Awarding the Keeper
about 3 years ago – Sun, Feb 28, 2021 at 06:13:18 PM

The Synthesis System this RPG is built on introduces Awesome Points. Contrary to Hero Points, Fate Points, Karma or similar concepts in other games, the way Awesome Points can be used is determined by the Genre of  the campaign.

In many narrative games, Game Masters can 'earn' Hero Points (or whatever they are called) when Player Characters do something stupid, find themselves in a particularly dangerous situation, invoke a Complication, etc. However, in Synthesis and, thus, in Steel Skies, the Keeper isn't regarded as an adversary, but rather as a storyteller who is simply trying to provide the best entertainment possible. 

To reflect this, Players actually award Awesome Points to their own Game Master, just like they can award them to each other and just like the Keeper hands out Awesome Points himself! Also, his or her Awesome Points are never used to increase the level of danger to the PCs, but rather to give them an extra fighting chance when things are looking grim.

Points are rewarded to the Keeper for being entertaining, coming up with memorable Scenes and Characters, raising the suspense in a palpable way, etc. Often, they are awarded for putting the Characters themselves in real danger, adding to the excitement! 

I'll explain how all of this works in the Quick Start.

Have fun, everyone!

Circles, Awesome Points and Genres
about 3 years ago – Sun, Feb 28, 2021 at 06:01:31 PM

As some astute backers may have noticed, the Synthesis system Steel Skies is built on uses 3 concepts that are, at times, intertwined: Circles, Awesome Points, and Genres.

Circles denote a different level or intensity and are usually fixed. For example, in most RPG's, it is possible for a non-powered human to beat Superman at a game of armwrestling. His or her chances might be extremely slim, but because the Strength (or whichever stat reflects physical power) values of both contestants are within a similar range, or because the rules system calls for a certain roll to always be a success, the human might be able to win... which, of course, borders on the ridiculous.

In Synthesis and Steel Skies, the human and Supes aren't within the same Circle. Each Characteristic or Skill within certain Circle still ranges from -10 to +10 (or -Sigma to +Sigma), which is a standard distribution, but only for Characteristics and Skills within the same 'power level', so to speak.

For example, each Characteristic and Skill for a normal human is considered to be on a scale within Circle III. If interacting with something within Circle VI, for example, no rolls are necessary at all: the Circle III stat always - ALWAYS - loses against a Circle VI stat. So, yes, a nuclear bomb dropping on a party WILL kill the entire party and your Character won't be able to outrun Quicksilver. It just wouldn't make any sense.

Still, there is an exception. Some Genres (like some superhero genres) allow you to use Awesome Points in order to Bump a Circle up or down, but only if you manage to have it make sense narratively. NOT A SINGLE mechanic in Synthesis works if you can't explain how you're doing it and that also holds true here.

Example

In a Superhero Mash-Up Genre,  Aunt Jade, played by Michelle, is going to  be trampled by a giant evil robot sent to Earth by alien invaders that all look suspiciously like Rudy Giuliani clones. All of Jade's Characteristics are at Circle III and even though she's a well-trained martial artist, her Body/Strength of Shift +4 and her Manipulate Object/Lift of +6 both operate within Circle III and won't interact with Gargatuantron's Body/Strength of S+1 at Circle V at all. Even though the robot's Aptitudes, Mental and Senses Characteristics are all within Circle III ranges, and even though its Body/Agility Characteristic is as well, it's Circle V Body/Strength is always going to beat aunt Jade's Circle III Body/Strength.

Jade has just tried to evade, but her Michelle's dice roll went horribly wrong and she's now laying on the ground, flat on her back. The group is using the 1-second Combat Round rules, but Michelle still has enough Ticks left to pull off a Reaction. She knows there's no room or time left to roll away anymore, but, luckily, Michelle's Keeper has informed her that he's using a Superhero Genre that allows Michelle to use Awesome Points to Bump Actions to another Circle. She was just awarded an Awesome Point by one of her fellow players (Awesome Points aren't just awarded by the GM) for fast-talking her way into a Steel Panther afterparty, which brought her total up to 4, and she decides to Bump Up her Body/Strength Circle to V for a single Action, which brings her down to 2 (she's keeping those to avoid dying right away if her next Action fails).

