Exploding Goat Games Forums

Armydillo978 · GoatHerder Volunteer

Dept 666

MasterGoat · Alpha Goat

Hmmmm.... teasers for Dept. 666.... I think this could be arranged.... I'll try to have something up on the website soon...
lets just say its Hellboy meets League of Extraordinary Gentlemen... without all of the hope and niceties....

Jay

Ravenwing · GoatHerder Volunteer

MasterGoat wrote:

Hmmmm.... teasers for Dept. 666.... I think this could be arranged.... I'll try to have something up on the website soon...
lets just say its Hellboy meets League of Extraordinary Gentlemen... without all of the hope and niceties....

Jay

dood...

MasterGoat · Alpha Goat

I've got the teasers ready for posting and should have them up tomorrow on the Goat Herd...Kermit and I started really hammering away some ideas and, if I do say so myself, GENIUS!!! MAD MAD GENIUS!!!!! MWOOOOHAHAHAHAHA

Mortals beware!

Jay

MasterGoat · Alpha Goat

Here's a bit of the intro to the game... furious

But sir, why Department 666?Why, what sane man would ever pass beyond the threshold of a door numbered 666?

Let us first start with what you do know. It is 1898; this so called Industrial Revolution has swept through the western world like a wildfire out of control. Steam now powers most of modern society and iron foundries work around the clock to produce the machines that will take man across the globe. Queen Victoria rules over the largest empire the world has ever known. In the east, the Meiji Emperor has established the divine ancestry of the Imperial House while modernizing the nation of Japan, taking it into the next age. The nations of Europe have built up vast armies of fighting men, all flush with the nationalism that was the trademark of this time. The commoners of Russia have embraced the Communist Manifesto of Karl Marx, tired of the opulence of the richest of men who use them like cattle. In the west, America has embraced expansion both physically and economically. The barons of enterprise build cities seemingly bent upon reaching the stars.

The mindset of the modern man is one of conquest. There is nothing that grit, determination and science cannot accomplish. If he has the will, there is no element of nature mankind cannot make bend to his will. Mysticism has been replaced with the learning gathered during the travels of brave adventurers and enigmatic scientists. Planets are identified using the miracles of modern astronomy; the farthest and highest reaches of the planet are conquered; the universe and all it has to offer is there for the taking- if man is bold enough to grasp for it.

But there is a darker side my friend; an ancient side of the universe full of power and mystery; and it is hungry. This gestalt force, while not an intellect in its own right, has a life of its own and it speaks in cryptic whisperings to the deepest and darkest recesses of mens minds. For most men, this primal voice manifests only as madness. Men like our own Jack the Ripper, who murdered eleven women in one of the most widely publicized atrocities of the era. Men like the storied Dr. Jekyll. Oh, you thought he was merely a fiction created from the minds of our fanciful friend Mr. Stevens? Well that is neither here nor there.

Where was I? Oh, yes for others, this voice speaks of power and avails itself to them for their own heinous deeds; at a cost. Despite all that the learned will tell you, the fairy tales and fables of old are not rooted in boorish superstition. Despite what youve been taught, my student, strange and horrible beasts do walk these lands we call home.

Have you ever heard of the works by a man called Grimm, my pupil? Certainly you must have. Tales meant to frighten children into obeying the commands of their parents, you say? What would you say if I told you not all of these stories are mere fiction? What would you say if I showed you?

MasterGoat · Alpha Goat

I've added a few teaser files to the aptly named "Files" section of the Exploding Goat GoatHerd group. The intro I already posted here is there as well as a pictoral story of the game!

If you're wondering where I got the terrain for the game, Dept. 56, the makers of Snow Village and Dicken's Village Christmas decorations is the place. I've got a growing Dicken's Village I set up over the Yule season and found this is, while bit bit under-scaled for 28mm gaming, PERFECT for the flavor. It also saves me from having to spend hours and hours making my own (I'm a double-duty kinda hobbyist).

Kermit (of Apocalypse-Z fame) and I are busy hammering out a great character-driven rule set for 666 and we're, to take a trip back in time to the 80's, TOTALLY STOKED MAN!

Jay

MasterGoat · Alpha Goat

Here's the link to the GoatHerd group.

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/GoatHerd/

ChickenGoat · Goat Manager

Dept. 666 is one of those titles I myself as a staff member is itching to play. I don't think the fans will be dissappointed in this one.

Josh B

Armydillo978 · GoatHerder Volunteer

Will Alan Quartermain, Van Helsing and Dr. Moreau, or say........Captain Nemo make any apperances?

Or perhaps Dr Fu Manchu, or even the sadistic Sergeant Lejaune.

