The Merge Universe

Have a setting you like or a home brew you want to share? Do it here.
User avatar
Doctor Malsyn
Posts: 8176
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:42 pm
Location: Thunderdome, Texas

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

Those talks have made me recall somethibg I had wondered about. I never saw mention of it in thr PDF, but what happened to all the people who owned merged material's intellectual property?
Last edited by Doctor Malsyn on Mon Dec 17, 2018 11:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Am I dead? Am I alive? The answer may surprise you!
------------
"What a week, huh?" "Doc, it's only Wednesday."
User avatar
Bladewind
Posts: 3234
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

I know it's not something I considered, care to tell us your thoughts on the subject?
Thorpocalypse wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 6:01 pm Building to be comics "accurate" is different than building to run a PC or building something to challenge a group.
Bladewind's 3ed M&M Builds
The Merge Setting document
User avatar
Doctor Malsyn
Posts: 8176
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:42 pm
Location: Thunderdome, Texas

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

I'm nowhere near adept enough in my nonexistant kbowledge of copyright law to even start. :lol:

I imagine it's a pretty messy situation especially in regards to a few key points. Is it only ever old material that had merged, or had newly written material merged as well? Depending on the answer on that front, it very well could have led to some very strict laws or even social stigmas regarding creators.

Personally, I think things would be a lot less messy if the only material applicable to the merge was already pre-existent. Then again, that could result in some interesting stories and characters too...
Am I dead? Am I alive? The answer may surprise you!
------------
"What a week, huh?" "Doc, it's only Wednesday."
Neo-Paladin
Posts: 3349
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2016 8:48 am

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Neo-Paladin »

Copyright law is a minefield these days. Since the widely-accepted opinion is that " creators" created works based on " bleed-over" from other universes and " merely" fashioned their visions into coherent storylines, it's hard to pin down who owns what. Many X-Dees refuse to see themselves and their life stories as being 'owned' by anyone.

Now, if this theory is correct or if the prevalence of certain ideas merely drew other, fitting, universes to ours...that's something not even the gods could answer.

In some cases, there has been backlash against authors, especially in the horror, post-apocalyptic and dark fantasy genres, as people accuse them of making money out of real peoples' misery ( G.R.R. Martin, for example, has now oficially scrapped the Game of Thrones books since he's fed up with it all)....
User avatar
Bladewind
Posts: 3234
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

Made some tweaks to the setting document.

Added "goblinised" to the lexicon, adjusted some formatting and added Neo's fanfic to the end...likely my last addition until next year... :lol:
Thorpocalypse wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 6:01 pm Building to be comics "accurate" is different than building to run a PC or building something to challenge a group.
Bladewind's 3ed M&M Builds
The Merge Setting document
User avatar
betterwatchit
Posts: 374
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 9:39 pm
Location: London, UK
Contact:

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by betterwatchit »

The Griffin's Guide to Proper Powering.

The Griffin of London has recently released an e-book about what to do if someone wants to be any good as a power. He's priced it as "Pay What You Want" but suggests a token payment of £5. Below is the intro and a sampler...


This book is for educational and informational purposes only. The author of this book bears no responsibility for the consequences of using or misusing any information gained from reading this book and they do not support or condone committing an illegal act.

Some or most of the contents of this book may seem obvious to you, but please remember that this entire guide is written under the assumption that you honestly do not know much about how to be a power who wants to help other people and similarly, that you honestly want to learn how to be any good at it. With this book, I seek to bring practical advice without any subtext that might trip a newcomer up.

This edition focuses on Great Britain, but it also has information that is useful in North America. Editions for various regions and languages are being planned.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior express permission of the publisher.

That said, if you’re doing it for personal use, feel free. That is not only allowed, I support and respect those of you who do so.

For those working at a copy shop, this means the person standing at your counter who wants this PDF printed does indeed have "express permission" from the author to get a copy of this document printed out.
---
If you have any of these books or documents, please read them frequently:

The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Even though it was written in ancient China during the Three Kingdoms period, this book is quite rightly considered to still be relevant today.

Current Personal Flight Charts for the areas you operate in. These are the charts designed for powers who can either fly unaided or with a very small vehicle like a man-sized battle-suit or an enchanted broomstick. Most major bookshops will have them, especially those at airports, seaports and at any major railway station. These will let you know where you can and cannot fly over.

