Alternate Backstories



          The GM may choose to have his/her campaign use a backstory other than the default one. Several examples of possible alternate backstories are listed below. Feel free to develop one or more of them in more detail to use for a campaign, or even come up with a totally new backstory for your campaign. You can even combine more than one idea. For example: you might begin your campaign with the default backstory, then at some point, send the players on a mission for the Secrets of the Ocean so they can learn the origin of varicite. In this example, not everything described under Secrets of the Ocean would be used, but some things described in that section would be used to take the campaign in a new direction at some point.

Mysterious City
          A group of archaeologists uncover a most bizarre sight. They find the ruins of an unknown city that seems to have had technology far beyond modern times. By studying this technology, they find that it includes technology which can be used to make powerful, highly intelligent robots using a mysterious metal called vayricite that was found in the ruins. A group of scientists begin producing robots using this technology, and soon regret it horribly when those robots turn against their creators and become determined to exterminate the human race! The only hope for defeating the robots lies in some strange machines discovered within the ruins. One of them can transform people into powerful beings known as psi morphs. Another can create and maintain a Subspace Psi Apparatus Network (SPAN) to be used by the psi morphs. Meanwhile, one must wonder about the origin of the mysterious city, and what other secrets lie within...

Alien Invasion
          Earth is invaded by aliens intent on exterminating the human race so they can claim Earth and all of it's resources as there own. Their weapons are powerful, intelligent killer robots. Earth weapons are no match for the amazing technology of the alien robots. Yet, hope arrives from a most unexpected source. Some of the aliens take pity on the humans, betray the other aliens, and transform some humans into powerful beings called psi morphs.

Cyberpunk
          A type of computer has been invented which can send people's minds into a virtual world complete with virtual laws of physics. Within this world, the people are given virtual versions of their real bodies and able to travel about, taking part in all sorts of activities. Unfortunately, it turns out that this virtual world is a trap. Some artifically intelligent programs that can override the virtual physics begin imprisoning the minds of many people within the virtual world with the intent of using them as hostages while carrying out evil plans of global proportions. Fortunately, some scientists find a way to fight back. They manage to create computer programs which can cancel out the ability of these artificially intelligent programs to override the virtual physics, forcing them to take on virtual bodies and obey the virtual laws of physics (though they can still override them in some ways.) They also create other programs which allow people to enter the virtual world not in the forms of virtual mirror images of their true selves, but in the forms of powerful virtual beings called psi morphs who can override the virtual laws of physics in certain ways. The psi morphs must rescue the prisoners, and put an end to the evil plans of the mysterious artifical minds. Psionics work differently in this setting. Some of them create glitches in the programs that control the virtual physics, while others add to the data stored in the computers which control the virtual world.

Cyber Tournaments
          A type of computer has been invented which can send people's minds into a virtual world complete with virtual laws of physics. May people enter this world in the form of virtual beings called psi morphs, and take part in virtual battle tournaments for fun, fame, and prizes. Yet, there is something evil lurking in the shadows of these tournaments. Something slowly putting it's sinister plans into motion...
          In this campaign, many battles are not life or death. However, there are still consequences for losing (such as loss of fame and prestige.)
Post Holocaust
          The third world war has occured. Nearly every city, town, and village on Earth has been destroyed. Most of the land has become polluted and unfit to produce crops. Most of the water has become poisoned and unfit to drink. To make matters even worse, several nations used robot soldiers during the third world war, and other nations infected those robots with poorly-designed computer viruses that have resulted in the robots becoming intent on killing every human they detect. Many of the robots are still active. It seems like the human race will not survive much longer. Yet, new hope arrives when some humans discover a military laboratory still intact. Within that laboratory is a machine that can transform people into powerful beings called psi morphs. There is also a machine that can maintain a Subspace Psi Apparatus Network (SPAN) for the psi morphs to make use of. The lab also contains weapons and armor for the psi morphs. Now, the newly transformed heroes must journey forth in search of food and water to feed starving people, as well as desperately seek a way to heal their dying world.

