Tomarrowland - A Reimagining

The Tomarrowland Paradox

In a nutshell, Tomarrow land is always going to be dated because it costs too much to update.
I like his points, but this also dovetails with the following.

Tomarrowland Trailer

I loved the vision of Tomorrowland, but man the movie may have killed their chance to renovate.

I decided to stew on Tomorrowland to see what comes out. I doubt any of it is going to be cost-effective, but dang nab it, world building is fun for me. :)

List of Disney Scifi

Before I get started, making a list of material I can draw on.

(leaving out marvel and star wars because they can sustain themselves).

20,000 Leagues under the Sea
Absent-Minded Professor
Buzz Lightyear of star command
Can of worms
Chitty, chitty, bang bang
Earth Star Voyager
Flight of the Navigator
Frankenweenie
John Carter
Honey I Shrink the Kids
Kurt Russel Medfield College trilogy
Mighty Ducks
Moon Pilot
My Favorite Martian
Not Quite Human
Rocketman
The Black Hole
The Cat from Outer Space
The Monkey's Uncle
The Rocketeer
The Shaggy Dog
Tomarrowland
Tron
Tron Legacy
Unidentified Flying Oddball
Wall-E

Feel free to add others in the comments. I think I'm reaching with a couple of them. ;)

Now the Reimagining

I'm agreeing with Disney tomarrowland being a retrofited future, but it has to be based on the 50's and 60's. That is the retro-future that Walt made when he was looking ahead and it really has a lot to work with.

It's the era of laser weapons, jetpacks, Lamey suits, aliens, rocket ships and those awesome weapons from Earth Star Voyager. :p

It's also when they had their high point and they have a ton to work with.

My premise is this is star command. An era of races that have come together in mutual defense and future prosperity. I really like that starport idea that was in the videos.
species that are members of the alliance.

Humans: Take the squared jaw spaceman from the 60's ideal, and make it more inclusive. This is the basis for any humans: big dang adventurers.

Cats: One of my most favorite movies from Disney past is the cat from outer space and these are one of our strongest, abet temperamental allies. Lolcats had the right idea. In fact, I want to make cats the "secret mickeys" in Tomarrowland.

Dogs: Man's best friend has joined us in our quest for the stars. They have been given the ability to speak and are often are strongest space alley and was an icon of that retro-future (ex. Lassie). We basically uplifted them.

Cats and dogs Have a rivalry of course (because whom doesn't want to see Doug and Jake interact) :p

Robots: Robots are all over this future helping out. V.I.N.CENT and Wal-E are the default models for helper bots, but they are also the most likely enemy on rides/events/shows. Mainly because in a ray gun future, evil robots are easier to justify fighting with while keeping a fairly soft rating.
There are also many robots skinned as humans. That's how we explain the uncanny valley of some of the human exhibits.

Aliens: I'm using this as a catch-all from Buzz Lightyear at star command, to Lilo and Stitch. These range from allies to enemies.

AI: Tron saw the future and AI's abound as this world has ai's providing assistance in the alliance. This world is possible to be crossed over with digitalization, especially when an AI goes bad.

The Attractions

1. Space Mountain: I might give it a bit more retro check, but honestly, space mountain has held the test of time, so no need to change.

2. The Black Hole Experience: To heck with the aliens' encounter, Maximillian would be far more terrifying and personal. plus the weird alien ending acts a capstone for the experience.

3. Tron's Deadly Disks: We need at least one Tron ride and the idea of a laser tag like ride with disks amuses me terribly.

4. The Wonders of Flubber: Flubber is one of the many technologies that power the alliance and so we do a mockumentary type exhibit that showcases how flubber has revolutionized the future.

5. Jetpacks. I have no idea how to use them, but you need at least one ride/transport that George Clooney tries to kick you off of. :p

That's my start. Trying to see if it would work at all.

City of Mists - Oakville - Part 4 - Space Plant Riot

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/290782214

Our heroes prevent a riot with a potential cameo of a new character.

Muppet Gangs of New York - Part 2 - the Fluff hits the Fans.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/288006256
Our heroes run into an explosion

We also meet a most legendary character and he tries to kill us.

Martian Manhunter - revisited

I was talking to a few people about Martian Manhunter and decided to compile it here.  It should dovetail with one of the first blog posts I ever did.


*****************

1. Shapeshifter Identification:
Since Jonn is a shapeshifter, we need a means to identify whom he is no matter whose he's turned into just so we can track the character. Then it hit me.

Just like Deadpool, we give the martian manhunter colored text boxes. I'm not sure if this has been already done, but if it hasn't, I would recommend light green.

Also using a red x on his form when shapeshifted would also help, even if it was a small button.
 he basically needs enemies and other cast members that are personal (although feel free to list ones that prove me otherwise).

