R'lyeh Piercing Copper Drill: Now with Material Writeup!(p4)

[CatharzGodfoot]

Despair doesn't come from disbelief; it comes from certainty.

[Prak]

(I've typed this fucking thing three times now....)

DICE

The way i have this shit set up, at first level your skill+attribute can be equal to the highest roll on the rng. Good or bad? Fate has something similar, where you roll an rng of -4 to 4, and you start with a stat of 5. Essentially in these set ups you're rolling to find the modifier for you static value.

COMBINED ATTACKS
Flat out adding players' entire rolls together, good or bad? I would image if you're rolling d20s, then it's bad (unless combined defense is a thing), but if you're rolling 2d6, not so bad.

[Mask_De_H]

You could also increase their despair to do crazy, impossible, off the wall things.
That they go crazy from what disbelieving what they are doing themselves or the consuming of the mind or whatever.

Though that might not fit if they have to use it too often.

That would be a better way of handing that hotblood overload thing I brought up earlier; you threaten to put yourself out of commission/drive you and your allies mad/give in to the gibbering void by doing something so incredibly badass there literally is no rational explanation for it. Like Simon warping halfway across the planet to punch Rossiu in the face, only it's the cause of, instead of the solution to Rossiu's suicidal tendencies.

Also, "everyone gets a robot, whee!" is how TTGL (at least the movies, IIRC) works once it hits and exceeds R'yleh Rising levels; you shouldn't need another character for that point. Most of the primary classification people get robots anyway, and the secondary classification ones either are very important to the big fuck-off ship (Leeron, Rossiu, fucking Attenborough) or get robots anyway (Black Sisters). If Magical Girls are involved, they don't even need a robot; Magical Girls + Despair pretty much equals Madoka and those girls stab second/third level threats in the face as a matter of course.

[Prak]

R'rye Toppa Joki Doriru
"R'lyeh Piercing Steam Drill

Lexicon
-Elder One the MC of RTJD

Base Mechanics
Base Roll 2d6+Characteristic+Skill(+misc modifiers, such as equipment).
Thresholds As you roll higher, you perform better. This matters.
[insert ladder of success rates here]

Aspects Characters in RTJD are defined by their aspects, short, one line statements about who they are, where they've been, and whose paths they've crossed. More than just being an aid to roleplaying, these aspects are an aid to the mechanical part of the game as well, as they are invoked or compelled to help or hinder the character. Aspects come in a few varities:

• High Concept- the core of your character ("Tough Sniper Chick," "Flamboyant Mechanic Queen," "Shimon the Digger," "Independent Hothead Eldest of the Black Siblings")
• Trouble- what complicates your character ("Tsundere," "No Self Confidence," "Hot Blooded")
• Phase-Background- where your character came from ("Best shot in Littner Village," "Best Digger in Giha Village"
• Phase-Rising Conflict- what shaped your character ("My parents are dead!")
• Phase-Story- your first adventure ("It's a giant face, bro!")
• Phase-Guest Star- who features in your story ("My big bro, Kamina the Great!")
• Phase-Guest Star Redux- who else features ("Yoko, Legendary shot who fell from the ceiling!")
  In addition to the Fate aspects, RTJD uses one additional aspect
• Totem- an item that resonates with another's power ("He's right there on my back, and here in my heart!") Invoking this aspect allows use of one of the other character's powers as if it were your own or as if you were that character. The latter should only be used if the character is not in the scene themselves.

A lot more is said about aspects here.
When an aspect is invoked, the player invoking it pays a Fighting Spirit point, and explains how it comes into play if it's not immediately obvious. Invoking an aspect can have the following effects:

• Reroll your dice for one action
• Add 4 to your roll
• Act when you would otherwise be unable to (out of HP, Despair meets or exceeds GAR, etc.)
• Refuse a Compel
• Any other thing approved by the Elder One, see guidelines in above link.

