Inspiration Strikes and I Record It

[Dragavan]

In case anyone is interested in how my creative brain works, my latest Dragavan's Den Blog Post (http://www.landofkarn.com/modules/wordpress/?p=40) is all about an idea for a game that struck me and is clawing it's way out of my brain. The style and theme is along the same vein as From Darkness It Comes. You can see how the inspiration struck me and is still growing.

[Usoki]

It's looks like you've got a very good working basis for a decaying sort of mechanic system. I'm not sure what those dice rolls will be for, but I would imagine it's a flat table with the higher numbers being impossible to reach at low levels. It sounds...weird, and a bit complicated- but I'd imagine whoever you play with are on your intellectual level, so I suppose there's not much need to worry about getting too complex.

The part that really confuses me, though, is your mention of a Jenga tension system. Other than as an interactive puzzle, I'm a bit confused how you'd work that into something like D&D.

[Dragavan]

I tried to reply right after I saw this yesterday, but our internet went down at that exact moment. It seems to be back now, so I will try again... but then it went out again... so I sit on this and wait to post it as soon as I have internet again... ugh... if you are reading this, it means it happened and I was able to...


The first thing you have to do is forget D&D. That game is really not a good example of a Role-Playing Game and should be ignored. It's really more of an abstract combat strategy game, where you play a single unit instead of a whole team. It's a game all about killing things and taking stuff, crawling through dungeons, and balancing points (maintaining HP, spells, healing, damage, and all that). The "role playing" aspect is really a secondary thing that has no support in the actual system itself.

The Jenga thing is actually from an Indie Game called Dread. Which is a Post Apocalyptic monster/horror game about fear, desolation, and survival. While you are playing the game (which is HEAVILY character driven and combat is something to avoid as much as possible) you have to make pulls from the Jenga tower when you try to do certain things, usually risky or tense things. If the tower falls when you do this then things go horribly wrong with your action and the game ramps up into horror mode. It works as a tension builder because Jenga gets harder with each move and you know when it crashes things will get really bad.

But that doesn't matter because although I liked the idea of the tension builder I didn't like the idea of it being a one shot once it fell kind of thing. So I am going with a die pool instead. I figured if I start the pool with 3D12 in it then the odds of rolling three 1s is pretty slim, but still possible. Then as dice are added to it the odds of rolling that grow and so does tension. But when it happens it's not the end and the pool stays active and still can grow, increasing the tension continuously.

As for the die rolls that the players would make based on their attributes and pools (if they choose to bet from them), they would be based on highest single number rolled. So even if you rolled six dice, only the single highest number counts. The players rolls are made against an opposing roll done by their opposition (often the GM) or be a difficulty target based on what they are trying to do (also a roll made by the GM). This makes it rather simple and not complicated at all. Whoever has the highest number rolled, wins. If there is a tie, you look at the second highest die (if there is any), and in the end a true tie always goes to the defender (or player if there is no defender).

The betting aspect would be done to increase your chances of success in a roll you make. You can draw from one of your two "health" pools (Mental or Physical) and risk any dice you want in it by adding them to your action roll. This gives you that many more dice to get a high number on, but if you still lose the action you lose the dice the risked. This would deplete your "health" in that area (and possibly "kill" you if you lost your last die doing it). Other things would also affect these pools and possibly deplete them along the way, so not betting doesn't make you safe.

[Leblanc4prez]

I am highly intregued... This sounds very fun... I must keep an eye out on this project of yours.

[Dragavan]

I am highly intregued... This sounds very fun... I must keep an eye out on this project of yours.

Cool... but how about some "why"s. I crave feedback. What sounds like it works, doesn't work, could be stronger, is exactly what it should be, etc? Without others giving me feedback I can't tell what is actually working and what loses people. Things grow better when they are fed and watered. Feed me. Please.

Also, based on my "From Darkness" story banner here, I made a couple versions of a banner for the outline of the game I am making. Figured I would share them. The second one I think is over-processed, but I figured I would share both.

http://images.dragavan.com/WBRPG/WB-Banner-1.png

http://images.dragavan.com/WBRPG/WB-Banner-2.png

[donteatpoop]

As to what does and doesn't work, drag; it's hard to tell without actually playing it. It sounds interesting... Don't know what would or would not work about it though... I'd have to play it.

What time should I come over?

[Leblanc4prez]

I agree with DEP. At the moment I can only speculate which feature will or will not work. I would require a beta version of your baby to truly give you some proper feedback.

[Dragavan]

I forgot, this forum doesn't have game designers on it. My bad. I am just too involved in (and sort of obsessed with) this idea that it is creeping into posts I am making on most forums I go to... most of them are gaming sites, so they would have designers and serious players who could have ideas about how it might work out without needing to play it out... at least at this stage.

But if any of you lived or were going to be close to me, I would have no issue having you over to playtest the ideas.

[Leblanc4prez]

Damn... Thats me out... *Note to self* gotta get to America for a holliday one year...

[Dragavan]

In case anyone is still following this or cares, I have made my next blog post about it.

Dragavan's Den Post About Character Creation (http://xrl.us/bj58h)

[Leblanc4prez]

I wanna play! You gunna have aliances? Like chaotic and such? I like the fears thing. I really want to be part of this somehow... but I have no skills... apart from an extensive Call Of Cu'thulu carere as a Smuggler. And My D&D days as Atticus Nightsharoud the famed halthling rouge.

[Dragavan]

I wanna play! You gunna have aliances? Like chaotic and such?

Nope. You are a normal person (more or less) who is drawn into the horrible worlds that live below the reality that is Whispering Bluff and simply try to survive the madness and evils you find. This is not a game of good vs evil or anything like that. This is a game of guilt and fear and depression and horror and trying to get through it with your mind still in some semblance of working. Sometimes Death is the only way out.


I like the fears thing. I really want to be part of this somehow... but I have no skills... apart from an extensive Call Of Cu'thulu carere as a Smuggler.

Cthulhu could be an asset here, as the true horror and depths of despair and hopelessness of those stories contain are part of the inspiration for this. Kind of like how the Call of Cthulhu RPG was one where you saw how long your character survived, as opposed to trying to win.


And My D&D days as Atticus Nightsharoud the famed halthling rouge.

