@Mariano I haven't had any yet, but I have though about how I want to play with it. I have seen some funny conversations from the snapchat one. But I have recommended my friend who is on the spectrum to use it for replying to his wife lol.

Not for everything mind you, but he kinda sucks at saying the right thing sometimes and it starts a fight between them.

@K-O Thank you so much!

@FlamingUnicron That works, thank you.

@SwampCreature

I am obsessed with Solid Snake's herculean odyssey, his machismo archetype, and his ability to become the avatar of the audience that plays him. His rise and fall. His naivety to betrayal lends itself so perfectly to an audience coming into the story for the first time.

His ability to nod the fourth wall that controls his steps without accepting it. He follows orders with suspended disbelief in what is real and what are the psychological horrors of the battlefield He follows his own ideas with a certain cognitive dissonance to both the plot AND the concept of being inside a PlayStation. The way he gets distracted by childish things (as an aside to the equally bored and overwhelmed viewer) whenever something important is revealed in great detail.

He is a perfect vessel for the player... A film will never be able to capture the magic of Snake as a video game character. I could go on.

Also, I love Senua from Hellblade.
I love the concept of being schizophrenic/ mentally ill in ancient religious times. Fighting off shadows in the forest. Finding meaning in random shapes and colors. Stricken by grief of lost loved one. All to the tune of ancient pantheons. Her acting and mocap were amazing. Her performance was incredible and the character as a game concept was peak 2010's.

And the Narrator in Darkest Dungeon. His anguish for his sins. His desire for more. A lot of twists and turns. A memorable performance!

@Alexander-Salkin I hadn't ever written for fun until we started an epistolary (+ some prose) RPG and it was awesome! I've had time to try to write for fun here and there, and sometimes it coincided with sporadic periods of focus, BUT if you're giving me unlimited uninterrupted months of those PLUS inspiration?? Then I would love to know what I'd come up with if trying to write a novel.

I know it'd be dogshit but many writers have said you have to get the first one out of the way and this seems like a golden opportunity lol

@GrinningGrig Apologies! I'll edit it here.

@Saint-Scipio Thanks! I have a few other race/setting ideas that i thought of adding, but i was worried the post would be too long. Unfortunately, i'm not the best artist, but im going to see if i can rope in a friend or commission art.

@Kykeon your 3d printing adventures have the cost of production at the forefront of your mind! haha

Thank you for your kind words.

Before Metroid Dread was released, a buddy and I wanted to get immersed in the lore and he wanted to play TRPG games but was too busy at the time with changes in his life and work. So, I spent a week or so in the Metroid WIKI and found out about the Metroid choose your own adventure book released in Japan. I created a roleplay Discord Channel and made my own choose your adventure style story using the rules of D&D and a dice roller bot. He made a character, and I took some creative liberties using Metroid lore as a backdrop. Since my friend didn't have the time to write, we made it all a multiple-choice pen pal adventure. Link below to the act1 if you want to skim it. We had fun. Somewhere in the middle of ACT3, his child was born and Metroid Dread was released, so it was never finished.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rPdUxb0CAWbDvzSprCCqAPxwcj1kSIBY/view?usp=share_link

@Kykeon I want to get a 3D printer so badly, but I need to do more research on what ones are good 😓

I'm going to move this topic down to the questions category; thank you so much for answering, Kismet!

MISCELLANY

Items & Materials

The equipment a Champion uses in their previous incarnations will pass down through the ages. As the ages progress, new materials and processes become available, as well as new designs and types of weapons.

