Homebrew Setting: Magipunk (brainstorming -- input needed)

[sirpercival]

So I have an idea for a homebrew setting based on 3.5, and I need some input and help fleshing it out.  I call it "Magipunk", and the idea is that it's cyberpunk but with magic replacing tech.  I have specific ideas about the location, plot, history, etc., but what I'm looking for are staples of cyberpunk and what their magic equivalent would be, to design the global culture.

Here's what I have so far:
~Cyber implants => grafts
~Nanotech medicine => healing spells
~Holograms => illusion spells
~Genetic engineering => polymorph, etc. and monsters
~Virtual reality/Metaverse => planar travel/astral projection type things

I'm not sure what to do with computer systems and hackers...

I also think maybe I could build in some MaI, because it seems like a perfect setting for it.  Maybe also Prime's spellbook armor.  Thoughts, Garryl, Prime?

Any problems you can foresee?  Any suggestions or awesome ideas?

[sirpercival]

As I think about this more, it's turning into a postmodern Tippyverse:

~Distantly-separated, force-domed sprawling metropolitan areas.  Inside each dome the entire area is Dimensional-Lock'd, except for very specific places which are Teleport Circle pads.
~The TC pads take you to/from the Port Nexus, which is basically a giant TC terminal on the Moon.  Costs $$ to get anywhere.
~In between the domed metros lies the Wilds, populated by bizarre monstrosities which "were the product of genetic experiments" (aka normal monsters).
~The population is made up of various races which came about from "genetic engineering".

[phaedrusxy]

I like it. I've played in a couple of games with similar settings, and am DMing (well... restarting) one that's a bit similar, though more environmentally based (Exiled). Littha's "Dues Ex Machina" game has a setting kind of like this (megacities separated by dangerous wilderness), as did the now defunct "Way of the Wizard" game on BG. You might peek at those if you're looking for ideas to steal/build upon/etc.

[sirpercival]

What's the tech level like in those games?  Are they sufficiently postmodern? 

Basically, just think about how awesome Bladerunner or Snow Crash would have been if they'd been based on magic. 

[nijineko]

i was just reading a manga about this sort of thing. one of the main characters was a complete cipher - incapable of using magic to any degree. where was that.... *wanders off to go look for it*


edit: oh yeah, broken blade was the name of the manga.

[Jackinthegreen]

Creating computers in a magipunk world might be akin to creating stationary constructs.  Input commands, and it outputs a result.  A keyboard could be made of stone keys with both magical and mundane symbols.  The audio/visual bits can be done through illusions.

Disable Device would have a lot of new uses of course, especially with hackers and crackers.  Going into the "internet" territory would mean the "computers" are linked up and can communicate.  Depending on the tech level, you could have people (or creatures) digitized into one terminal to pop out another.

Alternately, it might be nice to split up the information communications from any teleport services.  An example of a teleport service I know well is the Grid from Anarchy Online.  It's the usual "digitize the user and send him/her/it somewhere else" schtick, but it has some flexibility in that the destination isn't predetermined.  You Grid in and you're in a room with a bunch of named drop-off spots.  It gets a bit more interesting in that you need a certain amount of Computer Literacy skill to use any of the terminals and drop-offs, sometimes a very high skill check.  A specialized class called a Fixer can port himself and later his team directly into the Grid without needing a terminal.  Fixers also have a way to crack into a specialized Grid that has additional exits in the world, and at high levels can take along teammates.

There's also the Whom-Pah system, which is really just pipes taking the character to certain destinations.  Boring and comparatively mundane, but it gets people in the general area.  There's no central hub to everywhere with this system, but that's the price for being free.  Watch out for guards though if you're from an opposed faction.

Spinning this into D&D, it's easy to make teleport pads like the Whom-pah or the above TC pads.  DDO has plenty of examples there.  If you're going with a Grid structure then it's porting the person to another plane that kind of overlaps with the material plane.  IIRC, that's in the territory of demiplane for D&D since it's not a "natural" plane.

[nijineko]

a magi-punk computer would probably be like the vacuum tube era calculation machines combined with the more mechanical predecessors. a giant amalgamation of brass gears and crystals instead of vacuum tubes. scrying would allow for long distance communicating between computers. the various image spells would allow for both scrying interfaces between computers and for virtual keyboards and display screens. magic mouths or another illusion could create the sfx as needed.

a message tube system extending into the astral or ethereal with only the terminals residing on the prime would be a fun variant for personal transportation.

and don't forget the mechs.

[sirpercival]

I'm definitely going with TC pads for transportation -- it's a staple of Tippyverse.

