Iron Sky: The Roleplaying Game

Update: Last Legal Problems
about 3 years ago – Sun, Feb 14, 2021 at 01:49:30 AM

Hi everyone,

Valentine's Day just started here in Belgium, so it's time for an update!

As you all know, our RPG project has been tremendously delayed due to several factors:

- Our head writer dying from a brain tumor

- The sequel movie being postponed

- Long waits to get texts or illustations approved

- Several other people dying  or leaving around me

- The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic

However, the MAIN reason why I haven't been able to get enough writing in, is something else entirely and because of legal constraints, I wasn't able to talk about it until now.

Around the time our Kickstarter turned out to be a successful project, I was contacted by Trevor, a designer who (co-)created 5 designs in the film. Now, in most countries, this would mean he would only be able to claim IP rights to those designs at best, but Trevor was trying to claim the IP to EVERYTHING. That means: the entire storyline, the characters AND all of the designs. Or, at least: he was trying to stop the movies as a whole, arguing that he had the rights to stop the because he co-designed other stuff.

My sentiments are: whatever slight, imagined or right, done to Trevor, I find it reprehensible to try to stop an entire project just because he did soms designs for the movies. There's no honor in that and it's just a very ugly thing to do, as you're hitting not just the production team behind the film, but also everyone who put in so much sweat and tears.

So... I started getting very regular mails by Trevor telling me to cease and desist, stop the writing, stop the design process, etc. It's one of the reason why I first focused on the rules system and not the setting, and why we playtested the rules so extensively, but refrained from already melding them completely with the setting. The thing is: good rules also reflect the setting, so there was only so much I could do.

I forwarded most of Trevor's mails to the film team and was always met with the same response: 'Ignore Trevor, he's a troll'. BUT Trevor DID get his days in court and I had to wait again, not knowing whether I would be able to use all elements or not. Whatever the case, my lawyers imprinted on me NOT to divulge too much information until everything would become a little clearer legally. Trevor had already done a great job convincing hundreds of people not to back our Kickstarter: he was very present on Reddit and other media, so he did al of you a huge disservice. We would have been able to move a lot faster, get more stretch goals realized and much more without his interference. He single-handedly probably cost us ten thousands of dollars in backer earnings.

Options were explored: there's hardly an IP on Nazis in space, or hollow earth action, or pulp, so it'd be fairly easy to create a game that uses all of the Iron Sky tropes and still not be liabl for a lawsuit afterwards. But, unfortunately, I had to sit things out until everything became a little clearer.

A few months ago, I was hit by Trevor again, telling me the film company has gone bankrupt. So I had to wait for some lawyerly advice again and luckily was contacted by Lauri Poukka of Kemppi & Tuominen Attorneys Ltd on the 20th of January, 2021, and then again a few days ago. 

'Please note that in the beginning of bankruptcy, the debtor loses his or her authority over the assets of the bankruptcy estate.

I kindly ask you to pay the earnings to our office’s clients’ account'

So that's clear: whatever percentage I promised to pay to Iron Sky Oy, I now need to pay to the bankruptcy estate. So far so good, but Lauri hasn't answered my other question yet, namely: are there some images I won't be able to use? I'm waiting for her response, so we can continue and get that Quickstart out. The good thing is: we're finally at the end of the tunnel. The last legal hassles are almost over, I'll know FOR SURE, once and for all, what kind of constraints we might be working under, and we can get you a product unlike anything out there. And even the things that are going to be most devisive - the Target Number Table, the Hit Locations, the Attribute Focuses and Specialties, and the plethora of Skills - have alternative and more abstract rules to cater to everyone's needs. I'm so eager to show you more of this and it seems that I'll be able to do that soon enough.