Similarly, your aspects can be compelled. The EO may compel one or more of your aspects by stating it and how it relates to the misfortune that the EO wishes to put upon your character, and offering one or more Fighting Spirit points as an enticement to go with it.
example: Shimon's is watching Kamina attempt to battle Viral, being knocked down and outclassed again and again. The EO compels Shimon's "My Parents Are Dead!" aspect, offering a Fighting Spirit point to take three Despair and be unable to act. Shimon's player takes the Fighting Spirit, and roleplays his character's cowardice, waiting for Yoko's character to deliver a Get a Hold of Yourself, Man! slap, and spends the Fighting Spirit point he just gained to improve the point, invoking his own "My Parents Are Dead!" aspect, stating his resolve to not let anymore people he cares about die.

Characteristic Stats
At character creation, assign the numbers 5, 4, and 3 to the following stats. Characteristics usually range from 1 (piss poor) to 12 (legendary). Higher numbers are extremely unusual.
Human average is 3-4. The maximum rating a character can have is 4+GAR.
Hardiness- Seriously just how damned resilient you are. This can be strength reserves, stamina, quick reflexes, bloody minded determination, whatever. Everyone and everything has a resilience, though it may be 0 for fragile materials such as paper.
Mind- How active you are upstairs. Ranges from 0 (a tree) to 12 (fightan monsters genetically engineered from progenitor races to be perfect). This doesn't necessarily involve Psi-powers, but if you have a 12 mind and aren't shooting people in the face with mind bullets, what the fuck are you doing with your life?
Spirit- How strong your spirit is. This includes force of personality and possibly how active you are downstairs, because what better way to demonstrate your free will and celebrate your life force than finding a consenting partner to rub against. It's actually really difficult to find something with a 0 spirit, as even a rock has an inhabiting essence. Totally possible to make something have a 0 spirit, though....

Attributes
GAR The measurement of PURE MANLINESS! HOAH! More GAR allows higher Characteristic Ratings and Skill Training. Player Characters begin the game at GAR 1, the majority of NPCs will not possess GAR. (oh, and women have just as much as men. Because women can be manly too, damnit.) Each GAR will allow you to either select a Package, or advance a previously chosen one.
Despair (Dsp) In this world, you will face eldritch horrors and ancient plans that no right thinking person could hope to change or halt. You begin the game with 0 Despair, and will accumulate and lose Despair as the game progresses. When your Despair meets or exceeds your GAR, you will take no actions, cannot resist, and basically allow yourself to be injured or captured with only a whimper. Yes, this means that the majority of NPCs seriously will just let themselves be captured or killed.
Fighting Spirit (FS) Separate from Spirit, Fighting Spirit is the measure of hotbloodiness which fuels your ability to change destiny, do the impossible and deny fate. You will gain and spend Fighting Spirit throughout the game, when your aspects are invoked and compelled, and when fortune fires for or against you.
Hit Points (HP) A more direct measure of your sturdiness. If they reach 0, you fall down, and it takes more than mundane effort to stand back up again. They recover naturally through physical rest (your body must be relatively inactive, eating, socializing, and reading are allowed), and can be restored through successful Medicine rolls, usually performed by others. A Focus roll allows you to act for an additional turn when you are at 0 HP, as does expenditure of FS.
Energy Points (EP) The measure of that essential energy which you can actually exert. Used to fuel magic abilities and use eldritch technology. Recovers naturally through meditative rest (your mind must be relatively inactive, eating and traveling are allowed, but not socializing or reading).

Skills
A man is not solely his ingrown abilities, he is what he has learned and can accomplish as well. Skills are broken into four categories, one for each Characteristic, the skills in which are generally used with the corresponding Characteristic, and one for GAR, skills which grant abilities just for having them, and utilize GAR in rolls rather than a characteristic. Skills are given with packages and otherwise picked up through the expenditure of Build Points (BP).

