257) A five strong group of heavyset men, none smaller than 6 feet try to mug a frail looking elderly couple. As the elderly gentleman reaches for his wallet, the woman steps forward, and in a blurred flurry of movement, send three of the muggers on the floor, unconscious. The other two take a look at each other and at the woman turning towards them and start to run away. Go to Comment
I like this a lot. In fact, I was gonna post some the other day, but I see that Moon has already used some of my ideas! Curse you, Moon!!! Go to Comment
There is nothing intrinsically wrong with these lists, and as they say above some bullets are quite entertaining. In that sense you almost have urban poetry here, but as a game resource you have very little. If somebody wants to set a tone for a scene or city then this as a random generator or grab bag won't work. In addition some of these almost little stories obviously meant to amuse the list reader.
195) A wedding cake is being moved from the car to a doorway across the sidewalk. Several people have stopped to form a human shield between pedestrians and the five layer monstrosity. Unfortunately, the people carrying the cake are not too strong.
196) A group of young women all wearing the same ugly mauve dress are trying to hail a cab.
197) On the steps of a church standing next to a bride, are two men with shotguns.
198) There is a man in a tuxedo running down the street (to or away from The Church is up to you.)
While what you have here may be an interesting read, it doesn't come across as an effective resource for a GM. As suggested if you sort them perhaps by tone, era, time or geography you could have something really cool. (i.e. Scenes from a Noir city, Scenes from a Steampunk city, Scenes from a Roman city etc..) It seems you just got carried away with an idea before you thought it through, and it is mostly you isn't it who post all this stuff. I hope you don't see this comment as mean or harsh.
Another great community resource.
Lots of awesome ideas here to add life to a city. Quite a few of them would make very nice plot hooks as well.
+edit+
I've just added a few quick ideas of my own... These are all things I've seen around my home city. I'll work on some more generic ones for later.
And in case anyone is wondering... 276 was a prank we pulled. All involved got absolutely slammed for it... Go to Comment
273 A classical string quartet are busking on the street corner outside a newsagency. It takes you a moment to realise that you recognise what they're playing. Is it a Michael Jackson song? Or maybe Prince...
274 A middle aged woman is busking outside a cafe. She is strangely dressed, wearing purple stockings, a red miniskirt and an orange shirt. She's singing at the top of her lungs and strumming her guitar loudly. And very badly...
275 A young man dressed as a pirate is sitting with his back against a shop window, singing about a love he lost at sea while swigging from a large bottle of rum.
276 Two men in dark green HAZMAT suits stagger out of a large office block. After a moment they start shouting about how it wasn’t their fault and at the people standing around to run. As they pass you you notice the word ARMY emblazoned across the back of their suits.
277 Two paramedics are in the process of loading a body bag onto a stretcher and into the back of a waiting ambulance. Several police officers are standing around talking to who you assume to be witnesses.
278 A man on a moped cuts in front of you, weaving in and out of the pedestrians to avoid the traffic.
279 A young woman is in the middle of the walkway on her hands and knees. She seems to be desperately searching for something. You notice a pair of glasses at your feet…
280 You hear a low moan behind you and as you turn you come face to face with a zombie. A zombie drinking a can of coke… As you look around you see several other zombies doing usual every day things. You notice a sign on the wall advertising the 4th annual Zombie March.
281 A girl in a school uniform is arguing with two police officers. From what you overhear you suspect she was smoking and they confiscated her cigarettes. Apparently the ID she handed them identifies her as being 32…
282 A kid walks past wearing a Black Sabbath shirt, his music so loud that you can hear it from 10 feet away.
283 A man walks down the footpath dressed in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.
284 A police officer is standing next to car dabbing at the front of his shirt with a cloth where he’s just spilt his coffee.
285 A man thrusts a leaflet in your face leaving you no option but to take the leaflet or walk through him.
286 A small café has its doors open and the smell of roasting coffee floods the street.
287 Unfortunately someone has left it on too long and it smells burnt. (for use with 286)
288 A large neon sign on the building above you shorts out with a loud zap.
289 People are having photos taken with large muscular man standing on the street corner dressed in nothing but a green mankini.
290 The cathedral bells chime to mark the hour… They’re early, it is only 1352.
291 A man dressed as Jesus runs past you singing Zippadi-doo-da as loud as he can.
292 An overweight copper is chasing after him, panting heavily. (for use with 291) Go to Comment
And quite a resource, too. I was reminded of a few wikis out there. I am not such a huge fan nowadays, but it tickles me quite a lot and makes me consider posting something... at least a scroll, if nothing else. :)
One for Firefly, on of the better universes of last few years. Go to Comment
It is currently being peddled at two sites. I am still thinking about adding The Canon Book Material to this, but I think that would oberkill (And a pain to type in). Go to Comment
This terraforming process must have taken something to make it happen, even if it is just handwavium. What happened to the ships and devices that corralled the comets and altered atmospheres? Is it still out there, churning out marginally habitable single biome worlds, was it used up and there is none left?
In canon, it seems handwavium. They came, they morphed, they moved on. They are probably elsewhere spending a decade or twelve on the next world. The Rim worlds are "new" in the last century or so, so the process seems to be continuing. However, it is implied that they might of stopped since The War or encountering The Reavers.
The whole Terraforming thing is glossed over, falling into the category of "assumed by the characters, so nobody has to have an Asmovian monolog explaining what to the characters are obvious."
Otherwise, this is a nice list of planets, the multiple intros from the varying perspectives was a bit long winded though.