Classical Ages
• Ash (Common Material)
• Axe (1H Blade, 2H Blade)
• Bone (Common Material)
• Bow (Ranged Weapon)
• Bronze (Common Material)
• Black Bronze (Rare Material)
• Club (1H Bludgeon, 2H Bludgeon)
• Dagger (1H Blade)
• Diadem (Focus)
• Fetish (Icon)
• Iron (Uncommon Material)
• Leather (Common Material)
• Maul (1H Bludgeon, 2H Bludgeon)
• Oak (Uncommon Material)
• Orichalcum (Legendary Material)
• Periapt (Focus)
• Sacred Scroll (Icon)
• Silk (Rare Material)
• Skymetal (Legendary Material)
• Sling (Ranged Weapon)
• Spear (1H Blade, 2H Blade, Ranged)
• Staff (2H Bludgeon, Focus, Icon)
• Steel (Rare Material)
• Sword (1H Blade, 2H Blade)
• Wand (Wand)
• Yew (Rare Material)

Middle Ages
• Black Bronze becomes Common
• Iron becomes Common
• Silk becomes Uncommon
• Steel becomes Uncommon
• Oak becomes Common
• Yew becomes Uncommon
• Adamantite (Legendary Material)
• Crossbow (Ranged Weapon)
• Folded Steel (Rare Material)
• Grimoire (Focus)
• Laminate Wood (Uncommon Material)
• Lancewood (Rare Material)
• Pattern Welded Steel (Rare Material)
• Prayer Book (Icon)

Modern Ages
• Folded Steel becomes Uncommon
• Laminate Wood becomes Common
• Lancewood becomes Uncommon
• Pattern Welded Steel becomes Uncommon
• Silk becomes Common
• Steel becomes Common
• Yew becomes Common
• Advanced Alloys (Uncommon Material)
• Advanced Composites (Uncommon Material)
• Duranium (Legendary Material)
• Muskets (Ranged)
• Signet (Focus, Icon)
• Pistols (Ranged)
• Rifles (Ranged)
• Titanium (Rare Material)

Future Ages
• Advanced Alloys become Common
• Advanced Composites become Common
• Folded Steel becomes Common
• Lancewood becomes Common
• Pattern Welded Steel becomes Common
• Titanium becomes Uncommon
• Crysteel (Rare Material)
• Diaphene (Rare Material)
• Focused Plasma (Legendary Material)
• Magitech Array (Focus)
• Paracausal Matrix (Icon)

Once the Final Age has been reached, no further advancements in materials or items can be obtained.

Upgrades & Inheritances

Probably one of the biggest mechanics players will be engaging in is upgrading their equipment, coming up with newer and more powerful enhancements to increasingly archaic weapons which somehow manage to keep pace with or even outpace "present day" counterparts. Probably the fastest way display this would be a color-coded system. It's common enough in other RPGs at this point, and it would speed player understanding. A chart for weapon/armor qualities would probably run something like this:
• Gray - Junk (cannot be upgraded) - Low quality material, shoddy workmanship, one step above an improvised weapon
• White - Basic (cannot be upgraded) - Average quality material, low to average quality workmanship, nothing remarkable about it
• Green - Good (Capable of accepting Minor-quality upgrades) - Good quality material or average materials worked by a skilled artisan, clearly of better craft than the typical example
• Blue - Excellent (Capable of accepting up to Major-quality upgrades) - High quality materials or good materials worked by a highly skilled artisan; if it's not a bespoke piece or commission, it's the next best thing
• Purple - Superb (Capable of accepting up to Grand-quality upgrades) - The highest quality materials, or "just" high quality materials worked by a master artisan; likely a one-off creation which carries a lot of prestige to it
• Gold - Masterpiece (Capable of accepting up to Legendary-quality upgrades) - The best materials shaped by the greatest of artisans; once-in-a-generation pieces, the stuff that legends are made of
The actual number of upgrades a piece could carry might either be randomly generated or part of a specific scheme of segments (e.g. hilts, pommels, blades, guards for swords).