For computers, I'm thinking of something called DivNet (I originally was going to go with ScryNet, but then I thought Ahnold would come to get me).  Basically, a computer is a divination machine (wondrous item).  Command-line coding is all about asking the correct questions, and the more expensive computers have higher-level divination spells in them.  Email = sending.  Video chat = scrying.

I love the flavor that you suggested, ninjeko -- I think it will be more streamlined, but lots of crystal and chrome.  No computer screens, but highly polished aluminum mirrors for the best resolution.

However, I'm not sure how to do hacking with this setup.  How does one "hack" scrying and divination?

Mechs will be from the Power of Cybernetics stuff (Garryl's work), though I'm trying to figure out how to reflavor it BACK to magic instead of science. 

[sirpercival]

Here's an incomplete list of my class ideas; these would be instead of the normal classes, not in addition to.  What sorts of party roles am I missing?  What other cyberpunk staples need to be represented?  Any comments on implementation?

• Magitechnician -- basically a variation on artificer, with some macguver and Scottie thrown in.
• Crystal Mage -- a variant wizard that uses Prime32's spellcrystals.
• Psykins -- mutant-themed spellshaping classes.
• Synthevolver -- a two-track class: biosynth (based on fleshwarper) or mechanosynth (based on renegade mastermaker).  Probably melee-based.
• Morphling -- a genetically enhanced warrior that can alter their morphology (based off wildshape ranger, changeling, shifter).  Not sure if this should be a race instead, but I'm leaning toward class.
• Dodger -- a variant rogue, maybe with some Jaunter mixed in.
• Wildling (alt. Domeskipper) -- someone who spends most of their time outside the domes.  Druid/ranger/barbarian?
• Holomancer -- A light-bender, think illusionist or beguiler.
• Energy Warrior, Cyberneticist, Dreadnought -- Power of Cybernetics classes.  Ideas on reflavoring back to magic?
• Medic -- Wielder of arcane healing magics, nercomancy, etc.  Make Lifetorn.
• Oracle Hacker -- A base class or PrC that hacks and befuddles the DivNet.
• Some sort of psionic class.  Anything have something homebrew that fits with the setting?

More brainstorming!

Races
~Warforged = robots.  Duh.
~Lifetorn, an undead race modeled after warforged.  There's no actual immortality, but when your time is up, if you can't afford resurrection you can choose to become Lifetorn instead of dying.  Also this is done to some people illegally.  Lifetorn are not Citizens and have very few governmental rights; most of them are Drudges

NPC classes
~Citizen (= aristocrat)
~Drudge (= commoner), has few rights
~Magewright (a magitechnician's employee)
~Soldier (= warrior)

[Garryl]

• Magitechnician -- basically a variation on artificer, with some macguver and Scottie thrown in.
• Crystal Mage -- a variant wizard that uses Prime32's spellcrystals.
• Psykin -- a mutant-themed spellshaping class.
• Synthevolver -- a two-track class: biosynth (based on fleshwarper) or mechanosynth (based on renegade mastermaker).  Probably melee-based.
• Morphling -- a genetically enhanced warrior that can alter their morphology (based off wildshape ranger, changeling, shifter).  Not sure if this should be a race instead, but I'm leaning toward class.
• Dodger -- a variant rogue, maybe with some Jaunter mixed in.
• Wildling (alt. Domeskipper) -- someone who spends most of their time outside the domes.  Druid/ranger/barbarian?
• Holomancer -- A light-bender, think illusionist or beguiler.
• Energy Warrior, Cyberneticist, Dreadnought -- Power of Cybernetics classes.  Ideas on reflavoring back to magic?
• Medtech -- Wielder of healing magics, and other stuff?  There's no divine magic, so I'm not sure where else to go with this, but there needs to be a source of healing.... unless it all comes from (magitechnician-built) items.  Thoughts?

You still have arcane magic in this world, right? How about a Medic for your Medtech. They've even got a negative energy, necromancery ACF, perfect for making Lifetorn.

Are Psykins going to spellshape gamma rays or something?

[sirpercival]

Oh, Medic is PERFECT.  It can do some bard-like party buffing, too, which is exactly what I wanted.  And yes, you have ONLY arcane magic.  No science, other than spellcraft. 

The idea behind the Psykin was basically a reflavoring, where rather than "learning formulae", they would have the inborn ability (through a genetic quirk or somesuch) to bend reality around them, kind of a la X-men mutants (think Storm, Pyro, etc.).  I don't want to flood the setting with them, but I think Impulse Mage, Anchorite, Elemental Adept, and possibly Spellshape Champion could all work... I might want to add in a spellshape race or two.  Glah, too many options.

