Episode 9: Modern Settings

Regular Shows

00:00 / 50:43

Main Topic –

Modern settings and how different times effect systems.

Stat Blocks –

Zendead-

The Hermit’s Shack- On your travels between locations in the adventure you stumble across this old but sturdy shack out in the woods. Upon first inspection the front of the home appears to be run down but not ruined. Looking around reveals a body or the remains of a body. (Just depending on what you want there to be.) Checking over you see that the person has died in a nonviolent way. Once they start investigating the house they find a well stocked pantry and several common items that could fill in any missing items the characters need. This can also be a place where you can drop clues about things to come in the game at a later point. The Hermit could be a scholar of a topic that the characters are looking into. And now they have his library and journals that they can go through.

Joules

The Dark Muses – Way back in the day, the muses inspired many great things. Paintings, music, poetry, and stories. But the bards are long gone, the canvases destroyed, and white noise has all but silenced the music.

Muses once lived on the energy generated by inspiration. The energy of artistic creation and the energy of the patrons. The performance of a new symphony could sustain them for months. So to survive, the muses would inspire chosen people to create. In the dreams and hallucinations of man, the muses would plant the seeds for great and inspiring artistic works.

But man has stopped dreaming. The artists are as calcified shells; deaf and blind to the muses suggestion. As time passed, muses could no longer feed on the energy generated by great inspirational works. And the muses started to die.

Finally in desperation the muses searched for a way to sustain themselves. And once again in man, they found a solution. Now the muses feed on man’s almost limitless capacity for hatred and conflict. They inspire the rantings of the zealot to his followers. They guide the pen of the mad prophet. They carefully tend the feelings of insecurity and unease between neighbors; guaranteeing the muses several generations of hatred and conflict. They drive scientists to abandon nobler pursuits in favor of developing greater and more deadly tools of war.

So the next time you start to feel, from out of nowhere, an irrational dislike or a drive to do something destructive, the feeling might not be yours.

Justin – The Admirer

Heroism has many rewards; prestige, gold, treasure. Adoration is often an additional boon to those who bring peace and wonder to the realm. The following a hero may garner range from fans, lovers, and those who would seek to apprentice under the hero. These allies represent the worth the heroes have presented to the world and often scale in ability based on the power shown from the deeds of the protagonists. Today, we’re talking about one of these loyalists; the admirer.

Admirers are fans, through and through. They want to be around the hero; to watch them commit new and wondrous acts of heroism and be a part of the legend made real. Their idea of the hero is perhaps far beyond that of the true nature of a player controlled protagonist, and the very act of trying to live up to this ideal might be beyond the scope of what an rpg might permit. But these are the allies that end up chanting the name of the hero into the ears of bards and scholars; who help place the legends into stone for future generations to aspire to.

As much as they aid the hero, they can be burdensome as well. These fans may not be built for survival on the road of adventure. They might lack provisions, clothing, or other sundries that a normal adventure takes for granted. They need their own food, shelter, and other aspects for life but do not mistake them for a pet. The hero who does may find themselves betrayed by the admirer so mistreated. As a fan, they may know the story better than the hero, and as such may bring this intelligence to a rival if threatened or kidnapped.

Fans are more common in modern settings, but even in fantasy they can be followers of the protagonists. Bards and minstrels make for good Admirers to help spread a legend while historians may want to record the defeat of a dire monster. In science fiction, they may show up as wandering aliens or tourists looking in on strange stories they’ve heard about. In the modern world and cyberpunk settings, especially ones in which the players are literal rock stars, they may be actual fans of the party and sing along during the chorus.

But never met your heroes, kids. The Admirer has an ideal form of the hero in their head, and it’s not hard for the players to shatter this concept. Being even mildly rude or disgruntled about their presence can twist an admirer away. Being hostile can have them spread word against the heroes, turning their reputation sour long before reaching new lands. They’re a potential nuisance or a grand gift, if used right, but take care as they are not playthings. Instead, find a place for them in the legend but preferably one that doesn’t make them think they can replace you.

Lexicon –

preceptor
noun pre·cep·tor \pri-ˈsep-tər, ˈprē-ˌ\

Definition of preceptor
1a : teacher, tutor
b : the headmaster or principal of a school
2 : the head of a preceptory of Knights Templars

Examples of preceptor in a sentence
<a preceptor at a small English boarding school>

First Known Use 15th century