, the T99 Division translated the first full copy of the Rite of Transfiguration not long after, a powerful ritual long lost on this planet for millennia, and began to experiment. All the right wheels were in motion to attract the attention of an ancient creature. Nyarlathotep fixed his eye on the Chrysalis Corporation, summoned his Children of Chaos, and silently took over.
CULTS
Cult of Dagon (This is the place when the writers got a little weird. I have removed several... *ahem* phrasing. Approach with maturity.)
An ancient church has hidden for centuries within sleepy coastal
villages. How things started was always the same – it started when the fish stopped. In the face of starvation or disaster, it isn’t long before the villagers began praying to anything. Dreams come. Villagers perform other rituals. The voice of a different god is heard. And then the fish come back. Bounty remains while the inhabitants continue worship, inevitably giving way to the Esoteric Order of Dagon. Once devoted villagers purge the infidels from their midst, the chosen of the sea god come to bless them with his blood. Creatures not quite amphibian, not quite fish, not quite man rise up from the ocean – creatures known only as Deep Ones. The fertile females of the village offer themselves up to these “holy” beings. Now, the Esoteric Order has come out into the world. They take towns by force and set up rape camps to increase their numbers. They brainwash new-agers, forcing them to become spies for the cult, and they search the world to find the lost sunken city of
R’lyeh and for ways to awaken the sleeping god within. The oceans in the Aeon War belong to the Esoteric Order. Their monstrous ranks combined with Hybrid and cultist piloted mecha make even transportation a dangerous business..
Salem Screamers Sirens
Children of Chaos Previous to the Chrysalis Corporation, the Children of Chaos were a cult of the Endless One Nyarlathotep and had been for centuries. They were a secret society dedicated to sowing the seeds of chaos and unearthing the secrets required to bring about the end of the world. They were responsible for many conflicts and terrorist actions. Now, the two are one. The Chrysalis Corporation worships the endless one. Ultimately, the Chrysalis Corporation is dedicated to bringing about the return of the Old Ones and ending the world as we know it. They unified the Disciples of the Unnamable and brought the Dead God Hastur back into this world – and maintain excellent relations with the Death Shadows to this day. They trade information with the Esoteric Order of Dagon, but cooperate in few other ways. The Children of Chaos wage a shadow war so that the other Cults can operate openly. They spread disinformation and paranoia. They quietly cripple their enemies. They provide resources the others can’t muster. Their only true enemy is the Eldritch Society. Regarded by the Chrysalis Corporation as turncoat do-gooders who know enough to be dangerous, the Eldritch Society is a secret society dedicated to fighting the Cult’s corruption.
The Disciples of the Unspeakable The Unnamable called to his disciples and they answered. Horrible beasts and monsters who wore the flesh of men bowed to his will throughout the world and the Disciples of the Unnamable were born. One faction gathered an army to purge the plague of man from this world. The other spread out across the globe to destroy man from within. The Disciples of the Rapine Storm roll across the world with
a terrible fury. An army of unspeakable monsters and lunatics in mecha, the warbands of the Storm wage a war of genocide. They don’t occupy – they strip bare. They don’t conquer – they raze. They don’t murder – they exterminate. The Rapine Storm is never subtle so their attacks can be predictable. The Dead God’s avatar is the Ruined King. The King is a tall,
gaunt nobleman who wears ragged, tattered robes and a crown
of what appears to be one single bone. His face is eternally in
shadow and the cold air of the grave follows him. The mere
presence of the Ruined King is enough to drive most men mad.
ABOUT THE GAME Parts of the game will be focused on Epic Combat, with your Mecha, while other parts will play much like an old 'Adventure Game' where you look for clues, solve problems, and learn more about your enemies.
Hey! Since I could not balance this part, and need more time to polish it, I have placed it here. Later, I will allow people to be a part of the ES, but for now, they are not integrated into the game for many reasons.
----
Hidden deep within the Arctic tundra, in an alien, crumbling
city millions of years old, Dhohanoid agents of the Chrysalis
Corporation’s T99 Division found something amazing. Inscribed
on an enormous monolith was the most complete description
of the Forgotten Ones ever made. Unable to translate any of it,
agents transcribed the text, destroyed the city, and returned to
Johannesburg.
+ Tager The holy warriors of the Eldritch Society, Tagers are those who have undergone the Rite of Sacred Union. They have become one with a Ta’ge symbiont, a thing from beyond space and time, which turns them into a powerful supernatural warrior.
+ The Eldrich Society (ES) Sworn enemy of the Chrysalis Corporation and the Children of Chaos, the Eldritch Society is the master of the secret Tagers. They fight a shadow war against the Dhohanoids to prevent the Cults from gaining greater power and unleashing further apocalypse. They hold the secrets of the Ta’ge Fragments and use their powers to stop Cthulhu and his monsters from rising.
