Bay 12 Games Forum

This is a God Game, where there is no GM, no need to apply a Character Sheet, or to micromanage power for weeks to work your way up to putting in your really cool ideas. If you want to join in, all you have to do is read through the thread, and post what you do. You can supply a God name and an appearance, but if you want to remain anonymous that's fine too.

There may be no GM, but there are several Rules:

The Idea behind this is to create a World as if we were Gods, this isn't a competition to gain power, or influence. This is a Minimalist Freeform Game, abiding by logic and keeping internal consistency is fine and all, but if someone wants to do something like create a species of anthropomorphic donut warriors that's awesome. This can be as serious or ridiculous as the posters want.

There is only One World, and that is Caseus, or whatever you all want to call it. You can't create a new world, or an alternate reality, or separate dimensions, everything needs to be on or related to Caseus. Now, if you want to create a moon orbiting Caseus, a private dimension for your God, or an afterlife dimension for mortals, that's all fine, just remember the scale of the setting is one planet, and possibly a few satellites orbiting it.

There are no limits to what you can create, beyond the Forum Rules and Guidelines. If you want to create a Magic System, or Mortal Race, or New Continent or whatever else, that's all fine. But Please, I beg of you, don't make any Cliched Overpowered Mary-Sue Races or mess with the Space-Time Continuum. Don't go with the Standard Fantasy Tropes, be original, there are literally infinite possibilities.

NO DOUBLE-POSTING. You can only have one action per post, speaking doesn't count as an action. NO SECRET ACTIONS, THERE IS NO GM. You cannot outright contradict another poster's post, if someone makes a species of hairless apes, it's not OK to have a death plague exterminate them all. It is OK to say, create a Race of Giant Preying Mantises that think hairless apes are tasty and delicious, in the same forest, it adds depth. The Gods are invincible, and cannot be destroyed. They can however, cause the Thread to evolve into an endless war that's impossible for anyone to win, simply because that's how the Thread works, I'd like to avoid that if at all possible.

Before we get around to Magic, and Mortals, and Godly Things, we need to at least create a basic Ecosystem. Keep in mind, Exotic Plant and Animal Species, Monsters, Artifacts, and Landmarks are all things that every World needs plenty of.

This is a semi-serious Zombie Apocalypse Survival RPG. To start I'm only going to have Six Players, and I'll be choosing the Six best applications, others will be wait-listed in Chronological Order until there's an Opening, and don't worry, if this goes as planned, there will be plenty. I also set this up to crash test some Game Mechanics I'm working on.

-For Extra !!FUN!! Zombie Culture never became a thing, the Zombies were a total surprise, and People don't call them Zombies, because that's no !!FUN!!
-After the Dead overran the Major Cities, the Government Nuked them in a final bid to Survive as a Nation. It didn't work as well as they'd hoped, and the Dead don't seem to mind Radioactive Fallout. It should lighten up after a few decades, so don't worry.
-It's the kind of Radiation that gives You cancer, not the kind that gives You cool Mutations.
-It's been about Two Months Since the Fall Of Civilization.
-The Dead seem to congregate in Hordes and Packs, but every now and then You can find a Solitary Biter.
-Pockets of Civilization do exist, but they are Rare and far in between. Nomadic Tribes and Individual Wanderers are more common.
-Other People are one of the Biggest Threats out there, stay vigilant.
-Money is useful only as kindling and toilet paper nowadays.
-There's No Cure, but there are a lot of Pipe Dreams out there.
-Nobody knows where the Zombies came from, but there's a Lot of Theories out there.
-Lots of Religious Cults popped up after the Collapse.
-Everybody in the Group has known each other for about two weeks.
-Note: Zombies aren't the only Threat in a Dying World such as this.

ZR

Each Character has a Zombie Ratio, (ZR), the ZR determines how many Zombies the Character can take on by themselves, with no weapons. Weapons, and Stats provide a Bonus to the ZR depending on their quality. For Example, Mary Sue has a Baseball Bat, a Clubs Skill of 2 and a Strength Stat of 12, instead of the default ZR of 1, Mary Sue has a ZR of 1+2(Baseball Bat)+2(Relevant Stat for Weapon)+2(Relevant Skill for Weapon) giving Her a ZR of 7, instead of 1.

