Help me develop the Dark Globe multi-genre setting

[Eske]

Orbs can vary on size, but the shape remains. Be it as large as a mountain or as small as a gold ball, it can be determined as an orb, or simply a relic.

Good - I see no reason not to change it then.


Maybe it's time to describe the orbs in detail - how they look, where they are, those things.


Some thoughts:


Varying surfaces: some mirror-like, some like black holes, some glowing red hot.


Size: from handsized to ... uh, 25 meters in diameter?


Where: they are hidden inside mountain caves, beneath the earth in hollow ground, later on inside abandoned buildings, perhaps some even float? Maybe the fantasy people see an orb in the sky and thikn it's a second sun? (quick thoughts here)


Oh and under water is a location for orbs too - scenarios including boats, later on submarines, maritime warfare, mutated giant fish/sharks/reptiles....


Most orbs are stationary, but maybe some should be able to move around to some degree.

 

[Hyydra]

Now, I have a second question. Can one person obtain more than one orb, and learn more power with it? As well as this, can there be one major threat within each era? Such as a mutant which stands above all others? As well as this, I believe all orbs should be stationary, but are capable of being moved by other forces. As well as this, I suppose that if there were orbs in the sky, fantasy people would choose it as a relic from the Gods to be attained.

 

[Grey]

Some thoughts.


1. Check out Feng Shui, the RPG. It involves time travel heavily, but it's a light and comedic game. Continuum features it like no other game I've seen, but there's far too much book-keeping. I figure these might have some elements worth borrowing, though.


2. What if the orbs are portals? The eldritch beings who made them, unmoored from time, sent them to our dimension to begin the slow process of conquest. They could only do this once. They cannot be killed, but the the orbs can be destroyed.


3. When the players destroy an orb, they get disjointed in time. Finish one story arc with the destruction of a Past Orb, arrive in the Present when the dust settles. Gives you options: linear with descendants, linear with time travel, back-and-forth with time travel. You can even change characters between eras if someone is mutated too much in the process of time travel, but the new character defeats them, learns of their quest, and chooses to take it on for themselves.


4. Depending on how horrific you want the modern era one to be, or high stakes for the future, there could be a mobile, flying orb. Flavour that setting 'Reign of the Black Sun' or something.


I read over again and think some more.

 

[Eske]

Now, I have a second question. Can one person obtain more than one orb, and learn more power with it? As well as this, can there be one major threat within each era? Such as a mutant which stands above all others? As well as this, I believe all orbs should be stationary, but are capable of being moved by other forces. As well as this, I suppose that if there were orbs in the sky, fantasy people would choose it as a relic from the Gods to be attained.

The orbs are almost like sentient beings - they can't really be obtained as such. They are controlled by a cosmic horror who built them to enslave humanity and ensure their own need for energy.


But players can learn to tap the orbs for energy and use it to gain powers - which ones are still open.


The general threat in all eras are the orbs themselves and the monsters they've created. Players are members of the Order of the Templars who seek to destroy all orbs.


But yes, a particular powerful orb could cause a person to develop truly amazing powers and dominate a large part of the era, perhaps best the fantasy era. He could create minions using the orb to terrorise and conquer cities.

 

[Hyydra]

That's the thought I was eyeing, seeing it there could be some characters who need to be upon the other side, keep the RP interesting. As for Grey's ideas, I find them interesting, but disapprove the thought of looking over other RPs. I think it is best to come up with one Original Rp based off of the minds of many people thinking together rather than taking scraps from other folks' ideas.

 

[Grey]

That's the thought I was eyeing, seeing it there could be some characters who need to be upon the other side, keep the RP interesting. As for Grey's ideas, I find them interesting, but disapprove the thought of looking over other RPs. I think it is best to come up with one Original Rp based off of the minds of many people thinking together rather than taking scraps from other folks' ideas.

Protip: You will never come up with something completely original. Might as well look at people who have tried to do similar things and learn from them.

 

[Hyydra]

But yet, you can rather feel good about what you've accomplished alone, rather than having to use someone elses details. All of the RPs I've created were my original thoughts and ideas, be it related to another's or not, they were still mine. Yes, I might never come up with something COMPLETELY original, but it is good to find something moreso original.

 

[Eske]

Some thoughts.
1. Check out Feng Shui, the RPG. It involves time travel heavily, but it's a light and comedic game. Continuum features it like no other game I've seen, but there's far too much book-keeping. I figure these might have some elements worth borrowing, though.