That won't help you here it all... D&D is as far from what I want to see happen with my game as you can get. This not an epic heroic fantasy game in any sense of the words.

As for helping, I will keep you in mind when I get to the point of looking for someone not involved to read it and see if it make sense as written (as opposed to how it's explained by me in person).

[Locke]

I have virtually no experience with role-playing games of this sort, but I have to admit even I'm somewhat interested in this one. It sounds like a fun time.

[Leblanc4prez]

Yay! I love proofreading! Thanks for the trust! I will not fail you when the time comes :)

[Dragavan]

Okay creative types... How about this.

I am creating a history for the town and the valley it is located in, to show that it has been a place of great evil since even before recorded time. It is located somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, so nothing that wouldn't fit there (like site of medieval druid rituals or anything). This is supposed to be a nexus of some kind of pure evil... without having literal demons or monsters being let loose in the "real" world.

So far I have this list (mine is elaborated on more, but these are the bullet points).

Site of Ancient Meteor crash
Ancient Indian burial ground
First Settler Massacred
Horrible Disasters and Accidents seem to happen a lot
Mysterious Disappearances
Crazy cults/religious zealots set up camp
Sightings of "Big Foot" or Odd Creatures
Serial Killer stalked the area


So what can you think to add to the list for me to choose from while writing this history? Be as expansive and out there as you want.

[Leblanc4prez]

Mystirious sickness speads throughout the area.
The animals are slightly larger and much more intelligent than their usual conterparts.

[End Master]

Well, maybe the eruption at Mount St. Helens woke something up that was sleeping beneath the earth. Or possibly that was the first sign of it waking up.

[Leblanc4prez]

Transformers... Robots in disquise! heh heh heh... nah, nah, that is siriously good.

[Locke]

Demonic possession is always a good one.

Especially given that it's in the West, perhaps the town under American civilization really began as a haven for the lawless, thieves and murderers and such, before the territory was fully integrated into the US.

I suppose you could file it under "Odd Creatures," but definitely don't ignore the local flora and fauna; there's quite a lot of potential there. Particularly if you have your group begin outside of town, dangerous wildlife - even mostly "normal" wildlife - is a possibility; a history of damage and death caused by the natural world ought to fit nicely. Hallucinogenic plants, an unusual frequency of lightning strikes, etc.

Apparently, Indians and settlers both lived in the area; I guess an Indian shaman might've cursed the place before the tribe was inevitably driven off.

A nearby military test facility in the more recent past could make for some less typical horror. There's the nearby asylum/state prison route too, but those are possibly overused.

Phone lines and other avenues of communication were attempted to connect the area with the outside world, but strange happenings always stalled the projects. Otherworldly voices and random strange noise can occasionally be heard nonetheless on the disconnected devices.

Crops never grew well for whatever reason; what was harvested was often deformed and possibly harmful to ingest.

Equipping the area with a power plant or industry which catastrophically malfunctioned some time ago (leading, perhaps, to the recent presumed vacancy) or another very tall and ominous-looking building could work, and there's always that deranged nut setting traps all over the place in an effort to save himself.

The town's name suggests a fair-sized cliff nearby, prone, of course, to suicide jumpers and eerie sounds that resemble voices with the wind. A cliff can mean caves honeycombing the area, too; no reason not to throw some in.

Lights in the sky, mysterious wreckage littering the area.

Uwe Boll once considered the site for a film set, before ultimately discarding it and rendering the place in CGI instead.

[Dragavan]

Uwe Boll once considered the site for a film set, before ultimately discarding it and rendering the place in CGI instead.

HAHAHAHA

No, I can't use that one... I want this to be a horror game, but that's just too scary for most players. I simply Can't believe that guy keeps getting deals to make movies.

...

As for everything else. Thanks guys. Some of that will really fit in well with the story that's unfolding for the place... and there are all sorts of caves and things, but I like the touch about the wind blowing across them making sounds like people whispering.

Back in the early days there were miners digging in the hills, until a horrible disaster in the mines killed many of them.
In more recent times (like starting in the '50s) the town became more of a resort getaway. The more transient short term guests didn't have to see or deal with the weirdness as much so the "restructuring" of the town lasted longer.
The resort business started to falter through the '80s and the town was pretty much abandoned in the '90s.
The road into town was removed from maps and marked as blocked to through traffic with signs.
Place is now in total disrepair and the road is falling apart, plus rock-slides partially block it in places.
Nobody (sane) lives in or around it any more.

The players are drawn to the place though all sorts of means, mostly tied to their Guilts, Fears, Dreams, and possibly Careers. Once in the town or area (which is eerie, but seems "normal" in most respects for a ghost town) they are then sucked into the horror worlds of Mist and Darkness. The real world is not where any of the bad things really happen to the players... although it starts there with some of the odd and mystical things that draw them in.

[Leblanc4prez]

Finaly a game to unleash my new charecter I've been working on, LeBlanc the Lucid, He has Multiple personalitys, each one good at a certain task. But always the threat of his mind shattering each time he calls upon the abilitys of these personas of his.

[Dragavan]

Okay, the next blog post is up (Yes, two in the same week this time) and it covers more about how the rules and game mechanics work. Feel free to check it out if you are interested: Dragavan's Den Post (http://xrl.us/bj8jp).

[Dragavan]

The following is something I wrote to give some background on the old town, before it was abandoned. This will be just one of several things that I will be including in the section about the town, all of which will be "real world" clipping and items like this. It's only the stuff for the other worlds where I will write in a more direct descriptive format. I figured since the real world will not used much in the game, other than to figure out how the characters ended up being called to the town, this kind of creative background information would be more fun and useful than a direct description of the place. Enough build up, here is the first excerpt. Let me know what you think.

---

Excerpt about Whispering Bluff from
"Mountain Towns of the Pacific Northwest" (1983 PNC Press)

The lovely resort community of Whispering Bluff has a long and fascinating history, spanning all the way back to the early settlers staking claims in the wild northwest, and before. Although troubled in the early years, it has grown into a very popular getaway for families and lovers, with several locations built right on the shores of beautiful Lake Larimore. Where did this pristine lowland mountain resort town get its start? That's a complex story, with several strange twists along the way. Here's the short version.

