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Nuju Metru

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BIONICLE:

Shadow of the Combine

A TBRPG Idea By ToaOfAwesome

 

 

 

            If you can’t tell from the banner this TBRPG is in fact supposed to be about a crossover of sorts between the Bionicle universe that we all know and love and the Half-Life universe that not all of us know and love. Now before you start clicking away bear with me. I’ve worked this all out and I personally think it has potential. Let me also make it clear that I’m not even sure if crossover TBRPGs are allowed, and if so feel free to ask to have this removed.

 

 

Some things I want to make clear before I begin:

 

Forget About Freeman!

There would be no official characters such as Gordon Freeman or Alyx Vance in this RPG (initially at least), they are from our universe and therefore would likely never make contact with the Bionicle universe, unlike the Combine Empire, which stretches across multiple universes.

 

No Really, I’m Serious

This is not one of those weird fanfics that only utilize alternate universes as an excuse to ship Snape and Luke Skywalker. This is a serious crossover that I hope is remotely interesting.

 

 

IF YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HALF LIFE READ THIS!

 

In order to understand this you must understand the premise of Half Life, particularly the combine. I’ll be briefly describing it to you but if you want a more in depth explanation you can read these articles on the Half Life wiki:

 

http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Combine

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-Life_(series)

 

            The Combine Empire is unlike most others. Instead of conquering other planets, they conquer the same planet in different universes. Some times the universes are so different that the planet can hardly even be called Earth anymore. They have a few universal attack forces called Synths (synthetic organisms) that are twisted and genetically mutated creatures they found during their exploration that they implanted with machinery. Once they’ve conquered an Earth (for us it took them seven hours before we surrendered), they will begin to integrate the native species into their armies. An example of this is the Overwatch, a force of altered humans that they turned into soldiers to oppress the humans and follow the combine.

 

            Once they’ve taken over an Earth they will either keep it as land or drain it of its resources and leave it as a dry husk floating in space. The Combine are cruel and totalitarian. There is no line they won’t cross to keep control over their empires. Genocide, brainwashing, public execution, and destroying entire cities because a wanted person may or may not be living there are only a few things they do regularly. It has also been suggested that they may terraform planets, killing the natives but allowing for the Advisors, the true rulers of the Combine, to enter there.

 

 

Now onto the real deal!

 

BACKSTORY

 

 

            They said it took seven hours.

            Seven hours to break us.

            Seven hours to hold us down and make us beg them not to kill us.

            Seven hours to conquer us.

            They lied…

 

            It took ten.

 

            I was once a Toa. Fire I think, it’s been a while since I could really be called a Toa. When they came – Combine they called themselves – when they came they immediately began to attack us. They were bent on conquer from the start. We did well at first. Our powers were great and a good match for them at the time. Within hours, however, they began to reverse engineer technology we had taken for granted as a force of nature that couldn't be replicated or mimicked. Soon they had Toa, Kanohi, elemental powers, and in near unlimited demand. When we lost we knew that the last thing we could let them have were our powers. If they ever got their hands on them, who knows how many more worlds they could do these terrible things to.

 

            We destroyed and hid many masks to keep them from the combine. The Olmak, the Avohkii, the Ignika, as many masks of teleportation as we could find. They’re all gone for the greater good of our world and many others.

 

            They created a field of sorts over all of Spherus Magna. It suppressed our elemental powers, stripped our abilities to defend ourselves. Kanohi were rendered useless. Other powers of other races were stripped too. Many of the larger figures were publicly… removed… to make an example. Helryx, Brutaka, the Rahaga… all gone. All dead. Except for the Toa Nuva and Turaga Vakama. The Toa Nuva were brainwashed – repurposed to put it in their words – to become mindless slaves to the Combine. Turaga Vakama became… somebody else. He claims to be a leader of his people just as before but he’s different. He now preaches that the Combine are right and what they’re doing is for the greater good.

 

            Funny. I never thought of invasion as a force of good.

 

            The civil protection that they placed to “protect us” is no more than an army of traitors. When people aren’t strong enough – when people are too selfish – they join Civil Protection. In exchange for mindlessly beating and murdering their own brothers and sisters, they are rewarded with that not happening to them. Even the Shadowed One stood up to them! Even the Skakdi and the Skrall stood up to them! I stood up to them! My brothers stood up to them! And they died! How can these people defect to such a terrible cause? How can they see what they’ve done and not want to stop it or die trying? Have they anything to lose? Disgraces… all of them…

 

            My name is Turaga Dume. As I speak the Combine are coming to my location. These are my last words. I’m not going to leave them here. The combine will distort them and twist them to make me look like I said something else and further support their cause. I’m sending this to every being on this planet, even what few animals are left, through a mask left by the great beings themselves for such an occasion as this. When it’s job is done it will be destroyed.

 

            May Mata Nui greet me in death...

 

            Brothers and sisters, I ask each and every one of you individually to fight one last fight…

 

            Uphold your unity…

 

            Remember your duty…

 

            Achieve your dest—

 

THERE HE IS! QUICK!

 

LETHAL FORCE PERMITTED!

 

GO GO GO!

 

GET ON THE GROUND!

 

SHOTS FIRED! SHOTS FIRED!

 

The vision ends. Dume’s last words have been broadcast to every sentient organism on Spherus Magna.

 

 

 

 

 

FACTIONS:

 

The Combine:

 

            The Combine, as described, rule and oppress the world of Spherus Magna. There are three main parts of the Combine that you may be involved in.

 

            The first is Civil Protection. Civil protection is a low job that requires you to keep citizens in line and gives you the opportunity to beat and abuse them. If a CP murders a citizen they’ll never be held accountable, and it’ll be assumed by the authorities that it was the victim’s fault. No matter how obvious and no matter what evidence is available.

 

            The next one is Overwatch. The Spherus Magna Combine military, the Overwatch members must undergo extensive surgery that presumably strips them of their humanity and possibly even their free will to a certain extent. They must be brainwashed to join. They deal with bigger threats like rebels.

 

            The last and highest prestige job is Loyalist Staff. Loyalist Staff consists of people who swear allegiance to the combine and are already in influential positions. Turaga Vakama (who has evidently been brainwashed) is the leading voice of the Combine, sending broadcasts daily preaching about their cause (for those who have played Half Life 2, he is basically in Dr. Breen’s position).  The brainwashed Toa Nuva are also part of it, and so are a few other influential Bara Magnan figures.

 

Citizens:

 

            Citizens are poorly treated and common. They live in tightly packed residential buildings under the constant abuse of Combine. Most citizens are unemployed, but those who are work in mills, factories, mines, or other laborious jobs. They consist of all species. Those who are loyal to the Combine are rewarded with more rations, better clothing, or their own rooms.

 

The Order of Matoro:

 

            The Order of Matoro is the reincarnation of the Order of Mata Nui. Dark Hunters, Skrall, Skakdi, Toa, Glatorian, Matoran, Agori, Vortixx, and all kinds of other species are all a part of this resistance. Some of its known figures are the Toa Mahri, Krakua, Keetongu, Axonn, Brutaka, Tren Krom, The original chronicler’s company (now Toa), Vastus, Ackar, Malum, Gelu, and Keetongu. Their leader, Turaga Dume, was recently killed by the Overwatch before broadcasting the historical message to everyone alive on Spherus Magna.

 

 

 

 

 

IMPORTANT FIGURES

 

TURAGA VAKAMA:

            Turaga Vakama is now the spokesperson of the Combine (think Dr. Breen). He’s somehow being controlled but he seems to be his normal self, except for the fact that he preaches Combine, something so unlike him that he couldn’t possibly be in his right mind. He refers to Nokama as “a sister who has lost her way” and Helryx as “a disgrace”. He refers to the Skrall, Skakdi, Dark Hunters, etc. as proof that the Order of Matoro is a disgrace to its namesake and that they enlist in the help of criminal scum and destroy precious artifacts such as the Mask of Life.

 

THE TOA NUVA:

            The Toa Nuva were most definitely brainwashed. They seem to retain little memory of anything, and are mostly used as political propaganda figures. Recon, however, has proven that they also guard the citadel and possibly command the Overwatch.

 

LESOVIKK:

Lesovikk, unlike the Toa Nuva, has not been brainwashed. He is the commander of the Spherus Nui Overwatch, but he’s very much in his right mind. Something does appear to be different about him, though. Lesovikk may be being bribed somehow. Due to how involved his past was with loss, there are a number of things the Combine could be pretending they can do in return.

 

LARISKA:

            Lariska, now commander of the Dark Hunters, controls a large portion of the Order’s forces. As with Roodaka and the Barraki, she was let in reluctantly but soon proved to be loyal to the cause and in turn very capable of helping by leading the Dark Hunter portion of the Order.

 

BRUTAKA:

            Brutaka seems to have died, his consciousness replaced with that of an antidermis entity. In turn he may be the last living Makuta. He possesses advance technical and tactical knowledge and freely gives it to the Order. He now wears a Kanohi Hau after the destruction of the remaining Olmaks. His main task has been to help in hunting down Vezon, an important asset as he is fused with the last Olmak in existence.

 

TREN KROM:

            Tren Krom faked his death and then ascended to the Red Star. It’s known that he’s their, and he regularly sends back transmissions, but they are garbled and scrambled. Only Nokama knows the means by which he ascended, and she’s not telling. Transmissions are sent to him asking if he’s okay but it’s hard to tell exactly what it is.

 

JOHMAK:

            Johmak is second in command of the Order. Nokama trusts her very much of all, and in turn she possesses some of the most important secrets of the resistance.

 

TURAGA NOKAMA:

            Turaga Nokama is the main head of the resistance. She, just like everyone else, is unsure as to what happened to Vakama to make him turn, but she presumes it was in a similar way to the Toa Nuva. Strangely enough, she has undergone considerable physiological changes since the death of Helryx, whose mask she now wears in honor. She’s begun to take on a more Toa-like appearance, and has possibly started to regain her elemental and even Kanohi powers. The same was observed happening to Turaga Dume in his final days and something similar (but not as drastic) appears to be happening to Vakama. How this is possible remains unexplained. Not even the Combine are sure why this is.

 

ROODAKA:

            The treacherous queen of the Visorak, she has taken her place as general of the Order of Matoro armies. She’s never truly stated why, but things she’s said suggest it was somehow caused by the death of Helryx. Some theorize that Helryx and Roodaka were once friends or acquaintances somehow, others that it was somehow Roodaka’s fault that Helryx died. Nevertheless she has shown incredible strength and intelligence during wartime and is a valuable asset to the resistance.

 

 

 

 

 

CHARACTER CREATION:

 

            The Combine has spread their empire to Spherus Magna. The world is under the deep dark shadow of the Combine.

 

            What role will you play in this turning point of the universe?

 

 

NAME: Your name is your identity. Your identity is the one thing the combine can’t steal from you. For now…

SPECIES: There are less species on Spherus Magna nowadays. Any who proved troublesome were eliminated.

ALIGNMENT: Are you a citizen trying not to get beaten? A rebel trying not to be found? A Combine serving a brand new destiny?

ELEMENT: Elemental powers have been suppressed, and their respective features removed by standardizing the color of the beings to specific shades. They still affect your personality however.