Now, if you guys can come up with ether flyers and Mars colonies.

MasterGoat · Alpha Goat

Armydillo978 wrote:

Will Alan Quartermain, Van Helsing and Dr. Moreau, or say........Captain Nemo make any apperances?

Or perhaps Dr Fu Manchu, or even the sadistic Sergeant Lejaune.

Now, if you guys can come up with ether flyers and Mars colonies.

There may be appearances from certain Dramatis Personae such as those, but we haven't hashed out the details yet.

As far as Mars colonies.... let's just say I'm in the process of researching the legalities of E.R. Burroughs' Barsoom series with John Carter. The bulk of his initial works are well into the public domain, but several items are trademarked by ERB Inc. I'll continue my research and, depending on what that yields, may even submit a proposal to the folks in Tarzana, CA (home of ERB Inc).

IF you'd like a glimpse at some figures I've collected (while at Historicon) go to www.bronzeagemin.com and check out the 28mm sci fi's... Dave (of Bronze Age) and I spoke at length at Historicon and let's just say that a collaboration could be in the future.

Jay

Ravenwing · GoatHerder Volunteer

this is looking VERY interesting Jay...will there be a Cthulhu? ;)

cultists are just so much fun to turn loose on an unsuspecting village :)

Armydillo978 · GoatHerder Volunteer

Ravenwing wrote:

this is looking VERY interesting Jay...will there be a Cthulhu? ;)

cultists are just so much fun to turn loose on an unsuspecting village :)

I'm not sure what they were, but on the Yahoo Group site, they did that picture storyboard about Foo and the Inspector. It sure looked like they had two Cthulhu type critters there.

Armydillo978 · GoatHerder Volunteer

Just a thought. Will the geography of Europe, the world be the same? Just wondering if there will be any cross over from the fairie/fairy tail "wink wink" world that might change the landscape.

ie: Suddenly fairie forests blossom in the dark heart of the black forest. New mountain ranges with dwarven holds. Or will those things and creatures be developed (if any) within the normal landscape of the world.

Oh, and will it be using the BE system? Not sure if I've asked that already.

Thanks.

MasterGoat · Alpha Goat

Armydillo978 wrote:

"Will the geography of Europe, the world be the same? Just wondering if there will be any cross over from the fairie/fairy tail "wink wink" world that might change the landscape."

- The geography will be the same.

ie: Suddenly fairie forests blossom in the dark heart of the black forest. New mountain ranges with dwarven holds. Or will those things and creatures be developed (if any) within the normal landscape of the world.

-There might well be "pop-up" areas, but they'll be (for now) small. Who know's how the world will develop later...

Oh, and will it be using the BE system? Not sure if I've asked that already.

Department 666 will be a standalone game system of our own design. Kermit is busily hammering away at a system he's had in the works for some time now. Its d10 based and uses alternating activations for starters.

666 is really shaping up to be a hybrid role-playing/miniature wargame in that it is very keen on character development and is perfect for campaign settings. You'd certainly be able to have a great one-off game, but to get the most out of it, a campaign or series of linked games is certainly on tap...

A few basic concepts:

We're shooting for 15-30 models per side as a target range,

d10 based combat/interactions,

we'll have a list of pre-generated characters and, of course, core units, but players will have a chance to really spend some time on character generation with skill trees, attributes, etc if they like,

objective heavy (since what human can really do much hurt to an aspect of a god)

That's about it for now... don't wanna give too much away!!!!

Once we get a solid playtestable set of rules worked out I'll be soliciting playtesters!

Jay

MasterGoat · Alpha Goat

Ok, here's a bit more info on Department 666. Disclaimer: 666 is still very much in the initial development stage, so everything here is subject to change, modification, etc etc etc...

Department 666 is a skirmish game intended for 15-30 miniatures per side. We've envisioning a game that is a miniature wargame at heart but has the soul of a role playing game in that character development and creation are a VERY large portion of the game.

We will have standard, pre-developed characters and units but, to get the most out of the game, players will spend some time preparing for the game by making some of their own characters and developing forces.

Some basic concepts...

Character development will include developing core stats as well as selecting skills that set them apart. We're working on a skill tree simliar to that one would see in various computer strategy games, but that is more fluid and intertwined... more of a skill web than a tree I'd say...

The base that we're working from is the standard human attribute set developed by Kermit. Most models will start character generation with these stats and develop with the selection of skills and abilities. There's very little point in running battles with forces composed of base human stats, since the average person cooks, cleans, does accounting, sells goods at market and other such mundane tasks that make for poor battlefield abilities. Those that fight tend to be a bit faster, stronger, and tougher than you're average joe. This is what makes them special!

