Idea Need Help Building A Shin Megami Tensei Roleplay

[Rusty of Shackleford]

So I've fallen into the Shin Megami Tensei brainrot again, and I'm hankering an RP that follows a lot of the tropes and themes of the series. A combination of fantasy and 80s cyberpunk, themes of religion, humanity's endless cycle of violence, and the conflict between Law and Chaos, etc.

The basic concept I have is something where, following a nuclear war, the characters are survivors in a ruined Japan, slowly recovering when a theocratic empire (that is LITERALLY led by God) invades, leading to the main group forging pacts with demons and becoming basically demon-human hybrids. Keeps the same type of setting usual in the setting while not overloading the story with several dozen demons for every character.

My problem is...how much should I borrow? Why did the world get nuked? When did demons show up? Are demon summoners a semi common sight, where all you need is a smartphone with the right app, or is it a rare gift?

Any suggestions and ideas would be appreciated, besides what I've already said, I have LITERALLY nothing for this.

 

[White Masquerade]

If you’re looking to be realistic, a nuclear war could start from Iran, Russia, or North Korea. Just leaders that feel trapped, go insane, and use nuclear weapons because in their head, if they’re going down, they’re taking people with them.

 

[Rusty of Shackleford]

If you’re looking to be realistic, a nuclear war could start from Iran, Russia, or North Korea. Just leaders that feel trapped, go insane, and use nuclear weapons because in their head, if they’re going down, they’re taking people with them.

I did have this idea that the war happened because scientists, while trying to figure out a new energy source, accidentally opened s portal to another dimension. Demons began pouring out, and despite putting up a decent fight, things got so bad that they just nuked the world in a vain hope of stopping the demons

 

[White Masquerade]

I did have this idea that the war happened because scientists, while trying to figure out a new energy source, accidentally opened s portal to another dimension. Demons began pouring out, and despite putting up a decent fight, things got so bad that they just nuked the world in a vain hope of stopping the demons

That sounds like a good idea. And it makes sense too. That could work.

 

[Grim McGrath]

Unless it's Persona related, nobody is going to go for it. Trust me.

 

[Sepokku]

Im so down. Give me a bit and ill come up with a lore dump / ideas

 

[Rusty of Shackleford]

Im so down. Give me a bit and ill come up with a lore dump / ideas

Yoo had honestly sorta given up! Thank ya!

 

[Sepokku]

Aight so answering your questions first:

My problem is...how much should I borrow? Why did the world get nuked? When did demons show up? Are demon summoners a semi common sight, where all you need is a smartphone with the right app, or is it a rare gift?

I think you can borrow as much as you want to get the plot going in a direction. The world getting nuked can be left vague and explored further in the RP itself. Same with when the demons show up.

For example, it can be hinted that demons arrived pre-nuke, and may have been why the nuke happened, but various sects might claim the demons back then were metaphorical, like from the bible or something similar.

Demon Summoners could be a rarity, the newest SMT introduced nahobibo and Gouitsujin, which are essentially angels and demons (respectively) mixed with humans. So, as you had said, PCs could easily be a "human" with superhuman abilities, which would also leave the RP more room to appeal to people who may have never played SMT. Then actual summoners could be left to people who really wanted to play one, or NPCs

Otherwise I think the 80s cyberpunk themes, maybe mixed with some of the themes from 90s anime, like the concept of self, blurring of good and evil, and good vs order / evil vs chaos would make for a really compelling RP.

 

[Rusty of Shackleford]

Aight so answering your questions first:

I think you can borrow as much as you want to get the plot going in a direction. The world getting nuked can be left vague and explored further in the RP itself. Same with when the demons show up.

For example, it can be hinted that demons arrived pre-nuke, and may have been why the nuke happened, but various sects might claim the demons back then were metaphorical, like from the bible or something similar.

Demon Summoners could be a rarity, the newest SMT introduced nahobibo and Gouitsujin, which are essentially angels and demons (respectively) mixed with humans. So, as you had said, PCs could easily be a "human" with superhuman abilities, which would also leave the RP more room to appeal to people who may have never played SMT. Then actual summoners could be left to people who really wanted to play one, or NPCs

Otherwise I think the 80s cyberpunk themes, maybe mixed with some of the themes from 90s anime, like the concept of self, blurring of good and evil, and good vs order / evil vs chaos would make for a really compelling RP.

