Answering some questions.

To start, what do you mean by "outside entities" when it comes to the fae? Is it that there are actually creatures outside the Hollow in this Void which destroys everything since its absolute chaos, or do you mean the thoughts and alike or beings on neighboring planes? Though it wouldn't really come up in setting I am kind of curious.

The fae is a blanket term for Chaotic entities which act autonomously , as opposed to other Chaotic phenomenon such as a Reality Maelstrom. Chaos is the space between all space, and thus does interact with multiple planes (universes). Nothing naturally exists physically in Chaos, and everything that enters Chaos is almost certainly destroyed... but there destruction echoes across Chaos. These echoes may well manifest as something... stranger.

Normally, this echo results in a Reality Maelstrom which eliminates the inherent problem in a magnificent display of power rather quickly, or evaporates slowly over many years in the form of energy cascades. However, with the harvesting of Chaos for energy and materials, dead-zones are theorized to exist on Chaos where partially deconstructed entities or echos will pool. To this fissures in Reality may occur, resulting in the strange rock formations and environments created on the Borderlands of the Hollow. However, there are times where something horrific is produced. Enter the fae.

During the first year of the Hollow, as well as during the Dark Age, many people were lost to Chaos either in Reality Maelstroms, fissures, or Factory or Observatory accidents. Their echoes in Chaos are more dangerous than that of a anything inanimate or otherwise. From Chaos, their consciousnesses, and ever their souls', are deconstructed and reformed, often conglomerating and fusing into one another forming a Fae. Upon entering the Hollow, Reality, they manifest as horrifying monstrosities with enormous power beyond any normal being native to the Hollow.



Second, since this is chaos going kind of crazy on the outer edges of the world, as much as some of the effects create beings, there doesn't seem to be anything set up in system that would allow this specialized anti chaos unit deal with anything other than shooting/fighting it. What can they do with a reality maelstroms, or atmospheric disturbances, or anything they can't shoot and or kill?

To this question... I have no answer at the moment beyond shooting at it. I plan to implement equipment which rely on the character's Skills but not necessarily their monies to solve problems such as this. Like a portable Field Emitter or small Reality Engine. As well, larger problems may be solved with larger story set-pieces which will be written into the lore along with the Observatories and Factories. The characters exist to pursue rampant Fae and infiltrate hazardous, often Chaotic, environments. AS well, they hunt down threat beyond Chaos to the Hollow (political and public security stuff here).



Also, where exactly are the borderlands where these disturbances are happening? As I recall, the Hollow is an inward built sphere equadistance from the center. The observers are also evenly place, so there really isn't a edge to work with. Why aren't these anomalies appearing directly in the center of cities?

The Borderlands exist between each Observatory. That is, the border between each Nation. Thus, they exist opposite the axis the Observatories are located. The Observatories "fight back" or more correctly "dream away" Chaos. Ergo, the cities are MORE protected... they are not immune. The Observers themselves could wake up momentarily, Chaos would crash inward to the Nation at the center. OR a Factory could breach, spilling Chaos and those entities trapped inside into the city center possibly destroying its Observatory, thus destroying the Nation.



Now when it comes to current mechanics, as you mentioned, the class system feels tacked on.

Classes are gone. I like everything you said after that sentence, and I have thought of that (looking at Mass Effect as it did the same thing), but right now Specialization (Feat) Trees exist to create progression as well as the inherent progression from spending bp and Ore on new skills, powers, and equipment. Converting a Vidjah game into a Tabletop is difficult... whiiich is partially the reason this has turned into my own game and isn't simply a Mass Effect conversion (as it was before).

Thank you Chrono!

Many updates...

The game has gone through lots of revision as of late, and many rules and number have been re-writen... and I am only getting started.

Currently, I am re-balancing all the equipment, powers, etc. and I plan to cut down on the number of things the player, and character thereof, must worry about i.e. all their equipment. 

Still, I would still like people to provide feed-back and their own thoughts and ideas which may help in the games development! 

https://the-hollow.obsidianportal.com/

Above is a link to the rules of the game!

Lots of thoughts.

I believe I am coming to an answer that will tie a campaign, characters, and motivation together.

Basically, the area in which the Hollow exists (Chaos) is... odd... and thus odd things will occur when absolute pure energy interacts with creative beings or entities with an existence.

Think of Chaos as you would Exalted. Save that no one can survive it. Period. Entering Chaos is death. Your consciousness, body, and soul are ripped apart and converted into chaos.

However, there are times where Chaos interacts with outside entities in an odd way may this be through the manifestation of... "things" on the borderlands, reality maelstroms, aberrations, or the coalescence of those consciousnesses lost to chaos producing more powerful entities: The Fae.

