Pyramid Scheme Pyramid #4/3 Sci Fi Issue

 

Putting Science in Your Fiction

Interesting article. Its very niche in that its for scientific discoverers rather than inventions. So it is useful for survey missions, background character goals and campaigns where such development is desired. Included is advice on getting others involved, a very useful addition.

The Divine Pacific Republic of Datastan

A location that is a tiny remote island. Basically its for Cyberpunk.

More Options for Metatronic Generators

Expands on an article from Pyramid #3/46 Weird Science. Basically a way to handle powers as gadgets that have a monetary cost instead of a point cost.

Space Zombies

A colony ship with a zombie problem!

Lord Kelvin's Icebox

An Infinite Worlds setting, this one is a dying earth that is entering an Ice Age, Infinite Worlds is really an under exposed setting for world hopping that is rich in adventure possibilities. In fact it can also dovetail with Kromm's Putting Science in Your Fiction article above.

Mind Over Time

Psychic powers to manipulate time.  This is done in the format introduced in GURPS Psionic Powers and has a good breadth of abilities and a few novel ones.

Ghost Planets

Three abandoned worlds for GURPS Space.

Reign of Action

This one provides detail to adapt GURPS Action! to the Reign of Steel setting.

The Toughest Race in the Solar System

An interesting idea is the exotic race. Includes examples, suggestions, and rules for a variety of tough races in the marathon variety.

The Murrinres Portals

A weird portal or gate system between worlds or even different dimensions.  Interesting plot ideas here.

Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes

A grab bag of ideas and rule options for some rather extreme sports.

Random Thought Table: Gone But Not Forgotten

Thoughts on exploring known or misunderstood locations.

Other Reviews

Mailanka's Musings

Dungeon Fantastic

TTJP Season 1 Episode 27 Off We go to Hell!

 Casting: Tiger Team!

• Jian Wu (Two) (Christian) 16M; Our smith and all around craftsman, carries a huge sword and Master of Dragon Man Kung Fu.
• Jiao Ting (Eight) (Chris D) 16M; Reckless grappler; Black Palm
• Liang Jing Min (Five) (Randy) 16M; Noble, on the outs with family; Chinese Spear Fighting.
• Nongmin Chushi (Seven) (Rory) 16M; He talks to spirits, inquisitive and charming perhaps a wee bit too friendly to strangers. Shaman, Eagle Fist Chin Na!, Quarterstaff. Also Talker!, Artiste!, and Outdoorsman!
• Shang Yi (One) (Calvin) 16M; Natural leader and archer. Shedao
• Zhiyu Zhige (Nine) (Laurie) 16F; Sorcerer specializing in healing. Transcendent beauty and possibly descended from a fox spirit. Eagle Fist Chin Na.
• He Bohi (Eleven) 16M; Twin, grew up near the docks. Eagle Fist Chin Na, focused on striking.
• He Donghai (Twelve) 16M;, Twin, Eagle Fist Chin Na, focused on grappling.
• Ko Lanfen (Four) 16F; Solid Order devotee. Tai Chi Chuan,
• Laoshu (Three aka Mouse) 17F; Quiet and deadly with a knife. Dagger Fighting
• Meiyou Ren (Six) 16M; Affectionately called the party blending machine and close to Zhige.
• Rang Baozhai (Ten) 17F; Our bookworm and nerd. Eagle Fist Chin Na and Xiangliu's Bite (Crossbow).

To Hell and Back!

