Last year, Pundit was gracious enough to provide some early playtesting comments about my current RPG project, Corporia - and now that it's a lot further along, he's kindly letting me use a thread for an 'open playtest'. So, I'm going to slowly start posting portions of the book (sequentially by chapter) in small chunks so you can post your feedback - good or bad...

I started on this back in 1999, but shelved it in the back of my brain while I was under exclusive contract with KenzerCo (2001-2011), and now I'm hoping to wrap it up this year and publish it either on Kickstarter or through a publisher I'm talking to.

The catchphrase I often use to describe the book is "knights in shining Armani", which might give you a little hint at where it's going. I'll start this post with the basic info, which I've compiled from bits of my blog:

The Corporia RPG takes place about 30 years in the future. The forces of magic (Chaos), not seen since the Middle Ages, are returning to menace the corporate-run Earth (Order; having a few aspects of Cyberpunk and Shadowrun). The cities are simultaneously utopia and dystopia, with a great number (oh, let's say... the 99%) of the populace living in heaven (with free internet, environmentally friendly tech, good law enforcement) even while serving in hell (with heavily regulated speech, tech making people insular, subscription-based police services). The creature comforts make it easy for many citizens to become settled in their habits with little hope of advancement in their jobs, much like domestic servants in the classic Victorian tradition. With the corporations also controlling the major media outlets, dissent and reports of Chaotic events are more easily suppressed, while the corporations rush to master what seems to be a new energy source.

I dubbed the Chaos magic as "the Flux", partly because of the "fluctuations" in the amounts of magic that appear, but mostly since I've always liked the word and wanted to use it in something I wrote. Then, having decided that the corporations (who control the media outlets) would need an explanation of these events, I though back to the comic books of my youth and came up with "cosmic radiation" that the mega-corps say causes these manifestations and so-called mutations. Imagine my surprise when I searched for cosmic rays on Wikipedia and found the term "cosmic ray flux" actually exists! That's a bit of nice symmetry there.

Players take on the roles of characters who are touched by and can manipulate the Flux, portrayed both by the "Flux dice" (roll 2d6 and keep the highest, added to stats) they roll and the "Flux Points" that can be earned and spent to sway events.

The game turns around the Knights-Errant (reincarnated knights from King Arthur's court), but other sample character concepts include: Badges (private security forces), Drones (criminals living in wage-slavery), Hackers (able to dive into the 'net and battle living Virtual Intelligences – and bring their allies with them, after a fashion), Headhunters (assassins for hire), Journos, Radicals, Runners (couriers), Thinkers (scientists), Sorcerers (spells based on tech and matter), Suits (executives), Witchers (with spells based on nature and life/mentla energy), and Zeroes (the 'everyman').

To make adventuring concepts easier for both the players and the Director (i.e., the Dungeon Master; I thought CEO a little too trite), the players are all employees of Valyant and its Knightwatch private security division. (Shades of Delta Green, for you Cthulhu fans.) Certain high-level Valyant execs are particularly interested in containing the forces of Chaos, which show even less regard for human life than do the forces of Order. Electric spirits, living artificial life, vampires, werewolves, and worse are all returning in some form or another.

Of course, King Arthur will appear and fix it all, right? Maybe, if anyone could find him. The players may suspect that he should be back – but don't know where he is or why he hasn't revealed himself. Then, even when he is found, he may not be much help...  The Director will know the secrets, even having the task of finding Arthur be part of the players' adventures. I'll specifically present Arthur in a way that allow the players to still be the heroes, without being overshadowed by the legend.

Arthur appears in some of a series of short adventures in the Game Mastery chapter. These adventures can be dropped into an ongoing campaign in order to provide an overall storyline – and eventually even a 'final battle' that can serve as the end of a campaign. I think it's a novel idea to provide an 'ending' to a role-playing game, where the object is usually to have an infinite number of possible adventures and to keep the players hooked on that game and no others. My approach, however, is to provide an option for the Director who wants to wrap up their Corporia campaign and move on to something else. Of course, those who want to experience the climax and still keep playing beyond it can do that too.

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Okay, first post done! More coming soon.

And if you're a GM/DM who might want to actually run the game, feel free to email me at mwp1138 at gmail dot com and let me know, so I can send you a link to the private PDF version.

Very interesting.  Magic returns to a megacorp world and King Arthur and his knights crusade to break the chains of the Corporate Dystopia.

