Diesel Power!
Strange & Grim is a licensed content creator for the Everyday Heroes RPG - a fresh take on the old d20 Modern ruleset. We have partnered with
Evil Genius Games to create an enriching "Dieselpunk" experience on the world of Baennor!
As one would expect in a setting such as this, ship and vehicle combat plays a significant role in this game. Get your ship, customize it for all your worth, and get to work, Freelancer!
New Classes and Professions
Unlike traditional 5e, a character's "class" broadly defines their role in the group, while their profession grants them specific and unique abilities.
Are you the Agile freelancer or the Strong freelancer? Are you a private detective or someone's bodyguard?
New Equipment and Weapons
While there certainly are Agents around Rynmark carrying swords and shooting crossbows, that's no way to survive long in "Syn-City". The syndicate goons will chew you up and spit you out faster than a dog with a sewer rat.
New weapons and equipment, including fascinating
aethertech and elemental-based magic weapons are a big part of this setting!
Strange & Grim Dieselpunk
Dieselpunk envisions a world where dieselpower reigns supreme; where the solution to every problem is going bigger, faster, and with more power! Governments and syndicates strive to out do each other through more convenience and more chrome in order to win over the hearts (and money) of the people. As one might imagine, this continual iteration and "improvement" on technology only serves to create an environment where change is the only constant and to sit still is to be left behind.
In
Strange & Grim, magic is also a significant contributor to the advancement of technology. Generally referred to as
aethertech, the development of magical technologies runs parallel to that of science. A seemingly unending effort of one paradigm to out-class the other has created a nearly dystopian environment on the planet of Baennor where the upper class control the means, while the lower class is left with the scraps.
Aether - The Element of Magic
While magic has been around for eons on the planet of Baennor, aether and aethertech are comparatively new fields of study. Just a few decades ago, scholars and scientists discovered the power of aether, the natural elemental force behind the millennia-old practice of sorcery. Study of this elemental magic led researchers to the discovery of an entirely new plane of existence in the multiverse. Dubbed
Medeis or the elemental plane of magic, this new discovery gave scientists and sorcerers alike direct access to the source of magic rather than tapping into it through rituals and spells.
The Syndicates
Today, after just a few decades, technology and science have taken huge leaps forward as a result. Whether scientific or aetheric, the world has seen wonders introduced into daily life once considered God-like in feasibility. Often advancing at a break-neck pace it is difficult, if not impossible for the average citizen to keep up with the newest available designs and schematics.
Mass transportation, communication, enormous ships, and terrible weapons have all emerged from the opportunistic syndicates who continuously work to build bigger, better, and more capable machines. People across the Commonwealth constantly devise new ways to use aetheric or scientific developments to improve quality of life and advance society forward, while the syndicates seek any means possible to exploit society and the resources it holds.
The "Haves" and "Have-Nots"
While the Commonwealth paints this all in a positive light, the disparity between the "haves" and the "have nots" continues to grow. This has created a world where huge syndicates rival the influence and power of the government, while many citizens of the Commonwealth often struggle to put food on the table for their families. Those who syn - or work for the syndicates - make up most of the "middle class" while those who are unable or unwilling to sell their souls to these heartless organizations must fight to survive on a daily basis.
The Freelancers
The players are independent "contractors" called Freelancers (or just Lancers) who may choose to work for the highest bidder or serve the people, helping make life easier where they can. As the Mastermind, the gamemaster, is responsible for leading them through these missions as they advance their goals and characters in the exciting dieselpunk world of Strange & Grim.
