Killerkat
2023-12-04, 11:09 AM
The Citadel of Light. The center from where aspiring heroes far and wide come. For over a thousand years, the Lightbearers have held the line against all the evils of this world - and beyond. From supervillains to monsters to horrors from beyond the Veil, the Citadel of Light has been busy keeping mankind safe from all the evils of this world. For over a thousand years, this has been the way, with little change.
Until one day, when Reginald Smith, the Grand Creator entered, and step by step won the love of all the heroes within. And on that day he did, he announced a radical change - no more would they be playing defense while the world rots around them. No, they would take the fight to them. Furthermore, they would show all the power and potential of mankind. They would build incredible wonders in their image. They would explore the very stars themselves. They would turn mankind around, and, using their superheroic powers, usher in a new age of light and wisdom for all. And so they set to work , on this long and arduous and dangerous mission.
Over the next century, superheroes rose and fought under the banner of a single world government, a single utopia, a single shining beacon amongst the stars. Steadily, by much diplomacy and the occasional expression of military might, the world was united, supervillains were put away or executed and the living conditions of all were greatly improved. Many died during those long and terrible days, not just by internal conflict but by the Decade of Tears, when the Zanathi fell upon the world in an alien invasion, The Nemesis of Mankind waged a Global Thermonuclear War and the Devourer of Reason rose from the darkest abysses to consume all and usher in a night of eternal terror - among many other lesser, but no less deadly and horrible villains and monsters and abominations that plagued mankind. Those days seemed hopeless, but for the combined might of the world's arms, the greatest accomplishments of the military and superheroes alike.
Finally, after a long and grueling war, mankind stood triumphant. And all the charitable works admist tragedy, from both nonpowered and superheroic people alike, carried mankind through its darkest hour. And in the wake of this great victory were the greatest superheroes, the finest humans and the most refined works that mankind had ever seen. The next two decades saw a renaissance of culture and industry as mankind got to work rebuilding all that was lost, creating many great wonders, feeding and clothing all the world and raising great spaceships up to the stars themselves. The world was terraformed into a living paradise, many billions lived in verdant skyscrapers and the sun was tamed and used for the good of all. Its moon was colonized, its low orbit filled with great structures housing many and its asteroids mined; many ventured forth upon a new era of space exploration as the whole solar system was colonized and turned into a singular monument towards the greatness of mankind and the valor of its heroes.
Driven on by The Grand Creator and his vision, The Citadel of Light took charge of a singular, one world and then one system and then many systems government, dedicated to exploring and colonizing the stars. With powers driven forwards by the fires of purpose fulfilled, mankind advanced among a single mission - to make the stars theirs and, if any other aliens existed out there, to welcome them into their utopia, to keep expanding until all stars were theirs and all were embraced within their light. For a long time, this mission continued as all the tales of a new age of exploration dominated the media, with many ruins of the Zanathi empire - torched into nothingness by an unknown power - laid bare, the ruins of past and older civilizations hiding their many secrets and the mysteries of the Precursors raising much wonder and many stories in The Citadel of Light. Many monsters and horrors were faced as the last remnants of their once-invaders were faced and conquered.
As the sun was gradually enshrouded by mankind in a Dyson Swarm and the last of the Zanathi were conquered or wiped out, the last of the monsters tamed and the last horror laid low, rumors from the survivors revealed the locations of the aliens, waiting for mankind's arrival. Until one day, when on a daring mission, Asani White, the greatest diplomat mankind has ever known, opened the great gateway, arriving deep within their Council - and, bearing many gifts and wonders of their works back on Erenthia, opened the way to communications and diplomacy with a society far greater - and far more in peril - than anything they ever could have imagined. The Celestial Concord, a federation formed out of dozens of unique alien species, greeted them among the Cosmic Vanguard, a legion of the greatest powers that the universe had to offer. They greeted mankind with great interest, for although the occasional superhero or supervillain arose among them, mankind contained by far the greatest and most powerful - especially since anyone had the potential to become a hero. They wanted to know how, wanted to share in mankind's glory and wanted its heroes to bring utopia to them as well. Underneath it all, they wanted unity as well - for the Devourers were waiting beyond the Veil, waiting to consume all, while rivalries and conflicts shook the federation apart from within.