With regard to the upgrades:
• Green - Minor - Small boosts to damage (weapons) or damage reduction (armor), low order effects (elemental or poison damage), or small debilitations to targets (brief stuns, slowing effects)
• Blue - Major - Modest boosts to damage or damage reduction, medium effects or debilitations to target, duplication of effects from early-tier spells
• Purple - Grand - Significant boosts to damage or damage reduction, large effects or debilitations on target, duplication of mid-tier spells
• Gold - Legendary - Boosts to damage or damage reduction doubled or tripled from their base value, damage effects or debilitations on target equal to or greater than base weapon damage, duplication of late-tier spells

There will undoubtedly need to be some system for "reforging" gear to accept new enhancements.

NOTES

Potential Challenges

Fundamentally, Reliquarian is a roguelike writ large. There's a lot of ways this could ultimately evolve. It could be a classic isometric ARPG (akin to the Diablo or Torchlight series), which could have potential issues relating to procedural generation. It could be done up as a "loot shooter" (or "loot slasher" in a lot of spots) similar to the Destiny series (if going FPS) or The Division series (3rd person over the shoulder). However, it might be better to keep better quality weapons behind quests, give players a reason to explore and seek out august personages. Yes, it might be a fetch quest, ultimately, but it's one that will genuinely benefit the player instead of sending them to get ten rat ears because reasons.

Inspirations

None of us work in a vacuum. All of us are undoubtedly swiping small mechanisms and notions from other works. These were some of the ones that influenced me the most while working on this beast.
• Michael Moorcock - What can you say? The man's a legend of fantasy fiction. The "Eternal Champion" books were a major infuence.
• Red Aegis - This is a very weird TTRPG that I've never really had the chance to play. Designed by Brian R. James (with writing assistance from Ed Greenwood of Forgotten Realms fame), this had you playing not as a single character, but an entire clan across generations and ages, from the earliest days of recorded history to the other planets of your home star system and beyond. Definitely a very different perspective.
• Exalted - Terrible TTRPG systems, but always a compelling setting. Larger-than-life heroes equipped with relics of a bygone age that shatter mountains or cut through a soul like it was paper, all while fighting even more over-the-top villains. It's hard not to be excited by insane wire-fu coupled to ridiculous anime weapons.
• The Cthulhu Mythos - When you look at the Mythos as a whole, when you see the scope of it all, it kinda melts your brain a little bit. It's easier to focus in on certain periods like Robert E. Howard's "Conan" stories or the original stories from Lovecraft himself. But then you kinda want to connect the dots, trying to figure out how you get from Conan of Cimmeria to Nephren-ka to Charles Dexter Ward.
• Buffy The Vampire Slayer - This series (along with the spinoff Angel) did an excellent job of mixing urban fantasy with horror. Not simply in the visual side of things, but also in the characters and storylines. It's kind of a master class in how contemporary characters handle anachronistic equipment and knowledge.
• Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem - Probably didn't think this would be the big video game influence, did ya? Sanity Effects aside, the structure of the game's plot and its emphasis on bringing characters back to the same places ages apart, and their effects on the world, is subtle but so well executed. Also, it serves as the other big "Things Man Was Not Meant To Know" influence besides the Mythos. The Strangers are very much an homage to both this game and Lovecraft.

Oh man, just found out that the creator of honey heist has an huge collection of similar one page games they've made over the years. https://gshowitt.itch.io/

@Kismet Thank you for the explanation should be good then.

@drag0n

Thanks! I’ll continue working on it if I can!

@8BitKid
I definitely was as a kid. My Jurassic Park LEGO set was my absolute favorite thing in the world. I have wanted to enjoy LEGOs as an adult, but man, the price tag is definitely up there for some of the cooler stuff. I have to like... adult now? I would rather spend my money on LEGOs than a new refrigerator or break pads and rotors lol.

I will say, one of the coolest things I have seen done with LEGOs was the guy who build secret LEGO scenes into the walls of his house. I don't know anything about construction, but I would definitely have a few LEGO walls if I could lol.

@SwampCreature Thanks!!! 😻

If anyone else has done any D&D or ttrpg related art, I'd love to see!!!

