EchoWolff

STR4NG3RS - Custom System TTRPG Campaign

The world is in shambles, it always has been. Corporations rule everything, chief offenders include one of the most prosperous Genetic Research and Development companies based in the country of North Daimon; Xenotec Industries. Genetics as a science has changed from studying its intricacies to editing its very foundation, giving rise to new breeds of humanity...

The Supernaturals, strange powers were unlocked by adapting to external stimuli with more than a little help.
The Hybrids, a union of beast and man through advanced genome splicing.
The Strangers are seemingly normal at first glance, but secrets of human genetics lay deep within, giving more unique side effects.
These genetically altered persons comprise 15% of the population and are used as labor slaves for other corporations, often sold to the highest bidder, and the industry is only reaching higher in its ambition...

Genetic modifications are as widespread as smartphones, though not voluntarily, and it seems that the color of skin is not the only thing being discriminated against anymore. Humanity split, only a matter of time before the country goes downhill. That's what the North Daimon Peacekeeping Force is supposed to prevent, keep the mutts in their place and no civil war. It turns out that's only doing more damage than intended.

Enter the Resistance, a small group of Altereds going against Xenotec and their corporate military. That's where you come in.

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STR4NG3RS is a campaign designed for 4-6 players, running on a 2d8/2d6 system of my creation. It will be gritty and dark, underlining corporate corruption, and discrimination, and a realistic view of the results and aftereffects of successful genetic modification. This setting is a midway point between cyberpunk and modern, meaning advanced technology exists but is only available for those who have the cash to access it. The continent of North Daimon will be the main area in which the story takes place, beginning in the megacity of Sion.

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The System

Basics

The STR4NG3RS system uses an alternating dice system of 2d8/2d6 depending on circumstances.

2d8 - General Dice (GD)

Sucess/Fail Ratios
2-4 Failure, Desired effect does not happen/ Bad things start happening very quickly.
5-13 Mixed Success, Desired effect happens but at a cost dependent on the number landed on.
14-16 Complete Success, Desired effect happens with no drawbacks.

2d6 - Fracture Dice (FD)

2-5 Burnout, Loose built-up FRAGs and Breaker Effect does not activate.
6-8 Standard Output, Breaker Effect activates but does not add Stat multipliers.
9-12 Overclock, Breaker Effect activates with Stat multipliers.

Interactions

Interactions are fairly straightforward if a character needs to pass a certain stat threshold for an interaction the stat will be checked against the level needed, if the stat's level matches or exceeds the threshold, it passes, if it doesn't then it fails.

Combat

Combat takes order by side, swapping between attacking phases and defending phases.

Clashes
When an attacking character is met with approximately equal strength by the defender, by the defender landing a matching or adjacent roll to the attacker, a Clash occurs. Neither side is damaged by the attack, building up 1 FRAG for both sides. The action is redone, as if the Attack or Skill was used a second time. Clashes can occur up to three times in succession.

Parries
Parries require an equal amount of skill and luck, making use of the Fracture Dice as a unique Breaker Effect to replace Clashes. When successfully done, a Parry builds up 4 FRAG and avoids damage completely.

Dodging
Dodging when done successfully builds up 1 FRAG and nullifies damage, but requires the dice rolls to match.

Combat Phase Chart
Attacking
- Select action, (Movement does not count as an Action during Attack Phase) includes Basic Attack/Skill and Breaker Moves
- Select target(s)
- Roll GD to hit, additionally roll FD if attempting to utilize a Breaker Effect
- Resolve Clashes/Parries
- Add FRAG buildups
- Switch to Defending Phase

Defending
- If attacked, choose if your character is Guarding, Parrying, or Dodging
- Roll GD to Defend, additionally roll FD if attempting to utilize a Breaker Effect
- Resolve Clashes/Parries
- Switch to Atacking Phase

Character

Classifications

There are three playable Classifications; Supernatural, Hybrid, and Stranger.

Supernaturals have access to Paradigms tied to Mysticality and Force.
Hybrids have access to Paradigms tied to Instinct and Senses.
Strangers have access to Paradigms tied to Variation and Adaptability.

Stats

STR4NG3RS uses the Stat scheme from the Fallout series; S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

Strength - Increases FRAG Buildup for Melee weapons and governs the character's general physical strength.
Perception - Increases Hit possibility and governs the character's senses.
Endurance - Increases Clash/Parry strength and governs the character's hardiness.
Charisma - Increases Breaker Effect chance and governs the character's influence on others.
Intelligence - Increases Stigma Potency and governs the character's general intelligence.
Agility - Increases FRAG Buildup for Ranged weapons and governs the character's quickness and reflexes.
Luck - Increases the chance to find Credits and Useful Objects from Searches and governs the character's overall luckiness.