+By selecting this background, you gain the following: Additional Trait
Clandestine: 1 - Resist Madness, Show Secrets, Comprehend cults.
Unless essentially everybody is going to be in mecha, you may want to rework the NEG background selection Dare. it gives an extra mecha upgrade slot, but I don't think that actually does anything for any class but the Mecha Pilot, seeing as Engel Pilots have to take the other one, and I don't think any other classes actually have mecha training.
If it's going to be a mecha campaign it works, but if the other classes are going to get play time having a background that helps them would be nice. Really in general I'd say, depending on the scope of the campaign, more background options in general. Like subsets of the actual NEG for people to choose from.
---
---
This list is being grown, and will get additions now and again even throughout the game. Keep your eyes for more advancements as the scientist teams manufacture more technology.
What is an Engel? No one outside the project knows what Engels really are. In fact, few inside the project know what they really are. The scary parts of a synthorg are the parts that are alive. Underneath it all, they are enormous living things, cloned from the DNA of Humans and god knows what else. The host is cybernetically grafted to a mecha enhancement shell once artificially grown and a pilot control capsule is inserted into the host's body cavity and wired into its brain and central nervous system.
++ MECHA ++ 39 GlassGlow Engel: No
Base dice: 2
Armor: 4
Fuel: 700
Upgrade Slots: 2
Seats: 2
Thorn 400 Engel: No
Base dice: 4
Armor: 5
Fuel: 400
Upgrade Slots: 1
Seats: 2
M Queen Bee: 1 - Send a Swarm of nano drones to attack, Swarm stays on field.
M Flammenwerfer: 1 - Add 200 Extra Fuel Cap. Close Range area of attack.
M Laser sighting: 1 - Bonus to aim/hit, Allows called shot targeting.
M Combat Scanner: 1 - Scans area, showing all hidden enemies.
M Heavy Mortar: 1 - Mounted rocket launcher, can attack enemies in cover.
M Twin Gatling: 1 - Two Gatling Machine guns. Deals double the number of stars rolled.
M ERPI: 1 - The Engel Remote Pilot Interface, Can control Engel from Remote Terminal or Computer.
M Heat Sink: 1 - Allows an extra few rounds to be fired, adding dice to DMG.
M Dikote: 1 - Adds 2 extra armor to Mecha, adds to Def rolls.
++ POWER ARMOR ++
asdfasdf
Options, In order.
-Race
-Class
-Background
-Mecha Information and upgrades
-Defining the Character
-Leveling
PLAYER RACES +++ Humans +++
Humanity has changed little in physical appearance though sociologically speaking there are huge differences between the human beings of the early and the late 21st century. Humanity has unified itself under the NEG, has largely abandoned religion, has inured itself to great suffering and the presence of cosmic horrors, and has explored sanity-blasting possibilities such as arcanotech. After the destruction of the First and Second Arcanotech Wars, the Migou invasion, and the conflicts with the Rapine Storm and the EOD, there are only approximately 2.4 billion human beings left alive, from a population that once numbered almost 9 billion. Every person alive has had at least one relative or friend killed in the wars of the 21st century.
The former dominant species of Earth, Humans are much as they are in our modern world. Their world has gotten a lot bigger since the advent of the Aeon War however and people don’t live with the same prejudices and petty issues that they once did.
Classes of Human + Human : The simple, unaltered human, born and raised.
+ Augmented Human : A human upgraded or changed with Cybernetic parts or abilities.
+ Altered Human : Once called 'exotics' these people have been upgraded biologically, either by body Grafts, suck as tails or altered limbs, or more commonly, through gene therapy and manipulation.
+ Abnormal Human : Humans born with inherent abilities, such as para psychics.
Why does how *Human* you are matter? Simply said, you either have Human Rights, or not. When you do, your safe. When you have no rights, when people don't think you are human, you are fair game. No lawyer to plead your case, since you don't have the right to a lawyer. Enslavement, death, or worse await those that the law fears is no longer human.
CLASSES + ArcanoTechnician Part-scientist and part-sorcerer, Arcanotechnicians understand the fundamental principles underlying D-Engines and mecha technology. Being an arcanotechnician is a dangerous job – as such, they are often well paid. Arcanotechnology fits at least partially in the “things man was not meant to know” category. Many arcanotech applications work on mind-bending principles, which can be taxing on the psyches of those who maintain or design such devices.
Gain one of the following:
Technician: 1 - Repair, Mechanics, Overclock
With Technician, you are the person keeping everything working, and buffing your Mecha for that extra edge.
Engineer: 1 - Arcano-Theory, Draft Gadget, Read Systems
With Engineer, you are the man behind the machine. You build these things, and know everything about them. You can find weaknesses in other tech, and can understand intense algorithms.