Michelle's Keeper is inclined to allow her to use her Awesome Points, but wants to know how Michelle is going to explain how she's going to Bump Up her Body/Strength first.

Michelle, speaking as Aunt Jade: 'While Gargatuantron's giant foot is looming over me, casting a shadow, I suddenly remember a physics show I used to watch as a kid.'

Keeper: 'Ooh, what was the show called?'

Michelle: '"Elementary, Dear Chris!" In each episode, Professor Aldridge explained a law of physics to a 10-year old kid called...'

Keeper: 'Chris!'

Michelle: 'Yes! One of the episodes dealt with balance points or something like that - I'm not really familiar with the concept as a Player.'

Keeper: 'You don't have to be, this is Michelle's memory.'

Michelle: 'It is! So, with the foot above me, I stretch out my arms and I try to push it away to the side, hopefully toppling it over, by pushing it against one of those balance points or whatever they are called.'

Keeper: 'Not sure about the real physics there, but it sounds cool, so I'll allow it, as long as you'd be able to push up his weight at Body/Strength S+4, Circle V.'

Michelle: 'Well, here goes nothing!'

Both Michelle and the Keeper roll 1d1000, with Michelle getting an S+1 result and the Keeper getting an S+2. However, now that Michelle is operating at Circle V, she gets to add her usual Body/Strength Shift Bonus, which is +4S, while the robot only adds its +1S Body/Strength Shift Bonus (the Keeper isn't using Body/Agility because the robot is too big, too heavy and normally too strong for Jade), which brings Jade to S+5 and Gargatuantron to S+3. Jade wins with a 2 Shift Margin of Success, toppling over the robot! She won't be able to repeat that Action easily, though, as she now only has 2 Awesome Points left and can never be awarded Awesome Points for an Action in which Awesome Points are spent.

Had this been a Hard SF Genre game, Michelle wouldn't have been able to spend any Awesome Points this way and would have been crushed to a pulp... unless she'd be able to come up with an Awesome Point use that fit the Genre!

A Chunk Out of the Quick Start
about 3 years ago – Tue, Feb 23, 2021 at 09:04:04 PM

Hi everyone,

I thought it'd be a need idea to present a few chunks out of the Opening Adventure Script included in the Steel Skies Quick Start. Expect a few spoilers, but nothing big, as all of the spoilers included refer to the first 30 to 60 minutes of game play. I also changed a few things so that you can't know exactly what will be happening until the Quick Start is out.

Please note that the commentary by three Characters (a Keeper, a game designer, and a Player who loves to roleplay) included will be presented in side bars in order to not be intrusive, as always.

The text hasn't gone through editing yet;

Have fun!

Steel Skies Opening Adventure Script: Oh My God, They Killed Hansi!

The Genre

Oh My God, They Killed Hansi is firmly set within the default Steel Skies Opening Genre: Weird Fiction, but evolves into Dieselpunk later on in the Adventure Script.

Genre Awesome Points

Each Player Character starts with a number of Awesome Points equal to twice the number of participating players.

Genre Characteristics (Optional)

If playing the Advanced version of this Quick Start, allow for any and all Characters to have very specific, goofy Focuses, just to add flavor to the game. For example, Hard Sciences/Chemical Industry/Cosplay Face Paints, Clothing & Appearance/Fashion Industry/Star TrekUniforms, Driving: Ground Vehicles/Cars/Needlessly Balance on Two Wheels Just to Look Cool, and Perceive/Smell/Starbucks White Coffee Blends are all perfectly fine. Keepers and Players alike: don’t forget to have fun with them and try to actually use some of these Skills once in a while. Using a Skill in a particularly creative or fun way will get you an extra Awesome Point for that Scene (but no more than once per Scene, no matter how many Skills you’re using).

Genre Damage (Optional)

Allow any Player who can explain why Damage done to his or her Character would provide more comic relief or more drama if Bumped Up or Down one step to do so, but no more than once every Scene.