Hardiness Skills

• Athletics (running, jumping, climbing things, putting on makeup once you're up there.)
• Brawling (unarmed combat, and combat with body-oriented objects-fists, feet, heads, etc.)
• Drive (anything. Ships, land vehicles, mounts, dampfengels*)
• Intimidation (Convincing people through physical action)
• Larceny (stealing shit. Especially off of other people)
• Shooting (ranged combat that makes use of a tool, such as guns, bows, cannons, etc.)
• Stealth (sneaking around like some goddamned sneak)
• Throwing (muscle powered ranged combat, other than bows, of course. Yes, this means that kicking a ball or the like uses Throwing.)
• Whacking (Armed Melee combat)

Mind Skills

• Argument (Convincing people through reason, evidence, etc.)
• Artisan (making things, whether art, craft or machine)
• Medicine (healing people, performing surgery, diagnosing)
• Operations (operating machinery you don't drive. Quite important for mining equipment, and other devices found in the Bottle Cities)
• Perception (Seeing things, hearing things, taste, smell, etc. Using your senses to learn about the world. Can be used to see the invisible.)
• Research (looking things up in books, finding books, managing knowledge)
• Rigging (cobbling things together into other things, taking things apart, salvaging parts, rope)
• Sabotage (disabling things. And people. And buildings. And if you're really good, ideas. If you're amazing, you can break the unbreakable.)
• Survival (figuring out which mushrooms are edible)

Spirit Skills

• Animal Whispering (talk to animals, get them to do what you want.)
• Empathy (Listening to people, hearing what they're saying, or more importantly, not saying)
• Focus (Push yourself to go on, even in the face of despair. Resist Despair, power many special abilities, touch the untouchable)
• Inspiration (Drive people to new heights, make them evolve beyond the person they were a minute before!)
• Machine Whispering (You talk to machines, but more importantly, they answer)
• People Whispering (talk to people, get them to do what you want. Convince people through magnetism, appeals to authority or friendship, gentle, loving strokes of the hair, etc.)
• Performance (Entertaining people, causing distractions, acting convincingly in disguise)
• Tactics (Developing strategy for battle, getting people to follow it)

GAR Skills
GAR skills are unlike other skills. Where as other skills can be possessed by characters of any GAR, GAR skills require you to be of GAR 2 or higher to possess. In addition, while each has a static benefit you constantly benefit from, making a roll and gaining the additional benefits of a GAR skill requires the expenditure of Fighting Spirit, at a cost of 1 per target. Targetless or personal GAR skills require 1 point of Fighting Spirit. GAR skills which provide a bonus do not typically stack. GAR skills which provide a penalty (such as Wrack) cost exponential amounts upon successive uses (1 FS, 2 FS, 4 FS, etc.)

• Astral Travel (Through sheer Fighting Spirit and GAR, you may move from one place to another, without traveling through the intervening space. Having this skill allows you to move at double your normal speed, though doing so is disconcerting to onlookers, as you flicker between space and hyperspace. A successful roll allows actual teleportation, the distance allowed dependent upon your roll:
  [insert table of Thresholds and distances]
  Finally, yes, you can bring others with you through the expenditure of additional Fighting Spirit.
• Bless (You may protect your allies from some measure of Despair with your benediction. Having this skill allows you to resist 1 point of Despair whenever you would gain it, so long as you maintain faith in your beliefs. A successful roll can grant this, and higher amounts of protection, to all you so anoint.)
• Call the Azure Flame (You may draw forth a wreath of azure fire, which settles on your weapons and shoulders. Having this skill grants you your GAR as bonus to all combat rolls. A successful roll denies a monster action for one round.
• Call Friend (You can reach out to friends across vast distances. Having this skill gives you a sort of long range communication ability with friends, like telepathy, but you have to shout. A successful roll can bring them to your location, if they desire to go.)
• Fist of Yog-Sothoth (The All-in-One suffuses your being and deigns to power your body. Having this skill grants your GAR as a bonus to combat rolls. A successful roll grants it's threshold as a bonus to your combat rolls, and the rolls of people who you designate.
• Voice of Ra (You may speak with the command of Ra. You gain your GAR as a bonus to Intimidate, Argument and People Whispering rolls. A successful roll grants your GAR as a bonus to all skills for one scene.
• Wrack (You may draw on the power of others at their expense. Having this skill gives you a floating +1 that you may use on any one roll in a scene, and causes plants to wilt in your presence, animals to run away, people to shrink from you, and materials to age noticeable in prolonged exposure. You may roll the appropriate skill at a [slightly worse than normal] difficulty to cause creatures to not react in this way. A successful roll saps one point per Threshold from a target in the stat of your choice and grants you a bonus to that stat for the remainder of the scene. You cannot drain more than your GAR through a single use of this ability)

