How do other dwarves regard the sappers? These people are dishonorable tricksters AND they shave their traditional beards off - I think they would be seen as scum to the general populace. Perhaps some sappers turn to this life because they are already hated by their peoples, while others lose their earned respect in society by becoming one.

Perhaps some criminals are approached by the military in prison and are offered a 'second chance' at freedom by becoming a sapper for them; shaving their beards and changing their appearance gives them a new identity in their home.

Anyway, I likey! Go to Comment

I wrote this in one sitting, so technically it is oekaki, and no I didn't put a lot of time into the names in the plot hooks. During the writing process I kept feeling a DnD 2ed vibe growing and that's where the names came from. Later I'm going to do City Image: Umberhulk just for you ;D

Inspired, lol! Go to Comment

Or they are the truly brave because they do their deeds for the sake of dwarvenkind, and not for their own honor and glory. No songs will be sung of them, their tales will not be told, but their deeds will be remembered by the soldiers who return alive, and not on their shields. Go to Comment

Given how much dwarves are said to like beards-if that's true they sacrifice a lot to join this group. Go to Comment

Dwarven Sappers. This topic is way too interesting and full of potential for an oekaki (:p)

Really liked the exploration of sapping of the non-literal sense. I assumed this would deal with tunnels, digging, special equipment (Sapper Flies?), and castles sinking into the earth, but this is more from a pov of general sabotage and sneakiness.

Well done. Like the designations (firebug, rabble-rouser, etc) and some of the details (skinny and beardless).

Just wish there was more of "mechanics and engineering of a dwarven sappers' siege" type stuff Go to Comment

4.0/5

Delightfully nasty buggers. I think it's great that they are able to set aside their customs and culture for something like sabotage. Go to Comment

Not sure they're given a choice to join, Cheka. It sounds like Black Bess, at least, had a whole other life that she was taken away from. Maybe that's where her anger comes from. This is a really nifty concept, and it's refreshing to see some more "classic fantasy" stuff from you, Scras. I especially liked how you were careful to fit this into the dwarves' established value systems and make it work. Go to Comment

At first I was about to bang the big gong of herecy, after reading about beardless sneaky dwarves, but this makes a lot of sense. I don't think I would use it, my dwarfs only bicker with drow, but it did make me think. No obvious spelling errors, neatly divided. Nice one. But the city of Umberhulk...the Necromaster...Really? Go to Comment

Actually, the drug in the movie Equilibrium is called Prozium and not Equilibrium. The nation it was set in is called Libria. I googled Librium as I considered that a decent name for the drug and I did discover that it does exist pretty much exactly as written on the box in the movie, albeit not to the same full scope of effect. Swap an I for a Y and it's taken care of.

As for Soma, as I recall, soma makes people blissful happy and calm. Lybrium makes you not capable of feeling bliss or dissatisfaction. Go to Comment

I love that idea, Lybrium can reduce or even completely suppress parapsychic abilities. It's important that the orderlies at the Ashcroft Asylum for the Cosmically Insane makes sure their wards take all of their meds every day.

I can also see Lybrium being used as a cult suppression drug, or by some cult leaders to ensure that their sacrificial lamb to the Gods who Walk in Shadow don't run away screaming.

As for social connotations, I can see it being seen in the same light as thorazine (keep the crazies calm) in a general positive light, but in a non-pill form as a method of government control. Lybrium canisters and gassing is the sort of thing that does happen, but the powers that be work hard to make sure no one pays attention to it. Go to Comment

There's actually a real-life drug called Librium that is a tranquilizer and a sedative. When they made the movie Equilibrium (which takes place in a high-tech, future dystopia), they were also going to name their civilization-stabilizing drug Librium, but had to rename it Equilibrium because there's already a drug that does that. This stuff sounds a lot like Soma in Brave New World, too, right down to it being sprayed on rioters to calm them down. Go to Comment

Ah, sorry. I should research stuff before thinking I know what I'm talking about.

Can Lybrium dull psychic abilities? I can imagine psychics freaking out about Lybrium canisters being shot through the windows by special forces.

Lybrium might also have some uses in the religious sphere, too, since religion seems to work just fine until dissatisfaction crops up.

And what kind of cultural connotation does it hold? Is a symbol of government repression (like tear gas)? Go to Comment

Have you played Dragon Age? Lybrium is one letter away from Lyrium, something most players will probably pick up on, regardless of the dissimilarities. Just wanted to make you aware of that. Go to Comment

I'm a sucker for tech talk, and this fits the bill.

Again, I love the world you are building here Scras. Go to Comment

I love all of the Scrastech. It's cool, it's realistic, it's detailed, and it's internally consistent. I would pay American dollars for a hardback or a pdf of it.

But it's also completely unusable to me. It's so specific that I would have to run a campaign around it in order to give this stuff the treatment that it deserves. It's basic future-tech equipment with a rich and textured history--a PRESENCE--but it's still just basic equipment.

A lot of the Scrastech posts have real cool ideas buried in them that I can scavenge, but not this one. This one is just lore. Notes for a campaign setting. Which I love to read.

I can't vote it low because it's so well done, and I can't vote high because it's unapproachable. It's the Scrastech Paradox.

I'll leave the voting to less excitable people. People who can leave comments shorter than five paragraphs. Go to Comment

Sounds like a jacked-up mix of every 'bronx' and 'slum' type area you could think of. :p

Players could easily get lost (During a chase scene, perhaps) in the maze-like streets, and perhaps seperated from one another. All the racism and the criminal element could make for a dangerous place to get lost in, too,

This also seems like a perfect place to find your 'han solos' of your game.

I like that each Sector, and each Favela can have it's own agenda and leaders, and that it's general enough that you can create your own favela to your own needs. Very useful areas, and really, Favelas would be essential for the Cosmic Era.

I like your encyclopediac style in explaining this. Go to Comment

Sorry for not voting sooner. Go to Comment

I really can use this idea. It enhanced battle prowness in a cheap way by giving it nice variety of setbacks. Go to Comment

From what I understand you have clearly pointed out that whole CAS
concept is based on cost efficiency. However I see relatively little
example as why this is such. You mention that a direct hit will destroy
the drugs and render the harness useless. I'm left to believe that it
has little to no armor, may be made of inferior materials, and does not
administer drugs well to users.

I'd like to see more about the actual
device itself. Give it a few more setbacks (just a small handful) and
give them more in depth detail. Tell us what it is made of and how it
works. Are soldiers afraid to use it due to its battlefield reputation?
Is there a more expensive version that has major differences? You have a
wonderful way of describing things, this part just needs background.



As for the drugs you have written up, they happen to be rather generic.
They rely on basic rpg stats which they take their names after. I like
how they each have setbacks with slight explanations. That explains why
they are cheap and easily made.



You have put four good submission ideas into one condensed form. As a result they each
lack an adequate amount of detail. You've included the cheap CAS object
itself, the drugs it uses, the setbacks of drugs, and the history behind
the drugs and CAS. My advice is to make three separate submissions out
of the one.



Aside from the submission I'm noticing that you have started off the
first three paragraphs and precursor with the word "the". It can become
fairly repetitive or irksome to a reader when every line or paragraph
begins with the same word. Don't fear though, that is a common problem
and the word you are using is one of the most overused words. Try
rotating out words or rearranging the sentences when you see this
happening.

Go to Comment

Update: Batman Corps is an idea I had, it is built with the Cosmic Era setting material but it is not canon to the setting, hence the Silly tag. Go to Comment