Dias Ex Machina Games

Someone posted a comment here before the crash inquiring about NeuroSpasta. Here is what we are willing to divulge at the moment...

NeuroSpasta involves converting 4th Edition D&D to a Modern/Sci-Fi environment.

In its current setup, it removes...

All races but those offered.
All classes but those offered.
All monsters but those offered.

INCLUDES
Races: True Born, Prosthetic, Nugenic, and Virtuant
Rules: Vehicle combat, demolitions, and hacking.
Skills: Computer Use, Research, Demolitions, Engineer, Regional History, Sciences, Vehicle Operations.
Lifepaths
Feats
Modern Equipment
Cybernetics.
Armor (including power armor)
Neuromonsters: Dozens of new monsters from humans to giant robots. Our new Adversaries section allows you to apply different types (Drone, Fanatic, Guerrilla, Hive, Ironclad, Mob, Regimented, Trained) to generic monster profiles (Chain Brawler, Phallic Compensator, Bell-Tower Bastard, etc.).
Paragon Paths: Generic and specific occupations for any class (Authority, Combat Marshal, Cinematic Cliche, Cleaner, Country Gunman, Diplomat, Dominator, Driver, Field Sniper, Iron Mike, Machine of War, Medic, Modern Warrior, Special Operative, Ring Fighter, Sapper, Scout, Selfless Protector, Skirmisher, Soldier, Suave, Super Hacker, Threat Analysis.
Weapons: Primitive black powder rifles to railcannons.
Explosives: Including Concussion, EMP, Flashbang, Fragmentation, White Phosphorus, Auto Fuel, Fertilizer / ANFO , Moldable, and Nitroglycerin
Vehicles

LADDERS
Ladders are generic paths you select at 1st level. They offer additional power choices, level-based class features, and other bonuses which can actually the class you are going into. You only pick one ladder and base your choice on your two dominant attributes.

BORN LEADER
Key Abilities: Charisma, Intelligence

JUGGERNAUT
Key Abilities: Constitution, Strength

RUNNER
Key Abilities: Dexterity, Intelligence/Wisdom

SAVANT
Key Abilities: Intelligence, Wisdom

VETERAN
Key Abilities: Charisma, Wisdom

WARRIOR
Key Abilities: Dexterity, Strength

CLASSES

COMBAT AUTHORITY

FACEMAN

GUNSLINGER

HEAVY

INFILTRATOR

MAN-AT-ARMS

MANIPULATOR

SNIPER

SPECIALIST

VANGUARD

CONCEPT SKETCHES








FINISHED ART

_________________
“I despise stallions. I ride them as I ride an ugly noble women--smiles for appearances and politics only. Stallions. All personality with no depth. They prance like ponies and trot with arrogance. I always say, respect your mules most of all. A stallion may lead with the king and gather the eyes, but a mule will follow behind…and carry your kingdom.”
Tsarevick Kazaan
Amethyst D20

http://www.diasexmachina.com

Copying this from a post made at WOTC

In order of importance to DEM:

1) Ensure the success of Amethyst to help fund future books.
2) Release a follow-up to Amethyst to show our continued support of the line.
3) NeuroSpasta

Now that's out of the way, here is a quick rundown as how our class system works.

There are (currently) ten classes: COMBAT AUTHORITY, FACEMAN, GUNSLINGER, HEAVY, INFILTRATOR, MAN-AT-ARMS, MANIPULATOR, SNIPER, SPECIALIST, VANGUARD

COMBAT AUTHORITY, FACEMAN, SNIPER, and SPECIALIST are non-combat (meaning they have powers which don't "attack" other targets. COMBAT AUTHORITY, GUNSLINGER, HEAVY, INFILTRATOR, MAN-AT-ARMS, SNIPER, and VANGUARD are combat (yes, Combat Authority can do both. They are identical to classes from D&D except they are about 60-70% the size (save for our hacker, MANIPULATOR, which is full size)

Then we have the Ladders. Ladders are generic paths you select at 1st level. They offer additional power choices, level-based class features, and other bonuses which can actually alter the class you are going into. You only pick one ladder and base your choice on your two dominant attributes.