+ Engel Pilot Regarded as the New Earth Government’s elite pilots, Engel Pilots “commune” with the strange and mysterious Engels. Their lives are very stressful as they see more regular combat than any other NEG force. Operating an Engel is taxing on a pilot. After all, every time a pilot crawls in the “cockpit” he’s exercising some sort of a telepathic bond with an alien cyborg. It isn’t unusual for Engel Pilots to slowly burn out, although the regular mandatory counseling associated with the job usually helps keep them sane. The process of synthesis leaves pilots with a slightly different perspective on life. They’re usually considered a little off – that indefinable way in which someone just doesn’t quite fit in. While a trained Engel Pilot can pilot any Engel, he can only exert total control over the one to which he is attuned. Every pilot undergoes surgery to have an Engel Synthesis Interface implanted in his brain and this ESI ensures a deeper bond with the single Engel that’s his.
To chose this class, you must take (EP) as your background.
Engel Pilot: 1 - Alien Bond, Combat Control, Sheltered Soul.
For you, your Mecha is a part of you. You can call to it, and do minor tasks through it without being in your mecha. You are skilled in combat with your Engel, and your Engel can take Damage for you.
+ Intelligence Agent Information wins wars and the Aeon War is no different. Intelligence Agents might be spies trying to infiltrate a cult, part of a mecha team gathering military intel, or working as counter-espionage to root out cult spies within the New Earth Government. enemies. Some are analysts who decipher and correlate piles of information. Others gather data as scouts, braving new and unfamiliar territory. Some are surveillance teams sent with an array of electronic gadgets to record the enemy at work. Others are spies who go deep undercover to infiltrate the Cults. Still others work in counter-espionage to root out spies within their own organizations.
Infiltration: 1 - Surveillance, Stealth, Streetwise, Persuasion
You know how to gather intelligence on a given person or selected
location through observation. You can plant “bugs,” listening devices, or
micro-cameras to record relevant data. Surveillance also works
hand in hand with Stealth when shadowing someone. Persuade allows you to influence an individual’s behavior through the power of your personality.
Scout: 1 - Glitch, Enforcer, Indimidation, Observation
You are familiar with various techniques used to set security
alarm systems or traps. By the same token, you’re also familiar
with ways to circumvent such things. You understand law enforcement procedures and techniques. You are also familiar with any local or federal laws that fall within your jurisdiction to enforce. Perhaps you know ways to find loopholes within existing laws. You might be a security
guard, a city policeman, a private detective, or an FSB agent.
+ Mecha Pilot Mecha Pilots are the mainstay of the New Earth Government’s army – soldiers in mechanized war machines as tall as buildings. They are anywhere and everywhere the NEG needs them, pulling guard duty at bases and installations, performing special forces raids deep inside enemy territory, or fighting on the front lines. These pilots are much like the fighter jocks of old. They use colorful callsigns to identify each other, although in the face of their current enemy these nicknames are darker and more dangerous sounding than they once might have been. Also like old pilots, Mecha Pilots are a cocky, overconfident bunch. What they do is dangerous but it’s also a rush.
Gunner: 1 - Firearms, Weaponry, Special Munitions
You overcharge weapons, fire burning lead and copper, and make the aliens die. You are the Gunner on the Mechs and ships of the future, able to shot down anything.
Ace: 1 - Flight, Evasive tactics, Pilot
You are the Fliers of the worlds best mecha, ships, and other crafts. There is nothing you can't fly, and you fly can fly anything with engines.
+ Occult Scholar With the advent of arcanotechnology and the Arcanotech Wars, a new class of scholar emerged – the Occult Scholar. Occult is the term broadly used to describe the otherworldly forces now ravaging the Earth and Occult Scholars are those who risk their soundness of mind to delve into the lost secrets surrounding them. Many times, their occult pursuits bring them to the practice of sorcery. Many times the occult pursuits of an Occult Scholar bring him to the practice of magic as he puts into practice the theory he’s studied. Not only is sorcery personally dangerous, it’s regulated. Even the average scholar is required to get permits for his occult texts as they, along with occult and ritual supplies and enchanted items, are considered controlled substances. Scholars who practice sorcery must register with the NEG’s Office of Internal Security.
Research: 1 - fluff, medical person.
sorcerer: 1 - Para Psychics stuff.
+ Soldier Soldiers are those warriors who fight outside of mecha. They are the brave infantry charging across the field of battle, the police keeping order in New Earth Government cities, and the special forces troops sneaking in behind enemy lines. Many soldiers are trained in the use of powered armor. These small mecha suits have the ability to get places other forms of mecha cannot and they are especially of use inside
cities and arcologies. Soldiers in the NEG are a tough and determined lot. Most don’t get to hide inside a machine when it’s time to go to war.
