The DungeonPunk Initiative

I was talking with +Mark Van Vlack the other day about how I couldn't get all the rules I like into Lost Songs and he was all like "You can always put them in another set of rules ...". Got me thinking, too. I have so many little ideas and house rules and setting pieces all over the blog that won't make it into Lost Songs, it should by now (I thought) be enough for a game on it's own. A bastard, if you will. What I came up with (and that Game is all but written) is the complete antithesis of Lost Songs of the Nibelungs and I like the idea that the two games, even if they are not really compatible, still compliment each other. I also need a game with light rules that goes well with Roll20.

So please, let me introduce you to a little side project of mine:

The cover says it all ...

"Feel lucky, punk?" - The game in a nutshell

Some of you might know this already, but it bears repeating. Here is the blurb for BASTARD!

"Live is cheap in the world of DungeonPunk. Corrupting humanity was easy enough, now the Monsters are in charge. Not that they changed that much, but they take what they want. And so should you, punk. The world lies in ruins and is yours to take. A club is cheap enough, take one and go for the dungeons. Killing is easy enough, you see that every day on the streets of the slums you call your home. Take your friends. Who else is going to cover your back? If the authorities are coming for you, let them feel your anger. If you're lucky, they'll fear you someday in the future. If you live that long. Now go and loot. Gold can buy you a new arm, a magical sword even or a shiny new armor, but finally it will buy you freedom. And always remember: a Cleric will stitch you together every time, but a Mage will make you better."

Yeah, that's right, evil has it's own police forces. And work camps and poor living conditions. People are farmed for blood, souls, ammunition even, you name it.

The food they give to all humanoids without privilege, for instance, is a slightly alcoholic pulp, simply called "The Grey" for it's color. It's slightly alcoholic for two reasons. The first is that it keeps the population in an easy to handle state of intoxication, the second is that alcohol tends to kill all the bacteria that could emerge due to the shitty production (no one knows what it's made of ... it's not "people" - they are not that lucky). Sure, some will eat the occasional rat or neighbor, but some even go as far as signing up for a regular vampire sucking, since those guys won't touch a grey-eater if they don't have to. So hooking up to a vampire will not only give you nightmares, but also better food and lodging. It's worth thinking about.

Well, it goes only downhill from there on ... But you could do something against it. Those forefathers of yore might have been big losers, fucking up your future and all, but the toys they left in those dungeons they left all over the place sure are sweet. You just have to make sure the coppers don't get you first or that you are able to push back hard if they do.

Since it's the opposite ...

BASTARD! will be a rules light exploration-based steampunk-dungeonheist role playing game. It's gonzo (lots and lots of body modifications), it's brutal (like D&D, but dice explode and rounds escalate), it has guns (like here) and is in general more fucked up. The system is about betting, bluffing, luck and teamwork. You will owe the DM some dice at the end of the day and he will use it against you. Every time. It's Star Wars teaming up with Gangs of New York to beat up a gnome until he vomits rainbows ... 

Sometimes I enjoy Gravity Falls too much ... [source]

This game won't be understood as political commentary. I just won't stand for it ... Who's laughing?! Oh, shut up!

I'll talk more about this tomorrow.