Red Rose: Blue Rose + The Expanse on Mars

 I may have mentioned it already, but I just wrapped up a summer-long Blue Rose game that was an absolute blast. I was playing a version of Larina, who, while not exactly kicked out of Aldis, was strongly suggested she "take a break" due to her abuse of Shadow Sorcery. She left, with new student (and an NPC that grew into someone that I really liked) Esme, to visit other worlds. 

Since then I have been stuck on what her adventures would be next. While I left it open to happen under any system/game/world I was REALLY enjoying playing AGE again. Then it hit me while on my morning run today.

Larina and Esme are going to Mars. 

Well. Not just any Mars, the "Red Land" mini-setting in the Blue Rose core book. Something that grabbed my attention way back when it was published. What clicked for me was re-reviewing the AGE-based Expanse RPG. Green Ronin has a new crowdfunding campaign for the Expanse RPG. This, from what I can tell, is an update and expansion over the current rule book. 

Now, I am a HUGE fan of the Expanse. I was talking with my oldest over the weekend about his Destiny game, and I at first suggested the Expanse rules, or at the very least, he reads them or watches the TV show. He opted to rewatch Star Trek, and I can't blame him for that. So *I* reread the Expanse rules.

Two things.

1. I really love the AGE system. I need to do a LOT more with it.

2. Some art in the book hit me like a lightning bolt because of how much it made me think of some similar art in Blue Rose.

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. Liam can run his Destiny game how he likes. I am going to run a Red Rose game.

I am going to take the Red Land setting from Blue Rose, then I am going (apologies) Expanse it. 

I love Mars. There is just much I'd love to do with it. Maybe when I am done with this I'll port it over to Thirteen Parsecs, but for right now I want to do this in AGE. Besides if I can mix Blue Rose and Horror, I can do it with SciFi. 

So how do I do this?

Cities in Dust

The "Red Land" is just not some other place on Aldea, it is on a different planet. This planet is Mars to Aldea's Earth. So it needs a good name. I was half tempted to call it "Dejahoris" after Dejah Thoris, Princess of Mars, but I think I am going to go with "Minerva" for now. I like the sound of it really.

My influences are going to be The Expanse (naturally), but also ERB's "Barsoom" series, Clark Ashton Smith's stories on Mars, as well as Dune, and (and this is the fun one) Logan's Run.

In this version of the Red Land/Minerva the sacrifice of the old and infirm has become the sacrifice of everyone over a certain age. So elements of Carousel. Naturally, there is an underground rebel movement.

 I don't have all the details worked out, but a small campaign might work. The premise is that Matriarch Gaelana can't hide the failing life-support arcana anymore and is planning an invasion of Aldea. Or something like that. There needs to be a threat of some sort. There are also rebels inside the domes seeking to stop "Carousel" (I'll come up with a better name later).

Given that this idea started with Larina and Esme traveling to the Red Land I might try this. Gaelana has captured Larina and is using her as a battery to power up new Shadowgates back to Aldea for her invasion. She trapped with her magic being drained. Esme, who is not as powerful manages to get back to the characters to enlist their help.

The characters can be Minervan rebels or folks from Aldea. Or a combination. 

I would want to keep some moral ambiguity going on. The people of Minerva are good, just thrown into a very hostile land where unorthodox solutions are needed. Even Matriarch Gaelana feels what she is doing is right. She thinks Aldea is now overrun with the forces of the Sorcerer Kings and their darkfiend minions. She isn't going to believe tales of Aldis as a utopia. Maybe they can find Mara's allies, who was named the next Matriarch. That is until their secret was discovered by Gaelana. 

I want a world that looks perfect under the domes, until you scratch the surface a bit. I want to emphasize these are good people, in very harsh times and they are making the best they can. If the characters are Aldean, then I want them to struggle a bit with the morality. My "Carousel" is deeply embedded in their culture, and it is what is keeping everyone else alive. Something akin to moral quandary from the Star Trek: TNG episode Half a Life.

In any case, there is a ton of potential here. 

Monstrous Mondays: Magiphagous Rust Monster

Rust Monsters are a great threat to low-level characters.  Nothing scares a group of fighters as much as a rust monster.  Orcs, kobolds, goblins, even trolls can be dealt with when you know what is going on.  But a rust monster never fails to put fear into most players.  Just not for the reasons the other monsters do.

Plus I have to admit I have always loved these weird little dudes. Especially after I learned of their true origins!

So here is a version of the rust Monster my oldest is using in his games.  Helps keep the fear of these guys alive, even when characters have gone up a level. Maybe even more so that they have gone up in levels.

Rust Monster, Magiphagous

Appearing as a paler and larger version of the rust monster, these creatures are otherwise exactly the same as rust monsters, save for one detail.   These creatures only eat magical metals.