Any recent military field manuals pertaining to anything you specialise in, post-Merge editions when possible. Most United States military field manuals are actually very easy to come by online and they're usually free and legal to download if they're not classified.
---
If you have any of these items, make sure you take them with you and become very familiar in their use. And when I say very familiar, I mean familiar enough that you can reliably use them in a high-stress situation like rescue or combat.

Headlamp/Headtorch. The sort you strap to your head to keep your hands free, not the sort you fix to a car. Get a headlamp that also has red LEDs if possible. That way, it preserves the night vision available to a normal human eye. If you have vision that allows for it, try to get a second headlamp with infrared (IR), low-light or ultra-violet (UV) bulbs/LEDs. Being able to use the light while other people cannot is an advantage that simply cannot be overemphasised. The conventional lights are best used for reading details, rescue missions or for use as a distress signal. After all, you WANT distress and rescue signals to be seen by as many people as possible!
Safety Notice 1: ALWAYS ASSUME A DISTRESS SIGNAL TO BE GENUINE! You might be the only chance for whoever's sending the signal to get out alive, so you MUST help! NEVER hesitate or stop to think, they do NOT have the time for it!

Safety Notice 2: NEVER SEND A FALSE DISTRESS SIGNAL! These waste effort and resources that could be used to deal with actual emergencies. Also, someone with a reputation for sending false distress signals will likely not be believed in the event that they need to send a GENUINE signal!
Swiss Army Knife/Multitool. You never know when this will come in handy. In Great Britain, it is the only knife you can legally carry outside your place of residence without having a specific lawful purpose in mind or an Unusual Weapon Licence. Most other places will allow the public possession of Swiss army knives so long as you don't do something stupid like get the blade out without an actual need to do so, but please consult your local weapon laws first. Do NOT get it engraved!

Two-Way Radio. This will save money on cell/mobile phone calls for internal communication when you do not have or want a telepath on your team. Unlike mobiles, the radios will still work even when you're both underground or high up a mountain! The basics of radio etiquette will be discussed further on in this book. Learn them before using a radio. It is advisable to develop a code with your teammates in case of other people listening in to your communications. Do not get a radio that requires a licence to use! PMR446 radios are licence-free in Britain and the European Union. Family Radio Service equipment in the Americas is also licence-free. Citizen Band (CB) radios are usually licence-free as well. CB frequencies vary from country to country so make sure to get handsets and base stations that are legal for use where you live.
---
Natural Disasters:

Earthquakes: If you are caught in an earthquake, what you should do depends on if you're indoors or outdoors. If you are indoors, IMMEDIATELY get under a table, desk or bench (if you have any of those nearby) and hold on to one of the legs. If you're outdoors, lie down on your stomach. Make sure to protect your neck and base of your skull, see picture below. It is preferable to get under a bench if at all possible if you are caught outdoors, but you must stay away from trees and buildings as these could fall on you. Do not go under vehicles as these might be moved by the earthquake, if not by whoever's driving them.

If you find yourself on a staircase when you get an earthquake warning, you must head to the nearest floor and seek cover as mentioned above.

Fliers caught outside should IMMEDIATELY get airborne once they get warning of an earthquake. If you are already airborne, it is advisable to remain in the air as long as you can. If you must land during an earthquake, try to land on a wide open field and then lie down as shown above. If you're in a land vehicle, the driver must stop at once, turn the engine off and apply the handbrake. Do not get out or move until the danger has passed.

Cyclone/Hurricane/Tornado/Tropical Storm/Whirlwind: Get indoors, preferably underground, as soon as possible. Fliers must land and do the same. Do not leave your shelter or take flight until after it has passed.

Tsunami: When you receive a tsunami warning, stay away from the ocean and any rivers. Make your way inland, preferably uphill if possible. If you can get airborne by yourself, do so at once!
---
Weapons:

The first thing I must say to weapon-users is this: You must NEVER draw, ready or aim your weapon unless you are actually going to use it. Everyone around you will automatically assume that a drawn, readied or aimed weapon is going to be used and they will get ready to use their weapons and/or powers on you if they have any.

The second thing I must say is to always remember to perform periodic weapon maintenance. If your weapon's falling apart, the only person who is getting hurt with it is YOU! In the event you have to pass a weapon to someone, passing it in the manner shown below will show that you do not mean them any harm. (Below are various diagrams showing how to pass a weapon to someone without intending them any harm.)
---
Do not harm or threaten anyone who is not posing an immediate threat to yourself or others. Even if they ARE dangerous, attacking or threatening someone who is not being an immediate threat to another will likely make them BECOME a threat when you would prefer that they do something harmless instead. And if other powers or the police see you doing it, the situation will likely escalate faster than you can handle it.

