Xallace
2010-08-31, 09:14 PM
Literally.
The Past
The Multiversal Laws
Deep within the heart of Sigil there exists a faction known as the Fraternity of Order. These gentlemen make it their business to understand law; not simply local laws or governmental decrees, but the very laws of the multiverse itself.
The thing about studying law, though, is that you start coming across loopholes. It's no different with the laws of the multiverse; there are points within the axioms where logic slips by, where the aware can exploit to whatever whims. Most of these are nothing particularly big, but sometimes a lowly cleric might just become omniscient by drowning himself, or a kobold might discover Sarruhks and become a god. When the multiverse senses a loophole like that, it will "fold"- sweep the proverbial dirt under the rug. Not quite maintenance, so much as simply covering up the fact that such a loophole exists. Such gross exploitations tend to happen only once.
Now, over time, these loopholes build up- never really fixed, just kinda forgotten. And that's where the Game Masters come in.
The Game Masters
The Game Masters are a branch of the Fraternity of Order. They're pretty radical - believing that every creature in existence can be broken down into six numerical attributes, for example. Crazy stuff, right?
What's crazier is that, well, they're right. The Game Masters have figured how the multiverse works; Sure, maybe the little details are off, but they see the multiverse's main rules as clear as day- and with the rules, come the loopholes.
The Game Masters were horrified to find out that the rules are full of holes, absolutely perturbed. They checked and re-checked, compared notes, spent sleepless night around coffee pots just compiling and decompiling and recompiling data. In the end, it was true - things were broken, things were loose and full of holes.
What a travesty for them too, to find out that the axioms they romanticized were so exploitable. But then, it hit them. A scheme. A cunning, devious scheme:
"If the rules are so exploitable, why don't we change the rules?"
The Big Plan
The rules needed to be tightened, needed to be... "balanced." Things that didn't work would have to be thrown out, entirely new rules would have to be introduced. This was a huge undertaking, but not the first of its kind; obscure legends told of individuals being able to rewrite the rules of existence; supposedly, it had happened three-and-a-half times before.
This would set the world right, the Game Masters said. This would be perfect.
The Present
The Player Characters
The Game Masters are obviously not the only ones who have figured out how to exploit reality. There are others, scattered about, who have learned these tricks.
The PCs, for example. Individuals from all over the planes, lead together through the holes in existence.
Dissonance Points
One of the biggest parts of the game is the use of Action Points - in this case, each use of action points allows a player to "exploit reality." These include things like: RAW readings of rules without that pesky RAI getting in the way, taking typos in rules for real (Scorpion whip doing a d43 of damage, for example), and using cheesy combos that probably shouldn't work by any stretch of logic.
Not everything is a go, of course. The multiverse has had big offenders before - kobolds, cough cough, among others - and has closed those holes tight. The rest, however, is fair game.
The Problem With Knowing These Things
To be frank, mortals aren't supposed to know about these exploits. It simply should not happen. When someone finds out, the Keepers mobilize.
The Keepers are hairless, eyeless, MIB-esque humanoids found in the Fiend Folio. They keep secrets, and they keep them well. When someone finds out something they shouldn't know, the Keepers show up to make sure that the knowledge is never passed on. Thier methods are swift, efficient, and brutal.
However, knowing rules exploits means that the PCs have an advantage, but not by much. Keepers are relentless, and they are everywhere. It's only a matter of time before all of these Exploiters are silenced for good.
The Future
The Campaign
The game would span across multiple multiverses; Through the DMG, through Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Dragonmech, and others. It would be a plane-hopping epic adventure. The players would have to escape continual attacks by the Keepers while figuring out about the plan of the Game Masters. Speaking of which...
The Dilemma
The thing about the Game Masters' plan is this: what happens to everyone in the current universe? If they succeed, how many people die in the process? What will these new rules mean? Will they be worth it? The Game Masters don't care, obviously; the new universe will be perfect. It's completely worth whatever needs to be done.
And the PCs have a decision to make: Will they work with the Game Masters, or against them? A loophole-less universe means that the eternal guardians of secrets won't be trying to kill them day after day, but there's still that whole part about "how many people will die?" Not to mention, what if the Game Masters don't succeed and the new universe has other holes to exploit? Does it all just start over again?
There are dozens of questions to be asked, and the heroes will have to decide quickly before the "4th Multiverse" can be born.