Squad Captain: 1 - Tactical Advantage, Power Armor,
Grunt: 1 - Adrenalin, Power Armor,
BACKGROUNDS + The New earth Government (NEG) Emerging from the chaos of the Arcanotech Wars and the Aeon War, the New Earth Government fights to hold Earth against the combined might of the Migou and the Cults. They are the front line warriors who boldly risk their lives every day. Others can be special forces in which they infiltrate deep into enemy territory. Still others can be in the research and development labs, working to analyze the enemy and discover the NEG’s next edge.
+By selecting this background, you gain the following: An additional point in HP or PP.
+ The Engel Project (EP) The Engel Project falls under the purview of the New Earth Government, but deserves its own treatment. By fusing together arcanotech and biotech, the Engel Project has created a more powerful mecha better suited for dealing with the horrors of the modern world. Those who work on the Engel Project are the elite of the NEG, from the Pilots to the Arcanotechnicians. Arcanotechnician, Engel Pilot, and Occult Scholar are common Character types. The Engel Pilots fight on the front lines and see more combat than any other type of soldier in the New Earth Government. Those who work in research and development feel great responsibility to create new Engels that will continue to close the gap between the NEG and the dark forces threatening mortal life on Earth.
+By selecting this background, you gain the following: Ability to use non mecha Traits while in mech.
CHARACTER TOUCHES While this is not needed, being a somewhat RP heavy, and horror/emotional type game, these are things I believe you should think about.
How old are you? Most Characters in CthulhuTech are likely to be in their twenties – recently out of training and ready to establish themselves as adults. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t play the teen prodigy, or an older wiser Character who’s just changed his profession in favor of a more exciting or motivated life.
What do you look like? Take a moment to think on the characters build, style, and hair/eye colors. How does your character act? Carry themselves? Sit?
What does the character want in life? Everyone has dreams, desires, and goals. Your Character is no different. Do they want something simple like a happy romantic relationship and an apartment downtown? Or want something loftier, like the liberation of the Human race?
Why does the character do it? Something had to motivate your Character to become an active part of the Aeon War. What was it?
Who are the friends and family of the character? Who raised you, what was it like growing up? Do you have friends, people that matter to you?
What are you afraid of? Everyone is afraid of something. Could be the end of the world, could be that little beetle on the window.
How far are they willing to go? Because, believe me... They will need to go that far. They will be tested, and they may break.
LEVELING Personal Leveling is every 20 XP per the norm, though through the game, flaws, lasting injuries, perks, and other 'traits' will be added.
You do not level your mecha, only your person. Mecha upgrades will be in the Mecha Forum.
You may level up bonus traits and health/power but not add new bonus traits unless cleared by GM.
-----
THIS GAME IS A... High tech science fiction pseudo-fantasy manga/anime mecha horror tabletop role playing game.
-----
Before I had said this would be a private game. I have since changed my mind, and now keep it open for everyone!
Also, I have changed the lore from some of the PDFs (You can find several for free on the internet now...) I have (for now) removed the non-human race you could play, and changed how their culture affected the setting. Just keeps things more simple.
For more understanding on the crappy game this actually was, see many of these wonderful pages like this. 1d4chan.org/wiki/CthulhuTech
For more things that are less funny : cthulhutech.wikidot.com
-----
SETTING
The elder gods have always been watching. As the great old ones slumber, across the universe a strange alien race begins to expand and search for, and destroy, any possible threat to their race and steal technology in conquest.
‘D-energy' is magic. Kind of. After three months of trying to debunk the D-Engine, the scientific community is forced to accept the principles of arcanotechnology. A new discipline is born and the face of the world is changed forever.
CORPS
The Ashcroft Foundation coined the name arcanotechnology when they first shocked and amazed the world over fifty years ago. They used it to describe a bold new field that married advanced technology with the effects of ritual magic. Arcanotechnology touches all citizens of the NEG every day, though they may not even be aware of it. Teresa Ashcroft pioneered arcanotechnology as a gifted young doctoral student at Miskatonic University. While working in the library’s restricted section, she discovered a unique and as of yet unknown translation of The Mysteries Within – an ancient book detailing non-Euclidean mathematical principles that could rip through the very fabric of the universe. It’s upon these principles that she designed the theory behind the D-Engine. Unfortunately, the pursuit of such cosmic forces claimed her mind. Others followed in her footsteps, eventually creating the Ashcroft Foundation and the first D-Engines. All initial applications of arcanotech were derivatives of the D-Engine. D-Cells created powerful rechargeable batteries, Cascaded D-Engine Generators created and distributed power for everyday use. Arcanotech is now everywhere. Fossil fuel exporters lost their power overnight. Resource mining and management companies went bankrupt. D-Engine. When the D-Engine was finally revealed to the world, the Ashcroft Foundation went from a small, unknown research group to one of the most wealthy and powerful corporations in history in a matter of months. They still hold patents on nearly all ubiquitous arcanotech and draw massive revenue from licensed manufacturers. The New Earth Government and the Ashcroft Foundation are in bed together the way no government and corporation has ever been. The Foundation is the government’s primary producer of essential arcanotechnology. Their equipment powers the nation and, through subsidiaries, they manufacture critical military components. They are, in many ways, the premiere research and development arm of the NEG’s military. Beyond all that, the Ashcroft Foundation floated government agencies a great deal of money to rebuild the world’s infrastructure using arcanotechnology and to help build them their new army.