2. Martian Genetic Drift

What could be interesting is that martian parts are responsible for giving norms psychic powers.
Any martian DNA that hits the earth is from when they burned off the atmosphere during the great martian war and it drifted in space.

I wasn't thinking Martians so much as Martian dna sprinkled in human populations.

Make it stronger in isolated communities ranging from the equivalent of shangrai-la, cult compounds, alien abduction encounters and the hills have eyes with psychic powers.

A lot of this was done during the Neolithic so there are a surprising number of landmines that can cause gene jumping (and not just humans either, imagine a naturally occurring psychic wolf pack for example).

This allows it to be very plug and play based on story needs.

This idea of "martian genetics" on the planet is now Martian Manhunter has a niche: psychics.

If Mars is a dead world, by dropping genetic material on the planet, we now can tell Mars stories without it being an active participant.

3.  The Psychic Cold War

I would make his world a  James Bond-like world, but establish post-Nazi Cold War agencies empowering Humans with LSD. While sending them out to fight across the globe.

We can tell all too human stories in the b section of the comic. DC's versions of Carrie, Firestarter, The children of the corn, Jonestown, the men who stare at goats, wildcards and that's just off the top of my head.

Sometimes all that stands between their rivalry and disaster is our beloved martian.

Just extrapolate from the original cold war experiments and dc could get their equivalent of weapon x and/or omega red in the process.

Rogues Gallery

enemies with psychic potential, mars, aliens where I'd start to build from.

Black Phoenix Organization:  A specific branch of Cademus that found a  martian and studied the tar out of it.  They show a strong need to hunt down join for reason ranging from wisdom to dissection.  Give them god designations that give themes to these new world psychers and build a rogues gallery from it.

Bluefire: This new street drug is actually empowering psychic abilities and increased aggression and euphoria. This was part of the reason for the escalation of street crime, not unlike the response on the war on drugs of the 80's.

Cat Colony: JJ trying to deal with a psychic cat colony in say Florida that like him, but won't stop terrorizing the local community. Then you find out they are actually acting as the first line of defense against an astral menace.

Mazeatar: A genetically human/bull hybrid (aka a Minotaur) that generates mental traps in order to test people and record the results. He says his masters are looking for something. He also is a die-hard metalhead and uses that symbology when confronting him on the astral.

The Martian Conspiracy: A conspiracy group that starts tracking "the Martian menace." they have a website and everything. They start chasing Jonn with cameras. He's usually 2-3 steps ahead of them, but man they are annoying.

The Martian Rain: Not so much a rogue as a bizarre weather anomaly. Imagine the dust bowl created due to overuse or strip mining. Now imagine that kicking up martian genetic material from the soil to mutate those that get struck by it.

Mayor Edward Gale: A mayor of a major town that's a psychic vampire that preys off their energy while he campaigns.

The Probe: Take the basic premise of star trek IV, but instead, it's looking for psychics. Why is that?

Project Jagerwulf: This Black Phoenix/Cademus Project has stolen some martian dna and mixed it with more conventional species to make an alien tracker. Appearing as a monstrous winged wolf, it has been given psychic tracking that allows it to lock on, regardless of the shape of its target. It has also been given limited photokinesis to give it the ability to disguise itself until it strikes. He (or she) is about as smart as a really smart dog and while it cannot talk, it can definitely let it's opinion known via barks and growls.

Psi-copath: he generates an ectoplasmic shell that he can manipulate to generate tendtrils and weapons that is induced by rage. another martian/cadmus experiment.

Zippy: A rogue Korlotean exiled to earth. He is a master thief that, while not particularly evil, has this bad habit of stealing items and getting in over his head. Jonn spends as much time rescuing him as stopping him.
Imagine Lupin the III as a goblin and you got the personality down pat.
symbolically he represents Jonn's responsible nature and how it can be as much a burden as a virtue.

and honestly, the best rogue was done by somebody else, so posting a link here.

General Stronghold Burroughs,
I tip my hat to you CRaymond and really wish I would have written it myself. :)

Muppet Gangs of New York - Part 1 - You Jelly?

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/285139277

We explore a small New York Crime Story involving muppets.

Just say no to Jellybeans.

City of Mists - Oakville - Part 3 - Squaredance Noir

Our heroes investigate the in the hopes of finding out the murder.
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/28239985

Drinks were involved.

Kara-Tur - Some Thoughts - Part 4 - the Level Gauge & Useful Links

Tier 1

Levels 1-4. 
Characters are effectively apprenticing adventurers and face minor threats to local farmsteads or villages.