2. What if the orbs are portals? The eldritch beings who made them, unmoored from time, sent them to our dimension to begin the slow process of conquest. They could only do this once. They cannot be killed, but the the orbs can be destroyed.


3. When the players destroy an orb, they get disjointed in time. Finish one story arc with the destruction of a Past Orb, arrive in the Present when the dust settles. Gives you options: linear with descendants, linear with time travel, back-and-forth with time travel. You can even change characters between eras if someone is mutated too much in the process of time travel, but the new character defeats them, learns of their quest, and chooses to take it on for themselves.


4. Depending on how horrific you want the modern era one to be, or high stakes for the future, there could be a mobile, flying orb. Flavour that setting 'Reign of the Black Sun' or something.


I read over again and think some more.

You know how I know your suggestions are great? Because we've already implemented many of them


1) Feng Shui gets on the reading list.


2) yes, the orbs are portals to other dimensions like time and the Eldritch dimension. The idea of destroying the orbs to avoid invasion neatly ties up the point of the game.


3) all those suggestions are already in place - I think they make time travel between eras really interesting. Descendants should be part of the Order from birth in the modern era, having the legends of their family imprinted in their minds. Also, players can visit New York 2014 as full-on warriors, steel sword and heavy plate armor and go hunting for orbs....maybe that's too open to comedic moments?


4) I like this idea; I think the players should be able to choose between subgenres so they can play the game like they want to. If they want simple action, go for it in any of the eras. Goes for any genre, really - the 3 eras can cover a lot of ground.


My preference would be contemporary urban horror or something Cthulhutech-like in the future perhaps...I will write a section on how to use the setting for any genre you want.

 

[Grey]

I used to think that. I did. Ten years later, when I have an original thought, I look around to see if anyone did something similar. Then I try to figure out what they did right, what they did wrong, and what I'm doing differently. That leaves me with something more original.

 

[Eske]

Protip: You will never come up with something completely original. Might as well look at people who have tried to do similar things and learn from them.

True enough; originality is nigh-on impossible to achieve.


However, I do think that making your setting unique is another deal entirely. One of my requirements for good settings is that they are truly unique; they can "borrow" from other stuff, as long as it is used in a unique way.


I do think Dark Globe (so far) is unique - and that's why I find it interesting.

 

[Hyydra]

Perhaps so. But! As you see, you must let my own mind develop and succumb to such logic, for at this time I still find my own reasonable. But as I said, your ideas are valuable.

 

[Grey]

You know how I know your suggestions are great? Because we've already implemented many of them
1) Feng Shui gets on the reading list.


2) yes, the orbs are portals to other dimensions like time and the Eldritch dimension. The idea of destroying the orbs to avoid invasion neatly ties up the point of the game.


3) all those suggestions are already in place - I think they make time travel between eras really interesting. Descendants should be part of the Order from birth in the modern era, having the legends of their family imprinted in their minds. Also, players can visit New York 2014 as full-on warriors, steel sword and heavy plate armor and go hunting for orbs....maybe that's too open to comedic moments?


4) I like this idea; I think the players should be able to choose between subgenres so they can play the game like they want to. If they want simple action, go for it in any of the eras. Goes for any genre, really - the 3 eras can cover a lot of ground.


My preference would be contemporary urban horror or something Cthulhutech-like in the future perhaps...I will write a section on how to use the setting for any genre you want.

Ah, jolly good.


I don't think the warriors in the modern day is too open to comedy. It's all in how you choose to play it. Some people would definitely play it for laughs, at least once. Though I think some humour is actually vital in a horror game as long as it's an organic result of play - you need a bright spot to highlight the dark ones.


For contemporary horror, how about some people corrupted by the orbs a long time ago serving as the Others agents in our world? A conspiracy to keep the orbs secret, rally cults, and spreading terror? Do you want to go super cheesy and have the entities beyond feed on fear siphoned through the orbs?


It does seem unique so far, though, Eske. It just made me think of Feng Shui because it too has linked time periods and some flex in term of genre. Hm. I'll ponder some more.

 

[Eske]

Perhaps so. But! As you see, you must let my own mind develop and succumb to such logic, for at this time I still find my own reasonable. But as I said, your ideas are valuable.

I think both Grey and I understand how you feel, because we've both been there.

Perhaps so. But! As you see, you must let my own mind develop and succumb to such logic, for at this time I still find my own reasonable. But as I said, your ideas are valuable.

I think both Grey and I understand how you feel because we've both been in your situation. It's all good.


