For the Narrator
Are you a Narrator? Then read on for the skinny on running a campaign in New Eden.
NPCs
In New Eden players will come across many NPCs of varying importance.
Minion: 3d6 cliches. Minions are unskilled labor and cannon fodder. No more than 2 in any one cliche.
Henchman: 5d6 cliches. Henchmen are NPCs with one good cliche. No more than 3 in any cliche.
Villian: 10d6 cliches. Villians are NPCs with multiple cliches. No more than 4 in any cliche.
BBEG: 15d6 or more cliches. BBEGs are NPCs that exceed the normal starting level for PCs. No more than 6 in any cliche.
Supernatural: use d8, d10, d12 or d20 cliches. May come as a Minion, Henchman, Villian or BBEG.
Minion: 3d6 cliches. Minions are unskilled labor and cannon fodder. No more than 2 in any one cliche.
Henchman: 5d6 cliches. Henchmen are NPCs with one good cliche. No more than 3 in any cliche.
Villian: 10d6 cliches. Villians are NPCs with multiple cliches. No more than 4 in any cliche.
BBEG: 15d6 or more cliches. BBEGs are NPCs that exceed the normal starting level for PCs. No more than 6 in any cliche.
Supernatural: use d8, d10, d12 or d20 cliches. May come as a Minion, Henchman, Villian or BBEG.
Target Numbers
Sometimes cliches are used against a static Target Number instead of an opposed role. Some examples follow, but the basic idea is an average cliche is at 2d6. Therefore, a normal check would be at 7. Making a 10 would be impossible for a putz d6, hard for an average 2d6, average for a good 3d6, and easy for an exceptional 5d6. To use the chart just think in plain english how hard you want something to be. For example, if you think a safe would be hard for an expert thief to crack then it gets a target number of 20-24. If the players don't have anybody capable of making that roll then they can team up, use an inappropriate cliche or leave the safe alone. TNs should not be adjusted just to match the player's abilities.
Sometimes a TN will be higher or lower for a player based on equipment, preperation or circumstance. For example, if our thief just lost two fingers in his last combat he might be at a -2; if he has a Tek safecracking kit he may be at a +4. To adjust a TN slightly +/-2.; to adjust a TN significantly +/-4.
Putz (d6): Easy (1-2) Average (3-4) Hard (5-6) Impossible (7+)
Average (2d6): Easy (1-5) Average (6-8) Hard (9-12) Impossible (13+)
Good (3d6): Easy (1-8) Average (9-12) Hard (13-18) Impossible (19+)
Expert (4d6): Easy (1-11) Average (12-16) Hard (17-24) Impossible (25+)
Exceptional (5d6): Easy (1-14) Average (15-20) Hard (21-30) Impossible (31+)
Paragon (6d6): Easy (1-17) Average (18-24) Hard (25-36) Impossible (37+)
Sometimes a TN will be higher or lower for a player based on equipment, preperation or circumstance. For example, if our thief just lost two fingers in his last combat he might be at a -2; if he has a Tek safecracking kit he may be at a +4. To adjust a TN slightly +/-2.; to adjust a TN significantly +/-4.
Putz (d6): Easy (1-2) Average (3-4) Hard (5-6) Impossible (7+)
Average (2d6): Easy (1-5) Average (6-8) Hard (9-12) Impossible (13+)
Good (3d6): Easy (1-8) Average (9-12) Hard (13-18) Impossible (19+)
Expert (4d6): Easy (1-11) Average (12-16) Hard (17-24) Impossible (25+)
Exceptional (5d6): Easy (1-14) Average (15-20) Hard (21-30) Impossible (31+)
Paragon (6d6): Easy (1-17) Average (18-24) Hard (25-36) Impossible (37+)
Geography & Timeline
Two ways to customize your campaign are geography and timeline. Geography options vary far and wide. You could choose a local, well known location to modify into a new future form. Contrarily, you could choose a distant unknown location to avoid arguements about "how it should be". A fun option would be to use the Event to reverse platetonic drift and recreate the Unicontinent. The Unicontinent leaves the old, brings closer the far away and shakes everything up to say the least!
Timeline is also a variable that will change the feel of the campaign. A far future campaign makes our current history and technology a thing of legend, and suggests a potential for a well developed soceity. A second/third generation campaign makes our current history and technology known, but rare, and provides a frame work for fledgling survivor organizations and soceites. A first generation campaign makes our current history and technology prevalent, and creates an atmosphere of confusion and doubt.
Timeline is also a variable that will change the feel of the campaign. A far future campaign makes our current history and technology a thing of legend, and suggests a potential for a well developed soceity. A second/third generation campaign makes our current history and technology known, but rare, and provides a frame work for fledgling survivor organizations and soceites. A first generation campaign makes our current history and technology prevalent, and creates an atmosphere of confusion and doubt.