Genre Tech

The Genre Tech will be late 2021, but feel free to adjust if you’re playing this Quick Start at a later date. Once the Genre switches to Dieselpunk later on in this Script, the technology presented in Oh My God, They Killed Hansi will change, but not before, so don’t let any Player Characters run around with laser guns or similarly out-of-place equipment.

Genre Levels

All Player Characters should have Circle III (i.e., human-level) Attributes and Characteristics only. Later in the Script, Circle IV weapons will become available. Yup, we said weapons. Not armor. See how we did that deliberately?

Genre Tropes (Optional)

Keepers, feel free to use any and all of the following Genre Tropes:

Compensation Storytelling: Make anything look and feel bigger whenever it’s dramatically appropriate. Use big, evocative words and phrases. That Nazi beam isn’t just killing everyone, it’s tearing them apart. Spacecraft aren’t big, but humungous or gargantuan. And the cute protagonist isn’t just handsome, he’s breathtakingly so. As for what you’re compensating for… uh… We don’t need to spell everything out, right?

Gratuitous Clothing Damage: Whenever a Player Character, Main Character or Supporting Character takes Cut, Avulsion or Laceration Damage, feel free to have some naked body parts show through. Be careful: if you’re using this Genre Trope, make sure to apply it to male and female Characters alike, and also make sure you’re not offending anyone playing the game with you.

Six more Genre Tropes are included in the actual Quick Start.

The Establishing Shot

Our (most probably unlikely) heroes find themselves at the wedding party of one of their best friends, Frederick Krueger. Whether they already know each other or not, they’ve all been assigned to the same round table – the one farthest away from the stage, where a German-language folk band is currently playing its fourth song about currywurst.

The marriage was fairly traditional, but the wedding party definitely isn’t. It’s being held on the large patio of the Edelweiss Restaurant in Indianapolis and, if anything, the atmosphere is even more German than ever. Culture-specific decoration abounds, all male guests are wearing lederhosen (nevertheless, Frederick was still able to convince 123 of his friends to show up – that is, if you’re counting Rex, the rottweiler) and even the wedding menu consists of German food and beer exclusively.

Macy Meisner-Adler: As the designated Keeper of Game Lore Master Judge (or ‘Keeper’), try to draw your players in with an evocative story. Try not to sound like you’re reading some boxed text from a piece of paper (or computer screen, as the case may be), but mix the above information with some cool observations. The Edelweiss Restaurant actually exists, so it’s easy to pull up some images, and we’ll provide you with some suggestions in the Opening Scene.

Don’t be afraid to improvise and let your players ask questions – sticking to a text that’s longer than a few sentences usually takes away from the immersive experience most role players like so much. Instead, look at the players while talking, gesture wildly, believe in what you’re saying, try to involve all senses and maybe sip from a keg of beer once every few minutes or so. There’s quite a lot of alcohol involved in this Script, so this is your perfect excuse to drink while running the game. Just don’t drink too much, don’t drink at all if you tend to The struggle with alcohol and hide behind your Keeper Screen while drinking if you’re underage (in which case you may also want to stick to root beer or something similarly yucky).

Andy Washington: Try to make sure all Player Characters are sitting at the same table at the far right of the stage when shit hits the fan (spoiler alert: almost all of the Supporting Characters are going to die horribly soon), but don’t force them to stay there either. I’ll give you a few examples on how you can get them to survive the Circle IV Israeli-sponsored Nazi UFO blast that’s going to wipe out the entire patio once we get to that section.

The Weird

Of course, Fredrick and Samantha tried to invite Robert Englund, but his manager, already fed up with their barrage of phone calls months before the couple decided to get married, just ignored the request. Luckily, they were able to lure in none other than Hansi Kürsch, the amazing Blind Guardian vocalist, who will be performing solo later on in the Script. Currently, Hansi is walking around aimlessly, wandering why the Star Wars producers who were slated to come over and talk to him about recording a progressive symphonic metal album focusing on The Mandalorian haven’t shown up yet. He’s starting to get suspicious, but don’t worry: Hansi will die heroically while defending his fans against the Space Nazi onslaught before the third Scene is over.