Let's keep the meta-posts to a minimum, otherwise the thread will be way too long for people to read.


And to avoid wasting a post:


How do you feel about the Order being the actual Templar Knights? As in those depicted in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. They originate in the time frame of the fantasy setting and have kept their existence secret until today (according to many conspiracy historians, anyway). It's a crazy idea, but alternative history is part of Dark Globe, so getting aspects of the real world incorporated is an objective.


In any case, the Order (yet unnamed) has one goal: The destruction of the orbs. The PCs are members or hired by them to do whatever is necessary. Perhaps the Order also has more nefarious objectives?

 

[Hyydra]

I agree with the Templar Knights being the Order, I find it quite valuable as a reference. As well as this, I find it the Order must suffer attempting to destroy the orbs without any powers, but their skills may vary, such as training for these events.

 

[Grey]

How do you feel about the Order being the actual Templar Knights? As in those depicted in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. They originate in the time frame of the fantasy setting and have kept their existence secret until today (according to many conspiracy historians, anyway). It's a crazy idea, but alternative history is part of Dark Globe, so getting aspects of the real world incorporated is an objective.


In any case, the Order (yet unnamed) has one goal: The destruction of the orbs. The PCs are members or hired by them to do whatever is necessary. Perhaps the Order also has more nefarious objectives?

I think using the Templars is a fine idea. Why not set up the Order of the Golden Dawn as their opposite number? Two secret societies, one seeking to destroy and the other to exploit. So in addition to fighting monsters, Templars have to deal with others who wield the powers of the orbs but retain some humanity. There might also be a traitorous faction within the Templars - perhaps by the future era the power of the orbs has created more subtle monsters that can infiltrate and sabotage the Order?

 

[Hyydra]

I see that as a very fair and potential idea.

 

[Eske]

Ah, jolly good.
I don't think the warriors in the modern day is too open to comedy. It's all in how you choose to play it. Some people would definitely play it for laughs, at least once. Though I think some humour is actually vital in a horror game as long as it's an organic result of play - you need a bright spot to highlight the dark ones.


For contemporary horror, how about some people corrupted by the orbs a long time ago serving as the Others agents in our world? A conspiracy to keep the orbs secret, rally cults, and spreading terror? Do you want to go super cheesy and have the entities beyond feed on fear siphoned through the orbs?


It does seem unique so far, though, Eske. It just made me think of Feng Shui because it too has linked time periods and some flex in term of genre. Hm. I'll ponder some more.

Re.Warriors in 2014: I agree - and we should also remember that said warriors aren't helpless. To travel in time, they must have developed powerful abilities. That's an idea with some interesting adventure seeds.


Re: surviving Agents of the Abominations is a good idea - they could be a loose faction that opposes the Order, even. The orbs transform them into beings with specific agendas, like keeping the orbs secret.


Re:uniqueness - glad you think so! And please, ponder away; your contributions are more than welcome. 

I think using the Templars is a fine idea. Why not set up the Order of the Golden Dawn as their opposite number? Two secret societies, one seeking to destroy and the other to exploit. So in addition to fighting monsters, Templars have to deal with others who wield the powers of the orbs but retain some humanity. There might also be a traitorous faction within the Templars - perhaps by the future era the power of the orbs has created more subtle monsters that can infiltrate and sabotage the Order?

It is scary how we think alike. I just made a post suggesting the same thing. Having a good faction vs. an evil faction will help players understand the setting more easily, and creates adventure seeds aplenty.


It's done - the Order of the Black Sun is now a big deal in Dark Globe! Also, the Templar Knights take the role as the good guys intent on saving the world by destroying orbs and the Order of the Black Sun


(oh, remember the flying orb - perhaps there IS an actual "Black Sun" like Grey suggests - floating some distance above the ground, giving the illusion that it is farther away than it actually is. It should be present in all eras - although an adventure in the modern era could be the destruction of the Black Sun Orb.)


(names are still up for changes....)

 

[augmentedspartan]

Wow, missed a few things I see.


Before you were talking about the sizes of the orbs. If they are all different sizes, then the amount of energy they give off could be related to the size. The smaller orbs take more exposure one needs to get powers or become corrupted, but the bigger it is, the faster the changes will take effect. I also like the idea of the orbs affecting landmarks, like if there is an underwater orbs, the place could be filled with whirlpools and weird creatures, or if it is in a mountain it could make the mountain tower over the rest and be filled with strange wildlife. Or if there are a few in a bunch of islands, you could have the Bermudas Triangle.