• This is low-level village protection,
• Lafcadio Hearn's Oriental Ghost Stories - these are often dealing with ordinary people in extraordinary situations and if the pcs survive, it's because they are starting to be extraordinary.
• This is also when you start a standard shounen, such as one of my favorites: Ushio and Tora.
• if you doing revolutionaries, this would be the level to start a sort of "long march" type game.

Tier 2 

Levels 5-10. 
Spellcasters are more powerful, fighting classes get extra attacks. Characters face dangers that threaten cities and kingdoms.

• If you want to switch between tier 1 and 2, this is a perfect time to try to do a 7th samurai story.
• I'd say this is when you hit the big cities.
• This also feels like the right power level for a yakuza/tong crime story.
• This is movie Jackie Chan
• This is also Goemon and Ebisumaru levels, a version of Japanese robin hood. you might remember it as the SNES game legend of the mystic ninja.
• I'd also play at the level if you are in the employment of the legendary Korean admiral Yi Sun-sin and riding around in turtle ships (or if you prefer, dragon turtles )

Tier 3 

Levels 11-16. 
Characters are high above the ordinary populace. They have powers that create previously impossible effects, or the ability to do very impressive things with their attacks. They confront threats to whole regions and continents.

• Ninja scroll is kinda the transitionary between tier 2 and 3.
• This would be when you are wetting your toes in the celestial bureaucracy.
• War hero level. - romance of the three kingdoms
• This includes fighting the Tuigan en masse
• This is the level of Rurouni Kenshin at his peak.
• This is Jackie Chan adventures (because those talismans are artifacts)

Tier 4 

Levels 17-20. 
Characters achieve pinnacle of class features, becoming archetypes. They confront threats to the world or even the multiverse.

• If you don't feel like one of the characters in the journey to the west at this point, you've done something wrong.
• This is kaiju fighting level.
• This is the level you'd need to be Wo Mai in his own court. He should be a Demogorgon /Orcus level opponent.
• There is a mythic lost city known as Keo Melian. I would treat is like 2e myth drannor. aka the great city for overpowered adventurers.

Other Ideas of Kara-Tur

This is mainly a Grab Bag of ideas that don't really fit anywhere else

Dungeons in Kara-Tur

The following idea was brought to my attention.

http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/21st-century-cavemen-30-million-chinese-live-in-caves.html

just extrapolate this by being done by a previous emperor that was abandoned in northern Shou lung and you have an asian themed underdark. :)

Another idea is the idea of trial caves.  These are Caves that are considered "sacred" by those whom follow the Way and are setup as obstacles to test those that would enter.  I would put these in southern Shou Lung, T'u Lung, Petan, and Lathoan.

Tan Chin

https://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Ambuchar_Devayam

This is an official NPC I wish I wrote.  He might be possessing the last Shou Lung Emperor or appearing elsewhere in Kara-Tur.  He's obviously an homage to David Lo Pan from Big Trouble in little china and a super useful plug and play villain if you need a big bad.

Media 

I'm including a set of media I've referred to in these blog posts, mainly to assist in accessing materials and fun watches

Anime

Hyperpolice
El-Hazard - The Magnificent World
Ninja Scroll
Read or Die
Rurouni Kenshin

Samurai Pizza Cats
Ushio and Tora

Books

Journey to the West

Lafcadio Hearn's Oriental Ghost Stories 

The Riftwar Saga

Movies

Big Trouble in Little China
Godzilla

The Legend of Drunken Master 

The Seven Samurai

Video Games

Legend of the Mystic Ninja.

King of Fighters

Street Fighter

Way of the Immortal

Western Animation

Jackie Chan Adventures
Samurai Jack

RPGs

The following are rpgs that I drew inspiration from and/or cribbed from:

Kara-Tur Box Set

The Horde Box Set

Dragon Magazine #164

GURPS China

GURPS Japan

Legend of the Five Rings

Palladium Books: Mystic China

Palladium Books: Ninjas and Superspies

Palladium Books: Rifts China 1

Palladium Books: Rifts China 2

Scarred Lands Player's Guide

The Minotaurs of the Stonelands

Useful Links

The following are links and/or reviews of previous products as well as inspiration, mainly to keep track of them.

From Rpg.net

[Let's Read] Oriental Adventures (1e) - by Macbalence
[Let's Read] Oriental Adventures: The Supplements - by MacBalance
[Let's Read] Kara-Tur Box Set - by Macbalence
[Let's Read] FROA1: Ninja Wars by Macbalence

[Let's Read] AD&D 2e Kara-Tur Monstrous Compendium Appendix - by Leonaru
Oriental Adventures 5e: How would you do it? By Voidrifter

Monstrous Database - Kara-Tur

Kara Tur by [GM] Laylyn