Packages
At character creation, you choose a basic package. This will give you a handful of skills at max training, some equipment, and an ability or a few minor traits.
As you advance in GAR, you choose a GAR package, that you must meet the prerequisites for. Each GAR you may choose a new package, or to advance a previous package.
Artisan- The artists and dreamers, more in touch with the Dreamlands, and generally possessed of good spacial reasoning and able to make sketches more reliably, freely, and cheaply than a photographer can take photographs.
Artisans possess a resistance to Despair (+Spirit to Despair Soak), Max training in Artisan or Performance, Perception, Research, Focus and Inspiration, and the tools of their trade (chisels, pencils, paintbrushes, etc.)

Investigator- Those who are called upon when there is a mystery. Whether a man wants to make sure his wife isn’t cheating, the police are dropping the ball on a murder, or someone just needs to uncover long forgotten family secrets, the investigator has the skills and connections to do the job.
Investigators have Max training in Athletics, Shooting, Stealth, Perception, and Research, a revolver, and forensic tools based on those carried by Ichabod Crane in Burton's Sleepy Hollow.

Mechanic- Skilled with their hands and knowledgeable about mundane machines. Able to keep such machines in working order, and to build new ones, given time and materials. Both are a rationed commodity in the bottle cities. No one knows quite what, but the leaders of the cities know full well that bad things happen to those with too much time on their hands, and those who build machines simply too powerful.
Mechanics have Max training in [skills], a toolbox full of wrenches, hammers, saws, etc, extra personal funds, and a mundane Device.

Saboteur- Those who, for one reason or another, seem to do little but cause trouble, and know how to do so quite well. Generally skilled in stealth, improvised weapons, explosives, prepared attacks and brawling.
Saboteurs start the game with a personal weapon of choice, a stash of Chemicals and Junk, Max skill in [skills], and Connections.

Scientist- Learned individuals who study the mysteries of the universe Whether life or earth sciences, it can be surprising how useful a knowledge of biology or strata can be.
Scientists have Max skill in [skills], an Assistant, and Equipment consistent with their field of study.

Soldier- Though trapped in bottles, humanity still finds a need for men trained to kill other men in increasingly creative and painful ways. Many Bottle cities are large enough to be closer to small countries than true cities, and contain boroughs, districts, quarters, and so on, which occasionally splinter into factions, with their police forces seeing themselves become militaries. This package thus covers both the common policeman who enforces the laws, and the soldier who enforces the city’s will.
Soldiers possess boosted HP, Max skill at [skills], and a weapon and body armour from their Bottle City's stores.