Campaign Vibe
Depending on the Narrator and player's preferences and decisions your New Eden campaign may develop a distinct vibe unique to your group. New Eden intentionaly includes several genres for each group to explore. You may decide to leave all four as primary story drivers, or you may find that one or more are driving your action and the others fade into the background. You'll find that you have the flexibility to explain the same phenomena in several possible ways. This is intentional to allow the players and the Narrator to control the story, as well as to maintain the mystery of the world. As in real life the commonality and differences in these beliefs are often what will seperate and unite people groups in New Eden.
Putz (d6): farmer, etc.
Average (2d6): thug, etc.
Good (3d6): soldier, etc.
Expert (4d6): reckoner pilot, etc.
Exceptional (5d6): reckoner pilot officer, etc.
Paragon (6d6): reckoner pilot ace, etc.
Supernatural: tiger, bear (d8), shark (d10), elephant (d12), volcanoe (d20)
Putz (d6): farmer, etc.
Average (2d6): thug, etc.
Good (3d6): soldier, etc.
Expert (4d6): reckoner pilot, etc.
Exceptional (5d6): reckoner pilot officer, etc.
Paragon (6d6): reckoner pilot ace, etc.
Supernatural: tiger, bear (d8), shark (d10), elephant (d12), volcanoe (d20)
Fantasy Vibe
The Elri bring the fantasy vibe to the game. They use their Summoning to bring fantasy like creatures to the world in an effort to recreate Earth into a planet that more closely resembles their home planet Melinborne. They also introduce magic like abilities and magic like items to the world. The Elri style is very fantasy anime and should be played as such. Though based on fantasy troupes, though, the Elri, Summoning and the creatures they summon are firmly alien. The Elri plans and plots can take the center stage of the campaign, or they can stay in their tera scaped fortresses only to be seen when sought out.
Plot: Earth goes old school and begins to produce its own myths and legends to fight the Elri's.
Plot: The Elri are after artificats hidden on Earth from its forgotten time of legend.
Plot: The Elri empire splinters into several competing factions recruiting humans to fight alongside them.
Plot: The Elri are not conquerors as much as they are escapees from intergalactic conflict and their resources are limited.
Putz (d6): elri servant, goblosh, etc.
Average (2d6): elri aristocrat, orcosh, etc.
Good (3d6): elri blood guard, trollosh, etc.
Expert (4d6): elri drakken rider, etc.
Exceptional (5d6): elri drakken captain, etc.
Paragon (6d6): elri drakken ace, etc.
Supernatural: trollosh (d8), golemosh (d10), giantosh (d12), ancient dragonosh (d20)
Plot: Earth goes old school and begins to produce its own myths and legends to fight the Elri's.
Plot: The Elri are after artificats hidden on Earth from its forgotten time of legend.
Plot: The Elri empire splinters into several competing factions recruiting humans to fight alongside them.
Plot: The Elri are not conquerors as much as they are escapees from intergalactic conflict and their resources are limited.
Putz (d6): elri servant, goblosh, etc.
Average (2d6): elri aristocrat, orcosh, etc.
Good (3d6): elri blood guard, trollosh, etc.
Expert (4d6): elri drakken rider, etc.
Exceptional (5d6): elri drakken captain, etc.
Paragon (6d6): elri drakken ace, etc.
Supernatural: trollosh (d8), golemosh (d10), giantosh (d12), ancient dragonosh (d20)
Mecha Vibe
The Norker's bring the mecha vibe to the game. With their star ships and battle suits and alien Tek they create an environment of deadly metal on metal clashes. The Norker style is very mecha anime and should be played as such. The schemes of the Norker's can take front and center in the campaign, or they can stay in their battle ships and mining cities and fade into the background unless attacked.
Plot: Norkers plan on strip mining the Earth which will make it unlivable in the forseeable future.
Plot: Norkers enslave humans in order to complete their dangerous Tek work.
Plot: Norkers enlist humans to train them as mecha fighters for a battle with a bigger badder alien race who is closing in on them.
Plot: Norkers are determined to rebuild New Eden with their advanced clean Tek and create a world in which humans can live alongside them.
Putz (d6): union norker, etc.
Normal (2d6): wired norker, droid, etc.
Good (3d6): light armor norker, etc.
Expert (4d6): norker mecha, etc.
Exceptional (5d6): norker mecha manager, etc.
Paragon (6d6): norker mecha officer, etc.
Supernatural: battle bot (d8), cyborg (d10), sentinel (d12), voltron (d20), etc.
Plot: Norkers plan on strip mining the Earth which will make it unlivable in the forseeable future.
Plot: Norkers enslave humans in order to complete their dangerous Tek work.
Plot: Norkers enlist humans to train them as mecha fighters for a battle with a bigger badder alien race who is closing in on them.
Plot: Norkers are determined to rebuild New Eden with their advanced clean Tek and create a world in which humans can live alongside them.
Putz (d6): union norker, etc.
Normal (2d6): wired norker, droid, etc.
Good (3d6): light armor norker, etc.
Expert (4d6): norker mecha, etc.
Exceptional (5d6): norker mecha manager, etc.
