Sci-Fi Horror Liminal Spaces campaign concept

[Necrozius]

So I was reading these European Sci-Fi comics… and got to thinking about an interesting campaign pitch…

- setting is huge indoor city built on a massive satellite

- think THX-1138, Brazil, 1984, Logan’s Run etc… dystopian society

- people live in cramped, tiny living spaces, never see sunlight, lives are in constant consumerism (think Wall-E, but kind of scary and Cyberpunk-ish)

- something goes very wrong. Huge accident, monster invasion, massive riots… whatever

- PCs were in temporary cryosleep (medical reasons? Punishment?) . They all wake up at the same time and find each other but are otherwise alone.

- liminal spaces vibe: think Blame!, Event Horizon, Cube etc… with a nice dose of Cyberpunk and Blade Runner and a dash of Moebius’ Incal

PCs must survive against technological undead horrors (think Cenobites meet the Borg meet Dead Space). Find a way to get off the station (and later, maybe try to destroy the horror to save humanity).

Which system would you use to run this?

 

[thebigh]

GURPS can handle almost anything, so it would be a handy fallback if you can't find anything else fitting.

Maybe a heavily hacked and modified Mork Borg would fit the bill (I'm not usually a fan but I can see it working).

If you're looking for more inspiration from comics regarding the whole Liminal Spaces thing, I recommend reading The Walls of Samaris which I would describe as if Jorge Luis Borges had written Dark City.

 

[Fenris-77]

Paranoia? Mothership? M-Space? Lots of good options.

 

[bleys21]

If you go the Mork Borg style direction, you could easily do what you're saying with either Vast Grimm or Cy Borg (or both.)

While I haven't read through Vast Grimm yet, it sure sounds a lot like your write-up...

 

[Fenris-77]

You could also do it with my game, Vac Suits and Duct Tape. I'm kind of stunned that didn't occur to me above.

 

[lategamer]

Campaign? Reads a little like a multi-session cinematic one-shot?

I mean, obviously you could do it with any system (I literally have two scenarios in Kick Murder that have similar concepts - one is about escaping to Earth, the other about being on a long mission to the ends of the solar system)

I guess it depends how narrative you want to be with it.

As written, I might use ALIEN. I mean, it's literally what you described. I might lean into the meme that they're not revived from Cryosleep but they've literally been 3D printed (so, that's Kick Murder or Bladerunner) and have implanted memories. I just was part of a team submitting in a game jam - the game (Infralight) was about having to use a special visor to see camouflaged chameleon mutants while trying to escape the station. If you don't collect all the ID cards when you get to the shuttle you have to pick who from your team stays behind....(and one of the cards is on your previous dead body as you're a brand new reprint).

As I'm on a T2K kick, I might use the 2249 interstellar marines supplement and run it using that. I think the systems need to be deadly to emulate the genre.

 

[Nobohom]

So is this ‘liminal spaces’ reference a gaming one, or a paranormal one?
The definitions probably vary a fair whack.

 

[lategamer]

TBF, I thought it was about this game:

 

[AsenRG]

Which system would you use to run this?

M-Space, definitely!

Or maybe Destined? I really don't know, here!

(I should give a read to Vacc Suits and Duct Tapes, too...)

 

[Necrozius]

Or maybe Destined? I really don't know, here!

I was actually considering this for the ease of creating powers (I'd like the characters to discover strange abilities).

I was also considering the Alien RPG (for the mechanics, not the setting).

 

[lategamer]

I was actually considering this for the ease of creating powers (I'd like the characters to discover strange abilities).
I was also considering the Alien RPG (for the mechanics, not the setting).

See, I'd definitely use the setting. It really fits. But don't have a sniff of the Xenos. One of the mistakes, I feel, when people play the ALIEN RPG is that everything boils down to the damn Xenos. Tripping over the damn things. But we know from the movies that there are other things out there (and I'm not talking about Predators or the Arcturans). I think the ruleset and background (the handling of ships, the FTL rules) are sufficiently well done that it would be a shame not to use it. Plus....the players will be expecting Xenos. Heh heh.

Mutant Year Zero would slot really nicely into 'strange new abilities' (or you can wait for my Enhanced book and play in Twilight 2000)

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

 

[AsenRG]

See, I'd definitely use the setting. It really fits. But don't have a sniff of the Xenos. One of the mistakes, I feel, when people play the ALIEN RPG is that everything boils down to the damn Xenos. Tripping over the damn things. But we know from the movies that there are other things out there (and I'm not talking about Predators or the Arcturans). I think the ruleset and background (the handling of ships, the FTL rules) are sufficiently well done that it would be a shame not to use it. Plus....the players will be expecting Xenos. Heh heh.

Mutant Year Zero would slot really nicely into 'strange new abilities' (or you can wait for my Enhanced book and play in Twilight 2000)

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Sounds like my view of CoC...which is that it's a mighty fine system and setting that would only be improved if we were to remove the Mythos (but not the cultists)!