Yeah! I was actually thinking that the reason the nukes dropped was that a Demon Summoner accidentally fused with a Demon and became the first Nahobino since the law against them was instituted. God got pissed, and as punishment, tried to wipe out humanity, only for it to somehow be stopped.

I'm actually thinking the main cast will mainly be something akin to the Demi-Fiend, not necessarily a Nahobino, but humans that have fused with demons to survive. If you wanna be a Summoner, go ahead.

I was actually thinking of really focusing on the alignments! Rather than just Law, Neutral, and Chaos, I was thinking of introducing a scale more similar to D&D, adding in Light/Good, Grey/Neutral, and Black/Evil. So like a Lawful Light character might believe in order, stability, the rule of law, etc, but would not approve of killing anyone who disagrees wiht you, or robbing people of their free will, a Chaotic Light character might believe everyone should choose their own path in life, but wouldn't approve of extreme self interest, etc. It means you can have a character be an alignment representative without having them be a zealot of their respective ideals.

 

[Rusty of Shackleford]

Been forever but settled on the basic concept!

The year is 202X. The world is amidst a massive energy crisis, caused by dwindling oil reserves and overpopulation. To solve this, scientists created technology they hoped would forever change humanity: the Perpetual Reactor. Said to create infinite energy, the design was soon adopted near worldwide.

Unfortunately, it was discovered too late that the Reactors did not in fact generate energy. They simply pulled it from somewhere else, a parallel reality known as "The Expanse."

The attacks were slow at first. Strange murders, disappearances. Then they became more and more common. Frequent, brutal.

Demons, the inhabitants of the Expanse, born from mankind's thoughts and desires.

By the end of the decade, demons had infested nearly every major city. Chaos spread lkme wildfire.

The solution to this was the Demon Summoning Program. Created by an unknown benefactor, it allowed those of strong will to command demons.

Nearly every major power created their own specialized demon hunting task force. Amongst the best was Japan's Counter-Demon Force.

Unfortunately, these task forces came far too late. Demons began to overrun cities, preventing the shutdown of the Perpetual Reactors. This was not helped by sleeper agents committing acts of terror, stirring up more and more fear until finally, it all boiled over.

The major powers of the planet, desperate to save themselves, launched nuclear ICBMs on all major cities containing a Perpetual Reactor. In just hours, billions died.

Tokyo was spared only "The Round Table," the country's elite demon Summoners, sacrificing themselves to summon Masakado, patron god of Tokyo, to strike down the missiles before they could detonate.

While Japan was spared of nuclear bombardment, the nation was in shambles. Cut off, what was left of the government would attempt to reexert control over the country. As the situation deteriorated, the government became more and more totalitarian, which in turn caused further instability.

This came to a head when the head of the Self Defense Force overthrew the Prime Minister and the Diet, suddenly declaring all of Japan to be property of Heaven, and would be remade into God's Thousand Year Kingdom.

While half of the Self Defense Force allied with the newly formed Messian Faith, the rest would remain loyal to Japan itself, forming the primary bastion against the new faction.

Working against both sides is the Circle of Gaea, a loose conglomerate of militarists, dissidents, rebels, terrorists, and cultists, dedicated to overthrowing all forms of government, in the name of their world of true freedom



The year is 205X, twenty years since the bombs dropped. Nearly half of Japan has fallen under Messian influence, with the primary fighting being the now ruined city of Tokyo. While able to hold back the Messians thanks to their elite Demon Summoners, the JSDF is slowly being worn down from all sides. Demons still roam, and the Gaeans still commit acts of violence and terror.

In their desperation, the JSDF discovered their new weapon.

Through a new procedure, a prototype Demon Summoning Computer, or "COMP," can be directly inserted into a subject's body. While the chance of death is high, those that survive become a new form of life. "Demonoids," able to assume a demonic form on command.

You are one of these subjects. Perhaps you volunteered, maybe it was to save your life. Or maybe it was becoming a Demonoid, or the firing squad. Whatever the case, the fate of Japan...no, the world, lies with you, in the coming days.