GAR Packages
As characters gain more Fighting Spirit and unlock the mysteries of the universe through the Dream Energy that runs through their bodies, they can pick up more advanced packages.
Spark- Sparks are lightning rods for Inspiration Particles and Dream Energy, driving them to fits of mad creation. Often originally Scientists, they leave behind theoretical studies for the infinitely more exciting world of practical applications, building and creating. They can use Eldritech without the expenditure of EP, and may spend EP to create devices that are on par with Eldritech. Such devices cost 1 EP per GAR, and take 1 day of downtime per GAR to craft. GAR 3+

Magical Girl- There are those who are born great, and there are those who have greatness thrust upon them. Magical Girls are those who have greatness thrust upon them because they were born to have it. Commonly they have found a power device in their early adventures and figured out how to unlock the power within, allowing them to initiate a clothes shedding transformation that gives them powers and weapons. They can also, however, simply discover they are not actually human, as they thought, but rather celestine beings, sent to earth to atone for their sins or tempt others to sin. Or maybe you just died and came back through the strength of your Fighting Spirit. The Magical Girl gains use of Spells, especially the Transformation spell. It is possible, at least theoretically, for males to be Magical Girls. GAR 2+, Transformational Artifact

Dampfengeler- Occasionally, one will, in their early adventures, stumble across a mysterious artifact that does not seem to unlock transformation powers, at least in themselves. They will, soon thereafter, stumble across large, metal humanoid figures, Dampfengels, and find that the first artifact glows, hums, vibrates, pulses, or otherwise reacts to the presence of the Dampfengel, itself reacting in some small, but noticeable way to the presence of the "key." Typically, these devices are small, palm sized drills, though rarely they are other items conducive to Dream Energy. The character almost without fail climbs into the cockpit, inserts their key, and finds themselves in control of a powerful robotic armour, steam pouring from copious small stacks along the back and power and strength emanating from it's very form. Dampfengels run on EP and Fighting Spirit. Though activating one requires very little EP, merely 1/GAR, more EP can be spent to activate special attacks or otherwise enhance the Dampfengel in combat. Amongst those who know of the Dampfengels, it is rumoured that it is possible for them to combine, allowing two pilots to combine their Fighting Spirit and power a single, larger, more powerful mechanical being. GAR 2+, Fighting Spirit Artifact, Dampfengel

Summoner- Whether you found a dark tome detailing the rituals that call dark and powerful creatures to you and place them under your power, or got whacked in the head by a crazy woman with a guitar, because she thinks you're a pervert, this arouses her, and that's her form of flirting, you have the ability to call something to your presence and make it fight for you. Each GAR of Summoner allows you a choice, you can improve a previously gained summon, or you can learn the secrets necessary to summon a new being. GAR 2+, Summoning Tome or Mystic Event

Gunslinger Extraordinaire- Welp, you didn't find a Core Drill. No books have fallen in your lap, and strange women continue to refuse to hit you with strange instruments. You never found a pretty piece of jewelry that lets you change clothes in a disconcerting, yet distracting and empowering way. You haven't even felt particularly inspired as of late. But you have your gun, and when all the world's against you, and the chips are down, you know you can trust your old pistol (or rifle, or shotgun) more than anyone else in the world. In fact, you've been able to defeat terrifying monsters and punch holes in Dampfengels with little more than your determination that they're not going to take you down with out earning it first, to the astonishment of onlookers. More, with every passing day, you feel like your gun is becoming a part of you, like it's your soul. It's weird.
Gunslingers can channel EP into bullets, allowing them to better injure eldritch beings and damage Eldritch Devices. If they lose their gun, the will soon find it once again, as they intuitively know it's direction relative to them and fate intervenes to guide it back to their hands. Each GAR allows them to summon the weapon to their hand at greater distances, starting with the ability to draw it from where it is holstered on their body as a "Not An Action." Finally, they can use Eldritch Weapons without expenditure of EP, their gun seemingly melding with the weapon, making it instantly familiar, and their body taps into their latent stores of Dream Energy to allow greater feats of acrobatics.