The mountain valley that now holds the town of Whispering Bluff was created by a meteorite that fell to earth and struck the mountains somewhere around 300AD. They say it hit with enough force to actually cause the complete destruction of hundreds of square mile and damaging thousands more, caving out the steep cliffs and deep valley in one enormous blast. As the vegetation and animal life returned, the valley became very lush and rich with native vegetation. The ancient Indians of the region actually referred to this as a great god falling from the sky and scorching the land. They thought the land was cursed by the gods and refused to set foot in it. Eventually they returned to the general area, although the valley was only used as a ritual burial ground. Even as the settlers started to move into and through the area the natives refused to stay in the valley. This lead to problems with some early missionaries who saw the place as a perfect location to build their mission, which was eventually abandoned under undetermined circumstances.

Years later, as the western expansion grew and the miners started to flood the west coast, the area was again settled. This time it was several small mining groups that took over the valley and started to tunnel into its hills. Within five years of the first mine opening an entire mining town had sprung up on the shores of the lake to support them, which they called Larimore City, after the founder of the town – Jacob Larimore. Although the town worked well as a hub for the mining deals and exchange, crops never seemed to grow well in the valley so most food and supplies had to be shipped in. A series of accidents and disasters eventually drove out all but the most hearty miners out of the region and there wasn't enough left to support the town, so it was all but abandoned.

It wasn't until around 1904 that things started to grow in the valley again, as the few who moved into and lived in the valley incorporated their land into the town they named Whispering Bluff. In the early days it remained relatively small, mostly just families pulling together for support of each other. Slowly the town grew, mostly as those with similar religious views moved into the area, but it was always a relatively poor community, especially since crops still couldn't be grown well there. Several large churches were built to support the growing religious community – which can still be found on the historic streets of old town – but this also lead to some troubles between the sects as they started to divide wider without anything else to focus on.

Whispering Bluff was nearing implosion, with the equivalent of a holy war on the horizon, when the town's popularity really started to take off in the early 1940s as a classy getaway for the rich. It appeared that a few travel magazines talked about the beautiful lake and forest around Whispering Bluff as a great place to get away to. Slowly the locals saw the real benefit of this and started to cater to the visitors instead of just arguing with each other. By the late 1940s it was a thriving vacation spot, at first for rich outdoorsmen and hunters and then for wealthy couples and families. By the late 1050s they even started to see the middle class coming to the valley for vacations in the summer and the locals completely became dependant on them, putting their religious differences behind them.

If you go to Whispering Bluff today you will see a large main street full of hotels, theaters, restaurants, and other great businesses to cater to your every whim. The large lake front resorts and inns, as well as the other sites worth seeing, make this a great place to visit, where the whole family will find something they enjoy. The classic buildings and lush parks of old town make for a great scenic walk. Most reviews have been positive and the community lives off the money brought in by the tourists, so they are very helpful and friendly. Make sure to check out the area museums for more information on the valley and town's rich history, which we were only able to scratch the surface of here.

[Locke]

It's basically good. I might prefer something with a little more "western noir" or "southern gothic" atmosphere to it, especially something that alludes more to the history of evil in the place, but then again, particularly if you are putting together a true game book, a blurb in this spirit might be the perfect thing to lead off with. At intervals in the book, though, I'd add some supplemental material, probably purporting to be actually written by the townsfolk - "Correspondence found on the body of so-and-so" or writing "discovered on the wall of the Kilman home" or "report received by ranger's station such and such x hours before loss of contact" or something similar, possibly found by those who searched the town for investigative/historical reasons (and later came down with mysterious physical and psychological symptoms) after it was abandoned; such would set the mood in a game book rather well and build up excitement for the game in addition to effortlessly fleshing out some of the backstory and expanding on the area's "evil" effect.

[Dragavan]

Locke, that's the plan. This was just the first of many excerpts, and it happens to be from a Light Historical book that talks about hundreds of little towns found throughout the mountains of the North-West. It would not do more than lightly elude to the darker side of things. I also plan to have excerpts from "Ghost Hunter" type magazines, official papers, transcripts of conversations with elders of the area, or other such things.

For instance, I wrote this tonight. It's supposedly part of an interview with an old Native American chief telling of the stories passed down through generations. This was not included in the book, but we found the original notes and present them here. They talk about the valley that now contains Whispering Bluff long before the town even existed.

(By the way, I am only sharing these on this forum at the moment, since this is a place about writing and not game design.)

----

Transcription of an Interview with Chief Broken Claw of the Kawalanish Tribe
Originally recorded in 1979 for Book on Local Indian Legends & Stories

The old stories tell of an ancient tribe that once lived in the valley of the dead. They were known as Death Walkers. They would perform all sorts of bloody rituals and sacrifices in honor of and directly to the dark gods. It was dangerous for any other tribes of the area to allow their people to wander alone or even in small groups, like hunting parties, because they could be taken by the Death Walkers and used in the rituals. Most who were taken would never be seen again, but the few who escaped came back greatly injured and deformed, rarely living very long anyway. Most of the tribes had to keep moving farther away in order to stay outside of the range of the Death Walker hunters. My people went west, down the river and towards the ocean.

It is then said that the great gods finally learned of their dark dealings and had enough of evil ways. One of them reached down from the sky and punched their valley so hard that it could be felt for miles beyond the mountains. The Death Walkers were wiped from the land and the valley was cursed that none but the dead would be allowed to reside there. It was many years before anything, even our brother animals, would dare wander into the valley again, but eventually life returned there. Our tribe moved back to our homeland, at the gates of the valley, and became protectors of the path. We did not allow others to pas into the cursed land for anything other than burial of the dead.

The land was cursed and even the animals that lived in the valley were not safe to hunt or eat. Hunting was even banned by the tribe after several of our best hunters went missing within the valley. The stories tell of many strange things being seen and heard in the valley. That the dead buried there would talk to those who visit the land, almost calling them to join them on the other side. We believe that those who did not return listened to them and followed them into the afterlife. Eventually the tribe stopped allowing the dead to be buried in the valley, to protect the living who would have to take them there. This was the way my people lived for many generations, gatekeepers to the valley of the dead and protectors of the path.