Basically, the OSSTG will become something different. An ministry formed by the powerful nations of the world to hunt down such oddities in the world and contain or destroy them. If world politics and such become involved in the campaign at some time, they should and will be secondary to the overall threat.

It will be an overall change to the setting as a whole.



Yes, the political aspect as a focus is boring... so it should be THERE as flavor, and no, there need not that be all that much description for the GM to know how to handle political turmoil (much like your own council of death campaign, Jenni). The major problems the characters should face are those which trancend politics, nations, etc. This being Chaos, and how the people of the Hollow effect, as well as how they are effected by, it.

I have been mauling over character proggression and an aspiration aspect like D&D has with its leveling system and such. At this point, the game is still along the line of shadowrun's progression i.e. big and better guns.

I think I'd like the progression to stay away from the power creep aspects of D&D in that a level 20 character is so much more powerful statistically than a level 1 character. I still want their to be a difference, but not 10HP one 1d6+3 damage attack versus 200HP and 5 2d8+10 damage attacks.

To this, I have been playing with a Chasis leveling system which is basically a class which the character takes on at the begining of the game... but I am still not saticfied with it... it is uninteresting, seems tacked on, etc. I want something more purposeful like the classes from Borderlands, or from the up coming Destiny game. Something with small guildlines to give the character a role of sorts and something to aspire to with enough space to give characters the ability to become unique.

Rules: Playable. World, Story, and Lore: on deck.

https://the-hollow.obsidianportal.com/wikis/main-page

The rules of play, character creation, equipment, and powers are done (until someone finds something broken or ripe for exploitation…).

THUS, I will now be focusing on writing the world itself. The peoples, Nations thereof, borderlands, story, conflicts, history, legends, lore, ect. LOTS of writing. Before focusing solely on the rules as well as my gallery, I had written a good 30 pages of the stuff. All of it needs heavy editing and revising. So, updates on the that will begin here. 

Illustrations. More Races. Legendary Weapons

So, I am soon going to begin work on other character designs as well as some concept art for the technology of the world. I would also like to begin creating rough sketches for architecture and cities.

Aside from this, I would like to narrow down exactly what the Daemon and Terrasque races look like… The Humans are simple, their fuckin' humans. Divine were fun to make, and I still have a bit of work on there exact design as well as their culture. I am not satisfied with the armor this guy is wearing currently, I like some of it, but hate things like the pauldrons and helm. It needs to look more… alien.

Daemon are humanoid, more humanoid than the other races, but with a more… primal yet alluring feel to them without making them furries…

Terrasque are more difficult because I want them to look interesting enough to entice people to play them, but still intimidating. They must be noble but also feel savage. They are huge, but they cannot look like mere beasts.

ALSO!! I have been thinking of other races such as an aquatic race as most of the Hollow is covered in Ocean. As well as an amorphous race…
you know… like…
goo people.
Shut up.

Finally, Legendary Weapons. All weapons may be upgraded to Rating 5 maximum. Those weapons are pretty top, but what about rating 6? Or rating 7?? One of a kind Weapons. This may be supplemental later, but still playing around with ideas. I plan for the first supplemental book to be something like Shadowrun's Arsenal packed full of new equipments.

Gallery Last Night

So, last night I presented some of the art I created for some of the game assets, and got fairly good reaction overall as well as some interest in the game itself. Now, as stated before, the link to the Obsidian Portal page with all the CURRENT rules for the game are available to people. That is, you can technically play the game... like now...

I would appreciate feedback for the game itself as it is still in Beta! SO!!
E-mail me PLEASE at Epzi10n@hotmail.com!!

https://the-hollow.obsidianportal.com

Above is the link to the OP page with the game rules once again!

First Post of the Dev Blog

Looking back at about 2 and a half years of research, work, and development, I SHOULD have started a dev's blog from the Hollow Role Playing Game about... 3 years ago.

But, what can you do!

I now formally introduce the Developer's Blog for the Hollow Tabletop Role Playing Game and System created by Tanner E Riles.

I am the very same Tanner, and this is where I will be updating peoples who are interested in the game of anything to do with the status of the game from LOTS of errata rules, to the inevitable kickstarter and official release of the game!

Now, the unofficial rules may be found on the public Obsidian Portal Page at this time, but please don't abuse, i.e. sell or steal, my work as your own...

or i will be forced legal action.

And I will cut you.

https://the-hollow.obsidianportal.com

The above is a link to the afore mentioned Obsidian Portal Page...
Now, OP has gone through some changes, so a bit of scrolling will be involved at the moment.


Any comments, questions, suggesstions, requests, etc?

Please contact me via e-mail at:
Epzi10n @ Hotmail dot com!