Interesting stuff to consider BSJ.

I've not much a chance to try this, I've been looking at it though, I admit to wanting a bit more setting, but that's not a big thing.

This thread made me curious so I checked out Zoon. After skimming it I must say it looks pretty cool and I think it really ought to be expanded a bit setting-wise and made into a full print product. Very nice.

I don't see a need to change the skill system or the attribute scoring system.
One thing I sure do not want is more of a "special effects due to skill" system.
It's not my bag and it's not part of the setting/source material.

The cannibalize/psi-crystal/HP connection: I think you got something there.

Let's see:

You can't regenerate and then cannibalize, you'd have to first cannibalize and then regenerate.
Regeneration heals existing damage, it does not grant extra hit points. So you actually have to damage yourself first.

A character with Psi-index (N), can get up to (N) Psi points by losing (N*2) Life points,he then could regenerate that much damage by spending (N) Psi points.
But what's the point?  You are not getting infinite Life or Psi energy, you are just switching points around.

A psi crystal changes the situation, the same character with a level (X) psi-crystal could get (N+X) psi points for (N*2) life points and then regenerate the damage for (N) psi points, thus gaining (X) psi point for free.
In due time you are going to accumulate extra psi point.

You may not believe it, but I think it's more a nuissance than a problem.
Why?

Utmoz has an implicit 1 action per round limit. So you just stand there accumulating psi points and doing... nothing.
No multi actions here, so beware when you cannibalize yourself in combat.
Also: no psi-crystal, no extra Psi points.
In combat with a psionicist the first thing to do is to disarm him or her.
Remember that psi-crystals should be rather rare and valuable.

Anway it is a problem, and thanks for pointing it out:
I probably should change cannibalize so that it can only make you recover spent psi-points and change the exchange rate to 3 or 4 LP to 1 PP.

Psychosurgery: you shouldn't be able to use it on yourself, I'll have to change the wording.

Psi-Crystal attuning: No. As the paragraph says, the owner gets zapped too.

Warp: I know this is a potential gamebuster. Remember that you need a physical link and that you risk meeting a horror each time you use it.
Hounds of Tindalos anyone?
I guess this could be changed to a 1 year/LY at Psi level one and doubled for each level thereafter, with a chance of people coming out of the gate on a 2,3,11 or12 on 2d6.
Anyway I trust the GMs to have balls enough to handle it as is.

Boost: you actually can get up to.... +4 with a Psi-index of 6, including the penalty for maintainace. +5 with a maxed out psionicist, and up to +8 with a level 3 Psi-crystal.
You keep forgetting Epic Points: just with Epic points you could push this up to a stunning +16. And what if a ring of psionicists Boosted you?

Sacrifice: killing bunnies would give you how much.... 2 points? And going around sacrificing living beings -even bunnies- is a sure way to get lynched by a mob on Zoon.
Also: Lingering horror rule. Are you sure you want to sacrifice that bunny?

Precog: EPs are spent in addition, not in place.

Psi-index: no trap here, just an attempt at munchkin prevention.
You are buying the potential to be a psionicist, I think this is reason enough.
Remember that you can raise an attribute by 1 point only through experience.
In previous versions of the game you could not buy a Psi index at all if you did not have one from the start and I'm tempted to go back to this.

A few more thoughts on cannibalize/regenerate/ crystal.
Re-reading UTMOZ  I realized I had taken some measures against such a loophole, I just did not make it clear in the rules.

If you look under Sacrifice you'll see that Psi points in excess of your reserve fade away at the rate of 1 point per turn.
So you need a level 3 psi crystal to actually gain 1 point, but you can hardly use it.
Look here:
first round: Cannibalize (lose N*2 LP, gain N+X PP)
second round: Regenerate (Heal N*2 LP, lose N PP, lose 1PP if above maximum PP)
third round: do something (lose 1PP if above maximum PP)

While a Ring is not so easy to put up and Epic points are gone once spent they can still make it useful for very short periods.