It seems like you have a distinct metaplot here that can be played out.  How detailed is it going to be?  For example, when it comes to King Arthur, the 800lb gorilla is Pendragon, one of the reasons being, the campaign was superb.

So I guess my question is..
Corporia Campaign - Closer to the Pendragon Great Campaign (which I'd slap down a lot for), or a Savage Worlds Plot Point Campaign (which I probably have no use for).

BTW, glad to see this is going forward, Mark, even if I do want to slap you for not being involved in Hackmaster or A&8 anymore.  

Hey, did you ever read Camelot 3000?

Quote from: CRKrueger;590827Very interesting.  Magic returns to a megacorp world and King Arthur and his knights crusade to break the chains of the Corporate Dystopia.

It seems like you have a distinct metaplot here that can be played out.  How detailed is it going to be?  For example, when it comes to King Arthur, the 800lb gorilla is Pendragon, one of the reasons being, the campaign was superb.

So I guess my question is..
Corporia Campaign - Closer to the Pendragon Great Campaign (which I'd slap down a lot for), or a Savage Worlds Plot Point Campaign (which I probably have no use for).

The 'metaplot' is a written as series of six short adventures, designed to be dropped in amongst the Director's homebrew adventures. Each mission is roughly 1-3 pages long and written with plenty of GM leeway, though each details a Goal, ways for the PCs to Recon (approach) the mission, both an option for a direct Assault and an option for Infiltration, and a Liquidation (conclusion). The PCs' choices in each adventure will significantly affect what happens in the last adventure.

Clear as mud?

Quote from: CRKrueger;590827Hey, did you ever read Camelot 3000?

Yep! That was one of several works that inspired me. Great read.

Okay, I promised I'd post the text in order, so here's the first part of the Intro chapter - mostly for newbs. I realize a lot of this is old hat, so I'll bold significant parts. (Items like these will be underlined - and possibly in a different color - the first time they appear in the book.)

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WHO ARE THE KNIGHTWATCH?

Using the cover and resources of his Watchman private security company, Valyant CEO Lance Martin maintains a 'strike force' of unique individuals with supernatural talents and abilities. It is the sworn duty of each 'knight' to battle the Flux incarnate: the manifestations of magical chaos—long believed to be fairy stories, but now returning to the Earth. Each knight is invigorated with the supernatural Flux that now pervades the globe, ironically gaining his abilities from the very force that also transforms innocent citizens into dangerous Flux-spawned cryptids. The nature of these powers, however, depends heavily on the individual knight. Soldiers often become stronger and more dextrous, executives gain influence and mettle, hackers can literally transfer their minds into computers and battle Flux-infused virtual life, creative thinkers may find themselves able to cast magical spells,
and so on. Some individuals even awake with memories and skills (and obligations!) from a former life as a knight in King Arthur's court.

You'll define your character's background, personality, and abilites in the character creation process beginning in Chapter 2: Human Resources. Characters might maintain day-to-day jobs at other megacorps, or work directly for Valyant and the Watchman PSC. When Valyant sources identify a possible magical incident, your character is part of the elite Knightwatch special operations team dispatched to investigate and resolve it.

A team's main function is to capture or liquidate any cryptids (i.e., Flux-spawned monsters), resolve the situation with minimal loss of life, and keep it
all under wraps with as little publicity as possible. Because public knowledge of your character's abilities could lead to him or her being hunted down by cryptids, and criminals, or rival mega-corporation research teams, the Knightwatch is usually a character's only 'family.' Thus, how your characters
live (and die) with each other is as much a part of the Corporia experience as
combat, if not moreso.

For instance, not every character may agree on the correct action to take when a child insists on protecting her 'imaginary friend' (in truth a dangerous geist) or when a doctor starts stealing from the blood bank to support his wife's newly-acquired vampirism. Your characters' decisions are as equally valid a way to provide conflict as are the threats of monsters, rogue Virtual Intelligences, and greedy corporate overlords. It's all about role-playing.

WHAT IS ROLE-PLAYING?
A role-playing game is one where you and your friends take on the roles of fictional characters (in this game, members of the Knightwatch) in a make-believe setting ('The City'). It's a lot like the 'army men' or 'cops and robbers' games you probably played as a child, only now you can sit at a table and you don't need to use your sofa as a fort!

THE DIRECTOR
One of your friends takes on the responsibility of being the Director. It's his or her job to set up the adventure and play the parts of all the non-player characters (and monsters!) that your player characters will meet. When there's a question about a rule, the Director is the final arbiter. Naturally, this means that the Director needs to be very familiar with the rulebook and know where to find the answer to almost any rules question.

