How are you using Ravaged Earth?

[Scaramaus]

A couple of months ago my group and me decided to start a Pulp campaign after our very succesfull Midnight D20 campaign.
i designed an alternate Earth, one where airships are much more present due to a gas called Phugium. Abundantly found and with more bouyancy as helium. In my world there was also a big meteorite crash which destroyed a large part of the US and the Carribean. Just like the Tunguska event only bigger.
While planning all this I came accross Ravaged Earth and it all clicked perfectly. I quickly decided that the meteorites were made of a strange ore with mutagenic effects. Like in Ravaged Earth. And later I came up with the idea that what if those meteorite crash wasn't a coincidence and what if the were sent to Earth. Maybe from Mars?
Currently I envision my Pulp campaing as a trilogy.
- In the first part my heroes learn more about the world and have to stop a crazy Mexican who thinks he is the reincarnation of some weird Aztec god. He has been mutated a little bit by the meteorites. Slowly monsters start appearing, like zombies. The first scientists discover that they can use the ore for strange contraptions. Similar to Deadlands Ghostrock. I will probably Ravage the heroes in the first part as well, don't know for sure.
- in the second part the Heroes slowly learn that there is more going on with the meteorites. Even perhaps finding out that they came from Mars in an attempt to Terraform (Martiaform?) Earth for the Martians. I think I will let Nicola Tesla (Not the RE version) play a big part, just because he is a really cool character.
- In the third part the martian Invasion begins.
So that's how I use Ravaged Earth. I used it for character creation, without the Ravaged part for now, the background info and optional rules.
First session has been played, in a few weeks the second one. First one wasa big succes.

Scara

[Eric]

I quickly decided that the meteorites were made of a strange ore with mutagenic effects. Like in Ravaged Earth. And later I came up with the idea that what if those meteorite crash wasn't a coincidence and what if the were sent to Earth. Maybe from Mars?

This was similar to the original idea I had for the game, before the War of the Worlds idea.

- in the second part the Heroes slowly learn that there is more going on with the meteorites. Even perhaps finding out that they came from Mars in an attempt to Terraform (Martiaform?) Earth for the Martians. I think I will let Nicola Tesla (Not the RE version) play a big part, just because he is a really cool character.

It's Aresform, after the Greek god Ares, the Olympian god of war. Mars is his Roman name. You always return to the Greek, so Marsforming would be Aresforming, I guess.

More on the mysterious powers of Aetherium will be revealed in Secrets of Aetherium, which I'm currently writing. You'll also learn Tesla's connection with the Martians and more about the Martians themselves. Trust me, it's complicated.

[Scaramaus]

This was similar to the original idea I had for the game, before the War of the Worlds idea.

Hehe, Great minds think alike.

More on the mysterious powers of Aetherium will be revealed in Secrets of Aetherium, which I'm currently writing. You'll also learn Tesla's connection with the Martians and more about the Martians themselves. Trust me, it's complicated.

Sounds very cool. Can't wait for it. Any ballpark idea when this will be published?

Scara

[Eric]

Sounds very cool. Can't wait for it. Any ballpark idea when this will be published?

Probably late 2009.

[jamat]

Hi there

New to the game and the forum but not SW.

I got Ravaged Earth yesterday and read it through last night. The first idea to hit me was to run a league of Gentlemen type game but then thought no I want something a little grittier so I've decided to go for an early Watchmen type setting and will put it to my players at the weekend.

Jamat

[razorwise]

Hi there

New to the game and the forum but not SW.

I got Ravaged Earth yesterday and read it through last night. The first idea to hit me was to run a league of Gentlemen type game but then thought no I want something a little grittier so I've decided to go for an early Watchmen type setting and will put it to my players at the weekend.

Jamat

Hello and welcome to the boards! One buddy of mine, Ed Wetterman, made a very similar comment that you could do a Watchmen type setting. I told him, and I'll tell you, that is exactly one of the types of games I had envisioned you could play with this. Ravaged Earth can very much handle the "heroes from the outset" type of play style. I hope your players dig the proposition you're putting forth.

Take care,

Sean

[Eric]

Hey, gang.
I just finished and submitted Secrets of Aetherium, the second Ravaged Earth book. Secrets is filled with new hindrances, edges, knacks, weird science gadgets, magic items, powers, a plot-point adventure, Ravaged Tales and other surprises for your gaming enjoyment.

Now I'll head to bed for some well-deserved sleep...

[Ogrepuppy]

Ironically, I'm using RE with D&D 4th edition rules. (Please don't shoot me, but my players would have my head on a platter if we used a rules engine other than 4th ed. Trust me, I'd prefer to use Savage Worlds' engine.)

I saw a post on the EN World boards titled "D&D + 1920's to 1940's" and my head exploded with imagery. Less than a week later, I found Ravaged Earth in my local game store and knew that Fate's hand was at work.

Aetherium, in addition to all of the other great and terrible things it can do, also causes bizarre genetic mutations that make once-humans into eladrin, shifters, dragonborn, etc.

RE's setting is being used wholesale, Martians and all, but with D&D races included.

It requires a little work, but I'm converting any RE adventures to 4th ed. and liberally mixing with any adventures from my own feverish imagination. (Wish me luck--I've never tried something like this before.)

[AvatarArt]

2. Ravaged Earth provides an interesting backdrop to tell the story of the world's first superhumans.

Intriguing. I wonder if it would work to run Ravaged Earth, then Dawn of Legends, then Necessary Evil, with character's descendants or otherwise tie-in the settings.

[Weird Dave]

I like campaigns continuity, which simply means a campaign continues on with new generations taking up the mantle after previous ones. I'm trying to adopt this model in how I use Ravaged Earth, but I'm starting with Deadlands. Here's my general setting timeline:

* 1876-1877 Deadlands, using the Deadlands system - I've got a campaign that's wrapping up pretty soon to finish the big events.

* 1898 - Martians invade, along with Savage Worlds. I anticipate some of the Deadlands characters will be involved along with some new ones - many will probably die.

* 1936 - Ravaged Earth picks up exactly as written.

* The future? I'm thinking about adapting Day After Ragnarok for a post-apocalyptic feel, but I might advance the timeline out to incorporate Agents of Oblivion, and then move on to Hell on Earth (or maybe a variation on FallOut?).

I plan on putting right the things changed in Deadlands, kind of, after the Civil War comes to an end. The United States once again becomes united and things start to look good. California is being cleaned up and Deseret falls to Union control. Then the Martians invade, wreaking havoc and destruction, but die out shortly thereafter from Earth bacteria. In their wake is Aetherium, which shares some of the same properties as ghost rock.

And all the while the Reckoners watch and wait.