I'm very relieved to be able to share the entire story with you, as some of you probably thought the delays were caused by me not doing enough, while in reality my hands have been at least partially tied since soon after the project was backed. Sure, I could have gone ahead and write the entire thing anyway, but I just did't want to risk the chance of having to rewrite literally everything. I decided to err on the side of caution, but it was all to get you the best product possible. It's also a major reason why I NEEDED to get NDA's signed by those of you who already wanted to get some documents showing progress and why I decided against getting live sessions up on YouTube or Discord or anywhere else. It would have left me open to possible legal attacks by Trevor before I was able to confirm 100% that I didn't need to listen to him.

I, again, thank you all for waiting. I should get Lauri's answer (and probably a hate mail by Trevor) soon enough and continue. There's not much writing left to be done in the Quickstart and I'm a lot more free to have the story evolve like I'd like it to, but there's a ton of art and layout to be commissioned that I had to hold off on because I don't know what legal stuff is going to be involved, and some of the writing will be very dependent on Lauri's input.

I'd again like to urge ALL of you to join our online sessions as well! So far, every time I announced an online session, I only had 1 or 2 backers responding. It'd be great if you're with at least 4, so we can do this well instead of in a lukewarm manner.

The one thing I can definitely promise: as soon as I have a go-ahead on the last writing matters, you'll all get the Quickstart text in your inboxes within at most 2 months of me getting the green light. To be clear: if there's a RED light on some of the Iron Sky stuff, you'll STILL get your roleplaying game FOR SURE, only I may have to change some characters, images and phrases. In the end, what you'll get will be the same: a modern tabletop RPG with mechanics that'll allow you to use it without dice, in a more abstract manner or as a simulationist game, with univesal rules and a great setting that'll allow you to take on the most iconic bad guys in our history, as well as delve deep into the bowels of the Earth, fight dinosaurs and explore space. It'll be vast, it'll be unique and it'll be different than what you're used to. It'll cater to more kinds of roleplayers than most of the RPGs out there and each of you will have his or her preferred way of playing, but all styles will be fully compatible. It will be, I believe more than other systems, a true toolkit that will be firmly grounded in the setting you've all come to love. 

That being said, I hope I can make the Iron Sky Oy guys proud. Whatever mistakes were made, these are honestly nice people, who've tried to create something special and who've all poured their hearts into their film projects. They haven't responded to my last E-mails, but I'll make sure to contact them through other means as soon as the last legal fiddly bits have been resolved. I have nothing to do with their bankruptcy or even with any of the film projects except for being able to write a game about them, but I for one have thoroughly enjoyed everything they've churned out and the effort that went into it, and I hope they'll all return with a major show of force in the near future.

Have a great Valentine's Day, please stay safe, wear EFFECTIVE masks (not the cheap crap ones or some cloth) and help keep others from contracting this awful virus that has taken out so many of us.

Greetz,

Dirk

Live Roleplaying Session + Stream on Sunday, the 31st of January, 2021
over 3 years ago – Fri, Dec 11, 2020 at 03:56:19 AM

Hi everyone!

Care to play the game and/or watch the game be played? We'll go through an alternative version of the Quickstart Scenario on Sunday, the 31st of January, starting at 6 pm, Brussels time! We'll also make sure you'll all have the Quickstart text in your hands by then. 

The Quickstart will take you through a major introductory scenario as well as introduce you to most of the basic concepts of the Synthesis system. We can accept 4 participants and we'll make sure others can watch the streamed session live. We'll post the session on YouTube and our website afterwards, as long as the video and sound quality is good enough.

Now, last time I tried to do this, I didn't have any participants, so I changed the starting hour and day to something more manageable to more people around the globe. You will need to preregister, of course, so please send me a mail ([email protected]) to apply. This'll be a first-come, first-serve kind of thing, so the first 4 to apply are in, the rest can watch.

Participants will receive a number of handouts about a week in advance, including downloadable Action Cards for us during the game.

As for me: I've been in quarantaine over the last week, but it turns out I don't have COVID-19. I, did, however, catch something else, it pretty much destroyed my throat and I have difficulty to speak right now.

