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Author Topic: Twilight Cults: Core Thread  (Read 1505 times)

Roboson

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Twilight Cults: Core Thread
« on: August 25, 2019, 01:17:19 pm »

Crepusculum civitatem as it had once been known, now Twilight City in the common tongue, has long been a term synonymous with the occult of yore. It is a shadowed term with a history of subterfuge and sin. While the scholars oft argue of it's first use, many suspect that crepusculum civitatem was first formally used in Rome to describe a strange district one may wander into and never return from. Though scribes and sprites may disagree, Rome was at least the first well documented case. In the ages since, at least as far as the oracle's can sense, Twilight City has taken to appearances in New York, Paris, Salem, Sydney, and many smaller locals, or entirely alone, across the world. While it's effect is oft clear, the strange going ons within are obscured. Now it has been discovered once more, a small city upon the shores of the Great Lakes of North America.

Scholars, cultists, and strangers walk the streets of this unorthodox city, unbeknownst to the citizenry, a dark matters are soonly discussed and less than pious plans are about to be plotted. Two cults rush for power in this strange strange place.


The Aboleth Association
In the scopious and imposing mansions, estates and villas of the Misty Manors, a dark organization has laid it's roots and is begining to blossom. Powerful members of the business elite, bored trophy wives, and the self-proclaimed supernatural aficionados of high society have gathered together to form a ritzy secret cult. Through coin, connection, and conjuration they plot to take the city for themselves.

The Keepers of the Dark
Hidden in the dangerous Silver Slums a loose-knit of like-minded thieves, cutthroats, and smooth-talkers has come together with one purpose in mind: Profit off the supernatural. When darkness falls, the Keepers will be there.


Generally, this will be a completive cult simulator. Teams will vie for control of the city in their quest for power of the unnatural persuasion.

Each turn will be broken into two sections, similar to an arms race: Research and Action. Each phase will use a series of d10s to determine success. These will occur with the backdrop of quests, see below.

During the research phase each cult will delve into ancient writings, crystal balls, and other dark divination techniques to advance their cause and enable their plots.

During the action phase, cults will decide what to do with this knowledge. Whether it be to grow your influence in the city, indoctrinate new members, or delve into ancient dungeons or distant realms, the decision will fall to you.

As time goes on, you will uncover a variety of quests which will grant various bonuses and advantages in your quest for unnatural power. Some may be as simple as clensing a sewer of vampires, others may require a bit of research and intrigue to put the pieces together. Eventually you will uncover Pinnacle Quests. These are special quest lines which, when completed, may ensure your victory.

See the rules section below for further details.

Cult Template
Cult leader: (Player name. The cult leaders will get to break ties during action and research phases)
Cult Name:
Cult Color:
Cult Symbol:
Starting Units: (Choose 1)
Starting Equipment: (Choose 2)
Starting Location: (Choose 1 from the map above)

Spoiler: Starting Units (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Starting Equipment (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: August 28, 2019, 01:09:14 pm by Roboson »
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Roboson

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Re: Interest Check: Cultist Arms Race(ish) Game
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2019, 01:17:40 pm »

The Rules


The Phases
Turns are split into two phases: Research and Action.

During the research phase each team will vote upon a new topic to study. This can either be an Exploratory Research into a new field, or it can be a Design for a new piece of equipment, unit, spell, or other item. Exploratory Research can also be used to learn more about aspects of the world, granting your team further insight into a particular facet of this world, or the world's adjacent.

The next phase is the Action Phase. During the action phase each team will decide what it's short term goals are. Each team may specify two actions per Action Phase. This may include taking a territory, conducting a heist, starting a business, or doing all manner of supernatural activities. While the options are varied and numerous, in most cases you'll have quest goals to work towards. Unless otherwise stated, each action may be preformed by up to five units.

These phases a 5d20  to determine success. Generally this will establish the percentage of success of your actions, using the following as a guide. Most actions will fall near the middle, with especially great and bad results being outliers.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Quests
Quests are general objectives with set rewards, given to each team by NPCs. They may range from kidnapping an enemy, to unearthing an ancient artifact, to clearing out a werewolf den. While each team is ultimately trying to control the city and complete Pinnacle Quests, these serve as side objectives which may provide unique benefits, information, or designs.