Harm and Injuries

Nobody is invulnerable, so there is a way to track injuries. Each character has a maximum General Health (GH) of 10, and a Toughness of 5+Endurance. Toughness acts as a shield, protecting your GH from damage, but once a character runs out of Toughness, their GH begins getting affected by damage. Certain damage types bypass Toughness, such as Poison or Neurotoxin. GH cannot be improved, but Toughness can by various means.

Traits and Quirks

Like normal humans, your character can have different Traits and Quirks that reflect your character's personality and behavior. it is best to keep these in balance and choose an equal number of both good and bad traits.

Paradigms

Paradigms represent the concept of "Classes" in most TTRPGs. Paradigms each have unique skills and can be upgraded individually. A character can have multiple Paradigms, but can only have one active at a time, however, a character can switch between them once per turn. These Paradigms fit into four different roles; Damage, Survivability, Patchup, and Support. Certain Paradigms can only be used by characters who fit their requirements, through Stats, Classification, and sometimes Stigma. Paradigms are created by the GM to be selected by the player after characters have been accepted.

Stigmas

All characters have something called a Stigma, which acts as an element that a character is "attuned" to. Stigmas are up to the player to assign, to be accepted or declined at the discretion of the GM.

Fragment Gauge (FRAG)

Successful actions in succession build up Fragments (displayed as "FRAG"), which are used for Skills, Breaker Effects, and Breaker Moves. To start, the Fragment Gauge has a maximum of 4, which will increase with a character's Overall Level. Fragments act as modifiers as well, the sum of however many Fragments you have built up add to GD rolls.

Afterimages: The Mirrored World

@Baphomini I have no qualms with this. I can get a discord up if yall are interested.

Afterimages: The Mirrored World

@Girlie Go Boom No problem, hope the treatment goes well! You will be missed <3

Afterimages: The Mirrored World

The gate is open.
_(Posted!)

Afterimages: The Mirrored World

2:38 PM
_{Three... Two... One.}
♫

It was calm in Shirubashedo's halls, classes were in session, and students who didn't have lectures at the time were light in terms of foot traffic.

The quiet was unsettling. It was almost as if the normal buzz of the school was dampened, muffled. Shadows seemed to shift, air growing, twisting into a strange mist of heat and cold, as light and dark danced in the corner of one's vision. Space seemed to stretch as the halls started to extend and wind and branch, as reflections distorted, glass becoming windows into somewhere dark and twisted...

The gate has opened.

Lights flicker overhead before it cuts out, and darkness consumes the lecture halls. An aura of dread, of fear, permeates the space... as every person disappears in a split second. Four remain in this labyrinthine copy of the school. This is no longer the world they recognize.

@Baphomini@Kronshi@Girlie Go Boom

---

The lights go out, and the lecture hall around them is silent. She blinked a few times, their eyes getting a bit more acclimated to the darkness as the initial shock of the situation started to fade.

She looked around, everyone was gone... she was alone.

"U-uhm... h-hello? Is anyone still... here?"

Their voice was shaky as she stood from her chair. She still had her backpack, which was good, but what was more concerning was the current predicament that she found themself in... A dark and hazy mist swirled about her feet as she walked... the creepy vibe of the darkness wasn't helping their anxiety in the slightest...

What was going on?

Their footsteps didn't seem to make any sound, the world seemed to shift and distort as she moved... When she stepped into the hall it looked like she was in a maze corridor, winding and endless.

"Hello!? Is anyone there? I really don't wanna be in this horror movie shit!"

She shouted into the long hall... hoping that something would answer back...

Whispers.

They don't sound... human.

Afterimages: The Mirrored World

Next post to be expected within 2 days!

Afterimages: The Mirrored World

Post out now! Apologies for the wait.

Afterimages: The Mirrored World

_{No loose ends, you understand? We can't have them poking around. Not with tensions as high as they are.}

Shinjuku District

♫

Morning turned to midday, the sun an eternal reminder of the waning time remaining in the day. So little time, so little freedom. Day in and day out, humans streamed through their lives like mindless drones...

The cycle had to be broken somehow. There was a certain beauty in terror after all...

Reflections seem to ripple like water, as the glass of the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower's top floor shattered, as a person threw themselves out of it, a hammer in hand.

A feeling of weightlessness before the sudden end. Another loose end tied. Another predecessor, another failure, gone.

He stands at the edge of the crowd, the gruesome scene obscured by morbidly curious passersby. Turning away, none noticed him. A shadow in the corner of one's eye...

The boots didn't make a sound this time, his form cracking, fragmenting. The man of the mask pushed onward.