One more important thing: there's a few comments I can't seem to access, so if you haven't received a reply to a comment yet, just shoot me an E-mail at [email protected] and I'll make sure to provide you with an answer ASAP.

Greetz,

Dirk

Example Skill Entry: Social Sciences
over 3 years ago – Sat, Nov 28, 2020 at 08:48:50 AM

Hi, everyone! As you probably know, Belgium is still in a lockdown and things are moving slowly, but I have been writing whenever possible and I promised you all to post a sample entry of a Skill. This includes both the Basic and Advanced info, so you're getting Specializations and Focuses (which can also be used as examples in the Basic Game). Of course, the 4 different Characters commenting on the rules texts will also be providing a variety of examples on the opposite pages, as promised.

Here's a write-up of Social Sciences. The listed Creative Focuses are mainly out-of-the box examples that help to provide flavor to a Character should you decide to use the Advanced Rules. They're by no means exhaustive. Since Declarative Skills in Synthesis are written up as nouns and Procedural Skills as Verbs, you won't be finding action-oriented verbs in their write-ups, which helps to remind Game Masters and Players that these Skills are used a little differently than Procedural Skills are.  More Updates coming soon and we should have some illustrations for you as well!

Have fun and, as always, please stay safe, everyone!

SOCIAL SCIENCES

Anthropology, Archaeology, History, Human Sexuality, Linguistics, Psychology, Sociology

Social sciences are concerned with the study of your own and other societies, the relationships amongst humans within those societies and human behaviors. All of them are academic subjects, but, as is the case with other sciences, your Character can also pick them up by reading books, watching documentaries, devouring tutorials and other means of self-study.

Specializations

Anthropology

Although academic anthropology often also encompasses the study of human languages and archeology, in Synthesis, Anthropology mainly refers to the fields of cultural, biological and physical anthropology. It includes the study of interactions in and between (sub)cultures, societies, and biological as well as behavioral aspects of both human beings and primates, often approaching these fields from an evolutionary perspective.

Most Often Paired With: Aptitude/Social, Mental/Logic

Sample Focuses: Anthropology of Religion, Applied Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnobiology, Ethnobotany, Ethnography, Ethnology, Evolutionary Anthropology, Medical Anthropology, Physical Anthropology, Psychological Anthropology, Zooarchaeology, Anthrozoology

Creative Focuses: Anthropological Documentaries, Chimpanzee Culture, Cultural Camouflage, Religious War Mongering, Sect Infiltration

Archaeology

Archaeology is the study of both the ancient and recent human past through material remains and environmental data. Archaeologists analyze the physical remains of the past in order to get a better, broader and more comprehensive understanding of human culture.

Most Often Paired With: Mental/Logic

Sample Focuses: Archaeometry, Cultural Resources Management, Ethnoarchaeology, Experimental Archaeology, Historical Archaeology

Creative Focuses: Analyze Archaeological Data, Assassins Creed Trivia, Dissect Indiana Jones Stories, Excavation

History

History is the study of past events and also includes the discovery, collection, organization, analysis, interpretation and presentation of those events. It makes use of ecological markers, material objects and written as well as oral accounts of the past. 

Most Often Paired With: Mental/Logic

Sample Focuses: Cultural History, Diplomatic History, Economic History, Environmental History, Gender History, Intellectual History, Military History, Public History, Social History, [Group] History, [Region] History, [Specific Field or Hobby] History, [Time Period] History

Creative Focuses: History as Told by Sabaton, History Trivia on Cracked.com, Historical Wisdom, Weird Historical Facts

Human Sexuality

Human Sexuality is the knowledge of the way people experience sex and express themselves sexually on a behavioral, biological, emotional, erotic, physical, social and/or spiritual level. It includes a thorough understanding of human reproductive function, gender identity and sexual preference.