The Chrysalis Corporation
Snacks and soft drinks. Pre-packaged foods. Consumer electronics. Computer software. Video games. Motorcycles and cars. Industrial machinery. Military hardware. Through over a dozen subsidiaries, the Chrysalis Corporation is a contender in these fields and others. They’re a constant presence in the lives of people today and one of few giant corporations to have survived to the modern day. The Chrysalis Corporation is not what it appears to be. Forty years ago, at their downtown headquarters in Johannesburg, the Board of Directors changed the course of the world. Discontent with the power of money, the Board created an initiative to research and harness the power of the occult – the T99 Division was born. Members of the Board would become the most powerful men in the world through these disreputable scholars. T99’s responsible for the acquisition of the complete Necronomicon and Breath of R’lyeh. The Children of Chaos will tell you they were led to them. Whatever the truth, the T99 Division translated the first full copy of the Rite of Transfiguration not long after, a powerful ritual long lost on this planet for millennia, and began to experiment. All the right wheels were in motion to attract the attention of an ancient creature. Nyarlathotep fixed his eye on the Chrysalis Corporation, summoned his Children of Chaos, and silently took over.
CULTS
Cult of Dagon
(This is the place when the writers got a little weird. I have removed several... *ahem* phrasing. Approach with maturity.)
An ancient church has hidden for centuries within sleepy coastal
villages. How things started was always the same – it started when the fish stopped. In the face of starvation or disaster, it isn’t long before the villagers began praying to anything. Dreams come. Villagers perform other rituals. The voice of a different god is heard. And then the fish come back. Bounty remains while the inhabitants continue worship, inevitably giving way to the Esoteric Order of Dagon. Once devoted villagers purge the infidels from their midst, the chosen of the sea god come to bless them with his blood. Creatures not quite amphibian, not quite fish, not quite man rise up from the ocean – creatures known only as Deep Ones. The fertile females of the village offer themselves up to these “holy” beings. Now, the Esoteric Order has come out into the world. They take towns by force and set up rape camps to increase their numbers. They brainwash new-agers, forcing them to become spies for the cult, and they search the world to find the lost sunken city of
R’lyeh and for ways to awaken the sleeping god within. The oceans in the Aeon War belong to the Esoteric Order. Their monstrous ranks combined with Hybrid and cultist piloted mecha make even transportation a dangerous business..
Salem Screamers
Sirens
Children of Chaos
Previous to the Chrysalis Corporation, the Children of Chaos were a cult of the Endless One Nyarlathotep and had been for centuries. They were a secret society dedicated to sowing the seeds of chaos and unearthing the secrets required to bring about the end of the world. They were responsible for many conflicts and terrorist actions. Now, the two are one. The Chrysalis Corporation worships the endless one. Ultimately, the Chrysalis Corporation is dedicated to bringing about the return of the Old Ones and ending the world as we know it. They unified the Disciples of the Unnamable and brought the Dead God Hastur back into this world – and maintain excellent relations with the Death Shadows to this day. They trade information with the Esoteric Order of Dagon, but cooperate in few other ways. The Children of Chaos wage a shadow war so that the other Cults can operate openly. They spread disinformation and paranoia. They quietly cripple their enemies. They provide resources the others can’t muster. Their only true enemy is the Eldritch Society. Regarded by the Chrysalis Corporation as turncoat do-gooders who know enough to be dangerous, the Eldritch Society is a secret society dedicated to fighting the Cult’s corruption.
The Disciples of the Unspeakable
The Unnamable called to his disciples and they answered. Horrible beasts and monsters who wore the flesh of men bowed to his will throughout the world and the Disciples of the Unnamable were born. One faction gathered an army to purge the plague of man from this world. The other spread out across the globe to destroy man from within. The Disciples of the Rapine Storm roll across the world with
a terrible fury. An army of unspeakable monsters and lunatics in mecha, the warbands of the Storm wage a war of genocide. They don’t occupy – they strip bare. They don’t conquer – they raze. They don’t murder – they exterminate. The Rapine Storm is never subtle so their attacks can be predictable. The Dead God’s avatar is the Ruined King. The King is a tall,
gaunt nobleman who wears ragged, tattered robes and a crown
of what appears to be one single bone. His face is eternally in
shadow and the cold air of the grave follows him. The mere
presence of the Ruined King is enough to drive most men mad.