On to the next.
@Baphomini@Kronshi@Girlie Go Boom

---

Chihiro's classes could have gone better, but that feeling of being followed, stalked... it stayed. It made it hard to pay attention during lectures sure, but that didn't mean she didn't try. Walking down the halls of Shirubashedo Academy was something she did almost every day, but it didn't feel the same as it always did... There was a certain heaviness in the air, like someone had died here...

She reached the door, opening it to the midday streets of the Shinjuku district, one of the large screens on the buildings displaying news...

Another suicide.

She didn't know the victim by any means, but it still hurt. Especially after...

No. No, don't think about it. You don't want to open up old wounds.

She shook her head, walking in the opposite direction of the billboard screen. She looked in the window's reflection as she passed...

Was that really her? Or was that what she made themself see? The reflection rippled slightly, as she stopped by a small cafe. She needed to take a load off. All this worry wasn't healthy, it couldn't be. But still, the heaviness in her heart stayed... What the hell was wrong with her?

She walked up to the counter of the small establishment, taking a precursory glance toward the menu written on a chalkboard hanging on the back wall.

"Konnichiwa... Uhm... I'll just get some boba tea please."

She placed the yen on the counter, stepping away to let whoever was next in line order. She didn't trust many people in most cases, but it felt as if that was multiplied... Like she was going to be revealed...

A low sigh, then walked over to the bathroom. She didn't really know why, but it would probably do her some good to be in front of an actual mirror, not relying on the reflections of the window panes that line the streets of this city...

When she walked in, it was dead silent. As if the entire room were soundproofed, the noise from the main room of the store disappeared completely... Nothing but the soft sound of clinking glass. As she approached the mirror, it showed her reflection. It showed Chihiro.

But the mirror was shifting. Flowing. Like it was some kind of liquid.

She felt something behind her, the feeling that she had been stalked by... it was here. She turned but didn't see anything... their gaze glanced to the mirror again, before she jumped back.

A wolf stared back from the other side of the mirror.

She rushed out of the restroom, back to the main storefront. Did she have schizophrenia now or something? A lot of creepy shit was going on...

It was the lunch rush now... students coming down the sidewalks and streets, most looking a their phones, the news was definitely on the minds of a lot of people... Though no one seemed to want to do anything about it...

Afterimages: The Mirrored World

@Baphomini@Kronshi I invite you to take a bit of creative liberty with this one. This bit is not so much to get you together, but more your character becoming aware of strange things that they haven't noticed before. If that involves characters interacting, so be it. He stated Cold and Dark as those who were nearby, not those were the two He was actively trying to bring together.

Afterimages: The Mirrored World

May 16th, 20XX

Morning

♫

Dawn breaks over the towering buildings of Neo-Tokyo, morning sunlight streaming through windows and reflecting through the opulent city like reflections in a mirror. People already populated the streets, the lifeblood of this place, ever-moving like a heart pumping blood throughout the body. Chatter radiates through the air, a steady pulse of the dark collective heart of the city.

If only they knew.

News plays on one of the large screens overlooking Shibuya Central Street, headlines playing non-stop. A feeling of darkness hung in the space, dispite the brilliant lights and bright sunlight.

Light cannot exist without darkness, and vice versa. Integral and innate balance.

The city seems to freeze, caught in time for merely a second, stretched into infinity.

Click. Clack.

The sound of The Masked Man's boots against the concrete pavement echoed, reverberating off the glass, walking past the humans caught in time around him. People who he knows the true sides of.

Monsters. All of them. Caught between the facade of normalcy, and following those around them blindly like sheep.

He kept walking. He had places to be, and didn't want to spend any more time than needed among these husks called humanity. Two of them were near, his chosen.

Cold and Dark... Let's see if we can pull a few strings, shall we? The other two will be more troublesome... Doesn't matter that the torii gates were sealed, it helped that humans were stupid enough to mass-produce the backdoor to the other realm. Human nature is such an interesting thing...

A gloved hand raised to his mask, as his form fractured and broke, returning the world to its normal flow. No one knew. No one cared. Typical.

@Baphomini@Kronshi@Girlie Go Boom

---

Cla-clack. Cla-clack.

The trains rhythmic travel was something she was familiar with, but that feeling of dread still stayed, her eyes glued to the window, the city blurring past as they passed, yet every tunnel, their reflection stared back.

That wasnt her.

She could feel something watching them, the dark felt like it was closing in, circling. It was like some kind of predator.

Like some kind of wolf.

Her eyes squeezed shut, waiting for something to happen... but nothing did. Opening their eyes again, she was greeted by the sunlight of the morning again, the strange reflection gone.

She was fine... right?