OCCUPATION: There are few occupations left. Civil Protection is public. Anybody can join after passing a few… tests. Overwatch is more exclusive. You must undergo surgery to join it, but it’s very prestigious and could potentially make you elite. You can also work as a loyalist for the combine. Everyone else is either hard at work with some dubious task or simply unemployed. Of course you could always be a rebel.

AGE: (In human years)

APPEARANCE: While your appearance has been nullified by color coding and clothing, you still look somewhat different from others.

PERSONALITY: What makes you yourself? How do you react to things, how would you be described, what is your opinion on the Combine and how do you deal with it?

MASK: The masks have been weakened greatly by the field, and many have been banned.

HISTORY: What events transpired in your life during and possibly before the Combine arrived? What was your life?

CLOTHING: Nudity (although there is nothing for them to cover) is not allowed in citizens. Unlike the suppression field on Earth that stops people from reproducing, there is a mutagen-releasing machine in the citadel that the Combine are using to try and create reproductive systems within Aqua Magnan species so that they can reproduce more efficiently and in turn give them more workers. Nevertheless this means that nudity is no longer allowed in Citizens. Only people outside of the Combine can be exempt of clothing now, but some choose to due to the machine’s effects on them.

SPECIES POWERS: Chances are your species has special powers. The field prevents most of these from existing at a high level, so you must put down what it does when by itself and when weakened by the field.

 

 

ALLOWED SPECIES:

Vortixx - Vortixx are eligible to join the Combine ranks. Any powers they had were all but removed by the field.

Toa - Toa still have their elemental and Kanohi powers but they are nullified greatly by the field. Toa are also eligible to join the Combine ranks.

Matoran - Matorans' already near-nonexistent elemental and Kanohi powers are just about gone due to the field. Note that, just like Toa, Matoran still retain their elemental traits and physiology (big lungs for Ga-Matoran, fire resistance for Ta-Matoran, etc.).

Turaga - All Turaga were murdered by the Combine due to their political influence. The only ones left are Nokama, Vakama (turned), Matau, Nuju, Whenua, and Onewa. The Rahaga and Turaga Dume were recently killed.

Skakdi - Skakdi are eligible to join the Combine ranks. Most of their citizen and Combine rations have been modified with sedatives to make them more cooperative, but as a result they often times become very sick, vomiting and sweating profusely.

Agori - Agori, like Matoran, Glatorian, etc. are eligible of joining the Combine ranks. Citizens are usually used for hard labor due to their tougher stature.

Glatorian - Glatorian are incapable of unlocking or accessing unlocked elemental powers due to the field. They are eligible to join the Combine ranks.

Skrall - Skrall were a warlike race and still are. They have been given the same sedatives as Skakdi, and so citizen Skrall are almost always sick. Like Skakdi, those in the Combine ranks are excempt of the sedative so they may do their job efficiently.

Rahkshi - ​Rahkshi are now a large part of the Order of Matoro, as they are very much against the Combine. In addition, Brutaka, who is believed to be the first Makuta since the death of the rest, is a part of it, and they follow him.

Bone Hunter - Much like Agori and Glatorian, they were driven out by the Combine and take refuge in the resistance. All who didn't were likely killed.

Other - There were many playable species not mentioned because they are unnamed such as "Ehlek's Species" or "Botar's Species". You can choose any of these, but if you want to make your own run it by me to make sure it's not too overpowered.

 

 

Masks Allowed to Citizens:

 

Akaku – The field degrades x-ray vision to a mere awareness of whether or not something is nearby and what it could perhaps be.

 

Kaukau – The Kaukau only allows for extended time underwater, but not unlimited time like it did without the field.

 

Kakama – Kakama wearers are particularly strong but these too are suppressed to the point of simply allowing for more stamina and running speed, but not superhuman.

 

Pakari – Pakari wearers are particularly strong but it, like most others, are heavily suppressed.

 

Suletu – This mask is only available to Overwatch but doesn’t retain all of its powers.

 

Zatth – The Zatth’s power has not been affected by the field, but wildlife are now very hard to find so it may never be useful to its user.

 

Faxon – Like the Zatth, it’s power has not been affected by the shield but it is likely useless due to the scarceness of wildlife.

 

 

Explicitly Banned Masks (Rebels and Combine Only):

 

These masks are unobtainable to citizens. Only rebels, who continue to forge Kanohi illegally, can even wear them.

 

Hau - Banned due to use as a sign of rebellion. All were confiscated and destroyed. Only rebels, who produce them in secret, could have access to them.

 

Arthron – Citizens began to use its (albeit weakened) powers to predict building raids and in turn evacuate everybody. This same controversy nearly got the Akaku banned, however the Akaku’s powers proved to vague to predict a raid, as civil protection patrol and in turn are always near anyway.

 

Kadin – The civil protection requested that this along with the Miru be banned due to “aiding in resistance of arrest,” but it’s likely because it made it harder to beat or harass Kadin and Miru wearers without them flying away.

 

Miru – Same reason as the Kadin.

 

Sanok – Citizens are not allowed to have any more skill in fighting or self defense than they may already have, in fact measures have been taken to dull their skills.

 

Elda – Something is being hidden inside the citadel.

 

Iden – This too was used as a symbol for rebellion and was subsequently banned.

 

 

Destroyed and Lost Masks (Banned):

 

These masks are unobtainable by anybody. Not even the Combine or the Order of Matoro.

 

Kualsi – The Combine showed a particular interest in teleportation, so these were destroyed to prevent the Combine from studying them and inventing a way.

 

Garai – All Garai Kanohi were destroyed by the rebellion due to its affiliation with the element gravity, which was deemed dangerous in the Combine’s hands. It retained very little of its powers and therefore was of little enough value to allow it to be destroyed.

 

Ignika, Avohkii, Mask of Creation, Mask of Shadows, Mask of Time, Olisi, etc. – The rebellion would rather these masks be destroyed than defiled by the Combine or used for evil, but it was decided they were too powerful to simply destroy without terrible consequences. Somehow their abnormally great power made them even more vulnerable to the field, and so they were hidden away to be used some day when the field is gone. When that will be nobody knows, and only Nokama knows where they are.

 

Nuva Masks: The Nuva Masks were destroyed by the Toa Nuva themselves before they could be brainwashed by the Combine, as they knew they would be used as guardians of a place such as the citadel.

 

 

 

 

 

LOCATIONS:

 

Artahka

 

Fortifying the entrance to the Matoran Universe, the Order of Matoro resides in secret on the already impenetrably fortified and twice-lost island of Artahka. They Combine would have have to search an entire universe to find which island they lived on. The area around the Matoran Universe is also claimed by the Order, but they wouldn't dare erect any structures out in the open, as Combine airships frequent the area. In Artahka there is a shrine dedicated to its namesake and all the others lost in the 7 hour war.

 

The Citadel

 

            The Citadel is a massive tower in the middle of Spherus Nui. It is home to the Loyalist Staff and also works as a war factory, barracks, and prison. It is impenetrable and works as a base of operations for the Combine and possibly interdimensional gateway between other colonies.

 

Spherus Nui

 

            The city surrounding the Citadel was once a utopian city built by Aqua Magnans, Bota Magnans, and Bara Magnans. It was once the capital of the entire planet. Now it still is, but it is the Combine that rules it. The surrounding residences there house most of the citizens under Combine control.

 

Bota Wahi

 

            Bota Wahi was the area where Bota Magna initially reconnected. Now everything there is wild and has grown out of control. It may be the last natural wildlife location, but people cannot go in, as it also has creatures from other dimensions who have leaked into isolated areas there. What kind of creatures? These creatures come from Xen, the border world. They leak through when things go wrong during interdimensional travel.

Houndeye:

http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Houndeye

Ichthyosaur:

http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Ichthyosaur

Leech:

http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Leech

Snark:

http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Snark

Tentacle:

http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Tentacle

Bullsquid:

http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Bullsquid

Barnacle (WARNING REALLY REALLY GROSS):

http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Barnacle

And so many more terrible things from Xen:

http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Xen

 

Tajun

 

            Tajun is now a city of the Combine as well. An impoverished working area with little water left, it now is very industrial and has many factories and mines. It’s train system may leads to other cities, but citizens can only transfer between their home city and Spherus Nui without explicit permission and a hefty fee. Many people know nothing of the other cities as they have become very isolated from each other. The streets are filled with gang-like groups of CPs who have gone so far as to brawl with rival groups and paint insignias designating their groups on their helmets.

 

The White Desert

 

            The White Desert may house the answer to freeing Spherus Magna or ensuring Combine rule forever, but nobody will ever know. It has been rendered uninhabitable by the Combine who, in order to kill the fleeing Order Member Mazeka, rained canisters containing genetically modified head crabs called Kanohi Crabs onto the roughly 800 square mile heavily populated area. Everyone there has since been presumed dead including Mazeka, who reportedly possessed valuable information that would determine who came out on top in the end. Attempting to go there would be suicide. Every living being that was once there is now lost, their bodies a host for the parasitic Kanohi Crabs, who latch onto a Kanohi mask or simply a face and access the frontal lobe with a spiny claw, which digs deeper until it makes its way through head to the brain stem. Once in control it can move the host as though it was its own body.

 

           Normal Kanohi Crabs can scurry around and simply kill with their claws, while fast ones not only are faster but create faster and more disfigured zombies out of hosts. Poison ones allow other poison ones to ride on the backs of their hosts alongside them, and inject a venom that, if it penetrates through the armor, can kill most beings after two strikes.

 

 

 

 

 

RULES:

 

Everybody gets to be Gordon Freeman!

            I know I told you to forget about him, but here’s one last mentioning of him. You are all figuratively indestructible HEV-wearing crowbar-wielding Bad***es. Give or take the MIT degree in theoretical physics depending on who you are.

            The key word is ALL. You may be a Biomechanical Rambo but so is that guy you’re thinking of picking a fight with.

            Granted there’s an exception. Citizens don’t happen to have weapons, and in turn it may be best not to go up against somebody who does. It’s all about how well equipped you are and what state you are in. You are all potentially Gordon Freeman clones but that doesn’t mean that you are at that current time.

 

Actually Play!

           People should know this by now, but remember not to god mode, make sure you take damage when given it. You can dodge things but don't magically dodge everything. Make sure not to autohit either, which is where you practically control an opponent's character or say that all your hits got their mark in a certain place. Also make sure to make NPCs realistically strong. Think of this as writing an interactive book with others. Your character isn't you. If they die they die. You can make others (just not clones).

 

Use OOC and IC before your posts!

            Remember that, you guys probably know it and it may even be second nature to you but I’ve seen people do it before in other places.

 

Have Reason!

            Do things for a reason. You want to disregard your prestigious lifestyle in the Combine to become a rebel? Why? What event made you think of it or what train of thought did you have that led you to realize you should probably do the right thing for once despite how awesome your Combiney office might look.

 

 

 

 

 

WEAPONS:

 

            Now that elemental powers have been dulled by the field fighting has changed on Spherus Magna. Even the most powerful Toa of Fire can hardly spark a flame, those of Ice only a few crystals now and then, and so on and so forth.

 

            Combine and Order of Matoro members alike have now turned to new methods of combat.