If Mary Sue wanted to Fight exactly 7 Zombies at once, She would receive no Penalties or Bonuses. If Mary Sue wanted to Fight 1 Zombie with a ZR of 7, She would receive a +6 Bonus to Her Combat Rolls, because Her ZR exceeds the number of Zombies by 6. If Mary Sue was feeling suicidal wanted to Fight 50 Zombies at once, She would receive a -43 Penalty to Her Combat Rolls, because the Number of Zombies exceeds Her ZR by 43. However, If Mary Sue used Tactics and forced the Horde through a Bottleneck where only 2 could pass at once, She would only have to fight all 50 in repetitive groups of 2, giving Her a Bonus, but after a while, She would have to roll a Constitution Check each Turn to avoid becoming Tired, and getting a Penalty, and one of the two Zombies might get lucky and land a glancing cut on Mary Sue's Forehead, making Her Infected, essentially Ending Her Life.

If Mary Sue was assisted by Frank, and Frank had a ZR of 12, their combined Efforts would have a ZR of 19 against the Zombie Horde, improving their chances significantly. If Mary and Frank both had AK-47's, giving them a +4 to their ZR, they could roll to Combat Zombies from a distance, with no chance of being harmed by the Zombies, in exchange for Ammunition and a Lot of Noise. Some Skills and Clever Tactics provide Bonuses to ZR, if Properly Applied.

Stats

There are Six Stats: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.

Strength: How Strong a Character is, Provides Bonuses to Hitting Things, Moving Things, and other Actions requiring Brute Force.
Agility: How Agile a Character is, Provides Bonuses to being Sneaky, Dodging, and other Actions requiring Finesse.
Constitution: How Tough a Character is, Provides Bonuses to Pain Resistance, Fighting off Diseases, and other Actions requiring Macho Manliness.
Intelligence: How Smart a Character is, Provides Bonuses to Reading, Crafting, and other Actions requiring Smarts.
Wisdom: How much Common Sense a Character has, Doesn't Provide Bonuses, but can Provide Information the Character might not have otherwise.
Charisma: How Charismatic a Character is, Provides Bonuses to Smooth Talking, Intimidation, and other Actions requiring Suaveness.

Each Stat, (Barring Wisdom, which is incredibly Helpful) provides a Bonus to certain Skills and Actions if Higher than average, or provides a Penalty to certain Skills and Actions if lower than average. The Average for a Stat is 8, a Stat of 8 Provides no Bonuses or Penalties. For every point below 8, a -1 stacking Penalty is applied, once it's lower than 4, it becomes a +2 stacking Penalty, For Bonuses, every point above 8, a +1 stacking Bonus is applied, once it's Higher than 12 it becomes a +2 stacking Bonus. Min-maxing, is not a good idea, as many situations require versatility, but specialization can be helpful in some cases.

Skills

There are many Skills. Each Point in a Skill provides a +1 Bonus towards the Use of certain Tools, and/or towards performing certain Actions. With some Actions or Tools, a lack of Skill will provide a Penalty. For Example, If Chuck wanted to escape several Hundred Zombies by swimming across a River, and Chuck had no Swimming Skill and an Agility stat of 6, He would receive a -4(Lack of Skill)-2(Lack of Agility) -4(Chuck Is Fricken' Terrified) Penalties, giving Chuck a -10 Penalty to His Swimming Roll. Needless to say, Chuck drowns. If Chuck needed to make a Burger, however, his Burger Flipping Skill of 8, would give Chuck a +8 Bonus, resulting in a great Burger, that sadly, he couldn't taste, being Dead at the bottom of a River and all.

If Danny, Chuck's Surgeon Friend, was trying to Amputate Gertrude's Bitten Left Arm, and Danny had a Surgery Skill of 5, an Intelligence Stat of 10, and a Wisdom Stat of 10, He would get a +5(Surgery Skill)+2(Intelligence)+2(Wisdom) resulting in a Bonus of +9. Meaning that Gertrude didn't die until a normal Flesh-rotting Disease set up because of Gertrude's Abysmal Constitution Stat.

Being Bitten Or Scratched

DON'T LET IT HAPPEN, OR YOU'LL DIE HORRIBLY!!! Wearing Armor or certain Skills can give a Zombie a Penalty to It's Biting/Scratching Roll, giving You a Higher Chance to not get Bitten or Scratched. If You are, well... Good Luck with that. Armor Threshold, (AT) is how much a Bonus Your Armor gives You to block Attacks.