Despair
Despair will result from a number of things. Being hurt physically, having allies killed, grievously injured or captured, seeing bigger opponents, and having enemies reveal horrid truths about why the universe is like it is and the likely negative ramifications of your actions cause your Despair to go up. Similarly, it can be reduced in many ways. Motivational speeches, a Get a Hold of Yourself, Man! slap from an ally, Seeing an ally fight on despite grievous injury, freeing or being freed by allies and the defeat of enemies can all reduce a character's despair. Often reducing Despair will require, and benefit, from a skill roll, such as Influence for motivational speeches, Brawling/Whacking for Get a Hold of Yourself, Man! slaps, and the Focus roll necessary to fight on despite injury or the many rolls of combat required to defeat enemies. Higher rolls reduce Despair by greater amounts.
One other way to reduce Despair exists (other than buying it off with Fighting Spirit). If a character has not yet succumb to Despair, that is, if their Despair does not equal or exceed their GAR, they may make a raw Characteristic roll using their highest characteristic to reduce it. Essentially they are meditating in the method which comes most natural to them, whether this is physical exercise, reading or reciting formulas to themselves, or contemplating the universe.

Spells
There are those, magical girls, summoners, and so on, who are privy to the secrets of the universe, at least those secrets which allow the unthinkable to be thought, and the unfeasible to be feasible. Spells differ from GAR skills in that they cost EP rather than Fighting Spirit.

• Transform! By invoking the power of the moon, heaven, or your own hot bloodedness, you initiate a powerful transformation, in which your clothes tear away from you, and you are immediately clad in new clothing, a proper Magical Girl outfit. Similarly, your power artifact transforms to become a mighty weapon. In this form, you gain a bonus to soak rolls equal to GAR, and your Power Artifact Weapon deals bonus damage equal to GAR, and may injure Eldritch Creatures normally.
  Casting Time-One Full Round 2 EP

Traits: Quirks, Knacks and Deficiencies
Characters may elect to spend Build Points on Positive Quirks or Knacks, or may choose to take on Negative Quirks or Deficiencies to gain Build Points. They may not spend more total points on these things than twice their GAR, and may not gain more points through such than twice their GAR. In other words, a GAR 1 character may purchase 2 BP worth of positive traits. They may gain 2 BP through negative traits, which allow them a further 2 points of positive traits, if they don't wish to use the gained BP on skills.
Positive Quirks

Negative Quirks

Knacks

• Proficiency- you are trained in the use of a weapon.

Deficiencies

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That's what I have so far. At least it's more firmed up than it was before. If I mentioned something and didn't explain it, I either don't have it worked out yet (in which case there should be a placeholder), or I forgot. It is almost 3am as I type this. If there isn't a placeholder for something mentioned, lemme know, and I'll explain it and put it where it goes above. The packages will be added later, for reasons previously mentioned.

[Vebyast]

If a character has not yet succumb to Despair, that is, if their Despair does not equal or exceed their GAR,

PCs start with one GAR, and average NPCs have zero GAR, right? And gaining GAR skills at 2 GAR means you don't gain GAR very fast. I feel like you should have at least a tiny bit more resolution there.

[Prak]

Well, I guess I've kind of been working from the assumption that PCs start their first session with GAR 1, kind of as if GAR 1 was the mark of being a luminary, except it is possible for an extra to become a luminary by doing something suitably badass, and likely gain their second GAR at the end of the first session, having found their power artifact that determines what secondary package they pick up. GAR progression slows down a bit thereafter, though should probably increase at a rate of 1:3 game sessions, give or take. Essentially I'm envisioning session 1 as a kind of "prelude" session.

[Chamomile]

Nitpick: Elder One doesn't seem like a particularly good choice for the MC product-specific name. Sounds gimmicky.

[RadiantPhoenix]

How about, "Narrator"?

[Prak]

That works. I liked elder one, though...

[Vebyast]

I've seen games with worse setting-specific names. This game has a better claim to a corny name than any of them, too, given that we have an ability named "Get ahold of yourself, man! slap" and our setting is run by pure over-the-top awesome. I say stay with "Elder One". If people don't like it, they can just not use it.

