Saturday, October 14, 2017

After Jade: An Alternate Setting for Jadepunk

I have been working on a project for a while now and so I have not been focusing on this blog. However I have had a real gut punch of news this week and I need to have something to distract me for a little bit. Help me calm down.

That in mind I am going to work up an old Idea I have had in the back of my mind for a few years now. Here is the basic pitch.

Sometime after the time Jadepunk is set in, something goes wrong...very very wrong. It has been over a hundred years since the fall and the world is a very changed place. It is a post apocalyptic wasteland filled with Jade. Clouds of mystic jade dust roil across the world and has been bound into everything on the world. Some people have been able to harness this omnipresent jade to become Jadecasters, manipulating the elements and the raw forces of nature. Beyond that humans now are not alone in the world. Automatects, clockwork beings with jadetech minds from before the Fall, wander the world doing their inscrutable duties for unknowable reasons; Kymiirs, uplifted animals, have formed their own communities in the Waste; and Mootares jade tainted mutations with strange powers and beliefs wander the land.  Despite the problems, despite the danger, life continues. The Jianghu travel the land and help those in need. Named after ancient legends of heroes of old, they wander the land and help people rebuild. 

Setting Aspects
Shadows of the Old World
Jade in Everything Now
Leftovers of A Fallen World

New Asset Types
Assets after Jade are different than in standard Jadepunk. The standard three types(Allies, Devices, and Techniques) still apply as normal, but there are a couple of other types of assets in this hack.

Automatect: If you take/make an Automatect asset it you use the device features list, but it must have a Guiding aspect related to your mechanical nature. These assets represent jadetech or clockwork abilities or additions to the mechanical frame of the core Automatect or its jadetech mind. 
Mootares: Mootares work the same as Automatects but the assets represent mutations and jade in the blood. The guiding aspect is related to their altered nature and can be compelled due to obvious jade markings or mutations making them stand out in the world. 
Kymiir: Uplifted animals created through Chymeric engineering before the Fall. You must have a guiding aspect related to your semi animal nature. Any asset created in this way represents your animal abilities or further understanding of your inhuman nature. 

Sample Assets
Here are some sample assets that fit within the wasteland that is After Jade.

Returner Staff(device)
The Returner movement began nearly immediately after the Fall. The desire to return to what was before. They see the glory of the past and minimize the faults. The Returners travel the Waste preaching of the glories of the old world and seeking jadetech to help rebuild. When they are initiated into the order they are granted a book and a staff. The book is empty and must be filled with knowledge from the past, the staff will help them in their travels.

Function aspect: Blue Jade Staff of the Return
Features: Exceptional(On a successful defense, deal shifts of harm equal to your margin of success), Focus 2(+2 to Fighter)
Flaws: Situational(may only be used in defense), Demanding(Must take the whole turn doing nothing but defending)
Refresh Cost: 2

Jadecaster(technique) 
When the old world fell it fell in jade-laced fire. now the winds themselves carry massive quantities of jade. it is in everything, even if only in small quantities. some folks have learned to perceive these forces in the world and manipulate them. These people have become mystics and sages deep in the Waste, controlling forces beyond the ken of most. Jadecasters can call up temporary assets related to the elements, or controlling/creating emotions.

Guiding aspect: Must have an aspect relating to your training as a jadecaster.
Features: Flexible(may use Scholar in place of Engineer)
Flaws: Situational(only when creating temporary assets related to manipulating the jade in the environment)
Refresh Cost: 1

Sample Jadecaster Workings
Call Fire
You draw out the red jade in the world around you and pull fire into existence, damaging your target.

Function Aspect: Fireball!
Features: Harmful 2, Focus 2(fighter +2)
Flaws: As per the creation roll

Wind Walker
You change to shifting motes of dust and can swiftly move through the air travelling from your current location to any nearby location not completely airtight.

Function Aspect: White Jade Transformation to Dust
Features: Exceptional(Instantly leave or appear in a scene, as long as air can get in or out)
Flaws: As per creation roll

Dangers of the Waste
In the waste there are many dangers, great and small. The world is changed and not for the peaceful. Even the very air has turned hostile.

Devil Winds: On occasion the winds will whip across the Waste in such speed that they will pull up vast amounts of jade dust. When the devil winds sweep down experienced travelers know to get to shelter and sit tight. The wind can strip the flesh from unexposed flesh to the bone. Their are rumors that the winds do more than harm flesh, that they can strip soul from a person and ensure their is no afterlife.

System: This is a series of rolls brought on by a compel(either against the characters aspects or against the setting aspects). Roll against explorer to find a good spot to hide out in(difficulty will vary based around the location).  If you succeed with style you find shelter and take no damage. If you succeed you take one harm before finding suitable shelter. If you fail you will take 2 harm and must roll again to get to shelter. Two rolls are all that will be needed in most circumstances in order to get to shelter.


And there it is, a rough outline of an alternate campaign and setting for Jadepunk. I hope you like it. Let me know what you think.