Most Often Paired With: Aptitude/Social, Mental/Logic

Sample Focuses: Biological, Developmental, Gender-Related, Religious Sexual Morality, Reproduction, Sexual Attraction, Sexual Behavior, Sex Education, Sexuality in History, Sexual Norms & Rights

Creative Focuses: Attractiveness Boosts, Kama Sutra Sexual Positions, LGBTQ+ Radar, Sex Guru Talk, Sex Toy Trivia, Tantra Sex

Linguistics

Linguistics is the academic study of languages, including their acquisition, context, evolution, meaning, nature and structure. It doesn’t give you the ability to speak other languages, although most linguists also learn how to speak, read and write other languages.

Most Often Paired With: Mental/Logic

Focuses: Descriptive Linguistics, Historical Linguistics, Linguistic Theories, Rhetoric & Figures of Speech, Sociolinguistics, Writing & Mechanics, [Specific Known Language]

Creative Focuses: Accent Analysis, Klingon Semantics, Language Invention, Tolkien Phonetics

Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of conscious, subconscious and unconscious behavior, feelings, motivations, thoughts and other mind processes, including the processing of sensorial data.

Most Often Paired With: Aptitude/Social, Mental/Logic

Sample Focuses: Abnormal Psychology, Behaviorist Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Humanistic Psychology, Neuropsychology, Perceptual Psychology, Psychiatry, Psychoanalytic Psychology, Psychological States & Behaviors, Psychological Therapy, Psychological Tools & Techniques, Sleep Psychology

Creative Focuses: Famous Psychologist Trivia, Lie Detection, Phobia Identification, Psychobabble

Sociology

Sociology is the study of social behavior, social change, social relationships and social structures. It differs from Anthropology in that it mainly concerns itself with how individuals currently interact with or within groups, organizations and societies instead of looking at cultural dynamics within an evolutionary and historical context. purpose of understanding how human action and consciousness both shape and are shaped by surrounding cultural and social structures.

Sample Focuses: Criminology,, Cultural Sociology, Environmental Sociology, Marriage & Family, Political Sociology, Sociology of Peace, War and Social Conflict, Sociology of Philosophy, Sociology of Race & Ethnic Relations, Sociology of Sociology

Creative Focuses: Bizarre Demographics, MMORPG Social Etiquette, Social Deduction, Social Movements & Institutions, Social Structures, Unusual Social Identities

Rulebook Text Excerpt: Aptitudes
over 3 years ago – Mon, Oct 26, 2020 at 01:49:08 AM

Hi everyone!

I wanted to share an as of yet unedited example straight out of the rulebook that should make clear how the Quick Start, the Basic Rules and the Advanced Rules are modular. 

This is the write-up of one of the five Attributes, Aptitudes. I'll share a page layout later this week so you can see how it works visually. 

The first part of the write-up will be in the Quick Start. Notice how it's very general, but it already mentions the five Specialisations. Each Ability has five Specialisations which function as clear examples of what the Ability can do. If you're still unsure, just take a look at the Advanced part of the write-up: it includes more information on each Specialisation. This avoids confusion and arguments, even if you only using Specialisations as examples, as they very much define what an Ability can do. If you're using the Advanced rules, you have the option of assigning each Specialisation seperate Shifts instead of using the Broad Attribute Shift. Notice also how this mans that the Basic and Advanced rules are fully compatible. Advanced just elaborates on Basic and can be considered optional every step of the way. Thus, Synthesis is fully modular and you can even pick and choose which Advanced features you're going to include. It's even possible to use the five Body Specialisations and keep the five Aptitudes Specialisations as examples of what the Aptitudes Attribute does.

We realize extra info such as examples sometimes interferes with readability. That's why we've decided on a unique layout. All examples, most diagrams, many illustrations, pictures and all comments shared by the four Guides in the book (Andy Washington, the Game Master; Feldwebel Deitlinde, the Character Builder; Macy Meisner-Adler, the RolE Player; and Nerdy Steve, the Designer) will be on the even pages, while all relevant text will be on the uneven pages. This way, you can easily flip through the book and avoid clutter, while you can still benefit from the many examples we're giving to play the game!