[phaedrusxy]

What's the tech level like in those games?  Are they sufficiently postmodern? 

Basically, just think about how awesome Bladerunner or Snow Crash would have been if they'd been based on magic. 

Although I'm not planning to get into it much (at least till later in the game), the "tech" level in mine is quite high, with every house having trinkets of Prestidigitation, cities having giant robots to defend them, with domes covering them which can exclude unwanted teleportations, incorpeals, etc.

I put in a limitation that almost all magic items are actually powered by "mythals", though. So if you get more than a mile or so from a city, they stop working. Traditional magic also does not work without a "focus" (like in the Imperium game, except without a way to overcome it). Creatures with innate psi/magic abilities are branded as criminals and exiled or executed (hence the game name...).


And no... I don't think Blade Runner would be more awesome if based on "magic"... 

[DonQuixote]

I'm not sure what to do with computer systems and hackers...

Deep Rot.  You know you want to.

[sirpercival]

I'm not sure what to do with computer systems and hackers...

Deep Rot.  You know you want to.

 

That is priceless.

[nijineko]

I'm definitely going with TC pads for transportation -- it's a staple of Tippyverse.

For computers, I'm thinking of something called DivNet (I originally was going to go with ScryNet, but then I thought Ahnold would come to get me).  Basically, a computer is a divination machine (wondrous item).  Command-line coding is all about asking the correct questions, and the more expensive computers have higher-level divination spells in them.  Email = sending.  Video chat = scrying.

I love the flavor that you suggested, ninjeko -- I think it will be more streamlined, but lots of crystal and chrome.  No computer screens, but highly polished aluminum mirrors for the best resolution.

However, I'm not sure how to do hacking with this setup.  How does one "hack" scrying and divination?

Mechs will be from the Power of Cybernetics stuff (Garryl's work), though I'm trying to figure out how to reflavor it BACK to magic instead of science. 

i'm a fan of psionics, so insert "but where's my psionics" commentary here.

oh hacking: i recall reading a novel where that was one of the main premises - how to defeat someone who can see the future constantly. i wish i could recall it, as it was quite brilliant. in any case, most forms of divination are not sure things, and are explicitly called out as being limited in scope. besides, you have remote viewing detectors, even remote viewing traps, and protection from scrying effects already. i'm also reminded of the movie minority report. build a replacement scenario, and you might even fool divination.

[sirpercival]

Oh man, I forgot psionics.  I'll add in something.

So is Oracle Hacker a base class or a PrC? 

[sirpercival]

OK, so my psionics idea:

Mentalist, a character who constructs psychic resonances and uncovers universal truths.  Mechanically, Telepath + Truenamer?  Stop me before I go off the edge.

I'm also thinking changing the Jaunter part of Dodger to Elocater, since teleportation is impossible in the cities.  This gives them weirder mobility.

[Prime32]

I'm not sure what to do with computer systems and hackers...

Deep Rot.  You know you want to.

 

That is priceless.

I had that idea months before /tg/.

[sirpercival]

Since I'm changing everything else, I'm going to change skills.  How's this for a skill list?  Am I missing anything?

• Acrobatics (Dex) -- Balance, Escape Artist, Tumble
• Animal Affinity (Cha) -- Handle Animal, Ride
• Arcana (Int) -- Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft
• Athletics (Str) -- Climb, Jump, Swim
• Concentration (Wis) -- Concentration, Autohypnosis
• Engineering (Int) -- Craft, Disable Device, Knowledge (arch & eng)
• Gather Information (Cha)
• Heal (Wis)
• Natural Lore (Wis) -- Knowledge (nature), Survival
• Negotiation (Cha) -- Diplomacy, Sense Motive
• Perception (Wis) -- Listen, Search, Spot
• Perform (Cha)
• Persuasion (Cha) -- Bluff, Disguise, Intimidate
• Profession (Wis)
• Scholarship (Int) -- All knowledge skills not included elsewhere
• Stealth (Dex) -- Hide, Move Silently
• Thievery (Dex) -- Open Lock, Sleight of Hand, Use Rope
• Wordsmithing (Int) -- Decipher Script, Forgery

UMD is no longer a skill.  Magic items are common enough that everyone has some training in it, so it's a simple level check; Magitechnicians get bonuses and some extra use out of it.

[Jackinthegreen]

Not going to use Iaijutsu Focus I guess?   

So far the most extensive skill list I've seen is in Dictum Mortuum's Factotum handbook. http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=r8m3v6agse1u6bt06g19reasl5&topic=2720.msg83222#msg83222