Outside the bounds of their guarded utopia was a more horrible, and more magnificent at once, universe than anything they ever predicted. War was constant, strife was commonplace and rivalries shook the foundations of the galaxy and beyond. But at the same time, there were many wonderful species to meet - species once terrorized by countless powers, species who came together against all odds, species who created many marvels of their own. And they had much to offer mankind as well. And so, after many months of hard negotiation, Asani and the superheroes came to an agreement - they would welcome the alien supers into The Citadel of Light in exchange for full representation within the federation senate. The agreement was on both sides; The Cosmic Vanguard welcomed Erenthia's greatest superheroes into their ranks, while the federation benefitted from all the wonders mankind's world had to offer. Under it all was an agreement formed by a common foe, a crisis of unprecented proportion - a galactic conqueror who had come at last to a galaxy still very much divided.
Revealed to be the power behind the scenes, this nameless and ever-fierce adversary waged a war across all of time and space, trying to snuff out mankind before it could ever blossom. Revealed to be the enemy of old, who sent all the monsters and horrors, raised countless supervillains and twisted Erenthia's finest minds against each other, mankind's true enemy was found at last. And they went to war with great gusto. Sparked on by The Traveler, the first hero who could travel across time, they waged a war for mankind's very survival, its very soul and very being, as they defended the first Citadel of Light back in their Stone Age when it was just rock and timber, barely defending the first fire before it could be snuffed out and defending apekind from a genocide meant to stop mankind from first arising. This war went further into the future, when mankind dominated the stars, its great Lightways and Webworks connecting everything, its Dyson Swarms and Worldships colonizing all the heavens and the daring souls that pierced the Veil, entering into the afterlife with untold power. They waged war against demons, against abominations, against monsters, against aliens and even against their own kind; they waged war against the finest tactical and strategic mind the cosmos has ever fielded.
And all with one goal - to stop mankind's Ascension. For more were Awakening, and mankind was edging ever closer to the infinity of godhood. The nameless conqueror was determined to stop this at all cost, for no future predicted what would come of this; all attempts to read it were met with fog and silence. A great Singularity was coming, and no one was ready for it. Sensing an opportunity, all the heroes converged for a negotiation with this man so determined to stop mankind from achieving its great destiny, and after a promise, secured by the federation and The Cosmic Vanguard and the Watchers beyond, a mysterious group of those who have made the leap, the mysterious villain, before he could be tried for his many crimes, simply vanished...
And so it was that peace reigned at last, and not only mankind, but the galaxy, entered into a long Golden Age. Once more, the boundaries of space, and now time as well, were pushed back, horrors and monsters and demons were conquered and the light of mankind spread to all the stars. Under their instruction and tutelage, many more heroes arose, both inside The Citadel of Light and out. More aliens were gaining powers than ever before, accelerating the growth of The Cosmic Vanguard, who waged a constant battle across the universe for the souls of all within it. Many great supervillains rose and fell, conquered one by one until no supervillain rose to take their place. The last monster was tamed as the federation stabilized and mankind launched its first colony ship beyond the borders of the galaxy, shooting straight for Andromeda. The galaxy settled down into a long, silent era of peace and prosperity, and all was well.