So having rested up and gathered some materials to help us we head back to the cave entrance.  The shadow prince has had his troops remove the rubble and are waiting for us. Shang Yi's player is absent so we have him anchor the portal on this side and the rest of us head in.  Once we cross we see the portal as a gaping tear in the air and surrounded by a bunch of bones with runes on them. Our three experts on Occultism and Hidden Lore (Demons) (Rang, Chushi, and Zhige) compare notes and declare that we have to find a missing skull to complete the pattern before we can destroy it. We see a stairway down and follow it to a lava filled cavern with 7 spine demons.  We quickly finish them off, Wu taking out three by himself, Ren another, and the rest ganged up on by several of the rest of us. We then search the area and find 17 sarcophagi which Chushi and Zhige open up to look inside. Wu and Jing Min watch over Chushi as he opens his with his spirit powers and he discovers a glowing spear that crackles with lightning and looks like its made of clouds. He picks it up and it screams silently into his head "You are not Worthy!"   Chushi politely points out to it that its rather rude and aks if it would prefer to be put back in the coffin and left or taken to the real world to find someone who is worthy. It grudgingly admits assent and he hands it to Jing Min who is staring at it and asks if its magical*. While Jing Min stares lovingly at it the spear tells him "Meh, you'll do" Chushi checks out the rest and before picking each up politely tells them that he is not trying to possess them but to rescue them and take them back to earth if they want. This seems to be received well and he gets nor more headaches or quick judgements as he gathers the powerful shenshou (spirit artifacts) and he wraps them in Wus cloak to carry them back. Zhige and Ren discovered a fancy sword sheath in their sarcophagus and headed back to join the rest of the group.  On the way she comes across a big door with an illusionary mural tellin the tail of the17 fallen warriors - she takes notes.

As we enter the last room we see a sword stuck in a skull floating in the air. Zhige immediately has Ren pull the sword and runs it back to the sarcophagus she found which had a skeleton with a missing head and as its placed the cavern starts to fall apart and we run to the top.  Sure enough, the skull joining the rest and the tear is closing.  We all run back home, carrying a kingdoms ransom hidden in a huge cloak.

* To be fair the GM hadn't described it yet, but too good a moment to pass up recording it.

The Heroes Return

We leave the cave and advise the Prince the portal has been closed but that their is dangerous spirit eating moss all over and he decides to bury it again. He eyes a distracted Jing Min (still entranced by that spear -sheesh get a room!) and we promise to get with him later but that we need to take some of what we found back to the order for study. On our return our new trainer seems impressed with our success and treasure, though declines to try and take it from us.  Its generally a bad idea to try and confiscate spirit artifacts as they prefer to do their own choosing.

Aftermath

The Shenshou gathered were a plot device that several had been saving up points for as we prepare for the end of our training period.  Chushi as a shaman with Medium and Spirit Empathy can sense their feelings, even i they are not sapient and will help them find someone hey deem worthy. Not sure what or how he will do that with the ones not going to the characters but looking forward to finding out.  Possibly the Order will send someone to collect any not immediately disbursed.

Pyramid Scheme Modern Action Issue

Issue 2 of the latest GURPS Kickstarter is aimed at modern day adventuring. Lets see what we have...

Into The Forbidden Zone

This article describes three real world locations that were abandoned during modern times. Its a departure from the author wo is best known for his fictional mini-settings. He briefly describes each location and has a few extra paragraphs of inspiration for running them in various genres.

The Phoenix Program

This describes the counterinsurgency portion of the Vietnam war. It is well researched and includes rules for the PC's to run their own operations.

Phoenix: Birds of Prey

This companion article describes various military units and how characters can be modeled.

Three Steampunk Monsters

Three interesting takes on old classics and suitable for most horror campaigns.

Secret Masters

This was my article and I will have some designers notes up that incudes material cut for space, primarily examples. GURPS has several conspiracy settings and solid rules for trying to uncover conspiracies, or even keep them hidden. What I felt was lacking was a simple way to actually run o be in charge of a conspiracy. This was my way to allow behind the scenes manipulation of organizations.

The Checkpoint

A very useful and fairly generic article describing a road based checkpoint and how its run. One of the more broadly useful articles as it covers temporary and permanent checkpoints with enough detail and explanation that it can be easily adapted.

The Company

A covert organization from the authors old Action! campaign this worked example of a modern day adventuring company can be dropped into most Action and Monster Hunter settings.

Derelicts on Ice

An interesting adventure exploring a ships graveyard off the coast of Greenland.

The Hunter's Reliquary II

Some items for a Monster Hunter campaign, includes the usual magical weapons but also some interesting choices for utility items.