It wasn't until the white man came that anyone tried to spend any time in the valley again. They did not believe in the great gods or our tribe's stories. They only saw the beauty on the surface of the valley and not the dangers beneath it. They then angered the great gods by trying to push their gods onto our people, by creating a missionary in the cursed valley. The stories say that after many years of warnings to leave, which were ignored by the settlers, the gods once again reached out to stop them, but the dark ones had regained power by then and fought back. The settlers were caught in the middle and destroyed.

Soon after than time, however, more white men moved into these parts and we were eventually driven from our land and could no longer guard the passage into the valley of the dead. They did not heed the warnings and even though many of them died over and over again they kept moving back into the valley. We couldn't protect them. Our time had passed and our gods no longer had the power they once had. It was a new world and they had no place within it. I still follow the old ways, but there are relatively few of us left.

The evil of the dark gods still resides in the valley and I still refuse to go there, but it is impossible to stop others any longer. The place will fall again, as it always has, and nothing can stop that.

[Leblanc4prez]

Very er.. for want of a better word... WOW! I really want to see more back story! I love it, i do, I do, I do! This is gunna be awesome. I definately sense the Cu'thulu influence. Man I love COC.

[Dragavan]

Okay, you want more... Here is another snippet I made up. This time it's from a group that tried to get more info after the town was abandoned (which happened in the mid '90s). Don't trust everything these kooks say, they aren't that strict on fact checking if the "facts" fit their beliefs... and they want to believe... and I want to sleep... so I am going to leave you with this and go get some shut eye.

---

Clipping from the May 1997 release of the "US Parapsychologist" newsletter

This report comes in from the now empty town of Whispering Bluff on Lake Larimore, which was a thriving resort community only a few scant years ago. The locals are doing their best to keep things quiet about the place, spreading some rumors about unsafe structures and wild animals to try and keep people from going into the area. We've discovered that these are just lies perpetrated by the authorities to hide the truth about what happened there to make it go from flourishing tourist trap to ghost town in just under four years.

They claim the town was in decline since the mid 80s, but we can find no proof of such claims. They conveniently say that the courthouse, where the records were kept, suffered a fire that destroyed most of the records. This same fire is said to have destroyed the local records about the citizens of the community, so no accurate accounting of how many lived in the town at the time of its supposed decline can be found either. Although they claim that all records do show that everyone had moved out by the end of 1994. How can this be if the records showing the names and number of residents have been destroyed?

Our own research shows that, according to US Census counts, the number of people they claim to have moved out of the town in the last two years of its existence is far below the numbers the town is said to have had during the last accounting only four years prior. Even if you give a good steady decline of the population in the interim, there is no way these numbers can match up. Something happened up there to cause its sudden decline and these numbers prove that whatever it was also caused the deaths or disappearances of numerous members of the community. Yet they refuse to even listen to our claims and answer our questions when we confronted them with them.

We sent a small team up there to investigate the town, equipped with the latest in parapsychology and meta-tracking equipment, to look into the place and see if our suspicions were correct. Professor James Rebaldi was in charge of the team and said they arrived early on March 28th, during a rather nasty rainstorm. They didn't check in with the local authorities before heading up there, in case they would be blocked or watched, and headed right into town. The following is his own account of what happened up there.

"Upon first entering the town we passed the old graveyard, which looked eerie in the driving rain and cloudy darkness of the morning, but it wasn't until we entered the town proper that we felt the presence of something. The town definitely had some kind of life within it, so we set up our first test equipment right there on Main Street. It was a good thing we did too, because no less than fifteen minutes passed before the county Sheriff and one of his deputies pulled into town to ask us to leave. They were insistent, even though I knew we were in the right legally. We had no choice to pack up our things and leave."

They had planned on looping around and going back once they lost the Sheriff, but he had his deputy follow them all the way back to the county line and then set up a checkpoint on the only road into the valley. They were serious about keeping whatever secrets reside within the town. What kind of event are they covering up? Professor's reading from their limited time there were "off the charts", as he put it. But without more testing and research on location, it is all still inconclusive at best. Whatever is alive up there in Whispering Bluff is well protected, but can't stay secret forever.

You know our motto here: The truth always wins out in the end.

[Dragavan]

Here is one of these things (a new clipping I wrote) in something that more resembles the graphic form I will be presenting them in the PDF Book. This is a clipping from the "Whispering Bluff Gazette" Newspaper from November 12th 1986 (while the town was still active, but nearing it's end of days). The final version will be much higher resolution and most likely played with a bit more (adding a few wrinkles or folds perhaps).

http://images.dragavan.com/WBRPG/NewsClipping1.png

[Dragavan]

Here is another image I made today. This is the front of an old 1950s Brochure for the Larimore Inn in Whispering Bluff. This is just one of those fun things that can help set the theme. This Is supposed to be very old, so it looks worn and aged. I used a couple other 1940s and 1950s brochures I found images of to get the kind of layout and look that was common back then (which is bland and crappy compared to what was done in later years). I enjoy making these kinds of things.

http://images.dragavan.com/WBRPG/Brochure1.png

[Leblanc4prez]

I am overwhelmed. I... i feel like I need to cry tears of joy now...

[Dragavan]

Thanks the always kind, although brief, words about what I am doing here. I hope they all actually sounds good, have different feels and voices to them, and work as multiple sources from different times throughout the area. Also, I hope there aren't any glaring errors I am missing in them.

But here is the last one I have finished right now. There are two more of these planned, but they are not done yet. After that I have to actually write the more direct game descriptions for the two main "worlds" you play in. Those are going to be less colorful, although hopefully just as interesting to read. This one is another one from one of them nutball groups that aren't really all there.

----

A 1958 Article in "UFO Enthusiast" Magazine
Geologic Study Proves Crash Landing In Whispering Bluff

We have previously reported about some of the strange sightings seen in the night sky and even woods surrounding Whispering Bluff, but this new evidence may prove that it has been visited before. Perhaps even on a regular basis. Could these alien visitors be the "gods" and "spirits" the ancient Indians claimed once walked these parts? A growing number of images have been showing up of glowing lights in the sky, taken during visits and vacations to Whispering Bluff.