 

Crowbar

Yes this is an Easter Egg, no there is no logical reason for it to exist in a universe without cars. Yes I put it in anyway. All hail the last Free Man. Yada yada yada. This thing is an unconventional melee weapon that can knock enemies out or kill them if necessary. It’s surprisingly lightweight but nevertheless very potent. You can find them anywhere. I’ll even accept “and then I found one on the ground” as long is it makes sense at all.

 

Midak Pistol

            The Proto-Pistol is a light sidearm that is standard issue for all CPs. Most Order of Matoro members have this. These are basically miniature Midak Skyblasters. If necessary they can kill with a few blows to the head or vital organs, but since everybody is partially armored anyway they are more of an instrument of pain than a conventional weapon of war.

Clip Size: 12

 

Proto Carbine

            The Proto Carbine is a high-fire rifle that fires off reinforced Metallic Protodermis rounds, which are slightly harder than the armor they're trying to pierce, allowing for damage and even penetration of armor. These are laced with high energy and will result in considerable pain and even damage to tissue after a few penetrating shots, but can also bang up internal tissues by hitting the armor really hard. It has a holographic/night vision sight and an attachment that allows it to launch explosive protodermis rounds. The Proto Combine is standard issue for Overwatch and Order of Matoro but CPs must get permission to use it as it’s only allowed for situations that require it such as riot control or military assault.

Clip Size: 45 (1 Explosive Protodermis Mine at a time.)

 

AR2 Pulse Rifle

           The AR2 Pulse Rifle is a weapon made by the Combine that fires energized slugs at high speeds. It has a slower firing rate than the Proto Carbine but it is much more painful on impact and can kill with only a few shots to the right places. When loaded with a special device it can fire Combine Balls, powerful energy spheres that bounce off of walls and can disintegrate on impact. The AR2 is standard issue for higher ranking Overwatch but is a rare thing to come across for the Order of Matoro because to have one requires that you actually kill a high ranking Overwatch and have time to steal it. The few that are obtained by the Order are considered too valuable to reverse engineer in the case that it doesn't work. It has been said that once a sizable amount of AR2s are obtained, the Order will likely begin research. They have already successfully researched Combine Balls and AR2 Slugs, however, and can produce them.

Clip Size: 32

 

Disk Launcher

            Banned by the Combine due to its unstable powers, only the Order of Matoro really makes these any more. They are just like the original ones, but high quality, with built in aiming devices such as scopes and laser pointers and even bayonets.

 

Zamor Launcher

            A weapon that lets you tamper with other beings free will would quite obviously be favorable by an empire such as the Combine, that thrives on keeping its victims in line. Unfortunately the very field that makes their enemies unable to use their powers keeps them from using this technology. Instead they modified it into a hefty artillery device that fires large zamors at high speeds filled with explosive protodermis, which explode on impact.

           Combine and the Order both use this. The Order mostly uses it to take out Combine hovercraft while the Combine usually use it to crack open fortifications on strongholds and checkpoints of the Order. CPs cannot use it without elite Overwatch supervision and Overwatch can only use it alongside other artillery items such as mounted Thornax Rifles or Plasma Tanks and cannons.

 

Protodermis Grenade

           A thrown device that can be set to thrown on impact, bounce, time, stick, or home for a certain target. It is used by the Order and Combine. It is unlikely that you can survive this with minimal injuries, as it typically launches shrapnel caused by underdeveloped parts of the explosive protodermis cores that may not liquefy fully before the device detonates.

 

Rhotuka Spinner

            Like Kanoka, personal Rhotuka spinners were banned by the combine as the field does not dull their powers at all. Only blank Rhotuka cannons or mounted Rhotuka guns can be used by Combine, and even then it requires heavy permission and supervision.

            The Order, however, continues to manufacture personal Rhotuka Spinners and in turn sells them to internal members so that they may be attached to their backs. Concealed Rhotuka spinners are standard issue for undercover, ambush, surprise attack, or simply elite operatives, and will be installed onto them for free.

 

Toa Weapons

            Toa weapons somehow bypass the effects of the field to a certain extent, and allow Toa to use a fraction of their elemental powers, and in turn are banned even from Overwatch ranks in every way shape or form. Despite the name they can be used by any species, not just Toa, and can concentrate any lost power. For example, X-Ray Eyebeams on Skakdi allow for them to see through a wall (foggily due to the field) by pointing it at said wall, or can activate their third power via the weapon. While the powers are still nullified they are far more prevalent than usual when channeled through Toa weapons.

 

Made up Weapons

           If you want to make up your own weapon with its own abilities, go ahead and do so, but make sure not to make it overpowered and be consistent with its usage and abilities. If a weapon appears to be overpowered in some way you will be told.

 

 

 

 

 

So yeah that’s about it for now. I don’t really want to write much more for fear that this may not even be a valid post due to its crossoverey nature but if it’s cool then I probably will because I personally kind of like this idea.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

-ToaOfAwesome

Edited by ToaOfAwesome
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Herro there, person.

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Cool. I already have a charecter in mind. :P:P:P I'd like to see this.

 Kopaka, the coolest(Pun intended) Ko-Toa ever:

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"If the fight had turned, Exann might be the one on the floor with Antidermis spurting out of him. This is how battle is. This is how life is." -Mar'jik, Corpus Rahkshi                                       

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Nice! But I think we need more specifics on character possibilities. Is it possible to play as canon characters? What species are still extant? Which are banned from players? What about weapons? You haven't even mentioned those.

( The bunny slippers hiss and slither into the shadows. ) -Takuaka: Toa of Time

What if the Toa you know best were not destined to be? Interchange: The epic begins

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I'm always up for a good crossover and a Bionicle /Half life one seems pretty interesting. I do have a couple problems with the RPG though.

 

The biggest one first since it kind of breaks the RPG for me.

 

How on earth did the combine manage to conquer Bara Magna in ten hours? This is the planet where half the people living on it are a good hundred thousand years old and have powers, abilities, and technology that would have many sci-fi fans robbing an armed vault to get their hands on it. Having Half-Life on Bara Magna falls apart when you realize that said planet has roughly the same level of technology as the Combine.

 

If the RPG took place during the war to take the planet I think it would make more sense, even if it would change the feel of the RPG a lot.

 

Next are just a couple things dealing more with mechanics and the actual RPG.

 

Factions are pretty good, if slightly generic. A good side, a bad side, and everybody else all stuck in the middle.

 

Two things for the profile section. First, most of the secondary effects of an element are built into a being's biology/hardware. Its going to take more than some weird sciencey field to make a Ga-Matoran be able to hold their breath for less time or make an Onu-Matoran have less stamina.

Second thing about the profiles is the lack of a weakness section. I personally don't have a problem with this, they almost always just get shoved to the side and never used anyway. I just found it interesting that you left that part out.

 

Locations, also a couple things here.

 

 

Artahka

 

Fortifying the entrance to the Matoran Universe, the Order of Matoro resides in secret on the already impenetrably fortified and twice-lost island of Artahka.

 

If they fortified the entrance to the giant robot that is the MU, how do the Combine not know where they are? Things like automated gun turrets and giant walls have a tendency to be noticed when they block the path to a rather important location.

Second thing here is the White Desert, several questions here. First off, why is it called the White Desert? From what I can tell it should still be the ruins of a metropolis and an absolutely massive one at that. New York is slightly over 300 square miles and this place probably has even taller skyscrapers(and thus more living space) due to more advanced construction materials. Also, why do head crabs even work on biomechanical beings? Metals heads would make it pretty hard to get at the brain.

 

Rules, pretty standard fare here. I think we all know the basics by now. Main problem is the BZPRPG part. Its something that keeps coming up when people try to make an RPG. The BZPRPG is a great RPG and runs pretty well, however, you should not say things like "Look at the BZPRPG Rules to get an idea of ours." and stuff like that. It pulls attention away from your own RPG and makes it look like you can't come up with this stuff on your own. Besides the BZPRPG may be great, but its not the be-all-end-all of RPGs.

 

I know all this may make it seem like I'm just tearing the entire thing apart but I really do want to see this RPG become a workable game. Even if only to see how a crossover RPG fares on this site.

"I serve the weak. I serve the helpless. I am their sword and their shield. If you want to strike at them, you must go through me, and I am not so easily moved."

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In the case of other species, are their powers completely gone like elements or muted like masks? Skakdi, for example, tend to having three or so abilities; an elemental power, a vision power and an inbuilt power. Vezok, for example, had water, impact and corrosion resistance respectively. How would things like that be affected by the muting field?

Speaking of masks, btw, I'm not sure smashing things like the Masks of Life and Creation was such a good idea. Bad things are supposed to happen if those ones get smashed. 

 

Also, the muting field itself, is it the same sort of suppression tech Kabrua used in one of the serials? The Combine seem like they adapt other technologies into themselves, so stealing some Great Being equipment fits their methods. But if it is, then surely it wouldn't work on things like the elementally charged weaponry some Bara Magnans had?

A little more info on the Combine's methods and tactics would be quite handy, actually. I know in the games they're using modern Earth weaponry, so does that mean on Spherus Magna they've taken up the swords and shields and other things Spherus Magnans use? That we can expect them to be wielding Cordaks, not assault rifles?

 

I realise you can't make a full list of the fates of every canon character, but there are a few I'd be interested in knowing the fates of: the Element Lords. Too powerful to let live, but I'm not entirely sure they can be killed at all. 

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Thank you for posting, by the way.

 

Regarding the other stuff you said I'm very glad you pointed some of those things out. While I have been working on most of them already some of them I didn't catch myself so it's a good thing you pointed them out.

 

As I'm working on fleshing this out right now I can't really answer all of these but I would like to say that I had thought about the whole head crab part and I'm starting to think that maybe the Combine created a Synth version of each head crab called a Kanohi Crab that is part Krana, and actually rips of the Kanohi to take them over like a Krana would but more zombieish and incurable.

 

What stood out to me was this:

Second thing here is the White Desert, several questions here. First off, why is it called the White Desert?

It's a pretty cheap pun but White Desert is actually a reference to Black Mesa. (A Mesa isn't exactly a desert but you get what I mean.)

 

Once again thanks for posting. You brought up some pretty important points that I hadn't thought of yet.

 

EDIT: Whoops I posted this and it refreshed the page, showing that Ultron had posted and I didn't even know.

 

As for your (and Silvan's) questions about how they conquered Bara Magna, I'm starting to think the answer lies somewhere in Energized Protodermis. Maybe they were able to synthesize an extra-potent version of it that they used somehow to create super-synths.

 

I actually forgot about the element lords, too. Maybe the suppression field (however that works) has to do with it, but I'm also glad you brought up the flaws in the suppression field as well.

Edited by ToaOfAwesome

Herro there, person.

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I had an idea for an RPG. Basically, dystopia where MUans are rare, and there is a massive predjuidice towards them on the part of the Bara Magnans. Not sure what the conflict would be, but maybe some kind of massive threat.

 

Toa. Go. Nova. Kill everything.

 

All I want is an RPG where Nova Blasts obliterate society. Is that so hard to ask? :P

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor :flagusa:

 

I'll add something like that to that idea of mine that no one looked over.  :P

Sounds cool.

Edited by Timageness

Epics: 

Hero Factory: Contagion

RPG Characters:

BZPRPG Characters

RPG History:

The Asylum, Bionifight Infinite, Year 60,000, Matoran und Panzer, HF RPG 2.0, Wasteland, Corpus Rahkshi, Skyrise

GM Résumé:

Matoran und Panzer (Formerly Appointed Co-GM), Corpus Rahkshi (Former Substitute Co-GM)

 

 

Feel free to shoot a PM my way if you're waiting for me to respond to something and I've been taking a while to do so.