Name:((What People call You, it doesn't have to be serious, and can be a False name or a Nickname.))
Age:((How old are You? For RPing reasons, and if this Forum Game goes on long enough, how long you have until Death comes a knockin'.))
Gender:((Male or Female are the only options here, I'm sorry if that's not your Thing.))
Job:((What did You do for a living before the Apocalypse? Bonus Internet Cookies if it relates to Your Skills.))
Personality:((Whatever You feel about everything, and Your general Outlook, or, in simpler terms, Your Personality. Bonus Internet Cookies if You actually follow this IC.))
Undead Philosophy:((How do You view the Walking Dead? Totally not a reference to anything...))
Backstory:((How was Your Life before the Apocalypse began? When the Undead Hordes consumed Society, what were You doing? How did You survive for Two Months? And How did You meet the Group?))
Motivation:((What keeps You going now that there's nothing left to live for?))
Stats:((All Stats Start at 8 Points, You have 2 Free Stat Points You can Put in without removing Points from another Stat. You can reallocate those Points however You see fit, but keep in mind, Minmaxing is a bad idea.))

Strength: How Strong a Character is, Provides Bonuses to Hitting Things, Moving Things, and other Actions requiring Brute Force.
Agility: How Agile a Character is, Provides Bonuses to being Sneaky, Dodging, and other Actions requiring Finesse.
Constitution: How Tough a Character is, Provides Bonuses to Pain Resistance, Fighting off Diseases, and other Actions requiring Macho Manliness.
Intelligence: How Smart a Character is, Provides Bonuses to Reading, Crafting, and other Actions requiring Smarts.
Wisdom: How much Common Sense a Character has, Doesn't Provide Bonuses, but can Provide Information the Character might not have otherwise.
Charisma: How Charismatic a Character is, Provides Bonuses to Smooth Talking, Intimidation, and other Actions requiring Suaveness.

Traits:((Things that make You unique, like a missing Eye, constant Fidgeting, or a nicotine addiction, for example. Most of these are for RP reasons, but some provide Bonuses and Penalties. For every Positive Trait there must be an equally Negative Trait, and a Character can have only 4 Traits to begin with.))

Skills:((You have 4 Skill Points by Default, for every 2 Points in Intelligence above 8, You get 1 Bonus Skill Point. You do not, however, lose Skill Points over Low Intelligence.))

Equipment:((Your starting Equipment will depend on Your Job, Your Skills, Your Traits, and a Few Secret Background Rolls.))

Your Keepsake:((One small item, large enough to fit in a small pocket, that You are guaranteed to start with, an old wedding ring, your old Cellphone, or a trusty penknife, for example.))

ZR:((I'll determine this at the start))
AT:((I'll determine this at the start))

Species Name, Or Names: Varkornirin, if referring to them as whole. Verkiris, if Plural, and Verkit, if Singular.

Home-world Name: Altair IV

Species Physical Description: There is very little difference between Males and Females of the Species, save that Males have a slightly darker Fur tone. The Verkiris are very large, bipedal Creatures, they are Humanoid in body structure and dwarf many others with their impressive bulk. The Verkiris have nearly three times the strength of a Human and their two Arms are noticeably larger than their stubby Legs, The Varkornirin have a thick layer of Yellow, speckled fur sheltering them from the Elements. Their two Eyes can see further into the Light Spectrum than Humans, and they can see the Body heat of an organism. They posses rather large Claws on their three-fingered Hands, and can easily tear through leather. The Varkornirin hibernate for a few months every year to save on Food, during this time they are quite irritable when awakened.

The Head of a Verkit has several large, bony Horns emanating from it, the Varkornirin have long since evolved past a need for these, and they are mostly for show. The Verkiris have a slow metabolism and move slower than a Human under normal circumstances but in times of need, it speeds up dramatically, this was developed to monopolize on the sometimes scare amounts of Food on Altair IV. The Verkiris subsist almost entirely on Meat and most Vegetables will disturb their Stomach. The Verkiris live for quite a long time, thanks to their metabolism, and can grow to be upwards of one hundred and fifty years old, given the oppurtunity. The Females normally give birth to litters of two or three, and Verkit Cubs mature into adolescence quickly, after only half a decade, and after fifteen years the Cub becomes an Adult. The Virkiris normally reproduce once every four or five years. They breathe the Methane found on their Home-world.