I also like the Order of the Black Sun. There is bound to be some crazies out there that would help the big bad monster. Maybe the humans that become corrupted would join with them to help the Eldritch Horrors conquer the planet.

 

[Eske]

Let's update the game elements list.It is still subject to change.

1. There are countless mysterious orbs of different sizes hidden all over the world in Dark Globe
   
2. Time Causality in the 3 eras: Medieval times 1300 AD, contemporary (now) and the future (2050)
   
3. Dark Globe is a multi-genre setting. The eras provide background for any genre imaginable.
   
4. The orbs were created by an alien, cosmic horror (yet unnamed).
   
5. The origin and purpose of the orbs are unknown to most, except the Templars and the Black Sun Cult.
   
6. Orbs emit metaphysical energy with various intensity and properties based on their size.
   
7. PCs can learn to use the orb energy, but at a price; they may turn into abominations themselves.
   
8. The orbs corrupt everything, the human mind and body. They create monstrous, evil beings.
   
9. Some people get powers from orbs, but most of them are corrupted and turn to the Black Sun cult.
   
10. The orbs act as dimensional ports for the alien race that hides in their own dimension.
    
11. Some orbs can be used as time portals with fixed destinations in space-time.
    
12. The PC belong to the Order of the Templar Knights;their one objective is to destroy the orbs.
    
13. The cult of the Black Sun worships the orbs and their masters, and opposes the Templar Knights.
    
14. There is a black orb in the sky called The Black Sun; it is worshipped by the cult of the same name.
    

 

[augmentedspartan]

Yup, that sounds about right. About 6 though, I was thinking that anyone could get powers from the orbs, or become deformed. I had the idea that the PCs could just have a better grasp of the orbs and be able to get stronger powers/have a lower change of becoming corrupted. So a lot of people would be rushing to the orbs in the fantasy setting thinking they could grant them powers, but many would become corrupted and deformed after too much exposure.

 

[Eske]

Before you were talking about the sizes of the orbs. If they are all different sizes, then the amount of energy they give off could be related to the size. The smaller orbs take more exposure one needs to get powers or become corrupted, but the bigger it is, the faster the changes will take effect. I also like the idea of the orbs affecting landmarks, like if there is an underwater orbs, the place could be filled with whirlpools and weird creatures, or if it is in a mountain it could make the mountain tower over the rest and be filled with strange wildlife. Or if there are a few in a bunch of islands, you could have the Bermudas Triangle.
I also like the Order of the Black Sun. There is bound to be some crazies out there that would help the big bad monster. Maybe the humans that become corrupted would join with them to help the Eldritch Horrors conquer the planet.

I think all of those ideas are great and easily incorporated into the setting. The Bermuda Triangle is of course created by orbs.


In fact, let's think of mysterious facts and places that exist; let's change it so that the orbs are responsible. 

Yup, that sounds about right. About 6 though, I was thinking that anyone could get powers from the orbs, or become deformed. I had the idea that the PCs could just have a better grasp of the orbs and be able to get stronger powers/have a lower change of becoming corrupted. So a lot of people would be rushing to the orbs in the fantasy setting thinking they could grant them powers, but many would become corrupted and deformed after too much exposure.

Yes, you are right - I will clarify it in the list.

 

[augmentedspartan]

Off the top of my head I have:


-Bermuda triangles


-Loch Ness monster (time travel dinosaur)


-Disappearing planes (there could be orbs that look like the scenery (transparent orbs in the sky, brown orbs in the earth, etc..) that make them almost invisible. Some planes are guaranteed to hit one of these orbs)


-Disappearing ships (same as with planes)


-Haunted houses (the houses were constructed above small orbs, which make weird things happen)


-Big-foot, Abominable snowman, etc... (creatures either from the past, or deformed humans from corruption)


I'll post for once I come up with them.

 

[Eske]

Off the top of my head I have:
-Bermuda triangles


-Loch Ness monster (time travel dinosaur)


-Disappearing planes (there could be orbs that look like the scenery (transparent orbs in the sky, brown orbs in the earth, etc..) that make them almost invisible. Some planes are guaranteed to hit one of these orbs)


-Disappearing ships (same as with planes)


-Haunted houses (the houses were constructed above small orbs, which make weird things happen)


-Big-foot, Abominable snowman, etc... (creatures either from the past, or deformed humans from corruption)


I'll post for once I come up with them.

This is a really fun idea! Some groups might want to avoid it, but it should definitely be included as an option to have all these mysterious things explained by the presence of orbs.