Help any bystanders to get out of danger as your first priority. Yes, this does include when doing so would allow whoever endangered them to get away. You do not want innocent blood on your hands! Endangering civilians by abandoning them to chase whoever endangered them will make it a lot harder for anyone to listen to you or otherwise believe you.

NEVER HARM A CHILD! Harming a child can profoundly affect their development in a negative manner and runs the very high risk of them becoming a danger to others. Doing so also leaves a lot of people with no other choice but to ACT to protect the child or to see justice done for such a foul act. It will also cause irreparable damage to any credibility, legitimacy or positive reputation you may have once had. Prison sentences in practically every country on Earth will become much harsher if it can be proven that your committing the offence in question directly or indirectly harmed a child, and the stigma of being the sort of person who would harm an innocent will ALWAYS be with you, even in the eyes of the law! I repeat: NEVER HARM A CHILD!
User avatar
Bladewind
Posts: 3234
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

Shall add that to the end of the doc with the other fanfic bits...
Thorpocalypse wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 6:01 pm Building to be comics "accurate" is different than building to run a PC or building something to challenge a group.
Bladewind's 3ed M&M Builds
The Merge Setting document
User avatar
Bladewind
Posts: 3234
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

Sorry Neo ! Just realized I never added Pt 2 of your fiction to the doc... fixed that !!!
Thorpocalypse wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 6:01 pm Building to be comics "accurate" is different than building to run a PC or building something to challenge a group.
Bladewind's 3ed M&M Builds
The Merge Setting document
User avatar
betterwatchit
Posts: 374
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 9:39 pm
Location: London, UK
Contact:

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by betterwatchit »

Here, I have video footage of a stray Arcanine, filmed during the first week of the Merge. :)

I believe it to have been someone's Pokémon, hence why it didn't start using Flamethrower or Take Down when people started filming it.
Last edited by betterwatchit on Thu Mar 21, 2024 9:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
betterwatchit
Posts: 374
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 9:39 pm
Location: London, UK
Contact:

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by betterwatchit »

DIY Superpowers and Superpowers for Sale:

Ever since the Merge, people from worlds without powers have sought to obtain them. It does help that the laws of reality have been altered to the point where it's possible for Earth-Prime natives to gain powers, with enough evidence to make even the strictest of skeptics concede.

While it's possible to DIY with powers, a lot of them tend to have a drawback or two.

Cultivating Fire Flowers is a popular way to do it. Eat one and you can throw fireballs! It has three side-effects. First, it makes a distinctive and memorable sound when you eat it. Also, your clothes will suddenly turn white and red. If they're already white and red, then the colours will often switch places. This has meant that everyone who doesn't know better will assume that anyone wearing just red, orange and white clothes is advertising that they're a blazer. Third and final, taking any injury means that you lose the ability to throw fireballs... until you eat another Fire Flower.

Other ways of doing it are to download e-grimoires (OCR misreadings are known to cause... severe issues, so caveat lector) or various tech schematics. Those who can already use magic are known to look for pre-Merge RPG books and System Resource Documents to get more ideas for spells and magical items. d20 Modern books and Mage the Ascension books to do with the Sons of Ether, Virtual Adepts and the Technocracy are well sought after. Even though the RPG books don't contain any actual formulae, they can give people enough of an idea to get started on their own. In places like Camden Market, there's always someone who can enchant items for a price.


Known Merchants include...

Agora: From the world of the Ideal (the world of the Base Raiders RPG), Agora is hosted on The Seas, Our Destination, a high tech nuclear-powered ship with advanced satellite communication capabilities and run by anarchist idealists who truly believe that superpowers belong in the hands of the masses. The ship remains in international waters to avoid prosecution, even after the Merge. It only took them a fortnight after the Merge to work out how to use Earth-Prime cryptocurrencies and resume trading. It is believed to be very well-defended, as more than a few boarding parties who have tried attacking it haven't been seen since.

Trader Lydia: Lydia von Truffleshroom is a cheery dark gnome from the Black Forest who sells all sorts of unusual goods. She takes payment in US Dollars, Euros, Pound Sterling and precious metals. She isn't sure about cryptocurrencies, so anyone buying from her on the quiet had better bring cash... Or something valuable enough for her to take in trade. She has no issues with dealing in either magic or tech, but she will not be held responsible for misuse of her merchandise. Her sisters in the von Truffleshroom family can be found all over the world. A lot of people who have changed their species and/or gender swear by Lydia's stock.