CHARACTER CREATION
fabletop.com/forum/topic/5326.1/cthulhutech-charac...
MECHA
fabletop.com/forum/topic/5574/cthulhutech-mecha
ABOUT THE GAME
Parts of the game will be focused on Epic Combat, with your Mecha, while other parts will play much like an old 'Adventure Game' where you look for clues, solve problems, and learn more about your enemies.
Hey!
Since I could not balance this part, and need more time to polish it, I have placed it here. Later, I will allow people to be a part of the ES, but for now, they are not integrated into the game for many reasons.
----
Hidden deep within the Arctic tundra, in an alien, crumbling
city millions of years old, Dhohanoid agents of the Chrysalis
Corporation’s T99 Division found something amazing. Inscribed
on an enormous monolith was the most complete description
of the Forgotten Ones ever made. Unable to translate any of it,
agents transcribed the text, destroyed the city, and returned to
Johannesburg.
+ Tager
The holy warriors of the Eldritch Society, Tagers are those who have undergone the Rite of Sacred Union. They have become one with a Ta’ge symbiont, a thing from beyond space and time, which turns them into a powerful supernatural warrior.
+ The Eldrich Society (ES)
Sworn enemy of the Chrysalis Corporation and the Children of Chaos, the Eldritch Society is the master of the secret Tagers. They fight a shadow war against the Dhohanoids to prevent the Cults from gaining greater power and unleashing further apocalypse. They hold the secrets of the Ta’ge Fragments and use their powers to stop Cthulhu and his monsters from rising.
+By selecting this background, you gain the following:
Additional Trait
Clandestine: 1 - Resist Madness, Show Secrets, Comprehend cults.
Unless essentially everybody is going to be in mecha, you may want to rework the NEG background selection Dare. it gives an extra mecha upgrade slot, but I don't think that actually does anything for any class but the Mecha Pilot, seeing as Engel Pilots have to take the other one, and I don't think any other classes actually have mecha training.
If it's going to be a mecha campaign it works, but if the other classes are going to get play time having a background that helps them would be nice. Really in general I'd say, depending on the scope of the campaign, more background options in general. Like subsets of the actual NEG for people to choose from.
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This list is being grown, and will get additions now and again even throughout the game. Keep your eyes for more advancements as the scientist teams manufacture more technology.
TERMS
What is a Mecha?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecha
urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mecha
What is an Engel?
No one outside the project knows what Engels really are. In fact, few inside the project know what they really are. The scary parts of a synthorg are the parts that are alive. Underneath it all, they are enormous living things, cloned from the DNA of Humans and god knows what else. The host is cybernetically grafted to a mecha enhancement shell once artificially grown and a pilot control capsule is inserted into the host's body cavity and wired into its brain and central nervous system.
++ MECHA ++
39 GlassGlow
Engel: No
Base dice: 2
Armor: 4
Fuel: 700
Upgrade Slots: 2
Seats: 2
Thorn 400
Engel: No
Base dice: 4
Armor: 5
Fuel: 400
Upgrade Slots: 1
Seats: 2
77 Boon
Engel: Yes
Base dice: 3
Armor: 1
Fuel: 600
Upgrade Slots: 4
Seats: 1
++ UPGRADES ++
M Queen Bee: 1 - Send a Swarm of nano drones to attack, Swarm stays on field.
M Flammenwerfer: 1 - Add 200 Extra Fuel Cap. Close Range area of attack.
M Laser sighting: 1 - Bonus to aim/hit, Allows called shot targeting.
M Combat Scanner: 1 - Scans area, showing all hidden enemies.
M Heavy Mortar: 1 - Mounted rocket launcher, can attack enemies in cover.
M Twin Gatling: 1 - Two Gatling Machine guns. Deals double the number of stars rolled.
M ERPI: 1 - The Engel Remote Pilot Interface, Can control Engel from Remote Terminal or Computer.
M Heat Sink: 1 - Allows an extra few rounds to be fired, adding dice to DMG.
M Dikote: 1 - Adds 2 extra armor to Mecha, adds to Def rolls.
++ POWER ARMOR ++
asdfasdf
Options, In order.
-Race
-Class
-Background
-Mecha Information and upgrades
-Defining the Character
-Leveling
PLAYER RACES
+++ Humans +++
Humanity has changed little in physical appearance though sociologically speaking there are huge differences between the human beings of the early and the late 21st century. Humanity has unified itself under the NEG, has largely abandoned religion, has inured itself to great suffering and the presence of cosmic horrors, and has explored sanity-blasting possibilities such as arcanotech. After the destruction of the First and Second Arcanotech Wars, the Migou invasion, and the conflicts with the Rapine Storm and the EOD, there are only approximately 2.4 billion human beings left alive, from a population that once numbered almost 9 billion. Every person alive has had at least one relative or friend killed in the wars of the 21st century.