Please, post more ideas!

 

[augmentedspartan]

Let's see:


-Chupacabras and all those creatures you see footage of (Like I said before, time traveler animals or mutated humans.)


-UFOs, floating lights, etc.. (Could be one of those rare orbs that move around and that light caught it at an odd angle.)


-Roads to nowhere (Those roads that have urban legends that take you to other dimensions or that supposedly last for ever or that make people disappear.)


-SAA, South Atlantic Anomaly (This is basically the Bermuda Triangle in space. It causes weird things to happen to satellites and spacecrafts and astronauts have reported seeing weird things. These could be orbs that are in space, or high up enough to mess things up.)


-Haunted dolls and objects (These are objects that have been exposed to orbs for quite a while. They aren't living beings, so they could only absorb a tiny quantity of power from a long exposure. Some of these objects have weird abilities like letting the user push things with their minds, some just move on their own because the power has nothing to do inside an empty vessel, others could kill you if you wear them. Who knows, maybe the dolls do become alive.)


-Disappearing villages (Sometimes you hear stories about whole towns disappearing from the face of the earth. Meanwhile, some archeologists find ruins of towns that seem to be too modern for the time period they were in. 2+2=4)


-The Devil's Sea, Dragon's Triangle (Bermuda Triangle in Japan. Same deal)


-Bigelow Ranch (Another location with weird sightings)


-Point Pleasant (These is where people saw "Mothman" and other weird things.)


-Michigan Triangle (These orbs sure like triangles.)


-San lous Valley (UFOs and animal mutilations.)


-Bennington Triangle (This time, people seem to disappear once they enter it.


-Bridgewater Triangle (Triangles man, triangles.)


So basically anything that is unexplained could be because of the orbs.


I also thought about the orbs being non-eucledian geometry. Like R'lyeh, the orbs are not from this dimension so they might appear completely spherical but are more than that. If you look at them for too long you might see that one side looks like a corner, while being completely round at the same time.

 

[Eske]

Let's see:
-Chupacabras and all those creatures you see footage of (Like I said before, time traveler animals or mutated humans.)


-UFOs, floating lights, etc.. (Could be one of those rare orbs that move around and that light caught it at an odd angle.)


-Roads to nowhere (Those roads that have urban legends that take you to other dimensions or that supposedly last for ever or that make people disappear.)


-SAA, South Atlantic Anomaly (This is basically the Bermuda Triangle in space. It causes weird things to happen to satellites and spacecrafts and astronauts have reported seeing weird things. These could be orbs that are in space, or high up enough to mess things up.)


-Haunted dolls and objects (These are objects that have been exposed to orbs for quite a while. They aren't living beings, so they could only absorb a tiny quantity of power from a long exposure. Some of these objects have weird abilities like letting the user push things with their minds, some just move on their own because the power has nothing to do inside an empty vessel, others could kill you if you wear them. Who knows, maybe the dolls do become alive.)


-Disappearing villages (Sometimes you hear stories about whole towns disappearing from the face of the earth. Meanwhile, some archeologists find ruins of towns that seem to be too modern for the time period they were in. 2+2=4)


-The Devil's Sea, Dragon's Triangle (Bermuda Triangle in Japan. Same deal)


-Bigelow Ranch (Another location with weird sightings)


-Point Pleasant (These is where people saw "Mothman" and other weird things.)


-Michigan Triangle (These orbs sure like triangles.)


-San lous Valley (UFOs and animal mutilations.)


-Bennington Triangle (This time, people seem to disappear once they enter it.


-Bridgewater Triangle (Triangles man, triangles.)


So basically anything that is unexplained could be because of the orbs.


I also thought about the orbs being non-eucledian geometry. Like R'lyeh, the orbs are not from this dimension so they might appear completely spherical but are more than that. If you look at them for too long you might see that one side looks like a corner, while being completely round at the same time.

Great list, man! And yes, it appears that orbs really dig triangles - perhaps due to their other-dimensional geometry? (I like that idea too)


Here's an idea: How about taking all these items and present them as adventure seeds? Each item could be described briefly, so the GM can make adventures quickly by using known places where the orbs are messing with the world.


Simply put, the GM chooses a mystery from the list, reads the brief description and then he is basically prepared to send the group off to destroy an orb and solve the mystery. Fun for the players because they know the mystery , fun for the GM because he doesn't have to prep.


I really like games that require little prep from the GM, and I think this is an excellent idea for avoiding too much prep.