Tag: ACKS (Page 6 of 7)

Work Continues

March 23, 2012 / Bear

I am working on lots of things, it's just that nothing is in a state to post.

I started working on the B/X or ACKS psion and got the powers, levels and all that figured out. Then it occurred to be that there needed to be a quasi-setting around them to add interesting proficiencies.

That led to re-opening the Shayakand and Tanah-Con-Rahn files. Opening my own old stuff leads to only one thing:

Revision.

Two of the needed revisions pertain to what to call things. The ad-hoc languages I was using weren't consistent and made little sense. So, more conlanging. The language of magic is still something that sounds Latin-ish. The language of everyday folks, however, isn't sounding like anything familiar, but is looking like German (or Malay Indonesian).

Working on languages goes back to one of the central ideas of Tanah-Con-Rahn:

The language of magic is known, however, knowing the words won't let you cast spells. Either you can cast spells or not - it's inborn and not taught.

If you want to learn magic and you are not one of the lucky few, you can go the religious route (become a Cleric) or the mystery route (become a psion).

There's more, but I am trying to put it into a coherent format. Hopefully, more soon.

ACKS Space Setting Thus Far

March 3, 2012 / Bear

A collection of random things posted on Google Plus:

An item for the ACKS spacefaring campaign:

Patchcloth: When combat pokes holes in a ship, it begins to lose air. In Pythagorian space, the air escapes quickly, but not with enough pressure to throw sailors out into the aether. When the crew has enough time to work on repairs, the first order of business is covering these holes.

Pathcloth is stored as rolled bundles of cloth measuring about 20 feet high and at least 200 feet in length. The cloth is densely woven and fairly sturdy. It is cut to fit any holes.

Pilots

For spacefaring in ACKS, I figure Thieves have class specific proficiencies that allow for greater maneuverability and/or tactical speed. Other classes can stack the general proficiencies to become better at evasive maneuvers and things like that, but the "rogues" of the world can eek out that extra speed/dexterity to do impossible stuff.

The pilot uses a "wheel" to drive the ship. This is a device with three handles attached to a sphere. One handle affects the pitch, the second the yaw, the third the roll of the ship. Each handle is twisted clockwise or counter-clockwise to affect the ship.

This device can come with a ship, but master pilots always bring their own.

Ship Construction

1. Build a regular boat - carrack, nao, Galley, etc.
2. Attach a device that makes the ship air tight:
- This device is basically a permanent Mend spell. The effect is to close any gaps in the ship, especially the really small ones. If someone forgets a plank, the device will not work. It doesn't stay with the finished ship, it is only used in construction and the final step of repairs at a repair dock.
3. Attach the engine. Again, this is the thing that makes the ship travel a million miles a day at cruising speed.
4. Attach the air system.
- This device is basically a Create Air engine multiplied in effect for up to 128 people that operates once an hour.
5. Attach the weapon systems.

Using my own interpretation of the Magic Item creation system for a Spelljammer helm:

Cost: 125,000 gp

The standard prices in 2e were 100,000 gp for a minor helm. 250,000 for a major helm.

The effects used to calculate this are strictly to move an object approximately 1 million miles in a day. It is a permanent effect usable once a day. The spell level used is calculated based on the number of times the Fly spell has its effect doubled to reach a million miles in a 24 hour period.

Of course, anyone with the formula can crank these out at half price...

Class Templates

In my setting based on Pythagorean ideas - anyone of Neutral alignment will be treated as Chaotic by a Pythagorean.

The Pythgorean template can be applied to the basic classes cleric, magic-user and fighter. Alignment must be Lawful. Provides bonuses to general and class proficiencies based on their "enlightenment" through Pythagorean knowledge.

For example, the magic-user, knowing that all things are composed of numbers, could get bonuses to alchemy, Summoning spells and/or item creation.

Cosmology

From Pythagoras, the center of the universe (a la the solar system) is the Hearth of the Gods. Being a link to the gods' dwelling place, it is comprised of the most important element, fire.

My antibiotics-addled mind: The Hearth is an entrance to the outer planes.

Pythagoras wasn't much different from other Greek philosophers in assigning four elements to the universe.

My antibiotics-addled mind: So there really are Inner planes (Fire, Air, Water, Earth)

Pythagoras assigned the platonic solids to each of the elements. Tetrahedron (d4) - Fire. Octahedron (d8) - Air. Icosahedron (d20) - Water. Cube (d6) - Earth.

My antibiotics-addled mind: Plane of fire is a pyramid.

My antibiotics-addled mind: Each face of plane of fire borders another plane. One face connects to the solar system (and thus to the other planets rotating around it). Another face connects to plane of Air. The triangular face on the border between two planes is the same size. The same is true on a third face that borders the plane of Water. The last face borders a cube. The length of a side of the pyramid is the same as the length of a side of the cube. This means a small triangle-shaped piece of the plane of Fire does not touch the plane of Earth.

Pythagoras assigned the d12 (name escapes me) as the shape of the universe.

My antibiotics-addled mind: The above mentioned combination of planes is all contained in a dodecahedron. Where faces of dodecahedrons connect, there is an alternate universe.

The path to the Outer Planes lies in the center of the plane of Fire.

An ACKS spacefaring setting

March 3, 2012 / Bear

I love Adventurer, Conqueror, King. It is a great system that feels old enough for me, yet has lots of fiddly stuff including an economics system. I have enjoyed reading it for several days now.

Some time ago, I wrote about Tiezerekan, my take on fantasy in space. With the ACKS system, it seems like everything is there to flesh out this world further. I've started with a few ideas on Google Plus, but I wanted to begin posting here as well.

Since the universe is largely based on Pythagorean ideas, I wanted to start with a brief snippet about the settings central figure, Ogan Zetvar.

Ogan Zetvar's story has become more legend than fact. It is believed that he was once human and either ascended to godhood or was murdered by the gods. While he was alive, he attracted a fair number of worshipers. It is known that he began his school when he was 50 years of age. It is believed that he left his homeworld at the age of 17 and traveled the stars for over 30 years.

Various planets have stories about his teachings and strange form of magic. Common elements throughout the Ogan stories are:

The spontaneous creation of some kind of animal.
Discourses of the nature of numbers.
Critics accusing him of atheism.
One or more mathematical proofs.
The teaching of an internally-sourced form of divine magic.

The last element, divine magic that did not require devotion to any particular god, is what appears to have angered the gods. Despite his death/disappearance, the unique form of magic credited to him flourishes on all known planets.

The setting is going to be renamed, once I get more written about it.

Tag: ACKS (Page 6 of 7)

Work Continues

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ACKS Space Setting Thus Far