Home-world Description: Altair IV is a Mountainous, Arctic Wasteland filled with Flash Snowstorms, Massive Blizzards, and Frequent Avalanches. Due to the distance from the Sun, Altair IV has little in the way of Plant-life, apart from a very hardy kind of Moss that grows nearly everywhere with enough Soil, it forms the Base of the Ecosystem. Most Animals are migratory Herbivores and Predators, the Varkornirin Evolved from a creature resembling a combination of an earthly mountain goat, a sort of bear, and a dire wolf. After the Virkiris developed Animal Husbandry, the surplus of Food has led to the development of several large, permanent Cities, visible from Space.

Species Societal Description: The Virkiris normally live in small, familial Tribes that live by Herding the Herbivores of Altair IV. In recent Millennium, however, several large Trade-Cities have Cropped up, these are ruled by a Council made up of the Patriarchs of each Major Tribe in the City. Each City is Independently Governed, though they have a loose Planet-Wide Alliance called the Varkornirin Dominion, and frequently share Technological Developments. The Cities are fed by Nomadic Tribal Meat and are Powered by Coal and Geothermal Energy. Most Products are Hand-made, but there are Factories dedicated to the Production of Space-Craft, Weaponry, and Vehicles. The Dominion rules over little beyond their Home System, and they have no ambitions to spread any Further than they already have.

Species Cultural Description: The Varkornirin value Family above all else, and view the survival of their young to be paramount. They raise their Children somewhat Brutally, and each Generation is hardened to the Cold Nature of their Planet, and of the Galaxy as a whole. The Virkiri Tribes often fight over grazing rights, usually leading to bloody family feuds. The idea of Slavery has never occurred to the Varkornirin, and they believe that all Sapient Beings should forge their own Path. The Dominion cares very little about other Species, and is usually neutral, but they will fight viciously to defend their Home System against any trespassers. The Virkiris see Waste as foolhardy, individuals live in Spartan conditions, and they recycle most of their materials.

Wealth is measured by the quantity of Tools, Animals, and Offspring an Individual Has, and the Barter system reigns supreme. They practice a Planet-Based form of Ancestor Worship, and burn their Dead ritualistically. Mating between Individuals is considered a Duty, and Verkit normally Mate for Life, but some remain solitary, as Cubs are an immense responsibility, and take time away from Friends and Hunting. Some, more Warlike Virkiris Hire themselves out as Mercenary Warriors to Alien Species, in exchange for Weapons and Technology. Piracy is almost unheard of amongst them, as they don't see the point, since there are no Animals to be herded in Space, and on Altair IV, what's the point of killing your own Species when an individual can Herd or work at a Factory instead? Their Language consists of Guttural Moans and Screams.

Technology of the Species: The Virkiris have made great strides in the Production of All-Terrain Vehicles and Rugged Equipment, their Tools are very well made, and highly sought after. The Varkornirin have fairly crude, slow ships however, and their Navy is fragmented and small. They usually rely on Boarding Enemy Ships using Specialized Pods capable of holding dozens of Warriors, if in Space  Combat. Their Medicinal knowledge is like their Ship-Building, somewhat poor, and can be compared to Human Practice in the Mid-18th Century. The Virkirin Geothermal Power Plants are very efficient and more than adequate for their needs. They sell excess Energy to Merchants in the Form of Large, Power-Holding Cubes, called, Altairan Power Cubes.

History of the Species: The Varkornirin Evolved from Predators on Altair IV, and have been Hunter-Gatherers for most of their existence. A few Millennium ago, some Virkiris started to Shepard the Animals they depended on, causing their Population to grow. In time, as their Herding Methods grew more and more sophisticated, some Tribes began to settle in Mountain Ranges, trading Crude Metal Tools for Meat. As the Years Passed, these Cities grew Larger and Larger, and more and more Advanced, until they finally developed Space Flight. Finding nothing but empty Space, they didn't keep developing that Technology. Eventually, a More Advanced Race discovered them, and being Pacifistic in Nature, gave them the Knowledge of Warp Drives, a Technology that allows Ships to Travel between the Stars, along with more advanced Technology, in exchange for Meat, Tools, and Altairan Power Cubes. As the Eons passed, the Virkiris established Trading Relations with many other Races, and, as all Previous Invasion Attempts against them were catastrophic, earned Peace and Recognition as an Advanced Civilization.