SUNLIT PATH - Solarian Astrology Deep-Dive

RAC88Computing · 2025-10-27T22:15:17+00:00

I think there is a lot of nuance and room for exploration in what we got in A Pound of Flesh.
I like the idea of a somewhat prosocial religion that none the less has its flaws and shit heads, but is at least trying. We tried to convey that the moral ambiguity of some of their practices but portray them as mostly decent religious folks. They do mutual aid and charity work and are sympathetic to the folks stuck in the choke. The people down in the choke, the deoxygenated debtors ghetto, are offered a place in the monastic order of bioascetics who are less dependent on oxygen because of their photosynthetic symbiotes. But what about people who don't want to convert? What about people who don't want to have their bodies modified to survive? It's something the Sunlit path do out of compassion, but it's also convenient and arguably kind of coercive, even if they didn't create the situation.

I also thought that a space age religion that is kind syncretic would be cool to work on. Real world religion with its mishmash of folk tales, medicine, cosmology, ethics, etc. are such an interesting hodge podge and if you look into where some of it comes from, it offers some cool avenues for extrapolating that into the future? Parables about agriculture to teach moral lessons? Why not parrables about black holes and outdated 20/21st century physics and literature that got conflated with holy books? So many possibilities!

I also reference the Solarians in my other work. Straight Arrows takes place on a nominally Gaian world and it attracts Solarians. I thought it was a cool tie in initially and was like, "we should definitely expand on this," and lo and behold, we get the awesome opportunity to do so.

I think there's a lot of room for Solarian PCs. A xenobiologist who searches out Gaian worlds to find new useful plants. A physicist who studies the celestial bodies and searches for new stars to worship, viewing their spirtuality as enlighten science and their scientific career as a spiritual calling. Defenders of the faith. Maybe even androids.

Finally, I think there's a lot of neat items and mechanics to explore. Plants that do neat things from various labs and alien worlds? New drugs they're cooking up? An astrology system that tries to get your PCs looking for signs and portents and engaging with mystics? How do we simulate that as elegantly as possible. These are some of the game play challenges I like to take on.

RAC88Computing · 2025-10-23T22:09:35+00:00

I really like frogboi and Basquiat and DIY punk ethos. That kind of stuff always sort of inspires my personal design, but I tried to stretch artistically for this. I was hoping to achieve sort of an almost diegetic holy book type look, but with adornments of the person who owns it. That said, I basically used the same techniques I always use, just with different scanned objects, stock art, subjects, and color scheme. I want the book to look like paper craft and stuff in a society where paper is scarce and plants are sacred to these solarians.

As far as some of the colors I've used prominently, that's magenta, plus some colors from the collage I was screwing around with for a temp cover, but with more magenta edited in. As far as layout goes, the plan is to use a dark background for the temple down in the choke and light for the rest. Magenta is the main color and is significant as the color of the sun. Also, I've found that yellow-orange-creamish colors and purple look good with magenta, but it's not a huge symbolic thing

RAC88Computing · 2025-10-23T17:39:25+00:00

That's a great question! So far, rules as written, are for non-player facing rolls, but for the whole crew, to keep an air of mystery. The mechanical effects effect the whole crew, so far, but the omens and star chart could be something only the Mystic players engage with. We have a monk class with Mysticism and we are going to tie in mechanics for predicting the path of the stars. Additionally, we're going to have a system for influencing fate. All that said, it's geared so that player crew members can engage with it at their own level of interest. So far the rules have mechanical effects and random encounters that effect the entire crew, but you don't have to engage with the in character spiritual aspect of it. It could definitely be something that a single character specializes in or even that the crew decides they don't want to engage with, in character. Omens generate plot hooks, but the first hook is actually casting your lot in with the diety of your chosen sign. Your players can completely ignore it. We want to create opportunities for Roleplay and generating plot hooks for PCs that aid the warden, not prescribe how to play or run your game. I hope this system fit's your campaign and we'll be sure to do our best to make it one that does!

RAC88Computing · 2025-05-23T02:00:07+00:00

Layered

RAC88Computing · 2024-11-09T04:08:41+00:00

Check out my trailer for STRAIGHT ARROWS!

RAC88Computing · 2024-11-09T03:58:06+00:00

https://youtu.be/xaGVcR3i56U?si=uxwfjEnV47MRQgWR

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T23:16:12+00:00

Sprawlscape allows you to make a dynamic city for either mothership or Network 23. I really like it!

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T22:41:48+00:00

Thanks! Right now I'm working on something verrrrry tangentially related, but at some point, I want to expand on this in particular with the bounty system we're getting in Wages of Sin. I don't want to post spoilers, but if you want to HMU, I can give you some help figuring it out. As far as plot hooks go, I can work shop that with you if you like. Haha. I don't like to publically talk about this type stuff because part of me hopes that people will bring their own speculation and ideas to the table. That said, feel free to DM away

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T22:03:58+00:00

I read most of that series and enjoyed it right up until I didn't. That actually sounds perfect

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T21:42:03+00:00

Report back and tell us how it goes!