Secret Operatives
          A force of robots is taking over the world without the general public even knowing it. People ranging from government officials to common citizens are secretly being replaced with robot look-alikes. A brilliant scientist has discovered this secret evil plan, has recruited some people to help him put a stop to it, and has transformed them into beings called psi morphs. Now, the psi morphs must expose this bizarre conspiracy and save the world.

Monstrosities
          Mysterious microbes have begun to infect small numbers of people. These microbes are not pathogens that harm the host, but rather symbiots that are nurtured by the host without the host being harmed. Moreover, they protect their host by transforming him/her into a powerful being called a psi morph. Unfortunately, many people see the psi morphs as demonic abominations that must be completely purged from the planet. This anti-psi morph prejudice has resulted in a group of psi morphs teaming up to construct a force of robots with which to exterminate the human race so that psi morphs may inherit Earth. Fortunately, another group of psi morphs dare to dream of a world where psi morphs and normal humans coexist in harmony. These psi morphs (which include the player characters) are determined to stop the robots and bring down the psi morph supremisist group.

Attack of the Mutant Fungus
          A strange sort of mutant fungus shows up and begins rapidly spreading. This fungus eats living creatures, and uses their DNA to mutate itself into various monstrous forms. The fungus quickly becomes a threat to all life on Earth. Yet, hope arrives when a brilliant scientist finds a way to transform people into powerful beings called psi morphs. In this setting, the mutant fungus replaces robots as the enemy.

Secrets of the Ocean
          During a SCUBA diving cruise, some divers accidentally discover some ancient, underwater ruins. Most of the ruins have decayed very badly, but one well-hidden room is still in perfect condition! When the divers enter this room, a mysterious voice comes out of nowhere and tells them that this city is one of many ancient cities that saved the world long ago by chosing to destroy themselves by sinking into the ocean. Atlantis is one of the many others. The voice goes on to tell them that now, an evil force is seeking the destruction of the entire human race, and the secrets to stopping this force lie within the ruins of the other cities. Then, some weird machines show up and transform the divers into beings called psi morphs. Afterward, doors open to two other rooms. One of the rooms is a high-tech training facility which will train the new psi morphs in the use of their powers, and prepare them for the long quest ahead. The other door leads to a submarine bay with a single amazingly advanced submarine that will serve the psi moprhs well in their quest to uncover the other ruins. There are several useful machines on board the sub, such as a machine that maintains a SPAN, and a training facility that can continue to teach the psi morphs how to use new powers as they become more experienced. As the psi morphs journey to the other ruins, they keep getting attacked by mysterious robots. Where did these robots come from, and why do they want to stop the psi morphs?

Anthro World
          The GM might want to set the campaign in a world of anthropomorphic animals instead of a world of humans. In such a setting, psi morphs will not be transformed humans, but instead will be anthropomorphs who have been given psionic abilities.

Sudden and Mysterious Occurences
          Out of nowhere, robots of unknown origin have begun to make war on the human race. Hope arrives even more unexpectedly when several people suddenly (and seemingly at random) are transformed into powerful beings called psi morphs. In this scenario, the player characters do not know how they became psi morphs or where the robots came from. The GM will probably want to reveal both slowly over time.

Psi Morphs of Many Origins
          Two brilliant scientists make some terrible mistakes and accidentally unleash a force of robots bent on eliminating the human race. Fortunately, a series of seemingly unrelated events transform various people into powerful beings called psi morphs. In this scenario, each player may come up with his/her own backstory for how his/her character became a psi morph (though the GM has the final say on which backstories are or are not approved. The GM should make a very strong effort to be fair, though.)

Anthro Multiverse
          The psi morphs come from all sorts of different alternate universes. Each player may come up with a description of his/her character's homeworld, and the origin of the character's powers. The world the characters have somehow arrived in may either be an anthro world, or it might be human-populated Earth. If the latter is the case, then the GM might want to combine this idea with the Monstrosities campaign idea.

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