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The problem with EP is that it is an Eldritch Entity that specifically mutates things in unpredictable ways. There exceptions, but those are just that, exceptions. The EP Entity has also shown are rather strong dislike for just about everybody. Any experiments are more likely to break out and wreck the research center.

Assuming a super-synth was made it becomes somewhat less useful when your enemy is still capable of dropping bombs on them from the sky.

 

There would be a war, one that would last weeks at the minimum if one assumes that the Bara Magna forces were led by some of the worst generals in history. I would suggest saying that the Combine only managed to take part of the planet. After the initial invasion via portals from another dimension, the Combine's advance was slowed to a halt as the Bara Magna people learned more about how to fight their enemies. The Combine managed to set up the elemental nullification field thingy which prevented any major offensive by the natives to take back their land.

 

It ends up as a cold war as both sides try to find a way around the advantages of the other. The RPG could take place in the occupied territory, thus explaining how the Combine happens to be in control while avoiding a rather SOD breaking curbstomp.

"I serve the weak. I serve the helpless. I am their sword and their shield. If you want to strike at them, you must go through me, and I am not so easily moved."

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I would suggest saying that the Combine only managed to take part of the planet. After the initial invasion via portals from another dimension, the Combine's advance was slowed to a halt as the Bara Magna people learned more about how to fight their enemies.

 

That actually gives me an idea. Maybe that would explain why they were able to take refuge in the Matoran Universe and an area around it because they were strong enough to fight them off but only after the Combine had taken enough of SM to hold it hostage in a way. You go too far from your hole and we Kanohi-Crab half your world and leave with as many of your resources as we can carry. It may be a slightly empty threat though. The very thing that makes SM a viable threat to the Combine could be exactly why they want to stay. Maybe they're busy studying Kanohi, Toa Stones, etc. and maybe even making Rahi Synths and stuff.

 

Furthermore this could have been (at least part) of the information Mazeka had in his possession that was lost when they shelled White Desert, perhaps partially as a demonstration of what they're not afraid to do.

Herro there, person.

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Maybe they managed to activate some of the GSR's systems, allowing them to exert a level of control around the robot similar to what we see Makuta doing inside the robot.

 

Both sides have an absolute sphere of control, the Combine with their nullification field and the Bara Magnans with the GSR's OP elemental manipulation fields.

"I serve the weak. I serve the helpless. I am their sword and their shield. If you want to strike at them, you must go through me, and I am not so easily moved."

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What's that? Is that what I think it is? Is that the sound of a posted RPG?! Finally, after thousands of seconds, I have been awakened from my imprisonment!

 

Now, to begin with, I can see right from the start that you put a lot of work into this. That effort should be appreciated; heck, the very first RPG I ever made was so long, it took two posts just to keep all of the content available. But as I learned far too slowly (apologies to you, TPTI, for you had the privilege of facepalming to all of my early work :P), there are a lot of other factors which need to be noted.

 

Our first issue is visible from the opening, where you begin linking to outside sources. Why use the Combine, for instance, when you could simply create your own species, and simply take inspiration? But more importantly, if you are going to use them, that knowledge shouldn't be presented to the players. Remember, you want to avoid meta-game knowledge as much as you can! If players want to look this stuff up, they can; otherwise, just leave it be.

 

You could tell us how the Combine too Earth, but why do so when the characters in-game don't know that?

 

Now, moving past that, let's focus on the backstory. First, why destroy  masks of power? If Earth was being attacked, our first instinct wouldn't be to dismantle nukes; it would be to launch them at everything. The Ignika can defend itself well enough, anyways, and it's the only one that's even close to that scale.

 

I'm not entirely certain if it's necessary to describe the whole list of members in the Order of Matoro. After all, why would my characters, who never met a character from canon, care what their fate was? Keetongu who? Axonn who?

 

Now, characters: With Vakama, I'm not so sure what to think. Brainwashed characters are never as fun as people who truly believe in what they're fighting for; they're also significantly less dangerous; for instance, the way that Lesovikk has been cast.

 

I'd recast Sentrakh's role as Lariska, because as you may recall, Sentrakh is little better than a zombie. The rest of the group's not smart enough to step in, either.

 

If Krakua's involved, you better work in that plot thread from Time Trap somehow. Seriously.

 

Is the power bump for Nokama really necessary?

 

To follow with what I brought up earlier, I highly recommend you drop the monster links. Why not allow players to come up with their own creatures? Surely the Combine are not as finite in their numbers and types as they are in-game? Remember, the RPG is about encouraging creativity, not limiting it.

 

Once more, on the notes from before, the mentions of Gordon Freeman, and to the game overall, can be cut.

 

Now, so far, all of this has been small stuff. But now, I have one issue, which must most certainly be addressed. It's just...

 

GET RID OF THE STORE PLEASE MATA-NUI IT SHOULDN'T BE THERE! :P

 

When you start pricing items, your RPG has started going too far into video game territory. It all needs to go; all of it. Not a single mention of widgets, or ammo cost, or clip sizes, or counterparts to outside weapons. Let players come up with their own weapons, if they need to!

 

Also, some nitpicks: First, zamor sphere's don't really control minds; they phase through people, and deposit some form of gas or liquid into their body. For instance, poisons. In canon, they held EP (with the intent of negating Antidermis) or Antidermis (which could control minds, so long as Zaktan was attuned to it). What makes Zamor Spheres good isn't that they can destroy stuff; it's that they can bypass armor and barriers for deadly effect.

 

Next, Rhotuka spinners: They don't work like that. Every character has a unique, Rhotuka power, tuned specifically to them; some may have crossover, and all members of a species with limited individuality would share the same, but as a general rule, it's tuned to who you are. Elemental powers are a rarity; further, Toa and the like have powers in addition to their basic elemental and mask powers; for instance, Iruni has healing, I believe. Now, the issue is generating the spinner; such artificial devices are common, and used by all non-Hordika, non-Rahi characters. There's no need for attaching.

 

Finally, Toa Weapons, or Toa Tools. With rare exceptions, such as the Power Lance and Hagah Spears, they don't have unique powers; they're focuses, allowing a Toa to channel elemental powers more efficiently. Outside of the hands of a Toa, or other being with elemental abilities? They're just another weapon. Though I suppose you can just say this one was artistic license.

 

Overall, it's a good start, and I can't wait to see the finished project, once all of the kinks are worked out. I also might come back later on with some more improvements, rather than solely the critiques; I apologize if it wound up a bit heavy on them, but today hasn't been my most creative day, and I don't want to throw out too many bad ideas.

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor :flagusa:

"I disapprove of what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."


- Evelyn Beatrice Hall (often attributed to Voltaire)

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What if the aliens are the inventors of protodermis, a conscious, physics-rewriting nanomachine they use as a weapon? And what if many thousands of years ago, they wiped out a small alien settlement on Spherus Magna, unknowingly allowing protodermis to seep into the planet itself, causing several natives to spontaneously become intelligent enough to learn to use it themselves? Now the aliens are back, and realized that with protodermis technology the Spherus Magnans are potentially the only beings who could threaten their empire!

Edited by Akavakaku

( The bunny slippers hiss and slither into the shadows. ) -Takuaka: Toa of Time

What if the Toa you know best were not destined to be? Interchange: The epic begins

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What if the aliens are the inventors of protodermis, a conscious, physics-rewriting nanomachine they use as a weapon? And what if many thousands of years ago, they wiped out a small alien settlement on Spherus Magna, unknowingly allowing protodermis to seep into the planet itself, causing several natives to spontaneously become intelligent enough to learn to use it themselves? Now the aliens are back, and realized that with protodermis technology the Spherus Magnans are potentially the only beings who could threaten their empire!

 

This would be interesting but I fear it would cut too deep into the history of the Combine. I suppose it would be interesting to find a way to tie the invention of protodermis to Black Mesa or Xen, but for the most part I think I should steer clear of that as cool as it sounds.

 

Hope you don't mind if I step on inside your quote for a sec, too lazy to do it right :P.

 

Our first issue is visible from the opening, where you begin linking to outside sources. Why use the Combine, for instance, when you could simply create your own species, and simply take inspiration? But more importantly, if you are going to use them, that knowledge shouldn't be presented to the players. Remember, you want to avoid meta-game knowledge as much as you can! If players want to look this stuff up, they can; otherwise, just leave it be.

 

The reason I've used the combine is because they're really the whole point of making this. As nerdy as crossovers are I feel like this one works. As for the meta-game knowledge I'd usually agree, but in order for people to even know what they're doing I think I should make an exception.

 

You could tell us how the Combine too Earth, but why do so when the characters in-game don't know that?

 

This is true and while I don't want to refrain from this I should likely cut down on how often I talk about it.

 

Now, moving past that, let's focus on the backstory. First, why destroy  masks of power? If Earth was being attacked, our first instinct wouldn't be to dismantle nukes; it would be to launch them at everything. The Ignika can defend itself well enough, anyways, and it's the only one that's even close to that scale.

 

The Order destroyed the masks after they realized they had lost. You're definitely right about the Ignika, though.

 

I'm not entirely certain if it's necessary to describe the whole list of members in the Order of Matoro. After all, why would my characters, who never met a character from canon, care what their fate was? Keetongu who? Axonn who?

 

I definitely didn't mean to include as many as I did, but I'll make sure to get rid of some of them (not sure why Keetongu and Axonn are showing up, I cut them out).

 

Now, characters: With Vakama, I'm not so sure what to think. Brainwashed characters are never as fun as people who truly believe in what they're fighting for; they're also significantly less dangerous; for instance, the way that Lesovikk has been cast.

 

The whole brainwashing part is kind of the Combine's thing. They're really Orwellian in many ways and one of their first steps of invasion appears to either be to defect influential humans or tap into their mind and make them do it.

 

I'd recast Sentrakh's role as Lariska, because as you may recall, Sentrakh is little better than a zombie. The rest of the group's not smart enough to step in, either.

 

That's... actually an amazing idea. Lariska needs to be in more things and Sentrakh really isn't that great. I'm not sure why I didn't think of that.

 

If Krakua's involved, you better work in that plot thread from Time Trap somehow. Seriously.

 

This is another problem I've faced. Running into plots I can't remember. Thank you so much for this, I'll fix that soon. Regarding plots I can't remember I actually don't remember whether Tren Krom is dead or not. If anybody could enlighten me on this I will pay you in cookie dough.

 

To follow with what I brought up earlier, I highly recommend you drop the monster links. Why not allow players to come up with their own creatures? Surely the Combine are not as finite in their numbers and types as they are in-game? Remember, the RPG is about encouraging creativity, not limiting it.

 

Actually the point of the monster links is because the monsters came from Xen. I guess I was cutting back on meta-game information in all the wrong places. Xen is a border world between universes. When fecal matter hits the fan, sometimes they bleed through (basically the entire premise of Half Life 1). While I'm sure some more can be made up, the point is to familiarize players with exactly what Xen creatures are.

