Thursday, February 10, 2011

THE BIG ONE: Three Ring Circus

February 10th, 1940
Signals Intelligence Service
German Supernormal Development Report, Part 1

According to information obtained by US Intelligence Agents and confirmed by several allied foreign sources the German military, under direct orders from Adolf Hitler, have engaged in three separate but related projects to unlock greater than normal abilities among humankind, although specifically focused on what they believe to be the superior 'Aryan' race.

The three projects, secreted away in hidden bunkers throughout Germany whose locations have yet to be identified, collectively form 'Ausführung: Drei Ringe' or 'Operation: Three Rings'.

Project 1, 'The First Ring', is a serum designed to enhance and restructure a person's physical attributes to as close to perfect as possible. The results would be increased strength and endurance, heightened agility, improved resistance to physical harm and possibly rapid healing.

Project 2, 'The Second Ring', involves a series of high frequency rays or waves whose exact nature is at this time uncertain, being broadcast or beamed at a subject's brain. According to our sources, the effects of this 'treatment' are intended to give the recipient enhanced mental capabilities up to and including increased intelligence, ESP, the ability to see into the future and perhaps even the power to move objects by force of will alone.


Project 3, 'The Third Ring', is a technological device of considerable interest for its potential to be mass produced. It essentially consists of a tight fitting suit of clothing, including a hood, with electrical diodes and wires connecting it to a battery pack in the form of a belt. A unit on the power belt sends regulated pulses through the suit that stimulate and improve the wearer's abilities, both mental and physical. A soldier wearing this suit would be the equivalent of five normal men. If used in combination with one of the other two 'Rings' who knows what they may be capable of.

So far, none of the three projects have successfully created the Ubermenschen that Germany is looking for. Current reports indicate that The Third Ring is furtherest along and has had the most postive results and the fewest user-related injuries and deaths. The First Ring has a long way to go. The Second Ring might as well be science ficition but they keep trying.

A possible 'Fourth Ring' may be in the works, related to less to science and more toward occult beliefs but right now information on this avenue of exploration is scarce.

More information as it becomes available...

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Barking Alien








5 comments:

  1. This is looking really good. Keep it coming!

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  2. Thanks JB. I want to do a few of these 'setting before the setting' posts with (hopefully) more as we get closer to running the game.

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  3. So do rings 1 & 2 cause problems when combined, or are they simply not at that stage of testing yet?

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  4. I was wondering if you were going to work in the occult/magic thing as I read down the page and I see you did. I like it so far. Are you giving your players some of this flavor and intel before they make up characters or is that part handled already?

    Just for my own amusement you are almost required to have Five Rings in something like this. Maybe the 5th could be integrating animal parts or something, perhaps a more direct approach ordered as a result of delays in succeeding with the first two. Grafting a giant scorpion tail onto someone, or growing chitinous armor and transferring it to a test subject. Cruder and maybe less powerful but something to be used on subjects from "lesser" races.

    Then maybe the whole program is managed by a review panel, the Board of the Rings.

    Sorry, it's just me today.

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  5. Heh. You guys are catching on...

    The Barking Alien way of designing a campaign milieu is to always provide certain information, notes and art before hand to 'set the stage'. I also tend to make rules such as 'this is how magic works' or 'known aliens comes from these planets', etc.

    Built into the design there are always flaws, missing bits and rule exceptions that can be developed in different directions.

    @C'Nor - None of the items seem to combine well with each other at this point in time. Most test subjects who've 'volunteered' to try even one of the Rings have died, been maimed, turned into vegetables or there has simply been absolutely not effect. In a few rare cases some increased ability has been noted along with terrible side effects. Work continues...

    @Blacksteel - Some information noted here will only appear here while other info will appear in player handouts and campaign books. When I run games I often give each player a booklet to record notes, store handouts and hold their character sheet. If you check out older posts of mine (I think under the tab for Mutants & Masterminds) there is a bit more information on this and some artwork from older books I've given out.

    You noticed no 'Fifth Ring' eh? Good call. What does it mean?

    Time will tell.

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