Of course, no rulebook can contain rules for everything, especially when the game world also includes fictional beings, future technology, and more. If there's a question that the rulebook doesn't specifically answer, the Director should just make a common sense ruling and move on without delaying the game. (Consulting the players is also an option, but the Director's ruling should be final.) Being the Director is a big responsibility, since he or she must not only play many parts but also spend time away from the gaming table designing adventures, creating intriguing objectives, and providing challenges that are difficult but not impossible.

However, it's also very rewarding. If you're the kind of person who likes writing stories, having the rulebook within arm's reach during gameplay, and providing fun for your friends, then you're probably a good candidate for the Director.

THE PLAYER CHARACTERS
If you're not the Director, you and your friends each control a player character, or PC for short. Player characters are the protagonists in the Director's campaign. To create a PC, simply follow the character creation guidelines in Chapter 2: Human Resources.

These guidelines help you choose a type of character and assign numbers to his or her physical and mental attributes—so you know how strong your character is, how much affinity your character has for magic, and so on. When the Director puts a challenge before you, these numbers—in addition to your decisions—dicate how successful your character will be.

GAMEPLAY
Your first gameplay session may involve new characters who don't know each other at first, but are thrown together as larger events take shape. How well they work together (and even whether they like each other) depends on how you and your friends role-play your characters and how their actions shape the world. Your Director will probably begin the first game by telling you what your characters know about the overall setting, their current location, recent events, any shared background they may have, and so forth. He may also introduce a non-player character (NPC) ally who asks the PCs to go on a mission, in return for which they may receive money, goods, services, or other benefits.

For your character to do something, you should describe his or her actions, perhaps even speaking 'in character' like an actor reading a script. The Director then describes the outcome of those actions, perhaps also speaking 'in character' for his NPCs. For instance, if your character enters a room, the Director may briefly describe what your character can see from his current position (such as a desk in front of a plate glass window opposite you, a sofa in the corner to your left, a bookshelf on the right wall, and framed pictures hanging here and there). If you want more detail, you should tell the Director what your character wants to investigate within that room,
and he'll give you more details as your character explores the room in more detail.

Some situations require your character to battle foes and meet challenges that test his or her Strength, Mettle, Wits, and so forth as determined by the rules. Meeting this challenge usually involves rolling dice and comparing the result to a Target Number or an opponent's statistics to determine success or failure. Most adventures contain multiple challenges, concluding with the most difficult. The best adventures have challenges that can be approached in a non-linear fashion and completed in multiple ways (e.g., brains or brawn). Once the characters accomplish the last required challenge, the adventure ends. Completing an adventure hours, days, weeks, or longer, with game sessions occuring as often as you and your friends want to play. Depending on what the Director has planned, your next adventure may feature the same characters or different ones.

TYPES OF ADVENTURES
After familiarizing yourself with the basics of the game, but before you start playing, you might want to sit down with your Director and fellow players to discuss what type of adventures you're interested in. If you're experienced role-players, this may be easy. If not, some examples are listed below.
The action/adventure scenario is perhaps the most common. In these, the Director may create a 'cry for help' that sends your team into various perils where they must work together, using their disparate personalities and abilities to survive while accomplishing one or more tasks. Missions usually start with the characters receiving their assignment, followed by some research and exploration with a series of minor battles against henchmen, and then culminating in a difficult battle against a powerful villain.

Other types include: diplomatic (keeping two mundane/magical groups from fights that destroy property and innocent lives), disaster (magic doesn't leak into the world; it explodes, and your lives are contant fights for survival), escape (breaking free from a mega-corporate prison or laboratory), espionage/heists (spying and sneaking past guards and electronic systems), horror (blood-drenched crime scenes and eldritch horrors), questing (seeking out a magical item), and so on. These examples are neither exclusive nor exhaustive. Your Director can mix and match them as desired, or create something new. There are no limits.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
Most chapters contain background material and rules that both players and Directors should read. However, if a section doesn't seem appropriate to your character, you can probably skip it. If you're not playing a Sorcerer or Witcher, for example, you don't need to read about these 'casters or their spell lists. On the other hand, you might want to learn more about these types of foes and allies; if so, go for it.