Of course, I'm not going to use all of the write-ups in my Updates, but I'll share a Skill write-up later this week so you can also how we're handling Skills as well! I'll also share some playing and game mastering advice. After editing, all of this will also be found in the Quick Start and in the rulebook.

Another quick heads-up: I'll be working on the website later this month or early next month, so I may take it offline for a few days. That just means that I'm updating it, not that we're losing the site. I'm also looking into making another version of the game that includes a more generalized setting: it'll be exactly the same without the Iron Sky imagery. It'll allow me to explore even more ideas without losign the appeal of the actual property. More on that later!

So, here's the (unedited) write-up:

APTITUDES

Artistic, Mechanical, Musical, Naturalistic, Social

Aptitudes are natural talents. They have a strong hereditary component and are considered to be innate, even though they may be further developed early in life. 

What Distinguishes Them

Aptitudes are separate from Body because Body can be improved through exercise and delineates finesse, motor abilities and raw physical power, whereas Aptitudes are affinities with the outside world.

They are separate from Personal for much the same reason: Personal delineates intrapersonal ability, while Social Aptitude always involves other people.

Aptitudes differ from Mental in that Mental is a measure of intelligence, whereas Aptitudes can be considered natural talents.

Aptitudes aren’t Senses since they aren’t directly linked to sensory organs.

They also aren’t Skills, since Skills are learned and acquired, whereas Aptitudes usually don’t change after early childhood. However, just like other Attributes, Aptitudes can be Synthesized with Skills, so it may seem like someone learns an Aptitude, while in reality (s)he is learning a Skill that’s paired with an Aptitude.

Specialisations

Artistic

Artistic Aptitude is the ability to appreciate and create something that is aesthetically pleasing to see.

High Shifts Are Often Found In: Jewelers, illustrators, interior designers, painters, photographers, prop masters, make-up artists, sculptors, set designers

Sample Focuses: Make-Up, Models, Paintings, Pictures, Sculpts, US President Busts

Mechanical

Mechanical Aptitude includes an innate understanding of how parts of a machine work together. It encompasses building, fixing and taking apart objects. It's usually more of a hands-on Aptitude than it has to do with sheer intelligence.

High Shifts Are Often Found In: Carpenters, construction workers, factory workers, locksmiths, mechanics

Sample Focuses: Assembly Lines, Combination Locks, Floor Traps, Hidden Mechanisms, Modular Containers, Padlocks, Those Scythes That Always Spring Out of D&D Dungeon Walls

Musical

Musical Aptitude is the sensitivity to musical pitch, rhythm, scales, timbre and tones. It keeps Characters from singing off-key and helps them to pick up musical instruments or compose music.

High Shifts Are Often Found In: Conductors, musicians, musical prodigies, music teachers, singers

Sample Focuses: Anything That Sounds Like Hansi Kürsch Is Singing On It, Complex Rhythms, Insane Scales, J-Pop, Math Metal, Timbre, Voice Recognition

Naturalist

Naturalistic Aptitude has to do with the processing and relating information to a Character’s natural surroundings. It’s an innate sense to recognize both flora and fauna and to distinguish amongst different kinds of animals, herbs and plants. Note that this does not convey any knowledge per se, but it definitely Synthesizes well will all kinds of nature Skills.

High Shifts Are Often Found In: Bird watchers, botanists, chefs, conservationists, farmers, gardeners, gatherers, hunters

Focuses: Animal Empathy, Animal Classification, Cute Animals That Look Like Disney Characters, Mountain Classification, Plant Classification, Rock Classification, Weather Sense

Social

Social Aptitude measures how well a Character is able to interact with other people. It also includes how well (s)he can assess desires, emotions, intentions and motivations, discern lies andempathize with other intelligent beings, as long as (s)he is able to understand them. Even though animals can also be very intelligent, they have widely different ways of expressing themselves, so you should use Naturalist when dealing with them, whether it be cute little puppies or raging bulls.