Nothing happened for several hundred years. But times have begun to change for the worse. Peace seldom lasts, and the Golden Age of Mankind has been fraying at the edges. Decay and stagnation has settled in, and supervillains have arose once again. Mankind has united all under one single hegemony, but barbarians await at the gates; rival alien powers vie for glory and dominance, waging war against the federation and all within it. Newcomers to the galactic scene shine bright, threatening the empire of old. The monsters have returned, the Veil has been rended, and for the first time abominations terrible and unspeakable has come. The cosmic conqueror has returned, sensing weakness and an opportunity to rebuild his empire at long last. And even within mankind's borders, even within the hallowed halls of The Citadel of Light itself, rivalry and warfare has seized its holdings once again, its edges sorely tested by powers too great to resist -
But for its heroes. All throughout this, the Citadel of Light stands, an untarnished vision of the glory of mankind old, before the breaking and the Fall. Its heroes still stand tall, driven forward by purpose and friendly competition to be the best they can be, and on guard at all times. Its vision of a guarded utopia, a strong and loving society still stands tall, and its members still go out to wage war against evil and help all those in need alike. Driven forward by ideals of fraternity, by brotherhood forged among arms, of a society that helps each other and is guided by the principles of fairness and love, they have taken a stand to defend all that is good and actively promote all that is right. And so now they defend all the universe from a threat great and small, from a force past, present and future, as the universe erupts into evermore war and the TRUE conflict really begins -
And its newest heroes have just been recruited. Guess who? Now you stand as one of the new heroes invited into The Citadel of Light, ready to make your own legacy upon all the cosmos. What will you do? Where will you go? And what will you become? These questions, and many more, will be answered in time - a precious resource that is rapidly running out...
1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)?
M&M QDe (https://www.trulyuniqueweb.com/unrealquests/mm/#ch-character-creation). Both this and the base version (https://www.d20herosrd.com/) are important.
2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)?
This is a roleplay-heavy superheroic Space Opera game. Superheroes, aliens and monsters abound.
3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?
4-6. Additionally, I will be creating multiple groups if we have the people for it.
4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)?
OOTS.
5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?
PL 10, 100 PP, 100 VP.
Additionally, expect to gain 1 PL per Adventure.
6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with?
You begin reasonably wealthy (~$60,000/year), although you'll need ranks of the Wealth feature to represent greater wealth.
7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes?
Just be heroic.
8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species?
Aliens exist, but I want only humans.
9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?
Does not apply.
10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?
Just be heroic.
11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?
Anything x Hero can apply.
12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?
I'll make certain rolls in secret; for all else, we will be using a dice rolling thread.
13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.
Yes. This is a high heroics game, and the rules reflect that. You start with and gain double Hero Points from all sources.
14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?
Yes. I don't so much care if it's long or not as much as how it details the hero, how they came to be a hero and what is involved in their day-to-day lives. Additionally, how they came to The Citadel of Light and what they intend to do there.
15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?
This game is heavy on roleplaying, although all three have their part. In particular, there will be a lot of Downtime Actions.
16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters?
Use any material available.
Until one day, when Reginald Smith, the Grand Creator entered, and step by step won the love of all the heroes within. And on that day he did, he announced a radical change - no more would they be playing defense while the world rots around them. No, they would take the fight to them. Furthermore, they would show all the power and potential of mankind. They would build incredible wonders in their image. They would explore the very stars themselves. They would turn mankind around, and, using their superheroic powers, usher in a new age of light and wisdom for all. And so they set to work , on this long and arduous and dangerous mission.
Over the next century, superheroes rose and fought under the banner of a single world government, a single utopia, a single shining beacon amongst the stars. Steadily, by much diplomacy and the occasional expression of military might, the world was united, supervillains were put away or executed and the living conditions of all were greatly improved. Many died during those long and terrible days, not just by internal conflict but by the Decade of Tears, when the Zanathi fell upon the world in an alien invasion, The Nemesis of Mankind waged a Global Thermonuclear War and the Devourer of Reason rose from the darkest abysses to consume all and usher in a night of eternal terror - among many other lesser, but no less deadly and horrible villains and monsters and abominations that plagued mankind. Those days seemed hopeless, but for the combined might of the world's arms, the greatest accomplishments of the military and superheroes alike.
Finally, after a long and grueling war, mankind stood triumphant. And all the charitable works admist tragedy, from both nonpowered and superheroic people alike, carried mankind through its darkest hour. And in the wake of this great victory were the greatest superheroes, the finest humans and the most refined works that mankind had ever seen. The next two decades saw a renaissance of culture and industry as mankind got to work rebuilding all that was lost, creating many great wonders, feeding and clothing all the world and raising great spaceships up to the stars themselves. The world was terraformed into a living paradise, many billions lived in verdant skyscrapers and the sun was tamed and used for the good of all. Its moon was colonized, its low orbit filled with great structures housing many and its asteroids mined; many ventured forth upon a new era of space exploration as the whole solar system was colonized and turned into a singular monument towards the greatness of mankind and the valor of its heroes.
