New: Shadow Empires (free, open-ended, email, human, fantasy, space, economic, rpg, abstract)

From: donotreply@pbm.com (PBM List Autoposter)

Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:13:01 +0000

Name:		Shadow Empires
Costs:		free
Email:		sharlene79 zat mindspring.com
Frequency:		Daily (at least on my part)
Type:		Non Star Trek, space opera, multi genra, adventure
Last-Update:		2007Mar09
Keywords: free, open-ended, email, human, fantasy, space, economic, rpg,
abstract

Description:

Shadow Empires is ICE's Shadow World meets Star Wars.  It is the distant
future of the world of Kulthea (from Rolemaster supplements) long after
its races have achieved interstellar travel and have forgotten the world
of their birth.  Magic did not work so well in the rest of the cosmos � at
first.	But thousands of years � and more than a few wars � have changed
that somewhat.	Kulthea is not Earth.  (Kulthea was a little bit like
Middle Earth, but with elements of lost technology of a distant past.)

It is the year 2856 of the 5th Era.  Technology is comparable to Star
Wars.  There will be some rules regarding interstellar travel.	For races,
there are humans, of course, but also elves, uruk, uralchai, etc.  Elves
and Drow fill a role similar to the Vulcans and Romulans of Star Trek.
Uruk Hai fill a role not unlike Klingons.  Uralchai are war trolls � an
intelligent hybrid race of drow and troll whose origins are lost in time.
They are ruled by a matriarchy.  Dwarves fill their own role.  There are a
few other alien races as well, but not open to use as player characters.
The player character races are the same as those in older styled AD&D
games.	Humans can be pretty varied having spread out and gone through
colonization phases.  Humans dominate known space.  It was said in the
Lord of the Rings that the fate of the world rested in the hands of Man.
Well that has proven very true.

Characters should be presented as personas, not statistics.  This is NOT a
game based on any one system, though I will be drawing from GURPS more
than most as this is a multi-genre game.  I am borrowing elements of
Rolemaster, AD&D, and White Wolf � the genres, not the game systems.
Please don�t submit a character that says I am such and such type of mage.
 Most magic is created through technology (enchanted items), mentalism
(psionics), or Faith.  Other magics only work on planets and in hyperspace
(outside the protection of the ship � where it is very dangerous!!!).
That is because mana levels are low in outer space.  Worse, magic is
tainted in many parts of the galaxy, resulting in opening rifts to allow
the Unlife to enter our realm more freely.  Characters should have a Sci
Fi feel to them.  Good and Evil have blurred to a shadowy mix.	So much
evil is done in the name is good.  The balance has shifted toward Shadow.

Some types of characters should be carefully explained � like Paladins.
Real paladins are virtually non-existent among any races.  No one may
start as a Paladin.  If that is a path you wish to pursue, you must begin
as a warrior and earn the privilege.  Clerics, don�t actually expect
miracles.  Gods don�t really do those much anymore.  But in the face of
Unlife some gods � not all � help with turning undead.

For most, it is just handier to have a good blaster at your side.

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