The multiple intros are a feature of the series. Each one shows the universe from a different character's point of view. Since our primary source of information are three ex-rebels, we get a skewed view of thing - per Joss W himself. Go to Comment
Long ago, on the Earth-that-was, there were a few people who saw the future of the planet as it truly was: doomed. They endeavored through doubt and denial, sending automated terraforming machinery to prospective planets. Years later, in the hopes that their actions had been fruitful, hundreds of multi-generational ships traveled to these planets in the hope of continued life.
Terraforming was only the first stage. The most dense cluster of planets received the largest support in terms of cargo and personnel. These planets became the central planets and formed themselves into an Alliance. Outlying settlements did not receive the same level of support with the result of these border planets being fairly dangerous and forbidding environments.
Hundreds of years passed as humanity struggled to create their niche in the new worlds. Once this was established, many started to look at their neighbors in the hopes of forming permanent alliances. The central planets stood to gain the most in terms of trade and manufacturing. In many ways, the proposed alliance was only a formalization of the pact between several large families with almost unlimited control and influence.
Feeling the proposal would serve these families at the expense of the outlying planets, the Border planets chose to refuse to join the Alliance. The resolve continued, despite increasing economic and medical embargos, designed to cripple the settlements. Facing vastly larger numbers, superior technology and a unified front, the Border planets resisted what they saw as self-serving propaganda. In the end, after several negotiations led to deaths, the Border planets, calling themselves Browncoats, declared they would never become part of the Alliance. Tensions and violence escalated. War was declared.
Despite easy predictions of defeat, the Browncoats held themselves against the Alliance far longer than any had dared to hope. But, it was in 251, in the Battle of Serenity Valley, that the war was ended. Almost a quarter of a million people died in the valley after four months of continued fire. After a particularly crushing defeat, the Browncoats offered surrender. They had lost. Go to Comment
A Technological paradise, comprised of tall buildings of steel and glass with holographic billboards illustrating the latest in consumer news. Ariel is known for its wonderful medical facilities. The technology is the very latest, featuring fancifications as holographic scanners among other glorified equipment. As with most of the Core worlds, Ariel is a restricted landing site. Only those with legitimate business are allowed to land. St. Lucy's Hospital is here.
The crew of Serenity arrives on this planet for a heist on an advanced medical facility. Featured in Firefly Go to Comment
The heavily industrialized planet here is the manufacturing hub of the system. Its cities are surrounded by factories that produce everything from computer parts to ceramic dishware. Some of the factories are owned by the Blue Sun Corporation., though there are rumors that some of the factories are not factories at all. Security is tight in all their holdings, so no one has ever been to verify this. Or, they never got back out to tell.
Pollution is a problem on Beaumonde and the cities are covered in a perpetual haze. Technology keeps this at bay as best it can, but the problem grows worse each year, causing problems with the agricultural population. A popular bar, in the less prosperous part of town, is the Maidenhead, owned formerly by the brothers Fanti and Mingo.
Outside the cities, the atmosphere improves dramatically. Ranchers and farmers manage to make a decent supplying the cities and ships going off-world.
New Dunsmuir is the capital city of the planet. This is the only city that has no factories. It's located on an ocean and is a popular tourist attraction. Here is where the wealthy reside. New Dunsmuir is a beautiful city with avenues of trees and carefully maintained flower gardens.
The crew was headed for Beaumonde in the episode "Our Mrs. Reynolds". The Serenity crew arrives here in the movie. Go to Comment
Bellerophon has both a large ocean and an empty area of desert climate, complete with canyons, rock and sand. Isis Canyon is pointed out as the most deserted spot on the world. And those spots can be pretty isolated, if you want to do some business out there.
Bellerophon Estates, large self-contained estates that hover above the planets ocean, are described as having "gracious living, ocean views and state-of-the-art security." These are the private estates of the Borders and some of the Cores wealthiest folk. Everything required is shipped in, so there is no need for trade, shops or tourists. Each estate is a self-contained world, about the size of a town and float over Bellerophon's oceans.
The owners value their privacy so the skies around each estate are regularly patrolled by private and Alliance security. Visiting is by invitation only, so be prepared to have a very good reason for being there. Durran Haymer, a collector of priceless Earth That Was artifacts, lives in Bellerophon Estates.
After the colonization of Londinum and Sihnon, Bernadette was the first place to be terraformed and settled. The only remaining ship that brought the founding folk, stands in the capital city of New Paris. The ark is a monstrous ship, at least five times the size of an Alliance cruiser. The ark is named the Prometheus.
Bernadette is a traditional launching point for those leaving to settle on other worlds. Settlers arrive here from the Core, the last point of civilization before launching into the Rim. Many businesses cater to these folk, selling the necessities that no one wanted to drag here aforehand.
The dark side of Bernadett is the slave trade. It's an underground organization and its all too realy. Settlers disappear and are hauled off to work on terraforming stations or mines. Most times, the settler is assumed to have died in the black.
Oddly enough, or perhaps not so odd, Bernadette is also home to a number of religious sects. Buddhists, Christians, Islamic and Hindus all rub shoulders with each other, along with a number of fringe cults.
Landing is restricted, but will usually allow visitations to the ark, or people claiming to be settlers. In both cases, business is expected to be concluded in two days. Go to Comment
A small planet with extensive farming lands, often used for smuggling rendevous. Permanent cloud cover and dense ice rings are indicative of the atmosphere. It is often used for recycling and garbage warehousing by the central planets. And what was chaff to the Central planets is often enough gold to those on the Rim and soon entrepreneurial prospectors began profitable dealings in secondhand goods. Almost anything can be found here, used parts, moderately obsolete materials, even old Fireflies.
Mals war buddy, Monty, was caught by the Alliance here. Go to Comment
Locations (City) (Any)
Nicely done folks!
Go to Comment