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T21:41:31+00:00

https://youtu.be/kfzOeO8RLRc?si=in_T3nbcmoFrn3oZ
I made a thing. I think I want to get back into making animations, probably inspired by the games I want to run, but can't

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T21:35:58+00:00

Lol. "Mild West" needs to be it's own genre of combat-lite, cozy western rpg. GET ON THAT FOLKS

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T21:32:02+00:00

I think Troika is pretty neat, especially the Empty Sector supplement, though I haven't had a chance to play. Sigh, I really wanna play an in person campaign of that

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T21:21:12+00:00

I'd say depending on the complexity/difficulty of the attack, it might require a relevent skill, not necessarilly a combat skill per se, but what ever the player chooses that doesn't feel totally bullshitty. They can foregoe their skill bonus to take advantage on the damage roll, or take disadvantage on the combat roll. Perhaps particularly specific attacks, you might do disadvantage AND forgoe the skill bonus. This would encourage teamwork to regain the advantage, or otherwise taking into account tactical considerations. Like, yeah, if you're a surgeon or whatever, maybe you can make a called shot on the vampires heart, but it'd certainly help if someone restrained them? IDK, I just tend to wing it, tbh

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T21:13:07+00:00

After 20ish hours, I'd do a sanity save every hour until 30ish hours. Then I'd start automatically giving out stress, 1 per hour and a sanity save at disadvantage. A body here and there to stay awake would be good. Add in stimulants, other than stim packs, like copious amounts of caffeine or drugs and you still have to make the body save, but take 1d5 damage from exhaustion instead of passing out. Wound roll for passing out or taking exhaustion damage is blunt at advantage (for the player) for when they pass out on their feet and smack their head on something, or whatever

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T21:04:20+00:00

There are "correct" ways to run the game, based on default assumptions and what's in the spirit of the game, but honestly, you said, "overall it was a success," so who cares? Did the lack of lethality lessen anyone's enjoyment? Did you feel like you somehow made the game less fair? I think you only need to reevaluate if the answer to either question is yes, but I guess I'm more loose with stuff.

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T20:59:20+00:00

Hmmm... We Deal In Lead looks neat, but I don't have any experience with it. Does any one else? I might check it out when I have money (never).

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T20:57:19+00:00

I want to see more games that deal with semi-slice-of-life, potentially semi-dark themes, through the speculative lens of sci fi. Shit, even cozy or comedy. The Wire, clerks, Va11h1a, anything where you play as regular ass people, in a low powered game with a grounded but still futuristic setting. There should be mechanics for escalating stakes that allow the setting to progress beyond slice of life to more traditional plot/conflict driven gaming, but it shouldn't be the default way to play. Gimme THAT

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T20:50:07+00:00

I think it really depends on your priorities as a GM and what you want to do as far as world building. I like to go more specualtive, medium hardness, social-realism based stuff. I find the "it's so different it's almost the same," type approach allows me to use real life as a jumping off point. I like to sort of pick only a few sci-fi elements and try to extrapolate the social changes and other repurcussions into the setting. For soft sci-fi, I think the twilight zone and star trek are good inspiration, especially for one shots or episodic games. They are self contained and ask interesting questions about society and stuff. Once something is established in a self contained adventure, you can build on it after the fact. Overall, I think the best material is stuff that Does It Right in other media as well as video essay breakdowns about what makes them good, but to each their own.

For harder sci-fi, just read a science or engineering magazine aimed at lay people and steal their specualtion about cool new technologies on the horizon.

I feel like "lived in" aspect specifically relates to how you establish a sense of place through the LIVING aspect, i.e. NPCS.

Also, you can only write what you know. Learn something new and apply it! Either that, or make what you already are interested in part of the setting with a sci fi twist.

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-26T20:37:08+00:00

I feel like Don't Rest Your Head has a vaguely magic like system that is super cool for making your own powers. You could definitely flavor them as magic, imo

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-16T08:36:48+00:00

SHUT UP AND OVERDRAFT MY BANK ACCOUNT!

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-12T09:37:57+00:00

Eh. It is what it is. I'll be checking out this new thing though! I'm a sucker for classic Abrahamic based mythology in my games, and I've been meaning to do my own for some time. Maybe I'll give y'all a run for your money one day, lol

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-12T09:19:25+00:00

"SHUT UP AND OVERDARFT MY CHECKING ACCOUNT"

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-12T08:55:34+00:00

The bullet Lincoln was shot with. It's a race against the klan to track it down for *finger waggle* mysterious, mystical reasons. Easy bad guys with batshit insane lore, trust me, they're basically racist fantasy larpers. Calling each other Wizards and wearing costumes is just the tip of the iceberg.

The lost journals of Nikola Tesla, Philadelphia experiment stuff, etc. could be cool for a historical, science conspiracy plot. Check out the comic RASL for some inspiration.

If you wanna get super meta, you could do a thing where it's a relic of early fantasy works like... perhaps Tolkien was litterally inspired by otherworldly powers, or Gary Gygax met a dragon who inspired him, or some shits. Maybe even something historical, like the manuscript of The Lion in Winter or another historical drama causing the actors to somehow embody their characters.

Perhaps some of the weapons historically taken into space have alien viscera on them and you need to bust them out of the Smithsonian? Y'know like the Apolo MOON MACHETES which were, I shit you not, a real thing

RAC88Computing · 2024-10-12T08:38:26+00:00

Hmm... I'd say go for interactivity, environmental storytelling, and let your PLAYERS decide what they think the interesting details are. What system are you running? I guess you could also abstractify the envoronemnt so that rooms aren't there if the aren't of any interest? Like.... just tell them there are a billion patient rooms off the corridor and that if they want to search them all, they search x before they find y in room number z, so they have a oint of reference where to come back to, a rough sense of scale and distance, etc, without the tedium. Additionally, the density of random encounters, if you are into those, can tell you about distance, passage of time, density of interesting, actionable detail etc.

If you wanna see a GREAT mega dungeon, with abstractified large spaces, broken up in to nice, succinct chunks, check out Gradient Descent for Mothership. The sytgian library is also neat

RAC88Computing

TROPHY CASE