There are also the well know photos of the "walking lights" taken of the northern woods of the valley from the Peterson's rowboat. Could these actually be related to these alien visitations and not some kind of spiritual phenomenon as some others have claimed? We here at UFO Enthusiast believe this to be so and the new evidence discovered during the university's geologic study only supports it further.

A recent geologic survey and soil study of Lake Larimore and the mountains surrounding the valley – where popular resort town Whispering Bluff resides – has unearthed some interesting results. It appears that something large crashed into the mountains at that location some 1600 years ago, which created the lake and entire valley itself. The scientists heading the study say it was most likely a meteorite of some kind, but they were unable to actually find any pieces of it. They claim this is because it most likely rests under hundreds of feet of sediment at the bottom of the lake. This meteorite theory could explain much about the valley, but could there be another explanation?

All the report, by University of Oregon Geologic Studies Department, says is that something crashed here and created the valley with the impact around 300AD. They have shown sediment layers and blast marks deep in the rock walls from the explosion the impact would have created, which all prove the existence of the crash and approximately when it happened. Their speculation says it would have destroyed the surrounding land and caused the place to become desolate and unlivable for several decades, before the natural plant life would have moved back in and reclaimed the land. Could this something be of alien construction instead of some hunk of space rock?

They also say that this information could explain the oddly infertile soil in the valley, which is enough for the indigenous plants to thrive in but works poorly at any attempt to cultivate modern crops of any kinds. They suggest that some element released from the meteorite could have mixed with the local soil in too large of quantities to allow for good growing, but they also admit they have not been able to identify it if it is there. We think the answer may be more about something the alien ship – most likely still buried deep within the lake – is emitting to signal the others. These signals may be causing the interference with seeds that did not grow up with it over the centuries. There have been strange readings on some energy meters we've used when in the area, but we were never able to pinpoint a location as to where they were coming from.

Because of this recent discovery and the regular reports of strange sightings we receive from visitors to Whispering Bluff, we are going to have add the town to our list of ten best places for UFO Watching in the US.

[Leblanc4prez]

Some time you should also make a story about this place. That'd tie in well witht the in-development game. Kind of a fun advertisment you know? Like it's not an advertisment at all, but just a really good story... I think there is more than enough history here to make a story based on Whispering Bluff very deep and beliveable.

[Dragavan]

Here is one more of the special items I will be including. This is another newspaper clipping, but this one is more modern. It is also from a paper in the nearby town of Schumannberg, and not Whispering Bluff itself (since this after the town is abandoned). This one is from the April 27th 2004 edition of the Schumannberg Herald.

http://images.dragavan.com/WBRPG/MissingKids1.png

[Dragavan]

Here we have he last piece of material for the "Real" world (although it is in three parts, each of which that will be on their own page). They are a collection of pages of a diary that was discovered in the ruins of the old mission when new settlers moved into the valley later in the 1850s.

http://images.dragavan.com/WBRPG/Missionary1.png

[Dragavan]

http://images.dragavan.com/WBRPG/Missionary2.png

[Dragavan]

http://images.dragavan.com/WBRPG/Missionary3.png

[Dragavan]

New blog post that goes into describing the basic setting(s) of the game, or at least the ideas I have for them. Let me know what you think or even what you'd like to see there.

Dragavan's Den Post (http://xrl.us/bkgfe)

[Leblanc4prez]

Okitay, gunna checks it out... but now I need food... And my Shiraz... but mostly food.

[Dragavan]

Okay I have now written up the basic descriptions of the two main worlds that the characters exist in while playing. They are two layers that exist in the same place, but not at the same time. I am going to post them here to hopefully get some input on the descriptions, writing, wording, and feel of it all.

This a writing site, so I think it's better here than on the gaming sites for this part. So even if you haven't read all the previous stuff, I would appreciate technical and "feel" feedback on these two parts. Thanks.

[Dragavan]

Setting Information – "Light" World

The World of Mist and Light

The first noticed and most recognizable element of the "Light" world is that there is constant white light filtering through thick white fog everywhere. The light seems to be that of a sunny day, but not coming from any direct space in the sky. It seems to actually filter through the mist as if it was coming from all around, muting everything through the absence of almost all noticeable shadows. This gives a disturbingly bland look to everything from large empty spaces to areas filled with complex items and architecture.

The fog or mist is very thick and unmoving, since there is a complete absence of wind, and nearly impossible to see too far through it. It is pure white and seems to flow into and through everything in the world, including all structures and tunnels. It does seem to be slightly less thick inside, but not absent and impossible to get rid of. The whole world is shrouded in it at all times.

Out in the world the fog is so thick that only things within about ten feet being able to seen with any real detail. Beyond that they will star to lose detail quickly and become silhouettes within the white mist. Things past thirty feet out will be completely obscured and hidden by the white out of the mist itself. Bright lights will not allow one to see farther though it, but they can be seen from farther away. The distance a light can be seen through the mist depends on the power of that light, with even the most powerful fog-lights and lighthouse lights not visible past much shorter than normal distances (perhaps even as little as a hundred feet). Inside these distances will be slightly longer, but in most cases this is unimportant since you are inside generally smaller spaces.

The light that filters through the fog also seems to get into almost all places as well, leading many to eventually believe that the mist itself emanates the light. There is some logic to this, as it seems that the larger the area is and the more mist that fills it, the brighter the light is (up to a normal daylight level). While smaller and closed in areas that have less mist contained within seem to be dimmer, but still lit from somewhere beyond the mist. Since there is no way to get out of the mist and see beyond it, the answer to this will never be known.

Sound is also greatly affected by the mist, making everything that comes from farther away sound filtered and muffled. In general there is a strange lack of sound, creating an eerie silence when you just stand there and listen. This makes sounds that do happen stand out, even if they are simple and common ones that would normally be overlooked. This also makes a person more aware of the sounds their own bodies, and the people around them, make. Heartbeats, pant legs rubbing together, footfalls, breathing, and more all become the soundscape of their world. It's like they are living in a sensory deprivation chamber when it comes to sound.

The only senses that don't seem to be muted in this world are those of touch and smell. The mist can be felt on your skin, slightly moist and cool, but cold. The world seems to be a humid cool place that isn't exactly uncomfortable, but isn't a nice temperature. Due to this it also smells musty and wet at all times. The exact type of smell depends on where you are, so it can be damp earth, wet wood, musty old rooms, mold, or other such smells, but there is always something in the air.