Thoughts?

 

[Unearthly]

oh hot damn this sounds ultra cool!

 

[Sepokku]

^ Im still here for it ^_//

 

[Rusty of Shackleford]

Thann you both! Been building the concept for a bit, will keep building this! Feel free to give suggestions!

 

[Rusty of Shackleford]

Another thing! Alignments will be handled more like Dungeons and Dragons, rather than classic SMT

What I mean is that instead of just Law, Neutral, and Chaos, there's also the axis of Light, Grey, and Dark. Light represents the idealized version of an alignment, Grey represents the alignment in its purest form, and Dark represents an ideal corrupted for personal gain.

An example: Lucifer is Chaos, and more specifically, Grey Chaos. His vision for humanity is absent of any consideration for good or evil, but also isn't hypocritical. Strength rules all, and that applies to himself as well.

Meanwhile, YHVH would be considered, ironically, Dark Law with this axis, as his view of Law is very much arbitrary and self serving.

This is mainly so that the cast can be from all three alignments without breaking apart, because at least in theory, a Light Law character would rather help out a Light Chaos character, over a Dark Law one.

 

[Rusty of Shackleford]

Now...onto the main factions!

For the most part, this will be a Neutral focused RP, mainly because the Law and Chaos factions will most be antagonists, and I don't want everyone to split up. Not to say characters HAVE to be Neutral, it's just easier to run when everyone has at least a basic common goal.

Starting with the Neutral faction, the Japanese Self Defense Force, and more specifically, the Counter-Demon Force. The SDF serves as pretty much the last vestige of normalcy in Japan. They don't have any extreme ideologies, or mysticism, or anything like that. They just want to keep the peace, protect civilization from the demons, and restore the world to what it was. While under martial law, life under the SDF tends to be fairly okay. Laws are strict, but rarely unfair, and citizens are given a decent amount of freedom.

To accomplish this, they possess the most well trained and well armed military force in the country. Unfortunately, their numbers are waning, as more potential volunteers die or join the Messians or Gaeans. Moving with this theme, they possess the Hunters, considered the greatest Demon Summoners in the country. Only the very best even have a chance of being chosen, and fewer actually finish their training. A small squad of Hunters have turned the tide of entire battles, and their mere presence can give even the endless hordes of the Messians pause. Unfortunately, their numbers have begun to dwindle. More and more fall in combat, or defect to the other factions. It was this that led to the creation of the Faust Project, that would later create demonoids from promising Hunters.

Next is the largest faction, population wise: the Messians.

Having subsumed most of the farmlands in Japan, they possess the largest military force in the nation, though most are poorly trained. While most under the Messian Faith are well fed, this is at the cost of the most basic of freedoms. Where you live, what you do, who you marry, is all decided by the government. The government itself is a theocratic dictatorship. At the head of the faith is the Messiah, who acts the supreme authority. Under the Messiah are the Cardinals, who each administrate a prefecture. Then each settlement has a bishop, who handles local affairs. To enforce their will, the Messian Church commands the only military and police force in their territory, the Church Templars. While lacking some of the advanced weaponry of the SDF, they are highly disciplined, and often lead hordes of conscripts, meant to wear down defenses. While Demon Summoning is strictly forbidden by the Church, the most faithful and skilled Church Templars are gifted a COMP, though they are restricted to angels. These elite warriors, known as Paladins, are possibly the most feared members of the Messian Faith. Given near complete autonomy to fufill their mission, they represent the most skilled combatants the Faith can muster.

Finally, we have the Circle of Gaea. The Circle does not hold territory, in the same way the others do. In fact, they technically have no held territory. Rather, they operate as dozens of small, insulated cells, operating within SDF or Messian territory. Tactics vary, from propaganda to terrorism, but every cell is united by a singular ideal: strength above all. Only the strong should survive. Gaeans are rarely faced on the open field, usually operating in small teams, but when they do, it's almost always a Demon Summoner. In fact, relative to their population, the Circle of Gaea has the highest percentage of Dempn Summoners. This does, however, mean that these Summoners are usually of less quality than their contemporaries.

Thoughts?