Pinnacle Quests
Pinnacle Quests are long, complex, or otherwise difficult multi-part quests which, if completed, will win you the game. From summoning Cthulhu to invoking the wrath of the pope, these quests are by no means easy, but serve as a second pathway to victory.

Territory, Control, and Victory
There are a large number of individual sections of Twilight City, and each one is up for grabs. Each territory is split into two sections. If you control both sections of the territory, you will gain a special bonus for controlling that area. In classic tradition, if you manage to take every section of the city as yours, you win the game.

Units
There are a variety of units for teams to discover and utilize in setting up their strategy. Units are split into Cultists and Enlisted Units. Cultist units are the main workforce of your cult, able to be deployed each turn during action phases. For the most part this will be your classic Acolytes, unless you have discovered other useful units. All cultist units are reusable, unless they die during the action phase.

Most Enlisted units are assigned to locations, or used in actions. Once a unit is assigned to a location, it cannot be moved. Other units may provide bonuses to actions or research, increasing your odds of success, and are consumed upon use.

Equipment
Equipment is the tools, weapons, and items that your Acolytes and other units will be using during the action phase. In most cases, equipment is reusable and will provide bonuses to specific actions. Units can equip up to three pieces of equipment at one time.

Combat
In the inevitable case that the two teams end up running into eachother, combat will occur. Combat will be a series of five contesting 1d20 rolls with modifiers. Winning three out of five rounds will force the opposing side to flee. Winning four rounds will kill the opposing unit. Winning five our of five rounds may result in capturing the enemy unit or other miscellaneous shenanigans.
« Last Edit: August 30, 2019, 05:32:05 pm by Roboson »
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TricMagic

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Re: Interest Check: Cultist Arms Race(ish) Game
« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2019, 01:32:34 pm »

Cult leader: TricMagic
Cult Name: Children of the Skye
Cult Color: Teal
Cult Symbol:Starting Units: (Warlocks)
Starting Equipment: (Scattered Lore, Safety and Security)
Starting Location: (The East Docks)

A Cult worshiping the Queen of the Land of shadows, a mythical plane where the dead roam and battles are fought between ancient warriors against monsters, and themselves at times. The Greatest Death is through Worthy Battle, and Magic is a weapon as great as any other.
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Shadowclaw777

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Re: Interest Check: Cultist Arms Race(ish) Game
« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2019, 02:15:28 pm »

Cult Leader: SC777
Cult Name: The Aboleth Association
Cult Color: Indigo
Cult Symbol: A half catfish, half lamprey aberration
Starting Unit: Hedge Witches
Starting Equipment: Unsavory Connections, Forbidden Knowledge
Starting Location: Misty Manors
« Last Edit: August 26, 2019, 07:15:59 pm by Shadowclaw777 »
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Rockeater

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Re: Interest Check: Cultist Arms Race(ish) Game
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2019, 02:56:23 pm »

intrest
« Last Edit: August 25, 2019, 03:59:44 pm by Rockeater »
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Damnit people, this is why I said to keep the truce. Because now everyone's ganging up on the cats.
Also, don't forget to contact your local Eldritch Being(s), so that they can help with our mission to destroy the universe.

Dustan Hache

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Re: Interest Check: Cultist Arms Race(ish) Game
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2019, 03:26:49 pm »

Cult leader: Voted upon (undecided unless this actually makes it into the game)
Cult Name:Keepers of the Dark
Cult Color:Gold
Cult Symbol:a black circle with a pair of crossed golden daggers and a open tome.
Starting Units: Night Walkers
Starting Equipment: Picks and Pockets, Firearms
Starting Location: Silver Slums

The keepers of the dark arn't a true cult, given that their motive is to collect and conceal evidence of the otherworldly. However, it’s very possible for their curious hoardings and shady dealings to twist them into servants of a force unknown. for now, the keepers are a loose coalition of assassins and thieves at best, and a group of muggers hired by a fanatical collector at worst.
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I figure at some point, you're just gonna run outta fucks to give and just off yourself whenever you get hurt at all. It's not like there's any downsides to it. Hangover? Suicide will fix that. Stubbed your toe? Suicide. Headache? Suicide. Papercut? Suicide.