Made of Aged Reality

The world that is shrouded in the mist is very similar to the "Real" world of Whispering Bluff that they saw before being sucked into this one. It is mostly made of wood and glass, with some brick and stone elements and buildings here and there. The main difference is the state it is in. This world looks older and longer abandoned. The paint is all faded and peeling. The colors of everything is muted, with almost nothing being bright and standing out, even if they were brightly colored in the "Real" world. There are often patches of moldy or dry rotted wood found within buildings, and stone and brick areas are chipped and covered with moss, mold, or other gross films.

There is very little metal in the world, and even things that were metal in the "Real" world are often not here. Chain link fences are replaced with wood plank fences. Metal beams are replaced with wood beams where they can be. Metal railing is replaced with wood. And so on. The only common places you will still see metal is the sewer grates on the street and the street lamp poles (even though no light comes from them). Generally, these will be metal that is painted, which is now faded and peeling.

There are also some areas of the world that are different from the "Real" world of Whispering Bluff. Certain things in this world seem like they once existed in the area but were lost to time, only now they are back in this reality. Then there are those that seem misplaced, but do belong to the town, like buildings in places they weren't in the "Real" world or walls and fences that create new barriers and shapes, some of which act as "dens" for creatures or hiding places of other inhabitants. Some even seem to be strange constructions or creations that don't fit into any reality, but are actually there due to some character or story specific reason.

The natural world of the valley is mostly exactly as it was, with trees and bushes growing out of the dirt and rock, only they seem to be slightly more overgrown and wild. Common trails and roads will be less distinct and overgrown, as if nature was taking them back. Cultivated land, such as those found in gardens, will be filled with dead stalks and empty dirt. Nothing that was artificially planted in the "Real" world grows here, at least for long. The trees around town are all dead dark husks with no leaves and long drooping branches, for they are not natural to the valley either.

The world is also filled with discarded litter, broken items, and elements of abandoned life. Cars can be seen empty and broken along the sides of the roads, but far fewer of them than should be in a town like this. Fragments of broken glass litter the insides of most shops, even if their windows are not broken. Broken pieces of old toys, tools, boxes, and other items will be scattered around where garbage collects. Pieces of paper, mostly flyers and pages from books, litter the streets outside, as if they were blown there by some wind that you happened to miss.

All in all, the town looks like a classic old town that was once inhabited long ago, but has been left abandoned in a rush. Years, or even decades, of age can be seen on everything. It looks as if nothing existed here for a long time, abandoned at a moments notice and in a rush. The town then sat quietly empty until you came along.

...continued

[Dragavan]

...continued

Players and Characters in the "Light" World

Although the players will be coming from the "Real" world, this world will be their general "home" or base in the game. This is where they will first be introduced to the fact that they are no longer in the world as they knew it. This is where they will be spending most of their time (at least at first) and learning about what happened to them and where they are. This is also the most stable and constant of the two main game worlds. It always looks the same for all characters and always includes the same basic inhabitants. And although the character's own fears and flaws can influence what happens here, it is far less powerful than in the "Dark" world.

Player characters will have more direct control and power in this world. Unless they have some specific powers or fears that tie into this world (which they would have chosen at character creation time), player characters are also going to be stronger and safer here. They are actually going to be able to find places they can rest and hide, perhaps even find places that have been made safe from the onset of the change to the darkness. After a while, some payers may even learn to control this place in small ways, but this is difficult and rare.

This world is also the location of where most of the other "normal" inhabitants of these worlds will be most active and interact with the other players. These are basically other people that were pulled from the "Real" world and trapped here in the worlds of Whispering Bluff. Some of them may have been here for a long time and learned the ways of the realm, which allows the, to understand the "secrets" of how it all works better and survive. Others may be just as lost and confused as the players, having only arrived here recently (before or even after the player characters have).

These other people should be relatively limited in number, but the timeframes of when they got here can be played about with. Time does not move in these other worlds the same as it does in the "Real" world. Some of them could have been lost from the "Real" world week, months, or perhaps even years ago, but to them they have only been in this realm for what feels like days or weeks. Time is hard to tell since there is no normal day and night schedule here, but that is only complicated by the fact that there is no real measure of time here either. Players who try to measure time, or have a character who wears a watch, can get some idea of how time passes within the world, but that will have no relation to how much passes outside it.

Creatures of the White

In addition to the people who live in the world, or even those simply passing through it, there are the creatures that live in the mist. Relatively speaking, there are a lot fewer creatures that live in the "Light" world than in the "Dark" world, but there are still a lot of them and many of them are aggressive towards the intruders that are the player characters. Most of these creatures are those that feel at home in the bright and dreary world of the "Light" world.

The majority of the creatures are things that would be somewhat familiar to the characters, as they are simply deformed oversized small animals and insects. They have odd shapes and looks, but are still very recognizable as what they are, although they may have some special abilities not common to their "Real" world kin. Many of them live in groups, like swarms or insects or packs of dogs, which makes them even more dangerous.

The "Light" world is also home to ghosts and other less tangible horrors of these worlds. Some invisible and can only be heard or seen through their affects on the world, but others are quite visible and horrific in appearance. Several of them could be directly connected to flaws and fears of the characters, but there are also others who just live in the world. Some might not even be aggressive unless disturbed, stuck living their lives over and over in the horrific state they died in.

There are also some of the darker horrors from the "Dark" world that have made their way into the "Light" world as well. These are relatively rare, and tend to be the weaker common creatures, but their horrific appearance is always jarring in the light of day. For more about them, see the description of the type of creatures that are found in the dark.

There are also the character driven creatures, based on the fears and flaws of the characters themselves. These only appear here if their flaws or fears are related to things that this world has its feet in. If they are related to the depressing and desolate nature of the white, they may find themselves manifest here. These creatures will become the greatest enemies of the characters who spawned them.

Emotional Influences on the Feel

The main thing to keep in mind when dealing with the "Light" World is that is a place of depression and loss. It feels cold and desolate. It is a mostly dead and empty world, for the most part. Even those people and things hat exist here are cold and distant, mostly unspeaking creatures that make little sound. This means that people's minds are more at risk than their bodies here.

