Baywatch Date: Thu, 7 Mar 1996 06:19:30 -0600 From: "John Field" To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [TORG:272] Baywatch [Satire, but seems playable!!] OK, here [as threatened] is the Core Earth pocket cosm of Baywatch... [Incidentially, I'm going to try and complete that Axiom Description thing that got stopped some whilst back. If you recall, I was trying to compile a better list of what the four axioms allow, mean, and so on, than the sourcebooks offer. I'm going to attempt Social, seeing as Spiritual and Magic have got the treatment already. Any suggestions/viewpoints would be welcome at this early stage. :] Core Earth has many parts of its reality that, whilst not directly linked to its main cosm, and nevertheless part of its sum total. Many of these sub-cosms (or pocket dimenisons, or fringe realities) have the same axioms as Core Earth, but differ in the 'look and feel' of World Laws. Baywatch, following this pattern, has the axioms: Magical power: 7 Social organisation: 21 Spiritual intensity: 9 Technological achievement: 23 Although Baywatch is considered rather lame T+A fiction by the masses, it actually has existance due to its general belief in the Core Earth populace. The pocket cosm is the city of Bay, which is composed of a city with both modern, imppresive buildings to romantic old castles, in fact everything that would be in the perfect city. Its most prominent part is, of course, the Beach, which is a strech of surf that easily surpasses anything Core Earth has to offer. Despite being constantly sunny, with finest-quality sand and supreme surfing conditions, nevertheless remains pristinly free of fat tourists, wailing kids, and trash [see the Law of the Beach]. World Laws: The Law Of The Beach: Baywatch is a glamourous, larger-than-life reality. The larger-than-life part is satisfied by the general Torg setting, whilst the glamorous part is taken care of by this World Law. Whilst in Core Earth and other cosms, people have to work, get tired, and can be ugly, in Baywatch all characters have no money worries, have fulfilling, trouble-free lives, and generally lead perfect existances. Example Mechanic: Baywatch's minimum Charisma attribute is 10. Below this is a contradiction. There is no upper Charisma limit. Unlike what might be expected, there is no inverse limit of Perception or Mind: in accordance to the LoTB, characters can has high Charisma *and* mental abilities. Example Mechanic: Setback, Fatigue, Fail etc. cards do not have any effect, unless they contribute to some contrived and moralistic plot device. The Law Of Improbability: Baywatch has the bizarre property in that no cause, effect, or situation makes total sense. For example, a character's bother may come down to participate in a surfing competetion: despite living several hundred miles inland, he is a perfect surfer and has no trouble in attracting attention from The Agent who spends all his time trying to sign up this surfer, despite the beach being full of other surfers. Such almost-makes-sense events makes up a large part of Baywatch's enviroment. The Law Of Ishoos: 'These kids... [angst expression] don't they realise that skipping school is a dumb idea!?!? What this place needs is a youth centre, to keep them off the street... Perhaps we could raise money to beat off the condo development with a sponsored workout and ...' In life, there are a number of factors that shape 'what goes on'. In Baywatch, life is mainly governed by this World Law. Everything is done with a view of showing off some pretentious moral, be it skin cancer, rampant corporate autonomy, or [the most common] fooling around in the surf. Of course, due the LotB, there is always a happy, smiley ending. Example Mechanic: all Subplots, whether through card play, written in by the GM, or PC-created, *must* be of a one-dimensional 'it's Good for you' or 'it's Bad for you' nature. They must all feature a simplistic portrayal of human nature, with easily discernable personalities. All Ords must either be of a Good Nature, of Bad Nature, a la the Nile Empire. Storm Knights and NPC p-rateds dod not have to follow this stricture, but are encouraged too. Successful endeavours can switch an Ord's Nature, but *only* from Bad to Good, and it must form a part of a Subplot. - "Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones." Psalm 137:9, The Bible (King James Version)