@Mrs-Whatsit

I wasn't terribly active on social media back in the day. I did participate in a Sailor Moon webpage with some friends in High School. We had to learn HTML and basic photo editing. It was really just a compilation of biographies and episode summaries, but it was so fun.

Also Neopets. Played that game for hours, caught in the thrall of that pyramid solitaire game.

@SerasStreams I have to say you and I seem very like minded I almost submitted my own hero world for the contest but felt to test the water with Meta-breeds instead but I've always had this dream of one day making a ttrpg system for superheroes that everyone could use and then use those stories they played and incorporating it all into a massive comic book world that other could read and also be a part of love this Idea

Races

Though Pyr contains multiple walks of life, these are the most prevalent races you’ll encounter as you traverse around the Swirling Maw.

Lunar Nomads: Lunar nomads can trace their beginning to the aquatic species that roam deep within the waters of Tear. They are a kind and gentle people who only use nonlethal force when it’s absolutely necessary. Physical Description: Nomads are husky and humanoid with varying skin tones based on how deep their original species once swam in Tear’s waters. They breathe through their gills and wear ceremonial neckwear that allows them to breathe in waterless environments. Journeymen: These are the more commonly experienced Nomads one would encounter within the system. They wear long, robe-like clothes and are armed with nonlethal weapons that take inspiration from their days of using wooden oars. Depth Dwellers: Before the Dance of the Cosmic Wanderers a select few chose not to partake in the journey. These nomads stayed below the ocean waves, developing features that stray away from their humanoid forms. Though they may possess tentacles and fins, they are still nomads at heart and are still welcome in Nomad circles. It is the Depth Dwellers that inspired the settling of the Lifegiving Moons Beliefs: Life among the waves of Tear was harsh for those who floated alone. This is why Nomads are quick to help other species and normally stick together. The Journey: The ruins of Tear have helped shape much of the Nomad’s understanding of the universe. Because of their knowledge of the Voyagers they believe that they too must wander, traveling the oceans and then the stars. The Ascension: An almost cult-like following that has taken over most nomad circles. In order to bring light back to Pyr a Starcaller must study the magics of the system and attain godhood so that they can follow in the footsteps of the Voyagers and sacrifice themselves for the good of the system. Magic: Nomad magic is about fluidity, being able to flow with the tides and work with the waves. They view the void as one cosmic ocean, and their astromancy allows them to see the hidden ‘tides’ moving the planets and stars. Settlements: nomad living communities are built on the backs of the gigantic turtles that live on Tear. Before the Great Settling these communities were more temporary, with nomads coming and going based on what part they were on their journey. Now these cities are overcrowded, with hovels built on top of each other. Their buildings are shell-like and work with the great beast that provides them with shelter. Void Raiders: A wounded and honorable people. At the heart of every Raider tale there is a monster that is vanquished or an enemy that is slain. Now their enemies are invisible, laws and policies carried out by an uncaring empire. Physical Description: Raiders are tall and thick-muscled, clad in steel armor and rugged furs. Stag: Stags possess a noble visage with large ears and in some cases antlers. They make capable chargers, favoring spear weaponry. Bear: The largest of the Raiders, with grizzled appearances and almost fur-like hair. These are the tanks, carrying large two-handed weapons. Wolf: Wolves are agile and swift. They have fangs and claws and wield swords and shields. Wolves are known for sticking together. Raven: Ravens are quick-witted and wise. It is because of the Ravens that Raiders are able to travel the stars. Ravens use bows and staves. Beliefs: The Raiders believe that Pyr was the result of a grand between two siblings, one that was everything and one that was nothing. Pyr was lit by the first sword strikes clashed, igniting the star. It is said that the siblings are still fighting and the ensuing battle is what makes life possible. While the mythical beasts were all companions from the everything sibling, the one who is nothing is said to have one mythical companion, a giant worm. Magic: Each Raider is descended from one of the four different lines of Rune Sisters. A Raider’s line shows you what kind of runes they’re able to use