The ever present fog, cool temperatures, high humidity, and relatively dreary look of anything all work together to create this emotional mood of depression in a tangent form. The empty state and relative quiet nature of the place gives feelings of desolation and loss. Another emotion that ties well into this world is sadness, which will show and permeate every living thing that is met here.

The very state of the place itself may pose the greatest threats to the characters health, as it can wear down their minds with the desolation and depression of the place. Any flaws or fears that connect these areas will be tapped into and used to try and eat at them, to weaken them and prepare them to be taken by the darkness. Characters who die here may even become one of the ghosts that haunt the vast emptiness of the land.

[Dragavan]

Setting Information – "Dark" World

The World of Shadow and Fire

The "Dark" world is nearly the opposite of the "Light" world in most ways, but one thing remains the same (although the source of it differs), the inability to see very far. The world is not only visibly dark, but actually is dark in most senses of the world, being what many think of when they hear the word horror. There is a constant uncomfortable dry heat and the smell of death and fire (as in blood, decay, sulfur, and ash) that slowly wafts past you on the soft winds that never stop moving, but also never blow hard enough to remove the smells.

As the name implies, this world is very dark, but it is unnaturally so, like existing in a sort of intangible ink tank. There is an ethereal source of light somewhere, but it only seems to illuminate things very near the characters and is only as bright as things seem on a moonless night in the wilderness. This also makes most things seem dim and colorless, even observed up close without another source of light. Having a flashlight, lantern, torch, or other source of light can allow better details to be seen, but also acts as a beacon as to your presence.

Unless there are other direct light sources, things start to disappear into the darkness after about fifteen feet, becoming completely lost and obscured when over fifty feet away, but very hard to see well before that range. They will still cause shadows to move across distant light sources, but you won't actually be able to see them as anything other than a silhouette against that light until they are in range. When using a light source you will be able to see details and longer distances, but even these seem to have unnaturally stilted ranges. The light seems to be absorbed by the darkness after a certain distance, although they can still be seen by others for a very long ways off. None of this makes sense or works the way you expect, based on the "Real" world.

There are also "natural" sources of light that appear to be made of distant fire peeking through cracks in the ground or walls. It's as if there is constant burning happening just beyond the edges of reality that is able to peek through. These cracks of orange firelight can not be entered without death, as within them things start to become impossibly hot. The light emanating from them is not exactly bright – unless you look directly into them – but it seems to make for disturbingly long shadows that flicker and move constantly.

Beyond what is seen and the almost overwhelming stench of death and flame are the non-stop sounds that constantly surround you. Distant noises of metal on metal pounding rhythmically. Other more semi-random metallic noises that seem to keep no pattern or distance. The distant whispering of the winds, sounding like voices calling to you for help or taunting you. Odd organic sounds of creatures chittering or growling just out of sight. Slowly pulsating sounds, almost like heartbeats, that come from the living flesh that makes up part of the world. Screams that occasionally seem to ring out from somewhere. All this comes together into a cacophony of never-ending noise that allows for no rest and even makes focusing on any of them nearly impossible.

Unlike the "Light" world, this world is constantly active and moving and making noise, leading to higher levels o threat and direct fear. This is a place of constant activity and life, where you never really feel alone, even if you feel the lack of a supporting presence.

In addition to these elements of how the world looks and feels, the insecurities (flaws and fears) of the character will also drive some of what they see and feel in it. This is further explained elsewhere, but can cause different people to see the world through different eyes, even at the same time.

Building Blocks of Metal and Rust

The general design and layout of this world is identical to the way the "Light" world of the players is laid out, only the construction materials will be different. The buildings of wood and glass are replaced with mostly metal constructs, but some areas of built out of the living flesh of the world. The only things that even partially remain the same are those of natural elements, like stone and dirt. All plants are dead and usually covered in thorns or bristles. All in all the place looks completely different but the general shape and layout will be recognizable.

Almost all walls and fences, including windows, are replaced with solid sheets of metal that are riveted and welded in place to create the form. Some of them are replaced with metal bars, cages, and chain link fences, even in places that were once solid walls. All of these metal areas look as if they are ancient and covered with layers of rust and wear, making them seem poorly cared for and abused. The stone areas are also just as poorly cared for and changed, looking charred, scratched, and otherwise in disrepair as well.

Then there are the areas where the world has been broken through, exposing the living flesh that seem to be just below the surface of everything. Walls of wet exposed tissue that pulsates and ripples with unearthly movement. If touched it will react, usually tensing up or pulling away (if it can), and it feels warm and slick. It harmed it will react violently, although usually unable to attack, and distant screams of anger may be heard from within the walls. Damage will also cause bleeding, blistering, and other natural reactions to the type of wounds one could cause on flesh. No matter how much damage is done, however, you can't dig completely through the flesh, as it seems to be infinitely present.

The wild areas of the world, where nature lived and thrives in the "Real" and "Light" worlds, you will find some of the new unnatural construction and flesh in place of certain elements, but most of them will simply be replaced with dead trees and plants of thorny brambles and decay. Small plants will be gone and only the dirt and rock will sit in its place, while larger plants are dead twisted versions of themselves.

Lastly there are the breaks in the world that reveal the fire and lava beyond. These are mostly found in the solid ground, where things are normally solid, but occasionally within the walls of certain areas. Some of these look as if the metal sheet that once laid there fell in or broke free, while others will actually look like something cause the very surface to crack open. These breaks in the surface don't reveal living flesh, but open flames or flowing lava deep within the ground or walls, even if it seems impossible to be there.

In addition to the construction of the world, there are the elements and items scattered discarded all around the place, but not the normal "Real" world type items. Here you are more likely to find scattered collections of metal scrap, stone chippings, pools of blood, bone fragments, half eaten flesh, and more. They are items of the world and horror, often covered in blood, dirt, rust, and what would look like scrapings from claws or steel.

Continues...

[Dragavan]

...continued

Player Characters and the "Dark" World

It is rare that this is the first of these two worlds that a character will see, so the transition into it usually comes after they have spent some time in the "Light" world. They will discover that this is the place of nightmares and not a place that they will ever be able to rest or relax. The intense mental weight of the place will drag them down and affect them deeply, even when they are directly confronted with their own fears. This is a place that should be uncomfortable and bring fear to the characters on some innate level.

