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Contents

Preface 2

Disenchanted 6

Otherworldly 26

Pseudoscientific 46

Earthly 66

Paranormal 86

Miscellaneous 106Sample

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2

My name is Dr. Erica Prethus and I am of the Strange. Something is not quite right with me. Something ticks when it should probably tock. I am a lost visitor. A changeling. A foreign walker on the Earth. I know not where I belong, but the realm of man is not it.

I call myself doctor, not because of my academic degrees, but because of the nature of my work. I am an observer and documenter of realities. I theorize and test my hypoth-eses. I seek truth behind the curtain of mere sense percep-tion. I use tools few traditional scientists possess.

This book represents the collected writings of my travels to other worlds. If you are holding it, you likely know that I mean recursions - small universes spun from the stuff of collective belief interacting with ancient forces. You are probably someone for whom nothing I say will be surpris-ing, for you’ve been to other universes yourself or felt the

tug of another world on your soul. You know you can

slip away between the bones of mother Earth. You can walk between the known paths into the unknown and be-come someone else. Something else. I have seen what you can be. I know much of what other worlds have to offer.

I hope that by looking upon this work you can become pre-pared for what lies ahead. If Earth is to survive the lurking world eaters of this galaxy we’ll need people with insights like yours to be well informed. Capable of making worlds of your own even.

Take this tome to be a sign that your time is right. Take what I’ve provided here as hard won wisdom to be care-fully guarded and dutifully heeded. Most of what I have to say involves the ways in which we become part of the worlds we invade. Understanding of these ways may one day provide you with the knowledge needed to be whatever you need to be. I hope this codex is a beacon in the dark.

Preface

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How to Use This BookFirst and foremost, this is a book of Foci. You’ll find 100 of them compiled here for use as a GM in constructing re-cursions or just providing more options for new characters on Earth. Each Focus has been kept to a single page so that it’s easy for you to print out select Foci for each player using them.

All the following six chapters provide numerous Foci for one or more genres (Chapter 6 has 5 small genres), some-what associated with the various recursion laws, but mostly just grouped according to similarity of theme and fictional source. You’ll get a lot of mileage from mixing and match-ing Foci from the various sections though.

For instance, when constructing an action-packed space opera the obvious starting place is the five space Foci pre-sented in Chapter Six. However, a number of the science fiction / mad science Foci in chapter three would likely be appropriate as well and could be included in a list for your players as they translate their characters in.

Each chapter also provides a number of example recur-sions built around these Foci. These can be used as jump-ing off points, examples, or even the central places your game could take place within. One of the great things about The Strange is the infinite possibilities presented by the nature of recursions. The Translation Codex aims to assist in the enjoyable task of making worlds.

Many of the Foci presented do not include starting equip-ment. When they do provide equipment these are intended to be in addition to any standard starting gear. The reason we leave this out is because we don’t know how the reader is going to use these Foci. The recursions you make could have widely varying science and technology, not to men-tion currency and economics. The Foci presented in The Strange Corebook should be used as guidelines for starting equipment when needed.

The chapters of the Codex are as follows:

Chapter 1 - Disenchanted. A look at low fantasy and other non-magical, non-scientific settings. Useful for gritty throne wars and feudal settings throughout world history. Any of these Foci can be added to a fantasy game to pro-vide more non-magical options.

Chapter 2 - Otherworldly. Foci suitable for high fantasy settings, recursions infused with magic or just epic world-shaking events. Usable in Ardeyn or the fictional bleed of your favorite fantasy novel series. Some Foci here could also be used as though they were among the more unusual psionic powers.

Chapter 3 - Pseudoscientific. A presentation of Foci drawn from various mad science sources. Robots, death rays, superpowers, and gadgets. Useful for sci-fi and comic book recursions alike.

Chapter 4 - Earthly. Abilities for Earth and Earth-like re-cursions, with Foci suitable for action packed modern set-tings. Many Foci here would also work in sci-fi and comic book settings.

Chapter 5 - Paranormal. Mental and otherwise psychic powers suitable for recursions under the Law of Psionics. These Foci can also be adapted to magical settings with a more cerebral theme.

Chapter 6 - Miscellaneous. Five sets of five Foci, each presenting a taste of a less expansive genre. These are: Space, Wild West, Mythic (Greco-Roman), Lovecraftian Horror, and The Strange itself (including one Focus for Exotic recursions). Sample

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