Technology and Kelvernia

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

-Arthur C. Clarke

Unlike a typical post-apocalyptic setting, the idea behind Kelvernia is that long-lost technology resurfaces into a fantasy world (somewhat like Expedition to the Barrier Peaks). As a result, there aren't "modern-era" ruins littering the landscape to search for things like grenades and submachine guns. The tech that appears in Kelvernia is "sci fi" tech. Ray guns, force swords, etc. There are two basic reasons for this:

1) It fits the setting: with a highly advanced civilization having left behind technology. Some of it is in disrepair due to the aeons that have passed.

2) The technology is orders of magnitude beyond the current levels of learning in Kelvernia. No one is going to disassemble a ray gun and figure out how to make more. 

I plan on treating such artifacts pretty much as magic items. Unlike a ring or a flying carpet, it will require more than just discerning a command word. Player characters will need to make technology rolls to learn how to use it. Failing that, they may need to employ the services of a Technomancer.

Technomancers are sages who study such devices and their origins. Because technological artifacts are so rare, much of their "studies" are simply theories, and frequently wrong. Nevertheless, many do have a knack for figuring out how the gizmos work. Further, sometimes successful technomancers may hire PCs to look for such objects. 

Kelvernia: Jerimet

Jerimet is a relatively young kingdom. It had long been a loose amalgamation of petty baronies and princedoms, each with petty rivalries and frequent skirmishes with their neighbors. All that changed a little over twenty years ago, when the old lord of Kasjar (a small coastal province) died, leaving his son Drew to rule. 

Drew, though a young man, proved a capable leader. When his southern neighbor encroached upon Kasjar farmlands, Drew took his troops and pushed the southerners back. Not content with this, the young lord continued his advance and defeated the entire province. 

Thus began a ten year campaign of conquest. Drew proved a fearless general and a capable warrior in the field. In the end, the entire peninsula bent the knee to Drew I, king of Jerimet (called thus for the old imperial name of the land). 

King Drew is now a middle-aged man. A greater warrior than ruler, he is nonetheless conscientious enough to appoint good advisors and the kingdom runs smoothly enough. He married a Doge's daughter several years ago, and has an heir of his own now. The crown prince is only a boy, but should be more than old enough to take the crown before the king would die of old age. 

In the meantime, much of the crown's energies are spent keeping the old rivalries between the provincial lords from flaring up. As a result, Drew I wonders if a unifying cause might not be useful. He eyes expanding eastward into Cramond, and tests his neighbor's resolve occasionally. 

In a further attempt at unification, King Drew has made the Church of the Five the official state religion, and the patriarch is on the royal council. The king hopes that the presence of the official church in every province will preach fealty and loyalty to his subjects.

Jerimet is not friendly toward the Changed or the Metalmen. Those found among the populace are sent to Berkut, a "settlement" on the shores of Lake Rabine to the north. Foreign mutants or androids are required to carry papers at all times, and can expect to be stopped frequently by the town watch.  Many establishments will not serve them. Outside the cities, it's usually worse, where "papers" mean little to nothing and a mob may turn ugly if a mutant come to their village. 

Bring on the Mutants!

OK, now to get down to the nitty-gritty. One of the things that I'm having trouble with is the question of how to handle mutants and androids in the setting. Are they monsters/NPCs? Can players play whatever they want? What's the best way to balance the power levels, etc.? Since the idea is that Kelvernia is a "fantasy" world, and the PA (post-apocalyptic) stylings are a recent occurrence, I want to use LL/BX as the "baseline" system-wise.

(Yeah, kinda like that!)

At the moment, I am leaning toward allowing "changed" humans as a playable race, but not using every mutation on the Mutant Future list. Here's where my version is at right now:

THE CHANGED (MUTANT)

• Attacks/HD/XP/Saves as Halfling. Also, level caps at 8th.
• Start with 2 random mutations at 1st level. Drawbacks are part of same tables. 
• The Changed gain a new mutation at 3rd, 5th, and 8th levels.
• Save at -4 vs. mutating energies.
• The Changed suffer a reaction penalty of 4 when dealing with any other race (NPC or monster).

The player can choose to be a changed animal, human, or plant. Changed are assumed to be at least halfling-sized (but no larger than human), of human range intelligence, and capable of speech (though perhaps having some difficulty articulating certain sounds depending on the shape of their mouths). Changed humans or animals roll once on the physical and once on the mental charts at the start of play. Changed plants are also assumed to be mobile. At start of play, mutated plants roll once on the plant and once on the mental mutations.

When a changed PC gains a new mutation (i.e. at 3rd level, etc.), the player rolls a die. An odd result means they gain a mental mutation, even means they roll on the physical (or plant) table.

    


I realize the above makes for an extremely random PC, but I figure that's sort of the point when playing a mutant!

I'm still on the fence about the MetalMen (androids). The version I came up with used Elf progression for XP, saves and to hits (with the 10th level cap). PC Metalmen are humanoid constructs whose AI has developed self-awareness and free will (to a degree). Their background programming causes them to tend toward Lawful alignment. They do not sleep (magical Sleep doesn't work), are immune to most normal poisons and diseases.

Androids start with a fixed number of hit points (probably 50), but cannot be healed (magically or otherwise), they must be repaired or repair themselves (self-repair rate is 1d3 per day, assuming it has at least 8 hours to work on themselves and basic equipment, which most androids have built-in or on their "person" by default). More elaborate repair kits and facilities exist, but are like Healing Potions, with limited supplies/doses. If an android is "killed", it cannot be raised, resurrected, or reincarnated. Only direct divine intervention or a Wish can bring it back.

Androids have an affinity for hi-tech artifacts, and can figure out how to use such objects with relative ease. Androids gain a +20% to Technology rolls.

 

We shall see. Perhaps they should stay NPC-only. 

Thoughts? C&C?