Happerry

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Re: Interest Check: Cultist Arms Race(ish) Game
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2019, 03:45:22 pm »

Count me as interested in this and in joining the Aboleth Association.
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GENERATION 11: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment.

Roboson

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Re: Twilight Cults: Core Thread
« Reply #7 on: August 26, 2019, 05:22:09 pm »

Ok, less submission than expected. Hopefully not a bad sign. The two teams will be:

The Aboleth Association
The Keepers of the Dark

Updated rules are up and team threads will be coming shortly, but this is still lacking enough players to really function.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2019, 06:05:41 pm by Roboson »
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dgr11897

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Re: Twilight Cults: Core Thread
« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2019, 07:25:10 pm »

I'll join, I've also got a sumbission coming if you want to think about it. With some extra lore and stuff to compensate for being late. I know it's not likely to win, but I'm posting it anyway for fun.
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Quote from: evicted Saint on discord
Weaponizing Jesus isn't something you do turn 4
Quote from: Alice on a different discord, to iridium, kind of.
hold on, let me keep blowing kisses at him until he stops
My Power armor arms race

dgr11897

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Re: Twilight Cults: Core Thread
« Reply #9 on: August 26, 2019, 07:29:36 pm »

Little late to this, I'll join one of the other cults but first I want to try my hand at this
Cult leader: Digger (DGR11897)
Cult Name: The Guardians of the underground
Cult Color: Orange red
Cult Symbol: a lantern hung on a shovel, with the shovel piercing a skull with glowing pinprick eyes.
Starting Units: Bruisers
Starting Equipment: Firearms, Safety and security
Starting Location: Center town
A song that represents exactly how they feel towards the other cults.
The guardians of the underground are the city's answer to the various cults popping up. A bunch of muscleheads armed with the spell called Gunshots. They may not have magic, or much funding, but by god, they are going to oppose the cults infesting their fair city, or die trying. May or may not be the mafia. Meet beneath city hall, in a room that was never built, the society that was never founded, lead by a man who doesn't exist.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2019, 10:04:04 pm by dgr11897 »
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Quote from: evicted Saint on discord
Weaponizing Jesus isn't something you do turn 4
Quote from: Alice on a different discord, to iridium, kind of.
hold on, let me keep blowing kisses at him until he stops
My Power armor arms race

TricMagic

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Re: Twilight Cults: Core Thread
« Reply #10 on: August 26, 2019, 07:44:33 pm »

Little late to this, I'll join one of the other cults but first I want to try my hand at this
Cult leader: Digger (DGR11897)
Cult Name: The Guardians of the underground
Cult Color: Orange red
Cult Symbol: a lantern hung on a shovel, with the shovel piercing a skull with glowing pinprick eyes.
Starting Units: Bruisers
Starting Equipment: Firearms, Safety and security
Starting Location: City hall
A song that represents exactly how they feel towards the other cults.
The guardians of the underground are the city's answer to the various cults popping up. A bunch of muscleheads armed with the spell called Gunshots. They may not have magic, or much funding, but by god, they are going to oppose the cults infesting their fair city, or die trying. May or may not be the mafia. Meet beneath city hall, in a room that was never built, the society that was never founded, lead by a man who doesn't exist.

+1
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Naturegirl1999

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Re: Twilight Cults: Core Thread
« Reply #11 on: August 26, 2019, 08:04:10 pm »

Ptw
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Roboson

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Re: Twilight Cults: Core Thread
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2019, 12:23:55 pm »

The discord for this game has been created and can be found at: https://discord.gg/MTQRnJV

Will be further posting links to the core thread in each team thread, and vice versa, as time goes on.
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darkwarlock3

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Re: Twilight Cults: Core Thread
« Reply #13 on: August 29, 2019, 02:18:11 am »

I'll join keepers of the dark, unless i can still make another cult.
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I need more things to join, Send me a request if you need players for something.
I came for the games and stayed for the lack of sanity.
Grammar is my only weakness

Roboson

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Re: Twilight Cults: Core Thread
« Reply #14 on: August 29, 2019, 11:02:14 am »

I'm planning on ending the first research phase Friday evening or early Saturday morning so I can update over the weekend.

In addition, and hopefully to spur discussion, I will be adding in a potential chance to get a Reroll Credit. Whichever team better fulfils this challenge will gain the credit.
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