 

GET RID OF THE STORE PLEASE MATA-NUI IT SHOULDN'T BE THERE! :P

 

I was actually hoping somebody would at least say something about that. I wasn't sure whether it was a good idea or not and I'm glad you told me.

 

Also, some nitpicks: First, zamor sphere's don't really control minds; they phase through people, and deposit some form of gas or liquid into their body. For instance, poisons. In canon, they held EP (with the intent of negating Antidermis) or Antidermis (which could control minds, so long as Zaktan was attuned to it). What makes Zamor Spheres good isn't that they can destroy stuff; it's that they can bypass armor and barriers for deadly effect.

 

I'll correct that, but nevertheless I don't think it'll really affect the explosive zamors by much other than their history and the OHMYGOSHTHEREISABOMBINMYARMOR affect.

 

Next, Rhotuka spinners: They don't work like that. Every character has a unique, Rhotuka power, tuned specifically to them; some may have crossover, and all members of a species with limited individuality would share the same, but as a general rule, it's tuned to who you are. Elemental powers are a rarity; further, Toa and the like have powers in addition to their basic elemental and mask powers; for instance, Iruni has healing, I believe. Now, the issue is generating the spinner; such artificial devices are common, and used by all non-Hordika, non-Rahi characters. There's no need for attaching.

 

I hate to say this in probably the only place where anybody would care, but I actually had no idea how Rhotuka spinners worked until now... lel.

 

 

As for anything else anybody said (and these things actually). It's late. And cold. I'm tired. And cold. I'm going to bed. And cold. Buuuuuuuuuuh. I'll do it tomorrow.

Herro there, person.

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Responding to Zehvor's post. Going to label each line break starting at the top line as number 1.

 

3: If he used an entirely new species or group it would hardly be a crossover anymore. Since this RPG does not use our Earth and the characters from it, he needs to use the Combine to have a connection to the games.

 

4: How on earth do our characters not know how their own planet was taken over/invaded?

 

5: Zephor has a point with this.When somebody invades, you don't get rid of your weapons in case the other guy finds them. There would be no point in having weapons.

 

6: He only listed the important members of the Order. If it is going to be in the RPG, our characters are going to know who they are and we are going to need to know who they are.

 

10: Zehvor has a point here as well. Giving Nokama a power boost like that just feel a bit off. If you have a good plot point mixed in with it, go ahead, but aside from that I'm not really sure what the point of it is.

 

11: About 50/50 agree/disagree with this one. If you are pulling from a setting that the forum is not based around it is best not to assume that your player base knows anything. On the other hand, those animals are going to be able to do very little to just about everything in Bionicle, what with all the animals and people having metal skin and the like.

 

14: A list of weapons is good, trying to set up an actual money/store system has never worked in this forum. We don't like needing to do any more math than troops numbers in our RPGs.

 

15: More of a personal comment here. The Order and the Combine should not be using the same weapons. The Combine came to this universe with their own weapons and would not switch over to those of the locals so quickly.

 

In addition, several comments on the weapons themselves.

 

The Midak Pistol should be firing small bolts of light, not protodermis. The origional version gathered light from the surroundings and fired that.

 

The Cordak rounds that that Cordak Rifle fire are small missiles. Every single one of them should be exploding.

 

Since the Thornax Rifle still fire Thornax, all of its ammo should also be exploding. Also, I'm not sure how you get a laser from filling one with EP. If anything that should turn the fruit into some sort of small monster that starts trying to eat your face.

 

It would be best not to try and make Bionicle versions of all the weapons from the games.

 

16: While a Zamor sphere might be able to get through a barrier, whatever they happen to by carrying will just splatter against it. The only thing that gets to phase is the sphere itself.

 

17: Roodaka had an shadow rhotuka launcher and I'm pretty sure Vortixx don't grow those on their own.

 

I have never heard of any Toa having a third power. If Iruni had one it was probably because a Makuta gave it to him or something of the sort.

 

18: GregF used the example of a rock. There was nothing special about it, it was just a rock. It could still be used as a Toa tool though, if the Toa focused his powers through it.

 

 

@Akavakaku: The Great Beings were the ones who made just about everything and everybody on Spherus Magna. Considering how long they have been around the chances of the Combine being the ones to make Energized Protodermis (the original type of protodermis) are pretty slim.

 

No I'm not saying that the GBs made EP, But I am saying that they would of noticed if somebody else had.

"I serve the weak. I serve the helpless. I am their sword and their shield. If you want to strike at them, you must go through me, and I am not so easily moved."

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I didn't mean the Combine. I was building off the earlier idea of using a novel alien species, and I didn't make that very clear. I also meant that the ones who gained heightened intelligence after the introduction of protodermis WERE the Great Beings.

Edited by Akavakaku

( The bunny slippers hiss and slither into the shadows. ) -Takuaka: Toa of Time

What if the Toa you know best were not destined to be? Interchange: The epic begins

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To mutate something, yes. I was thinking maybe a side affect of it leaching into the planet. And the GBs definitely knew about protodermis, otherwise how did they build the giant robots?

( The bunny slippers hiss and slither into the shadows. ) -Takuaka: Toa of Time

What if the Toa you know best were not destined to be? Interchange: The epic begins

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I have never heard of any Toa having a third power. If Iruni had one it was probably because a Makuta gave it to him or something of the sort.

 

Iruini's healing power came from the Rhotuka he could launch from his shield...which I think was actually given to him by the Makuta so you are in fact correct :P

 

'nother question for Bilnicle (hey, you put a lambda in there I'm going to pronounce it!): Shadow of the Combine before I read through your edited version, can the Combine use Kanohi? Because from the sound of it, since they're some sort of brainwashed hivemind and would lack the mental focus for it, Kanohi are entirely useless to them. So whats the point in destroying them? Between the mental thing, the suppression field, and that since the Combine are completely alien to the universe and probably can't even wear Kanohi let alone activate them, seems the only thing the resistance achieves by destroying them is weakening themselves

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I think the point is that the Combine could reverse-engineer the teleport tech.

 Kopaka, the coolest(Pun intended) Ko-Toa ever:

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"If the fight had turned, Exann might be the one on the floor with Antidermis spurting out of him. This is how battle is. This is how life is." -Mar'jik, Corpus Rahkshi                                       

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I know I already responded to the post you're responding to but I do want to talk about some of these things.

3: If he used an entirely new species or group it would hardly be a crossover anymore. Since this RPG does not use our Earth and the characters from it, he needs to use the Combine to have a connection to the games.

 

4: How on earth do our characters not know how their own planet was taken over/invaded?

 

Thank you.

 

5: Zephor has a point with this.When somebody invades, you don't get rid of your weapons in case the other guy finds them. There would be no point in having weapons.

 

I've been thinking about this too. While I've said before that they destroyed them after​ they lost, I realize that some of them don't actually make sense. For example the Ignika or the Avohkii.

 

6: He only listed the important members of the Order. If it is going to be in the RPG, our characters are going to know who they are and we are going to need to know who they are.

 

That's true, although some of the members included in there without descriptions weren't meant to be included in the initial posting, so he did raise my awareness of that.

 

10: Zehvor has a point here as well. Giving Nokama a power boost like that just feel a bit off. If you have a good plot point mixed in with it, go ahead, but aside from that I'm not really sure what the point of it is.

 

This is part of a plot point. I considered revealing it as it has a lot to do with the controversial "anti-toa-stuff field" which I believe I owe more of an explanation about, but if I did and this were to actually become an RPG people would (perhaps even subconsciously) design their characters around this plot point and would be too prepared for it when it actually happened.

 

11: About 50/50 agree/disagree with this one. If you are pulling from a setting that the forum is not based around it is best not to assume that your player base knows anything. On the other hand, those animals are going to be able to do very little to just about everything in Bionicle, what with all the animals and people having metal skin and the like.

 

While it's true that these animals do pose less of a threat to Bionicles than they do to humans, mass amounts of them likely couldn't be good. Bota-Wahi contains a large number of them. I don't know if you've played Half Life 1 or not, but if you have think of some of those extra-nasty things you find in Xen. The HEV suit worn while finding them is (at least partially) comparable to the armor that Bionicles have built in. Now think of how many times you died in Xen. The Bionicles would die considerably less, but seeing as how this is not a video game, once is more than enough :P.

 

14: A list of weapons is good, trying to set up an actual money/store system has never worked in this forum. We don't like needing to do any more math than troops numbers in our RPGs.

 

Like mentioned in my response to TLZ, I recognize that the idea of a shop is probably bad to the core. Nevertheless I would like to keep in the idea of a clip size to add a need for resourcefulness and not just a "shoot-em-up, shoot-em-good" strategy. Reloading makes every shot have to count, and in turn makes things require more skill.

 

15: More of a personal comment here. The Order and the Combine should not be using the same weapons. The Combine came to this universe with their own weapons and would not switch over to those of the locals so quickly.

 

I don't think this is entirely true. While some things should be different, the Combine basically assimilates their victim planet's weapons. For example think of the Earth Combine who now use HK MP7 Submachine Guns as a standard issue rifle for the Overwatch, or 9mm Pistols as a sidearm for pretty much everybody. Frag grenades, SPAS-12 shotguns, helicopters, these are all examples of them using the technology of what they're conquering in a sort of "if you can't beat them, join them" kind of way.

 

In addition, several comments on the weapons themselves.

 

The Midak Pistol should be firing small bolts of light, not protodermis. The origional version gathered light from the surroundings and fired that.

 

Thanks for the info on that. I wasn't as involved in the Phantoka as I care to admit, so Midak Skyblasters are a bit alien to me.

 

The Cordak rounds that that Cordak Rifle fire are small missiles. Every single one of them should be exploding.

 

Same as above, but Mahri.

 

Since the Thornax Rifle still fire Thornax, all of its ammo should also be exploding. Also, I'm not sure how you get a laser from filling one with EP. If anything that should turn the fruit into some sort of small monster that starts trying to eat your face.

 

I'm thinking of changing it from EP to another kind of protodermis synthesized by the Combine (similar to the  briefly mentioned explosive protodermis).

 

It would be best not to try and make Bionicle versions of all the weapons from the games.

 

I do see what you mean there. They weren't quite supposed to be Bionicle versions so much as a kind of weapon that those who have played Half Life can compare it to so that they can gauge just how powerful it is. Nevertheless I've been reworking the weapons and I'll take that into account.

 

16: While a Zamor sphere might be able to get through a barrier, whatever they happen to by carrying will just splatter against it. The only thing that gets to phase is the sphere itself.

 

I'm not sure what the point of Zamor spheres are then? If the contents can't pass through then you're just pelting people with empty shells. Unless you just worded something strangely I thought that the contents pass through along with the Zamor.

 

17: Roodaka had an shadow rhotuka launcher and I'm pretty sure Vortixx don't grow those on their own.

 

I have never heard of any Toa having a third power. If Iruni had one it was probably because a Makuta gave it to him or something of the sort.

 

Gah, there is so much I didn't know about the collectible weapons of the characters. Thank you for this, because in retrospect I must have had no idea how they worked. Nevertheless I was unaware of the third power as well.

 

18: GregF used the example of a rock. There was nothing special about it, it was just a rock. It could still be used as a Toa tool though, if the Toa focused his powers through it.