BORN LEADER (Charisma, Intelligence), JUGGERNAUT (Constitution, Strength), RUNNER (Dexterity, Intelligence/Wisdom), SAVANT (Intelligence, Wisdom), VETERAN (Charisma, Wisdom), WARRIOR
(Dexterity, Strength)

Your ladder affects your class. Juggernaught uses Constitution for his attack and damage with firearms while Warrior uses Strength and Runner uses Dexterity, etc. You CAN powergame and "smurf-out" your build but you may be surpised which combinations work really well. VETERAN, for example, is a fanastic firearm ladder despite his strength being with Wisdom.

Feats also play a much more important role. With feats, you can also alter your class, especially with Vanguard, which is our melee fighter. Each feat is a martial art discipline, altering how you perform your powers (at least, that's the plan).

Obviously, a lot of Amethyst was carried over. The Grounder is the combination of Heavy and Man-At-Arms while Stalker is the combination of both Sniper and Gunslinger. Ladders also offer you level based bonuses as you progress. You can choose to either gain money (as a credit windfall) or the special ability. Via this technique, you can choose to purchase no cybernetics or improved weapons and strictly be "au naturel". This helps with games where DMs wish to remove the constant obsession of players to acquire money.

That's basically it. Ladder is between race and class but it is not a profession. Classes are not a profession as more of "what you do." We also have lifepaths, which are "where you're from."

SO....

RACE: What you are.
LIFEPATH: Where you came from.
LADDER: What you become.
CLASS: What you do.
PROFESSION: Who pays you.

That last one we don't deal with. That's a campaign. You role play that one.

_________________
“I despise stallions. I ride them as I ride an ugly noble women--smiles for appearances and politics only. Stallions. All personality with no depth. They prance like ponies and trot with arrogance. I always say, respect your mules most of all. A stallion may lead with the king and gather the eyes, but a mule will follow behind…and carry your kingdom.”
Tsarevick Kazaan
Amethyst D20

http://www.diasexmachina.com

AlWe can't wait to roll up our first 'puppets' !

Two thing we are curious about:

1) We often find that a couple of our players tend to be available even when a full group is not. With many other games and mods the balance is set strongly for a 4 man group (total of 5 players). Although we have often been able to improvise.

Q: Will we find it easy in NP to adapt to groups of to PC's or even solo missions?

2) As much as we love our cyberpunk and post modern campaigns, there are few things more satisfying than a gritty post apocolypse setting.

Q: Will NP lend itself well to being adapted for a Fallout, Road Warrior, or Dark Tower campaign? Or would that be more easily adapted from Amethyst?

1) Some classes are really good on their own. The infiltrator is fantastic when on his own. When dealing with non-combat encounters, the faceman or specialist can basically handle situations without intervention. NP full acknowledges that there are going to be encounters where several players are more important than others.

2) That depends on what you are wanting out of it. The moment you try to insert D&D monsters or classes, I would select Amethyst. Amethyst must be compatible to traditional D&D. NP does not have that obligation and if you create a game without tapping D&D, than NP offers you more variety.

With Fallout, if you use monsters from Gamma World, I would tap Amethyst. Road Warrior...NeuroSpasta has more vehicles and more classes; I would do that. Dark Tower is like Fallout...well, robotic bears...so I would still keep with Amethyst.

_________________
“I despise stallions. I ride them as I ride an ugly noble women--smiles for appearances and politics only. Stallions. All personality with no depth. They prance like ponies and trot with arrogance. I always say, respect your mules most of all. A stallion may lead with the king and gather the eyes, but a mule will follow behind…and carry your kingdom.”
Tsarevick Kazaan
Amethyst D20

http://www.diasexmachina.com