El Rancho Fin Del Camino

An interesting location entry. This is a remote ranch house.

Highway Stars

A bunch of modern day vehicles all statted up and ready to go.

Random Thought Table: Get Paid, Heroically

Goes over the idea and troubles of making money in a modern day setting as an adventurer. Some useful material here for those not working for a regular job, and even those that are.

Other Reviews

Malianka's Musings

 

TTJP Session, Episode 26 The Shadow Prince

Casting: Tiger Team!

• Jian Wu (Two) (Christian) 16M; Our smith and all around craftsman, carries a huge sword and Master of Dragon Man Kung Fu.
• Jiao Ting (Eight) (Chris D) 16M; Reckless grappler; Black Palm
• Liang Jing Min (Five) (Randy) 16M; Noble, on the outs with family; Chinese Spear Fighting.
• Nongmin Chushi (Seven) (Rory) 16M; He talks to spirits, inquisitive and charming perhaps a wee bit too friendly to strangers. Shaman, Eagle Fist Chin Na!, Quarterstaff. Also Talker!, Artiste!, and Outdoorsman!
• Shang Yi (One) (Calvin) 16M; Natural leader and archer. Shedao
• Zhiyu Zhige (Nine) (Laurie) 16F; Sorcerer specializing in healing. Transcendent beauty and possibly decended from a fox spirit. Eagle Fist Chin Na.
• He Bohi (Eleven) 16M; Twin, grew up near the docks. Eagle Fist Chin Na, focused on striking.
• He Donghai (Twelve) 16M;, Twin, Eagle Fist Chin Na, focused on grappling.
• Ko Lanfen (Four) 16F; Solid Order devotee. Tai Chi Chuan,
• Laoshu (Three aka Mouse) 17F; Quiet and deadly with a knife. Dagger Fighting
• Meiyou Ren (Six) 16M; Affectionately called the party blending machine and close to Zhige.
• Rang Baozhai (Ten) 17F; Our bookworm and nerd. Eagle Fist Chin Na and Xiangliu's Bite (Crossbow).

We gather together after searching the complex for information and head to meet the Shadow Prince who runs this place. Chushi greets the guards who of course refuse admittance, saying the prince is busy and we need appointments. Chushi determines he means a bribe is required and passes this along to the group who debate what to do.  The head guard then points at Zhige and offers to let us pass for a few minutes with her.  Surprisingly she accepts.  They go just out of sight where she uses Pressure Points to give him a memorable experience, just not the kind he was hoping for! Barely managing to walk back he tells the others to let us pass.

Dinner and a Show

Were ushered in and it turns out Prince Ming May is a rabbit person. We briefly chat and inform him of our purpose here, finding and rooting out Black Silk cultists.  He wishes us good luck as they are a dangerous nuisance and offers dinner to talk it over. He seems besotted with Ling Min (what is with this guy and rabbits?) though Jing Min tries to remain politely disinterested. The meal goes well and we learn a bit, though most of the conversation is flirting. After awhile though the prince figures out Jing Min is not into him and changes gender intoa very beautiful female with bunny ears.  Things get much more accommodating and the aide gets some scrolls and maps for us to look over. There is a cave where a bunch of cultists have been trapped and the cave walled off but it potentially has a demon portal in it. We offer to investigate.

No Cultists Here!

Chushi explores the cave in astral form and notes the cave walls are covered in a toxic moss that extends into the spirit world. Thankfully the fresh rubble blocking the entrance is not yet contaminated and he gets in safely. All the cultists have vanished or died, but they did complete the portal and it is surrounded by bones.  Chushi memorizes the symbols all over the place and heads back out to tell the others what he found.  We send a message to Rang and the Green Seer and its determined that the portal has to be closed as quickly as possible but that it has to be closed from the other side. We head back to get some gear and rest up.  Pai Mei is informed by Zhige using a messenger spell and he agrees it must be done but that she is not to die, hes put too much work into her - oh and save the cook too. Thanks Pai Mei! I knew you loved my cooking!