Driven on by The Grand Creator and his vision, The Citadel of Light took charge of a singular, one world and then one system and then many systems government, dedicated to exploring and colonizing the stars. With powers driven forwards by the fires of purpose fulfilled, mankind advanced among a single mission - to make the stars theirs and, if any other aliens existed out there, to welcome them into their utopia, to keep expanding until all stars were theirs and all were embraced within their light. For a long time, this mission continued as all the tales of a new age of exploration dominated the media, with many ruins of the Zanathi empire - torched into nothingness by an unknown power - laid bare, the ruins of past and older civilizations hiding their many secrets and the mysteries of the Precursors raising much wonder and many stories in The Citadel of Light. Many monsters and horrors were faced as the last remnants of their once-invaders were faced and conquered.
As the sun was gradually enshrouded by mankind in a Dyson Swarm and the last of the Zanathi were conquered or wiped out, the last of the monsters tamed and the last horror laid low, rumors from the survivors revealed the locations of the aliens, waiting for mankind's arrival. Until one day, when on a daring mission, Asani White, the greatest diplomat mankind has ever known, opened the great gateway, arriving deep within their Council - and, bearing many gifts and wonders of their works back on Erenthia, opened the way to communications and diplomacy with a society far greater - and far more in peril - than anything they ever could have imagined. The Celestial Concord, a federation formed out of dozens of unique alien species, greeted them among the Cosmic Vanguard, a legion of the greatest powers that the universe had to offer. They greeted mankind with great interest, for although the occasional superhero or supervillain arose among them, mankind contained by far the greatest and most powerful - especially since anyone had the potential to become a hero. They wanted to know how, wanted to share in mankind's glory and wanted its heroes to bring utopia to them as well. Underneath it all, they wanted unity as well - for the Devourers were waiting beyond the Veil, waiting to consume all, while rivalries and conflicts shook the federation apart from within.
Outside the bounds of their guarded utopia was a more horrible, and more magnificent at once, universe than anything they ever predicted. War was constant, strife was commonplace and rivalries shook the foundations of the galaxy and beyond. But at the same time, there were many wonderful species to meet - species once terrorized by countless powers, species who came together against all odds, species who created many marvels of their own. And they had much to offer mankind as well. And so, after many months of hard negotiation, Asani and the superheroes came to an agreement - they would welcome the alien supers into The Citadel of Light in exchange for full representation within the federation senate. The agreement was on both sides; The Cosmic Vanguard welcomed Erenthia's greatest superheroes into their ranks, while the federation benefitted from all the wonders mankind's world had to offer. Under it all was an agreement formed by a common foe, a crisis of unprecented proportion - a galactic conqueror who had come at last to a galaxy still very much divided.
Revealed to be the power behind the scenes, this nameless and ever-fierce adversary waged a war across all of time and space, trying to snuff out mankind before it could ever blossom. Revealed to be the enemy of old, who sent all the monsters and horrors, raised countless supervillains and twisted Erenthia's finest minds against each other, mankind's true enemy was found at last. And they went to war with great gusto. Sparked on by The Traveler, the first hero who could travel across time, they waged a war for mankind's very survival, its very soul and very being, as they defended the first Citadel of Light back in their Stone Age when it was just rock and timber, barely defending the first fire before it could be snuffed out and defending apekind from a genocide meant to stop mankind from first arising. This war went further into the future, when mankind dominated the stars, its great Lightways and Webworks connecting everything, its Dyson Swarms and Worldships colonizing all the heavens and the daring souls that pierced the Veil, entering into the afterlife with untold power. They waged war against demons, against abominations, against monsters, against aliens and even against their own kind; they waged war against the finest tactical and strategic mind the cosmos has ever fielded.