most effectively. Over time the Raider’s line will manifest itself through the continued use of Runes, granting them certain physical characteristics that the mythical beasts once carried. The spellwork of runes shows how adaptable Raiders can be, but it’s not unusual to find Raiders with a particular bias as to the runes they use. Settlements: Raider’s live on great voidships that house hundreds of tribe members at a time. These massive metal long ships are all they have left of their home-world. Their ships prioritize form over function with smiths to make weapons and armor. They don’t stay planet-side for too long. Hammerkin: The Hammerkin are a resolute and industrious people. They are hardy and resilient. Because of this most Hammerkin technology is hazardous and downright dangerous to the other ‘softer’ races. Physical Description: Hammerkin are small and stocky, using their mechanized armor suits to appear taller. Their skin texture is a mesh of skin and stone, with crystalline protrusions that function like hair and beards. Beliefs: Hammerkin believe that Pyr was created when the great forgemaster struck his hammer against the anvil of eternity to make the first star. They believe that it is their duty to create and innovate. Magic: Hammerkin magic involves hammers, forges, fires, and explosions. Their creations are built to last and weather the centuries in a tireless fashion. Their spellwork is blunt and efficient. Settlements: The Hammerkin are more accustomed to living in earthen, tunnel-cities. Since their assimilation into the empire they’ve had to adapt to their assigned living stations, sprawling, pre-fabricated structures that provide only the basest of necessities. It is not uncommon for the Hammerkin to create tunnels in these empire-made establishments, in this way they preserve their culture, underground and out of sight from imperial patrols. Forged: The Forged of the Clockwork Enclave generally keep to themselves. As a people, they are still trying to forge their own identity. They are truthful and generally well-meaning, though they do see things in a different light than their organic creators. Physical Description: Forged vary drastically based on their original assigned duty. Some were once heavy brick-laying machines, others were refined speakers and eloquent servers. No matter their assignment, they are mostly humanoid in shape, covered in metallic plates that safeguard a magic, pulsating crystal that gives them life. Beliefs: Forged believe that before they were made they existed as spirits, swirling around the ether. They are then harvested from the ether and bound to a physical shell by the will of their maker. Magic: Forged do not possess any grand magical capabilities. But they are able to navigate the stars based on the latent magical abilities that are housed within their crystals. Settlements: The Clockwork Enclave is a fleet of ships that contain the Forged who separated from their creators during the Metal Uprising. Their ships have no oxygen and no windows, and are composed of massive, clockwork structures. Imperials: Imperials are a people of convenience. The majority of Imperials are fiercely loyal to their nation as a whole and staunch believers of Endless Light. But there are some Imperials, those who are further away from the capital, who look at the Emperor’s will with a critical eye. Physical Description: Imperials are lithe and long-lived, possessing sharp, angled features, pointed ears, and fanged teeth. Their clothing is bright and ostentatious and in some cases, blinding. Beliefs: In the center of the universe lives a creature of Endless Light. Its rays spread out into the dark giving the planets their shape and people their form. But the shadow grew jealous of the Endless Light and struck its blade into the solar creature. As the creature lay dying the first flame keeper rose his chalice to the creature's wounds, gathering precious starlight. The flame keeper ran, far away from the center of the universe, and found the Golden Reaches. It is there he poured the chalice of starlight and gave birth to the star of Pyr. The people of the Golden Reaches possess the blood of stars and light, signifying their divine right to rule. The Emperor is the only being in Pyr who is spiritually closest to the light. Magic: To the Empire, magic and faith are intertwined. The strength of your faith determines the strength of your solar magics. The more powerful the solar magic, the closer one has to be to the light, making the Emperor the strongest solar magic user in existence. Settlements: Imperials live on massive city-structures that dominate the landscape, their architecture is lavish and utilizes columns. Marble and gold are common materials used in their construction. Motifs include the sun, the emperor’s visage, and fire.