The player characters will have very little direct control over this world and most of what they do here will be reacting what to they are faced with. This is the place where the flight or fight mechanism of the psyche is almost always in effect. None of the other people found in this place live here by any means. This is a place they get stuck in and struggle with as they face the same types of horrors and fears as the player characters. Meeting another "living" person here is rare and always traumatic for all of them.

Unlike the character, the choices of the player will have a great effect on this world. What they did to create their character will directly change the way they see and interact with this world. Their fears can shape how certain things are formed and display to them (for example: someone with a fear of fire may see many parts of the word on fire constantly). Even the random elements found around the world may be tainted with their flaws and fears (for example: someone with a flaw of a bum or missing leg may find broken crutches and prosthetics everywhere).

Creatures of the Shadows

The beings and creatures that inhabit this world are mostly creatures of nightmares. They are not being of the "Real" world with slight twists or larger sizes. They are horrible mutations, vile creatures of nightmare, and amalgamations of flesh and steel in impossible forms. Many of them are also the true manifestations of nightmares and fears, as selected by the players for their characters.

There are some standard creatures that are always common to this place (and sometimes escape to the "Light" world), which are mostly the weaker and more common critters. These simply get in the way of the characters and possibly whittle them down in preparation for their facing of the real nightmares. They will often scatter and disappear when one of the real monsters appear to face the characters. These will be more fully explained later in the section on creatures of the world.

Most of the creatures are twisted versions of vaguely living creature that are so mutated and demented that they are now nothing more than living horrors. Beings with flesh that looks inside out, moist and glistening, perhaps even oozing blood or other substances. Beings with parts where they don't belong, sometimes even too many of them or odd sizes, like eyes all over their arms and hands or a face that is nothing more than a gaping mouth. Beings with limbs they shouldn't have, either too few or too many of them or even completely wrong ones, like tentacles with pinchers on the end coming out of the chest area. Beings made of impossible substances like ash, blood, or anything else that strikes fear and horror into others.

There are also those creatures who seem to be a mix of twisted flesh and solid metal, making them appear not only frightening but in pain themselves. Sometimes it is simply spikes or metal shards poking through or out of them, bleeding from those spots. Sometimes they actually have these metal parts fused with their form that affects how they move, perhaps even being able to use them rough weapons. There are then those actually seem to be partially made of living metal, having their form look like some demon cyborg, only without the computer type elements. Chains, spikes, blades, shards, poles, lumps of metal, and more can all be parts of these horrors.

Lastly, there are the personal horrors of the characters, created from their psyches. These are creatures with nearly no limits as to what they can be, but no matter what they will be intense. They are usually large and take the fear or flaw of the character and blow it up to its most intense levels. They would be horrific to anybody, but should be truly terrifying to their targets.

Emotional Influences on the Feel

As opposed to the empty feel of the "Light" world, this is the world of anger, tension, fear and aggression. This is the place where the most vile fears and darkest parts of the human psyche are made manifest in huge and horrible ways. There is no rest or safety in this place, with the real threat of something coming out of the darkness to get you, so constant awareness and worry are predominant parts of your time here.

This is a world where you are always on edge and nothing can really be done to stop it until you are able to switch back to the "Light" world or die. While under this pressure your characters will be on edge and tense the whole time, since there is no safety here. Hiding from it is not possible and resting is out of the question.

The darkness, smells of death and fire, constant noise, and vile twisted creatures make this a horrible and difficult place for characters to remain calm and in control in. This is the place of living nightmares, so they are constantly at odds with their own fears, often driving them to do things more than their will. Both their body and mind are under assault here, with physical threats being huge and their mental suffering feeding off those threats and fear of them.

[Dragavan]

I have also made a couple more banners to fit the two worlds. They are in the same design as the "Real" world grime banner, but in the style of the two worlds. Here are all three...

"Real" World
http://images.dragavan.com/WBRPG/WB-Banner-1.png

"Light" World
http://images.dragavan.com/WBRPG/WB-Banner2-1.png

"Dark" World
http://images.dragavan.com/WBRPG/WB-Banner3-1.png

[Leblanc4prez]

I like the dark world! Oh and I just remembered the Game where I got my idea of a multipul-personality hero... "Killer 7" I think that would work well, specialy in the dark world.

Also the Dark world reminds me of the "Psy Moon" From Red Dwarf.

I am resident of darkness... The Cake Is A LIE

[Dragavan]

Newest Dragavan's Den (http://www.landofkarn.com/modules/wordpress) blog post is up, this time about playtesting and its importance to games. I also get into some specifics about how this game was affected by the early playtests I have done for it.

Check it out here: New Post (http://www.landofkarn.com/modules/wordpress/?p=44)

[Dragavan]

I haven't posted in this thread a while, but that's because the less than exciting parts of the game creation process has been going on. Not the excitement of the new idea and not the constant flowing of ideas, but the slow process of writing, testing, rewriting, playtesting, rewriting... and so on. In fact I am preparing for a new playtest tonight. A lot of small tweaking, simplifying, and reworking of ideas has happened (like everything is now on a 4 level system, instead of having both 4 and 8 level systems for different things).

What I am going to post about now is that I am adding a reward/cost point system to the game that allows you to do certain things. They are earned through risk and luck, so the more you risk and more often you get them. Any Reserve pool dice you risk give you a chance for one of these points (if that die rolls it's maximum). This method also gives a reason to choose smaller dice for certain things, and not just always choosing the largest ones. They are also earned by choosing to "tap" more than one of your flaws during a scene you are the focus of. They are then spent to activate scenes were you can try and "deal" with one o your flaws to lessen it or to gain certain bonuses when you need it. We are testing this aspect tonight to see how the points work into the system, but I think they will help diversify the game.

The problem I currently have is deciding what to call them. In my text they simply called XX-Points (so I can find/replace all instances of them later) but I can't seem to come up with a good, theme fitting name for what they should be called. I would LOVE some suggestions on their name, or even comments or questions on how they are used in the game. This work in progress thing take a lot of time and effort, but right now I have little feedback since I am not posting a lot about the little piddly things I am working through.