Nerdy Steve: The Adventure Script includes several pop-culture references, as well as references that are specific to a certain time period. You, as a Keeper, may not have any affinity with Blind Guardian or Hansi Kürsch (although you definitely should buy every single album those guys have ever made), so feel free to swap Hansi with another famous German singer you actually like. Don't even be afraid to change Frederik Krueger's name and the Nightmare on Elm Street references, especially if your Players are too young to even remember those films.

The Main Cast

Frederick Krueger

Krueger is quite the character: born in Indianapolis as Freddy Kay, he’s always been intrigued by German culture, so he changed his name a few years ago. It wasn’t until one month in that an acquaintance finally mastered the nerve to tell him his new name may sound a little too much like an iconic horror movie character, but Freddy figures ‘Frederick’ is enough of a variation on the villain’s name to get away with it (it isn’t, it really isn’t).

Surprisingly, it was Krueger’s Nightmare on Elm Street reference that attracted his wife, Samantha Barker, in the first place. A huge Robert Englund fan and the only female cosplayer to ever dress up as Raymond Beaumont at Comic Con (no, none of the convention goers ever got the Wishmaster reference either), Samantha met Frederick through a Reddit thread about conspiracy theories that turned out to be true (such as the fact that American military leaders once hatched a plan to kill innocent people and blame it all on Cuba). Frederick was using his real name at the time, which immediately drew Samantha’s attention.

After a lot of really weird online sex involving hats, striped shirts and horror film props, Frederick decided he was in love with Samantha, packed all of his stuff (like, an entire two suitcases’ worth), and, at age 46, finally left his mother to go and live with the love of his live (also, his only love ever) in Indianapolis (as an added bonus, he’ll never have to sleep on the convention center pavement during Gen Con ever again).

His mother reportedly didn’t take the news very well and wasn’t present at the wedding.

Frederick and Samantha started a podcast together, mainly focusing on proven conspiracies and Robert Englund guest appearances (even though both subjects don’t seem to have anything to do with each other, the bizarre mix has caught on) and hit 500,000 subscribers after YouTube vlogger Stevie T posted a shred redemption video in which he soloed over an off-key Nightmare on Elm Street love ballad Fred and Sam wrote (and sang) as a (not very dynamic) musical duo.

The podcast actually catered to a more critical fan base mostly consisting of Democrats and left-wing listeners from all over the world… until a few weeks ago.

During a particularly entertaining episode, Frederick and Samantha started talking about how they had just listened to a Coming Race audio book and how the experience had changed their lives. So much so, in fact, that their podcasts started to focus on…

MORE NEXT WEEK!

Sharing Our Alternate Setting
about 3 years ago – Thu, Feb 18, 2021 at 12:11:41 AM

Hi everyone,

Now that I'm free to develop an alternate setting, I decided to write up a teaser of what's to come. This still needs to go through editing, but it should be an example of the kind of tone I'm going for as far as setting information and background is concerned. Would love to hear your comments!

P.S.: The transcription software made me lose too much time, so I decided to type by hand, which is pretty painful with half of my right arm in a cast, but, hey, when inspiration hits you, you can't let such a small thing deter you from creating content, right?

We'll call this alternate setting Steel Skies for now, and bring it into 2021 and beyond. Here we go:

As above, so below. At only a paltry 1.282 light seconds away from us, Earth’s Moon is overlooking our planet, always turned towards us with half of its body, the other half carefully hidden from all but the most careful of scrutiny. While most of us live our lives on the planet’s surface, content with high-fructose  syrup diets, a steady dose of reality shows positioning narcissistic and unscrupulous animal traders as unlikely anti-heroes, and maybe the occasional swingers club visit to spice things up amongst dozens of sweaty, writhing bodies, secret societies around the globe know the Truth.