I'll probably leave this as is, I'll just make the wording clearer.

OK. Fair enough.

I feel kind of bad about bringing you here just to insult you by picking holes in your game, given that I really like Zoon. I initially bumped the thread just to make people aware of its existence, really.

Even with games I actually love, perhaps especially those, I'm likely to go on at length about minor design features.... However, I've only read through UTMOZ very quickly so I haven't really figured out how everything interacts. So sorry if this hasn't been helpful.

Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;437315OK. Fair enough.

I feel kind of bad about bringing you here just to insult you by picking holes in your game, given that I really like Zoon. I initially bumped the thread just to make people aware of its existence, really.

Even with games I actually love, perhaps especially those, I'm likely to go on at length about minor design features.... However, I've only read through UTMOZ very quickly so I haven't really figured out how everything interacts. So sorry if this hasn't been helpful.

No problem man, you actually have been very helpfull!
I wish more people had given me the same kind of feedback.
When looking at a game, especially one I love, I try to tear it apart myself. Just to see how much "wear and tear" it can stand, how much the designer tried to fine tune it.

UTMOZ is a simple game, when I first finished it I thought it was done.
However, no matter how simple a system is, there's lots of possiblities a designer alone can't test or prepare for.
Especially an amateur like me.

I think I'll be putting a new version up with the clarifications for psionics in a couple of days.
I'll put you in the credits.

Quote from: artikid;437322No problem man, you actually have been very helpfull!
I wish more people had given me the same kind of feedback..

He's a good type of tester, the kind that thinks it through.

I wish I had more time to read it and try it out. Sigh. So much to do and so many good games to try.

Thanks guys
Cheers.

I'll check periodically and be sure to download the new version!

It's up!
Nothing mindboggling in the revision:

• downpowered Warp
• clarified Precognition and Psychosurgery
• Moved the paragraph on excess Psi points at the beginning of the Psionics' chapter
• added BSJ to the credits

Enjoy!

Cool thanks!

My 11 year old daughter requested something "not like Europe or Asia, and not like LotR" for gaming.  She is very excited about Zoon, it is just the sort of unique adventure she is looking for.

I am now busy writing a few adventure ideas.  I think I have finally wrapped my mind around the Psionics rules, a good thing since she is playing a psionicist.

The orbital mechanics of Zoon give me mental contortions, although if I remember that it is a Sword&Planet game, the gas giant is always overhead at the Light Pole, and the seasons are each eight-earth days long, for a 32 earth-day cycle, and that winter is basicly the Zoonian "night", cold and dark everywhere, but especially so at the Dark Pole, summer is daylight and hot, autumn is sunset and spring is sunrise, and fungi forests sprout up grow to maturity and die often in as little as one cycle, unless I want them to last longer (or shorter) my head doesn't hurt as much.

After all it's Sword&Planet not hard SF.

I like the inclusion of the Horrors and the post-apocalyptic elements, Lovecraft and long lost ancient civilizations have always been favourite tropes of mine.

I wonder what colour is a basilisk and therefor the Firstborn?  For some reason I picture the Firstborn as albino, but we have a number of local snakes which are dark grey or black on the back, and red, yellow, or white beneeth. Any of these could make for a frightening Firstborn too. I just don't see them as either green or brown.

As for the open-ness of the setting, Thank You!  I grew up with the first generation RPGs where published setting was almost non-existant. We made it all up to suit ourselves.  I note the old Pulp writers never hesitated to indroduce a new element when needed, as if it had been there all along even though it was never mentioned before.

Hi DaveTheLost!
Yes, you got all Zoon's cycles right!
Hope you and your daughter enjoy the game and please let me know how it played out!
Best regards
Artikid

Just DLed this game and it looks very cool. I like the art as well. I certainly remember the Carter books fondly, and with the movie immanent, this game might be fun to try. Thanks very much.

I am seriously considering running Zoon as on online game.  Any takers?