The former dominant species of Earth, Humans are much as they are in our modern world. Their world has gotten a lot bigger since the advent of the Aeon War however and people don’t live with the same prejudices and petty issues that they once did.
Classes of Human
+ Human : The simple, unaltered human, born and raised.
+ Augmented Human : A human upgraded or changed with Cybernetic parts or abilities.
+ Altered Human : Once called 'exotics' these people have been upgraded biologically, either by body Grafts, suck as tails or altered limbs, or more commonly, through gene therapy and manipulation.
+ Abnormal Human : Humans born with inherent abilities, such as para psychics.
Why does how *Human* you are matter?
Simply said, you either have Human Rights, or not. When you do, your safe. When you have no rights, when people don't think you are human, you are fair game. No lawyer to plead your case, since you don't have the right to a lawyer. Enslavement, death, or worse await those that the law fears is no longer human.
CLASSES
+ ArcanoTechnician
Part-scientist and part-sorcerer, Arcanotechnicians understand the fundamental principles underlying D-Engines and mecha technology. Being an arcanotechnician is a dangerous job – as such, they are often well paid. Arcanotechnology fits at least partially in the “things man was not meant to know” category. Many arcanotech applications work on mind-bending principles, which can be taxing on the psyches of those who maintain or design such devices.
Gain one of the following:
Technician: 1 - Repair, Mechanics, Overclock
With Technician, you are the person keeping everything working, and buffing your Mecha for that extra edge.
Engineer: 1 - Arcano-Theory, Draft Gadget, Read Systems
With Engineer, you are the man behind the machine. You build these things, and know everything about them. You can find weaknesses in other tech, and can understand intense algorithms.
+ Engel Pilot
Regarded as the New Earth Government’s elite pilots, Engel Pilots “commune” with the strange and mysterious Engels. Their lives are very stressful as they see more regular combat than any other NEG force. Operating an Engel is taxing on a pilot. After all, every time a pilot crawls in the “cockpit” he’s exercising some sort of a telepathic bond with an alien cyborg. It isn’t unusual for Engel Pilots to slowly burn out, although the regular mandatory counseling associated with the job usually helps keep them sane. The process of synthesis leaves pilots with a slightly different perspective on life. They’re usually considered a little off – that indefinable way in which someone just doesn’t quite fit in. While a trained Engel Pilot can pilot any Engel, he can only exert total control over the one to which he is attuned. Every pilot undergoes surgery to have an Engel Synthesis Interface implanted in his brain and this ESI ensures a deeper bond with the single Engel that’s his.
To chose this class, you must take (EP) as your background.
Engel Pilot: 1 - Alien Bond, Combat Control, Sheltered Soul.
For you, your Mecha is a part of you. You can call to it, and do minor tasks through it without being in your mecha. You are skilled in combat with your Engel, and your Engel can take Damage for you.
+ Intelligence Agent
Information wins wars and the Aeon War is no different. Intelligence Agents might be spies trying to infiltrate a cult, part of a mecha team gathering military intel, or working as counter-espionage to root out cult spies within the New Earth Government. enemies. Some are analysts who decipher and correlate piles of information. Others gather data as scouts, braving new and unfamiliar territory. Some are surveillance teams sent with an array of electronic gadgets to record the enemy at work. Others are spies who go deep undercover to infiltrate the Cults. Still others work in counter-espionage to root out spies within their own organizations.
Infiltration: 1 - Surveillance, Stealth, Streetwise, Persuasion
You know how to gather intelligence on a given person or selected
location through observation. You can plant “bugs,” listening devices, or
micro-cameras to record relevant data. Surveillance also works
hand in hand with Stealth when shadowing someone. Persuade allows you to influence an individual’s behavior through the power of your personality.
Scout: 1 - Glitch, Enforcer, Indimidation, Observation
You are familiar with various techniques used to set security
alarm systems or traps. By the same token, you’re also familiar
with ways to circumvent such things. You understand law enforcement procedures and techniques. You are also familiar with any local or federal laws that fall within your jurisdiction to enforce. Perhaps you know ways to find loopholes within existing laws. You might be a security
guard, a city policeman, a private detective, or an FSB agent.
+ Mecha Pilot
Mecha Pilots are the mainstay of the New Earth Government’s army – soldiers in mechanized war machines as tall as buildings. They are anywhere and everywhere the NEG needs them, pulling guard duty at bases and installations, performing special forces raids deep inside enemy territory, or fighting on the front lines. These pilots are much like the fighter jocks of old. They use colorful callsigns to identify each other, although in the face of their current enemy these nicknames are darker and more dangerous sounding than they once might have been. Also like old pilots, Mecha Pilots are a cocky, overconfident bunch. What they do is dangerous but it’s also a rush.
