Hello folks!
Back in 2019 I started work on a setting document based on the video game Overwatch, which is developed by Blizzard Entertainment.
For the uninitiated, Overwatch is a game set in a futuristic earth where humanity has emerged victorious from a devastating conflict known as the 'Omnic Crisis' - a fight for survival between mankind and a race of sentient A.I.s called omnics that was ended by the formation of an elite international task force named Overwatch. In the years since, humans and omnics have learned to live side-by-side in harmony (with varying degrees of success) but Overwatch itself fell victim to decades of growing corruption and scandal. Eventually the organization was disbanded, its agents dismissed and any activity done in its name branded illegal. This is where the game (and this setting document) finds our heroes - will they step up to face the rising threats sprouting up across the world, even if it means being branded an illegal vigilante? Of course they will, they're heroes!
The original 2019 document was made in Microsoft Word and, though extensive with lore and NPCs, I never completed the character creation options to my satisfaction. Well now that's changed with this new project - Overwatch Revamped!
I have started the project again completely from scratch, this time using InDesign and fully fleshing out areas like character creation, gear and even setting-specific mechanics like building your hero's own Ultimate Ability (a heavily-expanded version of the Heroic Ability mechanic from the official Terrinoth book). Customization is the main theme of this project, with the aim being to allow players to make a hero with any combination of gear, abilities and powers that would fit in the futuristic advanced-tech world of Overwatch.
Some sample pages:
The project is still currently in beta, with the current release (v0.1) available HERE (Google) or HERE (Dropbox).
Sections completed so far (for a total of 125 pages!):
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Character Creation (featuring archetypes, species, careers, an Ultimate Ability mechanic heavily expanded from Realms of Terrinoth and more)
- Chapter 2: Skills and Talents (featuring an extensive talent list!)
- Chapter 3: Gear and Equipment (featuring a customization-heavy gear system built upon Secrets of the Crucible, but with additional options and unique setting-specific gear like barrier shields, automated turrets and teleporters)
Sections still to be completed:
- Chapter 4: The World of Overwatch (featuring lore information and factions)
- NPCs and adversaries (including but not limited to all characters from the game)
- Vehicles
I hope to have these remaining sections completed within a couple of weeks.
In the meantime, please feel free to use this thread to share your ideas, offer any feedback (or point out any errors you notice)! I hope some of you get a use out of this.
Edited by Kualan