Flamberg Article 27629 of alt.games.torg: From: dwood@skipjack.bluecrab.org (David Wood) Newsgroups: alt.games.torg Subject: FLAMBERGE (Already?!) Date: 17 Mar 1996 01:14:35 GMT Organization: One-Armed Paper Hanger Lines: 116 Remember that cosm idea I had? I said it was terrible, and now that Iıve done more work on it, I see my estimate was awfully conservative... So, for alt.games.torg, which is so obviously under attack... FLAMBERGE MAG 9, SPI 6, TEC 23 (27), SOC 2. A land of technical wonders and physical devastation. Indeed, the atmosphere on the surface of this world has become noxious with pollution, such that people would rather stay at home and insult each other over the lobal computer network. Language is the most highly developed social construct they have, and still they disagree how it should be used. About that global network... residents of Tharkold and the Cyberpapacy who have jacked into it describe it as a wasteland devoid of all but the most basic ideas and useless chatter. They also say itıs unreliable because ³sometimes the hardware just refuses to handshake.² When spectacular technology is developed, most people simply use it against each other because any sort of organized social activity aside from small groups attacking other small groups is not supported by the reality. There is a Darkness Device in this cosm. Naturally, it didnıt get along with any other Darkness Devices, so it ended up here. Some people say it looks like some sort of desktop computer and monitor, others say it looks like a toilet laying on its back. Some people say itıs both, and a handful will actually admit that theyıve seen it used both ways. The Darkness Deviceıs name is either Crapasciiklap or Pizwhynanmoan. This cosm also has a High Lord, but he and his Darkness Device had a falling out recently and arenıt speaking to each other. Because the Darkness Device responds to both names, there are some suggestions that it is actually two Darkness Devices in one, and that the reason itıs not out sucking Possibility energy is that itıs having a several millenium-long argument with itself. When the ³Darkness Device Pizwhynanmoan² was mentioned in earshot of the Gaunt Man, he was reported to have ³shuddered and groaned for several seconds, as if to forget some horror or banality too beyond the pale even for him.² The shudder was described by an unnamed source in the Hellion Court as ³John Houseman watching his first episode of Beavis and Butthead.² (Reports that it is somehow connected to his True Death have been greatly exaggerated, as three different Storm Knight teams would attest if their skulls hadnıt been made into this nifty set of drinking vessels.) Apeiros was scheduled to visit this cosm, but changed his plans at the last moment when he saw how incredibly tacky its residents were. World laws: THE LAW OF ATHLETE'S MOUTH: The cosm of Flamberge disdains any sort of friendly interaction. The denizens usually spend all their time insulting each other, and this world law is one of the reasons why. All adds in all Charisma skills except Taunt cause a contradiction. Rolls may be made using those skills, provided they are made not only Unskilled, but as if Charisma were three points lower. Storm knights spending extended periods of time in this cosm or any realms under attack by this cosm must spend one Possibility every other month or move a point from one of the nonallowed skills to either a scientific skill or Taunt. THE LAW OF BOASTFUL VAPORWARE: This is the other reason citizens of Flamberge develop high levels of Taunt. Normally, feats of technology above Tech Axion 23 are exponentially difficult. However, the cosm can support Tech 27 items for a time, provided that the person or group working on it can first Taunt three times as many people as in their own group. If itıs one person, he must perform a Multi-Action on three people. A group of two people can succeed if they can coordinate and succeed against six. And so on. Aside from reading results against those people (which last a turn, so it doesnıt normally matter except in case of direct confrontation), the result points are also read as a bonus to develop items up to Tech 27. The result points are also used to figure the amount of time the device will last. The world law cleans up after itself; such devices usually break down because the members of a group canıt agree upon a maintenance schedule, how to use the thing, etc. It may also have something to do with how long the taunt is remembered. The idea of maintenance taunting to renew such a device has been suggested and ridiculed (guess where). THE LAW OF TEAMWORK: The Social axiom and world laws disallow large groups of people cold, but it gives a sizeable advantage for small groups: If someone performs an action that the others can coordinate with, other people helping can contribute more than one point. Each person in a group of three, eight, nine, or ten people can contribute a second point to a coordinated effort if they get a Good or better result on their coordination check. Each person in a group of four, six, or seven people can contribute a second point on a ??? or better Coordination check, and a third point on a ??? or better Coordination check. Each person in a five person group can contribute a second point on a ??? Coordination check, a third point on a ??? or better Coordination check, and a fourth point on a ??? or better Coordination check. Groups of more than ten people canıt coordinate tasks, which is why the government of Flamberge couped itself to death a long time ago. If this sounds like a great world law, keep in mind the difficulty people will have forming an optimal group to utilize it. Some will decide the group should be larger to accomodate more coordinators, some will decide the group should be smaller and scare some of them off, etc. It all gets very nasty. -- It's okay, but does it have that Great Taste of Trout?