[Prak]

I had to look up the trope, and could not come up with a better name for it, except possibly "Let's see you grit those teeth!"

Oh, also, I followed Koumei's example and made a formal IMOI post for the game.

[the_taken]

I think we're missing a very big opportunity here. An opportunity to pleasantly surprise your players.

Do this: Hide the upper levels of the game from your players. Don't tell them that there's Mecha and Space Mecha and reincarnated Magical Girls. Don't write down GAR as the counter to Despair. Call it something like... Mettle or Resolve.

Describe the bottom of the game as you would any other post apocalyptic social game. It's grim, it's gritty, there's nasty mutants causing a bit of trouble, but you're a team of plucky heroes with a van, and your going to solve mysteries, help people, and exorcise some demons! Start them off with a couple of derpy molemen causing big trouble in little Atlantis, upset because their cultist minions have been bringing them ugly virgins instead of pretty ones (by molemen standards).

After they bring down the cult, give them an artifact or something, and a part of a cute poem about Cthulhu. Then give them another session or two with some other bug hunt, and let them find another artifact and another verse.

After everyone gets an artifact, give them the whole poem. Go back to death cultists and Scooby-doo movies until one of the players figures out what the poem means. Then, drop the curtain. "OK, everyone. Scratch out the word 'Resolve' from your character sheet, and write done GAR. Ahem- 'As you speak the words of power, the artifacts begin to glow...' Everyone, increase your GAR by one, and read this."

[Prak]

I would, and I keep wanting to be cagey like that, but I'm looking at trying to actually publish and sell this (even if only self publish like Frank did with After Sundown), and that doesn't work for a book...

Though maybe when I run the game with my group, I'll try something like that. Though... I've shown it to one prospective player, and talked about it with another...

[Vebyast]

I would, and I keep wanting to be cagey like that, but I'm looking at trying to actually publish and sell this (even if only self publish like Frank did with After Sundown), and that doesn't work for a book...

Disguise the PHB for the second half of the game as the DMG. Sells more books, and the players aren't going to look very hard at the DMG before playing.

[DSMatticus]

It's a strong advertising point that might get people to buy the game, though, so hiding it can only hurt you. Unless the idea of fighting cthulhu-esque monstrousities with giant robots and going up from there turns people away, in which case what the fuck is wrong with the world? Or, you know, you manage to make it sound cliche and lame instead of fun and awesome, but that's a separate danger.

[CatharzGodfoot]

I am reminded of the Atrocity Archives series. It's a sort of post-NIGHTMARE GREEN scenario where BLUE HADES and DEEP SEVEN have put aside some of their differences to make sure that humanity never repopulates enough to trigger another NIGHTMARE GREEN.

If you're writing campaign books, the state of the world above should be campaign-dependent. Let the GM decide whether the world is more untouched wilderness, Fallout, or Nightlands, but allow for all possibilities (with the caveat that tengen toppa Gurren Lagan exist in all).

[Count Arioch the 28th]

I wonder if I can mod this idea to a D20 modern campaign. Is D20 Modern unplayable in general, or only unplayable to us sperglords?

Because I've got some mods that might make it interesting...

[Prak]

it was unplayable to me years before I ever found this site. The talents are bullshit. Maybe try to find Polyhedron's "beta" version of it, it may be more playable.

oh, and Nyarlathotep as he'd appear in this game in my mind

Though I did forget the top hat... and I really should have given him wilder hair...

[LeadPal]

Myself, I can't see Nyarlathotep as anything other than Princess Nyaruko.

[JigokuBosatsu]

Nope, here he is.

[CatharzGodfoot]

If you want to go the serious animu route, Zato-1 seems like a good analogue. But Nyaruko-san is hard to say no to.

[RadiantPhoenix]

Nyaruko-san is hard to say no to.

Not just hard, it simply can't be done!