High Shifts Are Often Found In: Coaches, counselors, hairdressers, philosophers, politicians, psychologists, sex workers

Sample Focuses: Anyone Who Also Defines Him-/Herself As Non-Binary, Bullies, Charisma, Children, Empathy, LGBTQ, Lie Detection, Men, People Who Go Out of Their Way to Praise Me Profusely, Women

What About…

Fluid intelligence: Use Mental/Logic

Linguistic aptitude: Use Mental/Verbal

Logical aptitude: Use Mental/Logic

Organizational aptitude: Use Mental/Logic or Mental/Spatial

Situational intelligence: Use Mental/Logic

Spatial aptitude: Use Mental/Spatial

STEM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Math): Use Mental/Logic

What Our Guides Say...

Feldwebel Deitlinde: 'I started off playing the game at its Basic level, which means we were using Broad Groups only... initially. However, I soon found using Focuses doesn't really make the game more complex, it just takes more time to create or tweak a Character. The reason why I ended up picking Specialisations and Focuses anyway is because it made me feel like my Character is even more unique and well-defined. I can even take it to another campaign, run by a different Game Master, and still use the Character Sheet for the Basic game without changing anything. Anyway, I loved being able to define my Character's Aptitudes - she's great with music and artistic endeavors, but she's a little awkward socially. Having the option to give my Artistic, Musical and Social Aptitudes different Shifts was a breath of fresh air, as I wasn't forced to have my Character be good at every single Specialisation.'

Nerdy Steve: 'I've always had a problem with rules system that pair Attributes with Skills - mainly because the pairing itself often doesn't make much sense to me. I know a lot of people who are great with animals, but who aren't very wise or intelligent, for example. Likewise, several of my friends work as mechanics, but some of them flunk school and aren't very bright. Yet, most game systems pair Skills like Animal Affinity, Biology, Botany or Mechanics with Attributes like Intelligence or Wisdom. We used the theory of Multiple Intelligences as a base for many of our Attributes and that seems to work better, it just seems more logical to me. Also, the Specialisations help me define an Attribute, which is great when I need to explain something to my players. We very rarely get into arguments on what a specific Attribute can or cannot do, which definitely helps me to pace the game.'

Why I Went to Auschwitz and Birkenau to Write a Role-Playing Game
over 3 years ago – Thu, Oct 22, 2020 at 04:26:48 AM

Here's some pictures I took at Auschwitz and Birkenau, just a few days ago. The press trip included restaurant visits, food tours and museum visits, but I also wanted to do my research on Iron Sky: The Roleplaying Game, as well as on the audioplay I'm writing for Achtung! Cthulhu. 

I'm taking writing for these properties very seriously. I know we had an almost supernatural amount of bad luck doing the Iron Sky RPG, so I have to do a lot more myself than expected and I had to free up a lot of time in a year I was planning on doing other things, but I love the writing process itself and I'm sure the wait for the artists will be over soon.

Being in Auschwitz and Birkenau, being on the premisses, is a far more powerful experience than what we can ever get from TV series, movies or books. It's much more visceral and confronting, and it's absolutely ghastly to realize how quickly these camps were set up, how much more efficient they became in a short amount of time and how many souls lost their lives there. We visited the Schindler Factory as well and it's been turned into a great museum, but this trip, the trip to the concentration camps, is the one that I think everyone in the world should take at least once in their lives.

We all have political choices coming up, one way or the other. Let's all make sure we pick candidates who are not afraid to speak up against bigot

ry, discrimination and racism.

Again, thank you all for waiting such a long time for the game, but things are moving despite being held back by the coronavirus. Please hang in there, I'll make sure the end product will be worth it.