But yes, I like the artificial brain thing a lot. I appreciate the themes of dehumanization, and it might even be a good way to get players thinking about the mind-body problem, which is trippy shit. In the best possible way.
It changes the game substantially, but it also can set the theme strongly. I especially like the idea of AISCs hacking some po bastad. Go to Comment
About synapses being 20cm from their cell bodies: If we're severing and reattaching millions of neural links, the surgery is probably going to be assisted (or performed) by nanobots. Any cuts wouldn't be performed by scalpels, but by nanobots cutting synapses and replacing the missing cell with a cyborg component.
Alternatively, why not replace half a neuron? Halfway down the axon, the neuron could switch over into a mechanical replacement that would interface with the rest of the cyborg brain. We don't need to meddle with reattaching long neurons anyway.
How many long neurons are there in the brain (aside from the important, discrete bundles)? Maybe a certain amount of brain damage is considered within tolerance for these types of surgeries. Go to Comment
There's a lot of thought here, and I DO love a comprehensive magic system that is more complicated than "I wave my hands and say the right words". In fact, it's so specific that it makes the submission less usable.
I do like Abysmal-Craft Magick, though. It's like metallurgy-alchemy, and you don't need to be a wizard to do it. Go to Comment
Sigma Blue Society/ Organizations (Criminal/Espionage)
(World Wide)
You forgot to mention Major Able's totally sweet flattop haircut. And Special Agent Camilla's predisposition for leotards. I think these things are important.
Why doesn't Sigma Blue use biomods and cybernetics? I'd imagine that those can be pretty discrete, too.
Rereading this, my first impression is that it all sounds very 2nd ed AD&D. There's a few good ideas, but the metal-bird people are so. . . ordinary as far as metal bird-people go. Maybe I can spice them up some more. Go to Comment
Amazons and Orcs Society/ Organizations (Ethnic/Cultural)
(Regional)
The part I like best is the orcish uncovering of the Snake People's weapon hoard. It's sort of a neat mental picture. I wish you'd touched on the patriarchy elements more, though. Go to Comment
Just a couple of thoughts. Mostly they revolve around how awesome antimatter is.
Conservation of energy. Okay, so electrons + positrons = gamma rays. I get it. But electrons won't reach the antimatter core unless they can overcome the insulation that the vaccuum provides (arc). And once they arc, resistance is going to plummet and they're going to strip electrons from everything in the environment simply because the voltage a ball of positrons generates is going to be insane. 1 oz of antimatter + 1 oz of matter = ~5 petajoules. That's ~80 Hiroshimas going off inside this thing.
And gamma rays impart energy; that energy has to go somewhere. Heat or ionization are the two big options here. Funny enough, you can even induce fission in depleted uranium if you hit it with enough gamma radiation. If you can get good compression on the uranium shielding, that would go nuclear as well.
It's a superbomb that blows up when it hits a strong electric field. Maybe another ship's shields? An enemy's energy relay? Pretty cool to think about, actually. Go to Comment
How I Vote Articles (Rules and Advice)
(Citadel Help)
Hmm. What if the party did a favor for the God of Time beforehand, and he was all like, "Sure, I'll do you a favor down the road. You'll know it when you see it."
It's not a daring DM gambit anymore, but it's still awesome. Go to Comment
Stable time loops in fiction, by definition, are impossible. You can't sent a single molecule of nitrogen back in time without creating a different state in the present-day. Time loops, then, depend on the DM handwaving the "small stuff". In campaigns where time travel is a possibility, resurrection magic shouldn't be out of reach either.
But you bring up a good point. This particular brand of nonsense isn't for every campaign (especially not campaigns without time gods). And it is difficult to pull off, and may backfire. But, then again, that's why it's called a gambit.
There is only the single lead in, because I'm not interested in developing this as a plot. Simply a tool that can be used by the DM with delusions of grandeur (and I think DMs could use a couple of delusions) and are willing to employ heavy-handed machinations to preserve their PCs.
Also, you gave me a 2. Now I have a sadness. I will try harder, next time. Go to Comment
Part of the concept is the admission that "yes, here are three unrelated things (coins, mercy, time) that we are going to blenderize into an item."
So it does seem a bit awkward, I guess.
I just imagine that the rudest thing that a goddess of mercy can do to the god of death is resurrect someone that is already dead. This is Polleus' way of letting Alira resurrect people without letting her rob him.
Can we add something about how many of Alira's greatest champions have these coins set onto their armor/staff/necklace? It might be interesting for a PC to learn why a high cleric of Alira is wearing a coin with Polleus on it. Go to Comment
I actually like this a lot. It's a small-town microcosm of weird. I don't need to know why the national guard hasn't been called in or why the townsfolk aren't more up-in-arms. This is their hometown. This is the way it is. And the idea is internally consistent.
The friendlies are very interesting (especially the Overcoat Men). The formula might be something like: serious thing + silly strange thing + strange thing. I also really like all the questions that are unanswered, and the imperfect knowledge of the narrator.
The NPCs are okay, (although Betsy stands out as a mold-breaker). And the modular idea of this piece makes it seem like a collection of separate entries, rather than a single place. How does a tourist handle a chaser, anyway? Go to Comment
Flamingos arrive in flocks of 10-20 individuals. They show up in the spring months are gone as soon as summer ends.
Flamingos look almost exactly like lawn flamingos. They run around in quick, darting flocks and accost anyone they come across. They will crowd around a person and jostle against them until they are given a gift. If they are not given a gift, they may even grow hostile. Giving them food is the worst thing you can do, and causes them to fly into some sort of rage. They seem to especially enjoy hats, and may even follow you around and protect you for a short while if they are given a crisp, new fedora (for example).
Flamingos wear the gifts that they are given, whether it's a shamrock sticker, red lipstick, a chain of postcards, or a leather belt. Older flocks are often a motley assortment of knick-knacks and cheap jewelry. Once every bird in the flock has an ornament, the flock will settle down by rooting themselves in a quiet place. Oddly enough, the area around these rooted birds will grow grass, no matter where it is. Cul-de-sacs will erupt into grassy lawns in a few days if the flamingos are not chased away with loud noises. Once, they even got into the high school's gymnasium. The basketball court was filled with wildflowers by the time school started up again.
Lawn ornaments are rare in the Nexus, as the flocks of roaming flamingos will steal them and bury them. This is true even for lawn ornaments such as lawn gnomes. Flamingos seem to have an instinctive hatred for Cavemen, and will attack them on sight, perhaps because of the cavemen's habit of using lawn ornaments as weapons. Their greatest enemy is Hot Wind, which can (and has) instantly reduce a flock of flamingos to puddles of melted plastic and steaming cowboy hats. Go to Comment
Items (Other) (Non-Magical)
It changes the game substantially, but it also can set the theme strongly. I especially like the idea of AISCs hacking some po bastad. Go to Comment