 

This is something I've noticed. I'm going to reread that section. I think the way I worded it suggests (or maybe even outright says) that the Toa Tools retain their own power, which as you know is nonexistent. What I meant was that when in use, focusing powers through them is not effected by the shield as much, meaning elemental beings can still use them as they would normally (just not quite as well).

Edited by ToaOfAwesome

Herro there, person.

How are you?

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15: More of a personal comment here. The Order and the Combine should not be using the same weapons. The Combine came to this universe with their own weapons and would not switch over to those of the locals so quickly.

 

I don't think this is entirely true. While some things should be different, the Combine basically assimilates their victim planet's weapons. For example think of the Earth Combine who now use HK MP7 Submachine Guns as a standard issue rifle for the Overwatch, or 9mm Pistols as a sidearm for pretty much everybody. Frag grenades, SPAS-12 shotguns, helicopters, these are all examples of them using the technology of what they're conquering in a sort of "if you can't beat them, join them" kind of way.

 

The Combine probably took those because they were lying around everywhere and had already been designed for use by human hands. Everyone you fight are the occupation troops that the Combine came up with after the war. Most of their front line invasion troops probably left shortly after total dominance had been assured.

 

 

It would be best not to try and make Bionicle versions of all the weapons from the games.

 

I do see what you mean there. They weren't quite supposed to be Bionicle versions so much as a kind of weapon that those who have played Half Life can compare it to so that they can gauge just how powerful it is. Nevertheless I've been reworking the weapons and I'll take that into account.

 

I understand the logic behind why you chose to do that, but since this is a Bionicle RPG the way people fight is going to be very different from the way you see in the Human Earth bound Half-Life.

 

 

Aside from those two things you have pretty much answered my questions and comments.

Edited by Silvan Haven

"I serve the weak. I serve the helpless. I am their sword and their shield. If you want to strike at them, you must go through me, and I am not so easily moved."

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In this world, is Destiny controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God, hovering above?


At least it is true that we have no control; not even over our own will

 

In ages long past, the brother deities of light and shadow grew tired of and abandoned our world. In the absence of darkness and light, the world faded to a drear grey. Shrouded in fog, cold stony deserts and dense primordial forests stretched across the land. Knowledge, history and culture rusted away. The matoran hid away in sparse settlements. Furtive and cautious.

 

Then they came from the inky darkness between worlds, a new pantheon of gods. Reclaiming the mantles of light and shadow, they acted as prisms, splitting the dualistic concepts into a rainbow of color. They led the matoran to reclaim the land, building great empires in the western lands and taming the east, extracting great riches from the fields, the sea and the deep mines.

 

Peace and prosperity was not to last. As had the brothers before them, the gods began to bicker and fight amongst themselves. Great armies met on the western plains, unleashing powers they could not control. The number of dead was countless, and the west was left desolate and barren. Possessing only fractions of the brother's powers, many of the gods fell. Those that lived fled to the east and went to sleep in great tombs. Set to slumber for the long years it would take to recover.

 

As the years past, the gods were forgotten. They still slept in their great stone tombs and the world progressed without them. The great eastern cities of Seize and Vingt grew into nations. When resources became scarce, wars were fought once more. Lacking the weaponry and power of the old world, these skirmishes ended in pyrrhic victories or draws. Open conflict cooled into a slow and steady build up of weapons, resources and technology. Both sides wary of committing to a fight without a clear advantage.

 

Far in the west, one god had survived the catastrophic wars. A trickster biding his time, waiting for an opportunity to act. They wanted to see war resume again, eager to pursue his sinister plans. With great secrecy he entered the tombs of the sleep gods, stealing weapons, Kanohi and sources of knowledge. He returned to the west, hiding the seven items away before taking on the guise of a simple matoran, traveling merchant, politician, priest and more. Walking among the matoran, he spread rumors of great power hidden in the west, power from the old world.

 

These rumors soon reached those in positions of power. The lure of these treasures was irresistible. Turning their sights from their neighbors, they readied themselves to travel into the west. Past the frozen mountains and eery green glass plains into the very heart of mystery.

 

Table of Contents


1.0 - Prologue


2.0 - Current Events

2.1 - Technology

2.2 - Armor


3.0 - Civilized Lands

3.1 - Seize

3.2 - Vingt

3.3 - Neuf

3.4 - Treize


4.0 - Nomansland

4.1 - Ertrunken

4.2 - Motara

4.3 - Inselstein

4.4 - Ihu Mountain Range


5.0 - Characters

5.1 - NPCs

5.2 - Player Characters

5.3 - Player Armor

 

6.0 - Rules

 

 

2.0

Current Events

In some places it came as map, others received coordinates or spoken word, the unlucky were given riddles or cryptic stories. All told the same tale; Power from the old world! Treasures buried beneath the western wastes! Whoever could brave the frozen mountains and paved deserts, the haunted green-glass plains or the drowned caverns, those brave few would find riches, power and knowledge beyond their wildest dreams!


Tales of this sort were not uncommon. Every old merchant or mercenary out of Neuf or Treize had stories to tell from living on the western border of civilization. What let this particular retelling gain a foothold in the collective consciousness was the internal consistency, the maps matched up well with the few that were kept of Nomansland, the coordinates lined up and the stories and riddles had physical evidence to back them up. Chunks of metal-alloy with strange properties, green-glass shards still warm to the touch and chunks of bone that must've belonged to fantastic creatures. People were able to feel and hold and see what had only existed as hearsay.


It was not long before word reached those in positions of power. The regions of Vingt and Seize had maintained an uneasy peace for several hundred years. They had gone to war over resources, perceived slights and clashes of culture in the past, but they had proved to be evenly matched. The only victories were pyrrhic and hard fought. The possibility of trump cards proved irresistible to the military and political minds that ruled.


Both nations began to prepare expeditions into Nomansland, large and well equipped, ready to fight through the harsh terrain where others had failed. Great roads were cut through the northern and southern ends of the Ihu Mountain range. Small paths and roads had always been interspersed throughout, these were veritable highways. Made to carry vast armored divisions safely through the mountains and to allow the ferrying back of whatever treasures or resources they found.

 

2.1

Technology

Several important pieces of technology exist, including forms of transport, ranged weaponry, trade and crafted related tools and items of luxury. Small single-user technology includes;

 

  • Electronic smart-tablets; They come programmed with map, note taking and basic mathematical functions. Opening their smooth metal casings is a sure way to destroy the delicate inner workings. For these reason, the secrets of their manufacture has stayed with Treize

  • Fine metal and glass tools; Scissors, staplers, handheld watches, measures, rulers and basic magnification devices and lenses

  • Elemental Energy Enabling Devices (or "Edd's" as they are known for short); A small device worn by matoran, it grants them access to their innate elemental powers, giving them low level control over their element. Commonly made to be worn around the wrist or neck, they resemble a wristwatch in outside appearance

  • Radio; Both handheld and larger variants built into Armor or buildings

  • Greypowder ; A volatile explosive made from ground heatstone, lightstone and a filler such as ash or fine sand. Sharp impacts and fire will set it off. Handheld weaponry must be muzzleloaded. Some Armor is equipped with breechloading main guns. Muzzleloaders pack a punch, but their range is short and their accuracy sketchy
  • Native Technology ; Unless otherwise noted, items such as Volo Lutu launchers, wooden, metal (very rarely powered) disk launchers and other technology from canon Mata-Nui is available

 

2.2

Armor

The island of Mata-Nui measures 357 kio from west to east and 178 kio from north to south, long distance travel on foot is impractical. Large rahi that once served as mounts have gone extinct, become wild or are bred solely as food sources. Most travel is done with Armor, colloquially referred to as tanks or exosuits. Three category of Armor exist; tread based, leg based and single user exoskeletal Armor.


Smaller vehicles are powered entirely by Great or Noble Kanohi, matoran and skakdi are unable to harness their powers directly, but when used as a battery of sorts, their powers can manifest at a weak level in the vehicle they are powering. Larger vehicles rely on both a Kanohi and either a conventional battery or liquid fuel processed from tar pits or sands.

 

  • Exosuits

  • Single-User

Similar to the Boxers or Exo-Toa of the past, these suits are designed for a single matoran to use. The pilot seated in the torso/head of the vehicle with the Kanohi serving as a face/head protection as well as battery. Most are designed for industrial usage or travel through rough terrain and therefor lack conventional weapons, though the strength, speed and low level Kanohi powers can make them dangerous.
 

Exosuits are equipped with either simple grasping mechanisms or industrial tools like drills, saws, welding torches or piledrivers as hands.

 

  • Light Armor

  • Multiple-User (Gunner/Loader, Driver/Navigator, shared Radio operation duties)

An Armor variant designed for rapid movement, primarily employed in the reconnaissance role, or in support of expeditionary forces where the larger battle armor cannot be made available. Early light armor was little more than armored carts, the wheels eventually replaced with armored treads to brave rough terrain and survive fire from increasing powerful weaponry.


Light Armor, as the name implies, lacks heavy armor to withstand direct hits from high power weaponry. They are designed for defense through mobility, stealth and adaptability. Typically powered by a Kadin or Miru, they can achieve limited flight with their use, allowing them to cross deep rivers or small ravines that would otherwise necessitate the use of field engineers to cross.


Standard weaponry is a greypowder cannon, fixed to the swiveling top section of the vehicle, unlike handheld graypowder weaponry it's ammunition does not require packing, the gunner/loader position merely places a pre-made greypowder shell into the loading port and manually triggers the firing mechanism. Additional weapons can be added but do not come standard because of weight issues.

 

  • Medium Armor

  • Multiple-User (Gunner/Loader, Driver, Radio Operator/Navigator)

Medium Armor, as the name suggests, represents a compromise between the reconnaissance and mobility oriented light armor and the armor and armament oriented heavy armor. They are the most widely produced and cost effective armor class, comprising the bulk of both Seize and Vingt's armor divisions..


Equipped with a Kanohi and petrol engine or electric battery, medium armor has the necessary power to carry heavier armor and weaponry than light armor while retaining enough speed to be useful in the field. Their armor can withstand several direct hits from light armor weaponry and from one to three hits from heavy armor weaponry, depending on angle of impact, distance and location. If powered by a Kadin or Miru they can achieve short "jumps" of up to ten bio with a ramp and enough room for acceleration. They are more commonly equipped with a Hau or Kaukau to provide additional protection or allow for the crossing of deeper bodies of water.


Standard weaponry is a larger version of a grey powder cannon found on light armor. Additional weapons include either a heavy disk launcher affixed to the navigator's port or a co-axial elemental gun affixed to the main cannon, that can fire concentrated elemental blasts when manned by a matoran with an Edd.

 

  • Heavy Armor

  • Multiple-User (Gunner, Loader, Driver, Radio Operator/Navigator)

The heaviest and largest class of armor, providing increased firepower and defense at the cost of mobility, maneuverability and, particularly, expense. During past open wars heavy armor was designed to break through enemy lines and fortifications, in practice they have seen more use in a defensive role. Usually remaining stationed in the capital or smaller cities as a short-range mobile anti-armor weapon. Very few seen field use.


Equipped with a Kanohi and petrol engine for movement, their electric batteries are devoted to increased radio range and firepower. The few heavy armor that is used in the field is often used as mobile bases for the long range radio. Traveling several bio behind the light armor scouts while still maintaining some distance ahead of the foot soldiers and bulk of the forces. An officer can use the radio to relay messages from the scouts back to the main force. They cannot achieve any flight when equipped with a Miru or Kadin, the extra shielding provided by a Hau is unnecessary, so Heavy Armor sees a wide variety of masks with more subtle effects.


