Update: I have already edited and fleshed out the document several times since it was first posted. You may find the most recent version here: City of Rain City of Darkness v2
A while back I wanted to develop a pulp dieselpunk setting for a roleplaying game. My initial impulse was to do a Savage Setting, and it may yet turn out that way. Over the past few months I’ve added bits and pieces here and there to an Evernote file, and while it is not large I believe it is complete enough to be a basic RPG setting. The overriding reason for brevity in this setting is that I’ve worked very hard from the beginning to set and maintain a consistent tone. As such, I’ve chosen my words carefully and added items only when I felt they were essential.
This setting is heavily influenced by pulp, dieselpunk, and noir. Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon guided my thinking throughout much of the conceptualization and design, as did Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen and many black-and-white films. While I have never had the fortune to see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, the idea and trailer also helped to spark my imagination.
And so, it is my pleasure to present to you my very first roleplaying game setting – City of Rain, City of Darkness. It has rained on the city for longer than anyone can remember. The city has always built upwards, searching for a way to escape the incessant downpour. The wealthy rule this city, and the less fortunate are tossed aside to slip through the cracks. Life is hard here, and each citizen must do whatever he or she can to survive. And through it all, the rain pours endlessly down…
City of Rain, City of Darkness PDF
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hi, while this is a very good setting/idea, there isnt anything beyond the idea/setting. no rules no possible games, no stat’s. nothing, while the first 4 pages look great and interesting. and id love to try this game, im looking for a different setting, for my group because everything else has been done to death, and this is far outside anything else. but please give a little bit more detail possible stat’s or maybe a possible game idea, something more then the setting. sorry but id love to try this and i just cant at the momment
Thanks for the feedback, and I’m glad you like the setting. I’ve been working on some system-specific stuff for it, but obviously it’s been slow going. Is there any system in particular you like? Since you’ve actually expressed interest I’ll see if I can get something out in the next two weeks.
Hey, this setting is great. I would love to read more about it. The game system can develop later to accommodate what you would like people to be able to do. (I see a lot of hidden umbrella swords and clockwork robots).
What is the system of government like? Who are the heroes here? The villains?
I see a lot of development that could fit around this.
If it helps, here are some systems that I enjoy: the first one that comes to mind is SPECIAL, but mostly because I see a little bit of the “Fallout” series in here. As in, the whole 1950′s vibe. Also, there is the system in “Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura”. Oh and I like FUDGE too. I’d like to see some combination of the three perhaps…
If you need any help or ideas or anything, just let me know.
I’m glad you like it! I’ve started to work on developing it, but tech week is messing with my creative side. I really like the elements you’ve suggested and the questions you’ve asked. I’ll try to use them to guide my writing over the next few weeks.
As for system, I really see what you mean about fallout/50s vibe. It’s a really interesting blend, and SPECIAL might work nicely. Ideally, I’d like to release the next version with some stats for mooks and some for major characters as well as a starting adventure, all in several systems. I’ve started some work on Savage Worlds but would love a hand with any other systems you feel especially comfortable with.