Khonshu Alpha

The primary inspiration for Khonshu Alpha was Metamorphosis Alpha and Gamma World. These were seemingly inspired by mid-20th century pulp sci-fi. This is a world where radiation gives almost instantaneous and useful mutations, and where ancient technology consists of Flash Gordon-style ray guns. This gives those games a more science-fantasy feel.

For the Khonshu Alpha project, I wanted to go in a slightly different direction. I'd like it to be inspired by more recent 21st century “hard” science fiction (I'll probably throw together an Appendix N at some point).

I want a setting that's rich and full of wonders, but not quite the pulpy free-for all that the older games had. I'd like the technology and creatures to be a little more in line with real world science. Basically I want to provide a fig leaf of plausibility pasted over the sci-fi nonsense.

i.e. Radiation doesn't give you superpowers, it gives you cancer.

So I'm going to limit the technology tropes in Khonshu Alpha to the following:

Technology that won't be in Khonshu Alpha

Simple Artificial Gravity – No grav plates Psionics Hyperspace Drives Ray Guns FTL Communication Time Travel Force Fields Extreme Mutations – No laser beam eyes.

Technology that will be in Khonshu Alpha

Nanotechnology Robotics Biotechnology Cybernetics Artificial Intelligence Von Neumann Machines Cognitohazards Mind Uploading Cryonics Virtual Realities

My hope is that limiting myself in this way, will force me to be a little more creative.

by Norton Glover – [email protected] E-Mail: [email protected] RPG Blog: Polyhedral Nonsense #Dungeon23