Standard weaponry is a large electromagnetic coil gun, powered by huge batteries kept onboard. It fires the same shells as light armor at much higher speeds, giving it increased range, penetration and accuracy. Heavy disk launchers are affixed to both the navigator's port and co-axially to the main gun. Elemental weaponry can be substituted for the co-axial disk launcher.

 

  • Fikou

  • Multiple-User (Gunner/Loader, Driver/Navigator, shared Radio operation duties)

The Fikou class of armor was designed in Treize, they are composed of a light armor chassis fitted with six legs instead of treads, allowing for far more mobility than light armor at the cost of a slight reduction in speed, increased chance of complications and the fact that the legs are a prime target for enemies. Because of these issues they are typically only deployed for scouting missions where the terrain will be too difficult for even Kadin equipped light armor. Weaponry and power systems are identical to light armor.

 

 

3.0

Civilized Lands

 

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The eastern half of the island is divided into four regions; Seize, Vingt, Neuf and Treize. Far larger than their neighbors, Seize and Vingt are undoubtedly the most powerful. The remaining two maintain their independence through smaller but highly skilled and advanced military and naturally defensible terrain.


3.1

Seize

"A grand city bathed in twilight, the volcanic dust and ash that gives the region it's fertile soil also clouds the atmosphere around the central crater, dimming the sunlight and producing a melancholy orange hue, even at high noon"


Near the northern coast lays the city of Seize, for which the region is named. The city is built around an extinct volcano, the inner city sitting within the natural walls created by the crater and the outer city extending for several kio around it. Within the walls the architecture is grand, the governmental center is housed in a grand cathedral, the tall towers of which can be seen even beyond the walls. High ranking military officers, politicians, merchants and priests populate the central city. Under the cathedral is a holy area, inaccessible to all but the highest priests. The tombs of numerous gods are located there


As one moves out from the center the wealth stretches thin and the architecture grows simple. Two large barracks housing the majority of the military's soldiers, munitions and armor are located on the southeastern and southwestern borders of the city. The remaining outer city is fairly nondescript. Streets and open markets dot the landscape before thinning to agricultural zones and ranches, the largest and most productive are located to the west in the grassy flatlands between Seize and Neuf


The northern coastal area is somewhat of a criminal underground, far away from the military bases and power centers, a collection of pirates, smugglers, general lowlifes and more petty criminals have congregated. The more dangerous parts of it are well hidden from the outside, the more clever among them working hard to keep their small home as inconspicuous as possible


Seize's government is publicly exhibited as an autocracy, leadership coming in the form of decrees, published speeches and announcements from the Emperor, a title given to the eldest male of the Lhii family, an old house claiming to be descendents of an legendary hero that ruled the old world cities Seize is built upon. In actuality, a large senate made up of the aristocrat merchants, military officers and priests that own and control much of central city controls the nation, leaving the Emperor in place as a figurehead


The populace has a large degree of personal freedom but are kept under as close a watch as the senate and military can maintain. Their eye being strongest in the central city and near the two military barracks. As mentioned earlier, their control over the northern coast and the farm lands is much looser. Military service and training is not mandatory, but is highly encouraged and they receive many recruits. On paper, this gives Seize an advantage in numbers over their neighbors, but their production of Armor and technology is close to that of Vingt, so many of the military personal serve as civil engineers, glorified farmers, public workers and in other non-combatant roles.


3.2

Vingt

"Where Seize is grand, noble and golden, Vingt is utilitarian and nondescript. Dense rainforests hide the capital, built over top of an ancient temple and it's catacombs. It is a wonder they managed to field an army, construct and pilot Armor in such a blasted region"


Near the southern coast sits the city of Vingt, the southern region it leads is named after it. The capital city is built over a temple and it's underground labyrinth from the old times called "Mangaia", whatever purpose it served or beings it houses have long since been forgotten. The buildings are low and sprawling, forming a rough triangle with the temple at it's center. The temple has been greatly expanded and serves as it's governmental center


Unlike in Seize, people of many different economic, military and religious castes congregate in the city, making it a hub of trade and business. Merchants frequently travel through the area bringing goods from other regions to sell or trade for goods to take with them to Treize or Seize. This makes the central market stalls one of the best places on the island to acquire technology or more unique weaponry


North of Vingt is the great volcano that marks the center of the island, it has been dormant for several thousand years and is the primary source of ores for the southern region as it lacks the wide spread mineral deposits that Seize has. The nation's military bases are situated at the foot of the mountain because of it's central location, valuable resources and the many trade routes that converge around it


The southern coast is long and tropical, numerous fishing and farming settlements dotting the coastal roads. Further inland and east of the capital the land is far less hospitable. Consisting of dense and untamed jungle and swamp. The only area with sizable population is the great lake Kanae. Outside of the roads cut between it and the capital, the jungles are sparsely populated and used mostly by hunters, trackers or as a suitable hiding spot for those with more devious intentions


Vingt has had a long history of governments rising and falling due to it's spread out nature and wide variety of cultures. The current government is a democratic republic, it is rather young, naive and dangerous. Where as Seize has warred in the past for resources and land, the government of Vingt has shown an easily offended and zealous nature. Just as likely to show aggression over differences in culture or ideals as it is over resources or more material matters


Personal freedom is prized in Vingt, military service is neither mandated nor heavily advertised. Though, political propaganda is frequent. This leaves them with a smaller military than Seize, but as noted earlier, the size difference is primarily in the non-combatant roles. The military is well trained and their Armor pilots are renowned as some of the best on the island. Inventing and popularizing many of the kanohi based tactics with Armor.


3.3

Neuf

"This is Neuf, you silly fool! Neuf! Right on the doorstep of chaos! Right in the heart of everything! The seepage of evil is so great, I have a hundred wild Rahkshi to subdue every month!"


The westernmost province, Neuf is a moderately sized city built around a fortress. It sits on the eastern side of Naho Bay, close enough to see the edge of Nomansland with the naked eye. Where the larger cities are sprawling and open. Neuf is closed and fortified. Thousands of years of border skirmishes with Seize and almost daily encounters with beasts and outlaws from the west have forged a tightly knit community focused on one thing; survival


Every building and street was fashioned by master tacticians and generals, outside it's great eastern wall the land has been razed, salted and leveled to provide no cover for potential enemies. (Not to mention, soften up any merchants coming to and fro) Cold winds blow off the central mountains and intermingle with warmer ocean currents creating frequent rain and thunderstorms


Such a land breeds hardy people, the people of Neuf are all trained in the art of war. Everyone from young children to wizened hermits can operate and maintain greypowder weaponry or heavy disk launchers as well as receiving extensive training in melee combat and lessons on how to operate any type of Armor and any position therein. The crafts and tradesmen of Neuf are equally disciplined. Braving the icey mountains to mine for valuable ores, working the strip of fertile land on the western side of Naho Bay and sailing out onto the rough seas to catch fish, sharks and great whales. The few warriors or workers that defect are valued greatly by the other nations


Neuf has a stable utilitarian/meritocratic system of government, a council of respected and veteran military officers and craftsmen serving limited terms of office. The many challenges they face from the land and outside aggressors have taught them that social and political stability are as valuable as any resource. Many of the island's Skakdi and Vortixx live in Neuf. Their prowess as warriors and technicians well valued and rewarded.


3.4

Treize

"Hidden up in the Ihu Mountains, that Treize is quite the mysterious place. They export a fair load o' technological type things and get rich off'a it. I doubt what we've got is half'a what they've got stashed away. A whole Armor division outta Vingt got wiped out once, soon as they got close to their mountain, since then people have well done left'em alone."


Situated high in the Ihu Mountains, Treize is a small city built around exporting technology. Armor, Edd's, smart tablets and Radio all originated here and were sold to the other nations for many years before they were able to reverse engineer them and begin their own production. As soon as this happened, Treize would roll out a newer model, always better, stronger or faster than their predecessors. It is likely that even the most advanced weaponry they sell is still several steps behind what they keep for themselves. Because of this and their well defended position in the mountains they have never been conquered, despite their small population and size. Vingt tried for many years, after several failures, including the loss of an entire division of Armor, they have given up. Defeat through trade has proved equally difficult, for their coffers are well stocked. When Vingt started a trade embargo they simply bought food and other goods from further away


Little is known about their social or political situation. Merchants or mercenaries traveling through it have little to report about it's people. It's thought that many stay underground and use geothermal energy to provide power. The trade routes through it are controlled by them, innumerable sets of Heavy Armor dot the mountains surrounding them to deter or neutralize any threats.

 

4.0

Nomansland

The western half of the island, referred to collectively as Nomansland, it consists of Motara, Ertrunken and the Ihu Mountain Range, commonly regarded as the dividing line of the two halves. An accurate history of the great wars that led to it's creation does not exist, most theories revolve around the level of technology and weaponry being much higher in the old world, explaining the great buildings and feats of engineering, impossible to recreate in modern times.

 

4.1

Ertrunken

Below ground, Ertrunken is a vast network of caverns, tunnels and mines. Many are flooded or collapsed, seawater creating great lakes beneath the ground. Access to the caves is found in numerous underground railway stations that can be found in the melted cityscape above. The railways contain maps and landmark for a ways, then the unexplored sections begin. It is unknown whether anything lives below ground


Above ground is a cityscape, much like Motara to the north. The difference here is that many of the tall buildings are deformed or destroyed. Whole blocks have melted appearances, like great concrete candles that were lit and guttered out many ages ago. Feral rahkshi and rahi stalk the streets, a brutal environment of hunter and hunted. In the areas of more intense destruction, the ground is covered in green glass-rock and is absent of wildlife
 

The coral reefs on the southern coast are a dangerous swamp like area, the water thick and foul from runoff and inhabited by nightmarish creatures.

 

4.2

Motara
Old texts call this region the Motara Desert, the desert suffix has fallen out of use as very little desert remains. Only a scant few kio of quarries and badlands near the Motara-Ertrunken border. The rest of the region consists of smooth, paved stone roads and perfectly squared rows of buildings. Stretching towards the sky and running off into the distance. Near the sea to the north and west, the buildings become lower in height, resembling suburbs or rural areas. These zones are harder to navigate, narrow roads and cross sections necessitating careful planning to get Armor through. Feral rahkshi and rahi are thick throughout the whole region. Equally dangerous are the ports on the northern coast, pirates and criminals finding the coast north of Seize still uncomfortably close to the law have made home here.

 

4.3

Inselstein

Very little is known about Inselstein. Until several of the maps and riddles made reference to a peninsula far to the northwest, it was completely unknown. Maps show it at the edge of the island, almost directly opposite to the islets of southeastern Vingt.


4.4

Ihu Mountain Range

The Ihu Mountains serve as the "dividing line" between the civilized lands and Nomansland and, as such, are the best explored. The highest peaks are the dormant volcano at the center of the island and a mountain directly west of it, it's zenith reaching far above the clouds. Several of the mountains still have ancient observation centers equipped with enormous telescopes and stocked with star charts and mathematics plotting the path of dozens of celestial objects


Recently, two large paths have been cut through the southern and northern ends of the mountains, intended as highways to allow Armor to easily travel to and from the deeper areas of Nomansland. Outside these guarded highways, the mountains are extremely dangerous. The weather and large predatory rahi endangering those that veer off the paths.