Sample items for sale:

Helping Hands: Helping Hands are magical work gloves that can act as extra hands for an individual. The gloves may work singly or in pairs. Originally designed for mageworkers from the world known as Merlin (the world of GURPS Technomancer), the gloves spread to the general public before the Merge happened. They work by putting them on, concentrating to turn the enchantment on and just slipping one's hands back out again. They remain in place, keeping the user's own hands free. They can also move along with the user, allowing them to move lengthy or awkward objects by themselves. (In M&M terms, Helping Hands are Removable Extra Limbs 2 with Projection for a cost of 3 PP.)

Ideal Rocket Boots: The Ideal made hundreds of pairs of these boots for their team members and while many were never used, nearly every Ideal safe house that made it over has at least one pair. They're considered to be a good purchase for a lot of different reasons when not kept as a trophy of one's first base raid. They also have a built-in safety feature in that you can't fly higher than a hundred metres above ground level. (Removable Flight 6 (120 MPH), Limited: Flight Ceiling of 100 Metres (330 Feet) Above Ground/Sea Level. Cost: 5 PP.)
Last edited by betterwatchit on Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:22 pm, edited 3 times in total.
User avatar
Bladewind
Posts: 3234
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

Interesting !

What's also highly amusing/ relevant is that Neo just ran a story along those lines and it currently features in mine...
Thorpocalypse wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 6:01 pm Building to be comics "accurate" is different than building to run a PC or building something to challenge a group.
Bladewind's 3ed M&M Builds
The Merge Setting document
Neo-Paladin
Posts: 3349
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2016 8:48 am

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Neo-Paladin »

Nice!

Allow me to add to that:

One-Up Mushroom

These white-spotted green mushrooms have to be one of the most sought-after items in the Merged World because they allow the consumer to achieve an age-old dream: cheat death. You need no superpowers, no special equipment...all you need to do is eat one of these and the next time you suffer a terminal injury, your body magically regenerates and reappears a few meters from where you died. Unfortunately, it does not help against slow-acting means of death like venom, sickness or old age.
Also, these things are extremely rare. They seem to grow only in two places - fairie rings and places that are hidden from any creature larger than an ant.
The last mushroom sold went for more than 7 million at an auction in Switzerland.

Gaulish miracle potion

In 2017, archeologists found a grave in France that held the bones of what appear to be a man of small stature, alongside a winged helmet, a short sword and a small flask that still contained a few drops of a strange fluid. After some research, it was determined that the archeologists had found the grave of Asterix. The fluid in the flask turned out to be nothing else than the miracle potion that grants superhuman strength to everyone who drinks it. Through chemistry, alchemy and some divination magic, the recipe for the potion could be determined and eventually replicated.
And, as these things go, it ended up on th streets eventually. Fortunately, it cannot be that easily replicated as the brewing process is partially magical and the ingredients have to be gathered according to magical, not botanical principles. It's about as hard as cooking meth when you have only the most basic idea of kitchen chemistry, except the results are less detonating and more...hilarious.
If drunk, a single dose of the potion increases the imbiber's Strength to 10 and grants them protection 8, rendering them an engine of destruction in any melee combat. The effect lasts for about 30 minutes, there is no withdrawal and no side-effects.
User avatar
Bladewind
Posts: 3234
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

Working on formatting those into the setting doc.

And Neo... omg. the Gaulish Miracle potion ! Hah !Brilliant ! (But no speed ?)

I will also be adding to the list...
Thorpocalypse wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 6:01 pm Building to be comics "accurate" is different than building to run a PC or building something to challenge a group.
Bladewind's 3ed M&M Builds
The Merge Setting document
User avatar
Doctor Malsyn
Posts: 8176
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:42 pm
Location: Thunderdome, Texas

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

I don't read anything that features it, but with as many manwha about it I'd bet you that Cultivation from Wuxia would be a form of empowerment. Particularly in the east where it was popularized, but I'd bet you that plenty of other people would try and go through those trials in the hopes of becoming an Immortal.
Am I dead? Am I alive? The answer may surprise you!
------------
"What a week, huh?" "Doc, it's only Wednesday."
User avatar
Bladewind
Posts: 3234
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 9:26 pm

Re: The Merge Universe

Post by Bladewind »

Personally, I think people want the easy way...
Thorpocalypse wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 6:01 pm Building to be comics "accurate" is different than building to run a PC or building something to challenge a group.
Bladewind's 3ed M&M Builds
The Merge Setting document
Post Reply