Chapter 5: The City details the background and history of the setting in further detail. Beyond those pages, the index is certainly recommended for everyone, but players should skip Chapter 6: Game Mastery, which is intended specifically for the Director and may contain spoilers. If you don't want to ruin some of the surprises your Director might reveal to you later on, resist the temptation to read this one!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO PLAY
When you and your friends get together for a session of Corporia, it helps if you're prepared. To avoid delays during character creation or play, everyone should have their own copy of this book – that way your buddy's not twiddling
his thumbs and waiting for you to give him his book back. Aside from this book and your imagination, you should bring along some pencils and paper, your character sheet, and some dice.

Dice. Corporia uses 6-sided and other polyhedral dice as a way of randomizing certain actions. You shouldn't have any trouble finding polyhedral dice at any store that sells role-playing games. You can also purchase a set of polyhedrals online from several dice manufacturers. A typical set of polyhedral dice includes seven different numbered dice: one each of 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12- and 20- sided dice, plus a special 10-sided die numbered 10, 20, 30 and so on up to 00. Corporia abbreviates these dice as d4, d6, d8,
d10, d12, d20, and d%. Mostly, however, you'll be rolling two 6-sided dice.

Rolling the Dice. If the rules ask you to roll 2d6, you roll two 6-sided dice simultaneously, or one 6-sided die twice, and view the results. If the rules call for something like 3d8, you roll three 8-sided dice. As for d10, note that most are numbered 1, 2, 3, and so on up to 0. If you roll a 0 on a d10, treat it as a result of 10, not 0. If the rules ask you to roll d100, you need to roll the d% together with the standard d10, which allows you to get a result of 1 to 100! For example, a d% roll of 40 plus a d10 roll of 3 equals 43, while a d% roll of 00 and a 1 on the d10 means you got a total result of 1. (If you roll 00 on the d% and 0 on the d10, you've rolled a 100!) If you have to roll a d3, roll 1d6; read a result of 4 as a 1, a 5 as 2, and a 6 as 3.

Character Sheets. You can keep your character information on whatever sheet of paper or digital device that's most convenient. However, Corporia includes a specific form that you can use for this purpose (located on page XXX.) Should you need to print it out at your local print shop, and they put up an argument, just show them this sentence, which says you can print as many copies of page XXX as you want.

Maps and Minis. Although maps and little metal figurines aren't required, you
can use them to better visualize where the PCs (and their foes) are in relation to each other. A Director can use almost any printed map appropriate to the adventure, or sketch out a rough map on paper or erasable battlemat. Almost any token, coin, or miniature can represent your character, as long as it's not much bigger or smaller than everyone else's and you can remember which one is yours. A variety of battlemaps, tokens and miniatures are available in most stores where RPGs are sold.

Quote from: Mark Plemmons;590852Yep! That was one of several works that inspired me. Great read.

How about Matt Wagner's Mage - The Hero Discovered?

Good to see this progressing.

RPGPundit

EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;590973How about Matt Wagner's Mage - The Hero Discovered?

No, I'm vaguely familiar with it (since I used to work in a comic store in the mid-90s), but I've never actually read it.

EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

Here's the last part of Chapter 1, which features some character fiction. I'll start a new thread for Chapter 2, which focuses on character types and creation.
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The Story So Far

Hundreds of years ago, upon the death of his father, Arthur Pendragon draws forth the legendary sword from the stone and officially takes his place as king of a leaderless Britain. His armies, with the help of his chosen Knights of the Round Table and the arcane talents of the great Merlin, soon establish an Arthurian kingdom embo dying honor, love, and the knightly virtues. The
mystical Isle of Avalon and its representative, the Lady of the Lake, validate Arthur’s kingdom by providing him with Excalibur, a sword of ancient British sovereignty. Though his throne is secure, Arthur’s court of Camelot is beset by troubles. His knights grow restless, fighting and wenching to sate their boredom. Sir Lancelot, his most revered knight, and Guinevere, the queen consort, are unable to renounce their secret love for one another.

Arthur’s half-sister, Morgana le Fay, discovers the affair but is banished from the court, consumed with revenge and a desire to expose the queen’s secret.
A vision of a holy chalice inspires the knights to labor in a glorious quest, providing exploits and adventures for all who dare seek it. In time, however, the end of the grail quest and the return of Lancelot bring trouble
back to Camelot. Merlin disappears, having been imprisoned by his lover and apprentice, Nimue. The queen’s adultery is exposed, fracturing the court and beginning the war between Arthur and Lancelot.

Arthur leaves Camelot in the care of Mordred, son of Morgana, but the treacherous knight claims both throne and queen. Arthur returns and slays Mordred, but suffers a mortal blow. Excalibur is returned to the Lady of the
Lake, and Arthur’s body is borne to Avalon. Someday, the last knight is told, the “once and future king” will return to aid his people in the hour of greatest need. At least, that is what my books tell me.