 

 

5.0

Characters

Everybody's got some kind of story! This section will have short descriptions of important NPC and plot characters, as well as giving players guidelines for a profile and how to register their Armor. (should they want any IC)

 

It should be noted that the majority of plot characters, and all the important NPCs are going to have identical traits to player characters. My planned story and events are flexible, I don't have an unlimited number of ends or variations planned out, but player choices and actions will have a large role to play. So if you want to try to take down a nefarious pirate crime lord, lead a rogue Armor squadron on a mutiny or hire a mercenary (or be that merc) to assassinate the Lhii Emperor, then go ahead and do so! The main difference is that these people start out with a fame/infamy advantage so to say. PCs will need time to build up crime rings, pirate crews or become the leader of an Armored Division, some of the plot characters or other NPCs will have these things from the beginning. So if you want to take someone with friends down, bring some friends of your own.

 

This brings me to another note, a big part of this TBRPG is the tanks. Tanks require a crew to operate, this means teamwork. I included variants with low crew requirements because I know some people will want to play solo characters. But the larger tanks will require multiple players. You're not going to be able to make four characters to pilot your very own heavy armor. I don't think that is in the spirit of the game.

 

Another note, NPCs and plot characters will be introduced and added as the story progresses. This is not a final list, just enough to get things started for several factions.

 

5.1

NPCs

Name: Rickert

Species: Ta-Matoran

A powerful warrior and rugged man in his youth, at present he is more the "tough grandfather" type than the bear-wrestling adventurer he once was. As General of Seize's Armored Divisions, he is the de facto military leader. Serving as one of the council that make of the government. None too interested in politics, he rarely joins the council in person, preferring to leave an aide in the capital to ferry messages and news to and fro. He is considered naive and brash in political matters, but is regarded as an excellent commander. Serving many long years in active service and several more during the present ceasefire

 

He is personally leading the vanguard of the expedition, to the dismay and/or delight of his underlings and detractors.

 

Name: Silat

Species: Bo-Matoran

Called "The Snake" by his enemies, Silat is one of the highest ranking military officers in Vingt, personally overseeing the mining and defense operations of the central volcano. He was a conspirator in the most recent coup d'etat, using his paramilitary connections to enforce several key members of the republic as they consolidated power. Any direct evidence or traces of these acts are obscured or destroyed, so he remains a man difficult to apprehend. Content to play commander in the military

 

He has been appointed a leading role in Vingt's expedition, though he does not prefer to ride at the front lines. He is typically with the heavy armor in the rear, comfortable and well nourished at the beginning of the supply chain.

 

Name: Grunbeld

Species: Po-Skakdi

Grunbeld is a veritable mountain of a skakdi, his form bringing to mind a vaguely humanoid chunk of granite. He is the Tradesmaster of Neuf, not a strictly military nor high ranking position in their government, he commands respect and power through connections and years of diligence in his post. His day-to-day role is to observe and manage trade traffic through Neuf's ports and along it's eastern border. It's not uncommon to find him down in the mess himself, brusquely bartering with merchants from Seize or escorting a capture pirate to the isolation cubes.

 

Name: Sonia

Species: Vortixx

Cool and calculating, Sonia is the official in charge of foreign relations for Treize. She towers over most foreign dignitaries and is apt to make subtle threats and demands. As head of foreign relations, it is her job to prepare Treize's small and independent expeditionary force. Intending to find any technology in the west long before the other larger and slower expeditions.

 

5.2

Player Characters

To start playing you'll need to fill out a profile and get it approved. I'll go in depth on some of the fields and what can and cannot be used.

 

Name:

Species:

Gender:

Powers/Gear

Appearance:

Personality:

Bio:

Armor:

 

Name:

Self explanatory.

 

Species:

You can play as a Matoran, (Can use an Edd for elemental powers, mass-produced and multiple-user armor is built for matoran usage) Skakdi, (Vision power + Elemental powers in conjunction with another Skakdi) or Vortixx (Big and strong, innate technical aptitude) Custom species need a lengthy description and approval.

 

Gender:

Self Explanatory. You can stick to boy/girl or add as much extra as you want, island culture is accepting about those things.

 

Powers/Gear:

Matoran get an elemental power, Skakdi get an element and vision power. You're free to choose any element/vision power from canon that isn't light or shadow, or request a custom power. Custom powers need to be balanced to be approved. Gear follows similar guidelines, basic items covered in section 2.1 are good to go, high tech items will need a detailed description and approval. Matoran can list their kanohi here. Keep in mind that kanohi given to matoran are powerless.

 

Appearance:

An image or detailed description will do.

 

Personality:

List a couple character traits, choose an MBTI type or whatever else your heart desires.

 

Bio:

This can be a brief history or a novel, just try to stick to the game's universe. Don't go mentioning Dark Hunters or great spirit robots.

 

Armor:

This is described more below, what this section is is any Armor your character either owns or is a crew member on. If you want to be a pirate or sailor, you could describe a ship as well. They have similar weapons and traits as Armor.

 

5.3

Player Armor

What people really want to know about! The way Armor works is that each player piece must be approved, similar to a character. You'll need a short description of it's appearance, any custom weapons or tech, it's category and whatever Kanohi it may have. Unlike the masks given to PC matoran, these are powered.

 

Armor Name:

Category:

Armor Appearance:

Crew:

Loadout:

Kanohi:

 

Armor Name:

Because any cool vehicle needs a name.

 

Category:

Exo-suit, light, medium, heavy or Fikou.

 

Armor Appearance:

For lack of artistic skills, I haven't drawn the Armor or described them too much. Just think WW2 era aesthetics, heck, a picture of a real life tank is fine by me.

 

Crew:

Who are the PCs that man the Armor? This can be worked out IC or OOC in the discussion thread.

 

Loadout:

Refer to section 2.2 for basic loadouts, any custom or additional weapons need detailed descriptions.

 

Kanohi:

Here is the list of kanohi to pick from and their effects, some are passive and others are active. For simplicities sake, assume you press a big red button to activate the on/off type effects. As for the magnitude of effects, just play it fair, alright? Using a Hau to block one direct hit from a heavy coilgun is fine. Four simultaneous hits isn't.

 

Hau - Provides a temporary frontal energy shield

Kaukau - Produces a watertight barrier

Miru - Allows limited omnidirectional hovering with light armor

Kakama - Allows a burst of acceleration

Pakari - More horsepower, need to tow someone out of a ditch? This is the kanohi you want

Akaku - Provides temporary x-ray and thermal imaging for the gunner

Huna - Reduces noise and heat signature

Rau - Increased effective radio range

Ruru - Provides temporary night vision for the gunner

Mahiki - Allows limited range holographic projections

Calix - Increases luck (?)

Suletu - Crew gains telepathic links

Sanok - Secondary weapons are more accurate, does not apply to main cannons

Kadin - Allows limited forward flight with light and medium armor

Arthron - Provides echolocation capabilities

Garai - Reduced gravity inside the hull (more useful than it sounds)

Elda - Counters the Huna and Volitak

Volitak - Camouflages armor based on surroundings

Custom - As with other custom items, I need a detailed description and you need approval

 

 

6.0

Rules

  • All BZP forum rules apply
  • Please take personal disputes to PM, if they cannot be resolved. Bring it to staff. These kinds of issues don't need to clog up the gameplay or discussion threads
  • You need to use IC (In Character) and OOC (Out of Character) tags to begin each post, it is only highly recommended you add a location and name to IC posts, for example; IC - Joe - Seize shopping district. Keep OOC to a minimum in the gameplay thread, the discussion thread should be used for primarily OOC posts
  • Don't godmod. This includes; pulling new powers out of nowhere, being impossible to hit, taking down scores of NPCs without breaking a sweat, using OOC knowledge to influence IC actions and much more
  • Don't control other people's characters without their permission. A couple words or small actions, say handing someone a letter and saying they took it, that isn't a big deal. But anything past that and especially anything in combat is a no go
  • Unlike some other TBRPGs, travel time exists here. As does a basic overall flow of time. You can't IC starting in a city at day and reaching the opposite coast by nightfall. For one, travel is dangerous, especially through enemy territory or Nomansland. Expect to have the GM throw stuff at you during travel, especially if you're making it sound easy. If you're part of one of the expeditions for example, you can't race ahead too much. The speed of the plot is somewhat tied to GM posts regarding it
  • Please keep your posts legible. Bright and hard to read colors and illegible grammar should be avoided
Edited by Tiragath
  • Upvote 6

...but close to it

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This is definitely something I'd be interested in. 

Embers - a new Bionicle Epic - Coming 2024 

Class Is Out - A Farewell To Corpus Rahkshi - Chapters/Review

BZPRPG Characters - Minnorak, Kain, T'harrak, Savis, Vazaria, Lash

BZPRPG Mercenary Group - The Outsiders - Description - History - Base

Ghosts Of Bara Magna - Ash Tribe - Precipere - Kehla, Somok, Skrall, Gayle, Avinus, Zha'ar

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This is definitely something I'd be interested in. 

 

I love it.

 

On so many levels.

 

 

Born too early to go to the moon. Born too late to play this RPG. Born just in time to echo the above sentiments.

 

Reviews tomorrow, maybe? Hahahahahahahahahahhahahahahhaha I wish.

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor :flagusa:

Edited by Toa Levacius Zehvor

"I disapprove of what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."


- Evelyn Beatrice Hall (often attributed to Voltaire)

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This version is a lot better than the first one. I can't see anything that looks like it needs fixing right now, but that might be because I am tired.

 

Might play it, might not. I dislike being involved with too many RPGs at once.

"I serve the weak. I serve the helpless. I am their sword and their shield. If you want to strike at them, you must go through me, and I am not so easily moved."

zsUPm2E.jpg?1

 

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Is it bad for me to say I've already come up with a character idea for an RPG that hasn't even been approved yet? 

 

Yes, I'm talking about the Tanks RPG. 

Embers - a new Bionicle Epic - Coming 2024 

Class Is Out - A Farewell To Corpus Rahkshi - Chapters/Review

BZPRPG Characters - Minnorak, Kain, T'harrak, Savis, Vazaria, Lash

BZPRPG Mercenary Group - The Outsiders - Description - History - Base

Ghosts Of Bara Magna - Ash Tribe - Precipere - Kehla, Somok, Skrall, Gayle, Avinus, Zha'ar

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Sorry. Nope. 

 

 Tanks require a crew to operate, this means teamwork. I included variants with low crew requirements because I know some people will want to play solo characters. But the larger tanks will require multiple players. You're not going to be able to make four characters to pilot your very own heavy armor. I don't think that is in the spirit of the game
Edited by Roman Torchwick

Embers - a new Bionicle Epic - Coming 2024 

Class Is Out - A Farewell To Corpus Rahkshi - Chapters/Review

BZPRPG Characters - Minnorak, Kain, T'harrak, Savis, Vazaria, Lash

BZPRPG Mercenary Group - The Outsiders - Description - History - Base

Ghosts Of Bara Magna - Ash Tribe - Precipere - Kehla, Somok, Skrall, Gayle, Avinus, Zha'ar

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