From: bkoike@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Bryce Koike)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: A GURPS Inquiry...
Date: 21 Nov 92 20:25:47 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <1992Nov20.182406.4128@wkuvx1.bitnet> futrena@wkuvx1.bitnet writes:
>[gurps praise deleted]
>I am currently between adventures in my current campaign.  The
>campaign 'universe' is called Space Fantasy.  It contains elements of
>science fiction (hi-technology, starships, weird alien races,
>futuristic weapons, psionics, etc.) and fantasy (magic, melee weapons,
>fantasy races, etc.).  I have also thrown in a bit of cyberpunk to add
>tension.  There is much more to it than this, but I don't want to bore
>you to tears.

	Sounds fairly wild.  I'm not bored...not yet!
>
>I am just asking to find out if any of you can give some new plot ideas 
>for adventures.  I have acquired several used copies of AD & D
>adventures, but I prefer to write my own.  My gaming group is very
>advanced, meaning they haved gamed for a number of years.  I am
>running out of original ideas for adventures.

	Hmn.  They can run across huge mechanized planets.  (I've
jokingly called it Cyberville, but my GM would probably kill me over
it.  Heh.)  Basically it's an ex-mining planet which has been
turned into one huge colony.  (Huge tunnels reach down into the
ground, the surface of the planet is covered with huge solar panels
and docking facilities...etc.)  The planet is basically used as a
gigantic jail facility.  It's stranded far from the galactic core
meaning that there's nowhere to escape to (the facility has NO
long-distance starcraft.  The most powerful ships can only escape to
the nearby asteroid field where some limited mining is done0.
	Criminals are implanted with specialized cybernetic control
systems.  The systems basically control their brain and what they're
able to do.  Extremely dangerous criminals are reduced to a robotic
state, only capable of doing exactly what is told to them.  Some are
given Supervisor Status which means that they are only answerable to
some Overseer unit and their job is to make certain that all "units"
are operating efficiently and to discipline those units who are
rebellious (very rare...the control systems tend to reduce your
ability for free thought.  "Where's the commander of this base?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't have clearance for that.  I must return to
work.")
	All units are directly linked to a massive network from
which they receive their orders, etc.  The planet seems to run like
clockwork except...except something's wrong.  Half the planet is
malfunctioning.  It seems that some of the "units" have successfully
rebelled and have escaped to the malfunctioning side.  (The planet's
reactor core has developed a malfunction and Galactic Central/
whatever the government head is has decided that it isn't worth the
money to tow a new reactor to the site.  Because of this, certain
areas have been declared off-limits.  Most of the rogue units came
too near heavy radioactive areas and their control systems were
damaged, allowing them to regain some semblance of self-control.
Their proceeded to tear the systems out of their head [can we say
brain damage?] and escape.)
	All units are called by their unit number which is tattooed
across their foreheads.  Rogue units, of course, have taken on their
own names and have even managed to repair a damaged communicator so
that they can communicate at certain moments to the outside world.
There's still an operating terminal network which crosses the entire
planet which allows people to send e-mail, etc, etc, and the rogue
units have taken to hacking the system (which hasn't been used in
ages...though the Overseer keeps an eye on it just in case) to give
themselves secret access and accounts.
	None of this is really my idea (although I've improvised on
some parts), but it's very exciting.  Imagine an enourmous
underground network akin to something from Aliens/Max Headroom/
whatever, full of loose cables, metal walkways, etc.  Parts of the
planet are completely damaged (they haven't repaired it yet) while
other parts have been completely deserted.  No one is really certain
how far down the "city" goes into the planet (all the people here,
including the Overseer, have ceased to be very human.  And their
memories are horribly short) or how to reach the malfunctioning
Other Side....
	...there are rumors as to why the Other Side is inoperative,
some suggest a mutated form of cybernetic cockroach which tends to
prey on electronic devices...  (stolen from the gurps space bestiary
or whatever it's called...the GM souped them up, though)

	The players can also assist in a rebel effort to gain
control of parts of a planet near the edge of the Federated Space
(or whatever you want to call the government).  Perhaps the rebels
want weapons and they want the players to help them get them.
("Look, it's easy.  You keep us in cryotubes and shuttle us to
Shattra V.  We've already got men down on the planet, but nothing
goes until we hit ground.  You let us loose and we hit the military
installation with everything we've got.  All we want are a few of
the mobile laser howitzers....")
	In fact there's a lot you could do with rebellions.  Perhaps
there's a corrupt government that the players are fighting against.
(Or there's money in it to convince them to aid in the fight.)  Of
course they can't face the government head-on, but there's a lot
they can do to incite rebellion (or at least to wake up the blind
masses) on the border planets and the like.  [Blake's 7, anyone?]

	Perhaps there's something strange going on across certain
planets...people disappearing, whatever.  (It's your world and I
don't know much about it.  But with magic, there's a lot of weird
things that can happen...)  The players might become interested to
see what it all means...

>If you want more information, I can e-mail the basic, overview
>document.  Any questions, comments, thoughts, and ideas will be
>appreciated.

	Hey, could you?  I AM interested...I'm more for straight
Space (or Space-Cyberpunk, whatever), but I'd like to see other
people's ideas...
>
>Thanks in advance.
>-- 
>+===============================================================+
>|Nathan Futrell			|DangerMouse:  Penfold...	|
>|futrena@WKUVX1.BITNET		|Penfold:  Yes...?	  	|
>|Western Kentucky University	|DM:  SHUSH!		  	|
>|Bowling Green, KY USA		|P:  Oh, 'eck!		  	|
>+===============================================================+


From: Barry.Larson@p100.f49.n292.z1.tdkt.kksys.com (Barry Larson)
Sender: FredGate@tdkt.kksys.com