As players add skills and attributes they see their forces develop into something more than the bulk of the populace and that's what makes it exciting. While I value my plumber, I wouldn't want him as the last line of defense against evil incursions. Then again, I think your average Initiate into Department 666 would probably just get poo-water spilled all over my house if he tried to fix my septic!

Some of the skills will be general use that all factions can use while others will be faction-specific. We plan that some skills overlap and intertwine so that players aren't forced into a single path of development and can rather shift characters down different paths as they evolve in the world of 666.

Basic mechanics...

Department 666 is a stand alone rulebook and a game system of our own design. The core book will have everything that a player needs to run a game and have several (at least 4, maybe more) factions to choose from when deciding which force to assemble.

We don't want to get too far into this at this point since game mechanics aren't as protected by copyright laws (you can't copyright math!). Suffice it to say that it will be entirely D10 based and interact HEAVILY with the skills selected before gameplay.

Factions...

The factions we have at present are Department 666, The Holy Inquisition, the Withered Lotus, and the Cult of Kal' lyethe. There will also be a Rogue's Gallery of, for lack of a better term, mercenaries.

Department 666
     These guys are the "Scotland Yard" of the 666 world. They are a secret group of investigators who understand the supernatural and occult mechanisms taking place in the deep, dark bowels of society. They answer directly to the Queen.

The Holy Inquisition
   You thought that the Inquisition extended with Napoleon and Joseph I, you were wrong. The secretive leadership of the Vatican knew that the otherworldy threats would not cease simply because of the new "scientific" enlightenment of western civilization. They pulled the Inquisition into the shadows and tasked them with flushing out the more extraordinary threats to Christiandom rather than the routine heresies of the masses.

The Withered Lotus
     The Orient has forever been a place of mystery and power beyond the comprehension of the Western Mind. The "Dragon Lords" of the East have always manipulated the arcance powers of the universe and the modernization of the East has been no barrier to this, neither in practice or in spirit.

The Cult of Kal' lyethe
     Despite the universal tradition of balance, there have always been those who seek to tilt the scales to serve their own ambitions and schemes. The Cult of Kal' lyethe is a sectretive organization of powerful men that seek to unleash the powers of other planes of existence to achieve their aims of domination. Employing horrific tactics and diabolical rites, they summon forth powerful beings from the Netherworld and bind them to thier will.

Well... this about wraps it up for now Goats! Hope this whets your whistle for the time being. We expect Dept. 666 to be ready for playtest sometime in the mid-autumn. We'll keep everyone posted and solicit playtesters at that time.

Thanks for the interest and Good Gaming,
Jay

Armydillo978 · GoatHerder Volunteer

Excellent. This will give me something to work with till then. Ha ha ha ha

Must flee to my keyboard and begin........the writings.

CCotD · Billy Goat

Ohhhhh.... more! MOHR!!

MasterGoat · Alpha Goat

Hmmm... just a bit of an update on the preliminary 666 work.

Kermit and I have been furiously working on rules, mechanics, and fluff. I must say that the mechanics we've come up with at this point really are proving to be different from anything I've seen before. This is not to say that no other game has ever been based on D10 or driven by success/failure frolls, but the way everything is shaping up, the interaction of the core mechanics with the skills, magic and other rules is quite exciting.

A few words of CAUTION: Don't get too droolingly excited just yet. This is turning into a juggernaught and there won't likely be a publically playable set of playtest rules until '09. There's skill lists, spell lists, character creation guidelines, and more for us to work out before we can go public with anything greater than teasers.

If you'd like some things to keep you warm on this one, watch (and read the graphic novel) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, anything Lovecraft, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Van Helsing. the Mummy... you get the drift... maybe even read The Divine Trilogy, Beowulf (the original version you slackers) and Bulfinch... oh yeah... the Old Testament too... ;)

Starting to get the scope of our inspiration?

Jay

Armydillo978 · GoatHerder Volunteer

What a tease. He's gets us all steamed up and then tells us to go watch movies? Sheeeesh.

;)

MasterGoat · Alpha Goat

Yup!!!! I've been married so long, its apparently rubbing off on me!!!!!

;)

Ravenwing · GoatHerder Volunteer

MasterGoat wrote:

Yup!!!! I've been married so long, its apparently rubbing off on me!!!!!

;)

boy if that doesn't hit me where I live...

Armydillo978 · GoatHerder Volunteer

Holy Bat Guano, are we all in the same boat or what.

*sigh*

MasterGoat · Alpha Goat

LOL!!

Seems like we should rename this the Frustrated Married Geek Goat Forum!!

I know I fit in!

Jay