And all with one goal - to stop mankind's Ascension. For more were Awakening, and mankind was edging ever closer to the infinity of godhood. The nameless conqueror was determined to stop this at all cost, for no future predicted what would come of this; all attempts to read it were met with fog and silence. A great Singularity was coming, and no one was ready for it. Sensing an opportunity, all the heroes converged for a negotiation with this man so determined to stop mankind from achieving its great destiny, and after a promise, secured by the federation and The Cosmic Vanguard and the Watchers beyond, a mysterious group of those who have made the leap, the mysterious villain, before he could be tried for his many crimes, simply vanished...
And so it was that peace reigned at last, and not only mankind, but the galaxy, entered into a long Golden Age. Once more, the boundaries of space, and now time as well, were pushed back, horrors and monsters and demons were conquered and the light of mankind spread to all the stars. Under their instruction and tutelage, many more heroes arose, both inside The Citadel of Light and out. More aliens were gaining powers than ever before, accelerating the growth of The Cosmic Vanguard, who waged a constant battle across the universe for the souls of all within it. Many great supervillains rose and fell, conquered one by one until no supervillain rose to take their place. The last monster was tamed as the federation stabilized and mankind launched its first colony ship beyond the borders of the galaxy, shooting straight for Andromeda. The galaxy settled down into a long, silent era of peace and prosperity, and all was well.
Nothing happened for several hundred years. But times have begun to change for the worse. Peace seldom lasts, and the Golden Age of Mankind has been fraying at the edges. Decay and stagnation has settled in, and supervillains have arose once again. Mankind has united all under one single hegemony, but barbarians await at the gates; rival alien powers vie for glory and dominance, waging war against the federation and all within it. Newcomers to the galactic scene shine bright, threatening the empire of old. The monsters have returned, the Veil has been rended, and for the first time abominations terrible and unspeakable has come. The cosmic conqueror has returned, sensing weakness and an opportunity to rebuild his empire at long last. And even within mankind's borders, even within the hallowed halls of The Citadel of Light itself, rivalry and warfare has seized its holdings once again, its edges sorely tested by powers too great to resist -
But for its heroes. All throughout this, the Citadel of Light stands, an untarnished vision of the glory of mankind old, before the breaking and the Fall. Its heroes still stand tall, driven forward by purpose and friendly competition to be the best they can be, and on guard at all times. Its vision of a guarded utopia, a strong and loving society still stands tall, and its members still go out to wage war against evil and help all those in need alike. Driven forward by ideals of fraternity, by brotherhood forged among arms, of a society that helps each other and is guided by the principles of fairness and love, they have taken a stand to defend all that is good and actively promote all that is right. And so now they defend all the universe from a threat great and small, from a force past, present and future, as the universe erupts into evermore war and the TRUE conflict really begins -
And its newest heroes have just been recruited. Guess who? Now you stand as one of the new heroes invited into The Citadel of Light, ready to make your own legacy upon all the cosmos. What will you do? Where will you go? And what will you become? These questions, and many more, will be answered in time - a precious resource that is rapidly running out...
1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)?
M&M QDe (https://www.trulyuniqueweb.com/unrealquests/mm/#ch-character-creation). Both this and the base version (https://www.d20herosrd.com/) are important.
2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)?
This is a roleplay-heavy superheroic Space Opera game. Superheroes, aliens and monsters abound.
3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?
4-6. Additionally, I will be creating multiple groups if we have the people for it.
4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)?
OOTS.
5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?
PL 10, 100 PP, 100 VP.
Additionally, expect to gain 1 PL per Adventure.
6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with?
You begin reasonably wealthy (~$60,000/year), although you'll need ranks of the Wealth feature to represent greater wealth.
7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes?
Just be heroic.
8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species?
Aliens exist, but I want only humans.
9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?
Does not apply.
10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?
Just be heroic.
11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?
Anything x Hero can apply.
12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?
I'll make certain rolls in secret; for all else, we will be using a dice rolling thread.
13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.
Yes. This is a high heroics game, and the rules reflect that. You start with and gain double Hero Points from all sources.
14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?
Yes. I don't so much care if it's long or not as much as how it details the hero, how they came to be a hero and what is involved in their day-to-day lives. Additionally, how they came to The Citadel of Light and what they intend to do there.
15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?
This game is heavy on roleplaying, although all three have their part. In particular, there will be a lot of Downtime Actions.
16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters?
Use any material available.