Thursday, October 31, 2013

Tayxis: Technology

Star Trek - The Answer To Every Question
Tayxis is a large and varied land, and there is no better way to express this than its uneasy relationship with
technology.  Different areas of Tayxis have different capacity levels for technology, so while an item may work in one area, it might not in a second, and definitely wouldn't in a third.  Many rural parts of Tayxis have never progressed beyond the technology available at its conception.  These areas have been left behind by those that live in the cities, and many who live in these outlying areas say that they are better off for it.

An area's Capacity Rating is related to it's distance from a city.  The bigger the city, the higher the capacity rating.  A Capacity Rating (referred to henceforth as CR) of 5 is the highest rating possible, and represents modern day technology - cell phones, electric cars, etc.   For each CR less than 5, assume a technological level equivalent to 40 years less, so CR 4 would be equivalent to the 1970s, CR 3 would be the 1930s, CR 2 would be the 1890s, and CR 1 would be around 1850.  Every time has it's own CR score, and the likelihood of that item malfunctioning is equal to 20% for every point of difference between the item's CR and the area's CR.

So while you can use a smartphone every time in a CR 5 city, by the time you get out into the Prairie, the chances of that smartphone working will have dropped to 20%.  Note that this penalty only works one way - a flintlock pistol will work in an area with any CR, for instance.

When beginning a session, the GM should determine the CR of the beginning area, and track it as the characters move throughout Tayxis.  Use the map below, found in a larger size here, to track their movements.  The three least populous colors would be CR 1, with every two after increasing the CR by 1, and 2500 and up indicating CR 5.


                                                   
By JimIrwin (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The Official Theme Song of From the Ashes

You all know about Deltron 3030, right?  If you don't you should. Del the Funky Homosapien, Dan the Automator and Kid Koala formed like Voltron back in 2000 and put out one of the greatest space opera hip-hop albums of all time, fusing the best of video games, anime and Sun Ra into their eponymous debut album.

If you don't know, now you know.

13 years later, they're back, and they've brought some buddies - the new album, Event 2, features everyone from comedian David Cross to Zack De La Rocha; from the girl who played Ramona Flowers in the Scott Pilgrim movie to Joseph Gordon-Levitt, fer crissakes.

But, more to the point, they have a song which I am adopting as the official song of this blog, and this game.  Enjoy.



Friday, October 4, 2013

Gamma World... Is Here! Hornetpocalypse Edition

In case you haven't heard, Giant Hornets are on the rampage in China!

37 people have been hospitalized and over 1600 attacks have been reported.  As you can see from the pictures to the right, the wounds are pretty horrific.
And the worst part?  They could be headed to your neighborhood next (scary newscaster voice)

If you live in England.

If you live in France?

They could already be in your neighborhood (scary newscaster voice).

Apparently a couple escaped china in a crate of pottery and are slowly taking over France, even as we speak.

How long before they turn their baleful, multifaceted gaze upon America?

Stay tuned to find out!

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2442384/Swarms-deadly-hornets-kill-42-people-injure-1-600-China.html