Across rowdy Chicago biker bars, seedy Moroccan shisha cafes and secret underground militia bases dedicated to a former US president presumed by most in the know to be an alien invader, redneck truckers, Nevada-based Burners and Qatar sheiks alike have hidden their notes on the teachings by the likes of Helena Blavatsky, William Scott-Elliot, Jacques Bergier, Louis Pauwels. Rudolf Steiner, and, of course, Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Some of them have even established highly-encrypted data sharing facilities in order to better be able to separate fact from intentional fiction and decode the pieces of accurate information the above authors and many of their peers have hidden in their works, there for later generations to put the puzzle together. Others have even succeeded in establishing contact with the angelic race living far below the surface of the Earth, scheming and plotting their return to the civilized world as we know it.

And maybe finally have that Big Mac. Or vegan sourdough bread with roasted avocado. Their leaders have been waging a heated debate on the matter since daylight woke culture first gained a foothold in subterranean Neo-Atlantis.

Even though there’s an entire hidden civilization miles underneath our collective feet, the most imminent threat seems to be coming from the aforementioned rocky satellite in orbit around us. Powered by Vril technology, a huge chip on the shoulder, decades of listening to Wagner and the firm conviction that colored people should probably wear whiteface and learn how to speak English with bad German accents, a small army of Nazi engineers, occultists and military personnel have been preparing their invasion, the establishment of a Third Reich (or a Fourth one, depending on the Thule space scholar you speak with) and the positioning of schnitzel as the first true global main dish.

You would think schnitzel & fries wouldn’t be the most convenient food to eat in a low gravity environment, but you would think wrong.

In order to better conceal their existence, the Coming Race and the space Nazis alike have been running disinformation campaigns through all social media channels and through the (fake) news shows run by shapechangers who have taken over key positions at networks like OAN and Fox News (Q’s real name, by the way, is Fritz Müller III, a 9-year old proud member of the Mondbasis Hitlerjugend, third classroom on the right after passing through the most northern airlock, who came up with the idea during his weekly Wie scheißen wir auf schwarze Menschen class – his handwritten dissertation later got an upgrade from C+ to A- after his teachers gleefully discovered how gullible a large part of the world population really is).

Oh, you know, that story about Democrats eating young children? That one’s partly true, but we’ll tell you all about it in the Core Rulebook.

Where were we?

Ah, yes.

So, yeah, there’s an invasion coming. And huge space battles. And the exploration of a hollow earth. And the discovery of Vril-fueled super powers. Did we mention some teenagers can level entire cities with their Vril staves?

Oh, and we’re sure we forgot to mention war dinos. They’re like the war horses of the past, only they’re dinosaurs, just in case you didn’t catch where we were going with that.

So, yeah, this shit is going to get serious.

Or not.

Word from the legal team
about 3 years ago – Wed, Feb 17, 2021 at 11:53:43 AM

Hi everyone,

Estate lawyer Lauri Pakka just sent me the following answer:

Hi,

At the moment the ownerships of the assets are unclear.

The bankruptcy estate will be subject to a special audit, and not much (such as give any permits or sell the assets) can be done until the ownerships are cleared.

Best regards,

Lauri Poukka

lawyer

And when I asked how long this might take:

Hi,

It will likely be completed within a few months.

Best regards,

Lauri Poukka

lawyer

I also received word from Trevor further clarifying his take on the Iron Sky Oy practices. 

Obviously this leaves me free to work on an alternate setting, just in case we won't be able to use (all) Iron Sky elements. I broke my wrist 2 days ago and will be in a cast for the next 4 weeks, but I'll make sure to do most of the writing with speech recognition software. Other than the way of writing, not having to go through a series of approvals speeds up the writing process significantly, so I'll make sure you ALL already receive the setting text before my cast comes off.  It'll contain all of the tropes both films make use off, but it'll be far more consistent than the Iron Sky storylines themselves are. Looking forward to your feedback as soon as you all receive the setting info. It'll be followed by a PDF Quickstart which won't carry the Iron Sky  name until such time that I receive word we can use the license I paid good money for without any hassles. This seems to be the most elegant solution to me as you'll all get products way faster than if we wait for the next legal steps to be done yet again!

Greetz,

Dirk