So... whaddya think?
The Past
The Multiversal Laws
Deep within the heart of Sigil there exists a faction known as the Fraternity of Order. These gentlemen make it their business to understand law; not simply local laws or governmental decrees, but the very laws of the multiverse itself.
The thing about studying law, though, is that you start coming across loopholes. It's no different with the laws of the multiverse; there are points within the axioms where logic slips by, where the aware can exploit to whatever whims. Most of these are nothing particularly big, but sometimes a lowly cleric might just become omniscient by drowning himself, or a kobold might discover Sarruhks and become a god. When the multiverse senses a loophole like that, it will "fold"- sweep the proverbial dirt under the rug. Not quite maintenance, so much as simply covering up the fact that such a loophole exists. Such gross exploitations tend to happen only once.
Now, over time, these loopholes build up- never really fixed, just kinda forgotten. And that's where the Game Masters come in.
The Game Masters
The Game Masters are a branch of the Fraternity of Order. They're pretty radical - believing that every creature in existence can be broken down into six numerical attributes, for example. Crazy stuff, right?
What's crazier is that, well, they're right. The Game Masters have figured how the multiverse works; Sure, maybe the little details are off, but they see the multiverse's main rules as clear as day- and with the rules, come the loopholes.
The Game Masters were horrified to find out that the rules are full of holes, absolutely perturbed. They checked and re-checked, compared notes, spent sleepless night around coffee pots just compiling and decompiling and recompiling data. In the end, it was true - things were broken, things were loose and full of holes.
What a travesty for them too, to find out that the axioms they romanticized were so exploitable. But then, it hit them. A scheme. A cunning, devious scheme:
"If the rules are so exploitable, why don't we change the rules?"
The Big Plan
The rules needed to be tightened, needed to be... "balanced." Things that didn't work would have to be thrown out, entirely new rules would have to be introduced. This was a huge undertaking, but not the first of its kind; obscure legends told of individuals being able to rewrite the rules of existence; supposedly, it had happened three-and-a-half times before.
This would set the world right, the Game Masters said. This would be perfect.
The Present
The Player Characters
The Game Masters are obviously not the only ones who have figured out how to exploit reality. There are others, scattered about, who have learned these tricks.
The PCs, for example. Individuals from all over the planes, lead together through the holes in existence.
Dissonance Points
One of the biggest parts of the game is the use of Action Points - in this case, each use of action points allows a player to "exploit reality." These include things like: RAW readings of rules without that pesky RAI getting in the way, taking typos in rules for real (Scorpion whip doing a d43 of damage, for example), and using cheesy combos that probably shouldn't work by any stretch of logic.
Not everything is a go, of course. The multiverse has had big offenders before - kobolds, cough cough, among others - and has closed those holes tight. The rest, however, is fair game.
The Problem With Knowing These Things
To be frank, mortals aren't supposed to know about these exploits. It simply should not happen. When someone finds out, the Keepers mobilize.
The Keepers are hairless, eyeless, MIB-esque humanoids found in the Fiend Folio. They keep secrets, and they keep them well. When someone finds out something they shouldn't know, the Keepers show up to make sure that the knowledge is never passed on. Thier methods are swift, efficient, and brutal.
However, knowing rules exploits means that the PCs have an advantage, but not by much. Keepers are relentless, and they are everywhere. It's only a matter of time before all of these Exploiters are silenced for good.
The Future
The Campaign
The game would span across multiple multiverses; Through the DMG, through Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Dragonmech, and others. It would be a plane-hopping epic adventure. The players would have to escape continual attacks by the Keepers while figuring out about the plan of the Game Masters. Speaking of which...
The Dilemma
The thing about the Game Masters' plan is this: what happens to everyone in the current universe? If they succeed, how many people die in the process? What will these new rules mean? Will they be worth it? The Game Masters don't care, obviously; the new universe will be perfect. It's completely worth whatever needs to be done.
And the PCs have a decision to make: Will they work with the Game Masters, or against them? A loophole-less universe means that the eternal guardians of secrets won't be trying to kill them day after day, but there's still that whole part about "how many people will die?" Not to mention, what if the Game Masters don't succeed and the new universe has other holes to exploit? Does it all just start over again?
There are dozens of questions to be asked, and the heroes will have to decide quickly before the "4th Multiverse" can be born.
So... whaddya think?