Rust Monster, Magiphagous  (Old-School Essentials)
Magical, armadillo-like creatures with long tails and two long, antennae-like feelers. Feed on the remains of magical metals.
AC 2 [17], HD 7 (31hp), Att 1 × feeler (rusting), THAC0 13 [+6], MV 120’ (40’), SV D11 W12 P13 B14 S15 (5), ML 9, AL Neutral, XP 175, NA 1d4 (1d4), TT None

• Rusting: Magical metal that touches a rust monster (e.g. weapons that hit it, or armour struck by a feeler) crumbles instantly to rust.  Each time a magic item is affected, it loses one “plus”.  Each item gets a base saving throw of 13, plus any "pluses" the magical item has.
• Mundane damage immunity: Can only be harmed by magical attacks.
• Smell metal: Attracted by the scent of magical metals such as weapons, armors and artifacts.

Rust Monster, Magiphagous (Fantasy Age and Blue Rose)

Abilities (Focuses)
1 Accuracy (antennae)
–3 Communication
2 Constitution
1 Dexterity
2 Fighting (Claws)
–3 Intelligence
1 Perception (Smelling)
2 Strength
1 Willpower

Speed 14
Health 20
Defense 12
Armor Rating 4

Weapon Attack Roll Damage
Antennae +4 1d6+2

Special Qualities
Favored Stunts: Knock Prone

Eat Magic: The Magiphagous Rust Monster eats magic from metal magical items leaving behind useless rust.

Threat: Minor


and for 5e D&D

Rust Monster, Magiphagous

Large monstrosity (magical), unaligned

Armor Class

 

15 (natural armor)

Hit Points

 

52 (7d10 + 14)

Speed

 

40 ft.

STR

14 (+2)

 

DEX

12 (+1)

 

CON

14 (+2)

 

INT

2 (-4)

 

WIS

13 (+1)

 

CHA

6 (-2)

Senses

 

darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11

Languages

 

—

Challenge

 

1 (200 XP)

Magic Scent.

 The rust monster can pinpoint, by scent, the location of magical metal within 30 feet of it.

Rust Metal.

 Any magical weapon made of metal that hits the rust monster corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed. Magical ammunition made of metal that hits the rust monster is destroyed after dealing damage.

Actions

Bite.

 Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.

Antennae.

 The rust monster corrodes a magical ferrous metal object it can see within 5 feet of it. If the object isn't being worn or carried, the touch destroys a 1-foot cube of it. If the object is being worn or carried by a creature, the creature can make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw to avoid the rust monster's touch. Bonuses to save per plus of the item's enchantment.

If the object touched is either metal armor or a metal shield being worn or carried, it takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed. If the object touched is a held metal weapon, it rusts as described in the Rust Metal trait.

New Releases Tuesday: Blue Rose AGE Edition

I always pictured her as a blonde

It's Tuesday. That means new releases all over the place.  Today at DriveThruRPG we have the new release of Blue Rose: AGE Edition.
I scooped this up before I even got to my second pot of coffee!

There will be a full review later, but right now I want to say this book is gorgeous! The art is fantastic and all 384 pages are in full color. It just looks so good.
But this is not a coffee table book, it is an RPG book.  Well for that it will take more detailed reading, but I love what I see so far.

Some highlights

• The World of Aldea has moved forward in time. Some NPCs are gone, some are now married (!), and there are plenty of new and interesting NPCs to be had.
• Blue Rose maps onto the AGE system so well that I might actually drop the True20 version.  In fact it seems (from my readings so far) it works BETTER.
• A lot of the material from the True20 Blue Rose line made it to this book.  At 384 pages it is packed.
• There are no True20 to AGE conversion rules that I have seen yet.  Personally I am taking the "Forgotten Realms" approach and having a particular event in the new book signal a shift in paradigm. Classes and levels though do convert on a one to one basis and so do many of the "powers".
• The book is divided into a Player's Section, a World of Aldea Section and a Narrator's (GM) Section. 
• The Narrator's section is the most expanded and updated.  Benefits of having 10+ years of game play.
• The PDF is fully bookmarked (I know, that should be a given now-a-days, but you would be surprised how many I run into that are not).
• Did I mention how gorgeous the art is?

Sea-folk, Human, Vata, Rhy-cat, Night Person, Rhy-wolf

Chances are if you liked the True20 Blue Rose you will enjoy this one even more.

I have both Fantasy AGE and DragonAge and there is a lot of material that would work well between all three books.  

The tone of this book is more swashbuckling adventure and acts of derring-do now. Not that it has moved away from Romantic Fantasy (far from it).  In fact the feeling is that Aldea is entering into a new age.  I would liken it to the reigns of Queens Elizabeth I and Victoria. The True20 version was the cusp of Queen Jaellin's reign and now this is a new Golden Age of opportunity and adventure. 

I can't wait to get into this book!