Gunner: 1 - Firearms, Weaponry, Special Munitions
You overcharge weapons, fire burning lead and copper, and make the aliens die. You are the Gunner on the Mechs and ships of the future, able to shot down anything.
Ace: 1 - Flight, Evasive tactics, Pilot
You are the Fliers of the worlds best mecha, ships, and other crafts. There is nothing you can't fly, and you fly can fly anything with engines.
+ Occult Scholar
With the advent of arcanotechnology and the Arcanotech Wars, a new class of scholar emerged – the Occult Scholar. Occult is the term broadly used to describe the otherworldly forces now ravaging the Earth and Occult Scholars are those who risk their soundness of mind to delve into the lost secrets surrounding them. Many times, their occult pursuits bring them to the practice of sorcery. Many times the occult pursuits of an Occult Scholar bring him to the practice of magic as he puts into practice the theory he’s studied. Not only is sorcery personally dangerous, it’s regulated. Even the average scholar is required to get permits for his occult texts as they, along with occult and ritual supplies and enchanted items, are considered controlled substances. Scholars who practice sorcery must register with the NEG’s Office of Internal Security.
Research: 1 - fluff, medical person.
sorcerer: 1 - Para Psychics stuff.
+ Soldier
Soldiers are those warriors who fight outside of mecha. They are the brave infantry charging across the field of battle, the police keeping order in New Earth Government cities, and the special forces troops sneaking in behind enemy lines. Many soldiers are trained in the use of powered armor. These small mecha suits have the ability to get places other forms of mecha cannot and they are especially of use inside
cities and arcologies. Soldiers in the NEG are a tough and determined lot. Most don’t get to hide inside a machine when it’s time to go to war.
Squad Captain: 1 - Tactical Advantage, Power Armor,
Grunt: 1 - Adrenalin, Power Armor,
BACKGROUNDS
+ The New earth Government (NEG)
Emerging from the chaos of the Arcanotech Wars and the Aeon War, the New Earth Government fights to hold Earth against the combined might of the Migou and the Cults. They are the front line warriors who boldly risk their lives every day. Others can be special forces in which they infiltrate deep into enemy territory. Still others can be in the research and development labs, working to analyze the enemy and discover the NEG’s next edge.
+By selecting this background, you gain the following:
An additional point in HP or PP.
+ The Engel Project (EP)
The Engel Project falls under the purview of the New Earth Government, but deserves its own treatment. By fusing together arcanotech and biotech, the Engel Project has created a more powerful mecha better suited for dealing with the horrors of the modern world. Those who work on the Engel Project are the elite of the NEG, from the Pilots to the Arcanotechnicians. Arcanotechnician, Engel Pilot, and Occult Scholar are common Character types. The Engel Pilots fight on the front lines and see more combat than any other type of soldier in the New Earth Government. Those who work in research and development feel great responsibility to create new Engels that will continue to close the gap between the NEG and the dark forces threatening mortal life on Earth.
+By selecting this background, you gain the following:
Ability to use non mecha Traits while in mech.
MECHA
(on other Forum, got pretty big)
fabletop.com/forum/topic/5574/cthulhutech-mecha
CHARACTER TOUCHES
While this is not needed, being a somewhat RP heavy, and horror/emotional type game, these are things I believe you should think about.
How old are you?
Most Characters in CthulhuTech are likely to be in their twenties – recently out of training and ready to establish themselves as adults. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t play the teen prodigy, or an older wiser Character who’s just changed his profession in favor of a more exciting or motivated life.
What do you look like?
Take a moment to think on the characters build, style, and hair/eye colors. How does your character act? Carry themselves? Sit?
What does the character want in life?
Everyone has dreams, desires, and goals. Your Character is no different. Do they want something simple like a happy romantic relationship and an apartment downtown? Or want something loftier, like the liberation of the Human race?
Why does the character do it?
Something had to motivate your Character to become an active part of the Aeon War. What was it?
Who are the friends and family of the character?
Who raised you, what was it like growing up? Do you have friends, people that matter to you?
What are you afraid of?
Everyone is afraid of something. Could be the end of the world, could be that little beetle on the window.
How far are they willing to go?
Because, believe me... They will need to go that far. They will be tested, and they may break.
LEVELING
Personal Leveling is every 20 XP per the norm, though through the game, flaws, lasting injuries, perks, and other 'traits' will be added.
You do not level your mecha, only your person. Mecha upgrades will be in the Mecha Forum.
You may level up bonus traits and health/power but not add new bonus traits unless cleared by GM.