In my time, centuries later, King Arthur is no more than a fairy tale; magic is absent from t he land. Massively sprawling cities are ruled by corporations with amoral concerns, paying little heed to the weakened and privatized governments. Chivalry, valor and honor are outdated concepts bowing to the almighty credit. Citizens are defined by their place in the corporate
hierarchy and the power and possessions such standing brings. Persons convicted of non-violent crimes work off their sentences for a corporate benefactor, becoming wage-slaves without personal possessions and housed in cramped capsule hotels.

A simple citywide virtual intelligence provides ‘net access to all, and maintains public works and infrastructure. However, each mega-corporate district possesses its own complex V.I. for planning, scheduling and predicting markets even while it monitors district traffic, corporate sabotage and illegal freelancing over a vast network of closed-circuit vids.

Recent vid records contain footage of a naked scientist wandering the streets, waving a kitchen knife and ranting in an unknown language. Private security quickly subdues and relocates this worker to an unknown location. Within hours, a freelance courier follows in a similar manner. The next day’s flimsy reports that a luxcar driver suffere d a su dden onset of identity disorder and crashed his vehicle on Chargeway 1. His wealth keeps him in private care and out of public view, as it does days later for the CEO whom
shareholders claim collapsed after a religious experience in the midst of a virtual meeting.

More weeks pass, and The City shows little outward change. Workers and suit still hurry along the streets to their jobs, while badges monitor the public surveillance cameras and follow up on any crimes they are paid to investigate. Runners still carry illegal messages too sensitive even for the electromagetic waves, delivering them to radical citizens who long for a return
to the days of old and hope to expose the secrets of the corporate machines and their executive assassins. Hackers still dive into the virtual networks, manipulating data for a mega-corp paycheck while creating secret ‘back doors’ and customizations of their own. Scientists still work day and night in heavily secured laboratories, hoping to pursue their own research while appeasing the stockholders.

Yet, change has come, though only a few realize it. Video footage of inhuman creatures and walking corpses now appears too often to be dismissed, even by the most hardheaded badges. Victims of recent mental
trauma vanish from their sickbeds, only to be sighted later carrying archaic weapons and speaking of honor and chivalry. In the laboratories, scientists experiment with strange new energy sources, making former impossibilities
quite probable indeed. Hackers tentatively probe the front lines of battle against newly living energies and virtual intelligences, and the men and women who once merely dabbled in the arcane arts are amazed to find that their spells actually work.

Why did it take me so long to see what was happening in the world around me? Perhaps I was blind, too secure with my warm bed, cheap fatty foods, and free ‘net access. Years ago, when reporters were true journalists
who did more than forward corporate-scrubbed newspeak to the public, further questions might have been asked, facts correlated, and secrets revealed. Perhaps I would have learned the truth more quickly - but
perhaps not. After all, who would have believed that the forces of Chaos (what we call mag ic) have returned to the world? I still find it incredible, thoug h I believe it is true. Magic is no mere fiction; it simply faded with the
rise of the Renaissance and the scientific method, manifesting now to a world unprepared.

The scientists and their corporate masters, unwitting servants of Order, claim these manifestations are “fluctuations of energy caused by cosmic radiation
particles hitting weak areas of the upper atmosphere, creating sporadic energy displays and, in rare cases, mutations,” though most of us just call it “the Flux.”

Sadly, even those who witness the Flux firsthand may be too easily persuaded (or bought) to believe in a seemingly rational explanation. How deeply did I question the Flux when it brought my wife back to me, seemingly whole but for her need of frequent blood infusions? I gladly acccepted whatever pseudo-s cientific excuse she offered, and blinded myself to the reality until... until it was too late.

They came in the night to take her away. Surprisingly gentle, some of them, though they bore the authority of the Watchman. In battle, however, they betray their nature, actually wielding the Flux as easily as their guns and blades. She resisted, you see, and for some short time I thought (hoped?) she would be victorious – but it was not to be. In the end, all they could do for me was tell me t he truth: about the King, and the Flux, and their role in the coming war. It was cold comfort, but it was something. Perhaps it will be enough.

Looks fairly cool so far. looking forward to seeing more setting details.

Thanks! The setting chapter is Chapter 5, but I'll get to it fairly soon. In the meantime, there's some more flavor in the new chapter 2 thread I just started.