Paragon (6d6): norker mecha officer, etc.
Supernatural: battle bot (d8), cyborg (d10), sentinel (d12), voltron (d20), etc.
Survival Vibe
With the nuclear fallout from the War, the biological terror of the Contagion, and the geological catastrophies of the Event New Eden is a harsh, broken land infested by mutant creatures. Either durring the Event or durring the War (or both) massive viral contagions wiped out whole people groups through water poisoning. These people became the living dead of New Eden and continue to spread the Contagion today. People groups led by powerful Blasted try to reestablish small strongholds of civilization, or they fall in with determined Remnant to survive in peace. Both groups are stylized in the tradition of apocalyptic anime as are their Charasmatic cousins. The broken civilization and survival aspect of New Eden could be the focus of your campaign, or it could simply be part of the settings tone. Likewise, the degree of the world's brokeness is up to you.
Plot: The world is shattered, but humans are not actively oppressed and may begin to rebuild small civilizations as they see fit.
Plot: Non-military cities remain wholy intact and are run by the strength and determination of humans with power.
Plot: The world is shattered, and humans are hunted down. Elri and Norkers may be teamed up, or also at war with one another.
Plot: A great deal of the world is intact and the Elri and Norkers are helping to rebuild it either cooperatively or in competition.
Plot: The Contagion is over running the world and a cure must be found.
Putz (d6): swarms of mice with lasers on their heads, death dogs, etc.
Normal (2d6): sand men, zombies, etc.
Good (3d6): night haunter, etc.
Expert (4d6): psi sword master, etc.
Exceptional (5d6): mule wolfman, etc.
Supernatural (6d6): psi warlord, etc.
Supernatural: zombie gorilla (d8), zombie golemosh (d10), atomic earth elemental (d12), godzilla (d20), etc.
Plot: The world is shattered, but humans are not actively oppressed and may begin to rebuild small civilizations as they see fit.
Plot: Non-military cities remain wholy intact and are run by the strength and determination of humans with power.
Plot: The world is shattered, and humans are hunted down. Elri and Norkers may be teamed up, or also at war with one another.
Plot: A great deal of the world is intact and the Elri and Norkers are helping to rebuild it either cooperatively or in competition.
Plot: The Contagion is over running the world and a cure must be found.
Putz (d6): swarms of mice with lasers on their heads, death dogs, etc.
Normal (2d6): sand men, zombies, etc.
Good (3d6): night haunter, etc.
Expert (4d6): psi sword master, etc.
Exceptional (5d6): mule wolfman, etc.
Supernatural (6d6): psi warlord, etc.
Supernatural: zombie gorilla (d8), zombie golemosh (d10), atomic earth elemental (d12), godzilla (d20), etc.
Last Days Vibe
The Event introduces the religious signifigance of the current events of New Eden, ideals perpetuated by the Charasmatics. Central to theme is a belief in the Leviathan and the Contagion he brings to the land. The Leviathan is an undefined anti-christ who may be a person or a creature, but the Contagion is very much a known entity. Either durring the Event or durring the War (or both) massive viral contagions wiped out whole people groups through water poisoning. These people became the living dead of New Eden and continue to spread the Contagion today. The Last Day vibe mixes biological doomsday horrors, visitations from angels and attacks from demons all depicted in the style of apocalyptic anime. It can be throughout the campaign or it can fade into the background. I mean, who really knows what happened anyway?
Plot: Advance through the time line of Revelations begining with Chapter 6.
Plot: Battle undead in a horror themed game.
Plot: Work with angelic armies to save the world.
Plot: Elri are demons sent to persecute human kind.
Plot: Elri are angels sent to save the earth from human kind.
Putz (d6): hell hounds (contagion dogs), alter boy, etc.
Normal (2d6): zombies (contagion humans), parishoner, etc.
Good (3d6): wights (contagion remnant), elder, etc.
Expert (4d6): vampires (contagion elri), werewolves (contagion mules), preacher, etc.
Exceptional (5d6): lych (contagion blasted), prophet, etc.
Paragon (6d6): apostle, etc.
Supernatural: nephilim (d8), fallen angels (d10), balrogs (d12), Leviathan, Michael (d20), etc.
Plot: Advance through the time line of Revelations begining with Chapter 6.
Plot: Battle undead in a horror themed game.
Plot: Work with angelic armies to save the world.
Plot: Elri are demons sent to persecute human kind.
Plot: Elri are angels sent to save the earth from human kind.
Putz (d6): hell hounds (contagion dogs), alter boy, etc.
Normal (2d6): zombies (contagion humans), parishoner, etc.
Good (3d6): wights (contagion remnant), elder, etc.
Expert (4d6): vampires (contagion elri), werewolves (contagion mules), preacher, etc.
Exceptional (5d6): lych (contagion blasted), prophet, etc.
Paragon (6d6): apostle, etc.
Supernatural: nephilim (d8), fallen angels (d10), balrogs (d12), Leviathan, Michael (d20), etc.